Happy Arbor Day!

Established by J. Sterling Morton in 1872, this holiday is observed in all 50 states and some foreign countries. A designated day to plant trees, The Morton Arboretum will celebrate Arbor Day on Friday, April 28th.

Let me alert you to some of the resources in the Sterling Morton Library relating to this special day:

J. Sterling Morton by James Olson – a biography of the founder of Arbor Day and the father of the Arboretum’s founder, Joy Morton - CT9610.M6 O4 1972
Arbor Day manual : an aid to preparing programs for Arbor Day exercises - SD363.S62
The Arbor Day lady by Mary L. Hellings - SD363.H4

In our children’s collection:
Arbor Day by Diane Burns – J SD363 .B87
J. Sterling Morton : Arbor Day boy by Clyde Moore - J CT9610.M6 M6

In the Suzette Morton Davidson Special Collections:
Arbor day : its history, observation, spirit and significance with practical selections on tree-planting and conservation, and a nature anthology, 1909.
Arbor day: its history and observance, 1896.
Arbor day, 1888.

From selected journals:
Arbor Day manual : an aid in preparing programs for Arbor Day exercises - SD363 .S62
Arbor Day in Flower & Garden, April 1990, v. 34, no. 2, p. 8.
Arbor Day : a Morton tradition by Richard Hootman in The Morton Arboretum Quarterly, v. 30, no. 1, p. 1-5.
The Man who started Arbor Day by Hal Borland in The Morton Arboretum Quarterly, v. 8, no. 1, p. 6-8.
Arbor Day : the first 100 years by H. J. Banker in American Forests, v. 78, no. 4, p. 8-11, 60-61.

Other resources:
The history of Arbor Day and a quick list of each state's Arbor Day celebration date and state tree. Arbor Day dates vary from state to state, depending on climate. Most are in March or April, but a few are in other months.

Today in History: The First Arbor Day from the American Memory Project of the Library of Congress

Arbor Day from an international perspective
Arbor Day Celebration in South Africa
Details on Arbor Day Events Around the World


Other holidays repose upon the past; Arbor Day proposes for the future.
— J. Sterling Morton

Enjoy the day! Plant a tree!

Articles of note in the Sterling Morton Library : April's offering

These are some recent articles that can be found within the journal collection of the Sterling Morton Library. Please visit the Library to discover the incredible botanical and horticultural resources that await you! If you are unable to visit the Library and interested in reviewing one of these articles, I would be delighted to help you at rhassert@mortonarb.org.

Bennett, James P. “What do we know about Wisconsin lichens?” Evansia, v. 23, no. 1, p. 13-18.

Bourne, Val. “Room for Rheum : ornamental rhubarb.” The Garden, v. 131, pt. 4, p. 260-263.

Childs, Jim. “Garden thugs.” Garden Gate, no. 69, p. 26-29.

• Ignoring your typical neighborhood ruffians, this article focuses on invasive or aggressive plants. Of special note is the “better choice” plant recommendation made for each identified thug.

Cloyd, Raymond. “Dealing with twospotted spider mites on roses.” American Rose, v. 38, no. 16, p. 31-32.

Dorazio, Robert M. Estimating species richness and accumulation by modeling species occurrence and detectability. Ecology, v. 87, no. 4, p. 842-854.

Foley, Denise. “Summer’s brightest bulbs.” Organic Gardening, v. 53, no. 3, p. 44-48.

Jackson, Bernard L. “Butterflies in the rock garden.” Rock Garden Quarterly, v. 64, no. 2, p. 115-118.

Kanda, L. Leann. “Temperature sensor evaluation of opossum winter activity.” Wildlife Society Bulletin, v. 33, no. 4 p. 1425-1431.

Lamm, Richard D. “The culture of growth and the culture of limits.” Conservation Biology, v. 20, no. 2, p. 269-271.

Lawrence, Karen. “Growing a butterfly garden.” The Herb Quarterly, no. 107, p. 42-46.

Stan, Amanda B. “Dynamics of a managed oak woodland in northeastern Illinois.” Natural Areas Journal, v. 26, no. 2, p. 187-197.

Shameless promotion of the May T. Watts Reading Garden

Whew! This time of the year, most of us are feeling pulled in lots of different directions. If you feel like taking a break, saunter out into the May T. Watts Reading Garden adjacent to the Sterling Morton Library. As I craft this message, the double and single bloodroots, Sargent’s cherry and anemones are all in full glorious bloom. Not to be left behind, the Dutchman's breeches and Virginia bluebells are just starting to bloom. Even the espaliered ginkgo and dawn redwood are beginning to push out their leaves. Over the coming months, you're welcomed and encouraged to visit this garden and even spend some of your reading time in it. Named in honor of May Watts, noted educator, author* and artist, this garden is the perfect horticultural escape!

*If time permits for a bibliographical escape, be sure to peruse some of the resources by Watts in the Library’s collection including Reading the Landscape and Reading the Landscape of Europe.

Happy Birthday, Thomas Jefferson!

Today, Thursday, April 13th, is not only the 263rd anniversary of Thomas Jefferson’s birth*, but also the very day the Sterling Morton Library’s book discussion group, Leafing Through the Pages, will be gathering to discuss Dear Mr. Jefferson : letters from a Nantucket gardener by Laura Simon. While preparing for today’s meeting, I’ve discovered a variety of interesting resources detailing Thomas Jefferson’s life and horticultural pursuits.

• Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants including a podcast, Preserving America's Historic Plants, by the Center's director Peggy Cornett on collecting and preserving historic plant varieties and making them available to the public.

• Thomas Jefferson Papers - an electronic archive presenting manuscripts from the collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Includes a searchable transcription of the Farm Book, Garden Book, and Declaration of Independence.

• A short biography of President Jefferson

• Life and Labor at Monticello from the Library of Congress

• Thomas Jefferson Digital Archive at the University of Virginia

• Wikipedia entry for Jefferson

*On the Julian calendar in use at the time, Jefferson was born April 2. The Gregorian calendar used today was adopted in 1752, and 11 days were added to “old style” dates.

“I have often thought that if Heaven had given me choice of my position and calling, it should have been on a rich spot of earth, well watered, and near a good market for the productions of the garden. No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden.” --Thomas Jefferson

Change your world @ your library®

This is the week to celebrate the Library!

National Library Week, April 2-8, 2006, is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the country. First celebrated in 1958, this special week is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. All types of libraries – school, public, academic and special – participate.

• How has a library changed your world?
  
• How can you change your world @ a library?

Celebrate this event with a visit to the Sterling Morton Library!