Garden Gab
Join Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden for gardening tips, behind-the-scene views and discussions on everything plant-related

Driving through the gate at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, I have a flashback to my childhood memories at the Garden and then my thoughts turn to the new experiences that I will be having this summer. 

Let me tell you about myself.  I’m a senior at Liberty University with a double major in advertising and public relations and a minor in business.  When I first started internship “shopping” this past semester, I was overwhelmed by all of the options for advertising and public relations in Richmond alone. Through the hectic process of finding an internship for the summer, Lewis Ginter kept popping up in my mind.  I had always been impressed with how professional and well-run the events are at Lewis Ginter.  So here I am now, interning at Lewis Ginter’s PR/Marketing Department.

I had been to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden many times as a child and as a young adult. 
Some of my favorite Christmas family memories have been at Lewis Ginter.  I clearly remember the magical moment of coming to Gardenfest of Lights for the first time and being in tranced by the twinkling lights as far as my childhood eye could see.  Lewis Ginter has always meant family time to me.  Not only would we attend Gardenfest but we would visit the Garden various times during the year just for some family time together.  The peace and relaxation that comes from walking the Garden’s bloom filled paths is something truly unique to Richmond. 

I have been placed in this wonderful place that is filled with beautiful scenery and smiling faces.  My internship will not only gain me “real world” experience but I know I’ll be making memories that I will remember for years to come.

Lindsay Silva will be interning in the PR/Marketing Department at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden this summer.

Not a pretty picture—part of the Conservatory Garden in New York’s Central Park before garden designer Lynden Miller’s involvement.

Last night Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden brought together a group of civic and corporate leaders for a presentation titled: Making Magic in Our Cities: Parks, Plants and People. The speaker was Lynden Miller, a public garden designer who has made magic in cities across the country, including New York, Chicago, and Charleston, SC.

You can read Karin Kapsidelis’ article about last night’s event in today’s Richmond Times-Dispatch or here.

More than 140 people attended and I had the privilege of being one of them. Lynden Miller’s talk interested me on two levels – as a Garden employee certainly, but also as a person who wants the best for her community and family.

Below are a few notes I took, not with any particular rhyme or reason, just points I liked. I encourage you to visit Lynden Miller’s website at www.publicgardendesign.com—the before and after photos of what she has done are amazing.
Here’s the Conservatory Garden in Central Park today:




o People in cities need a connection to nature.

o When you beautify an area, you send a subtle message: “We did this for you. You are worth it.” People respond by picking up trash and returning to visit. Beautification is not a frill; it is essential.

o It is moving to see how people of every kind respond to spaces that have been well-designed and well-maintained for them.

o Gardens and plants bring people together. Perfect strangers will start talking to each other – they want to share.

o Parks are also good for business. When more people visit an area it makes it safer and less likely to have crime.

o What’s needed to succeed: good plants, good soil, money, energy, volunteers, knowledge of what plants will do well and where, and a stubborn conviction that people matter.

So, do you believe in “magic”?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Romance is in the Air!

If you notice a great deal of thrashing around in the lakes and lagoons at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, fear not.  It is simply the harmless Northern Water Snake, Natrix sipedon dipedon, in the throws of infatuation.  (Virginia’s only poisonous watersnake, the Eastern Cottonmouth, is found only in the extreme southeastern corner of the state.)

The garden is home to a number of harmless snakes, including the beneficial blacksnake, whose diet consists mainly of rodents.  Of the 35 species and subspecies of snakes in Virginia only 3 are poisonous.  Poisonous snakes can be identified by a vertical pupil; non-poisonous snakes have a round pupil.

The harmless Northern Water Snake is one of the more unique creatures you may catch a glimpse of here at Lewis Ginter. Did you know, for instance, that the female Northern Water Snake is about three times the size of her male counterpart?  The unfortunate fact is the harmless Northern Water Snake looks very similar to a Copperhead or a Cottonmouth Snake.  This is one of the main reasons we have a “snake sign” — an interpretive sign in the Garden to let the public know that we do not harbor dangerous creatures and also to educate about the beneficial role that snakes do play in our gardens here as well as in the bigger world beyond.

Snakes are an important part of the ecosystem, as they keep our rodent populations down. Other important creatures part of the big picture that live here along with our plants are many different species of birds of prey, lots of songbirds, the fish, turtles, lizards, and yes, the rodents.  So please keep an open mind when visiting our lovely botanical gardens and know that we have a thriving ecosystem which is carefully managed.  You may glimpse more than just the plants!  If you just can’t stomach snakes though, do keep in mind that they are normally very camouflaged and hidden from view—we keep our signs up in the garden to inform & educate the public, never knowing when they might make an appearance. 

Laura S. Henley is a horticulturist at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Wiegela is prized in Europe in cut-flower arrangements

It’s time to get out and garden! The Spring Plant Sale starts tomorrow at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden; learn more about the Plant Sale including the list of vendors.

Looking for something for your home garden? Garden volunteer Julie Abbott suggests the following plant:

Weigela ‘Wine and Roses’ is must-have plant that can be found at the Spring Plant Sale in the “Bloemendaal’s Best” tent.  This eye-catcher has dark burgundy foliage with rosy pink flowers. Hardy to zone 4, it reaches a height of four to five feet at maturity.  It is the first weigela to win the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal Award.  Cut branches for arrangements are in demand at European flower markets. 

Plant in full sun to achieve best leaf color.  A light pruning after flowering in mid-spring will provide sporadic bloom in summer.  Another plus for this plant — no serious insect or disease problems.  It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden

Julie Abbott is a volunteer at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. The Plant Sale is presented by Garden volunteers.

Today is Earth Day and as gardeners and garden lovers, we here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden have a vested interest in “going green.”

It’s funny—some of the things we are doing are just so natural we don’t stop to think that much about them—but maybe we should. For instance, did you know we collect the rainwater off our buildings and funnel it into our irrigation lake?

And of course we compost, something you can do at home. In many cities, nearly a third of the volume hauled to the landfill is landscape refuse, such as lawn clippings, leaves, branches and wood chips. Homeowners who compost at home remove some burden off our landfills.

We’ve started a list of some more of our “green” initiatives—here are just a few:

The Garden’s caterer Meriwether Godsey has substituted reusable tumblers for disposable plastic cups, fully compostable hot cups and napkins made of 100% recycled material.

In the Garden Shop “green” merchandise includes Rich Earth and Eco Pots, reusable tote bags and helpful gardening resources.

In the Children’s Garden staff and young visitor help grow herbs for use in the Café and Tea House; fruits and vegetables are also grown and harvested for the Central Virginia Food Bank.

In the Lora M. Robins Library environmental stewardship is covered by a bounty of resources, including books for children.

Efrorts even extend to our holiday light show—GardenFest of Lights.  Last year, staff began replacing incandescent lights with LED holiday lights that are slightly more expensive, yet pay for themselves in the first year through electricity savings. For example, the electrical cost to light a holiday tree with LEDs is 13 to 17 cents per season compared to $6 to $10 for incandescent lights. Already, more than 25 percent of the GardenFest lights have been converted – totaling more than nine miles of LED strands in a 500,000-light display.

Let us know if you are incorporating any “green” practices into your home garden!

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

The volunteer spring plant sale this year has an exciting new addition: The Director’s Selection.

This area will feature zone 6 and zone 7 trees for permanent plantings that are often hard to find but have exceptional qualities suitable for Richmond and it includes many native trees as well as unique cultivars and new hybrids.

There’ll be over 30 types in sizes ranging from 18” to 5’ with something in everyone’s price range. While many are in good quantities, others are limited to a few plants.

The collection includes the following:

• Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), a choice 3-season small tree, rather carefree with great fall color

• Two species of Stewartia (pseudocamellia and monodelpha), also with 3-season interest and decorative bark

• Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), with its stand-out red fall color

• Three selections of genera that have been growing since prehistoric times:

Gingko biloba: ‘Autumn Gold’ and ‘Fastiagiata’, both male with day-glo yellow fall color

Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides - It was thought to be extinct until it was discovered alive in China in the 1940’s) We have ‘Ogon’ with its chartreuse yellow foliage for the plant sale

Fourteen choices of magnolia species and newly introduced hybrids will be offered. Most of the magnolias are not yet on the Virginia market and in very limited quantities

• Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) for damp/wet sites-We have five cultivars (in limited quantities): a tight semi-dwarf, one with yellow foliage, two weeping types, and a bushy witch’s broom.

• Two unique cultivars of English oak: ‘Argenteo Marginata’ and ‘Cristata’

• A weeping /spreading hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) “Dervaesii’

• And for those who’ve always wanted a tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) but didn’t have room, we’ve got ‘Ardis” at one-third the size

Here’s a chance to get some really special life-time plants and support the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden at the same time!

Bill Smith is a volunteer at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Narcissus poeticus

We get the question often this time of year: What’s in Bloom?

Right now, daffodils are at their peak—a good thing considering the American Daffodil Society 2008 Convention is going on right now at the Richmond Sheraton on West Broad. To learn more read: Article about daffodils in the Richmond Times-Dispatch (April 7, 2008)

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has made significant additions to its daffodil collection, including Poet’s Narcissus in the Nancy Roberts Pope Collection. Here’s the story about the people behind the plants—written by the Garden’s executive director Frank Robinson:

The Nancy Roberts Pope Collection at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Decades ago, Margaret Roberts Yerger inspired her niece Nancy Roberts to be passionate about gardening – especially Poet’s daffodils (Narcissus poeticus) – which Mrs. Yerger loved and hybridized in her own garden. Years passed, Nancy married, raised a family, and as they matured, she decided she would study landscape design in the program here at Lewis Ginter. Sadly, her life was cut short by illness, but she found great joy in her studies and in the beauty of the Garden in her last years (a seed planted so long before by her aunt).

Nancy’s parents, John and Jane Roberts, established a memorial fund in her memory, and we have annually expanded our collection of Poet’s daffodils for 10 years. You will find the Nancy Roberts Pope collection in the woodland garden, not far from Bloemendaal House. Her parents recently provided a paved pathway through the woodland garden, so it is more accessible to those with mobility challenges. And, as we have been able to add a beautiful curved bench where there is a marvelous view through the Flagler Garden, dazzling white with Poet’s in April. A plaque with a poem by Nancy is erected on an adjoining wall.

This past summer, we were give some of Mrs. Yerger’s Poet’s hybrids and delightedly planted them in the area devoted to Nancy’s collection. Mrs. Yerger passed away this past winter at age 93. Somehow the circle is now full – love and admiration of beauty which has flawed from generation to generation in this family has happily completed its journey at Lewis Ginter.

I shall sit on that bench in April, admiring the Poet’s (My grandfather grew them, too) and I will think about all they reflect of life, of generosity, and of the legacy we pass from one to another – sometimes seemingly so simple, yet so profound.

Frank Robinson is executive director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

A few of the volunteers organizing the Spring Plant Sale are trying their hand at blogging! Marlu (above) contributed the following:

Discover an added feature of selecting plants at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s Spring Plant Sale—May 1, 2 & 3—master gardeners will be available to answer any questions you may have regarding planting and care of your purchases.

View from the Fall 2007 Plant Sale

The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Plant Sale is still about a month away (May 1, 2 & 3)—but there are already lots of people excited about it.

The Plant Sale is presented by the Garden’s volunteers and today there was a planning meeting. It truly is a monumental effort when you realize all of the work that is involved. This year, there are some plants that are being specially grown for the sale and the volunteers will be blogging to tell you more about them.

In other news—what a busy time it is here!  The gardens continue to look spectacular—the cherries are quickly fading, but certain varieties of daffodils are still going strong and the tulips are poised to enjoy their peak soon. We’ll keep you posted!

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Work on the Rose Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is actually ahead of schedule!

We are all excited about the new Rose Garden—not only for the beauty and interest it will bring, but also for the stories it can tell. The roses that will be featured were specially bred for fragrance, re-bloom, and disease and pest resistance. Learn more here.

And if you’d like to see some of the roses that will be planted in the new Rose Garden in mid to late April, take a look at these wonderful images courtesy of Peter Kukielski, curator of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at New York Botanical Garden. Peter has been consulting with us on the rose selection here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Rosa ‘Abraham Darby’ (David Austin English rose)

Rosa ‘Evelyn’ (English Musk rose)

Rosa ‘Grimaldi’ (Floribunda rose)

Rosa ‘Nastarana’ (Noisette rose)

Rosa ‘Sally Holmes’ (Hybrid Musk rose)

Rosa ‘Audubon’ (Shrub rose)



Now imagine 1,800 of these beauties (including approximately 80 other varieties)—won’t we have something to look forward to this summer and fall?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Daffodils in blooms at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Spring is here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Many daffodil varieties, including ‘Miss Grace’, ‘Pineapple Prince’, and ‘Lemon Glow’, are blooming in the Flagler Garden. Weeping cherries are in flower; crocus are up; some varieties of iris are in all their glory; and trees such as Saucer and Galaxy magnolia as well as Red Buds are in wonderful color. Visit the Conservatory for dazzling displays including Easter Lilies and Hydrangeas.


Weeping Cherry

And this is only the beginning—this Saturday we start Million Blooms at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. A Million Bloom is our celebration of spring featuring a succession of beautiful blooms from now through June 1. We’ll be blogging a lot about what’s in bloom to keep you up-to-date.

This weekend we have family activities—Peter Rabbit will be here in person (or is it in rabbit?) Bring the kids and camera to take a family photo; enjoy storytelling and a performance by the Richmond Concert Band (storytelling and concert Saturday only). Learn more about Easter Weekend (March 22 & 23) activities at the Garden.

Tulips in front of Bloemendaal House

Come relax with us this weekend and enjoy the beauty of the Garden; we’ll be expecting you!

Hybrid azalea Rhododendron x ‘Gable’s Pink Conewago’


Seth Nichols is a gardener at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Can you see the Spindle Palm bloom?

It’s the “broom-like” appendage sprouting off the side of the palm – if you look closely, you can see where the bloom is being supported by a wooden frame.

The staff here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden have been watching this palm with great anticipation – it’s the first time our Spindle Palm has bloomed.

If you’d like to take a look —maybe this coming Easter Weekend or during next week’s spring break—come on by the Conservatory. The Spindle Palm is in the orchid wing.

Some quick facts about the Spindle Palm: it’s a slow grower and an excellent choice for interiors or greenhouses. The name comes from its spindle-shaped flower shaft. The Spindle Palm is native to Rodriquez Island off the coast of Madagascar. Sadly, it has been greatly reduced in its natural habitat and is threatened with extinction.

Which is one reason we are here – to preserve this plant and share it with you!

Below is a wider shot that includes more of the tree.

Hyophorbe verschaffeltii or Spindle Palm.

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Korean Forsythia; Forsythia ovata ‘Tetragold’ (middleground) in front of the Conservatory at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

The other day I had a call from Joel Archibald, a photographer with Henrico County (Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is located in Henrico County).

Joel was interested in taking an image of forsythia. Turns out Henrico County is exploring becoming a sister city with Yangju City in Korea – and Yangju’s official flower is forsythia.

Henrico’s public affairs office is planning to create a gift card with the forsythia image on it and present the card to Yangju City.

Imagine how delighted we all were to realize we have Korean forsythia here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden – and it is in front of the Conservatory – which is the shot Joel wanted (please see above – my quick snapshot – I am sure Joel’s will be much nicer!)

Yangju is near Seoul and its website says: “The beautiful and vibrant forsythia, the official flower of Yangju city, represents its new spirit: the pursuit of abundance and prosperity.”

What a wonderful example of how plants can work to bring people together! Maybe you have a story about how a specific plant has special symbolism for you—if so, please comment and share with us.

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Violas (also known as “Johnny Jump-Ups") at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Spring is on its way, but we have to be careful with planting for a few more weeks.

Late season hard freezes are possible in March and a cycle of freezing and thawing can damage plants. Anything not tolerant of 26 degree Fahrenheit night temperatures will require protection from freezing. The best advice for March is to take advantage of this time to do some general clean-up and pruning in anticipation of spring. 

Planting

Frost-tender Plants:
While you may be tempted by blooming plants at area greenhouses and nurseries, be aware that many of these cannot survive a hard freeze. Hold off on purchases of frost-tender plants until later in the season.
Cool Season Plants:
Cool season annuals, including pansies, petunias, snapdragons, and Iceland poppies, can be planted now if they are fully conditioned to cold growing conditions. To condition, set the plants outside but cover them for at least two weeks if temperatures go below freezing. To cover, use a frost-protecting ground cloth or an old sheet. Conditioning is necessary because plants grown in a greenhouse can suffer shock if they are planted directly into a harsh outside environment. If temperatures go too low, even conditioned cool season plants will suffer. Most pansy flowers can be damaged by temperatures below 26 degrees Fahrenheit. 
Trees and Shrubs:
New trees and shrubs are also susceptible to extreme cold during this time of year. Do not plant them in unprotected settings without mulches, staking or wind protection.

Pruning
One of the biggest questions about pruning is when to prune. Summer-blooming shrubs should be pruned now; spring-blooming shrubs should be pruned after they have bloomed. (It will not hurt a spring-blooming shrub if you prune it now, but it will mean you will not have any blooms.)

Some examples of common summer-blooming shrubs include butterfly bush, spirea, and bush clover. Examples of spring-time bloomers include forsythia, lilac, flowering dogwood and azaleas.  If in doubt, check gardening resources for details about blooming schedules.

March can also be a good time to prune most trees. The exceptions are maple, birch and elm, which already have sap running. For more information about tree pruning, check with the local extension service or an arborist.

Tom Brinda is assistant director of horticulture and education for Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden volunteer Mike Hartenberg cuts back Sarracenia (pitcher plants) in the West Island Garden.

Are you itching to get out in your garden?

My daughter wants to plant a garden and, like most four-year-olds, she wants to do it NOW!

I share her eagerness to get outside and “play in the dirt.” That’s why I’m excited about attending Strange’s Blooming Days this weekend. The Garden will have a booth there – and there will be vendors and demonstrations, even activities for the kids. Even though I’ll be working the booth on Saturday morning, I am hoping I’ll have a chance to look around and maybe even purchase a few plants. (Strange’s is a sponsor of the Garden’s A Million Blooms and a supplier of many of our plants here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.)

I invite you to come on out and say “hi” to some of the Garden’s staff and volunteers at our booth. Learn more about Blooming Days at Strange’s.

Speaking of the Garden’s volunteers – they are always itching to get out in the Garden. I ran into Mike Hartenberg (pictured above) the other day when the temperatures were warm and there was a hint of spring in the air. Mike has been volunteering on a regular basis now for about two years. He’s a “mostly retired” radiologist who credits his wife (a longtime Garden volunteer) with getting him involved at the Garden. “I really like that at the end of the day, you can look back and see progress,” he says.

What’s your favorite thing about gardening?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Hellebore—a favorite of Garden volunteer Grace Lynch, author of the blog entry below.

Thank goodness it’s finally March!

Walk through the Garden and you’ll see many blooms starting to pop open—some that have been around for a while and are still holding their beauty are Hellebores.

Any plant that is brave enough to bloom during the dull, gray month of February is greeted with joy.  Hellebores have been my favorite for years and with the high cost of these plants in garden centers I can see there is a call for them.  In the early years of growing these plants the color of the flowers was a dusty rose-pink and greenish-white freckled with spots – not unattractive features but not pure gleaming white.

Most hellebores are native to mountainous regions of Europe in open oak and beech woodland, scrub and grassy meadows and rocky slopes.



Helleborus orientalis in the landscape

Hellebores grow from thickened, slow-creeping rhizomes with thick fleshy, sparsely branching roots which grow horizontally at or under the surface of the soil.  Most hellebores are deciduous in the wild, though in gardens with the abundance of moisture and nutrition they can be kept green and growing all year.  Honey bees and other small bees are the primary pollinators of the hellebores visiting frequently and spreading pollen throughout the garden.

Hellebores can be increased by one of three methods: seed, division, or micro propagation. The only one I have been successful with is letting nature help me with seeds. Taking seeds requires soaking, refrigeration and gathering them at the right time. I have been putting compost loosely around the plants and when the plants release their seed they seem to germinate in the compost. The plants are grown in compost so I do not compact the soil that is added.

Cut Hellebores require conditioning before putting them in a vase or other container, otherwise they will wilt. The process of putting the stems in near boiling water will cure them. They will last for two or three weeks in an arrangement.

Happy gardening!

Grace Lynch is a volunteer at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Crocus blooming at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Want a sure sign that spring is on the way?

Bright Spots is up and running again.

Bright Spots is a program that points out what’s in bloom or notes items of interest in the Garden. Garden volunteers manage Bright Spots.

So how does it work? The next time you visit the Garden, look for a table of flowers just as you walk from the Visitors Center out into the Garden. You’ll see vases with flowers and signage telling you the flowers’ botanical and common names. There’s also a large map with markers identifying where you can find these “bright spots.”

You can also look for big green and yellow “Bright Spots” flags in the Garden. These mark items of interest and include a little bit of information.

It’s a great way to guide your visit, learn a little bit and impress your friend – because you can simply read the information right there in front of you – example: “My goodness, I didn’t know the Galanthus were blooming in the Flagler Garden!”

Spring is on its way – no doubt. The number of blooms in the Garden is increasing daily – from the delicate jewel-like flowers of crocus, snowdrops (Galanthus) and cherries – to bright, bold daffodils nodding in the breeze.

Do you currently have any bright spots in your garden?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Gazebo at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

This summer I visited a friend’s garden and was struck by two charming small structures in the garden.

A lot of the charm factor came from the way she had sited these two ‘necessaries’—one’s a tool shed and the other a couple-sized overflow outdoor bedroom.  But, in the garden, they each frame an expansive view over open water, giving both the view and the garden near them definition and focus.

Vermont garden designer Gordon Hayward addresses precisely these design issues in his lecture at the Garden on “Small Buildings, Small Gardens.” (Learn more about Gordon Hayward and Hayward Gardens.) On Saturday, March 8, he will discuss how small buildings in the garden can define garden spaces, pull together and focus views, and also provide gathering places within the garden for family, friends, and guests.  He provides tips and numerous examples for using buildings as starting places for good garden design. 

For more information, go to:  http://www.lewisginter.org, click on ‘Calendar’ then ‘Education for Adults’ then click on March to register online, or call 804-262-9887 ext. 322 (M-F, 9 am – 2 pm).

Another example of a small structure—the gazebo in the Streb Conifer Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Phyllis Laslett is adult education manager at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

I’ve been thinking about technology a lot lately. Probably you have been, too. My husband gave me an iPod for Christmas – now, nearly two months later I am finally getting around to really using it.

It’s not that I’m all that scared of technology—it’s just I don’t seem to have the time to figure it out.

But I am trying to use technology more in my life and at work. I have to.

My field – public relations – is all about communication – and I don’t have to tell you how quickly and dramatically the landscape is changing. It’s terribly exciting and often daunting at times.

So what does this have to do with gardening? I am curious how the readers of this blog are using technology to get and to share information.

For instance, I was looking at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s website reports the other day and noticed we are getting traffic from http://www.gottagarden.blogspot.com. A really great site – and we appreciate the mentions and the links. And there are many more wonderful blogs out there; I invite you to comment on any good gardening or related blogs that you know about.

Then there’s YouTube and Flickr. Wanna see a cool video of the Garden? How about photos that people have taken at the Garden?

Another thing about this technology is that sometimes it feels like it is playing instead of working. I even feel twinges of guilt when working on this blog – is it worth it? Would time be better spent somewhere else? That’s why I often only “give” myself about a half an hour to write and post an entry.

Yet, when I look at the results and the potential in communicating with people with new technology – the time seems well spent. And, unlike in the past when we weren’t really sure who was being reached, now we have more of an idea.

My job is to make sure as many people as possible are hearing about Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. How are you getting your information these days? Are you using “new” technology?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Prunus mume or Japanese Apricot

When I first came to work here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, I recall sitting in meetings and struggling to keep up with some of the botanical names. (My background is in communication; not horticulture.) One name particularly kept coming up: Prunus mume.

“What is this Prunus mume and what’s the big deal about it?” I wondered.

Nearly ten years later, I am so hooked on the beauty of the Prunus mume that I start keeping an eye out for its blooms starting in January.

Prunus mume (or Japanese apricot) is a breath of springtime in the darkest days of winter. It’s a small tree (grows to about 20 feet or so) and you can see the beauty of its blooms in the image above. It is hardy to Zone 6 (we’re in Zone 7 at LGBG) and can – and has! – bloomed as early as January here at the Garden during mild winters.

If you’re in the area, you can simply drive by the Garden and see Prunus mume in bloom. There are some new plantings on our corner of Lakeside and Hilliard (thanks to a generous grant from Henrico County) along with some companion plantings of winter jasmine (also in bloom) and redtwig dogwood.

Prunus mume has long been loved in Japan where there are more than 300 named cultivars. In fact, my good friend Akiko commented on this blog a month or so ago that it was one of her favorite plants and I’ve been planning to highlight it ever since. (Akiko lives in Japan; we were exchange students together in Austria.)

Now that I think of it, one reason the Garden has Prunus mume may be attributed to the fact that our executive director Frank Robinson has traveled and lived in Japan.

A quick Internet search shows that Prunus mume is surprisingly unappreciated here in the States. It’s a good choice for many gardens – wonderful for a small garden or as an accent in a larger garden, hardy and not fussy.

And yummy eye-candy on grey winter days! Let me know what you think of it.

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Can you guess where this is?

It’s Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden – an aerial view taken in 1986.

I’ve been going back through some old photos as we prepare for the Garden’s 25th anniversary next year.

Images tell the story of the dramatic growth of this Garden (and aren’t they fun to look at?)

Reflecting on the past 25 years, we’re also reminded of the wonderful partnerships the Garden has in this community – with other organizations, businesses, and individuals.

The Garden’s community alliances include significant relationships with the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University, plant societies, garden clubs and green industry organizations, including the Central Virginia Landscape Association and the Virginia Society of Landscape Designers.

The Garden is providing technical guidance and counsel to a growing number of urban community gardens, neighborhood associations, and civic-minded institutions that are committed to improving the quality of life in our region through greening initiatives:
City Lights urban greening in Jackson Ward funded by Capital One
Lakeside Business District revitalization plan conducted by the VCU School of Urban and Regional Planning (including a Farmer’s Market—opening this May!)
City Gateways into Historic Jackson Ward, funded by Philip Morris
Massey Cancer Center Healing Garden
VCU School of Nursing garden
Hollywood Cemetery through service on its Board of Directors
Tricycle Community Gardens as fiscal agent and technical mentor (Learn more about Tricycle Gardens.)

Has Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden touched your life in some way over the past 25 years? We’d be interested to hear your story.

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.