Foreward

A number of members who knew Line now. Carole Wilder and Marcel Jouseau Foster well share their reflections on his have compared 1978's Seed Exchange with contributions to gardening and the rock 1988...and have given directions for sup• gardening world. plying seed. Sue Olson offers some valu• This issue also contains well researched able insights on collecting...and articles on two different groups of . cleaning...fern spores, the "invisible seed" is covered in some detail by for your own use or for sending to the Seed Nancy Goodwin. George Phair encourages Exchange. us to grow Lycopodiums, the Clubmosses, Geoffrey Charlesworth, with horticul• and Selaginellas, the Spikemosses. Ann tural and linguistic legerdemain, rambles Lovejoy tempts us with a few of the wide through the rock garden in summer. Wayne variety of small , the "Mighty Mites" Kittredge builds a solar greenhouse while of Spring. Thea Tweet and Nick Nickou contribute Gerald Klingaman sheds some light on short pieces to add to our gardening pleas• seed viability... especially useful with col• ure. lecting for the Seed Exchange in progress Ted Mars ton

On the Cover: The cyclamen illustration is a copperplate from a Dutch horticultural Treatise by Abraham Munting printed in 1696. In its time, the book was a standard gardening work and was complete with scores of illustrations.

Published quarterly by the AMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETY, a tax-exempt, non-profit organization incorpo• rated under the laws of the state of New Jersey. You are invited to |oin. Annual dues (Bulletin included), to be submitted in U.S. funds and International Money Order, are: General Membership, $20.00 (includes domestic or foreign, single or joint — two at same address to receive one Bulletin, one Seed List); Patron, $50.00; Life Member (individual only), over 55, $300; under 55, $350. Membership inquiries and dues should be sent to Buffy Parker, 1 5Fairmead Rd., Darien, CT 06820. Address editorial matters pertaining to the Bulletin to the Editor, Ted Marston, 13036 Holmes Point Drive, Kirkland. WA 98034. Address advertising matters to Anita Kistler. 1421 Ship Rd., West Chester, PA 19380 Second Class Postage paid in Darien, CT., and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Bulletin ol the American Rock Garden Society (ISSN 0003 0864) 15 Fairmead Rd.. Darien. CT 06820

146 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society

Contents Vol. 47, No. 2 Spring, 1989 H. Lincoln Foster, 1906 - 1989 148 Building A Solar Pit Greenhouse. Wayne Kittredge 156 Cyclamen Revisited. Nancy Goodwin 158 The Seed Exchange. Marcel Jouseau & Carole Wilder .... 167 Seed Exchange Guidelines 172 Collecting Fern Spores. Sue Olson 173 perulatus compactus. Nicholas Nickou 175 The Rock Garden in Summer. Geoffrey Charlesworth 176 Some Mighty Small Bulbs. Ann Lovejoy 181 A Look at Seed Viability. George Klingaman 184 Fern Allies for the Rock Garden. George Phair 190 Something from Nothing, Almost. Milton S. Mulloy 201 Growing in the Path. Thea S. Tweet 202 Book Reviews 203

Calendar of Coming Events Eastern Winter Study Weekend (Piedmont Chapter) Sheraton Imperial Hotel Research Triangle Park, NC Jan. 26 - 28, 1990

Western Winter Study Weekend (Northwestern Chapter) Red Lion Inn, Bellevue, WA Feb. 23 - 25, 1990 147

H. Lincoln Foster February 12,1906 - April 7,1989

Where to start ? Line lived 83 full botanical survey of the 6,000 acre Great years, but I knew him for 17, a scant Mountain Forest in Norfolk, while grow• fraction of his lifespan. Although we ing tree seedlings for trail plantations can never know one another completely, and experimenting with rhododendrons since we are allowed only enough time in an effort to "...hybridize tender ones to share fragments of our inner selves, I with the hardy ones so as to create hardy was lucky to witness a few facets of his strains with greater variation in growth personality. And Line was certainly habit and color". multi-faceted: teacher, writer, linguist, After almost five years, Line de• philosopher, poet, plantsman, conser• cided to go back to teaching, but since vationist, botanist, sportsman. His in• he needed special education courses for fluence was immeasurable, touching the Connecticut public school system, many. He altered my life without even he enrolled in Trinity College, Hartford. realizing it. His gentle humor and infi• He expanded his curriculum towards a nite patience nourished my love of gar• Master of Arts degree (conferred in 1953) dening, and his gentlemanly wisdom and represented Norfolk in the State sparked my commitment to the Ameri• Legislature. From 1949 - 64 he taught can Rock Garden Society. English, Latin, and Earth Science at the Line was born in Newark, NJ, in Housatonic Valley Regional High 1906. His family never dreamed that the School, still coaching baseball in his grubby urchin with scraped knees from spare time. During this period, he made playing roller-skate hockey would be• two detours. He took a year off to study come a horticultural legend. Graduating Ecology and Conservation at Yale Uni• from Williams College in 1928, Line versity under a Ford Foundation Fel• taught English and Latin in Morristown, lowship. Then in 1962 - 63 his love of NJ, coaching baseball and playing ice language led him to edit two textbooks, hockey. Eventually, he moved to Con• a critique of Moby Dick published by necticut where he founded and co-head- Macmillan Company and An Anthology mastered the Norfolk School in 1937. of American Poetry, both of which were After the school closed, Line went to recently reprinted and are required text• work for Ted Childs in 1943. Under the books in many high schools. direction of Professor Harold Lutz, from But his life, as we know him, began the Yale School of Forestry, he began a in December 1949 when he married

149 Laura Louise James (Timmy, as she ters: Connecticut, New England, and preferred to be called), moved to Falls Berkshire. In 1949 - 50, he ran the Seed Village, and entered a partnership that Exchange and instituted the practice of lasted until Timmy's death last January. assigning donor numbers to each entry - Together they spent almost forty years a feature unique to our Society. creating Millstream, six acres of gar• In 1949 he was elected a Director of dens that blended so effortlessly into the ARGS and served until 1955. Elected mountainside that they seemed to have again in 1963, he resigned the following evolved from nature. In Timmy's words, year to become President of the Ameri• they became infected with a rock garden can Rock Garden Society from 1964 to fever in its most virulent form, plants- 1968. In those four years he infused the manship, and spent every spare minute Society with new vigor, implementing propagating, collecting, designing, many procedures that we now take for hybridizing, and sharing. granted: he encouraged formation of local chapters to unite gardeners across Later, Line wrote: "The actual day- the country; he proposed formal awards to-day business of gardening is aprivate to recognize those "...illustrious mem• and rather solitary pursuit. This very bers of our Society who have made fact is one of the charms and certainly special contributions to rock gardening one of the spiritual rewards of garden• in America"; he instituted an Advisory ing... There are days when I purposely Committee to guide policy; he created find chores in the remotest corner of the the Bulletin Board to handle supple• garden, away from the telephone, just to mental information; and he oversaw escape and be utterly alone with earth publication of The Rock Gardener's and sky and plants; yet there are few Hand Book. days when I would not welcome even On an international level, Line cor• there a devoted fellow gardener; to talk, responded with gardeners all over the to commiserate, to gloat, to share. Rock world. The Alpine Garden Society ac• gardening is an especially private form knowledged his expertise by appointing of gardening. Eachrock gardener's land• him Honorary Local Assistant Secre• scape is not like anyone else's. Beds of tary for the U.S.A. from 1964 until his annuals, perennial borders, and • death. In 1968 he and Timmy visited beries are predictable. There are only so Czechoslovakia and gave talks at the many variations... Not so with rock Ministry of Education & Culture and the gardening. Every rock gardener is his Prague Cultural House. Josef Starek own botanist, horticulturist, and land• reported the Line showed slides of such scape designer." typical American genera as trilliums and Line joined the American Rock lewisias, as well as "...fine views of Garden Society in 1943, began contrib• American mountains and uting articles to the Bulletin by 1945, countrysides...(we) were very happy and offered his services on every level indeed to hear valuable views on gar• throughout the years, participating in dening and on the , many of the organization of three different chap• which were so far unknown.. Frankly

150 speaking, it was a very sad moment, Community Award of Merit for contri• indeed, for many of us when we said butions to the Town of Falls Village. good-bye to Mr. and Mr. Foster." Needless to say, he won every award the In 1968 Houghton Mifflin published American Rock Garden Society had to Rock Gardening, A Guide to Growing offer (Citations appear in the Bulletin: Alpines and Other Wild/lowers in the 28- 147, 37 - 137,46- 183). American Garden, written by H. Lin• In the preface to his book, Line wrote, coln Foster and illustrated by Laura "This work has amodestpurpose, which Louise Foster. This is more than a bo• was difficult to keep before me because tanical reference: the writing is lyrical, my enthusiasm carried me out of expressing Line's conviction that life bounds." Luckily for us Line's enthusi• and nature are inextricably intertwined: asm focused on rock gardening for over "...think of the total picture you are fifty years. creating...Let the setting of your plants Buffy Parker, Darien, CT be in terms of their immediate surround• ings and especially in terms of the total picture that your particular parcel of land is expressing. Remember that this is your garden and your land. You will live intimately with it. You will work in it. If it pleases you, there is little doubt Norman Singer once said that Line that it will please your visitors, because was "our Guru". Line looked slightly it will be constant with your land and askance as though he wasn't sure whether with yourself." it was a joke or not. But actually Line Although Line had many interests, was a spiritual leader, not so much by he made an effort to contribute to all of any verbalized philosophy but by his them. He chaired the Falls Village actions. He was a participant, not an Conservation Commission; moderated onlooker. He asked questions and an• town meetings; presided over the Berk- swered them. He took plants to meet• shire-Litchfield Environmental Coun• ings to show them and talk about them. cil; led field trips for the Connecticut As a grower he knew more than any• Botanical Society; and participated in body, and he shared his knowledge and societies around the world. experience. Most of all he was an ex• In spite of his innate reticence, Line's ample to follow as a gardener. He never expertise was recognized and rewarded. stopped clearing new areas and expand• He won the first Charles Downing Lay ing his garden until the last year and this Award for the Housatonic Valley Asso• seemed to make it right for us to do the ciation, the Florens DeBevoise Memo• same. He never stopped sowing seed rial Award from the Garden Clubs of and hybridizing, collecting seed, giving America, a Silver Medal from the Mas• away divisions and seedlings, propagat• sachusetts Horticultural Society, and the ing and distributing plants. We don't Arthur Hoyt Scott Garden Award. And need to wonder whether it is OK to just last year he was honored with the make another bed or sow a few more 151 packets of seed, Line did it into his artistic, erudite, hospitable, wonderful eighties. He was a teacher by exam-pie, gardeners and above all, perhaps, so full a model gardener. of fun. Geoffrey Charlesworth, Sandisfield, My wife had once the honour of MA. sitting beside Line at a dinner in Seattle long ago, she was a little apprehensive, because her knowledge of plants was almost non-existent. She recalls it as one of the best experiences of her life... they were laughing before the dinner started From the moment I set foot in your and they were laughing long after it was driveway, my gardening life changed. over. I cannot say I knew them well, but Of all the gardens I have visited, before years of correspondence bring a great and since, none has moved me as much sense of understanding, and the pleasure as the one you and Timmy made. It was of spending a couple of nights with them the outward physical expression of eve• at Millstream left me with an unforget• rything a garden is about: love, labor, table memory of a truly wonderful gar• knowledge, beauty, and the sheer fun of den and of a truly wonderful couple. The it. world of alpines will be the poorer for Millstream was the garden, to me. their passing... and I do not just mean in And my woodland garden is, forgive the the States, but here in the U.K., in Eu• pun, a Foster child. In addition to untold rope and everywhere where they made inspiration, you wrote the book on gar• friends. That is everywhere! den generosity, and mine is full of re• Roy Elliott, Birmingham, England minders of your kindness. Thank you, belatedly, for all your many contribu• tions to the patchwork of my life and garden. Sidney Eddison, Newtown, CT Line Foster has stayed in my mind for many years, as has Timmy. I met them in the 1960s under unusual circum• stances, at a soiree that could not have been better directed by Madame de Stael. My very great sadness at learning of I was planning to have dinner one eve• Line's death was mitigated to some ex• ning with Gertrude (Bunny) and Phil tent by the lifting of a concern that has Foster, who published The Herb Grower worried me for months. How, I kept magazine. Bunny said there was going wondering, was Line managing without to be an informal family gathering later Timmy? Line and Timmy always seemed at her brother-and sister-in-laws', and to me to be a single unity... who knows? she invited me to come along. Such get- perhaps they are once again. My recol• togethers were apparently not rare. lections of them are so full of pleasure: The discussion at Millstream that

152 evening involved a dozen-or-so Fosters esty. One never encountered any com• of different generations and degrees of petitiveness in his acquisitions of new inlawship. It ranged the field -- interna• plants for his garden. They were there tional news in the paper that day, the because he was enchanted by their baseball season, the environment (with• qualities and wanted to know more about out using that word) and a newly pub• their growth or because he sought to lished anthropology book, from which discover if they might survive our harsh Line read. New England climate. In his pursuit of Line guided the evening, but the new from a he knew such stentorian voice was absent, and he asked as the various phlox, saxifraga, rhodo- questions of everyone, even the outsider den-drons and plants from other conti• in the midst of the family. Rather little nents, his efforts were always towards was said about plants directly. This was new knowledge obtained. His reward in an American time warp, with the focus the joy of growing new varieties he then of the evening on ideas. I had the feeling shared with others. We all remain blessed that the ghost of Jefferson, perhaps even by his labors. of Voltaire, was secreted in the room. ARGS will never be the same with• The room had been transformed into a out Line and Timmy's presence yet this salon for a few very special hours. The legacy will manifest itself in keeping conception of the infinite perfectibility alive within all of us the curiosity, of man was for the moment still alive modesty, generosity and industry tem• and well represented in Falls Village, pered with a delightful humor which Connecticut. marked their lives together at Millstream. Frederick McGourty, Norfolk, CT Elodie Osborn, Salisbury, CT

We have lost a great and dear friend. At heart a benevolent teacher, no There are hundreds of us who have one was more generous with his knowl• marvelous memories of Line and "Mill- edge and possessions, or more kindly stream". Memories are the things that toward the innocent whether an igno• help us over our grief as I think back to rant gardener or a destructive deer. Line this kind and gentle man leading and accepted, in fact revered, the natural making us into a truly great society. world and did everything within his The Delaware Valley Chapter was power to protect it and increase the the first new chapter in many years, and perception of everyone with whom he when we were formed some twenty two came in contact in this regard. odd years ago it never would have hap• Yet one of the most remarkable of pened if it hadn't been through gentle his qualities was his overriding mod- persuasion, great kindness, and unex-

153 celled leadership. well and who shared his knowledge 1 had this stranger in my home over unstintingly with all who sought his a weekend and at the end of the weekend counsel. Eternal thanks! he and Timmy had become close and Frances Roberson, Seattle, WA dear friends. Through the years he nur• tured us and was always in the back• ground - the rock that indeed was the American Rock Garden Society. Dear Lincoln, rest in peace and God be with you. Lee M. Raden, Phoenixville, PA On the entrance wall to Lincoln Foster's terrace at Millstream, there is a planting of the three Ramondas: my- coni, nathaliae and serbica. I always asked for an exposition on the differ• ences among them, partly because I H. Lincoln Foster has made such an always needed it and partly because imprint on our lives that it is impossible Line did it with obvious delight in this to compress into a few words the true horticultural exercise. I recall another value of his influence as a scholar with time at a Connecticut Chapter's plant an innate interest in the people around show when I stood alongside two ex• him. perts who were arguing over whether a My earliest memories of Line stem plant labelled Androsace carnea xpyre- from the first visit he and Timmy made naica was true. "Let's ask Line", I sug• to the Northwest many years ago. He gested. When Line came over and said brought with him ties from East Coast "I brought that plant into the show" members of the American Rock Garden there was no longer any debate; and we Society thus unifying the geographi• all listened to another mini-lecture on cally separated units. He made us more Androsace done without the slightest aware of the aims of the ARGS and gave condescension. We needed no further us strong incentives to foster good rock definition. It is this great accepted au• gardening even as he joined us in appre• thority that we have grievously lost. ciation of our native flora. His book, In the months before he died, Line Rock Gardening, has been a reliable and I were working on a project which reference work reflecting the wisdom obviously pleased and interested him. he gleaned in years of research and keen After Timmy's death he discovered an observation, especially in the develop• incomplete manuscript detailing the ment of Millstream. It is the first refer• history of Millstream, their wonderful ence we cite for any beginning rock garden, whose name appears in so many gardener. hybrids (Androsace x pyrenaica 'Mill- We are ever grateful for the privi• stream' among them). Line was anxious lege of having known Line, the friendly to see if the manuscript was publishable man who led our Society wisely and and during one of our visits he asked if

154 I could look into it. As the "onlie beget• this, it was clear that Line would not live ter" of Geoffrey Charlesworth's book 1 Lo see it come out and indeed it was had had a late bloom as an author s always a tussle between trying to in• representative and, indeed, Line ulti• volve him in decisions and trying not to mately appointed me as his "literary tire him. Therewas an especially poign• agent". Timmy's manuscript, being ant moment when he said he felt he was incomplete, was not publishable on its "melting away". The final manuscript own and we came up with the idea of a was being typed when he died. companion section of selected writings Millstream: Enthralled By A Garden by Line and by Timmy taken from ARGS by Laura Louise & H. Lincoln Foster Bulletins, AGS Bulletins, The Connecti• will be published by Atlantic Monthly cut Plantsman and other ARGS and AG S Press and is scheduled for publication in publications. It would be profusely il• mid 1990. It is characteristic of Line that lustrated with Timmy's exquisite draw• he stipulated that all of his royalties ings and would be in essence a Foster from the book shall go to The American Reader. Rock Garden Society. All the time we were working on Norman Singer, Sandisfield, MA.

Line and Timmy Foster at Millstream 155 Building A Solar Pit Greenhouse Wayne Kittredge

Rather than an advocacy to build effective was not completely cold proof. your own subterranean solar powered The amount of space available was far alpine house, this is a story of how my from adequate, but it was a good test of need for protecting non-hardy alpine how a pit greenhouse might perform. plants, led to my building such a struc• After losing several really fine plants ture. in the pit cold frame, I began to plan in At the New England Flower Show earnest, and it could be argued that I several years ago, the local ARGS chap• spent too much time designing the style ter had on display, a wood framed glass of framing to use, wavering among alpine house, well crafted and with the quonset hut to huge cold frame and appearance of costing more than the standard house design. Finally I settled ordinary person could afford. I had on the "A" frame as the easiest and thought of starting from scratch with cheapest effective structure. Summer glass lites and building my own frames, slid right by while I designed on paper, but even though I'm skilled as a picture and the pit walls slumped towards the framer, the amount of effort involved middle of the pit. I spent a week or so added to the cost of glass and lumber, restructuring the walls to near vertical, seemed as costly as buying the prefab then to keep them in place I plastered version. While considering how to go hyper tufa cement right against the soil about building an affordable alpine walls, using a rectangular trowel to house, I came across a book about solar spread the cement evenly about an inch greenhouses, and decided that the pit thick. Then I placed a footing at the top version seemed best suited to answer• edges of the walls and went back to ing my needs. So, I dug a pit, three feet working out the fine details on paper, deep with ten by ten foot walls. I dug a autumn was approaching too rapidly. 45 degree undercut of the south facing The cement walls have held up for four wall and placed a 4 x 8 foot sheet of years now and should remain in place. plywood (wrapped in plastic to keep out Using scrounged lumber probably moisture) against the soil roof, using didn't make the carpentry work any standard 2x3 studs for support. The easier, but it was what I had available. lites were simple wood frames coated Squaring the studs resting on the foot• with plastic on both sides. That struc• ing was an experience which took longer ture amounted to a large underground than it should have because the pit was cold frame which though relatively not perfectly square. The studs hang

156 over the footing in a couple of places, of the door, an ice dam soon formed on though not severely. Being an experi• the door jam, making it impossible to enced picture framer I had every inten• close the door tightly without first chip• tion of making the base frame just that ping away the ice which formed each precisely square. Using warped lumber cold night. Chipping the ice from the shorter than the walls soon gave me a jam was not easy and did damage to the better concept of the kind of tolerances wooden jam. The next spring I added an I'd have to accept. The rest of the struc• inner door which swings to the inside, a ture went rather fast until T got the final simple braced frame covered both sides peak of the roof. Because my lumber with plastic. Now the condensation drips was shorter than the distance from base onto the cement coated walls and the to peak I decided to make a separate outer door jam remains ice free and peak pitch, which turned out to be more tight. The inner door jam covered with work than it was worth. It would have foam rubber adds another insulating been much easier to have purchased the barrier against cold drafts. correct length lumber and keep the same The neighborhood children were the pitch from base to peak. first occupants of the new pit house, but For covering the frame I chose ordi• they tired of it quickly as there was little nary 4 mil clear plastic as it was the to do other than jump around a bit and cheapest alternative and relatively easy make some noise; 100 square feet is to install. With autumn speeding to• really not so large as it may sound or wards winter I was getting anxious to look like from the outside, but it was a get it done. Just before that though I was novelty and the kids could hardly wait given some pieces of solar fiberglass, so to get in and have some fun. Later the I took the time to put that on the south troughs and pots of half hardy plants wall, it was like putting a jigsaw puzzle were carefully placed as to solar orien• together and took longer than I would tation and best use of available space, have liked. The weather however, smiled another jigsaw puzzle. I ran out of time on me and it remained warmer than and benevolent weather before I could normal through November into Decem• build shelving inside. The first winter ber while I placed plastic over the rest of was typically cold and snowy with the structure, inside as well. Two layers outside temperatures dipping into the of plastic create a"dead" air space which minus numbers frequently. Inside, the is supposed to retard cold air infiltra• thermometer registered below freezing tion. Sealing the plastic at the bottom of only three times with a low of 26 de• the stud framing with foam rubber would grees F., which of course is lower than enhance that effect. some half hardy plants can take and I Finally the door and window were did lose a few to the frost. However, for framed and installed, the door framing an unheated alpine house I was very covered with thin plywood and plastic, pleased with the results. Last year I the window with plastic on both sides of added benches to three of the walls, the frame. The door swung out and suspended, rather than on legs for two because of condensation on the inside reasons: to keep the slugs from sliding

157 up the legs for a quick snack, and to stuffed and I'm feeling the need for keep the floor space as open as possible. another one. Moving all that soil is Troughs are bulky awkward bulks, somewhat daunting though, so I'm making arranging them difficult enough considering going only two feet deep without stout bench legs getting in the with the pit, our soil seldom freezes that way. The shelves get all the individu• deep. Soil below the frost line is uni• ally potted plants making more room on formly about 55 degrees F. year long, the floor for troughs. A small electric which is one of the main reasons for heater with built in fan was added this building a pit style alpine house. year, on its lowest setting keeps the pit a uniform 40 degrees F. Wayne Kittredge, lives in North My pit alpine house is presently Reading, MA.

Cyclamen Revisited Nancy Goodwin

Cyclamen aremembers of ihePrimu- cyclamen are easy to grow provided laceae family, having among their cous• they have a partly shady site and excel• ins primulas, soldanellas, douglasias and lent drainage. More tubers are killed by dodecatheons. Although superficially excess water than by all other factors the family members don't always re• combined. The most critical time for semble each other, at a glance it is pos• them to be relatively dry is summer sible to see the similarity of cyclamen to when they should be out of the reach of dodecatheons. These genera are grouped watering systems and other artificial together because their flowers have one irrigation. They are often grown suc• pistil, five stamens and a persistent, five cessfully against the trunks and roots of lobed calyx. They usually have five trees; they are found in beech woods corolla lobes, too; however, six-petaled throughout Europe showing again their flowers are relatively common. preference for dry conditions through• Compared to some of their relatives, out the summer. I grow most of mine in

158 my rock garden, which is located under may be anything from about 1 inch to 5 a large white , and on a hillside on 1/2 inches long, and I have an ever- which are growing dogwoods, hicko• increasing collection of representative ries, beeches and . I have continued examples in my garden. This is one of to experiment with other locations and the easiest species to grow in upstate have found cyclamen happy under a New York or Texas, and is the one to large Magnolia acuminata, at the north• start with if you haven't grown them ern side of a relatively low building, and before. even in dense shade under a flowering Appearing at about the same time as almond. C. hederifolium and similar in most ways There are probably more species is C. africanum. The differences are which bloom in fall or winter than in slight, but there is one decisive test: C. other seasons, which is why I consider africanum is not hardy below 20 de• that the year begins in late summer when grees F. Because these two species are Cyclamen hederifolium begins to pro• among the very few which will cross duce its delicate, sometimes-fragrant breed, the problem of identification is flowers in shades of pink or white. I compounded. In general C. africanum often find its forerunners throughout the has stems which rise directly above the summer - May 31 being my record for tuber or at a slight angle. The are the earliest bloom, but it is sometime in thicker, often with coarse teeth along August when there are more flowers the edges. Even the flowers are larger than can be counted on both hands. Each thanmostC.hederifolium; tomy knowl• flowering stalk rises to about 5 or 6 edge there is no record of a pure white inches and supports one flower with its form, though there may be one out there petals flung back long before the leaves somewhere. For a number of years I appear. In fact, it is the appearance of suspected that I had one, but when I the leaves which signals an end of the discovered that it was hardy, I concluded flowering period. C. hederifolium is one that it was a hybrid with C. hederifolium of the most variable species. There are as one of the parents. C. africanum is variations in the shapes of the leaves best kept in a cool greenhouse, and will from long, tapering ones to true ivy- grow rapidly filling the largest pot within shapes, with markings varying from solid about 6 years. I have found some fantas• green to almost completely silvered. I tic forms of this species, one of which have never seen one without at least a has a wide mouth at the opening of the slender green outline to the edge of the flower and 20 or more petals. , but they may exist. The one often C. graecum is another of the late listed as 'Bowles Apollo' has a spectacu• summer-blooming cyclamen. Gener-ally lar ivy-shaped leaf with a large amount flowers may be expected from late of silver and an overcast of rosy red. August through October, and the vel• Seeds bearing this name often appear in vety, heart-shaped leaves begin to ap• seed lists, but the true thing is very rare. pear at the same time. Superficially, it I am fascinated by the extraordinary resembles C. hederifolium most closely variation in the size of the leaves, which having the same auricles at the base of

159 the corolla lobes and flowers of similar sometimes with spectacularly variegated colors. Upon closer inspection you can spoon-shaped leaves which appear with see stripes of a deeper shade going from the flowers. The faintly scented flowers the mouth into the actual petal, and deep vary from a pure white with no color at violet anthers. This is one of the few the mouth of the corolla to deep ma• species which thrives in sun. In Greece genta with a darker blotch at the mouth. it can often be found growing in crev• There are no auricles at the base of the ices of rock outcroppings where the petals. This species is not as easy to thong-like roots grow deep to find the grow as many because it needs a site in necessary moisture. It is necessary to part sun and can stand very little water find as tall a pot as possible to accom• in summer. It should be placed out of the modate these roots, and even then it is reach of watering systems and at the common to find them coming out at the base of deciduous trees where sunlight bottom. I am not certain how hardy this is abundant during the time of active species is, but it came through our ter• growth. I am uncertain just how hardy it rible winter when the temperature went is but suspect that it will grow well at to -12 degrees F. least in Zone 5. The fourth of the fall-blooming Blooming at about the same time species is C. rohlfsianum and it is a with an even more elegant flower is C. spectacular one, which is worth every mirabile. The beautiful twisted petals effort to grow. It is reportedly not hardy are fimbriated at the tips and are joined and thus far I haven't had enough stock at the mouth by an upright collar about to test this for myself. The leaves are 1/8th of an inch high. The color varies spectacular and very large and the of• from near white to medium magenta and ten-fragrant flowers most closely re• there is always a blotch at the base of the semble those of the dodecatheons with petals. The leaves are similar to those of the style and stamens exerted from the C. cilicium, but more angular, and on mouth of the corolla. This is one of the many plants the new growth has rosy few species which I dry off completely overtones. It seems to prefer similar in the summer, giving it no water from growing conditions to C. cilicium and I sometime in May when the leaves yel• think it just as hardy. low, signaling the onset of its dormant Cyclamen intaminatum is one of the period, until late July, when it is set in a most delightful of the species. It is a tiny pan of water to moisten the soil and thing with small, elegant, white or pal• tuber and start another cycle of growth. est pink flowers with delicate gray Even during the active season it re• stripes. Until I saw it, I thought it would ceives water only upon demand. The look dingy. The leaves are somewhat plants are variable in leaf shape and round and vary from green to spectacu• color, which spans deep to medium larly variegated forms. In the green• green. house this species may bloom at any The delicate flowers of C. cilicium time, from late spring on, but in the bridge the gap between the fall and winter garden it waits until the temperatures flowering species. It is a lovely thing have begun to fall. I am growing this

160 outside on a relatively steep bank near a peratures drop and the brilliantly col• beech, so it has excellent drainage, winter ored flowers are present from Decem• sun and no extra moisture in summer. ber through March depending on the In the greenhouse, C. cyprium be• temperature. There is an albino form of gins to bloom in fall continuing into C. coum but I haven't had one yet. The winter. A mass of the delightful white, white forms I have all have either deep sweetly-scented flowers can perfume a purple or rosy carmine blotches at the large area. The leaves are anything from mouth of the corolla with a brighter solid green to green with bright white white area below that. The flowers may markings. Most of the flowers have a be delicate pink, to deepest magenta distinctive darker marking at the base of with a darker maroon to nearly black the corolla; however, I have thus far blotch at the base of each petal, and found two albinos. I have cross-polli• many are fragrant. The flowers them• nated them in hopes of reproducing them. selves can tolerate temperatures of about This species is unfortunately not hardy 10 degrees F. without damage, but be• with me in Zone 7. low that only new buds will open. C. Before the previous three species coum is extremely hardy, growing from have finished blooming a few preco• southern Canada to the deep south. The cious flowers of C. coum usually ap• most exciting selections I am working pear. This is a large and difficult group with now have flowers with shaded petals to sort. It is generally accepted that there which are generally dark at the edge of are two distinct subspecies: C. coum each corolla lobe, and many of which subsp. coum and C. coum subsp. cauca- have no lighter marking below the dark sicum. The former is what is most easily blotch at the base. This form does not grown and what results from most seeds seem genetically stable at this point, so available in seed exchanges. You can I am crossing shaded plants with each find them listed under an assortment of other and plan back crosses for future names: C. atkinsii, C. hiemale, C. generations in hopes of stabilizing this roseum, C. vernale, C. orbiculatum. exquisite character-istic. Some of these names may lead you to C. coum subsp. caucasicum occurs expect the following forms: C. atkinsii in the eastern most parts of Turkey and should have flowers larger than the type; the Caucasus and is reportedly less hardy C. roseum should have rose-pink flow• than the western forms. Often, but not ers. There are a few collectors numbers always, the typical lighter area below worth watching for: EKB 371 (or the dark blotch at the base of each petal Nymans) has silvered leaves with a small will be the same color as the petal itself. margin of green and flowers of an un• The leaves are more heart-shaped, and usual shade of medium rose-pink. The the flowers are larger. Here, too, you pewter leaf form lacks this outline of can find numerous pseudonyms: C. green. The leaves are fairly round and vernum, C. ibericum, C. elegans, C. vary from solid green, which is the rar• abchasicum, C. circassicum, and C. est in the wild, to completely silvered. adzharicum. The only one which has They begin to appear in fall as the tem• any real, generally accepted meanings

161 is C. elegans and this is a particularly spring. This is a large-flowered species, fine form found by Jim Archibald. with medium pink blooms and a distinc• One of the most elusive and difficult tive bird-in-flight darker marking both of the winter-flowering species is C. inside and outside the base of the co• parviflorum, a tiny plant with small, rolla. The leaves are gray-green, often extremely fragrant flowers ranging from with bright white markings. near white to deep rose-violet. They One of the most spectacular of the lack the lighter area below the dark winter-flowering species is C.pseudib- blotch at the base of each petal. The ericum with relatively large rose-purple leaves are somewhat rounded and are flowers and variable leaves, some of without the variegation of C. coum. It is which have spectacular areas of white. extremely hardy, but does not want to be Plants under collectors' numbers are completely dried off in summer. It is sometimes offered in seed exchanges. probably best grown in a trough in shade ACW 664 is an especially desirable one or in a cool greenhouse for the flowers which should produce pale pink flow• are usually less than an inch above ers, although I have never yet had such. ground. This is a hardy species although I don't Another of the winter-flowering yet know how much cold it can take. It group is C. trochopteranthum, and de• has survived -12 degrees F. with only an lightful it is with fragrant flowers rang• inch of snow here. ing from light pink to deep, rich rose. Some of the most beautiful winter Because the petals are twisted, standing flowers are produced by the wild C. out from the base of the flower like persicum. These are tender plants un• propellers, it looks larger than C. coum, able to stand temperatures lower than 26 but is equally hardy. The leaves look degrees, but are happy in cool houses or rather like those of C. cilicium for they greenhouses. The elongated, slender, are generally longer than they are wide, often-twisted petals are usually white or and are often beautifully marked with pink with darker markings at the base, silver spots. This species used to be and the flowers are generally fragrant. listed as C. alpinum and sometimes seed- The leaves may be silvered, green or exchange seeds will be found under this with varying degrees of variegation. It is name. The problem is that this spurious from this species that most of the hy• name also may refer to C. intaminatum, brids have been developed and I person• so you are just as likely to get that ally don't think they have improved on instead. the species plant. We are testing C. libanoticum out• There are three spring-flowered side in several gardens this winter to species which are probably closely re• determine how hardy it is. Because this lated. These are three of the few species is a very warm year, it won't be a good which will inter-breed. C. creticum has test, but at this time (February) the leaves particularly lovely white or palest pink and flower buds look as good as the ones flowers and angular dark green leaves in the greenhouse. It begins to bloom in sometimes marked with silver. It is a December or January and continues into rare plant which demands shade, and

162 Cyclamen hederifolium (Page 158) Pamela Harper

Cyclamen purpurascens (Page 158) Pamela Harper has surprised me by surviving our win• dark green to silver with exquisitely ters. variegated forms between. This is per• C. balearicum blooms also in spring haps the hardiest species of all, and will and has fragrant, white flowers, often probably grow in the coldest sections of with delicate, fine pink lines on the mainland U.S. It wants a well-drained petals. The pewter colored leaves are shady site and deep planting, for it has often marked with silver and lack the the briefest dormancy requirement of angles of C. creticum. Although often all, producing new leaves just as the old listed as tender, this, too, has proved ones fade. There is considerable confu• hardy in Zone 7. It readily crosses with sion over the Czechoslovakian form with the other spring blooming species. dark green leaves, often offered in seed C. repandum is a more complex lists and a few nurseries as C.fatrense. species, having within it several subspe• At this point botanists agree that this cies. The type, C. r. subsp. repandum plant does not merit separate species has elegant, medium pink, fragrant flow• status. ers in March and April here. The extent There is one other species although to which it is hardy in this country is not it will be several years before it is avail• yet known, but I suspect that it will grow able. This is C. somalense recently dis• in areas much colder than zone 7 be• covered in Somalia. As it is described, it cause it requires deep planting in full sounds to me like a combination of C. shade and because it doesn't appear above persicum and C. rohlfsianum, and won't ground until the worst of the winter prove to be hardy. weather is over. Here the ivy-shaped Cyclamen are now considered plants leaves begin to appear in February and in peril and are on Appendix II of the as soon as the heat of summer arrives the Endangered Species List. This means plant goes underground for the next nine that a CITES permit is required for months. There is a form with pure white exporting or importing them. There are flowers which is reportedly not hardy. I a few species which are allowed to be don't yet have enough to risk testing it. collected although Turkey has now C. r. subsp. rhodense is also reportedly agreed to limit its exports to 1,000,000 not hardy, but is untested by me. It is tubers. As reported, this limit was ex• distinguished by leaves which are splat• ceeded by 600,000 last year. Unfortu• tered with white or silver, and white or nately it is very difficult to identify a palest pink flowers with a darker pink dormant tuber, and so many of the rare zone around the mouth. The other sub• species are dug and destroyed each year. species, which isn't hardy, is C.r. subsp. Few of the dormant tubers recover from pelopon-nesiacum and it has leaves their collection, and thus the wild popu• similar to the Rhodes form, but pink to lation is growing smaller. There is no dark pink flowers. excuse for even the most avid collector Summer is enriched by the fragrant, to purchase these plants. Seed growing rose-pink flowers of C. purpurascens. is simple and there are a few nurseries The leaves are as variable as most spe• now selling seed grown stock. I have cies with plants having anything from had over 90% success in growing plants

165 from seed exchange seeds by the fol• possible no soaking is required. lowing method: Soak the seeds for 6-24 By growing all of the species of hours in warm water. Drain and plant in Cyclamen, it is possible to have flowers a gritty mix, covering with about 1/4 at every season of the year. inch of soil or grit. Place the pots in total Nancy Goodwin, Hillsborough, NC darkness and expect germination to begin has been Chair of the Piedmont Chapter in about 6 weeks. Of course, the very ofARGS and is proprietor of Montrose best results can be expected from sow• Nursery. She specializes in growing ing your own fresh seeds, and if this is Cyclamen.

166 The Seed Exchange Carole Wilder & Marcel Jouseau

The seeds have finally been planted from Japan and the United Kingdom, and now we can reflect on the past year's the two largest foreign member groups seed exchange program. The article by outside North America. Table 2. shows Betty and Ned Lowry on the 1978 and plants is decreasing order of preference. 1979 seed exchange programs gives us It appears that overseas members are an opportunity to see if ten years later gamblers, giving their top vote to an the plants popular then are still popular. undefined species of Paraquilegia. Table 1 shows the top 50 plants for 1988 Members tend to concentrate their and 1978. Seventeen plants in the top 50 requests on a few choices. Some 350 in 1978 failed to repeat in 1988 but plants went unrequested in 1988 and would have made it in the top 100. The over 3000 had less than five requests. following four, however, almost fell into The 12 most popular genera (based on oblivion: Rhodothamnus chamaecistus* the average number of requests per (15 requests), Dicentra cucullaria (21 species listed): Adonis, Hepatica, Ari- requests), Aquilegia scopulorum (26 saema, Lewisia, Acantholimon, Cycla• requests) and Primula minima* (28 men, Corydalis, Edraianthus, Aquile• requests). Newcomers, not available in gia, Primula, and Clematis 1978, and seeds not available in 1988 accounted for nearly 25% of all the first seem to explain most of the differences choices. Somewhat surprising was the between the two lists. poor performance of such genera as We thought it might be interesting to Penstemon, Potentilla, A Ilium, Erigeron, investigate whether there are differences Gentiana, Hypericum, Lychnis and in the preference of foreign and US Silene which, with the exceptions of one members. Given time and space limits or two popular species had very limited we limited our investigation to requests appeal.

Table 1. Comparison of the Fifty Popular Plants - 1988 & 1978 1978 1988

Alliumnarcissiflorum 62 Adonis vernalis 57 Androsace helvetica 102 Androsace helvetica 64 Anemonellathalictroides 63 Anemonella thalictroides Aquilegia Jonesii x (double white) 95 saximontana 153 Aquilegia Jonesii * 230 Aquilegia scopulorum 62 Aquilegia nivalis 59 Arisaema japonicum * 65 Aquilegia Jonesii

167 1978 1988

Calceolaria darwinii 134 (white form) 52 Campanula piperi 130 A risaema sikokianum 145 Campanula Calceolaria darwinii 63 portenschlagiana 69 Campanula raineri 68 Campanula raineri 94 Campanula piperi* 107 Cyclamen ciliatum Campanula cenisia * 93 'E.K. Balls' 69 Campanula Daphne cneorum 'Eximia' 73 portenschlagiana 64 Dianthus callizonus 63 Claytonia megarrhiia * 59 Diapensia lapponica * 73 Clematis texensis 54 Dicentra cucullaria 64 Collomia debilis * 53 Dicentra peregrina Corydalis cashmeriana 132 v.pusilla 95 Corydalis ambigua 73 Dicentra peregrina Cyclam. trochopteranthum 56 v. pusillaf. alba 78 Cyclamen rohlsianum 59 Douglasia laevigata Dianthus microlepis 56 v. ciliolata * 75 Dicentra peregrina 95 Douglasia laevigata Douglasia montana * 63 v. ciliolata 61 Edraianthus pumilio 65 Edraianthus pumilio 76 Eriogonum thymoides * 54 Erigeron aureus 65 Eritrichium nanum * 104 Gentiana ornata 68 Eritrichium howardii * 95 Gentiana verna 82 Gentiana sino-ornata 61 Geranium argenteum 87 Geranium argenteum 68 Glaucidium palmatum 68 Glaucidium palmatum Glaucidium palmatum (blue) 54 'Album' 66 Hepatica nobilis japon. Iris gracilipes 62 f. variegata (p/pic) 59 Jeffersonia dubia 95 Hepatica nobilis japon. Lewisia cotyledon f. variegata (rose) 55 'Sunset Strain' (apri.) 62 Iris gracilipes 'Alba' 53 Lewisia pygmaea 68 Iris nicolai * 60 Lewisia rediviva 'Alba'* 61 Jeffersonia dubia 61 Lewisia rediviva 63 Lewisia tweedyi * 109 Lewisia tweedyi 114 Lewisia tweedyi 'Alba' 115 Lewisia tweedyi * 131 Lewisia tweedyi 57 Paraquilegiagrandiflora 86 Lupinus lepidus lobbii 63 Phlox bifida (miniature) 86 Mertensia alpina 81 Potentilla nitida 'Rubra' 67 Paraquilegia sp. * 166 Primula minima * 72 Penstemon acaulis 95 Primula parryi * 75 Phlox hoodii * 90

168 1978 1988

Primula rosea x clarkei 14 Phlox diffusa * 59 Rhodothamnus Phyteuma comosum 96 chamaecistus * 78 Primula parryi* 56 Saponaria ocymoides Primula deorum * 56 ' Rubra Compacta' 7 3 Pyxidanthera barbulata Shortia galacifolia 108 brevifolia * 52 Shortia soldanelloides 92 Shortia galacifolia 79 Shortia soldanelloides Shortia uniflora 62 v. ilicifolia 61 Shortia soldanelloides Silene hookeri* 63 v. ilicifolia 11 Soldanella pusilla 60 Thalictrum kiusianum 61 Trillium grandiflorum 'Roseum' 71 Viola pedata 83

* From the wild

Table 2. 1988 Top Ten Choices From U.S.A., Japan & United Kingdom

USA Japan United Kingdom

Arisaema sikokianum Paraquilegia sp. * Paraquilegia sp. * Phyteuma comosum Aquilegia Jonesii * Anemone tschernjnewii * Paeonia tenuifolia Anchusa capensis Eritrichium howardii * Arisaema japonic urn 'Blue Angel' Crocus vallicola * Edraianthus pumilio Alstroemeria hookeri * Crocus abantensis * Arisaema wallichianum A Istroemeria pygmaea Erythronium howellii Jeffersonia dubia Callianthemum anemoides * Lewisia rediviva * Crambe cordifolia Daphne alpina Lupinus lepidus v. lobbii Iris gracilipes 'Alba Eustoma grandiflorum * Anemonella thalictroides Lewisia tweedyi* Globularia cordifolia (dbl. white) 'Alba' Trillium rivale *

169 The exchange program has steadily increase of five dollars per order. grown over the years and the 1988 ex• The human dimensions of the pro• change was the largest to date with 1940 gram are also staggering considering members requesting seeds, a 40% in• that the program is entirely run by crease over the 1978 program reported amateurs, who for the most part had to on by Betty and Ned Lowry (Table 3). work for a living. The 1988 program Approximately 46% of the entire mem• required close to 5,000 hours of labor bership requested seeds, demonstrating provided by 40 volunteers. Table 4. the importance of the program to the provides a summary of the labor re• members. 75% of the 1,000 or so foreign quirements for major tasks. members participated in the exchange, of whom 32% were donors. But only Table 4.1988 Exchange Programs 35% of the 3,000 U.S. members partici• Labor Requirement pated and 20% donated seeds. Tasks Hours

Table 3. A Comparison of The Catalog preparation 1978 and 1988 Exchange Programs & mailing 350 Plant names 1988 1978 verification 250 Packeting seeds 1500 Seed applicants 1833 1308 Setting up for No. of 1st Choices 47940 39264 distribution 350 Total packets distb. 49000 31348 Filling orders 900 Total plants offered 5813 3496 Data entry of seed requests 100 With the growth of the program there Managerial duties* 1250 has been a concomittant increase in the effort necessary to make the program * an all-encompassing description successful. Typical is the increase in the for tasks ranging from sorting / storing size of the list which has begun to strain donated seeds, ordering envelopes for the ability of the program to produce seeds, checking printers, licking stamps, and mail a catalog within reasonable opening seed orders, correspondence...to cost. In 1988 the list weighed a hair cajoling volunteers. under 2 oz., the point at which postal Hardly were the last extra seeds charges increase by 40% for overseas shipped to the various chapters for their airmail and domestic mail. The cost of own distribution than the first seeds for the exchange program has been main• the 1989 distribution were arriving from tained through such measures as print• New Zealand. ing on the lightest paper U.S. printers Looking towards the 1989 Seed will print on and by putting the maxi• Exchange Program we look forward to mum number of lines per page. To change an even greater participation of mem• the size of the print to something a little bers. How can we make this program easier on our tired eyes would require an better and easier? The computer list now

170 contains some 8,000 plant names, so a very legible, alphabetical listing of fewer names than last year will need to seeds contributed. Careful checking by be entered, but of course we are looking the donors of the names and other infor• forward to your seed donations to chal• mation on their packing list to insure lenge us and provide for an even greater that it coincides with the information on selection. In 1988, the mailing of the the individual seed packets would elimi• seedlist to Czechoslovakia appeared to nate some difficulties with checking be replete with problems with so many names and preparing the list. A few of our friends not getting the list or only minutes saved on checking and entering in late February. As the lists were all each donation repeated several hundred sent a few days before Christmas via times saves many hours of volunteer airmail, it is very distressing and we labor. welcome any suggestion that would While the program is much work, it prevent such problems in the future, is also a wonderful opportunity for Members can improve the program. friendships and togetherness; Jean Ste• Obviously the seed selections can be in• vens' recreation room (the 1988 Seed creased or improved. Few seeds are Distribution Center) still resounds with required to participate as a donor. When laughter and jokes. The winter just flew as few as five seeds are needed to make by. The mail did not just bring work but a packet of the more highly demanded lots of kind words, cards, good wishes seeds, one could satisfy 10 requests with and photographs that warmed up the only one seed head or capsule. Early heart of the Minnesota volunteers. Many mailing of seeds will also ease the job of thanks to you. The authors are espe• getting the seed list out. By October 27, cially grateful to the wonderful member 1988, four days before the deadline for from Czechoslovakia who sent a small the seeds, only 2/5 of the seeds had been gift of seeds of Gentiana oschtenica ( a received. One of the authors (MJ) devel• yellow-flowered verna-type gentian), an oped blisters on the right hand in the absolute treasure. We all look forward rush to enter data to meet the printing to your participation in the 1989 Seed deadline. Obviously seeds cannot and Exchange and hearing about your suc• should not be sent until ripe and dry; cess stories. however, perhaps an earlier mailing of the list of seeds which mature late would Carol Wilder, Hastings, MN, is Chair assist in diminishing the stress of get• of the Seed Exchange and Marcel ting the catalog to the printer. MJ is Jousseau, St. Paul, MN, computerized forever grateful to the donors who sent the records.

171 Seed Exchange Guidelines

1. Seed will be accepted only until 6. Make an alphabetical listing of November 1,1989. No seed can be listed botanically correct name and informa• after that date. OVERSEAS MEMBERS tion identical to that which is on the seed ONLY...Please try to mail before Octo• packet. Make listing on a piece of paper ber 15. (If seed is not ready to be shipped approximately 8" x 10". (Small cards at this time please send us an alphabeti• and pieces of paper are hard to work cal listing of your seed and ship the seed with.) Be sure to list all seed packets later. being sent.

2. While we appreciate any amount 7. Identification of plant species of seed you send, a minimum of 5 differ• should be done when possible. However ent kinds of seed suitable for rock gar• if this cannot be done, give genus name dens is the requirement to receive donor and a brief description. Height & color. privileges of 10 free packets and your order filled first. 8. Group envelopes together alpha• betically with a rubber band, place this 3. Send clean, dry seed of suitable in a mailing envelope along with your rock garden plants early. We are glad to alphabetical list. have several mailings rather than have a large collection at a late date. 9. Be sure your name and address is clearly written on the alphabetical list 4. Use envelopes no larger than 2" x and on the outside of the envelope. 4". As few as 5 seeds of a variety will be accepted. One envelope of this size 10 All current members will receive contains enough seed to fill our require• a seed list catalog. ments. Do not send large quantities of seed. 11. Send Seed EARLY to... Carole Wilder, Director 5. Mark each envelope with the ARGS Seed Exchange botanically correct name, where col• 221 West 9th. Street lected if wild, and all written legibly. Hastings, Minnesota 55033 USA

172 Collecting Fern Spores Sue Olsen

It was not too many centuries ago that phytes, or baby ferns. The entire proc• botanists, accustomed to the obvious ess is known as the alternation of gen• polliniferous fertilization system of seed erations. plants, were baffled by the reproductive Five millions years ago when ferns life of the ferns. Fanciful science con• were the dominant plants on earth (and cluded that ferns propagated by means providing nutrients for today's fossil of an invisible seed (presumably from fuels) they faced little competition. The an invisible flower!) and contributed to primitive spore was carried unprotected some wonderful myths regarding this in leisurely random on the fronds. family of plants. Indeed, even Today's osmundas with their separate Shakespeare refers whimsically to the or distinctive fertile segments, and short invisible fern seed and its mystical lived spore are direct ancestors of the properties which by the then popular ancient species. However, with the "Doctrine of Signatures" would render advent of seed plants and increased the owner invisible. (It would be fun!) competition for living space, evolution We have, however, long since required more efficiency from the ferns. learned that ferns reproduce in a very Over time ferns came to protect their scientific fashion. The "invisible seeds" sori with its precious cargo of spore by are spores, almost microscopic, which locating it on the unders ide of the frond. gather systematically into sporangia The spore, however, was still released which in turn are grouped as sori on the simultaneously, such as in today's poly- fern's leaf, better known scientifically podiums, and their populations contin• as the frond. ued to decrease both in proportionate Mother Nature has devised a mar• numbers and in the size of the mature velous system for the preservation of plant. Consequently, greater refinement her species...berries have their birds, was required, and evolved in the form of cyclamen their ants and for the ferns an indusium or membranous covering and their spore it is the wind. (Although of the sori on the underside of the fronds. we are all enhanced by the ARGS seed The indusium comes in various shapes exchange!) and is a critical notation in the identifi• When dispersed, fern spore that falls cation of fern genera, but for the pur• on a suitable habitat will develop into pose of this article it is sufficient to note prothallia, which look like miniature that it is a thin membrane covering the lily pads, or more distressingly like sori. As it lifts, the spore is slowly liverwort. These in turn reproduce sexu• dispersed and as this takes place gradu• ally to produce anew generation, sporo- ally from the lower pinnae to the upper

173 pinnae on the frond, the potential for of nature on your paper layout. successful perpetuation of the species is With many species, you will also significantly increased. get chaff. Pinnae or fronds that are picked All of the above is but introductory too late in the season will primarily drop to the specifics of gathering fern spore only chaff and what may appear as a whether you intend to become invisible good harvest is actually useless. Chaff or to share your species with fellow fern does not germinate!!!!!! Which brings enthusiasts. There are two important us to step 2...cleaning. Spore has the stages in harvesting spore... collecting consistency of dusting powder or the and cleaning. It is relatively simple to chalk residue at the bottom of our old collect most seed when ripe, but to gather fashioned blackboards. It is light in spore at the most opportune time re• weight and floats about much like smoke quires careful monitoring of the devel• (in fact, a good sneeze will send it on its oping sori. As the spore of the primitive way!) In the interest of seed exchanges species such as an osmunda is viable for and/or spore exchanges the old fash• only a very brief period and not suitable ioned "invisible seed" will not do. To be for a seed exchange, I will direct my sure you are truly contributing spore, comments towards the more advanced and to ease the life of the exchange species, particularly those with an in- director (not to mention the recipient), dusium. These can be observed without the spore can and should be separated suppemental magnification, although a from the chaff. Simply take your collec• hand lens is helpful to the initiate and tion paper, tilt it slightly, and tap it microscopic viewing is fascinating. In gently. It may be alarming to notice how brief, the protective indusium will much material is falling away, but that completely encase the juvenile spore. will be the chaffy debris which is of no As it matures, generally from early July use to anyone. (Practice this first on a on into the fall, the indusium will begin common native, and not a coveted to lift up like an umbrella releasing its imported treasure!) That which does dust-like contents. When you have sori not roll away will essentially be pure that appears ripe, a slightly raised, but spore, "visible seed," with the potential still visible, indusium exposing tiny dark to germinate, and when it comes to seed beads around the edge, pick a frond (or / spore exchanges that which we would if in doubt a pinnae) and lay it between most like to give and receive. Happy any hard surfaced white paper (tissue is harvesting! too fine and wax paper is lethal). When dry, fresh spore should drop within 48 Sue Olsen, Seattle, WA, is a special• hours and you will get a lovely pattern ist in propagating and growing ferns.

174 Enkianthus perulatus compactus Nickolas Nickou

From Japan, mother of many of our plant for the rock garden is the compact finest ornamentals, comes a magnifi• form. It is attractively twiggy in winter cent miniature - Enkianthus perulatus and is a compressed edition of the de• compactus. It is a dwarf form of E. scribed species. The emerging leaves perulatus, which is in the - a rapidly hide the flowers but this is an family that has supplied us with some of inconsequential shortcoming. In about the choicest woody plants. The diver• 20 years, the compact form will be sity is remarkable...from the spectacu• approximately 12 inches high and 18 lar rhododendron to the diminutive inches wide. It takes at least eight to ten Cassiope and Phyllodoce - and the truly years to bloom, but even as a youngster, miniature Arcterica nana. it is a welcome accent in the rock gar• The normal form of E. perulatus den. It is best grown in a raised bed so it will be six or eight feet tall in 25 years. is close to the eye. Plant it in full sun in It is multi-stemmed and has an attrac• a soil that would keep a rhododendron tive silvery bark. The lanternlike white happy. flowers are borne in great profusion Seedlings from the plant vary con• before the leaves emerge and the au• siderably so propagation must be by tumn foliage is brilliant red. The mature cuttings. Get one now and your grand• plant is as fine a shrub as can be found children will inherit a treasure. in our gardens, but unfortunately it is rarely seen. Nickolas Nickou lives in Branford, Far less common but a perfect woody CT.

175 The Rock Garden in Summer Geoffrey Charlesworth

New England summer follows culoides or persicifolia. You need to be swiftly on the heels of Spring. The either hopelessly tolerant or anxious to magnificence of late May and early June fill your empty acres if you plant C. is continued into July, as the rock g arden punctata. I sometimes think plants are remains colorful without apparent ef• called aggressive because that is the fort, and there are enough species that emotion inspired in the gardener who continue even into the hot days of Au• ultimately has to curb their invasions. gust. Perhaps the garden ceases to be a Biennial plants such as Symphyandra blaze of color but it never loses interest Hoffmannii whose glorious display of completely. The genus Dianthusbridges enormous creamy white bells enchants Spring and Summer and early June sees us through the summer can produce the genus at its height. D. alpinus, rosettes that casually obliterate their callizonus and glacialis give up early neighbors. You have to learn rosette but D. erinaceus, nardiformis, neglec- recognition and ruthlessly pull out plants lus, gratianopolitanus, and pavonius wherever they could be a nuisance, but grace the rock garden into July and in the leave enough plants in the right places to border or larger rock garden D. lum- ensure next year's display. Some cam• nitzeri, amurensis, giganlea and forms panulas, alas, are perennial and in addi• of plumarius will be flowering. At the tion to producing vast quantities of seed edge of the woodland a few weedy ones speed underground coming up for air in are willing to oblige - D. deltoides and the middle of a peony or a rhododen• armeria. The bright colors oW.chinensis dron. If this happens no amount of pull• look best with other annuals. ing out individual plantlets will rid you , Adenophoras, Sym- of the excursion center for further travel. phyandras and Codonopsis give us You may have to dig out the hotel plant whites, greys, blues and purples. There and remove every bit of resident root. C. are difficult scree plants C. zoysii,piperi, alliariifolia and C. punctata are famil• raineri and betulifolia/standards of the iar adversaries. There are plenty of bien• rock garden and wall garden C. gargan- nial campanulas everybody should grow ica, tommasiniana and cochlearifolia at least once. Some are difficult, but a and scores of middling difficulty. If you showoff for impressionable visitors and grow campanulas from seed every unfa• give a long period of pleasure, some miliar name is suspect until proved not come back year after year but never to be a version of C. carpatica or become a nuisance. Try C. sartori in a rotundifolia or worse still of C. rapun- scree, C. lyrata in a rock garden, C.

176 incurva in a prominent place in a large uncontrollable netting is unattractive, as rock garden but give two feet of spread• is the close up view of this jumble of ing room for its crowded crown of big "invisible" plastic. But if you can grow bells. Grow C. medium for a border and lilies at all you could also grow Nomo- C. pyramidalis for a patio pot (feed it charis saluenensis and Cardiocrinum heavily if you can bring it through the (Lilium) giganteum and then you would winter). Both are spectacular with luck be close to Paradise. and care. A genus we all grow is Aquilegia. Every rock gardener sooner or later These are notoriously difficult to keep specializes and you ought to have a pure, so grow them from seed collected collection of summer blooming species in the wild. And don't attempt to give of one genus. How about delphiniums or positive identification to any unmarked aconitums? You could segregate them at plant in your or anyone's garden, espe• the edge of the wood. The trouble with cially if it is not in flower. An extremist collecting one genus is that you sow the would say that you should never grow seed of a dozen different species in aquilegias from garden collected seed, Febuary, you get seven germinations, but seed labeled A. bertolonii for in• five of these give you plants ready to put stance will probably be on the small out in the fall. Four survive the winter side, on the blue side and on the elegant and bloom in the summer; of these two side and probably would not disgrace are identical and you don't know which your garden unless you had an impec• name is correct, one is misnamed and the cable reputation for being right about fourth has lost its label. You have to be the names of the plants you grow. Aris• prepared to build up your collection tocratic plants such as A. Jonesii and A. slowly - don't be discouraged by this saximontana provide endless hours of gloomy scenario. Besides you should discussion about their authenticity. pin your hopes on several genera. So try But rock gardeners are more likely also species Peonies, Composites, Sile- to leave their gardens in Summer than in nes and Gentians. If you can grow bulbs Spring. This is a good time to visit other go in for Liliums and Alliums for sum• people's gardens. We visit before the mer bloom. L. superbum and L. memory of our own vivid display in May canadense are our local lilies and among has faded so seeing a g arden pas t its peak the best in the world. They grow in full gives one a false sense of superiority. sun or dappled shade and their only We are not influenced by any memory of limitation is their edibility - from foot its recent splendor. We repress these high buds to eight inch deep bulbs they odious thoughts and immerse ourselves are preferred food of deer, mice and in the new garden's potential, subtly chipmunks. The latest protective device planning the owner's next move. "Why (after failing with hair, soap, urine etc,) not move the larch to the center of the is tough plastic bird netting draped over lawn"; "Isn't it time to pick up and divide the base of a clump. Anything that pre• those overcrowded colchicums?"; "I'd vents access to deer also keeps people make your next bog here", and other away and the physical inconvenience of superfluous advice. Or we play the one-

177 upmanship game: "I used to grow that" of preparation. You obviously can't leave implying "I no longer think it worth a weedy garden and you have to see that while growing" and obscuring the true the seedlings are safe. That much is meaning: "It died". Or "I have the one minimal. If you have an automatic sprin• with the variegated leaf, "I only grow kler you can arrange all the pots of trans• the dwarf form,". But most negative plants, the sprouted pots not yet trans• thoughts are overshadowed by feelings planted and the unsprouted pots within of admiration and an incomparable feel• the orbit of the sprinkler, program for a ing of good will generated by the shared daily sprinkling then you can leave them experiences of rock gardening. The without a care. Or can you? Your ears gardener by our side is showing his/her are glued to every forecast hoping for work of art and the "advice" and com• rain the day you leave and intermittent mentary that we attempt is no more than showers for the following two weeks. If a coverup for our inability to verbalize this is your hunch it would be wrong to these feelings. overwater and return to drowned plants When we head for the mountains we in soggy soil. If there is no rain at all usually leave the garden for a week or a while you are away then once a day for month at a time. Where do gardeners go fifteen minutes isn't quite enough. The in the summer? Washington folk have situation is tense - shall you cancel the the Olympics and share the Cascades trip after all? - or shall you lose face and with gardeners from Oregon, Montan- ask a friend to look in? - you bought the ans can go to Glacier, the Denver crowd computerized water regulator just to be can climb around on Mt. Evans. South• independent of your friend's unreliable ern gardeners go north, Easterners go favors. If you don't have an automatic West, the British go to France and Spain, system, the worry is unbearable; you the Czechs go to Romania and Russia, might just as well bid your seedlings New Zealanders go to the Rockies, the (and six months of anticipation) a fond Japanese go to North Carolina. Seed goodbye and resort to all-purpose prayer. collectors, photo-graphers and botaniz- If you are in the habit of watering the ers from all over the gardening world go garden too, the problem is that much on uncomfortable treks to Turkey, Ka• worse and no matter what you do a good shmir and Hokkaido. Native plant groups prayer will come in handy. fan out in Nevada and Montana. The And when you return you find chaos. Scottish Rock Garden Club journal re• As you drive up to the house you see ports that 75% of the people you would long grass where lawn used to be - the meet on a certain ridge near Wengen relief at finding the house still standing would be rock gardeners. It is safe to say passes quickly into anxiety about the that anyone above 10,000 ft. in Colorado nonvisible part of the garden. A quick looking down rather than up is probably run around confirms your worst fears. a rock gardener. The garden has been engulfed - mostly How can these people leave their oxalis. That is the most pervasive and gardens? showy of all the summer weeds. Later Well, to go anywhere requires weeks you find that enormous flat mats of

178 euphorbia and portulaca have gone to balance sheet is complete you are glad town on every path and in every bed, and you went on the trip. Not only for the wherever grass meets earth there is a precious souvenirs of Mt. Hood or Big dense band of rumex. The whole garden Horns but because seeing plants in the is uniformly green. Did you leave a plant wild gives you an insight into your own in the greenhouse. It is now a brown twig garden. Seeing somebody else's garden with a few shrivelled leaves lying on the gives you encouragement and new ideas. soil. The pots in the cold frame look dry Bringing back seed gives you the best and a few of the leafier plants are reminder of the mountains - the pleasure wilting.The ground around the automatic will last one full year minimum and sprinkler is sodden, under the first pot maybe a lifetime. You can also share you lift is a large slug. A more careful that pleasure with others in the seed look around the garden reveals dead exchanges and have perfect strangers all buns and browned mats. It takes a week over the world bless you for having been or so to recover your sang-froid and to Idaho and having brought a new accept your losses gracefully. The first Physaria into cultivation. glimpse was the worst; once the weeds Summer is seed collecting time in have gone, and the dead things have the garden too. Every dry day you go the been removed and the and mats rounds with scissors and plastic contain• trimmed you can put your losses into ers to collect the bounty. And of course perspective. Five Dianthus alpinus died summer is the time you are grateful for but there are still three left. And not all the annuals, for reliable, slowly chang• the transplants of Penstemon rupicola ing color - the curse and the blessing of dried out. The only things gone com• annuals. Grow even the fickle ones that pletely are the campanulas, codonopsis collapse after the first flush of flowers. and phyteumas, the oxytropis and the Too few annuals come back a second delphiniums - every one eaten by slugs. year. Perhaps they miss the desert condi• Don't throw the pots out though, some• tions they have in nature. But their seed times there is enough left of the stub for production is usually sufficient to let it to sprout again - the roots are O.K. you repeat the ones you want a second Anyway your car or your suitcase is year. It is always the homeliest that self loaded with plants pressed on you by sow. Big exceptions are Nigella, Iberis kind gardeners from distant parts. Or and and annual Delphinium. A few oth• youhave returned with eighty packets of ers come back but rather stingily. seed collected on the trip. Most of them Summer is the time to put into effect say Aquilegia? Jonesii, Silene sp.,? all the ideas that were churning through Composite, or sometimes just"?". You our minds last Winter. The original plan even forgot where you collected it. If will never mature, but some parts of it you brought back cuttings or plants they will be set in motion adapted to the are probably asoggy pudding in aplastic realities of space / cash in hand / availa• bag - you rush these into a first aid sand bility of materials. Perhaps a bog, a path bed even before you check the house for through the woodland area or anew bed. burglars. A week afteryoureturn and the Maybe a collection of containers, a

179 frame or even an alpine house. Summer treating and a group of plants in bloom is also planting out time. There is no best that are by no means left over from chronological time for this. If the earth is Spring. Silene schafta spreads its ma• dust dry of course planting out is taboo, genta riches; Albums come out in profu• but often August sees a series of thun• sion (A. tchaihachewii, caeruleum, derstorms or the remains of a hurricane. cyathophorum, flavum, and at the very So when the ground is moist enough and end Alliumthunbergii ,Caloscordumner- if no major drought is imminent you can iniflorum and Lycoris squamigera share plant out all the plants from the mail the stage with the Albums. The mint order nurseries that had to be put into family produces some good summer cold frames for the summer. And there bloomers, Origanum pulchellum, will be plenty of seedlings from seed Teucrium webbianum and T. sown in February just ready to put out - subspinosum. There are composites from look for roots coming out of the bottom the Southeast - Marshallia mohrii (pretty) of the pot and trying to grow into the and Echinacea pallida (quaint). Linum sand in the cold frame. If your July has flavum makes a fine show and Erigeron been spent making a new bed you will glabratus has been blooming since June. have the extraordinary pleasure of fill• Gentians, mostly the larger ones, prolif• ing a large blank area instead of the erate in August - G. septemfida, ascle- usual trying to fit forty plants into twenty piadea,fischeri are lovely. Some of the unsuitable places. If you have the right others are welcome only because we plants you could even restrict the bed to think we need anything we can get at this plants from one geographic location or time of year. bourgatii flow• plants of one color or one genus or family. ers late and there are prickly spheres of Usually these great ideas go overboard seed on the other Eryngiums. Cassia as soon as you have plants with nowhere marilandica and Santolina neapolitana to put them and you discover a little are pretty large for a rock garden but vacant space in your special bed. In would be good background plants for succession we have first polluted and this season. then abandoned a cactus bed, a primrose As summer slides by even the mos• bed, a silver and gray bed, a blue and quitoes leave us and New England luxu• white garden, a lily bed and a bog plant riates in sensual days and gentle nights. location. Eventually they all became just Oxalis may be a nonstop pest but there rock gardens. will be a day near the middle of August Late summer is when Colchicums when we sit outside under the maples start blooming but that event is part of a and say "Bother the oxalis". complex of changes in weather, air and trees and in the gardener too that is Geoffrey Charlesworth, Sandisfield, usually thought of as Fall. Before that MA, is continuing the series on "The happens we see the heat of summer re• Rock Garden Through the Year."

180 Some Mighty Small Bulbs Ann Lovejoy

All across the country, autumn brings sisters. For those who insist on effect - gardeners to their knees, doing homage and a taste for display is nothing to be not to the splendors of the season, many apologetic about - minor bulbs can cre• as they are, but to spring. We crawl ate unmatched displays throughout the about under shrubs and trees, circling spring. In our old farmhouse garden, the the driveway, following eachpath, plant• aging apple trees are skirted in February ing spring glories by the bagful. Most of with thousands of soft blue Crocus those bags hold the magnificent border Tomasinianus that have colonized over tulips and daffodils whose portraits are the years in the long orchard grass. March spl ashed across the covers and front pages brings the golden bunch, C. ancyrensis, of every glossy catalog. Those of us who in nearly equal numbers, along with prefer the delicate, the exquisite and the quantities of unnameable natural hybrids minute must flip impatiently to the back that have made this garden their home. pages of those catalogs to find the minor Snowdrops, both plain Galanthus bulbs, a loose knit and largely unrelated nivalis and G .n.' Flore Pleno', the ruffled clan that includes crocus and scilla, alli- double, mingle with the drooping green- ums and fritillaries. The term encom• figured bells of G.n. 'Viridapicisis' passes a whole host of delightful and beneath old hedges. A bevy of grape mostly diminutive spring bloomers, hyacinths, from the fragrant, sea-blue many of which offer years of effortless viridis to the inky, navy blueM. bloom in return for benign neglect. neglectum, azureum in Considering the ephemeral nature of robins' egg blue, the periwinkle M. big tulips and daffodils in most gardens, botrioides and the bicolored M. it is odd that the long lived minor bulbs, latifolium, marine blue at the bottom of so rewarding and self sufficient, should the spikes fading to sky blue at the top, be so little regarded. Perhaps because of haze the shrubbery with moody tints. their dismissive catch-all name, perhaps The crisp, white Grecian wildflower, because they are seldom used effectively, Anemone blanda 'Alba' is joined by the perhaps because a few are such ardent deepblue/l.b. 'Atrocoerulea' and warm self sowers (notably certain muscari and pink A. b.' Ros ea', the delicate, s tarry A. scilla species); whatever the reason, apennina, creamy blue with whirling minor bulbs have never managed to foliage, and many forms of the cheerful capture the attention and respect of willing wood anemone, A. nemorosa. American gardeners. Fritillary fans will want all the vari• This is a shame, for the species bulbs ous named forms of the charming checker are far lovelier than their blowsy hybrid lily, Fritillaria meleagris. Where the

181 type plant has flowers of smokey purple alliums and fritillaries that bloom in late and lavender tweed, 'Aphrodite' bears spring or into early simmer. By the time bells of creamy white, large and glim• the summer leaf canopy is fully formed mering in the light shade it loves. 'Ar• and their sunlight is cut off, the minor temis' is a heathery blend of lavender- bulbs are entering dormancy. Under the grey, purple and green, 'Charon' the leafy shrubs and perennials, their fading bloomy black of prune plums, and passes unnoticed, and they are largely 'Poseidon' a dusky fuchsia pink flecked forgotten until anew spring recalls them with chocolate. Other species which to life. appreciate shade include F. acompetala, The following companies have a firm a small, nodding species with large, policy to sell only field or nursery grown curving bells of olive to goldy-green species bulbs and plants. with a bronzy sheen, and the slightly taller, late blooming F. camschatcensis with dangling bells of mysterious purple SUPPLIERS black. Since we have acres to cover, we Van Bourgondien Brothers, knowingly admit some species bulbs 245 Farmingdale Road, that spread with a great good will. Were P.O. Box A, our space more restricted, we would Babylon, New York 11702 plump for less fecund types and plant 1-800-645-5830; them with more restraint. As it is, we NY residents call 1-800-832-5689 plant old favorites and connoisseur's treasures in lavish quantity, often tuck• Significant discounts on large quan• ing a hundred bulbs or more in each tities. Excellent quality, nice selection chosen site. Whether planting by tens or for a mainstream catalog. Full color by hundreds, we set bulbs closely, giv• catalog, FREE. ing each cluster a few smaller satellites for a more natural look. (If we waited a few years, many of the bulbs would do Dutch Gardens this for us, but having just left our very P.O.Box 200 dear city garden, we wanted something Adelphia, NJ 07710 wonderful to happen right away in this (201)780-2713 one, to make up, if just a bit, for our loss.) Large or group orders welcome, 10% Now, each small tree, each major discount on orders over $70. Excellent shrub hosts a young colony of golden quality, selection varies, some treasures. winter aconites, of blue or white mus- Full color catalog, FREE. cari, of species crocus or hybrids like the milky pale' Cream Beauty' or the purple and bronze stained cups of 'E.B. Bowles'. Hylseeds These early bloomers are interplanted P.O. Box 157 with erythroniums and dodecatheons, 2180 AD Hillegom, Holland 182 Wholesale only, but available to ing). Order in lots of 100 and up. Terrific anybody who can muster a large order quality, selection, prices, even with (no cash minimum, but there is a 220 lb. freight added on. minimum freight charge). No catalog; AnnLovejoy, Bainbridge Island, WA, two lists each year (spring bulbs / fall has recently moved to a country garden planting, summer bulbs / spring plant• from a small city garden.

Several Leueojums 183 A Look at Seed Viability Gerald Klingaman

Receiving the ARGS seed list in late cold frame. winter is one of the highlights of my Several factors could account for gardening year. Of course the real fun the failure to germinate. My lack of begins when the seed packets arrive and understanding of, or inability to pro• the spring planting has been made. Every vide, the exact germinationrequirements rock gardener has his or her own special is probably the most frequent cause of way of treating the seeds to maximize poor germination. Other possible prob• germination and insuring a good supply lems include the failure of the plants to of special plants for the garden. Being set viable seeds, or the loss of viability somewhat pessimistic, I only plant half of the seed lot in storage. of the seeds of a particular species, Just how long will seeds remain retaining the others in case of a crop viable, anyway? Stories about the dis• failure. It is a good idea to date all seed covery of viable wheat seeds in some packets, even the commercially pur• museum exhibit or just opened Egyp• chased packets, for future reference. tian tomb are completely false. Where With the seeds planted, now we wait. grain catches have been found in tombs, It is easy to visualize thousands of us the seeds were completely carbonized stooped over, peering closely at flower and incapable of germination. pots and flats as we await the first signs The oldest known seeds to germi• of germination. Seedlings, as if by magic nate are probably those of the Indian appear, giving us a much needed winter water lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) which lift. But next to the pots where germina• were discovered in a peat bed buried 2 tion seemed so easy, stand empty spaces feet deep in a formation 41 feet above where the hoped for treasures never the water level of the Pulantien River in appeared. Since I have been participat• southern Manchuria. These seeds were ing in the seed exchange, my percent• unearthed in 1923 and nearly all germi• age of "no shows" usually varies be• nated. The estimated age of the seeds tween 20 and 30%. Sure, we have been depends on who investigated the ques• told to be patient and wait, maybe for as tion - guesses ranged from 120 to 50,000 long as a year for complicated dor• years. Carbon 14 dating indicated the mancy requirements to be satisfied. seeds were about 1040 years old, plus or However, my success rate usually does minus a couple hundred. Two seeds not improve tremendously after the seed were shipped to the National Waterlily pots spend a stint of 2 or 3 months in the Garden in Washington, DC in the 1950s refrigerator crisper or a winter in the where they germinated. One of the

184 seedlings is still being grown commer• Verbascum blattaria were still germi• cially. nating 30 years later. Mulleins showed An even older account was reported for the last time after 90 years. No in the literature in the 1960's when a wonder it is so hard to get rid of weeds mining engineer in the Yukon found from the garden. seeds of the arctic lupine in the perma• The common denominator for the nently frozen burrows of a collared species which survived long periods of lemming, a species no longer found in storage was their ability to survive the the region. Through a series of esti• desiccation of the embryo. These spe• mates, the seeds were judged to be 10,000 cies produce what scientists call "ortho• years old. However, as is often the case dox" seeds, that is they tolerate drying with good stories, closer examination to moisture contents of below 10% and revealed that other rodents used the they will survive freezing conditions. burrows and the seeds had only recently Fortunately, most of our rock garden been deposited. plants fall into the orthodox group. This Examples of long storage life under group contrasts with "recalcitrant" controlled conditions can be found in species, those plants producing seeds the seed literature. The results of a test which will not survive drying below conducted on a lot of old seed shipped 30% moisture content and cannot be from Kew Gardens to Melbourne, frozen. What factors make some ortho• Australia in 1856 illustrate this point. dox species survive longer than others The seed lot, consisting of over 1400 is a question for debate. Table 1 gives species, was locked away in a closet and the expected storage life of some com• forgotten until discovered by A. J. Ewart mon orthodox flower species when in 1908. Only 4% of the seed lots germi• stored at room temperature. Five main nated after 50 years of storage. Of these theories have been advanced to explain 36 were in the Leguminosae, 4 in the seed deterioration in storage. They are: Malvaceae, 2 in the Euphorbiaceae, and 1.) depletion of local food reserves for the rest in miscellaneous families. the embryo; 2) accumulation of toxic Perhaps the best known controlled compounds or growth inhibitors in the experiment where seeds were placed in embryo; 3) breakdown of the triggering the soil for storage was W. J. Beal's mechanisms which bring about the first weed seed study at Michigan State. In stage of embryo awakening; 4) oxida• 1885 Beal buried seeds of 21 herba• tion of lipids, especially those in the cell ceous and 2 woody species on a sandy membrane; 5) development of hydro- knoll on campus. Seed lots were dug up lytic enzymes which could lead to dena• every 5 years until 1920 when it was turing of proteins in DNA and other decided to space the removal to 10 year cellular constituents. It seems likely that intervals to extend the length of the some seeds may deteriorate in one study. After 50 years seeds of Brassica manner while others may follow a sepa• nigra and Polygonum hydropiper made rate path to the same end. their last attempts at germination while The first two theories, if they are Oenothera biennis, Rumex crispus and correct, necessitate respiration in the

185 seed. Does adry seed in storagerespire? in much of the eastern U.S. is around As the seed matures on the plant, water 70% in September and October when leaves the seed and the moisture content most ARGS members are cleaning their and respiration decreases rapidly. As seeds for the seed exchange. Because of the seed becomes dryer and eventually the hygroscopic nature of starch, the reaches 10%, respiration falls lower and primary storage constituent in most lower until it is no longer detectable. seeds, equilibrium with atmospheric Most researchers feel that at somepoint moisture is reached at around 12 -14 % the moisture content is so low the respi• moisture in the seed. If the species stores ration stops and the seed is in a state of its food reserves as a lipid, the moisture suspended animation. Others feel that content is usually 10 - 12% at equilib• respiration never stops, but proceeds so rium because of the storage tissue's lack slowly it cannot be detected. According of affinity for water. If the seed cleaning to this theory, eventually the supply of operation is conducted in a basement, soluble nutrients found in the embryo the equilibrium moisture content will (usually 4 or 5% of the weight of the be higher. Conversely, if cleaning is embryo) is depleted and the seed dies. done in the attic, it will be lower. The last three theories rely on a slow Storage life for orthodox species is degradation of cellular constituents usually very short when the moisture involved in the germination process. To content is above 15%. Drying seed to me the one that seems most plausible of low moisture levels does not reduce the group is number 4, the oxidation of germination until the 5% moisture level lipids (fats and oils). Species which is reached, and even then this is only store their food reserves primarily as reported on large seeds which begin to lipids usually do not store well. The oils develop cracks in the cotyledons. Seed oxidize (turn rancid). Evidence for this moisture content of 2- 3% is considered theory can be found in the observation the minimum moisture content for most that storing oil seed crops in an oxygen- species. Equally damaging for seeds in free atmosphere greatly extends their storage is fluctuation in seed moisture life. Cell membranes have a lipid com• content, explaining why many seed ponent which could be similarly vulner• houses now use foil or plastic lined seed able tooxidation. Uponhydration, cells envelopes for packaging. Before seeds which have undergone membrane oxi• can be sealed in moisture proof contain• dation would leak cytoplasmic fluids ers or packages they must be dried. The and soon die. USD A has established maximum mois• The most critical variable affecting ture content specifications for most seed storage life is considered to be seed flower seeds sealed in moisture proof moisture content. It has been estimated packaging, with most species having that for each 1 % reduction in the seed between 5 and 7% moisture content at moisture content, between the range of packaging. 14 and 5%, storage life will double Storage temperature is the second (Harrision). environmental factor which affects seed The average relative humidity level storage life. Harrison estimates that for 186 each 10 degree F. decrease in tempera• degrees F. with the humidity 80 to 90% ture, between 120 degrees and 32 de• in the crisper area and slightly lower in grees, storage life will double. The the main part of the unit. The home highest temperature that a seed will freezer usually runs around 0 degrees F. tolerate depends on duration. Few spe• with a humidity of 10 to 20%. The first cies will tolerate exposure to extended two conditions exceed the 100 value set temperatures of 160 degrees F., but short by Harrison. Freezer conditions pro• durations are not harmful. One common vide the most favorable storage condi• scarification technique used on hard tions readily available around the home. seeded legumes is to drop the seeds in If room temperature conditions are boiling water and allowing it to cool. used, the seeds should be stored in a The lowest temperature that seeds have moisture proof container. The seeds been exposed to is that of absolute zero, should have a moisture content below - 460 degrees F. Many species have 7% when sealed in the container. This been exposed to absolute zero with no can be achieved by sun drying the seeds apparent damage as long as the mois• in a low humidity area or by carefully ture level was below 10% when the lamp drying. Glass jars with screw tops seeds were frozen. Theoretically at least, or plastic refrigerator containers with seeds stored at this temperature could snap-on lids work well for holding seed be stored indefinitely. packets. Enclosing a desiccant, such as Now, how does all of this relate to silica gel, calcium oxide or calcium storing the seeds I save each year from chloride, with the dried seeds at sealing the seed exchange? Again Harrison has proven successful in extending stor• comes to our rescue with another rule of age life under warm temperature stor• thumb to govern the interaction between age. moisture and humidity. It is the 100 If refrigerator conditions are used, rule. It states that the sum of the tem• the seeds need drying below 10% mois• perature in Fahrenheit and the relative ture only if stored for more than 5 years. humidity should not exceed 100 if one Usually sealed containers provide bet• wishes to optimize seed storage life. ter results than open storage under re• According to this rule, seeds would have frigerated conditions. If the seeds are a comparable storage life if stored at stored in the freezer, either open or 10% relative humidity and 90 degree F. closed storage is satisfactory. Drying is temperature or 40 degrees F. and 60 % notnecessary, because freezing tends to relative humidity. desiccate the seeds. As a point of refer• Let's look at the location readily ence, the Plant Germplasm Preserva• accessible in the home and see how they tion Research Unit at Fort Collins, CO, stack up with regard to the 100 rule. stores their seeds with moisture condi• Room conditions usually have an aver• tions of 4 - 7%, in sealed containers at a age temperature of 70 degrees F. with temperature of 0 degrees F. This gov• the humidity around 30 to 50% in the ernment unit stores seeds for long term winter and 60 to 70% in the summer. germplasm preservation. They expect The refrigerator usually runs around 40 15 years' storage life from most plants

187 before there is a noticeable decrease in REFERENCES germination. Harrington, J. F. 1960. Thumb rules Keeping rock garden seeds in good of drying seed. Crops and Soils. 13:16- condition for a few extra years requires 17. little space in the freezer. With a little Justice, O. L. and L. N. Bass 1978. planning it should be possible to keep Principles and Practices of Seed Stor• viable seeds of most species for years age. Agriculture Handbook506. p. 289. right at your finger tips. Stan wood, P. C. 1987. Storage and viability of ornamental plant seeds, in 1. Adapted from O.L. Justice and L. Acta Horticulturae No. 202: p. 49 - 56. N. Bass, 1978. Principles and Practices Gerald Klingaman,Fayetteville,AR, of Seed Storage. Ag. Handbook No. is Professor, Dept. of Horticulture and 506. Forestry at the University of Arkansas.

Gentiana clusii 188 Table 1. Storage life of various garden seeds when dried to at least 12% seed moisture and held at room temperature.

Genera that store 1-2 years

Anemone Coreopsis Nemesia Aquilegia Digitalis Nigella Arabis Echinacea Phacelia Armeria Geum Phlox Begonia Helichrysum Platycodon Bellis Heliopsis Portulaca Browallia Heliotropium Primula Calceolaria Heuchera Salvia Catharanthus Iberis Verbena Cleome Matricaria Viola

Genera that store 2-5 years Cyclamen Lin aria Achillea Dahlia Lobelia Ageratum Datura Lunaria Alyssum Delphinium Lupinus Amaranthus Dianthus Lychnis Antirrhinum Euphorbia Nemesia Asclepias Gaillardia Nicotiana Campanula Gilia Pap aver Celosia Helenium Petunia Cheiranthus Helianthemum Phacelia Cineraria Hesperis Saponana Clarkia Hibiscus Scabiosa Coleus Impatiens Solanum Coreopsis Iris Tagetes Cosmos

Genera that store more than 5 years

Alcea Chrysanthemum Limonium Amaranthus Ipomea Linum Aurinia Kernera Papaver Centaurea Lathyrus Salpiglossis Zinnia

189 Fern Allies for the Rock Garden George Phair

The genus Lycopodium, the Club- The Clubmosses mosses, and the genus Selaginella, the Evergreen in shades of rich green Spikemosses, share attributes that are the clubmosses weave some of the most highly prized by rock gardeners, and elegant of natural carpets; the repeated gardeners in general, yet they have been patterns vary with the species from small largely overlooked. Their finely cut, diverging fans, to tiny Christmas trees highly distinctive foliage contrasts par• and, at the opposite extreme, to single ticularly nicely with the more leathery tufts, or groups of tufts, clad in bristle• foliage of such small broadleaved, like pointed leaves. The bright new shade-loving plants as Shortia growth accents the darker green older galacifolia, hardy cyclamen, partridge foliage. Most species bear erect cylin• berry, creeping wintergreen, Asarum drical cones (strobili), singly or in species, Arum italicum, and dwarf groups, that enclose the reproductive hostas. They are not invasive, and will sporangia and provide further ornamen• coexist harmoniously with the plants tation. A planting of several species will listed above and many, many, more. provide an interesting mixture of growth Both genera include clump-forming, habits varying from radial to linear and trailing and prostrate, or semi-prostrate, serpentine. mat-forming members. Although most With so much going for them, why clubmosses and spikemosses require are clubmosses so rarely, if ever, seen in moist shade, a few members of both gardens? The answer apparently lies in genera enjoy clambering over rocks in the common belief that they are diffi• the sunny rock garden so long as shelter cult, if not impossible to domesticate - from the hot mid-day sun is provided. In a point of view that has been perpetu• short, they can serve a wide range of ated by most widely consulted garden garden purposes, but are particularly at encyclopedias. In blissful ignorance of home in the shady rock garden, the these pronouncements by the "authori• shady border, the peat bed, or wood• ties", I started growing in my garden land. transplants of the species that frequent The members of both genera tend to the extensive woods surrounding our be slow to startnew growth in the spring, home some 16 years ago, and have particularly in dry years; instead they continued to do so with satisfactory reach apeak in their new finery in mid• results ever since. Some of the original summer at a time when most flowering clumps have increased in size by 5-fold, plants begin to look a bit tired. or more. Fortunately, the 4 species that

190 were available are not only widely di• the mid-day sun is essential to all spe• verse in growth habits, but are among cies, and all-day shade is beneficial to the more attractive of the 21 species that most. A northern exposure is ideal. The make up the genus in North America best soil is normally that in which the (See Lellinger 1985). The four species clubmoss is found growing in the wild. according to the Lellinger's classifica• Lacking such soil, Heim recommends a tion are L. lucidulum, L. clavatum, L. mixture of 3 parts silica sand and 2 parts digitatum, and L. dendroideum. leaf mold and / or peat moss supple• These species range widely through• mented by an occasional light feeding out North America and 3 of the 4 are of a fertilizer designed for acid loving found also in Japan. The authors of The plants. To this I would add heavy feed• Flora and Vegetation of Japan - (M. ings of any fertilizer and of quick re• Numata, editor, 1974) describes club- lease chemical types in general are to be mosses as adapting to habitats in Japan avoided at all costs. The native soils in as widely different as the thin soils which the clubmosses are found are around volcanic fumaroles (L. cernum) superior, among other things, in that hollows of high altitude bogs (L inunda- they are already inoculated with the tum), open forest floor (L. serratum) microscopic fungus that is beneficial to and gravelly zones under alpine snow the clubmoss and essential to its sexual banks (L. sitchense). Their extremely reproduction. Heim notes that the wide natural range and ability not only gametophytes are usually underground, to survive, but to prosper as well, in are nourished by the fungus, and often some of the harshest of natural environ• require many years to form the sporo- ments suggests that clubmosses should phyte plant. As a result propagation by not be particularly difficult to establish spores by the home gardener is gener• in the garden once their requirements ally impractical. are understood. Simply put, those re• I disagree with Heim on the alleged quirements cannot be met in the stan• "fatal effect of a significant amount" of dard herbaceous beds and borders with clay in the soil, at least as it applies to their neutral to alkaline loams and sunny clubmosses grown, not in pots but in exposures upon which so much of our the garden. Most soils here in the east• garden lore is based. ern Piedmont, including those that sus• Michael Heim (1988) reporting for tain large stands of clubmosses, typi• the University of Wisconsin - Supe• cally contain very significant amounts rior's Lycopodium Research Group is, of clay. In my experience, the roots of so far as I know, the first horticulturist most clubmosses will extend well be• to describe the successful domestica• low the humus layer into that medium. tion of clubmosses. With one important To those collecting clubmosses in exception, his recommendations regard• the wild, I would add a note of caution. ing their cultivation and propagation It is important that the roots of speci• are in line with my own experience. mens, once they are dug, are not al• These include highly acid (pH 4.0 - 4.5), lowed to dry out during transport. One moist, humus-rich soil. Protection from way to avoid that is to cover the whole

191 plant with damp peat moss, or damp types, such as L. lucidulum, the hori• humus, in the collecting basket. This is zontal stems lie will below the soil particularly necessary in the case of the surface, the upright growths are close- trailing forms. In these cases the run• packed and the leaves are relatively ners may extend for 12 feet, or more, large. The clump tends to spread radi• with the roots heavily concentrated at ally, and the closely spaced upright stems the source, and only a few widely scat• may reach 8 to 12 inches in height. The tered along the length. On steep slopes resulting luxuriant foliage requires a these widely spaced roots probably higher uptake of water than does the provide support, rather than nutrition. foliage of the trailing types. At the In the tangle of runners and roots that opposite extreme, in trailing types such commonly make up pure stands of the as L. digitatum, the horizontal stems trailing types, it is commonly impos• tend to be fewer in number, lie at, or just sible to locate the root-bearing source below, the soil surface and produce more of an individual runner. The collector widely spaced upright growths that under then settles for a long section of runner, average conditions reach a height of 3 disconnected from its source, and hav• inches or less. The leaves are very small. ing too few roots to maintain viability I The plants tend to spread in linear to believe this factor, more than any other, serpentine fashion. When transplanted accounts for the alleged difficulty of the clump-formers are the easier to start, cultivating clubmosses in general. Heim but are the first to die down in time of recommends a way around this diffi• drought. In the case of all clubmosses, culty. Cut a 5 inch section of the grow• but particularly the clump-formers, a ing tip and lightly press it along its light moisture-retaining mulch is bene• length into damp silica sand, leaving its ficial and in sites that are partly open to top side uncovered. If the cutting is not sunlight - it is essential. Oak leaves or allowed to dry out sufficient roots will pine needles are excellent for this pur• develop to produce a healthy plant. This pose. is also an excellent conservation prac• L. dendroideum and L clavatum are tice since the wastage in collecting long intermediate in growth habits between runners with few roots is very high. the two extremes noted above, withL. Easier yet- pot grown plants of two of dendroideum more closely resembling the clubmosses described in this article, L. lucidulum and L. clavatum more L. lucidulum andL. digitatum (syn-fla- closely resembling L. digitatum. belliforme) , recently became available Lycopodium lucidulum, The Shin• by mail order from WE-DU Nursery, ing Clubmoss. The Shining clubmoss is the first nursery to offer clubmosses to well named. Its glossy green close- my knowledge. packed leaves are distinctly larger than All clubmosses spread by extending in other clubmosses, and they reflect a horizontal stems, or runners, that pro• glow that is almost fluorescent in its duce the upright growth at widely - to brightness. It provides a particularly narrowly - spaced intervals, depending pleasing contrast with gray-leaved and upon species. In the clump-forming blue-leaved hostas. A clump former, its

192 upright tufted growth is said to attain very attractive bright green new growth, heights of up to 12 inches in the wild, and ornamented by the light green to tan but for me, it seldom exceeds 8 inches. cylindrical strobili. The strobili are held Unlike other clubmosses, it lacks stro- above the foliage like so many candles bili. The sporangia are concentrated in atop the tiny Christmas trees. For me, zones along the stems. Another unique the upright growth reaches 10 inches feature of the Shining Clubmoss is tiny below ground, and the upright stems bulbils that form near the sporangia. though more widely spaced than in L. According to Heim these bulbils will lucidulum, are still close enough to• readily produce sporophy te plants iden• gether to produce a relatively dense and tical to the parent if they are planted in compact mass of foliage. In my experi• moist soil, and are kept from drying out. ence, the center of the original clump is Moisture is vital to the mature plants as apt to die out in 3 - 5 years after planting well. In our woods, a pure stand of the as the plant spreads outward on several Shining Clubmoss expanded from a 3 x sides, giving an imperfect "fairy ring" 6 feet patch when first observed, to 8 x effect. Heim has observed similar growth 40 feet in the course of several consecu• patterns inL. lucidulum. After 16years, tive moderately wet summers, then my oldest plant of Ground Pines has disappeared completely by the close of completely died out, leaving a bare spot, 2 successive summers of record break• but on 3 sides its progeny now partly ing drought. Plant in good light but full cover an area of 8 x 12 feet. Over the shade, in soil that has been heavily years, Ground Pine has proved to be the enriched with moisture-retaining humus hardiest of all my clubmosses, given and mulch well. L. lucidulum does par• shade and humus. It has performed well ticularly well in moist pockets in the for me in the shady border, shady rock• shady rockery. ery, and woodland. Lycopodium dendroideum, Round Lycopodium clavatum, Running Branched Ground Pine. Clubmoss. This clubmoss imparts a Lycopodium obscurum, Princess dynamic quality to the shady rock gar• Pine. Although considered to be sepa• den. Leaping from rock to rock, span• rate species by Lellinger, the difference ning the space between without touch• between these clubmosses are so small, ing the ground, its growing tip when that they can be distinguished only with held high emits the energy of a coiled difficulty even by the experts. Accord• spring or snake about to strike. Lycopo• ingly, for our purposes the two species dium clavatum is a trailing clubmoss, are treated as one. Hortus III lists linear to serpentine in overall growth dendroideum as a variety of obscurum. pattern, but locally spreading laterally To me these so called "Ground Pines" to cover small irregular patches. The conjure memories of the cool serenity horizontal stems lie on, or above, the of the deep woods. Semi-clump-form• ground and give rise to irregularly spaced ers, the coniferous appearing upright upright tufts. The leaves are small, growth with its dark green older foliage narrow, relatively light green in color, becomes highlighted in summer by the and are drawn out into a hairlike tip that

193 is diagnostic for the species. Native to Vitae, and the name by which I knew it open woods, grassy areas, and rocky more than 50 years ago, "Running barrows (Lellinger 1985), the Running Cedar", remains a particularly apt des• Clubmoss can take more sun than can ignation. Its long runners lie on top of the preceding 2 species. In the greater the soil, or in the overlying leaf litter. Washington, D. C, region, however, it When planted in humus-rich soil pock• is at its best when planted in the shade. ets protected from the mid-day sun, the In the cooler region to the north, it could Fan Clubmoss is a likely candidate for be worth a try in the sunny rock garden, the sunny rock garden. As it extends its so long as its root-source can be shel• trailing stems outward from the shade at tered from the strongest rays of the sun. their source, it will adapt to more and As indicated above, the Running Club- more sunlight. moss looks best when planted in the Although I have not tried it, an• shady rockery, but it also does well in other form of Ground Cedar, L. the shady border and is the best of all tristachyum, may offer the most prom• clubmosses for steep slopes. ise of all clubmosses for the sunny rock Lycopodium digitatum, Fan Club- garden. A trailer, it resembles in a gen• moss. Lellinger reports that the specific eral way the Fan Clubmoss, but with its name digitatum has priority over the leaves reduced almost to scales, it is designationflabelliforme by which the even more "wiry" appearing. Heim notes Fan Clubmoss has long been known. that "full sunlight suits it best and an The Fan Clubmoss is a true trailer with extremely well drained site (i.e., a coarse scattered upright growth and generally silica sand) is a definite necessity. It linear growth pattern. The leaves, very does well in open situations near pines, small, awl-shaped and fused to the stems or in the heath garden. This species along 1/2 to 2/3 of their length, give the tolerated greater heat and lower humid• foliage a "wiry" appearance. Its leaves ity than the other clubmosses." are less glossy than those of the 3 spe• The Spikemosses cies already described. In this region at In addition to numerous members of least, the Fan Clubmoss seems to have no great garden merit, the genus distinct sun and shade forms. The sun Selaginella includes species that are form grows on dry rocky banks and among the most notable in form, or in steep slopes that catch the morning sun. coloration, of foliage plants. These add This form is distinguished by upright an exotic accent to the garden without growth 2 inches or less in height, and being unduly obtrusive. Of the 34 spe• commonly by a somewhat grayish tinge cies that are native to North America to its foliage. Transplanted to a moist according to Lellinger, relatively few humus rich soil in the shade, it takes on have been domesticated. Taking the the characteristics of the shade form: genus as a whole the most garden-wor• the upright growth reaches 5 inches, or thy members originated in the orient, more in height, and the foliage colors a and are not widely represented in the true medium green. The foliage of both nursery trade. As a result the gardener is types closely resembles that of Arbor largely dependent upon a few small 194 mail-order nurseries of types specializ• withstand wind and hail. The main stems ing in unusual plants in which the stock branch 3 to 6 inches above the base to comes and goes according to the de• form the individual plumes. The plumes mand. A list of the sources I have used are broad and taper outward to a point. in the past is presented at the end of this The red brown main stems, are only article, but I can make no predictions as sparsely clothed with leaves and as a to their current stock. No doubt there result are clearly visible. A 5-year-old are other sources. Keep looking. Part of clump will produce no more than about the fun for any serious gardener lies in a dozen plumes, and these are held high the quest. with none flopping on the ground. Selaginella species that are outstand• Compared to other plumous ing for form are upright plumous types. Selaginellas, the overall appearance is Those that are outstanding for color one of "airiness" - a most attractive tend to be more trailing, cushion form• plant and distinctive as well. ing, or intermediate types. I have gar• Selaginella caulescens. den-tested 12 species, of which 8 have According to Hortus III, S. caulescens proved to be viable here in the southern is not known to be cultivated, and all part of the Mid-Atlantic States. The material cultivated as S. caulescens is S. testing period includes 1 abnormally involvens. Whether my caulescens is cold winter together with 2 exception• the taxonomist's caulescens I do not ally dry summers. All 8 species thrive in know, but one thing is certain - it is shade, or part shade. Two of the eight markedly different from S. involvens. can also take considerable sun and should My 4 year old specimen of caulescens is adapt well to the sunny rock garden if a much dwarfer, denser, more compact given protection from the mid-day sun. plant. Unlike involvens the individual To minimize winter damage, I mulch fronds begin to branch only 1 to 1 1/2 the roots of all Spikemosses lightly inches above the base and expand to with oak leaves, and for the first several lengths of 9 inches, or less; the main years after planting invert a flower pot stems are green but their true color is over the above ground parts of small largely concealed by a heavy covering plants for the duration of cold weather. of leaves. As in involvens the plumes The Spikemosses can be readily propa• taper outward and arch gracefully but gated by strewing cut segments of the with a difference - there are 30 or more stems over moist sand in a pot, covering to each well grown clump giving an the pot with glass, and storing it in a overall feathery appearance. Most well lighted site out of direct sunlight. plumes are erect, or semi-erect, but a Plumous Types few will be flat on the ground. The new Selaginella involvens, Chinese Lace growth has a bit more golden cast than Fern Spikemosses. Tallest of my is true of involvens, but the difference Selaginellas with gracefully arching fades by midsummer. It forms a neat, fronds up to 20 inches long, it has a fern• upright little mound. like delicacy that belies its toughness. Selaginella stauntoniana, 'EcoMt. Unlike ferns, its resilient plumes will Emei', Golden Spikemoss. A lovely

195 plumous spikemoss having short, very looser, more irregular mats and looser broad fronds up to 4 1/2 inches wide at low cushions than do the two trailing the base, and up to 6 inches long. The types previously noted. A native to the plumes have a much more golden cast eastern and central parts of the United than do those of caulescens, and the States and Canada, it grows in open gold tends to be retained throughout the locations on cliffs, on rocks or on sandy growing season. The close packed leaves to gravelly soils. It should adapt well to clothing the main stem and stemlets the sunny rock garden. turn an attractive cinnamon brown to Selaginella apoda. Differs from the golden brown that further enhance the above 3 trailing types in growing almost prevailing green-gold of the outer leaves. flat to the ground with exceptionally A neat, shapely, dwarf, the Golden bright green very small leaves borne on Spikemoss will light up the shady rock• weak stems. A well grown mat of S. ery, or forefront of the shady border. apoda is a pretty sight. Growing almost Trailing Types spontaneously and in great profusion on Three trailing types of Selaginella the walks and under benches in green• are not as eye-catching as the preceding houses, it can be a rather fickle per• plumous types, but they form shapely former in the garden unless constant cushions and mats that fit nicely into moisture in the soil can be assured. nooks and crannies in the shady rock Given sufficient moisture, it will toler• garden. Selaginella species? sold by ate considerable sun. Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery in the recent Selaginella uncinata. Most vigor• past has very small, rounded, yellow ous of Selaginellas under conditions of green leaves born on upright branches its liking, the trailing S. uncinata is also that rise one inch or less above the among the most eye-catching. Its foli• creeping stems. The wiry creeping stems age has a unique iridescence unseen in are clothed with leaves on both sides, other foliageplants, and, when fresh, its but not on top, or bottom. It forms a color changes with the angle of light, small dense mat. Selaginella and local moisture levels from blue sanguindentata var. compressa has through blue-green to emerald green. yellowish green leaves borne on 2 inch The most intense blue color tends to be high, close-packed erect stems, rising shown by the new growth particularly from creeping stems that are only partly that lying flat on moist ground. Good clothed in leaves. Those leaves, how• light, but full shade is necessary not ever, are longer than the others, and turn only to bring out, but also, to retain, the golden brown in color. It forms dense strong color. An open northern expo• very low cushions. Selaginella rupestris sure is excellent. The older foliage where has tiny bright green leaves, almost it catches the sun will lose much of its awl-shaped, borne on many-branched color and start to bleach by late summer. erect stems up to 2 inches high rising I leave the bleached foliage in place on from horizontal stems clothed with such plants over the winter to shade the leaves that as in S. sanguindentata var. remainder of the plant, then shear it off compressa turn golden brown. Forms the following spring. An oak leaf mulch

196 Lycopodium clavatum & Lycopodium dendroideum (Page 190) George Phair Selaginella uncinata(Page 190) George Phair lightly covering the entire plant will sustaining chlorophyll as to make them provide additional protective shade. unduly finicky. This vulnerability con• Originally native to China, S. trasts with the exceptional hardiness of uncinata has escaped from cultivation the wild parental form of S. tamariscina and has naturalized itself in parts of the which flourishes as far north in Japan as deep south. Long considered to be re• the relatively cold island of Hokkaido stricted in its outdoor cultivation to warm (Ohwi 1965). climates, 5. uncinata, in my opinion I learned the hard way. Some 12 could be worth a try in areas as far north years ago I imported 4 of the cultivated as Philadelphia given careful consid• forms of S. tamariscina from a dealer in eration to microclimate. I base that Japan. Like other traditional plants of optimistic judgment upon its well docu• Japan, they bore imaginative names. mented vigor once it has settled in. As They were planted with much care in an indicator of that vigor, my original what I thought to be a particularly suit• small plant of uncinata obtained in June able spot in the shady rockery. None 1984 has expanded to form a broad made it through the winter. Later, I mound 12 inches high in the center, and learned from Barry Yinger the secret of 36 inches long by 30 inches wide. It has their cultivation. These little gems are yielded 3 divisions that now form siz• treated strictly as pot plants in Japan, able plants as well - all this in spite of and they must be over-wintered and the extreme dryness of the past two dried-off in a cool dark closet at tem• summers. By way of insurance in the peratures above freezing. The conclu• colder regions cuttings of uncinata can sion is that they demand a controlled always be wintered over in the cold environment such as the shaded alpine frame. house can provide. For those who have Selaginella tamariscina. The culti• the facilities the cultivated forms of S. vated forms of S. tamariscina, the prod• tamariscina present a stimulating chal• ucts of centuries of devoted selection by lenge. the Japanese, must be seen to be be• Selaginella martensii variegata. lieved. Growing upright to 6 inches or This is another unusually attractive less the foliage of the closely packed Selaginella that failed to make it through dense tufts are strongly mottled in col• the winter for me. Considering that it ors of red, orange, yellow, and green• hailed originally from Mexico, its like "tiny Persian carpets" to use Harold demise was not entirely unexpected. A Epstein's description. These are the shapely, low-growing, semi-upright jewels of the genus, but like precious plant, its leaves are liberally splashed jewels they need a degree of protection and / or margined, silver-white. This is that the average garden or rock garden another promising candidate for the cannot provide. One of the traditional shady alpine house. plants of Japan venerated by the Japa• List of the sources from which the nese over the centuries, the processes of Selaginella species described in this selection that have produced the won• article were obtained: derful colors have so depleted the life- Eco-Gardens, P.O.Box 1227, Deca-

199 tur, GA 30031. published by Macmillan and Company, Logees Greenhouses, 55 North New York, NY, 1290 p. Street, Danielson, CT 06239 Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery, 2825 Lellinger, David B., 1985, A field Cummings Rd., Medford, OR 97501 manual of the ferns and fern allies of the WE-DU Nurseries, Rt. 5, Box 724, United States and Canada, Smithsonian Marion, NC 28752 Institution Press, Washington, D.C., 389 Wildwood Gardens, 14488 Rock P- Creek, Chardon, OH 44024 Woodlanders, 1128 Colleton Ave., Numata, Makato, editor, 1974, The Aiken, SC 29801 flora and vegetation of Japan, Ameri• T. Niizuma, 6-10 Yamate - 2-Chome, can Elsevier Publishing Company, Inc., Nakasugi, Takarasuka, Hyogo, 665 New York, NY 274 p. Japan Ohwi, Jisaburo, 1965, The flora of References cited: Japan, F. G. Meyer, and E. H. Walker, editors, The Smithsonian Institution, Heim, Michael, 1988, The cultiva• Washington, D.C, 1067 p. tion of our native clubmosses, The Minnesota Horticulturist 116(1), Janu• George Phair, Potomac, MD, is a ary 1988, pp 24-27. retired research geologist and lifelong gardener who specializes in growing Hortus III, 1976, Compiled by the unusual plants for the shade. He is past Staff of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Horto- chairman of the Potomac Valley Chap• rium, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, ter ofARGS.

200 Something From Nothing, Almost Milton S. Mulloy

Sedums are beneath the notice of carding onto the compostpile the scraps some, not everyone's cup of tea admit• of tired, weather-beaten stems and tedly. Perhaps this disdain comes from leaves, I filled a 5 x 7-inch tray about their being so easy, because - as some half-full of a mix of coarse sand and would say - they offer no challenge. commercial potting soil (about 2-1) and With some like S. Sedum dasyphyllum topped that with about an inch of fish- all one needs do is to scatter the tiny tank sized gravel, then buried the cut leaves where one wants them to grow ends of those stems in the gravel and put and, before long ... presto! new plants the lot on a shelf in the unheated garage. and so Cheers! It is still a source of won• This was at Thanksgiving time, plus-or - derment to me, after many years, that a minus. Sometime after the first of the minute scrap of tissue - seed, or in this new year I remembered the flat and case, leaf - leaf the size of a flake of found just at the surface the tiniest blue- finely ground pepper will, when dropped green buds. Since then a watering or two in, say, mid-June, into a crack in crazy- when the weather has been mild (and I paving, take hold in raw ground and by have remembered). Now, right after St. Hallowe'en have put on growth suffi• Patrick's Day, to speed up this micro• cient to carry it safely through the winter scopic growth, the tray has come into unprotected. So there's no challenge? the house and under lights. Within 24 Maybe not, but there sure is mystery. hours those minute buds had doubled And for the novice, abundant encour• their stature and currently, a week later, agement: a nearly instant response to stand at a sturdy one-inch height. With first efforts can only be a welcome stimu• restrained watering and very weak fer• lus to wider explorations. tilizing (5-10-10) for encouragement, Not quite as instant as the above, but they appear well on the way: come plant• in my own experience just as sure-fire ing time, I expect they'll be ready for the and effortless is S. Sieboldii. This among open garden; or potted up, should be• the Sedums is, along with5. cauticolum come admissible contributions to the a close second, my personal favorite, Chapter's mid-summer Seedling Sale. both being late-fall bloomers, in good Something from nothing, indeed! Short pink, and long-lasting brighteners of the of sitting in the shade and vegetating, pervasive end-of-season drabness. nothing could be easier. Satisfying, too! Putting the garden to bed for the winter Eventually, for cosmetics, the old with• offers recurring opportunity to propa• ered stems come off. gate these two (and surely, there are Milton S. Mulloy is from Cheshire, others for the inquirer). Instead of dis• CN.

201 Growing in the Path

Thea S. Tweet

A number of years ago when the no foot traffic. We find it an altogether greenhouse was built, we decided to charming prospect. gravel the wide paths along the length About the same time some seedling and at the back leading past the patio to muscari appeared among the gravel, the remainder of the garden. The gravel flourished and bloomed, reminding us was held in place by a concrete block of the rocky hillsides of Greece in the edging softened on the shady side by spring. Of course, they were allowed to primroses and on the sunny side by remain. lavender. Lacking a real rock garden on our The gravel was a bit stark but a very flat, suburban property, we began to serviceable pathway for the many loads realize the potential of establishing of plants, soil and pots moving in and sturdy, rock garden plants that like a out of the greenhouse during the sum• lean, gritty, environment. Soon we had mer months. The gravel layer was per• Aethionema, Alyssum saxatile, Arabis haps more minimal than it should have alpina and Phlox subulata. By scraping been and at first proved hospitable to the enough gravel aside to provide a pocket occasional dandelion or purslane, easily of soil sufficient for a single plant, we removed. have both provided a very satisfactory To our astonishment a colony of home for a favorite alpine and top- baby tears (Helxine) appeared one sum• dressed the gravel as well. mer in the gravel in front of the prim• The limits of plant intrusion have roses. Obviously escapees from the been reached or it will no longer be pos• greenhouse where they had been allowed sible to move the wheelbarrows around to ramble on the floor between the pav• for maintenance, but what a transforma• ing blocks, they found not only a sum• tion there has been of an area adjacent to mer, but a permanent home out of doors, the patio that formerly looked like a surviving even sub-zero winters. (We parking lot and now looks like a garden. think they self-seed.) Thousands of bright green, tiny leaves formed irregu• Thea S. Tweet is from Rochester, lar bays and peninsulas where there is NY.

202 Book Reviews

The Rock Garden and its of the transportation of massive boul• Plants . Graham Stuart Thomas, ders, or, like me, you have scores of $34.95. Sagapress / Timber Press. lesser ones already on your property, or, This is a fascinating book which like me, your climate and your vision are everybody who thinks of himself or different from mid-century UK you can herself as a rock gardener should read. It still enjoy the experience. There is an is an exciting history of one very well emphasis on the people of rock garden• defined style of gardening that is now in ing, the plant collectors, the nursery• a state of flux diverging and diversifying men, the propagators, the landscape from a canon that Mr. Thomas describes architects. Included are people we know and probably espouses. Its history is so the history almost becomes current lovingly and extensively chronicled and events even though information on very the reader is made to feel part of that recent plant exploration is skimpy. In history. Geology and especially the fact a mild complaint would be the geology of the British Isles plays an depressing conclusion that Mr. Thomas important role in the story and a North reaches on page 137, that "we are begin• American reader may need a map of the ning to come to an end of the alpine British Isles handy to follow the discus• plants of the wide world which are pre• sion. This is rewarding in itself but also pared to put up with our weather". This throws light on the British obsession ignores the recent influx of plants from with Greensand, Portland stone, Ingle- Western US, South America, Turkey, borough limestone and so on -and their Central Russia and China. We haven't relevance to gardening ( and architec• mastered them possibly, but we haven't ture). yet started thinking of the supply as The history follows a line from grot• exhausted. The seed lists are increasing toes and artificial caves to the classic in length every year especially that of great rock gardeners of the first half of ARGS. Even in the US there are still the twentieth century. These are the Physarias, Eriogonums, Penstemons to gardeners we now associate with the be tried out. very rich or with institutions. There is a The illustrations are lavish and apt, moment for the passing of a "great art" the black and white photographs are and a plea for its restoration and preser• more successful illustrating geology than vation. The US reader must recognize plants. All the color illustrations are this point of view and not mistake Mr. reproductions of paintings, some antique Thomas's thoughtful advice for dogma. (Farrer's water color of Primula agleni- He is dogmatic but only about this ideal ana is lovely), some recent; I am glad he garden that he describes as "natural". If, included his own water colors. There are like me, you cannot afford the expense no photographs of plants in color. His 203 advice on design and culture is some• useable manual of this sort, for the au• times provocative but always useful. I thors manage to present quantities of appreciate the aesthetic measuring stick scientific and botanic detail within a used to judge these gardens in which workmanlike, readable text. While not rock is paramount even though it is in definitive, this book examines the saxi• conflict with my own ideal of rock gar• frages of North American and Europe in dening. depth, with less exhaustive sections on The historical part is followed by the saxifrages of the Orient and Africa. several chapters on rock gardening with Gardeners are well served by the eco• and without rocks (scree, alpine lawn, logical notes illuminating specifics of alpine house, past gardens, containers) habitat, culture and garden preferences and what to plant where. There are no of these fascinating plants. The color lists of plants with descriptions but the plates of plants in the wild, though index combines plant list, cultural infor• unequal quality, are considerably better mation and location in the text in anovel than the black and white reproductions way. This is the place where you will scattered throughout the book. find which plants are illustrated. This is a very beautiful book and deserves to be looked at as well as re• ferred to. You will even find photo• graphs of Frank Cabot's, Ellie Spingarn's Gardening With Dwarf Trees and and Harold Epstein's gardens. Don't Shrubs. Andreas Bartels, Timber Press, worry about this being a book by an $32.95, cloth. English gardener writing for English This well organized compendium conditions, there is enough information will make a fine reference for those who and useable ideas for gardeners every• want more texture and year round visual where, and it covers different material interest in their rock gardens. The small• from any other book on rock gardening. est species salix, a host of penstemons, The book is available from Timber genistas from horridula throughpillosa Press, 1-800-327-5680. 999 S.W. and beyond, hebes and minute rhodo• Wilshire, Portland, OR 97225. dendrons are here in fetching array. Here is a splendid introduction to the possi• Geoffrey Charlesworth bilities, with plenty of information on culture and propagation for beginners or advancing gardeners.

A Manual of Saxifrages. D.A. Webb The Crocus, , The and R. J. Gomall, Timber Press, $57.95, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in asso• cloth. ciation with Christopher Helm and It is lovely to encounter a solid, Timber Press, $50.00, cloth. 204 When the firm of David and Charles voted to animals, and the other 80% is recently reprinted E.A. Bowles' classic of interest to gardeners who grow plants crocus manual, many of us sought it out native to this area. avidly. It was disappointing to find that For example, the section on the oak it can only be enjoyed as a charming forest describes first the general ap• period piece. Delightful as it is to browse pearance and soils of this type of forest. through, it is crammed with misnomers Then it has separate sections on the and inaccuracies maddening to the seri• hilltop, midslope and low slope com• ous crocus buff. Mathew's masterwork, munities. It then goes into more de• in direct contrast, lacks the warm, tailed descriptions of dogwood, Moun• immediate language that characterizes tain Laurel, and the American Chest• Bowles' writing, but offers instead a nut. It continues with the subshrubs and thorough, scholarly revision of the genus herbaceous plants of the oak forest, the that proves accessible to the layman as ferns and club mosses. There is then a well as the expert. The close to 100 color section on the mixed mesophytic com• plates are botanical classics chosen to munity. amplify the text, which they do admira• There are similar sections on Postag- bly. ricultural Lands, The Sand Plain Com• munity, and a very extensive section on Ann Lovejoy Wetland and Watercourse Communi• ties. This may sound rather dry and aca• demic. As someone who enjoys walk• A Sierra Club Naturalist's Guide: ing through the woods, along a stream Southern New England Neil Jorgensen, or through a swamp, I find that an Sierra Club Books 1978. $15 understanding of how and why in• When rock gardeners read a descrip• creases my pleasure. T want more than tion of a new plant, an important con• a superficial 'Oh, look at the pretty sideration is "How can I grow it in my flower!' approach. This book explains garden?" What is involved are the pref• simply and thoroughly how the land erences of the plant for sun or shade, was shaped by the glaciers, how the sandy soil or clay, acid or alkaline pH. rocks, soil types, weather, fire, and time, Most gardeners are able to accommo• cause different plant communities to date a spectrum of ecological niches. form. The more common indicator But an understanding of how the plant plants of each community are described. grows in the wild can aid in adapting it There are a few color photographs, some to the garden. This is the book to ex• black and white photographs, and some plain and describe the southern New sketches, it is not a wildflower guide, England-landscape and plant commu• but an introduction to the ecology of the nities. About 20% of the book is de• area - J.G.

205 Laurentia Minuta Wayne Kittredge

The specific name of this little mem• going inside under lights overwinter, ber of Campanulacae is very apt, its the mature plants I brought in never foliage being about the size and shape survived. I kept it going for three years of Houstonia caerulea, the whole being by sowing its utterly minute seeds in• shorter and more condensed. The flow• side in March and planting out the seed• ers are slightly larger the Quaker Ladies lings in late April. One year however, on shorter but equally wiry stems, the thinking erroneously that this little treas• overall effect being definitely elfin. The ure was now firmly ensconced in my flowers have a wide margin of mid blue collection as an annual, I collected only following the asymmetrical outline five seed capsules. Apparently there (typical of many Lobelias) and a pure was no vialble seed set in any of the cap• white center with two prominant sta• sules, so I had lost it, but did not panic mens of gold at the mouth of the corolla as I had given seeds to friends and to the tube. In my garden each little clump had ARGS seed exchange and felt confident as many as a dozen flowers open at one that I would be able to get it back with• time, continuing to produce flowers for out undue difficulty. Just the opposite as much as two months in spring with a has proven to be the actuality as I've not repeat in autumn. In amore capable gar• seen it listed in the seed exchanges of dener's hands each clump could con• three Alpine societies, nor have any ceivably produce as many as fifty flow• friends come through. To my aesthetic ers at a time. bias,Laurentia minuta is worth collect• Several years ago, I had Laurentia self ing seed of and sowing yearly, more so sowing in the garden, but in spite of than many of the annuals which I'd assurances that it is perennial if kept prefer not to be without.

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Pot grown, COLLECTORS DWARF BULBS nifty native evergreen, Our 1989 catalogue contains deciduous groundcovers, many old favorites for garden and shrubs and trees Alpine House. See them displayed In addition, we offer numerous rare in landscape form. and new introductions Full and Descriptive Catalogue $2.00 POTTERTON & MARTIN Call or Write for Price List Nettleton, Nr. Caistor, North Lines. To Visit Call for Appointment LN7 6HX, ENGLAND Tel 0472-851792

WILD FLOWERS

Forest Floors * * * Mountain Meadows WOODLAND ROCKERY 6210 Klam Road Otter Lake, MI 48464 MAIL PIPES CATALOG 11.00 ALL WILDINGS NUBSEMT PROPAGATED THE ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY'S PUBLICATIONS WRITTEN BY ACKNOWLEDGED EXPERTS IN THEIR OWN SUBJECTS, OFFER OUTSTANDING VALUE ALPINE GARDENING By R.C.Elliott $5.75 ALPINES IN POTS By Kath Dryden $8.50 ALPINES IN SINKS AND TROUGHS By Joe Elliott $3.60 ANDROSACES By George Smith and Duncan Lowe $13.00 ASIATIC PRIMULAS By Roy Green $17.00 A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO ROCK GARDENING By Winton Harding $5.00 DAPHNE By Chris Brickell and Brian Mathew $12.00 DIONYSIAS By Chris Grey - Wilson $50.00 THE GENUS CYCLAMEN By D.E. Saunders $4.25 THE GENUS LEWISIA BY R.C.ELLIOTT $5.75 HANDBOOK OF ROCK GARDENING $15.00 HELLEBORES By Brian Mathew $59.50 MOUNTAIN FLOWER HOLIDAYS IN EUROPE By Lionel Bacon $18.00 PRIMULAS OF EUROPE AND AMERICA By G. Smith, B. Burrow and D. Lowe (Including 32 Color pages) $40.00 PROPAGATION OF ALPINES By Ken Hume $3.50 SAXIFRAGES By Winton Harding $5.00 DWARF SHRUBS By Harold Bawden $10.00 AGS Publications are available ONLY from AGS Publications Ltd. D.K.HASELGROVE, 282-284 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London E17 9QD, England

COENOSIUM PERMANENT METAL GARDENS FLOWER and 6640 S. Lone Elder Rd. GARDEN MARKERS Aurora, OR 97002 ^ 503-266-5471 Style A Row Marker 100-10" $17.30 '15' $19.45' 20" $22.80 KALMIA LATIFOLIA Style B Nursery 10010" $20.60' 15' $23.45'20" $26.35 23 DIFFERENT

Style C Single Staff 100 20" $20.35 SEND a S.A.S.E. FOR LIST

Style D Swinger 10010" $15.65

Shipping and Handing: Zip codes Under 75,000 add $3.25 par 100: over 75,000 add $4.25 per 100 ^ s^B^y^Xcy^suIT Ohio residents add 6% tax. SEND FOR * DWARF FREE BROCHURE. Inquire about smaller quantities, high volume pricing RHODODENDRONS, AZALEAS permanent marking pens, and fund and EVERGREENS raising plans. Satisfaction Guaranteed. * PERRENIALS

EON INDUSTRIES fHoslyn cMursery 315 Dodge Street-DeptR. Sawantcn, OH 43558 DEPTG. 211 BURRS LANE DIX HILLS, N.Y. 11746 k MAIL ORDER CATALOG $2.00 £ Cushion and Saxatile Plants and Wild Collected Seed of the Rocky Mountain States Send $1 for catalog to PO Box 20483, Denver, CO 80220-0*83

THE ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY

Membership of the Alpine Garden Society puts the American Alpine gardener in close touch with those throughout the world who share his interest in one of the most absorbing branches of horticulture. The Quarterly Bulletin of the A.G.R. is respected internationally as one of the most informative publications of its kind. It will bring into your home a distillation of the experience and ideas of some of the finest gardeners, plant explorers, and horticultural thinkers of our time. Among the many other benefits of the Society.its uniquely comprehensive seed list alone is worth more than the modest subscription of $23.00 - For Overseas Members Apply to - The Secretary, the Alpine Garden Society Lye End Link, St. John's, Woking. Surrey, England

PACIFIC HORTICULTURE a magazine about plants and Gardens of the West Illustrated Color Quarterly Annually: U.S. $12, Canada & Mexico $14, Overseas $16 in U S. Currency Write to Circulation Dept.. P.O. Box 485. Berkeley, CA 94701

THE CUMMINS GARDEN

DWARF RHODODENDRONS Yes. We Ship! DECIDUOUS AZALEAS _ . . _ Catalo g $1.0tfi M0 DWARF EVERGREENS ^ COMPANION PLANTS (Refundable With Order)

Phone (201)536-2591 22 Robertsville Road Marlboro, NJ 07746 THE PRIMROSE PATH R.D.2 Box 110 Scottdale, PA 15683

Choice and unusual perennials, alpines, woodland plants, all nursery-propagated. Specializing in new hybrids and selections from our breeding program, species Primulas and Phlox, native wildflowers.western plants adaptable to East Mail-order Catalog $1.50 (412) 887-6756

4. H ^oidbo/tougfe o\kse/ty igr^L, By Appointment Only Growers of (301) 836-7023 Dwarf and Unusual Conifers,

W. David Thompson Broadleafs and Trees Street, Maryland 21154 Custom Grafting & Liners Available LANDSCAPE DESIGN & INSTALLATION Retail & Wholesale CONIFER & ROCK GARDENS

^CE CREEK GARDEN, INC. Rock Garden Plants Unusual Perennials Dwarf Conifers Rhododcndrons Wild flowers Water Plants Alpines niche gardens Hcrbs 1315 66th. Ave.N.E. growers of distinctive plants Minneapolis, MN 55432 (612) 574-1197

Rt. 1 Box 290 • Chapel HM, North CtroHna 27516 OUR PLANTS REALLY GROW UNCONVENTIONAL, RARE, AND FAMLIAR NATIVE WILDFLOWERS and artbvated perennials We ''Build for formal or naturaisbc areas. Torxjuaity nursery-propagated plants. '•Authentic c Mail-order. Rock Gardens Descriptive catalog, $3. and NICHE GARDENS, Dept ARGS, Com plete Rl 1, Box 290, Chapel Ml, NC 27516. Catalog $2 '"Distinctive ''Landscapes ARGS BOOKSTORE Mail inquiries and orders to. ARGS Bookstore, 329 Rolling Hills Rd. Arden Hills, MN 55112 ** NEW LISTINGS ** SUCCESSFUL SOUTHERN GARDENING - Ladendorf $18.00 A PLANTSMAN'S GUIDE TO PRIMULAS - P. Swindells 16.00 CLEMATIS - Barry Fretwell 19.00 CLEMATIS - Christopher Lloyd & Bennett revised 1989 edition 26.00 GENUS PLEIONE - Cribb & Butterfield 25.00 A MANUAL OF SAXIFRAGES - D.A. Webb & R.J. Gornall 40.00 HELLEBORES - Brian Mathews 50.00

ADDITIONAL BOOKS ROCK GARDENING THROUGH THE YEAR - Foerster 21.00 FLORA OF THE PACIFIC N.W. - Hitchcock & Gronquist - Reprint 1987 10.00 IRIS - Kohlein 27.00 THE GENUS CYCLAMEN - Christopher Grey-Wilson 22.00 AROIDS-Brown 31.00 THE SMALLER BULBS - Mathews 34.00 KALMIA THE LAUREL BOOK II - Jaynes 21.00 WILDFLOWERS OF THE WESTERN CASCADES - Ross & Chambers 15.00. VASCULAR PLANTS OF WYOMING - Dorn 15.00 VASCULAR PLANTS OF MONTANA - Dom 9.00 THE HOSTA BOOK - Aden 23.00 UTAH FLORA - Brigham Young University 36.00 ORCHIDS OF WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION - F. Case 26.00 WILD FLOWERS OF NORTHERN CAROLINA - Jusice & Bell 28.00 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FERNS - Jones 35.00 THE OPINIONATED GARDENER - Charlesworth 14.00 FLORA OF THE GREAT PLAINS - University Press of Kansas 36.00 ROCKY MOUNTAIN ALPINES - Alpine 86 International Conference 30.00 ROCK GARDENING - L Foster 18.00 MANUAL OF ALPINE PLANTS - Ingwerson - Reprint 15.00 THE BERNARD HARKNESS SEEDLIST HANDBOOK - Harkness & D'angelo ....23.00 A SYNOPTIC GUIDE TO THE GENUS PRIMULA - Fenderson 36.00

LIMITED SUPPLY HARROWSMITH GARDENER'S GUIDE TO ROCK GARDENING - Ferguson 8.00 THE GARDENER'S YEAR - Capek - Reprint 1985 5.00 THE YEAR IN BLOOM - Lovejoy 12.00 JEWELS OF THE PLAINS - Barr 17.00

POSTAGE & HANDLING - $2.00 for 1st Book - $1.00 each additional book OVERSEAS & CANADA - $3.00 for 1 st Book - $1.00 each additional book * Denotes Hardcover Book

ALL ORDERS MUST BE PREPAID IN U.S FUNDS MADE OUT TO ARGS BOOKSTORE. ZIP CODE MUST BE GIVEN /*lVl*.KlUArN KULK UAKDEIN SUUlt'l'Y D1KEC 1 OKA I E OFFICERS President Lee M. Raden, Alpineflora, 1 Alpine Way, Phoenixville, PA 19460 Vice President Sandra Ladendorf, 123 High Hickory Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Secretary Buffy Parker, 15 Fairmead Road, Darien, CT 06820 Treasurer Diane D. Kem, P.O. Box 53, Spencertown, NY 12165 President Emeritus Harold Epstein, 5 Forest Court, Larchmont, NY 10538

DIRECTORS Term expires 1989 Don Jacobs, Paul Palomino, Dennis Thompson Term expires 1990 Nan Ballard, Pat Bender, Andrew Osyany Term expires 1991 Muriel Milsted, Nickolas Nickou, Ramona Osburn MANAGERS Advertising Anita H. Kistler, 1421 Ship Road, West Chester, PA 19380 Archivist Marnie Flook, 1906 Academy Place, Wilmington, DE 19806 Awards Bodil Leamy, 7354 Kokanee Place, Vancouver, BC, V5S 3Y9 Bookstore Jean Stevens, 3923 Rolling Hills Road, Arden Hills, MN 55112 Bulletin Ted Marston, 13036 Holmes Point Drive, Kirkland, WA 98034 Library Service PHS Library, 325 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 Seed Exchange Carole Wilder, 221 West 9th Street, Hastings, MN 55033 Slide Collection William Plummer, 10 Fox Lane East, Painted Post, NY 14870

CHAPTER CHAIRPERSONS Adirondack William Dress, 716 Elm Street Extension, Ithaca, NY 14850 Allegheny Walter C. Betzold, 131 Rochester Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15229 Arizona Sonia Lowzow Collins, R.R. 3, Box M365, Lakeside, AZ 85929 Berkshire Anne Spiegel, 73 Maloney Road, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Columbia-Willamette Diana Reeck, 1602 NE 162 Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98664 Connecticut Joan Lee Faust, 11 Field Road, Riverside, CT 06878 Esther LeGeyt Bailey, 157 Douglas Street, Hartford, CT 06114 Delaware Valley Joyce Fingerut, 2106 Pennsylvania Ave, Fort Washington, PA 19034 Emerald Ernest O'Byme, 86813 Central Road, Eugene, OR 97402 Great Lakes Jim Briggs, 3270 E Lansing Road, Bancroft, MI 48414 Hudson Valley Edith Young, Box 332, RFD 3, McDougal Lane, Peekskill, NY 10566 Long Island Shelly Herlich, 43 Greenfield Lane, Commack, NY 11725 Lillabeth Wies, Box 233, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724 Manhattan Lawrence Thomas, 340 E 74th. Street, New York, NY 10021 Minnesota Jean Stevens, 3923 Rolling Hills Road, Arden Hills, MN 55112 New England Faith Magoun, 6 Spy Rock Hill, Manchester, MA 01944 Newfoundland Bodil Larsen, Site 78, Box 36, St John's NF, A1C 5H4 Northwestern Art Dome, 4832 54th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98118 Ohio Valley Dorothy Parker, 3 West Page Avenue, Trenton, OH 45067 Ontario RGS Cyril Baker, 4506 258 West Street, Brantford, ON, N3R 6N1 Piedmont Paul Jones, 148 Stagg Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278 Pike's Peak Gary Mueller, 2103 Essex Lane, Colorado Springs, CO 80909 Potomac Valley Don Humphrey, 6540 Oakwood Drive, Falls Church, VA 22041 Rocky Mountain Bob Heapes, 7588 Deer Trail Drive, Parker, CO 80134 Siskiyou Phyllis Gustafson, 250 Maple Street, Central Point, OR 97502 Southern Appalachian Ev Whittemore, P.O. Box 74, Penrose, NC 28766 Southwestern Laura Jezik, 9711 Isis Avenue, #205, Los Angeles, CA 90045 Tacoma Candy Strickland, 2722 East 84th, Tacoma, WA 98445 Watnong Ruby Weinberg, Beavers Road, RR3, Box 69, Califon, NJ 07830 Western Marjory Edgren, 50 Oakhaven Way, Woodside, CA 94062 Wisconsin - Illinois Douglas Macdonald, 1214 Grant Street, Evanston, IL 60201