Arboretum

It doesn’t seem like another year has passed but there we were gathered in the magnificent Founders Hall.  The annual event brought together current and retired staff, members of the Arboretum Association, alumni, current students and guests.  As is typical for the sun in mid October fashion, while it approaches the horizon it basks the Great Hall in beautiful long shadows spanning the width of the room.  Outside, the campus was in full autumnal glory.

Once the happy hour wrapped up, Arboretum Director, Bill Astifan greeted the attendees.  He then conducted a short business meeting followed by a brief historical jaunt through campus via power point.  Bill invited everyone to find their seats and then we were treated to a delicious meal.

The venerable and opinionated father of American botany was in attendance this night.  Quaker gentleman, John Bartram (1699-1777) portrayed in character and dress by Mr. Kirk Brown was sensational.
His musings of best friend Benjamin Franklin and additionally, contemporary plantsmen Peter Collinson, Dr.  John Fothergill and Billy (son, William Bartram) were stellar.  He talked about his travels down to south east Georgia where in its untouched splendor, he first encountered the Franklin tree, Franklinia alatamaha. This tree has been extinct in the wild since 1803.  Seeds collected by John and Billy are the reason we can still enjoy this plant relic.  The horticultural trade today owes him debt of gratitude for introducing 200 species which we take for granted in our gardens.

It is always a pleasure to spend this evening with friends and I look forward to our time together next year.

The event originally scheduled for October 7th was pushed back one week due to rain and what a beautiful day it was last Sunday (Oct. 14).  Members of the Philadelphia Haverford Alumni Network, PHAN enjoyed an afternoon back on campus hosted by the Arboretum.

Arboretum Director, Bill Astifan treated the group with a short power point presentation in Sharpless auditorium to begin the afternoon.  This pictorial journey featured many images from the college archives and some dated back as far as the nineteenth century.  The group was given a glimpse of how the campus evolved from its singularity of Founders Hall to what Haverford has become today, with emphasis on the landscape.  The scope of guests ranged from Class of ’71 to the Class of ’09.

Hot off the heals of the official dedication of Haverford’s two newest dorms the day before, Tritton and Kim Halls, we set out into the landscape.  I explained to the group that these were the first new dorms to be built since the late 1960s.  We talked about the obstacles that lie ahead for the horticulturists and grounds crew. The design was accomplished by a landscape architecture firm from New York City and installation of the plantings handled by a landscape contractor.  Now, we are given the reigns to maintain the space.  It poses no shortage of challenges but in time we are excited to cultivate this new landscape.

As we meandered our way up to The Peace Garden, a few moments were spent discussing the majestic trees on Founders Green.

Horticulturist, Carol Wagner informed the group about the history of peace gardens world-wide and how Haverford’s Peace Garden came to be through the efforts of then student, Jenn Weitz ’08.  The garden has become a quite sanctuary along a busy route to the dining center.

Our final destination transported the group to the orient.  The Asian gardens welcomed the group with a well deserved resting place.  A wine and cheese reception ended a wonderful afternoon.  It is the hopes of the Arboretum staff that by bringing back alums, the memories of their beloved college and its landscape are being thoughtfully cultivated for future generations of ‘Fords.

How would have Cinderella gotten to the ball without a pumpkin patch?  Or poor Linus, after being ridiculed by Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the gang sat in his pumpkin patch through the night waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive and proclaim his was the most “sincere”.  Another masterpiece of American literature asks the question; why did Brom Van Burnt laugh out loud when people talked about the broken orange pumpkin found near Ichabod’s old dusty hat?  Who knew the little jack-o-lantern would ever be raised to such cultural prominence?

Now, just for clarification, the pumpkin is not a vegetable, botanically speaking, it is a fruit!  Cucurbita pepo is the Latin name that catches a large representation of the grocery produce isle:  acorn squash, cucumber, summer squash, cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, gourds and the pumpkin.  For the record, Ron Wallace from Greene, Rhode Island has grown the world record pumpkin.  His behemoth tipped the scale on September 28, 2012 at a mind blowing 2009 pounds!  Pumpkins of that stature come from good genes.  Two of the favorite seed names are Goliath Giant and Atlantic Giant.

Following, is a list of important tips for growing the big ones from www.pumpkinnook.com.  Start with great soil and lots of organic material.  Seeds should be started indoors since these giants take 140 days or more to size up before harvest.  The vine is a heavy drinker, so poor on the water.  There is an art to the fertilization regime and here is a stripped down sketch.  Fertilize with high nitrogen in spring.  Switch to a high phosphorus mix in advance of blooming and fruit set.  Once the fruit is getting some size, change to high a potassium formula.  Finally, an important micronutrient not to be forgotten is calcium.

The life of a regular sized pumpkin must first be field sown 85-110 days before one can begin to create all the wonderful tricks and treats this seasonal favorite has to offer.  Give them room it is a sprawling vine.  They have many insects and diseases that creep up; for example, cutworms, cucumber aphids, squash vine bores, powdery mildew, fruit rots and wilts. Their flowers are edible and the plant bears separate male and female flowers, so insect pollination is critical for fruit to be produced.  Nutritionally, pumpkins are loaded with the antioxidant Beta carotene.

If you venture to the World Championship Punkin Chunkin in Bridgeville, Delaware be sure to have nourishment for the ride with a pumpkin bagel from Panera Bread Company and a pumpkin spiced latte from Starbucks!

This Swamp chestuut oak, Quercus michauxii was planted by former grounds staff, Eric Larson on September 11, 2001.  The tree stands in front of the rotunda at the INSC.

The old orchard north of Tritton Hall welcomed with wide spread branches its first new resident Thursday. For more than two decades the Aboretum has welcomed each incoming class with the gift of a tree. The Class of 2016 planted a Yoshino cherry, Prunus yedoensis. These students moved in on Wednesday and were given the opportunity to add their mark to the campus. The Tritton and Kim dorm construction impacted the old orchard, so what better way to begin a renewal of the site than to replant! The tree will be labeled stating, the name of the tree and Class of 2016, Freshman Tree.

The Arboretum welcomes back all returning students and encourages them to gain a greater appreciation and explore the historic college arboretum in which they live.

Welcome Class of 2016 and hello again to all returning ‘Fords, faculty and staff.

For the Sixteen, this is an exciting time on campus, you are joining the Community as the doors of Tritton and Kim residence halls open.  These are the first new dorms on campus since the mid ’60s!  You will also be living in an Arboretum.  The Haverford College Arboretum is the oldest in the United States and to prove it there is a landscape design from 1834 in the college archives.

You’ll see the Arboretum and grounds staff out weeding, planting trees, watering, raking leaves and shoveling snow.  Be sure to say, “hello”.

Join the Arboretum staff thursday, August 30 at 10am in the old orchard behind Tritton Hall.  We will assist you as you plant your freshman tree.  Then next week, Sept, 2-4, in the Dining Center all freshman can pickup a free plant for their room and have the opportunity to become a student member of the Arboretum and a proud owner of the ever popular Arboretum t-shirt.

Enjoy a few of my favorite images from this year and you’ll see what a wonderful place Haverford is.

I never like to witness a tree being cut down. On August 8th the community lost a sentinel red oak, Quercus rubra. While it had been in decline for a number of years, the Arboretum made efforts to stimulate growth and improve the overall health. It was recently decided by the Arboretum Manager, Bill Astifan in close consultation with Arborist, Jim Ward of the John B. Ward Tree Co. that the oak was a hazardous tree and needed to come down.

This red oak quietly graced a prominent spot on campus.  After counting the growth rings, my estimation for age is approximately 114 years. Many will remember it on the south west corner of Barclay Hall. Parents and friends coming to campus passed under its branches on their walk to Commencement. Generations of ‘Fords enjoyed its cooling shade in their Barclay rooms. When the oak was planted on the south side of Barclay so many years ago, it was the intent that one day this tree would bestow shade to those rooms. Our oak did not disappoint on providing a cooling canopy or by offering a majestic and beautiful presence to the Haverford campus.

For those of you that have been faithful readers of my blog, you may remember a post dating to January 28, 2012.  Here is the preamble for today’s offering as a quick refresher.

blogs.haverford.edu/arboretum/2012/01/28/what-if/

The Arboretum crew has begun the removal of Euonymus alatus, burning bush from campus. This shrub is an invasive Asian species.   However, I would like to first thank two young men from the Shipley School, Chris Camerota and Mack Gallagher.  They just completed a three week volunteer service project as part of their graduation requirement.  A good portion of their efforts were spent on this one task.  We wish them well in the fall as they attend Washington and Lee University and Lafayette University respectively.

Burning bush’s wandering tendencies are most evident in the autumn.  They are easily spotted in the woods and other natural settings when their screaming red foliage brings them out of hiding in the summer greenery.  The removal on campus has netted 23 mature plants.  These plantings were more than likely installed 20-25 years ago, at a time when the horticulture profession might not have known of the plant’s propensity to be so troublesome.

Once the removal is complete, a site by site evaluation will be made as to a native species replacement or none at all.  In the case of the plantings behind the Library we will be replanting the area with the native Chionanthus virginicus, fringetree and Hydrangea quercifolia, oak-leaved hydrangea.

Rarely does any arboretum of botanical garden chose to eradicate a species from the collection. The Haverford College Arboretum feels that this is one of those opportunities to educate the college community and protect the approximately 80 acres of natural land on campus.

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.  

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders Fields.  

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders Fields. 

John McCrae, 1915.

The poppy referred to in the poem is Papaver rhoeas and commonly called the corn poppy.

When I see a veteran selling poppies during the days leading up to Memorial Day I don’t hesitate to buy one.  I do this to pay tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to our country and to honor many friends and family members that have served.  My nephew Brandon is a United States Marine.  A mechanic servicing F-18 fighters, he will be deployed to Japan in September.

We as a country, must never forget that the freedoms enjoyed and sometimes taken for granted would never have been possible for not the loss of life and heroism in the many wars through the years.

The two images below are from the Haverford College Library, Special Collections.  The Army Specialized Training Program (ATSP) utilized the campus and taught engineering, foreign area and language studies as part of the program to add non-combattant service students during WWII.

Working at a college, you put all your horticultural eggs in one basket, Commencement Day.  The Arboretum and Grounds crews have spent the last few weeks manicuring and primping the turf, flower beds, tree rings and even wiping down trash and recycling receptacles for this Sunday.  The month of May, we mulch. 

Many times overlooked and often a thankless job,  Mike P. (Pavlakowski) of the grounds crews puts down new sod along the commencement parade route.  Grounds Manager,Claudia Kent wipes down the trash cans in front of the Dining Center. 

To ensure the seating area is properly line out for chair set up, Grounds member, David Tierney works with mechanic, Len Sides.  They use a string line and paint to evenly mark the rows for seating.

Haverford College on any given day is beautiful.  However, on Commencement Day it is transformed to a higher place.  It is with pleasure we present the setting for the graduating Class of 2012 with a campus landscape so beloved.

I wish the Seniors happiness and peace as they leave this place ready to start anew.