Week 5 - ...In With the New II

Time in: 5:15pm
Time out: 7:15pm

Another useful resource I learned about when visiting the L.A. Arboretum Library was their plant information phone number (located at the bottom of the library link). I gave it a try when I couldn't quite figure out when and how long to water after sowing the seeds.

Initially, they suggested, hand-watering a couple minutes every day is the best thing to do. The seeds need to be kept moist at all times in order to sprout. However, since I no longer live in the area, I have to rely on my irrigation system to do it for me.

This made me reevaluate my set-up. Is the water pressure from my single sprinkler enough to keep the soil moist?

When I visited the plot Monday night, I figured the first thing to do was to remove the remaining tomato plant (goodbye summer, hello fall) till and hand water the soil, then sow the seeds. I decided the best way to sow them was by alphabetical order: Aquadulce Fava Beans in the north-west square, Braco Mustard to its right, Cereal Rye below the fava beans, then Crimson Clover on the south-east square.

After the seeds were sown, I checked the water pressure on my sprinkler. I have a slight suspicion that it just isn't quite enough to do the job on its own. To be sure, I decided to test it out for the week.

Week 4 (part two) - The L.A. Arboretum Library

Time in: 9am
Time out: 11am

The recent CNPS news bulletin advertised a beginner orientation for the L.A. Arboretum Library. Here's what it said:

Exploring The Arboretum Library for Beginners
"Meet at the L.A. County Arboretum in Arcadia...Join Susan Eubank, Arboretum Librarian, as she gives an overview of the The Arboretum Library, its collections and services. This class is for anyone who is curious about what wonderful treasures are contained in this valuable and unique library."

I walked into a quaint building, the walls and ceiling had a yellowish tinge that old structures tend to inherit after over a half a century of service (not unlike many a classroom and Pierce college). Books all about the scientifics and aesthetics of plants covered every surface of a long table in which a few other library students and plant enthusiasts were sitting by. Susan warmly invited Jared and I in to take a seat.

We went over thier many different collections (gardening, plant lore, medical botany, horticultural history, etc.) in thier various mediums (books, periodicals, catalogs, pamphlets, slides, etc.), we then took a small tour around the premises.

Here's a quick overview of the library taken directly from the L.A. Arboretum site:

"The Arboretum Library houses upwards of 20,000 book titles and 300 current periodical titles on subjects ranging from gardening, horticulture, botany, California native plant life, environmental issues, and agriculture. Members of the general public can use the collection during library hours, and Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation members can check out materials for home use. We are also developing a Children’s book section that will include both fiction and non-fiction suitable for children of all ages. Children will be able to conduct research for school projects and participate in programming designed to promote literacy and environmental awareness."

And here are just 4 of the many many titles that caught my eye:

This was the first time I experienced a library that contained only books related to plants and therefore found it quite fascinating. For someone like me who has a strong desire to learn more about this particular field, this library is prone to be extremely useful and also very enjoyable.

Because of their beautiful gardens, their deep history and now that I know a little more about their vast collection of plant information, I am all the more encouraged to become a member of the L.A. Arboretum!