American Horticultural Society’s Post

Work on The Peach House will start soon, thanks to a vital £245,000 funding boost from The National Lottery Heritage Fund! 🎉🌷 We can't thank The National Lottery enough for making this possible! 🙏💚 It is hoped that this funding will act as a catalyst for other funding streams, to help build on the ambition. Future plans include: 💚The restoration of a number of greenhouses and brick buildings in order to cultivate and grow the collection. Developing a brand new education programme which will see the introduction of a pilot project working with around ten primary schools across the city. The aim of this is to encourage youngsters to connect with nature and showcase the links between botany and health and wellbeing. 💚 The introduction of horticultural and agricultural training courses as a result of educational partnerships with establishments such as Myerscough College and the Learning Foundry. 💚 There will be focus on how to make the collection a key visitor attraction, given its shared location with the Grade II* listed Croxteth Hall and the Country Park. Guided tours, workshops and open days will be created and attracting events will be a priority in order to support the future of the collection. 💚 Supporting mental health and wellbeing and tackling loneliness will be developed through partnerships with local and national organisations to create new pathways to ensuring members of the community who are vulnerable or isolated can access the collection regularly through an engagement programme. 💚Establishing a digital offer, for example creating a dedicated website, is also on the wish-list, which will open up the collection to people across the world who may not be able to visit in person. It will also ensure connections will be established with other worldwide botanical collections. Follow us for updates! #Restoration #BotanicalCollection #CroxtethHall #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

"I wanted to establish a relationship with the soil, but I was skeptic about learning about soil online. Truly, I was wrong. I did my course outside as opposed to inside the house. My passion and dedication was all I needed. The course has changed my life and is about to change my village and County Government, forever. Thank you KTG, may you visit Kwale, Kenya someday to see the results of the course." -Jacky Kowa, Soil Advocate Training Graduate 🌸 🌞Our courses are here to propel you forward on your regenerative journey, but at your own pace! Start your regenerative gardening journey: https://lnkd.in/g6sMfgPY

Some grants and volunteer efforts just keep giving. The Tree nursery at Las Casas de la Selva started as a $5000 Grant award from The Naples Botanical Garden in Naples Florida. Thrity reached out and said she had the grant but no design or means for constructing the Tree Nursery. I designed a simple solution and then traveled to Puerto Rico to construct it with the help of some local volunteers as well as Thrity. Not long afterwards the news of the nursery spread and additional grants were provided to Las Casas de la Selva for the preservation and cultivation of rare endemic seeds and saplings. Recently Thrity has received additional rare seeds to cultivate. What seems as a simple and small initial effort has contributed substantially to the sustainable forestry efforts at Las Casas. By the way! Thrity wants another Tree Nursery. She is already beyond capacity with this one. If you would like to fund materials or volunteer, feel free to reach out to Thrity Vakil. She will love you for it. Yes! I will also be returning to volunteer and build more as well and I occasionally send a bit of cash for planting materials. There is plenty of opportunities for everyone to contribute. Here is a link to the blog on the original build and this can be used to find a link for giving or contacting Las Casas de la Selva. #education #sutainableforestry #forestry #ALEP #Superintendents #Educationleadership #leadership #volunteer #volunteering #finance #CEO #Construction

ARBOR DAY UK "Prime Spot" I will be having a few days away with the children - best wishes to all my connections and hope you enjoy some days with friends/family. Meanwhile, here's something 'arb' to contemplate. With our tree planting campaign starting up again for next planting season, a prime spot at Myerscough College is available to put in a good tree, right next to the National Arboricultural Centre. As the College campus has somewhat of an American theme to some of its trees, and because we have not got one, I have suggested that we plant a Magnolia acuminata (cucumber tree). There's plenty of room here. Unfortunately, in previous years, I've struggled to find a cucumber tree of a good size, though: we're looking for a standard tree, ideally. However, we're open to other suggestions. What tree would be best put outside the building where we teach all the practical skills to would-be arborists - to inspire the next generation? Further, if anyone in the industry is interested in sponsoring a new tree - do get in touch. Many years ago, we planted the variegated sweet chestnut you can see to the left of the image - which was sponsored by Barcham Trees PLC and it's got its post and plaque thanking the sponsor for donating such a nice tree. Thoughts and offers welcome - or perhaps DM me if interested in sponsoring this planting. With best wishes and happy hols, Duncan. #ArborDayUK #trees #moretreesplease #primespot #primelocation #treeplanting #treeestablishment #greenerfuture #arboriculture #urbanforestry #environment #education #training

Check out this blog by Home & Garden Information Center from Clemson University

Did you know that bees are not the only pollinators out there? Mason bees, often overshadowed by their honeybee cousins, play a vital role in pollinating flowers at a faster rate. 🌼🐝 In Northern Kentucky, beekeeping has been gaining popularity, with enthusiasts coming together at monthly meetings to learn about these amazing creatures and how to get started. The Northern Kentucky Beekeepers Association offers a supportive community for both experienced beekeepers and those considering starting their own hives. 🐝🏡 But there's more! Rent Mason Bees, the largest solitary bee provider in the country, offers a unique rental program that allows individuals to support solitary bees without the hassle of cleaning and maintenance. By providing safe nesting materials and bees free from predators, this program ensures a secure environment for these essential pollinators. 🏠🐝 The importance of mason bees and other native species is highlighted by advocates like Rachel Brandenburg, who aims to spread awareness about their significance in enriching the environment for gardens and farms. By hosting these bees, we can cultivate vibrant flower gardens, abundant vegetable gardens, and thriving farms. 🌷🍅 What are your thoughts on beekeeping and the role of mason bees in pollination? Have you considered becoming a beekeeper or hosting mason bees in your garden? Share your views in the comments below! 👇🌸 https://lnkd.in/gHJX7ssm

This week, my guest is Andrew Bullock, who runs The Lavender Garden Nursery. Andrew holds the National Collection of Buddlejas and grows a huge range of lavenders and buddlejas from his nursery in The Cotswolds. We talk about how to attract pollinators to your garden, when and how to prune your buddlejas and lavenders, whether buddlejas are invasive, why lavenders are sometimes short-lived and anything else you ever wanted to know about these two plants for pollinators. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Mosquitoes What We Talk About Which is better for bees - buddleja or lavender? The best varieties for bees/butterflies/pollinators in general Night time pollinators How to grow lavender and buddleja When to prune and how much to take off Buddleja - invasive? Causes of short-lived lavender https://zurl.co/p6yy

This week, my guest is Andrew Bullock, who runs The Lavender Garden Nursery. Andrew holds the National Collection of Buddlejas and grows a huge range of lavenders and buddlejas from his nursery in The Cotswolds. We talk about how to attract pollinators to your garden, when and how to prune your buddlejas and lavenders, whether buddlejas are invasive, why lavenders are sometimes short-lived and anything else you ever wanted to know about these two plants for pollinators. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Mosquitoes What We Talk About Which is better for bees - buddleja or lavender? The best varieties for bees/butterflies/pollinators in general Night time pollinators How to grow lavender and buddleja When to prune and how much to take off Buddleja - invasive? Causes of short-lived lavender https://zurl.co/p6yy

This week, my guest is Andrew Bullock, who runs The Lavender Garden Nursery. Andrew holds the National Collection of Buddlejas and grows a huge range of lavenders and buddlejas from his nursery in The Cotswolds. We talk about how to attract pollinators to your garden, when and how to prune your buddlejas and lavenders, whether buddlejas are invasive, why lavenders are sometimes short-lived and anything else you ever wanted to know about these two plants for pollinators. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Mosquitoes What We Talk About Which is better for bees - buddleja or lavender? The best varieties for bees/butterflies/pollinators in general Night time pollinators How to grow lavender and buddleja When to prune and how much to take off Buddleja - invasive? Causes of short-lived lavender https://zurl.co/p6yy