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All-America Selections Field Day
Category(-ies): 2005 Archives
What are All-America Selections?
All-America Selections is a non-profit organization founded in 1933. It is supported by seed producers who, through their host sites, trial new varieties of flowers and vegetables to select the best for introduction to the market. Varieties are coded during judging so their name, origin, and company are anonymous. Judging criteria are standardized at all trial plots.
UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research's trial garden on Totem Field, run by Dr. Andrew Riseman, is one of the 32 flower trial gardens in the US, Canada and Mexico. The wide geographical distribution of the trial gardens enables a full evaluation of the same variety's performance in different climates.
Continue reading "All-America Selections Field Day"
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:39 PM on July 18, 2005
Mythical Monster Arriving in UBC Botanical Garden!
Category(-ies): Art in the Garden , Botanical Garden News , Local Interest
Who, or rather what, will make this nondescript concrete pad under a Quercus robur its home for the next two years?
Time will tell - we're expecting the creature to arrive soon! We've had to navigate through a labyrinth of tasks to secure the monster, so we hope you'll appreciate the temporary visitor!
Update (July 15, 2005 12:00 PM PST): The truck delivering the creature has had some mechanical problems that are going to delay delivery by perhaps a week or more.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:06 AM on July 14, 2005
The Latest Export From China - Garden Plants
Category(-ies): Botanical Garden News , In the Media , Interviews
“Western explorers to China's remote regions form a pantheon of horticultural Indiana Joneses.”
So writes Andrew Higgins in a July 14, 2005 Washington Post article entitled “The Latest Export From China - Garden Plants” (registration required). The subject of the article is a review of UBC Botanical Garden's recently-released book, “The Jade Garden”. Written by three of UBC Botanical Garden's experienced horticulturists, the book illustrates one hundred and fifty little-known, ornamental trees, shrubs, and perennials from Asia that ought to receive a more-prominent place in today's gardens.
The Jade Garden is available from the Shop in the Garden and other fine bookstores.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:12 AM on July 14, 2005
Calling All Gardeners of Herbs, Foods and Medicinals!
Category(-ies): Community Events , Local Interest
The BC Herb Growers Association is hosting its Annual Summer Networking Event on August 13th & 14th, 2005 at the Kelowna Land & Orchard facilities. Sign up for a weekend of workshops related to the herb growing industry and tantalize your senses with exhibits featuring soothing & delicious herbal delights. BC Herb Growers Association Members are eager to showcase their quality BC herbal products.
Continue reading "Calling All Gardeners of Herbs, Foods and Medicinals!"
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:49 PM on July 12, 2005
The Oudolfian Style
Category(-ies): 2005 Archives
Piet Oudolf, the internationally renowned plantsman, innovative garden designer, and author, will present a slide lecture on July 18, 2005 at 7:30pm in the IRC Building (UBC Campus).
Some projects that have gained Piet international attention are the “Dream Park” in Enkoping, Sweden, Gold Medal for Best in Show, Chelsea 2000, and The Gardens of Remembrance at The Battery in New York.
For more information about Piet and lecture details, see: The Oudolfian Style.
Updated July 17, 2005 at 10:41 pm PST: Tickets for this event are sold out!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:39 PM on July 12, 2005
Attn: Columbia Valley Gardeners!
Category(-ies): Community Events , Local Interest
From the press release:
“Water has long been a problem in the drought-prone Columbia Valley. Despite large amounts of rain this year, it is anticipated that the months of July and August will see parched gardens and water restrictions. Simple water conservation techniques are useful for optimising water use while maintaining and enhancing gardens.
The College of the Rockies and the Columbia Valley Botanical Garden, with funding support from the Columbia Basin Trust, are holding a workshop on fire and waterwise landscaping at College of the Rockies Invermere Campus July 15-16. The workshop will comprise of an evening lecture and a field tour the following morning.”
Among the many highlights of the workshop is the lecture by Michael Keefer, an expert on native plants and landscaping. For information on registration, fees and special instructions, please see: Fire and Waterwise Landscaping in the Kootenays (PDF)
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:32 PM on July 12, 2005
Endangered Sri Lankan Plants Live On in New Flower
Category(-ies): Botanical Garden News , In the Media
From an article in UBC Reports, written by Brian Lin:
“If you think naming your pet is stressful, try naming an entire species of flowers.
That's the task faced by UBC assistant professor Andrew Riseman at the Botanical Garden in the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences**. But you won't hear him complain, because it took him a lot more work to create the flower he now has the privilege to name and is about to commercialize.
‘For the common name, I'm thinking of using something that has to do with the flower's vibrant colour, maybe a play on words from the blues genre,’ says Riseman. ‘However, I'd also like a name that honours Sri Lanka, where the five species of exacum used to create the new flower originated.’”
Continue reading the article: Endangered Sri Lankan Plants Live On in New Flower
** The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences reported in the article has changed its name to The Faculty of Land and Food Systems.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:46 AM on July 7, 2005