1 May/June 2006 VNLA Newsletter Bonnie Appleton Red, White

May/June 2006 VNLA Newsletter Bonnie Appleton Red, white, and blue popping up all over Virginia Gardens featuring plants and containers with red, white, and blue features are beginning to show up across Virginia. These gardens are part of a state-wide effort to unite anyone, be they a first time gardener or a retail or wholesale nursery, with Virginia Tech and Virginia Cooperative Extension’s America’s Anniversary Garden project for the Jamestown 2007 commemoration. Though Governor Tim Kaine helped kicked-off this project by assisting with planting the first official AAG in Jamestown in January, his wife, Ann Holton, has continued the first family’s involvement. Ms. Holton attended the state’s official Arbor Day tree planting on April 28 where a Cherokee Princess dogwood, donated by Lancaster Farms, was planted on the grounds of the governor’s mansion. The dogwood was selected in part because it is one of the major native trees being recommended for use in AAGs (white flowers, red fall color and fruit), because it is the state tree and flower, and because it is the flower depicted by the white flower sails of the AAG logo. VNLA hopes to plant a fringe tree (white flowers, blue fruit) at next year’s Arbor Day ceremony to continue establishing native AAG trees at the mansion. Another major AAG event occurred on May 10 when the first official “all natives” AAG was planted at York River State Park in Williamsburg (Croaker exit off I-64). Designed by Denise Greene, Sassafras Farm, the garden includes a beautiful specimen fringe tree, several native shrubs (arrowwood, highbush blueberry, aronia, and Virginia sweetspire), native vines (coral honeysuckle, passionvine, virgin’s bower, and American wisteria), and a wonderful assortment of native perennials and wildflowers (calico and smooth asters, hyssop skullcap, sundial lupine, wild quinine, whorled milkweed, cardinal flower, rose mallow, blue vervain, 1 blue-eyed grass, blue flag iris, wild stonecrop, wild blue phlox, goat’s beard, and columbine). This extensive assortment of native plants will produce pockets of red, white, and blue throughout the year in a scenic location overlooking the York River. Virginia Tech is getting involved in the AAG plantings in a large way. All Agricultural Research and Extension Centers across the state will be planting AAGs, with several gardens having recently been installed at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HRAREC) in Virginia Beach. The HRAREC entry sign, in its “Hokie stone” planter lined with blue fescue, is fronted by waves of red pentas and petunias (‘Easy Wave Red’), white verbena (‘Tapien Pure White’) and sandwort (arenaria), and blue lithodora (‘Grace Ward’) and salvia (‘Blue Hill’). At the entry to the building is a fringe tree (white flowers, blue fruit) surrounded by rose mallow (‘Disco Belle White’ with a red center), blue love grass, red Knockout roses, and three red daylily cultivars (‘Gene Foster’, ‘Mallard’, and ‘Scarlet Orbit’) designed to stagger bloom from early to late summer. In a third area at HRAREC, ‘New Look’ celosia (red leaves and flowers) has been used to fashion the letters V and T, surrounded by a “sea” of ‘Easy Wave White’ petunias, backed by ‘Imperial Blue’ plumbago. Many of the plants used in these AAGs are in addition to plants listed in the two AAG extension publications (Plant America’s Anniversary Garden - http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-210/426-210.html and America’s Anniversary Garden: A Statewide Corridor and Entrance Enhancement Program - http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-211/426-211.html) to further expand the pallet of red, white, and blue plant choices that can be used in AAGs. On May 12, Virginia Tech President Charles Steger and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean Sharron Quisenberry were joined by Virginia Tech faculty and staff in planting 2 an AAG in front of Burruss Hall, the administration building located across from the drill field in the center of campus. In this AAG a different native tree – serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’ – white flowers, red/blue/purple fruit, red fall color) – is featured, fronted by the white flowering native shrub Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica). Two “partner” meetings have recently been held, one involving representatives of the green industry (VNLA, VFGA, VSLD, MAC-ISA, VGIC), and one involving community and other groups (Scenic Virginia, VDOT, Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, The Garden Club of Virginia, Virginia Native Plant Society, Virginia Master Gardener Association). The purpose of these meetings is to keep AAG partners updated on publications, events, and other Virginia Cooperative Extension plans, to hear what AAG activities partners have planned, and to network and brainstorm to continue to build this commemorative project. One idea being discussed is a state-wide AAG contest to be held in 2007 to highlight efforts of individuals, towns, and organizations/association. More details will be forthcoming in the future. So, are you red, white and bluing yet? If not, why not? There’s a role (and a way to make bottomline profits for businesses) for everyone in this statewide effort. When the replica of the Godspeed, one of the three ships that arrived from England at Jamestown in 1607, starts sailing up the ease coast from Alexandria on May 27, one of the projects the traveling exhibit will take will detail the America’s Anniversary Garden. If you want to get involved with us and need information please check the America’s Anniversary Garden website – www.ext.vt.edu/americasgarden - or contact Bonnie Appleton, the green industry contact for AAG ([email protected] or 757-363-3906). END 3.

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