Friends of the Arboretum Newsletter
Fall 2007 – Volume 11, Number 2
 |
 |
 |
 |
Words from the Director
Director's Letter
By Denny Werner, Ph.D., Director
Welcome from the JC Raulston Arboretum. I am writing this message content in the knowledge that, for the first time since I assumed the position of director, the JCRA is fully staffed. Mark Weathington, our new assistant director, joined us on July 23, and he has "hit the ground running." Mark's knowledge of plants is remarkable, and his passion for the JCRA and its collections is infectious. All of us on the staff look forward to his future contributions to the gardens and programs. One of Mark's first initiatives upon arriving was to resume the monthly Plantsmen's Tours, historically a popular program at the JCRA. Look for the dates and topics for these tours in the enclosed schedule of programs. One of Mark's major responsibilities at the JCRA will be plant acquisitions and collections management, and fulfilling the important role of liaison to the nursery industry. Mark will also be taking a lead responsibility in validating the current Arboretum holdings and future accessions for identity accuracy, and coordinating our student intern program. Please welcome Mark to the JCRA family.
I regret to report that Frankie Fanelli, our volunteer coordinator at the JCRA since 2001, has left the JCRA for a community college teaching position. I have known Frankie since she came to NC State University as an undergraduate student in the Department of Horticultural Science in fall 1997. She earned her B.S. in horticulture in spring 2000, and subsequently pursued a graduate degree in horticultural science, which she earned in December 2004. Even during her undergraduate program, Frankie demonstrated a love and passion for the JCRA, which eventually led her to assume the position of volunteer coordinator in 2001. During these past six years, Frankie has worked tirelessly on behalf of the JCRA, and under her leadership, volunteer service has risen to over 9,000 hours annually at the JCRA. All of us on the staff of the JCRA will miss her friendship, her smile, and her passion. Frankie, thank you for all you have contributed. We wish you the best.
I am pleased to announce that Barbara Kennedy assumed the position of JCRA volunteer coordinator effective July 30, 2007. Barbara has been a volunteer at the JCRA since 2001, and has assumed many roles in her volunteer services over the years, including tour guide and leader of the Tuesday morning roving gardening group. She earned a degree in horticulture from NC State University in 2003. She also has a B.S. in business education from the College of New Jersey, and a M.S. in business from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Barbara currently resides in Raleigh. Please welcome Barbara to the JCRA staff.
In early June, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Japan for 12 days,
visiting nurseries and nurserymen, and speaking at the meeting of the Japanese
Nursery Association. This was my first opportunity to visit Japan, or for
that matter, any Asian country. It was a totally rewarding and educational
experience to appreciate the people, food, culture, geography, history, and
horticulture of this beautiful country. I traveled with Ted Stephens of
Nurseries Caroliniana of North Augusta, South Carolina, and Fred Hooks and Ozzie
Johnson of Atlanta, Georgia. All three of them had traveled to Japan
previously, and with the assistance of our wonderful Japanese hosts, arranged
for an incredible schedule of garden and nursery visits. It took some adjusting
for this native southern Pennsylvania boy, raised on Pennsylvania Dutch meals
generally consisting of meat, potatoes, and a vegetable, to get used to the
cuisine. Our first meal upon arrival consisted of raw octopus, squid, and
eel, and the "going-away" barbeque event provided by our Japanese
hosts featured – you guessed it – barbecued octopus. Most importantly, I was
able to bring back some great new plants for the JCRA, including interesting
candidates of Viburnum, Enkianthus, and Parthenocissus.
I will make a presentation of this trip to the membership in the future. I
also want to acknowledge the Japanese Nursery Association for their generous
financial contribution to the JCRA, presented after my talk to that organization.
Their kindness and support is sincerely appreciated.
We are all excited about the completion of the new JCRA Grass-roots Master Plan. The final plan was presented to and approved by the Board of Advisors in April, and presented to the membership at a Friends of the Arboretum Lecture in late June. The completed master plan incorporates plans for the newly acquired acreage adjacent to the existing Arboretum grounds. The plan addresses issues and concerns related to our path system, accessibility issues, equipment access into the grounds, educational programming in the Arboretum, interpretation of the collections, opportunities for student and industry involvement in the Arboretum, and enhancing the presentation of our diverse and eclectic plant collection. Foremost during the development of the master plan was ensuring that the plan was consistent with the JCRA mission statement, and that as always, "It's All About the Plants." Execution of the plan will be a long-term venture, but we can now proceed with development of the Arboretum in a planned fashion. I again extend my sincere thanks to the wonderful group of talented JCRA members who comprised the Grass-roots Master Plan committee: Harriet Bellerjeau, Suzanne Edney, Jeff Evans, Robert Mackintosh, Rick Boggs, Beth Jimenez, and Matt Roberts.
Most of you are aware that we have increased our individual and family membership rates by $10.00. Our Individual membership rate had been maintained at $30.00 for so many years that we have no formal records of when it last increased. I'll spare you the song and dance about why we made these changes, except to say they were necessary to ensure the current financial stability of the JCRA and build some long-term equity for the future. I feel our membership fee is reasonable considering the member benefits, including our discounts at many nurseries, free admission to our FOA Lectures, newsletters, reduced rates for workshops and symposia, our free plant distribution, and the satisfaction of knowing that you are supporting an organization that touches and enhances the lives of so many people. Thank you for your understanding and support in this regard. Along these lines, members who live some distance from the JCRA, and who are unable to regularly attend our FOA Lectures, may ask what direct benefits they derive from membership. I have given this much thought, and asked myself what we can do to enhance value for such members. One initiative that we will institute beginning fall 2007 is to tape all FOA Lectures (pending permission of the presenter) and make them available on our Web site to members only, making them accessible to all members, regardless of distance from the JCRA. We have a great line-up of FOA Lectures scheduled for fall 2007 and spring 2008. I hope to see you at these events, and remember, for those of you who miss a particular lecture, they will be available to members only on the Web site.
Our plant breeding efforts at the JCRA continue to progress. This year's Easter freeze was devastating to the new redbud crosses we attempted, but we have been able to make final selections in various families derived from crosses made in prior years. Selections with weeping architecture and demonstrating variegated leaves or purple leaves have been identified. These will be propagated to facilitate further testing, but we are confident these plants have great commercial potential.
As I prepare this piece on a late July evening, we are in the throes of a serious drought statewide, and the City of Raleigh recently enacted permanent, year-round, pre-emptive watering restrictions. Actually, in my mind, these restrictions are an excellent idea, for they will cause us all to think twice before turning on the tap to water the lawn and landscape. Like those of you who understand that all natural resources are limited, and that as a society we too often take for granted these precious resources, I believe we are fast approaching the day of reckoning as regards our water resources. Officials predict that the population of the state will double within the next 20 to 25 years. Such a dramatic increase will necessitate painful but necessary decisions about how we all use water and other limited resources. The nursery industry has been preparing for this day of reckoning for some time through measures aimed at reducing water usage and capturing water runoff from production areas. Homeowners will need to adapt to the changing reality by adopting measures to reduce water usage, capturing water on site, and growing drought tolerant plants. In the near future, we may reflect with a measure of disbelief that we actually irrigated fescue turf using pop-up sprinklers controlled by automatic irrigation controllers. At the JCRA, we have recently installed some new garden areas that are consistent with the theme of frugal use of water and the use of drought tolerant plants. On the west side of the Ruby C. McSwain Education Center, our Scree Garden is developing into a beautiful garden setting. Comprised of a diversity of drought tolerant taxa from all parts of the world (no, natives are not necessarily more drought tolerant), this garden is thriving in the summer heat and drought conditions; it has not been watered once during the entire growing season. The newly renovated rooftop gardens have been enhanced by removing a significant amount of the uninspiring sedum, and replacing it with a host of plants presumed to be adaptable to this harsh environment. Lastly, continuing on the drought tolerant theme, we have made excellent progress in the installation of the new Geophyte Border adjacent to the rooftop gardens. Over 80% of the species and cultivars intended for this border have been installed, and the planting is looking great. This garden was designed by past JCRA staff member and volunteer Doug Ruhren. Thanks to Doug for his efforts with this border. As you walk these new garden areas and other parts of the Arboretum, please be on the lookout for the new interpretative signs that have been strategically placed to interpret individual plants and collections. Staff member Nancy Doubrava and Erin Possiel, a graduate student in the Department of Horticultural Science, have teamed up to develop these informative educational messages.
The issue of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels will be a major challenge to all societies and gardeners in the coming years. The sobering statistics reveal the true nature of the challenge. Global CO2 levels rose nearly 3% in the past year (2006) alone, an incredible increase for such a short time period. At the anticipated rate of future increase, atmospheric CO2 levels by year 2050 are predicted to be about twice that of the levels prior to the industrial revolution. We are entering uncharted biological territory, as the chronic impact of such elevated levels of CO2 on plant growth are largely unknown. Duke University is conducting studies in this area, but so much more is to be learned. Already, I have seen the statements from the uninformed stating that non-natives will be favored over natives as CO2 levels rise and global warming occurs. Well, interestingly, a not-so "warm and fuzzy" native, our own North American poison ivy, has been reported to respond in a dramatically positive way to elevated CO2, both in terms of growth rate and increases of the toxic allergen. The double whammy of increased atmospheric CO2 and global warming will have a dramatic impact on the composition and distribution of plant communities in the future. This, coupled with man's rampant development of our open space, represents in my mind a much greater threat to our native plant communities than does the introduction of non-native ornamental species. As man continues to impact our environment to such an incredible extent, quite frankly, the controversy of native versus exotic plants in landscapes may become a moot point, as the consequences of development and environmental change will far more negatively outweigh the consequences of introducing a non-native species into North America. When the climate of piedmont North Carolina 90 years hence is similar to the climate currently found in central Florida (predicted by some models developed at Duke University), does it really matter if one is growing a native or non-native plant in their landscape? In my opinion, the concept of nativity becomes more nebulous as plant community transitions occur in such a short time frame.
I hope your plants survived the unusually severe freeze experienced during the Easter weekend this past April. In spite of the fact that so many plants were totally fried (is that a horticultural term?) during this event, I was amazed in most cases at how well plants recovered the freeze. As Doug Ruhren once said in a talk, "All plants want to live, except hybrid tea roses." After the loss of growth that was derived from the terminal meristems and primary axillary buds, most species recovered within four to six weeks by reinitiating growth from secondary and tertiary lateral buds, and/or adventitious bud formation. And no, natives did not fare better during the freeze as compared to non-natives, as some trumpeted after the event. Those who stated such must not have looked at Cercis canadensis, Chionanthus virginicus, Cornus florida, and other natives that were temporarily disfigured by the freeze, while some non-natives such as Cornus mas fared very well. Again, broad generalizations about the relative performance of natives versus non-natives hold about as much water as a kitchen sieve. Response to a biological stress such as a freeze event is not a function of nativity status; it's totally a function of the inherent biology of the organism, regardless of its nativity.
I just returned from a 2008 JCRA symposium meeting at Plant Delights Nursery. During this visit, I saw Musa 'Siam Ruby', the new ornamental banana that Tony Avent has planted in front of his shipping facility. What a spectacular plant! Speaking of the JCRA 2008 symposium, please mark the dates of September 26, 27, and 28 on your calendars. We already have some great speakers lined up for this event. It will be a great opportunity for you to listen to and meet these speakers, and also visit with a diverse group of plant enthusiasts from around the country.
As always, the entire JCRA staff thanks you for your support of the Arboretum, through your membership, participation in our programs, gifts-in-kind, financial contributions, and volunteer service. We are so fortunate to have the support of each of you. See you at the JCRA.
Werner's Wanderings
By Denny Werner, Ph.D., Director
I will restrict the extent of my aimless wanderings in this newsletter issue, as many would probably agree that I have wandered extensively in my "Director's Letter." However, below are a few miscellaneous items and topics that I thought might be of interest to you.
Biltmore Nursery Book
Thanks to Bobby Wilder and Tom Ranney, Ph.D., for bringing to my attention a recently published book about the old Biltmore Nursery. Entitled The Biltmore Nursery: A Botanical Legacy by Bill Alexander (paperback, 288 pages, 2007), much of the book is a reproduction of the 1912 Nursery catalog, providing the reader with an appreciation of the ornamental plants available in the early twentieth century. The author provides a history of the nursery from its establishment in 1889, and discusses major clients and sources of the plants offered by Biltmore. I greatly enjoy reading old seed and nursery catalogs, as they provide such a rich history of early U.S. horticulture.
Anne Ophelia Todd Dowden – 1907-2007
Over the years, my wife Georgina and I have acquired a number of botanical prints drawn by Anne Ophelia Todd Dowden. Something has always drawn us to her work, simple yet meticulous, art that demonstrated not only her incredible skills, but that also conveyed her love of flowers, weeds, and all things botanical. Anne Ophelia passed away at age 99 on January 11 of this year, and leaves a legacy of botanical art that has graced magazines as varied as Life, House Beautiful, and Natural History. In addition, Anne Ophelia authored a number of books over the years, and credited her friendships with many of the staff at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for helping her develop botanical knowledge. A description of her life and work can be found in a recent issue of The Botanical Artist, Volume 13, Issue 1-March 2007, pages 4-5. Thanks to Sue Aldworth for bringing this to my attention. Sue, as you may know, illustrated our 2007 JCRA T-shirt, and is at work on our 2008 edition.
Darwin Online
A recent article in the May 20, 2007 New York Times entitled "My Dear Fellow Species" described the Charles Darwin online project, and included some of Charles Darwin's letters and correspondence, thousands of which still exist. In mid May of this year, the Darwin Correspondence Project, based at Cambridge University, put about 5,000 letters, to and from Charles Darwin, online at http://darwinproject.ac.uk. Examples printed in the Times article include one letter that he wrote at the age of 12, and an 1861 letter he wrote to botanist Asa Gray, with whom he apparently corresponded frequently, about the American Civil War. In an 1844 letter, written to botanist Joseph Hooker, 15 years before Origin of the Species, Charles Darwin first proposes the tenets of his theory of evolution.
Maslin Award to Marge O'Keeffe
Congratulations to longtime JCRA member Marge O'Keeffe for being awarded the prestigious Maslin Award from the Garden Club of North Carolina. The Maslin Award is awarded to a member of the Garden Club of North Carolina who has done the most over a period of many years to further its aims. Marge has done so much to support and promote garden clubs at the local, state, regional, and national level for over 60 years. She is currently a member of the Raleigh Garden Club and Cary Garden Club, and has been a longtime volunteer, supporter, and advocate for the JCRA. For many years, she has served as the Garden Club of North Carolina liaison to the JC Raulston Arboretum. Marge, congratulations, and thanks for all you do for the JCRA.
Leopold Center Research
The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University promotes and sponsors research in sustainable agricultural practices. Their quarterly newsletter never fails to provide interesting information, ideas, and insights. Although the research supported by the center typically focuses on row crops, fruits, and vegetables, by extension there is much to be learned as it relates to the management of our gardens and landscapes. An article in the summer 2007 newsletter was particularly interesting. Entitled "Yields Increase, Soil Resilience Soars: Long-term Research Proves Organics Promise," the article describes a long-term study comparing organic versus conventional cropping systems, using rotations of corn, soybeans, oats, and alfalfa. The organic system avoided the use of pesticides and inorganic fertilizers, and included soil-building measures such as annual addition of composted manures. By year four, the organic system was outperforming conventional systems. After seven years of organic management compared to conventional, the researchers saw 1) more soil organic carbon, 2) more biologically active organic matter and beneficial microbe activity, 3) reduced soil acidity, 4) improved soil structure, 5) less leaching of nitrogen, and 6) improved crop yield. Clearly, the organic system of management had a beneficial impact on soil quality and plant yield. These important findings reaffirm the need to regularly add organic matter and compost to your gardens and landscape, and point to the superiority of organic fertilizer sources over inorganic forms.
This issue also had an excellent and thought provoking editorial from Fred Kirschenmann, distinguished fellow of the Leopold Center, in which he questions our society's "continuous devotion to growth." I believe you would enjoy reading his thoughts. The Leopold Letter can be viewed online at http://www.leopold.iastate.edu. My comments are based on Volume 19, Number 2.
Words from the Director | Volunteering | Horticulture | Development
Formatted into HTML by Christopher
Todd Glenn
Programs and Education Coordinator
JC Raulston Arboretum
Department of Horticultural Science
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-7522
© The JC Raulston Arboretum, November 2007