| Important Events |
Come join us for Volunteer Interaction 2011, October 12-14, 2011, hosted by Smithsonian Gardens in partnership with
public gardens in the DC area.
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| Garden Interpreters Needed! | |
Smithsonian Gardens is seeking creative, energetic, and outgoing interpretive volunteers to engage visitors in conversations about gardening, plants and
landscape history.
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| Meet Our Staff | |
 | | James Gagliardi, Horticulturist |
I am excited for the many opportunities I will have in my new role with Smithsonian Gardens as the Horticulturist at the National Museum of Natural History.
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| Featured Flora |
Why take the time and effort to plant garlic when it is an inexpensive and readily available product in the grocery store? Just like tomatoes, what is available in the produce section of a typical grocery store is paltry compared to the hundreds of varieties, with a myriad of piquant flavors, that are obtainable in nursery catalogs. Don't settle for a nondescript, generic bulb when the tongue can be tantalized with 'Music,' 'Georgian Fire,' 'Chesnok Red,' or 'Spanish Roja!'
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 | | Barbara Faust |
Greetings!
It's hard to believe that summer is coming to an end. What a long, hot season! At times, it seemed that it would never end. Yet on the other hand, the summer seemed to fly by due in large part to a wonderful group of interns who worked beside us each day. They were a dynamic group of individuals (fourteen in total) who worked on a myriad of projects and helped us in countless ways in continuing to move our organization forward. It was delightful to share in their wonderment for the Smithsonian and their enthusiasm for Smithsonian Gardens. We were indeed sad to see them depart. We wish them the best of luck in their continued studies or in the start of their careers.
Our sadness was relieved somewhat by the arrival of our newest team member, James Gagliardi. We are pleased to welcome James to Smithsonian Gardens. This issue of Smithsonian Gardens Newsletter introduces you to him. Also in this issue, Janet Draper provides insight into how she manages to find the many varied and interesting plants she utilizes in the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden; Erin Clark compares and contrasts the edibles used in our gardens at either end of the National Mall in the National Museum of the American Indian landscape and in the Victory Garden at the National Museum of American History; and Cindy Brown profiles some of this summer's interns. I trust you will enjoy this end-of-summer issue of Smithsonian Gardens Newsletter.
Best regards,
Barbara Faust
Associate Director, Smithsonian Gardens  |
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Edible Gardens
Erin Clark, Horticulturist
This summer has been a season of learning in the Victory Garden on the west side of the National Museum of American History (NMAH). Typical of a WWII-era vegetable garden, the Victory Garden is very different from the Traditional Croplands at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), where for the last three seasons I grew the three sisters (corn, beans, and squash), as well as tomatoes, peppers, tobacco, cotton and Hawaiian food crops. Now I've traded tobacco for cabbage and coconuts for peanuts. However, I've found there are many similarities in these different vegetable gardens.
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Bountiful Interns
Cindy Brown, Collections Management and Education Manager
This summer, Smithsonian Gardens staff enjoyed working with a BOUNTIFUL group of interns. So who were these students, why did they come to Smithsonian Gardens and what did they do while they were here? We asked each intern to tell us a bit about themselves when they first came on board and then, near the end of their tour, identify the projects that kept them busy this summer. We've picked a few to share with you; their introductions and stories follow.
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Where can I find these plants?
Janet Draper, Horticulturist
The answer to that question is multipronged. It is best to have plants shipped only in spring and fall in the Mid-Atlantic region due to our sweltering summer temperatures - the last thing you want is to come home to a box of cooked treasures sitting on your doorstep.
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