Study Guide for BBG Plant ID Class

Posted on 2009-08-24 by admin

Clerodendrum bungei Steud., Rose Glory Bower

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

Observed:

Callirhoe involucrata, Poppy Mallow
Epimedium grandiflora ‘Lilafee’, Barrenwort
Lychnis coronaria, Rose Campion, Ragged Robin
Podophyllum peltatum, Mayapple
Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum ‘Variegatum’, Variegated Solomon’s Seal
Sarracenia sp., Pitcher Plant
Smilacina racemosa, False Solomon’s Seal
Verberna bonariensis, Vervain

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.

Acanthus hungaricus, Bear’s Breeches
Alchemilla mollis, Lady’s mantle
Amsonia hubrichtii, Blue Star Amsonia, Threadleaf Bluestar
Asarum splendens, Chinese Wild Ginger
Begonia grandis, Hardy Begonia
Borago officinalis, Borage
Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, Montbretia
Helleborus foetidus, Stinking Hellebore
Heuchera micrantha var. diversifolia ‘Palace Purple’
Humulus lupulus, Hop Vine
Pachysandra procumbens, Allegheny Spurge

Week 3, 2009-08-05

Agastache rupestris, Hyssop
Asclepias tuberosa, Native Milkweed, Butterfly-Weed
Belamcanda chinensis, Blackberry Lily, Leopard Flower
Clerodendrum bungei, Rose Glory Bower, Mexican Hydrangea
Echinacea purpurea, Purple Coneflower
Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’, Bronze/Copper Fennel
Macleaya cordata, Plume Poppy, Tree Celandine
Passiflora caerulea, Maypop, Passionflower
Stachys byzantina, Wooly Lamb’s Ears
Thalictrum rochebrunianum, Meadow Rue, Lavender Mist

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

Adiantum pedatum, Northern/Eastern Maidenhair Fern
Asplenium scolopendrium, Hart’s-Tongue Fern
Athyrium nipponicum ‘Pictum’, Japanese Painted Fern
Blechnum spicant, Deer Fern
Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, Feather Reed Grass
Chasmanthium latifolium, Northern Sea Oats, River Oats, Indian Wood-Oats
Equisetum hyemale, Scouring Rush, Horsetail
Hakonechloa macra, Japanese Forest Grass
Pennisetum alopecuroides, Fountain Grass
Polystichum polyblepharum, Tassel/Bristle Fern

Week 5, 2009-08-19

The last class before the in-class final.

Angelica gigas, Purple Angelica

Anemone x hybrida, Japanese Anemone, Windflower
Angelica gigas, Purple Angelica
Colocasia esculenta ‘Illustris’, Taro, Imperial Taro, Dasheen, Poi, Elephant Ears
Convallaria majalis, Lily of the Valley
Dicentra eximia, Wild/Fringed/Eastern Bleeding-Heart
Eupatorium dubium, Little Joe Pye Weed
Euphorbia dulcis ‘Chameleon’, Mole Spurge
Hibiscus coccineus, Scarlet Rose Mallow, Swamp Mallow
Opuntia humifusa, Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus
Tricyrtis hirta, Toad Lily

Flatbush Rezoning Proposal approved by City Council

Posted on 2009-07-30 by admin

Updated 2009-07-30: Added more links.

Today the City Council approved the Flatbush Rezoning Proposal. Brooklyn Community Board 14 posted this statement on their Web site: “We greatly appreciate the hard work of our elected officials, the neighborhood associations and their able leadership, and particularly the great staff at the Brooklyn office of the Department of City Planning for making this happen!” Knowing that the Council also sealed the fate of Coney Island, i.e.: Miami Beach, tempers my satisfaction with the outcome for Flatbush.

As some relief for today’s beastly weather, please enjoy this scene of one of the hundreds of homes now protected with today’s vote.

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Links

City Council Adopts Flatbush Rezoning, Brooklyn Community Board 14, 2009-07-30
Flatbush Rezoning, Ditmas Park Blog, 2009-07-30

Important DCP Links

Flatbush Rezoning Proposal, City Planning

Residence District Zoning Explained
Table comparing R1 through R3 (PDF)
Table comparing R4 through R5 (PDF)
Inclusionary Housing Program, DCP
DCP Zoning Glossary
ULURP: Uniform Land Use Review Procedure

Wicked Plants with Amy Stewart at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Posted on 2009-07-26 by admin

A large group assembled for Amy Stewart’s tour of Wicked Plants along the Annual Border of Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Lily Pool Terrace. Saturday afternoon, Blog Widow and I went to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for an afternoon of Wicked Plants: a tour led by Amy Stewart, a book signing, and a cake baked for the occasion. Amy Stewart, rigged with portable amplification Ricinus communis, Castor Bean plant Book purchase display

The Cake

A Wicked Cake enters the Lily Pool Terrace “Everything is edible, except the boards,” said one of the cake wranglers. Well, that and the stems of the flowers. The flowers were incredibly lifelike. It’s hard to justify eating artistry like this. But it was a hot and humid day, so what can you do?! Amy regards a Tulip before taking a bite of it. Blog Widow peals a petal off a Tulip. It tasted vaguely like wax lips. Technically edible. The base was seven layers of chocolate and vanilla cake with mocha cream. Delicious, and worth the wait.

Glam Shots

Not everything we saw that day was wicked. Double-Flowering Lotus Dragonfly Hens and Chicks Okay, wicked, but kinda cool, huh?

Slideshow

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Links

Wicked Plants, Brooklyn Botanic Garden Wicked Plants, Amy Stewart Pretty Poison: Plants to Die For, CBS News Sunday Morning, 2009-08-02

Rabies reminder from NYC DOH

Posted on 2009-07-21 by admin

Not to fan the annual flames of rabies hysteria we usually get in the Brooklyn blogosphere, but the New York City Department of Health, in response to recent identification of rabid animals in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens, issued a press release today to remind New Yorkers to 1) avoid contact with wild animals, and 2) have your pets vaccinated for rabies. Note that NYC law requires rabies vaccinations of pets.

Six rabid animals — all raccoons — have been identified in New York City this year. Four were found in the Bronx, one in Manhattan (near Inwood Hill Park), and one in Queens (Long Island City). Raccoons are the most commonly reported rabid animals in New York City. Rabid raccoons are a relatively common occurrence in Staten Island and the Bronx, but rare in Queens and Manhattan. Bats with rabies have also been found in all five boroughs.

People and unvaccinated animals can get rabies, most often through a bite from an infected animal. Infection leads to a severe brain disease that causes death unless the person is treated promptly after being bitten. To reduce the risk of rabies, New Yorkers should avoid all wild animals, as well as any animal that seems sick, disoriented or unusually placid or aggressive. Report such animals by calling 311. Animals that have attacked or may attack should be reported to 911.

The six reported animals lags far behind the 19 reports for 2008. In recent history, Staten Island has the highest incidence of rabies among wild animals, followed closely by the Bronx. Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn lag far behind. See Rabies in NYC: Facts and Figures for more info.

To protect yourself against rabies

Do not touch or feed wild animals, or stray dogs or cats.
Keep garbage in tightly sealed containers.
Stay away from any animal that is behaving aggressively or a wild animal that appears ill or is acting unusually friendly. Call 311 or your local precinct to report the animal.
If you find a bat indoors that may have had contact with someone, do not release it before calling 311 to determine whether it should be tested. For information on how to safely capture a bat, visit http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/rabies/.

To protect your pet against rabies

Make sure your dog or cat is up-to-date on rabies vaccinations.
Do not leave your pets outdoors unattended.
Do not try to separate animals that are fighting.
If your pet has been in contact with an animal that might be rabid, contact your veterinarian, and report the incident to 311.
Feed pets indoors.

If you are bitten by an animal

Immediately wash the wound with lots of soap and water.
Seek medical care from your health care provider.
If you know where the animal is, call 311 to have it captured.
If the animal is a pet, get the owner’s name, address and telephone number to give to the Health Department so they can ensure the animal is not rabid.
Call the Animal Bite Unit (212-676-2483) between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., or file a report online at www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vet/vetegp.shtml.
For information about medical follow-up, call 311 or your medical provider.

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Links

Press Release

Textile recycling expands August 1 in NYC

Posted on 2009-07-21 by admin

The Council on the Environment of New York City (CENYC) has been working since 2007 to divert textiles from the waste stream by offering drop-off points at select Greenmarkets. Textiles such as clothing and linens comprise nearly 6% of residential waste in the city, adding to landfills and disposal costs.

How does textile recycling work?

Clean clothing, shoes, bedding, linens, hats, handbags, belts and other textiles, whether in usable or non-usable condition, can be dropped off at several locations around NYC. Donations are sorted into different grades such as cotton blend and synthetic scrap and then redistributed to markets where there is a demand for these materials, such as wearable clothing or stuffing for mattresses.

Brooklyn drop-off locations

Starting August 1, CENYC will now accept donations at the Greenpoint and Fort Greene Greenmarkets, in addition to the existing drop-off at the Grand Army Plaza location.

Fort Greene Greenmarket, Saturday, 8am-3pm
Washington Park at DeKalb

McCarren Park Greenmarket, Saturday, 8am-2pm (Starting August 1)
Bedford & Lorimer, Greenpoint

Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket, Brooklyn, 8am-4pm (open now)
(NW Entrance to Prospect Park)

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Links

Clothing and textile recycling collections, CENYC
NYCWastele$$

Monobia quadridens, Mason Wasp

Posted on 2009-07-12 by admin

Monobia quadridens, Mason Wasp, male (I think), on Aster novae-angliae ‘Chilly Winds’ in my backyard native plant garden this afternoon.

Today was my first full day home since last Monday, and I was sick for nearly a week leading up to that. So I took advantage of the beautiful weather in NYC and got out into the garden. The weeds had gotten away from me, and I spent most of my time dealing with them, at least a little bit.

I then turned my attention to the center of activity in the backyard: the massive specimen of New England Aster that just started to bloom in my absence. It’s a selection of the species I ordered from Seneca Hill Perennials, which specializes in New York native plants, a couple years back. It didn’t do much at first. In the full sun it’s enjoyed since I had to take down the last of the weedy maples last year, it has grown to shrublike proportions – 5′ wide and high – mocking the meager 1-2′ spacing I provided between it and the plants around it. Today’s pollinator activity concentrated on just the handful of open flowers. It has hundreds of buds. When it’s in full bloom, the activity will be audible.

I was watching for bees, and there were a lot of different species visiting. This wasp was the most striking visitor. It’s Monobia quadridens, the Mason Wasp. From the antennae, I think it’s a male. Thanks to tangledbranches for the ID!

Judging from the photos on its BugGuide page alone, this is a common species with a wide distribution. It’s native to eastern North America. From a gardener’s perspective, this is a beneficial insect. It provisions its young with caterpillars in nests burrowed into the ground or bored into wood; it’s also known as a Carpenter Wasp. I’ve never noticed it before. I hope to see more of it as the Aster comes into full bloom.

[http://bit.ly/imbbO]

Links

BugGuide page

BBG Visitor Center design wins City award

Posted on 2009-07-01 by admin

Design cross-section of BBG’s planned Visitor Center (courtesy Weiss/Manfredi)

The Public Design Commission of the City of New York (formerly the Art Commission) awarded Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Weiss/Manfredi design firm, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation its 2008 Award for Excellence in Design, conferred on July 1 at a ceremony at the New Museum. The award recognizes the superb integration of form, function, and sustainable practice in the design of the Garden’s new Visitor Center.
– Press Release

See BBG’s Visitor Center page for more renderings.

The Visitor Center aspires to earn LEED Gold certification and will feature sustainable design elements including a living roof, recycled building materials, passive solar components, geothermal heating, and bioswales (recessed catchment zones filled with water-loving plants) that will improve storm-water management and relieve the burden on the municipal sewer system. The 22,000-square-foot complex will also house an expanded garden shop, a much-needed orientation room for tours and classes, an information desk, a dramatic oval-shaped event space, a refreshment bar, and other visitor amenities.

Links

Brooklyn Botanic Garden Wins Award for Green Visitor Center Design

Brooklyn Botanic Garden Visitor Center, Weiss/Manfredi
Visitor Center, BBG

CPC approves Flatbush Rezoning Proposal, Council hearing 7/27

Posted on 2009-06-18 by admin

Update, 2009-07-29: Flatbush Rezoning Proposal approved by City Council
Update, 2009.07.14: The City Council Hearing on the Proposal has been confirmed for July 27, starting at 10am.

Yesterday, June 17, 2009, the City Planning Commission unanimously approved the Flatbush Rezoning Proposal without revision. It now goes to the City Council, the final step in the ULURP process, for final review and disposition. The Council Public Review hearing is tentatively scheduled for July 27.

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Links

Flatbush Rezoning Proposal Certified; Public Hearing Scheduled for April 2nd, 2009-03-16
PUBLIC REVIEW BEGINS ON CITY PLANNING PROPOSAL TO PROVIDE ZONING PROTECTIONS FOR NEARLY 200 BLOCKS OF FLATBUSH BROOKLYN, Press Release, DCP, 2009-03-02

Important DCP Links

Brooklyn Bear’s Carlton Avenue Garden, Fort Greene, Green With Envy Tour, II.10

Posted on 2008-08-19 by admin

The Green With Envy Tour II at the Brooklyn Bear’s Carlton Avenue Garden in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

The final stop on the Green With Envy Tour II was the Carlton Avenue site of the Brooklyn Bear’s Gardens.

Check the links below for photos from the other stops on both Tours I and II. And watch for announcements for the next Green With Envy Tour, which I’ll post on this blog.

Street Entrance

This garden had the most-developed and luxuriantly planted streetscape of any community garden I’ve seen. This has a big impact even when the garden is closed.

Approaching the garden from the north, the first thing you notice is the three story mural painted on the side wall of the adjacent building.

Here’s a closer look.

As you get closer, the streetside planters demand your attention.

In the planter to the left of the entrance are the silver-white flowering bracts of mountain-mint, Pycnanthemum muticum. I recognized it because I grow the same species in my backyard native plant garden. In this garden as well as my own, at this time of year they are swarming with multiple species of bees, flies, and wasps, all important pollinators of food crops.

Opposite, to the right of the entrance, is another planter with a different design. Asymmetrical plantings like these entrance planters maximize the massing possible with a given plant palette. The greater variety of plants provide for longer, and more varied, blooms. All of these are strategies to attract both plant pollinators and insect predators close to the garden’s growing areas.

Every garden has a “garden is open” sign. This one includes several imperatives.

More ornamental plantings, including several mature trees, lie inside the fence.

Common Areas

The garden is built on a slope. The raised beds form terraces built into the hillside. This photo is the best I got to show this. I’d like to see this garden in the winter.

The picnic area, which appears in the opening photo, is part of the gathering area at the low side of the garden.

Composting

The mandatory composting area. This triple-bin arrangement was the most common. These weathered bins are still on the job. Signs moved from bin to bin let gardeners and visitors know where to add fresh material, and where they can obtain compost for use in their beds.

Glam

Marigold

Monarda

Achillea

Coreopsis

The Greene Garden, Fort Greene, Green With Envy Tour, II.9

Posted on 2008-08-12 by admin

Green With Envy Tour at the Greene Garden in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

The Greene Garden is a shady green space across the street from Fort Greene Park. When I saw this, I imagined the wonderful shade gardens that could be created here.

There are no growing areas, just common areas for socializing, and relaxing, interconnected by wandering paths.

The gazebo is really nice. In my long-term vision for integrating the rear of my house with the backyard garden, I imagine something like this at the corner of a back porch, providing an entrance from the driveway and garage at the rear of the property onto the porch and access to the rear of the house.

This garden is a work in progress.

No glam in this garden, yet. It has the potential to become a showcase shade garden. Meanwhile, there some artificial color is scattered about.

Week 1, 2009.07.22

Week 2, 2009-07-29

Week 3, 2009-08-05

Week 4, 2009-08-12

Week 5, 2009-08-19

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The Cake

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Slideshow

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To protect yourself against rabies

To protect your pet against rabies

If you are bitten by an animal

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How does textile recycling work?

Brooklyn drop-off locations

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Street Entrance

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