November’s wet and windy weather was no deterrent for our Tuesday Gardeners, who raced to finish an ambitious fall planting agenda before the end of the gardening season. In the course of just several weeks, 27 MSPC volunteers planted 58 shrubs, 69 perennials, and 150 bulbs. Plants included barberry, dwarf pines, hydrangeas, fuchsias, herbs, daffodils,…
The City of Salem began with ambitious plans to engage the public in development of a Cultural Landscape Management Plan for Bush, Deepwood, and Yew Parks. Then COVID-19 intervened. Meetings were out; Zoom is in! The City and its consultants shifted to virtual meetings and an on-line survey to solicit public comment. The Mission Street…
Tuesday Gardener Anne Teeling – better known as Anya or Annie – moved to Salem in 2009 from Illinois. Anya grew up in Chicago and its suburbs. She worked as a member of the horticulture and landscape maintenance crew at the world-famous Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, near Chicago. https://www.mortonarb.org/ After retiring from The Morton…
Park visitors have probably noticed some changes in the oak grove in the southwest corner of Bush’s Pasture Park over the past year. More leaves have been allowed to remain on the ground in the fall and, now, many oaks are surrounded by larger and more deeply-mulched “tree circles.” What’s going on? Under the leadership…
Do trees talk? Trees do not seem to “talk” as we know it, by sending specific sound waves into the air. But scientists are convinced that trees communicate through a system of underground connections that rely upon fungi. Scientists say that these connections can influence how trees grow and whether they defend themselves from disease.…
What a crazy year! Now I know 2020 is not over yet, but for me, I began my first year as Volunteer Coordinator for Mission Streets Parks Conservancy (MSPC) in September 2019. And here it is September 2020. When I joined the Tuesday Gardeners in June of 2019, I didn’t realize that by September, Michael…
You may have seen Chet Zenone if you have been in Bush’s Pasture Park on a Tuesday morning. Chet’s the guy with the glasses, making jokes, and chatting with his fellow Tuesday gardeners. He’ll help anywhere, but woodworking projects are his passion. He has volunteered at the park for about five years. Chet and his…
Jim Schomaker gives us a visual tour of Bush’s Pasture Park at its spring peak in this special photo album. He captures lush scenics from the Rhododendron Hillside and around the Bush House Museum and Conservatory. While there’s always something in bloom throughout the year, spring is the park’s standout season. Jim’s photographs show you…
The recent CARES Act, passed to provide relief during the coronavirus outbreak, changes the way charitable deductions will work during the 2020 tax year: Taxpayers who do not itemize deductions when filing will be able to deduct charitable contributions of up to $300 when calculating their adjusted gross income. Taxpayers who do itemize deductions will be…
