Somerville Garden Club

July 7, 2010
by Head Gardener
Comments Off on Asian Long Horned Beetle spotted in Boston Area!

Asian Long Horned Beetle spotted in Boston Area!

Asian Long Horned Beetle - credit J. Forman Orth, MDAR

Asian Long Horned Beetle – credit J. Forman Orth, MDAR

This weekend a small infestation of Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) was found in Jamaica Plain (Boston). The site is at Faulkner Hospital (click to see map), just across from the Arnold Arboretum. Six infested maple trees were found so far, in close proximity to each other, and have already been removed by USDA/DCR. Surveys will continue this week.

It is extremely important that we get the word out ASAP to everyone in the Boston, Brookline, and Newton area to be on the lookout for:

1) Adult Asian longhorned beetles (shiny black beetles with white spots and long, banded antennae) – check out this handy pocket guide

2) ALB exit holes (dime-sized, perfectly round holes, especially in maple, but also in birch, elm, horsechestnut, willow and other hardwood trees…but not oak)

3) ALB egg-laying sites (divots in the bark ranging in size from 1/4 to 3/4 inches across – fresh pits often have oozing, foaming sap)

Anyone seeing anything suspicious should report it immediately at http://massnrc.org/pests/albreport.aspx or toll-free: 1-866-702-9938. Take photos if you can.

Spread the word, not the beetle! Get all the latest ALB news at:
http://massnrc.org/pests/alb

July 4, 2010
by Head Gardener
Comments Off on Meeting – July 14, 7-9pm

Meeting – July 14, 7-9pm

Do It Yourself Hardscape

Hardscaping is a term that refers to the permanent, man-made features of a landscape made from stone, brick, etc., rather than plants. Somerville Garden Club members, Dorothy Africa, Rita Edmunds, Evelyn Persoff, Joe Kelleher, and Alison Davis will describe the steps they’ve taken to build hardscapes in their own gardens.

When: 7:00 P.M., the second Wednesday of every month
Where: Tufts Administration Building [TAB], 167 Holland St., second floor, wheelchair accessible (A ten-minute walk from the Davis Square MBTA stop. Parking also available.)

The SGC meetings begin with announcements and an open roundtable discussion of gardening questions, followed by an invited speaker. Recent presentations have included pruning techniques, propagating heirloom tomatoes, composting and organic soil amendments, integrated pest management, and dry shade gardening. Talks are delivered by local experts and well known horticultural professionals. Every meeting ends with a raffle of donated plants and garden items. The meetings are free and open to the public.