The month of October will feature a special exhibit of botanical art featuring illustrations of native wildflowers and plants. The Plants of the James River Project, a group of botanical artists working to educate the public about the beauty of native plants and threats to them, will present Ancarrow’s List: Native Plants by the River’s […]
Read MoreThe screams of a dozen middle- and high school-aged girls pierce the still air in the Kroger Community Kitchen Garden. I’m in the middle of a demonstration about beneficial insects, excitedly showing them a huge, live wolf spider I had trapped overnight, when the spider seizes the opportunity to leap out of its cup, straight […]
Read MoreChemicals, excess nutrients and sediment are the Chesapeake Bay’s biggest pollutants. You may not live near the Chesapeake Bay, but what you do directly affects it – as does what you do or don’t plant. Efforts to protect and restore the Bay are not new, but some planting practices are. “We have this idea in […]
Read MoreNational Pollinator Week is a time to celebrate pollinators—like bees, birds, butterflies, beetles, and bats—and learn about ways that we can protect them. After you’ve flitted through M&T Bank Butterflies LIVE!, reveled in the sweet success at the Bob Stapleton and Keith Tignor Apiary, and taken in the sights, sounds, and smells of the pollinator-friendly plants along […]
Read MorePurple passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), both handsome and hardy, is a native that frequents fields and fencerows across our state. A day in the sun The sun-loving perennial vine produces showy, exotic flowers during summer–but look fast! Each lavender bloom lasts less than a day before it shrivels and sets fruit over the course of several […]
Read MoreThe Garden is full of beautiful landscapes, blossoming flowers, art installations and small wildlife. It is beautiful year round and always offers something new to engage with. However, one of the most amazing areas of the Garden is the Kroger Community Kitchen Garden. This time of the year it’s bustling with visitors, horticulturists, volunteers and school […]
Read MoreWeddings aren’t always white. Sometimes they’re green. Rehearsal dinners, baby showers and other celebrations are trending green, too. Going green has little to do with color. It’s the concept of planning events that are special, yet environmentally sustainable. “More venues are offering eco-friendly options,” said Lindsay Condelli, assistant facility events coordinator at Lewis Ginter Botanical […]
Read MoreIf you’ve ever dabbled in herb gardening, chances are you’ve seen little green worms munching away on your parsley, dill, or fennel. If that’s the case, then you’ve been visited by the larva of Eastern Black Swallowtails! These caterpillars may be found eating anything in the carrot family—including the herbs already mentioned, but also carrots […]
Read More“Connor, come sit down with me!” A simple sentence perhaps, but for Jennifer Simmons, the words seemed miraculous. Three-year-old Parker had speech delays. He rarely spoke in complete sentences, and for months had been trying to say his brother’s name. Now he’d finally gotten it right. It was opening day of M&T Bank Butterflies LIVE! […]
Read MoreThe passenger platforms for PULSE, the GRTC bus rapid transit system, have been touted for their innovative architecture. Their landscape designs merit kudos, too. The largest planting is little more than 6 to 10 feet wide. However, the 26 stations are situated along a high-profile corridor between Willow Lawn and Rocketts Landing. Creating each station’s […]
Read MoreAs you wind your way through the entrance to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, a stream cuts through the lawn to your left. It has a naturalistic feel, with trees and small shrubs growing along the sides. The purpose now is functional – an area for run-off from nearby neighborhoods, streets and parking lots – but the […]
Read MoreFungi—some forms have existed millions of years!—originally were classified as plants. But they lack chlorophyll and other basic plant characteristics, so today, they reign over their own realm: Kingdom Fungi. I’m eating what? Your grocery store is stocked with fungi, from edible mushrooms to beer, wine and cheese that are fermented from yeast. The pharmacy also […]
Read MoreWe’re in the early stage of spring avian migration, a time when birders’ pulses quicken in anticipation of finding colorful songbirds, shorebirds and raptors. Some migrants will stay and breed in our region and others will continue north as far as Canada’s boreal habitats. On a late April morning, I headed to the Garden with binoculars […]
Read MoreThe ground warms. Buds swell, and perennials reappear. Spring announces to gardeners that gardening season is near! Though green-thumb hobbies reap satisfaction—as well as fresh veggies and lush landscapes—there are costs. Long hours, constant chores, backaches and bills await most gardeners. Meet Frank Hyman Frank Hyman, a garden consultant and writer from Durham, N.C., advocates […]
Read MoreAwake! This woodland rambler is an early riser from winter’s slumber. Consider mayapple a welcome harbinger of spring. State of popularity: Virginia is for Lovers … of mayapples! The native perennial (Podophyllum peltatum) can be found in almost every part of the state. What’s in a name: The moniker suggests May beauty, but Richmond’s mayapple blooms often […]
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