PURPLE-LEAVED PERENNIALS by GRAHAM RICE 46 GARDEN SOLUTIONS Add Drama to a Pedestrian Landscape with Dark-Foliaged Plants

TheThe AmericanAmerican

GARDENERGARDENER®

TheThe MagazineMagazine ofof thethe AmericanAmerican HorticulturalHorticultural SocietySociety March / April 2012

Pleasing Purple Foliage Deciduous Magnolias Unusual Heath Family Natives Tuning in to Garden Sounds wh er e g ard en er s g o to gro w.

Conﬁ dence shows. Because a mistake can ruin an entire gardening season, passionate gardeners don’t like to take chances. That’s why there’s Osmocote® Smart-Release® Plant Food. It’s guaranteed not to burn when used as directed, and the granules don’t easily wash away, no matter how much you water. Better still, Osmocote feeds plants continuously and consistently for four full months, so you can garden with conﬁ dence. Maybe that’s why passionate gardeners have trusted Osmocote for 40 years.

Volume 91, Number 2 . March / April 2012

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS

5 NOTES FROM RIVER FARM

6 MEMBERS’ FORUM

8 NEWS FROM THE AHS AHS Children & Youth Gardening Symposium celebrates 20 years, Spring Garden Market at River Farm in April, AHS hosting garden club events, AHS Environmental Award recognizes flower show exhibits, AHS collaborates in national plant society meeting.

11 AHS MEMBERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE Pat Leuchtman.

12 2012 AHS AWARD WINNERS Meet this year’s recipients of the Great American Gardeners Awards and Book Awards. page 2414 45 TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO GARDENS Desert Botanical Garden. 16 PURPLE-LEAVED PERENNIALS BY GRAHAM RICE 46 GARDEN SOLUTIONS Add drama to a pedestrian landscape with dark-foliaged plants. Monitoring the garden.

21 REVISED USDA HARDINESS ZONE MAP BY HELEN THOMPSON 48 HOMEGROWN HARVEST Almost 10 years in the making, the latest edition of the USDA Heirloom snap beans. Plant Hardiness Zone Map is unveiled. 50 BOOK REVIEWS Free-Range Chicken Gardens and The New 24 DECIDUOUS MAGNOLIAS BY ANDREW BUNTING Sunset Western Garden Book. Exciting new selections and tried-and-true species offer a versa- Special focus: Edible gardening books. tile array of options for North American landscapes. 52 GARDENER’S NOTEBOOK Plant Select’s 2012 winners, updated 30 SOUND IN THE GARDEN BY KAREN BUSSOLINI requirements for describing new plant Welcoming and becoming attuned to sound in a garden adds species, online invasive plant atlas available, another dimension of enjoyment. first SITES certifications, the legacy of Wolfgang Oehme. ® 35 TONY AVENT: MAVERICK PLANTSMAN BY ANNE RAVER Green Garage : Selected useful garden tools and products. Plant Delights Nursery owner Tony Avent has become one of America’s leading—and most outspoken—horticulturists. 57 REGIONAL HAPPENINGS

60 HARDINESS AND HEAT ZONES A GALAXY OF ANDROMEDAS BY RUSSELL STAFFORD 40 AND PRONUNCIATIONS For a change from the standard rhododendrons and azaleas, try some of these unusual American natives in the heath family. 62 PLANT IN THE SPOTLIGHT Syneilesis aconitifolia. ON THE COVER: The succulent purple leaves of Aeonium arboreum ‘Schwarzkopf’ form rosettes that

֢֦֧֦֨ resemble a flower. Photograph by Rob Cardillo֧֤֥֥֣֠֡

March / April 2012 3 AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY #ָֺ ∈ּ∀ּֿ֪֠(֠∀∃∈֮ Making America a Nation of Gardeners, a Land of Gardens .(ּ ֺ∗!)∗∋ָ!ֶ֠∃ֺ (∈∃֯ ֳֳִִַַַַֽ֢֢֧֧֤֨֫֫֠ Board of Directors ֱֳִַַָָֹֹ֧֧֧֪֭֫֨֯֠֠֠֫֯ CHAIR Harry A. Rissetto, Esq. Falls Church, Virginia ְֳֳֶָ֪֧֭֮֫֠֫֩֯ FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN Mary Pat Matheson Atlanta, Georgia SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN Jane Diamantis McDonald, Tennessee SECRETARY Leslie Ariail Alexandria, Virginia TREASURER J. Landon Reeve, IV Woodbine, Maryland IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Susie Usrey Dayton, Oregon EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Henrietta Burke Alexandria, Virginia

Sandra Address Chevy Chase, Maryland ■ Sally Spangler Barnett, Jacksonville, Florida ■ Amy Bolton Falls Church, Virginia Skipp Calvert Alexandria, Virginia ■ Gay Estes Houston, Texas ■ Joel Goldsmith Gilroy, California Shirley Nicolai Ft. Washington, Maryland ■ Ed Snodgrass Street, Maryland ■ Marcia Zech, Mercer Island, Washington

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Tom Underwood PRESIDENT EMERITUS Katy Moss Warner

President’s Council

CHAMPION’S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. George Diamantis ■ Mr. and Mrs.* Robert E. Kulp, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harry A. Rissetto ■ Mr. and Mrs. Klaus Zech ֳֳִִִֶָֻֻֻ֪֧֥֭֮֠֠֫֠֠ ֳֳֳִֶָָֺֹֻֽֽ֧֭֮֫֯֠֠֠֯֫ CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE Anonymous ■ Mrs. Leslie S. Ariail ■ Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Bluemel ■ Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Farrell ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles ְֳֳֳִִֶֶָֹֻֽ֪֧֭֮֫֠֫֩֯֠֠ .ָ֢֠#ֻ H. Smith, Jr%∗֠־# ((ּ)֢֠־# ##ָ!%֠#∃ֺּ֠ +ֻ֪/ #ֻּ∈ָ־֠∈∗∃.֠־# #־ )ֻּ .ָּ֢֠∋)ֽֿ֣∋ ּ#ֻ!.֠)ֺּֿ# &∗ּ(ֽ֠∃∋ LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY CIRCLE Ms. Judy Daniel ■ Mr. and Mrs. Carl Estes ■ Ms. JoAnn Luecke ■ Mrs. Shirley Ann Nicolai ■ Mr. and Mrs(∈ּ%−֭/ J. Landon Reeve, IV ■ Dr. Erich Veitenheimer and Mr. Andrew Cariaso ■ Ms. Katy Moss Warner ־# ()ּ+∈ָֻֿ֠#ָ֠־# ,∃∈־֠.!!∗ֽ))ֺֺּ∗) )ּ!ָֹ(ּ־ּ+ֻ֠#ֽ֢֠∋∗ )(ָ֢֠)ֹ∈ּֿ ֺ∋∃%֠ HAUPT CIRCLE Mrs. Sandra L. Address ■ Mrs. Lynda A. Bachman ■ Nancy J. Becker, M.D. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bogle ■ Ms. Amy֠()ֹּּֿ֠(֠#∃֠)#∃ ()ּ־־∗ֶ/ Bolton ■ Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Burke, III ■ Mr. James R. Cargill, II ■ Mrs. Elisabeth C. Dudley ■ Mr. and Mrs. Don W. Godsey ■ Dr. and )#∃ ־ּ∈֠(#ּ∈ּֽֽ ֻ֠∈∃ֽ֠)ּ (ּ ∈ָ+ Mrs. William O. Hargrove ■ Dr. and Mrs. John A. Floyd, Jr. ■ Mrs. Carole S. Hofley ■ Mr. and Mrs. Bob J. MacLean ■ Mr. David D. Parrish ∈∃ֻּֽ֠ ∗־֠#∃)ָּ)֣.ֹ֣#∃)ָּ)֪֠/ ּֿ֢֠∋ֹ(֢֠ ■ Mr. and Mrs. Tom Underwood ■ Mr. and Mrs. W. Bruce Usrey)( ∗∈ֽ֠()ּֿ)ּ∈ּֽֿ֠(֠־# ־# ∈ֹ ּ(ָ!%֠∃(֠#ֻּ∈ָ־֠∀∃∈ֽ֠)ּ!ָֹ(ּ־ּ+ֻ֠#ָ COUNCIL MEMBER’S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. Robert Baillie ■ Mr. and Mrs. Carter Bales ■ Mr. and Mrs. Bill Barnett ■ Mrs. Katherine Belk ■ Mrs. George P. Bissell, Jr. ■ Dr. Sherran Blair ■ Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs ■ Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. Bradshaw ■ Ms. Petra Burke ■ Mr. Skipp Calvert ■ Mr. and Mrs. Edward N. Dane ■ Mrs. Barbara O. David ■ Mrs. Julie Ernest ■ Mr. Joseph Errington and Mr. William Pullen ■ Ms. Inger Fair ■ Ms. Walter S. Fletcher ■ Ms. Marguerite P. Foster ■ Ms. Anne Galer ■ Mrs. Janet Gebler ■ Mr. and Mrs. Don W. Godsey ■ Ms. Amy Goldman ■ Mr. and Mrs. Joel Goldsmith ■ Mrs. Barbara Grant ■ Ms. LaDawn Griffin ■ Mr. Gerald T. Halpin ■ Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Hanselman ■ Ms. Catherine M. Hayes ■ Mr. Edwin L. Heminger ■ Ms. Nancy Hockstad ■ Mr. and Mrs. Albert Huddleston ■ Mr. Philip Huey ■ Mrs. Marta J. Lawrence ■ Mrs. Carolyn M. Lindsay ■ Ms. Melissa Marshall ■ Mrs. Dorothy Marston ■ Mr. and Mrs. Egon Molbak ■ Mrs. Carol C. Morrison ■ Mr. and Mrs. James R. Moxley, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. James T. Norman ■ Mr. Michael Panas ■ Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Roe ■ Mrs. Deen Day Sanders ■ Mr. R.P. Simmons ■ Mr. Ed Snodgrass ■ Mr. Harold Stahly ■ Mr. Arnold Steiner ■ Dr. and Mrs. Steven M. Still ■ Mr. Howard McK. Tucker and Ms. Megan Evans ■ Mr. Joe Viar ■ Ms. Angela M. Vikesland ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Volk ■ Mrs. Elizabeth M. Wehrle ■ Mr. and Mrs. Dennis White ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harvey C. White ■ Mrs. Dudley B. White ■ Mr. and Mrs. John Zoldak

HONORARY PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL Ms. Louise Fruehling* ■ Mrs. Enid Haupt* ■ Mrs. John A. Lutz* ■ Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Miller* *In memoriam 0ְֱֱֳִֶֶַ֪֭֬֫֠ ∃(֠#ּֿ,֠∗∃.֠!!ּ(֠(ָֿ(֠)(∈ָֺֿ֠.ֻ#ָ֯/ Corporate Members ֠(#ּ∈ּֽֽ ֻ֠()ּ+∈ָֻֿ֠#ָ֠)ֻּּ)֠,∃) )ּ!ָֹ(ּ־ּ+ Bonnie Plants ■ The Care of Trees ■ Chapel Valley Landscape Company ■ The Espoma Company .∈ָ))∃!־ֻ֠#ָ֠() !ֺּ֠∈∗∃)ֵּ / ■ ■ ■ ■ Furbish Company Homestead Gardens Kurt Bluemel, Inc. Monrovia Osmocote )ֿ%ָ∈־∃(∃ֿ%֠∈∃!∃ֺ֥֥֧֠֠#ָֿ(ּ֠∈∃ֲ/ ֠(∗∃ֿ־∗∃∈ֿ( Horticultural Partners )ּ־ָ%ֺ∃+ּ∋ֻ֢֧֦֤֥֧֥֠֡֩֠֠֠֨֠∈ָ֯ America in Bloom Symposium & Awards Program ■ Bellingrath Gardens and Home Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Garden Symposium ■ Cox Arboretum MetroPark ְֱֱֱִִִֶֶֶַַֺֺֻ֧֧֧֪֣֮֯֨֫֠֫֫֫֠֨֠֫֠ Garden Centers of America ■ The Gardeners of America/Men’s Garden Clubs of America֤ ְֲֳִִִֵֶֶָָֺֻּ֧֮֯֫֠֠֫֩֫֠֬֠֫֠֨֡֠ Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium ■ The Homestead in the Garden Symposiumִ֦֠ ִֶַַָֺֻֻֻ֣֧֣֣֭֮֯֯֠ Inniswood Garden Society ■ Oklahoma Botanical Garden & Arboretum

4 the American Gardener NOTES FROM RIVER FARM CONTACTS FOR C AHS PROGRAMS, MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS & DEPARTMENTS

For general information about your membership, call (800) 777-7931. Send change of address notifications to our membership department at N FEBRUARY, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA it was our great honor to host Jane Taylor, one of the pioneers 22308. If your magazine is lost or damaged in of the youth gardening movement in the United States, at our River Farm the mail, call the number above for a replace- headquarters to speak about ment. Requests for membership information I and change of address notification can also be one of her heroes, Liberty Hyde e-mailed to [email protected]. Bailey. Often described as the “father of American horticulture,” THE AMERICAN GARDENER To submit a letter to Bailey was a horticulture profes- the editor of The American Gardener, write to sor, researcher, and prolific author The American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308, or send an e-mail of books on horticulture and to [email protected]. many other topics. He, like Tay- DEVELOPMENT To make a gift to the American lor, was passionately devoted to Horticultural Society, or for information about encouraging young people to ex- a donation you have already made, call perience the educational values of (800) 777-7931 ext. 132 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. plants and gardening. The American Horticultural E-NEWSLETTER To sign up for our monthly Society shares this commitment. Jane Taylor with Harry Rissetto, left, and Tom e-newsletter, visit www.ahs.org. In July, we will sponsor the 20th Underwood, right, during a recent visit to River Farm INTERNSHIP PROGRAM The AHS offers intern- ships in communications, horticulture, and annual National Children & youth programs. For information, send an Youth Garden Symposium. The only national event of its kind, the symposium e-mail to [email protected]. Information and draws a diverse crowd of educators, youth leaders, and landscape designers who en- application forms can also be found in the River Farm area of www.ahs.org. gage and inspire young gardeners. Since the symposium debuted in the Washing- ton, D.C., area in 1993, we felt it only appropriate to celebrate the 20th annual event NATIONAL CHILDREN & YOUTH GARDEN SYMPOSIUM For information about the Society’s where it got its start. The symposium will be based at the University of Maryland annual National Children & Youth Garden Sym- in College Park, with field trips to prominent local children’s gardens and schools posium, e-mail [email protected] or visit (for more about the symposium, turn to page 8). the Youth Gardening section of www.ahs.org. Another important way that we encourage and support youth gardening is RECIPROCAL ADMISSIONS PROGRAM The AHS through the Jane L. Taylor Award, one of our AHS Great American Gardeners Reciprocal Admissions Program offers members free admission and other discounts to more than Awards given annually. This award recognizes an individual, organization, or pro- 250 botanical gardens and other horticultural gram that has inspired and nurtured future horticulturists through efforts in chil- destinations throughout North America. A list of dren’s and youth gardening. We applaud this year’s recipient, the Brooklyn Botanic participating gardens can be found in the Mem- bership area of www.ahs.org. For more infor- Garden’s Children’s Garden, for its work connecting young people with plants. All mation, call (800) 777-7931 ext. 119. of the 2012 award recipients, including the winner of the AHS’s highest honor, the RIVER FARM The AHS headquarters at River Liberty Hyde Bailey award, are announced on pages 12 to 14 of this issue. The Farm is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays year- awards will be presented on June 7 at the AHS’s River Farm headquarters. round (except Federal holidays), and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays from April through September. As spring arrives, many of us are excited to get back out in the garden. At River For information about events, rentals, and direc- Farm, we have been busy cleaning up the beds, planning new garden displays, and tions, visit the River Farm section of sowing seeds. We hope this issue of The American Gardener will provide you with www.ahs.org. plenty of inspiration for trying out a wide range of ornamental and edible plants TRAVEL STUDY PROGRAM Visit spectacular pri- in your garden, from intriguing American native shrubs in the heath family to time- vate and public gardens around the world through the Society’s acclaimed Travel Study tested deciduous magnolias, perennials with purple foliage, and heirloom snap Program. For information about upcoming beans. Other articles include a profile of Tony Avent, the free-spirited owner of trips, call (866) 627-6621, send an e-mail to Plant Delights Nursery in North Carolina, an introduction to the long-awaited up- [email protected], or visit the Travel Study section of www.ahs.org. date of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, and an insightful look at how sound can add another layer of enrichment to gardens. WEBSITE: www.ahs.org The AHS website is a valuable source of information about the Soci- ety’s programs and activities. To access the Happy gardening! members-only section of the website, the user Harry Rissetto, Chair, AHS Board of Directors name is garden and the password is 2012ahs. Tom Underwood, Executive Director

March / April 2012 5 MEMBERSC’ FORUM

PRUNING ADVICE other reason to thin lilacs is to reduce phere in the soil so that enzymes and nu- I wanted to comment on two articles borer infestations. It seems borers are at- trients are made available to plant roots. published in the January/February issue. tracted to older, broader stems, so in win- This process is also fundamental in com- First, in the article about Magnolia ter, I prune at ground level any stems panion planting and alellopathy. Anyone grandiflora ‘Little Gem’ (“Plant in the over an inch in diameter. The result is a interested in learning more on this topic Spotlight”), the author mentions that the shrub that is healthier due to this yearly can consult any of the following references: plant gets to 20 feet tall and eight to 10 rejuvenation. Note, this only works on An Agricultural Testament by Sir Albert feet wide. One valuable piece of informa- lilacs that are not grafted. Howard; Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gar- tion not included was the growth rate for Chris Daeger, arboretum manager, dening by Ehrenfried Pfeiffer; The Com- the tree. In my experience, the growth Stanley M. Rowe Arboretum plete Book of Composting by the Rodale rate is more important for gardeners to Indian Hill, Ohio Staff; Mycelium Running by Paul know than the expected mature size. Stamets; Secrets of the Soil by Peter Tomp- After all, woody plants don’t just reach a SOIL ORGANISMS OLD NEWS kins and Christopher Bird; Teaming with certain size and just stop. I often refer After reading the news item “Wheeling Microbes by Jeff Lowenfels. gardeners to the growth rate chart offered and Dealing Soil Denizens” (“Gardener’s Jennifer Ewing by the American Conifer Society and ask Notebook,” January/February 2012), I am Port Orford, Oregon them to calculate how long they wish to puzzled why researchers are spending pre- have a plant at any location before they cious money on a subject that has been PLEASE WRITE US! Address letters to Editor, The have to deal with it overgrowing the site. clear to composters for a long time. Those American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Second, in Scott Aker’s discussion on of us who compost know that bacteria and Alexandria, VA 22308. Send e mails to [email protected] (note Letter to Editor n subject line). lilac pruning (“Garden Solutions”), an- fungi are the critters that create an atmos- Letters we print may be edited for length and clarity.

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6 the American Gardener

GARDENER Copyright ©2012 bytheAmericanHorticultural Society. ©2012 Copyright material. Backissuesareavailableat$8percopy. stamped envelope.Wecannotguaranteethesafereturn ofunsolicited possible publicationwillbereturnedifaccompanied byaself-addressed, ily thoseoftheSociety.Manuscripts,artwork,andphoto graphs sentfor expressed inthearticlesarethoseofauthorsand arenotnecessar- and onthe list oftheVascularFloraUnitedStates,Canada andGreenland Society A–Z EncyclopediaofGarden Plants, Botanical nomenclatureisbasedon 22308-1300. American Gardener,7931EastBoulevardDrive,Alexandria,VA tional mailingoffices.Postmaster:PleasesendForm3579to tion. PeriodicalspostagepaidatAlexandria,Virginia,andaddi- tion to (703) 768-5700.MembershipintheSocietyincludesasubscrip- Society, 7931EastBoulevardDrive,Alexandria,VA22308-1300, ber/October, November/December)bytheAmericanHorticultural ly (January/February,March/April,May/June,July/August,Septem- The AmericanGardener dues are$50.$10ofannualgoestowardmagazinesubscrip- 8 h American The ADVERTISING CONTACT US EDITORIAL The Amer the American Gardener Royal Horticultural CHAIR ican Gardener.Annualduesare$35;international Printed intheU.S.A. (703) 768-5700 Alexandria, VA22308 7931 EastBoulevardDrive West DesMoines,Iowa Elvin McDonald Kennett Square,Pennsylvania Richard W.Lighty Denver, Colorado Panayoti Kelaidis San Francisco,California John E.Bryan Birmingham, Alabama Steve Bender Ithaca, NewYork Nina L.Bassuk Athens, Georgia Allan M.Armitage Brevard, NorthCarolina Richard E.Bir EDITORIAL ADVISORYBOARD Carole Ottesen CONTRIBUTING WRITER Rita Pelczar CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Helen Thompson Caroline Bentley EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Viveka Neveln ASSOCIATE EDITOR Mary Yee MANAGING EDITORANDARTDIRECTOR David J.Ellis EDITOR E-MAIL: The AmericanGardener E-MAIL: ( ISSN 1087-9978)ispublishedbimonth- Society IndexofGardenPlants [email protected] [email protected] The AmericanHorticultural on A S ynonymized Check- . Opinions The have anexciting program lined upforthe symposium’s 20th anniversary,” saysAHS shops. “Tapping intothetremendous resources oftheWashington, D.C.,area, we gardens through avariety ofeducationalsessions, posterdisplays,andhands-onwork- John hunter plant and ecutive botanist American director oftheU.S.BotanicGarden, Bartram. century 18th tume—of whowillgive theopening who hasgarnered widespread recognition periodcos- forhischarismaticportrayal—in tion withtheNational Children’s Museum, andgarden communicator keynote address. Other featured speakerswillbe Shimizu , ex created forandby children, theevent willfeature inspiringspeakerssuchasH River Farm inAlexandria. headquarters al Mall, Hollin Meadows Virginia, Alexandria, in School Society’s the and Elementary versity ofMaryland’s CollegePark campusandwillincludefieldtripstotheNation- Washington, D.C.,area from July 19to21.Theevent willbeheadquartered attheUni- scape designers,andothersinvolved inyouth gardening fortwodecades.Animpor- Youth Garden Symposium (NCYGS) hasbeeninspiringthousandsofteachers,land- THE ONLYNATIONAL 20YEARS CELEBRATES CHILDREN WITH FOCUSEDON GARDENING AHS SYMPOSIUM support thestewardshipsupport ofRiver Farm. For more informationanddirections toRiver bership card orpresent thisissueofTheA In additiontotheplants,garden tools,apparel, art, books,andmore willbeavailable including vegetables, herbs,annuals, perennials, vines,and hard-to-find shrubs, natives. ketplace ofgarden-inspired items.Members are invitedtothepreview saleonThurs- THE AHSIS MARKETAT FARM RIVER SPRING GARDEN Executive Director Farm, visit from vendors andintheAHSGarden Shop. April 13from 9a.m.to6p.m. andSaturday, April 14from 9a.m. to3p.m. day April 12from 4p.m. to8p.m., beforethe eventonFriday, openstoeveryone Botanic Garden,willbeakeynotespeaker. Holly Shimizu,executivedirectoroftheU.S. Symposium willalsogaininsightintoconnectingkidswithplantsand participants In additiontoproviding achancetovisitsomeofthearea’s gardens mostexemplary For theevent, parking is$5butfree forAHSmemberswhohave acurrent mem- Vendors from across themid-Atlantic region willbeofferingawideselectionofplants www gearing upforitsannualS .ahs.org/river_farm T om Underwood. For more information, visit PROGRAMS • EVENTS • ANNOUNCEMENTS ev ent ofitskind,theAHS’s annualNational Children & News or call(703)768-5700. merican Gardener. pring Garden Market, aplantsaleandmar- turn towhere itallbegan,inthegreater youngest Americansingardening. them toeffectively engagetoday’s youth gardening advocates whilehelping ing, inspiring,andcelebratingAmerica’s byNCYGS purpose this support- serves ronmental choicesinthefuture. The them tomakehealthylifestyleandenvi- people’s formative years encourage will plants andthenaturalworldduringyoung tion’s belief that cultivating a passion for the symposiumreinforces theorganiza- tant elementoftheAHS’s core mission, The 20thannualsymposiumwillre- W endy Blackwell, director ofeduca- from the March /April2012 All proceeds from theevent www.ahs.org/ncygs. K irk Brown irk AHS olly

֢֧֪֥֣֧֤֦֥֥֠֠֩֡֨֩ AHS 2012 NATIONAL EVENTS CALENDAR

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events that are sponsored or co-sponsored by the AHS. Visit www.ahs.org or call (703) 768- 5700 for more information.

MAR. 21–25. Bold Colors and Exuberant Flowers: San Diego County. AHS Travel Study Program. California. APR. 12–14. Spring Garden Market. (12th is AHS members-only preview sale.) River Farm, Alexandria, Virginia. APR. 13 & 14. Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium. Man- chester, Vermont. APR. 15 & 16. Colonial Williamsburg Garden Symposium. Williamsburg, Virginia. APR. 18–22. AHS President’s Council Trip. Crystal Bridges and Gardens of Northwest Arkansas. APR. 21–28. Historic Garden Week in Virginia. MAY 11. Smithsonian Garden Fest/National Public Gardens Day. Washington, D.C. MAY 25 & 26. Relevance: National Plant Societies in the 21st Century. Gardens of the American Rose Center. Shreveport, Louisiana. JUNE 7. Great American Gardeners Awards Ceremony and Ban- quet. River Farm, Alexandria, Virginia. JUNE 14–16. The Gardeners of America/Men’s Garden Clubs of America Convention. Boardman, Ohio. JULY 19–21. National Children & Youth Garden Symposium. Washington, D.C. AUG. 17–19. The Homestead’s “In the Garden with the Experts” Symposium. Hot Springs, Virginia. SEPT. 20–22. America in Bloom Symposium and Awards Pro- gram. Fayetteville, Arkansas. SEPT. 22. AHS Annual Gala. River Farm, Alexandria, Virginia. OCT. 26–NOV. 5. Heritage and Gardens of Andalusia. AHS Travel Study Program. Spain.

AHS HOSTING SPRING GARDEN CLUB EVENTS SPRING FESTIVITIES at River Farm will include hosting the “Girls Just Want 2 Have Fun” standard flower show held by District II of the National Capital Area Garden Clubs. Taking place April 18 and 19 in the estate house, the show will feature floral designs, arts & crafts, and educational displays created by the club members. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.ncagardenclubs.org. Another rite of spring for River Farm is participating in the Garden Club of Virginia’s Historic Garden Week, billed as “America’s largest open house.” Once again, River Farm will be among the more than 250 gardens and private homes open to visitors from April 21 to 28. This event offers the chance to view the area’s most picturesque properties at the peak of spring bloom, while supporting the Garden Club of Virginia’s preservation and restoration of the “Commonwealth’s most cherished historic landmarks.” For more details about tours and ticket prices, visit www.vagardenweek.org.

SeptemberMarch / October / April 20122011 9 ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD HONORS OUTSTANDING EXHIBITS ington, and “The Earth Gardener” by Beach Groundworks at the EACH YEAR, the AHS presents its Environmental Award at se- Virginia Flower & Garden Expo in Virginia Beach. lect flower and garden shows nationwide to exhibits that “best In addition to offering its Environmental Award, the AHS has demonstrate the bond between horticulture and the environment, arrangements with select flower and garden shows to offer mem- and inspire the viewer to beautify home and community through bers free or discounted admission. For a list of program partici- skillful design and appropriate plant material.” Among this year’s pants, visit www.ahs.org/events/flower_home_garden_shows.htm. award winners to date were the Washington Park Arboretum’s display at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle, Wash- AHS COLLABORATES IN NATIONAL PLANT SOCIETY MEETING ON MAY 25 and 26, the AHS will join with representatives of various American plant societies in a summit at the Gardens of the American Rose Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. The meeting, ti- tled “Relevance: National Plant Societies in the 21st Century,” will address issues such as making plant society membership and vol- unteerism relevant for today’s gardeners and using technology to encourage greater interactivity. The summit is being coordinated and hosted by the American Rose Society. The AHS will sponsor a welcome reception May 25. During the full program the following day, Harry Rissetto, chair of the AHS Board of Directors and an officer with the American Dahlia Society, will deliver the keynote address. Plant society leaders and others interested in participating in the meeting should contact Jeff Ware, executive director of the American Rose Society at [email protected].

“The Earth Gardener” display at the Virginia Flower & Garden Expo News written by AHS Staff. ֢֦֣֨ ֤֦֧֤֥֠֨֡ In addition to vital support through membership dues, the American Horticultural Society relies on grants, bequests, and other gifts to support its programs. We would like to thank the following donors for gifts received between December 1, 2011 and January 31, 2012.

Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Address Mrs. Carolyn M. Lindsay In memory of Elliot 'Pete' Estes Al’s Garden Center Mahoney's Garden Center Mr. Tim Langridge Mr. and Mrs. Robert Baillie Mr. and Mrs. Frank Nicolai Mr. and Mrs. Carter Bales Osmocote In memory of Ed Heminger Mr. and Mrs. Bill Barnett Mr. David D. Parrish Ms. Katy Moss Warner The Katherine & Thomas M. Belk Petitti Garden Centers Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Harry A. Rissetto In memory of Lillian Taylor Mrs. George P. Bissell, Jr. Mr. R. P. Simmons Col. and Mrs. Benjamin Taylor Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bogle Mrs. Angela M. Vikesland Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. Bradshaw/ Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Volk In memory of Vivian Ann Wooten the Melville Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Harvey C. White Ms. Susan Chambers Ms. Petra Burke Mr. and Mrs. Klaus Zech Calloway’s Nursery, Inc. In memory of Donna Doub Lane Mr. James R. Cargill, II In memory of Kathleen Constandy Mrs. Betty Ann Dillon Mr. and Mrs. George Diamantis Louis and Dena Andre Mrs. Elisabeth C. Dudley Ms. Katherine B. Edwards and In honor of Elizabeth G. Yolton English Gardens Mr. John A. Ronveaux Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Yolton The Espoma Company Ms. Elizabeth Vandervoort Mrs. Janet Gebler In honor of Elizabeth Fox Ms. Amy Goldman In memory of Mr. & Mrs. Malcolm Ms. Joan Fox-Cota Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Hanselman Matheson, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. William O. Hargrove Mrs. Torrey Matheson Cooke If you would like to support the American Horticultural Society as part of your estate planning, as a tribute to a loved one, or as part of your annual charitable giving plan, please contact Scott Lyons at [email protected] or call (703) 768-5700 ext. 127. ְ֢֪֤֣֧֪֦֥֣֭֮֬֡֨֠֩֩֡֡֠֫֠֬֯֫

10 the American Gardener ְְְֱֱֲ֢֣֤֪֥֦֤֧֦֥֭֮֡֠֫֨֩֠֠֬֠֯֬ by HelenThompson AHS MEMBERS MAKING ADIFFERENCE: (Fiftyshift.com Publishing). “If you write first book, Greenfield Recorder. Nations Women’s Conference forthe Tiananmen Square riots andtheUnited also covered majorevents such asthe n 1989andagainin1995,shere- located toBeijing toedit culture. Courant, Organic Gardening, Hartford BostonGlobe, New York Times, since, butshe’s inthe alsopublishedarticles The area gar- isfullofwonderful “Between Rows,” the for thepaperever close by. She haswrittenaweekly column, wasoften deners,” shesays,soagoodstory Recorder. column forherlocalpaper, the collection. orful guests from milesaround toenjoy hercol- nual Rose Viewing, an event that attracts roses, eachJune LeuchtmanholdsherAn- other selections.To share herpassionfor in hergarden today, alongwithnearly80 Thigh’—picked foritsname—stillblooms first rose sheplanted,‘Passionate Nymph’s herhandatgrowingstead try roses. The Upward intheGarden Pat Leuchtman section inKatherineWhite’s nial border property. forhernew But a man plannedanambitious,90-footperen- After moving toHeath in1979,Leucht- A PASSION FORROSES AND WORDS A magazine. During herstintsoverseas, she In 2011,Leuchtmanpublishedher In 1980,shebeganwriting agardening in theearly1970s,aftershemoved Pat Leuchtmanbegangardening N AHSMEMBER I “ R oses attheEnd of theRoad ty involvement. ing andcommuni- through herwrit- others togarden inspiring been has Massachusetts, and town ofHeath, acres inthesmall gardens onseveral setts. Today,she field, Massachu- to suburbanGreen- inspir W omen ofChina ed hertoin- O since 2007, and nward and G reenfield H orti- nance, withtheintenttocreate agarden. town women’s clubtookover mainte- Falls waslefttotheweeds.” In 1929,the attheturnofcentury,“Then therail- the towns around here,” saysLeuchtman. rewarding. “Trolleysof usedtoconnectall the Bridge ofFlowers—a garden onanold community beautificationprojects, but Leuchtman isalsoinvolved inseveral BEAUTIFICATION COMMUNITY es abouthergardening projects. her roses and backyard wildlife,anddish- gardeningviews books,postsphotosof (www.commonweeder.com), ablog called Common Weederstarted junction withthebook,Leuchtman tions by her husband, Henry. In con- which alsofeatures whimsicalillustra- book,” says Leuchtman of the book, sayingyou mustcollectthisintoa start a columnforlongenough,peoplewill unteers whomaintain theuniquebridge road came,andthebridgeinShelburne Massachusetts—has beenoneofthemost trolley bridge innearby Shelburne Falls, with avarietyofplantstocreatethisremarkablebridgegarden. The ShelburneAreaWomen’sClub,ofwhichLeuchtmanisamember,replacedtrolleytracks Today, Leuchtman isamongthevol- Pat Leuchtman wher e shere- The American Gardener. Helen Thompsonisaneditorial assistantfor draws inspiration from inspiration member- AHS draws her Massachusetts.” come aniconforthiswholeregion of trees,” “It’s of couple Leuchtman. says be- vines, perennials, annuals,andeven a example ofamixed garden—it hasroses, bridgeisareallygarden. wonderful “The smell theroses onceinawhile,too. to hergarden,come visitors andstop gardening her about adventures, wel- she’ll continuetowritehercolumn,blog BLOOMS! flower show. Meanwhile, Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s adding yet anotherrole: judgeforthe ideals ofherown work. and healthyenvironments,” twocentral pleasures ofteaching othersaboutplants both “the pleasures ofgardening, andthe organizationsthatpromote to support writer,” shesays.It toher isalsoimportant tion formeasagardener andasagarden ship. “It’s source ofinforma- awonderful For alloftheseendeavors, Leuchtman This spring, Leuchtman will be March / April 2012 11 AHSC NEWS SPECIAL AHS 2012 Great American Gardeners National Award Winners

LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY AWARD HE AMERICAN HORTI- Given to an individual who has made sig- CULTURAL SOCIETY is T nificant lifetime contributions to at least proud to announce the distin- three of the following horticultural fields: guished recipients of the Society’s teaching, research, communications, 2012 Great American Gardeners plant exploration, administration, art, Awards. Individuals, organiza- business, and leadership. tions, and businesses who receive these national awards represent the best in American gardening. EADILY RECOGNIZED by his trademark Each has contributed significant- Rwide-brimmed hat, Allan M. Armitage has made substantial contributions to all eight fields recognized by this award over the course of his three-decade career, in- ly to fields such as plant research, fluencing academia, the horticultural industry, and home gardening in lasting and garden communication, land- meaningful ways. scape design, youth gardening, As a University of Georgia (UGA) horticulture pro- teaching, and floral design. We fessor, Armitage has taught and mentored countless students, many of whom have gone on to become applaud their passionate commit- accomplished horticulturists. His teaching abilities ment to American gardening and alone have earned him numerous awards, including the their outstanding achievements AHS Teaching Award in 1994. He is also a sought-after within their areas of expertise. speaker outside the classroom, imparting his infectious enthusiasm for plants to audiences all over the world. The 2012 awards will be pre- At UGA, Armitage also helped establish a trial garden sented on the evening of June 7 for new plant varieties in 1982. Today, this garden is not only a destination for growers and plant lovers, it also provides valuable performance during the Great American Gar- data for hundreds of new varieties. Each year, Armitage spotlights the most outstand- deners Awards Ceremony and ing heat- and humidity-tolerant plants through the Athens Select program. He is cred- Banquet at River Farm, the AHS’s ited with introducing several new plant varieties discovered through the trial gardens. The 13 books Armitage has written to date are a testament to the diverse plant headquarters in Alexandria, Vir- palette his passion and knowledge encompass, including annuals, herbaceous peren- ginia. For more information, or to nials, cut flowers, natives, woody plants, vines, and greenhouse crops. Armitage’s ti- register to attend the ceremony, tles have become trusted resources for professional horticulturists and home gardeners alike. Additionally, he has written hundreds of articles for horticulture journals, gar- visit www.ahs.org/awards or call dening magazines, and trade publications. His photo library of thousands of plants (703) 768-5700. serves as a source for websites, plant labels, and publications. Armitage’s work in the field of commercial cut flower production inspired the formation of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, a professional organization that now consists of more than 800 members, and his work in bedding plant production has resulted in many advancements in floriculture. He also has held leadership roles in various horticultural organizations, including serving on the AHS Board of Directors for several years. Among Armitage’s many awards are the Medal of Honor from the Garden Club of America; the Award of Excellence given by the National Garden Clubs, Inc.; and the Award of Merit from the Perennial Plant Association. In 2007, he was the recipient of the Scott Medal and Award given by the Scott Foundation in Swarth- more, Pennsylvania.

12 the American Gardener DR. H. MARC CATHEY AWARD recent of the six introductions he is per- garden centers with locations in David- Recognizes outstanding scientific research sonally credited with to date are Metro sonville and Severna Park, Maryland, Rid- that has enriched the field of horticulture. Gold֠ hedge maple (Acer campestre dle was an enthusiastic proponent of the Panacek’) and Pacific Purple֠ vine Society’s River Farm headquarters, having‘ Frank A. Blazich is alumni distinguished maple (Acer circinatum ‘JFS-Purple’). He generously supplied thousands of Home- graduate professor of horticultural science is a past president of the Wholesale Nurs- stead plants for the AHS gardens over the at North Carolina ery Growers of America and has served years. An energetic supporter of horticul- State University in on the board of directors for the Ameri- ture’s role in community beautification, he Raleigh, where he has can Nursery & Landscape Association. was instrumental in forging connections taught plant propaga- between the AHS and the horticultural in- tion for more than 30 dustry as well as beautification organiza- years. After receiving LANDSCAPE DESIGN AWARD tions such as America in Bloom. his bachelor’s and Given to an individual whose work has master’s degrees in demonstrated and promoted the value of plant and soil science sound horticultural practices in the field of B. Y. MORRISON COMMUNICATION from the University of Vermont, he earned landscape architecture. AWARD his doctorate in horticulture from Pennsyl- Recognizes effective and inspirational com- vania State University. His research on Richard W. Shaw has been a principal munication—through print, radio, televi- herbaceous and woody landscape plants and partner with Design Workshop in sion, and/or online media—that advances has benefited the nursery, Christmas tree, Aspen, Colorado for public interest and participation in horti- and forestry industries. Since 1985, he has more than 35 years. culture. served as a member of the editorial board Shaw has devoted his of the Journal of Environmental Horticul- career to tourism de- As curator of plants at Longwood Gar- ture. He was named a Fellow of the Amer- velopment, resort de- dens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, as ican Society for Horticultural Science, the sign, transportation well as an adjunct organization’s highest honor, in 1998. planning, residential professor of horticul- design, and develop- ture at the Universi- ing communities ty of Delaware in PAUL ECKE JR. COMMERCIAL AWARD throughout the world. His designs incor- Newark, Tomasz Anisko Given to an individual or company whose porate a deep respect for the regional set- communi- commitment to the highest standards of ex- ting and rely on native plants to enhance cates his horticultural cellence in the field of commercial horticul- the sustainability of the constructed knowledge and pas- ture contributes to the betterment of landscape. A Fellow of the American So- sion through his teach- gardening practices everywhere. ciety of Landscape Architects, he has re- ing, writing, speaking, and media ceived numerous awards, including the appearances. Ani´sko is the author of two J. Frank Schmidt III is president and Award of Excellence from the Urban books, Plant Exploration for Longwood CEO of J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co., Land Institute and the Design Medal Gardens (Timber Press, 2006) and When one of the country’s largest wholesale tree from the American Society of Landscape Perennials Bloom: An Almanac for Planning and shrub nurseries in Boring, Oregon. Architects recognizing his lifetime con- and Planting (Timber Press, 2008); his tributions to designed landscapes. third book will be published this year. In addition, he has written more than 100 articles for both professional and home gar- MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD dening publications. He also has lectured Recognizes a past Board member or friend of to audiences worldwide and made numer- the American Horticultural Society for out- ous radio and television appearances. standing service in support of the Society’s goals, mission, and activities. Nominations for 2013 Don E. Riddle, Jr. served on the AHS Help us give recognition to deserving Building on the family business’s legacy Board of Directors “horticultural heroes” by nominating of innovation, he has contributed nu- from 2003 until his someone you know for one of the 2013 merous improvements to nursery pro- death in 2011. As the Great American Gardeners Awards. To do duction techniques and positioned the founder and owner of so, visit www.ahs.org and click on company as a leader in developing, eval- Homestead Gardens, “Awards” for more information, includ- uating, and introducing superior new one of the nation’s ing a list of recipients from past years. cultivars of ornamental trees. The most premier independent

March / April 2012 13 FRANCES JONES POETKER AWARD JANE L. TAYLOR AWARD quarterly horticultural publication that Recognizes significant contributions to floral Given to an individual, organization, or is distributed at horticultural businesses, design in publications, on the platform, and program that has inspired and nurtured fu- and has served as a Midwest contributor to the public. ture horticulturists through efforts in chil- for Fine Gardening. dren’s and youth gardening. Laura Dowling has served as chief flo- URBAN BEAUTIFICATION AWARD ral designer at the White House in For nearly a century, the Brooklyn Given to an individual, institution, or com- Washington, D.C., Botanic Garden’s Children’s Garden in pany for significant contributions to urban since 2009. In this New York has horticulture and the beautification of Amer- role, she manages educated chil- ican cities. décor and flowers for dren through a broad range of offi- direct, hands- Established in 1972 to maintain the cial White House on experience Smithsonian museum grounds in Wash- functions as well as with soil, sun, ington, D.C., Smithsonian Gardens creating arrangements crops, flowers, (SG) extends the museum experience in displayed in various and the sea- a public garden setting, inspiring visitors areas of the White House. Her signature sons of the style balances the formality of a garden garden. The Children’s Garden, one of with the exuberance of nature. For the the nation’s first, encourages children to past 12 years, she has studied French flo- work in pairs to plant and harvest their ral art under the direction of leading own vegetables, herbs, and flowers, and Parisian designers, refining her strong to learn through crafts, play, and side-by- artistic vision that integrates both clas- side work in the garden. Offering classes sical and modern elements. Her trend- in botany, science, ecology, sustainabili- with innovative displays and teaching setting floral designs have been featured ty, and urban gardening, the Children’s them about plants, horticulture, the nat- in numerous publications and television Garden instructs more than 800 program ural environment, and artistic design. broadcasts. participants each year. It received the Overall, the SG staff manage 180 acres of American Public Garden Association’s gardens on the National Mall, 64,000 PROFESSIONAL AWARD Award for Program Excellence in 1989. square feet of greenhouse production Given to a public garden administrator space, and the Archives of American Gar- whose achievements during the course of his dens, a largely photographic archive cov- or her career have cultivated widespread in- TEACHING AWARD ering American landscape history from terest in horticulture. Given to an individual whose ability to 1870 to the present. SG sponsors the share his or her horticultural knowledge Enid A. Haupt Fellowship in Horticul- Shane Smith is the director and founder with others has contributed to a better pub- ture, which aims to advance the knowl- of Wyoming’s only public botanic garden, lic understanding of the plant world and its edge and understanding of the varied the Cheyenne Botan- important influence on society. roles and broad significance of horticul- ic Gardens, which he ture in the United States. founded in 1986 with A horticulture instructor for more than the aim of educating 25 years at the Metropolitan Communi- visitors about horti- ty College (MCC) in culture, community Omaha, Nebraska, gardening, solar ener- Addie Kinghorn has gy, and sustainability. taught and mentored The award-winning, countless students. nine-acre garden serves as a successful Her ability to not model for a “socially-oriented, communi- only impart her own ty-based” enterprise in which 90 percent deep knowledge of of labor needs are fulfilled by volunteers. her subject, but to Smith is the author of three books about also ignite a lifelong passion for horticul- greenhouse production and has been a fre- ture in her students has earned her nu- quent contributor of gardening informa- merous awards and honors from regional tion for newspapers, radio, and television. and national organizations. Kinghorn Most recently, Smith has been spearhead- also has developed coursework for and The courtyard at the Freer Gallery of Art in ing the development of a newly acquired, lectured at several other midwestern ed- Washington, D.C., is among the public 62-acre property into the High Plains Ar- ucational institutions and organizations. spaces managed by Smithsonian Gardens. boretum in Cheyenne. She is the editor of Nature’s Companion, a

14 the American Gardener 2012 AHS Book Award Winners

Each year, the American Horticultural Society recognizes outstanding gardening books published in North America with its annual Book Award. Nominated books are judged by the AHS Book Award Commit- tee on qualities such as writing style, authority, accuracy, and physical quality. This year’s five recipients, selected from books published in 2011, are listed below. The 2012 Book Award Committee was chaired by Susan Appleget Hurst, a garden communicator in Winterset, Iowa. Other committee members were Fiona Gilsenan, freelance garden writer and book editor based in the Pacific Northwest; Brandy Kuhl, head librarian at the Helen Crocker Russell Library of Hor- ticulture in San Francisco, California; Kathy LaLiberte, Vermont-based marketing consultant and garden writer previously with Gardener’s Supply; Rand B. Lee, a freelance writer and editor specializing in Southwest gardening, plant history, and cottage garden design; W. Gary Smith, an award-winning garden designer and author in Toronto, Canada; and Greg Williams, producer of HortIdeas newsletter in Gravel Switch, Kentucky.

The Holistic Orchard by Michael Phillips. Chelsea Green Pub- factor that makes the book feel so acces- lishing, White River Junction, Vermont. sible is its “consistent, simple, easy-to- follow layout,” notes LaLiberte, who also This richly illustrated, comprehensive appreciates the book’s “balance of func- guide is “like spending a weekend with tional how-to with inspirational ideas and the guru of organic orcharding. He helps solid horticultural information.” Fiona his readers truly understand fruit trees Gilsenen was impressed with the authors’ and berry bushes by putting them in “approach, ethos and emphasis on using context as part of the larger ecosystem,” green roofs to encourage biodiversity, plus making it doable in notes Kathy LaLiberte. “No other author a wide range of places.” covers the subject so completely, under- stands it so well, and still manages to Writing the Garden by Elizabeth Barlow Rogers. David R. Go- make it accessible,” says Susan Appleget Hurst. “This book of- dine, Boston, Massachusetts. fers a fresh perspective on growing food in harmony with the natural world,” says W. Gary Smith, adding that “the depth and Sampling from the last two centuries of breadth of information is huge but not a bit intimidating.” Western garden writing, this “delicious historical survey of writing gardeners and gar- Putting Down Roots by Marcia C. Carmichael. Wisconsin His- den writers is rich with anecdote, writing torical Society Press, Madison, Wisconsin. excerpts, and illustrations,” says Lee. Smith appreciates the “unique voice and engaging “Not only does this book provide an perspective” the author provides as she outstanding template for what other weaves together her analysis with excerpts regionally oriented, historical garden- from each featured writer, both famous and unknown. The re- ing books should aspire to,” remarks sulting scholarly work is “so well done, interesting, and read- Rand Lee, “but it also has immense able that I couldn’t put it down,” says Brandy Kuhl. emotional, intellectual, practical, and gustatory appeal for a wide audience.” The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener by Niki Jabbour. Storey Greg Williams says “it is both fun to Publishing, North Adams, Massachusetts. read and authoritative, with interesting illustrations, terrific recipes, and informative notes.” Hurst agrees, calling it a Among the many books on growing ed- “fascinating window into the courage, resourcefulness, and ibles flooding the market lately, this adaptability of our immigrant past.” book stood out in all ways. The author’s “infectious enthusiasm fills every Small Green Roofs by Nigel Dunnett, Dusty Gedge, John Little, page,” notes LaLiberte, who also found & Edmund C. Snodgrass. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. the “fun, colorful layout” irresistible. Gilsenan agrees, saying “the design de- Written by world-class experts on green roofs, “this book is a serves special commendation because real trailblazer because it is the only in-depth guide to do-it- it is so user-friendly yet so packed with yourself green roofs, with plenty of case studies to build confi- information.” Hurst sums up: “It’s so much information, so dence and provide ideas for homeowners,” says Williams. One clearly presented, and so very inspiring!”

March / April 2012 15 Purple-Leaved Perennials

BY GRAHAM RICE pack a punch PHOTOGRAPHS BY JUDYWHITE

If you’re looking for a quick way to add drama to a pedestrian landscape, including a variety of plants with dark foliage will do the trick.

URPLE IS NOT the first color we associate with foliage, so when we Psee it in the garden, it always makes an impression. Alone and in company with other plants, purple foliage lends a silky sumptuousness, enticing depth, and rich opulence to beds and borders in all styles of landscapes. First, it must be noted that few perennials—and in this I am including tender perennials generally grown as annuals— have foliage that is as genuinely purple as that of flowers. In the context of leaves, “purple” is a rather loose term used to de- scribe a huge range of colors from the smoky brown of Crocosmia ‘Solfatare’ to the pure black of Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’. Deciding where to draw the line between bronze, burgundy, crimson, and purple is subjective. But why be too particular? The perennials and annuals that feature purple and close-to-purple fo- The purple leaves of ‘Firecracker’, a cultivar of loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata), are attractive liage are invaluable for adding flair to on their own and as a backdrop for the plant’s yellow flowers in summer. planting combinations. Some are so bold yet elegant in their habit and exquisite in Zones 5–8, AHS Zones 9–3) stands head sylvania garden, but it has a reputation their coloring that they can stand as spec- and shoulders above the rest in this taller for being more aggressive under other imens in their own right, while many oth- group. The foliage is a deep and solid conditions, so it may be prudent to grow ers are smaller and better integrated with purple from the moment the new shoots it in a container. other plants to make intriguing, season- peep through in spring. In summer, five- The much lauded cultivar of white spanning displays. petaled, yellow flowers open dramatical- snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum, Zones ly against the dusky foliage—like big 4–8, 8–2) called ‘Chocolate’ is a three- to PURPLE-LEAVED SPECIMEN PLANTS sunny buttercups. Growing two to four five-foot-tall plant that produces some- For sheer sparkle, the aptly named Lysi- feet tall, this American native is a gentle what muddy white flowers that I do not machia ciliata ‘Firecracker’ (USDA spreader in the heavy soil of my Penn- find very attractive. To allow the toothed

16 the American Gardener Above, left: Dark-leaved and red-flowered ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ dahlia pairs well in this bed with the softer colors of Aster ✕frikartii. Above, right: In this purple-themed garden, ‘King Humbert’ canna rises from a bed of beefsteak plant (Perilla frutescens) and cleome. purple foliage to shine, I cut the plant back green, and gray foliage. It is also a great in- sparks provided by the lighter purple by half as the flower buds start to form to termingler that works well with whiteflowers of Cleome hassleriana ‘Violet allow a new flush of leaf growth. flowering fall anemones. Plants develop Queen’. The more recent ‘Australia’ A mature specimen of ‘Black Negligee’ the best color in cooler areas. (‘Feuerzauber’) is an even more spectac- bugbane (Actaea simplex, Zones 4–8, 8–1), Even more imposing are cannas ular canna. Its foliage is a rich, dark and with its bold, dark, finely divided foliage is ( Canna spp., Zones 7–11, 12–1), which sultry color, with a sleek shimmer to the a picture in itself even before its purple- are usually treated as annuals in cooler surface—and it lasts right through the tinted creamy plumes of fragrant flowers parts of the country but are perennial summer without fading to green. Above appear in early fall. Its upright habit—to where winters are mild. ‘King Humbert’ the five-foot-long foliage the big, bright about four feet tall—and the pattern of its (sometimes listed as ‘Roi Humbert’), scarlet flowers fire up the garden. dark foliage stands out when it is set against with orange flowers and deep purplish- Dark-leaved cultivars of dahlias (Dahlia a background of silvery shrubs. Other pur- bronze leaves, is an old favorite. It works spp., Zones 9–11, 9–3) have recently en- ple-leaved bugbane cultivars of merit in- well in a bed underplanted with the more joyed a revival. Among the best is venera- clude ‘Brunette’, which grows to about vividly purple beefsteak plant (Perilla ble ‘Bishop of Llandaff’, which received three feet tall (Zones 4–8, 8–1), and the frutescens) and accented with bright the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of newer ‘James Compton’, which grows to Garden Merit in 1928. Plants grow two to three-and-a-half feet tall and has lighter four feet tall with toothed, deep mahogany bronze-purple foliage (Zones 3–9, 8–1). Sources foliage that sets off vivid red, semi-double These named cultivars must be vegetative- Glasshouse Works, Stewart, OH. summer blooms. It stands out brightly ly propagated to retain their purple color- (800) 837-2142. next to the soft purple flowers of Aster ing. Beware the more widely available www.glasshouseworks.com. ✕frikartii. It’s also superb with Crocosmia purple-leaved bugbanes labeled ‘Atropur- Heronswood Nursery, Warminster, ‘Lucifer’ and with Lobelia ‘Dark Crusad- purea’ or Atropurpurea Group: These are PA. (866) 578-7948. er’, all in front of yellow foliage or purple- raised from seed, and their coloring varies, www.heronswood.com. leaved smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria) some even becoming green. Kartuz Greenhouses, Vista, CA. such as ‘Royal Purple’. As with cannas, Growing three to four feet tall and four (760) 941-3613. www.kartuz.com. dahlias are often grown as annuals but are to five feet wide, Persicaria microcephala Plant Delights Nursery, Raleigh, NC. reliable perennials in warmer zones. ‘Red Dragon’ (Zones 5–8, 8–1) makes a (919) 772-4794. Fast-growing castor oil or castor bean bold feature for borders and large con- www.plantdelights.com. plant (Ricinus communis) ‘Carmencita’ is tainers with its chevron-patterned, purple, large, reaching six to 10 feet tall, and has

March / April 2012 17 brown-purple leaves. ‘Impala’ (brown-purple) and ‘New Zealand Purple’ (maroon- purple) are smaller, growing three to five feet tall. Their palmate leaves add a tropical feel to gardens. They are perennial in USDA Zones 9 to 11 and superb seed- raised annuals in cooler regions that have hot summers. Because these plants bear beautiful but deadly poisonous seeds, they are not for gardens with young children. Several hardy hibiscuses (Hibiscus spp., Zones 4–9, 9–1) are available that not only feature dark leaves but large, striking summer flowers. ‘Kopper King’ grows three to four feet tall and has bronze foliage and 12- inch, white to pinkish flowers with a red eye; ‘Midnight Marvel’ has darker leaves than ‘Kopper King’, grows about four feet tall, and bears bright red, eight- to nine- inch flowers; and ‘Summer Storm’ grows four to five feet tall and has wine-purple foliage and eight- to 10-inch pink flowers with a dark pink eye. With huge, arrow-shaped leaves, elephant ears (Colocasia spp., Zones 9–11, 12–3) can’t be missed in a garden. This tropical perennial grows from tubers and must be brought indoors in winter in cold regions. ‘Black Magic’, one of the early dark-leaved introductions, has mid-sized leaves about two feet long. ‘Diamond Head’ is a more recent introduction with slightly ruffled, one-and-a-half-foot long, glossy, brown-purple leaves. PURPLE LEAVES FOR BEDS AND BORDERS Coming down in scale, smaller plants are better used to form a tapestry of colors and shapes at the front of the border and also in smaller containers. First in line here must be cultivars of coral bells or heuchera (Heuchera spp.). In fact, heuchera selections like ‘Plum Pudding’ (Zones 4–8, 8–1) work both as mini-spec- The richly patterned silver-and-green leaves of Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ provide a imens to mark a corner floating above a refreshing contrast with the vivid red-purple leaves of ‘Plum Pudding’ heuchera. carpet of yellow-leaved Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ or as partners in pretty Bayou’ for the hot and humid south. Coleus (Solenostemon spp., Zones 9–11, plant associations with brunneras, like Many good new varieties of dark- 12–1), are superb annual foliage plants and the brightly contrasting silver-leaved leaved sedums (Hylotelephium spp., for- feature purples aplenty. ‘Chocolate Mint’ Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’. The merly Sedum spp.) are now available, has broad purple leaves edged in lime that foliage of the old favorites ‘Palace Purple’ including the stellar ‘Purple Emperor’ are lovely with white petunias. It grows 12 and ‘Chocolate Ruffles’ are more or less (Zones 3–9, 9–1), which only grows to 20 inches tall and has an upright habit. bronze, but recently some new closer-to- about 15 inches tall. Its purple stems and Others in various shades and combina- purple-leaved heucheras have arrived, in- foliage make striking upright clumps in tions of brownish red to chocolate-purple cluding ‘Frosted Violet’, ‘Plum Royale’, the run up to autumn’s pinkish flowers. include ‘Merlot’ (12 to 14 inches tall), and ‘Shanghai’ for the cooler north and Other burgundy to purple-foliaged se- ‘Black Dragon’ (12 to 18 inches tall), and ‘Beaujolais’, ‘Magnum’, and ‘Midnight dums are ‘Xenox’ and ‘Plum Perfection’. ‘Dark Star’ (12 to 24 inches tall).

18 the American Gardener GROWING PURPLE IN WARM REGIONS

Gardeners in the warmer zones, generally from USDA Zones 9 to 11, can grow many of the purple-leaved plants in the article, including elephant ears (Colocasia spp.), cannas, Echeveria ‘Afterglow’, castor bean plant (Ricinis communis), and coleus (Solenostemon spp.)— with the added advantage of being able to leave them outdoors year round. Here are more plants that are well suited to these regions.

Acalypha wilkesiana cultivars (copperleaf, Joseph’s coat, Zones 9–11, 11–9). An evergreen shrub that can grow to 10 feet tall; copper col- or of foliage is best in full sun. ‘Ceylon’ has red-copper leaves with pink edges. ‘Haleakala’ has bronze-maroon leaves. ‘Raggedy Ann’ from Australia has narrow maroon leaves with finely cut edges. Dyckia ‘Burgundy Ice’ (Zones 9–11, 11–8). This hybrid bromeliad has rosettes of narrow red-purple leaves edged with white spines. It grows just six inches tall by 12 inches wide and is drought tolerant. Hibiscus acetocella (Zones 8–11, 11–8). Unlike many hibiscus, this is a species of subshrub or woody perennial that is grown not for its flowers—which are red and bloom infrequently—but for its burgundy foliage that resembles that of maple. North of Zone 9, it is grown as an annual. ‘Maple Sugar’ is a cultivar that grows to five feet Hibiscus acetocella tall. ‘Panama Red’, from the University of Georgia’s Athens Select program, is bred to retain the deep burgundy-red of its foliage even in summer heat and humidity. Plants grow about four feet tall. Opuntia santa-rita (Santa Rita prickly pear, Zones 8–11, 12–7). This cactus is a color-changer: New pads are purplish, maturing to green, then turn purple again in fall. It grows three to five feet tall and produces yellow spring flowers. Perilla frutescens var. crispa and P. frutescens ‘Magellanica’ (beefsteak plant or shiso, Zones 0–0, 12–1). A member of the mint family, beefsteak plant needs bright sun for the best leaf color. Beefsteak plant has purple-bronze, deeply toothed leaves and grows under three feet tall. The cultivar ‘Magellanica’ has brown-and-green coleuslike leaves splashed in the center with reddish-purple and grows 18 inches tall. To maintain a vigorous leaf display, and reduce its tendency to self- sow, remove flowers as soon as they form. Strobilanthes dyerianus (Persian shield, Zones 9–11, 11–9). Bril- liant red-purple leaves with dark green veining have an attractive silvery sheen. It grows to three feet tall, tolerates heat (but not drought), and is good for containers and in shade, where its colors are brightest. Strobilanthes dyerianus with pink petunias —G.R.

Plants with dense but penetrable tan- Another plant known for its airy form nel foliage. Chop the fennel back after gles of billowing growth are always valu- is the four- to five-foot-tall purple fennel flowering—or even before—to keep it able because bolder companions can be (Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’, Zones compact and prevent the garden being planted to surge up through them. The 4–9, 9–1). Clouds of smoky purple smothered by seedlings. foliage of Clematis recta ‘Purpurea’ threads form a mound in early spring (Zones 4–11, 9–1) makes a tall—to six among which yellow, white, or black PURPLE-LEAVED GROUNDCOVERS feet—thundercloud topped, in late sum- tulips such as ‘Queen of the Night’ make There are a number of worthy dark- mer, with a fluffier cumulus of starry, striking combinations. Purple fennel also leaved groundcover plants. ‘Dark Reiter’ white, fragrant flowers; it needs a sub- works well with sultry purple irises and is a superb cranesbill (Geranium pratense) stantial companion—silver-leaved globe deep red peonies, both of which feature that looks most purple in its new growth.

artichokes, perhaps. stronger versions of the tones in the fen- It is delightful early in the season part-

March / April 2012 19 nered with yellow-flowered Anemone ranunculoides and later with the white-variegated fountains of Molinia caerulea ‘Variegata’. For a well-drained situation, ‘Dusky Rose’, with its lobed, mainly purplish-red foliage, makes an appealing contrast to the slender silver leaves of Artemisia schmidtiana ‘Nana’. Trifolium repens ‘Purpurascens Quadrifolium’ (Zones 4–8, 8–1), a wine- purple, four-leaved clover with green mar- gins, makes a ground-hugging partner for neat grasses like blue fescues or with variegated sweet flags (Acorus spp.) or sedges (Carex spp.). ‘Burgundy’ and ‘Zinfandel’ are cultivars of wood sorrel (Oxalis vulcanicola, Zones 9–11, 10–8), with starry yellow flowers sparkling against its purple cloverlike leaves. Dark forms of ornamental sweet pota- to vine (Ipomoea batatas, Zones 10–11, 11–1) are popular for groundcovers and as trailers in container plantings. The leaves The fine foliage of purple fennel forms a mist in this bed of red peonies and deep purple irises. range from the deep black-purple of ‘Blackie’ to the violet-burgundy of ‘Black Hens-and-chicks or houseleeks (Sem- foliage. Like all hens-and-chicks, it spreads Heart’ and can be gently or deeply lobed, pervivum spp., Zones 4–10, 10–3) are ever- slowly, so interplanting it with a fast-grow- depending on the cultivar. These are ten- green succulents with the twin benefits of ing groundcover such as yellow variegated der plants that are usually grown as annu- being hardy and unusually drought toler- Lysimachia congestiflora ‘Outback Sunset’ als in temperate regions but are perennial ant. The cultivar ‘Jungle Shadows’ has es- fills the space attractively in new beds. in Zones 10 and above. pecially appealing rosettes of purple Other purple succulents include Aeoni- um arboreum ‘Schwarzkopf’ (Zones 9–11, 12–8), with its shining flat rosettes atop woody stems. It can be grown in containers and protected in a sheltered location where winters are cold. The low smoky rosettes of Echeveria ‘Afterglow’ (Zones 9–11, 12–8), with their blue tints, stand out boldly against gravel on well-drained soil or in a gravel-topped container with Cali- fornia poppies (Eschscholtzia spp.). PURPLE BY ANY OTHER NAME So…are the leaves of all the plants I’ve described truly purple? Well, some are a little more bronze, some a little more ruby, and a few—such as some of those new heucheras—come close to being the real thing. One thing is certain: They are not green. And because of this, including any of them in your borders and containers will bring a special richness to your garden.

Graham Rice is the author of Planting the Dry Shade Garden (Timber Press, 2011). This is a revised and updated version of an Slow-growing ‘Jungle Shadows’ hens-and-chicks and quick-growing, yellow-flowered article that previously appeared in The Lysimachia congestiflora pair up to make an attractive multi-textured groundcover. Gardener magazine.

20 the American Gardener USDA HardinessZoneMap understanding thenew Almost 10yearsinthemaking,latestedition oftheUSDAPlantHardinessZoneMapisunveiled. T why theUnited States of Department to helpgardeners andgrowers determine Plant Hardiness Zone Map 52years ago, isontheline.That’swhen plantsurvival giutr UD)firstdeveloped its Agriculture (USDA) region. But untilrecently, gardeners had plant’sa particular oddsintheir survival been relying onthe1990version ofthe map, widelyconsidered outdated. version ofthemapreleased inJanuary lion-dollar effort by theUSDA,anew lion-dollar effort Thanks toanearly10-year, half-a-mil- hog—predicting theweather can be atrickybusiness,especially AKE ITFROM any gr ound- map, most of theUnited States now ap- ternet use.And compared tothe earlier with theUSDA’s AgriculturalResearch ty’s (OSU)PRISMClimateGroup along Education, andEconomics. USDA Under-Secretary forResearch, searchers,” saysCatherineWoteki, be extremely useful forgardeners andre- and detailthatthismaprepresents will 21st century. increases inaccuracy “The in thatitisdesignedforinteractive in- McNally andalittlemore Google Maps mapisalittlelessRand thenew Service, aims tobringhardiness zones intothe Developed by Oregon State Universi- recorded atnearly8,000 weather stations lected from wintersof1976 through 2005 are extrapolatedfrom 30years ofdatacol- increments “A” and “B.”Theseaverages time. Eachzone isdividedintofive degree temperature oftheyear averaged outover perature—basically estimatingthecoldest based onaverage extreme minimumtem- 10-degreeterritories intothirteen zones The mapdividestheUnited States andits ANDWHISTLES BELLS of thespectrum. are zones alsotwonew atthewarmerend pears atleasthalfazone warmer. There BY HELENTHOMPSON March / April 2012 21 across the country and along the borders in Mexico and Canada. New Zones 12 (50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit) and 13 (60 to 70 F) appear for the most part in tropical regions such as Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The new map boasts some helpful features, including a zip-code-finder that makes figuring out your zone easy, and the ability to zoom in and out on the interactive version. The map’s scale is un- precedented: each pixel equates to a square half mile. Along with the interactive version, there are national, state, and regional static versions available at www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov. “While most gardeners have changed zones, if you see a zone change it may be a 5 to 10 degree change in temperature, or it can be as little as half a degree,” observes USDA spokeswoman Kim Kaplan. This small difference reflects the warming trend that most gardeners have already noticed in their backyards. For instance, garden writer Marty Wingate wasn’t terribly sur- prised when the new map placed her previously Zone 8A garden “ever so slightly into 8B,” where she says her region has been for several years now. Wingate’s sentiments are echoed on the East Coast. “The map reinforces Once considered too tender to grow in Pennsylvania, a Japanese camellia (Camellia things that we already know as garden- japonica) thrives in this sheltered location at the Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia. ers,” says Tony Aiello, curator and director of horticulture at the University of 2004 the USDA convened a 23-member heat island created by the concrete and as- Pennsylvania’s Morris Arboretum and a review committee made up of nursery phalt environment of a city or a cool pock- member of the map’s technical review owners, crop researchers, foresters, cli- et in the lowest point of a mountain team. For example, “20 years ago, we matologists, and other experts to figure valley—because it was designed to take ele - couldn’t grow southern magnolias, out the best method of updating the vation into account. In some areas, one Camellia japonica, and crape myrtle in map. Finally, in 2007, the USDA turned pixel sticks out as a half zone warmer or Philadelphia,” says Aiello. “Today, they to climatologist Chris Daly and his OSU colder than its surroundings. don’t grow perfectly in our region, but we colleagues to use their PRISM (short for Once PRISM had created a draft, ex- can grow them pretty successfully.” Parameter-Elevation Regressions on In- perts around the country scrutinized their dependent Slopes Model) computer sys- respective regions, pointing out spots that THE ART AND SCIENCE OF MAP MAKING tem to create a new map. It combines looked too cold or warm, or a bit funky, This latest incarnation of the USDA map several mathematical algorithms de- and the OSU team went back to double has faced its share of hiccups. In 2002, the signed to take into account topographi- check for biases in the local data. Daly re- USDA contracted the American Horti- cal factors that influence weather, such as calls an example in which experts expect- cultural Society (AHS) to oversee an up- elevation, slope, and proximity to large ed to see a zone decrease in the area where date of the 1990 map. The late Dr. H. bodies of water. “It mimics the process the midwestern Plains states border Cana- Marc Cathey, who at the time was the that an expert climatologist would use if da, but American weather stations were AHS’s president emeritus, coordinated the they were to draw it by hand,” says Daly. few and far between. Assimilating data project with meteorologist Mark Kramer, “As the system analyzes the data, there are from Canadian stations in that region whose Amityville, New York, firm con- lots of decision points—a lot of ifs, elses, helped produce more accurate zoning in structed the 1990 version of the map. But wherefores, and maybes—which made the final product. the USDA rejected a draft version of the the map a real challenge to create.” map produced in 2003, citing the need for The result is a map with highly detailed CLIMATE OR WEATHER? an interactive, web-friendly format. zone borders. The computer program is From the very first hardiness zone map

Going back to the drawing board, in very sensitive to microclimates—such as a by Arnold Arboretum taxonomist Alfred

22 the American Gardener Rehder in 1927 to the USDA’s first official compare with the colder 1990 map, since plants that are marginally hardy in her now map in 1960, a variety of American horti- the spans overlap and the map doesn’t in- Zone 8B Seattle garden—including sever- cultural organizations have produced har- clude the most recent six years. “Personal- al Pittosporum tenuifolium plants, which diness maps, often using completely ly, I would have preferred a 15 year map were supposedly hardy to Zone 9 on the different zoning systems (for a map time- because we could use it to evaluate how earlier map—for years. And on the East line, click on the web special linked to this things have changed,” says David Wolfe, a Coast, the New York Botanical Garden article on the AHS website). The goal of plant scientist at Cornell University in (NYBG) in the Bronx has been testing or- these various maps was to render temper- Ithaca, New York. “We’re in a period of namentals hardy to one or two zones ature data into a useful tool for farmers, rapid climate change, and in a longer data warmer than the garden’s 7A locale since gardeners, and others, and each iteration set, recent temperature peaks carry less 2002. Its 260-foot test garden includes over the years tracked changing weather weight in the overall picture.” Japanese camellias, paperbush, crape myr- patterns. The USDA’s new map reflects The USDA/OSU team did do a trial tles, and red yuccas, among others, and such changes, but given today’s politically with 3,400 weather stations to see if shift- “despite year to year temperature variabili- charged climate change debate, it is also ing the data set up to span 1981 to 2010 ty, they’re doing fine,” says Wolfe, who ad- receiving scrutiny for what it reveals about changed the overall picture. The result was vises the garden on climate change issues. this issue. warmer, but only by an average 0.6 degrees “It’s important to many of us in the There’s no argument that ‘plant geek’ business that as the map shows a distinct much good information is out warming trend, especially in there as possible,” says Sean the Northeast, but Kaplan is Hogan, owner of Cistus Nurs- quick to put a little distance ery on Sauvie Island outside between the map and the cli- Portland, Oregon and a mem- mate change controversy. Ka- ber of the map’s technical re- plan says that warmer view team. However, he advis- temperatures depicted in the es gardeners to remember that map could be attributed to a plant’s survival depends on a three reasons: the map’s scale lot more than minimum aver- shows a higher degree of de- age temperature: light expo- tail; the algorithm that sure, wind, soil moisture, hu- PRISM used allows for more midity, nutrient availability, accurate interpolation be- the timing of a cold snap, and tween weather stations; and fi- many other factors influence nally, as part of a natural cycle whether or a plant will live or or due to human influence, die. Hogan points out that the earth’s climate might actu- Scandinavia, Northern Flori- ally be changing, as scientists da, and many areas along the worldwide believe. West Coast would all be in Plants experience the short Zone 8, “but they all differ term temperature changes of weather, not At the New York Botanical Garden, plants drastically in frequencies of freezes, length of long term shifts in climate, and climatol- hardy to warmer areas such as Virginia and freezes, and ripening periods.” ogists typically use 50 to 100 years of data North Carolina have fared well in the cooler As a gardener, you have to weigh your to measure climate, compared to 15 to 30 environment of the Bronx. options when it comes to growing a plant years of data to measure weather. “The that is marginally hardy in your region be- map simply isn’t the right tool to use to F. “Such small changes could not justify cause a single untimely frost could easily measure climate change,” says Kaplan. the significant additional delays that would kill it. “Use the map judiciously,” advises Another hotly debated topic has been have arisen from having to re-create the Aiello. “It’s always fun to push the limits of the decision to base the map on 30 years of map,” explains Mark Widrlechner, a re- what you can grow, but keep in mind there data rather than the 13 to 20 years used cently retired USDA research horticultur- are limits.” Whether you play it safe or live with previous maps. “The period needed ist who led the map-making project. on the horticultural wild side, the USDA’s to be long enough to include all of the new Plant Hardiness Zone Map can be a peaks and troughs of temperature fluctua- ERRING ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION valuable guide for hedging your bets while tion to get the whole picture,” explains Hardiness maps have traditionally been negotiating the vagaries of weather. After Daly. “We wanted a feel for what’s hap- viewed as a conservative guide by adven- all, even Punxsutawney Phil only gets it pening and what might happen.” But, turous horticulturists and gardeners, so it’s right 39 percent of the time. some experts feel that the longer period re- not surprising some are taking the new duces the effects of the more recent warm- map with a grain of salt. For example, Helen Thompson is an editorial assistant

.ֱ֢֪֤֢֢֥֦֮֮֬֠֨ ing trend and makes it more difficult to Wingate has been successfully growing with The American Gardenerֱֱֱֱֲֳֳִִֵֵֶַַ֣֦֦֦֦֪֧֦֤֭֮֮֯֠֫֯֠֠֡֠֬֠֯֠֯֠֯

March / April 2012 23 24 for Deciduous Magnolias dens across theglobe. Campbell’s magnolia(M.campbellii), Yulan magnolia(M.denudata), with fantasticdiversity inChina throughout mostAsiancountries, America. There are magnolias SouthAmerica, andintonorthern America, souththrough Central nolias canbefoundinNorth namental plants.In the wild,mag- and Sprenger’s magnolia(M.spr the starmagnolia(M.stellata), ous magnoliaspeciessuchasthe nolia and Thailand.Thesouthernmag- valued throughout the worldasor- tributed ofallflowering trees, which make wonderful specimensingar- which makewonderful United States, whileseveral other agnolia grandiflora) tow- native habitatinthesoutheastern ers tomore than100feettallinits nolias inthetropical andsubtrop- species are Most shrublike. mag- M States hasresulted inthediscov- the Himalayas, andtheUnited evergreen, whilemosttemperate oftheirrangestendtobe ical parts ery ofmanyoutstandingdecidu- ery species are deciduous. occurring species,there hasbeenaprolif- and habit,aswell asinflowering charac- over 1,000 selections.Cultivars insize vary teristics suchas size, color, fragrance, and eration ofmagnoliacultivars over thelast 150 years; thechoicesnow represent well flowering season (foraquickcomparison With excitingnewselectionsandtried-and-truespeciesavailable,deciduousmagnoliasoffera versatile arrayofornamentaloptionsforNorthAmericanlandscapes. Given thisrichdiversity ofnaturally Exploration inChina,Japan, the American Gardener (M verse andwidelydis- among themostdi- AGNOLIAS American Gardens ARE engeri), of springinmanygardens. The blossomingofsaucermagnoliaisarite decades, thesaucermagnolia (M. ciduous magnolias forAmericangarden- been perhapsthe mostreadily available de- AHS Heat Zone 9–5) anditscultivars have ✕ Saucer magnolia CONSIDER MAGNIFICENT MAGNOLIAS TO article, see chart onpage29). seechart article, of several of theselectionsdiscussedinthis soulangeana, USDA H Ov ardiness Zone 5–9, er thelastfew at thebase. white tepalshave aslight rose-pink blush flowers thatare 10inchesacross; the scented flowers. ‘Brozzoni’ produces degrees ifyou factorinwindchill. grees below zero Fahrenheit—minus 87 one winter, temperatures plungedto37de- hood homeinManhattan, Illinois, where, One grew inthe front yard ofmychild- oftheUnitedtivated inmost parts States. hardyspread. Thesevery trees canbe cul- Many ofthecultivars have sweetly up to35feettallwithanequal maturity, saucermagnoliasreach awe-inspiring. Atdisplay istruly blooms are unscathed, thefloral taking;inthoseyears when worth black overnight. But theriskiswell bility ofalatefrost turningflowers region—there isalwaysthepossi- before thelastfrost-free datefora nolia species—sometendtobloom the precociousness ofmanymag- ning springdisplay. But becauseof petallike tepals. profusion ofpink,purple,orwhite early April, theyare covered ina When thetrees burstintobloomin magnolia gracingthefront yard. a magnificentcultivar ofsaucer pre-1920 houseinSwarthmore has in Pennsylvania, andnearlyevery Arboretum ofSwarthmore College flowering tree. Iwork attheScott this quintessentialearlyspring- its resulting progeny to gave birth liliiflora) magnolia withlily(M. Soulange-Bodin crossed Yulan ers. French plants man Etienne In mostyears theyofferastun- BY ANDREWBUNTING in 1820.Thishybridand

Plant breeders have also used the saucer magnolia as a parent for more complex hybrids. ‘Paul Cook’ is a favorite of mag- noliaphile Richard Figlar, who grows this hybrid at the Magnolian Grove Arbore- tum in Pickens, South Carolina, a garden devoted to growing and studying magnolia species and cultivars. ‘Paul Cook’ resulted from crossing a seedling of M. ✕soulangeana ‘Lennei’ with M. sprengeri ‘Diva’. It produces dinner-plate size, soft pink to nearly white flowers on an upright, medium-size tree. “When seen in full bloom, this is easily the most impressive deciduous magnolia here at Magno- lian Grove Arboretum,” says Figlar. A 1976 cross between M. ✕soulangeana ‘Lennei’ and M. liliiflora ‘Darkest Purple’ resulted in ‘Purple Prince’, a selection with large, almost black-purple flowers. The lush purple flowers of Magnolia liliiflora ‘Nigra’ make it an eye-catching specimen. A new hybrid, ‘Genie’, combines M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’, used in many hybrids to Lily magnolia The lily magnolia (M. lili- stature, M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ became one of bring deep purple to the flowers, with iflora, Zones 4–9, 9–1) is an Asian species the parents for a famous hybrid group saucer magnolia. In addition to having that reaches only 12 feet tall at maturity. called “The Little Girls” that was devel- striking, deep red flowers, this cultivar is Although the species has a tendency to de- oped in 1955 and 1956 at the United States a great choice for the small property or velop an awkward, open habit, it has given National Arboretum (USNA) in Wash- courtyard, since at maturity it has a tight rise to several notable cultivars. ington, D.C. The other parent was M. stel- pyramidal habit and only reaches about In Boulder, Colorado, M. liliiflora lata ‘Rosea’, and the resulting hybrids are 10 feet tall. ‘Frank’s Masterpiece’, the re- ‘Nigra’ is a reliable performer in an area shrublike in proportion, reaching up to 12 sult of a cross between ‘Deep Purple where tumultuous weather is common. feet tall with a comparable spread. In all, Dream’ and ‘Paul Cook’, boasts large The flowers are only five inches across and eight selections were made. ‘Ann’, with its flowers that are soft pink on the inside are deep purple outside with a lighter flush deep purple flowers, is one of the most and deep purple outside. on the inside. Because of its diminutive popular. In the Philadelphia area, “The Little Girls” rarely have issues with frost damage because they flower several weeks later than the earliest magnolias. The late August Kehr, a famed magnolia hybridizer with the USDA–Agricul- tural Research Service, combined lily magnolia with M. cylindrica and then crossed the resulting seedlings with a hybrid named ‘Ruby’. The result is ‘March Til Frost’, which produces purplish pink flowers sporadically from spring to fall. Gary Knox, an Extension specialist and environmental horticulture professor at the University of Florida, reports that ‘March Til Frost’ flowers “occur in 18 to 34 weeks out of any given year in our magnolia garden in Quincy, Florida, just outside Tallahassee.”

Star magnolia Another harbinger of spring is the star magnolia (M. stellata, Zones 4–9, 9–5), a Japanese species that typically grows 10 to 15 feet tall with an

A cultivar of star magnolia, ‘Centennial’ is prized for its spectacular, fragrant flowers. equal spread. As with the saucer magno-

March / April 2012 25 26 plantsman J.C.RaulstonatNorth Car- This interspecifichybridhasagraceful lia, itcanbearguedthatthestarmagno- Yulan magnolia rill’ isafinewhite-flowered cultivar. sel’ and‘Ballerina’ bearpinkflowers; ‘Mer- All selectionsare fragrant.‘Leonard Mes- habit andgrows 20to30feettallandwide. bloomer thatismore treelike inpropor- many as40tepals.Another, ‘Rosea’, has gram in1997.Eachflower canhave as Horticultural Society’s Gold Medal pro- mental meritby thePennsylvania Well regarded cultivars include‘Centen- landscape, butthere isgoodreason forits l tree canreach 40feettallandblooms at magnolias istheYulan magnolia(M.de- my favorite oftheearlyspring-flowering (Magnolia tion, resulted intheLoebnermagnolia magnolia pink budsthatopentowhiteflowers. nial’, whichwasselectedforitsorna- And moststarmagnoliasare fragrant. thanamagnolia. to achrysanthemum tepals gives theflowers alookmore akin popularity. Theabundanceofsmall olina State University inRaleigh.Asthe notes thatthedurableflowers “holdup ored thanpure white.Jamie Blackburn, tepals are fragrantandmore cream-col- ones 6–9,9–6), atall,wide- the endofMarch. Theupward-pointing spreading speciesfrom China.For us,this nudata, tree matured, ittookonadistinctlyup- a Yulan magnoliaseedlingfrom famed around the sametime.” well topossiblelatespringfreezes com- Atlanta BotanicalGarden inGeorgia, curator oftheWoodland Garden atthe and Japan, itgrows 10to15feettall with pared toothermagnoliasblooming Oyama magnolia(M.sieboldii, dant flowers. Native toChina,Korea, an equalspread andcanbetreated asa Oyama magnolia Oyama more Sentinel’. habit, we eventually namedit‘Swarth- 6–9, 9–7)isacuriousspecies withpen- right formthatdrew theattentionofvis- International. To recognize itsfastigiate iting membersoftheMagnolia Society ia iscommonplaceintheearlyspring Crossing starmagnoliawithkobus In 1993,theScottArboretum received the American Gardener Z (M. kobus), ✕ ones 4–9,9–5). loebneri, I n thePhiladelphia area, F or latespring,the Z another early Z ones elegant, downward-facing flowerscaneasilybe viewedfrombelow. Top: Theoriginalselectionof‘Swarthmore Sentinel’,acultivarofYulanmagnolia,growing at theScottArboretum. Above:Oyamamagnolia shouldbegivenagardensite whereits

small tree or a large shrub.The three- to Francisco to Vancouver, British Colum- five-inch-wide flower buds are egg- bia, are able to grow the dazzling Camp- Sources shaped; once open, the ivory-white tepals bell’s magnolia (M. campbellii, Zones 7–9, Broken Arrow Nursery, Hamden, CT. surround striking pinkish red anthers. 9–7) and its hybrids. These tall, wide- (203) 288-1026. “The nodding effect of the flowers is spreading trees produce an abundance of www.brokenarrownursery.com. great,” says Blackburn, “especially when large, open-faced flowers. Fairweather Gardens, Greenwich, NJ. the plant can be sited above a wall along ‘Lanarth’ has deep red-purple flowers (856) 451-6261. a walkway or patio, where you can ad- that measure almost 12 inches across. www.fairweathergardens.com. mire the intricate flowers from below.” ‘Athene’ is a hybrid developed by New Forestfarm, Williams, OR. (541) New Jersey nurseryman Richard Hes- Zealand magnolia breeder Felix Jury, who 846-7269. www.forestfarm.com. selein is a big fan of M. ✕wiesneri (Zones combined Campbell’s magnolia with Gossler Farms Nursery, Springfield, 5–9, 9–5), a cross between Oyama magno- saucer magnolia. The flowers, resembling OR. (541) 746-3922. lia and whiteleaf magnolia (M. obovata), those of M. campbellii, are white with www.gosslerfarms.com. another Japanese native. According to Hes- pink-and-purple undertones. Klehm’s Song Sparrow Farm & Nurs- ery, Avalon, WI. (800) 553-3715. www.songsparrow.com. RareFind Nursery, Inc., Jackson, NJ. (732) 833-0613. www.rarefindnursery.com.

Resources Magnolias: A Gardener’s Guide by Jim Gardiner. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2000. Magnolia Society International, www.magnoliasociety.org. The World of Magnolias by Dorothy J. Callaway. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 1994.

New York and New Jersey. Selections include ‘Eric Savill’, which has large reddish-pink flowers, and purple-flowered ‘Lanhydrock’. In 1963, William Kosar, a horticulturist at the USNA, crossed M. sprengeri ‘Diva’ with M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’. From the For gardeners in mild-winter regions, 'Vulcan' offers bright pinkish red flowers on a small tree. resulting seedlings he selected ‘Galaxy’, an upright tree with a strong central leader. selein, most of its floral characteristics Another Jury introduction, ‘Vulcan’, Its tepals are reddish-purple on the outside come from Oyama magnolia, including was derived from crossing M. campbellii and lighter purple inside; the flowers the attractive crimson stamens. But instead ‘Lanarth’ with M. liliiflora. Reaching 25 to bloom a little later than some other de- of facing downwards, the flowers open sky- 30 feet tall, this relatively small tree is cov- ciduous magnolias, offering a better wards and are larger and showier than ered with red-pink flowers in spring. chance of avoiding a late frost. It remains those of their parent. Like M. campbellii, Sargent’s magnolia a very popular magnolia selection and is (M. sargentiana, Zones 7–9, 9–7) is for often used in street tree installations be- MORE ASIAN SPECIES AND HYBRIDS milder regions of the United States. This cause of its uniform, upright habit. Magnolia ✕kewensis ‘Wada’s Memory’ is broadly conical tree can grow 70 feet tall similar to star magnolias in floral display, but generally tops out at 35 to 40 feet with AMERICAN INFLUENCE but develops into a large upright tree. Its an equal spread. The drooping, soft pink Several magnolias native to the eastern parents are the kobus magnolia and the flowers make the tree look like it has been parts of the United States are of interest anise magnolia (M. salicifolia), a Japan- draped in bubble-gum-pink confetti. more for their very large, almost tropical- ese native that has slender elegant tepals The Sprenger magnolia (M. sprengeri, looking leaves than for their flowers. and is very early to flower. Zones 7–9, 9–7) is a large magnolia with Growing to 40 to 60 feet, the Fraser mag-

Gardeners on the West Coast from San good fragrance. It thrives as far north as nolia (M. fraseri, Zones 6–9, 9–6) pro-

March / April 2012 27 duces leaves that are 10 to 15 inches long. The umbrella magnolia (M. tripetala, Zones 5–9, 9–5) reaches 15 to 20 feet, with leaves up to 24 inches long. And the aptly named bigleaf magnolia (M. macrophylla, Zones 6–9, 9–6) boasts leaves 32 to 36 inches long. A favorite of many magnolia collectors is Ashe’s magnolia (M. ashei, Zones 6–9, 9–6). The native range of this diminutive tree, formerly listed as a variety of bigleaf magnolia, consists of just a handful of

Above, left: Growing as either a small tree or large shrub, Ashe’s magnolia is prized for its large, tropical-looking foliage and highly fragrant white flowers. Above, right: Yellow-flowered magnolias such as ‘Elizabeth’ are sought-after specimen trees. counties in the Florida Panhandle, but it QUEST FOR YELLOW FLOWERS produce a yellow-flowered magnolia. In has proven broadly adaptable in cultiva- For decades, the holy grail of the mag- 1978, the hope became reality when a tion. A 15-year-old specimen at the Scott nolia world was to find or breed a yel- magnolia with sulfur-yellow flowers was Arboretum is only 12 feet tall with an equal low-flowering magnolia. In 1956, the introduced. It was named ‘Elizabeth’ in spread. While the leaves are not as large as Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) in honor of Elizabeth Scholtz, who was the those of bigleaf magnolia, they still give the New York began a breeding program BBG’s director at the time. tree a very tropical effect, and their under- predominantly using the cucumber In the wake of ‘Elizabeth’, dozens of sides are an eye-catching silver. The large magnolia (M. acuminata, Zones 3–8, “yellow magnolias,” as they are called, white flowers bloom after the foliage 8–1) native to eastern North America have been introduced. “‘Butterflies’ is emerges. “The super fragrant, foot-wide and the Yulan magnolia from China. one of the oldest of the yellow-flowered flowers can appear at a very young age, Both species have faintly yellow or cultivars and still one of the best,” says sometimes when the tree is only two or creamy tones in their flowers, so the University of Florida’s Gary Knox. Hy- three feet tall,” says Ron Rabideau of Rare hope was that these traits could be en- bridized by the late Phil Savage, it is a

Find Nursery in New Jersey. hanced through breeding to eventually fast-growing tree that reaches 30 feet at

28 the American Gardener A DOZEN NOTABLE DECIDUOUS MAGNOLIAS AT A GLANCE

Botanical Name Height/Spread Flower Description/Bloom Season Origin USDA Hardiness/ (Parentage or Common name) (feet) AHS Heat Zones Magnolia ‘Ann’ (M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ ✕ 8–10/10 2–4 inches across, deep purple hybrid 4–8/8–1 M. stellata ‘Rosea’) fragrant/mid-spring M. ‘Butterflies’ (M. acuminata ✕ 25–30/15–20 3–4 inches across, deep yellow/ hybrid 4–9/9–1 M. denudata ‘Sawada’s Cream’) mid-spring M. denudata 30–40/30–40 5–6 inches across, ivory, China 6–9/9–6 (Yulan magnolia) fragrant/early spring M. ‘Galaxy’ (M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ ✕ 30–40/20 5–10 inches across, purple-pink/ hybrid 5–9/9–6 M. sprengeri ‘Diva’) mid- to late spring M. ‘Genie’ (M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ ✕ 10–13/6–8 6 inches across, deep red/early hybrid 6–9/9–6 M. ✕soulangeana spring and again in midsummer M. ✕kewensis ‘Wada’s Memory’ 25/22 7 inches across, white, fragrant/ hybrid 6–9/9–6 (M. kobus ✕ M. salicifolia) mid-spring M. ✕loebneri 20–30/20–30 4–6 inches across, white sometimes hybrid 4–9/9–5 (M. stellata ✕ M. kobus) with pink or purple blush/mid-spring M. macrophylla 30–40/30 12–18 inches across, creamy white, southeastern 6–9/9–6 (Bigleaf magnolia) fragrant/early summer United States M. ‘March Til Frost’ (M. liliiflora ✕ 10–20/10–15 purple-pink flowers appear hybrid 5–7/7–5 M. cylindrica) ✕ M. ‘Ruby’ sporadically from spring to fall M. sieboldii 10–15/10–15 4 inches across, nodding, white with China, Korea, 6–9/9–7 (Oyama magnolia) crimson stamens/late spring to summer Japan M. ✕soulangeana 35/35 5–10 inches across, white, pink, hybrid 5–9/9–5 (M. denudata ✕ M. liliiflora) or purple/early to late spring, depending on region M. stellata 10–15/10–15 3–5 inches across, 12–18 (many Japan 4–9/9–5 (Star magnolia) cultivars have even more) white or pale pink, strap-shaped tepals, fragrant/early to mid-spring maturity. “It produces rich yellow flow- For many years, a wonderful, nearly being used in breeding work and there ers even here in the lower South, where columnar magnolia saddled with the un- are promising hybridization efforts in the flower color of other yellow hybrids fortunate name ‘BBGRC1164’ was part of progress that include both deciduous and often appears faded compared with the the collections at the Scott Arboretum. evergreen magnolias. same cultivar in northern latitudes,” This complex hybrid from the BBG pro- One way gardeners and interested col- adds Knox. gram combines the yellow of cucumber lectors can stay abreast of new trends in Also from the BBG program came magnolia with the pinkish-purple of lily breeding and the latest introductions is ‘Lois’ and ‘Yellow Bird’. ‘Lois’ flowers are magnolia and the fragrance of star mag- through the Magnolia Society Interna- a creamy yellow color lighter than ‘Eliz- nolia. The result is a magnolia with up- tional (see “Resources,” page 27). If you’re abeth’. ‘Yellow Bird’ has a pyramidal right orange-yellow flowers that bear a soft considering a magnolia to add to your gar- form and the tuliplike flowers are held pink blush at the base of the tepals and a den, one of the best ways to compare se- upright on the branches. By crossing delightfully fruity fragrance. To memori- lections is to visit public gardens that have ‘Yellow Bird’ with soft-pink ‘Caerhays alize the late BBG president Judith Zuk, large collections on display in spring; a Belle’, Wisconsin plant breeder Dennis in 2005, it was renamed ‘Judy Zuk’. list of sites with notable magnolia collec- Ledvina produced an open-faced, large- tions can be viewed on a web special flowering pink selection he named LOOKING AHEAD linked to this article on the AHS website ‘Blushing Belle’. The flower’s “deep pink It is a very exciting time in the magnolia (www.ahs.org). exterior and lighter pink interior shows world. More and more species are be- no traces of yellow,” says Ledvina. ‘Blush- coming available through ongoing plant Andrew Bunting is curator of the Scott Ar- ing Belle’ is hardier than ‘Caerhays Belle’ explorations in southeast Asian countries boretum of Swarthmore College near and it blooms later, thus avoiding dam- such as China, Vietnam, and Thailand. Philadelphia and current president of the age from frost. Many of the more unusual species are Magnolia Society International.

March / April 2012 29 Sound in the Garden

Welcoming and becoming attuned to sound in a garden adds another dimension of enjoyment.

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY KAREN BUSSOLINI

OMETIMES YOU can hear spring before you see it. In my Connecti- S cut garden, cardinals whistling from my side-yard thicket in early February are a signal that winter’s end is in sight. Gardens engage all the senses, but the realm of sound is often overlooked. Plant- ing right outside windows and passage- ways, rather than way across an expanse of lawn, provides opportunities to intimate- ly experience “surround sound.” At my home, all I have to do is open the windows to be in the garden, which I do as soon as the peepers start up in spring. Sounds vary from one garden to the next, especially those in different climates. It was great fun to be surrounded by creak- ing, groaning, knocking-together giant timber bamboo canes on my first trip to Florida. Another lingering sound-memory comes from Mississippi. To my Yankee ears, attuned to fine-textured grass, walking across winter-brown St. Augustine grass sounded like treading on a lawnful of Rice Krispies cereal. Paying attention to sounds while visiting gardens around the country has made me appreciate the symphony at home and given me ideas for bringing even more sound into the garden. INVITING BIRDS Provide birds with what they need, and they will fill your garden with song year- round. They need to drink, so add a bird- bath—scrubbed frequently to prevent the spread of disease—small water feature, or even a plastic jug with a hole poked in the bottom hung to drip over a saucer—the sound of water attracts birds. A carefully selected blend of different kinds of plants will provide food, cover, and nesting sites. Planting a variety of native plants that support insect This simple water feature adds soothing sound in the Cape Cod garden of Judy and Dave Rogers. life and a long season’s harvest of seeds,

30 the American Gardener berries, nuts, and nectar ensures that ways humming—audibly—with bird and producers, nectar producers, flowers with birds are well fed throughout the year. insect life. My attention is often called to a different bloom times and shapes—will at- Although I love the flickering play of Carolina wren’s scolding chatter, a blue- tract and sustain a diversity of songsters. sound, light, and shadow of bamboo leaves bird’s sweet song, or the cry of a pileated Gardening organically and keeping cats in- outside one window at my house, birds woodpecker; sounds that I invited by plac- doors protects birds from poisoning and rarely alight in bamboo because it offers no ing a red chokeberry shrub in a pot on my reduces predation. Unconventional foun- sustenance. Native eastern juniper (Ju- office doorstep, hanging a bottle gourd for dation plantings composed of broad gar- niperus virginiana), red chokeberry (Aro- nesting from the eaves, and leaving rotting den beds filled with mostly native shrubs, nia arbutifolia), brown-eyed Susans logs for woodpeckers to forage on. trees, and herbaceous plants not only sus- (Rudbeckia triloba), and ground-covering Providing diverse habitats and plants— tain life, they turn the house and patio into Phlox stolonifera and foamflower (Tiarella shrub thickets, open space, bare ground, the equivalent of a “blind,” where birds can cordifolia) outside other windows are al- evergreen and deciduous trees, grasses, seed be appreciated up close. THE SOUND OF SILENCE I’m a member of a classical vocal ensemble, and once, during a recording session, we were instructed to remain utterly still after the last note of each song so the silence unique to that particular space could be recorded. There’s a characteristic silence in gardens and natural places, too. I know it’s really winter when I go outside to look at the stars and it’s almost dead silent. But if I listen carefully for a time, I’ll hear a faint rustling sound from my oak grove and be thankful for the dried leaves that hang on all winter and give voice to the garden when all is cold and bare. It’s a completely different kind of silence from that of a snowy night or the deep dark piney woods I roamed as a child, where all sound was muffled by a thick layer of pine needles. Christine Cook, owner of Mossaics garden design firm in Connecticut, loves listening to the “whoo” of wind in pine trees and the rattle of beech and pin oak leaves in winter. She theorizes that space changes our perceptions, that in a tight and leafy space you slow down and listen harder. The quietest garden she ever designed was inside the foundation ruins of an old Colonial house, where she says “the silence reverberated.” My garden’s sonic reality—a steady chorus of chirps, chips, and cheeps, the liq- uid song of orioles floating over the air, drumming woodpeckers, bees in the apple tree, peepers in spring that modulate to the key of summer’s cicadas, quietly falling maple leaves in autumn, great-horned owls and groaning ice on the pond on subzero nights—anchors me in place and season. I can tune it in or out, but it’s always there informing me about the world around me. SOUND VERSUS NOISE In the author’s garden, rustling oak leaves create a soundtrack for quiet winter nights. Of course the difference between an en-

March / April 2012 31 A stone bench along the sidewalk encourages passersby to stop and savor the plantings in Lucy Hardiman’s Portland, Oregon, garden. joyable sound and an irritating noise is and blank walls, so siting hardscapes away mends masking unwanted sounds with exceedingly subjective. For instance, per- from bedroom windows, covering bare more pleasant ones to divert attention. sonally I am annoyed to be awakened by walls with vines, and planting shrubs and Creating a distraction allows natural gar- a dog barking at 4 a.m., but I don’t mind trees between you and the source of the den sounds to reach you first. Nearby trees the geese honking on the nearby pond at bothersome sound helps. Wingate recom- with rustling leaves—a large maple in the same hour. summer, or oaks, beeches, or hornbeams “Sound becomes noise when someone whose leaves rattle throughout winter—or perceives the sound as a problem,” says MARTY WINGATE’S bamboo, perhaps in containers, create a re- Seattle resident Marty Wingate, author WATER FEATURE TIPS laxing, pleasant sound, as does even a small of the newly published book Landscaping water feature. (For Wingate’s water feature for Privacy: Innovative Ways to Turn Your ■ The more points of contact the water tips, see sidebar, left). Outdoor Space into a Peaceful Retreat makes, the more sound it produces. Sounds that are a noisy intrusion to (Timber Press, 2011). In her book, ■ Water falling onto a metal surface one person might be celebrated by anoth- Wingate offers solutions for creating makes more sound than water falling er; it’s a matter of perception and person- sound buffers that reduce or mask both- on wood, concrete, or ceramic surfaces. ality. Garden designer and writer Lucy ersome noises such as city traffic, play- ■ Water falling into a deep basin or Hardiman, who is gregarious and keenly grounds, or loud neighbors. A hedge, she chamber that is only partially full attuned to the richness of language, wel- writes, won’t eliminate traffic noise, but makes more sound than water falling comes sound from neighbors and the offers a psychological barrier—out of in sheets down the side of a container street into her garden in Portland, Ore- sight, out of mind. An evergreen plant- into rocks below. gon. Her family lives on the top floor of a ing dense enough to substantially reduce ■ A sheet of water pouring into a basin big Victorian house on a corner lot, shar- traffic noise would have to be 16 feet makes more sound than water falling ing a large enclosed garden with neigh- broad to make a difference, which is not into a single spot. bors. “There’s a murmur of fellowship and an option in space-challenged city lots ■ Water that falls another level into camaraderie that is part and parcel of what and small suburban yards. more water creates even more sound. the garden was designed to do,” Hardi- Sound bounces off hard surfaces such —K.B. man says. “Cats and dogs visit too. I love as solid fences, stone or concrete terraces the neighborhood cats. They hang out in

32 the American Gardener the garden and I hear their territorial spats. It’s nature in the city.” Gardens Worth Listening to The Hardimans keep street-side double Lan Su Yuan Chinese Garden. Portland, OR. www.portlandchinesegarden.org. doors open all summer and often lean on Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Sarasota, FL. www.selby.org. (Bamboo collection) the railing listening to sounds rising from Portland Japanese Garden. Portland, OR. www.japanesegarden.com. below. Hardiman’s riotously colorful hell- Robert Irwin’s Stream Garden. The J. Paul Getty Museum. Los Angeles, CA. strip plantings and bench built into the www.getty.edu. corner’s stone retaining wall invite people to linger. Just as I invite woodpeckers and Resources other birds, Lucy invites people to partici- The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds: Creating Natural Habitats for pate in her garden by providing a perch Properties Large and Small by Stephen Kress. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, and some enticing habitat. “I love how New York, 2006. people express their relationship to the gar- Landscaping for Privacy: Innovative Ways to Turn Your Outdoor Space into a den,” she says. “You never know what Peaceful Retreat by Marty Wingate. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2011. you’re going to hear. It might be a mother National Audubon Society’s Audubon at Home Program, walking with a child talking about the www.audubon.org/bird/at_home/index.html. flowers. Once I heard skateboards come National Wildlife Federation’s Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program, clickety clickety clickety down the street; http://nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat. then that flip and splat as riders stopped and got off and the voice of a teenager, “Hey dude, look at that plant!” And an- the steady splashing of a small fountain pop-pop-popping of Euphorbia rigida other voice, “Man, that looks like Sput- and a set of hefty bamboo wind chimes be- seeds explosively launched from their nik.” (It was Allium schubertii.) side the steps to her hillside garden. “Once dried pods on warm sunny days where she they get going, the deep resonating gongs lives in Encinitas, California. PLEASURE AND PLAYFULNESS of the chimes combined with the swishing Garden designer Christine Cooke re- Not all climates or neighborhoods favor leaves of the tall chestnut oaks above plays called hearing that Russel Wright, the open doors and windows. The garden music to my ears.” 20th-century modernist home furnishings might be a place to go to rather than live Clucking chickens are part of the au- designer, left instructions to not rake a cer- in. Gardens are restorative places, con- ditory experience in Tulsa World garden tain woodland path to preserve an experi- ducive to stilling internal chatter. The columinist Russell Studebaker’s Okla- ence—the sound of walking through a sound of running water is enormously re- homa garden, while dry-climate garden particular type of fallen leaves on a dry au- laxing, a beautifully tuned wind chime a expert Nan Sterman gets a kick out of the tumn day. I wasn’t able to find any refer- focus for meditation. Tall grasses such as ence for this, so I drove to Manitoga, Miscanthus varieties swishing and the flick- Wright’s former mountaintop home, now ering sound of leaves in a birch or aspen the Russel Wright Design Center, over- grove or a weeping Katsura tree (Cercidi- looking the Hudson River in Garrison, phyllum japonicum forma pendulum) pro- New York. Stepping stones along the top vide pleasure far beyond their ability to of a merrily sloshing waterfall led to a stone buffer the sonic assault of nearby lawn path and steps to the clifftop house. And mowers, leaf blowers, and air conditioners. there, gigantic crispy brown sycamore Many of the gardeners I spoke with em- leaves scraped, wind-driven, along the phasized participation and playfulness. stones and made a most satisfying crack- Hardiman savors the crunch of quarter- ling crunch underfoot—an exuberant minus gravel (crushed stone with particles sound well worth preserving. a quarter-inch and smaller) underfoot and can’t resist wiggling bare toes in it. She in- THE SOUNDS OF WATER cludes it when designing clients’ gardens to Water has many voices: Force of flow, the integrate sound in a subtle way. height from which it falls, wind, surfaces, Garden photographer Susan Roth re- and obstructions alter the sound. Tin- calls the rustle of dry leaves when she kering with these variables allows tuning walked through the woodland garden in to a sound that pleases the ear—rather autumn and when she raked them up from than imitating a dripping faucet or over- her former Long Island, New York garden. flowing bathtub. Plug-in, tabletop water She says, “I would kick up the leaves just Modernist designer Russel Wright so features and constructed waterfalls and for the pure pleasure of the sound and the enjoyed the sensation of walking through streams have vastly different siting con- smell of them.” In her much noisier Wash- fallen sycamore leaves that he ordered them siderations, costs, and purposes. Consid- ington, D.C., garden, she takes pleasure in to be left unraked in his New York garden. er the intention—is the desired effect a

March / April 2012 33 soft murmuring hiss, splish-splash, gen- symbolic patterns. A metallic snip-snip- of water dripping onto them from roof tle trickle, or torrent? snip of shears among cloud-pruned ever- tiles and that drains were tuned to make Judy and Dave Rogers of Cape Cod, greens added to the pleasant sound of different sounds as water spilled into Massachusetts, nestled a ceramic jar with quiet mindful work that seemed more chambers below. Sometimes, the gar- a bamboo spout into the border outside like meditation than chore, a lovely re- deners told me, beads of water dripping their open-all-summer bedroom win- minder that the tools we use and the care from thousands of pointed roof tiles dow. The soothing sound helps Judy we take also shape our garden experience. form a “pearl curtain” between viewer sleep, and she enjoys lingering in bed in Next, I visited downtown Portland’s and garden. the morning to listen to it and the hum- Lan Su Yuan Chinese Garden, which is The pearl curtain never materialized mingbirds it draws. like entering a world apart. A waterfall and while I was there, but hours spent just Paul Miskovsky, a landscape designer in layer after layer of rooms, windows, and listening brought on an inner stillness Falmouth, Massachusetts, had a and enhanced appreciation for more elaborate vision—and sound. Patterns of water drip- earth-moving equipment to ful- ping into water could be both fill it. Inspired by a waterfall in heard and seen, and each space Vermont, he built a multi-level sounded different. Rain beat- “pondless” waterfall that runs 90 ing on stone courtyard floors feet in length with a drop of 30 sounded softer on the mossy feet on the steep embankment parts, changing with the inten- behind his house. “It’s a Zen sity of the rainfall. Big-leafed thing,” he says, “and it’s direc- bananas in protected corners tional. I was thinking about how sounded different than bam- this will bring energy to my life, boo planted to rustle by windy how it will get energy flowing to- openings in exterior walls. ward the house.” With many configurations of rocks and runs LISTEN TO THE GARDEN as it drops and disappears into a In The Mind’s Eye, Oliver Sacks bed of stone—actually a six-foot- writes about a profoundly deep gravel-filled chamber that blind man becoming a “whole acts as a biofilter—the stream is body seer.” When he shifted his steady but ever-changing, just attention to other senses, “they like a natural stream. Sub- assumed a new richness and mersible pumps are virtually in- power…the sound of rain, audible. Although Miskovsky never before accorded much at- can adjust the flow to create a soft tention, could delineate a cascading sound, he typically whole landscape for him, for its prefers the full-force lively look sound on the garden path was and sound of a rushing torrent. different from its sound as it The swishing of handmade brooms entranced drummed on the lawn, or on the bushes ASIAN INFLUENCES the author at the Portland Japanese Garden. in his garden, or on the fence dividing A trip to Portland, Oregon, a few years the garden from the road.” ago introduced me to two Asian-inspired doors opening to planted courtyards pro- Of course, you don’t have to be blind gardens where sound is a profound part gressively muffle city noise. A sheet of to enhance your sense of hearing. Every of the experience. The Portland Japanese water ringed and crossed by covered garden has its own sounds, and if you lis- Garden struck me as the most serene gar- promenades, pavilions, and bridges lies at ten to your garden you will notice how den I’d ever experienced. Up-and-down the quiet center of the garden. Even the its voice varies through the day and terrain concealed and revealed views and title of a visitor book explaining the gar- through the seasons. Whether it is the sounds of people, falling water, wind, den’s many engraved literary inscrip- splash of raindrops on a pond, the birds, and fluttering leaves. I watched tions—“Listen to the Fragrance”— crunch of gravel underfoot, the rustling workers removing leaves from a subtle suggests the importance of sound. of leaves in a breeze, or the chirping of moss and rock garden, not by blasting Usually I am disappointed when I birds at a feeder, cultivating sound and through with leaf blowers but by rhyth- visit gardens on a rainy day, but in this listening to our gardens intensifies an al- mically and carefully sweeping with case, I welcomed the downpour that en- ready rewarding experience. handmade bamboo twig brooms. The sued on my arrival. In advance of my soft, swishing sounds and dancelike visit, I had been told that bananas, fat- Karen Bussolini is a garden photographer, movements were entrancing, akin to sias, and other broad-leafed plants were speaker, and eco-friendly garden coach living those made by raking gravel gardens into strategically placed to enhance the sound in Connecticut..

34 the American Gardener dependens), China, top. including weepingrostrinucula(Rostrinucula Gardens isawonderlandofintriguing plants, nursery’s six-acreJuniperLevelBotanic Nursery inRaleigh,NorthCarolina.The Tony Avent,above,isownerofPlantDelights top, adeciduousshrubnativeto maverick plantsman Tony Avent America’s leading—andmostoutspoken—horticulturists. Plant DelightsNurseryownerTony Avent hasbecomeoneof T grow forbothresearch and display. “They’ll say, ‘Do you work here?’ andI’ll say, says thenursery’s owner Tony Avent, whohasabroad, sometimescorny, anddefinite- about theirgarden, orwhattheydo. ‘Yeah’,” saysthe54-year-old Avent, whowilltellthemno more, butinstead quizthem dens, asix-acre displaygarden hehascreated atthenursery, where some17,000plants ly notpoliticallycorrect senseofhumor. “It’s allaboutgettingintopeople’s heads.”Not checked shirt andaneon-orange woolcapwalksupandasksyou ifyouchecked shirt wanttoseesome loves to bumpintovisitorswanderingthepathsofJuniper Level Botanic Gar- that visitorsaren’t welcome—by appointmentoratanopenhouse. So if you’re visitingPlant Delights andamiddle-agedguy withanoldred-and-blue The founderofwhathasbecomeoneAmerica’s favorite meccasforplantnuts “They start to take the chain down and then they think, ‘These peopleare crazy,’” totakethechaindown start andthentheythink,‘These “They people whousedtounhookthechainonweekends andjustmoseyonin. North Carolina, thatreads, “Trespassers Will Be Violated.” It putastoptoallthe HERE’S ASIGNnexttothebackgateatP lant Delights Nursery inRaleigh, March / April 2012 BY ANNERAVER 35 weird ginger blooming in the garden, don’t worry—it’s just the owner. “If you’ve got a business and people are taking time out of their day and spending gas money to come visit, the least you can do is to welcome them,” says Avent. He and his wife, Michelle, whom he began dating in high school, started Plant Delights in 1988, on two- and-a-half acres of worn-out soil south of Raleigh. At the time their primary assets were $5,000 and a mail-order list of 3,000 plant lovers who had signed the guest register at their former quarter-acre garden in town. From the beginning, Michelle han- dled the day-to-day intricacies of the nursery, from its growing plant invento- ry to orders, shipping, and finances; he pushed the limits of the plant world, wrote the newsletters, and played the raconteur on the gardening lecture cir- cuit. Now, 30 greenhouses and growing fields and gardens ramble across 22 acres, all fed by mountains of compost. The business, which peaked at more than $2 million in 2007, has dropped by 20 percent with the rocky economy, but Avent, whose energy seems boundless, vows to bring it back up this year. [Editor’s note: Sadly, in mid-February, just before this issue went to press, Michelle, 55, died after battling cancer for years. In a Avent has taken a particular interest in agaves, displaying hundreds of selections in beds statement sent and containers around a courtyard in his Juniper Level Botanic Gardens at the nursery. to friends of the nursery, Tony “When I was eight or nine, I told my He worked his way through North wrote: “It was father I wanted to see the best garden in Carolina State University—living at home her big smile, the world,” says Avent, who grew up in and selling plants out of his greenhouse— way with peo- Raleigh. “I figured from all the catalogs where he studied with J. C. Raulston, the Michelle and Tony Avent ple and mind that had to be Wayside Gardens. So we beloved plantsman who was dedicated to for organiza- drove down to Greenwood, South Car- getting a diversity of spectacular plants out tion and computers that kept the place olina, and there was this bed of begonias, to the public. Raulston reveled in the ec- humming.” The nursery staff, Tony wrote, and I’m like, ‘Where are the gardens? centricities of fellow plant geeks and loved “will continue Michelle’s dream, building This can’t be it.’” to get them together. on the great foundation she left for us.”] After Avent’s father explained that “J.C., ” who died in 1996 at 56, is often Wayside operated more like a broker and on Avent’s lips as he shows off a blue holly PRECOCIOUS GARDENER the plants were grown elsewhere, Avent Raulston created from a ‘Nelly Stevens’ Plant Delights, so aptly named, fuels says he was so distraught he sat down on graft, or the satiny-smooth, apricot-col- what has been Avent’s lifelong passion. a giant floral clock in their display gar- ored bark of a crape myrtle selected by He sold his first homemade terrarium den, promising himself that when he Raulston, or the big ‘Iseli Foxtail’ blue when he was five. His father helped him grew up, he would have a mail-order spruce (Picea pungens), which outgrew build a greenhouse, just to get the house- nursery with “gardens where nobody will everything else when J.C. planted every

plants out of the house. ever be disappointed when they visit.” named cultivar.

36 the American Gardener order,’” recalls Avent, whotoldhimnotto your dayjob. You can’t makeitinmail- own collection. grown from cuttingsfrom Raulston’s planting perennials, trees, and shrubs thegroundsyears, crew running and Fairgrounds, where hehadworked for16 left hisjobattheNorth Carolina State recalling Raulston’s reaction afterAvent The nursery’snumerous greenhousesarefilledwith plantsbeingpropagatedorready forsale. On openweekends,visitorsflocktothenurserytourdisplaygardensandpurchaseplants. “J.C. said,‘Please don’t tellmeyou quit “I’ve takenuphistorch,” saysAvent, want whattheydidn’t know theywanted. ing plants,you’ve gottobelikethelate something illegal,”Raulstonresponded. plants andthriving.“He’s gottobedoing which atthetimewassellingunusual prodigy,other horticultural AllenBush, Apple CEOSteve Jobs andmakepeople olina, amail-order operationowned by an- Farm andNursery inFletcher, North Car- worry, citingtheexampleofHolbrook Avent’s philosophyisthatifyou’re sell- renworts shipment inApril. Amongthemwere bar- the brimwithplantsbeinggroomed for in thenursery’s research gardens. ly introducing astheyprove themselves calls these“redneck lupines”—he isslow- green baptisias—he fernsandcolorful lected lastspringinAlabama,totheever- from variations new ofwildtrilliumscol- with Avent abouthislatestventures, I visitedRaleighinearlyJanuary totalk FOCUS ONTHEPLANTS in-the-pulpit singlehosta,Jack-white markers flagevery tions ofthisstuff, saysAvent, whodoes. the insanewouldhave 100different selec- early March atthebaseofplants.Only Avent wouldeven notice—bloomingin magenta flowers—which peoplebut few have two-inch,creamy yellow orbrilliant actually lookgreat inthewoods.Theyalso houseplants, whosehardy evergreen leaves veled attheaspidistras,generallyusedas yellow bell-shapedflowers. Ialsomar- pimedium with bronze, toppedwithspraysoflittle form withsmallevergreen leaves flecked flowers, like‘Sunny &Share’, aspreading ton, North Carolina. “Igotseed andthe told himabout onethrivinginWilming- years, butkeptkillingit—untilafriend Avent triedtogrow the subtropical tree for peach-colored flowers inearlyspring. leaves, andfragrant, creamy-heart-shaped market for tungoil.” “Only tofind outyears laterthere was no tions alongtheGulf Coast,”saysAvent. trees onthesemulti-hundred-acre planta- southerners toplantmillionsoftungoil duce woodfinishfrom itsoilytoxic seeds. in whatAvent topro- callsa botchedeffort China wasplantedthroughout theSouth (Aleurites fordii). of unusualtrees likethetungoiltree full ofpitcherplantsandwoodlands house, butpathsmeanderthrough bogs ic Gardens surround theAvents’ modest I promised myselfI’d beback. own inlatesummer, were a ghostland, but ears, andcardinal flowers comeintotheir water gardens, where thecannas,elephant being evaluated forpossiblestardom. The elephant ear(Colocasia Dozens ofgreenhouses were filledto Outside inthetrialfields,thousandsof The tree isgraceful,though,with “Some entrepreneur gotallthesedumb Not onlydoestheJuniper Level Botan- (E (A risaema This nativ March / April 2012 spp.) withdancing spp spp.), baptisia, .) andthelike e ofwestern 37 plant’s completely hardy,” says Avent. “We’ve been trying to give seeds away to get the hardy genetics out.” Pushing the supposed horticultural limits of plants is part of what drives Avent, who has collected plants all over the world, usually at the outer limits of their range. “People think we can’t grow lilacs in the South, because everybody tries the same passalong clone of Syringa vulgaris that’s no good here,” he says. But Asian species, like the Peking tree lilac (Syringa pekine- sis) and their hybrids, can take the heat. In the woodland, he pointed out some of the evergreen ferns in his 1,000-plus fern collection. Reverting to salesman mode again, he says, “We all need these in our gardens—along with arums, rohdeas, and hardy palms—for winter interest. And they’re deer-resistant!” He pointed out one of his favorites, the chain fern (Woodwar- dia unigemmata), whose arching evergreen fronds make chains of little plantlets that root along the ground. “A friend collected this in China, at a high elevation, so we don’t have a clue how hardy it is,” he says. Hardy gingers (Asarum and Hexastylis) thrive here, but not the European species. “What’s in the trade doesn’t grow in the South, but [the genus] has a huge range in the wild,” says Avent, crouching down by Dubbed Mt. Michelle, this water feature in the a path. “This is one I collected in Taiwan Juniper Level Botanic Gardens, above, is three years ago. See the blooms?” He surrounded by plants such as Polygonum pointed to some little brown crinkled cuspidatum ‘Freckles’, bottom center, a non- things, reminiscent of bottle caps, nestled running form of Japanese knotweed around the base of the leaves. introduced by Plant Delights. One of Avent’s Growing so many plants in close prox- many hosta selections is ‘Elvis Lives’, left, so imity leads to natural crosses, a process named because of its “blue suede” leaves. Avent calls “redneck breeding.” He describes a cross between a Japanese painted ashei), a clumping shrub or small tree with fern (Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’) and a large leaves and citrus-scented white flow- southern lady fern (A. filix-femina var. as- ers, which does just fine in Chicago, he plenioides), “that’s three feet tall and six and says. Or the stinking cedar (Torreya taxifo- half feet across. We named it ‘Godzilla’.” participated in expeditions to several con- lia), which thrived in Florida’s Panhandle Quirky cultivar names are another tinents over the years. Lately, however, he in the cooler, wetter climate of the last ice Avent hallmark—‘Bubba’ and ‘Elvis Lives’ has stuck closer to home, plant hunting in age and might be happier farther north. are among the names he has given hostas Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. In Dalton, Georgia, he and his fellow he has introduced. While reflective of his “What’s really neat is that almost horticulturists scrambled up a hillside sur- sense of humor, it’s also part of his mar- every plant in the panhandle of Florida is rounded by houses in all directions and keting psychology. “If everyone in a race is hardy to Zone 6 or 5,” says Avent, point- cut into the woods. “Trillium luteum, as running in one direction, it’s hard to get ing out the mountains in the northwest- far as you could see,” he says. “And they’re noticed,” he says. “but if you run in the ern part of the state on one of the big telling us this all will be developed.” wrong direction, everyone notices you.” maps on his office wall. “Years ago, the In that woodland, he found the kind glaciers pushed this stuff down and it got of variations that make his heart sing: a OF PLANT-HUNTING AND PROSELYTIZING trapped down in Florida.” trillium with narrow leaves, another with

In the pursuit of new plants, Avent has Stuff like Ashe magnolia (Magnolia solid silver leaves, a red form of a yellow

38 the American Gardener species—“almost unheard of, a natural “The climate goes in cycles,” he says. “If variation that would happen one in every Plant Delights Nursery is located at you look at the global temperature since million,” he says—a bicolor, a yellow- 9241 Sauls Road, Raleigh, NC 27603. the Little Ice Age ended in 1835, it’s on an leafed form, and others only a plant geek The nursery and its Juniper Level upward trend, absolutely. Can we stop that could love. Botanic Gardens hosts eight open trend? No. Do we know how long that up- Avent writes about many of these ad- weekends a year. Appointments at oth- ward trend is going to continue? No.” ventures in articles and e-newsletters er times must be made in advance by So, it’s not all those humans belching archived on the Plant Delights website. calling (919) 772-4794. Group tours carbon dioxide and other greenhouse He also writes much of the copy in the are also available with advance sched- gases into the air? “There has never been nursery’s annual glossy color catalogs. uling. For more information on visiting anybody that’s shown that carbon in the Characteristic of his sly sense of humor, or ordering plants, visit the nursery’s air heats up the atmosphere,” Avent says, these catalogs are collectible spoofs on a website at www.plantdelights.com. despite the fact that 97 percent of climate variety of political and social topics— scientists agree that it does, and that hu- covers such as “Occupy Green Street,” mans are causing global warming. “Germinator 3” (a nod to Arnold), “Na- that night, zapping the chains of yellow Avent, who stopped using pesticides tionalized Plant Care” chart the years— flowers on Mahonia nepalensis, which and synthetic fertilizers years ago, when and his redneck humor. (“If you live in a had bloomed for the first time in the he realized his plants grew better with state with gun bans, keep a leaf from this sunny section behind the house. compost, describes himself as a “logical baby by the bed for protection,” he writes This led us into a discussion about the environmentalist.” of the “snaggle-tooth” spines of Agave xy- unpredictable weather conditions the “I would kill for solar, but it’s not here lonocantha ‘Frostbite’.) Some covers, in- United States has experienced over the yet,” he says. When he looked into solar cluding one related to terrorism, have last decade. We talked about the extreme power for his nursery, he got an estimate sparked controversy and led to hundreds heat and years of drought in Texas, the for $1.24 million. Even with government of letters and e-mailed comments— dead native trees, the farmers forced to subsidies—which he philosophically op- Avent takes this in stride, making it a poses, because it’s the taxpayer who point to post all the comments, negative pays—he figured the system would take and positive, on his website. Another un- 76 years to pay for itself. “So the econom- conventional twist is that in lieu of charg- ics aren’t there yet,” he says. “But I’ll be the ing customers to receive the catalog, he first one on that boat.” requests a box of chocolates. In person, Avent is irrepressible and Always alert to new marketing oppor- honest to a fault, as generous with praise as tunities, Avent, who has a mathematical he is with no-holds-barred criticism. He bent and likes to say his attention deficit brags, he calls people stupid, he tells who’s disorder-fueled mind needs constant chal- going bankrupt, who’s still in the closet, lenges, has gleefully figured out the com- who’s a genius and who isn’t. He inspires plicated algorithms of key words and meta love and exasperation in equal parts. tags that he must plug into the Plant De- Dan Hinkley, co-founder of the origi- lights website to shoot it toward the top of nal Heronswood Nursery in Washington the list when gardeners search for “peren- and now a consultant for Monrovia nurs- nial plants.” eries, whose passion for plants—and “When you put in a plant name, what words—has run a parallel but decidedly exactly decides who’s going to come up on different course, puts it this way: “Tony is top?” he says. “That’s a bigger secret with The covers of Avent’s mail-order catalogs take a brilliant plantsman and a dedicated nurs- Google than the Colonel’s chicken recipe.” a humorous slant on social or political issues. eryman for whom I have great affection Avent is also using social networking to and admiration. However, if he ever chose his advantage, posting on Facebook some sell their herds of cattle, the October 2011 to run for political office, I would actually fascinating plant’s moment in the garden, storm that downed thousands of trees in move from Washington State to his juris- or the secret to growing a plant he’s killed New York City. diction to vote against him.” many times, and, like Raulston before Avent agrees the earth is warming, ac- Not to worry. Avent hates big govern- him, encouraging “plant nerds to talk to knowledging that the summer of 2010 ment. What he really wants is for you to each other,” he says. broke every record. “We had 95 days over fall in love with some plant you didn’t 90,” says Avent. “This past year was more know you needed. GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN like 65 or 70 days, which is still way above On the day I visited, a cold front had just normal.” But he scoffs at the notion hu- Anne Raver, who lives on a farm in Mary- blown in on the heels of a very long mans can do anything to control climate. land, writes about gardening, organic farm- warm fall and early winter. From 60 de- “Are you kidding me?” he says. “Let’s fig- ing, and the environment. She is the author

.(grees the week before it went down to 17 ure out how to cope with it.” of Deep in the Green (Knopf, 1995 ְְֱֲֲֲֳֳֳִִִֵֵֶֶ֧֪֧֦֣֧֥֭֭֯֠֩֫֠֯֠֨֠

March / April 2012 39 40 a galaxyof denizens of mosquito-infestedswamps, sloped Appalachian ridges,andotherun- deciduous foliage.In addition,these parched Piedmont sandplains, scrabble- and winter, andhandsomeevergreen or enobia, ornamental flower infall budsandfruits beguiling plantsshare numerous orna- Pieris, or more ontheheathfamily, see sidebar, page43.) eda. other were assignedtothegenusA green—shrubs andtrees intheheath posed ofabouttwodozen—mostly ever- them ontripsaround thecountry, iscom- ing theminmygarden andby observing have cometoappreciate, bothfrom grow- from. One littleknown group ofnatives I O you, however. Despite theiruntamedair, tamed placesoffersomethinglesstangible leylike flower spraysinspring or summer, includinglily-of-the-val- mental virtues, genera suchasA beensplitinto having forthemostpart family (Ericaceae) thatatonetimeoran- these ericaceoustrees take well andshrubs ness thatyou won’t getfrom your azaleas. wildling charm, amenabilitytocultiva- but equallycompelling:Atouchofwild- satisfy theirheath-familypredilection for to domestication,especiallyin sitesthat acidic andreliably moistsoil.With their BY RUSSELLSTAFFORD If you’relookingforachange natives intheheathfamily. these unusualNorthAmerican rhododendrons, trysomeof from thestandardazaleasand Although nolongerjoinedby name— Don’t lettheirappearancemislead (F the American Gardener and plants isthewiderangetochoose ing withnative North American NE OFTHE Z garista, Leucothoe,Lyonia, among others—these delights ofgar ndrom- den- foundation plantings. rosemary rosemary No plantmore typifiesthetribethan bog ANDROMEDAS EXPLORING borderschange ofpaceinshrub and mal edgings,butalsoprovide abracing ic plantingsthatdominatethedomestic just thestuffforrevitalizing theformula- tion, andtheirrelative scarcity, theyare ndromeda polifolia, indeed resemble rosemary thoseoftrue 6–1). Its narrow, one-totwo-inch-long Hardiness Zones 2–6,AHS Heat Zones novelty tonaturalisticgardens andinfor- landscape. Theynotonlyaddrefreshing (Rosmarinus officinalis), evergreen undersidesdo leaves withsilvery Andromedas Andromedas (A but itsnativ USDA e range well,” saysBill Cullina, director of Coastal “Careful sitingisthekeytoitsperforming spreading, fine-textured hummocks. cool soilanditwilllikelyprosper, forming tial sunandhumus-rich,reliably damp, vinegarlike pHlevels. Give itfulltopar- overly fussy, requiring neitherabognor spring—are alsoall itsown. poised ondrooping pedicelsinlate ter-inch flowers—petite pink lanterns green shrub. Theterminalclusters ofquar- summers orlimeysoilforthislittleever- couldn’t No be more un-rosemarylike. hot New Jersey) andculturalpreferences ington, Idaho, Indiana, West Virginia, and (all Canadianprovinces, southtoWash- In isnot cultivation, bogrosemary

Although less well known than its Japanese relative, mountain pieris, left, is an excellent compact evergreen shrub. Bog rosemary, above, thrives with cool summers and moist, acidic soil.

Native to pocosins and other swampy areas of the Southeast Coastal Plain, dusty zenobia prospers in full to part sun and humus-rich, acidic soil. In my central Massachusetts garden, it flourished in sandy, rocky, glacial outwash amended with a modicum of peat, shrugging off every vicissitude that winter threw at it— including wayward snowmobiles and minus-20-degree Fahrenheit lows. It pairs beautifully with Andromeda polifolia in regions where both are hardy, such as the Northeast and the Pacific Northwest. Maine Botanical Gardens and author of One silvery-leaved, moisture-loving na- Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines (see “Re- tive that can take the heat (as well as the LYONIAS sources,” page 44). cold) is the sublime dusty zenobia or hon- Several worthy andromedas can be found One place bog rosemary does not be- eybells (Zenobia pulverulenta, formerly An- in the genus Lyonia, named for the Scot- long—despite its common name—is in dromeda pulverulenta, Zones 5–9, 9–5). In tish plant explorer John Lyon, who col- the culinary garden: Like many other the showiest manifestations of this arching, lected many noteworthy plants during his members of the heath family, it contains three- to five-foot, semi-evergreen shrub, peregrinations in the southeastern United andromedotoxins, which in large quanti- its one- to three-inch-long oval leaves are States at the turn of the 19th century. ties can poison humans, cattle, and other powdered above and coated beneath with One of my favorites is maleberry (Ly- mammals. Slowly growing one to two feet a waxy silver-white bloom, which also onia ligustrina, Zones 4–9, 9–1), a quietly tall and up to three feet wide, its natural coats the young stems. This symphony in alluring, densely-branched shrub reaching habit is more sparse than the lush exam- white crescendos in late spring and early 10 to 12 feet tall and wide that is native to ples often seen in garden centers. Of its summer, when swarms of bell-shaped, moist woodlands and wetlands of the cen- several cultivars (including low-growing spicy-scented, snowy blooms envelop the tral and eastern United States. Maleberry’s ‘Compacta’ and white-flowered ‘Alba’), by stems’ upper reaches. The leaves assume upright, gray-barked stems, urn-shaped far the most widely available is ‘Blue Ice’, orange and burgundy tones in fall, their white flowers, and luminescent fall foliage

whose new leaves are a frosty silver-blue. undersides retaining their silvery patina. bring its ericaceous cousin highbush blue-

March / April 2012 41 42 conversation piece.Inautumn,thetopsofleavesturnorangeandburgundy. Fragrant whiteflowers,silveryleaves,andwhite-coatedstemsmakedustyzenobiaa yonia bers oftheL wet soils. sunandmoistto est needsforfulltopart American gardens thatcanmeetitsmod- son. It far more useinNorth deserves husks thatlastintothenextgrowing sea- splitting openintopersistent,five-valved ash-gray, peppercornlike guiseeventually green laterassumean leaves. Thefruits considerable ornamentalvalue, contrast- ones 5–9,9–1)andfetterbush mariana, ing pleasinglywiththeglossy, oval, rich- spherical, lime-green seedcapsulesoffer on theediblefront, thespraysofwoody, however. Althoughperhapsdisappointing panicles isanythingbutblueberrylike, accinium corymbosum) summer, two-tosix-inch-longbloom berry berry lied, three- withlustrous tosix-foot shrubs ones 7–9,9–1)are closelyal- leaves (evergreenleathery inthecaseoffet- (L. lucida, white orpinkbell-shapedflowers inlate terbush), andnodding,relatively large, spring andearlysummer. Bothoccurpri- ruginea lantic andGulf States. marily incoastalregions ofthemid-At- 10–1) compriseanotherclosely alliedpair. Native toforests of Flori- andscrublands da, southernGeorgia, andcoastalSouth guished by therust-brown, feltlikescales Carolina, theseevergreens are distin- Among otherNorth Americanmem- What follows thelate-spring toearly- The “rusty staggerbushes” L the American Gardener (V and Z Z L yonia fruticosa genus, staggerbush (Zones 8–10, to mind. yonia fer- (L. yonia—the leucothoesandtheir ble kin. Yet, asidefrom mountaindog-hob- with thatshowsshrubs manycloseaffinities More familiartogardeners isagroup of ANDKIN LEUCOTHOES tifully withlessdomesticatedplantings. landscape” saysCullina, theyblendbeau- that naturallylendsitselftothecultivated most oftheselyonias “don’t have alook that cover theirleaves andtwigs.Although Native tomoisthabitats intheeasternhalfofNorth America,maleberrygrowsto 12feettall. (Leucothoe fontanesiana) L and coastal (Agarista populifolia, settled intothelattertwogenera. some botanicaltaxa,theyappeartohave of thosenomenclaturaldancesthatafflict Leucothoe, Agarista, After beingshuttledrepeatedly among of obscure andmeritoriousleucothoes. in areas withrelatively mildsummers. formoistacidicgardensmall shrub niches branch tipsinlatespring.It’s arare, choice, pitcher-shaped whiteflowers arisefrom the leaves. To literallytopitoff, spires ofsmall decked withglossy, dark-green, laurellike thicketing, clumpsofuprightstems ern andcentralCalifornia,itformslow, lands ofsouthwestern Oregon andnorth- evergreen from mountainwet- shrublet (Leucothoe davisiae, clan haslargelybeenoverlooked. need nointroduction—the leucothoe are commonenoughincultivation asto dog-hobble onze-flushed gro new flask-shaped whiteflowers donothingto clustersof the fragrant,dangling,axillary siana. edition ofLeucothoeaxillaris evergreen couldeasilybetakenforastretch along arching, five- to 20-footstems,this green leaves thatalternatelikeladderrungs trous, lance-shapedtoelliptical,bright about asleucothoeanitgets.Bearing lus- In myeyes, Florida hobblebush The EastCoasthasitsown contingent A goodcaseinpointisSierra laurel The br (Leucothoe axillaris)—which Z and Z ones 6–8,7–1).An ones 6–9,9–1)is E ubotrys or L. fontane- wth and in one

treme southeastern Texas and is “the one THE HEATH FAMILY to choose for warmer areas of the South- east,” advises Bob McCartney, co-owner The heath family (Ericaceae) is found nearly worldwide, primarily in temperate of Woodlanders Nursery in Aiken, South zones but also in the Arctic and in tropical mountain regions. The more than 100 Carolina. In cultivation, these three- to genera and 2,000-plus species in the family are primarily evergreen shrubs or six-foot-tall, slowly suckering shrubs oc- small trees, although some are herbaceous perennials and a few are parasitic, in- cupy similar niches, thriving in light to cluding Indian pipe (Monotropa uniflora), whose small clusters of ghostly white part shade and moist, acidic, humus-rich stems can be found emerging from leaf litter in undisturbed forest areas in most soil, and combining harmoniously with of continental North America. other acid-loving woody plants. The family includes a wide variety of Leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calycula- popular ornamental plants, including ta, Zones 3–6, 6–1)—a close ally of Eu- rhododendrons and azaleas, heathers botrys—is one such harmonious (Calluna spp.), heaths (Erica spp.), companion. Native to wetlands through- madrone (Arbutus menziesii), and bear- out the upper Northern Hemisphere, berries or manzanitas (Arctostaphylos this suckering evergreen shrub bears spp.). Most family members thrive in small, rich-green, tawny-backed leaves neutral to acidic, moist, loamy or grav- on willowy, branching, one- to five-foot elly soils. Studies have revealed that stems. The foliage often develops cop- many heath family members have de- pery tints in winter. Rows of fragrant, veloped specialized relationships with symbiotic fungi on their roots—known as mycorrhizae—which help them grow in wet, acidic sites where soil nutrients are not readily available. While a few members of this family have commercially valuable edible fruits—notably blueberries and cran- berries (Vaccinium spp.)—many others contain toxic compounds. The names of some plants—mountain laurels (Kalmia spp.), for instance, are also referred to as lambkill in Madrone, a heath family member, is popular some regions—reflect this trait. Oth- with Western gardeners because of its bark. er members such as Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum) and wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) are utilized for their medicinal benefits. The glossy, bright green foliage of salal (Gaultheria shallon) is widely used in the florist industry. —R.S. Florida hobblebush’s leaves start out with a bronze cast before turning bright green.

dispel the impression. Would that its har- of fragrant, nodding, barrel-shaped white pitcher-shaped white flowers dangle diness followed suit, but that may be ex- flowers perch conspicuously at the stem from leafy, lateral branchlets in spring, pecting too much of a native of wet coastal tips rather than cowering half-hidden with gray seed capsules following. Of woodlands from southeast North Caroli- among the leaves. Their fall foliage is as sometimes rangy habit, leatherleaf is at its na to northeast Florida. Full to part shade, fiery and exuberant as their spring flow- ornamental best in the form of compact loamy acidic soil, and plenty of space to ers are elegant, assuming molten, glis- cultivars such as ‘Verdant’, which func- sprawl are its main cultural requisites. Gar- tening hues of crimson and scarlet. After tion effectively as informal groundcovers deners who don’t have room for a full-sized the leaves fall, the large purple-red flower and fillers in full to part sun. Florida hobblebush can opt for ‘Taylor’s buds take center stage. Treasure’ (trademarked as Leprechaun), Mountain fetterbush (E. recurva, GAULTHERIAS which forms a three- to five-foot mound of Zones 5–8, 8–1)—named for its charac- Ranking high on the list of evergreen relatively small, closely spaced leaves. teristically arching (or recurved) flower groundcovers for Pacific Coast gardens is The two species of Eubotrys, on the sprays—resides in moist woods of the another shrub of the andromeda tribe, other hand, are quite different animals southern and central Appalachians. salal (Gaultheria shallon, Zones 6–9, from the dog-hobbles. Their deciduous, Swamp sweetbells (E. racemosa, Zones 9–1). Salal forms lush, suckering colonies oval, glossy-green leaves are borne on up- 5–9, 9–1) inhabits damp, mainly coastal of upright stems with purple-flushed,

right, branching stems, and their strands woodlands from Massachusetts to ex- zigzag branches and broad, shiny, leath-

March / April 2012 43 Sometimes difficult to grow outside its na- Resources tive range (forests and moist hillsides from Dirr’s Encyclopedia of Trees & Shrubs coastal central California north to the by Michael A. Dirr. Timber Press, Alaskan panhandle), successful plantings Portland, Oregon, 2011. do exist along the New England coast. Native Trees, Shrubs & Vines by Salal’s diminutive cousin, wintergreen William Cullina. Houghton Mifflin (Gaultheria procumbens, Zones 3–8, 8–1), Co., Boston, Massachusetts, 2002. is one of the iconic plants of the eastern North American forest. Frequenting cool, Sources acidic, partly shaded habitats from the Fairweather Gardens, Greenwich, NJ. southern Appalachians to Labrador, this (856) 451-6261. creeping evergreen shrublet sends up low, www.fairweathergardens.com. well-spaced sprigs of leathery, rounded, Forestfarm, Williams, OR. (541) 846- dark-green leaves that take on a reddish 7269. www.forestfarm.com. hue in cold weather. From late spring to Meadowbrook Nursery, Marion, NC. early fall, it bears urn-shaped, pinkish- (828) 738-8300. www.we-du.com. white, quarter-inch-long, nodding flowers. A glossy-leaved evergreen groundcover, salal Woodlanders, Aiken, SC. (803) 648- Fleshy, round, bright red fruits develop in produces edible berries that attract wildlife. 7522. www.woodlanders.net. summer and often persist through the following spring. The crushed leaves and while exploring North Carolina’s Pilot fruits taste and smell of wintergreen oil. Its Mountain in 1807, it was initially as- ery leaves. Purple-stemmed sprays of rather sparse constellations of foliage are signed to Andromeda. Of greater interest tubby, pinkish-white blooms arch from delightful in a naturalistic planting, but to gardeners, though, are its compact, the leaf axils in spring and early summer, unsuitable if what you are looking for is a mounded, textured habit; its lustrous, the flowers giving way to round, black- weed-smothering groundcover. laurellike foliage; and its tassels of arch- purple, wildlife-pleasing berries. No discussion of this plant tribe ing flower panicles. The conspicuous In favored conditions—part shade, would be complete without an account flower buds develop in summer, mature moist non-alkaline soil, and mild winters of the aristocratic evergreen shrub known in fall, swell in winter, and finally open and summers—salal is sometimes almost commonly as mountain pieris (Pieris into fragrant lily-of-the-valleylike blos- too successful, spreading into three- to six- floribunda, Zones 5–8, 8–5). Introduced soms in spring. foot-high thickets. It behaves more se- to science by John Lyon (of Lyonia fame), Two to six feet tall and wide, resistant dately in relatively dry or sunny sites. who stumbled upon it, perhaps literally, to the lace bugs that are the scourge of its Asian relative Pieris japonica, tolerant of a relatively wide pH range, and prospering in well-drained soil and full to part sun, mountain pieris is a perfect fit for many American gardens. Slowly growing to 18 inches tall, the cultivar ‘Millstream’ is a lovely addition for rock gardens. And real pieris aficianados might want to try vine- wicky (Pieris phillyreifolia, Zones 7–9, 9–5), a rare, scrambling evergreen native to swamps of the Deep South. Though their names may sound for- eign, these unusual and attractive Ameri- can natives from the heath family require no passports to enter our garden beds and borders. So instead of planting another pedestrian azalea, fothergilla, or non-native enkianthus, take a walk on the wild, native side of the heath family and you may discover a few new stars worth planting in your garden.

The proprietor of Odyssey Bulbs, a mail- order nursery, Russell Stafford lives in South

A suckering evergreen shrub with white flowers, leatherleaf is well suited to moist sites. Lancaster, Massachusetts. ְֱ֢֧֥֣֦֣֤֢֣֪֥֭֭֭֭֭֮֮֮֮֫֬֠֠֬֡֠֫֫֩֠֩֨֠֯

44 the American Gardener ְְְֱֱֲֳ֢֥֢֥֦֤֦֧֥֦֦֣֢֤֢֪֢֥֦֭֭֭֭֮֮֮֮֮֫֠֩֨֠֡֠֯֠֠֯֠֬֩֠֨֬ by Jo Ellen Meyersby Sharp Jo Desert Botanical Garden Looped trailsatthe DBGoffervisitorsthechance toseecactigrowinginnaturalistic settings. lustrated by aone-of-a-kind collection of ing guidetotheregion’s history, natural il- and lovers ofsucculents.It presents aliv- native plant speciesfrom theSouthwest. buffs, something tooffergardeners, history Botanical Garden (DBG),whichhas the United States. unlike anythingyou’ll findelsewhere in The sunisintense,warm,andbrilliant, O plants, butseeingsaguaro, barrel cactus, and ocotilloinanaturalsetting expanded animal inhabitantsoftheSonoran desert, through thelifeandtimesofhuman relatives. Four loopedtrailsleadvisitors my appreciation forthesecactiandtheir Personally, I’m notabigfanofthorny The cityisalsohometotheDesert snowbirds flockthere inwinter. and it’s easytounderstandwhy NE TRIPTO P hoenix, Arizona, TRAVELER brick-paved including edibleandmedicinalplants.The strates sustainablegarden practicesforthe LivingTrailfor Desert Center plants from allover theworld.And and Succulent Galleries, whichfeatur traverses the renovated environment. the includes trail This desert teele HerbGarden , asavory showplace edibleplants. ofmedicinaland late fallthrough springbecausethere islit- the gardens, thebesttimetovisitisfrom shoes, awide-brimmedhat,andsunglass- sure tobringalong sunscreen, comfortable tle refuge from degree 100-plus the in days lands are strategically placedthroughout es. Thoughwaterfountainsandshadeis- summer. Winter the andspring alsooffer greatest show other cactiand ofblooming This isagarden where you’ll wanttobe S C ’S D S ybil B.Harrington Cactus esert Discoveryesert LoopTrail UD OGARDENS TO GUIDE demon- e Meyers Sharp lives Indianapolis, in Indiana. Garden columnist andauthorJo Ellen tures, forms,andshadesofgreen. takeaway forgardeners isthevalue oftex- the gardens are notinbloom,thebig surrounding red sandstonebuttes.When lookofthe ing contrastwiththescrubby plantsinthegardenof desert are instrik- ing andbikingtrails.Thelushlandscape a largemunicipalpark thatincludeshik- and Horticulture Center. Nina Mason Pulliam Research Desert of theSchillingLibrar gardeningdesert thecollection by perusing DBG’s garden more orlearn shop about enjoy ofthe theair-conditionedcomfort puts onafabulousevening lightdisplay. Noches delas Luminarias,” the garden succulents. AndinDecember, during“Las www.tucsonbotanical.org. Tucson BotanicalGardens, http://arboretum.ag.arizona.edu. Boyce ThompsonArboretum, http://desertmuseum.org. Arizona-Sonora DesertMuseum, Other sites near Phoenix worth visiting: children, $8. $18; seniors(60+),$15;students,$10; special events.)Regularadmission:adults, den shop.(RAPbenefitsmaynotcover free admissionandadiscountinthegar- Program (RAP),AHSmembersreceive ■ .dbg.org. ■ es 145 acres, of which 65 are cultivated. ■ 1225. Parkway, Phoenix,AZ85008.(480)941- Desert BotanicalGarden, Information Additional The garden islocatedin Papago Park, In theheatofsummer, visitorsmay Founded in1939,thegardencompris- The gardensarehandicapaccessible. As partoftheReciprocalAdmissions www March / April y, housedinthe 1201 N.Galvin 2012 45 by Scott Aker 46 Monitoring theGardenMonitoring cides, iscareful andfrequent observation. wildlife from compromising it. keeping pests,diseases,weeds, and your garden, theoddsare againstyou in If you don’t know whatisgoingonin ing tofrequent useofsyntheticpesti- to care fortheirgardens withoutresort- wayforgardeners(IPM), animportant dation ofintegratedpestmanagement more plantstobeplanted.But thefoun- pens. There are alwaysmore weeds tobe for pestsanddiseases. and Igainedasenseofwhentointervene pulled, more mulchtobespread, and one:monitoring often skipanimportant the tasksdemandingourattention,we G I mustconfessthatdidn’t monitor- start THE POWER OFOBSERVATION completed attherighttime.Amongall blossom are ahostofjobsthatmustbe garden. to At first,thechallengeoftrying pest managementspecialistatapublic ing mypersonalgarden untilIbecamea passed, Ilearnedabouttheintricatebattles ing andnotingwhatIsaw. As time look- but Itookmytimeandjuststarted locate andidentifypestswasdaunting, going on in every cornerofthegarden,going oninevery first warmdays ofspring,Itapfoliage tached toaclipboard. Starting on the Ever since,Ihave takenthetimetomon- and whentoletnature takeitscourse. early isasimplewhitesheetof paperat- most trustworthy toolforcatchingthem most trustworthy itor allmygardens—both personaland you seedamage.In myexperience,the ly thatthere islittletimetoreact once ganisms are often thetiniest.Mites, scale insects, andthripscanmultiply soquick- ception ofdeer, themostdamagingor- professional—carefully. It’s easytounderstandhow thishap- I learnedearlyonthat,withtheex- the American Gardener fect, ripetomatoanddazzling ented hobby. per- Behind every ARDENING ISA v ery task-ori- ery ing season. plants almostanytimeduringthegrow- find somethingroaming around onyour woolly adelgidsappearinApril. You can and themaroon oval crawlersofhemlock asearlyMarch, spruce Alberta dwarf mites firstmaketheirappearanceon the plantsinmygarden. Spruce spider lens helpsmeseethesmallestorganisms ofthings.Ahand a broader spectrum over thepapertoseewhatislurking on Monitor plantsregularly,includingcheckingtheundersidesofleaves,tocatchproblemsearly. Oregon, 2004. Pataky. TimberPress,Portland, Cloyd, PhilipNixon,andNancy IPM forGardeners 2004. versity Press,Princeton,New Jersey, Whitney Cranshaw.PrincetonUni- Garden InsectsofNorthAmerica Resources I alsohadtolearnopenmyeyes to G ARDEN C SOLUTIONS by Raymond by some oldleaves aswell ones asthenew pening ontheir undersides,andIlookat turn over someleaves toseewhatishap- are havingaproblem. Imakeitahabitto the visualcuesplantsdisplay whenthey guides are listedin“Resources,” left.) (Suggestions forinsectidentification deners even know whentheyare present. but becausetheyare gar- sosmall,few trolling mites, scalecrawlers,andaphids, effectiveoration. Theseare atcon- very sentence, andtheylackanyorangecol- larger thantheperiodatendofthis flashy orangecousins,theyare alittle hard toseeatfirstbecause, unliketheir prey. Tiny black ladybird beetlesare also spidermitesthatareand spruce their faster thanthetwo-spottedspidermites cent phytoseidmites,whichmove much perienced, Ilearnedtoidentifytranslu- around onthepaper. AsIgotmore ex- tween thelittlecreatures scurrying and bringstolightthedifferences be- I’ve also honedmyeyes tokeyinon

on the ends of branches. That first little duce the overwintering eggs of pests and bit of fluffy residue, indicating the fun- mites. It turned out the opposite was true. Gardening Q&A with gal disease botrytis, on a nearly hidden The oil spray was much more effective in Scott Aker leaf inside my peony and the telltale lit- killing the overwintering beneficial insects tle yellow spot that heralds the arrival of and mites than it was in killing pests. With- REVERSION OF VARIEGATED PIERIS early blight in the tomato patch no out the predatory mites and insects to con- I planted a variegated Japanese pieris longer go unnoticed. Once I spot diseases trol them, pest populations exploded. If you in my garden last fall. The plant is just getting started, I try to remove the still spray your entire garden in late winter flourishing, but all the new growth is diseased portion, and, if necessary, treat or early spring, I suggest monitoring your plain green. the rest of the plant with the appropriate plants, spraying only when you see pest —G.B., North Chesterfield, Virginia remedy to prevent new infections. With populations growing to damaging levels. diseases in particular, preventive treat- By combining the principles of IPM– Many cultivars of Japanese pieris (Pieris ment—or at least very early treatment— regular monitoring and very targeted japonica) have new growth that starts out red and gradually turns green as it ma- tures; sometimes this is mistaken for a type of variegation. But I assume your plant is the cultivar ‘Variegata’, which has white variegation along the edges of the leaves. Take a close look at the plant. If you can still see variegated growth, remove all the reverted green foliage back to the point where the variegation occurs. If you do a thorough job of this, the variegated growth may resume. If you can’t find any variegation, you will have to replace it with another variegated pieris.

COMPOST SAFETY I would like to amend my soil with the compost my municipality offers. Be- To identify tiny organisms, such as these beneficial black ladybird beetles, a hand lens is helpful. cause many residents spray herbicides and fertilizers on their lawns, I want- is the only way to keep plants healthy. treatment of pests and diseases—with ed to find out if any harmful chemi- Without careful examination, the early those of organic gardening, you can cals in these products might remain in signs of disease can easily be missed, and greatly reduce, or even eliminate, the the compost when it is mature. it makes little sense to treat the plant need for synthetic pesticides. With fre- —T.V., Springfield, Missouri when the damage has already been done. quent monitoring, I have learned that I This brings up another important el- can tolerate five or 10 mites on that You don’t need to be concerned about ement of IPM—keeping records. It’s crit- white sheet of paper, and that if I am using the compost. Most municipal com- ical to keep notes about pest and disease willing to wait, I might see some preda- post is derived from leaves, which are not problems you encounter, because they tory mites or insects the next time I likely to contain pesticide residue. Even are likely to recur. By keeping records monitor—a clear signal that I don’t need if there is a significant amount of grass over the years, you can enhance your to intervene. clippings in the compost—and that ability to catch pests and diseases early. This spring, take the time to look grass was treated with pesticides or her- carefully at your garden. You’ll be re- bicides—it is unlikely that significant CHANGING PRACTICES warded with an early warning of poten- amounts would remain in the finished Finding out how effective predatory mites, tial problems, and I think you’ll also product, because of the heat of the com- lacewings, and minute ladybird beetles are discover that keeping tabs on what is posting process breaks down or at controlling pests led me to rethink some going on in the garden ecosystem you volatilizes any residues. Research on fin- standard operating procedures. Not so have created will give you a greater sense ished compost derived from plants treat- many years ago it was common practice for of confidence and satisfaction. ed with pesticides has shown this to be gardeners to spray their entire gardens with the case. —S.A. horticultural oil in late winter. The conven- Scott Aker is a Washington, D.C.-based tional wisdom was that horticultural oil is a horticulturist who wrote the “Digging In” E-mail your gardening questions to Scott relatively “safe” pesticide, often accepted gardening column for The Washington Aker at [email protected].

.ְֳֵֵֵֵ֢֤֦֮֮֮֠֡֩֡֩ even in organic gardening, that would re- Post for a decadeְְְֱֱֲֳֶ֣֧֣֧֥֭֮֮֠֫֯֠֬֨֠֨֠

March / April 2012 47 48 by Samantha Johnson A Rainbow of Heirloom Snap Beans Snap ofHeirloom A Rainbow support. Theytend toproduce aconcen- support. grow onetotwofeettallanddonotrequire 6.0 to6.5,sotestthesoilpriorplant - ing andamenditaccordingly. avoid alapseinyour bushbeanharvest, freeze orcansomeofyour bounty. To trated harvest—an advantage ifyoutrated harvest—an liketo bush andpoletypes;podsmaybegreen, range isdelightfullybroad: there are within thissubsetofbeans,the common name:green beans.Even seeds are immature, henceanother cations andsoiltypes.Warm tempera- variations inflavor, size, andyield.These purple, yellow, orspotted;andthere are when theirpodsare tenderand garis). Thesebeansar heirloom snapbeans(P in demand. ty maybeduetoflavor, heavypro- with arichheritage.Theirpopulari- thrive inslightly acidicsoilwithapHof will generallyremain totype. true for thefollowing season’s crop, andplants that theirmature seedscanbecollected heirlooms are open-pollinated,meaning combination oftraitsthatkeepthem duction, easeofcultivation, ora not onlytimetested,butmostcome and often,mucholder. Thus,theyare are usuallyatleast50or60years old Well, heirloomsare historic—they loom beanfrom anyotherbean? me tobringthisvisionlife.So, you Beans can begrown inawiderangeoflo- GROWING GUIDELINES might ask,whatdistinguishesanheir- and growing heirloomshasallowed colors, patterns,flavors, andtypes, I tures andlotsof sunshineare themain ingredients for a successful harvest. They ingredients fora successful harvest. Bush beansare compactplantsthat My ison focusinthisarticle My goalistohave arainbow of about thebeansinmygarden. ADMIT IT— the American Gardener I’m particular haseolus vul- e harvested and thrive, somereaching 10feetormore. ofatrellis,support fence,orpolestogrow and impressive growth, rely onthevertical weeks throughout the summer. make successive sowingstwoorthree every

Pole over beanscanbeharvested amuch ‘Dragon’s www.sustainableseedco.com. Petaluma, CA.(877)620-SEED. Sustainable SeedCompany, www.seedsavers.org. (563) 382-5990. Seed SaversExchange, www.rareseeds.com. field, MO.(417)924-8917. Baker CreekHeirloomSeeds, Sources OERW HARVEST HOMEGROWN

Pole beans,withtheirtwiningstems Tongue’

C is a Dutch heirloom. Dutch a is Decorah, IA. Mans- BUSH BEANS: VARIETIES RECOMMENDED ate fencing. them outofyour garden withappropri- proved foruseonfoodcrops. them withbiologicalinsecticidesap- and significantlyreduce yields.Control marbled pods are largeandflattened, ‘Dragon’s Tongue’ ing. Introduced in1957.55days. five-inch pods.Pods turngreen aftercook- that yieldslarge,vibrantpurple, flavorful, ‘Royalty Purple Pod’ straight. 55days. Five- to six-inchpodsare stringlessand only plantonevariety, itwouldbethisone. duction, reliability, andflavor. If Icould matched inmygarden intermsofpro- as Experimental Bean 121,‘Empress’ isun- troduced by Gurney’s Seed &Nursery Co. Deer andrabbitslove beans,sokeep beetle, cancausedamagetoleaves leaf beetleandtheMexican bean watering orrain. early morningorimmediatelyafter when theyare dew-covered inthe ing beanplantswhentheyare wet— such asbacterialblight,avoid touch- tion. To reduce thespread ofdiseases, lowing plentyofspace foraircircula- four-year rotation cycle, andby al- with non-legumesonathree- or can beavoided by rotating beans diseasessuchasrootfew rot, most Although beansare susceptibletoa PEST AND DISEASE PREVENTION ANDDISEASE PEST moderate temperatures return. resume production oncemore flowers maydrop. Plants generally will oftenceasetosetpodsand ceed 90degrees Fahrenheit, beans are more productive overall. longer seasonthanbushtypes,and A few pests,suchasthebean A few When summertemperatures ex- ‘E mpress’ C ream-and-purple- A steadypr Originally in- oducer

with superb flavor. Can be used as a snap Planting Basics bean or dried and shelled. A 19th-century Dutch heirloom. 55–60 days. GETTING STARTED Beans thrive in full sun and perform best in well-drained soil. ‘Pencil Pod Golden Wax’ This creamy Beans are warm-weather crops, so avoid planting them until all danger of frost is yellow-podded bean offers quality, taste, past and the soil has warmed to above 60 degrees F. and a bit of contrasting color. Introduced Prior to planting, seeds can be inoculated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria to enhance in 1900. 50–65 days. their ability to “fix” nitrogen from the soil into a form that is useful to plants. Inoc- ulants are readily available from seed companies and garden supply stores. POLE BEANS: ‘Lazy Housewife’ The An inch of water per week is usually sufficient for bean plants. Although reg- name is said to have derived from it being ular weeding is important, avoid disturbing the plant’s shallow roots. one of the first stringless snap beans, thus SPACING Sow beans directly outdoors one inch deep. Bush types should be plant- reducing the work involved in prepara- ed two to four inches apart in single or double rows spaced two to three feet apart. tion. Although slow to mature, it pro- Plant pole types two to four inches apart along a fence or trellis, or around a teepee- duces right up until frost. Brought to style support. America by German immigrants before DAYS TO MATURITY 50 to 80+ days from seed, depending on the type. —S.J. 1810. 75–80 days. ‘Kentucky Wonder’ Popular variety that dates back to the mid-1800s, known for reached the appropriate size. By keeping ence the subtle nuances of each flavor. its impressive productivity of flavorful them continually picked, I’ve found in- Whether you enjoy your beans fresh, or seven- to nine-inch pods. 58–64 days. dividual plants produce for longer peri- prolong their goodness through canning or ods of time. freezing, you’ll find these heirlooms en- ENJOYING THE HARVEST I love to gather handfuls of fresh beans hance your gustatory experience. Harvesting beans is simple—in fact, it’s from many different plants. Snapped and a snap! The key to having tender and cooked, I serve them all together with Samantha Johnson is the author of several flavorful snap beans is picking them reg- melted butter and sprinkled with freshly books, including a forthcoming book on ularly. During the peak season, every ground pepper. Combining different vari- gardening for children. She gardens on a farm day or so I harvest any pods that have eties into one dish makes it easy to experi- in northern Wisconsin.

ִ֪֧֠ ֲֲִֺֹֹ֧֠֯ ִֹֹ֪֭֠֡֯֫ ֠־ֳִֵֶ֧֣ ִֶֹ֧֪֧֥֠֫֩ ֠־ֲֲ֧֦֫ ֲֶ֧֣֮֠֫ ֱֲֳִֵֶֶָֺֹֹֺֺֹֺּ֪֧֪֧֧֧֧֧֮֫֠֩֫֠֠֫֠֠֯֯֫֬֩֠־ֲֲֳִִִֵָֺֹֻֽ֧֪֧֯֠֫֬֯ ִִִֽ֭֠֯֯ ָֽ֪֧֧֠ ֵָֻ֠ ֹ֪֧֪֠֫֩֫ ֵָֻ֠֬ ֵָּ֠֫ ֵָ֤֠ ֺ֠ ֳִֵֶָָֹֹֹ֢֯֫֯֠֯֬ ִֶֹ֧֪֧֥֠֫֩֠־ְֱֲֲֲֲֲֳִֵֵֶֶָָֺֹֺּ֧֧֧֣֧֦֧֮֮֮֮֠֫֠֨֫֫֠֫֠֠֬֠֫֠֫֩֫ ָֹּ֢֠֫֩֯֫ ִ֪֧֠ ֠־ֲַֺֻ֧֯ ֠֡־ֳִֺֺ֫֠ ֵֺ֠ ֳֳֵָֺֺּ֧֩֫֯֯֯֩ ֹֿ֠־ֳִֵֶ֧֣ ֲִִִֵֶָֹֹֻ֢֪֧֪֧֭֫֫֠֯֩֠־ֵֺֹֹֹֻ֪֠֯֩֠֠־ֲֲֵֺ֪֧֧֣֠

Maryland 410.442.2310 Virginia 703.406.0802 Washington, D.C. 301.924.5400 www.chapelvalley.com

March / April 2012 49 BOOKC REVIEWS

Recommendations for Your Gardening Library

Free-Range Chicken Gardens The New Sunset Western Garden Book Jessi Bloom, with photographs by Kate Baldwin. Timber Press, Port- Sunset, Menlo Park, California, 2012. 768 pages. Publisher’s price, land, Oregon, 2012. 222 pages. Publisher’s price, softcover: $19.95. softcover: $34.95.

AS ANYONE who owns free-range chickens can tell you, the IF YOU GARDEN west of the 100th meridian, you likely own vigorous scratching and pecking of our beloved birds can make at least one worn and dog-eared copy of the Sunset Western Gar- having a beautiful garden seem out den Book. From its detailed propri- of reach. But Jessi Bloom, a land- etary climate zone maps to its scape designer and longtime keep- inclusion of western natives, over its er of hens, believes you can have 80 years in existence it has become both, and she sets out to prove it in the lingua franca of gardeners from this cheerful and attractive book. Tacoma to Tucson. She starts from the ground up From early in its history, small with ideas for coop designs, consid- botanical drawings have illustrated erations for choosing pathway and individual plant species in the West- mulching materials, and basic land- ern Garden Book. One of the biggest scape design principles covered breaks with tradition in the newly re- from a chicken-friendly perspective. The plant lists are extensive, leased ninth edition is the abandonment of botanical drawings with inspiration for hedgerow plants to screen views and noise, in favor of more than 2,000 color photographs. flowering plants too tough for the chickens to bother, and shrubs With both the eighth and new ninth edition opened side- with fragrances to mask any potential odors. by-side on my desk, I compared the new photos with the old The biggest surprise for me in reading this book was her pos- botanical drawings for a dozen of my favorite plants. As a itive approach to adding elements that make your garden fun photographer (and I must disclose here that a handful of my for the chickens. Mirrors, bug logs, water features, and dust own images appear in the ninth edition), I found that the truer bath areas keep both birds and people entertained. Most of the colors, more detailed close ups, and general photo-realism of plant lists are also geared towards the enjoyment of the chick- the new images trumped the more muted watercolor-like draw- ens, with the goal of providing fruit, seeds, and places to scratch ings. Damianita daisy, sundrops, and Baja fairy duster all fair- and hide. I confess it hadn’t occurred to me to plant things ly glowed on the page. And yet, there were cases where the old specifically for my chickens’ enjoyment, so Bloom’s idea that botanical drawings did a better job of illustrating the size and it’s possible to have enough food and fun in the garden for shape of the plants. I found myself wanting more than one everyone was a refreshing viewpoint. photo of each species. There’s only one topic that I wish had been covered more Some other highlights of the new edition are the inclusion thoroughly, and that is solutions to chickens eating and digging of more plant species. For example, the number of agaves grew up plants you’d rather they didn’t. While Bloom devotes a few from 13 to 26. The last section of this edition also has brand new pages to innovative ideas for protecting plants, I would have how-to guides covering everything from growing bulbs to wild- liked a whole chapter on this, with photos of many solutions to flowers to veggies. Speaking of edibles, the coverage of these what I find a vexing issue. plants is noticeably bulked up. Overall, this is a useful and inspiring book for people who In this digital age, I expect a complete and searchable elec- love both gardening and chickens. The full-color photographs tronic version of the book is the next step, but for now we will on almost every page show the inventive design solutions in have to make do with Sunset’s Plant Finder, a mobile applica- practice in real gardens. Bloom’s obvious enthusiasm for cre- tion covering 2,000 plants, released in February to coincide ative design and for her birds will inspire both novice and ex- with the publication of the new edition. perienced chicken owners to create a garden space that hens and —Scott Calhoun humans can inhabit harmoniously. —Genevieve Schmidt Scott Calhoun is an award-winning author of six books about gardening in the American West. He also runs Zona Gardens Genevieve Schmidt is a landscaper, garden writer, and keeper of (www.zonagardens.com), a landscape design studio based in Tuc- hens in Arcata, California. son, Arizona.

50 the American Gardener GARDENERC’S BOOKS

The Latest Crop of Edible Gardening Books

F THE proliferation of books focused on edible gardening is any indication, clearly one of the hottest I topics de jour—if not THE hottest—in horticultural circles is growing your own food. You might be wondering how much there can possibly be to say on the subject. Judging from this sampling of the latest titles to arrive off the presses, the sky’s the limit when it comes to the angles and niches to explore, as well as the particular expertise each of the authors has to offer.

Fans of the farm-to-table movement will find the concept trans- Vertical Vegetables & Fruit (Storey Publishing, $16.95) is lates easily to their gardens, thanks to Grow Cook Eat by Willi packed with ideas for space-challenged gardeners to make the Galloway (Sasquatch Books, $29.95). most of what they do have. “A surprising Each herb, vegetable, and fruit profiled variety of plants can be trained to grow up includes helpful growing information, just about anywhere, anytime,” writes luscious photographs, and mouth-wa- Rhonda Massingham Hart in the intro- tering recipes. For Galloway, the best duction, then proceeds to explain the ins part of growing your own is the ability to and outs—or rather the ups and downs— enjoy delicacies grocery stores don’t of tapping into all this upward potential. carry, especially the ones most of us don’t The book covers techniques and other even realize are edible and tasty. Radish- practical details to consider, as well as the es, for example, can provide much more plants that do best in vertical situations. than their piquant roots—the leaves can be used like spinach, For history buffs, there’s Vegetable Gardening the Colo- and the flowers and seed pods are tasty, too. nial Williamsburg Way (Rodale, $30). The book presents The One-Block Feast by Margo True and the staff of Sunset the “best advice for the management of magazine (Ten Speed Press, $24.99) chronicles the experiences of your kitchen garden from the most no- a professional magazine staff—people table gardeners and botanists of the 18th who don’t necessarily work directly with century,” according to historic gardener plants and animals on a daily basis—pro- Wesley Greene, who has experimented ducing food at their offices in northern with and applied this advice for many California. The project began with the years in Colonial Williamsburg’s veg- idea of a “well-thought-out, well-planned etable gardens in Virginia. The book meal” and grew from there. The well-il- also serves up some fascinating insights lustrated book includes recipes, practical into Colonial life and tidbits on the origins of various edible details about growing the edible plants in- plants, all supplemented by beautiful color photographs. volved, tips for tending bees and chickens, Chances are, if you grow edibles, you’ll encounter some kind and instructions for making wine, vinegar, beer, and other pro- of problem—an onslaught of pests, yellowing or drooping jects that contributed to the menu. leaves, or poor production for one reason Anyone getting into or already into heirloom gardening will or another. What’s Wrong With My Veg- enjoy the Heirloom Life Gardener by Jere and Emilee Gettle etable Garden? by David Deardorff & (Hyperion, $29.99). Part memoir, part Kathryn Wadsworth (Timber Press, manifesto, part manual on cultivating heir- $24.95) is a straightforward troubleshoot- loom varieties, this book begins with a ing guide for all sorts of common conun- compelling account of how and why the drums you may face in the garden, which Gettles’ business, Baker Creek Heirloom you can look up by individual vegetable Seed Company, was born and gives a brief or by symptoms particular to a plant fam- history of heirloom seeds in America. Then ily. It’s full of useful photographs, charts for diagnosing prob- it dives into the colorful world of heir- lems, numerous organic solutions, and hints for avoiding looms, focusing on growing guidelines for problems in the first place. the authors’ favorite 50 from amaranths to watermelons, all accompanied by large, lovely photographs. —Viveka Neveln, Associate Editor

March / April 2012 51 52 Lacy filigreedaisy,top,and‘RubyVoodoo’ rose, above,areamongthe2012winners. The Plant Select SELECTANNOUNCES 2012 WINNERS PLANT ‘P001S’) andthe‘Ruby Voodoo’ rose. The evaluate varietieswide range basedona the highRocky Mountain plains.Experts environmentof inthe often harsh, dry nurseries torecognize plantsthatthrive and the program consultshorticulturists ognized sixplantsfor2012.Every year, Stateand Colorado University, hasrec- ministered by Denver Botanic Gardens horticulture: thedramaticallypinkandor- garden situationstouniqueness. indifferentof criteriafrom performance remaining fourrecommended plantsare: with cobaltblueflowers, filigree lacy daisy Cape forget-me-not ange Fire Spinner ( icea glauca spruce nthemis marschalliana), A Horticultural News and Research Important to American Gardeners Two ofthe2012winnersare to new the American Gardener (P ֡ ֠ program, jointlyad- ice plant elosperma ‘Pendula’), and fern- (A nchusa capensis) weeping white (D tered, have beenreinterpreted the rules as Gutenberg press toelectronic printersand times—from theblocklettersof with printedpublicationswill openthe avoiding thehighercoststhatgoalong process, andKirkbride pointsoutthat well.” The goalistospeedthepublication photocopiers—and asprintinghasal- has changedIdon’t know how many in Washington, ofprinting art D.C.“The onomist attheU.S.National Arboretum able form,” explainsJoe Kirkbride, atax- so thatyou hadtopublishinanunalter- originallywasestablished rule form. “The exclusivelycan bepublished inelectronic published inaprintedjournal—now they laxed isthatthesedescriptions hadtobe described inEnglish orLatin. January speciescannow 1,2012,new be CongressBotanical hasdecreed thatasof plant inLatinaswell, theInternational of writingaformaldescriptionthe also gothrough thepainstakingprocess speciesLatin-based namesbut new every of requiring botaniststonotonlygive of botanyintothe21stcentury. Instead species are namedaimtobringthefield recent plant changestothewaynew scientific nomenclature. However, some Linneaus’sCarl Latin-basedsystemof entists it’s beenalive andwell, thanksto Latin maybeadeadlanguage,buttosci- SPECIES NEW PLANT FORDESCRIBING UPDATED REQUIREMENTS algae, andfungi are every formallynamed in less developed countries. door to more publications from botanists list ofotheraward winnersfor2012. with this article on with thisarticle recognition eachyear. Clickonthelink programs give outstandingplantsspecial or more informationonthe process, visit Plant Select varieties andtheselection ifolium). like Dalmatian daisy GARDENER Another requirement thathasbeen re- About species ofplants, 2,000new Several otherregional andnational F C www .plantselect.org. ’S www (T NOTEBOOK anacetum cinerari- .ahs.org to seethe However, womenwere notallowed aboard Commerson’sbotanist Philibert assistant. ’Etoile, to circumnavigate theglobeasFrench Baret joineddeBougainville’s expedition ship French explorer AntoinedeBougainville’s In 1766,whenJeanne Baret boarded FEMALEBOTANIST OVERLOOKED HONOR IN OF NAMED NEW SPECIES hytoKeys. journal in theJanuary 2012 issueoftheonline at thesamedisadvantage,” hesays. was Latin,everybody lish speakers.“With guistic requirement mayalienatenon-Eng- He isalsoconcernedthatchangingthelin- couldn’t justatacknameonsomething.” bride. “Someone who’s notabotanist process, sothisactedasafilter,” notesKirk- really hadtoknow andthe therules tions willactuallymuddythewaters.“You concerned thatallowing English descrip- simplify theprocess, somebotanistsare changesareWhile therule intendedto biodiversity.and ultimatelyconserving year, initialstepinassessing animportant A summary of the new rules appeared rules ofthenew A summary L P she wasbreaking thelaw.

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Solanum

ְְֱֱֱֱֱֲֲֲֲֲֲֲֲֲֲֲֲֲֲֲֲֳֳֳֳֳֳֳִִִִִִִִֵֵֵֵֵֵֵֵֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶַַַַָֹֹֹֹֹֹֹ֢֧֪֥֧֦֪֣֥֥֥֢֧֪֥֧֣֧֪֦֤֦֣֧֪֧֥֥֥֣֪֭֭֭֭֭֭֮֠֩֠֠֯֠֩֯֩֡֠֠֯֩֠֠֬֨֠֠֩֠֠֯֠֩֯֩֡֠֠֫֬֠֩֠֠֯֠֬֠֠֫֬֠֩֠֠֩֠֩֩֠֨֯֩֠֠֩֯֠ prevents stormwater runofffromfloodinganearby creekandcleansesitforreuse. The waterdetention systematTheGreenCollege ParkattheUniversityofTexas atArlington water detentionsystem,andanindustrial a collegecampuspark withasophisticated What doaplayground madeoutofshoes, CERTIFICATIONS SITES FIRST its impressive biodiversity. species inaregion ofEcuador known for significantly inshape.Tepe collectedthe violet, yellow, orwhite,anditsleaves vary was afittingtributebecauseitsflowers are Tepe’s teamfeltthattheSolanum faceted” assistant.For similarreasons, the expedition,somostoffieldwork ae, planthediscovered,new Solanumbar by naminga commemorated herefforts Eric Tepe aimstochangethatandhas knowledged. University ofUtah biologist field went relatively unknown andunac- g French naval vessels atthetime,soshedis- propriate representation ofhis“multi- highly variable himasanap- leaves struck publish mostofhiswork. Thatplant’s car forBaret, buthediedbefore hecould tended tonameaspeciesfrom Madagas- named inhonoroftheship’s captain. the expedition—thebougainvilleavine ed perhapsthemostfamousspecimenof was doneby Baret. It wasshewhocollect- Commerson, Baret’s contributionstothe While scores ofplantswere namedfor specimens over thethree-year expedition. Commerson collectedanestimated6,000 uised herselfasaman.Together, sheand Commerson frequently fellillduring Commerson’s notesindicatethathein- in herhonor . species eti- tion, visitwww ence guidein2013.For more informa- is torelease theratingssystemandrefer- and thepublicuntilJune 2012.Thegoal back from thepilotprogram landscapes in theevaluation phase,collectingfeed- ceived three stars. locationsre- certified each ofthenewly scapes are ratedonafourstarscale,and Land- aspects ofdesignandconstruction). land maintenanceapproaches, andother soil restoration, useofrecycled materials, quirements and51flexiblecredits (covering ington, D.C.,partnered todesignate15re- United States BotanicGarden inWash- flower CenterinAustin, Texas, andthe chitects, theLadyBird Johnson Wild- The AmericanSociety ofLandscapeAr- ly friendlyandenergyefficientbuildings. (LEED) ratingsystemforenvironmental- in Energy andEnvironmental Design scape architect’s answer totheLeadership sites underevaluation since2010. were selectedoutofmore than150pilot landscape projects. Thesethree projects Memphis, Tennessee, are itsfirstcertified Playground atShelbyery Farms Park in at Arlington,andtheWoodland Discov- at CollegePark oftheUniversity ofTexas pus ofNovus International Inc., theGreen thattheSt.uary Charles,Missouri, cam- Sites Initiative (SITES)announcedinJan- g complex withastaff-maintainedvegetable arden have incommon?TheSustainable The SITES certification systemisstill The SITEScertification First created in2005,SITESistheland- .sustainablesites.org. March / April 2012 53

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choking out native trees and shrubs on native out trees choking shrubs and Kudzu ONLINE INVASIVE PLANT ATLAS ATLAS INVASIVE ONLINE PLANT ners. Hiseffortshavegarneredhimquiteafewnationaland The HuntingtonLibrary,ArtCollections,andBotanicalGar- Tom CarruthNamedCuratoroftheHuntington’sRoseCollection native plantphotographer. the authoroffivehorticulturalreferencebooks,andaskilled 15 years.Heisalsoarecognizedexpertonnativeplants, the NewEnglandWildFlowerSocietyinMassachusettsfor ture andplantcurator.Priortothat,heheldvariousrolesat beautiful gardensamongallcitizens.” and arouseawiderinterestinbetterplantingmore flowers, spreadthegospelofbetterplantinganddesigning, outdoors, developagreaterknowledgeandloveofplants gardeners acrossthecountrytoappreciate“beautyof butions to“thescienceandartofgardening”haveinspired an individual,organization,orcorporatebodywhosecontri- in 1929,eachyeartheScottMedalandAwardrecognizes dens (CMBG)inBoothbay,Maine.Sinceitsestablishment lina, executivedirectoroftheCoastalMaineBotanicalGar- College’s prestigiousScottMedalandAwardisWilliamCul- The 2012recipientoftheScottArboretumatSwarthmore William CullinaReceives2012ScottMedal PLACESintheNEWS PEOPLE and Tom Carruth Cullina previouslyservedasCMBG’sdirectorofhorticul-

the American Gardener

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o verruning land- verruning All-America RoseSelectionswin- brids—several ofwhichare

troduced morethan100rosehy- and Pomona,California.Hehasin- wholesaler WeeksRosesinWasco marketing, andlicensingatpopular ly servedasdirectorofresearch, rose breeder,Carruthmostrecent- Rose Collection.Anaward-winning and RuthB. Shannon Curator ofits appointed Tom Carruth astheE. L. dens inSanMarino,California,has

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forbs, shrubs and subshrubs, trees, and subshrubs, and shrubs forbs,

six categories: aquatics, grasses, herbs and herbs grasses, aquatics, categories: six

native counterparts. It nativecounterparts. divides into plants species that aggressively that their species outcompete

A houseovergrown withinvasivekudzu. The atlas focuses on non-native on plant focuses atlas The Learn moreat of theveryfewprivateJapanesegardensopentopublic.” vate retreatalsopermeatestheHannahCartergarden;it’sone the property’spreservation.“Aspiritofauthenticityasapri- Garden Conservancy,oneofthefirstorganizationstorallyfor ities oftraditionalgardensinJapan,”saysBillNoblethe ly turnedtotheinspiration,timelessbeauty,andhealingqual- ing ateahouseandentrygatefromJapan. designed thelandscapeasaJapanesegarden,incorporat- re- andKazuoNakamura Sakurai Nagao designers garden side sitein1923,andthe1950s1960s,Japanese landscape architect A.E. Hanson first developed the hill- chitectural andhorticulturalartifact.LosAngeles-based Carter andhiswifeHannah,thepropertyrepresentsanar- of localgardenersandnationalconservationgroups. market witha$4millionpricetag,muchtotheconsternation February, theHannahCarter JapaneseGardenwent onthe academic programshavenecessitatedtheproperty’ssale.In maintenance andthefactthatgardenisnotusedbyany tain thegrounds inperpetuity. Unfortunately, thehigh cost of next door to their urban campus in1965, itpledged tomain- cepted thedonationofaJapanesegardenandadjacenthouse When theUniversityofCaliforniaatLosAngeles(UCLA)ac- Botanical GardenForSale more than1,200 cultivars and4,000 individual shrubs. 1908, theHuntington’srosegardencomprisesthreeacresand tired lastJulyafter28yearsintheposition.Established in 2011.CarruthwillsucceedrosarianClairMartin,whore- ciety’s Luther Burbank Award foroutstanding plant breeding international awards, including the American Horticultural So- “It demonstrateshow,soonafterthewar,Californiaquick- A giftfromUCLA’sBoardofRegentsmemberEdward

www.hannahcarterjapanesegarden.com.

Thompson.

NewsHelen by written Editorial Assistant

about invasives about your in region

.invasiveplantatlas.org

www at atlas

escaped into natural areas. natural into online View the escaped

species are species garden popular have that plants

pecially since many of the problematic the of many since pecially

educate and inform the general public, es- public, general the inform and educate

tions. However,tions. toispurpose primary its

institutions, and other expert organiza- expert other and institutions,

vasive species councils, academic vasivecouncils, species

els, exotic in- els, pest/invasive councils, plant

governmentlev- federal to local at agencies

and links to where to links and have plants the been

reported as invasive. as reported

formation, images, distribution maps, distribution images, formation,

The site draws from data collected by from collected draws data site The .

—H.T. to learn to

ְֱֲֳִִִִִִִִִִִֵֶֶֶֶֶַַַַַַַָָָָָֺֹֹֹֻֻֻֻֻּּ֥֤֤֪֪֧֤֪֧֭֭֮֮֨֠֠֩֫֬֠֯֠֠֬֠֠֩֠֬֠֬֬֠֠֬֠ ְְְֱ֢֤֣֥֦֥֮֠֨֫֠ ְְֱֲֳִֵ֧֥֪֦֭֭֮֮֮֠֨֨֠֠֨֬֨֠֩֠֨֯ by JaneBerger Memoriam: In of Governors,approachedOehmevanSwedentodesignnew When DavidLilly,amemberoftheFederalReserveBoard scape architectwouldtakethetimetotalkus. tally star-struckandcompletelyamazedthatthefamousland- garden. “AreyoureallyWolfgangOehme?”wechorused,to- the designed he’d that revealed shyly He doing. were plants inspected nearbyanddecidedtocomeoverseehowhis peared andengagedusinconversation.He’djusthadhiscar landscape design—when asmall manwithabigsmile ap- den withtwocolleagues—allofusrecentgraduatesin al Arboretum. Iwasstudying the plants inthe Friendship Gar- changed thefaceofgardensthroughoutUnitedStates. the winterlandscapeaswellrestofseasons,and ture sethimapartfrommostothersinhisfield.Itwasthedri- horticulturists, andothersacrossthecountry. His lossis deeplyfeltbycountless designers, architects, Wolfgang Oehme,diedinmid-December2011,atage81. One ofthegiants20th-centurylandscapearchitecture, Oehme helpeddesign theFederalReserveheadquarters garden. Wolfgang Oehme But that was Wolfgang. He never stood on ceremony. on stood never He Wolfgang. was that But I firstmetWolfganginthemid-1990satU.S.Nation- Wolfgang’s formidableknowledgeofplantsandlovena- Sweden &Associates,thetwoinvent- stantly, Iwasabeliever.” liage andornamentalgrasses....In- and texture,thefluidmovementoffo- was nolawn,justaprofusionofcolor one ofWolfgang’sgardens:“There never forgotthemomenthefirstsaw James vanSweden,whowrotethathe ving forceinhislongpartnershipwith bold plantcombinations,embraced an aestheticthatreveledindramatic, ed theNewAmericanGardenstyle, Through theirfirm,Oehmevan W olfgang Oehme Oehme olfgang the workofpeopleheinfluenced. Thankfully, hislegacywillendure both inhisgardensand in gang profoundlychangedtheway millionsthinkaboutgardens. vate gardensacrossthecountryandoverseas.Inhislife,Wolf- and inmanyotherpublicgardens,commercialsites,pri- National WorldWarIIMemorial,theChicagoBotanicGarden, serve, atoptheroofgardensatReaganNationalAirport, in placeasashelterforanimals. food formigratingbirds,andleftanold,hollowappletree caria polymorpha), nanthemum muticum), suaded alocalnurserytopropagatemountainmint States togrowswampspurge(Euphorbiapalustris); needed forhiswork.HewasthefirstpersoninUnited plantsmen tostartimportingtheornamentalgrasseshe Maryland nurseryownerKurtBluemelandothernotable him, hangingonhiseveryword. not-so-new plantsondisplay,15or20peopleencircled ing thenewand booth tobooth,admir- from along sauntered Maryland. As Wolfgang Baltimore, in ation erymen’s TradeAssoci- the Mid-AtlanticNurs- annual Januaryshow of year atMANTS—the around Wolfgangone ory isofthescrum that sticksinmymem- tious. Onemoment enthusiasm wereinfec- freely, and his joy and knowledge vast his to everyone.Heshared for plants wasevident wearing Earthshoes. was Wolfgang that henoticed when team right the had he knew he Sweden van at theFed.Hedidasinstructed,butDavidLillylatertold Sweden informedWolfganghe’dhavetowearatielunch gardens fortheFed’sheadquartersinWashington,D.C.,van Massachusetts. A garden designerandblogger, Jane Berger lives inWoods Hole, front drivewithhisfavoriteplant,giantfleeceflower(Persi- Baltimore herbfestival. His planting designs remain ondisplay attheFederal Re- Wolfgang wasalsoamanofmanyfirsts:Hepersuaded Wolfgang’s passion In hisowngarden,inTowson,Maryland,helinedthe planted nativehackberrytreestoprovide a planthestumb landscapes likethisoneinMaryland. Oehme designedmanyresidential March / April led across at a he per- 2012 (Pyc- 55 ® GREEN GARAGE by Rita Pelczar

Contributing editor Rita Pelczar reports on products she has found useful or innovative in her garden, with an emphasis on earth-friendly products and supplies.

It’s time to gear up for another growing season. Early spring Un-kinkable Hose is a great time to look over your tools, see if any need sharp- Hoses can get heavy when you have to drag them from bed to ening, mending, or replacing, and to line up your supplies so bed, and kinks in the line reduce the flow of water and take that you’re ready to go as soon as the ground thaws and tem- time to straighten peratures start to climb. out. JGB Enterpris- es offers a solution Protecting Hands to these problems If you’re hard on gloves, like I am, some new gardening gloves with the Tuff Guard are probably in order. The MadGrip Pro Palm Knuckler Garden- “Perfect Garden ing Glove fom Gordini is a good choice Hose.” First of all, for jobs where protection from blisters it’s woven fiber core and scrapes is important. These ma- is very lightweight— chine washable gloves have a seamless 35 to 50 percent construction and a thermoplastic rub- lighter than conven- ber injected palm that is particularly ef- tional garden hoses. And the outside is wrapped with a flexi- fective for reducing vibration stress ble helix coil that prevents kinking, and provides protection from various kinds of power equipment. from crushing. Visit www.tuffguardhose.com to locate a deal- Those rubber palms also provide an ex- er near you. cellent non-slip grip, and the breathable knit back helps keep hands cool. Avail- Plugger–Planter able at Ace Hardware and Northern Tool Last fall I planted a lot of bulbs using a tool from ProPlugger & Equipment. called the 5-IN-1 Landscape Plugger. It significantly reduced my Woman’s Work continues to provide a fine selection of planting time and effort, particularly gloves designed with women in mind. What I like most about where I naturalized the bulbs in the their machine-washable Garden Gloves with Arm Saver is the lawn. This tool is made of steel, so it’s coverage they offer my forearms, considering the poison ivy heavy duty, and it has several advan- that somehow finds its way into my gardens. With elbow-length tages over hand-held bulb planters: it cuffs that are secured by a pull cord cinch, and a UPF rating allows you to stand up while you dig of 50+, they also protect from sun, insect bites, and scratch- your planting holes, and use your foot es. The back of the hands and cuffs are made of cotton sateen to press the cylinder into the soil. And with a touch of lycra for flexibility. The palms are durable syn- you can dig several holes before you thetic leather. Available from www.womanswork.com. need to empty the cylinder of soil, so your digging goes fast. Adapter plates Knee Comfort can be placed on the business end of When it’s time to get down on the ground to plant, thin, or weed, the cylinder to adjust the planting kneepads may be your best friend. I’ve discovered they help re- depth to two, four, or six inches. duce wear and tear on aging joints, The plugger can also be used for plugging lawns, remov- and unlike foam cushions, the ing weeds (it’s particularly good for wild onion), and even pads move with you as you progress planting beds and border edgings, although several cylin- down a row or through a bed. On ders-worth of soil may need to be removed for this last task, Your Kneeze Pleez kneepads use depending on the size of your bedding plants. ProPlugger of- something called mini-cell bun fers Coco-Peat Disks, made of coconut fiber, that expand to foam, supplied by a manufacturer five times their size to fill the holes created by removing the of kayak seats, to provide more plugs taken from turf or in weed removal. Available from durable and substantial padding www.ProPlugger.com. than many kneepads. They are easily held in place with a pair of Velcro straps, and quickly dis- A contributing editor for The American Gardener, Rita Pelczar pelled my initial concern that they might feel cumbersome or lives in North Carolina. She is the editor-in-chief of the AHS’s awkward. Available from www.joy-us.com. Homegrown Harvest (Mitchell Beazley/Octopus USA, 2010).

56 the American Gardener ְֱֱ֢֥֤֧֤֦֣֪֧֪֤֦֥֤֣֭֭֭֭֮֮֮֮֨֫֫֩֠֡֨֠֬֬֠֨֡֫֡֠֠֫֠֬֯֫ www.thefells.org. bury, NewHampshire.(603)763-4789x3. Vegetable Gardening. .֢֠֡ PR. 11. AR. 24–APR.15 ֢֠֡ MAR. 29. ֢֠֡ ֢֠֡ www.buffalogardens.com. Buffalo, NewYork.(716)827-1584. Buffalo &ErieCountyBotanicalGardens. New York.(718)623-7200. Class. BrooklynBotanicGarden.Brooklyn, (845) 265-2000. Stonecrop Gardens.ColdSpring,NewYork. www.gecgreenwich.org. Cob, Connecticut.(203)869-9242. den EducationCenterofGreenwich.Cos blossomed, autumn-flowering Higan cherry blossomed, 92 Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki presented theDistrict ofColumbiawitha 912, IN National Cherry Blossom Festival Turns 100 junction withthefestival, tour, self-guided includinganoutdoor exhibit, andlecture then, Washington, D.C.,residents andtouristsalikehave enjoyed cloudsofcher- Taft torepresent alastingfriendshipbetween thetwocountries.Every year since trees. TheycameattheurgingofFirstmost unusualgift:3,000cherry LadyHelen tition forthecountry’s tree variety favorite between cherry white-blossomedYoshino series attheU.S.National Arboretum collections. highlightingitsown cherry cherry cherry runus runus Cherry blossomsattheTidalBasin Several localpublicgardens haveblossomevents planned theirownincon- cherry For more information,visit 1 APR. 12&19. A MAR. 27. M Hands-on Pruning. (P CT, MA,ME,NH,NY,RI,VT Spring Bulbs. Designing aNightGarden. NORTHEAST www.stonecrop.org. edoensis), ✕y Introduction toBackyard Horticultural Events from Around theCountry Around from Horticultural Events Class. TheFells.New- Spring FlowerShow. Workshop. Gar- Guided tour. www.bbg.org. pink-blossomed ‘Kanzan’ (aka‘Kwanzan’), andpink- www .nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. .nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. ganizers have alsolaunchedasmartphone with anopeningceremony onMarch 25.Or- Japan’s culture, art, andmusic,beginning tival willfeature manyevents highlighting 20 toApril 27. an extendedfive-week festival from March ofthoseoriginalsaplingswith anniversary spring. Thisyear, D.C.celebratesthe100th blossoms around theTidalry Basin in app, aphotocontest,andanonlinecompe- The 2012National Blossom Fes- Cherry 7630. Randolph Center,Vermont.(508)877- Flower Society.VermontTechnicalCollege. Lecture series,activities.NewEnglandWild APR. 14. —Helen Thompson, Editorial Assistant (P Shows.” and clickon“FlowerHomeGarden offered, visit benefits specific onthe details For symbol. present AHSawardsaredesignatedbya discounted admissiontoAHSmembersor www.ahs.org/rap. contact thehostsitefordetailsorvisit benefits. Specialeventsmaynotbeincluded; for freeadmissiontothegardenorother showing avalidmembershipcardareeligible identified withthe in AHS’sReciprocalAdmissionsProgramare Botanical gardensandarboretathatparticipate EINLHAPPENINGS REGIONAL . subhirtella . subhirtella Flower andgardenshowsthatofferfreeor www.newfs.org. Northern GardeningSymposium. C www.ahs.org/events/index.htm ‘Autumnalis’). ֢֠֡ symbol. AHSmembers k .AY 18&19. (207) 236-2239. Maine. Camden, Center. Nature Merryspring ֢֠֡ Looking ahead [email protected]. setts. (978)692-9395.E-mail: Massachu- Westford, District. Conservation APR. 27&28. Connecticut. The SolomonWellesHouse.Wethersfield, necticut ChapteroftheHardyPlantSociety. APR. 25. www.bedfordnhgardenclub.org. Hampshire. (603)488-5001. Bedford GardenClub.Bedford,New APR. 19 .sity ofDelawareBotanic Gardens.Newark, ֢֠֡ www.daffodilusa.org. land. E-mail:[email protected]. Society. TheSheratonNorth.Towson, Mary- vention &FlowerShow. APR. 20&21. www.PAHerbandGardenFestival.com. York, Pennsylvania.(717)846-1848. Festival. APR. 13. www.usna.usda.gov. Washington, DC.(202)245-4523. series, plantsale.U.S.NationalArboretum. sium: InspiringNewDirections. ֢֠֡ MAR. 30. MAR. 28. www.usbg.gov. Garden. Washington,DC.(202)225-8333. Triumph. THROUGH APR.29 (610) 328-8025. more College.Swarthmore,Pennsylvania. Talk andtour.ScottArboretumatSwarth- [email protected]. boro, Virginia.(540)942-6735.E-mail: Inn andSuitesConferenceCenter.Wayns- sium: “AGardener’sPalette.” M APR. 25–28. MAR. 31. Spring Ephemerals. The IntimateGarden. Pennsylvania HerbandGarden Unusual BroadleavedEvergreens. Shenandoah ValleyPlantSympo- York ExpoCenter/MemorialHall. Plant &artexhibits.U.S.Botanic DC, DE,MD,NJ,PA,VA,WV Spring PlantSale. American DaffodilSocietyCon- www.cthardyplantsociety.org. MID-ATLANTIC Lahr NativePlantSympo- Spring PlantSale. Orchid Mystique:Nature’s www.merryspring.org. www.scottarboretum.org. Merryspring Plant Sale. Plant Merryspring March / April Ma ryland Daffodil ryland Lecture. Con- Best Western Lecture. Middlesex Lecture 2012 U niver- 57 -Delaware. (302) 831-0153. http://ag.udel. brich Botanical Gardens. Madison, Wiscon- ֢֠֡ APR. 14. Big Bloom. Plant sale & gar edu/udbg/events/annualsale.html. sin. (608) 246-4550. www.olbrich.org. den festival. South Texas Botanical Garden & Nature Center. Corpus Christi, Texas. Looking ahead MAR. 31. Community Garden Resource Fair. (361) 852-7875. www.stxbot.org. MAY 12 & 13. Garden Fair. The State Arbore- Gardening Matters. St. Paul, Minnesota. tum of Virginia at Blandy Experimental (612) 821-2358. www.gardeningmatters.org. APR. 14 & 15. Spring Garden Show. New Or- Farm. Boyce, Virginia. (540) 837-1758. leans Botanical Garden. New Orleans City www.blandy.virginia.edu. APR. 3. Seed Starting with Mini Greenhouses. Park. New Orleans, Louisiana. (504) 483- Class. Minnesota State Horticultural Society. 9386. http://garden.neworleanscitypark.com. MAY 18. Spring Wild Flower Symposium. The Roseville, Minnesota. (651) 643-3601. .Wintergreen Nature Foundation. Wintergreen, www.northerngardener.org. ֢֠֡ APR. 15. Butterfly Gardening Virginia. (434) 325-7451. www.twnf.org. Workshop. Botanical Garden of the Ozarks. APR. 9. The Joys of Container Gardening. Fayetteville, Arkansas. (479) 750-2620. Talk. Hennepin County Horticultural Soci- www.bgozarks.org. SOUTHEAST ety. Robbinsdale, Minnesota. (763) 551- AL, FL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN 1884. www.hchs-gardeners.org. APR. 26–28. Herb Days. Demonstrations, MAR. 28. South Georgia Native Plant & Wild- plant sale, exhibit. St. Louis Herb Society. flower Symposium. University of Georgia, APR. 14. Gardening Saturday. Demonstrations, Missouri Botanical Garden. St. Louis, Mis- Tifton Campus Conference Center. Tifton, plant sale, activities. Grand Forks Horticulture souri. (314) 577-5100. www.mobot.org. Georgia. (229) 391-6868. www.sgnpws.org. Society. NDSU Extension Service. Fargo, -North Dakota. (701) 780-8229. ֢֠֡ APR. 28 & 29. Orchid Heaven: 41st An k MAR. 29–APR. 1. Festival of Flowers. www.ag.ndsu.edu/grandforkscountyextension. nual Show & Sale. Heart O’ Texas Orchid Providence Hospital Campus. Mobile, Society. Zilker Botanic Gardens. Austin, .Alabama. (251) 639-2050. ֢֠֡ APR. 21. David Howard: My Gardening Texas. (512) 477-8672. www.hotos.org www.festivalofflowers.com. Life. Lecture. Chicago Botanic Garden. Glencoe, Illinois. (847) 835-5440. SOUTHWEST .֢֠֡ APR. 12–15. Spring Plant Sale. Birming- www.chicagobotanic.org AZ, CO, NM, UT ham Botanical Gardens. Birmingham, Alaba- .ma. (215) 414-3900. www.bbgardens.org. ֢֠֡ APR. 21 & 22. Fellows Riverside Gar- APR. 7. The Spring Garden. Workshop dens Daffodil Show. Exhibit and plant show. Santa Fe Botanical Garden. Santa Fe, k APR. 13–15. 9th Annual Bloom ‘n’ Mill Creek Metro Parks. Fellows Riverside New Mexico. (505) 471-9103. Garden Expo. Williamson County Master Gardens. Youngstown, Ohio. (330) 740- www.santafebotanicalgarden.org. Gardeners Association. Franklin, Tennessee. 7116. www.millcreekmetroparks.org. (615) 973-2112. www.bloomngarden.com. APR. 14. The Ultimate Home Garden Tour. .֢֠֡ APR. 22. Tree First Aid: Protect Your Tucson Botanical Garden. Tucson, Arizona APR. 14. Georgia Native Plant Society’s Annual Investment. Workshop. The Brenton Arbore- (520) 326-9686. www.tucsonbotanical.org. Plant Sale. McFarlane Nature Park. Marietta, tum. Dallas Center, Iowa. (515) 992-4211. Georgia. (770) 343-6000. www.gnps.org. www.thebrentonarboretum.org. ֢֠֡ APR. 14 & 15. Spring Bulb Show. Red Butte Garden and Arboretum at the Univer- (֢֠֡ APR. 14. Plantapalooza. Plant sale. The ֢֠֡ APR. 27. NSA Arbor Day Plant Sale. sity of Utah. Salt Lake City, Utah. (801 State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Athens, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. University 585-0556. www.redbuttegarden.org. Georgia. (706) 542-1244. of Nebraska. Lincoln, Nebraska. www.botgarden.uga.edu. (402) 472-2971. http://arboretum.unl.edu. k APR. 27–29. Maricopa County Home & Landscape Show. Arizona State Fairgrounds, .֢֠֡ APR. 18. Gardening in Containers. k APR. 27–29. Orchard In Bloom Garden Phoenix, Arizona. (602) 485-1691 Class. Atlanta Botanical Garden. Atlanta, Show. Holliday Park. Indianapolis, Indiana. www.maricopacountyhomeshows.com. Georgia. (404) 876-5859. (317) 251-9253. www.orchardinbloom.org. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org. Looking ahead ֢֠֡ APR. 28. Butterfly Gardening. Class. ֢֠֡ MAY 11 & 12. Spring Plant Sale. Denver APR. 21. Planting Your Seasonal Vegetable Taltree Arboretum. Valparaiso, Indiana. Botanic Gardens. Denver, Colorado. (720) Garden. Workshop. Callaway Gardens. (219) 462-0025. www.taltree.org. 865-3500. www.botanicgardens.org. Pine Mountain, Georgia. (800) 225-5292. www.callawaygardens.com. SOUTH CENTRAL WEST COAST AR, KS, LA, MO, MS, OK, TX CA, HI, NV Looking ahead ’MAY 11 & 12. Wildflower Whimsy. Festival. ֢֠֡ MAR. 31. 55th Annual Garden Festival. MAR. 30. Plant It, Grow It, Eat It. Teachers Highlands Botanical Garden. Highlands, Zilker Botanical Garden. Austin, Texas. workshop. Life Lab. Santa Cruz, California. North Carolina. (828) 526-2221. E-mail: (512) 477-8672. www.zilkergarden.org. (831) 459-3833. www.lifelab.org. [email protected]. .֢֠֡ APR. 7 & 8. Spring Plant Sale. MAR. 31. Garden Tour for the Senses MAY 20–23. North Carolina Master Gardener Crosby Arboretum. Picayune, San Diego Horticultural Society. Conference. Asheville, North Carolina. (828) Mississippi. (601) 799-2311. San Diego, California. (619) 296-9215. 299-3645. www.ncmastergardeners.org. www.crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu. www.sdhortsoc.org.

֢֠֡ APR. 11. Container Gardens and MAR. 31. Spring Garden Tour. California NORTH CENTRAL New Plants for 2012. Lecture. Botanica, Native Plant Society, South Coast Chapter. IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI The Wichita Gardens. Wichita, Kansas. South Los Angeles County, California. .֢֠֡ MAR. 26. Spring Show Plant Sale. Ol- (316) 264-0448. www.botanica.org. (310) 629-0500. www.sccnps.org

58 the American Gardener ֢֠֡ MAR. 31. Upgrade to a Water-Smart Landscape. Workshop, lecture. The Gardens at the Springs Preserve. Las Vegas, Nevada. Renovated Huntington Japanese Garden Reopens (702) 822-7700. www.springspreserve.org. ON APRIL 11, the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

-֢֠֡ APR. 14. California Native Garden in San Marino, California, will reopen its newly renovated Japanese Garden, orig Grand Opening. South Bay Botanic Garden. inally constructed in 1912. The Southwestern College. Chula Vista, Califor- $6.8 million project was complet- nia. (619) 421-6700 ext. 5371. E-mail: ed this spring in honor of the gar- [email protected]. den’s 100th anniversary.

-֢֠֡ APR. 15. Day of Fruit. Displays, activi- “The Japanese Garden is ar ties. California Rare Fruit Growers. South guably the most popular spot at the Coast Botanic Garden. Palos Verdes Penin- Huntington and has drawn more sula, California. (310) 544-1948. than 20 million visitors since the in- www.southcoastbotanicgarden.org. stitution opened to the public in

APR. 21 & 22. California Poppy Festival. Ante- 1928,” says James Folsom, the lope Valley California Poppy Reserve. Lan- Telleen/Jorgensen Director of the caster, California. www.poppyfestival.com. Botanical Gardens. “It is a garden The Japanese Garden at the Huntington that functions on multiple levels at APR. 29. Native Canoe Plants and History. once; a magical place, intimate and Walk & talk. Foster Botanical Garden. Honolulu Botanical Gardens. Honolulu, inspiring. At the same time, it teaches us about Japan’s unique landscape traditions, Hawaii. (808) 522-7066. craftsmanship, horticulture, and rituals.” www.honolulu.gov/parks/hbg. The project included a restoration of the garden’s central piece of architecture, a traditional Japanese house from the late 19th century, and the addition of two new Looking ahead features: a traditional Japanese tea house and a tea garden. MAY 4–6. Grow! A Garden Festival. Los Ange- les County Arboretum & Botanic Gardens. The Huntington will offer two special lectures in conjunction with the reopen- Arcadia, California. (626) 821-3222. ing ceremonies. On April 12, Soshitsu Sen, a grand master of chado, will give a talk www.arboretum.org. and demonstration of a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. On April 17, Folsom will speak about the garden’s centennial and the challenges and discoveries behind the NORTHWEST scenes during the renovation. For more information, visit www.huntington.org. AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY

MAR. 31–APR. 1. Saga Goryu Ikebana Exhibition. Portland Japanese Garden. California Native Plant Week Portland, Oregon. (503) 223-1321. IN 2010, the California legislature passed a bill to establish California Native Plant www.japanesegarden.com. Week every April with the goal of preserving the state’s rich variety of native species

-֢֠֡ APR. 12. Rose Gardening in the Coun- and raising awareness about the importance of biodiversity. Sponsored by the Cali try. Talk. The Wyoming Prairie Rose Society. fornia Native Plant Society (CNPS), this year’s celebration runs from April 15 to 22. Cheyenne Botanic Gardens. Cheyenne, CNPS chapters and botanical gardens across the state will host native plant Wyoming. (307) 637−3114. sales, wildflower shows, gardening workshops, lectures, school programs, hikes, www.botanic.org. and many other events. For more information and a full event schedule, visit .֢֠֡ APR. 16. Design Your Garden for Four www.californianativeplantweek.org Season Interest. Class. Idaho Botanical Gar- —Helen Thompson, Editorial Assistant den. Boise, Idaho. (208) 343-8649. www.idahobotanicalgarden.org.

APR. 21–MAY 13. Lilac Days 2012. Show, fes- Looking ahead ֢֠֡ APR. 27–29. Royal Botanical Gardens tival, plant sale, guided tour. Hulda Klager MAY 8. Tip-Toe Through the Trilliums. Home and Garden Show. Royal Botanical Lilac Gardens. Woodland, Washington. Guided hike. Montana Native Plant Society. Gardens. Hamilton, Ontario. (905) 527- (360) 606-7359. www.lilacgardens.com. Missoula, Montana. (406) 258-5439. 1158. www.rbg.org. www.mtnativeplants.org. .APR. 22. Spring Plant Sale. Northwest Peren- ֢֠֡ APR. 28 & 29. Spring Plant Sale nial Alliance. North Seattle Community Col- ֢֠֡ MAY 19. Annual Plant Sale. Alaska The Gardens at Horticulture Center of the lege. Seattle, Washington. (425) 647-6004. Botanical Garden. Anchorage, Alaska. Pacific. Victoria, British Columbia. (250) www.n-p-a.org. (907) 770-3692. www.alaskabg.org. 479-6162. www.hcp.ca.

֢֠֡ APR. 28. Designed to Eat: Combining Looking ahead CANADA -Edibles with Ornamentals for the Table. ֢֠֡ MAY 18–21. Plant Sale. Toronto Botani Class. Center for Urban Horticulture. Univer- APR. 7. Cherry Tree Walk & Talk. cal Garden. Toronto, Ontario. (416) 397- sity of Washington Botanic Gardens. Seattle, VanDusen Botanical Garden. Vancouver, 1341. www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca. Washington. (206) 685-8033. British Columbia. (604) 257-8335. http://depts.washington.edu/uwbg. www.vandusengarden.org. ְְְְְְְֱֱֲֲ֢֢֤֦֤֪֢֥֣֢֪֤֢֢֥֦֣֪֪֦֧֦֤֭֭֭֭֭֭֮֮֮֮֮֡֠֠֫֫֬֯֠֬֠֬֫֠֨֬֯֠֫֠֬֨֬֬֩֠֩֠֠֯

MARCH / APRIL 2012 59 GREAT ELIZABETHAN GARDENS PRONUNCIATIONSC AND PLANTING ZONES

Most of the cultivated plants described in this issue are listed here with their pronunciations, New! USDA Plant Hardiness Zones, and AHS Plant Heat Zones. These zones suggest a range of locations where temperatures are appropriate—both in winter and summer—for growing each plant. Zones listed refer to the 1990 version of the USDA’s map. While the zones are a good place to start in determining plant adaptability in your region, factors such as exposure, moisture, snow cover, and humidity also play an important role in plant survival. The zones tend to be conservative; plants may grow outside the ranges indicated. A USDA zone rating of 0–0 means that the plant is a true annual and completes its life cycle Queeneen Elizabeth in the GardenGar in a year or less. A Story of Love, Rivalry, Actea simplex ak-TEE-uh SIM-pleks (USDA M. ashei M. ASH-ee-eye (7–9, 9–7) and Spectacular Gardens Zones 4–8, AHS Zones 8–1) M. campbellii M. cam-BEL-lee-eye (7–9, 9–7) TREA MARTYN Aeonium arboreum ee-O-nee-um ar-BOR-ee-um M. cylindrica M. sih-LIN-drih-kuh (6–9, 9–6) Queen Elizabeth I’s great love for gardens transformed her (9–11, 12–8) M. denudata M. deh-new-DAY-tuh (6–9, 9–6) M. fraseri M. FRAYZ-yer-eye (6–9, 9–6) country and made gardeners of statesmen, courtiers, and Agarista populifolia ah-guh-REES-tuh pop-yew- lih-FO-lee-uh (6–9, 9–1) M. grandiflora M. gran-dih-FLOR-uh (7–9, 9–1) soldiers. The two most powerful men in England during Agave xylonocantha uh-GAH-vee zy-lon-uh-KAN- M. ✕kewensis M. kew-EN-sis (6–9, 9–6) Elizabeth’s reign, Dudley and Cecil, led the way. Driven by thuh (8–10, 12–6) M. kobus M. KO-bus (5–9, 9–5) their rivalry and devotion to their queen, they created ever Aleurites fordii al-yew-RY-teez FORD-ee-eye M. liliiflora M. lih-lee-ih-FLOR-uh (4–9, 9–1) more gorgeous gardens that amazed the world. (8–10, 10–7) M. ✕loebneri M. LOBE-ner-eye (4–9, 9–5) “Martyn describes gardens with verve and authority.” Andromeda polifolia an-DROM-eh-duh pol-ih-FO- M. macrophylla M. mak-ro-FIL-uh (6–9, 9–6) —The Sunday Times (U.K.) lee-uh (2–6, 6–1) M. obovata M. o-bo-VAY-tuh (5–9, 9–5) “Martyn’s descriptions of gardens...are excellent...” Anemone ranunculoides uh-NEM-o-nee ruh-nung- M. salicifolia M. sal-iss-ih-FO-lee-uh (6–9, 9–6) —The Guardian (U.K.) kyew-LOY-deez (4–8, 8–1) M. sargentiana M. sar-jen-tee-AN-uh (7–9, 9–7) 336 pages Hardcover $22.95 9781933346366 Artemisia schmidtiana ar-teh-MEEZ-yuh M. sieboldii M. see-BOWL-dee-eye (6–9, 9–7) shmit-ee-AN-uh (5–8, 8–4) M. ✕soulangeana M. soo-lan-jee-AN-uh (5–9, 9–5) bluebridgebooks.com Athyrium felix-femina var. asplenioides uh-THIH- M. sprengeri M. SPRENG-ger-eye (7–9, 9–7) ree-um FIL-iks-FEM-ih-nuh var. uh-splee-NOY- M. stellata M. stel-LAY-tuh (4–9, 9–5) deez (6–9, 9–1) M. tripetala M. try-PET-uh-luh (5–9, 9–5) A. niponicum A. nih-PON-ih-kum (5–8, 8–1) M. ✕wiesneri M. WEEZ-nur-eye (5–9, 9–5) Brunnera macrophylla bruh-NEH-ruh mak-ro-FIL- Mahonia nepalensis mah-HO-nee-uh luh (3–7, 7–1) neh-PAL-en-siss (8–9, 9–8) Chamaedaphne calyculata kam-ee-DAF-nee kal- Molinia caerulea moh-LEEN-ee-uh see-ROO-lee- ik-yew-LAY-tuh (3–6, 6–1) uh (5–9, 9–1) Clematis recta KLEM-uh-tiss REK-tuh (4–11, 9–1) Ophiopogon planiscapus of-fee-o-PO-gon Eubotrys racemosa yew-BOT-riss ras-eh-MO-suh plan-iss-KAY-pus (6–11, 12–5) (5–9, 9–1) Oxalis vulcanicola auk-SAL-iss vul-kan-ih-KO-luh E. recurva E. ree-KUR-vuh (5–8, 8–1) (9–11, 12–8) Eupatorium rugosum yew-puh-TOR-ee-um ROO- Perilla frutescens peh-RILL-uh froo-TESS-enz go-sum (4–8, 8–2) (0–0, 12–1) Gaultheria procumbens gawl-THEER-ee-uh Persicaria microcephala pur-sih-KAIR-ee-uh pro-KUM-benz (3–8, 8–1) my-kro-SEF-uh-luh (5–8, 8–1) G. shallon G. SHAL-lon (6–9, 9–1) Picea pungens PY-see-uh PUN-jenz (3–8, 8–1) Geranium pratense juh-RAY-nee-um pray-TEN- Pieris floribunda py-AIR-iss flor-ih-BUN-duh see (4–8, 8–1) (5–8, 8–5) Ipomoea batatas ih-po-ME-uh buh-TAH-tus P. phillyreifolia P. fih-lih-ree-ih-FO-lee-uh (10–11, 11–1) (7–9, 9–5) Leucothoe axillaris loo-KO-thoh-ee ak-sih-LAIR- Polygonum cuspidatum pah-lih-GO-nay-tum iss (6–9, 9–6) kus-pih-DAY-tum (8–10, 11–7) L. davisiae L. day-VIS-ee-ee (6–8, 7–1) Ricinus communis rih-SY-nuss com-YEW-niss L. fontanesiana L. fon-tan-ee-zee-AN-uh (5–8, 8–3) (0–0, 12–1) Lyonia ferruginea ly-O-nee-uh fair-oo-JIN-ee-uh Syneilesis aconitifolia sin-ee-LEE-sis ak-o-ny-tih- (8–10, 10–1) FO-lee-uh (4–8, 7–4) L. fruticosa L. froo-tih-KO-suh (8–10, 10–1) Torreya taxifolia tor-REE-uh tak-sih-FO-lee-uh L. ligustrina L. lih-gus-TRY-nuh (4–9, 9–1) (8–10, 10–8) L. lucida L. LOO-sih-duh (7–9, 9–1) Trifolium repens try-FO-lee-um REP-enz (4–8, 8–1) L. mariana L. mar-ee-AN-uh (5–9, 9–1) Trillium luteum TRIL-ee-um LOO-tee-um Lysimachia ciliata liss-ih-MAHK-ee-uh sil-ee-AY- (5–7, 7–4) tuh (5–8, 9–3) Woodwardia unigemmata wood-WARD-ee-uh L. congestiflora L. kon-jes-tih-FLOR-uh (7–9, 9–6) oo-nih-JEM-ah-tuh (8–9, 9–8) L. nummularia L. noom-yew-LAIR-ee-uh (4–8, 8–1) Zenobia pulverulenta zeh-NO-bee-uh pul-vur-yew- Magnolia acuminata mag-NOLE-yuh ak-yew-min- LEN-tuh (5–9, 9–5) AY-tuh (4–8, 8–2)

60 the American Gardener GARDEN MARKET C Veggies And Herbs In Biodegradable Pots CLASSIFIED AD RATES: All classified advertising must be prepaid. $2.75 per word; minimum $66 per insertion. Copy and prepayment must be received by the 20th of the month three months prior to publication date. Display ad space is also available. To place an ad, call (703) 768-5700 ext. 120 or e-mail [email protected].

HELLEBORES PLANT LABELS

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Large garden center for sale in major North Car- olina city. Owners truly retiring, long time em- www.BonniePlants.com PLANTS ployees. Confidentiality agreement required. Asking price $2.5M. Broker: (252) 646-8481. Mail-Order Natives, P.O. Box 9366, Lee, FL 32059. Retail supplier of native trees, shrubs, Gardening With native azaleas, perennials, palms & grasses. Top quality plants with service to match. Free You Since 1918. catalog. www.mailordernatives.com. E-mail: [email protected]. Phone: (850) 973-0585.

To place your ad here, Gardens of Kyoto call (703) 768-5700 ext. 120 Japan or e-mail [email protected]. arborday.org/giveatree

Exciting New Perennial Varieties from Seed

April & November Ten Day Tours

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Production · Breeding · Seed Technology

USA Office: 125 Chenoweth Ln. · Louisville, KY 40207 Phone (502) 895-08 07 · Fax (502) 895-39 34 · http://www.jelitto.com · [email protected] German Headquarters: P.O. Box 1264 · D-29685 Schwarmstedt www.espirita.org.uk Phone 01149-5071-98 29-0 · Fax 01149-50 71-98 29-27 · www.jelitto.com · [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)161 928 5768

March / April 2012 61 62 by Grahame Ware Shredded Umbrella Family Aster ofthe Plant—Rebel however, Icametoappreciate theflow- crestfallen. Upon takingacloserlook, little composite” image,ifyou will. contrarian way—amakeover ofthe“pretty eyes itscharmmanifestsitselfinakindof isn’t asterlikeinflower very orfoliage,inmy ers insignificant.Ibegtodisagree. Whileit ican gardeners isthatsomeconsideritsflow- has notyet beenwidelyembracedby Amer- its astonishing foliage. Perhaps onereason it in theasterfamily, growing isworth justfor herbaceousgroundcover7–4), awonderful ers’ uniqueness. for thefirsttimeinmygarden, Iwasabit yet are strong andpersistforseveral weeks. white tofrosted pinkflowers lookdelicate summer, theterminalclustersofelegant, other three feet.Opening inearlytomid- the striatedpurplepedicelsthatriseupan- becoming thicker leathery. and somewhat have fully unfurled and shed their “wool,” tall, medium green, deeply dissected leaves summer theone-and-a-half-totwo-foot- odophyllum peltatum) ephemeral, whitewoollyhairs.By early bling littletattered umbrellas covered in The leaves emerge inearly spring, resem- stinking hellebore mayapple foliage, which resembles across between a Yes, gardeners really go gaga for this plant’s FOLIAGE ANDFLOWERS S www.plantdelights.com. (919) 772-4794. Plant DelightsNursery, www.keepingitgreennursery.com. WA. (360)652-1779. Keeping ItGreenNursery, Sources I’ll admitthatwhentheplantbloomed The foliageprovides aspringboard for the American Gardener diness Zones 4–8,AHSHeat Zones (Syneilesis aconitifolia, HREDDED UMBRELLA (P (H elleborus foetidus). elleborus Raleigh, NC. Stanwood, USDA H and a plant ar- bothering thefoliage. gions. Ihaven’t noticedanypestsordiseases morning sunisfine,especiallyin coolerre- quirements, shredded umbrella plant tofullshade, butalittle will thrive inpart suggest amendingitwithorganic matter. It drainage, however. If your soilisheavy, I ticular aboutsoilpH.It doesneedgood plant isquitedrought tolerantandnotpar- rea, andeasternRussia, shredded umbrella Native hillsidesinChina, Japan, todry Ko- REQUIREMENTS CULTURAL LN NTESPOTLIGHT THE IN PLANT Provided with thesesimpleculturalre- C (Epimedium land plants,includingbarrenworts blends companionablywithotherwood- doesn’t hide smallerplants. or atthebackofborder sothatit clumps uptotwofeetwide.Place itnear slowly by rhizomes, plantseventually form toniense), bells ifrages, Cantonfairy Ladysmith, British Columbia. Grahame Ware isafreelance writerbasedin ty asmuchIdo. and Ipredict you’ll enjoybeau- subtle its ings. Give thispretty littlerebel a chance, dens, shadyborders, or foundation plant- as awhole—stillshinesinwoodlandgar- shredded umbrella plant—whenviewed power orclassicbeautyofitsaster cousins, Though itsflowers mightnot have thestar BEAUTY SUBTLE assuming flowersappearinsummer. it emergesinspring.Left:Theplant’sun - plant hasafinecoatingofwhitehairswhen Above: Thefoliageofshreddedumbrella and av spp .), hostas,woodlandsax- ariety offerns.Spreading (Dispor um can-

ְֱֱֱֲֲֳ֢֥֥֪֪֧֤֢֣֥֦֣֭֭֭֭֭֭֮֠֩֨֠֫֨֡֠֫֠֬֬֠֬֯