The Philly Bees' Stake in Pollination

by Stephanie Wilson, Endowed Plant Protection Intern

This past fall, I have been running around Philadelphia with an insect net in hand, surveying the wild bees (non-honey bees) in Philadelphia. The very fact that you can grow many vegetables and flowers in the city is because wild bees are present and pollinating. But very little is known about these city slickers and how they survive such a rough habitat: pavement instead of bare ground (which they dig nests in), patches of flowers instead of rolling meadows, and competition from non-native bee species that are slipping in through our shipping ports. This is exactly what I am researching as part of a survey of the flora and fauna that the USGS is conducting.

Stephanie Wilson (L) and Bombus impatiens (Common Eastern Bumblebee) pollinating a gentian Gentiana sp. (R)

Checking on our young ones...

by Jamie Berlin, Alice & J. Liddon Pennock, Jr. Endowed Horticulture Intern

After trees have shed their leaves and the cold weather moves in, the Arboretum begins to move at a slower pace. During these months, the Arboretum staff has time to check on younger plantings and newer transplants. By visiting these plants individually, staff can evaluate health and initiate proper management practices. Younger trees are more vulnerable to the elements, so checking on them annually can help reduce problems in the future.

After checking that all accessioned plants are alive and accounted for, staff can focus on:

• Minor pruning - cutting off branches that are rubbing one another or that might be a problem in the future.
• Staking - protecting the young plants from buck rub (the practice of male deer rubbing their antlers on the stems of small trees to remove the velvet from their antlers).
• Trunk protection - using netting around the base of the trunk to stop animals, such as groundhogs, from eating the bark.
• Insect damage - taking note of the insect causing the damage, evaluating if it will cause a major problem to the plant, and taking the necessary management steps, such as pruning or spraying.
• Labeling issues - accessioned plants within the Arboretum are assigned a specific number so they can be tracked over the years. If tags fall off, or are missing, this needs to be dealt with right away.

Deer damage

Staking around young trees

Trunk protection

Click here to learn more about Arboriculture at Morris Arboretum.

Integrated Pest Management Training

by Stephen Pyne, Martha J. Wallace Plant Propagation Intern

One of the benefits of being an intern at Morris Arboretum is the opportunity to take some of the amazing classes that the arboretum offers. I just finished taking an especially good one: The School of Arboriculture’s Integrated Pest Management Training. This three day class was taught by two entomologists from the University of Maryland; Dr. Michael J. Raupp, and Dr. Paula Shrewsbury. Three days is a lot of time to spend in the classroom, but the presenters made sure that we were never bored. It was obvious that Dr. Raupp and Dr. Shrewsbury both love their work, and their enthusiasm was infectious. Their presentations were full of interesting anecdotes and stories, and yet they always steered the class back to real life and practical information that I thought would be very applicable in my work as a horticulturalist.

During the breaks we were able to look at the professors’ extensive collections of bugs and see examples of specific insect damage. Breaks also were a great time to talk to the other people taking the class -- a diverse and interesting group of horticultural professionals.

At the end of each day we had some lab time. On the first day we walked out into the arboretum grounds where we looked at plants, identified their problems and the pest causing those problems, and came up with ideas for a remedy. The second day had us dissecting bagworm bags to find eggs, signs of parasitism, and other clues to help form a plan of treatment. We also looked at scale and several other examples of problem insects. Finally on the last day our tasks were feeding and observing beneficial insects. The young praying mantises were not all that hungry (they had just eaten a bunch of fruit flies), but the lacewing larvae chowed down on the aphids we provided.

I think you can tell from the photos, we all had a great time, and learned a lot.


Learn more about upcoming classes by visiting:
http://online.morrisarboretum.org/Classes

Crafting Holiday Cheer

by Stephen Pyne, Martha J. Wallace Plant Propagation Intern

It is a very special time of year… that time between Thanksgiving and the winter holidays… that time when Morris Arboretum’s horticultural staff gets together and makes Holiday Wreaths!

The Arboretum gives hand-decorated wreaths and swags as special gifts and it is quite a process to put them together.  We gather material from all over the Arboretum, trim, and prepare it for mounting on the wreath. Anyone who has worked around a holly can imagine just how prickly it is to wrap individual leaves onto a wooden pick. Our natural ornaments range from pine to Platycarya cones, magnolia leaves to boxwood branches.  Once we have enough material assembled, we start on the wreaths.  It is not a quick process, nor is it without some pain, but it is very rewarding.  Every year that I have done this project, I am amazed at the beauty of the finished wreaths and the creativity that goes into making them.


Morris Arboretum also has a variety of Continuing Education classes for holiday decorating.
Register for our upcoming Holiday Table-top Tree Workshop on December 13.

Urban Forestry and Philadelphia Navy Yard

by Rebekah Armstrong, Martha S. Miller Endowed Urban Forestry Intern

The Morris Arboretum Urban Forestry Consultants have been spending a lot of hours at the opposite end of Philadelphia recently. We’ve been inventorying, assessing, and mapping 2,000 trees in the Philadelphia Navy Yard (PNY), at the southernmost end of Broad Street. PNY was the first naval shipyard in the country and the U.S. Navy still operates some facilities there. Aker, a shipbuilding company, now manufactures commercial ships at PNY. Then there are companies like Urban Outfitters that have reused the old Navy buildings for their headquarters. Point being, it’s a very cool place to spend time in: giant old ships and abandoned structures next to an active shipyard, constant renovation, and new construction.

During our inventory and assessment, we saw beautiful examples of big healthy spreading trees in lawns and then some sad cases: new trees battered by construction equipment and rubbed to death by deer, e.g.

In general, when we do field work, the urban forestry consultants look for hazardous trees – trees with branches that might fall, trees that are splitting – and then look at the overall health of the trees. We also measure the trunk and canopy, records the species, and map the trees’ locations. We then make recommendations for our clients and provide them with a complete map and inventory of their trees to help them manage their portion of the urban forest. To learn more about the Morris Arboretum Urban Forestry Consultants visit: http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/arboretum/arboriculture.shtml

Sacred Spaces

In March, Shea Zwerver, The Charles S. Holman Rose and Flower Intern, gave her internship project presentation to a captive audience.  Her project was called the Sacred Sites Survey of the Morris Arboretum and aimed at identifying the "sacred spaces" of the Arboretum.  Sacred spaces in the context of this project are areas within the Arboretum that are special to visitors (including members, volunteers and staff) and their experience at the Arboretum.

Shea gives her internship project presentation to a full house

Reviewing the Sacred Spaces visuals.

Sacred Spaces layers

Throughout the months before her presentation, Shea distributed a paper survey to members, visitors and staff  and asked them to identify the spaces, views, garden feature, etc. with which they felt a particular connection.  Because visitor's experiences and valued areas can be so varied, Shea constructed most of the survey to be open-ended to collect qualitative and subjective information.  Shea also collected some basic demographic information.  The most useful information from the survey came from two sources: the places respondent circled "sacred spaces" and an open-ended "notes" section.

Shea analyzed and presented the results in order to begin a conversation between the Arboretum and its constituents about the sacred spaces at the Arboretum.  Below is a graphic representation of the sacred spaces that were identified (look for the stars) on top of geographic layers of the garden, including hydrology, shady areas, traffic patterns and benches.  Her findings will help inform the master planning process in the years to come.

Sacred Spaces with layers overlay

The open-ended notes section also produced some enlightening details about respondent’s attitudes about the garden and why they enjoy certain parts of the Arboretum.  Below are a few of the quotes:

"Sometimes I come to the Arboretum for a walk and enjoy the peacefulness. Our family feels so lucky that the Morris Aboretum is so close for us to enjoy. Each time I visit I always seem to find something new to enjoy!"

"I enjoyed the anticipation of things to come-All the buds ready to burst open"

"I enjoy the free standing green house (fernery) Clean smell, green colors, life everywhere. So peaceful"

"The most memorable parts for me were smelling the witchhazel in the breeze"     

"The witchhazel area reminds me that life goes on even in the snow and ice"

"The hill overlooking the entrance is the spot where my husband and I had our wedding ceremony, driving by car of walking through takes me back to that day."

The step fountain--"This is my other sacred space because it feels small and secret and still has water"

"Having pulled weeds, raked, mulched and planted over so much of the Arboretum, my greatest pleasure is to sit and look into the distance-spring, summer, fall, and winter"

"I like the Japanese Overlook Garden because it is very peaceful and hidden behind the trees"

"When I was little, my favorite activity at the Arboretum was walking and playing among the rocks behind the canopy tree."

"When the late morning sun in the Spring and Summer ignites the Japanese maples in the center of the garden, it always stop me in my tracks"--Japanese Overlook Garden

"The log cabin is special to me. I tell the grandchildren it is cinderella's house and ask them to run up and see if she is home. She must be very busy since we have not found her at home."

"I came here once in the evening during a thunderstorm and it was truly magical" --Stone bridge that looks at the metasequoias

"I used to come to the Rose Garden, center fountain, to recuperate in the late 1950s-The fountain was dry, and I could sit there, sheltered from the wind in winter cold. Virtually no-one came to the Arboretum in those days so I had the entire place to myself.  My recuperation was for Post Traumatic Stress and I desperately needed solitude."