"A handmade sign announces the Garden's entrance on Tyrone Road. A new trellis adorns the Eclectic Garden. A winding road delivers visitors to a lower parking area with views of the colorful butterfly garden. Guests can now explore a well-marked network of trails, many of which are universally accessible," Bagby writes.
The garden, like others, has been through many different organizational changes. New faces replace original volunteers, and while some early folks are still going strong. But all have the same goal -- to create a vital, natural place for people of all ages to enjoy.
Visit www.wvbg.org. The West Virginia Botanic Garden is at 1061 Tyrone Road, Morgantown.
A hardy fern
The ever-colorful Barry Glick of Sunshine Farm and Gardens, in Renick, sent an e-mail about an evergreen fern that he's been observing. I just ordered a few to put in a spot left fairly rocky and soilless from a plumbing adventure.
"I was strolling through the woodland areas of my nursery the other day when I noticed how nicely the polypodiums had tucked themselves in for the winter. They had nestled themselves under a cozy blanket of fallen leaves from the oaks and maples that had shaded them during the growing season," Glick writes.
He says Polypodium virginianum (rock polypody) is native to just about every state east of the Mississippi, Alaska, almost every province in Canada and all the way north to Greenland and Iceland.
Glick tells us that the species is easy to grow, needing average to moist shade. Don't bury the roots too deeply into the soil.
"In my gardens and in the naturally occurring colonies on my farm, it sprawls itself over sandstone boulders in a very thin layer of soil and organic debris. Drought tolerance is another merit, as it easily survived over six weeks with no rain this summer and didn't bat an eye," Glick said. "The rugged, yet delicate, dark green, glossy fronds look great all year 'round and disappear magically as the new fronds emerge so you'll never have a bare spot. The 2- to 4-inch-wide, 6- to 12-inch-long fronds reach up about 3 to 6 inches as the plant spreads slowly and gracefully into a colony by branched, creeping rhizomes."
Glick adds that the wild critters on his farm didn't even look at this plant.
Contact Glick at Sunshine Farm & Gardens, HC 67 Box 539 B, Renick WV 24966; 304-497-2208 or ba...@sunfarm.com. Visit www.sunfarm.com.
Reach Sara Busse at sara.bu...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1249.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Growth is good for gardens, but can be difficult for organizations. A garden that's going through a "growth spurt" with grace is the Manna Meal Community Garden. For the past two years, director Jean Simpson and tireless coordinator Myra Dolin spearheaded the planning, planting, weeding, sowing and preserving of the vegetable garden.
A whopping 1,958 pounds of food came from the garden. As important, the garden became a symbol for the organization, increasing the awareness of the challenges of addressing hunger in our community.
Jean and Myra are stepping back, allowing a cast of volunteers to guide the garden into the future. Myra promises to be on hand to guide new project director Neva Lusk. Jean said there are many other folks in place to help as well.
"Of course we're scared to let go," Jean said, laughing. "But it's the perfect time to do this, and just like everything else with Manna Meal, everything falls into place. The people who have stepped up are all blessings to us."
Gary Brown, Judy Darr and Ann Garcelon will be garden coordinators -- planning the planting and tending needs of the garden. Coordinating volunteers will fall to Nancy Broyles, Darr and Steve Chionsini. There are harvest coordinators, who will see that all of the produce is brought to the kitchen and properly preserved. They are Broyles, Chionsini and Mary Jo Armbrust.
The group has a fundraising/community outreach committee, headed by Kathy McKinley, Suzanne Kingry and James Bush. And McKinley, Garcelon, Kingry and Bob Lockhart will coordinate the blog, news releases and other communications.
"And we're not finished for this season -- cabbage, kale, onions and lettuce are still coming in," Simpson said.
Another growing organization
The West Virginia Botanic Garden celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. In the group's recent newsletter, organization President Linda Bagby recalls the area 10 years ago. The Morgantown Utility Board had just finished timbering around the former Tibbs Run reservoir.
"The attractive spot beckoned, but there was nowhere to park, no road to get down the hill to the reservoir, only a few dirt trails and nothing to tell a person where to go," she writes. "Slash from the logging littered the meadow. Rusting vehicles, tires and trash spoiled the natural beauty."
Bagby tells of the group's efforts to make changes, and describes the site today.
"A handmade sign announces the Garden's entrance on Tyrone Road. A new trellis adorns the Eclectic Garden. A winding road delivers visitors to a lower parking area with views of the colorful butterfly garden. Guests can now explore a well-marked network of trails, many of which are universally accessible," Bagby writes.
The garden, like others, has been through many different organizational changes. New faces replace original volunteers, and while some early folks are still going strong. But all have the same goal -- to create a vital, natural place for people of all ages to enjoy.
Visit www.wvbg.org. The West Virginia Botanic Garden is at 1061 Tyrone Road, Morgantown.
A hardy fern
The ever-colorful Barry Glick of Sunshine Farm and Gardens, in Renick, sent an e-mail about an evergreen fern that he's been observing. I just ordered a few to put in a spot left fairly rocky and soilless from a plumbing adventure.
"I was strolling through the woodland areas of my nursery the other day when I noticed how nicely the polypodiums had tucked themselves in for the winter. They had nestled themselves under a cozy blanket of fallen leaves from the oaks and maples that had shaded them during the growing season," Glick writes.
He says Polypodium virginianum (rock polypody) is native to just about every state east of the Mississippi, Alaska, almost every province in Canada and all the way north to Greenland and Iceland.
Glick tells us that the species is easy to grow, needing average to moist shade. Don't bury the roots too deeply into the soil.
"In my gardens and in the naturally occurring colonies on my farm, it sprawls itself over sandstone boulders in a very thin layer of soil and organic debris. Drought tolerance is another merit, as it easily survived over six weeks with no rain this summer and didn't bat an eye," Glick said. "The rugged, yet delicate, dark green, glossy fronds look great all year 'round and disappear magically as the new fronds emerge so you'll never have a bare spot. The 2- to 4-inch-wide, 6- to 12-inch-long fronds reach up about 3 to 6 inches as the plant spreads slowly and gracefully into a colony by branched, creeping rhizomes."
Glick adds that the wild critters on his farm didn't even look at this plant.
Contact Glick at Sunshine Farm & Gardens, HC 67 Box 539 B, Renick WV 24966; 304-497-2208 or ba...@sunfarm.com. Visit www.sunfarm.com.
Reach Sara Busse at sara.bu...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1249.
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