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) (
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Hedgeville Childrens
Community Garden.1
Edible Landscapes...2,3
TreeMinders.....3, 4Two pages of exciting tree events!
Volume 3 | Issue 3
What is the average life span of a tree in th
city?
16 years!
50 years!
172 years!
All these answers shouted with confidence
by the students who participate in Tree Pro-
gram educational events. Unfortunately evethose with conservative guesses of 15-20
years more than double the Tediusome stud-
ies average7 years.
The main reason for this low number is the
difficulty of getting a tree established in anurban environment. Cramped spaces,
drought-like conditions, road salt, and peopl
(car doors scrape the trunks, large trucks
break branches in the canopy, and vandal-
ism) all contribute to why trees do not sur-vive the initial establishment period. One o
the ways DCH tries to ensure that the trees
we plant survive is by holding educational programs to educate the next generation of environmental stew-ards.
On a beautiful warm summer evening in July at the Hedgeville Childrens Community Garden the Tree Pro
gram visited the children on their regular work day to celebrate the trees on their street and to present these
young stewards with a challenge. If the newly planted Elm tree across the street, which already has some
signs of human interference, survives for one year we will hold a party in the garden to celebrate their hard
work. The spirit of the children in this community is inspiring and, we, in the Tree Program wish them luc
on their challenge.
Future Stewards: The Key to Our Success By Joanne Bateup, Tree Program Americorps VISTA
Neighborhood children stop to smile for the camera while completing theirTree-tective Activity.
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Fruit trees can be
grown espalier.
involves tying an
pruning trees to g
flat against a w
Dwarf and Semi
Dwarf rootstock
vents trees from
growing to their
size. (picture on
3)
This fall Peter Li
ter, retired Hagle
Gardner and espa
specialist will ho
workshops at our
12th and Brandy
Urban Farm.
Contact Sarah Lomis, sloomis
@dehort.org
302 658 6262 ex
113
for more info.
What the Philadel-
phia Orchard Project
is plantingwww.phillyorchards.
org
apples
asian pears
cherries
figs
pawpaws
peaches
pears
persimmonsplums
serviceberries
blackberries
blueberries
bush cherries
currants
elderberries
gooseberries
goumis
hazelnuts
raspberries
Grapes
kiwis
The Philadelphia Or-
chard Project also
holds workshops and
events on edible land-
scapes check out their
webpage for details.
www.phillyorchards.
org
As I have been lovingly caring for my rooftop vegetable containers and
watching the nascent fruit with excitement for when I will be able to start toeat them, I have been thinking more and more about edible landscapes.
Particularly, I was curious about the role trees play in these landscapes. I
have been overwhelmed by a world of amazing varieties of trees and shrubsboth native and foreign.
The main thing Ive learned is that planning is everything! Research perennial
zone hardy plants to cut down on maintenance time and cost.Time put in up front will lead to a well thought out, successful edible landscape
in the future. There are many resources out there including: the University ofDelaware Cooperative Extension website (ag.udel.edu/extension/) and the DCH
library. Look through these resources and start transforming your front or backyard into your very own horn of plenty!
Delectable Edible Trees! Joanne Bateup Americorps VISTA
The Pros:
Economics:Over time a well planned edible landscape
can reap grocery savings for its tenders.
Aesthetics:
Flowering fruit trees provide beauty like
their ornamental cousins with the added
benefit of producing edible food!
Environmental:
By growing your own food you eliminate the
pollutant cycle caused by the production,
shipment, and processing of large scale agri-
culture.
Organically grown fruits and vegetables pro-
vide greater environmental benefits than
grass lawns.
Health:
Access to fresh fruits and vegetables makes
healthy lifestyles easier to maintain.
Working outside in the garden will help give
you a healthy glow as you burn calories and
soak in the sun (remember the sunscreen to
avoid dreaded sunburns!)
The Cons:
Time:It takes a commitment of time and en-
ergy to plan, install, and maintain a
flourishing edible landscape.
Reliability:Fruit trees do not always bear fruit
which can be disappointing and frustrat-
ing to gardeners.
Cost:
The cost of installing an edible land-
scape from nothing can be quite high.
Gardeners on a budget will need to take
extra care to plan what they can do each
year.
Space:
Tight spaces may pose a problem but
there are many space efficient solutions
Fruit trees that are cross pollinators (e.g.apples) need more than one variety pre-
sent to ensure pollination.
Mess:
Fruit trees are messy as they drop their
crops and may bring with them other
critters who want to join in on the feast!
Fruits and Berries for the Home Garden by Lewis Hill 1992 Storey Communications, Inc.
The Green Thumb book of Fruit and Vegetable Gardening: How to Save Hundreds of Dollars a Year by Making Your Garden Work
for You by George Abraham 1970 Prentice-Hall International, Inc.
The Harrowsmith Book of Fruit Trees by Jennifer Bennett 1991 Camden House Publishing
http://www.phillyorchards.org/http://www.phillyorchards.org/http://www.phillyorchards.org/http://www.phillyorchards.org/http://ag.udel.edu/extension/http://ag.udel.edu/extension/http://ag.udel.edu/extension/http://www.phillyorchards.org/http://www.phillyorchards.org/http://www.phillyorchards.org/http://www.phillyorchards.org/ -
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AugustAugust 5th Tree Care Club 6:00pm-8:00pm
Meet at 16th and West St. near Shortlidge School in Brandywine Village!Rain date August 12Join us to help clean up and prune the street trees in Wilmington! Learn proper pruning techniques! If you
would like us to work in your neighborhood or want to participate please contact Joanne Bateup-
[email protected], 302 658 6262 ext. 118. Rain date will be August 13 at 6:00pm.
SeptemberSeptember 1st Bare Root Order Forms Available!
Payment due: September 30Pick up trees at DCH: October 28 & 29Plant trees and reduce your carbon footprint! Bare root trees are inexpensive and grow quickly. They are also
lightweight and easy to plant. DCH is organizing a group purchase of bare root trees this fall. Order forms and
descriptions of the varieties will be posted on our website. Plan now for more shade. Questions? Contact An-nie Acton, (302) 658-6262 ext. 106 [email protected].
September 22nd Tree Care Club 6:00pm-8:00pmRain date September 29th
Place: TBD
Join us to help clean up and prune the street trees in Wilmington! Learn proper pruning techniques! If you
would like us to work in your neighborhood or want to participate please contact. Joanne [email protected], 302 658 6262 ext. 118. Rain date will be September 29th at 6:00pm.
TREEminders
Is there a
topic you
want to see
in Tree
Press?Submit
your ideas
or articles
to
jbateup@
dehort.org!
Dwarf Fulford Gala (left) and Dwarf Suncrisp (right) Apple Trees growing espalier against a garden
shed. These trees are 9 years old. And about 15 ft. tall. Photograph by David Bateup
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected] -
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October:Mark your calendars now with these
exciting tree events!October 7th: Tree Steward Volunteer Appreciation Movie
Night and Award Ceremony
6:00pm-8:00pm at The Delaware Center for Horticulture
Join us for a night of appreciation of YOU our wonderful tree program volunteers! A light dinner will beserved and we will be screening Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai . We will present our Tree
Steward of the Year Award to this years outstanding tree steward! Please RSVP to Joanne Bateup
[email protected] 302 658 6262 ext. 118 by Friday October 2nd
October 26th or 27th: Tentative Bare Root Dipping Day!
Interested in getting hands on experience with the bare root process? Come get messy with the Tree Pro-gram as we prepare the bare root trees to go to their new owners. Dipping usually happens in the early
morning, but depends on when the trees arrive from the nursery. For more information or to RSVP con-
tact Annie Acton 302 658 6262 ext. 106 [email protected]
October 28th: Bare Root Planting Workshop5:00pm-7:00pm at The Delaware Center for Horticulture
Come learn about the bare root process and how to plant your new bare root trees! DCH staff will be onhand to answer questions you may have about your new trees. Please RSVP to Annie Acton aac-
[email protected] 302 658 6262 ext. 106
October 31st: Fall Volunteer Bare Root Tree PlantingJoin us for a spooky fall tree planting at various sites throughout Wilming-
ton. Thanks to the Home Depot Foundation and ACT we will be planting at
least 28 trees! More details to come! Please contact Joanne Bateup,[email protected] 302 658 6262 ext. 118
TREEminderscontinued from page 3
Phone: 302-658-6262
Fax: 302-658-6267
Delaware Center for Horticulture
1810 North DuPont Street
Wilmington, DE 19806
The Delaware Center for Horticulture cultivates a greener community; inspiring appre-ciation and improvement of our environment through horticulture, education and conser-vation.
For more Tree Program information contact: Patrice Sheehan 658-6262 ext. 112 [email protected] or
Joanne Bateup 658-6262 ext. 118 [email protected]