Bonsai Sale Aids Needed Arboretum Repairs
Gardeners and the garden-inspired bought plants and helped revamp the on-campus nature preserve at UCF's Arboretum nursery sale this past weekend.
Butterflies and soft, Asian-inspired music hung in the air as students and staff browsed through the displays of ficus, bonsai and ferns available for purchase. The goal of the sale was to generate money for the new design of the Arboretum.
Shoppers chose from 100 varieties of plants. Twelve local nurseries and individuals donated the plants, Arboretum directorMartin Quigley said. He said he had hoped to raise $30,000 to go toward trees and shrubs.
The best seller of the weekend seemed to be the manageable bonsai trees, but any plants that weren't sold on campus will be offered for sale to local retailers and clubs. The remaining plants will be held until the spring.
The Arboretum is receiving a makeover because of the damage from the 2004 hurricanes.
Most of the damage came from the falling of the pine canopy, according to the UCF News and Information Web site. The current plant life in the Arboretum is sparse and in disrepair.
The master design plan for the Arboretum will be revealed in early December. The process will take three to five years with the planting to begin in January, Quigley said. The new Arboretum will be home to about 1,200 different species of plants, the majority being native to Florida, placed in both wild and cultured settings.
Quigley also described the bio-geographic theme gardens that will display plant life that is not native to the Florida region, but which thrive in the climate, such as bonsai trees.
Such displays will include plants native to Asia/India, Southeast Asia, Australia/Pacific Islands, Indian Ocean areas, South Africa, the Mediterranean, South America, Central America/Caribbean and temperate America.
Quigley plans to keep the already existing Arboretum structures in place, including the pond and waterfall that were dedicated in 1996.
"They're the only historical features we have!" he said.
A display board at the nursery sale described a new "green" building that will be placed in the midst of the Arboretum. "Green" refers to the plans for it to "use the best technology available to reduce energy use, and to control storm water runoff."
It will hold offices for the Arboretum, the UCF Herbarium and the Florida Solar Energy Center.
The roof is to be planted, and the north side of the building will be made "earth sheltered," meaning plants will slowly grow on and around the structure to become one with the landscape.
Quigley said he anticipated the remodeling would cost $10 million, with the funding coming from private donors and research finances. It is hoped the involvement of FSEC will attract more donors, Quigley said.
The 88 acres that make up the Arboretum are currently undergoing prescribed burning in order to maintain the already existing healthy ecosystem and to prevent unplanned fires.
The prescribed fires are necessary to control excessive fuel loads, or dead and decaying plants, which create a high risk of wild fires.
The next prescribed fire is planned for early January, but the exact date will depend on the weather for safety precautions, Quigley said.
The burn will be conducted by the prescribed fire coordinator, the UCF burn boss, and other organizations such as the Florida Division of Forestry, Orange County Fire/Rescue and the Nature Conservatory.
Quigley suggested students take a look at the January burn, the best view of which will be from the East Parking Garage.
Although the process of burning and replanting will be long and tedious, Quigley said there were still beautiful areas of the Arboretum to enjoy until the entire process is finished.
"We hope the students will take advantage of the Arboretum … there is so much to do and see," he said.
The Arboretum will be open to the public throughout its reconstruction.
The Arboretum Web site is not currently up to date, but the master design plans are scheduled to be available in January via the UCF Facilities Planning Site under "Master Plan Drawings."
Butterflies and soft, Asian-inspired music hung in the air as students and staff browsed through the displays of ficus, bonsai and ferns available for purchase. The goal of the sale was to generate money for the new design of the Arboretum.
Shoppers chose from 100 varieties of plants. Twelve local nurseries and individuals donated the plants, Arboretum directorMartin Quigley said. He said he had hoped to raise $30,000 to go toward trees and shrubs.
The best seller of the weekend seemed to be the manageable bonsai trees, but any plants that weren't sold on campus will be offered for sale to local retailers and clubs. The remaining plants will be held until the spring.
The Arboretum is receiving a makeover because of the damage from the 2004 hurricanes.
Most of the damage came from the falling of the pine canopy, according to the UCF News and Information Web site. The current plant life in the Arboretum is sparse and in disrepair.
The master design plan for the Arboretum will be revealed in early December. The process will take three to five years with the planting to begin in January, Quigley said. The new Arboretum will be home to about 1,200 different species of plants, the majority being native to Florida, placed in both wild and cultured settings.
Quigley also described the bio-geographic theme gardens that will display plant life that is not native to the Florida region, but which thrive in the climate, such as bonsai trees.
Such displays will include plants native to Asia/India, Southeast Asia, Australia/Pacific Islands, Indian Ocean areas, South Africa, the Mediterranean, South America, Central America/Caribbean and temperate America.
Quigley plans to keep the already existing Arboretum structures in place, including the pond and waterfall that were dedicated in 1996.
"They're the only historical features we have!" he said.
A display board at the nursery sale described a new "green" building that will be placed in the midst of the Arboretum. "Green" refers to the plans for it to "use the best technology available to reduce energy use, and to control storm water runoff."
It will hold offices for the Arboretum, the UCF Herbarium and the Florida Solar Energy Center.
The roof is to be planted, and the north side of the building will be made "earth sheltered," meaning plants will slowly grow on and around the structure to become one with the landscape.
Quigley said he anticipated the remodeling would cost $10 million, with the funding coming from private donors and research finances. It is hoped the involvement of FSEC will attract more donors, Quigley said.
The 88 acres that make up the Arboretum are currently undergoing prescribed burning in order to maintain the already existing healthy ecosystem and to prevent unplanned fires.
The prescribed fires are necessary to control excessive fuel loads, or dead and decaying plants, which create a high risk of wild fires.
The next prescribed fire is planned for early January, but the exact date will depend on the weather for safety precautions, Quigley said.
The burn will be conducted by the prescribed fire coordinator, the UCF burn boss, and other organizations such as the Florida Division of Forestry, Orange County Fire/Rescue and the Nature Conservatory.
Quigley suggested students take a look at the January burn, the best view of which will be from the East Parking Garage.
Although the process of burning and replanting will be long and tedious, Quigley said there were still beautiful areas of the Arboretum to enjoy until the entire process is finished.
"We hope the students will take advantage of the Arboretum … there is so much to do and see," he said.
The Arboretum will be open to the public throughout its reconstruction.
The Arboretum Web site is not currently up to date, but the master design plans are scheduled to be available in January via the UCF Facilities Planning Site under "Master Plan Drawings."
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posted by Davor Novakovic @ Monday, November 21, 2005
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