myHortus

Flickr: Lilac Photos

2014-06-14T05:41:00.000-07:00

Lilac photos from Flickr Photo Group:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/lilac_flowers/pool/

Lilacs at Norman's Farm

2014-06-14T05:21:00.000-07:00

Planting Lilacs

2014-06-14T05:09:00.000-07:00

Pruning Lilacs

2014-06-14T05:04:00.003-07:00

Lilac - Syringa vulgaris

2014-06-14T05:02:00.001-07:00

Plant of the Day - Syringa or Lilac

2014-06-14T04:58:00.000-07:00

Syringa
Syringa is a genus of 12 currently recognized species of flowering woody plants in the olive family, native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonly cultivated in temperate areas elsewhere. Wikipedia
Scientific name: Syringa
Rank: Genus
Higher classification: Oleaceae
Lower classifications: Syringa vulgaris,Syringa reticulata, More
Link to Google Photos

Botany photo of the day ... Syringa sweginzowii 'Superba'

2014-06-14T04:44:00.004-07:00

Source: http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/potd/2014/06/syringa-sweginzowii-superba.php

Video - History of Geraniums

2012-05-11T18:28:00.000-07:00

History of Geraniums -- powered by ehow

Geraniums Of All Kinds

2012-05-11T18:21:00.001-07:00

Geraniums Of All Kinds, a group on Flickr.

Photos of Geraniums from F.lickr Group Pool

Video: Pelargonium x hortorum Identification Lesson

2012-05-11T18:18:00.000-07:00

Video: Geranium Cutting Propagation

2012-05-11T18:03:00.001-07:00

How to grow Daphne odora | MNN - Mother Nature Network

2012-05-11T00:05:00.001-07:00

With it's fickle nature, the success to growing Daphane odora include good drainage, lime-based soil mix and avoid transplanting.

Link to the full article:

How to grow Daphne odora | MNN - Mother Nature Network

Windowfarms Raises $257K through Kickstarter Campaign

2012-05-10T23:47:00.001-07:00

With 1,577 backers, Windowfarms was able to raise $257,307 through its Kickstarter campaign for a vertical food garden system.

The Hindu : Sci-Tech / Science : Off season musk, water melon production a possibility: NAU

2012-05-10T23:28:00.000-07:00

The Navsari Agriculture University (NAU) in Gujarat has successfully proven the successful cultivation of musk and water melon in greenhouses using vertical farming techniques during the monsoon seasons, which happens to be an off season for the horticulture crops.

Link to full article: The Hindu : Sci-Tech / Science : Off season musk, water melon production a possibility: NAU

Brooklyn Botanical Garden - New Visitor Center Opening May 16, 2012

2012-05-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

The new visitor center at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden will open on May 16, 2012.

Seamlessly melding architecture and landscape, BBG's new Visitor Center is a model of energy-efficient design, including earth-sheltered construction, a geoexchange system for heating and cooling, a living roof, and fritted-glass walls. Surrounding the building is a new garden filled with native plantings and water-capturing beds.

Link to the BBG's website: http://www.bbg.org/discover/visitor_center/

Video: Propagating Forsythia by Layering

2012-05-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

Forsythia Photos

2012-05-10T08:34:00.001-07:00

FORSYTHIA!, a group on Flickr.

Forsythia photos from Flickr Group Pool.

Video: How to Prune Forsythia Bushes

2012-05-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

Horticulture Tips from Wareham Garden Club

2012-05-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

PRUNING RHODYS AND FORSYTHIA

This is perfect timing for pruning those early flowering azaleas, rhododendrons and forsythia. Water your shrubs before pruning to relieve stress. Spend time looking at your shrub. All shrubs should have damaged or diseased wood or rubbing, crossing branches removed.

Azaleas differ from rhododendrons in being generally smaller and having one blossom per stem rather than blossom clusters. Azaleas can bud out all along the stem. Early flowering varieties form next year’s buds over 8-10 weeks once the temperature is over 65 degrees, so now is a great time to prune. First, remove damaged wood and branches that rub against another branch. Next remove a few old branches every year to rejuvenate the shrub. Choose branches that, when removed, will let in more light or bring your shrub to a better height.

Rhododendron branching can be encouraged by pinching off terminal growth buds before the leaves fully expand (terminal growth buds are slim, flower buds are fat). Rhododendrons do not always put out new growth from stubs, so cut back judiciously. The general rule is that the buds just beneath the pruning cut will have more vigorous growth. Cut above an outward facing bud to encourage growth in that direction.

Forsythia is at their glory when the naturally graceful, arching branches are covered in golden yellow. PLEASE do not shear these to form a ball, but instead encourage the natural growth habit. Remove selected old branches at ground level. This lets in more light and your shrub will flower better, with fewer bare areas.

Wareham Garden Club
P.O. Box 3276
Wareham, MA 02571
Phone: 508-291-1643
Hours: Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 12:30 p.m.

Linn-Benton Community College - Mother's Day Plant Sale

2012-05-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

The LBCC Horticulture Department will have its annual Mother’s Day Plant Sale from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, May 11, in the greenhouse at LBCC, 6500 Pacific Blvd. S.W., in Albany.

There will be fuchsia baskets, sun and shade baskets, strawberry baskets, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, onions, winter squash, corn, zucchini, yellow summer squash, cucumbers, cabbage, spinach, parsley, basil, anise hyssop, scented geraniums, geraniums, zinnias, begonias, petunias, impatiens, pansys, marigolds, colocasia, dusty miller, calendula, echinacea, cosmos, succulent gardens, snapdragons, jacobs ladder, salvia, geums, delphinium, lavender, calabrachoa, foxglove, lobelia, exotics and more.

Source: http://democratherald.com

MSU sponsors teen horticultural camp

2012-05-10T08:07:00.001-07:00

Mississippi State University is "beating the bushes" for high school students with horticultural interests for a June 3-6 camp on campus.

Designed for students age 15 to 17, the 43rd annual Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Summer Camp will offer a variety of educational and fun activities.

Richard Harkess, professor of floriculture and ornamental horticulture, said the three-day schedule will include field trips to a local orchard, a vegetable farm and MSU greenhouses. Session topics will cover plant propagation, interior plants, sports turf, landscape design, plant identification and floral design.

Cost for the camp is $175, and some scholarships are available. The fee covers three nights in a campus residence hall, a campus meal card, additional activities, educational materials and the awards luncheon at the camp's conclusion.

The camp is sponsored by MSU, the Garden Clubs of Mississippi and the Mississippi Nursery and Landscape Association.

Applications are due by May 21. To request an application, contact Kathy Johnson at (662) 325-2311 or kjohnson@pss.msstate.edu.

Ball Horticultural and Costa Farms Launch New Mirel-based SoilWrap Biodegradable Plant Container

2012-05-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

Supplied by grower Costa Farms, SoilWrap now available at Lowe's stores in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina; plantable pots made from Mirel biopolymers save gardeners time and provide a sustainable alternative to plastic.

AMBRIDGE, Mass. & WEST CHICAGO, Ill., Apr 23, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE)

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com

Metabolix, Inc., a bioscience company focused on developing clean, sustainable solutions for plastics, chemicals and energy, Ball Horticultural Company and Costa Farms, today announced that the Mirel(R)-based biodegradable SoilWrap(R) plant containers are now available at Lowe's Home Improvement stores in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Made from 100-percent renewable Mirel biopolymers, Ball SoilWrap is a bottomless plant container that biodegrades naturally in soil. Its innovative design promotes fast plant growth and eliminates transplant shock by immediately bringing roots in direct contact with soil. Once planted in the garden, SoilWrap degrades by becoming food for beneficial soil microbes.(1)

"As a leader in the horticultural industry, we are dedicated to providing gardeners and landscape professionals with new, more sustainable solutions that promote healthy plant growth, enable consumers to reduce waste and empower retailers to differentiate product offerings," said Bill Doeckel, general manager of Ball Innovations, a business unit of Ball Horticultural Company. "Metabolix invested significantly in research and development to create its Mirel biopolymers, which we have tested extensively for our SoilWrap product. We are excited to be launching SoilWrap, with grower Costa Farms, and do our part to reduce the amount of horticultural plastic going to landfills."

As an alternative to petroleum-based plastics, SoilWrap enables home gardeners to eliminate waste and reduce planting and clean-up time by 30 percent. For growers and retailers, the biodegradability properties enabled by the Mirel biopolymers provide a differentiated and sustainable bioplastic option for customers.

"With last year's successful marketing and consumer trial of Ball Horticultural's SoilWrap plantable pots, we are excited to see the commercial availability of the new product at leading retail locations such as Lowe's Home Improvement Stores," said Richard P. Eno, president and CEO of Metabolix. "As one of our earliest customers, Ball's SoilWrap perfectly showcases the key benefits of our Mirel biopolymer. With multiple disposal options, Mirel is one of the most versatile biopolymers on the market and customers like Ball continue to rely on these unique properties to develop more sustainable product offerings."

SoilWrap is currently available on Wave(R) petunias and Sunpatiens(R) impatiens at Lowe's Home Improvement stores in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Mirel is completely biodegradable in natural soil and marine environments, but delivers the same performance characteristics as many petroleum-based plastics, including printability and heat resistance. Mirel and SoilWrap are both listed on the USDA Biopreferred program, which designates biobased products that are preferred for purchase by federal agencies and their contractors.

The Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture Education Trust - Young Horticulturist of the Year competition

2012-05-09T09:50:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, 8 May, 2012 - 09:35
Source: http://www.voxy.co.nz

The call is now out for talented young New Zealand horticulturists to put themselves forward to enter their industry sector competitions, with the view of ultimately competing for the honour of being 2012's top horticultural industry achiever.

Successful candidates from: The Fruit Sector of Horticulture NZ and the Vegetable Sector of Horticulture NZ; Floriculture, which includes Florists NZ Inc (FLONZI) and NZ Flower Growers; Landscaping New Zealand; Nursery and Garden Industry Association; NZ Recreation Ass'n - Amenity Horticulture and NZ Winegrowers will go on to compete at the Grand Final of the Young Horticulturist of the Year in Auckland on November 14 & 15th.

The Young Horticulturist of the Year Competition, which is managed by the RNZIH Education Trust, is in its eighth year. Past winners have included a tomato grower, a nurseryman, a fruit export manager, a vineyard manager and three viticulturists.

Last year's winner Ben Smith, a grower/manager for speciality tomato grower Status Produce, based at Tuakau, says horticulture isn't just sitting on a tractor for nine hours doing loops around a paddock.

"There is a lot more involved. My morning started off with payroll, then I was involved in a staff meeting - getting the right people moving in the right direction, I went on to change the plan for our white fly control for the day and repaired an irrigation system. That's four disciplines before lunch.

"A horticultural career can involve management, science, engineering, chemistry and HR. It is multi-disciplined and a very fulfilling thing to do.

"I urge young horticulturists to enter their sector competition. You never know how it will turn out. Just winning your local event, you will receive similar benefits to what I received as the competition's overall winner, especially in terms of the confidence gained. Confidence definitely builds confidence."

Competition organiser Elenka Nikoloff said there are some great opportunities for young people to further their skills and knowledge through the activities offered at the sector competitions and the Young Horticulturist of the Year Grand Final.

"There are rewards for all participants entering the sector competitions, from meeting like-minded individuals, to networking with key industry people. There is also the opportunity to win prizes while enjoying the experience.

"The sector competitions, as well as the Grand Final, bring together young people who are good all-rounders, with sound knowledge of horticultural practices and good practical skills that have been learnt on the job. Every year we seek people who will try any challenge that is offered to them and who will look towards further education as a way to develop their talents."

The Grand Final offers a prize pool of more than $40,000. The overall winner receives a selection of prizes, including a travel package to the value of $7,500. Second prize includes a Massey University study package to the value of $5,500.

In addition to the main prizes, there are a number of awards on offer: Finalists will prepare a business and marketing plan prior to the finals, with the aim of winning the AGMARDT Market Innovation Project $5,000 award. The finalist who receives the highest score for the practical activities during the grand final will receive a Turners & Growers travel scholarship valued at $3,500. A Fruitfed Supplies and Ballance Agri-Nutrients partnership offers a $2,500 scholarship to the finalist who shows the most promise as a future leader during the event and the finalist who receives the highest score for a range of activities, with a focus on crop management practices and sustainability, will receive a $2,500 Bayer scholarship.

Additional information at: http://www.rnzih.org.nz/pages/EducationTrust.htm

UGA professor awarded American Horticultural Society’s top honor

2012-05-09T09:37:00.004-07:00

By UGA NEWS SERVICE on May 7, 2012
Source: http://redandblack.com

The American Horticultural Society has awarded University faculty member Allan Armitage its Liberty Hyde Bailey Award.

Armitage, an authority on flowering plants and gardening, will accept the award June 7 at the Great American Gardeners Awards Ceremony and Banquet, held at the society’s headquarters at River Farm in Alexandria, Va.

A professor of horticulture at the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences for more than two decades, Armitage has become a household name as an expert on Southern gardens.

“I am truly honored to receive an award named for one of America’s foremost horticulturists and to have my name on a very distinguished roster with other exceptional horticulturists who have similarly been honored,” Armitage said.

The Liberty Hyde Baily Award recognizes Armitage’s wide-ranging and lasting impact on horticultural teaching, research, communications, plant exploration, administration, art, business and leadership.

“Readily recognized by his trademark wide-brimmed hat, Armitage has made substantial contributions to all eight fields recognized by this award over the course of his three-decade career, influencing academia, the horticultural industry and home gardening in lasting and meaningful ways,” according to a news release issued by the society’s leadership.

In addition teaching and conducting research as part of the UGA department of horticulture, Armitage helped establish the UGA Trial Garden for new plant varieties in 1982 and still manages the garden today.

Since its founding, the garden has become a destination for professional and hobby gardeners as it tests and introduces countless new plant varieties to the country.

Armitage’s annual endorsement of new heat- and humidity-tolerant plant varieties, known as the Athens Select list, and his 14 books on gardening and plant selection have provided trusted guidance to thousands of gardeners across the Southeast.

“He is also a sought-after speaker outside the classroom, imparting his infectious enthusiasm for plants to audiences all over the world,” according to the AHS.

Armitage has served on the board of AHS for several years and held leadership roles in other horticultural organizations.

http://www.ahs.org/

Botanical Research Institute of Texas Announces 2012 Ian Leese Fellowship in Horticulture Recipient

2012-05-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

Megan Proska, long-time BRIT volunteer and graduating senior of Texas A & M University, selected for summer internship at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK.

Fort Worth, TX (PRWEB) May 08, 2012

The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) announced today that Megan Proska of Fort Worth, Texas, is the 2012 recipient of BRIT’s annual Ian Leese Fellowship in Horticulture. Proska will work and study at the renowned Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK, for a three-month period from July through September 2012.

Megan will participate in Kew’s Voluntary Horticultural Internship Program where she will be assigned to Kew’s Great Glasshouses and Training Section. She will provide plant maintenance in the Tropical Nursery while furthering her botanical studies.

“BRIT’s annual Ian Leese Fellowship in Horticulture was created to aid and expand the professional and scientific horizons of exceptional students,” says Dr. S.H. Sohmer, BRIT's president and director. “As a long-time BRIT volunteer, we have seen Megan’s interest and commitment in botany mature. What started as a curiosity in plants has grown into her earning advanced biology degrees and will, most likely, become her profession. This Fellowship is the perfect complement to Megan’s accomplishments.”

Megan began volunteering at BRIT in 2003. Her first project was digitizing plants from the Amazon. She continued her volunteer work with BRIT through high school and college. Set to receive Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in both horticulture and entomology, Ms. Proska will graduate in May from Texas A & M University in College Station, Texas. After her internship at KEW, Megan plans on attending graduate school and continuing her studies in botany and entomology. Her ultimate goal is to teach children about plant and insect relationships, while helping build gardens at schools, zoos, and other areas where children learn.

“The Royal Botanic Gardens School of Horticulture is delighted to have Megan Proska as our Ian Leese intern this summer. Leese was a former principal of the school who supported building links between the United Kingdom and US horticulture,” says Martin Staniforth, acting principal, School of Horticulture, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

The Ian Leese Fellowship is an award made possible by the generosity of Judith and Tim Sear, long-time BRIT supporters. The fellowship provides funds for US graduate or undergraduate students majoring in botany and/or horticulture to intern with scientists at the renowned Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. The fellowship includes a one-time stipend of $5,000 (USD) for the purpose of defraying local housing and other miscellaneous living expenses, as well as travel to and from Kew.

The Ian Leese Fellowship will be available next year, pending the expected continuation of funding. Call for Applications for the 2013 Ian Leese Fellowship will be announced in November 2012, and details will be available on the BRIT website (http://www.brit.org).

About the Botanical Research Institute of Texas

Founded in 1987, the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) based in Fort Worth, Texas, is an international, scientific research and learning center focused on conservation, knowledge sharing, and studying the diversity of plant life. BRIT conducts extensive global research, including major projects in Texas, Europe, Peru, and the Pacific Islands. In the last 10 years, BRIT scientists have located and described scores of species previously unknown to science. BRIT's herbarium is among the largest in the United States and is the largest US herbarium not part of a university, botanical garden, or broader natural history museum.

In the spring of 2011, BRIT moved into its new US Green Building Council LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum-certified headquarters located in the Fort Worth Cultural District. BRIT is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admittance is free. For more information, visit http://www.brit.org.

About the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is a world-famous scientific organization, internationally respected for its outstanding living collection of plants and world-class herbarium, as well as its scientific expertise in plant diversity, conservation, and sustainable development in the U.K. and around the world. Kew Gardens is also a major international visitor attraction. Its landscaped 132 hectares and Kew's country estate, Wakehurst Place, attract nearly two million visitors every year. Kew was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2009. Wakehurst Place is home to Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and its partners have collected and conserved seed from 10 percent of the world's wild flowering plant species (c. 30, 000 species) and aim to conserve 25 percent by 2020. Learn more: http://www.kew.org

Contact Information
Chris Chilton
Botanical Research Institute of Texas
http://www.brit.org
817-546-8691