April Tree Talk: Amelanchier Replacement Along the Low Line
Written by: Mary Petres
If you really want to embrace gardening and nature and not lose your mind, it is critical to accept the fact that the landscape is ever changing. Some changes are within our control, most are not. The garden will be amazing, frustrating, challenging, but never perfect. Striving for perfection ruins the journey. Embrace what you see and learn each time you put a foot in nature.
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March Tree Talk featuring Women in Horticulture, Landscape Design, and Forestry
Women, throughout history, have made a huge impact on horticulture, landscape design, and forestry over the decades. As a woman-founded organization we celebrate the achievements of women year-round – from our inspirational founders and mentors to the dedicated women working today. To celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting a handful of noteworthy women that have progressed science, design, literature, human rights, and environmental protection,
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February — Tree Talk
Book Review of The Nature of Oaks by Douglas W. Tallamy, by Anna G. Aquino
Have you ever read a book and so relished every word that when you finished it, you immediately read it again? I hadn’t, until The Nature of Oaks by Douglas W. Tallamy. Wanting to indelibly cement the information into my brain, no problem to overwrite some of the frass that’s occupying space, I immersed myself in Dr.
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By: Shelly Barrick Parsons, Executive Director
Every weed pulled, dollar given, and tree planted makes a difference. YOU have made a difference with Capital Trees this year.
Capital Trees’ vision is to build a greener and more livable Richmond. We complete this vision in three program areas: Build, Manage, and Educate. Build: Capital Trees continues to build and transform public greenspaces, and we advise organizations on the development of greenspaces. Manage: We are committed to the continued management of completed projects,
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Author: Mary Petres
As another amazing year in the gardens draws to a close, I count my blessings to be a part of such a wonderful endeavor. Whether you seek out nature to exercise, meditate, marvel at her beauty, or simply relax, The Low Line offers a pleasant retreat from the hustle and bustle of urban life. Whether you use this space daily or only visit occasionally, a new experience awaits. It may be a new bird you have never seen,
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Author: Lisa Trapp
Properly caring for gardens requires a year round investment of time and resources. Even when planting with predominantly native species, there is not much time for rest. Winters are filled with combating invasive species and winter weeds. Summers are spent tackling annual weeds, and long periods of heat and drought — when extra attention to watering and plant health become the priority. When working with public gardens,
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Author: Katy Riley
Hello reader! My name is Katy, and I am currently a graduate student in Virginia Tech’s Executive Master of Natural Resources (XMNR) Program. The XMNR program focuses on leadership for sustainability, emphasizing the development of professionals who can effectively ‘lead from where they are’ to address the complex challenges of sustainable development and environmental security. Over the past several months, I have been interning with Capital Trees to gain a deeper understanding of urban greening efforts taking place in the City of Richmond.
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Author: Lisa Trapp
Research is starting to suggest that urban landscapes that prioritize native species and utilize diverse plant palettes, may be hotspots for supporting our native pollinators (1). These densely planted areas can provide opportunities for pollinators to find food, habitat, and overwintering resources all within a relatively compact space. By contrast, suburban and rural environments may not support pollinators as well as once believed. Even though these areas have more lawn and green space,
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Author: Lisa Trapp
There is an interesting time in the gardens when summer is ending but fall hasn’t quite arrived. It is brief, but very special. The late afternoons still provide intense sun and waves of heat, but the early mornings have a chill that whispers of the coming fall. Many flowers are giving way to seeds and husks, but the gardens are still very much alive. It is easy to miss the changes that are happening.
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Author: Mary Petres
Despite the unbearable heat these last few weeks, there are hints of fall in the air. What does this signify for the gardener and our gardens?
Over the next three months we will begin to put our gardens to bed. How we do this depends on our objective. Traditionally, many of us feel the need to have a “clean slate” moving into winter. We cut all the spent flower stalks to the ground and throw them in the trash or compost.
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