2007 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) Collecting, establishing, maintaining, evaluating, documenting, interpreting, and introducing living collections of woody and herbaceous landscape germplasm to develop and maintain garden plantings with high aethetic, scientific, and educational value. Incorporating optimal environmentally-sound horticultural practices that increase overall garden management efficiency. Disseminating scientific and practical information to floral and nursery crop industries public gardens, the increasing number of visitors to the USNA and the USNA web site, and the general public interested in gardening. Developing IPM strategies and technologies for floral and nursery crops. New and unusual landscape plants will be distributed to the horticulture industry. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) Obtain select landscape plants with emphasis on elite plants by conducting plant exploration, exchange with other institutions, or through cooperation with USNA Research Unit. Coordinate plant exploration and evaluation activities with other groups within USDA/ARS and affiliated university sites such as those at Columbus, Ohio; Ames, Iowa; Miami, Florida; and Beltsville, Maryland. Increase accessibility to the collections both physically and by expansion of information on the USNA web site of value to homeowners and nursery professionals, particularly to document the pivotal national role of the USDA and ARS in ornamental plant development and horticulture. Establish, document, evaluate and highlight plants within garden settings for access by others. Utilize Integrated Pest Management principles in solving pest and disease problems. Incorporate automatic irrigation systems into gardens to conserve water. Prepare articles, participate in symposia, classes and tours to disseminate results of evaluations, IPM practices and irrigation methods. 3.Progress Report Introduction Garden Developed The garden areas around the Administration Building have long been used to display the most notable USNA introductions. Most of these are woody plants and the garden has lacked the presence of herbaceous materials to tie it together. The area was developed as the ‘Introduction Garden’ with the mission of displaying USNA introductions, plants new to American horticulture, and new garden styles or concepts. Seasonal plants, including a variety of tropical plants, have been added and new cultivars of herbaceous perennials have been added within this new mission. The Introduction Garden is now attracting more visitors than it had in the past. Herbaceous Perennials Added The USNA has extensive collections of Hemerocallis. A program to diversify and expand the number of taxa of herbaceous perennials has been undertaken. Perennials have been added in the Boxwood Collection, the Azalea Collection, the Native Plant Collections, and the Introduction Garden. American Public Gardens Association (APGA) Annual Conference Hosted The USNA joined forces with other public gardens in the Washington, D.C. area to host the APGA Annual Conference June 26-June 30, 2007. More than 500 public garden professionals attended the conference, and most of them attended a tour, reception, and dinner at the USNA on June 29. Native Plant Collection Entrance and Paths Designed The existing entrance to the Native Plant Collections is very near a roadway and the small parking area near the entrance requires pedestrians to cross the road. The entrance also is not well connected to other gardens and features. Paths are not accessible to the handicapped. The USNA worked with a landscape architecture firm to develop a new entrance that links the collection to the National Capitol Columns and provides for an accessible pathway that links with the Flowering Tree Walk. The pathway will ultimately connect to the collections on the east side of the USNA. Within the Native Plant Collections, two new gardens, the Woodland Garden and the Prairie and Meadow Garden, will be created along new sections of the path. Both will highlight cultivars of native plants. Master Plan Revised The 2001 Master Plan was revised to incorporate the China Garden, and to develop a concept for the configuration and placement of new accessible paths for the collections on the east side of the campus. It also developed a concept for linkage to features that are part of the current effort to improve the Anacostia Riverfront. The concept includes a new structure near the Asian Collections that will house restroom and orientation facilities. Trees Planted Along the Flowering Tree Walk Approximately 100 trees were planted along newly constructed and proposed sections of the Flowering Tree Walk. The trees consist of new germplasm and help to expand the holdings of the Gardens Unit and the USNA. 4.Accomplishments Germplasm Acquisition, Distribution, and Incorporation into Collections. A major objective of the Gardens Unit is to enrich the living plant display collections at the U.S. National Arboretum by incorporating documented germplasm into these areas. Conversion of the inventory of plant holdings from a card-based system to a computer database is now substantially complete. This effort is now at the point where the emphasis can be placed on maintenance of records rather than conversion, and holdings are now available on the plant finder kiosk in the lobby of the Administration Building and Visitor Center and will soon be available on the Arboretum web site. A collecting trip to Eastern Russia was undertaken this year, and greater future emphasis on domestic plant collection trips is anticipated. This work allows visitors to more easily access information about plants on the grounds, and incorporation of new germplasm allows us to evaluate new plants that are potential valuable to the nursery industry. This accomplishment was a milestone in FY 2007 (Continue to collect species with potential as new landscape plants). This accomplishment is under National Program 301, Component I, goals 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5 and under ARS Strategic Plan Goal 1, Performance Measure 1.2.8 and Goal 3, Performance Measure 3.2.4. Integrated Pest Management. Pesticide use on the grounds of the U.S. National Arboretum has been decreased to 25% of 1991 levels. This decrease in pesticide use has been sustained without a net increase in staffing or funding for pest management compared to 1991 levels. In addition, the percentage of pesticide use that fits into the category of reduced risk pesticides has increased from 12% of total pesticide use to near 60% of all pesticides used. In recent years, the IPM Program has expanded to include weed management and greater control of plant cultural conditions. By using IPM, we are able to maintain aesthetic quality of the collections while reducing costs and environmental impacts associated with pesticide applications. This accomplishment is under National Program 304, Component IV and under ARS Strategic Plan Goal 3, Performance Measures 3.2.5 and 3.2.6. Accessibility Enhancement for Visitors. It is the goal of the Gardens Unit to maximize the accessibility of collections to the extent possible. Work has been completed on the first phases of the Flowering Tree Walk, and an important standard for quality path construction has thus been established. Most of the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum is now accessible. Major efforts will be made in coming years to establish path systems in the Asian Collections, the Fern Valley Native Plant Collections, and the Azalea Collections. This accomplishment is under National Program 207 and under ARS Strategic Plan Goal 1, Performance Measure 1.2.5 and Goal 5, Performance Measure 5.1.1. Dissemination of Plant Information to the Public. The nearly half a million visitors to our collections gives us an opportunity to highlight the work of ARS. The Unit provides major input in increasing the quality and quantity of information on the Arboretum web site, and the web site now serves five million visitors annually. Many nursery firms and gardening sites are linking to our web site. Virtual tours and galleries are being added to the site, and gardening information is being expanded. This accomplishment is under National Program 207 and under ARS Strategic Plan Goal 1, Performance Measure 1.2.5 and Goal 5, Performance Measure 5.1.1. Elimination of Invasive Plant Material. Controlling invasive plants continues to be a pressing issue on the grounds of the U.S. National Arboretum. The Unit seeks to explore best practices for invasive plant removal and rehabilitation of native flora. A contract was let to remove key invasive species throughout 43 acres of the USNA Washington campus in 2004. Staff and volunteers have been working on rehabilitation of areas around Springhouse Pond and near Beech Spring Pond. A surveillance team has been working to quantify threats in woodland tracts on the USNA campus. This accomplishment is under National Program 304, Component B and under ARS Strategic Plan Goal 3, Performance Measure 3.2.6. Development and Promotion of Utility Compatible Trees. The Gardens Unit has begun a collaborative effort with the Florist and Nursery Plants Research Unit and representatives of power companies and urban forestry interests to develop and promote trees that are compatible with overhead utility lines. The first planting of these trees took place in 2005. This accomplishment was a milestone in Year 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. This accomplishment is under National Program 301, Component 1, goals1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5 and under ARS Strategic Plan Goal 1, Performance Measure 1.2.8 and Goal 3, Performance Measure 3.2.4. 5.Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations Work in the area of small-scale field production of cut products for florist use is being explored at the request of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. This work has potential to directly benefit small farms. 6.Technology Transfer Number of web sites managed 1 Number of non-peer reviewed presentations and proceedings 2 Number of newspaper articles and other presentations for non-science audiences 52