Did you know there is a holiday, native to Israel, that celebrates a new year in honor of plants? It’s called Tu B’shevat (TOO-bish-VAHT).  It’s sometimes called Jewish Arbor Day.

This agricultural holiday began in ancient times as a way to keep track of the crops and fruit trees that grew in Israel. Tu B’shevat is actually known as a new year for trees. You may be thinking -– but wait, it’s not spring yet. Well, in Israel it is! Israel has a rainy winter that transitions into a hot and dry summer.  This lends to great weather for the fruits of the earth. The custom of this holiday is to eat one of seven species of grains and fruit that are plentiful in Isreal, called shivat haminim:  wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates.

Ramona Brand, director of education at Congregation Beth Ahabah, explains that a modern twist to the traditional  celebration has created a sense of awareness for local eating and shopping smart in a way that’s good for the earth.

The Jewish Appleseed Foundation, further explains:

Today we celebrate Tu B’Shevat to thank God for the gifts of creation, especially foods that grow on trees and the beauties of nature we enjoy. The holiday also reminds us of our responsibility to care for the earth that God created in order to preserve it for future generations.

Of course the Garden’s take on it is secular, but in many ways it is similar. Part of our mission is to advocate for sustainability and stewardship of our planet.  And the Garden’s  vision is that we will reveal the unity and integration of human and plant life, celebrate the fundamental significance of the natural world, and enrich our community and beyond.

This year, in Richmond, Congregation Beth Ahabah  will celebrate this eco-centric holiday with a  Tu B’shevat Gala Celebration (being held this Sunday) at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. This is a private rental of the Garden, but the community is welcome.

Children and adults will take part in tikkun olam, or repairing the world, by planting parsley seeds, making all-natural bird feeders, and learning from a park ranger.  With recycled materials brought such as old toys, video games, and found things from nature, boys and girls can make jewelry, photo frames, and more. Plus, there will be a scavenger hunt, leading participants through the Conservatory to find crops of ancient worlds.

Image courtesy of: http://www.jerusalembaskets.com/Tu-Bishvat-Gifts_cat.html

The Lewis Ginter Community Kitchen Garden is now shut down for the winter. Volunteers in the garden produced 9,913 pounds of high quality produce for FeedMore’s Community Kitchen.

Weight distribution by type:

Tomatoes – 5,594.5 lbs.

Zucchini/ yellow squash – 3,035.5 lbs.

Cauliflower – 460 lbs.

Cabbage – 235 lbs.

Broccoli – 220 lbs.

Green Peppers – 18 lbs.

While falling just shy of the 10,000 pound goal, the 2011 yield represents an 8 percent increase over 2010 production. This excellent yield was made possible by the hundreds of hours of sweat equity volunteers invested in the garden throughout 2011.

The oldest red cabbage leaves produced a kaleidoscope of color.

The red cabbages were a bit of a disappointment by not fully maturing even after 100 days in the field. It’s probably due to getting them planted too late in September.

It’s a bloomin’ cabbage! After the primary heads were harvested, we left the cabbage plants in the field and the plants produced these wonderful clusters of rosettes.

While not heavy or dense, the rosettes were tender and fresh.

Last week we told you all about our new addition in the Conservatory – “The Old Tree”.   We are happy to announce that volunteers Nancy Butler and Alexandra Slusher have created a masterpiece.  The Old Tree  is ready for  holiday visitors!  The inhabitants have moved in and are ready to greet their fans of all ages.  We can’t wait to see you at GardenFest!

"The Old Tree" at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Mail call!

Little families find a home in "The Old Tree".

Come see us this season - our door is open!

We’re still truckin’ along in the Lewis Ginter Community Kitchen Garden. Although it’s now nearly a week into November, the broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower are not quite ready to harvest en masse. We harvested 26 pounds of beautiful broccoli and cabbage on October 31st, but only the few that were fully ready. The recent spate of relatively cold nights is retarding growth, but these vegetables should mature in the next couple of weeks as the weather warms a little. Today our nice group of volunteers focused on liquid feeding the crops with fish emulsion, dividing and transplanting some kale, and garden clean up. The volunteer crew included three generations of the Hooks family.

The mature zucchini plants showed nominal signs of frost burn, but it was clear the row cover fabric wouldn't suffice for any more sub-freezing nights.

We ended our “fall zucchini trial”, as the sub-freezing nights had burned most of the plants. The experiment was based on expecting the row cover fabric to add ten degrees to the zucchini bed air temperature, but the fabric wasn’t enough. I bet clear sheet plastic would have made the difference. We would be at the flowering stage by now, with daytime temps still warm enough for the bees to do their work.

The more immature zucchini plants, showing the effects of frost burn.

Lisa Wooten (left) and Jeannie Arnold (right) and the Hooks family dividing and transplanting kale.

CKG volunteers November 5, 2011 - left to right: Jeannie Arnold, Lisa Wooten, April Hooks, Joshua Hooks, Linda Wakeman, Josephine Hooks, Masen Hooks

Left to right: Josh, April (mom) and Masen on a balmy day in the garden three weeks ago.

You  probably know that Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has hundreds of volunteers, who work thousands of hours each year, all over the Garden.  The Garden simply would not be what it is without the dedication and time our volunteers put in. But did you know the Garden also has a specialized volunteer & learning program just for 13- to 18-year-old volunteers?  What better way to engage teenagers than by embracing their energy and light a spark of discovery that might just lead to a lifelong passion for nature?

One of the Garden's Service Learning Students. She looks happy, doesn't she!?

Two programs fall under the umbrella of Youth Volunteer Opportunities, one is for a short-term commitment and the other is for youth who really want to sink their hands into the dirt and while learning about nature and gardening and are willing to make a longer-term commitment.

For students who want a short-term or one-time volunteer shift, the Garden has Community Service Opportunities during summer break (June -August).  Usually, we’ll work in the Community Kitchen Garden, where we raise vegetables for Feedmore‘s, Community Kitchen benefiting Meals on Wheels of Central Virginia and the Central Virginia Food Bank and herbs for the Garden Café.

Our long-term program is the Service Learning Program, where students work their way to different levels of responsibility.  Entry-level students work on weekends helping with family programs, April – October.  After the first year, the students are able to narrow their focus to match their interests.  Some students may want more experience working with children and families, and some may find that they want to learn more about plants.  All Service Learning students leave with an appreciation for the works of nature, and are a valued part of the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden community.

The application for the Service Learning Program is due by January 31, 2012.  Visit our Youth Volunteer Opportunities section of our website to learn how to apply.

Questions?  Email Erin Wright at EWright [at] lewisginter.org  or call 804.262.9887 ext. 346.

Despite today’s heat, I’m so happy that summer is finally here.  Summer at the Garden means children fighting the birds for the mulberries, their faces and hands stained red from the juice.  It means a parade of strollers that comes through the Garden each day to enjoy nature,  activities and Water Play. It means a thousands of fragrant blooms wherever you turn. It means kids playing hide & seek in the stick sculpture and creating their own weavings in the shade of the Children’s Garden Tree House.  And, it means the start of Flowers After 5, Families After 5 and Fidos After 5.

And it’s these last 3 — Flowers, Families and Fidos After 5, that I’m most excited about. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what a magical place the Garden can be at sunset and after the heat of the summer day has passed.  There is just something romantic, or nostalgic about the sweet scent of honeysuckle & roses, and an evening breeze after a long summer day. It’s hard to describe but it’s almost like Mother Nature lets out a long gentle sigh as the sun starts to go down.

This year, for Flowers After 5, we’ve got something new planned.  In addition to live music, and wine & beer — we’ll also have complimentary picnic blankets for you to borrow and  sit on. We are also going to start something else new:  sampling of some great (mostly local) food. From summer greens, to honey, to Gelato, to olives, to tomatoes – you will get to taste some of the region’s best locally grown & produced culinary delights.

Tomorrow night, June 2nd, we’ll kick the season off with free cheese samples for everyone (courtesy of Cabot Cheese) while supplies last. The music should be great – VCU Jazz – modern/Harlem styles to go with East Coast wines. People can also meet and talk with Tenley Beazley and, of course, see the new Patrick Dougherty stick sculpture,  Diamonds in the Rough. Plus we have a Tea House “Date Night Special”, too — dinner & wine for 2 for $35! (Reservations recommended 262-9887, ext. 399).

Here are all the details:

Wine & Cheese
Eastern U.S. regional wines in the Rose Garden, 6 – 8 p.m. Wine-tasting ticket $10, wine by the glass and bottle; beer, too. (Cash or check, please.) FREE cheese samples will be passed (while supplies last) courtesy of Cabot Cheese.

Live Music

In the Rose Garden, 6 – 8 p.m. VCU Jazz featuring modern/Harlem jazz styles. Brendan Schnabel (saxophone), Keith Askey (guitar), Andrew Randuzzo (bass)

Dining
In the Rose Garden (6 – 8 p.m.); salads, wraps, fruit and cheese plates and more. (Cash or check, please.)

In the Tea House (5 – 8 p.m.); check out the “Date Night Special”; wine and three-course split menu for two people only $35. Reservations: (804) 262-9887, ext. 399.

Blankets to borrow (while supplies last). A limited number of tables and chairs are also available on the terraced lawn.

Diversions

Browse in the Garden Shop; open til 7 p.m.

Admire the “Wild and Willow: Works on Paper” exhibit by Richmond artist Tenley Beazley and meet the artist 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Location: Robins Visitors Center.

Marvel at Diamonds in the Rough stick sculpture by Patrick Dougherty. Visible from the Rose Garden; we invite you to step closer and explore this magnificent new “jewel” of the Garden.

Oh, and if you like what your hearing, get  out your calendar! Here’s the line-up for the rest of the season:

Date/Wine Region/Featured Food for Sampling

June 9
New Zealand & Australian wines
Music by Greg Sullivan (acoustic duo)
Food sampling: Honey

June 16
Italian wines
Food sampling: Gelato

June 23
West Coast wines
Music by: Venture Rays (beach music)
Food sampling: Summer greens (organic from Frog Bottom Farm)

June 30
South African wines
Music by: HotelX (instrumental African music)
Food sampling: Vinaigrettes

July 7
Virginia wines
Music by Cook County Bluegrass
Food sampling: Peanuts

July 14
German & Alsatian wines
Doug Hurt (German band)
Food sampling: Breads & spreads

July 21
Washington & Oregon wines
Food sampling: Stone fruit

July 28
TBA
Music by Festival Brass (light classical)
Food sampling: Tomatoes (organic from Frog Bottom Farm)

August 4
Spanish wines
Music by Chris Vasi (Spanish guitar)
Food sampling: Olives

August 11
French wines
Music by VCU Jazz; Chris Norred and Connor Thompson (guitars), Jonathan Wheelock (bass)
Food sampling: Cheese

August 18
South American wines
Music by VCU Jazz: The Garcia Jazz Trio, featuring Antonio Garcia (trombone, vocals, percussion), John Conley (guitar), Brian Sulser (bass), featuring Mary Hermann Garcia (vocals).
Food sampling: Melons (organic from Frog Bottom Farm)

August 25: No Flowers After 5

by Randee Humphrey, Director of Education, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

The tops are forming on the stick sculpture

Patrick Dougherty & Andy Lynch forming a dome.

The Meadowmorphosis, from a distance.

Yes, it rained a bit today, but not before we were successful in hauling three more truckloads of sweet gum and maple saplings back to the Garden.  The “short stuff” will be useful in making the fine lines, like hatch marks, that help to “finish” the surface of the sculpture.  Back at the site, our wonderful volunteers continued their devoted work to leaf-stripping and weaving down low, while Patrick and Andy worked up high on the most complex forms.  When the afternoon shower began, the tent provided cover for the most determined strippers.

Later this afternoon we are securing the sculpture site with perimeter fencing and signage that reinforces that this is an active construction zone, for authorized personnel only.  Patrick and Andy leave after work today for a three-day break, and I will not be on site again until Monday morning.  Over the weekend, curious guests will still be able to enjoy viewing the sculpture from the service road, and we’ve added some helpful interpretive signage that explains what is going on.

On Monday, we will still have plenty to do and work will continue.  As Patrick said yesterday, we can always have a “stripping bee” and continue to clean the saplings.  We also will spruce up the rogue ends of sticks that need to be woven into the walls of the sculpture, and spread mulch down on the floor of the sculpture, forming packed pathways.

It’s an ambitious goal, but with an all-out effort I believe we could have all the saplings stripped of leaves before Patrick and Andy resume work on Tuesday morning.

Cathy Butler, Effortless Gardening Instructor

by Cathy Butler, guest blogger & instructor at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Cathy Butler is a certified Feldenkrais Method® instructor, who will be teaching a class on Effortless Gardening™ at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on May 14th -15 (10 am – 3 p.m. Saturday, Sunday 1 – 4 p.m.) We’ve asked her to share a bit about her class since it is a new offering at the Garden and uses a relatively unknown technique.

I came across the Effortless Gardening program soon after I had dived into landscaping the yard of my husband’s and my newly bought home in Northern California.  I loved being settled in a place where I could get my hands dirty and make the decisions about what plants would go where, but in my eagerness to get plants in and to move away concrete and weeds I often over did it  and felt horrible afterward.    I wasn’t new to the Feldenkrais Method® of movement that Effortless Gardening  is based on, so it seemed like a natural fit to me, and now I teach others about it.

The structure of the workshop is simple and effective:

1. Do a test.  Go out in the garden and do something like digging or hoeing or weeding for a minute or two and notice what parts of you start to get tired or sore or feel like they won’t hold up for long.
2. Then go inside and do a Feldenkrais lesson.  Feldenkrais lessons are gentle, easy movement lessons that help the nervous system work more efficiently and thus aid the body in moving with better mechanics.   We want to work smarter, not harder.
3. After the lesson, go outside and do the test again.  Ask yourself: Does this same activity feel any different?  Do I spontaneously dig (or hoe or weed) with less effort and strain?
4. Then comes coaching.  The Feldenkrais practitioner demonstrates how to most effectively do that garden task.
5. Practice some more.  Everyone in the workshop gets to practice this new way.
6. Individual attention.  Since everyone’s body is different, with different strengths and limitations, individual coaching is a valuable tool to help gardeners start to do things in these new ways.

Bottom line.  If you do something in a way that hurts you, and you want to keep doing that thing without the pain, then you need to learn to do it differently. The Feldenkrais lessons work on this via the nervous system while the coaching and individual attention work on it through demonstration, hands-on practice and verbal instruction.

After learning and practicing the principles of Effortless Gardening, I started to enjoy gardening much more, so much so that I’ve started sharing these principles with others.

If you still want to learn more about Effortless Gardening before registering for the class, you can see a video of how the method works or view a demonstration.

In honor of  Earth Day on (which is April 22 this year) Kristin Mullen, Early Childhood Program Developer from our Children’s Garden, pulled together a few green tips — fun activities you can do with you kids, that are earth-friendly & educational.   I love her ideas! The only thing better than helping the earth is teaching your children how to be good stewards while you do it! She’s got some great ideas, and I can’t wait to try them with my own kids.

• Plant a tree. Trees filter pollution from the air, help recycle water, prevent erosion, create shade, provide homes for animals and make food for humans and wildlife
• Use less. Reduce the amount of trash you create. Remind mom to bring the recyclable bags to the grocery store. Turn off the water while washing hair and brushing teeth. Check out books at the library instead of buying them.
• Volunteer. Help a green community organization, community garden, farmer’s market or botanical garden.
• Create compost. Join in the family effort to compost. Ask for the chore of taking compost materials to your bin or pile.
• Eat locally. Ask for your own garden space to grow your own vegetables. Encourage mom and dad to shop at local farmer’s markets.
• Clean up. Plan a neighborhood trash pick-up for your friends and family. Make it a competition to see who can get the most.
• Reduce exhaust emissions. Ride your bike or walk whenever and wherever you can. Help mom and dad rake leaves and shovel snow instead of using gas powered tools.
• Pack smart lunches. Help mom and dad pack lunches that use less waste. Use reusable water bottles and food containers and lunch bags, cloth napkins, and metal utensils.

What do you do to teach your children about the earth?  Feel free to add your suggestions in the comments.

Image courtesy of: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.more4kids.info/uploads/Image/April/child-hugging-earth.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.more4kids.info/729/family-green-living-tips-2/&usg=__qGBzMwzR9xBsMawVYm_AQKx6N0Y=&h=300&w=300&sz=13&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=FDguw8yelH5jGM:&tbnh=146&tbnw=146&ei=R9GlTcGYDoW2tgeRsu29Ag&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dearthday%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dflock%26hs%3D5Gj%26sa%3DX%26channel%3Dcds%26biw%3D1680%26bih%3D960%26tbm%3Disch%26prmd%3Divns&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=692&oei=R9GlTcGYDoW2tgeRsu29Ag&page=1&ndsp=45&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0&tx=75&ty=87