Longwood Gardens Student Exhibition 2013 Opens

"Somewhere In Time"
Matt and Sandra drew their inspiration from Victorian era glass houses that were used to display tender aquatic plants and tropical trees. Their garden offers a vision of what that glass house might look like if it the garden gates were locked up and all was abandoned, allowing nature to take its course.

This year's theme, "Behind The Garden Gates", challenged Longwood Garden's Professional Gardener Program senior class to consider the garden in an abstract way. Artistically inspired interpretations of a gate and a keyhole, the convergence of man and nature, the legacy of an industrialist and his first endeavor and the dream-like vision of opulence forgotten are the four concepts explored by these eight students.

"The Gate and the Keyhole"
Meg and Tim devised a series of vertical pales with holes bored through at various heights, offering the garden visitor a chance to view their lush displays of bromeliads and ornamental grasses with unique perspectives.

Since 2010 Danilo Maffei has teamed with Longwood Gardens' Professional Gardener Program, educating the next generation of world-class horticulturists. The two year curriculum includes three courses on landscape design, which Mr. Maffei teaches over a period of 13 months. Students are challenged to create gardens that fit Longwood's thematic programming and adhere to their exacting standards for display, horticulture and education. Graduates of the program go on to careers in public and private concerns across the country and around the world.

"Behind the First Garden Gate"
Alana and Ila delved into the archives to snatch an image of what Longwood's founder, Pierre S. du Pont, might have first created at this world-renowned garden.

Mr. Maffei educates and advises the students as they learn the principles and practices of landscape design, including making a formal presentation to Longwood's Board of Trustees Advisory Committee. The students work within a set budget and must use plants as the dominant feature, using available resources and their own ingenuity to create and maintain individual expressions that endure for six months. The gardens are on display through October 15 and are part of regular admission to Longwood Gardens.

"Human vs. Nature"
Greg and Mike created a comparative portrait of nature's influence on modern gardens and man's presence in the wilds.

In The Field: 1960 Contemporary Garden Nears Completion

This project in Greenville, Delaware left the drawing board in the summer of 2012 and as 2013 rings in, the owners are seeing their vision of maximizing the usefulness of their property become a reality. The contractors broke ground shortly after Labor Day and Maffei Landscape Design has been working closely with the owner and the site supervisor to assure every detail is properly tended to.

 Because of careful planning and lots of experience on the part of the contractor, the work has flowed very smoothly from one trade to another, and there is just about every trade working on this site. Masons, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, painters as well as excavators, metal fabricators and, yes, horticulturists have shared the small space with great efficiency. Once spring arrives with its warmer temperatures and availability of the remainder of the plant list, the final touches will be placed on the garden and the owners will have their home to themselves again.


We have prepared a detailed record of the entire project with step by step photographs and descriptions on our Facebook page. Click here to go directly to the album, or visit http://www.facebook.com/MaffeiLandscapeDesign .

Better Landscapes for Better Air Quality

For the cultivated landscape to be truly successful it must pass the Triple Bottom Line test (also known as "People, Planet, Profit"): 1. will it provide benefits to its human users? 2. will it provide benefits to the environment? 3. is it economically viable? See some examples on our Facebook page.

Lets consider these points and in particular how air quality is important to humans and our quality of life. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average human inhales over 3,000 gallons of air each day and along with the vital oxygen we need to live comes all of the other things mixed with it, both good and bad.

"Clean" outdoor air naturally has certain things in it that we would consider harmful, such as carbon dioxide, pollen, dust and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). When these things are at or below a certain level the human body can function normally and thrive, but when they are experienced above certain levels they can cause irritation at the least or severe health problems, even death, at the worst.

Poor air quality can cause these and other problems in humans:

1. Well-being is compromised
1. general sense of comfort or health is degraded
2. irritation to eyes, nose, throat or skin
3. allergies or impaired breathing
2. Productivity is reduced*
1. concentration on tasks is compromised
2. sick days result in lost wages
3. personal productivity or enrichment is lost due to "down time"
3. Long-term health is placed in jeopardy
1. reduced activity may lead to other health problems
2. asthma
3. cancer

When we are indoors, many of the things that cause these problems may be removed, filtered or diluted. But what about the quality of the air we are breathing outdoors and what of the fact that our indoor air is being supplied from the outdoors? It stands to reason that cleaner outdoor air is essential, but what can we do to improve it? Because air is a gas that seeks to fill its container and because wind and other environmental factors move this gas around constantly it is difficult to measure any kind of regional or global effect by what we do in our own back yards. However, small improvements there can result in measurable differences, especially at the neighborhood or local level.

1. Make your property more attractive and engaging
• creating places that you and others find appealing are more likely to be properly maintained
• properly maintained landscapes will continue to function the way they were intended (just like your roof or your car)
2. Reduce carbon
• carbon can be scrubbed from the air with with trees, shrubs and perennial plants, especially those indigenous to the region
• reduce energy consumption in the home (heating and cooling), and in the garden (lawn mowers, leaf blowers)
3. Reduce particulates
• less mowing and blowing not only means lower carbon emissions, it also means fewer dust, dirt, exhaust and organic particles that are sent flying through the air
• reduce the sources of dust and other airborne particulates by repairing worn or scalped lawn, exposed soil and low-lying areas by planting native shrubs and perennials as a groundcover
4. Reduce reflected heat
• cooler air does not hold airborne particulates as well as warmer air
• air can be made cooler by reducing the amount of solar energy that reaches pavements, walls and roofs
• consider placing shade trees at the south and southwest corners of your home, create a vegetated wall or retrofit with a green roof

Making these small changes can result not only in improved air quality, but also in monetary savings in reduced fuel costs, maintenance fees, water and energy bills. This was proven in a case study in the city of Santa Monica, CA, where a 68% savings in maintenance labor costs was realized when a "traditional" landscape was compared to one utilizing these and other practices.

Resources

• University of Delaware - Livable Ecosystems: A Model for Suburbia
• AIRnow - What You Can Do
• Chester County, PA - Discover the Future: creating a sustainable future for Chester County
• EPA - Air and Radiation homepage
• EPA - Greenacres: Landscaping with Native Plants

*Usually associated with indoor air quality, but cleaner outdoor can have an effect on this, especially when natural ventilation (open windows and doors) is part of the building design. NCBI Study | CBE Study