Is this all we do?

Not really, though here is UGJ editor, Jane at the East Aurora Garden Faire, in fall of '05. 

A Very Big Job

We know that Rick Hedrick has sold his Ithaca nursery, the Plantsmen, to Dan Segal, who will open it on time this spring (yay!). Have you wondered what Rick's got himself up to now? It's pretty wild. He's living during the week in New York City, where he is designing the landscape for this new city being built in Korea. When I say "landscape," I mean the whole thing. I was surprised when he told me this isn't even the biggest space he's designed in his former - and now current - career as a landscape architect.

Oh, and also, he has to wear a suit to work every day. Now that's a big change.

More Plantasia pix

It's not true that all we do is go to garden shows

OK, so lately it IS true. Ask my husband, who's taken to calling himself a "garden show widower." Pretty sure my kid has grown a few inches since the last time I saw her, too.

Plantasia was really well done, and Saturday was packed!

Plantasia ---World Tour

Plantasia is on through Sunday this weekend at the Agri Center, in the Erie County Fairgrounds...great gardens, great ideas, excellent garden shopping and the terrific childrens' play area with tunnels, forts, lots of hands on activities. Come on out!

Pictured above, in order, a shot of a Pro Gardens pottery fountain, and entry to childrens' area and Tracy Gauss & husband, an "Herbly Wonderful" couple.

More Philadelphia

Mother Nature's flowers and a beautiful lily.

Another Philadelphia Show Picture

Look at the color in these....Jane what are they?

Philadelphia Flower Show

Theme of the Philadelphia Flower Show was Enchanted Spring....a Tribute to Mother Nature. Here's a picture of the entry to the Show. Will try posting several more.

Cornell study links nature play, respect for environment

I guess this isn't too surprising, but it's a good reminder for parents. Here's the release:

Cornell Study Finds Camping, Hiking and Fishing as a Child Breeds Respect for Environment in Adults

ITHACA - If you want your children to grow up to actively care about the environment, give them plenty of time to play in the "wild" before they're 11 years old, suggests a new Cornell University study.

"Although domesticated nature activities -- caring for plants and gardens -- also have a positive relationship to adult environment attitudes, their effects aren't as strong as participating in such wild nature activities as camping, playing in the woods, hiking, walking, fishing and hunting," said environmental psychologist Nancy Wells, assistant professor of design and environmental analysis in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell.

Wells and Kristi Lekies, a research associate in human development at Cornell, analyzed data from a U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service survey conducted in 1998 that explored childhood nature experiences and adult environmentalism. The findings will be published in the next issue of Children, Youth and Environment (Vol. 16:1).

The complete Cornell news release is available online here.

Official GardenScape photo site up

If you didn't get to the show, or even if you did and just want to see it all again, visit the photo site here.

More GardenScape

top to bottom:
The Zales garden makes good use of the borrowed view.

The Petersons garden is very pretty this year. All those pink tulips give it sweetness. This is the kind of garden a little girl would love. Except mine. Kieley preferred the gardens with Asian themes.

Bruce Zaretsky and Sharon Coates. Their garden won Best in Show (Best of Show?). Sharon's brother, Steve, has been keeping us all fueled with his delicious wraps, soups and sandwiches. Don't ask me how I got on the gravy train...right place at the right time I guess!

Frequent UGJ contributor Andrew Fowler. Watch for his piece on witch hazels in the May issue.

Al Pfeiffer of Oriental Garden Supply

GardenScape '06 Starts Tomorrow!

Am I allowed to post these images? I hope so! The '06 show is looking great—I stopped in about noon today.

Anyway, what you're looking at here is a gorgeous specimen of Cercis canadensis 'Covey', (that's the contorted redbud), which I think is from the Hosmer display.

Next, Zaretsky & Associates' "Green Man," created by an employee.

Below that is one of Bill Valvanis's excellent bonsai. This year he actually made water tables for the planters to stand on, in keeping the the show's theme, "Reflections." If you have traveled Bonsai Alley then you know it sloooooopes all the way down from the Dome to Minnett—I have no idea how Bill did this and made them all level. You've got to see it.

Next we have another vignette, including a beautiful, healthy blue corydalis that caught my eye—'China Blue'—is that hardy in zone 5?

Finally, a scene of the lake, yes the LAKE, made in the dome for this show. Sounded kinda wacky; turned out beautifully.

Stop down. If you're looking for me, please ask around. I still don't know where my space will be yet.

Ear to the Ground

Ear to the Ground
Just got back from the Philadelphia Flower Show---themed "Enchanted Spring...A aTribute to Mother Nature." Here's a picture of their entry way. I'll also try to "put on" a few more later. It was my first time at the Show and well worth the trip.

Lockwood's Greenhouse bedding plants

Dropping off some of the Upstate Gardeners' Journals, I enjoyed seeing the bedding plants at Lockwood's Greenhouses, Hamburg, NY...it was a dreary & drizzly day outdoors but made brighter by the promise of plants to come.

RCGC Spring Symposium Excellent, As Always

...and I'm not just saying that because Susan made me.

This year, we had Noel Kingsbury, who spoke about naturalistic design, and Bruce Zaretsky, on "Extrordinary Gardens for Ordinary People." Both guys were inspiring, for different reasons. Kingsbury had a lot of technical suggestions on how to create "the look." During Zaretsky's talk, I really felt like I was getting inside his head and seeing his particular design process and what inspires him. Neat.

Zaretsky (above)

Kingsbury (below)

Flower Show Fun

I hope you're visiting the flower shows this month! GardenScape runs March 16 through 19. The UGJ booth has changed to #65, so don't go by what's listed in the program. I will be there most of the time, so please stop in.

I'll also be at Plantasia on Saturday, March 25. That show runs the 23rd through the 26th. After that I'll be collapsing, going into hiding, or both.

They are going to be great shows this year. I can't wait 'til they're over.

Update on "Let's Go Native" Seminar

(See "I can't believe I left this out," below.)

Carol Bradford to the rescue this morning, with ticket info (thank you!):

Send your name, address and a $35 check made payable to the Men’s
Garden Club of Syracuse to:

MGCS
P.O. Box 23
Syracuse, NY 13209

A confirmation postcard will be sent. Please call (315) 451-2964 or
428-9401 if you are registering after March 25, 2006.