Third Week at Longwood

This week was again filled, shuffling between several different people starting with the Indoor Display and ending with the Outdoor Display garden sections. Karl Gercens and Mary Allinson head the Indoor Display. Both are busy getting ready for “Autumn Colors” at Longwood. Amanda, another intern, and I helped with covering a giant cornucopia with grape vines which will later be filled with artisan glass pumpkins. I wish I could be here to see the final end product. It should be pretty impressive!

Harold Taylor and Bob Scanzarolli gave me a tour of their respective grdens. I worked on the Hill Garden Path with Susan from California and then a tour of Pierce’s Woods with gardener Pandora. Next, I talked with Jeff who takes care of the parking lot and area in front of the Visitor Center. He has the extra challenge of dealing with the heat generated from all of the concrete surrounding the planting beds. On Friday I worked with Ed Broadbent who is in charge of the "Brick Walk". There I helped him deadhead Cannas and spent Hibiscus blossoms.

The highlight of this week though had to be the field trip to Dumbarton Oaks and the US Botanic Garden in Washington DC.

Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection is an institute of Harvard University dedicated to supporting scholarship internationally in Byzantine, Garden and Landscape, and Pre-Columbian studies through fellowships, meetings, exhibitions, and publications. Oh, and lets not forget about the gardens! The public is invited to see the garden in all its glory with its many added ordornments such as statues, benches, brickwork, and cobblestone art. My favorite is the Ficus pumila room. Gail, our guide, gave a humorous but informative talk taking us through the impressive gardens that Beatrix Farrand designed in 1921.

Then it was on to the US Botanical Garden which features the exhibit “One Planet-Ours” which will be on display through October 13th of this year. I especially liked the “Cool Globes”, an exhibit of more than 40 sculptures of “whole-earth” solutions to the problems of living unsustainably.

Next week I am looking forward to going to Wave Hill in New York. I’ve never been to New York before!