June News from the Garden

Letter from the Executive Director

Greetings! Ugh. I was almost done writing this letter, the point I was sloppily and ineffectively trying to make being that not knowing the names of the plants in the Garden isn’t that big of a deal. I even confessed that learning the names was challenging to me and further confessed that I didn’t really feel too bad about it, trying hard to convince you (and myself) that it was enough to appreciate the intrinsic beauty of the plants without knowing the Latin or even common name.  And then I caught myself and realized I was creating a silly dichotomy between beauty and naming, and confessed that names did have their place and that, in fact, I loved interesting names but that my interest was more intensely piqued by common names which had an experiential reference than the Latin names whose relationship to the plant was more obscure and arcane. As an example, I used the plant pictured above in the header whose Latin name is Dasylirion berlandieri. I made the point that in this instance, knowing the Latin name might provide some richer avenue of understanding and connecting with the plant itself, it probably paled in comparison with the common name, Blue Twister, a name that had resonance for me because of its obvious veracity.  And then my ill-formed thesis was obliterated by merely a requisite Wikipedia search. This Dasylirion, it turns out, was named for the Frenchman, Jean-Louis Berlandier, who was born in Geneva in 1803 and trained as a botanist there. Here's his Wikipedia entry: 'In his early 20s on the recommendation of his mentor, Auguste Pyrame De Candolle, he joined a Mexican scientific expedition as a biologist and plant specialist. Berlandier arrived at Pánuco, in the Mexican state of Veracruz, in December 1826. He collected plants in the surrounding area before continuing into Texas as part of the Mexican Boundary Commission... The commission left Mexico City on November 10, 1827, under the command of Manuel de Mier y Terán. Berlandier made botanical collections around Laredo, Texas, in February 1828 and around San Antonio, Gonzales, and San Felipe in March, April, and May 1828... After the commission was dissolved in November 1829, Berlandier settled in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and became a physician... He made additional botanical and animal collecting trips in Texas and other parts of Mexico, including returning to Goliad in 1834.' Clearly there are some obvious parallels with Berlandier’s history and John Fairey’s botanizing trips through south Texas to Mexico. So, suddenly, even this rudimentary knowledge provides meaning and connection when I look at this plant and recall the name Dasylirion Berlandieri. It prompts me to think of John Fairey not as an individual who traveled to Mexico in the late 80s, 90s, and early 2000s in search of new plants but as a historical figure in a long tradition of international plant exploration. It makes me want to know how Berlandier’s and Fairey’s reaction upon first seeing that particular Dasylirion would compare. And then I read this: 'Berlandier served as a captain, cartographer, and aide-de-camp in Mexico's Army of the North at the outbreak of the hostilities between the United States and Mexico in the spring of 1846, under the command of General (later President) Mariano Arista. After the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the fighting in February 1848, Berlandier was asked in 1850 to take part in the International Boundary Commission to define the border between Mexico and the United States.' There, in that factual description, a means to consider Berlandier and Fairey through a more subjective, poetic lens. Both men, it seems, had an interest in the border between Mexico and the U.S. Berlandier, in defining it; Fairey, in erasing it.  I suppose the takeaway from my experience in writing this letter, careening between my initial premise and its undoing, is that it's likely that the more perspectives we admit into our perception and experience of the Garden, the richer our experience will be. It's also true, however, that if all one does is visit the Garden with open eyes, that experience will always be worth the trip, Dasylirion Berlandieri, Blue Twister, or not. Warm regards,

Now Blooming in the Garden – Curcuma elata Curcuma elata, commonly known as Hidden Ginger, is currently blooming in the Garden. The Curcuma ginger is the earliest ginger to bloom in the spring, sending up a lovely, large bright pink inflorescent that appears before its foliage which can reach to 6' in a season. Ours are happy hiding out in the Woodland Garden.

An Interview with Richard Woodward, Volunteer Docent

Our volunteer docents are a really interesting group with diverse interests and experience. Meet one of our stellar docents, Richard Woodward. Richard has a Ph.D in plant science and puts his knowledge to good use when he leads tours of the Garden. If you get Richard as your next tour guide, you're in for a treat. His interview below illustrates his intellectual curiosity and plant knowledge. We're really fortunate to have him on our volunteer team.

1. Why did you decide to become a docent at The John Fairey Garden? I was attracted to The John Fairey Garden through it’s relationship to Yucca Do nursery and the nursery’s reputation as a supplier of rare and/or uniquely adapted plants.  2. What did you learn in docent training that you found the most interesting? I discovered that the Garden is a germplasm repository for oaks, mahonia, agave and Magnolia. Many of the genetic epicenters for these species are now threatened by climate change as well as uncontrolled access and pilferage. 3. Is there a plant or a tree or a part of the Garden that you're particularly fond of? I have so many favorites in the Garden I can’t call out one but I’m happy to share with you those that get my attention during the tour. The two aracarias or monkey puzzle trees in our collection are outstanding but, unfortunately, succumbed to the freeze. They are truly unique in many botanical gardens and certainly in gardens in Southeast Texas. I’m hopeful we will be able to obtain replacements soon. Another favorite is the highly dentate Quercus dentata, an oak whose leaves resemble a fern. While our specimen is struggling amongst the magnolia collection, it never fails to produce brilliant flushes of the characteristic leaf. The Zamias with their brilliant orange seeds in the massive cones near the base are another favorite. I remain in awe of their persistence since the Jurassic period. The garden harbors an interesting diversity of Ganoderma Bracket fungi that emphasize the cycle of life in degrading the stumps of hickories and oaks in the shady Garden. Ganoderma, of course, are important for their medical contribution in boosting the immune response, characteristically exploited in Chinese medicinal teas. Lastly, Reullias in the collection are amazing for their diversity; the characteristic stem structure is always of interest to those on the tour.  4. Did becoming a docent change the way you think about the garden? If so, how? Participation in the docent program has highlighted two important ecological/botanical principles for me. John Fairey has successfully demonstrated the trade off of altitude for latitude. Examples can be seen in the oak collection, the magnolia collection and the agave collection. Plants from the high-altitude Sierra Madre Occidental have been successfully acclimated to our Hempstead latitude and their germ plasm preserved for future study and hybridization. The implications of this successful transfer are clear in the face of climate change and preservation of these important species. Secondly, The agave and cactus collection is a wonderful example of convergent evolution in species collected from diverse continents. While our collection is comprised of diverse species collected worldwide, they all have similar characteristics of narrow leaves, thorns, advanced heat and drought stress tolerance, and other water conservation characteristics; Strategies that converge in plants acclimated to extreme environments. The John Fairey Garden is certainly an important repository of species diversity and provides a wonderful opportunity for the general public to view this diversity in an easily accessible collection.

Meet Charles Carpenter, Summer Intern We are pleased to introduce you to Charles Carpenter, a junior agriculture student majoring in plant/soil science at Prairie View A&M University. Charles will be helping our Nursery Manager, Peter Turrin, with tasks in the greenhouses and around the garden. We met Charles at one of the PVAMU student-led gardens a few months ago and were thrilled when he contacted us last week about the possibility of an internship. We are looking forward to having Charles at the Garden this summer and hope he's just the first of many summer interns from PVAMU.

Only Three More Open Days This Summer We will have three more Open Days this summer - Saturday, June 19th (Juneteenth), Saturday, June 26th, and Saturday, July 10th. Tours will leave at 10 am and 11 am. The nursery will be open for plant sales from 9-3. We're hoping to have the Rise and Shine Farm food truck at our Open Day on the 26th. Plan to join us before the weather gets too hot.

Watch This Space Preparations are being made to install a large mosaic commissioned from artist Dixie Friend Gay. We hope to have images of the finished wall in next month's newsletter.

Volunteers and Docents Needed We're always looking for volunteers and docents and have a variety of tasks suited for a range of volunteer interests and skills. If you're interested in finding out more or in signing up, email info@jfgarden.org or call the office at 979.826.3232

Closeups from the Garden