Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on August 2 2013, by Matt Newman
Just in case you were skeptical about the cardinal flower‘s “hummingbird delicacy” status.
Lobelia cardinalis and guest — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Learning Experiences on August 1 2013, by Charles Yurgalevitch
Charles M. Yurgalevitch, Ph.D., is the Director of the School of Professional Horticulture.
On Wednesday, July 24, 2013, the School of Professional Horticulture at the NYBG hosted the first-ever Green Industry Intern Field Day in the metro NYC area! Over 80 people attended, with every borough represented at this event, in addition to Long Island, upstate New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. An undergrad student even traveled from North Carolina State University to attend. This Field Day was created for interns interested in a career in horticulture, ecology, landscape design, or ecological restoration—for anyone who loves working with plants and wants to improve our environment and the world by doing so.
We opened with a brief assessment of the state of horticulture in 2013—namely, the shortage of trained and skilled plants people. Despite high-paying opportunities, there is a notable lack of people going into the nursery and landscape management business. In the UK, 72% of horticulture firms cannot find skilled workers, and a report from the Royal Horticultural Society found that young people in Britain don’t view gardening or working with plants as a skilled career. The importance of plants in our lives and on our planet cannot be overstated, making the need to encourage education in horticulture and the science behind growing plants all the more significant.
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on August 1 2013, by Matt Newman
This canna lily cultivar has led something of a confused life. First introduced in 1898 by C. Sprenger, Dammann & Co. of Naples, Italy, it wasn’t until the latter half of the 20th century that horticulturists began confusing ‘Roma’ with ‘Florence Vaughan’, a predecessor introduced by A. Crozy in Lyon, France around 1893. Whatever the catalyst for the mix-up (other than the obvious similarities), you’ll still see this cultivar mislabeled on shelves today.
Canna ‘Roma’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen