ArtPlantae Today

People, Plants and Gardens in the Santa Ana Watershed

March 12, 2014 by Tania Marien

Plants, Life, Riverside is an ongoing interpretive project about plants in an urban setting. Where do plants live in this city of concrete, asphalt and stucco? Let’s find out.

Landscapes Southern California Style

Water is a precious commodity in southern California. It needs to be used wisely, managed wisely and conserved as much as possible. According to the Western Municipal Water District, 60% of all water used in a single family home is used to water its landscape. How can we manage this 60% as wisely as possible?

Riverside residents can find the answer to this question at the demonstration garden on the corner of Alessandro Blvd and Mission Grove Parkway. You may have seen this garden while traveling on Alessandro. More accurately, you may have seen the large banners hanging on the corner advertising community events such as Earth Night in the Garden, native plant sales or reminders to water less during a maintenance period.

If this is what you normally catch a glimpse of as you dart through the intersection, I invite you to explore what is behind these corner banners.

It’s official name is Landscapes Southern California Style. It is a demonstration garden managed by the Western Municipal Water District (WMWD), the water district that serves approximately 527 square miles of western Riverside County. Built in 1989, this garden is open to the public from 10 am – 4 pm daily (except holidays). Admission is free, as are the informational flyers in the garden’s Resource Patio. It only takes one visit to this informative garden to change your thinking about water conservation.

Upon entering the garden, visitors learn that early California settlers brought with them their taste for lush water-hungry plants. These were plants settlers grew at their previous homes located in high rainfall areas in the eastern United States. These types of plants were not practical choices then and they are not practical choices today, especially given the severe drought conditions in California. Fortunately, the WMWD demonstration garden presents homeowners with several water-wise alternatives.

Created by the WMWD with assistance and expertise provided by the University of California Cooperative Extension, the garden presents many ideas about how to create a California style garden that is beautiful, useful and healthy, while conserving water and saving homeowners time and money. Garden visitors can see examples of water-wise plants as they walk through the garden.

Demonstration showing how to make water-wise landscaping decisions around a family patio.

They can also learn about irrigation, learn about the water cycle, and see an example of how to place water-wise plants around a patio.

One visit to the garden is almost certain to lead to many more visits because of the range of learning opportunities provided by the water district and local organizations such as the Riverside County Master Gardeners, the California Native Plant Society, the Iris Society and many others.

The Riverside County Master Gardeners work closely with the water district and host most of the educational events in the garden. They teach nine workshops per year, each drawing about 70 people. On the days they teach, up to 200 people visit their information table. The Master Gardeners now lead tours of the garden Wednesday through Sunday. To schedule a tour, download a request form on the Master Gardener’s website or the WMWD website.

If you’re interested in attending one of the free garden workshops presented by the Riverside County Master Gardeners and WMWD, here is a schedule of upcoming workshops:

Creating a Pet Safe Garden
April 12, 2014 at 11 AM
Presented by Cathy Konyn, Master Gardener

Edible Flowers in Your Garden
April 12, 2014 at 11 AM
Grow edible flowers that can add unique touches and flavors to food and drink. Presented by Jean Weiss, Master Gardener and UCR Botanic Gardens lecturer.

Local residents can also look forward to events such as Experts in the Garden scheduled for June 14, 2014 and the California Friendly Landscape Training class that takes a watershed-sustainability approach to gardening. The WMWD recently received funding for a customer handbook about how to be water-wise while living in a watershed. The effort to create this handbook will be led by WMWD horticulturist, Pam Pavela, who explained that water districts are taking a very serious approach to water management in the Santa Ana Watershed. Local water districts are working with the Santa Ana Watershed Protection Agency in an integrated planning effort titled One Water, One Watershed that addresses the water management issues for this region of southern California.

Landscapes Southern California Style is not the only demonstration garden in the Inland Empire. Demonstration gardens can also be found in Chino, Claremont, Montclair, Perris and Rancho Cucamonga. The newest garden in the Inland Empire is the Cal State San Bernardino Water Conservation Garden featuring desert plants, native plants and plants from Mediterranean regions. Residents can learn more about each of these gardens at IEGardenFriendly.com.

Did you know…

Lists of California water-wise plants are created by water districts and cities after referring to the Water Use Classification of Landscape Species, a resource containing information about the water needs of over 3,500 taxa in six different climate regions of California?
The Western Municipal Water District has an incentive to help residents replace their grass lawn with a more climate-appropriate landscape?
Learn more at WesternTurfReplacement.com.
If you already have a water-wise landscape, you can show it off by entering Western’s regional landscape contest?

Posted in Plants Everyday, Plants Life Riverside |

Nation’s Largest Orchid Show at New York Botanical Garden

March 11, 2014 by Tania Marien

The Orchid Show:
Key West Contemporary
New York Botanical Garden
March 1 – April 21, 2014

Inspired by a modernist estate garden on the island of Key West, the 12th annual orchid show is a mosaic of classic and exotic orchids. Geometric reflecting pools, soaring angular pergolas, sleek benches and orchids will delight visitors to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Weekend musical performances, a curated poetry walk and many other activities complement the exhibition.

You are invited to enjoy the nation’s largest orchid exhibition, celebrate a NYBG tradition, and take advantage of a special offer to save 20% on an All-Garden Pass. Purchase an All-Garden Pass online at NYBG.org from March 1 – April 21, 2014 and save 20% by using the code 7120 during checkout.

This offer is valid only when code 7120 is used online at NYBG.org. Valid for visits made March 1 through April 21, 2014. Offer subject to availability. Discount cannot be combined with any other promotional offer or previously purchased tickets. Discount may be modified or withdrawn without prior notice. Tickets are not refundable or exchangeable.

Order tickets today at NYBG.org!

Also See
Plant Talk: Inside the New York Botanical Garden

Posted in Education, gardening, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events |

Drawing Classes for Naturalists

March 11, 2014 by Tania Marien

New at Classes Near You > Oregon!

Christine Elder
www.christineelder.com
Christine Elder is a naturalist, environmental educator and biological illustrator living in Bend, Oregon. Ms. Elder’s formal education includes a graduate certificate in Scientific Illustration from the University of California and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biology from California State University. She has developed a variety of nature sketching workshops for both adults and youth that she teaches throughout the year at Arts Central in Bend, Oregon. For information on current classes contact Christine Elder directly or visit the Arts Central Oregon website. Upcoming classes include:

Drawing from Nature – April 15 – May 20, 2014 (6-9 pm)
Sketching Birds: Raptors – April 19, 2014 (Noon – 5 pm)
Sketching Birds: Hummingbirds – May 9, 2014 (10 am – 4 pm)

Christine was the featured guest during National Environmental Education Week 2010. Learn More

Posted in Education, Learning Opportunities |

Blooming Botanicals!

March 11, 2014 by Tania Marien

Kathleen McKeehen, Scientific Illustrator
www.florawithfauna.com
Kathleen is a teacher and freelance illustrator. Her work has appeared in Organic Gardening Magazine and The Herb Companion. View Kathleen’s artwork in the ASBA Members’ Gallery or at the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators’
Science-Art.com. Kathleen welcomes both beginners and advanced students to her classes.

Botanical Drawing

View Details/Register

Blooming Botanicals!, Gage Academy of Art
Fridays, April 11 – May 9, 2014; 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Learn the classical method for botanical painting, dry-brush watercolor. Measurement, washes, dry-brush techniques, composition–methods and materials will be covered as students learn to portray botanical subjects, with an emphasis on the flowers of spring. All levels welcome; returning students can choose to work on projects of their choice, including subjects non-botanical. 206 323-GAGE
View Details/Register

Botanical Drawing, Center for Urban Horticulture
Tuesdays, April 1 – May 13, 2013; 7:00 – 9:30 pm.
Students will learn the basics of drawing botanical subjects, moving from line work on to shading to portray realistic 3-dimensional forms. All levels are welcome, and repeating students can take on more advanced subjects with plentiful instructor supervision or can learn pen & ink and pencil on scratchboard techniques. 206-685-8033
View Details/Register (Note: This link works in Safari, but not Firefox)

Bugs, Bones, Birds and Botanicals, Winslow Art Center, Bainbridge Island
Wednesdays, April 1 – May 21, 2014; 10 am – 1 pm
While dry-brush watercolor is the most often used method for botanicals, it’s also the perfect medium for portraying other natural science subjects. Learn to paint insects, skulls & bones, birds, or botanicals using the classic dry-brush technique to portray them realistically and three-dimensionally. All levels welcome. 206-618-3112
View Details/Register

Botanical Watercolor Workshop – Spring Petals, Kruckeberg Botanic Garden, Shoreline, WA
Two 3-hour sessions: May 1 at Shoreline City Hall (6:00 – 8:30 pm) and May 3 at Kruckeberg Gardens in Shoreline (11:00 am – 1:00 pm).
Learn the basics of botanical watercolor to paint flower petals in a two-session workshop at the Shoreline City Hall and the beautiful Kruckeberg Botanic Garden in Shoreline. View Details/Register

Botanical Watercolor Workshop – Painting the Produce Section, Gage Academy
Saturday & Sunday, August 9-10, 2014; 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Explore classic botanical watercolor techniques of small graded washes and dry brush while painting the lush products of summer, such as mangoes, tomatoes, or peppers. A good place to start for beginners, and a challenge as well for those with more experience! All levels.
206 323-GAGE
View Details/Register

This information has been added to Classes Near You > Washington.

Posted in botanical art, Education, Learning Opportunities |

‘Plant Feastival’ Creates Home-School Connection

March 7, 2014 by Tania Marien

The featured activity this week goes beyond connecting an assignment to everyday life. This “activity” is actually a one-day event celebrating food plants, community and international cuisine.

The event I am referring to is called a “Plant Feastival”. The Feastival event was created by teachers Lynn Gilbert and Pam Mannon. They use the event as a way to end their classroom unit on plants. It’s true value, however, is as a community outreach vehicle and an interdisciplinary learning tool.

The Feastival designed by Gilbert and Mannon is an 11-day project culminating in an event similar to one of those “Taste Of…” events where visitors sample different cuisines in a festival setting. The difference is students prepare the food and serve up not only tasty samples during the Feastival, but also background information about their respective food plant, including its origins, how it grows, and how it is prepared.

During the research phase students are assigned to teams and each team researches their food plant’s history, origin and current distribution. They also look for a recipe for their food plant, work on conversion sheets to increase the yield of their recipe, write up their findings, prepare a poster presentation and work on their public speaking skills. The research tasks Gilbert and Mannon lead students through address standards in science, math, social studies and language arts. They also introduce students to topics related to economic botany, the culinary arts, cartography, botanical illustration and graphic design.

On the day of the Plant Feastival, students set up their poster presentations in the school cafeteria. Instead of sharing their research and culinary creations with other middle school students, Feastival participants share their research with 5th graders who will soon transfer to the middle school. You see, the Feastival is not only a class project, but a vehicle introducing incoming students to their new school. Fifth graders and their families are invited back later that same day to attend the evening session of the Feastival where, once again, 7th grade researchers become teachers and introduce their food plant, its history and its uses to parents as well as students.

The Plant Feastival by Lynn Gilbert and Pam Mannon can be purchased online for 99¢. Educators will find these helpful teaching tools in the article:

An 11-day planning guide.
Photographs of Plant Feastival events hosted by Gilbert and Mannon.
A list of questions teachers can use to guide students in their research of their food plant.

Literature Cited
Gilbert, Lynn and Pam Mannon. 2010. The Plant Feastival.
Science Scope. 33(8): 51-57.

Related

Posted in Teaching & Learning |

Festival of Plants Returns to Cambridge University Botanic Garden

March 5, 2014 by Tania Marien

Greenhouse Supervisor, Alex Summers, looking under the lilypad.

Festival of Plants
Saturday, May 17, 2014
10 AM – 4 PM

The Cambridge University Botanic Garden invites you to the Festival of Plants!

The second Festival of Plants at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden builds on the success of this event last year and brings together horticulture and science in a day devoted to all things plant, from propagation to pollination, from seed to shopping! Join our team of horticulturists, plant experts and scientists from across the region for a garden event with a difference.

A range of events and exhibits timetabled throughout the day include ‘ask the gardener’ sessions, pop-up plant science demonstrations, and plant shopping along the Garden’s majestic Main Walk.

Activity hubs, listed below, make full use of the Garden, which is at its best in late spring:

Pop-up Plant Science

Here some of the top plant scientists from the East of England will be talking about their research and demonstrating scientific experiments to visitors. Visitors will be able to extract plant pigments, take the temperature of a leaf and find out how plants know their ABC!

Talking Plants
Leading scientists will give short talks about their research focusing on how science underpins how your garden grows.

Plant Promenade
The Garden’s majestic Main Walk will be transformed into a Plant Promenade of shopping stalls with a boutique selection of local independent nurseries with choice plants for sale. Also, visitors can drop in to the Talking Plants tent to get advice from our expert horticultural staff about horticultural problems and gardening dilemmas.

Shop the Plant Promenade. © Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Meet the Family
Learn all about plant families in the Garden’s unique Systematic Beds. Experts will be on hand to explain the key differences between plant families and invite visitors to pull apart some flowers and use the structures to determine which plants belong together and build a family tree.

So whether it’s getting advice on which plant goes where or how to home compost, discovering the inner workings of flowers, picking up some unusual plants for the garden, or simply having a fun day out with the family, there will be something for everyone at the Botanic Garden’s Festival of Plants.

The Festival of Plants is supported by members of the Cambridge Partnership for Plant Sciences (CPPS) and the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University.

Admission is £4.50/£4.95 gift aid (£3.95/£4.30 concession) and accompanied children 16 and under are admitted free of charge. For more information, please call 01223 336265 or visit www.botanic.cam.ac.uk.

Posted in Education |

Explore Art Archives of Europe

March 4, 2014 by Tania Marien

The 4th Annual Arts and Archives Tour led by the Denver Botanic Gardens’ School of Botanical Art and Illustration will occur April 25 – May 10, 2014.
Travel to London, Geneva, Lyon and Paris. Explore the Lindley Library, the Kew Gardens’ Library and Archives, the Louvre, and the Natural History Museum in Paris where you will see the largest and oldest herbaria in the world. You’ll also visit the Palace of Versailles, a tapestry museum, the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art and attend the annual exhibition of the Society of Botanical Artists. This special tour also includes a visit to the manufacturing site of Caran d’Ache colored pencils.

There are only two spots available. Reserve your seat today!

View the tour itinerary on Botanical Illustration, the blog by Mervi Hjelmroos-Koski, Manager of the School of Botanical Art and Illustration at Denver Botanic Gardens.

Also See