Panchito Manzanita
In Connecticut I grew a woody evergreen groundcover called Kinnikinnik, which was just fun to say and a wonderful word to know for crossword puzzles. In botanical nomenclature it is Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, also a hoot to roll off the tongue, and meaning Bearberry. Bears eat its fruit.
It's in the family of woody plants called manzanitas.
Yesterday I was introduced to Bearberry's western cousin, Arctostaphylos coloradoensis, the western bearberry. It's a manzanita called Panchito. Panchito Manzanita. These are just fun plants to pronounce and I am going to find a way to drop them into conversation with you whenever I can, so be forewarned.
We were at the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, which is a new and very young garden, just established 6 years ago. It's a treasure. I go to their monthly book group, I've been to interesting classes on trees and climate, and to summer concerts in the garden, and often when we visit there are student groups roaming about. There is a beautifully designed children's section called Ojos y Manos (Eyes and Hands) for instruction and play and history of native plants and crops and cooking and fiber use, and there is a rustic stone performance amphitheater built into the hill evoking a Pueblo kiva. The friendliness and enthusiasm of everyone I've met at the garden is impressive.
I've been asked to be a docent at the garden, but I'm reluctant -- I still have so much to learn about western gardening. They provide extensive training but I feel unready. And yet, should I do it?
When we were at the garden a really helpful docent named Ron helped me identify this pretty plant. It looked familiar -- I knew Kinnikinnik from my old garden -- but it wasn't marked and Ron had to do some scouting and finally took my e-mail and got back to me later in the day after he had confirmed what this plant was. He was just the friendliest guy, not embarrassed about his inability to id a plant at first, but super helpful to go get me the info.
I could do this. I could be a docent. Should I do it? It's volunteer.
There were other interesting people at the garden the day we visited. This one was a little weird and keptstalking following me, but he said he was a papparazzi and he had a camera so I believed him.
He wasn't, though. Not paparazzi, not stalking. He was just my husband. I know him.
We went to the garden because I thought the garden's orchard trees -- a setting of apricots, peaches, crabapples and pears -- might be in bloom. But it's still early April, the botanical garden is at 7,100 feet elevation, a bit above the city proper, and it was cold and windy. No fruit trees were in bloom yet. But soon.
So, . . . maybe I should think about volunteering to be a docent at the garden? Ron, my new best friend who helped me identify the western Panchito Manzanita, was a great example of the garden's outreach, friendliness and knowledge. He's my hero.
I could do the same maybe.
It's in the family of woody plants called manzanitas.
Yesterday I was introduced to Bearberry's western cousin, Arctostaphylos coloradoensis, the western bearberry. It's a manzanita called Panchito. Panchito Manzanita. These are just fun plants to pronounce and I am going to find a way to drop them into conversation with you whenever I can, so be forewarned.
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| Panchito Manzanita, or mock bearberry - evergreen, drought lover, tidy, low grower |
We were at the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, which is a new and very young garden, just established 6 years ago. It's a treasure. I go to their monthly book group, I've been to interesting classes on trees and climate, and to summer concerts in the garden, and often when we visit there are student groups roaming about. There is a beautifully designed children's section called Ojos y Manos (Eyes and Hands) for instruction and play and history of native plants and crops and cooking and fiber use, and there is a rustic stone performance amphitheater built into the hill evoking a Pueblo kiva. The friendliness and enthusiasm of everyone I've met at the garden is impressive.
I've been asked to be a docent at the garden, but I'm reluctant -- I still have so much to learn about western gardening. They provide extensive training but I feel unready. And yet, should I do it?
 |
| Panchito Manzanita in bloom, picture from early May |
When we were at the garden a really helpful docent named Ron helped me identify this pretty plant. It looked familiar -- I knew Kinnikinnik from my old garden -- but it wasn't marked and Ron had to do some scouting and finally took my e-mail and got back to me later in the day after he had confirmed what this plant was. He was just the friendliest guy, not embarrassed about his inability to id a plant at first, but super helpful to go get me the info.
I could do this. I could be a docent. Should I do it? It's volunteer.
There were other interesting people at the garden the day we visited. This one was a little weird and kept
He wasn't, though. Not paparazzi, not stalking. He was just my husband. I know him.
We went to the garden because I thought the garden's orchard trees -- a setting of apricots, peaches, crabapples and pears -- might be in bloom. But it's still early April, the botanical garden is at 7,100 feet elevation, a bit above the city proper, and it was cold and windy. No fruit trees were in bloom yet. But soon.
So, . . . maybe I should think about volunteering to be a docent at the garden? Ron, my new best friend who helped me identify the western Panchito Manzanita, was a great example of the garden's outreach, friendliness and knowledge. He's my hero.
I could do the same maybe.
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