ELA April Bulletin: Getting Warmer!

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Subject: ELA April Bulletin: Getting Warmer!

IMAGE: ELA Monthly Bulletin Cover featuring snow covered trees by Leslie Duthie

Coalition Seeks Alternative to Horticultural Plastic Containers

This article published in collaboration with the Association of Professional Landscape Designers' (APLD) advocacy effort, Healthy Pots, Healthy Planet

This year, Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. Our friends at the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) are happy that EarthDay.org’s 2024 theme, “Planet vs. Plastics,” aligns perfectly with their advocacy effort, Healthy Pots, Healthy Planet.

In July 2020, APLD published a research paper, Plastic Pots and the Green Industry; Production, Use, Disposal and Environmental Impacts, that examines the key considerations and consequences of the green industry as the driver of plastic plant pot production and use. APLD joined with the Missouri Botanical Garden, a leading public garden in St. Louis, Mo. (which began blazing this trail with its own ambitious initiative to recycle plastic pots) to find the facts and to compile them in the report.

IMAGE: An assortment of plastic planting pots

“We recognized very quickly that APLD members and others in the green industry generate thousands and thousands of plastic plant pots every year, and disposal is a significant problem,” explained Toni Bailey, who heads up the advocacy initiative Healthy Pots, Healthy Planet. “We realized that our voices needed to be heard about our desire to have alternatives that are more kind to the earth.” Hence, the Healthy Pots, Healthy Planet initiative was formed with a singular focus: to build support for more sustainable options for plant pots through advocacy, education, and engagement with others in the green industry.

Over the last several years, hundreds of people, businesses and organizations that are committed to environmental stewardship have supported this mission by signing their names to an online petition at www.healthypotshealthyplanet.org. “People need to educate themselves and lend their voices,” said Bailey. “As the world continues to grapple with the impact of climate change, it’s important to find ways to reduce our dependence on plastic and promote sustainable alternatives.”

“The fact that 95-98% of the plastic plant pots we use are disposed in landfills is cause for concern,” said APLD Executive Director Denise Calabrese, CAE, who explained that the industry is calling for change. “It is time for those who care about the earth to work together for a more sustainable alternative to horticultural plastics.”

Bailey agrees, “Demand matters. We want to impress manufacturers and growers with market demand for more sustainable plant pots.”

IMAGE: An example of a sustainable/biodegradable plant pot

Last year, APLD released a follow-up report, The 2023 State of the Pot, to give a snapshot of the latest developments in the marketplace. To read the report, sign the online petition and to find out more about Healthy Pots, Healthy Planet, visit www.healthypotshealthyplanet.org.

For more information about APLD and the white paper, contact APLD Communications Director, Michelle Keyser at communications@apld.org or visit www.apld.org. Interviews with the paper’s author and/or APLD leadership are available.

Growing Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)

By Jack Shaw

Redbud trees are beautiful additions to any garden. They form gorgeous flowers in the spring and fill the breeze with an aroma reminiscent of sweet peas. If you’d like to start growing Cercis canadensis trees, use this guide to help them reach their full potential in your yard.

Everything Gardeners Should Know About the Eastern Redbud

The Eastern redbud tree — known as the Cercis canadensis — is a relatively short tree that forms iconic purple-pink flowers in the spring. It also has three varieties that vary by geographic location.¹ Gardeners can choose from options such as:

Cercis canadensis var. canadensis: The Eastern redbud that grows from Texas through the Atlantic coastline
Cercis canadensis var. mexicana: The Mexican redbud that grows between Texas and Mexico
Cercis canadensis var. texensis: The Texas redbud that grows from Oklahoma through northeastern Mexico and some of central Texas

The Eastern redbud can grow in any state where there’s soil with good drainage and partial shade. It’s also a helpful addition where bees need assistance since the tree’s early-blooming flowers provide some of the first seasonal food for pollinators.

Given that the Eastern redbud only grows to about 15–30 feet high, it’s not necessarily a tree that could provide privacy or fill a tall, empty space like a pine or oak. However, the colorful blooms, heart-shaped leaves and stretching branches add personality to any garden.

Tips for Growing Cercis canadensis Trees

Now that you know what a Cercis canadensis is, try planting a sapling in your yard to beautify your living space. It thrives when planted in the early spring wherever there’s soil with good drainage. The roots will take advantage of the warm weather and frequent showers, while the local bees support the tree’s growth through the early blooms on the sapling.

Take caution when selecting the best placement for your Eastern redbud — it prefers partial shade and doesn’t tolerate transplanting well because the root system is sensitive once it forms. Once you plant your Cercis canadensis, it should remain there throughout its life span.

Give your new tree a hole triple the size of the sapling’s roots. It should get a heavy watering after you fill the divet with local soil to encourage immediate root growth. The soil’s natural drainage will ensure the water doesn’t remain too long, allowing the tree to thrive between weekly waterings for the first few weeks.

Growing Cercis canadensis trees is also easier with mulch. As long as the mulch doesn’t touch the trunk, it maintains the soil’s temperature and prevents the water from evaporating too quickly as spring turns into summer. Soaked mulch that touches the sapling’s trunk may cause rot or mold growth due to the Eastern redbud’s sensitive bark.

Keep in mind that the floral branches of the Cercis canadensis are fragile. They break off during high-wind storms, so pruning is the best tool to maintain your tree’s long-term growth. Trim them to the v-shaped points in the outer branches during the autumn seasons and get rid of any that haven’t formed flowers. The tree will divert its energy to the healthy branches to maintain their strength during fall storms.

Maintaining your tree should feel much easier than other species. It’s naturally robust against pests and diseases, especially when pruned seasonally. However, you can further its growth with any standard tree fertilizer. Well-kept Eastern redbuds last up to 30 years, so you can expect at least a few decades of beautiful flowers in your yard with proper care. Consider brightening up your yard and giving your local pollinators a hand with a majestic Eastern redbud.

Jack Shaw is the senior writer for the lifestyle magazine Modded. An avid outdoorsman, he seeks to spend as much free time cultivating his yard and garden as possible and encourages others to make an effort to reconnect with nature. His writings can be found in Duluth Pack, A Green Hand, Outdoor Hacker and more.

Gleanings

Headlines from the news

For Mentors | Landscape Architecture Foundation (lafoundation.org)

The Landscape Architecture Foundation is currently looking for experienced landscape architecture professionals who have interest in working with students in LAF’s Ignite Program. From the description on LAF’s website: “Mentors provide guidance and support to help the students identify and pursue their career goals. The mentorship is intended to be an engaging personal and professional growth experience for mentors and mentees alike.”

LAF Ignite | Landscape Architecture Foundation (lafoundation.org)

Applications are open for the third cohort of LAF Ignite! Three to five students will be selected to participate in this multi-year program, which entaisl an annual scholarship, paid summer internships, and ongoing mentorship. Applications are due May 15.

A Pulse Check on Landscape Performance in Professional Practice | Landscape Architecture Foundation (lafoundation.org)

What does it mean to “[integrate] landscape performance within the everyday, project-by-project practice of professional landscape architecture,” and how can landscape professionals continue move the industry forward with this goal front of mind?

Groundbreaking research in groundwater’s role in ecosystem sustainability (Science Daily)

Until now, groundwater -- a critical water resource around the globe, especially in dry regions -- has been largely unstudied in its importance and role in sustaining ecosystems. New groundbreaking research examines the relationship between groundwater and ecosystems across California.

Older trees help to protect an endangered species (Science Daily)

The oldest trees in the forest help to prevent the disappearance of endangered species in the natural environment, according to a new study. This is the case of the wolf lichen -- threatened throughout Europe --, which now finds refuge in the oldest trees in the high mountains of the Pyrenees. This study reveals for the first time the decisive role of the oldest trees in the conservation of other living beings thanks to their characteristic and unique physiology.

Common loons threatened by declining water clarity (Phys.org)

The Common Loon, an icon of the northern wilderness, is under threat from climate change due to reduced water clarity, according to a new study authored by Chapman University professor, Walter Piper. The study, published April 1 in Ecology,followed up an earlier paper that showed a substantial reproductive decline in the author's study area in northern Wisconsin.

Upcoming Events

Events from the Field

Saturday, May 11th (10:00AM-1:00PM): Salem, MA - Living Green Expo*

Thursday, May 16th (6:00PM-8:00PM): Downington, PA - Mid-Atlantic Meetup at Harmony Hill Nursery

Friday & Saturday, May 17-18th: Kennet Square, PA - Longwood Gardens celebrates PA Native Species Day

*The Salem, MA Living Green Expo is currently seeking ecological landcare professionals who are available to attend, table, and promote ecological landcare practices. If you are in the Salem, MA area and interested in tabling at this event, please contact Stacy Kilb (Engagement Coordinator & Energy Coach, Sustainability & Resiliency Dept. City of Salem, MA) at skilb@salem.com. RESPONSE REQUESTED BEFORE APRIL 26

Interested in hosting a webinar with ELA? Email ELA Education Committee Chair, Rie Macchiarolo at rie@ecolandscaping.org to discuss what you want future ELA learning events to focus on!

Current Jobs Openings

Be sure to send your job openings to ELA Publications Committee Chair, Leslie Duthie, at leslie@ecolandscaping.org to be featured in future newsletters!

Program Manager (Partnerships)

United States Botanic Garden (USBG)

Washington D.C.

Full Time, $99,200 - $153,354 per year

This position is located at the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG), a jurisdiction within the Architect of the Capitol (AOC). The Partnerships Manager helps develop and maintain the USBG partnership program with a focus on advancing conservation, botanical science, urban agriculture, horticulture, and plant-focused education for the greater good.

For more information and to apply, click here.

Assistant Gardener

Cornish, NH

30-40 hours/week, March-Nov. $20 - $23/hr

Seeking an Assistant Gardener for a private, historic estate in Cornish, NH. The property, designed by Charles A. Platt, includes a walled formal garden, a woodland garden, a rose garden, and manicured walkways through extensive grounds. The Assistant Gardener will work alongside the Head Gardener and aid in all aspects of garden and grounds maintenance and improvement. The ideal candidate will possess a strong attention to detail, an interest in plants, and an understanding of basic horticultural practices.

To apply, please send resume, letter of interest, and references to ross.schaner@gmail.com

Landscape Architect/Sr. Landscape Architect

MASS Design Group

Boston, MA

Full time, $70,000 - $90,000 commensurate with experience

The Senior Landscape Architect/Senior Landscape Designerwill lead deep & collaborative design work from narrative development, concept manifestation, schematic design, design development, and construction document, construction administration, and ideally, return to projects over time for observation and learning. We have projects of various sizes and in various phases, so we are interested to hear what part of the work you are most passionate about and share our needs to see how these two can overlap!

For more information and to apply, click here .

Mid-Level Landscape Designer

Quennell Rothschild & Partners

New York, NY

Full-time, Negotiable salary commensurate with experience

Quennell Rothschild & Partners is seeking a full-time landscape designer with a minimum of 3 years work experience to join our friendly, collaborative, and dedicated team. QRP works predominantly in the public realm and seeks a candidate committed to improving the public environment.

Candidates should have experience with all phases of landscape design from conceptual design through the preparation of contract documents and strong AutoCAD skills.

QRP values in-person collaboration within the office team and will require the successful candidate to work in our lower Manhattan office. All candidates must be fully vaccinated/boosted against COVID-19. QRP is an equal-opportunity employer.

Recent projects include award-winning waterfronts, urban parks, public open spaces and plazas, cultural institutions and historic sites, and campus planning and design.

For more information and how to apply, click here .

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