Cuttings - Summer 2012 by Brian Cruey

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Summer/Fall 2012

Garden Time Phenology: A Garden Tool? Page 3

Well Contained: Ignite your Container Designs Page 5

Time to plant: a second chance Page 7

Garden, ExposeD Page 9

Summer/Fall 2012

Director’s Corner by Molly Boxer, Executive Director

Board of Trustees Matthew Larkin, Chairman Madeline Hooper, Vice-Chairman Gloria McMahon, Secretary Ellen Greendale, Treasurer Jeannene Booher David Carls Mary Copeland Jeanine Coyne Mary Harrison Ian Hooper Robert Hyland Janet Johnson Janet Laudenslager Wendy Linscott Jo Dare Mitchell Skippy Nixon Judie Owens Martha Piper Jack Sprano Ingrid Taylor Robert Williams

My favorite time to be in the garden, my own garden that is, is at the first blush of dawn when the mist hangs mysteriously on the horizon and the colors are intensified by the early morning light. The garden is quiet then, well except for the cacophony of bird calls punctuated by the bellowing melody of the bullfrogs in the swamp below. It is easy to feel at one with nature then and lose myself in the scents, touch and magic of gardening.

Another favorite time is when the skies are blue, the sun blazing down, and a feeling of goodwill and good health permeates the atmosphere. I always find myself saying that this is the nicest day of the year. I say that at least a dozen times during the summer. Maybe more. I also relish the time when I walk around the Garden right outside my office window! This season is particularly inviting, as we have fabulous exhibitions, which encourage one to linger and savor the beauty and serenity of the Garden. The four structures featured in Gimme Shelter each present different ways to spend time in the Garden. I can see enjoying a sunset in Crisp Architects' Shade Folly, hanging out with a dog eared copy of the latest romance novel in Modern Designs' re-imagined tool shed, taking a nap in Kristine Sprague’s Repose, or whiling away the time while swinging in Burr & McCallum’s Metronome.

Should I lose track of time all I need to do is wander over to one of the ten brilliantly sited Molly Boxer, Executive Director and artfully constructed armillary spheres and Christine Caccamo, Senior Gardener sun dials from R. T. Facts (say it ten times fast and you will get it) the fabulous store and Elisabeth Cary, Director of Education

STAFF

workshop of Natalie and Greg Randall. Each object is meticulously set to tell time in our specific latitude of 41 degrees, each facing due north. There is some argument as to whether these objects should tell true time or daylight savings time. Both of these points of view are represented in these fanciful and functional timepieces, all of which are available for you to take to your own garden! Capturing the images of the plants and vistas in the garden is another way to spend time in one’s garden. We have great classes in photography, painting and illustration to help you develop those skills – to freeze time so you can enjoy your garden year round. As you leaf through this issue of Cuttings, you will see many ideas about spending time in gardens – both yours and ours! Whether you are looking for inspiration, information, or relaxation your time here will be well spent. O See you in the Garden,

Molly Boxer, Executive Director

Allison Crane, Gift Shop Manager Silka Glanzman, Communications Manager Sharon Hulett-Shepherd, Membership and Development Dorthe Hviid, Director of Horticulture Donna Kittredge, Gift Shop Associate Will Maston, Buildings and Grounds Manager Lynne Perry-Urbain, Office Manager Jamie Samowitz, Youth Education Coordinator Wesley D. Waite, Buildings and Grounds Assistant Bill Cummings, Richard Demick, Margo Sharp, Seasonal Gardeners Kate Everitt, Zoe Madden, Jessica Newman, Horticultural Interns Editor Silka Glanzman Associate Editor Molly Boxer Design, imaging studiotwo.com

Cover photo by Jack Sprano 2

Garden Time Curated by Natalie and Greg Randall of R.T. Facts in Kent, Connecticut, our illuminating exhibition of sundials and armillary spheres will draw you into the garden, guide you along paths and create intimate spaces among the late-summer blooms.

On view through September

special events and programs

Garden Time Phenology: A Garden Tool? Forsythia x intermedia by Ron Kujawski There are probably few gardeners who are familiar with the term phenology, yet all have observed phenological events and have even used phenology to guide some of their gardening activities. No, I’m not referring to the study of the bumps on one’s head. That’s phrenology. Webster’s Dictionary defines phenology as “a branch of science dealing with the relations between climate and periodic biological phenomena (such as bird migration and flowering).” Definitions such as that tend to scare the pants off many people. Hopefully you’ll hitch up your britches, read on and learn how you can use phenology as a gardening tool. Everyone who lives in the Berkshires has already witnessed what may be the clearest and simplest picture of a phenological event. That occurred in mid-spring as trees in the valleys and on mountain sides began to leaf out. When trees in valleys or on lowest elevations of mountains were fully leafed, those at the highest elevations were just beginning to break bud. Between those two extremes could be seen a progression of leaf development on trees up the mountain side. These differences in leaf development correlate with differences in daily average temperatures between the lower elevations and the highest. Now look back at Webster’s definition of phenology. Are you still scared? While phenology encompasses all living things, as gardeners we are most concerned about how it relates to plant and insect development. If you adhere to any of the following maxims, you are already using phenology as a gardening tool: “Plant potatoes when shadbush flowers.” “When forsythia is blooming, it’s time to prune roses and fertilize lawns.” “Plant corn when oak leaves are the size of a squirrel’s ear.”

I enjoy these sayings and actually follow these and many others. I plant potatoes when shadbush begins to flower, and I rely on the sight of forsythia in bloom to remind me that my roses need to be pruned. As far as the timing for corn planting, I haven’t been able to get a squirrel to sit still long enough to measure its ear. Nevertheless, I do know that oak leaves come out a little later than leaves of other tree species and are about a half-inch long around the average date of last frost for this area. That’s when I typically make the first sowing of sweet corn. However, some of these adages may not be consistent with good gardening practices. For example, “Tomatoes can be set out when lily-of-the-valley is in full bloom.” Around here, lily-of-the-valley can be in full bloom in early to mid-May as it was this year. Setting out tomato seedlings before the first of June in the Berkshires is risky. Also, fertilizing lawns when forsythia is in bloom is not something that I recommend unless you are trying to get your lawn to look like greens at the local country club. The best times to fertilize home lawns are (in order of most important applications): 1. late August/early September, 2. late May, and 3. after the last mowing of fall. These examples should not discourage you from using phenology in your gardening practices, especially as it relates to pest management. Using phenology is far more accurate than relying on calendar dates to predict when pests are active. As a case in point, it is a widely accepted practice to apply preemergent crabgrass herbicides to lawns just as forsythia blossoms begin to drop. This is an important observation since the herbicide kills crabgrass as their seeds germinate. Applying the herbicide too soon or too late will result in poor control and may necessitate later applications of post-emergent herbicide. Surely, a sensible goal in managing any pest problem, including weeds, is the reduction of pesticide application. continued on the next page

Special events and programs continued from the previous page Correlations between plant development and pest appearance are very common. Eastern tent caterpillar eggs hatch when forsythia is in full bloom. The young caterpillars will be actively feeding on leaves of cherry, and apple species when crabapples begin to bloom. This is when application of the biological insecticide Bt is most effective. Eggs of European pine sawfly, a major pest of mugo pines, hatch when Bradford pears come into bloom and can be controlled with application of an organic pesticide containing spinosad. Euonymus scale eggs hatch as black locust begins to flower. This is the critical time to control this pest since the newly hatched nymphs are naked, that is, they lack the protective shell characteristic of adult scale insects. Scale insects are most vulnerable in the naked stage, but arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we all. A few more examples of plant development and pest occurrence include: squash vine borers laying eggs when chicory blooms, Mexican bean beetle eggs hatching as foxglove flowers open, and gypsy moth eggs hatching at the same time as shadbush flowers. Information about correlated plant development and insect appearance may be gathered from Internet sources such as the website: umassgreeninfo.org. However, gardeners can compile their own lists through careful observation and year by year record keeping. Phenology need not be scary. It is a fascinating science, one that will be a useful gardening tool. O

Ron Kujawski, Ph.D. is the former Landscape and Nursery Specialist for UMASS Cooperative Extension. He is a garden writer, educator and researching in IPM, plant nutrition, and soil science. He teaches for the horticultural industry throughout New England.

In the foreground: Malus floribunda 'Japanese Flowering Crabapple'

FAMILY FRIDAYS

Join some animal friends this August and meet the feathered and scaly creatures that live in Berkshire County. These Family Friday programs are for children and adults, open to all, and are free with paid admission to the garden. These popular programs meet in the Exhibit Hall at 11am. Seating is limited, reservations are encouraged.

Birds of Prey Tom Ricardi Wildlife Rehabilitator Friday, August 10, 11am

Lecture/Demonstration Free with admission to the Garden

Snakes and Frogs Tom Tyning Reptile Expert Friday, August 24, 11am

Lecture/Demonstration Free with admission to the Garden

Join wildlife rehabilitator Tom Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an introduction to local Ricardi for his ever-popular amphibians and reptiles, animals presentation on birds of prey. Tom that are both fascinating and will share the natural history of these elusive. More than thirty different magnificent birds, demonstrate some of their unique behaviors and frogs, salamanders, turtles and snakes inhabit Berkshire County will inspire people of all ages to appreciate, respect and conserve and we know little, if anything, about many of them. Professor these important members of our wild kingdom. Tom Tyning will encourage families to get to know these animals Tom Ricardi is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and biologist. He better, from tadpoles and turtles to salamanders and snakes. is retired after 40 years of service as a Massachusetts Environmental A small collection of local live animals, including snakes, will Conservation police officer and now runs the Massachusetts Birds be available for close examination. of Prey Rehabilitation Center in Conway, Massachusetts. Tom Tyning is Professor of Environmental Science at Berkshire Community College. He specializes in reptiles and amphibians in his research and actively researches local rattlesnake populations.

To register call 413-298-3926 4

Around the Garden

Well Contained:

Ignite your Container Designs Cornus sericea ’Silver and Gold’, Sisyrinchium angustifolium, Haloragis erecta ’Wellington Bronze’, Rhus typhina Tiger Eyes, Pachysandra procumbens by Bob Hyland I love gardening in pots and was dubbed a “container garden wizard” during the 8 years I owned Loomis Creek Nursery in Hudson, NY. In 2009 during the Berkshire Botanical Garden’s 75th anniversary celebration, Margaret Roach and I staged an exhibition of planted containers around the Garden. We called it Contained Exuberance! – exuberant it was and it spawned a BBG tradition that carries on. Every year since, the Garden invites a group of professional gardeners and designers to participate in a summertime container show. This summer I rejoin the group of guest designers. I am the most distant of the pack, having recently resettled in Portland, Oregon (yes, a bit of Portlandia in the Berkshires!). All of the container designers bring flair and style to the exhibit. The artistry and individuality of each presentation is amazing. My Contained Exuberance pots grace the entrances to BBG’s Exhibit Hall – a grouping of three tall, tapered black fiberglass pots at the front (Route 102-side) of the building and a foursome of tall tapers at the west, annex classroom-end of the building.

I found tall, tapered black square pots in lightweight fiberglass that fit my objectives. Rather than a symmetrical arrangement of pots flanking the door entrances at the front entrance, there is a grouping of three tall tapers; at the side doors, four containers in pairs. Existing plantings around the Exhibit Hall showcase native flora of the northeast. I wanted my container plantings to echo that theme with cultivated varieties of native shrubs – Cornus sericea ‘Green and Gold’, a yellowtwig dogwood with silvery white and green foliage, Rhus typhina TIGER EYES, a golden leafed staghorn sumac, and Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Pee Wee’ (a compact form of my favorite native oakleaf hydrangea). Native perennial companions include Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens), blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) and a peachy orange-leafed hybrid of the fallblooming coral bell, Heuchera ‘Caramel’. Right plant, right place! (But if you get it wrong, containers are moveable)

DESIGN TIPS Here are broad-brush principles that I use and recommend when creating container designs. They provide some insight to my choice of containers and plants at the Garden.

Use plants that like the growing conditions of the location of your pots. Examine sun and shade levels and think about the quality and duration of the sunlight. Pick your container plants accordingly.

Integrate the architecture of containers to that of your house and garden. I like to match the form and style of containers to the architecture of the buildings or garden structures they decorate. BBG’s Exhibit Hall is a utilitarian shed-style building with metal roof, so I looked for simple containers with clean, crisp lines. The building entrances have porticos supported by simple upright columns and I wanted my containers to have height to elevate plants for prime viewing. The Exhibit Hall also hosts many large events during the garden season. I wanted Garden staff to be able to easily re-position containers as needed.

The front entrance of the Exhibit Hall faces north so my pots on that side receive lots of light. The building shadow provides some shade for the pots, particularly in the back of the grouping. Variegated yellowtwig dogwood and golden staghorn sumac will thrive in the sun to part shade conditions. My pots on the west end of the building are in shade until hot afternoon sun hits them for a few hours. The oakleaf hydrangea, coral bells, and Canadian ginger (Asarum canadense) should prosper under these light conditions. continued on the next page 5

Around the Garden continued from the previous page Capitalize on seasonality. Push boundaries and let your containers ride the four seasons with exceptional color, foliage, fruits, and twig structure. Container plantings don’t have to fade in September or get toasted by the first fall frost. After leaf drop, the yellowtwig dogwoods in my containers will continue to provide beauty with their golden yellowchartreuse stems that intensify as weather turns colder in the fall. The oakleaf hydrangea leaves will Thriller Musa acuminate shift to brilliant burgundy-red ‘Siam Ruby’ come October-November and the shaggy branching stems remain handsome after leaf drop. Avoid a hodgepodge of too many plants. Don’t be smitten with those dreamy photos in plant catalogs and garden magazines – 7 or 9 happily co-existing kinds of plants in “perfect” play in a single container. In my experience, these complex compositions look great when staged for photo shoots, but are labor-intensive and difficult to maintain. I often rely on the “power of three” in my pot designs. A selection of three plants makes for just the right amount of variety; the arrangement feels balanced without being uniform or overly formal. My simplistic formula includes a “thriller” (a plant that

offers drama and immediately catches the eye); a “filler” that supports and backs up the lead plant; and a “spiller” that weaves and tumbles the composition together. Balance spontaneity and control. Create moments of harmony and tension in your containers with plant colors, textures, shapes, and sizes. In my BBG pots, the oak-leaf hydrangea foliage might at first glance appear at odds with the silvery leaves of the Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’, but the tiny leaves and draping habit provide a nice counterpoint. Use light to your advantage. Integrate plants whose flower color and foliage reflect or absorb sunlight to create depth, shadow play, and color intensity. The patterned white and green leaves of the yellowtwig dogwood in my containers will twinkle in morning light, look brassy and bold in midday sun, and glow again in the angled late afternoon sun. Create focal points that capture the eye, ear and nose. Dramatic foliage, a huge spot of color, plants that rustle and whisper in the wind, enticing fragrances, and topiary forms add magic to container designs. Foliage color and shape is the strong point in my BBG containers this summer. I am a foliage freak – it’s not all about flowers, you know, and leaves are with you for the whole season. O Bob Hyland is a garden designer now based in Portland, OR. He continues to serve on the Board of Berkshire Botanical Garden and works with clients and other nonprofit organizations in the Berkshires and Hudson Valley. Find him at www.loomiscreek.com.

CONTAINED EXUBERANCE Picture perfect pots meet botanical creativity and expertise in Contained Exuberance. Join us for a special tour with this year’s eight exhibitors; a walking master gardening class in container gardening. This year’s exhibitors are David Burdick, Heather Grimes, Tamsin Goggin, Jeanne Weller, Philippe Soule, Bob Hyland, Sarah Price and Madaline Sparks.

Tour starts in front of the Gift Shop, Saturday, August 4 at 11am. Free with admission.

Director of Horticulture Dorthe Hviid poses proudly with Executive Director Molly Boxer

Thank you, Dorthe! The Garden Staff and Trustees would like to thank Dorthe Hviid, Director of Horticulture, for the last 20 years of dedication and vision. Her inspired enthusiasm and steadfast knowledge have been an asset to our Garden and community! 6

Shop the Shop! Books, tools, garden gifts and more Open daily 9-5 pm

Education

Time to Plant:

A Second Chance!

Redbor Kale by Elisabeth Cary “Plant’n folks” is my favorite line from the children’s book Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson. This is what Old Uncle Analdus the wise old flea-bitten rabbit approvingly says of the new folks that move into the broken down, vacant farmstead in rural Connecticut. My favorite weekend of the year is Memorial Day weekend. My husband and I reserve this weekend for planting our vegetable garden. For the last 30 years I have thought about old Uncle Analdus as my husband and I plant our garden and enjoy the thought that we too must be “Plant’n folks”. But times are changing and now with the new way of thinking about growing vegetables and extending the growing season I can now enjoy planting at other times of the year too. Important planting dates for second and third plantings during the summer are great ways to enjoy the planting process again and ensure a good supply of fresh vegetables throughout the fall. Here in zone 5 those dates are ruled by the weather, but as a guide I use July 15, August 1 and August 15. These dates are mini-Memorial Day weekends with a quick sowing of short season crops that bear vegetables from early September through October.

that gives me beets right through the fall. I throw a row cover over the last sowing once we get our first frost in late September/early October. Cole crops including storage Danish Ball cabbage, Falstaf Brussel sprouts and late Marathon broccoli can be planted as late as July 15. They will beat that annoying cabbage looper caterpillar that wrecks havoc on brassicas. These crops will yield late in the season and are tolerant of the early fall frosts. In August I focus on more beets (same varieties as in spring and summer), greens, Red Giant mustard, Nancy, Yugoslavian Red, Ermosa and Foresnschella lettuces, Sugarsnax carrots (much sweeter in the fall) and a few more. As you can see I am crazy about head lettuce especially butter head types. And then there are French breakfast radishes! New to me but I fell in love on a recent trip to France. How great; easy to grow and amazingly sweet with bread and butter. Try Avignon, I am having great luck this season. continued on the next page

If you’re wondering where I am going to find room to plant all these crops, just remember about succession planting techniques. Where there was early lettuce there will now be room for the next sowing of beets on July 15. The fava beans will be finished by mid-July so that will leave plenty of room for the next cole crop, late storage cabbages or the mini cabbage heads. The peas will finish harvest in late June and will leave great soil to be followed by French breakfast radishes, carrots or other nitrogen loving crops. Finally the last of the spring chard will be finished by mid-summer just in time for a fall sowing of green beans. Some of my favorites for the July 15 date are Masai and Maribel green beans. I stick with bush beans for the second sowing as pole beans will take too long. I will sow beets, my personal favorite, on both July 15 and August 15. I keep these crops a month apart and

Kalibos red cabbage 7

Education continued from the previous page All the crops mentioned above will work for fall harvest if planted up until, depending on the season, August 15. After mid-August my attention turns toward producing late fall crops under row covers and the earliest of early crops in the spring. Planting cold hardy lettuce, mache, claytonia, in cold frames or under row covers will yield food late in November into December and amazingly early in spring/late winter. Although planting throughout the year makes the Memorial Day planting a bit less special, I sure am enjoying the year-round fresh, green food straight out of the garden. For more information on all season gardening, Eliot Coleman books by Chelsea Green Publishing Company are great resources. Who knows? Someday you might even be inspired to put up a hoop house and plant in the winter. It’s great to be “Plant’n Folk.” O

Perennial Players by Silka Glanzman If you have been at all involved with the Garden in the last 25 years, chances are you have experienced the warmth of Jean and Georgeanne Rousseau. Fixtures at BBG since they first set eyes on what Georgeanne calls the Garden’s “charming rustic character,” the Rousseaus are ceaseless contributors - from participating in committee work to volunteering at large annual events. Executive Director Molly Boxer easily sums it up: “The Garden has been blessed to have the Rousseaus as neighbors and friends. Their keen attention to detail, their love of gardening and their passion for excellence have been an inspiration to trustees and staff alike.” New Yorkers for years, the Rousseaus began searching for a country retreat in 1980. A survey of all the standard North-East destinations brought the pair to the Berkshires, drawn to the area’s many cultural offerings. After 6 years of weekend commutes, they spent the late-80’s in London. Once back in the States and longing for the lush, rolling hills and wide, cloud-filled skies of England, they forwent their Manhattan outpost and plunged into full-time living in Stockbridge. It wasn’t long before the Rousseaus became widely involved in the very cultural community that lured them in. “The Berkshires have

Georgeanne and Jean Rousseau enjoy a warm afternoon in the Garden. 8

Elisabeth Cary is the Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been gardening for over 20 years. She specializes in perennial, vegetable and mixed-border gardens.

Fall seeded spinach

institutions that are scaled to the summer population, but they need to be run year round... so those of us who live here full time, there’s quite a premium on us.” Jean says. In most cases, one Rousseau focused on his or her selection of institutions, while the other focused on a different group. But something about the Botanical Garden – the way it reminded them of gardens in England, the inclusive educational mission, the dedicated community – struck them both. They agreed there was a lot to be done, and they wasted no time getting involved. Georgeanne began volunteering in the Education and Horticultural departments, an extension of her work as a science teacher in New York. Jean followed suit as a founding member of the Finance Committee. Through the decades, their contributions have run the gamut from undertaking a wildly successful capital fund drive a drive which enabled the creation of the Frelinghuysen Perennial Garden, the Carol Clark Tatkon Garden, the Vista Garden and served new and improved existing Garden buildings - to managing the Opportunity Dress Shop at the Annual Harvest Festival. We also have the Rousseaus to thank for envisioning, executing and contributing to our prized Perennial Society. Though it wasn’t a new idea, Jean is quick to remind us, the Perennial Society was one of the first inheritance allocation programs in the area and, when instituted, equated the Garden's present endowment in promised gifts. Now with a system and documentation in place, the program is a reminder to Garden lovers and their families that a gift can carry on their memory and generosity. Jean and Georgeanne have done just that, bequeathing a gift to the endowment that will support Garden endeavors for years to come. This year’s Garden Gala, the Fête des Fleurs, honored the Rousseaus and their generous and numerous contributions to BBG. Asked to reflect on their time with us, Jean remembers, “The Garden has always had really great folks, which is, I think, something about the way gardens are.” Those “folks” are what keep the Rousseaus active and engaged in our programming even 25 years later. Georgeanne says thoughtfully, “All the while, I think what kept us going back, and what keeps other people going back too – is that people are at their best at the Botanical Garden. O

Education

Garden, Exposed by Kevin Sprague Photographing gardens is one of the more challenging assignments a photographer can have. The experience of walking through a landscape is a moving one - a very human experience. Photographs can struggle to relate with the way that we, as humans, see, smell, focus and understand the landscape. When I photograph a garden, I seek to tell a story - a story about the intention of the gardener, a story about my own personal experience, and a story about the “heroes” in the space. The biggest single challenge is creating an image with impact out of the sometimes chaotic business of nature. Only in the most formal landscapes where all things botanical have been trimmed and squared off does the human touch dominate. Most gardens in New England are more organic - tumbling, falling, overlapping. So here are some tips to bringing impact and focus to your garden photography. • Consider the light source - the sun is most often your source - where is it? Shoot early in the morning or late in the afternoon and don't be afraid to shoot into the sun or into a strongly backlit perspective - this will often bring out the structure of your subject in sharp relief. • Use short depth of field to bring focus on a particular aspect of the view - in general, using a longer lens or zooming your pointand-shoot camera to its fullest extent will force the lens to select a particular area of focus, and the rest of the image will fade away.

• Fall in love with your subjects. We’re genetically programmed by millions of years of evolution to be drawn to flowers, so fall for their seductive, beautiful qualities. • Take a LOT of photos and edit, edit, edit - I experience a 100:1 ratio in my photography. For every 100 photos I take, I get one “keeper.” The ratio for National Geographic photographers is more like 3,000:1 or more.You will know when you have a keeper when it just jumps out at you. • Zoom in, move close to your subjects - fill your screen or viewfinder with something beautiful and you will be on the right track. Bigger is better. Closer is better. • Let the landscape lead your eye - a good garden design will have paths, borders, lawns, plantings and objects that lead your eye and your body. • Be abstract and modern - vary your perspective and idea of what “success” is in garden photos. Play with shape, form, color as independent ideas separate from particular plants or flowers. • Photography is itself a creative process - so play! I advocate shooting digitally as you can then afford shoot many, many photos and engage in the creative freedom that allows. Shoot, shoot, shoot. It’s ok. O

Kevin Sprague is the Creative Director and Owner of the Lenox-based Brand Strategy and Design firm, Studio Two.

A Matter of Timing: Preventing Gardening Related Injuries

Watch Your Moves Use good body mechanics during the motions of bending, lifting, pulling, and pushing. Get close, take a wide stance, find your best foot position, bend from your hips and knees, keep a long spine and keep your arms close to your body. Use your abdominal core for support. Breathe Avoid holding your breath while exerting effort. Your breath should be slow and rhythmical. Exhale as you bend forward and inhale as you slowly come up. Switch it Up Change positions and vary tasks frequently to preserve your alignment. Mix up small and large motor movements for balance.

by Carrie Whitelaw Why wait for the wake-up call of an injury to start taking the time to warm up, stretch, move correctly, and alternate tasks when gardening? Often, we ignore the needs of our bodies for the sake of saving time. Due to our fast paced world and short growing season, we want immediate results. I refer to this as the “instant garden syndrome.” Any well-seasoned gardener knows that cultivating a garden takes time. As we age, our focus usually turns from making beautiful gardens to maintaining our ability to garden. We may need to employ new strategies to accomplish what we easily did in the past. So, to keep ourselves healthy while aging and gardening, here are a few “time tested” techniques: Warm Up Take a 5-minute walk around your garden, yard, or block before you start gardening. This increases the temperature of the blood and muscles, preparing them for work. Stretch Perform simple stretches throughout your gardening session. Stretching beforehand signals the muscles that they are about to be used and allows for easier movement. During your gardening session, stretching releases muscle tension and afterwards, it prevents soreness and stiffness. Start Slow Gradually build up the time you spend gardening each day, especially when just returning to the garden after winter. Many injuries occur when we overwork ourselves in the spring trying to accomplish more than is reasonable. Remember the 4 “P”s: Plan, Prioritize, Pace, and Posture!

Use a Timer! One of the easiest ways to avoid repetitive motion injuries is to use a timer to indicate when it’s time to change your activity. Work for 15 minute intervals. A small, clip-on digital kitchen timer is ideal to place on your trug tub, waist band or apron. Hydrate From sundials to cell phones, mark your time in the garden and take an occasional water break. Gardening meets the recommendation for moderately intense physical activity if done for 30 minutes daily so, it’s important to replenish lost fluids. Foil Fatigue What time of the day are you at your best? Remember to adjust to the daily changes in your body. Gardening early in the morning or later in the evening when its cooler reduces fatigue. Weed after rain showers when the soil is wet and it’s easier to pull weeds. Respect Pain Know when to quit. Pain that persists 2 hours after a gardening activity means there was too much stress on your muscles or joints. Remember to use ergonomic, lightweight, extendable tools that will increase leverage and lessen strain. Before you know it, it will be time for fall clean up! Consider attending BBG’s upcoming program Autumn Joy: Garden Cleanup Made Easy on Saturday, September 15 from 10am - noon, to learn more about taking the stress, strain, aches and pains out of putting your garden to bed for the season. Isn’t it about time you did? O Carrie Whitelaw is a registered horticultural therapist with the American Horticultural Therapy Association who has practiced and taught horticultural therapy since 1998. She currently coordinates programs at The Unlimited Garden, an enabling garden created by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County, NY, and operates True Nature Garden Works, a consulting business devoted to using gardening to promote health and wellness, cultivate creativity, and reconnect individuals with their own true nature. O

It's the Grow Show!

Show your stuff at our annual showcase of Berkshire bounty! Design, horticulture and photography divisions are open to all ages.

August 4, 1 – 5 pm August 5, 10 am - 5 pm For more information, call (413) 298-3926 or visit the Garden’s website, berkshirebotanical.org 10

Around the Garden CONTRIBUTORS

Contributors The following constituents made contributions within the Garden’s 2011 fiscal year, from January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011. This list reflects our loyal friends who have made contributions in addition to basic Garden Membership, donations to designated funds, provided grants and sponsorships, matched employee gifts or made unrestricted contributions to the Garden’s Annual Fund to help support operating costs. Membership to the Berkshire Botanical Garden is open enrollment and valid for one year upon received revenue.

Thank you very much to all of the Members, Students and Friends who keep our Garden a wonderful community! Fence Club Benefactors $10,000 and above Jeanine Coyne

Fence Club Benefactors $2,500 to $9,999 Mary Harrison Madeline & Ian Hooper Elizabeth & Wynn Sayman Maureen & Jack Sprano

Fence Club $1,000 to $2,499 Candace & Frederick Beinecke Jeannene Booher Elizabeth & Blake Cabot Maria & David Carls Mary Copeland & Jose A. Gonzalez, Jr. Adaline Frelinghuysen & Titus Ogilvie-Laing Ellen & Christopher Greendale Elizabeth Hamilton & Peter Fasano Donna & James Hurley Jan Johnson Petra Krauledat & Peter Hansen Matthew Larkin & Elaine Grant Wendy Linscott & James Lamme III Betsey & David McKearnan Gloria & Ed McMahon Gail & Allen Meisel Vickie Merton Jo Dare & Robert Mitchell Skippy & Vaughn Nixon Wendy Philbrick & Edward Baptiste Martha Piper Georgeanne & Jean Rousseau Ingrid & Richard Taylor Beatrice van Roijen & Theodora van Roijen Joan Weston Wheeler Carol & Rob Williams

Patron Members $500 to $999 Michele Dobbins Dodge Lola Jaffe Barbara & Michael Polemis Stuart Rosen & Suzanne Butterfield Roberta & Robert Silman Stephanie & Richard Solar Aso Tavitian

Friends $250 to $499 Lauri Aibel & Tim Sleeper Jytte & John Brooks Nathan Casto & Terri Chegwidden Janet & Gary Cookson Sue & Bill Dunlaevy Diana Felber & Stephen Glick M.G.H. Gilliam Ellen & Scott Hand Elise, Carl & Shelby Hartman Marianne & Richard Jaffe Tanny & Courtney Jones Phyliss & Harvey Klein Catherine Lebow & Seth Rosenberg Ann Levine Michael Lynch & Susan Baker Enid Michelman Brian Mikesell & John Weinstein Carol Parrish & Paul Clark Rodney Pleasants & Steve Godwin Mark Smith & John O’Keefe Lenore & Paul Sundberg Jacqueline & Albert Togut Tania & Mark Walker Judy & Edward Warren Gertrude de G.Wilmers Mikel & Joe Witte

Supporters $150 to $249 Katherine & Lee Abraham Courtney & Michael Addy Michael Beck & Beau Buffier Phyllis & Paul Berz Natalie Boyce William Brockman Cipora Brown & Steven Feiner Judith Burke Lesley Byrne Sonya & Glenn Camp Claudine Chavanne & Harry Stuart Denise & Steven Chickery Phyllis & Joseph Cohen Joan & Robert Comeau, Jr. Susan & David Cooper & David Myers Diane & David Dalton Susan & Edmund Dana, Jr. Helen & John Davies Hilary & Philip Deely Lionel Delevingne & Judith Wilkinson Anita & Nick Diller

Constance Eagan Juliet & Jared Emery Paulette & Martin Feit Marcia & Jonathan Feuer Susan & Henry Flint Ellen Gendler & James Salik Mary Gendler & Everett Gendler Susan Ginns Jane & William Havemeyer Maureen & Paul Hickey Ruth Houghton Jane Iredale & Robert Montgomery Susan & Gordon Josephson Sherry & Daniel Kasper Matthew King & Brian Cruey Robert Koch Rosanna & Thomas Koelle Ilana & Malrangam Krishnamurti Sharon & Ben Liptzin Jo Anne & Christopher Magee Carol & Henry Mauermeyer Barb & Christopher May Carol & Alfred Maynard Lynden Miller Marnie & Barton Miller Susan Morris William Ortel & Norine Harris George Painter Elizabeth & Edmund Parnes Jane & Richard Perin Ellen Perry & Rob Stein Alice & Grant Platt Thomas Potter & Daniel Mathieu Donna Raftery & Vincent Inconiglios Sandra & Edward Rappaport Leslie & Juergen Reiche Adele Rodbell Pat and Sanford Ross Ann Rothenberg Alan Sagner & Beatrice Bloch Helen & Greg Samuels & Greg Anderson Wilma & John Schaefer Justine & Harvey Schussler Carol & Richard Seltzer Mary Anne Serian & Laurence Cohen Eileen Shapiro & Raymond Levin Susan & David Shapiro Jane & Terry Shea Elizabeth Stanley

Marion & Ronald Stein Katie & James Stewart Katherine & John Stookey Valerie Takai Reginald Taylor Sheila & Randy Thunfors Robin Tost Darby Townsend Diane & Wiliam Vogt Linda & Edward Wacks Jean & Peter Whitehead Alice & Sandra Wilmot Soo Sung Wong-Merli & Robert Merli

Garden Club Supporters $150 and Above Alford Garden Club Berkshire Garden Club Egremont Garden Club Fort Orange Garden Club The Academy Garden Club Of Lenox The Lenox Garden Club

Corporate Suppporters $150 to $499 ARC Investment Planning & Management Inc. Baystate Perennial Farm Leslie & Paul McKenna Wheeler & Taylor Insurance, Inc.

Corporate Patrons $500 and Above Africa Tours Inc. Corporte Giving Blue Q

Corporate Sponsors Guido’s Fresh Marketplace 2011 Edible Gardens Ed Herrington, Inc. 2011 Plant Sale Hunter Boot USA LLC 2011 Winter Lecture Iredale Mineral Cosmetics LTD Tree House Opening Reception Grant Larkin Bird Necessities Special Exhibit

Designated Contributions Jeannene Booher Maria & David Carls

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Around the Garden CONTRIBUTORS Designated Contributions (cont'd) Elisabeth Cary & Ricky Bernstein Joanne Cassullo Catherine Clark & Ed Ivas Mary Copeland & Jose A. Gonzalez, Jr. Jeanine Coyne Nancy Frisbee Ellen & Christopher Greendale Elizabeth Hamilton & Peter Fasano Mary Harrison Madeline & Ian Hooper Jan Johnson Matthew Larkin & Elaine Grant Wendy Linscott & James Lamme III Vickie Merton Jo Dare & Robert Mitchell Skippy & Vaughn Nixon Judith Owens Elizabeth & Wynn Sayman Maureen & Jack Sprano Ingrid & Richard Taylor Heather & John Veague Carol & Rob Williams Elisabeth Roche & Robert Wilmers

Matching Gift Companies Aetna Foundation, Inc. GE Foundation Pfizer Foundation Matching Gifts Program Prospect Hill Foundation

Fête des Fleurs Donations Amy & Brad Barr Mary & Robert Carswell Janet & John Egelhofer Ellen & Christopher Greendale Mary-Louise Grose Elizabeth Hamilton & Peter Fasano Ann Coleen Hellerman Pam & William Johnson Steve McCarthy & Jeff Lick Gail & Allen Meisel Kate & Hans Morris Rosalind & Philip Newman Barbara Riley Ingrid & Richard Taylor Craig Vickers Joan Weston Wheeler Zema’s Nursery, Inc.

Fête des Fleurs Sponsors Rachel & Adam Albright Jeannene Booher Maria & David Carls Jeanine Coyne Diane & David Dalton Jane Fitzpatrick Virginia & Rodney Frelinghuysen Thomas Gardner & Marian Godfrey Greylock Federal Credit Union Madeline & Ian Hooper Lee Bank

Jo Dare & Robert Mitchell Skippy & Vaughn Nixon Ann Leggett Perse-In Honor of Susan Dempsey Wendy Philbrick & Edward Baptiste Mary Ann & Bruno Quinson Georgeanne & Jean Rousseau Elizabeth & Wynn Sayman Lorayne Seibert Honey Sharp & David Lippman The Sherman Investment Group, RBC Wealth Management Carol & Rob Williams Windy Hill Farm, Inc.

Holiday Marketplace Contributions Maria & David Carls Patricia Conlin Ellen & Christopher Greendale Madeline & Ian Hooper Vera & Chet Kalm Petra Krauledat & Peter Hansen Matthew Larkin & Elaine Grant Janet Laudenslager & Maxime Aflalo Skippy & Vaughn Nixon Georgeanne & Jean Rousseau Maureen & Jack Sprano Carol & Rob Williams

Holiday Marketplace Sponsors Allegrone Construction Co., Inc. Berkshire Bank and Berkshire Insurance Group, Inc.

Annual Fund $1,000 and above Anonymous Berkshire Chapter N. A. Rock Garden Society Stephanie & Michael Mason Tania & Mark Walker The Frelinghuysen Foundation The Garden Conservancy Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association

Annual Fund $500-$999 Anonymous Thomas Gardner & Marian Godfrey Tanny & Courtney Jones Jo Dare & Robert Mitchell Gloria & James Riordan Ann Rothenberg Katherine & John Stookey

Annual Fund $200 to $499 Michael Beck & Beau Buffier Stephanie Beling Ellen Cohen Susan Cooper & David Myers Judith Fetterley Elise, Carl & Shelby Hartman Rebecca Hedgecock & Arianwen Chan Barb & Christopher May Sandra & Edward Rappaport Reginald Taylor Carol & Rob Williams Mary & Steven Yarmosky

Annual Fund Up to $199 Colletta Aberdale Africa Tours Inc. ARC Investment Planning & Management Inc. Alison & Jeffrey Atlas Christine Baldridge Bennington Garden Club, Inc. Fredda Bernstein Justine Elan Bertram Penelope Borax & John Donald Ellen & Steve Boyd William Brockman Jytte & John Brooks Patty & Tim Burch Lesley Byrne Elizabeth & Blake Cabot Charlotte Cagan Catherine Cave & Peter Rothstein Denise & Steven Chickery Kathleen & Neil Chrisman Licia Conforti Francoise Connors Tim & Emme Cortelyou Marilyn Cromwell Jean Curtiss Phyllis & Charles Cutler Betty & Thomas Daniels John Downie Sue & Bill Dunlaevy Anne Faber Lucy Ferriss & J. Donald Moon Marcia & Jonathan Feuer Fort Orange Garden Club Rose Foster Maryjane & Jerry Fromm Helen Gallant Marjorie Geiger Stephanie & Bob Gittleman Rebecca Greer Sharon Gregory Elizabeth Hamilton & Peter Fasano Susanne & Stuart Hirshfield Sally and John Hull III Marianne & Richard Jaffe Johanna Janssen Susan & Gordon Josephson Deborah Kelley Gary Kevit Joan Kirschner Kenneth Krushel & Patricia Fili-Krushell Carol & Stuart Kuller Kelly Kynion & Craig Bender Barbara Lafer Carol Landess Susan & Benjamin Lechtman Robert Lee & Rebecca Pugh Helen Liveten Jane & Roger Loeb Jo Anne & Christopher Magee Clarissa Manjarrez Wendy McCain

Around the Garden CONTRIBUTORS Camilla & Hugh McFadden Catherine McKeown-Kindahl Marnie & Barton Miller Catherine Miller Nancy & Michael Miller Gerald Moore & Joyce Nereaux Moore Linda Morse & Dorothea Greene Cynthia Newby & Jan Napier Nina & Carl Pancaldo Caroline & Scott Petrequin Thomas Potter & Daniel Mathieu Margaret & David Poutasse Barbara Riley Gloria & James Riordan Barbara Robinson Adele Rodbell Susan Rothschild & Don Freedman Linda & Elliot Saroff Scott Sawyer Lucia Scala Sally Schoenknecht Mary Ann Serian & Laurence Cohen Sally Set Leslie & Stephen Shatz Anna Owens Smith Mark Smith & John Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Keefe Katherine Stell Anne Strain Lorna & David Strassler The Lenox Garden Club Valerie Locher, Horticulturists Inc. Harriet & Elliott Vines W.E.Williams Paving, Inc. Vivian & Ed Wachsberger Marilyn Umlas Wachtel Linda & Ed Wacks Linda Wagner Marie & Wayne Weatherhead Claudia & Robert Wells Joan Weston Wheeler Carol & Carter White Kelly & Jay Wickliff Soo Sung Wong-Merli & Robert Merli Suzanne Yale Joanne Yurman & Thomas Walsh Dee & Steve Zimmer

Special Gifts Campaign Mary Copeland & Jose A. Gonzalez, Jr. Jeanine Coyne Madeline & Ian Hooper Robert Hyland & Andrew Beckman Betsey & David McKearnan Gloria & Ed McMahon Skippy & Vaughn Nixon Maureen & Jack Sprano Ingrid & Richard Taylor The Jane and Jack Fitzpatrick Trust

Honorarium In Honor of James McGuigan Noreen Anderson

In Honor of Joyce Nereaux Bethlehem Garden Club

In Honor of Elaine Grant & Matthew Larkin Marleen & Martin Brody

In Honor of Ian Hooper

Christine & Fred Callander Albert Roker & Deborah Roberts Jeffrey Solomon

In Honor of Catherine Clark Egremont Garden Club

In Honor of The Fishman Family Judith & Alan Fishman

In Honor of Elizabeth Cabot Charles Jenkins

In Honor of Molly Boxer Nancy Kalodner

In Honor of Brenda Butler & Ilene Spiewak Patricia McCoy

In Honor of Mary Copeland & Jose Gonzalez, Jr. Jo Dare & Robert Mitchell

In Honor of Elisabeth Cary Ellen Petersen

In Honor of Nancy Nirenberg Roberta & Robert Silman

In Honor of Jan Johnson T Club

In Honor of Andrew Breslin Jacqueline & Albert Togut

In Honor of Susan Lechtman Lynn & Bernard Turiel

Memorial Contributions In Memory of Roy Boutard Christine & Fred Callander Donna Callander Lanphear Carmela Wolfe Derek Wolfe

In Memory of Mary-Jane Emmet Suzette & Robert Alsop Lisa & Henry Baldwin Berkshire Bank and Berkshire Insurance Group, Inc. Jeannene Booher Molly & Lou Boxer Gerald,Vera & Victoria Bremseth Pamela & Andrew Breslin Maria & David Carls Georgia Carrington & Rebecca Strominger Elisabeth Cary & Ricky Bernstein Caroline Church Mary Copeland & Jose A. Gonzalez, Jr. Jeanine Coyne Susan & Edmund Dana, Jr. Helen & John Davies Mark Dinny & Mark Taylor Jane Fitzpatrick Elizabeth Fosburgh Barbara & Kenneth Funkhouser Beverly Hallock

Mary Harrison Madeline & Ian Hooper Sharon Hulett-Shepherd Pam & William Johnson Emily & Laura Kittross Doro Lambert Matthew Larkin & Elaine Grant Amey & Tony Lewis Judy & Dennis Mareb Dawn & Christopher Masiero Barb & Christopher May Vickie Merton Jo Dare & Robert Mitchell Judy Moss Laura Mosso Mary Mott & Gordon Simmering Skippy & Vaughn Nixon Cynthia Parson Quality Printing Company, Inc. Joanne Quattrochi Jillian Roth Georgeanne & Jean Rousseau Elizabeth & Wynn Sayman Anna Owens Smith Debbie & Ashley Smith Amber Dawn Stockham & Brett Greenleaf The Lenox Garden Club Laurie & David Tierney Beverly & Jack Trowill Heather & John Veague Joan Watkins Marilyn Wiley Carol & Rob Williams Katey Winant Windy Hill Farm, Inc.

In Memory of Ralph Ferrara Karen Morris

In Memory of Peter H.B. Frelinghuysen Amey & Tony Lewis

In Memory of Mary Graves Judith Clarke

In Memory of Lawrence Kusik Jeanette Lynch

In Memory of Emily Rose Kim & Anthony Cookson Helen & John Davies Elizabeth Fosburgh Great Barrington Garden Club Guidoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fresh Marketplace Beverly Hallock Barb & Christopher May Kendall Montgomery Mark Moritz Juliann Scott Debbie & Ashley Smith The Lenox Garden Club Madonna & John VanDeusen Roland Wheeler

In Memory of John A.Van Lund, Jr. Peter Van Lund

continued on the next page

the Garden A recipe from ourAround friends at Guido’s Fresh Marketplace

Onion and Mushroom Tart An easy tart combining two vegetables that go so well together!

Serves 6 FOR THE TART DOUGH:

unsalted butter (1 stick) cut into small pieces 1 ¼ c. flour 1 tsp. salt 1/3 c. cold water 8 tbs.

FOR THE FILLING:

whole-milk ricotta cheese large egg yolk 2½ tbs. extra virgin olive oil ¼ c. crème fraiche 1 tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper 1 lb. cremini mushrooms, well cleaned and quartered 1 tbs. thyme leaves 3 tbs. unsalted butter 1 leek, washed and cut into ½ inch pieces 1 bunch scallions, cleaned and roots removed, cut into ½ inch pieces including the greens ¼ lb. Parmesan cheese, shredded ½ c. 1

In Memory of Carol Clark Tatkon Heather & Eric Powers

In Memory of Paul Raihofer Lorayne Seibert

In Memory of Samuel H. Rush Catharine & David Rush

In Memory of Patricia Shea Ann & Stephen Chase Caroline Church Barbara & Russell Fletcher Diane Hensler Craig Huber Bonnie Jean Huff Jane Huff Sarah & Allen Johnson Ann Noyes

Instructions FOR THE TART DOUGH: • Combine butter, flour, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until dough resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle in water until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed. Form dough into 1-inch thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. This step can be done up to 1 week ahead. • Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface until thin (about 1/8 inch). Place pastry in a 10-inch tart pan - press to fit into bottom and up the sides of pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour. • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. • Line pastry with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dry beans or rice. Place on baking sheet, and bake until light brown, 20-25 minutes. FOR THE FILLING: • In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, egg yolk and ½ tbs. olive oil. Stir well. Fold in crème fraiche, salt and pepper.

Deborah Ryel & Dan Lindsey Margaret & Harvey Steuerwald The Academy Garden Club Of Lenox The Hardy Family Anita & Jack Zwick

2011 Vegetable Garden Sponsors Judith Ambery in Memory of Charles Ambery Leslie Baker Jeannene Booher Maria & David Carls Mary Copeland & Jose A. Gonzalez, Jr. Jeanine Coyne Ellen & Christopher Greendale Anne & David Griffin Elizabeth Hamilton & Peter Fasano Elise, Carl & Shelby Hartman

• In a large skillet over medium high heat, warm 2 tbs. olive oil. Add mushrooms and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom liquid has evaporated (4 minutes). Add 1 tbs. butter and |continue to cook until slightly crisp (2 minutes). Transfer to medium bowl. • In the same skillet, heat 2 tbs. butter over medium heat. Add onions. Cook until soft caramelized (about 20 minutes). Let cool. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: • Spread ricotta mixture evenly in pre-baked tart shell. Spread ½ mushrooms over the ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Add remaining mushrooms and cooled onions. • Bake until golden brown. About 25-30 minutes. Let the tart rest for 5 minutes before serving. O

pittsfield & great barrington guidosfreshmarketplace.com Madeline & Ian Hooper Jan Johnson Barbara Johnson in Memory of Jon Collins Matthew Larkin & Elaine Grant Janet Laudenslager & Maxime Aflalo Suzanne Levy in Memory of Jena Marcovicci Wendy Linscott & James Lamme III Gloria & Ed McMahon Susan Morris in Memory of Marie Morris Susan Morris in Memory of Ruth Dillow Skippy & Vaughn Nixon Jenna O’Brien Judith Owens Maureen & Jack Sprano Joan Wheeler Carol & Rob Williams

Around the Garden

The 78th Berkshire Botanical

Join u Face s on b for H ook Fest arvest ival new s

Harvest Festival

October 6-7, 10am - 5pm Celebrate the end of the growing season with family, friends and community at our fabulous all-weekend long extravaganza! Local Food • Live Music Opportunity Clothing Sale • Silent Auction Family Activities • Regional Vendors Visiting Animals ...and much more! Mark your calendars for the BBG’s Harvest Festival, a community celebration and cherished tradition for 78 years. The festival is one of the largest and longest running events of its kind in the country. Nothing really matches it! The weekend funds the Garden’s exceptional educational programs, which you will get a taste of at the festival itself with free short programs running both days. First and foremost it is a community event. Visitors come to meet their friends and neighbors and share a cup of hot Red Lion Inn Autumn Bisque or a tasty cider donut together while listening to our incredible live musicians. Kids look forward to the famous hay jump and hay maze, not to mention a tour around the grounds on a hay wagon! The Harvest Festival is for folks of all ages. Here are some other highlights you will not want to miss! Reggie Taylor has been managing our hugely popular tag sale for decades – stop by and say hello and you might walk away with a set of china or a prize whatchamacallit! Amy Butterworth and Georgeanne Rousseau are putting together a remarkably extensive collection of gently worn clothes at the Opportunity Clothing Sale – it is the place to find a ski parka, party dress or a bagful of bargains. Our trustees never fail to amaze with stupendous items at our Silent Auction. You will find objects for the garden, fabulous trips, antique tableware and much much

more. New this year, the Silent Auction will be open Saturday and Sunday, with “Buy it Now” opportunities on both days. The Botanical Bakery has delicious home baked goodies, the Red Lion soup, cheese and bread, cider donuts and every manner of both sweet and savory snacks. Our Food Court is legendary with an eclectic mix including Pappa Dogs local burgers, Barrington Bites’ mini cupcakes, and plenty of other foods, including fun carnival fare. You can also nibble on the tastings and bring home goodies from the artisan food producers and our local farmers market, where you’ll also find our top-notch fall plant sale. The event boasts over 100 distinctive regional vendors, including unique crafters of all kinds — jewelry, woodwork, ceramics, alpaca hats and much more. In our family area, don’t miss the farm friendly animals and Billie Boy, our wandering cuddly donkey. Mark the end of the growing season with family, friends and community at our fabulous all-weekend long extravaganza! Ride a pony. Shop for bargains. Get scared for Halloween. Toss a pumpkin or guess the size of a giant pumpkin. Eat a delicious lunch al fresco, create huge bubbles or engage the whole family in hoola hooping lessons. Buy a whole new wardrobe. Whatever you do, don’t miss the Harvest Festival October 6 and 7. You will be in good company! O

Support the Harvest Festival! To volunteer Contact Sharon Hulett-Shepherd, sshepherd@berkshirebotanical.org, 413-298-3926

For donations to the Tag Sale, Clothing Sale, Country Bazaar or Jewelry Boutique Drop off at the Exhibition Hall

For further information, Contact Amy Cotler, Festival Producer acotler@berkshirebotanical.org, 413-232-7174 15

Membership Membership

new members! Below is a list of new Garden Members who joined between February 9 and July 4, 2012. Thank you for joining our Garden family and supporting the Garden! Emily Aber & Rob Wechsler, North Haven, CT Deborah Adelman, New York NY Michael Alper & Bruce Moore, Great Barrington, MA Mary-Lou Antoniazzi, Lee, MA Virginia Armstrong, West Stockbridge, MA James Avens, Glen Gardner, NJ Ruth & Leon Back, Chatham, NY Patricia Baer, Hillsdale, NY Dena Bancroft, Lenox, MA Ann & Leonard Bass, Southfield, MA Chrisitne Bates & Peter Greenough, Millerton, NY Barbara Beebe, Delmar, NY Susan Benner, Pittsfield, MA Monica Blum, Millerton, NY Rosey & Brian Bonner, Westfield, MA Deborah Bowen, Hillsdale, NY Barbara Buckley, Balston Lake, NY Paula & Harold Byrdy, Lanesboro, MA Shelley Chanler, Pomona, NY Karen Coakley, Latham, NY Elizabeth Colhoun, Mill River, MA Alicia & Jimmy Crisp, Millbrook, NY Reya De Castro, Sheffield, MA Sue Dixon & Dave DeCava, Seymour, CT Laurie & Matthew Donald, Richmond, MA Ethan Dufault, Mt.Washington, MA David Dusenbury, Wellesley, MA Janet & John Egelhofer, Holyoke, MA Rebecca & Benjamin Egozi, New York, NY Laura Feuhr, Great Barrington, MA Elizabeth & David Fick, Pittsfield, MA Peter Finn, Averill Park, NY Roderick Fowler, New York, NY Kathleen & Samuel Francis, Verona, NJ Crispina Ffrench, Pittsfield, MA Susan Friedlander & Gerry Fultz, Forest Hills, NY Salome Galib & Duane McLaughlin, Brooklyn, NY Jo-Ann Gallerstein, Morristown, NJ Gretchen & Steve Gano, Amherst, MA Eric and Bruce Garlow, Becket, MA Bob Garrett & Alice Annie Schwab, Harrisburg, PA Christina Glanzman, Wellsville, NY Janet Gokay & Hartley Mead, Norfolk, CT Pandy Goodbody, Williamstown, MA

Cindy & Ed Grosso, New Ashford, MA Barbara Hanselman & Mark Myers, Wadsworth, OH Elisabeth Hawkins, Pittsfield, MA Cheryl Heller, Brooklyn, NY Robert Heller, Spencertown, NY Marian Henneman, New York, NY David Herrington, Ballston Lake, NY Susanne & Stuart Hirshfield, Stockbridge, MA Karen Hummel, Stuyvesant, NY Beverly & Gary Igleburger, Chatham, NY Josie Janssen, Pittsfield, MA Elizabeth Jenkins, Williamstown, MA Amy Johns & Chris Warren, Stamford,VT Catherine & Edward Juozokas, Longmeadow, MA Cleve Keller & Jack Spillum, New York, NY Randall Kelly, Roxbury, NY Roxie Kennedy-Cawley, Washington, MA Donna & John Kittredge, Dalton, MA Marzena & Adam Kozik, Adams, MA Susan Benjamin Krim, New York, NY Lydia Kukoff, Nassau, NY Susan Lafferty & Will Laidlaw, Housatonic, MA Noel Laflamme, Chicopee, MA Jeanne& Michael Leonard, Kinderhook, NY Donna Levinson, Poughkeepsie, NY Susan Lipson, Atlanta, GA Gretchen Long, Wilson,WY Janet & Paul MacDonald, Closter, NJ Jessica Maloney, Lee, MA Nicholas Mantis & Claire S. Ting, Williamstown, MA Ellen Matheson, Concord, MA Nancy Matthews, Troy, NY Patricia McCormack, Lenox, MA Melissa Miller, Austerlitz, NY Amal Moamar, Concord, MA Nancy Murray, Becket, MA Patricia Murtagh, Great Barrington, MA Clyde Nixon, Kent, CT Mark O’Berski & Michael Minchak, New York, NY Kay Oft, Lenoxdale, MA Kathleen O’Neill & Stephen Williams, Northampton, MA Paige Orloff, Spencertown, NY Diane & Deval Patrick, Milton, MA Lisa Peltier, Becket, MA

Charleen & Daniel Perry, Williamsburg,VA Evelyn & Carl Pfalzgraf, Ashford, CT Duncan Pollock, Stockbridge, MA Eva & Michael Quint, Schodack Landing, NY Carol Rand, Sharon, CT Roberta Richardson, Niskayuna, NY Anne Rocheleau & Chris Holmes, Pittsfield, MA Christopher Royer, Great Barrington, MA Sabrina Ruggiero, Sheffield, MA Roberta Russell, Lenox, MA Irene Samuels & David Gonsalves, Rensselaer, NY Kate & Art Sanders, Dalton, MA Sandra S. Walck Garden Design, Delmar, NY Debora Sansevero, Austerlitz, NY Irmgard Schrempp-Arruda, Lanesboro, MA Nancy Sciocchetti, Rexford, NY Julia & John Scott, West Cornwall, CT Edward Seliga & Deborah Fenster, Rocky Hill, NJ Andrea Shaker & James Kiggin, Stockbridge, MA Van Shields & Peggy Rivers, Pittsfield, MA Sharon & Paul Shook, West Stockbridge, MA Rosemarie & Robert Simon, East Schodack, NY Madaline Sparks, Spencertown, NY Roberta Sucoff, Lee, MA Mary Trev Thomas & Richard Matturro, East Nassau, NY Johanna Tomik, Salt Point, NY Pamela Torres, Stockbridge, MA Margot and Kip Towl, Austerlitz, NY Anastasia Traina, East Chatham, NY Susan Trudeau, Pittsfield, MA Ardith Truhan, Great Barrington, MA Suzannah & Pieter Van Schaick, Pittsfield, MA Irene Vassos, West Stockbridge, MA Patricia & James Wann, Philmont, NY Phyllis & Dale Webb, Sheffield, MA Lucinda & Robert Weiss, Akron, OH John Whalan & Katherine Gleason, West Stockbridge, MA Carrie Whitelaw, Greenfield Center, NY Setsuko and Simon Winchester, Sandisfield, MA Rebekah Wise, Pittsfield, MA Donna Wolfe & Jeff Heisler, New York, NY Denise Wood, Dalton, MA Joan Zippe, East Greenbush, NY

Classes

5 West Stockbridge Road Stockbridge, MA 01262 413-298-3926

berkshirebotanical.org

at The Berkshire Botanical Garden from September to December 2012

Lectures, Workshops Rosemary Verey: The Life and Lessons of a Legendary Gardener Rosemary Verey was the last of the great English garden legends to penetrate this century. Although she embraced gardening late in life, she quickly achieved international renown. She was the acknowledged apostle of the “English style” on display at her home at Barnsley House, the “must-have” advisor to the rich and famous, including Prince Charles and Elton John, and a beloved and wildly popular lecturer in America. Join Barbara Paul Robinson for an intimate look into the life and gardens of this iconic gardener. A book sale and signing of Barbara’s newly published Rosemary Verey: The Life and Lessons of a Legendary Gardener, will follow the talk. During a sabbatical from the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton, where she was the first woman partner, Barbara Paul Robinson worked as a gardener for Rosemary Verey at Barnsley House. A hands-in-the-dirt gardener herself, she and her husband created their own gardens at Brush Hill in northwest Connecticut, featured in articles, books, and television. A frequent speaker, Barbara has published articles in The New York Times, Horticulture, Fine Gardening, and Hortus.

Join Barbara Paul Robinson on Thursday afternoon, August 9 at 5pm for a lecture/book sale and signing Cost: Members $22; Nonmember $27

Fall Field Trip New York Botanical Garden: Monet’s Garden Thursday, September 13, 8am – 6pm

Field trip Members $99; Nonmembers $120 All levels, bring bagged lunch and dress for the weather Join staff from the Berkshire Botanical Garden for a trip to the New York Botanical Garden at the height of the late summer bloom and to view the acclaimed show Monet’s Garden. Garden staff from BBG will lead a tour of the gardens, including the Ladies Border, the Herb Garden, the Jane Watson Irwin Perennial Garden and the spectacular Seasonal Walk, designed by superstar designers Piet Oudolf and Jaqueline Van de Kloet. For those interested in trees we will explore the Benson

Ornamental Conifer Garden and the many small ornamental specimen trees on the grounds. Garden staff will answer questions and share horticultural insights throughout the day. Included in the cost of the trip is a ticket to view the special event Monet’s Garden in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, which has been transformed into a floral masterpiece of Monet’s idyllic garden in Giverny, France. Monet’s most famous subjects, water lilies, including many of them the varieties he grew, are featured in the Conservatory Courtyard Pools. This is a fantastic opportunity to view the exhibition at it's peak. Two paintings by Monet—one which has never been publicly exhibited in the United States—will be on display. There will be unstructured time to visit areas of specific interest in the afternoon. Participants will travel by coach. Snacks and afternoon beverage will be provided. Bring sturdy walking shoes, warm waterproof outerwear and an umbrella. The bus will depart from Berkshire Botanical Garden promptly at 8am and return promptly at 6pm.

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Fall classes Garden Wrap-Up I & II Workshop I: Saturday, September 8, 10am – noon Workshop II: Saturday, October 13, 10am – noon

Lecture/workshop Members $22; Nonmembers $27 Beginners, dress for outdoors Assess the year’s gardening successes and failures, review the gardening events of the spring and summer and begin planning for next season. Consider winter interest in the garden and understand when to prune perennials. Learn how to prepare gardens for the coming winter season, including soil amendment, mulching, cutting back, and fall division of perennials. Seed saving for the coming spring, division of plants that require fall planting, and bulb planting techniques will be covered. Take home a variety of seeds, cuttings and perennials for next season’s garden. Elisabeth Cary is the Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been gardening for over 20 years. She specializes in perennial, vegetable and mixed border gardens. She will share some favorite perennials from her own garden.

Invasive Plant Identification, Removal and Control Strategies Saturday, September 8, 9am – 3pm Members $85; Nonmembers $90 All levels, dress for outdoors; bring a bagged lunch, co-enrolled with Horticulture Certificate Program This class will explore invasive plants, including their history and introduction (intentional or otherwise) into eastern North America. Learn how these species cause biochemical changes that affect soil microbes, in turn causing major shifts in plant community populations. Identification, control strategies and the degrading effects of these species on ecosystems, including their effect on native plants and animals, will be covered. A morning lecture on plant identification will be followed by a hands-on workshop and demonstration of eradication techniques. A short field trip will be included. Drew Monthie is a horticulturist, garden designer and ecologist working in upstate New York. He is committed to teaching about the importance of using native plants to provide beauty and preserve biodiversity in yards and gardens. He has a special interest in ethnobotany.

Autumn Joy: Body Mechanics that Make Garden Cleanup Easy Saturday, September 15, 10am – noon

Demonstration/workshop Members $22; Nonmembers $27 Beginners, dress comfortably Take the stress and strain, aches and pains out of putting your garden to bed this fall. In this participatory workshop explore proper body mechanics for raking, wheel barrowing, composting and mulching, along with joint protection techniques for bulb planting, pruning, digging and dividing. Determine how to choose the right ergonomic tool for the job and get nifty tips on winterizing them too! Learn to use a simple, effective and energizing stretching routine before the clean-up begins that will also keep you healthy all winter long and fit to garden next spring. Carrie Whitelaw is a registered horticultural therapist with the American Horticultural Therapy Association who has practiced and taught horticultural therapy since 1998. She currently coordinates programs at The Unlimited Garden, an enabling garden created by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County, NY, and operates True Nature Garden Works, a consulting business devoted to using gardening to promote health and wellness, cultivate creativity, and reconnect individuals with their own true nature.

Bringing Patio Plants Indoors for Winter Saturday, September 15, 2 – 4pm

Demonstration/workshop Members $22; Nonmembers $27; Additional materials fee $7 Beginners, bring hand pruners What do you do with summer bulbs? Learn how to keep patio plants, summer bulbs and tender perennials happy during the winter months. Discuss the tricks of the trade for bringing plants indoors and encouraging them to thrive for the winter months. Topics will include cultivation, fertilizing, watering and healthcare. Participants will learn basic propagation techniques and take home a variety of cuttings. These simple, cost-saving methods will help homeowners multiply their plant supply for next season’s garden. Jenna O’Brien owns Viridissima, a garden design and maintenance business. Her specialties include perennial gardening and design, container culture and design, indoor gardening and houseplants. She teaches for area horticultural organizations and has completed the Horticulture Certificate Program at Berkshire Botanical Garden.

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Fall classes Pruning Shrubs and Small Ornamental Trees Saturday, September 22, 10am – 1pm

Demonstration/workshop $30 Members; Nonmembers $35 Beginner/intermediate, wear waterproof outerwear and boots; bring hand pruners Autumn is a great time to assess your woody plants for shape and structure. This demonstration/workshop will focus on pruning, including when, why and how to shape, renovate, train or rejuvenate your woody plants. Learn about pruning tools, timing and specific techniques available to the home gardener. Pruning techniques specifically for both evergreen and deciduous hedges will be covered. Ken Gooch is a Massachusetts Certified Arborist, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management’s Forest Health Specialist for Berkshire County. He is an educator and lectures widely on a variety of topics including forest health, pruning and arboriculture.

Bringing Back the Legend: Cougar Recovery in Eastern North America Thursday, September 20, 7pm

Lecture $15 Members; Nonmembers $20 All levels The search for the eastern cougar is one of the great riddles in North American natural history. Despite thousands of sightings from Maine to Mississippi, only a dozen confirmations have emerged east of Chicago during the past generation. Members of the Cougar Rewilding Foundation have conducted sanctioned remote camera surveys in seven eastern states, investigated years of field evidence and cougar reports and advised the CT DEEP on their evaluation of the cougar killed in Connecticut. Christopher Spatz has run remote camera surveys at High Point State Park, NJ and in the Shawangunks of New York at Minnewaska State Park and the Mohonk Preserve. Reviewing his survey findings with cougar biology, behavior and their current range, Chris will explain why sightings don’t produce evidence, and how restoration of this magnificent predator are imperative for the recovery of critically declining eastern forests.

Honeybee Fall Hive Maintenance Saturday, September 22, 1 – 4pm

Lecture Members $22; Nonmembers $27 All levels This workshop will focus on the best management practices for preparing colonies to survive our New England winters. Getting hives through winter is perhaps the most difficult part of beekeeping. It requires an understanding of the natural behavior of a colony, specific conditions that stress the bees and knowledge of beekeepers’ activities that support the health of the bees. Fall inspections, feeding for winter, protecting the hive, queen concerns, late season problems and spring tasks will be covered. This program is appropriate for beginner or novice beekeepers preparing for their first winter, although all levels, including those interested in keeping bees, are welcome. Dan Conlon owns Warm Colors Apiary in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. Warm Colors maintains bee yards in western Massachusetts for honey production and to provide pollination services on area farms. He is president of the Massachusetts Beekeepers Association, and was recognized as the Eastern Apicultural Society's 2004 Beekeeper of the Year and the Massachusetts 2005 Beekeeper of the Year.

IPM for Landscape Professionals Thursday, September 27, 6 – 9pm Cost: $25; $20 for additional staff All levels Co-sponsored with CET to register: contact aric.brown@cetonline.org or call 413-445-4556 ext. 30 Acclaimed author and educator, Ron Kujawski, Ph.D., a Horticultural Consultant, will provide accurate advice and up-to-date information so that landscapers can adjust their pest management protocols. Dr. Kujawski, former Landscape and Nursery Specialist for UMass Cooperative Extension, is a garden writer, educator and researcher in IPM, plant nutrition and soil science. He teaches for the horticultural industry throughout New England. During this three-hour, three-credit PACE certification renewal class, Dr. Kujawski will focus on the importance of setting up a management plan to minimize the chemical effects on ecosystems, identifying pests and understanding the benefits of non-toxic alternatives. In addition, he will discuss the economic threshold of implementing a plan and proper record keeping—important aspects for moving your landscaping business in a more eco-friendly direction while diverting inappropriate costs. More information is available at www.Cetoline.org.

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Fall classes Stalking Wild Mushrooms in the Berkshires Saturday, September 29, 1 – 3pm

Lecture/field study Members $22; Nonmembers $27 All levels, dress for outdoors; participants will carpool to a short walk Learn all about fungi with a focus on those commonly called mushrooms. This enormous and diverse group of plants is found in the wild during the fall months. The most common poisonous and edible mushrooms will be illustrated and described. A variety of fungi will be on display supplemented with slides of other commonly found mushrooms. Participants will explore a nearby woodland and hunt for mushrooms. John Wheeler is current president of the Berkshire Mycological Society. He has taught mycology at Simons Rock College of Bard. He has been an avid amateur for over 20 years.

Landscape Design Roadshow Saturday, September 29, 10am – 1pm

Workshop/lecture Members $37; Nonmembers $45 All levels, bring a photograph of your landscape project. Back by popular demand! Struggling with a design problem in your yard? Consult an expert! Join landscape architect David Dew Bruner for a landscape design roadshow! Consider how to apply some basic principles to enhance your home landscape. Some issues covered will be front entrances, gardens, privacy and what to do with that garage door and that deck. Participants should bring a photograph of their design question. Several will be selected to illustrate common design challenges and simple solutions. David Dew Bruner is an award-winning landscape architect and fine artist with over 35 years of experience ranging from Deputy Administrator of Riverside Park, NYC to amusement park design, historical restoration and all scales of residential design. Originally from New Orleans, he has a BLA and a BFA from LSU as well as a MLA form the University of Massachusetts.

Practices and Principles of Growing Nutrient-Dense Vegetables Friday, October 12 and Friday, November 2, 9:30am – 4:30pm

Hands-on workshop Cost: $185; Additional $35 for soil test All levels, co-enrolled with Horticulture Certificate Program Participants are requested to have their soil test completed prior to the first class. For information, contact the garden at 413-298-3926 four weeks prior to the course. Optional: Students will be able to purchase soil amendments from instructor This course, for serious home gardeners as well as professionals, is an overview of how biological systems function and support you in addressing limiting factors in your garden. Examine soil testing and mineral balancing, biological inoculation, seed sizing and sorting, potting soil, tillage, fertility, in-season plant and soil monitoring and supplemental feeding based on plant needs. In-season monitoring will be based on conductivity and Brix monitoring, with appropriate solutions, including nutrient drenches and foliar spraying. The objective of this course is to support gardeners in growing vegetables that are pest and disease-resistant as well as very flavorful and containing high levels of nutrition. Dan Kittredge is an organic farmer and cofounder of the Real Food Campaign. He has been an organic farmer since childhoodand his experience managing organic farms and developing sustainable agriculture techniques has connected him to farmers in Central America, Russia, India and the United States.

Give the gift of education The Berkshire Botanical Garden offers classes for interest, age-group and expirience level!

Treat that newly-married couple to Walt Cudnohufsky's Ladscape Design Clinic. Send your spouse to Elisabeth Cary's Fall Garden Wrap-up. Your graduate would love to spend an afternoon making goat cheese with Peter Kindel. To reserve a class in a recipient's name, call 413-298-3926.

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Fall classes Making Goat Cheese Saturday, October 13, 1 – 4pm

One Writer’s Garden: Eudora Welty’s Home Place

Demonstration/tasting

Saturday, October 20, 2pm

Members $45; Nonmembers $50 All levels, offsite location, directions available upon registration.

Members $22; Nonmembers $27 All levels

Join Hawthorne Valley Farm’s cheesemaker, Peter Kindel, for a cheesemaking program using goat’s milk. Peter will demonstrate how to make a fresh chevre and a hard tomme and will share tips and techniques for making fresh and aged goat cheeses from start to finish. The demonstration will be followed by a tasting and discussion of different goat cheeses. Peter Kindel has been making, selling, tasting and teaching about cheese for 18 years. It began as a hobby, but after studying cheese-making in France, England and Scotland, he worked in such highly acclaimed cheese outlets in NYC as Picholine, Artisanal and Murray’s Cheese. He has made cheese in Vermont, Colorado and California, and currently leads the Hawthorne Valley Farm creamery in New York’s Hudson Valley.

What to Do with a Good Egg Saturday, October 20, 10am – noon

Lecture/sampling/book signing Members $22; Nonmembers $27 All levels Join Jennifer Trainer Thompson on her road down the poultry path— discussing the joys of fresh eggs and keeping chickens, the different kinds of eggs from hens and the egg’s history, nutritional profile and marvelous attributes both in the kitchen and at the table. Often forgotten after breakfast, the egg leads to eggciting appetizers, eggstraordinary salads, eggsemplary desserts—not to mention the fact that it’s the cook’s secret weapon that binds, fluffs, expands and provides cover for mistakes! Jennifer Trainer Thompson has written more than 16 books, including The Fresh Egg Cookbook (available at the Berkshire Botanical Garden Gift Shop), Hot Sauce!, Beyond Einstein (co-authored with Michio Kaku) and Jump Up and Kiss Me: Spicy Vegetarian Cooking. Nominated for three James Beard awards and dubbed the “Queen of Hot” by Associated Press, she has been a journalist for over 20 years. Jennifer writes about topics that interest her—science, food, travel, art and lifestyle—for The New York Times, Travel & Leisure, Omni, Discover and Harvard Magazine.

Lecture/book signing

Join author Jane Roy Brown for a discussion of her new book, One Writer’s Garden: Eudora Welty’s Home Place (available at the Berkshire Botanical Garden Gift Shop). Even in her earliest short stories, Eudora Welty (1909–2001) wove images of flowers and gardens into her descriptions of people and places. These influences originated in Welty’s passionate connection to her home garden in Jackson, Mississippi. Her story unfolds during the rise of home gardening as an American pastime in the 1920s, when women viewed it as a means of self-improvement. This slide lecture sets the Welty Garden in the context of garden-making at this time. Jane Roy Brown is an award-winning writer, editor and landscape historian who lives in Conway, Massachusetts. Jane works as director of educational outreach at the Library of American Landscape History, which publishes books and organizes exhibitions about American landscape history. She has recently launched a workshop series for women called “The Heart of Story: Women Writing Stories of Their Lives.”

Compost Tea Workshop: Sustainable Gardening Practices Friday and Saturday, October 26 and 27, 1 – 4pm Cost $125 All levels, dress for outdoors, rain or shine, co-enrolled with Horticulture Certificate Program The days of pesticide and fertilizer use by homeowners are quickly coming to an end. Health and environment-related problems associated with pesticides have removed numerous popular chemical pesticides and fertilizers from the shelves, forcing gardeners and landscapers to turn to alternatives. Brad Roeller has been evaluating alternatives to “traditional” landscape care and has experimented with compost tea for over two decades. In this hands-on workshop students will learn the techniques of “brewing” actively aerated compost tea and how to apply it. Brad has a long history with sustainable gardening and landscape care and will share lessons learned with attendees. Brad Roeller is a private landscape garden supervisor for Altamont Estate in New York. He is the former Garden Manager for the New York Botanical Garden and has spent his entire career in horticulture with a focus in sustainable gardening. He lectures extensively and instructs at the New York Botanical Garden, Berkshire Botanical Garden and New England Grows. 21

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Fall classes Farmscape Ecology: Nature and the Human Hand in the Rural Landscape Saturday, October 27, 10am – noon

Lecture Cost $25 All levels, co-enrolled with Horticulture Certificate Program Consider how the land has been used throughout this region for the last century. Join ecologists Claudia and Conrad Vispo for exploration and inspiration from studies of native plants and animals on productive and former farmland in Columbia County. This lecture will give gardeners and landscapers insight into the land use and ecology of the place we live. Claudia Knab-Vispo and Conrad Vispo are ecologists with the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program. They conduct research and outreach designed to help people connect to the ecological and cultural landscape of Columbia County. They hope to deepen compassion for the living land by fostering engagement with its history, present, and future. They have documented biodiversity on productive and former farmland as well as other habitats throughout Columbia County for the past nine years.

Brewing Up a Storm: Making Beer at Home Saturday, October 27, 10:30am – 12:30pm

Lecture/discussion Members $22; Nonmembers $27 All levels, offsite location One of America’s most popular libations, beer, is enjoying a resurgence through artisan beers, microbreweries and home brewing. Join two brewmasters from Barrington Brewery for an in-depth look at beer, beer-making and the history and science of this popular drink. Learn about the essential ingredients of beer, including the hops plant. This talk will cover the basic homebrewing process, ingredients and equipment. Andrew Mankin is head brewer and co-owner of Barrington Brewery. He began as a home brewer 27 years ago and then completed an apprenticeship at the Vaux Brewery in Sunderland, England in 1989. Scott Craumer has been a home brewer for six years and is now a brewer at Barrington Brewery in Great Barrington.

Making Alcohol-Free Spirits: Cordials, Shrubs and Syrups from Fruit and Flowers Saturday, November 3, 10am – noon

Lecture/demonstration Members $22; Nonmembers $27 Materials fee paid to instructor $22 includes finished bottle for shrub All levels Learn how to make syrups and shrubs from cultivated fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, currants and rhubarb. Also consider berry essences and elixirs made with native plants such as elder flowers, milkweed and aronia. This workshop will focus on how to make syrups and shrubs at home. Enjoy tasting various combinations of products and making shrubs from a 19th-century recipe. Each participant will take home a finished bottle of red currant, raspberry or strawberry shrub, a recipe for a vinaigrette-made shrub, as well as cocktail recipes for using shrubs. Participants should also bring wide-mouth, quart-size glass jars that they will fill in class, take home to age and then turn into shrub from a simple recipe included with each jar. Kate Keravian is owner of Bug Hill Farm, Ashfield, MA. They grow and make berry essences and elixirs made with native plants such as elder flowers, milkweed and aronia. Their signature concoction is “Kiss of Cassis” an alcohol-free cordial made from whole pressed black currants slightly sweetened with local honey. Their products are made from whole fruit and flowers.

The Big Squeeze: Making Apple Cider (Hard and Sweet) Saturday, November 3, 1 – 3pm

Demonstration/sampling Members $22; Nonmembers $27 All levels Join John Vittori of Hilltop Orchard for a look at the art and science of making both sweet and hard cider. This lecture/demonstration will cover the history, culture and lore of cider making. Practical information will include selecting apple varieties, cider-making techniques, timing and preserving of both sweet and hard cider. Following a demonstration with a beautiful two-bucket cider press, enjoy a tasting of this local sweet (or hard) drink. John Vittori has owned and operated Hilltop Orchards and Furnace Brook Winery for the past 24 years. His main interests are sustainable agriculture, integrated pest management and land preservation.

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Fall classes Landscape Design Clinic with Walt Cudnohufsky

Gardens Filled with Life: Designing with Northeastern Flora

Saturday, November 3, 9am – 5pm

Saturday, November 10, 1 – 3pm

Workshop/traveling field study

Lecture

Cost: $125 All levels, co-enrolled with Horticulture Certificate Program

Cost $35 All levels, co-enrolled with Horticulture Certificate Program

This fast-paced, informationsaturated clinic and field trip will introduce design students, homeowners and others to opportunities to problem-solve the design process. It will lead to the basic conceptual elements of a landscape master plan. All attendees will participate in the process of observing and designing. Students will come away with coherent examples of how design happens. An active discussion format will focus on common design principles. A step-by-step PowerPoint presentation will focus the discussion later in the afternoon. The field trip is held rain or shine.

Author and landscape architect Carolyn Summers will present an informative review of current research that reveals the many ways in which indigenous plants form the basis of the food web that supports a healthy, bio-diverse landscape. Her lecture covers ways to minimize harm from exotic plants, including the use of indigenous substitutes for a wide variety of traditional styles. Examples of striking, unusual indigenous plants used in formal settings will be provided along with naturalistic styles to explore the full design potential of northeastern indigenous flora.

Walter Cudnohufsky is owner of Walter Cudnohufsky Associates Landscape Architects, Land and Community Planners, Ashfield, MA. He is the founder and for 20 years was the director of the Conway School of Landscape Design.

Carolyn Summers is the author of Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East. She is an adjunct professor at Westchester Community College and serves on the Steering Committee of The Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College and chairs its annual native plant sale.

To have your landscape project considered for the field study trip, call 413-298-3926 ext. 15 for details.

American Bonsai Society Intensive Course for Beginners Wednesdays, November 14, 28; December 12; January 9, 23; February 6, 20; March 6, 20; April 3, 5 – 7pm

Demonstration/lecture/hands-on workshop Members $275; Nonmembers $300; Additional materials fee $50 Beginner/intermediate Bonsai is the art of dwarfing trees and developing them into aesthetically appealing shapes by growing, pruning and training in containers according to prescribed techniques. This 10-week intensive course follows the curriculum of the American Bonsai Society and will cover all aspects of bonsai. It is designed for beginners and for those in need of refreshing or expanding their bonsai skills. Topics covered include classic structuring and designing of bonsai, the basic styles, bonsai tools and uses, selecting bonsai stock, pruning, wiring and shaping techniques, styling, containers, potting and transplanting and care and maintenance. Students will practice training trees, repotting, pruning and shaping. Students will follow the ABS handbook curriculum. Pauline Muth is President of the American Bonsai Society. She has won many awards, published many articles in journals and maintains an extensive collection of hardy and non-hardy bonsai. Her bonsai studio is in its 22nd year of operation in West Charlton, NY.

Spectacular Natives! Diversity and Beauty from the Wilds of America Saturday, November 10, 10am – noon

Lecture Cost $35 All levels, co-enrolled with Horticulture Certificate Program The forests, fields and wetlands of the Northeast are filled with an amazing array of beautiful plants that are frequently overlooked when we design our landscapes. Join Andy Brand, plant propagator for Broken Arrow Nursery located in Hamden CT, for a journey through the year highlighting the many exceptional plants that grow right in our own backyards. Both herbaceous and woody plants will be discussed along with their cultivars. Andy Brand is the nursery manager for Broken Arrow Nursery. He is a past President of the Connecticut Nursery and Landscape Association and received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the U Conn College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Alumni Association. He has put his interest in native plants to use as a volunteer for the New England Plant Conservation Program where he helps monitor historical sites of endangered native plants.

20% discount for enrolling in both November 10 classes! 23

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Fall classes Unexpected House Plants with Tovah Martin Saturday, November 17, 10am – 1pm

Lecture/workshop/book signing Members $30; Nonmembers $35; Additional materials fee $7 All levels Join Tovah Martin for a look at the unexpected in houseplants. Following Tovah’s revolutionary approach, consider brilliant spring bulbs by the bed, lush perennials brought in from the garden, quirky succulents in the kitchen—even flowering vines and small trees growing beside an easy chair. Along with loads of visual inspiration, learn how to make unusual selections, where to best position plants in the home and valuable tips on watering, feeding, grooming, pruning and troubleshooting, season by season. This program is for beginners, green thumbs, decorators and anyone who wants to infuse a bit of surprising green into their décor. Participants will go home with some unexpected houseplant cuttings. Book sale and signing will follow the program. Tovah Martin is a horticulturist, writer and garden personality living in northwestern Connecticut. She writes for many horticultural publications and has authored several books. Her popular book on terrarium gardens, The New Terrarium, was published in 2009, and Unexpected Houseplants will be published this summer.

Wreaths from the Wild Wednesday, November 28, 1 – 3pm

Workshop Members $35; Nonmembers $45; Materials included in cost of class Beginners, bring pruners and gloves Create a beautiful evergreen wreath for the holidays using the bounty of the fields and forests of the Berkshires. Learn about the natural history of common and not-so-common plants that can be used to create interesting holiday decorations. Consider a wide selection of plant material, including evergreen boughs, berries, seedpods, fern fronds and moss. Construct and take home a simple evergreen wreath and the skill to create wreaths for holidays to come. Elisabeth Cary is the Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been collecting plant materials from the wild and creating wreaths for over 15 years.

Registration Information Advance registration is required for all classes, workshops and field trips. We recommend registering early to ensure a place in the desired class.

Tiny Gardens: Build a Terrarium Wednesday, December 5, 3 – 5pm

Workshop Members $50; Nonmembers $60; Additional materials fee $15 All levels Although not new to gardening, terrariums are enjoying renewed interest. Learn about gardening under glass—a way to bring nature indoors year round. When enclosed in glass, plants thrive with almost no help from outside of their little world. This hands-on workshop will address the aesthetics and technical aspects of terrarium building, including plants, soil preparation, planting, container selection, design and maintenance. Participants will build a tiny garden gem in glass using a unique selection of plants. Elisabeth Cary is Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been making terrariums for many years. She is a home gardener and specializes in woody plants, mixed borders and vegetable gardening.

Bark and Buds: Winter Identification of Trees and Shrubs Saturday, December 8, 10am – 2pm

Field study (held indoors) Members $30; Nonmembers $35 All levels, bring bagged lunch Discover the many plants that lend bark, buds, fruit and structural interest to the garden in fall and winter. Develop or enhance your ability to identify winter trees by twig and bud anatomy, bark features and plant architecture. Students will practice their skills with winter tree dichotomous keys. Participants should have The Illustrated Book of Trees by William Carey Grimm ISBN 0-8117-2220-1 (available at the Berkshire Botanical Garden Gift Shop). Must be 1983 edition. Dress for limited outdoor fieldwork. Class enrollment is limited. Brad Roeller is a private landscape garden supervisor for Altamont Estate in New York. He is the former Garden Manager for the New York Botanical Garden and has spent his entire career in horticulture with a focus in sustainable gardening. He lectures extensively and instructs at the New York Botanical Garden, Berkshire Botanical Garden and New England Grows.

You may register: Online: berkshirebotanical.org By phone: call 413-298-3926 By fax: at 413-298-4897 In person: at our office in the Euston Visitor‘s Center Monday through Friday, 9am to 4:30pm. Confirmation and Cancellation policies can be found online at berkshirebotanical.org

Who’s Who at the Garden

Silka Glanzman,

Jamie Samowitz,

Ten years ago, I never would have imagined that I’d be working at a Botanical Garden. But, given my family’s history, I couldn’t have ended up anywhere else. My mother’s parents were landscape architects, setting up shop in Cross River, NY. There they built a home, opened a nursery and raised my mother and her sister.

The Berkshires and Columbia County have felt like home for me since my parents moved up here when I was a teenager. After graduating college, I spent many years living in Latin America; my education work at the time was focused on using the arts for social change, as well as environmental education. I then spent a year at the Teton Science School in Wyoming, where I taught field ecology (mostly on skis!) to visiting students from around the country, all while living in a cabin in Teton National Park. I loved living in that wild landscape and knew that I wanted to settle down in a rural area. Shortly afterward I decided that it was finally time to come home to the Northeast. I enrolled in a Masters of Science program in Environmental Studies at Antioch University New England and was lucky enough to come on board here at the Berkshire Botanical Garden.

Communications Manager

50 years later, my aunt is an avid professional gardener, most recently as the Manager of Display and Educational Gardens at the Cary Arboretum in Millbrook, NY. And while my mom – no less an expert - doesn’t get paid to be in garden, she skips out on work every chance she gets. Growing up, my mother, her sister and their parents would drag me – literally, drag me - to gardens, estates, and nurseries at every turn.They’d spout off botanical names for hours and I’d find a shady corner in which to twiddle my thumbs. In fact, it wasn’t until my early 20’s, when I hooked up with the local food community, that I found myself in the soil, growing edibles, and loving it. Now, I wouldn’t trade a second of that thumb twiddling. Despite my adolescent intentions, some of my warmest and most vivid family memories are from those trips. And I’m thrilled to have found my way to the Berkshire Botanical Garden, inspired everyday by the beautiful beds and enthusiastic staff and feeling very much at home.

Youth Education Coordinator

I am loving sharing the magic of plants and the natural world with school children, and I equally enjoy getting to know this wonderful garden and seeing how it changes day by day. As the Assistant Director of our new Farm in the Garden Camp, I am delighted to be welcoming goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens (not to mention campers!) to the garden. My husband and I have greatly enjoyed digging into the ecological and cultural riches of this region, and we are looking forward to having our own homestead in the near future.

a weed-whacker, rototiller or mower, it’s no chore for Wes. In fact, he considers it a perk, jumping at the chance to work on “anything loud and fast” and making use of his auto technology training. Even at home, Wes can’t stay indoors. His free time is spent drag racing at Lebanon Valley and playing in the yard with his 2 year old daughter Eliana. Thanks to the warm welcome he’s received at the garden, and his longtime interest in landscaping, yard maintenance and caretaking, Wes feels confident saying he can see himself here for a while. And we’ll be glad to have him!

Wesley Waite,

Buildings and Grounds Assistant Wesley Waite has always known that a desk job is just not for him. He has enjoyed fresh-air and physical work since his first farming job at age 12, and he maintains that fresh air is the cure for everything. “Whether you’re sad, angry or feeling lost…. Just take a walk or work outside on a beautiful day – it’s very good therapy.” Luckily for Wes – and the BBG – he now spends his time as our new Buildings and Grounds Assistant, helping manager Will Maston keep the Garden tidy and running smoothly. And when something goes wrong with

Need Gardening Advice? The Master Gardeners are here to help! The Western Massachusetts Horticultural Hotline is live every Monday from 9am - noon, through September. Call 413-298-5355 or stop in at The Center House at Berkshire Botanical Garden where Master Gardeners volunteers are on Duty! or leave a message anytime and an expert will call you back! 25

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berkshirebotanical.org 5 West Stockbridge Road Stockbridge, MA 01262 413-298-3926

Pittsfield, MA 01201

Change Service Requested

The Grow Show August 4 - 5

Contained Exuberance: Master Class & Tour August 4

Cocktails in Great Gardens August 17

Volunteer Appreciation Dinner September 6

Harvest Festival October 6 - 7

Holiday Marketplace December 1 - 2

Public tours through September

10am on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays â&#x20AC;&#x201C; free with admission

berkshirebotanical.org 413-298-3926

Gimme Shelter:

Architects Design for Shade The Berkshire Botanical Garden presents a diverse exhibition of shade shelters by four design groups: New England Modern & Co, Crisp Architects, Burr & McCallum Architects and Kristine Sprague AIA LEED AP. Works on view integrate ancient Japanese charring techniques as well as green roofs, reinvented traditionalist architecture and surprise sound elements.

On view through September 16. 32