Monday, November 25, 2013

Landscapes for Life: A Homeowners Guide to Sustainable Gardening.



By Erika Zambello
As we continue into the 21st century, we are looking for ways to be healthier, happier and more environmentally friendly. Gardening can tackle all three, and Duke Gardens can teach you how to create a sustainable landscape in its five part series, “Landscapes for Life: A Homeowners Guide to Sustainable Gardening.” 

The course is based on a program developed by the U.S. Botanic Garden and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to teach gardening techniques that work with natural ecosystems to promote healthy local environments.

Whether your garden is a small plot or pot outside an apartment, or a suburban lawn or huge farm, a few simple steps can ensure that your garden is both beautiful and sustainable. 

Soils in conventional gardens can be over-compacted. To create a sustainable landscape, add a thick layer of compost to the top of planting beds. The compost will allow earthworms and other decomposers to naturally blend the compost into the soil below, loosening the compacted soil and improving its capacity to store water. To prevent soil compaction in the future, plant vegetation or lay mulch over bare soil, stick to pre-determined paths or trails to avoid tamping down the soil, and try not to do too much garden work when the soil is wet.

Storm water and rainwater should not be treated as wastewater, as excessive runoff causes water pollution problems. Instead, rainwater should be strategically captured and allocated to irrigation purposes via rain gardens. These gardens absorb excess rainwater, prevent runoff from polluting streams or lakes, clean the water as it filters through the soil, and restore local groundwater levels. 

To create a rain garden, find the drainage area in your landscape, dig the garden to a depth of 6 to 12 inches, depending on your soil type, and then plant vegetation that thrives in the expected moisture levels. Plants that can grow in very wet conditions should be planted in the deepest part of the rain garden, and plants that prefer dry conditions at the edges.

Sustainable landscapes cleanse the air and water, inspire physical exercise that promotes your health, and provide produce without harmful pesticide residues present on many non-organic vegetables and fruits found in grocery stores. To fulfill the health-benefit potential of your garden, refrain from using synthetic pesticides, design areas for exercise and activities, and avoid using too many electrical light fixtures that waste electricity and contribute to light pollution. 

Residential properties are now the primary source of pollution in this country. By creating and maintaining sustainable landscapes, you can do your part toward creating a healthy world for you and your community.

There are so many more methods to create a sustainable landscape in your own back yard, and Duke Gardens’ “Landscapes for Life” series is the perfect way to learn new skills and improve your garden this spring. The course will be held on Wednesdays from Jan. 15 to Feb. 12, 2014, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Doris Duke Center. For more information or to register, call (919) 668-1707 or visit us at gardens.duke.edu.

Sarah P. Duke Gardens creates and nurtures an environment in the heart of Duke University for learning, inspiration and enjoyment through excellence in horticulture. The Gardens receives roughly half of its operating budget from Duke University. The rest comes from people like you, who value all that this public botanic garden has to offer. Duke Gardens is at 420 Anderson St.
 

Columnist Erika Zambello is a graduate student studying Ecosystem Science and Conservation at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. This column first appeared in the Durham Herald-Sun.

Japanese Maples' Amazing Colors


Japanese maples in the Doris Duke Center Gardens
By Erika Zambello

All trees are beautiful in the fall. This season has been spectacularly beautiful in North Carolina, with golds and crimsons and oranges in dramatic, flame-colored hues. The Japanese maples of the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum and the Doris Duke Center Gardens, however, are particularly brilliant this year.

Acer palmatum 'Villa Taranto'
Though most of the Japanese maples in Duke Gardens are red, the Acer palmatum 'Villa Taranto' has turned a bright yellow, which is particularly striking combined with its long, finger-like leaves and curling tendrils. Growing next to the Arboretum's pond, this Japanese maple is impossible to miss.

Acer palmatum ssp. dissectum 'Garnet'
Though I love the gold, I've always been partial to red. The Acer palmatum ssp. dissectum 'Garnet' shines as the sunlight passes through each leaf from above. The foliage of the 'Garnet' cultivar is particularly fine and delicate, and the thin leaves seem adept at catching long pine needles falling from the trees above.

Acer palmatum 'Sherwood Flame'
My favorite Japanese maple, however, has to be the Acer palmatum 'Sherwood Flame.' With red-purple leaves in the spring and summer and bright crimson foliage in the fall, this cultivar is guaranteed to be colorful all year round. Come check out this season's Japanese maples before winter truly arrives!

Japanese maple in the Doris Duke Center Gardens
Blogger Erika Zambello is a graduate student studying Ecosystem Science and Conservation at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Camellias are here!


Camellia sasanqua 'Sekiyo'
By Erika Zambello
With fall comes the blooming of many of Duke Gardens' camellias. Camellias are some of my favorite flowers, and when I heard they were out in full force I set off in search of them.

Walking along the path just outside the H.L. Blomquist Garden of Native Plants, I saw the pink sasanqua camellias that grow as tall as trees. These camellias, Camellia sasanqua 'Maiden's Blush,' were introduced to the U.S. in 1909 by an Alabama nurseryman named Kosaku Sawada, and they have been popular ever since.

Camellia sasanqua 'Maiden's Blush'
More sasanqua camellias, a deeper pink and of the 'Sekiyo' cultivar, can be found near the stone path at the edge of the pond in the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum. As their petals fall, they form a delicate blanket carpeting the ground in bold color. Their bright blossoms particularly stand out against the brown of the fallen autumn leaves that give the rest of the ground its texture.

Camellia sasanqua 'Sekiyo'
Finally, my last two favorite camellias can be found outside the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden. The red Camellia 'Midnight Lover' and pink Camellia 'Zakura' are blooming right next to each other, giving me the opportunity to compare the two with ease. The contrast between the color of the blossoms and the deep, shiny green of the leaves is gorgeous. 

Camellia 'Midnight Lover'
I am especially obsessed with the camellias this fall, and there are many more in the Gardens that I haven't seen yet! Be sure to check out the different camellia varieties for yourself. And consider attending "Camellias and Tea," a Durham Garden Forum class that will be held on January 21, 2014, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Duke Gardens. For more information, please email the Garden Forum.

Camellia  'Zakura'
Blogger Erika Zambello is a graduate student studying Ecosystem Science and Conservation at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Garden Guild Holiday Craft Sale Preview



By Erika Zambello

Clear your weekend schedule, the Garden Guild Holiday Craft Sale is this Saturday, Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and they have created some amazing works this year! Last week I was afforded a sneak preview of what will be available, and I'm going to attend armed with my holiday gift list.

One of the fun crafts available will be Christmas card ornaments, shown above and below. Delicately cut in intricate patterns, the ornaments are both beautiful and made from recycled materials.


A wide array of holiday ornaments abound at the Craft Fair this year, including many more made from recycled materials, and even painted gourds!





Knitted hats, washcloths and pins will be set out in a variety of color combinations, as well as quilted pieces of all shapes and sizes.





Gourds have not only been used to make ornaments, but also gourd bird houses and Christmas figurines.





Printed cards, banners, tiles, coasters, hummingbird feeders and so much more will be for sale on Saturday, with all proceeds benefiting Duke Gardens. The only way to really understand the beauty and breadth of all the Garden Guild has to offer is to come see for yourself. Parking is free until 1 p.m. For more information check out our event page.

Interested in joining the Garden Guild? This fabulous group of volunteers meets every Monday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. here at Duke Gardens. 

Hope to see you at the Craft Sale! 




Blogger Erika Zambello is a graduate student studying Ecosystem Science and Conservation at Duke University’s Nicholas School of theEnvironment

Sarah P. Duke Gardens creates and nurtures an environment in the heart of Duke University for learning, inspiration and enjoyment through excellence in horticulture. The Gardens receives roughly half of its operating budget from Duke University. The rest comes from people like you, who value all that this public botanic garden has to offer. Duke Gardens is at 420 Anderson St.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Volunteer Recognition Celebration




Thyme Award Winners
By Chuck Hemric
Director of Volunteer Services

Volunteers are a force of nature at Sarah P. Duke Gardens. We have more than 300 active volunteers, and their value goes far beyond their investment of time. It is the quality and depth they add to the visitors’ experiences that cannot be measured by time or with monetary gifts. The selfless and generous acts of these volunteers are what breathe life into the Gardens. As Kahlil Gibran writes,“There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.” 

Jeff Prather with his Gehman Award for Volunteer Excellence
Recently, the volunteers and staff gathered to celebrate the many volunteers and their contributions over the past year. The evening began with hors d’oeuvres on the lawn adjacent to the Page-Rollins White Garden. Pie Pushers catered the event with delicious treats and creative beverages. A fun game encouraged attendees to converse, mingle and answer Gardens trivia question as well as determine specific ingredients within the items offered.

Emily Reisner with her Margie Watkins Volunteer Spirit Award
Following the reception, everyone moved to Kirby Horton Hall for the awards presentations. Throughout the program, various staff members shared how important and vital the volunteers are to the many successes that are enjoyed at Sarah P. Duke Gardens. A slideshow depicting the various activities of volunteers rolled throughout the evening.

Bob Ayers, left, photographer & award winner, with fellow photographer Wendell Hull
20 volunteers were presented with the Golden Thyme Award, recognized as recording the most volunteer hours. In addition, those volunteers who have served actively for 10 or 15 years were also named.

The evening ended with jars of honey from the Duke Gardens beehives given to those who answered the game questions correctly. A parting gift of cowpea seeds, collected in the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden, was given to each attendee. 

Janice Gilchrist, center, with her Rookie of the Year award.
Pictured with Jan Watson and Chuck Hemric
Award Winners 

10-year volunteer: Andy Wheeler
15-year volunteers: Barbara Branson, Nan Len, Margaret McCotter and Charlotte Newby

Thyme Award winners: Barbara Branson, Mary Dawson, Helen Dennis, Beth Elkins, Patty Forster, Janice Gilchrist, Pauli Hensen, Betty Jordan, Nan Len, Parker Morton, Shelly Nowik, Donna Owens, Cheryl Prather, Theo Roddy, Cheryl Sanford, Sharon Sokol, Delores Traeger, Pu Wang, Karen Webbink and Andy Wheeler.


Rookie of the Year: Janice Gilchrist
Margie Watkins Volunteer Spirit Award: Emily Reisner
Gehman Award for Volunteer Excellence: Jeff Prather

See below for more photos of our wonderful staff and volunteers enjoying the Volunteer Recognition Celebration! Interested in volunteering? Call for more information at (919) 668-1705 or visit our volunteer page and fill out an application.











Photos by Wendell Hull and Orla Swift