Greater Philadelphia Gardens

Guided Tour: Native Trees at the Arboretum

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

11/1/2008

Learn about the native trees that will make a great addition to your garden.

Join Elizabeth Haegele, Assistant Education Coordinator of the Scott Arboretum, for a free tour of the Scott Arboretum. Learn about the native trees that will make a great addition to your garden. The tour will begin at the Scott Arboretum Offices and is free and open to the public. In case of inclement weather, the tour will be canceled. For more information, please call the Scott Arboretum Offices at 610-328-8025.

Safe Trick or Treating at Children's Garden

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

10/31/2008

Let your youngsters have fun in a safe environment.

This Halloween, why not try Safe Trick or Treating at the Camden Children's Garden? Have a howling good time at the Camden Children's Garden by using this safe facility to do your trick or treating. Children must be accompanied with an adult, and kids in costumes receive half-off garden admission. This event will take place 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm on Friday, October 31.

Workshop: Growing Not-So-Common Backyard Fruit Trees

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

10/30/2008

Backyard fruit growing isn't just about apples, pears and raspberries!

Join Scott Arboretum gardener and backyard fruit browser Lars Rasmussen, as we explore the choice cultivars, culture, folklore and maybe even a few recipes involving fruit from exceptional yet underused backyard trees and plants for Delaware Valley gardens. Participants will learn about: growing figs in containers, paw paws, persimmons and serviceberries. Beyond their tasty and healthy fruit, these special plants also provide multi-seasonal ornamental interest. Time will be split between the classroom and exploring the Arboretum’s collections. Please dress for weather and walking. Registration is limited to 24.

Members: $35 Nonmembers: $45
Register Now!

Lars Rasmussen is a Gardener for the Scott Arboretum.

Wednesdays at Winterthur: Garden Walks and Demos

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

10/29/2008

Falling Leaves: The Mysteries of Fall Color Revealed

Join us Wednesdays for guided walks and demonstrations covering a wide variety of gardening topics. Programs last approximately one hour. Included with all admission tickets. No registration necessary. Members free. Please note: This program does not run in August.

The World Beneath Us

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

10/29/2008

The soil is alive with organisms.

This lecture will introduce you to the basic structure of soil and show the
diversity and abundance of living organisms dwelling in soil. We will investigate
some of the functions and interactions between these organisms and their role in
providing soil fertility. You’ll also learn about the effects of human activity on
these organisms and the fate of soil in general.

Date: Wednesday, October 29
Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Cost: $25 (refreshments included)
Instructor: Dr. John Dighton, Rutgers University

Andrea Baldeck Photo Exhibit

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

10/28/2008

Andrea Baldeck Photo Exhibit

Andrea Baldeck Photo Exhibit in Upper Gallery Visit www.morrisarboretum.org for additional events, with details, during month.

'Goblins in the Garden' Family Festival

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

10/25/2008

Parents and kids all have a howling good time at this celebration.

Kids in costumes receive half-price admission for this 'Goblins in the Garden' Family Festival, and have a howling good time as well. Take a Haunted Train Ride. Dodge costumed characters in our Haunted Maze. Meet the bumbling burglars and have your fortune told. Celebrate the Mexican tradition of �D�a de los Muertos,� a fun and educational activity for the whole family. This festival will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, and Sunday, October 26.

Designing with Native Mosses

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

10/25/2008

Encourage these emerald jewels in your shady garden.

Learn both innovative and classic approaches to landscaping with native mosses.
Examples from regional gardens will teach participants how to mingle native
perennials with mosses, select different moss species for color and texture, create
a miniature moss landscape in a container, and choose the best native mosses for
easy maintenance and beauty. The class will conclude with a tour of the mossy
woodland gardens at Mt. Cuba Center.

Date: Saturday, October 25
Time: 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Cost: $20
Instructor: Alice Waegel, Neumann College

Wednesdays at Winterthur: Garden Walks and Demos

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

10/22/2008

Make Your Garden "Pop" in Autumn

Sustainable Lawn Care

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

10/22/2008

Shift your paradigm and reduce your lawn inputs.

Sustainable lawn care focuses on reducing our need for chemicals and pesticides.
Lawns can be green and lush without poisoning our water and land. Sustainable
lawns require less water and care than intensively managed lawns. Come learn
simple concepts and practical applications to have a chemical-free lawn that is
sustainable and beautiful.

Date: Wednesday, October 22
Time: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Cost: $20
Instructor: Mark Highland, The Organic Mechanics Soil Company, LLC

British Site Offers Free eBooks on Garden Design, Historic Styles

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It’s always fun to get gifts on birthdays. But how often do you get a gift from the person who’s celebrating the birthday?

That is what is happening this month, as the staff at www.Gardenvisit.com celebrate the 10th anniversary of this British web site, which bills itself as “The Garden and Landscape Guide,” mostly to gardens in Britain, but also to gardens throughout the world.

Gardenvisit.com was launched in 1998 by Tom Turner, a landscape architect and garden historian based in London. Turner is also an author who teaches garden history and landscape design at the University of Greenwich. (You can look him up on the university’s site, too, if you want: http://www.landscape.gre.ac.uk/books1.htm.)

That’s where the “gift” comes in: As part of the birthday celebration, visitors to the Gardenvisit site this month can download free copies of Turner’s eBook, Principals of Garden Design, which has nearly 50 downloadable pages that feature numerous illustrations of the points he is discussing.

On October 15, the web site will offer free downloads of another eBook by Turner, 24 Historic Styles of Garden Design.

What does all this have to do with the gardens of Greater Philadelphia Gardens?

Many of the gardens in the Philadelphia region (particularly those in Pennsylvania and Delaware) are featured on the web site, which encourages garden visits at home and abroad – and features a “Trip Planner” for that purpose. Check out our region’s gardens http://www.gardenvisit.com/gardens/in/usa. Each featured garden has an editorial review by web-site staffers. But you can suggest your own favorite gardens, or review and rate those already mentioned, or challenge a review.

It’s one more way of encouraging overseas visitors to come see what fabulous gardens – and garden history -- we have in the Philadelphia region.

Hints for downloading book

NOTE from the STAFF at GARDENVISIT.COM: This file is about 65mb so remember to right click
and "Save Link/Target As" otherwise you might see a long delay as it opens in your browser!
If you have troubles then try to download the zip file underneath instead.

RIGHT CLICK DOWNLOAD LINK

ZIP FILE DOWNLOAD LINK

On the 15th of this month we'll be releasing the other half of our birthday gift, 24 Historic Styles of Garden Design by Tom Turner.

The web site added that its staff is also preparing an eBook on Garden Travel & Anthology of World Gardens ... which will probably be available in November 2008.

Thousands Attending Landscape Architects' Meeting in Philadelphia This Week

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

    Thousands of people with a special interest in gardens are checking out Philadelphia this week.
     They are the people attending the annual conference of the American Society of Landscape Architects, which kicks off on Friday in Center City.
      Not only does the meeting have a jam-packed schedule featuring scores of educational presentations during its five-day run, it also offers a huge selection of tours, including many to some of the region’s outstanding public gardens.
     Participants will have the opportunity to visit and hear from the staffers at such gardens as Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College, the Landscape Arboretum of Temple University Ambler, Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, Shofuso, Chanticleer, Bartram’s Garden, Longwood Gardens, and Nemours, Mt. Cuba, and Winterthur in northern Delaware.
      Hotel headquarters for the conference is the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown – although the thousands of participants will be staying at a variety of Center City hotels – and the Expo held in conjunction with the meeting, with about 450 exhibitors showcasing their offerings, will be at the Pennsylvania Convention Center at 12th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia this weekend.
     The theme for the 2008 meeting, which may set a record for attendance, is Green Infrastructure: Linking Landscapes + Communities, and is intended to celebrate the contributions of landscape architects in the design, planning, management, and research of the life support system for the planet. Some of the world’s leading practitioners will talk about the latest trends in residential design, green roofs, and sustainability.
      This will be “the greenest meeting yet,” according to the ASLA web site, http://www.asla.org/meetings/am2008/. Among the organization’s efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of the conference:

* The official meeting hotels and the Pennsylvania Convention Center are located within walking distance of each other, eliminating the need for shuttle buses.
* The hotels, convention center, show decorator, transportation company, and other vendors with whom ASLA contracts services must demonstrate a commitment to sustainable practices.
* ASLA’s printed materials, signage, and decorations are recycled, recyclable, and printed with soy ink. The meeting handouts will be distributed electronically.

Philadelphia’s parks and gardens will be showcased for thousands of out-of-town visitors throughout the conference. If you wonder how others might see the city, take a look at this story written in anticipation of the ASLA conference: http://www.asla.org/meetings/am2008/pdf/PhillyFINAL.pdf

Morris Introduces a Scarecrow Walk -- and Design Contest -- to Fall Festival

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Each fall, scores of families across the Delaware Valley look forward to the Morris Arboretum’s Fall Festival, an afternoon of fun and activity on the first Sunday in October. This year, however, the festivities got off to an early start.

Beginning on Saturday, visitors to the arboretum in Chestnut Hill could wander down the Arboretum’s "Scarecrow Walk" along the Oak Allee, admiring the entries in the inaugural 2008 Morris Arboretum Scarecrow Design Contest.

These original creations will be on display through Sunday, October 5, which is the day of Fall Festival. That's when the scarecrows will be raffled off. All visitors can purchase raffle tickets any time during the week of “Scarecrow Walk” at the Visitor Center.

The winners of the scarecrow designer contest, as well as the raffle winners, will be announced at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5, during Fall Festival. But the lucky raffle winners must be present to take their prize scarecrows home.

The Arboretum’s glorious landscape provides the perfect backdrop for these popular events. Colorful trees burst forth with hues of orange and red as families gather at Fall Festival for a multitude of activities.

Visitors can make their scarecrows after being inspired by those along the Scarecrow Walk. For a small fee ($10 members, $12 non-members), the Arboretum supplies all the materials, including the scarecrow frames, hay and a vast selection of clothing.

Another popular activity at Fall Festival is pumpkin painting where kids enjoy creating a pumpkin “masterpiece.”

Weavers Way Co-op will be joining the Fall Festival fun once again, with a selection of organic, locally-grown produce and other Co-op products. Visitors can delight in sampling the various apple varieties and choosing an assortment to take home.

     Other activities include Mike Dupuy, master falconer, who will be on hand to show off his wonderful birds of prey and demonstrate the 4,000-year-old art and sport of falconry. There will also be face painting, craft making from the Wild Bird Center, and Jim Bobb, the ‘bee master’ who was featured on Channel 6 news.

     Wissahickon Chicken Shack will keep the crowds hoppin’ and stomping with their unique blend of music capturing the funk of New Orleans, the honky-tonk of Texas, the high lonesome sounds of Appalachia, and the west coast sound of the Bay Area. They are back at the Arboretum by popular demand following their performance at the 75th Anniversary celebration in April.

     No visit to the Arboretum at this time of year would be complete without a stop at the Garden Railway Display. Don’t miss the best Garden Railway Display the Arboretum has ever had. This year’s theme, Architectural Wonders of the World treats visitors to a virtual trip around the globe with extraordinary replicas of wonders of the world, surrounded by a quarter mile track out in the Arboretum garden. Be sure to see the display before it closes for the season on October 13.

        Finally, visitors should take a few moments to look around and enjoy the spectacular fall color. In the Philadelphia area, there is truly no better place to see beautiful autumn trees than at the Morris Arboretum. The Arboretum is home to some of the area’s oldest and largest trees, as well as many trees known for their particularly superb color - including red and sugar maples, scarlet oaks, and black gums. The Fall Festival and Scarecrow walk are perfect ways to enjoy an afternoon of fun in a glorious autumn setting. Make plans to visit the Arboretum and it will become an annual event for your family too.

      The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania is located at 100 East Northwestern Avenue in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. The 92-acre horticulture display garden features a spectacular collection of mature trees in a Victorian landscape. The Arboretum features numerous picturesque spots such as a formal rose garden, Japanese gardens, swan pond, meadows, and the elegant Fernery. The Morris Arboretum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the official arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit www.morrisarboretum.org.

Heirloom Seed Expert To Speak at Wyck About Varieties and Current Uses

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A presentation at Wyck by Commonwealth Speaker Dr. Irwin Richman, on Friday, October 3rd, at 5:00 PM

The heirloom seed movement is becoming increasingly important to contemporary home gardeners. As Director of Research and Development for the Heirloom Seed Project of the Landis Valley Museum, Dr. Irwin Richman is intimately involved with the movement.

The conservation of antique varieties and the processing and distribution of high-quality seed preserves an important part of Pennsylvania German cultural heritage. Enhanced by slides, this presentation will discuss heirloom varieties of flowers and vegetables, and will describe their use in traditional gardens as well as how they can be adapted to modern needs.

The presentation at Wyck is an outgrowth of research done for Richman's recent 2007 book, Pennsylvania German Farms, Gardens and Seeds.

Following Dr. Richman’s talk, Wyck’s horticulturist Nicole Juday and Farm Manager Landon Jefferies will lead an informal tour of the Wyck Home Farm, where many varieties of heirloom vegetables are grown for sale at Wyck’s farmers’ market.

Dr. Richman, who received a Ph. D. in History from the University of Pennsylvania, is a member of the Garden Conservancy, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Pennsylvania Historical Association. He also served as Vice Chairman of the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Board.

He is currently working on a book on the gardens of Pennsylvania.

To reserve a seat for this free presentation, please contact Nicole Juday, Wyck’s Horticulturist and Outdoor Educator, at 215-848-1690 or njuday@wyck.org. Wyck is located at 6026 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19144.

This presentation is a program of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, supported in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The Pennsylvania Humanities Council, a nonprofit organization, inspires individuals to enjoy and share a life of learning. In addition to the Commonwealth Speakers program, PHC offers grants which support humanities programs centered on the arts, history, literature, and other humanities fields.

PHC’s packaged book discussion program for public libraries, Read About It!, also serves as a resource for residents of Pennsylvania. For more information visit www.pahumanities.org.

Government Researchers and Cooperators Survey for Rare Ladybugs

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Researchers with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Cornell University at Ithaca, N.Y., and South Dakota State University (SDSU) in Brookings want people to photograph every ladybug possible, and to send the photos to Cornell so researchers can inventory the insects.

      In particular, the scientists are looking for rare species, such as the nine-spotted, two-spotted and transverse lady beetles.

     These beetles were common 20 years ago, but have become harder to find in the past few decades. There are more than 400 ladybug species native to North America, but some have become extremely rare, displaced perhaps by development, pesticides, non-native species and other factors.

      Entomologist Louis Hesler at the ARS North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory in Brookings is particularly interested in the nine-spotted, two-spotted and transverse ladybugs because the farm community in South Dakota where he works has depended on these predatory beetles for years to eat insect pests that eat farm crops.

     Urban gardeners are interested in ladybugs because they protect garden crops as well. Ladybugs also protect North American forests.

      In a survey this past summer, Hesler and colleague Mike Catangui, an entomologist at SDSU in Brookings, found 1,000 ladybugs, but only about 10 each of the three rare species. Hesler and Catangui are co-principal investigators in the SDSU part of the "Lost Ladybug Project."

      The project has two facets: the research component, in which Hesler, Catangui, and other scientists in New York State are participating, and the citizen science component.

       As part of the citizen science part of the project, researchers are encouraging participation from students who are interested in entomology, agriculture or science.

     Those wishing to participate can visit www.lostladybug.org for tips on finding and photographing ladybugs and submitting photos. The website includes ways to track and map the Lost Ladybug data.

     ARS is a scientific research agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Winterthur's Fifth Annual GardenFair Extravaganza Kicks Off on Friday

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Starting this Friday and continuing through the weekend, Winterthur’s GardenFair will mark its fifth anniversary with a garden extravaganza themed to celebrate "The Artist & Gardener."

More than 80 vendors will be on hand to offer an incomparable selection of uncommon plants and exceptional garden-themed merchandise. A series of lectures by noted garden experts, live entertainment, and tours of special floral exhibits round out the event’s three-day agenda.

GardenFair takes place at Winterthur Museum & Country Estate, located in Delaware’s Brandywine Valley, and benefits educational programming at the institution. (Photos at right, shown courtesy of Winterthur and Elizabeth Tenerelli, were taken at last year's GardenFair.)

“GardenFair is a great marketplace for exceptional plant materials,” says Chris Strand, director of the Winterthur garden and estate, “but it’s so much more than just a plant sale.

“This year we are celebrating the vital connection between the garden as art and the artists who take their inspiration from the land with a full series of lectures and workshops to inspire and educate gardeners,” he says. "With nationally recognized speakers like Tony Bielaczyc from Martha Stewart Living and garden designer Gary Smith, we’ve got a program that will be a source of inspiration and ideas for all gardeners and garden lovers.”

CD of music inspired by Winterthur

An added feature to this year’s event is the special GardenFair release of Playing in the Garden: Musical Inspirations from the Winterthur Garden, a new benefit compilation CD of 15 tracks featuring local artists and original compositions composed following the artists' visits to the Winterthur estate. The CD contains an eclectic mix of musical styles, from classical to contemporary, Celtic to folk, and jazz to roots.

Among the featured performers: Mary Arden Collins, Brian Cox, Danaher & MacCloud, Hymn for Her, Mélomanie, Casey Neal, Pegasus Trio, Cloud 9, and student performers Andrew Bukowski and Jennifer Campbell.

The CD is available for purchase at Winterthur ($10 to Members, $15 nonmembers), or by download at DigStation.com. Sales of the CD, presented by Arts in Media LLC, will benefit the Winterthur Garden.

Award-Winning Speakers

An impressive line-up of speakers will be featured throughout the three-day program.

They include:

* Aaron Shikler, the noted portraitist who painted Henry F. du Pont, as well as the official White House portraits of John Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Nancy Reagan

* Tony Bielaczyc, deputy garden editor for Martha Stewart Living and a regular contributor to Sirius satellite radio’s Homegrown program on the Martha Stewart Living Radio channel

* W. Gary Smith, the landscape architect and garden designer who designed Winterthur’s Enchanted Woods children’s garden

* Michael Petrie, horticulturist, garden designer

* Allen Rokach, master garden photographer

* Alberta A. Melloy, author of Flower Arranging the Winterthur Way.

Antiques in Bloom Display

Another popular feature of GardenFair will return this year, bigger and better than ever.

Antiques in Bloom, a special display of floral arrangements inspired by objects in the museum collection, will be featured in the museum’s Galleries.

The floral arrangements will borrow from the forms, colors, and lines of the elegant antiques on display in Winterthur’s Galleries and will create a horticultural homage to the beauty of American decorative arts.

Hours and Admission

GardenFair is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Friday, September 26 through Sunday, September 28.

Early-Bird access to the most complete selection of plant materials is available on Friday, September 26. The $35 Early-Bird admission covers all three days of the event, allowing garden enthusiasts the opportunity to shop early and return often to enjoy the event’s full slate of lectures, how-to demos and entertainment.

General admission for Saturday and Sunday costs $15, and is valid for day of purchase and subsequent day.

Admission wristbands may be purchased online at http://www.gardenfair.org, in person at Winterthur, or by calling 800.448.3883 or 302.888.4600.

Winterthur is located on Route 52, six miles northwest of Wilmington, Delaware, and five miles south of U.S. Route 1, nestled in the heart of the beautiful Brandywine Valley. For more information about Winterthur, or for directions, visit www.winterthur.org.

Brandywine Conservancy Earns Accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Brandywine Conservancy's Environmental Management Center (EMC) has been awarded accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance.

It is one of only 39 land trusts in the country to receive this honor.

      The accreditation signifies that the EMC meets national standards for excellence, upholds the public trust and ensures that conservation efforts are permanent.

     "Accredited land trusts meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever," said Commission Executive Director Tammara Van Ryn. "The accreditation seal lets the public know that the accredited land trust has undergone an extensive, external review of the governance and management of its organization and the systems and policies it uses to protect land."

      "We are proud to receive this honor," noted Sherri Evans-Stanton, director of the Environmental Management Center. "It is truly rewarding to be recognized for our more than 40 years of work to permanently protect land in the region. We will display the accreditation seal to reflect our commitment to excellence and the highest professional standards."

      The Brandywine Conservancy was founded in 1967. Currently, it holds more than 400 conservation easements and has protected over 41,000 acres in Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania, as well as New Castle County in Delaware. The Environmental Management Center provides conservation services to landowners, farmers, municipalities and developers. The staff of professional planners and natural resource managers offers technical assistance and expertise for conservation and comprehensive land use planning. Conservation easements, assistance to local governments and water protection efforts are the key elements of these programs.

      Land is America's most important and valuable resource. Conserving the land helps ensure clean air and drinking water, food security, scenic landscapes and views, recreational places, and habitat for the diversity of life on earth.

Across the country, local citizens and communities have come together to form land trusts to save the places they love. Community leaders in land trusts across the country have worked with willing landowners to save over 37 million acres of farms, forests, parks and places people care about. Strong, well-managed land trusts provide local communities with effective champions and caretakers of their critical land resources, and safeguard the land through the generations.

About The Land Trust Accreditation Commission

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission awards the accreditation seal to community institutions that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. The Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance established in 2006, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts from around the country. More information is available on the commission's website, http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org.

Longwood Gardens, Book About Regional Gardens Steal Some Limelight

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

     Hundreds of garden communicators from all over the country may have been staging their annual symposium amid the gardens of Oregon last week, but the gardens of Philadelphia commanded quite a bit of the spotlight.
     At the annual banquet of the Garden Writers Association (GWA) of North America in Portland last Monday night, Longwood Gardens received one of the most prestigious honors the organization bestows – the Wilfred J. Jung Distinguished Service Award.
      The world-famous Chester County display garden was honored for its commitment to excellence which “has enabled guests from around the world to experience the art and enjoyment of horticulture in a truly unforgettable setting,” the citation said. Longwood’s Amy Shearer accepted the award.
      This marked the second year in a row that the honoree was a Philadelphia garden. Last year, at the GWA annual symposium in Oklahoma City, Chanticleer in Wayne received the award.
        But many more of this region’s gardens got a boost when the winners of the GWA’s annual Media Awards were announced – a book about Philadelphia’s gardens scooped up one Silver and two Gold awards in the national contest.
        “A Guide to the Great Gardens of the Philadelphia Region,” written by Media resident Adam Levine with photography by Rob Cardillo of Ambler, won the Gold Award for Best Book, the highest honor in the book division. The book was published by Temple University Press in 2007.
        The book also won a Silver award for book photography and the Gold Award for Best Photography overall. Rob was at the banquet to accept his silver award, but the Gold Awards were a surprise – those awards are kept secret until the last minute.
       Longwood Gardens also won a Silver award for its press kit that was designed to publicize the opening of the Indoor Children’s Garden. That award was presented to Longwood’s public relations official Patricia Evans.
        A Guide to the Great Gardens of the Philadelphia Region offers readers a glimpse of the Delaware Valley’s horticultural riches, featuring information and photographs on scores of gardens, including community and private gardens that have never before appeared in a garden book. (It is available in gift shops at area public gardens as well as in bookstores and online.)
        When it was published last year, Jane Pepper, president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, said it “brings the gardens to life in word and image.”
      That’s not surprising. Cardillo has been involved with professional photography for about two decades, first as director of photography at Organic Gardening magazine, and then as a freelance photographer for such national magazines as Garden Design, Horticulture, and Better Homes and Garden. In addition he has authored two books on gardening and has been the primary photographer for several more.
        And Adam Levine has written for numerous regional and national magazines, in addition to books. He co-authored Ken Druse: The Passion for Gardening with Ken Druse, and The Philadelphia Flower Show with Ray Rogers.
       For more information about Longwood Gardens, visit www.longwoodgardens.org. For information about Rob Cardillo’s photography, visit www.robcardillo.com. For more information about the Garden Writers Association Media Awards, visit www.gardenwriters.org and click on “Awards Program.”