Bulletin of the American Rock Carden Society Vol. 37 Spring 1979 No. 2 The Bulletin Editor Emeritus DR. EDGAR T. WHERRY, Philadelphia, Pa. Editor LAURA LOUISE FOSTER, Falls Village, Conn. 06031 Assistant Editor HARRY DEWEY, 4605 Brandon Lane, Beltsville, Md. 20705 Contributing Editors: Roy Davidson Anita Kistler H. Lincoln Foster Owen Pearce Bernard Harkness H. N. Porter

Layout Designer: BUFFY PARKER Business Manager ANITA KISTLER, 1421 Ship Rd., West Chester, Pa. 19380 Contents Vol. 37 No. 2 Spring, 1979 Hardy —W. J. Hamilton, Jr 53 Purpurascens: Saxatile Proclivity—Brian Dutton 58 About Walls—Madalene Modic 60 The Rediscovery of Lutea and Phlox Purpurea—Prof. Emer. T. Paul Maslin ..62 Three Old-Timers—Joan Means 69 Vitaliana (Gregoria)—Roy Davidson 71 Kurt Baasch's Photographs 72 A Sandy Garden, Part II—Pam Harper 74 Czech Rock Garden Show 78 The Rock Ferns, A Baker's Dozen Not So Familiar—Kay Boydston 79 Book Reviews: Japanese Maples by J. D. Vertrees; Garden Conifers in Color by Brian and Valerie Proudley 84 The Small- Hostas, A of Delight and Surprise—Mrs. Ralph Cannon 86 Wildflowers on the Bickleton Ridge—Gertrude Sutton 90 Of Cabbages and Kings: Tonic for Moles—Mary Ley; Informative Publica• tions ; An Ex-Expert Reminisces—John P. Osborne; A Race of Gardeners— O. B. Gudmundsson; At Your Service 92 Front Cover Picture——William C. Dilger, Freeville, N.Y.

Published quarterly by the AMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETY, incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey. You are invited to join. Annual dues (Bulletin included) are: Ordinary Membership, $7.00; Family Membership (two per family), $8.00; Overseas Mem• bership, $5.00 each; Patron's Membership, $25.00; Life Membership, $150.00. Optional 1st cl. delivery, U.S. and Canada, $3.00 additional annually. Optional air delivery overseas, $6.00 additional annually. Membership inquiries and dues should be sent to Donald M. Peach, Secretary, Box 183, Hales Corners, Wi. 53130. The office of publication is located at 5966 Kurtz Rd., Hales Corners, Wi. 53130. Address editorial matters pertaining to the Bulletin to the Editor, Laura Louise Foster, Falls Village, Conn. 06031. Address advertising matters to the Business Manager at 1421 Ship Rd., West Chester, Pa. 19380. Second class postage paid in Hales Corners, Wi. and additional offices. Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society (ISSN 0003-0864.) Date of Publication: April 15, 1979. Vol. 37 Sprir ig 1979 No. 2

Bulletin of the American 1^ Koc

HARDY CYCLAMENS

W. J. HAMILTON JR. Ithaca, New York Drawings by William C. Dilger, Freeville, N.Y.

Throughout the Mediterannean area, years to settle down. as far east as the Black Sea, one When selecting a site for these little or another of the wild cyclamen occurs. charmers, it is well to recall the habitat These are adaptable little , occu• that they occupy in their native lands. pying a wide range of habitats. In Most are shade lovers, and occupy well their native haunts, they have a long drained stony ground, where the tuber season of bloom. The attractive , has some shelter from the sun. In the often forming a dense ground cover, forest, they seek the shelter of large can add much to our gardens. Few oaks, and conifers, occurring plants provide so much enjoyment once from sea level nearly to snow line. they have become established. It is, In the wild, the tuber may be nearly indeed, unfortunate that so few gar• a foot deep, or actually exposed on deners know them, and far fewer at• the surface. How adaptable they really tempt to introduce them into their are is evident from a note I received plantings. Cyclamens do have the from Timmy Foster. She writes, "I'll undeserved reputation of being difficult. never forget seeing the little blossoms Perhaps gardeners have been disillusion• of C. coum scattered over a limestone ed too often by purchasing the dry talus slope in Lebanon just below a collected tubers that often take several snowbank in early March. We had to

53 lift away the rocks to reach the corms mistakenly the tuber ventral sur• which were about 12 inches down (no face up. There is only a short dormant soil was apparent) with the pedicels period when such an error can be made. snaking their way up between the Presumably every lover knows stones. The were just on the the florists' form of . surface." If this appears to be adverse The much smaller flowers of wild spe• conditions, consider Cyclamen colchi- cies have rare charm, their dancing cum. Professor Otto Schwarz tells us butterfly-like blooms held aloft on two that this rare grows a mile high to eight inch stalks. Color is variable, in deep shady crevices of the pre- several species showing considerable cipitious dolomitic cliffs in Georgian variation from pink, rose, magenta to U.S.S.R. Fortunately, we can achieve white. Some support ear-like auricles success without approximating these on the rim of the corolla harsh conditions. In our own gardens, (hederifolium). Most species have red we should plant the tubers where some or purples blotches at the mouth of shade is available, or if in the open, the flower. Many are sweetly scented, the protection of a flat rock partially notably purpurascens. covering the will be helpful. Since It is fascinating to watch the develop• most cyclamen are shallow rooted, do ment of the . When fertilization not be concerned with the competition occurs, the corolla drops away and in of and tree roots. all species excepting persicum, the The tuber varies somewhat in ap• flower stem commences to wind up, pearance with the species, but is usually eventually forming a spiralling mass a rounded, somewhat flattened structure of coils about the developing seed pod that is often slightly concave above (fig. C). Strangely enough, and ir• and rounded below. Picture, if you respective of their season of bloom, please, a stemless mushroom upside all cyclamen ripen their seed in mid• down and there is your cyclamen tuber. summer. Thus, coum, flowering in Depending on the species, the roots March, may take but four months to may spring from the top and upper produce ripe seed, while purpurascens sides (hederifolium), essentially all over may take a full year. As the fully the structure (purpurascens) or from developed hard seed ripens, the a well marked ring in the center long stem slowly unfolds, thrusting the of the bottom. The disposition of the pod away from the crown of the tuber. roots may vary, for we have grown Slowly the capsule softens, the distal coum with roots arising from the sides, portion folds back to reveal a brown while others have a basal tuft of roots mass of , like a partially hidden only. Occasionally brittle stalks develop chocolate raspberry. Each capsule will on the upper surface, and should the contain from twenty to sixty seeds. tuber be buried rather deeply, these While still in the splitting capsule, the may be several inches long. These stalks seeds are covered with a sticky gelati• frequently appear on C. purpurascens. nous substance that has a marked at• The tuber covering may be corky or traction for ants, wasps and other in• thin skinned, often broken with cracks. sects. Often within minutes of dehiscing, Examine the tuber carefully when plant• the ripe brown seeds are carried off ing, making certain the top is right by insects which relish the sweet coat• side up. Since the roots may grow ing. Hence one finds seedlings cropping upward toward the surface, one may up in an area well removed from the

54 parent plant. If one is alert, the reward plate. One of my Cyclamen hederifolium may be as many as five hundred seeds is now thirty years old, measures five from a large plant of hederifolium. inches in diameter and produces over Cyclamen tubers neither divide nor fifty flowers over a six week period. produce offsets, they merely increase It is indeed fortunate that the easiest in size as they become older. Thus doer is the best of the hardy cyclamens. propagation is dependent upon the sow• Cyclamen hederifolium (neapolitanum) ing of seed. It is essential that fresh is so named because of the likeness seed be planted as soon as collected of its leaves to those of ivy. Its rose to insure good and rapid germination. pink flowers on creeping stalks first If one delays planting, the seeds may appear in August. A marvellous white lie dormant for many months. If the form, its mouth flushed with red or seed is not fresh, germination is hasten• pink, is widely grown. Soon after the ed by soaking them for a full day. flowers open, a spectacular growth of We sow the seed in flats and keep leaves, borne on long, creeping petioles, them on the greenhouse bench for the adds greatly to the charm of the plant. first year. One may expect germination The leaves exhibit a surprising varia• in from four to six weeks. In three tion in their size, shape and color pat• months, the little tubers, now sup• tern. After the flowers have faded, in porting one or two leaves, may be early November, the marbled leaves transplanted to stand an inch or two continue the show, persisting in all their apart. They are set out in permanent beauty throughout the cruel northern quarters the following August, a year winter. The leaves fade away in June from sowing the seed. Following this or July and the tuber takes its rest practice, we have flowered hederifolium for a few weeks. The great English in thirteen months. Our friend, Nina gardener E. A. Bowles wrote, "I do Lambert, planted seed of C. pur- not know any plant that pays a better purascens in mid-July of 1977. These rent than C. neapolitanum during the were set out in the border in the spring eleven months of each year and only of 1978. Eleven months from sowing, in one does it ask for a holiday with half of the little plants had single pay." flowers. \^ hile hederifolium must be our first Lacking a greenhouse, one can sow choice, the sweet scented Cyclamen pur- fresh seed in a flat or bulb pan, putting purascens (europaeum) is another hardy them under lights with the approach gem. Its deep carmine flowers pirouette of cold weather. If top dressed with on five to six inch stems, well above coarse grit and covered with pine nee• the slightly toothed dark green leaves dles after the first frost, those plants (fig. B). These leaves may be plain which have appeared will survive the or touched with silvery blotches above winter, while the remaining seeds will and reddish below. While the leaf is germinate the following spring. If variable, it never approaches the started in a cold frame, mulch heavily remarkable leaf variation, both in shape with evergreen boughs the first winter. and color pattern that is found in One must make a start — with seeds! hederifolium. While this species is al• Once established, cyclamen are among most evergreen, it lacks the rugged har• the longest lived of all garden plants. diness of hederifolium and may disap• Some have been known to live eighty pear after several years. A pot grown years and attain the width of a dinner specimen in the Cornell Plantations

55 A — ssp. caucasicum. Roots more typically grow in a central tuft from base of tuber. B — C — Cyclamen hederifolium in seed. Flower above.

56 greenhouse has been in continuous bed of sawdust for the non-blooming bloom for nearly three years. This spe• period. As the form, bring them cies often produces knobby "stems" into the house and place on the kitchen from the crown of the tuber from which window sill. Indeed, all cyclamen lend the flowers grow, a feature common themselves well to potting. We grow to several other species. These knobs some under lights in an unheated are often destroyed in shipment, setting garage, where temperatures drop nearly the tuber back a full flowering season. to freezing. Purpurascens has the tendency to settle How far north will cyclamens grow? deeper than many other cyclamens. It We simply do not know. Betty Ann is often recommended that they be Mech of Minneapolis has given up on planted four to six inches deep. In all species in boreal Minnesota. Roxie our area, the tubers do well even when Gevjan grows only hederifolium out• they are partially exposed. doors in the Philadelphia area, having Our last truly hardy species is Cycla• failed with coum. But Pamela Harper men coum. This remarkable little plant of Seaford, Virginia finds C. repandum is known to few American gardeners. hardy "even through the very bad win• Our plantings produce their plain green ter we had two years ago (coldest on leaves, sometimes slightly mottled, in record for the area), just touched zero late fall. The dumpy little magenta F. Frost went deep into the ground flowers appear in March, no matter which stayed frozen several months." how frigid the weather. The Pam had cilicium for several years, caucasicum is a bit larger than coum, and lost it because it had too bad the leaves heart-shaped with a distinct a spot, impoverished and dry under silver pattern (fig. A). We have a a water oak. Perhaps we blame the little colony by our sun porch door, weather too much for our failures. Soil and in February (temps, occasionally conditions and the proper siting of our to —20F.) the prostrate petioles support plants may be more important than little pointed reddish buds that open we suspect. into glowing sparks through the crusted Cultivation of hardy cyclamen poses snow of March. Since snow may cover no difficulties. Tubers are planted pref• the plant at this season, it is well to erably when they are dormant. A light place a pane of glass or clear plastic neutral soil, rich in humus, and semi- cover over the flowers, the better to shade suit them best. Since most are enjoy this bit of color in the waning shallow rooted, exercise care in cultivat• days of winter. We also grow a dozen ing the soil about them. If seed is tubers in an oak barrel half. Here they to be sown, it should be fresh. Leaves keep company with a few Crocus flavus, appear with the fall rains, but water and never fail to astonish the few should be provided in dry periods even visitors who tour the garden in this though the plants are dormant. A few bleak period. species undergo a period of baking Other dwarf cyclamen we have tried in the wild, but this treatment is un• are C. cilicium and C. repandum. They necessary in our climate. may linger a year or two through our Find a neighbor who grows cycla• harsh Ithaca winters but surely deserve mens and get a start from his or her a better fate. If you must grow these garden. But don't delay, for these and other less hardy cyclamens, try cherubs give sweet cheer and provide potting them in clay pots sunk in a unending joy for most of the year.

57 CYCLAMEN PURPURASCENS: SAXATILE PROCLIVITY

BRIAN DUTTON Oak Park, Illinois

A recent rereading of some ARGS cover is often lacking and conditions can Bulletins led me to write this note that approach those of windswept tundra. C. may be of interest to those of us with purpurascens on the other hand is quite a fondness for hardy cyclamen. James definitely montane in nature, reaching R. Baggett of (Vol. 31, 1973, 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) all around p. 81) writes of a Cyclamen the Alps. It usually grows on limestone hederifolium ( s y n . neapolitanum.) formation in stony woods or scrub that growing in a cavity amongst rocks and provide protection from the harsh producing a tight clump that flowers sunlight in summer and the worst ele• and seeds well. In a later issue (Vol. ments in winter. While the leaves of 32, 1974, pp. 164-169) I read Vladimir C. hederifolium are ivy-shaped, those Vasak's intriguing study on "Cyclamen of C. purpurascens range from heart- in Colchida". He refers to one species, shaped to round or even reniform, with C. calcareum, that grows "in crevices a tiny toothing on the outer edge that of lime rocks in the narrow rocky can• may disappear with age. The underside yon of the river Chkenis-Ckali . . ." of the leaves is a rich violet-purple. The normal habitat of the genus is Both species have white marbling on shady woodland or scrub with the tuber the upper side of the leaf. The flowers at varying depths, but generally with of both species are similar, though C. the natural leafy mulch of its habitat purpurascens goes beyond the pinks and to protect the plant through the winter. roses into carmine or even rose-violet In many cases this cover is augmented shades. My general impression is that by snow. The spring-flowering species the northern plant has a wider, richer are all prone to be tender, unfor• color-range than its southern sister. The tunately, whilst C. hederifolium and seed of both species ripens in the sum• Cyclamen purpurascens (syn. euro- mer following the fall flowering and paeum), both fall-flowering species, when fresh (or chilled and soaked) have proven to be extremely hardy, germinates readily. So far, then, both if given a good mulch. plants would appear to be more or C. purpurascens is less grown than less equal in merits, with C. pur• C. hederifolium for reasons that I can• purascens color range matched by C. not comprehend. C. hederifolium comes hederifolium greater floriferousness. from Southern Italy and Greece and is However, two elements from the rock not montane even, being a woodland gardener's point of view give C. pur• plant that in its right setting spreads purascens the final advantage. First of quickly by seedlings. It has successfully all it is definitely an alpine, and is established itself in plantations in the listed in all Alpine Floras that approach British Isles. However, the climate of comprehensiveness. Though most com• Great Britain is more like that of Ore• monly found in woods, it also has a gon than the searing blasts that we ex• marked tendency to be saxatile. On perience in the Mid-West, where snow the northern side of slopes, large rocks,

58 cliffs etc. in the northern Italian Alps second group had in addition at least I have seen colonies of C. purpurascens three quarters of an inch of small that were flourishing. The description limestone chips over the soil. During of the habitat of C. calcareum therefore that summer some wee beastie dined interested me greatly, since the on two of the tubers in the woodsy limestone crevices of a shady gorge setting, but the three in the slabs were would offer the same basic conditions protected by their rocky home. as the north-facing sites I describe. At flowering time in 1973 the four This, and our Oregon colleague's ex• plants did very well, though the three perience with a saxatile C. hederifolium in the more Spartan rocky setting did made me think that my own successes better than their friend in the richer with C. purpurascens might be of in• woodsiness. Both groups have now terest to fellow enthusiasts. spread into colonies and I have planted My rock garden is made up basically offspring in a of sites. Enough of limestone slabs two to nine inches time has passed for me to be convinced thick, and arranged in several ways that C. hederifolium thrives in a saxatile to create various soil, moisture and setting provided it can be shaded from sun-shade conditions. The whole garden the hottest summer sun. After five faces north and slopes down to six years, the rocky plants have consistently to eight inches from three feet in about produced more flower and seed than six feet, with variations from gentle any in any other site. Each year I inclines to sheer "cliffs". It is about have harvested more and more seed, thirty-five feet long, with a 'scree' in and except when I was out of the the center. This is the nearest I could country in 1975 for a few months, get to a north-facing alpine site in I have been able to send more seed Oak Park, Illinois. I decided to try to the ARGS Exchange. Always enough C. purpurascens for two reasons: its seed has escaped the harvest and ger• montane nature and saxatile proclivity minated in the most incredible nooks already mentioned, and also the fact and crannies to provide me with plants that it comes into bloom earlier than for my own purposes. I do advise, C. hederifolium, often beginning in late however, that a few seedlings be over• July and going on till the hard frosts. wintered for protection. Most of my In addition, I had access to material losses have been due to small rodents that originated in the Italian Alps and who adore the small tubers, but seem was therefore of the right strain. to leave the larger ones alone. The rock garden dates from the fall To sum up, the saxatile proclivity of 1970. For the winter of 1970-71 of C. purpurascens appears to be to I cossetted six tubers in pots, protected its advantage land ours) and is not from all extremes, and was rewarded unique among cyclamen, as witness C. with leaf but scant flower. In the spring calcareum. Although C. hederifolium is of 1972 I set them out in the rock hardy, C. purpurascens is doubly so garden, three in woodsy soil with at its natural depth of two to three limestone chips at the shady base of inches among limestone rocks in a a mini-cliff, and three in pockets of humus-rich gravelly soil. It does not the same soil mixture set between large have to apologise to its more southerly limestone slabs arranged at a 45° angle sister for its leafage, its flowers, or to provide some shade. Both groups their forms and colors. In fact it does were set two inches deep, though the have the advantage of blooming earlier

59 and therefore longer, being more sax- Also, the bare patch can be covered atile and quite definitely more montane. with shallow-rooted mild mannered Its requirements appear to be some plants such as Linaria alpina, or in shade, moderate moisture, a depth of one case, Corydalis lutea, which the two to three inches for the mature cyclamen push aside as they grow. By tuber, a soil mix of equal parts of the time the C. purpurascens is coming loam, leafmold (or peat) and gravelly into bloom, I can pull out the Linaria limestone, with a generous sprinkling since by then it has seeded itself to of bonemeal, and a site on the shady death. side of limestone rocks. A top dressing The young tubers/seedlings should of rough limestone gravel is a distinct be set so that only one third of the advantage, and its greyish cast shows leafstem is above ground. Each year up the rich colors of the leaves and its natural tendency to go deeper, plus flowers admirably. In these conditions, the top-dressing of equal parts of fine especially with snow cover, one can limestone gravel, humus and bonemeal enjoy this delightful plant year after that I recommend in June, will leave year no matter how those winds howl. the matured tuber at its right depth. My colony survived happily the -20° However, the happiest surprises are the weather of January 1977. tough little strays that emerge from If the plants do not show leaf until cracks and crannies, full of perky de• July, there is no reason to be alarmed. fiance, even to the point of blooming With snow cover the leaves are almost and surviving in full sun! If only such evergreen, but if lost they return just a hardy spring-flowering cyclamen before or with the flowers in July. could be found!

ABOUT WALLS MADALENE MODIC Sewickley, Pennsylvania

It is difficult to find rocks suitable many coal mines and all that remains for good rock construction in some of some are the old burned out slag local areas and it is far too expensive dumps. It is stretching it too far to to have tufa, weathered limestone or call this igneous rock. These slag piles sandstone trucked in. Most of the local are made up of rocks and thin layers stone is in slab layers and suited only of coal sandwiched between stone, coal to special applications. dust and other debris. There is suffi• Kingdon Ward in his book, Com- cient combustible material for these monsense Rock Gardening, has this to piles to burn for years, some still smol• say about building material for rock dering thirty years after the dumping gardens and walls: "Build with strati• has ceased. This slow burn fuses the fied rock of any description if you whole mess into a clinker-like substance can, with igneous rock if you like, called "Red Dog" because of the red• with bricks and mortar if you must, dish tones it takes on in the process but anyhow build!" of burning. We are in an area where there were One cannot use material such as this

60 and make anything that will be a work Spire Linden, apple and poplar. Below of art without having an inner sense and between these are planted of balance, order and an artistic eye, Blue Spruce interspersed with clumps but Mr. and Mrs. Carl Gehenio of of yucca, rhododendron and azaleas. Tarentum, Pa. have these attributes and The rock strata has been placed by selected the large pieces that would fit Don and Joanne up to and under the together properly to build a retaining trees giving it a natural setting. On wall some six feet high. Some were each side are more evergreens. huge pieces and these Carl anchored Some say it is not a wall garden well into the hill. A rather heavy and others that it is not a rock garden; clay soil was used to fill all the voids I think it is the former because the between and behind the clinkers, the sandstone slabs are so evenly aligned porosity of these providing" the from one side to the other. Don says necessary aeration and drainage for the he set out to simulate Pennsylvania well-being of the plants. rock strata. He used all native stone The exposure is south-west, yet sax• from the Mt. Davis area in the ifrages of all types flourish in the Allegheny Mountains of southwestern crevices, even the mossies. Sem- Pennsylvania, some from strata exposed pervivums and sedums are stuck to by construction work. It is mostly the face of the clinkers with no soil sandstone with a very little limestone added. Other plants that thrive in this mixed in. He used stream bed granite wall are dianthus in variety, arenarias, on the garden slope. armerias, drabas, aquilegias, veronica, The semi-circular ledge is made of antennaria, lewisias, various thymes, large, flat slabs of sandstone, in many compact forms of Phlox subulata, small cases with three or four slabs placed iris, iberis, aubrietia, achillia, lotus, po- one on top of the other to give the tentilla, erysimum, helianthemum, gera• appearance of natural strata. You can nium, hypericum, aethionema, and even trace the evenness of the rows across self-sown heathers. the seventy-five foot wide face from The first time I saw this wall I one side to the other, but the slabs couldn't believe it was built of "Red are not in a solid line, having many Dog" clinkers it was so attractive and breaks in which plants are growing. firmly constructed. Now, several years Then too, there are niches for plants later, it is all planted and only portions needing overhead protection. In many of the clinkers can be seen among the places such plants as aubrietia, helian• plants. themum. ocymoides cascade This past summer the Allegheny over the rocks from between the slabs, Chapter held a meeting at Joanne and yet this nrver destroys the feeling that Don Schlinders' in Brentwood, Pa. and this is primarily a wall. On the left I was really impressed by their wall side Don has brought water about half• garden. Don said they had been work• way up the wall from behind and this ing on it for nearly five years and can be turned on to ripple over the it was nearly completed. face to a pool at the bottom. As there The back of the Schlinders' lot slopes is both sun and shade, a wide variety upward some twenty to twenty-five feet. of plants, including primula, dwarf iris, It is about seventy-five feet wide at armeria, phlox, campanula, veronica, the top where there are trees: thyme, arabis, iberis, and many others Sunburst Locust, tulip, maple, Green thrive in this wall garden.

61 The Rediscovery of Phlox Lutea And Phlox Purpurea

PROF. EMER. T. PAUL MASLEN Boulder, Colorado Photographs by the author

In 1887 Cyrus Guernsey Pringle names proposed by Brand himself in visited Mexico for the seventh time this monograph. Subsequently, Wherry with the intention of exploring the (1944) recognized P. nana var. eu-nana Sierra Madre west of Chihuahua. By f. purpurea as an intermediate form September fifth, he and his assistant between P. nana and P. mexicana, but left Cusihuiriachic, locally referred to discussed no others of this group. In simply as Cusi, driving their wagon 1955, however, he considered lutea and and team of mules westward up a steep purpurea as forms of P. mesoleuca, and muddy canyon for about four and albo-rosea as a of P. kilometers to the high plain across nana. which Highway 16 now runs from The knowledge that a yellow phlox Cuauhtemoc to Guerrero and on. Where might exist came to me while working they emerged the altitude registered on Phlox nana (1978). It was Foster's 6,700 feet. From Pringle's account (1970) comment that "yellow flowers (Davis, p. 41) they proceeded out onto have been reported in two of the three the plain for a short distance where taxa (mesoleuca, nana and triovulata) thev collected a few species of plants and would constitute a completely new including Phlox nana and then proceed• colour in the cultivated perennial phlox• ed on to Santiago for the night. The es, if they could be located and in• following morning they passed Rosario troduced" which stirred me to think and continued northwest to Guerrero, seriously of looking for lutea. At first arriving there at noon. After spending I thought that Brand had proposed the two nights at Guerrero they moved name on the basis of a peculiarly south about two miles, camped for a yellow, faded specimen from an old few days, then apparently moved to herbarium sheet. But at Kew I saw higher ground to the west and set up a type sheet of lutea and was impressed a permanent camp, presumably among with the depth of yellow of this "faded" oaks and pines. It was here on Sep• specimen. With this evidence in mind tember 14 that Pringle collected Phlox it was no trick to persuade my wife nana again. to join me in a search for the mythi• Later, Brand (1907) in his cal yellow phlox so close to home. monograph of the nam• So in September of 1978 we started ed these forms. He recognized three out towards the type locality one thou• subspecies of P. nana, namely eu-nana, sand miles away where the plants pur• ensijolia and glabella; with three varie• portedly should be in bloom. We made ties of eu-nana and two of glabella. Ciudad Cuauhtemoc some sixty miles The three varieties of eu-nana were west of Ciudad Chihuahua our head• albo-rosea, lutea and purpurea, all quarters and began our search. The

62 area is much as Pringle fragmentarily elevation). I climbed out of our van described it; very large open plains for a look around and there, in the of rich alluvium surrounded and inter• borrow ditch was a patch of an in• rupted by low hills rising several hun• credibly brilliant, vermillion-red phlox dred feet above the plains and lightly (see fig. 2). Closer examination showed covered with scrubby oaks, junipers and that each flower had a bright yellow several species of small pines. The eye surrounded by a star composed plains are now completely planted, of short, dark red streaks, two to a primarily to cereals and corn. The . No single stalk had more than steeper slopes are often used for apple one to three flowers in bloom at a orchards and the remaining land is time, but a cluster of closely grouped fenced and devoted to grazing. This plants gave the impression of abun• intensive use of virtually all of this dance. Also in this patch of intense rich area leaves little undisturbed land red a single yellow flower stood out left. The rainfall of the region is of conspicuously. Here was our yellow the monsoon type, beginning in late phlox! This single flower seemed a little July or early August and increasing larger than the reds and had quite in intensity through September and Oc• a blush of red on the edges of some tober, then slowly decreasing in the of the . This strongly suggested next two months. Spring and early sum• that either there were two species of mer are hot and dry with no verdure phlox in the vicinity which hybridized to speak of at all. here, or these were two color phases From my experience with Phlox nana of a single species inter-grading at this and P. mesoleuca v. ensifolia from far• site. Also present were two orange col• ther north, both members of Wherry's ored flowers, rather old and insect (1955) subsection Nanae, I began look• ravaged which strengthened the idea ing for in the hilly areas which that this patch really represented a hy• are quite reminiscent of the Pinyon- brid swarm. juniper forests in the vicinity of Santa There had been no rain at this exact Fe, . In spite of heavy spot for some time and the ground grazing, these areas were rampant with was hard and difficult to dig, but a flowers, only a few of which I could fair number of plants were collected recognize. MUla biflora was nearly as as well as a very small number of abundant as when Pringle (Davis, p. mature seeds. We then looked for fur• 46) collected 2,500 bulbs in eleven and ther stands, driving slowly west for a half hours in 1887. But there were five miles along the wagon tracks in no phlox. After three fruitless days of the borrow ditch. We spotted one more searching in the vicinity of Cusi, Guer• very small patch of red phlox and two rero and the hilly areas between, we or three isolated specimens along the were ready to retreat, defeated. way. The following morning more spec• By now both my wife and I had imens were dug and additional mysteriously contracted what in this photographs made, using an electronic area should be called Cuauhtemoc's flash. A very few more seed capsules revenge, and on the way out to a hilly were also found. We then returned area west of our headquarters we pulled home to Boulder, Colorado, with the off the road crossing the plain for intent of returning a month later to a medicine break three miles west of harvest more seed and to look for more town (Km. 107 on Hwy 16, 7200 feet yellow specimens.

63 My wife was unable to join me on to accompany us to the spot he knew. the second trip but fortunately my good The area half-surrounded a small friend and collecting colleague, lake lying in the midst of wheat fields Panayoti Callas, was able to go; so and was partially fenced. The area on October 22 we set off in a around the lake had been neither grazed snowstorm to revisit the area. This time nor plowed. As I walked along beside we went directly south of Cuauhtemoc a fence I suddenly saw in a small to search the plains in the vicinity rock outcropping a beautiful, pure of the point where Pringle emerged yellow phlox! (see fig. 1). This flower from the canyon on his way up from had no hint of red except for the ver• Cusi. By now flowers were scarce and milion star surrounding the yellow eye. the grain nearly ripe and ready to We soon found more and realized there harvest. There had also been some very was considerable variation in the color heavy rains in the area and the ground of the streaks forming the star, the was saturated. As a matter of fact the size of the flowers and the shape of Juarez-Chihuahua road we came south the petals. One plant had long, narrow on had been closed until the day we petals and brownish streaks almost took it: three bridges had been washed forming "V's" around the eye. It also out by heavy storms. It had snowed became apparent that this patch was or rained almost continuously since we very extensive, but only a few flowers had left Boulder, but the weather, now were in bloom and most of these were chilly, was clear. damaged by insects and weather. Fur• As we inched our way south along thermore, most of the seed capsules a vile road, it struck is we might had shed their seed leaving the charac• ask some local resident if they knew teristic, star-shaped calyx with its where our flowers might be found. The reflexed staring apologetically up first persons we stopped uere a young at us. After a long search we found man, Raul Romero, with his wife and only twenty-seven capsules bearing seed child, driving a wagon and mule team out of the thousands of plants we ex• in the same direction we were going. amined. I handed him the color photos of the The earth here was also a loam cov• red and yellow phlox which he examin• ered with a large array of grasses and ed at great length. He seemed puzzied numerous flowering plants, including by the red phlox but said he knew the seed pods of barbatus of a patch close by which might be and a small Sisyrinchium. Against small the yellow one we wanted. Then rock outcroppings there were several suggested we accompany him to a small ferns: Bommeria hispida, Cheilanthes village, Ejido Mimbres, about one wrightii, Notholacna aurea and Pellaea kilometer further south, where he said ternifolia. The loam while rich and an old woman interested in flowers dark in color is also roc' y, especially might know more. We followed him near die lake. The phloxes seemed to and met the woman, a fine and gracious be more luxuriant and vigorous when lady. She didn't recognize the flowers they were growing well above the from our slides but went out to pick shoreline of the lake mingled with the a red flower which might be it. The taller clumps of grasses. But many flower turned out to be a four inch plants were found more or less in the purplish mallow new to me but not open along with small plants of dif• a phlox. Raul agreed then and there ferent species. The phloxes were not

64 evenly distributed over this area of not densely so. The glands are minute several acres, but would occur in pat• and the hairs less than .5 millimeter ches. These patches could be extremely in length. The linear leaves are dense with several hundred shoots distinctly different from those of P. growing in an area of perhaps a square mesoleuca to which presumably these yard. phlox are closely related. The longest Both the red and yellow varieties leaves of an average sized stem of vary tremendously in size, depending two hundred and fifty to three hundred apparently on moisture and soil com• millimeters (ten to twelve inches) tall paction. Plants which superficially look are found at the third, fourth and fifth like seedlings might be only ten cen• internodes above the ground and the timeters (four inches) or less tall while distances between these nodes are thir• others interspersed with taller grasses teen to sixteen millimeters. Above the and growing in loose, humus-rich soil fifth node the leaves, which are op• could be over forty centimeters (ten posite, rapidly become shorter as do inches) tall. We dug up sample plants the internodes until the stem becomes here and also at the red phlox site virtually invisible and is hidden by west of Cuauhtemoc. The root structure these almost imbricate leaves. The of the two forms is virtually identical. leaves themselves are thick, sturdy and Below ground the stems of both forms show little tendency to arch away from are noded, fleshy and brittle. They run the stem. They appear surprisingly more or less straight down. At almost slender; but the percentage of width any depth from one hundred millimeters to length in a few of the leaves (four inches) to about two hundred measured in the yellow phlox is 5.4 and fifty millimeters (ten inches) bran• percent, that of the red is 7.2 percent ches usually occurred. When these were and of P. mesoleuca 8.5 percent. The traced upward they would emerge from length of the leaves varies according the soil forming leafy stalks bearing to the size of the plant. The leaves flowers or traces of them. At deeper at the third, fourth and fifth nodes levels transverse were fre• of two stalks of the red phlox, for quently found. These were slender and instance, averaged fifty-seven and brittle, making it difficult to follow forty-four millimeters respectively, in them; but they appeared to run a hun• contrast to the short leaves of a type dred to a hundred and fifty millimeters specimen of mesoleuca which averaged (four to six inches) towards other only twenty-seven millimeters in length. caudices (vertical rhizomes) which in The leaves of the yellow phlox seem turn would branch as they rose up• shorter than those of the red, but this wards. Frequently, in wet soil, caudices may be more apparent than real. A developed a complicated tuft of roots distinctive feature of these leaves is five to ten millimeters below the sur• that the upper surface is glabrous while face. These thin, horizontal roots would the lower surface is densely glandular- run out fifty to sixty millimeters (two pubescent. to two and three-quarter inches), and The calyx of both the yellow and are undoubtedly deciduous, drying up red phloxes is about seven eighths the during the dry season only to develop length of the corolla tube. The subulate again with the onset of the rains. sepals are fused for about half their The stems of both the yellow and length and the intersepalate membranes red phlox are glandular pubescent, but are smooth. The bases of the calyces

66 are densely glandular-pubescent; but dihedral angle with a short groove at the tips are much less so. As the the center of the crest of the angle. matures the tips of the sepals roll back The outer face is curved, conforming exposing the plump pointed capsules, to the elongate outer wall of the locules. but after the capsules and seeds are Around the periphery of this face the shed, these outwardly curled sepals dry seed coat is produced into a thin, up and persist as a star shaped structure translucent phlange about .1 millimeter for a long time. high. Similar phlanges also occur The corolla tube is about fifteen wherever sharp angles exist in ir• millimeters long but varies with the regularly truncated seeds. The entire size of the flower. It is glandular- seed appears wrinkled like the gyri and pubescent throughout its length; but sulci of a brain, except that the sulci far more sparingly so than the sepals. are concave at their bottoms instead The petal blades are basically subor- of forming tight grooves. In ten sym• biculate but there is considerable metrical seeds from yellow flowered variation in their shape. They are, plants the seeds averaged 3 . 7 however, never notched nor apiculate. millimeters in length, 2.0 millimeters in The flowers are large, in some the width, and about .5 millimeter thick. limb measures as much as thirty-two Only four of the ten seeds of the red- millimeters across, but the scape is ex• flowered plants are symmetrical. These tremely variable in length, varying from average 3.3 millimeters in length and a few millimeters to more than forty. 1.9 millimeters in width. The seed of these phlox was difficult Morphologically the red and yellow to collect in September and again in phloxes we found in the vicinity of October. Twelve capsules of the red Cuauhtemoc seem indistinguishable. phlox were harvested in September, but V\ hat differences one finds seem to only four of these contained seeds, ten be too variable to be diagnostic. The in all, and three of these are shrivelled onlv real difference seems to be the or so small that it is extremely unlikely color of the flowers. that they will be fertile. In October Brand never saw the living plants two lots of seed were collected of the of the forms he named nor had any yellow phlox. Two capsules contained other botanist, so far as I am aware, a total of nineteen small seeds while until July 27, 1977 when Dr. Robert twenty-five capsules collected over a Bye. an Ethno-botanist from the Depart• large area contained sixty-eight seeds. ment of Biology of the University of In this second lot there were 2.7 seeds Colorado, found specimens of Phlox per capsule. More than half of the purpurea along Highway 16 about seeds are asymmetrical as though two Kilometer 122 on a north facing hillside seeds had developed within a single forested with oaks and pines. He also locule, pressing against each other dur• noted similar phloxes south of La Junta ing growth so that a normally sym• where the plains give way to a cut-over metrical seed appears truncated. The pine forest area. These sites are similar symmetrical seeds look like segments to the one some ten miles southwest of an orange with only three segments. of Guerrero near Tonachie where Prin- In these instances one can imagine a gle found the phlox Brand later called single seed per locule with the typical P. purpurea. Bye's notes, on the Univer• tricarpelate phlox arrangement. The me• sity of Colorado Herbarium sheet No. dial faces of each seed make up a 310040, state that the flowers were red-

67 pink. Bye's site is some forty-five miles crowded towards the tips of the shoots; southeast of the type locality but the corolla tube pubescent or glabrous; plants undoubtedly represent the same leaves widely spreading or recurved, taxon. The Pringle Herbarium at the linear, short (less than thirty-five University of Vermont kindly loaned millimeters long); root system rhizoma- me their type sheet of Phlox nana, tous, fairly shallowly disposed (ten or Pringle No. 1334, the form Brand later fifteen millimeters deep) — E,E' called P. eu-nana purpurea. The larger D' Nodes numerous, crowded towards of the two plants on the sheet is huge the tips of the shoots; corolla tube with some leaves measuring as much glandular pubescent, leaves linear, near• as ninety millimeters (three and a half ly straight, not recurving — F,F' inches) in length, the internodes near E Corolla tube pubescent — P. m. the tips of the flower shoots much mesoleuca longer, clearly visible and not ensheath- E' Corolla tube glabrous — P. m. ed by the leaves. Basically, however, ensifolia the plant is very similar to those col• F Roots consisting of true roots, that lected by Bye. Bye's specimens also is without nodes, upper leaves and are virtually identical, except in color, stems heavily glandular pubescent both to the forms we found. above and below, sticky, most upper The yellow phlox was not found leaves alternate. Corolla tube twice as again until we rediscovered it on Oc• long as sepals — P. nana tober 25, 1978. It now appears that F' Roots rhizomatous, leaves and the red phloxes (fig. 2) occurring at stems moderately to slightly glandular the site three miles west of Cuauhtemoc pubescent, no pubescence on upper sur• must represent hybrids as does the face of leaves, only extreme upper yellow phlox, red-tinted on the petal leaves alternate, corolla tube as long tips, found at the same locality. Also as, or slightly longer than sepals, G, in this swarm two other flowers were G' found of an orange color. The question arises as to how to treat these forms G Roots rhizomatous, relatively from a nomenclatural point of view. shallow (100-150 mm. deep) flowers red-pink; eye pink or pinkish white** While they are clearly Protophloxes, — P. purpurea Section A of Wherry, and members of the Subsection 3, Xanae, they are G' Roots vertically rhizomatous with distinctly different from all other mem• deeply located transverse rhizomes, bers of the group. I believe a reasonable flower color yellow, eye yellow — P. procedure would be to retain Brand's lutea names but to raise their states from I wish to acknowledge the assistance variety to species.* given me by my wife who helped drive For the moment Wherry's key (1955, and collect on my first expedition; Dr. p. 31) can be modified to read from William A. Weber, who permitted me alternative D,D' as follows: access to the University of Colorado D. Nodes few, not conspicuously Herbarium and library; Panayoti

* Phlox purpurea (Brand) Maslin, based upon Phlox nana var. purpurea Brand, in Pflanz. 4:250:76. 1907, Comb.nov. Phlox lutea (Brand) Maslin, based upon Phlox nana var. lutea Brand, in Pflanz. 4:250:76. 1907, Comb.nov. **A close examination of the dry specimens collected by Bye shows that the eye is pale and shows no evidence of the strong yellow pigment found in P. lutea or the red hybrids collected west of Cuauhtemoc.

68 Callas, who attended me on the second of Phlox pur pur ea; and especially to expedition and worked indefatigably the members of the American Rock collecting and driving under the most Garden Society who privately raised, difficult conditions; Dr. Robert Bye, through individual subscriptions, money who provided me with information enough to reproduce in color the plates regarding the morphology and ecology accompanying this paper.

LITERATURE CITED: BRAND, A. — 1907 in Engler, A., Das Pflanzenreich, Polemoniaceae, IV. 250: 76-77. DAVIS, H. B. — 1936, The Life and Work of Cyrus Guernsey Pringle, 756 pp. + 14. Uni• versity of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont. FOSTER, H. L. — 1970, "The Genus Phlox", Quart. Bull. Alpine Garden Society, 38 (1) : 66-90, 4 pi. (7 figs.). MASLIN, T. P. — 1978, "Phlox nana Nuttall", Quart. Bull. Alpine Garden Society, 46 (2): 163-167, (2 figs.). WHERRY, E. T. — 1944, "New Phloxes from the Rocky Mountains and Neighboring Re• gions", Acad. Nat. Sci., Philadelphia. Natulae Naturae, 146: 1-11, (6 figs.). — 1955, The Genus Phlox, University of Pennsylvania, Morris Arboretum monograph III, 175 pp., figs., maps. Associates of the Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia.

THREE OLD-TIMERS

JOAN MEANS Georgetown, Massachusetts

Three of the most satisfactory plants any books on rock gardening, I con• in my small rock garden are not seen sulted an illustrated encyclopedia. The very often on garden tours, though plants pictured were about two inches asperulas, androsaces and gentians may in diameter, and I figured that six abound. Yet these three are highly inches apart was more than enough touted in rock-gardening books and are space for my seedlings. Ever since, I easy to obtain. Surely many beginners have had to thin my plants (some now must have tried them early on, only measure eighteen inches across) by to lose them? And indeed, all three transplanting them to other parts of have the reputation for being rather the garden. It is a process they are short-lived. Since we have had these not wild about, but they recover ninety charmers since we started serious rock- per cent of the time. In June, they gardening in 1972, I shall stick my are covered with huge deep pink flowers neck out and tell how we grow them. on short stems; the rest of the year Dianthus alpinus was a pretty picture they are attractive ground-hugging mats on a seed packet in a Swiss store of dark green foliage. when we decided to bring it home as The dianthus grows in a sloping gar• a souvenir of our ski trip. The seeds den situated close to the house and duly sprouted and grew, and, lacking shaded from noon on by tall white

69 pines just to the southwest. The natural as well as the central root mass. soil is sand and gravel of commercial Providing an artificial landslide grade (there were working gravel pits seems to be the answer for Aster al• close by our property). This was en• pinus, which in 1972 was another pretty riched with compost and rotted cow picture on a Swiss seed packet. I re• manure when we built the garden by member that shortly after the seeds setting the local, round glacial boulders had sprouted, we attended our first here and there. They are not lovely ARCS unit meeting. Wondering if I rocks, but in most cases are covered was nurturing a vicious ramper, I asked by plants, including the dianthus. The an expert: "Is Aster alpinus a nice natural acidity of the soil is about plant?" "Oh, yes, lovely," he replied. pH 4.5, which is certainly not altered "But I'm afraid it isn't very long-lived." by the top covering of crushed granite. I was devastated. D. alpinus doesn't seem to mind at Now, six years later, I believe I all, though some experts call it lime- can disagree with that expert. A. alpinus loving. Lewisia cotyledon and L. does not send out underground stolons, tweedyi, which definitely like acid soil, as so many garden asters do. Instead, are fat and happily blooming in the the rather woody flowering shoots same area as the dianthus. elongate at the surface of the gound. Besides sharp drainage and shade By top-dressing annually, roots are en• during the hot part of the day, I give couraged to form, and the mats thicken, the dianthus what I believe are two with no bare centers. Every three or other advantages. Immediately after four years, the plants should be lifted flowering, I deadhead the mats, except and divided. Treated thus, I see no for a few seedpods allowed to ripen reason why one shouldn't have Aster for the seed exchange. Originally, this alpinus forever, with bunches of this was done for the sake of neatness, pleasant plant to give away. and because I had been taught to do The third of my old-timers is Iris so in the perennial border. But I believe reticulata, a bulbous plant which opens that deadheading in the rock garden spidery purple blossoms as the last snow does save plant energy and prolongs melts. It is, reputedly, hard to keep longevity. The price paid, of course, but I shall have to divide my clumps is that there are no self-sown seedlings. this year. I find it very hard, actually, At the same time, I top-dress the plants to place in the garden, since the leaves with a mix of fine gravel ("chicken elongate to eighteen inches or more grits," obtainable at farm stores), com• in June. Since I also tend to forget post, bone-meal and a bit of blood where I have planted bulbs, the result meal. I have never seen D. alpinus is that other seedlings planted in fall growing in the wild, but I have observ• have gone in on top, or next, to the ed that mountainsides are unstable iris, resulting in an aesthetic mess. places where plants are constantly bar- Most expert advice on growing Iris raged by sliding rock, etc. I figure reticulata suggests giving it a hot, dry, that this is nature's way of caring for sunny place with perfect drainage. My plants that don't have a gardener to iris get the drainage, but hot? dry? divide them or top-dress them. I have They are in the same garden with the not yet tried to divide a mat of Dianthus dianthus and asters, but to the slightly alpinus, but plants I have moved have shadier, western side, growing among shown fine roots on the mat's periphery, Auricula Primroses, Gentiana scabra.

70 and a ground cover of Androsace sar- it has gone downhill for me, as for mentosa. The entire garden is watered other gardeners, and for the past two frequently during the summer. The iris years has been but a clump of grassy don't care. foliage with no flowers. I am leaving To digress slightly, I'd like to un• it, curious to see how long it takes derline the importance of drainage to to produce flowering-size bulbs again. some bulbs by pointing out that in They say Iris winowgradowii is a yellow the perennial border — composed of bulbous plant which is less prone to the same sand and gravel as the rock splitting. Perhaps someday I shall have garden but enriched with enormously a chance to test it for myself. more compost, manure and peat — Sharp drainage. Light shade during tulip bulbs split but then grow again the hot part of the day. An annual into big bulbs, so they never "run out." top-dressing. The experts must be yawn• On the other hand, daffodils do not ing, for these aren't secrets — they flourish as I'd like — they obviously are the basic tools for successfully prefer a heavier, wetter soil. growing rock-garden plants. At least What about Iris danfordiae? Alas, they have worked for me!

Vitaliana (Gregoria)

A gardener's impression of Vitaliana to compare in size with those reported primuliflora, the European counterpart for ssp. cinerea of the central and of douglasia and at one time assigned to western Alps and the Pyrenees, with this genus as Douglasia vitaliana, is of flowers as much as twice the size of a most attractive and desirable, stable any other. Perhaps a very worthwhile yellow-flowered cushion polster plant project would be the assembling for the scree, some forms said to be together of a collection of the better more floriferous than others. The bo• representatives of this plant with the tanist, however, may have quite a dif• object of breeding for individuals that ferent impression, one we might regard might surpass all the wild forms. Al• with some attention. Flora Europaea though it would seem that such Vol. 3, p. 20 (Cambridge 1972) accords plantsmen as Suendermann and Corre- no less than five subspecies differing von must certainly have already done not only in geographical range but in this, we find no such plant in hor• details of leaf, pubescence and flower ticulture, other than V.p. praetutiana size as well. of course. This monotypic genus ranges through These matters of the natural variation mountains of Spain, the Pyrenees, apparently do not affect the color, a through the Alps and to the Apennines. constant clear yellow, certainly the one The form usually referred to in hor• good reason it is yet retained within ticulture as the most reliably floriferous its own genus rather than submerged is V.p. ssp. praetutiana from the Apen• in androsace. To Linnaeus it was a nines; however, its flowers do not begin primula. Roy Davidson, Seattle, Wash.

71 KURT BAASCH'S PHOTOGRAPHS Photographs by Mr. Baasch

The American Rock Garden Society an alpine frame. has recently been the fortunate recipient His garden, the meticulous and ar• of a gift of over one hundred tistic effort of over forty years, was photographs by the late Kurt Baasch the wonder and envy of all who knew of Baldwin, L.I., N.Y. given to the it. In it, grown to perfection and each society by his widow. placed with consummate skill, were

The photographs are exquisite black many rare and beautiful rock plants. and white portrayals of Mr. Baasch's It also contained a number of dwarf garden and the flowers that inhabited and slow growing conifers, a group it, for in addition to being a very of plants in which Mr. Baasch took skillful photographer, well known in a great interest long before the present this field, Mr. Baasch was an en• enthusiasm for these small trees. But thusiastic plantsman. He was a charter despite his great love for his plants, member of the ARGS and served as Mr. Baasch never hesitated to remove a director from 1944 until his death one, no matter how precious, if it in 1964. He contributed to the ARGS threatened to outgrow its designated Bulletin many of his beautiful spot. These were frequently turned over photographs and a number of articles, as gifts to friends with larger gardens the last one on growing saxifrages in along with other horticultural treasures.

72 It is indeed fitting that the memory garden he loved so well. They will of this remarkable and generous gar• appear from time to time in the pages dener will now be perpetuated, through of the Bulletin and will be exhibited the generosity of his wife, by his at ARGS meetings. peerless photographs of the plants and

Unorthodox Cutting Method A member writes in that she has successfully used this unorthodox method of rooting cuttings: In some convenient shady spot that is near enough to the front of the garden to always command my attention for watering, covering and uncovering. I dig a small trench about three to four inches deep and about six inches long. I fill this with a mixture of half peat, half sand and in it set cuttings from two to five inches long. As the trench is in a semi shaded spot it does not matter if I remember to cover and uncover but it is necessary to remember to keep the cuttings moist, not wet. I have had from fifty to one hundred percent success with such things as dwarf box, heathers, ever• greens and rhododendrons.

73 A SANDY GARDEN Part II

PAM HARPER Seaford, Virginia

Part I of this article appeared in Vol. 36, No. 1.

Continuing our stroll round the pine planted last fall came into bloom earlier dotted island bed encircled by the in the season than anticipated, creating driveway, we come to the east facing in conjunction with a bright pink azalea side and the best growing conditions 'Chinsai') a cacophony of color not in the whole two acres. Through the even temporarily to be endured. All 90CF. of July and August the soil my gardening days I have, with few here stays moist for two weeks, as losses, shuttled plants around within against three days on the sunny side. the gardens whenever the spirit moved Most gardeners, I think, have a spiritual me. But I gardened before on clay home, often striving to recreate it in and in cooler climes. miniature where circumstances dump Barnhaven Acaulis Primroses occupy them down, be it mountains, seashore a disproportionate amount of space in or desert. For me it is woodland and this favored spot, as they do in my shade loving plants. New plants with affections. One packet of "mixed dou• needs unknown go in this east facing ble" seed produced some twenty quite bed. They may, with leaning stems and different flowers, singles and doubles attenuated growth, signal a need for in white, cream, yellow, pink, red and more sunshine, but they rarely die. One purple. They do so well that splitting exception was Shortia galacifolia. odd them every other spring and finding clumps of which were doing well where fresh quarters for the divisions is be• temporarily planted in places sunnier coming a major operation. Gradually than generally considered desirable, they will be planted in single color the soil improved only by the addition drifts, the first of these in white, backed of a little peat. How superb they would by the white narcissus 'Thalia' beneath look, I thought, gathered together in a dogwood. Primula acaulis i s this east facing bed. I did this and evergreen here, the first flowers come they died. There were two lessons here soon after Christmas and they continue to be learned (three if you include for nearly three months. They are back• "let well alone"!) ... (1) Shortia ed by evergreen azaleas, into one of galacifolia likes poor soil, (2) in this which I am trying to grow that most garden moving things between May and delicate of vines, Tropaeolum specio- September is apt to be fatal. Oconee sum, the nasturtium flowers resembling Bells is now successfully re-established flights of tiny scarlet swallows. It has at the base of Gordonia lasianthus survived two bad winters and one dry against a north house wall, but lesson summer, no flowers yet, but while two is still sometimes forgotten. Last there's life there's hope. week (June) a clump of butterfly weed Camptosorus rhizophyllus is doing its

74 thing, walking slowly along the front members of its genus in that it suckers, of this brick-edged bed. Though often popping up here and there in much the found on limestone, it is in no way same manner as Gaylusaccia brachycera dissatisfied with our pH5. Andromeda and Gaultheria procumbers. It grows polijolia flowered well for several years about fifteen inches high, with leaves and and is now growing again vigorously white urns a little smaller than those after being razed to the ground by of P. japonica. rabbits last winter. Gentiana sep- English gardeners, with space at a Icmfida, three years old, ought to flower premium, extract maximum mileage this year. from every patch of ground. I now 7 iarella cordifolia keeps company have raiher more land than I can get with T. trifoliata, several supposed under control but I still garden in the wherryi and now, at last, the real one. same way, planting bulbs under Blue bugled Meehania cordata, fairly carpeters. letting vines ramble through neat and compact, seems to need shade trees and , and putting together and moisture. The Japanese M. ur- for successional effect any two or ticifolia, on the other hand, spreads more plants willing to grow in har• as rampantly as did Lamium galeob- monious double harness. Begonia evan- dolen 'Variegatum', which in habit and siana rises up in May where Scilla leaf shape it much resembles. sibirica flowered two months earlier; Three tiny leaved plants grow side white spathed Zantedeschia by side. The smallest and most pungent 'Croborough' hides the drying leaves mint, Mentha requienii, is evergreen of Chionodoxa, and the snowy purity most years. Occasionally it is killed, of double bloodroot flowers remains but ample seedlings germinate the unsullied over a mat of fernily following spring. Hypericum yaku- evergreen Cotula squalida. The little simense is a bright green mat sprinkled Hosta venusta appears as Anemone with minute yellow flowers. This, too, blanda "Atrocoerulea' withers away, and self seeds abundantly. Latest acquisi• late flowering Hosta tardiflora similarly tion is Lysimachia nummularia shares with Anemone appenina and A. 'Minutissima'. Anyone who has had nemorosa 'Allenii'. Through the Creeping Charlie (Creeping Jenny in evergreen leaves of winter flowering England) take over their garden is Viola odorata, so sweetly scented, likely to be wary even of dwarf forms. emerges in May, to flower for a month, Do not fear this one, it makes neat the hardy iherej orchid, Bletilla hya- little mounds of close packed quarter- cintha I Bletia striata), of which I have inch leaves, thickly studded in May the purple, a white with plain green and June with yellow flowers of the leaf and a white with white-edged leaf. same proportions. Lilium canadense keeps company with Further back among the shrubs grow Ipheion uniflorum 'Wisley Blue', and hellebores, with H. orientalis the star yellow lily 'Prosperity' with Campanula performer in this locality, always portenschlagiana. A successful trium• flowering before H. niger. At the front virate consists first of snowdrops, then is Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens', Fritillaria meleagris 'Aphrodite', and dark purple leaved, but it does not look finally that most admired of ferns at ease in this leaf mulched setting, seem• Athyrium goeringianum 'Pictum' (A. ing to ask for more formal surroundings. nipponicum metallicum). An unintend• Pieris phillyreaefolia is unlike other ed marriage is that of Campanula

75 poscharskiana with Asarum europaeum. similarly shaped and fleshy but plain The campanula was here first but grew green, the whole plant smaller and more too rampantly and was moved to poorer compact. It came from a plant exchange quarters (where it died), its place labelled Saxifraga veitchiana. Hardy allocated to the last scraps of ginger cyclamen, rooting from top and sides, rescued from under a juniper hedge, care little about what is underneath where it had diminished almost to ex• provided it is not wet. C. izcapolitanum tinction. A scrap of campanula root gets a little sun coming in from the remained and two years later a dozen east, C. europaeum late afternoon sun long strands of blue stars trail over from the west. C. repandum is also the glossy greenness of the ginger. They being tried here, having proved hardy seem to be fighting it out on equal but not happy elsewhere. terms. A. europaeum spreads rapidly A one-upmanship of woe comes into in a deep, moist soil and partial shade. being when gardeners swop lists of pests Our first year in America we built over which they have triumphed . . . a house in Connecticut. Between bouts or not. Along with rabbits, moles, squir• of mortar mixing I would wander off rels, visiting dogs and careless drivers into the woodland to see what I could we have box turtles and ducks. The find. "It's a weed", said our carpenter, mallards have mated with white asked to identify Maianthemum domestic ducks to produce some in• canadense. With this began a love affair teresting hybrid progeny of piebald with the wild flowers sometimes pur• plumage, a joy to watch gliding over sued with too little discrimination. the pellucid waters of the creek at dawn, Hydrocotyle americana is my latest in• and comical when they take a shower discretion. The circular leaves, dark under the summer sprinklers or land green, polished and scalloped, are very on the frozen creek to skid and wobble pretty, but Pennywort will not grow like skating clowns. Bliss rarely comes in dry soil. In the precious moist pat• unalloyed. Summer nights are punc• ches it spreads as you watch it. tuated by bursts of maniacal mallard Of moist shade I cannot have enough. laughter, and the fragile etiolated pe• Dry shade is another matter. On the tioles of cyclamen, pale and lax under north side of a very large, very lovely an inch of rotted leaves, are easily and very thirsty triple-trunked water severed by clumsy feet and prodding oak (Quercus nigra) is another island bills as the ducks delve for acorns or bed. Plants listed in gardening books whatever. Black plastic netting pegged as suitable for dry soil are either sun- flat on the surface has rendered them needing xerophytes or those tap rooted less vulnerable and it is almost invisible, ones which search deep for moisture. completely so when flowers and leaves Under large trees the deeper you go rise up through it, but it has not pre• the drier the soil becomes. Nature vented something (culprit as vet uniden• points the way, spreading each fall a tified) neatly decapitating each opening surface layer of mulch in which shallow . rooting plants stay one step ahead of By husbandly dictate onions are ta• the tree roots moving ever upward. boo in the Harper kitchen (a quid Saxifraga stolonifera failed here but pro quo for my own dislike of tobacco my most tolerant dry shade plant looks in the bedroom), but in the garden like a close relation, the flowers of quite a few are scattered around. Most the same diptera type, the leaves are in sun, but here in near total shade

76 the swan-necked Allium c e r n u u m ('Yugiri'). This bed is sunny at present flowers in early June. A variegated but the Gumpos need shade and this Solomon's seal, Polygonatum japonicum they will have in a year or two when 'Variegatum' grows sturdily; it gets some newly planted pines get a little strong light but no sun. Here are more bigger. Over one of the white Gumpos gingers, the west coast A. hartwegii Clematis x durandii is starting to ram• with leaves rather like Cyclamen ble. It would rather head in another neapolitanum but less strongly pattern• direction but with persistence and a ed. This is a spreader, as also is my few twistems I am bending its will smallest and most attractive ginger, to to mine. More showy than most species, be known, I believe, as Asarum shut- subtler than the hybrids, this jackmanii tlewoTthii 'Callaway'. The leaf, almost x integrifolia hybrid, a sprawler, not round and 1%" across is a beautifully a climber, has a refinement well suited patterned bright glossy green. Equally to a rock garden setting. The color, attractive, on a larger scale, are the dark but bright, comes at that point foot round clumps (this one is not on the RHS chart where violet switches a creeper) of A. virginicum, the leaves, to violet-blue. Four or five sepals, two two to three inches in size, are similarly inches long, are relatively slender, patterned but less glossy and with more widely spaced, slightly twisted and silver in the patterning. The largest deeply ridged down the center. "You one, A. arifolium, is clump forming didn't say that clematis need lime", and increases very slowly. Great six wrote a nurseryman who read one of inch triangular (leaves are prettily pat• my articles. I know that every garden• terned but lack the shine of the other ing book, past and present, suggests kinds. japonica is another of this to be so but my own experience those underground creepers which pops and that of friends does not bear it up way out from the parent plant. out. Apart from clematis I have met Whorls of polished, bright green nar• with only one plant which climbs by rowly elliptic leaves make attractive twisted leaf , M aurandya ground cover. In richer soil it can barclaiana, another scrambler to grow be one foot in height but mine is mere into small shrubs (Chamaedaphne inches and has not yet borne any bright calyculata 'Nana' in my case). Violet red berries. Here, too, is a special blue labiate flowers come in late treasure, Anemonella thalictroides 'Ca• August, an invaluable trait in this early meo', a double of pale, delicate pink. southern garden, but it is not winter This flowers for a month in April and hardy here and must be grown as an May before the oak comes into leaf. annual. In this garden I have failed Next to it is a similar plant, Isopyrum with Kalmia latifolia. I think I killed biternatum, but this is a newcomer as them with kindness, too much summer yet — let us not count our chickens watering and too rich a soil. Neighbours who have done no more than dig a hole and dump them in Another raised bed lies to the south have them growing healthily. But on of this oak, planted mainly with Gumpo the edge of this Gumpo bed Kalmia azaleas. Rosa 'New Dawn' climbs into hirsuta looks well. It has not yet a small holly tree, exactly matching flowered, a pleasure eagerly anticipated. the coloring of 'Pink Gumpo'

77 Czech Rock Garden Show Photograph by J. Starek, Prague, Czechoslovakia

The Czechoslovakian Rock Garden and small rocks and the outcrops were Club, an affiliate of ARGS, set up tied into a harmonious whole by the for its May 1978 Show in Prague a skillful placement of dwarf Mugo Pines. naturalistic rock garden built in an All the conifers, of which there were outdoor court where it was viewed by a number of varieties, were planted 13,000 visitors. by Peter Herynek of the Botanical Gar• Zdenek Zvolanek, as Head Arranger, den of Prague. Groupings of American carried the entire responsibility for and New Zealand plants were arranged designing and building the garden. The on two separate outcrops. Club's weathered granite rocks, The wide selection of plants, many originally transported from the Jizerske in perfect flower, were mostly in pots Hory Mountains and used many times concealed beneath the surface mulch in other shows, were arranged in a of granite chips, but some were tucked series of outcrops around two small directly into rock crevices. One section pools. It took Mr. Zvolanek, assisted was laid out as a small meadow with by Joseph Halda, three days to build drifts of Gentiana acaulis in full bloom the garden. The photograph shows only among tufts of Festuca glacialis. a small portion of it. Congratulations to our Czech mem• The pools were lined with asphalt bers. concealed beneath a layer of stone chips

78 THE ROCK FERNS, A Baker's Dozen Not So Familiar

KAY BOYDSTON Niles, Michigan

This is the second in a series of Woods. It contains about a dozen spe• three articles on rock ferns written cies, most of them living in the colder originally by Mrs. Boydston for "Fern- climates. Although Obtuse Woodsia is wood Notes," the publication put out by said to be the commonest one of eastern Fernwood, Inc., a garden and nature North America, in Michigan it is known preserve established by Mr. and Mrs. from only Kewenau county. It prefers Boydston at their home in Niles, rocky habitats, especially shady ledges Michigan. These articles describe the and loose talus and we found it in rock ferns to be found on a stroll just such a place on the New York along the Fern Trail in this extensive fern trip, the only time I have seen garden. it in its native home. I regret now The first article published in the that it was not exciting at the time. ARGS Bulletin Vol. 35, p. 141, covered It didn't seem like a rock fern — a dozen familiar rock ferns: the rare too large for this, with a six to twelve harts tongue, a cliff brake, the common inch frond. Then (and since) it was polypody, two bladder ferns, two asple- mistaken for a Fragile Fern (Cystop- niums, the ivalking fern, three mai• teris fragilis). They are really look- denhair ferns, and a tiny form of the alikes but closer observation shows one lady-fern. — Ed. difference to be in the blunt tip of pinnules and frond of this Woodsia. The small sori are round at first and The thirteen forms to be considered later split into star-shapes — a bit in this second article include a few of perfection and beauty when viewed now at home at Fernwood which should through a hand lens. Said by Dr. be familiar to all, a few still on trial Wherry to be "readily grown in rock and others not yet planted but hopefully garden or open woods," I feel remiss to become future residents and familiar, that little effort has ever been made too. Again, their silhouettes appear to find sources of plants or spores (half natural size), but instead of being to produce a small colony somewhere numbered 1 to 13 we have continued in the Fernwood woods. This will be from the first article so these carry corrected. the numbers 13 to 25. This was done 14. Woodsia ilvensis, the Rusty because the next article will continually Woodsia, smaller and more attractive, refer to the ferns of the first two. has held a quite different place in our Brief non-technical stories and descrip• fern affections and several times, a tions follow the numbers as given: dozen or so have been tucked in by 13. Woodsia obtusa, the Obtuse or sandstone rocks in our "acid annex," Blunt-lobed Woodsia. According to the little corner east of the rock garden. Clute, the genus Woodsia was so named Known to prefer this acid condition in honor of the English botanist, Joseph of rocks and soil, there was something

79 m we did not furnish to its liking for is longer than the blade. Delicate, fresh, it never stayed more than two to three light green in color, it is one fern years. Probably it was too shady or we have long coveted for Fernwood perhaps too dry. To quote again from but had the mistaken notion that it Dr. Wherry's guide, "Habitat, dry and was partial to soil and rocks too acid less often moist crevice in cliffs, ledges for us to be able to satisfy it — so and talus slopes; frequently in sunny postponed the day of trying after an situations; known on almost all kinds early trial of a few in the woods proved of rocks except limestone; soil a failure. Now it is good to report subacid." The eastern source of the new small but spreading patches in plants tried is no longer in business two locations. A few purchased last or we'd be trying again. An attractive fall and kept over winter in the cold and different little fern, it is worth frame were ready for early planting reordering every few years. this spring. Planted in a corner of In young growth the underside of the "acid annex," in the ensuing unsea• its fronds is densely woolly and silvery sonable hot dry days many a sprinkling with the hairlike scales, a striking can of water has been carried to them. feature. This later turns to a rusty At the present time they seem to be brown from which the common name taking hold. is taken. Sori can hardly be seen in A larger number were later planted this thick coat. On our Michigan trip near, but not on, the Hagenah memorial we came upon many of these little outcrop after I read that they would ferns in an unlikely place never forgot• "like cool rocky woods, shaded talus ten — certainly one of the "less often slopes and swamp margins, soil rich moist habitats." On large boulders spla• in humus, mostly subacid — desirable shed and surrounded by a swift nor• for a shady rock or woodland garden thern Michigan stream, these little ferns where soil is cool and damp yet well could be seen in small numbers matted drained." (Yes, Dr. Wherry's advice together and wedged into unseen cracks again.) Two places near the outcrop in the boulders — in full sun but offered these conditions and the little dampened by the spray — an unforget• roots were planted with confidence but table sight. so many days of dreadful heat since 15. Gymnocarpium dryopteris, or planting them have made me afraid Dryopteris disjuncta, or Phegopteris to check. But today with this report dryopteris, the Oak Fern. Too bad to in mind, I summoned courage to do force so many changes of tongue- so. How nice it was to see the fronds twisting names on a fern so dainty raising their little balls unrolling to and different. These are only three of the three divisions. Drainage is sharp, twice as many or more by which this soil is rich and is cooled by the stream fern has been known in the years of just below. They can be easily seen my fern interest. Different authors and but are out of danger of being stepped nurserymen elect to use different names on. They should furnish one more small with no agreement whatever. Letting fern pleasure for interested visitors. the experts argue this as they wish, 16. Phegopteris connectilis or Dryop• we can turn attention to the fern itself. teris phegopteris, the Long Beech or From the slender creeping rootstock, Northern Beech Fern is another which dainty three-part fronds are produced has survived many conflicting name through the whole season. The stipe changes. Thinking this a smaller edition

31 of our Broad Beech or Southern Beech ed Spleenwort, prefers the same soil Fern which has been easy to establish and exposure as A. montanum and one in luxurious spreading patches in the or two have been content in this "acid rich leaf mold near the "seat bridge," annex" for a good many years. The we were not successful with the first one here the longest was weaker last planting cf this Long Beech Fern where year, did not come through the winter we wanted to see it. It had different but the second is still here after three ideas and sulked and sickened. or four years. Both were tucked under Last year and this, small colonies or between sandstone rocks and have have been started in more likely, more furnished fertile fronds for spore plant• rocky places where we can more readily ing every year. This asplenium see and care for them, carrying water originated as a hybrid between A. mon• if necessary until they are established. tanum and the Walking Fern, and does I can almost hear them muttering to indeed resemble the first in its lobed each other, "She finally learned what lower section of the fronds and the we want." Sometimes it takes a while. latter in the extended top which rarely Fronds of both beech ferns are strikes root. A most attractive little triangular in shape, this one being fern we hope to keep — especially longer than broad, the other broader as our oft quoted guide calls it "prac• than long. The lowest pair of pinnae tically impossible." point forward and downward, a 19. Asplenium ruta-muraria, the noticeable characteristic of this fern. Wall-rue, usually found in limestone 17. Asplenium montanum, the Moun• regions in the smallest crevices in dry tain Spleenwort — the first of five rocks. A very dainty little fern perhaps more rock spleenworts for this article. more desired than any other, but more (There were three last time.) The persistently refusing to stay long. rock aspleniums have held for me and Perhaps it has never stayed long enough others higher and more continuous in• to become really established. A terest than any others. Included in the highlighted fern day was one of finding Appalachian group are some revelling it growing in a limestone gorge in in limestone and others demanding acid Ohio. With slightly different minute rocks and soil. The many natural hy• pinnules, it is the form ohionis. Right brids found in the wild have spurred now a purchased tiny plant is growing fern students on to continuous effort in the trough. May it like it well enough to try to produce them and others artifi• to stay! cially in spore cultures. 20. Asplenium ehenoides, Scott's The aspleniums in this little group Spleenwort, is now more often called of those most wanted include three from Asplenosorus ehenoides, a famous hy- limestone areas and two from acid. rid of the Ebony Spleenwort, A. plat- The Mountain Spleenwort is one of yneuron, and the Walking Fern. the latter, a dainty beautiful little fern 21. Asplenium resiliens, sometimes which might never be happy in the called the Black-stemmed Spleenwort, Fernwood tufa rock garden or the lime is not in the Appalachian group but outcrop, but I keep hoping that it might a more southern fern superficially re• tolerate conditions which could be made sembling the Ebony Spleenwort, A. pla- in our "acid annex" if we could ever tyneuron. It has been suggested that grow it from spores. this might be the better one to be 18. Asplenium pinnatifidum, the Lob- called the "Ebony Spleenwort" for its

82 stems are truly black. It differs from has been recently found in a brief state• A. plalyneuron in being somewhat ment by an English author who speaks smaller, in having fertile and sterile of this one as a "rabid lime hater." fronds of uniform size and especially I have never seen any other catalogue in having its pinnules in opposite pairs or book mention its need for acid. rather than alternate. It is native further We'll try this next time. south than our part of the country, 24. Cheilanthes, unknown species. fronds having been sent to me twice This small frond was taken from one from southern Illinois and in my early of several of this genus which grew fern learning days, this fern was found in the trough last year. As it is so to be rather abundant near a Virginia small I'll guess that it was from C. home we were visiting and it was grati• feei, a miniature long wanted especially fying that they could be readily identi• after learning that it grows in tight fied by the opposite pairs of pinnules. dry limestone crevices as near as None of these ferns are now growing Wisconsin. All the cheilanthes species at Fernwood but when and if planted are desirable and different (and for spores ever mature, plants will certainly me, difficult). C. lanosa was at one be tried to test their winter hardiness time happy for three years or more here. in the wall, and C. alabamensis and 22. Blechnum penna-marina — with silvery C. tomentosa tried us out a no common name I can find, is a few times but being more southern in desirable little rock fern from New origin, decided against staying. Zealand now available from a few spe• 25. Asplenium viride, the Green cialist nurseries. For a year or two Spleenwort, will end our story for this it took half-heartedly to its nook in time. From more northern homes it the rock garden but did not last as is not one of the Appalachians. On well as expected from catalogue descrip• the New \ ork trip it was one of the tions. Who could resist these — it special treats found in Vermont and is a "fast spreader," "amazingly adap• the next vear we found it on Niagara table," "an easy rock fern"? In the limestone in northern Michigan. It was trough it is doing better — an interest• first found near Pickford and has been ing little fern with its tallish, very nar• collected on Drummond Island. row, tough, evergreen fronds — almost Superficiallv it resembles the Mai• leathery in texture. denhair Spleenwort but their differences 23. Crypto gramma crispa, Parsley are several. This one is less wiry and Fern, is well named for the short sterile its rachis is green rather than shiny fronds, especially if thickly numerous, brown. It appears in western mountains. do indeed look like parsley. It is found Its fresh green appearance belies its in our western mountains and in Europe hardy constitution — a lovely one to as well. have if possible. It does persist in a Although single plants have been few rock garden situations but the tried here several times, appearing at owners must be good gardeners! first to be easy, they have always sulked Reprinted by permission from and pined away. Perhaps the reason "Fernwood Notes," No. 124

33 JAPANESE MAPLES questions arise as to how do you tell by J. D. Vertrees, Timber Press, one from the other. Over 250 species 1978; Portland, Oregon. and have been described and Distributed by ISBS Inc., photographed to display their Forest Grove, Oregon. $39.50 distinctive characteristics. More than Commodore Perry revealed Japan to forty variegated cultivars of Acer pal- the American Government, Mr. Vertrees matum alone have been listed. Most has enlightened the American gardener impressive! Distinguishing this vast to the Japanese Maple. It is not often group has been greatly simplified. someone devotes himself to profiling Japanese Maples is not an inexpen• a specific group of plants. It is not sive book, but it is unique, accurate, an easy task, although Vertrees has and handsome. It would be a valuable accomplished it. resource for anyone interested in this Vertrees makes three definitive state• group of plants. There is always a ments of purpose and goal in the in• spot in the rock garden for one of troduction: "1) to clarify the no• the Japanese maples and Vertrees' book menclature which has become unclear will help you select the right one. over the years, 2) to provide a guide — John Trexler to the identification of individual cul- tivars, and 3) to provide information GARDEN CONIFERS IN COLOR on the history and culture of the Jap• by Brian and Valerie Proudley. 1976 anese Maple." With consistent style he (second edition), Blanford Press, Lon• meets his goals and purposes in 178 don, represented in USA by Sterling Pub• beautifully photographed and arranged lishing Co., New York, N.Y. $5.95 pages. The book is divided into five major This is a small pocket sized book chapters: History, and No• with many sound suggestions for the menclature, Culture, Propagation, and use and enjoyment of the five hundred a list of cultivars and species. A list, and forty conifers chosen to be dis• mind you, that reads like a flavor chart cussed. The authors are obviously good at Baskin and Robbins, one more horticulturists and have researched their tempting than the next. Though the work quite well. Although temperature whole book is a gathering of valued zones are used in descriptions, it is information, it is the list of known well to remember that this is written cultivars that makes the book special. for English gardens. Some of these As is the case with most plants that plants would be more suitable for the are collected, selected, and reselected, damper climate of the West Coast than

84 for the East and Midwest. For instance, ments pointing out the effect of siting, there are so many more Chamaecyparis soil, etc. By the way, the Proudley's lawsoniana than the C. obtusa forms scale for a rock garden is a plant — yet in our experience in New Jersey, that will reach six by six feet in ten many Lawson forms are not too happy years — not what most of us are in this area, while most of the obtusas used to thinking of as the size for are adaptable to the East Coast. our rock gardens.) As outlined in the introduction, the These short chapters cannot, of first quarter of the book proceeds course, go into great detail: however, logically from the history and no• they do give a sound overall picture menclature through the uses, needs of of the subjects and there is a bibliogra• the plants, propagation, troubles and phy for further study. growth habits of conifers. Each of the The second quarter of the book has six chapters is broken down into subti• a hundred and eighteen colored pictures tles, making information easy to find. of selected specimens — many of them First: "Conifers and their Names" beautiful plants — which the poor color touches on the binomial system of Lin• reproduction shows up to very poor naeus: subspecies, varieties, forms, hy• advantage. Some of the closeups of brids, names, and clones. the cones are better, but overall there Second: "Conifers in the Garden" is too much yellow-green and fuzziness. covers framing the garden, rock gar• It does seem unfortunate that Color dens, and different kinds of gardens. was used in the title. Third: "How to Grow Them" The last half of the book is given discusses existing soils, specimens, to to short descriptions of individual feed or not to feed, types to select, plants, often giving origin and other how to avoid losses, container plants, interesting information as well as and collecting quality plants — a num• growth habit. Each family is introduced ber of good points to be remembered. with some general background for the Fourth: "Propagation" is an in• whole group: origin, uses, appropriate troduction to seeds, grafts, cuttings, and propagation, etc. There is an appendix propagating material. with a check list of the races, families Fifth: "Troubles" includes and genera of conifers, a select transplanting as well as leaf spot, di• bibliography, and an alphabetical index seases, and insects. of all plants listed. Sixth and last: "Growth Rate and A lot of information concisely given Ultimate Size" gives very general state• in this two hundred page book. — Hazel Smith

Errata Vol. 37 (Winter 1979), p. 14, 1st col., lines 30 and 37: "bath house" should read "lath house." On page 20, 1st col., line 10-11: "entertaining" should read "enterprising"; though, as the author pointed out, we are also entertaining, or at least some of us are. Our apologies to Frank Cabot.

85 THE SMALL-LEAF HOSTAS A Genus of Delight and Surprise

MRS. RALPH CANNON Chicago, Illinois

Do you have dappled or heavy shade a fine review in 1954 on "The Genus in your garden? If so, and you are Hosta in Swedish Gardens." Many of looking for a handsome and versatile the new hybrids in the last ten years plant to grow that has contrasting have originated in the United States foliage in shades of green or yellow and England. or is variegated, beautiful in size, shape The basic growing needs of these and texture — then think of hostas. plants are a humus rich soil with animal These plants are noted for their har• manure, sphagnum peat or other diness, sturdiness, long-life, minimum organic materials, leaf mold, good maintenance and decorative value. drainage and plenty of moisture. They There are many ways in which they appear indifferent to the degree of soil can be used: edging, landscape, spec• acidity. I grow mine in woodland soil imens for small or large gardens, stone with only the leaves from the many walls, ground cover, beside a brook trees giving them fresh leaf mold every or pond, along a path, and for many year. They are all of easy culture. They other purposes. grow in dappled shade, high, or dense. The genus Hosta was so named to They flower poorly in too dense a shade commemorate two Austrian botanists, but their foliage remains handsome. Joseph Host and Nicolous Thomas They enjoy good air circulation. Host. Belonging to the family They are best propagated b y they include many species and many vegetative off-sets or division, pref• hybrids. Here only the small leaf species erably in the spring. Set the division and hybrids of this herbaceous peren• with the buds just below the surface. nial will be considered for garden orna• This is the way to get a true plant ment. because the seed that forms after the We are told that most of the species bloom fades won't breed true, so a and some of the hybrids were collected hybrid results. If you have the spirit from the wilds of Japan where they of experimentation you will hand are endemic and a few have spun off pollinate the blossoms, allow some seed the Chinese and Korean coasts. The to form, collect the seed when ripe Swedish botanist, Thunberg, described and plant it the following spring to the first hosta known to science in see what kind of a hybrid you obtained. 1780. We have had to rely on the Controlled pollination is the best way researches of the Japanese for our data to get a good hybrid. Allow at least on these plants, especially the species, three weeks for germination of the seed. the best monograph being by Fumio Otherwise do not allow the seeds to Maekawa in 1940 who gave us the form after the flowers are spent. most useful classification of this genus. Remove the entire stalk and enjoy the Also, Nils Hylander of Sweden wrote foliage. The formation of seed will re-

86 duce the vitality of the plant. Descriptions will be brief, emphasizing An interesting habit of hostas is that plant appearance. of throwing bud mutants which are Species different in color or variegation from Maekawa, in his monograph, divided the mother plant. Watch for these sports all hosta species into ten sections. Any and remove them. It is possible for of the species having varieties or forms you to have a new plant. growing in the wild were listed as such. Hosta leaves have many pattern His classification has been followed forms and shapes as well as various here. shades of color: blue-gray, blue-green, Most of these small leaf species have green, yellow, or variegated in either been introduced into our gardens from shades of green and yellow or green the wilds of Japan by vegetative prop• and white. These variegations may be agation. There are many growing in in the form of margins, lines, splashes, American gardens today and they can or freckles. Then there are some plants be obtained from plant nurseries or that have yellow leaves in the spring individuals that specialize in growing that turn green as the summer advances, hostas. Among the obtainable, al• and there are yellow ones that remain phabetically arranged are: yellow throughout the growing season. H. capitata: A small plant, light Their textures may be rugose, puckered, green, heart shaped leaves. Buds round veined, seersuckered, ribbed or smooth. as a ball. Flowers, light lavender. The shapes may be pointed, blunt, Blooms in July. twisted, ruffled, rippled, or cordate. H. clausa: Stoloniferous. Red-purple The lily-like flowers bloom on scapes closed flowers that never open. Leaf taller than the leaf mound and range mound eight inches, spreading. The in color from white to pinkish-lavender, flowers drop off without forming any deep blue, violet, and light purple. fruit, because they lack pollen or ovules. Generally each flower lasts only a day, H. gracillima: a very small plant. opening early in the morning and clos• Dark green, shiny leaves with wavy ing in the afternoon before evening. margins, three to four inches long, Although grown primarily for foliage ovate-lanceolate. Purple flowers in many hostas have beautiful flowers. August and September carried well Pests are few: slugs and snails prin• above the foliage. Spreading. cipally, and possibly some grasshop• H. helonoides albo-picta: A form of pers. For slugs and snails use any bait H. helonoides. Variegated with white containing metaldehyde or methiocarb. margins on narrow tapering dull green Also useful is a band of wood ashes leaves. Flowers are a weak purple in or sand around the plant. In rainy August. seasons leaf hoppers can be trouble• H. kikutii: Dark green leaves, some. pointed, undulate. Nearly white flowers Since we are interested primarily in on scape well above the leaves. the garden value of these hostas, our H. kikutii yakusimensis: A variety selective consideration should be what of H. kikutii. A small plant, green species with their varieties and forms, leaves, flat growing. Flowers pink- and what hybrids bearing small leaves purple. are worthy of our survey. The final H. lancijolia kabitan: A form of H. choice for inclusion depends largely lancifolia thunbergiana. Narrow yellow on the availability of these plants. arch-shaped leaves with brilliant green

87 rims. Eight inch mound. Holds yellow names. Regrettably, some of the latest all season. hybrids are very scarce and expensive H. longipes: Green leaves, ovate- to buy and are seldom available in cordate, small, pointed, with wavy the nursery trade. Their attraction is edges. Petiole slender. Flowers blue- worth the search because they represent purple. eight-flowered, lax. what is new in hosta breeding. Their H. longissimo: Green leaves, narrow vigor, marked change in foliar color, and long. Flowers rose-purple. Multiple texture and contrast form warrant the flower stalks from a single crown. Ra• acquisition of some of these new plants. ceme three-flowered. A few will be specified. Choosing these H. minor: Elliptic green leaves. few from the enormous number in the Flowers lilac on short stems. Funnel hybridizer's garden was a difficult task. shape. Larger than H. venusta. The name in parentheses after the hy• H. nakaiana: Green leaves, erect and brid name is that of the hybridizer. heart shaped, three inches long, two For purposes of description the color inches wide. Petiole keeled and winged. of leaves and flowers will be noted The capitate. Flowers clear when supplied by the hybridizer. lilac. Will bloom a second time if seeds 'Ann Arett' (Arett): A mutation of are not allowed to develop. H. lancifolia subcrocea. The cream edg• H. rupifraga: One of the rarest. Fle• ed leaf is scalloped around the gold shy leaves three to five inches long, center. all radical. Petiole two inches, flower- 'Beatrice' (Williams): Land folia-type stem fifteen inches. Raceme dense. seedling. Leaves are green or variegated Many large purplish flowers. Although with yellow stripes. Late lavender collected from an island that has only bloom. frosts in winter, my plants have proven 'Birchwood Parky's Gold' (Shaw): hardy in Chicago climate. Seedling of H. nakaiana. Golden heart H. tardiflora: Maekawa lists as H. shaped leaves. More gold color if grown sparsa. The identity of these two taxa in the sun. was confirmed by Stern in 1953. Green, 'Blue Cadet' (Aden): Seedling of H. shiny leaves, five inches in length, tokudama. Small plant. Heavy blue leathery. Blade lanceolate. Petiole short. leaves with white edge. Very floriferous. Flowers numerous and crowded. Lilac 'Bountiful' (Fisher): Seedling of H. in color. Blooms in September-October. nakaiana. Small pointed green leaves. Needs some covering in hard winters. Pink flowers. Rhizomes creep. 'Chartreuse Wiggles' (Aden): Small H. venusta: A small plant from clump, ruffled chartreuse-gold leaves. Korea and Japan. Leaves green, about 'Candy Hearts' (Fisher): Seedling of three inches long. Petiole slender, wing• H. nakaiana. Leaf texture better. Heart ed, canaliculate. Flowering stem twice shaped green leaves making a low as long as the leaves. Four to eight mound. A heavy bloomer of lavender flowers on stem. Lilac-violet in color flowers. in June-July. Makes a low mound. 'Gold Cadet' (Aden): Small plant. Creeps. Bright yellow-gold leaves of heavy Hybrids substance. Hybrids have originated in cultiva• 'Helen Field Fischer' (origin un• tion mostly from chance seedlings or known) : Small plant resembling H. mutants and are given vernacular fortunei hyacinthina. Has white line

88 around leaves of green-gray. Low clump. Bright splash of variegated pat• mound. tern in leaves. 'Louise' (Williams): Lanceolate Hosta, the hardy genus of surprise, leaves with a white border. White is a prime plant for the garden. As flowers in August. Twelve inch mound. nature dresses her brightest in the au• 'Minnie Klopping' (Klopping): Small tumn, beautiful gold colors come to round blue-gray leaf. Leaf mound stays most hostas. In the frosty fall when low. _ the skies are dull, look to the hostas, 'Sentinels' (Williams): Very early. whose foliage has turned to yellow or Shiny green leaves. Purple flowers in gold, for the sunshine of your view. August. This ends the year on a surprise note 'Show Piece' (Fisher): Small plant. for these plants. Whether species or Compact mound. Leaves soft yellow- hybrids, there are many hosta leaf pat• green with dark green veins, ruffled terns and colors in these small leaves edges, glossy. Round ball buds. Flowers for the decoration of your whole garden lavender. area. 'Snow Flakes' (Williams) : Green A collection of Hostas growing for leaves making a fine mound. White display, sponsored by The American flowers in August. Hosta Society, is in The Landscape 'Special Gift' (Fisher): Low growing Arboretum of the University of Min• mound with silver in its leaf. Flowers nesota, Chaska, Minnesota. soft lavender. A few sources where good hosta 'Starburst' (Eisel) : Seedling of plants, species or hybrids, can be ob• 'Beatrice.' Low green, white striped leaf. tained are: Garden of Aden, 980 Stan- Rosette type plant. ton Avenue, Baldwin, N.Y. 11510; Mrs. 'The Twister' (Savory): Dark green Glen Fisher, 4392 W. 20th Street Road, leaves artistically twisted. Blooms Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901; Savory's purple in August. Greenhouse, 5300 Whiting Avenue, 'Yellow Splash' (Aden): Small neat Edina. Minnesota 55435.

SlobuAori*. cordifdio.

Sharp sand is a valuable medium extensively used in gardening. Even though builder's sand has good characteristics, nature sometimes provides better material. If you search along short streams, sufficient accumulations of sharp sand can usually be found. The less the sand grains have been transported by water, the more likely they are to be sharp; longer transportation smooths down the sharp edges of sand grains by mechanical action. Sharp sand holds moisture better and provides better aeration than smoother, more worn sand. Joseph Yelisavcic, Ossining, N.Y.

89 Wildflowers on the Bickleton Ridge

GERTRUDE SUTTON Greenfield, Wisconsin Photograph by Mrs. Joseph Lucas, Richland,

Two of us "Easterners" were for• Granite Gilia, as it is known locally tunate to be included in a wildflower and there were patches of Oregon Sun• field trip to the Bickleton Hills of shine, Eriophyllum lanatum, a small Klickitat County, Wash, in mid-April. bright yellow Composite. In the ravines An ARGS member, Mrs. Jospeh Lucas, and areas which had the benefit of formerly of the Connecticut Chapter runoff from the melting snows we found and later of the Illinois-Wisconsin Dodecatheon pauciflorum, the Western Chapter (where I met her), now lives Shooting Star. in Richland, Wash. I visited with her Here and there were pinkish alliums; for a few days and found her gardening silvery mats of antennaria, the Moun• in near desert conditions — a new tain Pussytoes; Phlox diffusa spread challenge for her. During my stay a its bright pink and white blossoms and day's outing with several wildflower Brodiaea douglassii with clusters of fun• enthusiasts — a real treat for us — nel-shaped flowers on top of the tall was arranged. leafless stalks. It grows from corms The place was about fifteen miles and is sometimes referred to as north of the Columbia River, about Gopher Nuts. Fritillaria pudica or midway between Bickleton and Gold- Yellow Bells was also in bloom; the endale, on a sort of extension of the hanging baskets turn from green to Horse Heaven Hills. Objective: to iden• yellow to orange-brown as the season tify and photograph the wildflowers of progresses. We noted some of the earlv the area that were in bloom that day; erigerons, typical of the foothills coun• and the profusion of bloom we saw try; Ranunculus glaberrimus, one of on this early date was breathtaking. the very early blooming buttercups call• Some species were familiar; some we ed the Sagebrush Buttercup ; had never heard of. Most were new Plagiobathrys scopulorum (nothoful- to us. Before the day was over our vus?), a much branched annual called count was well over forty genera and Popcorn Flower; Phacelia linearis or species. Threadleaf; Erysimum asperum the On our very first stop we saw Viola Western Wallflower, its stems and trinervata with its blue-green, almost leaves rough to the touch and many succulent foliage and bi-colored more. flowers; the upper pair of petals are As we drove along the road we saw velvety purple while the lower three numerous patches of bright yellow that are lavender. These sagebrush beauties turned out to be Balsam Root. There (Sagebrush Violet is the common seemed to be two different species; name) were interspersed with Lewisia the taller one was Balsamorhiza sagit- rediviva not yet in bloom. tata while the shorter one with cut The meadows were frosted with leaves, we were told, was B. hookeri. masses of Leptodactylon pungens, the Among the blue flowers in bloom

90 Gertrude Sutton surrounded by Leptodactylon pungens were delphinium; elegans; ored mallow, and Ribes cereum, the astragalus, milk vetch; various lupines; pink flowered Squaw Current. Blue-eyed Mary, Collinsia parviflora; We had our lunch near the top of sisyrinchiums and H y d r ophyllum a hill by a dry stream bed paved with capitatum, or Ball-head Waterleaf, one flat water-worn, red, yellow, and brown of the smaller members of the family rocks. It was very beautiful arid made with round clusters of flowers. me think of the simulated streams that The lacy gray foliage of lomatiums the Japanese use as features in some really caught our eye as rock gardeners. of their gardens. As this area had once These plants belong to the Parsely been used as an Indian camp-ground Family and have dense pincushion um• we found many chips of quartz and bels, mostly yellow, although we found obsidian flaked off the cores from one Pepper-and-Salt with white flowers which they had made their arrowheads and black anthers, all of them hugging and knives. the ground. Outstanding too, were the To this weary traveler, it was a fields of Trifolium macrocephalum with memorable day and as we left the two-inch rose colored heads and Bickleton Hills, I couldn't help but won• five to six leaflets instead of the usual der what other blooming plants we three. would see if we returned in a week Among the taller plants we observed — or even a month. the Sphaeralcia ambigua, a peach col•

91 • • • of Cabbages and Kings • • •

It would seem that having expressed shown at the joint meeting and the firmly in print all the reasons for not snowball started to roll. An offer was using color in the Bulletin I shall now made to try to raise enough money have to back pedal, for in this issue by private subscription to pay for the we break a precedent of thirty-six years expense of publishing the pictures in and present you with two color pictures. the Bulletin; several people had already Not that I recant; I still believe the pledged sums to help. I called Jim reasons for not running color are valid, Minogue. He approved with the provi• the expense being not the least of them. sion that no ARGS funds be used. However, in this case I believe color I called Mr. Maslin in Colorado to is justified. The discovery or rediscovery tell him of the possibility we could by Paul Maslin of the two exquisite publish the pictures after all and find phlox portrayed is, in newspaper par• out if the article and the pictures were lance, a "scoop", an unlikely happening still available to us. As it happened for the Bulletin and the story is color. he was in Mexico collecting more plants When the slides of these two phlox and seed of the phlox and could not were projected on the screen at the be reached. His wife, who had answered joint meeting of the Connecticut, Hud• my call, was fairly certain he had son Valley, and Long Island Chapters already contacted another publication; in October, 1978, a gasp went up from he would call me and let me know the audience, and when it was announc• as soon as he came home the following ed that unfortunately neither the story week. Everything screeched to a halt. of their discovery nor the pictures Then, two days later, a letter arrived would appear in the Bulletin the gasp from Chihuahua in which Paul Maslin was followed by a groan. said the Bulletin could have the story When Mr. Maslin wrote, telling your of the phlox even though we could editor of his find and offering the not use color pictures and he was taking story of their discovery to the Bulletin, black and white pictures to replace he said he would like to have the pic• them. tures printed in color and offered to You know the end of the story. You help defray the expense. My heart sank can read the article, you can see the as I knew we could not afford to Phlox lutea and its brilliant vermillion, publish them despite his generous offer hybrid with Phlox purpurea in color, and when I looked at the slides, and we raised the $500 needed to pay duplicates of the originals, against the for doing it. Our heartfelt thanks to light coming through the window, I those who made it possible and especial• nearly burst into tears of frustration. ly to Milt and Jeanne Mulloy, who So, with the approval of Jim Minogue, handled all the details of the solicita• our president, I wrote Mr. Maslin tion. telling him of my disappointment at having to refuse his offer and sug• gesting several other publications that Tonic for Moles would, I was sure, jump at the oppor• The following note from Mary Ley tunity. of Newtown, Conn, may help solve some Two weeks later the pictures were of your problems:

92 The late Josephine Nuese described of the Rocky Mountain Chapter an the following recipe in her book, Coun• annotated listing of the rock garden try Garden. I have used it with great plants they have found durable, showy success. and reliable in the climate of the Col• . . . Take equal parts of castor oil orado foothills over a period of years. and liquid detergent, add a little warm This excellent little publication lists 118 water and with a beater (egg or other• genera from Achillea to Wulfenia with, wise) whip up this repulsive mess until in most cases, a number of species it is a foam. Then put two or three under each. The common name, if any, tablespoons of this into a watering can is given along with a brief description of warm — repeat, warm water, mix of the plant and in most cases hints well and, using the sprinkler cap, douse on how best to grow them in the the soil wherein are the moles. Best foothills of Colorado. For example: time to do this is when the soil is "Sphaeralcea (Copper Mallow). These wet, after a rain or hosing, so that dryland plants like a hot sunny place the oil can penetrate more deeply. And and deep soil. They are difficult to saturate the area, really soak it, not move, but come easily from seed. One only the mole runs, but the adjacent of the best is S. coccinea with fuzzy, soil as well . . . Two or three dousings silvery foliage and intense, small orange may be necessary where mole infesta• cups." tion is heavy, but all this does no Also from the Rocky Mountain Chap• harm to plants involved. This treatment ter, this time co-authored by Panayoti will keep the area mole-free for from Callas and Ray Radebaugh, is a three to six weeks depending upon how mimeographed listing of "Ferns for serious the mole problem and how Colorado Gardens." This is somewhat heavy the earthworm population." less elaborate than "Rock Garden Plants Along the same lines of medication for Colorado" but should prove in• as above, it is said that an Ex-lax valuable to fern buffs. tablet dropped into a mole or chipmunk It consists of a brief foreword hole will make these little trouble• describing several categories: Woodland makers go elsewhere. I have not yet Ferns, Rock Ferns, Bog Ferns and tried this remedy, but I know, first Desert Ferns, with brief growing hand, that the method described above instructions for each category. These really does get rid of moles. are keyed by a letter to the list of ferns that follows. The pH is also given For those who are allergic to the for each fern where it matters and very idea of castor oil another deterrent symbols give additional information suggested by Betty Ann Mech of Min• such as whether the fern is native to neapolis, Minn, may solve your mole Colorado (x), especially easy or strik• problem. She has, with considerable ing (!), or impossible ($). success, tucked bits of rag soaked with This preface is followed by a list gasoline in mole runs to persuade the of one hundred and twenty-three species little beasties to move elsewhere. and varieties of ferns with common names where known, each with its ap• propriate symbols and occasionally a Informative Publications comment such as "hard to establish, T. Paul Maslin and Panayoti P. but well worth the effort." Country Callas have compiled for the members of origin is also noted if the fern

93 is non-American. A brief listing of or vice-versa. Such regional places where fern spores and plants lists are therefore doubly valuable. can be obtained is also included. These two lists can be obtained by An Ex-Expert Reminisces interested ARGS members by sending a request along with a stamped self- These notes, received from John P. addressed envelope and fifty cents for Osborne of Westport, Conn, relate some each list to the chairman of the Rocky of the pleasures and frustrations he Mountain Chapter. has experienced during his years as The Allegheny Chapter has also put a rock gardener: out a plant list, "75 Plants One Should Know — And Grow", compiled by These are disconnected reminiscences Madalen Modic. This is not quite as that I wrote, mainly for myself, when comprehensive as publish• memories seemed fresh, almost alive. ed by the Colorado chapter as it concen• They are not intended to be a record trates primarily on plants that are fairly of anything and may even be confusing, easy to grow in the Northeast (though going back and forth as they do without not necessarily the most common.) It rhyme or reason. Of course they have usually, but not always, gives brief to do with rock gardening or the grow• descriptions and very occasionally a hint ing of wildflowers, whichever you pre• on growing conditions. This would be fer to call this particular form of a useful list of plants for the new madness. rock gardener still floundering among During the sixties my favorite plants botanical names and wondering what were the saxifrages, particularly the plants to start with. Kabschias. I eventually wound up with A list of twelve annuals suitable to a whole alpine house full of them, the rock garden follows the list of sev• several hundred pots, some eight to enty-five perennials and the names and ten inches in diameter, even a few, addresses of two seedhouses where seeds such as S. burseriana, in twelve inch for some of these can be obtained is pots. They would start to bloom in appended. February and for the next two months A self-addressed envelope and twenty- the alpine house would be ablaze with five cents sent with a request to the their beautiful flowers. chairman of the Allegheny Chapter will My main competition, both at shows get you this list. and elsewhere, came from Line Foster, Perhaps other chapters have put out and what fun we had. I won my share similar publications about which we at the shows, but try as I would I do not know. It is a useful service almost, but never quite, could catch to local members to have such lists up with him. of the plants suited to the growing In the early sixties not many Ameri• conditions in their area. So often mem• can nurseries grew saxifrages so we bers, particularly new members, express were forced to send abroad for our a desire for a list of ten or twenty stock. On the day that the package easy rock garden plants, but it is almost would arrive the excitement would impossible to make such a list for a begin: soil mixed, everything in order, country as large and varied as the and the potting up began, sometimes United States; what is easy in Michigan to go on far into the night. Those may be impossible in Georgia or were happy days.

94 But fate is fickle and sometimes cruel. They proved very easy to divide and Line goes on his merry way, growing to my amazement I wound up with his saxifrages better than ever and I thirty-two plants. All this sudden wealth have not a one. You see there were, made me so conscience stricken that during the sixties, seven years of bad I had to give away a few of them drought when summers were dry; the — a very few, I'm afraid, but it made plants would tolerate this kind of me feel easier about the ones I kept. weather. Then came a change to hot These I carefully planted in plain leaf- humid summers and my beautiful hard- mold and sand. Spring is almost here cushioned saxifrages turned overnight and I can hardly wait for these lovely into putrid mush. Of course, I keep plants to reappear. telling myself that Line, being further Somewhere along the line in our gar• north, did not suffer as I did. One dening experience we may begin to has to console oneself somehow. The believe that we are experts. Then we sorry end of an ex-expert. are really in trouble. Obscure women's I love good food and my plants do clubs invite you to talk on house plants. too — but not for long (I refer to A persistent lady brings you a half-dead my plants, for I see no reason at eighty- plant to revive. Someone has a curious two to change my fondness for good looking plant that some garden shop food and wine.) During all my garden• has told her is nothing but a weed. ing career I have had a tendency to "But," she says, "garden shops don't work with soils that are too rich and know much." She wants to learn the heavy. I like to grow some of the truth from you. There is no end to little ground-covers such as Dalibarda it. repens and Mitchella repens. I would I recently came across a book by start a nice patch but in a year or John Wechsberg, a writer who lives so it would peter out to nothing. I'd in Vienna, which struck me as having try again with the same gloomy results interesting things to say on the subject until I finally got it through my head of experts: that the soil was too heavy. Now large "In pre-war Europe, a man was patches thrive in plain leaf-mold and respected for being a gifted dilettant, sand. I had the same problem with not an expert. We admired the univer• alpines until I learned to grow them sally interested amateur rather than the in about seventy-five percent gravel. specialist. Experts were bores, talking New plantings must be watched for only of their specialties and knowing the first year and not allowed to dry little about the outside world. The dilet- out until their roots are well down tants were much more amusing, in• in this gravelly soil. I top-dress the terested in many things, unafraid to whole garden each year with leaf-mold try some of them, though they knew and sand to be sure there is always they couldn't do them as well as the plenty of humus in the soil. experts." I had three plants of the double So I'm happy in my garden. When Trillium grandiflorum, which is one visitors ask me questions about this of the few double-flowered plants that and that, if I know the answer I tell I like. They had been growing in the them and if I don't I simply say, "I same place for eight to ten years, but don't know." It's very comfortable to last summer I decided to divide them. be an ex-expert.

95 A Race of Gardeners That would be fifty-eight members per The following note was received from million, using the per capita basis! 0. B. Gudmundsson, Secretary of the Surely we Icelanders must be a "race Icelandic Horticultural Society, "with of gardeners" par excellence! boreal greetings to Mr. Le Comte and other A.R.G.S. members in New Zealand." At Your Service The pages of past issues of the Bulle• In our Bulletin (Fall 1978) Mr. Le tin are filled with information valuable Comte of New Zealand, referring to to both new and old members but very the Secretary's Report 1977 on mem• few of us have complete files. May bership outside U.S.A., suggests that I suggest that you all get copies of "if comparisons must be made, would the Cumulative Index from your ARGS it not be better to calculate membership Store. You can then look up the item on a per capita basis?" I agree. But on which you need information and I can not agree that New Zealand then write to the ARGS-PHS Library Service comes out with "the highest percentage or the Business Manager giving the of all." Fifty-nine members of a three Volume and page numbers as well as million population hardly makes twenty the subect in which you are interested. in a million. The correct issue will be sent you, What then about us here in Iceland if available; otherwise you will be sent with thirteen members in a population a duplication of the pertinent pages of two hundred and twenty thousand? at a charge of fifteen cents per page.

PLANT-HUNTING IN THE HIMALAYAS AND BOTANISING IN EUROPE with Fairways & Swinford

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Numbers are limited and special permits have to be obtained in good time so please write now tor details if you are interested. IN EUROPE, we are offering Crete; the Greek islands of Lesbos and Chios; the Serrania de Ronda and Sierra de Cazorla in Spain; and Wengen in Switzerland. Other centres include the Chianti region of Italy, and Eastern Turkey.

For full particulars of these and many other holidays of interest to people who like something different, apply to: FAIRWAYS & SWINFORD (TRAVEL) LTD. 37 Abbey Road, London NW8 OBY, England (Tel: 01-624 9352)

96 PACIFIC HORTICULTURE a magazine about plants and Gardens of the West Illustrated Color Quarterly Annually: $6 U.S., $7 Foreign Write to P.O. Box 22609, San Francisco, CA 94122

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NATURE'S GARDEN "PLANTS FOR DRY SUNNY AREAS NURSERY AND THOSE SHADY CORNERS" Species Primulas — Gentiana Groundcovers, Alpines, Wildflowers and Wildflowers — Some Ferns Succulents in variety Large Assortment of Sedums Catalog — 50c and Sempervivums WOODLAND ROCKERY Send $1.00 for Informative 6210 Klam Road Culture Catalog Otter Lake, Michigan 48464 Route 1 Box 488 Sorry, we cannot accept Foreign orders. Beaverton, OR 97005

THE AMERICAN UNUSUAL SEED PENSTEMON SOCIETY Over a thousand different species, many collected in the wild. Cordially invites you to join its growing list of enthusiastic members. * PLUS • If you are interested in Penstemons, you BARNHAVEN PRIMROSES will be interested in the activities of the Seed & Transplants society. Write to the Secretary, 1979 Catalog 75

97 PLANTS FOR THE CONNOISSEUR DWARF CONIFERS—for troughs and rock garden that will not outgrow their site in a short time. JAPANESE MAPLES—only the finest are grown. Dwarf in growth—exquisite foliage. The above for mailorder or pickup. CATALOGUE 50?! The following for pickup only. ROCK PLANTS—ALPINE HOUSE PLANTS—DWARF RHODODENDRON Many rarities in quantities too small to list are available to those willing to visit the nursery and extensive rock gardens. By appointment only on Tuesdays—Saturdays and Sundays, call 516-MA 3-7810 after 8:00 PM. JOEL W. SPINGARN 1535 FOREST AVE. BALDWIN, N.Y. 11510

STONECROP NURSERIES Cold Spring, NY 10516 (Just off Rte. 301—between Rte. 9 & Taconic)

Offering a wide selection of Alpine plants and wildflowers for the Rock Garden and Alpine House; Trough Gardens; Unusual Perennials and Dwarf Shrubs. Cash and Carry—No Catalogue By Appointment only—914-265-2000 Display Gardens and Alpine House Frank Cabot—Prop. (914-265-3533) Sara Faust-Mgr. (914-223-3419)

Grower of AMERICAN PRIMROSE SOCIETY ROCK PLANTS, HERBS offers PERENNIALS Quarterly publications beautifully illustrated, ANNUALS an international Seed Exchange of approx• Large Selection imately 100 different Primulas and a culture chart to assist in the growing of species No Catalog Primulas. All Plants for Sale at Nursery Only U.S.A. $7.00 per year Edward L. Pincus, Treasurer SAMUEL F. BRIDGE, JR. II813-1 OOth N.E. 437 North Street Greenwich, Conn. 06830 Kirkland, Washington 98033

QUEER QaRDENg Specializing in — the rare and unique Rhododendrons, Dwarf Conifers, Japanese Maples, Lewisia, companion plants.

Color catalog hailed as being a worthy addition to your gardening library — $1.00. We ship Dept. R, 1280 Goodpasture Is. Rd. Eugene, OR 97401 (503) 686-8266

98 WE SURE DO HAVE...

Hortus III, Hillier, Bacon, Leach, Rehder, Hartmann & Kester, Jaynes, Wyman, Hoshizaki, Harrison, Bloom, Pirone, Westcott, Symonds, Dirr, and of course, the Klaber VIOLETS

with literally hundreds of other New Books.

If you'd like to receive our Catalog Lists and our mailings for a year, send us $1.00. (We'll include a Dollar-Off coupon!)

If you missed us at the Meeting, don't worry... we ship!

HHH HORTICULTURAL 68 Brooktree Rd. Hightstown, N.J. 08520

Order Now! Rock Plants, Alpines, Dwarf Conifers, WILL INGWERSEN'S MANUAL of ALPINE PLANTS Dwarf Shrubs etc. Many Rare Over 450 pages distilled from the "Get Acquainted Special" experience of one of the world's great growers. 6 Hardy Sedums Labeled $3.50 Postpaid $22. plus .75?! shipping Exclusive Distributors: Descriptive Rock Plant Catalog 50?:

HHH Horticultural RAKESTRAW'S PERENNIAL GARDENS 68 Brooktree Rd. Hightstown, N.J. 08520 3094 S. Term St., Burton, Michigan 48529

THE CUMMINS GARDEN DWARF RHODODENDRONS YES, We Ship! DECIDUOUS AZALEAS Custom Propagating DWARF EVERGREENS Catalog 50£ COMPANION PLANTS (Refundable With Order) Phone (201) 536-2591 22 Robertsville Road Marlboro, NJ 07746 SCARCE and INTERESTING BOOKS . . . on gardening, botany, natural history, birds, etc. bought and sold. Secondhand reference works, color plate and rare anti• quarian. Send $1.00 for catalog, sent air mail. Want lists wel• comed. Books quoted without obligation.

BOOKS BOUGHT . . . Please send details of any books you wish to sell. Good quality collections/libraries espe• cially wanted.

Peter Kennedy 702a, Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, England Telephone: Bournemouth 301461

Hardy Named SEMPERYIVUMS SEDUMS JOVIBARBA I ROSULARIA Red, Pink, Purple, Blue & Gold odws New American Hybrids—Imports from Europe NURSERIES Wholesale and Retail i c o c e a e OAKHILL GARDENS I960 Cherry Knoll Road Specialists in Dallas, Oregon 97338 (Same location—new address) Phone 503-6234612 before 9:00 AM or Azaleas, after 5:00 PM Visitors Welcome — Picnic Area — Garden Rhododendrons, Clubs welcome (please by appointment) SORRY, WE NO LONGER SHIP Dwarf Evergreens Helen E. & Slim Payne and Rock Plants PLANT JEWELS OF THE HIGH COUNTRY For sale at nursery only. Sempervivums and Sedums Catalog 50V by Helen E. Payne 1159 Bronson Road 111 Full Color Photographs Autographed Copies $8.50 Postpaid Fairfield, Conn. 06430

100 Manual of

DWARF CONIFERS By Humphrey Welch The standard reference for dwarf conifers 500 pages 400 illustrations Price $25.00 SPECIAL PRE-PUBLICATION OFFER: ONLY $20.00 With Coupon Below

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Please send me copies of MANUAL OF DWARF CONIFERS at the special pre-publication price. I enclose $20.00.

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Return to THEOPHRASTUS PUBLISHERS 545 Madison Avenue (16th floor) New York, N.Y. 10022

101 GULL HARBOR NURSERY IRISES Specializing in Rock Garden and Perennial Plants Dwarf and Median Irises Over 200 species, including over 400 varieties LEWISIA COTYLEDON, Specializing in forms of Iris pumila PULSATILLA VULGARIS, Miniature Dwarf Bearded Irises (under 20 cmJ GENTIANA ACAULIS and collected MDB Iris species and CYCLAMEN NEAPOLITANUM FREE CATALOG IN APRIL ON REQUEST 3944 Gull Harbor Rd. Olympia, Wash. 98506 DAVID B. SINDT-IRISES By Chance or Appointment—tel.: 943-0394 1331 West Cornelia, Dept. R Weekends Only — March 1-July 15 Chicago, Illinois 60657

MINIATURE BULBS We have an extensive collection of MINIATURE and SPECIES BULBS and HARDY CYCLAMEN from many countries. It includes OLD FASHIONED WILD DAFFODILS, a unique collection of SPECIES and HYBRID SNOWDROPS, CYPRIPEDIUMS, PLEIONES, EUROPEAN and other GROUND ORCHIDS. Many are UNCOMMON and RARE — COLLECTORS ITEMS We offer speedy deliveries by air freight and U.P.S. Our catalog, over 40 pages of fascinating reading, is available from BLACK and THOMPSON, 124 N. 181 ST., SEATTLE, WA 98133 Price 50c including postage J. A. MARS of HASLEMERE, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 2PP, England

ORCHID GARDENS ALPENFLORA GARDENS Over 150 Native Plants, Ferns, Club-mosses 1798540th Ave., Surrey, B.C. Shrubs, Ground Covers, offered in our Canada V3S 4N8 Copyrighted Wildflower Culture Catalog. New list in 78; many new & rare plants, colorful primroses, many dwarf & species Send 50$ for your copy irises, alpines, floriferous rockery plants, All plants carefully dug and expertly choice perennials, ornamental grafted trees, packed to arrive in top condition evergreens, rhododendrons, ground covers, miniature roses. Mr. and Mrs. Clair Phillips 6700 Splithand Road Buy Canadian, U.S. $ at premium! Quality plants in 4" pots; Grand Rapids, Minnesota 55744 quantity discounts Sorry we cannot accept foreign orders Open weekends & holidays only

50 cents brings our catalog which offers an unrivaled selection of the world's most unusual and desirable alpine, native and rock garden plants. SISKIY0U RARE PLANT NURSERY (now under new ownership)

Working under the supervision of L. P. Crocker and B. C. Kline we intend to maintain the same high quality and individual care that goes into each order. With new larger facilities we hope to increase production to meet the growing demand for these rare plants.

Sorry we cannot accept Canadian or Foreign orders J. Cobb Colley Baldassare Mineo 2825 Cummings Road, Medford, Oregon 97501

102 THE ROCK GARDEN PUSKAS WILDFLOWER NURSERY Maine Hardy Plants Native plants—Perennials

Choice Cultivars — Uncommon Species Wildflowers from all over the world Grown and Mailed in Peat-lite Groundcovers New Varieties Annually Alpines—Ferns—Herbs Seedlings from Several Exchanges Rare bulbs and other European Sources Many Ericas and Callunas Kent Hollow Rd. Mail Order Catalog 40* RR #1, Box KH-37A Kent, Conn. 06757 LITCHFIELD, MAINE 04350 Phone (203) 927-3680

GARDEN ROCKS FOR SALE Wholesale & Retail Dwarf Evergreens at location in the ILION GORGE, ILION, NEW YORK 13357 Holly Calcareous Tufa, also called "Horsebone" The proper kind of stone for rock gardens and Unusual Trees and Shrubs Religious Grottos. Large variety in size, shape and appearance. Send 520 Stamps In large quantities—$25.00 per ton for lots of interesting information In small quantities—$2.00 per Bu. 2< per lb. Selected specimens somewhat more DILATUSH NURSERY Depending on size and appearance 780 Route 130 JOSEPH T. FERDULA Robbinsville, NJ. 08691 300 Litchfield St., Frankfort, N.Y. 13340

WATN0NG NURSERY George D. Aiken's The place to find some Classic Book "HARD TO FIND" PLANTS Pioneering Gaylussacia brachynra Dwarf Conifers, Leiophyltum, dwarf & low With Wild Flowers growing Rhododendrons, R. yakusianum & is back in print. several of its hybrids By Appointment, at the Nursery Only 210 pages with black & white Hazel and Don Smith and color illustrations 201 — 539-0312 Paperback — $8.95 Morris Plains, New Jersey 07950 Clothbound — $14.95 (Please add 75$ per copy for tax & shipping) RARE PLANTS and SHRUBS Dwarf slow growing conifers that stay dwarf and other shrubs all suitable for Bonsai culture. Large collection of Alpines as well as unusual plants are listed. The Countryman Press Please send $1.00 for catalog. ALPENGL0W GARDENS Taftsville, Vermont 05073 (Send for a free catalog 13328 King George Highway of our uncommon books) Surrey, B.C. V3T 2T6, Canada

103 THE ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY Membership of the Alpine Garden Society puts the American alpine gardener in close touch with those throughout the world who share his interest in one of the most absorbing branches of horticulture. The Quarterly Bulletin of the A.G.S. is respected internationally as one of the most informative publications of its kind. It will bring into your home a distillation of the experience and ideas of some of the finest gardeners, plant explorers and horticultural thinkers of our time. Among the many other benefits of the Society, its uniquely comprehensive seed list alone is worth more than the modest subscription of $10.00 for Overseas Mem• bers. Apply to:— The Secretary, The Alpine Garden Society Lye End Link, St. John's, Woking, Surrey, England

THE SCOTTISH ROCK GARDEN CLUB

Offers you . .. its twice yearly Journal, well illustrated and containing au• thoritative articles on all aspects of rock gardening, rock plants, and their world wide haunts. Its excellent annual scheme for the distribution of rare & unusual seed, amongst its international members. for £2.50 per year ($5.00) R. H. 0. Orr, C.A. 70 High Street, Haddington East Lothian, Scotland will be glad to send particulars.

THE ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY'S PUBLICATIONS,

WRITTEN BY ACKNOWLEDGED EXPERTS IN THEIR OWN SUBJECTS, OFFER OUTSTANDING VALUE

THE GENUS LEWISIA By R. C. Elliott The only monograph on this fascinating American genus $3.50

SAXIFRAGES By Winter, Harding A guide which should be read by every rock gardener $3.00

ALPINES IN SINKS AND TROUGHS By Joe Elliott A most useful guide by one of our best known nurserymen $2.00

THE GENUS CYCLAMEN By D. E. Saunders The most up to date book on this wonderful genus $2.00

ASIATIC PRIMULAS By Roy Green $7.00 DAPHNE By Chris Bricked and Brian Mathew $7.00

ANDROSACES By George Smith and Duncan Lowe $7.00

(All prices postpaid)

AGS Publications are available ONLY from: D. K. HASELGROVE, Distribution Manager, 278/280 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London E17 9PL, England

104 DIRECTORATE AMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETY President Emeritus HAROLD EPSTEIN, 5 Forest Court, Larchmont, New York

President JAMES A. MINOGUE, Rt. 1, Box 126A, Bentonville, Va. 22610 Vice-President ROBERT L. MEANS, 410 Andover St., Georgetown, Mass. 01833 Secretary DONALD M. PEACH, BOX 183, Hales Corners, Wise. 53130 Treasurer FRANCIS H. CABOT, Cold Spring, N.Y. 10516 Directors Term Expires 1979 Harry Elkins Wayne Roderick Sharon Sutton Term Expires 1980 Norman C. Deno Mrs. Louis (Molly) Grothaus Ms. Deon R. Prell Term Expires 1981 Elizabeth Corning John Kovalchik Charlotte Ray

Director of Seed Exchange Director of Slide Collection Frances Kinne Roberson Quentin C Schlieder 1539 NE 103rd St., Seattle, Wa. 98125 Box 1295-R, Morristown, N.J. 07960 ARGS-PHS Library Service Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Library 325 Walnut St.. Philadelphia, Pa. 19106

CHAPTER CHAIRMEN Northwestern SHARON SUTTON, 8235 NE 119th St., Kirkland, Wash. 98033 Western WILLIAM S. FOLKMAN, 2640 San Benito Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598 Midwestern AnjEEH Mc WILLIAM (Acting Chm.), 711 Magnolia St., Mena, Ark. 71953 Allegheny DR. ROBERT MCDERMOTT, 1507 Mifflin Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15207 Potomac Valley MRS. WILLIAM G. BANFIELD, 15715 Avery Rd., Rockville, Md. 20853 Co-Chairmen MRS. HERBERT L. KINNEY, 3611 King William Dr., Olney, Md. 20832 Delaware Valley ALAN P. SLACK, 908 Twyckenham Rd., Media, PA 19063 New England EDWIN F. STEFFEK, Cedar Hill Rd., Dover, Mass. 02030 Great Lakes HARRY W. BUTLER, Rte. #1, 2521 Penewit Rd., Spring Valley, OH 45370 Wisconsin-Illinois VAUGHN AIELLO, 2322 North Wayne, Chicago, IL 60614 Columbia-Willamette KENNETH J. LOVE, 3335 N.W. Luray Terrace, Portland, Ore. 97210 Connecticut RICHARD W. REDFIELD, RFD #1, Hampton, CT 06247 Long Island JOHN BIEBER, 185-8th St., Bethpage, NY 11714 Hudson Valley JOHN TREXLER, C/O Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Box 1295-R, Morristown, NJ 07960 Minnesota MIKE ZINS, Rte. 3, Cologne, MN 55322 Siskiyou PHYLLIS GUSTAFSON, 250 Maple St., Central Point, OR 97502 Western-No. Carolina HORACE K. FREEMAN SR., 2150 Woodridge Dr., Hendersonville, NC 28739 Rocky Mountain PANAYOTI P. CALLAS, 922 12th St., Boulder, CO 80302 Adirondack KATHIE LIPPIT, 6 Glen Terrace, Scotia, NY 12302 YOUR ARGS STORE

1. ARGS BULLETIN, back issues. Refer to listings and prices in this issue. 2. CUMULATIVE INDEX to ARGS Bulletins, Vols. 1-32 Incl. Lists Authors, Article Titles and Subject Matter NC 3. SEED LIST HANDBOOK — 2nd Edition — Bernard Harkness, 216 pages. Quick reference to Seed Listings of ARGS, Alpine Garden Society and Scottish R.G. Club. Gives Genus, type plant, height, color, origin and Horticultural Reference $5.00 4. THE ROCK GARDEN, Henry T. Skinner (reprint) $1.00 5. THE GENUS PHLOX, Edgar T. Wherry. 174 pg. Monograph. Photos and line draw• ings, Maps of distribution $6.00 6. SEED GERMINATION REPORT, Dara E. Emery (Ed.), data on selected species and forms by various reporters $1-00 7. LIBRARY BINDERS, each holds 2 years $4.00 8. ARGS LAPEL or SAFETY-CLASP PINS. Specify $3.00 9. ARGS SHOULDER PATCHES. Washable $2.00 10. ARGS MEMBERSHIP LIST NC 11. ARGS SLIDE LIBRARY CATALOG NC 12. ARGS-PHS LIBRARY SERVICE LIST NC

Please order from Anita Kistler, 1421 Ship Rd., West Chester, Pa. 19380. All orders prepaid (foreign orders in U.S. funds, please); make checks or Postal Money Orders payable to "ARGS," (no cash). U.S. destinations must show ZIP Code. Orders will be sent surface mail, postpaid; airmail charges billed at cost.

BULLETINS FOR SALE — Back Issues Available at $1.50 each. Postpaid

Vol. 26, No. 2 Vol. 32, Nos. 1, 3 & 4 Vol. 28, Nos. 1 & 4 Vol. 33, Nos. 1, 2 & 3 Vol. 29, No. 2 Vol. 34, Nos. 3 & 4 Vol. 30, Nos. 2 & 4 Vol. 35, Nos. 3 & 4 Vol. 31, Nos. 2 & 3 Vol. 36, Nos. 1 & 2

All other Volumes not specifically listed above are $2.50 each when available. Please inquire as to availability. ******

For specific articles as listed in the Cumulative Index, please give Volume and page number listed. Issue will be sent, IF AVAILABLE; otherwise a charge of 15^ per page for duplication from File Copy. ******

Please remit with order. Foreign orders in U.S. funds, please. Shipments postpaid. Airmail billed at cost. Make checks/money orders payable to:

ANITA KISTLER, Business Manager

AMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETY 1421 Ship Road West Chester Pa. 19380