Interpretation, gardening, and programs

In my trajectory as a garden educator, interpreter, and teacher, I've found a couple of basic truths. (I had a lovely experience this morning doing a program for 20 graduating Master Naturalists at the Garden).

It's not about the information, rather it's about connection.

It's about engagement, not content.

It's not about what you know, but how you teach.

And taking advantage of teachable moments, where ever they happen is key.

We saw a Cooper's Hawk today in our morning walk, probably attracted by migrants coming through the Garden. I certainly hadn't seen one in the Garden before.  It first sat on a fence rail above the Duck Pond and then swooped below one of the ginkgoes up the slope, trying to nab something beneath a Salvia clump.

We couldn't see if the hawk was successful, but s/he then perched on top of a nearby sign for awhile.

A teachable moment, for sure.  I wouldn't have known that it was a Cooper's Hawk, but a naturalist (Tim Lee) from a local state park was part of our group (he's one of the regular teachers).  He knew.  So I was able to look up more information from the field guide apps on my iPad, etc.

Fall planting

I'm an answer person periodically on a call-in radio program for our university's Your Day Public Service Radio feed that goes throughout the state.  It's fun, and I'm glad to encourage gardeners of whatever knowledge level to learn more and have fun doing it.  I pitched in today as a last-minute guest for my friend and colleague, Bob Polomski (and substitute for a much more well-known gardening 'personality') - Felder Rushing, whose Mississippi radio base needed to switch their focus to Hurricane Isaac.


Today's calls were typical, from ornamentals to vegetables.

I'm always reminded (and try to encourage folks) that learning about plants is fun, and rewarding.  Before adding landscape plants, learn about them.  Vegetables, ditto.   If you've  inherited an overgrown landscape, learn about what you have and prune things back judiciously.


Talk to your extension agent, too. He/she often knows a lot about what you're interested in planting.

(This was a duplicate post from my blog, Natural Gardening).

A pileated woodpecker

Behind my office is a Southern red oak in decline.  Limbs have been trimmed and the top has already broken, although we're not inclined to take it down just yet.

My colleague pointed out to me this morning that a pileated woodpecker was busily working a cavity high up on the trunk - what a great sight.  This is a blurry image from early morning (cropped, of course!).

It's probably a feeding cavity based on my bit of research, although I'm hardly an expert on bird behavior.  Not the time of the year for a nesting cavity, certainly, and pileated woodpeckers forage in dead and dying trees in search of a favorite prey item, carpenter ants, according to All About Birds, Cornell Ornithology Lab's online field guide site.

(This is a duplicate post from Natural Gardening).

Hunt Cabin Open House

The Hunt Cabin is a historical treasure located in the Botanical Garden.  Over the past year we have been opening the Cabin to the public at least one Saturday a week.  So many people have peered through the windows over the years and are delighted to have the opportunity to come inside and look around.

Our plan is to interpret life in the mid nineteenth century when there were ten inhabitants of the Cabin, and three enslaved African-Americans who lived on the property.

Age in 1850 Census

Ransom Hunt 46

Martha Hunt 47

Grandma Mary  Dalton 89

Charles Hunt 22

Harriet Hunt 18

Samuel Hunt 16

Emeline Hunt 14

William 10

Melissa/Matilda Hunt 7

Mary  Elizabeth Hunt 4

Who lived on the property

Female slave 18

Female slave 14

Male slave 1

We began in January 2012 beside a roaring fire.  People were drawn to the Cabin by the smell of wood smoke and the colorful and beautiful quilts displayed on the porches.  Jennifer Bausman a renowned local storyteller and former Garden employee joined my daughter Chloe and I dressed as costumed interpreters for the period.   Jennifer told stories, encouraged everyone to dance and as we got more used to the cabin, Jennifer started to cook over the open hearth  To date we've had popcorn, warmed apple cider, hoe cakes and yummy  beans.

One day we talked about fiber production and clothing.  Chloe demonstrates an early and rare hand cotton gin in the photo above, and a student from PRTM, Paul Nelson, took us through the stages for preparing flax for linen production.  Look for flax to be planted in front of the cabin in the Spring (I hope!) In September 2012 we will again focus on fiber production and fiber arts and give the opportunity for people to experience carding and weaving , and other such practical crafts, and learn about clothing in this period. 

Visit the Garden's calendar for more information on upcoming programs. 

Vegetable transplants at the SCBG plant sale

We have a fabulous collection of native and ornamental garden plants available at the Friends Spring Plant Sale on April 20 (2:30-6 pm) and the SCBG Public Sale on April 21 (9 am-1 pm).  You can download the list here.

We'll also have an excellent selection of warm-season vegetables and herbs and will be providing advice about growing vegetables in the Upstate at our Garden Fest table.

Eggplant

Millionaire Hybrid (Japanese type)

Asian Trio (long purple, white, magenta)

Violet Prince

Peppers

Ancho San Martin Hybrid Pepper

Pizza

Corno Di Toro Mix

Corno Di Toro

Pimento

Sweet Jemison (sweet Italian) OP

Sweet Abundance (sweet bell-shaped pepper) OP

New Mexico Big Jim (ancho/poblano type)

Jalapeno 'Jalafuego'

Tomato Hybrids: Beefsteak/Slicing/Salad

Big Beef VFFNTA Hybrid

Juliet

Better Boy VFN hybrid

Lemon Boy VFN

Big Boy hybrid

Paste tomatoes

Super Marzano VFNT hybrid

Roma 'Pompeii'

Principe Borghese (OP)

Cherry tomatoes

Super Sweet 100

Sun Gold Hybrid

Sweet Million FNT Hybrid

Heirlooms/OP

Chianti Rose

Brandywine Tomato

Cherokee Purple

German Giant

Pink Brandywine

Black Cherry

Hawaiian Pineapple

Tomatillo

Verde Puebla

Herbs

Parsley (Italian)

Parsley (Italian 'Gigante')

Parsley (Moss curled)

Basil (Italian pesto)

Basil (Profumo di Genova)

Thai Lemon Basil

Stevia (sweetener herb)

Bulbing Fennel 'Trieste'

Spring nights

I'd scheduled a spring full moon hike for April 6, not realizing that it was Good Friday (so maybe not such a good time for Christian observers), but then again, it may be a lovely evening to connect with nature and spirit.

A previous (almost) full moon

The warm season in the Southern U.S. --spring, summer, and fall-- is magical with night sounds.  Insects and frogs (of many species) are the primary players in the nocturnal symphony, with birds punctuating the transition from dusk to dark, and perhaps some of the night flying birds (such as owls) will be calling out.

The exceptionally warm winter and early spring means that the nocturnal symphony is playing earlier than normal.  Enjoy!

(This is a duplicate post from my blog, Natural Gardening).  Here's a link to previous posts about night sounds, with some excellent resource links. 

Spring wildflowers

If you have a chance to visit the Garden, you'll find spring definitely well along.

I've made a number of posts about early spring wildflowers on my blog, Natural Gardening, over the last couple of weeks (here's one about Hepatica) from late February). 

Some of my colleagues have posted on the Garden's Facebook page about sightings of Oconee Bell, Hepatica, and others.

This last week has seen flowers of bloodroot and trout lily, among many other early-flowering species from around the world.

Here's a trout lily blooming today in the Woodland Wildflower Garden.

Erythronium americanum (Trout lily)