Open House at The Morton Arboretum

For many of us, the phrase “open house” conjures up images of houses for sale or parent/teacher conferences. On Sunday, June 29th, we’ll be putting an Arboretum spin on the whole of notion of an open house by opening up our doors/labs/offices from noon until 4:00 p.m. In addition to summertime treats of ice cream and lemonade served in an expansive tent, we invite you to visit the Sterling Morton Library during this special time and learn more about what we do. On the event schedule there is a wide variety of activities, but of special note (and because this is the Sterling Morton Library blog) are the activities hosted by the Library.

Open house attendees will have the opportunity to:

• View a short film from Joy Morton’s 70th birthday party (circa 1925)
• Meet Joel Greenberg, noted author and naturalist
• Explore botanical art techniques used within Arboretum art classes and our very own collection
• Meet Carol Lerner, noted artist and author
• Learn about volunteer projects in the Library
• Visit the May T. Watts Reading Garden and find out about espalier
• Discover a rich collection of birding works
• Encounter a host of gardening and landscape design resources
• View 18th century works by Merian and Catesby
• Find out about our natural history resources
• Meet with Education staff to learn about our lifelong learning opportunities
• Listen to a children’s story

There will be lots of opportunities to meet Library staff, volunteers and other Arboretum colleagues and gain a unique perspective on our work and our passion. Complete details about the event and registration information can be found here.

Hope to see you on Sunday!

Articles of note in the Sterling Morton Library : June’s offerings

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.

Bagwell, D. The case for oaks in residential land developments. International Oaks, no. 19, p. 7-13.

Pavlis, M., B. Kane, J. R. Harris, and J. R. Seiler. The effects of pruning on drag and bending moment of shade trees. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, v. 34, no. 4, p. 207-215.

Svatek Ziegler, S., E. R. Larson, J. Rauchfuss, G. P. Elliott. Tree establishment during dry spells at an oak savanna in Minnesota. Tree-Ring Research, v. 64, no. 1, p. 47-54.

Taylor, K. The earliest wildernesses: their meanings and developments. Studies in the History of Gardens & Designed Landscapes, v. 28, no. 2, p. 237-251.

Watson, G. Discoloration and decay in severed tree roots. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, v. 34, no. 4, p. 260-264.

Wulf, A. Franklinia alatamaha. Garden, v. 133, pt. 6, p. 406-407.
The story of this choice, summer-flowering tree illustrates how the cultivation of some plants can help ensure their survival once wild populations have been lost.

Article from the past:
Some flowering shrubs of early summer interest by E. Lowell Kammerer in the Bulletin of Popular Information, June 1955, v. 30, no. 6, p. 23-26.

Within the essay, this long-time Arboretum staff member considers the butterflybush, fringe tree, sweet bay magnolia and snowball for the summer garden. Included are details about the natural history, habit, cultural requirements and assorted virtues of these woody plants.