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At Holden, my job focuses mostly on conducting plant science research. I really love conducting research! There is something thrilling about an unexpected result or a result that answers a long burning question. I even love the months (or years) of data collection that are necessary to answer a research question. But, this week I brought Holden’s research into two different classrooms and it was equally thrilling!
As Rhododendron collections manager at Holden Forests and Gardens I wear many ericaceous hats, but at the core of my job is curating the Holden Rhododendron Collection. This role differs from most of the other folks in the Holden Research Department, who are actively trying to create new knowledge and solve problems. My job is to build a plant collection that facilitates this.
Did you know that the arboretum is a birdwatching hotspot all year round? And, this weekend is the inaugural Global Birding Weekend, a new event devoted to getting outside and recording as many birds as possible.
Crabapples, the wild apple species and cultivars (Malus spp.), are important members of the rose family. Crabapples produce profuse blossom (Fig. 1) and small fruits (Fig. 2)1. Many crabapples are cultivated as ornamental trees or rootstocks, and their apples can be used for preserves1. Common crabapples1 (Fig. 1) include the European crabapple (Malus sylvestris), the Caucasian crabapple (Malus orientalis), the Siberian crabapple (Malus baccata), and the crabapples native to North American such as Malus angustifolia, Malus coronaria, Malus ioensis, and Malus fusca.
By Connor Ryan
Grafting is an ancient technique of joining two distinct plants together. Grafts occur naturally or they can occur through human intervention. In practice, grafting usually involves the joining of the shoots of one plant (termed the “scion”) to the roots of another (termed the “rootstock” or “understock”).
By Dawn Gerlica, Horticulturist The burst of smiling yellow blooms in every field seem to be saying goodbye to summer and welcome to autumn. This is the season of goldenrod. Solidago, commonly called goldenrods, is a genus of about 100 to 120 species of flowering plants in the aster family, Asteraceae. Most are herbaceous perennial […]
My name is Claudia and I’m the newest member of the team here at the Long Science Center at Holden Arboretum. I’m a recent graduate of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a Master of Science in Forest Pathology and Mycology. I am joining Holden Forests and Gardens to continue my education and earn my Ph.D. through a joint program with Case Western Reserve University. My research centers on a type of fungi known as mycorrhizal fungi.
By Annie Rzepka, Horticulturist While we display many different types of asters at the Arboretum, some of our best will be in full bloom in the next month. You can find New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) in the Myrtle S. Holden Wildflower Garden and in the Arlene and Arthur Holden Butterfly Garden. New England asters […]
September is one of our favorite months in the Holden Forests and Gardens Soil Ecology lab. Why? Because it is National Mushroom Month. Many people celebrate National Mushroom Month by cooking and eating their favorite mushrooms.
As we prepare to open the “Tilt-a-Whirl” installation for Patrick Dougherty’s Stickwork, the team at Holden Forests & Gardens would like to thank our volunteers who worked alongside Patrick and his son Sam to create the work of art.
By Mary Brennan, HF&G Volunteer and Ohio Volunteer Pollinator Specialist Each season has its treasures and late summer does not disappoint! It is a time of tall stately blossoms reaching for the golden sun. Look and you’ll see cheerful yellows, burnished golds and regal purples, all with their own pollinators eagerly gathering pollen and nectar. […]
When I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in ecological research and education I knew that there were a lot of new skills that I was going to learn as I obtained my bachelor’s degree and eventually a PhD. I knew I was going to learn how to develop questions, and design research experiments. Although I learned those things during my journey to becoming a postdoctoral researcher, there were many skills that I also developed that I had never even thought would be necessary.
By Juliana Medeiros, HF&G Plant Biologist The Rhododendron Research Network (R-RN) was founded at Holden in 2017 to increase collaboration and dissemination of Rhododendron research, to connect scientists with each other and with plant enthusiasts from across the globe. With 900+ species in the genus, representing a broad range of physiology and ecology, Rhododendron is […]
Welcome to prime time “World of Pollinators”! July , August and September are such active months – flowers are celebrating with their riotous blooms of bright colors and lucious aromas, and the pollinators are taking full advantage! Have you noticed an increase in the activity- that lovely summer song of buzzing bees, the swooshing of […]
TOP-TEN GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS for AUGUST Cleveland Botanical Garden This is a walker’s self-guided tour through the Gardens inside-and-out that will help us to discover the magic of local Nature in August. Every month is a new top-ten list! All photos and copy by Mark Bir, HF&G Horticulturist 1. GARDENS WITHOUT BOUNDARIES. Our Gateway Gardens are brimming with […]
By Sarah ModicBradley, HF&G Natural Resources Specialist Around these parts it’s not all too uncommon to engage in a conversation about your big weekend plans to… weed the garden beds! Much of the horticulture staff devote countless hours throughout the week to weeding Holden’s precious beds, and then return home to tend to their very […]
By Alexa Wagner, Doctoral Graduate Student Ohio’s forests have changed over the last 200 years. Few old-growth forests remain as much of the land was timbered and cleared for agriculture in the early 19th century. Most forests in the northeastern U.S. sit on land used for agriculture as recently as 40 to 85 years ago. […]
By Mary Brennan, HF&G Volunteer and Ohio Volunteer Pollinator Specialist Hello again! So, did you see any Bumble Bees this week? Aren’t they grand? I love how some have hair that looks like velvet while others look like they are definitely having a “bad hair day.” If you were fortunate enough to see that, and […]
By Mary Brennan, HF&G Volunteer and Ohio Volunteer Pollinator Specialist Summer is in full swing with warm days, lots of sunshine, a bright display of a multitude of flowers and the sweet drone of bees flying from blossom to blossom. It’s not hard to notice that the most loudest buzzing is coming from the biggest […]
By Katie Stuble, HF&G Research Scientist You’ve heard the phrase “the early bird gets the worm”. We use it to indicate that getting somewhere first can come with big benefits. It’s snagging the choicest donuts in the office lunchroom, or the best seats in the movie theater. And so it goes in the natural world. […]