HIGH AOVENTURE IN NEPAl
'. COLUMBINES, PlUMERIAS, ANO JAPANESE IRISES ' > AzAlfAS FOR THE BIG CHILL Is your garden missing jewel-li!ke flowers floating I'm a one of the most! satisfying forms of gardening. If you shimmering water sUJiface and the darting brilliance of haven't one, you ' are missing a great deal of satisfaction gGldfish? Are you missing the melodic sounds of water fn)m your garden. spilling fmm ,a fQuntain, vessel or waterfall? Let Lllypons and TETRA POND help you to get started Wliat yQU need in yotH garden is a water lily ponl. A water today by Qrdetililg one of our durable TETRA POND 32 mll, lily p@ol is a garden wh@se plants like damp to very wet flexible 2 ply PVC pool1ineJ"s. So easy to install and main feet. Fish and 'fr0gs like to live there and, buttertlies wlll tain you wjl1 ask yourself why you waited so long to begin like your garden better than ever. A water gaJiden is simply this !ldventure. Cho@se from the seven sizes listed (sizes aTe apprf):idmate, for depth 1 Va ' to 2' iIi your own design.): o Lilypons water gWdening catalogl!le sl!IbscrlptiOlil...... $ 5 "0 8' x 13' liirteI' makes 4' x 8' pool ...... $109 D 1:0' x Hi' hneI' ~liIkes 6' x ;]:2' pooL ...... $159 0 13' ;;, 13' Imer makes 9' x 9' pool ...... $179 o 13' :x 20' lfnel;' makes 9 ' * 16' pooL .... , ...... 8259 Ll 16' x 23' liBel' makes 13' x 19' pooL ...... 8329 o 20' x 26' liner makes 16' x 22" p001...... $479 0 23' x 30' liner makes 19' x 26' pooL ...... $569 Use your personal check @r citcle credit card: AE CB CH ' DC MC VS. ( Card Number: ""' 'Exp. Date ~,..-"~~~~~~~~ __~~-."...-_ Name Address~ ______~~~~~ ____~-=~ ____~ ~~~~ __~~ City . . State Zip Phone ( ) ..-,-...,F-='="""''-''''''''''''''''-- Catalogue free with liner o£der, CilifQma:(6%), M~land ' (5%) an,d 'fexas (7%) residents please add sales tax. Lilypons Water Gardens Dept. 1526 Suite1!ii26 De;pt. 1526 P.O. Box 10 F.O. Btlx 1130 P.O. Box 188 BuckeystoWl\, Mru.:ylanril 21717·0010 Ths J;.llUll. CaUforn,ia 92274·1130 BJ;ookshire, Texas 77423·0188' (301) 874-5133 Washington Local 428·0686 (713) 934·8$25 Houston Loca1391·G076 . eric an Horticulturist Volume 70, Number 4 April 1991
ARTICLES
Himalayan Journal, Updated by Simon Crawford ...... 10 Leeches, mud, and landslides are just some of the frills of a plant-hunting trip to eastern Nepal. The Moragne Plumerias by Richard A. Criley and Jim Little ...... 16 Until the 1950s, the shape of the frangipani's sumptuous flower was a barrier to cross breeding. The Eagle and the Dove by Elisabeth Sheldon ...... 22 The columbine: short-lived, promiscuous, but in bloom, barely earthbound. The Quest for Cold-Hardier Azaleas APRIL'S COVER by Erin Hynes ...... 28 Photographed by Carlos R. Lola Will a new generation of breeders push the shrubs' Nepal is a country of survival range farther north? magnificent mountains, Hanashobu: The Romantic Japanese Iris terraced fields, and plants that by Clarence Mahan ...... 34 botanists have risked their lives for. Beginning on page 10, Americal1s are making their own marks on this import from the orient. plant breeder Simon Crawford recounts his trek along paths . braved by Joseph Dalton DEPARTMENTS H00ker some 150 years ago. Above, north of Kathmandu Commentary 4 near the Langtang Valley in the Letters 6 Himalayas, rice is being Book Reviews 8 harvested in the fall. Classifieds .. 42 Pronunciations .. . 46
J;:DITOR: Katbleen Fisber, ASSISTANT EDIT ORS : Ma ry Betb Wiesner, Thomas M .. Ba rrett, EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Martba Palermo. DESIGN DIRECTOR: Josepb Yacinski, MEMBERSHIP DI RECTOR: Ka tbleen B. Am berger. ADVERTISING: American Horticultural Society Advertising Depactment, 2700 Prosperity Avenue, Fairfax, VA 22031, telephone (703) 204·4636. COLOR SEPARATIONS: Cbroma-Graphics, Inc. EDITORIAL ADVISOR Y BOARD: Dr, Gerald S, Ba rad, Flemington, NJ; Pbilip E. Chandler, Santa Monica, CA; Dr, Harrison Flim , West Lafayette, iN; Peter Loewer, As hevi lle, NC; Dr. Elizabeth McCli ntock, San Francisco, CA; Frederick McGourty, Norfolk, Cf; Janet M. Poor, Winnetka, IL; M' AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 3 American Horticultural Society The American Horticultural Society COMMENTARY seeks to promote and recognize excellence in horticulture across America. aising public awareness of plants as Officers 1990-1991 the sustainers of all life on earth is Mr. George C. Ball Jr. R critical to our planet's future. The Wtlst Chicago, Illinois President educational programs and publications of Mrs. Helen Fulcher Walutes the American Horticultural Society are Mount Vtlrnon, Virginia makimg vital contributions toward First Vice President strengthening the field of horticulture, rais Mr. Richard C. Angino Harrisburg, Pennsylvania ing the awareness of many Americans Second Vice President about the impact of the field on our daily Mr. Elvin McDonald lives, from food to aesthetics, from Brooklyn, New York Secretary medicine to the environment. In the future, Mr. GeFald T. Halpin I envision a Society that becomes increas AlexaNdria, VirgiNia ingly vocal in its advocacy of horticulture Treasurer Mrs. Carolyn Marsh Lindsay as a base for conservation and the preser Rochtlster, New York vation of earth's biodiversity. Immediate Past President FGr this to occur, the Society must continue to grow and expand its services, to increase membership, and to identify and attract broad sources Board of Directors of revenue. Increased revenue for operating support is our lifeblood. Thus Mrs. Suzanne Bales the success of the 1990-91 Annual Appeal is a matter of great importance Oyster Bay, New York to the future of our Society, and that success depends on the participation Dr. William E. Barrick Pine Mountain, Georgia of all AHS members. Dr. Sherran Blair As you know, in these uncertain times non profits are challenged daily Columbus, Ohio with increasing costs-among them, higher postal rates for our publica Mrs. Mary Katherine Blount Montgomery, Alabama tions. Our Board of Directors is exploring every possible avenue to open Mrs. Sarah Boasberg new, effective means to meet our increasing budgetary needs. Washington, D.C. We are seeking pro bono services for many of our ongoing functions and Dr. Henry Marc Cathey Washington, D.C. new activities. We are opening dialogues with foundations and corpora Mr. Russell B. Clark tions whose leaders know little about the Society, working to raise their Boston, Massachusetts awareness of the long-term benefits of gardening and horticulture to the Mrs. Beverley White Dunn social and environmental health of future generations, and of our need for Birmingham, Alabama Mr. K. Albert Ebinger funding support to carry out our mission. Boxford, Massachusetts Last October, to help ensure the continuation of the Society's services at Mrs. Julia Hobart this critical time, the Board members challenged themselves to raise funds Tt0y, Ohio Dr. Joseph E. Howland for operating support. To date they have brought in $40,000. Reno, Nevada We are doing our part to guarantee that the American Horticultural Mr. David M. Lilly Society, which has been promoting horticulture since 1922, will continue Saint Paul, Minn€sota its respected work for at least another seventy years. But we need your help. Mr. Everitt Miller Kennett Square, Pennsylvania We are open to your suggestions of persons or organizatioms to contact for Mrs. Flavia Redelmeier funding, and we especially need your contribution to the 1990-91 Annual Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada Appeal. Mrs. Jane N. Scarff New Carlisle, Ohio Every gift counts. AHS currently has 22,000 members. If each of us gave Mr. Andre Viette just $15, we would surpass our goal of $250,000 to meet our budgetary Fishersville, VirgiRia needs. It's an enormous task to find the sources necessary to fund the Mrs. Jean Verity Woodhull DaytoR, Ohio Society, and to extend and expand its benefits and services. Won't you join in our efforts to safeguard the Society's future? The Executive Director American H0rticultural Society is a proud tradition. Please share in it by Mr. Frank L. Robinson supporting our campaign today. On page 41 you will find more information on the Annual Appeal. Your gift today will shape a more effective Society tomorrow, and that's our gift to future generations. George C. Ball Jr. AHS President 4 APRIL 1991 TRA VEL'STUDY TRIPS FOR THE AHS GARDENER APRIL 21-28, 1991 GARDENS OF THE MISSISSIPPI Experience the grandeur of the Mississippi from New Orleans to Memphis on board the Mississippi Ql1een. Ports of call along the river include H0umas Howse, Saint Frarlcis ville, Natchez, Vicksburg, and <3reenville. GX perience trl!Je Southern hospitality as AHS members and ffiends along the river open their homes amd gardens for this hortioultural adventure. MAY 12-23, 1991 ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE GARDENS AND THE CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW AHS memDers will have the unique opportunity to meet Iilorticultural author I'losemary Verey and visit her home and gardel1--'Barnsley Hous~uring this visit to the rolling hills ofthe Cotswolds and Kent. Participants will visit the gardens of Hidcote Manor, Sudeley Castle, Oxford, Denmans near Arundel, Nymans Gar dens, Wakehurst Place, Great Dixter, Sissin ghurst Place, and Isabella Plantation before transferring to london to enjoy the Chelsea Flower Show. Guest lecturer for this program is David Wilson, popular panelist on the IBIBC's series, "Gardener's Cerner." The tour will be led by Elvin McDonald, lecturer and author and Secretary of the AHS 1B0ard of'Directors. JUNE 10-20, 1991 AND JUNE 23.JUL Y 3, 1991 GARDENS OF THE SOUTHWEST: COLORADO ROCKIES AND CANYONLANDS Itxplo~e the diverse contrasts of plants from the alpine meadows of the Color-ado Rockies to the desert plains of the Southwest. Explore unique, out-of-the-way J'larks like Arches National Park, the Goosenecks of the Sari Juan River, and Canyon Gle Chelly National Monument. See firsthand the varied uses of native Jlliants as AI-l$ members and friends open their !!Iardens ar:ld homes for OClr special visit. OCTOBER 2-20, 1991 GARDENS OF ASIA Joil"! AHS executive Girector ~~ank P\olilinson on a program that encompasses the eastern world of Thailand, China, and Japan. l>iighlighted are excursions to the ruil"!ed city of Ayutthaya; hillside villages near Chiang Mai ; a jwmgle safafi on elephant-back to the village of Karerl near Mae Hong Son; Beijing and the ferbidden city; Xi' An and the tomb of emperor Quin ShiHwangdi with its army of terra cotta figures ; Shanghai's Yu Garden al"!d Mt:Jseum of Art and History; the beautiful gardens of Suthou ; Kyoto's holy Saib0ji Moss Temple, Nijo Castle, and Ryoanji Rock Garden; and Nikko's botanical gardens. And by special invitation, we shall visit the Imperial Palace Gardens as well as the Jindaiji Botanical Gardens in Tokyo. Leonard Haertter TraV9 Comp PHOTO COURTESY OF THE JAPAN NATIONAL TOURIST ORGANIZATION AHS Affiliates Members of the following institutions are participants in AHS's Affiliate Membership Program, a new network ing opportunity available to most botanical gardens, plant societies, and LETTERS horticultural groups. Botanica, The Wichita Gardens Wichita, Kansas Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden Dallas, Texas Friends of Fellows Riverside Gardens Too Much Credit Hana. On the way I stopped at a beautiful Youngstown, Ohio private residence that had been planted Friends of the University Thanks to you and to Tovah Martin for with gingers, heliconias, bromeliads, of California Botanical Garden Berkeley, California doing the article about me in the December bananas, and many more tropical plants. Dlinois Native Plant Society issue. I have heard from many about it, and The property is not open to the public, Westville, Illinois I suppose this is one of the rewards for but, although your article says Hawaiians Kentucky Native Plant Society having worked in such an exciting field for are reluctant to share their gardens with Richmond, Kentucky Matthaei Botanical Gardens so long. tourists, the owners graciously showed me Ann Arbor, Michigan However, since I am a stickler about around. Memphis Botanic Garden credits, I must point out that while I have Should any of your readers be on the Foundation Memphis, Tennessee been consulting at Monticello since 1978, road to Hana they should be sure to check Nebraska Statewide Arboretum I can take no credit for the work attributed out the Kailua Maui Gardens. Lincoln, Nebraska to me in the picture caption concerning the ]. Reed Texas State Horticultural Society vineyard. And my work on the garden Santa Barbara, California College Station, Texas Wellesley College terrace was as part of a team, led by Wil Friends of Horticulture liam Bieswanger, the architectural his . Wellesley, Massachusetts torian there, of which I was the landscape architect. Also I was given credit for ha ving consulted at Colonial Williamsburg which I never ha ve. Your inset about Bacon's Castle was very AHS MEMBERSHIP SERVICES nice and added to the article. It would have been even nicer had it acknowledged the sponsorship of this very expensive project by Your satisfaction with our member service is very the Garden Club of Virginia, which has res important to us. If you have a question or problem tored over fifty gardens in that state over the concerning your membership, please contact the Membership Department for assistance. years. Sponsors today are hard to come by You can help by giving complete information when and they should be recognized at every turn. you ~all or write. Please refer to the five-digit number I have subscribed to American Horticul that is on the mailing label on your magazine or News turist for many years and always look for Edition. The number helps us to identify quickly your membership record for corrections. ward to its arrival in our home. Rudy]. Favretti Changing Your Address? Storrs, Connecticut Please allow 6-8 weeks advance notice. Attach a current mailing label in the space provided (or write Although we did not mention the Garden in your old address) then fill in your new address on Fearfully Fun the lines below. Club of Virginia in the sidebar about Bacon's Castle, we did give them well Peter Loewer's "Demon Seeds & Roots of Old Address: Member #: ____ deserved credit for support of the Evil" (December) was refreshing, thought Name ______$250,000 project in the main story, on provoking, well-written, and especially page 30. good reading for mystery and science fic Address ______--=-,, __ ------tion fans. City/State/Zip ___--= ~----- The Road to Hana I wanted to sayan immediate "thank you " for giving your readers something New Address: A friend recently gave me a copy of your different with this "horrorculture" article. Name ______December issue. Of special interest was the I was transported back to the years of article "Gardening Challenges: Hawaii- hiding science fiction magazines under the Address ______Land of Endless Summer," which, as a mattress (nice girls didn't read such things), City/State/Zip ______frequent visitor to the islands I especially a period of Gothic novels in which hand Mail to: Membership Services, AHS, 7931 East enjoyed. some, money-grubbing lovers eyed the Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308. While visiting the island of Maui recent leaves of the oleander tree as the naive ly, I took the trip (always spectacular) to heiress spoke of papa's will, and English 6 APRIL 1991 murder mysteries with little old ladies chopping poison mushIOoms so the squire wouldn't have time to change his plans to finance a new roof on the church. GARDENING Another way of thinking and learning by Hazel T#ihe about plants. Thanks. A. Carman Clark Union, Maine We Grow Drought Insurance Beautiful Perennials At A Price You Will Like!!! Droughts .. . severe winds ... not Rappaccini's Eden enough rainfall. : .what's a plant to do? The plants that return to bloom Our pets found spots in the Peter Loewer's "Demon Seeds & Roots of season after season for years of shade during last summer's heat. Evil" was good entertainment, missing easy pleasure, our specialty ... Plants can't lie in the shade unless only a genuflection to Nathaniel Haw Perennials. they're planted there and they can't thorne's Rappaccini's Daughter as the White Theris for early spring, go in for a cool shower unless you American progenitor of the genre. summer's perky Shasta Daisies and give it to them with a hose. But you Dr. Rappaccini cultivates an "Eden of fall for blooming Chrysanthemums can help them get through a long hot ... Perennials beautify your home. summer by using an anti-transpirant poisonous flowers," made up not only of called Wilt-Pruf. naturally toxic species, but of " the Bluestone grows over 300 varieties Think of the plant as inhaling monstrous offspring of man's depraved of perennials which are shipped in and exhaling. When a plant inhales, fancy, flowing with only an ev il mockery of full growth - easy to plant and it takes water in through its roots. beauty." (Surely Katharine White recalled each plant guaranteed. When it exhales, it gives off moisture through its leaves. There aFe tiny this description when she berated modern Send for our free catalog or call 800-852·5243. pores in the leaves that give off this hybridizers in her New Yorker articles.) We will be pleaaed to hear from you. moisture. If the supply of water to While early gardeners' poison gardens Name ______the roots is too low, leaves become were more medicinal than murderous, limp because they continue to emit Rappaccini is the scientist gone wrong, Address ______moisture. In the process, leaves curl, committed to the mind at the expense of become brown and desiccated. This the soul. It's the stuff of twentieth-century State___ _ is because they're giving off more science fiction and B movies. Zip ______moisture than the plant is absorbing. What an anti-transpirant does Karan Davis Cutler 7225 MIDDLE RIDGE RD. MADISON, OHIO 44057 is hold a balance between water Essex Junction, Vermont taken in and moisture given off. Wilt-Pruf can sometimes make Alaska Handbook the difference between saving a growing tree or shrub and losing it. I so enjoyed Lenore Hedla's article "Keep An anti-transpirant is especially ing Your Cool in Alaska" (February)! helpful when transplanting a small I have called several local book stores to tree or shrub. No matter how careful a person is, the plant's root system try to find and order Ms. Hedla's book, is disturbed and some roots are lost. The Alaska Gardener's Handbook, men Wilt-Prufhas helped my transplants tioned at the end of the article. They can retain additional moisture after trans find absolutely no record of it in their planting. Transplants need to be computer listings which, they tell me, are watered heavily to get them over the based or connected to the Library of Con shock of having been dug. My plants gress. have indicated by their behavior (they haven't died!) that Wilt-Pruf Help! My son is moving to Palmer, Alas has been a definite help to them ka, in May and I would like very much to in surviving their trauma. get this book for him to start using as he Wilt -Pruf is a clear organic plants his garden. Please let me know how liquid that in no way inhibits growth I can obtain a copy! or harms a plant. Available at nurs Susanne S. Kemper eries, garden centers and hard Kansas City, Missouri ware stores. The Alaska Gardener's Handbook can be ordered fr om High North Press, 6440 Please send your value-packed Hazell*ihe of Somers, New iOrk, West Dimond Boulevard, Anchorage, AK is an award· winning writ£r whose r------.• catalog. I enclose $3.00, deductible • is by garden column syndicated 99502 for $9.95. • on my first catalog order. • The North County News. American Horticulturist welcomes letters • Name • concerning the magazine or activities of the • St.lRFD • American Horticultural Society. Letters • City State--Zip_ • • send to: • Po. Bor 469, Esser, CT 06426·0469 may be edited for accuracy, clarity, or 2031767·7033 length. In writing to us, please include a • GILBERT H. WILD & SON. INC. • daytime phone number. AH-491 Joplin S1. • Sarcoxie, MO 64862 • ...... __ . AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 7 BoOK REVIEWS graphs show how some of the illusions are autumn, bloom early, tolerate wind, screen created. My favorite transformation involves and hedge, welcome espaliering, and more. an old soot-blackened brick wall separating And when that perfect little instant gar narrow terraces. The homely opening in the den-which a city garden tends to be-im wall becomes a vine-topped arch through mediately outgrows its original scale? It which a diagonal path meanders. Bordering takes an entire chapter to sort the challen the path are young paper bark birches, white ges of root pruning from those of lim bing azaleas, andromedas, crabapples, Japanese up. This is a chapter gardeners who have maples, ivies. On the other side the path achieved (almost) all will come back to. curves away to the right and disappears, off Pruning is easy but never simple. to infinity. This is not one of those shallow, instant Equally dear and less costly is the tea gratification pieces to swallow at one go, but garden trick for apartment dwellers. A six rather, the kind you take to bed with you and foot balcony is transformed by a small savor, year after year after year. scale table and two chairs, house plants in -Jacqueline Heriteau matched pots, flowering baskets, and a small weeping cherry in a big rustic tub. Jacqueline Heriteau, author of The Na Other photographs show elements that tional Arboretum Book of Outstanding screen out towering neighbors, buffer Garden Plants, currently gardens in a town winds in high places, and hide sooty house in Washington, D.C. The City Gardener's Handbook: masonry: trellises, lattices, arbors, linear From Balcony to Backyard fences, 'Skyrocket' juniper, false cypress, clematis, ivies. Book Order Form Linda Yang. Random House, Inc., New Bonus: first-rate planting plans by York, 1990. 316 pages. Color photo Sharon Bradley Papp accompany some of [J City Gardener's Handbook: graphs, black-and-white drawings. Pub the gardens photographed. They are nicely From Bakony t@ Backyard by Linda Yang $22.50 lisher's price, hardcover: $26.95. AHS tuned to Stephen K-M. Tim's elegant RAN member price: $22.50. botanical drawings. How to make these gardens happen and o The Gardens of Europe edited by Penelope Mobhouse Th,is very satisfying book taokles city gar keep them up is the substance of thirteen and Patrick Taylor $29.75 dening with common sense, a real thoughtful chapters. Chapter 4 is a whole RAN297 gardener's passion for soil, and an inquir dictionary of plants for the city. Most para Postage and handling: $2.50, first book; $1.50, ing turn of mind not afraid to wander in a graphs have marginal heads so you can go eaGh additional book. Virginia residents add good cause. A sequel to New York Times back and find a given topic. 4 Y2% sales tax. Please alk)w six weeks for veteran columnist Linda Yang's Terrace "The Secret Is in the Soil" describes soils delivery. PriGes are subject to Ghange without notice. Gardener's Handbook, it is both a primer that offset air pollution, what to compost, for beginners and an evocative browser's why and how to keep the plants clean, and o Enclosed is my check for $ __~~_ ~ book for sophisticates. The writing is per which pests are the good guys. (This is an o Visa 0 MasterCard Exp. Date: sonal and fun. environmentally-hip author.) We learn How do you transform small, ugly why soil for sky-high gardens must be dif Acct. #: corners of a city, up in the sky or down in ferent and water management, too, from its sooty, hard-packed dirt, into beautiful drains and puddles to droughts and vaca Signature: gardens? Usually by making them look like tions. How not to have the downstairs Ship to: fragments of larger landscapes or wood lawyer on the phone discussing falling lands. The 150 color photographs show it plaster is useful information. Street: ______~~ -_==~- is being done everywhere-East Coast, The chapter on containers is, fortunate City: _____~ ~~_~ __ West Coast, a scrap of front yard in the ly, superb, since containers are where many author's native Brooklyn, a windy Chicago city gardens are planted. I especially value State/Zip: _____-,,""-- _~==-_-- terrace, barren rooftops under the harsh the generous sprinkling of charts and MAIL TO: AHS Books, 7931 East BoulevaFd skies of Manhattan, Paris, London. tables indicating which plants can share Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308. Interesting "before" and "after" photo- moisture levels and pH, will glow in 8 APRIL 1991 missed. The book is accurately call ed by the publisher "an invaluable guide." It is certainly a book I will take on my next trip to El!Irope. The reader is apt to wish for more color plates in any garden book. To have added them would have added greatly to this book's now extremely reasonable cost, however. T he a uthors say nothing about national character as it is reflected in gardening, except to note details such as the French use of mosaicul ture (or carpeting), and the fact that gardens in Spain and Portugal, with their Roman, Isla mi c, French, and Engli sh in fluences, are interesting but sadly neglected. Yet that character certai nly ex ists. Anyo ne sitting on a be nch in the Parc Monceau would know he was in France. My other small quibble with this other wise splendid book is the excessive use of The Gardens of Europe "qv," indicating that the spelling of a proper name has bee n verified. In so sophisticated Edited by Penelope Hobhouse and Patrick a work, this seems out of place. Most of us Taylor. Introduction by Hugh Johnson. do know how to spell Versailles. Random House, New York, 1990. 320 - Adelaide C. Rackemann pages. Color and black-and-white illus tra tions, photographs, and maps. Publis her's Adelaide C. Rackemann is a Baltimore free price, hardcover: $35.00. AHS member lancer and gardener who serves as librarian price: $29.75. for the Cylburn Arboretum and with her husband, Frank, edits its newsletter. O f all the continents, Europe offers the greatest profusion of gardens. The authors of this beautiful book have selected 700 of them:"'-enough fo r most of us to see in our lifetimes- and have given us a sens~ of OVER 1,000 their diversity and excitement. GARDEN The ga rden descriptions are ort _ ~ d by regions: southern, northern, central BOOKS! Europe, and-lum ped together-the Balkans, eastern Europe, and European Russia. For each country there is a small he all -new m a p s h owing locat ion s o f gard en s American described, a brief outline of its gardening Horticultural o Please send me a free catalog. history, and, most important, a description T o Please send me 100 Mammoth of its climate. Climate, after all, is the key. Soci~ty Catalog of Garden Books Darwin Hybrid Tulips for $19.95. Because of its mild climate, England has o Payment enclosed : ____ (Fall Edition) is the most gardens, with the greatest range o Charge to: 0 Master Card 0 VISA of plants. Although the authors do not say now available with Acct. No.: ______so, it also has the greatest number of intro well over 1,000 tit- Exp. Date: ______duced plants and has had, at least in les covering every aspect of hor modern times, the greates t influence on Name: gardening. Si ss inghurst, w ith its rich ticulture, gardening, plants, design, Mailing Address: ______variety of plants grown within a severe and much more. All titles are dis linear design, is rightly called "the most counted at least 15 percent with Shipping Address: ______famous and influential of Englis h twen some extra special savings avail tieth-century gardens." This and other able! Previous AHS book buyers City: ______favorites of the authors are indicated with a star. For each garden there is a concise will receive a catalog and order State: _____ Zip: _____ description , preceded by information form. To obtain your copy, write the Phone Number: ______about its location, ownership, open hours, Society at 7931 East Boulevard and whether there is an admission fee. Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308. VaJ1 eJ1Se1CJ1 lJ1c. While I was naturally interested to read Stillbrook Farm about gardens I had seen, I was also fas Or call (800) 777·7931. 313 Maple Street, Litchfield, CT 06759 cinated by reading about all those I have (203) 567-8734 AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 9 ATED The peaks and plants of eastern Nepal have changed little since British plant hunter Joseph Dalton Hooker eloquently recorded them a century and a half ago. !bejollowing excerpts arefr@mjosephDalton Hooker's HimalayaQ ]oumaJs, Notes ef a Naturalist, first published in 1855. We have retained the otiginal spellings. COLLECllNG B y M N ( R A F R D The top ",f the PQSS WQS b"oad, s o w o grassy, and blAsiny, with dWGlrf N THE LATE SUMMER OF 1989, MY ROLE AS A PLANT BREEDER FOR A Bamboo, Rosel Glnd B""rberry in major American seed company led to my being chosen to join six botanists from 9"eat ablAndance/ c",vered with the Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh, Scotland, and Kew, England, on a moss Clnd lichens: it ~ad been five-week trek to the lower slopes of Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in rainin9 hard all lfl>\e ""'",rnin9' Glnd the world. The botanists-five men and one woman-had widely varying interests, the vegetation WQS coat.ed wifh Iincluding bryophytes, sedges, alpines, and of course, the many species of rhododendron ice; a dense f09 o{:,sclAred and impatiens that are common to this area of eastern Nepal. eve..-yt.hing, and a violenf so",tl-\ Such expeditions are frequently orgalilized by botanical gardens around the world to collect plant material for dried herbarium specimens that can help clarify relationships east wind blew ,WeI' the PGlSS in within the plant kingdom. Just as important is the collection of living plants and seeds my teeth, J colleded s"'me very to grow for conservation and research. The study of living plants not only yields clA..-iolAS and beaIAtiflAI mOSSeS, information of horticultural and botanical importance but may lead to the development plAtting t~ese f,.oze", t..-eas",res in;f;o of new drugs. For instance, a new drug for the treatment of leukemia has been isolated my bo)<, i,,,, The f",rm of e) 10 APRIL 1991 . Ron McBeath. Left·of the Roya I Botantc Gardens of . Edinburgh a dmtres Rheum nobile a~ nd at 16, 000 feet. ,ou . rhubarb R nobile tS a d re. I a +':'ve.. , en d a ngere .. a because tt tS Tibetan delicacy. Below: The map carried by d Simon Crawfor on his trek. .... Dll'l\ I 'I( JYA rrO .. ' .. RANCH J ,;:, .. os$ed t\.,.e Mewal a"" affllAel'\\;j onto open grazed or cultivated land. f"",m the V\orl:kv by QV\ofher excelleV\f sIASpev\slov\ b .. idge. ::JV\ n our first morning's walk, from our altitude of 7,000 feet we could gaze across the clouds at the snowy peaks of Chamlang and Makalu and these b .. idgesl the,p ... il'\cip",1 chail:'ls O'''e damped .ro ' i',(".;:ks oV\ llsually no more than fifty yards from the main path-at many impatiens. I was especially excited to see the small-flowered I. gammei and the yellow eithe.. sho .. el aV\d the slAspeV\ded I. stenantha, which has an upward pointing spur, and it was a simple loops oeolA" at iV\te ..Jals of eight to Omatter to collect their ripe fruit in cloth bags to be cleaned wher:J. we next stopped. We teV\ feey the siV\9le sGlI .."plaV\k laid continued into the rhododendron forest, seeing many epiphytes, orchids, and ferns. ov\ these loops swiV\'gJs te .... ific61lly, During these initial days the weather remained damp with regular showers and an aV\d the h"md .. ails ""ot. beiV\9 fOIA .. occasional downpour. Leeches started to annoy us, but only in small numbers. Neither fed high, 1he seV\se of iV\seclA ..Hl' of these irritar:J.ts spoiled our enjoyment of the wonderful plants. As we negotiated a is vef'y 9"eat. " narrow path we spotted the beautiful Codonopsis dicentrifolia (a relative of the Cam panula) with pale blue, bell-like flowers. Masses of the white Selinum tenuifolium with KAMBACflEN its attractive lacy umbels made a natural picture with the bright golden yellow flowers of Senecio diversifolius. Each day of the journey through the rich forest was punctuated by three excellent meals from our Sherpa cooks. The food, a mixture of Nepalese and Tibetan, was mostly f .... "ioIAS t~""el"\ty abolArt- twelve vegetarian becal!lse of the difficulty in obtaining meat. After dinner each evening we ya .. ds wide-t~ the village of pressed herbarium specimens, cleaned seed, al'ld simply enjoyed each other's company. KambacheV\1 ov\ a ~at fe" .. ",ce/ a Cleaning impatiens seed is quite simple; the seed is separated from the fruit by hand few feet above fhe s~ .. e"'m. T'J,..e .. e and dropped into dry paper envelopes. But cleaning the seed of other genera can be more we.. e abolAt a dozeV\ h"'lAses of difficult. Berries, for instance, must first be squashed. Drying herbarium specimens in woodl plaste .. ed with mlA.d1 these humid conditions was especially difficult. When circumstances allowed, plant scaHe .. ed ove" a 9 .. ass1' plaiV\ of a material sandwiched between blotting paper was dried overnight in presses over a small few ac.. esj feV\ced '''''I as were paraffin heater. But the large number of collections and the constant damp left us with a also a few fieldsl with SToV\e dykes surplus of undried specimens that had to be carried for many days before they could be .• . ef all the mOIAv\T",iV\ gO"ges J dealt with. Once dried, specimens were packed tightly in polyethylene bags . have, eve" visited this is by fa .. the Our last camp on the high ridge of the Buje Danda left us somewhat unprepared for the 7,000-foot, one-day descent into the Taml!lr Valley and the town of Dobhan. This wildestl gf'al'\\destl aV\d mest fourth day of our trek was gruelingly hot, and we suffered from a gel'lerallack of fitness gloomYi aV\d that mGlV\ she ... ld as we stumbled down the hillside. We dropped out of the forest through some badly burnt hybe .. V\ate he .. e is iV\deed ext .. ",o .. - areas, into the more cultivated land at a lower altitude. The cause of the fire was not diV\a"YI fo .. the .. e is v\o "olAte lAp readily apparent, but as we approached more "civilized" an~as, there was a pronol!lmced the valleYI aV\d all the cemmlAV\ica increase in damage to the forest caused by the collection of firewood. Growing next to tioV\ wit'h LelYPI two ma .. ches this path we found the very rare Impatiens insigna, a species with pink to purple flowers dowV\ the .. ive ..) is ClAt eif and a well-developed spur similar to the Himalayan balsam, and some large coloni(Js of 12 APRIL 1991 Left: One of many suspension bridges crossed by the trekking party. Top: Their campsite at Yamphudin. Above: Saxifraga diversifolia and a Cyananthus. AMERI CAN HORTICULTURIST 13 the blue Torenia asiatica, a genus in which my company has an extensive breeding program. We welcomed a wash in the tumultuous Tamur River, which runs through a narrow valley with steep sides rising to two or three hundred feet. The slopes are terraced whenever possible for rice cultivation and many of the paddies are very small, perhaps only ten yards by five yards. The intricate network of terraces is amazing, with the levels arranged so water can drain through small channels in trickling rivulets. On the fifth day, which would again turn hot and sticky, we walked up the Tamur Valley, wading thigh-deep across some streams. Along the sandy banks of the river we saw a tall, large-flowered Exacum-a member of the Gentian family-that all agreed would have made a very fine cut flower. (E. affine, a small, well-branched species, has been sold for many years as a pot plant in the United States and northern Europe.) In In "Tbe in Sikkim, " a painting by many places the path along the side of the valley was severely altered by landslides and William Tayler, Hooker is seated and his we found ourselves ascending hundreds of feet only to descend by the same distance to Sirdar, kneeling, takes a Dendrobium nobile avoid one of them. Some of the paths were precipitously narrow with almost sheer drops; from a va5cttlumfult ofplants . this was somewhat disconcerting when crossing areas where the soil was still unstable. dL<~iVlg the wi ' Vlte~1 wheVl t'he Further on we found the handsome Impatiens florigera, whose flower varies from a hOL 14 APRIL 1991 Left: A Tibetan woman among the porters at Ghunsa, where one of them died during the trek. Top: An orchid, Spathoglottis ixioidex, found on the Buje Danda ridge at 8,000 feet. Above: Codonopsis dicentrifolia, a Campanula relative. AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 15 16 APRIL 1991 THE MORAGNE UmerlaS• Forty years ago, a dedicated amateur made the first controlled crosses of these fragrant tropicals. BY RICHARD A. CRILEY AND J 1M LITTLE lumerias, which are native to the semideciduous forests of southern Mexico and south into Panama, were described as early as 1522 in the Badianus Manuscripts by Francisco de Mendoza, a Spanish priest who was one of the first explorers of the region. According to this collection of Aztec lore, the Indians used the plants for medicinal purposes that ranged from poultices to emetics. Soon the hardy shrub with beautiful fragrant flowers was a favorite of the Spanish, who planted it around their churches, monasteries, and cemeteries, and took it with them as they explored the world. The plumeria has also acquired religious significance in India, where it is known as the temple tree or pagoda tree. There, Buddhists and Moslems regard the tree as a symbol of immortality because of its capacity to produce flowers from stems severed from the parent tree. Hindus use the flower as a votive offering to the gods. The flower's botanical name honors the seventeenth-century French botanist, Charles Plumier. Some horticultural historians say that the com mon name, frangipani, was derived from the French word, frangipanier, meaning coagulated milk, which its sticky white latex resembles. Others believe it honors a twelfth-century Italian who compounded a perfume similar to that of these tropical flowers that were discovered some four centuries la ter. Because PLumeria flowers and leaves come in so many forms, taxonomists once held that there could be forty-five or more species. Of course, these variations are not enough to justify naming a separate species. The AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 17 "lumpers" of the taxonomic trade-as well as Hortus Third-now say there are per haps only seven or eight species, and that most of those in the popular books on tropical flowers are really only variations of Plumeria rubra. "Splitters" among taxonomists still dissect out some other species, as do floras of Mexico and other Central American countries. The first pi umeria was introduced into Hawaii in 1860. It was a yellow brought in by Wilhelm Hillebrand, a German physi cian and botanist who lived in Hawaii from 1851 to 1871. The first red is thought to have arrived from Mexico around the turn of the century, either via a Mrs. Paul Neumann, wife of a consul stationed in Honolulu, or a Mr. Gifford, landscaper for the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. The white 'Singapore' plumeria was brought to Hawaii in 1931 by Harold Lyon, director of a sugar cane research station, from a large collection established in 1913 at the Singapore Botanical Gardens. Since then, natural hybridization has given rise to many variations in form and scent, making them popular among collec tors, who in 1979 established their own admiration society for this plant, the Plumeria Society of America. But as late as 1950, there were no records of any controlled crosses between plumerias. In that year, William M. Moragne Sr. became manager of Grove Farm Plantation on Kauai, which special ized in sugar cane, pineapple, and cattle. Top, from left to Moragne (pronounced "Mor-AY-nee"), right: Blooms of the who was born in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1905 and Moragne hybrid graduated from the University of Hawaii parents, 18 APRIL 1991 linated naturally by little bugs crawling down into the throat and climbing around the pistil. In doing so, they would leave some pollen grains under the pistil, as well as on top. Perhaps, he reasoned, he should also place pollen under the pistil. He care fully transferred pollen to the sides and base of the pistils of four blossoms through an incision cut into the side of the flower tubes. His pollinations were carried out in the morning on newly opened flowers. After the pollen was transferred, he covered the pollinated area with plastic tape to prevent uncontrolled pollen from being carried in by insects. Several weeks later, he realized that seed pods were begi nning to swell the base of the flowers he had cross-pollinated. From those seeds he obtained 283 seedlings. The thirty-five he kept produced small trees with large, brilliant, fragrant blossoms, some of which bloom for six to eight months. Moragne at first numbered the seedlings as they came into bloom-some took five years to bloom, others as long as eighteen-but then began to select the largest flowers among the more brightly colored ones to name for the women of his family. Only three of his eleven named hybrids -'Jean Moragne Jr. ', named for a daughter-in-law, and 'Edi Cooke' and 'Julie Cooke', named for two of his granddaughters-have been registered with the Plumeria Society of America, which came into existence just four years Above: William M. before his death in 1983. In the 1980s, a Moragne Sr. Left: A renewed interest in plumeria led to great PETAL demand for cuttings of his hybrids at cross section of a botanical garden plant sales. But as with plumeria flower many vegetatively propagated plants, cut shows the location tings had found their way into many gar of its stigma, style, dens in Hawaii and abroad, sometimes and ovary at the with a name change along the way. bottom of a deep Now, more than forty years after he ANTHER trumpet, a position developed his series of hybrids, there is which makes the confusion about the parentage of these his plant a challenging toric crosses. According to the Register of STIGMA one to cross Plumeria Culture, the male parent is 'Scott LOBES Pratt' and the female parent is called 'Daisy pollinate. Wilcox'. But in a 1974 newspaper article, RECEPTIVE Moragne was quoted as saying his hybrids PAPILLAE were a cross between 'Grove Farm' and an otherwise unknown 'Koloa Red'. In trying STYlE to update the Register for the society in 1988, John P. Oliver asked for help in OVARY finding out which was right. Although Moragne reportedly kept OVULES records relating to his breedir:J.g break through, none can be located today. The AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 19 PLUMERIA CULTURE hile the Moragne hybrids are limited il'l availability outside of Hawaii, answers had to be found by talking to his seeds and cuttings of many other plum€rias can be obtained through daughters, Mary Moragne Cooke, Sally W various mail-order catalogs and botanical gardens. Visitors to Hawaii Moragne Mist, and Katie Moragne Bart often carry home cuttings of plumeria to remind them of their tropical vacations. ness, and a long-time plantsman on Kauai, The University of Hawaii receives many,inquiries aoeut caring for these plants Howard Yamamoto. when they are taken to more northern climes. Among the plumerias in Moragne's gar It is important to remember that wild plumerias were f0und in hot, dry areas, den near Lihue, Kauai, was the cutting of often in poor soil, and on rocky limestol'l€ cliffs. While they respond -readiLy to a chance seedling originally collected from water and feftilizer, an overabundance of either tends to cause leggy growth with Lawaii Kai on the southern side of Kauai few flower clusters. Another problem with overwatering is loss of roots due to lack by plumeria enthusiast Alexander Mc of air in the growing medium. For container culture, a well-drained medium is very Bryde. The cutting was planted there when important, and water should be applied oruy when the soil seems dry. the plantation was still being managed by Plumeria growers in Hawaii often feed them year-xGllfId with a 10-30-10 a couple named Ralph and Daisy Wilcox. fertilizer, believing that the extra phosphorus \:ielps WFomote fl0wer productivity. Daisy Wilcox demurred at the suggestion Recent research by aOi'ticultarists at the llI'Livel'sit'y has sl:lggested that there is som€ that the flower be named for her, and validity to this pFactice, as trees ted w~th higher analysis phosphotus fertilizer haN Moragne- whether bowing to her wishes more growing points and slightly more £lower c!ust€rs tham trees given 10-10-10 or simply because he preferred place or 10-20-10 fertilizer. Their fates of feeding were born one to four pOI:lJ'lds of names, called it 'Grove Farm'. Neverthe fertilizer per tree per year, based on tree size, and four applications (roughly a less, the name 'Daisy Wilcox' stuck among quarter pound of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter up to four inches, spread plumeria growers on the island, and 'Daisy under the drip line). Wilcox' it became officially when plu 11'1 northern afeas with short growing seasons, the most important feedings will merias began to be registered many years be the early and late ol'les. The spring feeding will help to develop the flower clusters later. 'Daisy Wilcox', a large, white and vegetative growth, while the late summer feeding, which should be low in flowered plumeria with a pink stripe on the nitrogen, will aid in setting the flower buds for the next year. Both organic and underside of the petals, bears little resem inorgamic fertili:;l)egs are satisfactory. blance to a plumeria now registered as In thei!); native ~abitat, pll'lmerias pF0bably shed their ·leaves dl:lrimg a long dry 'Grove Farm', a grainy pink one also found spell, releafing whell: there is sufficient water. Reg\:dar and frequent deep irrigations on Kauai. The large flower and tree size of pr0mote 10fig shoo~s. Thus, container culture is a balancing act between, the most of the named selections, coupled with grower's goal of a perfect leafy, floriferous plaflt and the pl'umeria's tendency to a letter written by Moragne in 1973, leave keep growing or to shed leaves and go dormant. no doubt that the 'Grove Farm' plant he For good flowering, light and temperature are probably more important than used was the large-flowered one. water. The trees flourish in full sunlight, and set few buds when shaded by taller Records relating to the male parent are trees or buildings, Very little growth or flowerjng occurs once the temperatures even more conflicting. The only place the drop into the sixties aRd lower. Leaf retention, on the other hand, is more a matter name 'Koloa Red' appears is in the 1974 of day length rhan temperature; growth decreases, too, as the days become shorter. newspaper interview. It may have been a PIl:lmeria fanciers 1:» G0ld dimates simply allow theif plants to defoliate and go reporting or typographical error; no one dOl;mant ifl the fail. 'Thea they o.rimg them imdoors, ei,ther bare-rooted or still in knows. In a 1975 account, Mary Moragne pots, and store rhem rn a protected lDlace-a garage, basement, or attic-where Cooke related that 'Grove Farm' was they won't freeze. ;(R MafCh or April, they repot them if needed and once the danger crossed with 'Kohala Red'; more recently, of frost is past, they set the plants out to enjoy an early bloom. Growth and she discovered a slide dated 1955 that iden flowering are rapid with the return of temperatures to the seventies and eighties in tifies the hybrid her father named after her spring and summer. They wilJ grow and flower happily throughout the warm as a cross of 'Kohala' on 'Grove Farm'. summer and faLl months. There is little question that 'Kohala Red' Those who warnt to at£empt' William Moragne's method of cross-fertilizing is a synonym for a dark red plumeria even plumeria (see main sto ~ y) will know withiR a month if they have a "take"; swellings tually registered as 'Scott Pratt'. Pratt was should appear ifl tiWQ 19bes at the base of the flower, The seed pods require six to the farm manager of the Kohala Sugar niRe months to matll,Ftl, a>Fld eleven months to splir 0pen naturally. Plantations on the island of Hawaii. Once Good seed is plump a'nd Jlirrn when squeezed lightly. Each has a little papery again, Moragne preferred the place name. w~ng that enables seed dispersal by wind. If dried slightly and stored in dry Cuttings from the series provided by conditions, they may remain viable up to a year, but it is best to sow them Moragne to University of Hawaii plumeria immediately for a high germination percentage. breeder Ted Chinn in 1967 carried the Seeds should be sown shallowly or stuck into the medium with the wing notation in the accession book: 'Kohala' protruding. They should germinate in two to three weeks. Seedlings can be on 'Grove Farm' or 'Scott Pratt' on 'Daisy transplanted as soon as their sterns have thickened and true leaves appear. Plumeria Wilcox'. Both are right, given the synon fanciers have observed flowering within a year, but more often it takes tW0 to five ymous names for the red and the confusion years. For the last of his hybrid seedlings to bioolI!? William Moragne waited over the large white. But due to the eighteen years. registra tion of pi umeria names and descriptions with the Plumeria Society of America, 'Scott Pratt' must be listed as the 20 APRIL 199 1 Left: AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 21 DIE HE The columbine's ethereal grace makes it seem more bird than flower. P f l I , ~j _ l n c , hen I was a bout ten years old I wanted a gift to take to a teacher I loved. My mother generously ravaged her garden of several dozen long-stemmed, long-spurred colum bines in shades of sky blue, mauve, pale pink, light yellow, and white. As she lifted them to lay them in the box she said: "Look at them-they're more beautiful than orchids!" So for the first time, I really looked at them. She was right. Above their scal loped, slightly gray green foliage, they hung like 'McKana' hybrid columbines. butterflies, like dragonflies, hummingbirds. They 22 APRIL 1991 flew, they floated. They were delicate, al neither so long-blooming nor so long-lived. most ethereal, with their translucent pet Hybridizers also have used A. formosa, als, their long slender spurs, their pale which is from the Northwest. Its petals are lovely colors, their fragility. They seemed yellow and its spurs and sepals coral to to be barely attached to their stems, barely bright red. It must be somewhat similar to earthbound. No wonder they were named A. canadensis, the wild columbine we're "aquilegia" for the eagle and "columbine" familiar with in the Northeast, except that for the dove. ours is smaller and daintier, with more No doubt my mother's columbines were slender blossoms. A. canadensis loves 'Mrs. Scott-Elliott' hybrids, which as I rocks, often hanging from cliffs in the gorg recall, came only in pastel colors. That es hereabouts, but I have a friend with a strain seems to have been replaced by paved court into which this plant has 'McKana' hybrids and new ones of more moved and seeded itself in all the available intense color: 'Red Star', in bright red and interstices. It's a pretty sight in spring, and white; 'Spring Song' ("extra large flowers later too, as the foliage remains dark and . . . in bold colors"); and 'Music', of thrifty-looking all summer, unlike that of medium height and striking combinations the big border columbines. of color. Of the newer hybrids I have had A. 'Snow Queen' vies with A. chrysantha only the widely available 'McKana' in my in both length of blooming time and in garden-bicolors they are, in many com longevity. I no longer have it in my border binations, and very beautiful, especially but I did for many years and vow to start one that joins a deep plum color with it again. It's tall and pure white with smoky lavender. medium long spurs, obviously developed Aquilegia is of the buttercup family, in Germany since its alternate name is Ranunculaceae. There are about seventy 'Schneekoningen'. I've also grown 'Mrs. species, most of them from mountainous Nicholls', a clear, deep blue strain, no regions in the Northern Hemisphere. For dou bt derived from A. caerulea. It seems to years I have had groups of A. chrysantha, have disappeared from seed lists along a three- to four-foot native of New Mexico with 'Mrs. Scott-Elliott'. and Arizona. One expert gardener calls it The British are very sentimental about gawky and says it should be grown among what they call granny's bonnets, A. vul shrubs, but Graham Stuart Thomas and I garis, a vigorous three-foot native of the think it elegant. It's pale yellow and not Welsh valleys and most of continental only a long bloomer (through all of May Europe. The purple or pink flowers on this and June until the heat of July knocks it species look dumpy compared with the out) but also long lived, for a columbine. I ones I've been describing, being wide of Top: The widely must have had the same plants for six or girth and short of spur. Nevertheless, since available CMcKana' eight years. some have come up in my woods garden I, I wish the Colorado columbine, A. like the British, have found it hard to pull hybrids appear in a wide caerulea, were half so sturdy. I nourish them out; there's something appealing range of pastel shades. myself with its beauty while it lasts; a sum about them. If I don't harden my heart, Bottom: Aquilegia mer or two of its creamy white petals and they'll crowd out plants that I like better, chrysantha, a native of gray lavender blue sepals is all I get, then I since they're determined self-seeders. must start again. No doubt it misses the There's one A. vulgaris I'd like to get hold New Mexico and cool, dry mountain air. Both A. chrysantha of-A. vulgaris var. nivea, which is also Arizona, is hardy to and A. caerulea have been used to breed sometimes called 'Munstead White'. It's Zone 2. many of the tall columbine hybrids. said, in a race of glaucous-foliaged plants, Another yellow native that has con to have the grayest leaves of all, with pale Opposite: A. flabellata tributed to the modern hybrids is A. longis stems and buds and pure white flowers. Of has blue gray sima, a three-foot plant from Texas and course, I think if Gertrude Jekyll liked it I fan-shaped leaves Mexico. Its spurs are from three and a half would like it. (But it's not necessarily so; I and chunky blossoms. to six inches long, making it attractive to dislike her beloved yuccas, for example, breeders. I've been wondering whether the except in a semitropical setting). big yellow Aquilegia sold, both as seeds Long ago A. vulgaris was crossed with and plants, under the ill-chosen name of A. alpina, a ten-inch blue or blue and white 'Maxi-Star' is not a cultivar but really A. plant from Switzerland, producing the longissima? I cannot now find the old 'Hensol Harebell', another cottage garden catalog in which I read that 'Maxi-Star' is favorite. This one is usually deep Wedg a native of Texas. It's a splendid subject, wood blue, but sometimes blue and white flashier than the yellow A. chrysantha, but and even plum, pink, lilac, or white, on 24 APRIL 1991 account of its granny's bonnet blood. It has handsome dark foliage and seeds itself about generously, filling in bare spots, especially those that are rocky. Among the new columbine hybrids are some that perhaps weren't worth the effort. I haven't seen the ten-inch 'Biedermeyer' dwarfs in bloom but some discerning critics have called them ungraceful and stumpy. Certainly, from the pictures, the new fifteen-inch 'Fairyland' deserves Thomas's comment that they're an "abomi nation." He says they have lost all beauty of floral shape. I've been fretting about A. 'Nora Barlow' since I first saw it adver tised; the flowers have been doubled to the point where they look nothing like Aquilegia but something like thistles or Astrantia. If they were Astrantia I might like them. My antipathy is partly outrage that anyone would commit such violence on a flower with such a uniquely lovely form. Some of the Aquilegia species are natural dwarfs much cherished by rock gardeners. Most of them actually seem to be more yearned over than cherished, as they are extremely difficult to console when deprived of their perches on screes, crags, or stone deposits near icy streams. Many a rock gardener has nearly broken his or her heart trying to compensate a tiny in dividual from the American West, called A. jonesii, for such a lack. It is described, almost tearfully, in rock garden books, as having a one- to three-inch spread of downy silver foliage and one small, rich deep blue flower on each two-inch stem when it has flowers. Lincoln Foster, long-time president of the American Rock Garden Society, says that not only do most alpine columbines take two years to germinate, but, when raised in a rock garden, they either "grow fat and wheezy, short-lived and pale, or they intermarry with the undistinguished to gain longevity and awkwardness." Fur thermore, it's difficult to find seed that is really that of the alpine offered, unless it was gathered in the wild, the persistent sin of columbines being their willingness, even eagerness, to breed with any other colum bine of whatever species happens to be growing nearby. Some of the alpine species are less demanding than others and are certainly worth a try. From the Altai Mountains in central Asia there is eight- to ten-inch A. glandulosa, which, if pleased with a sunny, sheltered, humusy spot, will celebrate with large bright oxford blue and white flowers. AMERI CAN HO RTICULTURIST 25 Above: The European A. alpin a has short curved spurs. Right: The British are fond of A. vulgaris, or granny's bonnets. There's a white variety of this, A. glandulosa saximontana, but full sun. var. jucunda, which Hortus Third calls simp It is apparently not impossible to harbor ly A. jucunda and which the Royal Horticul the ten-inch A. alpina, which is also blue tural Society Dictionary of Gardening says is and white but has short curved spurs. almost sure to come true from seed. There's a slightly larger cultivar of this, A. There are two from the Rocky Moun alpina 'Superba'. One from France and tains in Utah, A. saximontana and A. Italy, called A. bertolonii, is about a foot scopulorum. A. saximontana is a little gem tall when flowering, its two-inch rich with gray, twice-divided leaves, crinkly, purple, short-spurred blossoms rising over bluish foliage, and pale blue and white a tuft of grayish foliage. Kolaga cheerfully nodding flowers on four-inch stems. It calls this one "a dandy." wants coarse limestone soil in sun or light I once bought seed for A. pyrenaica but shade. The Pennsylvania nurseryman Wal am not sure that's what I received, for it ter Kolaga said-somewhat bitterly-in wasn't particularly pretty and Foster says his 1966 All About Rock Gardens and that in its true form it is one of the most Plants that it's not easy to grow but easier beautiful columbines, with deep blue, than A. jonesii. A. scopulorum has three short-spurred flowers on six-inch stems lobed glaucous leaves growing in tufts and above dark green foliage. carries pale blue flowers with long slender Lots of us raise the Japanese A. (labellata spurs. It wants coarse limestone, like A. of the thick, creamy blue gray fan-shaped 26 APRIL 1991 around them every few weeks I have no trouble with either miners or worms.) Columbines don't like to be moved, can't be divided nor reproduced readily from cut tings, and, while they come up enthusiasti cally from seed they have sown themselves, they take the devil's own time to germinate from seed planted in a flat, even when it is done properly, just pressing the seed into the surface and not covering it. As to virtues-ah well, the virtues far outweigh all the faults. Yes, they are short lived, but better a short life and a good one than a long dull haul. Better a brief dancing columbine than a permanent stodgy pul monaria, say, or an old faithful but boring hosta. As to their interbreeding, it should be possible to keep separate species far apart, if one's garden is large enough. To non purists like myself, their proclivity for promiscuity has an advantage I ap preciate-producing surprises every spring in the form of color combinations I've never seen before. I had a group of the red and yellow A. canadensis in my woods garden, far enough away, I thought, from a few 'McKana' hybrids introduced later. But no-they all mingled merrily, probably ad ding a few genes from some dark blue A. vulgaris in another corner, until now there is a columbine festival every spring at that end of the garden. Columbines in pink and white, blue and white, dark solid red, pale yellow and blue, wonderful peach colors and apricot, even a semidouble pure blue. All of this with no trouble on my part. Could one ask for anything more? Elisabeth Sheldon is the author of A Proper Garden. leaves. Its chunky blossoms have purple and brown flowers. blue sepals and spurs and white petals, the Considering columbines as a whole, you colors and shapes combining perfectly. For might ask yourself if they are worth grow a while A. (labellata 'Nana Alba' grew ing. Their shortcomings are many. They Elisabeth Sheldon advises against buying here. It's a shorter one with lovely, pure icy interbreed, they are subject to crown rot, columbine plants by mail-order, since they white flowers. A. (labellata var. pumila is and are quite short-lived. The border hate being moved and, because of their the same as one sometimes listed as A. varieties care nothing for their appearance fragile nature, tend to arrive somewhat akitensis, a six-inch version of the ten-inch after they've finished their show for the mutilated. For seed, try the following A. (labellata. year and allow all their outer leaves to turn catalogs and seed exchanges: I grow a Chinese plant with the amusing yellow. Unless steps are taken to prevent it, American Rock Garden Society, 15 Fair name of Semiaquilegia ecalcarata, which I their green leaves are defaced by leaf mead Road, Darien, CT 06820. now find goes around sometimes as plain miners and, in my garden the last few Hardy Plant Society, The Manor House, A. ecalcarata. It's a dear thing with minia years, they've become the favorite food of Walton-in-Gordano, Clevedon, Avon, ture brownish purple or wine dregs armies of small green sawfly worms (Pris England BS21-7AN. colored, spurless columbine flowers above tiphora aquilegiae) that cleverly creep Park Seed Company, Cokesbury Road, lacy darkish columbine foliage. Mine are under the leaves where they can't be seen Greenwood, SC 29647-0001. usually eight to ten inches or less but the and chew them to the bone overnight. (I am Royal Horticultural Society, 80 Vincent books say they can attain twelve inches. I told Bacillus thuringiensis will take care of Square, London, England SW1P 2PE. haven't yet tried another murky one, the them, but when I remember to sprinkle Thompson & Morgan, P.O. Box 1308, twelve-inch A. viridi(lora, which has green granules of a systemic insecticide-fertilizer Jackson, NJ 08527. AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 27 t is an indelible quirk of human na ture to desire what we can't have. Why else would prohibitions against coveting figure so prominently in the Ten Commandments? Azalea lovers Iin cold climates seem especially prone to lust for the unattainable. They desire azaleas' showy flowers, but are thwarted he uest by winters that blast the buds or even kill plants altogether. The longing for winter-hardy azaleas for isn't new. Efforts to hybridize attractive, cold-tolerant azaleas began in the 1920s with the pioneering work of the late Joseph COLD-HARDIER Gable. He was followed by other hybridizers, now also deceased, whose names are legendary among azalea breeders and collectors: United States AZALEAS Department of Agriculture (USDA) hor ticulturist Ben Morrison, who developed Glenn Dale hybrids (named for the Maryland home of the department's Plant Breeders have developed evergreen azaleas that can Introduction Station); Robert Gartrell, who created Robin Hill and Gartrell withstand temperatures of at least 15 below hybrids; Edmund Mezitt of Weston Nur series in Massachusetts; Geneva, Ohio's, and deciduous shrubs hardy to minus 35. Peter Girard Sr.; Orlando Pride of Buller, Pennsylvania; and Tony Shammarello of How low can they go? Euclid, Ohio. Thanks to these and other breeders, hundreds of evergreeA azaleas are available for gardeners as far north as USDA Zone 6b. Azaleaphiles into Zone 4 can grow any number of deciduous hybrids. But what about the unforttmates beyond these areas who crave this subgenus of Rhododendron? Hope is Rot lost, for hybridizers are still trying to push the B y E R N H y N E s boundaries of azalea territory northward. The breeding program that has intro compact four feet. nursery, Holly Hills. duced some of the hardiest new deciduous 'White Lights', 'Spicy Lights', and 'Gold Bud hardin€ss is listed at 15 below Z(lro, azaleas, the Northern Lights hybrids, is run en Lights' are bud hardy to about 30 to 35 although Stephen Schroeder reports that his by the University of Minnesota. The ear degrees below zero when dormant, suitable mature plants flowered after last winter's 20 liest releases were controlled Fl hybrids; for northern Zone 4 and southern Zon€ 3. below. Most plants are compact, reaching that is, the seed-grown offspring of The dormant buds of the others, including about five feet high in as many years, al deliberately crossed parents. The mature the FIS, can take the 45 below of southern though some are smaller. Flower colors in plants are about seven feet tall, with Zone 2. clude white, orange, pink, red, scarlet, and fragrant flowers of different shades of A new Northern Lights hybrid is due on lavender. Two noteworthy cultivars are pink. However, the inherent genetic the market in about two years. As yet 'Carrie Amanda', an early bloomer with variability of FIS causes minor differences unnamed, the introduction has bright yel picotee flowers-white with a rosy outer in plant form, size, and flower color. low upper petals and creamy lower petals, margin-and 'Doctor Henry Schroeder', These early crosses are still available giving a pale yellow effect overall. with large pink-trussed flowers. 'Doctor through nurseries, but they have been A new group of hardy evergreen azaleas HeAry Schroeder' is unusually evergreen; joined by cloned cultivars-asexually was developed by the late Dr. Henry the lea ves don't take on the purple tiAge tha t propagated plants tNat are consistent in Schroeder (pronounced Shrayder), an many do in winter, and are less likely to color and form. 'Pink Lights', 'Rosy amateur hybridizer in southern Indiana. drop off by winter's end. Lights', 'White Lights', and salmof,\ Schroeder died before his hybrids reached At Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton, colored 'Spicy Lights' grow to about seven the market, but his sons Stephen and David Massachusetts, Wayne and Roger Mezitt feet high. Purple 'Orchid Lights' and mil selected and registered the thirty-eight har continue the work of their father, Edmund, dew-resistant 'Golden Lights' remain a diest cultivaFs and sell them throwgh their who is famous for the 'P.] .M.' rhodo- 28 APRIL 1991 Dr. Henry Schroeder began the azalea breeding that is being continued by sons Stephen and David. AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 29 Azaleas: "Many nurserymen cannot devote time and valuable land to the long-term investment required in breeding and evaluating new cultivars ... Consequently, dedicated amateur azalea enthusiasts are assuming a larger role in hybridizing." That role is one requiring great dedica tion. Azalea hybridizers may grow and observe hundreds of azalea species and cultivars over several years before choos ing parents that might give them the hardi ness and other traits they want. After crossing the parents, they must wait two or three years for the offspring to flower so they can judge their ornamental qualities in bloom. But to evaluate hardiness, five or six years is the minimum time needed; ten Above: 'Carlson's years is more common. In Azaleas, Galle Coral Flameboyanf, recommends taking twenty or thirty years to evaluate a plant, "so that you get enough which is hardy variation within the weather cycles to get to 20 below. the extremes." Right: 'Golden Lights' But while amateur hybridizers can ad vance azalea breeding, the trend toward will withstand what some refer to as "back-yard hybridiz 30 to 35 below. ing" creates a problem for gardeners who Both are deciduous. yearn to plant cold-hardy azaleas in their yards: How do we get our hands on their new shrubs? "Very few of those plants will be introduced into commerce; certainly not through the wholesalers and probably not even through the specialty nurseries like ours," says Bob Carlson of Carlson's Gar dens in South Salem, New York. "They get named, registered, and that's the last that's dendron. Wayne Mezitt and head hardy to at least 30 below, putting them on ever heard of them except for being dis propagator Christopher Rogers make the border of Zones 3 and 4. "We're com tributed to a few friends." about twenty-five or fifty crosses on ing out with a lot of double, fragrant, Consider the case of 'Pots Silver Pink', azaleas each year. Their 1990 catalog lists sterile azaleas in yellow, pink, red, and alias 'Pots Double Silver Pink', alias 'Pots the new 'Bixby', a low-growing evergreen two-tone, such as pink and white," Girard Pink', with "Potts" as a variation on the azalea with dark red flowers that Rogers says. '''Fireflash' will be out next year. It's spelling of Pots. Thirty years ago, says is hardy in Zone 5. 'Bixby' blooms in orange-red, with a yellow throat; it's fiery hybridizer Weldon Delp took cuttings of a May and has dark green leaves that turn looking-and one of the few single plant his friend Julian Pots had bred. "It red in the fall. The Weston catalog also lists flowered new introductions." Girard also was the most hardy evergreen azalea for older evergreen hybrids for Zone 5: 'Texas plans to introduce new evergreen azaleas that area, sixteen miles north of Pitts Pink', dark rose red 'Vyking', wine red that are hardy to at least 10 below. burgh," recalls Delp. He gave 'Pots Silver 'Majesty', 'Pink Clusters', 'Pink Dis Azalea fans partial to native plants can Pink' to, among others, Malcolm Clark. covery', and purple 'Royal Pillow'. turn to Transplant Nursery in Lavonia, "It is my belief-that's belief, not know Among Weston's hardiest deciduous Georgia, where Mary Beasley and her ledge-that 'Pots Silver Pink' is the hardiest azaleas is 'Lemon Drop', which flowers in family select and hybridize North Ameri evergreen azalea," says Clark, a nur mid-July with lemon-scented pale yellow can deciduous azaleas hardy to Zone 5 and seryman and azalea breeder. "It's hardy to blooms. It can take the cold of Zone 3 and even Zone 4. The torrid Georgia summers about thirty-five below." Want one for is reputed to tolerate summer heat as well. prevent the Beasleys from joining their your North Dakota home? Clark sells In Geneva, Ohio, on Lake Erie, Peter northern counterparts in working with the some from his Chandler Gardens nursery Girard Jr., and his daughter, Roberta hardiest North American azalea, Rhodo in Southern Pines, North Carolina, which Forinash, carryon the work of Peter dendron canadense. It's hardy to Zone 3 isn't set up for mail order. No one else Girard Sr., which began in the 1940s and but can't handle heat. seems to carry it. created a group of hybrids known for their Not all hybridizers in search of cold-har To make the problem worse, even plants consistent performance. Girard says that diness are nursery professionals. As Fred from some famous hybridizers can be hard most of his nursery's d~ciduous azaleas are Galle writes in his authoritative work, to find. "Some worthwhile older cultivars 30 APRIL 1991 have .gone out of circulation," laments from and superior to most other azaleas. Edmund Mezitt of Weston Nurseries August Kehr, a retired USDA geneticist Then there's the slippery issue of cold and his original 'PIM. ' rhododendron. who now breeds double-flowered azaleas hardiness itself. First, although the USDA Sons Wayne and Roger in Hendersonville, North Carolina. "Joe has neatly divided North America into the Gable and Orlando Pride were the best hardiness zones shamelessly cited through took over his breeding work. breeders for hardiness, but their cultivars out this article, in truth cOl!lntless aren't readily available." microzones exist within each major zone. 1,800 varieties that he carries winter out Perhaps outstanding cold-hardy hybrids As Transplant Nursery's catalog notes, doors, in containers, rather than in the have trouble making it to the retail level "Many factors such as altitude, degree of polyhouses common in many nurseries. because nursery growers have so many exposure to wind, proximity to bodies of A new wrinkle in the controversy about ho-hum introductions to sort through. water, snow cover, soil types, and the like hardiness ratings is lab testing, in which Galle lists about 6,000 cultivars in Azaleas; can create variations of as much as two dormant buds are chilled in freeze cham it's hard to believe all of them are remark zones in winter hardiness." bers. The rating is the temperature at which able. "People fall in love with their hybrids How can one say a plant (or its buds, half the buds sustain tissue damage. and introduce stuff that shouldn't be intro depending on which rating is given) is Not all hybridizers have faith in the duced," says Harry Weiskittel of Marshy hardy to a certain temperature when so method. Says Weiskittel: "The only real Point Nursery, a major wholesale grower many variables affect hardiness? A plant's way to know is to grow it in your area for in Chase, Maryland. "We're getting too ability to tolerate cold depends not only on several years." Carlson adds: "It bothers much repetition, rather than ones that are its genetic makeup, but also its age, with me as a marketer to see them listed as hardy unique. " mature plants being hardier; how well it when the rating really means half the buds Clark of Chandler Gardens concurs. hardened off before the cold hit-a wet or will be gone at that temperature. Maybe "We have these back-yard breeders who unusually warm fall, late fertilizing, or half the buds is fine. But frankly, if I lost half look at their hybrids and say 'Gee, that's early freeze can mean disaster; whether it's the buds, I wouldn't consider it hardy." nice!'-and it is, but we've gota ton of other out in the open or protected; whether it's But Weston Nurseries' Wayne Mezitt plants that look just like it." Clark, like mulched or covered with snow; and other and propagator Chris Rogers find the lab many hybridizers, grows a few thousand of factors. results usually agree with their field obser other breeders' cultivars to compare to his "Those that go dormant early are better," vations. "The lab tests give us an idea new progeny. "If I didn't have them, I says WeiskitteL "And they need to stay about a plant's hardiness that we can't get wouldn't know what to throwaway," he dormant. They can be delicate if they break around here," Rogers says. Retired USDA explains. In Azaleas, Galle urges hybrid dormancy early. A plant may be hardy in geneticist Kehr agrees. "I find nothing izers to be more critical of their creations, January but not in ApriL" Carlson stresses wrong with lab testing; it's more precise naming and registering only those different the importance of acclimation. Each of the than in the field." AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 31 BREEDING FOR COLD TOLERANCE AND MORE or woody landscape plants, it's a jungle out there. As if it weren't hard enough Given the limitations of cold-hardiness to endure natural assaults such as temperature extremes, drought, and pest ratings, what's the next step in the quest for Pinfestations, plants are often expected to survive human-made hazards like cold-hardy azaleas? pollution, road-salt spray, and soil compaction. For consumers, it's education. Too many The Center for Development of Hardy Landscape Plants was established a year of us are attracted to the dazzling display ago with the goal of developing shrubs and trees that can take the multiple assaults of azaleas in bloom at Dizzy Don's Dis that nature and neglect too often dish out. count Palace, then wonder why our bar Harold Pellett, the University of Minnesota professor of ornamentals breeding gains don't survive the winter. It's worth and culture who is coordinator of the center, observes that concerns about global the effort to find out which plants are warming and its impact on the environment have led to nationwide efforts, notably hardy before we buy by calling the county the American Forestry Association's Global ReLeaf, to plant trees in urban areas extension agent, looking it up in Galle's to alleviate the greenhouse effect. "Unfortunately," says Pellett, "many trees and book, or perusing the catalog of a grower shrubs that are planted in landscapes die or perform poorly because they are not who specializes in azaleas. Appropriate sufficiently tolerant to the stresses that they encounter." cultural practices will help encourage har The goals of the center are to link institutions and resea.rchers throughout North diness-selecting the planting site careful America so that they can coordinate aG:tivities and share knowledge, and to raise ly, not fertilizing in the fall, and waiting funds for expandiNg existing research projects and establishing new ones. until plants are dormant before mulching. The center now has almost fifty member institutions- botanical gardens, ar For hybridizers, a much needed step is boreta, agricultur'al re'search stations, and universities. By setting up cooperative exploration. "There are untapped resources research, center members hope to develop plants that are hardy over broader in the gene pool," Galle says, noting that geographical areas than is now the case. For example, second generation inter the evergreen Japanese species R. specific hybrids of Sorbus and Aronia species from the Minnesota programs will kaempferi, or torch azalea, commonly used be field planted in various locations in the Great Plains to see if plants already to breed for cold hardiness was collected in determined to be attractive and cold hardy are also more drought and heat tolerant southern Japan. "There's been very little than currently available mountain ash trees. collecting in the northern islands of Japan However, Pellett observes, a mild or moderate climate is usually best for the first to get gene pools of some of these more step of the hybridization process, in which a cold-hardy plant may be crossed with cold-hardy forms. That's something that a less hardy one having superior aesthetic qualities. The first generation crosses needs to be done if we're going to do are usually intermediate in hardiness; cold tolerance equal to or greater than the further breeding." original parent will probably not appear until subsequent generations. This is John Creech, a retired USDA plant ex another reason that new plants must be evaluated in multiple sites. plorer who introduced many species from Pellett notes that many of the participating institutions have individual plants Japan and China, agrees with Galle. "No worthy of evaluation for introduction into the trade as cuitivars, but they may lack major breeders are working with the north the staff or land to conduct an ongoing breeding program. Center funds may allow ern forms," he sa ys. "Most are selecting for them to hire additional researchers. variation within what we already have." The center plans to support both applied research-not only breeding and Even with an expanded gene pool, fur evaluation but exploration for and preservation of germplasm-and basic research ther breeding faces some discouraging into what genetic and physiological traits make plants hardy, and ways to screen obstacles. The limited funds available for plants for those characteristics. agricultural resea rch go primarily to food Other trees that are being evaluated are Cedrus libani from the Purdue University crops; there's little money left for some campus, and interspecific hybrids between Acer truncatum and A. platanoides and thing that makes the yard look nice. In the between A. saccharum and A. saccharum subsp. grandidentatum from the Morton last few yea rs, breeding programs at the Arboretum, some of whose progeny are expected to show greater cold tolerance than University of Connecticut, North Carolina Norway maple and greater tolerance to heat and drought than sugar maple. State University, and the Vineland Re Other seedlings from the Minnesota program--deciduous azaleas selected for search Station in Ontario have been phased tolerance to different climates and honeysuckle resistant to witches broom aphid out. are also being distributed. Minnesota is also working with Oregon State University Nor does azalea breeding seem to attract to cross viburnums, Aesculus, and intergeneric crosses of Pomoideae, a subfamily as many aficionados as it used to. "We're of the rose family. a dying breed," observes Weldon Delp. Researchers fWIll the Agriculture Canada Research Station at Morden, "Young breeders can't go into it because of Manitoba, asked other center members for assistance in evaluating four new, the expense involved. If a hybridizer doesn't winter-hardy roses developed there and said to be disease resistant and hardy to have a love for the work and financial Zone 3, and in one case, 2b. support, it's impossible to do." Jeremy Wells of Wells Nursery in Pen The center needs volunteers throughout North America to collect seeds of targeted rose, North Carolina, who propagates the species of woody native plants. To volunteer, send a tax-deductible donation, or Windsor hybrids his father James obtain more information, contact Harold Pellett, Center for Development of popularized, observes: "Breeding requires Hardy Landscape Plants, P.O. Box 39, Chanhassen, MN 55317, (612) 443-2460. a special sense of patience and aptitude. It takes decades. It takes a special personality. My generation doesn't have the time, the 32 APRIL 1991 patience, or the aptitude." Discouraging, but not hopeless. Some young hybridizers are carrying on-Steve Schroeder of Holly Hills, Jeff Beasley of Transplant Nursery, Christopher Rogers of Weston Nurseries, Harry Weiskittel of Marshy Point Nursery, and Roberta Forinash, of Girard's Nursery, are breeders in their 30s and 40s. But perhaps azalea breeding is, as Kehr says, "the kind of a hobby a young person's not interested in . It's more enticing as you get older." In that case, there's a lot of hope; when the legions of baby boomers reach retirement age, we may see an unprece dented upsurge in azalea hybridizing. Then the newcomers will discover, as has breeder Pete Vines of Vines Horticultural Gardens Above: 'Carrie Amanda' iR Springfield, Virginia, the reason to is a hardy cultivar from devote a few decades to the project. " I do it because I want to do something better," Holly Hills. Vines explains. "And it's exciting in the Left: White Lights' is one spring to see 4,000 plants bloom that no of a half dozen hardy one on Earth has ever seen before." cultivars from the University Erin Hynes is a free-lance writer who of Minnesota, recently put cold hardiness worries behind Below left: Peter Girard Sr. her by moving from Indiana to Austin, began breeding reliable Texas., hardy azaleas in the 1940s. His son, Peter Girard Jr., SO 'U R( ES & RES 0 U R( ES and granddaughter, Roberta Forinash, carry Azaleas. Revised and enlarged edition. Fred C. Galle. Timber Press, Portland, Ore on his efforts. gon, 1987, 519 pages. AHS member price, hardcover: $55.25. Order code: TIM033, Azalea Society of America, P.O, Box 6244, Silver Spring, MD 20906, Carlson's Gardens, Box 305, South Salem, NY 10590, (914) 765-5958. Carlson's hybrids, Gable, Glenn Dale, Robin Hill, Northern Lights, others, Catalog $2 deductible. Girard's Nursery, Box 428, Geneva, OH 44041, (216) 466-2881. Holly Hills Nursery, 1216 Hillsdale Road, Evansville, IN 47711, (812) 867- 3367, Schroeder, Northern Lights, others. Transplant Nursery, Parkertown Road, Lavonia, GA 30553, (404) 356-8947. Na tive azaleas, Kehr, Northern Lights, others. Catalog $2 deductible. Vines Horticultural Gardens, 8110 Edinburgh, Springfield, VA 22153. Catalog and growing guide $4, Weston Nurseries, P,O, Box 186, Hop kinton, MA 01748, (508) 435-3414, Wes ton hybrids, Robin Hill, Abbott, others. Noted for carrying unusual hybrids, AMERICAN HORTICU LTURIST 33 s ensata is replete til "ana feudal lords, but Am'l!mcans, have given it a new l!}ace in the sun. M A HAN HE MODERN JAPANESE IRIS ing the growing season-even the ""ardeners can amaze friends and neigh- 34 APRIL 1991 the standards enlarged and acted as falls. These have been called the "six-fall" or double form. Subsequently, other forms have evolved with additional petals, so today we have "nine-fall" forms, and even some cultivars with more than nine falls. It is popularly believed that the Japanese iris, or hanashobu, is the flower associated with the iris festival (Ayame no Sekku), one of the five major festivals of ancient Japan, celebrated as early as the seventh century A.D. But that distinction belongs to a plant that is not even an iris, Acorus calamus var. angustifolius, a form of the sweet flag that has a rather undistinguished flower but wonderfully perfumed leaves similar in ap pearance to iris foliage. For many centuries this plant, known as shobu or ayame, was used to decorate the eaves of houses on the fifth day of the fifth month. Today the Japa nese iris is sometimes used in the same way. The history of Iris ensata cultivation dates back only to the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, when three dis tinct forms had their beginnings. In the early eighteenth century there were a number of large plant nurseries in Horikiri, on the Sumida River six miles from the center of Tokyo, providing cut flowers to the Shogun's capital, then known as Edo. As individual growers in troduced wonderfully improved varieties of I. ensata, with large flowers and multiple petals, several of these nurseries began to specialize in hanashobu. The type grown here came to be known as Edo irises. Much of the outstanding stock grown by the Horikiri nurseries came from Mat sudaira Shoo, who lived from 1773 to 1856 and is considered the individual most responsible for creating the modern form of the Japanese iris. Carrying on the work Top: 'Dancing Waves' is one of the finest creations of breeder Arlie Payne. of his father, who collected many different Bottom: Japanese irises are an excellent choice alongside a stream. colored forms of the wild iris, Matsudaira Shoo is credited with creating more than Massed in a bed by themselves near a first half of the nineteenth century that the 100 new outstanding varieties. He par stream or pond, or along some gravel ar Japanese iris as we think of it today was ticularly prized the three-fall form in which ranged to give the illusion of a stream, they developed. wide falls overlapped. He also appreciated create a landscape evoking the most One needs to know a little about the the six-fall type as long as they had good fabulous gardens of Japan. This wonderful structure of an iris flower to readily ap substance, but Matsudaira Shoo could not perennial also fits into a mixed border with preciate the history of its development. The tolerate thin, drooping petals. A few of his ease, providing both beautiful flowers and basic form of the species flower encompas original cultivars are still grown in Japan majestic foliage that stays attractive until ses six segments. The three lower petals, today and at least one, 'Renjo no Tama' late autumn. which typically hang down and are botani (Lilac Jewel), is available from some The forerunner of our modern Japanese cally the sepals, are called falls. The three specialist iris nurseries in the United States. iris is a single species, Iris ensata, which is upper segments, which in the species are Around 1800 in Ise, a district not far native to China, Korea, and Japan. Al pointed upward and are the true petals, are from Kyoto where Japan's most ancient though various forms of this species were called standards. We call the species type the and sacred Shinto shrines are found, Yoshii grown and appreciated in these countries "three-fall" or single form. As the Japanese Sadagoro began growing and selecting a for hundreds of years, it was not until the iris developed, varieties evolved in which different strain ofJapanese iris. To him and 36 APRIL 1991 others who followed him in developing the Ise type of iris, the only acceptable form was that of the classic species, with three delicate drooping falls and slender and graceful leaves. This type of iris was usually grown in pots and brought indoors when in bloom. A third type of Japanese iris was developed in southern Japan in the area once called Higo and now known as the Kumamoto prefecture. In 1852, a samurai by the name ofJunnosuke Yoshida brought sixty-four varieties of Edo irises to Higo, which at that time was ruled by the feudal lord Hosokawa Narimori. Lord Hosokawa encouraged his small groups of retainers to grow these irises and to develop new cul tivars. These Kumamoto irises were grown in pots, and each group competed with the others to obtain bigger, more spectacular blooms. They valued the six-fall type most highly. The Kumamoto samurai rules forbade them to share their irises with anyone out side their group. It was not until after 1914 that Kumamoto irises, or Higo irises as they are called in the West, became avail able for export. While Europeans and Americans had been importing Japanese irises since the middle of the nineteenth century, they were mostly of the Edo or Ise type until the 1920s. Most varieties of Japanese irises being hybridized in the United States and Japan today are "mixed" sorts, with parentage in cluding Edo, Kumamoto, and some Ise strains. However, those interested in growing historic irises can obtain some of the original types from growers in the United States. Very few old Ise irises are available here, but a nice example is 'Sakura no Miya' (Cherry Blossoms at Miya), a large, soft toned lilac pink. Classic Edo irises include An unnamed seedling in a Virginia garden. Each year Americans are 'Warai Hotei' (Laughing God), a double introducing new Japanese irises of potential "star" quality. with purple veins and dark purple center on a light background; 'Kurokumo' (Dark . area where Americans have taken a When his iris 'The Great Mogul' was Clouds), a double of dark purple coloring; Japanese product and bettered it. introduced in Japan, it created an instant and 'Yuhi' (Evening Sun), a lovely ruffled W. Arlie Payne, a landscape architect sensation, and he received many honors double white, edged in pale pink. Three who lived in Terre Haute, Indiana, is the from the Japan Iris Society. The American very old Kumamoto varieties are 'Aki no real "father" of Japanese iris development Iris Society honored Payne's work by Nishiki' (Autumn Brocade), a single purple in the United States. Beginning in the late naming the highest award a Japanese iris with white veins and crests; 'Maiko no 1920s, Payne used a very small stock of can attain the "Payne Award." Only one Hama' (Dancing Girl on the Beach), a mostly Edo varieties to hybridize more Japanese iris is awarded this prize each double white edged in violet; and 'Suiten than 100,000 seedlings, of which more year. Pa yne was a founder of the Society for Isshoku' (Color of Water and Heaven), a than 150 were registered with the Japanese Irises, a section of the American huge single of navy blue. American Iris Society and introduced into Iris Society. Whereas these old varieties have a spe commerce. These American originations One of the first Americans to work with cial charm, many of the American origina were great improvements on his original the Kumamoto or Higo strain of Japanese tions on the market today are far superior stock, and especially well-adapted to irises was Walter Marx of Boring, Oregon, in substance, form, and color. This is one American growing conditions. who called the irises he hybridized and AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 37 38 APRIL 1991 feather. This iris was hybridized by Adolph Vogt of Louisville, Kentucky, a past presi dent of the society. Other cultivars at the top of recent polls: 'Dancing Waves'. One of Arlie Payne's finest creations, this large double, mulber ry purple cultivar has a silver band around its falls. Blooming late in the season, which in the mid-Atlantic area includes the entire month of June and into July, 'Dancing Waves' won the Payne Award in 1968. 'Freckled Geisha'. Hybridized by Lorena Reid of Springfield, Oregon, this extremely feminine beauty won the Payne Award in 1987. It is a ruffled, white double with a hairline edge of deep maroon, delicately dotted with wine" freckles." 'Taga Sode'. The name of this iris means "geisha's sleeve." It is a large double, bright fuchsia with bold white veining. It was hybridized by the late Dr. Shuichi Hirao, whom many consider the greatest twen tieth-century hybridizer of Japan. In his honor, the Society for Japanese Irises next year will introduce an iris named 'Shuichi Hirao', a magnificent single white variety that Dr. Hirao sent to the United States as a numbered, unnamed seedling before his death in 1989. 'Gay' Gallant'. This is an older variety that remains extremely popular. The creation of Walter Marx, it is white with blue veins. 'Kalamazoo'. A single hybridized by Ar thur Hazzard, this cultivar became an im mediate winner at the time of its introduction by Ensata Gardens last year. It is positively huge, with overlapping pet als of exquisite coloring. It is heavily veined and washed with blue-violet over white and ruffled like crepe paper. 'Caprician Butterfly'. A Marx variety of recent introduction, this double white is heavily marked with dark purple veins. It I is large and ruffled. 'Gay Gallant' is an older cultivar from Oregon breeder Walter Marx. 'Crystal Halo'. Another Marx double, this iris is lavender with purple veins and a violet sometimes produces repeat bloom in that one must be cautious when selecting wide white rim, a sure point of drama in areas like Maine, where summers are cool. sources from which to buy them. Some the garden. 'The Great Mogul'. One of the greatest inferior and wrongly named cultivars have 'Iapetus'. Named for a Greek god who of Payne's creations, this velvety maroon found their way into commerce, a problem revolted against Zeus, this is a splendid, single can grow up to ten inches or more in that the Society for Japanese Irises is work extremely ruffled double created by Ster width. ing to correct by bringing it to the attention ling Innerst, one of America's foremost 'Wine Ruffles'. A beautiful wine-colored of nursery owners. In addition, some sup hybridizers. It has a light ground color that double variety of uniformly excellent form pliers carry only older varieties. The sources is heavily sanded and veined in blue and and texture. This outstanding cultivar was listed with this article offer a wide selection red-violet. It has a blue-violet halo. developed by Dr. William Ackerman of of outstanding, correctly named cultivars. 'Lilac Peaks'. Created by Adolph Vogt, Ashton, Maryland, well-known for his this exquisite double is white with violet work with camellias. veining. Although there are many outstanding Clarence Mahan, who lives in McLean, 'Continuing Pleasure'. Developed by Japanese iris cultivars from which Ameri Virginia, is the immediate past president o( Currier McEwen, this double-full blue- can gardeners can choose, it is unfortunate the Society (or Japanese Irises. AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 39 HIMALAYAN JOURNAL From page 15 The next day, on a tough walk over a apparently of pneumonia. Presumably, he high forested ridge, we saw countless I. had been ill when the trek began, and the stenantha, an open-faced flower with a red miserable conditions had exacerbated his blotch in the throat and an upward point symptoms. We were shaken by this reminder ing spm, but unfortunately none had set of the tenuous hold we all have on life when seed. Leeches were an annoyance but traveling in a remote area. With death there didn't approach the plague of Amjilassa . is always protocol to follow: a funeral had to eighteen days before. We walked downhill be arranged and police procedures followed on a pleasant afternoon to enter the pretty before we could leave for Tseram. little village of Yamphudin (Hooker's Our spirits began to lift on our uphill Yankutang) near the border with Sikkim. trek through firs and Rhododendrons, in There were some demands that Hooker's cluding R. hodgsonii, R. arboreum, and R. party did not have to face; we spent six barbatum. Once we were above the forest, nights in Yamphudin waiting for a Gra alpines appeared again-Primula primu nada film crew from England to shoot tina, Pedicularis megacarpa, Corydalis, aNd some footage of the Kew botanists for a some petiolar Primula. We camped just over series about the Royal Botanic Gardens. the high pass of Tamo La. We took advantage of the nearby clean On day twenty we arose to a beautiful river water for washing and explored the clear morning. We had superb views of the area for herbarium specimens aFld seeds. towering pinnacle of Janu as we labored We found some colonies of the mauvish upwards over the high passes of Sinnion La blue I. decipiens near the village but were and Mirgin La. Our efforts were rewarded again too early for seed. The arrival of the on the way down when we passed a small, television crew on the twenty-ninth day ofthe crystal clear lake near which we found trek brought news of home and a much Gentiana elwesii and a stunning blue appreciated letter from my wife. aconite. In the late afternoon we arrived in On the thirty-third day we moved on, Tseram in the Yalung valley. down the Omje Khola. We traversed many After two nights in Tseram we had to landslides and numerous suspension bridges move up the valley to a drier campsite at as population and cultivation increased. about 14,000 feet. We spent three days and Our destination was the town of Taple nights here exploring and making day trips jung where there was a small airstrip cut to higher altitudes. We found a fine ex into the side of a mountain. The film crew ample of Rheum nobile, a rhubarb relative and I moped to catch a flight to Kathmandu, in some danger of extinction because of its leaving the rest to continue the trek for status as a Tibetan delicacy. Its yellowish another five days. The first plane on which white bracts made it easy to spot from we were booked could not land because of some distance. But the Yalung valley is poor visibility and it was two days before better known for its rhododendrons, which we could fly out. As we did so we were cover the slopes in profusion and make a treated to some of the most spectacular tremendous sight iFl April and May. scenery in the world including glimpses of Leaving the heights of the Yalung valley Everest and Annapurna. to walk downstream along the banks of the I had made twenty-six collections of im Simbua Khola, we started to find Impatiens patiens seed from sixteen different species, again. The most exciting was I. falcifer, an some of which had not been introduced attractive yellow species with red spots on into cultivation, had collected four Meco the lower and upper petals-colors that it nopsis species, and made about twenty other would be wonderful, although terrifically collections from species such as Delphinium, challenging, to transfer to I. wallerana. Geranium, Aconitum, and Senecio. The weather was still troubling us near My fellow travelers had collected more the end of September. Our twenty-sixth than 2,000 herbarium specimens that had day started fair but then rained steadily as to be packed for shipment to England with we ascended thro\!lgh fir and hemlock duplicate specimens left for study by forests where there were mosses and ferns Nepalese scientists. A formidable "live in great number. Crossing over a high pass plant" collection was taken back to the we made a treacherous descent, slipping United Kingdom for further study. In many and sliding down muddy paths recorded by ways the work had only just begun. Hooker. With the mud came the return of the leech as we camped in the misty gloom Simon Crawford is a plant breeder for Pan of the forest for the night. American Seed in West Chicago, Illinois. 40 APRIL 1991 TIMEWORN, RELIABLE, DEPENDABLE Since 1922, the American Hor ticultural Society has provided its members and the public with reliable, dependable horticul tural information. It's a proud tradition. Today, AHS is challenged by the rapidly changing tech nologies of a new decade. We must not let horticulture be for gotten in our race to the future. One of the Society's major goals is to increase public awareness of the unique con tributions of horticulture to our nation, and the vast impact of horticulture on our daily lives and our future. HORT1CUL TURE IS MORE THAN JUST A PRETIY GARDEN. Horticulture is also: .. Sustenance-nutritious and hardy plants to feed a hungry world ; .. Healing-with plants in phar maceutics; .. Therapy-for those with physical and mental impair ments; .. Urban horticulture-a new science that explores the re quirements of plants in an urban environment; .. Eco-gardening-alterna tives to pesticides and chemicals; .. Botanical scrubbing-using plants to remove air pol lutants from closed environments; .. Allied industries-seed producers, plant breeders, specialty growers, nurseries, garden centers, lawn and garden suppliers; .. Creative inspiration-throughout all the arts and humanities; .. Beautification-with plants in landscaping and interior design; .. Recreation and relaxation-through home gardening or visits to public gardens, and through membership in horticultural organizations. How could we exist without horticulture? Won't you join in our efforts to ensure that the public, like our members, is aware of the importance of horticulture to our nation today and to future generations? Use the attached postpaid envelope to mail your con tribution to the 1990-91 AHS Annual Appeal today. Every gift counts! With your help we will attain our goal. THANK YOU! CLASSIFIEDS Classified Ad Rates: $1 per word; mmi Mail to: P.O. Box 5425, Washington, DC BOOKS 20016-5425. mum $20 per insertion. 10 percent dis 1985 Edition EXOTICA 4, with 16,300 photos, count for three consecutive ads using same AFRICAN VIOLETS 405 in color. 2,600 pages in 2 volumes, with copy, provided each insertion meets the America's Finest-177 best violets and ges Addenda of 1,000 updates by Dr. A.B. Graf, $20 minimum after taking disCOl1nt. Copy neriads. Color Catalog and Growing "Tips" 50 $187. TROPICA 3, revised 1986, 7,000 color cents. FISCHER GREENHOUSES, Box H, Lin must be received on the 20th day of the photos, now 1,156 pages, $125. Exotic House wood, NJ 08221. Plants, 1,200 photos, $8.95. Shipping addition month three months prior no publication THE AVANT GARDENER al. Circulars gladly sent. ROEHRS COMPANY, date. Send orders to: American Horticul DIFFERENT, EXCIlFING, GREAT FUN TO Box 125, E. Rutherford, NJ 07073. tural Society Advertising Department, READ! Subscribe to the unique news service that CAROL DIDRICK'S-.LITILE RED BOOK ON 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, brings you the most useful information on new OLD GARDEN ROSES. Where to get them and VA 22308, or call (703) 768-5700 or (800) plants, produGts, tech'1iques-with sources. 23rd where to plant them. An introduction to OLD GARDEN ROSES. Each book signed and num 777-7931. year. Curious? Sample copy $1. Serious? $12 full year (reg. $18). THE AVANT GARDENER, P.O. bered. Send $14.95 postpaid. CAROL DIDRICK, ADVICE WANTED Box 489M, New York, NY 10028. 1535 Willard Dr., Orrville, OH 44667. *Please add Help others by sharing your own special garden BONSAI $2 for out-of-country mailing. ing tips. Send us a note telling about something Bonsai Plants, Pots, Tools, Books, Supplies. Books Available Horticulture, Botany, Land that YOtl have found easy or useful to do while Catalog $1. BONSAI FARM, Box 130AH, scaping, Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Rural Matters, gardening and if we get enough of them, we will Lavemia, TX 78121. published 1550-1990. Catalog free . POMONA, try to set up some way to share them with others. Rockton, Ontario, Canada LOR lXO. CALENDULA-We buy and sell rare/anti quarian books on gardening, landscape ar chitecture, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. C;REER C;~RDENS Catalogs issued. CALENDUL.A, Box 930, Pic ton, Ontario, KOK 2TO, Canada. 1280 Goodpasture lsland Rd., Eugene, OR 97401-1794 BULBS Specializing in -- Dutch bulbs for fall planting. 12 CM Tulips, EXOTIC Rhododendrons DNI Daffodils, Hyacinths and Miscellaneous. UNUSUAL Japanese Maples Catalog Free. Paula Parker DBA, Mary Mat tison van Schaik. IMPORTED DUTCH BULBS, RARE Trees & Shrubs P.O. Box 32AH, Cavendish, VT 05142. SPECIAL Bonsai Materials CACTI AND SUCCULENTS EXCEPTlONAL COLOR CATALOG FLOWERING JUNGLE CACTI catalog for Offering 2000 kinds of plants - ONLY $3.00 1991 now available. 179 color photos of Orchid WE SHIP ANYWHERE Cacti (Epiphyllums), Rattail Cacti, Hoyas, Haworrhias, XmaslEaster Cacti, more! 74-page Order our catalog by calling 1-800-548-0111 plant/cactus bookshop catalog, all only $2. Hurry! RAINBOW GARDENS, 1444(AH) Taylor St., Vista, CA 92084. CARNIVOROUS PLANTS INDOOR Carnivorous (Insectivorous) Plants, seeds, sup SIZE plies, and books. Color brochure free. PETER "Schultz-Instant" PAULS NURSERIES, Canandaigua, NY 14424. DWARF CONIFERS AND LAURELS The Highest Quality tt DWARF CONIFERS: Send for our 50-page Catalog No.8 ($2, refundable on first order) Liquid Plant Food I describing over 200 types of dwarf conifers and For Over 40 Years. hybrid kalmias by size, shape, color, and texture. Available via UPS in 1, 2, and 3 gal. container sizes. WASHINGTON EVERGREEN NURS ERY, P.O. Box 388AH, Leicester, NC 28748. GARDEN TOURS ~ Tailor-made garden tours of West Country PER QUART WATER English gardens for small parties. Visits to both GROWS ALL PLANTS historic and private gardens and homes per sonally organized and guided by Sarah Hollis, Available at leading Garden Centers and Plant Departments. author of The Shell Guide to Gardens of Mig by SChultz Company. St LoUIS. MO 63043 England and Wales. ASBRIDGE HOUSE, 42 APRIL 1991 Tigley Cross, NR. Totnes, S. Devon, TQ9 6EW, HEATHS & HEATHERS ENGLAND. HARDY H EATHERS FOR ALL-YEAR GA R GARDENING SUPPLIES DEN COLOR! Send SASE for descriptive mail HERBS FREE GARDEN CATALOG-4,000 Items, order list. Fast Service! HEATHER GROWERS, Seeds, Plants, Trees, Suppli es, Greenhouses, Box 850, Elrna, WA 98541. Beneficial Insects. MELLINGER'S, Dept. 320F, HELP WANTED Ie Range Rd., North Lima, OH 44452-973l. We at the American Horticultl!lral Society are Herbal Skin Care-Protect and soften your sk in often asked to refer individuals for signi ficant PERENNIALS with this all -natural product made with organi horticultural pos iti ons around the country. We call y grown herbs. 4 oz. $9.95 postpaid. are not in a position to offer fu ll placement OVER 300 VARIETIES GREEN EARTH FARM, P.O. Box 672, services to candidates or employers. However, Sagl!lac he, CO 81149. as a se rvice to our members, both individuals Our catalog is packed full of Di sposa bl e lawn and garden boots or gloves. 5 and employers alik e, we would be very glad to cultural information, herb pair $2.50 each set. $1.50 postage and handling. receive resumes and cover letters of indivi duals T. BEST, 303 East Glessner #1 9, Americus, GA seeking job changes and employers seeking ca n usage, recipes and garden 31709. didates. All responsibility for checking refer designs as well as helpful GROUND COVERS ences and determining the appropriareness of gardening tips. both position and candidate rests with the in QUALITY GROUND COVERS AND PER EN di viduals. AHS's participati on in this acti vity is NIALS. Aegopodium, European Ginge r, Ivies, onl y to serve as a connecting point for members WRITE or CALL FOR Lamiums, Hardy Cactu s, Plumbago, Sweet of the Society. In quiries and informational YOUR FREE CATALOG Woodruff, Sed urns, Vincas . Over 100 va ri eties. materials sho uld be se nt to: H orticu ltura l GILSON GARDENS, INC., Dept. H, P.O. Box Emp loyment, American H orticultural Society, 277, Perry, OH 44081. 7931 East Bou leva rd Dr., Alexandria, VA PACHYSANDRA-STURDY, HEAVILY 22308. ROOTED PLANTS FOR SHADED AREAS. HOSTAS Postpaid: 50-$15.95; 100-$28.95; 500- $119.95; 1,000-$215.00. First-class stock. CHOICE SELECTION. Catalog $2 . SAVORY'S Folder on request. PEEKSKILL NURSERIES, GARDENS, INC. Hybridizers and Growers. Box H, Shrub Oak, NY 10588. 5300 Whiting Ave ., Ed ina, MN 55439. (612) 941-8755. HEALTH AND BEAUTY HOUSE PLANTS FREE diet, vitamin s, health catalog. Huge savi ngs. Box 88243-30. Sioux Falls, SD 57105- ORCHIDS, GESNERIADS, BEGONIAS, 8243. CACTI & SUCCULENTS. Visitors welcome. Rl 1 BOX 78, ARRINGTON, TN . 37014 1990-1991 ca talog $2. LAURAY OF SA LIS- (615) 395-4688 LEYLAND CYPRESS TREES Long-living, fast-growing evergreens Specially grown for thick, flexible foliage and extra wide shape. Trees retain their branches to the ground and grow 3 to 5 feet a year. Ideal windbreak when planted 8 feet apart. Trees are in pots and can be planted now. Instructions • Grows in marshy or dry soil 1991 Award of • Not affected by salt spray Excellence winner for best miniature Rated for Zone 7 rose named for TV's top-rated morning Prices From $ 5 00 program. Send Lots of 100 or more: $4 ea. $ 7.45 to start your Larger sizes available collection with this spectacular new sun Beautiful Leyland Cypress Trees shine yellow Make Wmderful Holiday Gifts! miniature rose. MAIL ORDERS : Six (20", Trees UPS Delivered $51.00 Toll Free: 1·800·673·8514 We Accept VISAIMastercharge Open Daily: or choose from over 75 exciting varieties in our p _~_I_;; ' ~~~~~~ 'y FREE color catalog. ~OleS8le P.o. Box 1599 Easton, Md. 21601 1-800-673-8514 ~rYEaft Miniature Roses, Inc. WE'VE MOVED--Same Road-New Location: US Rt. 50 to Easton By-Pass (Rt. 322) to Oxford via Rt. 333. Nursery just past Otwell Rd. - 5 Y. miles from By-Pass. Box 307 AH - Rowley, MA 01969 Phone: 508-948-7964 AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 43 EW beauty, gorgeous BURY, 432 Undermountain Rd., Salisbury, CT new colors, exotic 06068. (203) 435-2263. fragrance and Discover the carefree way to beautiful house fascinating new interest pla nts. H ydroculture supplies water and Nare given to your nutrients automatically-without soil! Learn garden by the addition of a how. In formative booklet $2 (refundable). Water Lily Pool. And, AMERICAN HYDROCULTURE, 226H, West fortunately, every garden, Fairwood Dr., Chalfont, PA 18914. large or small, provides MINIATURE ROSES ample room for a Water Award-winning varieties from America's top Lily Pool, or at least a miniature rose breeder and grower. Over 75 simple sunken tub-garden. varieties for garden or container growing. Send for FREE color catalog: NOR'EAST MINIA Marvelously beautiful TURE ROSES, INC., Box 307AC, Rowley, MA effects can be achieved 01969. Miniature roses are our only business quickly and with little aNd we do it right! effort or expense. You can enjoy a Water Lily Pool NURSERY STOCK this summer if you plan MILLIONS OF SEEDLINGS: High Quality, now. Reasonable Prices. Over 100 Selections for Christmas Trees, Ornamentals, Windbreaks, EW 1991 Catalog! Timber, Soil Conservation, Wildlife Cover. free A beautiful catalog Catalog. CARINO NURSERIES, Box 538, , filled with helpful Dept. ]" Indiana, PA 15701. 1ht'l.- information describe ORCHID SUPPLY f\Vj~J!I Nand illustrates in full User Friendly! Teas orchid and exotic plant ~ 1\'" color the largest collection supply catalog. Send $2 to TEAS NURSERY of Water Lilies in America COMPANY, INC., P.O . Box 1603, Bellaire, TX along with Aquatic Plants 77402-1603. Or call (800) 446-7723 M - F 9 and Ornamental Fishes a.m. to 6 p.m. and Pool Accessories. PERENNIALS SEND $2.50 to: William Tricker, Inc. NEW INEXPENSIVE way to buy perennials. 7125 Tanglewood Drive Specialists in growing and improving perennials Independence, Ohio 44131 guarantee you the finest plants ever offered (216) 524-3491 from Bluestone Catalog; lists more than 400 varieties, plus information on care and growing. BLUESTONE PERENNIALS, 7201 Middle Ridge, Madison, OH 44057. PLANTS (UNUSUAL) OVER 1,000 KINDS OF CHOICE & AFFORD ABLE PLANTS. Outstanding Ornamentals, American Natives, Perennials, Rare Conifers, Prt~ Bonsai, Wildlife Plants, much more. Descriptive catalog $3 . FORESTFARM. 990 Tetherah, Wil liams, OR 97544. EXOTIC Earth Stars, Staghorns, Bromeliads, Philodendrons, Rhipsalis, plus. 64-page colorful catalog-$5. SOUTHERN EXPOSURE, 35 Minor, Dept. AH, Beaumont, TX 77702-2414. ROSES HORTICO ROSES: We still have a superb selec tion of Canadian-grown, virus-free roses avail able from our cold storage. We list just a few of them: Hybrid Teas: Alec's Red, Ave Maria, Berolina, Blue River, Bride's Dream, Canadian White Star, Captain Harry Stebbings, Cham pion, Double Delight, Duet, Dutch Gold, Eiffel Tower, Elizabeth Taylor, Folklore, Fragrant Charm, Jadis, Lemon Sherbet, Lover's Meeting, Maid of Honour, Nightingale, Elina (Peaudouce), Old Castle, Pink Parfait, Precious The 400 water breaker Platinum, Rebecca Claire, Rubaiyat, Silver Jubilee, Stephanie Diane, Stokes, Sunsation and hand i-reach handle. (Veldfire), Tcm Ten CFRB, Wimi, World Rose; Floribundas: Annisley Dickson, Brown Velvet, The original shower head Escapade, Evelyn Fison, Iceberg (FL + CL), Mar garet Merrill, Waiheke, The Fairy; Antique garden nozzle, copied Shrub Roses (70 varieties) including: Shalome, Stadt Rosenheim, Surf Rider, Celestial, Fdicite worldwide but never equaled. et Parmentier, Maiden's Blush, Queen of Den mark, Coup d'Hebe, La Reine Victoria, Bour bon Queen, Petite de Hollande, Robert Ie DEPT. AH, P.O. BOX 1960, MANITOWOC, WI 54221, U.S.A. Diable, Dam. Versicolour (York & Lancaster), (414)684-0227 FAX (414) 684-4499 Cardinal de RicheJ.ieu, Gallica complicata, Gal lica officionalis, Rosa Mundi, White Bath, Wil- 44 APRIL 1991 liam Lobb, Penelope, Om. pteracantha, Paul Noel, Pink Bells, Red Max Graf, Sea Foam, Rosa Membership problems or questions? Give repens alba and repens rose a, Conrad F. Meyer, us a call at 1-800-777-7931 or write to Rug. Flamingo, Mrs. Anthony Watere r, the: Membership Department, American Scabrosa, Snowdwarf; as well as a wide assort Horticultural Society, 7931 East Boule ment of other excellent shrub roses such as: vard Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22308. Alfred Colomb, A. MacKenzie, Cardinal Hume, TREES • SHRUBS • PERENNIALS Cornelia, Dornroschen, Duchess of Portland, Elveshorn, Excelsa (Red Dorothy Perk ins), Fer WILDFLOWERS ~ dinand Pichard, Fred Loads, Golden Wings, hardy, easy, reliable, showy 2951 Curve-Nonkipoo Road Karl Foerster, Nevada, Paul de Fontaine, Rein e from our nurse to your garden. Roule #3, Box #158-A Des Violettes, Rheinaupark, Robusta, St. Send $2.00 for 4~page descrip'tive ~ catalogue or SASE for list of Wildflowers, Ripley. Tennessee 38063-9420 Alban's Gem, Sall y Holmes; 25 varieties of hardy ferns, perennials. English Garden Roses, including: Charmian, SUNLIGHT GARDENS Chianti, Claire Rose, Cymba line, Graham Rt. I Box 600-AHIO Catalog $2.00 Thomas, Immortal Juno, Lucetta, Shropshire Andersonville TN 37705 Lass, Sir Clough (pink), The Miller (pink), The Reeve (pink), Wenloch (red), Wind rush; Super Hardy Roses, including the Canadian Explorer':' roses: "William Baffin, Celsiana, Harrison's Yel low, Persian Yellow, Rugosa alba, Rugosa rubra, Dart's Dash, Rosa rubrifolia (glauca), Adelaide Hoodless, ,:. A. MacKenzie, "Cha mplain, *Henry Kelsey, * Jens Munk, "John Cabot, "J ohn Da vis, -' John Franklin , " David Thompson, Hansa, Therese Bugnet, Morden REALISTIC FLORAL DESIGNS - Full Color Centennial, Mrs. John McNab, Roseraie de Puffed - Printed & Screened I'Hay, Parfum de I'Hay; and climbing roses and Sizes: S-M·L·XL (Women·Men) tree roses, totalling over 600 varieties. Discounts #101 T-Shirt SIS no Collar $16.00 + $2.50 Shippi1lg on large quantity orders for rose societies and #151 T·Shirt SIS with White Collar $18.00 + $2.50 Shipp;1lg #200 Sweatshirt LI S no Collar $25.00 + $2.50 Shipp;"g individuals. Catalog on request: $2. HORTICO #300 Sweatshirt LIS with White Collar $27.00 + $2.50 Shippi1lg INC., 723 Robson Rd., Waterdown, ON LOR (Shirts A_ai/ob/e in Fol/owing Co lors) 2Hl. (416) 689-6984,689-3002. Fax (416) 689- #700 Roses Black, Royal, Aqua, Seamist, White 6566. #701 Iris Black, Yellow, Pink, Seamist, White #703 Daisy Black, Navy, Red, Seamist, Pink SEEDS FlowelWear, Ltd. Free catalog: unusual seed varieties. Giant Bel 17<):l9 c'hatswocth Street. Suite: 416. Granada Hills) California 91344 gium, evergreen, pineapple tomatoes, and more. We make gardening fun. GLECKLER SEED MEN, Metamora, OH 43540. SOFTWARE TIE A STRING AROUND YOUR GREEN Protect Your Garden THUMB with the Perpetual Garden Journal and Reminder System. IBM Compatible. $29.95. frolJ1 Pesty Pets! Free brochure. DOUBLE-PAWED SOFTWARE, AHS, 432 Bigelow Hollow, Eastford, CT 06242. GARDENING MAGAZINES COMPUTER INDEX OF ARTICLE TITLES. 1989-1990 is sues National Gardening, Fin ~ Gardening, GARDEN GARD Flower & Garden, American Horticulturist, Or ganic Gardening, Horticulture. Yearly updates. Need IBM compatible, hard disk, 512K, DOS A safe, effective, 6-volt battery-powered 2.0. $39.95 + $4.50 S&H. GARDENFIND, P.O. Box 2703N, Lynnwood> WA 98036. ELECTRIC FENCER TRAVEL PUBLICATIONS World Travelers-Indulge your wanderlust! • Helps keep pets and srnall animals out of • 100% American-made, solid-state, 6-volt Visit the world's exceptional private and public garden and garbage cans. battery operated charger for maximum flexibility by the world's oldest and largest gardens. Discover out-of-the-ordinary hotels • Delivers a mild but effective shock without volume manufacturer of electric fencers. and restaurants while journeying through pic animals. Complete kit for quick, simple installation. turesque countrysides . GARDENS & COUNTRYSIDES is the only travel newsletter Kit Includes:' 6-volt, 100% solid-state written especially for garden enthusiasts. Now ••-w.. 8- two foot fiberglass posts' 100 ft . of wire you can plan your dream vacation! 10 iss ues just • 1-two foot ground rod' All hardware needed $67. The perfect gift for discriminating • Easy to follow instructions. $49.95 travelers. Check, VISNMC to GARDENS & COUNTRYSIDES, Dept. E, 401 Austin High See your local dealer or order direct way, Suite 209, San Antonio, TX 78209 or call (512) 826-5222. call 1-800-662-1038 PRovENHardy Azaleas ~Ii~ ' ~~:r.~:\~g &Rhododendrons >( 0 .- QUAl- IT" S • ubs,rlpUon Northern Grown & Ac I ated Parker McCrory Mfg. Co . 2000 Forest Avenue ~~d?~bl.) O1R ~ON . Kansas City, MO 64108 ~~~ RDE\'I~ Trademark of Quality since 1921 N.Y. 10590 _ Ph 914 763-59saY AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 45 2000+ HARDY PERENNIAL FLOWER VARIETIES PRONUNCIATIONS 2" pot "babies-$1; "Yearling Bare Root-$3 No Minimums; Catalog $2 (credited) 1111 Upper Valley Pike Springfield, Ohio 45504 ,2 ~ (513) 325-2451 ~ A Abies brunoniana G. elwesii G. el-WEES-ee-eye A Y -beez brew-non-ee-A Y -nuh G. ornata G. ore-NA Y-tuh ~~ III Acer platanoides AY -ser Geranium jer-A Y -nee-urn plah-tuh-NOY-deez Impatiens im-PAY -shunz ~PERPETUAfj A. saccharum A, sak-KAR-um 1. decipiens I. dee-SIP-ee-enz ~ A. saccharum subsp. grandidentatum 1. falcifer I. FAL-sildur PERENNIALS A. sak-KAR-um subsp. 1. florigera I. floor-IH-jer-uh gran-dih-den-TA Y-tum 1. gammei I. gah-ME-eye A. truncatum A. trun-KA Y-tum 1. insigna I. in-SIG-nulu 've got it, ron it Wa get Aconitum ak-oh-NYE-tum 1. racemose I. rah-seh-MOE-suh or it's probably extinct! Acorus calamus var. angustifolius 1. stenantha I. STEN-an-thuh AK-oh-rus KAL-uh-mus var. I. sulcata I. sul-KA Y-tuh an-gus-tih-FOE-Iee-us 1. thompsonii I. romp-SONE-ee-eye Aesculus ES-kew-Ius 1. wallerana 1. wal-er-A Y -nuh Allium wallichii AL-ee-um wal-IK-ee-eye Iris ensata EYE-ris en-SAY -tuh Aquilegia ah-kwi-LEE-jee-uh Larix griffithii LAR-iks GRIF-ith-ee-eye A. akitensis A. ah-kih-TEN-sis Meconopsis discigera me-kon-OP-sis A. alpina A. al-PINE-uh dis-SIJ-er-hlh A. bertolonii A. ber-tuh-LOW-nee-eye M. horridula M. hoe-RID-yew-luh A. caerulea A. see-REW-lee-uh M. paniculata M. pan-ik-yew-LA Y -tuh A. canadensis A. kan-ah-DEN-sis Notholirion noth-oh-LYE-ree-on A. chrysantha A. krih-SAN-thuh Parnassia par-NAS-ee-uh A. flabellata A. flah-bel-LA Y-thlh Pedicularis peh-dik-yew-LA Y oris A. flabellata var. pumila P. megacarpa P. meg-uh-KAR-puh A. flah-bel-LAY-tuh var. PEW-mil-uh Plume ria ploo-MARE-ee-uh A. formosa A. for-MOE-suh Primula capitata PRIM-yew-luh A. glandulosa A. glan-dew-LOW-suh kap-ih-TAY-tuh A. glandulosa var. jucunda A. P. primulina P. prim-yew-L YE-nuh glan-dew-LOW-suh var. juh-KOON-duh Rheum nobile REE-urn no-BIL-ee A. jonesii A. JONES-ee-eye Rhododendron roe-doe-DEN-dron A. longissima A. lon-JISS-ih-muh R. arboreum R. are-BORE-ee-um A. pyrenaica A. peer-en-A Y -kuh R. barbatum R. bar-BAY -tum A. saximontana A. saks-ih-mawn-TAN-uh R. canadense R. kan-ah-DEN-see A. scopulorum A. skah-pew-LORE-um R. falconeri R. fal-KON-er-ee THE PERMANENT A. viridiflora A. vir-ih-dih-FLORE-uh R. hodgsonii R. hodge-SONE-ee-eye METAL GARDEN LABEL A. vulgaris A. vul-GA Y-ris R. kaempferi R. KEMP-fer-eye A. vulgaris var. nivea A. vu l-GA Y-ris R. lepidotum R. lep-ih-DOE-tum A - Hairpin Style Markers 30 For $10.00 var. NIH-vee-uh Saussurea gossipiphora sow-SOOR-ee-uh B - Plant or Shrub Labels 100 For $ 7.00 Arenaria are-eh-NA Y-ree-uh gos-sip-ee-FOR-uh C - Cap Style Markers 30 For $10.40 D-Swinging Style Markers 30 For $ 8.60 Aronia ah-ROE-nee-uh S. gossypina S. gos-SYE-pih-nuh E - Rose Markers 30 For $ 9.50 Astrantia as-TRAN-shee-uh Saxifraga diversifolia saks-ih-FRAJ-uh F - Tall Display Markers 30 For $13.05 G - Tall Single Staff Markers 30 For $10.30 Campanula kam-PAN-yew-Iuh dye-ver-sih-FOE-lee-uh H - Flag Style Markers 30 For $ 8.30 Catharanthus kath-uh-RAN-thus Selinum tenuifolium seh-LEEN-um J - Small Plant Labels 100 For $ 6.85 K - Tie-on Labels 100 For $10.90 Cedrus libani SEE-drus LIB-ahn-ee ten-yew-ih-FOE-lee-um M - Miniature Markers 30 For $ 8.10 Codonopsis dicentrifolia koe-don-OP-sis Semiaquilegia ecalcarata Special Quantity Prices Available d ye-sen-trih -FO E-lee-uh sem-ee-ah-kwi-LEE-j ee-uh ek-al-kar-A Y-tuh Prices Include Prepaid Postage Corydalis koe-RID-ah-lis Senecio diversifolius seh-NEE-shih-oh Cyananthus sigh-ah-NAN-thus dye-ver-sih-FOE-lee-us INTRODUCTORY OFFER 1 Each: A, B, C, D, E, H, J, K Delphinium del-FIN-ee-um Sorbus SOR-bus With Waterproof Crayon, Only $3.25 Exacum EK-sah-kum Spathoglottis ixioidex spath-oh-GLOT-tis E. affine E. ah-FIN-ee iks-ee-OY -deks PAW PAW EVERLAST Gentiana jen-shee-A Y-nuh Torenia asiatica toe-REE-nee-uh LABEL COMPANY G. depressa G. deh-PRES-suh ay-zee-AT-ih-kuh P.O. Box 93-AH Paw Paw, Michigan 49079-0093 46 APRIL 1991 Miracle-Gro introduces the perfect gardening tool. The amazingly adaptable No-Clog-2 feeds anything from a lily to a lawn. Easy! No mixing. No measuring. 100% trouble-free. Automatically delivers plant food and water in proper proportion. "IT'S A WAND FEEDER FOR "IT'S A FAST HIGH VOLUME HANGING BASKETS AND FEEDER FOR LAWNS, SHRUBS, TREES . HARD-TO-REACH PLANTS. You'll feed your whole Easy way to feed lawn in minutes." container plants." "., "'.~ "USE YOUR OWN WATER ING WAND ." (Water Wand not included with purchase. Follow instructions on package.) "IT'S A GENTLE FEEDER FOR DELICATE FLOWERS. As soft and gentle as your old sprinkling can - only easier." "IT'S 3 FEEDERS IN ONE." t.1iIt Garden &Lawn Feeder New! Miracle-Gro No-Clog;.2 GARDEN AND LAWN FEEDER COLOR YOUR WORLD WITH SUNBLAZE™ BEAUTIFUL! Enjoy a display of brilliant color-reds, orange, hot pinks, yellow, white-all summer long. VERSAJ'ILE! Placed in any sunny location, their unique size makes them perfect for a number of uses. Create dramatic effects on patios or sunny decks, in a rock garden, along a driveway or fence, or in a landscape bed. The possibilities are unlimited ... the results are spectacular! EASYTO GROW! SUNBLAZE roses can take the heat-and the cold. They are bred to be hardy and disease tolerant, so you'll find them much easier to grow Available from your local garden center or nursery. © 1990 The Conard-Pyle Co. cp West Grove, PA ROSES IN BLAZING COLORS