Tag Archives: August

Trichopoda pennipes, Feather-legged Fly

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Trichopoda pennipes, Feather-legged Fly, on Pycnanthemum, Mountain-Mint, in my garden yesterday. Although it’s widespread and common, occurring throughout North America, this was the first time I’ve noticed this species in my garden.
Trichopoda pennipes, Feather-legged Fly, on Pycnanthemum, Mountain-Mint
This photo shows several of the keys to identifying this species:

  • “Feathered” fringes on the hindlegs, true of Trichopoda.
  • Orange abdomen. Females have a black-tipped abdomen. Males, such as this one, have a completely orange abdomen. 
  • Wings are completely black. This species has a transparent margin to the wing.

Trichopoda is a parasitoid of Hempitera, true bugs, including many agricultural and garden pests, such as squash bugs and stinkbugs. For this reason, it’s considered a “beneficial” insect:

Each female fly lays on average 100 eggs, which are placed singly on the body of a large nymph or adult bug. Most of the small, white or gray, oval eggs are placed on the underside of the thorax or abdomen, but they can occur on almost any part of the bug. Many eggs may be laid on the same host, but only one larva will survive in each bug. The young larva that hatches from the egg bores directly into the host body. The maggot feeds on the body fluids of the host for about two weeks, during which time it increases to a size almost equal to that of the body cavity of its host. When it has completed its development, the cream-colored third instar maggot emerges from the bug between the posterior abdominal segments. The bug dies after emergence of the fly, not from the parasitoid feeding, but from the mechanical injury to its body. The maggot pupates about an inch down in the soil in a dark reddish-brown puparium formed from the last larval skin, and an adult fly emerges about two weeks later. There can be three generations per year depending on location.

The fly overwinters as a second instar larva within the body of the overwintering host bug. Adult flies emerge in late spring or early summer. The only bugs large enough to parasitize at this time are overwintered adults. Subsequent generations develop on both nymphs and adults of the next generation.
– Trichopodes pennipes, Parasitoid of True Bugs

Trichopoda pennipes, Feather-legged Fly, on Pycnanthemum, Mountain-Mint

Related Content

Flickr photo set: Trichopoda pennipes, Feather-Legged Fly

Links

BugGuide: Trichopoda pennipes
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Entomology, Midwest Biological Control News, Trichopodes pennipes, Parasitoid of True Bugs
 North Carolina State University, Raleigh, Dept. of Entomology, Biological Control Information Center, Trichopoda pennipes

Scolia dubia, Blue-Winged Digger Wasp

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Scolia dubia, Blue-winged Digger Wasp, on Pycnanthemum, Mountain-Mint, in my garden.
Scolia dubia, Blue-winged Digger Wasp, on Pycnanthemum, Mountain-Mint

Another little jewel of a wasp that is new to me this year. I’ve been seeing it on the Pycnanthemum, but was unable to get decent photos of it until yesterday. I’ve also seen it on the Clethra alnifolia, Summersweet in my garden, which just started blooming in the past week.


With the wings held back, the blue iridescence of the wings might lead one to mistakenly identify this as a small Sphex pensylvanicus, Great Black Wasp.

Scolia dubia
Scolia dubia, Blue-winged Digger Wasp, on Pycnanthemum, Mountain-Mint

Sphex pensylvanicus
Sphex pensylvanicus, Great Black Wasp, on Pycnanthemum, Mountain-Mint

But once the wings spread to the sides, the exposed abdomen distinguishes it. The cinnamon- colored abdomen and two bright yellow spots make for a clear identification, once you know the species.
Scolia dubia, Blue-winged Digger Wasp, on Pycnanthemum, Mountain-Mint

Adults feed on nectar, which both the Mountain-Mint and Summersweet offer in abundance.
Scolia dubia, Blue-Winged Digger Wasp, on Clethra alnifolia, Summersweet

Females dig in search of grubs of June Bugs and Japanese Beetles to parasitize with their eggs. The wasp larva feeds on the beetle grub and overwinters as a cocoon, emerging the next year.

This species is another example of the importance of providing habitat for wasps in the garden; they are natural bio-controls of other insects that might otherwise overwhelm the gardener’s intentions.

Related Content

Flickr Set: Scolia dubia, Blue-Winged Wasp

Links

BugGuide: Blue-winged Wasp (Scolia dubia)

What’s a tree worth?

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You can quantify the relative benefits of an individual tree, and project its future benefits as it grows through the years, with i-Tree Design:

i-Tree Design (beta) allows anyone to make a simple estimation of the benefits individual trees provide. With inputs of location, species, tree size and condition, users will get an understanding of the benefits that trees provide related to greenhouse gas mitigation, air quality improvements and storm water interception. With the added step of drawing a house or building footprint—and virtually “planting” a tree—trees’ effects on building energy use can be evaluated.

This tool is intended to be a simple and accessible starting point for understanding individual trees’ value to the homeowner and their community.

Using it is straightforward:

  1. Enter a street address.
  2. Select the common name of the tree species or genus.
  3. Enter the size, indicated by DBH: diameter at breast height (5′ off the ground).
  4. Select the general health or condition of the tree, from “Excellent” to “Dead or Dying.”

The results are returned quickly. Details are available from the different tabs.

The application requires Flash to be supported and enabled in your browser, so it won’t work behind many corporate firewalls.

[goo.gl]

Related Content

Urban Forestry

Links

i-Tree Design benefit Calculator

Support NYC’s Community Gardens

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Garden supporters gathered on the steps of City Hall for last Wednesday’s press conference.
NYCCGC Press Conference, City Hall, 2010-08-03

Today is the last day to register to speak at tomorrow’s hearings on proposed rules that will govern more than half of NYC’s community gardens. The New York City Community Gardeners Coalition (NYCCGC) has all the details on their Web site. The deadline for submitting written comments is tomorrow, coinciding with the public hearing.

Many other groups are also joining together for rallies and other events to show support for NYC’s community gardens. Even if you’re not inspired to speak or write, please come out to show your support.

Monday, August 9

Register to speak by calling (212) 360-1335 or email laura.lavelle@parks.nyc.gov. Spoken testimony will be limited to 3 minutes.

Tuesday, August 10

What: PEP RALLY
Time: 9am
Where: Elliot Chelsea Green Grounds
425 West 25th St (9th-10th Aves.), Manhattan

What: Public Hearing (you must register today to speak)
Time: 11am
Where: Chelsea Recreation Center
430 West 25th Street, Manhattan

Related Content

Community Gardeners at City Hall, 2010-08-05
Gardens Supporters Press Conference, 8/4, at City Hall, 2010-08-02
Proposed NYC Rules Threaten Community Gardens, 2010-07-27

Community Gardens
Other Community Garden posts

Links

Take Action: Parks’ Policy Change Threatens Community Gardens, NYC Community Garden Coalition (NYCCGC)

Coalition Seeks More Protection For Community Gardens, Raanan Geberer, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 2010-08-06
Gardens of Fear: Community planters fret over new rules, Erin Durking, NY Daily News, 2010-08-11
NYRP Testifies on Behalf of NYC Community Gardens, New York Restoration Project, 2010-08-16

Community Gardeners at City Hall

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Updated 2010-08-05: Added links to more reports on the press conference, variously reported also as a demonstration, protest, or rally.

Beets

Yesterday morning, I joined about 70 of my fellow community gardeners and community garden advocates and supporters on the steps of City Hall. The agreement that has largely protected community gardens in NYC since 2002 expires next month. The press conference was organized by the New York City Community Gardens Coalition (NYCCGC) to draw attention to issues with proposed new rules for NYC’s community gardens.

NYCCGC has all the details on their Web site. I urge everyone to weigh in with written comments, whether submitted through the NYC.gov Web site, or by email. You can also (gasp!) mail a letter. You can even call 311. The hearing is Tuesday, 8/10. If you want to speak, you must register by Monday, August 9. All comments are due on or by August 10, the date of the hearing.

Slideshow

Despite the heat, even at 9:30 in the morning, it was a lovely, energizing, and community-building event. The gardens were well-represented.

Related Content

Gardens Supporters Press Conference, 8/4, at City Hall, 2010-08-02
Proposed NYC Rules Threaten Community Gardens, 2010-07-27

Community Gardens
Other Community Garden posts

Links

Take Action: Parks’ Policy Change Threatens Community Gardens, NYC Community Garden Coalition (NYCCGC)

Community Garden Advocates Demand Parks Protections, Maria Eugenia Miranda, NBC New York, 2010-08-04Green groups fear new community garden rules, am New York (Newsday), 2010-08-04
Coming to the Defense of Community Gardens, City Room, NY Times, 2010-08-04
Demonstrators Disapprove Of Proposed NYC Park Rules, CBS New York/1010 WINS, 2010-08-04 (Text and Podcast)
Community Gardeners Rally in Front of City Hall to Push for Green Space Protections, DNAInfo, 2010-08-04
Defend Community Gardens, That Greenpoint Blog, 2010-08-05
Gardeners Root For City Patches, Melanie Grace West, Wall Street Journal, 2010-08-05
Community Garden Advocates Demand Permanent Protection for Their Gardens, Epoch Times, 2010-08-05
Benepe: There He Goes Again, Soiled Hands, 2010-08-05
New Yorkers Rally for Community Garden Protection, Ecocentric, 2010-08-19

Gardens Supporters Press Conference, 8/4, at City Hall

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The East 4th Street/Windsor Terrace-Kensington Veterans Memorial Community Garden, one of over 100 NYC community gardens under Parks jurisdiction. The agreement that has largely protected community gardens in NYC since 2002 expires next month. Brooklyn has 42% (204/483) of NYC’s Community Gardens.
Individual Plots, East 4th Street Community Garden

Several community gardening advocacy groups are holding a press conference on the steps of City Hall tomorrow, Wednesday, August 4, at 10:00am. They are inviting all supporters to join them.

The press conference is in response to the new community gardens rules proposed by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks) and Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).

New York City Community Garden Coalition
RALLY & PRESS CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY AUGUST 4TH, 10:00AM
@ NEW YORK CITY HALL STEPS – BE THERE!
We are calling upon all community gardeners, of our members, supporters, and allies to join us this Wednesday, August 4, 2010 on the steps of City Hall
as we voice our concerns regarding the proposed new rules that govern many of our city’s community gardens.

Location: City Hall Steps, New York NY 10007
Date: Wednesday, August 4th, 2010
Time: 9:30am – 10:30am (Starting at 10:00am Sharp)
The Spencer Street Block Association Garden in Bed-Stuy is under the jurisdiction of HPD. In the eight years of the settlement agreement, HPD has destroyed nearly all of its gardens. Only about 20 remain across the city.
Spencer Street Garden

Enter the City Hall steps area by passing through metal detectors on the East or West entrance of City Hall inside City Hall Park.

We will meet at 9:30am
@ the East side of the steps
(closest to Brooklyn Bridge)
Bring your fellow gardeners, neighbors, kids, pictures, banners, flowers, vegetables….
Please confirm you are coming by calling us at (888) 311-3993 or emailing us at info@NYCCGC.org

Getting to City Hall by Subway:
4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall
R, W to City Hall
2, 3 to Park Place
J, M, Z to Chambers Street
E to World Trade Center
A, C to Chambers Street

This press conference is in response to the Proposed Parks Rules and upcoming Public Hearing on Tuesday August 10th for more info go to http://www.nyccgc.org

Hellebores and Narcissus in March of 2007 in the Summit Street Community Garden in Red Hook/Columbia Waterfront neighborhood, another Parks garden that would be eligible to be sold to developers under Parks’ proposed new rules.
Hellebores and Narcissus in the North border, Summit Street Community Garden

[goo.gl]

Related Content

Proposed NYC Rules Threaten Community Gardens, 2010-07-27

Community Gardens
Other Community Garden posts

Links

Notice of Opportunity to Comment on Proposed Rule (PDFs) from Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and Housing Preservation and Development

Take Action: Parks’ Policy Change Threatens Community Gardens, NYC Community Garden Coalition (NYCCGC)

Coming to the Defense of Community Gardens, City Room, NY Times, 2010-08-04

Community Gardens Need Your Help, Backyard and Beyond, 2010-08-03
Keeping New York City’s Community Gardens Green, NY Times Editorial opposing the proposed rules, 2010-08-02
New York’s Community Gardens Lose Protect Status, Threatened With Development Under New Rules, TreeHugger, 2010-07-27
Letter to Gardeners (PDF), NYCCGC, 2010-07-22
Protect our community gardens, EV Grieve, 2010-07-19

The 2002 Settlement

2002 Memorandum of Agreement (PDF), NYCCGC

Community Gardens Lawsuit Settles, The Municipal Arts Society of New York (MASNYC), 2004-02-09
Ending a Long Battle, New York Lets Housing and Gardens Grow, NY Times, 2002-09-19
Community Gardens in New York City: the Lower East Side of Manhattan offers a summarized timeline of community gardens in NYC from 1965-2002

Design Drafts for the Parsonage at the Flatbush Reformed Church

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This afternoon at 3pm I’ll be presenting to the community drafts of two alternative designs for a new communal garden on the grounds of the Parsonage, a landmarked historic building, on the grounds of the Flatbush Reformed Church.

Neither of these is a final design. They’re intended simply to present key features requested by community members at the Visioning Workshops and show how they might integrate into a cohesive design. The two designs weight these features differently, giving more or less space to different areas, and supporting different activities. I’m hoping this afternoon’s meeting will highlight the most popular features of each design, which can be recombined into a final design for this garden.

Dimensions

Here’s the base plan, drawn to scale at 3/16″ = 1 foot, of the site. Kenmore Terrace is at the bottom of the plan, East 21st Street on the left, the parking lot on the right. North is roughly up.

The Parsonage, Garden Design Base Plan

The front porch is nearly 53′ long! It’s just over 25′ from the fence along Kenmore Terrace to the front of the porch, and 27′ from the East 21st Street fence to the side. It’s nearly 85′ from the parking lot to East 21st. The sidewalk bed along Kenmore Terrace is 3’6″ deep. The bed between the fence and the parking lot is 8’3″ deep.

Existing Conditions

The Parsonage, Existing Vegetation

The space is dominated by large, mature oak trees which provide high shade over the entire property. Three large Taxus, Yew, shrubs exist as foundation plantings in front of the porch. There probably was at one time fourth shrub, at the far left of the porch, to complete the symmetry.

Everything else is lawn. Between the parking lot and the center walk, the lawn is sparse and the ground is compacted. To the left of the center walk, the ground is less compacted, and the grass transitions to a mix of clover and moss closer to East 21st Street.

There are planting beds between the fence along the property line and the sidewalk. Existing plantings of perennials in these beds are scattered and sparse.

Design A: “The Commons”

The Parsonage, Garden Design: The Commons

This design maximizes space to meet, sit and play. A paved patio area is created between the center walk and the parking lot. Benches provide seating for over 20 people. A large expanse of lawn provides space for running around or lawn games, such as badminton, horseshoes, etc.

Raised beds – 4×4 or 2×4 – provide over 200 square feet to grow food, herbs, and medicinal plants.

The existing large Taxus, Yew, shrubs are preserved. A buffer of perennials is created around the trunk of each Quercus, Oak, tree.

Rainwater is collected from the downspout near the western end of the porch (left in this rendering).

Design B: “Sanctuary”

The Parsonage, Garden Design: Sanctuary

This design provides for both shared and intimate experiences in the garden. Three gardens are created here: a common area, a wildlife habitat garden, and a rain garden.

The existing Yews are removed to make more room, especially for the common area between the center walk and the parking lot.

A few raised beds are specified in this design in the common area. More space is available for raised beds to the right of this plan, between the parking lot and the fence along the property line.

The common area has both a paved patio area and a small lawn for picnicking.  A wide entrance and semi-circular bench around the base of one of the Oaks provides a generous invitation to enter and linger. No other seating is specified, but could be added, for example, on the ends of the raised beds.

The wildlife habitat garden is contained with a meandering path. Two small understory trees provide focal points. These would be underplanted with small shrubs, and shade-loving perennials. The path is designed to both cutoff and provide access to this garden. You can’t see everything without walking the path. Two benches provide intimate seating, out of sight of each other and other areas of the garden.

Rainwater is collected from the downspout near the western end of the porch (left in this rendering). Here, a “stream” is designed to direct overflow to the rain garden. This would be planted with native shrubs, ferns, and wildflowers.

[goog.gl]

Related Content

Designing a New Communal Garden, 2010-07-17

Links

Community Garden Potluck August 1st!, Sustainable Flatbush, 2010-07-24

Flatbush Reformed Church
CAMBA
Flatbush Farm Share CSA

Proposed NYC Rules Threaten Community Gardens

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Update 2010-07-28:

The Baltic Street Community Garden in Park Slope, as it appeared in July 2008. It was destroyed in 2009 by the NYC Department of Education.
Baltic Street Community Garden

The agreement that has largely protected New York City community gardens for nearly a decade expires this September. Community gardens fall under different jurisdictions, depending on whether they are in private hands, such as a land trust organization, or on land controlled by an Agency of the City. In advance of the expiration of the agreement, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR, or simply “Parks”) and Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) have drafted revised rules for governing the gardens under their care. In short: gardens will have no protection.

Public comments are due in writing by August 10. To view the proposed rules, or to submit comments:

  1. Visit Proposed Rules on the NYC.gov Web site.
  2. For “Agency”, Select “DPR” or “HPD”.
  3. Click [GO].
  4. Click “Community Gardens” to view the Proposed Rule (PDF). Click “Comment” to submit your written comments online.

There is a community meeting tomorrow evening for gardeners and advocates of NYC’s community gardens to learn about the issues and what we can do in response.

Gardener’s Information Session
Wednesday July 28 6-8pm
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Auditorium
1000 Washington Ave.
Subway: 2,3 to Eastern Pkwy, or B, Q to Prospect Park  

Public Hearing
August 10 11am
Chelsea Recreation Center
430 W. 25th St (btwn 9 & 10)
Subway: C, E to 23rd Street, or A to 34th Street

The Campus Road Garden in South Midwood, as it appeared in August 2008. It was destroyed earlier this year by Brooklyn College.
Campus Road Garden

[goo.gl]

Related Content

Community Gardens
Other Community Garden posts

Links

Notice of Opportunity to Comment on Proposed Rule (PDFs) from Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and Housing Preservation and Development

Take Action: Parks’ Policy Change Threatens Community Gardens, NYC Community Garden Coalition (NYCCGC)

New York’s Community Gardens Lose Protect Status, Threatened With Development Under New Rules, TreeHugger, 2010-07-27
Letter to Gardeners (PDF), NYCCGC, 2010-07-22
Protect our community gardens, EV Grieve, 2010-07-19

The 2002 Settlement

2002 Memorandum of Agreement (PDF), NYCCGC

Community Gardens Lawsuit Settles, The Municipal Arts Society of New York (MASNYC), 2004-02-09
Ending a Long Battle, New York Lets Housing and Gardens Grow, NY Times, 2002-09-19
Community Gardens in New York City: the Lower East Side of Manhattan offers a summarized timeline of community gardens in NYC from 1965-2002

Brine Garden, Pawling, NY

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A path in the Brine Garden in Pawling in Dutchess County, NY, north of New York City.
Path, Brine Garden

Last Sunday, Blog Widow and I drove up to Pawling, NY and spent the day with a friend of ours. I also got to meet Julia and Duncan Brine. In their landscape design firm, they specialize in native plants, so I was excited to meet them and visit their gardens.

The gardens ramble over six acres. In contrast to the familiar limitations of urban gardening, it may as well have been 600 acres. The property slopes, steeply at times, from the unpaved entrance drive down to Route 22. Water flows through the property. The day of my visit, precipitation seamlessly cycled through mist, drizzle, sprinkles. There was nearly a film of water over the gardens. I’m not exaggerating. My friend’s sneakers became soaked just from walking through the long, wet grass. And it was wet enough for this fellow to crawl over the ground to his burrow of mud at the base of a log.

Crayfish, Brine Garden

With the almost constant rains we’ve had this summer, everything was lush, full, and green. The rampant growth encroached from all sides, overtaking and disguising any intended boundaries of the cleared areas. This contributed to the fluid expression of “path” at play in the Brine Garden. Narrows suggest passage; wider bays encourage a slower pace.

Sunny Border, Brine Garden

Border, Brine Garden

Solidago, Goldenrod, Brine Garden

Grassy Path, Brine Garden

Related Content

Brine Garden, Pawling, NY, Flickr photo set

Links

Brine Garden

Study Guide for BBG Plant ID Class

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Clerodendrum bungei Steud., Rose Glory Bower
Clerodendrum bungei

This Wednesday I take the final for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Herbaceous Landscape Plant Identification class. [Spelling counts! So please let me know of any typos.] Thursday, I start Urban Garden Maintenance, the last of the eight classes I need for my Certificate in Urban Horticulture from BBG. I started the program in Winter 2008. This is the home stretch; I can’t believe I’m almost done with it.

Unlike the “woodies” class, I already knew most of the plants introduced in the class over the past five weeks. Either I’ve grown them myself sometime over my 30 years of gardening in NYC, or I’ve researched and studied them. However, there have been several, such as the interesting Clerodendrum above, which I’ve never even heard of, or never knew the names of.

This post is the index to my photographic study guide. Plant names are listed by week, in alphabetical order by botanical name within each week. Botanical names are given, corrected for typos, as they were introduced in the class; that’s what we’ll be tested on for the final this Wednesday evening. Plant names are linked to my Flickr Set, where I have one. You can also browse my Flickr Collection for this class, where all the plants are listed by botanical name.

Week 1, 2009.07.22

Callirhoe involucrata, Purple Poppy-Mallow
Callirhoe involucrata, Poppy Mallow

Observed:

Omitted (these will not be included on the final):

  • Aquilegia canadensis, Columbine. This grows as a Spring ephemeral in our region; none were available to observe at this late date.
  • Geranium macrorrhizum, Bigroot Geranium. Omitted primarily for time constraints; also, it was out of bloom by this time of the year. Too bad, since it’s a handsome plant, and there are lots of them around the grounds of BBG.

Week 2, 2009-07-29

We got 11 plants this week to make up for being two short the previous week.

Week 3, 2009-08-05

Week 4, 2009-08-12

This was the only themed week of the class, consisting solely of grasses, ferns and fern allies.

Pennisetum alopecuroides, Fountain Grass
Pennisetum alopecuroides, Fountain Grass

Week 5, 2009-08-19

The last class before the in-class final.

Angelica gigas, Purple Angelica
Angelica gigas