Nature is my classroom!

Mertensia virginica Virginia blue bells

 The first three weeks of classes have passed. Chemistry, Mathematics, History of Landscape Design, Entomology, and Speech and Communications are taking up much of our time. Also, our space for our individual gardens has been tilled and our class vegetable garden for the Terrace restaurant has vegetables started outside!

With all the exciting projects going on, once in a while it is nice to get away and explore the most valuable learning tool, nature itself. Jeff Jabco, our AMAZING teacher, was our guide in the exploration of Shenk's Ferry. This beautiful trail is right along the Susqhehanna river and is presently blossoming with native wild flowers.

Shenk's is a must see and I hope to check it out in the coming weeks for the Orchids that will be popping up!

Erythronium americanum Yellow trout lily

Arisaema triphyllum  Jack in the Pulpit

Pampered plants, Menacing foilage, and italian honey bees!

Beginning in March, I started working in research at Longwood Gardens. I was placed in research during the time of Longwood's unveiling of Clivia miniata 'Longwood Debutante'. The clivia symposium also took place during this time and I took part in cleaning the plants. I have never seen plants so pampered. First to clean a clivia, you must remove dead petals, then clean all the leaves with soap and water, remove any dead foilage, and then massage milk all over the leaves. Longwood's Clivia definitely gets the spa treatment.

In research, they had many projects going on and the one I feared the most was working with the  selenum, a plant that  has thorns over its leaves and stems. This plant is being grown for it's orange non edible fruits. They are a very strange plant.

Now that Spring has begun, it is also time for honey bees at Longwood Gardens. I had the opportunity to unleash some of the gentle italian honey bees in their  new hives. Currently, they are being introduced to their new queen.  As a student, I will have more opportunities working with the bees! 

So, now that my first three months has come to an end,  it is time for my six classes to begin!