TheThe AmericanAmerican

GARDENERGARDENERTheThe MagazineMagazine ofof thethe AAmericanmerican HorticulturalHorticultural SocietySociety September/October 2004

Saving Seeds to Share Cover Crops Nourish Soil through Winter Bonsai Goes Native Preserving Summer’s Flowers

$4.95 www.ahs.org.ahs.org summer-to-fall-blooming 09> perennials 0173361 64751

contents Volume 83, Number 5 . September / October 2004

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS

5 NOTES FROM RIVER FARM 6 MEMBERS’ FORUM 8 NEWS FROM AHS New edition of AHS A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants and latest SMARTGARDEN™ Regional Guide pagepage 2020 pagepage 3232 available soon, Katy Moss Warner to speak at AIB 16 SAVING SEEDS BY CAROLE OTTESEN Symposium, AHS page 8 Gathering seeds to grow or share helps preserve rare or heirloom seed exchange plants and fosters diversity. success story, Cherry Lake Tree Farm is new AHS Partner, Girl Scout renovates the Alphabet Garden at River Farm. 20 BONSAI–APPALACHIAN STYLE BY NAN CHASE At the North Carolina Arboretum, Bonsai Curator Arthur Joura 13 ARABELLA DANE, NEW AHS BOARD CHAIR has created an extraordinary collection using native plants. 14 2004 YOUTH GARDEN SYMPOSIUM Highlights of the July symposium in Ithaca, 26 LATE BLOOMERS BY CAROLE OTTESEN New York. When cool nights and shorter days signal the arrival of fall, a few special perennials keep right on blooming. 44 EVERYDAY GARDEN SCIENCE How climate affects biological cycles.

32 COVER CROPS IN THE GARDEN BY KRIS WETHERBEE 46 GARDENER’S NOTEBOOK Used as living mulch or green manure, cover crops improve your The link between smoke and seed dormancy, soil, prevent erosion, and suppress weeds. breeding non-invasive butterfly bushes, Garden Conservancy restores gardens at Alcatraz, 2005 PHS Gold Medal Plants 37 WINTER PLEASURES announced, voodoo lily wins foliage award, FROM SUMMER BORDERS results of summer 2004 gardener survey, cold- BY MARY YEE hardy clematis for the north. Floral designer Betsy Williams shows how easy it is to preserve summer flow- 50 BOOK REVIEWS ers for indoor enjoyment all winter The Jewel Box Garden, Encyclopedia of Water Plants, and Hydrangeas for American Gardens. long. Special focus: Books for natural gardens. page 37 42 APPLYING METAPHORS 54 REGIONAL HAPPENINGS BY TRES FROMME 58 SEASONAL GARDEN GOODS Viewing his garden as the stage of a theater helped the author con- Garden markers and labels. ceptualize a design and develop a plant list. 61 HARDINESS AND HEAT ZONES AND PRONUNCIATIONS

ON THE COVER: Maximilian’s sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani) is among a host of perennials 62 PERFECT PLANT COMPANIONS

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY OF ARTHUR JOURA; DAVID CAVAGNARO; CAROLE OTTESEN; KAREN BUSSOLINI that bloom well into autumn. Photograph by David Cavagnaro Autumn medley of shrubs.

September / October 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 2004-2005 To send a letter to the editor, write to the address CHAIRMAN Arabella S. Dane Center Harbor, New Hampshire on the left or e-mail to [email protected]. FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN Brian E. Holley Cleveland, Ohio DEVELOPMENT SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN Don Riddle Davidsonville, Maryland 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 Kurt Bluemel Baldwin, Maryland Have a gardening question? E-mail questions to GENERAL COUNSEL William A. Pusey [email protected]. PRESIDENT EMERITUS Dr. H. Marc Cathey GREAT AMERICAN GARDENERS CONFERENCE AND AWARDS BANQUET Leslie Ariail Alexandria, Virginia ■ Allan M. Armitage Athens, Georgia ■ William E. Barrick, Ph.D. Theodore, Join us in Orlando, Florida, April 13 to 15, 2005. See Alabama ■ Katherine Bull Washington, D.C. ■ Joel Goldsmith Gilroy, California ■ Beverly Hanselman Nashville, the ad on page 7; more details coming soon. Tennessee ■ Natasha Hopkinson New York, New York ■ Margaret Kulp Louisville, Kentucky ■ Robert Malesardi Easton, Maryland ■ Melissa R. Marshall Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ■ Carol C. Morrison Palatine, Illinois ■ Felder THE GROWING CONNECTION Rushing Jackson, Mississippi ■ William Seale Alexandria, Virginia ■ Jeanne Otis Shields Greenville, Delaware ■ Get your kids involved with this innovative educa- Arnold Steiner Birmingham, Alabama ■ Steven Still Hilliard, Ohio ■ Howard McK. Tucker Alexandria, Virginia tional program in which they can experiment with ■ Susie Usrey Dayton, Oregon ■ Robert D. Volk San Marino, California seeds that have gone into space in a NASA science bal- loon. Visit www.ahs.org or call (800) 777-7931 for CORPORATE PARTNERS more information. The Care of Trees ■ Cherry Lake Tree Farm ■ DK Publishing ■ EarthBox ■ Kurt Bluemel, Inc. Monrovia ■ Thompson & Morgan INTERN PROGRAM To receive an application for the Society’s Horticul- AHS HORTICULTURAL PARTNERS tural Intern Program, e-mail [email protected]. For in- America in Bloom ■ Bellingrath Gardens & Home ■ Center for Plant Conservation ■ Colonial Williamsburg formation about the Editorial Intern program, e-mail Foundation Garden Symposium ■ Communities in Bloom ■ Cox Arboretum ■ Epcot International Flower [email protected]. Intern application forms can also be & Garden Festival ■ The Gardeners of America/Men’s Garden Clubs of America ■ Greater Gardens of the downloaded from the River Farm section of the AHS Washington Area ■ Homestead Resorts Horticultural Symposium ■ Horticulture Gardening Institute ■ Web site (www.ahs.org). International Master Gardener Conference ■ Leonard Haertter Travel Company ■ Magic of Landscaping NATIONAL CHILDREN AND YOUTH GARDEN Symposium ■ Morris Arboretum ■ Oklahoma Horticultural Society ■ Summer Master Gardener Conference SYMPOSIUM (NCYGS) in East Lansing THE AHS PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL Atlanta will be the site of the 2005 NCYGS, which will be held July 28–30, 2005. Be sure to save the date CHAIRMAN'S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. John H. Ariail, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Bluemel ■ Ms. Claire Burrows ■ Mr. and Mrs. Edward N. for this event; more details will be available soon. Dane ■ Mr. Mark Garrison ■ Ms. Jill Hamilton ■ Mr. and Mrs. James S. Hutchinson ■ Mr. Robert E. Malesardi ■ Ms. Nancy RECIPROCAL ADMISSIONS PROGRAM Petersen ■ Mr. Phil Snyder LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY ASSOCIATES Mr. A. Michael Gelman ■ Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Lynch ■ Mr. and Through this program, AHS members receive free Mrs. Joseph L. Manson, III ■ Mr. and Mrs. Ken Mountcastle ■ The Honorable Lauralee M. Peters ■ Mr. W. R. Pickering ■ Jeanne and discounted admission to botanical gardens Otis Shields ■ Ms. Katy Moss Warner ■ Ms. Donnan C. Wintermute HAUPT ASSOCIATES Mrs. Lynda A. Bachman ■ Dr. and Mrs. throughout North America. Participating gardens are William E. Barrick ■ Mr. and Mrs. C. William Black ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bogle ■ Mr. Richard C. and Mrs. Katherine Stark Bull listed in this year’s AHS Member Guide and also in ■ Dr. and Mrs. H. Marc Cathey ■ Mr. and Mrs. Louis Cordia ■ Mrs. Elisabeth C. Dudley ■ Mrs. Richard W. Hanselman ■ Ms. Minako the Membership area of our Web site. For more in- Henderson ■ Mrs. Carole S. Hofley ■ Col. and Mrs. Freeman E. Jones ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Kulp, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm formation, call (800) 777-7931 ext. 127. Matheson, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harold McClendon, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Tom McGlade ■ Mr. Paul H. Pusey ■ Ms. Michele Richardson ■ Mr. Harry A. Rissetto, Esq. ■ Dr. and Mrs. George E. Staehle ■ Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Steiner ■ Mr. John Wm. Thomas and Mrs. TRAVEL STUDY PROGRAM Valerie Thomas ■ Mr. Howard McK. Tucker and Ms. Megan Evans ■ Mr. and Mrs. W. Bruce Usrey ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Volk AHS members and friends can visit spectacular gar- PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Angino ■ Nancy J. Becker, M.D. ■ Mrs. Katherine McKay Belk-Cook ■ Mr. Phillip dens around the world through the Society’s exclu- Bermingham ■ Mrs. George P. Bissell, Jr. ■ Ms. Sylvia Black ■ Dr. Sherran Blair ■ Count and Countess Peder Bonde ■ Mrs. Anne sive arrangement with Leonard Haertter Travel. To Bucher ■ Mr. and Mrs. Cason Callaway, Jr. ■ Mrs. and Mr. Charles E. Carr ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Chandler ■ Mr. and Mrs. learn about upcoming trips, call (800) 777-7931 or James L. Corfield ■ Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Crawford ■ Mr. and Mrs. Edward Daisey ■ Mr. and Mrs. James F. Delano ■ Mr. and Mrs. visit the Events section of our Web site. Nicholas Demisay ■ Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Dubke ■ Mrs. Beverley W. Dunn ■ Mrs. Maureen Ecke ■ Ms. Anita Ellis ■ Mr. and WASHINGTON BLOOMS! Mrs. John H. Fitzpatrick ■ Dr. and Mrs. John A. Floyd, Jr. ■ Ms. Marguerite Peet Foster ■ Mr. Thomas B. Gentry ■ Ms. Dorothy AHS’s annual celebration of spring will be held Gillespie ■ Mr. John Sward Gleiber ■ Mr. and Mrs. Joel Goldsmith ■ Mr. and Mrs. David B. Gray ■ Mr. and Mrs. John H. Guy, IV April 1 to 30, 2005, at River Farm. Special events will ■ Mr. Gerald T. Halpin ■ Mrs. Richard W. Hamming ■ Dr. and Mrs. William O. Hargrove ■ Mr. and Mrs. Max Hartl ■ Mrs. Enid include the Friends of River Farm Spring Plant Sale A. Haupt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Brent Heath ■ Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Hohlt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Brian Holley ■ Mr. and Mrs. Allan L. and a new AHS Garden School: The Art and Science Holmstrom ■ Mrs. Elizabeth Hooff ■ Mr. Ross Hotchkiss ■ Mr. Philip Huey ■ Mr. and Mrs. Waldo Hutchins, III ■ Mr. and Mrs. of Color in the Garden. Robert B. Lindsay ■ Mr. and Mrs. Randolph Marshall ■ Mrs. Dorothy Marston ■ Mrs. Rachel L. Mellon ■ Mrs. Rosalyn Milbrandt

■ Mr. and Mrs. Egon Molbak ■ Mrs. Carol C. Morrison ■ Mr. and Mrs. William J. Moss ■ Mrs. Shirley Ann Nicolai ■ Mr. and Mrs. WEB SITE: www.ahs.org William G. Pannill ■ Ms. Christine Perdue ■ Mr. and Mrs. Albin MacDonough Plant ■ Mr. and Mrs. William A. Pusey ■ Mr. and The AHS Web site contains information about AHS Mrs. Don E. Riddle, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Alfred G. Rindler ■ Mrs. Diana Carter Samples ■ Mrs. Deen Day Sanders ■ Mrs. Josephine programs and activities, gardening events in your area, M. Shanks ■ Mr. Bob Sierralta ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles Henry Smith, Jr. ■ Ms. Vandy Solomon ■ Mrs. Juliet Sproul ■ Mr. Harold and links to other useful Web sites. In 2004, AHS

Stahly ■ Miss Jane Steffey ■ Ms. Lida M. Stifel ■ Mr. and Mrs. John B. Strasenburgh ■ Mrs. Benjamin W. Thoron ■ Mrs. Mary Ann members can reach the member’s-only area of the site Tucker ■ Dr. and Mrs. Peter Van Dyke ■ Mr. Joe Viar ■ Ms. Angela M. Vikesland ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harvey C. White ■ Mr. and by typing in this year’s password: meadow. 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 FTER A LONG, HOT SUMMER, I seem to get a fresh burst of energy, MANAGING EDITOR AND ART DIRECTOR Mary Yee once the days start getting cooler, just like the plants in my garden. The steamy days of the past summer were well spent, however, as I was able to ASSOCIATE EDITOR A Carole Ottesen soak up new information and inspiration at gardens throughout America and at CONTRIBUTING EDITOR different AHS educational programs around the country. Rita Pelczar In June, it was a treat to visit the Better Homes and Gardens magazine display EDITORIAL INTERNS garden in Des Moines and the headquarters garden of The Gardener’s of Ameri- Jessie Keith ca/Men’s Garden Club of America, our newest AHS Horticultural Partner. Both Katie Palanjian gardens contained many exceptional plants creatively combined in small spaces. In July, at the AHS National Children & Youth Garden Symposium in Ithaca, EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD New York, I was inspired anew that connecting young CHAIR John Alex Floyd Jr. people in America to gardens and gardening is a critical Birmingham, Alabama part of the AHS mission. On my way back from Ithaca, Allan M. Armitage I stopped to visit a remarkable new Growing Connection Athens, Georgia Demonstration Garden that just opened in Scranton, Nina L. Bassuk Ithaca, New York Pennsylvania. My tour guides were young people who Richard E. Bir were discovering just how exciting it is to grow their own Brevard, North Carolina vegetables—and sell the ones they can’t eat! John E. Bryan Then, in August, I was off to the Alleghany moun- San Francisco, California tains in Virginia to participate in an exceptional garden John L. Creech symposium at The Homestead resort. Nurseryman André Viette, winner of the Columbus, North Carolina AHS 2004 Liberty Hyde Bailey award, put together a program there that made me Keith Crotz want to come back to River Farm and plant scads of amazing new daylilies—ac- Chillicothe, Illinois cording to André they are a better financial investment than the stock market— Panayoti Kelaidis and create a water garden. At each of these stops, it was wonderful to have a chance Denver, Colorado to visit with so many of you, our AHS family of members. Richard W. Lighty Greenville, Delaware And now, with batteries recharged by the energy and inspiration I drew from Elvin McDonald my travels this summer, I am excited to get busy planning for the first phase of our West Des Moines, Iowa River Farm Master Plan and preparing for our Annual Gala on September 25. As Felder Rushing I’m sure you know by now, the gala’s theme centers on the set of former White Jackson, Mississippi House gates that had for years been hanging at the entrance to River Farm. We only recently learned the unique history of these gates, thanks to the research of architectural historian and AHS board member William Seale. The gates are slat- ADVERTISING The American Gardener 7931 East Boulevard Drive ed for restoration this winter and then will be shipped up to Philadelphia to serve Alexandria, VA 22150 as the official entrance to the Philadelphia Flower Show in early March. (703) 768-5700 ext. 120 An AHS President’s Council event in Philadelphia on March 4 and 5 is the first E-MAIL: [email protected] of a host of new educational programs and gardening events we are developing for The American Gardener (ISSN 1087-9978) is published bimonth- 2005 and beyond. Please take time to review the new “AHS National Events and ly (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, Septem- ber/October, November/December) by the American Horticultural Programs Calendar” (see page 10), which will be in each issue of The American Gar- Society, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308-1300, (703) 768-5700. Membership in the Society includes a subscrip- dener from now on. We hope you will join us at one or more of these events—even tion to The American Gardener. Annual dues are $35; two years, if it is for the very first time—as we move forward with great enthusiasm and re- $60. International dues are $50. $10 of annual dues goes toward magazine subscription. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Vir- solve to build a new and better AHS and River Farm. ginia, and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to The American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Happy gardening! Alexandria, VA 22308-1300. 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 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.

September / October 2004 5 6 as muchheloved growing it. a gardener wholoved sharing his bounty grew inhisgarden—a fittingtributefor and friendstookhometomatoes Steve family andafterwards memorial service, was displayed amongthephotosat mination tomeethisgoal. strengthened by hiscourageanddeter- guidedbyby hisinsights,and hisefforts, his garden. Ihopeothers willbeinspired thusiasm forlifeandthejoy hefoundin that,attheend,we celebratedhisen- fort Carol, goouttoMary Ifindcom- hearts deeply saddenedathispassingandour ticle justbefore hedied. see anadvance copyofthemagazinear- with cancer. He wasable,fortunately, to country, Steve foundrest from hisbattle zine wasarrivinginmailboxes across the course ofwritingthearticle. Carol,him andhiswife,Mary inthe Heights”) asmuchIenjoyed visiting issue (“Gardening Raisedto New Mason onthepagesofJuly/August I hopereaders enjoyed meetingSteve STEVE MASONREMEMBERED A copyoftheJuly/August magazine SteveAlthough allwhoknew are Sadly, justasthat issueofthemaga- the American Gardener Birmingham, Alabama Linda Askey choices domakeadifference. hedge trimmers,ormowers. Personal pump formypond,butno blowers, equipment inmygarden. Idohave a cally. Idomybitby notusing power overwhelming, butitcanbeactedonlo- monocultures. swaths ofnutritionallybarren invasive nesting androosting sites,andwide species leadstopoorer, lessprotected continued diminishmentofnative plant tions andnestinghabitats.The vasive plantsheavilyaffectbirds’ foodop- plants, butbirds andother wildlife.In- of exotic invasives affectsnot only native cause we’re seeingthattheestablishment them more quickly. ority targets,we’re findingandremoving teers learningtoidentifythesehighpri- isthatwithmoreThe goodnews volun- pelopsis, Asianwisteria,andEnglish ivy. “naturalized” orientalbittersweet, am- before itcompletelyoverwhelms the invader tohalt forusthatwe are trying the queenofmile-a-minutevine—anew fore theygainacriticalmass.I’ve become invasivesidentify new andstopthembe- NGO’s. We’ve tackledattemptingto al, stateandcountyagenciesother by theNature Conservancy, withfeder- Management Area group, spearheaded sues. On LongIsland we have aWeed ety, I’m active withinvasive very plantis- Chapter oftheNational Audubon Soci- managers. deners, butalsoforfarmersandland will beamajorissuefornotonlygar- invasive plantsandpestsinthiscentury challenges thiswillbringforcontrol of ofgardeners.spectrum Theadditional ed andbrought totheattentionofawide these kindofissuesare beinghighlight- The American Gardener mate changeintheJuly/August issueof I wasexcited toreadoncli- thearticle CLIMATE CHANGEANDINVASIVENESS Tackling globalwarmingmayseem The Audubon Society isinvolved be- As president oftheNorth Shore MEMBERS C Port Washington, NewYork Jennifer Wilson-Pines ’ FORUM . It's great that ‘Thornfree’ blackberriesaredelicious. Regardless ofwhytheylackprickles, ‘Thornless Evergreen’.‘Thornless Theothercase mutation, ashe described, andthisbecame some point,someonefound a periclinal ly inEurope andtheUnited States. At (Rubus laciniatus) For manyyears ‘Evergreen’ blackberry specialcase. scribed inthesidebarare avery they willalsobethornless. propagate plantsfrom anytissueand vars are allgeneticallythornless,you can vars with this gene.Because theseculti- Small Fruit Research are thornlessculti- program at theNorthwest Centerfor and three releases new from ourbreeding less’, ‘Waldo’, ‘Adrienne’, ‘Murrindindi’, their thornlessnessfrom ‘Austin Thorn- ing blackberrieshave historicallygotten paho’, and‘ChesterThornless’. Thetrail- this recessive geneinclude‘Navaho’, ‘Ara- Thornless’. Examples ofcultivars with lessness from thecultivar ‘Merton semierect blackberriesgettheirthorn- different setsoftissues.Theerect and ed—chimeras thathave twogenetically ically thornless,not—asReich indicat- mer Berries” (July/August 2004). accompanied LeeReich’s “Sum- article thornlessness (“Ouchless Berries”) that mation inasidebaraboutblackberry I wouldliketoexpandupontheinfor- THORNLESS BLACKBERRIES The thornlessblackberriesLeede- Most thornlessblackberriesare genet- was grown commercial-

LEFT: LINDA ASKEY; RIGHT: DAVID CAVAGNARO where this happened was in the case of melons, cukes—and, this year—20 vari- ‘Logan’. Someone found a similar muta- eties of basil being grown in a research plot. CORRECTION An editorial error in tion and this became ‘Thornless Logan’. This year’s tasting is past—it was held the July/August issue in Dr. H. ‘Thornless Logan’ is much more stable on August 25—but I hope you will in- Marc Cathey’s July/August “Every- than ‘Thornless Evergreen’. So the chimera clude the event in future listings. day Garden Science” column im- Lee described in the sidebar really only ap- Lillie Dorchak plied that ethylene gas is used to plies to those particular cultivars. Master Gardener extend the life of cut flowers. Eth- Chad Finn Pittstown, New Jersey ylene causes flowers and fruits to Small Fruit Breeder mature more quickly, thus it is im- Northwest Center for Small Fruit Research PLEASE WRITE US! Letters should be addressed to perative to reduce the exposure of USDA-Agricultural Research Service Editor, The American Gardener, 7931 East cut flowers to ethylene. Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308, or you can Corvallis, Oregon e-mail us at [email protected]. Letters we print may be edited for length and clarity. Lee Reich responds: I would like to thank Chad Finn for clarifying what I wrote about the source of thornlessness in blackberries. In a private communication to me, he also points out that the western American Horticultural Society’s trailing blackberry ‘Marion’, a cultivar 2005 Great American Gardeners Conference that I did not mention in my article, is the leading blackberry cultivar in the ORLANDO, FLORIDA APRIL 13-15, 2005 world. Nearly all ‘Marion’ fruit is processed and sold as “marionberry,” but the trailing cultivars ‘Kotata’ and ‘Siski- Sub-Tropical Garden Treasures, you’ are sold fresh throughout the Unit- ed States. The USDA-ARS research center Old and New has also just released three new thornless, western trailing blackberries, ‘Black Dia- mond’, ‘Black Pearl’, and ‘Nightfall’ that ■ Explore the rich garden traditions of the region and discover the are good choices for Western gardeners. diversity of contemporary gardens to be found in central Florida MISSING TOMATO TASTING ■ Enjoy an evening at Orlando’s Harry P. Leu Gardens and I enjoyed your article on tomato festivals experience the graciousness and (“Celebrating the Tomato,” July/August beauty of “Old Florida” 2004) but can’t believe you didn’t include ■ Stroll through the lush landscapes of the Olmsted-designed gardens the best tomato tasting in New Jersey, the and marvel at Historic Bok Garden State! After all, our state was the Sanctuary in Lake Wales leading producer of tomatoes until the ■ Celebrate outstanding American horticulture and meet the winners 1950s—it was the home of Campbell’s of the 2005 Great American Tomato Soup, remember? Gardeners Awards This noteworthy event is the Great ■ Be on hand for all the opening day festivities at the 2005 Epcot Tomato Tasting held for the past 14 years International Flower & Garden at Rutgers University’s Emelda C. Snyder Festival, the signature garden Extension and Research Farm in event of the season at the Walt Disney World Resort Pittstown, New Jersey. It has been attended by over 1,000 vis- e invite you to join your fellow AHS itors in the past several years, is admission Wmembers for three days of sub- free, and has a contingent of avid Master tropical garden delights next spring in Gardener volunteers who serve as do- Orlando, Florida, the site of our 2005 Great cents, tomato choppers, and friendly American Gardeners Conference. Mark your hostesses to crowds of delighted people. calendar! Look for more details in the Mimi McWold, a Master Gardener and November/December issue of The American employee of the farm, selects over 100 va- Gardener and be sure to visit www.ahs.org for rieties of tomatoes to grow, many never be- regular updates. See you there! fore grown at Pittstown, as well as sweet peppers (hot ones, although fascinating, became a problem with children tasters!),

September / October 2004 7 News from AHS September/October 2004 PROGRAMS • EVENTS • ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Edition of AHS A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants

FOR THOSE OF YOU who have called, written, and e-mailed Welsh and Rita Pelczar. This is the final book in the four-vol- to say that you have worn out your copy of the American Hor- ume AHS SMARTGARDEN™ Regional Guide series—earlier vol- ticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, we have umes covered the Northeast, Southeast, and Northwest. This good news: A revised and updated edition of this essential plant groundbreaking series of regional books, based on using earth- encyclopedia for serious gardeners friendly gardening practices and select- will be available in mid-October ing regionally appropriate plants, serves from DK Publishing. The first edi- as a textbook for the new online garden tion of the encyclopedia, published course, “The Art and Science of the in 1997, sold nearly 200,000 copies. SMARTGARDEN™,” being offered AHS President Emeritus Dr. H. through a partnership between AHS Marc Cathey served as American edi- and the Horticultural Gardening Insti- tor for the 2004 edition, which con- tute of Michigan State University. tains 15,000 entries—including some The book features more than 3,000 500 plants new to this edition. More plants adapted to a variety of garden than 6,000 full-color photographs il- settings in Arizona, California, New lustrate the plants, which are listed alphabetically by genus. Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, and Hawaii. Plants are Overviews of each genus include basics such as geographic origin, grouped in more than 150 categories by garden habitat—native cultural requirements, propagation, and pest or disease suscepti- shrubs for desert gardens, for instance—or special ornamental bility. Each plant listing includes a complete description of size, features, such as fragrant climbers. A special coding system flowers, foliage, fruit, origin, and hardiness and heat zone ranges. identifies landscape uses, hardiness and heat zones, as well as One of the major improvements in the revised edition is the cultural requirements for each of the plants covered. “This is inclusion of AHS Plant Heat zones and updated USDA Plant destined to become the gardening guide of choice for south- Hardiness zones for all plants. “This is the most current and western gardeners,” says Dr. Cathey. comprehensive plant guide on the market,” says Dr. Cathey. The AHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants will not be “No other encyclopedia contains this level of information about available until mid-October, but you can pre-order a copy by so many important garden plants, from the time-tested classics visiting the AHS Web site (www.ahs.org) and clicking on the to the most popular cultivars introduced in the last few years.” book icon on the home page. To order any of the books in the Also hot off the press from DK Publishing is the AHS South- AHS SMARTGARDEN™ Regional Guide series, visit west SMARTGARDEN™ Regional Guide, co-authored by Pat www.ahs.org/books/books.htm.

Warner To Speak at America in Bloom Symposium

AHS PRESIDENT Katy Moss Warner will be delivering the that earned Indianapolis the top AIB award last year. keynote address during the America in Bloom’s third annual On the agenda are tours of the city’s oldest neighborhood, Awards Ceremony and Educational Symposium, which will be which contains the home of the Hoosier poet James Whitcomb held October 7 through 9 in Indianapolis, Indiana. An AHS Hor- Riley and many of the city’s finest parks and gardens. Workshops ticultural Partner, America in Bloom (AIB) is a non-profit orga- will focus on special projects such as converting parking lots to nization that promotes and rewards community beautification public gardens and replacing turf with diversified native plantings programs nationwide. that attract and support beneficial wildlife. Katy’s speech will come during the educational session on “By placing a premium on beautiful gardens and green spaces, the morning of Friday, October 8. The awards ceremony and Indianapolis is providing inspiration for all American cities to get reception will be held on the evening of Saturday, October 9. involved in similar beautification programs,” says Katy In addition to the awards ceremony, at which the winners For more information on the AIB awards ceremony and of AIB’s 2004 awards for community beautification will be pre- symposium, call (614) 487-1117 ext. 23 or visit www.americain sented, this year’s AIB symposium includes many workshops bloom.org. A complete list of award-winning cities for 2004 and tours to highlight the gardens and beautification efforts will be published in the next issue of The American Gardener.

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www.monrovia.com © Monrovia 2004 04-0752L 10 (www.ahs.org). American Gardener andontheAHSWeb site about alltheseevents willbeavailable sooninThe M Botanical GardenandWonderland Gardens. Symposium. • • den FlowerShow. • Florida. • Members-only previewsaleontheeveningofApril21. George Washington’sRiverFarm,Alexandria,Virginia. • ence andAwardsPresentation. • Williamsburg, Virginia. • River Farm,Alexandria,Virginia. • er Farm,Alexandria,Virginia. Science ofColorintheGarden. • ter, Philadelphia,Pennyslvania. Philadelphia FlowerShow, Virginia. Reception, • IN 2005 • the American Gardener JULY 28–30. JUNE 2. MAY 27. MAY 6. APR. 22&23. APR. 13–15. APR. 3–5.ColonialWilliamsburgGardenSymposium. APR. 1–30. A MAR. 31–APR.1. MAR. 4&5. DEC. 2. national events andprograms! More details ark your calendarfortheseupcomingAHS Magic ofLandscapingConference. Friends ofRiverFarm(FORF)Volunteer Taste ofRiverFarm. AHS MemberDayatClevelandBotanicalGar- George Washington’sRiverFarm,Alexandria, Atlanta, Georgia.Hostedbythe Atlanta CALENDAR 2004–2005 AHS NATIONALEVENTSANDPROGRAMS Washington Blooms! AHS President’sCouncilEventatthe AHS GreatAmericanGardenersConfer- AHS NationalChildren&Youth Garden Friends ofRiverFarmSpringPlantSale. Cleveland, Ohio. HS GardenSchool:TheArtand Pennsylvania ConventionCen- Orlando, Florida. Alexandria, Virginia. George Washington’sRiv- George Washington’s Orlando, LAST YEAR, Help DecorateOurHolidayTrees! (703) 768-5700 ext.132,[email protected]. holiday decoration project, contactNancy Busick by phoneat learn how togetyour schooloryouth group involved withthe proximately 200ornamentstodecorateeachofthe sixtrees. To ing tocreate aminimumof25ornamentseach; itwilltakeap- (redBountiful Harvest andgold). and Flowers (multicolored); Solar System (multicolored); and (silver and gold);George Washington (blueandwhite);Plants arate theme:Americana(red, andClark white,andblue);Lewis adults canhave funwith.” says Nancy. isacreative project “This thatbothchildren and display withtheirown handmadeornamentsandgarlands,” classes, andclubswillfurnishourever-expanding holidaytree project this year. “We hopeeven more individuals,families, dinator gram debutwassosuccessfulthatAHSYouth Programs Coor- by schoolandyouth groups from across thecountry. Thepro- andcreativefestooned withcheerful themedornamentsmade ii h H Websiteat visit theAHS program. FormoreinformationaboutHGIandAHSonlinecourses, Kate Koltvedt(frontright)wereonhandtosupportthepilot Mary AnnPatterson(backright),McLellan(frontleft)and Carole HuntingtonofPleasantViewGardens(backleft)andHGI’s University, isofferedthroughapartnershipbetweenHGIandAHS. Horticultural GardeningInstitute(HGI)ofMichiganState Science ofContainerGardening.”Thiscourse,developedbythe signed uptotestanonlinegardeningcourse,“TheArtand house atPleasantViewGardensinLoudon,NewHampshire, In August,attendeesattheNortheastMasterGardenerDayopen Online Gardening CourseGoesonTrial According to Nancy, sheislookingforatleast32groups will- This year there willbesixtrees todecorate, eachwithasep- Nancy Busick the holidaytrees atRiver Farm’s estatehousewere is planningtoenlargethescopeof www.ahs.org.

COURTESY OF HGI Seed Exchange Success Story

OVER THE YEARS we have heard a lot of inspiring stories from AHS members about the success they had with seeds from the AHS Free Seed Exchange, but recently we learned that a plant grown from seeds offered in an AHS seed exchange has been introduced in the nursery trade. According to AHS member Edward Hasselkus, professor emeritus of horticulture at the University of Wisconsin–Madi- son, a Lavalle corktree (Phellodendron lavallei) selection named ‘Longenecker’ (Eye Stopper™) was originally derived from seeds NEW distributed in the 1973 AHS seed exchange. Edward, who is also the longtime curator of the university’s

Longenecker Horticultural Gardens, ordered the seeds and NEW planted one of the resulting seedlings in the Longenecker col- lection in April 1976. As the plant matured, it caught the eye of one of Edward’s former students, Michael Yanny, who was then a propagator at Johnson’s Nursery, Inc. in Menomonee Falls,

Phellodendron lavallei Eye Stopper™ was developed from seed obtained from the 1973 AHS Seed Exchange.

Wisconsin. “Michael was so impressed with the plant that he propagated it vegetatively and named it Eye Stopper™,” says Edward, noting that the name is a play on words relating to the tree’s common name, cork tree. 2005 “Gardener’s” Calendar Edward says Eye Stopper™ is distinctive because of its beau- $6.95 ($59.00 for 10) Postpaid tiful clear yellow autumn foliage and exceptionally corky bark. It is also staminate, or male-flowering only, a quality that is par- 2004 Computer Screen Saver ticularly important because cork tree’s seedlings can be invasive $10.00 Postpaid under the right growing conditions. The species is native to cen- 13 prize color photos in both items tral Japan and grows 40 to 50 feet tall at maturity. Johnson’s Nursery is now working with the J. Frank The Gardeners of America Schmidt & Son Co., a wholesale nursery in Boring, Oregon, to expand production and marketing of Eye Stopper™, which Men’s Garden Club of America is suited to USDA hardiness zones 5 to 7 and AHS heat zones Box 241 8 to 5. The plant is not yet available in the retail trade, but you Johnston, IA 50131-0241 can request that your local nursery order one from Schmidt Phone: 515-278-0295 (www.jfschmidt.com). www.GardenersOfAmerica.org

COURTESY OF EDWARD HASSELKUS We can only hope that future AHS seed exchanges will, uh…

September / October 2004 11 uncork more outstanding garden plant selections for gardeners. To learn more about the AHS seed exchange, turn to the form be- tween pages 8 and 9. herry Lake Tree CFarm is pleased to announce its corporate Cherry Lake Tree Farm Is partnership with the New AHS Partner American Horticultural THE AHS is pleased to welcome Cherry Lake Tree Farm as our Society and is committed newest Corporate Partner. Based in Groveland, Florida, Cherry to helping fulfill the AHS Lake is a wholesale supplier of large containerized ornamental trees mission by promoting the to the landscaping industry in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. importance of large trees In partnership with the AHS, the Florida Nurserymen and in the landscape. Growers Association, and the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, Cherry Lake sponsors the annual “Magic of Landscaping” program, which explores the value and impor- tance of high quality landscaping in corporate development. To learn more about Cherry Lake and the “Magic of Land- scaping” program, visit www.cherrylake.com. Girl Scout Spells Relief for Alphabet Garden A RENOVATION OF the Alphabet Garden, one of the chil- dren’s gardens at AHS’s River Farm headquarters, is underway as part of a Girl Scout project. Neighborhood resident and Girl Scout Brittany Amerau is renovating the garden to fulfill the re- quirements for the Gold Award, the Girl Scouts’ highest honor. This past summer, Brittany planned and carried out im- “That’s one smart garden!” provements to the Alphabet Gar- - Carol F., Greenwood IN den, which displays plants and Join the 1000’s of gardeners who praise the EarthBox garden objects corresponding to each of the letters of the alphabet. “It’s simply the Easiest Garden Ever Developed!” - Gil Whitton, Host Installed in 1993 as one of 12 gar- The National Lawn and Garden Show dens in the AHS Children’s Gar-

SO SIMPLE den, the garden has been in need There’s no digging, weeding, or of a face-lift for some time. Much guessing. The EarthBox grows of the work involves shifting ex- automatically - year after year. isting plants, so AHS Horticul- WORKS ANYWHERE turist Peggy Bowers is overseeing Your deck or patio - even the Brittany Amerau in the Alphabet Brittany’s transplanting efforts. back forty! all you need is sunlight for fresh vegetables and herbs. Garden at River Farm Brittany has also secured funding MORE PRODUCTIVE from the Yacht Haven Garden The EarthBox out produces any Club in Alexandria for new plants and garden ornaments. gardening method - with less Now 16, Brittany first visited River Farm as a second grader, “62 pounds of tomatoes water, less fertilizer and less care. right from our patio!” when her mother, Karla Amerau, began volunteering here. Later 100% NATURAL visits were on school and Girl Scout field trips. “The Children’s No chemicals or expensive “My brother has 14 tomato plants, I out produce hydroponics. The EarthBox grows Garden was always the highlight of our trips,” says Brittany, ex- him with just three.” - Jim N., Scranton PA healthy produce, the way plaining why she chose this site for her Gold Award project. nature intended. AHS Youth Programs Coordinator Nancy Busick, who is “My EarthBox garden made me feel like a pro!” guiding Brittany through the Gold Award process, can identi- - Elizabeth H., Passaic NJ ONLY $29.95 + $6.95 S&H ONLY $29.95 fy with Brittany’s project: She’s been involved with the Girl

TM Call NOW To Order 1-888-502-7336 Scouts since she was in the second grade. “I consider myself a 1-888-502-7336  Or mail your check to: Dept P-AH153 lifetime Girl Scout,” she says. P.O. Box 1966, St. Petersburg, FL 33731

News written by Editorial Interns Jessie Keith and Katie Palanjian CAROLE OTTESEN

12 the American Gardener As New AHS Board Chair, Arabella Dane Brings High Energy, Accomplishment

BY CAROLE OTTESEN

RABELLA DANE comes to the office of AHS Board Smith Sanders was president elect of the National Garden Chair with the enthusiastic recommendations and Clubs, Inc. she selected Dane to develop a butterfly program A warm regard of friends and associates in the gardening to serve the 9,000 member clubs and 300 international affiliate world. “Arabella has a super vision. She’ll make the ideal chair- clubs in Central and South America. man of the board for the AHS,” says Corliss Engle, a fellow Garden Club of America (GCA) horticulture judge and “What excites me is the challenge of friend. But, Engle warns, “There might be some kicking and screaming at first. She’s innovative. She snookers you into working with people to make their things you don’t want to do—and then you learn all of these dreams come true.” —Arabella Dane wonderful new skills you didn’t know you had!” Those who have worked As is her practice in all she does, Dane threw herself into the with Dane come away in awe of study of butterflies. Ultimately, she co-authored, with Jackie the prodigious energy and ded- Stone, Through the Eyes of a Butterfly, published by National Gar- ication she puts into every pro- den Clubs, Inc. And, at Smith Sander’s request, she also organized ject in which she is involved. ecotourism trips, including one to a monarch overwintering site Dane has expended this great in Mexico. One visit there provided her with vivid memories. “I energy generously in a variety of was surrounded by fir trees not-for-profit organizations weighted down by clusters over the years, including the of swarming monarchs,” re- AHS, the Garden Club of calls Arabella. “As the sun America, The Massachusetts warmed the butterflies, they Horticultural Society, the would leave the swarm and Arnold Arboretum of Harvard flutter like snowflakes in an University, and the Harvard Art Museums. early winter storm. In the si- Currently she serves on the board of the National Garden lence of the sanctuary, they Clubs, Inc., and has recently been elected to the board of the flew so densely you could National Fund for the U.S. Botanic Garden. Along the way, hear the music of their she has garnered numerous awards for her work in education, wings.” conservation, and flower arranging. Among these are the AHS More recently, Arabella Frances Jones Poetker Medal for floral artistry in 1996 and the An avid fishing fan, Arabella is created Showtime©, a com- GCA Zone 1 Creative Leadership Award in 2004. shown with one that didn’t get away. prehensive database of ap- David DeKing, executive director of the New England Wild proximately 94,000 plants Flower Society (NEWFS), worked with Dane to establish Project used by American gardeners. Originally developed as an educa- Native, an award-winning collaboration between the Garden tional tool for garden clubs and flower shows, Showtime© is also Clubs of Massachusetts and NEWFS in which thousands of na- serving both as a resource for the USDA hardiness and AHS heat tive trees were planted in coordination with development of sym- zone codes and for botanical nomenclature clarification in AHS posia and an educational curriculum. He credits Dane with a “can horticultural reference books and in The American Gardener. do attitude for getting people involved in horticulture.” “This is a pivotal time for the American Horticultural Society,” “What excites me is the challenge of working with people to says Dane. “Our extraordinary Board and talented staff, working make their dreams come true,” says Dane, who has been a mem- under the inspired leadership of Katy Moss Warner, have com- ber of the AHS board for nine years. Dane and her husband, Ed- mitted to an exciting Master Plan for River Farm, in keeping with ward (Nat) Dane—a former AHS president—recently “retired” our shared vision for the Society. We are listening and responding from their Boston home to live full-time in Center Harbor, New to the needs of our members, our staff, and our public, as we con- Hampshire. At Hillcrest Farm, they restored an old farmhouse and nect people to plants and promote the art and science of horti- created garden spaces in the abandoned fields. Their gardens, both culture through our educational programs and publications.” formal and informal, feature native plants and decorative edibles. And, she adds with her signature optimism, “The seed is planted; “Arabella is an excellent horticulturist who has used her tal- we all have to work together to make the magic happen.”  ents in a broad perspective,” says Deen Day Smith Sanders,

COURTESY OF ARABELLA DANE former president of the National Garden Clubs, Inc. When Carole Ottesen is associate editor of The American Gardener.

September / October 2004 13 14 don’t need to have alotofperipheralstuff, children andgardening. ly powerful insightsintothelinkbetween ence atCornell,offered different yet equal- Rossi, sci- assistantprofessor ofturfgrass vironments Research Group, andFrank S. Roger director Hart, oftheChildren’s En- The symposium’s twokeynotespeakers, SPEAKING FORKIDS T al audience.” Johnson Museum anation- ofArt—with ca treasures liketheCompostTheatre and atCornell,andItha-our educationaleffort resources, theamazingpeoplelinkedwith sures ofthisregion—the gardens, natural member, “was sharingtheincredible trea- nell andNCYGS National Panel Advisory Sheavly, seniorExtension associateatCor- biggest thrillforme,”saidMarcia Eames- environs oftheoutstandinghostcity. “The trips, andcreative workshops allwithinthe gardens, inspirationalkeynotes,funfield attended. Participants enjoyed visitingtop dening professionals andenthusiastswho success, according tothe208children’s gar- University inIthaca, New York, wasahuge Gardens forChildren Garden SymposiumheldinJulyIthaca,NewYork. Youth National Children& Highlights fromthe2004AHS and Wonderland Gardens. will betheAtlanta BotanicalGarden hosts forthe13thannualsymposium July 28to30inAtlanta, Georgia. Co- for the2005event, whichwillbeheld Symposium. Mark your calendarnow National Children &Youth Garden and enthusiasmgeneratedby theAHS Experience first-handtheinspiration Atlanta in2005 “Children’s gardens andplaygrounds the American Gardener HIS YEAR’S sium (NCYGS), heldatCornell dren &Youth Garden Sympo- AHS National Chil- but Rossi captivated theaudiencewithhis educational program based onturfgrass, been skepticalabouttheideaof achildren’s gardens orplayareas. volved inthedesignprocess oftheir gested, istoletchildren beactively in- they even inquire.” rather thanfeedingthemanswers before learn how togetchildren toaskquestions “Wenatural world,”saidHart. needto dren needunmediated contactwiththe takers tomicromanage or“hover.” “Chil- squelching theneedforparents andcare- areas thatencourage explorationwhile amenableandinteractivefor truly play modify thelandscapeandcreate.” play. Make diverse spaceswhere theycan invite children toexplore, learn,and truly ards,” “buttheydoneedto notedHart, like amusement-park accessoriesandplac- The gardensatCornellPlantationsweretheirbestforvisitingsymposiumattendees. Some mayinitiallyhave participants One way to accomplishthis,hesug- challengedtheaudiencetostriveHart Over thecourseofthree days,symposium FIELD TRIPSAND WORKSHOPS and shootup,” explainedRossi. is likearocket justwaitingtousethefuel like afueltankfullofgas,andthe embryo germination Itellthemtheendosperm is Iteachkidsaboutgrassseed tion. “When cool andwarmseason)seedgermina- tous grasses),lifecycles (perennial, annual, (bunch, versus stoloniferous andrhizoma- common lawngrassspecies),growth habit about speciesdiversity (there are many many teachingapplicationsforlearning square isallthatyou need.” footofturf why notuseitforteachingkids?One plines. “Everyone hasgrass,”saidRossi, “so environmental science,amongotherdisci- dren aboutplantbiology, chemistry, and toteachchil- waysheusesturf tertaining described thenumerous creative anden- contagious enthusiasmandanecdotes.He Rossi grassoffers emphasized thatturf BY JESSIEKEITH

JESSIE KEITH ADVISORY PANEL MEETS The presence of 15 members of the NCYGS Advisory Panel, a 35-member committee created to advise and direct NCYGS initiatives, added to the rich- ness of the symposium experience for many attendees. “Participating in a conference with folks of like mind from all over the U.S. and the world is a rare privilege,” said panel member Jane L. Taylor, founder of Michigan State University’s 4–H Children’s Gar- den. “We savor our commit- ment to plants Advisory panel mem- and kids all year bers Norm Lownds and long as we make Jane L. Taylor plans for the next wonderful symposium adventure.” In Ithaca, the panel met to discuss major goals for enhancing future sym- posiums and to identify potential host sites after Atlanta in 2005 (see box, Top: Young people assumed many leadership roles during the symposium. Here high school opposite page). “The more we can plan student Jonah Rosenthal leads a tour of the butterfly house at Cayuga Nature Center. Above, ahead for these events, the stronger left: Roger Hart, one of the keynote speakers: Above, right: Symposium attendees enjoyed they will grow,” said Tom Underwood, watching birds during a tour of Cornell’s Ornithology Lab. AHS director of horticultural programs. According to Mark Miller, an envi- attendees enjoyed a variety of field trips, posium attendees enjoyed a butterfly ronmental educator at Ohio State Uni- workshops, and tours in and around Itha- house tour given by 15-year-old butterfly versity in Columbus, the advisory pan- ca. Among the most memorable tours expert extraordinaire Jonah Rosenthal and el also considered ways to get young were Cornell Plantations with its wealth of reveled in the massive “Treetops” treehouse people involved in the planning and ex- gardens, blueberry tasting at Cornell Or- fortress planned and developed by the ecution of future symposia. “It is so im- chards, The Cayuga Nature Center’s Ithaca High School class of 2000. portant to include children in this “Treetops” treehouse and butterfly house, At the newly created Ithaca Children’s process,” said Miller. “They are our the preview of the new Ithaca Children’s Garden (ICG)—designed with the assis- stakeholders.” —J.K. Garden, and watching birds at Cornell’s tance of AHS staff members and mem- renowned Lab of Ornithology. bers of the NCYGS Advisory Panel— Participants also took home many new attendees learned about the Ithaca Chil- The symposium’s success can be teaching ideas after attending workshops dren’s Garden Apprenticeship Program, traced to the advance planning and hard like “Fun with Fiber,” where they learned a unique horticultural work-training ef- work of many people, as well as to the to beat flax, and “Garden Mosaics,” which fort for youth ages 14 to 19. Apprentices enthusiasm of all the attendees. “When presented new non-formal science activi- helped with the tours and described their you hear comments from participants ties for young gardeners. experiences in the garden. like ‘If I hear one more good idea I’ll ex- And Tricia Armstrong from Ithaca’s plode!’ it makes it all worthwhile,” KIDS TAKING ACTION Dewitt Middle School shared inspira- noted Jane L. Taylor, founding curator A novel element of the gardening and out- tional stories of some of her academical- of the Michigan State University 4-H door programs for Ithaca’s youth was the ly challenged children who, through Children’s Garden.  number of children involved in decision Dewitt’s horticultural program, gained making and leadership roles. At the Cayu- life skills that enabled them to pursue ca- Jessie Keith is an editorial intern for The

TOP AND FAR RIGHT: JESSIE KEITH. BOTTOM LEFT: COURTESY OF ROGER HART; ARABELLA DANE. ga Nature Center outside of Ithaca, sym- reers in the landscape industries. American Gardener.

September / October 2004 15 Saving Seeds

A time-honored gardening tradition, gathering seeds to grow or share helps preserve rare or heirloom plants and fosters diversity.

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY CAROLE OTTESEN

T ONE TIME or another, most of us who think of ourselves as A gardeners have witnessed the miracle of germination. After press- ing a tiny seed into the moist earth, we waited and watered and watched for the first sign of life: a satiny filament of stem, or a root groping for soil. We have taken pride in (and credit for) the metamorphosis of frag- ile seedling into impossibly large plant. And we’ve marveled that some- thing as small as a tomato or zucchini seed could have produced a year’s worth of sauce or fed an entire neighborhood.

But that’s usually where it ends. Today, given the availability of an incredible diver- sity of seeds for only a couple of dollars a packet, few of us regularly collect seeds and save them for another year. A notion is beginning to take hold, not unlike the one about vegetables coming from the supermarket, that seeds ought rightly to come in paper packages. But everywhere we look—in the garden, along the roads, in the fields and woods—a multitude of seeds in every size and shape challenge that notion. Look around your garden. You will find seeds of every description just waiting to be collected. But no matter how different each from another is, they share a common goal. Each one is a clever container that packages life itself to bring it safely through what is

Clockwise from top left: Rudbeckia seedheads contain hundreds of seeds; Hydrastis canadensis and Trillium grandiflorum seeds come in attractive packages; seeds of umbellifers like fennel are easy to spot; a pod of Helleborus ✕hybridus splits to reveal the seeds within.

16 the American Gardener AHS FREE SEED EXCHANGE Since 1959, the American Horticultural Society has spon- sored and coordinated a seed exchange among its members so that gardeners throughout North America have an op- portunity to try growing a wide variety of new, rare, and heir- loom plants. In addition to the many uncommon and rare seeds do- nated by individual AHS members, seeds offered through the exchange also include many that come from botanical gardens, seed companies, and from plants growing at the AHS’s River Farm headquarters. This program has become one of the most popular ben- efits of membership in the AHS. Last year, 163 different ‘Mortgage Lifter’ is an heirloom tomato developed by a West Virginia kinds of seeds were offered and more than 1,000 AHS gardener through cross pollination and seed selection. members took advantage of this opportunity to get seeds through the program. Over the years seed donors and seed often one of nature’s inhospitable periods, be it cold, heat, or recipients have shared many interesting stories about their drought. The seed guards the dormant embryo within until con- seeds, and if you turn to page 11, you will learn how seeds ditions are again supportive and the incipient plant can germi- from a previous year’s AHS seed exchange ended up pro- nate and grow. ducing a plant that has been patented and introduced as an Many flower seeds such as those of columbines (Aquilegia ornamental tree. spp.), wake robins (Trillium grandiflorum), or Lenten roses (Helle- In this issue of The American Gardener, there’s a tear- borus ✕hybridus) develop in pods. When the seeds are ripe, the pod out form that includes information on how to donate seeds opens and, often, spills its contents on the ground. The seeds of (look between pages 8 and 9). The list of seeds being of- fruits such as tomatoes are inside, imbedded in pulp, and will not fered will be published in the annual AHS Member Guide, mature until the fruits are fully ripe. which is mailed to members with the January/February 2005 issue of The American Gardener. PRESERVING DIVERSITY Collecting and saving seeds is not only a satisfying ritual that acknowledges the reproductive phase in the cycle of plant life, tributors to the reduction and extinction of plants in the wild, there are good reasons to save your own. Not least is diversity. uncontrolled plant and seed collection has also played a role in “If you are looking for genetic diversity, saving seed is a good the endangering or even extinction of certain species. thing,” says Tony Avent, founder and president of Plant Delights On the other hand, plant hunters have preserved other species Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina. “You can select for dwarf, by allowing them to live and proliferate safely ex-situ when their tall, earlier flowering, later flowering, or a number of traits.” place of origin was compromised. The Franklin tree (Franklinia You can also help natural selection along on a very personal alatamaha) is the poster child for seed collecting. Had seeds from level. Over and above appearance, you can choose for such qual- this marvelous American native not been gathered by John and ities as flavor, disease tolerance, or general health. If, year after year, you were to collect seed from only the healthiest, most strapping plant in the row, the seeds you collected to grow in future would ultimately be those best suited to the garden’s microclimate. Another reason to collect and save seeds is to preserve heir- loom varieties that may otherwise disappear from the world. In so doing, you help preserve biodiversity, which is important as more wild land is converted to agriculture, clear-cut for timber, and turned into housing developments. At the Seed Savers Exchange’s Heritage Farm in Decorah, Iowa, “we’ve been working with heirloom varieties for 25 years and have a collection of 24,000 varieties,” says Kent Whealy, who co-found- ed the organization with his wife Diane. “This is all of the breed- ing material we’ll ever have for future food crops,” notes Whealy.

VAGNARO; BOTTOM: DAVID J. ELLIS ETHICAL SEED COLLECTING Collecting seeds in the wild brings certain issues to the fore. Collecting seeds from plants in your own garden is a good way to ensure

TOP: DAVID C A While habitat destruction and development are prime con- you’ll always have favorite varieties for the next season and beyond.

September / October 2004 17 Resources Abundant Life Seed Foundation, PO Box 158, Cottage Grove, com). Societies include the North American Rock Garden OR 92424-0061. (541) 942 9547. Society (www.nargs.org/seed/exchange. html), North Amer- www.territorial-seed.com. ican Fruit Explorers (www.nafex.org), and the Cactus and ■ This non-profit organization is dedicated to preserving Succulent Society of America (www.cactus-society.org). genetic diversity and supporting sustainable agriculture through the “acquisition, preservation, distribution and propagation of native and naturalized seed.” Books Native Seeds/SEARCH, 526 N. 4th Ave., Tucson, AZ Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties: The Gardener’s and 85705-8450. (520) 622-5561. www.nativeseeds.org. Farmer’s Guide to Plant Breeding and Seed Saving by Carol ■ A non-profit organization that seeks to preserve the tra- Deppe, Chelsea Green Publishing, White River Junction, ditional crop seeds of Native American cultures. Vermont, 2000.

Seed Savers Exchange, 3076 North Winn Road,Decorah IA Collecting, Processing and Germinating Seeds of Wild Land 52101. (563) 382 5990. www.seedsavers.org Plants by James A. Young and Cheryl G. Young. Timber ■ A network of mostly small-scale growers and gardeners Press, Portland, Oregon, 1986. dedicated to “saving the world’s diverse, but endangered, garden heritage for future generations.” Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth, Seed Savers Publica- tions, Decorah, Iowa, 1995. (Order through www.seed Theodore Payne Foundation, 10459 Tuxford Street, Sun savers.org.) Valley, CA 91352. (818) 768-1802 www.theodorepayne.org Seed Sowing and Saving by Carole B. Turner, Storey Pub- ■ A non-profit foundation focusing on the native plants of lishing, North Adams, Massachusetts, 1998. California with an online seed catalog. Seeds of Woody Plants in North America by James A. Young Plant Society Seed Exchanges and Cheryl G. Young, Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, In addition to the American Horticultural Society Free Seed 1992. Exchange, gardening Web sites and plant societies sponsor seed exchanges for their members. The Garden Web Vegetable Seed Savers Handbook, Seed Savers Publica- (http://forums.gardenweb.com) offers users a seed ex- tions, Decorah, Iowa. (Order through www.seedsavers.org.) change, as does Seedswappers.com (www.seedswapper.

William Bartram in 1770 and grown in cultivation, the tree result in a very unpleasant encounter, or even prosecution. would have been lost to the world. To avoid collecting something that’s rare, always be sure you Today, sanctioned seed collection is one of the most impor- know what kind of plant you are harvesting seeds from, rec- tant ways conservationists are preventing the extinction of en- ommends Diana Reeck, co-owner of Collector’s Nursery in dangered plants. The Center for Plant Conservation, a national Battle Ground, Washington, who has collected seeds from non-profit organization dedicated to preserving endangered around the world. Even if the seeds you are collecting don’t American plants, works closely with a network of 33 botanical come from a rare plant, she adds, it’s important to leave far gardens and arboretums that preserve seeds and plants of more more than you take to help preserve the wild population. “It’s than 600 endangered species in the National Collection of En- having a consciousness that we’re a part of the earth and the dangered Plants. seeds aren’t there just for us,” says Reeck. “I am careful never to For home gardeners, the best place to collect seeds is from your over-collect. I take a little bit, perhaps not more than five per- own garden and from those of friends and neighbors who like to cent, and always scatter some seeds nearby.” share. It may be tempting to collect seeds from botanic gardens, No matter why you save seeds, the process will bring you sat- arboreta, and community parks, but most such facilities—for ob- isfaction, plenty of seeds, and, perhaps, some pleasant surpris- vious reasons—don’t permit collection of seeds or plants. es. You can develop your own heirlooms and share your If you plan to forage seeds in the wild, it's important to ob- favorites with relatives, friends, and neighbors. Or you can in- serve certain ground rules. Check with the powers that be be- spire a child in your life to grow his or her own plants by pass- fore collecting seeds on government lands or in national and ing along to them the miracle of seed germination. Seeds are state parks. You may or may not receive permission and/or be fun and easy to collect and free for the taking.  granted a permit. Before gathering seeds on private land, you should get permission from the landowner. Not doing so could Carole Ottesen is associate editor of The American Gardener.

18 the American Gardener HOW TO COLLECT AND SAVE SEEDS

Step 1: Collecting Seeds ball between your fin- Timing is crucial. Keep watch over the seedpods of ornamental gers. The tiny seeds of plants and vegetables as they mature. When the pods are quite butterflyweed (Asclepias dry, chances are the seeds are ready. With plants whose seedpods tuberosa) are flying ma- tend to burst and eject the seeds, such as impatiens or wisteria, chines attached to gos- tie a paper bag or the foot of an old nylon stocking around the samer “wings.” Rub pod to catch the seeds. Seeds of legumes—such as beans and seeds with any unneces- peas—are best left on the plants until the pods are dry and the sary structures like these seeds rattle within. through a sieve or re- Cut open fully ripe move the chaff by hand. but not rotten fruits such Then, allow them to as tomatoes and cucum- further dry for up to 10 bers, and separate out days on newspaper. A homemade sieve can be used to the seeds. Allow tomato Spread the roughly separate chaff from large seeds. seeds to ferment for cleaned seeds of fruits three or four days in a lit- out on a plate and allow them to dry completely. tle of their own juice or water to eliminate a ger- Step 3: Storage mination-inhibiting Make certain the seeds are absolutely dry before storing them. mucilaginous coating. Store dry seeds in a tightly lidded jar (baby food jars are perfect Remember that the for small amounts) Removing pawpaw seeds from the fruit seeds of hybrid plants or sealed plastic will not come true from bag. Dry powdered seed. In general, those that are truest to their parents are the self- milk, encased in pollinators (sometimes called “in-breeders”), including most flow- several layers of tis- ers, lettuce, beans, and tomatoes. Plants that require cross polli- sue, can be includ- nation (or “out-breeders”), include corn, cabbage family members, ed to absorb mois- and most squashes and melons. ture during storage. When collecting seeds, provision yourself with small paper en- Label each seed velopes, sometimes available at stationery stores, or make your type by name and own from folded paper. Be sure to carry a pen so you can label each date with an indeli- envelope with the type of seed and date collected. ble marker and place jars or bags in Step 2: Cleaning and Drying a refrigerator or dry, Separate seeds such as those of black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp.) cool room. Do not or coneflowers (Echinacea spp.) from seed balls by gently rolling the Label your seeds before storing them. freeze. 

GERMINATION REQUIREMENTS VARY WITH SEEDS Knowing the germination requirements of different seeds is important when you harvest them, because this may affect how— or even whether—you store the seeds. Certain seeds, such as those of wake robin (Trillium grandiflorum) and hellebores will not tolerate dry storage—these ger- minate best if planted fresh, immediately after harvesting. So when the pods are dry, crack them open and scatter the seeds where you want new plants. Other seeds, including acorns from oaks and nuts from walnuts and hickories, require a period of cold treatment to break dormancy. These should be sown outdoors in fall or placed in moist soil medium in a sealable plastic bag and stored in a re- frigerator over winter. And yet other seeds germinate best if allowed to stay dry for a period of time (this generally ranges from one to three months). These include many members of the daisy (Asteraceae), mustard (Brassicaceae), and bellflower (Campanulaceae) families, as well as grains such as wheat and barley. —C.O.

September / October 2004 19 20 the American Gardener BONSAI BONSAI APPALACHIAN STYLE

BACKGROUND PHOTO BY CAROLE OTTESEN At the North Carolina Arboretum, Bonsai Curator Arthur Joura “I thought he was pulling my leg, but that turned out to be prophetic. We had to go has created an extraordinary collection showcasing plants native that route in order for bonsai to fit in this arboretum. We had to create a North Car- to the southern Appalachian region. olina version of this art form developed on the other side of the world.” That’s why visitors to the arboretum’s BY NAN CHASE PHOTOGRAPHS BY HUGH AND CAROL NOURSE bonsai collection will see not only typical forms of pines and junipers and maples, but also such oddities as brushy St. John’s- wort (Hypericum prolificum), purple chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia ‘Atropur- purea’), Carolina buckthorn (Rhamnus caroliniana), and highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), none of them much more than a foot high. Through Joura’s vision, even the small- est and most overlooked native wildflow- ers get bonsai treatment, transported from the forest floor and meadow to their own pedestals. Among these are saxifrage (Sax- ifraga michauxii), and bullrush (Scirpus ce- spitosus), as well as wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), horsetail (Equise- tum hyemale), foamflower (Tiarella cordi- folia var. collinia), ebony spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron), and Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens). Today, in addition to maintaining the arboretum’s inherited collection of mature tropical bonsai, which are kept in green- houses, and traditional temperate species, OU COULD hike for days— strikingly beautiful and original way. In Joura is well on the way to creating a sec- weeks, months—through the Ap- guiding this endeavor the arboretum’s ond collection of 50 woody plants native Y palachian Mountains to discover bonsai curator, Arthur Joura, diverged to the Blue Ridge area of western North the rich diversity of the region’s native from classical Asian bonsai style to pursue Carolina; 15 of those are already in bonsai trees, flowering shrubs, and jewellike wild- bonsai as a homegrown American horti- form, the rest are under development— flowers: bear oak (Quercus ilicifolia), Al- cultural exercise. meaning they are being allowed to grow legheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis), “People often ask, ‘Isn’t bonsai an Ori- larger before he can begin pruning and mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), flame ental art form?’ Not the way we play it,” training them. And those numbers don't azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum), and says Joura. “We’ve been able to re-invent include the miscellaneous herbaceous un- sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina), to name it as we go along.” Ultimately, Joura says, derstory plants he is growing as bonsai. just a few. Or you can visit the North Car- bonsai isn’t about fidelity to ideals that olina Arboretum in Asheville and see these originated in Asia a millennium ago. “It’s ROOTS OF THE PROJECT and scores of other native Appalachian a horticultural endeavor, not a celebration One of the North Carolina native bonsai plants within just a few feet of each other, of another culture,” Joura says. “It’s just project’s early champions was John L. in miniature, as bonsai. about plants.” Creech, a former director of the U.S. Na- The evolution of the unique bonsai In fact, Joura adds, it was the late Japan- tional Arboretum in Washington, D.C. collection at the arboretum can be traced ese bonsai master Yuji Yoshimura who en- Creech served as the interim director of to a confluence of unusual circumstances couraged him to develop a North Carolina the North Carolina Arboretum when the that combined to create an opportunity school of bonsai in 1995, when Joura was facility was first being planned in the for a new public educational institution to studying with Yoshimura. “He told me 1980s. represent its state's botanical heritage in a back then what I needed to do,” says Joura. “The collection is in a class by itself be- cause no one has done American plants Above: Bonsai curator Arthur Joura studies a rhododendron he is shaping into a bonsai specimen. like this before,” says Creech, who retired Opposite: A mountain scene composed of American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), dwarf to North Carolina after a long and storied azalea (Rhododendron 'Ruzicon'), and creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum ‘Coccineus’). career as a U.S. Department of Agricul-

September / October 2004 21 22 back tohealth,heembarked onanaccel- sai curator. Whilenursingthespecimens bon- fied himforthepositionofpart-time quali- plants andbackground infinearts point, hisexperiencegrowing container Joura nothingaboutbonsaiatthat knew were inpoorcondition.Even though the arboretum, in1992,manyofthem tum. By thetimeplantsfinallyreached 100-piece bonsaicollectiontothearbore- Carolina familydonatedanunwanted manager. Thefollowing year, aNorth was hired asanassistanttothenursery Jouraofficially openedin1990,Arthur complished elsewhere.” formnotac- the mountainflorainanart untested species.It captures thebeautyof ity tointerpret how besttotreat these abil- visionandhorticultural both artistic Japanese orChinesesubjectsandrequires a bolddeparture from thetraditional ture planthunterandadministrator. “It’s over 500yearsold.Aplantwon’t lastthatlongifit’smistreated.” tivated form.Considerthefact thattherearebonsaiwithdocumentedhistories nary resultsthatreflectandcapture theessenceofwildnatureinvery,verycul- says ArthurJoura.“Weusesound horticulturalprinciplestoproduceextraordi- understanding oftheculturalrequirementsindividual plantspecies. a practiceinpatiencethatreliesbothonartisticsensibility andonanintimate ingly trainedandnurturedtocreateminiaturereplicationsofmatureplantsgrow- most peoplearefamiliarwithoriginatedinJapan.Inbonsai,plantspainstak- veloped inChina(calledpentsai)andKoreaboonjay),buttheversion made itswaytoJapansometimebefore1200A.D.Uniquebonsaitraditionsde- The practiceofbonsaioriginatedinChinamorethanathousandyearsagoand WHAT ISBONSAI? specimen ofViburnumnudumvar. A normalbranchcomparedtoabonsai When theNorth Carolina Arboretum “Bonsai sitssomewherebetween thehorticulturalworldandartworld,” the American Gardener cassinoides. a foresttreecollectedin1990. for bonsai.Thisspecimenwastrainedfrom (Carpinus caroliniana) pruning maketheAmericanhornbeam Small leavesandtheabilitytowithstand and sometimes extraordinary coinci- and sometimesextraordinary beginning,” saysJoura, “justfortuitous wasnotaplanatthe collection. “There of hiswork week to care ofthebonsai ratorial role, designatingmore andmore ment graduallyworked Joura intohiscu- Japan foramonthin1998tostudybonsai. sai.” Finally, Joura wasabletotravel to Yoshimura, the“father ofAmericanbon- tostudyprivately with opportunity what Joura sayswasan“exceptionally rare” vention inOrlando, Florida, followed by al Arboretum, thenaWorld BonsaiCon- and Penjing Museum attheU.S.Nation- erated trainingprogram. light toensureoptimumhealth.It’s balance ofwater,fertilizer,and must provideplantswiththeperfect growth. Atthesametime,growers roots carefullyprunedtorestrict stone orwoodentraysandkeepthe shallow ceramiccontainersoron growers planttheirspecimensin great age. weights tocreatetheappearanceof stylized shapeswithwiresand dimensions andoftencoaxedinto plants areprunedtomuchsmaller achieve this,vigorouslygrowing ing intheirnaturalhabitat.To Meanwhile, thearboretum’s manage- First camestudysessionsattheBonsai In strivingforminiaturization, a naturalcandidate —N.C. BRANCHING OUT BRANCHING safras have proven amenabletobonsai.Sas- branch shapes. ing, anddevelop interesting and trunk growth offoldwood,tolerateroot prun- produce new withstand pruning, sai candidatesshouldhave smallleaves, as potentialbonsaimaterial. boretum, plant heconsidered nearlyevery of Pisgah National Forest—and atthear- side theBent Creek Experimental Forest forests—the arboretum isnestledalong- wealth ofnative plants innearby national the term bonsaitraining.Asheobserved tions andpublicworkshops andforlong- (Acer rubrum) as well asnumerous cultivated red maples (Carpinus caroliniana) scribes asmore informalandnaturalistic. denser, more lookthatJoura rugged de- bonsai plants,andsometimesoffera leaf color, thantraditional andfruits more varied springtimeflowering, fall Indeed, theAppalachian bonsaioffer have notbeentrainedbefore asbonsai. tions andthepotentialofspeciesthat Along thewayheislearninglimita- native Appalachian bonsaicollection. plants holdpromise asadditionstothe from cuttingsatthearboretum. These tive plantsfrom wild-collected seedand Joura hasbeenraisingagenerationofna- just fellintoplace.” dences. Aswe progressed, things certain Not alltheregionally native plants In general,Joura says,thebestbon- Joura usedAmericanhornbeam (Sassafras albidum), for classroom demonstra- from nursery stock from nursery for instance,

TOP: COURTESY OF NORTH CAROLINA ARBORETUM doesn’t take root pruning well, nor does sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum). The leaves of the tulip tree (Liriodendron Mt. Mitchell tulipifera) are just too large and the na- tive hickories have long taproots and composite leaves. That doesn’t mean Joura hasn’t at- tempted to create bonsai from unusual subjects. Among his most surprising bonsai-in-training are cutleaf staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina ‘Dissecta’) and an American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens). “If anyone should be trying this it should be us,” Joura explains. “We’re not afraid to experiment and fail. We were free to expand in this direction because our efforts are not market driven. A bon- sai business has to move proven sellers. If the market demands Chinese junipers and Japanese maples, then that’s the way to go. We’re free of that. We have to sell it in another sense, to get people to ac- cept what we’re doing.” MIRRORING NATURAL VIGNETTES In addition to growing individual species in containers or on wooden or rock slabs, Joura is using combinations of plants to represent notable North Carolina vistas and landmarks. Here the collection’s ed- ucational function comes to the fore, as bonsai helps viewers establish an under- standing of the relationship between their botanical and cultural heritage. Graveyard Fields The first such representation was of Mt. Mitchell, which at 6,684 feet is the highest point east of the Mississippi River. The bonsai version mirrors in miniature the mix of full-size plants found at the site, including weather-beat- en old Fraser firs (Abies fraseri) and red spruce (Picea rubens) that tower over the wind-stunted undergrowth. “The central element of this planting is a dead tree, which represents the countless dead and dying trees in the decimated spruce-fir forests of the highest elevations in the Southern Appalachians,” says Joura. Next was Graveyard Fields, on the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway, where a super-hot forest fire in 1925 scorched the vegetation to expose bare, mineralized soil. Gradually, significant colonies of blueber- ry bushes began to flourish, along with is- lands of red maple (Acer rubrum), yellow birch (Betula lutea), fire cherry (Prunus Scenes from Appalachia. Top: The Mt. Mitchell bonsai reflects the severe weather of that site. pensylvanica), witherod (Viburnum Above: In Graveyard Fields, Joura attempts to evoke the "never ending story of natural succession."

September / October 2004 23 9TH ANNUAL CAROLINA BONSAI EXPO IN ASHEVILLE Resources The American Bonsai Society, P.O. The North Carolina Ar- Box 1136, Puyallup, WA 98371- boretum in Asheville is 1136. www.absbonsai.org. hosting the 9th Annual Carolina Bonsai Expo on Bonsai Clubs International, P.O. Box October 9 and 10. This 1176, Brookfield, WI 53008-1176. year's Expo will feature www.bonsai-bci.com. more than 50 bonsai spec- imens created by bonsai The Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection, clubs from across the Weyerhaeuser Company, 33663 Southeast, including Vir- Weyerhaeuser Way South, Federal ginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Way, WA 98003. (253) 924-5206. and of course, the Caroli- nas. In addition to the Bonsai by the editors of Sunset Books bonsai exhibit-and an op- and Sunset Magazine. Lane Publish- portunity to view the Ar- ing Co., New York, New York, 1994. boretum's permanent bon- sai collection-there will be The Complete Book of Bonsai by Har- free demonstrations by ry Tomlinson. Abbeville Press, New bonsai experts, a live auc- York, New York, 1991. tion, and a bonsai market- place. Totally Bonsai: A Guide to Growing, For more information Shaping and Caring for Miniature Trees about the bonsai expo, call & Shrubs by Craig Coussins. Tuttle This Fothergilla gardenii, here in autumn color, was a (828) 665-2492 or visit Publishing, North Clarendon, Ver- nursery plant that Joura began working on in 1995. www.ncarboretum.org mont, 2001. nudum var. cassinoides), St. John’s-wort, NATIVE BONSAI OUTREACH collection several times and says he is im- and serviceberry. In this vignette, Joura The Bonsai Expo, which debuted in pressed with its progress. says he is trying to evoke the “never end- 1996, is one aspect of Joura’s highly visi- “I think it is particularly important for ing story of natural succession.” ble outreach and education programs, a young collection that is still being de- Then came the Roan Mountain which includes not just residents of veloped to have some identifying charac- scene, named for the 6,285-foot peak that North Carolina but the Southeast and teristic, something that sets it apart from straddles the North Carolina–Tennessee beyond. He frequently travels to schools other collections,” says De Groot. “Using border. This site is special because it is and garden clubs to show specimens native flora as an identifying characteris- home to a stunning 600-acre grove of and demonstrate bonsai techniques, and tic also makes sense from the standpoint Catawba rhododendrons (Rhododendron many such groups come to the arbore- of practicality, because trees generally do catawbiense). The bonsai composition, tum for similar programs. The popular- better as bonsai if they are grown in their which Joura created with the assistance ity of the bonsai exhibit has encouraged native environment and heroic measures of Ken Duncan and John Geanangel, the arboretum to launch a fundraising are not required to keep them alive and two colleagues from the Bonsai Club of campaign for the construction of a $1.8 beautiful.” South Carolina, was five years in the million bonsai display pavilion that will While Joura values and drew inspira- making. Final assembly of the collection eventually house the rapidly growing tion from the important educational and took place in October 2003 at the annu- collection. artistic contributions of traditional bonsai al Carolina Bonsai Expo (see box, above). While the arboretum’s native Ap- collections around the country, he’s obvi- Here Joura mimicked the richly textured palachian bonsai collection is still quite ously proud of the pioneering role the ar- rhododendron groves by using, as he has unique, there has been significant interest boretum’s collection is playing. “Nobody elsewhere, stand-ins for regional native in adapting the horticultural practice of else is looking at it in quite the same way plants that didn’t quite work as bonsai— bonsai to local plant collections all over we are,” he says.  Asian junipers (Juniperus chinensis ‘Shim- the United States. paku’) instead of red spruce and Asian David De Groot, curator of the Pacif- A freelance writer in Boone, North Caroli- azaleas (Rhododendron kiusianum) for the ic Rim Bonsai Collection in Federal Way, na, Nan Chase gardens with Appalachian

native rhododendrons. Washington, has visited the arboretum’s plant species. COURTESY OF ARTHUR JOURA

24 the American Gardener HOW BONSAI IS CREATED To create a miniature of a mature tree or shrub, it is helpful to examine several full-size specimens, particularly those that are old and gnarled. These natural growth patterns can be mimicked in a young plant through selective pruning and shaping techniques. A specimen for bonsai is carefully studied for existing patterns that can be enhanced. A leaning trunk or a cascading branch, for example, add character to a bonsai. Both branches and roots are pruned to accomplish dwarfing and shaping. Once the branches that will become the framework of the specimen are determined, the remaining branches are gradually reduced to create a balance between areas of growth and open or negative TOOLS OF THE TRADE space. Copper wires are wrapped • Scissors around branches to guide • Pruners growth—particularly with conifer- • Wire cutters ous bonsai specimens. Pruning • Copper wire and wiring are done in stages in a (various gauges) process that may take several years to obtain the desired form.

1. A short leaf pine (Pinus echinata) is shown before its initial 2. Pruning is done lightly and in several stages to reduce the pruning and wiring. Note the fullness of foliage and the horizontal density of the foliage and expose more of the tree's framework. position of the lower branches. Here the pine has been given its second pruning.

3. The trunk and branches are wired to guide growth to accentuate 4. Further pruning and wiring will be needed to train the pine, but the natural cascading tendency of the lower branch. Progressively here it is beginning to take its desired form. smaller gauge wire is used as the distance from the trunk increases.

September / October 2004 25 Late Bloomers

26 the American Gardener When cool nights and shorter days signal the arrival of fall, a few Several cultivars are available, including ones with white flowers (‘Summer Snow’) special perennials keep on blooming. BY CAROLE OTTESEN and variegated leaves (‘Variegata’). Or plant one of the truly “obedient” cultivars: ‘Miss Manners’, a stay-put, clumping form with white flowers; or ‘Vivid’, a compact, LANT LUST does not go unpun- well adapted to USDA Zones 3 to 9 and later-blooming selection that has claret- ished. Hortigluttons are con- AHS Zones 9 to 3. pink flowers. P demned to the circle of hell Children love them because, as with reserved for those who lusted overmuch snapdragons, squeezing the flowers will WAYSIDE BEAUTIES after plants. In recent years, swarms of tor- force open the “mouth.” But turtleheads Obedient plants attract hummingbirds, mentors—mosquitoes and gnats—have are much more terrifying than snapdrag- but it is long-tongued bees and butterflies made being in the garden in summer a ons. Squeezing their heads reveals the tur- that search out the deep, rich purple flow- torture unless one is properly armored tle’s sickled fangs. Butterflies, including the ers of New York ironweed (Vernonia against these insects. And being armored Baltimore checkerspot, are not deterred by noveboracensis, Zones 4–8, 8–3). An atten- against them—a hat, a coating of cit- the threatening mouth parts and flock to tion riveter on roadsides in the fall—and ronella oil or, worse, a highly unfashion- the flowers. Deer usually ignore the plants named the 1995 Plant of the Year by the able net bag to cover the face, and long and the flowers are good for cutting. Virginia Native Plant Society—this plant pants and long shirt—is itself a torture if Another wildlife plant that blooms on has yet to receive the attention it deserves. the day is hot, which it always is. the cusp between August and September is The flowers, which open in August Gardening during this period—which obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana, and continue into September, would be lasts from the first 80-degree day in May reason enough to grow it, but until sometime in September for me here other attributes render it a must- in the Mid-Atlantic—boils down to have. Nothing bothers it. A choosing between sweltering or the itch of tough, upright stem, celebrated dozens of insect bites, gritting my teeth in the common name, keeps it and doing what has to be done, and long- from needing staking and an ing for that fine day in September when, equally tough constitution pre- the mosquitoes and gnats, having accom- cludes trouble of any kind, pro- plished their evolutionary destiny, what- vided ironweed is grown in ever that may be, mercifully disappear. mostly sun and moist, but well- When that blessed day arrives, the best drained soil. revenge is to have acquired even more plants, but to have stocked up on those that bloom late in the season. Fortunate- ly, there is no dearth of late bloomers from Zones 4–5, 8–3). Native to much of east- which to choose. Some of the most wel- ern and central North America, it must come are those whose late summer ap- have been named by the same wag who pearance heralds the approach of relief. christened Greenland. Wildly disobedient, it refuses to stay in place, but erupts naugh- HARBINGERS OF FALL tily via rhizomes to form great colonies— When turtlehead (Chelone spp.) starts to which is less surprising when you learn it bloom, you know that summer’s half way is a member of the mint family. mark is past and fall is just around the But, in the right place, excessive growth corner. These wildflowers, native to creek can be an advantage. Let obedient plant banks and other moist-to-wet places in loose in the sunny, boggy places that are eastern North America, adapt well to or- the undoing of other plants and enjoy the dinary garden soil and grow well in sun erect, two-foot stalks of pink snapdragon or part shade. The plant is upright to flowers that this plant carries with geo- about three feet with very dark green metric precision. The flowers are freely leaves. The flowers range from white produced for more than a month and are (Chelone glabra), pale pink (C. obliqua), great for cutting (in fact, you may want to or hot pink (C. lyonii ‘Hot Lips’). All are deadhead them to avoid self-sowing).

Opposite: Blooming in October, Eupatorium ‘Chocolate’ has white flowers that contrast with its bronze-green foliage. This page, top: Obedient plant and turtlehead both thrive in boggy

. LEFT: KEN MEYER. THIS PAGE, TOP: CAROLE OTTESEN; BOTTOM: DAVID CAVAGNARO places. Right: As its name implies, New York ironweed isn’t bothered by pests and diseases.

September / October 2004 27 28 spread nearlyaswide.Plant itattheback grow from fourto10feet tallandwill moist soil),Maximilian’s sunflower will toslightly conditions (itthrives indry Ikebana master. slung containerandyou’ll feellikean clusters. Plunk justonesteminalow- golden flowers thatbloomin elongated gray-green foliage andfour-inchbright giant from theSouthwest blessedwith lianthus maximiliani, quet isMaximilian’s sunflower produce sprays ofsmallerflowers. ly tallplantsthatneedfullsun,butthey known annualrelative, theyare general- are alllatebloomers. Liketheirbetter- lianthus to membersofthesunflower tribe purple onroadsides mostoftenbelongs through earlyfall. fers brightred flowers inlatesummer culata), available isthesmoothironweed garden center. One thatismore readily ety’s, you are unlikelytofindthem atthe the North AmericanRock Garden Soci- sales andthrough seedexchanges suchas sometimes available through native plant ed ladies. sulfurs, monarchs, andpaint- asswallowtails,terflies whites, four feet.Allattractsuchbut- ironweeds topoffat about and western (V. baldwinii) The Missouri (V. missurica) reaches seven oreightfeet. tucky native thattypically ironweed considering includegiant delay bloom. controls size, buttendsto back inJune. Thisnotonly lem, ironweed canbelopped six-footer. If heightisaprob- tions willproduce ahusky foot giant.Ordinary condi- moisture canproduce anine- Abundantly richsoiland sponds tositeconditions. States, New York ironweed re- much oftheeasternUnited Depending uponsoilandmoisture One whose singlestemmakesabou- The goldthataccompaniesironweed’s Unfortunately, whilethesespeciesare Other ironweeds worth Native, despiteitsname,to the American Gardener a four-to-six-foot-tallplantthatof- spp.). Theperennial sunflowers (V. gigantea), Zones 4–9,9–4),a a Ken- (V. fasci- (He- (He- leaved sunflowerbrightenautumndays. The cheerfulyellowblossomsofwillow- gatum) grasses suchasswitchgrass net andisafinecompaniontotallprairie It drawsbirds likeamag- andbutterflies of aborder orasananchorspotscreen. with goldenflowers throughout thefall. and another, ‘Autumn Glory’, iscovered Light’, grows toslightlylessthan fourfeet um moisture. cultivar, Ashorter ‘First feet andthrives inaverage soilandmedi- whichusuallygrows toaboutsix 5–9, 9–4), leaved sunflower (H.salicifolius,Zones dark brown centers.Thisisthewillow- hundreds ofyellow rayflowers around third native isjustbeginningtoproduce flowers are infullbloomSeptember, a blooms inadeepergolden-orangecolor. and fullsunasMaximilian’s sunflower, but It toaverage soil thrives inthesamedry height butspreading toonlytwofeetwide. row inhabit,reaching aboutfourfeetin Zones 4–9,9–4)isalsomore erectly nar- the western sunflower ber andmaycontinueuntilhard frost. Fe’, whichbeginsflowering inSeptem- floriferous cultivar called‘Santaa very Gardens inNew Mexico hasintroduced nutans). David Salman ofHigh Country As thewestern andMaximilian’s sun- Smaller thanMaximilian’s sunflower, and Indian grass(Sorghastrum (H. occidentalis, (Panicum vir- land asters gust andSeptember. fields andgardens beginninginlateAu- my money, itisastersthatreally lightup mums astheofficialflower offall,butfor Garden centersmaypushchrysanthe- ANDANEMONES AWESOME ASTERS adaptable species,smoothasterisnative to flowers withyellow centers.Awidely about three feetandsetsoffviolet-blue tive deepblue-green foliagegrows to than itsNew England cousins.Its attrac- has amore slender, distinctlyuprighthabit aster ant ofdriersoilinfullsun,thesmooth and fullsun. gardens andthrive inmoisttoaverage soil they are well adaptedtoawiderrangein the Northeast andtheupperMidwest, more compactshapes.Native tomuchof land astersare easytocutorpinchinto that maygrow astallsixfeet,New Eng- ‘Alma Potschke’. Generally bushyplants ‘Purple Dome’ tofour-foot,rose-colored blue ‘October Skies’ andtheeven shorter colors rangingfrom two-foot-tall,sky- 3–9, 9–1)comeinabevyofcultivars and The late, starry flowersThe late,starry ofNew Eng- Blooming atthesame time,buttoler- (A. laevis (Aster novae-angliae,(Aster ‘Bluebird’, Zones 4–9,9–2) Zones

TOP LEFT: JESSIE M. HARRIS; BOTTOM LEFT: JOSEPH G. STRAUCH JR.; OPPOSITE, BOTTOM RIGHT: DAVID CAVAGNARO MORE FALL-BLOOMING PERENNIALS Name Hgt./Width Flower Culture Origin USDA Hardiness/ (feet) color AHS Heat Zones Aster tataricus 3–6/2–3 blue full sun, average soil Siberia 3–9, 9–1 (Tatarian aster) Boltonia asteroides 3–6/2–4 white full sun, moist to dry soil east U.S. 4–8, 9–2 (False aster) Chrysopsis mariana 2–3/2–3 yellow full to part sun, average soil east U.S. 5–9, 9–4 (Maryland golden aster) Cimicifuga americana 3–4/2–3 white part sun or shade, moist soil east and midwest U.S. 3–8, 8–1 (American bugbane) Salvia greggii 2–3/1–2 red/orange full sun, average to dry soil Texas 7–9, 9–7 (Texas sage) Solidago speciosa 2–4/2 yellow full sun, moist to dry east and central U.S. 3–9, 9–3 (Showy goldenrod) fields, open woodland, and prairies over cover in the wild or in wild gardens. Na- grow three or four feet but tend to flop. It much of North America. tive from Quebec to the Carolinas, this benefits from a good mulch to keep down Less forthcoming with its pale lilac Au- aster is very hardy; it thrives in full sun at weeds that grow through its supine, gust and September flowers, the big leaf higher elevations but elsewhere does best branching stems. Native to the sunny aster’s (A. macrophyllus, Zones 3–9, 9–1) in dappled shade. prairies of the Midwest, heath aster is at foliage is the weightiest part of this plant. Unlike the thinly distributed flowers of home in dry, hot sun. It is dense, robust, dark green, and luxuri- big leaf aster, heath aster (A.ericoides, Not so the white wood aster (A. divar- ant in contrast to the slim, delicate flower Zones 5–8, 8–5), is smothered in white, icatus, Zones 3–9, 9–1), which thrives in stalks. Growing six inches to two feet tall, yellow-centered flowers from late August the deep, moist humus and dappled shade big leaf aster forms a handsome ground through October. Heath aster’s stems at woodland’s edge. Northeasterners will recognize this as the familiar native wild- flower that festoons roadsides in Septem- ber and October. It’s a spreading, sprawling plant with numerous small, white flowers with yellow centers that age purple. A great, if rambunctious, edger for woodland gardens. Anemones are also useful August and September bloomers. If you have room in dappled shade, acquire at least two and let them naturalize. The Japanese anemone (Anemone hupehensis, Zones 4–8, 8–1) will begin sending up pink flowers in late Au- gust and continue through September— good selections include ‘Hadspen Abundance’ and ‘September Charm’. The tried-and-true 19th-century hybrid anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’, which has a pure white flower with scalloped petals, is completely reliable, floriferous, and great for cutting. Both these anemones grow about four feet tall in bloom, but are prac- ‘Alma Potschke’, left, is a cultivar of New tically invisible the rest of the year. England aster that attracts bees and butterflies in the autumn garden. Aster TILL HARD FROST DO WE PART ericoides, above, is a recumbent species After September, the pickin’s get slim- that blooms from late August through October mer. There are rebloomers such as green and tolerates heat and drought. and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum,

September / October 2004 29 Zones 5–8, 8–5), a six-inch-tall, rhizoma- tous ground cover that will produce the odd yellow flower in October and even in November. And there’s the old faith- ful Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Zones 4–9, 12–1), an 18-inch-tall succulent with in- nocuous pink August flowers that be- come more ornamental as they age. They develop a deep rusty-red in October be- fore slowly fading to rust-brown. There are also some bona fide October- blooming perennials. Long popular with rock gardeners, the Japanese onion (Allium thunbergii ‘Ozawa’, Zones 5–9, 9–5) some- how escaped the attention of perennial gar- deners until a few years ago, when it was “discovered.” It has since garnered a lot of attention. And no wonder! This bloom is about as late as it gets—usually October and November, and there are reports of December flowers. They look like big, floppy, very deep cherry-pink chive flow- ers above an upright, one-foot tall, chive- like clump. When flowering is done, the foliage turns a beautiful pumpkin orange. The Japanese onion grows best in full sun, but will adapt to part shade. It isn’t fussy about soil and, once established, it is drought tolerant. In the manner of onions or chives, the clump thickens quickly. But you still need at least three plants to make a statement. Another plant that seems to have gained great popularity in the The flowers and seedheads of Sedum last several years is the ‘Autumn Joy’, above, grow more colorful as toad lily (Tricyrtis spp., they mature. Green and gold, left, isn’t Zones 5–9, 9–5), an strictly an autumn bloomer, but it bears Asian genus with yellow flowers sporadically well into fall. many attractive culti- vars that were devel- zomatous. They are good companions to oped in Japan. In a hellebores, hostas, and Turk’s cap lilies (Lil- 10-year study con- ium superbum). Their single drawback is ducted at the Chicago not of their own making: Deer love them, Botanic Garden, 24 often munching the tender flower buds cultivars were rated for just before they open. garden worthiness. Of Still another good companion for toad the 16 survivors after a decade in the Mid- ber before they even think about flowering. lilies is the October-blooming bottle gen- west’s challenging climate, the top per- Then, for at least two months, they pro- tian (Gentiana andrewsii, Zones 3–7, 8–1), formers were T. formosana and T. hirta duce a steady supply of wonderfully mys- which thrives in the same sort of shady ‘Miyazaki’. Of the others, T. latifolia and terious blooms resembling spotted orchids. site. When their needs are met, these 18- hybrid selections ‘Sononome’ and ‘Tojen’ Carried on arching sprays, they make good inch-tall plants will spread indefinitely also received high ratings for hardiness and and and long-lasting cut flowers. into attractive clumps that are also, alas, good looks throughout the season. And toad lilies do it all in the shade! attractive to deer. Native to the eastern half Toad lilies are multiply talented. They South of the Mason–Dixon line, they re- of North America, bottle gentians have grow into handsome, shrubby, two-to- ally need deep shade. In moist, humusy cobalt blue, closed, bottle flowers—re-

three-foot clumps that wait until Septem- soil, toad lily clumps are moderately rhi- sembling balloons with a pointed end. TOP: JOSEPH G. STRAUCH JR.; BOTTOM: BILL JOHNSON

30 the American Gardener The straight species might be mildly at- tractive in a spot behind the garage, but the cultivar ‘Chocolate’ is striking any- where. Dark red-brown, serrated leaves are topped in October with pinky-red buds that open to complementary, daz- zling white flowers. Bees and butterflies flock to the flowers, but be aware that the leaves of this plant, once used for medic- inal purposes, are poisonous. COMPANION PLANTS Late bloomers are even more attractive when nicely accompanied. Perennials that flowered earlier in the season, grass- es, or annuals will do the job with grace. For the very upright moisture lovers, The orchidlike flowers of toad lilies, such as Tricyrtis hirta ‘Miyazaki’, bloom in fall and turtlehead and obedient plant. Palm sedge bring a touch of the exotic to the garden—unless the deer get to them first. (Carex muskingumensis), with bright green horizontally whorled leaves on lax stems is Two Eupatorium species—hardy ager- ing by rhizomes in moist, fertile soil. If this a soft-textured complement. There’s a atum or mist flower (Eupatorium happens, the only recourse is to pull it out dwarf, ‘Little Midge’, that grows only eight coelestinum, Zones 3–8, 8–1) and white regularly and/or whenever it threatens inches tall, and a two-foot-tall variegated snakeroot (E. rugosum, Zones 4–8, choice ferns or other wildflowers. The cul- form, ‘Oehme’ (Zones 5–8, 8–4). 8–4)—will also stick around until frost. tivar ‘Cory’ has red stems and clear blue The spherical foliage of a well pruned Both these natives of eastern North Amer- flowers. Grow hardy ageratum in full sun wild indigo (Baptisia australis, Zones 3-9, ica grow three to five feet tall. or very light shade. 9–1), which grows two to four feet tall, Hardy ageratum produces eight weeks Not as aggressive—but a free spread- looks great with tall sun-loving ironweed of blue, ageratumlike flowers that can be er nonetheless in moist, rich soil—white and perennial sunflowers. So does the fine cut for bouquets and are also edible. It can snakeroot grows about three feet tall and texture of switch grass (Panicum virgatum, be extremely aggressive, however, spread- thrives in full sun or at woodland’s edge. Zones 5–9, 9–1). Asters are spectacular growing around dense, fierce yuccas (Yucca spp.). Annuals such as lime-green sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas ‘Marguerite’), Sources dark red coleus, and castor bean plant Busse Gardens, Big Lake, MN. (800) Prairie Nursery, Inc., Westfield, WI. (Ricinus communis) can contrast with or 544-3192. www.bussegardens. (800) 476-9453. www.prairie augment this color scheme. com. Catalog $3. nursery.com. Catalog free. In the shade, ferns such as tassel fern (Polystichum polyblepharum, Zones 6–8, Forestfarm, Williams, OR. (541) Roslyn Nursery, Dix Hills, NY. (631) 8–5) and hellebores (Helleborus ✕hy- 846-7269. www.forestfarm.com. 643-9347. www.roslynnursery.com. bridus, Zones 6–9, 9–6) form low, lacy Catalog $5; free online. Catalog $3. frames around autumn bloomers like bottle gentians and toad lilies. Meadowbrook Nursery/ We-Du Na- If you suffer from outrageous plant lust, tives, Marion, NC. (828) 738-8300. Resources consider carefully the abundant tempta- www.we-du.com. Catalog $3. Herbaceous Perennial Plants by Allan tions that bloom at the end of the hot, M. Armitage. Stipes Publishing, muggy summer. Indulge yourself with as Niche Gardens, Chapel Hill, NC. Champaign, Illinois, 1997. many late-season bloomers as you can pack (919) 967-0078. www.niche into the beds and borders. Then garden gardens.com. Catalog $3 The New England Wild Flower Society wickedly, in bug-free, breeze-cooled com- Guide to Growing and Propagating fort while surrounded by flowers.  Plant Delights Nursery, Inc., Raleigh, Wildflowers of the United States and NC. (919) 772-4794. www.plant Canada by William Cullina. Carole Ottesen is associate editor of The delights.com. Catalog 10 stamps or Houghton Mifflin, Boston, Massa- American Gardener. She enjoys bug-free a box of chocolates. chusetts, 2000. strolls among the late-blooming plants in her Potomac, Maryland, garden. CAROLE OTTESEN

September / October 2004 31 32 soil asfoodforyour garden plants. trients andreleasing thembackintothe by reprocessingthe soilfertility thosenu- dwelling creatures, whichinturnincrease asfoodforahostofsoil- manure—serves added organicmatter—oftencalledgreen ther enhancingthesoilstructure, this begin todecompose.In additiontofur- into thesoil,itsleaves, stems,androots falfa—are idealforbreaking upheavy clay. deep—like Sudangrass, buckwheat,oral- ture. Crops withroots thatgrow extra penetrating roots thatimprove soilstruc- grow, theycreate anextensive network of with richandfriablesoil.Ascover crops transform poor, bare ground intoasite can usecover crops toyour advantage. Whether your garden islargeorsmall, you ing weeds, garden pests,anddiseases. mulch, toanaturalresource forsuppress- ganic soilconditioner, fertilizer, and sential roles inthegarden—from anor- best. Cover anarrayofes- crops perform garden, growing acover crop isamongthe trogen andothereasilyleached nutrients especially effective atcapturing excess ni- brassicas thatgrow quicklyinthefall are the soil.Fibrous-rooted grasses,grains,and form thatcanbeusedby plants. atmosphericnitrogenconvert into a specialized bacteriacalledrhizobia that through a symbioticrelationship with vetches, provide extranitrogen tocrops cover crops, suchasalfalfa,clovers, and quirements foryour garden. Leguminous can provide mostofthenutrient re- When usedonaregular basis,cover crops REWARDS REAPING RICH O BY KRISWETHERBEE erosion, andsuppressweeds. improve yoursoil,prevent green manure,covercrops Used aslivingmulchor When thecrop isturnedunderortilled These economicalworkhorses can Other cover crops minenitrogen from the American Gardener rich your soilandbeautifythe niques you can F ALLTHE gardening tech- employ toen- Turned underinearlyspring,favabeansareagreatsourceof“green manure.” phorus. Once the“greenphorus. manure” is macronutrients likepotassium andphos- draws upvaluable tracemineralsaswell as of otherplants.Theirdeeprooted action trients thathave moved beyond thereach like buckwheatandalfalfahelp recycle nu- when thecrop isturnedunder. returned tothesoil thefollowing spring reserve intheirtissues.Thenutrientsare with theirdeeproots andholdingthemin Broadleaf cover crops withdeeproots Cover Crops in thegarden and prevents weeds from taking over. soilmoisture, minimizesserves erosion, canopy moderatessoiltemperature, con- crobes. In addition,theresulting leaf andbeneficialmi- ence ofearthworms and shadethesoilencourage thepres- generation ofplants. gradually becomeavailable tothenext ganisms canbreak itdown, thenutrients turned backintothesoilwhere soilor- As alivingmulch,cover crops protect

MICHAEL S. THOMPSON Annual cover crops such as buckwheat (left) and soybeans (right) grow rapidly to serve up nutrients and organic matter, and suppress weeds.

Buckwheat, red clover, chickling vetch, big-eyed bugs, and assassin bugs. Most nitrogen, recycle valuable nutrients from and other fast-growing crops are good grains entice lady beetles. Fava beans at- the subsoil, or use a fast-growing crop to choices for weed control because they tract predatory and parasitic wasps, as does starve out weeds? Consider how long a form thick stands that out-compete and buckwheat, which has the added benefit of cover crop takes to grow, when it needs to smother the weeds. luring hover flies and bumblebees. be turned under, and whether that sched- Above ground, cover crops provide ule meshes with your particular garden food and shelter for beneficial insects that COVER CROP OPTIONS plan. Your growing season, soil, and cli- keep pests in check. Clovers support a large The key to reaping maximum rewards mate are also factors. The crop should suit variety of “good bugs” such as tachinid from a cover crop is knowing which crop your needs—not grow into a nuisance. flies, big-eyed bugs, ground beetles, and to grow. Do you want cover in the spring, Buckwheat, soybeans, and other cover parasitic wasps that prey on aphids, scales, summer, fall, or winter? Is your main goal annuals can be used during the growing and whiteflies. Alfalfa appeals to a host of to enhance the soil with an abundance of season in crop rotations or for planting be- parasitic wasps, lady beetles, damsel bugs, organic matter, add significant amounts of tween fruit trees, vine crops, or vegetables

TOP LEFT: RICK WETHERBEE; RIGHT AND BOTTOM MICHAEL S. THOMPSON; RIGHT: JESSIE M. HARRIS Fast-growing legumes such as Austrian winter pea (left) and crimson clover (right) smother weeds and boost the available nitrogen levels.

September / October 2004 33 34 ing erosion. “By usinga variety of differ- habitat forbeneficial insectsandprevent- clients forimproving soil,providing a larly recommends cover crops to his inSacramento,Services California,regu- director ofBiological Urban Gardening by growing amix.Steven Zien, executive butyou cangetthemostbenefits virtues, gen thannon-legumes. turned underandcontributemore nitro- garden. Legumesdecompose rapidlywhen and manyalsoreduce nematodesinthe choice asafastandeffective livingmulch, ents theyscavenge. They’re oftenfirst- they addtosoilaswell astheexcess nutri- noted forthesurplusofbulkymaterial though grainsandgrassesare especially now available, seesidebar, right). annual alfalfacultivar called‘Nitro’ isalso sativa), The exception tothis isalfalfa that have tobeeliminatedwithherbicides. cause somemaybecomepersistentweeds for homevegetable gardens, however, be- have beenharvested. viding wintercover afteryour foodcrops proving poorsoils,inorchards, or, forpro- long-term cover incrop rotation, forim- slow toestablish.They work well asa beneficial insects. provide asource offoodandshelterfor won't resprout from theirroots. Theyalso ally grow fast,are quicktoestablish,and like cornortomatoes.Theseannualsusu- It canbeplantedinrotationsduringthegrowingseasonorasawintercover. Annual ryegrassdevelopsadeep,fibrousrootsystemthathelpsbreakupcompactedsoil. Each cover crop brings itsown setof All cover crops addorganicmatter, In general,theyare notthebestchoice Perennials tendtobedeep-rooting and the American Gardener which isfairlyeasytocontrol (an (Medicago matter, andaready supplyofnitrogen. spring forasoftseedbed,loadsoforganic mer orearlyfall,thentillunderin those goals,”Zien says. ent plants,you canaccomplishmore of ‘Nitro’ alfalfamakesarich“tea.” nitrogen thanitsperennialcounterparts. al covercropsandreportedly“fixes”—or makesavailableinthesoil—50percentmore the UniversityofMinnesota,continues growinglaterintheseasonthanotherannu- application onandaroundplants. Thecultivar‘Nitro’,anannualalfalfadevelopedby in aholdingbedonitsownandcroppedrepeatedlyforuse asasoilamendment. then cutdownbeforeitsetsseedandgentlydugintothesoil. Oritcanbegrown flower bedsinfallsothattheywillbereadyforspringplanting.Byplantingan be effectivelyintegratedincertainornamentalgardeningsituations. Cover cropsaremostcommonlyusedwithvegetablegardens,buttheycanalso COVER CROPSFORORNAMENTALS Grow oats withfieldpeasinlatesum- Alfalfa canalsobesteepedin water toforma“tea”(muchlikecomposttea)for One ofthemostusefulapplicationsistostabilizeandenrichnewlycreated small patchesaroundornamentalsand This perenniallegumecanbeplantedin ings whenusedasanorganicamendment. yielded goodresultsinornamentalplant- ticular, alfalfa(Medicagosativa), mental bedsisasagreenmanure.Inpar- before itisplanted. incorporating organicmatterintothebed er andeithertilledorspadedintothesoil, can bechoppedupwitharecyclingmow- ating thesoil.Comespring,covercrop while atthesametimelooseningandaer- fall, therootsofplantspreventerosion annual covercropinthenewbedearly Another useforcovercropsinorna- can chooseacover the thatwillsurvive late asDecember inthedeepSouth. You early asAugust incoolerclimates,oras all dangeroffrost haspassed. sown inlatespring or earlysummer, after peas, buckwheat,andsoybeans, are best spring. Warm-season annuals,likecow- as soonyour soilcanbeworked inearly fall andgrown through winterorplanted fava beansandfieldpeas,canbesown in of thesouth.Cold-hardy legumes,suchas ings are alsoanoptionforwarmerregions spring, latesummer, orfall.Winter-sow- Cool-season annualscanbesown in ter forsouthernregions ofthecountry. The plantingseasonextendsthrough win- time from earlyspringthrough latefall. in usingit,cover crops canbesown any- Depending ontheplantandyour purpose PARTICULARS PLANTING for slower-growing vininglegumes. crop forsustainingandproviding support Use fast-growing grainstoactasanurse Fall andwintercovers canbesown as —AHS STAFF has

TOP: MICHAEL S. THOMPSON; BOTTOM: RICK WETHERBEE COMPARING COVER CROPS AT A GLANCE The following are some of the more commonly available cover crops. Your choice of crop, as well as the planting time, de- pends upon what you are trying to achieve and where you live.

Crop Seeding rate: When to sow Description and use lb per 1000 square feet LEGUMES Alfalfa 1/2 spring or summer drought-tolerant perennial yields high nitrogen (Medicago sativa) fixation. Annual types such as ‘Nitro’ grow faster, fix more nitrogen, and are easier to turn under Austrian field pea 2/3 very early annual that grows rapidly in spring, may winter-kill (Lathyrus hirsutus) spring or fall in cold regions Chickling vetch 2–3 early spring to drought tolerant, fast growing annual, high nitrogen ‘AC Greenfix’ early summer fixation (Lathyrus sativus) Berseem clover 1 late summer annual that tolerates shade and a wide range of soils (Trifolium alexandrinum) Crimson clover 1 fall widely adapted and winter-hardy annual; grows one (T. incarnatum) to-three-feet tall; won't multiply by runners, and is easily eliminated through tilling Dutch white clover 1/4 spring through fall low-growing perennial, easily cultivated living mulch, (T. repens) use between rows of fruit trees or grapes; tolerates heat Field pea ‘Maxum’ 4 early spring or fall short term annual, provides a high-nitrogen (Pisum sativum) green manure Fava bean ‘Bell’ 2– 4 early spring annual, tolerates wide range of soils and (Vicia faba) or fall temperatures to 15 degrees; produces an enormous amount of easily tilled organic matter. Hairy vetch 1 spring through semi-vining, shade and cold tolerant; good mixed (Vicia villosa) late summer with rye or oats Soybean 3 late spring or annual, tolerates most soils, thrives in summer’s (Glycine max) summer heat; improves scab control in potatoes

NON-LEGUMES Barley 4–5 spring or fall fast-growing, weed-suppressing annual grain, (Hordeum spp.) tolerates alkaline conditions and drought, produces abundant organic matter Buckwheat 2–3 spring through fast-growing annual; turn under in as little as six weeks, (Fagopyrum esculentum) midsummer smothers weeds, accumulates phosphorus, and breaks up compacted soil; flowers attract bees Oats 4 spring, summer quick-growing annual grain; fall-sown crops will (Avena sativa) or fall winter-kill in most areas of the country, leaving behind stubble that can be tilled under in spring Ryegrass 1 early spring through fast-growing robust annual, tolerates a wide range of (Lolium multiflorum) late summer soils including heavy wet clay; great winter cover, may be winter-killed Sudangrass 1–2 spring or summer widely adapted summer annual, thrives in heat and (Sorghum bicolor var. humidity; out-competes weeds, suppresses harmful sudanense) nematodes, needs regular mowing to control height Winter rye 4 spring through aggressive annual that tolerates drought and winter (Secale cereale) mid-fall conditions better than other grains, requires a heavy-duty tiller to turn it under Winter wheat 4–6 fall dependable, winter-hardy grain adapts to a wide (Triticum aestivum) range of soils, produces extensive fibrous root system

September / October 2004 35 Seed Sources Resources Fedco Seeds, Waterville, ME. (207) 873-7333. Managing Cover Crops Profitably . Sustainable Agriculture www.fedcoseeds.com. Catalog free. Publications, Burlington, Vermont, 1998. Download at: www.sare.org/publications/ covercrops/covercrops.pdf. Johnny's Selected Seeds, Winslow, ME. (800) 854-2580. www.johnnyseeds.com. Catalog free. Handbook of Northwest Gardening: Natural-Sustainable-Or- ganic by Ann Lovejoy and Janet Loughrey. Sasquatch Pinetree Garden Seeds, New Gloucester, ME. Books, Seattle, Washington, 2003. (207) 926-3400, www.superseeds.com. Catalog free. Rodale’s All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, edit- Territorial Seed Company, Cottage Grove, OR. ed by Fern Marshall Bradley and Barbara W. Ellis. Ro- (541) 942-9547, www.territorialseed.com. Catalog free. dale Press, Emmaus Pennsylvania, 1992. winters in your area, or grow one THE TURNING POINT that will be killed by winter’s cold, Cover crops can be turned under leaving behind a mulch of stubble just about anytime, but careful that can easily be raked back when timing of this step yields maxi- it's time to plant next spring. mum benefits. Legumes are at With so many options, you can their nutritional peak between the grow a variety of covers for each point just before flowers start to season. For example, a mix of form until right before they set ‘Nitro’ alfalfa and oats sown in seed. In the case of grasses and early spring can be turned under grains, the optimum turning point by midsummer, then after a few is when they start to form grain weeks rest, the soil will be prime heads. Crops sown in fall are usu- for planting fall food crops. Or ally turned under in early spring. plant ‘Mammoth’ red clover (Tri- Regardless of season, all cover folium pratense) in spring and let it crops should be turned under be- grow the entire season to help fore they set seed or they may be- break up heavy soil. come a weed problem. Summer sowings include fast- Mow or cut annual cover crops, growing buckwheat (which can be leaving the clippings in place. tilled in five to six weeks after ger- After a few weeks, you can plant mination), Sudangrass, alfalfa, soy- seedlings right through the mulch. beans, or cowpeas. Fall plantings Easy-to-kill crops can be tilled in generally include the clovers, vetch- or turned under, but tall crops es, field peas and fava beans, winter rye, Clover, planted between rows of mixed salad need to be cut down with a mower, scythe, winter wheat, oats, and barley. These greens, makes an attractive living mulch. or string trimmer before you can till, dig, should be planted early enough to become or hoe the green manure into the soil well established—usually six weeks before tablished, then water as needed. along with the remaining stubble. After cold weather arrives. Most cover crops When planting legumes, always use an digging your cover in, wait at least three to need to be turned under at least four weeks inoculant to ensure that sufficient popula- four weeks before planting again. in advance of planting your garden. tions of the right bacteria are present at the All it takes is a bag of seeds and a bit of Naturally, cover crops grow best if you right time. Inoculants are powdered sub- sweat equity to fertilize, mulch, inhibit prepare the soil as you would for food stances containing live bacteria that colo- weeds, and add organic matter all in one crops, but simply clearing the bed of nize the roots of legumes and feed from easy step. So before you start putting your weeds and spent vegetables will suffice. their carbohydrates. In return, the bacteria garden to rest this fall, consider including Just broadcast the seeds by hand using a take gaseous nitrogen from the air and cover crops in the mix. The end result will fanning motion, then rake them in so the change it to a form that plants can use. be a harvest filled with rewards you don't seeds are lightly covered with soil. Cover “Without these microbes,” says Zien, “the want to miss.  fava beans and other large-seeded crops amount of nitrogen fixed will be minimal. with additional soil to a depth three The company that sells the seed should Writer Kris Wetherbee specializes in gar- times the seeds’ diameter. Be sure to keep have the inoculants, which need to be dening and environmental issues. She lives

the soil moist until the cover becomes es- freshly packaged for the current season.” in Oakland, Oregon. DAVID CAVAGNARO

36 the American Gardener Winter Pleasures from Summer Borders

Floral designer Betsy Williams shows how easy it is to preserve summer flowers for indoor enjoyment all winter long.

BY MARY YEE

PHOTOGRAPHS BY KAREN BUSSOLINI

September / October 2004 37 RYING FLOWERS is a centuries-old way to preserve summer’s blossoms for indoor enjoyment in fall and D winter. Whether simply arranged in a vase or basket or fashioned into wreaths, swags, or other types of ornament, they make wonderful decorative accents for the home and for holiday gift-giving. Craft stores are often stocked with dried flowers, but there's no reason not to dry your own, because it’s so easy and you’ll get much more variety. Betsy Williams, owner of The Proper Season (www.betsy williams.com), a floral business in Andover, Massachusetts, has been working with dried flowers for over 30 years, creating cus- tom arrangements and teaching about the joy of her craft in workshops nationwide. She’s also been featured in national home and lifestyle magazines and contributed to several best-selling herb books. Although she doesn’t grow many of her own flowers anymore—opting instead to buy fresh flowers from the flower market in Boston—she won’t buy and use pre-dried material. “I dry all my own flowers,” says Williams, “because you can tell the difference in the quality.” Betsy Williams dries her own flowers in her workshop and and uses them in arrangements, left, and to make wreaths, above.

In addition to the usual flowers, Williams likes to use a num- ber of culinary herbs in her work because of their aromatic ap- peal. “Mints are easy to air-dry,” she says. “They’re not beautiful dried, but they are useful as filler in arrangements and in wreaths and add a nice fragrance.” The same goes for sages and sweet mar- joram. Most basils don’t dry well for ornamental use, Williams says, with one exception: “Holy basil [Ocimum tenuiflorum] isn’t bad at all, and it smells like black walnuts.” Many plants in the genus Artemisia—including sweet Annie (A. annua) and A. ludoviciana ‘Silver King’—are used in dried arrangements and lend a distinctive fragrance. However, they can cause allergic reactions in some people, so if you’re sensitive to pollen, avoid these plants. KEYS TO SUCCESS No matter what technique you use to dry your flowers (see fol- lowing pages), start with quality material. “Choose fresh, vibrant blossoms and greens with crisp leaves,” says Williams. “Dam- aged, wilted plant material doesn’t improve with drying.” If you’re cutting flowers from your garden, do it in late afternoon on a hot, dry day, when the flowers contain the least amount of moisture. Don’t pick flowers wet with rain or dew, she advises. Once dried, the flowers should be displayed away from di- rect sunlight to prevent their colors from fading, and in a dry environment to keep them from drooping. Moisture is, in fact, WHAT TO DRY doubly destructive. “Whereas sunlight softens flower color,” Flowers that are almost dry even when fresh and have fairly rigid Williams adds, “moisture leaches out colors in a way that makes stems are the easiest to dry. Known as “everlastings,” these in- flowers very unattractive.” clude statice, money plant (Lunaria annua), sea holly (Eryn- Though dried flowers can be enjoyed for a long time, even gium spp.), and yarrow (Achillea spp.). “Flowers with large flat with the proper care, they don’t last forever. “I tell people: 18 petals, like lilies and poppies, generally don’t dry well,” says months to two years,” says Williams. “After that, beauty is in the Williams. “You can dry the individual petals and use them in eye of the beholder.”  potpourri, but the flowers won’t stay intact. Flowers with mul- tiple petals, like marigolds and roses, dry best.” (See sidebars on Mary Yee is managing editor and art director of The American following pages for more suggestions.) Gardener.

38 the American Gardener TECHNIQUES FOR DRYING FLOWERS PLANTS FOR AIR DRYING Betsy Williams uses the basic techniques described below and on the following pages— hanging to air dry, using a desiccant, and applying heat with a food dehydrator or mi- Here are Betsy Williams’s favorite crowave oven—to dry all the materials needed for her floral work. One of the beauties flowers, seed pods, and foliage for of drying flowers is that few, if any, specialized tools or supplies are needed. air drying. There are many more than can be listed here. Experiment with any materials that appeal to you. AIR DRYING This is the easiest method and works for a wide variety of flowers. Williams says about Ageratum 80 percent of her flowers are air-dried—simply hung upside down in bunches in a dark, (Ageratum houstonianum) consistently warm—85 to 110 degree—location with good air circulation. “At that tem- Annual statice (Limonium sinuata) perature range,” says Williams, “most plant material will dry in four to eight days.” Baby’s breath Some good places for drying flowers this way, she adds, are dark attics, the space above (Gypsophila paniculata) a refrigerator, wood stove, or dehumidifier, and—believe it or not—the closed trunk of Beebalm (Monarda didyma) a car in summer. Bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis) Blazing stars (Liatris spp.) Blue salvia (Salvia farinacea) Cockscomb (Celosia argentea) Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita) Delphiniums (Delphinium spp.) False spireas (Astilbe spp.) Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) German statice (Limonium tartaricum) Globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa and G. haageana) Globe thistles (Echinops spp.) Goldenrods (Solidago spp.) 1. Remove all leaves from flower stems. 2. Secure four to eight stems of flowers Honesty, money plant If you’re drying cut greens, remove together with rubber bands. Larger bun- (Lunaria annua) leaves from the bottom two inches of dles will take longer to dry. Hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.) stem to provide space for bunching the Ivy foliage(Hedera spp.) stems together. Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis) Lamb’s ears foliage (Stachys byzantina) Larkspur (Consolida ambigua) Lavenders (Lavandula spp.) Lilacs (Syringa spp.) Love-in-a-mist seed pods (Nigella damascena) Oats (Avena sativa) Oregano (Origanum vulgare) Ornamental onions (Allium spp.) Peonies (Paeonia spp.) Ranunculus (Ranunculus spp.) Roses (Rosa spp.) Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) Sages (Salvia spp.) Sea lavender (Limonium latifolium) Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) Teasels (Dipsacus spp.) Tickseeds (Coreopsis spp.) 3. Hang tied bunches of flowers upside down in a warm spot away from sunlight Wormwoods (Artemisia spp.) until they are fully dry. Yarrows (Achillea spp.)

September / October 2004 39 DESICCANTS Flowers that lose their shape if hung upside down to dry—such as daisies and zinnias— FLOWERS FOR DESICCANTS can usually be successfully dried in shallow containers of fine material—also known as a AND DEHYDRATOR desiccant—that both help maintain flower shape and absorb moisture. Many flowers that can be air-dried can also be preserved with desiccants. Desiccant-dried flowers may Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp.) need to be attached to florist’s wire to make artificial stems before they can be arranged, Carnations (Dianthus spp.) because the stems are removed close to the flower heads prior to drying, or they can sim- Dahlias (Dahlia spp.) ply be attached to some arrangements with a hot-glue gun, available in craft stores. Daffodils (Narcissus spp.) The most commonly used desiccant is silica gel, a fine powdery substance also sold Daisies (Leucanthemum, Bellis, etc.) in craft stores that absorbs large quantities of moisture both from objects and from the Delphinums (Delphinium spp.) air. You can also use fine sand (although it’s technically not a desiccant, since it doesn’t Larkspur (Consolida ambigua) absorb moisture), borax, cornmeal, and fine kitty litter. Williams suggests using borax Lily of the valley (Convallaria majus) and cornmeal together rather than separately: “Borax alone is too harsh for many flow- Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) ers, and plain cornmeal often attracts insects,” she says. Pansies (Viola spp.) Use plastic or metal containers with tight-fitting lids if you plan to use silica gel; this Pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) concentrates the gel’s moisture-absorbing power on your flowers. If you use other des- Roses, especially miniatures iccants, open cardboard boxes or shoe boxes will work fine. (Rosa spp.) Flowers can dry in as quickly as three days in silica gel and in about a week or more Zinnias (Zinnia spp.) in the other media. Because drying time can vary from one type of flower to the next, it’s a good idea to dry only one kind per container.

1. Trim the stems of the flowers to about half an inch from the 2. Pour about an inch of desiccant in a container and arrange base. This will allow you to bury each flower completely under the flower heads face down on top, making sure they do not the desiccant. touch each other.

3. Carefully cover the flowers with more desiccant. If you used 4. Check the flowers after three days by gently uncovering silica gel, put a tight cover on the container. Store the con- them with a small paintbrush. Flowers that are fully dry can tainer in dry, warm place. be removed after brushing off all traces of desiccant.

40 the American Gardener MICROWAVE AND FOOD DEHYDRATOR Subjecting flowers to heat speeds up drying time. Household appliances that can be used for this purpose are microwave ovens and food dehydrators. According to Williams, both give good results, but she prefers the dehydrator. “To me, time is im- portant,” she explains, “and it’s easier to put a tray of flowers in a dehydrator, set the timer, and go do other things.” A limitation of a dehydrator is its usually small size precludes drying large flowers and other plant material. Flowers dried in a microwave tend to have a more realistic or fresh appearance, but More Information close monitoring is required to prevent overdrying. Because it works so fast, you’ll have to figure out through trial and error how long to leave the flowers in, how high to set the heat, and how much supplemental moisture (usually a small amount of water in a cup) you might need to include with the flowers to produce good results. Flowers buried in desiccant can also be placed in a microwave and dried.

Betsy Williams teaches individuals and groups how to work with and en- joy fresh and dried flowers both in her Massachusetts cottage/workshop and in travels nationwide. To find out more about her classes, lectures, and work- Flowers arranged face up on trays of a dehydrator have finished drying and are ready for storage shops, visit www.betsywilliams.com, in a box of silica gel, right. Williams has found setting the thermostat at 110 degrees F and the e-mail: [email protected], or timer for one hour works well. The dried flowers will have a somewhat leathery texture. call (978) 470-0911.

PRESERVING FOLIAGE FOR ARRANGEMENTS Resources Book of Dried Flowers: A Complete Unlike flowers, most foliage—like branches of magnolia, camellia, oak (Quercus Guide to Growing, Drying, and Arrang- spp.), and the like—don’t dry well using conventional techniques. (Exceptions are ing by Malcolm Hillier. Simon and boxwood, eucalyptus, lemon leaf, and leatherleaf fern, which air dry beautifully.) Schuster, New York, New York, Many can be preserved by placing their stems in a solution of water and glycerin, 1987. a liquid preservative available at drug stores. The stems absorb the solution over a period of time, replacing the water in their tissues. Preserved plants retain their Dried Flowers for All Seasons: Creat- natural shape and flexibility but change color from green to olive, brown, or black. ing the Fresh-Flower Look Year-Round To preserve plants with glycerin, collect mature stems during the active part of by Jan and Michael Gertley. The the growing season; cuttings should be no longer than 18 inches. Put the stems in Taunton Press, Newtown, Connecti- a clear glass container with four to five inches of cooled glycerin solution (one part cut, 2001. glycerin to two parts hot water) and set them away from sunlight in a warm loca- tion. Refill the container with water as needed. Check the plants after two days for doneness; some may require several weeks. The plants are done when the leaves have changed color almost entirely to their edges. Promptly remove them at that point and store them in an empty container. Left too long in the solution, the plants will ooze glycerine, causing a sticky mess you’ll have to throw away. —M.Y.

September / October 2004 41 42 dabbling. hand relegated tobehindthescenes comes somethingofastage- garage. Thegardener be- often thannot—the its décor, and—more players are thehouse, passersby; thekey neighbors and audience isthe lar. Theprimary plantings issimi- foundation a backdrop of color, lawn,and with trees and ng ofislandbeds front yard planti- ditional suburban backdrop. Thetra- curs infront ofa where theactionoc- facing rigidlytoward theaters have theaudience ence willbesitting.Typical more explicit,where your audi- stage you are settingup—ortobe initiallytodecidewhatkindof portant In usingthetheaterasametaphor, it’s im- SETTING THESTAGE I tifice. Theyengagetheviewer(theaudience)inaspecificstory. tional effects,moods,andmeaningsthrough creative humanar- of thespecialanduniquetomundane. theactivitiesandritualsofdailylife,oftenlendingasense port ments enacttheirroles intheoverall plot.They allow forandsup- which people,plants,paving,structures, andothergarden ele- lar totheaterintwomajorways.First, gardens are astageupon own garden. evoke—the garden astheater—andhow Ihave useditinmy by discussinganexampleofametaphordesignersoften Applying Metaphors This is the fifth article ofanongoingseriesongardenThis isthefiftharticle design. Gardening byDesign Second, gardens are alsotheatricalbecausetheycreate inten- To setthestage,sotospeak,Ithinkofgardens asbeingsimi- N THELASTISSUE sign. Now let’s move from thetheoretical tothepractical in gardens andthenusingmetaphorstoinspire garden de- the American Gardener we discussedlookingformetaphors BY TRESFROMME door ontheground level. Thediningroom alsohasfocusedviews guests arrivingattheendofdriveway. lounge, butthegarden alsooffersastunningfocalpointfor kitchen, allowing foreasyaccess.Thisiswhere Michael andI surrounds thedeckimmediatelyofffamilyroom and enjoy themfrom several points.Therose garden, forexample, director ofthetheatricsaswell asamemberoftheaudience. timeofyear.pening ineachringatevery Iwantedtobethe rounding ofactionhap- thehouse.Likeacircus, Ihadsomesort in astringofseparate-but-interconnected andequalgardens sur- changed.Icreatedpoint andtheperformances aseriesofstages all angles,continuallydiscovering perspectives new asmyview- opt for“theater intheround,” where theactionfrom Icouldview The front spacetothemain garden offersafour-season entry I placedkeygarden areas where Icouldview, access,and/or In thegarden Ishare withmypartner, Michael, Idecidedto into thisarea. Additionally, the plantingisdesigned to reveal patternsandplantswhen new space whilefocusing theeye onthe viewed from thesecondfloormaster hedges subtlysubdivide thelarger bedroom andbathroom, creating “wings” tothestages.The “balcony”a wonderful view to the sloping turf tocreateto theslopingturf dayoftheyear.every of hedgesperpendicular ings. Iaddedthree sets den stagealready exist- Part ofthefront gar- discovering theplant- ed intheformofa toward thehorizon, young woodland body andeye move and someever- drama asthe green rhododen- adding asenseof drons planted by front door, the previous driveway tothe ward from the land slopesup- owners. The

TOM CLIFTON central view, now anchored by a classical birdbath. No one sees The grand finale I leave mostly to the autumnal polychromy of any of this from the public road. It is our private show. native maples and beeches in the woodland, but echoed in the fall color of the oakleaf hydrangeas. CHOOSING A STYLE I recently realized the stage was a bit bare in winter and the Just as there are many styles of plays, there are many types of play’s grand opening was starting a little late in the year. I added garden. Early on I decided to avoid high drama and its sophis- evergreen rhododendrons and arborvitae to bolster the winter ticated status. I had no desire to come home after a grueling day stage and provide a backdrop to the performance. Young helle- at the office to a horticultural version of Hamlet, with its mind- bores will hopefully become the opening act next February or stirring dilemmas about natural order and human relationships. March, warming up the audience in anticipation of the daffodils. I wanted to relax. This ruled out endless axes, moody groves, A planned fall planting of Scilla siberica ‘Alba’ will also support marching topiaries, grand parterres, modern abstraction, and the cast of scene one. other tragic-heroic grandeur. Also, a melodramatic extravaganza involving a cast of hundreds ON WITH THE SHOW and no fewer number of costume changes (think of anything by With a little thought and creativity, we can make our gardens Andrew Lloyd Weber) was a bit out of keeping with the rural lo- more than generic props decorating the facades and foundations cation and simple style of my home. So, I gave up on the idea of of our homes. I hope sharing with you how I use a theater non-stop “Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” plantings dependent metaphor to facilitate certain design decisions encourages you to upon seasonal changes of annuals or complex perennial borders. give this technique a try. Other metaphors can work just as well. Instead, I settled on a series of related “community theater” Part of the excitement and challenge of designing a gardening is performances unique to each stage within the overall garden. making up the metaphors and then seeing where they lead. Many performers would share the spotlight throughout the Now that we have discussed garden design concepts and tools year; no one plant or groups of plants would need to carry the to help you envision what you want from your garden, the next entire garden or hog the spotlight. I set intermissions between step is to capture that vision in a program statement. We’ll cover acts and created plant combinations that play to the plants’ (ac- that in the next issue.  tors) individual strengths. I also determined to avoid a cast of thousands, preferring to Tres Fromme is a landscape designer at Longwood Gardens in Ken- concentrate on a relatively small palette of color and form to cre- nett Square, Pennsylvania. ate unity and a sense of restfulness. I would suffer no divas with their attendant de- mands and need for constant coddling. Common, but solid performers would suit the garden just fine and make acquiring the plants both affordable and achievable. CASTING CALL Now, I needed to figure out what types of action would occur on stage, the plant- centered and human-centered plot lines. Plants would definitely play major roles and I needed to script when and how they would enter and exit the stage. For example, my front garden’s plot re- volves around white, yellow, purple accents, and fragrance, a simple scene offering much creative leeway. Fragrant ‘Thalia’ daffodils begin the spring action, sharing the spot- light with fluffy white ‘Shirley Temple’ herbaceous peonies. The daffs depart just as Spiraea nipponica ‘Snowmound’ takes cen- “Works wonders.” –Denver Post ter stage. Yellow tiger lilies enter as the pe- “Elsie’s beauty secret.” onies complete their lines and fragrant –Glamour Hemerocallis ‘Hyperion’ begins its act. It’s remarkable what big things are being reported about the stuff inside our Summer witnesses a pre-intermission little green can. Try some today. Your skin should be softer tomorrow. finale of oakleaf and peegee hydrangeas and Clethra alnifolia ‘Hummingbird’. DAIRY ASSOCIATION CO., INC. The garden briefly rests and then ‘Hon- P.O. BOX 145, DEPT. AG04, LYNDONVILLE, VT 05851/TEL. 802-626-3610/WWW.BAGBALM.COM WEST OF ROCKIES: SMITH SALES SERVICE, 16372 S. W. 72ND ST., PORTLAND, OR 97223 orine Jobert’ Japanese anemones bloom.

September / October 2004 43 44 by Dr. H.MarcCathey How ClimateAffectsBiologicalCycles flowering muchearlierthannormal.Amongthesewere crapemyrtle A ing cycles three tofive weeks earlierthanIhaveinallofmyyears everatRiver observed Farm. Even more ringa reticulata), But upper Midwest statessuchas of ourborderline hardy plants. that periodhelpedprotect many snow cover we received during Mid-Atlantic, thesubstantial Fortunately for us here inthe than theyhadbeenfor30years. recorded temperatures were lower there wasaperiod whenthe Over thewinter of2003–2004, MIDWEST FAILS SNOW COVER 3 to8,AHSHeat Zones 9to3. to USDAPlant Hardiness Zones covers were ratedasbeingadapted trees, grassesandground shrubs, all theplants.Most ofthesehardy Fahrenheit daystoatotalicingof transition thatfallfrom 60degree was demonstratedby theabrupt tion. Thehardiness oftheseplants plemental wateringorfertiliza- flowering occurred withoutsup- the following spring of2004.This as heavilyatthattimetheydid (Iris germanica) calleryana) I noticedthatflowering pears(Pyrus enced over thatperiod.In November 2003, soilconditionswe have experi- the dry factor fortheseaberrationsappearstobe over thepastseveral years, thecontrolling initely noteworthy. plants inflower atthesametimeare def- ied flowering timesandcombinationsof flowered attheirnormaltime.Thevar- ican fringetree (Chionanthusvirginicus) florida) ing dogwood(Cornus perplexing, otherplants,suchasflower- In reviewing theclimatedifferences the American Gardener S AFORMER cal processes of plants, and this past spring I observed anumberofdifferentcal processes plantsleafingoutand ofplants,andthispastspringIobserved and tallbearded irises bloomed almost and shadbush research Istilltendtopayagreat horticulturist, dealofattentiontothephysiologi- and Amer- (Amelanchier arborea), VRDYGRE SCIENCE GARDEN EVERYDAY we are seeinginournormalclimate,itis suffered losses. nis) like commonjuniper scape plants,includinghardy evergreens those conditions,even thetoughestland- tures andharshchillingwinds.Under ameliorates theimpactofbittertempera- cause theylackedtheusualsnow cover that perienced severe lossesofgarden plantsbe- (USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3to5),ex- Michigan, Minnesota, andWisconsin Given thesemanyunusualvariations and creeping juniper C (Juniperus commu- (Juniperus all ofwhichinstigatedtheirgrowing andflower- (J. horizontalis), (J. (Lagerstroemia indica), and placementintheirlandscapes. make wisedecisionsaboutplantselection can Horticultural Society’s S conditions—a keyelementoftheAmeri- historical knowledge aboutlocalweather each year. Developing thiskindofdetailed changes andlevels ofrain,snow, andwind keep careful records ofthetemperature more thanever thatgardeners important There ismuchthatresearch horticulturists NEEDED MORE RESEARCH DEN ™ program—can helpgardeners Horticultural Society. president emeritusoftheAmerican Arboretum, Dr. H.Marc Cathey is and director oftheU.S. National USDAresearchA former scientist challenging climatictimes. tough, resilient plants forthese tailed research tofindandselect moresupport ofthiskindde- zation inthegarden. We needto growth regulators, andacclimati- daylength, supplementallighting, ments, temperature tolerance, vernalization (chilling)require- tivar by cultivar withrespect to plants speciesby speciesandcul- University. Theyare evaluating Horticulture atMichigan State perennials of istheDepartment I know ofthatfocuses onhardy species/cultivar research program ditions. Theonlycomprehensive dens underadverse weather con- forms thatwillthrive inourgar- hybridsandplant selecting new can accomplishinbreeding and tree lilac(Sy- MART G AR  -

DAVID WINSTON/ARTVILLE DISK

46 is active atextraordinarily low levels (parts tions. “We have foundthatthecompound it iseffective atextremely low concentra- fore crop planting. in fieldssoweeds canbeeliminatedbe- duce germinationofdormant weed seeds use, according toDixon, couldbetoin- grassandwildoats.One potential rye nacea food plantssuchasconeflowers (Echi- butenolide rangefrom ornamentaland Plant seeds thathave shown aresponse to plications inagriculture andhorticulture. fied, itislikelytohave manypracticalap- have known forcenturies.” cently realized whatindigenousAfricans maize,” saysDixon. “Scientistsonlyre- improve germinationofred riceand years, Africantribeshave usedsmoketo began only15years ago. “For hundreds of germination withexposure tosmoke scientific studiescorrelating increased tion invarious plantspecies,butthefirst well asheat—couldstimulategermina- ethnobotanical evidencethatsmoke—as (August 2004). lished itsfindingsinthejournalScience and BotanicGarden—recently pub- and KingsleyDixon from KingsPark Trengrove from Murdoch University, University ofWestern Australia, Robert Flematti andEmilio Ghisalberti from the made thisdiscovery—headed by Gavin range ofplants.Theresearch teamthat tissue thatinducesgerminationinawide pound insmokefrom burningplant covery ofbutenolide,aspecificcom- an Australian research team,isthedis- dormancy, Thelatestbreakthrough, by cific planthormonesthatimpactseed various environmental stimuliandspe- germination, researchers have identified In thequesttounveil thesecrets ofseed THERE’S…GERMINATION WHERE THERE’SSMOKE, Horticultural NewsandResearch ImportanttoAmericanGardeners Another advantage ofbutenolideisthat Now thatbutenolidehasbeenidenti- Researchers hadlongknown from the American Gardener spp.) and celery tofieldweedsspp.) like andcelery parts oftheworld.” parts could bringenormousbenefitstomany agement sectors,”saysDixon. “This man- mining, landcare, andconservation “potential applicationstothefarming, and undesirableplants.Theresearch has cule behaves inagriculturallydesirable derstanding how thebutenolidemole- directing itsstudiestowards betterun- germination,” saysDixon. frontierssents new innano-stimulationof per trillionconcentrations)…thisrepre- Washington andOregon. weed listsofseveral states,including has putthesepopularornamentalsonthe to strayfrom gardens intonatural areas where theywere planted.Thistendency far andwidetakeroot farfrom bushesenablethemtosoar of butterfly nately, winglikeappendagesontheseeds willswarmtoit.Unfortu-butterflies named. Plant oneinyour garden and Butterfly bush(Buddleja davidii) TOWARD NON-INVASIVE BUTTERFLY BUSHES GARDENER The Australian research teamisnow C ’ NOTEBOOK S is well non-invasive bushselectionsare butterfly would bedisseminatedby wind.” to thesize oftheseed,thatseedsF1 Lindstrom, “given thesize ofthewingspan tween theparents. “It isunlikely, says generation, seedsize wasintermediatebe- large, heavyseeds.In thefirsthybrid(F1) dica, this by cross breeding seed’s architecture. Lindstrom hasachieved diate oddnumberofchromosomes. produce offspringthathave theinterme- that have twochromosomes (diploids)to (tetraploids), suchas ja speciesthathave fourchromosomes sterile.” He doesthisby crossing buddle- somes, becausetheyhave atendencytobe that have “an oddnumberofchromo- Horticulture, istakingtwoapproaches. Arkansas–Fayetteville of Department plant scientistattheUniversity of that are notinvasive, Jon Lindstrom, a Until breeding work iscompleteand The secondapproach istomodifythe todevelop buddlejas The firstistotry Seeking bushes todevelop butterfly a speciesfrom Madagascar thathas and capsules ofaB.davidii The intermediateseed B. davidii.Belowright: open seedcapsulesof Below left:Thelarge, versity ofArkansas. professor attheUni- Jon Lindstrom,assistant indica ‘White Bouquet’and Left: ABuddlejadavidii B. davidii, B. davidii B. indica cross bredby with with those cross. B. in- B.

COURTESY OF JON LINDSTROM (3) COURTESY OF WILLIAM NOBLE/GARDEN CONSERVANCY man ofAlcatraz,Robert Stroud, an ment, went mad,andhere thattheBird- confine- Capone, broken insolitary violent criminals.It washere thatAl housed someofthemosthardened and imum securityprison.Assuch,it country’s mostforbiddingfederalmax- the mid-1930suntilmid-1960s, fortress, aCivilWar prison,and,from was, sequentially, thesiteofamilitary weed (Lobelia cardinalis), Island, Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz ridefrom SanA mere 10-minuteferry OFALCATRAZ GARDENS nifolia), tuberosa), didates includebutterflyweed magnetstochoose.Goodbutterfly can- bushes,thereterfly are plentyofother flowers oncetheyhave faded. seed spread bush by deadheadingbutterfly in themarketplace, gardeners canreduce ingstars Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), For thosewhodon’t already have but- (Vernonia noveboracensis). yours toenjoy for tocome! generations OriginalAn American ... yours toenjoy for tocome! generations OriginalAn American ... aka coneflowers (Liatris sweet pepperbush(Clethra al- the Rock, orDevil’s Island, spp.), cardinal flower and New York iron- (Echinacea your gift with anyyour with major credit gift card. andmake appreciation. Or, ifyou prefer, callusat(800)777-7931 and we’ll sendyou two free pawpaw trees thestewardship of $50ormoreofRiver to support gift Farm, insects. Watch your mailforthe2004River Farm Appeal, (Asclepias spp.), blaz- ment, thewind-blown, thin,barren top- coax plantstogrow inaharshenviron- mates—gardened. Theyworked hard to intendents, familiesofguards, andin- who peopledtheisland—soldiers,super- er, spent17years. oncanariesandasavage murder-expert The And, surprisingly, itwashere thatthose grounds oftheonceinfamousprisonarebeingturnedintoahavenforgardenplants. only larval hostplantforthesebeautiful only larval butterfly—because pawpaws are the swallowtail thezebra attract the tree or inany recipe where you’d usebananas),you'll also off (great right landscape. Besidesenjoying thedeliciousfruit you canaddtwo trees oftheseuniquelyAmerican to your own isapawpawFarm headquarters tree to thatgreets visitors ourRiver firstsights One ofthevery offer from theAmerican Society Horticultural A special as atoken ofour aea make (Asimina triloba). tional Recreation Area (National Park Ser- with theGoldenin partnership Gate Na- plants naturalized ontheisland. gardeners ensured thatsome140garden Over oftheseearly 150years, the efforts to bethetopofasubmergedmountain. soil ofa22-acre rocky islandthatisthought Now theGarden (GC), Conservancy September /October2004 Now 47 48 trouble-free selectionofanative shrub (Calycanthus floridus) USDA Zones 5–7,AHSZones 7–5. spring give theimpression offlowers. top andsilver below. Dark violetconesin needles,greenes 25feethighwithshort on erant pyramidalevergreen tree thatreach- for garden andhardiness performance professionals thenevaluate thenominees ownersgroup andhorticultural ofnursery submit candidatesforeachyear’s award. A ownersscape architects, andnursery ers, garden land- designers,horticulturists, little-known Home orunderused. garden- New York toWashington, D.C.,thatare plants suitedtothegrowing region from ornamentalwoody to promote worthy Award program debutedin1978. than 75sincetheGold Medal Plant ber ofplantshonored inthiswaytomore Medal for2005,bringingthetotalnum- tional plantsawarded thePHS’s Gold (PHS) hasannounced thefourexcep- The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society 2005 PHSGOLDMEDALPLANTS www.gardenconservancy.org. anditsprograms, visit den Conservancy were oncegardened.” house isthrough gardens andareas that cause “the entire journeyuptothecell the visitorexperience,saysNoble, be- Restoring Alcatraz’s gardens willaddto approximately 1.3million visitorsayear. tractions inSan Francisco, Alcatrazdraws in theBay Area,” saysNoble. leader inthefieldofpublichorticulture nology. “She impressed usasbeinga scape architect withadegree incrimi- According toNoble, Ashford isaland- fano Garden Fellowship. Conservancy of theGC’s sixthannualMarco Polo Stu- Ashford, appointedrecipient thenewly Preservation Projects. “Alcatraz cameup.” project,” saysBill Noble, director ofGC ifornia andneededasignature preservation ed tostrengthen theentire program inCal- Garden want- Alcatraz. “The Conservancy Conservancy, isrestoring keygardens on vice) andtheGolden Gate National Parks ‘Michael Lindsey'Carolina allspice Korean fir(Abies koreana) This year’s winnersare: The goaloftheGold Medal program is For more informationabouttheGar- One ofthemostpopulartouristat- Overseeing theproject willbeCarola the American Gardener is anadaptable, is aheat-tol- as (Amorphophallus konjac) spotted withwhitedots,avoodoo lily six-foot green-and-pink-marbled stem With aspectacularsix-footsingleleafon VOODOO LILY WINSFOLIAGEAWARD Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Gold Medal Plants c/oPHS, 100N.20th cent self-addressed-stamped envelope to www.goldmedalplants.org, and wide.Zones 4–8,8–2. Gold’.‘Winter It grow toseven feethigh Gentleman’ or‘Apollo’ willpollinate soil. Themalewinterberries,‘Southern tolerant oflessthanwell-drained, acid shade oforangeyellow onanative shrub, ticillata) Zonespart-shade. 5–9,9–4. high, adaptstomostsoils,istolerantof flowers inspring.It grows about12feet that covers itselfwithfragrantyellow tolerant, deer-resistant evergreen vine (Gelsemium sempervirens) feet tallandwide.Zones 5–9,9–1. bright yellow fallcolor. Reaches seven with fragrantearlysummerflowers and full sun.In climatescolderthanUSDA mainland China.” Japan throughout Southeast Asiaand 6 plant,”saysMcHatton. “It grows from 5). “It’s tough—easilyaUSDA Zone very asWichita,far north Kansas(USDA Zone been knownintheground toas tosurvive ture atWorldwide Orchids, saysithas but Ron McHatton, director ofhorticul- looks likeanescapeefrom therainforest, pear untilamonthormore thereafter. ing foliageofthevoodoo lilydoesn’t ap- that canbringtearstotheeyes. Thestrik- ture ofthisflower isadead-meatodor spathe. Perhaps themostremarkable fea- foot spadixandavase-shaped purple measure uptosixfeettallwithathree- been plantedinsoil.Theflower may rises from thecorm,whetherornotithas North Carolina. ral show, heldthispastJune inCharlotte, Plants Best New Product” attheSuper Flo- award for“Foliage andTropical Potted Orchids ofApopka, Florida, wonthe A. rivieri For plantprofiles andsources, visit Gold’‘Winter (Ilex Winterberry ver- ‘Margarita’ Carolina jessamine Voodoo shade to liliesthrive inpart In flower orfoliage,thevoodoo lily In mature plants,ahugeinflorescence has berriesthatare awelcome var. konjac) from Worldwide (formerly known or senda60- is adrought- spend more than moneyonfertilizers price forwealthier respondents whoalso of handtoolswasmore than important and-over agegroup. Andthedurability was more thanpricein the65- important ed. For example,easeofuse hand tools gender, age,andracetoreflect census. population, thedatawere weighted by taken withnumbersby region reflecting were puter-assisted telephoneinterviews den Writers ofAmerica. After1001com- June 13,2004,andsponsored by the Gar- deners, conductedfrom June 8through ofAmericangar- the findingsofasurvey you live affecthow you garden. Such are Who you are, whatyou earn,andwhere HOWWEGARDEN AFFECTS GEOGRAPHY www.plantdelights.com. North Carolina, (919)772-4794, lilies isPlant Delights Nursery inRaleigh, calories andisusedforweight-loss diets. fibersource thatcontainsno etary duce Glucomannan, a100-percent di- voodoo lilies,thecormsare usedtopro- 25 pounds.In additiontobeingsoldas them likedahlias.” soil sotheydon’t sitinwater—ordig McHatton. “Drainage iskey;amendthe corms are sensitive towinterwet,” says tect thewinter-dormantcorm.“The Zone 6,aheavymulch willusuallypro- surprisingly hardy. in flower,left,andfoliage,right—is The oddandtropical-lookingvoodoolily— Some oftheresults were tobeexpect- One retail mail-order source forvoodoo Mature cormscanweigh asmuch

COURTESY OF WORLDWIDE ORCHIDS groups at lower income levels. southern Alaska and northern New- Similarly, it is no surprise that Western- foundland), these clematis cultivars are ers were the least likely group to depend attracting attention not just for their upon rainfall for watering needs and were amazing hardiness, but for their com- almost twice as likely to install water-con- pactness and beauty. They are also prov- serving irrigation. Unexpected was the ing quite heat tolerant, surviving the heat finding that divorcees and singles are the and humidity at Roseville Farms nursery people most likely not to conserve water. in Apopka, Florida, which is the major li- Along with Southerners, western gar- censed producer of the Kivistik clematis deners are also less likely to address insect in North America. problems than either Midwesterners or A lovely example of the Kivistik Col- Northeasterners. Midwesterners, who lection is Clematis Piilu™ (‘Little Duck- freeze and preserve the vegetables they ling’), an all-summer, big-flowered, grow more than other groups, use more Clematis Piilu™ from the Kivistik collection heavy bloomer that begins producing its chemical products than any other region. two-toned pink flowers at one year old. Most surprising is that Northeastern- Kivistik and his wife, Aili, ran a fami- The earliest flowers are doubles. Later ers, the least likely to fertilize, are only ly farm in Estonia, breeding ornamental flowers are singles, but plentiful and car- half as likely to donate the vegetables plants in their spare time from farming. ried on a plant that tops off at about six they grow to others. In the last quarter century, Kivistik, who feet and thrives in Zones 2 to 8, 8 to 2. died in 1998, focused on clematis, col- One retail mail-order source for the COLD-HARDY CLEMATIS lecting some 23 species from around the Kivistik Collection is Completely Uno Kivistik may not be a household Baltic countries and the Soviet Union. Clematis, Ipswich, Massachusetts , (978) name just yet in North America, but the These became the basis of a breeding 356-3197, www.clematisnursery.com.  breeding work on cold-hardy clematis program that has yielded more than done by the late Estonian plant breeder 6,000 hybrids and 140 cultivars. Associate Editor Carole Ottesen and Edito- and his family is starting to make news Developed on the farm, which is rial Intern Jessie Keith contributed articles on this continent. north of the 58th parallel (equivalent to for this section.

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September / October 2004 49 BOOKC REVIEWS

Recommendations for Your Gardening Library

The Jewel Box Garden. the envelope of garden design by using some highly unusual fo- Thomas Hobbs. Timber Press, Portland Oregon, 2005. 176 pages. liage plant combinations and avant-garde hardscape ideas to Publisher’s price, hardcover: $34.95. move beyond “pretty” to “the new ugly,” from “garden orna- ment” to “garden incident.” IN THIS BOOK, gardening virtuoso Thomas Hobbs challenges —Ian Adams us to dream outside the box, activate our bel’occhio—“beautiful eye”—and create a garden full of “plants that give you a thrill in- Ian Adams is a freelance garden photographer, photography teacher, stead of just filling up space.” Hobbs hates heathers and dwarf and writer. He lives in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. conifers, which he describes as “dull, blobby-shaped plants,” and prefers the spikes, swords, Encyclopedia of Water Garden Plants. and spears of foliage plants Greg and Sue Speichert. Timber Press, Portland Oregon, 2004. 388 such as Kniphofia, Phormi- pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $49.95. um, Cortaderia and Agave se- lections. Instead of sinking in IF YOU HAVE more than a casual interest in water gardening, the “botanical quicksand” of the Encyclopedia of Water Garden Plants by Greg and Sue Spe- popular annuals like impa- ichert is for you. This fascinating reference literally “covers the tiens and petunias, Hobbs waterfront” of aquatic plants to enjoy. urges us to search diligently The Speicherts begin their book with pertinent general infor- for foliage plants that have mation about water plants and end it with a synopsis of these striking and unusual leaf plant’s pests and diseases. In between these sections, they cover wa- color, form, and texture. With statements like “wind chimes are terlilies (269) and lotuses (90) and provide a thorough overview as bannable as leaf blowers,” he challenges us to share in his un- of accessory aquatic plants. In fact, they clearly have a love affair common, sometimes cheeky view of the garden. with accessory aquatics, and sys- Twelve chapters take readers into and through Hobbs’ gar- tematically describe over 400 mar- den design perspective. In “Gilding The Lily,” he introduces us ginal plants, including one to the delights of potted bowling balls, ceramic bamboo, and hundred or so water irises, a cou- rock mulch; in “Tastes Like Chicken,” he tantalizes us with ple dozen waterlilylike plants, and Echeveria “pizza” and provides tips for overwintering these ten- numerous floating and submerged der succulents. In “Investment Potting,” Hobbs gives practical plants. And, throughout, Greg re- advice on choosing and using containers, revels in the spell- lates many interesting and relevant binding effects of blue glazed pots, and introduces jewels such vignettes of his life and gardening as Agave americana ‘Mediopicta’. experiences. All these creative design schemes come into play in the gar- This book contains an array dens of Kania Castle, the spectacular Mission Revival house in of intriguing aquatics not found Vancouver, British Columbia, that Hobbs shares with his part- in nurseries or other garden ner, Brent Beattie. books. As respected authorities in growing a diverse range of More than 150 of Hobbs’ favorite plants are featured in 160 ornamental aquatics, the Speicherts present glimpses of tempt- superb color photographs taken by David McDonald. The pho- ing “new” plants that could become future favorites. tographs are tack-sharp, elegantly composed, and virtually all Nearly every page offers striking color pictures that com- were taken in ideal, diffuse light, which highlights the amazing plement the authors’ easy-to-read text. Accurate photography variety, color, and textural complexity revealed in the gardens and plant identification (with rare exceptions) are hallmarks of showcased in the book. Most of these gardens are in California this extensive reference. and the Pacific Northwest (USDA Zones 6, 7, and 8), so gar- In addition, the Speicherts meticulously provide vital cultural deners living in less benign zones of the midwestern and north- information including plant growth habits, water depth, and eastern United States may need to substitute plants that are more USDA plant hardiness zones. Among the minor quibbles I had cold tolerant or try to overwinter their plantings indoors. was to disagree with their suggestion to fertilize submerged plants The Jewel Box Garden is an irreverent and enjoyable gem of like Cabomba and Egeria, because their submerged foliage absorbs a book. It will have special appeal to gardeners seeking to push nutrients, making additional fertilization unnecessary.

50 the American Gardener The Speicherts also offer hard-to-find information on how to successfully hybridize waterlilies and lotuses, which will excite those readers who are bent on experimentation. Straightforward Crazy for Cucurbits plant breeding directions are followed by information on seed- Being a mad cucurbit hound—I’m growing 14 different to-flower bloom times so prospective plants breeders will know heirloom pumpkins, gourds, cucumbers, and squash this when they will be able to see the fruits of their labor. Many pre- year alone—I was thrilled to see Amy Goldman and Victor cious propagation tips are also given for these aquatics. Schrager’s exceptional new book There are many helpful supplements to the main text, includ- The Compleat Squash (Artisan, ing four very useful appendices: Appendix A identifies plants for 2004, 208 pages, hardcover, special places and purposes (table top ponds, streams, waterfalls, $40). Along with covering the ba- etc.); Appendix B lists plants by flower color; Appendix C cata- sics of 150 glorious pepos, Gold- logs native plants as well as rare or endangered plants; and Ap- man explores their flavors and pendix D provides conversion charts for measuring. There is also seeds and explains how to hand- a thorough index of common and botanical names. pollinate prized heirlooms. This practical book rates top honors as an outstanding ref- One trademark of Goldman’s erence for accessory water garden plants. books is the spectacular photog- —Charles B. Thomas raphy and this one is no excep- tion. Schrager’s many still-life Founder of the International Waterlily and Water Garden Society and photos of gourds, pumpkins, and squash detail the warm former director of Lilypons Water Gardens, Charles B. Thomas has hues, pleasing shapes and smooth skin and grooves of these authored and co-authored four water gardening books. natural sculptures. As fun to look at as it is to read, this book is the perfect pick for fall. —Jessie Keith, Editorial Intern Hydrangeas for American Gardens Michael A. Dirr. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 2004. 236 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $29.95 due credit to Elizabeth McClintock’s classic hydrangea mono- graph and criticizes another text that ignored her writing. He MICHAEL A. DIRR’S new book Hydrangeas for American is encouraging about future hydrangea selections and outlines Gardens totally seduced me. It is attractive enough to pick up, the recent breakthrough into reblooming plants that offer deep enough to take home, enthralling enough to take to bed, northern gardeners hope for hydrangea success. and by the morning light I wanted it to be mine forever. Typical of Dirr, there is no doubt about his hydrangea loves, This is not entirely what I expected from a Mike Dirr book. such as Hydrangea macrophylla Endless Summer™—he refers I expected (and it delivered) excellent, entertaining writing that to their bark and buds as highly seductive and mentions them read like a conversation with a master, but I did not expect it to “winking” at him. But pity the plants he spurns, like the “unin- be so visually appealing. Some of Dirr’s books are plain-look- spiring” hybrid between Hydrangea involucrata and H. aspera. ing, but not this one. With a collection of 199 fine full-color This plant, with flowers that have “no flash” and leaves that are photos and several full-page “anemic,” is relegated to plant purgatory as something “for the painted line drawings by his collector who truly has everything.” wife, Bonnie, Dirr has entered As with all books, there are some imperfections here. I wish the realm of beautiful, colorful this book’s index were more complete by highlighting pho- books. The book retains Dirr’s tographs, and including references to cultural issues such as prun- famous conversational writing, ing, soil, and propagation. It would also have been nice to see the accuracy, and attention to detail book’s tables and charts have titles so they could stand alone. but adds a graphic style previ- I also disagree with a few of Dirr’s points. For instance, I ously unseen in his work. don’t think that Hydrangea aspera is the only species hit by The writing is given from the Japanese beetles, as he claims; they also skeletonize the leaves of perspective of both a gardener sun-grown climbing hydrangea (H. anomala subsp. petiolaris). and a researcher. Dirr clearly ex- Additionally, I don’t believe that the climbing hydrangea ‘Fire- plains technical points without being condescending. His taxo- fly’ is the same as Miranda™. And, while Dirr lists climbing hy- nomic discussion is practical and clear, and the important drangea as difficult to root, I find it easy to root if young shoots parts—the distinction between the species—are distilled. Design with preformed roots are chosen. hints are lacking, but the book is full of descriptions and ideas of But these minor criticisms in no way detract from the over- how and where to grow the plants.The pruning discussion is the all excellence of this book, which will stoke an already passion- best and most honest I’ve seen on this complicated genus. ate interest in this versatile genus.  The review of cultivars shows that Dirr carefully observed —R. William Thomas these plants and is not just quoting someone else. The descrip- tions read like a who’s who of the plant world, and tell the sto- R. William Thomas is Executive Director of Chanticleer gardens in ries of selections, relationships, and observations. Dirr also gives Wayne, Pennsylvania.

September / October 2004 51 GARDENERC’S BOOKS

Books for Natural Gardens and Garden Naturalists

ALL IS FOR HARVEST, bed preparation, and perenni- through stories, lore, and reports of their historical uses. al planting. But it also brings to mind colorful fall fo- This book covers the worst garden offenders—cockleburs, F liage, crisp blue skies, walks through the woods, and jimsonweed, crabgrass, and dandelion, all organized by plant simply getting closer to the natural world around us. Here are family. But did you know that dandelion roots make a good some books that allow gardeners to explore, establish, and enjoy substitute for coffee or that cockleburs led to the design of Vel- their own bit of backyard wilderness. cro? Heiser also reveals that violet flowers make a fine syrup and that the downy leaves of mullein were once used as lamp wicks. Ecology for Gardeners by Steve Carroll & Steve Salt (Timber Still, there are weeds that even Heiser has no use for. When Press, 2004, hardcover, $29.95) appeals to every piece of me that discussing the “virtues” of field bindweed he states, “Except for is naturalist as well as gardener. It is laden with information that the attractive flowers, I know of none,” and he rightfully de- is presented in an easy-to-understand fines crabgrass as, “one of the most obnoxious lawn weeds.” manner; yet, Carroll and Salt aren’t If you ever wondered how early Americans used and modified afraid to deftly slip in some profession- the flora around them to fulfill their basic living needs, read Ju- al lingo when it is needed. dith Sumner’s new book American Household Botany (Timber Everything is covered from soil mi- Press, 2004, hardcover, $27.95). It cov- crobes and the larger fauna of the brush ers the fascinating history of plants and skies to the garden’s physical setting that early settlers used for food, med- and animal–plant interactions. This icine, textiles, construction, and as book is a prime tool for understanding garden ornamentals. In fact, many of the what’s and whys of garden life. the garden plants favored by the set- Nearly 200 full-color pictures help tlers are same ones that we use today. readers better understand plant func- I was particularly interested in tion, cycles and garden dwellers, and detailed indices, a full glos- Sumner’s descriptions of how New sary, and book list for further reading help maneuver readers World equivalents to Old World through and beyond its pages. plants shaped the early American ex- Suzy Bales is not a garden taskmaster. Instead, she takes a re- perience and tested the resourceful- laxed attitude and favors a naturalistic gardening style in her ness of the settlers. For instance, new book Suzy Bales’ Down-to-Earth Gardener (Rodale American hops (Humulus americanus) soon took the place of Books, 2004, hardcover, $32.50). Rather than adhering to a European species (Humulus sativus) for beer brewing, American ridged preset idea of garden perfection, Bales enjoys and nur- ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) was cultivated as a replacement tures the natural dynamics of her resplendent Long Island gar- for the standard Chinese stimulant (Panax ginseng), and Amer- den retreat. Three short sections on weeding, self-seeding ican holly (Ilex opaca) became the decorative substitute for Eng- plants, and putting the garden to rest preface eight breezy chap- lish holly (Illex aquifolium). ters that take you into her gardens through the seasons. City and country dwellers alike will benefit from Rosemary One hundred and fifty color photographs of Bales’ beds, Creeser’s new book Wildlife Friend- borders, and plant favorites supplement earthy descriptions of ly Plants (Firefly Books, 2004, hard- what she likes and how she gardens, and her comfortable and cover, $29.95). Creeser emphasizes informative writing style makes the both plant selection and wildlife- reading enjoyable. friendly gardening practices as the Every gardener—naturalist or best means for inviting desirable not—distains weeds. But Charles B. wildlife into the garden. Plants for Heiser, professor emeritus of botany at both small and large garden spaces Indiana University, believes that the comprise a directory that offers one or great reproductive success of weeds more pages of information for each have given them a bad rap. In his most plant, including the wildlife they at- recent book Weeds in My Garden tract, cultural information and large, (Timber Press, 2004, hardcover, detailed color photos. This is an essential reference for all gar- $22.95), Heiser shares the brighter, den and wildlife enthusiasts.  more virtuous side of common weeds —Jessie Keith, Editorial Intern

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Horticultural Events from Around the Country

RAP OCT. 2. Harvest Herb Fair. Huntsville NORTHEAST Events sponsored by or including official Herb Society. Huntsville Botanical Garden. CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT participation by AHS or AHS staff members Huntsville, Alabama. (256) 830-4447. RAP SEPT. 23. Gardeners’ Fair and Picnic. are identified with the AHS symbol. www.hsvbg.org. Wave Hill. Bronx, New York. (718) 549-3200. RAP www.wavehill.org. Events hosted by botanical gardens and OCT. 2 & 3. Hibiscus Show and Sale. Fairchild Tropical Garden. Coral Gables, arboreta that participate in AHS’s Reciprocal OCT. 2 & 3. Capital District Apple Festival and Miami, Florida. (305) 258-1086. Admissions Program are identified with the Craft Fair. Altamont Orchards, Inc. Altamont www.fairchildgarden.org. RAP Fair Grounds. Altamont, New York. (518) symbol.Current AHS members showing a 861-6515. www.altamontorchards.com. valid membership card are eligible for free or OCT. 9. Georgia Native Plant Society’s 10th discounted admission to the garden or other Annual Symposium. Gwinnett Justice and RAP OCT. 2 & 3. Harvest Festival 2004. benefits. Special events may not be included; Administration Center. Lawrenceville, Geor- Berkshire Botanical Gardens. Stockbridge, contact the host site for details or visit gia. (770) 343-6000. www.gnps.org. Massachusetts. (413) 298-3926. ww.ahs.org/events/reciprocal_events.htm. www.berkshirebotanical.org. RAP OCT. 14–17. Fall Plantasia! Plant sale. Mobile Botanic Gardens. Mobile, Alabama. RAP OCT. 16. Fall Pruning Workshop. (251) 342-0555. www.mobilebotanical Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum. RAP OCT. 2. Woodland Gardening. Work- gardens.org. Bristol, Rhode Island. (401) 253-2707. shop. The Scott Arboretum Classroom and www.blithewold.org. Gardens. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. (610) RAP OCT. 16 & 17. ColorFest. Fall festival. 328-8025. www.scottarboretum.org. Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. THROUGH OCT. 17. The Last Green Valley: The Clermont, Kentucky. (502) 955-8512. Aerial Photographs of G. Leslie Sweetnam. Ex- AHS OCT 5–9. 2004 Northeast Regional www.bernheim.org. hibit. Historic New England. Roseland Cot- Master Gardener Conference. Baltimore, tage, Woodstock, Connecticut. (860) 928- Maryland. (888) 531-1754. E-mail: OCT. 9 & 10. 9th Annual Carolina Bonsai 4074. www.historicnewengland.org. [email protected]. Expo. North Carolina Arboretum. Asheville, North Carolina. (828) 665-2492. RAP OCT. 15–DEC. 15. Botanical Discoveries RAP OCT. 8 & 9. Fall Bulb Sale. Delaware www.ncarboretum.org. of Lewis and Clark. Exhibit. The Botanic Center for Horticulture. Wilmington, Garden of Smith College. Northampton, Delaware. (302) 658-6262 ext. 29. OCT. 16 & 17. North Carolina Chrysanthemum Massachusetts. (413) 585-2740. www.dehort.org. Society Annual Show. North Carolina Ar- www.smith.edu. boretum. Asheville, North Carolina. OCT. 12. The Hottest New Plants. Lecture. (828) 665-2492. www.ncarboretum.org. Looking ahead Horticultural Society of Maryland. Loch Raven RAP NOV. 6–21. Fall Chrysanthemum Show. High School, Baltimore, Maryland. (410) OCT. 20–23. Charleston Garden Festival. The Botanic Garden of Smith College. Ly- 821-5561. www.mdhorticulture.org. Middleton Place, Charleston, South man Conservatory. Northampton, Massachu- Carolina. (843) 556-6020. setts. (413) 585-2740. www.smith.edu. OCT. 17. Pennsylvania Floral Expo. Pennsyl- www.charlestonhorticulturalsociety.org. vania Floral Industry Association. Holiday Inn Harrisburg/Hershey. Grantville, Pennsyl- Looking ahead MID-ATLANTIC vania. (800) 234-3779. www.pafloral.org. AHS NOV. 18. The Art of the Chinese Garden. DC, DE, MD, PA, NJ, VA, WV AHS President Katy Moss Warner will be AHS SEPT. 22. The Making of a Meadow at speaking at this event. Maitland Art Center. SOUTHEAST River Farm. Talk by Peggy Bowers, AHS Hor- Maitland, Florida. www.maitlandartcenter.org AL, FL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN ticulturist. National Park Service, University of Maryland, and the U.S. National Arbore- AHS SEPT. 18 & 19. Refining the Garden. NORTH CENTRAL tum. (202) 245-5898. www.usna.usda.gov. Symposium. AHS President Katy Moss IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI Warner will be one of the speakers at this RAP SEPT. 23. Greening the Concrete Jun- event. Mounts Botanical Garden. West Palm AHS SEPT. 18. The Art and Science of the gle. Lecture. The Scott Arboretum. Swarth- Beach, Florida. (561) 233-1757. SMARTGARDEN™. Mott Community College, more College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. www.mounts.org. Lapeer, Michigan. (517) 432-1950 ext. 4. (610) 328-8025. www.scottarboretum.org. www.gardeninginstitute.com. RAP SEPT. 25 & 26. Dahlia Society of RAP SEPT. 25. The Grand Saga of the Georgia Show. Atlanta Botanical Garden. RAP SEPT. 18–NOV. 7. Plants in Print: the Monarch Butterfly. Lecture. Lewis Ginter Atlanta, Georgia. (770) 447-1405. Age of Botanical Discovery. The Chicago Botanical Garden. Richmond, Virginia. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org. Botanic Garden. Glencoe, Illinois. (847) (804) 262-9887. www.lewisginter.org. 835-5440. www.chicagobotanic.org.

54 the American Gardener RAP SEPT. 23 & 24. Perennial Plant Symposium. The Chicago Botanic Garden. Florida’s Golden Age Glencoe, Illinois. (847) 835-8261. www.chicagobotanic.org. THE SPLENDOR OF Florida’s Gilded Age returns on October 5 in the form of an exhibit at the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida. The site of the museum, RAP SEPT. 24. Fall Curator Workshop and Whitehall, was originally the estate of Henry Flagler, railroad magnate and founder Plant Sale. Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. of Standard Oil, who lived during this turn-of-the-20th-century period associated Lincoln, Nebraska. (402) 472-2971. with opulence and grandeur. http://arboretum.ul.edu. According to Laurie Ossman, chief curator at the Flagler Museum, the gardens of the era marked the beginning of formal landscape design in Florida. The juxtaposi- RAP SEPT. 26–DEC. 5. Natural Wonders. Art exhibit. Olbrich Botanical Gardens. tion of formal European garden design and the lush, subtropical plants native to Flori- Madison, Wisconsin. (608) 246-4550. da provided “an element of theatricality,” she says. The exhibit showcases www.olbrich.org. contemporary and historical photography, artifacts, promotional literature, and fine art of the Gilded Age gardens spanning the period from about 1890 to 1925. Exhibit SEPT. 26–29. 54th Meeting of the Eastern pieces are borrowed from other Florida public gardens such as Goodwood Plantation Region of the International Plant Propaga- in Tallahassee, Bok Tower Gardens near Lake Wales, and Villa Vizcaya in Miami. tors’ Society. Hyatt Regency Milwaukee. Mil- This exhibit also serves as a conceptual framework for the restoration of the court- waukee, Wisconsin. (631) 765-9638. yard garden at the Flagler Museum. Originally designed by the firm Carrere and Hast- ings to complement Flagler’s hotel in St. Augustine, the courtyard garden was created AHS OCT. 7–9. America in Bloom Awards Cer- emony & Educational Symposium. The Hyatt in the Hispano–Mooresque style typical of gardens of southern Spain.“These tend to Regency. Indianapolis, Indiana. (614) 487- feature a courtyard garden as a metaphor of paradise,” explains Ossman. 1117 ext. 23. www.americainbloom.org. Years later, Flagler had the courtyard garden redesigned to match the style of his new Palm Beach estate. The restored courtyard garden will feature citrus trees as well RAP OCT. 9. 59th Annual Herb Fair. Cleve- as a fountain symbolizing the fountain of youth at its center. land Botanic Garden. Cleveland, Ohio. For more information on the exhibit, call (561) 655-2833 or visit the Flagler Muse- (216) 721-2600. www.cbgarden.org. um’s Web site at www.flaglermuseum.com. —Katie Palanjian, Editorial Intern AHS OCT. 16. The Art and Science of the SMARTGARDEN™. Sponsored by Indiana Master Gardener Program. (517) 432-1950 ext. 4. www.gardeninginstitute.com. Fall Plant Sale at Kanapaha

RAP OCT. 26. Celebrating 10 Years of the IF YOU LAST VISITED Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville, Florida, more Plant Conservation Alliance. Symposium. than five year ago, you may be pleasantly surprised by changes that have been made. Re- Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois. cent improvements and upgrades include a paved road, new signage, a brand new, tin- (847) 835-8261. www.chicagobotanic.org. roofed Visitor’s Center of natural wood, and an overall expansion in size to 62 acres. Visit the gardens on October 16 and you’ll also have a chance to walk away with a fa- Looking ahead vorite flower or shrub during the gardens’ Fall Plant Sale. But before taking out your AHS NOV. 20. Herbaceous Perennials: checkbook, find inspiration by Identification, Culture and Garden Attribut- es. Mott Community College. Lapeer, strolling down the quiet paths Michigan. (517) 432-1950 ext. 4. that wind through the recently- www.gardeninginstitute.com expanded specialty gardens. One of Kanapaha’s nicest features is its water gardens, SOUTH CENTRAL which are surrounded by beds AR, KS, LA, MO, MS, OK, TX of Asian azaleas and camellias in SEPT. 25 & 26. 4th Annual Fall Festival at the the shape of an hourglass and an Butterfly House. Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly encircling path. House & Education Center. Chesterfield, The water gardens are home Missouri. (636) 530-0076. www.mobot.org. to a wide variety of wildlife, OCT. 7–9. American Association of Botanical many of which are visible along Gardens & Arboretums Regional Meeting. the path. Cross an arched Garvan Woodland Gardens. Hot Springs Na- bridge and you can usually see Turtles sunning on Amazonian water lily pads tional Park, Arkansas. (800) 366-4664. turtles sunning themselves on www.garvangardens.org. giant, table-sized Amazonian water lilies (Victoria amazonica). A sign in the shape of an alligator warns of another resident reptile. OCT. 15 & 16. The 26th Annual Fall Flower In addition to the Fall Plant Sale, Kanapaha hosts a spring concert series, a Spring & Garden Fest. Mississippi State University Garden Festival, a winter bamboo sale, and occasional moonlight walks complete with Extension Service. Crystal Springs, Mississip- live music, food, and even telescopes for stargazing. For more information about the pi. (601) 892-3731. www.msucares.com. gardens or any of these events, call (352) 372-4981 or visit www.kanapaha.org. OCT. 16. The Native Plant Society of Texas —Adele Woodyard, special to The American Gardener, Tampa, Florida Annual Meeting. Longview, Texas. (512) 868-8799. www.npsot.org. ADELE WOODYARD

September / October 2004 55 56 E-mail: [email protected]. Wailuku, Hawaii.(808)572-0756. Fair Show. RAP 508. Woodside, California.(650)364-8300ext. SEPT. 30–OCT.3. www.asla.org. Expo. scape Architects2004AnnualMeeting& 2537. tate. BeverlyHills,California.(310) 285- & DesignShowcase. RAP (760) 436-3036.www.qbgardens.com. Fairgrounds. DelMar,California. Quail BotanicalGardens. (801) 581-4747.www.redbuttegarden.org. Red ButteGarden.UniversityofUtah. RAP www.thearb.org. Arizona. (928)774-1442ext.110. Peak. RAP NOV. 5–7. Looking ahead 304. Strybing Arboretum.(415)564-3239ext. cheon. SanFranciscoBotanicalGardenat OCT. 2. OCT. 29–NOV.2. RAP RAP (316) 264-0448. The WichitaGardens.Wichita,Kansas. RAP www.powellgardens.org. Kingsville, Missouri.(816)697-2600. & AntiqueTractorShow. RAP www.DescansoGardens.org. California. (818)949-4200. Descanso Gardens.LaCañadaFlintridge, RAP www.fwbg.com. Fort Worth,Texas.(817)871-7686. ese Garden. the American Gardener www.filoli.org. www.sfbotanicalgarden.org. Salt LakeCity,Utah.(202)898-2444. SEPT. 25. SEPT. 25. OCT. 25&26. OCT. 22&23. OCT. 16. SEPT. 24&25. OCT. 14. OCT. 8&9. OCT. 8–10. The ArboretumatFlagstaff.Flagstaff, Autumn atFiloli. www.beverlyhillsgardenfestival.com. Third AnnualBeverlyHillsGarden War MemorialGymnasium. Fort WorthBotanicGarden. AK, ID,MT,OR,WA,WY Garden Feast. Daffodil Sale. American SocietyofLand- Seed CollectingWorkshop. Wildflower Walk:O’Leary WEST COAST NORTHWEST SOUTHWEST Maui OrchidSocietyCounty International OrchidFair. AZ, NM,CO,UT Autumn PlantSale. CA, NV,HI www.botanica.org. Fall FestivalintheJapan- Harvest Celebration Fall CleanUpDays at Historic GreystoneEs- Festival. Filoli. Powell Gardens. San DiegoCounty Botanica, Benefit lun- RAP www.oregongarden.org. den. Silverton,Oregon.(877)674-2733. Community CollegeWorkshop.OregonGar- RAP www.arboretumfoundation.org. Washington. (206)325-4510. Washington ParkArboretum.Seattle, RAP (907) 770-3692.www.alaskabg.org. Botanical Garden.Anchorage,Alaska. the Garden. or visitwww.cornerstonegardens.com. on thesite,includinganursery,bookstore,café,andantiquestore. are gone.Inadditiontoviewingthegardens,visitorscanbrowseseveralgardenretailers gardens willbereplacedthiswinter,givingvisitorsgoodreasonstoseethembeforethey for children.“They’rewhimsical.They’renotjustseriousgardens,”saysHougie. colors, shapes,andinteractivenatureofthegardensmakethemanentertainingplace perfect placetolaunchtheproject. in theUnitedStateslikethoseatChaumont,HougiedecidedthatSonomawouldbea tional GardenfestivalatChaumont-sur-Loire.Recognizingthattherewerenogardens was inspiredbyavisittoFrance’sInterna- Japanese maples. Prominent plantsincludepinesand of Sonomaasadistantfocalpoint. to awhitesand“ocean,”usingthehills and relaxationwithastonepathleading by YojiSasaki,invitescontemplation brids growfrompocketsinthestones. scape. SucculentplantslikeEcheveria stones asthemajorfocusofland- ement ofscale,usinglarger-than-life Raffaella Sini—reliesupontheartisticel- Marco Antonini,RobertoCapecci,and of Japanesewoodblockprints. late undulatingtopography,reminiscent landform. Theformsaremeanttoemu- ted nyloncarpetsdrapedoverasculpted Garden” iscomprisedof200hand-knit- artistic license.Forexample,“ALullaby garden visitorsandotherstakingmore fer widely,someappealingtotraditional architect ordesigner.Featuredgardensdif- ture ofCalifornia,openedJuly20andisexpectedtocontinueindefinitely. featuring rotatinginstallationsdesignedtocelebrategardeningandtheagrariancul- tival ofGardensinSonoma,California.Theavant-gardegallery-stylegardendisplay, ART, ARCHITECTURE,AND Cornerstone Festival ofGardens For moreinformationontheCornerstoneFestivalofGardens, call(707)933-3010 Part ofthedrawtoCornerstoneisephemeralnaturedisplays.Threeorfour Hougie saysthatalthoughthefestivalisdesignedprimarilyforadults,exciting Cornerstone’s founderChrisHougie “The GardenofVisceralSerenity,” “Stone’s Throw”—designedby The festivaldebutedwith15individualgardens,eachdesignedbyaleadinglandscape OCT. 23&24. OCT. 3. OCT. 2. Volunteer opportunity.Alaska Fall BulbandPlantSale. Beginning Bonsai. Hoyt Arboretum’s Fall Chemekta nature areintertwinedinthenewCornerstoneFes- hy- at theCornerstoneFestival. “Stone’s Throw,”oneofthefeaturedgardens OCT. 1–3. SEPT. 24&25. Plant Sale. www.hoytarboretum.org. Oregon. (503)228-TREE. www.communitygarden.org. Toronto, Ontario. (416)392-1668. Community GardeningAssociation. Across Cultures. (519) 696-2624.E-mail: Society Show. —Katie Palanjian,EditorialIntern Gardens ofDiversity,Growing The HoytArboretum.Portland, Central OntarioOrchid New Dundee,Ontario. Conference. TheAmerican CANADA [email protected]. 

COURTESY OF CORNERSTONE FESTIVAL OF GARDENS Join us now to take advantage of the many benefits of membership in the American Horticultural Society

As an AHS member, you get The American Gardener Our beautiful full-color bi-monthly magazine offers in- Online Gardening Courses Enroll in state-of-the-art depth articles written by plant and gardening experts and enthusiasts. online garden classes through AHS's partnership with the Horticultural Gardening Institute of Michigan State Free Admission or special discounts to 170 public gardens and flower and garden University. shows across the United States and Canada. Heat Tolerance Map In 1997, AHS introduced the AHS Free Seed Exchange Program AHS’s annual seed exchange program enables Plant Heat Zone Map, which has revolutionized the members to obtain hundreds of uncommon varieties of seeds. way American gardeners select region-appropriate plants. Travel Study Program AHS and the Leonard Haertter Travel Company offer superb national and international garden-based, educational tours to beautiful Book Program AHS and DK Publishing, Inc., have teamed up to create a definitive private and public gardens in the United States and abroad. horticultural reference library for the 21st century.

Special invitations to educational programs such as the AHS Garden Schools and SMARTGARDEN™ Launched in 2000, this AHS program uses existing tools, such as AHS partner events that include the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival the USDA Plant Hardiness and AHS Plant Heat Zone codes, and considers new and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Garden Symposium. criteria to develop guidelines that best reinforce our stewardship of the earth.

AHS Online Our Web site (www.ahs.org) contains a wealth of information, Horticultural Intern Program Horticulture students from around the country get including articles from The American Gardener, members-only pages with special hand's-on experience in garden maintenance and design and an opportunity to information and updates, and links to other prominent gardening sites. work with leading gardening experts.

National Awards Program The Great American Gardeners Awards recognizes Your membership also supports our many individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to national programs horticulture. The Flower Show Awards spotlight earth-friendly garden displays at flower shows. Noteworthy garden books are the focus for our Book Awards program. National Children and Youth Garden Symposium Since 1993, this annual program has led the Annual Membership Levels way in promoting the value of An annual membership in the American Horticultural Society, including 6 issues of children's gardens and garden- The American Gardener, is only $35 ($50 for International) based education. • $50 Sustaining Member • $100 Contributor • $250 Benefactor • $500 Patron The Growing Connection This • $1,000 President’s Council • Corporate Membership (contact our office) innovative educational program teaches children about the science of growing food plants and their role in a healthy diet. Please join the AHS family. To become a member, call (703) 768-5700 or visit us at www.ahs.org SEASONALC GARDEN GOODS

Choosing Plant Labels by Rita Pelczar

OOD PLANT LABELS are in- HANG IN THERE ground rather than on the plant. Labels of dispensable, particularly for Metal tags that can be attached to a woody this nature preclude the girdling issue; G stem with a wire should last for several sea- however, they can get lost or displaced, and gardeners with large or diverse sons. They have the advantage of staying if you move the plant, be sure to transplant plant collections. Anyone whose put—they won’t get uprooted by dogs, the label, too. garden contains multiple azalea, stepped on, or buried by mulch. Orion Wren and Orion offer sturdy and at- Industries offers several styles of hang tags, tractive steel T-shaped labels that are six- hosta or daylily cultivars will want to label each, particularly if he or she shares plants with others. Have you ever tried to identify daylilies when they are not in bloom?

Similarly, vegetable growers who raise many heirloom varieties must know their plants’ identities for seed saving and to determine the best performers. Labels are also essential for plant breeders and col- lectors who need to meticulously moni- tor their botanical treasures. OrnamentalOrnamental hanginghanging tagtag fromfrom OrionOrion TerraTerra cottacotta markermarker fromfrom OrionOrion And of course plant labels can help pre- vent overzealous gardeners from acciden- including copper or aluminum rectangles and-a-half and five-and-three-quarters tally digging up plants that are late for embossing with a ballpoint pen, or an inches tall respectively. Both have plenty emerging in spring, like scarlet mallow anodized aluminum tags for use with a of room for writing. A smaller copper (Hibiscus coccineus), or are dormant at odd weather-resistant marking pencil or pen. version from Orion is suggested for use times, like surprise lilies (Lycoris spp.). Also intended for attaching directly to in containers. For a more formal garden, A variety of plant labels, in a range of the plant are Orion’s oval Ornamental Orion has terra cotta labels in two styles. designs and styles, are now available for Hang Tags in stainless steel or copper. Wren’s 24-inch scrolled stainless steel home gardeners. The style you select These are a bit more showy and pricey should depend both on your goals and than the rectangular style. personal taste. Labels for use in a prop- BotanicaLabels from Wren are heavy- agating bed or cold frame usually serve duty stainless steel tags with a large a strictly functional purpose, whereas space for writing with the paint pen those out in the garden proper may be that is included with the package showy or discreet, depending on the in- of 10 labels. This style is particu- dividual gardener’s desires. larly useful if you like to include If the label is meant for your eyes only, information above and beyond the a durable but discreet marker—easy for name of the plant (date of planting, you to locate, but inconspicuous to gar- cultural information, source, etc.). den visitors—is the ticket. On the other All labels that you wrap around a hand, if your intent is to identify the plant stem or branch should be peri- plants for your visitors, you will want to odically checked to make sure they are spend a bit more and select a label that is not girdling the plant. attractive in its own right, and perhaps most importantly, one that does not de- WELL GROUNDED Metal markers and hang tags from tract from the garden's appearance. Many gardeners prefer their labels in the Wren Garden Products

58 the American Gardener Professionally printed labels for metal Vertical marker from Paw Paw Horizontal marker from Paw Paw plant markers from Garden Fonts garden stakes are quietly elegant with their cal and attractive in a no-nonsense sort simple design and generous, but not over- of way, these labels remain inconspicu- whelming, three-and-a-half-inch tag. The ous when judiciously placed. The verti- manufacturer recommends using them cally oriented Everlast and the horizontal Sources for tall perennials, annuals, bulbs, shrubs EON labels have rounded edges, while For more information about any of and water gardens. Wren offers a pen with Orion and Paw Paw’s horizontal zinc la- the products described, contact oil-based paint that will stand up to the bels are sharp-edged and tend to bend a the manufacturers below. weather. A similar style with an 18-inch little more easily under duress. The dis- stainless steel stake and a steel or copper advantage of vertical labels, of course, is EON Industries, Inc., Liberty Center, tags are available from Orion. that they are more difficult to read than OH. (419) 533-4961. Plantid’s Plant Identification Markers the horizontal style. www.eonindustries.com. are dark green, nine-inch, polypropylene For an easy-to-read professional look, mountings that surround a vinyl insert. you might consider sending your plant Garden Fonts, Castine, ME. (207) Both mounting and insert are weather re- list to Garden Fonts. The company will 326-9413. www.gardenfonts.com. sistant. Three collections of preprinted la- print your labels on UV-resistant poly- bels—herbs, vegetables, and perennials— ester to peel and stick onto metal mark- Orion Industries, Cloverdale, CA. as well as blank inserts for making your ers. Or, if you are a do-it-yourselfer, you (707) 529-8707. own labels are available. Whether you pur- may be interested in Orion’s Computer- www.gardenmarker.com. chase pre-printed labels or you write your Imprintable Labels. Using Orion’s soft- own, accuracy is critical. Be forewarned: ware, you can print your own labels, Paw Paw Everlast Label Co., Paw Even commercially printed labels can which then be covered with protective Paw, MI. www.everlastlabel.com. come with misspelled botanical names. plastic and insert them into durable Bosmere, Orion, Paw Paw Everlast, metal stakes. Plantid, Inc., New Prague, MN. and EON label companies produce cop- (612) 758-6888. www.plantid. per and/or zinc labels with steel stakes in COMPARING PRODUCTS com. a wide variety of sizes and styles. Practi- The cost, functionality, and durability of plant labels are relatively easy to com- Wren Garden Products, Inc., pare. If you want a “behind-the-scenes” Rowayton, CT. (800) 821-6245. sort of labeling system—handy when www.bywren.com. you need it, but not really part of the gar- den picture—consider the factors I out- lined above. The aesthetic value of a label is another story. For labels that will be part of the garden picture, you will have to determine which product suits your own taste and garden style. 

Preprinted marker from Plantid Rita Pelczar is a contributing editor to The American Gardener.

September / October 2004 59 GARDENC MARKET

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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 impor- tant role in plant survival. The codes tend to be conservative; plants may grow outside the ranges indicated. A USDA zone rating of 0–0 means that the plant is a true annual and completes its life cycle in

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

Copyright © 1997 by the American Horticultural Society

A–E C. sericea C. seh-RISS-ee-uh Juniperus chinensis joo-NIP-er-iss Sassafras albidum SASS-uh-frass (3–8, 8–1) chy-NEN-sis (3–9, 9–1) AL-bih-dum (4–8, 8–3) Abies fraseri AY-beez FRAYZ-yer- Carpinus caroliniana kar-PY-nus J. communis J. com-YEW-niss Saxifraga michauxii sak-sih-FRAY- eye (USDA Zones 4–7, AHS kair-o-lin-ee-AN-uh (3–9, 9–1) (2–6, 6–1) guh mih-SHO-ee-eye (7–8, 8–7) Zones 7–1) Chelone glabra chee-LO-nee Kalmia latifolia KAL-me-uh lat-ih- Scilla siberica SIL-luh sy-BARE-ih- Allium thunbergii AL-ee-um thun- GLAB-ruh (3–8, 9–1) FO-lee-uh (4–9, 8–3) kuh (5–8, 8–5) BER-jee-eye (5–9, 9–5) C. lyonii C. ly-O-nee-eye Lagerstroemia indica lag-ur- Sorghastrum nutans sor-GASS-trum Amelanchier arborea am-eh-LANG- (3–9, 9–3) STROH-me-uh IN-dih-kuh NOO-tanz (5–8, 8–5) kee-ur (4–9, 9–1) C. obliqua C. o-BLEEK-wuh (7–9, 9–7) Syringa reticulata sih-REENG-guh A. laevis A. LEE-vis (4–9, 9–1) (3–9, 9–3) Lilium superbum LIL-ee-um soo- reh-tik-yew-LAY-tuh (5–8, 8–5) Anemone hupehensis uh-NEM-o- Clethra alnifolia KLETH-ruh al-nih- PUR-bum (4–8, 8–3) Thymus serpyllum TY-mus sur-PIL- nee hoo-pee-EN-sis (4–8, 8–1) FO-lee-uh (3–9, 9–1) Oxydendrum arboreum ok-sih-DEN- um (5-9, 9-4) Aronia arbutifolia uh-RO-nee-uh ar- Comptonia peregrina comp-TOH- drum ar-BOR-ee-um (5–9, 9–3) Tiarella cordifolia var. collinia tee- byew-tih-FO-lee-uh (4–9, 9–4) nee-uh pair-eh-GRY-nuh Pachysandra procumbens uh-REL-luh kor-dih-FO-lee-uh var. Asplenium platyneuron (4–7, 7–1) pak-ih-SAN-druh pro-KUM-benz koh-LIN-ee-uh (3–7, 7–1) uh-SPLEE-nee-um plat-ih-NUR-on Equisetum hyemale eh-kwi-SEE- (5–9, 8–3) Tricyrtis formosana try-SUR-tiss (3–9, 9–1) tum hy-ih-MAL-ee (3–11, 12–1) Panicum virgatum PAN-ih-kum vur- for-MO-san-uh (6–9, 9–4) Asclepias tuberosa as-KLEE-pee-us Euonymus fortunei yew-ON-ih-mus GAY-tum (5–9, 9–5) T. hirta T. HUR-tuh (4–9, 9–1) too-bur-O-suh (3–9, 9–2) for-TOON-ee-eye (4–9, 9–5) Physostegia virginiana fy-so-STEE- T. latifolia T. lat-ih-FO-lee-uh Aster divaricatus ASS-ter dih-vair- Eupatorium coelestinum yew-puh- juh vir-jin-ee-AN-uh (5–9, 8–3) (3–8, 8–1) ih-KAY-tus (3–9, 9–1) TOR-ee-um suh-LESS-tin-um Picea glauca PY-see-uh GLAW-kuh Trillium grandiflorum TRIL-ee-um A. ericoides A. eh-rih-KOY-deez (3–8, 8–1) (2–7, 7–2) gran-dih-FLOR-um (3–8, 8–1) (5–8, 8–5) E. rugosum yew-puh-TOR-ee-um P. rubens P. ROO-benz (3–6, 6–2) Vaccinium corymbosum vak-SIN- A. laevis A. LAY-vis (4–9, 9–2) ROO-go-sum (4–8, 8–4) Pinus echinata PY-nus ek-ih-NAY- ee-um kor-im-BO-sum (4–8, 8–1) A. macrophyllus A. mak-ro-FIL-lus tuh (6–8, 8–5) Vernonia baldwinii vur-NO-nee-uh (3–9, 9–1) F–P Prunus pensylvanica PROO-nus bald-WIN-ee-eye (5–9, 9–5) A. novae-angliae A. NO-vee-ANG- pen-sil-VAN-ih-kuh (6–8, 8–6) V. fasciculata V. fuh-sik-yoo-LAY- lee-ay (3–9, 9–1) Fothergilla major fah-ther-GIL-uh Pyrus calleryana PY-rus kal-lur-ee- tuh (4–9, 9–4) Avena sativa UH-vee-nuh sah-TEE- MAY-jer (4–8, 9–2) AN-uh (5–8, 8–3) V. gigantea V. jy-GAN-tee-uh vuh (5–9, 9–5) Gentiana andrewsii jen-she-AN-uh (5–9, 9–5) Betula lutea BET-yew-luh LOO-tee- an-DREW-zee-eye (3–7, 8–1) Q–Z V. missurica V. mih-ZUR-ih-kuh uh (4–7, 7–1) Helianthus maximiliani hee-lee-AN- (3–8, 8–1) Boltonia asteroides bohl-TOH-nee- thus maks-ih-mil-ee-AN-eye Quercus ilicifolia KWER-kus il-ih- V. noveboracensis V. no-vay-bor- uh ass-tuh-ROY-deez (4–8, 9–2) (4–9, 9–4) sih-FO-lee-uh (5–8, 8–5) uh-CHEN-sis (4–8, 8–3) Chionanthus virginicus ky-o-NAN- H. occidentalis H. ahk-sih-den- Rhamnus caroliniana RAM-nus Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides thus vir-JIN-ih-kus (4–9, 9–1) TAL-iss (4–9, 9–4) kair-o-lin-ee-AN-uh (5–9, 9–4) vy-BER-num NEW-dum var. Chrysogonum virginianum krih- H. salicifolius H. sal-iss-ih-FO-lee- Rhododendron catawbiense ro-doh- kass-ih-NOY-deez (2–8, 8–1) SOG-on-um vur-jin-ee-AN-um us (5–9, 9–4) DEN-dron kuh-taw-be-EN-see ✕ Wisteria frutescens wis-TEER-ee- (5–8, 8–5) Helleborus hybridus hel-eh-BOR- (4–8, 8–1) uh FROO-tess-ens (6–9, 9–6) Cimicifuga americana sih-mih-SIF- us HY-bri-dus (6–9, 9–6) R. calendulaceum R. kuh-len-dew- yew-guh uh-mair-ih-KAN-uh Hypericum prolificum hy-PAIR-ih- LAY-see-um (5–8, 9–4) (3–8, 8–1) kum pro-LIH-fih-kum (4–7, 7–1) R. kiusianum R. kee-yew-see-AN- Cornus florida KOR-nus FLOR-ih- Iris germanica EYE-ris jur-MAN-ih- um (6–9, 9–6) duh (5–8, 8–3) kuh (3–9, 9–1) Rhus typhina RUS TY-fee-nuh (3–8, 8–1)

September / October 2004 61 by CaroleOttesen Autumn MedleyofShrubs 62 American Gardener. Carole Ottesen isassociateeditorof T tion into the fourth season. tion intothefourth green, anchoringthecomposi- rose withcold, butremains ever- canes. Theeuonymusburnishes to uncloaktheglowing red dogwood’s dropping leaves start goldandorangethe fiery fall, thefothergilla’s leaves turn daysandcoolernightsin shorter liage ofthefothergilla.With fortunei) euonymus(Euonymousdwarf tion ofthedogwoodand cooling green andwhitevariega- that counteracttheheat: prelude toserene summercolors major) and thefothergilla(Fothergilla twig dogwood drops. In May, thevariegated red up infallasthetemperature toheat combination thatstarts margins ondeep greenleaves.Itwillreachthree tofourfeettall.Zones4–9, 9–5. Euonymus before thebluishleavesemerge. Zones4–8,9–2. Fothergilla white flowerclustersinMayare followedbywhiteorpaleblueberries.USDAZones3–8,AHS Zones8–1. Red-twig dogwood the American Gardener HIS TRIO a breezy springandsummer bloom coolandwhite,a (Euonymus fortunei) and theblue-green fo- (Fothergilla major) (Cornus sericea) (Cornus sericea) (Cornus of shrubs forms of shrubs is aroundedshrubthatcanreach eightfeettall.Itsfragrant,whitebottlebrushflowersbloom inMay is aspecieswithnumberofsmall, variegatedcultivarsofwhich‘EmeraldGaiety’isonewith white is ashrubthatgrowstoaboutfive feettallandmaysuckergraduallyintocolonies.Small,flat, The  EFC LN COMPANIONS PLANT PERFECT C

JERRY PAVIA