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Smith College’s Chrysanthemum Show to Open November 2
NORTHAMPTON,
Mass.—An eruption of color and fragrance awaits visitors to Smith
College’s annual chrysanthemum show November 2-17 in the Lyman
Conservatory, College Lane. The event—which is free, open to the public
and wheelchair accessible—is on view daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Friday
evenings, Nov. 8 and 15, 4-8 p.m. A donation of $2 is suggested.
Parking is available on College Lane during the exhibit.
The theme of this
year’s show is “Homage to the Nikko.” With design elements borrowed from
Nikko, the famous Buddhist temple complex in Japan, the show will
feature vermilion-colored pillars, lantern displays, a torii gate and
verdant moss and conifers.
On Friday, Nov. 1, Ned
Friedman, an evolutionary biologist and director of Harvard University’s
Arnold Arboretum, will discuss “Darwin’s ‘Abominable Mystery’ and the
Search for the First Flowering Plants.” The talk, which is free and open
to the public, will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Carroll Room, Campus
Center, and will be followed by a reception and preview of the
chrysanthemum show in the illuminated Lyman Conservatory.
A popular college and
community tradition since the early 1900s, Smith’s annual chrysanthemum
exhibit serves as a showcase for the hybridizing experiments of Smith
students in the previous year’s horticulture class. A number of plants
are grown to produce one large flower atop a single tall stem, while
others are painstakingly trained to form “waterfalls of flowers” that
cascade down the sides of the greenhouse. Visitors are encouraged to
vote for their favorite plants.
Also on display at
Lyman Conservatory, through December 15, is “Maize: Mysteries of an
Ancient Grain,” an exploration into the science of corn, one of the most
significant crops to humankind. Learn about the genetic research that
helps scientists better understand the evolution of this grain and how
that knowledge can improve everyday life at both a local and global
level.
On Friday, Nov. 15,
research geneticist Edward S. Buckler, one of the developers of the
“Maize” exhibit, will discuss how recent developments in plant breeding
and genetics has the potential to increase food security throughout the
world. The public talk will take place at 7:30 p.m. in McConnell Hall
103.
For more information on the show, exhibitions and other events, visit www.smith.edu/gardens or call Madelaine Zadik at 413/585-2743, mzadik@smith.edu. |
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