Day Three: NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK!

Day two of sessions has come and gone and we have learned so much that our heads are spinning with information. We began early this morning and have been going like the energizing bunny since our alarms woke us up bright and early. Like yesterday we all split up to attend the different sessions that we found to be the most interesting to us, while Dr. Eakes and Kira went on the urban farm tour. One major thing we all have become pros at: networking! Below you can read short tid bits of what we learned.

Session 1:

-- Content is King:
     Like yesterday, I chose to attend the marketing and leadership sessions. The first session that I went to bright and early this morning was about social media and how we as public garden professionals can connect with visitors on a more informal level and really make them feel as if they are appreciated by the institution. Whether it's a photo contest, commenting or liking a visitors post, or posting how-to's and informational videos, in today's world, anyone who wants to have a successful business MUST connect with customers and be able to carry on a continuous conversation with them through some sort of social media platform. I chose this session because I believe in the coming months I will be able to apply what I learned through the Alabama Nursery and Landscape Association (which you should all follow/like when I get it set up!) to help get the association more current and allow for growth. (Hanna Pettus)

-- Succulents Reimagined: Kat McCullough, Senior Gardnener, Longwood Gardens
     Kat McCullough is the main designer and creator of succulent wreaths, archways designs, wall hangings and even 12 foot succulent trees for Longwood Gardens. Most of the designs are used for Christmas displays but can be utilized and manipulated for various events as well. Some of the plant materials Kat recommended working with include echevarias, kalanchoe, euphorbia, narrow leaved aloes and more. These plants were selected based on the minimal watering requirements, cost efficiency (some more than others), soil was not required,and most could be easily propagated and reused in a new design.  Kat also briefly discussed the creation process of a succulent design, which begins by selecting hard goods first, such as a sturdy metal frame, followed by large pins to secure packaging materials such packing peanuts, and then the pinning of soaked peat moss to serve as a water source for the plants. Nylon string is then tied in a criss-cross pattern to add further security to the framework. Plant materials are added last and are typically grouped in mass to create emphasis and enhance the presence of certain plant materials within a design. Lastly, a sturdy hanging device is installed as a backing in order to hang the design.
I really liked Kat's presentation, not only because she   introduced new designs with the use of succulents, but because she created efficient designs  that were sustainable for 6-7 weeks, possessed reusable materials, and expanded the ideas of designing with such a popular and relatively inexpensive and easy to grow plant material. Not only are her designs creative, they are easy and fun, and can even be done at home! (Hilary Heath)


Session 2:
-- Creating a Butterfly Exhibit: If You Build It, Will They Come?
     There were three presenters which spoke about different aspects of developing a butterfly exhibit. Many gardens have seasonal butterfly displays which can help to attract visitors during slow periods. In order to have a butterfly exhibit a permit from the USDA is necessary to legally own display them because they classify then as pests. There is also more paperwork needed for tropical butterflies than for North American species. The butterflies are purchased from farms and can be shipped all over the world. If you're interested here is a video one of the farms they mentioned in Costa Rica.  

One of the speakers also talked about which plants are the best nectar sources for butterfly exhibits. Some of the suggestions which can also be grown in home gardens include pentas, lantana and heliotrope. The presentation encouraged other gardens to construct exhibits to add an extra element of interested and magic to their displays. (Seth Allen)


Workshop:
-- Biomimicry: Innovating from Life for Conservation and Education:
     The premise of biomimicry is nature has designed effective, sustainable systems for eons; why not emulate those in our designs? Native Americans of various tribes have long been applying this principle but the idea had been all but lost in Western culture. The modern movement was pioneered by Janine Benyus, author of “Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature.” During this presentation we received an outline of design strategies from nature: twelve principles in the three categories of efficiency, resilience, and relationships. Everyone was then broken into groups of three or four and given a plant. We were instructed to brainstorm ideas of how inspiration from that plant could benefit an industry of any sort. My team members, Deb Grove and Scott Munroe, and I were given anEchinofossulocactus crispatus (a cactus about the size of a pill bottle) and produced a myriad of ideas. My favorite was an LED lightbulb shaped like our cactus. In our design, the spine-producing areoles of the cactus were the light-producing diodes of the bulb. The ribbed, wavy structure of the cactus was pertinent to the design, as it increased surface area, thereby allowing greater heat dispersion from diodes, an important aspect of LED light design. Other groups designed aloe leaf shaped roof shingles, an agave-shaped water catchment system, a barrel cactus shaped building, and other things. Aside from a few technical difficulties with the projector, this was an excellent workshop that inspired me to think outside the box and appreciate the simple, powerful designs of nature. (Jeremiah DeVore)

Session 3:
-- Full STEAM Ahead:
     STEAM = Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math. In this section, a panel of speakers discussed how they incorporate these five areas into various children's programs at their public garden. As I walked into the room, I was handed a flattened cereal box and a marker and told to use that rather than other means to take notes. That's one way to reuse and recycle. Also, a cardboard box was passed around and they told us to take one of the various items and place it somewhere in the box; by the time it made it around the room it was supposed to be a work of art. The facilitator of the project made a comment people who picked something and slapped it on the box just to pass it on; yes, that was me. Overall, the session was more of a case study type discussion and we just learned how that particular garden used STEAM; however, I never really learned what types of programs they used to incorporate it. Oh well! (Kira Chaloupka)

Session 4:
-- Re-Thinking the Rose Garden:

     The Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden was designed in 1916, completed in 1988, and renovated in 2007 by Peter Kukielsk. Peter's renovation project is an ongoing project that focuses on the sustainability of the beautiful hybrid tea roses we know today within the landscape. The first hybrid tea rose was created in 1867, called "The Queen of the Garden", and is what Peter refers to as a rose with "messed up genetics". Basically, "The Queen of the Garden" opened the flood gates to, yes, more beautiful rose varieties, but roses facilitated with unsustainable beauty within the landscape. How so? Genetics focused on flower form, color, and fragrance but negated from important genetic characteristics for survival or sustainability such as resistance to disease and hardiness within the landscape.  What defines a sustainable yet breathtakingly beautiful rose? Well, a rose is not a rose anymore after 150 plus years of genetic alterations, but Peter defines a sustainable rose as a thing of beauty and strength with the ability to thrive within the landscape without the use of pesticides, sprays, or fertilizers. (Hilary Heath)


Urban Farm Tour -- Agritopia!
     This morning, Dr Eakes and I (Kira), went on the urban farm tour, which took us out about 45 minutes from Phoenix. This place was awesome! The name, Agritopia, ties together the idea of a Utopia with an agriculture concept. In short, it was an HOA (Homeowners Association) centralized around sustainability and community. There was way too much to explain it all, so I'll stick with my two favorite parts and just show pictures for the rest.
     My first favorite part was the crop square. On section held the community garden, where members of the community can purchase a 20'x20' plot for $250, which includes water. The other three sections are used in summer/spring and winter/fall crop production. They use crop rotation and keep one field fallow with a cover crop. The second favorite part was the orchard. They had it all from citrus and apples to olives and dates with peaches, nectarines and apricots in between! Just walking through, I was overcome by the sweet smell of peaches.
     Overall it was a great experience and really showed me the reality in creating and sustaining a slow food movement -- that you can get people involved in horticulture/agriculture and at the same time educate them on it's importance.

Community Garden 

One of three crop fields; community in background

Orchard

Head Farmer Erick at the farmers market

On site restaurant featuring meals with community grown produce

We continue on tomorrow with a break in the sessions by taking a trip back down to Saguaro National Park near Tucson. Check us out tomorrow for a recap!

War Eagle,

The Fab Five!