A Little Slice of Home

What a wonderful weekend it has been! I was especially excited to see a few familiar faces on Saturday afternoon. A few of my friends were on their way to Vermont for Alpha Gamma Rho's National Convention and decided to make a pit stop in Cleveland. It was great to see everyone again, I have really missed these guys. The men of Alpha Gamma Rho at the University of Minnesota have been very influential during my college years, not only as great friends but as ambassadors of agriculture. They were very encouraging when I was struggling as a design student and switching to pursue my degree in Horticulture instead. I know they are always there for me and I was so excited they made it a point to stop and visit. I treated them to lunch at the one and only Mama Santa's! I figured since I am living in Little Italy, it was only appropriate to treat them to some delicious pizza, and they approved! 


The rest of Saturday was spent in Lakewood, now Lakewood is definitely not London but I got the slight feeling the Lakewood Criterium bicycle race had a similar vibe to some of the Olympic events across the pond! Or at least I pretended that to subdue my jealousies of my family being in attendance! I've never watched a bicycle race before so to watch these professionals hard at work was very exciting. I was amazed at the speed and consistency of their movement, it was quiet phenomenal. And of course there was no shortage of cow bells, brought me right back to high school ski races minus the cold of course. 

Sunday was an early morning brought on by a Grande Caramel Macchiato, it was the only way I could start my eight hour day of ongoing morning chores at CBG! I make it sound a bit dreadful, but working on the weekend isn't so awful. I'm the only one of the horticultural staff working, so it's quiet but it's nice to have that, I appreciate the time to think and enjoy the garden. Plus, I get to the give the daily tour. I only had one couple interested in taking a tour, so I gave them a really in depth guide to the garden. They were very friendly and interactive which made it an enjoyable experience, it was almost better to have sort of a one on one opportunity. It also enforced the fact that tours really aren't so bad, I actually kind of like giving them! Once all of the watering and morning duties were finished up, I also had a bit of time to dedicate towards my intern project.  I've been making progress over the last few days, but now is when I really need to kick it into to gear - only one week until presentations!

After work, it was off to the beach to squeeze out the last few ounces of the weekend, and it was worth it.  Sunsets at Mentor are going to be forever burned into my mind as one of my best memories of Cleveland.  There are no words to describe how amazing and beautiful they truly are. 

Today was a tough day, and I was even working in Costa Rica which usually makes the day fly by.  I believe I had hit the point of overly tired followed by overly caffinated, it was not a pleasant transition.  Despite the hours seeming to drag by and the only thing I could really concentrate fully on was an after work nap, I still learned a lot of new things.  This morning, we took a small field trip over to the Seidman Cancer Center's new healing garden.  It's design is based on the elements of earth, wind, fire and air.  So, there are basically four components to the garden featuring different sculptural pieces to imitate the elements.  It was a very interesting design, but I felt like they could have had a greater consideration for the plantings.  There are a lot of great, interesting cultivars out there that would really look great in the space!  Another thing that I really liked was the fact they incorporated a planted hill for patients to observe while they are receiving radiation.  I felt that was a really powerful element of the garden.

In Costa Rica, I did some re-potting of plants, and learned that Mark and Joe each have their own, different (emphasis on different) methods of re-potting.  I used Joe's method which I learned last week and really piled on the new soil.  I do appreciate Mark for his willingness to teach though, because he could have simply fixed my mistakes and let it be but instead he told me what I did wrong, why it was wrong, and how to fix it.  This is another reason why I know that this internship has been so beneficial because the staff is willing to really engage interns and teach them.  I also learned how to re-pot orchids.  Ever since my failed attempting at keeping my orchid alive in Apt. C back home, orchids have always scared me a little.  Today, I got the confidence that they really aren't so bad as long as take care of them properly which involves potting them in the proper media.  We used a media of wood chips, charcoal, and crushed rock which is great for absorbing just enough water for orchids to be happy. 

All in all, another great few days!  Plus, I enjoyed working with Leslie in the glasshouse today, we had a fun time despite both having a serious case of the 'Mondays!'  I am going to miss my fellow interns as the both are leaving me sooner than later.  I have really enjoyed working with them this summer.  Now it's off to make some more progress on my project and enjoy my day off tomorrow!

Practice Makes Perfect Pruning

If there is one thing that I will have perfected by the completion of the internship, it will be the practice of pruning.  It may seem redundant at some points, as I seem to be snipping away with my Felco pruners on a daily basis, but it can truly be an art form in many cases.  I spent some time working in the Japanese Garden the other day pruning some of the pines.  Larry gave us a quick tutorial on how to achieve a desired look and he said something that really stuck with me - it's not what you cut that's important, it's what you leave behind. 

Our goal for the pines in the Japanese Garden was to create a wind-swept appearance in the branches.  I felt a lot of pressure at first, and was hesitant to make the big cuts.  It did not take too long before I got the feel for it and was able to distinguish which cuts were necessary.  Plus, I conquered my fears of heights (well, somewhat) and climbed up the ladder!  I wasn't nearly as brave as Bob who climbed to the very top!  It was a bit nerve wracking working on the side of the hill though, I felt a bit unstable.  Regardless of my beginning fears, I ended the day with a feeling of accomplishment.  Plus, it was actually one of the most enjoyable tasks that I have done so far in the garden, it was slightly rewarding to see the finished product. 

Pruning in the Japanese Garden



'Wind-swept' Finished Product

Today, I was able to spend a bit more time working with Mark in the Costa Rica biome again.  As usual, I enjoyed my change of scenery and learning to do a lot of new things.  Tending to the animals in both Madagascar and Costa Rica was part of the job today, and I loved it.  When I accepted this internship in March, I did not imagine animal care would be part of my job description, but that's another great perk of being an intern at CBG!  In the morning, I helped Mark get the food out for the birds, butterflies, etc.  We also had to take the tortoises up to their pen.  This was quite exciting for me, because as a child I had always wanted a pet turtle.  Well today, I got to hold the tortoises!

The rest of my morning was spent working with some of the orchids.  I cleaned up the yellowing foliage on a few different orchid varieties like Stanhopea and Gongora.  I learned that you can simply cut off the bad foliage and create a new point.  This is a characteristic of monocots, something I never knew before!  Once I cleaned up the foliage, I took eight of the orchids out into Costa Rica to set up a display.  It took me quite some time to manipulate the plants onto wire in order to hang from one of the Firecracker trees.  It was a bit difficult to get them to stay just where I had imagined them!  Once I got them all into place, I added some Spanish moss to cover up the containers and create a more natural appearance.  Finally, a good soaking and the display was complete.  I could probably still be making small adjustments here and there, but I had to tone down my obsessive compulsive nature and trust they looked good! 

In the afternoon, I resumed working with the animals, more specifically butterflies.  A shipment of butterfly cocoons arrived and needed to be pinned up in preparation for their emergence.  It was so interesting to compare the cocoons with images of what the butterflies look like, there is no resemblance at all.  I guess that's part of the beauty of it, how a stunning, colorful creature can emerge from a plain, brown cocoon.  My favorite was definitely the Morpho peleides, or Blue Morpho Butterfly cocoons.  Not only because I love the coloration of the Blue Morpho adult but the cocoons are a beautiful green hue.  It was odd working with these because they seem as if they are inanimate objects at first until one starts to wiggle and you remember they are alive!

All in all, it was another exciting and informative day working in the Costa Rica biome.  I feel as if this week has been especially interesting because I have been able to accomplish such a range of tasks and learned so many new things.  Only one month left, too.  I am looking forward to everything that is yet to come, I am sure there are a lot more exciting new lessons to still be learned.

I am ooking forward to the weekend as well, there are a few good things that I would like to check out around town.  I will be working on Sunday, so let's hope no ambulances or dysfunctional sprinklers surprise me this time!  I would also like to wish safe travels to my parents as they are soon to be in flight to London, I hope they have a wonderful time and don't forget about me here in Cleveland!
 

It's A Desert Out There

Before I get to my adventures of trekking through the spiny desert off the coasts of Africa, I would like to give a quick recap of my lovely weekend.   It was a bit more laid back than my last few adventures, as I am still in recovery mode from my poison ivy reaction. 

On Saturday, I returned to Chagrin Falls for an afternoon of shopping and of course, Jeni's Ice Cream!  I had a lovely time roaming up and down the streets checking out all of the adorable shops and chatting with the locals.  I found one store that I absolutely fell in love with, Bonne Amie, an adorable shop with vintage and antique treasures all surrounding a French theme.  I could have bought everything, especially the amazing chandeliers! 

I also checked out the local wine shop, with a goal of purchasing another bottle of Razzberry Riesling from last week's visit to DeBonne Vineyards because it was simply amazing.  However, I got sidetracked and spent quite some time discussing Italian wines and my time in Switzerland with an Italian sommelier.  He basically gave me a crash course on Italian varieties and allowed me to taste a few of their hidden gems, it was really an enjoyable experience.  I am still far from being a wine snob, but I really appreciate having the ability to discuss wines and viticulture with others, perhaps this could turn into a future hobby for me!  Oh, and there was also a cheese tasting to go with the wine.  I was a bit reluctant to get involved, as a result of over-tasting in Switzerland, but for the first time in a couple of months I enjoyed white cheese again!

My final stop was to the oh so famous Jeni's Ice Cream.  A treat indeed with interesting flavors like Riesling poached pear sorbet and Juniper and lemon curd.  So many things to try, but I was able to finally narrow my decision to a two-half scoop cup of Brambleberry Crunch and Wildberry Lavender.  Delicious.  I would love to say more, but that's it...delicious. 

Chagrin Falls, OH

Sunday was the day I really decided to dig into my intern project.  I had very good intentions of going into the garden and doing some sketching and measuring, but I got sidetracked.  Thankfully, my sidetracking was still quite productive, as I visited the Stan Hywet Gardens.  The English Garden at Stan Hywet was designed by Ellen Biddle Shipman in 1929 with a complete replica replanting completed in 1990.  Larry, my mentor for this project, suggested I do some research on Ellen Shipman as well as few others to gain insight and inspiration to English Garden design.  I am so glad I made this trip, it was quite inspirational to view this garden in person.  Who knew this beautiful landscape would be so close and accessible!?  I am now a lot more excited to break ground, well figuratively, on this project!  Her work is incredible and I hope some of her inspiration and my research will be noticeable in my redesign of the Courtyard Garden at CBG.

Manor House at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

Ellen Biddle Shipman's Planting Plan for the English Garden at Stan Hywet

English Garden at Stan Hywet

Well enough of my Ohio whereabouts, let's head to Spiny Desert for a look into my Monday spent working in the Madagascar biome at Cleveland Botanical Gardens.  It was quite the trip, thank goodness I have no new injuries or scratches to add to the list next to severe skin reactions!  It was a bit of a scary experience, you've got to always watch your back because you never know which poky thing you are going to run into. 

I spent most of my morning working with Neem, using a combination of dry Neem cake granules and Karanja granules in equal parts.  Neem is an organic pesticide control method that basically gives the plant a polished appearance which is unappealing to insects so they avoid feeding on the foliage.  The Neem oil comes from the Neem tree, making it organic, therefore safe for the animals in the biome. It takes a very small amount of Neem in an area to be effective, I was really surprised at how little needed to be spread.  So, I had the tedious job of spreading the granules on the ground and raking them into the soil.  If you were to visit Madagascar, you would quickly understand why I say tedious even though it seems to be a rather easy task.  Spiky, spiny plants are everywhere and each step must be calculated just right to avoid severely scratched arms.  Even more importantly, to avoid getting your hair stuck in one of the trees, it's a bit scary!  Oh, and I also had to avoid the Pencil Tree which appears to be harmless, but contains a toxic secretion capable of severe skin reactions and blindness if too much gets into your eyes.  With all of these warnings, it's a miracle I made it out alive!

Neem Granules

Spiky Trees!

Just like Costa Rica, the animals are part of the foundation for greenhouse protocol and organic IPM methods must be used.  Madagascar has some pretty neat creatures as well, like my favorites the Panther Chameleon and the Radiated Tortoises. 

Panther Chameleon

I'd have to say my favorite feature of Madagascar is the Cactus and Succulent Reef.  It looks so cool with its variance of plant selections, textures and colors.  It was designed by Joe, the horticulturist in charge of the Madagascar biome, originally as a temporary exhibit but remained permanent due to its popularity with guests.  Besides working with Neem and learning more about the Madagascar glasshouse in general, I also assisted Joe with some pruning, staking and clean up of a couple of small areas. 

Succulent and Cactus Reef



After an adventure-filled morning in Madagascar, Joe and I headed over to the Rockefeller Greenhouse to do a little cleanup.  I was right at home in my organization element as we cleaned up a mess of plants and containers.  A few of the cacti also got re-potted and moved into larger pots for their roots to continue expanding.  This seems like it would have been the easiest portion of my day, however, it was definitely the opposite.  When it's 90+ degrees outside, the last place you want to be in is a greenhouse.  I am still re-hydrating after spending a short time in the 105 degree room!  Oh well, just another day of high heat and humidity, it's really nothing new and noteworthy, only adding to my excitement for snow and winter!

Re-Organized Cactus and Succulents at Rockefeller Greenhouse

Looks like I may have done a bit of rambling today, but I am so excited to be sharing all of my adventures with everyone!  I would like to thank everyone following this blog, it means a lot to know that not only are friends and family supporting me but also complete strangers are enjoying my experiences as well!  We are nearing the point of one month remaining, and as much as I have loved and am loving my time here, I am starting to feel excited for the familiarity of home, friends and family!  Especially, as my parents are preparing for departure for London on Friday to visit my sister, I am of course jealous to be missing out on this trip (and the Olympics!) but I wish them the best in their travels!  Anyway, that's all for now.  I look forward to reporting again on my week and another visit to the Costa Rica biome this coming Thursday!

Touring the Gardens

An eventful week it has been, to say the least.  On Thursday, we finally saw some rain, but still not enough to really make an impact.  Unfortunately while the rain was falling, I was sitting in an urgent care waiting room.  I had a little run in with some poison ivy and had quite the reaction.  After a few hours, a steroid shot, and a crazy Russian doctor it was back to work.  It was quite uncomfortable and I ended up calling it an early afternoon.  Thanks to Benadryl, I was able to fall asleep quite easily that night and avoid the urge to itch!  I was quite worried this would interfere with the fantastic garden visits we had planned on Friday, but I am happy to say I was still able to attend.

Friday morning was a quick rush to get morning duties finished before we headed out to the Draime Estate and Fellows Riverside Gardens.  Most of the horticulture staff were in attendance to tour these tour stunning, very different landscapes.  I truly appreciate the CBG Horticulture internship program for allowing us to have these experiences along with our day to day work routines. 

Our first stop was the Draime Estate, which is an estate garden owned and operated by Kent State University.  Mr. and Mrs. Draime began developing their gardens in 1990, but it was in 2003 when they decided to donate their property to their alma mater, Kent State, in order to form a partnership to accomplish a three-fold mission.  The Draimes wanted their estate to inspire the Kent State community to discover, create, apply and share knowledge in this unique learning environment; to engage students in practical learning, critical thinking and intellectual understanding enabling them to acquire the knowledge and skills that lead to productive careers and responsible citizenship; and to serve as a model of philanthropy for Kent State University [Draime Estate Gardens Brochure]. 

Water Element Garden

Conservatory by the Lake

Draime Estate Lake

These gardens are not open to the public, so it was truly an honor to view and experience such splendid designs.  This was definitely my favorite of our two visits!  Not only were the gardens stunning, but I couldn't help but also fall in love with the art and architecture throughout the 10-acre property.  My absolute favorite was the Italian Folly.  Influences from European gardens, specifically Tuscany, were important in the design of this beautiful setting and the stunning Henry Moore piece featured.  I believe I enjoyed this garden so much because the simple, organized feel reminded of the walkways in Paris! Some of the other featured gardens included the Perennial, Conifer, Japanese, Walled, and Orchestral Gardens.  The attention to detail amazed me, everything was so clean-looking!  We were also able to meet Mrs. Draime, an honor of course.  I was impressed to hear that she spends some time in the garden every day and works right along side of the staff watering, weeding, etc.  to achieve the look and feel she desires in her gardens.  Since Mrs. Draime is ultimately in charge of decisions, it sometimes becomes an interesting design process.  Peter, our tour guide, mentioned that he has learned to create gardens with a space, certain pieces of artwork, and a plant list.  He said it was a backwards method, but looking at his work you wouldn't know it because everything looks incredible. 

Italian Folly Building

Crushed Granite Alee to Henry Moore Sculpture

We then moved on to Fellows Riverside Gardens, a Mill Creek Metroparks garden.  This garden reminded me a lot of the MN Landscape Arboretum.  It was larger than any other garden I have visited here so far, and had a view to envy.  Located right on the shore of Lake Glacier, the setting of this garden is stunning.  I was impressed with their gardens, but they still didn't measure up to my experience at the Draime Estate.  Regardless, we had a lovely tour and even got to see a few of their upcoming plans such as the installation of new pathways.  They have a lot of big plans for the future at Fellows Riverside.

Fellows Riverside Gardens

Fellows Riverside has also recently published a children's book, A Walk in the Garden, which is a collection of kid's poems, photography, collages and reactions from a group of 6th graders to their Family Garden.  It was a really neat book.  I also thought it was pretty cool they had large page printouts throughout the garden as an interactive garden tour for children.  Another exciting thing was our trip inside the weeping beech tree.  I have never pulled aside the branches and leaves of a weeping beech to walk inside and experience the magic.  I really felt as if I had become a character in Disney's Pochantas and I was about to speak with Mother Willow and find out my destiny.  I could really use some guidance right now, considering I have absolutely no idea where I will be one year from now!  I guess that's the beauty of it all, and I have learned that for sure this summer.  Just go with the flow and eventually things will fall into place.

A Walk In The Garden Interactive Activity

Inside the Weeping Beech

Despite struggling with the drowsiness of Benadryl and the itch of poison ivy, it was a splendid trip to see some of the other gardens of Ohio.  I'd like to say it again, I truly appreciate CBG for allowing these opportunities to their interns.  Seeing these other gardens has given me another insight into my potential future plans which I never would have explored if it weren't for these tours.  It was an excellent day, and it was great to share it with such an enjoyable staff! 

Down by the Water

This weekend was a water filled adventure as I explored the lakes and rivers of greater Cleveland. I was able to cross off a lot of recommended places on my to do list and it was a beautiful weekend to do so!  The weather was a bit cloudy, but that didn't bother me because I get enough sun during the week. I finally ventured to Chagrin Falls, unfortunately it was a bit of a disappointment with the lack of rain therefore lack of a rushing waterfall.  I can only imagine just how beautiful it can be when there is a lot more water.  Regardless, I was still excited to see it.  Plus, the town is so quaint and cute, I want to go back sometime during the day to do some more exploring and to further fuel my shopping addictions.  Plus, Jeni's Ice Cream will be calling my name!

On Sunday,  I spent a large portion of my day soaking in the rays at Mentor-Headlands Beach on Lake Erie.  This has been my favorite place on the lake by far.  It was stunning.  I almost felt as if I were at the ocean with crashing waves and the various shades of blues in the water.  It was a wonderful day to enjoy the beach, and the water was so refreshing, too!

South Chagrin River Reservation

Mentor-Headlands Beach, Lake Erie

As recommended by a colleague, I also made a visit to the Grand River and Hogback Ridge Park. The Grand River is unique in that it has a lot of freshwater clams which produce a unique variety of pearls.  I saw lots of clams, but I didn't start cracking shells and digging for pearls, I felt like they were better suited to remain in the water!  While I was out in that direction, I also checked out a local vineyard.  There seemed to be quite a few vineyards and wineries in this area, so I am assuming the soils and climate are adequate for grape production.  I visited DeBonne Vineyards and did a little tasting session.  I tried the Ice Wine, Razzberry Riesling, and River Rouge.  The Ice Wine was by far my favorite, it was a flavor that I can't even describe, but like nothing I have ever tasted before.  It was very sweet, definitely a dessert wine to only be consumed in small portions.  I enjoyed the River Rouge, but I chose to purchase the Razzberry Riesling.  I generally tend towards Riesling varieties, and I must say the addition of raspberry is genius.  In fact, once I get back to Minnesota, this wine may be worthy of addition to my online shopping list!  I would love to share a bottle with my friends from home. 

Freshwater Clams

DeBonne Vineyard & Winery

As usual, the weekend ended too quickly and it was back to work.  Thankfully, today was mostly spent inside.  Which was fantastic since it was supposedly the hottest day of the summer, even though I feel as if we have already had a couple of those and are definitely in store for a few more!  Anyway, this morning, we had a staff meeting where we were able to see some of the new and exciting things coming in CBG's near future!  I don't want to spoil the surprises, but it was interesting to get a sneak peak!

We also had an intern meeting with Mark, his first official as the new Grounds Manager.  We mostly discussed our intern projects, upcoming field trips, and end dates.  I cannot believe that I am already nearing the ending half of this amazing summer.  Even as I consider the end, I am not too sad because I know that I still have a lot of great and exciting things ahead of me!  For instance, snow!  Yes, when its 10 degrees below zero and I have to walk to class, I will be complaining but right now I am looking forward to a cold Minnesota winter again. 

We also met with Ann, the curator of plant collections at Cleveland Botanical Gardens.  I really enjoy chatting with Ann, she always has such interesting stories and she is quite knowledgeable on all things plants.  She gave us a run down on her job and what exactly it means to be a curator of plant collections.  I learned a lot from her, I didn't quite realize how intense it is to keep track of everything in a garden.  But, when you really think about it, it's quite the job to record, label, and maintain databases on each and every plant throughout the whole grounds.  It gets even more complicated when you factor in plants that require special attention like some of the plants in the Costa Rica and Madagascar biomes which require extra conservation considerations. 

Acquiring a single plant is rather time consuming, as it must receive an accession number and be logged into the database.  I was taken back a bit to my previous summer working at Waite Library and many hours spent entering documents into AgEcon Search.  I was easily able to sympathize with Ann just how time consuming the process can be and how easily it is to get behind on work!  Once again, it was great to see another area of the garden that doesn't necessarily get recognized quite as much but is extremely important to keeping things organized and under control.

I am excited for my next post, because it will be recap of our field trip on Friday!  The horticulture staff is going to visit a couple of other gardens in the area.  I am looking forward to comparing and contrasting these gardens with CBG and how we operate.  It should be a fun trip! 

Lilies and Lilly's

Once again, the week has flown by and it's already nearing the half way point of my stay in Cleveland.  I cannot believe how fast the days are passing, especially because there are still so many things that I want to see and do around Cleveland!  The rest of the work week was pretty calm, I didn't work on any projects that were too out of the ordinary.  Thursday was an early day, as we were fortunate enough to be invited out to the Director of Horticulture's home to visit her day lily farm.  It was a fantastic visit, and I was quite impressed. 

On one side of their yard, 400 named varieties of lilies are planted.  Three years ago, the lilies were hand pollinated and crossed to produce about 3,000 different seed pods.  The seed pods were removed from the parent lilies, refrigerated and stored over the winter then planted on the other side of the yard in the following year.  Only 900 of the 3,000 were planted.  It takes two years before the lilies begin to produce blooms.  After two years, Cynthia and her husband observe the hybridized products and choose about twelve of their favorites to name.  My favorite named lily was the "Mushy Peas," which unfortunately was not in bloom on the day of our visit.  The name reminded me of the classic side dish served with fish and chips in England, which led me to become a bit jealous of my parents and their upcoming trip across the pond!  (Especially because they get to watch some of the Olympic games!)

Besides the hybridized day lilies, Cynthia also has numerous other fantastic gardens and even chickens, too!  Her yard was absolutely phenomenal!  Plus, they have a greenhouse attached to their garage filled with beautiful orchids, unfortunately not too many were in bloom during this time of the year.

Me with the Parent Varieties

Beautiful Day Lilies

Orchid Greenhouse







Cynthia is pretty attached to her chickens, and I was amazed at how calm they were.  She was able to pick them up and handle them as if they were pets.  She has a total of six chickens, three Rhode Island Reds and the rest Golden Buffs.  They are egg layers which will starting laying in October.  Once they begin, they lay an egg a day for three years.  After that, they begin to lay more sporadically with one egg every few days or so.  These chickens also have a top-notch home - I have never seen such a clean chicken coop in my life.  Cynthia also referred to their home as the "Fort Knox of chicken coops," because they have had some problems with raccoons breaking in, they now have a pretty secure den. 

Chicken Coop

Cynthia and one of the chickens

Today, I spent some more time working with lilies in the Restorative Garden.  I helped Robin stake some of the Oriental lilies.  My hands are temporarily dyed from pollen, as are my clothes!  Oh well, I do work in the garden after all, a little pollen isn't a problem.  I also spent a portion of my afternoon doing some labelling.  Basically I affixed the labels to stakes and then helped Robin place the stakes in their appropriate places throughout the garden.  It was an excellent activity for a Friday afternoon, the perfect start to my weekend.

This evening, I also checked out the Tremont neighborhood for the Tremont Art Walk.  Tremont is known for its good food and ability to dazzle the eyes, or so I heard from one of the locals.  I must agree, great food and lots of interesting art.  My favorite stop was most definitely to Lilly's Handcrafted Chocolates.  There are no words to describe how amazing the truffles are, and I have only tried two so far.  I must limit my consumption so I enjoy them!  Besides chocolates, they specialize in fine wines and craft brews.  They provided some great recommendations on pairing their chocolates with their different beverage choices.  It was a delicious experience to say the least.

Lilly's Chocolates

Delicious Truffles

So far, my favorite truffle has been the Forty Winks, which is dark chocolate with fresh lavender ganache and candied violets, simply to die for.  Otherwise, my small box of chocolates consist of six other interesting truffles (from top left):

1. Pistachio- Milk chocolate with pistachio butter and sea salt
2. Red Planet- Dark chocolate with Syrah soaked strawberries and freeze dried raspberry powder
3. Frou Frou- White chocolate with blood orange juice and passion fruit juice
4. PB Monsters- Milk chocolate with fresh peanut butter, clover honey, feuilletine crunch, and Himalayan pink salt
5. Shweetie Pie- White chocolate with vanilla bean and caramel roasted almonds
6. Southern Gentleman- Milk chocolate with Maker's Mark bourbon and buttered pecans

I am really looking forward to trying the rest of this delicious variety!  The rest of the weekend will be spent crossing off more things from my Cleveland to do list as well as beginning to do some research for my intern project.  My mentor, Larry, has given me a few names of designers to look into that may assist in influencing my re-design of the Courtyard Garden.  I would also like to congratulate my new boss, Mark Hoover, on his promotion from horticulturist to Grounds Keeper at CBG!  He has already been an excellent help to the interns in our transition between bosses, and I know that he will be great as the new Grounds Keeper!  I look forward to working with him the rest of this summer. 

Exploring the Jungle

Working in the Costa Rica biome was quite an exciting experience for me, but before I get into the details I must recap my weekend adventures.  The heat definitely hit its high point on Saturday reaching up near 100 degrees, but it felt as if it were about 105 outside.  I spent the majority of my time relaxing in front of the air conditioner, but I did venture out for some site seeing.  I visited the Cleveland Museum of Art, located right across from CBG.  There current exhibit is entitled "Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties."  I particularly enjoyed this exhibition and some of the pieces which it featured, especially one oil painting on canvas entitled "Cocktail" by Gerald Murphy.  I was immediately drawn to it, but even more intrigued to read that the painting was inspired by characters Dick and Nicole Driver of Tender is the Night, one of my favorite F. Scott Fitzgerald books.  I also found a few other pieces the intrigued me, and I fell in love with the floral design on display at the entrance, too. 

Featured Exhibition Poster

Holiday on the Hudson, George Benjamin Luks

Beautiful Floral Design

Following my trip to the Art Museum, I visited the nearby French restaurant, L'Albatros.  My fellow intern and co-worker, Leslie, also works here so I wanted to stop in and visit her.  She gave me a tour of the restaurant, and I was highly impressed to see they had their own gardens.  They grow a lot of their own herbs and salad greens featured in their amazing dishes.  I tried the mussels and pomme frites, delicious!  The staff also convinced me to have dessert, and I am glad I fell to temptation.  I tried the honey almond cake with blackberry compote and creme fraishe whipped cream, likely one of the best desserts I have ever tasted!

L'Albatros Honey-Almond Cake

Now we can venture into the jungle as I describe my day in the Costa Rica biome working with Mark, the horticulturist in Costa Rica, at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens.  Since it's Monday and the garden is closed, watering was one of the primary tasks in the glasshouse.  This morning, I watered some parts of the area with a water soluble 21-7-7 fertilizer.  Most of these were in the canopy, plants such as bromeliads which are foliar feeders.  Therefore, it was important that I got the leaves pretty well soaked so the plants could take in the necessary nutrients.

Besides watering, Mark also took me on an IPM walk.  Basically, we walked through the facility checking various plants for pests such as spider mites, aphids, scale, etc.  Mark knows which plants tend to be affected by which pest and he pays close attention to keep them under control.  Most plants were looking pretty healthy, but a few required an application of horticultural oil.  The oil coats the leaves and suffocates the insects.  Mark even let me help out with the spraying, I was excited to get some practical experience with IPM.  I learned about all of this last semester in my entomology course, but it is so much more interesting to actually see the insects and how they are controlled rather than just reading about them.  Besides spraying, I also used rubbing alcohol and Q-tips to remove some adult hard shell scales from one plant in particular that doesn't generally respond well to being sprayed. 

Bromeliads

Removal of Scale

The biomes do not use any chemicals as part of their Integrated Pest Management due to the birds and butterflies active throughout the glasshouse.  I was excited to learn about their different control methods such as the ones I assisted with and also the use of beneficial insects, like lady bugs being used to control aphids.  Speaking of the birds and butterflies, I also enjoyed working in their presence.  I spent my day being mesmerized by the wings of the Blue Morpho butterfly and trying to capture a photo.  It reminded me of my childhood days playing the ancient Amazon Trail computer game and trying to snap a photo of the same butterfly for the Inca King!  It was just as difficult in real life as the game to catch a glimpse on camera.  Patience paid off though, and I was able to get the perfect shot! 

Blue Morpho Butterfly

Pruning is another important task in Costa Rica, since the plants are so lush and sprout up quickly.  I did some pruning to take some plants back and clear them from the vent as well as taming them down for viewer pleasure.  Mark mentioned that pruning was a continuous task, but he'd rather prune less and more often than taking off more after a longer period of time.  I agree with him, when pruning is done over a shorter span of time, less needs to be taken off so as not to distract from a viewer's experience.  Mark also offered me the chance to get on the lift and do some canopy maintenance, but I opted to keep me feet on the ground this time!

All in all, it was an excellent day!  I enjoyed getting to expand my horizons and learn more about tropical plants, especially the native Costa Rican varieties.  I also enjoyed working with Mark, he taught me a lot and allowed me to get some more practical experiences with IPM.  Plus, working in Costa Rica on a Monday, with no people around and the birds singing and butterflies fluttering around was quite peaceful and enjoyable.  I look forward to my next visit to the jungle! 

Set My World on Fire

For the first time ever, I spent the Fourth of July holiday working.  I was dreading it, but in reality it really wasn't too terrible.  Things were laid back as some of the horticulturists had taken off the holiday and not too many guests were visiting.  It helped to know that I was going to spend my evening near the water enjoying fireworks over Lake Erie! I met some friends at Whiskey Island, which is actually a peninsula out into the lake.  Friends, grilling, some refreshments - what more could I ask for, it was great holiday. Plus, I spent more time combing the beach to expand my sea glass collection. 

 

Whiskey Island

Sea Glass

The fireworks were shot off from an old Coast Guard station over the water.  Boats were all gathered in the bay, and it reminded me of the fireworks show back home on Lake Vermilion.  The show was great, my favorites were the sparkly gold and blue star fireworks.  Fireflies and a lightning display complemented the fireworks, too.

Fireworks at Whiskey Island

Thursday morning was quite stormy and kept us inside for awhile.  Dragana and I spent some time cleaning up and re-organizing some of the storage spaces.  We decided to brave the weather and took out the gator to start picking up sticks and scout for any storm damage.  Unfortunately, the lightning was still striking and we were sent back inside.  The storm really did some damage, but mostly outside of the fence.  There were a few downed tree branches and lots of sticks and acorns.  Once the lightning stopped, I had the joy of blowing off the sidewalks.  It was a task, considering everything was wet and the extensive amount of debris left behind from the storm.  I spent two hours straight with backpack on, my shoulders were quite sore after that!

Storm Damage

Temperatures dropped with the storm, but it only took about an hour to get back into the 90s again.  This weather is unbelievable, but it appears to be cooling down in the near future.  At least with this rain, we haven't had to spend quite as much time with the watering routine.  I have also been getting more and more familiar with some of my entomology lessons.  I saw a Preying Mantis for the the first time on Friday.  I learned that this little guy was still pretty young and will grow to be double in size.  It was actually quite fascinating to watch him crawl all over my hand and I loved the color!

Young Preying Mantis

It's hard to believe that another whole week has come to an end, this summer is going by way too quickly.  I have truly been enjoying my time in Cleveland, and I have created a lot of memories which I will never forget.  And next week, I get a chance to help out in the glasshouse.  I will be working in the Costa Rica biome, and I am excited to let everyone know how it goes!