June 2, 2022
Horticulture Diaries: The Wind Orchid
I first learned about the Gardens just days before I saw the help wanted ad. My interview was on a cold March morning, and snow still covered most of the ground. I pulled my zipper…
May 19, 2022
Bee Day–the Gardens’ bees have returned!
Sarah Callan (another Gardens educator) and I recently installed our new bee packages and brought our surviving hives home for the season. Early on a chilly morning, we grabbed our veils and hive tools, and…
May 5, 2022
Where Have all the Tulips Gone?
Those who have been coming to the Gardens for many seasons have probably noticed a smaller-than-usual population of tulips in recent years. And while we know tulip displays are a popular draw, there is good…
April 27, 2022
Horticulture Diaries: Haney Hillside Garden
Somewhere early along my path here, I became the caretaker of the Haney Hillside. The list of those who wanted to tackle the erosion issues that this hill presented was short—but I didn’t fear those…
April 15, 2022
Earth Day Every Day!
Earth Day was founded in 1970 by US senator Gaylord Nelson in reaction to an oil spill in California. Demonstrations held on the first Earth Day led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection…
April 6, 2022
Horticulture Diaries: Vayo Meditation Garden
I started working the Vayo Meditation Garden early on. My first couple of years, the hort team, a single-digit numbered crew, worked together throughout the Gardens. We would split up into pairs and sometimes work…
March 25, 2022
Amphibians, Reptiles, and Spring (oh, my!)
Spring is quickly approaching and with that comes the great migration of amphibians!
March 2, 2022
Pruning is your Friend!
Scary? Nerve-racking? Definitely understandable. But once you have the basics down, the power to prune becomes nothing but liberating (not to mention a good late-winter workout…).