ROCK GARDEN

QUARTERLY

VOLUME 53 NUMBER 2 SPRING 1995 COVER: Iris reticulata with Lycaeides melissa by Cindy Nelson-Nold of Lakewood, Colorado All Material Copyright © 1995 North American Rock Garden Society ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY

BULLETIN OF THE NORTH AMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETY formerly Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society VOLUME 53 NUMBER 2 SPRING 1995

FEATURES

Fameflowers: The Genus Talinum, by David Ferguson 83

Flag Patio Gone Awry: Accidentally a Rock Garden,

by Marcia Tatroe 101

Westerners Go East: Getting Started, by James L. Jones 107

Heucheras: A Few Good Choices, by Grahame Ware 113

Year of the Hoop House: 1994 at Ft. Courage, by Ev Whittemore 127

New Leaf Forms of Hepatica nobilis, by Severin Schlyter 135

DEPARTMENTS

Plant Show 133 Plant Portraits 145 82 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 FAMEFLOWERS

THE GENUS TALINUM

by David J. Ferguson

What is a "fameflower"? When I Corners. Perhaps the challenge of fig• was a little guy, growing up in north• uring out just what plants I had col• eastern Colorado and western lected was part of what hooked me. I Nebraska, there were two different should mention that the Talinum fameflowers among the many kinds of calycinum is really quite small, to 6" cute little wildflowers that grew in tall, just large by comparison. Both gravelly spots. For me, at that time, species withstand -40°F to 120°F, hard• small cushion plants and tiny succu• ly delicate, yet delicate in appearance. lents just didn't compare to all the Oh, almost forgot, a fameflower, is, cacti, yuccas, prickly poppies and of course, a Talinum; well, at least other showy-flowered, spiny wonders that's part of the story. The real fame• all around. Nor were fameflowers flowers are only some species of the nearly so interesting for me as any of genus Talinum, a group of small, cute, the abundant creepy-crawly critters. little plants with tufts of succulent, I did, however, at least recognize cylindrical leaves, producing rather that fameflowers existed, and one day showy flowers. The other talinums are in 1988 near Clines Corners, New quite different indeed. Mexico, my eyes were opened to their The talinums are members of the charms. On a trip with Sean Hogan, I family Portulacaceae. The family as a collected a few specimens to "play whole has generally received very lit• with." Next thing I knew, I was in tle attention from either botanists or love. Since then I've indulged my horticulturalists; there has long been a infatuation and have learned a great limited interest in a few species of a deal about these neglected plants. few genera, especially Portulaca itself. By the way, the two Great Plains Many Portulacaceae have been used fameflowers of my youth turned out locally as herbs or vegetables, but this to be Talinum calycinum (the "big," use has not received much attention showy one) and Talinum confertiflorum either. (the "delicate" one, covered in small, Most of us know the many orna• pale pink stars). It was also Talinum mental cultivars of Portulaca grandiflora confertiflorum which grew at Clines (mossrose) and Portulaca umbraticula

83 var. lanceolata (purslane). Many have of Cistanthe, related to Cistanthe grandi- grown Lewisia cotyledon, Calandrinia cil- flora (itself usually called a iata (red maids), or even Calyptridium Calandrinia). Cistanthe is a close rela• umbellatum (pussypaws). Of course, tive of the lewisias. most of us have also unwillingly grown one or more of the weedy The genus Talinum, as it is now rec• purslanes (Portulaca oleracea or P. ognized, contains two very different retusa)—if you can't eliminate them, groups of plants. All are perennials by the way, you can eat them, as they with the traits of the family—succulent are nice pot herbs. leaves, bisexual flowers, two sepals, There are a few regional wildflower usually 5 petals, a capsular fruit, and favorites in the family as well. Perhaps thick to tuberous roots. Beyond these most are familiar with spring beauties characteristics, the two groups are (Claytonia caroliniana, C. lanceolata, C. quite different. rosea, C. virginica, etc.), to be seen in early spring in woodlands through Talinum much of the U.S. In the western U.S., The genus Talinum was described in several species of Lewisia (bitterroot) 1763 by Micheal Adanson, and its type are widespread. The Portulacaceae are species is Portulaca fruticosa Linnaeus. a family of roughly 30 genera and hun• This plant is better known by the syn• dreds of species, so, of course, the list onymous name T. triangulare. Talinum above is but a meager representation. fruticosum (the correct name to use It seems odd to me now that tal- now) is the most notorious of the leafy inums are so little known, being found Talinum weeds. over such a large area of the country, The true talinums are leafy perenni• often very near to, or even within, als with fleshy stems arising from a large population centers. Perhaps this perennial base or underground tuber. is due to the fact that most species These plants have flattened leaves favor shallow soils of rocky ledges, with a strong midrib. The 5-petalled where few people venture. Those flowers vary from 0.6 to 2.5 cm. in species that are most abundant tend to diameter and may be yellow, orange, be considered more as weeds than as red, magenta, pink, white, or combina• wildflowers, as they are leafy and tions of these. The fruits are round, mostly have inconspicuous flowers leathery balls that hang pendant from (e.g., Talinum paniculalum, T. spathulatum, the stems, splitting and disintegrating, T. triangulate [=T.fruticosum], and kin). sometimes explosively, when mature. To many who actually do know To this group belong all the weeds; them, the species included under the however, some of them are quite orna• name Talinum have often gotten an mental and worth growing for their undeservedly bad name. A few weedy lovely, large flowers, attractive foliage, species are considered pests by those or large, ornamental tubers. They may growing them unbidden in greenhous• even be grown as root vegetables or es. The reputation is unfortunate, as salad greens! I happen to like them all, many other species are quite attractive but I am in the minority when the vote and well worth growing. The one is taken on several species. species that is truly popular with col• The true talinums occur naturally in lectors of succulents (though still rare semi-arid and tropical regions of in cultivation) is "Talinum guadalup- southern Africa and the Americas, ense," not a Talinum at all, but a species reaching as far north as the southern

84 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 United States. A few are widely natu• inums (slightly altered to flameflower) ralized in tropical regions elsewhere. by association in the same genus with They segregate nicely into three sub• the real fameflowers, so has the name groups. flameflower occasionally found its way back. In Africa, these species are Subgenus Helknthemoides Section simply called 'Ystervarkwortel' and Chromanthum 'Butterweed'. Subgenus Helianthemoides Section The North American flameflower Chromanthum, containing most of the species are Talinum angustissimum (yel• species, occurs in semi-arid regions of low flowers), T. aurantiacum (orange to southern South America, southwest• red flowers), T. cymbosepalum (orange ern North America, and Africa. All flowers), T. lineare (yellow to orange species have relatively large, starchy flowers), T. tuberosum (orange flow• root-tubers. They tend to have narrow ers), and T. whitei (yellow to deep leaves on stems which lean sideways, orange flowers), and T. sp. "with vari- and most have large flowers in small, axillary inflorescences of one to three TAUNUM ANGUSTISSIMUM flowers each (the African T. portu- * lacifolium has a termi• nal raceme or pani• cle). The fruits are pendent and do not explode. These species have large root-tubers and are often dug as food. In the southwest• ern U.S., these are usually called flame- flowers, as the most common flower col• ors here are yellow, orange, and red. This is an adulteration of fameflower (I prefer to apply the latter name to the Phemer- anthus types dis• cussed below). Perhaps someone see• ing the hot colors of these species thought that "fame" was a misprint for "flame," and others followed suit. As fameflower has moved in applica• tion to the leafy tal-

FAMEFLOWERS 85 ably colored flowers" (yellow, orange, Subgenus Helianthemoides pink, to magenta; a new species, soon A second group (Subgenus Helian• to be validly published). All five themoides) has species with blackish, African species of Talinum are of this branched root-tubers, spatulate leaves, group, and three are known in South and a terminal panicle of tiny flowers America, plus there are probably a few in pink, white, or yellow. The fruit more in North America. valves split into inner and outer layers. The three South American species When ripe the outer layer usually falls, (T. sp. [another botanically unde- leaving the inner layer as a translucent scribed species, photo, p. 123], T. chro- basket netted by veins. This group manthus, and T. polygaloides) plus T. includes T. nocturnum (Paraguay), T. angustissumum are unique among tal- paniculatum (Caribbean-Atlantic trop• inums in possessing woody stems. ics, widely introduced elsewhere), T. These form a close knit subgroup, all sp. "of the Sonora" (also to be with yellow flowers, but those of the described soon; mostly west of South American species may fade to Continental Divide, U.S. and Mexico), orange or red in age. T. spathulatum (continental from U.S. The African species are T. arnotii, T. to Argentina), and perhaps a few caffrum, T. crispicrinitum, and T. tenuis- more. Species of this group are often simum (all yellow-flowered), and T. cultivated as herbs or vegetables. portulacifolium (white to magenta flow• Species of this group are often called ers). Talinum crispicrinitum has very wild, pink, or yellow baby's-breath in attractive foliage. the southern U.S.

LEFT, TALINUM AFF. SPATHULATUM; CENTER, T. POLYGALOIDES; RIGHT, T. EYERDAMII

86 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 Talinums of Subg. Helianthemoides Phemeranthus are often confused with the rockroses The second group for which the (Helianthemum spp.; family Cistaceae), name Talinum is usually used is actual• which many resemble rather closely. ly made up of species which should be included in the segregate genus Subgenus Talinum Phemeranthus. These species are popu• The third group (Subgenus Talinum) larly known by the common name has mostly obovate leaves and a termi• fameflower (occasionally adulterated nal cyme of flowers with a spathe to flameflower, as mentioned above). I thatis triangular in cross section. Its have been unable to learn the true species are distinguished by a type of meaning of this name; however, it has pollen unique in the genus, and their been said it is linked to the fleeting fruits explode at maturity (scattering nature of fame and of the flowers. them nicely about greenhouses). The These plants stage their flower show at best known species is T. reflexum, a the same hour every day, with flowers weedy, white- or pink-flowered herb. open for only a brief appearance. There are several close relatives whose Other common names include flower- taxonomy is quite confused. Some are of-the-hour, rock or sand pink, moss quite nice. Talinum eyerdamii (photo, p. pink, and moss rose. I'm quite sure 118, perhaps better called T. there are other vernacular names. For linomimeta) and T. paraguayense (photo, example, many species grow in p. 123) from South America are rather Mexico, but as yet I have learned no small in habit but have large, showy Spanish name for plants of this group. pink to magenta and peachy-yellow The species of Phemeranthus are all flowers, respectively. Both make large characterized by a rather compact, root-tubers. Talinum attenuatum (also dwarf habit. They have succulent, named T. confusum and T. diffusum) cylindrical leaves, roughly from 1 cm. from tropical Mexico to northern South to 5 cm. long, usually on very short America bears many small, white-to- stems. The flowers are usually borne pink flowers on low, semi-shrubby, but on slender cymes, but may be solitary. not particularly woody, plants that They are typically five-petalled but lack root tubers. These make attractive may vary up to nine petals per flower. bonsai-type specimens. The flowers may be tiny, only 6 mm. In Argentina and Mexico I have across, or may be up to 3 cm. across heard several vernacular names for and very showy. Those with small Talinum, most beginning with yerba, flowers tend to produce showers of especially yerba sapo. In Mexico one dozens of little stars, while large-flow• often hears rama de sapo. ered species typically produce only one or few blooms at a time per inflo• We have devoted enough space to rescence. The flower color may be yel• the "true" talinums for now and shall low, white, pink, or magenta. Most not consider this group further, species bloom over a long season as except to say that for the rock garden• long as conditions are favorable, the er who lives where the soil freezes, flowers opening at the same time none of these species is suitable. every day but remaining open for only Several could be used in rockeries in an hour or two (thus the name milder parts of Zone 7 and warmer. A Phemeranthus: brief-flowered). few species are illustrated to give an The papery fruits are roughly foot• idea of their appearance. ball-shaped, ripen quickly, and are

FAMEFLOWERS 87 usually held upright. They may split species of that new genus. To sum up to form a three-parted basket or may this little bit of Phemeranthus history, simply fall apart when disturbed. no species described since 1933 has The small, disk-shaped, dark seeds been referred to the genus are characteristic, and they have a Phemeranthus. All have been placed, papery translucent aril covering them, however inappropriately, within often giving them a gray or bluish Talinum. In a future publication I plan appearance. This trait is not known in to refer the dwarf species of this any other group of Portulacaceae alliance back to Phemeranthus. (Anacampseros and related genera have There is, in addition, another gener• a similar covering, but derived from ic name, published by Julius Aloysius the seed surface, not true arils). Arthur Nieuwland in 1915, which uses The various species all grow where Talinum parviflorum as the type species. winters are freezing (though some The name Litanum should be regarded places are really quite mild) and range as a synonym of Phemeranthus, as their across the United States from the type species are very closely related. Appalachian Piedmont to the (Talinum teretifolium is a stable, natur• Colorado River drainage. Two species al, polyploid hybrid, T. parviflorum grow in the Northwest, and one being one of its parents and T. mengesii (Talinum sediforme) enters Canada in the other.) British Columbia. The group ranges Eutmon is a generic synomym of southward in the higher mountains of Phemeranthus as well; however, I Mexico to Puebla. One species regard it as a section or subgenus (Talinum punae) even occurs in the within Phemeranthus, as the type high Andes in northwestern Argentina species of Eutmon belongs to a group and adjacent Bolivia; it is a close rela• quite distinctive from P. teretifolius and tive of some of the Mexican species. T. parviflorum. Phemeranthus was the generic name given by Samuel Rafinesque to the Enough nomenclatural history for species teretifolius, when he first now. It will not be long until all these named it in 1808. As seemed to be his species are officially placed into the lot, nobody paid much attention to genus Phemeranthus, and the formal Rafinesque's opinion, and Frederick taxonomy is in place. However, since Traugott Pursh, in January of 1814, most species are not yet legally placed transferred the species epithet tereti• there, and since they are currently well folius to Talinum. known as talinums, I will bite the bul• In 1814 all known specimens of this let and, for now, refer to them as group of species were referred to Talinum species. Mind you, I'd prefer Talinum teretifolium. This treatment otherwise. Phemeranthus is a nice continued until 1828, when the white- name, and such distinctive little plants flowering species Talinum napiforme deserve recognition as separate from was described from near Mexico City their rangier cousins. by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. In These compact plants may be 1933, when Rafinesque became aware grouped quite nicely into two of this species, it was placed into groups—well, it's almost a tidy divi• Phemeranthus by him. Strangely, as I sion. Of course, there always must be understand events, in the same publi• an oddball, in this case Talinum cation he described the genus Eutmon longipes, which does not quite fit into and used T. napiforme as the type either group.

88 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 The Eutmon Group at very high elevations, but at rather A mostly southern group (the sec• low latitudes. In nature they rarely tion typified by Eutmon) includes experience hot days—but seem to tol• species with thickened, underground erate them well. They are all easy to tubers. The tuber is usually rounded grow; however, they are very prone to and has a surface which peels in layers. rot. They thrive best in shallow pans The stems are very short and not with mineral soil (but not sand). They noticeable. Leaves appear to grow in a will handle considerable amounts of cluster directly from the top of the water when growing, if in good grow• tuber or from a neck at the top of the ing conditions, but should be kept on tuber. The flowers of these species are the dry side when dormant. I have not large, never much over 1 cm. in seen T. parvulum growing submerged diameter, and appear like five-petalled in water. Of course, this is a very tem• white or yellow stars. The fruits do not porary condition, the soil being well- split when ripe and eventually fall drained and on the dry side for most apart when disturbed. The seeds are of the year. sculptured with concentric, raised All three make nice pot plants that lines, sometimes hidden by the aril. will often become somewhat larger These are mostly Mexican species, under cultivation than in nature, their two (T. humile, photo, p. 124, and T. short inflorescences lengthening parvulus, photo p. 124) entering the almost indeterminately and producing U.S. The South American T. punae dozens of flowers. (photo, p. 123) also belongs here. All The remaining Eutmon-type species favor substrates of volcanic origin, are rather larger and have slightly usually rhyolite, but grow nicely on larger flowers. They are equally granite as well. Most grow in very untested for hardiness. shallow, gravelly, clay soils on rock Talinum greenmannii should be benches. Talinum humile and T. palmeri hardy into Zone 7 or colder. A native are less discriminating and may of Mexico as well, but from colder spread into flat grasslands adjacent to places, it occurs on steep, cobble slopes the rock outcrops. in pine forests. It has rather chunky, In some places in Durango and rich green leaves to 4 cm. long (some• Chihuahua up to three species may be times lobed) and bears its yellow flow• found growing together. The occur• ers nestled among the leaf bases. It is rence of hybridization, as yet undocu• quite charming and rarely goes unno• mented, should not be ruled out. ticed by visitors to my greenhouses. I Of the yellow-flowering species, T. have found it in Chihuahua, but it also multiflorum, T. parvulum [=T. margina- has been attributed to high mountains tum], and T. punae are truly tiny, with near Mexico City, so it seems to have a leaves mostly 1 to 2 cm. long. Flowers rather wide distribution. are mostly about 7-8 mm. across and Talinum humile is the most northern are borne on crowded inflorescences and the largest of the yellow-flowered little longer than the leaves. Talinum species (photo, p. 124). Its rather dull parvulum has a narrow neck at the leaf green leaves reach 5 cm. long, and base, often under the soil, reminiscent these sometimes turn purplish. The of a petiole. flowers are borne on stout inflores• These species are untested for cold cences about double the length of the hardiness and may not survive leaves and tend to spread sideways. beyond USDA Zone 7 or 8. They grow The flowers are usually about 1 cm. in

FAMEFLOWERS 89 diameter. Talinum humile occurs from ket-fruits as in the Phemeranthus sub• northern Chihuahua and northeastern group. The flowers are tiny and pale Sonora well up into southeastern pinkish with magenta stamens. Talinum Arizona and southwestern New longipes grows on limy soils (also Mexico. It is hardy in Zone 7 and prob• unusual for the Eutmon group) from ably in Zone 6. north-central New Mexico across Talinum humile is perhaps the most Trans-Pecos Texas into northern difficult of all the species to cultivate. Chihuahua. It is hardy to Zone 6 (per• This is due to its habit of not growing haps 5) but is more of a curiosity than until temperatures are quite high. It an attraction. Its flowers open later than may be forced to grow if watered lib• in any other species, just before sunset. erally in early spring; however, the Talinum longipes probably will be usual result of this is rotted tubers. It is placed in a section of its own some day. best to keep this species decidedly on the dry side through early spring. The Phemeranthus Group Slight moisture is needed, but very The next group is Section slight. It will show activity very quick• Phemeranthus, most of whose species ly if watered heavily in May or June occur in the United States. Talinum and will then handle considerable mexicanum (from San Luis Potosi) and watering until August or September, T. oligospermum (from Puebla) are when it will wish to sleep again. This both Mexican and apparently of this and T. calycinum are the species with section. I have seen neither as yet. the shortest growing seasons known. Both are rumored to have small, yel• The white-flowered Eutmon species low flowers (otherwise unknown in are two. One, T. napiforme (photo, p. this part of the genus). 124), comes from south of the The Phemeranthus-type species are Chihuahua Desert and is rather like T. diverse, but all grow stems long humile. However, it has more slender enough to be visible. Sometimes the and more upright inflorescences. The part of the plant above ground is other, T. palmeri, produces gray-green wholly annual. They tend to have leaves which tend to curve inward and thickened roots, but not the rounded then up, giving an attractive look to tubers of the Eutmon group. The fruit the plant. The flowers are about 1.5 of all except Talinum parviflorum split cm. across and held on slender, open to form a papery basket when upright inflorescences to 30 cm. tall. ripe. The seeds are nearly smooth, Talinum napiforme is a very easy without the concentric ridges of the plant, reseeding liberally. It seems able Eutmon group. These species seem to to handle considerable freezing above hybridize rather freely with one 15°F, but seems not hardy in another if given opportunity, but the Albuquerque in Zone 7. hybrids seem mostly to be sterile. Talinum palmeri will probably prove The species of the eastern U.S. are to be culturally similar to T. humile; rather confusing, and surprisingly, however, I have obtained plants only some are not even yet named. These recently and have not yet learned produce upright, fleshy stems crowd• much about it. ed with terete leaves roughly 2-5 cm. Talinum longipes has the seeds and long. The inflorescences are slender- tuber (although the tuber is narrow) of stemmed, upright cymes. the Eutmon group, but has a slender, Most have magenta flowers roughly perennial, above-ground stem and bas• 1.5-2.5 cm. across with numerous sta-

90 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 mens. These larger-flowered types are appear black, while the aril makes the T. calcaricum (from limy-soiled pine seeds of the rest appear grayish. barrens in Tennessee), T. calycinum The two unnamed species are very (actually western, from sandy places similar to the five above. One of these on the Great Plains), T. mengesii (from grows in the Ozark region (Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia, not on lime), T. Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma) rugospermum (=T. ciliatum; from sand mostly not on lime. It is grossly similar in the Midwest), T. teretifolium (from to T. calcaricum. This plant is now com• the Appalachians, not on lime, but monly cultivated as a rock garden sometimes on serpentine), and two plant and is incorrectly sold as "T. additional species yet to be named. calycinum." (photo, p. 120). I have pro• Talinum calycinum has been con• posed that the new species ephithet fused with an eastern species and is honor the Ozark region and expect closely related to the various eastern that the species will be officially species; however, it occurs on the named soon. Great Plains like T. confertiflorum and The second species is quite similar is actually not eastern in its distribu• to T. mengesii but tends to grow like a tion at all. It is discussed here for com• creeping devil, rooting and making lit• parison's sake. tle potato-like root tubers as it goes, Talinum calycinum has the largest dying back at the original end. This flowers (to 3 cm. across) and the most plant comes from the Ouachita stamens, approximately 45 per flower. Mountains in Arkansas. It will be Unlike its close relatives, these flowers described soon as well, likely as a are fragrant (somewhat chocolatey, commemorative for Stewart Ware of nice for a chocolaholic like me). Williamsburg, Virginia, who first Talinum rugosperum and T. teretifolium noticed the distinctness of the plant. have the smallest flowers and about There is yet one more eastern 20-25 stamens. Talinum calcaricum and species, T. parviflorum (=T. appalachi- T. mengesii have flowers about 2 cm. anum and Claytonia nuttalliana). It across with about 30 stamens. Talinum occurs widely from the east side of the mengesii and T. teretifolium have sepals Great Plains and central Texas east to which do not drop until the fruit Alabama. This small species has an ripens, while the others have sepals upright stem, connected to a slightly that fall off shortly after pollination. thickened, vertical root. The flowers Talinum teretifolium may be closely are only about 1 cm. across with only akin to the T. brevicaule group but does 5-10 stamens and are white, pink, or not look much like those species. magenta. This is an easy-to-grow Talinum calycinum and T. rugosper• species, doesn't like lime, and flowers mum have a thickened vertical root profusely, creating impressive dis• buried under the surface, and peren- plays for its small size. nating buds form below ground. Of these eastern species, I have as Talinum calaricum, T. mengesii, and T. yet seen only herbarium material of T. teretifolium grow rhizome-like struc• calcaricum and T. rugospermum, so my tures at the soil surface, with perennat- understanding of these is still rather ing buds forming above the soil. poor. The other species are all of rather Talinum rugospermum gets its name easy culture, growing in most any soil. from the slightly wrinkled aril of the They prefer cramped spaces, such as seed; all the other species have smooth pockets in a rockery, or a small or very arils. The seeds of T. mengesii tend to shallow pot. If happy, they will reseed

FAMEFLOWERS 91 themselves liberally. To some, this is a with it, in more mineral spots, is T. liability, but to me it is an asset. The longipes. That the two co-occur is a unwanted ones wouldn't be hard to unique situation. They are very similar remove—but who in their right mind looking and are confusing if not would want to remove any? observed closely. No hybrids have All seem hardy into Zone 5; howev• been found, but they would be hard to er, T. rugospermum and the northern T. spot. parviflorum should be hardy well Observations made by Stephen beyond this, probably into Zone 3. Jankalski of Baltimore, Maryland, show that greenhouse-produced Now we move west to the Great hybrids of T. confertiflorum and T. parv• Plains and beyond. One species, T. iflorum are sterile. This is a strong indi• confertiflorum (=T. gracile, T. goodingii, cation that they are truly distinct from and T. rosei), perhaps the most com• one another. mon and widespread of all, is very As one may guess, T. confertiflorum similar to T. parviflorum. It differs in is among the easiest of the easy to having twice the chromosome number grow. It can reward you with hun• and in having only white to pink flow• dreds of its little afternoon stars over ers. Unlike T. parviflorum, the sepals the entire growing season if it is happy remain on the fruit, and the fruits split with its conditions. open at maturity. It is quite variable, and numerous forms could be named Six of the seven remaining western based on size, habit, and coloration of species form a close-knit group with the plant. only one to few flowers per inflores• The distribution of T. confertiflorum cence. But what nice flowers they are! is from central Chihuahua and north• The stems arise from thick, branched eastern Sonora in Mexico to central rootstalks and spread outward instead Utah, Wyoming, and North Dakota, of growing upright. The appearance, eastward into western Texas, when not in flower, is that of a rather Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. nice, compact Sedum. The stems die This means that one form or another back to just below the soil surface in should be happy outdoors nearly winter. Talinum brevifolium and rela• everywhere in the U.S. and perhaps tives are, in my mind, the gems of the well into Canada and Mexico. genus. All are hardy in Albuquerque, The species survives in a wide New Mexico (Zones 6 and 7), and sev• range of habitats from near desert to eral, if not all, should be hardy at least montane forest. It grows almost any• into Zone 4. where non-lime rock or gravel forms Species of this group have the inter• shallow soil pockets and may even esting trait of producing smallish, grow in gravel patches on sand dunes. female flowers among the normal, It has been found on limestone in the bisexual flowers. Occasional plants Zuni Mountains in New Mexico, but produce only female flowers (see nowhere else. There it grows with T. photo of T. brevifolium, p. 119). All brevicaule, and hybrids are suspected— except T. validulum also have fragrant but not seen in flower yet. flowers. In Sandoval County, New Mexico, When I first saw T. brevicaule, grow• another odd colony occurs on limy ing in the pinon-juniper woodlands of sandstone slabs, where it favors more New Mexico, I was immediately organic spots in soil pockets. Growing impressed (photo, p. 118). I did not

92 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 know for some time what this little very similar but has smaller (1.5 cm. gem was, at first not even recognizing wide) white to pink flowers which it as a Talinum. tend to be held more upright, above Talinum brachypodium, T. brevifolium, the leaves. These also like lime (but and a third undescribed species are all grow on other soils) and occur in very similar. They have blunt leaves nature from northwest Arizona to cen• and produce their flowers singly, only tral Utah. one flower on an inflorescence. The A pretty, wild hybrid between T. rounded petals are often as many as validulum and T. confertiflorum some• eight per flower. The sepals fall off the times occurs. It is a much more vigor• fruit early. ous grower than either parent, and Talinum brachypodium has rich flowers more profusely. The plants are lavender-pink flowers about 2.5 cm. sterile and thus must be propagated across and gray-green leaves (photo, by cuttings. However, doubling the p. 122). It favors limy soils and hails chromosome number might make it from central New Mexico, where it fertile, as in T. teretifolium. The latter is sometimes grows with T. brevicaule. a natural hybrid, now become a good Talinum brevifolium is similar but species; it is sterile if diploid, fertile if smaller, with white, pink, or magenta tetraploid. flowers about 1.5-2 cm. across (photo, Talinum sediforme (=T. okanoganense, p. 119, 120). It grows on fine-grained, T. wayae; photo, p. 120) is from north- non-limy sandstones in the Colorado central Washington and southern Plateaus from the west edge of north• British Columbia, the only member of ern New Mexico to near the Grand the genus known to occur north of the Canyon in Arizona, and to central contiguous United States. It forms Utah. dense clumps of stems to 17 cm. across, The third, new species (photo p. with lots of 2-cm.-wide, white to pink 119), of Gila Conglomerate clays in flowers with bluntly pointed petals. southwest New Mexico, is unique in The inflorescences spread laterally, growing slender rhizomes which pro• holding the flowers roughly level with duce colonies up to 1 m. across of the leaves. This delightful species is interconnected plants. It has magenta becoming a favorite among some rock flowers 2.5 cm. in diameter and dark, gardeners and should be tried by all. glaucous, green, slightly flattened One last species, and certainly one leaves. of the best, is T. spinescens (photo, p. The remaining three species of this 121), which comes from north-central group produce flowers in small cymes. Oregon and south-central Washington. Talinum brevicaule (=T. eximium, T. pul- It is almost a shrub, producing cush• chellum, and T. youngii) grows on limy ions of thickish, branched stems to 30 soils from New Mexico across west cm. across and 10 cm. tall. The old Texas to central Chihuahua, Mexico. It leaves tend to remain on the stem tips, has pointed leaves and magenta giving a rather prickly appearance in (rarely white) flowers 2-2.5 cm. in the winter. Due to the winter rainfall diameter with pointed petals and climate of its home, this species has mostly more than 20 stamens. The adapted to start growth earlier in long, pointed sepals remain on the spring than any of the rest and may be fruits until they are ripe. The inflores• in flower as early as April in some gar• cences tend to spread laterally. dens. It will re-bloom through the Talinum validulum (=T. thompsonii) is summer as rainfall allows. The flow-

FAMEFLOWERS 93 TALINUM WHITEII placing these plants in the garden. ers, light magenta, much like many of They do not care much for rich, open the eastern species, are about 2 cm. beds, often disappearing the first win• across. The shiny leaves tend to be ter. They like an exposed situation in a short and chunky and often turn pur• pocket of soil where they are never plish-red when the plant is stressed. In wet. These are perfect plants for the milder climates they are sometimes alpine rock garden or a scree garden evergreen, the red leaves hanging on or a trough. through the winter. Most species are easy from seed. A garden hybrid called 'Zoe', Those from the East seem to require a believed to be a cross of T. sediforme x cold treatment to germinate (several T. spinescens, is commonly cultivated. I weeks near freezing in the refrigerator have not yet had the pleasure of grow• will do it); those from the West mostly ing it. do not. A few species, notably T. humile, seem to require something The fameflowers discussed above more, perhaps aging, or a hot spell. almost universally grow in very well- The main thing to remember is that drained, sunny situations, typically in most germinate in spring or summer cracks of rock or in shallow pockets of after thunderstorms in warm weather. soil or gravel on rock ledges. On occa• This means warmth and alternating sion, they may be found on the gravel• wet and dry seem to get them up best. ly crest of a hill or in a gravel patch in Once they are up, they should never sandy areas. These habitat require• be wet, and they survive best if evenly ments should be remembered when moist for a month or two. After that

94 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 they may be treated as adults. They ter. Here in New Mexico some species may even flower the first season. may actually appreciate some light When these plants go dormant, it shade, as from a deciduous tree, for a can be a bit unnerving. They turn into few hours at midday. yellow or orange mush, seemingly Many species will thrive in much of overnight. This usually happens with Europe, southern Africa, New the first nights below about 40°F. Zealand, and other temperate climates. Don't worry; just let them stay on the In hot climates such as the Gulf Coast dry side until spring. In fact, you or the Sonora Desert, many of these should try to harden them off by hold• plants will suffer, but some may even ing extra water for a month or so be happy there. All U.S. members of before the first freeze. Section Phemeranthus likely have pop• Of course, culture will vary with ulations hardy into Zone 5, and sever• where you live. If you live where win• al may be hardy into Zone 3 or 2. ters are constantly damp, you may find some species impossible. Others Growing these plants is a new should survive if you pay special hobby, and we will all need to experi• attention to drainage and maximum ment for a while. They are wonderful sunlight. If you're in the desert, you little plants, and I hope you will all may need to water quite a lot in spring enjoy them as much as I do. and summer, and even a little in win•

Availability In the United States, plants of a few species are available from Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery, 2825 Cummings Road, Medford, OR 97501, (503) 772-6846; $2.00 for cata• log. Seeds of most species are available from Mesa Garden, P.O. Box 72, Belen, NM 87121, (505) 864-3131. To request an extensive seed listing, send $1.00 (U.S.) or 3-32 cent stamps. Depending upon demand, a Portulacaceae-only listing is being consid• ered for the near future. Other suppliers of rock garden and alpine plants often offer seeds or plants of one or two species, but often on a short-term basis until the supply is sold out. Be careful, as in many cases (due to the lack of good literature on Talinum) these are mislabelled and may not be quite the one you ordered (though probably quite similar). I hope to begin propagating these plants myself for mail-order sales in the near future, but at present I only have a few individuals of each collection for botanical study and seed production.

Drawings by Lynn Janicki

David Ferguson lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has long had a consuming interest in Cactaceae and has a business propagating and selling seed and plants of Agavaceae and Opuntoid cacti. He is also especially interested in butterflies and beetles.

FAMEFLOWERS 95 "Talinum x 'Zoe'. Although it does not appear to have been recorded any• where, this is a plant worthy of recognition. It almost certainly claims T. okanoganense as one parent and is of similar appearance, but larger in all its parts, although remaining a mat-forming plant. I believe it to have been raised by the late Mr. Peacock, an enthusiastic member of the Alpine Garden Society who named it for his wife." —Will Ingwersen, Manual of Alpine Plants, 1987

"Talinum spinescens, an exceedingly showy relative of the Lewisias from the Wenatchee Mountains of central Washington, sends out sprawling, branching, succulent stems ending in masses of linear leaves like long, fat fir needles. The rose-red blossoms, filled with a mass of bright yellow sta• mens, are carried in open panicles on naked stems of some five to six inch• es. In its native habitat the ends of the stems are covered with short spines which are nothing more than the persistent midribs of former leaves. In the wet winter climate of Portland these spines, too, disappear, leaving behind curiously naked-looking branches which call desert things to mind in some vague way. On the ends of these stems little red pimples appear in the spring, and these gradually expand themselves into clusters of slender suc• culent leaves which again decently clothe their nakedness." —Ira N. Gabrielson, Western American Alpines, 1932

"Talinum rugospermum from the east central states, when uprooted from an unwanted position and thrown on the ground in a shaded place, has opened flowers for three days at the irregular late hour. These delicate- appearing plants of refined character and scale, all delightful in their after• noon abundance of bloom, continue from early summer to fall. ... T. rugospermum prefers a sandy scree, thrives in its own close company, survives in the difficult climate where I live, and provides lovely color over a very long season." —Claude Barr, Jewels of the Plains, 1983

"...the tiny ones for the rock garden are mostly from our plains states and are hardy if treated right. Talinums require a sandy soil with perfect drainage, and a hot sunny situation. They will not stand water around their roots in winter. They are easily propagated from seed and, once established in a garden, will produce a never-ending supply of new plants from self-sown seeds. There are several species in addition to those listed, but they are seldom offered for sale because of their delicate nature. " Walter A. Kolaga, All About Rock Gardens and Plants

96 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 Tatroe garden in late summer. Plants include johnny-jump-ups, erigerons, Stachys lanata. photos, Randy Tatroe

In late summer. Plants include johnny-jump-ups, erigerons, Stachys lanata.

W;..'.

97 Oenothera caespitosa (p. 104)) photos, Randy Tatroe

Haplopappus spinosus (pp. 104,106)

98 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 Nepeta phyllochlamys (pp. 104,106) Penstemon fruticosus 'Lunsford Pink'

Panayoti Kelaidis (pp. 104f 105) Randy Tatroe

Helianthemum sp., (p. 105) Randy Tatroe Callirhoe involucrata (p. 104) Randy Tatroe

FLAG PATIO GONE AWRY

ACCIDENTALLY A ROCK GARDEN

by Marcia Tatroe

^A^hen we moved into our home mulch, reasoning that it would make a seven years ago, the front yard was a respectable soil amendment. By this typically unimaginative suburban time we'd already built several berms landscape consisting of lawn, a couple for rock gardens in the back yard. The of trees, and borders of junipers plan was to use the front exclusively mulched with several truckloads of for mixed borders, another of my red and black lava rock. We removed many gardening passions. Initially, we the junipers and a fireblight-ridden planted dozens of shrubs and trees in crabapple but left a badly placed pon- this 40' x 40' area—and consequently, derosa pine. It was, after all, the only have had to take a dozen or so back thing green remaining in the whole out as we regained our senses! Empty yard aside from the bluegrass. The landscapes inspire gardeners to this lawn was divided roughly into two sort of madness. levels by a low rock wall constructed For a few years we were content of unmortared local sandstone. This is with the way things developed. But an odd style that is hopefully unique since nobody in our house is a lawn to the Denver area—it results in a fancier, we soon tired of the thankless maintenance headache that has few hours that even a small lawn demand• rivals. We decided to keep the wall but ed of us. We found ourselves looking got rid of the grass between the wall around in earnest for a more reward• and the house. This area against the ing alternative. north side of the house was to be my We decided to build a front court• shade border (That was a bad idea as yard, with flagstone paving replacing it turned out. I'd completely underesti• the lawn and the mixed border pro• mated the strength of Colorado's early viding privacy from the street. Since morning sunlight and the damage it the front of our house faces north, this does to hostas, ferns, etc.). side is a more comfortable place to sit We also widened the existing bor• on a summer's afternoon than our ders around the remaining lawn and very hot brick terrace at the rear. We'd dug in various types of organic materi• admired a friend's flagstone patio al along with all that unsightly rock where woolly thyme almost entirely

101 obscures the stone, and we wanted did). We left spaces of two to five inch• ours to be somewhat similar—the look es between the stones to facilitate of a lawn without the water and fuss planting and weeding and then used a that grass requires. It was easy to single application of glyphosate to kill imagine the heady aroma of thyme any remaining exposed grass. (Several perfuming a warm summer evening as thicknesses of newspaper layered we enjoyed the borders, cool refresh• under the stones would kill the lawn ments in hand. It didn't turn out that just as effectively and eliminate entire• way—instead, our romantic courtyard ly the need for an herbicide.) evolved into yet another rock garden. Laying flagstone is like working a My non-gardening husband and giant jigsaw puzzle. We placed the son were pressed into service, and we largest pieces first, positioned some• commenced building in the summer of what randomly throughout the ter• 1991. We chose red flagstone because race. We next laid the stones on the it was the least costly of the handful of perimeter, leaving the edges quite colors available locally. The rust-red uneven so that the flower borders clashes with almost every imaginable would intrude onto the terrace at flower color but the trade-off is that places and soften the margins. Then the same hue contrasts attractively we placed the smaller stones, moving with the entire range of silver and them around until we were pleased green foliage tones. Thankfully, the with their arrangement. Lastly, we flagstone has aged to a duller version filled all the joints with pink and gray of its overly bright original red—or is pea gravel and built a bench in one it because hundreds of plants now corner with the same stone (these camouflage the color? Of course, pieces were cut squared and four inch• flower color wasn't even a considera• es thick). The plan was to leave the ter• tion at the time, because the stone was race alone until the following spring as to be covered with thyme. we wanted to be quite certain the lawn Flagstone comes in many thickness• was dead before planting the thyme. es. We opted for the two-inch size, fig• uring that it would be sturdy enough It was while that big space sat for our purposes. At the stone yard, empty and inviting that the trouble we looked for pallets that contained at started. It wasn't too long before I least a few pieces that were several decided that what the terrace really feet across. When the shipment was needed was a few planting pockets to delivered and unpacked we were interrupt all that unrelieved flatness. delighted to discover that quite a num• So, I removed a few medium-sized ber of the stones bore the imprint of stones and found much to my relief fossil ferns, an unexpected bonus. that the sod underneath was indeed Building our terrace was an easy dead. I filled those areas with lots of weekend's work. We laid the stones treasures from our local chapters' fall directly onto our previously pampered plant sale. When the snow melted in bluegrass lawn. This prompted spring I was pleased to see everything passersby to slow down and stare and had survived the winter well. not a few to stop and demand an At this point our original idea still explanation. We reasoned that in the might have had a chance if it hadn't heat of summer the stones would been for the arrival of our chapter's smother and rot the grass underneath spring plant sale. At these events, I (and we are happy to report that it tend to buy one of everything and

102 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 then come home to wander around the has disappeared. There has been some garden wondering where I can possi• flaking of the stone surfaces but no bly put it all. That spring I had two piece has actually cracked. A real flats of new plants that needed a advantage dead sod has over the more home, nowhere obvious to put them traditional sand and gravel subsurface and a big, tempting expanse of stone is that it's not as attractive to ants. and gravel. That's when the woolly Parts of the brick-on-sand patio in our thyme idea was abandoned entirely. backyard sink as much as two inches a This wasn't an ideal site for a rock year due to undermining by ants. garden. When we amended the soil in Weeds haven't been troublesome the adjoining borders we discovered either. With the sod left undisturbed heavy, sticky clay of the type that most of the weed seeds stay buried makes great pottery. The dead sod did and ungerminated. Thyme leaf spurge create about a six-inch layer of humus- (Euphorbia maculata) and annual grass• enriched soil on top, and that does es have been the worst offenders, but help considerably. The whole front it isn't unpleasant to sit on the warm yard is sloped gently toward the stones and pull these as they appear. street, which also aids drainage. However, if they were left to go to Another concern of ours was that the seed these and other weeds would heat that the dark stone soaks up on a very quickly become a nightmare of hot day—enough to blister bare feet!— Hollywood proportions. would cook the plants. A lighter-col• Our terrace needs little irrigation, ored, more effective stone might have which is good because dragging a hose been a better choice for our climate, across it does a lot of damage (we but fortunately the northern orienta• don't have an automatic sprinkler sys• tion limits the number of hours that tem). A few things have been behead• this side of our property really bakes, ed and others chopped out entirely by and it so hasn't been the problem we'd the hose as effectively as if we'd used feared. On the plus side, this area has a hoe. The flagstone makes a good reliable snow cover most winters in mulch and even when the stone gets the shadow of the house. really hot the soil underneath stays relatively cool and evenly moist. What is a pleasant surprise is how The dry wall hasn't been so success• many plants accept these conditions ful. The soil here dries out much too and thrive, from alpines to desert rapidly for most seedlings to easily species. In fact, quite a number of establish themselves. Additionally, plants have had to be evicted because every summer we experience one or they were much too happy. Seedlings two really strong storms that drop sev• of plants that never re-seeded in the eral inches of rain in an hour or less. borders have come up by the hun• Whenever this occurs, all too pre• dreds in joints between the flagstone. dictably, whatever soil and plants Placing the stones over live sod has there are in the crevices wash out. been a real success despite a few of Only Schivereckia podolica and a few our early misgivings. It's unnerving to sempervivums have so far been will• have any surface wobble underfoot so ing to put up with this routine. So I've we were worried about some rocking concentrated on plants that will cas• that occurred the first summer. As the cade over the wall instead. Artemisia soil compacted and settled under the 'Silver Brocade', Sedum 'Vera weight of the stones the unsteadiness Jameson', and Origanum laevigatum

FLAG PATIO GONE AWRY 103 0 |gJSJ2fSJ3MSMSMMMM2J^MSMMMSM2MMSJMMSJSMSM2MM I Plants for a Hot, Flagstone Patio 1 Acaena caesilglauca Penstemon caespitosus 'Claude 1 Antennaria carpathica Barr' I A. parvifolia 'McClintock' P. davidsonii Aubrieta sp. P. fruticosus 'Lunceford Pink' 1 Amsonia jonesii P. fruticosus 'Waxworks' I Arenaria tetraquetra P. purpusii Aurinia montana P. virens Bellium minutum Phacelia campanularia Bolax glebaria Phlox mesoleuca 1 Calamintha nepeta P. pulvinata 1 Callirhoe involucrata P. subulata cultivars Campanula cochlearifolia Potentilla nevadensis 1 Chaenactis douglasii P. nitida 1 Clematis hirsutissima Raoulia australis 1 Crassula sediformis Salvia argentea C. setula 'Curta' S. jurisicii 1 Dianthus freynii S. praetensis 1 D. 'Luminitzeri' Saponaria oliviana D. petraeus noeanus Saxifraga cuneifolia i D. Tikes Peak' S. 'MacNabiana' i D. plumarius 'Spotti' S. 'Mossy Red' Dorycnium hirsutum S. toyo-yatabusa SErinus alpinus Scabiosa columbiana 'Nana' Erodium chamaedryoides 'Roseum' Schiverekia podolica Euphorbia anacampseros Sedum pilosum i Genista pilosa Sempervivum varieties Haplopappus spinulosus Sphaeromeria capitata i Helianthemum nummularium Stachys chrysantha ! Helichrysum arenarium S. thirkei Kniphofia uvaria 'Primrose Beauty' Tanacetum niveum 1 Linum bulgaricum Thymus neceferii I Nepeta phyllochlamys T. serphyllum varieties m Oenothera caespitosa Veronica tauricola Onosma echioides 1 Papaver rhoeas 'Mother of Pearl' 1 Paronychia serpyllifolia 1 [°] fGMMEUMElMgJ^^

104 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 'Hopley's Purple' all cheerfully accept One of these, Salvia argentea, is real• the very dry, unstable soil behind the ly stunning in the flagstone with its rocks, their striking foliage providing huge, heavily felted leaves. This is the months of color and interest. first site in our garden where the state• Many more plants prefer the north- ly candelabra-like flower stalks can be facing shelter of the wall's base. appreciated as much as the foliage. Penstemon fruticosus varieties (photo, p. This plant shows itself best when 99) placed here are not so apt to burn viewed in silhouette, standing alone. up in our intense winter sun. These A few feet away, the upright leaves of penstemons always recover and bloom dwarf bearded iris help eliminate the well in any case but their evergreen boredom that might occur if every foliage helps the gardener maintain plant in the terrace was a softly some optimism during the midwinter mounding or spreading shape. doldrums. I've had a devil of a time Kniphofia uvaria 'Little Maid' and finding a spot in the garden acceptable Sisyrinchium sp. add more foliage to silver saxifrages. The rock garden spikes to other areas. berms in the backyard aren't sloped to Low mounds, mats, and ground the north steeply enough to prevent covers that aren't too vigorous are the saxifrages from frying on a really hot best forms for the majority of plants in day. Naturally these are my husband's the flagstone. We ended up planting favorite rock garden plants, and I thymes after all, since they are the despaired of ever successfully keeping ideal paving plant, creeping about and them alive for him. But I've discovered following the contours of the rocks. that the foot of the wall offers the ideal But instead of woolly thyme exclusive• combination of protection and bright ly, there are now a dozen different light that these plants require. varieties tucked here and there. Likewise, mossy saxifrages and Scented types fill the air with a hint of Saxifraga toyo-yatabusa do well here. nutmeg, caraway, lemon, and lime on Surprisingly, so does dryland Phlox warm days. Most unusual is Thymus pulvinata. neceferii with its soft, juniper-like tex• ture that is literally smothered with In planting the flagstone, I strive for tiny magenta flowers in May. All of a lot of texture by varying leaf form, the thymes are profuse bloomers and size, and color, as well as giving some so easy to grow that they tend to be consideration to attractive color com• taken for granted by rock gardeners. binations. I like to arrange plants casu• Some are too robust for the timid, but ally in loose clusters using uneven even those aren't difficult to shear numbers and irregular spacings. To back when they get out of bounds. All further soften the edges I generally the thymes are evergreen for us, but pull one or two plants away from the variegated thyme takes center stage in others, allowing them to intermingle winter, its silver-edged leaves blushed with adjacent plant groups. with rose tints beautifully comple• menting the stone. Those plants that intend to over• take and smother their neighbors are In hotter spots of the terrace, diverse tossed out. A few larger, bolder, or Helianthemum cultivars form tight mats vertical plants scattered throughout that bloom for many weeks (photo, p. the paving provide accents to stop the 99). Genista pilosa stays very close to the eye, acting much like punctuation on ground, slowly spreading across the a written page. stone to become a sunny burst of yellow

FLAG PATIO GONE AWRY 105 in the spring. Dorycnium hirsutum is a appreciate them in complete safety pretty little silver-leafed shrublet whose and relative comfort. early flush of pink and white flowers is I've allowed several annuals to self- followed by the even more attractive sow throughout the flagstone. Phacelia seedpods that persist throughout the campanularia, with its bright blue, bell- summer and fall. Bolax glebaria hugs the shaped blossoms is perhaps the best stone tightly, its starbursts of bright behaved, only popping up here and evergreen foliage never fading. The sil• there in empty spaces. Papaver rhoes vers of Sphaeromeria capitata and Haplo- 'Mother of Pearl' is the exact opposite pappus spinulosus (photo, p. 98) literally and is especially unwelcome when it shimmer in the heat of summer. comes up in the middle of an estab• Veronica tauricola, a soft gray, lacy lished cushion. Even so, I wouldn't spreader not more than an inch tall, has choose to forgo these beautiful pop• tiny, starry, blue flowers and blooms on pies with their soft, muted tones sug• and off for most of the summer. gesting the exotic richness of a silk Of course, Sempervivum spp. sari. I just resolve to pull out hundreds couldn't be left out—the red or blue of misplaced seedlings. Most rock gar• varieties are wonderful against the red deners will now collectively cringe but stone. Each rosette has rapidly grown I also permit dozens of Johnny jump- into a large colony. In one corner, a ups to lend their sweet charm to the mat of Raoulia australis weaves attrac• general spring chaos. As with all of the tively through a group of large red other annuals, when they get too big I sempervi vums. simply weed them out. A dozen species of Dianthus dot the There are now far too many plants paving, some quite tight and prickly to to use this area for entertaining. the touch, creating perfect little Walking through this part of the gar• mounds, others lax and floppy in den is like playing a game of hop• stature. Foliage ranges from silvery scotch—a bit tricky with a drink in blues through soft greens. All sport hand! Still it's a pleasant place to relax, cheerful, star-shaped flowers in shades and I find myself sitting out there of pinks and whites, most smelling most afternoons drinking coffee and sweetly of cloves. pulling up poppies. Looking back, I The flagstone is the perfect site to still think our original plan of replac• enjoy plants whose flowers are so ing the lawn with flagstone and wool• small that they are best viewed on ly thyme was a good one. In our semi- hands and knees but whose growth is arid climate it would have been an too vigorous for the confines of a attractive, water-conserving replace• trough. (This eliminates the need to ment for bluegrass. However, balance precariously on a rock while serendipity has created a garden much trying to get really, really close up on a richer in diversity and texture than berm.) Stachys chrysantha and Nepeta we'd ever imagined. It's a constant phylloclamys are just two examples. source of pleasure, surprise, and Both possess outstanding silver, tex- delight. tural foliage, and they might reason• ably be grown for that alone. But their Marcia Tatroe gardens near Aurora, tiny and subtle flowers are among the Colorado, with the aid of several enthu• prettiest in my garden and shouldn't siastic helpers, including husband Randy be overlooked. When they're in bloom and CKC spaniel Pepper. She has been I can sit on the flagstone and fully rock gardening for seven years.

106 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 WESTERNERS GO EAST

GETTING STARTED

by James L. Jones

X he growing of western plants is subject of this article. not a novel topic in the Bulletin of the The challenge in growing those is American Rock Garden Society. Each clear-cut: get rid of ground water as writer has had something new to add, quickly as possible and reduce humid• one more necessary—though not nec• ity, particularly at times of maximum essarily sufficient—condition for the heat. My approach has been to use management of these touchy subjects. raised beds and impoverished soil. (I A synthesis of all these tips would be haven't had enough courage of my very useful—but here I will merely convictions yet to grow in sand beds.) contribute my own set of necessary I've raised enough species to flower• conditions. ing size to satisfactorily demonstrate I'm using the term "western plants" that this principle works, e.g.: for that subset of species from west of Argemone pleiacantha is a perennial the great Mississippi that have a pre• version of the striking white poppy so carious relationship with moisture, tol• common in the Denver area. Its peren• erating only so much and no more in nial quality is its saving grace; other• air and soil. This touchiness seems to wise it can only be described as sparse be at the base of the various forms of and sprawling, out to 40 cm, though demise we see here in the Northeast— the occasional flower, large and com• root rot, leaf mush, or whatever. In pelling, borne in August, amply addition, a subset of that subset, from redeems it in my eyes. It is easily higher up the mountains, does not grown in a raised bed, blooming the handle unremitting summer heat well first year from seed. and demands every plant's dream: Calylophus (Oenothera) hartwegii is moist but well-drained soil. An very similar to Calylophus serrulata, an approximation of moraine conditions excellent, long-blooming, ground-hug• may satisfy these, with evaporative ging plant with square yellow flowers. cooling offsetting the summer mugs. Calylophus serrulata, in all its locations Otherwise, these alpines are even in my garden, did not reappear after more difficult to satisfy than the desert the very cold winter of '93-'94, while and prairie plants that are the primary C. hartwegii sailed through (as

107 seedlings), then went on to bloom, in a portionately large (but still small) pink raised bed, July through September. In flowers in May. To be seen at all this time, this forms a 40-cm-square mat. requires the prominence of a raised Coryphantha vivipara is an absolutely bed, even though it seems adaptable to indestructible ball cactus, though defi• all kinds of situations, even rather nitely it illustrates the cultural concept: moist soil. the higher, the drier, the better. It puts No, I won't go into a long diatribe out its eye-catching pink flowers for a on the backbone genus Penstemon, but rather short time in early June and oth• I will point out three that I've found erwise sits there looking exotic and particularly rewarding. Penstemon alpi- increasing steadily, my 15-year-old nus must be highly variable in nature, specimen now having a dozen balls because mine hardly fits the various forming a clump 20 cm across. Another descriptions I've seen. But I'm quite amenable ball is Pediocactus simpsonii, satisfied with a plant that is low-grow• bearing pink flowers three weeks earli• ing (10 cm) and puts out the most gor• er; it grows at a much slower rate. geous sky-blue flowers just in time to Erigeron scopulinus I consider a harmonize with those of Coryphantha must, a mat-forming, evergreen, solid• in June. Flowers were borne on plants ly perennial daisy. It's true that the one year old from seed. Penstemon white flowers, borne in May, are eatonii has been the most pleasant of rather sparse (at least in this neck of surprises, a superior plant that is NOT the woods; in Colorado, they are difficult to grow. In fact, I have it in foliage-obscuring), but any truly flat, the open garden, a more appropriate well-behaved ground cover for a place than the rock garden given its raised bed has to be welcome. substantial size, 30-40 cm. Brilliant red Eriogonum umbellatum was my first flowers appear in June. Penstemon pini- western Eriogonum to bloom, requiring folius should be considered THE basic five years from seed. Its cream-yellow penstemon, easy-going and long- flowers were held nicely aloft in June blooming. It will succeed in the open over the mat of attractive foliage. I garden but seems to bloom longer and grow it in a raised bed, but it's vigor• better in a raised bed. Red flowers are ous enough that it might do well in the produced June through August on a open garden. It is readily divided. 20-cm, bushy plant. It flowers in one Hymenoxys subintegra presents a year from seed. quandary. How to deal with a biennial Townsendia includes more mono- that requires raised bed conditions but carpic daisies, though generally they looks awful as it finishes flowering spare me the pain of the seed develop• and goes to seed? Who has raised beds ment process, going directly from fair• tucked into obscure parts of their gar• ly inglorious flowering to the grave. den, where such disasters can take However, there are two that I can rec• place, out of sight, out of mind? ommend: T. formosa, which at least However, seed is widely available, so gives a good display of violet flowers one doesn't have to rely on producing and then, without too much fuss, pro• one's own. The first-year mop of sil• vides a crop of seeds; and T. florifera (I ver-gray foliage is well worth the think; it came as Haplopappus), which is effort of dealing with the muss that at least more than monocarpic and follows. blooms nicely in July, with light purple Lewisia pygmaea has tiny tufts of nar• flowers as per illustration in Alpines of row foliage to 2 cm high, with dispro• the Americas (plate prior to p. 151).

108 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 These are successes among many Pricking Out failures. The bottleneck in my western When, oh when, to prick out? "When plant pipeline, and the specific issue I the first true leaves show" is the want to discuss, has been raising received wisdom, but for western plants from seed to the size that will plants and dryland species in general see them self-sustaining. that might be quite counter-produc• tive. Many of these plants spend their Sowing and Germination. first few weeks producing roots in a Much, much, has been written about free-for-all to claim the greatest possi• sowing techniques: about medium to ble amount of the sparse medium. The some extent, but primarily about treat• longer the gardener waits, the more ment of the seeds, including scarifica• the roots will be intertwined. I usually tion, stratification, temperature separate the seedlings as soon as the regimes, etc. My own experience has cotyledon leaves have opened up and been that simple stratification (seed settled down. By and large this works, pots placed outside under shelter for but there are losses, particularly one, two, or three winter months, among Astragalus spp., one of the depending on when seed arrives) suf• major genera contending for the one- fices for at least 82% of the species. That per-pot concept. is to say, the grand average of germina• It is at this stage that I attempt to tion of 76 western species ordered from impose some self-discipline, trans• three of our western suppliers in winter planting the seedlings two per pot (I 1993-94 was that at least some seed ger• use the same pots for seedlings as for minated in 82% of seed lots sown. seed) into a limited number of pots However, it is entirely possible that (typically six) and throwing the rest greater attention to individual detail away\ It hurts, but space is limited (see could have resulted in additional and below), and the ultimate goal is diver• more profuse germination. sity, after all. The two-per-pot My medium for sowing and grow• approach works quite well when the ing on is a mixture of equal parts by time comes for potting on or planting volume of coarse sand and shredded out, a division into halves causing peat. That used for the seeds is steril• minimal disruption. ized by 45 minutes in a 325°F oven, done when I have the house to myself, Summer Care as it doesn't smell like cinnamon and We have now come to the crux of sugar while it's cooking. my message, the true stumbling-block Seeds are sown one packet to a pot in my experience in getting western 7 cm. in diameter. One seed per pot plants into the garden. The problem would probably lead to a good deal again is in the balance between too better subsequent survival, but the much and too little water. The nursery sheer quantity of varieties sown this bed that I use for seedlings of more year made that impractical. standard garden plants is too fat and Another option is to sow seed smothering for the westerners, while directly where the plants are to grow. individual seedling pots are too prone This in fact seemed quite the best way to drying out in the heat of summer in the normally moist summer of '92, (unless the gardener is prepared to be but it failed utterly in the droughts of on hand and alert throughout the sea• '93 and '94. Nature holds sway in the son). The solution, in my case, has garden as well as in the wild. been the plunge bed.

WESTERNERS Go EAST 109 Now, the plunge bed is something in particular during those periods of a mystical experience. Without when I was away, the task then being question it works, but how does it entrusted to a mechanical timer. This work? I use styrofoam cups for was not generally disruptive to the seedling pots, ruling out any possibili• seedlings, though I have no doubt ty of transference of moisture through some were lost that wouldn't have the walls, but nonetheless drying is been if all watering had been done by greatly retarded. Well, granted there hand. are some obvious factors at work— Note that I haven't said anything what isn't obvious is that they should about feeding. I don't feed my make such a difference. First, the seedlings, and the plants don't seem to plunge medium, once again sand and care. Mild feeding might speed growth, peat moss, is going to remain moister but the little experimentation I've and cooler than the air, on both done suggests it could equally be accounts retarding transpiration and detrimental. evaporation. Second, there will be some capillary movement of water Planting Out through the drainage hole. Third, as Even with the best care these west• the plants become larger and more ern species grow slowly, often produc• moisture-demanding the roots may ing only tiny tuffets by the end of make their way through the drainage summer. The plunge bed, elevated as hole into the medium below (which it is, would probably be too cold a can have its own hazards when the winter home for these, and the nursery time comes to lift the pot). Fourth, is no more hospitable in winter than it there is substantial protection from would have been in summer. drying winds. Fifth, the stability of the Something must be done before cold plunged pots makes it easier to water weather arrives. them. The most obvious and desirable Even with the buffering benefits of course is to put the seedlings in their a plunge, watering remains the key to permanent homes—raised bed, rock success. My major point here is that garden or whatever. This of course has over-watering is not likely to be a mat• its own hazards: plant too early and ter of concern during this period of the new little plants may succumb to active growth of young dryland the lingering dryness of summer; too plants. However, I tested this thesis in late and the roots will not be well- 1994, which featured a summer of established before hard freezes. I exceptional heat and dryness. There myself have lost many more plants to was no rain to confound my thesis that dryness than to freezes and so have abundant water does no harm. A sum• learned to restrain myself until the mer that strayed in equal degree from rains come in October. It appears that the norm towards wetness might put there still remains ample time for the lie to my claim, but I believe that establishment, which may have some• the freely-draining medium of my thing to do with the already-men• pots and plunge frame would be able tioned vigor of the root systems of to handle whatever natural moisture these plants. came along. An alternative is to over-winter the Over the course of the summer I plants in an alpine house. I do this for watered pots individually and, from a sampling of my seedlings, giving time to time, en masse with a sprinkler, first priority to the later-germinating

110 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 ones. For most species this works well, even in a greenhouse like mine that Table 1 goes well below freezing. Here again I Success Rate with Western Plants plunge the pots: in my standard medi• um in a lower bed, in perlite in sus• Year 1994 1993 pended beds. The plants weather the cold without harm, break into growth Number germinated early, and are ready to plant out in 62 27 early May while spring moisture is Number surviving at end of sum• still abundant. These plants will be mer substantially larger than those planted 38 15 in the fall. Percentage surviving I've lauded the plunge bed highly, 61% 47% but are there solid facts to back up this adulation? Plunging was initiated in 1994. See Table one for the results. I tion (a draconian measure indeed). referred above to the 82% return on 76 I'd like to conclude with a sampling species in 1994; in 1993 I sowed 32 of the beneficiaries of the plunge bed: species from 2 suppliers, with 84% Amsonia jonesii (how could I resist that germination. The summer of '93 was name?), Asclepias cryptoceras, Epilobium just as fierce as that of '94. obcordatum, Erigeron tweedyi, Lewisia This is clearly a step in the right rediviva, Penstemon rostriflorus, Physaria direction. With this respectable basic didymocarpa, Sphaeralcea coccinea, success rate, it now begins to make Scutellaria nana, Spraguea umbellata... sense to fuss more over details—spe• I can't go on. Spring is too far away. cific germination requirements, more But I have every hope and expectation painstaking attention to each species, that these westerners will be there to etc. Reducing the number of species greet me when the snow finally melts. sown would clearly help focus atten-

Jim Jones has been gardening for some 30 years. His first love was the bird-of-par- adise ilk, but gradually his sights have been lowered to cold alpine houses, alliums, and such wee mounds as Vitaliana. He lives in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Haplopappus acanlis

WESTERNERS Go EAST 111 112 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 HEUCHERAS

A FEW GOOD CHOICES

by Grahame Ware

Cjardeners have seen a wave of want something really compelling and Heuchera cultivars come crashing onto enduring. However, the wave of mod• the horticultural shore in the past few ern new hybrids did strike an upbeat years. Heuchera 'Palace Purple' was the note with its bright venation and jang- outrider of all the commercial action, ly silvered leaves. as it was chosen Plant of the Year in 1991 by the Perennial Plant Associa• Species for the Rock Garden tion. With that selection began a sig• Whereas the cottage gardener or nificant trend towards promotion of hardy plant devotee would be more foliage plants, or, more properly, this likely to have many woodland-type trend regained momentum. heucheras at the feet of their rhodo• Unfortunately, 'Palace Purple' is far dendrons, the rock gardener would from the best heuchera, and it was more probably seek out the wild quickly eclipsed by much better species. Here follows an incantation hybrids such as Heuchera 'Pewter Veil', for crevice heucheras, a few of the bet• 'Pewter Moon', and Persian Carpet' ter ones that I have known and loved. (all infuriatingly similar, with silver Heuchera cylindrica is quite wide• overlays on the leaves.) spread throughout western North These woodland-type heucheras America. It is commonly referred to as along with 'Ruffles', 'Chocolate alumroot. It likes north- or west-facing Ruffles', and 'Ruby Ruffles' remind cracks in rock, especially granitic me of some pop music group that puts rocks. Its substrate has usually been out three almost indistinguishable furnished by moss and lichen "com• albums in a single year to cash in post." This species also flourishes in immediately on their popularity. One talus at higher elevations. Vernal little ditty sounds like another—could moisture coupled with a huge taproot it be the Terra Nova Bossa Nova we're provide the simple formula for sur• hearing? In the garden many of the vival. Remember, heucheras are sax• hybrids are like pop music, whereas ifrage relatives. the species remain the classics. You In spring, Heuchera cylindrica sends always come back to these when you out quite significant stems up to a foot

113 or more tall. Variety glabella is the Scalloped leaves about half an inch in most common form in Montana and diameter form a clump 3-4" across in a most of Idaho and Washington yet is few years. It bears a profusion of very almost never found in British pretty white bell flowers about 1/4" Columbia or Alberta. Variety alpina long on stout stems to 8" tall. This can be found in the Wenatchee makes an excellent pot plant and is Mountains south to northeastern bound to win prizes on the bench if California. The road to Lion's Head you can get it to a show at the proper and Table Mountain in the moment. Wenatchees is loaded with this variety growing in the talus and scree beside Very similar is Heuchera pulchella Forest Service roads. Then there is the from mountainous New Mexico. This variety cylindrica, intermediate to the species has the added allure of pink• other varieties and growing from the ish-red flowers and more precious Rocky Mountains to the Cascades. dimensions. Everything is smaller Botanical differences between these except the flowers, and the leaves take varieties include the degree of hairi• on red edges and tints in summer, pro• ness of the stems and petioles, so it's a viding a nice contrast to the rest of the real taxonomic festival with the lOx plant. Rocky Mountain Rare Plants hand lens! offered a fine type from Bernalillo Viewed from the perspective of the County, New Mexico, 10,600' eleva• rock gardener, H. cylindrica var. cylin• tion, numbered 92-255, in their seed drica is simply the biggest and the catalog in the autumn of 1992. I have hairiest. Heuchera cylindrica var. alpina several plants from that seed, and I've is smaller in all its parts and has used them in a variety of sites and rounder leaves, while H. cylindrica var. exposures. Rick Lupp's mail order glabella is the most glabrous. I have an nursery, Mt. Tahoma, also offers this adorable form of alpina that is very species. This plant is as sweet and dense and tight with leaves not more choice as it gets in a genus that does than 3/8" across. seem to have been bypassed when In all these varieties the flowers are charisma was bestowed. creamy-white and are an extremely popular cocktail with wild bees and Both H. hallii and H. pulchella will bumblebees. Bees are always foraging take more sun than H. cylindrica or H. on these plants, working for the nec• merriamii. This last-named species is tar. As in many species of Cotoneaster, the best crevice workhorse in my the bee must push back the slightly unusual Fortune Creek boulder-and- enclasping rim of the petals to push crevice rock structure. Now if that her proboscis in and get at the nectar. seems like a winner in an odd catego• Perhaps the challenge is part of the ry, let me explain further. Heuchera fun! merriamii occupies several crevices in Any form of Heuchera cylindrica what were yawning gaps between makes a good addition to the wild gar• boulders. It's not only the premier util• den, although forms other than alpina ity worker in this section of the gar• may be considered a tad declasse for den, it is also very pretty. The repeti• the more sophisticated rock gardener. tion of many individual plants of this species provides a unifying force in Heuchera hallii is a tough little gem my design. Heuchera merriamii never from Colorado (photo, p. 117). overwhelms or calls too much atten-

114 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 tion to itself. It is just there, naturaliz• Jepson Manual suggests that H. merri• ing, providing a delicate backdrop for amii is just a higher provenance form other plants. of H. pilosissima. Heuchera merriamii has white flow• Heuchera merriamii is small enough ers typical of the genus, dangling from in scale to look good in a trough. The brown stalks 6-10" tall. This heuchera brightly pebbled, scalloped, evergreen grows very well on a fairly exposed leaves are especially appreciated in the site in coarse, mineral rich sand. Mine dark days of winter when there is not is gray, granitic sand with flecks of much else to look at. In short, H. merri• green given by copper and potassium amii is a real winner! and, dare I say it? compounds, and reds from boron and a classic. iron. Heuchera merriamii has nice dimensions, neither too dainty nor too Another California alumroot, from robust. After three year's growth, it farther east in the Sierra Nevada, is should be about 6" across. The leaves Heuchera rubescens. In the Mt. Shasta are a brighter shade of green than area it prefers dry, rocky sites between those of most heucheras, giving the 6,000' and 10,000' elevation. The plant a hautier presence in shaded Jepson Manual lists four varieties. The sites than many of its more dully col• most popular among rock gardeners is ored cousins. Did I mention that it is variety alpicola (photo, p. 117). It usual• thoroughly evergreen in the ostensibly ly bears wide, foamy panicles of harsh winter of my North Okanagan snowy white flowers on stalks from 6- garden? Heuchera merriamii is native 12" tall, although, as one might infer high in the northern coastal mountains from the varietal name, its flowers of California in Siskiyou County. The may on occasion be reddish-pink. Munz Manual of California Flora sug• gested that H. merriamii is "possibly of Heuchera glabra is the most robust hybrid origin between H. pilosissima species discussed to this point, and H. rubescens," whereas the new although it stops well short of the pro-

Heuchera rubescens var. alpicola Troy Boy' HEUCHERAS 115 totypical coral bells (H. sanguined and than the type found in Idaho and the its hybrids). Smooth or alpine alum• Steens Mountains. However, that form root is a glossy-leaved native growing has its positive characteristics to be in a wide latitudinal swath from sure. This species does well without Alaska to Mt. Hood in Oregon. It fussing in West Coast gardens and has ranges in altitude from sea level to a generous share of demure charm. above timberline. The form that inter• ests me is from the Mt. Hood area. It Heuchera parvifolia is an excellent takes more heat and rockier soils and crevice species for the rock garden. It is a little more compact than others I has a wide range of occurrence from have tried. The leaves are also broader Montana south through the Rockies to and more crinkled. It works like a Arizona. It is usually found in crevices dream in my garden in the transition or scree slopes in alpine tundra. zone between wild woodland and Flowers are a soft yellow, and the rock garden, and also in perennial leaves are quite small (1"). It works beds. The leaves take on wonderful well with many structural and color tints of maroon and soft purple in the schemes in the rock garden. Sow autumn, and the veins become so directly in crevices for the best result, prominent they seem to jump right out or plant into the garden in early spring at you. This species shows much poly• when the seedlings are only a few morphism, with many leaf forms with• weeks old. Part shade in the afternoon in a population. Deposits of varying is preferred for most sites and loca• amounts of anthocyanin (a red-purple tions. Unfortunately, this one hasn't plant dye that turns redder with cold been on seed exchange lists for quite a weather) around the veins of the while. leaves gives different forms very dif• ferent looks. Breeders and plant peo• Heuchera micrantha is worth grow• ple are exploring these variations and ing as well. I'm sure it its one of the using them to produce all manner of most widely grown by rock gardeners, cultivar selections. The new growth of along with H. cylindrica. Small-flow• H. glabra in spring has a delightful ered alumroot, as H. micrantha is com• zesty effect due to the leaf patterns. monly known, has nice little side Heuchera glabra requires more water branches from which the little creamy- and moisture than the rock crevice white bells hang. This gives the inflo• species of the high mountains, and rescence an airy look that some of the therefore it also accepts regular garden smaller crevice heucheras don't have. regimes on the West Coast with more The popular new cultivar Heuchera aplomb. You have to like this one! 'Ruffles' is a selection of this species. It looks marvelous once it establishes The Columbia River Gorge is home itself in the garden. I love to use it in to so many rock garden beauties that the corners of boulder beds where its do so well in the climates from profuse foliage comes bursting out Victoria to Vernon. Heuchera grossulari- and over the rocks. This gives a softer folia is one. The currant-leaf alumroot edge to the ending of the garden. is a perky little thing that flourishes in 'Ruffles' stays in flower over a long the talus slopes and shady cliffs from period. Some believe 'Palace Purple' is Hood River to the Dalles in Oregon. a selection of H. micrantha as well. This slender-leaved variety, variety Others, however, attribute its parent• tenuifolia, is larger and more handsome age to the eastern woodland species,

116 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 Heuchera bracteata (p. 125) Heuchera hallii (p. 114)

Henchera rubescens var. alpicola (p. 115) photos, Panayoti Kelaidis

117 118 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 Talinum brevifolium (p. 93) Talinum sediforme (=okanaganense ) Talinum brevifolium (p. 93) Panayoti Kelaidis Panayoti Kelaidis

120 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2

122 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2

124 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 Heuchera americana. I'm in the ameri• practical and aesthetic priorities and cana camp. leave taxonomy to others. We will, no doubt, be seeing more and more inter• Charles Oliver of Primrose Path esting hybrids from gardens and nurs• nursery in Pennsylvania has done eries with, hopefully, an emphasis on some lovely work with heucheras. His cultivars for the rock garden. miniature hybrids (H. hallii x H. pul- The species, however, will always chella) are vigorous little dears that sing the sweetest songs. Yes, I include spew forth myriads of creamy, pink- with these even the natural hybrids. tinged flowers on 10" stems. Oliver has What would music be without the har• also crossed the diminutive H. hallii mony of individual notes blending with a bright red clone of what must into a rich chord filling the air with be the most common garden hybrids, sweet sounds and lifting the soul of H. x bryoides, itself an uncertain the listener. melange of H. sanguined, H. micrantha, While I'm in a confessional posture, and even H. americana. The resulting I must admit that I grow many peren• "Pikes Peak Hybrids" should be of nial and woodland types of coralbells interest and worthy of exploring for as well. I just can't help myself. further trial and selection. 'Firefly' and 'Pewter Veil' are here, Oliver has also crossed H. x bryoides along with young plants of 'Apple with H. pubescens, a native of the Blossom', 'Chocolate Ruffles', 'Ring of Appalachian shale barrens, to come up Fire', 'Carousel', 'Jack Frost', 'Frosty', with another group called the Larenim 'White Marble', and more. I just whis• Hybrids. tle a happy tune, and put aside my Heucheras are quite cosmopolitan fears that my status as a rock gardener in their tastes and attractions and not might somehow be lost. I'd always afraid even to step outside their genus rather try "both" than choose "one or if it suits them. Thus, the bi-generic the other." phenomenon—x Heucherella, a cross I'm still looking out for H. bracteata made with Tiarella. Again, several (photo, p. 117), H. versicolor, H. duranii, selections as to color and aspect have and H. parishii for possible inclusion in been made that will add even more the rock garden. Search for them in the interest to woodland and rock gar• seed exchanges and the catalogs of dens, especially in the Eastern United Northwest Native Seed, Southwest States. Native Seed, Gardens North, Alplains, Rocky Mountain Rare Plants, etc. As you can deduce, heucheras hybridize readily and easily. Even the Growing heucheras from seed Jepson Manual suggests that this These plants are easily raised from genus needs monographic study. How seed. They require little, if any, condi• many really bedrock species are there tioning. The most straightforward in this multifaceted genus? Does the method of production is to sow the variation between species simply seed directly into pots of the prover• reflect the impact of environmental bial gritty soil mix and place outside in factors in shaping the morphology of early spring. Place number two chick• plants? As gardeners, do we really en grit over the freshly planted seed. care? Not deeply, methinks. And why You might want to do what Jack Elliott should we? I believe, as rock garden• does to get a well-drained mix and use ers, we should concern ourselves with the chicken grit in the soil mix itself, as

HEUCHERAS 125 he recommended at last year's If you plant into a crevice, follow Western Winter Study Weekend. I the usual steps. Don't forget to place a have had even the high alpine types small rock underneath the heuchera so such as H. hallii and H. pulchella germi• that any snow load and rain will not nate well with this outside method. cause it to slip out of the crevice. There is little problem with damping Rocks placed this way usually look off when grown outside. nice as well. I like to leave the seedlings in a pot until their roots have reached the bot• Heuchera species may not be at the tom of a 3 l/2"-4" pot. They seem to top of everyone's list of sought-after transplant better. Grow them on in acquisitions. There is no dramatic deep pots. Styroblocks of the type unfolding of huge, showy flowers, no used by forest nurseries, generally 6" forget-me-not blue, no irresistible tight deep, are excellent for this purpose. buns. Yet these plants are a solid ele• Look for the wide-celled types 2-3" ment well worth having, plants that across. These pots are great for over• lend structure to the garden on a daily wintering as well as oversummering, basis. Try some in a trough or crevice, because they reflect the sun and work and notice how they add cohesion to to keep the roots cool. your rock garden. Micropropagation is also effortless. Drawings above by Rebecca Day- Plant out new seedlings in early Skowron; below by Panayoti Kelaidis. autumn, being careful to label, and, if you are planting in the open garden, Grahame Ware gardens in Armstrong, use a solid stick on the north side of British Columbia. the plant leaning forward to protect the plant. This will prevent distur• bance by cats or other small animals during the winter.

Telesonix jamesii

126 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 YEAR OF THE HOOP HOUSE

1994 at Fort Courage

by Ev Whittemore

Don't get me wrong! I love to tric space heaters. We do this when the garden in North Carolina. But some• temperature threatens to go below times the challenge thrown down by 17°F. Two automatic vents on the west the climate can be a bit too much. One side open at 70°F and close at 40°F. week in October brought us 4" of rain. There are oscillating fans in front of During three weeks of summer we each vent. Two more vents are oppo• were gifted with 16". And when the site on the west side, so the air can sun shines hot and bright on my move over the plant beds and flow water-filled alpines, they frequently outside. Since this house is south-fac• object and die. ing and no shading is used in summer, Some plants, such as phloxes, poly- a top exhaust fan kicks on at 75F°. galas, most aquilegias, Dianthus, Iberis, Here I grow my dionysias, alpine and Erigeron roll with the punches and daphnes, raoulias, Rhodohypoxis, the keep growing. Put Campanula, Primula choicer species of Draba, and some allionii forms, the good species of acantholimons. And, if you know me, Draba or Androsace, any Dionysia or you will understand that "miscella• Astragalus outside, and I can just about neous" plants are always included. say good-bye to them. I decided this I needed a controlled and shady state of affairs was unacceptable. growing area, so construction of H.H. Bruce and I knew something had to be #2 began August 19th. Conifers and done to keep the gardener—and shrubs were transplanted from the cook—happy. Since he can do plumb• construction site, and the clay subsoil ing, electrical work, and carpentry, was removed. Being older and wiser while being less than successful at (and lazier?), we now rototill the clay ornamental gardening, there was no and we wheelbarrow it away for fill, doubt as to what he would contribute. then rototill another layer, which saves Our first attempt at climate control some really hard digging. was several years ago when we built We had various bits and pieces of our first hoop house. Enclosed on all material from other projects, like the sides and fairly airtight, Hoop House construction of cold frames and H.H. #1 can be heated if necessary by elec• #1, and we intended to use these as

127 Hi'-r^'A--? *€ ' ' : - : ' .{.w*'-- j^PBB^-; / 'ysk'y - much as possible. We didn't want to shelves. I will grow seedlings pay to dump it at the dump "some• "hard" here. The top shelf contains day." Transylvania County has a poli• seed pots reluctant to germinate which cy of charging for each bag of rubbish. need protection from excessive rains. We don't like to pay these dump fees An oscillating fan on the north side and are into recycling here. at ground level keeps air moving at all By the 23rd of August, Bruce was times. The greenhouse poly on the putting up supports for the 1" tubing opposite side can be rolled up 3', so which would hold the greenhouse that air moves over the beds and out. poly. Automatic vents were built into the top of the east and west sides of I had given thought as to what I the house. The poly-covered sections planned to grow here, so appropriate on these sides and the door (recycled soil was added with a path of grit from another project) can be removed through the middle of the bed. A base and filed away during hot weather. A of creek sand for drainage was topped length of removable 60%-shade by a gritty, humusy soil. Campanulas screening is attached north to south in are the main crop here, and within mid March.Two large shelves were three months Campanula argyrotricha, constructed on the back wall, the side C. raineri, and C. piperi forms are that abuts the garage foundation, with spreading. Campanula alpina, C. zoysii, the order to "Make them strong! I and C. rotundifolia ssp. arctica caught don't want my pots to fall." Since H.H. hold. Several areas where Campanula #2 isn't air tight and will have no aux• seeds were sown directly are being iliary heat, Plexiglas was used to watched closely for germination. enclose the area between the top and Ourisia microphylla and Harrimanella

128 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 stelleriana get extra water. Phlox adsur- electricity for the oscillating fans. We gens and a dwarf form of Cornus used 2/3" 20'-long PVC pipes to make canadensis are doing well mulched the hoops. The supporting wood and with chopped pine needles. All other ridge pole were sturdily constructed to plants have a small size rock mulch. be effective during strong winds. This house was to be constructed different• Since H.H. #2 was immediately too ly from the others, with greenhouse small, we started H.H. #3 September poly used only on the hoops from 12. This was to be on a slope naturally north to south while the east and west shaded by trees, rhododendrons, and sides were left open. I didn't want to laurel. Clearing this area for a 12' x 14' protect the plants here from tempera• hoop house wasn't easy. Bruce chain- tures, but only from rain. I also pro• sawed the rhododendron and laurel, vide guaranteed air movement. and I mattocked out the roots. When Our two oscillating fans are on the the roots were too deep and huge for north side and directly opposite we me to remove, we both worked on are able to roll the poly covering up them. Even though we both disliked about 3', so there is good air move• the job, it was necessary, since the ment across the beds in the growing stumps are 100% guaranteed to re- season. While checking things over sprout, and we didn't want this in the one day, we noticed rain going into new house. the end of the bed on the top of the By September 19 all the roots were slope. An addition of a small poly removed and the slope rototilled. canopy section controlled this problem Bruce put down 4" x 4" preserved tim• and even in driving rain all is dry. The bers for a foundation and brought in woodland soil wasn't too bad, so creek

YEAR OF THE HOOP HOUSE 129 Hoop I Duse #4 sand, grit, and fourteen 40 lb. bags of for me. After working on leaf control cow/compost were rototilled together. for five weeks and catching up on var• I've always loved saxifrages and ious jobs, we started H.H. #4 on wondered if I could grow them better December 2. than on the outside saxifrage slope in We were getting desperate for a the east garden. A tufa slope now place to put another house as we holds many of them. Who could not didn't have anymore land obviously love the many Primula allionii forms? A available. I chose a spot I thought generous friend in England sent me a would do near the other three hoop lovely collection of seedlings, which houses. It was on a more severe slope are now situated near the fans to keep than H.H. #3 , but I figured we must their leaves from excessive wet. I will have learned something while build• try some of my Calceolaria uniflora ing it and could cope. seedlings here...surely someday I can Part of the south rock garden and say I can grow them. Androsaces and the conifers and azaleas on the wood• douglasias might like this house better land side had to be removed. I moved than the frames in front of the garden some of them to landscape H.H. #3 shed. A good part of the fun in grow• and used others as fillers in the other ing lies in experimenting with new rock gardens on the property. The conditions and soils. rocks were removed from the rock Now hold on to your hats, folks! garden, some to be used in the new This still wasn't enough hoop house house. Forty plants were potted to re-

130 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 landscape the outside of H.H. #4 after Greenhouse Film covers the house. construction, since we had to clear The east and west ends of the house extra area to work. Rock mulch and are not covered. This is as technical as grit from walks were bagged to be I can get without becoming confused. reused, and the slope was cleared. We divided the 16' x 20' area into While I was doing these things, sections and started work at the north Bruce was thinking "foundation." He end where the soil would be deepest. knew we had to have something solid The rototiller was used to loosen a on the severe western slope on the low layer of clay, and we moved it out for side of the hill. He ordered 162 con• back fill. We continued to remove lay• crete blocks. Thinking along further, ers until we reached the desired he ordered sixteen 3/4", 20' PVC pipes ground level. The next process was to and 4" x 4" preserved beams. He shovel in good, gritty topsoil from the ordered wood for supports and a adjacent rock garden we had disas• ridge pole. What an unkind blow to sembled. I moved in creek sand over my checkbook! Since we didn't need this until the level reached almost to the wood material for a while (the the top of the foundation. Finally the foundation wasn't started), of course it 16' x 20' area was just a hole in the was delivered the same day. Using a ground on a slope, almost filled with ladder, we filed it in the garage loft to sand . keep it dry. The interior of H.H. #4 is divided The next step was constructing the into three growing sections of varying foundation. The blocks on the west depth. The hill slopes to the south, and side (where the hill was steepest) were the soil mix is deeper on the north, mortared six high, with this wall grad• uphill side. There is at least 28" of ing down to only 14" high at one point. modified soil in all sections. The north• Where the hill was higher (the con• west corner is 48" higher than the crete block foundation lower), we southeast corner. planned to use the 4" x 4" beams on My preferred soil ingredients are the clay, running them onto the blocks Chat 78, a crushed rock up to 1/4" to make the foundation level. long; Byrum's potting soil, a mix that Construction of H.H. #4 uses eleven when combined with Chat resembles 25' PVC pipe sections with the slope of mountain soil; and Black Kow manure, the hoops arranged off center, so the a composted manure that comes in 40 south exposure has a longer decline lb. bags. than the north, providing maximum In the deepest planting section I put light. To achieve this lopsided curve down a 4" layer of Chat and fifteen the main ridge pole must be off center. bushels of Byrum's potting soil on top Two auxiliary ridge poles are support• of the creek sand, and Bruce rototilled ed by upright supports at the east and it in. This provides nourishment for west ends of the house, which also deep-rooting plants. The west bed has provide for entry openings, and by an addition of lime (both quick pow• two center poles inside the house. The der and longer-release pellet lime), 4" PVC pipes rest in grooves cut into the of Chat, 4 bags of manure, and 4 ridge poles. Only the center ridge pole bushels of Byrum's, all rototilled into has a top board with corresponding the creek sand. After gardening in grooves to fit over the bottom board to North Carolina for several years I totally contain the PVC pipes. The know that the climate would never interior height is 8.5'. Tufflite 111 permit plants to grow in straight creek

YEAR OF THE HOOP HOUSE 131 sand. A small buffer length of three enough air movement we can install bushels of Byrum's and creek sand another oscillating fan in the center for separates this lime area from the rich greater movement. Summer growing scree at the east end of the house. conditions will help us decide this. The rich scree contains 4" of Chat rototilled into the clay base bottom. With the thought of this specialized The next layer included six bags of growing area, I ordered seeds like eri- manure placed on top then rototilled ogonums, lepidiums, Astragalus, and again so some mixed with the first Cryptantha. Perhaps my Lupinus lepidus level. A third layer of 7 bushels of var. lobbii and Talinum thompsoniae will Byrum's was mixed with 4" more of decide to live here. Lesquerella alpina, Chat and the depth of the rototiller Gilia aggregata var. aggregata and Silene blades meant this mixed a bit with petersonii are being tried. Will layer two. A thick layer of Chat 78 will townsendias and penstemons re-seed be used as a top mulch. here eventually? Will I ever consider We used 12 yards of creek sand and Aquilegia scopulorum and Hedyotis 5 1/2 tons of Chat 78 in constructing nigricans weedy, because they self-sow this hoop house. Bruce decided one of so abundantly? Planting my speci• my contributions of work would be to mens of Draba mollissima here was a move these materials to the work area must. I am confident my western by wheelbarrow. I did. By the time the plants will survive better here than in project was completed I used 30 an open garden. bushels of Byrum's potting soil. The A few dwarf conifers were added Chapter gave us a gift certificate for for scale, and rocks were used in mod• Christmas.. .we bought cow manure. eration. The outside of the hoop house was re-landscaped. Water was Inside the hoop house a garden brought to a more central point, so it scree slopes from the north side down would be convenient for watering. I to the lime and rich scree areas. Where hate attaching and dragging hose the adjacent rock garden on the east is lengths. higher than the foundation, there is a I mentioned to some Chapter mem• low retaining wall between the two bers that this was the absolutely last areas—planted, of course. Where the hoop house we were going to build at adjacent rock garden on the east is Fort Courage. And they laughed! higher than the foundation of the hoop Could they possibly be right? house, we built a planted rock wall inside the hoop house with the top growing area abutting the rock garden. Inside the west end there is a strip of pure creek sand 2 1/2' wide run• ning the length of the house. Pots of germinated and ungerminated seeds and potted seedlings are protected here from the ravages of heavy rain. Two 16" oscillating fans on the north Ev Whittemore and her husband Bruce end blow air across the growing bed. garden near Penrose, North Carolina. In summer when the Tufflite is raised They are fearless in the pursuit of new up to 3' above the ground level, the air plants and seem tireless in undertaking will be pushed outside. If this is not construction projects.

132 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 PLANT SHOW

Staging the Philadelphia Flower Show, 1994 For the 1993 Philadelphia Flower Show we had the well-known Scottish nurs• eryman Jim Jermyn design our prize-winning exhibit; it was a hard act to follow. Nevertheless, by April, while still basking in the glory of our recent success, we held the first meeting for the 1994 exhibit. The theme for the show , a theme to be applied by all displays in all categories, was "Islands in the Sun," a tough subject for the Delaware Valley Chapter members who pride themselves in their cultivation of alpine specialties. However, a commitment to exhibit was made. We considered creating a natural rock garden setting again, but our chairper• son, Jane Grushow, favored a more formal setting. So we decided to place our garden in a sun-soaked terrace, planted with exquisite alpines and other small plants from all over the world. It was titled "Escape to the Sunshine: A Terrace Garden for Small Plants." The plants were to be placed in troughs about waist high for the benefit of the viewer. Committee members Joyce Fingerut, Mike and Jan Slater, and John Gyer produced a long list of flowering and foliage plants suitable for our sunny scene. To avoid a last minute scurry to locate these plants, Mike canvassed Chapter members for plants to propagate and grow over the summer. Dr. Gerry Barad, a succulent specialist, was especially generous: 15 flats of succulent offsets were prepared during the growing season. Autumn weather spurred their development, and by late fall they looked splendid and showed the hand of an expert grower. Since the Chapter does not have warehouse space available, the patio back• ground set had to be built out-of-doors during the good weather. It was made in sections using Homasote insulation material held together with 1 /4" wooden dowels, and the whole was then given a stucco finish. The sections were stored in our garage until the final assembly at the show. During the summer, the committee got together at the Slaters to re-pot plants, at Barad's to line out succulents, and at Fingerut's to pot bulbs for forcing. We also did a rough construction of the set before it went into storage. As the year ended, the Slaters constructed a series of cold frames using Homasote and recy• cled storm windows, and the plants were tucked in for a short winter. The winter weather was horrible. Two Chapter meetings had to be canceled. The cold frames holding the plants were buried under 3' of snow. It was not until the end of January that the Slaters were able to liberate the plants to go into members' greenhouses and under basement lights for forcing. The weather was one aspect that got me down. Having been in a retail florist business which involved deliveries, I foresaw the prospect of moving plants and the set to the Civic Center in Philadelphia in deep snow as a nightmare. Fortunately, the snow held off while we built the patio walls and arbor. There was one snowy day that kept most of us at home, however Pat Valentine was able to get in and did won• ders leveling the mulch and setting the flagstone in place. The set was in great

133 shape when 20 members arrived on Friday morning, the last day of set-up, to put in all the wonderful plants that the Slaters had assembled. Groups of plants and bulbs emerged between the terrace stones. The troughs were planted to overflowing and mulched with carefully placed stone chips. Even our grapevine, on the arbor, had been forced into enough new growth to legitimize its inclusion in the garden. Though many of the plants were not fully open, due to the late start forcing, we had quite enough to provide a dazzling display. The judging was to take place the next day. Overnight disaster struck. One of the troughs had an unreinforced false bot• tom, which sank 6" so that one had to peer into the trough to see the plants. It was certainly not part of our original trough to see the plants. It was certainly not part of our original design, but the judges didn't seem to mind one bit; we received "Best in Show" in our category and a special award for horticultural achievement from the Federated Garden Clubs of Pennsylvania. Show attendance broke all records. Twenty-seven thousand attended just on the first day it was open to the public. NARGS was also well represented by chapter members in the horticultural classes, who took home many blue ribbons and special awards. When the show ended on Sunday evening a week later, members gathered one last time and after fortifying themselves with a supper provided by Grushow, they potted up the plants for a sale to be held the following week at Bob Way's greenhouse. Paving stones were removed and neatly piled up, then the set was dismantled and carted to the dumpster. Some pieces were saved as mementos of our exhibit, while larger sheets of Homasote were salvaged to be used to insulate a wood drying kiln. It was indeed a happy ending to a year• long project that demonstrated the high quality of NARGS gardening to a very large audience. —Dick Van Duzer Androsace sarmentosa panica var. segurensis, D. ramo- 'Joel's White', Antennaria dioica var. rosea sissima 'Schneewittchen', Aquilegia flabellata 'Nana Alba' Dracocephalum botryoides 'Sileneflora', 'White Delight' Arabis caucasica 'Variegata' Euonymous fortunei 'Emerald Potentilla alba Arabis x kelleri Gaiety', 'Emerald and Gold' Potentilla tridentata 'Minima' Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Festuca ovina 'Sollinng', 'Elijah Sedum album, S. dasyphyllum, Arenaria montana Blue' S. spathulifolium Armeria juniperifolia Geum triflorum Teucrium chamaedrys Bellium minutum Gypsophila cerastioides Teucrium montanum Campanula carpatica 'Blue Clips' Hedera 'California Pencil Point' Thymus pseudolanuginosus, 'White Clips' Hedyotis caerulea T. serpyllum, T. vulgaris Campanula garganica Helianthemum nummularium 'Argenteus', 'Doretta Klaber' Campanula pilosa 'Flame', 'Wisley Pink' Tulipa batalini 'Bronze Campanula portenschlagiana Ipheion uniflorum Charm', Bright Gem' Car ex conica Iris danfordiae Tulipa kaufmanniana Cerastium tomentosum Juniperus chinensis Hetzii 'Waterlily' Chrysogonum virginianum australis Columnaris' Tulipa pulchella 'Persian Pearl' Crocus ancyrensis 'Golden Bunch' Laurentia fluviatilis Tulipa turkestanica Crocus chrysanthus 'Cream Lesquerella kingii Verbena peruviana Beauty', 'Snow Bunting' Mazus reptans Veronica incana Crocus susianus 'Cloth of Gold' Penstemon hirsutus 'Pygmaeus' Veronica liwanensis Delosperma ashtonii, D. cooperi Phlox subulata 'Coral Eyes', Viola Johnny-jump-up Draba aspera, D. densifolia, D. his- 'Emerald Blue', Green Ridge',

134 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 NEW LEAF FORMS

of Hepatica nobilis

by Severin Schlyter

In Sweden there is only one light, pea-green leaves poor in chloro• species of Hepatica that grows wild: phyll. This albino characteristic seems Hepatica nobilis. It is found across vir• to be quite recessive, as I rarely get tually the whole country but is not a glabrate individuals in the first genera• very common plant. In the northern• tion (Fl) after crossing a glabrate most sections of the country it is more mother plant with a typical plant as sparse. In central Sweden and in the pollen donor. south it is far more common, especial• Nevertheless, I have long been ly in areas where there is lime, clay, interested in leaf variations in this and pyrolusite, a mineral whose pres• species, and over the years I have ence in the soil seems favorably associ• acquired several very interesting ated with the occurence of hepaticas. forms. Because the leaves remain on Hepatica nobilis grows mostly in leaf the plants year-round, whereas the litter on clay soils in the shade of trees flowers are a fleeting, spring-time or other vegetation. In most areas pleasure, I have, over a period of 20 specimens are of the form described in years, hybridized three atypical forms botanical literature as the prototype of of H. nobilis. The first has leaves of nor• the species, with three-lobed leaves mal shape, but strongly marbled. I and rather small blue flowers with a have called this form "M." The second, variable number of petals. There is lit• from Gastrikland, has crenatulobe tle morphological variation within the leaves, heavily scalloped, and I call it species. However, in a few areas there "G." The third is a clover-leafed form are occasional white, mauve, blue- and is called "K." M has blue flowers, white, pink, or even red flowered indi• G dark pink, and K blue. One must viduals. Variations in the leaves are remember that it takes about four even more rare, and extreme varia• years to get a flowering specimen from tions are conspicuous by their absence. seed, so the hybridizing and selection Even more unusual than white-flow• process is slow work. It is my hope ered plants are glabrate plants. These that by selecting the most interesting hairless individuals always have white variants and propagating them vegeta- flowers and are real albinos, with tively, worthy cultivars can be made

135 available, which ultimately would be flowers of the descendants were blue- highly desirable for gardeners. or mauve-flowered. Obviously, the inherited characterisitic for crenatu• Many years ago I began a series of lobe leaves is dominant over the more experiments to determine whether the normal shape. The contrast between strongly marbled leaf was a dominant light gray and green in the marbling character in hepatica (photo, p. 135). In were largely the same in the descen• crosses using the strongly marbled dants. individual as the mother plant, 85% of A second cross produced an even the first generation resembled the mar• bigger surprise. I crossed the crenatu• bled individual, both in the clear gray lobe, dark pink-flowered form from marble pattern of the leaf, the leaf Gastrikland in south Lapland with a shape, and the blue color of the flower. clover-leaf form from central Sweden Several years later I crossed an indi• (photo, p. 122). The only specimen that vidual with crenatulobe leaves with survived had very faintly curled another with marbled leaves and blue leaves, the incisions between the leaf flowers. After four generations of lobes only vaguely marked, and blue crossing within this group of hybrids flowers. The clover-leaf form was used all individuals retained both the cre• as the mother plant. Individuals pro• natulobe form and the marbling, duced in the second and third (F2 and although there was some variation in F3) generations had such deep inci• the contrasting light gray and green of sions between the lobes of the leaves the marbling. No descendants of this that they actually appeared as inde• cross had the normal shape of the mar• pendent leaflets (see Fig. 1). Some bled parent's leaves. However, about a individuals had three, flat, indepen• third of the pIG ^ dent leaflets each rimmed with many small, rounded, lobe-like knots (see Fig. 2). Others had little curved, crenatu- 1 o b e leaves reminis• cent of the origi• nal par• ent from Gastirk- land, but all three leaflets were fully devel-

136 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 FIG. 2 I have found it useful to keep my plants in pots, and as they bloom to oped and lacked stalks. The blades of bring them into a cool room where each leaflet were held at different there is no draft to inadvertently blow angles. In one single specimen the pollen from flower to flower. After middle leaflet was stalked, on a lower pollination, I place a narrow strip of level than the two outer leaflets, and paper, cut wide enough to write what the blades of all three leaflets were cross has been made, around the stalk held horizontal (Fig. 3). of the plant, using some sort of graft• In some individual instances leaves ing wax or glue that does not damage have formed which are reminiscent of the plant. After about a week the flowers. Stalked leaflets are borne pollen tubes have grown into the almost evenly round a single point ovary, and there is no rick of double (Fig. 4). polination, provided the plant has In this sort of work one can never been protected against insects. be careful enough, as an uncontrolled I have come up with a method for hybrid creates a year's unnecessary keeping the seed in place until it is delay, and the work of raising seed of time to collect them. I make a device I unknown origin is wasted. call a seed trap. Sometimes one can get Uncertainty about which cross has hold of plastic tubes in which hypo• been achieved could easily tempt one dermic needles are kept. These tubes to be less meticulous. Preferably, after can be cut short and be equipped with making the cross you desire, you thin nylon netting on one end. Then should put some kind of tube over the hold the tube close to a spirit flame pollinated flower to prevent any sec• with a wick, rotate the tube until the ond pollination by an unknown donor. end has melted and curled a bit, and

NEW LEAF FORMS OF HEPATICA NOBILIS 137 start to shed pollen. Thus the anthers L must be removed at an early stage. hold the melted edge firmly against Tweezers are effective tools for this the nylon netting until the plastic has purpose. When handling anthers, even cooled and hardened, fixing the net• if they are not fully open, the tweezers ting in place. Superfluous netting may pinch in the wrong direction, should be cut off. Place the tube over scattering the flower's own pollen on the flower and its stalk with the netted the pistils. If this happens it is of no end up. A cork can be cut to fit into the use to add another pollen without lower end of the tube to act as a stop• removing the undesired pollen. Hold per and prevent the seed from falling the flower lightly with your fingers out when it ripens. To give the stalk and rinse the stigmas clean again with free play, cut a groove along the cork a suitably strong jet of ordinary clean for the stalk to lie in. Don't use stop• water from a syringe or sprayer. If this pers that cause condensation inside is done immediately, the flower will the tube. In this way the seeds can be not yet have been fertilized, and the protected until it is time to sow them. planned cross can be carried out. But the rinsing must be done at once Pollination technique and sowing before the pollen tubes have time to In pollination work, especially grow. when one wants to create a particular It is important that hepatica seeds hybrid, one must remove the anthers are not exposed to dessication and of the flower which is to be supplied heat. That lowers germination capacity with another pollen, to prevent self considerably. Seeds should be sown pollination. This must be done before almost green, and if stored at all or the anthers "mature," i.e., before they transported they should be kept

138 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 damp. They can be sown on top of the with a cutting wheel a vertical opening soil or lightly covered with soil. on a level with the surface of the earth Germination takes six months to a in the pot, so that water can escape year. A suitable mixture is so-called from the surface of the pot. What has woodland soil. I myself use roughly been sown is always more important two parts pulverized peat, one part of than the pot. With the hole at a slightly sand, half a part of old, but really well lower level than the soil, the water burnt, leaf litter. To about three and a soon drains away. The fresher the half liters of soil, I add a level table- seeds are sown, the better the germi• spoonful of dolomite. The mixture nation rate. Of course, use your own must be stirred until it is homoge• experience as well as my advice. neous. To those who are more enthusi• I hope this article will interest qual- astic about sowing seed than they are ifed people in continuing to do genetic reliable in watering at the right times, I experiments with these plants. Many recommend sowing in large pots. of our most appreciated garden plants Do not place pots with sown hepati- have at some time been selected. No ca in the sun! As a safety measure work with the specific target of pro• against the soil in the pot becoming ducing new and beautiful leaf shapes waterlogged one can place gravel or in hepaticas has, as far as I know, ever small stones along the inner edges of been done before. Yet, there is all the the pot. To those who live in a climate potential of beautiful patterns and where rain can get into an already color forms now seen in cyclamen frozen pot and cause damage, I recom• leaves. It is my fond wish that an mend the following: bore a hole or cut American Hepatica Society will now FIG. 4 be formed. It would have access to my results, as well as to plant material. In

NEW LEAF FORMS OF HEPATICA NOBILIS 139 addition to seeds, every member will Severin Schlyter gardens in Lund, in the receive a two-year-old plant. Anyone southern part of Sweden. The climate is who wants a really fresh seed will be mild, usually above -10°C in winter and able to get one for a small extra no warmer than 25°C in summer. His fee.Working together we could hybridizing interests also include Daphne, achieve great results. Salix, Galanthus, Narcissus, and Anemone.

"Anemone hepatica is an invaluable, stemless little woodlander of all the alpine woods that our gardens know hardly less well. It luxuriates in damp rich woodland soil, and forms, in time, huge clumps; and it acutely resents being divided and disturbed. It has countless couloured forms, and a very miffy and expensive double white. In the Southern Alps (especially) it seems to develop white marblings and blotchings most becoming to the dark-green leather of its smooth trilobed leaves (A.triloba is nothing else). From Eastern Europe comes a glorified form, much larger, much greener, much leafier, and with leaves inclining to pucker into three hollows and then have scalloped edges. This is now raised to specific rank as A. angu- losa, a recognition to which it is clearly entitled, though here it is more con• venient to treat it under A. hepatica, of which it has the habits, uses, and needs, though so much bigger in all its parts. The big beautiful blossoms are of Hepaticas's clear blue, but vary to named forms of darker or paler. They both flower with A. blanda, or even earlier; though A. angulosa tends to be a little later than Hepatica." —Reginald Farrer, The English Rock Garden, 1919

"A. hepatica (Hepatica triloba).—This dear little spring friend is as welcome in the garden as it is in the woods, and all whose desire for spring blos• soms has a keen edge should encourage these audacious heralds of the new order to linger along the shaded ways of the garden. One is always rejoiced on a blustering March day to come upon the clusters of furry buds nestled at the heart of last year's rustling leaves. There are several colours—white, pink, lavender, and a good blue, strong but tender, and these are the best of all. I have a little bed of blue Hepaticas on the rock garden that is one of my special spring delights." —Louise Beebe Wilder, The Rock Garden, 1935

"Hepatica nobilis (H. triloba, Anemone hepatica) is a blue woodland plant and one of the prettiest of spring flowers. Along with its white and pink forms, it should be planted beside Christmas and Lenten Roses, daphnes, and primulas. The double varieties are rarely seen but they are charming and much sought-after. H. transsilvanica (angulosa) from Romania is a much stronger grower and flowers two weeks earlier. Both like lime and should be left undisturbed for many years. There are hybrids between them, H. x media, of which the form 'Ballardii' has extremely fine, large lavender-blue flowers." —Wilhelm Schacht, Rock Gardens, 1953

140 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 Hepatica nobilis, leaves from cross of G clover-leaf as female parent, crenatilobe as and marble-leaved form father (p.)

photos, Severin Schlyter

Hepatica nobilis, Fl of K x G clover-leaf as female parent, crenatilobe as father (p.) top four photos, Hepatica nobilis, variations from Schlyter crosses Paul Held

142 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 Hepatica nobiiie, light red flower with yellow Hepatica nobilis, blue-lilac flower with evenly pistils and seeds distributed stamens

Hepatica nobilis, red flowered form with crenulate Hepatica nobilis, blue flower with centered sta• lobes, marbled leaves (p. ) mens

Hepatica nobilis, completely sterile hybrid Hepatica nobilis, wild form with red flowers photos, Severin Schlyter 144 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 PLANT PORTRAIT

An Unorthodox Use of Erigeron pulchellus 'Meadow Muffin'

In their 1988 catalog, Weaver and Duval (We-Du Nurseries) introduced an interesting plant that they had apparently found in the wild, Erigeron pulchellus 'Meadow Muffin'. It is a deserving plant for the rock garden and elsewhere and is not at all like the common wild Erigeron pulchellus (robins' plantain), which is weedy and a rampant spreader in most situations. Here is the description of 'Meadow Muffin' directly from the We-Du catalog of 1991: "Erigeron pulchellus 'Meadow Muffin' (8-10"); sun or shade; ordinary loam. A wonderful plant, if we do say so. Flowers similar to the normal type, but rosettes unlike anything we have ever seen. Mature rosettes about 4" across, of tightly congested, wrinkled leaves, forming a low mound. Not spreading vigorously like the normal species." As one might surmise, the plant's greatest asset is the vegetative part, not the flowers. In the garden, I sometimes cut out the branched flowering stem while still undeveloped in order to encourage vegetative growth. Seeds never germi• nate anyhow in my experience, leading me to suspect a hybrid origin for this plant. The so-called parent plant, E. pulchellus, spreads everywhere via seeds as well as runners. 'Meadow Muffin', when happy, reproduces only by stolons and thus is easily controlled. So far, so good, but what about the unorthodox part? Well, here it is. Because I have sometimes lost the plant outdoors during particularly wet and cold win• ters (normal here in New England), I have taken to potting up some rosettes and placing them in a cold frame for the winter. This past fall, I also brought one pot• ted plant into the house to grow on in a cool window with full sun. It thrived and was quite attractive as a round, flat rosette. In January, I noted the begin• ning of a flower stalk in the center of the plant. The central flower bloomed nice• ly and was located flat on the leaf rosette. Following that, the primary stem elon• gated with its flower to a total height of about 8" and produced a flower on each of five side stems, making it a most attractive house plant. It was in full bloom by February 10 and stayed in flower well into March, the time of this writing. At present, there appears to be a second flower stalk appearing from the center of the plant. The discovery that E. pulchellus 'Meadow Muffin' makes an attractive and easy house plant was more or less an accident, but it does make this plant much more interesting. It is amusing that, when this plant flowers in the outdoor gar• den in spring, most growers (myself included) cut off the developing flower stalks and encourage only the vegetative growth, whereas indoors, the flowers are most welcome in the middle of winter. In short, this plant is more adaptable than we thought. Perhaps there are other possibilities for the use of 'Meadow Muffin' that we have not yet invented. It is worth a try to find out.

145 Just a tangential aside: As someone who grew up in the rural Midwest, I first thought that the name 'Meadow Muffin' was a terrible one for this or any plant. If some city folks don't know what a "meadow muffin" is, please ask someone else to explain it to you. However, after seeing the plant, I quickly changed my mind. Outside of being green and thus the wrong color, it comes about as close to looking like a meadow muffin as any plant could. So, my congratulations to We-Du for coming up with such an apt and amusing name. The plant is so cute in the garden that one would never think of stepping on it any more than one would step on a bona fide meadow muffin! Only the reason not to land on it is different. —C. William Nixon

Heuchera rubescens Troy Boy'

We grow plants for our many pleasures—the American genus Heuchera for its variety of foliage effects throughout the year in addition to flowers. Whereas the beginner does not see beyond the blossom, he is soon aware of the sustaining foliage as being equally significant, if not more so, since it is there around the calendar year. This larger woodland species of these alum-roots are currently high on popularity charts of perennial and border plant favorites, quite rightly so. I suppose it was 30 years or so back when my attention got hung up on the smaller western species of this North American genus of Saxifragaceae. First it was with the occasional individual clone, such as the one zonally patterned in the manner of a Pelargonium or the one with the ruffled margin or vein pattern. Bob Putnam shared this interest, and together we chose several individuals. Though we did not get many times together in the field, we did have a real lark of a time one summer when with George Schenk when we invaded the northern Rockies of Idaho and Montana, and, yes, we did get alum-roots—on Hollowtop in the Tobacco Root Range. Over the years, cuttings taken further south in Wyoming and Colorado went to 'Put', as did a collection from Nevada, and with his demise in January of 19..., all these plants went to Grand Ridge Nursery in Issaquah, Washington, where they presently occupy a ground-bed with the bees working them. To this time the possibility of hybrids has not been investigated, as the seed has not been saved nor have spontaneous seedlings appeared. In this assemblage was the plant gathered in July of 1973 on Troy Peak, Nye County, Nevada, a stocky, vigorous but tiny Heuchera rubescens dubbed 'Troy Boy' on the spot, where it packed all the crevices with polsters of typical heuchera foliage, each leaf dentate and held on a half-inch stalk, totally about an inch high, blade and stalk together. In 1973 a small party set out at the end of June from the Northwest to investi• gate the Great Basin flora: Sherry Sutton, Jim MacPhail, and Bob Woodward and myself along with Paul Palomino of New York and others who joined for a por• tion of the circumlocution. One evening in early July we were camped on Cherry Creek in the Quinn Range and set out to ascend nearby Troy Peak, inspired by

146 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 Dr. Worth's report of a pink and yellow Aquilegia and Primula nevadensis on the limestone rim near the summit. Climbing this old volcanic cone was exhausting; each step forward set you back two as the pumice shifted underfoot. But several hours later we reached the rim and found a scramble-route up onto it, where the primula was making love• ly clumps smothered in powder-puff-pink flowers. We did not locate the columbine here on the north side, but every crevice of the limestone was bur• geoning with the rich green herbage of Troy Boy'. It has become a favorite of crevice and trough gardenes, staying green through the seasons with only a degree of fading from its billiard-cloth hue and closely packed so that fresh leaves conceal any that are going over. Troy Boy' is thus the tiniest and tidiest of alum-roots, totally only a few inches high and quite rapidly spreading by a rhi• zome, with flowers moderately pink to distinctly so. Heuchera rubescens Torrey is an extremely complex aggregate of macrospecies to which ten or a dozen taxa relate, some as varieties, others as distinct but near- related species, all needing monographic opinion. The lot of them occurs in the Southwest, from Texas to California and north to central Oregon, probably into northern Mexico, its congeners intergrading freely.

—B. LeRoy Davidson

NORTH AMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETY Join Today!

Benefits of Membership Include: Beautiful, Colorful Quarterly Bulletin; Seed Exchange offering Thousands of Species of Seed at Low Prices; Spectacular National Meetings; Meet Fellow Gardeners Send $25 to: Jacques Mommens, Executive Secretary, PO Box 67, Millwood, NY 10546

THE ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY Membership of the Alpine Garden Society puts the American Alpine gardener in close touch with those throughout the world who share his interest in one of the most absorbing branches of horticulture. The Quarterly Bulletin of the A.G.S. is respected internationally as one of the most informative publica• tions of its kind. It will bring into your home a distillation of the experience and ideas of some of the finest gardeners, plant explorers, and horticultural thinkers of our time. Among the many other benefits of the Society, its uniquely comprehensive seed list alone is worth more than the modest subscription of $32.00 US. For Overseas Members Apply to: The Secretary, The Alpine Garden Society AGS Centre, Avon Bank, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 3JP, England

147 NARGS COMING EVENTS

ANNUAL MEETING Springtime in the Berkshires

June 2, 3, & 4,1995 Pittsfield Massachusetts at the Berkshire Hilton Inn, sponsored by the Berkshire Chapter. Speakers: Tass Kelso, Geoffrey Charlesworth, John Spain, Jim Archibald. Two full days of garden visits:

the Berkshire Trail tour—the colonial garden of Maryjane and Carl Beach, the historic rock garden at Smith College, and the hilltop forest garden of Clifford Desch; the Berkshire and Litchfield Hills tour—the extensive hilltop garden of Norman Singer and Geoffrey Charlesworth , the sparkling hillside garden of Ruth and Herbert Sheppard, and the unique hillside moraine of John Spain.

This full weekend includes a Plant Show and Plant and Book Sale. Mark your calendars now. Don't miss this opportunity. Look for our brochure in the winter Bulletin or write for advance information to: Shirley Redington, Registrar,! 169 Mohawk Road, Schenectady NY 12309-1607

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ALPINE FLOWER TOURS '95

BIG HORN MTNS. OF WYOMING JUNE 14 - 21

IDAHO MTNS. JULY 3 - JULY 10 Martin & Betty Falxa, North American Rock Garden Society-NE New England Wildflower Society Alpine Tours, 12 Chesley Avenue, Newtonville, MA 02160 (617) 969-6531

148 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 There is still time to grow wonderful plants from seed this year! High quality garden and wild collected seed f romTien Shan, Turkey, Alps and Pyrenees: Acantholimon, Androsace helvetica, Androsace sericeaand 16 otherspecies androsaces, Callianthemum alatavicum, Campanula alpestris, C. cenisia, C. hakkiarica, C. zoysii and 15 othercampanulaspecies, Chorisporabungeana, Daphne kosaninii,Gentianabavaricav.subacaulis,G.boissieriand 13 otherspecies gentians, Hegemonelilacina, Lagopismarubiastrum, Paraquilegiagrandiflora, Physoplexiscomosa, Primulaturkestanica, Ramondaserbica, Ranunculus gelidus, Saussurea gnaphalodes, Waldheimiatridactylites, etc. etc. Prices U.S. $1 -4 per packet. Karmic Exotix Nursery Box 146, Shelburne, Ont. LON 1S0 Illustrated catalogue, U.S. $2 Canada Credited on order j

Hewiemh&r... NORTH AMERICAN March 1, 2 & 3, 1996 ROCK GARDEN WESTERN SOCIETY WINTER STUDY WEEKEND VICTORIA, B.C. loin Today Benefits of Membership Include: Hoiteds by: Beautiful, Colorful Quarterly Bulletin; Seed Exchange offering Thousands of Species of Seed at Low Prices; Spectacular VANCOUVER ISLAND ROCK & National Meetings; Meet Fellow Gardeners Send $25 to: Jacques Mommens, Executive Secretary, ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY PO Box 67, Millwood, New York 10546

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149 Send 1st Class Stamp for Descriptive Price List

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Jain the American Hepatica Association THE AMERICAN DIANTHUS SOCIETY Since 1990, hot info on pinks, carna• Access to seed hybrids which look 15 tions, sweet Williams & tribe. Dues (US vears of creative e:":cr:s to develop. funds): $15/yr US; $18/yr Can/Mex; $20/ Receive emphemerai seec when npe without delay. yr elsewhere. Free brochure, sample Newsletter showing developments. quarterly newsletter featuring The Di- Seed collection devices tha: guarantee plentiful seed for ail. a nth us Encyclopedia: 52C stamp to Rand B. Lee, PO Box 22232, Santa Fe Paul Held - 105 North Avenue NM 87502. Dianthus in horto omni! WCStport. CT (X58.SO • i s S20

PERENNIAL SEEDS from professional to professional

We offer a very comprehensive assortment of over 2000 varieties Send $5.- for our catalogue P.O. Box 1264 Telephone: 01149-5071-4085 D-29685 Schwarmstedt, Germany Fax: 01149-5071-4088

150 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 CHEHAUS RARE PLANT NURSERV 2568 Jackson Hwy , Chehalis, WA 98532 Herb Dickson, Prop.

After many years of selecting and breeding, I just may now have the world's best garden auricula seed

Garden Auricula - 75 seeds per pack Mixed Brown Yellow Hypertufa TVoughs Red Blue Picotee Handcrafted with the look White Petite Hybrids of weathered stone Exhibition Alpine - 75 seeds Hand pollinated Double Auricula 25 seeds Mail Order U.S. Only Hand pollinated Show Auricula 25 seeds For Further Information Red Self, Yellow Self - Green Edge Send SASE Primula Florindae • 150 seeds or more All packets $2.00 each .50 cents postage & handling in U.S. & Canada KAREN HARRIS Other foreign orders $1.00 postage & handling Washington residents add 7.6% sales tax 200 East Genesee St. MINIMUM ORDERS 3 packets Fayetteville, NY 13066

n d mBEAUT^Y °f f NEWFOUNDLAND

WAlk ThRouqH AlpiNE MEACJOWS, HikE THE EERIE, lAnder The Milky Way AU'EN lANdsCApE CAIIECI THE TAblEiAN

® COLLECTORS DWARF BULBS Our catalogue contains many old favorites for Garden andAlpine House. World Travel It) F.nrich Your Mind In addition, we offer numerous rare and and Awaken Your Senses new introductions.

V/EEkly DEPARTURES July & AuqusT fROM $650 U.S. Full and Descriptive Catalogue $3.00 CUSTOM, fAMily'pRicEd iTtNERARiES AVAiUblE. POTTERTON & MARTIN CALL FOR iNfORMAT!ON: 800 647-0060 Nettleton, Nr. Caistor, North Lines. 205-868 1 710 LN7 6HX, ENGLAND V WAshiNqTON DEPOT, CT 06794 J Tel/Fax 44-1472-851792

151 JSfSKIYOLT * RARE PLIANT^NURSERV An ever growing collection of over 1,000 varieties of Alpines^ Ferns, Dwarf Conifers, Northwest Natives (as Lewisia cotyledon, pictured), and other hardy plants for the Woodland and Rock Garden. For our Annual Mail Order Catalog and Fall Supplement send $2.00 refundable.

Dept 1, 2825 Cummings Road, Medford, Oregon 97501 Visitors Welcome by Appointment - Phone (503) 772-6846 SHIPPING TO U.S. and CANADA ONLY

SANGUINARIA CANADENSIS PERENNIALS, WILD FLOWERS, MULTIPLEX (DOUBLE BLOODROOT) ROCK GARDEN PLANTS, Blooming-Age Rhizomes CONIFERS, FLOWERING SHRUBS Available in Early September over 1,000 varieties available at our nursery MINIMUM ORDER ONE DOZEN Sam Bridge CHARLES F. ANDROS BOULDER WALL GARDENS Nursery N* Greenhouses McLEAN ROAD 437 North Street, Greenwich, Conn. 06830 WALPOLE, NH 03608-0165 (203) 869-3418 Phone(603)756-9056 SORRY, NO SHIPPING (April 15 - November 15)

<^N Serious Collectors A Distinguished Collection can find genuine, personalized service for...

Over 1500 hard to find • rare and dwarf conifers and useful varieties alpine and rock garden perennials Catalogue $4.00 ROSLYN NURSERY (refundable with first order) 211 BURRS LANE, DEPT R PORTERHOWSE DIX HILLS, N.Y. 11746 Descriptive mail order catalog 41370-R S. E. Thomas Road, Sandy, Oregon 97055 $3.00 Telephone/ Fax (503) 668-5834

The Bovees Nursery "ALPINE FLOWERS, GARDENS AND WALKING TOUR" Vireya (tender) Rhododendrons JUNE 25-JULY 9,1995 Species Rhododendrons Rock garden Plants Walk the flower strewn high meadows of We ship, catalog $2.00 Switzerland during peak blooming season, Visa & Mastercard photgraphing flowers and scenery too. Visit Alpine and Botanical gardens, stay in Murren, 1737 SWCoronado Adelboden.Zermatt, Locarno & Lucerne. For Portland, Oregon, 97219 information, 1-800-227-ALPS, Nash Travel 503-244-9341 1-800-435-9250 Tours Inc, 23 James St, Danielson, CT 06239.

152 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 , Tahoma Nursery Alpines for the Enthusiast

Rick Lupp (206) 847-9827 Alpines, Washington State Natives, Species Primulas, Troughs TRENNOLL and Trough Plants Dwarf Shrubs SEND FOR OUR SPECIAL LIST Nursery open weekends and by Unusual Rock Plants, Shade Plants, Hosta, appointment Perennials, Geraniums, Iris species, Phlox species, Succulents, Thymes, Wildflowers, and Seed List.

MAIL ORDER Send $1.00 For List List $1.00 28111-112th Avenue E., Graham, TRENNOLL NURSERY Washington 98338 Jim and Dorothy Parker 3 West Page Ave., Trenton, OH 45067-1614 1-513-988-6121

THE PRIMROSE PATH R.D. 2 Box 110 Scottdale, PA 15683

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

SOUTHERN ALPINES CONFERENCE NEW ZEALAND TOUR December 30, 1995 - January 17, 1996

vfi.<^.ti.„ Fully escorted tour on North and South Islands. Includes visits to private and public alpine gardens, botanizing inTongariro National Park and Old Man Range, scenic highlights, farmstay and sightseeing tours. Pre and post conference options.

For information call Jan Coyle, NZ Garden Tour Specialist 415 595 2090

153 EXCITING PLANTS iU fc¥*T FROM AROUND THE WORLD CO TREES, SHRUBS, CATALOG For over 20 years PERENNIALS,^ $2.00 we have specialized in i VINES. dwarf Rhododendrons, (206) 574-3832 Azaleas and dwarf coni• ^COLLECTOR'S NURSERY u fers. We also have one of 16804 NE 102nd Ave. New England's largest selec• Battleground, WA 98604

tions of rare spe• "ALL PLANTS NURSERY PROPAGATED cialty Alpines, perfect for the trough or rock garden. Free 200-page catalog when you visit us. To send for catalog, Hardy Camellia include $5.00 Dwarf Conifers Rare Asian Trees o and Shrubs to U OWIEII'IA r 4T FOREST Catalog: $1.00 NURSERIES. INC N U R S E R y 1159 Bronson Road, Fairfield, CT. 06430 125 Carolina Foresl Road (203) 259-5609 (Sorry we do not mail order.) Chapel Hill. N.C. 27516

vJn s&ip afmost Nursery ffltifwun... inc. P.O.Box 693 Truro MA 02666 Garden Shop on Depot Rd. New England grown Heather fwdu fmtfos l (raatfvirs We grow the hardy cultivars of \or Q&VMx color intfu Calluna and Erica in 4\ 5 1/2" and 1 gallon pots. Excellent garden, availability of cultivars selected for their unique foliage and flower color. Visit our garden shop April-OctWe ship UPS the "Hcatds 4'Heathers year-round! Wholesale-Retail ®ox, 550, ama.-wk 985^1 (ZOC) 482-3255 Color catalog loaded with all the information you will need in SEND S.A.S.E. FOR FREE LIST. selecting plants for your garden NURSERY VISITORS WELCOME! only $1.00. (508)349-6769

154 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 A Scottish company, formed in 1994, to act as a clearing house for surplus seed from Botanic Gardens worldwide. The scheme provides the Botanic Gardens with a welcome source of income and gives the adventurous gardener, on a share basis, seed not generally available to the public. Some gardens, eg Siberia, will also supply seed from their expeditions to areas of interest. For further details and a sample packet of seed send $3 in bills to cover postage to: The SEED Guild, PO Box No 8951, LANARK, Scotland, ML11 9JG.

Rocky Mountain Gardener

The only magazine exclusively for gardeners in the Rocky Mountain States

THE COMPLEAT GARDEN CLEMATIS NURSERY We cover topics such as growing wild- MAIL ORDER CLEMATIS flowers, cold hardy cactus, alkaline soils, tree and shrub varieties, low water land• Unusual and Hard-To-Find Varieties scaping, short season gardening, envi• Small and Large Flowered ronmental issues, composting, visiting In Pots gardens, tips from experts Wide Selection and more!

Descriptive Listing $2.00 For a one year subscription (4 seasonal issues) send $12. Two years - $20. 217 Argilla Road Samples available for $4. Send payment to: Ipswich, MA 01938-2614 RMG, PO Box 1230pGunnison, CO 81230.

155 PETITE ALPINES LOW-GROWING PERENNIALS Some choices are: Alliuiu cyaneum, Arabis audrosacea, Dryas octopetala 'Minor', Gypsophila uaiia, Hylomecou japouicuiu, Iris gracilipes, Priimila modesta alba, Sapouaria x olivaua, Woodsia polystichoides, and a variety of other favorites.

WOODLAND ROCKERY 6210 KLAM ROAD OTTER LAKE, MI 48464

ALL PLANTS NURSERY PROPAGATED SHIPPING WITHIN USA ONLY MAIL ORDER CATALOG $1.00

WE-DU NURSERIES A SPECIALTY NURSERY WITH AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION, FEATURING: American and Asiatic wildflowers; unusual perennials; rockery plants; species Iris and daylilles; ferns and fern relatives; hardy and tender bulbs; select wildflower seeds. All nursery propagated. Catalogue $2.00, refundable with first order. No shipments to CA, AZ, or HI. We enjoy having visitors; please call ahead for directions and hours. Rte. 5, Box 724, Marion, NC 28752-9338 Tel. (704) 738-8300

Unique and Unusual Plants "OYIM Large Selection of Rock and Wall Garden Plants Including

156 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 THE CUMMINS GARDEN

DWARF RHODODENDRONS Yes, We Ship!

DECIDUOUS AZALEAS Catalog $2.00 DWARF EVERGREENS

COMPANION PLANTS (Refundable With Order)

Phone (908) 536-2591 22 Robertsville Road Marlboro, NJ 07746

Pacific Horticulture WOODLANDERS a magazine about NURSERY GROWN TREES, SHRUBS, plants and gardens of the west PERENNIALS, SOUTHERN NATIVES & EXOTICS illustrated color quarterly

Please send $2.00 for mail-order list annually, in US currency: US $15; WOODLANDERS, DEPT. RG Canada & Mexico $18; overseas $20 1128 COLLETON AVENUE write to: AIKEN, SC 29801 Circulation Department PO Box 680, Berkeley, CA 94701

Wildflowers of the LEWISIA Southern Appalachians —22 species and hybrids Choice, hardy, reliable, showy. —wide variety of flower colors FROM OUR NURSERY TO YOUR GARDEN •international orders accepted be it woodland, rock, moist or dry. —retail, wholesale Send $3 for 2-yr. subscr. to illustrated descriptive catalog of wildflowers, hardy ferns and perennials Send $2 or SASE to:

Sunlight Gardens Rare Plant Research 13245 SE Harold 174-R5 Golden Lane Portland, OR 97236 USA FAX (503) 762-0289 Andersonville, Tenn. 37705

THE ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY Membership of the Alpine Garden Society puts the American Alpine gardener in close touch with those throughout the world who share his interest in one of the most absorbing branches of horticulture. The Quarterly Bulletin of the A.G.S. is respected internationally as one of the most informative publica• tions of its kind. It will bring into your home a distillation of the experience and ideas of some of the finest gardeners, plant explorers, and horticultural thinkers of our time. Among the many other benefits of the Society, its uniquely comprehensive seed list alone is worth more than the modest subscription of $32.00 US. For Overseas Members Apply to: The Secretary, The Alpine Garden Society AGS Centre, Avon Bank, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 3JP, England

157 N-A-RG-S BOOKSTORE

BOOKS Most books are 80% of list price Alliums, by D. Davies - Paperback or Hardback $18.00, $24.00 Alpine Gardening*, by R. Elliott $20.00 The Alpine House*, by R. Rolfe $22.00 Alpines*, by W. Ingwersen $45.00 Alpines in Sinks and Troughs, by Joe Elliot $5.00 Alpines the Easy Way, by Joe Elliot $6.00 Alpines: The Illustrated Dictionary*, by C. Innes, Due in July, '95 $32.00 AMC Field Guide to the Mountain Flowers of New England - NEW $12.00 AMC Field Guide to the New England Alpine Summits , by N.G. Slack - NEW $10.50 A Field Guide to Alpine Plants of New Zealand $27.00 Border Pinks*, by R. Bird $24.00 Botany for Gardeners, 2nd Ed., by B. Capon $13.00 A Century of Alpines, by AGS $22 00 Clematis*, by B. Fretwell - NEW $20.00 Clematis*, by C. Lloyd - NEW $26.00 Colorado Flora - E. Slope and W. Slope, 2 vols., by W.A. Weber, each $22.00 Dictionary of Plant Names*, by A.J. Coombes $8 00 Encyclopaedia of Ferns*, by D.L. Jones $48.00 Encyclopedia of Alpine Flowers, 2 vols.*, by AGS $280.00 Ferns for American Gardens*, by J. Mickel - NEW $48.00 Field Guide to Alaskan Wildflowers, by V. Pratt $10 00 Forest Wildflowers, by D. Strickler $7.25 A Garden of Conifers, by RA. Obrizok $20 00 A Gardener Obsessed*by G.B. Charlesworth - NEW $20.00 The Gardeners Guide to Growing Lilies*, by M. Jefferson-Brown & H. Howland - NEW $24.00 Gardening and Beyond, by F. Bellis $12.00 Gardening with Native Wildflowers*, by S.B. James & L.E. Foote $25.00 The Genus Cyclamen*, by C. Grey-Wilson $22.00 The Genus Primula, by J. Halda Now Just $20.00 Growing & Propagating Showy Native Woody Plants, by R.E. Bir $15.00 Growing & Propagating Wildflowers, by H.R. Phillips $13.50 Guide to Flowering Plant Families, by W. Zomlefer, Paperback or Hardback 22.00, $44.00 Guide to Locating Rocky Mt. Wildflowers $4-°0 Handbook on Rock Gardening, by BBG, M. Flook, Ed $3 00 Handbook on Rock Gardening, by J. Good, Ed $10.50 Hardy Geraniums*, by P.F. Yeo $32.00 Hardy Herbaceous Perennials*, 2 Vols., by L. Jellito & W. Schacht $100.00 Hillier's Guide to Connoisseur's Plants*, by A. Toogood $31.00 Iris*, by F. Koehlein $30 00 The Iris*, by B. Mathew $27 00 Iris of China*, by J. Waddick & Zhao Y $23 00 Landscaping for Water Conservation: Xeriscape, by K. Knox, Ed $4 00 Lilies of China*, by S.G. Haw $24 00 Manual of Cultivated Conifers*, by G. Krossman $52.00 Manual of Grasses*, by F. Drake, Ed. - NEW $32 00 Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas*, by A. Radford, et al $24.00 Maples of the World*, by D.M. van Gelderen, et al $48 00 Meconopsis*, by J.L.S. Cobb $23 00 Modern Miniature Daffodil Species and Hybrids*, by J. Wells Was $26, now $17 00

158 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 53:2 N-A-R-G-S BOOKSTORE Mystery Rivers of Tibet, by F. Kingdon-Ward $8.00 Orchids of the Western Great Lakes*, by F. Case $26.00 A Patchwork Garden, by S. Eddison - NEW $10.00 The Peony*, by A. Harding $24.00 Perennials, Vol.1 & Vol. 2, by R. Phillips & M. Rix, each $20.00 Pests and Diseases of Alpine Plants*, by P.R. Ellis et al $36.00 The Plant Explorers Guide to New England, by R. Wiggers - NEW $14.50 Plant Hunting on the Edge of the World, by F. Kingdon-Ward $8.00 Plant Propagation Made Easy, by A. Toogood $13.00 Plants for Problem Places*, by G. Rice $18.00 Pool & Waterside Gardening*, by P. Robinson - Soon unavailable $16.00 Poppies*, by C. Grey-Wilson $26.00 Primula*, by J. Richards $40.00 Primulas of Europe & America*, by G.F. Smith, et al. Was $30, now $20.00 Propagation of Alpine Plants & Bulbs*, by B. Halliwell $20.00 RHS Index to Garden Plants*, by M. Griffiths $48.00 Rock and Alpine Gardens, by T. Everett $3.00 Sedum: Cultivated Stonecrops*, by R. Stephenson $40.00 Seeds of Wildland Plants*, by J.A. Young & C.G. Young $20.00 Succulents: The Illustrated Dictionary*, by M. Sajeva & M. Costanzo $32.00 Synoptic Guide to the Genus Primula*, by G.K. Fenderson $32.00 A Utah Flora*, by Welsh, et al. NEW EXPANDED EDITION $65.00 Wild Flowers of North Carolina, by W.S. Justice & C.R. Bell $14.00 Wildflowers along the Alaska Highway, by V. Pratt $16.00 Wildflowers of Denali National Park, by V. Pratt $13.00 Wildflowers of SW Utah, by H. Buchanan $6.00 The World of Magnolias, by D. Calloway $36.00 * denotes hard cover Following items are postage paid. ARGS Note Paper $4.75 Decal—ARGS Dodecatheon—specify glue on front or back $0.75 ARGS Shoulder Patch $1.00 Plant drawings by L.L. (Timmy) Foster (3 different sets, each set contains 12 drawings) $12.00 for one set, $22.00 for 2 sets, $30.00 for 3 sets BACK ISSUES OF THE ARGS BULLETIN, ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY Last 4 issues, $7.00 each; 1990-Winter 1994 issues, $5.50 each; 1943-1989 issues, $1.50 each, $5.00, by year, (some issues unavailable)

Please mail inquiries and orders to: Ernie O'Byrne, North American Rock Garden Society Bookstore 86813 Central Road, Eugene, OR 97402 USA Please print name and address clearly. Country of origin and postal code must be included. Allow 8-12 weeks for overseas shipment. Orders must be prepaid in US dollars by check on a US bank or by intl. money order (VISA and MC accepted—include signature, date of exp., and full acct. #). Add postage and handling First Book, US $3.00 Each Additional Book $1.50 First Book Outside US $5.00 Each Additional Book abroad $2.50 This is a partial listing. For additional titles, see previous bulletins, or write.

159 CHAPTER CHAIRPERSONS. Adirondack Bill Plummer, 10 Fox Lane East, Painted Post, NY 14870 Allegheny Al Deurbrouck, 6915 Hilldale Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15236 Berkshire Anne Spiegel, 73 Maloney Rd., Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Calgary/Alberta Sheila Paulson, 6960 Leaside Dr., SW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Columbia-Willamette Don Howse, 41370 SE Thomas Road, Sandy, OR 97055 Connecticut Sylvia Correia, 27 Lynn Dr., Preston, CT 06365 Delaware Valley Mike Slater, RD 4, Box 4106, Mohnton, PA 19540 Emerald Marietta O'Byrne, 86813 Central Rd., Eugene, OR 97402 Gateway June Hutson, 10601 Knollside Circle, St. Louis, MO 62123 Great Lakes Richard Punnett, 41420 Harris Rd., Belleville, MI 48111 Hudson Valley Thomas Stuart, PO Box 517, Croton Falls, NY 10519 Long Island Shelley Herlich, 43 Greenfield Lane, Commack, NY 11725 Fred Knapp, 58 Kaintuck Lane, Locust Valley, NY 11560 Manhattan Lawrence Thomas, 340 E. 74th, #11G, New York, NY 10021 Minnesota Steve Roos, 311 Sunnydale Ln. S.E., Rochester, MN 55904 Mt. Tahoma Steven Hootman, PO Box 3798, Federal Way, WA 98003 New England Stuart Sotman, 73 Mt. Vernon St., West Roxbury, MA 02132 Newfoundland Bodil Larsen, Box 50517, SS#3, St. John's, Newfoundland A1B 4M2 Northwestern Judith Jones, 1911 Fourth Ave. W., Seattle, WA 98119 Ohio Valley Barbara Abler, 990 Blind Brook Dr., Worthington, OH 43235 Ontario Barry Porteous, 3 Breda Ct, Richmond Hill, Ont. L4C 6E1 Canada Ottawa Valley Lois Addison, 201 Wagon Dr., Box 9015, RR 1 Dunrobin, Ont. KOA1T0 Canada Piedmont Norman Beal, 2324 New Bern Ave., Raleigh, NC 27708 Potomac Valley Robert Faden, 415 E. Mason Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301 Rocky Mountain Andrew Pierce, PO Box 2078, Evergreen, CO 80439 Shasta Fai Schwarzenberg, 7800 French Creek Rd., Etna, CA 96027 Siskiyou Christine Ebrahimi, 2844 Fredrick Dr., Medford, OR 97504 Southern Appalachian Furman (Frank) Strang, 105 Albany Rd., Oak Ridge, TN 37830 Watnong Richard Hartlage, 300 Longview Rd., Far Hills, NJ 07931 Wasatch Bruce Grable, 2166 Wellington, Salt Lake City, UT 84106 Western Sean Hogan, 607 Brooklyn Dr., Oakland, CA 94606 Wisconsin-Illinois Allen Blaurock, 9449 Lincolnwood, Evanston, IL 60203 QUARTERLY STAFF_ Editor Gwen Kelaidis (303) 368-7530 7530 E. Mississippi Dr., Denver, Colorado 80231-2504 Advertising Manager Al Deurbrouck (412) 653-0281 6915 Hilldale Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15236 Proofreading Assistants Barbara and Ted Cochrane, Madison, Wisconsin Bernice Petersen, Littleton, Colorado Anne Spiegel, Wappingers Falls, New York Editorial Advisors Grazyna Grauer, Columbus, Ohio Rochelle Herlich, Commack, New York Faith Magoun, Manchester, Massachusetts Guest Artists Cindy Nelson-Nold Lynn Janicki Rebecca Day-Skowron David Ferguson Panayoti Kelaidis Randy Tatroe Paul Held Severin Schlyter OFFICERS James L. Jones (617) 862-9506 President 45 Middle Street, Lexington, MA 02173 Patricia Bender (206) 364-1561 Vice President 4123 NE 186th Street, Seattle, WA 98155 Alice Lauber (206) 363-7357 Recording Secretary 18922 45th Place NE, Seattle, WA 98155 Robert Mills (609) 924-5003 Treasurer 150 Prospect Avenue, Princeton, NJ 08540 Administrative Director-at-Large Joann Knapp (516) 671-6590 58 Kaintuck Lane, Locust Valley, NY 11560 Immediate Past President Norman Singer, North Sandisfield, Massachusetts President Emeritus Harold Epstein, Larchmont, New York

DIRECTORS OF THE BOARD. 1992—1995 Panayoti Kelaidis, Denver, Colorado Margery Edgren, Woodside, California Ev Whittemore, Penrose, North Carolina 1993—1996 Joann Knapp, Locust Valley, New York Bobby Wilder, Raleigh, North Carolina Lawrence Thomas, New York, New York 1994—1997 Brian Bixley, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Jack Ferreri, Verona, Wisconsin Micheal Moshier, Seattle, Washington

Managers Executive Secretary Jacques Mommens (914) 762-2948 PO Box 67, Millwood, NY 10546 Seed Exchange Elisabeth Harmon (203) 274-0290 75 Middlebury Road, Watertown, CT 06795 Bookstore Ernest O'Byrne (503) 935-3915 86813 Central Road, Eugene, OR 97402 Archivist Mamie Flook (410) 778-4038 23746 Lovely Lane, Chestertown, MD 21620 Slide Collection William Plummer (607) 962-2640 10 Fox Lane East, Painted Post, NY 14870 Library Janet Evans, c/o Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 325 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

You are invited to join the North American Rock Garden Society. Membership includes a subscription to Rock Garden Quarterly and participation in the seed exchange, as well as other benefits. Annual dues: US $25; UK £17; Canada $32. Payment by check on a US bank, International Money Order, VISA, MC, or check in appropriate currency from country listed above. General Membership, $25 (domestic or foreign, single or joint); Patron, $75; Life Member, 40-59 years old, $500; over 60 years old, $450. Membership inquiries and dues should be sent to Executive Secretary, NARGS, PO Box 67, Millwood, NY 10546. Address editorial matters pertaining to the Quarterly to the Editor. Advertising matters should be addressed to the Advertising Manager, 6915 Hilldale Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15236. The Quarterly is published quarterly by the North American Rock Garden Society, a tax-exempt, non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey. Second Class postage is paid in Millwood, New York and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Rock Garden Quarterly (ISSN 1081-0765), PO Box 67, Millwood, NY 10546.