Dear {First Name},
In the abstract, the photograph above is pleasant enough – a nice range of greens, cloudless blue sky, and a warm, rust colored orb serving as the focal point of the image. On closer inspection it becomes more disturbing as one realizes the source of the autumnal color in the center is a beloved dwarf loblolly pine which has died over the summer.
If you have been to the Garden, you likely recognize this tree. It is at the south end of the arboretum and anchors the view from the bench under the palms at the other end. Interestingly, it was planted in 2011, the last year we had such a terrible drought. As you can see by the fringe of green grass around the perimeter, this tree didn't die for lack of water; Adolfo and his crew have brilliantly managed the watering requirements this summer. It died either from the excessive heat caused by a month and a half's worth of 100 degree-plus temperatures, or pine bark beetles which took advantage of the tree due to the stress caused by the heat.
It's been a disturbing summer; the hottest on record, exacerbated by a severe drought which, at this writing, we are still in. One hundred degree temperatures persisted into the first week of September. The helpless feeling associated with such droughts and extended extreme high temperatures mirrors that which accompanied the drastic low temperatures we have experienced the past two winters. We seem to lurch from one extreme to another, with the relatively normal interim spent cleaning up from the destruction and trying to determine if these events are anomalies or evidence of the new normal.
We certainly consider these extremes when we are planning our planting program for the next season, asking questions like: do we plant the same tree that has done just fine in this spot for twenty-plus years? Or has our weather for the past two years been a harbinger of the weather to come? All signs point toward the latter, with average temperatures steadily increasing in all reputable studies. Averages, however, are much easier to plan for than extremes.
These major climate events are happening all over the world with increasing frequency and force. What to do about it? Public garden associations and conservancy groups have been making the climate and its impact on gardens the focus of recent conferences, webinars and publications, so hopefully this heightened recognition will pay off with shared knowledge, insight, and the will to take action.
For our part, in November we're collaborating with Professor Maggie Tsang in the Rice University School of Architecture, to co-host a two-day symposium titled, "Garden Ecologies: Environmental Transformation and Care." Over the course of the two days we will convene panels on urban ecology, landscape practice and management, and climate adaptation. As the date draws nearer, we'll be sending out more information. We've put together an excellent group of panelists and we're looking forward to sharing more about this event in the coming months.
Until then, enjoy the inevitable arrival of cooler temperatures.
Warm regards,
