Garden Club Program
Garden Club: Fig Fruit, Cultivation and History
Sunday, February 9, 2:00-4:00 pm
Fig is a peculiar and underestimated fruit with a very diverse and rich history. For over millions of years Fig Trees (over 750 species) shaped our world, influenced our evolution, nourished our bodies and fed our imagination. They are mentioned in every religion and, further, built a vital bridge between scientific and faith-based views.
This presentation will cover the history, botany, and biology of the fig fruit. It will also include cultivation of the plant, types of fig suitable for our area (Zone 7), and a short review of the medicinal, nutritional, and culinary aspects of the fig fruit.
Speaker, Dr. Jafar Vossoughi, is a retired Bioengineering Professor and Master Gardener.
Light refreshments will be served.
Hosted by the Sandy Spring Museum Garden Club, a plant sale will be held concurrently.
Garden Club: The American Chestnut, Its History, and Future
Sunday, April 13, 2:00-4:00 pm
Come learn about The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) and its goal - to develop a blight-resistant American chestnut tree through scientific research and breeding, and to restore the tree to its native forests along the eastern United States.
• What is the history of chestnut trees in the US and what was their role in the prosperity of our country?
• What has contributed to its demise and what can individuals do to help?
Speaker Bruce Levine is a board member with the Maryland Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation, and serves on the board of directors and the science and technology committee of the American Chestnut Foundation’s national organization. He is a PhD student at the University of Maryland, researching the genetics of the fungal pathogen Cryphonectria parastica, which causes chestnut blight. Bruce served 26 years as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State; he retired in 2016 to pursue his interest in plant science, particularly the restoration of the American chestnut. Bruce is a resident of Takoma Park, MD.
Light refreshments will be served. Hosted by the Sandy Spring Museum Garden Club, a plant sale will be held concurrently.