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Happening
at the Crossroads
September 28,
2009
by Coggin
Heeringa
This Week at Door County’s Crossroads, Master Gardener Lee Somerville, Wild Ones Walking LectureAt
Crossroads at Big Creek, the vivid shrubs and vines of October are
surpassed only by the colors in the Heritage Garden in The Historical
Village
…and the colors in the garden are no accident.
The
members of the Sturgeon Bay Home and Garden Club and Master Gardeners
have been harvesting tomatoes, peppers and potatoes which they donate
to Feed my People and Lakeshore CAP.
But they don’t share every
flower or vegetable. The very best, most perfect, brightest colored
specimens are carefully saved and their seed collected. This is how a
heritage garden works — seeds are saved from year to year… from
generation to generation.
And each year, the garden seems more beautiful than the last. Plants inherit their traits from their parent plants..
The
same sort of thing happens out in the preserve. Trees and shrubs of the
same species tend toward the same color. For example, viburnums and
sumacs usually turn red. Aspens are golden
Trees that grow from
the seeds from one tree are very much alike. Trees from the same parent
plants usually change color the same day and also seem to lose there
leaves simultaneously. (Could we consider this inherited baldness?)
But
even plants with the same parents can be different color. Sunlight
stimulates the chemical reactions which cause leaves to turn red. This
fall, we have had many sunny days which should favor the reds.
South-facing sides of trees bask in sunlight all day, while northern
exposures are always shady. Reds are more likely on sunny side of a
hill.
This week you have several chances to learn about gardens and shrubs.
On
Thursday, October 1 at 7 pm, the Master Gardeners will bring landscape
historian Lee Somerville to the Collins Learning Center to present the
illustrated program “Graceful Vines and Sweet Wild Rose.” She will talk
about the gardens in Wisconsin. Lee will make the same presentation at
the Convention of the State Historical Society the next week. We get
her first!
On Saturday, October 3, at 2:30 the Wild Ones of Door
County will offer a walking lecture called “Leaves and Berries –
Selecting Shrubs for Wildlife”. Members of the Wild Ones of Door
County, led by Cliff Orsted, will share their wealth of knowledge about
native plants. Meet at the Collins Learning Center .
On Sunday,
in addition to the tours of the Historical Village on Sunday afternoon,
the Door County Historical Society will hold a Hymn Sing in the Chapel,
led by Don Heeringa, with Evelyn Mueller at the pump organ. The organ
came from the Ephraim Moravian Church and is on loan from the Ephraim
Historical Foundation . Participants will join in familiar hymns from
the 1880-1910 period, illustrating the kind of music that was common
during the decades that our Historic Village depicts.
Crossroads
is a donor-supported educational preserve welcoming learners of all
ages to programs in science, history and the environment. The Collins
Learning Center is open daily 2:00-5:00. It is located at 2041 Michigan
Street in Sturgeon Bay.
Thursday, October 1 at 7:00
Master Gardener Lecture: “Graceful Vines and Sweet Wild Roses.”
Why
were vines such an important addition to the nineteenth century
Wisconsin garden? What did great grandmother consider an essential
plant at the back door? Landscape historian and Master Gardener Lee
Somerville will explain and illustrate Wisconsin garden history in her
discussion. Free Lecture Hall of the Collins Learning Center .
Saturday, October 3. 2:30
Wild Ones Program: Leaves and Berries– Selecting Shrubs for Wildlife”
Join
Cliff Orsted and members of the Wild Ones group as they explore the
preserve at Crossroads learning which native shrubs are best for
wildlife. This program is free and open to the public. Meet at the
Collins Learning Center .
Sunday, October 4, 1:30-4:00
Tours of the Historical Village
Costumed
interpreters will offer free tours to the Historical Village . The
General Store will be open for business. Tours start each half hour.
Meet at the Chapel when the bell tolls.
1:30
Hymn Sing in the Chapel
The
Door County Historical Society invites the community to a hymn sing led
by Don Heeringa, with Evelyn Mueller at the pump organ. The organ came
from the Ephraim Moravian Church and is on loan from the Ephraim
Historical Foundation . Participants will join in familiar hymns from
the 1880-1910 period, illustrating the kind of music that was common
during the decades that our Historic Village depicts. Meet at The
Chapel at The Crossroads.
Monday, October 5, 6:30
Friend of Crossroads
Friends
of Crossroads invite visitors to join them for their monthly meeting.
This month, Friends will be planning some exciting outdoor projects.
Meet at the Collins Learning Center .
Tuesday, October 6, 7:00
October Meeting of the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society
Visitors
are always welcome at the meetings of the astronomical society. This
month, thetopic: “What is the fate of the solar system?” and the
program: “Eyes on the Skies” Meet in the Stonecipher Astronomy Center .
Please use the Utah Street Entrance
Many of
the Past News articles may be retrieved from this directory,
indexed and named in the following manner: 080101-news.htm
where
the first two numbers are the year, the second two the month and the
last two the date.
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