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$}\\1ERICAN I Iortlcu~I~Blrg$ }\\1ERICAN I IORTlcu~I~BlRg River Farm Notes In the November issue of American Horticulturist we had the dismal duty of reporting to you the harsh effects of a very dry summer on our River Farm plantings. Happily, in this issue we can report that autumn was more kind. Our trees were filled with the yellows, oranges and reds that we all cherish at that time of year. Our dahlias, in their glory, boldly dis played every color combination imaginable; our roses, standing tall, gave a final, regal show before the coming of winter; our chrysanthe mums weaved luscious carpets of color; the fall crocuses emerged everywhere, anxious to bring a color showing ra cy reds, graceful ye llows, ful climax to another growing season; the purist of whites and the most 1981 Seed Program and the windflowers, so aptly named, gentle shades of pink. Imag ine these You will shortly receive the seed list waved gently as the last winds of sweeps of color dancing in the warm for our 1981 free seed program, and autumn removed the remnants of ing breezes and make plans now to we think you will be very pleased by dogwood leaves and rose petals. visit us this spring to enjoy what we this year's offerings. Here are a few Fall cannot, and should not, be for have created for you.-Steve Da vis of the varieties that will show up on ever, but what a glorious time of the list: dwarf columbine, Christmas year it was . Winter is now upon us, AHS Driveway Construction cherry, pearl everlasting, asparagus though, and beneath the frozen sur fern, maiden pinks, Dracaena and face of yesterday's garden sleep the Completed Cilia. bulbs, corms and perennial roots that Good news! At last the Society's staff Have we piqued your interest? We will soon herald the coming of yet can report completion of the con hope so, because this program is of another season. In the closing para struction of the new drive and en special importance to us all. It gives graphs of this chronicle, let us look trance way to our River Farm head us the opportunity to provide you to spring and to the plantings we quarters mandated by Fairfax Coun with the gratifying experience of hav@ made at River Farm to please ty The project, begun in 1977, has growing plants from seed; it enables our visitors. been fraught with problems and com us to bring about the dissemination Thanks to the American Daffodil plexities, but it is now finished. of plant varieties to parts of the Society we have been able to estab The Society must landscape the country where they perhaps do not lish a daffodil display garden within new approach, and we have estab naturally occur; and it gives us the our Ideas Garden. We planted 300 lished a special River Farm Land chance to solicit your help in testing bulbs of 100 new and beautiful vari scape Fund to which friends and new plants (products of hybridization) eties, and we cannot wait to see members of the Society may con that are not yet on the market them come to life. If names can be tribute. Proceeds from the fund will Look for this mailing soon and re suggestive, dwell on these for a few be used to plant ornamental shrubs turn your order card promptly to en moments: 'Artie Gold', 'Evening Star', and perennial beds. The fund has re sure that you get your first choices of 'Foxfire', 'Frost Kist', 'Golden Dawn' ceived an initial gift of $1 ,500 from plant varieties. and 'Snow Gem'. the Alcoa Foundation for which we In addition to these plantings we are all deeply grateful. The Society naturalized 600 daffodils and several needs an additional $9,500 to make The Williamsburg Garden hundred crocuses, and we developed possible the completion of the land Symposium, co-sponsored by beds containing some 5,000 tulips scape project The American Horticultural Picture hundreds of naturalized daf If you would like to make a dona Society, is scheduled for April fodils swaying quietly on the periph tion to this fund, please send your 5-April 8, 1981. Look for details ery of open fields; of crocuses push check to Landscape Fund, attention ing through the last remaining patch Tom Richards, AHS, Mt Vernon, VA and a registration form inside. es of snow; and of beds of tulips 22121. Dates to Remember The Society is sponsoring two hor New Plant listed ticultural explorations of note in the Tours, a lecture se ries, our Spring as Endangered spring of 1981. From May 21-June 2 Symposium, Open Houses .... these members will be touring the Island McKittrick pennyroyal, Hedeoma are so me of the AHS activities World of Great Britain via the luxury apiculatum, has been proposed by ( planned for members during the next cruise ship, MTS Argonaut. Gardens the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for few months. and other points of historical interest Threatened status. The proposal, F.R. After last year's successful lecture on the islands of England, Scotland, 8/15/80, also includes a determination series, we are once again planning Wales, Scilly, MuJI, lona and Orkney of Critical Habitat for the plant. winter lectures at River Farm for area are on the itinerary. For a brochure Hedeoma apiculatum is a member gardeners who would like to take ad and reservation card, write to of the mint family, Labiatae, and is vantage of the guest experts we in Dorothy Sowerby in care of the the second member of its genus to vite to join us for this program. The American Horticultural Society. be listed by the Service, the first be series will be on five successive The second spring horticultural ex ing Todsens pennyroyal, Hedeoma Thursday mornings from February 26 ploration is to Baja California and todsenii (F.R 7/25/80). H. apiculatum through March 26. Topics will in Copper Canyon in Mexico. One tour is endemic to the Guadalupe Moun clude plant propagation, pruning, departing March 21 and returning tains of Texas and New Mexico. It home landscape design, plant dis o~ April 5, is already full. However, we grows on open limestone rock sur eases and pests and indoor plants. are endeavoring to organize a second faces and outcroppings and along We are already looking forward to tour to accommodate those whose stream beds at elevations above our Spring Open House. The 1980 requests for space could not be hon 1,066 meters. Open House was such a success (over ored. Dates for this second tour are Since the majority of the known 800 visitors) that we are making plans April 11-26, 1981. To register, write to populations of McKittrick pennyroyal to expand this year's program by in Dorothy Sowerby in care of the are accessible by hiking trails which viting additional plant societies and American Horticultural Society. exist on government land, increased area artists to participate. It is sched Finally, another reminder to re traffic could destroy the plant's habi uled for Sunday, May 17. I n case of serve the dates July 14-18,1981 so tat. High visibility also could encour rain, it will be postponed until the that you may join us in Denver for age collecting. The total populatio~ following Sunday, May 24. our Spring Symposium. We will be of Hedeoma apiculatum is estimated enjoying the beauty of a Rocky to be approximately 950 individuals. Mountain alpine spring with the Den -Endangered Species Technical Bul ver Botanical Garden as our official letin, September 1980 fXV1ERlCAN HOIillCULTURIST host. One event already planned is an all-day trip to lovely Estes Park VOLUME 6O-NUMBER 1 and the Trailbridge Road, with dinner AHS Members' Advice Sought EDITOR and entertainment at the Lazy B Judy Powell on New Ortho Publication Ranch . Watch for registration materi ASSOCIATE WITOR al in an upcoming issue of American Ortho Books, publ isher of books such Barbara W . Ellis Horticulturist news. as All About Roses and All About EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Vegetables, has started work on an Jane Steffey entirely new type of book, The Ortho TAXONOMIST Problem Solver. Designed with an en Dr. Frederick C . Meyer David Burpee Memorial cyclopedia format and arranged by Address all Society correspondence to: In the September issue of News & symptom, it will cover the problems American Horticultural Society Mount Vernon, Virginia 22121 Views we announced plans to estab connected with diseases, insect and Address all editorial correspondence to: lish a living memorial to David animal pests, cultural conditions and The Editor, American Horticulturist Burpee, retired President of the W . weeds that affect home gardeners. American Horticultural Society Atlee Burpee Co., who died in June The book will be a 600-page, pro Mount Vernon, Virginia 22121 of this year. Because of Mr. Burpee's fessional quality volume covering AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST is published lifelong affiliation with the seed in every major plant cultivated in the monthly by the American Horticultural dustry, and because the Burpee com United States. The text, illustrated by Society, 7931 East Boulevard Drive Alexandria, Virginia 22308. 703-7~5700 pany is the site of an official AII over 1,200 high-clarity, color photo Dues for membership in the Society start at America Selections vegetable trial graphs, will describe and analyze $20 per year, $12 of which is for AMERICAN and display garden, we feel that it is each problem, give a simple and in HORTICULTURIST. most fitting that we dedicate our expensive solution and spell out care The American Horticultural Society is a non River Farm All-America Selections necessary to prevent its recurrence.

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