Garden Practices
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
After the large snow fall we had on February 5th and 6th you have probably looked outside and have observed many of your prized plants are engulfed in snow. In most cases the snow will fall off the plants and they will spring back to their natural and original shape. However, there are some plants which are especially vulnerable to heavy snows. Several pines including the lacebark pine (Pinus bungeana) and especially the Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) can have large branches snapping off at the trunk from the weight of the snow.
Most evergreen conifers, however, that have a strong…
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Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
Last week Yvonne Post’s lead goats, Wyeth and Rodin, visited the Scott Arboretum on a reconnaissance mission. As lead goats, Wyeth and Rodin (named for famous artists) are brought to trial new locations and vegetation to see if the entire herd would take to the site and eat the weeds found there.
Rodin chomping on ivy while Yvonne discusses goats in the garden. photo credit: R. Robert
Like many other institutions in the region, the Scott Arboretum is trialing the use of goats to remove invasive and stubborn weeds from the garden. Also called “nature’s weed-eaters”, goats are a sustainable, environment friendly…
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Monday, November 9th, 2009
On Thursday, October 22 over 35 volunteers from Swarthmore College, Scott Arboretum, and CRC Watershed Association gathered to plant 83 trees and shrubs. These plantings were the result of a TreeVitalize Watershed Grant awarded from Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and Delaware County Conservation District (DCCD). Volunteers spent the morning planting a 2,000 square feet or 4.59 acre riparian forest buffer along the Crum Creek corridor.
Tools and plants are laid out in preparation for volunteers. photo credit: R. Maurer
These plantings were in addition to the trees planted last spring by Swarthmore College volunteers in the area newly name Roger’s Grove, which…
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