One of the goals of The Friends is to enhance the facilities, collections and natural areas of the Hort. Farm to encourage their use for education, research and public enrichment. The Collections and Facilities Committee has been busy this winter working with the Board of Directors and UVM staff and faculty to identify discrete projects that will improve management and interpretation of the plant resources at the site to attract greater usage by the University community as well as the gardening public. We urge you to read the Committee's report at page 9, and the article on the East Meadow project at page 10 to learn more about this initiative. Additionally, the Board of Directors at its April 4 meeting gave preliminary approval to a plan to inventory and map the horticultural collections at the Hort. Farm during the coming year to make these resources more accessible to researchers, students, and others. News about this project will be reported in upcoming newsletters.
* * * * *
This spring, the UVM Department of Plant and Soil Science sponsored
a very interesting lecture series, "UVM Campus Landscape: Exploring
Visions for the Future." One of the themes repeatedly addressed by
the speakers in this series was the role of institutions of higher learning
in setting an example for the rest of society by pioneering ecological
landscape design concepts in the planning and development of properties
under their management.
This fall, The University of Vermont will begin a planning process that will result in a Master Plan for the university properties that will affect the course of their use and development over the next twenty-five or more years. We urge UVM's administration to incorporate into the planning process some of the excellent suggestions that were offered by the landscape architects and other presenters in the "UVM Campus Landscape" series. Jack Ahern, Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Massachusetts, described how planning has become an integral part of that university's educational program by using faculty, staff and students as the design team. Anthony Walmesly provided specific examples of other universities and colleges around the country that are implementing ecological principles in the redesign or new construction of their campuses. Our own Vermont sage, Dan Kiley, persuasively argued for a united UVM campus, joining the historic core with the City's waterfront to the west and the Red Stone Campus and farms to the south, all by a series of people-friendly greenways, allees, walks and pedestrian malls.
If UVM is to fulfill its mission as the "Environmental University of the 21st Century," it has a responsibility (and opportunity) to bring together all of its parts into one great whole by incorporating principles of ecology, community, and stewardship. We believe that the Hort. Farm and other "green" campus resources can make a significant contribution to this renaissance. We therefore welcome any planning initiative that will take into consideration the Hort. Farm's unique role as a horticultural center and natural area integral to the long-term vitality of The University, Greater Burlington, and the region.
-- Kristina Bielenberg, President
The Friends of the Horticulture Farm is a non-profit, tax-exempt, membership corporation dedicated to the protection, promotion and enhancement of the UVM Horticultural Research Center (the Hort. Farm), its plant collections and natural areas, for education, research, and public enrichment. The Hort. Farm is located on Green Mountain Drive in South Burlington, Vermont, just off Route 7 (Shelburne Road).
As a grassroots organization, The Friends relies on the good will and volunteer efforts of professional horticulturalists, home gardeners and many others to accomplish its mission. That's why we like to take the time (and the space in our newsletters) to acknowledge the contributions of labor, goods and services made by individuals and businesses to our programs and activities.
We are particularly grateful to the following persons for staffing our booth at the 1996 Vermont Flower Show: Lorna Bates, Tina Bielenberg, Alice Blachly, Kitty Brady, Angeline Ducas, Lula Ducas, Stephanie Hawthorne, Grace and William Hill, Marty Houghton, Esther Howlett, Ann McCluskey, Kay McNabb, Lynn Ocone, Pat Stacey, Diane Tanner, and Katharine Thompson. We also thank Robin Worn and David Heleba for the design and construction of this year's display and Peg and Owen Becker for trucking it back to storage.
We thank the instructors of the Spring Pruning Workshop, Jon Clements, Field Research Technician, UVM Department of Plant and Soil Science, and Charlie Proutt, owner of Horsford Gardens and Nursery. We also appreciate the volunteers who provided "neighbor labor" during the Spring Pruning Work Day on April 13, despite the bitterly cold weather, and the follow-up crew on April 20. They are: Sophia Bielenberg, Tina Bielenberg, Alice Beisiegel, Alice Blachly, Alice Eckles, Stephanie Solt and UVM work study student Steve Garafalo, an Environmental Studies major at UVM.
Many thanks also are due the highly efficient weeders who helped Dr. Leonard Perry with clean-up of the Hort. Farm perennial beds on April 20. They are: Tina Bielenberg, Peg Becker, Alice Beisiegel, Alice Blachly, Esther Howlett, Sally Johnson, Kay McNabb, and Dorothy Nixon. We also thank work study student Kate Allocco, a UVM sophomore majoring in Plant and Soil Science.
Finally, but not least, we wish to extend a very special thanks to our Volunteer Coordinator, Peg Becker, and Assistant Volunteer Coordinator, Kay McNabb, for making phone calls to recruit and organize help throughout the year. The Friends is truly indebted to them for their commitment and able assistance.
If you are willing to help with parking, greeting, or other volunteer assignments for the up-coming Bloom-Time Festival (see announcement on page 8), call Peg or Kay today! Keeping the Hort. Farm open to the public for two full weekends will require a lot of "person power." We need volunteers who are willing to commit to four hours of service (9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; or 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.) on a Saturday or Sunday. Please call before May 12, either Peg Becker (862-3365) or Kay McNabb (985-4047).
Members interested in helping with the Benefit Plant Sale in July or other activities, are also encouraged to call now or complete and return the Membership Questionnaire on pages 11 and 12.
Discovering how to know, use and propagate our native flora can greatly enrich any home landscape, sunny or shady. It also makes the successful gardener more aware of surrounding seasonal change, geography, and geology. That, coupled with an appreciative observation of how plants change as they move from flower, to fruit, to dormancy will lead to their effective garden use.
On May 4, from 1-3 p.m., Susan E. Dumaine, garden consultant and writer, will reveal some of the secrets of using "Wildflowers and Native Plants in the Home Garden," in a slide talk and lecture to be offered at the Blasberg Building, UVM Horticultural Research Center. Her program will focus on flora adaptable to the home garden, with guidance on sources and culture. She also will address native plant conservation and the imperative to end wild collecting. A Wildflower Walk through the Hort. Farm's woodland areas will immediately follow the slide talk and lecture at 3:00 p.m.
Susan E. Dumaine lives in Weston, Massachusetts, and has had a longtime working and learning association with the New England Wild Flower Society, the Worcester County Horticultural Society, and the Arnold Arboretum. She is a teacher and lecturer for these institutions, but, according to her own words, she considers herself a "full-time student when working in her own large and ever expanding garden." Susan propagates a wide range of plants, from ferns to trees, and enjoys building stone walls.
Susan's garden was featured in the April 1988 issue of Horticulture Magazine and has been the setting for both a Sunset video and a segment of the "Victory Garden" television program. She was the first recipient of the New England Wild Flower Society's Kathryn S. Taylor Award for excellence in the cultivation and display of native plants. In 1990, she received a Gold Medal from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society for her skill in "growing her landscape."
In addition to running Horticultural Thoughts, a garden consultation and design service, Susan assists the propagator at the Garden in the Woods (home of the New England Wild Flower Society), and serves as an officer and Chair of the Plant Collections Committee of the Worcester County Horticultural Society at Tower Hill Botanic Garden.
Susan also leads horticultural tours and makes frequent contributions to horticultural publications, most recently to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Handbook, Woodland Gardens, "Shade Gets Chic."
Please join Susan at her workshop on May 4 and enjoy the wildflower walk following. For reser-vations, call 864-3073. A $6.00 donation is recommended.
Hort. Farm neighbors and other area residents should plan to attend the free guided walks of the Hort. Farm's natural areas to be offered Saturday, May 18, and Saturday and Sunday, May 25 and 26. This is a great way to learn about the rich native flora and wildlife habitat in your community. We are particularly pleased that so many knowledgeable guides have volunteered their services for these dates. See page 8 for specific listings.
Gregory Bald is a 4949-foot elevation mountain top in the Smoky Mountain National Park in western North Carolina. A "garden" of native azaleas covers many acres of natural unwooded area at its summit, unaided by the help of human hands. Hybrids of three species abound with a range of color from bright red, orange, salmon, pink, white and bicolors. Plants range in height from six inch seedlings to twelve feet tall.
I first visited Gregory Bald in June 1978. I left my car at the trail head and walked gradually uphill for two hours to arrive at a spectacular site, thousands of native azaleas in bloom. During October 1978, I returned to Gregory Bald to collect seed. I collected a handful of seed capsules from hundreds of plants to represent the population. I produced seedlings for planting out at the Hort. Farm nursery, so I could evaluate these and other native azalea hybrids for their adaptability to Vermont's harsh climate.
Today there are more than 50 plants at the Hort. Farm grown from the Gregory Bald seed. Most of them have red or orange flowers, however two have pink or salmon colored flowers. The population generally blooms over a month's period in June and July. Many have brilliant red flowers and dark green foliage. Autumn color is not particularly attractive on most. A few plants have been removed which showed winter injury, but most of the population has not suffered winter injury in the fifteen years that they have been in the collection.
According to Fred Galle, retired horticulturist at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia, and noted azalea expert, the natural hybrids represent crosses of three deciduous species: Cumberland azalea (Rhododendron bakeri), sweet or smooth azalea (R. arborescens) and swamp azalea (R. viscosum).
Cumberland azalea ranges in color from yellow, orange, reddish orange and red and grows from 3 to 8 feet tall. It is native from the Cumberland plateau in southern Kentucky across Tennessee to the mountains of northern Georgia, Alabama and higher elevations of western North Carolina.
Sweet azalea has white flowers often with pink or reddish blush and a yellow blotch, has a strong fragrance, and grows from 6 to 15 feet tall. It is native from Pennsylvania, south to Georgia and Alabama, west to Kentucky and Tennessee and the southwestern North Carolina mountains.
Swamp azalea has white flowers sometimes with a pinkish tinge and has a spicy fragrance. It grows from 3 to 15 feet tall and is widely distributed. It grows from coastal Maine and Massachusetts south to Florida, west to Ohio and the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas. It is reported to be one of the most cold hardy native azaleas.
Tips for growing azaleas and rhododendrons in Vermont. Cold hardiness is an important consideration when choosing the best azaleas or rhododendrons for your Vermont garden. Some hybrids will tolerate zone 5, but many fewer are happy in zones 3 and 4. Also important is the site and soils where you plant them. A location on the north or east side of buildings, a woodland, or shrub border is ideal. Azaleas and rhododendrons will tolerate light shade, but will not flower well in deep shade. They do not like a southern exposure during winter. Also, evergreen types do not tolerate strong winter winds.
Azaleas and rhododendrons, like blueberries, prefer well-drained acid soils with lots of organic matter. Most of their fibrous roots grow near the surface and they benefit from organic mulches. I like to use pine needles or softwood bark. I fertilize my azaleas in October or May with ammonium sulfate. Some people use an acid-reacting evergreen plant food with success. Native azaleas are easily damaged by over fertilization. During dry spells, these plants benefit from irrigation. They grow vigorously if planted just above the water table, but definitely don't like their feet in the water.
If you'd like to learn more about the Gregory Bald Azaleas and other rhododendrons and flowering ericaceous plants at the Hort. Farm, plan to attend a "Rhododendron Walk" led by Dr. Pellett, on Saturday evening, June 8. The tour will begin at 4:00 p.m. at the Blasberg Building, and will feature many magnificent specimens in full bloom. Bring a picnic supper to enjoy before or after the tour. Families are welcome. A donation of $6.00 per adult is recommended. To make your reservation, please call 864-3073 and leave a message.
The Friends of the Horticulture Farm is proud to announce that it is eligible to participate in the IBM Matching Grants Program. IBM employees and retirees (or their spouses) can make their contributions to The Friends go further with this program.
IBM will match on a one-to-one cash basis for active employees and one half-to-one cash basis for retired employees, contributing up to $5000 per calendar year.
The Friends may elect to receive this contribution as cash or use it to purchase IBM equipment or software up to a total value of $10,000. The Friends will receive a two-to-one match on an equipment purchase for contributions from active employees and a one-to-one for those from retired employees.
If you know of any other businesses that have a matching program that can help "extend" our donor dollars, please contact David Heleba at 656-0473.
In the last newsletter we reported that The Friends of the Horticulture Farm has a World Wide Web (The Internet) address. In order to make changes to our pages we have "moved" to a new address. The new address is http://www.uvm.edu/~pass/hort_farm.
In the near future we will have an e-mail address for those that would like to communicate with us through the Internet.
If you're not presently a member of The Friends of the Horticulture Farm, here's your chance to join. (Remember, memberships also make great gifts for friends!) The following is our schedule of membership classes and fees.
__ $15 STUDENT __ $100 CENTENNIAL
__ $25 INDIVIDUAL __ $250 SPONSOR
__ $35 FAMILY __ $500 PATRON
__ $50 SUPPORTER __ $1000 + CORPORATE ASSOCIATE
or __ JUST THE MAILINGS PLEASE. Enclosed is $5.
Write your check payable to "The Friends of the Horticulture Farm" and
identify the membership category you have selected in the lower left-hand
corner ("memo" section). Send this to:
- The Friends of the Horticulture Farm, P.O. Box 64788, Burlington,
Vermont 05406-4788.
All activities are to be held at the UVM Horticultural Research Center in South Burlington, unless otherwise noted. Call the office of The Friends of the Horticulture Farm for details. We request phone reservations to help us with event planning. Call: 864-3073, unless otherwise indicated.
Saturday, May 4
Wildflowers and Native Plants in the Home Garden
1 PM - 3 PM
Presenter: Susan Dumaine, gardening writer and consultant
A slide talk and lecture on native wildflowers, their
conservation, and use in the home garden, with guidance on plant sources
and culture.
3 PM Guided Wildflower Walk
May 18,19 and 25,26
Bloom-Time Festival
10 AM - 5 PM
See page 8 for details
Sunday, May 19
Annual Membership Meeting
12:00 noon
The Friends of the Horticulture Farm Annual Membership
Meeting will be held during this year's Bloom-Time Festival. Reserve this
date on your calendar and join us at the Hort. Farm for the meeting and
festival activities. A meeting notice, agenda and ballot will be sent to
members shortly.
Saturday, June 1
Plant Identification and Ecology Workshop
9 AM - 4 PM
Guide: Brett Engstrom, Consulting Naturalist
Help support The Friends and learn about the native flora
of two ecologically distinct habitats. This field trip will focus on the
woodlands of the Hort. Farm and the shoreline of Red Rocks Park.
Co-sponsored with the New England Wild Flower Society.
Pre-registration and tuition required by May 24; $49.00 for members of
The Friends, $60.00 for non-members. Checks made payable to The Friends
of the Horticulture Farm.
JUNE 5, 12, 19, 26
Garden Design and Tour Course
6 PM - 8:30 PM
UVM Horticulture Research Center and other locations.
Presenters: Terry Boyle, Michael Lawrence, Andrea
Morgante and Bill Pollard
Co-sponsored with the Church Street Center. Pre-registration
and tuition required; 10% discount for members of The Friends. Contact:
UVM Church Street Center, 656-5800.
JUNE 8
Rhododendron Walk
4 PM
Tour Guide: Dr. Norman Pellett, UVM
Enjoy the Hort. Farm's magnificent rhododendrons and
azaleas in bloom. Tour will introduce gardeners to diverse collections
of evergreen and deciduous species and cultivars.
Also plan to save these dates:
JULY 13
Something for Everyone: Our Favorite Plants for 1996
1 PM - 4 PM
Panelists: Eb Altmann, Sunnymead Gardens, and Rachel
Kane, Perennial Pleasures Nursery
Learn from the pro's about new plant introductions and
old standbys good for a variety of gardens. This panel will focus on ornamental
grasses, herbs, and perennials recently imported from Europe.
AUGUST 10
Fern Walk at Emerald Lake State Park, Emerald
Lake State Park, Dorset, VT.
10 AM - 3 PM
Tour Guide: Peter Hope, Botany Professor, St. Michael's
College
Explore one of Vermont's richest fern habitats and learn
the fundamentals of fern biology. You can expect to see 19 different species
and 2 hybrids in the course of an afternoon. Wear good hiking shoes and
plan to carpool from the Hort. Farm.
Co-sponsored with the New England Wild Flower Society.
Pre-registration and tuition required by Aug 2; $25.00 for members of The
Friends, $30.00 for non-members. Checks made payable to The Friends of
the Horticulture Farm.
AUGUST 16
Members Preview, 1996 Benefit Plant Sale
5 PM - 8 PM
Special Discount on all items for members of The Friends
of the Horticulture Farm
AUGUST 17
1996 Benefit Plant Sale
9 AM - 5 PM
Plant Sale for the General Public
The following event is part of the "Linking Research, Education and Communities" lecture series sponsored by The UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture and will be held at 590 Main Street (the yellow building), UVM Main Campus, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 PM. Call Deb Heleba at (802) 656-0233 for more information.
May 29
Marketing Integrated Pest Management and Creating
Consumer Support for Environmentally Sound Agriculture
Molly Anderson, Tufts University Center for Agriculture,
Food and Environment
The following are events presented by Laurie DiCesare,
Naturalist, from Colchester
June 1
Wetland and Woodland Wildflowers
9 AM - 11 AM
Indian Brook Reservoir, Essex, VT
$5 Adults (residence $4) Pre-registration, Essex Parks
& Recreation, (802) 878-1342
June 8
Airport/Colchester Bog Boardwalk
Colchester, VT
Adults $3. Pre-registration required, (802) 864-3621
June 15
Wetlands/Boardwalk
9 AM - 11 AM
Ethan Allen Homestead, Burlington, VT
Adults $3, children free. Pre-registration, Ethan Allen
Homestead, (802) 865-4556.
The following event is sponsored by the Basin Harbor
Club, Vergennes, VT. Call (802) 475-2311 for more information.
May 27 - 31
Horticulture Week
Daily, hands-on workshops covering topics such as tree
planting, garden design and planting, as well as tools, and products to
help you in the vegetable garden and a clinic on how to keep your back
healthy while gardening, and more.
The arrival of spring in the Champlain Valley is a much anticipated event. To help celebrate, The Friends of the Horticulture Farm will sponsor a Bloom-Time Festival on the weekends of May 18-19 and 25-26 at the University of Vermont Horticultural Research Center ("The Hort. Farm") in South Burlington, Vermont. During the Festival, the public is invited to experience the beauty of the Hort. Farm's extensive collections of crabapples, lilacs, viburnums, and other flowering plants in bloom, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm daily. The Festival will feature both guided and self-guided tours and horticultural exhibits. Artists will be drawing and painting on location. Admission is free and family groups are welcome. For more details, call 864-3073. Here is a partial listing of special Bloom-Time Festival activities at the Hort. Farm:
Saturday, May 18
Stream Ecology Walk
10:30 AM
Guide: Jim Pease, Aquatic Biologist, Agency of Natural Resources
Saturday, May 18
Woodland Walk
1:00 PM & 3:00 PM
Guide: Andy Carlo, Consulting Forester
Sunday, May 19
Tour of the Hort. Farm's Flowering Trees and Shrubs
1:00 PM & 3:00 PM
Guide: John Padua, Cobble Creek Nursery
Saturday, May 25
Wildflower and Native Plant Walk
10:30 AM
Guide: Wendy Cass, Botany Graduate Student, UVM
Saturday, May 25
Tour of the Apple Research Orchards
1:00 PM & 3:00 PM
Guide: Jon Clements, Dept. of Plant and Soil Science, UVM
Sunday, May 26
Bird Walk
10:30 AM
Guide: Gale Lawrence, Field Naturalist
Sunday, May 26
Tour of the Hort. Farm's Flowering Trees and Shrubs
1:00 PM & 3:00 PM
Guide: Paul Wieczoreck, Champlain Valley Landscaping
The 97-acre Hort. Farm is used by The University of Vermont for plant research and instruction. For more than 40 years, University horticulturalists have tested new and unusual plants at the Hort. Farm for their adaptation to the Vermont environment. As a consequence, the Hort. Farm is now home to over 700 kinds of ornamental trees and shrubs and one of the largest known mature collections of crabapple trees in the northeastern United States. The general public is invited to enjoy the Hort. Farm's plant collections in bloom during the Bloom-Time Festival. This event is being held in conjunction with the Shelburne Museum's "Lilac Festival," May 18-26. For information about the Museum's Festival, call: 985-3346. Persons attending the Bloom-Time Festival at the Hort. Farm will be eligible for discount coupons good for $5.00 off adult and $2.00 off youth admissions to the Shelburne Museum's "Lilac Festival."
The Collections and Facilities Committee has been busy this spring with a number of projects. Its top priorities for 1996 include work on the Small Tree Collection (see article on page 10), completion of the Woodland Walk and an accompanying visitor guide, and the production of additional permanent photo metal labels, principally for the viburnum collection.
On April 20, Committee members Andy Carlo and David Heleba began trail clearing for the Woodland Walk. Work will continue on this project throughout the year with the addition of wood chips and other trail improvements being implemented as funding and volunteer labor permit. Andy Carlo and Lynn Ocone have completed the text for an interpretive brochure for the Woodland Walk. Graphic artist Sarah Montgomery is working on the guide's layout, while local nature artist Libby Walker Davidson has been commissioned to produce the illustrations. Our target date for a preview of the Woodland Walk and brochure is the Bloom-Time Festival in May. (See announcement on page 8.)
Planning for future projects is on-going. The Committee is continuing to explore options for the clean-up of the portion of Bartlett Brook that runs through the Hort. Farm property. Members and Hort. Farm neighbors interested in learning more about the water quality and wildlife habitat of Bartlett Brook are encouraged to attend a "Stream Ecology Walk" to be offered by Jim Pease, Aquatic Biologist with the Agency of Natural Resources, as part of the Bloom-Time Festival on Saturday, May 18, beginning at 10:30 am (See tour listing on page 8.)
Members Jean Vissering, David Heleba and I have been investigating strategies for on-going curation and computerized mapping of the Hort. Farm plant collections. We hope to report on the implementation phase of this project in upcoming newsletters.
At the Committee's request, the Board of Directors on April 4 appropriated $885 to enable the Committee to complete the production and printing of the Woodland Walk brochure and to make necessary trail improvements. The Board also appropriated another $650 for metal plant labels. Projected expenditures for FY'96 will be $1,785. A projected operational budget for FY'97 has been submitted to the Board which would provide continued support for collections and trail enhancements, labeling, and other improvements at the Hort. Farm.
As always, the Collections and Facilities Committee is interested in learning of new volunteers to help with its many projects. If you would like to assist with any of our on-going or proposed activities, please call me, Alice Beisiegel, at 879-6828 or complete and return the attached Membership Questionnaire. (See pages 11 and 12.)
The Collections and Facilities Committee of The Friends has helped Dr. Norman Pellett with the development and execution of a tree planting plan for the Hort. Farm's East Meadow. During the past two years, Dr. Pellett has acquired over 150 new and little-known trees, all under 30-feet at mature height, as part of a study of woody ornamentals suitable for Vermont's residential and urban landscapes. (See article, "New Plant Trials at UVM Horticultural Research Center" in January 1996 newsletter, at page 3.) Last spring, Dr. Pellett approached The Friends with a request for assistance in developing a landscape plan for this collection. Rather than plant the trees out in straight rows (as has been the historical practice at the Hort. Farm), Dr. Pellett indicated that he was willing to work with a design professional to come up with a planting scheme that would meet his long-term research goals as well as be aesthetically interesting and informative to the Hort. Farm visitor.
Thanks to the volunteer assistance of Burlington landscape architect Kathleen Ryan, the Committee has been able to help Dr. Pellett develop a site plan that will place the small trees in groupings by genus along the margins of the East Meadow, thereby allowing the viewer to examine individual specimens up close or admire the entire collection from a distance. This design will utilize the Hort. Farm's native woodlands as a backdrop for the collection and preserve the beautiful expanse of grassland that is the principal asset of the East Meadow "room."
On April 20, Committee member David Heleba and landscape architect and Vice-President Terry Boyle staked out the locations of over 100 trees to be included in the planting.
Last week, the young trees were dug from the nursery bed and set out in the East Meadow in accordance with the new site plan. Landscape designer and member Robin Worn will be preparing a presentation version of the site plan for use in interpreting and publicizing the collection.
The public is invited to see this work-in-progress as part of the Bloom-Time Festival on May 18-19 and 25-26. (See announcement on page 8.) Cash donations for permanent signage for this collection are welcome; prices begin at $15.00 per specimen label.
Please take the time to complete and return this questionnaire by May 15, 1996. Your answers will help us plan activities for the coming year, improve our services to the membership, and set a course for the future. Send to: The Friends of the Horticulture Farm, P.O. Box 64788, Burlington, Vermont 05406-4788.
YOUR NAME:_______________________ MAILING ADDRESS:
__________________
PHONE (DAY):______________________ _____________________________
PHONE (NIGHT):____________________ _____________________________
1. a. Are you a professional grower/nursery operator?
__ YES __ NO
b. Are you a landscape architect, designer or contractor?
__ YES __ NO
c. Are you otherwise employed in the horticultural
industry? __ YES __ NO
If "yes," describe:
d. Are you an amateur gardener? __ YES __ NO
If the answer is "yes" to a, b, and/or c, state the name, address and phone number of your business:
2. Are you a member of the UVM community? Check
more than one if applicable.
__ faculty __ staff __ administrator __ retired
__ student; program: __ alumnus __ Master Gardener __
other:
3. How did you first learn about The Friends of the
Horticulture Farm?
__ Our newsletter __ Calendar of Events __ Brochure __
The GreenScape Consortium Calendar of Events
__ The Burlington Free Press __ Other newspaper; name:
__ Television; name station/program:
__ UVM computer bulletin board __ UVM Hort. Farm WEB
page __ A member; name:
__ Another organization, name: __ At an event at the
Hort. Farm? __ Vermont Flower Show
__ Other. Describe:
4. Have you ever visited the Hort. Farm? __
YES __ NO If "yes," how many times in the last two years? __
Why did you come?
If your answer is "no," why not?
5. Have you attended workshops, tours, or other events
sponsored by The Friends? __ YES __ NO
If "yes," approximately how many in the last two years?
__ Which ones did you enjoy best and why?
If you have attended fewer than three workshops in the last two years, why?
6. What suggestions do you have for improving our program
of workshops, tours and other events?
7. What workshop topics, tours or other events would
you like to see sponsored in the future? Name
possible presenters or guides.
8. Our newsletter is the principle vehicle by which
we communicate with our membership about our programs, activities, and
plans for the future. Please tell us how we can improve the newsletter
to make it better serve this purpose.
9. The mission of The Friends is to protect, promote
and enhance the Hort. Farm, its plant collections and natural areas, for
education, research, and public enrichment.
THE FOLLOWING ARE VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS SO PLEASE
USE MORE PAPER IF NECESSARY TO RESPOND.
a. How effective do you think we've been these past
two years in working toward accomplishing this mission?
b. What do you think we could do better? Why? How?
10. How can you help The Friends? We need volunteers
to help with many tasks. Please check one or more boxes.
__ Lead a workshop or tour; explain:
__ Organize an event __ Staff our booth/exhibits
__ write articles __ contribute art work/photography/graphic
design
__ help with publicity __ fundraise __ recruit members
__ conduct research; organize library
__ serve as a liaison with UVM __ serve as a liaison
with neighbors
__ prune/maintain plant collections __ work on trail
development __ curate collections
__ Help with the 1996 Benefit Plant Sale: __ donate plants
__ solicit donations __ do donation pick-up
__ sort/price/label donations before the sale __ set
up/take down tents, signs, etc.
__ serve as sales staff at the Members Preview (Aug 16,
4:30-8:30)
__ serve as sales staff at the Public Sale on __ Aug
17, 8:30-12:45 or __ 12:30- 5:30
__ organize/serve refreshments on Aug. __16 or __17
__ Other; explain:
11. Would you be interested in serving on one of the
following? If "yes," please check appropriate
box(es).
__ Board of Directors __ Nominating Committee
__ Committee of Representatives __ Collections and Facilities
Committee
__ Program Committee __ Finance Committee __ Fundraising
Committee
__ Membership Development Committee __ Long-range Planning
Committee
__ Other:
12. What would you like to learn about the Hort. Farm or The Friends that you do not presently know?