Adkins Arboretum

Call for Artists: Adkins Arboretum to Sponsor 2019 Juried Art Show

November 21, 2018 by Adkins Arboretum

The Scout by Karen Klinedinst, 1st prize at 2018 Juried Art Show.

Adkins Arboretum in Ridgely, Md., will sponsor its 20th annual Juried Art Show, to exhibit in February and March 2019. The theme of the show—Discovering the Native Landscapes of Maryland’s Eastern Shore—celebrates the Arboretum’s mission of conservation. The Leon Andrus Awards, named in honor of the Arboretum’s first benefactor, will be given for first and second places.

The show is open to original two- and three-dimensional fine arts in all mediums, including outdoor sculpture and installations. It will be juried by Julie Wills, an assistant professor of studio art at Washington College in Chestertown, Md., and an interdisciplinary artist working in the expanded field of sculpture, including installation, collage, performance, video and site-specific practices. Wills holds an MFA from the University of Colorado and an MA in art criticism from the University of Montana. She has exhibited widely, including solo exhibits at Arlington Arts Center in Virginia, Hillyer Art Space in Washington, D.C., Whittier College in Los Angeles and Kohl Gallery at Washington College. She has been an artist-in-residence at the Jentel Foundation, PLAYA and the Hambidge Center, among others, and she has received support for her solo and collaborative work from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts and the Andy Warhol Foundation. Wills is a frequent collaborator with artists, writers and others and is the founder and curator of China Hutch Projects, a domestic project space for contemporary art located in her home.

The deadline for submissions is Dec. 21, 2018. Digital images of up to three pieces of art by each artist should be sent to art@adkinsarboretum.org. Submissions should include title, medium, dimensions (maximum of 6 feet in any direction, excluding outdoor sculpture) and artist’s name, address and phone number. Works should reflect or interpret broadly the show’s theme of wild nature and landscapes of the Mid-Atlantic coastal plain region.

Artists whose work is selected will be contacted by Jan. 15 to submit the original work ready to hang by Feb. 2. The exhibit will run from Feb. 5 to March 29, 2019, with a reception on Sat., Feb. 16 from 3 to 5 p.m. There is no entry fee, but artists are responsible for all shipping expenses. Selected artists may be considered for future exhibits at the Arboretum.

For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org, call 410-634-2847, ext. 0 or send e-mail to info@adkinsarboretum.org.

The 2019 Juried Art Show is part of Adkins Arboretum’s ongoing exhibition series of work on natural themes by regional artists.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. Open year round, the Arboretum offers educational programs for all ages about nature and gardening. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Filed Under: Homepage Notes, Portal Notes

Join Adkins Arboretum for A Longwood Christmas Bus Trip

November 17, 2018 by Adkins Arboretum

Experience the joys and wonders of the season when Adkins Arboretum hosts a bus trip to Longwood Gardens for A Longwood Christmas on Mon., Dec. 17. Join an afternoon and evening of organ singalongs, strolling carolers, fountain performances and plenty of yuletide cheer—all without the stress of driving and parking.

The annual celebration showcases more than 6,000 seasonal plants and more than a half-million lights in the gardens and on the grounds. This holiday season, A Longwood Christmas looks at the Christmas tree in a new light. The Tree Reimagined theme features festive firs suspended from above, towering tannenbaums created from books to birdhouses to stained glass, and more traditional favorites elevated with surprising new twists. Explore holiday displays in the Conservatory, then venture outdoors to view gloriously illuminated trees, stroll beneath floating orbs of light and watch as trees and branches take on new illuminated life. Sounds of wonder will fill the air as fountains dance to seasonal music.

The bus departs from Aurora Park Drive in Easton at noon and will pick up passengers at the Routes 50/404 Park and Ride and from the Routes 301/291 Park and Ride in Millington. The return time is approximately 9 p.m. The trip fee is $75 for members and $100 for non-members. Advance registration is required at adkinsarboretum.org or by calling 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Filed Under: Garden Notes

Author Ginger Woolridge to Speak at Adkins Arboretum

November 3, 2018 by Adkins Arboretum

Learn how you can plant trees and shrub to nurture local birds, bees, butterflies and other creatures when author Ginger Woolridge speaks on Wed., Nov. 7 at Adkins Arboretum.

A trained landscape architect and garden consultant, Woolridge is co-author with Tony Dove of Essential Native Trees and Shrubs for the Eastern United States: The Guide to Creating a Sustainable Landscape. This authoritative catalog of 85 native species highlights the attributes of native plants and their importance in the food web. The book was noted in The New York Times Book Review summer list.

Woolridge’s talk begins at 1 p.m. The program is $15 for Arboretum members and $20 for non-members. Advance registration is appreciated at adkinsarboretum.org.

Filed Under: Garden Notes

Adkins Arboretum Receives Chesapeake Bay Trust Mini Grants

November 1, 2018 by Adkins Arboretum

Support from Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT) and the CBT Chesapeake Conservation Corps program has made several exciting projects possible at Adkins Arboretum.

In 2016-2017, Corps member Kathy Thornton (now the Arboretum’s Land Steward) organized an All Hands on Deck workshop for the Conservation Corps to learn from renowned landscape designer and author Claudia West and to help her install a 4,500-plant plug design for the Arboretum Entrance Garden. What used to be mostly mulch was transformed into a living matrix of purple love grass, butterfly milkweed, aromatic asters, nodding onion, broomsedge, columbine and small’s ragwort. A CBT Chesapeake Conservation Corps mini grant and a CBT All Hands on Deck award provided funding for plants, and Conservation Corps members volunteered to plant the garden in early summer 2017. Now, a year after its installation, the garden is lush, thriving and a haven for birds and pollinators. West, North Creek Nurseries, New Moon Nurseries and numerous private donors also made generous contributions to help create the garden.

From left, Chesapeake Conservation Corps member Nathaniel Simmons, Adkins Arboretum Land Steward Kathy Thornton and Chesapeake Conservation Corps member Emily Castle.

Earlier this year, Corps member Blake Steiner created a citizen-scientist phenology program at the Arboretum. With support from a CBT Mini Grant, Steiner held two training workshops for volunteers interested in phenology, the study of cyclic and seasonal natural events. He also developed a phenology walk that included eight species of focus. Data collected by staff and volunteers are submitted to Nature’s Notebook, the National Phenology Network’s data platform, to be shared and publicly accessible nationwide.

The Chesapeake Conservation Corps program has also matched the Arboretum with two full-time Corps members for 2018-2019. The Corps is a green jobs program created by the Maryland Legislature, and administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, to educate and train the next generation of environmental stewards. The program matches young people ages 18–25 with nonprofit and governmental organizations for paid one-year terms of service that focus on improving local communities and protecting natural resources. Corps members Emily Castle and Nathaniel Simmons joined the Arboretum staff in August. Both are 2018 graduates of Washington College in Chestertown.

Castle served as president of the Washington College Campus Garden initiative, which created a flourishing sanctuary for wildlife and hands-on learning. She also has worked at Mt. Cuba Center and Longwood Gardens, and she is co-founder of the college’s Food Recovery Network, a program that transports leftover food from the dining hall to a local church to serve members of the Chestertown community at weekly dinners.

Simmons spent his college tenure working with Dr. Aaron Krochmal on a multi-year mark and recapture study on eastern painted turtles and snapping turtles. In addition to working year-round on his family’s Christmas tree farm, he worked as an intern for the college’s Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory and is a certified 4-H Leader Volunteer.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust is a nonprofit grant-making organization established by the Maryland General Assembly dedicated to improving the natural resources of Maryland and the Chesapeake region through environmental education, community engagement and local watershed restoration.

Filed Under: Homepage Notes, Portal Notes

Plein Air Oil Paintings by Diane DuBois Mullaly at Adkins Arboretum

October 6, 2018 by Adkins Arboretum

There’s something magnetic about Diane DuBois Mullaly’s tiny plein air oil paintings in her show Light and Life, on view in the Adkins Arboretum Visitor’s Center through Dec. 1. At only six inches square, their energy and color entice you to take a closer look. At the show’s reception, from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 20, this Easton artist will explain why she came to the Arboretum again and again over the past year to paint its trees, meadows and wetlands in all kinds of light and weather.

Whether flooded with brilliant sunlight or glowing with the suffused light of an overcast day, these little paintings are all about the different qualities of light, color and texture she found. While many of them show wide vistas of autumn meadow grasses or paths winding into the forest, as Mullaly grew more and more familiar with the Arboretum’s landscapes, she also began to paint some of the things that make it special, including gourds hung up for nesting purple martins, the rainbow picket fence of the children’s garden, a tree decorated for last year’s Candlelit Caroling event and even one of the Arboretum’s goats.

Mullaly paints with a palette knife, troweling the paint on, sometimes scraping it back, sometimes adding more on top, until each painting hums with textures and layers of surprising color. Each one is a fleeting portrait of a specific place in the Arboretum at a specific time in a specific season. On another day—or even a few hours later—each scene would have been different.

“Filled with Life” is part of Light and Life, Diane DuBois Mullaly’s exhibit of plein air oil paintings.

The idea for this series of paintings grew from the Daily Painting movement, which began a dozen years ago when artist Duane Keiser began posting a new painting each day and offering it for sale online. Mullaly learned about the movement and was subsequently able to study with another of its leaders, Carol Marine. Marine’s book Daily Painting helped define the process as a practice of creating a small painting every day by working in a fresh, loose manner with the emphasis on spontaneity and experimentation.

“Part of the whole point is making it a daily habit,” Mullaly explained. “It takes away the ‘preciousness’ of each one so that if you fail, it’s fine because you’re going to do another one tomorrow. It’s a good way for artists to create an income, too.”

Daily painting practice can help an artist overcome procrastination and gain confidence. Painting so often also can lead to a steady stream of ideas and self-discovery.

A graduate of Tyler School of Art of Temple University and an award-winning plein air painter, Mullaly teaches workshops in Daily Painting at Easton’s Academy Art Museum. In addition, she recently completed Maryland Master Naturalist training at the Arboretum.

“With the Master Naturalist training, I was here a lot,” she noted. “I wanted to do that to figure out a way to connect art and science, and it was so interesting to learn everything that was taught.”

With this new perspective and her artist’s eye, Mullaly found a seemingly infinite variety of things to paint in the landscape she was coming to know so well. Many of her paintings were created outdoors, but when weather or her schedule didn’t allow, she worked in her studio using field studies, memory and photos for reference.

“It was just a joy to do this,” she said. “It’s amazing what I found here.”

This show is part of Adkins Arboretum’s ongoing exhibition series of work on natural themes by regional artists. It is on view through Dec. 1 at the Arboretum Visitor’s Center located at 12610 Eveland Road near Tuckahoe State Park in Ridgely. Contact the Arboretum at 410–634–2847, ext. 0 or info@adkinsarboretum.org for gallery hours.

Filed Under: Homepage Notes, Portal Notes, Portal Notes

Northern Caroline’s Native Gardens on Adkins Arboretum’s “Celebrating Natives” Tour

September 8, 2018 by Adkins Arboretum

When summer’s flowers fade, fall offers the garden another chance to shine. Discover the beautiful colors of autumn and structural elements in the garden when Adkins Arboretum hosts its sixth annual “Celebrating Natives” Fall Garden Tour on Sat., Oct. 6.

Featuring gardens in northern Caroline County, the tour includes four private gardens, a private farm and Adkins Arboretum, which will offer a First Saturday guided walk. The tour gardens are currently in the process of design, either with Chris Pax, lead designer for the Arboretum’s Native Landscape Design Center, or through personal design to transform them to native sanctuary. Each property demonstrates a different phase of thoughtful and innovative design. Participants are advised to meet at the Arboretum and carpool for the 45-mile self-guided driving tour.

The first garden tour of its kind on the Eastern Shore, “Celebrating Natives” focuses on sustainable approaches to Eastern Shore gardening and exemplifies the Arboretum’s mission of teaching about and showing by example the importance of using native plants in restoring balance to the ecosystem and fostering community relationships. Native plants are those that grew and thrived on the Eastern Shore before the introduction of European settlers. Because these plants have adapted naturally to the region’s ecology of climate, insects and wildlife, they are a better choice than non-native plants. The tour not only highlights the beauty of the gardens but emphasizes their importance in a biodiverse landscape.

“Celebrating Natives” will take place rain or shine on Sat., Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance at adkinsarboretum.org or $30 the day of the tour at Adkins Arboretum, 12610 Eveland Road, Ridgely. Check-in will begin at 9 a.m. Restrooms will be available at the Arboretum, and a list of local restaurants will be provided. Participants are advised to bring a reusable water bottle, as refill stations will be available at some of the gardens. For more information or to order tickets, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Filed Under: Garden Notes

Adkins Arboretum Awarded Grant from PNC Foundation for Nature Preschool Programs

August 31, 2018 by Adkins Arboretum

Adkins Arboretum has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the PNC Foundation to continue making nature-based education more accessible to local children through its Acorn Academy Nature Preschool program.

“We love being able to offer free nature preschool classes to children who live in Caroline County,” said Adkins Assistant Director Jenny Houghton. “Preschool is the perfect age to encourage imaginative outdoor play, and thanks to PNC, we’ll be able to provide our littlest explorers with hands-on nature fun and give back to the community at the same time.”

Jenny Houghton, assistant director of Adkins Arboretum, leads a program for preschoolers and their families.

This is the third year that the Acorn Academy Nature Preschool at Adkins Arboretum has been awarded a grant from the PNC Foundation, which receives it principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. During the first year, funding allowed the Arboretum to offer one session of nature preschool programs per season at no cost to residents of Caroline County. These popular programs for children ages 3 to 5 engage children with nature and serve as an introduction to the outdoors, wildlife and conservation while also providing school-readiness skills. Subsequent grants have allowed the Arboretum to expand its preschool offerings to two sessions per season.

Environmental education has been linked to improved academic achievement and encourages stewardship, pride and ownership. Adkins Arboretum’s Acorn Academy Nature Preschool puts students on the path toward cultivating a meaningful awareness of the human-environmental connection and instills basic tenets of critical thinking and investigation skills.

Ten-week fall Acorn Academy Nature Preschool programs are held on Tuesdays or Wednesdays from 10 to 11:15 a.m. beginning Sept. 11. Registration is underway at adkinsarboretum.org or by calling 410-634-2847, ext. 0. Space is limited to 15 students per class.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. Open year round, the Arboretum offers educational programs for all ages about nature, conservation and gardening. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

The PNC Foundation actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes arts and culture.

Filed Under: Homepage Notes, Portal Notes

Adkins Arboretum Announces Fall Open House and Native Plant Sale

August 26, 2018 by Adkins Arboretum

Enjoy fall in the garden! Adkins Arboretum will hold its annual Fall Open House and Native Plant Sale Fri. through Sun., Sept. 7–9 at the Arboretum in Ridgely, Md. The sale will be held at the Visitor’s Center.

The Arboretum offers the Chesapeake region’s largest selection of ornamental native trees, shrubs, perennials, ferns and grasses. Many native plants produce seeds, flowers and fruit in fall that attract migratory birds and butterflies. Brilliant orange butterfly weed and stunning red cardinal flower attract pollinators to the garden, while native asters add subtle shades of purple and blue. Redbud and dogwood dot the early-spring landscape with color, and shrubs such as aronia and beautyberry provide food and habitat for wildlife.

Fall is the best season for planting. Trees and shrubs planted in fall have a chance to set roots before the heat and stress of summer. The Arboretum participates in the Marylanders Plant Trees program, an initiative by the State of Maryland to encourage residents to plant native trees. The program offers a $25 coupon toward the purchase of native trees that retail for $50 or more.

Common milkweed (Asclepia syriaca) provides a subtle touch of color in the landscape and attracts bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Photo by Kellen McCluskey.

The Open House begins on Fri., Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. At 3 p.m., landscape designer and native plant enthusiast Chris Pax will offer Featured Native Plants, a free program to help shoppers identify the best plants for their landscape conditions. From 4 to 6 p.m., the public is invited for light fare, music, a cash wine and beer bar and shopping in a fun and festive atmosphere.

Plant sales continue Sat., Sept. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. At 1 p.m., Shane Brill will present Wild Food in Native and Novel Ecosystems, a program that blurs the lines between gardening and foraging and explores the edible potential of the Eastern Shore. The program is $15 for members and $20 for non-members. The sale concludes Sun., Sept. 9 from noon to 4 p.m. Following the Open House, plants will be sold through the fall at the Visitor’s Center.

Members receive a significant discount on plant purchases. Presale plant orders will be accepted at adkinsarboretum.org through Thurs., Aug. 16 and may be picked up anytime during the Open House weekend.

Proceeds from plants sold at the Fall Open House benefit the Arboretum’s education programs. For more information, call 410-634-2847, extension 0 or visit adkinsarboretum.org.

Filed Under: Garden Notes

Welcome Fall at Adkins Arboretum’s Magic in the Meadow Gala

August 23, 2018 by Adkins Arboretum

Celebrate autumn’s arrival and the splendor of nature at Adkins Arboretum’s Magic in the Meadow: An Equinox to Remember! Tickets are now available for this annual gala event on Sat., Sept. 22. Proceeds benefit the Arboretum’s education programs that promote the conservation and preservation of the Chesapeake Bay region’s native landscapes.

Guests gather near the meadow at Adkins Arboretum’s 2017 Magic in the Meadow gala.

Set against the Arboretum’s backdrop of forests, meadows, wetlands and streams, Magic in the Meadow will showcase the magic and elegance of nature. As twilight falls, guests will enjoy signature cocktails on the wetland bridge and explore the meadow and woodland paths by foot or by tram. Scrumptious hors d’oeuvres, hoop dance performances and a lesson by Baltimore artist Melissa Newman (performing as Mina Bear) and a tantalizing array of silent auction items will add to the evening’s allure. World-class jazz by the Peter Revell Band and a moonrise over golden meadow grasses will set the stage for dancing and an unforgettable autumnal equinox.

Tickets are $75 per person ($50 tax deductible) and may be reserved at adkinsarboretum.org or by calling 410.634.2847, ext. 0.

Magic in the Meadow is generously sponsored by Shore United Bank and Avery Hall Insurance Agency, Inc. Contact Kellen McCluskey at 410-634-2847, ext. 34 or at kmccluskey@adkinsarboretum.org for information about sponsorship opportunities.

Filed Under: Garden Notes

Adkins Arboretum to Host Beer Garden Aug. 25

August 11, 2018 by Adkins Arboretum

The Simmons Family will play bluegrass tunes and other favorites when Adkins Arboretum hosts its inaugural Beer Garden.

Enjoy local beer, delectable seafood and toe-tapping music when Adkins Arboretum hosts its inaugural Beer Garden with Bull & Goat on Sat., Aug. 25.

Specializing in craft beer brewed with premium malts, hops and yeasts, Centreville’s Bull & Goat Brewery will serve beer and homemade root beer. Bay Shore Steam Pot, also based in Centreville, will serve fresh seafood, and the Simmons Family will play bluegrass tunes and other favorites. Siblings Mary, Dave and Jon Simmons are known for their tight harmonies and virtuoso guitar and fiddle playing.

The Beer Garden runs from 4 to 7 p.m. As the day cools down, guests can take a woodland walk or join in games. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 3 to 18 and free for children ages 2 and under. Beer and food are an additional fee.

Advance registration is appreciated. To register, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Filed Under: Garden Notes, Homepage Notes, Portal Notes

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