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TheThe AmericanAmerican GARDENERGARDENER TheThe MagazineMagazine ofof thethe AAmericanmerican HorticulturalHorticultural SocietySociety May/June 2004

Ornamental Legumes forfor EveryEvery LandscapeLandscape Expert Tips on Designing Vibrant Borders Garden Railroads Go First Class colorful and dependable

$4.95 www.ahs.org.ahs.org 05> coneflowers

0173361 64751

contents Volume 83, Number 3 . May / June 2004

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS

12 TASTEFUL LEGUMES BY PAM BAGGETT 5 NOTES FROM RIVER FARM Legumes are not just for the vegetable patch. Find out how many 6 MEMBERS’ FORUM ornamental members of this family are growing in your garden. 8 NEWS FROM AHS 18 ARTFUL BORDERS 2004 AHS Children and Youth Garden BY KAREN BUSSOLINI Symposium at Cornell, successful indoor- plant workshop at River Farm, springtime Designer Lynden Miller’s blooms and children’s programs at River Irwin Perennial Garden at Farm, AHS hosts meeting of national the New York Botanical Partnership for Plant Based Learning. Garden abounds in inspiration for home gardeners. 11 AHS 2004 BOOK AWARD WINNERS Five exceptional garden books. THE ALLURE OF LOTUS 24 47 NATURAL CONNECTIONS BY ILENE STERNBERG The 17-year cicadas are coming. Don’t have the space or time for a full-size water garden? Growing a lotus in a container can be a satisfy- page 18 ing alternative.

28 CONEFLOWERS: AN AMERICAN CLASSIC page 47 BY KIM HAWKS Once considered weedy, coneflowers are now the darlings of 48 GARDENER’S NOTEBOOK plant breeders and mainstays in the summer border. New franklinia hybrid developed, fire department-approved plants for southern 34 GROUNDS FOR SCULPTURE California, saving the box huckleberry, rust- BY CAROLE OTTESEN resistant daylilies, Peter Raven to receive RHS In New Jersey, an artist and a Veitch Medal, chocolate industry could save Brazilian rainforest, milk as fungicide. landscape designer have created an eye-catching synthesis of land- 51 EVERYDAY GARDEN SCIENCE scape and art. Unraveling the mystery of plant dormancy.

39 GARDEN RAILROADS page 34 52 OFFSHOOTS BY PAT HAYWARD Once a gardener, always a gardener.

This fast-growing hobby presents 54 BOOK REVIEWS creative landscaping challenges and a new way to look at plants. Restoring American Gardens, The Earth Moved, and Annuals and Tender Plants for 44 WHAT IS A GARDEN? BY TRES FROMME North American Gardens. Special focus: Why you have to do your homework before you can really design Regional gardening books. a garden that is both useful and aesthetically fullfilling. 57 REGIONAL HAPPENINGS

61 HARDINESS AND HEAT ZONES AND PRONUNCIATIONS

ON THE COVER: Native to the eastern and midwestern United States, purple coneflower 62 PERFECT PLANT COMPANIONS

TOP: KAREN BUSSOLINI; BOTTOM: CAROLE OTTESEN; FAR RIGHT: COURTESY OF CHRIS SIMON/UNIVERSITY CONNECTICUT (Echinacea purpurea) is both heat and drought tolerant. Photograph by Rob Cardillo A ground cover tapestry.

May / June 2004 3 AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS 7931 East Boulevard Drive Alexandria, VA 22308-1300 (800) 777-7931 fax (703) 768-8700 www.ahs.org For general information about your membership or to report damaged magazines, call (800) 777-7931. Send change of address notifications to our mem- Making America a Nation of Gardeners, a Land of Gardens bership department at the address on the left. Mem- bership questions and change of address notification can also be e-mailed to [email protected]. PRESIDENT Katy Moss Warner THE AMERICAN GARDENER BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS 2003-2004 To send a letter to the editor, write to the address CHAIRMAN Kurt Bluemel Baldwin, Maryland on the left or e-mail to [email protected]. FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN Arabella S. Dane Boston, Massachusetts DEVELOPMENT SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN Valerie L. Thomas Alexandria, Virginia To make a gift to the American Horticultural Soci- SECRETARY Albin MacDonough Plant Baltimore, Maryland ety, call (800) 777-7931 ext. 115. TREASURER Christine Perdue Middleburg, Virginia GARDENER’S INFORMATION SERVICE (GIS) IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Jim Corfield Geneva, Illinois Have a gardening question? Call (800) 777-7931 ext. 131 GENERAL COUNSEL William A. Pusey or 124 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time on week- PRESIDENT EMERITUS Dr. H. Marc Cathey days. Or e-mail questions to [email protected]. THE GROWING CONNECTION Leslie Ariail Alexandria, Virginia ■ Allan M. Armitage Athens, Georgia ■ William E. Barrick, Ph.D. Theodore, Get your kids involved with this innovative educa- Alabama ■ Katherine Bull Washington, D.C. ■ Peg Dunnigan Alexandria, Virginia. ■ Joel Goldsmith Gilroy, tional program in which they can experiment with California ■ Brian E. Holley Cleveland, Ohio ■ Natasha Hopkinson New York, New York ■ Robert Malesardi seeds that have gone into space in a NASA science bal- Easton, Maryland ■ Melissa R. Marshall Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ■ Carol C. Morrison Palatine, Illinois ■ Don loon. Visit www.ahs.org or call (800) 777-7931 for Riddle Davidsonville, Maryland ■ Felder Rushing Jackson, Mississippi ■ William Seale Alexandria, Virginia ■ more information. Jeanne Otis Shields Greenville, Delaware ■ Steven Still Hilliard, Ohio ■ Howard McK. Tucker Alexandria, Virginia ■ Susie Usrey Dayton, Oregon ■ Robert D. Volk San Marino, California INTERN PROGRAM To receive an application for the Society’s Horticul- CORPORATE PARTNERS tural Intern Program, e-mail [email protected]. For in- The Care of Trees ■ DK Publishing ■ EarthBox ■ Kurt Bluemel, Inc. formation about the Editorial Intern program, e-mail ■ Monrovia Thompson & Morgan [email protected]. Intern application forms can also be downloaded from the River Farm section of the AHS AHS HORTICULTURAL PARTNERS Web site (www.ahs.org). America in Bloom ■ Center for Plant Conservation ■ Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Garden Symposium ■ Communities in Bloom ■ Cox Arboretum ■ Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival ■ Greater NATIONAL CHILDREN AND YOUTH GARDEN Gardens of the Washington Area ■ Horticulture Gardening Institute ■ International Master Gardener SYMPOSIUM (NCYGS) Conference ■ Leonard Haertter Travel Company ■ Morris Arboretum ■ National Cherry Blossom Festival Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, is the setting ■ Oklahoma Horticultural Society ■ Summer Master Gardener Conference in East Lansing for the 12th annual NCYGS, to be held July 29 to 31, 2004. For more information, call (800) 777-7931, ext. 132 or visit www.ahs.org. THE AHS PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL RECIPROCAL ADMISSIONS PROGRAM CHAIRMAN'S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. John H. Ariail, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Bluemel ■ Ms. Claire Burrows ■ Mr. and Mrs. Edward N. Through this program, AHS members receive free Dane ■ Mr. Mark Garrison ■ Ms. Jill Hamilton ■ Mr. and Mrs. James S. Hutchinson ■ Mr. Robert E. Malesardi ■ Ms. Nancy and discounted admission to botanical gardens Petersen ■ Mr. Phil Synder LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY ASSOCIATES Mr. A. Michael Gelman ■ Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Lynch ■ Mr. and throughout North America. Participating gardens are Mrs. Joseph L. Manson, III ■ Mr. and Mrs. Ken Mountcastle ■ The Honorable Lauralee M. Peters ■ Mr. W. R. Pickering ■ Jeanne listed in this year’s AHS Member Guide and also in Otis Shields ■ Ms. Katy Moss Warner ■ Ms. Donnan C. Wintermute HAUPT ASSOCIATES Mrs. Lynda A. Bachman ■ Dr. and Mrs. the Membership area of our Web site. For more in- William E. Barrick ■ Mr. and Mrs. C. William Black ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bogle ■ Mr. Richard C. and Mrs. Katherine Stark Bull formation, call (800) 777-7931 ext. 127. ■ Dr. and Mrs. H. Marc Cathey ■ Mr. and Mrs. Louis Cordia ■ Mrs. Elisabeth C. Dudley ■ Mrs. Richard W. Hanselman ■ Ms. Minako TRAVEL STUDY PROGRAM Henderson ■ Mrs. Carole S. Hofley ■ Col. and Mrs. Freeman E. Jones ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Kulp, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm AHS members and friends can visit spectacular gar- Matheson, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harold McClendon, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Tom McGlade ■ Ms. Michele Richardson ■ Mr. Harry A. dens around the world through the Society’s exclu- Rissetto, Esq. ■ Dr. and Mrs. George E. Staehle ■ Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Steiner ■ Mr. John Wm. Thomas and Mrs. Valerie Thomas ■ sive arrangement with Leonard Haertter Travel. To Mr. Howard McK. Tucker and Ms. Megan Evans ■ Mr. and Mrs. W. Bruce Usrey ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Volk learn about upcoming trips, call (800) 777-7931 ext. PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Angino ■ Nancy J. Becker, M.D. ■ Mrs. Katherine McKay Belk-Cook ■ Mr. Phillip 118 or visit the Events section of our Web site. Bermingham ■ Mrs. George P. Bissell, Jr. ■ Ms. Sylvia Black ■ Dr. Sherran Blair ■ Count and Countess Peder Bonde ■ Mrs. Anne Bucher ■ Mr. and Mrs. Cason Callaway, Jr. ■ Mrs. and Mr. Charles E. Carr ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Chandler ■ Mr. and Mrs. WASHINGTON BLOOMS! James L. Corfield ■ Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Crawford ■ Mr. and Mrs. Edward Daisey ■ Mr. and Mrs. James F. Delano ■ Mr. and Mrs. AHS’s annual celebration of spring was held April Nicholas Demisay ■ Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Dubke ■ Mrs. Beverley W. Dunn ■ Mrs. Maureen Ecke ■ Ms. Anita Ellis ■ Mr. and 1 to 25, 2004, at River Farm. This year featured the Mrs. John H. Fitzpatrick ■ Dr. and Mrs. John A. Floyd, Jr. ■ Ms. Marguerite Peet Foster ■ Mr. Thomas B. Gentry ■ Ms. Dorothy debut of the AHS Garden School, a series of in-depth Gillespie ■ Mr. John Sward Gleiber ■ Mr. and Mrs. Joel Goldsmith ■ Mr. and Mrs. David B. Gray ■ Mr. and Mrs. John H. Guy, IV workshops on exciting new gardening trends. Look ■ Mr. Gerald T. Halpin ■ Mrs. Richard W. Hamming ■ Dr. and Mrs. William O. Hargrove ■ Mr. and Mrs. Max Hartl ■ Mrs. Enid for information on 2005 programs later this year. A. Haupt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Brent Heath ■ Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Hohlt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Brian Holley ■ Mr. and Mrs. Allan L. WEB SITE: www.ahs.org Holmstrom ■ Mrs. Elizabeth Hooff ■ Mr. Ross Hotchkiss ■ Mr. Philip Huey ■ Mr. and Mrs. Waldo Hutchins, III ■ Mr. and Mrs. The AHS Web site contains information about AHS Robert B. Lindsay ■ Mr. and Mrs. Randolph Marshall ■ Mrs. Dorothy Marston ■ Mrs. Rachel L. Mellon ■ Mr. and Mrs. Egon Molbak programs and activities, gardening events in your area, ■ Mrs. Carol C. Morrison ■ Mr. and Mrs. William J. Moss ■ Mrs. Shirley Ann Nicolai ■ Mr. and Mrs. William G. Pannill ■ Ms. and links to other useful Web sites. Starting January Christine Perdue ■ Mr. and Mrs. Albin MacDonough Plant ■ Mr. and Mrs. William A. Pusey ■ Mr. and Mrs. Don E. Riddle, Jr. ■ 20, 2004, AHS members can reach the member’s- Mr. and Mrs. Alfred G. Rindler ■ Mrs. Diana Carter Samples ■ Mrs. Deen Day Sanders ■ Mrs. Josephine M. Shanks ■ Mr. Bob Sierralta only area of the site by typing in this year’s password: ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles Henry Smith, Jr. ■ Ms. Vandy Solomon ■ Mrs. Juliet Sproul ■ Mr. Harold Stahly ■ Miss Jane Steffey ■ Ms. meadow. Lida M. Stifel ■ Mr. and Mrs. John B. Strasenburgh ■ Mrs. Benjamin W. Thoron ■ Mrs. Mary Ann Tucker ■ Dr. and Mrs. Peter Van Dyke ■ Mr. Joe Viar ■ Ms. Angela M. Vikesland ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harvey C. White ■ Mr. and Mrs. John W. White, Sr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. D. Anderson Williams ■ Mrs. Marilyn B. Wilson

4 the American Gardener The American NOTESC FROM RIVER FARM GARDENER

EDITOR David J. Ellis O OFTEN I have been encouraged to stop and smell the roses. And, dutifully, MANAGING EDITOR AND DESIGNER Mary Yee I would slow down for a few minutes…sniff sniff…and then back to business! But over the past few months, while I have been on sabbatical, I have had many ASSOCIATE EDITOR S Carole Ottesen an opportunity to stop and smell the roses and enjoy the beauty of life around me. EDITORIAL INTERN Most of my time off was time spent with my family—lots of brothers and sis- Jessie Keith ters, nieces and nephews, and, of course, my incredible parents. However, as I traveled around the country, I also enjoyed visiting many of you, our AHS members. EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD It was so nice to be able to sit down and chat about AHS, and wherever I went, I CHAIR John Alex Floyd Jr. would see a copy of The American Gardener sitting on the kitchen counter or cof- Birmingham, Alabama fee table. From Florida to New York, Colorado, and California, the beautiful Allan M. Armitage columbines on the cover of the last issue greeted me— Athens, Georgia and, of course, I would hear how the articles in the mag- Nina L. Bassuk azine are inspiring people to search out good plants, Ithaca, New York look for new ways to combine them, be attentive to en- Richard E. Bir vironmental practices, and then pick up a trowel and Brevard, North Carolina get gardening! John E. Bryan San Francisco, California Last month, I was fortunate to visit New Zealand John L. Creech with 25 AHS members as host of an AHS Travel/Study Columbus, North Carolina Garden Tour. In 12 days, our adventurous group visit- Keith Crotz ed more than 20 incredible gardens and met the re- Chillicothe, Illinois markable people who created them. In addition, we experienced the outstanding Panayoti Kelaidis natural beauty of thermal geysers and hot bubbling mud pools on the north is- Denver, Colorado land, and snow-capped mountains—think Tolkien’s Middle Earth!—and brilliant Richard W. Lighty turquoise glacial lakes on the south island. In between, we marveled at the amaz- Greenville, Delaware ing flora and fauna endemic to that beautiful island nation. Elvin McDonald These Travel/Study Garden Tours are truly one of AHS’s hidden gems. Each West Des Moines, Iowa year, 10 to 12 tours take gardeners to destinations ranging from New Zealand to Tuscany, California, and Maine. Each one offers once-in-a-lifetime opportunities ADVERTISING The American Gardener to visit unique private and public gardens, and to comprehend the delicate bal- 7931 East Boulevard Drive ance between man and nature in these beautiful locations. These tours highlight Alexandria, VA 22150 (703) 768-5700 ext. 120 gardens that are an intrinsic component of artistic expression in the cultures we E-MAIL: [email protected] visit. This is no small message. I cannot encourage you enough to treat yourself to one of these tours if you love travel and love gardens. To celebrate 20 years of these outstanding programs, the AHS President’s Coun- cil Dinner, being held on May 14 in St. Louis, Missouri, will honor Leonard Haert- ter, who has creatively packaged these tours for the AHS since 1984. In that time, Leonard has taken nearly 3,000 AHS members to 200 destinations and some 4,000 The American Gardener (ISSN 1087-9978) is published bimonth- gardens worldwide, so you can understand why we celebrate. ly (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, Septem- ber/October, November/December) by the American Horticultural And now I am back at River Farm with spring bursting out of the ground and Society, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308-1300, (703) 768-5700. Membership in the Society includes a subscrip- Washington Blooms! in full swing. The River Farm meadow will have 40,000 new tion to The American Gardener. Annual dues are $35; two years, native plants in place by the end of April… The Master Plan for River Farm will $60. International dues are $50. $10 of annual dues goes toward magazine subscription. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Vir- be complete in June…the 2004 National Children and Youth Garden Symposium ginia, and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to The American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, is on schedule for July 29 to 31 in Ithaca, New York. Your AHS is moving ahead, Alexandria, VA 22308-1300. and we are so glad you are along for the ride! Botanical nomenclature is based on The American Horticultural Society A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, on A Synonymized Check- list of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada and Greenland and on the Royal Horticultural Society Index of Garden Plants. Opinions Happy Gardening! expressed in the articles are those of the authors and are not necessar- ily those of the Society. Manuscripts, artwork, and photographs sent for possible publication will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. We cannot guarantee the safe return of unsolicited material. Back issues are available at $8 per copy. Copyright ©2004 by the American Horticultural Society. —Katy Moss Warner, AHS President Printed in the U.S.A. on recycled paper.

May / June 2004 5 MEMBERSC’ FORUM

PEAR WARNING from dozens of companies for more than WHY WITCH HAZELS? Rita Pelczar’s article on vintage pears in the 20 years and have never had a problem I enjoyed the article on witch hazels (No- September/October 2003 issue was great, like this. It is disturbing to see this nurs- vember/December 2003) by Chris Strand. but I would like to caution readers about ery repeatedly featured as a source in na- But why are they called “witch hazels?” I Southmeadow Fruit Gardens, which was tional magazines. don’t think it was mentioned in the article. listed in the article as a source for pear trees. John Reilly John Bryan This nursery was also featured last year in Newton, Massachusetts Sausalito, California a National Geographic article on heirloom apples and pears, and I ordered more than Editor’s note: We received letters from two Chris Strand’s response: It is not clear how a dozen trees from them in January 2003. other readers who described similar expe- Hamamelis received the common name The check was cashed within a day of re- riences with Southmeadow Fruit Gardens. witch hazel. Some have attributed the ceipt, but the trees were never sent. My at- We contacted Southmeadow to ask about name to the Colonial practice of using its tempts to contact the company and get a these reported problems and were told by twigs for water divining, just as the hazel refund or an explanation have failed. Now, a staff member that the nursery is now (Corylus sp.) is used in Europe. Another ex- more than a year later, I have still to receive under new ownership and is trying to re- planation is that the name is derived from my trees, a refund, or an explanation. solve previously existing complaints about the Old English word wice and refers to the While this nursery may have skill and orders. We asked them to investigate John plant’s pliant branches. dedication to rescuing vintage fruit trees, Reilly’s order and were assured they would it seems to lack the most basic ability to do so. However, as of the time this issue PLEASE WRITE US! Letters should be addressed to Editor, The manage its business. I have ordered nurs- went to press, Reilly still had not received American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308, or you can e-mail us at [email protected]. Letters we print ery stock, seeds, and garden supplies any communication from the nursery. may be edited for length and clarity.

2004 ANNUAL AHS GALA RESERVE YOUR Through the White House FREE Gates to River Farm COPY TODAY! Since 1855 our World Famous Seed Catalog SEPTEMBER 25, 2004 has surpassed all others, offering a selection of the most unique and unusual seed varieties in the world. Hundreds of full color photographs packed into 200 pages will make planning your backyard garden a visual reality! he American Horticultural Society’s annual Tgala event will be held September 25 at its River Farm headquarters overlooking the Potomac TRY River. This year we highlight the restoration of US! Just pay the shipping and handling. historic gates from the White House that have hung at the entrance to River Farm since the 1930s. The Offer #478E gates will be reinstalled in a prominent Phone Fax spot in River Farm’s gardens. Plan to Toll Free 800•274•7333 Toll Free 888•466•4769 join us at the gala for a sneak peak and to enjoy an evening of dinner and live and silent auctions under the stars. For Log on to www.ahs.org and support the more information call (703) 768-5700. American Horticultural Society. Just click on the Thompson & Morgan link to place your order.

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www.monrovia.com © Monrovia 2004 04-0752L 8 2004 ChildrenandYouth GardeningSymposiumatCornellUniversity children’s garden education. focus onlessstructured approaches to Formal Garden-based Education,” will posium, titled“Branching Out: Beyond influence usthemost,thisyear’s sym- mal learningexperienceslikethesethat climbing trees. Because itisofteninfor- mother tendherroses, orsimply bles withmomordad,helpingagrand- experiences garden harvesting vegeta- they canrelate totheirown childhood dens have onchildren, oftenbecause ents allrecognize themagicaleffectgar- amazing teaching tool—turf. science atCornell, will shareof turfgrass successstoriesabouthis programs, andFrankhorticultural Rossi, of“un-designing”group willdiscusstheimportance children’s City University ofNew York’s Children’s Environments Research perspectives onchildren’s garden education.Roger Hart ofthe York, will feature two prestigious keynote speakers who offer fresh July 29to31ontheCornellUniversity campusinIthaca, New public gardens. Horticultural professionals, educators,andpar- ucational programs have becomeintegralelementsinschoolsand Youth Garden Symposia 12years ago,children’s gardens anded- SINCE THEINCEPTION President André Viette, ident Emeritus erty HydeBaileyAwardfromAHS Pres- April 2attheRitz-Carlton PentagonCity. American GardenersAwardBanquet News PROGRAMS •EVENTS •ANNOUNCEMENTS The symposium,tobeheldfrom “We are soexcited aboutthisyear’s keynotes,”says the American Gardener Katy MossWarner center, receivesAHS’sLib- H. MarcCathey at theGreat from of theAHSNational Children and and AHS AHS The herbgardenatCornellPlantationsinIthaca. an assistantprofessor tor. “Roger Hartwas programs coordina- sick, “IT WAS greenhouses were fascinating,” saysMarianne. particularly “We learned so much orchidinterior plantscapes andtheproduction greenhouses attheUSBG. “The also enjoyed behind-the-scenesguidedtoursofsomeWashington, D.C.’s best writer andAHSBoard member Connecticut; author, consultant,andeducator horticultural U.S. BotanicGarden (USBG);Byron Martin pressive line-up of indoor plant specialists that included AHSGardenin thefield.”Thisnew Schoolprogram, heldApril 1and2,boastedanim- anne Polito, Bowers; Wiseman; Indoor PlantExpertsat In additiontolearningaboutindoorplantsfrom theindustry’s finest,attendees AHS youth Nancy Bu- and AHSPresident Emeritus a treat tobeinvolved withthe AHS indoor plants garden course,” says Smithsonian orchid specialist coordinator ofWashington Blooms!, visit Busick at(800)777-7931 ext.132;e-mail:[email protected],or explore thesurrounding region. Symposium attendees maywanttoplanforsomeextratime York, Ithaca offersvisitorsmanythingstodoandplacessee. feature asignature New-York-style summer barbeque. ond dinner, heldatBaker’s Acres herbandperennial farm,will formance by theCompost Theatre ofTompkins County. Asec- the siteoffirstsymposiumdinner, whichwillfeature aper- Hyde Liberty tum establishedby thelegendary Bailey—will be is areal innovator whoiswell known forhisenlightenedand en- ardship thatgardens caninstillinyouung people.AndFrank Rossi he gave amemorablepresentation onthemessageofearth-stew- a keynotespeakerduringthefirstAHSsymposiumin1993,where To learnmore aboutthe2004symposium,contactNancy Located inthescenicFinger Lakesregion ofUpstate New www.ahs.org. Felder Rushing; Dr. H. Marc Cathey. A registration form isnow available online. Washington Blooms! Tom Mirenda; dren’s Garden andGarden Mosaics. for youth, includingtheIthaca Chil- wealth ofgarden-related opportunities workshops thatwillhighlightCornell’s dees willenjoy avariety offieldtripsand by notedyouth gardening experts. sign up for 12 idea-filled sessions given willbeableto symposium participants the keynotepresentations, attending presentations.”tertaining In additionto ideas. CornellPlantations—the arbore- working andinformalexchanges of There willalsobeplentyoftimefornet- of LogeesGreenhouses inDanielson, “because thespeakerswere allexperts Throughout thesymposium,atten- interior plantscaping expert interior plantscapingexpert Holly Shimizu, May/June 2004 AHS Horticulturist Peggy Steve Frowine; director of the garden Linda Mari-

TOP: COURTESY OF CHARLIE MAZZA/CORNELL PLANTATIONS. BOTTOM: JACK DOUTHITT. MARY YEE (3) ‘Accent’, whichhaswhitepetalsbackingapinkcup. lome’, whichhaswhitepetalsandasalmon-colored cup, and low pansiesinseveral locations.Her favorite daffodilsinclude‘Sa- double-flowered yellow thatsheinterplantedwithpurpleandyel- tulip thatshemassedinaperennial border, and‘Monte Carlo’, a pa praestans show ofcolor.” several containersateachlocationreally created adramatic grounds,” saysAHSHorticulturist Peggy Bowers. keylocationsonthe entrances tobuildingsandinafew tainers withtulipsanddaffodilsusedthemtodecoratethe year,where theylooked.“This we alsoplanteddozens ofcon- daffodils, tulips,crocuses, andotherbulbswowed visitorsevery- Farm wasreally somethingspecialthisyear. More than13,000 during Washington Blooms!, PEAKING ATTHE Spring BulbsLightUpRiverFarm co-authored by Felder Rushing andSteve Bender. ated inoneoftheworkshops, andacopyof theycre- memories, theytookhomeanAfricanviolet,atopiary during therenovation oftheconservatory. tour, Holly Shimizu shared withthegroup herexperiences about correct techniquesfororchid care." During theUSBG Among thetulips,Peggy likesearly-flowering particularly Participants inthegarden schoolleftnotonlywithlasting • • • include service fees andtax.Subjectinclude service toavailability. request. Two night stayrequired. Price doesnot forsingleoccupancyandsuitesavailableRates upon are*Rates perperson,basedondoubleoccupancy. T • • • Join usforaweekend filledwithfascinatingseminarsand horticulture andlandscapedesign,includingAndre Viette, Book Signing Garden Luncheon,Seminars andDemonstrations Luxurious Accommodations Use ofIndoor/Outdoor Pools and Nightly Movies Traditional Afternoon Tea WO F the CottageG I demonstrations givenby famedspeakersinthefieldof itness Center, Hiking andBiking Trails ‘Van Tubergan’s Variety’, alow-growing scarletspecies THE N -N IGHT well-known andauthor. horticulturist P ACKAGE G • ardener Shop 10% Off Purchases in perfect timefortheevents andprogramsperfect August 13-15,2004 RE IHTHE WITH ARDEN S ATN AT TARTING I NCLUDES • the springbulbdisplayatRiver Breakfast & Dinner Daily : $399* 1.800.838.1766 www.thehomestead.com o Springs,VA Hot E XPERTS Passalong Plants, “Grouping Tuli- ‘Salome’ daffodils.Aboveright:‘VanTubergan’sVariety’speciestulips. Top: Yellow‘MonteCarlo’tulips.Aboveleft:‘Washington’tulipsand River FarmshineswithspringcolorinAprilthankstoavarietyofbulbs. May /June 2004 9 10 Association forFlowerbulbs andNurserystock. and from would have beenpossiblewithoutthegenerous bulbdonations staff, ofthisyear’s getscredit fortheglory show, butnoneofit Nancy, whoadmittedthegrown-ups hadfun,too. watch thechildren letlooseandhave funinthegarden,” says pies. “We really hadanimpressive turnoutanditwasgreat to ments intunacanstoseed-picture paintingandmakingmud Saturday programs, whichrangedfrom makingflower arrange- grams Coordinator Nancy Busick den fun. down-in-the-dirt gar- teers atRiver Farm for members andvolun- area joinedAHSstaff across theWashington of April, children from throughout themonth deners. EachSaturday budding future gar- youngest visitorsand specifically forour programsboosted itsspringcelebrationwithfournew designed FOR THESECONDYEAR a Success! Spring Kid’s GardeningPrograms Mother Nature, withanassistfrom theAHShorticultural AHS Youth Pro- American Horticultural Society’sAmerican C.J. Zonneveld andSons the American Gardener K. Van andSons, Bourgondien Old House Gardens, taa e okJuly29–31,2004 Ithaca, New York 2004 National Children &Youth Garden Symposium Children makingmudpiesatRiverFarm. of theRoyal Dutch Wholesaler’s performance bytheacclaimedCompost TheatreofTompkinsCounty with newandoldfriends,be treatedtoanentertainingandinformative how communityspiritisbloomingattheIthacaChildren’sGarden project and DelightKids” Programs forYoungPeopleinanIncreasinglyProgrammedWorld” ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ and workshops,friendship,networking,muchmore… invite youtojoinusforthreedaysofinspirationalkeynotes,informative sessions,idea-filledfieldtrips The AHS,CornellCooperativeExtension,andtheHorticulture DepartmentofCornellUniversity e-mail [email protected], orcall(703)768-5700 ext.132. For moreinformationandtoregister forthesymposium,visit natural beauty,wonder,andrichness oftheFingerLakesRegion! of And muchmore! Enjoy aneveningatCornellPlantations,explorethegardens,have dinner Visit thenationallyrenownedCornellLabofOrnithology,climb asix-storytreehouse,andsee Discover “TwoKeystoSuccesswithChildren’sGardens”andfind outabout“PlantsthatDazzle Hear fromDr.RogerHarton“Un-DesigningforChildrenand Youth:RethinkingHorticultural organized andfacilitatedthe Washington Blooms!, Don’t missoutonthisopportunity toexperiencethe AHS ext. 132orby [email protected]. dren’s programs, pleasecontactNancy Busick at(703)768-5700 Haven Garden Club. Fort Belvoir Garden Club, andBabs McClendon Wright Alexandria-area garden clubs.Special thanksgoto ble withoutthededicationandresources ofvolunteers from sociation, States Garden Botanic (USBG),theNational Gardening As- hosts are Garden, theAHS,ChicagoBotanic theUnited cluded some60stakeholdersfrom across thenation.ThePPBL ed resources, andestablishacommonvision.Themeetingin- hosted ameetingatRiver Farm todiscussgoals,identifyneed- tions withavested interest inyouth gardening inAmerica, Based Learning (PPBL), and survival are criticallydependentonplants.” and survival should learnthrough first-handexperiencethatourwell-being plant-based educationacross theUnited States. All children is ourhopetogenerateideasandcooperationthatwilladvance Christine Flanagan, initiativewent isinitsearlieststages,”says topress. “This ing washeldApril 29 and30,afterthisissueofthemagazine IN LATEAPRIL, of Youth GardeninginAmerica Advancing theCause Articles inthissectionare by AHSEditorial Intern Jessie Keith. If you’re interested ingettinginvolved withnextyear’s chil- The successoftheseprograms wouldnothave beenpossi- of theDominion Valley Garden Club, and the National Wildlife Federation. members ofthePartnership forPlant the USBGpublicprograms manager. “It www.ahs.org, a nationalinitiative offive organiza- Jo Sellers of theYacht The meet- Mary of the

NANCY BUSICK 2004 AHS Book Award Winners

IVE GARDENING BOOKS published in 2003 have courage more gardeners to be successful,” she said. “It’s a splen- earned the American Horticultural Society’s Annual did book,” added Dick Dunmire, “really informed by passion FBook Award. The winning books, profiled below, are An and from the heart.” Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms by Robert Lee Riffle and Paul Craft, The Passion for Gardening by Ken Druse, Time and the Time and the Gardener by Elisabeth Sheldon. Beacon Press, Gardener by Elisabeth Sheldon, Tropical Flowering Plants by Boston, Massachusetts. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $25. Kirsten Albrecht Llamas, and Your House, Your Garden by Gor- don Hayward. “I CONSIDER this one in a distin- The award winners were selected by the AHS Book Award guished line of classic American garden Committee, chaired by Dick Dunmire of Los Altos, California, books,” said Keith Crotz. “Sheldon is one a former editor of the Sunset Western Garden Book. The other of those writers, like Elizabeth Lawrence, members of the committee are Linda Askey of Birmingham, Al- who takes you on a personal tour that is abama, formerly senior writer for Southern Living magazine; amazingly close to a garden stroll or arm- Keith Crotz, who owns American Botanist Booksellers in Chill- chair chat,” said Linda Askey. Lucinda icothe, Illinois; Laurie Hannah, a horticultural librarian at Santa Mays said she had trouble putting the Barbara Botanic Garden; Rommy Lopat of Richmond, Illinois, book down. “It combines high-quality editor of weedpatch.com; Lucinda Mays of Chadron, Nebraska, writing with good advice on how to think a garden writer and former host of the Southern edition of PBS’s about plants and use them in particular settings,” she said. The Victory Garden; and Ray Rogers, an author and book editor from North Brunswick, New Jersey. Tropical Flowering Plants: A Guide to Identification and Books that have received the AHS annual award can be dis- Cultivation by Kirsten Albrecht Llamas. Timber Press, Port- tinguished by a gold seal embossed with the Society’s name. land, Oregon. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $69.95. Seek out these books in your local bookstore or order them through a link to amazon.com posted on the AHS Web site “THIS ENCYCLOPEDIC book cov- (www.ahs.org). ers a very large variety of plants that are becoming widely popular in this coun- An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms by Robert Lee Riffle try,” said Dick Dunmire. “I was im- and Paul Craft. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. Publisher’s pressed with its authoritativeness,” said price, hardcover: $49.95. Laurie Hannah, “particularly that the author took so much time to update the “AS A HORTICULTURAL librarian, nomenclature and went out and mea- I am constantly looking for good books sured the plants herself.” Ray Rogers on palms,” said Laurie Hannah, “and I said the book is “top-shelf from a pro- can tell you that this book is top of the duction standpoint and from an information standpoint—I list. Not only is it useful, accurate, and like everything about it.” authoritative, but the authors’ poetic lan- guage brought life to the book.” Rommy Your House, Your Garden: A Foolproof Approach to Gar- Lopat agreed, noting, “For an encyclope- den Design by Gordon Hayward. W. W. Norton & Compa- dia, I found it very readable. The authors ny, New York, New York. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $39.95. are opinionated and offer interesting stories and history along with the plant descriptions.” “I REALLY LIKED that the voice of the book assumes you are a capable The Passion for Gardening by Ken Druse. Clarkson Potter, human being but might never have New York, New York. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $50. set a stone before,” said Lucinda Mays. “There are too few books that “KEN DRUSE continues to put out help us as gardeners put it all togeth- spectacular garden books,” said Ray er to make it work.” Keith Crotz Rogers. “Everything about this one is top praised the illustrations, particularly notch.” Lucinda Mays praised it for of- the aerial plans of each garden. “The fering such a wealth of inspirational ideas author provided examples from many and photographs for gardeners at all lev- different residences and discussed els of experience. “Books like this make ideas that usually don’t get covered in design books, such as how gardening information accessible and en- to garden over a septic tank,” said Laurie Hannah.

May / June 2004 11 12 S when touched. ages by magically foldingupitsleaves pudica), example ofthisissensitive plant(Mimosa light changesortouch—thebestknown and reopen inresponse tostimulisuchas that enablestheplants’ leafletstofoldup swollen leafjoint,known asapulvinus, maturity. Many alsohave aunique andsplitat elongated seedpodsthatdry pealike flowers, compoundleaflets, and the following common characteristics: temperate meadows toalpinescrees. totropical rainforestsdeserts andfrom imaginablehabitatfrom ing inevery legumes are foundallover theworldgrow- trees. Asatestamenttotheirsuccess, herbaceous perennials, vines,and shrubs, and nearly20,000speciesofannuals, plants, comprisingmore than600genera is thethird-largest familyofflowering family (Fabaceae, formerlyLeguminosae) mental garden, nomatterwhere you live. wealth ofleguminousplantsfortheorna- etable patch,though,andyou’ll finda —are legumes.Reach beyond theveg- crops—including soy beansandpeanuts food deed, several ofourmostimportant first thingsthatspringtomind.And,in- beautifully with its silver-edgedleaves. bright magenta-pink blossomsthatcontrast Opposite page:Lespedezathunbergii show intheearly-summergarden. flower spikesofBaptisiaaustralis This page:Theuprightyetloose indigo-blue BY PAMBAGGETT garden. this familyaregrowinginyour many ornamentalmembersof may besurprisedtolearnhow for thevegetablepatch,you If youthinklegumesarejust Most legumesshare oneormore of A botanicalsuccessstory, thelegume the American Gardener snaps, andgreen beanswillbethe likely thatimagesofpeas,sugar AY THEWORD which enthrallschildren ofall “legume,” andit’s make a bears adaptability to awiderangeofcondi- will thrive inanygarden, whiletheir family guaranteesthere’s alegumethat The diversity withinthisenormous taken upby theroots. pheric nitrogen intoformsthatcanbe roots, fixing—atmos- converting—or which establishthemselves intheplants’ beneficial soilbacteria(Rhizobium evolved symbioticrelationships with soils. Why?Because legumeshave tolerate—and even thrive in—infertile find anothershared trait:Theytendto habits ofornamentallegumesandyou’ll So legumeshave alotgoingforthem. Dig alittledeeperintothecultural Legumes tasteful spp.), best grown asfall-planted, spring-bloom- mer heatsouth ofUSDAZone 6and are Russells, bred inEngland, meltinsum- made meweak attheknees.Alas, yellow,colors from purpletocanary fect pealikeblossoms,inaroyal rangeof turing thosegreat packedspires ofper- particular, theRussell hybrids.Just pic- perennial lupines sparked by anunfulfilledlove affairwith My interest inthelegumefamilywasfirst ENVY LUPINE by savvygardeners. soils—make themsought-afterplants tions—including poor, andoftendry, (Lupinus spp.)—in

ROB CARDILLO ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL CONNECTIONS Over the course of human history, legumes have played an integral role in agriculture and been used as a source of many other products of cultural or economic importance. Soybeans (Glycine max), peanuts (Arachis hypogaea), peas (Pisum sativum), and beans (Phaseolus spp.) are major food crops that serve as important sources of protein for people around the world. Legumes such as alfalfa (Medicago spp.) and clover (Tri- folium spp.) are used as cover crops or “green mulch” to prevent erosion and replenish soil nutrients. Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is the source of the authentic licorice flavoring (as op- posed to anise, which is more commonly used in North America) used in some candies and liqueurs. True licorice root also has a long history of herbal and medicinal uses. Other commercial products derived from legumes include the botanical insecticide rotenone, which is produced from plants in the genera Derria and Lonchocarpus. The tropical rosewood tree (Dalbergia spp.) is the source of wood used for fine cab- inetry. American legumes such as mesquites (Prosopis spp.) and locust are also valued for their wood, which

ing annuals. There are true annual ter areas, they have proven adaptable to a lupines that would have been better suit- range of soil types and moisture levels. ed my North Carolina garden (USDA The best known is probably Baptisia aus- Zone 7, AHS Zone 8)—in particular, tralis (Zones 3–9, 9–1), which is native to Texas bluebonnet (L. texensis), which moist woodlands and prairies from New showers the Texas countryside with spires York to Texas. Before the sturdy stems of deep blue blossoms each April. But have finished unfurling their blue-green The wood of mesquite is commonly back then, I wanted reliable perennials, leaves in late spring, spires of violet-blue used to provide flavor for grilled food. which is why I turned, instead, to bap- blossoms emerge, eventually reaching tisias, a genus of lupine lookalikes native three to four feet tall. A more compact va- has traditionally been used, respec- mostly to the eastern United States. riety, B. australis var. minor (Zones 4–9, tively, as firewood to add flavor to Sometimes called wild or false indigo, 9–1) is similar to the species but only cooked foods and as fence posts. A baptisias are tough, long-lived herbaceous grows to two feet. blue dye may also be produced from perennials that offer years of carefree Three-foot-tall Baptisia alba (Zones the genus Indigofera. —AHS Staff bloom. Though some baptisia species are 4–8, 8–1), native from Virginia to Florida,

LEFT: MARK TURNER; RIGHT: DAVID CAVAGNARO indigenous to dry soils and others to wet- has smoke-gray stems that offer sultry

May / June 2004 13 14 tubular bloomsthroughoutthesummer. Below: Easterncoralbeanbearsscarlet and ishardytoZone3. hebecarpa, Despite itsbold,tropicallooks,Senna ers inmidsummer. which reaches five feetinheightandflow- alba Midwestern gardeners maywanttotry stems, eachdisplayingdozens ofblossoms. mature plantcanproduce 30flowering contrast toitsmilkywhiteblossoms.A tween Smoke’, achancecross be- nificent hybrids:‘Purple Hill hasintroduced twomag- Botanical Garden inChapel den. TheNorth Carolina light sparks inthespringgar- spikes ofacid-yellow flowers Louisiana, whosedramatic 9–5), native from Missouri to sphaerocarpa use two-to-three-foot-tall B. peas on18-to24-inchstems. ers thatlookratherlikebunchesofsweet clustersofcream-coloredduces short flow- 9–7), thecreamy falseindigo,whichpro- its goodlooks,as doesitstendencytodrop trasted withbright green foliage enhance that resemble alobelia.Dark stemscon- up spikesofrichred, tubularblossoms west toNew Mexico, cardinal spearsends tive from North Carolina toFlorida and thrina herbacea, eastern coralbeanorcardinal spear yellow blossoms. flower insummerwithclusters ofchrome- four-tosix-foot-tallplantsthat shrublike, ilandica and soft yellow flowers from itsparents, ‘Carolina Moonlight’, whichcomesby its topped withduskygrapeflowers; and bears charcoal-gray stems hebecarpa native tothe easternUnited States, tropical regions. Two similarperennials which are grown asornamentalsinsub- cludes more than 500species,manyof (sometimes listedasCassia), you mayalsoenjoy thegenus Or consider For achangeofcolorpace, If you’re searching forred flowers, try If you likethesturdy lookofbaptisias, B. sphaerocarpa. the American Gardener var. B. alba (Zones 4–9,9–1),formstout, macrophylla (Zones 3–10,10–4)and right, isnativetoNorthAmerica and (Zones 5–9, B. bracteata Zones 7–10,10–8).Na- B. australis, (Zones 3–9,8–1), (Zones 6–9, which in- S. mar- B. alba Senna Senna (Ery- B. perennials inmostoftheUnited States— bush clovers behave likeherbaceous though they’re considered woodyplants, or moist,sandyenriched soils.Al- for years onminimalcare, acceptingdry busy gardener, lespedezasremain happy early September. Custom-made forthe bursting intobloominthecoolerdaysof summers lookingcrispandfresh before deer-proof, itscultivars coastthrough hot the latesummergarden. Pest-free and 6–8, 8–6),aJapanese native, isastarof sky from June toOctober. waving itslipstick-red spikesagainstablue six-foot-tall coralbeanlooksmagnificent bush clover (Lespedezathunbergii,Zones legumes,lacy-leavedAmong theshrubby SHRUBBY LEGUMES the South American 12–8), ahybridbetween E.herbacea Even betterisE. its several weeks ofbloom inmidsummer. afreshpreserving appearancethroughout its flowers before they’ve withered, thus ✕ bidwillii E. crista-galli. (Zones 7–12, This and multi-stemmed plantinfullbloom! imagine themagnificentsightofamature more than100flowers spikes—sojust rosy-purple blossoms.Asinglestemsbears wide, bedeckedinSeptember withvivid ing upandouttosixfeettallby10 largest selectionIgrow, itsbranchesarch- crown inspring. onesemergefromback sothatnew the the stemsdieover winterandcanbecut natural totheplant. flowers aswell—this unpredictable traitis ly produces pinkorpink-striped afew Don’t bealarmedif‘Albiflora’ occasional- looking plantwithmilkywhite blooms. which formsacompactfive-foot shrubby- white blossoms,andthetidier ‘Albiflora’, sized plant drippingwithelegantpearl- Fountain’, whichproduces a‘Gibraltar’- sider thehybridbushclovers ‘White sies andspring-bloomingbulbs. homeforwinterannualslikepan- perfect ground beneath theirbranchesmakesa clovers godormantinautumn,thebare one plant,thinkseasonally:Since bush sounds liketoomuchspacetogive over to less arching formthan‘Gibraltar’. If that tall andslightlywider, withasomewhat blossoms. In mygarden itreaches sixfeet smaller andproduces brightrose-pink Another cultivar, ‘P Lespedeza thunbergii If you’re towhiteflowers, partial con- ink Fountain’ is ‘Gibraltar’ isthe

TOP: DAVID CAVAGNARO; BOTTOM: HUGH AND CAROL NOURSE Thanks to a taproot that can grow 16 feet deep, leadplant is highly drought resistant and well suited to low-maintenance gardens. Resources The Desert Legume Program, Boyce Heavy clay soil has kept me from trying Thompson Southwestern Arboretum, leadplant (Amorpha canescens, Zones 2–8, 37615 U.S. Highway 60, Superior, 8–1), though perhaps I’m being too timid. AZ 85273. (520) 689-2723. It’s prairie-tough but visually delicate, with ag.arizona.edu/BTA. three-foot stems bearing fernlike silvery leaves, crowned in summer by spikes of tiny red-purple blooms. Native from cen- Sources tral Canada to Texas, leadplant is drought- Arborvillage Farm Nursery, Holt, MO. resistant and grows best in sandy or loamy (816) 264-3911. soils—its powerful taproot can plunge six www.arborvillagellc.com. Catalog $1. to 16 feet deep. Let leadplant reach its full height, or treat it as a cut-back shrub. Forest Farm, Williams, OR. (541) 846-7269. www.forestfarm.com. TREES Catalog $5; online catalog free. There are few pleasures that equal seeing great clouds of redbud blossoms in glo- Phoenix Perennials Ltd., 4153 Yuculta rious spring bloom. The chubby, heart- Crescent, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6N shaped leaves of eastern native Cercis 4A9. www.phoenixperennials.com. canadensis (Zones 4–9, 9–2) appear after Catalog $4; online catalog free. tight clusters of petite rosy-purple flow- Twelve years ago, I began growing a ers bloom along the stems just prior to Plants of the Southwest, Santa Fe, NM. woody relative of the lespedezas, Campy- dogwood season. I covet, but don’t grow, (800) 788-7333. www.plantsofthe lotropis macrocarpa (Zones 7–9, 9–7), and the lovely purple-leaved selection, ‘For- southwest.com. Catalog free. I recommend it. It forms an open, airy est Pansy’, and stunning ‘Silver Cloud’, shrub six feet tall and eight feet wide. The which has white-splashed leaves. Yucca Do Nursery, Hempstead, TX. stems do not die back in winter like bush The JC Raulston Arboretum in (979) 826-4580. www.yuccado.com. clover; instead it behaves as a permanent Raleigh, North Carolina, is home to a Catalog $3; online catalog free. woody shrub, assuming a neat vase shape study collection of the world’s best red- that allows underplanting with low-grow- buds. My favorite there is Texas redbud ing plants. It blooms three to four weeks (C. canadensis var. texensis, Zones 6–9, fallen. ‘Texas White’ is a popular white- earlier than the bush clovers, with two- 9–6), native to Oklahoma, Texas, and flowered selection. tone reddish purple-and-white flowers. Mexico. I love its leathery deep green Silk tree or mimosa (Albizia julibrissin, Summer-blooming Himalayan indi- leaves, rippled along the edges and shiny, Zones 6–9, 9–6) is an Asian native that go (Indigofera gerardiana, Zones 6–9, making an attractive feature long after its has naturalized across the Mid-Atlantic 9–6), looks almost like a lespedeza in spring-blooming, red-purple flowers have and South. Although it is sometimes con- miniature, sending out stem after stem of rosy-purple flowers from the leaf axils and growing only two to four feet tall. Surprisingly, I’ve had no trouble growing it in the steamy Southeast, though it’s native to the northwest Himalayas. Equally lovely is Chinese indigo (I. kirilowii, Zones 6–8, 9–5), with its bright pink, six-inch flower clusters dangling from 18-to-36-inch-tall stems. Best of the bunch may be lofty I. amblyantha (Zones 7–9, 9–7), which shoots up to eight feet tall and produces pink blossoms from March to October.

The striking purplish leaves of Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ make it one of the

TOP: KAREN BUSSOLINI; BOTTOM: JERRY PAVIA most coveted redbud cultivars.

May / June 2004 15 MORE ORNAMENTAL LEGUMES

Name Height/width Flower color/ Other features Origin USDA Hardiness/ (feet) Bloom time AHS Heat Zones

SHRUBS AND SHRUBBY PERENNIALS Caragana arborescens 5–7/3–5 yellow/spring tough shrub for Russia, China 2–8, 8–1 ‘Pendula’ and ‘Walker’ mountain or desert sites (Siberian peashrub) Dalea capitata Sierra Gold™ 1/3–5 yellow/spring evergreen ground cover Mexico, SW U.S. 8–10, 11–8 (Yellow trailing dalea) and fall Dalea frutescens Sierra Negra™ 3/4 purple/winter evergreen, silvery foliage Mexico, SW U.S. 8–10, 11–8 (Black dalea) to spring Genista pilosa ‘Vancouver Gold’ 1–2/5-7 bright yellow/ low-growing shrub W and Central 9–11, 12–9 (Broom) spring Europe Petalostemon purpureus 1–2/1–2 rosy purple/ drought tolerant W Canada to Texas 6–11, 12–9 (Purple prairie clover) summer

TREES Acacia baileyana 25/30 yellow/mid-winter thorny evergreen Australia, New 10–11, 12–10 (Bailey acacia) South Wales Acacia greggii 5–25/15 pale yellow/spring spreading shrub SW U.S. 10–11, 12–10 (Catclaw acacia) to small tree Cladrastis kentukea 30–50/40–50 white/late spring fragrant flowers Central/South U.S. 4–9, 9–1 (Yellowwood) to summer yellow fall foliage Parkinsonia Desert Museum™ 20–25/20 yellow/spring long-flowering SW U.S. 9–11, 12–10 (Palo verde) to summer shade tree Sophora secundiflora 10–20/10–15 violet/late winter multi-trunked evergreen SW U.S. 7–11, 12–7 (Texas mountain laurel) to spring fragrant flowers

sidered weedy, I enjoy its pincushion clus- thos var. inermis, Zones 3–7, 7–1) are na- ters of showy, peachy-pink stamens and tives of the eastern United States, with the wonderful sweet honey scent that ranges extending from Pennsylvania south waft over the garden for weeks in sum- to Oklahoma (Robinia) and Texas (Gled- mer. All season long, I love how its deli- itsia). Both produce intensely honey- cate leaves etch a distinctive tracery scented flowers. Those of black locust against the sky. A healthy tree can grow form dense racemes of white blossoms swiftly to 20 feet or taller; unfortunately that hang in four- to eight-inch chains silk trees are prone to a disease called vas- from the tree. Honeylocust’s two-inch cular wilt. Despite this problem, I intend racemes of greenish-yellow flowers are not to try the gorgeous new purple-leaved nearly as sexy, but they have a heavenly form, ‘Summer Chocolate’, which is smell. Numerous cultivars of each are much too handsome to be without. available. Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Purple Locusts are tough trees often reserved Robe’, which offers pretty, dark pink for the worst sites. They tolerate salt ex- flower chains and bronze-red new growth. posure, drought, and nearly any soil but a I’m partial to the chartreuse-leaved selec- soggy one, though best growth is achieved tions: Gleditsia ‘Summergold’ and ‘Sun- in rich loam or limestone-based soils. burst’; Robinia ‘Aurea’ and ‘Frisia’. Both the black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia, Zones 4–9, 9–3) and the LEGUMES FOR THE WEST thornless honeylocust (Gleditsia triacan- Gardeners west of the Rockies will find plenty of good options among legumes. In late spring, Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Purple An excellent resource for desert garden- Robe’ is covered with magnificent racemes ers is the Desert Legume Program at the

of rose-pink blooms. Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arbore- MARK TURNER

16 the American Gardener Desert ironwood, left, is a tough evergreen tree for arid gardens. For subtropical gardens, red bird-of-paradise, right, attracts hummingbirds.

tum in Tucson, Arizona. This program, dainty blue-tinged leaves, it has gorgeous South and Central America and the a joint project with the University of Ari- yellow spring blooms and green bark. Caribbean, they are often evergreen in zona, collects, evaluates, and displays Both desert ironwood and blue palo verde mild climates and produce attractive leguminous plants suited to cultivation are native to the American Southwest. clusters of yellow to reddish flowers with in arid areas (see “Resources,” page 15). There is also a redbud adapted to west- contrasting stamens that attract hum- If you’re in search of shrubs, consider ern gardens. Cercis occidentalis (Zones mingbirds. Red bird of paradise (Cae- bush lupine (Lupinus arboreus, Zones 9–10, 7–9), native to California, bears ma- salpinia pulcherrima, Zones 9–11, 12–10) 8–9, 9–8), native to coastal California and genta-rose blossoms in spring. is a fast-growing 10 foot shrub with or- bedecked with its huge trusses of yellow or Desert locust (Robinia neomexicana, ange or red flowers; Mexican bird of par- lilac-blue blossoms on four- to eight-foot Zones 9–11, 12–9) and Idaho locust adise (C. mexicana, Zones 9–11, 12–10) is stems. Or if you’re like me and crave (Robinia ✕ambigua ‘Idahoensis’, Zones hardier and has bright yellow flowers. lupines, try L. polyphyllus (Zones 5–8, 6–10, 10–7) are well adapted to dry and Another legume suited to mild cli- 8–5), a colorful parent of the Russell hy- mountain climate gardens, respectively. mates is fairy duster or powder puffs (Cal- brids with blue to reddish summer flow- Desert locust can take the form of a shrub liandra spp.), a genus of evergreen and ers. It thrives in moist sites from California or small tree, growing anywhere from six deciduous shrubs that produce dainty north to British Columbia. to 30 feet tall and is distinguished by clus- globular pink to red flowers. Most are na- Tree-size legumes include naked coral ters of dangling pink flowers in spring to tive to areas from South and Central tree (Erythrina americana, sometimes early summer. Idaho locust grows to 40 America up to California and the South- listed as E. coralloides, Zones 10–12, feet tall and spreads slightly less with strik- west. Good options include Baja fairy 12–10), which hails from Mexico and ing clusters of rose-pink flowers. duster (C. californica, Zones 13–15, 12–1) thrives in southern California and Ari- and Brazilian flame bush (C. tweedii, zona. Spectacular fat cones of fiery coral LEGUMES FOR SUBTROPICAL GARDENS Zones 11–12, 12–10). red flowers bloom in spring before leaf If you live in a region where winters are Even though these tender legumes emergence on this 25-foot tree. The mild, such as southern Florida or south- won’t survive in my temperate garden, I leathery leaves yield yellow fall color and ern California, consider growing the really can’t complain because the list of the contorted leafless stems provide tex- royal poinciana or flamboyant tree (De- legumes I can grow grows longer by the tural interest in winter. lonix regia, Zones 11–15, 12–8). Native to day. I’m almost to the point that I no Desert ironwood (Olneya tesota, Zones Madagascar, the tree is crowned in spring longer sulk when spring seed catalogs ar- 9–10, 10–9), is another architecturally in- with profuse clusters of brilliant red flow- rive and taunt me yet again with those teresting small tree suited to southwestern ers. Growing to 40 feet, it is often used as darn Russell hybrids. gardens. It bears racemes of pink or soft a street tree in the Caribbean and in purple blossoms in spring, as well as deli- southern Africa. Garden writer Pam Baggett owns Singing cate blue-green leaves. Even finer foliage Closely related are the shrubs and Springs Nursery in Cedar Grove, North can be had with blue palo verde (Parkin- small trees in the genus Caesalpinia, Carolina, which specializes in uncommon sonia florida, formerly Cercidium sometimes called poincianas or bird-of- tender plants and choice perennials and

LEFT: DAVID CAVAGNARO; RIGHT: JERRY PAVIA floridum, Zones 9–11, 12–10). Besides its paradise shrubs. Native to regions of tropicals (www.singingsprings.com).

May / June 2004 17 Artful Borders Designer Lynden Miller’s Irwin Perennial Garden at the New York Botanical Garden abounds in inspiration for the home gardener. ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY KAREN BUSSOLINI

O MATTER what the season, effect seems casual, yet every plant is clear- After moving back to New York City, every time I visit the Jane Wat- ly there for a reason once you study why it she began restoring the Conservancy Gar- Nson Irwin Perennial Garden at all works so well. It’s as though a talented den in Central Park—which she still over- The New York Botanical Garden artist painted her way through the garden, sees—and after 1982, she never went back (NYBG), I come away thinking that a carefully composing each scene, then to the studio. “When I left, I became a gar- visit once a week for a whole year would painted out all signs of her efforts with dener who paints; before, I had been a reveal just about everything there is to loose brushstrokes. painter who gardens,” she says. “Now I know about combining plants. This An artist is, in fact, responsible for the paint with plants.” The elements of densely planted half acre of themed gar- visual intelligence and artistic quality of putting together a garden, she explains, are den rooms contains an extravagant vari- this garden. Lynden Miller, instrumental exactly the same as those of putting to- ety of plants, yet manages to be always in the renaissance of public gardens in gether a painting. both cohesive and exciting. New York City, designed and has contin- NYBG’s teaching mission allows A stroll through the gardens reveals ued to shape this private-feeling public Miller to use a tremendous palette of mixed borders with small trees, shrubs, garden since 1986. plants and experiment endlessly. “The perennials, annuals, biennials, and bulbs Her gardening career began in the late point of the garden is to show people arranged in one appealing vignette leading 1970s when, after studying at NYBG, she what they can grow,” she says. “We have to another. Nearby plants seem to speak to was living and painting in London. She a duty to show what’s on the market, to each other and to connect with others was bowled over by the way English gar- use many different varieties.” across the way. Certain plants are repeat- deners were painting with plants. “I had Although she relies upon plants that ed, but never in quite the same way. The never seen that before,” she recalls. thrive in the region and pull their weight

The Hot Room in June and July. Yellows include Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea’, Lysimachia ciliata ‘Firecracker’, and ‘Corona- tion Gold’ and ‘Moonshine’ yarrows. Oranges and scarlets come from Bouvardia ternifolia, Kniphofia ‘Alcazar’, and Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’.

18 the American Gardener over a long season, there are always new plants to try, and tender ones with visual qualities too compelling to pass up for their lack of hardiness. Plants are chosen for their foliage —form, texture, color, scale—first. She arranges plants like a collage, playing with their different qualities, moving them until each plant enhances its neighbors. She loves flowers, but considers flower color last, for they simply aren’t around as long. Not every gardener has Lynden Miller’s training or eye, and taste in plants, colors, and style may differ. Yet understanding The elements of putting together a garden… are exactly the same as those of putting together a painting. how she employs three big elements of design—form, contrast, and repetition—is bound to improve garden compositions. The ability to consider all three elements at once and to keep combinations interesting year round comes with experience and constant editing. Her approach to combining plants would work in Alas- ka or Florida—with different palettes of plants suitable to each region—and it ap- plies equally on the scale of a container, a small bed, or an acres-big garden. FORM The geometric framework within which Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica ‘Blue Ice’) anchors this composition, backed by Saccharum plants are combined provides a unifying ravennae and fronted by Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Atrosanguineum’, and Salvia guaranitica. structure that connects and makes sense of a garden’s parts. Straight lines and structure. Miller also employs geometri- Miller always starts her planting plan hard-edged forms set off softer plant cal garden ornaments and structures such with small trees and shrubs, such as forms. Miller explains, “It’s easy to gar- as wooden tuteurs and an armillary dwarf blue spruce (Picea pungens ‘Glo- den in rows.The hardest kind of planting sphere on a pedestal. bosa’ and oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea looks like it just happened. Lanning Spilling plants may paint over hard quercifolia). Favorite shrubs like purple Roper described my style as ‘careless rap- edges during the exuberant seasons in the sand cherry (Prunus ✕cistena), red-twig ture.’ I love things that fall over and spill garden, but the underlying structure re- dogwoods (Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’), out. The loose, seemingly naturalistic mains, becoming more obvious and im- and barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Rose way I plant needs the underpinning of portant in winter. Glow’) might be pruned to tree shape, geometry for that luxuriance to play off, Form also comes from big structural loose round forms, or hedges. These or else it looks messy.” plants, which Miller uses “to keep the plants are hardy and adaptable to many Walkways, hard-edged rectilinear garden, with its many small-leafed flow- parts of the country. beds, and the green architectural forms ering plants, from looking like what gar- Architectural plants with large leaves of tightly clipped yew hedges and globu- dener Christopher Lloyd calls ‘gaily also provide structure. “They’re not hardy, lar boxwoods provide that underlying painted hay’.” but tropicals have a wonderful quality

May / June 2004 19 that’s hard to get out of the hardy herba- geums with the opposite hue, using deep with darker and more colorful plants. ceous materials,” notes Miller. blue-flowering Salvia nemorosa ‘Osfries- Textural contrasts give great variety and Used judiciously, plants such as cordy- land,’ cool blue spruce, and lavender-blue interest to plantings. The linear delicacy lines, phormiums, cannas, elephant ears, flowering Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’. and soft, flowing quality of golden red castor beans (Ricinus communis ‘Car- Hakone grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aure- mencita’), and large-leafed Hibiscus ace- The hardest kind of ola’) is enhanced by its association with tosella ‘Red Shield’ give your eye a sock Asarum europaeum’s tough glossy round- with their bold forms and color. Among planting looks like ed leaves nestled tightly at its feet. Feath- lower-growing herbaceous perennials, ery dill stands out among solid simple hostas (especially H. plantaginea with its it just happened. leaves of heucheras and hostas. Gom- green pleated leaves), bergenias, and yuc- phrena’s papery drumsticks and serrated cas are among Miller’s favorite form-givers. Dark reds (the complement of green) velvet heart-shaped coleus leaves contrast are crucial. The leaves of purple sand with tough waxy spikes of yuccas in both CONTRAST cherry, smokebush (Cotinus coggygria texture and form. White anemones (A. hy- Contrasting colors, textures, and forms ‘Royal Purple’), (the cotinus kept cut brida ‘Alba’) never looked so delicate as make the gardens buzz and zing. What- back to encourage ruby-colored new when leaning on a prickly Arizona cypress. ever qualities a plant possesses, Miller growth), and ‘Red Shield’ hibiscus carry Plants that provide vertical structure pairs it with their opposites. She loves the eye around the garden, subtly mak- play a tremendously important role in strong contrasts and values plants that ing the greens appear greener. Miller’s plantings, for they contrast both contrast in several ways. Higher-keyed warm reds of Gom- with the many mounded plants (a steady In the Irwin garden, Miller has de- phrena globulosa ‘Strawberry Fields’ and diet of which could become boring), and signed a Cool Room to contrast with its Bouvardia ternifolia do the same, with the overall horizontal nature of a large vibrant opposite, the Hot Room. higher voltage. garden built on flat ground. Complementary colors (opposite each Light silver lamb’s ears (Stachys byzan- To keep a garden in proportion, other on the color wheel) planted togeth- tina), Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’, and tender Miller recommends using about one er give an exciting jolt. She pairs orange Plectranthus argentatus contrast, by virtue third vertical plants to two thirds red-hot pokers (Kniphofia spp.) and of both their light value and lack of hue, domed or horizontal forms.

Left: A lively composition of leaves—round boxwood balls, blue Euphorbia myrsinites, spiky Iris pallida ‘Variegata’, and misty Perovskia atriplicifolia—keeps the garden interesting into winter. Vivid Gomphrena globulosa ‘Strawberry Fields’ and Bouvardia ternifolia add punch to the combination. Above: Spiky blue-green Yucca filamentosa contrasts in form, texture, color and lightness with the deep red velvety leaves of Solenostemon ‘Red Carpet’.

20 the American Gardener Many of the large plants relied upon to provide form—Arizona cypress, and especially thin Alberta spruce trees (Picea glauca ‘Conica’) in an allée—are also strong vertical elements by virtue of being tall and pointed. Miller values the verticality of lofty clumps of silphiums, crocosmias, red- hot pokers, and lilies, as well as the flower spikes of foxgloves, verbascums, and salvias. She uses tall linear ornamental grasses, especially miscanthus cultivars, as excla- mation points throughout the garden. Pointed wooden tuteurs function as vertical structural elements. On a lower plane, spiky yuccas and blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) have a vertical gesture, as do irises, daylilies, and tender Above: The Hot Room in fall, looking toward phormiums. the Cool Room. Flower spikes of Salvia ‘An- thony Parker’, Pennisetum alopecuroides REPETITION ‘Moudry’, and Cuphea micropetala are re- Miller’s true artistry is revealed peated in vertical flowers and foliage as you start moving through the throughout the border. Dark red Hydrangea garden. Elements—colors, es- quercifolia foliage leads the eye to similar pecially those key dark reds and tones in barberries, and purple smoke bush- silvers, structural plants, four- es down the line, pulling the eye to the focal season plants, verticals—are re- point, a large Luna Form pot at the end of the peated again and again, but garden. Left: A hard-edged tuteur with never in exactly the same way, Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’, one of a pair flank- and never symmetrically, except ing the entrance to the Shade Room. to mark entrances. Repetition of forms, colors, hind, enhances the greens. Behind the plants, and textures binds the ensemble, violet spires of Buddleia soar, numerous parts of the garden echoing the purple and red tones. together. It amplifies successful The second tuteur anchors a much combinations and sets up a lighter combination, with large leaves and rhythm that draws the eye—and foot- luscious fat flower clusters of Hydrangea step—into the garden. She flanks en- Repetition of forms, macrophylla ‘Maculata’, filagree spheres of trances to garden rooms with symmetrical Allium ‘Globemaster’, and Thalictrum elements, such as a pair of Arizona cy- colors…amplifies rochebrunianum’s lacy foliage and tenuous presses, pots of agapanthus or the tuteurs. dancing blooms, all lightness and air. But each one of the pair keeps company successful combinations “Cordylines,” Miller says, “pay two with different plants. kinds of rent. They are both dark red and Take, for example, a pair of pyrami- and sets up a rhythm spiky verticals.” She places them through- dal tuteurs softened by Clematis ‘Etoile out the garden as accents, lifting them in Violette’ that flank one path. Each has that draws the eye… fall. In the Hot Border, dull purple-red graceful always-in-motion Miscanthus Cordyline australis ‘Purple Tower’ accom- sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ and gray-leafed into the garden. panied by weaving spikes of Salvia ‘An- mounds of lavender-blue-flowering thony Parker’, with bracts of a similar color Nepeta ✕faassenii nearby. tall dense clipped mound of Berberis stand in spectacular contrast to surround- One tuteur arises from a clump of thunbergii ‘Rose Glow’ is heavy and dark ing vibrant hues. round shiny bergenia leaves and spikes of against those fine textures and light hues. In the Cool Border, Tricyrtis ‘Sino- Nepeta, with strappy daylily foliage under The barberry’s deep somber red, along nome’, with elegant orchidlike flowers, the thinner blades of the Miscanthus. A with that of the purple smokebush be- weaves through the cordyline, its spots ex-

May / June 2004 21 YEAR-ROUND INTEREST The New York Botanical Garden is located at 200th Street and South- Reliance on structure and foliage rather ern Boulevard in Bronx. It is open Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m than just on flowers extends each plant’s in- April through October; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. November through March; open on Mon- terest over a long period of time, often well day federal holidays; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is $13 for into winter. “Americans focus on spring,” adults, $11 for seniors and students with a valid ID, $5 for children two to 12, says Miller, “but there’s so much going on free for children under two. Parking is $7. For more information visit www.nybg.org in spring, who has time to look?” Not that or call (718) 817-8700. the garden is dull for one moment. The NYBG participates in AHS’s Reciprocal Admission Program; AHS members fresh light foliage of variegated Cornus alba showing a current membership card are admitted free during the week and two ‘Elegantissima’ and oakleaf hydrangeas for the price of one on weekends. contrast with the dark red shrubs, which are at their most vibrant early in the season. Mats of silvery velvet lambs ears set off actly matching the cordyline’s color. This of their form in upright ornamental clumps of colorful tulips and pansies. is a quieter combination, best appreciated grasses, irises, daylily foliage, yuccas, Spikes of Iris pallida ‘Aurea Variegata’ at close range. and many other repeated verticals. reach for the sky even though they are Sometimes bold tropical plants are Likewise, big-leafed tropicals like can- only a few inches tall, contrasting with jarring in a garden of more familiar and nas find are echoed by oakleaf hy- cool blue dianthus foliage and snaky blue fine-textured plants. Here, however, drangeas, hostas, and other familiar strands of Euphorbia myrsinite. Red- these strong spiky accents find echoes bold-leafed hardy plaßnts. stemmed Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Pur- Reliance on structure and foliage rather than just on flowers extends each plant’s interest over a long period of time.

purea’, with deep purple leaves, contrasts with its own chartreuse flowers and bracts, as well as those of nearby Helle- borus foetidus. Excitement builds through summer, as the garden gets taller. In August, when most gardens are tired, the Hot Room siz- zles. It is lively well into fall, with good foliage combinations and ongoing blooms of annuals and tender perennials such as salvias and bouvardia, which look as good in November as they do in May. Autumn’s first frosts bring out new hues, textures, and relationships, and berries and seedheads bring their own decoration. As leaves fall, Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’ hidden in the borders are transformed from variegated backdrop to show-stopping strong, structural, red verticals that will remain the center of attention until spring. The Fall Room features late bloomers like tall deep blue Aconitum carmichaelii ‘Arendsii’ com- A dynamic combination for part shade. Blue-green spikes of Yucca filamentosa contrast with bined with yellow grassy leaves of Carex fronds of Japanese shield fern (Dryopteris erythrosora), rounded burgundy Ajuga ‘Caitlin’s elata ‘Aurea’ and brushes of Amsonia Giant’, and glaucous columbine foliage, with hardy chrysanthemums providing added color. hubrichtii, with golden fall foliage.

22 the American Gardener LYNDEN MILLER’S TIPS FOR HOME GARDENS

On Choosing Plants ■ Miller recommends starting with your favorites and repeating them. But, she adds, “One’s tastes change. When I started, I didn’t like knip- hofias or bergenias at all.” ■ To determine what you like, read catalogs and magazines, visit nurseries and public gardens. ■ Drive around the neighborhood to see what’s doing well. ■ When selecting big and bold plants, consider plants and habit together.“It’s silly to design a form and then look for plants.”

On Combining Plants ■ Make a collage with pictures from catalogs and magazines to help vi- sualize combinations. ■ Don’t be afraid to experiment. “Move plants around until they look right to you.” ■ “I don’t like holes.” Study what needs to be there. Sometimes a spot needs to be filled with something hard edged like an urn. Sometimes you just need a carpet of pine needles Stipa calamagrostis and Astilbe chinensis ‘Superba’, left standing for winter interest. rather than more plants.

“All my gardens have to be good in to the cold season. Yuccas, particularly On Design winter,” Miller says. Winter reveals the golden-striped varieties like Yucca fila- ■ Think big. “Don’t plant in tiny garden’s structure and the many plants mentosa ‘Color Guard’, are shining stars, bits. Try seven or 11, not 3. Even with persistent foliage, seed heads, berries with their impressive spiky silhouettes better, order 25.” and colored bark. and gorgeous coloration. Pinks, Ajuga ■ Get more mileage out of plants by A large white pine (Pinus strobus) shel- reptans ‘Catlin’s Giant’, lamb’s ears, Eu- choosing those that contribute more tering the Shade Room, with its lovely car- phorbia myrsinites, liriope, blue oat grass, than one essential ingredient, be it pet of rust-colored needles, becomes more hellebores, barberries, and many other color, bold form, a useful texture for prominent, and boxwood balls emerge plants keep their colored foliage for all or creating contrasts, or winter interest. from the garden’s summer tangle. most of the winter. ■ “It’s hard to have it just right all The liveliest evergreens aren’t green at To keep the garden interesting all year round. Make a list of your plants all. Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Mops’, a gold year, Miller stresses the importance of for each season. Try to spread them beacon in the winter garden, comple- just sitting on a bench and looking. out so you’re not shortchanging less ments blue Arizona cypress and dwarf “You’ll always have things to fix.” she obvious seasons.” blue spruce. Russian sage’s stiff silver says. “But gardening is the most creative ■ “Try working with colors people stems, astilbe seedheads, and Sedum and exciting art form. It’s worth the ef- are not using. People used to avoid ‘Herbstfreude’ (‘Autumn Joy’) provide fort, for it gives so much pleasure to the hot colors, but now they are trendy.” lots of winter interest. eye and to the soul.” ■ Remember there is no instant Plumes of ornamental grasses sway, gratification in gardening. You just rustling in the wind, while birds flit in a Karen Bussolini, trained as a painter, is a have to be patient. large Viburnum setigerum, eating bright garden photographer and writer always de- berries and bringing life and movement lighted by exciting plant combinations.

May / June 2004 23 24 the American Gardener be asatisfyingwaytogetyourfeetwet. Don’t havethespaceortimeforafull-sizewatergarden? Growingalotusincontainercan LOTUS the allure of BY ILENESTERNBERG

ROB CARDILLO HE UNDISPUTED STAR of my summer garden T is the lotus that I am growing in a large, round, polyurethane container on my terrace. In late summer, intoxicated by the exotic scent of its exquisite pink blossoms that loom as tall and as big as my face and mesmerized by the glistening jeweled water droplets that swirl like quicksilver on its enormous aerial leaves, I sometimes imagine I’m Queen of the Nile! And, as we all know, it’s good to feel regal once in a while.

My lotus is an unnamed selection that become a bit of a liability. Dense mats a beauty with fragrant yellow flowers, is I purchased already “tubbed,” from a can develop on ponds, lakes, reservoirs, said to be trickier to grow in a container local farm cooperative eight years ago, and irrigation channels, impeding flow, than the named cultivars. but as far as I’m concerned, it’s just as overrunning native plants, and inhibit- nice as its more pedigreed cousins. ing oxygen. LEGEND AND LORE The delight it has given me is well There are only two species in the genus Another reason I like growing lotus is worth the minimal effort it takes to tend, Nelumbo—the sacred lotus (Nelumbo nu- that it is one of those plants wreathed in and even if I had a pond, I think I’d pre- cifera), native to Asia, and the American a fascinating blend of history, religion, fer growing it as this spectacular pot- yellow lotus (N. lutea), native to the Mis- and mythology. The historical record on bound gargantuan bouquet that I have sissippi River basin—but hundreds of sacred lotus is a bit muddled because close at hand all the time in summer. named cultivars in a wide range of flower early chroniclers apparently used that Masses of lotuses are beautiful in ponds, colors are available by mail-order or at name to refer to what we now know as but if not carefully controlled, they can high-end garden stores. Our native lotus, the blue water lily (Nymphaea caerulea).

Top right: A lotus growing in a container makes an eye-catching poolside bouquet in the author’s yard. Above: ‘Mrs. Perry D. Slocum’ bears

TOP: ILENE STERNBERG; BOTTOM: COURTESY OF GREG AND SUE SPEICHERT/WATER GARDENING MAGAZINE large blooms that open a rose color, later maturing to peach and yellow. Opposite: A pink-flowered sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera).

May / June 2004 25 26 petioles, rhizomes, andleaves oflotusesare andmedicinaluses. The seeds, culinary in alotusblossomoronitsleaf. lotus flower andisoftendepictedsitting has it,Buddha ofa wasborn intheheart association withBuddhism—as legend rection. deep Theplanthasaparticularly andresur-them assignsofimmortality courses following therains,theyregarded lotus risingfrom oncedriedupwater- tence. Whenancientpeopleswitnessed nature ofhumanexis- and thetransitory ty, beauty, fertility, prosperity, perfection, where theyhave cometosymbolize puri- away.had longsincecrumbled where stoneandbrassartifacts surviving RamsesII, tomb oftheEgyptian ruler Frail bitsoflotuspetalswere foundinthe ern Europe andEgypt by about500 Asia, andhadmadetheirwaytosouth- atleast3,000years agoin beauty starting were known, grown, andvalued fortheir But itisgenerallyacceptedthatlotuses one-year subscriptionis$24.99. for watergardeninghobbyists.A Catalog free. www.paradisewatergardens.com. man, MA.(800)955-0161. Paradise WaterGardens,Ltd., www.lilypons.com. town, MD.(800)999-5459. Lilypons WaterGardens, www.gardeners.com. ton, VT.(888)833-1412. Gardener's SupplyCompany, Sources ■ www.watergardening.com. John, IN46373.(800)308-6157. Water Gardening,P.O.Box607,St. land, Oregon,1996. ter Robinson.TimberPress,Port- Lotuses Water Gardening:Liliesand Resources The plant also has a long history of The plantalsohasalonghistory Lotuses are revered throughout Asia, A bimonthlyfull-colormagazine the American Gardener by PerryD.SlocumandPe- Catalog free. Catalog free. Buckeys- Burling- Whit- B . C . ic diarrhea,andcancer. and syphilistocardiac complaints,chron- fromnally totreat sunstroke everything oftheplanthave beenusedmedici- parts zomes andseedsofyellow lotus.Various Similarly, native Americansatetherhi- still commoningredients inAsiancuisine. dried flower arrangements. der themselves andpopular in round rattlingseeds,are awon- rative “showerheads” filledwith most intense.Thepods,deco- with first-dayfragrancebeing make magnificentcutflowers, and closingby evening. They days, unfoldingeachmorning mesmerizing towatch. and playofwhichissimply beads ofrainordew, theroll hostsperfect waxy surface one totwofeetacross. Their disks, turned, faintlyruffled glaucous leaves are slightlyup- for itsincredible foliage.The growingit isstillworth alotus you have littlehope offlowers, and Canada.But in myopinion,even if cooler regions ofthePacific Northwest North America,withtheexception of 3. Theywillbloominmostareas of they are ratedforAHSHeat Zones 12to six hoursofsunshineaday, whichiswhy 80s, aswell asasitethatreceives atleast to three monthsoftemperatures inthe bloom successfully, lotusesrequire two in USDAZones 4to 11.But inorder to Lotuses are quitehardy andwillsurvive GROWING LOTUSES grows threetofourfeethigh,and‘MomoBotan’,right,apinkdwarfthattwofeet. Lotuses suitedforsmallcontainersinclude‘AngelWing’,left,afloriferouswhitecultivarthat Lotus blossomslastthree harvest. Theyshould benickedandsoakedbefore sowing. A ripelotusseedhead showstheroundseedsready to their nosesatthefresh waterIprovide. from thetuballtime,turningup neighborhood cats,however. Theydrink Itwater sports. doesn’t seemtodeterthe from usingmytubfor mosquito larvae lus thuringiensis) ing mechanism,ItossinhalfaBt(Bacil- fore mature seedscanbespread. ponds, besure toremove allseedpodsbe- When growing lotusesintubsgarden leaves willappearonthewatersurface. sprout overnight, andwithinaweek centuries. Dried, gently nickedseeds tive coatingkeepsthemviablefor nate easily, althoughtheirhard, protec- their seedsintothewater. Seeds germi- bend attheneckontheirstemsanddrop Ultimately brown whenfullyripe,they outyellow,They start thenturngreen. Since mycontainer has norecirculat- donut toprevent

COURTESY OF GREG AND SUE SPEICHERT/WATER GARDENING MAGAZINE (3) CONTAINER CULTURE FOR LOTUSES Lotuses are easy to grow and care for in a container. Select a dormant rhizome with no rot and a healthy growing tip. Put aquatic or organic fertilizer in the bottom of a round container at least three feet across by one foot deep for a standard size lotus. Con- tainers for lotuses should always be round; otherwise, the growing tips of the rhizomes can get mangled in the cor- ners. Some experts advise against using manure, but Asian growers have successfully cultivated lotuses for centuries using composted manure, bone or fish meal, even soybean or sesame cake Free-blooming flowers of ‘Perry’s Super Star’ covered with several inches change from deep pink to yellow then cream of heavy garden mud. over the course of three days. PLANTING THE RHIZOMES I also grow parrot feather (Myriophyl- Place the yamlike rhizome horizontally on the bottom of the container with the lum aquaticum) in my pot, because it is “eye” pointing toward the tub’s center. Weigh the rhizome down with stones, decorative and helps filter slime, but it so it’s less likely to float away, and cover with a two- to three-inch layer of soil. spreads quickly and must be scooped out Don’t use potting mixtures that contain perlite or peat moss, because they will liberally every couple of weeks or it might float and create a mess—purchase special heavy-duty aquatic soil through spe- inhibit flower formation. Parrot feather cialty mail-order houses has the potential to be highly invasive in (see “Resources” on facing the wild, so I’m very careful not to dump page) and even at some it anywhere where it might escape into a home supply stores. And, wetland or stream. You can also keep a finally, add water—about small fish or two in the tub with your eight to 12 inches above lotus, but be aware some species may the top of the soil is ideal. nibble on your prize plant, and they may Add water regularly to also need to be provided oxygenation. maintain the level, because the edges of the leaves will SHARING THE WEALTH dry out and turn crisp if the Lotuses proliferate with such exuberance water gets low. This bulbous lotus rhizome has two prominent “eyes” that I have to seek out friends willing to Once you have planted (far left and and center). These should be planted adopt “puppies” every other year. Extras your lotus in a tub or other facing toward the center of a container. can be sliced, deep-fried, and eaten. large container, place the tub You’ll find recipes for lotus in most Asian on your deck or submerge it to a depth of six to 18 inches below the surface in a pond. cookbooks. The first leaves to emerge lie flat on the water like lily pads. As the temperature No matter where you live, it’s worth warms, newer leaves shoot aloft above the surface. finding space to grow a lotus in a pot. They look great beside a swimming pool, WINTER CARE in a pond, or up on a flat roof. Even if I Move lotus containers to an unheated porch or garage where temperatures removed to an apartment with only a small main above freezing in winter. Or, you can lift and save rhizomes in peat moss, balcony for plants, I think I’d still want to taking care not to damage the fragile eyes. This is a little trickier: kept too moist, grow my lotus. Once you’ve been Queen they may rot; too dry, they may desiccate. of the Nile, you don’t want to relinquish Divide lotuses into sections for planting in spring, with at least two sections the crown. connected by their long “umbilical cords.” Repot each rhizome to start the cycle anew. —I.S. Garden writer Ilene Sternberg grows lotuses

COURTEY OF GREG AND SUE SPEICHERT/WATER GARDENING MAGAZINE (2) on her patio in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

May / June 2004 27 28 an American Classic an American CONEFLOWERS an American Classic an American CONEFLOWERS the American Gardener

MARK TURNER Once considered weedy, coneflowers are now the darlings of plant breeders and summer mainstays in formal and informal gardens.

BY KIM HAWKS

T’S A no-brainer. No garden of mine will ever be without coneflow- I ers (Echinacea spp.). Period. This far-from-ordinary genus of plants brings dependable, long-lasting bloom to gardens in the heat of summer, just in time for July 4th festivities. Some species have flashy hot-pink flowers with iridescent orange centers, while others have more delicate-looking, spidery flowers. These easy-to-grow, drought- and heat-tolerant perennials are butterfly magnets, make great long-lasting cut flowers, and provide seedhead snacks for goldfinches. Echinacea pallida and Monarda fistulosa combine well in this colorful prairie garden. Some species have medicinal properties to boot. even variegated foliage (for more on for purple coneflower, which is indispens- Given all these positive characteristics, breeding programs and new cultivars, see able in the perennial border. Part of the it’s hard to fathom that as recently as a box on page 33). popularity and garden success of this couple of decades ago, coneflowers were species can be attributed to its broad nat- widely considered weedy wildflowers in ALL-AMERICAN GENUS ural distribution, ranging from Pennsyl- their native land. As with other Ameri- Part of the aster family (Asteraceae), the vania to Iowa south through Virginia, can natives, it was Europeans who start- genus Echinacea is native exclusively to Kentucky, and Tennessee to Georgia and ed the process of “civilizing” them. North America; its eight species are pri- Louisiana. German plant breeders developed some marily found in eastern and midwestern Purple coneflowers grow three to four early cultivars, such as Echinacea pur- regions of the United States. All have a feet tall with a two-foot spread and are purea ‘Rubinstern’ (‘Ruby Star’), in the prominent central cone—composed of thickly cloaked in coarsely toothed, bright late 1960s, and shortly thereafter Euro- bracts and disc flowers—encircled by a green leaves. Starting in late June to early pean landscape designers began using ring of petals (ray flowers) that range from July, the plants are covered with flowers dramatic masses of coneflowers in the dark rose-purple to white and yellow. The that bloom for four weeks in midsummer naturalistic design style that came into generic name, Echinacea, comes from the and then sporadically until frost, especial- vogue in the 1970s and ’80s. Greek word for “hedgehog,” echinos, ly if deadheaded. American gardeners and designers which refers to the sharp, pointed bracts on Three notable cultivars that share sim- soon embraced this trend, and coneflow- the cone. Coneflowers grow best in sunny, ilar traits include the Perennial Plant Asso- ers surged in popularity in the 1990s. well-drained locations and are perfectly ciation’s 1998 Perennial of the Year, E. Recognizing their garden potential, plant suited to perennial borders, prairie gardens, purpurea ‘Magnus’, as well as the cultivars breeders have stepped up work on cone- and wildflower meadows. They grow ef- ‘Bravado’ and ‘Bright Star’. ‘Magnus’ flowers over the last decade. The result is fortlessly in lean soils and don’t require rich sports horizontally-set pink rays that are dozens of new coneflowers in compact amendments or fertilizers. slightly broader and flare out more than forms, with bright new flower colors, and The matriarch of the family is purple the species. ‘Bravado’ has large four to five coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, USDA inch inflorescences with rosy-red horizon- Opposite: Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’ Zones 3–8, AHS Zones 9–1), the species tal rays, while ‘Bright Star’ is a dwarf culti- bears slighly broader and more-horizontal most gardeners are familiar with. I’ve al- var (two and a half to three and a half feet)

JESSIE M. HARRIS rays than the straight species. ways had a fondness—really a passion— with horizontal rose-red rays.

May / June 2004 29 30 my eyes. ferences between theseare minimal to rays andabronzy-orange cone.Thedif- by more-horizontally positionedwhite Lustre’,cone, and‘White distinguished ing raypetalsandaprominent orange Swan’‘White withbrightwhite,droop- with agreenish-copper centralcone, lections include‘Alba’, acreamy white white flowers illuminatetheway. borders oralongpaths where thepure ‘Kim’s Mop Head’ alongthefront ofsunny enjoy your garden by moonlight,plant “white” frazzledhair. For thoseofyou who head” petalsthatsupposedlyrefer to my ers around agreen conewithfringed“mop out at18to24inches.Its single,whiteflow- Head’, avariant of‘Kim’s KneeHigh’, tops spaces. Compact stature makesitsuitableforsmallgarden and Sunny Border Nurseries. Its shorter dens andco-introduced in1999by Niche to 20inches,wasdeveloped atNiche Gar- ‘Kim’s KneeHigh’, whichgrows toonly15 vars ofpurpleconeflower. E.purpurea in theselectionoffirstcompactculti- wild-type better. like therelaxed, drooping petalsofthe thoughItendto with itsperformance, ‘Magnus’ andhave beenquitepleased Not much,inmyopinion.I’ve grown these cultivars andthestraightspecies? Other white-flowered E.purpurea enoughtobeinvolvedI wasfortunate OK, sowhat’s thedifference between the American Gardener E. purpurea ‘Kim’s Mop se- coneflower, comes truefromseed. ‘White Swan’, awhiteformofpurple it is still worth knowingit isstillworth andgrowing for coneflower proved but tobeshort-lived, my North Carolina garden, palepurple initiate amore growth stalwart habit. In or pinchthembackhard inmid-springto staked tokeepthemdependablyvertical, droop dramatically. Plants mayneedtobe posed ofnarrow, pink,straplikepetalsthat three- tofour-inchinflorescences com- that topsoutatthree tofourfeetandhas Zones 4–8,8–1)isagraceful-looking plant nurseries (see“Sources,” page32). tained through specialtymail-order ditional garden centersbutcanbeob- garden. Most are difficulttofindintra- ofconsiderationforthe species worthy There are several otherconeflower LESSER-KNOWN BUTDESERVINGSPECIES Pale purple coneflower (E.pallida, ited inthewild toonlythree counties in sites withinthatrange. widelyscatteredduced itshabitattoafew Development andagriculture have re- Virginia, North Carolina, andGeorgia. bution wasfrom Pennsylvania southinto smooth coneflower’s historicnative distri- thanpurpleconeflower,and colorful flowers are abitnarrower. Lessvigorous smooth ontheirundersidesanditsray purple coneflower except theleaves are 9–2)issimilarinappearance to Zones 6–9, stores.supplements available atgrocery commonplace itemamongtheherbal mune-system stimulantandisnow a cine, itisconsidered im- animportant to healwounds.In Western herbalmedi- spider bites,toothaches,burns,andhard ailmentsandtoheal snakeand piratory chewed orsteepedinteastoalleviateres- than foranyotherplant;itsroots were more medicinalusesfor cinal herbgarden. ThePlains Indians had angustifolia ed toinformalandmeadow gardens, (two tothree feet)andlessstout.Well suit- florally similarto flower to Texas, thenarrow-leaved purplecone- tana, southtoGeorgia andTexas. is from Illinois toMinnesota andMon- its interesting flower form.Its native range gardens orthefrontofflowerborders. Head’, above,arebettersuitedtosmall ‘Kim’s KneeHigh’,left,andMop Two compactcultivarsnamedfortheauthor, Endemic tolimestoneglades andlim- Smooth coneflower (E.laevigata, A native ofprairiesfrom Saskatchewan (E. angustifolia, is alsoacandidateformedi- E. pallida oe –,8–5)is Zones 4–9, E. angustifolia but isshorter E.

TOP (2): COURTESY OF WAYSIDE. BOTTOM: ALAN AND LINDA DETRICK central Tennessee, Tennessee coneflower (E. tennesseensis, Zones 3–9, 9–1) is on the Federally Endangered Species List and can only be purchased from nurseries with a special permit to propagate and sell it. But don’t let that stop you from seeking this handsome plant from legiti- mate nursery sources. Although it is not robust in growth—one reason it’s endangered—it grows two to three feet tall with narrow, lance-shaped leaves and attractive flowers that have slightly upturned rosy-pink petals surrounding a pinkish-green central cone. Tennessee coneflower hybridizes readily with other coneflowers and is being used in several commercial breeding programs, so having some in your garden may lead to some interesting hybrids. Given its predilection for limestone, this is a good choice for a garden with dryish, neutral to alkaline soils. Yellow coneflower (Echinacea para- Endangered Tennessee coneflower (E. tennesseensis), backed here by Russian sage, grows doxa, Zones 6–9, 9–2) bears yellow— best in dry, neutral to alkaline soil. In the wild, it is found only in limestone glades. hence the paradox—ray flowers on two- to three-foot plants. Like Tennessee Imagine pairing purple coneflower with panions; they consume little horizontal coneflower, it is partial to limestone soils, burgundy- or mauve-flowered daylilies space and gracefully ease up beside or be- but its now-limited natural range is pri- (Hemerocallis spp.), or the contrast of yel- hind coneflowers to provide a vertical pur- marily in Arkansas and Missouri. Its low at its base with the compact Hemero- ple swatch in the composition. Add a unique warm yellow flower petals sur- callis ‘Happy Returns’ that rivals three- to four-foot fountain of silver and round a purplish cone. Hemerocallis ‘Stella de Oro’ with a long lavender with Russian sage (Perovskia bloom period and warm yellow flowers. atriplicifolia ‘Filagran’) nearby and achieve COMPLEMENTARY PLANTINGS ‘Stella de Oro’ is also a good choice, bear- more vertical depth by placing Phlox pan- The pastel colors of most coneflowers ing lots of small sherbet-orange flowers. iculata ‘Robert Poore’ behind to create a combine well with other colors—with For a dynamic pairing, place butterfly wall of warm-pink flowers. the exception, perhaps, of fire-engine milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) close by The two-inch bright yellow flowers of red—so it’s easy to create great composi- coneflowers so their electric orange flow- the summer-blooming false sunflower tions with other summer flowers and ers highlight the orange center of the (Heliopsis helianthoides) look great with grasses. Just remember that coneflowers coneflowers. Both will be smothered with coneflowers, and the compact, soft-tex- look best en masse—so plant them in butterflies! The purple spikes of gayfeath- tured fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecur- large groupings for best effect. er (Liatris spicata) are wonderful com- oides ‘Cassian’) sways in the slightest breeze and settles comfortably close by. By contrast, Pennisetum orientale ‘Tall Tails’ bears eight-foot graceful tails of summer plumes above five-foot plants and creates a pleasing backdrop for phlox ‘Robert Poore’ as well as for coneflowers. Shorter coneflowers such as ‘Kim’s Knee High’ and ‘Kim’s Mop Head’ should be placed, en masse, in front of mixed shrub or perennial borders, to create a stunning show of summertime color. Other compact perennials that combine with compact coneflowers include verbena (Verbena canadensis ‘Homestead Pur- Top left: Smooth coneflower (E. laevigata) is named for its leaves, the undersides of which are ple’), the needlelike, silvery foliage of

TOP AND BOTTOM RIGHT: DAVID CAVAGNARO. LEFT: JERRY PAVIA. smooth. Top right: Yellow coneflower (E. paradoxa) is a standout in a pink-flowered genus. lavender cotton (Santolina rosmarinifoloia

May / June 2004 31 Sources Big Dipper Farm, Black Diamond, WA. (360) 886-8133. Sugar Creek Gardens, Kirkwood, MO. (314) 965-3070. www.bigdipperfarm.com. Web catalog only. www.sugarcreekgardens.com. Web catalog only.

Heronswood, Kingston, WA. www.heronswood.com. Sunlight Gardens, Andersonville, TN. (423) 494-8237. (800) 509-1444. Catalog $5. www.sunlightgardens.com. Catalog $3.

J. W. Jung Seed Company, Randolph, WI. (800) 297-3123, Wayside Gardens, Hodges, SC. (800) 213-0379. www.jungseed.com. Catalog free. www.waysidegardens.com. Catalog free.

Lazy S’S Farm Nursery Perennials, Barboursville, VA. (540) 832-2334 www.lazyssfarm.com. Web catalog only. Resources Elixir of Echinacea by James H. Locklear, American Horti- Niche Gardens, Chapel Hill, NC. (919) 967-0078. culturist, Volume 74, Number 6, June 1995. www.nichegdn.com. Catalog $3. Herbaceous Perennial Plants by Allan Armitage, Timber Plant Delights, Raleigh, NC. (919) 772-4794. Press, Portland, Oregon, 2000. www.plantdelights.com. Catalog 10 stamps or 1 box of chocolates. The New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada by Roots & Rhizomes, Randolf, WI. (800) 374-5035, William Cullina. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, Massachusetts, www.rootsrhizomes.com. Catalog free. 2000.

‘Morning Mist’), dwarf goldenrod (Sol- panions. I’ve grown E. purpurea ‘White Phlox paniculata ‘David’ or ‘Delta Snow’. idago sphacelata ‘Golden Fleece’), the two- Swan’ and adore it in our white-and-blue To bring pleasing blues into the picture, foot spikes of dwarf gayfeather (Liatris border in the company of silver- foliaged place Aster laevis ‘Bluebird’ behind, along microcephala) or the two-foot-tall clump- Artemesia ‘Powis Castle’ and white-flow- with the compact, upright form of Siber- forming dwarf fountain grass (Pennisetum ered Achillea millefolium. Other good ian catmint (Nepeta sibirica ‘Souvenir alopecuroides ‘Hameln’). companions include white globe thistle D’Andre Chaudron’). Tuck a couple of White-flowered coneflowers combine (Echinops sphaerocephalus ‘Arctic Glow’) Salvia guaranitica in the rear with a clump well with bright-colored or silvery com- and white-flowered garden phlox such as of blue lyme grass (Leymus arenarius) in front. Add more blue with little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘The Blues’) to the side and marvel at the steel-blue grassy foliage transforming in the fall to russet-orange that echoes the central cone of the coneflower. Then sit back as your friends ooh and aaah over the results. I started growing coneflowers long before they were trendy, but they have not lost any of their luster for me. And even though purple coneflower takes center stage in most gardens, the lesser-known species found in prairies and open fields across the country are all well worth growing. Or try some of the new cultivars just finding their way to retail out- lets. Either way, these “weeds” have come a long way, baby.

Founder and former owner of Niche Gar- dens nursery in North Carolina, Kim ‘Magnus’ purple coneflower sets apart the yellow shades of heliopsis (Heliopsis helianthoides Hawks now enjoys tending a home garden

‘Orange King’), left, and yarrow (Achillea sp.), right, in this sun-drenched perennial border. and writing about plants and garden design. JERRY PAVIA

32 the American Gardener TOP AND CENTER: COURTESY OF WAYSIDE GARDENS; BOTTOM: COURTESY OF TERRA NOVA trademarked asOrangeMeadowbrite first graduateoftheprogram,anorange-floweredselectionEchinacea tablished oneofthemostextensivethese forms throughbothtraditionalbreedingandplantselectionprograms. white andcompactcultivars,breedersaredevelopingbrightcolorsfancyflower nizing thegardenpotentialforthisadaptable,low-caregenus.Inadditiontonew Over thelastdecade,plantbreedershavesteppedupworkonconeflowers,recog- CONEFLOWERS GETANEWLOOK more onthesenewcultivars,seethechartbelow.) ‘Razzmatazz’, thefirst“double”-floweredconeflowerthathashot-pinkraypetals.(For and lata eration crossing,andmanyothersareintheworks,suchas an interspecificcrossbetweenE.purpurea notable newconeflowers:PietOudolfrecentlyintroduced doxa a newyellow-flowereddwarfcalled‘Paranoia’thatisalsocrossbetween Raleigh, NorthCarolina,andplantbreederRichardSaulworkedtogethertodevelop with variegatedfoliagecalled‘Sparkler’.TonyAventofPlantDelightsNurseryin tivars. AtTerraNovainTigard,Oregon,DanHeimswillsoonintroduceaconeflower attractive, tough,andgenerallyeasytogrow,unadulteratedE.purpurea placed withnewplants.” in agivenyearasmanyhalfoftheplantsourplotsmustberoguedoutandre- en time.“Wehavetoselectforthebestornamentaltraitspossible,”saysAult,“so prise manyoftheplantsthatCBGisevaluating. potential forcreatingnewandinterestingcultivars.”Infact,interspecificcrossescom- species arepromiscuous—meaningtheyhybridizeeasily—whichprovidesevengreater ticularly attractivegardenornamentaleveninitswild-typeform.Inaddition,their Name SOME NEWCONEFLOWERCULTIVARS FOR 2004 CONEFLOWER CULTIVARRELEASES TOWATCHFORIN2005 E. purpurea E. purpurea E. purpurea E. purpurea Echinacea purpurea E. E. purpurea E. purpurea E. purpurea Jim Ault,botanistandheadplantbreederattheChicagoBotanicGarden(CBG),es- “Echinacea The Many otherplantbreedersareactivelyinvolvedindevelopingnewEchinacea crosses, andE.paradoxa, E. ‘Paranoia’ and ‘Jade’, andJanvanWinsencreatedthisyear’snewshowstopper, Echinacea E. purpurea. oplagr 03/82 Pink/orangediscswithasecondsetofpink 30–36/18–24 Doppelganger™ Rzmtz’3–61–4Darkpink/smallerred-purple,anemonelikerays/3to4inches 35/18 30–36/18–24 ‘Vintage Wine’ ‘Razzmatazz’ 20/24 ‘Fragrant Angel’ Ltl in’12/16 ‘Little Giant’ Sake’36/24 ‘Sparkler’ Purple-pink/ darkorange/4inches/greenleaveswith 18/20–26 ‘Prairie Frost’ was anobviouscandidateforourprogram,”saysAult.“Itsspeciesare breeding plotsatCBGcontain2,000to2,500plantsanygiv- Jd’30/24 ‘Jade’ Several plantbreedersfromtheNetherlandshavedeveloped and egt/it i. Rays/discs/diameter/other description Height./width (in.) 01/2Clearyellow,drooping/richbronzybrown/3to4inches/ 10–12/12 E. angustifolia ™ , wasintroducedearlierthisyeartogreatfanfare. and Echinacea E. paradoxa, “Echinacea crosses,” revealsAult. crisp whitemargins rays/4 to5inches strappy greenfoliage White withpinkedgreentips/dark green/3to Red-purple, upturned/darkred-tipped/3to3 LazyS’SFarmNursery Clean white,horizontal/darkyellow/4to5inches/fragrant Rose-purple, ruffled/darkorange/5inches Bright pink,flattened/orange-brown/ 5inches/white-speckledvariegatedfoliage breeding programsin1996.The —Jessie Keith,EditorialIntern E. purpurea selected fromathirdgen- E. paradoxa Orange Meadowbrite ‘Vintage Wine’ and ‘Art’s Pride’, E. purpurea E. simu- E. para- is apar- ™ cul- is Orange Meadowbrite New coneflowers,toptobottom:‘Razzmatazz’, 1 / 2 1 / nhsRoots&Rhizomes, inches 2 inches ™ Jung SeedCompany Sugar CreekGarden , and‘Sparkler’. May /June Big DipperFarm Plant Delights Retail sources Heronswood Wayside 2004 33 Grounds 34 O trance gateonSculptor’s Way, theyexperi- worldly aura. thispark another- lating earth—lends and landscape—trees, ponds,andundu- midst. Theresulting dialoguebetween art tionships withthesculptures intheir garden filledwithplants insymbioticrela- sculpture. Unofficially, it’s amagnificent ter specializinginexhibitingcontemporary delphia andNew York, isa 35-acre cen- art landscape andartamidanincongruouslyurbanenvironment. In NewJersey, anartistandalandscapedesignerhavecreatedeye-catchingsynthesisof Even before visitorsreach themainen- the American Gardener FFICIALLY Jersey, midwaybetween Phila- ture (GFS),inHamilton, New , Grounds , forSculp- double takeswherever theyare installed. gossiping women onpark benches—elicit businessmen reading or newspapers ward Johnson Jr. His real-life characters— founder, Johnson &Johnson heirJ.Se- the life-sized, realistic statuesby thepark’s the realization thatthisisFirst Ride, bicycle. At firstglance,thatis. Then comes ther ishelpinghisdaughterlearntoridea alongKlocknerAvenue,the sidewalk afa- around the park. Several blocksaway, on through the industrialneighborhood the quotidian.It beginsastheypass ence adisjoint,senseofdeparture from for Sculpture one of Across thestreet from theAmericanStan- is Phillip Shore’s metal sculpture Pollution Control forHamilton County juxtapositions. by otherincongruous This senseofaltered reality isheightened lumber andbuildingmaterials company. up residence infront onthe sidewalk ofa escaped theboundariesofpark totake of thisbicycle begantoturnandthispair fine moonlitnight,thecastbronze wheels plausiblethatone ting, itseemsperfectly son’s work, inthisinstanceandset- In front ofWater oftheDepartment Even afterrecognizing thatthisisJohn- BY CAROLEOTTESEN Armored.

CAROLE OTTESEN Above: Magdalena Abakanowicz’s cast bronze sculpture, Hand-Like Tree: Cecyna (1994), with the sculpture museum in background. Right: Garden State (1997), by Isaac Witkin, made of Zimbabwe black granite. Opposite, foreground: James Dinerstein’s cast bronze Still Speech (2000), located by the pond near Rat’s Restaurant. Background: Artificial poppies from J. Seward Johnson Jr.’s On Poppied Hill.

dard factory, manufacturer of bathroom would be constructed a mile away, says rhododendrons, and other flowering and kitchen fixtures, stands a figure on a Brooke Barrie, director and curator of shrubs. Along with herbaceous plants, great white horse. It is Spirit of Freedom by GFS; “we thought we’d put sculpture they clothe the undulating land with al- Andrzej Pitynski. Nearby, Alexander along the way” to lead visitors to the park. lées, bosques, thickets, and hedges. They Liberman’s huge, bright orange, freeform When they reach the entrance gate, vis- form secret rooms, frames, backdrops, and Daedalus, dominates a vacant lot with a itors enter another world. Inside, all is ver- landscapes within the landscape to high- view of a UPS facility. dant serenity, a setting for art as fitting as light the sculptures. It’s hard to believe that Unexpected in these settings, these the outside neighborhood is incongruous. this place was ever anything but a garden. works provide a transition between the ex- An arboretum of trees—many rare and perience of the workaday industrial area unusual—were selected by Brian Carey, HUMBLE BEGINNINGS and that of Grounds for Sculpture. The project architect of AC/BC Associates in “In the beginning,” says Carey, whose firm idea for placing these works outside the New York City, and Bruce Daniels, De- was chosen in 1986 to design a sculpture park came about when the GFS staff velopment Coordinator of the park. Hun- park after winning an architectural com-

PHOTOS COURTESY GROUNDS FOR SCULPTURE/© RICARDO BARROS.COM learned that a train station for Hamilton dreds of trees join thousands of roses, petition, “it was an old stock car track.”

May / June 2004 35 36 sculptures from hisatelier. he hadplannedtouseitonlyshow lot inproximity tohis atelier. Originally, inal 22acres in1984,itwassimplyavacant grounds. WhenJohnson boughttheorig- Before that,itwastheNew Jersey statefair cast-bronze Set onaconcretepadthatwasoncepartofgrandstand,colonnadesandanarborvitaehedgenowformthebackdropforLeonda Finke’s trimmed intoneatshapes. ate aerialhedgesthatcanbe ■ ■ ■ creating privacyfromBrianCarey. Gardeners cantakesomehintsfor DESIGNER’S TIPS dispose ofrubble). (and theyaregreatplacestoneatly height totheplantsgrowingonthem circled bypear trees(Pyrus hedge ofyews(Taxus of maples(Acer and Carey’s“maple-henge”is a circle privacy. Forexample,Brooke Barrie Trees, plantedcloselytogether,cre- Even smallbermscanaddinstant Layers ofvegetationprovide deep the American Gardener Seated Woman spp.) enclosinga spp.) anden- (1988). Creativeuseofplantsandhardscapinghavetransformedtheslabintoanattractiveassetforpark. spp). rooms oneby one.Asmallgateinthe inhabitants. The visitordiscovers these dedicated tothedisplayoftheir sculptural expanse down intorooms, intimatespaces, small garden plotsbreak whatwasahuge readings, andother programs. center, italsohostsmusicevents, poetry dation, Inc. Today, asacommunityarts charitable organization,Public Foun- Art Grounds forSculpture becameapublic In art. Julyable withcontemporary 2000, all backgrounds couldbecomecomfort- make sculpture accessiblesopeoplefrom den andinamuseum.His goalwasto body ofsculpture inbothasculpture gar- ed toincludeexhibitingalargeandvaried Now Now rounding thesculpture padwithcolumns. now apadforsculpture.” made itlooklikewe wantedit.Theslabis toremoveInstead oftrying it,”hesays,“we concrete slabfrom theformergrandstand. Norway maples,pilesofbricks,andabig beginning, herecalls, “we hadjunk—eight for turninglemonsintolemonade.In the saysCarey,and starts,” whohas agenius Grounds forSculpture grew By 1987,Johnson’s visionhadexpand- It wasJohnson whohadtheideaofsur- Arborvitae, patterned paving,and “in fits Ar- walled with borvitae park’s features. allows for aconsecutive disclosure of the richly planted,undulatingtopography that Barrie. Thepathnow meandersthrough a gers tomakelittleoutdoorgalleries,” says side ofthepath.They“come outlikefin- waves.” He alsodesignedbermson either ground with apathcutthrough these “made of arippleintheearth—waves intoberms. porated existingrubble lakes andvalleys,” saysCarey, whoincor- thought sinceitwassoflat,we’d make “Wepancake andstrewn withrubble. Johnson purchased thesite,itwasflatasa hanced by thepark’s topography. When ence ofavisithere. secret treasures isthefundamentalexperi- The gradualandincremental discovery of Barrie, thesculpture isslowly obscured. cut totheground, but“as itgrows,” says Sirens oftheWoods. do donax) the hedge:Inua chairs, andafemalefigure embeddedin Using bulldozers, saysJohnson, Carey The senseofunfoldingadventure isen- Elsewhere, amaze ofgiantgrass wall opensintoatinyroom, leads toCharlotteRosengren’s Arborvitae by Helena Lukasova. In winter, thegrassis with atable,two (Arun-

CAROLE OTTESEN “Instead of a linear layout, there is kind of a loop and off the loop, and there are other little loops and dead ends,” says Carey. One path leads to a warming hut with a roof planted in herbaceous plants and drooping with winter jasmine (Jas- minum nudiflorum). The hut is a pleasant place to visit in the winter. “The idea about the place was that there’d be some reason to come back,” adds Carey. “Even after you’d been through several times, you’d still find surprises.” And surprises there are. For example, visitors walking the path may not notice a small opening in the woodland. If they do, they may momen- tarily wish they had not. There’s a glimpse of bare flesh—and the thought that what is happening in the undergrowth really ought to be conducted in a private place. Then there’s the jolt of recognition. There, picnicking in the woods, are the characters from Eduoard Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe—in (and out) of costume. It is Johnson’s work, Déjeuner Déjà Vu. He has set these life-sized figures into a real landscape approximating that of the painting. Others of Johnson’s eleven Impres- sionist-inspired works are tucked into similarly not-so-obvious places. “You really have to find them,” says Barrie. “A number of them have their own gardens around them.” It was important to give these works the same viewpoint as in the paintings and the actual landscapes had to be reproduced. For example, what now appears as a clearing in the woods in Dé- jeuner Déjà Vu was an open field. It was up to Carey to reproduce the scene as it is depicted in the painting. FRAMING ART WITH NATURE “We’d wander in the woods to look for plants with branching structures similar to those in the painting,” says Carey. “For the golden field in the background, we found yellow foliage plants.” A sycamore (Pla-

Top: Déjeuner Déjà Vu, J. Seward Johnson Jr.’s sculptural interpretation of Edouard Manet’s painting, Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe, is accessible through an opening in the woods. Right: The sense of discovery throughout the park is heightened by plantings—such as this autumn vignette of corkscrew willow (Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’), fountain grass, and miscanthus by the gazebo pond—that divide

TOP: CAROLE OTTESEN. BOTTOM: COURTESY OF GROUNDS FOR SCULPTURE/© RICARDO BARROS.COM the grounds into a series of garden rooms.

May / June 2004 37 tanus sp.) leaning into the clearing, says vide each sculpture a private, complimen- Thus, when Trenton Hospital tore out Barrie, had to be wired into position. To tary setting. At one end of the Water Gar- a garden to make room for parking, GFS represent light and shadow on the ground, den, a spectacular hedge of clipped river gained a collection of dogwoods (Cornus Carey interplanted green Liriope with birch (Betula nigra) creates a brilliant green florida) and mature lacebark pines (Pinus black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planisca- backdrop for G. Frederick Morante’s Rel- bungeana). When a family decided to get pus ‘Nigrescens’). ative, two identical male figures cast from rid of the spruces lining their driveway, the Among Johnson’s other works inspired the same mold and mounted horizontally park benefited again. Japanese maples by Impressionist paintings is On Poppied on opposite sides of a steel beam. On the (Acer palmatum) from an abandoned Hill, after Claude Monet’s Woman with a other side of the hedge is Brower Hatcher’s nursery, planted so close together they Parasol set in a field of poppies. A woman stainless steel, glass, and iron Time Revers- grew straight up, became the Japanese and boy stand atop a hill that is bright ing. Elsewhere, a rare, umbrella-formed Maple Courtyard. with red poppies in tall grass. In addition camperdown elm (Ulmus glabra ‘Camper- This courtyard and its adjoining Bam- to constructing a hill, Carey planted it, downii’) separates Relative from Martha boo Garden span the other side of the Do- mixing “probably 10 different grasses, in- Pettigrew’s oversized women in Gossip. mestic Arts Building, providing pleasant cluding Pennisetum, Helic- outdoor dining for the café. totrichon, and anything I With room to spread, the could find that was 18 inch- maple forest casts deep and es tall,” to achieve the look cooling shade over the tables of a field. The poppies were beneath. At one, a young easier. They are artificial. swain leans toward his stiffly Not only did Carey in- upright female companion. stall innovative plantings, Nearby, a mutton-chopped says Johnson, “he was good waiter in a long white apron at keeping the bones of what looks on. But this café is self- was there.” Admiring the serve and this waiter won’t terra cotta details on the old refill your cup. He and the state fair buildings, Carey couple compose another of recycled them instead of Johnson’s works, Eye of the building anew. The 10,000- Beholder. foot barn for small animals Sculptures such as Eye of was renovated and moved to the Beholder enhance lunch its present site, where it in the courtyard. Those with serves as the main museum more time—and money— building. Three of the original building’s A neatly clipped hedge of river birch (Betula can enjoy a meal at Rat’s Restaurant. great steel arches were removed and placed nigra) forms a green wall against which to A path and a footbridge lead from the north of the new museum to form an view G. Frederick Morante’s Relative, which park to Rat’s, named for Johnson’s favorite open-air wisteria-shaded sculpture court- rises from a rectangular reflecting pool. character in the classic children’s book The yard. This trio of arches is the GFS logo. Wind in the Willows. Surrounded by a gar- Two other fairground structures were The camperdown elm and the great den, it overlooks a lake fringed with thou- recycled. The former Motor Exhibit Hall number of other rare and unusual trees sands of irises. After a visit to the park, a now houses private art studios. The Do- throughout the park seem lavish, but meal on its terrace is a feast for the senses. mestic Arts Building, where once farmers’ many are the products of “scrounging,” An art center that is equally a serious wives exhibited their pies, fruits, and pre- insists Carey. “We had a small budget after garden and arboretum, Grounds for serves, is a combination of museum, mu- we did the earth contouring, and we saw Sculpture may be easy to locate on the seum shop, and café. One of its sides is it needed a lot of trees. So whenever we map, but passing through the entrance flanked by the Water Garden. saw guys in orange vests doing construc- gates will take you right through the In the Water Garden, as throughout the tion work, we’d stop and ask for free looking glass. park, a large space has been subdivided. plants. After a while, people knew we were Yellow stucco walls, pools, a waterfall, and interested. It’s very much a recycled park Carole Ottesen is associate editor of The plants enclose and divide space and pro- with recycled plants.” American Gardener.

Grounds for Sculpture is located at 18 Fairgrounds Road, adjacent to the Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculp- ture, in Hamilton, New Jersey, two miles east of Trenton It is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed Mondays and holidays. Admission for adults is $5 Tuesday, through Thursday; $8 on Friday and Saturday; $12 on Sunday. For directions and further information, call (609) 586-0616 or visit www.groundsforsculpture.org. CAROLE OTTESEN (2)

38 the American Gardener PAT HAYWARD This fast-growinghobbypresentscreativelandscapingchallengesandanewwaytolook at plants. a settingformodel trains.Hereawhimsicaltrain chugsalongatrackseemingly constructedamidaforestin thePacificNorth and Above: Rayand Eileen Torbeck’sbackyardinCincinnati hasbeenlandscaped bydesignerPaulBussetostand outbothasagarden signs tothepublic.By thelate1880s,large- test theoriesandshow offtheirlatestde- builders usedsteam-powered modelsto railroads inthe1830s,whenrailroad its originstotheearlydaysoffull-size levels.ing aspectoftheirrailwaystonew road, many othersare takingthegarden- their gardens scalefortherail- inperfect many hobbyists stillenjoy landscaping and incredibly imaginative phase.While infant stageandentered amore public nology—has grown outofitsawkward I The hobby ofgarden railroading traces gifted children and Internet tech- roading in North America—like N RECENTYEARS Garden Railroads: Garden Railroads: Full SteamAhead Full SteamAhead garden rail- challenges togardeners interested in model railroaders lookingforgreater ple from allwalksoflife,from dedicated the hobby hastakenoff, enchantingpeo- outdoors.Fromsigned toberun there, duced sturdy large-scale plastictrainsde- company, Ernst Paul Lehmann,intro- until 1968,whentheGerman toymaking ing remained primarily anindoorhobby and smallerhomespredominated. shifting thehobby indoorsaselectricity became popularduringtheearly1900s, doors. Smaller-scale trains,suchasLionel, enthusiasts topurchase andoperateout- scale modelswere available forrailroading In theUnited States, modelrailroad- BY PATHAYWARD ways, States, and thereadership for 100 garden railwayclubsacross theUnited national presence. Today there are almost cities, areflection ofthehobby’s growing ally inDenver, beganrotating toother and theevent, whichhadbeenheldannu- vention attendance hadincreased five-fold, attended. By theendof ’80s, con- ciety—about 60garden railway enthusiasts zine andtheDenver Garden RailwaySo- co-sponsored by tional Garden RailwaysConvention— tainment totheirlandscapedyards. adding anelementofwhimsyandenter- In 1985,theyear ofthefirstannual Na- the hobby’s premier magazine,has Garden maga- Railways May /June Garden Rail- 2004 west. 39 grown from about 19,000 just a few years but most focus on the railroad; the gar- One member in particular, Paul Busse, ago to over 37,000. den plays only a secondary role. That, has inspired garden railroaders in the re- however, is changing. gion to give the garden aspect of the hobby MORE THAN MODEL TRAINS When the National Garden Railway equal emphasis with the trains and tracks. I joined the staff at Garden Railways mag- Convention was held in the Cincinnati, A landscape architect by training, azine as horticultural editor seven years Ohio, area in 2002, I saw beautiful rail- model railroader since childhood, and ago, and in that time I’ve visited hun- ways with fully developed gardens, artist at heart, Busse has become one of the dreds of garden railways around the unique design ideas, and lots and lots of hobby’s best-known ambassadors through country. Because it’s a hobby that en- plants. This trend can be attributed, in his company, Applied Imagination, based compasses diverse interests such as mod- part, to the very active and multi-talent- in Alexandria, Kentucky. He began his ca- eling, history, architecture, engineering, ed membership of the Greater Cincinnati reer by helping design the railways of fel- and gardening, every railroad is unique, Garden Railway Society. low club members, who often hired him to complete the installations. The company’s early projects were primarily residential, soon expanding to seasonal and holiday displays at nearby Krohn Conservatory in Cincinnati. It didn’t take long for word to get out that Busse was creating extraordinary displays, and now his work is in demand throughout the East Coast. In 2003, Applied Imagination created public garden railways at Morris Arboretum, Chicago Botanic Garden, Longwood Gardens, the Texas State Fair, New Orleans Botanical Garden, New York Botanical Garden, and Krohn Conservatory. Busse’s railroads are taking hundreds of thousands of visitors for rides through imaginary places and magical gardens never seen before—and bringing many into the hobby as well. “What makes garden railroads really unique,” says Busse, “is that it’s such a family-oriented activity—Dad and Mom building the railroad and gardening while the kids play with the trains.” Visiting Busse’s railways is something you do, not just watch, because they en- gage all your senses. Slow-moving trains disappear through hollow log tunnels, making you wonder where they’ll reap- pear. Locomotives chug across flowing streams over bridges made of willow branches and pine cone scales. You duck your head as trestles rattle overhead and train whistles softly blow. Rushing water cascades over waterfalls made of scavenged railroad ties. Finally, the textures and colors of ground covers, shrubs, and trees all come together to create fantastic settings. In planting this miniature world, Busse borrows a page from the magician’s hand- Top: Paul Busse in front of an eight-foot-long replica of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at the book. “Instead of trying to be in scale,” he New York Botanical Garden during its 2002 Holiday Train Show. The replica was created says, “we create an illusion. In railroad gar- entirely from natural materials, including reeds for the window frames, sugar pine for the dome’s dens, the plants don’t have to be differ- top trim, and oak bark for the base walls. Above: Busse’s multi-level railroad at Longwood ent—it’s the way they are applied.” A small

Gardens is an outdoor summer display. fern or blooming cyclamen, for instance, TOP: COURTESY OF PAUL BUSSE. BOTTOM: LONGWOOD GARDENS.

40 the American Gardener PAT HAYWARD (2) pine cones,and seedpods.Likehis of naturalmaterials suchasdriedleaves, ings, ontheotherhand,are constructed achieve asenseofrealism. Busse’s build- merely intendedtosetthesceneand usually madeofplasticorwood—are railroads builtby hobbyists, buildings— in hispublicdisplays.In mostgarden signature handcrafted buildingsfeatured and othersmallplantsare alsosuitable. Busse notes,bonsai,rock garden species, come acenturies-oldspecimentree. But, building, andaNorfolk Island pinecanbe- fora can beviewedasafoundationshrub The sameprincipleappliestoBusse’s unobtrusive andaestheticallypleasing. unobtrusive figures—create aminiature world that is rather thanplasticbuildings andresin ngs. Weathered bridgesandtunnels— through, around,runs andbehindplanti- obvious atfirstglancebecausethetrack cludes over 1,000feetoftrack,littleitis trains. AlthoughtheTorbecks’ railwayin- Eileen could garden andRaycouldrun becks wantedanenchantingsettingwhere rated intothedesign. visitors through thegardens were incorpo- potting shed,andwindingpathsthatlead streams, Agazebo, ponds,and waterfalls. and creating extensive waterfeatures with time, sitingthebuilt-inswimmingpool entire backyard andgarden railroad atone in Cincinnati,where Busse designedthe was atthehomeofRayandEileen Torbeck the 2002convention. One ofmyfavorites signed byPaul Busse were ontourduring Several residential garden railwaysde- BACKYARD WONDERLANDS buildings andstructures. actual—often historicallyaccurate— plantings, theyconvey theimpression of Paul Busse’sdesignforRayandEileenTorbeck’sOhiogarden,left. as ashowcaseforassortedplants.Plantsofallshapesandsizesalsotakecenterstagein Larry, AliceEpperson’srailroadnearSacramento,California,above,hascontinuedtogrow Garden railwayscanbestellargardensintheirownright.Begun1994byherlatehusband, Instead ofarealistic railroad, theTor- later. Using oftopsoilandsev- truckloads ended suddenlywhenhediedthree years Larry, beganin1994but construction ifornia. Built instages by herhusband home ofAliceEpperson inRoseville, Cal- the mostextensive gardens was atthe hour’s drive ofthecity. Therailwaywith ited over 30garden railroads withinan held inSacramento, California,andIvis- www.denvergrs.org. Harr at(303)431-6793or visit For moreinformation,contact Kelvin istration deadlineisJune30, 2004. of over40gardenrailways.Mail reg- demonstrations andclinics, tours 35,000 squarefeetofdisplays, den RailwaySociety,willinclude The event,hostedbytheDenverGar- The 20thNationalGardenRailway The In 2003,thenational convention was Denver, Colorado. Convention n hmesRa in and ChambersRoad gust 12to15,2004,at the HolidayInnatI-70 May /June will beheldAu- 2004 41 Byron Garner’s New Mexico garden railroad is inspired by the geologic features and native plant life of the region’s natural landscape. This section of track curves past a colorful stand of pineleaf penstemon (Penstemon pinifolius), which grows eight to 10 inches tall. eral dozen tons of rocks and boulders, he and I visited Garner soon after I’d start- phy and vegetation. His goal was to cap- created a garden railway of incredible size, ed with Garden Railways, when his rail- ture the image of a western mountain rail- beauty, and detail. The multi-tiered water way was about four years old. road following a route through feature utilizes an on-site natural stream as Garner was an indoor model railroader inhospitable terrain, ranging from the a water source and requires a swimming for almost 30 years before he discovered upper Sonoran Desert to the Transitional pool pump to run. outdoor railways in 1988. He had just Zone (5,000 to 8,000 feet in elevation). He As Larry completed each section of the moved to New Mexico from Tennessee describes his garden as representing a rail- railroad, Alice searched for small-scale and was inspired by the scenery of north- road “somewhere between point A and plants at local nurseries and landscaped ern New Mexico and southwestern Col- point B,” rather than an actual place. right behind him. While Larry had oper- orado. As he traveled the area, he took Every detail of this railway has been ated trains just about every day, they are careful note of the environment’s topogra- carefully considered. The few structures now run only for special occasions by members of the Sacramento Valley Gar- den Railway Society. This has enabled Alice to give the garden aspect of the rail- Resources way a higher priority. She began filling it Garden railway societies exist throughout North America. Contact a local hobby with larger plants, selecting shrubs, trees, shop or model train store for one near you, or visit the Web site of World’s Great- and perennials for textures, colors, and est Hobby (www.greatesthobby.com). year-round seasonal interest, making the garden railway an integral part of three Garden Railways, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha WI 53187-1612. (800) 533-6644. landscaped acres. www.gardenrailways.com. ■ Bimonthly magazine covering all aspects of garden railroading around the world. NATIVE LANDSCAPING Of all the garden railways I’ve visited, one Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI in particular embodies the spirit and 53187-1612. (800) 533-6644. www.kalmbach.com. beauty of garden railroading at its very ■ Offers a free 24-page booklet titled “Beginning Garden Railroading.” Prod- best. Named the Toltec Southern by its ucts available for sale include “Building a Basic Garden Railroad,” a VHS video- owner and creator, Byron Garner, it sits tape; and two books, “Beginner’s Guide to Large-scale Model Railroading” and in the sloping backyard of a suburban “Garden Railroading: Getting Started in the Hobby.” home on the West Mesa outside Albu-

querque, New Mexico. My husband Joel JOEL HAYWARD

42 the American Gardener CHOOSING PLANTS FOR GARDEN RAILROADS In landscaped areas close to the tracks and near buildings, most garden railroaders strive for a sense of realism and choose slow-growing plants with small leaves and flowers. Rock garden and bonsai plants are naturally good choices, but, if realism is important to you, there are many suitable smaller plants. The list below describes a few of them. —P.H.

Small Deciduous Shrubs and Trees ■ Boulevard cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Boulevard’) Dwarf shrubs and miniature trees can be pruned to look like for its feathery, silver-blue needles and attractive bark. small-scale shade or ornamental trees. ■ Dwarf white cedars (Chamaecyparis thyoides cultivars), ■ Laceleaf Japanese maples (Acer palmatum cultivars) and especially ‘Andelyensis Nana’, ‘Ericoides’, and ‘Red Star’. Trost’s dwarf birch (Betula pendula ‘Trost’s Dwarf’). Ferny, ■ Dwarf garden juniper (Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’) is used cut-leaved varieties have a softer appearance and provide extensively as a ground cover, but when properly supported, it substance without bulk. grows into a beautiful “living tunnel” for trains to run through. ■ Dwarf Japanese maples, such as A. palmatum ‘Beni hime’ ■ Alberta and Jean’s Dilly spruce (Picea glauca ‘Conica’ and ‘Sharp’s Pygmy’, look just like full-scale Japanese and ‘Jean’s Dilly’). These are probably the most common- maples in miniature. ly used dwarf conifers ■ Dwarf yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria cultivars) and dwarf for garden railroads. myrtle (Myrtus communis ‘Jean’s Dilly’ is nar- ‘Compacta’) are denser, shrub- rower and grows more bier plants frequently used for tightly than ‘Conica’. screening and hedging. ■ Hedgehog spruce ■ Miniature roses and snowros- (Picea glauca ‘Echini- es (Serissa foetida cultivars) formis’), dwarf bird- have wonderfully small-scale snest spruce (Picea leaves, buds and flowers. These abies ‘Little Gem’), Dwarf hemlock are used to represent full-scale and miniature hem- shrub roses, flowering cherries, locks (Tsuga canadensis cultivars). and other larger flowering ‘Hokkaido’‘Hokkaido’ ChineseChinese elmelm shrubs and trees. Perennials and Ground Covers ■ Dwarf Chinese elms (Ulmus parvifolia cultivars, especial- ■ Mat globularia (Globularia cordifolia) ly ‘Hokkaido’ and ‘Seiju’). Their tiny elm leaves and beauti- ■ Dwarf daylilies, especially ‘Lemon Lollipop’, ‘Bitsy’, ‘Eenie ful bark are exquisite in garden railway settings. Weenie’, and ‘Penny’s Worth’ ■ Dwarf mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus cultivars) Dwarf Conifers ■ Woolly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus) and others. Since many garden railways are modeled after real mountain railroads, these “forest trees” are used in abundance. Herbs ■ Dwarf Lawson (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) and Hinoki cy- Most of the smaller herbs offer color, texture, and fragrance press (C. obtusa) cultivars to garden railroad landscapes.

subtly tucked into the railway are all hand- He approached her with the possibility Over the years, Garner has learned to crafted, and every tie on the track itself has of helping him design his railway, and she manage his landscape and locate new been cut and laid by hand. After studying accepted, never having seen nor even plants as needed. He’s gained great satis- the region’s geology, Garner handpicked heard of such a concept. faction from building, running, and each rock and boulder, ranging in size from They worked together on the track working the railway and shares his deep five pounds to 500 pounds, with rounded plan, grade challenges, and landscaping. appreciation of the region’s natural beau- edges so that they would look like stratified Garner knew he wanted to incorporate ty and resources with local model rail- outcroppings or undercuts. For pinnacles, certain native plants, including chamisa roaders and gardeners equally. he set columnar rocks with distinct edges (Chrysothamnus nauseosus), bush pen- Given the fanciful nature of railway upright in the landscape. stemon (Penstemon ambiguus), threadleaf landscapes, their rising popularity is not When it came time to plant the land- sage (Artemisia filifolia), and others adapt- surprising. A garden railway challenges the scape, Garner realized he would need ed to his sandy soil, harsh winds, and blaz- imagination, inspires creative design, and some help. Knowing very little about gar- ing heat. Phillips immediately recognized brings out the inner child in all of us dening, he attended a seminar on native the issue of scale, and together they came plants by noted regional plantswoman up with a uniquely regional and appropri- Pat Hayward is horticultural editor of

LEFT: COURTESY OF SUE PIPER; RIGHT: MARY YEE and landscape designer, Judith Phillips. ate plant list for the railway. Garden Railways magazine.

May / June 2004 43 44 than…paintings. to cinemaortheater Gardens aremoreakin orate oneachelement. know, butbearwithmeasIelab- cific time. people, andmaterialsover aspe- from relationships between plants, sual spatialexperiencesresulting as more thanthat.Ithinkofgardens gardener! To me,atrue component—the include themostimportant herbage? Thepassive-voice definitiondoesnoteven somegeneric gle, andfret supporting forapieceofdirt orherbsareetables, fruits, cultivated.” plot ofground, usuallynearahouse,where flowers, veg- shrubs, all, myWebster’s Unabridged Dictionary may appeartobeaquestionwithratherobvious answer. After cisions andintent.You Garden designinvolves consciousde- INTENTIONALLY I placed antique urn,arectangular reflecting pool, andsimple you, andsatisfyyour functional needs.Ienvisionawell- intothespace,excitelilies, focusonwhatwillfitcomfortably deck, awhitegarden, avegetable garden, andapoolforwater inch ofspacewithcontainers,agazebo, abirdbath,every a still achieve aholisticresult. editing. Astrong intentorvisionallows onetodiscriminateand half-interesting thoughtintoaspace. every full creative potentialwillyieldabettergarden than cramming den asuccess.Developing compellingideastotheir oneorafew vision ofwhatyou are goingtodesigninorder to make thegar- What isaGarden? This isthethird ofanongoingseriesongarden article design. intentionally choreographed sen- Gardening byDesign But where istheglamorinthat?Whywouldwe suffer, strug- Take thetypicalsuburbanbackyard. Instead offilling The designprocess involves prioritization, selection,and cal lookatwhatconstitutesagarden. At firstglance,this den design.”Now, I'dliketotakeasimilarlyphilosophi- N THELASTISSUE, the American Gardener That isamouthful,I must garden issomuch I explored indepththeideaof“gar- have astrong BY TRESFROMME defines agarden as“a signed forpeacefulreflection. plantingsbeingallonewouldneedforagardenshrub de- more akintocinemaortheaterthanstaticpictures orpaint- tion through spacesover aspecifictimeperiod.Gardens are and ephemeralelements(light,shadow, fragrance,etc.)inmo- Gardens involve livingentities(plants,people,animals,etc.) CHOREOGRAPHED Without compellingchoreography from onearea tothenext, spaces theyoffer. Plants are butonemeansofcreating spaces. ofall magical gardensThe heart isthe sequencingofvarious SPATIAL EXPERIENCES with thescaleandcomplexity of thegarden anditssurprises. excitement asmymindandbodyattemptedtocome toterms fusion. Thiscontrolled disorientationmademegiddywith den garden areas andfeatures stimulatedadelicioussense ofcon- thrill andexcitement thatseemedtopermeatemyentire body. at theFrench garden Vaux-le-Vicomte, where Iexperienceda the feelingofsafety. For me,thesupreme exampleofthiscame The relentless and unexpectedunfoldingofenormous-yet-hid- ings. AssoonasIhearthatagarden is“painterly,” I fear Iwillbebored. Landscapearchitect Lawrence Halprin advocated planningthe theatrical sequencingofgardens asan essential part ofthedesignprocess. essential part tickle thenose,andenclosure instills Think abouthow you move through your garden’s spacesand what youdoorwanttoin the spaces.Whatdoyou want skin withwarmth,fragrances to see,smell,andfeelinthe all sorts. Lightcaressesall sorts. the entry area? of Whatsort entry voke moods andpassionsof drama shouldthesitting all thebodilysensesandin- than justsight.Theyarouse Vital gardens satisfymore imagination, andspirit. area support? stimulate thebody, mind, Gardens shouldengageand SENSUAL

TOM CLIFTON Examples of garden design at its finest: a view of Vaux-le-Vicomte in France, above, and the Court of the Lions in Alhambra in Spain, left. Plants are only part of the total design.

a garden becomes a mere collection of plants and accessories. warding relationship. Indeed, to truly begin to know a garden The rightly famous Court of the Lions garden at the Alhambra —your own or someone else’s—requires repeated visits in Spain contains exactly four plants. The rest is enticing, mind- throughout the day, the seasons, and the years. blowing, sense-stirring space. On my visit there, I moved from a series of twisting, shaded, GARDENS, THE ETERNAL QUESTIONS interior passages into a luminous, symmetrical courtyard cen- In the end, there is no more answering the question “What is a tered on an ornate fountain. The gravel-covered ground added garden?” than there is defining life itself. Strictly defining the to the luminosity and highlighted the clipped globes of lush, dark garden limits how we perceive the garden and thus destroys cre- citrus foliage. Intricately ornamented pavilions soared on im- ative possibilities. Even someone as focused and purist about possibly slender columns and evoked trunks and leafy canopies the use of color in perennial border design as Gertrude Jekyll in stone. The minimal use of foliage, water, and color intensified realized how a foolishly structured approach could destroy a these very elements into a rapturous lucidity. color-themed border. She warned, and I paraphrase, how the lack of yellow might destroy a blue border. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PLANTS, PEOPLE, AND MATERIALS Vital design thrives on the unexpected elements, active con- OVER A SPECIFIC TIME flicts, and eccentric juxtapositions we (or chance) inject into Gardens require and are unable to escape time. They take years the garden. A garden is never finished and thus is never truly to mature and evolve into something worthwhile. Experienc- “answered.” Climate changes, weather damage, insect infesta- ing them fully also requires time and attention like any re- tions, changing needs, and other cosmic caprices constantly require the gardener or garden designer to redefine what the garden is at any given moment. DESIGN HOMEWORK: ASK YOURSELF… The seemingly endless possibilities resulting from a garden’s in- completeness stimulate us to become an active part of it. Perfec- ■ In what ways do I want my garden to stimulate me? Will tion, on the other hand, invites relationships built on tedious fragrance seductively envelop me in all seasons? Will witty predictability. Remember those quintessentially suburban horrors, sculptures make me laugh and spark my imagination? the Stepford Wives? Clearly, the Stepford husbands were not look- ■ What is the strongest dream the garden should realize for ing for stimulating conversation or innovative housekeeping. The me? Do I want a series of spaces to spark moody reverie— Stepford Gardener seeks predictability and control in a terrifyingly or an exuberant sensual celebration of bliss? similar manner. The results are comparably numbing. ■ What do I want to do in my garden—realistically? Do I A finished garden is a dead garden; fortunately, it is also an im- only have time for a quick evening stroll after work, or do I possibility. The perfect garden, like Eden, is not for us. One of the want to eat, write, or maybe even bathe in the garden? most effective ways to answer what a garden is, is actually to de- ■ What will each part of the garden contribute to the whole sign it. In the next issue, I’ll begin to discuss how. experience? Will anyone actually sit in the gazebo, or is it a useless and expensive trophy? Tres Fromme is a landscape designer at Longwood Gardens in Ken-

LEFT: TRES FROMME; RIGHT: COURTESY OF ARABELLA DANE. nett Square, Pennsylvania.

May / June 2004 45 Much more than a great magazine, the American Horticultural Society connects people to gardens.

The American Horticultural Society relies on the generous gifts of donors to fulfill its vision of Making America a Nation of Gardeners, a Land of Gardens. AHS fosters the human connection with plants, the environmental value of SMARTGARDEN™ practices, and an appreciation of beauty in the landscapes we create.

Contact Joe Lamoglia at (800) 777-7931 ext. 115 to find out how you can help. COURTESY OF CHRIS SIMON/UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT by JessieKeith The CicadasAre Coming being upto1millioncicadasperacre. densities—the mostsensationalfigures chrony, theMagicicadas reach enormous grees Fahrenheit. reaches anoptimaltemperature of 64de- trigger totheiremergenceiswhenthesoil mid-May toearlyJune thisyear—the final ies, willemergeforfourtofive weeks from sects, whichonlyoccureastoftheRock- found inhighlands.Theseherbivorous in- found inlowlands; and the mostcommonspecies; es three species:Magicicada septendecim, nously namedBrood X,actuallycompris- going todoother thanpollutetheenvi- insects atonce, whatare chemicals afew done anyway. and, besides,there’s littlethatcanbe need protection from cicadadamage, Established trees really andshrubs don’t stop, breathe deeply, andconsiderthis: to protect theirwoodyplantsshould little.Gardenersthe answer is:very eager andontelevision, may seeinnewspapers ers? Despite thehystericalcoverage you So, whatdoesallthismeanforgarden- RELAX GARDENERS, Y once every 17years. once every its thing;Imean,itonlyhappens offer themcake,andletnature do soIplantositback,smile, chorus, are comingenmasse, But—invited ofnot—thecicadas have ourwhole me. Thankfully, we didn’t decideto the 17-year cicadaoutbreak.” Lucky your wedding isscheduled during Because thisbrood emergesinsyn- The largest17-year cicadabrood, omi- “When you’re“When dealingwithmillionsof to say, “You do ESTERDAY wedding outdoors. my mothercalled M. sependecula, realize that and infull M. cassini, species inBroodXtohatchthissummer. Magicicada sependecula, says Richard Karban, aresearch ento- emergence shouldnotbetakenlightly,” in ourlifetimes,ifwe’re lucky. “Their expect toseethemonlyfive orsixtimes of 6,200daysaboveground, andwe can In fact,cicadasspendonlyabout35out IT’S AWONDROUSLIFE “These cicadasjustdon’t“These lastforlong.” coordinator atLongwood Gardens. with finenetting,”saysCaseySclar, IPM most tenderanddesired woodyplants to doanythingotherthanprotect their ty ofConnecticut.“Idon’t advisepeople gist andresearch associateattheUniversi- ronment?” saysJohn Cooley, entomolo- For more information Magicicada/index.html. collections/cicadacentral/NA/ http://collections2.eeb.uconn.edu/ necticut’s CicadaCentralWeb site: cadas, visittheUniversityof Con- AUA CONNECTIONS NATURAL C one ofthree about ci- cycle ofBrood Xthis summer. bride-to-be, celebratethe ephemeral whether you are adiligentgardener ora a naturalwondertoanticipate. So, creatures isnotaproblem todread, but to emergeenmasse.” suggests there isstrong selectionforthem get areal chance toreproduce, which broods emerge inoffyears, buttheydon’t they mateinsynchrony. Smaller 17-year spent 18to24inchesunderground and account forwhymostoftheirtimeis ciently,” may Karbanexplains.“This meaning theyavoid predators ineffi- Magicicada sects. “Unlike othercicadas,periodic birds tohousepetsandeven other in- readily devoured by otheranimals,from arrive becausetheyare defenselessand known inNorth America. making themthelongest-lived insects ly—on tree roots foranother17years, where theywillfeed—quiteharmless- later drop totheground anddigbelow, ground andonflaggingtwigs.” nothing willbeleftbutholesinthe branches, and,afterfourtofive weeks, males willlaytheireggsinsmalltree ponentially. In the finalstages,thefe- and inthesecondweek willsubsideex- songs willreach acrescendo after aweek the maleswillbeginsinging.Their five days,mostwillhave matured, and emerge from theground atnight.After chronized pulseofcicadanymphswill says. “In latespring,amassive syn- should beanamazingspectacle,”he ofournaturalheritage.” part fantasticphenomenonis at Davis. “This mologist attheUniversity ofCalifornia American Gardener. Jessie with Keith iseditorialintern The emergenceoftheseintriguing Cicadas disappearasquicklythey Newly hatchedcicadanymphswill Cooley concurs.“Seeing theseinsects are ‘predator foolhardy’— May /June 2004 The 47 48 ed to survive inbakinghot places. ed tosurvive Gardens, includes toughbeautiesselect- Strip Garden,” soldby High Country For example,Lauren Springer’s “Inferno thrive inthesamegrowing conditions. plantsthat collections ofcomplimentary 9387, in Santa Fe, New Mexico [(800)925- Gardens,Country amail-order nursery forHighident andchiefhorticulturist in gardening,” saysDavid Salman, pres- biggest trends that we’re seeingrightnow Preplanned gardens are “one ofthe GARDENS OFPREPLANNED THE BEAUTY Franklinia CrossYields RemarkableNewHybrid fessor ofornamentalhorticultureatRutgersUniversity,crossed genera failedtoproducerobustoffspring.ElwinOrton,pro- have madeitusefulforreforestation. where itsadaptabilityandtoleranceofvariedsiteconditions common initsnativeterrainofwesternChinaandTaiwan, tea again foundinthewild. 1803, frankliniawasnever Philadelphia garden.After propagated intheBartram's specimens werecollectedand Altamaha RiverinGeorgia; in 1770alongthebanksof Bartram. Bartramdiscoveredit the celebratedbotanistJohn tion onlythroughtheeffortsof franklinia survivedtotalextinc- tea family. argentea, Mountain schimlinia( result ofacrossbetweenFrankliniaalatamaha least amonggardeningfolks.Itisanintergenerichybrid,the household wordjustyet,butitmaywellbecomeone,at Horticultural NewsandResearch ImportanttoAmericanGardeners Professional designersassemble these the American Gardener Previous effortstocrossfrankliniawithmembersofrelated In contrast, Rare andlessthanrobust, is asturdyevergreentree www.highcountrygardens.com]. two membersofthe Schima argen- ✕ Schimlinia floribunda) GARDENER and is nota Schima C ’ NOTEBOOK S Hortscience, a fewyearstopropagateenoughplantsfortheretailtrade. expect toseethenewhybridavailableforawhile;itwilltake ous, vigorous,andsharecharacteristicsofbothparents.”Don’t Washington, D.C.,experimentedwithcamelliacrosses. retired researchgeneticistwiththeUSNationalArboretumin franklinia with For moredetailedinformationonRanney’swork,see According toRanney,theresultingseedlingsare“florifer- Recent phylogeneticstudiesrevealedthatSchima Volume 38(6),October2003. Gordonia lasianthus, “Cold HardyMediterranean Garden.” High CountryGardens offersthispreplanned www.bluestoneperennials.com], als inMadison, Ohio [(800)852-5243, preplanned gardens. Bluestone Perenni- den,” saysSalman. out ofcreating ornamentalgar- a new preplanned gardens. com], [(800) 503-9624,www.whiteflowerfarm. Flower Farm inLitchfield,Connecticut sembled a“Butterfly Garden.” White Several othermail-order firmsoffer “Preplanned gardens takeallthestress sells bothannualandperennial says Ranney,“itworked!” hybrid seedlings.“Amazingly,” able toproducemorethan80 colleague PaulR.Fantzwere of NorthCarolina,Ranneyand sor ofbotanyattheUniversity Clifford Parks,aretiredprofes- argentea tween theseplants.Using tiate controlledcrossesbe- Carolina StateUniversity,toini- of horticulturalscienceatNorth Thomas G.Ranney,aprofessor genera. Thisdiscoveryinspired lated thanthepreviouslytested Franklinia and WilliamAckerman,a collected inChinaby are morecloselyre- has as- and S.

TOP: COURTESY OF THOMAS G. RANNEY/NC STATE UNIVERSITY; BOTTOM: COURTESY OF HIGH COUNTRY GARDENS TOP: CAROLE OTTESEN; BOTTOM: COURTESY OF MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN Salvia leucantha berry berry bud (Heteromeles arbutifolia), toyonOther goodchoicesincludeshrub tirety by theLosAngelesFire Department. formonths,plantsthatare mer isbonedry In Southern California,where thesum- TAKING THEHEATINSOUTHERNCALIFORNIA prominent ontheundersides. Infected rusty-brown pustulesonfoliage, most try. Thediseaseproduces raisedorangeor rocallis, causedby thefungusPucciniarust, heme- First inGeorgia in2000,daylily observed DAYLILIES SHINE RUST-RESISTANT Hills, New York (www.roslynnursery.com). soil. One source isRoslyn Nursery, Dix moist, well-drained, richlyorganicacid tween three and12feettallrequires growsblue berries.Box huckleberry be- shaped flowers are followed by edibledark dish bronze inautumn.Its palepink,bell- when emerginginthespringandturnred- leathery, boxwoodlike leaves, whichare red age itsuseingardens. evergreendwarf intothewildandencour- combining forces tobothreintroduce this United States National Arboretum are (the AgriculturalResearch andthe Service) listed as“critically imperiled.” Now, ARS tive ofseven Mid-Atlantic states,hasbeen ana- Zone 7–1), USDA Zone 3–7,AHS (Gaylussaciabox huckleberry brachycera, Considered oneoftheoldestlivingplants, SAVING HUCKLEBERRY THEBOX against fire. tenance procedures thatprotect homes namentals aswell asplantingandmain- learn more aboutCalifornia-friendlyor- Log ontowww.bewaterwise.com The commonnamerefers toitssmall, (Cercis occidentalis), (Fragaria chiloensis). has spread throughout thecoun- dorsed initsen- genus resistant, likethe drought andfire that are both namental plants lauding someor- arepartments cies. Now fire de- and wateragen- from homeowners receive highmarks drought resistant attractive the western red- and wildstraw- Salvia, and en- to vation, biodiversity, anda sustainable gered plantsandisanadvocate forconser- he championsresearch endan- topreserve magazine asa“hero fortheplanet” because vancement andimprovement ofthesci- their “outstanding contributiontothead- Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)for Each yearare aselectfew honored by the MEDAL RECEIVERHSVEITCH TO PETER RAVEN Little Baby’, and‘Plum Perfect’. sistance were: ‘Woodside Ruby’, ‘Hush Cultivars thatdisplayed ahighlevel ofre- ‘Mardi Gras Parade’, and‘Green Flutter’. ‘Prairie Blue Eyes’, ‘Carolyn Criswell’, that showed nosymptomsincluded: measured andratednumerically. Cultivars nurseries, theplants’ resistance was torust Michigan, South Carolina, andGeorgia of each.In twotrials, usingplantsfrom evaluated theoverall healthandresistance pathologists attheUniversity ofGeorgia tivars withthepathogen’s spores, plant daylily cultivars. pests. Susceptibility varies widelyamong more susceptibletootherpathogensor leaves maydie,andplantsbecome In Memorium:Dirck Brown and theircurriculumhasbeendistributedtootherschoolsacrossthecountry. Molly. Theirschoolgardenprogramhasbeennationallyrecognizedasamodel, Waddell studenthasspenttimeintheclassroomandgardenwithDirck tary SchoolinLexington,Virginia,1995.Inthelast10years,nearlyevery gram, thatinvolvesyoungstudentswitholdercommunityvolunteers. school curriculum,theRootsandShootsIntergenerationalSchoolGardenPro- lor Awardforexcellenceinchildren’sgardeningtheirdevelopmentofa Garden symposia.Heandhiswife,Molly,receivedthe2001AHSJaneL.Tay- Teacher’s CollegeandwasaregularcontributortoAHS’sChildrenYouth raised inOhio,earnedadoctorateeducationfromColumbiaUniversity cember 30,2003,attheageof75inLexington,Virginia.Brown,whowas Children’s gardeningandeducationadvocateDirckBrownpassedawayonDe- After inoculatingnumerous daylilycul- The Brownsco-foundedtheRootsandShootsprogramatWaddellElemen- described by Time Medal. Raven was RHS’s silver Veitch six recipients ofthe American among Garden, istheonly souri Botanical director oftheMis- year, Peter Raven, horticulture.” This ence andpracticeof Society’s Hyde Liberty Bailey Award. recipient oftheAmericanHorticultural Advancement ofScience.In 1996,hewas board oftheAmericanAssociationfor cluding president andchairmanofthe Louis, Raven holdsnumerous offices,in- Botany atWashington University inSt. environment. TheEngelmann Professor of with theavailability ofnew, fungus-resis- some 90,000laborers. tat, thisresulted inthelossofjobsfor addition tothereduction offorest habi- forotheruses.Informing thecabruca ers abandonedcocoaproduction, trans- prices, occurred in the1990s,manyfarm- demic, combinedwithadrop incocoa are planted. ofsmallcocoatrees which anunderstory tem. Theforest overstory isthinned,after grown inwhatisknown sys- asacabruca grow it.Instead, inBrazil, cocoacanbe ers don’t have tocutdown theforest to D.C.-based non-profit. the Worldwatch Institute, aWashington, for aTropical Forest Bright, leadauthor of Venture Capitalism under therainforest canopy,” saysChris late, isahigh-value crop thatcanbegrown species diversity recorded onEarth. that containsthegreatest numberoftree lantic Forest, anendangered rainforest late. It couldhelpsave theBrazilian At- Go ahead!Have anotherpieceofchoco- RESCUEARAINFOREST EAT CHOCOLATE, The Worldwatch studysuggests that When adevastating cocoafungusepi- Because cocoa isshade-tolerant,farm- “Cocoa, themainingredient inchoco- and aresearcher with May /June 2004 49 tant varieties, the cabruca system should be on some very delicate maidenhair ferns, Northeast, South, Midwest, and West. revived, with improvements—a strategy says Rogers, but he cautions, “Some The softcover books include detailed they call “forest cocoa,” which has both tropical Adiantum species do not like it.” driving directions and vivid descriptions ecological and social goals. “The big op- Unlike normal fungicides, which coat of each garden. The national edition portunities here,” explains Bright, “are in the plant to stop the spore from growing, costs $15.95 ($10.95 for Garden Conser- the development of new cocoa products— “this stuff kills the fungal spore in its vancy members, plus $4.50 for shipping) new ways of connecting consumers to the tracks,” says Rogers. He cautions using and $5, plus $1.95 for shipping, for each forest and to the people who live there.” the milk-based spray around mycor- regional guide. Call the Garden Conser- Not only will cocoa be produced under en- rhizal-reliant plants because it may kill vancy at (888) 842-2442 to order, or send vironmentally friendly conditions, the At- desirable fungi in the soil. a check to: the Garden Conservancy, lantic Forest will be sustained, and more P.O. Box 219, Cold Spring, NY 10516. jobs will be available in rural areas. CONSERVANCY OPEN DAYS DIRECTORIES The nominal fee for Open Days entrance The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days is $5 pergarden. MILK VERSUS MILDEW program enables gardeners a chance to When some of his begonias and gesnariads do one of the things they enjoy most— PLANT LOCATOR FOR THE WEST suffered from the fungal disease Botrytis, snoop in other people’s gardens. Live in the West? Need to find a source Keith Rogers of Mannum, South Aus- This year, in ad- for a specific plant? The Plant Locator® tralia, tried expensive fungicides to no dition to a national Western Region by Susan Hill and Susan avail. Then he concocted a milk-based edition of the Open Narizny (Timber Press, 2004, $19.95) spray similar to the kind used in the Aus- Days Directory, the lists 336 retail nurseries in Alaska, Ari- tralian grape industry. The results have Conservancy has zona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Mon- been good. published four re- tana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, “In the end, I settled for simple 10 per- gional directories Utah, Washington, and British Colum- cent whole milk (from powder is better) listing open days for bia, and more than 50,000 of the plants and 90 percent water,” says Rogers. “It some of the coun- they carry. The book’s extensive index in- works safely on my begonias, sin- try’s best private cludes over 9,000 entries listing both ningias—all gesnariads.” It even worked gardens in the common and botanical names.

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50 the American Gardener MARY YEE by Dr. H.MarcCathey Unlocking theSecrets ofPlantDormancy and 50degrees Fahrenheit toflower. minimum ofthree weeks atbetween 40 (Matthiola incana), ing inbiennialplantssuchasstock vernalization isusedtostimulateflower- such asparsley(Petroselinum crispum). money plant(Lunaria annua), foxgloves plant dies.Examples ofbiennialsinclude bear flowers the Afterfruiting, andfruit. winter, theydevelop elongatedstemsthat season. Then,aftervernalization over rosette of leaves atground level thefirst mination, biennialstypicallydevelop a two-year lifecycle. Following seedger- als require oftheir vernalization aspart For instance,plantsclassifiedasbienni- order tobreak dormancyortoflower. sure toaperiodoflow temperatures—in plants require vernalization—or expo- set. tion, andfruit control seedgermination,flower produc- unraveled thephysiologicalprocesses that Over timetheseresearchers painstakingly tions by naturalistsandhorticulturists. ornamental—is basedlargelyonobserva- many plantswe grow—both edibleand requirementsblooming andfruiting of riod ofexposure tolow temperatures in Most spring-flowering bulbs require ape- CHILLIN’ JUST F and settingflowers. begin poppingoutoftheground through winter andthen,oncue, ing inthewayplantsliedormant it. There’s amaz- somethingtruly how manytimeswe experience spring never getsold,nomatter In thecut-flower industry, artificial A majordiscovery wasthatmany Our understandingofthesuccessful gardeners, themiracleof OR TEMPERATE-REGION (Digitalis purpurea), which requires a honesty or and herbs VRDYGRE SCIENCE GARDEN EVERYDAY extended coldperiodtoflower. Like manyspringbulbs,daffodilsrequirean pioneers wasT.D. Lysenko, aRussian ments ofspecific plants,butoneofthe helped unravel thevernalization require- Many notedplantphysiologistshave LEADING THEWAY careful study. which canonlybeconfirmedthrough seems tohave itsown requirements, plants; infact,eachspeciesandvariety gle vernalization procedure works forall daylength (photoperiodism).So nosin- sequencesanddurationsof but varying involving not onlycoolingtemperatures, complex procedure thatitfirstappeared, ered thatvernalization isamuchmore ers wholive inwarmerclimates. forgarden-rieties thatwillproduce fruit researchers have developed “low-chill“ va- successfully,vernalization tosetfruit but in refrigerators inorder tobloom. southern Californiamustbe“pre-chilled” in warmregions suchasFlorida and grown indoorsincontainersorforgrowth the flower stem.That’s whybulbstobe dormancy andinitiatethelengtheningof temperatures toovercome are necessary dormant bulbstheprevious year. Thelow flower budswere already formedinthe order toflower properly, even thoughthe Over theyears, scientistshave discov- Most trees fruit alsorequire aperiodof C grow forfoodandornament. increased thebountyofplantswe can raveled thesecrets ofvernalization and you totheunsung researchers whoun- your garden thisyear, say aquietthank daylength changes. quirements orare notassensitive to forms ofplantsthathave low-chilling re- actively seeking outanddeveloping new by plantexplorers andbreeders, whoare tovernalization hasbeenaided shortcuts toperiod requirements. Thesearch for sodium lampstoreduce orchangepho- They alsobeganusinghigh-pressure chilling requirements insome plants. berellins, couldbeusedassubstitutesfor chemicals, includingauxinsandgib- ered plantgrowth thatcertain regulating requirements, plantphysiologists discov- flowering inwinterrye. be usedtospeeduptheinitiationof plant’s sensitivitytodaylengthandcould ered thatvernalization affectedthe cereal. Theseresearchersof rye discov- strain tion through studiesofaparticular vanced theunderstandingofvernaliza- Physic Garden inLondon,England, ad- Gregory andO.N.Purvis oftheChelsea or becomespring.” word tion,” whichisderived from theRussian ited withcoiningtheterm“vernaliza- Lysenkocould beharvested. isalsocred- increased theamountofwheatthat birds inwinter,lost tohungry andthus This reduced theamountofwheatseeds as aspringcrop ratherthanawintercrop. temperatures sothattheycouldbesown subjecting winterwheatseedstolow inRussiamass starvation inthe1920sby scientist whoiscredited withpreventing the American Horticultural Society. Dr. H.Marc Cathey ispresident emeritusof So asyou enjoy thespringflowers in In seekingwaysaround vernalization Then, inthe1930sand’40s,F. G. yarovizatsya, which means“to make May /June 2004 51 52 by PattiCassidy The Prodigal Gardener creasingly intriguedwiththeidea ofrais- seedlings later and later, andIgrew in- dious thanexciting. my Istarted course ofstudythatwouldhave noend. ies hadbeenincollege.But thiswasa arating, even more thanmyTudor stud- bit ofmyattention.At first,itwasexhil- ticulture wasachallenge andtookevery patterns andmicroclimates. methods, andtheinfluenceofweather the pros and consofdifferent irrigation alltheintricaciesofsoilchemistry,knew journals.I and practiceinhorticultural winter tokeepupwithplantingtheory estimated daystomaturity. plantings andchoosingvarieties basedon tend mygarden’s productivity by staggered troductions toheirlooms.Isoughtex- available in- seedsandplants,from new versus usingapitchfork. Iresearched allthe ed withturningthecompostinadrum type ofcompostablematerial,experiment- makeupofevery phosphorus-potassium post building,calculatedthenitrogen- andby zones.charts Idelved intocom- early, plantinglate;by moon in rows andbroadcast sowing; planting sunken beds,andnobedsatall.Planting discovered them:plantinginraisedbeds, into horticulture inabigway. of shadeclothintheprocess anddove ing windsandhotsun.Iburnedoutacres ing constantlytosave themfrom thedry- smallplantsandtry- damage, nurturing the time,checkingforinsectsandtheir gion wastough,whatwithwateringall etables asIcould.Gardening inthatre- southern Arizona andgrew asmanyveg- T know, becauseI’ve doneit. Gradually, gardening grew more te- Educating myselfintheworldofhor- inthe I visitedtheuniversity library gardeningI triedevery techniqueasI For 10years Ilived onatinyranchin the American Gardener HERE IS gardening toomuch.I such athingas my hard-earned cash. farmerswhoreallysupporting deserved justified allofthisby tellingmyselfIwas canned soup, andbread from bakeries.I Ilived onbagsofready-to-eatpart. salad, had alsostoppedcookingfor themost me, forjustasIhadgiven upgardening, I onions cameonlyinred, white,andyellow. wasastrawberry,pers, astrawberry and were tochoosefrom here. To mostshop- shock torealize how varieties few there grown somanyvegetables, Iadmititwasa ofsomeoneelse’sfruits labor. Having the supermarket, Ismiledaseyed the theproduce aisleof life. WhenIcruised husband—and leavingbehindthatwayof ing theArizona ranchtomynow ex- a highriseincitytheNortheast, leav- nearby gardener. In Iburnedout. short, gies raised,picked,andpackagedfrom a descent cametheyear Iboughtmyveg- ing plantsfrom anursery. The final buy- passed seedsaltogetherandstarted all ofthemfrom catalogs.ThenIby- vesting myown seedsandbeganbuying ing volunteers exclusively. Istoppedhar- But thepallidproduce didn’t bother It wasn’t thatImoved longafterward to C OFFSHOOTS that never dies. something aboutagardener onceseeded in potsonmydeck,Iknow there is basil, cilantro, mint,andthymegrowing island, where Icould expandoperations. from thecity toahousewithdeckonan that Icouldnotignore. Ifinallymoved andthecountryside longing fortheearth siasm grew, andIbegantofeeladisturbing dowsill garden, myambitionsandenthu- added fresh cilantro tomymorningeggs. led metotakeupcookingagain—and Soon, Itastedthefirstbasilleaves—which I transplantedtheseedlingstolargerpots. and whentheydid,Isangtothecat.Later, as well asanaestheticpointofview. the cloudsandshadows from apractical lightbulbsandbeganobserving spectrum here there wastoolittle.So Iboughtfull- light hadbeenaproblem ontheranch, for itonawindowsill. Whereas toomuch in thelittlegreenhouse andcleared aspot food wasfree andanxiety. ofheartaches less complicated.Exchanging moneyfor Without gardening, mylifehadbecome peat potstoplantthemin. with sixpacketsofseedsandthimble-sized gave meashoebox-size plasticgreenhouse andraisedmyown vegetables,the country meaning friend,knowing Ihadlived in one year. Thegardener inmewasgone. received abiggershovel formybirthday ofthedelightIhadfeltwhen memory the hardware store. Iblankedoutthe hesitate inthegardening toolssectionof turned soilorrows ofseedpackets.Ididn’t fingers didn’t twitchwhenIsawfreshly Jamestown, RhodeIsland. Patti Cassidy isafree-lance writerlivingin Now asIstroll among thetomatoes, Within thatwin- ayear afterstarting I grew impatient formyseedstosprout, With misgivings,Iplantedthoseseeds I really wishedshehadnotdonethis. Until onefineMarch day. Awell- For years afterleavingtheranch,my

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Recommendations for Your Gardening Library

Restoring American Gardens: An Encyclopedia of Heirloom The Earth Moved: Ornamental Plants 1640–1940. On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms. Denise Wiles Adams. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2004. 419 Amy Stewart. Algonquin Books. Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 2004. pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $39.95. 223 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $23.95.

I’VE ALWAYS BEEN amazed at how much time and money AMY STEWART shares my fascination with the little things in people spend on meticulous restoration of historic homes and gar- life—such as fungi, nematodes, bacteria, and…earthworms. In dens, only to go out and buy their plants and landscaping mate- The Earth Moved: On th Remarkable Achievement of Earth- rials at the local home improvement store. In effect, this results in worms, Stewart lets us in on the a loss of the historic character they sought to preserve. Fortunate- mysteries of earthworms and their ly, with the publication of Restoring American Gardens, the task of subterranean world. The details are finding appropriate plants for period homes has been simplified. not always for the faint-of-stomach. Through a systematic analysis of more than 300 garden cat- Bacteria thrive and reproduce inside alogs drawn from all regions of the United States, Denise the body of a nightcrawler, relates Adams has created an encyclopedia of the 1,000 most com- Stewart, “until far more bacteria mon heirloom trees, shrubs, an- emerge from the end of a worm nuals, perennials, and bulbs than entered in the first place.” And, available to gardeners from the during mating, earthworms “excrete mid-17th to early 20th century. a great deal of sticky fluid that keeps Each plant is described with his- them anchored together.” By skill- torically pertinent details, such as fully weaving together interesting horticultural introduction dates, earthworm factoids with personal as well as notes from many sig- anecdotes, Stewart has created a delightfully entertaining book. nificant historic figures in Amer- No book about earthworms is complete without a discus- ican horticulture. sion of their vital contribution to soil health. The owner of a Adams has supplemented the worm compost bin, Stewart is able to relate first-hand know- text with useful appendices, in- ledge on the subject of their nutrient-rich waste, or “castings,” cluding cross-indexed listings of which increase soil fertility. In addition, worm burrows aerate plants defined by region and period of use, current source in- soil and increase its water-holding capacity. formation for their purchase, and a record of less tame histori- But all is not rosy in earthworm world. Stewart points out cally popular garden ornamentals, like Lonicera japonica and that most of the worms in North America are non-native, in- Paulownia tomentosa, that have escaped into the wild. Ample troduced years ago by immigrants and in imported goods, and use of period illustrations and early photographs adds to the that the threat of new introductions is ever present. In Min- book’s richness. nesota, research by forest ecologists indicates that bait worms One limitation of the book, as the author fully acknowl- inadvertently dumped by fishermen can contribute to an alter- edges, is that the 300 catalogs she referenced represent only a ation of understory plants in hardwood forests. small fraction of the thousands published during the period If, after reading this book, you discover a new-found respect covered and draws most heavily on early 20th century catalogs. for these remarkable critters, you’re in good company. Stewart This restricts the book’s usefulness for restoration of a Colonial- relates that Charles Darwin, who performed intricate experi- period landscape, but it is certainly a good resource for post- ments with earthworms and devoted his last book to them, be- Civil War period gardens. came convinced that they had the ability to make decisions. Gardeners with an interest in heirloom plants or American The Earth Moved is part humorous, part serious, and 100 pergarden history will find much to like in this book. It will occu- cent informative. It is a must-read for gardeners who want to learn py a central place on my landscape preservation bookshelf. to appreciate earthworms and their contribution to soil ecology. —Charles Hulse —Kathryn Lund Johnson

Charles Hulse is a professor of anthropology and directs the Historic Preser- A frequent contributor to The American Gardener, Kathryn Lund vation Program at Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Johnson is a freelance writer based near Middleville, Michigan.

54 the American Gardener Annuals and Tender Plants for North American Gardens. Wayne Winterrowd. Random House Publishing. New York, New York, 2004. 498 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $60.

OVER THE PAST 10 years, I have grown many unusual annuals and tender perennials at my small greenhouse in southern Vermont. Each year, in search of new and exciting plants for my customers, I scour specialty seed and plant catalogs, aided by notoriously inaccurate catalog descriptions and a stack of well-shuffled books. If only Wayne Winterrowd’s Annuals and Tender Plants for North American Gardens had been available earlier! This wonderful, comprehensive reference would have made my research so much easier. It smartly combines, under one cover, information on more than 600 species and 250 genera of “true” annuals as well as the tender perennials, biennials, and shrubs that many of us now grow as annuals. More than 250 color photographs highlight the plant descriptions, which are organized alphabetically by genus. Each genus entry gives a short profile of the plant’s overall features and requirements, followed by detailed information about species and cultivars, including habit, propagation, culture, uses, native habitat, folklore, and ease of cultivation. In sharing his experience—gleaned over the years at North Hill, the spectacular garden Winterrowd and his part- ner Joe Eck created in Readsboro, Vermont—Winterrowd manages to convey practical advice and personal ob- servations in equally eloquent terms. “California poppies,” he says, “seem to have some sort of internal wisdom that tells them when to pack up and be off, whatever intentions the gardener may have for them.” In discussing Salpiglos- sis, he notes that it has “a tendency to be a draggled mess in wet weather.” The only shortcoming of this book is that it contains images of just over half of the species covered in the text. By adding a few more plant photographs, the pub- lishers would have provided a fitting complement to Winterrowd’s lyrical prose and further enhanced what is already an “Works wonders.” –Denver Post excellent garden reference. “Elsie’s beauty secret.” –Glamour —Carrie Chalmers It’s remarkable what big things are being reported about the stuff inside our Carrie Chalmers owns Quoyburray Farm, a little green can. Try some today. Your skin should be softer tomorrow. small greenhouse and market garden business located in southern Vermont. She also works DAIRY ASSOCIATION CO., INC. P.O. BOX 145, DEPT. AG04, LYNDONVILLE, VT 05851/TEL. 802-626-3610/WWW.BAGBALM.COM with her brother, Cameron Chalmers, design- WEST OF ROCKIES: SMITH SALES SERVICE, 16372 S. W. 72ND ST., PORTLAND, OR 97223 ing and planting gardens.

May / June 2004 55 GARDENERC’S BOOKS

Books of Regional Interest

HE AMERICAN gardening experience is borne from flower form, plant habit and landscape use along with tabular data vastly diverse growing environments and climates, so it on both growing conditions and landscape uses. T is no wonder that our shelf of new garden books is over- Howard Garrett, the Dirt Doctor of Dallas, Texas, shows flowing with those of regional interest. These regional garden that good-ole-boy spirit in his new how-to and plant guides offer custom information on everything book, Texas Gardening the Natural from organic gardening practices to regional native plants. Way (University of Texas Press, 2004 $34.95). Whimsical cowboy cover THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST aside, this is a seriously informative In Garden Perennials for the Coastal South, Barbara J. Sullivan book that not only makes a great case (University of North Carolina Press, 2003. Hardcover $35.00, soft- for organic methods, but puts them cover $19.95) has assembled a funda- together with first-rate, how-to graph- mental volume for gardeners in that ics and an encyclopedic plant catalog hot and humid stretch from the Gulf that covers the full gamut from trees to Coast of Texas to Tidewater Virginia. tomatoes, plus all the basics on fertili- This attractive and authoritative guide ty management, pest control, lawns—you name it. covers everything from companion plantings to “fail-safe” perennials. This THE WEST beautiful book has over 200 color pho- Concise, straight-forward, and thorough were all words that tos and provides brief descriptions of came to mind when I first opened Native Plants for High Ele- more than 1,000 plants for the coastal vation Western Gardens by Janice south. Its only weakness is an often un- Busco and Nancy R. Morin (Fulcrum systematic text organization—a glitch Publishing, 2003, $29.95). Descrip- that is smoothed by a well-organized index. tions and cultural information are Felder Rushing takes a low-care, no-care approach to garden- given for 150 attractive, low-mainte- ing in Tough Plants for Southern nance native plant species, each illus- Gardens (Cool Springs Press, 2003, trated with a color photograph. The $24.99). Each chapter, from “Annuals book’s perfect balance of horticultural that Endure” to “Vines with Vigor,” and botanical information make it a covers the garden basics leavened with must-have volume for any native plant bits of garden wisdom that exemplify enthusiast who lives in the high-alti- Rushing’s campy, down-to-earth style. tude regions of the American West. The book covers more than 120 annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs suited THE NORTHWEST to southern climates; each plant listing Ann Lovejoy’s Handbook of Northwest Gardening (Sasquatch includes cultural information and per- Books, 2004, 27.95) is the perfect primer for Pacific Northwest sonal anecdotes designed to help gar- gardeners who desire beautiful, natural, and self-sustaining gardeners create a lovely garden—and have enough spare time to sip den landscapes. Well organized and easy to follow, the book fo- mint juleps on the porch swing. cuses on the rudiments of a good Overwhelmed by all the native or- sustainable garden. Chapter headings namentals now available? Now at least such as “Sustainable Garden Design,” Floridians have some help. Gil Nelson’s “Delicious Dirt,” “The Role of Editing,” Florida’s Best Native Landscape and “Garden Bones” affirm that good Plants (University of Florida Press, planning and preparation are key to 2003, $34.95) covers 200 readily avail- achieving sustainable success. In fact, it able native species and presents enough is not until chapter nine that Lovejoy be- solid information to help the reader gins six chapters dedicated to plant se- choose the best plants for their needs. lection. This is a useful resource for Each plant is detailed by a full-page gardeners of all levels of experience. color illustration and photos depicting —Jessie Keith, Editorial Intern

56 the American Gardener REGIONALC HAPPENINGS

Horticultural Events from Around the Country

MAY 30–JUNE 1. Blue Ridge Garden Festival NORTHEAST Events sponsored by or including official Plant Sale. Elmwood Park. Roanoke, Vir- CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT participation by AHS or AHS staff are ginia. (540) 798-3614. MAY 25. Annual Spring Gala. Wave Hill. identified with the AHS symbol. Bronx, New York. (718) 549-3200. JUNE 3–5. Native Plants in the Landscape www.wavehill.org. Conference & Sale. Millersville University. JUNE 25–27. The Newport Flower Show. Millersville, Pennsylvania. (717) 872-3030. JUNE 4–6. 4th Annual Native Plant Sale. The Preservation Society of Newport Coun- www.millersvillenativeplants.org. Massachusetts Audubon Society. Pleasant ty and Bartlett Tree Experts. Newport, Valley Sanctuary. Lenox, Massachusetts. Rhode Island. (401) 847-1000. SOUTHEAST (413) 637-0320. www.newportflowershow.org. AL, FL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN

JUNE 5. Herbfest 2004. Connecticut Herb MAY 1–OCT. 31. Chihuly in the Garden: A MID-ATLANTIC Association. Topmost Herb Farm. Coventry, Whole New Species of Art. Atlanta Botanical PA, NJ, VA, MD, DE, WV, DC Connecticut. (860) 742-8239. Garden. Atlanta, Georgia. (404) 876-5859. MAY 8–OCTOBER. The Opening of Bee-a www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org. JUNE 8. Through Back Bay Gates & Doors. Mazed Children’s Garden. Longwood Gar- Walking tour. The Garden Club of the dens. Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. JUNE 5 & 6. Tropical Fern & Exotic Plant Show Back Bay. Boston, Massachusetts. (610) 388-1000. www.longwoodgardens.org. and Sale. Tropical Fern & Exotic Plant Soci- (617) 292-4504. ety. Fairchild Tropical Garden. Coral Gables, MAY 15–23. Satsuki Azalea Bonsai Exhibit. Florida. (305) 667-1651. www.tfeps.org. JUNE 11 & 12. Rare Plant Sale & Silent Auc- The U.S. National Arboretum. Washington, tion. Society for the Preservation of New DC. (202) 245-5898. www.usna.usda.gov. JUNE 5–7. 12th Annual Symposium on England Antiquities. Waltham, Massachu- Botanical Medicine: Medicines from the setts. (781) 891-1985. www.SPNEA.org. MAY 22. Georgetown Garden Treasures Tour. Earth. Blue Ridge Assembly. Black Moun- Dumbarton Oaks and Tudor Place. Washing- tain, North Carolina. (800) 252-0688. JUNE 11 & 12. Voyage of the Clipper Ship Red ton, D.C. (202) 965-0400 ext. 100. www.botanicalmedicine.org. Blossom. Flower show. Edgewood Garden Club. Cranston, Rhode Island. (401) 461-4920. MAY 24. Annual Open House. Thomas Jeffer- JUNE 12. 2004 Moody Garden Tour. son Center for Historic Plants. Charlottesville, The Garden Club of Moody. Moody, JUNE 12. Lady’s Slipper Celebration. The Virginia. (800) 777-7931. www.twinleaf.org. Alabama. (205) 640-7445. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens at Pineland Farms. New Gloucester, Maine. (207) 633-4333. www.mainegardens.org.

JUNE 12. Native Plant Sale. New England Wild- flower Society. Garden in the Woods. Framing- ham, Massachusetts. (508) 877-7630. www.newfs.org.

JUNE 12–16. The Retail Roadshow. The American Nursery & Landscape Association. Holiday Inn Martinique. New York, New York. (202) 789-2900. www.anla.org.

JUNE 17– 21 & 24–28. Gateway to Secret Gar- dens. Garden tour. Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, Inc. (866) 500-3781. www.magardensontour2004.org.

JUNE 18. Rose Weekend. Elizabeth Park. West Hartford, Connecticut. (860) 243-1586. www.elizabethpark.com.

JUNE 20–26. Field Botany and Floristics Seminar. Humbolt Field Research Institute. Steuben, Maine. (207) 546-2821. www.eaglehill.us.

May / June 2004 57 58 www.oznet.ksu.edu/Johnson. Kansas. (913)764-6300. University CooperativeExtension. Olathe, Extension MasterGardeners. ma. (256)830-4447. County BotanicalGarden.Huntsville,Alaba- www.leugardens.org. dens. Orlando,Florida.(407)246-2620. Florida HibiscusSociety.HarryP.LeuGar- (330) 702-3000. Fellows RiversideGardens.Canfield,Ohio. (608) 271-1300.www.olbrich.org. Botanical Gardens.Madison,Wisconsin. www.meijergardens.org. and SculpturePark.(616)957-1580. dren’s Garden. Toledo, Ohio.(419)878-8699. Rose GardenandNativeOrchidSanctuary. Association. Zoar,Ohio.(303)874-2432. yond theFencesofZoar. MAY 22–23. (262) 784-7087. Child Society,Inc.Milwaukee,Wisconsin. Garden Tour. JUNE 25&26. JUNE 22. JUNE 20. JUNE 20. JUNE 18–20. JUNE 6. JUNE 5&6. JUNE 4–6. JUNE 20. JUNE 19. (859) 266-8581.www.henryclay.org. Clay Estate.Lexington,Kentucky. Gardens andGrounds. JUNE 18&19. www.chicagobotanic.org. Garden. Chicago,Illinois.(847)835-8326. Iris andDaylilySociety.ChicagoBotanic MAY 1–22. MAY 26. www.chicagobotanic.org. Chicago, Illinois.(849)835-5440. of America.TheChicagoBotanicGarden. www.fernwoodbotanical.org. Niles, Michigan.(269)695-6491. wood BotanicalGarden&NaturePreserve. the American Gardener Celebration ofRoses.MartinSchool IA, IL,IN,MI,MN,ND,NE,OH,SD,WI Bi-Annual SpringGardenTour:Be- Daylily Festival. Hibiscus Show&Sale. Rose Festival. Father’s DayRoseShow. Grand OpeningofLenaMeijerChil- Plant SaleintheGarden. Garden Tour:Inthewith Oleander Festival 2004. Iris ShowandSale. AR, KS,LA,MO,MS,OK,TX Show ofSummer. NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH CENTRAL A CelebrationofAshland’s 3rd AnnualBloomin’Event Milwaukee Chapter,Christ Frederick MeijerGardens www.hsvbg.org. Ashland: TheHenry Millcreek Metroparks Huntsville-Madison Zoar Community Kansas State Garden Club North Shore The Central Olbrich The Inter- Fern- (316) 264-0448. The WichitaGardens.Wichita,Kansas. (866) 220-1691.www.oleander.org. national OleanderSociety.Galveston,Texas. (630) 719-2468. www.mortonarb.org. The MortonArboretum.Lisle,Illinois. MAY 29–SEPT.26. MAY 23. (503) 227-2681orvisitwww.rosefestival.org. 686-5887 orvisitwww.greenroofs.ca. displays toboatracesandlivemusic. ond largestall-floralparadeinNorthAmerica,andmanyother eventsfromfireworks Portland RoseFestival,whichwillfeaturetheGrandFloralParade, billedasthesec- est greenroofproductsandtechnology. roof projects.Adiversearrayofvendorsfromaroundtheworldwillshowcaselat- istration. ConferencetourswillshowcasePortland’snewestandmostinnovativegreen green roofdesignprinciplestothosenewthefield;bothprogramsrequirepre-reg- tools forgreenroofimplementation,andGreenRoofDesign101willintroducebasic stalled andclientsarenotovercharged—allproblemsintheindustry.” new skillformostarchitects.Itiskeythattheseroofsarewelldesigned,properlyin- ident ofGreenRoofsforHealthyCities,“Greenroofdesignandimplementationisa design coursewillaidthesuccessofgreenroofsinurbanareas,”saysStevenPeck,Pres- tenance willbeofferedduringtheconference.“Bothcertificationprogramand from damagingwinds,ultravioletrays,andtemperatureextremes. last longerthanconventionalroofsbecausetheirplantedsurfacesprotecttheroofbase provide wildlifehabitat,andareenergyefficientbecausetheyinsulatewell.Theyalso water management, lents—aid instorm plants, suchassuccu- tems andself-sustaining medium, drainagesys- fitted withgrowing rooftop environments offer. Greenroofs— environments haveto fits theselivingrooftop gy andthemanybene- green rooftoptechnolo- the latestadvancesin chance tolearnabout ists, andarchitectsa gardeners, horticultur- go, Illinois—offers buted lastyearinChica- conference—which de- to the4th,andannualPortlandRoseFestival,heldfromJune3rd13th. Green RoofInfrastructureConference,AwardsandTradeShow,heldfromJune2nd Portland, Oregon,whenthisprogressivecityhoststheSecondAnnualInternational Green RooftopsandRosesinPortland URBAN GREENINGEDUCATION To learnmoreaboutthegreenroofconference,contactJennifer Sproutat(416) During thatweekvisitorstoPortlandwillalsoenjoyactivitiesassociatedwiththe The certificationcoursewillofferarchitectsandlandscapeprofessionalstheright Training andcertificationcoursesingreenroofdesign,implementation,main- The GreenRoof Iris &RoseShow. In TREEguingTreehouses. www.botanica.org. Botanica, The MultnomahCountyGreenRoofpublicplazainPortland. For moreonthePortlandRoseFestival,call and floralinspirationwillsharetopbillingin information, visit Oklahoma HorticulturalSociety. For more JUNE 5&6. JUNE 5. JUNE 4–6. Hermann, Missouri. (800)932-8687. nial PlantSale. Illinois. (309)995-3356. Annual Meeting. Garden TourforConnoisseurs. The IllinoisNativePlantSociety Hermann GardenTours&Peren- —Jessie Keith,EditorialIntern Hermann Garden Club. Camp Wokanda.Mossville, www.occf.org. The

COURTESY OF MACDONALD ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING, PC JULY 2. Opening of the 18th Dynasty Egyptian Weird Plants Invade Tucson Peace Garden. Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. San Jose, California. (408) 947-3636. PLANTS, LIKE PEOPLE, can either be delicate, fragrant and spectacularly beauti- www.egyptianmuseum.org. ful, or bizarre, stinky and acutely grotesque—kind of like the difference between Lae- liocattleya ✕elegans and Amorphophallus paeonifolius, or Charlize Theron and NORTHWEST Quasimoto. But, even Quasimoto found friend- AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY ship and acceptance in the end—at least in the MAY 21–23. The Great Divide Orchid Disney version of the story—and at the Tucson Society Show & Sale. Capital Mall in Hele- Botanical Garden’s Weird Plant Film Experi- na. Clancy, Montana. (406) 443-2069. ence and Plant Sale, slated for June 6 and June 12, the Amorphophallus might draw a few flies JUNE 2–4. International Greening Rooftops and find a happy home too. for Sustainable Communities Conference. Last year, more than 2,000 people attended Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. Portland, this weird and wonderful event, and organizers Oregon. (416) 686-5887. are hoping that by ex- www.greenroofs.ca. panding the program to Fockea edulis, an JUNE 19. Grand Opening for Wise Acres two consecutive week- odd-looking relative Herb Garden. Pleasant Hill, Oregon. ends this year, they can of butterfly weed. (541) 736-0164. www.herbaltransitions.com. draw even more. On June 6 the experience will start with a Weird Plant Costume Contest, followed by a JUNE 26. 4th Annual Gardens of Merit Tour. showing of the film Little Shop of Horrors. The night will end with a catered buffet Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens. Everett, of crazy culinary concoctions coined as “Weird Plant People Food.” Washington. (425) 355-2607. On June 12 the Weird Plant Sale will highlight the oddest species of living stones www.evergreenarboretum.com. (Lithops spp.), strapelaids, cacti, caudiciforms, and curcurbits, among others. “This unique event has become very popular and is sure to please,” says Michelle Conklin, JUNE 26. 9th Annual Whidbey Island Garden TBG’s Director of Development and Community Relations. “After seeing these Tour. Whidbey Island Garden Tour, Inc. plants, you will get hooked on their strange, often hidden, beauty.” Freeland, Washington. (360) 321-4191. www.wigt.org. For more information, call (520) 326-9686 ext. 15, or visit the Tucson Botanical Garden’s Web site at www.tucsonbotanical.org. JUNE 27. 2004 Garden Tour. Idaho Botanical —Jessie Keith, Editorial Intern Garden. Boise, Idaho. (208) 343.8649. www.idahobotanicalgarden.org.

JUNE 12. 14th Annual Texas Blueberry JUNE 28 & 29. 6th Annual Garden Fair and WEST COAST Festival. Music, car show, children’s activi- Garden Art Show. Alaska Botanical Garden. CA, NV, HI ties, food, and tours of blueberry farms. Anchorage, Alaska. (907) 770-3692. Nacogdoches Chamber of MAY 29. Erosion Control & Water Manage- www.alaskabg.org. Commerce. Nacogdoches,Texas. ment. The Occidental Arts and Ecology www.texasblueberryfestival.com. Center. Occcidental, California. INTERNATIONAL (707) 874-1557. www.oaec.org. JUNE. 22–25. Wilderness Experience Kid's MAY 28–30. Great Gardening Weekend Camp. The Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens MID-MAY. Opening of the Sonoma Valley’s 2004. The Montreal Botanical Garden. & Nature Center. Corpus Christi, Texas. Cornerstone Festival of Gardens. Sonoma Montreal, Quebec. (514) 872-1400. (361) 852-2100. Valley, California. (707) 933-3010. www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin/jardin.htm.

JUNE 5. Annual Plant Sale. Wilbur D. May AHS JUNE 4–6. Exploring the Therapeutic SOUTHWEST Arboretum & Botanical Garden. Reno, Neva- Power of Flower, Greenery and Nature. 8th AZ, NM, CO, UT da. (775) 785-4153. www.maycenter.com. International People-Plant Symposium MAY 16. Opening of the PNM Butterfly Pavil- (IPPS). AWAJI YUMEBUTAI International ion. Rio Grande Botanic Garden. Albu- JUNE 19. California Rare Fruit Grower's Festi- Conference Center, Awaji Island, Japan. querque, New Mexico. (505) 764-6200. val of Fruit. Cal Poly Pomona. Los Angeles, www.awaji2004.com. Co-sponsored by the www.cabq.gov/biopark/garden/index.html. California. (805) 584-6244. U.S.-based People-Plant Council, the Japan- www.crfg.org/festival. ese Society of People-Plant Relationships, MAY 22. Red Butte Garden Native Plant Sale. Hyogo Prefecture, and the American Horti- Red Butte Garden. Salt Lake City, Utah. JUNE 19. The Opening of the Helen and cultural Society. (801) 581-4747. www.redbuttegarden.org. Peter Bing Children’s Garden. The Hunting- ton Library, Art Collections, and Botanical JUNE 6. Canadian Peony Society Show. Royal MAY 31–OCT. 31. Chapungu Sculpture Exhibit. Garden. San Marino, California. Botanical Gardens. Hamilton/Burlington, The Denver Botanic Garden. Denver, Colorado. (626) 405-2100. www.huntington.org. Ontario. (905) 527-1158. www.rbg.ca. (720) 865-3500. www.botanicgardens.org. JUNE 23–27. International Celebrations: JUNE 19 & 20. 22nd Annual Garden Tour for JUNE 19. Summer Plant Sale & Garden Fair. 52nd Lompoc Valley Flower Festival. Food, the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Victoria, The Arboretum at Flagstaff. Flagstaff, parade, carnival, arts and crafts, and 82nd British Columbia. (250) 386-5311. Arizona. (928) 774-1442 ext. 110. annual Flower Show. Lompoc, California. www.vcm.bc.ca. www.thearb.org. (805) 735-8511. www.flowerfestival.org. COURTESY OF TUSCON BOTANICAL GARDEN

May / June 2004 59 GARDENC MARKET

CLASSIFIED AD RATES: All classified advertising must be prepaid. $2.50 per word; minimum $60 per insertion. Copy and prepayment must be received on the 20th of the month three months prior to publication date. To place an advertisement, call (703) 768-5700.

BOOKS SKIN CARE

Hortica: Color Cyclopedia of Garden Flora with Hardiness Zones and Indoor Plants, 8,100 color photos by Dr. A. B. Graf, $195 NOUVEAU Tropica 5th ed: 7,000 color photos of plants COSMECEUTICALS and trees for warm environments, $185 SIMPLE. BREAKTHROUGH. AGE-DEFYING. Exotic House Plants: 1,200 photos, 150 in color, with keys to care, $8.95 Shipping additional. Circulars gladly sent. HOW are YOU taking care of your “Winter Skin”? ROEHRS CO., 1230 Hwy 33, Farmingdale, NJ 07727. (732) 938-5111. Do you suffer from dry, rough, fax (732) 938-3075. www.roehrsco.com. cracked skin or calluses? Do you work outdoors or in an occupation that LILIES disturbs the condition of your skin? Do you want smooth, soft, supple skin LILY NOOK—“Lilium specialists,” Asiatic, LA that feels good? Hybrids, Martagon, Trumpet, Oriental, Orien- pet & Species Lilies. Bulbs available spring and fall. Color catalogue $2.00. Box 846 AG, Get Healthy Skin... We guarantee it! Neepawa, MB. Canada. ROJ. 1H0. Phone: (204) 476-3225. Fax: (204) 476-5482. E-mail: [email protected]. Web site: Nouveau Cosmeceuticals are formulated www.lilynook.mb.ca. for all skin types and come with a PLANT LABELS 30-day Money-Back Guarantee. We offer a 30% discount for Preferred Customers. ENGRAVED BOTANICAL PLANT LABELS Visit www.bynouveau.com/2188 to order PLANT IDENTIFICATION FOR EVERY GARDEN FAMILY - GENUS - SPECIES - COMMON NAME or order by phone 1-877-296-6883 Order @ www.gardenmarkers.com (Please reference I.D. #2188) FAX: 434-975-1627 PLANT LABELS – STAKES – TREE TACKS “Business Opportunities Available”

60 the American Gardener PRONUNCIATIONSC AND PLANTING ZONES

Most of the cultivated plants described in this issue are listed here with their pronunciations, USDA Plant Hardiness Zones— based on the 2003 revised hardiness map, which is currently under review by the USDA—and AHS Plant Heat Zones. These zones suggest a range of locations where temperatures are appropriate—both in winter and summer—for growing each plant. While the zones are a good place to start in determining plant adaptability in your region, factors such as exposure, moisture, snow cover, and humidity also play an important role in plant survival. The codes tend to be conservative; plants may grow out-

AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 7931 East Boulevard Drive side the ranges indicated. A USDA zone rating of 0–0 means that Alexandria, VA 22308 U.S.A. (703) 768-5700 Fax (703) 768-8700

Coordinated by: the plant is a true annual and completes its life cycle in a year Dr. H. Marc Cathey, President Emeritus Compiled by: Meteorological Evaluation Services Co., Inc.

or less. To purchase a two-by-three-foot glossy AHS Plant Heat Underwriting by: American Horticultural Society Goldsmith Seed Company Horticultural Research Institute of the American Nursery and Landscape Association Monrovia Zone Map for $9.95, call (800) 777-7931 or visit www.ahs.org. Time Life Inc. Copyright © 1997 by the American Horticultural Society Hardiness and Heat zone codes are generated by AHS and doc- umented in the Showtime© database, owned by Arabella Dane.

A–C Chrysothamnus nauseosus kry-so-THAM- Gordonia lasianthus gor-DOH-nee-uh Olneya tesota ol-NAY-uh teh-SO-tuh nus naw-zee-O-suss (3–11, 12–3) lah-see-AN-thus (8–10, 10–8) (9–10, 10–9) Acacia baileyana uh-KAY-shuh bay-lee- Cladrastis kentukea kla-DRAS-tis Parkinsonia florida park-in-SO-nee-uh AN-uh (USDA 10–11, AHS 12–10) ken-TUK-ee-uh (4–9, 9–1) H–L FLOR-ih-duh (9–11, 12–10) Acacia greggii A. GREG-ee-eye Clianthus puniceus KLEE-an-thus Pennisetum alopecuroides pen-ih-SEE- (10–11, 12–10) Heliopsis helianthoides hee-lee-OP-siss pew-NIH-see-us (9–11, 12–1) tum al-o-pek-yew-ROY-deez (6–9, 9–6) Achillea millefolium ah-kih-LEE-uh hee-lee-an-THOY-deez (4-9, 9-1) P. orientale P. or-ee-en-TAH-lee mih-lih-FO-lee-um (3–9, 9–1) Heteromeles arbutifolia het-ur-o-ME- D–G (4–9, 9–1) Albizia julibrissin al-BEEZ-yuh jew-lih- leez ar-byew-tih-FO-lee-uh Penstemon ambiguus PEN-steh-mon BRISS-en (6–9, 9–6) Dalea capitata DAY-lee-uh kap-ih-TAY- (8–11, 12–8) am-BIG-yew-us (4–9, 9–1) Amorpha canescens uh-MOR-fuh tuh (8–10, 11–8) Ilex vomitoria EYE-leks vom-ih-TOR-ee- P. pinifolius P. pin-ih-FO-lee-us kuh-NES-senz (2–8, 8–1) D. frutescens D. froo-TES-enz uh (7–11, 12–7) (4–10, 10–1) Artemisia filifolia ar-teh-MEEZ-yuh (8–10, 11–8) Indigofera amblyantha in-dih-GO-fur-uh Petalostemon purpureus peh-tal-O-steh- fih-lih-FO-lee-uh (4–8, 8–1) Delonix regia DEL-on-ix REE-jee-uh am-blee-AN-thuh (7–9, 9–7) mon per-PER-ee-us (6–11, 12–9) Arundo donax ah-RUN-doh DOH-naks (11–15, 10–8) I. gerardiana I. jair-ARD-ee-ay-nuh Picea glauca ‘Conica’ PY-see-uh (6–11, 12–1) Echinacea angustifolia ek-ih-NAY-see- (6–9, 9–6) GLAW-kuh (2–7, 7–2) Asclepias tuberosa as-KLEE-pee-us uh ang-gust-ih-FOE-lee-ah (4–9, 8–5) I. kirilowii I. KEER-ih-low-ee-eye Prosopis glandulosa pro-SO-piss too-bur-O-sah (4–9, 9–2) E. laevigata E. lee-vih-GAY-tuh (6–8, 9–5) gland-yew-LO-suh (8–11, 12–7) Baptisia alba bap-TEEZ-ee-yuh AL-buh (6–9, 9–2) Juniperus procumbens joo-NIP-er-iss Robinia ✕ambigua row-BIN-ee-uh (4–8, 8–1) E. pallida E. PAL-ih-dah (4–8, 8–1) pro-KUM-benz (4–9, 9–5) am-BIG-yoo-uh (6–10, 10–7) B. alba var. macrophylla B. AL-buh var. E. paradoxa E. pair-uh-DOK-sah Lespedeza thunbergii les-peh-DEE-zuh R. neomexicana R. nee-o-mex-ih-KAN- mak-ro-FIL-uh (4–8, 8–1) (6–9, 9–2) thun-BERG-ee-eye (6–8, 8–6) uh (9–11, 12–9) B. australis B. aw-STRAY-liss E. purpurea E. per-PER-ee-uh Leymus arenarius LAY-mus ar-uh-NAIR- R. pseudoacacia R. soo-doh-uh-KAY- (3–9, 9–1) (3–9, 12–1) ee-us (4–10, 10–1) shuh (4–9, 9–3) B. australis var. minor B. aw-STRAY-liss E. tennesseensis E. ten-uh-see-EN-sis Liatris microcephala ly-AY-triss my-kro- var. MY-nor (3–9, 9–1) (3–9, 9–1) SEF-uh-luh (6–8, 8–5) S–Z B. bracteata B. brak-TEE-eh-tah Echinops sphaerocephalus EK-in-ops L. spicata L. spy-KAY-tuh (3–11, 11–1) (6–9, 9–7) sfeer-o-SEF-uh-lus (3–9, 9–1) Lupinus arboreus loo-PYE-nus ar-BOR- Schima argentea SKEE-muh ar-JEN- B. sphaerocarpa B. sfeer-o-KAR-puh Erythrina ✕bidwillii air-ih-THRY-nuh ee-us (8–9, 9–8) tee-uh (6–10, 10–6) (5–9, 9–5) bid-WIL-ee-eye (7–12, 12–8) L. polyphyllus L. pah-lee-FIL-lus Senna alata SEH-nuh ah-lah-tuh Caesalpinia mexicana sess-al-pih-NEE- E. herbacea E. urb-AY-see-uh (5–8, 8–5) (11–12, 12–10) uh mex-ih-KAN-uh (0–0, 0–0) (7–10, 10–8) L. texensis L. teks-EN-sis (0–0, 9–5) S. didymobotrya S. did-ee-moh-BOT- C. pulcherrima C. puhl-ker-EYE-muh Fragaria vesca frah-GAY-ree-uh ree-uh (14–15, 12–10) (9–11, 0–0) VES-kuh (4–11, 12–1) M–R S. hebecarpa S. hee-bee-KAR-puh Calliandra californica kal-ee-AN-druh Franklinia alatamaha frank-LIN-ee-uh Miscanthus sinensis miz-KAN-thus (3–9, 10–4) kal-ih-FORN-ih-kuh (0–0, 0–0) uh-lah-tuh-MAH-hah (6–9, 9–6) sy-NEN-siss (4–9, 9–1) S. marilandica S. mair-ih-LAN-dih-kuh C. tweedii C. TWEED-ee-eye (0–0, 0–0) Gaylussacia brachycera gay-loo-SAK-ee- Myriophyllum aquaticum meer-ee-o-FIL- (4–9, 9–1) Caragana arborescens kair-uh-GAN-uh uh brak-ee-SAIR-uh (3–7, 7–1) lum uh-KWAT-ih-kum (6–11, 12–6) Serissa foetida SAIR-iss-uh FEE-tih- ar-bor-ESS-enz (2–8, 8–1) Genista pilosa jeh-NIS-tuh pih-LOW- Myrtus communis MUR-tus com-YOO- duh (11–15, 12–10) Campylotropis macrocarpa kam-pee- suh (9–11, 12–9) niss (9–11, 12–1) Sophora secundiflora so-FOR-uh seh- lo-TRO-pis mak-ro-KAR-puh Geranium himalayense juh-RAY-nee-um Nelumbo lutea neh-LUM-bo LOO-tee-ah kun-dih-FLOR-uh (7–11, 12–7) (7–9, 9–7) him-uh-lay-EN-see (4–7, 7–1) (4–11, 12–3) Thymus pseudo-lanuginosus TY-mus Cercis canadensis SUR-siss kan-uh- Gleditsia triacanthos gleh-DIT-see-uh N. nucifera N. new–SIH-fer-uh soo-doh-lah-noo-jih-NO-sus DEN-siss (4–9, 9–2) try-uh-KAN-thos (3–7, 7–1) (4–11, 12–3) (7–11, 10–7) C. canadensis var. texensis C. kan-uh- Globularia cordifolia glob-yew-LAIR-ee- Nymphaea caerulea nim-FEE-uh see- Ulmus parvifolia UL-mus par-vih-FO- DEN-siss var. teks-EN-siss (6–9, 9–6) uh kor-dih-FO-lee-uh (5–7, 7–5) ROO-lee-uh (10–13, 12–7) lee-uh (5–9, 9–5)

May / June 2004 61 PERFECTC PLANT COMPANIONS

A Ground Cover Tapestry by Carole Ottesen

GROUND COVER composed of plants with mounded habits and varying leaf forms creates a rich tex- A tural effect in this sun-and-shade garden. The dark green leaf trios of woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca), broad, smooth-edged leaves of variegated hosta (Hosta ‘Fortunei Albomarginata’), and the finely-cut foliage of cranesbill (Geranium himalayense) are different enough in shape and habit to create controlled chaos, but are similarly low-growing. Common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) adds its own low-growing rosette of quilted foliage, but its tall spike of pink flowers lifts this combination up and into the third dimension. Carole Ottesen is associate editor of The American Gardener.

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), a bienni- al, grows to five feet tall and bears pink flowers in May and June. Grow in full sun to part shade in moist, well- drained soil. (USDA Zones 4–8, AHS Zones 9–1)

Woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca), a perennial, grows to a foot tall. White spring flowers are followed by red fruits. Grow in part shade. (Zones 5–9, 10–9)

Cranesbill (Geranium himalayense), a shade- and drought-tolerant perennial, grows to 15 inches tall and wide. Blue flowers appear from May to September. (Zones 3–8, 7–1)

Hosta ‘Fortunei Albomarginata’, a perennial, has lavender blooms in July and August. Grows to 18 inches tall. Toler- ates drought and grows well in part shade. (Zones 3–9, 8–1) KEN MEYER

62 the American Gardener

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Zones 4 - 11

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