Archive for September 2008
Monday, September 15th, 2008
The Scott Arboretum comprises the campus of Swarthmore College. If there was a way to quantify the most frequently visited spot on campus it would most likely be the pond in the Terry Shane Teaching garden. Children and adults alike find this to be both an intriguing and restful destination.
I, too, have always been attracted to water and water features in the garden. I am often attracted to the architecture of the water feature, whether it be an informal stone-edged pond like the one I have in my home garden or the formal architecture like the hills at Hestercombe in…
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Friday, September 12th, 2008
Last Thursday we had the 5th annual Crum Creek Clean-up. 38 people helped clean-up the creek and surrounding areas. Tasks included: trash removal, trail maintenance, and invasive and weed removal.
One group spent their time in and around the holly meadow pulling vines off of some of our native deciduous hollies (Ilex verticillata). They also removed several plants of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) that had established themselves in the holly meadow. They ended up with a whole dump truck full of weeds.
Three small groups set out in different directions throughout the trails of the Crum Woods to gather all sorts of trash.
Another…
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Thursday, September 11th, 2008
Hickory Horned Devil
Citheronia regalis
Yesterday we found a hickory horned devil outside of the Arboretum offices and I was reminded of what fantastic critters they are. Their appearance can be somewhat striking to someone who has never seen one before. I remember I was shocked the first time I saw one. They have spiky horns and can grow up to six inches in length. When they are disturbed, they rear up their spiky heads, but they are actually pretty harmless. They spend the summer eating leaves of Carya, Juglans, Rhus, and Nyssa trees. This time of year they turn a beautiful shade…
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