2013

Marlene Snecinski, also known as Mushroom Marlene, leads a fall walk foraging for wild mushrooms at Polly Hill Arboretum in West Tisbury on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 2 to 4 p.m. She will point out fun fungi facts and discuss mycophagy along the way.

Preregistration is required for this mushroom walk-and-talk so call 508-693-9426 for more information or visit pollyhillarboretum.org.

It’s all about Brooklyn at the Polly Hill Arboretum on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Chris Roddick, senior arborist at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden kicks it off with a talk about pruning techniques and tool maintenance from 1 to 3 p.m. There will be a hands-on demonstration and a chance to practice newly learned pruning prowess. Bring hand pruners if you have them. Cost for this event is $20 or $10 if you’re a member of Polly Hill.

The perfect time to plant is upon us and the Polly Hill Arboretum offers its fall plant sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 14. Staff will be available to answer questions about the Vineyard climate and plant selection.

Having seen a picture online for a recent project at the Polly Hill Arboretum, my six-year-old twin grand children were eager to go. The project by potter Bill O’Callahan and puppeteer Robin Tuck is really magical and I encourage anyone who has a little spare time to go and see it.

Upstairs in Polly Hill’s former home last week, Tim Boland pulled a manilla folder out of a cabinet labeled Flora of Dukes County, placed it on a table by the window and opened it up. Inside lay pages with delicately pressed plants and flowers. Notes marked the corners of each page, written on bright post-it notes.

A pint of beer is a science class in a glass. On the macro level, there are the biology and chemistry lessons: fungi and plants collide to kick-start the fermentation process that produces alcohol. And the individual characteristics of those fungi (yeast) and plants (hops and malt) each affect how a beer will taste.

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