The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden in Pittsburgh has been chosen as the site of a welcome dinner hosted by President and First Lady Obama for the G-20 Summit leaders and spouses on September 24. When Considering productive and positive ‘green’ directions for the world economy, what more appropriate, beautiful and symbolic choice of location could there be than in this large, historic Victorian glasshouse built in 1893, in an institution which has become a leader today in green building practices? The earth-sheltered Welcome Center entry, which debuted in 2005, followed the next year by a 12,000 square foot Tropical Forest Conservatory which is said to be the most energy efficient in the world, are worth a visit for long look. Anyone who has visited such greenhouses, and experienced their uplifting, refreshing and growing environment knows that the image of their lucsh space sticks well as a model for what our own garden homes can be. What an inspiration for world leaders. Subsequent summit meetings will be held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, which was the first convention center in the world to be awarded a LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.Â
For more information about the Phipps Conservatory, and how you can visit, click HERE. Thinking about a Fall Getaway? Pittsburgh is about a 6 ½ hour drive from Lexington. The Frabel  glass exhibit is up until January.
(photo credit: VisitPittsburgh)
I’m often overcome by the urge to slow down, look more closely at little things, and examine the natural world around me. That’s why I’m glad to hear artist Olivia Marie Braida-Chiusano is returning to The Arboretum on Alumni Drive to hold a 4-day watercolor workshop, August 23-7.
In this digital age, where images are created by machines using electronic impulses with mathematical precision, it seems an anachronism to celebrate the low-tech act of a person pulling paint across paper. Yet that is just what Olivia finds fascinating. Discovering the study of botanical art in the French court tradition set her on a course of learning, researching, creating and teaching the act of making realistic images of plants and even insects. She has visited London, and gained access to original drawings by the Viennese Bauer brothers that date from the late 1700s, and the Lindley Library to study William Hooker’s art; in Paris, her attention turned to a collection of illustrations known collectively as the Vélins du Roi, from naturalist Daniel Rabel’s early studies in the 1500s to Pierre-Joseph Redouté’s famous roses in the 1800s. You can see some of her own work at The Academy of Botanical Art. My first watercolor last year was an artichoke. This year, I hear they’re working on pears.
If You Go . . . Botanical Art in the French Court Tradition workshop, The Arboretum, 500 Alumni Dr. ; 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. daily, August 24-27; Required pre-registration (859) 257-9339. Tuition: $475, or $450 for Friends of the Arboretum, plus an $8 materials fee.
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No doubt, the Kentucky Horse Park is alive with events, new arenas and museum space, and a renewed sense of purpose with the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games just over a year away. If you haven’t seen visited the park in a while, you will be surprised at the changes, which only begin with the entrance landscaping, still a work-in-progress.
This week, Vaulting events took the center stage at the new indoor arena, sponsored by the American Vaulting Association and WEG2010 Foundation. Remember the old pommel horse in gym class? Here, the horses are real and on the move. In the discipline called vaulting, the horse canters around a circular arena at the end of a longe line, directed by a person called a team member called a longeur who stands in the circle’s center. The vaulters perform dance or gymnastics elements to music while atop the moving horse; riders leap to mount and dismount without using stirrups. As with other arena settings, greenery and flowers create a pastoral atmosphere, lining the circle and accessways.
 From its origins with the ancient Minoan culture, to today’s practice at the Kentucky Hose park, this combination of grace and athleticism is a work of art.
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At the same time, other classic equestrian activities can be spotted, from Draft Horse demos, to Rocky Mountain Horses with western appeal and quick-stops to U.S. Pony Club flag games, and more. As Executive Director John Nicholson says of the upcoming World Equestrian Games, “We plan to celebrate the horse in the same way as we do every day, just on a larger scale.”  If hoof beats get your heart beating, catch a sneak preview of what’s happening right now in 2009 at the Kentucky Horse Park.
LavenderToday’s flower is the herb lavender.
Stalks capped by rows of tiny purple blooms reach for the sun in June and July. Bees and butterfiles love it.  I love to make dried bouquets by weaving narrow ribbons between the sweet smelling stalks, tying them together as sachets.Â
Want to know more about growing herbs?  There’s a hands-on workshop at The Arboretum on Alumni Dr. this Wednesday evening, June 23rd, at 6:30 p.m.  Master Gardener Linda Corridoni writes “We will lead a tour of the herb garden, talking about the plants, their uses, growing herbs in pots, and harvesting. You will learn a lot! The participants will each receive an herb plant.”  The program fee is $10; to pre-register call 859.257.9339, or send an e-mail to rburnes@uky.edu.Â
Today there are only 460 days until the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games begin in the Bluegrass. This Whatzit is on the way there. As Bob Perry commented, the rocks ascending this wall are 
actually stair steps, which allow people to climb over the fence easily; they lead to a small, enclosed cemetery dating from the mid-1800s created by the Gorham family, which once owned the land here on Newtown Pike. The stone walls along this section of the road were recently rebuilt, but this section was left untouched. So much for history. Let’s look to the present and future. Despite the spacious, bucolic beauty of wide rolling green fields, there’s a lot happening over that rock wall. On the way to the Kentucky Horse Park, this area is part of a UK College of Agriculture research farm, close to a water quality riparian buffer zone project on Cane Run creek, as well as the new Legacy Trail, a multi-use pathway that will connect the Kentucky Horse Park and downtown Lexington. With the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games around the corner, this section of the highway represents the beauty of the Bluegrass well, and is a sign of some positive positive progress. Click on the underlined links to find out more about each organization. *************************The Whatzit #2 question: This one’s more of a Wherezit, because if you know that, you probably know the Whatzit of it, too. How closely do you pay attention to detal as you cruise around the Bluegrass, enjoying the classic look of dry stone walls? This sections, however, is mortared. For Whatzit used?
Whatzit #1 Solution        
Rather than creating a sidewalk or driveway which blocks water from flowing through to the ground below, you can install permeable pavers which allow stormwater to soak in instead of run off. The open structure of this particular paver also lets grass grow up, creating greener spaces around your home. This photo was taken at Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate, which is holding its annual Lawn & Garden Party fundraiser on June 20th.  Click Ashland for details.Â
To find out more about these pavers from a local source, see Meade Concrete Products , and check out their Eco Friendly Permeable Pavers, especially Turfstone.
The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden in Pittsburgh has been chosen as the site of a welcome dinner hosted by President and First Lady Obama for the G-20 Summit leaders and spouses on September 24. When Considering productive and positive ‘green’ directions for the world economy, what more appropriate, beautiful and symbolic choice of location could there be than in this large, historic Victorian glasshouse built in 1893, in an institution which has become a leader today in green building practices? The earth-sheltered Welcome Center entry, which debuted in 2005, followed the next year by a 12,000 square foot Tropical Forest Conservatory which is said to be the most energy efficient in the world, are worth a visit for long look. Anyone who has visited such greenhouses, and experienced their uplifting, refreshing and growing environment knows that the image of their lucsh space sticks well as a model for what our own garden homes can be. What an inspiration for world leaders. Subsequent summit meetings will be held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, which was the first convention center in the world to be awarded a LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. 
