Winter LONGWOOD 2019 CHIMES 298 1 2 No. 298 A seed… that amazing marvel of nature that overcomes incredible odds to flourish into something beautiful, life-sustaining, and inspiring. In this issue of Longwood Chimes, we explore seeds in all contexts … from the seed of inspiration that spurred Mr. du Pont to construct our grand Conservatory, to the seed of an idea that has grown into a national movement to combat declining numbers of horticulture professionals, to the beauty of physical seeds gathered from our Gardens and from our plant exploration trips around the globe. Celebrate with us the humble beginnings that lead to great things. In Brief 6 8 10 Plantologists Unite! By the Book Nutrition from Within Seed Your Future is growing Our Community Read is How composting is the next generation of building rapport by sharing nourishing the needs horticulturists. the joy of plants, nature, (and seeds) of our plant By Susan E. Yoder and great books. collection. By David Sleasman By Dr. Matt Taylor Features 16 24 34 Natural Selection Gone to Seed A Century of Floral Sun Parlors Christmas ornaments crafted A survey and celebration Part One: The Seed is Planted from natural materials embody of seeds from throughout A new series on the creation of our spirit of beauty and giving. the Gardens. Longwood’s great Conservatory. By Katie Mobley By Colvin Randall 46 Array of Light A spark of creativity and a plethora of details bring Luminary Nights to life. By Patricia Evans End Notes 52 Remembering William H. Frederick, Jr. A look back at the life, work, and enduring influence of plantsman and landscape designer William H. Frederick, Jr. 3 In Brief The seeds of a Victoria special tanks dedicated and ‘Longwood Hybrid’ waterlily calibrated to the needs of are juxtaposed here with these majestic giants. the underside of one of the From seed sown in January, waterlily’s giant leaf pads. plants are set out on display Commonly referred to as the around the end of May and giant water-platter, they are quickly grow to fill the pools one of the iconic features during the summer season. of our summer season. One In August we begin the little-known fascinating fact process of hand pollinating about these plants is that and harvesting seed to ensure they are grown from these stock for next year’s display. pea-sized seeds each year in Photo by Daniel Traub. 4 5 6 Education Seed Your Future is growing the Plantologists next generation of horticulturists. Unite! By Susan E. Yoder We are reaching a crisis point in horticulture. people to pursue careers working with in the BLOOM! initiative. With its support, The horticulturists of today are aging and plants. We spent our first three years we have also created an exciting microsite retiring, and the pipeline of people to follow conducting focused research, which today of free educator resources including an them is a mere dribble. Employers across all serves as a foundation for the work that online learning module, sample lesson of horticulture—from public gardens and officially launched in 2018. The research plans and activities, infographics, and laboratories, to greenhouses and hydroponics affirmed what we are experiencing today. videos to help adults inspire youth to love facilities—cannot find enough qualified We are living in a time of great disconnection plants and consider careers in horticulture. candidates to fill their open positions. from plants. Plants are everywhere—yet Anyone can download the free resources at College and university horticulture programs plants are nowhere on the minds of most scholastic.com/BLOOM (educator resources) are declining. Reaching far beyond the Americans. This “plant-blindness” is and weareBLOOM.org/partners (toolkit of strength and longevity of the horticulture especially significant among our nation’s materials). industry, this crisis is about the future of youth. Informed by research examining the We’ve already reached almost one million the planet. We must consider who will take right time to reach young people about the students with our BLOOM! materials in 2018! the reins and have the expertise to provide wonder of plants and fulfilling plant careers, Year two goals include reaching an additional the technology, science, art, and business Seed Your Future decided to focus our first one million students. acumen necessary to meet the rapidly campaign on middle school students. But Now that we’re on a solid path of reaching increasing demand for ornamentals, fruits, first, we needed to know what kids had to say. middle schoolers, we’re developing our vegetables, nuts, and herbs in the face of When asked, middle school students second campaign—this one focusing on the changing global environment. Who in our focus groups did not know what colleges and universities. In 2019, Longwood will grow food that is safe and nutritious to “horticulture” meant. After we shared with will host an enrollment summit with colleges feed the growing world? Who will research them how plants impact our lives every day, and universities that currently offer cures for disease? Who will help solve some and the diversity of careers across the art, horticulture programs. We hope to learn of our world’s biggest environmental issues science, technology, and business of plants, their needs, and then based on the research such as pollution, drought, clean water, the students’ perception of horticulture we’ve already conducted, create tools and and climate change? And who will bring became much clearer. They wanted us to resources to help colleges and universities wonder to our world by creating landscapes stop using “weird” words like “horticulture,” inspire enrollment in horticulture training and gardens that are not only beautiful but show them through video and social media programs. In years to come, we’ll develop provide physical, social, and emotional content how plants can change the world, other campaigns to help solve this workforce health supports? and have “cool” young people tell them gap. Perhaps mid-career-changers, returning In 2014, Longwood Gardens took the about their fun (#ILoveMyPlantJob) careers. veterans, ex-offenders, and people with lead on tackling this issue, and along with They coined the term “plantologist” instead special needs will be among our next the American Society of Horticultural of “horticulturist” and urged us to connect priorities. We’ll continue to expand our Science, founded the Seed Your Future plants to what they are already interested partnerships and work together to ensure movement with Longwood President and in such as sports, fashion, medicine, a solid pipeline of trained and passionate Chief Executive Officer Paul B. Redman technology, and art. horticulturists for years to come. serving as the Seed Your Future co-chair. To engage middle school students, we With more than 150 partners across the launched Seed Your Future’s BLOOM! horticulture industry including horticulture initiative (weareBLOOM.org) in April 2018. companies, gardening organizations, Through eye-catching content delivered both schools, colleges and universities, public inside and outside the classroom, BLOOM! gardens, and youth organizations, we are is educating and inspiring young people For more information about the work of Seed Your Future, visit seedyourfuture.org. We invite united by our confidence in the power of about the endless possibilities in horticulture. you to join in the movement to help teach the plants to change the world. With a staggering presence in 100 percent plant-blind to see and open young minds to the The Seed Your Future movement has of classrooms in K-12 schools and more than possibilities of a future in horticulture. It’s time for Americans to wake up and smell (and grow) taken a proactive approach with a mission 90 percent of classrooms in America, the roses, trees, and tomatoes. Together, we to promote horticulture and inspire more Scholastic serves as an important partner can show them how. 7 Education Our Community Read is building rapport by By the sharing the joy of plants, nature, and great books. Book By David Sleasman For the last few years the Longwood Library utilizing Community Read as a way to The types of activities are bounded only and Information Services Department nurture the organizational relationships by a partner’s imagination and budget. The has been leading an initiative to share the between like-minded nonprofits. Public audiences range from large to small, but joy of plants, nature, and great books. gardens in the Philadelphia region frequently every event adds up to a big impact. In 2018 As most Longwood Chimes readers know, share resources, but not so common is an the combined attendance for the 214 programs this department largely works behind the ongoing forum to reach across the gardens’ on the Community Read calendar was scenes. The LIS team manages the library, gates to public libraries, museums, and estimated to be more than 8,000 people. In institutional archives, photography conservation organizations. In this spirit addition, consider the thousands of people collections, and plant records. For this Longwood uses the skills of our Education checking out copies of the books at each of initiative, however, the LIS team—joined by and Marketing teams to provide extensive the public libraries. That is a substantial colleagues in the Education and Marketing program resources and publicity materials, amount of reading and talking. Departments—works to share the message while strongly encouraging cooperation Expanding the potential for conversation directly with Longwood’s Members and between partners. For the many nonprofit to younger readers, we have added titles for the community beyond. The strategy is to organizations involved in the program, young and middle school readers at the encourage two simple, yet powerful, human Community Read is a chance to work on suggestion of our partners, who wanted to activities—reading and talking.