A seven mile stretch of the Cobbs Creek Park and watershed will feature seven project sites from 63rd & Vine to Island Avenue at Cobbs Creek Parkway. In collaboration with Keep Philadelphia Beautiful, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Philadelphia Water Department, and the Darby-Cobbs Watershed Partnership, activities will include tree planting, creek-side cleanup, and trail restoration. The Cobbs Creek area hosts various recreation centers, playgrounds, picnic groves, a natural, paved trail, and the creek itself. A total of 59 trees will be planted between Marshall Road and the Cobbs Creek Environmental Center.  details

Meadowbrook Farm general manager John Story will show different types of root systems and explain which have to be divided, which plants you can layer, and how to propagate both common and unusual perennial plants. details

Environmental educator Lori Hayes offers practical information for converting yard, garden, and kitchen waste into soil-building compost.  details

Learn why herbs are among the easiest plants to grow. Horticultural therapist Bev Agard will tell you what all you need to know about growing, caring for, and using herbs.  details

Noted garden historian and author Anna Pavord will examine the magnificent Italian gardens and explain how the British transformed Tuscan landscapes and garden design. details

BECOME A PHS TREE TENDER! Help beautify your neighborhood and region by planting and tending trees. PHS offers nine hours of hands-on training for residents of the five-county Philadelphia region. The training covers tree biology, identification, planting, proper care, and working within your community.  details

Grow local, eat local! It s time to plant your own vegetable garden. This workshop will address how to plan a garden in a sunny spot and get started. Meadowbrook Farm horticulturist Sharon Kaszan will discuss varieties of plants, best sowing times, fertilization, and insect and disease control using both traditional and organic practices. details

In this book discussion group, which meets in the McLean Library, we read and discuss works of fiction or non-fiction having to do with gardens, plants, or the land. details

Thousands of trees will be planted in Southeastern PA this spring, and PHS will need lots of volunteers! Please consider offering a morning of your time as we work together to improve our environment by planting trees. Most planting events will be held on April 9 & 10 in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, and on April 16 & 17 in Philadelphia.  details

Learn to be a bare-root tree planting leader. This training is intended for anyone interested in helping with PHS Tree Tenders bare-root tree plantings in Philadelphia on April 16 & 17. details

Do you struggle getting plants to grow in dry shade, heavy soil, scorching sun, wet areas, or dead zones? Every garden has its problem spots. Meadowbrook Farm head gardener Glenn Ashton will share his secrets for meeting these and other challenges. details

Find out how and when to begin the garden naturally. Lorraine Kiefer, owner of Triple Oaks Nursery and Herb Farm, will demonstrate how to recycle organic scraps into compost; which vegetables, fruits, and herbs to plant; and their best planting times.  details

This garden walk will explore the cheerful seasonal flowers of spring: Dutch bulbs. Chanticleer horticulturist Robert Herald will focus on the most rewarding spring-blooming bulbs–those that naturalize and are truly perennial. From snowdrops to daffodils, we will review their identification, garden culture, landscape uses, and sources. details

Create a charming, intimate portrait of a garden you love. In this workshop, taught by Eileen Rosen, you will begin by learning and practicing specific colored-pencil techniques, then learn to reduce and eliminate extraneous details of the larger landscape. All levels of experience are welcome. details

Most gardeners get itchy for bit of green and color in early spring. But does the threat of severe temperature changes frighten you away from planting early containers? With a little creativity, there can be far more in your early-spring pots than just pansies. details

Join us at parks around the city as we clean, green, and make a major difference in a single morning. Details will be announced soon; in the meantime find your gardening gloves, that old pair of sneakers, and get ready to LOVE Your Park! details

Thousands of trees will be planted in Southeastern PA this spring, and PHS will need lots of volunteers! Please consider offering a morning of your time as we work together to improve our environment by planting trees. Many planting events are being held in Philadelphia on April 16 & 17. details

Want to learn about exciting green roof technology? PHS will lead tours of the 45,000-square-foot green roof at the PECO headquarters in Philadelphia. details

Chanticleer horticulturist Przemek Walczak will discuss all aspects of pruning garden shrubs and demonstrate basic techniques. Using the grounds of Chanticleer as a classroom, he will focus on practical information for the home gardener, including reasons for pruning, when to prune, and the proper use and care of tools. details

There is a suburban greening revival going on in Abington Township, PA, and it can be seen at schools, at township pools, around signs, and in small parks. It started with a hope of beautifying tired municipal parks and has grown to encompass much more. details

Garden designers face some daunting questions: How do I begin the creative process? Where can I find design inspiration? How will I know if my design is successful? Join Gary Smith to explore how to approach these questions like an artist. details

Spring is upon us, and horticulturist Toni Ann Flanigan will share ideas on how to brighten up your balcony, front porch, or yard with great-looking containers. details

The Kids Grow Expo is a horticultural exhibition by and for school-age children in the greater Philadelphia region. details

Penn State’s Cooperative Extension in Philadelphia is now accepting applications for the 2011 Master Gardener Program, which provides experienced home gardeners with the information and skills necessary to share their experience and knowledge with others and to promote horticultural and environmental stewardship. Contact Doris Stahl or Kim Labno at 215-471-2200.

Among the offerings this month at the DCH are a rare plant auction and an opportunity to help build raised gardening beds for a community garden. details

April offerings at the arboretum include a workshop on shiitake mushroom logs and a spring ephemeral wildflower walk. details

This month you can take a workshop on terrariums, a guided tour of early spring highlights, and more. details

The program will preview the 2011 convention in Philadelphia: “Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Violets.” Contact Judith Smith at smithja@mail.med.upenn.edu or 215-233-2579.

Celebrity gardener Kent Russell is the presenter at this Narberth Area Garden Club program. details

Philadelphia Master Gardener Julie Cox will take a mostly organic approach as she addresses the questions and dilemmas of the beginning vegetable gardener, including site selection, soil testing, planning, planting, nurturing and harvesting. details

Join education coordinator Amy Hoffmann to learn why the wildflowers of this season are called spring ephemerals, how their life cycle works and how their seeds are dispersed. details

In his illustrated talk, arboretum director Paul Meyer will show the most promising and interesting plants collected on his travels and return to three fascinating collection locales, including China, where he was among the first western visitors to rural areas in fifty years. details

Program speaker is Charles Jaros, a begonia authority and judge from Florida. Meeting includes a plant raffle. Contact Stephen Ripper 215-536-9034.

A wide variety of cacti, succulents, and other indoor and outdoor plants will be available. Contact Barry Bush at EEBush@aol.com or Frank Pearson, 570-688-4027 , fpearson@traceenv.com

Join education coordinator Amy Hoffmann to explore later-blooming spring wildflowers including phlox, eastern columbine, foamflower, and more. details

Second in a three-part series of forums highlighting cutting-edge issues on food and farming. Local experts will discuss organic and sustainable agriculture, the comprehensive technique known as permaculture, and growing trends in urban agriculture. details

Amy Karpati of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance will speak on “Mycorrhizal Fungi and their Interactions with Plants in Urban Environments.” details

In her latest book, Founding Gardeners, Andrea Wulf looks at the lives of the founding fathers and how their attitude toward plants, gardens, nature, and agriculture shaped the American nation.  Her talk will show how plants, politics, and personalities intertwined as never before. details

Put on your “black tie and muck boots” for an elegant evening in the woods at the preserve.  All proceeds benefit the preserv’es conservation and educational programs. details

Celebrate this extraordinary rose garden, the oldest growing in its original plan in the United States.  Expert speakers will include Jane Baber White, Nicole Juday, Stephen Scanniello and the Reverend Douglas Seidel.  details

Sponsored by The Preservation Society of Newport County and Bartlett Tree Experts, this year’s show will celebrate “Entertaining–Newport Style.” Special guests will include renowned cake designer Sylvia Weinstock and international floral trend consultant Kevin Ylvisaker. more

To submit an event listing to The Wired Gardener, send email to wiredgardener@pennhort.org. Keep entry brief and include contact information.

Kids Grow Expo, a horticultural exhibition by and for school-age children in the Greater Philadelphia Region, is a free event that allows youngsters to celebrate Earth Day with a number of activities and exhibits related to environmental awareness. details

This month, Philadelphia’s universities, cultural institutions, research centers and schools will come together as a single, united voice to celebrate science. Organized by the Franklin Institute, more than 105 festival partners, including PHS, have spent the past year hard at work planning exciting events and special programs that will take place all over town. details

Join in a variety of activities for adults and children alike, including performances by the Hoh Daiko Drummers, origami for kids and a performance of the ancient Japanese swordsmanship technique “Ken Jutsu.” details

Celebrate dinosaurs and insects while digging for fossils in the Dino Garden. This festival includes educational activities, a fun planting activity, and themed crafts. details

This school festival, designed for grades 3 – 6 and aligned to NJ Standards, includes four interactive lessons about making recycled paper, wacky planters made of recycled materials, water education, and each student can plant a seed to take home. Reservation required. details

Join experienced local birding guides for Saturday morning bird walks appropriate for ages 8-adult. details

Celebrate Earth Day at this event for individuals, families and groups with hands-on action that will help spruce up the preserve and benefit the environment. details

The festival includes planting activities, a ladybug release, crafts and educational activities to learn about and to help celebrate Mother Earth. details

On this first walk of the season, we will listen and look for spring peepers, wood frogs and more. details

It’s not too early to sign children up for one week of summer camp (or all four!) to learn about and experience Japanese culture, including origami, drumming, calligraphy, martial arts and much more. details

To submit an event listing to The Wired Gardener, send email to wiredgardener@pennhort.org. Keep entry brief and include contact information.

Aesculus pavia

Fairweather Gardens in Greenwich, New Jersey, is a mail order nursery known for its offerings of unusual trees, shrubs and perennials. In fact, Fairweather is a dependable source for several of PHS’s Gold Medal Plants — beautiful, reliable, exceptional trees, shrubs and woody vines of outstanding merit. Fairweather has a calendar of Open Houses for selected days in March through June, during which you can visit the nursery and purchase plants. Check out their calendar, as well as their online catalog. Other than Open Houses, the nursery is not open to the public.

Located smack-dab in the middle of the Show floor, the Gardener’s Studio offers presentations on the hour, every hour from 11 am to 7 pm. The topics cover a wide range, so something is bound to pique your interest. For starters there’s…

• green roofs
• urban foraging
• Gold Medal Plants
• bee keeping
• culinary herbs
• and so much more!

Check out the full schedule here and start planning your Flower Show experience. And thanks to Subaru of America for their ongoing support of this essential educational exhibit.

View the complete PHS Greensource lecture schedule.
This panel discussion will feature distinguished public landscape architects and designers who have created some of the most influential public landscapes in the country.  Each speaker will present examples of his or her work, and discuss how these projects have transformed public landscapes and the people who use them.  After the presentations the audience will be invited to join the discussion with their questions.  Continuing education credits applied for.

Panel moderated by: Charles Birnbaum, founder and president of the Cultural Landscape Foundation. The panelists are:  Lynden B. Miller, public garden designer, New York City; Ken Smith, one of the best-known of a new generation of landscape architects; Doug Hoerr, a landscape architect known for his Chicago streetscapes; Christy Webber, the prominent Chicago landscape contractor; and Susan Weiler, the leader amoung landscape architects in the design of urban green roofs.

The PHS Greensource lecture series is made  possible with funding from the William Penn Foundation.

Roberta’s Unique Gardens-Live from the Phila. International Flower Show-25 to Watch
Thursday, March 10, 2011
1:00-2:00pm; 8:00 – 9:00 PM ET

For three generations Roberta’s has provided gardeners some of the very best quality sized flower bulbs and plantings the world has to offer that are hard to find, yet easy to grow, so you can have the distinct, colorful garden of your dreams. Now, in addition to beautiful flowers and plants, Roberta’s brings you edible treats such as figs, citrus fruits, berries, and more for your taste buds to enjoy. And best of all, no matter where you live, Roberta’s is committed to bringing QVC customers unique plants and bulbs not easily found in those other “garden variety” stores, so give your senses a treat with Roberta’s Unique Gardens.

See more special events at the Flower Show.

Parc Georges Brassens, Paris

Q.  We are going to Paris this May and would love any information available about the gardens of Paris. S.D., Philadelphia, PA

A. To get in the spirit, come to this year’s  Flower Show!  With its theme of  “Springtime in Paris,” you will be  greeted  with a 33-foot-high base of the Eiffel Tower, then transported to romantic and elegant scenes of Paris through a host of remarkable gardens.  Then, consult Alexandra d’Arnoux’s book The Secret Gardens of Paris. As a PHS member, you may borrow this copy from our library.

Here are some websites (in English) on gardens and parks of Paris: The About.com site has a good article A Visual Guide to Paris’s Best Parks and Gardens. Paris Digest website has a section on famous gardens in Paris. Looking for a walking tour? Paris-Walking-Tours.com offers a 3-hour tour of gardens and green spaces.

On a personal note, I recommend the Parc André Citroën in the 15^tharrondissement (district). It’s built on a former Citroën factory site and worth a visit. I also recommend the  charming Parc Georges Brassens, named for the famous singer and poet ( also in the 15th). I shot this photograph of the belfrey in the Parc Georges Brassens in November of 2009; as you can see, it’s worth visiting all year round!