Education – blog

Lasdon Home School Art Show

Jessica Schuler — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 20:41:57 +0000

On Friday, June 20, set against the lush backdrop of the “Tropical Courtyard,” 16 children from the Lasdon Home School Art & Nature Program had the thrill of a lifetime when artwork they created was displayed for the weekend in the Conservatory. More than fifty attendees came to see the artwork during the Grand Opening. The artwork had been created during monthly classes in which children ages three to eleven learned about a famous artist and the art they created. Inspired by the artist, the children created unique works of art that linked the history of art and the practice of making art as they explored a variety of mediums and different techniques.

On display were works created after a lesson about Jackson Pollack and his splatter, poured and drip techniques. There were photographs of Earth Art that the children installed around the park after a class about the Earth Art made by artist Andy Worthy. Paper mosaics were on display that had been made after a class linking historical Greek and Roman mosaics with contemporary artist Jim Bachor who makes public mosaic installations. Inspired by the shapes and colors used by Henri Matisse in print making, prints made by the children from foam printing plates were displayed. Sculptures were also on display created from recycled or repurposed material that were sculpted after a lesson about size and perspective as seen through the balloon sculptures of Jeff Koons.

Reviews of the show were positive. Visitors described it as, a “Magnificent Art Show,” and “Great Work.” Developed by Lasdon educator Emily Fountain, plans are underway for the 2025-2026 Lasdon Home School Art & Nature Program. Registration Opens August 11, 2025. If you are interested in the program, visit the website or contact Emily at 914-864-5541 or eff@westchestercountyny.gov for information.

ARTS Rose Trial

Madeline Byrne — Thu, 01 May 2025 22:11:12 +0000

ARTS Rose Trial

Lasdon Park and Arboretum has a long history of scientific plant research. On our grounds are a chestnut study that was started in 1992, a new oak study growing trees from acorns gathered on the east coast of the United States and an hemlock study in three plots in the park.

Now we have started a two year trial for roses!

Our partner in this endeavor is ARTS, American Rose Trials for Sustainability®. This group runs rose trials around the country to identify ‘the most disease- and pest-resistant, hardiest, and most garden-worthy rose cultivars’.

Find our rose blocks on the top of the Memorial Garden. There are 20 roses in the trial planted in each of the beds in a randomized planting scheme. In this blind study, the roses are all labelled as 2025-x, we don’t know what rose we have! Evaluations will be done monthly between May and October for the trial based on their strict protocol. Our rose beds will not be sprayed with pesticides nor treated with fertilizers. We will not be deadheading and just a three inch layer of mulch will keep weeds down and supply the soil with nutrients.

A.R.T.S.® awarded rose introductions are beautiful because they are ecologically-responsible as well as gorgeous to look at. They require minimal input for maximum performance in the landscape. Results of the trial will appear in ‘Nursery Management Magazine’.

Please come by and check our newest additions to the beautiful gardens at Lasdon Park.

Winter Interest

Madeline Byrne — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 12:07:12 +0000

Visit Lasdon Park and Arboretum during the winter months to look for plants with ‘winter interest’.

Memorial Garden:

Expanding buds of Hamamelis (witchhazel) and Forsythia cultivars

Scented foliage of Lavendula ‘Phenomenal’ (lavender)

Red and green stems of Cornus sericea (red and green twigged dogwood)

Flowers of Hellebores (Lenten rose, Christmas rose)

Purple leaves of Bergenia cordifolia ‘Red Start’

Nan’s Garden

Native plant seedheads and rose hips

Arboretum

Fuzzy buds of Magnolia tree collection

Exfoliating (peeling) bark of Acer griseum (paperbark maple), Stewartia pseudocamellia, and Betula nigra (river birch)

Where Do Rabbits Go in Winter

cxg3 — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 15:39:06 +0000

Visitors to Lasdon during warmer weather may occasionally see eastern cottontail rabbits on our lawns and in our gardens. Since the arrival of colder days, the rabbits seem to have disappeared. Rabbits don’t hibernate, so where are they?

Rabbits are well suited for survival in the cold. They start preparing for winter during the warmer months when food is readily available. They typically consume weeds, flowers, grasses and herbs. Rabbits are vegetarians so they have ample time to fatten up over spring and summer. As fall heads into winter rabbits have not only gained weight, they have also grown thicker coats.

The onset of winter weather necessitates a change in diet from vegetarian to a woody diet of twigs and tree bark. Rabbits don’t store food, so they must continually be in search of possible food sources. This helps them to stay active and to keep warm. They seek out twigs and the bark of roses and sumac bushes. Young trees like birch, willow and oaks are also favored for their bark.

Rabbits do sleep for a total of 8 hours each day, but not all at once. They may sleep for periods of less than 30 minutes, before returning to their search for food. While rabbits don’t dig burrows they do take advantage of abandoned fox dens and hollowed out tree trunks. Brush piles also offer good protection for rabbits. Evergreen trees, too, offer protection from wind and cold.

To look for more information about rabbits during the winter season do an on-line search for the site Wildlife in Winter. If you are visiting Lasdon Park for a winter walk look for areas where rabbits may be finding shelter or food. You may find you are not alone on your journey in nature.

Nature’s Promises

cxg3 — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:27:38 +0000

As we begin a new year we often make resolutions or promises for the coming year. Nature makes promises as well and the evidence is all around us. When you are out on a walk all you need to do is look up at the branches of the trees surrounding you.

Nature makes a promise each year in the buds it produces along and at the tips of twigs located on the branches of trees. The buds can be quite varied in their shape, size and color depending on the type of tree they are growing on. The buds all have one thing in common, though, and that is protection from cold winter temperatures and drying winds. Each bud is surrounded by tightly packed weatherproof scales that protect the coming year’s leaves and prevent them from opening until spring temperatures begin to warm.

No need to wait until spring, though, to identify a tree by its’ leaves. Buds not only protect in winter they also aid in tree identification. Buds on a magnolia tree are large, pointed, plump and fuzzy covered with soft silver hairs (in photo above). Hawthorn tree buds are short, blunt, reddish brown and knobby. Oak trees have fat, pinkish-red brown buds that are blunt at the top and grow in small clusters near the ends of the branches. Buds on beech trees are long, slender, and pointed at both ends. There are color photo guides of winter tree buds readily available online.

Lasdon has many tree-lined paths and woodland trails. Why not learn to identify a few trees by their buds as you wait for nature to fulfill its promise of new, spring leaves.

Nature’s Winter Wonders

cxg3 — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 20:08:13 +0000

The holidays are fast approaching and the daily pace is increasing just as the amount of daylight is decreasing. For a change of pace take advantage of a sunny day and get outdoors to enjoy nature. You may just make some wonderful discoveries.

Deciduous trees and shrubs have dropped most of their leaves and gardens have finished blooming but nature still provides lots of color and interesting textures. Red berries can be found on many hollies (Ilex spp). Shrubs without their leaves like dogwoods (Cornus sericea) may display either bright red or yellow stems. The leaves on some broadleaf evergreens like rhododendrons may take on a purplish cast. Long- needled evergreens like Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) reach out with soft needles.

The shorter days will slowly begin to lengthen as the Winter Solstice on December 21 approaches. Celebrate the season by taking in the beauty of evergreen trees with their unique pinecones, oak trees now surrounded by acorns and busy squirrels, and the varying colors of tree bark. Lasdon has many trails just waiting for you to explore nature’s winter wonders.

Ginkgo biloba: A Living Fossil

Jessica Schuler — Sat, 26 Oct 2024 20:36:15 +0000

According to Charles Darwin, a living fossil describes a species that have managed to remain physically identical over the millennia and are still alive today. A great example of a living fossil is one that puts on a beautiful display of vibrant yellow autumn color, the Ginkgo biloba tree. A leaf of this tree which is commonly known as a ginkgo or maidenhair was found in China in a fossil that dates back to 270 million years ago during the middle Jurassic epoch. A true living fossil that exists in so many of our landscapes today.

The fact that it has survived all these millennia is a testament to its resiliency. Its’ survival included several glacial events as well as mass extinctions. The ginkgo tree is often planted in urban areas because it tolerates a variety of growing conditions. It is pollution and salt tolerant as well as disease and insect resistant. Although not a native tree, it is not listed in any state or national invasive species list.

The ginkgo produces easily recognizable but unusual fan shaped, medium-green leaves in spring. It is in autumn, however, when the leaves turn a vivid yellow that it makes its’ presence known. The ginkgo will usually hold the beautiful fall color until mid-November when a hard frost occurs. Amazingly, this occurrence causes most, if not all, of the leaves to fall from the tree at the same time. The beauty of all of the fallen bright yellow leaves prolongs the colorful show.

Wooly Bear Caterpillars

Jessica Schuler — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 19:40:55 +0000

The cooler days of autumn often bring thoughts of the winter ahead. As long-range weather forecasts can be difficult to predict, our thoughts may instead stray to long standing folklore. One tale comes readily to mind as fall walks take us outside to observe the beauty of nature.

On our autumn walks it is not uncommon to come across the wooly bear caterpillar. This caterpillar is often the first one we learn to recognize as it has three bands of color, two black bands at the front and back separated by one orange band in the middle. According to popular folklore when the middle orange band is wider than the black bands we will have a mild winter. If the black bands are wider than the middle orange band we will have a severe winter. While there is no scientific proof to this, it is fun to see if the prediction is accurate.

The banded wooly bear caterpillar we see in fall will look for a secure place to hibernate over winter. The common name wooly bear comes from its bushy hairs and the fact that it hibernates in winter just like bears do. Once cold weather really sets in, the wooly bear’s body will become frozen on the outside of its’ cells. In spring it will thaw out, produce a cocoon and become a Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharcta Isabella). This will occur whether the winter is mild or severe so the fall banded wooly bear caterpillar will survive to complete its’ life cycle and become a moth.

Eastern Chipmunks in Fall

Jessica Schuler — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 19:10:46 +0000

Eastern Chipmunks in Fall

Eastern chipmunks are busy these days making preparations for winter. They are collecting and storing seeds and nuts in their underground burrows as a stockpile for the oncoming cold weather. Once temperatures reach around 40 degrees, chipmunks will begin a type of semi-hibernation underground spending most of their time sleeping. On warm days they may wake up to eat and even do some foraging to add to their winter pantry.

No matter the season, though, chipmunks are very vulnerable when they are out of their burrows. They make different sounds as a way to warn other chipmunks of danger. For warnings about predators on the ground such as dogs, cats, foxes and raccoons chipmunks will make a rapid, high pitch chip, chip, chip sound. It can actually sound a lot like a bird call. If aerial predators like hawks pose a threat, chipmunks will make a very loud, lower toned and somewhat slower sound of cluck, cluck, cluck. Listening to chipmunk sounds when you are out walking this fall alerts you to the fact that the chipmunks are out too.

The Old Greenhouse

Madeline Byrne — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 19:39:14 +0000

Recently Lasdon Park had visitors to view our behind-the-scenes greenhouses. These two greenhouses are used for winter storage of tropical plants and seed and plug growing. Imagine our surprise when one said we had a Lord and Burnham greenhouse! Who were Lord and Burnham?

The Lord and Burnham company was founded in 1850 and became one of the most important greenhouse manufacturers in America. Many large conservatories, both public and private, built between the 1920’s and the 1960’s were Lord and Burnham models. The New York Botanical Garden’s Haupt Conservatory and US Botanical Gardens were designed by them. Their company was based in Irvington, New York, to be closer to the great estates along the Hudson River.

Originally made from cypress wood, iron, steel and float glass, they were later constructed with aluminum frames and tempered glass.

A visit to the archives held at The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, New York gave us confirmation that we indeed had a Lord and Burnham greenhouse. The librarian produced the proposed greenhouse plans drawn for William Lasdon on Amawalk Road dated May 1, 1959. The structure matched our greenhouse perfectly including the workspace currently known as the headhouse.