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."

Finally at Martha's Vineyard!

It has been a long wait, but I have finally made it to Martha's Vineyard, MA, all safe and sound and ready to start my nine-month internship at the Polly Hill Arboretum. It was a two-day drive, covering more than 900 miles in my loaded-down Lumina. My mother and I took the mountain way, and I got a chance to see the sunset on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

New England proved to be an interesting place, right from the start. The houses are different, the air is colder and things are just a tad more expensive. But it is beautiful, especially on Martha's Vineyard (Land Bank map). About one third of the land is permanently conserved on the island, so it has remained quite rural.

Below are my photos of my journey to the island and my first day on it:

Magnolia macrophylla 'Julian Hill'

First Day of Spring: How Quickly We're Willing to Let Go of Winter!

I apologize for how long it has been since I posted anything. It's been a crazy last couple of weeks. I have some albums I want to get up from the beginning of the month and I have some links for the past posts, so look out for those updates soon!

This is my favorite Narcissus cultivar. I love how the corolla tube isn't a tube. And the way the anthers haven't finished uncurling made this particular flower especially delicate.

Exploring the N.C. State Conservatory

Just a quick note, the J.C. Raulston Arboretum launched their new website at the beginning of the month. Please check it out! Especially the new collections search!

Check out the end of the posts for notes from the author from now on!




Useful Links for More Information

Cornus officinalis 'Spring Glow'
Carnivorous Plants: California Carnivores is a great mail-order nursery in California; the International Carnivorous Plant Society is a great place to get information about carnivores and connect with like-minded folks; Carnivorous Plant Database
Pinguicula: Wikipedia, Botanical Society of America, ICPS, species list, P. primuliflora
Nepenthes: Encyclopedia of Life, ICPS, making news in UK (video)
Drosera: Leaf "eating" a Dipteran (video)
Haworthia: Haworthia Society, H. truncata, check out its cool family, Xanthorrhoeaceae
Pseudobombax: The Plant List, P. ellipticum (on tag)
Tillandsia, good ol' air plant: The Plant List, species and cultivar list
Phalaenopsis: American Orchid Society, best species list!, International Phalaenopsis Alliance
Begonia: rhizomatous types, Rex Cultorum types, American Begonia Society "Virtual Greenhouse" (really great website)
Vanda: American Orchid Society
Schomburgkia: Wikipedia, The Plant List, Myrmecophila
Phaius tancarvilleae

Notes from the Author

Firstly, I am trying a new layout, given what I know about the typical blog reader! The photos, which is the part I really want folks to enjoy, are at the top; then useful links related to things in the photo slideshow; and lastly, my anecdotes possibly not covered in the photo captions. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me!

I had the great privilege to go to N.C. State University in the horticultural science program. As part of that experience, I had access to an amazing diversity of plants at the Conservatory in Marye Anne Fox Labs.

I remember my friend Mason taking me down there within the first two weeks of class to see the carnivorous plants, a favorite of his, and then to show me the orchids, my favorite. The greenhouses were so magical and new at the time. There was so much to see that you could look for hours.

I still feel that same amazement when I walk through the houses, even though I've visited them so many times. There is always something new in the collection, always something different in bloom. I've become good friends with most of the people who work down in the greenhouses, especially Diane. She's always been so kind and knowledgeable.

This particular trip was special in a different way though. I am an alumna, no longer a student, and it took on a different feel. My trips are numbered.

A Horticulture (and other slightly random things) Summary of the Week

While Monday was spent indoors, the rest of the week has been a series of explorations.

I spent Tuesday with some dear friends and got to take a trip to the wonderful Atlantic Avenue to check out the orchid selection (as if I didn't have enough orchids...). The renovations of the orchid house were wonderful and the orchid tree display at the entrance was an impressive addition to the house.

Wednesday found me at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum once more for a meeting about plant exploration. Learned about some of the history of the J.C. Raulston Arboretum's collections and about modern-day plant explorers. We might have a new children's program coming out of it too!

Today found me having lunch with an old friend that ended with a walk-through of the Arboretum. It was really nice to show off the little secrets of the Arboretum. It is always teaching me something new. Check it out in the slideshow!

Orchids- Fantastic website dedicated to Phalaenopsis species and cultivars developed from them, Kew's Phalaenopsis culture profile, Wikipedia Phalaenopsis cultivar list, Wayne's Word Orchid Flower Anatomy (scroll half-way down the page), Growing the Best Phalaenopsis article (MSU and AOS), Angraecum sesquipidale (Darwin's Orchid) profile from the Eden Project
Peperomia ssp.- Wikipedia profile, Internet Peperomia Reference species search
J.C. Raulston Plants- Sequoia sempervirens 'Soquel', Hamamelis 'Amethyst', Fagus grandifolia 'White Lightning', Lagerstroemia 'Natchez', Acer palmatum Dissectum Atropurpureum Group, Prunus mume 'Omoi-no-mama'
Plants can be chimeras? What is a chimera, anyway?

Sunday Afternoon at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum

I've spent a lot of time at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in the last couple months volunteering in the garden and with children's programs. A few weeks ago Tim Alderton, the garden technician at the Arboretum, was on a mission to plant more than 5,000 bulbs, generous gifts from Brent and Becky's Bulbs (who also have some amazing Narcissus cultivars!), around the various areas in the garden. It was quite a task with a delayed reward; but the recent warm snaps we've had in Raleigh signal to me, and the little bulbs, that it's time to pay up: spring is near and it's time to flower! Since I helped plant many of the bulbs in the tucked away areas I know where to look to get a sneak peak at them.

My trip was a bit early, but still rewarding! There were several cultivars of Narcissus, daffodils, blooming about the garden. The February Gold Daffodil river in the eastern beds was flowing around the Hamamelis xintermedia 'Diane', a beautiful red-flowered witchhazel, and Cornus officinalis 'Spring Glow', a J.C. Raulston Arboretum release; creating a display reminiscent of fall. It is no wonder why this dear plant has such a name! Narcissus 'February Gold' is a cyclamineus daffodil, making it look like the flowers are gossiping in their clumps. If the weather keeps up like it has, my other trip this coming Thursday it is going to be gorgeous and my first Sunday tour as the tour guide is going to be choice!

Plants in the Photos
Veronica filiformis- USDA PLANTS Profile, Wikipedia
Helleborus foetidus
Iris unguicularis
Prunus mume 'Big Joe'
Crocus chrysanthus 'Ard Schenk'
Galanthus elwesii
Lagerstroemia fauriei, seed collected on Yakushima Island

Citrus ichangensis

Helleborus ssp. Flower Anatomy

Oh, the promises of spring in flower form are more valuable than any currency.

Western N.C. Mountain Dreamin'

It was a beautiful, clear late winter afternoon in central North Carolina. My friend's mom came up to visit her and we took the opportunity to explore the local William B. Umstead State Park, just northwest of downtown Raleigh. The visit to the state park was a much-needed respite from the life of living on N.C. State's urban campus. It's about as close to mountainous as I can get this far east in North Carolina and beggars can't be choosers.

The drive in to the visitor's center was reminiscent of driving the mountains of the foothills closer to where I am from in the western part of the state. They drowned out the bustle of busy Glenwood Avenue and only occasionally would the planes taking off from the nearby Raleigh-Durham Airport break the silence of the forest. It was a busy day in the park, but there was enough space to have moments to yourself.

There was plenty to see, even on a late winter's day. Check it out the photos below and the North Carolina State Parks System Natural Resources Inventory Database!

Links for more reading:

Ecological Succession- Piedmont Forest History from N.C. State Forestry Professor, Duke Forest Succession
Fagus grandifolia- Wikipedia, USDA Plants Database entry
Lycopodium dendroideum- Wikipedia, USDA Plants Database entry
Lichen- Fun Fact about Lichen, Eastern Lichen Network out of the NYBG, Lichens of North America Information, Lichen Research, Cetradonia linearis (the only species of lichen Federally-listed in N.C.)