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Fall 2007 |
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News and Notes is issued three times a year, in January, May, and September, to stakeholder organizations to keep them informed about recent arboretum accomplishments and activities. Stakeholders are encouraged to use material from this document in reports to their members. Please send comments to: Thomas S. Elias, Director John Hammond, Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit
Leader Dana Laster, Administrative and Marketing Manager Nancy Luria, Education and Visitor Services Unit Leader |
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Arboretum
Hosts APGA Tour, Reception, and Dinner
Construction of New Main Entrance in Fern Valley to Begin this Fall Construction drawings for the new entrance and accessible path system in the Fern Valley Native Plant Collection (Fern Valley) are complete, and construction will take place this fall. Read more... Scientist Receives Grant for Easter Lily Research The Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation, Inc. awarded a grant to Dr. Kathryn Kamo of the Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit to use genetic engineering to develop resistance to nematodes in Easter lilies. Read more... Cell Phone Tour Expanded Visitors to any one of the arboretum’s major gardens and collections will now find stops on the cell phone tour. Read more... Brochure Now Available for the Friendship Garden A professionally designed brochure for the Friendship Garden joined the growing “family” of brochures for the arboretum’s gardens and collections. Read more... Private Events at the National Arboretum Prove Successful Canopy Trees Added to the Flowering Tree Walk Bartlett Tree Experts staff planted 77 trees along the Flowering Tree Walk in April during the second phase of planting for this new feature on the ellipse meadow. Read more... New Greenhouses Under Construction The antiquated 1960s greenhouses in the arboretum’s nursery site are gone. Contractors removed the old structures and their foundations and are laying new foundations for state-of-the-art greenhouses. Read more... Outdoor Lighting Improvements Enhance Evening Events The east patio of the Administration Building is a beautiful spot to enjoy the display of ornamental aquatic plants, koi, and large containers filled with some of the newest varieties of tender plants. Read more... FNPRU Liaison Committee Update The U.S. National Arboretum Green Industry Liaison Committee was established in January of this year to facilitate dialogue between the Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit (FNPRU) and the nursery and floriculture stakeholders. Read more... International Boxwood Symposium Participants Visit Arboretum The National Arboretum, with its National Boxwood Collection, was a fitting destination for participants of the first International Boxwood Symposium held in Washington, D.C., in May. Read more... Vibrant Colors Enliven the Morrison Garden In late April, staff transformed the hill at the bottom of the southwest side of the Azalea Collections’ Morrison Garden into a vibrantly hued, multi-seasonal mixed border. Read more... Innovative Plantings Now Greet Visitors The landscape surrounding the arboretum’s Administration Building has been transformed into a welcome mat of garden-worthy plants set into creative designs. Read more... Amber Waves of Grain Appear at the Capitol Columns A small field of winter wheat carpeted the eastern approaches to the National Capitol Columns this summer. Read more... Drought Takes a Toll on Arboretum Plants Throughout this summer’s severe drought, arboretum staff struggled to meet watering needs. Even with a booster pump station to increase water pressure above levels normally found in the municipal water system, pressure was inadequate to keep water flowing in all collections. Read more... Scientists Attend Summer Meetings and Conferences Several Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit scientists participated in professional meetings and conferences this summer, sharing information about their research projects. Read more... Scientist Attends International Hydrangea Conference Dr. Sandra Reed attended the International Hydrangea Conference in Ghent, Belgium, from August 16 – 19. The conference, which was attended by 162 participants from 11 countries, included both scientific and production-related presentations. Read more... Scientist Presents Research Update at Annual Floriculture Event Dr. Ramon Jordan was an invited speaker for the OFA-sponsored Ohio Short Course in July 14-17 in Columbus, Ohio. He spoke on newly identified viruses in important floriculture crops such as Angelonia, Calibrachoa, Impatiens, and Verbena, their symptoms, host ranges, and detection methods. Read more... Arboretum a Presence at the Southern Nursery Association Research Conference and Trade Show Arboretum scientists presented talks and staffed a booth at the Southern Nursery Association annual research conference and trade show held August 9-11 in Atlanta, Georgia. Drs. Sandra Reed and Donna Fare presented updates on their plant breeding and nursery production programs. Read more... Woody Landscape Plant Crop Germplasm Committee Meets in Oregon This year’s Woody Landscape Plant Crop Germplasm Committee (WLPCGC) meeting was held in conjunction with the Farwest Trade Show on Aug. 23-24 in Portland, Oregon. Read more... Small Farms and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Coordinators Group Visit The Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit (FNPRU) is collaborating with Tennessee State University on an 1890 Land-grant project to increase small farmers’ awareness and adoption of biotechnology-based products using on-farm demonstration and information dissemination. Read more... Carley Assumes Management of Conifer Collections Arboretum IPM Specialist Christopher Carley took over management of the Conifer Collections in June. The curator position for the collection has been vacant since Susan Martin retired after more than 30 years of service in January. Read more... Taxonomy Program Gains New Employees Recent restructuring in the Agricultural Research Service’s Beltsville Area Research Center (BARC) resulted in a boon for the arboretum’s taxonomy program with the arrival of four new employees. The National Arboretum is part of BARC. Read more... Summer Interns Offer Fresh Ideas, Valuable Labor Six interns worked alongside arboretum staff from May into August, contributing much needed assistance in the gardens and in the lab. Read more... |
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Last Updated September 11, 2007 4:55 PM
More
than 500 public garden professionals came to the arboretum on June 29
for afternoon tours and