arboretum APRIL/M AY 2021
magazine
SEASON OF TREES AMERICAN TOAD MIGRATING BIRDS VIRTUAL GALA PLUS: RESEARCH, EVENTS & CLASSES
arboretum.umn.edu
PETER C. MOE
When I think of where I was one year ago as I wrote this note to you, the full impact of the past year begins to weigh
on my shoulders. Last January (we have early magazine deadlines), we had no idea that by mid-March we’d be closed and contemplating a completely new reality. It has been a year of unimaginable changes, but not all of them have been bad. We’ve been buoyed by the wonderful support of our donors and visitors, as well as the creativity and ingenuity of our Arboretum staff. We’ve also been busy making improvements to the Arboretum. This May, we’re excited to open a new section of walkway from the rhododendron garden to the Farm at the Arb, allowing for easier walking access to the farm. The trail is also incorporated into the racecourse of our reimagined Bud Break 5k and kids 1k run on May 2 (page 9). APRIL/MAY 2021 VOL 40, NO. 2
As we anticipate Duane Otto’s annual tulip display blooming in bold colors (page 3), and the sweet scent of lilacs and crabapple blossoms in the gardens, we also look forward to a variety of events to bring gardeners and garden-lovers together. We’re welcoming the Arbor Day re-launch of our Season of Trees (page 8), sponsored by International Paper, and we’re celebrating the American Public Gardens Association’s Go Public Gardens Days (May 7-16) by uplighting select trees in green and offering a wide variety of fun events. We hope you’ll join us May 8-9 for the Arboretum Auxiliary’s Annual Plant Sale (page 8), and make a plan to visit one of our new May Markets, outdoor art fairs featuring food, personal care items, art and crafts (page 8).
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Magazine is published six times a year by the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Foundation, 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, MN 55318-9613, 612-624-2200. The magazine is a benefit of Arboretum membership. No portion may be reprinted without permission from the Arboretum. The information published in this magazine is not necessarily endorsed by the University of Minnesota. The Arboretum welcomes feedback from readers at arbinfo@umn.edu. To request a copy of this publication in alternate format, please call 612-301-1257. The Arboretum is part of The College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Minnesota.
Patrick B. Petersen, Editor Brenda Drake Lesch, Art Director Peter C. Moe, Director, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Alan Branhagen, Director of Operations Timothy S. Kenny, Director of Education Susan Taylor, Ph.D., Director of Development Matthew Clark, Director of Research Tony Baisley, Associate Director of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations Jenny Verner, President, Arboretum Foundation
Cover Photo by Mary Ann Land
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A R B O R E T U M M AGA Z I N E // A P R I L • M AY 2021
Photo by Todd Mulvihill
FROM THE DIRECTOR
THIS YEAR’S ANNUAL TULIP DISPLAY HIGHLIGHTS CREATIVE COLOR COMBINATIONS. LIZ POTASEK • ARBORETUM WRITER
Our annual tulip display is always a welcome respite of color after a long winter of whites, greys and browns, but our 2021 display will be especially vibrant as it kicks off a summer of color in the annual gardens. “This year the Arboretum spring and summer displays will be about color,” says Landscape Gardener Duane Otto. For this spring’s display Otto designed tulip beds throughout the Arboretum highlighting different color combinations. Get inspired with a variety of color groupings, including citrus (orange, yellow and green), royal (red and purple), as well as separate displays with monochromatic, warm, cool and primary colors. Otto researched color theory as he planned the display, paying close attention to how colors make people feel, as well as how the different color combinations would work together cohesively as parts of a whole. As usual, Otto has incorporated many different varieties of tulip, including mid-season and late-season bloomers, as well as single, double (tulips with extra petals -- sometimes they look more like peonies than
tulips), fringed (petals with textured edges) and parrot (petals are fringed like feathers with unusual color streaking). Using these varieties allowed Otto to play with height and texture as well as to feature different color combinations found within single flowers. Otto also incorporated some white -- technically the absence of color -- into the display by selecting tulips that flower with white streaking. The display around the gatehouse will feature blooms in violet and blue that have highlights of white in them. On the front terrace of the Snyder building, Otto designed a “green garden,” featuring white, cream, pale yellow and green tulip blooms that surround a crabapple with white blooms in the spring. Last fall, Otto and Arboretum staff worked with a small number of volunteers to plant more than 39,000 bulbs for this year’s display. “We all worked together, and we got it done. We all worked really well together as a team,” Otto says. The tulips typically start blooming in late April. Watch Arboretum Facebook (facebook.com/mnarboretum) and Instagram (@mn_arb) feeds as we document this year’s display.
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Photos by (Top Left) Mary Ann Land; (Top Right) J Bierbaum Rice; (Bottom) Arboretum Photographers Society
ART OF HORTICULTURE
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NATURE AN D HORTICULTURE
TREES AND SONGBIRD MIGRATION ALAN BRANHAGEN • DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
We tend to plant trees thinking mostly of our own needs. They improve property value, provide shade on a hot summer’s day, cool the heat island effect of our cities, buffer noise, provide wood products, and offer many positive environmental impacts, like taking CO2 from the air and giving off breathable oxygen, holding soil in place with their root systems, etc. But we should also start thinking of the birds when we plant trees. Each year, aligning with the emergence of new tree foliage, there is an amazing natural phenomenon going on: One billion birds pass through North America on their way from wintering in the tropics to nesting here and the vast taiga forests “Up North.” Songbirds migrate at night in mixed flocks and descend each day to feast mainly on insects to fuel the next leg of their amazing journey. Unfortunately, stats on migrating birds are not good – a 25 percent loss of bird numbers over the past 50 years.
Recent research shows that for a landscape to support a healthy population of birds, it must also provide for a healthy crop of insects, mainly caterpillars. Which trees provide the best diversity and abundance of insects? For the most part, it is native plants, which have evolved with this amazing web of life that sustains birds and all life down the food chain. So native trees are the most important with only a few exceptions (apples and crabapples are one major exception). The research conclusion is for a landscape to be the most bird friendly it must be at least 70 percent native. (For a deeper dive into how you can improve the environment through the decisions you make in your yard and garden, I recommend reading Doug Tallamy’s latest book Scarlet Tanager
The trees you plant can help ensure that songbird numbers can rebound.
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Nature’s Best Hope, available in the Arb’s Gift & Garden Store.) So planting a native tree, especially one that provides the most insects to fuel migration stopovers, is something we all can do to support birds, as well as to invite them into our landscapes, so we can enjoy the beauty of their plumage and song. Tallamy has compiled the diversity of caterpillars found on each type (genus) of trees and shrubs, which is a baseline guide for which trees are the best for birds. The top trees on this list include native oaks (Quercus), cherries & plums (Prunus), willows (Salix), birches (Betula), cottonwood and aspens (Populus), crabapples (Malus), hawthorns (Crataegus), maples (Acer), and elms (Ulmus).
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Photos by Don Curle
Male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
NATURE FOCUS
THE AMERICAN TOAD: COLORFUL, BUT NO ACTUAL WARTS
Photos by (Top) Miles Boyer at Shutterstock; (Bottom) Gerald A. DeBoer at Shutterstock
MATT SCHUTH • NATURALIST
Like the comedian Rodney Dangerfield, the toad (Bufo americanus) gets
no respect. Even his cousin the frog gets kissed by a princess and turned into a prince, but no such luck for the toad. Shakespeare called the toad “ugly and venomous” and made it a part of the witches’ brew in Macbeth. In The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame portrayed him as a bumbling idiot. In truth, toads emit a slightly poisonous substance from the parotoid glands around their eyes which helps ward off predators. They also can hold water, and if picked up will pee on the offender. Neither of these reactions result in warts as believed in myth. Upon close inspection, toads are actually very colorful. Their warty appearance is a combination of colors from tan to black and gray and reddish brown, and their undersides are yellow cream splotched with black. Their eye rims are colored deep gold.
Like frogs, toads are amphibians, so they spend their adult lives on land but lay their eggs in water. In mid-May quiet shimmering ponds and marshes become a resounding trilling orgy of toad mating, called amplexus, in which the smaller male climbs onto the back of a female and clasps his legs around her. Unlike frogs, who lay their eggs in a pile, the female toad releases her eggs in two long strings of gelatinous material that are fertilized by the male as they are slowly released. These strings can be up to sixty feet long and contain 15,000 eggs. Once born, tadpoles are black and take about two months to develop into toadlets when they leave the water. Tadpoles shed their skin every few weeks while adults shed four times a year. As the skin breaks, a toad will scratch it off and then consume the entire old skin. Toads prefer moist soils but can survive in
many conditions. When winter approaches toads will dig into soft soil and hibernate through the coldest months. The toad’s sticky, long tongue is attached at the front of its mouth giving it the advantage of quickly zapping any unsuspecting prey. Frogs and toads share many commonalities, as some frogs have a warty appearance, while some toads are smooth. The only physical difference is that frogs have teeth in their upper jaw which are lacking in toads. Toads have many beneficial qualities and consume slugs, earthworms and many garden pests. In spite of their poor literary heritage, they deserve our care and respect.
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HORTICULTURE AN D RESEARCH
WHERE THERE IS A VINE, FUNGI WILL DINE DAVY DEKREY • GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT
GRAPE GROWING IN MINNESOTA HAS BLOOMED IN RECENT YEARS thanks to the ongoing
development of cold-hardy cultivars at the Horticultural Research Center. Many vineyards recently “celebrated” ten growing seasons. Unfortunately, their vines responded with decline, decay, and death. This vine decline is due to many symptomatically indistinguishable fungal diseases that make up the grapevine trunk disease complex. Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) were first brought to the attention of Minnesota growers in 2018. By 2019, mounting growers’ concerns initiated the GTDs research project—a collaborative effort between University of Minnesota Horticultural Sciences, Plant Pathology, and Extension. Globally, GTDs are a newer field of study as disease incidence increased following banning of the incredibly effective, yet highly carcinogenic and environmentally toxic fungicide sodium arsenite in 2003. Since then, GTDs have been identified throughout all grape growing regions of the world. Where there is a vine, fungi will dine. Often a vine will silently suffer from multiple infections caused by
different, distantly related fungal species, which uniquely reflects the climate, grape varieties, and cultural practices of the growing region. Preliminary results from our 2019 GTD survey show a unique composition of fungal GTD species in Minnesota. Fortunately, finding GTDs in your vineyard is not a death sentence for vines. Laboratory diagnosis provides deeper understanding of the transmission of these diseases, which informs best practices to mitigate more severe infections. Spores of these pathogenic fungi originate from other nearby vines, pruning debris or other woody plant hosts. These spores infect grapevines upon landing on fresh pruning wounds. Thus, prompt removal and destruction of debris is always a best sanitation measure, as well as regular disinfection of tools such as pruners, which can harbor and transmit spores. Time of pruning also plays an important role in mitigation of GTDs because ‘when it rains, it spores.’ Therefore, we recommend pruning in the dead of winter when it is cold and dry. Though trudging through the snow to prune may be hard work, we must do it for the vine.
Pruning debris in a vineyard is a source of pathogens
Pathogenic fungi isolated from diseased grapevines Trunk crosssection of 40+-year-old grapevine showing decay and discoloration due to pathogens
OFTEN A VINE WILL SILENTLY SUFFER FROM MULTIPLE INFECTIONS CAUSED BY DIFFERENT, DISTANTLY RELATED FUNGAL SPECIES, WHICH UNIQUELY REFLECTS THE CLIMATE, GRAPE VARIETIES, AND CULTURAL PRACTICES OF THE GROWING REGION. 6|
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LEARN AN D DO
Ann Berc Arboretum C ulinar y Instru her, ctor
Soon there will be produce to harvest from the Farm at the Arb! Follow Arboretum Culinary Instructor Ann Bercher online from her kitchen as she explores the changing variety of fresh, seasonal bounty from our farm. You can find similar treasures from your own garden, farmers’ markets, or your CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box! Learn preparation, storage and cooking techniques that are suitable for local seasonal produce while enhancing your repertoire of cooking techniques, recipes and food pairing ideas. Each class listed below (online via ZOOM – one Saturday a month May through August): $20 member household/$25 non-member household. arboretum.umn.edu/SaturdayInTheKitchen.aspx
Spring Arrivals to Sample, Sauté & Stir Fry: Cook-Along Live (online via ZOOM)
Summer Vegetables to Grill & Broil: Cook-Along Live (online via ZOOM)
The first crops of the season, such as radishes, lettuce, spinach and more are here! Practice pan-cooking techniques as you prepare Sautéed Spring Greens, Spring Vegetable Stir-fry with Sauces, Dipping Sauces for Raw or Cooked Veggies, and even Spring Veggie Fries.
Summer crops of green beans, tomatoes and corn begin to ripen in July! Gain confidence with classic summer techniques of grilling and broiling as you prepare Grilled Corn with Chipotle Aioli, Broiled Vegetable Frittata, and Grilled Leafy Greens.
Saturday, May 15, 9-10:30 a.m.
Late Spring Vegetables to Boil, Braise & Steam: Cook-Along Live (online via ZOOM) Saturday, June 19, 9-10:30 a.m.
June seasonal harvests can include crops like snap peas, cauliflower and cilantro. Perfect your wet cooking preparation methods such as boiling, braising and steaming to prepare Summer Vegetable Stew, Braised Cauliflower with Capers, and Snap Pea Salad with Herb Vinaigrette.
Saturday, July 10, 9-10:30 a.m.
Baking & Roasting Late Summer Bounty: Cook-Along Live (online via ZOOM) Saturday, Aug. 14, 9-10:30 a.m.
Late summer farmer’s markets are overflowing with a plethora of fruits and vegetables! Use robust cooking methods of baking and roasting to prepare Roasted Fall Vegetables with Feta, Baked Vegetable Samosas and learn the secrets to “The Perfect Baked Potato.”
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Due to ongoing limited operations because of COVID-19, please visit arb.umn.edu for hours and programming updates.
YOGA The early spring sessions of the popular Yoga in the Gardens, held in conjunction with the sponsors below, are scheduled: • 6 p.m. Thursday, April 15, Sensory Garden, sponsored by Spirit of the Lake Yoga • Noon Sunday, April 25, Lilac Collection, sponsored by Yoga Bella • 10 a.m. Sunday, May 2, Chinese Garden (Sue Bitney – Tai Chi Class) • 6 p.m. Thursday, May 20, Iris Garden, sponsored by Spirit of the Lake Yoga • Noon Sunday, May 30, Azalea Collection, sponsored by Yoga Bella.
Season of Trees Presenting Sponsor
MAY MARKETS
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, May 1-2, 15-16, 22-23 and 29-30, Margot Picnic Shelters Join us for the inaugural Arb May Markets as we host up to 40 local crafts and arts vendors.You won't be disappointed with the quality of products ranging from artisan foods to handmade jewelry, spa-worthy bath and body products and nature-inspired art. arb.umn.edu/content/may-markets
DOUBLE DISCOUNT DAYS
The classes are always free for Arboretum members and studio partner members, and free with gate admission for non-members. arb.umn.edu/content/yoga-gardens
9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, April 16 – Friday, April 30, Gift & Garden Store. The Arb’s Gift & Garden store is the place for one-of-akind gifts and home decor, garden supplies and decor, books, personal care items, children's books and educational toys and botanic-themed jewelry. Delight in local honey, jams and jellies, Arboretum syrup and other gourmet food items. During Double Discount Days, Arboretum members qualify for a 20 percent discount on all regularly priced merchandise (double the usual member discount). Please show your member card at the cash register.
Photo by Larry Stehr
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ARBORETUM AUXILIARY SPRING PLANT SALE Photo by Susie Hopper
8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 8-9, Red Barn Farm Our annual plant sale is back for Mother’s Day weekend this year. Shop the sale at Farm at the Arb, using the Arboretum entrance on 82nd Street. Visitors will need to make free reservations in advance to shop the sale. Reservations will open April 1 on the Arboretum website. Plant sale visitors will not be able to access the Arboretum grounds beyond the plant sale. With more than 1,000 varieties, there will be a stellar selection of sun and shade plants, curated grasses, heirloom herbs and vegetables, native Minnesota plants and University of Minnesota introductions. All proceeds go to support the work of the Arboretum. arb.umn.edu/auxiliary
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Photo by Gayle Fleming
Friday, April 30 Celebrate Arbor Day in this daylong celebration of trees! Keynote address by Director of Operations Alan Branhagen, speaking on the “Gems in the Arboretum’s Tree Collections” (Virtual Presentation) - live at 10 a.m. (will be uploaded to the Arb website for remainder of the Season of Trees). Then, head to the Oswald Visitor Center for a free tree give-away, craft projects that you can bring home (while supplies last) and coloring pages for the kids! arb.umn.edu/seasonoftrees
Photo by Mark MacLennan
“Season of Trees” Kickoff Celebration
SCAVENGER HUNT TREE TREK CHALLENGE
Reservations open May 1 AUXILIARY PRIVATE
Sunday, July 18 (daytime or sunset); Monday, July 19; and Tuesday, July 20. Arboretum Auxiliary guests travel on luxury air-conditioned motor coaches to tour specially selected private gardens, followed by Sunday brunch, Sunday evening hors d'oeuvres (after the sunset tour option) or weekday lunch. A portion of the fee is a tax-deductible contribution to the Arboretum Auxiliary. Online registration starts May 1 at arb.umn.edu/auxiliary. Call 621-625-9865 to request a hard copy form or ask questions.
2021 AUXILIARY QUILT RAFFLE FUNDRAISER
Tickets on sale May 8-Sept. 25 This year's Arboretum Auxiliary quilt, "Sights and Sounds of the Arboretum," highlights many of the birds that call Minnesota home. It measures 72" x 80" and will be on display in the Oswald Visitor Center’s Great Hall. Tickets are $2 and go on sale May 8. The drawing will be held in the Snyder Auditorium at 2 p.m., Sept. 25, as part of the Auxiliary’s annual Harvest Sale. arb.umn.edu/auxiliary
GO PUBLIC GARDENS DAYS
ALL ABOUT DOGS DAY
Photo Courtesy of Shutterstock
May 7-16 Come out and help the Arboretum celebrate the week as we truly go green! Enjoy the Oswald Visitor Center, the trees along Highway 5, the YouBetcha sculpture, Windmill and the monument sign on the corners of Highways 5 and 41 – all up lit in green lights. Special members-only sunset access on Friday, May 7 until 9 p.m. Visit arb.umn.edu to make your after-hours reservations. Members are also invited to submit current or past photos of you, your family and friends at the Arboretum for inclusion in our Nature Notes blog. (Send photos, name and city of residence to arbpr@umn.edu by May 1.)
Photo by Gayle Fleming
BUD BREAK 5K AND 1K KIDS RUN Sunday, May 2, Farm at the Arb $35 members/$50 non-members for 5K timed (limit of 150); $30/$45 for 5K not-timed; $10 Kids 1K; $25 Virtual Bud Break; $5 purchase a sign to encourage a runner along the route (Same day registration: $50/$65 5K; $20 Kids 1K). Break out your running shoes as our buds break for the Arboretum’s 24th annual Bud Break 5K walk/run and 1K Kids fun run. The event has been re-imagined for 2021 to ensure participant safety. Runners looking for some competition can register for the timed run. There will be 6 starting times that allow for social distancing. Each heat will have no more than 25 runners. Race Berry Jam will provide timing and announce winners after the final heat. Participants looking for a more casual experience can enjoy staggered times throughout the day with 25 participants every 30 minutes. Also new this year, all participants will start and end at the Farm at the Arb! Timed runners will experience a new route on the Eastern Drive and a section of Three-Mile Drive with a cut-through on the Three-Mile Walk. Casual runners will follow a new path that links to the Three-Mile Walk, and the kids 1K will be held at the Farm at the Arb Event Lawns. Register at: budbreak.umn.edu Pre-Race Registration needed by April 18 for t-shirt guarantee.
Saturday and Sunday, May 22-23, Arboretum Grounds $30 per group (Does not include gate admission – must be reserved separately) In honor of National Scavenger Hunt Day, Monday, May 24, the Arboretum has created a tree trek suitable for all adventurers. How fast can your group navigate the clues to complete the Scavenger Hunt Tree Trek Challenge? Register now to compete with 71 other teams for the title of Scavenger Hunt Champion. Time slots are available May 22 and 23 with the winner announced on May 24. Teams can have up to 15 participants (max of 3 households combined per COVID-19 safety rules). Each team member will need to have a reservation for Arboretum admission separate from the scavenger hunt. Grand prize includes an Arboretum tote, water bottle and 2 VIP passes for each team member! Reserve Arboretum Admission for your team members for the same time as your scavenger hunt time here: arb.umn.edu/seasonoftrees
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, June 5, Dog Commons $5 Member with Dog-Added Membership; $15 Member with regular membership; $30 non-member. All About Dogs Day at the Arb is our annual day to celebrate dogs in nature! Join us for a new 2021 experience at the Dog Commons, the Arboretum's on-leash dog trails. Explore the 65-acre Dog Commons and visit up to 40 vendors at the Dog Expo. Enter your dog(s) into virtual pet contests by June 1. Winners will be announced on All About Dogs Day! The Dog Commons is not "just an on-leash dog trail." It is about the entire experience of being outside in plant-rich landscape with an animal companion. A goal of the Dog Commons is to inspire a shift from walking the dog as a chore to walking the dog as a mindful and restorative experience that benefits health and well-being for humans and pets. All About Dogs Day registration: arb.umn.edu/content/all-about-dogs
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THE JOY OF GIVING
Arboretum Director Pete Moe, Director of Development Susan Taylor, Former Arboretum Foundation Board President John Bryant, Gail Buuck, Bob Buuck
“Isn’t it beautiful, Grandma?”That’s what Gail Buuck’s
grandson asked her one day, with an admiring sweep of his hand, as he sat on a hilltop bench in – you guessed it – the Arboretum. It is beautiful, all of it. But not all of it is accessible – to people in a wheelchair or using a cane or pushing a stroller. For them, accessibility is not an abstract concept, but a key that unlocks the Arboretum. Gail Buuck and her husband, Bob Buuck, have done a lot of unlocking through their support for three paving projects: • a trail that links the Maze Garden to the rhododendron collection, which completes Three-Mile Walk • a trail that runs between the rhododendrons and the Farm at the Arb
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• paving for better access to the annual and herb gardens The Buucks have a powerful reason for these investments: Their adult son, John, has been in a wheelchair since he was 12 years old. As John’s parents, the Buucks became sharply aware of what was and was not accessible. “At some places we visit even today,” Gail says, “we wonder how a person in a wheelchair or with a cane could ever get access.” Better accessibility is better for everyone. “Lots of people, even those without disabilities, love the new Arboretum trails,” says Bob, who calls the Arboretum “a jewel of the United States.” In the early 1970s, Bob co-founded American Medical Systems, a medical device business he later helped sell to the
A R B O R E T U M M AGA Z I N E // A P R I L • M AY 2021
pharmaceutical company Pfizer. He came a long way to do that, literally and figuratively: As a young son of American missionaries in China, he spent time in a Japanese concentration camp in Hong Kong during World War II. Gail was an elementary school teacher in Minnesota for many years and served on the Arboretum’s Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2012. “We’re passionate about the environment and climate issues,” Gail says, “so getting involved at the Arboretum ticked off a lot of boxes for us.” The Buucks do demonstrably have a passion for the Arboretum and what Gail calls “its vast array of experiences.” Those experiences, she notes, “cannot be sustained for future generations without funding.”
Photos Courtesy of Robert Evans Imagery
JEFF ISEMINGER • CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Photo by Chris McNamara
Gala emcee Belinda Jensen, KARE-11 Chief Meteorologist
Any season, daytime or evening, the Arboretum –
MEMBERS, DID YOU KNOW?
Photo by Don Olson
Photo by Ivy & Ellis Photography
Celebrate the Arboretum at the virtual Gala in the Gardens on Thursday, June 17, 2021. Hosted by the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Foundation, the Gala in the Gardens is the Arboretum’s annual signature fundraising event. Funds raised at the Gala are invested into the Arboretum’s 1,200 acres of gardens, plant and tree collections, model landscapes, natural areas and miles of trails. Your support propels our mission to welcome, inform, and inspire almost 500,000 annual visitors through outstanding displays, protected natural areas, horticultural research and education. Co-chairs of the 2021 Gala Committee are Jennifer Allen and Judy Fulk. For registration and event details go to: z.umn.edu/ArboretumGala If you have questions, Call 612-625-9437, or email ArbGala@umn.edu.
Your Arboretum membership not only gets you in free to the Arb, but it also grants you access to all sorts of other adventures at botanical gardens and arboreta around the country. The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is a participant of the American Horticultural Society's Reciprocal Admission Program. That means we are partners with more than 330 gardens throughout North America. When you're traveling, we encourage you to visit and support our fellow plant lovers! For a complete list of participating gardens, visit ahsgardening.org/gardening-programs/rap. Remember, you can always check out arb.umn.edu/content/complimentary-digital-resourcesmembers for great digital resources – designed especially for our loyal members!
Minnesota’s premier public gardens – is a beautiful place to celebrate your special day. Whether your party is less than 50 people, from 50-150 people or more than 300, you may choose picturesque outdoor garden settings, wonderful indoor venues for your ceremony or reception, and a range of menu options including full catering. Phenomenal scenery and attentive customer service included. There is no doubt that the 2020 wedding season looked different than the previous busy years at the Arboretum. As we approach the 2021 season, our team is optimistic we can offer clients a space to celebrate their wedding! Our new brochure lists our venue locations for both indoor and outdoor settings. We are also able to do custom locations. New this year is the Arb's Red Barn featuring two spacious event lawns. To view photos of each space, please explore our Flicker account. Tours/Info: arb-reservations@lists.umn.edu More Information: arb.umn.edu/plan-events Flicker: flickr.com/photos/mnarbweddings
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TECH NOLOGY FOCUS
SELF-GUIDED TREE TOURS WITH OUR DIGITAL MAP NICK KREEVICH • ARBORETUM CARTOGRAPHER/PLANT RECORDER
With the arrival of spring, our digital map
will offer you the ability to take self-guided tours relating to all things trees. It will be updated as the growing season progresses. This new tool can be found at: z.umn.edu/arbmap. You can use the digital map on-site at the Arboretum by accessing
it through the web browser on your smart phone or you can access it at home to take a virtual tour. Our self-guided tours will give you the opportunity to learn more about a particular specimen such as its ecological benefits. One of our first tree tours (Tree Trek) will include several trees
SELF-GUIDED TOUR LAYER
that guide you through our formal gardens. As with past features, this tour will be accessible on our digital map’s layer list, as shown in the photo below. By clicking the green icon, a pop-up will appear with further information and images related to the selected specimen.
WHAT’S IN BLOOM LAYER
Our What’s in Bloom layer will also return this spring and it’ll be updated as the growing season
progresses. This layer features plants and gardens of particular bloom interest at the Arboretum. By clicking the purple icon associated with the layer (see image above), you can see further details and images of the plant or garden that is highlighted for the week.
Season of Trees Presenting Sponsor
2021 ARBORETUM TRAVEL
WITH ARBORETUM DIRECTOR EMERITUS PETER OLIN,ARBORETUM DIRECTOR PETE MOE AND DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS ALAN BRANHAGEN
ATTENTION: We are planning Arboretum Garden Tours for 2021. However, some or all tours are subject to cancelation or postponement due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. In light of this uncertainty, we’ve made special arrangements to have you sign up with no deposit until we know that the trip can take place safely. When that is assured, we will then ask for a deposit. We encourage you to sign up now to hold your place for the trip you wish to take.
Texas Hill Country.
Host: Peter Olin. POSTPONED UNTIL APRIL 2022.
Coastal Maine. June 2 – 9, 2021.
Beautiful Maine gardens in bloom in the spring. Stops are made in Kennebunkport, Portland, Boothbay Harbor, Rockland and Bar Harbor. Enjoy lighthouses, gardens, historic villages, Acadia National Park and Coastal Maine Botanical Garden – even a nature cruise on Frenchman’s Bay. Host: Pete Moe. Contact Jenny Woodson: jenny@skadstravel.com or 952-927-7311.
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A R B O R E T U M M AGA Z I N E // A P R I L • M AY 2021
District of Gardens, DC and the Tidewater. Late September 2021. Experience the wonderful history and gardens of the Washington, D.C. area – including Maryland and Virginia. An exciting trip that delves into the history of the United States and the gardens of our founding fathers … and those of the rich and famous. More details coming. Host: Peter Olin. Contact Lynde Vespoli; destinationsandtours@gmail.com or 440-840-6334. For information on all Arboretum tours, go to arbtravel.umn.edu or contact Peter Olin, olinx002@umn.edu.
RESEARCH Butternut with visible cankers
Ripening butternut seeds note tapered egg-shape
Dark chambered pith of butternut twig
SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARBORETUM’S PLANT CONSERVATION PROGRAM Butternut (Juglans cinerea) is a member of the walnut family that can
be found throughout a large portion of the northeastern to midwestern United States. While it has never been a common tree species, it has become increasingly rare due to a canker disease caused by an introduced non-native fungus. The fungus is now widespread in the landscape and most trees show clear signs of infection (dark-colored, sunken, weeping cankers on the root flare, trunk, and branches). Butternut reaches its northwestern edge-of-range in Minnesota where the Arboretum’s Plant Conservation Program is working to conserve the genetics of these remaining trees. These edge-of-range trees are particularly important for conservation efforts because conditions are more extreme than at the range core, thus producing trees with unique genetics that support survival in colder or snowier conditions, for example. Butternut presents a conservation challenge, however, as the trees produce large, oily seeds that cannot be dried down and stored in the typical fashion. (This is due to the high fat content in the seeds that causes the seed to spoil
Late winter butternut twig
Photos by Amanda Weise
AMANDA WEISE CONSERVATION BOTANIST
AMANDA WEISE CONSERVATION BOTANIST
quickly.) For butternut, and other non-orthodox species like oaks and hickories, plants must be conserved in living collections and propagated in perpetuity. In addition, it can be difficult to find productive trees in the wild due to the year-to-year variability of nut crops, impacts of the canker, and competition for nuts with hungry wildlife. When productive trees are found, they also have to be carefully examined to ensure they are not a hybrid (a cross with Japanese walnut) that has been planted or naturalized. Trees produced from seed for this project will be both conserved at the Arboretum in a conservation collection and shipped to conservation partners (i.e., botanical gardens and arboreta) in the upper midwest, where they will be preserved as back-ups. The first trees in this new conservation project are going to be planted at the Arboretum this spring/summer. The author would like to thank the American Public Gardens Association/ United States Forest Service’s Tree Gene Conservation Partnership for support of this project. A R B O R E T U M M AGA Z I N E // A P R I L • M AY 2021
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Calendar At-A-Glance Due to ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and updated requirements from both the State and University of Minnesota, please find the latest calendar information at arb.umn.edu
SPRING ARRIVALS TO SAMPLE, SAUTE‚ & STIR FRY COOK-ALONG MAY 15
LATE SPRING VEGETABLES TO BOIL, BRAISE & STEAM COOK-ALONG JUNE 19
ONGOING EXHIBITS REEDY GALLERY
“Chroma” Minnesota Watercolor Society Spring Exhibition • Through April 15 (See page 16.) “Birds of a Feather: Contemporary Avian Artists” • April 20 - June 14 (See page 16)
ARBORETUM SUMMER DAY CAMPS & CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS AGES 5-11: REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
Explore, Dig, Hike, Imagine, Plant, Grow, Learn, Create, Discover & Play! Register today for an engaging mix of science-based, nature-inspired programs that encourage friendship, stimulate learning, inspire exploration, and support a love of the natural world and all its wonders. Programs will be based primarily outdoors and follow all current state and university guidelines for COVID-19 safety protocols. arboretum.umn.edu/summeryouth.aspx
APRIL 16-30
DOUBLE DISCOUNT DAYS
Gift & Garden Store (See page 8)
MAY 7-16
GO PUBLIC GARDENS DAYS (See page 9)
EVERY THURSDAY
STORYTIME AT HOME
Andersen Horticultural Library StoryTime recording every Thursday:
arb.umn/edu/storytime
THURSDAY, APRIL 8
NATURE JOURNAL ACADEMY: LOOKING FOR LICHEN
10-11 a.m., $20/family, online via ZOOM Ages 5-12. An Arboretum instructor guides your family in active learning and outdoor exploration, with before-and-after-class activities. Learn about fungi and algae that work together to make lichen.
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SATURDAY, APRIL 10
KHACHAPURI, A TRADITIONAL GEORGIAN BREAD: LIVE COOKING DEMO
2-3:30 p.m., $25/$30, online via ZOOM Chef Beth Jones will teach you how to make khachapuri, a traditional Georgian bread filled with cheese and egg. Learn techniques to make the dough, and how to form and fill the boat-shaped breads with cheese and egg.
THURSDAY, APRIL 15
MAPLE SYRUP MAGIC: COOK-ALONG LIVE
9-10:30 a.m., $20/$25, online via ZOOM Cook along with Arboretum culinary instructor Ann Bercher or sit back and enjoy the show. Explore the botanical background of maple syrup and learn to use syrup in several sweet and savory recipes, such as Maple Syrup Glazed Salmon Salad, Maple Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Maple Granola Bars.
YOGA IN THE GARDENS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21
Taught by Spirit of the Lake Yoga. arb.umn.edu/content/yoga-gardens (See page 8)
7-9 p.m., $35/$40, online via ZOOM
6 p.m., free with gate admission, Sensory Garden
FRIDAY, APRIL 16
WHIMSICAL OWLS IN WATERCOLOR 10 a.m.-1 p.m., $49/$69, Online via ZOOM
LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY NIGHTSCAPES
Master the popular new field of nightscape photography! Discuss setting up gear for night photography; proper ISO, exposure, focus, and aperture; capturing images with the night sky and beautiful foregrounds; and post-process editing.
This beginner-level interactive online class will teach you to engage and embrace your own personal style as you capture the distinctive features of North America's great horned owls in a whimsical watercolor portrait.
SUNDAY, APRIL 25
SATURDAY, APRIL 17
(See page 8)
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY 101
9-10:30 a.m., $25/$30, online via ZOOM Learn tips and techniques for photographing scenery, wildlife, plants and flowers. Understand light, composition, preparations for inclement weather, nature photography ethics and more.
A R B O R E T U M M AGA Z I N E // A P R I L • M AY 2021
YOGA IN THE GARDENS
12-1 p.m., free with gate admission, Lilac Collection Taught by Yoga Bella.
arb.umn.edu/content/yoga-gardens
FRIDAY, APRIL 30
ARBOR DAY: SEASON OF TREES KICKOFF (See page 8)
Photos by JukovStudio at Shutterstock
APRIL-MAY PROGRAMS & EVENTS
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:
Arboretum.umn.edu/learn.aspx CLASS REGISTRATION: 612-301-1210 EVENTS, EXHIBITS, GENERAL INFO: 612-624-2200 SUMMER VEGETABLES TO GRILL & BROIL COOK-ALONG JULY 10
SATURDAY, MAY 22
SATURDAY, MAY 8
PRACTICUM FOR PHOTOGRAPHING BEAUTIFUL SPRING FLOWERS
AUXILIARY SPRING PLANT SALE (See page 8)
8-10 a.m., $54/$69, Arboretum location TBD
2021 AUXILIARY QUILT RAFFLE FUNDRAISER
Prerequisite: Photographing Beautiful Spring Flowers (May 20). This in-person outdoor session allows time with the instructor to practice macro and floral landscape shots in the Arb gardens, experimenting with what you learned on a variety of flowers.
First day of ticket sales (See page 9)
SUNDAY, MAY 9
AUXILIARY SPRING PLANT SALE (See page 8)
MAY MARKET
THURSDAY, MAY 13
10 a.m.-4 p.m., Margot Picnic Shelter (See page 8)
NATURE JOURNAL ACADEMY: SPRING BUDS
10-11 a.m., $20/family, online via ZOOM
SATURDAY, MAY 1 MAY MARKET
10 a.m.-4 p.m., Margot Picnic Shelter (See page 8)
AUXILIARY PRIVATE GARDEN TOURS First day of registration
SATURDAY, MAY 15
SCAVENGER HUNT TREE TREK CHALLENGE Arboretum Grounds (See page 9)
SUNDAY, MAY 23 MAY MARKET
10 a.m.-4 p.m., Margot Picnic Shelter (See page 8)
MAY MARKET
SCAVENGER HUNT TREE TREK CHALLENGE
10 a.m.-4 p.m., Margot Picnic Shelter (See page 8)
Arboretum Grounds
Tour dates: Sunday, July 18, (daytime or sunset); Monday, July 19; and Tuesday, July 20. (See page 9)
SPRING ARRIVALS TO SAMPLE, SAUTE & STIR FRY: COOK-ALONG
(See page 9)
9-10:30 a.m., $20/$25, online via ZOOM
MONDAY, MAY 24
SUNDAY, MAY 2
The first session of the Local, Seasonal Cooking Series: (See page 7)
FULL MOON PHOTOGRAPHY
7-9 p.m., $35/$40, online via ZOOM
8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Farm at the Arb
SUNDAY, MAY 16
BUD BREAK (See page 9)
YOGA IN THE GARDENS – TAI CHI 10-11 a.m., free with gate admission, Chinese Garden Taught by Sue Bitney.
arb.umn.edu/content/yoga-gardens (See page 8)
MAY MARKET
10 a.m.-4 p.m., Margot Picnic Shelter (See page 8)
FRIDAY, MAY 7 Photos by JukovStudio at Shutterstock
Ages 5-12. An Arboretum instructor guides your family in active learning and outdoor exploration, with before-and-after-class activities. Learn why trees make buds and watch them open at super speed. Practice scientific data collection.
FIRST BLUSH: APPLE BLOSSOMS IN WATERCOLOR
10 a.m.-1 p.m., $49/$69, Online via ZOOM Paint the bright buds and translucent petals of our blushing apple trees as you learn to: map the edges of defining shapes, mix soft neutral colors for subtle shading, create blooming washes for a smooth transition of color and build a geometric framework to finish your composition.
(See page 8)
Refine your moon photography techniques, determine the best times and places to capture the “big moon” shot, learn camera settings for proper exposure and identify the proper lenses for successful compositions.
THURSDAY, MAY 20
SATURDAY, MAY 29
MAY MARKET
10 a.m.-4 p.m., Margot Picnic Shelter
MAY MARKET
PHOTOGRAPHING BEAUTIFUL SPRING FLOWERS
10 a.m.-4 p.m., Margot Picnic Shelter
6:30-8 p.m., $25/$30, online via ZOOM Discuss the five types of flower photography, managing depth of field for close-up shots, image stacking, as well as basic and advanced equipment needed for best results.
YOGA IN THE GARDENS
6-7 p.m., free with gate admission, Iris Garden
(See page 8)
SUNDAY, MAY 30 MAY MARKET
10 a.m.-4 p.m., Margot Picnic Shelter (See page 8)
YOGA IN THE GARDENS
Taught by Spirit of the Lake.
12-1 p.m., free with gate admission, Azalea Collection
(See page 8)
arb.umn.edu/content/yoga-gardens
arb.umn.edu/content/yoga-gardens
Taught by Yoga Bella. (See page 8)
SATURDAY, JUNE 5
ALL ABOUT DOGS DAY
10 a.m.-2 p.m., Dog Commons (See page 9)
A R B O R E T U M M AGA Z I N E // A P R I L • M AY 2021
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TELEPHONE DIRECTORY
General Information . . . . . . . . 612-624-2200 Andersen Horticultural Library. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612-301-1239 Auxiliary Membership & Events Info. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612-625-9865 Seasonal Alerts . . . . . . . . . . . 612-625-9791 Contributions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612-301-1266 Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612-301-1210 Gift and Garden Store . . . . . . . 612-301-7619 Facility Rentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612-301-7600 Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612-301-1257 Memorials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612-301-1266 Volunteering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612-301-1203 Yard & Garden Help Desk. . . 612-301-7590 Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . arboretum.umn.edu
3675 Arboretum Drive Chaska, Minnesota 55318-9613
A publication for members and friends of the Arboretum
Due to ongoing limited operations because of COVID-19, please visit arb.umn.edu for hours and programming updates.
HOURS GROUNDS APRIL: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. MAY: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
BUILDINGS APRIL: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. MAY: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
Memorial Day (May 31) Normal Hours ANDERSEN HORTICULTURAL LIBRARY APRIL & MAY: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday.-Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday CLOSED SUNDAY AND MONDAY ADMISSION Visitors: $15 for ages 16 and up Members: Free Children 15 & under: Free All visitors must make a reservation arb.umn.edu/order-tickets Arboretum Memberships start at $60 (Arboretum.umn.edu/newmemberships.aspx)
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The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. ©2020 Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
ART AT THE ARBORETUM
Delight in the beauty found indoors in the Oswald Visitor Center. Art is available for sale through the Gift & Garden Store, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the Arboretum. PLEASE NOTE: Due to ongoing limited operations because of COVID-19, please visit arb.umn.edu for Art Gallery exhibit updates.
REEDY GALLERY EXHIBITS “Chroma” Minnesota Watercolor Society Spring Exhibition • Through April 15 This annual spring juried show features many of the most accomplished water media artists in our region and have been judged by artist and Professor Carl Oltvedt.
At Your Service by Kim Russell
“Birds of a Feather: Contemporary Avian Artists” • April 20 - June 14 Birds provide inspiration for Kim Russell and Emily Donovan, the two contemporary artists featured in this exhibition. While inspired by ancient legacies in art, each uses wildly different techniques. Russell is influenced by indigenous imagery resulting in meticulous, highly stylized ink and acrylic drawings. Donovan’s natural hand-dyed paper is created through an exacting process shared by cultures around the world. Throughout her processes, from foraging for raw materials to finished works of art, Donovan maintains a close connection to the land and sky. Both artists ensure the essence of their subjects remain in their finished work, rooted in a shared desire to provide a new perspective of our feathered friends. Don't miss these opportunities to hear artists discuss art and their passion for birds. • In celebration of world migratory bird day join artist Kim Russell in this fun engaging discussion virtually via Zoom: “Seeing Birds through the Eyes of an Artist” Saturday, May 8, 10 a.m. Register in advance for this webinar: z.umn.edu/6mgt • Join artist Emily Donovan, via Zoom from her backyard studio for “Perspectives of an Artist-Birder: Finding Color, Meaning & Connection” – a demonstration of her art process using natural dye and pigment. Saturday, June 12, 10 a.m. Register in advance for this webinar: z.umn.edu/6mhq Make the art galleries at the Arboretum part of every visit. All art is for sale through the Gift and Garden Store with proceeds going to fund the Arboretum and the local artist community! arb.umn.edu/art-galleries/reedy-gallery