What Grows On in Rhode Island News

Barrington Conservation Workshop & Film Series

Presentations on Sustainable Turf Management; Natives, Invasives, Biodiversity; Gardening to Attract Birds; and Home Composting; plus the films King Corn, HOME, two in the National Geographic's Planet Earth Series, and two for kids and families ~ WALL-E and Microcosmos ~ will be held each week at the Barrington Library from June 29 through the end of August. The Barrington Conservation Commission, Barrington Land Conservation Trust, and the Barrington Public Library organized these events.

These events are also in What Grows On in Rhode Island. Find the films and presentations in keyword search: Barrington Conservation Series. The Calendar has lots to do ~ check it often!

Kudos to the Barrington Conservation Commission, Barrington Land Conservation Trust, and the Barrington Public Library for organizing these 7 p.m. events. Barrington is fortunate in having a particularly active municipal conservation commission, and the Providential Gardener hopes other conservation commissions will arrange similar series in the future for their communities. (You can go even if you don't live in Barrington, though!)

You can also download a pdf of the Summer Edutainment Series through this link: Download Summer Edutainment Series 2011

Reminder ~ RI Wild Plant Society Annual Sale ~ June 4, 2011

Come to the "Best Native Plant Sale in Rhode Island!

We have beautiful, quality native plants for your garden which will support the environment by providing sustenance and shelter for birds and butterflies, the "winged blossoms" of our landscape. A silent auction for rare and collectible plants will be ongoing until 10:30 am. For more information: (401) 789-7497 or email us at [email protected]; riwps.org. Sale is at URI's East Farm, Route 108 in Kingston, RI from 9 am to noon, rain or shine.

Southside Community Land Trust Plant Sale ~ May 15-16, 2011

Southside Community Land Trust’s Annual Plant Sale Celebrates Local Artists
Event Features Live Music and Original Artwork

[press release from Southside Community Land Trust]

Southside Community Land Trust is excited to announce the 19th Annual Rare and Unusual Plant Sale, to be held Saturday, May 15th and Sunday, May 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at City Farm, located at the corner of W. Clifford St. and Dudley St. in south Providence.
 
The Plant Sale is a festive annual event in Providence where people enjoy listening to live music as they browse thousands of varieties of flowers, vegetables, and herb seedlings for purchase. All proceeds from the Plant Sale go to support the Community Land Trust’s educational programs and community gardens, which have been around since 1981. The Plant Sale is free and open to the public and will feature nine different local bands and musicians this year: Circle of the Drum, Phil Edmonds and Friends, Boombamtronix, Two Time String Band, Chris Monti, Bay Spring Folk, Jake Haller and Friends, The ’Mericans, and the Classical High String Quartet.
 
Each year, the Community Land Trust also commissions a local artist to create an original, hand-drawn poster for the sale. Far more than simple flyers, these posters are beautiful, one-of-a-kind works of art that commemorate each sale and celebrate the vibrant arts culture in Providence. The 2011 poster was hand-drawn by Ian Cozzens of Secret Door Projects, who has produced posters for the last two Plant Sales. The poster can be seen in area shops, restaurants, and community centers—a video of the artist at work on the design is also available on his website, www.secretdoorprojects.org.
 
Members of the Community Land Trust enjoy admittance to a special preview an hour before the sale officially starts, giving them first access to the plants available and a 10% discount off of all of their purchases; people can become members by going to www.southsideclt.org/membership, calling (401) 273-9419, or signing up at the sale. More information about the Plant Sale, including directions to City Farm, is available at www.southsideclt.org/plantsale.
 
Southside Community Land Trust (SCLT) provides access to land, education and other resources so people in Greater Providence can grow food in environmentally sustainable ways and create community food systems where locally produced, affordable, and healthy food is available to all. For more information, please visit www.southsideclt.org.
 

HopeEcoCenter ~ A Greenhouse Dream for Providence!

 On March 16 at about 11:15pm, after 4 hours of testimony and discussion, the Providence Zoning Board voted 4 to 1 to deny an application for a variance that would allow a drive-thru coffee shop at 398 Hope Street, the most recent location of Clarke Florist. This property has been used as a florist since the 1880s.

The Board said that they had received the third-highest number of opposing letters ever for any zoning application regarding this variance request. Sixty-one folks showed up to speak in opposition.

Flowers!

Remember flowers? Gladiolas? Cosmos? Daisies? And gardens? Somewhere under those mountains of dirty white snow, the gardens are waiting to emerge.

At this time of year, there cannot be enough flowers, so I call your attention to this summer's Gardening with the Masters Tour of URI Master Gardener gardens on July 16 and 17, 2011. The gardens are both private and public (including Smith's Castle and Prescott Farm), and they're all over the state.

Treat yourself to some photos of past tours and dream of green, and water flowing, and bright colors, and butterflies.....

Keep clicking on the photo albums and photos until they enlarge. This RI Master Gardener Association Tour Facebook page is accessible whether or not you have a Facebook account. I hear more photos will be uploaded regularly.

Rhody Native Project ~ Grow Native Plants! ~ January 8, 2011

Learn about the Rhody Native Project at the next RI Wild Plant Society meeting!

Rhody Native is an initiative to make indigenous plant material available to homeowners and organizations involved in habitat restoration. The Rhode Island Natural History Survey, along with the University of Rhode Island, Outreach Center, Master Gardeners Association, and the Plant Sciences Department, as well as the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society, have partnered to source native plant material from Rhode Island wild stock through seed collection and stem cutting, to be grown and sold by the RI nursery industry. At present, much of the native plant material sold in Rhode Island, is sourced from material grown around the country in ecotypes that differ from those of Rhode Island. Differences in phenology place plants on time schedules that differ from those of our native flora and fauna. Rhody Native is an opportunity to promote local Rhode Island businesses, educate the public about RI’s native biodiversity, and improve our natural environment. The initiative is made possible by an American Reinvestment and Recovery Act grant, administered through the United States Forest Service, and awarded to the RINHS in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

The speaker, Hope Leeson, is currently the botanist for the Rhode Island Natural History Survey.  Her lecture is presented by the RI Wild Plant Society at Providence Country Day School in East Providence. See What Grows On in RI for all the details.

Roger Williams Park Rose Garden Work Day ~ November 13, 2010

It's that time of year again to put our favorite rose garden in Southern New England to sleep for the winter. On Saturday, November 13th we will meet again to put the garden to bed for its long winter nap.

This year the RI Rose Society has a lot of fun and exciting events planned after we close the garden, and everyone is invited to join in. We have our annual Chili Cook-off Contest, Rose Raffle, Group Photo, and be sure to order your 2011 calendars if you haven't done so. Gather up your pruners, rakes, gloves, shovels, chili entries, and unwanted roses (other perennials, garden-related items), and RIRS spirit. The garden closing is a rain-or-shine event, but in the event of severe weather, please check the website for cancellations, or give Andy Vanable a call at 401-663-3777.

Our agenda for the day is as follows:

8th Annual New England Carnivorous Plant Show ~ September 25-26, 2010

Roger Williams Park Botanical Center,

11am to 4pm on September 25 and 26

This is the largest collection of carnivorous plants displayed yearly on the East Coast and the most popular show at the Botanical Center.

Visit the Venus Fly Trap feeding area where you can observe up close how these plants devour insects.

Plants and growing accessories will be available for purchase for both novice and experienced growers from carnivorous plant vendors and the NECPS.

The permanent carnivorous plant bog exhibit will be replanted during the show! Society members will be present both days to explain how the plants feed, what they eat, where they live, and how they can be grown and enjoyed at home.

URI Fall Gardening School ~ 2010

The University of Rhode Island Outreach Center is again offering the Fall Gardening School, Sustainable Gardening Classes for the Home Landscape. Topics include

• Fall plantings & propagation
• Understanding perennial culture for novice gardeners
• Fall pruning of ornamental trees and shrubs
• Houseplants & tropical plant care
• Medicinal plants
• Composting 101

The six classes may be taken separately or as a course for a reduced rate. Half are at the URI Botanical Garden in Kingston, and half are at the wonderful Roger Williams Park Botanical Center in Providence.

Register today!

Of course all these classes and much more are in the What Grows On in Rhode Island Calendar.

URI Botanical Garden Plant Sale ~ September 11, 2010

 URI Botanical Garden Plant Sale is Friday and Saturday, September 10 (2pm to 6pm) and September 11 (8am to 12pm) at the URI Greenhouses, Flagg Road, Kingston, RI. This is a benefit for the botanical gardens. Great opportunity to add some low-maintenance, attractive perennials and woody plants to your garden!