Guest Blog Post for Morris Arboretum – Get Outside! 5 Things To Do at the Arboretum This Winter

I really can’t stand winter. I get cold so easily and have to wear longjohns just to keep warm even at work. I become like a hermit when the cold weather hits. I also tend to get the winter doldrums. I got spoiled this year with the warm start to winter. Now the cold weather and snow is here and it’s time to toughen up. With my new job I have a commute that involves walking almost two miles a day in the city – one mile there and one mile home, plus the train and driving. It has forced me to try to get used to the colder weather and I have found that getting out there and walking, even in the chilly wind and snow, helps to make me feel better. Breathing in the fresh air and getting my heart rate going invigorates me. A great place to get outside and cure your cabin fever is the Morris Arboretum. Check out my latest post called “Get Outside! 5 Things To Do at the Arboretum This Winter.”

Guest Blog Post for Morris Arboretum – Red Isn’t Just For Valentine’s Day Anymore

My first guest blog post of the new year for Morris Arboretum is about red berries. It is called “Red Isn’t Just For Valentine’s Day Anymore.” If you are looking to add some pizzazz to your winter landscape, check out some of the red-berried beauties mentioned in the post!

Lassie Koehne Holly (Ilex x koehneana ‘Lassie’) at Morris Arboretum

My New Job at Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

I finally did it. I found a way to combine my graphic design skills with my passion for gardening. I started working as a graphic designer for Pennsylvania Horticultural Society on November 16th, 2015. This move was a long time in the making, however, once the wheels were moving, they moved fast.

I spent 21 years working for a company that designs and manufactures CDs and DVDs for independent musicians and filmmakers. I had moved up the ladder quickly there – was training new hires after only 6 months on the job, then was made an art director a little over a year after starting my job there. I spent 16 years developing the Design Studio, training new hires, establishing best practices, and more. The company restructured about 4-5 years ago, laying off many people and eliminating middle management jobs. My art director job was eliminated and I went back to being a graphic designer. I counted myself lucky to still have a job, but it wasn’t easy watching the Design Studio go from 25 designers to a mere 6, and it was even harder no longer having a say in how the department was being run. I had started to look for a new job then, however, I learned quickly that most companies were looking for graphic designers who also knew web design. So after an unsuccessful job search, I decided to go back to University of the Arts (my alma mater) to get a certificate in web design. I spent three years working on that, got straight As, and graduated in April 2015.

I was still working on updating my design portfolio and website when I started looking at places that interested me – Morris Arboretum, Longwood Gardens, Winterthur, Bartram’s Garden, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, anything that was garden-related (I also happen to be a member of all of these places, and have been for many years). In August I noticed that Morris Arboretum was looking for volunteer guest bloggers and that seemed like a good start for combining my skills and interests. I sent them some examples of my own blog and they were interested. I started out writing about some topics that they provided, although now they let me come up with my own topics. I have loved writing articles for them and they seem pleased with my work, so it has been a mutually beneficial situation. Plus, it gives me an excuse to visit the arboretum more often! It is beautiful, especially spring through fall. I briefly entertained a part time graphic design there, however I decided that I really needed a full time job with benefits. That’s when I spotted the graphic design position at Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. They were also looking for someone with web design skills. I applied, and about a week later went for an interview, then a second interview, then a phone interview, then got a job offer. Once it happened, it happened fast, and before I knew it, I had a new job!

The commute into Philadelphia via public transportation, then 15-20 minute walk from there, has been a change to the 5-10 minute drive I was used to, but I knew I was at the right place when the Director of Marketing gave me flowers on my first day. She said, “Every new hire at PHS should have flowers on their desk.”

What is the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) all about, you ask? Most people think of the annual Philadelphia Flower Show when they think of PHS. Or you may know of the flower show, but don’t realize that PHS is the non-profit organization behind it and that the proceeds go to funding their various community greening and gardening programs. I have been going to the flower show every year since I graduated college and I have been a PHS member just as long.

Quick Stats about the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and their programs:

(Taken from their website and printed materials)

PHS
• The mission: PHS connect people to horticulture and together we create beautiful, healthy and sustainable communities
• has 64,000 members and 5,000 volunteers annually
• has an operating budget of $23.8 million for FY 2015

PHS Philadelphia Flower Show
• attracts approximately 250,000 visitors annually

• started in 1829 and is the nation’s largest and longest-running horticultural event

• has been honored as the best event in the world by the International Festivals & Events Association, competing with events such as the Kentucky Derby Festival, Tournament of Roses Parade, and other international celebrations.

Plant One Million

• has planted 500,000 trees as part of the P1M Regional Partnership since 2011, in an effort to restore the tree canopy in the Greater Philadelphia region

• the 500,000 tree (the halfway mark) was planted in honor of the visit of Pope Francis.

Tree Tenders

• has graduated 4,278 people since 1993, teaching them horticultural skills and about tree care maintenance

• has planted over 2,000 trees throughout the Philadelphia region in 2014

The Rain Check Program

• has worked with Philadelphia residents to control excess storm water by providing workshops and tools, such as rain barrels, downspout planters, depaving, permeable pavers and rain gardens

• has installed 237 rain barrels since September 2014, under contract by Philadelphia Water Department

Garden Programs

• have graduated 2,075 people as Garden Tenders since 1995, providing them with hands-on gardening experience and teaching them how to establish successful, self-sustaining community gardens

• have graduated 628 people as Green City Teachers since 2006, helping them to bring school garden projects to life

• have preserved 35 gardens through the Neighborhood Gardens Trust, a land trust dedicated to the preservation of community gardens and shared open spaces to enhance the quality of life in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods

City Harvest

• makes fresh, nutritions produce more widely available to underserved neighborhoods

• has 140 growing sites in its network of urban gardens and farms

• distributed 250,000 seedlings in 2014

• helps over 1,200 families get fresh produce every week during the growing season

Roots to Re-Entry

• Since 2010, the recidivism rate for R2R graduates has been 30 percent, as compared to the average rate of 65 percent for the entire population of Philadelphia ex-offenders

• has offered workforce readiness and horticultural programming to 850 inmates

• has broken previous year’s records by growing 12,000 pounds of produce in 2015, which was donated to a food cupboard in the city

Philadelphia LandCare

• collaborates with the city of Philadelphia to clean, green and stabilize vacant lots to help return them to productive use

• maintains 6,000 vacant parcels throughout the city

• maintains 2,100 additional parcels through Community LandCare

Civic Landscapes and Landscape Management

• Civic Landscapes has reinvented seven public landscapes so that they can be enjoyed by all, including South, Central, and North Broad Street, the Northeast Corridor, Girard Avenue, and the Airport.

• Landscape Management manages more than 50 acres, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Azalea Garden, Logan Square Swann Memorial Fountain, and Rodin Museum.

Pop Up Gardens

• has turned a vacant lot into an urban oasis for the past 5 years, providing food, drinks, workshops, and entertainment

• has welcomed more than 75,000 guests at its two Pop Up Gardens in 2015

Education

• PHS hosts lectures and workshops at the PHS McLean Library, the Philadelphia Flower Show, and in collaboration with partners in the city

• The PHS McLean Library is the nation’s oldest horticultural library with 18,000 titles on gardening, plant care, botany, landscape architecture and urban greening, as well as 5,000 e-books

That is just a brief overview of the many worthwhile programs that PHS manages. Can you see why I wanted to work for this amazing non-profit? Their mission and goals are right up my alley and I feel great being even just a small part of this wonderful organization. 

During my first month at PHS, new hires were treated to a tour of some of the PHS managed gardens and green spaces. It was great to see these first-hand. 

One of the stops on the tour was the community garden at Bartram’s Garden. In this mild November, there was still some crops growing, such as broccoli and cauliflower.

Another stop on the tour was the Big Green Block, where PHS partnered with the Philadelphia Water Department and others to create stormwater management, as well as green space and a dog park for residents. This site includes tree trenches and rain gardens to help manage stormwater runoff. 

PHS is funded mainly through membership. One of the perks of being a member is a free subscription to their beautifully designed GROW magazine. GROW features articles on gardening, with a focus on the Pennsylvania area.

A fun thing that PHS did was to partner with Wyndridge Farm to create the PHS Cider, which is available at the Pop Up Gardens and the Philadelphia Flower Show. I managed to pick up a bottle on a recent visit to Wyndridge Farm.

It has been odd starting a new job after many years of working for the same company, but the mission and people at PHS has made for a smooth transition. I feel great about the organization I work for and its goals and accomplishments. I look forward to being a part of it all in the coming years, even in my small way as a graphic designer.

P.S. I am still guest-blogging for the Morris Arboretum blog when I can. (Some of my posts are also on their older blog website.) Some people have been confused and think that this is related to my job at PHS, but it is not. I love Morris Arboretum, have been a long-time member, and I do the guest-blogging on a volunteer basis. I really enjoy my partnership with them and I will continue to help them as long as I can and as long as they are willing to have me.

Guest Blog Post for Morris Arboretum – Decorating with Fresh Greens

For years I have loved decorating with fresh-cut greens for the holidays. It started out with just making my own wreath, then I moved onto topiaries, vases, outdoor containers, hanging baskets, and the fireplace mantle. My mom and I have a tradition of going to Bartram’s Garden for their annual greens sale every year. They have various cut greens that they pruned from their trees and you fill as much as you can into a grocery bag for $10. Can’t beat that! I also use cut greens from my own yard (as well as any of my neighbor’s evergreens that hang onto my property! Shhhh, don’t tell them!) So when Morris Arboretum was looking for a new blog post, I of course thought of writing about decorating with fresh-cut greens. Check out my “Decorating With Fresh Greens” post and photos!

Guest Blog Post for Morris Arboretum – Beautiful Bark

So much has gotten in the way of my blog this past month or so – mostly some major home repairs and getting a new job! I finally found a way to combine my passion for gardening with my career. More about that later, though.

In the meantime, check out my latest guest blog post (with my own photos, too) for Morris Arboretum. It is called “A Beautiful Bark Treasure Hunt.” When the trees have shed their leaves and you think they have nothing else to offer, take a closer look...

Paperbark Maple at Morris Arboretum

Flatspine Prickly-Ash at Morris Arboretum

Guest Blog Post for Morris Arboretum – The Miniature World of Mosses and Lichens

My latest guest blog post for Morris Arboretum is called “The Miniature World of Mosses and Lichens.”

I first got really into mosses and lichens when I noticed a bunch growing on the cedar-shingled roof of our trashcan bin. There seemed to be many different kinds all growing in this same space. I started to look at them through macro extension tubes on my camera – and wow! What a curious, alien-like world. I have been trying to learn more about mosses and lichens and even took a class on moss about a year ago at Morris Arboretum. Now I always make sure to take a closer look at these miniature, non-vascular plants whenever I see them.

Check out my guest blog post and photos!

Guest Blog Post for Morris Arboretum – Visiting the Arboretum on a Drizzly Day

It has been such a thrill doing the guest blog posts for Morris Arboretum. I really love doing it. The latest one to be posted is called “Visiting the Arboretum on a Drizzly Day.” I was going to visit the arboretum to work on some future blog posts, one on mosses and lichens and another on tree bark, but the weather forecast was ominous. I was debating on whether or not I should venture over there when Brian suggested I go. He said that if it rained I could write an article about being at the arboretum on a rainy day. So this particular post was actually his idea, not mine. It ended up being an interesting day and gave me a chance to appreciate different areas of the arboretum. The post features photos that I took while there that day, as well. Check it out!

Guest Blog Post for Morris Arboretum – Eye Spy: 6 Birds to Spot at the Arboretum Now

My most recent guest blog post for Morris Arboretum is about birds that you can see there at this time of the year. It’s called “Eye Spy: 6 Birds to Spot at the Arboretum Now.” I had fun “researching” for this one. I am not an expert birder by any means, but I am an enthusiastic amateur. I watch the birds in my own yard all the time. This year I moved both my hummingbird feeder and finch sock close to the back porch so that I could get a better look at my visiting feathered friends. It’s been fun watching. Take a peak of what I saw over the last month or so...

Here are several female goldfinches and one lonely (or not so lonely!) male at my finch sock.

I had regular visits from both a male and female hummingbird. This is a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird at my feeder.

This small video shows the hummingbird and goldfinches having a picnic together.

So be sure to check out my blog post for the Morris Arboretum about birds: “Eye Spy: 6 Birds to Spot at the Arboretum Now.”

My 4th Guest Blog Post for Morris Arboretum – 10 Tips Every Visitor Should Know

My latest contribution to Morris Arboretum’s blog, “10 Tips Every Visitor Should Know Before You Go,” is a list of things to bring when you are setting out for a visit to the arboretum. I like to plan ahead when I visit since I tend to be there for 2 1/2 - 3 hours walking around!

Below are some photos that I took when I visited the arboretum last weekend.

Morris Arboretum has some really interesting self-guided tours that you can download from their website. I was recently reading the Sculpture Tour. This is American Bull, which has always been one of my favorites. 

A recent addition to the sculptures is A Waltz In The Woods, a group of 30 feet high stick creations. I love these because they look like they are being blown by the wind and could topple over at any moment. 

I can’t seem to resist a visit to the Rose Garden every time I go. There’s more than just roses here.

Love this Nicotiana (flowering tobacco) in the Rose Garden. I couldn’t find a marker to identify this particular one, however, I do believe this is called Only The Lonely. It is one I have been wanting to plant in my own garden.

Fall is on its way – you can tell from the grasses and sedum that are in bloom here.

So check out my post on “10 Tips Every Visitor Should Know” and consider a visit to the arboretum!

My 3rd Guest Blog Post for Morris Arboretum – Beneficial Bees

If you follow me on Instagram, you know what a huge bee fan I am. I actually go into my garden specifically to visit my bees. I participate in a citizen science project called Bumble Bee Watch. My garden is an official Pollinator Garden (as well as a Monarch Waystation). I love pollinators and bees are the most important pollinators that we have. Our pollinators are in decline and it is vitally important that we do what we can to help them or else many of the foods we enjoy today won’t exist. My 3rd guest blog post for the Morris Arboretum is called “Beneficial Bees: How to Help Our Essential Pollinators.”

I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t post the photos that I sent along for the article, so I’m posting them here. These are photos that I took in the Rose Garden at the Morris Arboretum just a few weeks ago.

This is my favorite photo of the bunch I took that day. This bumble bee is literally COVERED in pollen from this purple thistle. Look at him, head to toe in pollen!

Here is a happy honey bee on verbena.

And wow, look at the size of this carpenter bee. They are seriously big bees and may appear scary, but they are actually very gentle and rarely sting. They do nest in wood and can even chew their own tunnels, so they are one that most people would consider a nuisance, especially if you find they made a nest out of part of your house. Keeping wood or tree stumps in your yard may help them find an alternative home. Remember, they are pollinators, too!

I love a show called Growing a Greener World that I watch online all the time. They have some great episodes on bees. Episode 610: Bringing Bees Back is an excellent show on the importance of pollinators, especially bees. Definitely check that one out to fully understand and appreciate the role that bees play in our agricultural industry. Episode 601: Beginning Backyard Beekeeper follows the host, Joe Lamp’l, on his first year of beekeeping and provides a realistic view of what it takes to keep bees.

I hope you will read my post on bees on the Morris Arboretum’s blog, as well as the other ones I have written. There are at least two more that haven’t been posted yet and two more I am still working on. It has been tons of fun to be part of the arboretum’s blog. I would love to see some comments on there. And hopefully my posts will help encourage people to visit the arboretum. It truly is a beautiful place and is a lot more than just trees. They offer some really good classes, too. They were one of my first sources for learning more about gardening when I first started out, and continue to be a source to this day.

P.S. The Philadelphia Honey Festival is this weekend! Lots of great bee and honey related activities going on at three different locations. Check out the website for more info.

My 2nd Guest Blog Post for Morris Arboretum – The Perfect Solo Outing

My second guest blog post for Morris Arboretum was posted today. It is called “Treat Yourself: The Perfect Solo Outing at Morris Arboretum.” I had a blast researching for this one – went on my own solo outing, which I actually do fairly often at the arboretum. I took all of the photos for the article, as well.

Japanese Overlook at Morris Arboretum

My 1st Guest Blog Post For Morris Arboretum – Autumn Colors

I am really excited to be doing some guest blogging for Morris Arboretum. I have written four or five posts so far and the first one was put on their blog today. It is called “Autumn Colors: More Than Just Leaves.” Please check it out and feel free to add a comment. I mention some specific flowering plants that can be seen at the arboretum in the fall. Included are Ironweed and Sedum. Below are some photos from my own garden of these plants.

I have a few different varieties of Sedum. Don’t ask me to remember what they are all called! The one below was supposed to have dark, maroon leaves. It did the first year, but has had green leaves ever since. It is a favorite of the bees this time of the year, so I can’t complain.

I planted Ironweed this spring. It is a tall, native plant that attracts pollinators.

Read more about these plants and other fall-blooming perennials and shrubs on Morris Arboretum’s blog!

Guest Blogging for the Morris Arboretum

I am super-excited to announce that I will be doing some guest-blogging for the Morris Arboretum! They had posted on their website that they were looking for garden writers who didn’t necessarily have to be journalists or professional writers, just enthusiastic nature-lovers or gardeners. I reached out to them and sent some links to my blog. Now I will be writing some short articles on various topics that they propose, as well as some that I come up with on my own. It is purely a volunteer thing. I am so incredibly excited. The arboretum is a beautiful place with not only amazing trees, but gorgeous garden areas, as well. I have also taken many classes there over the years. In fact, it is really where I first started expanding my garden knowledge and therefore has a special place in my heart. I will let you know when some of my posts start showing up on their blog. In the meantime, here are links to six photos that I took with my phone on a recent visit and posted to my Instagram: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Also, here are some photos that I had taken there a couple of years ago when I was working on my photography skills.