Upcoming Events of Interest

UNITED STATES GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL OF NEW JERSEY:

Registration Open: 9/15/10:  Pre East Coast Green Conference -  USGBC-NJ Education Workshops
Save The Date! 9/22/10: USGBC-NJ 7th Annual Golf Outing

NJ CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND SEMINARS FROM DIG IT E-MAGAZINE

The Garden Conservancy Events
Self-guided tour. Rain or shine. $5 per garden; children under 12 free
Open Days Program
The Garden Conservancy
P.O. Box 219
11 Old Postal Road
Cold Spring, NY 10516
(845) 265-5384, 1-888-842-2442
www.gardenconservancy.org or www.opendaysprogram.org

Frelinghuysen Arboretum Events
In the Gallery
June - Nature’s Point of View Photography Exhibit
Local award-winning artists Arthur Lee and Jordan Basem, exhibit nature inspired photographs.
July 20, 21 - Create a Mosaic Flower Pot
10-1
Register by July 7. Join Eleanor Parr DiLeo for 2-day class and create your own mosaic wall-hung flower pot. Bring some of your broken pottery to incorporate into design. Eleanor is member of Society of American Mosaic Artists. Fee plus an additional $10 materials fee to be paid to instructor.

July 25 - Fairy Day 1
Register by June 21. Garden Fairies return. To prepare for their arrival, houses need to be built. Families invited to celebrate and build a home for fairies. All supplies – bark, branches, lichens, mosses, feathers,
stones, leaves – provided, or bring your own natural materials. All fairy houses on display throughout August. To see photos of previous Fairy Houses or to get ideas: www.arboretumfriends.org Fee.
Affiliate Member Programs
The Frelinghuysen Arboretum
53 East Hanover Avenue
Morris Township (across from the County Library)
973-326-7603 or www.morrisparks.net or www.arboretumfriends.org

Jersey Shore Rose Society Meetings 12:30-3:30
Affiliate of American Rose Society. Held at Kensington Court Community Room, 864 Shrewsbury Ave., Tinton Falls.
Jersey Shore Rose Society
732-836-9084, www.jsroses.com/

Rutgers Cooperative Research & Extension of Middlesex County Events
July 20 - Elijah's Promise Farm to Table: All About Herbs 6:30
Experience methods used by chefs to get value and enjoyment out of local, seasonal crops. Rain or shine. Register by calling 732-545-9002 ext. 110 $15
July 19 thru August 31 - Youth Enhanced Service to Society
Students graduating 7-11th grades invited to summer day program. Focus on environmental stewardship, learn vegetable gardening, environmental concerns, importance of community service.
August 23 thru 27 - Eco-Ventures
Award-winning environmental summer day program for students grades 5 thru 8. Fee
August 28 - Garden Field Day 1-5
Garden Tours, Demos, Taste Tests, Live Music, Family Fun! Rain date: Aug. 29
Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County
EARTH Center
Davidson's Mill Pond Park
42 Riva Ave
South Brunswick
732 398 5262, www.co.middlesex.nj.us
/extensionservices

New Jersey Botanical Garden Events
July 11 - Skylands Manor Tours 11-3
Historic tours guided by docents. Donation.
Now thru October - Guided Garden Tours 2
Steady rain cancels. Meet at Carriage House and wear comfortable shoes. Free
Summer Concerts 7
Outdoors in Garden's beautiful surroundings; in Carriage House Visitor Center in inclement weather. Bring lawn chair or blanket and come enjoy wide range of musical talent in these beautiful surroundings. Light refreshments for purchase or bring your own, but no alcohol or pets. $3 per person donation requested.
July 9: Brassworks Brass quintet plays medieval, classical, ragtime, jazz, big band, Broadway show tunes, traditional American music. Sponsor: Bud & Virginia Korteweg of Coachworks July 23: Eight Days of Blues 6-man ensemble performs classic blues tunes with indelible style and groovin' originals. Sponsor: Prime Source Purchasing. www.eightdaysofblues.com August 6: The Homegrown String Band Traditional music including blues, ballads, fiddle tunes and demonstration of Appalachian flat-foot dancing. Sponsor: R & D Insurance www.homegrownstringband.com
August 20: Terence Martin Singer/songwriter/poet Terence Martin’s songs flow with hauntingly poetic images and elements of folk, blues, country.
Sponsored by Liberty Subaru/Liberty Hyundai www.martinsongs.com August 27: Red Molly Little bit country, folk, New Age, lilting three-part harmony on songs by contemporary writers, bluegrass standards, old-time southern gospel, classic American tunes. Sponsor: Atlantic Home Loans & Orly Steinberg of Coldwell Banker www.redmolly.com
NJ Botanical Garden at Skylands
Ringwood State Park
Morris Road, Ringwood
973-962-9534, www.njbg.org

Laurelwood Arboretum Events
Laurelwood Arboretum
725 Pines Lake Drive West (corner of Vale and Pines Lake Drive)
Wayne
Info: 973-202-9579, www.laurelwoodarboretum.org or info@laurelwoodarboretum.org

Grounds For Sculpture Events
Grounds For Sculpture
18 Fairgrounds Road
Hamilton
609-586-0616, www.groundsforsculpture.org

Palisades Interstate Park Commission Events
Hikes held "drizzle or shine" - heavy or steady precipitation may cancel. To confirm on morning of hike if conditions seem questionable, call 201 768-1360 ext 107.
Friends of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission
Bear Mountain
845.786.2701, admin@friendsofpalisades.org
www.friendsofpalisades.org

Somerset County Park Commission Events

Leonard J. Buck Garden Events
July 29 - Birding at Buck II – Backyard Habitat for Birds 9-11
Rain or shine. Join Naturalist and Garden staff to learn about feeders, houses, what specific birds like to eat, which plants provide food and shelter. Binoculars required. Fee:$12. Pre-registration required.
August 11 - Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds to Your Backyard 9:30-11:30
Learn how to plant backyard habitat to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Recommended species of trees, shrubs, wildflowers. Tour of these beneficial plants in Buck Garden follows. Fee. Pre-registration required.
September 1 - Art in the Garden - Watercolors in Garden 9-3
Rain date 9/2. Nature/wildlife artist Beatrice Bork shows how to capture garden’s beauty on paper. Also: choosing location when painting outdoors, paint application, mixing colors, composition, how to create a finished watercolor painting. Basic drawing skills recommended. Call for art supply list and bring lunch. Fee. Pre-registration required.
September 30 - Birding at Buck III - Why Birds Migrate 9-11
Rain or shine. Learn about bird migration and seasonal movement, which birds use stars to help them navigate, which birds use rising columns of warm air to assist them. Lecture and field study requires binoculars. Fee.
Leonard J. Buck Garden
11 Layton Road in Far Hills
Registration: 908-234-2677 ext. 21 or www.somersetcountyparks.org

NJ Audubon Society Events
NJ Audubon Society
Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary
11 Hardscrabble Road
Bernardsville
908-204-8998, www.njaudubon.org

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First Suburbia Transformed Exhibition Event Displays the Heart of Sustainability at the James Rose Center

The James Rose Center's first annual design exhibition SUBURBIA TRANSFORMED One Garden At A Time: Exploring the Aesthetics of Landscape Experience in the Age of Sustainability opened on Saturday, June 5th.  The debut of outstanding entries for the exhibition was held at the Center, Rose’s former home and design laboratory, in Ridgewood, NJ.  An afternoon reception presented the ten as-built projects recognized by a the professional jury as most expressing the full interaction of sustainable practices with designs for small sites. The emphasis is on how emerging sustainable strategies and tactics are used to create human landscape experiences that are beautiful, inspiring, perhaps profound; and which might serve as examples for transforming the suburban residential fabric, one garden at a time.

Impressed by all the winning entries, my personal favorite was Lisa L. Jenkins very personal work on her home site in Dallas, Texas.  I believe that the Jenkins work most reflects Rose’s abiding design philosophy: establishing the bond of place, lifestyle and local context.  The closing statement in her entry, “This is my home, not an investment, but my home.” expresses an essential, driving, but often unstated, element of sustainability: intrinsic, lasting, personalized value. Nothing can be sustained if it is not valued in such a visceral manner.
With the exceptional quality of this first exhibition, future Suburbia Transformed exhibits promise to truly transform and lead the dialogue on meaningful sustainable design. The exhibition is open to view Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am - 4 pm. The thoughtfully written exhibition catalog can be purchased at The James Rose Center or from the online bookstore at www.jamesrosecenter.org.       
  
The 2010 Suburbia Transformed winners exhibited in the show can be viewed at: http://jamesrosecenter.org/competition/index.html

A video newscast of the Exhibition can be viewed at the website link, below:

http://ridgewood.patch.com/articles/video-suburbia-transformed-at-the-james-rose-center#video-484865

“Permeable paving recharges the ground water and complements the lines of the architecture.” Haughland Shades of Green project in Sausalito.		An outdoor dining room is surrounded by cedar, pine, bayberry and beach grass.” Dirtworks project on Long Island.

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FRELINGHUYSEN ABORETUM CALL FOR GARDEN TOUR SITE
IN SUMMIT/SHORT HILLS AREA

Do you have an established garden worthy of inclusion in a tour of gardens? Mary Jasch of Dig It Magazine and the Frelinghuysen Arboretum are looking for a garden in Short Hills or Summit to complete a five garden tour scheduled for September 19, 2010.

 In order to properly promote this tour, you response is needed by July 21st with owner’s consent and directions in the hands of the Arboretum by July 26th .

This is an excellent opportunity for subtle word of mouth promotion of your talents to potential clients. If you have a cooperative and appreciative client willing to show off your garden creation, contact Mary Jasch  at  apple5@garden.net      

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Downtown Revitalization & Management Institute (DRMI)

The 12th annual quarterly seminars coordinated by Main Street New Jersey offer training for downtown success incorporating the Main Street approach. These seminars provide the opportunities New Jersey's downtowns need to develop and hone the skills and techniques to revitalize core commercial districts.

Effective Downtown Revitalization
The goal of downtown revitalization is to create, improve, and maintain a viable community for living and business activity. Over the past 20 years, revitalized downtowns have evolved from simple streets cape improvements, to complex economic development initiatives, often supported by public/private partnerships and guided by professional managers. The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Main Street New Jersey's Downtown Revitalization & Management Institute (DRMI) teaches a comprehensive, community-based management approach which recognizes that downtowns do not decline overnight, and they need time and consistent efforts to bring them back to vitality. Effective downtown management, applied with commitment by all community stakeholders, results in a vibrant and dynamic future for New Jersey's town centers. The DRMI is taught by trainers with expertise in the specific disciplines essential for success. Those that attend the entire training series receive a DCA certification upon completion, which the Department will take into account when considering future DCA program applications.

Remaining 2010 DRMI Sessions

Designing Downtown: Building Healthy Communities and Economies Together
• August 17-18, 2010 (sponsor TBD)

Promoting Your Place: Leveraging and Communicating Your Local Assets
• October 27-28, 2010 (sponsor TBD)

All DRMI sessions are held at Thomas Edison State College in historic downtown Trenton, adjacent to the Statehouse.

For More Information...
Please contact us
(609) 633-9648
msnj@dca.state.nj.us

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Play trends
Recently an interesting play report on children, families and play was pub­lished. The report was initiated by IKEA. The internet-based interviews were conducted by Family Kids and Youth - a youth-focused Market Research Com­pany. They conducted 11,000 interviews in 25 countries including the US. They spoke with 8,000 parents and 3,000 children aged 7–12.

Playing with friends — still key motivator in children’s activities
The report contains lots of interesting information. You can find international trends on play as well as individual countries of interest. Advocates and designers of playgrounds around the world will find the report’s results important. One finding stands out. Kids around the world choose playing with friends and their family more than any other activity. When they can choose ac­tivities themselves, they choose friend­ships and relationships. Kids were asked, “Would you rather X or Y this weekend, if you could only choose one?”
Kids today want to play with friends more than watching TV or using the in­ternet. They also prioritize playing with parents much more than watching TV. It is clear that opportunities for spending time with peers and parents are very high on kids’ wish list of things to do. It is an important universal trend worth paying attention to, especially in light of the media’s sometimes one-dimensional portrayal of youth obsession with the internet and videogames. Adults are responsible for providing kids spaces to play, but also the time to do it. And yes, they do appreciate parents taking the time to play more often. Designing in­triguing social spaces to meet, play, and be physically active must be high on our community planning agenda.
Check out the report
www.facebook.com/playreport

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Expand Your Design Horizons- August 17 through 24, 2010
The Japanese Garden in Japan: An International Workshop

Trip of a lifetime!”-Linda Jewell, FASLA Chair, Department of Landscape Architecture, UC Berkeley
Coordinators:

Dr. Seiko Goto [contact at gotos@sebs.rutgers.edu ]
Department of Landscape Architecture, Rutgers University

Dr. Takahiro Naka
Department of Environmental Design,
Kyoto University of Art and Design

What can contemporary landscape architects learn from the historic Japanese garden? Many prominent American landscape architects have been inspired to create new designs after an encounter with the Japanese garden, which became a turning point in their careers. The Japanese garden is unique not just in its design but also its maintenance techniques, which can only be understood through hands-on experience. Given the great success of our 2007 and 2008 workshops, we are organizing another international workshop in Japan in August 2010.
The main objective of the workshop is to give American landscape architects an opportunity to personally discover the Japanese garden and be inspired by its beauty. 

This weeklong program will allow participants to experience major Japanese gardens firsthand, as well as learn about garden maintenance on the grounds of the Kyoto Imperial Palaces. A translator will be present at all events. The Department of Environmental Design at Kyoto University of Art and Design is renowned for the study of historical Japanese gardens as well as new designs. We believe that the opportunity to meet people from a different cultural background who share the same interests will be a great asset for workshop participants.

Schedule
Day 1: Aug.18 (Wed)            
Morning:
Introduction to Japanese gardens at Kyoto University of Art and Design.

Lecture: “Introduction to Japanese garden styles.” Dr. Naka                  
Afternoon:
Tour of Murin-an (private garden, 20c) &
Nanzen Temple Konchi-in (dry garden, 17c)
Guided by Dr. Naka

Day 2: Aug.19 (Thu) Kyoto Garden Tour, Guided by Dr. Naka

Morning:
Tour of Golden Pavilion (pond garden, 17c) and
Ryoan-ji (dry garden, 17c)

Afternoon:
Tour of Tenryu-ji (zen garden ) and
Daikuji Osawa Pond ( pond garden, 10c)

Day 3: Aug. 20 (Fri)  Tour Kyoto – Imperial Gardens :
Kyoto Imperial Palace, Shugaku-in, Katsura

Day 4: Aug. 21 (Sat)   Tour Kyoto Guided by Dr. Goto
Morning:
Tour of Daitoku-ji Daisen-in (dry garden, 16c) and
Koto-in (tea garden, 20c)
Afternoon:
Tour: Nijo-castle (Castle garden, 17c)

Day 5: Aug. 22 (Sun)   Tour Nara: Heijo Castle Guided by Dr. Goto (1hour by train from Kyoto)

Day 6: Aug. 23 (Mon) Workshop on Japanese garden maintenance techniques at
Hikone Castle Genkyu-en
        (1hour by train from Kyoto)

Estimated Cost

1.  Airfare          $1,200.00          
2. Meals                      $50.00 x 8 days = $400.00
3. Lodging: Palaceside Hotel, Kyoto    $50.00(twin) x 7 nights (8/17-8/23)  = $350.00
4. Entrance Fees and Transportation (bus and train)        
                          $200.00 (Not including taxi)

Total Travel Expenses Approximately $2,150+ (All prices are estimates and subject to change)                                             
                                                           

Other Details

• Kyoto University of Art and Design and its staff are not responsible for any difficulties resulting from accident, illness, crime, etc.
• Because of weather conditions or other reasons, the itinerary of the garden tour may be subject to change.
• Participants must have valid passports.
• Participants must cover their own expenses.
• Participants must purchase their own airline tickets.
• Participants should purchase their own trip insurance.
• Participants must stay at the designated hotel during the workshop.
• Participants need to be in "good health," with no accessibility issues.  
• After the selection, the participants will be provided more information about climate, appropriate clothing, and any other necessary supplies, the permissibility of photography (videos on the iPhone, etc.), recommendations for learning some basic Japanese phrases, and basic bibliography.  
• The organizers and any entities involved in facilitating, promoting or achieving continuing education credits for this program are not responsible for any negative incidents arising from travel, program cancellations or any difficulties resulting from accident, illness, crime, etc. in the course of participation in this workshop. 

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