One of the numerous things I do for my horticultural business is garden coaching. My coaching provides many rewards for clients including empowering them to increase their gardening skills and increase their  problem solving abilities in the garden. Coaching has a cascading effect that helps homeowners to be more observant and more sensitive to their garden spaces.
My work includes in-person visits or Zoom visits. Each visit is documented with photographs, videos, and notes which includes the intent of the space, the number of family members using the space, the age of children if there are any, if there are pets, and so on. 
Notes, videos, and photographs are taken by me and/or my clients. 
Remote clients photograph their progress so that I can see what they have completed and for their own records of success. 
About a year ago, I was introduced to a couple in Los Angles. They had just moved into their new home and were walking around their garden with their friends when they noticed their avocado tree was looking wilted. ​

​It just so happened that one of their friends that evening, was my son. Andrew told his friends that his mom does remote garden coaching, and she may be able to help them with the tree problem. Andrew gave them my contact information and we set up a time to do a recorded Zoom conference call.
During the call Ashley and Zachary were able to walk around the garden and show me their tree and the rest of their property. We discussed the issues with the avocado tree, and we discussed future uses for the garden areas as they walked around. I sent them a copy of the video session for their records along with a report. 

​On careful inspection of the tree, I noticed at the base of the tree a sprinkler head and a wet spot. It looked like the tree was wilting from too much water. In California, especially in LA, few trees suffer from root rot because of the dry climate – unless there is a sprinkler issue.  
​I asked Zachary and Ashley to do some careful excavation around the tree roots to see what was happening.
Within a day I found out that the tree was sitting in water with a thick landscape fabric beneath the soil. 
I asked them to remove the sandy soil on top the cloth and then remove the cloth. (Photo left) 
Evidently, when the couple started removing the cloth, they discovered that the cloth was under the entire garden. 
Landscape fabric is less than ideal for any garden. I have seen my fair share of serious issues with the use of landscape fabric. (I will tell you more about this in another post.)
I had Ashley and Zachary shut off the irrigation nozzle at the base of the tree. They were able to do this manually to let the tree dry out. ​

What most people don’t realize about the symptoms of overwatering is their similar visual symptoms as plants that don’t have enough water – a visual called flagging. Flagging means the leaves are no longer standing out from the branches but are hanging limp on the tree – very much like a flag hanging down a flagpole on a calm day. 
Before the house was purchased there was a complete redo of the home. Landscape fabric was put on the entire property under a level layer of hard sand. The sand was rolled like one would roll asphalt or clay on a road or tennis court. This reduces oxygen in the soil and compresses the roots.  
In the picture to the right you can see how compressed the soil is - as if  the soil is a paving material. 

Once the fabric was ripped up under the tree, I asked Ashley and Zachary to get a large garden drill bit and drill holes approximately two feet apart in a grid pattern under the entire tree. (See photo to the left)
​As the drill bit was pulling the soil out of the ground, I asked them to put the soil in a bucket. The holes were allowing air to penetrate the soil.
Once this chore was done, I asked Ashley and Zachary  to mix the soil and  take out one cup of soil and dry it out to send it in for soil testing. I reviewed the soil test documents with them and then had Zachary and Ashley send the forms out to the University of Massachusetts’ soil laboratory. I explained that the soil test will determine pH and what nutrients the soil might be lacking or nutrients that may be in excess. 
Zachary and Ashley did a great job taking the soil test and did additions soil tests around the rest of the garden to find out if there were any huge differences in soil nutrients and pH from area to the next. 

​While they were waiting for the soil test to come back, I then told them to go to the local garden center and buy numerous bags of Bumper Crop Organic Soil Builder. I looked up all the garden centers in their area and found one store that carried the product.
I then instructed them to use the Bumper Crop to fill in the holes that they dug with the drill bit and put the remaining product on the top of the soil. 
(See photo to the left.) 
The Bumper Crop adds valuable nitrogen found in cow manure and also contains endo and ecto mycorrhizae to help nutrient uptake for the tree's roots. 
During this same time period, LA received numerous torrential rain storms which helped the Bump Crop to settle in. I recommended watering the tree by hand once a week during the drier spells.
When the soil test came back, I reviewed the results with Zachary and Ashley and sent them an eight page report explaining that the soil was excessively high in potassium and phosphorus and very low in nitrogen so instead of using a nitrogen fertilizer in addition to the Bumper Crop, I recommended seeding the area under the tree with white clover a nitrogen fixing plant to help slowly add nitrogen to the soil. The clover would not only fill in the area but will also keep the tree roots cool. 

In less than a year of the processes carried out, the avocado tree has sprang back dramatically. The leaves are now more turgid (standing more upright). The tree has a ton of blooms for a future crop of avocados.
​The photo to the left shows what the tree looked like in March, 2023 - six months after the original treatments. New leaves were beginning to emerge along with the flower buds.  

Here is what the tree looks like now September, 2023. No  more flagging leaves and there are a ton of avocados on the tree. 

The success of Zachary and Ashley’s work has given them confidence to do other projects around their garden. I can't wait to work with them again to see what they do next! 

Here are Zachary, Marlee - their darling dog, and Ashley holding a cocktail.
​Cheers for a job well done!









​If you are interested in finding out more about garden coaching, I can be reached at evamonheim@gmail.com. 

Sources 

Bumper Crop Organic Soil Builder
https://coastofmaine.com/product/bumpercrop/

California Avocados
https://californiaavocado.com/how-to/how-to-grow-your-own-avocado-tree/

Fruit Growers Supply 
Avocado Diseases You Need to Know About 
https://fruitgrowers.com/avocado-diseases-you-need-to-know-about/ 

Homestead and Chill
https://homesteadandchill.com/how-to-grow-avocados/

Power Planter® 
https://powerplanter.com/drills-and-augers/gardening-augers/

Sego Nursery
https://tinyurl.com/4fbassve

Texas A & M AgriLife Extension
Texas Plant Disease Handbook 
Avocado
https://plantdiseasehandbook.tamu.edu/food-crops/fruit-crops/avocado/

University of Massachusetts Soil Laboratory 
https://ag.umass.edu/services/soil-plant-nutrient-testing-laboratory 
https://ag.umass.edu/soil-plant-nutrient-testing-laboratory/fact-sheets/sampling-instructions-for-routine-soil-analysis
https://ag.umass.edu/services/soil-plant-nutrient-testing-laboratory/lab-services

Trap Pond State Park and Cape Henlopen with The Professional Gardening Students from Longwood Gardens

I find that while teaching Woody Plants and Arboriculture, there is nothing better than taking students off site from Longwood Gardens (where students have an amazing campus of plants to study) to see plants outside the regular garden areas. It is a way to reinforce identification skills while looking at the overall structure and health of the trees. 
​Our first stop on our journey was to Laurel, Delaware at Trap Pond State Park (Friday, March 16).  The park is famous because it holds the northern most stand of bald-cypress (Taxodium distichum) in North America. 
​The day was bitterly cold and windy with gusts over 25 mph but that didn’t stop the group from botanizing. They really enjoyed looking at the trees from Cypress Point.

proximity to fresh water, and other telling land forms which provides ideal contextual learning opportunities.  The students gain a greater knowledge of the plants’ needs including their tolerance to harsh conditions.  

​
​
Sources

Alnus maritima subsp. maritima
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/34053/0

Beachgrass invasion in coastal dunes is mediated by soil microbes and lack of disturbance dependence
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ecs2.1527

Allison Brown, Ph.D.
Information on the Telephora fungus

Bonsai-like
https://www.gardenguides.com/article-bonsai-trees.html

Cape Henlopen, Lewes, Delaware
http://www.destateparks.com/park/cape-henlopen/

Dune Ecology: Beaches and Primary Dunes
http://njseagrant.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Dune-Ecology-Beaches-and-Primary-Dunes.pdf

Dune Ecology: Secondary Dunes and Beyond
http://njseagrant.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Dune-Ecology-Secondary-Dunes-and-Beyond.pdf

Eastern Fence Lizard or Pine Lizard
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_fence_lizard

Ectomycorrhizal Ecology
https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2005.01593.x

Krummholz – Banner and Flag Trees
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krummholz

Promise of Place
https://www.promiseofplace.org/

Sand Hickory
http://www.backyardnature.net/n/w/sandhick.htm
https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=CAPA24

Telephora
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelephora
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/thelephora_terrestris.html

Trap Pond State Park, Laurel, Delaware
http://www.destateparks.com/park/trap-pond/
http://www.destateparks.com/downloads/maps/trap-pond/Trap_Pond_Tearoff2017.pdf
​
“What is Place-Based Education and Why Does it Matter?”
http://www.gettingsmart.com/2017/02/what-is-place-based-education/

For more information on Stoneleigh, please see the sources below.  I hope to see you there!!
​
Stoneleigh: A Natural Garden can be accessed by commuter rail stopping at the Villanova Station.  The garden is a short walk from the station heading north on Spring Mill Road. 
​
Stoneleigh: A Natural Garden
1829 County Line Road
Villanova, PA 

Photos – by Eva Monheim​

pollinated which takes a higher level of skill says Greene.  Some urban libraries may choose to have a smaller library of saved seed while they purchase more difficult to pollinate seed.

In a small town just outside Philadelphia, Bonnie Miller heads up the Jenkintown Seed Library. The library’s beautiful interior with elaborate wood molding and tall book shelves, sets the scene for another type of community seed library.  On one of the deep window ledges there sits a large wooden bowl filled with seed packets from the Seed Savers Exchange.  Signs surrounding the bowl explains how the seed swap works. Bonnie Miller explained that their library seed program is simple – patrons can take up to two seed packets with no questions asked and if they take more than two they replace a packet they are taking with one that they have brought.  (A one-for-one swap.) If they return seed from their own garden, they have to fill out a form that asks all sorts of questions: where did the seed originate from; the name of the fruit or vegetable; what are its growing requirements, was the plant self or hand pollinated, how was the seed collected and stored, etc.  The Seed Savers Exchange gives the library seeds each season to replenish the store.  The library staff also encourages plant swaps too.  If someone has too many plants, they can share them with fellow gardeners.  Jenkintown Library volunteers plant a small display garden outside the library each year to showcase the various vegetables that are available from seed in the library.  Once mature, vegetables in the library’s garden can be picked by families in need or they are donated to the local shelter. ​
​

Steps for Starting a Seed Library

• Contact local community groups and form a community advisory: garden clubs, farmer’s markets, cooperative extension, gardening groups, local businesses that are green based and that have knowledgeable staff, experienced seed savers schools, universities…
• Create a volunteer base to help with organization
• Grants through public libraries, gardening groups – that might provide seed money for beginning the process
  • Seed money will help with the expense of seed envelopes, labels, books, cleaning materials
  • Defrays the cost for training how to save seed
  • New books for the library that relate to seed saving and garden and pollination
• Ask for donations from the friends of the library
• Ask seed companies for donations to get started
• You will need people power for:
  • Packing and repacking seed
  • Cataloguing
  • Outreach
  • Education
  • Volunteer Coordinator
• Need volunteers to:
  • Catalogue seed by pollination ease or difficulty
  • Research each plant online
• Inventory of the physical spaces needed
  • Card catalogues
  • Filing drawers
  • Storage boxes
  • Events that help with the process - PR
• Pick the target date for beginning to lend seed

Additional Ideas
With small numbers of people who are interested in saving and exchanging seed, a plant and seed swap might be a good beginning to peak interest in the community.  If this is successful you can begin to draw on the attendees to begin a volunteer base for a seed and plant library. 


​Sources

Hudson Valley Seed Library
http://hudsonvalleyseed.com/

Renee's Seed Garden
https://www.reneesgarden.com/
​
Basil Seed Library         
http://ecologycenter.org/basil/ 

Conner, Cindy. Seed Libraries: And Other Means of Keeping Seeds in the Hands of the People.  Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers, 2014.

How to Save a Public Library: Make it a Seed Bank   http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/02/02/170846948/how-to-save-a-public-library-make-it-a-seed-bank
​
How to Start a Seed Library at Your Public Library https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX6VwZEHY0I 

International Seed Library Forum: Rebecca Newburn – Keynote Speaker
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a9Yj-_bVaM 

Organic Seed Alliance   http://www.seedalliance.org/
Phillips, Judith. Growing the Southwest Garden. Portland: Timber Press, 2015. 

Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library  http://www.richmondgrowsseeds.org/ 

Root Simple: Seed Saving and Seed Libraries with David King
https://www.spreaker.com/user/rootsimple/seed-saving-and-seed-libraries-with-davi?autoplay=1 

Seed Library of Pima County https://www.library.pima.gov/browse_program/seed-library/ 

Seed Library Social Network  www.seedlibraries.org 

Seed Libraries
https://www.facebook.com/SeedLibraries/ 

Seed Savers Exchange   www.seedsavers.org   
http://blog.seedsavers.org/blog/in-defense-of-seed-libraries 

The National Heirloom Exposition http://theheirloomexpo.com/ 

Urban Gardener – Rebecca Newburn Richmond, Cal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX0V7EVKCVE 

Whealy, Diane Ott. Gathering: Memoir of a Seed Saver. Decorah, Iowa: Seed Savers Exchange, 2011.

 that the garden will go through to delight visitors including the Oudolf Garden.  It was a pleasure to have ​met Piet Oudolf and Tom Piper the filmmaker. Below you will find my review of the documentary. 

the seasons. Piper exhibits his own sensitivity and sacredness of his subject by patiently filming throughout five seasons which in turn represents the entire life and accomplishments of Piet Oudolf.

​At the beginning of the movie, the simple act of drawing – markers drawing color, shape and form on the scroll of velum showing the ease at which the master’s hand moves effortlessly across the page, also records Oudolf’s own life. The seasoned veteran shows the proficiency and intuitive nature of his work.  The drawings are superb works even before they become living gardens. He has given a piece of himself in each creation - in return, garners great satisfaction in knowing that he also has acquired further experience and insight.
 
Oudolf uses his life-long observational skills to translate each plant in his palette as if they were actors on a stage as he slowly intermingles the characters that interact seasonally until they are cut down towards winter’s end – then the cycle begins again in earnest in the spring.   
 
Durslade Farm is the work that we see Oudolf orchestrating at the beginning of the film. This design becomes the vehicle for his life to unfold in Piper’s masterwork.  Durslade Farm becomes the alpha and omega in which Oudolf time travels from a five-year-old boy to a seventy-one-year-old master. The filmmaker tells the story as eloquently as Oudolf conveys it through dialogue, drawings and gardens.  Two languages are intermingled within the film with subtitles that show the global appeal of Oudolf’s work.  It also represents the duality of Piper and Oudolf – their artistry and trust between the two. ​

native and non-natives working brilliantly together to exemplify the melting pot of immigrants co-mingling – dancing and growing together and apart. As Oudolf points out, this is a political statement. Natives and non-natives can live peaceably together creating the diversity that is so needed in the landscape today. 
​

  
​Sources:

Delaware Botanic Garden     http://www.delawaregardens.org/
Piet Oudolf                                https://oudolf.com/
Thomas Piper                           http://adfilmfest.com/site/directors_ny2016/6820
Trailer                                         http://pietoudolfmovie.com/
​
Photos are credited to the author unless otherwise mentioned

One of my former students introduced me to eastern wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus, USDA Hardiness Zones 3-9, AHS Heat Zones 10-4) over five years ago, while he was working at a native plant garden in New York State.  He said it was a great small upright tree or large shrub that should be used more frequently in home landscapes.  When I began to investigate the plant online, in libraries and to hunt for locations to view a few specimens – Mt. Cuba in Hockessin, Delaware was where I went.  The five specimens they had were difficult to find in the summer greenery despite the site map that I was given. After an hour of searching I found two of the five and took a few photos to mark their location for my return trip.  When I went back in October eastern wahoo presented itself in a striking red to yellow fall display. (Above)

wood from our native populations and the second common name spindle tree comes from the plant’s dense wood that was used to make spindles, birdcages and pipe stems, even artists’ charcoal and gunpowder.  According to several sources, the stem has a bitter-acrid slightly sweet taste. The wood is pale yellow when cut and has the faint fragrance of liquorice. The third common name - burning bush refers to the plant’s amazing fall color. You can see how one might get confused regarding all three plants and their common names.
Eastern wahoo acquired its Latin species name atropurpureus from its deep purple flowers found in cymes growing in the axils of the leaves. The flowers have four or sometimes five petals that have the smell of carrion to attract beetles and flies. Like other euonymus species, the leaves are opposite and oval in shape and have fine serrations along the leaf margin with hairs beneath.  The young bark is green with corky winged growth creating a slightly square stem. ​
​Eastern wahoo can be planted in full sun to part shade and likes moist soils. It’s tolerant of flooding and low lying areas and can handle a range of soils including a higher pH.  Wahoo can be used as a screen, understory in a woodland, along a streambank, in a hedge border and yes, in a small garden.  The average size for this plant is fifteen to twenty feet in height.
The journal references for eastern wahoo were mainly medicinal even though the plant is considered poisonous. It has similar properties as digitalis. A white powder called euonymin produced from the bark of the root was used in small quantities to heal stomach issues, gallbladder problems, heart conditions and edema (dropsy).  There were numerous articles found on the subject in the American Journal of Pharmacy published by the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy between the mid part of the 19th and early 20th century after that there are few references to the plant. In the 21st century references have been made about the plant online and in some cases the commentary mentions the plants rarity in some areas of the country.  This underutilized native should be considered when nurseries are looking to expand their diversity. Let’s bring back a plant that has been long over looked.
Photo above shows striking foliage in late October in Delaware. 

​Field trips are an integral part of the university experience and probably the highlight of the semester for students and faculty, especially in the horticulture field.
This spring I planned a trip for my Food Crops class to Kennett Square to tour the largest specialty mushroom grower in the U.S. – Phillips Mushroom Farms.

 Jim Angelucci, the general manager of Phillips was our guide.  Jim is a meticulous man and when he spoke you could see the twinkle of mushrooms in his eyes.  We all donned red hair nets to prevent unwanted contamination in the houses. Jewelry and other small objects that could be lost during the tour were asked to be removed before we entered the houses.  These types of precautions have become best practice standards in the industry which started at Phillips Mushroom Farm. The farm has been in business since 1927 and continues to lead the industry with its contributions to food safety, substrate development, cutting edge technology and production practices.

​The farm was so large that we had to carpool from one location to another.  The first stop was the white mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) houses. The specific epithet bisporus means two-spored basidia which puts this mushroom into the basidiomycete group of mushrooms. The mushroom is native to both North America and Europe. 
The white, windowless buildings were impeccable.  Each of the buildings had a “headhouse” or corridor where all the controls were located for each of the rooms. Humidity, temperature and carbon dioxide are constantly being monitored for optimal growing conditions.  Stacks of mushroom trays stood almost as tall as the ceiling along the walls of the hallway.  Double doors marked the entry to each room.  (See photo above)
The mushroom beds were stacked in threes with an added second floor with similar stature and structure. The beds were made of wooden slats and the sides could be pulled up to see the mycelium growth like a fine thick carpet. (See photo below)

The growing medium is a blend of stable bedding from horses, chicken manure and combinations of ground corn cobs and/or wheat straw.  The blend is pasteurized inoculated with spawn seed and put into the beds and topped with a layer of peat moss. From the time the medium is put into the beds to full growth and harvest – it’s a nine week cycle.  
The waste from surrounding farms that goes into the growing media shows how this industry relies on the discards of other operations that would otherwise pollute the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding tributaries. The compost that results from mushroom production is considered to be black gold. 

​Jim told us that we could all pick one button mushroom to taste.  He said you will never taste anything better than a fresh mushroom.  He was right, mine tasted flowery and earthy and was deliciously sweet.
The fragrance of mushrooms varied from one mushroom type to another – this room smelled earthy and fresh and the humidity level was high.  I felt like I was getting the most expensive spa treatment ever.  I just wanted to breathe deeply and take in the atmosphere.  Jim said he always feels great after walking through the houses.  Perhaps the medicinal traits of mushrooms made me feel completely energized as we continued our tour. 

 The brown and white mushrooms grow so fast that sometimes they will be picking eight times a day in order to keep up with the growth of mushrooms off the substrate.  Here you can see young brown mushrooms and small pin sized mushrooms. The small pins will be mature in 24 hours or less.
According to Jim Angelucci, their company grew the first Portobello mushrooms in the country in 1985.  To develop a market for these mushrooms, Phillips gave the mushrooms away to markets from Maine to Florida.  They were hoping that restaurants and Foodies would try these amazing mushrooms and create a demand for them.  Portobello mushrooms quickly took off as great vegan option because it has a thick and meaty texture. ​

The shiitake rooms smelled like a forest after a heavy rainstorm. Shiitake has many medicinal benefits and a wonderful flavor that makes this mushroom the largest selling mushroom of the exotic fungi group.  It is heavy in dietary vitamin D, potassium, thiamine, niacin and selenium. Shiitake is also an important fungi used for the liver. 
​Jim likes to call mushrooms vegetables  without chlorophyll and he encourages a healthy diet of them. As we walk from room to room, he shares statistics on the increase of sales for mushrooms world-wide.  Over $1.2 billion are sold each year in the U.S.  Pennsylvania grows the lion’s share of this at almost $500 million. ​

other Eryngium species. When cooked king oyster has the texture of abalone and flavors of umami.   Royal Trumpet™ is the trademarked name given by Phillips Mushroom Farms which has made the mushroom more marketable here in the U.S. It takes 28 days to grow and loves a 60 degree F. room for harvest. ​

Last night I had the wonderful opportunity to tour the Philadelphia Flower Show with the Garden Writers Association.  The event is always something that I look forward to because it provides a wonderful view of the show before it’s complete and without the crowds. 

country.  They provide glimpses of naturally formed monoliths like Arches National Park – a park that I will never forget visiting. Robertson’s Flowers and Events created their rendition of Arches National Park in Postcards from Arches (above).  The warm terracotta tones brings to life the feel of the warm hues of the park’s setting with its red sandstone formations. ​

Williamson College of the Trades created The Appalachian Trail, “The People’s Trail” bringing back memories of my own experience of hiking along the Appalachian Tail. (above-left) 
If you haven’t been to the Philadelphia Flower Show before – make this the year you attend!  Rangers from various parks throughout the country will be on hand to answer questions and there will be live feed coming in from parks all over the nation.  You won’t want to miss it!! 
​

Sources

The Philadelphia Flower Show http://theflowershow.com/
Robertson’s Flowers https://www.robertsonsflowers.com/
Moda botanica http://modabotanicadesign.blogspot.com/
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society http://phsonline.org/
Burke Brothers Landscape Design/Build http://www.burkebrothers.com/
Stoney Bank Nursery http://stoneybanknurseries.com/
Temple University http://www.temple.edu/ambler/la-hort/default.html
Williamson College of the Trades https://www.williamson.edu/

Louise Clarke and I set out for MANTS (Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show) on January seventh in the wee hours of the morning.  The event has been held in Baltimore for the last 35 years according to the organizers of MANTS and, it’s the largest Trade Show of its kind in the U. S.  Usually the trade show conflicts into my class schedule at the university so I go infrequently  – I haven’t been in several years.  I was thrilled that I could see the latest and best plants and equipment and educate myself as I walked around the trade floor – talking with the exhibitors.  ​

GMO seeds.  There was one booth, Lake Valley Seed that prominently displayed a black and white label reading NON-GMO on their colorful seed banner.  ​

​I also liked the recycled pallet containers with cascading grasses in them – a clever marketing scheme while also recycling. (below- left)

​The new method for bareroot tree transport was evident in the Steve Myers and Son Nursery booth.  (below- right) The trees are bagged to keep moisture in while being transported. They’re usually packed with nothing covering the root system.  Bagging makes a happier tree. 

​Brotzman Nursery had an Ilex ‘Sparkleberry’ (Sparkleberry winterberry holly) trained into a small tree. (below- left) This was the first time that I ever saw someone do this with this cultivar before – I hope it catches on – filling the small tree niche. 
Louise found exactly what she needs for her staff at Morris Arboretum’s Bloomfield 

vibrant – eye candy for the show patrons. (above- right)  The design was unique.  If I was a bird, I wouldn’t want to leave the Foxborough Nursery booth. ​When we walked outside – getting ready to leave Baltimore, I could not help looking at the beautiful twilight as the buildings began to light up in the night  ​sky.  It was a perfect ending to an exciting and educational day.  (below)

​A Nursery Visit is Good for the Soul – We get to see the future
I love visiting plant nurseries because I know the potential they hold for the future of our environment.  Just like visiting a children’s nursery school, one learns the potential of our future people power. There are so many similarities between people and plants I am surprised that few people draw the connections between the two.  In fact, some people think that if you do draw these connections it’s almost sacrilegious.  But, I on the other hand believe that all living things have a far greater connection than we would like to admit because that would take humans off their pedestal and put them at the same level as everything else on the planet – including plants, rocks and other animals.  It would also mean that we would have to value other living things more and put humans in context with all other living organisms on earth.  The entire thought might be scary to some, but I believe we have to start thinking this way in order to solve many of the global problems that are happening today.  If you could for a few moments think of what a tree might see from where it is standing, or what moss is feeling as sits hugging the ground.
I took my graduate students on another journey to see how native plants are grown at the Collins Nursery.  http://collinsnursery.com/ There is a rich history to this nursery started by John Collins http://collinsnursery.com/john_f_collins the famous landscape architect.  The nursery is now in Glenside, a small town that is situated northwest of the City of Philadelphia.  Here in a castle on one of the highest points in the area, John Collins continued his work of growing native plants for landscapes.   John died in 2011 but now the nursery is in the able and loving hands of Diane Erich who was mentored by John for numerous years.  She greeted us when we arrived.  Mrs. Collins also welcomed us to the property that is opened by appointment only – with the exception of open days in the spring and fall. ​