Blog
Mary Waltham on Magnolia Hill
I ran into Mary while the sun was rapidly descending behind the trees. She had filled her canvas with a dense row of trees catching some of the changing colors finally showing after some cool nights. While she was packing up her tools, the last rays of the sun caught the pine cones above our heads. You can find more of Mary’s work on her website: www.MaryWaltham.com.
Winterberries
The winterberries (ilex verticillata) in the Lovers Lane/ Stockton corner of the park were showing their bright red fruits this week. The berries ripen late in the season and sometimes can still be seen on the shrubs in the wintertime. Until they fully ripen, birds do not touch them because they do not taste good. Winterberries are native to swampy areas in North America.
The Planting of Two New Magnolias
On Thursday, October 5, 2017, we witnessed the planting of two beautiful magnolias thanks to a generous donation. Douglas Kale from Kale’s Nursery and Lanscape Services supplied the magnolias and did the digging and planting. He also donated a Franklinia to the park which was planted as well.
One of the magnolias is a Jane magnolia (Magnolia liliflora ‘Reflorescens‘ x stellate ‘Waterlily’) which has beautiful spring flowers; reddish-purple on the outside and whitish on the inside. The tree blooms in late spring. 
The other magnolia is a Star magnoli (Magnolia stellata ‘centennial’). It has beautiful white fragrant lily-shaped flowers appearing in late winter or early spring.
Tree Climbing and Pruning
Friday October 6, 2017, Rachel Brudzinski pruned five trees including the large Oriental spruce in the park. Rachel is a professional tree climber with a degree in Horticulture and an ISA Certified Arborist. She is qualified in Tree Risk Assessment, and a Certified Tree Care Safety Professional. Rachel recently taught women how to become successful tree climbers at Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia.
Bark in the Park
The bark of trees, called periderm, consists of different layers crucial in keeping a tree alive. The most outer layer of the periderm, the cork cambium, produces cork that protect trees from bacterial and fungal infections.
As trees mature, the faster growing wood on the inside of the tree pushes against the slower periderm on the outside.
In some trees like the American beech the periderm just stretches and remains relatively smooth when the tree gets older. However, in most trees the periderm breaks apart and becomes inactive, and a new inner layer called the active periderm is formed underneath.
The reaction to the stress caused by the expansion of the inner wood is different for each tree species resulting in different characteristics and structures of the inactive or dead outer bark (rhytidome) and can vary depending on the age of the tree.
