Copper has become exceedingly popular as a bow and accent color, but the trick is to give copper sparkle, or it will read “dead brown” from a distance. This cheerful wreath mixes artificial trimmings with white pine and natural cones to highlight a spectacular bronze and copper bow.
The NOFA/Mass Organic Land Care Program is pleased to present this one-day intensive workshop on organic turf management on Friday, January 11, from 8:30 – 4:30 at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, Massachusetts.
The 2013 Organic Lawn and Turf Day begins with an overview of the cultural practices for establishing a successful organic turf system, and then moves into a more in-depth look at technical specifics of fertilization and product inputs. We will close out the day with a discussion of the direction of the organic lawn care market, and a Q&A with a panel of Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals currently offering lawn care services.
Speakers include:
Chip Osborne is an AOLCP, the President of Osborne Organics and Chairman of the Marblehead, MA Recreation and Parks Department. Chip is one of the country’s leading experts on organic turf grass management. His current projects include consulting with the National Parks Service to pilot organic turf systems in 9 different parks. He serves on the Advisory Committee for the NOFA Organic Land Care Program and on as a board member for the non-profit organization, Beyond Pesticides.
Mary Owen is the Turf Program Coordinator for the UMASS Lawn and Turf Extension as well as a Turf Extension Specialist. She is a regular lecturer for the Green School, a founding member of the New England Sports Turf Managers Association, and an educational leader in both the Massachusetts Association of Lawn Care Professionals and the New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation.
Fred Newcombe is an AOLCP and the President of PJC Ecological, an organic landscaping company- turned natural fertilizer supplier, where he oversees product research and development as well as providing consulting services and lectures on the topic of ecological land care. He is also a former Vice President of the NOFA/Mass Board of Directors.
Who Should Attend? Municipal, Campus, and Grounds staff – Parks & Recreation personnel – Public Works staff – Elected officials – Landscaping company owners and employees. You may register online at http://www.nofamass.org/programs/organic-land-care-program#.UNR4obakAz5 or call Caro Roszell at 508-360-0874.
We celebrate Christmas Day with a classic red, green and white wreath – may your day be merry and bright!
Invasive Plant Control, Inc. recently announced a free series of invasive plant management webinars that includes IPC Web Solutions, Early Detection and Rapid Response, Contracting for Invasive Plant Management, The Development and Implementation of a Systematic Model for Managing Invasive Plants, and New Invasive Species Prevention Tool: Portable, undercarriage Rinse-off, and Reclaim System.
Click on www.ipcwebsolutions.net for the schedule of webinars. Note that dates and times for specific webinars are subject to change. More information about each webinar can be viewed by clicking on the webinar title. To register for a webinar, click on “more details” and then the attachment on the next page which will bring up a .pdf file with the registration information.
Direct your questions or problems to Paul Rischmiller: paulrischmiller@mindspring.com or 615-308-0681.
For the first time ever, we ran out of red & gold ribbon prior to the end of wreath week. We purchase thousands of dollars of ribbon (really!) in many patterns and colors, and have learned that red, red & gold, and plaid are the most popular requests, so we stock up on those varieties heavily. This year, however, the red & gold just flew out of the church, and by Thursday we were rationing strictly. The example below shows how a customer can receive a red & gold look with just red ribbon and gold accents:
A softly colored plaid bow, light brown, almost bleached pine cones, wisteria and milkweed pods, and a scattering of rose hips made this wreath one of the prettiest of our natural “country” wreaths this season.
Professor Lawrence S. Dickinson established the ‘Winter School for Greenkeepers at Massachusetts Agricultural College’ in 1927. The University of Massachusetts Winter School for Turf Managers, as the program is now known, was the first program of its kind and has run continuously with the exception of a three year hiatus during World War II. The program remains to this day a top source for turf industry professionals, and many UMass Winter School graduates hold positions of responsibility at prestigious fine turf venues throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe.
The perennial goal of the Winter School is to convey concepts essential to maintaining high quality turf, with emphasis on environmental stewardship and fiscal responsibility. This comprehensive, dynamic program is especially suited for experienced professionals associated with the management of golf courses, athletic fields, parks, municipal and private grounds, fine lawns and landscapes.
Winter School is an excellent choice for professionals who seek to expand their knowledge and practical skills. The program is also uniquely suited for those who want to advance in their career, but cannot schedule a two- or four-year program, as well as career changers who want to enter the field of turf management.
Students are immersed in an intensive, full-time program scheduled Monday through Friday for seven weeks. UMass Amherst faculty and distinguished guests lead a combination of classroom, laboratory, group project and discussion activities. Close-knit classes offer an opportunity to learn from the experiences of fellow students and to form relationships that will last a lifetime. A Certificate of Completion will be awarded to those who satisfactorily complete the program requirements. Enrollment is limited. A high school diploma or GED is required for admission. You may download an application at www.extension.umass.edu/turf/education/turf-winter-school.
Margaret Pokorny created this beautiful example of an all natural wreath with no bow – note the dried artichokes, birch bark, yarrow and cones, lotus pods, magnolia leaves, cattails, and some items which even the collectors couldn’t identify. We may consider charging a premium in the future for wreaths with no bows, since they take much more time to make, but this wreath will last outdoors for months without looking “out of season.”
Scotland boasts a wide variety of stunning parks and gardens in the cities, countryside, and castle grounds, and you’ll visit the most famous of them plus private gardens and homes not open to the public.
Gardens to be visited include Crarae, Arduine, Attadle, Inverewe, Pitmedden, and the Royal Botanic Garden. The castles and palaces with their accompanying gardens you’ll tour are Cawdor (of MacBeth fame), Crathes Castle and garden (pictured above), Edzell Castle and garden, and Mary, Queen of Scotts’ favorite county place, the Falkland Palace and gardens. You’ll also visit picture-perfect fishing villages and cottage gardens and have time to explore the Georgian City of Edinburgh.
The tour includes not only breakfasts, but ten dinners in the several hotels with their breathtaking views loch Lochs, highlands and more.
This mid-summer tour, July 10 – 21, is escorted by Pacific Horticulture Society board member Pat Wipf. For more information, contact Sterling Tours. Reach them by phone at 800-976-9497 or access the full itinerary at the Sterling Tours website, http://www.sterlingtoursltd.com/Scotland2013.html. $3,425 per person, double ocupancy, $415 single supplement.
Today’s the day – end of the world according to readers of the Mayan calendar, the winter solstice, or the last day you can mail something with any hope of it arriving on time for Christmas. The swirly red and gold ribbon reminds us of South American symbolism, somehow:
