City Gardener

Whether in our homes or workplaces, we all have a routine for cleaning things. But often apart from our routine, there are those hard-to-reach places where dust or other bits collect. Over time, the buildup of debris can be a shock when the existence of these neglected spots is finally realized. Today at the U of M Conservatory greenhouse, where I am a volunteer indoor gardener, I spent my 3-hour shift reaching into out-of-the-way spaces to sweep, rinse, or wipe away fallen debris. I focused my efforts on the public area of the conservatory where new guests are more likely to see dusty surfaces that have escaped recent routine maintenance. A similar form of untidiness is the sudden realization that a particular plant has grown immensely since the last time you noticed it. The leaves have overspread the space and blocked much of the sun light for everything below. It is time to prune away the excess. My task for today included pruning the largest plant in the collection, a tree fern nat...

It seems my efforts as a volunteer in the greenhouse often involve cleaning plants that have been infested by damaging insects. I know I've not been singled out for this task. It takes non-stop team effort from everyone on the staff of the University of Minnesota Conservatory to help control pests from overwhelming the plant collections.  The greenhouse staff rightly favors the use of biologic pest control over the use of toxic chemicals. The biologic controls are usually in the form of predatory critters. But the beneficial predators alone are not enough to keep plants healthy indoors. Along with "beneficials," a multi-prong approach is needed. It includes the use of physical removal of pests from the plants - usually scrubbing with soap and water. Another prong is the use of essential oils which are noxious to the pests, the oils are sprayed onto the leaves to deter the pests from spreading. A solution of peppermint and clove oil are commonly used.   My tasks today bega...