Coming into the harbor of Gustavia on the Windward island of st. Barthelemy , AHSSTUDYTOURS I way to go! Look what AHS has planned for you next year!

January 14-21 and April I-May 6, 1990 September 12-23, 1990 January 21-28, 1990 Belgium and Holland Castles and Gardens of Scotland Gardens of the Caribbean Begin in Brussels by visiting its botanical garden, In the Western Highlands of Argyll, see Culzen Park Windward Islands arboretum and the University Herb Garden. Other Castle and Crarae Woodland Gardens. Spend two stops in Belgium include the Floralies of Ghent, a days at the Isle of Skye's Clan Donald Center, forty Explore tropical orchid collections, magnificent rain flower festival that occurs every five years, and the acres of woodland gardens and nature trails on the fore sts, historical sugar plantations, sparkling Royal Botanical Garden in Bruges. In Holland, spend grounds of Armadale Castle. Visit the highland gar­ beaches, and beautiful Caribbean homes . High­ seven days cruising its canals with stops at Boskoop, dens at Inverewe before traveling on to Inverness lights are the oldest botanical garden in the West­ the largest nursery in the Netherlands; the world's and Edinburgh. You'll be welcomed by the castles' ern Hemisphere in Kingstown, St. Vincent (1765) largest flower auction at Aalsmeer; and the mag­ owners and guided by Everitt Miller, former director and lean-Philippe Thoze 's Balata Gardens in nificent Keukenhof Gardens. The tour will be led of Longwood Gardens and past AHS president. Martinique' by Richard Hutton of Conard-Pyle/Star Roses . Passages Unlimited, 2 Oliver Street. Eighth Floor, Boston , Passages Unlimited, 2 Oliver Street. Eighth Floor, Boston , MA 02109 (800) 232 -2939. March 28-April 8, 1990 MA 02109 (800) 232-2939. Garden Paradise of Costa Rica November 3-10, 1990 Stops include the National Museum of Costa Rica; July 22-31, 1990 Gardens of the Colonial South CATIE, the largest tropical research center in Latin Natural Gardens of Alaska Board the Yorktown Clipper luxury yacht in Florida America; Guayabo National Monument, a major ar­ Cruise aboard the MV Sea Lioll and see nesting bald and travel north to old Southern gardens on Sea cheological site dating back to 800 A.D.; Monte­ eagles, mountain goats, black bears, and humpback Island ; private gardens in Savannah ; a seaside lap­ verde Cloud Forest Reserve , where you can see a whales, as well as spruce forests, fields of lupines, anese garden in Hilton Head; Orange Grove Plan­ volcano and rare, exotic birds; and Corcovado Na­ and giant ferns. The boat will pass by Admiralty tation ; the Significant gardens of Charleston; Dray­ tional Park.' Island, enter the Tracy Arm, Glacier Bay, Elfin Cove, ton Hall , a 1738 plantation; and Middleton Place, Le Conte Bay, and Rudyerd Bay, then disembark site of the oldest landscaped gardens in America.' at Prince Rupert. There is a post-cruise excursion 'Leonard HaertterTravel Company, 7922 Bonhomme Avenue, luly 31 to August 2 to the Buschart Gardens on St. Louis, MO 63105 1800) 942·6666. Victoria Island' American Horticulturist Volume 68, Number 10 October 1989

ARTICLES A Mouth.Watering Dry Garden by Joan Hockaday ...... 17 Ruth Bancroft's desert landscape skillfully blends texture, color, and dramatic flashes of bloom. The Fun Art of Seed Gathering by Elisabeth Sheldon ...... 25 The rewards are many, and it's not as hard as you might think. Donald Egolfs Viburnums by Kathleen Fisher ...... 31 The U.S. National Arboretum breeder is responsible for eighteen choice cultivars of this showy shrub. SHORT FEATURES History/]ens Jensen's Beloved Midwestern Vistas ...... 7 Showcase/Inspiration to Installation of a Winning Exhibit ...... 12 OCTOBER'S COVER TechniquelYou Can Conquer Without Stooping ...... 42 Photographed by Mick Hales Treasures of River Farm/Two Arts Meet in Needlepoint Cushions ...... 46 A giant Agave ferox and the colorful blossoms of an Aloe Gibson hybrid DEPARTMENTS typify the exciting contrasts in the Commentary ...... ,...... 4 garden of Californian Ruth Bancroft, Pronunciations ...... ,...... 36 where a wide variety of Australian, Classifieds ...... 38 African, and Mexican natives are artfully combined to produce a Book Reviews ...... 40 striking display of textures, shapes, Sources ...... :..... ,...... 45 and sizes. For more than two decades, Bancroft collected plants from around the world to create what is now one of the most spectacular American displays of dry-environment plants.

EDITOR: Kathleen Fisher. ASSISTANT EDITORS: Peggy Lytton, Mary Beth Wiesner. EDITORIAL ASSISTAIIiT: Martha Palermo. DESIGN DIRECTOR: Rebecca K. McClimans. MEMBERSH IP DIRECTOR: Kathleen B. Amberger. ADVERTISh'lG: American Horticultural Society Adl'ertising Department, 80 South Early Street, Alexandria, VA 22304, telephone (703 ) 823·6966. COLOR SEPARATIONS: Chroma· Graphics, Inc. EDITORIAL ADVlSORY BOARD: Dr. Gerald S. Barod, Flemington, N); Dr. Harrison Flint, West Lafayette, IN; Peter Loewer, Cochecton Center, NY; Dr. Elizabeth McClintock, San Franc isco, CA; Frederick McGourt)', Norfolk, CT; Janet M. Poor, Winne tka, IL; Maire Simington, Phoenix. AZ; Jane Steffey, Sykesville, MD; Dr. James E. Swasey, Newark, DE; Philip E. Chandler, Santa Monica, CA. Replacement issues of AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST are available at a cost of 52.;0 per copy. The opinions expressed in the articles that appear in AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Society. Botanical nomendature in AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST is based on HORTUS THIRD. Manuscripts, art work, and photographs sent for possible publication will be returned if th ey are accompanied by a self· addressed, stamped envelope. We cannot guarantee the safe return of unsolicited material. AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST, ISSN 0096·44 17, is the official publication of the American Horticultural Society, 793 1 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22308, (703) 768';700, and is issued six times a year as a magazine and six times a year as a news edit ion .. The American Horticultural Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to excellence in horticulture. Membership in the Soder)' indudes a subscri ption to AMERICAN HORTICULTIJRIST. National membership dues are 530; two years are S;;. Foreign dues are 540. 512 of dues are designated for AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST. Copyright © 1989 by the American Horticultural SoC iety. Second·class postage paid at Alexandria, Virginia, and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send Form 3;79 to AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST, 793 1 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308.

AMERICAN HORTICUL TURIST 3 American Horticultural Society Commentary Officers 1989·1990 Mrs. Carolyn Marsh Lindsay Rochester, New York President Mr. John H. WhilWorth,Jr. New York, New York am in the middle of redoing our own First Vi€e President perennial border, and decided to go MrS. John M. Maury Washington, D.C. l through all my notes from numerous Second Vice President lectures, publications, and catalogs to see Mr. Richard C. Angino what new plants would be appFopriate. I Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Secretary have great respect for Fred McGourty's Mr. RichardJ. Hutton knowledge of plants and his tasteful use West Grove, Pennsylvania of them in his clients' gardens all over the Treasurer Mr. Everitt L. Miller world, so I decided to check his latest book Kennett Square, Pennsylvania about plants to see what to add. I am now Immediate Past President absolutely overwhelmed with ideas, but Board of Directors the cold thought surfaced-where will I Mr. Richard C. Angipo find them and if I find them, who will tell Harrisburg, Pennsylvania me how to keep them happy in our garden Mr. George Ball, Jr. West Chicago, lliin,ois here in Rochester, New York? Dr. Sherran Blair My husband reminded me that when he wanted to grow eucalyptus Columbus, Ohio from seed on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, he contacted the Mrs. Benjamin P. Bole,Jr. Cleveland, Ohio Gardener's Helpline of the American Horticultural Society. They gave Mr.J.Judson Brooks him all the information he needed for the rest of his life about eucalyptus, Sewickley, Pennsylvania and many sources for seed. He then reminded me that, since I am also a Dr. Henry M. Cathey member, this is one of the great free services available to all members Washington, D.C. Mr. RusstlU B. Clark across the country, and that now we even have a toll-free number Boston, Massachusetts (1-800-777-7931) availabl

4 OCTOBER 1989 Is yOlU garden missin.g jewel~li'ke flowers floating @n a one @f the mos~ satisfYing forms of gardening. If yeu ,skimm.ering wate~ surface and the darting bftlliaqce of haven't ene, you are missing a, great deal o'f {:latisfaGtion. gelQfislJ:? Are you missi,ng the melodic sounds of wateli from your gaocden. . . spiRing f-rom. a fountain., v.essel or wate;rfaU? \ 'Let lLUypons an.d TETRA FOND help you to get started Wh,at you need in your garden is a wiater my pool. Awater wday by orderiilg one of our dW'able ,]:~TRA POND 32 mil, lfrly' PQal is a gru;den whose plants like damp to veo- wet fleXible 2 ply PVC PQolliners. So easy to instaU and milin­ f~et. Fish and frogs 'like to live there and butteri1ies wi11 tain yQU will ask yOlU'self why you waited so long to begin like YOlH garden better than ever. A water garden is Simply this adv~ntttre . Choose frum the seven sizes Usted (sizesru;e approXimate, fOli depth 1 Va' to 2' in yOU1.' awn design.): tJ Ulyponswateli gardei1ing catalogue subscripti@n ...... $ 5 ''[j 8' x 12' liner makes 4' x 8' pool ...... gUO o 10' X 16/ liner makes 6' x 12' pooL ...... $165 0 13' x 13" liner makes 9/ x 9' pool...... $185 []' 13' x 2@ ' liner makes 9' x 16' pool...... $225 [ J 16/ x 23' liner makes 13' x 19' pool...... $335 o 20' x 26' liner makes. 16' x 22' pool...... $455 tJ 23' x 30' liner makes 19' x 26/ pooL ...... $555 Use your ,personal check or circle eredit card: AE CB CH PC Me vs. Card Number: Exp. pate ~="'-'~~~ __~ _____

Name Address ..,..,..~~~~_~~ _ _ _ ~ ______City State Zip Phone ( ) ______Cata).ogue free With liner order. Caiifornia (6%), Maryland' (5%) and Texas (7%) residents please add sales tax. Lilypons Water Gardens 1526 Amhort Road Suite 1526 1526 Lilypons Road P.O. Box 10 P.O. Box 1130 P.O. Box 188 Lilypons, Maryland 21717-0010 Thermal, California 92274-1130 Brookshire, Texas 77423-0188 (301) 874-5133 Washington Local 428-0686 (713) 934-8525 Houston Local 391-0076 6 OCTOBER 1989 HISTORY/BY PETER LOEWER jensjensen's Beloved Midwestern Vistas

LEFT: Front entrance, Lincoln Park. The massing of small native trees such as dogwood and redbud was a common Jensen design characteristic. ABOVE: The park's cypress grove.

s I write this in my studio, I am ability have not grown out of this barren surrounded by my library of pile of stone and mortar [and] seeing the garden books. One of them­ destructive influences of their environment now our of print-is Siftings, they have tried to better them, but their the only book written by Jens success in combating the devastating in­ Jensen,A one of America's most prominent fluences these large centers produce has late-nineteenth and early twentieth-cen­ still to be proved. " tury landscape arcnitects. Technically not And of the American open road, he of­ a garden book, it is more about the phi­ fered the following: " Scattered trees planted losophies of a lifetime devoted to gardens promiscuously along the highway, as one and plants, but one with such insights that sees them in the forest, are more in keeping it should be looked into when the world with our landscape and with the American is too much with us, late and soon. mind than the stately avenues of monar­ J

AMERICAN HORT/CUL TURI ST 7 HISTORY

((First grow cabbages. After that, plant a flower. When you have successfully grown a flower, then you can start to think about growing a tree. After watching a tree grow for several years, observing how its character develops from year to yea'/; then you can begin to think of a composition of living plants - a composition of life

itself. Then you will know what landscape architecture is. JJ Jens Jensen on his art

eling around the country-he worked for a short time on a Southern celery farm and o Bronze aluminum 0 Shatter-resistant 1" thick did odd farm jobs in Iowa-he and his wife double-wall glazing 0 Do-it-~urself assembly settled in Chicago in 1886. There he found o Ideal greenhouse, spa/hot tub room, entry way. a job working for the Chicago Park System Send $2 for Color Catalogues, Prices, SENT FIRST CLASS MAIL. performing menial tasks that included path­ Dealer Inquiries Welcome sweeping and cleanup work in a potting I~~~:~~~li~~1~ VEGETABLE FACTORY. INC. shed. If , . P.O. Box 2235, Dept AHO Jo Ann Nathan, who owns a garden in . . New York, NY 10163 • Chicago that was designed by Jensen in 1930, is a Jensen scholar. NOW ••• BY MAIL! "During his early years," she said, "he and his wife took weekend trips on the UNUSUAL, HARD­ trolley, rode to the end of the line, and TO-FIND FLOWER from that point simply walked out into the ARRANCINC SUPPLIES: open and unpopulated fields. There they TOOLS, TECHNIQUES, TRICKS OF · would walk for miles and collect wild­ THE TRADE! flowers. Rumor has it that the trolley con­ ductors invariably gave them a hard time The original when they boarded for the retum trip to the city, because they always looked so A golden autumn moment in Lincoln Park. KETHCUp® C~ disheveled and unkempt." CANDLESTICK BOWL Jensen's love for both the prairie and its scape architect for the entire West Parks In colors of polished flowers I~d him to design a wildflower gar­ system. One of these was Co\tambus Park, silver, gold and NOW den on an unused spot of ground in Chi­ where in addition to the trees and grounds available in jet black! An addition to the most cago's Union Park. Since this area was in there were athletic fields, tennis courts, exquisite candlestick - " I a prosperous part of town, word spread swimming and wading pools, and a "coun­ or candleabra. Will \ : among the local gardeners and Jensen's cil ring," as Jensen called it, of limestone hold a cylinder ~ popularity soon reached the point where similar to those used by Native Americans. of Oasis. he became a rising member of the depart­ A council ring with a center fireplace used Makes a /J) beautiful . ~ ~\ ment of parks. for seating in his landscapes was a device Then in 1900-with several children to he used more than once in his career. floral l jf/.A~ ~_ ..- -- focal ___ _~ ,.e/ - -- -~ support-he was fired from his position Land values in Chicago continued to rise.

point for your l(anOlestiCk no"nCluOeOI as superintendent of Humboldt Park. Since many people were forced to live in table. Workers in the park system were often the most congested l"arts of the city, away 5.50 ea. or 2 for 10.00 rewarded according to how many votes from any hint of grass and trees, Jensen Postage & handling Included. calif. res. add sales tax. they could deliver to the Chicago machine. turned to clearing a dozen smaller parks, Jensen refused to hire these inefficient so that the city could offer "a free spot of The Keth Company gatherers of political plums. nature within the reach of every person." P.O. Box 645 He then turned to designing gardens, When The Friends of the Parks listed Corona del Mal', CA 92625 and in 1905 a new c0mmissioner hired him the ten "Treasures in Chicago Parks," they OUR LATEST CATALOGU~ - 1.00 as the general superintendent and land- included four by Jensen: the Garfield Park

8 OCTOBER 1989 Wart 'J{jc/(g. s yaraen cra{t( A catalog for garden-type people Over 300 fine tools and products Hand-forged English digging tools * Haws water­ ing cans * Danish .edgiifgttools ~ Danish dibbles * Long handled bulb plante.l's * Tool trees * Heavy duty digger trowels', * See1i..sower-s * Garden lines & twines * Scov il eye hl3'lts * GOliiseheck hoes * Austria.n grub hoes * German star han-ows * Uoo & Vee weeders * Ca pe Cod weeders * Magic weeders * Fish ta.il weeder & asparagus knife * Weed sLicers *Eng­ lish Rolcut pruners * S wis ~fe l co pruners * Two ha.nded loppers * Swedish p1'1./ning saws * Floral art scissors * English trugs * Cold fra mes i 1olarvents* Cloche ClI ps * EnglLskpropaga tors * EIftghsh grow­ ers pots * Dwarfpots * ~, UliJ(iJug hs * ;W:, a.ll baskets *Po tted plant tools* 1.jmid triats * An -~ ra ss Eng­ lish watering lances .:f0g ~e l s * II/; e holders * Compost shredders * i mpojqbins * den seives *pH test tape * Seawe oillQ ·ti fer tilizer * Slug t :p" Scottish plant s ppo Garden boots * F il- drens tools * C books * Bird fe roof bird house The warm colors of October foliage and the crunch offallen leaves greet visitors at the Call or write or a FREE catalog: entrance of Lincoln Park. 'Wa[t 'lIfjc/(g. Co ° Dept A ° 36 McLeod Lane P.O. Box 433 o Topsfieid MA 01983 Conservatory Fern House, the Douglas Park he founded a school ca ll ed The Clearing Phone (508) 887-3388 Garden H all and Lily Pool, the Humboldt to tra in would-be landscape architects. The Park Rose Garden, and the hea dwaters of Clearing still exists, but today it is an adult the Prairie River in Columbus Park. retrea t where a va ri ety of cl asses are of­ As a des igner of gardens, he had an uner­ fered. Those who attend are exposed to ring eye. When pl anning the rose garden Jense n's perceptions of the commonalities for Humboldt-one of the few truly for­ he found in all li ving things. mal des igns Jensen ever attempted - he set In 1939 he published Siftings. H e died the roses two feet below grade so that th e in 1951. straight beds would not interfere with the Jensen loved the nati ve prairie and all overall natural look of the park. the plants th at grew upon it and hated it In 1925 Jensen proposed a club of na­ when people would remark that " native ture lovers called th e Friends of Our Native plants are coarse. " Landscape, soon to be fo ll owed by the "H ow humiliating," he wrote, " to hear Prairie Club. A direct result of these or­ an Ameri can speak so of plants with which ganizations was the eventual protection of the Great M aster mas decorated the land! the dunelands of Indiana as Dunes Park . To me no plant is more refined than that His reputati on continued to grow. which belongs. There is no comparison ~yside Kqardens " M ost people don't rea li ze," said N a­ between native plants and those imported The Complete W Garden Catalog than, " that Jensen was extremely well ­ from fo reign shores which are, and shall For the discerning and demanding gardener ­ America's most diverse and comprehensive cata­ known during his time. He coll aborated always remain so, novelties. If, ho w­ log. You'll find a meticulous, world-wide selec­ with Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, ever, as is said, our native landscape is tion of the finest ornamental garden plants and hardy bulbs - over 1000 varieties! All backed by and many other architects who belonged coarse, then as time goes by we, the Amer­ The Ways ide Guarantee. Ask now and this 148 to the 'prairie school' of architecture. H e ican p eopl e, shall a lso beco me coarse page book-style catalog is yours FREE. even wrote for The Architectural Review, beca use we sha ll be mo lded into o ur Send For Your Copy Today! Landscape Architecture, and the American environments. " Please DL020 Print: Landscape Architect. Jensen was no stranger to American in­ Name ______"Unfortunately, many of his views, while stitutions. In a pi ece on gardens for The Address ______socially perceptive, went against the grain Architectural Review, he wrote: " The gar­ ______Apm!. ___ of those wedded to increased development den is a shrine amongs t its surroundings, City ______and not in clined to pay the price fo r social not a ga udy show pl ace that must con­ State ___ Zip ______responsibili ry. " stantly change colo r and form like the ever­ The Wayside Gardens Co. In 1935 - he was 75 at the time-Jensen changing attracti ons of Coney Island. For I Garden La ne, H odges, SC 29695-0001 moved to Elli son Bay, Wisconsi n, where the purpose of the garden is to be charm-

AMERICAN HORT/CUL TURIST 9 HISTORY

(1 have received many honors both here and abroad) but to be asked to design a garden that will be a living memorial to Abraham Lincoln) I consider the greatest honor of them

all. I will give my best and there will be no fee. JJ

ing, restful, soul-inspiring, 'not attractive, there are curves, for straight lines, accord­ as this has no connection with art." ing to his philosophy, do not belong in the For. a garden designed for a Michigan landscape." estate, Jensen wrote: "The site ... con­ Among his later works was the design sisted of a broken surface not unlike a of the Lincoln Memorial Garden in Spring­ wind-blown topography with its hills and field, Illinois. lowlands, its ridges and blow-outs [a dune­ The garden began through the efforts of country term for a depression in the hills]. Harriet Quigley Knudson, the wife of a The maximum difference in elevation Springfield doctor, who wanted to honor ranged from zero to thirty feet. The low­ the memory of Abraham Lincoln. She wrote land offered an opportunity for water­ for help to Jensen and to her complete scapes or lowland landscapes, and the hills surprise, received the following answer: or rides that of the average prairie land­ "I have received maoy honors both here scape as it is found on the bluffs or higher and abroad, but to be asked to design a elevations bordering the streams, or in the garden that will be a living memorial to glacial lake landscape, of the Middle West. "No changes were made in the topog­ raphy except ·the deepening of the lowest depressions for a water feature. All the A Dream Becomes vegetation used in forming these views and The Clearing landscapes we[l~ native to the region, with the exception of some of the herbaceous Jens Jensen dreamed of a wilder­ perennials in the lane. The garden was to ness where young landscape ar­ be made a part of the surrouoding land­ chitects could observe nature, dis­ scape, as much as possible fitting into it, cover its qualities, and be able to as it were, as an unassuming attempt of use these discoveries in their work gardening from the creative artist's stand­ and personal life as he had done in point. The purpose was to try to do the his earlier years. He purchased 128 best with the plants native to the region­ acres in the early 1900s, designed not by any means all the plants, but those the main house, and taught classes that appealed to the artists as fitting into in landscaping, horticulture, and the composition of a garden harmonious art. Today, the classes have ex­ to its environment." panded into many interest areas, Jensen filled the blow-out with irises. but the essence remains: man and o Please send me a Free Catalog. But he also considered the late autumn, nature together. o Please send me Mammoth Dar­ when the borders would glow with the red Visitors check in on Sunday win Hybrids/loo. berries of winterberry (flex verticillata) and afternoon and attend class for a week Payment enclosed $ ___ o the vermillion leaves of the sumac, plus until Saturday morning. There are Charge to: o maples, viburnums, and dogwoods. no grades or obligations. Two o MasterCard 0 Visa He then designed a path that leads di­ classes a week are held from May Exp. Date ______rectly through a mass of wild goldenrod through October and enrollment is Act. No. ______and proceeds to a thicket of black cherries, Name ______limited to about fifteen students a choke cherries, and sumac. class . Teachers come from all walks Address ______" He championed native plants," said City ______of life: self-taught, accomplished Nathan, "particularly the plants that echoed artists, professors, and well-known State ______Zip __ the horizontal lines of the prairies. His fa­ authors. For more information and vorites included native hawthorn trees a schedule of classes, contact the (Crataegus spp.), red buds (Cercis cana­ resident managers, Donald and densis), and flowering crabs (Malus spp.). Louis Buchholz at P.O. Box 65, Stillbrook Farm And uoderneath he planted ground covers Ellison Bay, WI 54210, (414) Maple Street, 307-X, Litchfield, CT 06759 and native plants of all descriptions. 854-4m~8. Everywhere you look in a Jenseo design

10 OCTOBER 1989 Abraham Lincoln, I consider the greatest honor of them all. I will give my best and there wi ll be no fee." And he did his best, taking a barren tract and not only imagining how it would look after planting, but how it would look fifty years in the fu ture. "It was a hilly piece of land," said Jim Matheis, the present admi nistrator of th e park. "Bean fields and corn fields, tired and overworked with, at most, twelve trees. 'Vivid Rose' Jensen worked closely with Mrs. Knudson. I beli eve that they had a lot of give and Estate Peonies • Tree Peonies take between them. He made over a dozen Fancy Hosta • Tetraploid Hemerocallls visi ts to the site. She would direct some of Siberian Iris. Pulmonaria • Achillea Asarum • Ferns • and many others. the plantings and he would direct others." Send $4.00 for your 1989 Color Catalog There is no highway system in the park; (refundable with flr.t order) the roads go only along the perimeter, but there are four miles of trails or intertwining lanes, each bordered by a particular tree WEATHERVANES · SUNDIALS or shrub. WEATHER INSTRUMENTS There is a lake on one border with small inlets that were part of his overall plan, Free Catalog

but unfortunately over the years, siltation Route 5, Box 197 Penny Road has taken a toll. One inlet was planted with Wind & Weather ~. ~:~t Barrington, Illinol. 6001o-~~5;5 4. white birch around it, then surrounded by PO Box 2320-A H Me nd oc ino, CA 95460 ~ Toll Free 1-800-553-~ cypress with an understory of red-osier (707) 937-0323 dogwood (Cornus stolonifera), all to be reflected in the water. But the garden is too far south for white birch, and those have perished. FROM 15" LEYLAND CYPRESS "Trees were planted," said Matheis, TO OVER A fast-growing evergreen (3 to 5 ft. per yr.) " including white oaks started from acorns 7 FEET Long-living IN JUST brought back from the great boundary oak, 2 YEARS ! growing next to the Lincoln birthplace near Leyland Cypress was discovered in 1952 Hodgenville, Kentucky. There are thou­ by Mr. Leyland in Wales. Since then it has sands of trees in the park and hundreds of 7' been widely grown in England and Ireland. wildflowers, and except for the proverbial It is only now becoming available in this weeds, all are native to Kentucky, Indiana, country. The trees, grown on the Eastern and Illinois." Shore, are in pots. " [This garden) is not an arboretum," Trees can be planted NOW wrote Jensen, "nor a collecti on of plants, Rated for Zone 7 but a pure symphony of living beauty and eternal youth." • Will grow in marshy or dry soil And he added that the white oaks of the • Not affected by salt sprays Lincoln Memorial Garden "will tell the Prices from story of this garden when all the statuary $5.00 and monuments have crumbled into dust­ (Lots of 100 or more $4_00 ea.) even Gutzon Borglum's great faces on the (Larger sizes available) mountainside [Mount Rushmore) will have scattered their dust over the plains." MAIL ORDERS: Six (15 " ) Trees Some would say that such a statement C~~a NURSERY Delivered $51_00 (UPS) is just a bit bombastic and perhaps it is, wholClsale Gift Certificates Available but who remembers words uttered without Catalpa Point Oxtord Road passion? And decades later, many of Jen­ PO BOX 1599 EASTON. MD. 21601 Leyland Cypress Trees make sen's creations still thrive with the beauty (301) 822·0242 thoughtful gifts for holidays, homes and other special events. he envisioned. U.S. Rt. 50 to Easton By- Pass (Rt . 322) to Oxford Rd . (Rt . 333) . Turn right at the OPEN 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Peter Loewer's latest book is A Year of Catalpa Point Sign (3 mi . from By-Pass) SUNDAYS By Appointment Flowers .

AMERICAN HORT/CUL TURIST 11 SHOWCASE/BY TOM WOODHAM Inspiration to Installation oja Winning Exhibit

ike an Indian sand painting or a picture chalked on an inner­ city sidewalk, the garden built for a flower show is for the mo­ ment, to be enjoyed briefly, and Lthen savored in memory for a long, long time. Its planning and execution, though, are as thorough as for a permanent land­ scape. Preparations begin slowly, then seem to snowball towards the installation, which occurs at lightning speed and proves to be both exhilarating and exhausting. Experienced flower show participants like Charlie and Chuck Gale, who exhibit ront ABOVE: TbeJ of at the Philadelphia Flower and Garden of any winning pl~~iast Elizabeth Show, have perfected their art over the tbe beginnings --'bute to bulb en atiVit}' are lips in au' years. Expert record keeping, lessons _clliration and ere d with yelloW tu learned from successes and failures, and TOP: l.",t', Garden is dotte Elizabeth s Lawrence. just being keen gardeners have kept Gale's Nursery in the winners' circle. But first-timers also can be winners, as was the case with The Connoisseur's Gar­ den, which received the award for best-in­ show at the 1988 Atlanta Flower Show. This show, after a long hiatus, was revived so successfully last year that it was granted major show status by the Garden Club of America and was thrust into the national spotlight. At this year's Atlanta show The Connoisseur's Garden garnered three awards, one citing its display for present­ ing "the best form and qualiry of plant materia\." Atlanta's is only one of the many flower shows held across the country each year, some long established, some newly orga­ nized. All endeavor to make their show memorable by including distinctive gar­ WhimS/. dens that will attract and inspire the gar­ tri cal birdh dening public. Classes, lectures, and even Ollie to No Ollses Prollide the tradesmen's areas all contribute to the rth Carolillian EIIZ:~::;ry Welcome to th Clarksoll e old:fashf, kaleidoscopic excitement of a show, but . 01led bac/>-. for me it is the gardens-creative and se­ ",J'ard garden ductive-that attract the most attention. gardened in North Carolina, but whose ' a The process by which a good garden is influence was felt throughout the South exhibited is a straightforward one, if at and, indeed, the nation. Garden reflects the romantic qualities found times tiring and tedious. From an inspired Elizabeth Clarkson, with her husband in both, but there was also a bit of for­ idea comes the development of a plan for Edwin, created, over a period of sixry years, maliry associated with each. Walk round which plants are selected and forced, ap­ Wing Haven, a three-acre garden and bird the garden with us; notice the small details; propriate garden accessories are gathered, sanctuary now open to the public in Char­ savor the color and fragrance. Imagine Miss and everything is put in place. "Elizabeth's lotte, North Carolina. A garden fir'st built Lawrence kneeling and inspecting a small Garden," a Southern garden in the middle for beauty and privacy, it actually became bulb or flower, or Mrs. Clarkson taking of spring, designed by Ryan Gainey, co­ more intimate as it grew in size, with vines, notes on the birds that come to her cal\. owner of The Connoisseur's Garden, il­ thickets, food plants for birds, and dead­ Imagine what it would be like to have such lustrates how it all comes together. (See wood left for nesting si tes. Over 100 spe­ a garden. And then take heart in the Ryan Gainey's design for a white garden cies of birds have been sighted within the knowledge that this is not an imagined in August's American Horticulturist. ) garden, and Dorothy Doughry created her garden but a real one." first pair of porcelain birds as a result of Inspiration her visit to this special place. The Plan When does it really begin, the creative pro­ Elizabeth Lawrence, who was born in One of the first tasks is putting the visu­ cess that leads to a beautiful garden? Prob­ Marietta, Georgia, but spent most of her alized garden on paper. The practical pa­ ably much earlier than you think. The cre­ life in North Carolina where she built gar- rameters of shape and size are set by the ative mind continually accumulates images, dens in Raleigh and Charlotte, gardened assigned exhibit space. For Elizabeth's both through visual contact and stimulat­ with her hands, her head, and her heart. Garden, drawings included a plot plan for ing conversations. An exciting idea, like a To the great benefit and delight of those the 1,340 square feet in the space, a front flash of lightning, may seem to come sud­ who' now clamor for her books, she kept elevation, and a rear elevation. These last denly, but the stage for it is set over a long meticulous records and wrote in a clear, two were of particular importance since a period of time. After the flash, the idea is erudite, and entertaining manner about a cottage facade nineteen feet wide, eleven developed, the focus narrowed (o r ex­ host of plants and their performance in feet high and only thirteen inches thick was panded), and the particulars formulated. her garden. Her books, including A South- constructed with a simple, yet formal front The sryle of garden is decided upon, and ern Garden, Gardens in Winter, and The with a covered stoop, and an informal rear. the process of interpreting that idea begins. Little Bulbs, have become garden classics, Correct detailing on the cottage was im­ The Atlanta Flower Show is billed as "A and her works are delightful, invaluable portant. Two sets of windows were in­ Prelude to Spring" and within that general resources for the Southern gardener. serted into the facade with lace panels and idea each show focuses on a particular The following notes were given to vis- cotton curtains la ye red between each for theme. This year it was "A Southern View." itors at the flower show: "Sadly, both these continuiry between front and back. The Elizabeth's Garden was a loving tribute women are now dead, but they leave us a same door served for front and back, and to two dear Southern women who both legacy of grace and sensitivity. Elizabeth's an old screen door painted blue was added

AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 13 SHOWCASE

Whats In 1heGarden? Elizabeth 's Garden has a formal front with a straight sand walkway and two narrow strips of grass. The rear has an informal stone patio . Plants are noted with an F for a site in front of the house and a B for the back of the house.

81. Adenophora liliifolia ...... ladybells 82. Adiantum raddianum ...... maidenhair fern 83. Aethionema grandiflorum 'Worley's Rose' ...... stone cress F4. Antirrhinum majus ...... snapdragon 85. Aquilegia vulgaris ...... columbine F6. Astilbe x arendsii 'Avalanche' ...... astilbe F7. Azalea (Rhododendron) 'Mrs. G.G. Gerbing ' ...... southern Indian azalea 88. 8mlis perennis ...... English daisy 89. 8leti/la striata ...... hyacinth orchid F10. 8uxus sempervirens ...... common boxwood 811. Camellia japonica 'Dr. Tinsley' ...... camellia 812. Camellia japonica 'Sieur de Oienville' .. ... camellia 813. Cedrus deodara ...... deodar cedar F14. Chaenomeles speciosa ...... Japanese quince F841. Myosotis sylvatica 815. Clematis 'Nelly Moser' ...... pink clematis 'Blue Bird' ..... forget-me-not F16. Convallaria majalis ...... Iily-of-the-valley 842. Nandina F17. Cyrtomium falcatum ...... holly fern domestica F18. Doronicum corda tum ...... leopard's-bane 8F43. Narcissus F19. Edgeworthia papyrifera ...... paperbush 'Jack Snipe' F20. Euphorbia corollata ...... flowering spurge 844. Phlox stolonifera F21. Euphorbia cyparissias .. . cypress spurge 'Bruce's White' ...... F22. Euphorbia myrsinites ...... spurge F23 . Felicia amelloides ...... blue daisy 824. Forsythia ...... yellowbells 825. Hamamelis mollis ... Chinese witch hazel F26 . Hedera canariensis 'Variegata' ...... variegated Algerian ivy F27. Hedera helix 'Manda's Crested' ...... Manda's English ivy 828. Helleborus orientalis .. lenten rose ...... gold flame spirea 829. Hydrangea quercifolia ...... oakleaf hydrangea F30. Hydrangea macrophylla spirea 'Variegated Mariesii' .... lace cape hydrangea F54. Spiraea cantoniensis ...... Reeve 's spirea F31. Iberis sempervirens ...... candy tuft 855. Tropaeolum minus ...... dwarf nasturtium F32. Illicium floridanum ...... purple anise F56. Tsuga canadensis ...... Canadian hemlock F33. Kerria japonica 'Argenteo- 857. Tulipa 'Apricot Beauty' ...... triumph tulip variegata' ...... Japanese rose F58. Tulipa spp...... hybrid tulips F34. Lamium maculatum 'Aureum' ...... dead nettle F59. Viburnum x burkwoodii ... Burkwood's viburnum F35. Lamium maculatum F60. Viburnum x carlcephalum .. .. fragrant viburnum 'Beacon Silver' . .... dead nettle F61. Viburnum 836. Lathyrus odoratus macrocephalum .... . Chinese snowball viburnum 'Ascot Series' ...... sweet pea 862. Viburnum opulus 'Sterile' ...... snowball bush 837. Lonicera sempervirens 863. Viburnum plica tum forma 'Sulphurea' ...... yellow trumpet honeysuckle tomentosum ...... double file viburnum 838. Magnolia grandiflora ...... , .. southern magnolia F64. Viola x wittrockiana 'Universal White' ..... pansy F39. Mahonia aquifolium ...... Oregon grape holly 865. Viola odorata 'Baby Lucia' ...... viola 840. Muscari armeniacum ...... grape hyacinth 866. Weigela florida ...... weigela

14 OCTOBER 1989 ELIZABETH'S GARDEN

Illu stration by Brooks Garcia

AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 15 SHOWCASE

to the rear, complete with twO wads of for a project as complicated in its pl ant As you can see, the entire setup took cotton tucked into small holes in the screen composition as Elizabeth's Garden. place over two days-a lightning-fast and (a common practice in the South for keep­ For beginners, perhaps the greatest chal­ breathtaking experience. ing flies away). The tin roof was painted lenge is forcing plants to be at their peak tea-leaf green and the house pale yellow for those several days the show encom­ Marketing with white trim. passes. Plant knowledge is essential-what, A great deal of the impetus for creating Window boxes, custom shutters, a stoop, if any, cold treatments are required, where a garden is the sheer joy it brings. But a straight sand walkway, a white picket flowers appear on a particular plant, and secondarily, because the cost of doing such fence, an entrance arbor, and two cast iron the succession of budding during the sea­ a project represents a sizeable portion, if laurel settees completed the front detailing, son to be portrayed-are just some of the not all, of the annual advertising budget which served as a backdrop for the plants concerns. for many of the participants, the more and flowers in the front, which was Eliz­ Even armed with this horticultural wis­ publicity one can generate, the better. Eliz­ abeth Lawrence's section of the garden. In dom, things can be complicated. In the abeth's Garden was a great backdrop for the rear, free-standing window boxes, stone South we have balmy, springlike days in photographs that appeared not only before steps, a stone patio, an old wire fence, and the midst of winter; in other areas, pro­ and during the show, but several months seven birdhouses painted in the most longed dull wintry days of poor light hold later as a full-color, full-page photograph intricate detail by Atlanta artist Patrick plants back. For Elizabeth's Garden, (with model) introducing the spring gar­ Mizelle set the stage for the plantings countless hours were spent dragging plants dening section of a local paper. Credit, that honored Elizabeth Clarkson. in and out of greenhouses, either to avoid sometimes overlooked, was in this case Important in working in small spaces is or to take advantage of the vagaries of properly given to The Connoisseur's the use of forced perspective. The whole weather. The process became particularly Garden. garden was built up about twelve inches tiring as the show approached. The help Having a representative of The Con­ from the floor of the exhibit hall. It also of growers with greenhouse ranges is in­ noisseur's Garden at Elizabeth's Garden sloped up toward the center or focal point valuable for forced bulbs and perennials. throughout the show to answer questions, of the garden - the cottage facade. The make contacts and conversation, and to straight-edged sand walkway was wider at Installation point out notable plants or design elements its beginning under the arbor and nar­ The installation of the display proceeded to interested attendees helped the garden­ rowed as it moved towards the stoop. The as follows: ing public relate the name of the business front garden, outlined by the picket fence, Wednesday a.m.: with a strong image of expertise and moved the same way toward the cottage. • Empty exhibit hall starts to fill with professionalism. A handout, elegant in its Through this illusion the garden seemed bags of soil conditioner placed at each visual imagery and prose, was proffered larger and well-proportioned. garden site for further reinforcement. Plant selection and placement separate Wednesday p.m.: Being creative in other ways can also the gifted from the guided in the world of • Facade of cottage forklifted into place garner publicity. Both owners and eight garden design. In Elizabeth's Garden, trees, • General lines of garden demarcated friends and co-workers dressed for the pre­ shrubs, lesser shrubs, perennials, and bulbs Thursday a.m.: view party of the Atlanta Flower Show as were all placed in growing positions that • Picket fence, doors, windows installed " plant ambassadors," resplendent in white were at once natural and stimulating. It is • Trees and major shrubs placed by sashes with titles such as Lord Alyssum the philosophy of The Connoisseur's Gar­ forklift across the front and the appropriate com­ den to be intellectually honest about the • Stones brought in and retaining walls mon name (" basket of gold") on the back. plants displayed. Not everything would be started It was the source of much conversation in bloom at the same time; therefore, when • Garden level attained with soil during a party attended by guests who can viburnums were beginning to flower, oak­ conditioner (using both bagged and afford expert gardening help, and it re­ leaf hydrangeas were just leafing out. loose soil) sulted in both a photograph and comments A color scheme featuring chartreuse, sil­ Thursday p.m.: in the social column of the Atlanta Con­ ver, and golden foliage set against rich • Stonework continued stitution. For the upscale consumer, such evergreens with cream, white, and pale yel­ • Wire fence put into place reinforcement that he or she is dealing with low flowers predominated. In the more • All flowering and leafing shrubs the best is extremely important. informal rear garden, however, a variety brought in and placed The one word that best describes every of soft colors were chosen to give the feel­ • Electrical work accomplished aspect of a successful flower show and, ing of an old-fashioned, backdoor plot. Friday a.m.: indeed, a successful garden, is quality. From • Shrub placement continued the degree of horticultural sophistication Plant Collection and Forcing • Benches placed in front garden to the attitudes of participants, the pres­ Arguably, one of the most enjoyable facets • Painted bird houses put into place ence of quality signifies achievement and of the project is finding the plants. A good • Plantings placed along fences and its lack augurs disappointment. network of suppliers is essential as is a around house quick mind to recall who has what. Search­ Friday p.m.: ing specialty nurseries or small, out-of-the­ • Flowering bulbs and perennials added Tom Woodham, lecturer and gardening way nurseries for just the right size and • Grass laid voice for Southern Accents magazine, is shape plant is critical and time-consuming • Grooming, grooming and grooming co-owner of The Connoisseur's Garden.

16 OCTOBER 1989 A Mouth-~acering

by Joan Hockaday

alifornia holds a fascination because ..... of its fine gardening tradition, its wealth of flowering native plants, and its broad range of seaside, mountain, and desert possibilities, all within the confines lof a single state. The interior's rainless summers and the coastal fogs dictate plant selection from like climates of the Mediterranean, Australia, South Africa, and South America. In a sheltered valley twenty miles east of Pacific Ocean breezes and the city of San Francisco Ruth Bancroft has amassed, in the past two decades, an impressive collection of plants suitable to the dry Walnut Creek summers­ and to parched environs worldwide. On four acres of soil once planted with walnut trees, trees from Australia and Africa, shrubs from Mexico and California, and exotics from Chile and Baja mature side by side. Some send up plumes of flowers only in old age, others open their flowers only in the dark of night.

AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 17 Ruth Bancroft's early architectural training is evident everywhere in the scale and detail of this dry garden.

out, the carefully laid-out curved pathways and hidden enticements supply the setting for the exotic plants and are a major reason why this garden is so successful, deserving of a pilgrimage each year. The plant col­ lection itself is enough to draw the curious, but the underlying design gives the garden its human scale, despite the oversize spec­ imens dominating the landscape. Patience and old farm equipment are needed in equal supply to make this garden work. Mrs. Bancroft waited almost twenty years to see her first bloom on the giant Yucca carnerosana, with its eight-foot-high ~ white inflorescence that begins twenty-five ~ feet off the ground. And when six-foot ~ spreading, spikey agaves finish their once­ ~ a-decade bloom, the main plant needs lift- ing-by a crane on a truck bed, in most n April and May, when the were designed for future growth and girth. cases. This process opens up the plant and flowers make their brief show Halfway between the smaller and larger makes room for offsets or bulbils to start (a day or two at most), garden beds, two screened-in shade houses - aptly the bloom cycle once again. Ordinary gar­ clubs and horticultural soci­ named West Shade and East Shade-pro­ den gloves and delicate pruning shears are eties flock to the Bancroft gardefl to see vide a focal point from almost every van­ not the tools needed in this world of giant this year's exotica. And each year more tage in the garden. A picturesque octag­ plants. giant specimens come into bloom, while onal pavilion, freshly painted gray-green While the cacti and succulents grab all other plants - agaves, particularly - fail to match the shade houses and main house, the attention, the trees, carefully selected immediately after flowering, adding to the conflects the two wings, where lemonade and sited, give this garden its character. drama. Some plants bloom all at once while is served in summer and tender plants are At first glance, familiar West Coast trees others send up one bloom each day, the protected in winter. Architect Ken House­ like eucalyptus and acacia-imported from entire show for many plants lasting only holder designed the connecting pavilion abroad a century ago-appear to domi­ a week or two. after the late plantsman Lester Hawkins nate the Bancroft skyline, until the visitor Ruth Bancroft was a student of archi­ laid out the shade houses and planting beds soon realizes that the individual trees are tecture during the 1920s at the University in the early 1970s. unusual forms of these more familiar land­ of California-Berkeley (where the Bancroft From his and Marshall Albrich's famous marks. Acacia cavenia, for example, is rarely Library of Western history attracts schol­ Western Hills nursery farther up the coast, seen with a mass of yellow blossoms as it ars year-round), and that early architec­ Hawkins brought with him many unusual is in the Bancroft garden, and Acacia kar­ tural training is everywhere evident in the plants and proceeded to lay them side by roo, from South Africa, is making a brave scale and detail of this dry garden. Her side, with enthusiasm that matched his plant attempt to fight the winter cold here in the tiny succulents edge areas filled with sword­ knowledge. Mrs. Bancroft, however, filled valley, with success to date. Acacia pen­ shaped plants, with columnar forms, or in most of the planting beds with her par­ dula adds its fern-like presence over an with rosette-filled beds. The blues and grays ticular favorites, gathered from her own interior bed nearby; only one specimen of play against the pale greens of plants and travels or by writing to far-flung sources. this species survived a recent oak-root fun­ buildings on this sun-drenched site. Even A specially-made, forty-foot glasshouse gus outbreak. the trees are light and airy and carefully behind the East Shade House holds one of Handsome specimens of aging eucalyp­ sited to define the two dozen beds. the Bay Area's most extensive cacti and tus line the roadway and give away the Smaller plants fill the beds closest to the succulent reserves-duplicates of those in garden's existence behind a long wooden main house. Just beyond the handsome the garden, or single plants too tender for fence. Eucalyptus nicholii is a particular oleander hedge separating the family quar­ the out-of-doors. Geographical distribu­ favorite of Mrs. Bancroft's, with its wide, ters from the display garden, mounds of tion is the theme, with a North American willowlike form and red-tinted bark. In columnar and barrel-shaped cacti, mixed native group, and with South American contrast nearby, the white-barked Euca­ with smaller artichokelike blue agaves and and South African collections grouped to­ lyptus mannifera subsp. maculosa adds a relatives of the prickly pear cactus, create gether. The long row of tiny white and solid presence, with its girth, height, and a diversity and setting rarely seen in spe­ woolly mammillarias puts on a brilliant unusual color. Surrounded by suburbia, cialty gardens. Farther from the main house, show in spring, alongside spectacular aloes sidewalks, and concrete sound barriers, the the trees are taller and sfa telier and the and other genera when their bright flowers lush trees on the Bancwft property give dasylirions and puyas take on enormous emerge from their winter warmth. age and character to this historic farmil'lg forms in the bigger planting beds, which The architectural elements, indoors and country.

18 OCTOBER 1989 PAGE 17: A jungle of sharp textures, blades, and spines intrigues yet cautions visitors to this dry garden. OPPOSITE: Ruth Bancroft is dwarfed by giant cactus pads. LEFT: Rotund golden barrels balance the strong vertical lines of agaves and columnar cacti.

AMERICAN HORT/CUL TURIST 19 Mrs. Bancroft feels that towering pines are inappropriate and are sun-stealers in this garden so needing of summer sun.

More unusual shapes distinguish the re­ planted out fwm one-gallon cans years ago, maining trees in the Bancroft garden. Three now dominates the bed by the West Shade lacy Mexican palo verde trees (Parkin­ House. sonia aculeata) give light color and cover But along the original drive, the grand near the cactus beds, aNd another palo verde avenue of Canary Island date palms (Phoe­ filters the sun neare~ t'he main road. The nix canariensis) hints at a past where palms desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) anchors played a greater role. Dating to the 18805 the first of the smaller beds nearer the house, when historian Hubert Howe Bancroft first while the picturesque salmon gum (Eu­ sighted and settled in this fertile valley, the calyptus salmonophloia) arches over a path palms are a vivid reminder of the plantings alongside an area dubbed Yucca Flat. that then filled the area and of the pioneer Pines and their look-a likes are sparingly who shaped this landscape and the formal represented here because Mrs. Bancroft feels history of California. that towering pines are inappropriate and Here was the farm of the man who wrote are sun-stealers iF! this garden so needing th€ earliest, and most extensive, history of of Shlmmer sun. An open, pinelike Cas­ the Western United States, the man who uarina stricta, the valuable timber tree from was the impetus behind the esteemed Ban­ Australia, creates a thick, dry carpet at the croft Library on the University of Cali­ far end of the garden, away from the main fornia campus at Berkeley. The library house. Surrounding the lily pond across houses a magnificent Western history ar­ from the shade houses, three compact, small chive, amassed by Mr. Bancroft during his pinon pines (Pinus edulis) add height to lifetime and preserved along with succes­ the pond plantings, yet cast far less shade sive additions. On the West Coast, the than more familiar pines (PiI1US radiata, Bancroft name is synonymous with schol­ for example) found in many San Francisco arship and pioneer perseverance. Bay area gardens. Early on, Mr. Bancroft sought shelter Palms, surprisingly, are less prominent for his family from San Francisco's bracing than one would expect in a garden de­ summer fogs: signed for dry climates. Mrs. Bancroft has chosen to highlight only a few palms, her Many times before this (mid-1880s), I had favorites. The pale blue-gray of the Mex­ temporarily sought shelter for myself and ican blue palm (Brahea armata) occupies family from the cold winds and fogs of San the whole of the bed opposite the pond Francisco, often in the Napa Country . .. and and another anchors a bed across the gar­ elsewhere. Ever since 1856 I had been gazing den. The ubiquitous Washingtonia filifera, on the high hills back of Berkeley, wondering the native California palm found in many what was on the other side, and one day ... southern landscapes, is included here be­ I mOlillted a horse, and wound round by San cause this palm is native only to this state. Pablo and through the hills until I came to A grove of these native California palms, Walnut Creek and beyond . . . to ... the base

20 OCTOBER 1989 OPPOSITE: An opulent display of flowers appears on opuntias and yuccas (background). ABOVE, LEFT: One of Mrs. Bancroft's favorite palms, the Mexican blue palm, shades a variety of euphorbias. ABOVE, RIGHT: A handsome, eight-loot inflorescence 01 a Yucca carnerosana. LEFT: Bright coral blossoms 01 Aloe striata add hot color to the garden. RIGHT: Delicate, daisylike cactus flowers glow bright enough to affract pollinators during the night.

AMERICAN HORT/CUL TURIST 21 The planting today provides a living archive of desert and dry climate plants, some disappearing from native habitats.

cool southwest wind comes over the high Oakland hills fresh from the ocean ...

Here, Mt. Bancroft set about planting his orchards and agonized over removing the old oaks. "It went against the grain to grub up the venerable oaks, and Bartlett pears ar;e better than acorns, so all were cleared away, except a group left for build­ ing s~tes and shelter of stock." Two original valley oaks (Quercus lob­ ata) remain. Where walnuts once fell to the ground; Ruth Bancroft today harvests scented dates from the Butia capitata, the South American. palm planted near the West Shade House. Where peaches and pears were once eardully picked, vicious spines and woolly hairs mask deep red fruits of more exotic plants, those well suited to of Monte (sic) Dia;blo, wheFe I bought laQd Fo.r the most part, it was a perf€ct d imate, dry, hot summers. and planted ~ t in tre€s and vines. the heat of summer seldom being enervating, Mrs. Bancroft has skillfully blended the and but litrl€ frost in winter .. . it was a bmad soft and woolly with the spiny and sharp, The weather and the settiflg were ideal and beautiiul patch of earth, flat as possible wispy and willowy. Missing from this gar­ for this ranch so near San Francisco, where aQd GOvered with large scattering oaks, look­ den are elements often foutld in some in­ Mr. Bancron 's publishing business thrived. ing like many other parts of primeval Cali­ stitutional gardens - rows upon rows of In his 1890 J!Ilemoirs, he focused on the fornia, only that the trees were larger, indi­ sameness, beds with one genus or species, ideal siting afforded the earliest California cating unusual depth and strength of soil. The or corners of natives from one narrow lo­ pioneers: sun rises over the Devil's mountain, and the cale. The Bancroft garden is a homemade mix of far-flung and California natives, artfully matched by sight rather than text­ book. The planting today, by a third-genera­ T eGa ncy tion Bancroft, provides a living archive of desert and dry climate plants, some rapidly Frank and Anne Cabot, whose gardens in New York and Canada are themselves disappearing from native habitats. The frequent destinations for sOJ:)histicated garden viSitors, spend a large proportion plants are not as familiar-puyas and of their own free time seeking out extraordinary gardens and their creators. agaves, acacias and aloes, mammill:;lrias, Tlie Cabots visited Ruth Bancroft if] 1988 at the suggestion of English garden opuntias, and yuccas-and are rarely cul­ writer Penelope Hobhouse, who considers Mrs. Bancroft's garden one of the tivated in private gardens on such a mas­ very best in North America. sive scale. Overwhelmed by the unusual beauty and character of the Bancroft garden, Ruth Bancroft has amassed her own ex­ the Cabots asked if there were plans in place to preserve it. The answer was tensive library-a collection of rare and no. The need for an agent organization to assist Ruth Bancroft and gardeners hard-to-find reference books on dry-cli­ like her in this ,task became clear-and the Garden Conservancy was\ born. mate gardening. Her new book collection The Garden Conservancy was founded in early 1989 as a national organization shares a wing of the house with Hubert to preserve exceptional American gardens. The Ruth Bancroft garden is the Howe Bancroft's own leather-bound his­ conservancy's first sponsored garden. With the help of local professionals and tory books from long ago. supporters, a plan is being developed to ensure the Bamcrott garden's existence As the twenty-first century approaches, and enjoyment by the public for years to come . these specimens in the Bancroft garden may The Garden Conservancy airus to preserve the nation's finest gardens and well be some of the finest survivors in cul­ make them accessible to everyone. In additi0n to sponsoring individual gardens, tivation. If preservation and perseverance the conservancy plans to create an informatiof] "clearinghouse" and to be an are G'ombined as effectively in the new cen­ advocate on the national level for the preservation of the American garden tury as in the past, aRother rare Bancroft heritage. collection will be saved for future For more information about the Garden Conservancy's programs, call or write: generations. The Garden Conservancy, Box 219, Cold Spring, NY 10516, (914) 265-2029. Joan Hockaday is the author of The Gardens of San Francisco.

22 OCTOBER 1989 OPPOSITE: Standing underneath the Mexican blue palm, one can see the octagonal pavilion that was built to connect the shade houses and provide a cool retreat in the summer. LEFT: Giraffelike agave blooms add life to the garden, but signify the end of the plant's own cycle.

AMERICAN HORT/CUL TURIST 23

TIieFun~

Y Ott feeC more a part of tlie 9rowill9 process and save money, too.

Text 6y ECisa6etfi sheldon lITustrations 6y Tom Tifton

o you ever gather your own seed? We know that most hybrids and cultivars will not come true from their own seed and must be propagated vegetatively: that is, by means of divi- sion, layering, stem cuttings, or by the use of seed that has been produced by hand pollination under controlled conditions. Vegetative propagation must also be used to propagate plants that don't set viable seed-plants such as lemon verbena and French tarragon-and those with sterile flowers. However, there are many plants that will repro­ duce themselves perfectly from home~gathered seed. No need to buy seed year after year for these plants when your own would do just as well. The satisfaction that comes from using seed from one's own garden is not merely the joy of saving money or having fresher seed-it also makes one feel more a part of the growing process.

AMERICAN HORTICUL TURIST 25 evertheless, one doesn't go to the trouble Usually there is no need to gather seed of of gathering seed and sowing it if the plants these. Other perennials-flax, delphinium, can be multiplied more quickly and easily certain Dianthus, Aruncus, Baptisia, Lob­ by some other method. Some perennials elia, Sidalcea species-will seed themselves are easily divid!ld (some of them, such as occasionally, especially after a summer of chrysanthemums and asters, even require adequate moisture. But if you want to be frequent division), so it would be foolish sure of having an ample number of new for a gardener to try to propagate them plants the following year, you should gather by any other means. One stout yarrow seed of even these enterprising individuals, will, when wiggled apart, yield fifteen to for you cannot really depend on their con­ twenty plants. Veronicas, although they tributing on their own. Of course, some may have to be separated by cutting rather perennials never seed themselves at all. than persuasion, actually benefit from th!l There are a few things to learn about operation and the gardener acquires sev­ gathering seed, the first of which is to get eral plants from one. But th!lre are many it when it's ripe but before it has scattered. perennials that resent disturbance, pri­ I usually keep a list on my refrigerator: marily those with long taproots. Examples CHECK SEED OF ... then I name the of these include the balloon flower (Pla­ plants that are about to produce. The rule tycodon), flax (Linum), columbine (Aqui­ of thumb is to wait until the pods are dry legia), Missouri primrose (Oenothera mis­ and are beginning to open, then it's time sourensis), and most dianthus plants. to swoop in with your scissors or pruning Delphiniums, while they don't form a tap­ shears and a paper bag. Cut off the stems root, never seem to thrive after division, that hold the seed pods or heads, then in­ at least not in my garden. New plants from vert them into your paper bag. Leave the seed do much better. bag open and put it where the contents Other plants from which seed might be will dry out thoroughly. Do not fail to gathered are those that you might not want label the bag. You may say to yourself, to lift and divide, or cannot do so because "Oh I'll recognize that-no need to write of their location. There may be an enor­ it down." But several weeks later you may mous Clematis integrifolia in the border be completely baffled as to its identity, that will go on thriving without division especially i.f you have many bags of seed. and which looks too splendid to touch. It's not much fun to plant a flat whose You may want to keep it just the size it is . label reads"?". In that case, gathering some seed is the By the end of August my back porch is preferred way to have more. Or there may full of bags ready to be dealt with. I spread be a Campanula elatines var. garganica in newspapers on the kitchen table and work a dry wall that not only is looking lovely with one bag of seed at a time. spread all over the rocks, but could not be Some of the seeds are easy to handle, dug out alive even if one had the heart to others are more difficult. Easy ones, for try. In these cases, you can gather the seed instance, are the interesting pods of the and have blooming plants by the second Missouri primrose (Oenothera missour­ year. ensis), whose flat wings pull open like the Biennials are another group of plants ends of a Ziploc bag to reveal ribs packed from which it is advisable to gather seed. with smooth, easily identifiable seeds. Other They don't flower until the second year plants have a more complicated system; and then th!lY die-less than satisfactory cranes bill, for instance, has an arrange­ for the gardener who wants flowering plants ment that enables long split segments of every year. If you plant seed of digitalis, the crane's bill-the Gentral column-to clary sage, or Canterbury bells for two curl up, then shoot the seeds out from the successive years, thus having one- and two­ little compartments, or carpels, at the base year-old plants, and make sure that the of the column. Puzzle: Find the seed. I seed from flowering plants is sown each usually have a magnifying glass handy for year, you will have blooming plants every this work. year instead of every other year. Some dig­ Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus) bears large italis and salvias that are listed as peren­ panicles of creamy white flowers that form nials behave like biennials, so it is a good two different kinds of dried "seeds." Some idea to gather their seed too-the dusty of the panicles are delicate, with tiny grains pink Digitalis x mertonensis, yellow D. along the curled stems, and some panicles grandi flora, Salvia pratensis, and make heavy, broomlik!l sprays of large S. argentea. grains. For several years I was gathering Some perennials seed themselves gen­ and planting the little grains that contained erously-columbines, malvas, feverfew. no seed at all. With a magnifying glass I

26 OCTOBER 1989 Wait untiL tile pods are d1y and are 6~innin9 to openj then it's time to swoop in witfi your scissors or prnnil19 shears and a paper 609.

finally discovered that the larger grains were shouldn't have any organic matter around actually small seed pods and could be it when it's germinating, due to its sus­ opened to reveal their contents. I, in my ceptibiliry to damping off. ignorance, hadn't known that Aruncus is The seed should be put in labeled pack­ dioecious and this is its way of handling ets and kept in the refrigerator until needed. the male-female system. Be sure all moisture is kept out by putting Flax seeds are contained in tiny round the packets in either plastic bags or jars. balls that look like coriander. When they Some annual seeds need not be stored, are ripe, the balls can be pressed or rubbed but can be sprinkled about the garden when open to reveal the shiny, flat seeds packed ripe. Thousands of seeds can be shaken neatly in their globe-shaped container. out of the big capsules of the tall, glaucous, Dianthus holds its seeds upright in elon­ broad-leaved annual poppies such as Pa­ gated, urn-shaped pods formed from its paver 'Danebrog'. The capsules are just tubula.r calyces. These will open at the top like pepper shakers with little holes around when the seeds are ripe and can, as a rule, the top. These seeds you can toss around simply be shaken out. This seems to be the garden in the fall to have masses of true of mat-forming dianthus especially. poppies in the spring, or in the spring, to The taner Dianthus plumarius often makes have masses of poppies in the fall. you work harder, tearing the pods apart Last autumn I took some dried-up plants to search for the seed. of Cynoglossum 'Dwarf Firmament' from Amsonia seeds are amusing-they are a friend's garden, rubbed out the seed, and packed into long, pointed needles and look scattered it through the front areas of my like miniature, cinnamon-colored logs of perennial border. All this summer it has wood, several of them end-to-end in each kept producing plants that have covered needle. themselves with tiny, dazzling blue flow­ You must catch red valerian seed before ers-free flowers, it seemed to me. I won­ it floats off on its bit of fluff. That's true dered, though, why they didn't all come also of the seed of anemones, such as Ane­ up at the same time, bloom at the same mone sylvestris, A. magellanica, and A . time, and finish at the same time? As they pulsatilla; of Asclepias, which is a kind of stopped blooming I pulled them up, happy milkweed; and that of the non-climbing to see others just emerging or getting ready Clematis-all are designed to be airborne. to flower. Seeds of such annuals are easy When the pink flowers of Persian stone to use-no work at all, actually. cress (Aethionemagrandif/orum) have dis­ However, seed that is to be started in­ appeared, the racemes that remain pro­ doors should be planted in early spring in duce lots of flat, scalelike seed containers, a sterile, moist but not soggy sowing mix­ each with one seed inside. Draba, another ture, in clean flats or pots. The sowing rock garden plant, has the same ar:range­ mixture should be a quarter to a half an ment. These seeds are easy to deal with, inch from the top of the container as, for but there are others, such as lavender seeds, some reason, seed germinates better when that are troublesome to try to separate from it is not set down low in its receptacle. the fluff and debris that result from rub­ Very fine seed, such as that of the Cam­ bing them free. panula, should be sprinkled on top of the I take a fresh sheet of newspaper and soil, pressed firmly down (I use the back shake all of the material through a sieve. of a soup spoon), and left uncovered. Larger If I'm lucky, the seed comes through first seeds should be barely covered (with some and most of the trash stays in the sieve. of the sowing mix or a combination of One hopes to get completely clean seed, milled sphagnum and vermiculite) and also cfematis especially in the case of lavender, which pressed down.

AMERICAN HORT/CUL TURIST 27 veryone has his own pet system and not be kept dry in the refrigerator until March. everyone would agree with mine, but I use The germination score will be somewhat a fine spray from a rubber spray-bulb be­ less in this case. fore and after the seeds germinate and then Delphinium seed loses viability too, so later, when the seedlings begin to grow and I always gather and plant some 'Bellamosa' send down long roots, I soak the flat from seed early in July and have new plants that the bottom. One must use restraint with are big enough to stay in the cold frame both processes, not spraying too heavily all winter. I save enough seed to plant more and long, and not soaking the flat too often. flats indoors in March. Also, it should be drained · well after the Obstinacy in germination of certain seeds soaking. Seedlings always seem hell-bent can be dealt with, as I have indicated, by on suicide through damping off, so if your subjecting them to changes of temperature seedlings start to look pale and droopy, (sometimes called stratifying), either by us­ chances are you're watering them too much. ing the refrigerator or by planting them in The agonizing question is always what is flats that are kept outside all winter. You too much and what is not enough? You can also sow seeds directly in a cold frame have to work it out through trial and error. or in a raised, prepared seed bed outside. Books often say "Cover the flat with For real obstinacy I would cite Trollius, glass or plastic and put it in a warm, dark Astrantia, Dictamnus, and Acanthus. I be­ place." When I obey them, the flat mildews lieve I've been really succ~ssful with Trol­ forthwith. I do put in plastic bags the flats !ius seed only once. Otherwise I've had containing seeds of rock garden and some very, very spotty results or no results at recalcitrant border plants - aquilegia, del­ all. Astrantia, like Acanthus, prefers to seed phinium, lavender, for example-but those itself and does not often accept human I plant in November and winter in a shady interference-at least not this human's. spot outdoors. The freezing and thawing After coddling, begging, and wheedling helps to break the seeds' dormancy. When Astrantia seed for several years, usually in I bring them in in April, I remove the bags vain, I now have self-seeded plants coming immediately and put them on heating coils up all over the place. I'll be weeding them under grow lights. Other seeds that don't out next. I can't say the Acanthus spinos­ necessarily benefit from the cold treat­ issimus is that prodigal with its progeny, ment-veronica, gypsophila, dianthus, for but it has tossed a few babies out of the example-I plant in March or April and nest (into awkward places such as the mid­ put, uncovered, over the coils and under dle of a heather plant). But after extricating lights. The heating coils are supposed to the seeds from their thorny coverings year make up for the temperature of my cold, after year, carefully planting them in yummy drafty room. If the room stayed at 65° to mixtures, freezing and thawing them and 75° F I wouldn't need heating coils for the keeping them moist, I have never caused perennials. Annuals, most of which are from a single seed to germinate. With Dictam­ tropical or semi-tropical countries, need nus I had one triumphant season-about additional heat in order to germinate. twenty little gasplants popped up in the Some perennials have seed that doesn't coldframe one May. Since then my record retain its viability for long and is best sown has been zero. You live, but you don't as soon as it ripens, even if that leaves you necessarily learn. with a bunch of babies to get through the In collecting seed the question is always winter. Among these I would include Ar­ whether or not it will "come true" -that meria juniperifolia, Anemone sylvestris, A. is, produce plants that will be exactly like pulsatilla, A. palmata and other anemones the plant from which it was taken. If you in their group, Clematis integrifolia, and gather and plant seed of such species as C. recta. I have always waited to plant seed wild lupine, creeping gypsophila, Veronica of Clematis integrifolia until it was thor­ gentianoides, or London pride (Saxifraga oughly dry on the plant, but last summer umbrosa), you know that your babies will I read that it was liveliest right at the point turn out to be replicas of their parents. But when you could, by tugging a bit, detach some plants are notorious for their prom­ if from its mop-head cluster. I planted a iscuity, aquilegia being a prime example. flat of seed I'd gathered at that stage, and If you want to keep the seed of Aqui/egia over a period of weeks nearly every seed canadensis pure, don't plant it near Aqui­ germinated-a much better score than I'd legia 'McKana Hybrids' or A . caerulea or ever had before. any other aquilegia for they will all happily poppy If you wish, these short-lived seeds do interbreed. You will get some beautiful not have to be planted right away but can plants, but they will not be a pure strain.

28 OCTOBER 1989 Witli Dictamnus I fuuf one triumphant season. ... Since tlien my record lias 6een zero. You five 6ut you don't necessariCy Ceam.

Dianthus has the same happy-go-lucky ap­ tilla, and Digitalis species give no trouble proach, which I didn't realize until I had either. sold some plants I had raised from garden Here is a list of the plants in my garden seed and had labeled "D. gratianopoli­ from which I usually gather seed. For the tanus-pale pink." When some of them practicality of it, but even more for the that I hadn't sold bloomed, they were of satisfaction received, you may want to try a dark pink, having crossed with some it yourself. Thompson & Morgan hybrids I'd had in the garden. The hybrid is called 'Elfin's Achillea (rock garden species) Hat' and is a medium-height dianthus of Aethionema coridifolium a dazzlingly brilliant pink. It had corrupted Amsonia my demure little cheddar pinks, and, while Anemone magellanica I was sorry I had sold them under the wrong Anemone palmata name, I couldn't help thinking they were Anemone pulsatilla prettier than the pure species. Anemone sylvestris I find that when I sow seeds of the single Aquilegia Delphinium 'Bellamosa' and D. 'Bella­ Asclepias donna' most of the plants come out in the Campanula spp. dark blue of D. 'Bellamosa'. All of them Centranthus ruber are beautiful, but to be sure of getting the Clematis integrifolia single, pale, sky blue you would have to Clematis recta buy commercial seed labeled D. 'Bella­ Delphinium donna'. Dianthus When I planted garden seed of the bal­ Digitalis loon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) from Draba pink, white, and blue plants, they did not Erigeron come true. Although I had marked the Erodium young plants according to the color of their Gaura parents, they made their own decisions Geranium about what color they were going to be, Gypsophila repens from which I deduce that the bees mixed Hibiscus palustris them up in the flower border. Lavandula Primulas, too, mingle to a degree. The Linum tall oxlips (Primula elatior) mingle with Lupinus spp. the low P. vulgaris, but not P. sieboldii Oenothera missourensis with P. vulgaris or veris or elatior. And Potentilla megalantha not P. japonica with P. denticulata or P. Potentilla nepalensis 'Miss Willmott' denticulata with P. pulverulenta-they Primula know where to draw the line. Salvia argentea The campanula species keep to them­ Salvia pratensis selves, except for the rare digression, so if Salvia sclarea you gather and sow seeds of any of the Saxifraga species - carpatica, garganica, poschar­ Scabiosa skyana, portenschlagiana, persicifolia, Veronica gentianoides raddeana, and others, you will be sure of the offspring's being true to its forbears. Elisabeth Sheldon manages a small This would, of course, not apply to their perennial nursery in Lansing, New York, hybrids such as 'Wedgewood Blue', 'China and frequently writes for American Doll', and others. The Veronica, Poten- Horticulturist.

AMERICAN HORT/CUL TURIST 29 30 OCTOBER 1989 Donald Egolf's

First smiHen as an undergraduate, this u.s. National Arboretum breeder has never lost his fascination for this versatile shrub.

by Kathleen Fisher

n the movie "The Graduate," col­ lege grad Ben Braddock was given a one-word key to a wealthy fu­ ture. The word was "plastics" and Ben turned tail and ran. As a graduate student, Donald Egolf was offered a suggestion that could make horticulture richer. The key word was "viburnums," and fortunately, he ran with it. Some thirty years after a Cornell pro­ fessor proposed that he consider viburn­ ums as the subject of his master's thesis, Egolf is the imernational registrar for vi­ burnums, and has released eighteen cul­ ~ivars of his own. One major wholesaler calls him "one of the best, if not the best, plant breeders in the United States." It's easy to see why the genus has in­ trigued him. In spring, there are the waxy blooms that blush in bud and open to snowy white, with a fragrance as heady as gar­ denia. But it is in autumn, when the flowers of most other shrubs are a hazy memory, that the viburnum truly comes into its glory with brilliant vermillion berries that fade to ebony, and leaves that rival a sugar ma­ ple's. Its heavy textured foliage is un­ OPPOSITE: A parent of many of Egolf's scathed by diseases that plague other shrubs. cultivars, Viburnum p/icatum forma "The viburnum is probably the most tomentosum is known for its showy double significant of flowering shrubs for tem­ perate climates because of its tremendolls file flowers in the spring and red berries in variety," says Egolf, leader of the shrub the fall. ABOVE: Dr. Donald Egolf, leader breeding program at the U.S. National of the shrub breeding program at the u.s. Arboretum. National Arboretum.

AMERICAN HORT/CUL TURIST 31 ithin this va­ Shadow observed: 'Susquehanna' and riety lies both 'Onondaga' are good shrubs for the North, the promise while 'Chippewa' and 'Huron' are out­ and problem of standing performers in Dixie. viburnums; the Shadow, who has known Egolf for many problem with the years, described him as a workaholic and above description is that no one species meticulous notetaker who shows up at the offers the best of any of these character­ arboretum greenhouse-rather than his istics, and each tends to have a character­ administra tive office - before seven 0' clock istic flaw. Viburnum earlesii has stunning each morning. fragrance and flowers, but is extremely Donald Egolf's work has not gone un­ vulnerable to bacterial leaf spot. V. dila­ recognized. Among the organizations that tatum has spectacular fruit, but its flowers have honored him for his shrub breeding don't last very long and aren't particularly are the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Ar­ showy. V. plicatum forma tomentosum has nold Arboretum, the Pennsylvania Hor­ a striking shape and heavy bloom, but the ticultural Society, the Association of birds always eat its fruit before it can be American Nurserymen, and the American admired. Horticultural Society. This incredible variety could have been Egolf never had any doubt that his adult simply an opportunity, rather than a di­ life would center around plants. His father lemma, for a breeder. But unfortunately, was a fanner in Osterburg in western the genus has nine taxonomic sections that Pennsylvania, and his mother was a can't be crossed with each other. Worse schoolteacher and avid ornamental gar­ yet, viburnum seed has to be alternately dener who filled their yard with colorful stratified, from warm to cold and back to annuals and perennials. Egolf tended his warm again, and takes a year to as long own plot from an early age. as three years to germinate. "I had the distinction of being born in Egolf will never succeed in finding the a log house and going to a one-room "perfect" viburnum: variety is the spice of schoolhouse all of the years of grade this genus. Bur most of the eighteen cul­ school," he said. In high school, he won tivars he has introduced tend to be more numerous prizes for his Future Farmers of disease-resistant and offer better bloom and America projects; his earnings from raising more persistent fruit than their parents. chickens later enabled him to attend college. Many of them are also smaller and of a Egolf enrolled in horticulture at Penn­ more compact habit ideal for wday's ur­ sylvania State University, studying the ban and suburban gardens. Some attain nursery aspects of ornamental floriculture. magnificent spreads of twice their height At Cornell, he quickly became intrigued or more. with the possibilities that lay in recombin­ And Egolf-who can be somewhat ob­ ing the various characteristics of vi­ jective about viburnums' virtues because burnum. He studied plant breeding, flor­ he has also developed thirty-six cultivars iculture, and cytology, familiarizing himself of four other shrub genera-can exult fIlat with the chromosomes of each viburnum viburnums are finally coming into their species, and initiated his breeding efforts. own after years of neglect by the trade. To solve the dilemma posed by the ge­ Viburnums registered by Egolf in 1966 are nhls's nine separate sections, he turned to at last in major production, and Egolf's embryo culture. When such "wide crosses" renown is growing with his seedlings. are attempted, the result is often a seed "I don't think he's been given all the with an embryo that is doomed because it credit he deserves," said Don Shadow, has no endosperm to nourish it. But by owner of Shadow Nursery in Winchester, " rescuing" the embryo at an early enough Tennessee, a wholesale nursery that spe­ stage and placing it in a sterile medium, cializes in small flowering trees and shrubs. the embryo can be maintained and will "He has an uncanny ability to select su­ produce a plam. perior plants. He seems to have a system Several of his first cultivars-notably for selecting our the best plants, from among 'Cayuga' and 'Mohawk' -were products thousands and thousands, at an early stage. of embryo mlture. Egolf said he has found He is one of the best, if not the best, plant the process less useful for wide crosses than breeders in the United States." for reducing the breeding time by at least Egolf has selected vibhlrnums for the en­ a year. tire nation, not just Washington, D.C., After writing his dissertation-again on

32 OCTOBER 1989 viburnums-he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to the University of London, arod continued his research on the shrubs in England for two years, studying at the John Innes Horticultural Institute and the Edinburgh Botanical Garden and visiting the major gardens of the area. When he returned from England and was offered a job as a research horticul­ turist at the arboretum in 1958, he brought a large portion of the Cornell collection, as well as many hybrid seedlings, to the arboretum with him. In 1966, Egolf re­ leased ten cultivars, many of which had had their origin in his Cornell work. He has named and released eight since then, the last in 1988. All of the cultivars have American In­ dian names, beginning with 'Cayuga', the lake on which Cornell is located, and end­ ing with 'Conoy', which was a major set­ tlement of Indians on the Eastern Shore. His crape myrtle, crab apple, and pyra­ cantha cultivars also have Indian names; the only exceptions are his hibiscus cul­ tivars, which are named after Greek goddesses. Egolf wanted names that would im­ mediately be recognized as American and would connect the series with the arbor­ etum. He toyed with the names of moun­ tains, rivers, and historical sites before de­ ciding that Indian names had "the greatest latitude and potential" and best carried out the American theme. "The Europeans are fascinated by the Indian names," says Egolf, who added that European nursery professionals have told him that they consider his 1986 'Eskimo' "the best cultivar introduced in the last decade." Ironically, this all-American, highly desirable vibUrNum is only flOW be­ ginning to appear in tme U.S. market. "The Europeans are keener plantsmen, for one thing," says Egolf. "They're always ABOVE, LEFT: 'Erie' in autumn looking for something new, and then they ABOVE, RIGHT: 'Erie' in spring really push n~sery production." His 1970 LEFT: 'Shasta' MIDDLE: Pyracantha 'Mohave' wasn't available in 'Chippewa' RIGHT: 'Alleghen/ the United States until it had appeared on LOWER, LEFT: 'Mohiwn' the cover of two major European nursery LOWER, RIGHT: 'Mohawk' catalogs and received certificates of merit at Royal Horticultural Society shows . In the past, he says, "American growers have been a little reluctant to take on a new introduction." But recently there has been, perhaps not a revolution, but at least an evolution within the trade. " I think the industry is aware that the arboretum is producing superior plants that can expand their market."

AMERICAN HORT/CUL TURIST 33 Two yea rs is tile minimum time between sale growers before plants appear in retail And the public is definitely underaware naming of a plant and seeing it appear in markets. of viburnums, Egolf believes. They may be home gardens; five yea rs is more common. Egolf observes that while the evalu ati on familiar with the nati ve plants, of which A botani cal description must be published, stage could be cut short, " if you make a there are many: arrowwood (Viburnum the name registered, a release signed by the misjudgement and put out an inferi or plant, dentatum), American cranberry bush (V. secretary of agri culture, the cultivar eval­ it can counter all your good introduc­ trilobum ), maple-leaf viburnum (V. acer­ uated by cooperating researchers aro und ti ons." That peri od also all ows ti me to ifolium), bl ack haw (V. prunifolium), and the country, and stock built up by whole- raise public awareness of the new plant. w ithe-rod (V. cassinoides) are among the

Other Egolf viburnum cultivars and their parent species:

The linden viburnum (\I dilatatum) , a deciduous, upright, From V. lantana seed he received from Poland , ~golf spreading shrub native to eastern Asia, grows to about selected 'Mohican' (1966) , a medium-sized shrub with a seven feet high and eight feet wide. It has bright red fruit dense, rounded form. Its very dark green, leathery leaves that remains on the shrub throughout the winter because are deciduous to semi-evergreen and provide an effective birds usually do not eat it. However, the showy white flowers background for its May intlorescences of yellow-white. The have an unpleasant odor, so it is not recommended for fruit, borne in large clusters, ripens in September or Oc­ planting close to a house. tober to a brilliant red that persists for several weeks before From V. dila ta tum, Egolf has developed three cultivars, turning black. It is hardy as far north as Minnesota and its more than one of which need to be planted for the cross­ foliage is resistant to bacterial leaf spot. pollination that assures prolific berry production . Egolf crossed 'Mohican' with V. rhytidophyllum for: 'Iroquois' (1966) , a dense, rounded , fast-growing shrub, 'Allegheny' (1966) , a medium-sized shrub with dark green, is usually wider than it is tall . In mid-May it is covered with leathery leaves that are deciduous to semi-evergreen and abundant inflorescences of creamy white flowers. The leaves like its parent cultivar, form an excellent background for its are large and thick, and turn orange-red to maroon in fall. creamy May flowers. It is considered superior to its parents The red fruits are larger and in more massive bunches that because of its dense , rounded form . Its long-lasting fruits in most dilatatum shrubs. are showy red in September and October. 'Catskill' (1966), a compact selection , is also wider than V. sieboldii is the tallest viburnum , averag ing eighteen it is high but grows more slowly than 'Iroquois'. The creamy feet tall and fourteen feet wide . Its leaves are outstanding white flowers, in abundant inflorescences, appear in May. for their leathery texture and evergreen color, but the berries By mid-August its fruit ripens to a dark red that persists are quickly eaten by birds, leaving only the colorful red until mid-winter. The leaves are smaller and rounder than pedicles for an autumn display. those of dilatatum and the foliage turns a pleasing com­ Egolf has improved on V. sieboldii with : bination of yellow, orange , and red in the fall . 'Seneca' (1966) , whose fruit is less attractive to bir<~s 'Erie' (1970) also has a spreading habit and creamy white because it stays firm even when ripe. The creamy white flowers in mid-May. Its medium green leaves turn red, flowers are produced in panicles borne on stout, spreading orange, and yellow before falling in autumn. In late August branches. It can grow up to thirty feet tall and wide, and its fruit ripens to red on top and orange beneath. With the normally has a treelike habit, but by allowing it to develop first frost, it turns a colorful coral pink. several branches at its base , can also be trained as a large, 'Oneida' (1966) is a dilatatum hybrid selected for its spreading shrub. abundant May flowers that reappear sporadically throughout V. sargentii or Sargent cranberry bush came to this the summer. Its glossy, cardinal red fruit ripens in August country before the turn of the century from northeast Asia. and persists until late winter. It has an upright growth habit A medium-sized shrub that can be upright or rounded , it with wide spreading branches. Its leaves , which are not as is one of the viburnums that may have yellow berries. thick as most viburnums', turn pale yellow and orange-red From V. sargentii, Egolf has introduced : in fall. 'Onondaga' (1966) , a rounded shrub six feet high and The leatherleaf viburnum (\I rhytidophyllum) , a native wide that is distinguished by fine-textured , velvety new of central and western China that was introduced for CUl­ foliage of dark maroon that retains a maroon tinge when tivation in 1900, attains a height of ten feet. It has strap­ the leaves mature. Pruning produces an even denser foliage shaped , wrinkled, evergreen to semi-evergreen leaves up display. As in the species , the flowers are followed by to eight inches long . Its creamy white flowers appear from sparsely produced red fruits that are effective August through April to June and its fruit turns from red to black. It needs September. good soil and a sheltered location away from wind and 'Susquehanna' (1966) is distinguished by a heavily drought. Its foliage doesn't hold up well in Northern zones . branched, corky trunk, and dark green foliage . It has abun­ Europe's wayfaring tree, the Viburnum lantana, is often dant, large, creamy white flowers in late May, and its large used for massing , in the shrub border, and for hedges and fruit clusters mature to a dark, glossy red in September screens, but it is coarse in the winter. Its berries are red and remain on the shrub well into the winter. It is one of in summer, but shrivel and darken in autumn . the largest viburnums.

34 OCTOBER 1989 better known. The natives are widely dis­ Most of Egolf's only a few weeks, 'Conoy' remains red for tributed in the wild, are quite hardy, and six to eight weeks. make valuable additions to bird gardens. crosses are the 'Chippewa' and 'Huron' are compan­ But like most other native plants they are result of species ions introduced in 1987. They are similar rarely available in the trade, nor are they brought back from in appearance with rounded shapes; dense as ornamental as the Asiatic species; their branching; heavy-textured, lush, dark green berries are usually blue, while the Asian Japan and Korea foliage; massive, lacy cream-white flowers; species are red or, less frequently, yellow. by such early and brilliant red autumn foliage. Planting Interestingly, despite the Indian names, them together ensures an abundance of Egolf's hybrids are largely crosses between plant explorers as persistent, glossy, dark-red fruit. Asiatic species, or between an Asiatic and E. H. Wilson and Two years ago, Egolf's crape myrtle a European species. Most native viburn­ (Lagerstroemia) introductions overtook his ums belong to a section that will not hy­ George Forrest. viburnums. He released five in 1986, nine bridize with the Asiatic species' sections. in 1987, and ten previously, for a total so Most of the crosses are the result of spe­ habit. It is only four feet tall, but can spread far of twenty-four, and has three more cies brought back from Japan and Korea to six or eight feet across, and blooms and waiting in the wings this year. Several seed­ by such early plant explorers as E.H . Wil­ fruits profusely. ling selections are only a foot high, and son and George Forrest. More recently, Still a winner after all these years is have potential as a potted plant for the arboretum-spoflsored exploration of China 'Mohawk', which Egolf selected in 1953 florists' market. "There are other dwarfs has extended breeding potential. One find and released in 1966. A selection of V. x in trade, but they aren't mildew resistant," in China's wilderness abour nine years ago burkwoodii, which is a cross between car­ he said. The new cultivar also promises to holds particular excitement for Egolf. V. lesii and the evergreen species utile, have dwarf reliance, meaning that it won't macrocephalum forma keteleeri was 'Mohawk' was singled out for its compact eventually revert to a larger form. Such brought to England and crossed with car­ growth habit and abundant inflorescences compact plants can be used in the land­ lesii to produce V. x carlcephalum in 1932. of dark red flower buds that open to white scape in the same way as azaleas, for foun­ The Asian parent species disappeared from petals with red blotches. 'Mohawk' has a dation plantings, low hedges, or bedding England during the war, and its offspring strong spicy clove fragrance and glossy dark plants that are cut to the ground each is a rather coarse plant that is fairly unex­ green foliage that turns brilliant orange­ season. citing in the lafldscape because of its sparse red in fall. It is resistant to both bacterial Using Lagerstroemia fauriei, a species flowering. leaf spot and powdery mildew. obtained from Yakishima, Japan, Egolf has The parent, on the other hand, Egolf Two other favorites both resulted from bred disease resistance into his crape myr­ calls "an exciting plant: like double file, a cross between his early 'Cayuga' -which tle cultivars. Many of these hybrids are but its inflorescences are larger and its ster­ in turn was a cross between V. x carl­ equally outstanding for their flowers and ile marginal florets are heavy and waxy. cephalum and V. carlesii - and the ever­ their bark, which ranges from white to But until recently, I never had it available green V. utile. dark brown; several have multi-colored for breeding work." The first crosses made 'Chesapeake' (1980) is a "very signifi­ exfoliating bark. Holding promise for the with V. macrocephalum forma keteleeri cant" introduction, he said, although it is future is a Chinese species, Lagerstroemia have yet to germinate. hardy only to Zone 7. It is outstanding for iimii, which, while it produces what Egolf Among his viburnum introductions, Egolf its dense, dwarf growth habit; glossy, dark­ calls "the ugliest flower I've ever seen on admitted to having a few favorites. green leaves; and berries that are red­ a crape myrtle," has stunning orange-red Two of them are descendants of the dou­ orange or dull red, then black. Its pink foliage. ble file viburnum, V. plicatum forma to­ buds open to pure white. Egolf is also understandably proud of mentosum, which is extremely showy be­ On the other hand, 'Eskimo', the 1980 his hibiscus introductions. His four Hi­ cause of its horizontal branching and the carlesii hybrid that is such a favorite among biscus syriacus are all sterile, triploid cul­ way its flat inflorescences march down the Europeans, is quite cold hardy. It is a com­ tivars, making them an exciting alternative branches two by two. pact, four-foot evergreen shrub with glossy, for gardeners who love the hibiscus's bloom 'Shasta' (1978) is probably the most dark-green leaves. It is the first three­ and habit but loathe its messy self-seeding. showy of the double file viburnums, he species hybrid that wmbines the tubular So far, only the pure white 'Diana' (1970) said. While the outer, sterile florets of the V. carlesii-type flower in a snowball inflo­ and 'Helene' (1980), which is white with parents tend toward yellow, those of rescence. a red eye, are widely available. 'Minerva' 'Shasta' are almost pure white, and the Egolf believes that 'Conoy' (1988) may (1986) is lavender; and 'Aphrodite' inflorescences are a third larger. It pro­ be the most outstanding viburnum cultivar (1988)-Don Shadow's favorite-is pink. duces a heavy fruit set, and grows to six to date. It is entirely evergreen in the Wash­ His crab apples are 'Naragansett' (1986) feet high and twice as wide, with dark ington, D.C. area, becoming semi-ever­ and 'Adirondack' (1987). The first of his green leaves that turn dull purplish-red in green to deciduous farther north. "It's taken six Pyracanth a cultivars, 'Shawnee' was autumn. a lot more cold than we originally antic­ released in 1966; the last two, 'Pueblo' and 'Shasta's' self-pollinating seedling, ipated," he said. Also of the carlesii type, 'Apache' were released in 1987. 'Shoshoni' (1986), has even heavier fruit it has a dense, dwarf growth habit and than its parent. It was the first of the dou­ heavy flowers and fruit. But while most Kathleen Fisher is Editor of American ble files to have a very compact growth viburnum fruit ripens from red to black in Horticulturist.

AMERICAN HORTICUL TURIST 35 Pronunciations

Acacia cavenia Gaura GAUR-ah ah-CASE-ee-uh ca-VEEN-ee-uh Geranium jer-RANE-ee-um A. karroo A. CARE-roo Gypsophila repens jip-SOF-il-ah REP-enz A. pendltla A. PEN-dew-lah Hamamelis mollis Acanthus spinosissimus ham-ah-MEAL-is MOLL-is ah-CAN-thus speen-o-SIS-ee-mus Hedera canariensis Achillea a-KILL-ee-ah HEAD-er-ah can-air-ee-EN-sis Adenophora liliifolia H. helix H. HE-licks ad-en-OF-er-ah lee-lee-ih-FOLE-ee-uh Helleborus orientalis Adiantum raddianum hell-eh-BORE-us or-ee-en-TALE-is ah-dee-ANT-um ray-dee-AIN-um Hibiscus palustris Aethionema coridifolium high-BISK-us pah-LUST-ris ee-thee-OWN-ee-mah ko-RID-ee-fol-ee-um H . syriacus H . SEER-ee-ah-kus A. grandif/orum A. grand-ih-FLOR-um Hydrangea quercifolia Amsonia am-SONE-ee-uh high -D RANE-ge-ah q uer-sih -FO L-ee-uh Anemone magellanica H. macrophylla H. mack-ro-FIL-ah a-NEEM-o-nee madge-el-LAN -i-kah Iberis sempervirens A. palmata A. pal-MATE-a eye-BEER-us sem-per-VIRE-enz A. pulsatilla A. pul-sah-TIL-ah Ilex verticillata EYE-lex ver-tis-see-LATE-a A. sylvestris A. si l-VEST-ris Illicium f/oridanum Antirrhinum majus il-L1S-ee-um flor-i-DANE-um an-tih-RINE-um MAJE-us Hydrangea macrophylla 'Variegated Mariesii' Kerria japonica Aqui/egia caerulea CARE-ee-uh jah-PON-ih-kah ak-kwi-LEEJ-ee-uh see-REW-lee-ah Clematis integrifolia Lagerstroemia fauriei A. canadensis A. can-ah-DEN-sis klem-ATE-us in-teg-ri-FOL-ee-uh lag-er-STREAM -ee-uh FA W -ree-eye A. vulgaris A. vul-GARE-us C. recta C. RECT-ah L. limii Armeria juniperifolia Convallaria majalis L. L1M-ee-eye are-MARE-ee-uh jun-ip-per-ree-FOL-ee-uh con-va-LARE-ee-uh ma-J ALE-is Lamium maculatum Aruncus dioicus ah-RUN-kus dy-o-EEK-us Cornus stolonifera LAME-ee-um mack-yew-LATE-um Asclepias as-KLEEP-ee-us KOR-nus stow-lon-IF-er-ah Lathyrus odoratus Astilbe x arendsii Crataegus cra-TEEG-us lah-THIGH-rus oh-do-RATE-us a-STIL-be x ah-REND-see-eye Cynoglossum sin-o-GLOS-um Lavandula lah-VAN-doo-lah Astrantia ah-STRANT-ee-uh Cyrtomium fa.lcatum Linum LYN-um Baptis ia bap-TIS-ee-uh sir-TOME-ee-um fa l-KATE-um Lobelia low-BEEL-ee-uh Bellis perennis BEL-is per-EN-is Delphinium del-FIN-ee-um Lonicera sempervirens Bletilla striata ble-TIL-ah stry-ATE-a h Dianthus gratianopolitanus die-AN-thus lon-NIS-er-ah sem-per-VIRE-enz Brahea armata bray-HE-ah are-MATE-a grah-tee-ah-no-pol-ih-T ANE-us Lupinus lew-PINE-us Butia capitata BOOT-ee-uh cap-i-TAT-a D . plumarius D. ploo-MARE-ee-us Magnolia grandif/ora Buxus sempervirens Dictamnus dick-TAME-us mag-NOL-ee- uh grand-ih-FLOR-ah BUCKS-us sem-per-VIRE-enz Digitalis grandif/ora Mahonia aquifolium Camellia japonica dih-jih-TALE-is grand-i h-FLOR-ah mah-HONE-ee- uh ak-i-FOLE-ee-um kah-MEAL-ee-uh jah-PON-ih-kah D . x mertonensis D. x mert-o-NEN-sis Malus MALE-us Campanula carpatica Doronicum corda tum Muscari armeniacum kam-PAN-yew-la car-PAT-ih-kah dor-ON-i-cum cor-DATE-um mus-KAH-ree are-MIN-ee-a-cum C. elatines var. garganica Draba DRABE-ah Myosotis sylvatica C. e-LATE-ines var. gar-GAN-i-ka Edgeworthia papyrifera my-oh-SOTE-is sil-VAT-ih-kah C. persicifolia C. per- sis-ih-FOL-ee-uh ej-WORTH-ee-uh pa-pee-RIF-er-a Nandina domestica C. portenschlagiana Erigeron er-RIDGE-er-on nahn-DEEN-ah do-MEST-i-ka C. por-ten-schl ag-ee-AIN-ah Erodium ee-RODE-ee-um Narcissus nar-SIS-us C. poscharskyana C. po-shar-ske-AIN-ah Eucalyptus mannifera subsp. macu,/osa Oenothera missourensis C. raddeana C. ra-de-AIN -ah yew-ka-L1PT-us man-IF-fer-ah subsp. ee-no-THARE-ah mis-or-EN-sis Casuarina stricta MACK-yew-loz-ah Papaver PAH-pav-er kas-yew-air-REEN-a STRICT-ah E. nicholii E, ni-KOL-ee-eye Parkinsonia aculeata Cedrus deodara SEED-rus de-o-DOR-ah E. salmonophloia E. sa h-MEN-o-fl o-eye-a park-in-SONE-ee-uh ah-cul-ee-ATE-ah Centranthus ruber sen-TRAN-thus Euphorbia corollata Phlox stolonifera flox sto-lon-NIF-er-ah ROO-bur yew-FORB-ee-uh cor-o-LATE-ah Phoenix canariensis Cercis canadensis SIR-sus can- ah-DEN-sis E. cyparissias E. kew-pah-RIS-ee-as FEEN-icks can-air-ee-EN-sis Chaenomeles speciosa E. m)lrsinites E. mir-SIN-ee-tees Pinus edulis PINE-us ED-yew-li s kee-NOM-el-ez spee-see-OH-sah Felicia amelloides P. radiata P. ray-de-ATE-ah Chilopsis linearis fel-IS-ee-uh a- mel-o-EYE-deez Platycodon grandif/orus ki l-OP-sis lin-ee-AIR-is Forsythia for-SITH-ee-uh plat-ih-KODE-on grand-ih-FLOR-is

36 OCTOBER 1989 Everybody talks Potentilla nepalensis po-ten-TIL-ah neh-pal-EN-sis P. megalantha P. meg-ah-LANTH-ah Primula denticulata PRIM-yew-Ia den-tick-yew-LATE-ah about the weather. P. elatior P. ay-LATE-ee-or P. japonica P. jah-PON-ih-kah P. obconica P. ob-CON-i-ka P. pulverulenta P. pul-var-yew-LENT-ah P. sieboldii P. see-BOLD-ee-eye Now you can do P. veris P. VER-is P. vu1garis P. vu l-GARE-is Pyracantha py-ra-KAN-tha Quercus lobata QUER-kus low-BAHT-ah sometliing about it. Rhododendron ro-do-DEN-dron Rosa banksiae ROHZ-uh BANKS-ee-eye Salix babylonica SALE-icks bab-i-LON-ih-ka S. discolor S. DIS-kol-er Salvia argentea SALV-ee-uh are-JENT-ee-ah S. pratensis S. pray-TEN-sis S. sclarea S. SKLAIR-ee-ah Saxifraga umbrosa sacks-ih-FRAG-ah um-BROSE-ah Scabiosa skay-bee-OHZ-ah Sidalcea si h-DAL-see-ah Skimmia japonica SKIM-ee-uh jah-PON-ih-kah Spiraea x bumalda spy-REE-ah x bum-ALD-ah S. cantoniensis S. can-TON-ee-en-sis Trollius TROL-eye-us Tropaeolum minus TRO-pee-o-Ium MINE-us Tsuga canadensis SOOG-ah can-a-DEN-sis Tulipa TOO-lip-ah Veronica gentianoides ve-RON-ee-ka gen-tee-an-oh-IDE-ezs Viburnum acerifolium vie-BURN-um a-ser-ee-FOL-ee- um V. x burkwoodii V. x burk-WOOD-ee-eye V. x carlcephalum V. x carl-see-FALE-um 1988 was one of the warmest years on V. carlesii V. kar-LEEZ-ee-eye record and global temperatures continue to rise. But V. cassino ides V. kas-in-oh-IDE-ezs V. dentatum V. den-TATE-um instead of just talking about this environmental crisis, V. dilatatum V. di-Iay-TATE-um V. lantana V.lan-TAN-a you can actually do something about it. v. macrocephalum fo~ma keteleeri Join other Americans across the country in V. mack-ro-see-FALE-um forma kee-teh-LEAR-ah planting trees. You'll be shading your community V. opulus V. OP-yew-Ius and reducing heat-trapping CO2 build-up in the V. plica tum forma tomentosum V. pli-KATE-um forma to-men-TOSE-um earth's atmosphere. V. prunifolium V. prune- i-FOL-ee- um V. rhytidophyllum V. ri-ti-do-FIL-um For more information on how you can help, V. sargentii V. sar- GENT-ee-eye write Global ReLeaf, American Forestry Association, V. sieboldii V. see-BOLD-ee-eye V. trilobum V. try-LOBE-um P.O. Box 2000, Dept. GR2 , Washington, DC 20013. V. utile V. yew-TIL-ee Viola x wittrockiana VYE-o-Iah x wit-rock-ee-ANE-ah V.odorata V.o-do-RATE-ah Gi§BAL Washingtonia filifera wash-ing-TONE-ee-uh fi l-IF-er-ah Weigela florida wy-GEAL-ah FLOR-ih-da ~LhM Yucca carnerosana YUCK-ah carn-er-rose-AIN-ah You can make aworld of difference.

AMERICAN HORT/CUL TURIST 37 Classifieds

Classified Ad Rates: $1 per word; minimum $20 CAROL DIDRICK'S LITTLE RED BOOK ON goatskin stretches and becomes form-fitting, per insertion. 10% discount for three consecu­ OLD GARDEN ROSES. Where to get them giving wearer ultimate in fit, grip, dexterity. tive ads using same copy, provided each inser­ and where to plant them. An introduction to Natural lanolin in leather keeps hands soft. Sizes tion meets the $20 minimum after taking dis­ 7-10 or send outline of hand. $9.50 postpaid. count. Copy must be recei ved on the first day of OLD GARDEN ROSES. Each book signed and the month two months prior to publication date. numbered. Send $14.95 post paid. CAROL PUTNAM'S, Box 295-AH, Wilton~ NH 03086. Send orders to: American Horticultural Society DIDRICK, 1535 Willard Drive, Orrville, OH GREENHOUSE ACCESSORIES Advertising Department, 80 South Early St~eet, 44667. "' Please add $2 out of country mailing. COMPLETE MIST PROPAGATION SYS­ Alexandria, Virginia 22304. Or call (703) TEMS. Get phenomenal propagation results, 823-6966. BOTANICAL CRAFTS indoors-outdoors. Environment sensitive con­ DRIED FLOWERS FOR ARRANGEMENTS. trolled. FREE BROCHURES. AQUAMONI­ AFRICAN VIOLETS Pressed flowers. Potpourris. 400 items for her­ TOR, Dept. 4, Box 327, Huntington, NY 11743. bal crafting. Catalog $1 (refundable). Herbal America's Finest -177 best violets and gesner­ Tel: (516) 427-5664. Crafts Quarterly Newsletter $14/year. TOM iads. Color Catalog and Growing "Tips" $.50. HEATHS & HEATHERS FISCHER GREENHOUSES, Box H, Linwood, THUMB WORKSHOPS-AH, Mappsville, VA 23407-0357. HARDY HEATHERS FOR ALL-YEAR GAR­ NJ 08221. DEN COLOR! Send SASE for descriptive mail­ THE AVANT GARDENER BULBS order list. Fast Service! HEATHER GROW­ DIFFERENT, EXCITING, GREAT FUN TO Bulbous Plant Journal, HERBERTIA and Quar­ ERS, Box 850, Elma, WA 98541. terly Newsletter. Color-filled articles on bulbs, READ - for the gardener who wants to get more HELP WANTED out of gardening! Subscribe to THE AVANT corms and tubers of Amaryllidaceae and related We at the American Horticultural Society are GARDENER, the most usefl!ll, most quoted of families. $20/yr. APLS-AH, P.O. Box 985, often asked to refer individuals for significant all gardening publications. Every month this National City, CA 92050-0241. horticultural positions around the country. We unique news service brings you the newest and BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES are not in a position to offer full placement most practical on-going information - new Let the government finance your new or existing services to candidates or employers. However, plants, products, techniques, with sources, plus small business. Grantslloans to $500,000 yearly. as a service to our members, both individuals feature articles, special issues. 20th year. Awarded Free recorded message: (707) 449-8600. (LF4 ) and employers alike, we would be very glad to Garden Club of America and Massachusetts receive resumes and cover letters of individuals Horticultural Society Medals for outstanding CACTI & SUCCULENTS seeking job changes and employers seeking can­ contributions to horticulture. Curious? Sample FLOWERING JUNGLE CACTI catalog for didates. All responsibility for checking refer­ copy $1. Serious? $10 full year (reg. $15). THE 1989-90 available immediately! Orchid Cacti ences and determining the appropriateness of AVANT GARDENER, Box 489M, New York, (Epiphyllums), Rattail Cacti, Hoyas, XmaslEaster both position and candidate rests with the in­ NY 10028. Cacti, Haworthias, more. 66-page plant/cactus dividuals. AHS's participation in this activity is BIRD DETERRENT bookshop catalog (175 color photos) all only only to serve as a connecting point for members SCARE BIRDS FAST! From Fruit Orchards, $2. RAINBOW GARDENS, 1444 TAYLOR ST., of the Society. Inquiries and informational ma­ Gardens, Residential, and any problem area. VISTA, CA 92084. terial should be sent to: Horticultural Employ­ ment, American Horticultural Society, 7931 East Environmentally Safe! For a free color brochure CARNIVOROUS PLANTS contact: HARTMANN'S PLANTATION INC., Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308. Carnivorous and woodland terrarium plants and PO Box E, 310 60th Street, Dept. AHS, Grand HERBS Junction, MI 49056. (616) 253-4281. supplies. Catalog FREE. PETER PAULS NUR­ SERIES, Canandaigua) NY 14424. HERBS - AnnuaUperennial; extensive collec­ BONSAI tion. Perennials -Large selection for sun/shade. CATALOGS BONSAI TREES, pottery, books, tools, trays, Sedum-Tall, medium, carpeting; many vari­ supplies, and soils. Catalog $2.50. BONSAI FREE ILLUSTRATED CATALOG OF BOOKS eties. Visit Living Room Gift Shop for herbal CREATIONS, P.O. Box 7511AH, Ft. Lauder­ on plants, flowers, trees, other nature topics. treats. Display gardens. Retail catalog $1.50; dale, FL 33338. Classic, hard-to-find volumes on study, iden­ Wholesale list (Business SASE). WRENWOOD, tification, cultivation. Most $6 to $10. A must RT. 4, BOX 361, Berkeley Springs~ WV 25411. BONSAI PLANTS, INDOOR AND OUT­ for horticulturists, gardeners, nature lovers. Write DOOR, IMPORTED POTS AND TOOLS, DOVER PUBLICATIONS, Dept. A281, East HOSTAS BOOKS, SUPPLIES. CATALOG $1. BONSAI 2nd Street, Mineola, NY 11501. Latest Hybrids from Paul Aden. High quality FARM, BOX BOW, LAVERNIA, TX 78121. containerized plants for safe all season shipping. DAY LILIES BONSAI, dwarfed conifers, pines, maples, trop­ Expertly packaged. Professionally grown. Send icals, stock, and cuttings. Catalog $2. MATSU­ Tetraploid Hybrids, Reblooming Miniatures, $4 (fully refundable) for your 1989 Color Per­ MOMIJI NURSERIES, P.O. Box 11414, Phil­ Dwarfs and Eyed varieties. All are hardy dor­ ennial Catalog. KLEHM NURSERY, Rt. 5, Box adelphia) PA 19111. (2 15) 722-6286. mant homegrown in central Illinois' rich prairie 197 Penny Road, Barrington, IL 60010-9555 soils. All orders are freshly dug and well pack­ (1-800-553-3715). BOOKS aged. Send $4 (fully refundable) for yo ur 1989 1985 Edition EXOTICA 4, with 16,300 photos, Color Perennial Catalog. KLEHM NURSERY, HOUSE PLANTS 405 in color, 2,600 pages in 2 volumes, with Rt. 5, Box 197 Penny Road, Barrington, IL ORCHIDS, GESNERIADS, BEGONIAS, CACTI Addenda of 1,000 Updates, by Dr. A.B . Graf, 600l0-9555 (1-800-553-3715). & SUCCULENTS. Visitors welcome. 1988-89 $187. TROPICA 3, revised 1986, 7,000 color AWARD WINNING DA YLILIES DIRECT catalog $2. LAURAY OF SALISBURY, Rt. 41 photos, now 1,156 pages, $125. Exotic House FROM THE GROWER! ALL VARIETIES 50% (Undermountain Rd.), Salisbury, CT 06068. Plants, 1,200 photos, $8.95. Circulars gladly OFF through September only! Color catalog $2 (203) 435-2263. sent. ROEHRS, Box 125, E. Rutherford, NJ (deductible). DA YLIL Y DISCOUNTERS, Rt. 2, Exotic Houseplants, Delivered to Your Door­ 07073. Box 24, Dept. AHS, Al achua, FL 31615. VISA/ step. Our 1988-90 color catalog lists 2,000 va­ Out of print, scarce, and antiquarian gardening MASTERCARD. (904) 462-1539. "Experts rieties of rare indoor plants. You'll find hibiscus, and botanical books. Catalogs issued regularly. recommend fall planting." orchids, begonias, geraniums, heirloom, fra­ Write to WHEELBARROW BOOKS, 22, grant plants and more. Send $3 refundable, Brangwyn Avenue, Brighton, Sussex, BNl 8XG, GARDENING ACCESSORIES LOGEE'S GREENHOUSES, Dept. AH, North England. GOATSKIN GLOVES. Tough, lightweight, napa St., Danielson, CT 06239.

38 OCTOBER 1989 nuals, trees, shrubs, bul bs from seed; includes ORCHIDS EXPERT PROPERTY CA RE. La nd, Flora, rare items unobtainable elsewhere. Write for ORCHIDS! ORCHIDS! STAGHORN FERNS! Structures, Administration, all capably handled. Permanent position sought wi th responsib il i­ free copy, allowing three weeks, or enclose $2 BROMELIADS, BOOKS, GROWING SUP­ for first cl ass mail: THOMPSON & MOR­ PLIES. FREE CATALOG. FOX ORCHID S, ti es. Will li ve on site. L.S ., PO Box 761, Ojai, CA 93023. GAN, INC. Dept. AHC, P.O. Box 1308, Jack­ 6615 WEST MARKHAM, LITTLE ROCK, AR son, NJ 08527. 72205. (501) 663-4246. HORTICULTURIST - Re ti red. A lifetime res­ N ATIONAL H EIRLOO M FLOWER SEED PEONIES toring, improving, showin g gardens and land­ EXCHANGE. Es tate gardener seeks to establish scape. See ki ng home and modest salary. Hor­ exchange of heirloom/rare flowers that are used Also H OSTAS, JAPANESE AND SIB ERIAN ticulturist, 352 East Second St. , Corning, NY IRISES, AND DA YLILIES. Current ca talog $1 in reproduction of period ga rdens and as med­ 14830. refundabl e. CAPRICE FARM NURSERY-AH, icines or insecti ci des. Send a SASE with list of 15 425 SW Pleasant Hill, Sherwood, OR 97140. RHODODENDRONS fl owers offered and sought to: Robert Bourne, 54 Powell St., Brookline, MA 02146. (503) 625-7241. RHODODENDRONS for Eastern Gardens. Free Estate, Hybrid, and Tree Peonies. High quali ty descri pti ve li sting. CARDINAL NURSERY, Rt. TETRAPLOID DA YLILIES pl ants, freshly handled and expertly packed. 1, Box 316M, State Road, NC 28676. (919) Over 700 hybrids, exotic new Tetraploid Intro­ Family owned company fo r 137 yea rs. Send $4 874-2027. ducti ons. Catalog $1, deductible with order of (full y refundable) fo r yo ur 1989 Color Perennial plants. SEA WRI GHT GA RD ENS, 134 Indian Catalog. KLEHM NURSERY, Rt. 5, Box 197 ROCK GARDEN PLANTS Hill, Carlisle) MA 01 741. (6 17) 369-2172. Penny Road, Barrington, IL 60010-9555 (1-800- Rare Alpin es, Wi ldflowers, Dwarf Coni fe rs, TILLANDSIAS/ AIR PLANTS 553-3715). Ground Covers, co lo rful Rock Plants, hardy TILLANDSIAS - Bea utiful tropi ca l plants 30 PLANTS (UNUSUAL) Rhododendrons, Bonsai Books. Catalog $2. RI CE CREEK GARDENS, 1315 66th Ave. NE, va ri eties - suited fo r dis plays and fl oral ar­ Distincti ve plants for your garden and land­ Minneapolis, MN 55432. (612) 574-1197. rangements - ca ll or write GUATE IMPORTS scape. Sca rce, unusual and many old favorites. (703) 967-0836, Rt 2, Box 190-A, Louisa, VA We ll establi shed in 4" pots, ready fo r you to SEEDS 23093. grow on. FREE ca talog. APPA LA CHIAN GAR­ THE WORLD'S LA RGEST and most fa mous WILDFLOWERS DENS, Box 82-A, Waynes boro, PA 17268. seed ca talog. Over 225 pages, 4,000 va ri eti es, Hardy, easy, rel iable, showy, from our nursery (717) 762-4312. 1,000 color pi ctures. A major book of reference. to yo ur garden. For sun/shade, wet/dry, formal! RARELY OFFERED SOUTHEASTERN NA­ The Encyclopedi a of how and what to grow naturalistic. Send $2 (desoriptive 40-page cat­ TIVES, woody, herbaceous, nurse ry-grown. fro m seed. Vegetables, potted plants, exoti cs, alog) or SASE (list). SUNLIGHT GARDENS, Many hard y northward . Also newly introduced perennials, alpine, rockery, latest and best an- Rt. 1, Box 600-AH8, Andersonville, TN 37705. exotics selected fo r So uthern gardens. Send $.50 for extensive mail order list. WOOD LANDERS AH, 1128 Colleton Ave., Aiken, SC 29801. POSITIONS AVAILABLE HEAD GROUNDSKEEPER. We are expanding our grounds services and opening our doors to Aw-ard An AHS Medal At interested career oriented grounds profess ional. We offer a full -time ca reer opportunity, co m­ petitive sa lary plus benefits and a positi ve and pleasant working environment. The adminis­ Your Next Plant Show tra tive fun cti ons are to contribute to the estab­ lishment of the College of Notre Dame arbor­ etum and manage the program for grounds to include short and long term plan; landscape and maintenance req uirements; records of plant­ ings, locati ons, treatments, etc.; pursue Gov­ ernment Grants as ava il able. Responsibilities would include determining the need for and per­ forming the necessary planting, seeding, water­ ing, fertilizing, etc.; plant trees, shrubs, fl owers and maintaining; mow, trim, edge lawns as needed; hea d snow removal operations ; mai n­ tain equipment and work area in a clean and orderly manner. Qualifi ca ti ons include being capabl e of handling vehicles in a safe manner; must have a va lid (Maryland ) driver's li cense; two or more years of experience preferred; de­ pendabl e work record ; ability to work withol1t supervis ion; phys ically able to lift, ca rry, push, and pull a variety ot equipment. The American Horticultural Society offers the Bole Memorial Medals, Apply to: COLLEGE OF NOTRE DAME OF designed by Victor Schreckengost, a nationally known sculptor and industrial MARYLAND, 4701 N. Charles St. , Baltimore, designer. These medals are awarded to individuals for horticultural excellence MD 21210 or call (301) 532-5397. E.O.E. at regional shows put on by plant societies who are members of AHS. The gold medal requires 15 species or cultivars of blue ribbon quality; the silver POSITIONS WANTED medal 8 species or cultivars. These need not be all of the same species. The Recent graduate British horticultural college now medal measures one and a half inches across with a ring attached so it can be caring for 20-acre estate des ires position in U.S. worn on a chain or ribbon. The date and the recipient's name can be All aspects of gardening in cl udi ng des ign, con­ engraved on the back. struction, and maintenance. Resume and ref­ Requests for applications, which must be made three months in advance of erences sent on req uest. John Sturley, 41B High the event, can be obtained from Mrs. Benjamin P. Bole, Jr., Chairman, 1 Street, Sutton Courtenay, Ab ingdon, Oxford­ Bratenahl Place, Cleveland, OH 44108. shire, England OX14 4AW.

AMERICAN HORT/CUL TURIST 39 Book Reviews

Clematis es tate gardens he des igned between 1914 Barry Fretwell. Color photos, drawings, and and 1968. Karson has selected nea rl y fifty woodcuts. Capability Books, Deer Park, Wisconsin, of them, which she presents in hi ghl y read­ 1989. 160 pages. Publisher's price: hardcovel; able install me nts arranged chronologi ­ $24.95. AHS member price: $ 14.95. cally. Pl ans, detail s, evocati ve sketches, and constructi on drawings illustrate the text. Anyone who loves fl owers, and in partic­ Black and white photographs include those ul ar clemati s, and appreciates beautiful taken by Steele, permitting the reader a photography that is well produced, will view of the gardens through the des igner's love this book on sight. As both ga rdener own lens and often showing work in prog­ and photographer I am awed by its ex­ ress. He commissioned many of the photos cellence, from the frontispiece of 'Lady Betty taken after the gardens were completed. Balfour' and the opening spread of autumn­ The more recent color plates show how fl owering, single white 'John Huxtable' to hi s gardens have matured. the last photo, a full-page portrait of C. To Steele, the garden was a place to viticella 'Venosa Violacea'. dream. " Drea ming enables us to wi thdraw If anything is missing, it is longer shots into ourselves fo r brief moments and rests showing clematis in the landscape. H ow­ us. It is good and if the garden makes it ever, Fretwell makes excellent landscape easier and pleasant to dream, then it is a suggestions in his text, so I will go along good garden. " H e cautioned against gar­ with his explanation for this apparent lapse: dens that are " merely pretty ." His were " A main feature of clematis is the stunning What is missing is any discussion about bold, inve ntive, sometimes whimsica l, and effect of multiple flowers but, for ease of tolerance of extreme temperatures, sum­ nearl y always ecl ecti c. H e synthesized de­ identificati on, most of the photographs mer or winter, or any indicati on in the sign tra ditions of France, Italy, England, portray even the small-flowering varieti es individual descriptio ns about hardiness. Japan, and especiall y those of Spain and and species as a single flower or as a small Vegetati ve propagation is covered well. China into gardens th at were uniquely gro up. Careful note should be taken, I was hoping for more specifi cs on growing American. H istori cal precedent and the therefore, of the size of flower given in the from seed, but at least Fretwell does not Beaux Arts fo rmali sm in whi ch he was text." discourage. Finall y, he addresses diseases trained sometimes gave way to influences The book jacket tells us that Barry Fret­ and pests. About wilt, the good news is: of cubism, modernism, and Art Deco; such well has speciali zed in clematis as a nurs­ " I have even known pl ants to come back experim entati on has influenced later ge n­ eryman for thirty years. " In England" mi ght to life after three years-so do not dig it erati ons of landscape architects. be added, but I hope this will not deter a out; clematis are notorious survivors." In 1947, Steele wrote of " the ga rdener'S single devotee of the genus anywhere in - Elvin McDonald eternal triangle-namely, the pull of th e the world. Somewhere along the way Fret­ land itself and plants and climate at one well became an excellent writer and pho­ Fletcher Steele, Landscape corner, the pull of the cl ient and owner tographer. The text is refreshingly free of Architect: An Account of the and what he wants at another corn er, and ego and generous in sharing hones t ex­ Gardenmaker's Life, 1885-1971 the pull of the designer and his sense of perience and a highly educated opinion. Robin Karson. Color and black and white pbotos fine art at th e thi rd corner trying to pull After a brief history of clematis, and and drawings. Sagapress, In c., Nell' York, 1989. 344 everything together." H e fou nd kind re d some advice on choosing from among them, pages. Publisher'S price: hardcovel; 849.95. AHS spirits among hi s most enduri ng, a nd Fretwell gets ri ght into cultiva ti on and be­ member price: 834.95. wealthiest, clients: Charl otte Whitney Allen fore we know it he has us pruning, or not, of Roches ter, New York; Standish Backus as the clematis may be. All the nearl y 200 Robin Karson has all owed Fl etcher Steele's of Gross Pointe Shores, Michiga n; and clematis individually described are indi­ own words to tell much of his li fe story as M abel Choate, owner of Naumkeag in cated as belonging to pruning Group A, one of the preeminent American landscape Stockbrid ge, MassachusettS . Group B, or Group C. The author gets my architects of the first half of the century. The garden he designed for All en (see respect when he admits that some in Group Included in this criti ca l biography are ex­ C " . .. sit uncomfortably astride the B and cerpts from his two books, co untless ar­ C fence," but, not to worry, " in the in­ ticles and lectures, travel journals, letters The AHS-sponsored traveling ex­ di vidual descriptions they are indicated as to clients and fa mily members that reveal hibit, " The Gardens of Fletcher 'B/C', and examples include 'Mrs. Chol­ the wit, charm, and character of the man Steele ," will open at the Paine­ mondley', 'H agley Hybrid', 'Niobe', and, as well as hi s philosophy of landscape ar­ Webber galleries in New York City in fact, all the red large-flowered hybrids." chitecture and ga rden des ign. January 18, with a related day-long U.S. mail order sources for clematis are Steele, who admire d charm in people design symposium January 19. listed on the inside back fl ap of the jacket. and places, imbued with charm the 500

40 OCTOBER 1989 American Horticulturist, October 1988), den, the open walks, and the shade garden, which he described as "little bigger than and ends in the reservoir garden. a postage stamp," provides some of his Information on garden design is given best lessons in space composition, his throughout the book. Chatto states that greatest interest. His use of forced per­ "the way you group plants together is the spective and color to enlarge the appear­ whole essence of gardening." She goes on ance of garden areas can be applied to to say that" . . . it is one thing to choose gardens of more modest scale as can his appropriate plants for the conditions and ideas on the placement of sculpture and quite another to arrange them in a pleasing the design of garden steps. way. I cannot emphasize enough that the He may have designed for millionaires, form and shape of the plant, and texture but Steele wrote for middle-class home­ and color of its leaves are as important as owners. "American lawns rarely invite one the color of its flowers." Her plant com­ to linger. They are usually indeterminate binations are very pleasing and her designs areas covered with grass, into which house, have won ten gold medals in succession at drives, and gardens are dropped down like the Chelsea Flower Show. a few fish balls on a large platter . .. A The last chapter contains a plant list and good lawn must be enclosed by buildings, marily of perennials, that are photo­ a U.S. hardiness chart. The climate in her walls, or planting, as a general thing." graphed so well. Chatto states that her area is drier than much of England; there­ Steele chose plants for their abstract purpose in writing this book is " . .. to fore, her recommendations are more ap­ qualities, especially color, and contrast of encourage you to look afresh at your gar­ plicable to the United States than those in form with their neighbors. He frequently den and its particular, often difficult, con­ many English books. UnfortuFlately, many used Aralia spinosa (devil's walking stick), ditions, like shade or very dry soil or boggy of the recommended plants are not avail­ Petasites Oapanese butterbur), and 'Fiery damp places, and then try to turn them to able in this country. Nevertheless, The Red' coralbells. Betula papyrifera (white advantage by growing just those plants that Green Tapestry is both refreshing to read birch) gives vertical syncopation to several are adapted by nature to thrive in such and a good reference book to have on hand. of his designs, most notably the Blue Steps situations." As we go through the six main - Bill Funkhouser at Naumkeag. Horticultural information garden areas, Chatto shares with us what for each garden is found within the text, she has done with each garden area's unique Elvin McDonald, director of special projects supplemented in a few instances by plant­ situation. at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, writes a ing plans and plant lists in an appendix. Before our tour begins, Chatto gives us syndicated newspaper column on plants in the home, and is a newly elected member This book is not riddled with design jar­ some background information. She also of the American Horticultural Society's gon, and any term unfamiliar to the reader tells us a little bit about her unusual plant Board of Directors. is likely to be succinctly defined in the glos­ nursery, which supplies plants for her gar­ Kathryn McCutchen, an art historian, is sary. An extensive bibliography is also in­ dens and vice versa. In the "Principles of pursuing a master's degree in landscape cluded. If the book has any shortcoming Planting" chapter, she covers topics that architecture and preservation at the University of Virginia. it is that a number of photographs, in­ range from soil to garden design. Bill Funkhouser owns a retail nursery in cluding some printed from Steele's "highly Our tour begins in the entrance garden. Dahlonega, Georgia, which specializes in variable negatives" that were probably not It then continues through the water gar- perennials, wildflowers, and herbs. intended for publication, are darkly printed and lack crisp detail. Still, this biography will provide hours of inspiring reading for anyone searching Book Order Fonn for beauty in gardens, and is a must for Please send me the following books at the specially discounted AHS member prices. those who agree with Steele that landscape architecture is a fine art. o Clematis ...... $14.95 I would like to order _____ books. - Kathryn McCutchen CA P 658 Please add $2.50 per book for postage and o Fletcher Steele, Landscape handling. Virginia residents, also add 4 '12% Architect ...... $34.95 sa les tax. Please allow six weeks for delivery. The Green Tapestry TIM 655 Prices are subjecr to change without noti ce. Beth Chatto. Color photos and illustrations. Simon o The Green Tapestry ...... $14.95 and Schuster, New York, 1989. 192 pages. SIM 657 o Enclosed is my check for $ _____ Publisher's price: hardcover, $24.95. AHS price: Ship to: ______Charge to: $14.95. o VISA 0 M as terCard Exp. Date ---- Street: ______Most gardeners love to tour other gardens Acct. # ______where we can find solutions to our gar­ City: ______Signature ______dening problems. Reading this book is like State: ______Zip: ______a private tour with Beth Chatto through ' MAIL TO: Sandy Abel, AHS , P. O. Box 0105 , her own marvelous garden. Our tour is Day time phone : ______Mount Vernon, VA 22121. not just to see the exquisite plantings, pri-

AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST 41 TECHNIQUE/BY THELMA E. HONEY YouCanCanquer Without Stooping

o you have a successful gar­ den, but sometimes wish for an elevator to lift up the gar­ den bed so you can pick the squash and snare the squash Dbugs without bending your stiff, aching back? Would you like to be eyeball-to­ eyeball with insects, veggies, and weeds with no strain on your back, and sit down while you slay bugs, uproot weeds, and harvest succulent vegetables? An enclosed-sided, raised bed will let you garden iN comfort, and will produce more in less space and in a fraction of the time required to maintain the traditional garden. It's the combination of intensive gardening and raised beds that gives you a garden within your reach. In fifteen to thirty minutes a day or two to three hours on a weekend, you can grow an abundance of vegetables, even if your space, time, or energy is severely limited. A few years ago arthritis and age seri­ ously impaired my ability and mobility. My choice: either give up my beloved gar­ gravation. Just one of several mistakes. Outdoor carpet scraps are tacked on rap den, or find an easier way. What I found My two beds are constructed with rail­ of the ties to cover the rough surface and is such an improvement over myoid gar­ road ties stacked three high. This height keep the creosote from staining my clothes. den that I wonder why I hadn't discovered (about twenty-four inches) is ideal for sit­ I can plant, thin, and harvest in sinful com­ it sooner. Now I don't have to spend hours ting. The first two ties are fastened to­ fort. Since there is little room for weeds, bending and stooping to plant, fertilize, gether with foot-long bolts, the top one only the most tenacious find a roothold. weed, and harvest a garden twenty-five by bolted to the middle tie. Moisture and soil With fewer weeds, it is easy to pull them thirty-five feet; instead I spend minutes, are prevented from escaping between ties before they make seeds. Although I have comfortably seated, tending two four-by­ by a corrugated metal barrier inside. This no proof, it appears that fewer weed seeds ten-foot beds. An umbrella that automat­ also keeps the creosote from leaching into find their way up to the elevated beds, even ically follows me and a cold drink dis­ the soil. (Before the beds were finished, I though many weed seeds are blown in from penser would complete this Utopia, but knew I should have used untreaned ties .) nearby yards and usually sprout in the actually, I spend so little time working that To insure drainage, a Four-inch layer of pathways. I really don't need any more "comforts." sand was put in the bottom of each bed. Over the beds, one-inch-diameter PVC When I combined raised beds with inten­ Compost and steer manure were liberally pipes form modified A-frames. The frame sive gardening, I found a blue-ribbon mixed with dirt to finish the fill. Compost supports plastic to keep tender plants warm wmner. is added again between the harvest of one in early spring or fall. I use wire-reinforced These beds are actually oversized planter crop and the planting of another; manure plastic, which is semi-rigid and durable for boxes without bottoms that can be made is dug in as soon as the last crop is har­ several seasons. These temporary green­ of bricks, concrete blocks, planks, land­ vested. A two-inch-thick layer of manure houses extend the growing season about scaping timbers, railroad ties, or sawmill under eight inches of hay covers the bed two months-one in early spring and one slabs. For the surface of the walkways in winter. Any un-rotted hay is removed in in late fall. Plants, such as peas, that re­ around the beds, you can use concrete, the spring, leaving loose soil that is easily quire pollination, must be uncovered when gravel, or flagstones, but be sure to make turned with a hand trowel. Its fertility is they start to bloom. Last February I planted the walkways wide enough for a garden attested to by continuous cropping from garden peas along with lettuce and rad­ cart. Mine are too narrow, often an ag- February until November. ishes in one bed and put the plastic in place.

· 42 OCTOBER 1989 A couple of weeks later the peas were put­ The plants thrived in the cool spring tem­ OPPOSITE: Carrots and lemon cucumbers are ting up green shoots despite the snow in peratures, but needed protection later as harvested before tilling the raised bed and the surrounding area. This unreachable the sun became hotter. At first, I tried split­ setting out fall-crop transplants. ABOVE: A green stuff, by the way, created a frustrated bamboo fencing on the A-frame, but our modified Ajrame protects. tender plants in the fall and spring. frenzy among the birds. winds ripped it apart. Then I found that In the meantime, cool-weather plant shade cloth is easier to handle; it also has seedlings were growing in the greenhouse a longer life. to be transplanted into the other bed in Insects are easy to see and thus easy to mid-March. I buy seedlings early while they destroy in my raised beds, because they are still fresh at nurseries and garden sup­ are in my line of vision, not hidden on the ply stores, and transplant them into in­ ground at my feet. Row covers such as dividual pots to give them more root space. Reemay or Agronet protect crops from in­ I put the potted seedlings out on mild days sects as well as from frost, wind, and pelt­ for a few hours, first in the shelter of the ing rain. These offer almost complete pro­ patio, but after a week I gradually expose tection from leaf miners, cabbage worms, them to the sun and other elements. By the flea beetles, root maggots, and vine borers. time I transplant them to the beds, they For crops that require pollination, the cover are tough enough to stand up to the rigors must of course be removed when flowering of early spring weather. begins. In addition to hand-picking and I planted lettuce, radish, baby carrot, row covers, I spray Tanglefoot on plastic and turnip seeds between the transplants. garden ornaments. These ornaments have

AMERICAN HORTICUL TURIST 43 TECHNIQUE

a brown center with yellow, daisy like pet­ beans, peppers, and various herbs snug­ that can be harvested as the main crop als, and they turn in the wind like wind­ gled together to produce record harvests. spreads out. Meanwhile, the soil is shaded, mills. Whiteflies and other small fl ying All this from two, four-by-ten-foot, no­ moisture is conserved, and weeds are insects land on these and stick to the Tan­ stoop, sit-down beds! inhibited. glefoot, never to fly again. At the end of In mid-August, I planted spinach, let­ Through the years I have tried several the season, I discard these inexpensive tuce, and turnips for greens. The plastic varieties of peas and found that 'Bur­ "daisies" and start with new ones the next was installed when a hard freeze was peeana Early' are best for my needs and year. But occasionally I get an infestation predicted. growing conditions. Some of the edible­ that defies my best efforts, as well as those Rich soil is the key to successful inten­ podded peas are delicious when picked at of the ladybugs and praying mantises. Then sive gardening. Because of the small area, their prime, but their prime and mine are not always the same. It seems as if they are always ready to pick when it is im­ possible for me, because of pain or higher priority activities. The 'Burpeeana Early' are less demanding as to picking time­ and are delicious from tender-pod size to fully developed peas. Also, they mature quickly, which is essential due to the ab­ rupt changes in our weather-tempera­ tures may go from nighttime freezing to 75 0 or 80 0 F the next day. Planting for a fall harvest has been disappointing even with 'Snowbird' peas, recommended for fall crops. I planted for fall three years in a row, and each year our temperatures stayed in the nineties well into early Oc­ tober. By then the struggling pea vines had given up their will to live. 'Bloomsdale Long-Standing' spinach, 'Ruby' and 'Black Seeded Simpson' lettuce, 'Purple Top White Globe' turnips, 'Lu­ cull us' Swiss chard, and 'Florida Broad Leaf' and 'India' mustard produce good spring and fall crops. 'Danvers Half Long' and 'Nantes Half Long' carrots, 'Pink Beauty' and 'Sparkler' Over pipe frames, the author fits wire-enforced plastic, carefully overlapping the ends. radishes, 'Paris White Cos' romaine, 'Pre­ mium Crop Hybrid' broccoli, 'Lemon' cu­ I bring out the diatomaceous earth, Ba­ it is easy to make and maintain the fertile cumbers, 'Ace' tomatoes, 'Slenderette' bush cillus thuringiensis, and/or insecticidal soap. soil necessary for a super harvest. You beans, 'California Wonder' and 'Golden The beds are watered by a ten-foot length should add compost, organic matter, and Calwonder' peppers, and 'Early Pimento' of PVC pipe in which small holes are drilled fertilizer on a regular basis. Compost can are my favorites. I have stopped planting in rwo rows along the top of the pipe at be made in one area of the yard by mixing brussels sprouts and cauliflower because intervals of one foot (staggered so there is dirt, manure, and organic matter such as of insect control problems, Chinese and a hole every ~ ix inches). One pipe laid leaves, hay, grass clippings, and kitchen regular cabbage because of lack of space, lengthwise waters each bed. A short length scraps (no meat, bones, or grease). After and 'Icicle' and other long radishes because of hose is attached to each pipe and the it has decomposed sufficiently, scoop it of poor performance. rwo are connected by a Y-fitting with valve onto the soil around the plants and work The bounty from the beds is supple­ controls so both beds or only one can be it in or till it in the soil in the fall. Keep mented by other vegetables tucked in odd watered. Hose remnants, about ten feet feeding the soil. You will be rewarded with spots and along fences. Fruit trees and berry long with fittings, are inexpensive and tasty, nutritious vegetables for your table. bushes add to the freezer stuffing. available at discount stores. These and Consult seed catalogs and packages for If you think gardening is synonymous quick-disconnect fittings make it easy to proper spacing between plants, but ignore with spading, raking, stooping, weeding, attach the main hose. the distance berween rows. Instead leave and other exhausting chores, then inten­ Last year, successive plantings furnished the same distance as the spacing berween sive gardening in a raised bed will surprise fresh vegetables all summer and stuffed my plants. I plant carrots three inches apart you. freezer to overflowing. I shared the harvest each way, sixteen per square foot, and bush with neighbors and friends. Lettuce, rad­ Thelma E. Honey, a free-lance writer who beans every two inches. Most cole plants lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, serves ishes, turnips, broccoli, chard, romaine, need a foot of space. While they are small, on the board of directors of the American peas, carrots, spinach, cucumbers, snap use the space for quick-growing vegetables Horticultural Therapy Association.

44 OCTOBER 1989 Membership Services Sources We hope you are enjoying being a member of the American Horticul­ tural Society. This is your organiza­ tion and we want to make everything A Mouth-Watering Dry Garden run as smoothly as possible. Cactus Gem Nursery, 10092 Mann Dr., Cu­ But when you do have a problem pertino, CA 95014, catalog $1. or a question, give us a call at 1-800- Forestfarm, 990 Tetherow Rd., Williams, OR 777 -7931 or write to the: Member­ 97544, catalog $2. ship Department, American Horti­ Grigsby Cactus Gardens, 2354 Bella Vista Dr., cultural Society, 7931 East Boulevard Vista, CA 92084, catalog $2. Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22308. J.L. Hudson Seedsman, P.O. Box 1058, Red­ wood City, CA 94064, catalog $l. Mesa Garden, P.O. Box 72, Belen, NM 87002, catalog free. Southwestern Native Seeds, P.O. Box 50503, C;REER C;~RDENS Tucson, AZ 85703, catalog $2. 1280 Goodpasture Island Rd., Eugene, OR 97401-1794 You Can Conquer Without Stooping Archias', P.O. Box 109, Sedalia, MO 65301, Specializing in -- catalog free. EXOTIC Rhododendrons W. Arlee Burpee & Co., 300 Park Ave., War­ UNUSUAL Japanese Maples minster, PA 18991, catalog free. RARE Trees & Shrubs Comstock, Ferre & Co., 263 Main St., SPECIAL Bonsai Materials Wethersfield, CT 06109, catalog free. johnny's Selected Seeds, Foss Hill Rd., Albion, ME 04910, catalog free. Jung Seeds & Nursery, 335 S. High St., Randolph, WI 53957, catalog free. Seeds Blum, Idaho City Stage, Boise, ID 83706, catalog $2. Sunrise Enterprises, P.O. Box 10058, Elmwood, CT 06110, catalog $1. Donald Egolf's Viburnums Appalachian Gardens, Box 82, WaynesboFo, PA 17268, catalog free. Beaver Creek Nursery, 7526 Pdleaux Rd., Knoxville, TN 37938, catalog free. Carroll Gardens, 444 E. Main St., Westminster, MD 21157, catalog $2. Colvos Creek Nursery, 1931 Second Ave., #215, Seattle, WA 98101, catalog $2. Forestfarm, 990 Tetherow Rd., Williams, OR 97544, catalog $2. Girard Nurseries, P.O. Box 428, Geneva, OH 44041, catalog free. Greer Gardens, 1280 Goodpasture Island Rd., Eugene, OR 97401, catalog $2. "The Gardens of Wayside Gardens, One Garden Lane, Hodges, Fletcher Steele" SC 29695, catalog free. Would your local art museum, garden club, A Winning Exhibit or area university department of land­ W. Atlee Burpee & Co., 300 Park Ave., War­ scape design like to host this dramatic and minster, PA 18991, catalog free. informative exhibit? The traveling unit Please send your value-packed • consists of 33 framed black and white r------• catalog. I enclose $2, deductible .. Crownsville Nursery, P.O. Box 797, Crowns­ photographs representin~ 13 gardens, • on my first catalog order. • ville, MD 21032, catalog $2. supplemented by 8 didactIc panels, each Park Seed Co., Cokes bury Rd., Greenwood, SC presenting a specific design problem and • Name • 29647, catalog free. solution through plans, drawin~s, and • St.lRFD • John Scheepers, Inc., R.D. 6, Philipsburg Rd. , photographs of the progression. FIve 4' x Middletown, NY 10940, catalog free. 6' color panels show the best of Steele's • City State---2ip_ • Andre Viette Farm & Nursery, Rt 1, Box 16, surviving work. For bookings and further II send to: • Fishersville, VA 22939, catalog $2. inquiries, call the American Horticultural • GILBERT H_ WILD & SON, INC. • Wayside Gardens, One Garden Lane, Hodges, Society 1-800-777-7931. AH-1089 Joplin SI. • Sarcoxie . MO 64862 • SC 29695, catalog free. ..• •••••••••

AMERICAN HORTICUL TURIST 45 TREASURES OF RIVER FARM/ BY KATHLEEN FISHER 1ivoArtsMeet in Need!epointCushions

n 1974, Betty Corning became although samples have been found in an owned by George Washington, one of the concerned about the need to Egyptian tomb and the Chinese were doing nation's first enthusiastic needlepointers transform the ballroom of the exquisitely detailed work 800 years ago. was Martha Washington, who stitched American Horti cultural Soci­ But it was the British who for a long time eleven dining room chair seats for Mount ety's River Farm headquarters defined the art as it would be practiced in Vernon. However, her design was an Eng­ intoI a public meeting area. That year, the United States. According to Rose Wil­ lish shell motif, and the British style con­ Corning had served as chairman of the der Lane, writing in The Woman's Day tinued to dictate how American needle­ AHS House Committee, as secretary and Book of American Needlework, "Queen point looked for many more decades. then as second vice president to the society, Elizabeth preferred it to all other embroi­ But today, there are many American so she knew well that there was no budget dery. She and her ladies worked it on bed needlepoint artists, and Corning called on for furniture. And given the room's pri­ curtains, bellpulls and waistcoats; covered one of them then living near her in the mary use for meetings and symposia, the chairs, benches and stools with it; and New York area, Mona Spoor, to help shape elaborate furniture that had graced the room stitched pictures of it, until nothing more her ambitious vision: needlepoint cushions when River Farm was privately owned was could be done with English needlepoint." for each of the ballroom's nine window no longer appropriate. There was no colonial American needle­ seats, with a design that would represent Still, something should be done to give point. The materials cost toO much for all of the plant societies affiliated with AHS. the room some warmth, Corning felt, and most settlers. The canvas backing had to Before a stitch could be taken, Spoor to symbolize the society's role as an um­ be imported and the blunt needles were had to pull together symbols for such di­ brella organization representing the di­ useless for anything else. And such purely verse groups as the American Bonsai So­ verse interests of American gardeners. decorative handiwork was not at home ciety, the Cactus and Succulent Society of Corning turned to needlepoint, an art with patchwork quilts, braided rugs, and America, the American Fuchsia Society, form whose history has some parallels to homespun coverlets. But appropriately the American Ivy Society, plus the North gardening itself. Its origins are unknown, enough, given that River Farm was once American Fruit Explorers and the North-

46 OCTOBER 1989 ern Nut Growers-more than forty in all­ without creating a look of utter chaos. "Some societies had logos that we wanted to use and we had to get their permission," said Corning. "But we didn't usually adopt the official logos because they wouldn't work for this purpose." Corning also knew just where to turn to see that Spoor's design became reality: her compatriots in the Garden Club of America, many of whom she had seen working on exquisite needlepoint projects. Ten women from eight different states were tapped for the project: Mrs. John Maury of the District of Columbia; Mrs. William Jennings of Connecticut; Mrs. Clifford Fifield of New Hampshire; Mrs. Francis Almirall of Ohio; Mrs. Roger Wil­ son Brett of California; Mrs. Richard Har­ wood of Tennessee; Mrs. Josepb Whee­ lock and Mrs. George P. Bissell Jr., both of Delaware; Mrs. John A. Becker and Mrs. Corning of New York. All nine seat cushions were complete by 1975, when the group held a luncheon to celebrate their accomplishment. "Some of us worked faster than others," said Maury, now a memb

African violets, daylilies, daffodils, fuchsias, lilacs, ferns, cacti, and orchids are among more Kathleen Fisher is Editor of American than fort)' plants "blooming" together in AHS's needlepoint garden. Horticulturist.

AMERICAN HORT/CUL TURIST 47 THE NEW A'r H seA LEN DAR .-,

" The 1990AHS Please ., &!end me the following AHS Calendars: .. ~'\'.:. ~ . ""f Calendar in a o Member single coily grice;" • Ace!. #' __"--- ______$8.50 """" ' ,~~; f; .. " $-- o Member quantity pr;iGj Exp, Date ______New Large Size! (3 or moremailed . t Q . s.all!~ address), $7,75 ea\l ~ },l" $--' Signature ______o Non-mem~er singir c~py 3 price, $9,95,}"',,,,';:;:.,/. , ~ " $-- Make checks payable to: In a larger-than-ever fonnat, the new lo /d x 14 Total price fOf i ic,"'Y" American Horticultural Society/Calendar. AHS calendar provides beautiful photographs of calendars $-- Please add postage & SHIP TO: shrubs and plenty of space for noting your im­ handling charge "" $~ portant dates . Cultural infonnation, hardiness Virginia residents add Name ______4,5% sales tax """ $__ zones, botanical names, and companion plants Address ______are listed for over thirty popular shrubs. Each TOTAL: $__ City ______month of the year highlights several shrubs that Please enclose check or charge to: have a significant garden interest, such as win­ o Visa 0 MasterCard State ______Zip~~ ___ ter blossoms, spectacular fall color, or ever­ MAIL ORDERS TO: green leaves. Order today for yourself American Horticultural Society/Calendar, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, and for Christmas gifts! Alexandria, VA 22308, Allow four weeks for delivo,ry,