Critical Issues in Consumer Horticulture: Gaps in Research and Public Gardens’ Involvement in Consumer Horticulture

The retail gardening industry in the United States is expected to reach $50 billion by 2023, and it is a significant driver of the agricultural economy. To meet the corresponding demand for information, consumer horticulture (CH) professionals will need to develop innovative digital outreach, research-based solutions, a concerted recruitment of youth, and enhanced collaborations. To understand the current gaps in CH research and the extent of the involvement of public gardens in CH, surveys were conducted among the two groups, CH/extension researchers and staff of public gardens. The results of the surveys were presented at the virtual conference of the American Society for Horticultural Science on 12 Aug. 2020 during a workshop hosted by the Consumer Horticulture and Master Gardener Professional Interest Group. The workshop included four presentations, and two of those are discussed in this paper: 1) research gaps in CH and 2) bridging the divide between CH and public gardens. Among researchers, even though there was a general understanding of CH, there was a disconnect in participants’ perceptions of the roles of CH in the economy and recreation. The greatest knowledge gap was in basic horticultural practices. Regarding public garden professionals, there needs to be a concerted effort to educate them about CH so they can provide a consistent message to their audiences and the general public.

Isolation Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa from Soil and Production of Lipase Enzyme

The isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria were uncovered in the soil surrounding the roots of palms and public gardens in Baghdad for the production of lipase enzyme. The lipase enzyme has many applications that are included in the textile and food industry, and the manufacture of detergents and medical preparations. Several tests such as temperature change, incubation period, change of lipid sources, nitrogen sources such as peptone and tryptone, and carbon sources such as glucose and lactose were carried out to choose suitable conditions for bacterial growth. The results indicated studying the conditions affecting production, it was noted that the best production was when using the culture medium to which 1% of corn oil was added, pH 7, at a temperature of 37 °C and an incubation period of 24 hours in vibrating incubator at 151 rpm, The soil surrounding the roots of the plant is a good reservoir for the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria

Woody plants of public gardens in Ussuryisk city (Primorye Territory)

The species and quantitative composition of woody-shrub plants in public gardens in Ussuriysk (Primorye Territory) have been studied. A total of 63 taxa from 41 genera and 21 families have been recorded. Among them, by the number of species the rose family is the leader (28,6% of the total number of species), 10 families are represented by only one genus and species. The largest genus is the genus Acer L., 6 species of which are used in landscaping in the studied public gardens. The composition of woody plants is dominated by aboriginal species (69,8% of their total number), among introduced species there are plants of East Asia (9 species), North America (4 species), as well as plants of Eurasian (3 species) and European (3 species) origin. Life forms (biomorphs) are dominated by summer-green trees over 10 m in height (23 species), summer-green shrubs over 2 m in height (13 species) and summer-green shrubs 1-2 m in height (12 species). Most often in the landscaping of public gardens in the Ussuriysk city there are Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila L.), Asian white birch (Betula platyphylla Sukacz.), common ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolia (L.) Maxim.), ash-leaved maple (Acer negundo L.) and Manchu ash (Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr.). Keywords: PUBLIC GARDEN, LANDSCAPING, ARBORIFLORA, LIFE FORM (BIOMORPH), USSURIYSK, PRIMORYE TERRITORY, RECREATION ZONE

Analysis of the influence of types of spatial structures of public gardens of the Orel city on the architectural and ecological sustainability of urbanized landscapes

Introduction. A public garden or park improvement project should arise from a scientifically grounded study of the territory and proceed from the further development of this object. The aim of the study is to analyze the territory of public gardens in the city of Orel to determine the influence of types of spatial structures on the features of the functioning of a landscape object, to predict the stability of the studied landscape and to assess the dynamics of urban ecosystems based on the state of tree vegetation. Tasks: to analyze the placement and ratio of types of spatial structures on the objects under study; to make an aesthetic and sanitary-hygienic assessment of the landscape; to monitor the state of woody vegetation at the facilities. Materials and methods. For the development of scientifically based design of sustainable urban ecosystems and the reconstruction of urban objects of landscape architecture, a method is proposed for studying the territory of squares along the selected contours of types of spatial structures (TPS), which allows us to identify positive and negative factors affecting the development of design solutions. When analyzing the TPS of the investigated squares, satellite images of objects were used. Results. As studies of the type of spatial structure have shown, in most of the investigated squares, indoor TPS prevails; on average, this type of spatial structure is established on 41.8 % of the square of squares. The location of open and semi-open TPS is haphazard and random. The lowest aesthetic score was established for the closed TPS-21.9 points, which is due to the difficulty of identifying species points in such spaces, poor visibility, inhibition of the growth of not only trees, but also the ground vegetation cover, which in most cases is represented by a sparse grass stand with poor species diversity. When conducting a sanitary and hygienic assessment of various TPSs, it was found that a closed TPS also corresponds to the worst grade (2.5 class), which is associated with a decrease in the suitability for performing sanitary and hygienic functions in weakened and damaged plants. Conclusions. For the majority of public gardens in the city of Orel with a plant age close to the maximum in urban conditions, a closed type of spatial structure is characteristic. The closed type of spatial structure led to a decrease not only in attractiveness, but also in the performed sanitary and hygienic role of landscape architecture objects.

IoT based Automation of Public Garden and Botanical Garden

People in urban areas appreciate and enjoy the beauty of nature as carefully manicured grass and flowers in public gardens. Senior citizens find this place best for their social networking, while children enjoy their recreational activities here. Botanical garden generally refers to a place where, variety of flora species are planted and grown for the purpose of scientific study. Maintaining a garden or botanical garden takes lot of maintenance effort along with monitoring various parameters such as moisture and light; ambient factors like temperature and humidity of air are also important factors. The focus of this paper is to demonstrate and implement a cost-effective way to monitor and control soil moisture, ambient air temperature and humidity in such gardens by means of controlling drip irrigation pumps and water sprinklers.

The Role of Healing Gardens in The Landscape Sustainability For Public Gardens

There were emergences trends towards achieving sustainability in landscape. But the study of the role of healing gardens in the landscape sustainability for the public gardens had not been studied previously in recent literatures. The research hypothesis is that healing gardens have a role in the landscape sustainability for public gardens. The research depends on a descriptive analytical study for public garden samples, which applied the design principles and elements of healing gardens (accessibility, Sense of control, Flexibility, etc). These gardens also relied in their designs on the basic principles of sustainability. The results showed that healing gardens effectively contribute achieving landscape sustainability for public garden through the use of natural materials, the cultivation of local plants, consistent with the local climate, and enhancing social interaction and sensory interaction with the landscape.

Exploring Careers at Public Gardens: A Long-term Evaluation of The Morton Arboretum Public Horticulture Internship

A long-term evaluation of The Morton Arboretum’s Public Horticulture Internship Program was conducted. Of the 33 alumni of the internship between 2003 and 2019, 22 were contacted and asked to complete a survey and semistructured interview. Fourteen responded, representing interns who completed the program since 2003 though skewed somewhat toward more recent graduates. Results portrayed a well-received program that was generally effective in its goals. Forty-six percent of respondents were currently working in public gardens, including several in high-level administrative and leadership positions. Some that were not currently in the field pursued employment at public gardens, but were unsuccessful due to residing too far from a public garden, lack of available positions, failure to meet credential requirements of entry-level positions, or inability to earn a starting salary meeting their expectations. Others pursued adjacent green industry careers including environmental journalism or consulting. All respondents commented that the program provided effective exposure to public horticulture and careers at public gardens, although could be somewhat fast paced and overwhelming.

Derivation of Necessary Items for Implementation of Gardens in Urban Agricultural Parks

Background and objective: This study was conducted to obtain empirical data for deriving necessary items for the creation and management of gardens in urban agricultural parks while maintaining the publicness of the place by examining the difference in perception among park visitors about the gardens in the public parks. Methods: A survey was conducted on users of urban agricultural parks in 6 locations and 113 copies of the questionnaire were collected. After understanding the demographic characteristics and the current use of the garden, we identified the importance of the necessary items for the public gardens. Results: 108 subjects(95.6%) responded that gardens are needed in urban parks, for psychological and emotional health (26.2%) and for interaction and friendship with family and neighbors(23.2%). For use of garden crops, most were private sales(96 subjects, 64.4%), and both sales preferred to partially donate their crops. Most used communal gardens operated by public institutions(30.1%). It was found that 96.4% of the respondents were satisfied with gardening activities, and 107(94.7%) of them showed their intention to participate in the gardening in the future. The Kaiser Meyer Olkin value was .848 and the significance level was .001, proving the validity of factor analysis. The factors were named composition elements(Factor 1), management items(Factor 2), convenience elements(Factor 3), and operational facilities(Factor 4). In the survey on the creation and management of gardens in urban agricultural parks, there were no statistically significant differences, but all items had correlations. Conclusion: The results have reflected the needs of actual users in establishing the plans to operate urban gardens, thereby having great utility value as the basic data for continuous garden management. Further research can be conducted to derive detailed elements that can guarantee sustainability of urban gardens and suggest high-quality data for management of gardens in urban agricultural parks.