Friday 25 May 2012

A Pop of Color on the Parkway

As part of the recent City in Bloom event, PHS oversaw the installation of giant “lollipop” plantings in Logan Square!

Taking a nod from traditional British topiary—next year’s Flower Show theme is brilliant, after all—these orb-like elevated plantings consist of Coleus ‘Sedona’ and orange lantanas. The PHS Public Landscape Design and Management team had the idea, and Tom Reber and Bernie Pettit from Meadowbrook Farm were commissioned for construction. Both men had experience with planting and caring for hanging baskets—although this project is on a much bigger scale!

Black iron pipe (meant for plumbing work) was fashioned into a globe-like shapes and covered in coconut fiber. Each sphere was then filled with about six bags of soil. Next, the men cut slits into the coconut fiber and plugged in the plants.

As you can see from the photos, the plantings aren’t exactly bursting with color yet, but Tom Reber says the recent warm temperatures will lead to a brilliant pop of orange in a week or so. When you are in Center City, enjoying everything about With Art Philadelphia, admire these whimsical additions to the Parkway landscape.

Rate this:Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post.Tags: british topiary, coleus sedona, orange lantana, PLDM, with art philadelphia

This entry was posted on May 22, 2012 at 9:00 am and is filed under Uncategorized.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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USDA Plant Hardiness Zones Changed

The United States Department of Agriculture recently released a new Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) to reflect data collected from1976 to 2005 and includes two new zones:  12 (50-60 degrees F) and 13 (60-70 degrees F). The map, which can be searched by ZIP code on the USDA’s website,  is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree Fahrenheit zones.

The last version of the map was released in 1990 with data collected from 1974 to 1986. A comparison of the two shows that zone boundaries have changed and each zone is warmer. According to the USDA, if your hardiness zone has changed, it does not mean you should change what you are growing in your garden. What is growing successfully now will most likely continue to be successful. The USDA also stated that since the map represents 30-year averages of extreme weather events (the coldest temperature of the year), changes in zones are not reliable evidence of global warming.

Hardiness zones are based on the average, not the lowest temperature that has ever occurred or might occur. Gardeners should keep that in mind when selecting plants, especially if they choose to “push” their hardiness zone by growing plants not rated for their zone. And while this edition of the USDA PHZM is the most detailed to date, there might still be microclimates that are too small to be detected.

The new map has a higher level of resolution and can show smaller areas of zone delineations. For example, cities hold more heat because they have large amounts of concrete and blacktop, so a city or town may be assigned to a zone warmer than the surrounding countryside. Higher elevations tend to be colder than surrounding lower areas, so the top of a mountain may be an area of cooler zones. A location near a large body of unfrozen water may provide milder winter weather and be in a warmer zone.

While these numbers are certainly interesting, the USDA also encourages gardeners to rely on their own experience before making any sweeping changes to their practices and plant choices.

Rate this:Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post.This entry was posted on May 24, 2012 at 9:00 am and is filed under Uncategorized.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Christian Louboutin Fall 2012 Collection

, Crimson ponyhair ankle boot with gold epaulet, Lilac snakeskin and beige nylon pointed-toe pump, Metallic gold open-toe bootie, Ocelot print with black leather boot, Purple suede bootie

Christian Louboutin Fall 2012 CollectionIn Uncategorized on May 9, 2012 at 12:14 pm



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Jerome C. Rousseau Fall 2012 Collection

, Tiger patterned ponyhair and black leather bootie

Jerome C. Rousseau Fall 2012 CollectionIn Uncategorized on May 21, 2012 at 11:03 am



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F.I.T Accessories Design Senior Exhibition


F.I.T Accessories Design Senior ExhibitionIn Uncategorized on May 11, 2012 at 11:14 am

On Wednesday I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology’s exhibition for its accessories design department. The pieces I saw were beautiful and here are pictures taken from the event.


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Elena Iachi

I came across these wedge sneakers by and I decided to show them to all of you. The rugged look and multiple colors of these sneakers caught my eye. launched in 2011 and all of their shoes are made by hand.


You will must like it !



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