Summer 2008 the Gardener Newsletter, Delaware Center for Horticulture

8/9/2019 Summer 2008 the Gardener Newsletter, Delaware Center for Horticulture

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GardenerThe

Delaware Center for Horticulture

VOL. 31, NO. 2 SUMMER 2008

Riverview Cemeterys majestic trees were neglected for decades as the neighborhoodaround it slipped into economic decline. Dead limbs had become dangerous, some evenfalling to topple the headstones below.

But this spring has brought a change of scenery around the venerable old grounds. Atthe request of a group known as Friends of Historic Riverview Cemetery, the DelawareCenter for Horticulture (DCH) recruited 15 companies to bring skilled workmen andheavy equipment in to perform some major clean up. By the end of the day, more than$10,000 worth of tree work had been donated and 30 trees were pruned or removed.The Friends group was ecstatic.

Located in the heart of northeast Wilmington, Riverview is one of the oldest and largestcemeteries in Delaware. Its sprawling 87 acres hold more than 36,000 graves. Some dateback to the Civil War and some are as new as last week. The people buried in this public

A skilled volunteer cuts away

dead limbs in Riverview Cemetery on Arbor Day.

Horticulture & HopeGreening efforts revitalize northeast Wilmington

continued on page 6

What's blooming

in this issue...

RPA 2008 Betterthan ever I page 3

Celebrating CommunityGardens I page 4

Staff Plant Pick Kohlrabi I page 5

Between a Rock and aGreen Place I page 7

Online Features &Special Events I page 8


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This we know the Earth does not belong to man man belongs to the Earth. This we

know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family.

Ted Perry, screenwriter, 1971

2 The Gardener Summer 2008

Patrice

Sheehan

More than 10

% of the

guests at the 2

008

Rare Plant Auc

tion were

under 40, know

n

asYoungColle

ctors.

Our gardening season began in the Riverview Cemetery innortheast Wilmington. At the encouragement of ArboristJohn Kerns, we teamed up with the Friends of RiverviewCemetery and coordinated a volunteer tree pruning andhazardous tree removal Arbor Day event. Fifteen treecompanies contributed their time and equipment and tocomplete over $10,000 worth of work. Our cemeteries,among other things, are important green open spacesand it is gratifying to contribute to their improvement.

A huge thank you to the hundreds of people from guests,to Longwood staff, to donors and sponsors, to generousvolunteers and committee members, to Honorary ChairmanJeanne Shields and Chairman Bonnie Crosby who allcontributed to making the Rare Plant Auction a stellarsuccess! We raised more than $152,000 for greeninginitiatives in Wilmington and are truly grateful for theseresources. Of special note this year was the enthusiasticallyreceived Young Collectors subscription level. In addition to

the truly remarkable variety of unusual plants was theopportunity to purchase large puzzle pieces. Thanks toa challenge gift by Don Stott, the completed puzzle raisednearly $29,000 for community gardens.

As the season moves on we hope youll come visit thecreative Gardens at DCH (open all day, every day) andparticipate in some of the many fun activities taking placeat DCH. The best way to stay informed is to become amember. Upcoming this fall is a special Members-OnlyShopping Spree at Old Country Gardens, the ever-populaBeef n Beer party, the annual plant gift dividend and ourAnnual Meeting & Reception. Members also receivediscounts on DCH programs, garden tours, and at businesspartner locations. Please look for our survey in the fall.We want to know what you think.

This giant 6 x 8 jigsaw

puzzle was one of the

highlights of the 2008

Rare Plant Auction.The cheerful image wa

assembled as guests

purchased individual

pieces. By the end of

the evening the puzzle

had raised almost

$29,000 to support

DCHs community

greening and

education programs.


3/8The Gardener Summer 2008 3

Better than EverThe 2008 Rare Plant Auction

1. Ben Acton prepares plantsfor staging.

2. Enjoying the event: (left toright) Nathan Hayward, HanDavis, Andrew and Ann RoseBonnie Crosby RPA Chairm

3. Ginny Butters considersbidding on a special plant inthe Silent Auction.

4. Three smiling Plant Experts:(left to right) JeanneFrett, Janet Draper andAndrew Bunting

5. Dean Failey, auctioneer fromChristies and Pat Cullina, V.of Horticulture & Facilities,Brooklyn Botanic Garden hebuild the excitement at theLive Aution.

6. Organizing plants before

the sale in the Longwoodgreenhouse: (clockwise fromleft) Jeanne Shields HonoraChairman, Mara Grant andMarcia Stephenson

7. Selling pieces of the giantpuzzle to support CommuniGreening programs

8. Bruce McNew bidsenthusiastically at theLive Auction.

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By all measures, the 28th Annual Rare Plant Auction was a resounding success.The elegant event held at Longwood Gardens netted more than $152,000 thisyear for DCH programs. The stars of the show were the 623 exceptional plantsavailable for bidding. The highest bid received was $6,400 for a stunning 25-foottall chestnut-leaved oak, Quercus castaneifolia.

Of course, the most important reason that this years event was better than ever arethe rare and special people who participate. More than 140 dedicated volunteersworked behind the scenes for months in advance and on the night of the auctionto make everything go smoothly. Our 400 guests were impressed with the diverseassortment of specimens, representing the contributions of 88 generous plant donorsfrom 16 states across the country.

So put April 25, 2009 on your calendar and plan to join us for the next fun andfabulous Rare Plant Auction!

Photos: #1 & #6: Marty du PontAll others: Firefly Photography


4/84 The Gardener Summer 2008

Community

gardens oftenact as a catalystfor socialinteraction andcommunitybuilding.They createopportunitiesfor people toenjoy eachother across

intergenerational and cross-cultural boundaries.Community gardens have even been shown to reducecrime and increase local economic development.

In addition to thebeautification theycreate in a neighbor-hood, communitygardens encourageself-reliance andallow people toreduce family foodbills with fresh,nutritious produce.Health benefitsinclude theopportunities for recreation and exercise. Gardens andgreen space also have a significant impact on reducing cityheat from streets and parking lots.

To learn moreabout communitygardens in

Delaware,contact AnnMattingly,the DCHCommunityGardensManager, at(302) 658-6262,

ext. 109 or email her at [email protected].

30th and Monroe Streets Garden

514 West 30th Stree

Samuel Garrett

Community Garden

35th and Locust

Sojourners' Place Garden

2901 Northeast Blvd

Masjid al Kauthar

Mosque Garden

2102 Northeast Blvd.

Wilmington Job Corps9 Vandever Avenue

Howard High School Garden

401 East 12th Street

Shearman Street Garden

402-404 Shearman Street

Hattie Phelan

Community Garden

1001-1003 North Pine Street

Samaritan Outreach Garden1410 North Claymont Street

Mount Joy UMC Church

455 Townsend Street

Valley Community Garden

610 West 8th Street

Secret Garden

231 North Jackson Street

Hedgeville Children's

Community Garden1114 Maple Street

The Wellness Community

4810 Lancaster Pike

Delores Baylor Women's

Correctional Institution

Garden of Hope: A Place for Peace

(not shown on map)660 Baylor Boulevard, New Castle

The Delaware Center for Horticulture supports 15 active community gardens throughout the city

of Wilmington and at the womens prison in New Castle. Each of these green and vibrant places

provides a host of benefits to the gardeners as well as to the surrounding neighborhoods.

AdiraRiben

AnnMattingly

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Celebrating Community Gardens


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The Gardener Summer 2008 5

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Ask our community

garden coordinatorsat Shearman StreetCommunity Garden orthe women involved with

the Culinary Arts Program at Baylor Womens CorrectionalInstitution what my favorite vegetable is and they will tellyou without hesitation it is kohlrabi. A few will sigh whenthey say the name and most will admit to being coercedinto trying it. Some will even admit to really liking thispeculiar relative of broccoli. Until recently, kohlrabiremained a fairly obscure delicacy, but I guess all goodsecrets find their way to the light eventually. Indeed overthe past few years it has appeared on grocery shelves in thespring and again in the fall when cool temperatures are bestfor growing this crop.

Upon initial inspection, nothing seems quite right aboutkohlrabi. Indeed, it could easily have come off the pages ofone of our beloved Dr. Seuss books. As a young plant it isdifficult to distinguish kohlrabi from broccoli or caulifloweror even collards. But as it grows and it does so very quickly the stem of this delightful treat begins to swell into the

shape of a somewhat flat-

tened baseball. The foliage which can be light green,blue green or even purple is attractive enough to bemixed into a perennial bed.It looks so good that youmay be hesitant to harvest itwhen the time arrives, butdont let the stem get toolarge or it will be woodyand tasteless.

So how does it taste? To me, it is similar to the stem of abroccoli. The flavor is mild and the crunchy texture makesfor the perfect snack. The skin is tough but easy to peelwith a knife. You can eat it raw, steamed, roasted or evenpickled. You can even cook the leaves as you would anyother green. Personally, I enjoy kohlrabi so much that itusually disappears long before it ever reaches my kitchen.So if you are looking for a little more variety out of yourveggie patch or on your dinner plate, try kohlrabi youmight be very happy you did!

Staff Plant Pick: KohlrabiAnn Mattingly, Community Gardens Manager

GarySchwetz


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cemetery represent a broad cross section of our regionshistory, including elected officials and generations ofprominent families.

The community effort to bring this distressed cemeteryback to life can be seen as a metaphor for much of thegreening and urban renewal that is happening throughoutnortheast Wilmington. It serves as a shining example ofwhat can be accomplished when neighbors, volunteers,organizations and local government work together for thecommon good. Riverview is important to the thousandswho have loved ones buried there. It is also important asa large swath of green space in the city.

Trees and parks provide many benefits in urban areasbeyond their aesthetic beauty. Property values go up andenergy costs are reduced. Air quality is improved and

storm water runoff iscontrolled. There areeven studies that showthat green space inurban areas reducescrime rates andimproves childrensschool performance.

Over the last twoyears, DCH has collaborated with a variety of communitygroups and government agencies to bring horticulture and

hope to neighborhoods in northeast Wilmington. Forinstance, in addition to the Arbor Day tree work, morethan 1,000 daylilies and flowering perennials were plantedalong Riverview Cemeterys 33rd Street border betweenMarket and Washington.

Nearby in the 11th Street Bridge area, DCH has workedwith the local civic association and Habitat for Humanityto plant more than 150 trees in the neighborhood.Landscaping was also installed along the sidewalk at thebase of the bridge. An additional 29 trees were planted

around the corner in a church parking lot to provide shadeand demonstratehow to mitigateurban heat islandeffects.

Northeast Boulevardis another importantgateway intoWilmington. Withthe support of severallocal organizations,

the public right-of-ways along this street have beenbeautifully transformed. DCH designed plantings andinstalled trees, flowering perennials and flowering bulbs intraffic medians and arounda bus stop at 26th Street.

The series of connectedparcels known as Brown-Burton-Winchester Parkhas seen a flurry of greeningand revitalization effortsrecently. Many communitypartners have worked withDCH to make this projectsuccessful. Highlights of thebeautification so far includeplanting 20,000 flowering bulbs, creating three entrance

gardens to welcome visitors and planting 75 trees.DCH also coordinated the pruning and removal of23 dead and dangerous trees in the Prices Run area ofthe park. More plantings and improvements areplanned for 2009 in the Speakman Park section.

Outside the Park,DCH helped theresidents in theVillage of East Lake,a new affordabletownhouse develop-ment, to plant morethan 50 street treesin front of their new

homes. Village Garden at 22nd & Lamotte is an openpublic square across the street from a new Habitat forHumanity development. This community-building projecthas replaced long-time abandoned properties with the onlygreen space in the immediate neighborhood.

Community gardens often provide some of the mostcompelling proof that greening projects are vital to successful

urban renewal. In the middle of the summer these once-empty lots are filled to bursting with flowers and vegetablesand neighborly smiles. Three of the 15 community gardensthat DCH supports are located in northeast Wilmington.(For more on Community Gardens, see pages 4, 5, & 7.)

Shady trees. Bright flowers. Cool grasses. A quiet bench.These are essential building blocks for a vibrant andconnected urban community. And in northeastWilmington, the green changes sprouting up are trulyan inspiring sight for all to see and enjoy.

Horticulture & Hope continued from page 1

6 The Gardener Summer 2008

LennyWilson

ChrisCanning


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Between a Rock and a Green PlaceRock Brown has a soft spot for community gardening

The Gardener Summer 20087

The corner of 8th and Jefferson hasntalways bloomed with flowers, vegetables,

and a colorful mural. Some peopleremember race riots and dilapidatedhouses. Others recall the trash dumpthe area became after the houses weretorn down. Eventually a coalition ofneighbors, Wilmington city govern-ment and nonprofit organizationsworked together to clean up theempty lots and plant a garden.

By the summer of 2004, when RockBrown began dropping by to help

water and weed, Valley CommunityGarden was well established but in needof a local leader to keep it going.Although Rock doesnt live in theneighborhood, his constructioncompany offices are just down thestreet. I come to work early, so it waseasy to check on the garden two orthree mornings a week, he says. Itseemed like a good project to beinvolved with.

That fall, DCH staff approached Rock.Would he be willing to organize thegarden for 2005? I didnt even havemy own plot at that point, laughsRock. Id never been interested ingardening or farming until I startedhanging out here. I just went to thegrocery store and bought things ina cardboard box. Now I cant imaginenot growing food.

Valley Community Garden is 30 x60 and has 21 raised beds. The firstthing I did as Garden Coordinatorwas to recruit some new members, saysRock. We have 16 gardeners now, andall the plots are full and producing avariety of fruits and vegetables. Mostpeople live in the local neighborhood,but a handful come here from all overthe city.

The garden also includes tools and ashed, a picnic table, wrought iron

benches, containers of flowers, andtwo shade trees. The city erected aneight-foot security fence but Rockalways makes sure that local residentsknow theyre welcome to come inwhen gardeners are there. Recently awoman Id never seen before walkeddown the street and asked if she couldjust sit in the garden. I invited her in.She stayed, reading her Bible, formore than two hours.

The Delaware Center for Horticultureworks closely with the gardeners,providing supplies and technicalassistance. Ann Mattingly[Community Gardens Manager] isa constant companion, answeringquestions and offering advice, saysRock appreciatively. Shes taughtus about soil amendments and croprotation. She tests our soil andcoordinates volunteers on clean up

days. DCH even provided an irrigationsystem and helped us install it.

Valley Garden has won awards in theCity Gardens Contest sponsored byDCH. In 2006 we won HonorableMention and in 2007 we took 2ndPlace, says Rock proudly. This yearweve decided not to enter, to focuson rebuilding the soil instead. Wellenter again in 2009, and I expect to

be in 1st Place!

The Valley gardeners often share theirbounty with the community. Wecant eat or harvest all we grow, saysRock. And the other gardeners dontmind if I harvest things that are gettingripe in their plots. When people inthe neighborhood walk by Ill pickthings and give them away. We alsodonate a lot of produce to local churchesand community organizations.

Rock can be found in the garden mostafternoons after leaving his office. Itsa solace place for me. I relax. Hebegins to laugh. I used to go out withfriends for happy hour, but now we go

to the garden instead. Its sure savingme money on bar tabs!

The community near 8th & Jeffersonis lucky that Rock Brown takes thelong view. A couple of years ago,while eating a delicious peach, Idecided to grow a peach tree from itsseed, he says. I was excited to see itsprout. Unfortunately one of theother gardeners accidentally pulled itup as a weed. I was devastated. But I

started over with a new seed last year.My peach tree is now five inches tallwith a metal cage to protect it.

I plan to take care of this garden atleast until I can eat a few of mypeaches. And while Im eating them,Ill enjoy remembering everything Iwent through to get to that point.


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For more information about these events and other activities at DCH, log onto dehort.org

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDWILMINGTON, DE

PERMIT No. 371

Special Art Gallery Exhibit

On display through August 29

Come in out of the heat and enjoythe stunning photography of EricZippe. This show includes images

taken on the DCH grounds. Eric isgenerously donating 50% of hisproceeds from photos that weretaken at the Center. Additionally,

anyone who purchases one of hislarge-format 20 x 30 prints willreceive a complimentary membershipor annual renewal to DCH.

DCH goes online atThe News Journal

Have you checked out the newDelawareGardener.com websiterecently launched by The NewsJournal? The blog on this site, Diggin'Delaware, features horticulturalexperts Gary Schwetz and Jim Swasey,representing DCH staff and volunteercorps. The Video on Demand sectionincludes a clip from the City Gardens

Tour as well as a demonstration onhow to plant an edible container byDCH staffer Andrew Olson.

Coming Events

Members enjoy special rates toticketed events and receive invitationsto members-only activities such as

the popular Beef 'n' Beer party inSeptember.

Join the fun! Become a DCH membertoday! Use the enclosed envelope orgo online to dehort.org.

Water Garden Tour

August 2

Green Drinks and Art Loop

September 5

Beef 'n' Beer

September 17Annual Meeting & Lecture

October 8

30Anniversary

Staff: Pam Sapko, Executive Director Annie Acton, Tree Program AdministrativeAssistant Nathan Blumenfeld, Education VISTA Jen Bruhler, Parks andForestry Outreach Manager Chris Canning, Landscapes Project Manager SarahBruce Deacle, Assistant Director of Programs Anita Jimerson, Office Manager

Joe Matassino, Director of Development Ann Mattingly, Community GardensManager Andrew Olson, Landscape Maintenance Supervisor Michael Ray,Information Technology Manager Nick Lodsun, Tree Program VISTA GarySchwetz, Director of Programs Wendy Scott, Editor & Communications ManagerPatrice Sheehan, Tree Program Manager Marcia Stephenson, Special EventsCoordinator Lenny Wilson, Horticulture and Facilities ManagerLayout: Lehman Design Inc. All photos courtesy of DCH unless otherwise indicated.

Delaware Center for Horticulture1810 N. Dupont Street, Wilmington, DE302-658-6262 dehort.org

The Delaware Center for Horticulturecultivates a greener community; inspiringappreciation and improvement of ourenvironment through horticulture,education and conservation.

Printed on recycled paper 10% post-consumer wasteand certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

d h

1810 N. Dupont StreetWilmington, DE 19806

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Online Features & Special Events

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Summer 2008 the Gardener Newsletter, Delaware Center for Horticulture