Mobile Botanical Gardens: Week of April 13

Lots going on at the garden, despite the astronomical amount of rain and thunderstorms we got this week. The Rhododendron Garden is full of azaleas in various stages of flowering in all different different colors of whites, pinks, purples and reds. It really is quite amazing to walk through and observe.

Here's a photographic snippet of how things are going in the garden:

Adventures in the Polly Mobile 2: Departing Martha's Vineyard

My escape trip to the Polly Hill Arboretum was colored in my favorite shade of afternoon light.

(Click the photo above for more photos!)

It was a day of madly packing my things into my car. I had been putting off packing in lieu of doing any last-minute exploring or visiting I felt was necessary before I left the Vineyard; and I was paying the price by pushing my luck with the ferry that waits for no one.

Although I did pack most of the day, I just had to see the Arboretum one last time. Out of all of my internship experiences, not going to see the garden, whichever it was, one last time was a recurring regret of mine. I wasn't going to do it again.

I was rewarded with wonderful weather and a silent, peaceful moment of reflection in the space one last time.

As I sat in line for the ferry, my stomach rioting in a way it never had before and my mind racing about all of the logistics I had to handle when I got to the mainland, I had to recall why I had been there at all, what I'd done and seen, and remind myself it wasn't a dream. I'd had this experience, lived this life. It was all worth it, I'd do it again in a heartbeat and I will miss it dearly.

My Martha's Vineyard farewell.

The Magnolia macrophylla 'Julian Hill' Through the Seasons Video Complete!

So, even before I got to the Polly Hill Arboretum, I had a crush on the Magnolia macrophylla 'Julian Hill', one of the northern-most (if not the) individuals of this species that Polly named after her husband in 1984.

I first saw the tree in One Seed at a Time by Marnie Stanton, via a link posted on the PHA Internship information page (which I highly recommend you check out). At one point the camera pans up the tree. I immediately recognized what it was and it was then that I knew the Polly Hill Arboretum was the place for me.

Hokey, I know, but true.

Anyway, fast forward through the internship; spring, summer, fall, at one picture a day (except for most of the weekends and a few days here and there, but I digress)...and viola! A vision of the year-long cycle of growth of this stunning deciduous tree takes shape in this video (click the photo).

A flower unfurling on the Magnolia macrophylla 'Julian Hill'

Final Thoughts: The Post- Post- Polly Hill Internship Interview

It seems every time you meet a plant person they love to ask what your favorite plant is. This is a harder question that one might think. There are more than 375,000 species of plants in the world, and at least 100,000 more cultivars and varieties, which makes making a decision quite difficult. It is obvious from the last blog post the Polly Hill Arboretum Internship was a transformative experience for Eva and Tessa, but were you wondering if they had a favorite plant?

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New Plants We Love

The flowers of the Cornus kousa in the Dogwood Allee at the Polly Hill Arboretum. The opposite branching and thick network of leaves and branched gives this tree a pleasing geometric feel. All of the dogwoods in the allee were heavy with beautiful bracts, and inconspicuous flowers, this year.

Eva- Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa). Three words: Origami flower buds. “I’d seen dogwoods, but not the kousa kind. I’ve kind of fallen in love because we got to see it flower, leaves, and its bracts full of whiteness, and then they kind of fell off, and then their fruits are turning red; and it’s just a beautiful spectrum of interest.”

The close-up of a Stewartia malacodendron flower, highlighting the stunning blue anthers and royal purple filaments. I felt a sense of pride knowing this wonderful tree can be found in the southeastern woodlands.
Everyone else should be jealous.

Tessa- The genus Stewartia. “I never knew what a Stewartia was before I came here. What I love most about them is their bark. It’s not the typical ‘oh, their flowers are great,’ because their flowers are beautiful, but their bark is so interesting to me. So cinnamon-y. Their form is really nice too, but I’m a sucker for bark. Bark!”

Just look at Tessa checking out that really cool Stanhopea orchid at Longwood Gardens. Plants are amazing.

Amanda- Plants. “This answer is a bit of a cheat, but oh well. There are tons of favorites in the collection. Literally. Some old loves rekindled. Some new and unfolding. Some still undiscovered. Every day, every plant reminds me of some new detail as to why I love plants and horticulture. There is always something to wonder about. That inspiring wonder is why I love them and being at Polly Hill is a constant reminder of that.”

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Favorite Places in the Arboretum

Cornus kousa Allee at the Polly Hill Arboretum in June.
It's hard to imagine it was planted more than 40 years ago in a grass field.

Eva- The Dogwood Alleé. “We walk through that every day and it’s always beautiful.”

A view of the Conifer Rows at the Polly Hill Arboretum, looking from the west to the southeast.

Tessa- The Conifer Rows. “I never see as many people in there as there should be. People don’t appreciate conifers, maybe because they don’t flower, or what, but they’re just silent giants of wonder.”

The restored nursery area draws a lot of questions form visitors. It inspires a deep sense of appreciation in me because this is where Polly started, or tried to start, all of her seeds and seedlings. This is the birthplace of the Arboretum.

Amanda- The Nursery Field. “It’s probably because of the Magnolia macrophylla ’Julian Hill’. There is something magical about coming around the corner or from underneath the Dogwood Alleé and looking up into this towering, tropical-looking tree. However, the Dawn Redwood and some beautiful Stewartia ovatas are also planted in the field. I will admit that most people never see most of this area because of the way it is organized, but it is probably one of the most important because it is where Polly startedeverything.”

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Recommendation for Future PHA Interns

Tessa and Eva being goofy on a concrete toadstool at The Folly, during the Garden Conservancy's Open Garden Days.

Tessa- “You have to have a sense of humor. If you come to Polly Hill Arboretum and you don’t have a sense of humor, you’re in the wrong place. Well, not in the wrong place, because that’s harsh, but you’re either going to hate it or you’re going to be turned into a different person because you’re going to gain a sense of humor. And be ready to just do a lot of work and keep an open mind. Be prepared to do some tasks for a long time. You have to be prepared to set out and do a task, and finish it. And then you feel a thousand times better when it’s finished anyway. Don’t half-ass anything.”

Eva imitating this Chamaecyparis obtusa cultivar at Mytoi Japanese Garden on Chappaquiddick Island.

Eva- “Appreciate all the care that everyone puts into the work they do. The staff and volunteers care so much that you’re here and they want you to learn, so just appreciate that. Be good-natured and don’t be afraid to try anything. Even if there are things that don’t necessarily sound fun, it is enjoyable. You can find a way to enjoy it. Just don’t cancel things out just because you’re afraid to try them. And if you don’t like them, but have to keep on doing them, don’t be a brat about it. Be good-natured.”

Eva and Tessa exploring Mytoi Japanese Garden on Chappaquiddick Island,
where we saw many Japanese Maples and other manicured conifer cultivars.

Amanda- “I think Tessa and Eva hit most of the high points. My final recommendation, and this applies to internships and opportunities in the future, is to seize each moment you have and make the most of it. Waiting around for things to happen to you is going to leave you waiting for a long time. There are opportunities out there for you, you just have to go for them. Sometimes something may not even seem like “an opportunity,” but you have the power to make it into one. Also, don’t forget that everything you do represents who you are to others. Make sure your putting your best whatever out there.”

First Week at the Polly Hill Arboretum and Martha's Vineyard

Despite the definite slow pace of Martha's Vineyard, the week has gone by in a blur. The island has no stop lights, the speed limits rarely go over 35, and many store owners are just now opening their shops for the coming season. Life is different at island-speed, but it is definitely a speed I don't mind abiding by.

The Polly Hill Arboretum is such a gem and is quiet as the spring slowly makes its way north. My first week as the new collections management intern has been a crash course in BGBase, the database program used to track all of the plants in the collection, and BGMaps, the mapping software used to electronically map the plantings. I also started a phenology chart for the Magnolias in the collection, meaning I monitoring which Magnolias are in flower and what stage they are at.

I've spent the time trying learn the plants in the collection, as well as familiarize myself with the native plants. Thankfully the flora of North Carolina's Coastal Plain is similar to Martha's Vineyard's sand plains area, and I learned some of them when I took my Local Flora class at N.C. State (and just to prove how small of a world it is, Bruce Sorrie, who is currently a famous botanist at the N.C. Natural Heritage Program also worked on the flora of Martha's Vineyard before he went to N.C.!).

It's really dark at night, so much so that you have to turn on your high beams to navigate the winding back roads (and avoid hitting the skunks). But, the lack of light pollution has allowed me to be able to see so many more stars than I've ever seen in my life.

About one third of the island is permanently conserved land, most of which is accessible to the public for walking and recreation. I can explore to my heart's content, whether it is going a few miles to a beach on the south side of the island, or out of the back door down a trail through The Nature Conservancy's property to see the young ospreys fly. In the eternal words of Devon, my roommate, "Life is good."