Could It Be Spring At Last

A few sights from around Boxerwood today (Friday April 4).

Magnolia Loebneri

Baird, one of the regulars at Boxerwood, checking out blooming hellabores.

The sound of woodpeckers outside the Munger Lodge was so loud one would have thought a construction crew was working.

Eastern Painted Turtles are back in the Pond.

Magnolia Kanos

A stone bench framed by green that had been covered over by invasive species of plants.  Just another example of the treasures to be discovered around every corner at Boxerwood.

Spring Programs

Spring programs for school children from all corners of the Rockbridge region are getting into full swing at Boxerwood.

Boxerwood Would Appreciate Your Comments

We are always looking for ways to improve our communications and information with our public.  As you view these Blog Posts feel free to leave us comments.

To do so look at the bottom left edge of each individual post and you will see a tab that will say "No Comment" or if others have commented you will see a number of Comments.  Just click on this tab and you will see the comment page pop up.  Then it is simply a matter of writing away expressing your thoughts with us.

And thank you for your continued support and interest in Boxerwood.

Master Gardeners Visit Boxerwood

As an example of our efforts to expand educational opportunities for adults, Boxerwood Horticulturalist Faith leads a garden tour for the latest Rockbridge Master Gardeners class.

Here they are looking at our huge Parrotia tree. 

Faith also leads a monthly "Tea and Training" workshop. This month, the topic was "Fragrance in the Garden."  Keep a watch on our website and Facebook page to learn more about future educational opportunities at Boxerwood.

Earth Day Events At Boxerwood April 27

Earth Day Events -  Sunday April 27 from 1:00 to 4:00. Make your own “Trashion” statement

According to event organizer, Faith Vosburgh, “Designing ‘trashion fashion’ is just a really cool way of applying the three R’s of environmental sustainability: reduce, reuse, recycle. We’re using what would go into the landfill or burn pile to make art and music, and we’re hoping all our artsy Rockbridge neighbors will get involved.” 

Kicking off the event will be a runway show featuring recycled wearables created by Charlottesville trashionista and upcycle artist Lark Waxwings. (“Upcycling” is how artists refer to reusing old or found objects to make new art.) Following the show will be three workshops:

DIY (Design-It-Yourself)Trashion Fashions
Build a Recycled Instrument
Make Twig Art

Attendees can participate in any or all activities. At the end of the afternoon, there will be a second Trashion show, this one featuring local dancers, artists and workshop participants.

You can help us by donating stuff: all kinds of clean rubbish and recyclables – everything from soda can tabs and broken toys to old shoes, incomplete decks of cards, and grapevine cuttings.

Boxerwood Trashion Show Rules

 Clean stuff can be dropped off at the nature center anytime or brought to Boxerwood on the day of the event.

Volunteers From The Natural World Assist With Pruning At Boxerwood

This winter seems to be a tough one to shake off.  It will just not go away.  Repetitive late season snow and nighttime below freezing temperatures are wearing human patience thin.

Our neighbors living in the natural world around us are also feeling the frustration of waiting for spring.  Wildlife was already stressed this winter by the lack of mast crop (acorns), which serve as the mainstay of their winter diet.  Repeated stresses to oak trees in our region in the form of non-native pests, ice damage, and even the legendary deracho storm of 2012 have all combined to challenge the production of acorns.

The delay in blooming of early spring fruits and berries along with the depletion of what mast crop did exist is forcing wildlife to find other sources of food.  For Boxerwood and our neighbors in the community this translates to horticultural specimens within our human-interest zone.  Whitetail Deer are notorious for damaging landscaping in urban and suburban areas during hard winters.  We are now experiencing a new level of such damage as the deer search to replace food sources that are normally available in nature by this time. 

As you look around you it may become apparent that this increased desperation for food is resulting in a “browse line” approximately 4 to 5 feet high.  Just about as high as a deer can reach.  Here at Boxerwood we have noted a significant increase in deer browse among our rhododendron, azaleas, and even arborvitae.

Once spring arrives in earnest and other food sources such as new grasses, berries, and sprouting plants appear, deer will begin to move on to these more preferred menus. 

Arborvitaes that have been pruned by deer at Boxerwood

Additional Session of Summer Camp Planned

NATURE BUILDERS

AUGUST    18-22, 2014

For children ages 3-10

*PILOT      SESSION*

In an effort to help meet the needs of Rockbridge families, Boxerwood will pilot an additional session of summer camp from August  18-22  during the week that Woods Creek Montessori and Yellow Brick Road   Early Learning Center close for teacher training.                          

              

Enrollment in this session will be limited to 30 children ages 3-10.

              

Montessori and YBR  families will have an early opportunity to register their  children, from March 13-June  1. 

If they do not fill the camp session, we will open enrollment        to the public   on June1.   A waiting list for open enrollment will start March 13.                    

Camp   will be cancelled if enrollment is fewer than 15 campers by July 11.