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Archive for the Clippings department

Belle Isle conservatory temporarily closed for major renovations

December 14, 2022   •   Leave a Comment

The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory is undergoing $10 million in renovations, which required the closure of the conservatory and grounds in mid-November 2022.

The Belle Isle Conservatory is undergoing $10 million in renovations, which required the closure of the conservatory and grounds in mid-November 2022. The work completes the final phase of a comprehensive plan to revitalize the upper 60 feet of the 80-foot-tall conservatory dome in one of the nation’s oldest turn-of-the-century glass houses still in existence.

The project starts with inspection of the original steel trusses to see which need repair or replacement, the removal of lead-based paint in the upper 60 feet of the conservatory dome (also known as the Palm House), reglazing the upper dome, and updating the conservatory’s ventilation system. In addition to unique horticultural collections, the building itself is a draw for architecture and history buffs; it was designed by Albert Kahn, one of Detroit’s most celebrated architects.

In addition to unique horticultural collections, the building itself is a draw for architecture and history buffs; it was designed by Albert Kahn, one of Detroit’s most celebrated architects.

The first phase of this comprehensive renovation project, completed in 2019, included the replacement of all 20 original steel trusses. “Major renovations are needed to stabilize the building to keep the conservatory open for the next century,” said Amanda Treadwell, urban field planner for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “The scope of work is critical to the structural integrity of the dome, public safety and improved conditions for the plant collection.” Treadwell said such capital improvements have been long overdue. “Besides the recent renovations in 2019, there has not been a major capital investment to the conservatory since the 1950s,” she said.

The outdoor gardens will reopen in May 2023, while the conservatory is scheduled to reopen in May 2024. Throughout November and December, scaffolding and a second floor will be erected to contain the abatement work and ensure minimal temperatures are maintained for the plant collection. Similarly, an envelope wrap will surround the exterior of the dome for the duration of the work.

For more information, visit Michigan.gov/StateParksProgress.

Filed Under: Clippings Tagged With: Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, Belle Isle, Belle Isle Conservatory, detroit, Renovations

Deadline nears for Michigan Big Tree Hunt contest

August 8, 2022   •   Leave a Comment

ReLeaf Michigan, the only statewide non-profit tree planting and education organization in Michigan, has launched its 15th biennial Michigan Big Tree Hunt contest. The contest, which offers prizes for identifying the biggest trees in Michigan, is open to participants of all ages.

The largest trees in the state can be found anywhere: a backyard, a local park, or a hiking trail. ReLeaf Michigan awards certificates and prizes for the largest tree submitted from each county, for the overall largest tree in different age groups, and for potential state champion trees. Even if the tree submitted is not as large as the currently listed state champion of that species, it’s important to still submit, since the current champion may have died or since been removed.

ReLeaf Michigan started the Michigan Big Tree Hunt in 1993 to celebrate our state’s beauty and create a fun way to gather information about Michigan’s biggest trees. The contest is an opportunity for all age groups to help track these vital historical living landmarks.

More contest details and the entry form are available at www.bigtreehunt.com. Entries are due by August 19, 2022. For questions not answered on the website, please email bigtreehunt@releafmichigan.org or call 800-642-7353. 

Filed Under: Clippings Tagged With: big tree hunt, deadline, Michigan

Vivid summer mornings at the farmers market

May 29, 2022   •   Leave a Comment

Tomatoes are just one of many things to look forward to at the farmers market.

by Christine Jamieson

Every Saturday morning from May to October, and sometimes during the week, I plunge into a pool of color at the farmers market. In an instant, the world changes from green grass, gray roads and blue sky to vivid technicolor, with sheets of bright annuals—red, yellow, pink, purple, and silver. There are gorgeous perennials and mounds of vegetables in every shape imaginable, a feast for all the senses. Pick up cool, firm green asparagus, feel the hot, sun-ripened smoothness of tomatoes and peppers, the soft downy skin of a tawny peach, the gentle roughness of potatoes and carrots. The whole world is here!

And where did all these people come from at six o’clock in the morning, and all enjoying themselves? It’s as though a film director has gathered everyone together for a crowd scene: the elderly, the young, the middle aged, toddlers stooping to pick up fallen flowers, babies in strollers, dogs tripping up people and barking, geese honking overhead. It’s a summer fashion parade too: exotic hats, shorts, pretty dresses, as well as the more normal jeans, T-shirts and sweats.

Market season begins with the flower growers. In the first few weeks you can buy Michigan wildflowers, early spring-blooming perennials, marigolds, petunias, begonias and more unusual annuals, as well as cut bunches of daffodils, tulips and pussy willow with its furry white paws. The earliest produce includes spinach, asparagus and rhubarb. Sometimes there is a bag of dandelion leaves for salad—a wonderful system toner and tonic. In France, asparagus and artichoke salads rest on a bed of greens, which includes dandelion leaves as well as melt-in-the-mouth goat cheese tartlets, all garnished with sprigs of myrtle, rosemary and violet flowers—a delight to the eye as well as the palate.

Every week at market there is something new, as strawberries are followed by cherries, raspberries and blueberries. Then in the height of summer, the nectarines, apricots and peaches, and eventually the best-tasting apples you will ever find in the state. There are some unusual varieties, ones grown by Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, as well as the more usual Golden Delicious, McIntosh and Granny Smith. If you get the opportunity to sample a russet, Winesap, or an Arkansas Black, go for it. And try the yellow and white cherries in addition to the more traditional black. Occasionally someone will have gooseberries, but if you can’t find them, grow some yourself—one of the best is Poorman: a juicy, fat, red berry which is delicious in pies and crumbles.

Vegetables come and go, English and sugar snap peas, green and purple runner beans, tomatoes, corn, peppers and various brassicas with the last delight of the season, Brussels sprouts, always better after a touch of frost. If you look carefully, there are fingerling potatoes for salads, and sometimes lovely fresh laid eggs.

The perennials are different from week to week. There is a great selection of hardy geraniums and campanulas, unusual hellebores (H. foetidus and argutifolius, as well as orientalis and niger), burnets (Sanguisorba) with flowers like miniature bottlebrushes, and fern-leaf peonies. I searched for years for the potentilla ‘Primrose Beauty,’ a delicate creamy yellow color, and eventually found it, along with a variegated kerria.

Markets have been around as long as man has lived in towns and cities, farmers bringing in their produce to the agora in Greece or the forum in Rome. In Europe, meat, fish and cheese are available as well as produce. In colonial America too, markets were commonplace. When the state capital of Virginia moved from Williamsburg to Richmond in 1779, an ordinance was passed for the establishment of a ‘publick market.’ We are particularly fortunate to have so many in Michigan.

Many of the vendors are professionals, but there are some who have become so passionate about their hobby that they want to share it with others and make a little money while they are at it. The markets attract the young also. I talked to one young man selling strawberries and raspberries who was studying philosophy in college, and to another young couple who enjoyed the market so much that it became their livelihood. There are vendors turning sun-ripened olive oil and the essences of lavender and rose petals into soap; others displaying beautiful photographs of flowers; still others making wonderful dried flower wreaths and arrangements.

There are specialist growers also. At one market, small perennials are sold by an amateur enthusiast who wants to share the exciting plants he has grown from seed. There are people specializing in heirloom roses, Japanese maples, dahlias so perfect you cannot believe they are real, hard-to-find shrubs, and wonderful herbs.

So go to them all—the big markets as well as the smaller ones. Each has its own unique character and soon you will find your favorite. It’s the best way I know to spend Saturday morning.

Christine Jamieson is a Michigan gardener and writer.

Filed Under: Clippings Tagged With: Farmer’s Market

Efforts underway to help restore rare forested wetland on Belle Isle

August 4, 2021   •   Leave a Comment

The Belle Isle wetland is one of the largest wet-mesic flatwoods in existence and one of only six high-quality occurrences left in Michigan.

A unique but damaged ecosystem on the eastern side of Belle Isle Park is getting some much-needed attention. Restoration specialists with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources are working to bring back 200 acres of globally rare, forested wetland at the 2.5-mile-long island park in the Detroit River. It’s one of the largest wet-mesic flatwoods in existence and one of only six high-quality occurrences left in Michigan, providing habitat for a variety of rare plants, wildlife species and migrating songbirds. Wet-mesic flatwoods (forested wetlands) once were prominent along the Detroit River. Efforts to restore natural water flow, retain surface water and enhance ecological integrity began in spring 2021 and will help reverse damage that has occurred over the past two centuries.

Detailed information can be found here (120MB PDF Download).

Filed Under: Clippings Tagged With: Belle Isle, DNR, restoration, wetland

Favorites, Follies & Fun

May 12, 2021   •   Leave a Comment

By Christine Jamieson

When I first started to garden, I wanted everything: a pond; a fountain with plumes of water flashing in the sun; arches covered with fragrant roses, honeysuckle and clematis; pleached allees made of hornbeam; an arboretum (albeit a miniature one); garden “rooms”; a rockery; trough garden; alpine house; fruit trees; plus every perennial that would grow in Michigan and many that would not. No vegetables though, I couldnʼt deal with the glut. At one point I was ready to order two silver-leaved senecios (variety ʻSunshineʼ) and plant them in gigantic tubs at my front door, but even I was daunted by the difficulties of housing them over the winter in our small ranch. Garden features like sculpture and benches always appealed to me, but my primary interest was, and is, the plants.

An early entry in my garden journal reads: “Had a stunning idea in the middle of the night to make a dry pool where the small circular bed of tulips is. I am going to put a grass in the middle, either plume grass (Erianthus ravennae) or a thinner one (Miscanthus sinensis ʻGracillimusʼ perhaps), to be a fountain. My water is going to be lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina ʻSilver Carpetʼ), and Iʼm going to edge it with two layers of those flat stones and drape creeping phlox over the edge to give foliage contrast.”

Initially, I started in a small way with a winter garden bed in front of the family room window and filled it with Japanese holly, American holly, leucothoe, bulbs and hellebores. After that I never looked back. “Youʼll be sorry,” my mother said to me one day as I was digging up yet more lawn—and she was right. Eventually I had no time for proper maintenance, which just goes to show we should always listen to our mothers.

I decided to create a large “room” edged with evergreens in the middle of the lawn. I tried yews, but they were so slow that I moved them to the back of the yard where they eventually grew into a splendid hedge. I finally settled for roses—tough, northern-grown ones. By now I was so enthusiastic that I joined the Lily Society, the American Horticultural Society, the Primrose, Daffodil and Rose Societies, the English Hardy Plant Society, and subscribed to several gardening magazines.

My first passion was bulbs—I planted several thousand the first year, never again, but it was worth it the following spring. I had snowflakes (both the spring and summer leucojums), several varieties of hardy cyclamen, hardy gladioli, real English bluebells, fritillaries, plus the more ordinary tulips, daffodils and crocus, and all sorts of alliums. I fell in love with Oriental poppies and Siberian, English, Dutch, Japanese and Louisiana iris, lilies, and then dwarf evergreens. I remember searching for Christopher Lloydʼs favorite arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ʻRheingoldʼ) and then lo and behold the following year gardening had become the number one leisure pastime in the country and it turned up at a local nursery.

Of course it wasn’t long before I was trying to grow difficult stuff. One evening I was at a party full of avid gardeners and my friend from the Lily Society said, “Guess what Iʼm trying to grow?” “Himalayan blue poppy,” I replied promptly. “How did you know?” he asked stunned. I knew because it is an irresistible flower and I had just been having a go myself, but it hates Michigan weather and who can blame it?

One year I planted green flowers. “Ugh, green flowers,” my rude friends said and then fell about laughing, but there was something so exotic about bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis), stinking hellebore (Helleborus foetidus), green coral bells, green zinnias, and the odd-looking snake’s head iris (Iris tuberosa) with its black velvet and green petals. Black was another color I liked—except in tulips—and when my first black pansy flowered I called my friend and she rushed over to admire it. What she actually said was that she had been expecting something the size of a dinner plate, whereas this was only small and very disappointing. Not to me though—I loved its soft kitten face with the yellow eye at the center; it grew prolifically and re-seeded itself year after year.

After this I entered my snob stage—the more minuscule and unusual the plant, the better. I tried all sorts of saxifrages and other rock plants, particularly rock roses (Helianthemum), which are very beautiful with their bright flowers and delicate foliage. That didnʼt last too long—eventually I preferred stuff that would grow well and could be seen, particularly tree and herbaceous peonies, Japanese anemones, hostas and pinks (Dianthus). I also love flat-faced flowers like yarrow and sedum. Yellow is a favorite color and it looks lovely combined with soft, dusty pink as well as the more usual blue.

Eventually I bought some fruit trees—apples that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had grown, an old apricot variety, a couple of peaches, a cherry and a wonderful gooseberry called ʻPoorman.ʼ My piece de resistance in fruit trees was a Smyrna quince with golden fruit the shape of a gigantic pear, but covered in a soft downy skin. Its flesh can be made into a lovely pink preserve which tastes rather odd, but is eaten with meat in the Middle East.

I used to be rather scathing about annuals but now I rather like them—so cheap and cheerful and utterly reliable. One plant I can do without is devil’s trumpets (Datura); for some reason I find it incredibly sinister-looking.

However, thatʼs my taste, and what makes gardening such fun is that you can do whatever you want on your own patch of land. At the moment I am into container gardens. I found two marvelous copper preserving pans in a junk shop and filled them with bulbs for spring and annuals for the summer. I put all kinds of pots on the patio and am trying all sorts of things in them, from geraniums to ladyʼs mantle (Alchemilla mollis), lilies and dwarf evergreens. One day I discovered an abandoned cast iron bath tub in a derelict house which I desperately wanted to make into a trough garden, but I couldn’t work out how to get it home, not even with the help of the family. 

So for what it’s worth, my advice is to plant what you like, dream dreams, and enjoy yourself. I wonder if I should buy a greenhouse and grow orchids…

Filed Under: Clippings

Mountain pine beetle quarantine enacted in Michigan

January 11, 2021   •   Leave a Comment

Damage caused by the Mountain Pine Beetle in British Columbia, Canada. (Photo: Jonhall / Wikipedia)
Damage caused by the Mountain Pine Beetle in British Columbia, Canada. (Photo: Jonhall / Wikipedia)

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is working to protect Michigan’s pine trees from a potentially devastating pest: the mountain pine beetle. One of the most destructive forest pests in North America, it is known for outbreaks that have killed millions of pine trees in the western United States and Canada.

According to MDARD Director Gary McDowell, “Mountain pine beetle hasn’t been detected in Michigan yet, but we’re taking the necessary, proactive steps to ensure our pine resources are here for generations to come,” said McDowell. The state’s new “Mountain Pine Beetle Exterior State Quarantine” regulates the movement of pine forest products with bark including logs, stumps, branches, lumber and firewood originating from a number of impacted western states.

The beetles affect pine trees by laying eggs under the bark and introducing a blue stain fungus. The joint action of larval feeding and fungal colonization kills the host tree within a few weeks of successful attack. As beetle populations increase, or as more trees become stressed because of drought or other causes, the beetle population may quickly increase and spread.

Mountain pine beetle has expanded its range, moving northward and eastward. The expansion is attributed to warmer winters, which allow more beetles to survive. Michigan’s pine resources are at risk of attack, including white pine, jack pine, red pine, Austrian pine, and Scots pine. Learn more about the quarantine here. 

Filed Under: Clippings Tagged With: Austrian pine, jack pine, Michigan, mountain pine beetle, pest, red pine, Scots pine, White Pine

New invasive plant found in Calhoun County

November 18, 2020   •   Leave a Comment

invasive plant mile-a-minute weed
Mile-a-minute weed (Photo courtesy: Flickr/natureserve)

Although it doesn’t spread as fast as its name suggests, invasive plant mile-a-minute weed has made its way to Michigan. This fast-growing, invasive vine recently was verified at the Whitehouse Nature Center at Albion College in Calhoun County. The plant is native to India, Asia and the Philippine Islands, and can cause harm to Christmas tree farms, reforestation projects and restoration areas by smothering young plants and trees under its dense growth.

Mile-a-minute weed is identified by its triangular leaves, spikes of pea-sized blue fruits, and recurved barbs lining the stems and leaf margins. Unusual circular leaves called ocreae clasp the stem beneath each fruit spike.

It can grow up to 25 feet in six to eight weeks. Dense, prickly thickets overtake native vegetation. Seeds may survive in the soil for up to six years.

Each fruit contains a single seed, and vines can produce up to 3,500 seeds per year. Fruits are eaten by birds, deer and small mammals, which can spread seeds miles away from the original plant.

Learn more here.

Related: Janet’s Journal – Celebrate and respect the diversity of native plants

Filed Under: Clippings Tagged With: calhoun county, invasive, mile a minute weed

Try some forest bathing this fall

October 13, 2020   •   Leave a Comment

The practice of forest bathing began in the 1980s but humanity’s need to be in and part of nature is far older.

Being in nature is something that comes naturally to humans. Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a form of nature therapy that originated in Japan and has seen renewed interest in the past few years. While the practice began in the 1980s, humanity’s need to be in and part of nature is far older. It’s an integral part of our species’ history, something rooted deep within each of us.

Nature can be a healing force. For centuries, we’ve recognized the powerful effect of reconnecting with the natural world. There is something rejuvenating about being out among the trees, in being surrounded by the sounds of the forest, the scent of wildflowers, the way sunlight plays through the leaves. Finding that revitalization is one of the key tenets of this practice.

“The art of forest bathing is the art of connecting with nature through our senses,” wrote Dr. Qing Li, the world’s foremost expert in forest medicine, in his book Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness. In his book, Li explores the science and history behind forest bathing and how best to practice it. “The key to unlocking the power of the forest is in the five senses,” he wrote. “Let nature enter through your ears, eyes, nose, mouth, hands and feet.”

According to Li, there is no one way to forest bathe; many activities can achieve the intent of the practice. Yoga, foraging, tai chi, plant observations, and even just walking out in the woods all can be considered part of forest bathing.

Related: Oaks, the king of trees

Filed Under: Clippings Tagged With: forest, forest bathing, shinrin-yoku

State of Michigan seeks help finding disease-resistant survivor elms

August 3, 2020   •   Leave a Comment

A century ago, elegant, vase-shaped American elms shaded neighborhoods with their lacy, arched canopies. Today, many of those trees are dead, skeletal husks—a legacy of the destructive Dutch elm disease. The fungal disease, spread by bark beetles, slowly wiped out most American elms after being introduced in the early 1900s.

However, the American elm’s story isn’t over. Midwest forest health experts are working to stage a comeback, and they need your help. Have you noticed any large, healthy American elms in your area or when out hiking in the forest? Those “survivor elms” might be tolerant of Dutch elm disease. If you are in Michigan’s colder climate zones (zone 5 and colder), you especially are encouraged to report these trees. Currently, there are no Upper Peninsula reports and very few northern lower Michigan reports. It’s important that these zones are represented, because it helps provide a clearer picture of where disease-resistant elms may be.

Several Midwest state natural resource agencies and the U.S. Forest Service are working together to identify such locations. They plan to collect branch samples for propagation (the process of growing new trees from a variety of sources), with the goal of developing a seed orchard suitable for future reforestation efforts in northern areas.

Eligible elms must be:

  • An American elm (not an imported species).
  • At least 24 inches in diameter.
  • Disease-free.
  • Naturally grown, not planted or treated with fungicide
  • Within 1 mile of Dutch elm disease (indicated by nearby dying/dead elms).

If you come across one of these trees, record its location and diameter at 4.5 feet from the ground. Submit the observation to the survivor elm website.

Ask MG: Why are my elm leaves are turning yellow and wilting?

Related: More on Hybrid Elms from Michigan State

Filed Under: Clippings Tagged With: dutch elm disease, elms, Michigan

New stamps celebrate the beauty of American gardens

July 3, 2020   •   Leave a Comment

The U.S. Postal Service has released stamps that celebrate the beauty of American gardens. The stamps feature 10 different photographs of botanic, country estate and municipal gardens taken between 1996 and 2014. The gardens include: Biltmore Estate Gardens (North Carolina); Brooklyn Botanic Garden (New York); Chicago Botanic Garden (Illinois); Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (Maine); Dumbarton Oaks Garden (District of Columbia); The Huntington Botanical Gardens (California); Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park (Florida); Norfolk Botanical Garden (Virginia); Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens (Ohio); and Winterthur Garden (Delaware). To learn more, click here.

Filed Under: Clippings Tagged With: postal, stamps, USPS

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