Rarely do people at work ask me if something is bothering me. Rather, I’m often told I’m way too happy in the morning. Yes, I might just be a happy kind of person, but I also work in an ideal setting: one surrounded by and filled with plants. This might not seem like an ideal setting for someone allergic to all trees, pollen and grasses known to mankind, but, when properly medicated, it really is. Research shows that working with plants decreases blood pressure, eases stress, and generally makes you feel better. We can probably all agree that working in our gardens does make us feel better (after the Advil has kicked in that night). But the benefits of working with plants also hold true indoors. There are studies of indoor plants filtering indoor air pollution, increasing oxygen and humidity levels, and making indoor spaces more comfortable. Considering my office is surrounded by the most luscious 10 acres I’ve ever seen as well as a Glasshouse crammed full of botanical lovelies, I really don’t have a choice as to whether I’m happy or in a good mood when I come to work. It’s all science. Next time you are feeling blue, my advice: prune your roses, deadhead your petunias, water your jade plant or talk to your Christmas cactus. Cheaper than a therapist and a whole lot more fun.

The Other White Meat?

Go ahead. Get it out of your system. Scream, yell, rant, or write me a nasty note for what I am about to state: water hyacinth is amazing! What, never heard of it? One of the most amazing plants in Hershey Children’s Garden is an aquatic plant called water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). My southeastern neighbors know all about this incredible exotic invasive plant. Originally of the Brazilian Amazon river basin, this amazing aquatic performer creates dense, thick mats of floating photosynthetic surface and impenetrable over two feet thick root systems. One plant can produce over 5,000 seeds and some populations are known to double vegetative growth in six to eighteen days!

Water hyacinth is considered a noxious weed and severe environmental hazard in well over sixty countries around the world. The dense floating mats out compete native fauna for sun, oxygen and nutrients. The absolute dominating blanket of foliage absorbs solar rays and water movement, thus the heating and mixing of water necessary for native fish is prevented. Water craft are also unable to transverse the surface in plant infested areas as the plant material clogs boat props and the list of issues goes on and on.

Some individuals find this information objectionable; however there is more to the story. This environmental hazard has another side (because you know there is always another side): water hyacinth might help to sustain the earth’s future. Though it is one of the world’s most noxious weeds, threatening many fragile habits, this species has great potential. One of its greatest utilities is pollution and water treatment. NASA began researching the use of water hyacinth for sewage treatment in 1975 and over the years more municipalities are taking an interest in treating portions of their daily water flow with hyacinth. Walt Disney World’s EPCOT center treats 100,000 gallons-a-day and San Diego recently approved a million-gallon-a-day facility pilot plant using water hyacinth. The plant absorbs such pollutants such as heavy metals, phosphates and nitrates. Other applications in use or under examination include:

• Hyacinth fiber mixed with jute to create paper,
• Fibers used in rope and yarn,
• Natural gas source for heat or electrical energy production,
• Organic waste turned to fertilizer
• Possible source for livestock feed,
• And could there be more?

Now, how does staff manage this plant? Our cold winters in Cleveland prevent kill water hyacinth at this time. Staff overwinter a bucket’s worth of plants in a greenhouse to return them to the pond in mid-May. The remainder is composted, introducing a rich source of nitrogen to the pile. Please note, if global warming trends continue, this Ohio gardener may change his tune.

So the next time there is a cry about horrible this plant or that plant may be. . .try to look for another side. After all, are plants not gifts to all?
 

Hershey Children’s Garden Cool Plants
(#8 in a series of 10)

Aquatic Greatness: Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)

Some adults bring their children to Hershey Children’s Garden and become engrossed in exciting adventures and programs — and possibly miss some of the horticultural nuances of this great garden space. Hershey Children’s Garden is a sophisticated and — now in its 10th anniversary season — mature garden with many plantings that any adult gardener or garden enthusiast would love to have in their personal greenspace. Who can blame them?

Here is the eighth plant in our series of 10 of our staff’s favorite Hershey Children’s Garden plants, along with their special and unusual properties to appreciate with a child.

Lotus is one of the most striking plants in Hershey Children’s Garden and one of my favorites. This Asian beauty displays wide, circular shaped leaves whose amazing "Teflon" effect repels water. Try splashing or placing some water droplets on the leaves and watch the liquid dance around as if it where on a hot skillet. Speaking of skillets, the lotus tuber is used in Asian cooking and holds much symbolism for the Chinese.

Lotus is a plant to watch develop over multiple visits throughout the spring and summer with your child. The first leaves lay flat on the water like lily pads in May. The second set of leaves shoot out of the water like umbrellas turned inside out in a wind storm. The flowers and seed heads are also great fun. The flowers form blooms and the resulting seed stalks look like shower heads with rattling seeds. 

See now why it is a top ten favorite plant?

When I see a new plant, I don’t really feel that I’ve made its acquaintance until I rub a leaf between my fingers, or run a hand over the bark. It is possible to experience texture through your eyes, in a limited way, of course. And sometimes that’s the only safe or acceptable way to appreciate the gorgeous variety of form and surface in the plant world. If everyone went through the  Garden touching and pinching every plant, we’d probably end up with a pretty tattered-looking mess come summer’s end. A few plants are even a little risky to handle, with sharp grassy leaves, fierce thorns or extremely sticky sap.

There are a couple of spots in the Garden, though, where guests are welcome to fondle the plants! The sensory bed in the Elizabeth and Nona Evans Restorative Garden offers a wealth of "please touch" plants for those seeking that extra dimension to their experience here. Along with the many beautiful, fragrant and tasty plants are some specially selected to communicate with your fingertips:

 What could be more inviting than a plant named "Furbee"? This cultivar of Silver Sage (Salvia argentea ‘Furbee’) is everything the name promises, and more.

 Blue borage (Borago officinalis) reminds us in a bristly, but not unpleasant way, that plants aren’t all snuggles and cuddles. Like many prickly plants, its texture provides a defense against random munching by herbivorous animals.

 Another notable texture in the plant world is provided by Purslane’s (Portulaca oleracea) soft and rubbery leaves.

There are lots of other "approachable" plants in this garden offering more variations on the theme. Come and experience plants to the fullest in this "touchy-feely" part of the Garden.

Hershey Children’s Garden Cool Plants
(#7 in a series of 10)

Bird Plant: Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Some adults bring their children to Hershey Children’s Garden and become engrossed in exciting adventures and programs — and possibly miss some of the horticultural nuances of this great garden space. Hershey Children’s Garden is a sophisticated and — now in its 10th anniversary season — mature garden with many plantings that any adult gardener or garden enthusiast would love to have in their personal greenspace. Who can blame them?

Here is the seventh plant in our series of 10 of our staff’s favorite Hershey Children’s Garden plants, along with their special and unusual properties to appreciate with a child.

Cardinal flower is one of the many stunning blooms visitors may find in Hershey Children’s Garden right now. Redder than fire engines, hummingbirds love the flowers of this Midwestern native. It naturally grows in wetland environments, sporting a spike of brilliant blooms from mid- to late-summer. Visitors will find this plant growing along the water fall section of the pond, stretching toward the sky alongside other riverbank lovers golden Alexander and swamp milkweed. This  bloom offers a great opportunity to speak to children about how observing flower shapes (i.e. tubular), colors (i.e. red), and sizes (i.e. medium) serve as good indicators of a species’ pollinator. Wander outside and see if you and your little one can guess who or what visits your flowers.

While edible plants are a theme throughout the Garden this summer, the Elizabeth and Nona Evans Restorative Garden offers a feast for all of your senses! In the design and installation of this garden, special efforts were made to include fragrant plants, touchable plants, tasty plants and even auditory effects, like the splashing of waterfalls.

This season, a stunning container display by Gardener Robin Johansen offers something delicious to devour with your eyes, too. Tucked away in a shady seating area, it’s so vibrant, it seems like you should be able to hear it before you see it! Whenever I see a really pleasing design like this one, I like to analyze the things that make it so successful.

Airy flower sprays of Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’, broad smooth Xanthorrhiza ‘Lime Zinger’ leaves and soft hair-like strands of whimsically-named “Fiber Optic Grass” create pleasing textural contrasts.

Do you have a vegetable garden? Is this your first year with one? The National Gardening Association expects a 19% increase in the number of edible gardens installed in the US this year. The economy is one of the driving forces behind this uptick. When the going gets tough, the tough get gardening! I personally grew up with a huge vegetable garden full of peppers, tomatoes, rhubarb (ew), and lots of weeds. My job was to remove said weeds. I think this task scarred me – thanks Dad  – because of the HUGE spiders I always encountered. I was little and I think the spiders were car-sized. I still completely lose it when I see one. But let’s move on; I’ve digressed and I’m freaking myself out. Why all the vegetable gardens? Why are we composting, shopping at the ever-increasing number of farmer’s markets, and starting plants from seed – from seed! Why does it matter? Does it even matter? If you ask Will Allen – founder and CEO of Growing Power in Milwaukee – it does matter, and it’s a matter of life and death. He became alarmed at the increasing rates of obesity and diabetes, particularly in low-income families with limited or no access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The closest place to shop for these families may be a convenience store a mile away with over-salted, over-sugared, over-processed “food." Growing Power was founded to bring fresh greens, fruits, and veggies to inner-city dwellers and now provides them to over 10,000 people a year. 

Will Allen, who was just featured in a major article in the New York Times Magazine last Sunday, is coming to Cleveland. He is the keynote speaker at the American Horticultural Society’s National Children & Youth Garden Symposium, hosted by Cleveland Botanical Garden. I am SO excited to meet him; I’m starting to lose sleep. We are taking him to several of our Learning Gardens to see our urban farms, meet Green Corps staff, and most importantly, meet some of the students we employ to work these acres. I’m not sure our teens realize who it is they are meeting in just 2 weeks, or the impact he has had in Milwaukee and many other cities. But I think Mr. Allen will be impressed with what he sees happening at our Learning Gardens. Yes, we have some weeds – I’m not going to pull them, Dad –however, I think he will enjoy experiencing the “fruits” of their labors this summer.

We have at least five senses – and we garden for all of them! The Elizabeth and Nona Evans Restorative Garden is the perfect place to explore that idea, and this summer there are sensory treats of all kinds to be found within its tranquil spaces. I think most people expect to enjoy gardens with their eyes. The Restorative Garden was designed from the start to please all the senses.  This is the first of several posts discussing the way that gardener Robin Johansen enhances this garden with a wealth of enticing plantings to smell, touch, taste and admire.

I love foxgloves! They remind me of stately, old English gardens. Late June is when they look their best and are standing tall — except if it rains. I don’t normally stake my foxgloves, but find it necessary when we get a pounding rain, like we did yesterday. As long as the flower spike isn’t snapped, they can be slowly stood up and tied to a thin bamboo stake. We have several species and hybrids - Digitalis lutea, the yellow flowering foxglove is bit understated compared with other showier varieties, but it tends to be longer lived and you should see them persist in your garden for 5-10 years. Digitalis purpurea ‘Chamelot’ series reliably blooms the first year and it is making a real show right now in my yard! The bumblebees love it too! If you don’t want seedlings throughout your garden, be sure to remove the flower spike when there are just a few flowers left to bloom on the tips. Don’t forget, these are biennials and will produce a flower spike one year and a rosette without a spike the following year. Foxgloves are most effective in the garden when they are massed in groups and make outstanding verticle accents in any garden.

Digitalis purpurea ‘Chamelot Rose’

Hershey Children’s Garden Cool Plants
(#6 in a series of 10)

Giant Plants: Giant Sunflowers (Helianthus helianthemum)

Some adults bring their children to Hershey Children’s Garden and become engrossed in exciting adventures and programs — and possibly miss some of the horticultural nuances of this great garden space. Hershey Children’s Garden is a sophisticated and — now in its 10th anniversary season — mature garden with many plantings that any adult gardener or garden enthusiast would love to have in their personal greenspace. Who can blame them?

Here is the sixth plant in our series of 10 of our staff’s favorite Hershey Children’s Garden plants, along with their special and unusual properties to appreciate with a child.