Page 7 - Final-DE Botanic Gardens AR 2019

programs, the staff of the Adkins Arboretum, the Karen Steenhoudt recommended employing this inland dune “habitat of conservation concern,” 5 Using a grant from
Sussex Master Gardeners, the Girl Scouts (Troop innovative living shoreline concepts along DBG’s DBG provides a research environment for study the Stanley Smith
20566) from York, PA, Delaware Forest Service’s Pepper Creek edge such as tree root-wad and branch of: 1) its feasibility to persist, and 2) the ecological Horticultural Trust,
Urban & Community Forest conference attendees, stands to secure the eroding shoreline and increase and life-sustaining interactions between wildlife DBG acquired and
Rehoboth Beach Village Improvement Association, bank stabilization. This living shoreline will create pollinator species and their coastal plant hosts. implemented plant
the Coastal Camera Club, and Camp Rehoboth were important ecological habitat to protect and add In 2019, we were awarded a research grant from management software
all welcomed. The Learning Garden, sponsored by resilience to our valuable coastal resource. A visitor DNREC to demonstrate the reduction of nonpoint to record each accession
Dogfish Head Brewery, accommodated a hands-on observation platform will serve to educate residents source pollution using Best Management Practices in our collection and
lecture about wetland invertebrates at a “Bugs & and developers on the effectiveness and use of this (BMP’s) in stormwater management. Brian Trader, the GPS location
Beer” lecture by Todd Fritchman from Envirotech. new natural technology. of each species in
our Director of Horticulture, began the process of
Todd explained, “There was profound interest generated Another very important research project, the identifying the required plantings and sources to our garden. Work is
underway to document
as the class got literally wet and into the experience.” reestablishment of ancient inland dunes that were employ stormwater BMP’s in the DBG Entry Garden. over 70,000 Meadow
Learning Garden sponsor Mariah Calagione said, “We once native to the coastal forests of southern These include 1) rain gardens for our “designer Garden herbaceous
4
are proud to be partners with DBG and it’s exciting to Delaware , was well underway in 2019. Five dune ditches” (i.e. the Rhyne Garden conveyance); plants, perennials, and
see the Wetlands Outdoor Classroom in action with a constructs were completed in 2018 around the 2) large canopy trees across imperviously paved grasses; over 30,000
wonderful instructor like Todd.” Wetland Outdoor Classroom. In 2019, the dune parking areas; and 3) native vegetation for pollutant Folly Garden bulbs and Red Maple (Acer rubrum
habitat was brought to life when our Garden filtering on the floor of the two stormwater basins. ‘Brandywine’) for the Entry Garden
In August, we continued our partnership with Stewards populated the dunes with wild lupine, Upon completion in 2020, visitor surveys will capture shrubs; and the 12-acre
academia by hosting a group of University of Delaware critical host plant for the globally-rare frosted elfin metrics on the effectiveness of DBG education and Woodland Garden native vegetation with accession
Landscape Architecture students. Thirty students and butterfly; wild indigo, beach sedges, sea oats, and knowledge transfer of these techniques. data: species name, date and number propagated;
several faculty members from the Department of Plant 1800 low-bush blueberries, all able to sustain life and garden/geospatial locations. All records will
and Soil Sciences enjoyed a tour of DBG and a Master on the savannah-like, grassy habitat. In recreating Garden Information Accessibility: Recording all be maintained in IrisBG, an advanced collection
Planning workshop about how the DBG Master Plan acquisitions, species names, collection locations, and management system for botanic gardens.
was brought to life, delivered by President Ray Sander other pertinent information is a critical role played This year we also added an interactive map to
and Executive Director Sheryl Swed. by a public botanic garden. This serves to perpetuate our website that highlights the three sections of
its diverse plant communities for posterity, and
Conservation Research: Several 2019 projects specifically in DBG’s case, the fragile native Delaware the Meadow Garden and the plants and grasses
epitomize DBG’s readiness to provide research value coastal habitats its gardens represent. These habitats contained in each one along with pictorial spring,
to the community in concurrence with its charge of are being lost to development, recreational overuse, June and summer bloom guides. The interactive
protecting its environmentally sensitive shoreline and and in some cases, sea level rise, hence the need for maps exhibit Piet Oudolf’s approach to garden
plant habitats. collection and preservation. design: first sketching the garden shape and preferred
plant textures, followed by selecting the actual plants
The “Living Shoreline Project” is funded by DNREC for color and contrast.
6
in partnership with the Center for the Inland Bays.
For her 2019 Temple University Capstone Project, 4 Special to the Delaware News Journal, “Restoring ancient Delaware dune forest”, delawareonline.com, March 17, 2015

6 University of Delaware Students Discuss DBG Master Plan 5 2015 Delaware Wildlife Action Plan, DNREC, dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/dwap/Pages/default.aspx 7
delawaregardens.org/plant-collections
6