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GARDENERGARDENERTheThe MagazineMagazine ofof thethe AAmericanmerican HorticulturalHorticultural SocietySociety March/April 2005

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THE LEADER IN ORGANIC-BASED LAW N CARETM © 2005. NaturaLawn of America, Inc. All rights reserved. Each office independently owned and operated. www.nl-amer.com For permission to reproduce this piece, call 800-989-5444. contents Volume 84, Number 2 . March / April 2005

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS

5 NOTES FROM RIVER FARM 6 MEMBERS’ FORUM 8 NEWS FROM AHS River Farm is part of Virginia’s Historic Garden Week, the Magic of Landscaping Symposium in Orlando in May, AHS Member Day at the Cleveland Botanical Garden Flower Show, HGI offers new online gardening programs, AHS President Emeritus Dr. H. Marc Cathey receives award from alma mater.

12 AHS AWARD WINNERS Here are the 2005 recipients of awards for page 33 excellence in horticulture. 42 GARDENING BY DESIGN Form should not follow fashion.

SPIREAS BY ILENE STERNBERG 16 44 ONE ON ONE WITH… Classic and contemporary spireas for every garden. Peter Orum, president of the American Nursery and Landscape Association. WONDERLAND GARDENS BY DANNY C. FLANDERS 21 HABITAT GARDENING How one man’s personal tragedy inspired the creation of an oasis 46 Creating a Pacific Northwest paradise. of learning and hope for children. 48 GARDENER’S NOTEBOOK 24 CONTAINERMANIA BY CAROLE OTTESEN Garden crusader turns inner-city lot into a Growing plants in containers is a simple concept with unlimited city “farm,” carrot pigments signal nutrient creative potential. content, horticultural uses for recycled garbage, first Master of Science degree in plant biology and plant conservation offered, 28 DEER DEFENSE BY CAROLE OTTESEN Abundant Life Seed Foundation seed catalog Practical techniques for dealing with these garden marauders. taken over by Territorial Seed Company, incentives for xeriscaping nationwide.

33 PULMONARIAS BY KAREN BUSSOLINI 52 BOOK REVIEWS Breeders have turned the lowly lungwort into a shade garden star. The Essential Garden Design Workbook, The Intimate Garden, and No One Gardens Alone. Special focus: Books on container gardening. 38 GREEN ROOFS BY JESSIE KEITH 56 REGIONAL HAPPENINGS Designers, architects, and EVERYDAY GARDEN SCIENCE urban planners in North 60 Creating a color vocabulary. America are embracing rooftop gardens. 61 HARDINESS AND HEAT ZONES page 38 AND PRONUNCIATIONS

62 RIVER FARM SNAPSHOT ON THE COVER: Coleus, pelargoniums, and petunias provide a pleasing mélange of color, form, April’s flowers.

TOP: KAREN BUSSOLINI; BOTTOM: COURTESY OF SOPREMA and texture in this mixed container planting. Photograph by Lynne Harrison

March / April 2005 3 AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 7931 East Boulevard Drive Alexandria, VA 22308-1300 (800) 777-7931 fax (703) 768-8700 www.ahs.org Making America a Nation of Gardeners, a Land of Gardens

American Horticultural Society

PRESIDENT Katy Moss Warner PRESIDENT EMERITUS Dr. H. Marc Cathey AHS President’s Council Board of Directors CHAIRMAN'S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. John H. Ariail, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Kurt

CHAIRMAN Arabella S. Dane Center Harbor, New Hampshire Bluemel ■ Ms. Claire Burrows ■ Mr. and Mrs. Edward N. Dane ■ Mr. Mark

FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN Brian E. Holley Cleveland, Ohio Garrison ■ Ms. Jill Hamilton ■ Mr. and Mrs. James S. Hutchinson ■ Mr.

SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN Don Riddle Davidsonville, Maryland Robert E. Malesardi ■ Ms. Nancy Petersen ■ Mr. Phil Snyder LIBERTY HYDE

SECRETARY Albin MacDonough Plant Baltimore, Maryland BAILEY ASSOCIATES Mr. A. Michael Gelman ■ Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Lynch ■

TREASURER Christine Perdue Middleburg, Virginia Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Manson, III ■ Mr. and Mrs. Ken Mountcastle ■ The IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Kurt Bluemel Baldwin, Maryland Honorable Lauralee M. Peters ■ Mr. W. R. Pickering ■ Jeanne Otis Shields ■ Ms. Katy Moss Warner ■ Ms. Donnan C. Wintermute HAUPT ASSOCIATES GENERAL COUNSEL William A. Pusey Mrs. Lynda A. Bachman ■ Dr. and Mrs. William E. Barrick ■ Mr. and Mrs.

C. William Black ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bogle ■ Mr. Richard C. and Mrs. Leslie Ariail Alexandria, Virginia ■ Allan M. Armitage Athens, Georgia ■ William E. Barrick, Ph.D. Katherine Stark Bull ■ Dr. and Mrs. H. Marc Cathey ■ Mr. and Mrs. Louis Theodore, Alabama ■ Katherine Bull Washington, D.C. ■ Joel Goldsmith Gilroy, California Cordia ■ Mrs. Elisabeth C. Dudley ■ Mrs. Richard W. Hanselman ■ Ms. ■ Beverly Hanselman Nashville, Tennessee ■ Natasha Hopkinson New York, New York Minako Henderson ■ Mrs. Carole S. Hofley ■ Col. and Mrs. Freeman E. Jones ■ Margaret Kulp Louisville, Kentucky ■ Melissa R. Marshall Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ■ Carol C. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Kulp, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Matheson, Jr. ■ Morrison Palatine, Illinois ■ Harry Rissetto Falls Church, Virginia ■ Felder Rushing Jackson, Mississippi Mr. and Mrs. Harold McClendon, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Tom McGlade ■ Mr. ■ William Seale Alexandria, Virginia ■ Jeanne Otis Shields Greenville, Delaware ■ Arnold Steiner Paul H. Pusey ■ Ms. Michele Richardson ■ Mr. Harry A. Rissetto, Esq. ■ Dr. Birmingham, Alabama ■ Steven Still Hilliard, Ohio ■ Howard McK. Tucker Alexandria, Virginia and Mrs. George E. Staehle ■ Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Steiner ■ Mr. John Wm. ■ Susie Usrey Dayton, Oregon ■ Robert D. Volk San Marino, California Thomas and Mrs. Valerie Thomas ■ Mr. Howard McK. Tucker and Ms.

Megan Evans ■ Mr. and Mrs. W. Bruce Usrey ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Volk

2005 Advisory Council PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Angino ■ Nancy J. Becker,

Bev Hanselman, Nashville, Tennessee – Chair M.D. ■ Mrs. Katherine McKay Belk-Cook ■ Mr. Phillip Bermingham ■ Mrs.

George P. Bissell, Jr. ■ Ms. Sylvia Black ■ Dr. Sherran Blair ■ Count and Katherine Belk-Cook, Charlotte, North Carolina Robert and Joanna Martin, Menlo Park, Colorado Countess Peder Bonde ■ Mrs. Anne Bucher ■ Mr. and Mrs. Cason Callaway, Clarissa Bonde, Washington D.C. Mrs. Malcolm Matheson, Mt. Vernon, Virginia Jr. ■ Mrs. and Mr. Charles E. Carr ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Chandler ■ Mr. Walter Bull, Columbia, South Carolina Egon Molbak, Bellevue, Washington and Mrs. James L. Corfield ■ Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Crawford ■ Mr. and Mrs. Elaine Burden, Middleburg, Virginia Nancy Keen Palmer, Nashville, Tennessee Edward Daisey ■ Mr. and Mrs. James F. Delano ■ Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Dr. H. Marc Cathey, Silver Spring, Maryland Bob Patterson, Washington D.C. Demisay ■ Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Dubke ■ Mrs. Beverley W. Dunn ■ Mrs. Fred Clapp, Alexandria, Virginia Dr. Julia W. Rappaport, Santa Ana, California Maureen Ecke ■ Ms. Anita Ellis ■ Mr. and Mrs. John H. Fitzpatrick ■ Dr. Russell Clark, Boston, Massachusetts Harry Rissetto, Falls Church, Virginia and Mrs. John A. Floyd, Jr. ■ Ms. Marguerite Peet Foster ■ Mr. Thomas B. Bartie Cole, Owings Mills, Maryland Deen Day Sanders, Norcross, Georgia Gentry ■ Ms. Dorothy Gillespie ■ Mr. John Sward Gleiber ■ Mr. and Mrs. Jim Corfield, Geneva, Illinois Josephine Shanks, Houston, Texas Joel Goldsmith ■ Mr. and Mrs. David B. Gray ■ Mr. and Mrs. John H. Guy, Virginia Hill Daisey, Dedham, Massachusetts Barbara Shea, Baltimore, Maryland IV ■ Mr. Gerald T. Halpin ■ Mrs. Richard W. Hamming ■ Dr. and Mrs. Edward N. Dane, Center Harbor, New Hampshire Holly Shimizu, Glen Echo, Maryland William O. Hargrove ■ Mr. and Mrs. Max Hartl ■ Mrs. Enid A. Haupt ■ Mr. David and Kitty Ferguson, Westwood, Massachusetts Charles Henry Smith, Middleburg, Virginia and Mrs. Brent Heath ■ Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Hohlt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Brian Ben Griswold, Glyndon, Maryland Nancy Thomas, Houston, Texas Holley ■ Mr. and Mrs. Allan L. Holmstrom ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Hooff, Sheryl Heckler, Middleburg, Virginia Bryan Thomlison, Haddonfield, New Jersey Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Peter Hopkinson ■ Mr. Ross Hotchkiss ■ Mr. Philip Huey Henry Jameson, East Sound, Washington Pauline Vollmer, Baltimore, Maryland ■ Mr. and Mrs. Waldo Hutchins, III ■ Mr. Henry Jameson ■ Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Richard W. Lighty, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania Joyce and Harvey White, Nashville, Tennessee Robert B. Lindsay ■ Mr. and Mrs. Randolph Marshall ■ Mrs. Dorothy Carolyn Marsh Lindsay, Ponte Vedra, Florida Joannah and Daryl Williams, Sebring, Florida Marston ■ Mrs. Rachel L. Mellon ■ Mrs. Rosalyn Milbrandt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Lynch, Dunmore, Pennsylvania Egon Molbak ■ Dr. and Mrs. David E. Morrison ■ Mr. and Mrs. William J. Stu McMichael and Lucinda Crabtree, Moss ■ Mrs. Shirley Ann Nicolai ■ Mr. and Mrs. William G. Pannill ■ Ms. Falls Church, Virginia Christine Perdue ■ Mr. and Mrs. Albin MacDonough Plant ■ Mr. and Mrs.

William A. Pusey ■ Mr. and Mrs. Don E. Riddle, Jr. ■ Mrs. Alfred G. Rindler Corporate Partners ■ Mrs. Diana Carter Samples ■ Mrs. Deen Day Sanders ■ Mr. and Mrs. William Seale, Jr. ■ Mrs. Josephine M. Shanks ■ Mr. Bob Sierralta ■ Mr. and The Care of Trees ■ Cherry Lake Tree Farm ■ DK Publishing ■ EarthBox™ ■ Kurt Bluemel, Inc. Mrs. Charles Henry Smith, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Turner T. Smith, Jr. ■ Ms. Monrovia ■ NaturaLawn of America ■ Osmocote ■ Thompson & Morgan Vandy Solomon ■ Mrs. Juliet Sproul ■ Mr. Harold Stahly ■ Miss Jane Steffey

■ Ms. Lida M. Stifel ■ Mr. and Mrs. John B. Strasenburgh ■ Mrs. Benjamin

W. Thoron ■ Mrs. Mary Ann Tucker ■ Dr. and Mrs. Peter Van Dyke ■ Mr.

AHS Horticultural Partners Joe Viar ■ Ms. Angela M. Vikesland ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harvey C. White ■ Mr.

and Mrs. John W. White, Sr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. D. Anderson Williams ■ Mrs. America in Bloom ■ Bellingrath Gardens & Home ■ Center for Plant Conservation ■ Colonial Marilyn B. Wilson Williamsburg Foundation Garden Symposium ■ Communities in Bloom ■ Cox Arboretum ■ Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival ■ The Gardeners of America/Men’s Garden Clubs of America ■ Great Southern Tree Conference ■ Greater Gardens of the Washington Area ■ Homestead Resorts Horticultural Symposium ■ Horticulture Gardening Institute ■ International Master Gardener Effective beginning March 2005, the new Conference ■ Leonard Haertter Travel Company ■ Magic of Landscaping Symposium ■ Morris member passwood for the AHS Web site Arboretum ■ Oklahoma Horticultural Society ■ Summer Master Gardener Conference in East Lansing (www.ahs.org) is blooms.

4 the American Gardener The American NOTESC FROM RIVER FARM GARDENER

EDITOR David J. Ellis MANAGING EDITOR AND ART DIRECTOR VER THE LAST few weeks, many of you have said how much you en- Mary Yee joyed the January/February issue of The American Gardener. You liked ASSOCIATE EDITOR the great variety of articles—especially the one on ice flowers. You Carole Ottesen O thanked us for the new department focusing on children’s gardening. You enjoyed ASSISTANT EDITOR Viveka Neveln the news about AHS educational programs and activities. And many of you were EDITORIAL INTERN pleased to see the rendering of the White House Gates in the entrance exhibit to Nicole Gibson the Philadelphia Flower Show. CONTRIBUTING EDITORS But by far the greatest enthusiasm was generated by the annual Member Guide Rita Pelczar insert that featured the expanded roster of gardens and flower shows that offer spe- Joanne Wolfe cial benefits to AHS members, as well as an incredible list of seeds to choose from in

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD our annual Seed Exchange. This was certainly a special issue to savor and share with friends! CHAIR John Alex Floyd Jr. Birmingham, Alabama There is a special insert in this issue of the magazine Allan M. Armitage as well. Located between pages 32 and 33, the AHS An- Athens, Georgia nual Report summarizes our financial activities, pro- Nina L. Bassuk grams, and donors in the last fiscal year, which ran from Ithaca, New York July 2003 to June 2004. Richard E. Bir I am pleased to report that AHS is fiscally strong. In Brevard, North Carolina FY ’04, operating revenues exceeded expenses for the first John E. Bryan time in recent history. The AHS Endowment has been San Francisco, California well invested and is yielding good returns. And gifts from AHS members and friends John L. Creech have been generous and numerous. I thank each of you who have contributed beyond Columbus, North Carolina the membership dues. Without such support, we would not be able to reach out near- Keith Crotz Chillicothe, Illinois ly so effectively with our national programs, our message, and our vision. Panayoti Kelaidis Speaking of programs, we are trying something new and exciting this year with Denver, Colorado our annual Great American Gardeners Conference, which is being held April 13 Richard W. Lighty to 15 in Orlando, Florida. The AHS Educational staff has put together a unique Greenville, Delaware program that showcases all aspects of horticulture in America: Elvin McDonald Green Industry: Visit the Hermann Engelmann Greenhouses, one of the most West Des Moines, Iowa amazing wholesale nurseries in the house plant capital of the world. Felder Rushing Plant Research: Take a behind-the-scenes tour of a state-of-the-art research facili- Jackson, Mississippi ty where some of the most beautiful new house plants are bred and propagated. Community Beautification: Enjoy private garden tours in Celebration, a new ur- ADVERTISING The American Gardener 7931 East Boulevard Drive banist community with the charm and beauty of a traditional village. Alexandria, VA 22308 Great Gardens: Experience the incredible opening day at the Epcot Internation- (703) 768-5700 ext. 120 al Flower and Garden Festival, including rose petals shot from huge confetti can- E-MAIL: [email protected] nons, gardens full of color, horticultural stars featured throughout the day, and, as The American Gardener (ISSN 1087-9978) is published bimonth- a grand finale, fireworks in the garden at night from our own private viewing area. ly (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, Septem- ber/October, November/December) by the American Horticultural Also included in the conference is our annual awards banquet, at which we will Society, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308-1300, (703) 768-5700. Membership in the Society includes a subscrip- honor the American horticulture heroes for 2005. (For a list of this year’s AHS award tion to The American Gardener. Annual dues are $35; two years, winners, turn to page 12.) As a special highlight, during the banquet we will recog- $60. International dues are $50. $10 of annual dues goes toward magazine subscription. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Vir- nize our dear friend and colleague, AHS President Emeritus Dr. H. Marc Cathey, ginia, and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to The American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, who has announced his retirement in June 2005. Alexandria, VA 22308-1300. If you have never before been to an AHS event, let the Great American Gar- Botanical nomenclature is based on The American Horticultural Society A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, on A Synonymized Check- deners Conference be the first one. Please come to honor Dr. Cathey, to be in- list of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada and Greenland and on the Royal Horticultural Society Index of Garden Plants. Opinions spired, and to have some fun. expressed in the articles are those of the authors and are not necessar- ily those of the Society. Manuscripts, artwork, and photographs sent for possible publication will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed, Happy Gardening! stamped envelope. We cannot guarantee the safe return of unsolicited material. Back issues are available at $8 per copy. Copyright ©2005 by the American Horticultural Society.

Printed in the U.S.A. on recycled paper. —Katy Moss Warner, AHS President

March / April 2005 5 6 species. Andclove currantsare favored by plants ofchoiceforbrown elfinsandother gulf fritillaries.Blueberries are thefood solutely needpawpaws.Maypops support withouttheseplants. survive cannot lated plants);thesebutterflies cific native plant(orgroup ofcloselyre- eatonlyaspe- many kindsofbutterflies Thecaterpillarsof butterflies. colorful native wildlife,including they support plantsisthat andnurturing wonderful 2005). Anaddedattractiontousingthese (January/February about native fruits I enjoyed LeeReich’s interesting article NATIVE FRUITBONUSOFBUTTERFLIES Gulf fritillary the AHSWeb site(www.ahs.org) issueofTheAmerican Gardener.ruary leftoffthelistingofdonorsthatwasincluded inthe inadvertently The following individuals andseedcompaniesgenerously donatedseedstothe2005AHSSeed Exchange. Theirnameswere Thanks toOurSeedDonors Julie Cathcart Michell Carney Beck Carls Mary LouCannamela Sherry Canfield Lark Brown Ted Blaney Peg Black Diane andJohn Loretta Baird Dorothy Bady Cara AndersonBentz Angela Anderson Cindy Amack E. BerylAlford For example,zebra swallowtails ab- Beaudoin the American Gardener Janet Heinrich Georgia Harvey Theresa Guethler Carol andClintGregg Pat Greathead Anita Goodson Treesa Germany Fury Feraco C. BryceEngle Janet Edwards Birgit Diforio Dave Denk May DellStewart Constance Deeks Chere Clark Virginia Cathey by clicking on“Members Only” andthen“Annual Seed Exchange.” We apologize fortheomission.Acompletelistof2005seeddonorscanbeviewedon areas oftheUnited States. gardeningbutterfly brochures formany ation Web site gray commasandtailedcoppers. know sources forthesevarieties. heavy claysoil,butnobodyseemsto Both have beenrecommended forour know ‘Moonglow’ and/or‘Butter’ pears? ‘Bartlett’ and‘Keiffer’ pears.Do you row of‘Bosc’. years andare stillproducing, especiallya of thepeartrees allthose have survived neglected forabout50orsoyears. Some with asmalloldorchard thathasbeen ber/October 2003).We boughtaplace onpears(Septem-ished your nicearticle I guessamaslow reader, butIjustfin- ELUSIVE PEARS The North AmericanButterfly Associ- Now we have plantedsomedwarf North American Butterfly Association MEMBERS Louise Michaelis Georgette C.Mester Lois McNamara Jean McIlwain Carol E.McDonald Susan Mattern Caryl Mank Jim Mack Robert Lorenz Catherine Lewis Betty Kesler Sabra Kelley Paulette Johnson M. Holland Marsha Hicks Brenda Henderson C (www.naba.org) Morristown, New Jersey Nashville, Tennessee ’ FORUM Jeffrey Glassberg AHS Member Guide Neil Hunter President has free Judith Sause Thomas Sasse Crystal Rogers Lisa Robinson Jason S.Reeves Bonnie Reed Iris M.Rattley Leslie Pierpont Marlene Ostertag Trudy Olive Clare Oliva Debra Nicholson Laura Nanney Mary AliceMurphy Barbara Miller Joseph Michalek www.henryleuthardtnurseries.com. Moriches, New York, (631)878-1387, Henry Leuthardt Nurseries inEast 836-9630, eries inCanandaigua,New York, (800) and ‘Beurre’ cultivars are Miller Nurs- mail-order sources forboth‘Moonglow’ ‘Beurre Bosc’, and‘Beurre Hardy’. Two Examples include‘Beurre Giffard’, cultivars, from theFrench for“butter.” try, ‘Butter’ pearsare thesameas‘Beurre’ tion fon Rhododendron heat zones fortheEncore cultivars, Azalea January/February issue,thehardiness and In the“New inthe Plants for2005”article CORRECTION Editor’s response 7–9 andAHSHeat Zones 10–6. zones forthesecultivars are USDAZones PLEASE WRITEUS! Editor, edited forlengthandclarity. e-mail [email protected] Boulevard Drive,Alexandria,VA22308,oryoucan that accompaniedtheJanuary/Feb- ™ ™ ) andR. ), were listedincorrectly. Thecorrect The AmericanGardener, www.millernurseries.com; ‘Roblec’ (Autumn Carna- ‘Robled’ (Autumn Chif- Renee’s Garden, Raymond Williams Al Widziewicz Barbara Thain Russell Strover Cecilia Strakna Jeanne Sterken Gena Steele Carole Stabile Richard Sprott Juan C.Sosa Marilyn Simmons Betsy Sherwin Holly Shelton Letters shouldbeaddressedto : In the nursery indus- In thenursery : Felton, California 7931 East and 

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www.monrovia.com © Monrovia 2004 04-0752L 8 THE AMERICANHORTICULTURALSOCIETY, National GardenMonth2005 can participate, visitwww.nationalgardenmonth.org.can participate, and inspirationwe getfrom gardening with others.” al Garden Month offersusallachancetoshare someofthejoy says influencesouremotionalandphysicalwell-being,” ing theearth garden atalocalpark orhelping a localschoolcreate agarden. from givingacontainerofflowers toaneighborplanting make adifference through gardening. Ways range toparticipate nesses, andcommunitiesacross Americaare encouragedto den—Add Beauty toLife.”Home gardeners, schools, busi- National Garden Month. Thisyear’s themeis“Give aGar- based withtheBurlington,sors, isonceagainpartnering Vermont- several spon- othernonprofit organizationsandgreen industry Washington Blooms!SpringCelebration News activity day.Please visitwww.ahs.org tours, theFriendsofRiverFarm PlantSale,andafamily of theNetherlands.Special eventswillincludegarden Wholesalers AssociationforFlowerbulbs andNurserystock pany ofGreenwich,Connecticut; andtheRoyalDutch gondien &SonsofBabylon,New York;Schipper&Com- and Becky’sBulbsofGloucester,Virginia;K.VanBour- fodils, tulips,andotherbulbsgenerouslydonatedbyBrent River Farm.Thegroundswillbloomwiththousandsofdaf- Washington Blooms! All ofApril—NationalGardeningMonth—isdedicatedto PROGRAMS •EVENTSANNOUNCEMENTS To learnmore aboutNational Garden Month andhow you “As gardeners, we understandjusthow muchtheactoftend- David J.Ellis, the American Gardener National Gardening Association AHS director ofcommunications.“Nation- , AHS’scelebrationofspringtimeat from for moreinformation. AHS to promote April as along with formation, visitwww.VAGardenweek.org. itor’s Centerat(703)838-4200foradvance tickets.For more in- houses oryou maycontacttheRamsayHouse AlexandriaVis- House, Mount Vernon EstateandGarden, andWoodlawn. stops willincludeCarlyleHouse, Gunston Hall, Lee-Fendall Alexandria self-guided walkingtoursponsored by the urday, April 16,River Farm dens across Virginia On willbeopenforpublicviewing. Sat- FROM APRIL Includes RiverFarm Virginia’s HistoricGardenWeek THE MAGICOFLANDSCAPING SYMPOSIUM, Magic ofLandscaping Symposium WHEN VISITING Visit theAHSGardenShop ic andsocialvalue oflandscaping.” Thisyear’s event willbeheld Horticultural Partner, isdedicatedtopromoting the“econom- Spring Plant Sale andotherprograms atRiver Farm. hours duringspecialevents suchastheFriends ofRiver Farm April, theGarden Shop willalsobeopenforlimited weekend day through Friday, except onnationalholidays.Beginning in Tom Underwood, to-find gardening itemsfrom books totoolsandmore,” says Garden Shop. “We have avariety ofunique,useful,andhard- Artisans attheAHSgiftshop bird feedersfromGarden Handblown glasshumming- Tickets willbeavailable onthedayoftouratany The AHSGarden Shop isopenfrom 10a.m.to2p.m. Mon- and theHunting Creek Garden Club. 16 toApril 24,someofthefinesthomesandgar- AHS director programs. ofhorticultural River Farm, besure tostopby theAHS the Garden Web Artisans site. a discountonAHSbookslisted any sale,andmemberswillreceive oftheproceedsceives of aportion www.gardenartisans.com. visit Garden onlineat Artisans the missionofAHS,you mayalso Garden Shop willhelptofurther the Garden Shop. their creations isnow available at sculptures, andtools.Aselectionof es andbirdbaths, window planters, suchasbirdhous-products andart cializing inhandcraftedgarden Garden Artisans, March/April 2005 While your purchases from the Recently, AHSpartnered with will beoneofthestopsona Garden Clubof a companyspe- AHS re- an AHS Other

MARY YEE (2) COURTESY OF EPCOT One ofthefancifuldisplaysatEpcot (352) [email protected]. formation, visitwww.magicoflandscaping.com. sound andlightsshow. For acompletescheduleandmore in- a cocktailreception, ofIllumiNations, andaviewing Epcot’s variety oftopicsthroughout theday. leader inurbandevelopment andcitybuilding,willspeakona In addition,thesymposium willincludeinformative tours, Event Partners:AmericanHorticultural Society~CherryLakeTreeFarm~EpcotInternational Flower&GardenFestival~FNGLA Come Discover... ton’s CollegeofForest versity ofWashing- researcher attheUni- ronmental psychology leen Wolf, management; horticulture andpest Disney’s director of Buena Vista, Florida. Epcot CenterinLake Walt Disney World’s April 15toJune 5—at Festival—held from Flower &Garden Epcot International on May 6,duringthe Graham, Resources; andNancy Epcot ~LakeBuenaVista,FL Dennis Higbie, www.magicoflandscaping.com To register, call a national an envi- Kath- May 6,2005 One coursefocusesonperennials forsunandtheotheron Perennials: Identification, Culture andGarden Attributes.” well asdeveloping training programs forthegreen industry. Gardeners andgardening enthusiastsinallgrowing zones, as dedicated toproviding uniquelearningexperiencesforMaster one ofAHS’s Horticultural Partners, isanationalorganization H OTCLUEGARDENINGINSTITUTE THE HORTICULTURE Offers NewPrograms Horticulture GardeningInstitute MODELED AFTER Botanical GardenFlowerShow AHS MemberDayattheCleveland more, pleasecall(888)853-7091orvisitwww.cbgarden.org. titions, andawideselectionofgarden merchandise. To learn tects andgardeners, horticulture andflower-arranging compe- the admissionpriceof$20withtheirAHSmembershipcard. cial benefittoAHSmembers,onMay 27theywillreceive $6off phasize theinterconnectednessAsaspe- ofhorticulture andart. from Garden May willem- 27to30anditstheme,“The asArt,” door flower show inNorth America.Thisyear’s show willrun the Cleveland BotanicalGarden Flower Show isthelargestout- It now onlineprograms offerstwonew called“Herbaceous The show willincludeexhibitsby notablelandscapearchi- landscaping. economic andsocialvalueof symposium dedicatedtothe of Landscapingisaworld-class Now initsthirdyear,theMagic England’s renowned ChelseaFlower Show, March / April 2005 (HGI), 9 10 M Horticultural Society. sponsored orcosponsored by theAmerican Farm, Alexandria,Virginia. • ington’s RiverFarm,Alexandria,Virginia. • ical GardenandWonderlandGardens. Symposium. • Farm, Alexandria,Virginia. George Washington’sRiver • Cleveland, Ohio. 7-91o ii h H Web site 777-7931 orvisittheAHS For more information about theseevents, call(800) River Farm,Alexandria,Virginia. in theGarden. School: TheArtandScienceofColor • Garden FlowerShow. • Orlando, Florida. • at 5p.m.ontheeveningofApril21.) members-onlypreviewsalestarts dria, Virginia.(Note:AHS and FlowerShow.GeorgeWashington’sRiverFarm,Alexan- • and AwardsPresentation. • Williamsburg, Virginia. • River Farm,Alexandria,Virginia. • SEPT. 24. SEPT. 19–23. JULY 28–30. JUNE 2. MAR. 31–APR.1. MAY 27. MAY 6. APR. 22&23. APR. 13–15. APR. 3–5.ColonialWilliamsburgGardenSymposium. APR. 1–30. the American Gardener national events andprograms thatare ark your calendarfortheseupcoming Magic ofLandscapingConference. Taste ofRiverFarm. AHS MemberDayatClevelandBotanical AHS AnnualGala. Atlanta, Georgia.HostedbytheAtlantaBotan- Washington Blooms! George Washington’s 2005 CALENDAR AHS NATIONALEVENTSANDPROGRAMS AHS GreatAmericanGardenersConference AHS NationalChildren&YouthGarden Eastern PerformanceTrials. Friends ofRiverFarmSpringPlantSale AHS Garden Cleveland BotanicalGarden, Orlando, Florida. George Washington’sRiver George Washington’s M (www.ahs.org). B George Wash- Allan Armitage master’s degree anddoctorateatCornellUniversity. lor’s degree inhorticulture there in1950before goingontogethis allthoseyears ago,”saysDr.start Cathey, whoearnedhisbache- December 15,2004.“North Carolina State University gave memy award waspresented duringthefallgraduationceremony heldon major impactsinhorticulture andagriculture ingeneral.”The award isgiven to“recognize andhonorgraduateswhohave made itus Carolina State University inRaleighnamedAHSPresident Emer- site through theAHShomepage(www.ahs.org). these programs, visit Receives AlumnusAward Dr. H.MarcCathey AHS board memberandoneofthenation’s foremost on experts able atlocalgarden centersandnurseriesforhomegardeners. in-depth informationaboutoutstandingplantsthatare avail- perennials forshade,butbothwillprovide with participants THE HORTICULTURALSCIENCE and fourwhitepines staff, shownabove,plantedfive Fosterhollies horticultural Moines, Iowa.Lastfall,clubmembers andtheAHS a granttheyreceivedfromPrincipal FinancialGroupbasedinDes greener thisspringthankstotheDominion ValleyGardenCluband The GeorgeHardingMemorialAzaleaGardenatRiverFarmisalot new treesreplace treeslostduringHurricaneIsabel in2003. Donated Trees PlantedatRiverFarm HGI developed theseprograms with Dr. H.Marc Cathey (Pinus strobus) www.gardeninginstitute.com with AHS.To inanyof participate S andScienceofthe Art and “The and ScienceofContainerGardening” Art popular onlineprograms, “The grams, HGIcontinuestoofferitsother ers anytimeandanywhere,” saysAllan. toreachopportunity andteachgarden- ing Institute hasprovided anamazing Horticultureperennials. “The Garden- plants forallgrowing zones, especially its Outstanding Alumnusfor2004.This MART In pro- additiontothesetwonew G ARDEN donated bytheclub.These Allan M.Armitage, Department ofNorthDepartment ™ ”, bothdeveloped (Ilex ✕ or linktothe attenuata) an

TOP: COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE DAY; BOTTOM: COURTESY OF Garden Club of America 2005 Plant Sale at River Farm Scholarships Please join the Friends of River Farm at their annual plant EVERY YEAR, The Garden Club of America (GCA) offers nu- sale, held at River Farm on April 21 to 23. This much an- merous scholarships, fellowships, and awards to students of hor- ticipated annual spring ticulture, landscape architecture, or related programs. Among event will feature more the areas of study available are botany, landscape design, garden than 20 vendors selling history and design, and the conservation of endangered flora in “a large selection of the United States. In 2004 alone, 56 awards were presented. unique and hard-to-find Recently, Stephanie Jutila, AHS Education Programs Man- native plants, trees, ager, served as a member of the selection committee for the shrubs, perennials, and GCA’s 2005 Martin McLaren Scholarship, which provides a annuals,” says AHS Hor- year of study, travel, and work in the United Kingdom. ticulturist Peggy Bowers. Stephanie was the recipient of the scholarship in 2000–2001, In addition to plants, which provided her with a unique opportunity to study at the gardening tools, books, and accessories will be on sale. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the University of Oxford Botan- The special AHS member’s-only preview sale is sched- ic Garden, the National Trust, and at the University of Read- uled for Thursday, April 21, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Please ing. “Thanks to the generosity of GCA members, the number bring your current AHS membership card for admission of scholarships has increased greatly over the years, providing that evening. The plant sale will then open to the gener- so many wonderful opportunities for students to launch them- al public on Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Satur- selves into their careers,” says Stephanie. day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All proceeds from the sale To find out more about the GCA’s scholarship program, visit benefit the gardens and grounds of River Farm. www.gcamerica.org or call (212) 753-8287.  For more information, call (703) 768-5700 ext. 149 or visit www.ahs.org and click on the River Farm link. Di- News written by Assistant Editor Viveka Neveln and Editorial rections to River Farm are also available on the Web site.

CAROLE OTTESEN Intern Nicole Gibson.

American Horticultural Society 2005 National Children & Youth Garden Symposium “Making Connections” JULY 28–30, 2005

iscover the importance of connecting kids to plants as you see the gardens Dand programs of the Atlanta Botanical Garden and Wonderland Gardens, the hosts of the 2005 Symposium. The home base for the 13th Annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium is Emory University and Atlanta, Georgia . Come gather the tools to be effective in connecting kids to plants and discover inspiring ways to share the bountiful opportunities to teach in the garden. Be on hand for the “Growing Good Kids Excellence in Children’s Literature Awards” presented by the Junior Master Gardener Program and the American Horticultural Society which honor engaging and inspiring works of garden- and ecology-themed children’s literature. Children’s Garden at Atlanta Botanical Garden

Registration opens May 1, 2005. Visit www.ahs.org for more information.

March / April 2005 11 AHSC NEWS SPECIAL AHS 2005 GREAT AMERICAN GARDENERS NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS

HE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY proudly announces the recipients of the Society’s 2005 T Great American Gardeners Awards. These individuals, organizations, and businesses represent Ameri- can gardening at its best. Each has made significant contributions to fields such as plant research, garden com- munications, landscape design, youth gardening, horticultural technology, and conservation. AHS applauds their passionate commitment to American gardening and their outstanding achievements within their fields. The 2005 awards will be presented on April 14 during the Great American Gardeners Conference in Orlando, Florida. To register for the awards banquet or for more information about the Great American Gardeners Conference, visit www.ahs.org or call (703) 768-5700 ext. 121.

LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY AWARD tional Arboretum, 1974 and on the APS’s board of directors To qualify for this award, an individual where he developed from 1968 to 2004. must reside in North America and must numerous shrubs and Klehm’s many other professional have made significant contributions in at trees with improved awards include the American Peony So- least three of the following areas of horticul- ornamental features, ciety’s A.P. Saunders Memorial Medal tural activity: teaching, research, writing, disease resistance, and (1989), the Garden Writers of America plant exploration, administration, art, busi- cold and heat toler- Will Jung Distinguished Service Award ness, and leadership. ance. His research re- (1995), and the American Peony Society’s sulted in the introduction of 57 cultivars, Gold Medal for the ‘Pink Hawaiian A professor emeritus of horticulture at many of which—including the ‘Shasta’ Coral’ hybrid peony (2000). the University of Wisconsin–Madison, doublefile viburnum and dozens of crape Edward R. Hassel- myrtle selections—are commonplace in G. B. GUNLOGSON AWARD kus has conducted the American landscape. Given for the creative use of new technology research on woody Egolf received many honors during his to make home gardening more productive ornamental plants lifetime, including a Fulbright Scholarship and enjoyable. throughout his ca- to England and awards from the Ameri- reer. Since 1967, Has- can Nursery Association, the Massachu- Located on the campus of Michigan State selkus has served as setts Horticultural Society, and the University in East Lansing, the Horticul- curator of the Longe- International Lilac Society. ture Gardening necker Horticultural Gardens of the Uni- Institute (HGI) versity of Wisconsin Arboretum, where PAUL ECKE, JR. COMMERCIAL AWARD is a national orga- he developed a premier collection of Given to an individual or institution, who, nization founded woody plants with over 2,500 taxa. because of a commitment to the highest stan- by the MSU De- Among his proudest achievements is dards of excellence in the field of commercial partment of Hor- having influenced the lives and careers of horticulture, contributes to the betterment of ticulture, MSU over 3,000 students. Hasselkus’s many gardening practices everywhere. Global Ventures, other awards include the American Asso- and the MSU Extension Master Gardener ciation of Botanical Gardens & Arbore- Roy G. Klehm represents the fourth Program. HGI offers online programs, ta Award of Merit Distinguished Career generation of the Klehm family to work face-to-face events, access to national gar- Award (2003), the National Council of as nurserymen in dening experts, certificates of completion, State Garden Clubs Award of Excellence northern Illinois and Master Gardener educational credits (2000), and the Arthur Hoyt Scott and southern Wis- in selected states. Medal (1996). consin. He is the co- Founder Christine Geith (left), is founder and vice HGI’s co-executive director along with LUTHER BURBANK AWARD president of Beaver Mary McLellan (right), who also serves Recognizes extraordinary achievement in the Creek Nursery, Inc. as the curriculum director. field of plant breeding. and Klehm’s Song Sparrow Farm and Nursery. Klehm has HORTICULTURAL COMMUNICATION The late Donald R. Egolf spent the ma- also served as the president of the Ameri- AWARD jority of his career at the United States Na- can Peony Society (APS) from 1972 to Recognizes effective communication using

12 the American Gardener media and research techniques for the pur- HORTICULTURAL THERAPY AWARD president, secretary, and board member of pose of expanding horticultural awareness. Recognizes significant contributions to the the American Horticultural Therapy As- field of horticultural therapy. sociation, focusing on professional devel- Steve Bender has been a senior writer for opment and education. Southern Living magazine since 1983. He Rebecca L. Haller has practiced and is a popular speaker taught horticultural therapy for nearly 30 LANDSCAPE DESIGN AWARD and gives talks on a years. She established Acknowledges an individual whose work wide variety of gar- a vocational horticul- has expanded the awareness of horticulture dening topics all tural therapy program in landscape architecture. over the country. in Glenwood Springs, Bender’s articles Colorado, for adults Julie Moir Messervy is an acclaimed in Southern Living, with developmental landscape designer, author, and lecturer which often poke fun disabilities that is still with an inspired vi- at gardeners’ foibles, have won many writ- thriving after more sion for creating out- ing awards. His first book, Passalong than 20 years in operation. door sanctuaries that Plants—co-authored with Felder Rush- Currently Haller directs the Horticul- feed the spirit. Her ing—was named the best-written garden tural Therapy Institute in Denver, Col- innovative approach book of 1994 by the Garden Writers Asso- orado, teaches horticultural therapy classes to composing gar- ciation of America. Recently, Bender re- in affiliation with Colorado State Univer- dens of beauty and vised and updated the Southern Living sity, and provides consultation to new or meaning is furthering Garden Book that describes more than developing programs. At Denver Botanic the evolution of landscape design and 7,000 plants. Bender has served as chair- Gardens, Haller designed and taught a se- changing the way people think about their man of the Homewood, Alabama, Beau- ries of professional courses in horticultur- outdoor surroundings. tification Board and currently sits on the al therapy, managed the sensory garden, With more than two decades of experi- board of Aldridge Botanical Gardens in and created programs and access for peo- ence, Messervy has emerged as a leader of Hoover, Alabama. ple with disabilities. Haller has served as a movement in which landscape design is

American Horticultural Society 2005 GREAT AMERICAN GARDENERS CONFERENCE ORLANDO, FLORIDA APRIL 13-15, 2005 “Sub-Tropical Garden Treasures, Old and New”

e invite you to join your fellow AHS members for three days of sub-tropical garden delights this spring. Orlando, Florida, will be W the site of our 2005 Great American Gardeners Conference and our home base as we explore the rich garden traditions of the region and discover the diversity of contemporary gardens to be found in central Florida.

njoy an evening at Orlando’s Harry P. Leu Gardens and experience Ethe graciousness and beauty of “Old Florida.” elebrate outstanding American horticulture and meet the winners Cof the 2005 Great American Gardeners Awards. isit private gardens and see amazing horticulture—talk to the Vpeople who make it all happen, and learn firsthand about the joys and challenges of gardening in the sub-tropics. ttend the opening-day festivities at the 2005 Epcot International AFlower & Garden Festival, including an appearance by Paul James, host of HGTV’s “Gardening by the Yard.” Paul James

PLUS… all full-conference registrants will receive a complimentary copy of the 2004 edition of the AHS landmark publication the AHS A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants—an essential reference source for every gardener’s library! The 2005 Great American Gardeners Conference promises to be an event not to be missed! Visit www.ahs.org or call (703) 768-5700 ext. 121 for more information. as much a personal journey as it is about She also directs garden-based learning, and is currently leaving a unique imprint upon the earth. Smithgall Arboretum, engaged in a study of children’s levels of She has inspired a new generation of a new 168-acre arbore- participation in a number of gardening landscape designers, homeowners, and tum in Gainesville, projects. others to create gardens that reflect an in- Georgia. Under her ward vision deeply rooted in outdoor ar- leadership, the At- TEACHING AWARD chetypes, childhood imagination, and lanta Botanical Gar- Recognizes an individual whose ability to aesthetic impulses. den has been actively share his or her knowledge of horticulture Author of acclaimed books such as expanding its visitor base through devel- with others has contributed to a better pub- The Inward Garden and The Magic Land, oping its educational programs, exhibi- lic understanding of the plant world and its Messervy is currently working on a book tions, and special events. impact on people. titled Outside the Not So Big House that Matheson has been involved in the will be released in early 2006. American Association of Botanical Gar- Terry H. Mikel is an acclaimed teacher dens and Arboreta (AABGA) for more and commercial horticulture agent with MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD than 18 years. She recently completed a the Maricopa Coun- Awarded to a past board member or friend two-year term as the organization’s presi- ty Cooperative Ex- of the Society to recognize outstanding and dent and continues to serve on its board tension, University of exemplary service in support of the Society’s as past president. Her commitment to the Arizona. Mikel devel- goals, services, and activities. field of public horticulture is evident oped the Arizona from her service to AABGA as well as her Certified Landscape Duane Kelly is chairman of Salmon Bay participation as a peer and panel review- Professional Pro- Events, which produces the Northwest er with the Institute of Museum and Li- gram, teaches with and San Francisco brary Services. She is also a member of an the Master Gardener program, and is the Flower & Garden international steering committee focused state’s primary instructor for the Arizona Shows, and the Seat- on the development of a national strate- Certified Nursery Professional Program. tle Interior Show. gy for plant conservation in America’s Mikel has received many awards in- The Northwest and botanic gardens. cluding the Arizona Nursery Associa- San Francisco shows tion’s Distinguished Service Award and are the third and JANE L. TAYLOR AWARD the University of Arizona’s Extension fourth largest flower Awarded to an individual, organization, or Faculty of the Year Award. shows, respectively, in the United States. program that has inspired and nurtured fu- Kelly served on the Board of the Amer- ture horticulturists through its efforts in chil- URBAN BEAUTIFICATION AWARD ican Horticultural Society from 2002 to dren’s and youth gardens. Awarded to an individual or institution 2004. As a member of the AHS Visioning for significant contributions to urban Committee during that period, he played Marcia Eames-Sheavly has worked in horticulture. a leading role in crafting new vision and the New York State Cooperative Exten- mission statements that have guided the sion system for the Gateway Greening is a nonprofit orga- Society’s expanded programs and initia- past 20 years, most nization dedicated to community devel- tives in the new millennium. recently providing opment through community gardening. Kelly has also been an active member statewide leadership Since 1984, Gateway Greening has of many other national and regional gar- and coordination of a helped transform neglected and aban- dening groups. He has served as presi- garden-based learn- doned lots in St. Louis into productive dent of the Arboretum Foundation, a ing program through gardens and beautiful landscaped areas. 3,000-member support group for Wash- Cornell University’s Gateway Greening supports more than ington Park Arboretum in Seattle, and he Department of Horticulture. Her efforts 160 neighborhood is currently on the Board of the San have focused on engaging young people greening and com- Francisco Botanical Garden. in learning about the significance of munity garden pro- plants in their lives, often by way of art, jects. In addition, PROFESSIONAL AWARD culture, or other interdisciplinary avenues. Gateway Greening offers school pro- Given to an individual who makes a living She also strives to help adults understand grams in classrooms in more than 150 as director of an arboretum or botanical gar- the benefits of involving young people in schools in the St. Louis area. Its mission den and whose achievements during the the process of garden planning, design, is to provide resources and training to course of his or her career represent a signifi- and implementation instead of inviting neighborhood groups who believe in cant contribution to horticulture. them to the garden upon completion. their communities and want to reclaim In recent years, Eames-Sheavly has them from urban decay. Gwenne Hayes- Mary Pat Matheson is the executive di- made a commitment to applied research Stewart currently serves as Gateway rector of the Atlanta Botanical Garden. in the area of youth development and Greening’s executive director. 

14 the American Gardener

Spireas Contemporary Classic 16 spireas offersomethingforeverygarden. From old-fashionedfloralcharmtonew-fangledhotfoliage, the American Gardener and BY ILENESTERNBERG P along itsarching branches. an abundanceof snow-whitedoubleflowers Spiraea catoniensis Heat Zone 8–5),one ofseveral species ‘Plena’, USDAHardiness Zone 5–8,AHS cover ground thatisdifficulttomow. gracefully arching stemscanhelpto work well onsteepbanks,where their background ofaperennial display. Some to asunnymixed-shrub border orthe Larger spireas additions make wonderful TALL TYPES they have much tooffer. standards andthenewer introductions; through bothold-fashionedspireasort leable nature,to theeffort itiswell worth different sizes. Despitemal- thissomewhat blooming atdifferent timesorgrowing to differently from onelocationtoanother, more, thesamecultivar maybehave quite occurfrequently.tions, orsports, Further- of variants, andbecausevegetative muta- interbreed promiscuously, producing lots fusingly similar. becausethey Thisispartly range ofnotablefeatures, manyare con- species. nectar source forahostofbutterfly highly deer-resistant andanimportant als inDanielsville, Pennsylvania, theyare and Herb Johns ofPhillip Point Perenni- more, owners according Kay tonursery and reds tolimeandblue-green. Further- exceptional foliage, ranging from yellows spring through latesummer. Many have and dependingonthespecies,bloomfrom through shadesofpinktodeepmagenta, den. Theirflowers rangefrom pure white they addlotsofseasonalinterest toagar- ple garden inearmuffsandmittens.And land, Canada,andotherplaceswhere peo- the upperMidwest, New northern Eng- Most are quitecoldhardy andreliable in adaptability, andeaseofmaintenance. horses fortheirornamentalutility, pendable. Theyare garden true work- exactly aglowing endorsement. in therose familyis“serviceable.” Not muster forthisgenusofover 80species siastic word generally horticulturists “don’t getnorespect.” Themostenthu- Spiraea prunifolia Although spirea selectionsdisplaya Spireas butde- are notonlyserviceable Rodney theyjust Dangerfield, spireas. Likethelatecomedian OOR UNDERAPPRECIATED ‘Flore Pleno’produces (syn. S. prunifolia

JERRY PAVIA it is semi-evergreen in the foam with tiny white flowers (some say South, the Gulf coast of fragrant, but I never noticed) exception- Texas, and parts of California, ally early in spring, even before its wil- where the bluish-green leaves lowy, bright yellow leaves burst forth. may turn red in fall. ‘Flore The finely textured foliage takes on pink Pleno’ (syn. ‘Lanceata’) is a and orange hues in autumn. widely planted double-flow- Horticulturist Scott Aker of the U.S. ered cultivar. It offers up a National Arboretum favors the five-foot profusion of snowy blooms elf spirea (S. ✕cinerea ‘Grefsheim’, Zones that are good for indoor 5–9, 9–1), with its wispy arching sprays of arrangements. It blossoms bamboolike leaves and little sparkling best when grown in full sun, white blossoms. “Because of its nice but puts on a respectable dis- habit, because it has more ‘wow’ value play even in partial shade. Try than most spireas, and because it’s from it in a mixed border with aza- Norway, and I’m part Norwegian,” says leas for some color and tex- Aker, “it must be good.” It is also very tural contrast. adaptable, blooming in March in USDA Zone 8, and May in Zone 4. Fall color is MID-SIZE SELECTIONS yellow spattered pink. Mid-size spireas make stun- The Japanese spirea (S. japonica, Zones ning flowering hedges either 4–9, 9–1) has given rise to many superb by themselves or mixed with cultivars. Their flowers are held in flat An heirloom plant, Vanhoutte’s spirea is still other shrubs. They also add textural in- corymbs that vary in color. Native to considered one of the best. terest to a bed when combined with large Japan, Korea, and China, it has naturalized leafed perennials. Those with dense, in North America from New England commonly know as bridalwreath spirea, mounding habits provide seasonal color through the Appalachians into Tennessee has been a fixture in American landscapes to foundation plantings. And selections and Georgia, and west to Indiana, growing since the mid-1800s. It is a bit leggy com- with yellow or pale green leaves adapt so ubiquitously, it is on The Nature Con- pared to many of the newer hybrids, typi- well to light shade, adding a bright splash servancy’s and others’ invasive species lists. cally four to nine feet tall and six to eight of color to the edge of a woodland. Among the most popular selections is feet wide, and more prone to disease. But Mellow Yellow® spirea (S. thunbergii S. japonica ‘Anthony Waterer’, a three- to its 1/3-inch flowers look like tiny white roses ‘Ogon’, Zones 4–8, 8–4), a Pennsylvania five-foot-tall and -wide shrub that has spaced along the stems, giving the broadly Horticultural Society Gold Medal Win- been commonplace since the late 1800s. It sweeping shrub a delicate, airy effect in late ner, is quite popular in the Mid-Atlantic bears long-lasting deep pink blooms. New April. states. The three- to four-foot plants growth is reddish, turning green, then red- Many think the Vanhoutte spirea (S. ✕vanhouttei, Zones 4–8, 8–1) outshines the rest with its graceful arching stems sup- porting an abundance of white flowers in early spring. It can reach six to eight feet tall with a 10- to 12-foot spread. The one in my garden has been making a spectacle of itself for at least 25 years, despite having been moved three times. One of nursery- man Tony Avent’s favorite selections is ‘Pink Ice’, with white-and-green-mottled leaves, and the petioles and new stem and leaf growth are suffused pink with salmon. The Vanhoutte spirea is so dense with fine twigs that it offers considerable screening even in winter. A phalanx of Vanhoutte spireas in bloom makes a beautiful display cascading down a steep embankment. Reeves spirea (S. cantoniensis, syn S. reevesiana, Zones 5–9, 9–1) is another species often referred to as bridalwreath.

TOP: MARK TURNER. BOTTOM: KAREN BUSSOLINI Growing six feet tall and up to 10 feet wide, Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon’ offers both attractive white flowers and chartreuse foliage.

March / April 2005 17 18 a shade.Trytheir colorbetter inpart letting these paler-leaved cultivars actuallykeep in fall.Whilemostspireas prefer fullsun, doesn’t revertred togreen butturnsfiery duces deeperorangespringgrowth that ange. ‘Fire Light’ issimilarinsize, butpro- they fadetogreen. Fall or- coloriscoppery dish bronze andturnbrightgoldbefore light crimsonflowers. Leaves emergered- with aslightlygreater spread andbears flame’, whichgrows twotothree feettall son-long foliagedisplayinclude‘Gold- on therounded, two-tothree-foot shrub. and deeprose thatbloomsimultaneously It hasthree colorsofflowers, pink,white, ‘Shiburi’) isgreat forindecisive gardeners. turn dark burgundy. ‘Shirobana’ (syn. from springthrough fall,whentheleaves growthnew andvividrosy-red flowers its three- tofour-footheight,withpurple mounded green shrub, slightlywiderthan dish-purple infall.‘Neon Flash’ isadense nursery.com. (888) 869-4159.www.wavecrest Company, Wavecrest NurseryandLandscaping hills.com. (888) 864-7663.www.nature Nature HillsNursery, free online. www.joycreek.com. (503) 543-7474. Joy CreekNursery, www.heronswood.com. (360) 297-4172. Heronswood Nursery, Catalog $5. www.fairweathergardens.com. (856) 451-6261. Fairweather Gardens, Sources Champaign, Illinois,1998. by MichaelDirr.StipesPublishing, Manual ofWoodyLandscapePlants Resources Clematis Japanese spirea notablefortheirsea- the American Gardener ‘Jackmanii’ Fennville, MI. Catalog free. Catalog $1. Scappoose, OR. Catalog $3; Omaha, NE. Greenwich, NJ. Kingston, WA. meander over one Catalog $5. opening intolacy, flat, whiteflower heads. that resemble clusters ofpearlsbefore and widebearslargeinflorescences fully inbrightshade.It grows three feettall beauti- bluefoliagethatperforms silvery Zones 6–9,9–6),astunningplantwith raves aboutMiyabe spirea ticleer Gardens inWayne, Pennsylvania, writer David Culp does. travaganza, asgarden consultantand foranaddedsummerex- of theseshrubs A popularcultivar, S.fritschiana‘Wilma’ is prized foritsyellow-orange-red fallcolor. Center fortheStudy ofPiedmont Flora. It Lighty, formerdirector oftheMt.Cuba was introduced from Korea by Richard Spiraea fritschiana Jonathan Wright, agardener atChan- (Zones 4–8,8–4) (S. miyabei, clusters ofsummerflowers. Spiraea fritschiana Prized mostlyforitsattractivefallfoliage, bloom andlavender-blueRussiansage.Left: perfect companiontorose-pinkchecker- flowers invaryingshadesofpink,isthe Above: (syn. ‘Pink Parasols’ a low hedge,spreaders maketerrificflow- well withperennials orcanbeplantedas Neat, low-mounding spireas integrate GET SHORTY var ofthe birchleaf spirea calledS.betuli- Wood says itisgreat formassplanting. Because it grows onlytwotothree feettall, blossom headscover themoundingshrub. summer. In June, big,pink,umbrellalike bluish-green foliagetingedwithred all Grand Haven, Michigan, hasstriking Wood ofSpring Meadow Nursery in closely related to S.fritschiana. two- tothree-foot, white-flowering shrub folia plum purple. green leaves turnyellow, bronze, red, and reviews infall,whenitsiridescentblue- catching foundationshrub, itreceives rave Nurseryman Herb Johns loves aculti- ‘Tor’ (Zones 5–9,9–1),acompact, Spiraea japonica ™ also featureslarge ), selectedby Tim ‘Shirobana’, with An eye-

TOP: KEN MEYER; BOTTOM: BILL JOHNSON MORE SPIREAS FOR YOUR GARDEN Here are some other spirea selections worthy of consideration in your garden. Be aware the height and spread listed in cata- logs for spireas are contingent upon cultural conditions and upon the region in which they are grown. A two- to three-foot shrub in one part of the country may grow a good deal larger in another.

Name Height/ Form Flower Color/Season Foliage Traits Hardiness Zones, Spread (ft.) Heat Zones

Spiraea japonica ‘Alpina’ 1/2–3 low spreading light pink/late spring blue-green 4–9, 9–1 to early summer S. japonica ‘Bumalda’ 3/3 dense, rounded dark pink/summer new leaves bronze 4–9, 9–1 (syn. S. ✕bumalda) maturing to green S. japonica ‘Crispa’ 2–3/4–5 fine textured, pink and red/ crinkled, green 4–9, 9–1 mounding early summer S. japonica ‘Dart’s Red’ 2–3/4–5 mounding deep red/early summer medium green 4–9, 9–1 S. japonica ‘Goldmound’ 1–3/3–4 compact mound pink/late spring to bright yellow 4–9, 9–1 early summer S. japonica ‘Little Princess’ 2/3 compact mound pink/early summer medium green 4–8, 8–1 S. japonica . ‘Magic Carpet’ 11/2–2/3 low mound deep pink-purple/ gold with red tips 4–9, 9–1 summer S. japonica ‘Mertyann’ 1/2–3 low, spreading pink/summer gold with bronze tips 4–9, 9–1 (Dakota Goldcharm™) S. nipponica ‘Snowmound’ 2–4/3–5 compact, rounded white/mid- to late spring medium green 4–8, 8–1 S. ‘Snow White’ 4–5/4–5 compact, arching white/late spring to bright green, 5–8, 8–5 (syn. S. trichocarpa ‘Snow White’) early summer gold-orange in fall S. thunbergii ‘Fujino Pink’ 4/4 arching red buds open pink/ green, yellow- 4–8, 8–4 early spring orange in fall S. ✕vanhouttei ‘Renaissance’ 5–8/8 tall, arching white/early spring resistant to rust 4–8, 8–1 and mildew

ering ground covers beneath taller Introduced from southeastern Europe eight inches high with prostrate branches, shrubs, and some diminutive cultivars in 1830, S. decumbens (Zones 5–9, 9–1) is it is only now gaining recognition as a gar- are just the thing for edging a border or an outstanding ground cover and fits in den plant. Expect white frothy blooms in tucking into a rock garden. well at the front of a sunny border. Just June and a compact, spreading habit. Most of the other diminutive spireas are S. japonica cultivars. An effective pest- free ground cover, rock garden, or edging choice is S. japonica ‘Golden Elf’ (Zones 4–9, 9–1). It grows only four to nine inch- es high and two feet wide, producing rich golden foliage, cushiony compact growth, and dainty pink flowers. ‘Limemound’ (Zones 4–9, 9–1) grows 18 to 24 inches tall and wide. Its oval, sharply toothed leaves emerge yellow-or- ange, turning lime green, and aging to at- tractive autumnal shades of red and orange. ‘Flaming Mound’ (Zones 4–9, 9–1) is a low spreader, 12 to 20 inches tall,

The chartreuse leaves of Spiraea japonica ‘Limemound’ provide a stunning contrast to early-blooming blue flowers such as these

MARK TURNER forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica).

March / April 2005 19 PRUNING PRIMER Spireas that bloom in early spring— such as the bridalwreaths, the selec- tions of S. thunbergii and ‘Snow- mound’—bloom on old wood and should be pruned right after flower- ing. They are usually trimmed for shape and to control their size. If they become woody and unproductive as they age, remove a quarter to one third of the oldest, weakest stems an- nually at ground level. This stimulates spring growth from the crown just un- der the cuts. Spiraea japonica selections and other summer-blossoming spireas flower on the current season’s wood. Best flowering is achieved if plants Native to western North America, Spiraea douglasii forms dense thickets. are cut by half or even to the ground in late winter or before growth starts with dark pink blooms and gold foliage hardhack—neither of which is a particu- in the spring. Remove faded flowers that is rich red upon opening and in au- larly alluring moniker for a shrub. Intro- to stimulate a second flush of bloom. tumn. Both are useful in borders, cottage duced in 1736, it was probably the first Most spireas make good cut flow- gardens, rock gardens, foundation plant- spirea in colonial gardens. It has upright ers for indoor arrangements. “Don’t ings, as a low hedge, or edging. rosy-purple spikes and is best suited for a put them in water, however, because wild garden. the flowers will quickly senesce,” THE NATIVES Spiraea douglasii (Zones 5–8, 8–5) from warns Philadelphia-area garden North American spireas are not particu- the American West grows three to six feet writer Liz Ball. “Like pussywillows, larly notable or widely grown in gardens tall and bears pink-purple flowers in mid- if dry, they will hold up until you tire today, and are often characterized as summer. Meadowsweet (S. latifolia, Zones of them.” —I.S. “scruffy.” Many are bog plants. 2–6, 6–1), indigenous to eastern North Spiraea tomentosa (Zones 3–8, 8–1) is America, is similar in size and bears white commonly known as steeplebush or to pink spires. Both species spread to form tolerant but, naturally, would appreciate thickets and can be invasive. a blanket of mulch and a drink during a Mountain spirea (S. densiflora, Zones dry spell. Not especially heavy feeders, 6–9, 9–1), another western native, grows they do well with just a yearly dose of a one to three feet tall and wide, and bears balanced, slow-release fertilizer. Most flat-topped clusters of rose-pink flowers spireas are extremely winter hardy and in summer. don’t require any special winter protec- tion. They transplant easily, too. CULTURE Spireas have so much going for them: Spireas grow best in well-drained soil They are relatively pest free, low mainte- augmented with lots of organic matter, nance, cold hardy, and adaptable. They but can tolerate some of the worst soils, put on a good show while in bloom and including compacted clay. Most species again in autumn. Deer don’t like them, thrive in full sun, except for yellow- butterflies do. And their ample varieties leaved varieties, which retain better fo- can be used in so many ways. If you liage color when grown in some shade. haven’t grown any spireas lately, perhaps When spireas are grouped in mass it’s time to revisit this underappreciated plantings or used as hedges, they need shrub. It deserves your consideration and some space in order to preserve their surely will earn your respect.  well-being. Plant in spring or early fall, and keep A free-lance writer and garden columnist, Pink-flowered Spiraea densiflora is native to them evenly moist until established. Af- Ilene Sternberg gardens on an acre-and-a-

the mountains of the American Northwest. terwards, they are remarkably drought half in West Chester, Pennsylvania. TOP: BILL JOHNSON; BOTTOM: JERRY PAVIA

20 the American Gardener TOP: DANNY C. FLANDERS; BOTTOM: COURTESY OF SHELDON FLEMING relationships, andthat’s whatthisgarden isallabout,”saysFleming. outdoorclassroom forchildren,and part seniors,andentire families.“Lifeisall about the nonprofit Wonderland community garden, green ispart part spacedestination, metropolitan Atlanta withnature, eachother, and themselves. Now, adecadelater, a hands-oncommunityoutreach program thatwouldconnect studentsthroughout he andachildhoodfriendcame upwiththeideaforcreating Wonderland Gardens, rience thatturnedtheFleming familyupsidedown. Instead, the21-year-old woman wasabductedandmurdered, anightmare expe- Robbins. If hehad,says,maybe hisyounger sisterwouldstillbealive today. would makeKelly feelbetter. S Wonderland Yet, likemanywhosuffertragedy, Fleming foundsolaceingardening. Soon after, To thisday, hewisheshadbeentheone—notKelly—who went toBaskin- sister someicecream. She hadbeensick,andtheirmotherthoughtthetreat togooutandbuyhis hausted afteralongdayofwork inthefamilynursery HELDON FLEMING finding will never forgetthatnightin1987.He wastooex- vegetable bedsat Wonderland. advantaged children andyouth,mulchthe Atlanta-based organizationfor sociallydis- Young gardenersfromCHRIS Kids,Inc.,an welcomes visitorstoWonderland Gardens. Above: SheldonFlemingbehind thesignthat Top: BY DANNYC.FLANDERS andhopeforchildren.learning inspired thecreation ofanoasis How oneman’s personaltragedy March / April 2005 21 The garden has become a national model for environmental education and a rallying point for community activism. “Wonderland is as much about making a difference in one’s own community as it is anything else,” says Tom Underwood, AHS director of horticultural programs. In July, along with the Atlanta Botani- cal Garden, Wonderland will host the American Horticultural Society’s Nation- al Children & Youth Garden Symposium. The youth gardening movement, which began in the late 1980s with a few groundbreaking children’s gardens, has gained steam in recent years. That’s thanks in part to programs like Wonderland that relate gardening to a variety of disciplines, such as math, art, and music. A GARDEN OF JOY Yet the project was the farthest thing from Fleming’s mind in the wake of his sister’s death. Kelly had only recently joined the family nursery when she was slain. Her killer has never been caught. Two years after the incident, Fleming’s mother died in her sleep of what Flem- ing calls pure grief. The lack of closure propelled him to sink his teeth into something more meaningful than simply selling plants. He became determined to provide a safe sanctuary for people to experience the joys of nature. After closing the family nursery, Fleming shared his idea with a friend, Michael Davis, who had grown up across the street from the Fleming family. Davis, who had worked with nonprofit organizations, decided he wanted in on the plans. After learning that land that once housed a dairy in South Dekalb County near Atlanta had been donated to the county as green space, the two friends leased 20 acres of it for establish- The 20,000-square-foot Carver Outdoor Classroom, which includes a pavilion, top, and ing the nonprofit Wonderland Gardens. surrounding gardens, provides an ideal setting for creative hands-on learning. Above: Sheldon Mathis Dairy had been a community Fleming tends a bed in a nearby area called the Life Lab, where lesson activities are held. institution visited by generations of school children and families eager to try their ganic Wonderland quickly became a an outdoor classroom for hands-on hands at milking Rosebud, the dairy’s year-round green space destination for lessons, and a story-telling area appro- famed mascot. With the creation of Won- groups and individuals of all ages and priately dubbed “Storyland.” There, pre- derland, community members could con- cultures. The site, nestled in the shadows schoolers through seven-year-olds plant tinue to visit this fertile tract to learn about of surrounding housing developments, and harvest vegetables. In the Outdoor the natural world around them. offers nature walks along a path made of Carver Classroom, elementary school shredded recycled tires, community gar- students visit throughout the year to PROGRAMS FOR GROWTH den plots for families to grow vegetables, plant, weed, and compost their own gar-

With Atlanta’s mild climate, the all-or- cooperative programs with area schools, den of flowers and vegetables. And there’s TOP: TOM UNDERWOOD; BOTTOM: DANNY C. FLANDERS

22 the American Gardener COURTESY OF SHELDON FLEMING Wonderland throughout theyeartoworkingardens andobservenature’smany facets. foggy autumnday toexamineinsectstheyhave foundinthegarden.Children visit Students fromnearbyColumbia Middle SchoolgatherintheCarverOutdoorClassroomona get thatrelies onabout$100,000ingrants Fleming managesasmalloperatingbud- day inthegarden was.” go homeremembering how great their come proud, theytakeownership and obviously have fungardening. Theybe- kids’ senseofselfconfidence,andthey the steps,”Conradsays.“He buildsthe Sheldon’s voice leadingthemthrough ble ofdoingby themselves withjust projects thatthekidsare capa- perfectly him comeupwithmanycaptivating 1,000 ofwhomvisitannually. “I’ve seen knack forworking withchildren, about as watching.”Fleming, hesays,hasa of where kidscanlearnby doingaswell botanical garden—the onlyoneIknow scribes Wonderland as“a hands-on munity gardening coordinator, de- Community Food Bank. pounds ayear—is donatedtotheAtlanta home—which amountstosome200 produce thechildren don’t eatortake and eatyour veggies,” saysFleming. Any instructors. olds develop work ethicswithvolunteer the LifeSkills area, where 16-to20-year- As Wonderland’s executive director, Fred Conrad,thefoodbank’s com- “We here: have tworules Have fun, fun, andeatyourveggies.” “We havetworuleshere:Have sights even higher. Once Wonderland’s Buoyed by success,Fleming hassethis THEFUTURE TO LOOKING gardening materials,andtools. nurseries forgenerous donationsofplants, maintaining thegardens, andonlocal hundreds ofcommunityvolunteers for Home Blank. Depot co-founderArthur officer forthefoundation,formedby says Margaret Connelly, seniorprogram vironment iswhat’s even more exciting,” old, andgettingtheminvolved intheen- ed indrawingpeople,bothyoung and space, butthefactthatthey’re sointerest- toprovideopportunity communitygreen $200,000 since1998. dation, whichhascontributedabout M.Blankbeen theArthur Family Foun- ning, thegarden’s leadingbenefactorhas and donationsannually. From thebegin- Wonderland alsorelies on the helpof “For us,Wonderland represents the —Sheldon Fleming for years. Since 1997,he munity, somethingFleming haspushed Wonderland messagebefore thecom- George Washington Carver. agricultural scientistandeducator tion centernamedinhonorofhisidol, ofanenvironmental educa- construction improvements tothegarden, including launch a$10millioncapitalcampaignfor small staff. By year’s end,hehopesto only employee, henow hasthehelpofa down andsmiling.” broad grin.“No doubt,she’s looking Kelly. “She’s smiling,”Fleming sayswitha of clouds.Instead, heenvisionsaproud lanta sun,he’s never dauntedby thelack skies forrelief while toilingunderahotAt- something positive,” saysFleming. nity toredirect theangerinside meinto “Wonderland hasgiven metheopportu- man’s need tocopewithgreat loss. have been writtenhaditnotbeenforone Fleming isaclassic.” Wonderland Gardens andSheldon of general publictohiscause.Thestory rate andcommunityleadersthe he hasbrought across-section ofcorpo- ment tothatdream iscontagious,and the flower show’s board. “His commit- area,” saysSharon Flores, president of forchildren throughout themetrotory derland Gardens intoateaching labora- his dream tobuildanddevelop Won- dening show. year cableTVgar- hewillhostanew the show’s governing board—and this eastern Flower Show—he on alsoserves ucational exhibitsforAtlanta’s South- Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Danny Flanders isthegarden writerforthe That effort willrequireThat effort gettingthe Nowadays, whenFleming lookstothe And it’s onethatlikelywouldnever “Sheldon passionateabout istruly wonderlandgardens.org. about Wonderland,visitwww. see page11.Formoreinformation formation aboutthesymposium, Atlanta July28to30.Formorein- the 2005symposiumtobeheldin Wonderland Gardensisahostfor Youth Garden Symposium AHS NationalChildren & March / April 2005 ’ s designeded-  23 24 Growing plantsincontainersisasimple conceptwithunlimitedcreativepotential. G ous landscapeof heryouth inPersia. TheGreek geographer Stra- to recreate forhishomesick wife,Amyitis,thegreen mountain- the flat,sun-bakedplainsofhis Mesopotamian kingdominorder world’s earliestandlargestcontainergardens, builttoriseabove Nebuchadnezzar’s hanginggardens ofBabylon were amongthe Containermania BY CAROLEOTTESEN Containermania the American Gardener ARDENING INCONTAINERS for extensive gardens, butit’s hardly amoderninvention. today’s world,where manyofusdon’t have spaceortime seems tailor-madefor to stretch inaclimate. Gardeners thepaletteofwhatsurvives to have whatNature, unaided,wouldnotsupport. well before, growing plants incontainershasenabledgardeners the gardens green andgrowing. Since thattimeor, more likely, River wasbrought upby achainpumpfittedwithbucketstokeep large enoughtoaccommodate trees. Water from theEuphrates bo describedthegardens asenormous,hollow, pillars earth-filled Today, justas inancienttimes,containersenablegardeners

THIS PAGE: KAREN BUSSOLINI. OPPOSITE TOP: ALEKSANDRA SZYWALA; OPPOSITE BOTTOM: ALAN AND LINDA DETRICK. Above: Simple, but stunning, the same style black containers in a range of sizes have been planted with yellow pansies. A backdrop of mixed tulips provides the perfect foil.

Left: Set against a woven fence, this assortment of container-grown herbs— including mint, thyme, lemongrass, sage, and rosemary—functions as a mini kitchen garden that is also ornamental.

Opposite page: A white container brimming with Angelonia ‘Angel Mist’, white alyssum, and Ipomoea ‘Blackie’ adds light to this border of predominantly reds and deep purples. The decorative metal plant support gives height and a sense of drama to the arrangement, making it stand out in the garden.

March / April 2005 25 26 upon science,selecting andarrangingtheplants andchoosing While theguidelines forgrowing container plantsare based GETTING CREATIVE cent booksoncontainergardening.) often daily, wateringis needed.(See page 55foraselectionofre- ly thaninagarden bed.Hence, regular andfrequent, fertilizing pathogens. Plants canbesetintothecontainersmuchmore close- soil” works well andhasbeensterilized todiscourage soil-borne of thepot.In general,thelight,richsoilsoldinbagsas“potting and pondplantsrequire drainage,usuallyviaaholeinthebottom The guidelinesforcontainerculture are fairlysimple.Allbutbog PLANTS NEEDSOFCONTAINER BASIC needed, andfillinunattractive gaps. traffic, defineordividespace,addcolortoaborder where itismost garden. Strategically gardens placed,theseportable helpdirect foot draining soilandscree. wet regions cangrow rock garden plantsincarefully mixed, fast- dwellers canenjoy waterandboggardens. People livingincold, ing them,containerandall,indoorsduringthewinter. Desert dowsills oroutdoors duringthewarmergrowing season,bring- in temperatezones cangrow tropicals insideonsunnywin- Potted avariety ofpracticalfunctionsinthe plantscanserve the American Gardener grow plantsincontainersforthecontainer’s sake. riched. It is nowonderthat,more andmore, we are choosingto ourgardens arepatios, andadjacenttoentryways, doublyen- are alsoexquisite arrangementssetthoughtfullyintoborders, on wire mesh,andother discarded items. ative, containers caneven bemadefrom piecesofscrapwood, plantlife.If youenough soiltosupport wanttogetreally cre- basement, andatticislikelytoturnupsomethingthatwillhold types, shapes,colors,sizes, andmaterials.Butgarage, every inDenvereverywhere nowadays.” Panayoti Kelaidis, adding,asaresult, “there are containers dozen to over 1,000containers,”saysDirector ofOutreach ture Rob Proctor “expanded thecontainerdisplayfrom acouple ample, atDenver BotanicGarden, formerdirector ofhorticul- country, whattheyseeathome.For inspiringvisitorstotry ex- by thesuperbdisplaysatbotanicgardenseled inpart across the done, theresults are spectacular. our sensesofcolorandscale,formsize. Whenitiswell It astheirhomeisanart. the vessel thatwillserve callsupon Carole Ottesen is associateeditorof Whatever theirshape,size, orcomposition,when containers Garden centersandcatalogsofferthousands ofcontainer Recent years have witnessedakindofcontainermania,fu- are heuchera,yarrow,coleus,hosta,andoxalis. shows eachplanttoitsadvantage.Amongtheplantshere placed atdifferentheightstoproducealayeredeffectthat deck lookslikeathrivingperennialbed.Thepotshavebeen Left: Thankstoavarietyofpottedplants,thiscorner plants thriveinanold-fashionedmetalbathtub. cuphea, caladium,andcoleus,papyrusotheraquatic Above: Setamidabedofvariegatedcreepingbuttercup, The American Gardener. 

LEFT: DAVID CAVAGNARO; RIGHT: JESSIE M.HARRIS LEFT: MICHAEL S. THOMPSON; TOP RIGHT: JERRY PAVIA; BOTTOM RIGHT: RICK WETHERBEE brightly painted metal chair. succulents areshown toadvantageintheempty seatofa desert garden.Right:Low-growing sedumsandother second lifeasaplanterforcollection ofsucculentsina great containers.Topright:Arusty wheelbarrowgetsa Many objectsthathaveoutlived theiroriginalusemake hare’s-tail grass Above: Awhimsicalrabbitplantercleverlyplantedwith (Lagurus ovatus) plays avisualpun. March / April 2005 27 28 o:Caught intheact,awhite-taileddeer grazesinabackyardgarden—an offensethathasmade thisspeciesunwelcomeacross t Top: suburban andurbanareas. There, theyravage crops andgardens—including, likely, very your own. their burgeoningnumbershave causedtheseusuallyreclusive mammalstoinvade agriculturalaswell as westernin allbutafew stateswhere muledeerinhabittheirniche.Thelossofwildlifehabitatcombinedwith T on. You’ll findnotonlysympathy, butalsostrategiesfor protecting your garden. hourglassfigures,sport ifyour azaleasorroses don’t bedhasdisappeared, read bloom,andyour strawberry If you have ever awakenedtofind40hostaschewedbare stemsina single night,ifyour arborvitaes the American Gardener HE POPULATION OF to anestimated20millionnationwideover decades.White-taileddeerare thelastfew now ubiquitous Dealing withthesegardenmaraudersrequiresavariedstrategyandvigilance. Deer Defense Deer Defense white-tailed deer white-tailed BY CAROLEOTTESEN (Odocoileus virginianus) has grown from underhalfamillion he UnitedStates.

ALAN AND LINDA DETRICK. For most gardeners, the kind of damage even just for a week because the deer seem deer do to plants is not easily ignored. Be- to be keeping away, sure enough, there will cause of the way deer eat—by shredding the come a night when the hostas (tulips, tissues—deer damage doesn’t usually kill daylilies, roses, etc.) will be chewed up and outright, it maims. Maimed plants are more ruined for the rest of the season. I have also susceptible to disease, become stunted with found that repellents work better if you continual deer browse, and are unattractive. vary them regularly. When faced with a deer problem, gar- Another tip for success with repellents deners usually turn to repellents as a first is to apply early—before deer have invad- line of defense, and for good reason: ed your garden. Don’t wait to take action They’re readily available and easy to use. until after the fact. “With each new plant- ing,” advises Brad Roehler, manager of the TYPES OF REPELLENTS display garden and grounds at the Insti- There are three general types of repellents. tute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, The first type, most often in spray form, New York, “regardless of the time of year makes plants taste bad. There are also ex- that you are planting or the susceptibility tremely bitter systemic tablets. Best used of the plant to browsing, spray the plant when putting new plants into the ground, with an odor-based repellent immediate- the tablets need over a month to be ab- ly after planting.” If deer have an unpleas- sorbed but last up to three years. ant first encounter with your new plant, There are plenty of commercially avail- explains Roehler, they’re more likely to able repellents of the bad-tasting type, but A bar of strong-smelling soap in a mesh bag avoid it in the future. one of the most effective is a homemade serves as a deer repellent in this tomato patch. mixture of 20 percent whole eggs and 80 DOG-GONE EFFECTIVE percent water. If you apply it on a dry day some mail-order companies that offer Besides repellents, there are several other when temperatures are above freezing, it deer-deterring products.) strategies you can try. Dogs are terrific at should last about a month. Take the mem- deterring deer, but not just any dog will brane off the yolk to help keep your sprayer EFFECTIVE USE OF REPELLENTS do. You need one who lives for the chase from clogging—at least for a while. After trying a multitude of products rang- and who does so with unbounded en- The second kind of repellent smells ing from coyote urine to soap, I have found thusiasm. Nando, my peerless Por- bad. Repellents based on aroma work that repellents will help keep deer from de- tuguese water dog, was such an animal. best in the warmer months. “In winter,” vouring plants if—and only if—they are He kept watch from his perch on the says garden writer and photographer applied relentlessly and continually. This deck, ready to spring at the first sign of Karen Bussolini, who gardens on a “deer- is one of the biggest problems with using movement. And for the better part of a infested mountainside ” in Connecticut, repellents. If you let up on the application, decade, whenever fellow gardeners be- “the aroma molecules don’t disperse into the air as well.” Do-it-yourself malodorous methods include spreading bloodmeal, hanging mesh bags of human hair, or dangling strongly scented soaps such as Irish Spring or Zest from or very near—with- in 30 inches of—susceptible plants. The bloodmeal works for a short while, but may attract local dogs and other carni- vores. There are mixed reviews of human hair, but many gardeners swear by the soaps—although there are a few who re- port that the deer actually eat it. Also, some gardeners have found that when fish emulsion is applied as a foliar feed, it can act as a deer repellent as well. The third type of repellent combines bad odor with bad taste. Products such as Deer-Off, Deer Solution, and Not Tonight Deer! are examples of these.

CAROLE OTTESEN (2) (See “Sources” on page 32 for a list of Deer have feasted on this hosta bed, leaving only the less-tender stems standing.

March / April 2005 29 30 Daylilies, left,and tulips,right,areinvitationsto dinnerinyourgardenforhungry deer. “we are surrounded by white-taileddeer.” Nursery inAustin, Texas, where, shesays, Belk, seniormanageratBarton Springs I juststapleittothetrees,” saysColleen and 50feetlongfrom onetree tothenext. the background. the homeowner, andittendstoblendinto nomical thanwood,canbeinstalledby is meshlikedeernetting.It ismore eco- increasingly popularforcritterdeterrence and ithastoencircle your entire garden. keep deerouthastobeeight10feettall leaping sixfeet—easily. Afencethatwill you’ll needatallone.Deer are capableof A fenceismore reliable thanadog,but FENCING OPTIONS back tothehouse.Andshedoes. out ofherway. Theywaitforhertogo yardsthe deerinfield,theylopeafew at vincingly terrifying.Whensheruns tuguese waterdog,issimplynotcon- work. Lita,mycurrent beloved Por- theanswer:knew Get anotherdog. tinued withoutabatement.Ithought aged inasinglenight.Thecarnagecon- week. My entire hosta collectionwasrav- had plantedwere eateninthecourseofa eight outof100‘Apricot Beauty’ tulipsI learned mylessonthehard way. Ninety- only occasionaldamage. fenced, hosta-stockedgarden suffered about nothing.Allthewhile,myun- thought theirconcernswere muchado recipes fordeerdeterrents, Isecretly moaned theirdeerproblem andtraded “I’ve takendeernettingseven feettall One typeoffencingthatisbecoming But thistime,thatsolutiondidnot Two weeks afterNando died,I the American Gardener eight feethighandenclosestheentirepropertyyouwishtoprotect. Because adeercaneasilyleapsixfeet,fencingisaneffectivedeterrentonlyifit’satleast shock whentouched.For bestresults, often justonewire thatgives anelectric double fence,”saysRoeller. jump. “Deer hesitantto jumpa are very adeer’s thwarts apart—that running situated atadistance—aboutfive feet ing tojumpthelow fence. but adeerwillstrikethemwhileattempt- tend todisappearintothebackground, aboveintervals it.Thewires and mesh fenceandwires at shorter ormeshstrung way. “It really makesadifference,” shesays. fencing canbebentaround obstaclesinits Belk likesthewaythiskindofmalleable Finally, there are electricfences— Others swear by adoublefenceline Some peoplehave hadluckwitha daylilies using deer-resistant plants.” is successful strategyinthelongrun ety oftheUnited States, most says,“The Wildlife Program oftheHumane Soci- Hadidian, director oftheUrban comes tobrowsing. Because ofthis,John Deer have definitepreferences whenit PLANTS UNPALATABLE you have petsoryoung children. obviously, maynotbeagoodchoiceif quent inspectionandre-baiting—and, butter. Thesework well, butneedfre- these are baitedwithapplesorpeanut lilies around. Candytuft plants theywilleatifnothingbetteris or chocolatecake.Thenthere are the these tobethehumanequivalent ofsteak yews lupines plants(Agavesuch ascentury americana), leaves leaves (Verbascumhairy orthosewith latexy sapsuchaseuphorbias smelling plantssuchasherbs,thosewith are really hungry. Often theseare strong- muchandwon’tlike very eatunlessthey world. Finally, there are plantstheydon’t the oatmealandplainpastaofplant not deerfavorites, either. is spp.), andcastor bean There are plantstheyadore suchas (Kniphofia (Taxus (Mahonia (Lupinus (Hemerocallis spp.). You mightconsider spp.) mightbeconsidered spp.), foxgloves spp.). Poisonous plants, (Iberis spp.), hostas,and (Ricinus spp.) andtorch spp.) orspiny (Digital- spp.) are

TOP: COURTESY OF FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE. BOTTOM LEFT: JOHN FREASE/AHS ARCHIVE; BOTTOM RIGHT: CAROLE OTTESEN. TOP TO BOTTOM: MARK TURNER, CAROLE OTTESEN, BILL JOHNSON, CAROLE OTTESEN (2) DEER-RESISTANT PLANTSFORTHEGARDEN are nottheirmealsofchoice.Theyalsoseldombotherwithornamentalgrassesandferns. palette hastobelimited.Whiledeerhavebeenknownnibbleonjustaboutanyplant,these Gardening amidadeerpopulation—asthefollowinglistshows—doesn’tmeanyourplant Bluebeard Birch Beautybush Bearberry Bayberry Colorado bluespruce Clumping bamboo California lilac(Ceanothus California incensecedar Butterfly bush(Buddleja Bush cinquefoil(Potentilla Mahonia Juniper Heavenly bamboo Florida anise(Illicium Daphne Creosote bush Barberry Arborvitae Trees andShrubs Buckeye Boxwood Bottlebrush Spirea Skimmia Serviceberry Plum yew(Cephalotaxus Pieris Oleander Norway spruce(Piceaabies) Magnolia Sugar bush(Rhusovata) (Caryopteris (Kolkwitzia amabilis) (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) forma (Picea pungens Brown’) ‘Blue Jeans’and‘Emily (Calocedrus decurrens) fruticosa (Nandina (Larrea tridentata) T. orientalis) (Amelanchier (Fargesia (Betula (Pieris (Spiraea glauca) (Juniperus (Daphne (Berberis (Aesculus (Mahonia (Myrica (Skimmia japonica) (Buxus (Nerium oleander) (Magnolia and cultivars) (Thuja plicataand spp.) (Callistemon spp.) spp.) ✕ spp.) clandonensis) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) Goldenrod Giant hyssop(Agastache False indigo(Baptisia (Delphinium Delphinium Damianita Creeping phlox Copper Canyondaisy Mazus reptans Matilija poppy Lupine Lungwort Lords andladies Lily-of-the-valley Lily-of-the-Nile Lavender Lamb’s ears Lady’s mantle(Alchemilla Hellebore Green andgold Columbine Catmint Boltonia Bluestar Bleeding heart(Dicentra Beebalm Basket-of-gold Barrenwort Astilbe Herbaceous Perennials Yaupon Viburnum Sweet shrub(Calycanthus Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) (Chrysactinia mexicana) (Phlox stolonifera) (Tagetes lemmonii) (Romneya coulteri) (Arum italicum) (Convallaria majalis) (Agapanthus (Stachys byzantina) (Chrysogonum virginianum) (Aurinia saxatalis) (Astilbe (Lupinus (Ilex vomitoria) (Nepeta (Amsonia (Boltonia asteroides) (Monarda didyma) (Lavandula (Pulmonaria (Helleborus (Viburnum (Solidago (Aquilegia (Epimedium spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) Yarrow Tickseed Thrift Sweet flag(Acorus Stoke’s aster(Stokesialaevis) Statice Spurge Sedge Saxifrage Sage Sacred lily Russian sage Redwood sorrel Red elderberry Pride ofMadeira Prickly pear(Opuntia Peony Pachysandra Nolina parryi New Zealandflax Mullein Monkshood Milkweed Winter aconite Squill Snowflake Snowdrop Hyacinth Grape hyacinth(Muscari Glory ofthesnow Fritillary Daffodil Autumn crocus Allium Bulbs Mexican marigold (Perovskia atriplicifolia) (Oxalis oregana) (Sambucus racemosa) (Echium candicans) (Phormium tenax) (Tagetes lucida) (Eranthis hyemalis) (Chionodoxa (Salvia (Armeria maritima) (Scilla (Paeonia (Carex (Allium (Achillea (Limonium latifolium) (Euphorbia (Verbascum (Narcissus (Fritillaria (Hyacinthus (Coreopsis (Saxifraga (Asclepias (Galanthus (Leucojum (Rohdea japonica) (Aconitum spp.) spp.) spp. spp.) spp.) spp.) (Colchicum spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) spp.) Summersweet California incensecedar Daffodil Bleeding heart Lily oftheNile March / April 2005 31 Most years, you can get by with little to no deer damage by planting things they don’t like, especially in places where Resources they enter your garden. (See page 31 for a Deer Proofing Your Yard & Garden by Rhonda Massingham Hart. Storey Publish- list of some of the many deer-resistant ing, North Adams, Massachusetts, 1997. plants.) And these not-so-tasty plants, if used in larger groups, can go a long way Gardening in Deer Country by Vincent Drzewucki Jr. Brick Tower Press, New to protecting the yummy plants tucked York, New York, 1998. into their midst. However, “deer may not react consis- Solving Deer Problems: How to Keep Them Out of Your Garden, Guaranteed tently to the same plant in different parts by Peter Loewer. The Lyons Press, Guilford, Connecticut, 2002. of the country,” cautions Hadidian. “Whether this is because of seasonal dif- www.mydeergarden.com. Information and advice for gardening with deer. ferences or soil conditions changing the taste of a plant or just due to variations in www.ecostudies.org/gardening_tips.html. Grounds manager Brad Roeller at the the deer population, no one is sure.” He Institute of Ecosystem Studies shares 30 years of deer-deterring strategies. recommends experimenting with differ- ent plants and talking to your neighbors to find out which plants your local deer Sources for Deer-Deterring Products avoid. Also, bear in mind that a starving Benner’s Garden, Inc., Conshohocken, PA. (800) BIG-DEER deer will eat almost anything. www.bennersgardens.com.

ZONE OUT DeerBusters, Frederick, MD. (888) 422-DEER. www.deer-busters.com. Another deer-deterring technique you can try is borrowed from the school of Deer-Resistant Landscape Nursery, Clare, MI. (800) 595-3650. xeriscape: creating zones. The idea is to www.deerxlandscape.com. divide the garden into distinct zones, based upon the number of susceptible Havahart, Lititz, PA. (800) 800-1819. www.havahart.com. plants in each area and the amount of care needed to keep those plants safe from deer. that is gourmet central for deer. Group- This leaves zone two, the in-between, Zone one becomes the high-mainte- ing plants will make any efforts at pro- problematic area where the plants deer nance space where deerly-loved plants tection easier. Because zone one is likely love are too big to move to another loca- are grouped together. Ideally, any sus- to be a small portion of your property, it tion. Here is where you’ll have to get cre- ceptible plants in outlying areas get might even be possible to fence it. Even ative. Scarecrows that move in the wind, moved into this zone, creating a space without a fence, the routine applications gizmos that shoot water, protective net- of deer deterrents will become a far eas- ting, and systemic tablets are some things ier chore if you don’t have to wander the you might try. garden looking for (and often missing some) susceptible plants. Because it is NOTHING IS FOOLPROOF quicker and easier to do, you are more Like it or not, deer are here to stay, and likely to apply the deterrents with the gardeners must find ways to coexist with regularity needed for success. them. Short of a dog with just the right You can designate the entire periphery deer-deterring personality on guard of your property as zone three. This is the around the clock or an eight-foot fence part that is way too big and/or inaccessi- that encircles your property, nothing is ble to keep sprayed. The answer here is foolproof. As Hadidian says, “We have to using plants that deer would rather not be willing to accept a certain amount of eat. There is no joy quite like the one you damage and work with it as best we can.” get when you assemble a border planting However, with some patience, persis- that has deer spitting out the bits they test tence, and well-planned defenses, you can taste. When you plant a clumping bam- enjoy your garden in spite of the deer. boo (Fargesia spp.), a leatherleaf mahonia Have courage, and good luck!  (Mahonia japonica ‘Bealei’), or bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii), deer taste the gas- Carole Ottesen is associate editor of The Plants with spiny leaves, like leatherleaf tronomic equivalents of rancid cheese and American Gardener. Her deer-ravaged gar-

mahonia, are usually not attractive to deer. cardboard, liberally laced with castor oil. den is in Potomac, Maryland. MARY YEE

32 the American Gardener PulmonariasPulmonarias

‘Excalibur’‘Excalibur’

Move over hostas and heucheras, the new shining stars of the shade garden are

the no-longer-humble lungworts. ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY KAREN BUSSOLINI

S HERBACEOUS perennials go, monaria saccharata ‘Mrs. Moon’. It pro- thicker and more heavily silvered, form- pulmonarias are shifty characters. liferated in deep pockets of humusy soil ing a large clump that carried through in A Their flowers change color from between glacial boulders on our steep great style well into winter, never marred day to day. Immature leaves on bloom mountainside, but I found it insufferably by the slugs and mildew that so disfig- stalks are of one sort, while mature basal insipid. Yet what hard-hearted gardener ured ‘Mrs. Moon’. Ever in search of sil- leaves are altogether different. There are could dismiss a plant that so suddenly ver plants, particularly silvers to light up the awkward transitional stages. Identi- bursts from the cold earth and miracu- the shade, I tracked ‘Excalibur’ to its ties and heritage are so mixed up that lously pops into bloom when snow is still source, plant breeder Dan Heims of even the experts can’t agree. on the ground? I took to cherishing its as- Terra Nova Nurseries in Oregon. Soon Pulmonarias can be tough to grow or al- surance that spring was around the cor- my woods were full of tiny silver pul- together too easy, self-sowing with aban- ner and casting a blind eye to the slug monarias, both Terra Nova releases and don. They are usually disdained by deer holes in the spotted foliage and the pow- English imports. but loved by slugs. Gardeners I spoke with dery mildew that followed. Heims, as it turns out, had also been were emphatically divided in their opin- A few years ago, however, I discovered frustrated with ‘Mrs. Moon’. He noticed ions. Many said they couldn’t get enough Pulmonaria ‘Excalibur’. Its shimmering that the ‘Mrs. Moon’s grown in other pulmonarias; others, who once had a sim- platinum blades disabused me forever of parts of the country were all different ilar yen, had ripped them all out in frustra- the notion that pulmonarias were from each other, that people had evi- tion. For such a demure plant, it certainly wimpy. Its bold character juiced up a dently selected seedlings that did better stirs up passion in gardeners. jumble of delicate spring ephemeral in their region. The first pulmonaria in my Con- wildflowers in my woodland garden. As He also noticed that a vigorous long- necticut garden came to me as Pul- the season progressed, leaves became leafed pulmonaria with thick, sticky,

March / April 2005 33 Flower buds overwinter at or just below soil level. Plants form upright or sprawling clumps that spread slowly by rhizomes. Basal leaves are simple, ovate to elliptic, heart-shaped or oblong, hairy and often spotted in white or silver. Stem leaves are sparse and small. CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS Pulmonarias grow best in dappled decidu- ous shade with a light mulch of decom- posing leaves like that found on a forest floor. The exception is P. longifolia and its cultivars, which are good candidates for sunny sites provided the soil is moist and well drained. Given humus-rich soil and yearly replenishment of chopped leaves or leaf mold, additional feeding shouldn’t be necessary. Most are quite winter hardy throughout the United States. The biggest problems reported by gar- deners all over the country were powdery mildew, slugs (and snails), and rampant self-sowing. Powdery mildew afflicts plants stressed by drought and is exacerbated by ‘Mrs Moon’ is an old favorite but highly variable depending on where it is grown and humidity. Providing deep, moist soil rich susceptible to disfigurement by slugs and powdery mildew. in organic matter and supplemental water in dry weather helps. Cutting back affect- mostly silver leaves and deep blue, long- and scrub, sometimes grassy or rocky blooming flowers, which he had brought places and stream banks. This wide dis- back from England, didn’t get powdery tribution in various habitats suggests the mildew in his garden. He made this potential for equally wide usefulness in plant—later identified as P. ‘Margery North American gardens. Fish’—the heart of a selective breeding Pulmonarias have a long history of program he started in 1989. medicinal and herbal use. The genus Determined to make a better garden name is derived from pulmo, the Latin for plant, Heims concentrated on the sturdy “lung.” Based on the Doctrine of Signa- mildew-resistant silvers. He wanted long- tures, early healers reasoned that their blooming showy flowers in a wider range spotted leaves, resembling diseased lungs, of colors, improved form and vigor, at- would cure pulmonary ailments. Al- tractive foliage, compact flower clusters though the efficacy of pulmonarias has that “stand up and look at you” rather not been confirmed by modern scientific than sprawling, and a more attractive study, some herbalists recommend them transition from flowering to mature fo- for bronchial complaints. Considering Mildew on P. saccharata ‘Highdown’ liage. Over the last decade, he and a that they can be allergenic, irritating to the number of other American and Euro- skin, and may contain toxic alkaloids, ed foliage (some recommend cutting pean breeders have achieved almost all of common sense dictates against unin- plants to the ground right after bloom, those goals. formed experimentation. which also takes care of the self-seeding Their funnel-shaped flowers, like problem), lightly fertilizing, and watering PULMONARIA BASICS those of other borages such as bluebells will stimulate the growth of healthy new Pulmonarias are hardy herbaceous peren- (Mertensia spp.) and comfreys (Symphy- foliage. A better solution would be to plant nials belonging to the borage family tum spp.), generally start out pink in the some of the many mildew-resistant vari- (Boraginaceae). They are native to Eu- bud, changing to shades of blue or pur- eties, whose substantial leaves are also less rope and western Asia, ranging from ple, sometimes white or red. The color apt to be tattered by slugs. England east to Siberia, from Italy and change is thought to be a signal to polli- Greece north to Sweden. In the wild, nators, enticing them to blooms with REGIONAL REPORTS pulmonarias mostly inhabit woodlands plentiful nectar and fresh pollen. Many gardeners still grow and love the

34 the American Gardener from experts on the best performers from other regions of the United States. PULMONARIA SPECIES The best ones had good flowers (large Some 10 to 14 individual pulmonaria species are recognized, but only half that and/or strongly colored enough to matter) many are commonly cultivated. that coincided with enough foliage to Common pulmonaria or Jerusalem cowslip (P. officinalis, Zones 6–8, 8–6) has make a graceful whole. They also had been cultivated in gardens at least since the 16th century, mainly for its herbal leaves that were nicely formed with uni- uses. A variable species, it has strongly spotted oval to heart-shaped semi-ever- form patterns and matured into long- green leaves. Pink-red buds turn violet or sky blue, occasionally white. It is more lasting clumps of distinctive character. tolerant of alkaline soils than other pulmonarias. Long-leaf lungwort (P. longifolia, Zones 3–8, 8–4) has small, tightly clustered NORTHEAST Pulmonarias are popu- violet to cobalt blue flowers opening from pink buds and attractive, long, bright- lar in the Northeast, though I’ve yet to ly spotted leaves. It is more tolerant of heat, sun, drought and clay soils than oth- see one blooming as prolifically as those er pulmonarias. Unfortunately, its semi-evergreen foliage is very mildew prone. A illustrated in the catalogs. But they have subspecies, P. longifolia subsp. cevennensis, has very silvery foliage and is ex- other virtues. Mary Ann McGourty of tremely mildew-resistant. Hillside Gardens in Norfolk, Connecti- Red lungwort (P. rubra, Zones 4–8, 8–3), also semi-evergreen, is not mildew- cut, says, “Aside from fabulous foliage, I prone, blooms very early and love them because they are the first plant is extremely hardy. Its flow- in the garden that the hummingbirds go ers encompass the coral- to.” After five or six months of winter, we salmon-raspberry red range. are all grateful for early flowers, however Foliage, except for that of skimpy, and for the hummingbirds and ‘David Ward’, is mostly bees they attract. All the new varieties I unspotted. tried were slug and deer resistant, impor- Pulmonaria mollis (Zones tant in a woodland garden. Grown in rich, 6–8, 8–6) is very early and damp soil, few suffered from mildew. very hardy, sometimes ‘Blue Ensign’, with plain green ovate blooming by Christmas in leaves and deep azure flowers is fresh and Oregon. Heims likes its straightforwardly gorgeous, with foliage “blackberry” clusters of that remains good, although the experts flowers, blue with smoky say it gets mildew. All the other ones that tones of purple. It is the Very early-blooming red lungwort has unspotted foliage. performed well for me are silver. ‘Excal- largest pulmonaria, growing ibur’, still a favorite, blooms in the snow up to 30 inches tall, with velvety deciduous leaves, but self-sows with abandon. some years, with finely shaped spotted Semi-evergreen Bethlehem sage (P. saccharata, Zones 4–8, 8–1) is nicely leaves turning to green-edged silver before spotted in silvery-white and moderately vigorous. Its stem leaves are nearly as blooms have finished. ‘Cotton Cool’s large large as its basal leaves, which makes for a particularly cohesive form while its pink buds, which open to light blue, are in bloom. It is very susceptible to mildew. Blue lungwort (P. angustifolia, Zones 2–7, 8–1) is “the worst mildew magnet” in Heims’ garden, but he likes its small stature and rich cobalt blue flowers. One of his early crosses from this species, the dwarf ‘Little Star’ is popular in England, where mildew isn’t such a problem. —K.B.

straight species (see box, above), but cul- uncertainties in the heritage of these and tivars and hybrids are often better plants. other popular cultivars. Among the oldest known is my ‘Mrs. Faced with a bewildering array of new Moon’, which has been around since at pulmonarias on the market, how is one to least the 1930s. This, along with ‘Siss- parse the catalog hype and advice often inghurst White’ and ‘Mawson’s Blue’ from based on growth in temperate English later in the 20th century, although still climes? Given all the differing soils, mois- beloved by many gardeners, are probably ture levels, temperature ranges, and other not true to the originals described in liter- climatic factors, clearly they can’t all be su- ature. The exceedingly promiscuous na- perlative everywhere. ture of pulmonarias, compounded by I tested about 15 cultivars in my garden ‘Blue‘Blue Ensign’Ensign’ their long passalong status, has left many over the last two years and relied on advice

March / April 2005 35 mulberry to gentian-blue flowers and MIDWEST In 2001, the Chicago orangish buds are thrown out awkwardly Botanic Garden evaluated 51 kinds for above low sprawling basal foliage, but they use in Midwest gardens. ‘Mrs. Moon’, glow against the cool silvery-green color. I which frustrated gardeners elsewhere, re- love the shimmery underwater quality of ceived a high rating, while ‘Margery Fish’ its mature leaves, especially in the evening. and ‘Blue Ensign’, touted in Oregon and I grow ‘Moonshine’ for its strong fo- the Northeast, fared poorly. ‘Glacier’, liage; flowers are small and insipid. Early ‘Little Star’, ‘Roy Davidson’, ‘Siss- spotted leaves turn quickly to heavy sil- inghurst White’, P. officinalis ‘White ver with mid-green splotched margins, Wings’, P. saccharata, and P. rubra striking when the sun hits. ‘Milky Way’ ‘Bowles Red’ received the highest ratings. forms a nicely-shaped upright mound. Mary Walters of Walters Gardens in Its lancelike basal leaves on long stems in- Michigan, is sold on ‘Diana Clare’, with ‘Cool‘Cool Cotton’Cotton’ termingle with good quantities of medi- long silver leaves and large violet-blue um blue flowers. Early flowers are flowers striped in purple. It has “tremen- purplish pink touched with blue. Leaves dous vigor” in her sandy loam and still are a handsome dark green with con- looks good in August, the true test for any trasting fine silver spots. garden perennial. Compact ‘Baby Blue’ has the best form of all when in bloom and the most flow- MOUNTAIN WEST I expected to hear ers, of pale salmon pink to pale Wedge- that pulmonarias were impossible in the wood blue. Its leaves are splatter-painted dry mountain West, so my biggest sur- in silver spots at the tips. The small leaves of ‘Crawshay Chance’ emerge a clear lime green, then become precisely spotted, as with a fine brush. Mature leaves are heart- shaped, with small round spots of metal- lic whitewash on leaf margins, and larger spots that merge at the midrib. In my opinion, ‘Raspberry Splash’ is unappeal- ing until its dark pink flowers have fin- ished blooming. Then it forms tall lusty clusters of very long, thin, spotted dark leaves, providing good contrast to brighter and more rounded varieties.

‘Milky‘Milky Way’Way’ SOUTHEAST Geri Laufer of the At- lanta Botanic Garden, reports that only P. longifolia types survive in the humid Southeast. Tony Avent of Plant Delights ‘Roy‘Roy DavidsonDavidson Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina, con- curs, adding that soils in his area are ei- prise came from Panayoti Kelaidis, di- ther tight clay that doesn’t drain well rector of outreach at the Denver Botanic enough or sandy ones that don’t hold Garden. Kelaidis doesn’t consider any enough moisture. He finds that pul- plant a “keeper” unless it has proved it- monarias do better at higher elevations self in the landscape for at least 10 years. with cooler nights. His keepers include species and older Avent’s recommendations include cultivars P. ‘Roy Davidson’, ‘Bertram An- ‘Majeste’, silver with a green edge; ‘Dark derson’, ‘Sissinghurst White’, P. rubra, Vader’; ‘Trevi Fountain’; ‘Silver Streamers’, and P. angustifolia, his favorite, with with wavy-edged silver lanceolate leaves piercing blue flowers. “It runs a bit, so I and violet-blue flowers; and ‘Raspberry can make a big mass of it.” His P. longi- Splash’. Noting wistfully that none of folia and P. saccharata have persisted for them are as vigorous in the South as they more than 30 years. would be in the Pacific Northwest, he says The key, says Kelaidis, is drip irriga- ‘Baby‘Baby BlueBlue “Zone 7b is the southernmost stop on the tion and a shaded site with humusy soil. highway of life for pulmonarias.” Denver gets most of its moisture in sum-

36 the American Gardener Resources “An Appraisal of Pulmonaria for the Garden” by Richard G. Hawke. Plant Evaluation Notes, Issue 17, 2001. Chicago Botanic Garden. (Order at www.chicagobotanic.org).

Herbaceous Perennial Plants by Al- lan M. Armitage. Stipes Publish- ing, Champaign, Illinois, 1997.

Pulmonarias and the Borage Family, by Masha Bennett. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 2003. Sources Pulmonarias combine well with many early bulbs and wildflowers. Here, ‘Sissinghurst White’ Bluestone Perennials, Madison, OH. grows with purple hyacinths and Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria). (800) 852-5243. www.blue stoneperennials.com. Catalog free. mer, which suits them; winters are not mollis heritage, such as P. mollis ‘Samo- overly wet and air is cool and dry at night bor’, a green-leafed form with pink flow- Busse Gardens Perennials, Big at high elevations. ers turning to violet, P. rubra ‘Barfield Lake, MN. (763) 263-3403. Garden writer Tom Peace, who gar- Pink’ with white-edged pink flowers, or P. www.bussegardens.com. dens in Denver and Texas, finds that rubra ‘Redstart’, a vigorous coral-red with Catalog $3; free online. coarse granitic soil, uncrowded conditions compact form and green leaves. None of and a northern exposure help. With a them will survive in constantly saturated Forestfarm, Williams, OR. (541) slope for drainage and good humusy soil, soil or if mulched too heavily. 846-7269. www.forestfarm.com. P. longifolia subsp. cevennensis, from lime- Catalog $5; free online. stone mountains in southern France, will CALIFORNIA In the San Francisco Bay survive—but not thrive—in the alkaline area, garden designer Rosalind Creasy Terra Nova Nurseries, for retail soil of Texas. finds that most pulmonarias do well on sources for its pulmonarias, visit drip irrigation once a week until high www.terranovanurseries.com. PACIFIC NORTHWEST The Pacific summer, when they go dormant until the Northwest’s long spring creates pul- sun is lower in the sky. She uses them in The Variegated Foliage Nursery, monaria heaven, until summer drought large containers in the shade. The Yam- Eastford, CT. (860) 974-3951. sets in. Heims favors ‘Trevi Fountain’, a agami Nursery in Cupertino, California, www.variegatedfoliage.com. hybrid of P. longifolia, for its vigor, large recommends P. angustifolia ‘Azurea’, P. Catalog $3.50; free online. deep blue flowers, and excellent form, for- longifolia ‘Bertram Anderson’, P. ‘Margery giving its tendency to get some mildew; Fish’, ‘Excalibur’, and ‘Roy Davidson’, but ‘Northern Lights’, which is entirely silver notes that with warm days and cool ongoing evaluation will be required to with one of the showiest, long-lasting dis- nights, mildew can be a problem. identify the best cultivars. plays of flowers, in wine tones to blue ‘Mrs. Moon’ is still with me, and I’ve (also ranking as one of the toughest and ONGOING EVALUATION come to appreciate her old-fashioned best in winter); ‘Dark Vader’, for vigor In a study published in the February charm even as the dazzling new introduc- and form, dark green leaves with silver 2004 issue of the journal HortScience tions turn my head. Some of the new ones spotting, and pink to dark blue flowers; (Vol. 39, No. 1), Temple University re- may revert a bit, or self-sow too enthusi- and ‘Baby Blue’ which forms a neat searcher Kimberly H. Krahl reported the astically. But many will doubtless become mound that stands out among the results of screening for powdery mildew classics, for they are superior garden plants sprawlers and has sky-blue flowers. resistance on some 25 selections. The top offering three seasons of interest.  Heims describes brilliantly silver-spot- five performers, respectively, were P. ted ‘Polar Splash’ as his most drought- and longifolia subsp. cevennensis, P. rubra Karen Bussolini is co-author, with Jo Ann sun-resistant pulmonaria, thriving in full ‘David Ward’ and ‘Redstart’, P. ‘Excal- Gardner, of Elegant Silvers: Striking Plants blazing sun in his area. For clay soils, he ibur’, and P. ‘Spilled Milk’. Given the for Every Garden, published by Timber recommends those with P. rubra and P. popularity of pulmonarias, it’s likely that Press this year.

March / April 2005 37 38 Roofs Green and beautification. ment, thecreation ofwildlife habitat, andairpollution, noiseabate- runoff mitigation toreduction ofstormwater in urbanareas, rangingfrom temperature begun totakeroot inthelastdecade. the North Americanmovement hasonly green roof technologysincethe1960s,but have been implementinganddeveloping dustry. More recently, Europeans northern motes theNorth Americangreen roof in- Cities, anonprofit organizationthatpro- Toronto-based Green Roofs forHealthy Babylon,” saysStephen Peck, director of don’t forget thehanginggardens ofancient wealth, the Vikings hadsodhouses,and ing classeshadgreen roofs asasignof isn’t new. “In theRoman Empire, therul- plantlife.Thisconcept um thatsupports with drainagelayers andagrowing medi- water-impermeable membranestopped found widespread acceptanceinEurope. bracing green roofs, atrend thathasalready nicipalities across North Americaare em- chitects, developers, researchers, andmu- refuge. Sciencefiction?Not anymore. Ar- and pollinatinginsectscanfindfood by windswept gardens where passingbirds I BY JESSIEKEITH rooftop plantings. America areembracing urban plannersinNorth Designers, architects,and Green roofs offernumerous benefits Green roofs are linedwith roof surfaces green. Every rooftop you seeiscovered craft window toacity below andseeing MAGINE LOOKINGOUT the American Gardener an air- College, says his inspiration to start the College, sayshis inspirationtostart Pennsylvania State University inState Center forGreen Roof Research atthe David Beattie, foundingdirector ofthe A GROWINGINDUSTRY The world’slargestgreenroofattheFordplantinDearbornhasbecomeawildlifehabitat. Above: ThegreenroofonChicago’sCityHallisnotonlybeautifulbutsavesenergy.Below: dustry hasgrowndustry rapidlyintheUnited ed theCenter in theearly1990s,in- replace lostgreen space.”Since hefound- many, where developers are expectedto program “came from timespentinGer-

TOP: KAREN BUSSOLINI; BOTTOM: "© FORD PHOTOGRAPHIC, COURTESY OF WILLIAM MCDONOUGH + PARTNERS Above left: Designed by Oehme, Van Sweden Associates, this semi-intensive green roof at the Pepco Building in Washington, D.C., features ornamental grasses, forbs, and sedums. Above, right: Biodegradeable mesh helps sedums take root in an extensive green roof garden.

States, says Beattie, “with research and Wherever green space is scarce, green roofs Bare asphalt- and fiberglass-covered educational programs at universities are gaining popularity. “Green roofing is rooftops can reach temperatures of 180 de- across the country and large-scale focal best suited to high-density, ultra-urban grees Fahrenheit, whereas heat-deflecting projects appearing in many major cities.” areas where people are culturally accus- green roofs remain around 78 degrees. One of the first major American pro- tomed to using rooftops and place a pre- UHI results in the kind of air-condition- jects to draw attention to the possibilities mium on green space,” says Dawn ing usage that can trigger massive power- of green roofs was at Chicago’s City Hall, Gifford, director of DC Greenworks, a outages. “Cities nationwide overheat due which was topped with 33,000 square feet Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit orga- to loss of green space,” says Beattie. of plantings in 2001. Other cities and de- nization dedicated to safeguarding the “Green roofs abate this problem.” signers have since taken up the challenge: city’s urban ecosystem. Green roofs have also been shown to the Solaire Building in New York City’s have insulating properties in winter and Battery Park has a 5,000-square-foot green ENERGY BENEFITS can reduce a building’s heating require- terrace; the Gap Headquarters in San In cities, green roofs mitigate the urban ments. According to an estimate by We- Bruno, California, has 195,000 square feet heat island (UHI) effect, which is caused ston Design Consultants of Chicago, of undulating green roof; and the green by radiant heat from buildings and pave- Chicago’s overall energy needs would be roof on the Ford Assembly Plant in Dear- ment being trapped in the environment. reduced by 720 megawatts a year—a sav- born, Michigan, is—at 454,000 square feet—the world’s largest. There are two types of green roofs, designated in green roof vernacular as “ex- tensive” and “intensive.” The former are low-maintenance green spaces with shal- lower growing medium (two to six inches in depth), planted with hardy, drought- tolerant succulents such as sedums, de- lospermas, and ice plants, and, sometimes, re-seeding drought-tolerant annuals. By contrast, “intensive” roofs have deeper growing medium (one to four feet in depth) and may be planted with a wide array of herbaceous plants, shrubs, vines, and even small-sized trees. Intensive roofs can include everything from parklike plantings to flower borders, vegetable gar- dens and wildflower meadows. In between are the “semi-intensive” roofs, which in- corporate elements of both. No matter the type, “green roofs are smart,” says Peck. “This single technolo- Ground covers, a slate patio, and a pergola of black locust trunks adorn this intensive green roof

TOP: JESSIE KEITH (2); BOTTOM: COURTESY OF DC GREENWORKS gy can give so much to people in cities.” designed and installed by DC Greenworks at a private residence in Takoma Park, Maryland.

March / April 2005 39 40 Developers andarchitects lackincentives aren’t prepared forgreen roof technology. cording toadvocates, mostAmericancities they aren’t more widespread because,ac- Despite all the benefitsgreen roofs offer, CONSIDER TO CHALLENGES dramatically.runoff to 75percent oftherainfall,thusreducing green roofs, ontheotherhand,absorbup carried intorivers, lakes,andgroundwater. ing upoilandotherpollutantsthatare then off ontostreets and intostormsewers,pick- cities. On standard rooftops, rainwaterruns a majorsource ofpollutionandfloodingin green roofs alsoreduce stormwaterrunoff, roofs were green. ings ofabout$100million—ifallits roofs. “Wetesteachplantforfunctionalitybeforepromotingthemgreenroofuse,”saysSnodgrass,notingthatdrought, roofplants.com, Name Height/Width Ed Snodgrass,ownerofEmoryKnollFarmsandfounderGreenRoofPlantsinStreet,Maryland,(410)452-5880; PLANTS FORGREENROOFS Sedum Sedum Delosperma congestum Talinum calycinum Sedum telephium Sedum spurium Allium senescens Sedum sexangulare Sedum album Sedum rupestre The plantsandgrowing medium on In additiontoproviding energysavings, Green roofplanttrialbedsatEmoryKnollFarms Green roofplanttrialbedsatEmoryKnollFarms (syn. ‘Gold Nugget’ the American Gardener S. reflexum) GenSrc’42 yellow/bright green 4/24 ‘Green Spruce’ lydium CrlCre’42 ht/re ih akcrlwne oig 6–9,9–6 darkcoralwinterfoliage white/greenwith 4/24 ‘Coral Carpet’ has formorethanadecadebeenworkingtoexpandtherepertoireofdrought-tolerantsucculentsgreen Jh reh /4pink/green 2/24 ‘John Creech’ Mtoa 41 pink/purple-gray 24/12 ‘Matrona’ –/ yellow/green 1–2/8 –01 aet/bih re midwestU.S.native magenta/bright green 6–10/12 pink/gray-green 3–15/2–4 (inches) /6ylo/e-ipdbih re fastspreading yellow/red-tippedbrightgreen 3/36 / ht/e-ipdbih re hd n osuelvn 5–8,8–5 shadeandmoistureloving white/red-tippedbrightgreen 2/8 /4yellow/gray-green 4/24 roof, itisvitaltohave theloading capacity sideration. “Before installinganygreen integrity isacriticaldesigncon- structural compared withconventional roofing, than 100buildingsinthatcity. the installationofgreen roofs onmore lation andtechnology, whichhasledto ofgreenDaley for his support roof legis- applauds ChicagoMayor Richard M. New York Cityare necktoneck.”Gifford gon isnext,thenWashington, D.C.,and way rightnow withpolicychange.Ore- America, ChicagoandToronto leadthe possible,” emphasizes Peck. making widespread urbangreen roofing code restrictions. “Policy changeiskeyto through aseaofred tapeandbuilding- for theirinstallationandare lefttowade Because green roofs are relatively heavy According toGifford, “In North Flower/Foliage coral overtones hot, sunnygardensites. recommends forgreenroofs.Mostwouldalsobesuitablegroundcovers and talinums,amongothers. ries morethan100selectionsofsedums,iceplants the countrysolelydedicatedtoproductionofplantsforgreenroofs,car- be usefultoo.”Currently,GreenRoofPlants,whichistheonlynurseryin spread quickly,butthereareseveralothersucculentsthathaveshownto sive greenroofsbecausetheyarerobust,diverse,andhaveatendencyto beauty andvigorousgrowth. wind, andcoldtolerancearethemostimportantattributes,aswell The chartbelowlists10hardy,evergreensucculentsthatSnodgrass According toSnodgrass,“Sedumsaremostcommonlyusedforexten- C olor ih-onighbt4–8,8–4 tight-mounding habit prldsrpielae 4–10,10–1 spiraled straplikeleaves lesrclk oig 6–9,9–6 blue sprucelikefoliage small densefoliage -nhfoe lsesi al4–9,9–1 3-inch flowerclustersinfall re pueieflae6–9,9–6 green sprucelikefoliage Other Interest anced somewhat byanced somewhat thegreater durability foot forlarge-scale projects. Thisisbal- green roofs rangefrom $8to$30asquare while inthecommercial market extensive shingled roof costsabout$2asquare foot, roof movement. Astandard asphaltor slowing thepaceofevolution ofthegreen added weight ofsnow loads. er regions the mustalso beabletosupport He alsonotesthatgreen roofs builtincold- Beattie, “while residential homes do not.” agreening capacitytosupport roof,” says buildings automaticallyhave ampleload- square foot.“Most cityorcommercial weigh between 80and150poundsper square footwhen wet; intensive types weigh anaverage of18to25poundsper tect,” saysPeck. Extensive green roofs of your roof assessedby archi- acertified Affordability hasbeen another factor (Delosperma USDA Hardiness, AHS HeatZones www.green- 4–9, 9–1 5–9, 9–5 5–8, 8–4 —J.K. spp.),

JESSIE KEITH Resources The Center for Green Roof Research, hortweb.cas.psu.edu/research/green roofcenter/index.html.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, Toron- to, Canada. www.greenroofs.org. ■ The organization’s third annual Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference will be held in Washington, D.C., on May 5 and 6, 2005. Visit its Web site for details.

Greenroofs, www.greenroofs.com. Above: A wildflower meadow designed by ■ Publishes The Greenroof Directory Marie-Anne Boivin of Soprema blooms on the of Manufacturers, Suppliers, Profes- roof of this residential building on Howe Island sional Services, Organizations, & in Ontario, Canada. This award-winning green Green Resources. roof was installed using the Sopranature roofing system created by Soprema of Canada. The Northwest Eco-Building Guild, Right: Boivin also designed the green roof for www.ecobuilding.org. this parking garage in Québec. Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls of green roofs, which will last from 35 to by Nigel Dunnett and Noel Kings- 100 years, compared with 15 to 30 years for bury. Timber Press, Portland, Ore- conventional roofs. began experimenting with residential gon, 2004. Prefabricated systems are already help- green roofs and focusing on “driving the ing to make green roofs more affordable. A cost down and quality up.” Through their number of companies have developed pro- efforts the average price for a residential 2004 residential award of excellence at prietary green roofing materials for both extensive green roof has dropped from $25 last year’s Green Roofs for Healthy commercial and residential use. Soprema per square foot to $10. Cities conference. of Canada supplies a complete green roof There is still disagreement about the vi- system called Sopranature, and modular ability of green roofs for general residential FUTURE PROSPECTS grid systems like Weston Solutions, Inc. applications. Beattie believes most old “We are just beginning to understand and ABC Supply Company’s (Chicago, homes are incapable of supporting green the dynamics of green roofing in North Illinois) Green Grid™ system and Green- roofs without structural modifications, but America,” says Beattie. “I’d like to see Tech’s (Roswell, Georgia) modular green he suggests they can be easily installed on more acceptance of the technology by roof units are also readily available. But, ac- the roofs of outbuildings such as sheds, both federal and local agencies.” With cording to Beattie, these commercial sys- barns, and garages. Carey, however, is con- “more widespread and better certifica- tems have not yet been independently fident that green roofs are an option for tion training for architects and builders, evaluated for performance. everyone and is willing to tackle “any roof, and lower costs for clients,” adds Peck, anywhere! We go where the timid com- green roofs will be well designed and AFFORDABLE GREEN HOMES mercial people won’t.” properly installed. The emergence of proven prefabricated Some of the most beautiful extensive “Success breeds success,” says Barbara green roofing materials will help drive green roofs have been installed at private Deutsch, senior director of programs and down costs and, eventually, put green roofs residences. Marie-Anne Boivin, an research for the Casey Trees Endowment, within the average homeowner’s reach. agronomist and designer with Soprema, a nonprofit group in Washington, D.C. “Most roofs are residential,” says Patrick has created many residential green roofs “We need to show the country our green Carey, a pioneer of residential green roofs with an emphasis on color and aesthet- roof success stories. The more successful and founder of Hadj, an architectural de- ic appeal. She and Shim-Sutcliffe Ar- installations we implement, the more ac- sign-build firm based in Seattle, Washing- chitects of Toronto teamed up to install cepted this technology will become.”  ton, “so it is vital to make roof greening a a 1,700-square-foot roof planted with possibility for the individual homeowner.” sedums and a colorful wildflower mead- Jessie Keith is a horticulturist, plant biologist, In 1999, Carey and several colleagues ow on a residence in the Thousand Is- and free-lance writer. She resides in Wilm-

COURTESY OF SOPREMA (3) from the Northwest Eco-Building Guild lands, Ontario. This project won the ington, Delaware.

March / April 2005 41 42 ly want,andto findawaytoachieve it.Thefoundation for familiarandthetrendy,comfortably to explore whatyou real- to eachotherandthegarden. Thesecret istobreak free ofthe —without havinganoverallcarte planofhow theywillrelate slip intocollectingobjectsand accessories—designing or style—ratherthantheprocess ofactually designingthem. Such guidanceoftenemphasizes how gardens look—theirform ponents, plants,andaccessoriesessentialtoeachgarden type. tunately, theequivalent ofdesignby numbers,listingthecom- urns, trellises, chairs, andornaments.Many oftheseare, unfor- Books andcatalogsalsoshowcase anendlessparadeofstonewalls, den,” a“Tropical Garden,” anddozens ofothergarden genres. Cottage Garden,” a“Native Woodland Garden,” an“Herb Gar- find countlessbooksandmagazinesonhow tomakean“English adhering totheirown program statements. gardeners focusingontrends tostart insteadofdeveloping and follow fashion,creative designsuffers.It becomesalltooeasyfor should beandwhattheylooklike.Once formbeginsto expectationsofwhatgardensAll theseforces generatecertain see inbooks,magazines,televisionshows, catalogs,andstores. gardens ismainlyderived from whatwe seen andknow. Our familiaritywith withwhattheyalreadyfortable have or candy (nomatterwhat Gardens are, afterall,theepitomeofeye of gardens inprimarilyvisualterms. understandable sincemostpeoplethink (Italian, modern,English, etc.).Thisis decks, etc.)oradistinctgarden style den components(gazebos, patios, urge tobeginby selectingspecificgar- snare would-begarden designersisthe impedes thecreative process. tic approach totheoverall garden. This focus onminutiaeinsteadofaholis- Plants, we found,leadgardeners to avoid theseductive siren callofplants. In thelastissue,we discussedhow to T Form ShouldNotFollowFashion This is the eighth article ofanongoingseriesongardenThis istheeightharticle design. Gardening byDesign Cosmo This limitscreative easyto explorationandmakesitvery Indeed, theshelves ifyou ofyour peruse localbookstore you’ll People alsotendtofeelmostcom- A secondtemptationwaitingtoen- the American Gardener ginning thedesignofagarden. turnwhenyou areevery be- EMPTATION LURKS want you tobelieve). GQ, Vanity Fair, at BY TRESFROMME a la the November/December 2004issue. statement—the guidingvisionforthegarden we discussedin creating avibrantgarden shouldberooted intheprogram Finally, you may admitthatyou really have nodesire toprune knolls wouldbe alittleexpensive andperhapsoverly dramatic. thy ofamedieval hillfortress couldnotcorrect. But leveling the The topographyisnothingabulldozer and retaining walls wor- place. Besides, thetrees’ foliagelookssplendidintheautumn. land isprobably thereason you inthefirst boughttheproperty stands? You couldcutdown thetrees tolet inlight,butthewood- imal sunnyspotsandnolevel areas except where thehouse planting, andtheproper urnasafocalpoint. er” herbgarden, appearsfairlyeasytoachieve withalittlework, fresh ingredients foryour kitchen.Theend product, a“prop- or gravel paths, standard trees, formfruit andanabundanceof replete withboxwood edging,knottedpatternsofherbs,brick local botanicalgarden. You envisionitasyour private retreat, garden” you have repeatedly seeninglossymagazinesand ata Let meofferagarden example. Perhaps you crave that“herb REMEDY AN HERBAL But whatifyou happentolive onahillywoodedlotwithmin-

TOM CLIFTON UNDERSTANDING STYLE: IT’S MORE THAN A LOOK As a designer, I am often asked what my “style” is. My answer is: I do not have one. I approach each garden design project with an open mind and try to minimize preconceived notions of what the final form will resemble. I never set out to design a specific type of garden. I seek to discern what is unique in the collective needs, desires, functions, and vision for each project. In doing so, I remain flexible and receptive to ideas. The results are often a bit unexpected, but almost always very pleasing. To pass this philosophy on to my design students, I urge them to visit gardens and to ignore the obvious elements—the specific plants, ornaments, paving materials, decorative schemes, and stylistic flourishes—at least initially. I ask them to an- alyze what effects the garden has on them and by what means the garden achieves those effects. By abstracting from the gar- den its underlying design structures, they pick up ideas that can be applied in many different design situations and clothed in many different visual trappings in their own gardens. In short, I admonish them not to replicate a garden’s visible surface components and groupings of objects. Rather, I ex- hort them to recreate the experience of being in a wonderful garden by analyzing and documenting the unfolding of spaces, the play of light and shade, the effects of scent, the interplay of enclosure and openness, the choreography of landforms, and endless other vital lessons. Indeed, using such an approach, a gardener is able to glean ideas anywhere—from Versailles to an urban postage-stamp garden. —T.F.

and pinch endlessly. Well, that picture-perfect herb garden is grant winter flowers; skimmias (Skimmia spp.), which have win- looking a bit like an impossibility. But you can have a garden that ter berries; and Japanese holly (Ilex crenata ‘Helleri’), which has fits you and your site! fine-textured foliage and responds well to shaping. Evergreen perennials such as hellebores and lily of China (Rohdea japonica) LET’S GET REAL could be in the mix, as well as grasslike ground covers such as Instead of getting caught up in visual and stylistic clichés, begin Acorus gramineus ‘Variegatus’ and various sedges (Carex spp.). thinking about what you really want. What truly turns you on The view from your sitting room looks out onto gentle, in a “traditional” herb garden design? upward sloping land. The slope is Could it be the strong sense of in- now an asset since its tilted angle ward-looking enclosure, an intimate will allow you a better view of any- spot to spend time in reflection? If thing planted on it than a flat area you are a manic socialite whose idea would. Slopes, in particular, show- of being alone is sitting in Grand case the nodding flowers of helle- Central Station, this is probably not bores to great advantage. The slope the best basis for your garden. Or, is is also spacious so plantings may be it something as simple as a desire to large-scaled, bold, and compelling. grow your own food? If so, you might Alternately, maybe an ornately be better served with a small, infor- patterned brick patio is all you need mal kitchen garden, or even herbs to reproduce the eye-catching pat- planted in pots on a patio. If, on the terns you crave, letting you dispense other hand, your culinary aspirations with horticultural maintenance alto- lean towards food contained within gether. The existing tree canopy will microwaveable packaging, your herb cast ever-changing shadow lines on garden loses a significant raison d’être. This highly formal garden is clearly unattainable for most the screen of the pavement, adding to A stereotypical herb garden, in short, gardeners, but, if this is the kind of garden you like, you the garden’s overall compositional may not be very reflective of your can translate elements of its design to a real-life setting. value. The woodland now becomes lifestyle. an intrinsic part of the design. Here’s where going back to the ideas and goals in your pro- These two possible “herbless” herb gardens throw away the gram statement will once again keep you on track. Continue rules to create new types of spaces. You have focused on the essence thinking about what you really want. Maybe the beauty of a of what you want your garden to be. These gardens fit your per- well-ordered space full of graphic patterns—think French sonal goals and can be achieved on your property. Most impor- curves in heated embraces or leafy Gordian entanglements—is tantly, they are your visions and not someone else’s dream of what what draws you to an herb garden. Instead of sun-loving herbs, your garden could or should be. The garden follows your program. consider creating your garden with a selection of evergreen In the next issue, we will take a fresh look at that stock item perennials, ground covers, and shrubs amenable to shade—and in garden design, the perennial border.  which will remain compact with little or no pruning. Among these are small shrubs such as Himalayan box (Sar- Tres Fromme is a landscape designer at Longwood Gardens in

TRES FROMME coccoca hookeriana var. humilis), which offers the bonus of fra- Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

March / April 2005 43 44 plants and other issues the organization views asprioritiesthisyear.plants andotherissuestheorganizationviews Gardenthe Victory duringWorld program started War II,Highway Beautification, andAmericaIn Bloom. motes gardening aswell aslegislationtoprotect theenvironment andourcountry’s green spaces. sociation, locatedinWashington, D.C.,represents America’s businessesandpro- leadinghorticultural O N NOEWITH ONE ON ONE vices, andstate associationsare thebest universities, cooperative Extension ser- al nature oftheissuesuggeststhat ternatives toinvasives, thelocal/region- solution. Asfarasplantchoices andal- right plantfortheplace isthebest spreading urban environments. maintaining green spacesinourrapidly those parking lotplantingsare to crucial adayinparking lotisland.Yet,survive appropriate forthehomegarden maynot mates andusesofplants.Aplantthatis must takeintoaccountthevaried cli- duction ofanotherkudzu,decisions plant invasiveness assessmentmodels. that mayberegional invasives, and on non-invasive plants selections ofimportant are currently fundingresearch onbreeding questions regarding invasive species.We ue tofundresearch toanswer someofthe tute endowment, we have andwillcontin- by ourown Horticultural Research Insti- Nursery Research Initiative andfunding with theUSDA–ARSFloricultural and mation. Boththrough ourinvolvement of reputable scientificresearch andinfor- about invasive species bemadeonthebasis spectives. It thatdecisions isimportant logical andplantgrowing/marketing per- seriously,species issuevery from botheco- Peter Orum: plant issue. date onANLA’s work ontheinvasive Lynda DeWitt: Z If Our fundamentalpositionisthatthe While we needtoprevent theintro- Garden writerLynda DeWitt recently aboutANLA’s spokewithOrum initiatives relating toinvasive the American Gardener you haven’t heard oftheorganization,perhapsyou’re familiarwithsomeoftheirprojects—among these, currently President oftheAmericanNurseryThistradeas- andLandscapeAssociation(ANLA). WNER OF ANLA takestheinvasiveANLA Please bringusupto Midwest Groundcovers, thelargestground cover producer inIllinois, Peter is Orum … Peter OrumshowsoffCotoneaster titude Likewise, pleasedescribeyour Habitat- plant recommendations. sources fordeveloping locally-based sumer outreach involving the partnership The Habitattitude Peter Orum ™ program forwatergardeners. ™ program isacon- ‘Nordic Carpet’ solve environmental problems. education, rather thanmore regulation, to chance forwatergardening retailers touse ural environment. Theprogram isa vasive petsandaquaticplantsintothenat- avoid unwantedreleases ofpotentiallyin- industries.Thegoalisto pet andnursery ® , anewintroductionfromDenmark. by Lynda DeWitt

COURTESY OF AMERICAN NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION For more specifics on the program, tries. We want to keep these farms and you can visit www.habitattitude.net. For More Information these jobs in America! American Nursery & Landscape Associ- The USDA has been working on a re- ation, 1000 Vermont Ave., NW, Suite As owner of Midwest Groundcovers, vised edition of the Plant Hardiness 300, Washington, DC 20005-4914. you’re involved in evaluating many new Map, which is expected to be released (202) 789-2900. www.anla.org. plant varieties each year. Can you de- later this year. From what we’ve heard, scribe a few of the new cultivars that gar- this map will have four additional deners can look forward to this spring? zones (15, up from 11). It will continue produce and market their plant material At Midwest Groundcovers, we have been to be based on the average annual daily based upon the map, so it is critical that very excited about the performance of minimum temperature, but it will in- it be accurate. Flower Carpet Roses in the past few corporate additional factors that affect years. These ground cover roses are now temperature, such as elevation, prox- What other issues do you plan to tack- available in six colors and display excel- imity to large bodies of water, urban le during your year as president of lent disease resistance and an exception- heat islands, and mountain slope ef- ANLA? al bloom period. fects. What is ANLA’s position on the A top priority for us is for Congress to Cotoneaster ‘Nordic Carpet’® is a new proposed new map? pass—and for President Bush to sign— introduction from Denmark by Midwest ANLA is supportive of USDA in its ef- meaningful immigration reform legisla- Groundcovers and Twixwood Nursery. fort to develop a new hardiness map that tion. ANLA and like-minded allies are ‘Nordic Carpet’® is a low-growing, ever- is more accurate and reflects microcli- fighting together for the future of Amer- green cotoneaster. It features white flow- mates that affect plant growth. We have ican agriculture. We believe the labor and ers in the spring over deep green leaves on a staff member who represents the grow- immigration bill, S.1645 and H.R.3142 or red stems. It holds winter interest with er community on the Technical Adviso- AgJOBS as we call it, is absolutely essen- leaves that turn bronze-green and bright ry Committee with USDA. It is tial to that future. If we do not have a de- red berries.  important to us that the map is based on pendable workforce now and in the the best, climatologically correct data set. future, American specialty agriculture as Free-lance writer Lynda DeWitt lives in Consumers select plants and growers we know it will disappear to other coun- Bethesda, Maryland.

herry Lake Tree CFarm is pleased to announce its corporate partnership with the American Horticultural Society and is committed to helping fulfill the AHS mission by promoting the importance of large trees in the landscape.

March / April 2005 45 46 tract and support theregion’stract andsupport wildlife. then we’ll focusonthebestplantstoat- some generalgardening principles,and to begin.First, it’s agoodideatoreview may feelalittleoverwhelmed aboutwhere this region are almostunmatched,soyou tunities forcreating ahabitatgarden in summers. Oppor- winters andwarm,dry tains, anditischaracterized by mild,wet ies, theCascades,andKlamathMoun- eastern boundariesare Rock- thenorthern CaliforniatoAlaska.Itses from northern native floraandfauna.Theregion stretch- menziesii), trees suchasDouglas firs features. If you already have large native large trees, andotherprominent landscape and therelationships ofexistingbuildings, weather patterns,areas ofsunandshade, helps tomapyour toidentify property that plantsare compatiblewithplace.It The keytogardening successisensuring FORSUCCESS PLAN T AIA GARDENING HABITAT Paradise a the American Gardener that supports arichdiversity of that supports west boastsanearlyidealclimate HE MARITIME false cedars(Chamaecyparis Pacific Northwest Pacific North- (Pseudotsuga or Detractors ofnative landscapes often BEATTRACTIVE CAN NATIVE trying tocreate it inasingleseason. trying garden over aperiodofyears ratherthan tant reasons fordeveloping your habitat what you already have. There are impor- tures—I recommend thatyou work with unhealthy orcouldnegatively affectstruc- trees example,theyare andshrubs—for have substantial reasons forremoving large Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius), tives, such as English ivy(Hedera helix)and hopelessly overrun with invasive non-na- from scratch. Unless your plotoflandis outandstart tempted toripeverything non-native vegetation, andyou maybe lot thathasahodge-podgeofnative and for perennials andground covers. stolonifera) nifolia), (Amelanchierdendrons, serviceberries al- shade garden. Ahedgerow ofnative rhodo- come focalpointsforawildlife-friendly macrophyllum) Calocedrus More likely, however, you occupyacity or osierdogwoods(Cornus would makeagreat backdrop spp.), orbigleafmaples for on your land,theycanbe- Wildlife or you (Acer cherries inthisOregon garden. canopy overrhododendrons, maples,and Native oaks(Quercusgarryana) form a benefit from agarden thatcontainsvege- and thesoilfrom excess moisture loss. ditions—nor willtheyprotect eachother wildlife depredations, orotheradverse con- enough toshelterothersfrom weather, equally competitive. None willbelarge plantwillbeyoungfrom and scratch, every al appeal.If you clearyour land andstart larger andhealthierhave greater visu- In thisenvironment, theywilltend togrow ent-rich soilsandless-crowded conditions. however, native plantsbenefit from nutri- vasive rampant. specieshave run toregainstruggling territory, orwhere in- fected by humanactivitiesandplantsare where vegetation hasbeenextensively af- and soilnutrients.It’s inareas alsotrue peting vigorously forlimitedlight,water, wild landscapeswhere plantsare com- of control, andthatissometimestrue complain thattheylookmessyoroutof Also, wildcreatures andgardeners alike In amore controlled garden setting, BY JOANNEWOLFE

MICHAEL S. THOMPSON TOP: KEN MEYER; RIGHT: CAROLE OTTESEN covers. Ashallowbasinofwateronatreestumpprovideseasyaccessforsippingandbathing. A bigleafmaple(Acermacrophyllum) species grow quitelarge andmaynotbe greatest wildlifeattractors,but many insect-foraging birds. tect perennials from freezing, andattracts annual winterweeds, insulatessoiltopro- Their leaflitterisanaturaldeterrent of ornuts. habitatandediblefruits or larval animals. Deciduous trees provide nesting offer foodandshelterforbirds andother greens are visualfocalpoints;theyalso and wildlifeinterests cometogether:ever- year-round appeal. Here also,gardener uous natives thatwillgive your garden will receive from theroof. runoff quent wateringorplacementwhere they summers, andthesewillnotwelcome fre- mant) indroughty Pacific Northwest tions. Some native plantsestivate (godor- condi- for wet, mesic(midrange),ordry in groups according totheirpreferences points, beginby addingthem.Place plants If your lackslargevegetative property focal PLANTS NATIVE WILDLIFE-ATTRACTING al layering ofplantsisvisuallyappealing. transition zones aswell, becausethenatur- and prey. Humans are attractedtothose forbothpredatorstion points—important cause suchedgesofferprotected observa- meadow becomeshedgerow orforest, be- ter. They’re alsodrawntoedges,where because theyare sources offoodandshel- imals are drawntomature trees andshrubs tation invarious lifestages.In thewild,an- Native oaks,junipers,andpines are the Choose amixofevergreen anddecid- offers aperchforwildlifeaboveassortedshrubsandground Flowering currant’sfruitattractswildlife. (Ribes sanguineum). cinium ovatum), folium creeping Oregon grape er plantingJuniperus communis, fers foodforbothhumansandwildlife. nuta) compact filbert orhazelnut compact filbert confined tothebackofadeepborder. The isbest attractant, butitsmessyfruit-drop ash (Prunus emarginata crabapple as paperbirch (Betula papyrifera), sonia and thefive-foot-tall trees suchasshore pine dens, goodplantstoincludeare evergreen suitable forcitylots.For smallwildlifegar- Finally, layering perennials, try vines, For consid- wildlife-attractingshrubs, (Fraxinus latifolia) ‘Minima’, anddeciduoustrees such is anexcellent choicebecauseitof- and (Malus fusca), M. repens), and flowering currant var. Chamaecyparis law- is anotoriousbird- huckleberry huckleberry (Mahonia aqui- (Pinus contorta) and bittercherry mollis). (Corylus cor- (Corylus Oregon Oregon tall and (Vac- www.ahs.org). on theAHSWebthis article site, Pacific Northwest canbefoundlinkedto priate plantsforhabitatgardening inthe your garden. ofregionally (Achart appro- birds, hummingbirds, to andbutterflies (Lonicera ciliosa) um nudicaule, ing and ground covers suchaspearlyeverlast- habitat isthePacific CoastofOregon. habitat gardening movement. Her native American Gardener Joanne Wolfe isacontributingeditorfor tion andlinkstootherusefulsites. great siteforbasichabitatinforma- www.tardigrade.org/natives. gardening. place forPacificNorthwesthabitat www.rainyside.com. 2004. Publishing, Golden,Colorado, Guide Pacific NorthwestGardenSurvival Washington, 1999. ty ofWashingtonPress,Seattle, Northwest Landscaping forWildlifeinthePacific Seattle, Washington,2004. by AnnLovejoy.SasquatchBooks, The HandbookofNorthwestGardening Seattle, Washington,1993. berg. UniversityofWashingtonPress, cific Northwest Gardening withNativePlantsofthePa- Resources Catalog $3;freeonline. www.siskiyourareplantnursery.com. ford, OR.(541)772-6846. Siskiyou RarePlantNursery, Catalog $5(freeonline). 846-7269. Forestfarm, Sources Aahlsmraiae) Delphini- (Anaphalis margaritacea), by DebraPrinzing.Fulcrum by RussellLink.Universi- Williams, OR.(541) www.forestfarm.com. and trumpet honeysuckle and trumpet by ArthurR.Krucke- to attractahostofsong- March / April 2005 and akeyvoice inthe The “go-to” Another Med- The  47 Maurice Jonesinhisaward-winninggarden 48 awards from theLos Angeles Police De- less thantwo years, itbegan receiving dropped by more than25percent. Andin year, theneighborhood crimerate learn togarden. Afterthe “farm’s” first and where children cansafelyplayand treescitrus provide fresh forresidents, fruit families cangrow theirown food,where City Farm. Now thelotisaplacewhere the lotandnameditSouth Central fights, prostitution, andmuggings. sales,gang the lotwassiteofdrug Littered withthedetritusofurbanlife, lot ininnercityLosAngeles,California. his wife,Diane, tookonanabandoned Prize Winner isMaurice Jones, whowith through gardening.” The2004Grand dividuals “who are improving theworld ing andawarding Garden in- Crusaders, in Burlington, Vermont, beganrecogniz- tally responsible garden products based ny, amail-order supplierofenvironmen- In 2001,theGardener’s Supply Compa- FARM COMMUNITY INTO LOT VACANT TURNSL.A. CRUSADER GARDEN Horticultural NewsandResearch ImportanttoAmericanGardeners In years, Jones twoshort transformed the American Gardener Carrots aren’tjust orangeanymore! oids,” saysPhilipp Simon, director ofthe other thanvitaminAprecursor caroten- these compoundshadnutritionalvalue, we didnotknow atthattimewas account forthedifferences incolors.What in compounds,pigmentsparticular, to different nutrientcontents. ious pigmentsare associatedwith prising thanthesecolorsisthattheirvar- and even purple.Whatiseven more sur- colors—yellow, dark orange,brightred, sin are breeding carrots inarainbow of Researchers attheUniversity ofWiscon- NUTRIENTCONTENT SIGNAL PIGMENTS NEW CARROT gardeners.com. AwardCrusader winners,visit lar gardens oftheinnercity. inotherparts he willbefree towork hismagicatsimi- South CentralCityFarm. If thathappens, volunteers takeover themanagementof mayor. Eventually, Jones hopestohave theCityCouncil,and partment, mail [email protected]. the 2005award, call(888)239-1553ore- GARDENER “We there knew hadtobedifferences For acompletelistofthe2004Garden C To nominateagardener for ’ NOTEBOOK S www. Pennsylvania, alsosellsamixofcolors. (www.amishlandseeds.com) rareseeds.com. rots; call(417)924-8917orvisit carries red, purple,yellow, andwhitecar- Heirloom Seeds inMansfield, Missouri, a kickoutofeatingthem.Baker Creek grow your own—your kidsmayeven get store, butinthemeantime,you can cery ored carrots are available atyour localgro- compounds are informsthebodycanuse. against free radicals.What’s more, these powerful antioxidants thatprotect cells cer. Purple carrots containanthocyanins, thought toprevent diseaseandcan- heart lycopene, alsofound intomatoesand mote goodeye health.Red carrots contain carrots containedxanthophyllsthatpro- to adifferent mixofcompounds.Yellow found thateachcarrot pigmentwaslinked Tanumihardjo,nutritionist Sherry Simon lege ofAgriculturalandLifeSciences. University ofWisconsin–Madison’s Col- USDA’s vegetable breeding program atthe container plants orflowers. Grower opin- fectively usedtogrow a widevariety of canbe ef- pine bark withMSWC (Fluff) suggest thatreplacing aboutone-third of ticulture state,“Our studiesatthispoint Auburn University’s ofHor- Department Wright, Jeff L.Sibley, andWenliang Lu of Applied Nursery Research, AmyN. find itswayintoplantgrowing mixes. recycled intoFluff, amaterialthatmay garbagethatentersthemachineis sorted miracle. Ninety-five percent oftheun- What happensnext,however, isthereal at therateofroughly seven tonsperhour. garbage collectedfrom Warren County nessee. Eachweek, itshreds 160tonsof Away inMcMinnville, Services Ten- likethebigmachine atWast-country There’s nothinganywhere elseinthe FROMRECYCLED GARBAGE FLUFF It maybesometimebefore multi-col- Working withUniversity ofWisconsin In apaperwrittenfortheCenter Amishland Heirloom Seeds in Reamstown, www.

LEFT: COURTESY OF GARDENER’S SUPPLY; RIGHT: COURTESY OF ARS/USDA ions of Fluff were generally positive.” having a major impact on human life available online at www.abundantlife In addition to its horticultural appli- and the science of our globe,” says Jon seeds.com, offers only certified organic cations, Fluff can be compressed into a E. Levine, director of Northwestern’s grown seeds. host of other products. So far, Compos- biological sciences program. “By teach- ite Products of America, another division ing new scientists to apply reason and GREEN INCENTIVES of the Bouldin Corporation that owns science to these large and complex prob- In parts of the country where summer WastAway (www.wastaway.com), has lems, we are looking to the future.” temperatures sizzle and rainfall is season- turned Fluff into fencing materials, park Applications are being accepted for the al, water and power are increasingly pre- benches, decking, and landscape timbers. fall 2005 class. For more information, call cious commodities. That’s why some (847) 491-4031 or visit www.wcas.north cities are developing incentive programs NORTHWESTERN AND CHICAGO BOTANIC western.edu/biosci/graduate/. to encourage and reward citizens for eco- GARDEN COLLABORATE TO TRAIN BOTANISTS sensitive landscaping. In response to a critical shortage of ABUNDANT LIFE SEED CATALOG RISES FROM The Green LA Program, for cus- botanists and plant conservationists at a THE ASHES tomers of the Los Angeles Department of time when plant species around the world After a devastating fire in 2004 that de- Water and Power, provides workshops at are increasingly endangered, Northwest- stroyed its offices, the Abundant Life Seed locations throughout the city and online ern University and the Chicago Botanic Foundation decided to give up the seed (www.ladwp.com/trees). After learning Garden are collaborating to offer the na- catalog business and concentrate on its proper tree planting and maintenance, tion’s first Master of Science degree in Organic Seed Alliance and World Seed participants take a quiz. If they pass, they plant biology and conservation. This Fund. Fortunately, Tom and Julie Johns, receive up to seven free trees to provide unique interdisciplinary program is de- owners of Territorial Seed Company in cooling shade and control air pollution signed to equip the next generation of Cottage Grove, Oregon, have taken over around their homes. plant scientists to face the national and in- the unique catalog business. Residents of Albuquerque, New Mex- ternational threats to biodiversity and the Abundant Life Seeds has been “pro- ico, receive an $800 rebate for xeriscaping possibility of global mass extinctions. tecting the genetic diversity of rare or en- their home landscapes, a $25 rebate on “We are experiencing major environ- dangered food crops since 1975,” and now their water bill for buying a rain barrel for mental changes…and these shifts are will continue to do so. The first catalog, garden use, and substantial rebates for in-

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March / April 2005 49 stalling water-saving toilets and washing machines. Between the program’s incep- In Memoriam tion in 1994 and the end of 2003, the per person water usage dropped from 250 gal- New England nurseryman and garden designer Allen C. Haskell, 69, died on lons per capita per day to 193. December 7, 2004. Haskell was a frequent guest on Martha Stewart’s tele- Because traditional turfgrass lawns are vision show and always a popular exhibitor at New England flower shows. perhaps the biggest landscape water hogs, Among the numerous professional honors and awards Haskell received was many cities reward their inhabitants for de- the AHS Paul Ecke, Jr. Commercial Award in 1987. creasing turf areas or switching to native al- ternatives. In Louisville, Colorado, Past AHS president Russell Seibert, 90, died on November 28, 2004 in Sara- residents receive rebates for installing a buf- sota, Florida. Siebert began his horticultural career as the director of the Los falo grass lawn. In San Antonio, Texas, Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden and went on to become the where the city requires a minimum of one first director of Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. shade tree per lot, no more than 50 percent A long-time member of the AHS Board of Directors, Seibert served as of the landscape may be planted in turf— AHS president from 1963 to 1965 and received the AHS Liberty Hyde Bai- and that portion must be Bermuda, buffa- ley Award in 1975. lo, or zoysia grass. Since October 1991, when the City of Tempe in Arizona start- Founding member of the International Water Gardening Society, Perry D. ed its rebate program, an estimated Slocum, 91, died on November 29, 2004 in Winter Haven, Florida. A pro- 1,900,000 square feet of turf have been re- lific plant breeder, Slocum is perhaps best known for crossing the Ameri- moved and replaced with drought-tolerant can lotus (Nelumbo lutea) with N. ‘Rosea Plena’ to produce the most landscaping. popular and widely grown lotus in North America, N. ‘Mrs. Perry D. Slocum’, In addition to saving water and ener- introduced in 1964. gy, these programs have fostered a return He wrote numerous books on water gardening, including Water Lilies and to native vegetation that is aesthetically Lotuses, published posthumously in March 2005 by Timber Press.  pleasing, suited to the region, and sup- ports wildlife. 

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50 the American Gardener Join us now to take advantage of the many benefits of membership in the American Horticultural Society

As an AHS member, you get The American Gardener Our beautiful full-color bi-monthly magazine offers in- Heat Tolerance Map In 1997, AHS introduced the AHS depth articles written by plant and gardening experts and enthusiasts. Plant Heat Zone Map, which has revolutionized the way American gardeners select region-appropriate plants. Free Admission or special discounts to 170 public gardens and flower and garden shows across the United States and Canada. Book Program AHS and DK Publishing, Inc., have teamed up to create a definitive horticultural Free Seed Exchange Program AHS’s annual seed exchange program enables reference library for the 21st century. members to obtain hundreds of uncommon varieties of seeds. SMARTGARDEN™ Launched in 2000, this AHS program uses Travel Study Program AHS and the Leonard Haertter Travel Company offer existing tools, such as the USDA Plant Hardiness and AHS Plant Heat Zone codes, superb national and international garden-based, educational tours to beautiful and considers new criteria to develop guidelines that best reinforce our private and public gardens in the United States and abroad. stewardship of the earth.

Special invitations to educational programs such as the AHS Garden Schools and Horticultural Intern Program Horticulture students from around the country get AHS partner events that include the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival hand's-on experience in garden maintenance and design and an opportunity to and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Garden Symposium. work with leading gardening experts.

AHS Online Our Web site (www.ahs.org) contains a wealth of information, National Awards Program The Great American Gardeners Awards recognizes including articles from The American Gardener, members-only pages with special individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to information and updates, and links to other prominent gardening sites. horticulture. The Flower Show Awards spotlight earth-friendly garden displays at flower shows. Noteworthy garden books are the focus for our Book Awards program. Your membership also supports our many national programs Annual Membership Levels George Washington's River Farm The AHS's National Headquarters is located on a Annual membership in the American Horticultural Society, including six issues of The scenic 25-acre site overlooking the Potomac River. Formerly one of our First American Gardener magazine and all the benefits described on this page, is available President's farms, the property now features an artful blend of naturalistic and at the following levels: formal gardens that offer year-round delight to visitors of all ages. • $35 Individual • $1,000 President's Council National Children and Youth Garden Symposium Since 1993, this annual program • $50 Family • Corporate Membership (contact our office) has led the way in promoting the value of children's gardens and garden-based • $50 International • Horticultural Partner (contact our office) education.

The Growing Connection This innovative educational program teaches children about the science of growing food plants and their role in a healthy diet. Please join the AHS family.

Online Gardening Courses Enroll in state-of-the-art online garden classes through To become a member, call (703) 768-5700 AHS's partnership with the Horticultural Gardening Institute of Michigan State University. or visit us at www.ahs.org BOOKC REVIEWS

Recommendations for Your Gardening Library

The Essential Garden Design Workbook. gaging stories help to describe the emergence of the garden as Rosemary Alexander. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2004. 292 both an organic and a carefully planned process. pages. Publisher’s price, softcover: $34.95. On one hand, strong design is always a key consideration. The Haywards describe a visit from a respected gardener who looked The Intimate Garden: from the front door of the house to an old apple tree in the dis- Twenty Years and Four Seasons in Our Garden. tance and said, “That’s an important line.” That single statement Gordon Hayward and Mary Hayward. W. W. Norton & Company, New helped the couple find the starting point for their plan. But quite York, New York, 2005. 224 pages. Publisher’s price, softcover: apart from design considerations, they also share a familiar joy in $39.95. acquiring and planting new plants. They describe a trip to a nurs- ery, after which they “planted our new treasures in a white heat, MOST GARDENERS I know are simply incapable of thinking paying some attention to a rough plan we had devised and a lot in abstractions. For example, when I walk through my garden, of attention to how the plants looked as we placed them.” I’m focused on the hydrangea that Both books make excellent companions for anyone under- needs pruning or the bedraggled taking a major design project. They also will make good read- rose that has burst into bloom un- ing for anyone who would like to understand how to apply expectedly. Just like forests and design concepts to create a cohesive garden. —Amy Stewart trees, sometimes it’s hard to see the garden for the plants. Amy Stewart is the author of The Earth Moved: On the Re- In her new book, The Essential markable Achievements of Earthworms. Garden Design Workbook, noted British garden designer Rosemary No One Gardens Alone: A Life of Elizabeth Lawrence. Alexander promotes the notion Emily Herring Wilson. Beacon Press, Boston, Massachusetts, 2004. that a garden must be more than 334 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $26. a collection of plants that one feels passionate about. It must IN THIS well-written and carefully researched biography of a also be balanced and composed, like a great painting. To achieve giant in gardening literature, Emily Herring Wilson writes, this, Alexander introduces readers to pivots and focal points, “Elizabeth Lawrence had an implicit understanding of how es- the role of the overhead plane, the importance of depth, and sential her life was to her work, the various qualities of water. and she wrote from her experi- If this all sounds pretty esoteric, it is. This is a comprehensive, ences at home and in the garden.” almost scholarly guide to the secrets of good garden design. It Lawrence’s gardening interests would be particularly helpful to a serious gardener who is getting were wide ranging, but her life was ready to develop a large garden or —outwardly, at least—circum- improve an established garden. scribed and quiet. And anyone who is hiring a gar- Though she attended Barnard den designer or landscape archi- College as a young woman and tect could use this book to follow studied landscape architecture at along in the design process. what is now North Carolina State Gordon and Mary Hayward’s University, Lawrence never mar- new book, The Intimate Garden, ried, never held a job, and lived takes a different approach to gar- with her mother in Raleigh and then Charlotte, North Caroli- den design. Here the reader gets na. However, she corresponded voluminously with fellow gar- a personal story of the couple’s deners across the country—people who responded to her Vermont garden (Gordon is a garden articles in the Charlotte Observer and her books, such as well-known garden designer and A Southern Garden, The Little Bulbs, and Gardens in Winter. Mary honed her gardening skills in the English Cotswolds), and Rather than concentrate on the details of Lawrence’s rela- a more direct connection to plants as—well, plants. Detailed tively uneventful life, the author recreates the milieu that sus- plant descriptions, almost 200 full color photographs, and en- tained Lawrence and enriched her writing. The book helps us

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Setting the standard in gardening reference Available wherever books are sold • For more great ideas visit www.dk.com and sign up for our FREE newsletter ARDENING HAS the power to profoundly affect people’s G lives, as Debra Landwehr Engle demonstrates in Grace From the Garden: Changing the World One Garden at a Time (Ro- dale Press, 2003, 240 pages, hardcover, $19.95). The book ex- plores gardens that teach, nourish, unite, inspire, and heal people from all walks of life. As Engle explains, many of them started with “a sim- ple idea, something anyone could do, and it grew into a project that altered people’s lives.” Heart- warming and inspiring, this collec- tion of stories will introduce you to ordinary gardeners who literally plant seeds of hope in Amer- ica and around the globe.

EST GARDENERS ever take themselves too seriously, L Garden Lunacy: A Growing Concern (AAB Book Publishing, LLC, 2004, hardcover, $26.95) by Art Wolk will set them straight! Through personal anecdotes and offbeat observations, Wolk—a multi-talented garden writer and lecturer—takes a light-hearted look at the sometimes-wacky world of gardening. He delves into the differences between gardeners and non-gardeners, the competitive- ness of flower shows, dealing with garden pests, and more. “I proba- bly have more horticultural foibles and addictions than any gardener you’ve ever met,” writes Wolk. “If you identify with any of my eccentricities, I hope you’ll be able to laugh along with me.” —Viveka Neveln, Assistant Editor

understand not only Elizabeth Lawrence, but a way of life. We learn of the Raleigh society in which she grew up; we meet gar- deners and friends, famous and obscure, who formed the fab- ric of her life. The book explores her friendship with fellow 2005 “Gardener’s” Calendar writers Eudora Welty and Katherine White as well as with other $6.95 ($59.00 for 10) Postpaid avid gardeners across the nation. 2004 Computer Screen Saver If you are looking for an in-depth exploration of Lawrence’s gardens, this is not the book for you, though the author is clear- $10.00 Postpaid ly a knowledgeable gardener. However, if you would like to know 13 prize color photos in both items more about the society that produced Elizabeth Lawrence, I heartily recommend this book. It brings to life a world that seems The Gardeners of America to have disappeared, one where women’s lives were bound by family and social convention, but one in which it was still possi- Men’s Garden Club of America ble to live a rich life, nourished by a passion for gardening and Box 241 the love of friends.  Johnston, IA 50131-0241 —Norma Prendergast Phone: 515-278-0295 www.GardenersOfAmerica.org Norma Prendergast is an art historian who gardens in rural Brook- tondale, New York.

54 the American Gardener GARDENERC’S BOOKS

Container Gardening

OR SEVERAL YEARS, containers offered my only throughout the year. The book be- means of gardening when I lived in a city apartment, gins with a chapter called “Autumn,” Fwhich, thankfully, had a large balcony. However, because and progresses through the other sea- of the versatility of container gardening, I never felt limited. I sons, because, as Keeling writes, “my grew everything from giant sunflowers to winding wisteria and year starts, as every schoolchild even several good-sized century plants (Agave americana). knows, after the summer vacation.” Whether you’ve got a balcony or a large property, container gar- Each season brings new possibilities dening offers nearly limitless possibilities, as evidenced by the and challenges, and the author following selection of books available on the subject. guides his readers through each one. A craftsman who makes flowerpots In Gardens to Go: Creating and from clay as well as a gardener who Designing a Container Garden designs and plants his own creations, Keeling writes lyrically (Bulfinch Press, 2005, hardcover, yet informatively about both pottery and gardening. Dazzling $35), Sydney Eddison writes, “Con- photographs further add to this lovely book. tainer gardens can be of any size or P. Allen Smith’s Container Gardens: 60 Container Recipes shape; they can cover an entire to Accent Your Garden (Clarkson rooftop or be squeezed onto a tiny Potter, 2005, hardcover, $29.95) patio. Assembling them is fun and takes a cookbooklike approach. relatively quick, and anybody can do “Just as in cooking, the recipes are it.” Partnering with photographer there as a formula for success and Steve Silk, Eddison shares their ex- also as a framework to encourage periences and knowledge of con- you to add your own special twist,” tainer gardening from the plants to explains Smith. The “courses” in the pots, as well as that of six other prominent and passionate this cookbook are spring, summer, container gardeners. The book boasts 200 color photographs autumn, and winter, and each and includes helpful resources such as a list of basic plants for recipe lists “ingredients,” such as containers, recommended books for further reading, and the type of container to use and of sources for unusual annuals and tender perennials. course, the plants. Diagrams show Design elements such as color, texture, proportion, and shape how to arrange everything and color photographs show the fin- of both the plants and containers are important to consider, as ished containers. The book also includes sections on container Paul Williams emphasizes in Con- gardening how-to and maintenance, and a plant directory. tainer Gardening: Creative Com- For something along the lines of a more straightforward man- binations for Real Gardeners (DK ual, there’s Contain Yourself: 101 Publishing, 2004, hardcover, $25). Fresh Ideas for Fantastic Contain- In these pages you will find plenty er Gardens (Ball Publishing, 2003, of ideas and inspiration for your hardcover, $24.95) by Kerstin P. own creations. The book includes Ouellet. The book is divided into stunning portraits of containers three parts: The first briefly covers de- Williams himself has created and signing, planting, and caring for con- demonstrates the skillful use of the tainer gardens; the second part is design principles he covers. There is devoted to plant profiles; and the last also a section that explains the mer- part contains ideas for using the its of various container materials, followed by some basic how-to plants previously mentioned. The instructions and maintenance tips. Finally, Williams provides a arrangements Ouellet presents range plant directory filled with his personal favorites and easy-to-grow from the simple and sophisticated to plants, each one accompanied by a color photograph. the whimsical and wild. Color pho- Flowerpots: A Seasonal Guide to Planting, Designing, tographs, helpful diagrams, and a conversational tone make this and Displaying Pots (Trafalgar Square Publishing, 2004, hard- book both a pleasant read and an informative resource. cover, $29.95) by Jim Keeling looks at container gardening —Viveka Neveln, Assistant Editor

March / April 2005 55 REGIONALC HAPPENINGS

Horticultural Events from Around the Country

Bartram’s Garden. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NORTHEAST (215) 729-5281. www.bartramsgarden.org. CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT Events sponsored by or including official participation by AHS or AHS staff members RAP MAR. 18–20. Capital District Garden and are identified with the AHS symbol. MAY 14. Spring Garden Day. Rare and Flower Show. Hudson Valley Community unusual plant sale. Green Spring Gardens College. Troy, New York. (518) 786-1529. Park. Alexandria, Virginia. (703) 642-5173. www.gardenandflowershow.com. Events hosted by botanical gardens and www.greenspring.org. arboreta that participate in AHS’s Reciprocal RAP APR. 2. The Berry Patch Gardener. Admissions Program are identified with the SOUTHEAST Lecture. Berkshire Botanical Garden. Stock- RAP symbol. Current AHS members showing a AL, FL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN bridge, Massachusetts. (413) 298-3926. valid membership card are eligible for free or www.berkshirebotanical.org. discounted admission to the garden or other RAP MAR. 19 & 20. Daffodil Show. Atlanta benefits. Special events may not be included; Botanical Garden. Atlanta, Georgia. (404) APR. 12–17. New York International Orchid contact the host site for details or visit 876-5859. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org. Show. The Greater New York Orchid Society. ww.ahs.org/events/reciprocal_events.htm. New York, New York. (212) 332-6577. RAP MAR. 31–APR. 2. Early Bird Violet www.gnyos.org. Club Annual Show. Birmingham Botanical burg. Williamsburg, Virginia. (800) 603- Gardens. Birmingham, Alabama. APR. 15–17. Hofstra University Arboretum 0948. www.colonialwilliamsburg.org. (205) 414-3900. www.bbgardens.org. Flower and Garden Show. Hempstead, New York. (516) 463-6633. www.hofstra.edu/ RAP APR. 9 & 10. Virginia Daffodil Society RAP MAR. 31–APR. 6. Annual Plant Sale. COM/Arbor/Arbor_flower_show.cfm. Show. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Rich- New Hanover County Master Gardener Asso- mond, Virginia. (804) 262-9887. ciation. Wilmington, North Carolina. APR. 28–MAY 1. Spring Herb Sale. Lyman www.lewisginter.org. (970) 452-6393. Estate Greenhouses. Waltham, Massachu- setts. (781) 891-4882. www.Historic APR. 11. No Stone Unturned: Artists and Gar- APR. 8–10. Bloom ‘n’ Garden Expo. NewEngland.org. dens. Symposium. Carnegie Mellon Univer- Williamson County Master Gardeners Expo. sity’s School of Art. Pittsburgh, Pennsylva- Franklin, Tennessee. (615) 790-5721. RAP APR. 30 & MAY 1. Cherry Blossom Festi- nia. (412) 268-5765 www.cmu.edu/cfa/ www.wcmga.net. val. Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Brooklyn, garden.html. New York. (718) 623-7220. www.bbg.org. APR. 14–17. An EPIC Celebration of Spring. APR. 16–MAY 8. Annual Gardening Days at Flower and garden expo. EPIC Community Looking ahead Mount Vernon. Plant sale. Mount Vernon. Services. St. Augustine, Florida. (904) 829- MAY 7. Herb Plant Sale. The New England Alexandria, Virginia. (703) 780-2000. 2273. www.epiccommunityservices.org. Unit of the Herb Society of America. Welles- www.mountvernon.org. ley, Massachusetts. (401) 274-8873. APR. 16. Growin’ Crazy. Plant sale, nursery www.neuhsa.org. AHS APR. 16–24. Historic Garden Week. exhibits. North Carolina Cooperative Exten- Garden tours in numerous Virginia locations. sion. Pittsboro, North Carolina. (919) 542- The Garden Club of Virginia. Richmond, 8202. www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/. MID-ATLANTIC Virginia. (804) 644-7776. www.VAGarden PA, NJ, VA, MD, DE, WV, DC week.org. (See related article in “News from APR. 22–24. Arbor Day Celebration. Family MAR. 17–20. Washington Home and Garden AHS” section.) activities, exhibits. The North Carolina Ar- Show. Washington Convention Center. boretum. Asheville, North Carolina. Washington, DC. (703) 823-7960. RAP APR. 30. Annual Rare Plant Auction. (828) 665-2492. www.ncarboretum.org. www.washingtonhomeandgarden.com. The Delaware Center for Horticulture. (302) 658-6262. www.dehort.org. RAP APR. 23. Glorious Hydrangeas. APR. 2–MAY 27. Acres of Spring. Spring dis- Symposium. Sarah P. Duke Gardens. play. Longwood Gardens. Kennett Square, APR. 30. Friends of the National Arboretum Durham, North Carolina. (919) 684-3698. Pennsylvania. (610) 388-1000. Garden Fair and Plant Sale. U.S. National www.hr.duke.edu/dukegardens. www.longwoodgardens.org. Arboretum. Washington, D.C. (202) 544- 8733. www.fona.org. Looking ahead APR. 3. Wilkes Birthday Festival. Celebration AHS MAY 6. Magic of Landscaping of plants that started the U.S. Botanic Gar- Looking ahead Symposium. Lake Buena Vista, Florida. den. U.S. Botanic Garden, Washington, D.C. RAP MAY 7. Rhododendron Show and Sale. (352) 429-2171. www.magicoflandscap- (202) 225-8333. www.usbg.gov. U.S. National Arboretum. Washington, DC. ing.com. (See related article in “News from (202) 245-2726. www.usna.usda.gov. AHS” section.) AHS APR. 3–5. Inspiring Ideas for the Home Gardener. Symposium. Colonial Williams- MAY 7. Bartram’s Garden Native Plant Sale. RAP MAY 7 & 8. Gardens For Connoisseurs.

56 the American Gardener Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Opens New Visitor Center

VISITORS TO THE Minnesota Landscape Arboretum can now enjoy the new, state-of-the-art Visitor Center, which offi- cially opened in January. The center is equipped with touch-screen kiosks to help visitors plan routes, an auditorium, two classrooms, a teaching garden, restaurant, and gift shop. “Winter in Minnesota has always been our low season,” says Peter Olin, director of the 1,040-acre arboretum in Chaska. “With the new visitor center, we’ll have the opportunity year-round to present plant-related exhibits, while hosting confer- ences, lectures, and symposia that would otherwise have to move off-site.” The new center reflects design elements from the original 30-year-old visitor center—which still stands nearby—designed by renowned Minnesota architect, Edwin Lundie. An emphasis on nat- ural light and the use of geothermal energy for heating and cooling are just a few of the new building’s environmentally friendly fea- tures. In addition, six new terraces and garden areas around the vis- itor’s center will offer a glimpse into the experience that lies ahead. Already the arboretum has many events planned that will make use of the new facility. The Sugarbush Pancake Brunch and Maple Syrup Tours on March 26 and 27 provide a great family outing. Participants will learn how maple syrup is made and enjoy an all- you-can-eat pancake brunch complete with arboretum-made syrup. On April 9, the arboretum’s annual Plant Information Fair will take place in the MacMillan Auditorium of the Visitor Center. The Large windows provide the new center with plenty of light. event will feature demonstrations, lectures, a plant sale, and the op- portunity to speak with garden specialists. The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is a Reciprocal Admissions Program (RAP) participant, and therefore AHS mem- bers receive free admission. For more information about the arboretum, visit www.arboretum.umn.edu or call (952) 443-1422.

—Nicole Gibson, Editorial Intern

Tours of private gardens. Atlanta Botanical Ohio. (800) 670-6808. www.cincyflower www.dallasarboretum.org. Garden. Atlanta, Georgia. (404) 876-5859. show.com. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org. RAP MAR. 18–20. Oklahoma Flower and RAP APR. 24. Ask the Experts: Growing and Landscaping Show. Oklahoma Botanical Caring for Lilies. Lecture. Chicago Botanic Garden and Arboretum. Tulsa, Oklahoma. NORTH CENTRAL Garden. Glencoe, Illinois. (847) 835-8326. (405) 744-6460. www.hortla.okstate.edu. IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI www.chicagobotanic.org. RAP MAR. 5–20. Spring Flower Show– RAP APR. 5–7. Beauty and the Brush. Paintings Spring to Life. Olbrich Botanical RAP APR. 30–MAY 1. Plant Sale. Spring festival. Garvan Woodland Gardens. Gardens. Madison, Wisconsin. The Holden Arboretum. Kirtland, Ohio. Hot Springs, Arkansas. (501) 262-9300. (608) 246-4550. www.olbrich.org. (440) 946-4400. www.holdenarb.org. www.garvangardens.org.

RAP MAR. 12–20. Annual Indiana Flower Looking ahead APR. 7–9. Gateway to Spring. Convention. & Patio Show. Indianapolis, Indiana. RAP MAY 13. Arts and Crafts: Gardens and American Daffodil Society. Saint Louis, (800) 215-1700. www.hsishows.com. Landscapes of the Era. Symposium. Chicago Missouri. adsconv2005.stldaffodilclub.org. Botanic Garden. Glencoe, Illinois. (847) RAP APR. 14. Go Native! Incorporating Na- 835-8326. www.chicagobotanic.org. RAP APR. 16. Breaux Bridge Garden Club tive Plants in Your Landscape. Class. Klehm Plant Show. American Rose Society. Breaux Arboretum and Botanic Garden. Rockford, RAP MAY 27. AHS Member Day at the Bridge, Louisiana. (800) 637-6534. Illinois. (815) 965-8146. www.klehm.org. Cleveland Botanical Garden Flower Show. www.ars.org. Cleveland Botanical Garden. Cleveland, APR. 16. Perennial Premier. Plant sale. Indi- Ohio. (216) 721-1600. www.cbgarden.org. RAP APR. 16 & 17. Daffodil Show. Botanica, anapolis Museum of Art. Indianapolis, Indi- (See related article in “News from AHS” the Wichita Gardens. Wichita, Kansas. ana. (317) 923-1331. www.ima-art.org. section.) (316) 264-0448. www.botanica.org.

APR. 16 & 17. Daffodil Show. Fellows River- APR. 19 & 20. Countdown to Bloom. SOUTH CENTRAL side Gardens. Youngstown, Ohio. (330) Flower, horticulture, and conservation AR, KS, LA, MO, MS, OK, TX 740-7116. www.millcreekmetroparks.com. show. The Garden Club of Houston, River RAP MAR. 5–APR. 10. Dallas Blooms. Spring Oaks Garden Club, and the Museum of Fine RAP APR. 20–24. Cincinnati Flower Show. display. Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Arts. Houston, Texas. (713) 639-7571. Cincinnati Horticultural Society. Cincinnati, Garden. Dallas, Texas. (214) 515-6512. www.gchouston.org. COURTESY OF MINNESOTA LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM

March / April 2005 57 SOUTHWEST AZ, NM, CO, UT New Australian Garden in San Francisco RAP THROUGH APR. 25. Invasive Species Botanical Illustration Exhibit. Denver AN EXCITING experiential adventure awaits visitors to the new Eastern Australia Botanic Garden. Denver, Colorado. Garden at the San Francisco Botanical Garden, where Australian-born designer (720) 865-3500. www.botanicgardens.org. Bernard Trainor’s plan takes its character from “materials both hard and soft.”

MAR. 26. Spring In Bloom Private Home Gar- The design’s fusion of horticulture and hardscape features an exceptional col- den Tour. The Valley of the Sun Gardeners. lection of Australian plant material, together with a compelling central feature, the Phoenix, Arizona. (480) 636-6515. “rock circle.” Created by vi- www.phoenixgardeners.org. sionary artists Jennifer Madden and Jeffrey Reed of Reed Mad- APR. 2 & 3. Home Garden Tour. Tucson Botanical Garden. Tucson, Arizona. (520) den Designs, the circle is a 326-9686. www.tucsonbotanical.org. sculptural setting defined by concrete wall forms conveying RAP APR. 22–24. Annual Cactus and Succu- a warm-hued palette and the lent Show and Sale. Desert Botanical Gar- fluid striations of rock forma- den. Phoenix, Arizona. (480) 941-1225. www.dbg.org. tions. While their gentle curva- ture frames a meditative space, WEST COAST the walls can function also as CA, NV, HI seating, or be used as an out- door classroom to study the RAP MAR. 26. Plant Sale. Harold L. Lyon Arboretum. Honolulu, Hawaii. surrounding flora. (808) 988-0456. www.lyonarboretum.com. At every junction, top- notch plant specimens com- APR. 9 & 10. Spring Plant Sale. Occidental plement the hardscaping. For Arts and Ecology Center. Occidental, Califor- example, Brachysema prae- nia. (707) 874-1557. www.oaec.org. morsum ‘Bronze Butterfly’ is APR. 16. Open Garden. Unique rose collec- stunning, with burnished tion on display. Sacramento Historic plum-colored foliage set off by The rock circle with its lush accompaniment of plants. Rose Garden. Sacramento, California. odd red blooms with a beak- (916) 443-2146. www.cemeteryrose.org. like profile. Kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos spp.) displays velvety vermilion inflo-

APR. 21. Desert Living: Energy-Efficient De- rescences on slender flowering branchlets held high above the foliage. sign and Landscaping. Lecture. Springs Pre- Scot Medbury, SFBG’s director, says, “It really is a morning garden, with shafts serve. Las Vegas, Nevada. (702) 258-3205. of light coming through all the fine foliage.” www.springspreserve.org. While the new Eastern Australia Garden may be viewed any day of the year, savvy gardeners may time their visit with another popular event—the San Fran- APR. 23. Elfin Forest Garden Festival. Elfin For- est, California. www.elfinforestgardens.info. cisco Botanical Garden’s 38th Annual Spring Sale held on April 29 and 30. The preview sale on April 29 is for members only; the public sale is on April 30. APR. 25. Ten Steps to a SMARTGARDEN™. Admission to the San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum is Talk by Pat Welsh. Palomar District Garden free though donations are welcome. For more information, please call (415) 661- Clubs. Vista, California. (310) 450-6901. 1316 or visit www.sfbotanicalgarden.org. www.patwelsh.com.

RAP APR. 29 & 30. Annual Spring Sale. —Alice Joyce, GardenWalks columnist, San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Botanical Garden. San Francisco, California. (415) 661-1316. www.strybing.org. APR. 23 & 24. Glide Wildflower Show. Glide, Washington. (360) 321-6430. www.wigt.org. Oregon. (541) 677-3797. www.glidewild NORTHWEST flowershow.org. AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY CANADA

RAP APR. 13. Conifers for the Year-Round RAP APR. 23 & 24. FlorAbundance. Plant RAP MAR. 31. Pond Gardening. Workshop. Landscape. Lecture. Cheyenne Botanic sale. Washington Park Arboretum. Seattle, The Arboretum, University of Guelph. Gardens. Cheyenne, Wyoming. Washington. (206) 543-8800. Guelph, Ontario. (519) 824-4120. (307) 637-6458. www.botanic.org. www.arboretumfoundation.org. www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum.

RAP APR. 22. Spring Plant Sale. Idaho RAP APR. 30. Plant Sale. Bellevue Botanical APR. 9 & 26. Creative Container Gardening Botanical Garden. Boise, Idaho. Garden Society. Bellevue, Washington. (425) for Patios and Balconies. Workshop. Van- (208) 343-8649. www.idahobotanical 452-2750. www.bellevuebotanical.org. Dusen Botanical Garden. Vancouver, garden.org. British Columbia. (604) 878-9274. APR. 30. Whidbey Island Garden Tour. Freeland, www.vandusengarden.org.  COURTESY OF ANNE MCTAVISH/SAN FRANCISCO BOTANIC AL GARDEN SOCIETY

58 the American Gardener GARDENC MARKET

CLASSIFIED AD RATES: All classified advertising must be prepaid. $2.75 per word; mini- mum $65 per insertion. Copy and prepayment must be received on the 20th of the month three months prior to publication date. To place an advertisement, call (703) 768-5700.

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LET OUR READERS KNOW ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS. To place your ad here or to request a media kit, call The American Gardener advertising office at (703) 768-5700 ext. 120.

March / April 2005 59 60 by Dr. H.MarcCathey Color theGarden Beautiful T Pink, Miss Emerald, Miss Peach, andMiss Ruby. people know meby mynickname,“Dr. Purple,” andhave heard merefer tomygranddaughtersasMiss Nickerson ColorFan. Thiscolorsystem Society toformAHS—introduced the merged withtheNational Horticultural Horticultural Council—whichlater dates backto1957,whenthe American Society’s involvement withcolorsystems oped. TheAmericanHorticultural dardizing flower colorshave beendevel- Over theyears, various systems forstan- SYSTEMS COLOR PLANT mon languagetodescribeplantcolors. that willhelpusdothis,aswell asacom- discrete colorshades, we needtechnology enough toconsistentlyidentifyorcompare making theblack stripes deceives theeye from a distance, the combinationofblackandyellow you lookatthetieupclose,you realize that the answers are alwaysincorrect. When ask theaudiencewhatcolorstripesare, doing presentations aboutcolor. WhenI striped tiethatIuseasavisualaidwhen may alterourperception. the presence ofothernearby colorsthat ture oftheobject(glossy, and dull,hairy), ornatural),thetex- being used(artificial variables, suchaswhattypeoflightingis each perceive are influencedby countless guage for, colors. a slightlydifferent perception of, orlan- African violetspurple.Yet we allestablish makes trees green, poinsettiasred, and things andobjects.Thusourmind that ourmindusestoidentifyandname As children, colorisoneofthefirsttools VOCABULARY ACOLOR ESTABLISHING Because our eyes are notreliable To illustratethislastpoint,Ihave a To addtothecomplexity, thecolorswe the American Gardener been aprominent influenceinmylife—probably stimulatedby myearlyinterest inpainting.Many HOSE OFYOU appear green. who know meorhave read mycolumnsover theyears know thatcolorhasalways VRDYGRE SCIENCE GARDEN EVERYDAY shades ofgreenshownhereintheJapaneseGardenatHillwoodWashington,D.C. Our lackofanadequatecolorvocabularypreventsusfromaccuratelydescribingthemany tints ofcolor. Using thismachine,land- accurately “read” thousandsofshadesand has developed acompactmachinethatcan come toouraid.TheMinolta Company tem hasitsown limitations. tural Society hasbeenused,butthissys- developed bychart theRoyal Horticul- fell outofuse.More recently, acolor America forsomeyears, buteventually standard measure offlower colorin system. TheNickerson asthe fanserved coded tonumbersintheMunsell color fanned outtodisplay262colorsamples came intheformofasmallbookletthat the Munsell ColorCompany. The“fan” ment ofAgriculture, incooperationwith color technologistwiththeU.S.Depart- was created by Dorothy Nickerson, a Fortunately, technologyisready new to C our Web site To learnmore aboutthisprogram, visit er, Sara Poly, andHeather Will-Browne. Harper, Tres Fromme, Katy Moss Warn- presentations by AllanArmitage,Pamela Color intheGarden,” willalsoinclude andScienceof Art gram, titled“The Farm onMarch 31andApril 1.Thepro- Garden SchoolthatisbeingheldatRiver color-measuring systemsduringtheAHS of to differentiate colors andthehistory will belinkedtouser-friendlycolornames. identify colorsby anumericsystemthat willbe ableto ferent ofthecountry parts scape designersandplantbreeders indif- the American Horticultural Society. Dr. H.Marc Cathey ispresident emeritusof I willbetalkingaboutthetoolsused (www.ahs.org). 

JOHN FREASE/AHS ARCHIVES PRONUNCIATIONSC AND PLANTING ZONES

Most of the cultivated plants described in this issue are listed here with their pronunciations, USDA Plant Hardiness Zones and AHS Plant Heat Zones. These zones suggest a range of locations where temperatures are appropriate—both in winter and summer—for growing each plant. While the zones are a good place to start in determining plant adaptability in your region, factors such as exposure, moisture, snow cover, and humidity also play an important role in plant survival. The codes tend to be conservative; plants may grow outside the ranges indicated. A USDA zone rating of 0–0 means that the plant is a true annual and completes its life cycle in a year or less.

AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 7931 East Boulevard Drive To purchase a two-by-three-foot glossy AHS Plant Heat Zone Alexandria, VA 22308 U.S.A. (703) 768-5700 Fax (703) 768-8700

Coordinated by: Map for $9.95, call (800) 777-7931 or visit www.ahs.org. Hardi- Dr. H. Marc Cathey, President Emeritus Compiled by: ness and Heat zone codes are generated by AHS and documented Meteorological Evaluation Services Co., Inc. Underwriting by: American Horticultural Society Goldsmith Seed Company Horticultural Research Institute of the © American Nursery and Landscape Association in the Showtime database, owned by Arabella Dane. Monrovia Time Life Inc.

Copyright © 1997 by the American Horticultural Society

A–I P. mollis P. MOL-lis (6–8, 8–6) Acer macrophyllum AY-ser mak-ro-FIL-lum (USDA 5–9, AHS 9–4) P. officinalis P. o-fiss-ih-NAL-iss (6–8, 8–6) Acorus gramineus AK-or-us grah-MIN-ee-us (10–11, 12–2) P. rubra P. ROO-bruh (4–8, 8–3) Agave americana uh-GAH-vee uh-mair-ih-KAN-uh (9–11, 12–5) P. saccharata ‘Mrs. Moon’ P. sak-uh-RAY-tuh (4–8, 8–1) Allium senescens AL-ee-um sen-ESS-ens (4–10, 10–1) Ribes sanguineum RYE-beez san-GWIN-ee-um (6–8, 8–6) Amelanchier alnifolia am-eh-LANG-kee-ur al-nih-FO-lee-uh Rohdea japonica RO-dee-uh jah-PON-ih-kuh (7–9, 9–7) (4–9, 8–3) S–Z Amsonia hubrichtii am-SO-nee-uh hew-BRIK-tee-eye (5–9, 9–5) Anaphalis margaritacea ah-NAF-uh-liss mar-guh-rih-TAY-see-uh Sarcoccoca hookeriana var. humilis sar-kuh-KOKE-uh (4–8, 8–1) hook-ur-ee-AN-uh var. HEW-mih-lis (6–9, 9–6) Betula papyrifera BET-yew-luh pap-ih-RIF-ur-uh (2–7, 7–1) Sedum album SEE-dum AL-bum (6–9, 9–6) Chamaecyparis lawsonia kam-ee-SIP-uh-riss law-son-ee-AN-uh S. lydium S. LIH-dee-um (5–8, 8–5) (5–9, 9–5) S. rupestre S. roo-PES-tree (6–9, 9–6) Cornus stolonifera KOR-nus sto-lon-IF-ur-uh (3–8, 8–1) S. sexangulare S. sek-SAN-gew-lar-ee (5–8, 8–4) Corylus cornuta COR-ih-lus kor-NEW-tuh (5–7, 7–5) S. spurium S. SPUR-ee-um (4–9, 9–1) Delosperma congestum del-o-SPER-muh kon-JES-tum (4–8, 8–4) S. telephium S. tuh-LEF-ee-um (4–9, 9–1) Delphinium nudicaule del-FIN-ee-um noo-dih-KAW-lee (5–7, 7–5) Spiraea betulifolia ‘Tor’ spy-REE-uh bet-YEW-lih-fo-lee-uh (5–9, 9–1) Fraxinus latifolia frak-SIH-nus lat-ih-FO-lee-uh (6–8, 8–6) S. cantoniensis S. kan-ton-ee-EN-sis (5–9, 9–1) ✕ Ilex crenata EYE-leks kreh-NAY-tuh (5–7, 7–5) S. cinerea S. sih-NEE-ree-uh (5–9, 9–1) S. decumbens S. dee-KUM-benz (5–9, 9–1) J–R S. densiflora S. dens-ih-FLOR-uh (6–9, 9–1) Juniperus communis joo-NIP-er-iss com-YEW-niss (2–6, 6–1) S. douglasii S. dug-LASS-ee-eye (5–8, 8–5) Lonicera ciliosa lah-NISS-er-uh sil-ee-O-suh (6–9, 9–1) S. fritschiana S. fritch-EE-an-uh (4–8, 8–4) Mahonia aquifolium mah-HO-nee-uh ah-kwi-FO-lee-um (5–9, 9–3) S. japonica S. jah-PON-ih-kuh (4–9, 9–1) M. japonica M. jah-PON-ih-kuh (7–9, 9–7) S. latifolia S. lat-ih-FO-lee-uh (2–6, 6–1) M. repens M. REP-enz (5–8, 8–3) S. miyabei S. mih-YAH-bee-eye (6–9, 9–6) Malus fusca MAL-us FEW-ska (6–9, 9–1) S. nipponica S. nih-PON-ih-kuh (4–8, 8–1) Pinus contorta PY-nus kon-TOR-tuh (6–8, 8–6) S. prunifolia S. prew-nih-FO-lee-uh (5–8, 8–5) Prunus emarginata var. mollis PREW-nus ee-mar-jih-NAY-tuh S. thunbergii S. thun-BER-jee-eye (4–8, 8–4) var. MOL-lis (2–8, 8–1) S. tomentosa S. toh-men-TOH-suh (3–8, 8–1) Pseudotsuga menziesii soo-doh-SOO-guh men-ZEES-ee-eye S. ✕vanhouttei S. van-HOO-tee-eye (4–8, 8–1) (5–7, 7–5) Talinum calycinum tuh-LY-num kal-ih-SY-num (5–9, 9–5) Pulmonaria angustifolia pul-muh-NAIR-ee-uh ang-gust-ih-FO-lee-uh Vaccinium ovatum vak-SIN-ee-um o-VAY-tum (6–8, 8–6) (2–7, 8–1) P. longifolia P. lon-jih-FO-lee-uh (3–8, 8–4)

March / April 2005 61 62 IE AMSNAPSHOT FARM RIVER I the American Gardener ‘Silver andGold’) inan exuberantdisplay. Siberian bugloss(Brunnera macrophylla) T river oforange-and-yellow ‘Banja Luka’ tulips,‘Spellbinder’ daffodils,andblue HE FIRSTWARM DAYS April’s Flowers of springbringbrightcolor toRiver Farm. Here, a joins yellow-twig sericea dogwood(Cornus

CAROLE OTTESEN