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GARDENERGARDENER® TheThe MagazineMagazine ofof thethe AAmericanmerican HorticulturalHorticultural SocietySociety September / October 2007

Shade-LovingShade-Loving SaxifragesSaxifrages EssentialsEssentials ofof EspalierEspalier NurseriesNurseries withwith aa PassionPassion forfor thethe PastPast

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© 2007, Scotts-Sierra Horticultural Products Company. World rights reserved. www.osmocote.com contents Volume 86, Number 5 . September / October 2007

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS

5 NOTES FROM RIVER FARM 6 MEMBERS’ FORUM 7 NEWS FROM AHS Robert Griesbach to give Dr. H. Marc Cathey Day lecture, upcoming AHS Garden School in Kentucky, music is theme for AHS Gala, three books receive Growing Good Kids award, AHS receives grant to design new children’s classroom, River Farm’s meadow continues to grow, AHS Board member Steve Still honored at Ohio State’s Chadwick Arboretum, venerable tulip poplar at River Farm removed.

page 23 13 AHS PARTNERS IN PROFILE Homestead Gardens

44 ONE ON ONE WITH… 14 WIDENING THE CIRCLE BY COURTNEY CAPSTACK Chris Wiesinger, bulb hunter. Highlights from AHS’s 15th National Children & Youth Garden 46 GARDENER’S NOTEBOOK Symposium in Chaska, Minnesota. Cool-season grasses inhibit transplanted tree growth, new seed bank being built in 18 COLCHICUMS BY KATHY PURDY Norway, catnip As summer fades and trees turn red and gold, colchicum flowers compound found to emerge to grace the garden at ground level. lure lacewings, UglyRipe tomatoes cleared for retail sale, 23 A GEM OF A GARDEN BY PAM BAXTER FloraStar plant trialing The new Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens integrate innovative organization to cease designs, plantings, and artwork in a pristine natural setting. operation, Jamie Durie to become new host of The Victory Garden pagepage 4646 28 THE ART AND SCIENCE OF ESPALIER BY LEE REICH television program, With patience and proper training, an espalier can become a stun- legacy of Lady Bird ning feature in the landscape. Johnson. 50 GREEN GARAGE® 34 WOODLAND SAXIFRAGES Deterring deer from the garden. BY C. COLSTON BURRELL These charming plants are an elegant 54 BOOK REVIEWS addition to the woodland or shade garden. Encyclopedia of Garden Ferns, Grow Organic, and The Elements of Organic Gardening. HAVENS FOR HEIRLOOMS pagepage 3838 38 Special focus: Do-it-yourself garden BY STEVE DRYDEN project guides. For a few special nurseries and seed companies, preserving the his- tory and beauty of heirloom plants is a labor of love. 58 REGIONAL HAPPENINGS 62 HARDINESS AND HEAT ZONES ON THE COVER: The large, double flowers of Colchicum ‘Waterlily’ make a dramatic autumn dis- AND PRONUNCIATIONS

TOP: BARBARA HILL FREEMAN / COURTESY OF CMBG; BOTTOM: COURTESY OF OLD HOUSE GARDENS; FAR RIGHT: COURTESY OF USDA-ARS OF COURTESY RIGHT: FAR GARDENS; HOUSE OLD OF COURTESY BOTTOM: CMBG; OF COURTESY / FREEMAN HILL BARBARA TOP: play against bugleweed. Photograph by Susan A. Roth

September / October 2007 3 AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 7931 East Boulevard Drive Alexandria, VA 22308-1300 (800) 777-7931 fax (703) 768-8700 www.ahs.org Making America a Nation of Gardeners, a Land of Gardens

American Horticultural Society President’s Council

PRESIDENT Deane H. Hundley CHAMPION'S CIRCLE Ms. Judy Daniel ■ Ms. Frances Velay Board of Directors CHAIRMAN'S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. John H. Ariail, Jr. ■ Mrs. Katherine Belk ■ CHAIRMAN Susie Usrey Dayton, Oregon Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Kulp, Jr. ■ Mitchell Petersen Family Foundation, Inc. FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN Don E. Riddle, Jr. Davidsonville, Maryland ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harry A. Rissetto, Esq. ■ Jeanne Shields ■ Mr. Arnold Steiner SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN Leslie Ariail Alexandria, Virginia ■ Mr. and Mrs. W. Bruce Usrey SECRETARY Albin MacDonough Plant Baltimore, Maryland TREASURER Arnold Steiner Birmingham, Alabama LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY CIRCLE Mr. Richard C. and Mrs. Katherine Stark Bull ■ IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Arabella S. Dane Center Harbor, New Hampshire Mrs. Susan M. Cargill ■ Mrs. Elisabeth C. Dudley ■ Mrs. Marion Greene Ms. Minako Henderson ■ Mr. and Mrs. J. Landon Reeve IV ■ Ms. Katy Moss Warner Allan M. Armitage Athens, Georgia ■ Suzanne Bales Oyster Bay, New York ■ William E. Barrick, Ph.D. Theodore, Alabama ■ Katherine Belk Charlotte, North Carolina ■ Kurt Bluemel Baldwin, Maryland ■ Katherine HAUPT CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. Carter Bales ■ Nancy J. Becker, M.D. ■ Mr. and Stark Bull Washington, D.C. ■ John Alex Floyd, Jr. Trussville, Alabama ■ Carole Hofley Wilson, Wyoming Mrs. C. William Black ■ Mr. and Mrs. Edward N. Dane ■ Mr. Gerald T. Halpin Margaret Kulp Louisville, Kentucky ■ Caroline Lewis Coral Gables, Florida ■ Melissa R. Marshall Pittsburgh, ■ Mrs. Richard W. Hamming ■ Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Hanselman ■ Mrs. Pennsylvania ■ Carol C. Morrison Palatine, Illinois ■ Shirley Nicolai Fort Washington, Maryland Carole S. Hofley ■ Ms. Joann Luecke ■ Mr. and Mrs. James T. Norman ■ Mr. J. Landon Reeve IV Woodbine, Maryland ■ Harry A. Rissetto, Esq. Falls Church, Virginia and Mrs. Albin MacDonough Plant ■ Dr. and Mrs. George E. Staehle Michel Sallin Groveland, Florida ■ Jeanne Shields Greenville, Delaware ■ Gail Smith Belville, North Carolina Steven Still Hilliard, Ohio ■ Howard McK. Tucker Alexandria, Virginia ■ Robert D. Volk San Marino, COUNCIL MEMBER’S CIRCLE Ms. Marietta E. Bernot ■ Mr. and Mrs. Anthony California ■ Daryl Williams Lake Buena Vista, Florida Bigos ■ Mrs. George P. Bissell, Jr. ■ Dr. Sherran Blair ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bogle ■ Count and Countess Peder Bonde ■ Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. PRESIDENT EMERITUS Katy Moss Warner Bradshaw ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Carr ■ Anne S. Chatham ■ Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Demisay ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert Duemling ■ Mrs. Walter Fletcher ■ 2007 Advisory Council Dr. and Mrs. John A. Floyd, Jr. ■ Ms. Marguerite Peet Foster ■ Mr. and Mrs. Beverly Hanselman, Nashville, Tennessee – Chair Joel Goldsmith ■ Dr. and Mrs. William O. Hargrove ■ Mr. Brian Holley ■ Mrs. Elizabeth Hooff ■ Mr. Philip Huey ■ Mr. Deane H. Hundley ■ Ms. Mary A. Clarissa Bonde, Washington, D.C . G. Ray Miller, Brandon, Florida Lambert ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Lindsay ■ Mrs. Dorothy Marston ■ Mrs. Walter Bull, Columbia, South Carolina Egon Molbak, Bellevue, Washington Barbara McClendon ■ Ms. Lillian McKay ■ Mrs. Paul Mellon ■ Mrs. Rosalyn Anne Bucher, Silver Spring, Maryland Dean Norton, Mt. Vernon, Virginia Milbrandt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Egon Molbak ■ Dr. and Mrs. David E. Morrison ■ Elaine Burden, Middleburg, Virginia Nancy Keen Palmer, Nashville, Tennessee Mrs. Kathryn A. Moss ■ Mrs. Shirley Ann Nicolai ■ Dr. Julia Rappaport ■ Mrs. Patty Bush, St. Louis, Missouri Bob Patterson, Washington, D.C. Josephine Shanks ■ Mr. and Mrs. Emanuel Shemin ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles Skipp Calvert, Alexandria, Virginia Dr. Julia W. Rappaport, Santa Ana, California Henry Smith, Jr. ■ Mrs. P.M. Spreuer ■ Mrs. Juliet Sproul ■ Mr. Harold Stahly Philip Catron, Frederick, Maryland William Sadler, St. Louis, Missouri ■ Mr. and Mrs. John B. Strasenburgh ■ Mr. Howard McK. Tucker and Ms. Dr. H. Marc Cathey, Davidson, North Carolina Deen Day Sanders, Norcross, Georgia Megan Evans ■ Mr. Joe Viar ■ Ms. Angela M. Vikesland ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert Russell Clark, Boston, Massachusetts Josephine Shanks, Houston, Texas D. Volk ■ Mrs. Agnes Binder Weisiger ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harvey C. White ■ Mr. Bartie Cole, Owings Mills, Maryland Barbara Shea, Owings Mills, Maryland and Mrs. John W. White, Sr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Klaus Zech Jim Corfield, Geneva, Illinois Holly Shimizu, Glen Echo, Maryland Edward N. Dane, Center Harbor, New Hampshire Charles Henry Smith, Jr, Middleburg, Virginia HONORARY PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL Mrs. Enid A. Haupt ■ Mrs. John A. Lutz ■ David and Kitty Ferguson, Westwood, Massachusetts Tom Szaky, Trenton, New Jersey Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Miller Ben Griswold, Glyndon, Maryland Nancy Thomas, Houston, Texas Carolyn Marsh Lindsay, Ponte Vedra, Florida Bryan Thomlison, Haddonfield, New Jersey Mickey Lynch, Dunmore, Pennsylvania Jeff Trunzo, Port Orange, Florida Bob Malesardi, Easton, Maryland Pauline Vollmer, Baltimore, Maryland Robert and Joanna Martin, Menlo Park, California Joyce and Harvey White, Nashville, Tennessee Mrs. Malcolm Matheson, Mt. Vernon, Virginia Joannah Williams, Sebring, Florida Barbara McClendon, Alexandria, Virginia Sheryl Wood, Middleburg, Virginia

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Horticultural Partners America in Bloom ■ Bellingrath Gardens and Home ■ Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Garden Symposium ■ Cox Arboretum & Gardens Metropark ■ Epcot International Flower & Garden The 2007 password to access the Festival ■ The Gardeners of America/Men’s Garden Clubs of America ■ The Homestead in the Garden Symposium ■ Inniswood Garden Society ■ Leonard Haertter Travel Company members-only portion of the AHS Magic of Landscapes ■ Morris Arboretum ■ Oklahoma Botanical Garden & Arboretum website, www.ahs.org, is dogwood. Oklahoma Horticultural Society

4 the American Gardener The American NOTESC FROM RIVER FARM GARDENER

EDITOR David J. Ellis MANAGING EDITOR AND ART DIRECTOR Y THE TIME you sit down to read this issue of The American Gardener, I Mary Yee trust that we will all be enjoying more moderate temperatures. It has been ASSISTANT EDITOR unusually hot and humid here in the mid-Atlantic this summer, as it has been Viveka Neveln B in many other parts of the country. All of us—our horticulture staff, in particular— EDITORIAL INTERN Courtney Capstack are ready for a break. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR In this issue, you will find something for every gardener. Feature articles include Rita Pelczar a profile of the fall-blooming bulbs in the genus Colchicum, an article about nurs- CONTRIBUTING WRITER eries that specialize in heirloom plants, advice on creating espaliers with fruiting Carole Ottesen and ornamental trees, and an in-depth discussion of saxifrages for the woodland or shade garden. There’s also an article on the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD We have a vested interest in this new garden because Mau- CHAIR Richard E. Bir reen Heffernan, an American Horticultural Society alumna, Brevard, North Carolina is the executive director. On the recommendation of AHS Allan M. Armitage Athens, Georgia board member Margaret Kulp, I visited the garden last year, Nina L. Bassuk before it officially opened. This summer, while I was in Maine Ithaca, New York to attend a friend’s wedding, I went back and the transfor- Steve Bender mation was astounding. Birmingham, Alabama My summer travels also took me to the Minneapolis–St. John E. Bryan Paul area in late July for the National Children & Youth Gar- San Francisco, California den Symposium. The AHS’s education department team, led KASSIE BAKER John L. Creech by Stephanie Jutila, put together another truly extraordinary event this year, which Columbus, North Carolina is highlighted in an article on page 14. If you have not participated in this program Panayoti Kelaidis before, I strongly encourage you to consider attending next year’s symposium, Denver, Colorado which will be based in the Philadelphia area. All of us, whether we are directly in- Richard W. Lighty Kennett Square, Pennsylvania volved with children and youth gardening programs or not, can benefit from ex- Elvin McDonald posure to the passion and creativity of the incredibly talented people who are West Des Moines, Iowa leading the way in this important field. In addition to the symposium, I am happy to report on a number of other suc- cessful projects and events that have transpired since I wrote my last column. As the CONTACT US The American Gardener 7931 East Boulevard Drive summer started, the AHS was proud to partner with a number of local institutions Alexandria, VA 22308 to host the annual conference of the American Public Gardens Association in Wash- (703) 768-5700 ington, D.C. What a great occasion it was to welcome more than 600 of our pro- fessional colleagues to the nation’s capital and introduce them to all the horticultural ADVERTISING & E-MAIL: [email protected] CORPORATE treasures the region has to offer. The summer also brought with it several new in- PARTNERSHIPS terns to River Farm and the requisite field trips, plant identification walks, and pro-

EDITORIAL E-MAIL: [email protected] jects. And, most recently, our staff, along with members of our board have been hard at work finalizing the plans for some critical infrastructure upgrades at our River Farm headquarters. These upgrades are certainly not glamorous, but they represent The American Gardener (ISSN 1087-9978) is published bimonth- ly (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, Septem- a major step forward that will ultimately improve the visitor experience and set the ber/October, November/December) by the American Horticultural Society, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308-1300, stage for development of new facilities on this beautiful site. (703) 768-5700. Membership in the Society includes a subscrip- As always, I would like to thank you for your continued support of the AHS. I tion to The American Gardener. Annual dues are $35; two years, $60. International dues are $50. $10 of annual dues goes toward know we ask a lot of our members and friends, but as a 501-c-3 non-profit, we must magazine subscription. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Vir- ginia, and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send reach out to you for support so that we can continue to expand the outreach programs, Form 3579 to The American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, publications, and member benefits that you, our members, want and deserve. Alexandria, VA 22308-1300. Botanical nomenclature is based on The American Horticultural With all good wishes for a great fall, Society A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, on A Synonymized Check- list of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada and Greenland and on the Royal Horticultural Society Index of Garden Plants. Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and are not necessar- ily those of the Society. Manuscripts, artwork, and photographs sent for possible publication will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. We cannot guarantee the safe return of unsolicited material. Back issues are available at $8 per copy. —Deane H. Hundley, President & CEO Copyright ©2007 by the American Horticultural Society. Printed in the U.S.A. on recycled paper.

September / October 2007 5 6 same issue? grass pictured on pages34and35ofthe growing oneithersideofthevariegated beautiful green-and-white foliagedplants plan andplantresponsibly. you give readers knowledge thecrucial to two completelydifferent words sothat careful intheuseofthese would bevery ecosystem. ment ofthenaturalplantandanimal escapes intothewild,oftenatdetri- being usedonlytodescribeaplantthat other flowerbed and“invasive” partners, their allottedspaceandcrowding out pest and/orroots orstolonsescaping either self-sowing to thepointofbeinga the gardening world:“Aggressive” being been given theircorrect descriptionin invade naturalhabitats? meaning thatitescapesgarden placesto sive” inone’s own garden or“invasive”— sonne’ invasive. Does shemean“aggres- locales—find‘Herbst-ones incertain some gardeners—apparently meaning againshestatesthat the actualarticle ta describing aphotoofRudbeckia lacinia- might be,invasive. On page30,first,in twice refers thatare, torudbeckias or Baggett (May/June 2007),theauthor byIn Pam aboutrudbeckias thearticle INVASIVE VS.AGGRESSIVEDEBATE Editor’s response: and-white definition isproblematic. North America—that anysuchblack- factors—especially regionality here in world. There are somanycomplicating ly acceptedas“correct” inthegardening sive plants,we are notsure itisuniversal- difference between aggressive andinva- along withyour basicdefinitionofthe gressive.” But whilewe generallygo which shouldhave beendescribedas“ag- black-eyed Susans,tendencies ofcertain our characterizationofthewandering ‘Golden Glow’ down andfurther in On anunrelated note,whatare the I wouldhopethatyour editorialstaff I thoughtthetwowords hadfinally the American Gardener We were indeedlaxin Marian Bostwick Sparks, Nevada I’ve read aboutinTheAmerican Gardener visitors intheir tracks are usually theones tons ofsameness,buttheplants thatstop catalogs andtheInternet, I’m awashin er. Since Ioftenpurchase plantsthrough about were Inotamemberandavidread- plants thatInever wouldhave known horizons about by publishingarticles Gardener I’m amazed athow much KUDOS FORMAGAZINE lar totheoneyou published. simi- from thephotograph, itlooksvery I justplantedthisyear. Asyou cansee pect itis‘Sahin’s EarlyFlowerer’, which identified as‘Moerheim Beauty’. Isus- concerning theHelenium magazine, Icameacross your problem In reading theJuly/August issueofthe SNEEZEWEED IDENTIFICATION als, self-sowing reliably inmostcases. prairie natives are usuallygrown asannu- Zone 11,AHSHeat Zones 12–1). These phorbia marginata, the-mountain orsnow insummer(Eu- considerably from statetostate. sive ornoxious plants,andthelistsvary Many stateshave theirown listsforinva- Helenium The plantyou askaboutissnow-on- MEMBERS ‘Sahin’s EarlyFlowerer’ magazine hasbroadened my C USDA Hardiness ’ Mequon, Wisconsin FORUM The American Nancy Garms mistakenly . PLEASE WRITEUS! Letters weprintmay beeditedforlengthandclarity. [email protected] (note LettertoEditorinsubjectline). Alexandria, VA22308.Send e-mails to American Gardener, American Veratrum nigrum. three different Ligularia, after reading that,mygarden now boasts May/June 2006“High Impact Foliage”; the drivewaywithoutsacrificingsafety. habit,Icansoften theedgesof open, airy a solution.By choosingplantswithan signing withSee-Through Plants” offered see thatit’s safetohopoutofthecar. “De- come homeafterdark, becauseIneedto when I thatwouldblockmyview shrubs el andgardens. Ididn’t wanttoplant yard withoutanytransitionbetween grav- with mydriveway, whichjustinvades my solved athorny(punintended)problem website catalog, whichcanbefoundontheir section onscentedflowers listed intheir seeds, plants,andbulbs,hasawhole Seeds offersawide variety ofantique white garden andIjustlove them.Select my seedsof‘Rainmaster’ formy own these, butnow justoffer plants.I’ve saved ‘Rainmaster’. They usedtosellseedsfor has climbingpetuniasandthewhite sources forfragrantpetunias. (“News from AHS”,page12)regarding Allan ArmitageintheJuly/August issue I enjoyed reading Jesse Bell’s questionto SCENTED PETUNIASOURCE www.ahs.org, bers-only portionoftheAHSwebsite, The 2007passwordtoaccessthemem- Website Password One example is the article in One exampleisthearticle Then theJuly/August 2007magazine Select Seeds inUnion, Connecticut, (www.selectseeds.com.) is Address letterstoEditor, dogwood. Whitman, Massachusetts 7931 EastBoulevardDrive, Harmony, Pennsylvania I love dramaticplants! a Carol Anderson Rodgersia, Leisa Perrotta and The

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Available at fine garden centers nationwide. 2006 ©Monrovia ©Monrovia 8 The CastleatYewDellGardens Robert Griesbach Garden,” alecture by research geneticistRobert Griesbach ON TUESDAY Dr. CatheyDayLectureatRiverFarm JOIN PLANTLOVERS AHS GardenSchoolinOctober instructor instructor from theBall Horticultural Company, andgarden designerand man andplantbreeder Roy Klehm Nataliative plantexpert Hamill fortheevent. Additionalguest horticulturist speakers are na- says Kentucky, thisin-depthworkshop willexplore thelatesttrends Garden Design.” Hosted atYew Dell Gardens inCrestwood, Amazing World ofPlants: New Trends andTheirInfluence on on October 4and5fortheAHS’s latestGarden School,“The News PROGRAMS •EVENTSANNOUNCEMENTS Award-winning garden writer Stephanie Jutila, AHSeducationprograms manager. the American Gardener Elin Haaga. In addition totouringYew Dell, par- October 23,theAHSwillcelebrateDr. H.Marc CatheyDay atitsRiver Farm with“Colorinthe headquarters website USDA research scientisteachyear onhisbirthday. to have Dr. Griesbach, oneofhisformercolleagues,address thescience ofplantcolors.” grams Manager Capsicum annuum qualities.One introduction,veloping lineofpeppersthathave anew bothornamentalandculinary cial interest inthegenesthatcontrol colorinplants.He andacolleague,John Stommel , have beende- light refreshments at6:30p.m. followed by thelecture at7p.m. cluding how different pigmentsinfluencethecolorofflowers and foliage.There willbeareception with al familiargarden plantsasexamples,Griesbach willdiscussthescientificbasisforcolorinplants,in- , garden designers,andhorticulturists Space islimited,sopre-registration isrecommended. For more informationortoregister, visittheAHS Dr. H.Marc CatheyDay wasestablished in2005asawaytohonortheformerAHSpresident and “Anyone whohasmetDr. Catheyknows thatheispassionate aboutcolor,” saysAHSEducation Pro- A plantbreeder withtheArboretum’s Floral andNursery Plants Research Unit, Griesbach hasaspe- from (www.ahs.org) , fourth-generation nursery- , fourth-generation Graham Rice , authorSue Amatangelo “To celebrateDr.Stephanie Jutila CatheyDay thisyear,. we thoughtitwouldbefitting AHS along withdesignes- vines forthegarden, woody plants,and annuals, perennials, discuss noteworthy of presenters who will an exceptional line-up World ofPlants offers landscape. grate plantsintothe techniques tointe- in plantbreeding and into thelandscape,” rating theseplants sentials forincorpo- ‘Black Pearl’, wasa2006All-AmericaSelections winner. “The Amazing “The or call(703)768-5700ext.137. will serve as will serve of theU.S.National Arboretum inWashington, D.C.Using sever- Julie MoirMesservy call (703)768-5700ext.137. Louisville area, suchasthehistoricCave Hill Cemetery. ticipants willvisitnotablegardens andlandscapesinthe THROUGHOUT THE Music intheGardenExhibit Farm canexperiencetheharmonybetween musicandhorti- AHS Events Manager more informationabouttheexhibit orthegala,pleasecontact Messervy, designeroftheacclaimedToronto Music Garden. For chairforthisyear’sSeptember 29.Thehonorary galais gala, “America’s Garden Celebration—Music in theGarden,” on through Friday, and9a.m.to1p.m. onSaturdays. For more informationandtoregister, visitwww.ahs.org Music intheGarden willculminatewiththeAHS’s annual September /October2007 Trish Gibson dens, eitherliterallyorfiguratively, re- for thisevent—melds musicwithgar- Each vignette—designedexclusively Gardens Garden Center,andEnglish Country AHS, Washington, D.C.area. Alongwiththe signers throughout themetropolitan four vignettescreated by garden de- This first-ever garden exhibitfeatures culture during“Music intheGarden.” hours are 9a.m. to5p.m. Monday interpretive garden exhibits.Exhibit sulting inacreative collectionof month ofSeptember, visitorstoRiver LaPierre Studio will befeaturingdisplays. at (703)768-5700 ext.114. , Merrifield Julie Moir or

TOP LEFT: COURTESY OF ROBERT GRIESBACH; BOTTOM LEFT: COURTESY OF YEW DELL GARDENS; RIGHT: RICHARD HOWARD / COURTESY OF JULIE MOIR MESSERVY. Growing Good Kids Book Awards committee members described as ‘breathtakingly beautiful,’ an- other promotes literacy while teaching about the Haitian cul- THREE CHILDREN’S BOOKS received the 2007 “Growing ture, and the third tells Good Kids—Excellence in Children’s Literature Award” on July stories of the seasons 21, 2007 at the American Horticultural Society’s National Chil- through poems about a dren & Youth Garden Symposium child’s world. There are held at the Minnesota Landscape Ar- great diversity strengths boretum in Chaska, Minnesota. This in this year’s award win- award honors engaging and inspiring ners,” says Seagraves. plant-, garden- and ecology-themed The JMG and the children’s literature. AHS jointly developed This year’s winners, selected from the “Growing Good books published in 2006, are: A Seed Kids” book award program, which is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston and debuted in 2005 with a list of 40 illustrated by Sylvia Long; Josias, “Classic” children’s gardening and Hold the Book by Jennifer Riesmeyer Elvgren and illustrated nature books published in the by Nicole Tadgell; and Once Around the Sun by Bobbi Katz 20th century. Along with youth and illustrated by LeUyen Pham. gardening specialists from the “These three award winners represent the best of children’s AHS and JMG, teachers, design- gardening and nature books published last year and will help ers, and children make up the connect kids to plants and the natural world by inspiring cu- awards selection committee. riosity and wonder,” says Randy Seagraves, national curricu- For more information about lum coordinator for the Junior Master Gardener (JMG) the “Growing Good Kids” book program of Texas Cooperative Extension, part of the Texas A award program, including the complete list of “Classic” books & M University system. “One winner is full of illustrations that and the 2006 winners, visit www.ahs.org and click on “Awards.”

An exclusive ahs garden school REGISTER TODAY!

THE AMAZING WORLD oin noted plant breeders and garden OF PLANTS Jdesigners at Yew Dell Gardens, the former estate of the late plantsman, Theodore Klein, New trends in plant selection and for a behind-the-scenes exploration of the their influence on garden design latest trends in plant breeding and selection. Learn from the pros how new plant introductions, along with time-tested classics, October 4 & 5, 2007 can be integrated into landscapes of all styles. Yew Dell Gardens, Crestwood, Kentucky For more information on how you can be part of this exciting event, visit www.ahs.org or call (703) 768-5700 ext. 137.

Featuring guest horticulturist Graham Rice, editor-in-chief of the American Horticultural Society’s Encyclopedia of Perennials and author of numerous books including The All-in- One Garden and The Ultimate Book of Small Gardens.

September / October 2007 9 10 Master Plan,” says AHSPresident andCEO erous grantwillallow ustoinitiateacriticalphase ofouroverall gen- willtakeplace.“This on demonstrationsandinstruction facilityinwhichhands- It astheprimary isintended toserve cility foreducationalprojects andproduction ofspecialty crops. classroom andgreenhouse growing willbeastate-of-the-art fa- intoaNationalquarters CenterforAmericanHorticulture, the and Teaching Greenhouse atRiver Farm. Workshopdefray costsofadesignforplannednew Classroom thropy Fund oftheFidelity CharitableGift Fund ly beenawarded a$52,000 grantfrom the THE AMERICANHORTICULTURALSOCIETY Children’s Classroom AHS ReceivesGranttoDesignNew www.ahs.org M • • • • • • • • • tion. Farm. Alexandria,Virginia. dria, Virginia. ture andreception.GeorgeWashington’sRiverFarm.Alexan- School. YewDellGardens,Crestwood,Kentucky. Alexandria, Virginia. Washington’s RiverFarm. Music intheGarden.” “America’s GardenCelebration: quet. Bloom Symposium&AwardsBan- Allan Armitage. AHS onlineseminarhostedby Washington’s RiverFarm.Alexandria,Virginia. Farm. Alexandria,Virginia. signed aroundmusicalthemes.GeorgeWashington’sRiver As part ofalargerinitiative totransformtheAHShead- As part DEC. 13. DEC. 3–21. OCT. 23. OCT. 4&5. SEPT. 29. SEPT. 27–29. SEPT. 25. SEPT. 23. SEPT. 1–29. the American Gardener George Washington’sRiverFarm.Alexandria,Virginia. Rockford, Illinois. sponsored orcosponsored by theAHS.Visit ark your calendarforthesenationalevents thatare Dr. H.MarcCatheyDay:“ColorintheGarden.” Annual FriendsofRiverFarm(FORF)HolidayRecep- AHS AnnualGala, “Bulbs thatWork.” Fall PlantSaleandAntiquesRiverShow. or call(703)768-5700formore information. Holiday TreesDisplay. “The AmazingWorldofPlants.” “Music intheGarden.”Exhibitofgardensde- CALENDAR 2007 AHS NATIONALEVENTSANDPROGRAMS America in George George Washington’sRiver H AnnualGala AHS AHS Garden Trustees’ Philan- Deane H.Hund- George has recent- Lec- to help with afocusoncapacity-building.” Philanthropy Fund “nonprofit supports development efforts, charity thatoversees multiplefundingprograms. TheTrustees’ and Teaching Greenhouse. nying drawingsandspecificationsfortheWorkshop Classroom architecture firmtodesignthefacilityandproduce accompa- one ofourtoppriorities.” ley APPROXIMATELY Meadow ContinuestoGrow phase, includingblack-eyed Susans feet. Avariety ofgrassesandwildflowers were plantedinthis June, more than 18,000 plugswere planted in15,000square ticulturist Meadow atRiver Farm agreat success,according toAHSHor- plantingphaseoftheAndréBluemelhelped makethefourth River, providing habitat foravariety ofwildlife. acolorful four acres ofgentlyslopingground overlooking thePotomac planting phaseisscheduledfor spring2008. tional plantinghasbeeninstalled eachyear since.Thefinal section ofthemeadow wascompletedin2004,and anaddi- the meadow, ofhisson.The first whichisnamed inmemory donated allofthemore than100,000plantssofarplantedin Bluemel, inBaldwin, Inc.,has Maryland, awholesalenursery linators ofallkinds,aswell asbirds, reptiles, and mammals.” species-diverse garden area atRiver Farm, andit’s alive withpol- seen,” saysBowers.meadow isatthispointthemost “The (Panicum virgatum). (Coreopsis the fourthoffivesectionsRiverFarm’smeadowinearlysummer. AHS staffmembersandvolunteershelpedplantthousandsofplugs in The Fidelity CharitableGift Fund isanindependentpublic With thehelpofgrant,AHSwillbeabletoretain an Once completed,themeadow willencompassmore than Kurt Bluemel, anAHSBoard Member andowner ofKurt . “Expanding oureducationalprograms foryoung peopleis Peggy Bowers. During aspanofthree daysinearly spp.), blazingstars “It’s amazingthebreadth ofwildlifewe’ve 25 volunteers andAHSstaffmembers (Liatris (Rudbeckia spp.), andswitchgrass spp.), tickseeds

LEFT: HEATHER ROBBINS; RIGHT: COURTNEY CAPSTACK COURTNEY CAPSTACK tary andcivilianpatrioticpeople.” tary fighters, policemen,emergencymedicaltechnicians,andmili- tokeepussafe:fire- is intendedto“honorthosewhoserve trict IIDirector Evalee Ciuca , theDistrict IIPatriotic Bench bench totheAmericanHorticultural Society. According toDis- Garden Clubs,Inc., (NCAGC) generously donatedagarden IN JUNE, Garden ClubBenchDedication LOOKING FORAN Seed ExchangeDonationForm more informationaboutthisexclusive opportunity. mailed tothem.Visit intheseedexchangeparticipate by requesting theseedlistbe bers whodon’t have convenient accesstotheInternet canstill AHS website aswell assubmitseedorders electronically. Mem- year, the2008seedliston memberswillbeabletoview can befoundbetween pages8and9ofthisissue. instructions tion. Adetachableseeddonationformandfurther in seedsby November 1willhave firstpriorityforseedselec- nual Seed Exchange exclusively formembers.Thosewhosend versity inyour garden? intheAHSAn- Considerparticipating As part ofanupgradetotheSeedAs part Exchange program this it fNote Gifts of it fNote Gifts of Mr. andMrs.JamesT.Norman Mrs. RachelL.Mellon Ms. JoannLuecke Ms. MaryA.Lambert IBM InternationalFoundation Mr. BrianHolley Mrs. CaroleS.Hofley Mr. GeraldT.Halpin Fidelity CharitableGiftFund Mr. andMrs.RobertDuemling Mr. andMrs.EdwardN.Dane Mrs. SusanM.Cargill Mr. andMrs.C.WilliamBlack Mrs. GeorgeP.Bissell,Jr. Nancy J.Becker,M.D. Mrs. SuzanneF.Bales Mr. andMrs.JohnH.Ariail,Jr. If youwouldliketosupporttheAmerican HorticulturalSocietyaspartofyourestateplanning,atribute toalovedone,or as part ofyourannualcommitmentto charitablegiving,pleasecontactSueGalvin,(703)768-5700ext.111 [email protected]. members oftheDistrict IINational CapitalArea In addition to vital support through membership dues, the American HorticulturalIn additiontovital throughrelies membershipdues,theAmerican support Society inexpensive andeasywaytoincrease di- www.ahs.org on grants, bequests, and other gifts to support itsprograms.on grants, bequests,andothergiftstosupport We wouldliketothank the followingdonorsforgiftsreceived June1andJuly31,2007. between or call(703)768-5700for In honorofJohnA.Floyd In memoryofPatriciaCrain Ms. AngelaM.Vikesland Mr. andMrs.W.BruceUsrey Mr. ArnoldSteiner Mr. andMrs.HarryA.Rissetto,Esq. Monrovia NurseryCompany Mr. andMrs.VanStewart Mr. andMrs.LarryLawrence tion ofawhiteash(Fraxinus americanus)propagated from a www.gardencentral.org/ncafgc. mental responsibility.” For additionalinformation,visit the love ofgardening, floraldesign,andcivicenviron- foritsmemberstopromotetional networking opportunities zation, dedicatedtoproviding “education, resources, andna- bership contestfortwoconsecutive years. from winningtheNCAGC’s “Branch Out andBlossom” mem- organization received result offundingthe tions cameaboutasa Gardens. Thedona- Vernon Estateand tree growing atnearby historicGeorge Washington’s Mount Ciuca, andRillaCrane. Babs McClendon,Evalee District IIrepresentatives Bench from,lefttoright, left, acceptsthePatriotic Officer TomUnderwood, AHS ChiefOperating Last year, River Farm alsobenefitedfrom District II’s dona- The National Garden Clubs, Inc., isanon-profit organi- In memoryofMarjorie“Midge”Orr Ms. MaryAnnWollerton Mr. JamesWalker Ms. NancyD.Tillinghast Mrs. MarlynThorsen Mrs. MadeleneSpar Mr. JamesSommerhauser Mr. PhilipPointon Northrop Grumman Ms. MerlinR.Norby Mrs. AdeleMcIntosh Mr. andMrs.JohnO.Haubert Mrs. NancyGideon Mrs. NadineDavidson Mr. andMrs.MikeBurke Ms. HeidiK.Bopp Ms. DebraP.Ackerman September /October2007 11 Final AHS Online Seminar Scheduled for September River Farm Landmark Lost JUST IN TIME for fall planting, discover some top perform- Frequent visitors to River Farm will notice the loss of a ing bulbs for your garden during the AHS’s third and final on- grand tulip poplar that has graced the façade of River line seminar—or webinar—of the year, “Bulbs That Work” on Farm’s Estate House for some 75 years. Arborists with The September 25. Horticulture professor and garden author Allan Care of Trees, an AHS Corporate Partner and the exclusive Armitage will discuss his favorite bulbous plants, with a pri- tree care company for River Farm, recommended the tree mary focus on spring blooming varieties. The webinar will last approximately one hour, including time for questions from the audience. All AHS members are welcome to participate in this free educational opportunity. Visit www.ahs.org to enroll.

AHS Board Member Honored at University Gardens

AHS BOARD MEMBER and Emeritus Professor of Landscape Horticulture at Ohio State University, Steve Still, was hon- ored August 8 at the univer- sity’s Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens. In recognition of Still’s 25 years of teaching at Ohio State, a 5,400-square-foot mixed garden at the entrance of the Learning Gardens was dedicated in his name. The garden was designed by English plantsman Adrian be removed because its trunk had become so hollow it was Bloom. A Steven M. Still hazardous. The arborists believe the damage to the trunk Herbaceous Garden Endow- is a result of a lighting strike decades ago. ment has also been created “From looking at old photographs, we know this tree has to help support student in- been a distinctive feature of this property since the 1920s,” ternships at the university says Tom Underwood, AHS chief operating officer. “But our gardens, and to maintain arboricultural experts ruled it was no longer stable and the the new garden and the Ar- safety of our visitors and staff members is our primary con- Steve Still at the garden dedication boretum’s herbaceous plant cern.” Underwood says that experts and AHS Board mem- collections. bers will be consulted to determine an appropriate For more information, visit the Ohio State University Chad- replacement for the tree. wick Arboretum & Learning Gardens’ website at www.chad- wickarboretum.osu.edu. Initiated in 2003 through a partnership between the AHS and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Na- River Farm Produce Donated to tions, The Growing Connection is an international program that Local Food Bank teaches middle-school students to make proactive choices about food and nutrition. Participating schools and organizations IN ADDITION TO tomatoes, zucchini, melons, and other fa- around the world conduct experiments with vegetables and other miliar crops, The Growing Connection (TGC) Demonstration food plants they grow in EarthBox™ containers and then share Garden at River Farm also features a few unusual but globally their discoveries with other participants. important plants such as sesame, amaranth, and peanuts this “While TGC gives kids a global understanding of where year. The garden’s copious produce harvest has been going to food comes from,” says Rozmus, “it also exposes them to gar- the Capital Area Food Bank, which serves metropolitan Wash- dening by getting them involved.” ington, D.C. More than 300 pounds of vegetables and fruits For a virtual tour of River Farm’s TGC garden, visit have been donated this year, according to AHS Education Pro- http://thegrowingconnection.org/ahs.  grams Coordinator Jessica Rozmus, who estimates that by the

end of the season another 200 pounds will be donated. News written by Editorial Intern Courtney Capstack. LEFT: VIVEKA NEVELN. RIGHT: COURTNEY CAPSTACK

12 the American Gardener COURTESY OF HOMESTEAD GARDENS (2) Don Riddle,Jr. numerous awards, includingbeingthe lence haspaidoff, garneringthecompany be abettercompanyinallaspects.” says Riddle.“We’re constantlyworking to fleeting unlessyou adaptwiththetimes,” tain level of successtoday, butthat’s ing plantindustry.“You mightreach acer- Homestead keepsaneye ontheever-evolv- we are goingtobetomorrow,” thestaffat where we are todaythatcounts.It iswhere and two100-acre farms. retail garden centerlocatedon50acres, napolis, now hassome 350employees, a Homestead Gardens, locatednearAn- Originating asafamilybusinessin1973, THEFUTURE TO LOOKING I you’re goingtobepleasantlysurprised. the region’s largestplantselections. gion’s largestnurseries,italsohasoneof mas. Andasoneofthemid-Atlantic re- snack bar, andeven aherd offriendlylla- by CourtneyCapstack Homestead Gardens: PROFILE IN PARTNERS AHS about AHS’scorporatepartnerships, Homestead Gardens,visit For more informationabout steadgardens.com. e-mail SueGalvin [email protected]. Homestead’s commitmenttoexcel- Living by thecompanymotto:“It’s not F YOUGOTO ing another ordinary gardening anotherordinary center, in Davidsonville,expect- Maryland, Homestead Gardens owner stead’s founderand rience,” saysHome- shoppingexpe- true and have created a tion garden center “We are adestina- fers elaborateplant Jr. tional seminars,a activities, educa- displays, children’s To findoutmore Homestead of- Don Riddle, www.home farms withgreenhousesforplantproduction. Homestead Gardensincludestwo100-acre ca by Today’s Garden Center Revolutionary Garden CentersinAmeri- is consistentlylistedasoneoftheTop 100 Centers ofAmerica(GCA).Thenursery Year Award, sponsored by theGarden first recipient oftheGarden Centerofthe America inBloom. on theboardGCA, andhas served of tors, Riddleiscurrently president ofthe ticultural Society (AHS)Board ofDirec- first vicechairmanontheAmerican Hor- a nationallevel. In additiontobeingthe ina leadershiprolehas steppedforward on and commitment tothegreen industry tures, including Habitat forHumanity. directly inmany othercharitableven- tions. Homestead alsoparticipates itable events fornon-profit organiza- as ahostsiteofmanyblacktieandchar- and thegreen industry. ment togivingbackthecommunity stead’s successisitslongstandingcommit- Another factorcontributingtoHome- THECOMMUNITY TO A COMMITMENT A GardenCenterthatGivesBack On apersonal level, Riddlehasastrong Over theyears, Homestead hasserved magazine. of Americanhorticulture,” says make River Farm ashowplace forthebest been aninvaluable partner, helpingto holiday display. “Homestead Gardens has River Farm andpoinsettiasforitsindoor have hadasignificantimpactonthecom- plants inthegreater-Annapolis area. “We stead playsproviding andmaintaining ments, however, relate totherole Home- event, whichiscoordinated by theGCA. conceptualizing anddeveloping the ductions. Riddleplayed amajorrole in toshowcaseportunity plantintro- new leaderstheop- event thatgives industry world duringFashion inBloom, afall breeders andgrowers from around the has beenoneofthehostsitesforplant times whatwe give.” firm believer thatwe getbackmany that itstandsfor,” saysRiddle.“Iama mitment toexcellence inhorticulture.” to benefitfrom Don Riddle’s strong com- and COOfortheAHS.“We are fortunate for Capstack isaneditorialintern Courtney derwood Some ofRiddle’s proudest achieve- For thelastthree years, Homestead “I support theAHS andthemission “I support The American Gardener. , director ofmember programs September /October2007 Society’s at headquarters plants forthegrounds atthe supplies theAHSwith relationship, Homestead ofthe with theAHS.Aspart stead’s corporatepartnership tribution isthrough Home- floral displays. is now well known forits oles baseballteam—which dium oftheBaltimore Ori- Camden Yards—home sta- stead suppliesplantsfor Riddle. For example,Home- ticulture friendly,” says munity tomakeitmore hor- Another significantcon- Tom Un-  13 14 Jutila introduces aspeaker. Education Programs ManagerStephanie Above: Symposiumattendeeslisten asAHS Venture CommunityGardeninMinneapolis. participants duringafieldtripto theUrban Top: Mark-PeterLindquist chats with 2007 Youth GardenSymposium Widening theCircle 2007 Youth GardenSymposium Widening theCircle the American Gardener this symposium,” says tion that,inmy experience,isuniqueto three daysofcollaborationandinterac- sulted inanelectricevent, filledwith and regional diversity oftheattendeesre- varied educationalbackgrounds “The ington, D.C.,andaCanadian province. tum, representing 31states,plusWash- site, theMinnesota LandscapeArbore- pants gathered at thesymposium’s host civic leaders,parents, andotherpartici- Chaska, Minnesota, inJuly. Garden Symposium (NCYGS), heldin tion oftheNational Children &Youth edi- the mantraof15thanniversary S Symposium inJuly. Minnesota forthe15thAHSNationalChildren&Youth Garden Inspiration flourishedasyouthgardeningadvocatesgatheredin More than200educators,gardeners, grams withawideraudiencewas dren’s andyouth gardening pro- HARING THE importance ofchil- importance Deane Hundley , cent ofpeoplecome upwiththesamean- amomentofreflection,“Without 90per- the answers you’re goingto get,” saysJolly. questionsyou askstructure enues. “The know toreach children throughav- new ticipants tomove outsidetheworldthey nesota andanotedauthor, challengedpar- president oftheScience Museum ofMin- dent andCEO. American Horticultural Society presi- dening programs. apply totheirown children andyouth gar- ranging arsenaloftoolsandtechniquesto trips, attendeeswere exposedtoawide- depth workshops, andinteractive field Through inspiring keynotespeakers,in- A LIVELY LINEUP As thefirstkeynotespeaker, BY COURTNEYCAPSTACK Eric Jolly,

THIS PAGE, TOP: DEBBI BRUDE; BOTTOM: COURTNEY CAPSTACK. OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP: COURTESY OF ERIC JOLLY.; BOTTOM LEFT: COURTNEY CAPSTACK. BOTTOM RIGHT: MICHAEL DESMIT swers. There is a need in our culture to cel- session provided attendees and the public ebrate diversity and reach those who don’t Philadelphia 2008 an opportunity to explore a diversity of have the same answers.” Jolly also encour- Mark July 24 to 26, 2008, on your cal- children and youth gardening programs aged the practice of storytelling, as he ex- endars for next year’s National Chil- from across the country,” says Stephanie plained, “stories are dren & Youth Garden Symposium, Jutila, AHS Education Programs Manag- like seeds, planted which will be based in the greater er. “The response has been tremendous by one generation Philadelphia area. Hosted by the Cam- and we look forward to expanding the to be harvested by den Children’s Garden, Longwood Gar- poster session for future symposia.” another.” dens, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Professional sto- and Winterthur Museum & Country Es- INSPIRATION THROUGH INTERACTION ryteller Sherry tate, the 2008 symposium promises to At the NCYGS, learning doesn’t stop in Norfolk expanded be an enriching experience. The AHS the classroom. Attendees gained a broad upon this idea in is accepting proposals for educational exposure to successful children’s programs her keynote ad- sessions and poster displays. For more through tours across the Twin Cities met- dress, “Planting information, visit www.ahs.org. ropolitan area. Participants chose from a Eric Jolly Stories in a Child’s visit to the University of Minnesota’s Cor- Imagination.” nercopia Student Organic Farm, Garden- Norfolk explained that there are many dif- WORKSHOPS AND POSTERS Works Community Gardens, the Marion ferent types of intelligence, for example lin- Expanding on the keynote speakers were Andrus Learning Center and Children’s guistic, mathematic, musical, kinesthetic, a variety of educational workshops. Like Garden at the Minnesota Landscape Ar- interpersonal, existential, and naturalistic. the attendees, workshop instructors hailed boretum, the Science Museum of Min- “We need to widen our circle to reach all from diverse geographical and education- nesota, and a behind the scenes look at the types [of intelligence],” says Norfolk. “Sto- al backgrounds. Instructors ranged from a Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como ries are the way our brains learn best and horticultural leader from Fairbanks, Alas- Park. In addition to these concurrent tours, they address all avenues of intelligence.” ka, to children’s gardening advocates from attendees visited and dined at Gale Woods Albe Zakes, director of public relations Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Farm, a 410-acre educational farm that en- for TerraCycle, Inc., concluded the sym- Coral Gables, Florida. courages environmental responsibility posium with a dynamic presentation pro- New to the NCYGS this year was a through agriculture, food production, and filing how the six-year-old company is poster session profiling nine children’s pro- land stewardship. empowering young people through its grams across the country. Visitors discov- Attendees also had opportunities to “Bottle Brigade” recycling program. In this ered how to create a self-guided activity explore the beautiful host facilities and program, individual children and organi- backpack through Lisa Davis’ poster from gardens of the Minnesota Landscape Ar- zations collect used plastic bottles and send Denver Botanic Gardens. Casey Sharber, boretum. Located on more than 1,000 them to TerraCycle to reuse as containers a recent graduate from the Longwood acres of gardens, woodlands, wetlands, for its fertilizer made from worm castings. Graduate Program, depicted how public and prairie, the Arboretum is the only The company donates five cents per bottle gardens can connect with high school stu- landscape arboretum in the United States. to the charity of the sender’s choice. dents through FFA chapters. “The poster The numerous garden exhibits established

Above: Attendees Grace Chapman, left, and Casey Sharber compare notes. Left: Gardens like this one at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum offered daily inspiration.

September / October 2007 15 16 tend suchamajor nationalsymposium. NCYGS toat- wastheir firstopportunity sessions. For manyoftheteens, the and even leadingoneoftheeducational ing flowers forthesymposium’s tables and photographingtheevent, toarrang- ties rangingfrom welcoming participants helped atthesymposium,takingondu- the youth entrepreneurial program proximately 17teenagersinvolved with positive impression onattendees.Ap- youth programs, CityFresh, madeavery One ofthe arboretum’s mostexemplary CENTERSTAGE YOUTH PROGRAM about 50,000children andfamilies. begun in1983,hassincegrown toinclude arboretum’s youth educationprogram, ing young peoplewithgardening. The ple ofapublicgarden successfullyengag- children’s asanidealexam- programs serve cessfully designandplanttheirlandscapes. different wayshomegardeners cansuc- throughout thearboretum demonstrated munities aroundthecountry. in schools,botanicgardens,andcom- children andyouthgardeningprograms have goneontodevelopandsupport NCYGS overtheyears,manyofwhom attendees haveparticipatedinthe Botanical Gardens.Morethan2,500 executive directoroftheCoastalMaine programs,” addsHeffernan,whoisnow many benefitsofchildren’sgardening icantly raisedawarenessaboutthe accomplish thesegoalsandhassignif- received, thesymposiumcontinuesto symposium. “FromallthefeedbackI’ve ordinator whoorganizedtheinaugural fernan, theAHS’sformereducationco- when theygrewup,”says dren tobecomeenvironmentalstewards and programstoplanttheseedinchil- doors. “Wealsowantedthesegardens tivities thatengageyouthintheout- created toinspireleaderscreateac- environment, thefirstsymposiumwas dren’s connectionswiththeirnatural Recognizing anationaldeficitinchil- YOUTH GARDENSYMPOSIUM THE NATIONAL CHILDREN& CELEBRATING 15YEARSOF Additionally, thearboretum’s extensive the American Gardener Maureen Hef- kind ofcreative youth programs thatare I likeddoing.” working withkids.Iwassurprisedatwhat work withfun,andthatIactuallyenjoy how tobalance along withsupervisors, plained, “CityFresh showed mehow to get urban garden setting.As oneteenagerex- benefits ofempowering teenagers inan gram, givingattendeesinsightintothe their experienceswiththeCityFresh pro- Their Story,” apaneloffive teensrelated Their OwnWords: Urban Gardeners Tell CityFresh isaprimeexampleof the During theeducationalsession,“In by theMinnesotaLandscapeArboretum. to attendeesatKaleidoscope,anurbangardenorganized Woods Farm.Aboveandleft:CityFreshstaffmemberstalk Top: AcresofvegetablegardensamazedattendeesatGale my co-workers,” sheexclaimed. be backnextyear, hopefully withmore of the circle amongherown colleagues.“I’ll Brooklyn, New York, pledged towiden at theEnid A.Haupt Glass Garden in information.” touch withcolleaguesasgreat resources of Botanical Garden. “Iplanonkeepingin from Clevelandsymposium participant The AmericanGardener. for Capstack isaneditorialintern Courtney inspiration,” noted shared duringthe symposium.“It wasan Megan Driscoll, astaffer Renata Brown, a 

TOP: COURTNEY CAPSTACK; BOTTOM: DEBBI BRUDE (2) ‘SPOUT TIME!

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Pour & Store Watering Cans 1.800.545.4411 www.oxo.com 18 blossoms appeared, thatIrealized they til autumn,whenthedainty, crocuslike ure outwhatkindtheywere. It wasn’t un- I waitedforthemtobloomso I couldfig- for tulipsplantedby theprevious owner. springgardenliage emerginginmynew mistook thefour-inch-wide,foot-tallfo- years ago when, asanovice gardener, I grow inmygarden. And Inever tire varieties oflocatingnew to leaves and seedpods are aspring-onlyevent. like tissuepassingforastem,whiletheir of bloomingleaflesswithatubepetal- their attractionisbotanicalweirdness of den iswindingdown. part Certainly late summerorfallwhenmostofthegar- C Producing asmany asfivefullydoubleflowers per corm, autumn’s best-keptsecret Colchicums autumn’s best-keptsecret Colchicums My fascinationwithcolchicumsbegan the American Gardener they awakenfrom dormancyin enchant me.Perhaps it’s because OLCHICUMS (Colchicum spp.) forms, withaneye tovaried blooming lections withflowers indifferent shadesand on. It’s indestructible. virtually was agoodonetocutmycolchicum teeth amended clay, inretrospect thisspecies been neglectedforcloseto10years, inun- had beengrowing inagarden thathad were turn redandgold,colchicum flowers emergetogracethe As summerfadesandtrees Charmed, Ibeganseekingoutother se- garden atgroundlevel. Colchicum byzantinum. Colchicum BY KATHYPURDY ‘Waterlily’ benefits fromthesupportofsurrounding foliage. Since they years, theflower displayextendsforweeks. species andhybridstomygardens over the season. AndbecauseI’ve addedmany ticipate thefirstcolchicumflowers ofthe times. Now September every Ieagerlyan- belong notonlytoadifferent genusthan resemblance,spite asuperficial colchicums meadow saffron, maynotrealize thatde- their commonnames,autumn crocus or China andIndia. specieshailfromCaucasus. Afew western and AsiaeasttoTurkey, Iran, andthe ofEuropenative tothe temperateparts proximately 50speciesof oftheRepublicpart ofGeorgia. Theap- ancient kingdomofColchis,whichisnow The genusColchicum WHAT’S INANAME? Many gardeners, hearingthemcalledby is namedafterthe Colchicum are

SUSAN A. ROTH crocus, but a different family as well (see “Colchicum Botany,” page 20). Other more old-fashioned names for this genus are a lot more fun: naked ladies, naked boys, and son-before-the-father—all allud- ing to the emergence of the leafless or naked flower stems in fall. OUTSTANDING SPECIES There are so many attractive Colchicum species and hybrids that choosing among them can be the biggest challenge. Most flowers grow from two to 12 inches tall, and their tepals—the undifferentiated pe- rianth segments that include both petals and sepals—are typically shades of pink, lavender, or purple; there are a few stun- ning white selections as well. The flowers of some species are tessellated—tepals dis- play an interesting checkered pattern. The following are some of my fa- vorites. The bloom times may vary a bit, depending on where you garden. Unless otherwise indicated, these selections are rated for USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9 (many will tolerate Zone 4 with protec- tion), AHS Heat Zones 9 to 1. Among commonly available colchi- cums, tessellation is most distinct in C. ✕agrippinum. John Bryan, author of Bulbs (Timber Press, 2002), suggests that this interspecific hybrid is likely the result of a cross between C. autumnale and C. varie- gatum. An early fall bloomer, its narrow lilac-pink tepals, checkered with dark pur- ple, open almost flat. It grows three to four inches tall. Commonly called meadow saffron, C. autumnale bears up to six pink flowers per corm; each grows four to six inches tall. If you’re looking for a big show without hav- ing to buy many bulbs, this vigorous species, which multiplies rapidly, is a good choice. As you would expect, flowers are white in the cultivar ‘Album’. The culti- var ‘Nancy Lindsay’ is a rich lavender- pink from the tips of the segments down through the perianth tube. It blooms the third week of September for me. Two el- Top: The heavily tessellated flowers of Colchicum ✕agrippinum grow three to four inches tall. egant double-flowering cultivars worth Above: Although small, the delicate blooms of C. autumnale ‘Album’ are borne in abundance. growing are ‘Pleniflorum’, which bears rounded, pink blooms, and ‘Alboplenum’, The tessellated, purplish-pink blooms of climates should check out C. bivonae, a showstopper with an abundance of nar- C. bivonae are goblet shaped and grow six which is hardy only to Zone 6, as well as hy- row white tepals. I enjoy the latter paired inches tall. According to garden designer brids with tessellation that indicate C. with Aster ‘Purple Mound,’ with a purple- and horticultural consultant Russell bivonae parentage. leafed bugleweed (Ajuga spp.) covering Stafford at Odyssey Bulbs in South Lan- Although individually the lavender-pink

TOP: SAXON HOLT; BOTTOM: SUSAN A. ROTH the ground between them. caster, Massachusetts, gardeners in warmer flowers of C. byzantinum are only the size of

September / October 2007 19 20 multiply quickly. ‘Album’ bearswhiteblooms.Thecorms of ‘Atrorubens’ are adeepwine-purple. with whitecenters.Bothtepalsandstem lier tobloom.Its flowers are asoftviolet species, alsohardier (toZone 4)andear- tulip-shaped thanmostformsofthe are several notablecultivars: ‘Ordu’ isless throat, andgrow to12inchestall.There purple todeeppurple,oftenwithawhite incolorfrom palepinkish- They vary enough tobemistakenforsmalltulips. character asitslavender counterpart. lection withthesamegeneralfloriferous num ‘Innocence’, sometimeslistedasC.byzanti- choice fornaturalizingingrass.Thecultivar corms multiplyquicklyandare agood downruns thecenterofeachtepal.The more inearlyfall.Aprominent whiteline inches, eachcormproduces adozen or a largecrocus andgrow toaheightoffive grow abouteight inchestall. to latefall.The amethyst-violetflowers a rock wall.It blooms generously inmid- the flowers couldswoonover theedge of piness. Ieventually plantedsomewhere ‘Lilac Wonder’ hasareputation forflop- deep enough,itfloppedso. It turns out me, Iwondered if perhapsIdidn’t plantit The firsttime‘LilacWonder’ bloomedfor HYBRIDS SPECTACULAR outstanding hybrids. This specieshasgivenrisetoanumberof speciosum The tulip-shapedflowersof The blossomsofC.speciosumare large the American Gardener ‘Album’, isalovely white-flowered se- range frompaletodeeppink. Colchicum goblet-shaped flowers of ‘The Giant’goblet-shaped flowers of‘The are ugly, butIthinkthey are cute. ers, whichappearinmid-September, as Some gardeners have described theflow- resemble anyothermemberofthegenus. blotched whitepetals,‘Harlequin’ doesn’t September through earlyOctober. tall, anditbloomsinmygarden from mid- der-purple flowers grow sixtoeightinches nature andmultiplies rapidly. Its largelaven- tubes suchas‘Poseidon’, which hasarobust COLCHICUM BOTANY age toharvestany,cantakeupthreeyearsgerminate. of growingcolchicums,I’veonlyseenthishappentwice.The seeds,ifyouman- seedpod atthistime,nestledintheinnerwhorloffoliage.Inmorethanadecade the previousyear’sflowerswerefertilizedandproducedseed,youmightseea attaining theirfullheightaboutthesametimeasdaffodilsareatpeakbloom.If are activelygrowing;theleavesemergeanytimefromlatefalltoveryearlyspring, of thetube. colchicum goallthewaydownthattube,belowsoillevel,toovaryatbottom rianth segments(alsocalledtepals).Thestyles(femalereproductivepart)ofthe looks likeaflowerstemisactuallyperianthtube,madeofthesametissueaspe- stem acolchicumhas,sowhat perianth. Thecormisallthe ground, ispartoftheflower,or and someofwhatisbelow thing youseeaboveground, colchicum isblooming,every- ing spring.Inthefall,whena won’t emergeuntilthefollow- between embryoleavesthat at thebaseofcorm,nestled producing partoftheplant,is fied stem.Theovary,orseed from acorm,whichismodi- cuses onlyhavethree. cums havesixstamens;cro- anthers andfilaments.Colchi- of theflowerthatconsists count stamens,themalepart them apart?You’lljusthaveto the spring.Sohowdoyoutell mon colchicumsthatbloomin tumn, aswellafewuncom- crocuses thatbloominau- (Colchicaceae). Superficially,theydolookalike,andwhat’smore,thereareafew Crocuses areintheirisfamily(Iridaceae),colchicumscolchicum First, let’sgetthisstraight:theyarenotcrocuses.Theyevenclosecousins. As itsnameimplies, thelilac-mauve With itspointed, twisted,purple- I really likecolchicums withpurple Starting shortlybeforeflowersemerge,andallthroughthewinter,colchicums Colchicum flowersemerge stamens ovary tube perianth corm Colchicum a favorite ofBecky Heath, co-owner of wide andmayhave asmany as20tepals.It’s October, eachlavender-pink flower opens Emerging lateSeptember through mid- hybrid thatgrows five toeightinchestall. stripe down thecenterofeach. tessellated andare marked withawhite ly infall.Tepals are pointedandstrongly inch-tall royal purple,fragrant flowers ear- five percorm inSeptember and October. sellated, theyappearinasuccessionofupto large.Eight inchestallandlightlytes- very stigmata ‘Waterlily’ isalarge, double-flowered Queen’‘Violet bearsitsfive- toseven- styles stamens scales sheathing leaves embryonic corm leaf styles Crocus stigmata tube perianth scape ovary — leaf K.P.

SUSAN A. ROTH. ILLUSTRATIONS BY SUE GALVIN misidentified after you’ve seen colchi- cums pull these tricks for yourself. COLCHICUM CULTURE Although often found growing on stony slopes or subalpine meadows in the wild, most of the readily available colchicums will grow in any good, well-drained garden soil. In my garden, they thrive in both full sun and half-day sun. Where summers are hot and dry, plant them where they will have some shade during the heat of the day. Based on my experience, any colchicum listed as hardy to USDA Zone 5 is worth trying in Zone 4, provided you have excel- lent drainage, which is especially critical when the snow is melting and the ground is just beginning to thaw. That is when the corms are most likely to rot.

A DRUG AND A POISON Colchicums are the source of colchi- cine, a potent and highly poisonous alkaloid compound that has been The tepals of the colchicum hybrid ‘Harlequin’ curve inward, sometimes with an irregular used to treat gout and some other ail- twist, giving the purple-and-white flowers an unusual shape. ments. Colchicine is also used to in- duce polyploidy—multiple sets of Brent & Becky’s Bulbs in Gloucester, Vir- and one plant ends up with several chromosomes—in breeding plants ginia. “It’s later blooming, double, and names. Furthermore, many parts of the such as daylilies and Siberian iris. large, so this one really makes a statement,” colchicum flower change color as it ma- Colchicine is probably what keeps says Heath, “and because it’s sterile, its flow- tures; the bud may emerge white and deer and rodents from eating colchi- ers seem to last longer.” gradually take on color, the styles may cums. They’re poisonous to humans, The dark secret of colchicum com- change color, and tessellation may grow too, but apparently not to slugs, which merce is that when you order a certain fainter or become more distinct. I have sometimes cause moderate damage to colchicum, what you may get instead is even observed different blossoms from colchicum blossoms. a misidentified hybrid. Because the leaves the same corm blooming in deeper and the flowers appear at different times shades because they were subjected to a for most colchicums, botanists have a dif- hard frost while in bud. It becomes more Conversely, in warmer areas with plenti- ficult time identifying them in the field, understandable how the corms become ful rainfall, corms can rot in the summer if they lack the requisite drainage. Heath notes that colchicums are not bothered by the heat and humidity typical of the mid-At- lantic growing seasons. “What may bother them is having too much water when they are dormant,” she says. Generally, soil that drains well enough for dianthus or lavender will make colchicums happy as well. If you order bulbs through the mail, the catalog will usually specify a deadline earli- er than that for its other offerings, because the corms will often bloom without soil if shipped with traditional fall bulbs. If this Above left: The best time to plant colchicum corms is when they are dormant in midsummer. happens, the corms can still be planted. Be Above right: The wide, straplike foliage of colchicum emerges in spring. Seed pods from sure to cut back the old bloom first. The

KATHY PURDY (3) the previous autumn’s flowers have formed in the center of this whorl of leaves. leaves will come up in spring, and it will

September / October 2007 21 Resources Autumn Bulbs by Rod Leeds. Bats- ford Publishing, London, 2005.

Bulbs by John Bryan. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2002.

A Handbook of Crocus and Colchicum for Gardeners by E.A. Bowles. Van Nostrand, New York, 1952.

The Pacific Bulb Society (PBS). www.pacificbulbsociety.org. Sources flower the following fall. To avoid having to Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, Gloucester, delay your gratification for a season, order VA. (877) 661-2852. early and plant promptly. www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com. Plant the corms as soon as they arrive, Online and print catalog free. setting them so that the broadest part of the corm is about three inches below the Fraser’s Thimble Farms, Salt Spring soil level. In most species and hybrids, flow- Island, BC, Canada. (250) 537- ers emerge from the corm between late Au- 5788. www.thimblefarms.com. gust and November, although a few species Catalog online. bloom in winter or spring. In early spring, new leaves will emerge. McClure & Zimmerman, Friesland, Depending on the species, these can last WI. (800) 883-6998. www.mzbulb. well into summer. Once they wither, the Top: The soft-purple flowers of Colchicum com. Online and print catalog free. corm enters dormancy and water should be byzantinum are particularly attractive inter- withheld. This is the best time to divide the planted, as they are here in the author’s Odyssey Bulbs, South Lancaster, MA. corms. Many colchicums will multiply garden, among purple-leaved groundcovers (800) 517-5152. www.odyssey rapidly, especially when divided regularly. such as bugleweed. Above: Colchicums are bulbs.com. Catalog online. also attractive when naturalized in lawns. COLCHICUMS IN THE GARDEN The most difficult part of growing late summer so that the display of plants emerges early, but the colchicum colchicums is deciding where to put them. colchicum blossoms is unobstructed. The leaves grow faster. By the time the daylily Colchicum foliage emerges in very early geranium foliage grows back as the leaves are fully extended, the colchicum spring—as early as crocuses and even ear- colchicum flowers die off. leaves are dying back. In fall, when the lier in warmer climates. Depending on the Ellen Hornig of Seneca Hill Perennials colchicums bloom, I cut down the variety, leaves can be up to six inches wide Nursery in Oswego, New York, planted her daylily foliage, which is usually looking and a foot long. Although some people colchicums against “a drift of my fanciest ratty by then. like the spring foliage, it definitely looks silver-centered, blue-leaved Arisaema con- I might never have started growing ragged as the plants move towards dor- sanguineum.” This pairing has multi-season colchicums if there hadn’t already been mancy. And then they disappear altogeth- benefits. “When the colchicums bloom, some here when we moved in, but now I er, but you still have to leave room for the their color goes well with the blue arisae- love walking around each autumn and flowers that will emerge in fall. mas; before they bloom, the arisaemas will discovering them all over again. At a time In Essays on Gardening in a Cold Cli- draw the eye up and away from the absent when the rest of the garden has a “been mate (Whitfield Press, 1998), Brian Bixley colchicums; and in spring, before the arisae- there, done that” look about it, describes interplanting colchicums with mas emerge—they come up in July—the colchicums make their appearance, bold- Geranium himalayense and G. endressii. colchicum foliage will distract from the ab- ly naked and confidently marching to The ground-covering geraniums provide sence of the arisaemas.” their own natural rhythm.  bloom and foliage generous enough to I’ve achieved a similar effect by posi- hide the dying colchicum leaves. Bixley tioning colchicum corms diagonally in Garden writer Kathy Purdy lives in Chenan-

suggests mowing the geranium foliage in front of daylilies. The foliage of both go Forks, New York. KATHY PURDY (2)

22 the American Gardener BARBARA HILL FREEMAN / COURTESY OF CMBG (2) a reflected onthe surface ofapond.Top:Therose andperennialgardeninfullsummer bloom. Above: Titled‘Helios’, thisilluminatedglasssculpture byEricHopkinsisdoubly striking Gem of a Garden S schist bedrock. matic outcropping of the underlying tral Great Lawndistinguished by adra- woods alongthetidalshoreline, andacen- scape, withtrailsthrough acres ofpristine complete immersionintheMaine land- dens (CMBG). awaits: theCoastalMaine BotanicalGar- notched coastline,aninspired jewel lures upthedeeply themalittle farther But forthosewhosespiritofadventure crops along thesouthernmostshores. stunning naturalsetting. plantings, andartworkina integrates innovativedesigns, southern coastofMaine A newbotanicalgardenonthe The gardens provide visitors with a OME VISITORS beaches andromantic rocky out- State never getpastthecrowded September /October2007 BY PAMBAXTER to thePine Tree 23 To get the garden off the ground in veloping the planting plans for all the Getting There 2004, the founders recruited Heffernan, gardens. Terrence DeWan & Associates, The Coastal Maine Botanical Gar- who was most recently director of educa- from Yarmouth, Maine, helped refine the dens is located on Barters Island tion and public programs at the Cleveland designs and coordinate the project’s land- Road, in Boothbay, Maine. For more Botanical Gardens (CBG), where she was scape construction. information and directions, visit responsible for coordinating the design Heffernan points out that the design- www.mainegardens.org or call (207) and construction of CBG’s Hershey Chil- ers have been careful to maintain as 633-4333. dren’s Garden. Prior to that she was edu- much of the natural feel as possible, plac- The garden is a participant in the cation coordinator for the American ing paths around rock ledges, drilling AHS’s Reciprocal Admissions Pro- Horticultural Society from 1990 to 1995. lights into boulders and leaving all the gram (RAP), so AHS members re- In addition to Heffernan, the creative roads unpaved. Environmentally respon- ceive free admission and a 10 per- vision for the garden represents a collab- sible construction methods were used cent discount in the gift shop. oration of international and local talent. throughout the gardens. Even the visi-

This brand new garden in picturesque Boothbay, which officially opened in June 2007, brings a world-class garden to a re- gion that previously had no major horti- cultural destinations north of Boston. The 248-acre landscape is one of only a few botanical gardens in the continental Unit- ed States that embraces a coastline. THE VISIONARIES In 1991, the garden was just a dream shared by a small group of Maine resi- dents who imagined what educational, economic, and cultural benefits would result from creating a botanical garden in coastal Maine. Five years later, this grassroots group, who are now referred to as the Founders, pooled their resources—a few used their homes as collateral for a loan—and purchased a Left: CMBG Executive Director Maureen 128-acre parcel of land in Heffernan inspects the large reflecting basin Boothbay. The property carved by David Holmes for the Vayo included wonderful Meditation Garden, above. topography and ecologi- cal features such as ver- tor’s center incorporates “green” building nal ponds, rock ledges, features, including bamboo flooring and and the tidal shoreline. natural lighting. An archaeological survey indicated the site had EXPERIENCING MAINE never been farmed or The Maine experience begins the moment even inhabited. “It con- guests step out of their cars. In the parking tained the best of Maine area, visitors find themselves in a surpris- and was a very exciting ingly intimate space—a cluster of graveled palette to work from,” says Maureen Hef- Landscape architect Herb Schaal, of the parking “pods” that are tucked discreetly fernan, the garden’s executive director. San Francisco-based international design into the surrounding woodland. “You have In 2005, the Gardens received a dona- firm EDAW, Inc., created the master a garden experience just walking up to the tion from the Pine Tree Conservation So- plan for CMBG’s main campus. Bruce visitor’s center,” says Heffernan. ciety of an additional 120 acres of Riddell, a landscape architect from Bar Visitors emerging from the elegant undeveloped adjacent land. The acreage Harbor, Maine, designed the Haney shingle-style visitor’s center immediately included another quarter-mile of shore- Hillside Garden and the Vayo Medita- encounter the Great Lawn and a variety

line, bringing the total to nearly one mile. tion Garden and was responsible for de- of themed ornamental gardens, includ- TOP: JANICE SERENCKO / COURTESY OF CMBG; BOTTOM: PAM BAXTER

24 the American Gardener BARBARA HILL FREEMAN / COURTESY OF CMBG (3) where geometricbedsshowcase amedley installedBurpeenewly Kitchen Garden, moisture-loving plants.Nearby isthe home towaterlilies,irises, and other Forest Pond, atranquil waterfeature growing season.Adjoining thisisSlater thrive intheharshwintersandshort hardy andeven ornamentalsthat survive ing arose andperennial garden with meeting, classroom,office,andresearchspace,acafé,giftshop. The9,350-square-footvisitorcentercontains Forest Pond.Right: toward thevisitor'scenter.Above:IrisesflourishatedgeofSlater naturalistic plantingsblendinwiththenativepinetreesonwalk up For visitors,thegardenexperiencebeginsinparkinglot,where stonework is a colorful, richly-texturedstonework isa colorful, Tuckeda scenicwaterfall. inamongthe evoked withstonebenches,terraces,and the rockiness oftheMaine landscapeis the woodedHaney Hillside Garden. Here tinations alongtheshoreline, with starting a meanderingpathtovarious garden des- andflowers.of vegetables, herbs,fruits, Leaving theformalarea, guestscantake (Cornus canadensis). (Cornus and bunchberry Siberian bugloss(Brunnera macrophylla), such asghostfern(Athyrium rhododendrons are herbaceousplants pines, dogwoods,viburnums, and ing Serbian spruce ing Norway (Picea abies), spruce blend ofnative andnon-native plants. Sheltered below thecanopyofweep- September /October2007 (Picea omorika), ‘Ghost’), weep- 25 A step or two further down the gently for placing throughout the grounds. sloping trail is the Vayo Meditation Gar- Some of the pieces deliberately reflect den, a tranquil setting that melds the Maine’s botanical and historic identity. coastal elements of stone, sea, and sky. For instance, an enormous metal pine At the end of the Shoreland Trail is the cone greets visitors a short distance from one-acre Rhododendron Garden. Walkers the entrance gate. (The white pine, Pinus can then loop back to the visitor’s center strobus, is Maine’s state tree.) via the Birch Alleé. Along the way, digres- A glass column, titled “Lighthouse,” sions include the fern walk and access back is mounted on a pile of stones in the down to the Shoreland Trail. “The way it’s Kitchen Garden. Its facets hold and re- been designed provides the best of both flect light in a way that brings the image worlds,” says Heffernan. “You can enjoy of a lighthouse on a rocky shore into the formal ornamental gardens as well as trails interior landscape. through pristine woodlands lush with In the center of the Meditation Gar- moss and knee-high ferns.” den, an enormous polished granite basin In addition to highlighting native holds water that reflects the color of sea plants, Heffernan plans to showcase un- and sky and provides a perfect focal point usual or rare species from around the for contemplation. world. When the gardens are completed, Not all the sculptures at CMBG were they will contain one of the largest hardy commissioned. One morning, while the Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) collections gardens were still under construction, in the country. [See sidebar, page 27.] workers discovered carved stone faces that had been scattered throughout the trails. Top: Slater Forest Pond provides visitors a ENCOURAGING ART TO FLOWER Crafted on a whim by Maine stoneworker place for quiet reflection. Above: Marking the “My vision for this place is not just as a William Jacobs, who also created many of head of a fern-flanked woodland trail, this garden, but a center for culture as well,” the garden’s walls and paved areas, these enigmatic stone face is one of eight at CMBG says Heffernan. With this in mind, she haunting faces seem to acknowledge the

created by stone artisan William Jacobs. commissioned artists to create sculptures presence of spirits of trees, earth, and rock. BARBARA HILL FREEMAN / COURTESY OF CMBG (2)

26 the American Gardener They were immediately embraced by Hef- fernan and allowed to stay. In addition to the permanent sculp- BUILDING A FIRST-CLASS DOGWOOD COLLECTION tures, Heffernan plans to bring music and One of the CMBG’s hallmarks is its small but growing collection of Kousa dog- theater to the center, and to host outdoor woods (Cornus kousa). Executive Director Maureen Heffernan is quick to point out sculpture shows. that “collection” is a loose term because the trees are not clustered in a specific area of the gardens, but rather are scattered throughout the site where they do PRESERVATION AND RESEARCH best: in the light shade at the edges of the existing woodlands. From CMBG’s inception, preservation Running like a thread throughout the Gardens, the trees, native to Japan, Ko- and stewardship of the natural landscape rea, and eastern China, provide four-season interest. The blooming season is long have been a high priority. The result is that —from June through early out of the entire 248-acre tract, a total of August—and the reddish- only about 10 acres will be developed. orange fruit and brightly Part of CMBG’s mission is to serve as colored foliage provide a an educational resource. The Center striking display in October houses a horticultural lending and re- and November. The vase- search library containing more than 2,000 like shape of the trees and botanical and horticultural texts. Future the jigsaw pattern of the plans include equipping the library with bark add visual and tex- information technology that will allow ac- tural interest in winter. cess to horticultural libraries worldwide. In addition to their long An internship program is currently in bloom period, which coin- place, which enables horticulture students cides with peak visiting to gain hands-on experience in garden and season in summer, the grounds management and public garden Kousas have another ad- educational programming. From CMBG’s vantage: they are highly inception there have been on-site programs resistant to dogwood an- for children, and lectures, classes, work- thracnose, a fungal dis- shops, and field trips for adults, all de- ease that plagues their signed to help participants acquire North American relative, practical skills for gardening in Maine. flowering dogwood (Cor- The Education Center also provides nus florida). space for ongoing research, including the “We wanted to find continuation of a 10-year study of the na- something that would be tive pink lady-slipper orchids (Cypripedi- unique to us,” says Hef- um acaule) and hardy ferns that grow on fernan. “And from what Kousa dogwoods, like this one in summer bloom in the the property. we understand, there isn’t Rose and Perennial Garden, grow throughout the CMBG. a major public garden in LOOKING FORWARD the Northeast that has an extensive Kousa collection.” The idea started with the The first phase of the design and imple- donation of several Kousas from former CMBG Board member Merlin Smith, a mentation came with a price tag of $8.5 long-time Kousa enthusiast. “Merlin has access to many cultivars that are hard to million. After successfully completing find,” says Heffernan. “Over the years, he has given us a number of Kousas, and that fundraising campaign, CMBG has I soon learned to appreciate their beauty and value in the landscape.” launched a new $7.5 million campaign to At present, the collection includes 11 cultivars: ‘Wolf Eyes’, ‘Temple Jewel’, raise funds to build new gardens and to ‘Square Dance’, ‘Madison’, ‘Lustgarten Weeping’, ‘Milky Way’, ‘Satomi’, ‘Gold Cup’, begin an endowment fund. ‘Beni Fuji’, ‘Summer Games’, and ‘Blue Shadow’. “Eventually we’d like to put to- Over the next several years, plans are gether one of the larger collections in the country,” says Heffernan. —P.B. for two major gardens to be added to the main campus. People of all physical abilities will be able to access and enjoy Heffernan’s goal has always been to plant combinations that are suited to the Garden of the Five Senses, and the make the CMBG a world-class horti- this rugged northern climate. It’s a Children’s Garden will highlight well- cultural center, and the gardens appear must-see garden that promises to be known Maine authors of classic chil- to be well on their way. “The garden is even more compelling as the additional dren’s books including E. B. White a treasure,” says Katy Moss Warner, garden areas are created.”  (Charlotte’s Web), Robert McCloskey AHS’s president emeritus. “The plant- (Blueberries for Sal), and Margaret Wise ings complement the natural landscape Garden writer Pamela Baxter lives in West

BARBARA HILL FREEMAN / COURTESY OF CMBG Brown (Goodnight Moon). and provide insight into the plants and Chester, Pennsylvania.

September / October 2007 27 28 I in thelandscape. become astunningfeature training, anespaliercan With patienceandproper form. Theword isderived from theOld metric andusually two-dimensional, plant,toan orderly,a fruit usually geo- often the trainingofanyplant,but very to applesandpears. allow thatespaliersneedn’t berestricted ern Europe. But even apuristlikemewill espaliered apple and peartrees innorth- Espalier (pronounced es-PAL-yay) is the American Gardener ’ having seentoomanynearlyperfect palier purist,aconditionIblameon LL ADMIT it upfront—I’m anes- three-dimensional espalier. may wanttoconsider gracingitwitha garden gravitatestothefanciful,you or even tocreate alivingwall.If your palier isstillanicewaytodress upawall vantage oftheextrawarmththere. Es- trees were propped near wallstotakead- Europe inthe16thcentury, whenfruit up withstakesorwires. most espaliersmust,infact,bepropped French the artandscienceof Espalier haditsformalbeginningsin Espalier aspau—meaning “a prop”—and namental espalier, especially whensuch thumbnail. Maintenance ofapurely or- cases requiring nothingmore thanyour are smallandquicklydone,inmany must befrequent,while pruning the cuts planted squarely onterrafirma.And large, socanbecared forwithyour feet great hardship. Thetrees rarely grow ed by an espalier, caringforoneisno Despite the frequent attentiondemand- is notalow-maintenance proposition. Creating andmaintaininganespalier BY LEEREICH

RICK WETHERBEE a plant does not bear flowers or fruit, en- pruned and bent. The physiology behind Espalier Shapes tails nothing more than repeated clipping plants’ responses to these manipulations of wayward stems. has been elucidated only to some degree. Espalier is for gardeners who find great Pruning response depends on time of year, pleasure in the process rather than just the growth stage of stem, degree of cutting, end result of gardening. For me, espalier is species, and, in some cases, even the par- also where art melds with science to create ticular variety of plant. a plant that pleases the eyes and, if a fruit Generally, shortening a shoot in winter plant, also the palate. When all goes well, or spring awakens some of the remaining Vertical cordon every stem on a well-grown, fruiting es- buds along that stem to grow out into new palier remains prominent and in order shoots. Shortening a shoot in summer, on year ‘round, and during the growing sea- the other hand, elicits either no response, son is furnished throughout its length a response delayed until the following sea- with flowers and then fruits. Such fruits, son, or the development of fruit buds bathed in abundant sunlight and air, are along the remaining portion of the shoot. luscious, large, and full-colored. But the climate, perhaps the latitude, and Horizontal palmette And that’s where I’m a purist: Too many the vagaries of the local weather also can fruiting espaliers that I see are attractive in influence plant response.

U-palmette

Double U-palmette

Above: Pears espaliered to a wooden support at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia occupy Fan minimal space compared to standard pear trees. Opposite page: Pruned for form but not fruit, this apple tree benefits from the warmth of a wall.

winter, their branches bent to comely In all plants, stems that are most verti- forms. Once the growing season gets un- cal tend to be most vigorous, particularly derway, however, that form is obscured by at their highest points; they develop fewer a plethora of new shoots adorned by only flowers or fruits compared to the more Oblique palmette occasional flowers and fruits. fruitful and weaker growing horizontal stems. Your job as an espalierist is to cre- PREDICTING PLANT BEHAVIOR ate a pretty plant and find a happy medi- Caring for flowering and fruiting espaliers um between growth and fruiting by requires more know-how than caring for playing around with the orientation of the espaliers grown merely for their stems and branches. You can make a stem more vig- leaves. This is because flowers and fruits orous by merely staking it upright, or

LEFT: DAVID CAVAGNARO. RIGHT: ILLUSTRATIONS BY NANCY WESTER / COURTESY OF KATHERINE ABY develop in response to how branches are more fruitful by bending it downward. Belgian fence

September / October 2007 29 Furthermore—and important in “building” your espalier—vertically ori- ented branches tend to grow fewer, but MAKING AN EASY RED CURRANT ESPALIER longer, side shoots while horizontally ori- ented branches tend to grow more, but shorter, side shoots. And pinching out the tips or various degrees of shortening a shoot can slow or direct new growth. SOME SHAPES An espalier consists of main stems, called leaders, sometimes with subordinate arms or ribs, and branches, which arise directly from the leaders or from the ribs or arms. Branches are temporary, and the trick in growing an espalier is to mini- mize branch growth, so as not to detract visually from the leader (or, if present, arms or ribs), while maximizing fruiting. The simplest form for an espalier is a single stem, also called a cordon. Vertical cordons can be set a mere 18 inches apart in a row, so are useful for growing many varieties of a fruit in a small space. Or, a cordon can be trained horizontally to bor- der a path or edge a garden. The cordon is best suited to plants that bear fruit on spurs—stubby, long- lived stems that elongate only a fraction of an inch per year—so that the cordon looks like a cordon, rather than a porcu- Despite some climatic challenges, there’s no need to toss in the espalier towel here pine. Among common fruits, apples and in the United States. Beautiful and functional forms can be created easily where pears, and, to a lesser extent, plums, flowering and fruiting are not also the goals. And even where fruit is desired, some make good cordons. To counteract the plants do espalier more reliably (and more easily) than apples and pears. tendency towards top-heavy growth due Red currants (Ribes rubrum)—or white or pink currants (R. petraeum and R. to apical dominance of a vertical stem, sativum)—are my recommended fruiting candidates (for more plants that can be es- single cordons are commonly planted paliered, see “Ornamental Espalier Options,” page 32). Because currants (Ribes and grown at an angle. This encourages spp.) are the alternate host of white pine blister rust, a serious fungal disease of five- uniform budbreak and growth along the needled pines, some states have restrictions on growing them. Check with your local length of the cordon. Cooperative Extension service for details. Now suppose you were to terminate My red currants grow as T-shaped espaliers along the fence of my vegetable gar- that single stem of a vertical cordon near den. Training to this form is straightforward and once development of the basic form ground level and split it into two leaders, nears completion, which takes a couple of years, only twice yearly maintenance prun- which turn away from each other before ing is needed. Summer pruning the mature plant entails nothing more than cutting growing vertically again. You now have a all shoots growing off leaders back to five inches in late June which, in my garden in “U palmette.” Split those two vertical the Northeast, is when the very first fruits show a hint of color. The second pruning leaders of the U again and you have a takes place in late winter, when I further shorten each of those branches to an inch. “double-U palmette,” increasing the Red currants bear fruit laterally on one-year-old stems and on spurs on older wood, spread and yield from a single plant—and so it is easy to see why the above pruning can keep a red currant espalier neat and also changing the design, of course. fruitful at the same time. On the other hand, why don’t the shortened shoots resprout There exist many variations on this following summer pruning? What would be the effect of earlier pruning, which would theme. The central stem could have two of keep the plant even neater between spring and early summer? Such questions are its side branches grow out into a wide U, among those that make experimenting with any espalier interesting, even as the plant then continue upwards to have another provides gustatory and aesthetic pleasure. —L.R. two side branches grow out into a less wide

U, and so on, with increasing height. Or, PHOTOGRAPHS ON THIS AND OPPOSITE PAGE BY LEE REICH the central stem could grow up to the top

30 the American Gardener 1

Training apples in the oblique cordon style affords a close spacing, with as little as 18 The author provides early espalier training for a inches between plants, so many varieties can be grown in a limited space. red currant by shortening or heading back the leader and removing unwanted lateral stems. of the plant, along the way sending out PLANT TRAINING tiers of horizontal leaders growing off to Training an espalier is just like training any the left and to the right. (This latter form other plant. Shortening a stem—called a is often called a “horizontal palmette” or, “heading cut”—stimulates branching as if the side arms angle upwards, an “oblique remaining buds grow into new shoots. palmette.”) Or the central stem could split Total removal of a stem—a so-called “thin- into a broad U with horizontal tiers of ning cut”—gets rid of unwanted growth leaders growing outwardly from each up- without localized response. right of the U. No matter what the design, allow about Other shapes of espalier have been de- 12 inches between leaders. Wherever one vised to overcome the potential hazard of leader is to divide into a Y or a U, the ideal 2 apical dominance. One popular form is is to select two leaders that are growing on the “fan,” in which the central stem ter- opposite sides yet near each other along the minates low in the plant, dividing into two stem. A plant might already have some For a Y- or U-shaped espalier, select a pair of leaders that angle upwards and outward. suitably positioned shoots, or they can be leaders on opposite sides but ideally close Off each of these leaders, above and below, induced with heading cuts just above together on the main stem. grow permanent ribs, with fruiting spurs where bifurcations are wanted. or temporary fruiting branches growing As a young espalier develops, shorten from them. The number of ribs, and just its leader or leaders each winter. Reducing how vertically they are allowed to grow, de- a leader’s length by about a quarter of the pend on the inherent vigor of the plant. previous year’s growth—even more on Building up the lower and outside parts of weak shoots, to channel energy into fewer the fan first keeps the potentially most vig- buds—keeps buds along the stem active. orous part—that which is highest and in When a leader reaches the desired length, the center—from overtaking the rest. cut it back each year to within an inch or Mention should also be made of es- so of the previous season’s growth. paliers that create an effect en masse, Your thumbnail is a useful “tool” dur- 3 from plants lined up and overlapping in ing training. Pinching can hold back a a row. Among the most popular of such shoot trying to outgrow others. Pinching designs is the Belgian fence, a living lat- back the tips of developing leaders when Young leaders are trained horizontally by tying ticework of branches. With some de- they reach about a foot, and again each them to bamboo canes that, in turn, will be tied signs, adjacent branches actually graft time they produce about a foot of new to a wooden or wire framework. together so that the espalier eventually growth, also keeps buds lower on the becomes self-supporting. shoot active, avoiding “blind” wood and

September / October 2007 31 reducing or even eliminating the need for dicular to the plane of an espalier. Also ORNAMENTAL ESPALIER dormant heading of the leader(s). cut away overcrowded branches. If every- Typically, leading shoots of an espalier thing works well and your fruiting es- OPTIONS are tied to bamboo canes that, in turn, are palier is thoroughly clothed with flowers, The following are just a few of the tied to the wooden or wire framework that you may have to thin the fruits that fol- many ornamental plants that can be supports the plant. By tying a shoot to the low, depending on the kind of fruit. effectively trained as espalier. cane rather than directly to the frame- The specifics of maintaining an espalier work, the shoot can be kept ramrod vary with kind of fruit plant, the variety, straight and the cane to which it is lashed possibly even geographical region. It is es- can be fixed at any desired angle to regu- pecially the vagaries of climate that, in my late its vigor. For example, if an espalier is opinion, are responsible for so many apple to have two horizontal arms, you would or pear espaliers falling short of expecta- initially hold these arms at an upward tions—my expectations, at least. The stems angle to keep growth moving along—the look perfect throughout winter, but come more upward-pointing, the faster the spring and summer, they are insufficiently growth. As the arms ap- proach full length, gradual- ly lower the canes to slow growth and increase the de- velopment of side branches and fruit buds. All that needs to be done is to untie the cane from the frame- work, and then, with the arm still firmly lashed to it, retie it at the desired angle. Poncirus trifoliata Another way to balance vigor on a growing shoot is Camellias (Camellia japonica, to lash all but its end to its C. sasanqua) horizontal support. The Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) free ends of the shoots then Cotoneasters (Cotoneaster spp.) do what they are naturally Crabapples (Malus spp.) inclined to do—turn up- Flowering cherries (Prunus spp.) ward—and that upward Flowering pear orientation keeps the grow- (Pyrus calleryana cultivars) ing tips vigorous. As the Flowering quince (Chaenomeles spp.) shoot elongates, tie older portions down A heading cut shortens the stem and Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) to the support. stimulates the development of new shoots. Hardy orange (Poncirus trifoliata) Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) MAINTAINING AN ESPALIER clothed in flowers and fruits, and over- Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) It’s important to maintain the older dressed in sprouts that obscure the form. Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) parts of an espalier even as the younger Lindens (Tilia cordata and parts are in training. On those older THE APPLE ESPALIER T. americana) parts, branch growth needs to be con- Apples and pears are the most common London plane tree trolled so that the tracery of the leaders plants chosen to espalier—and the ones for (Platanus ✕acerifolia) remains visually prominent and neat which response is most variable. When all Magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora, without sacrificing numbers or quality goes well, their growth habit of bearing M. stellata, M. ✕soulangeana) of flowers or fruits. Just how to do this flowers and fruits on short spurs makes Pyracanthas (Pyracantha spp.) depends on the particular plant’s growth them ideal for showing off flowers, then Viburnums (Viburnum plicatum habit. Peach trees, for example, fruit fruits, along with the tracery of their stems. var. tomentosum, V. prunifolium) only on one-year-old wood, so an ample Many different espalier pruning strategies Winter jasmine supply is needed each year for the fol- have been devised for these fruits. (Jasminum nudiflorum) lowing year’s flowers and fruits. Apple Among the most elegant systems is one Witch hazels (Hamemelis spp.) trees, in contrast, flower and fruit on devised at the end of the 19th century by Wisterias (Wisteria spp.) spurs, so they need little invigoration. Louis Lorette, curator and professor of the Yews (Taxus spp.) No matter what the plant, pinch back Practical School of Agriculture at Wag-

or cut away any shoots growing perpen- onville, France. The Lorette system, which LEFT: JERRY PAVIA. RIGHT: LEE REICH

32 the American Gardener Sources Henry Leuthardt Nurseries, East Moriches, NY. (631) 878-1387. www.henryleuthardtnurseries.com. Catalog online.

Trees of Antiquity, Paso Robles, CA. (805) 467-9909. www.treesof antiquity.com. Catalog online. Resources Apple Art Espalier, Sonoma, CA (707) 824-2940. www.appleart.com. ■ Espalier consulting services and wholesale fruit tree nursery.

Katherine Joy Aby, Edina, MN. Trained against a wall as a horizontal palmette espalier, this apple produces an abundance www.espalierservices.com. of fruit at a height that is easy to reach for harvesting. ■ Espalier consultant.

produces spectacular results in terms of often results in either rampant regrowth The American Horticultural Society beauty and fecundity, involves pruning that gets winter injury, or in nothing Pruning and Training by Christopher branches as they become pencil-thick, more than dead stubs. Brickell. DK Publishing, New York, about a foot long, and woody at their Other systems of creating apple and New York, 1996. bases back to the whorl of leaves at their pear espalier exist. The British devised bases. These whorls—in northern France, their own system, the three-bud system The Pruning Book by Lee Reich. at least—become fruiting spurs. of pruning apple espaliers, the essence of Taunton Press, Newtown, Connecti- Sad to say, over much of the United which is to cut back young branches, in cut, 1997. States, pruning with the Lorette method winter, to three buds (hence the name). A modification of the Lorette system in which the tips of branches are pinched two leaves (counting the whorl of leaves when they are half woody and about a at the base of a shoot as a single leaf). foot long, then shortened to about an The point is that there are many ways inch two weeks later, has successfully to espalier an apple tree. To my mind, quelled growth and set up fruit buds in none of the techniques that I have ob- New Zealand. served over much of the continental Unit- In the northeastern United States, a ed States are wholly satisfactory—at least similar result has been achieved by short- compared with what I’ve seen in northern ening any branches longer than a foot back Europe during my travels and through the to a quarter of an inch in the middle of Au- old photographs of Louis Lorette’s work. gust. This latter pruning is supplemented Yet with more research and networking by winter pruning, when regrowth and all among espalier practitioners in different vertical sprouts are cut back. Of course, an regions, I believe there is an opportunity espalier that spends the bulk of summer not only to keep this venerable artform clothed in spiky branches is not particu- alive, but to develop improved techniques larly neat, designwise. that are better suited to 21st century Amer- In Minnesota, floriferous, compact es- ican gardens and gardeners.  palier apple trees have been created using dwarfing Bud 9 rootstocks and prun- Lee Reich is a garden writer, photographer, ing—on June 1st, July 1st, and August lecturer, and consultant based in New Paltz, The form of an elegant Lorette winged 1st—any branches longer that eight inch- New York. His most recent book is Uncom- pyramid espalier is displayed to advantage es back to five leaves, and any sub- mon Fruits for Every Garden (Timber

TOP: SAXON HOLT; BOTTOM: FROM THE LORETTE SYSTEM OF PRUNING BY LOUIS (MARTIN HOPKINSON & CO. LONDON, 1925) with a dusting of snow. branches longer than eight inches back to Press, 2004).

September / October 2007 33 Woodland Saxifrages 34 beauty. While manyofthewoodland sax- easy culture andwhoappreciate subtle is shared by gardeners whofavor plantsof thusiasm forthesedelicateforest dwellers This easterneristheexception.” Her en- make athomeoutsidetheiralpine homes. rock gardener, formanyare noteasyto delight andthedespairofadvanced native tothe western mountainsare the ifrages] from European sources andthose Perennials forYour Garden writer Bebe Miles todeclare inWildflower ifrage about saxifrages,butournative earlysax- that causerock gardeners towaxpoetic speciesarefew evergreen. succulent andoftendeciduous,thougha arefew scalloped.Thefoliageissomewhat leaves withpronounced teeth,thougha have rounded tospatulate (spoon-shaped) in compoundpaniclesorcymes.Most two longdeclinedpetals.Theyare carried ularly shapedwiththree erect short and radially symmetricalandstarlike,orirreg- shapes, either petaled andoftwoprimary of which139are endemic.Flowers are five- in alpineareas. Chinaalonehas216species ca, andAndeanSouth America,primarily continents ofAsia,Europe, North Ameri- species worldwide,dispersedacross the thrive inwoodsysoilandshade. least oneofthecharmingspeciesthat iscompletewithoutat shaded rockery would addthatnowoodlandgarden or “rock”—and breaker, from theLatinroots their botanicalname,whichmeansrock tied torock gardens, even of by virtue ga].” Indeed, saxifragesare inextricably tives of[the]worldwidegenus would becompletewithoutrepresenta- I BY C.COLSTONBURRELL These charmingplantsareanelegantadditiontothewoodlandorshadegarden. Traditionally, itisthealpine species The genusSaxifraga garden, raisedbedoralpinehouse Lincoln Foster wrote that“no rock N HISCLASSIC the American Gardener (S. virginiensis) frangere—“to break.” I Rock Gardening, H. moved garden contains 450 that “[sax- saxum— [Saxifra- are similar, superficially with coarsely equally well ifoffered suitablegarden sites. ledges andalongstreams, mostperform ifrages flourishinthewildonmossyrock saxifrage careyana, and thesoilremains evenly moist. cult togrow except where nightsare cool on three- tofour-inchstems,butisdiffi- its swarmofyellow, red-spotted flowers Eurasia. Thisboreal speciesisprized for Northnorthern America aswell asacross liage over moisttowet rocky ground in succulentlinearfo- mats ofsomewhat AHS Heat Zones 7–1)spreads dense aizoides, Yellow mountainsaxifrage NATIVES AMERICAN NORTH Spring-blooming Golden eye orCarey’s saxifrage(S. (S. caroliniana, USDA Hardiness Zones 2–7, Zones 5–8,8–5)andCarolina Saxifraga stolonifera Saxifraga Zones 5–8,8–4) (Saxifraga forms anevergreengroundcoverinshadygardens. arguta, sprays inlatespringandearlysummer. Flowers hover over thefoliageinopen ternate commonnameofclaw saxifrage. and coarselytoothed,givingrise toanal- net-tinted, foliageisnarrowly spatulate mountains. Thebronzy-green, oftengar- to wet rock outcroppings ofthe southern botanist andexplorer, isadenizen ofmoist Zones 4–8,8–4),namedfortheFrench croppings infullshadetosun. tall, theythrive onwet, mossyrock out- Appalachians. Growing sixinchestoafoot their overlapping rangesinthesouthern spring. Bothare rare inthewildwithin small whiteflowers thatbloom inlate spraysof in basalrosettes beneathairy toothed, broadly spatulateleaves arrayed Brook saxifrage Michaux’s saxifrage(S.michauxii, Zones 6–9,9–1)spreads open (S. odontoloma, syn. S.

MICHAEL S. THOMPSON From left to right: Saxifraga aizoides, S. odontoloma, and S. virginiensis are three saxifrage species native to North America.

rosettes of pinked, silver-dollar-sized showy clumps of tongue-shaped leaves. Early saxifrage (S. virginiensis, Zones rounded leaves along mossy stream banks Swamp saxifrage (S. pensylvanica, 4–8, 8–4) is familiar to easterners who and in seeps. Upright panicles of white Zones 3–7, 7–1) and lettuceleaf saxifrage (S. have a love of woodland flora. In early flowers open in late spring. Found from micranthidifolia, Zones 4–8, 8–4) are spring, flower stalks rise six to 12 inches the Rockies west to Alaska and south to somewhat similar in appearance. They also from basal rosettes of scalloped triangular Mexico, this plant demands a moist, cool share a need for constantly wet soil in their to heart-shaped leaves. Though damp, situation in the garden. overlapping natural ranges in eastern rocky outcrops are its preferred substrate, Though native to seeps and mossy North America. In the wild, they grow in the garden plants adapt well to moist ground along streams from the Pacific along streams and in seeps and wet mead- loamy soil free from competition from Northwest, south through California and ows with their crowns just above the water more aggressive neighbors. Nevada, Oregon saxifrage (S. oregana, and their roots constantly bathed in fresh Zones 5–8, 8–1) adapts easily to cultivation. water. Their crisp-green upright foliage is NON-NATIVE SPECIES In rich, evenly moist soil, the compound adorned with elongated sprays of creamy Of easier culture in the open garden than panicles of starry white flowers rise above to greenish flowers that open in late spring. our native species, Asian saxifrages such as the Japanese S. cortusifolia (Zones 6–9, 9–6) provide late-season color in shade. Flowers are irregular in outline, with the three erect petals each bearing a yellow spot, while those of the similar S. fortunei (sometimes listed as a variety of S. cortusi- folia) are unspotted. Leaves are kidney- shaped to round with palmate veins and cleft margins. ‘Ruby Wedding’ has round- ed, toothed leaves with palmate veins ac- cented in silver from the center of the leaf to the tip. Native to Japan, China, and Korea, Fortune’s saxifrage (S. fortunei, Zones 6–8, 8–6) takes a great deal of sun, and is suit- able for a variety of situations from light to full shade. This species has regained favor among woodland gardeners, due mostly to the introduction, through tissue culture, of several cultivars with superior leaf forms.

The tiny, star-shaped flowers of S. michauxii are borne in panicles that range

TOP, LEFT TO RIGHT: JOSEPH G. STRAUCH, JR., MARK TURNER, JESSIE M. HARRIS. BOTTOM: HARRIS from four to 20 inches tall.

September / October 2007 35 36 ‘Black Ruby’ hassmall,ruby-red leaves. topped by deeppinkautumnflowers. highlights, tinged marginsacquiringruby foliage emerginglightgreen withpurplish trees orinashadednook. add adashofcolorunderthecanopy the maroon andsilver-striped selections leaves withprominent veins. In summer, flowers riseabove rounded, deeplycut Asymmetrical summerandearlyautumn part ordappled shade andisnottolerantofheat orhumidity. variegated ‘Tricolor’, above.Pyreneansaxifrage, right,growsbestin Many selectionsof Among theseis‘Beni Fuji’, whichhas the American Gardener S. stolonifera S. boast colorfulfoliage,suchasthe and Pronounced venationandcleftmarginstypifythefoliageofboth is ver alongtheveins. margins, streaked withwidebandsofsil- boasts rounded maroon leaves withragged Terra Nova Nurseries inTigard, Oregon, pink. ‘Silver Velvet’, anintroduction from leaves streaked withwhite,yellow, and ‘Go-nishiki’ (Five Color)hasred-tinted wild, thisspringbloomeriseasilyculti- upright clusters.Althoughrare inthe and showy whiteto pink petalsindense, ney-shaped, toothed,deepgreen leaves zomatous plantthathasevergreen kid- S. nipponica Another exceptional Japanese native S. fortunei S. ‘Silver Velvet’,above,twoAsianspeciesthatbloominsummer. (Zones 5–8,8–5),a rhi- da’, acultivar withsome vated intemperategardens. ‘Pink Pago- are produced inearlytomidsummer. gated paniclesofirregular whiteflowers geranium. Elon- begonia andstrawberry common names,includingstrawberry form largecolonies,hencethemany spreads to rapidlyby filamentousrunners One oftheeasiestsaxifragestogrow, it leaves evenly netted withsilvery-white. Zones 7–9,9–5)has rounded evergreen with widepetals. itage, haslargemediumpinkflowers Mother ofthousands(S.stolonifera, Saxifragia cortusifolia, cortusifolia, Saxifragia S. nipponica her- left,

TOP LEFT: LYNNE HARRISON; TOP RIGHT AND BOTTOM LEFT: COURTESY OF TERRA NOVA NURSERIES; BOTTOM RIGHT: MICHAEL S. THOMPSON Unlike most other saxifrages, this species such as Solomon’s seals (Polygonatum spp.) can spread rapidly if a site is to its liking, and bold-foliaged mayapples (Podophyllum so avoid pairing it with more delicate peltatum) or clumping ferns such as Dry- Sources woodlanders. opteris and Polystichum that will not over- Edelweiss Perennials, Canby, OR. ‘Harvest Moon’ has golden foliage with whelm the delicate clumps. (503) 263-4680. www.edelweiss red highlights. The foliage of ‘Kinki Pur- Most of the American species grow perennials.com. Catalog online. ple’ is glowing violet netted with silver. best in a moist rockery or slope. And al- ‘Maroon Beauty’ has deep claret leaves though S. caroliniana, S. careyana, and S. Forestfarm, Williams, OR. (541) mottled in silver. ‘Tricolor’ 846-7269. www.forestfarm.com. is edged in white, with a Catalog $5; free online. red rim. Pyrenean saxifrage (S. Greer Gardens, Eugene, OR. (800) umbrosa, Zones 5–8, 5–1) is 548-0111. www.greergardens.com. a European native unde- Online and free print catalog. servedly scarce in American gardens. Scalloped spatu- Plant Delights Nursery, Inc., Raleigh, late to round leaves form NC. (919) 772-4794. www.plant dense rosettes topped with delights.com. Catalog for 10 stamps one-inch panicles of open or box of chocolates; free online. sprays of small pink or red- spotted white flowers in Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery, Talent, early summer. This beauty OR. (541) 535-7103. thrives in light to full shade www.srpn.net. Catalog online. but is intolerant of extreme heat and high humidity and thus is not for southern Resources gardens. ‘Clarence Elliott’ Rock Gardening by H. Lincoln Foster. is compact with dense clus- Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 1982 ters of small pink flowers (originally published in 1968). on ruby stems. The leaves of ‘Variegata’ are splashed Wildflower Perennials for Your Garden in lemon yellow below by Bebe Miles. Hawthorn Books, white flowers. New York, New York, 1976. Sometimes confused with Pyrenean saxifrage is The Saxifrage Society, London pride (S. ✕ur- www.saxifraga.org. bium), a vigorous hybrid of garden origin with pale pink flowers. Try growing it at the front of Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum in the pulpits (Arisaema spp.), Siberian iris- a sunny to partly shaded border. ‘Pictum’) and Saxifraga stolonifera pair up es (Iris siberica), turtleheads (Chelone spp.), well in this shady garden site. ligularias, and sedges (Carex spp.). SAXIFRAGES IN THE GARDEN The decorative foliage and showy au- Most saxifrages thrive in light to full michauxii grow best in moist to wet tumn flowers of the Asian woodland sax- shade, in evenly moist, humus-rich, neu- humus over rocks, they perform ad- ifrages will gratify any gardener with an tral to acidic soil. Though species vary in mirably in sun or shade in moist organic appreciation for understated beauty. The their requirements for a rocky substrate, soil. Good companions include corydalis, American species have more exacting all except S. stolonifera demand a spot free Blue Ridge St. Johnswort (Hypericum cultural requirements but will reward from competition. Be careful not to buckleyi), asphodel (Tofieldia), bluets gardeners who enjoy the challenge of crowd the rosettes with foliage or mulch, (Houstonia spp.), maidenhair ferns (Adi- identifying a garden site that approximates or the plants will quickly disappear. antum spp.), and sedges (Carex spp.). their natural habitat with clouds of spring Asian and European species such as A very few saxifrages—swamp and let- or summer flowers.  Pyrenean saxifrage and Fortune’s saxifrage tuce-leaf saxifrages, for instance—require adapt best to shaded garden beds, and a consistently moist site. These are best C. Colston Burrell’s most recent book, Helle- form tidy, exciting groundcovers of unique planted in a shaded bog garden, at the edge bores: A Comprehensive Guide (Timber beauty. Combine them with lungwort of a pond, or potted up in the shallow sec- Press, 2006), coauthored with Judith Knott (Pulmonaria spp.), brunneras, and hardy tion of a pool. Combine them with other Tyler, received the 2007 American Horticul-

MARK TURNER fuchsias. Accent them with vertical plants shade-tolerant moisture-lovers such as Jack tural Society Book Award.

September / October 2007 37 38 Havens The restoredBlue GardenattheHenryFordEstate inDearborn,Michigan,features heirloomSiberianandbeardedirises datingtothe1920s. legendary Jenslegendary Jensen. home inDearborn, landscapedby the ick LawOlmsted, andtheHenryFord as theBelle Isle park designedby Freder- taught, were impressive such properties East Michigan University, where he sured places.Within hours’ afew drive of about theplantsthatfilledthosetrea- F annuals, perennials,andbulbsisalaborof love. For afewspecialnurseriesandseedcompanies, preservingthehistoryandbeautyofheirloom the American Gardener scapes duringwhichhetoldstories walking toursofhistoricland- OR MANY years, Scott Kunst led when henoticedthatgardening catalogs Kunst became alarmedintheearly1990s ever sincehesearched forfossilsasachild, that are theessenceofabeautifulsetting. the historicalbackground oftheplants and practiceofdesignthantheyare with to bemore conversant withthetheory tend also learnedthatlandscapeexperts Kunstplants hadahistory!’” recalls. He Intrigued by oldthingsintheearth “People wouldsay, ‘Ididn’t know for Heirlooms date tothe16thcentury, andthe13th- including ‘Maximus’ daffodils,which offersabout250bulbvarieties, nursery Ann Arbor-basedmailorder andretail dens, withasix-pagecatalog. Today, the hisbusiness,Oldstarted House Gar- ing thelasttwogiantpandas,”Kunst a super-fragrantred tulip. such asthe150-year-old ‘Prince ofAustria’, were dropping someclassicbulbcultivars, Feeling aresponsibility akinto“sav- BY STEVEDRYDEN

COURTESY OF HENRY FORD ESTATE century English bluebell (Hyacinthoides rieties mostly to people living in elabo- swing of interest in heirlooms over the last non-scripta). rately restored 19th-century or earlier decade,” says Denise Adams, author of Dahlias are another of Kunst’s fa- homes. But he quickly discovered the in- Restoring American Gardens: An Encyclope- vorite heirlooms. Originally found in terest in heirlooms is much more wide- dia of Heirloom Ornamental Plants, Mexico and Central America, dahlias spread. “Many people are looking for 1640–1940 (see “Resources,” page 41). became the rage in Europe around 1800. something different, like tulips with a “When I attend plant conferences, my talk Then, purveyors of live dahlia tubers so wonderful scent,” he says. on heirloom ornamentals typically gener- penetrated the American market that Also, “through living plants, there’s a ates as much interest as presentations on farmers in Indiana had the flowers chance for a connection to the past,” Kunst new cultivars.” blooming in the 1840s. “They were, observes. “Customers say, ‘I’m so glad you Adams believes the interest has been along with tulips, one of the most pop- have that, because my grandmother grew sparked by a combination of nostalgia, an ular American plants of the 19th centu- it’, or, ‘My mom and dad had that flower increase in use of heirlooms at historic ry, ” says Kunst. on the altar when they were married.’” sites, and perhaps some momentum from the revival in heirloom veg- etables. She also points to the importance of preserving heirloom plants to ensure the diversity of the orna- mental gene pool. “Who knows what these historic plants could contribute to future plant breeding pro- grams,” she says. But Adams concedes that most people purchasing heir- loom plants are not thinking about the gene pool. “The plants are important because they connect us to an experi- ence a forebear may have had—a parent, grandparent, or aunt.” Adams vividly remembers an occasion when she asked ‘Kaiser Wilhelm’ dahlia, above attendees at one of her lectures to describe left, and ‘Prince of Austria’ tulip, any plants that had a connection with above, are two popular heirloom their families. “One woman burst into varieties at Old House Gardens, a tears before she even started talking; she retail and mailorder nursery in associated a particular plant with her Ann Arbor, Michigan. Its owner, grandmother, and it was a very emotional Scott Kunst, left, tends heirloom connection,” she recalls. ‘Black Beauty’ lilies. HEIRLOOMS, CALIFORNIA STYLE Kunst is by no means the Annie Hayes, founder of Annie’s Annuals, only entrepreneur passionate has a strong focus on heirlooms and cot- about saving these treasured an- tage garden plants at her San Francisco tiques. In the hurly-burly world Bay-area nursery. “Even in a Starbucked- of 21st-century commercial hor- world, where everything is the same, every- ticulture, where new introduc- thing is grown from plugs, people still tions get the lion’s share of respond to plants nurtured the old-fash- The names given to many of the publicity, a number of American nurseries ioned way,” she says. Among Hayes’ di- dahlias testify to their European sojourn: still see the value of seeking out heirlooms. verse offerings of annuals, biennials, tender the yellow and burgundy ‘Kaiser Wil- perennials, vines, and shrubs are more than helm’, the red and white ‘Union Jack’, PRESERVING OUR HISTORY 200 California and West Coast natives. and the golden-orange ‘Prinses Beatrix’. In fact, there seems to be a “back to the fu- Hayes got her start in horticulture at When he started his business, Kunst ture” trend in the ornamental gardening the locally famed Berkeley Horticultural

COURTESY OF OLD HOUSE GARDENS (3) thought he’d be selling his heirloom va- world. “There has definitely been an up- Nursery, which has been selling native

September / October 2007 39 40 (Clarkia unguiculata), lections sheoffers iselegantclarkia many Californianatives. Amongthese- spp.), agenusofannualsthatincludes flowers offarewell tospring(Clarkia weeks inspring. blue flowers thatbloomforsix toeight and Oregon thathaswhite-centered sky- menziesii) den plantsisbaby blue-eyes (Nemophila well inourarea,”do very Nugent says. heirloom plantsfrom otherregions that California natives anddrought-tolerant English climate. “Annie’s carriesalotof their choicesofflowers toadistinctlyun- cottage-garden enthusiastsmustadapt climate ofsouthernCaliforniameansthat La Mesa, outsideSan Diego. Nugent, anAnnie’s customerwholives in andhummingbirds,”terflies saysTamma wildlife by plantinghostplantsforbut- color andcutting,we encourage blow inthewindandself-sow readily. the talloldcottagegarden classicsthat that never freezes orscorches—and tolove the Californiacoast—atemperateclimate growing plantsintheUSDA’s Zone 10on years. There shelearnedaboutthejoys of plants andrare exotics formore than80 Hayes alsoadmires spring thecolorful One ofHayes’ “must-have” cottagegar- Of course,livingintheMediterranean “We liketoplantalotofannualsfor the American Gardener an annualnative toCalifornia introduced in1832. “I went towork inthepasture behindour alogs,” Kanesays, recalling theearly 1980s. gladioli, marigolds,andtearoses inthecat- ed outitwashard tofindmuchbeyond Istart- plants popularinothereras.“When friends abouthow difficultitwastoobtain afterhearingfrom herfatherandhis ery historic housesacross theUnited States. chitect whodeveloped masterplansfor Thomas Kane,anAmericanlandscapear- ness, wasraisedinEngland. Judith married mother, Judith, thebusi- whohelpsrun of thenursery’s founder, RachelKane.Her bles onagrassyplotinbackoftheshop. Tea andsconeswithcream atta- are served film adaptationofaThomasHardy novel. clothing thatcouldcostumeactresses ina with antiquewomen’s hats,and country decidedly Victorian. There’s agiftshop sures, butthemoodofplaceis atPerenniales ofAmericanhistory Plea- lection ofplantsfrom theAmericanpast. subzero temperatures tocultivate herse- other endofthethermometer, defying cornerofVermont,northeast isatthe Perennial Pleasures Nursery, locatedinthe warmer growing zones, RachelKaneof perennials thatcanthrive inmoderateor While Hayes concentratesonannualsand NEWENGLAND VICTORIAN Rachel Kanegottheideafornurs- The English accentsreflect theheritage You canfindplantspopularinallphas- Petals from thePast inJemison, Alabama, drought, years offloods,”sayPowell. years of around forgenerations—surviving are plants that haveveloped. been “These soil intheregions inwhichtheywere de- well adaptedtothevagaries ofclimateand from thePast nursery, isthattheyare often plants, according toJason Powell ofPetals benefitofheirloom Another important FROMDIXIE HEIRLOOMS years. Through painstakingdetective many have beenlostintheintervening eties were available, shehasfound,but as the1940s,more than200namedvari- perennials inAmericangardens. Aslate wasoneofthemostpopular century flower thatinthe19thandearly20th paniculata), brightly-colored tallgarden phlox (Phlox plantsforsale. and viewing outdoor “rooms” designedforstrolling ers andherbs,shepresides over anacre of assistance more than900varieties offlow- packets andadiggingfork.” house withlittlemore seed thanafew nursery eachAugust.nursery display duringaphlox festival heldatthe 70 heirloomvarieties, allofwhichare on work, Kane hastrackeddown more than to CaliforniaandOregon. growing, drought-tolerantannualindigenous most usefulisbabyblue-eyes,above,alow- recreate theEnglish-gardenlook.Oneof area, oftenusesAmericannativeplantsto of Annie’sAnnualsintheSanFranciscoBay Cottage gardenenthusiastAnnieHayes,left, Jason andhiswife,Shelley, opened Kane’s favorite plantistheswaying, Today, havinggrown withhermother’s a native Americanwild-

COURTESY OF ANNIE’S ANNUALS (2) Sources Annie’s Annuals & Perennials, Rich- mond, CA. (888) 266-4370. www.anniesannuals.com. Catalog free and online.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Mansfield, MO. (471) 924-8917. www.RareSeeds.com. Catalog free and online.

Old House Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI. (734) 995-1486.www.oldhouse gardens.com. Catalog online.

Perennial Pleasures Nursery, East Hardwick, VT. (802) 472-5104. www.perennial pleasures.net. Free Perennial Pleasures Nursery in Hardwick, print catalog. Vermont, above, has a distinctly English atmosphere that reflects the background of Petals from the Past, Jemison, AL. its owner, Rachel Kane, left. Heirloom (205) 646-0669. www.petals phloxes are among the nursery’s specialties. fromthepast.com. Catalog online.

As Powell started doing some research, Select Seeds Antique Flowers, Union, he came to the conclusion that breeding CT. (800) 684-0395. www.select programs can be a mixed blessing. As an seeds.com. Catalog $1; free online. example, he cites wild sweet William (Phlox maculata), a native of eastern Southern Bulb Company, Golden, TX. North America. “One of the things that (903) 768-2530. www.southern was a huge shame for gardening in the bulbs.com. Catalog online. in 1994. The nursery’s focus on heirloom South is what happened with wild sweet perennials and shrubs stems from the in- William—the traditional species is tall, Underwood Gardens, Woodstock, IL. fluence of Jason’s faculty advisor, William with purplish, fragrant flowers that hum- (815) 338-6279. www.underwood Welch, an Extension horticulturist at mingbirds love,” he says. Plant breeders gardens.com. Catalog online. Texas A&M University who has written took the wild species in hand and devel- two books on Southern heirlooms. oped lower-growing types that featured a “As a graduate student, I worked at the greater range of flower colors, but, Powell Resources weekend home Dr. Welch and his wife Gardening with Heirloom Seeds by were fixing up in Roundtop, Texas,” says Lynn Coulter. University of North Powell. “They were restoring an early Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 2006. 1900s style Victorian home there and I was helping in the cottage garden.” Restoring American Gardens by Powell says his first real introduction to Denise Adams. Timber Press, Port- heirlooms was through antique roses. land, Oregon, 2004. “Contrary to my experience with hybrids, these roses had real fragrance,” he says. “I Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, also observed that they had a great natur- Massachusetts. (508) 347-3362. al shape and that they weren’t as fussy www.osv.org. about companions and planting condi- tions as the hybrids.” As Powell got closer Tall garden phlox are successful heirlooms in Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic to graduation, his experience with tough- the Deep South. Jason Powell of Petals from Plants at Monticello. Charlottesville, as-nails heirloom plants inspired him to the Past nursery recommends this passalong Virginia. (434) 984-9816. move back to his native Alabama to “find phlox selection, which he simply calls www.monticello.org/chp.

TOP: COURTESY OF DOMINIQUE GUSTIN (2). BOTTOM: PETALS FROM THE PAST plants that will thrive in this region.” “common purple.”

September / October 2007 41 bemoans, at the expense of fragrance and some resistance to powdery mildew. He HISTORIC SITES FOR HEIRLOOMS carries a local selection of the wild species The renaissance in heirloom plants may also be linked to the increasing sophis- that has rosy pink flowers. tication of restoration programs for historic homes, museums, and estates— One indispensable heirloom for the along with city gardens and other public spaces. Public interest in historic sites South, according to Powell, is blackberry is fueling a demand for plants that are as authentic to the period as are the lily (Belamcanda chinensis), a member of building materials. the iris family native to China. “For us it’s “It’s important for us to get it right,” says Peggy Cornett, director of the Thomas evergreen, so it gives us 12 months of in- Jefferson Center for Historic Plants at Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. Just terest,” he says. “The speckled orange flow- as the curators of the third president’s famous Virginia home wouldn’t want a ers bloom in July and August, followed by Bauhaus-style chair in some corner, the landscape managers want to avoid lining the dark clusters of seeds in fall, and then the walkways with flowers that hadn’t been introduced during the period, or plant- the evergreen foliage the rest of the year.” ing an inappropriate modern vegetable cultivar in the gardens. Fidelity is particu- larly important in the case of Jefferson, one of America’s most fa- mous horticulturists. The Center, which opened in 1987, is dedicated to the col- lection and preserva- tion of the plants he grew, which included more than 500 vari- eties of fruits and veg- etables. Jefferson also Blackberry lily provides four-season interest grew numerous flow- in southern gardens. ering plants—each year he ordered hun- PRESERVING GARDEN HERITAGE dreds of seed varieties The trend toward mass production of a from the Jardin des limited palette of widely adaptable plants Plantes in Paris and Pot marigolds (Calendula officinalis), foxgloves (Digitalis means small specialty nurseries and ded- he was also the recip- purpurea), and corn poppies (Papaver rhoeas) are among the icated gardeners are often the last refuge ient of many seeds plants featured in Monticello’s restored garden. for heirloom plants, particularly on a re- and cuttings collected gional level. “The selections that enjoyed by explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in the early 1800s. fame and fortune in particular periods of Heirloom cultivars of columbines, sweet peas, primroses, pinks, and wallflow- our history are very reflective of the fash- ers are among the herbaceous flowers on display in the restored Monticello gardens. ions and styles of the era and the state of Cornett notes that the Center also preserves heirloom plants—including special col- horticulture at the time,” says Adams. lections of irises, dianthus, and roses—at Tufton Farm, which is adjacent to Mon- “When a nursery takes on the task of of- ticello. Many of these heirlooms are propagated and made available to the public fering these heirlooms they are not only at Monticello’s Garden Shop and on the Center’s website. making them accessible but keeping us Another historic site dedicated to ensuring the integrity of its period plantings connected with our past.” is Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. There, kitchen, herb, and Heirloom plant nurseries are also crit- flower gardens display plants that researchers have determined were commonly ical, says Adams, because their owners are grown in New England gardens at the turn of the 19th century. often passionate about locating and pre- Heirloom plant nurseries often supply plants for restoration projects and historic serving historic cultivars. “Searching out gardens such as Monticello. One customer of Perennial Pleasures is the Historic these old cultivars requires a lot of tenaci- Hudson Valley, a riverside string of estates and other historic sites near Tarrytown, ty and perseverance,” she says. “But heir- New York. Mary Ann Witte, landscape manager for the sites, was relieved to find loom species in many genera are “plain old Digitalis purpurea, or common foxglove, at Perennial Pleasures, instead becoming more available thanks to the ef- of fancier modern cultivars.” The original foxgloves aren’t showy, Witte says, and forts of a lot of these individuals.”  that’s perfectly fine with her. —S.D. Freelance writer Steve Dryden lives in Bethes-

da, Maryland. LEFT: COURTESY OF MONTICELLO. RIGHT: PETALS FROM THE PAST

42 the American Gardener

44 by LindaMcIntyre Chris Wiesinger: TheBulbHunter T dening. Wiesinger isthefounderandpresident oftheSouthern Bulb Company, awholesalerandonlinere- Chris Wiesinger, entrepreneur, a26-year-old horticultural willrestore your optimisminthefuture ofgar- school building withsomebareroot roses agardennia, Istarted in front of the to learnmore abouthow togrow them. roses andread alotofbooksandmagazines their roses. Ienjoyed working withthe some ladiesdown thestreet takecare of Houston. Later, Ihelpedourpastorand dad madeushelpoutintheirgarden in brother and Iwere littlekids,mymomand Chris Wiesinger: ested ingardening? Linda McIntyre: Southern Bulb’sgrowingfieldinTexas. Chris WiesingerwithhisdogFischerin If you’re concernedabouttheyounger generation’s seeminglackofinterest inthenaturalworld,takeheart. In highschoolinBakersfield, Califor- the American Gardener start-up companieswhoarestart-up interested inhorticulture, however, are pretty unusual. WENTY-SOMETHINGS What gotyou inter- From thetimemy with start-up companiesaren’twith start-up raritiesthesedays.Twenty-somethings with student bodypresident. as school baseballandfootballserved into gardening, because Ialsoplayed high people thoughtitwasfunnythatI that someonegave totheschool.Some cluding coverage in he hasmanagedtomakeanameforhimselfinthebusinessworld—in- classmate, Brad Gaultney. years, In thankstotireless short afew work, pany thesameyear. He thebusinesswithhisfriendandformer runs business planwhileahorticulture studentthere thecom- andstarted en, Texas. A2004graduateofTexas A&MUniversity, hedeveloped his Zones 6to10)suchasthatofhishomebaseinGold- climates (USDA tailer dedicatedtoofferinghard-to-find heirloombulbssuitedtohot heat, drought, andneglect. in yards waslikelyplantedyears agoandhasstoodthetestsoftime, fashion,wherehorticultural anythingstillflowering inthefieldsand scrabble southerntowns inTexas andelsewhere beyond thereach of material forhisstock,Wiesinger spendsalotoftimedrivingtohard- propagate allthebulbsthatSouthern Bulb sells.To find theoriginal world, where heisapopularspeakeratevents throughout thecountry. his plansforthefuture ofhisbusiness. heirloom bulbs,and ofpreserving dening influences,theimportance website at the SouthernBulbCompany, visit its (903) 768-2530. Catalogonlineonly. e-mail [email protected], orcall For more information Freelance writerLindaMcIntyre talkedtoWiesinger abouthisgar- On a22-acre farminGolden, Wiesinger andhistwo-mancrew N NOEWITH ONE ON ONE C www.southernbulbs.com, The New York Times—as well as inthehorticultural … about forgot aboutit. home, putitin theground, andkindof with abeautifulpicture onit.Itookit looked likearock, butitcameinabox at alocalgarden centerinBakersfield. It grade I boughtmyfirstbulbinthefourth Why didyou focusonbulbs? what Iwantedtodo. A&M. It wasnicetoarrive there knowing Yes. Itookmylove ofhorticulture toTexas that you wantedtostudyplants? So you knewbefore you college started

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF WWW.SOUTHERNBULBS.COM tage. But bulb hunting is addictive once you get started. And I’ve been fortunate in that a lot of folks have believed in me and helped us out. I do live in a little cabin now, and we own some of the land we farm on, which we had been leasing from a sweet potato farmer.

What are some of your favorite bulbs? The crinums are gorgeous in summer. I love narcissus, and the Byzantine gladio- lus are amazing—magenta flowers on four-foot-high stalks. Real showstoppers. They’re very different from the modern glads grown for cut flowers. These bloom around Easter and reproduce quickly.

How do you see your business evolving in the future? We will always be an heirloom bulb farm. The heart of our business is about capturing and preserv- ing the gardening heritage of the South—and all gardening heritage, for that matter. We’re starting to expand our offerings beyond bulbs. We’ve commissioned a series of botanical drawings from British artist Ann Swan. We’re Among Southern Bulb’s offerings is also hoping to start importing Narcissus tazetta ‘Grand Primo’, above and fine pottery from the island of top. Each bulb produces clusters of fragrant Jersey in the United Kingdom. blossoms in mid-spring. Byzantine gladiolus Our aim is to provide products (Gladiolus byzantinus), right, blooms on with real beauty that are craft- sturdy stems that do not require staking. ed well and with integrity.

Months later, I happened to be lying on How would you characterize the floor of our house one day when I the relationship of most of looked outside at ground level through the your peers to nature? open front door and noticed that my Undoubtedly, there is a huge “rock” had turned into a beautiful red disconnect between my genera- tulip! It seemed magical. That memory tion and the earth because of the stayed with me when I was working on my influence of popular culture, business plan in college. but I think eventually there will heirlooms and classics. At first I wanted to be a backlash against it. How did you come to specialize in just broker them, but there weren’t any In fact, a lot of people of all ages mind- bulbs for warm climates? sources, so I had to become the source, and lessly waste natural resources such as water, It goes back to that same red tulip. I wait- thus I became a farmer. not realizing their behavior has negative ed for it to come back the next year, but it environmental repercussions. At Southern had rotted away. There’s something fun- You keep a punishing schedule, giving Bulb, we want to help people appreciate damentally wrong with marketing plants talks and hunting for bulbs all over the things—including plants—as they really that won’t survive for many of the people country in addition to maintaining are, without cosmetic enhancement or the who will buy them. I started looking for your plots. Did you realize what you need for extraordinary care.  varieties that would do better in warmer were getting into? climates, thinking it would be a good busi- Not really! I pictured myself owning a plot Linda McIntyre is a freelance writer who ness niche. Most of them turned out to be of land, hoe in hand, living in a little cot- lives in Washington, D.C.

September / October 2007 45 46 seed vault tobettersecure theworld’s agri- Norway, lastMarch, promising a“fail-safe” tional Seed Vault begannearOslo, (SISV) for theSvalbardConstruction Interna- NEW SEEDBANK SECURING THEFUTUREWITHA cally increase growth ofthosetrees.” zone plantedtrees ofnewly candramati- that “clearing awayfrom theroot turfgrass cause. Because ofthis,thereport concludes other plants—appearstobeamore likely leased by the grassesinhibitinggrowth of the reason butallelopathy—chemicals re- bare soilclearlygrew the most. hibiting effect,buttrees withmulchorin species, didnothave asmuchofanin- root weight. Bermudagrass, awarmseason diameterto from trunk fect oneverything seemed tohave thegreatest inhibitingef- bluegrass—both coolseasongrasses— ly onalltrees, tallfescueandKentucky three inchesoforganicmulch. (Cynodon dactylon), bluegrass tall fescue noinensis) cis canadensis) the growth ofyoung easternredbud (Cer- warm-season grasses.Thestudycompared species seemtohave agreater effectthan firmed this,findingthatcool-seasongrass 2007 issueofHortScience woody plantgrowth. ies have shown thatgrasscaninhibit from thetree’s root zone, asseveral stud- away forkeepingturfgrass important in alawn,however, mulch mayalsobe ture around theroots. If atree isplanted moisture, andmoderatingsoiltempera- soil conserving away from thetrunk, reasons, suchaskeepingmower blades Mulching trees forseveral is important TREEGROWTH TRANSPLANTED INHIBIT COOL-SEASON GRASSES Horticultural NewsandResearch ImportanttoAmericanGardeners Resource of competitionmaybe part With appliedequal- waterandfertilizer studypublishedintheAprilA new the American Gardener (Festuca arundinacea), trees whenplantedinplotswith (Poa pratensis), (Carya illi- and pecan(Carya no vegetation, orwith bermudagrass further con- further Kentucky it tonegative 20degrees Celsius,”says the vault andtheentire stonearea around for testing,andmechanicallycooling andtheopeningwillbeused struction ficially openinlatewinter2008. early October ofthisyear, withplanstoof- vault isscheduledforlateSeptember or or naturaldisasters.Completionofthe withstand catastrophes suchasnuclearwar a mountaincliff, theSISVisdesignedto feet above sealevel and394feetdeepinto cultural heritage.Built approximately 426 display attheMarch groundbreaking. The vault’scornerstone, above,wason illustration, isnowbeingbuilt inNorway. The SvalbardSeedVault,shown attopinan GARDENER “The periodbetween theendofcon- “The C ’ NOTEBOOK S other seedbanksfordeposits. also underway, includinganinvitationto developments regarding theSISVare In numerous additiontoconstruction, sources have beendepletedordestroyed. unopened unlessallremaining seed ments, inwhichstored seedswillremain will bestored in“blackbox” arrange- save three millionseedsamples.Allseeds zation co-fundingtheproject. Global Crop Diversity Trust, anorgani- Fowler,Cary executive director ofthe found atwww.croptrust.org. the Global Crop Diversity Trust canbe ever,” sheadds. be usedtomaintaintheSeed Vault for- to buildtheendowment fundthatwill Global Crop Diversity Trust, helpingus “one donatefundstothe cancertainly cility,” advisesFowler. Additionally, theminusingtheSvalbardsupport fa- heirloomvarieties, and with conserving non-profit group ofgardeners involved Savers Exchange (www.seedsavers.org), tion isto“get involved with theSeed seed varieties are collected.Anotherop- (USDA) willhelptoensure sufficient ed States ofAgriculture Department moting theuseofSISVtoUnit- a variety ofmethods.For example,pro- seedvaultnew cancontributethrough The vault willhave thecapacityto More informationonthe SISVand Those interested the insupporting a

TOP: COURTESY OF THE GLOBAL CROP DIVERSITY TRUST; BOTTOM: EVEN BRATBERG / COURTESY OF THE GLOBAL CROP DIVERSITY TRUST judywhite ly fromrecycledredwoodtimberandwasascaleddownver- Kate Frey.Thegardenfeaturedarusticwinerybuiltentire- ed aGoldMedal. gardens tobeaward- was oneofonlyseven den fromCalifornia tainable WineryGar- these, theFetzerSus- show, andamong lights ofthefive-day were oneofthehigh- from aroundtheworld and organizations created bybusinesses outdoor showgardens Gold Medal.The20 garden wonacoveted this yearanAmerican British institution,but quintessentially 1913 andattracts157,000peopleeachyear,maybea London’s ChelseaFlowerShow,whichhasbeenheldsince by GrahamRice NEWS SPECIAL: Sustainability wasthefocusofgarden,designedby An AmericanGardenattheChelseaFlowerShow Garden, includingaplantlist,at tion fromjudgesandvisitorsalike. vided aparticularlyspectaculartapestrythatdrewadmira- planting ideas.Californiawildflowers,growninEngland,pro- wonderfulandprovidedvisitorswithplentyof looked simply Italian cypressesprovidednestsitesforbirds. tering andpurifyingthewater.Drought-tolerantolivetrees courage beneficialinsects,andawetlandareawithplantsfil- appropriate plantingsfordrysoils,afloweringbordertoen- servation andefficiency.Itillustratedthesethemesusing servation, wildlifeconservation,recycling,andenergycon- practices: plantingtherightplantinplace,watercon- ing andtablesweremadefromanoldwinevat. windmill camefromaranchinnorthernCalifornia,theseat- sion oftheoriginalFetzerVineyard’swinery.Thevintage D Publishing, New York, New York,(DK 2006). American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia ofPerennials An award-winning author, Graham Riceiseditor-in-chiefofthe 2007/exhibitors/showgardens/fetzer.asp. You canlearnmoreabouttheFetzerSustainableWinery As wellasgettingthesemessagesacross,thegarden The gardendemonstratedfivekeysustainablegardening September /October2007 www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea/  47 48 broad spectrum pesticides. broad spectrum and parsley—and avoiding theuseof ing plantsthatattractthem—such asdill populations canbeencouraged by grow- also feedonnectarandpollen, lacewing one-and-a-half totwoyears.” to getaproduct onthemarket wouldbe ing iridodial,“the anticipatedtimeframe Chauhan, achemistfrom theARSstudy- Agency registration,” explainsKamal agent requires Environmental Protection pheromonenew blendorbiopestcontrol velop acommercial formula.“Since any other option.Studies tode- are underway weeks, may give growers andgardeners an- cal lure, whichstays active foruptofive tions forbiocontrol purposes,thischemi- popula- tobuilduplocallacewing larvae from severalspecies. lacewing pound attractsbothmalesandfemales lacewing’s pheromone andthatthecom- oil, isidenticalinstructure tothemale iridodial, achemicalextractedfrom catnip Beltsville, have Maryland, discovered that fecting Insectin Behavior Laboratory cultural Research Service’s ChemicalsAf- alluring. Scientistsfrom theUSDAAgri- also findacompoundincatniptobequite aphids, mites,andothergarden pests— insectsthatpreylacewings—beneficial on lines intofitsofrapture, itturnsoutthat While catnip(Nepeta cataria) LACEWINGS LURES COMPOUND CATNIP and femalelacewings. with iridodialthathasattractedbothmale Chemist KamalChauhanchecksatraplaced Until then,sinceadultsofsome species Rather thanhavingtorepeatedly release the American Gardener can sendfe- the UGLYRIPE places onoutsideappearances,sodoes tale callsintoquestionthevalue society Just astheclassicBeauty andtheBeast GOODLOOKS OVERCOMES GOOD TASTE form winterFlorida tomatoesbred forease tobefarsuperiorthemoreported uni- more thanmadeupforby itstaste,pur- of fans,whattheUglyRipe lacksinlooksis Procacci, nottomentionagrowing legion tomatoes are onlytantalizingmemories. ripened homegrown orlocally grown exactly thetimeofyear whensun- store nearyou duringthewintermonths, ly keptitfrom appearinginagrocery natural bulgesanduneven coloringnear- thistomato’sun-picture-perfect fruit, This September, New HostforTheVictoryGarden PLACESintheNEWS PEOPLE and of LadyBird,visit erty HydeBaileyAwardin1993.Formoreinformationaboutthelifeandwork efforts, includingtheAHS’sNationalAchievementAwardin1984andLib- always guideus.” Wewillmisshereveryday,butvision ration, andafrequentvisitor. rector SusanRieff,“Mrs.Johnsonwasaconstantpresence,sourceofinspi- lor onDec.22,1912,inKarnack,Texas,shemarriedLyndonBainesJohnson Lady BirdJohnsonpassedawayinJulyattheageof94.BornClaudiaAltaTay- Lady BirdJohnson’sLegacyofPlantConservationandBeautification on PBSwithanewhost,JamieDurie,whohailsfromAustralia.Thefifthhost According to the tomato’s creator, Joe Lady Birdreceivednumerousawardsforherconservationandbeautification ® tomato. Adecidedly The Victory Garden Victory The www.ladybirdjohnsontribute.com “To everyoneattheWildflowerCenter,”saysExecutiveDi- flower Center,topreservenativeplantsandlandscapes. Austin, whichlaterbecametheLadyBirdJohnsonWild- founded theNationalWildflowerResearchCenternear ronmental issuesanationalpriority. also usedherinfluencetomakeconservationandenvi- Washington, D.C.aswellalongAmerica’shighways.She 1969, LadyBirdchampionedbeautificationeffortsin in 1934.DuringheryearsasFirstLadyfrom1963to pbs.org/victorygarden. turning totheshow.Formoreinformation,visit Epsom, andlifestyleco-hostSissyBiggersallwillbere- conserve water. ample focusingonrainwatercollectionandotherwaysto segments oftheshowwillreflectthisgreenbent,forex- a stronginterestinenvironmentalstewardship.Upcoming winning gardendesigner,author,andTVpersonalitywith of theshowsinceitdebutedin1975,Durieisanaward- On her70thbirthday,sheandactressHelenHayes Gardener KipAnderson,gardeningcorrespondentPaul television programbeginsits32ndseason An UglyRipetomatoreadyformarket developed from theFrench heirloombeef- vor. Nevertheless, UglyRipes, which were of shippingandappearancerather thanfla- . 

LEFT: COURTESY OF USDA-ARS; CENTER TOP: ANN JOHANNSEN / COURTESY OF WGBH; CENTER BOTTOM: FRANK WOLFE / COURTESY OF LBJ LIBRARY; RIGHT: COURTESY OF SANTA SWEETS COURTESY OF HMC INTERNATIONAL taste buds—ofthebeholder. minds whetherbeautyisintheeye—or canmakeuptheirownand homelyfruits ing tobuythehigh-priced,hand-picked, tomato” inJanuary strikes,shopperswill- craving fora“tomato thattasteslikea than justduringthesummer. So whenthe available year round nationwide,rather UglyRipescause ofthisruling, willnow be from thegradingstandards forshape.Be- ment ofAgriculture exempted UglyRipes sure from consumers,theU.S.Depart- Pennsylvania. Sales CorporationbasedinPhiladelphia, Sweets, ofProcacci asubsidiary Brothers where theyare exclusively grown by Santa be shippedoutsideoftheSunshine State October toJune, thesetomatoescouldnot Tomato Committee.Thismeantthatfrom size, shape,andcolorsetby theFlorida 1999, failedtomeetgradingstandards for steak ‘Marmande’ andfirstintroduced in tainerized planttrialingorganization For nearlytwodecades,FloraStar, acon- FAREWELL FLORASTAR TO Then lastJanuary, responding topres- “In this richly illustrated biography, illustrated “In thisrichly Favretti—the and elevates him to his rightful placealongside and elevateshimtohisrightful dean of American landscape history—rescues dean of landscapehistory—rescues American www.wesleyan.edu/wespress Jacob Weidenmann Weidenmann fromtheshadows ofhistory Save 20%whenyou use discountcode W300 —Scott Kunst, OldHouse Gardens— Olmsted asoneof America’s foremost Pioneer Landscape Heirloom Bulbs,Ann Heirloom Bulbs,Ann Arbor, Michigan A Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation publication A CedarHillCemetery by RudyJ. 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Yourskinshouldbesoftertomorrow. “Elsie’s beautysecret.” DAIRY ASSOCIATION CO.,INC. “Works wonders.” earned Flo- plants have A totalof53 suppliers. try green indus- flamboyant birds againthisfall. plans tobeginmakingandsellingthese signer Don Featherstone in1957and rights andoriginalmoldscreated by de- turer inRome, New York, boughtthe tional, LLC, acustomplasticmanufac- Then earlierthisyear, HMCInterna- end oftheiconicgarden ornament. ness lastJune, itappeared tospellthe figures bearFeatherstone’s signature and are soldinasetoftwobirds—one standing straightandtheotherwith neck lowered asifabouttofeed. Written byEditor Assistant Viveka N Capstack. –Denve eveln andEditorial Intern Courtney collectors know, theoriginal HMC International, toldthe Associated Press, “none that Featherstone flamingos.As I’ve seenholdacandletothe –Glamour quality anddetail” ofthe September /October2007 of imitationsonthemar- head offamily-owned ket, J.C.Waszkiewicz III, r r r While there’s noshortage Post 49 50 by RitaPelczar Deterring DeerfromtheGarden plants thatyou grow are toforagingdeer. tive foodsources, and how attractive the undeveloped areas, presence ofalterna- ing overall deerpopulation,proximity to garden dependsonmanyfactors,includ- sessment isechoednationwide. landscapes.Thisas- both urbanandrural damage isthenumberonecomplaintin ginia’s Division ofNatural Resources, deer Accordingeastern Maryland. toWest Vir- common sightinmyneighborhood ties across thecountry, deerhave becomea terms,thatlunchtimewasover.uncertain my front porch and notifiedthem,inno gazes toward myhydrangea. Istrode outto azaleas andhostas,castinginterested minute. Theywere nibblingawayatmy by wasmom—alovely doe.But justa front door. It wasbeautiful,andthere, near- enough, properly installed andanchored to and landscaping, provided itishigh ods ofreducing deerdamagetogardens “Fencing isoneofthemosteffective meth- FENCING WORKS Maryland. inDerwood, Service CountyCooperative Extension gomery says Doug Tregoning, director ofMont- “You’ve gottokeep mixingthingsup,” deterrents that once proved effective. ignore scents,flavors, sounds,andother habit, cangetusedtoandeventually may placement—deer, beingcreatures of as periodicshiftsintheirapplicationor methods tocompoundtheireffect,aswell most effective strategiescombineseveral ing plantsthatdeerfindunpalatable.The ing repellents andscare tactics,and grow- dens includeinstallingbarriers,employ- Options forkeepingdeeroutofyour gar- STRATEGIES GARDEN-PROTECTING A The extentofdeerbrowsing inyour As inmanyothersuburbancommuni- the American Gardener FEW WEEKSAGO, fawn nomore thansixfeetfrom the my front window andspotteda I lookedout ideal deerfood, withtheyews ing land.“Yew Dell happens tooffer adjoins several acres ofprimedeerfeed- Dell Gardens inCrestwood, Kentucky, sands ofdollarsdamageeach year. Yew browsing result inthou- canotherwise ical gardens, where unrestricted deer term solutiontodeerinvasions. initially, aneffective fenceprovides along- And althoughitmaybemore expensive Wildlifethe Maryland &Heritage Service. George Timko, urbandeerbiologistwith the ground, andproperly maintained,”says White-tailed deerarecommonvisitorstogardensineasternNorth America. Fences are employed by manybotan- RE GARAGE GREEN C ® (Taxus proved inadequate,however, when director Gregory J.Lee. The fence fence tokeepdeerout,”says executive garden erected“The aneightfoothigh rounded by forests thatare fullofdeer. foothills oftheWasatch Mountains, sur- Salt LakeCity, Utah, islocated inthe put updeerfencing,”saysFischer. onlymethodthatworks here isto “The area tocover, repellents are impractical. er. With somanyplantsandsuchalarge cies,” saysgarden manager Joanne Fisch- spp.) beingoneoftheirfavorite delica- Red Butte Garden andArboretum in

JESSE ACHTENBERG / COURTESY OF US.FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE WORLD’S #1 TOP PLANT SUPPLY

PLANT #1HEALTH EXTRA LIFE Greatest Guarantee-Offer PROOF Ever 65YEARS, $5,000. GUARANTEED to be Worldunchallenged, CHAMPION #1 Activator, #1 Trans/ #1 Extra #1 REVIVER, PLANTER, GROWER, WORLD’S FAIR SCIENCE-MEDAL-WINNING #1 Perfecter VI TMs 50 IN ONE VITAMINS-HORMONES USED BY U.S. –– FERTILIZER GUARANTEED Departments of –– PESTICIDE –– POLLUTING BioUSABLES As Advertised in AGRICULTURE, ARMY, NON TM Better Homes & Gardens NAVY, AIR. Etc. TO ADD TO FERTILIZING for growing Landscape Architecture ALSO BY STATES, Horticulture CITIES, COUNTIES, DOUBLE MONEY-BACK UNIVERSITIES RECOMMENDED TOP VALUE BY EXPERTS OF TV, RADIO, BOOKS, EXTREME Concentration Virtually Invisible Deer Fence, above left, deters deer when installed around a garden. Deer-X MAGAZINES, Drop-A-CupTM or CONFERENCES Dozens Drop-A-GalTM OF THE netting is a mesh for protecting individual plants. (See page 52 for product sources.) WORLD’S SCIENCE & INDUSTRY ONLY GOLD MEDAL WORLD’S FAIR 1940 science REPELLENTS ADD to any fertilizingTM snowpack provided deer a boost on up- • 50 INSTANT BioUSABLES NORMAL PURE COMPLEXES • From Carbon-Hydrogen-Oxygen MIRACLES slope hillsides. “We raised the fences to The Maryland Cooperative Extension natural organic crystals • Save plants from waiting while IN EACH trying to make them • Unique. Nothing is “like” it. DROP! 12 feet, and now have very few deer Service recently conducted a three-year SEE TO BELIEVE–– HEALTHIER, FASTER plants problems,” says Lee. study on the effectiveness of several deer BEAUTY and CROP yieldADDED TO 21 FERTILIZERS by 21 Growers YOU CAN To be effective, fencing must either be repellents to prevent deer browsing dam- ORDER PINT, QUART, sufficiently high to keep deer from jump- age. Among their conclusions they found GALLON, Billions–PROVEN ing over it, or confuse or shock deer into that “commercial deer repellents had a sig- or DRUM B A L A N C E D ORIGINAL ADDED TO 18 FERTILIZERS, by 18 Growers avoiding the barrier. Many municipali- nificant effect on reducing deer browse on ties have restrictions on the type or ornamental plants. Even at sites with the height of fencing that can be erected, al- highest deer pressure, repellents held dam- though as deer populations increase, age in check for six to eight weeks, in these restrictions may be revised. many cases.” NEARLY 1000 BOOKS, CONFERENCES, “Our deer management program There are a number of products mar- RECOMMENDED BY MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS,TVs, RADIOS USED BY worked through the Montgomery Coun- keted to repel deer, either by taste, odor, FIVE U.S. DEPARTMENTS TO HELP WIN WORLD WAR II ty [Maryland] Council a couple years ago or a combination of the two. “I tend to OF GOVERNMENTS, STATE UNIVERSITIES, LEADING THOUSANDS ARBORETUMS, BOTANICAL GARDENS, PARKS SYSTEMS to amend the county code so that eight like odor based repellents better,” says U.S. STATES and CITIES IN MULTIPLE-DRUMS LOTS FLOWERING PLANTS SHOW WINNERS – “everywhere” foot high, plastic mesh deer fencing can be Tregoning, because taste repellents only HEALTHY, TOXICS-FREE FOODS GROWERS UNIQUE. Far easier plant success used in any side or backyard in the county work after a deer has sampled the plant. as long as more local restrictions don’t “If you have 10 deer taking a chunk out apply,” says Robert Gibbs, natural resource of a plant, you can get pretty significant manager for the Maryland-National Cap- browsing damage before they decide they ital Park and Planning Commission. don’t like the taste,” he says. For contin- Non-electric deer fences should be a ued success he suggests switching repel- minimum of eight feet tall, but since deer lack good depth perception, they can be tricked into thinking a fence is higher by hanging reflective tape from wires that project from the top of the fence. Fences can be constructed of wood, wire, plastic 11 XMAS TREES 17 HYDROSEEDING 22 FLOWERING PLANT 12 REFORESTATION 18 LANDSCAPING COMPETITIONS mesh, or a combination of these materi- 13 HYDROPONICS 19 PROPAGATION 23 INTERIORSCAPING 14 FIELD CROPS 20 ANTI-EROSION 24 CUT FLOWERS 15 BONSAI 21 ENVIRONMENTAL 25 WEATHER DAMAGE als. Several companies sell deer fencing 16 TISSUE CULTURE IMPROVEMENT 26 WATER GARDENS kits, including electric fences (see AT CONSCIENTIOUS PLANT DEALERS WORLDWIDE “Sources for Deer Deterrents,” page 52). Used, tipped to, and supplied by thousands of conscientious Electric deer fences are effective and plant-selling firms. On every continent, without salesmen. relatively inexpensive for use in rural REFUSE “just as good,” false, cheaply made, unbalancing substitutes – often 991/2% water. areas, but they may not be appropriate in NOTHING IS AT ALL “LIKE” suburban landscapes where children and 50 VITAMINS-HORMONES pets may come in contact with them; be V Made in U.S.A. by VITAMIN INSTITUTE I sure to check local ordinances before in- Liquid repellents are sprayed directly on plants 12610 Saticoy Street South, North Hollywood, CA 91605 stalling one. to make them unpalatable or malodorous. Website www.superthrive.com

September / October 2007 51 lents periodically, using those with dif- to 30 days of protection. This past spring, a barking dog. DeerChaser is a motion de- ferent active ingredients, before deer Bowers notes, “deer ate only 12 out of tecting device that triggers both a radio learn to ignore any one odor or taste. 1,800 tulips in the beds.” and a spotlight. Scarecrow Deer and Ani- Several other factors influence the ef- mal Repeller emits a spray of water when fectiveness of repellents in your yard. If you NATURALLY DISTASTEFUL PLANTS motion is sensed, an effective way to deter use a repellent and your neighbor does not, Another important factor that affects the deer browsing during the growing season deer are likely to prefer his plants to yours. level of browsing damage in your yard is or in areas that don’t experience freezing However, if your whole neighborhood uses the plants that you grow. A number of repellents, deer will often put up with the plants have been identified as unpalatable bad odor or off-flavor, simply because they to—or at least, not favorites of deer. (For a are hungry and there are fewer alternatives. list of “Plants that Deer Don’t Like,” go to And as deer populations rise and feeding www.ahs.org for a web special linked to the pressure increases, they are less particular online version of this article.) If there are about what they eat. options, deer will eat something else. But During the growing season, more fre- like all other deer deterring factors, plant quent applications of repellents are neces- selection is a relative matter. If the deer pop- sary to protect new, emerging growth than ulation is large and the deer are hungry during the dormant season. Peggy Bow- enough, they will eat almost anything. ers, horticulturist at the American Horti- cultural Society’s River Farm headquarters A VARIETY OF SCARE TACTICS in Alexandria, Virginia, has had very good In many residential areas deer have grown luck protecting tulips and pansies for the more accustomed to humans, but there past two years with Liquid Fence, a taste are non-lethal options that work to scare The ScareCrow uses a motion detector to and odor repellent. “We spray Liquid them off. Leaving a radio on at night may trigger a strong stream of water to frighten Fence once, and repeat it after seven days,” help. Motion detecting devices can be em- away deer and other animals. explains Bowers, who says this provides 25 ployed to activate lights or loud noises like temperatures; the potential for a frozen waterline limits its use in cold weather. Or you can go for the real thing. A big Sources for Deer Deterrents dog that likes to chase deer is the most ef- The following are just a few of the many commercially available products aimed at re- fective scare tactic I know. When my ducing the likelihood of deer browsing in your landscape. Experts suggest switching trusty Airedale went to spend the sum- from one deterrent to another to keep deer off balance and out of your garden. mer with my son, the deer quickly lost their inhibitions of roaming the yard. Barriers While my dog was in residence, howev- Baited electric deer fence. (888) 422-3337. www.mastergardening.com. er, the area within his invisible dog fence Benner’s Deer Fencing. (800) BIG-DEER. www.bennersgardens.com. was fairly well protected. Deer-X Netting. (865) 966-3256. www.gardeneer.com. Virtually Invisible Deer Fence. (888) 422-3339. www.deerbusters.com. THE UNDERLYING ISSUE As we struggle to protect our individual Repellents gardens from deer’s natural feeding habits, Bobbex. (800) 792-4449. www.bobbex.com. it is important to recognize that as we con- Deer Away. (877) 356-7333. www.treehelp.com. tinue to encroach on their habitats, our en- Deerbusters. (800) 248-3337. www.deerbusters.com. counters with wildlife—both positive and Deer Out. (908) 769-4242. www.deerout.com. negative—are likely to increase. Deer do Deer Stopper. (888) 411-3337. www.messinawildlife.com. not set out to ruin our landscapes; they Liquid Fence. (888) 923-3623. www.liquidfence.com. simply must eat to survive. And as the Plantskydd. (800) 252-6051. www.plantskydd.com. forested and open spaces where they natu- Shake Away. (800) 517-9207. www.shake-away.com. rally browse are fragmented and lost to de- St. Gabriel Deer Repellent. (800) 801-0061. www.milkyspore.com. velopment, we must expect some level of Repellex. (877)737-3548. www.repellex.com. browsing in our yards. Many communities are exploring options such as controlled Mechanical and Electronic Products hunts and sterilization programs to reduce Scarecrow Deer and Animal Repeller. (800) 767-8658. www.scatmat.com. deer populations.  Deer Chaser. (260) 589-3384. www.gardenharvestsupply.com. Rita Pelczar is a contributing editor for The American Gardener.

52 the American Gardener

BOOKC REVIEWS

Recommendations for Your Gardening Library

Encyclopedia of Garden Ferns Grow Organic Sue Olsen. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2007. 444 pages. Pub- Doug Oster and Jessica Walliser. St. Lynn’s Press, Pittsburgh, Penn- lisher’s price, hardcover: $59.95. sylvania, 2007. 224 pages. Publisher’s price, softcover: $18.95.

FERNS ARE THE consummate shade plants, but many gar- The Elements of Organic Gardening deners still believe “if you have seen one, you have seen them HRH The Prince of Wales with Stephanie Donaldson. Kales Press, Carls- all.” Though these ancient and capti- bad, California, 2007. 176 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $39.95. vating plants are but variations on a theme, the variation is beguiling and AT FIRST GLANCE, the two books couldn’t be more different. seemingly limitless. Nowhere is this Grow Organic is a hard working paperback, printed on recycled made more apparent than in Encyclo- paper, with charts, sidebars, and plen- pedia of Garden Ferns. ty of subheads that organize informa- With concise yet descriptive prose tion into manageable chunks; The and more than 700 color pho- Elements of Organic Gardening is a tographs, fern maven Sue Olsen es- glamorous hardcover book laced with tablishes just how variable and photographs of Prince Charles and the exquisitely beautiful ferns are. Olsen Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla) in the ranks among America’s most respected fern experts; in addition gardens at Highgrove in Gloucester- to her many years of experience as a gardener, she is the owner shire, Clarence House in London, and of Foliage Gardens fern nursery in Bellevue, Washington. Her Birkhall in Scotland. However, once in-depth understanding of all aspects of fern identification and you start reading them, the books are cultivation becomes evident in this essential reference. surprisingly similar in their essence. Olsen opens with a gallery of provocative fern portraits taken Both are based on personal experience, and both provide vital in- through the seasons. Brief introductory chapters cover history, formation on how to manage a garden organically. cultivation, and propagation in ample detail. The bulk of the Additionally, the authors of both books are eminently quali- book is devoted to encyclopedic profiles of nearly 1,000 fied to stand as experts. As well as writing garden columns, au- species—true ferns as well as fern allies such as Selaginella thoring books, and lecturing to (spikemosses), Lycopodium (clubmosses), and Equisetum (horse- garden clubs across the country, Oster tails). Though several garden-worthy tropical ferns are profiled, and Walliser co-host a weekly radio the book primarily addresses temperate species. program called “The Organic Gar- Each entry highlights botanical and common names, ety- deners” in Pittsburgh. Prince Charles mology of the specific epithet, whether the fronds are decidu- has been a major force in making or- ous or evergreen, height, and hardiness zones. The ganic farming mainstream in Britain, nomenclature is up-to-date—no small feat in a field where and his estate at Highgrove is a well- names change as quickly as the weather. Entry text includes a known flagship for the organic move- full description of rhizome, frond, and sori; range and habitat; ment. His co-author Stephanie and culture, which covers garden conditions and anecdotal Donaldson, a devoted organic gar- comments based on the author’s experience with each species. dener for more than 30 years, has written 19 gardening books and The majority of the photographs are sharp and diagnostic. Use- serves as gardening editor of the British Country Living magazine. ful appendices include lists of award-winning ferns, favorite In Grow Organic, the authors cover the basic principles, ex- ferns by hardiness zone, and ferns for special situations, as well plaining everything from soil management to strategies for con- as societies, gardens, and nurseries devoted to these plants. trolling pests and diseases. They also share personal anecdotes This encyclopedia is an indispensable addition to the book- and lessons they have learned in their years of gardening or- shelf of every gardener, from the obsessed pteridophile to neo- ganically. The writing style is lively and the information is clear- phytes with a new-found fancy for fronds. ly presented and comprehensive. The chapter on growing an organic lawn is particularly valu- C. Colston Burrell is a fanatical frondsman, garden designer, and co- able for homeowners who think organic gardening applies to ed- author of Hellebores: A Comprehensive Guide (Timber Press, 2006). ibles and ornamentals only. Other features include a handy

54 the American Gardener glossary and a “source list for all things organic” with companies and organizations that the authors trust for reliable organic gar- F YOU’VE EVER experienced the frustration of prying a stub- dening information and products referenced in the text. Iborn dandelion from the ground, only to have five more pop Both Prince Charles and Donaldson are passionate about or- up in its place, you might want to read The Teeth of the Lion: ganic gardening, and it shows throughout the pages of The El- The Story of the Beloved and Despised ements of Organic Gardening. Regarding soil, Donaldson writes, Dandelion (McDonald & Woodward Pub- “To organic farmers and gardeners, the soil is not merely a con- lishing Co., 2006, $14.95). Anita venient medium in which to grow plants, but the very stuff of Sanchez, a senior environmental educator life itself.” at the New York Department of Environ- The book combines a tour of garden properties belonging to mental Conservation’s Five Rivers Envi- Prince Charles with a description of how they are managed or- ronmental Education Center, will give you ganically. An explanation of the science behind the techniques is new appreciation for one of America’s followed by suggestions for how a homeowner can scale down the most popular and pervasive weeds. estate procedures to suit a more typical suburban landscape. For “No other plant in the world has been example, a small tractor is used weekly to turn the compost heaps linked with such a wildly diverse assortment of cultures and at Highgrove, so the book suggests homeowners consider pur- times,” Sanchez writes. She takes an in-depth look at the chasing a rotating compost bin designed for small gardens. humble dandelion’s biology, nutritional content, and its es- Both are excellent books with plenty of sound, practical in- tablishment in America, and even includes a few recipes for formation. Grow Organic is an ideal reference book and easy- cooking with dandelion. Readers may be surprised to learn to-understand guide on organic gardening. For those with a that at one time the dandelion had a favorable reputation. desire to get an insider’s view of Prince Charles’s properties as Sanchez tells the compelling story of how in less than 400 well as to learn about the science and practice of organic hus- years, the plant evolved from a valued crop and garden orna- bandry on both an estate and in a home garden, The Elements mental to despised weed. For gardeners who don’t appreciate of Organic Gardening won’t disappoint.  the dandelion, Sanchez concludes with tips on how to eradi- cate it from the garden. A resident of Charlottesville, Virginia, Catriona Tudor Erler is the —Courtney Capstack, Editorial Intern author of eight garden books, and has contributed to many more. PHOTO BY ANNE C. ALLEN FROM 2008 GARDENER’S CALENDAR

2008 “Gardener’s” Calendar There are 13 prize-winning colors taken by TGOA/MGCA members, including AHS members who are also members of TGOA/MGCA $6.95 ($59.00 for 10) Postpaid To order: call 515-278-0295 or e-mail [email protected] The Gardeners of America/ Men’s Garden Clubs of America Box 241, Johnston, Iowa 50121-0241 (515) 278-0295 www.tgoa-mgca.org

September / October 2007 55 GARDENERC’S BOOKS

Do-It-Yourself Garden Project Guides

F YOU HAVE made something with your own hands, you constructing a patio and installing a deer know that little can top that sense of accomplishment. At least, fence. As a “hands-on gardener with a Ithat’s how I felt when, as a teenager, I knitted and proudly healthy disregard for fancy tools, an wore my first scarf. I get that same feeling whenever I manage to aversion to overspending, and no time successfully pull off a complicated recipe—even better if I’ve to recover from extreme exhaustion,” thrown in some of my own modifications. And needless to say, I Whiteside realistically describes the derive a lot of satisfaction from gardening since there are ample scope of each project and provides easy- opportunities for getting creative, whether you are building a to-follow instructions. Each project in- pond, laying out paths, designing a potager, or even constructing cludes a bulleted list of needed tools and a whole greenhouse. For gardeners with a “do-it-yourself” urge, materials as well as droll watercolor il- here are several books that will give you ideas and help guide you lustrations and instructional line drawings. through the process of implementing them. For those who enjoy breaking out the power tools and an Down & Dirty by Ellen Zachos (Storey Publishing, 2007, occasional bag of quick-set concrete, there’s Grounds for Im- $19.95) describes more than 40 “fun and funky” projects and provement (Lark Books, 2007, $17.95). Written by Dean Hill activities designed for novice gardeners, including children. and Jackie Taylor, hosts of a DIY Network show by the same One of the more imaginative pro- name, the book offers 40 hardscap- jects is making a “dinosaur garden” ing projects that will “help you make with ferns, mosses, and cycads for your dreams and ideas for your out- kids to “populate the land that time door living spaces come true.” So if forgot with an army of T-rexes, ve- you have been dreaming of building lociraptors, and pterosaurs.” The patios, decks, water features, walk- book also includes more grown-up ways, walls, or even a putting green, activities such as some garden photo- the concise instructions, step-by-step graphy basics, and instructions for color photographs, and schematics building a containerized water gar- provided in this book will walk you den and using cold frames. Many large color photographs help through each project. Useful tips on to illustrate steps and plants the book describes. everything from operating a jackhammer to preventing warp- I particularly enjoy projects that recycle materials into some- ing of deck planks are sprinkled throughout the chapters, fol- thing completely different than their original purpose—several of lowed by an appendix of very basic planting tips for flowers, which appear in Easy Garden Projects to Make, Build, and trees, and shrubs, and a handy metric conversion table. Grow (Yankee Books, 2006, $17.95), If you’ve ever contemplated adding a greenhouse to your prop- edited by Barbara Pleasant and the ed- erty but didn’t know where to start, How to Build Your Own itors of Yankee Magazine. For example, Greenhouse by Roger Marshall (Storey one suggestion uses wooden pallets Publishing, 2006, $24.95) will point that are “usually free for the asking at you in the right direction. Pausing for lumberyards or home improvement a quick look at historical glasshouses, stores” to make a sturdy compost bin. the book jumps right into an overview A sidebar explains how to make a of various options available today. compost aerator out of a coat hanger “Only by considering every aspect of and a broom handle. Along with pro- owning a greenhouse,” Marshall writes, jects that employ household items or readily available supplies, “can you determine what type and the book also has a chapter on growing plants that can be used as structural style it should be, as well as resources, such as bamboo for trellises and fencing or gourds for what glazing material to use and birdhouses and craft projects. whether the greenhouse should have heating, plumbing, supple- The Way We Garden Now (Clarkson Potter, 2007, $29.95) by mental lighting, and misting or automatic venting systems.” Sub- Katherine Whiteside contains 41 practical projects that “any or- sequent chapters demystify each of these elements, followed by a dinary person with normal skill levels” can tackle. The projects section with plans “geared for handy, do-it-yourself gardeners” or range from simple, such as creating a compost pile and adding that can serve as models for a contractor.  garden elements to attract birds, to more involved ones such as —Viveka Neveln, Assistant Editor

56 the American Gardener

REGIONALC HAPPENINGS

Horticultural Events from Around the Country

OCT. 8–10. North Carolina Master Gardener NORTHEAST Events sponsored by or including official Conference. NC State University. Raleigh, CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT participation by AHS or AHS staff members North Carolina. (919) 515-5378. SEPT. 20. Fall Plant Sale. Enid A. Haupt are identified with the AHS symbol. www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/ Glass Gardens, Rusk Institute of Rehabilita- masgar/conference.html. tion Medicine. New York, New York. Events hosted by botanical gardens and (212) 263-6058. www.med.nyu.edu/ arboreta that participate in AHS’s Reciprocal OCT. 13. Native Medicinal Plants rusk/glassgardens. Admissions Program are identified with the Conference. Planting the Future. Flat RAP symbol. Current AHS members showing a Rock, North Carolina. (802) 476-6467. RAP SEPT. 26. Gardening Successfully. www.unitedplantsavers.org. valid membership card are eligible for free or Lecture. Planting Fields Arboretum. discounted admission to the garden or other Oyster Bay, New York. (516) 922-9200. RAP OCT. 13 & 14. Annual Carolina www.plantingfields.org. benefits. Special events may not be included; Bonsai Expo. North Carolina Arboretum. contact the host site for details or visit Asheville, North Carolina. (828) 665-2492. OCT. 10–12. Green Summit 2007. ww.ahs.org/events/reciprocal_events.htm. www.ncarboretum.org. New England Nursery Association Inc. Lenox, Massachusetts. (508) 653-3112. OCT. 19–21. Charleston Green: Charleston www.nensyassn.org. ticulture show. The Penn State Horticulture Garden Festival. Charleston Horticultural Club. University Park, Pennsylvania. (717) Society. The Middleton Place Foundation. RAP OCT. 13. Terrariums: Miniature Land- 649-5998. www.psu.edu/horticultureclub. Charleston, South Carolina. www.charleston scapes. Workshop. Blithewold Mansion, Gar- gardenfestival.org. dens, and Arboretum. Bristol, Rhode Island. RAP OCT. 10. DCH Annual Meeting and (401) 253-2707. www.blithewold.org. Hansen Lecture. Delaware Center for Horti- RAP OCT. 27. The Haunted Gardens. culture. Wilmington, Delaware. (302) 658- Georgia Golf Hall of Fame & Botanical Gar- OCT. 14. Fall Family Festival at Garden 6262. www.dehort.org. dens. Augusta, Georgia. (885) 874-4443. in the Woods. New England Wild Flower www.gghf.org. Society. Framingham, Massachusetts. RAP OCT. 13 & 14. Arbor Fest. Harvest festi- (508) 877-7630. www.newfs.org. val and plant sale. State Arboretum of Vir- Looking ahead ginia. Boyce, Virginia. (540) 837-1758. RAP NOV. 3. Herb Symposium. Atlanta RAP OCT. 20–NOV. 18. The Art of the Japan- www.virginia.edu/blandy. Botanical Garden. Atlanta, Georgia. (404) ese Chrysanthemum. New York Botanical 876-5859. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org. Garden. Bronx, New York. (718) 817-8700. OCT. 20. Reblooming Iris Show. Meadowlark www.nybg.org. Park Botanical Gardens. Vienna, Virginia. NORTH CENTRAL (703) 255-3631. www.nvrpa.org. IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI MID-ATLANTIC Looking ahead AHS SEPT. 27–29. America in Bloom PA, NJ, VA, MD, DE, WV, DC NOV. 8. Getting Green: Sustainable Energy Symposium and Awards Banquet. Rockford, SEPT. 20–22. Fashion in Bloom. Garden cen- Use for the Green Industry. Conference. Illinois. (614) 487-1117. www.america ter exhibition. Garden Centers of America. Maryland Greenhouse Growers Association. inbloom.org. Jennersville, Pennsylvania and David- University of Maryland Cooperative Exten- sonville, Maryland. (888) 648-6463. sion. Timonium, Maryland. www.mdgga.org. SEPT. 29. 100 Trees for 100 Years: Tree www.fashioninbloom.com. Planting Event and Festivities. Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden. Minneapolis, Minnesota. SOUTHEAST SEPT. 24. Green Roofs. Guided tour. Scott (612) 370-4903. www.minneapolisparks.org AL, FL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN Arboretum of Swarthmore College. Swarth- more, Pennsylvania. (610) 328-8023. RAP SEPT. 19. Fall Back Into Your Garden. SEPT. 29 & 30. Barberton Annual Mum Fest. www.scottarboretum.org. Lecture. Aldridge Gardens. Hoover, Alabama. Lake Anna Park. Barberton, Ohio. (205) 682-8019. www.aldridgegardens.com. (330) 848-6653. www.cityofbarberton.com. SEPT. 28–30. Dahlia Show. National Capital Dahlia Society. Brookside Gardens. AHS OCT. 4 & 5. AHS Garden School: The RAP OCT. 4–7. Introduction to Horticultural Wheaton, Maryland. (301) 962-1400. Amazing World of Plants. Yew Dell Gardens, Therapy. Workshop. Horticultural Therapy www.brooksidegardens.org. Crestwood, Kentucky. (800) 777-7931. Institute. The Holden Arboretum. Kirtland, www.ahs.org. Ohio. (303) 388-0500. www.htinstitute.org. SEPT. 29. Mum Festival and Plant Sale. Laurel- wood Arboretum. Wayne, New Jersey. (973) RAP OCT. 5 & 6. Fall Plant Sale. Memphis OCT. 6. The Artful Garden. Symposium. 835-5683. www.laurelwoodarboretum.org. Botanic Garden. Memphis, Tennessee. Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corner, (901) 576-4100. www.memphisbotanic Wisconsin. (414) 525-5675. www.boerner OCT. 6 & 7. Hiking Through Horticulture. Hor- garden.com. botanicalgardens.org.

58 the American Gardener OCT. 6 & 7. Iowa Bonsai Association Annual RAP OCT. 20. Cacti and Succulent Sale. Plant Sale. Red Butte Garden. Fall Show. Reiman Gardens. Ames, Iowa. Tulsa Garden Center. Tulsa, Oklahoma. (918) Salt Lake City, Utah. (801) 581-4747. (515) 294-2710. www.reimangardens. 746-5125. www.tulsagardencenter.com. www.redbuttegarden.org. iastate.edu. OCT. 20 & 21. Fall Garden Show. City Park of RAP OCT. 20. Vegetable Gardening Through RAP OCT. 13 & 14. Orchid Show and Sale. New Orleans. New Orleans, Louisiana. (504) the Seasons—A Comprehensive Approach. Illinois Orchid Society. Chicago Botanic Gar- 838-1170. www.neworleanscitypark.com. Workshop. Desert Botanical Garden. den. Glencoe, Illinois. (847) 835-5440. Phoenix, Arizona. (480) 941-1225. www.chicagobotanic.org. RAP OCT. 21. BOOtanica. Halloween festi- www.dbg.org. val. San Antonio Botanical Garden. San Anto- RAP OCT. 21. Pumpkin Walk at Twilight. Fel- nio, Texas. (210) 207-3250. www.sabot.org. RAP OCT. 26 & 27. Garden of Goodies. lows Riverside Gardens. Youngstown, Ohio. Trick-or-treat festival. The Hudson Gardens (330) 740-7116. www.millcreekparks.com. RAP OCT. 27 & 28. Fall Festival in the & Event Center. Littleton, Colorado. (303) Japanese Garden. Fort Worth Botanic Gar- 797-8565. www.hudsongardens.org. den. Fort Worth, Texas. (817) 871-7686. SOUTH CENTRAL www.fwbg.org. AR, KS, LA, MO, MS, OK, TX WEST COAST CA, NV, HI SEPT. 27 & 28. ONLA/OGGA ‘Oklahoma Ris- SOUTHWEST ing’ Convention & Trade Show. Oklahoma RAP SEPT. 22. Transforming the American AZ, NM, CO, UT Horticultural Society. Oklahoma City, Okla- Lawn. Lecture. Descanso Gardens. La Caña- homa. (405) 942-5276. www.okhort.org. RAP SEPT. 22. Fall Plant and Bulb Sale. da Flintridge, California. (818) 949-4200. Denver Botanic Gardens. Denver, Colorado. www.descansogardens.org. SEPT. 28–OCT. 2. Garden Writers Association (720) 865-3500. www.botanicgardens.org. Symposium. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. SEPT. 26–28. Calscape Expo. Plant Industry (703) 257-1032. www.gardenwriters.org. SEPT. 29. Fall Plant Sale. Tucson Botanical Alliance. Las Vegas, Nevada. (704) 462- Gardens. Tuscon, Arizona. (520) 326-9686. 2276. www.piagrows.org. RAP SEPT. 29 & 30. Fall Plant Sale. Powell www.tucsonbotanical.org. Gardens. Kingsville, Missouri. RAP SEPT. 29 & 30. Gardening Under (816) 697-2600. www.powellgardens.org. RAP SEPT. 29. Wildflower Walk. Guided Mediterranean Skies: Lessons in our walk. The Arboretum at Flagstaff. Flagstaff, Gardens. Symposium. San Diego Horticul- RAP OCT. 19. Fall Color Hike at Shaw Nature Arizona. (928) 774-1442. www.thearb.org. tural Society. Quail Botanical Gardens. Reserve. Missouri Botanical Garden. St. Louis, Encinitas, California. (760) 295-7089. Missouri. (800) 642-8842. www.mobot.org. RAP SEPT. 29 & 30. Fall Bulb and Native www.sdhortsoc.org.

September / October 2007 59 60 (206) 527-1794. cultural Society.Seattle,Washington. Sun andShade. 454-3057. Sam’s Town.LasVegas,Nevada.(704) Washington. (206)325-4510. Washington ParkArboretum.Seattle, (250) 479-6162. Woodland. Victoria, BritishColumbia. Control. Alaska. (928)770-3692. den. (905) 527-1158. Royal BotanicalGardens.Hamilton, Ontario. RAP RAP www.vandusengarden.org. SEPT. 30. SEPT. 18&20. OCT. 20. OCT. 10. www.arboretumfoundation.org. RAP RAP RAP RAP www.oaec.org. OCT. 21. RAP OCT. 11&12. RAP (503) 223-1321. Portland JapaneseGarden.Portland,Oregon. ver, BritishColumbia.(604)257-8666. tion. California. (805)682-4726. ta BarbaraBotanicGarden.SantaBarbara, ext. 52358. Guelph. Guelph,Ontario.(519)824-4120 Workshop. TheArboretumatUniversityof California. (707)874-1557ext.201. Arts andEcologyCenter.Occidental, nia. (303)388-0500. Strybing Arboretum.SanFrancisco,Califor- Institute. SanFranciscoBotanicalGardenat Therapy. 8649. Botanical Garden.Boise,Idaho.(208)343- 8733. Arboretum. Portland,Oregon.(503)865- Alaska BotanicalGarden.Anchorage, VanDusen BotanicalGarden.Vancou- the American Gardener SEPT. 24–29. OCT. 20. OCT. 13&14. OCT. 7. OCT. 6. OCT. 6. OCT. 13–NOV.11. OCT. 3–6. www.idahobotanicalgarden.org. www.hoytarboretum.org. Pruning forAmateurs. Organic GardenTour. Designing MixedBordersfor Workshop. GlendaleGardens& Plenty—A LocalHarvestCelebra- Workshop. HorticulturalTherapy www.desert-green.org. www.desert-green.org. www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum. Desert GreenXI.Conference. AK, ID,MT,OR,WA,WY Fall Bulb&PlantSale. Oktoberfest. Green Walk.Guidedtour.Hoyt Growing NativeWoodyPlants. Natural Insect,Weed&Pest NORTHWEST Introduction toHorticultural Lecture. NorthwestHorti- www.japanesegarden.com. CANADA www.hcp.bc.ca. www.hcp.bc.ca. www.rbg.ca. www.northwesthort.org. Fall CleanUpattheGar- Gourd Fest. www.htinstitute.org. Fall PlantSale.San- www.alaskabg.org. Festival. Idaho www.sbbg.org. Workshop. Occidental Festival.  Charleston Festival GoesGreen VISITORS TOLASVEGAS,NEVADA, Las Vegas Springs Preserve GrandOpening Horticultural SocietyandtheMiddletonPlaceFoundation.Visit ture, “PerennialsforLowcountryGardens,”onOctober20. Roofs,” onFriday,October19.Aventwillbehighlightinggardengemsduringhislec- D.C., andCharlestoninSnodgrass’spresentation,“PlantingOurFuture:Green inside glimpseofgreenroofinstallationsinChicago,Atlanta,Baltimore,Washington, and plantsmanTonyAvent,arefeaturedspeakersatthefestival.Attendeescangainan green roofnurseryintheUnitedStates,andaward-winningowner,author, mindful gardenvignettes. which landscapedesignersinterpret“CharlestonGreen”throughinspiringandeco- utive DirectorNancyAbercrombie. den Festivalaimstoincreaseawarenessofbasicpractices‘green’gardening,”saysExec- “Through educationallectures,demonstrations,andvendorbooths,theCharlestonGar- dening inenvironmentalstewardshipwillbethecentralfocusofthisyear’sfestival. olina. Withthetheme“CharlestonGreen…What’sOldisNewAgain,”roleofgar- 19 to21fortheCharlestonGardenFestivalatMiddletonPlaceinCharleston,SouthCar- JOIN HORTICULTURISTS gardenfestival.org is thelargestcommercialstraw-bale projectintheUnitedStates. reused toflushthetoiletsand irrigate thegardens.Additionally,SpringsPreserve needs arepoweredviaon-sitesolar panels,andbothgrayblackwaterisfiltered Certification recognition.Approximately60to70percent of thePreserve’senergy ica toearntheLeadershipinEnergyandEnvironmentalDesign (LEED)Platinum certs, gardenevents,andeducationalclasses. catch aglimpseofmorethan250wildlifespecies.Specialprograms includeseasonalcon- out thepark.ThePreserveisalsohometoCienega,adesertwetland wherevisitorscan of themanyhighlightsalonganapproximatelytwo-and-one-half mile trailsystemthrough- tures, andscenicoverlooksaresome archaeological sites,historicstruc- and drought-tolerantplants,while garden displaysacollectionofnative playground. Aneight-acrebotanical cal garden,andachildren’slearning an interpretivetrailsystem,abotani- museums, anoutdooramphitheater, al andhistoricattraction”featuring Historic Places. listed ontheNationalRegisterof ing west,theSpringsPreserveisnow Spanish Trail,andMormonsventur- in thearea,travelersonOld source forNativeAmericansresiding 9,100 inattendance,”saysAllisonCopeningoftheLasVegasSpringsPreserve. time Grammynominee,Jewel.“Wehadanamazinggrandopeningweekendwithover ous gardenworkshops,concerts,children’sfestivals,andaspecialperformancebythree- itinerary. TheLasVegasSpringsPreservecelebrateditsgrandopeninginJunewithvari- The CharlestonGardenFestivalatMiddletonPlaceissponsoredbythe Green roofspecialistEdmundC.Snodgrass,ownerofEmoryKnollFarms,thefirst For moreinformationonthepreserve, visit Built withsustainabilityinmind,theSpringsPreserveisfirst attractioninAmer- The Preserveisa180-acre“cultur- Once servingastheoriginalwater or call(800)782-3608formoreinformation. , garden enthusiasts,andenvironmentalistsfromOctober The festivalwillalsofeatureexhibitgardens,in Las VegasSpringsPreserve. An artist’srenderingoftheDesertLivingCenterat now haveanewdestinationtoaddtheir www.springspreserve.org. —Courtney Capstack,EditorialIntern www.charleston

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September / October 2007 61 PRONUNCIATIONSC AND PLANTING ZONES

Most of the cultivated plants described in this issue are listed here with their pronunciations, USDA Plant Hardiness Zones and AHS Plant Heat Zones. These zones suggest a range of locations where temperatures are appropriate—both in winter and summer—for growing each plant. While the zones are a good place to start in determining plant adaptability in your region, factors such as exposure, moisture, snow cov- er, and humidity also play an important role in plant survival. The codes tend to be conservative; plants may grow outside the ranges indi- cated. A USDA zone rating of 0–0 means that the plant is a true annual and completes its life cycle in a year or less. To purchase a two-by-three-foot glossy AHS Plant Heat Zone Map for $9.95, call (800) 777-7931 or visit www.ahs.org.

A–G Iris siberica EYE-riss sy-BARE-ih-kuh (3–8, 9–1) Lobularia maritima lob-yew-LAIR-ee-uh muh-WRIT-ih-muh Arisaema consanguineum air-ih-SEE-muh kon-san-GWIN-ee-um (0–0, 12–1) (USDA 5–9, AHS 9–7) Nemophila menziesii nee-MAF-ih-luh men-ZEES-ee-eye (0–0, 12–2) Belamcanda chinensis bel-am-KAN-duh chy-NEN-siss (5–9, 9–5) Phlox maculata FLOKS mak-yew-LAY-tuh (5–8, 8–1) Brunnera macrophylla bruh-NEH-ruh mak-ro-FIL-luh (3–7, 7–1) P. paniculata P. pan-ik-yew-LAH-tuh (4–8, 8–1) Carya illinoinensis KEH-ree-uh ill-ih-no-ih-NEN-siss (5–9, 9–5) Picea abies PY-see-uh AY-beez (3–8, 8–1) Ceratostigma plumbaginoides sur-at-o-STIG-muh plum-baj-ih-NOY- P. omorika P. o-MOR-ih-kuh (4–8, 8–1) deez (5–9, 9–4) Pinus strobus PY-nus STRO-bus (4–9, 9–1) Cercis canadensis SUR-siss kan-uh-DEN-siss (4–9, 9–2) Poa pratensis PO-uh pruh-TEN-siss (3–7, 7–1) Clarkia unguiculata KLARK-ee-uh un-gwik-yew-LAY-tuh (0–0, 9–1) Podophyllum peltatum pah-doh-FIL-lum pel-TAY-tum (4–8, 8–2) Colchicum ✕agrippinum KOAL-chih-kum uh-GRIP-ih-num (5–9, 9–1) C. autumnale C. aw-tum-NAL-ee (5–9, 9–1) Q–Z C. bivonae C. by-VON-ee (6–9, 9–3) C. byzantinum C. bih-zan-TY-num (5–9, 9–1) Saxifraga aizoides sak-sih-FRAY-guh ay-ZOY-deez (2–7, 7–1) C. speciosum C. spee-see-O-sum (4–9, 9–1) S. careyana S. kair-ee-AN-uh (5–8, 8–5) C. variegatum C. vair-ee-GAY-tum (7–10, 9–5) S. caroliniana S. kair-o-lin-ee-AN-uh (5–8, 8–4) Cornus canadensis KOR-nus kan-uh-DEN-sis (2–7, 7–1) S. cortusifolia S. kor-tew-sih-FO-lee-uh (6–9, 9–5) Cornus kousa C. KOO-suh (5–8, 8–5) S. fortunei S. for-TEW-nee-eye (6–8, 8–6) Cynodon dactylon SIN-o-don DAK-tih-lon (7–12, 12–7) S. michauxii S. mih-SHO-ee-eye (4–8, 8–4) Cypripedium acaule sip-rih-PEE-dee-um uh-KAWL-ee (3–7, 7–1) S. micranthidifolia S. mih-kran-thih-dih-FO-lee-uh (4–8, 8–4) Festuca arundinacea fes-TEW-kuh uh-run-dih-NAY-see-uh (4–7, 7–1) S. nipponica S. nih-PON-ih-kuh (5–8, 8–5) Geranium endressii juh-RAY-nee-um en-DRESS-ee-eye (5–8, 8–4) S. odontoloma S. o-don-toh-LO-muh (6–9, 9–1) G. himalayense G. him-uh-lay-EN-see (4–7, 7–1) S. oregana S. or-eh-GAN-uh (5–8, 8–1) S. pensylvanica S. pen-sil-VAN-ih-kuh (3–7, 7–1) H–P S. stolonifera S. sto-lon-IF-ur-uh (7–9, 9–5) S. umbrosa S. um-BRO-suh (1–5, 5–1) Hyacinthoides non-scripta hy-uh-sin-THOY-deez non-SKRIP-tuh S. ✕urbium S. ur-BEE-um (6–7, 7–6) (4–10, 9–1) S. virginiensis S. vir-jin-ee-EN-siss (4–8, 8–4) Hypericum buckleyi hy-PAIR-ih-kum buck-LEE-eye (7–8, 9–6)

62 the American Gardener