Winter Berries Winter Berries

TheThe AmericanAmerican

GARDENERGARDENER®

TheThe MagazineMagazine ofof thethe AmericanAmerican HorticulturalHorticultural SocietySociety November / December 2011

Winter Berries

Success with Bare-Root Plants Weird and Wonderful Stapeliads Plant Collections with PurposePurpose

contents Volume 90, Number 6 . November / December 2011

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS

5 NOTES FROM RIVER FARM

6 MEMBERS’ FORUM

8 NEWS FROM THE AHS Updated and revised American Horticultural Society reference books recently released, spring President’s Council trip to northwestern Arkansas, introducing five new Board members.

10 AHS NEWS SPECIAL America In Bloom’s 2011 Award Winners.

12 AHS MEMBERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE Alice Witterholt.

42 GARDEN SOLUTIONS Taking care of indoor plants in winter.

44 HOMEGROWN HARVEST Fall-fruiting raspberries. page 20 46 GARDENER’S NOTEBOOK Wasps and purple traps slow emerald ash borer invasion, bonsai stamps available in GARDENS FOR THE GREATER GOOD BY PATRICIA A. TAYLOR 14 2012, turfgrass fungus with pest-fighting Member gardens in the North American Plant Collections abilities, San Francisco namesake plant Consortium are more than places of beauty and inspiration—they elevated from extinction to endangered preserve and document plant collections for future generations. status, new genuflecting plant discovered, National Park Service and Garden Club of America team up for conservation projects, BIZARRELY BEAUTIFUL STAPELIADS BY JEANETTE ATKINSON 20 Boston Tree Party, leadership transitions at Otherworldly, star-shaped flowers are the main draw for fans of American Public Gardens Association and this intriguing group of succulents. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Green Garage® : Selected useful garden tools 24 WINTER’S BERRIED TREASURES BY KATHLEEN FISHER and products. Shrubs that retain colorful fruits and berries through late fall and 50 BOOK REVIEWS winter are a delight to gardeners and wildlife alike. American Eden, Gathering: Memoir of a Seed Saver, and Seeing Trees: Discover the 30 SUCCESS WITH BARE-ROOT PLANTS BY KRIS WETHERBEE Extraordinary Secrets of Everyday Trees. If you buy a lot of plants and are looking for ways to save money, 52 GIFTS FOR THE GARDENER purchasing bare-root plants is a cost-effective option. 54 REGIONAL HAPPENINGS LOTS TO LEARN FROM BY KAREN BUSSOLINI 36 58 HARDINESS AND HEAT ZONES For those seeking design and plant ideas for tough environments, AND PRONUNCIATIONS botanical garden parking lots can be instructive places to start. 60 2011 MAGAZINE INDEX

ON THE COVER: Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), native to California, produces a bounty of red berries 62 PLANT IN THE SPOTLIGHT

.֢֣ that birds relish in winter. Photograph by David Cavagnaro Bulbine frutescens֧֥֥֦֣֧֤֩֩֡֡֠֨

November / December 2011 3 AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Making America a Nation of Gardeners, a Land of Gardens

Board of Directors CHAIR Harry A. Rissetto, Esq. Falls Church, Virginia FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN Mary Pat Matheson Atlanta, Georgia SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN Jane Diamantis McDonald, Tennessee SECRETARY Leslie Ariail Alexandria, Virginia TREASURER J. Landon Reeve, IV Woodbine, Maryland IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Susie Usrey Dayton, Oregon EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Henrietta Burke Alexandria, Virginia

Sandra Address Chevy Chase, Maryland ■ Sally Barnett, Jacksonville, Florida ■ Amy Bolton Falls Church, Virginia Skipp Calvert Alexandria, Virginia ■ Gay Estes Houston, Texas ■ Joel Goldsmith Gilroy, California Shirley Nicolai Ft. Washington, Maryland ■ Ed Snodgrass Street, Maryland ■ Marcia Zech, Mercer Island, Washington

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Tom Underwood PRESIDENT EMERITUS Katy Moss Warner

President’s Council

CHAMPION’S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. George Diamantis ■ Mr. and Mrs.* Robert E. Kulp, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harry A. Rissetto ■ Mr. and Mrs. Klaus Zech

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE Anonymous ■ Mrs. Leslie S. Ariail ■ Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Bluemel ■ Ms. Amy Bolton ■ Mr. and Mrs. Carl Estes ■ Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Farrell ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Smith, Jr.

LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY CIRCLE Ms. Judy Daniel ■ Dr. and Mrs. John A. Floyd, Jr. ■ Ms. JoAnn Luecke ■ Mrs. Shirley Ann Nicolai ■ Mr. and Mrs. J. Landon Reeve, IV ■ Dr. Erich Veitenheimer and Mr. Andrew Cariaso ■ Ms. Katy Moss Warner

HAUPT CIRCLE Mrs. Sandra L. Address ■ Mrs. Lynda A. Bachman ■ Nancy J. Becker, M.D. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Burke, III ■ Mr. James R. Cargill, II ■ Mrs. Elisabeth C. Dudley ■ Mr. and Mrs. Don W. Godsey ■ Dr. and Mrs. William O. Hargrove ■ Mrs. Carole S. Hofley ■ Mr. and Mrs. Bob J. MacLean ■ Mr. David D. Parrish ■ Mr. and Mrs. Tom Underwood ■ Mr. and Mrs. W. Bruce Usrey

COUNCIL MEMBER’S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. Robert Baillie ■ Mr. and Mrs. Carter Bales ■ Mrs. Katherine Belk ■ Mrs. George P. Bissell, Jr. ■ Dr. Sherran Blair ■ Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bogle ■ Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. Bradshaw ■ Ms. Petra Burke ■ Mr. Skipp Calvert ■ Mr. and Mrs. Edward N. Dane ■ Mrs. Barbara O. David ■ Mrs. Julie Ernest ■ Ms. Inger Fair ■ Ms. Walter S. Fletcher ■ Ms. Marguerite Peet Foster ■ Ms. Anne Galer ■ Mr. and Mrs. Don W. Godsey ■ Ms. Amy Goldman ■ Mr. and Mrs. Joel Goldsmith ■ Mrs. Barbara Grant ■ Ms. LaDawn Griffin ■ Mr. Gerald T. Halpin ■ Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Hanselman ■ Ms. Catherine M. Hayes ■ Mr. Edwin L. Heminger ■ Ms. Nancy Hockstad ■ Mr. and Mrs. Albert Huddleston ■ Mr. Philip Huey ■ Mrs. Marta J. Lawrence ■ Mrs. Carolyn M. Lindsay ■ Ms. JoAnn Luecke ■ Ms. Melissa Marshall ■ Mrs. Dorothy Marston ■ Mrs. Carol C. Morrison ■ Mr. and Mrs. James R. Moxley, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. James T. Norman ■ Mr. Michael Panas ■ Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Roe ■ Mrs. Deen Day Sanders ■ Mr. Harold Stahly ■ Mr. Arnold Steiner ■ Dr. and Mrs. Steven M. Still ■ Mr. Howard McK. Tucker and Ms. Megan Evans ■ Mr. Joe Viar ■ Ms. Angela M. Vikesland ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Volk ■ Mrs. Elizabeth M. Wehrle ■ Mr. and Mrs. Dennis White ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harvey C. White ■ Mrs. Dudley B. White ■ Mr. and Mrs. John Zoldak

HONORARY PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL Ms. Louise Fruehling* ■ Mrs. Enid Haupt* ■ Mrs. John A. Lutz* ■ Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Miller* *In memoriam

Corporate Members

Bonnie Plants ■ The Care of Trees ■ Chapel Valley Landscape Company ■ The Espoma Company Furbish Company ■ Homestead Gardens ■ Kurt Bluemel, Inc. ■ Monrovia ■ Osmocote

Horticultural Partners

America in Bloom Symposium & Awards Program ■ Bellingrath Gardens and Home Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Garden Symposium ■ Cox Arboretum MetroPark Garden Centers of America ■ The Gardeners of America/Men’s Garden Clubs of America Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium ■ The Homestead in the Garden Symposium Inniswood Garden Society ■ Oklahoma Botanical Garden & Arboretum

4 the American Gardener NOTES FROM RIVER FARM CONTACTS FOR C AHS PROGRAMS, MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS & DEPARTMENTS

For general information about your membership, call (800) 777-7931. Send change of address notifications to our membership department at S GARDENERS 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA are prone to do, we often look out the window and ask our- 22308. If your magazine is lost or damaged in selves how things will look in a season or two. How will our recently planted the mail, call the number above for a replace- shrubs deal with the winter? Will our ment. Requests for membership information A and change of address notification can also be fall aeration of the lawn pay off with renewed e-mailed to [email protected]. vigor in the spring? Anticipation is a big part THE AMERICAN GARDENER To submit a letter to of gardening, and it is only natural to look to the editor of The American Gardener, write to the future with equal helpings of excitement The American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard and trepidation. Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308, or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Similarly, here at River Farm we are looking forward to 2012 with much anticipation. DEVELOPMENT To make a gift to the American Horticultural Society, or for information about The year will not only mark the American a donation you have already made, call Horticultural Society’s 90th anniversary and (800) 777-7931 ext. 132 or send an e-mail the beginning of the countdown to our cen- to [email protected]. tennial in 2022, but will also bring some sig- E-NEWSLETTER To sign up for our monthly nificant developments to improve both your e-newsletter, visit www.ahs.org. membership experience and our ability to de- INTERNSHIP PROGRAM The AHS offers intern- liver on our mission of connecting more ships in communications, horticulture, and youth programs. For information, send an Americans with plants and gardens. e-mail to [email protected]. Information and First, we plan to launch a new and im- application forms can also be found in the proved AHS presence on the web next spring. Along with a fresh, inviting look, we River Farm area of www.ahs.org. want this new website to offer you, our members, a fun, friendly place to find the in- NATIONAL CHILDREN & YOUTH GARDEN spiration and information you need to stay at the top of your gardening game. If you SYMPOSIUM For information about the Soci- ety’s annual National Children & Youth Gar- have ideas and suggestions about the kind of features you would like to see on our new den Symposium, call (800) 777-7931 ext. website, please fill out the brief survey on our website at www.ahs.org by December 31. 132 or visit the Youth Gardening section of As a thank you for your feedback, you will be automatically entered to win a copy of www.ahs.org. the AHS Great Plant Guide (DK Publishing, 2011). RECIPROCAL ADMISSIONS PROGRAM The AHS Next year, we also will be celebrating a milestone anniversary of our National Chil- Reciprocal Admissions Program offers members free admission and other discounts to more than dren & Youth Garden Symposium in July. It’s been 20 years since the first symposium 250 botanical gardens and other horticultural was held in the Washington, D.C., area, and we’ll be returning to our nation’s capital destinations throughout North America. A list of for the occasion. Much has changed over the last two decades, but the AHS remains participating gardens can be found in the Mem- bership area of www.ahs.org. For more infor- as committed as ever to educating and inspiring people to get kids into gardening. mation, call (800) 777-7931 ext. 119. And for all of you who take advantage of our Reciprocal Admissions Program, RIVER FARM The AHS headquarters at River we are excited to offer an unprecedented number of participating gardens in 2012. Farm is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays year- This program turns your AHS membership card into your passport to discover round (except Federal holidays), and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays from April through September. America’s horticultural treasures on your travels. Just present your card at any of Admission is free. For information about events, the participating locations to receive free admission or other discounts! rentals, and directions, visit the River Farm sec- Turning a little closer to home and to your own garden, look no further than this tion of www.ahs.org. issue of The American Gardener. As always, it’s packed full of tips and insights on a va- TRAVEL STUDY PROGRAM Visit spectacular pri- riety of horticultural topics. One trend that is catching on in this era of dollar-stretch- vate and public gardens around the world through the Society’s acclaimed Travel Study ing is choosing bare-root plants over containerized ones. Kris Wetherbee explains Program. For information about upcoming everything you need to know to get more bang for your buck with bare-root plants. trips, call (866) 627-6621, send an e-mail to Love decorative berries in fall and winter? We’ve got an article about which shrubs pro- [email protected], or visit the Travel Study section of www.ahs.org. vide the best berry displays. And don’t miss the feature on stapeliads, an intriguing group of succulents from the milkweed family that are well known—perhaps notori- WEBSITE: www.ahs.org The AHS website is a valuable source of information about the Soci- ous might be a better word—for the scent of their flowers. ety’s programs and activities. To access the We hope you enjoy this issue and our very best wishes for the holiday season. members-only section of the website, the user name is garden and the password is ahs2011. Harry Rissetto, Chair, AHS Board of Directors Tom Underwood, Executive Director

November / December 2011 5 6 Arboretum inChesterTownship,NewJersey The woodlandgardenatWillowwood American landscape. Nelson hasdismissedtheirvalue inthe the Florida andGulf Coastregion, Gil tles amonghislistofoverused plantsin collective teeth.By includingcrapemyr- owners grindingtheir tors andnursery propaga-issue probably hascrapemyrtle article intheSeptember/Octoberarticle 2011 The “Out-of-the-Ordinary Small Trees” CRAPE MYRTLESDEFENDED place. still quitefondofthe rific; andasyou mightbeabletotell,Iam For aplantnerd likeme,itwaspretty ter- manager ofhorticulture from 1998to2001. nificant nationalmagazine.Ilived there, as Jersey garden gotabitofattentioninsig- fact thatthislittle-known gemofaNew lowwood over theyears wouldrevel inthe County Park Commission. ticultural sitesmanagedby theMorris Township, New Jersey, oneofseveral hor- Willowwood Arboretum inChester but istheeastsideofstonebarnat author’s Pennsylvania garden, aswritten, incorrect. The locationpictured is notthe 30 oftheSeptember/October 2011issueis The captionforthephotographonpage PHOTO LOCATIONCORRECTION I’m sure the people associatedwith Wil- the American Gardener Birmingham Botanical Gardens Birmingham, Alabama Frederick R.Spicer, Jr. Executive Director able plantinmylandscapedesigns. continue tousethisbeautifulandvalu- andI,forone,will out crapemyrtles, from thoseso-calledmessyfruits. bird speciesfilltheirbellieswiththeseeds warblers, titmice,andinnumerableother winter day, Iseecardinals, goldfinches, in thebranches.On thedreariest fallor flower toflower fornectarandseekrefuge In summer, hummingbirds from dart scape isthesustenanceitprovides tobirds. requirements, gifttotheland- butitstrue There isreal value initslow maintenance from waist-highbushestotowering trees. size imaginable, comeinevery myrtles bark isbeautifulinitsown right.Crape color, every almost smooth thepeeling and drought-tolerant plantproduces flowers in overused. To beginwith,thissturdy and arewhy plantssuchascrapemyrtles butterflies who visitourgardens butterflies orthe come from, whetherit’s thebirds and It’s alwayshelpfultoknow where things it provided informationonplantorigins. issue wasoutstanding,especiallybecause clear waywith minimal useofspace. providedarticle thatinformation in a Glance”was includedinthis that chart plants thatgrow inthem. The “At a intheSeptember/Octoberarticle 2011 The “Out-of-the-Ordinary Small Trees” PROVENANCE INFORMATION KUDOS FORPROVIDING and interesting withoutrelying landscapes deners anddesignerscanfashiondiverse Askey’s whichcreative article—with gar- ed non-native trees—the focusofLinda many outstanding native and well adapt- in theprocess ofplantselection. There are assuitability ativity atleastasimportant overuse stemsfrom adesire tomakecre- tivars hasmanyuses.My reference to withallitscul- tion thatthecrapemyrtle Gil Nelson’sresponse: too heavily onanysingle species. I can’t imaginesoutherngardens with- There goodreasons are usuallyvery MEMBERS C Washington, Virginia ’ T FORUM here isnoques- Linda Lawler my heartfelt thanks. heartfelt my likethisinspiresyour inclusion ofarticles members. That isunderstandable,but willnotberelevantyour articles toall graphical range.Because ofthis,some tocovertrying gardening over ahugegeo- dience; you facetheadditionalchallengeof ties ofpublishingmaterialforabroad au- Iappreciatetwo newspapers, thedifficul- member whowritesthegarden columnfor aid inbroadleaf weed control, forinstance. me, suchastheuseofroadside grassesto to cle includeddetailedinformationnew year or so, but Johnson’s well-written arti- ing uponthesubjectofallelopathyfora 2011 issue.Ihave been read- July/August Wars and Turf Defense,” publishedinthe Lund Johnson’sKathryn “Plant article, thatinterestedan article measmuch It hasbeenalongtimesinceIhave read ALLELOPATHY ARTICLEAPPRECIATED diness andheatzone information. the sameregularity you includethehar- viding informationonplantoriginswith strongly encourageyou tocontinuepro- native optionsare available tome.I muchliketoknowplants, Ivery when although Idonotgrow onlynative a passionatenative plantgardener, and PLEASE WRITEUS! Letters weprintmay beeditedforlengthandclarity. [email protected] (note LettertoEditorinsubjectline). Alexandria, VA22308.Send e-mails to American Gardener, As anAmericanHorticultural Society Over thepastdecade,Ihave become Ad 7931 EastBoulevardDrive, dress letters to Editor, Editor, to letters dress Marietta, Georgia Victor, Montana Molly Hackett Julie Newell The

ְֱֱֲֳִ֢֧֣֥֦֤֦֥֪֭֭֭֮֠֯֬֨֡֫֠֩֨ THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY TRAVEL STUDY PROGRAM 2012 TOURS

֢֭֩֩֬֯֩ ֧֦֣֪֥֮֩֫֠֬ ְ֦֪֤֡֨

Bold Colors and Exuberant Flowers: San Diego County Evelyn Alemanni March 21–25, 2012 with AHS Host Evelyn Alemanni

■ Join us on this tour of exciting public landscapes and spectacular private gardens during one of the most colorful months in southern coastal California. We will be staying at the historic Inn at Rancho Santa Fe in the foothills of Northern San Diego County. Trip highlights include a sneak preview of new plants being introduced to the horticultural trade at the California Spring Trials; a stop at the world-famous Flower Fields to view a stunning display of ranunculus; and a private tour of both the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and the San Diego Botanic Garden. ©Ed Hooker, Niki Charitable Art Foundation 2011 Midsummer Gardens and Castles of Sweden June 26–July 6, 2012 with AHS Host John Floyd and Tour Escort Antonia Lloyd Owen of Specialtours

■ The long, warm days of midsummer are perfect for enjoying the beautiful natural landscape and unpretentious gardens of Sweden. We will journey from Uppsala—home of botanist Carl Linneaus—to Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Lund, taking in the formal gardens of historic castles as well as a variety of contemporary gardens.

Andalusian Heritage and Gardens: Seville, Cordoba, and Granada October 26–November 5, 2012 with AHS Host Katy Moss Warner and Tour Escort Susie Orso of Specialtours

■ While the great Alhambra gardens of Granada and the Alcazar gardens of Seville are justly famous, there are many special, lesser-known gardens also worth visiting. From Belle-Epoque fantasy to cliff-top modernist, you will discover a diversity of styles in this memorable tour of southern Spain. iStockphoto

For more information about upcoming tours in the AHS Travel Study Program, please contact our travel partner, MacNair Travel: • E-mail: [email protected] • Call: (866) 627-6621 GARDENER Copyright ©2011 bytheAmericanHorticultural Society. ©2011 Copyright material. Backissuesareavailableat$8percopy. stamped envelope.Wecannotguaranteethesafereturn ofunsolicited possible publicationwillbereturnedifaccompanied byaself-addressed, ily thoseoftheSociety.Manuscripts,artwork,andphoto graphs sentfor expressed inthearticlesarethoseofauthorsand arenotnecessar- and onthe list oftheVascularFloraUnitedStates,Canada andGreenland Society A–Z EncyclopediaofGarden Plants, Botanical nomenclatureisbasedon 22308-1300. American Gardener,7931EastBoulevardDrive,Alexandria,VA tional mailingoffices.Postmaster:PleasesendForm3579to tion. PeriodicalspostagepaidatAlexandria,Virginia,andaddi- tion to (703) 768-5700.MembershipintheSocietyincludesasubscrip- Society, 7931EastBoulevardDrive,Alexandria,VA22308-1300, ber/October, November/December)bytheAmericanHorticultural ly (January/February,March/April,May/June,July/August,Septem- The AmericanGardener dues are$50.$10ofannualgoestowardmagazinesubscrip- 8 h American The ADVERTISING & PARTNERSHIPS CONTACT US CORPORATE EDITORIAL The Amer the American Gardener Royal HorticulturalSocietyIndexofGardenPlants CHAIR ican Gardener.Annualduesare$35;international Printed intheU.S.A. (703) 768-5700 Alexandria, VA22308 7931 EastBoulevardDrive West DesMoines,Iowa Elvin McDonald Kennett Square,Pennsylvania Richard W.Lighty Denver, Colorado Panayoti Kelaidis San Francisco,California John E.Bryan Birmingham, Alabama Steve Bender Ithaca, NewYork Nina L.Bassuk Athens, Georgia Allan M.Armitage Brevard, NorthCarolina Richard E.Bir EDITORIAL ADVISORYBOARD Carole Ottesen CONTRIBUTING WRITER Rita Pelczar CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Helen Thompson EDITORIAL INTERN Caroline Bentley EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Viveka Neveln ASSOCIATE EDITOR Mary Yee MANAGING EDITORANDARTDIRECTOR David J.Ellis EDITOR E-MAIL: The AmericanGardener E-MAIL: ( ISSN 1087-9978)ispublishedbimonth- [email protected] [email protected] The AmericanHorticultural on A S ynonymized Check- . Opinions The newly revisednewly andupdatededitionsfrom DKPublishing. The Definitive Guide toPruning Trees, Shrubs, andClimbers, ence books,the TWO OFTHE REFERENCES SOCIETY HORTICULTURAL RECENTLY RELEASEDAMERICAN THE AHS’S ARKANSAS NORTHWEST TO TRIP COUNCIL SPRING PRESIDENT’S Fayetteville. versity ofArkansas campusin Carnall Hall, locatedontheUni- will stayatthehistoricInn at region hastooffer, participants tonville. Whileexploring allthe inBen- seum ofAmericanArt Bridgesworld-class Crystal Mu- a visittotherecently opened, architecture, andnaturalbeauty. public andprivate gardens, art, alded region offers exceptional western Arkansas.unher- This April 18to22,2012,willbenorth- the Society’s Thenextscheduleddestination from moststeadfastgroup ofsupporters. ticipate inthetrip, contact 5700 ext.123or [email protected]. For informationonhow tobecomeanAHSPresident’s Councilmemberandpar- One exciting highlightwillbe annual P AHS E American H resident’s Counciltripsofferonce-in-a-lifetimeexperiencesto ncyclopedia ofPlants &Flowers PROGRAMS • EVENTS • ANNOUNCEMENTS and Master Gardeners, ferent sitesinyour garden.” om Underwood, “this encyclopedia allows you to quickly identifyavariety ofplantsthatwillthrive indif- tor T gaps,”notesAHSExecutivefect plantstofillafew Direc- designing your firstyard oraveteran searching fortheper- you are gardener anew ments. “Whether eagertobegin to search eitherby plantgroup orby garden siterequire- garden. Atwo-tiered plantselectionsystem allows readers chapteroncreating a 2002, aswellintroductory asanew the previousadditional plantsthan editionreleased in can beordered ontheAHSwebsite (www trees, andvines. shrubs, specificplants,includingfruiting adviceonpruning pert techniquesandalsofindex- variety ofgeneralpruning andclearillustrationstohelpyou master a instructions editionfeatures1996. Thenew even more step-by-step mation thatithasfeatured sinceitsinitialpublicationin the samecomprehensive, infor- nuts-and-boltspruning T om Underwood orticultural Society’sorticultural refer-most popularhorticultural The 700-pageencyclopedia includesmore than1,000 A favorite withhomegardeners, horticulture students, Both books areBoth available whereverare books soldand News Spring colorinBentonville,Arkansas November /December2011 , AHSExecutive Director, at(703)768- from the AHS P and runing &Trainingruning AHS Pruning &Training: ar e now available in .ahs.org). AHS retains

ְֱ֪֧֮֯֬֠ ְְְֱֳ֢֢֢֤֥֢֪֥֦֢֦֥֣֭֭֮֮֮֮֩֫֯֯֠֫֠֬֠֩֯֠֠֬֠֯֬ WELCOMING NEW BOARD MEMBERS FIVE NEW MEMBERS recently joined the AHS Board of Di- Master Gardener Conference rectors. They are: Sally Barnett of Jacksonville, Florida, who has held a variety of leadership roles with the Garden Club of America and the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens in Jacksonville. Skipp Calvert, a landscape designer and retired naval officer who lives in Alexandria, Virginia. Joel Goldsmith of Gilroy, California, formerly CEO of Gold- smith Seeds and recently retired from Syngenta’s seed division. Ed Snodgrass, an award-winning author, green roof consultant, and owner of Emory Knoll Farm in Street, Maryland. Marcia Zech, an avid gardener, philanthropist, and volunteer from Mercer Island, Washington. Each of the new board members bring experience in various arenas of horticulture and gardening to the AHS. “We are very pleased to welcome these new directors to the American Horti- cultural Society,” says Board Chair Harry Rissetto. “Their passion for gardening, leadership, and connections within the AHS Executive Director Tom Underwood takes a turn staffing the horticultural communities in different regions of the country will Society’s booth at the 2011 International Master Gardener complement the expertise of our current board members and bol- Conference this past October in Charleston, West Virginia. This ster our national outreach efforts.” event, which takes place every other year, brings together avid gardeners from all over the world.

.ֱֲ֢֥֤֥֤֮֫֠֫֬֬ News written by AHS staff֨ ֢֦֣֨ ֤֦֧֤֥֠֨֡ In addition to vital support through membership dues, the American Horticultural Society relies on grants, bequests, and other gifts to support its programs. We would like to thank the following donors for gifts received between August 1 and September 30, 2011.

Mrs. Leslie S. Ariail In honor of Sandra Address In honor of Linda & Paul Hilger Ms. Amy Bolton Mr. and Mrs. George Diamantis Mr. Charles Batton Boone & Sons Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Calvert, III In memory of Robert L. Brown In memory of Don Riddle, Homestead Gardens Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Farrell Mrs. Norma J. Brown Alden Lane Nursery Dr. and Mrs. John A. Floyd, Jr. Mr. and Ms. Don W. Godsey In honor of Arabella S. Dane In honor of Juanita Smith Mrs. Barbara Grant Garden Club of America Zone 1 Ms. Barbara Smith Mr. Philip Huey Judging Committee Ms. Stephanie Jutila and Mr. Thomas Seltz North Shore Garden Club In celebration of Kate Van Wagner Mrs. Dorothy W. Marston Mary and John Lewis Mr. and Mrs. Jason A. Van Wagner Mr. and Mrs. James R. Moxley, Jr. Opechee Garden Club, Inc. Mr. Robert F. Murray Wolfeboro Garden Club In memory of Thomas P. Youell Mr. G.C. Myers Mrs. Glen Youell Mr. and Mrs. Frank Nicolai In memory of Dwight F. Duba Mr. and Mrs. Harry A. Rissetto Noland Landscape Design Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Roe Mrs. Deen Day Sanders In honor of Gay Estes and Shirley Nicolai Mr. and Mrs. W. Bruce Usrey Mrs. Deen Day Sanders Ms. Katherine J. Ward Ms. Elizabeth M. Wehrle In honor of Brittany C. Henderson Mr. and Mrs. Dennis White Ms. Lisa Miller If you would like to support the American Horticultural Society as part of your estate planning, as a tribute to a loved one, or as part of your annual charitable giving plan, please contact [email protected] or call (703) 768-5700 ext. 123.

NovemberSeptember / /December October 2011 9 10 by HelenThompson AHS NEWSSPECIAL: ers andgardeners from around thecoun- just asitdidfortheAIB’s firstsymposium. A spaces more beautiful. gardenstheir make to ways greenand had foundinnovative andsustainable cities andtownsthat across thecountry beautification projects andtorecognize to promote communitygardening and program inWashington, D.C.Thegoal: gural educationalsymposiumandawards own communities. Guests explored River toshare ideasthattheycanuseintheir try Farm inAlexandria,Virginia, headquarters Criteria Awards Ceremony atitsRiver American Horticultural Society hosted the ofthisyear’sAs part three-day event, the D.C. area forits10th annualsymposium. Chief Florist andtheceremony’s guest of plant selection anddesign. White House engaging familiesandchildren through from sustainable gardeningeverything to Farm’s gardens, whichshowcased ideason importance ofusingthe “naturalimportance elegance honor, A beautifiedbusinessinMcCall,Idaho,thetownAIBrecognizedforitsenvironmentalefforts. The AIBsymposiumallows citylead- This pastOctober, AIBreturned tothe the American Gardener Laura D In Bloom (AIB)helditsinau- ner organizationcalledAmerica DECADE AGO, owling, spokeaboutthe a n AHSpart- Amer inspiration. AIBPresident of gardens, meadows, andwoodlands” as street corners,and joggingtrails. on plantingprojects inthecity’s parks, with citygovernment officialsandstaff ington, Missouri, where citizens worked this year that recognition went toWash- Community Involvement Award and plays. Every year, theAHSsponsors vironmental awareness andfloraldis- have excelled inspecificareas, suchasen- Awards honoreightcommunitiesthat around program, whiletheCriteria sizes competeagainsteachotherinanall- categories. Citieswithsimilarpopulation to AIB’s overall success. city involved hasaddeda“different flavor” and exciting landscapingideasandevery remarked thateachyear hasbrought new niversary, AIBalsorecognized communi- categories highlightedunique aspectsof decade in10specialcategories. The awards ties fortheirachievements over thelast terflies tobereleasedterflies inhonorofaloved creative fundraising strategyofsellingbut- Springfield, Ohio, wasrecognized forits beautification projects. For example, ica In Bloom’s 2011Award Bloom’s In ica Winners In organization’s honorofthe an- 10th AIB presents awards intwodifferent M arvin Miller arvin The AmericanGardener. Helen with Thompsonisaneditorial intern visit 2012 competition,call(614)487-1117 or Bloom ortoenteryour communityinthe being oftheirresidents.” psychological, andsociologicalwell- plants to the economic, environmental, flowers, of portance trees,other and the worldthathave recognized the im- acrossmany more the U.S.and around “these citiesjoinwithnearly200others available on theAIBwebsite. A fulllistofthespecialaward winnersis ture forYoung People” inthelast10years. and biketrails—wasnamedthe“Best Fea- features 1,400acres ofpublicparks, lakes, Eco-Sports its and one, Corridor—which .americainbloom.org ■ ■ ■ Forestry: ban ■ ■ ■ ommunity Involvement: nvironmental Efforts: ■ ■ ■ Criteria Award Winners ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Winners Population Award Category ■ ohn R. Holmes III Community For more informationonAmericaIn thiscommitment,”saysMiller,“With J Turf &Groundcover: Floral Displays: Landscaped Areas: Ur Heritage Preservation: C E Tidiness: YouTube Vi Fayetteville, Arkansas Sackets Harbor,NewYork Arroyo Grande,California Washington, Missouri Over 25,001–50,000 California 15,001–25,000 10,001–15,000 4,001–10,000 New York Under 4,000 Coshocton, Ohio Champion Award: Vivian Lund, www 50,000 Holland, Michigan deo Contest: Warrenville, Illinois Sackets Harbor, Fayetteville, Arkansas Springfield, Ohio Bexley, Ohio Gallipolis, Ohio Holland, Michigan Arroyo Grande, Bexley, Ohio McCall, Idaho .

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by HelenThompson 12 AHS MEMBERS MAKING ADIFFERENCE: stay whileinDover. familiescould these intoaplace building The base converted anold Commissary The baseconverted overseas.diers whodiedonactive service fied transfer” ofthebodiesU.S.sol- witness theceremony known as“digni- State ofDelawaretoAliceWitterholt. Bennett presentsaProclamationfromthe Air ForceBase,StateRepresentativeBrad Memorial Garden for the Fallen, right, atDover Above: Atthededicationceremonyfor ber/December 2009issueof ety membership,the Novem- andin den venture ofherlife. be thecatalystformostambitiousgar- Clubs, Inc., gave heragiftthatproved to currently president ofNational Garden (DFGC). Thatsameyear, Shirley Nicolai, Delaware Federation ofGarden Clubs ago, andin2009becamepresident ofthe She joinedherlocalgarden club44years ly’s Garden Victory asa child inthe 1940s. tive gardener sincehelpingtendherfami- base tothepress andinvitedfamiliesto President Barack Obama hadopenedthe Air Force Base because wasinthenews help peopledealwithstressful situations.” in oraround hospitalsandrehab centersto Gardener, A teresting story aboutgardensteresting constructed story Recovery,” whichshe describesas“an in- Something Witterholt struck whenshe It wasanAmericanHorticultural Soci- Around the sametime,nearby Dover the American Gardener Alice Witterholt hasbeenanac- from Wilmington, Delaware, RETIRED CHURCH she r ead an article, “Gardensead anarticle, of The A secr merican etary ously designedseveral therapeutichospital Delaware. Not onlyhadRobinson previ- signer, Rodney Robinson, basedin outside, there was noplacetogo.” Witterholt recalls. “But, whenyou walked site. “Inside itwasbeautifully furnished,” commander, the invitedhertosurvey who garden. She proposed theideatobase heartbreaking task,”couldbenefitfrom a thatthisplace,withsucha“sad,knew diately cametomind,andWitterholt just foundhers. his orherterm,andsherealized shehad neers aproject thatbecomesthefocusof she recalls. Every DFGCpresident pio- paper. “It looked absolutely bleak outside,” saw aphotographofthefacilityinherlocal very enthusiasticaboutWitterholt’svery goal. gardens inthemid-Atlantic region, hewas a meaningful project,” a meaningful hesays. “It isseldomthatonegetstowork onsuch would serve asanoutdoorroom forcon- would serve team, “we determinedthatthegarden templation andprivate moments,”recalls Robinson. “A wallwouldenclose masonry the space,separatinggarden from the parking lot,andgive privacy tothegriev- as were plantings thatwouldprovide year- ing families.Ample seatingwasimportant, Nextshe trackeddown de- alandscape onhealinggardensThe article imme- After meetingwithWitterholt andher Alice W itterholt The American Gardener. Helen with Thompsonisaneditorial intern icated onMay 31,2011.Garden club ceeding theoriginalbudgetof$150,000. thecause,well ex- $300,000 tosupport in,raisingmore pitched than the country clubs, butsoongarden clubsfrom across began by mobilizingDelaware’s 28garden ‘white sound’ tothespace.” a contemplativeas and add point focal round interest. Awaterfeature wouldserve unimaginably difficult times. unimaginably difficult during space forfamiliestofindcomfort pose willalwaysbetoprovide aserene this garden maycontinuetoevolve, itspur- memorial garden project.” Andthough medownit started apaththatledtothe “Shirley’s because gifttomewasmarvelous remains actively involved withtheproject. Witterholt’s presidency hasended,butshe of thefundsformaintaininggarden. at thecenter. use by two bereaved familiesthatarrived the garden wasfirstput toitsintended cutting ceremony. Thatsameafternoon, sonnel attendedthemorningribbon- per- members, politicians,andmilitary The gardended- wascompletedand To raisetheneededfunds,Witterholt Looking back,Witterholt says, The DFGCplanstousetheremainder

ְְְְְְְְְֱֱֱֱֱֱֱֱֲֲֲֲֳֳֳֳִִִֵֵֵ֢֦֤֦֪֣֦֧֥֤֥֧֤֣֭֮֮֮֠֨֠֩֠֡֡֠֬֠֩֨֡֠֬֫֠֨֠֩֠֯֨֠֬֯֯֠֬֠֯֠֩֨ ֱֱֵֵֶֶַֺֺֹֺֹֻֻֻּֿ֢֪֢֭֮֠֫֠֠ ֱֵֵֶֶֶַֺֺֺֺֻֻּֿ֥֢֪֢֭֭֭֭֠֩֩֠֯֬֠֠֩֠֨ ְֱֱֱֳֵֵֵֵָֺֺֹֺֻֻּ֭֭֭֭֩֠֯֩֬֯֠֫ ְֱֱֲֳֵֵֵֺֺֹֻֻּ֪֭֭֭֭֩֩֠֫֠֯֩֬

ֱֳֳֽ֪֥֭֩֩ ְֹֹֽ֭֭֭־ ֲֶֶֺֹ֪֭֠֩ ֳֶֺ֬

ֱ֤֧֣֭֮֫ ְ֢֤ ֤֥֤֤֪֣֤֭֬֬ ֥֬֫֩ ֦֤֮ ֢֤֧֣֢֪֩֬ ֦֧֣֢֦֭֮֮֮֫֬֯֨֯֬֨֡֯֩

“You’ll find step-by-step instructions for pruning, watering, “The book’s sumptuous tone, instructive photographs, propagating; information about all categories of plants… and detailed directions should give beginning gardeners the sections on organic techniques and recycling; and how to enthusiasm and confidence to get started and treat pests and disease…. Consider it a plant-lover’s mutual organizationally challenged old-timers a sigh of relief that fund—a little of this and little of that, in a dandy they won’t have to figure out what to do next.” investment.” —Publisher’s Weekly —Ginny Smith, Philadelphia Inquirer

• Learn how to plan and create • Advice on planning, setting an entire garden, from marking up, and designing your garden out the space to growing • Expert, earth-friendly delicious fruits and vegetables techniques for successfully • Ten easy-to-read chapters tell growing and harvesting herbs, you everything you need to fruits, and vegetables know about sowing, watering, • Suggestions on the best crop fertilizing, propagating, and varieties for different regions more • Handy charts for when to sow • More than 200 step-by-step seeds and harvest illustrations • More than 300 photographs Hardcover: $45 480 pages Hardcover: $32.50 304 pages

View an excerpt from Homegrown Harvest at .ְֵֶֺֹֻ֭֭֠֩֬֠ www.ahs.orgְֱֱִִֵֵֵֶֶֶֶֶֹֹֹֻֻ֦֭֭֮֠֠֩֠֠ ְֲֶֶֶֺֹֺ֣֤֪֣֣֯֩־־־ֱֱֲֶֶֺֺֻֽ֪֧֥֡֠֠֠֨ 14 Greater Good Gardens Paul Redman, director ofLongwoodGar- NAPCC gardens, click on theweb special NAPCC. Assuch,thatarea ofthegarden as aNational CollectionofCycads by the North America,andhasbeenestablished grounds isthemostcomprehensive in the grounds. Her cycad collectiononthose founding director ofresearch programs al plantcollection.(For acompletelistof dards setby theNAPCC. must meetandmaintainthehighstan- her estatecreated afoundationtomaintain throughout North Americawithanation- Santa Barbara, California.Whenshedied, cycad garden onLotusland,herestatein collectionin1977 topayfora lar jewelry point thatsheauctionedhermillion-dol- love withcycads butfallshedid—tothe cads, agroup ofcone-bearingplantsthat collections ofplants. Since theearly1970s,Richard Lighty, ANDGOALS ORIGINS not clearwhenMadame Walska firstfellin date backtothetimeofdino saurs. It’s cinated, asGanna Walska was,withcy- encourages theestablishmentofofficial scribing anorganizationthatensures and T tionists, andscientistsinmanyfields,”says documented plantcollections“represent a dens inKennett Square, Pennsylvania, and current president oftheAmericanPublic growers, breeders, gardeners, conserva- for this article ontheAHSwebsite). These for thisarticle priceless genetic heritage important to priceless geneticheritageimportant Gardens Association(APGA). Member gardensintheNorthAmericanPlantCollectionsConsortiumaremorethanplacesof beauty andinspiration—theypreservedocumentplantcollectionsforfuturegenerations. This garden isbutone ofalmost70 Let’s say, forexample,thatyou are fas- the American Gardener the officialmouthfulofwords de- (NAPCC)is lections Consortium orth AmericanPlant Col- orth HE N Mt. CubaCenter inDelawareishometoanational collectionoftrilliums. for the BY PATRICIAA.TAYLOR

Collomia debilis, above, is one of many Northwest native alpine plants in the collection at the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail, Colorado, left.

at Longwood Gardens as well as found- of its geographical/climatological loca- ing such a body, and to develop standards ing director of Mt. Cuba Center in tion, and the resources available to build that would be overseen by the APGA. Greenville, Delaware, advocated “the and maintain collections.” “These curators sought a means to pro- need to have some organization of col- Lighty, who is now retired, continued mote improved collection management at lecting policies among public gardens, to promote the idea, and in the late 1980s, public gardens and to conserve important with each focusing on its existing the plant collections committee of the living collections,” says Redman. strengths, the constraints and advantages APGA began to organize ideas for creat- While the plants and the scope of the collections vary tremendously, all must ad- here to NAPCC membership requirements, and—because it is partly funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture— must serve the broad public as well as plant collectors and research scientists. NATIONAL STANDARDS One of the NAPCC’s key goals is to provide national standards on how to identi- fy, record, and maintain a plant collection. The peony collection at the University of Michigan’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor, Michigan, demonstrates how very important this is. As Associate Curator David C. Michener explains, “We knew we had a large and, we thought, top-notch collection of peonies, but we had no sense of standards or how to work with other collections of similar levels of excellence. So, in 2008, we applied to the NAPCC.” As part of the application process, horticultural experts came to review the peony collection, evaluating not only the plants but also health and sanitation standards. “Much to our surprise,” says Mich- ener, “we learned that about 10 percent of our peonies had a little-known disease. Those have now been destroyed and their

The Ottosen Entry Garden at the Desert Botanical Garden features a dramatic display of cacti. growing area quarantined.”

November / December 2011 15 16 more prideinthiscollectionand anew enthusiasm to build uponit.” were inthegardens. It hasgiven mealot centage ofthealpineplantsin Colorado she says,“and thentocalculatewhatper- value. “I had todoaconsiderable ones derived from wildsources. bought plantsandreplacing themwith parts ofourcollection wereparts alpine,” truly garden isnow de-accessioningnursery- amount ofresearch tofindoutwhich critically atthecollection’s purposeand portance ofplantorigin.Asaresult,portance the process also madethegarden lookmore come committedtoemphasizingtheim- the garden’s governing organizationhasbe- ing acquaintedwithNAPCCstandards, plant material,”saysRipley. Afterbecom- indocumentationof to takeastepfurther inNAPCCrequired“Our participation us membership.other aspectofConsortium Alpine Gardens inVail, Colorado,citesan- research, andoperationsattheBetty Ford peony lovers. cultivar collections,andadestinationfor modelforotherhistoric conservation an internationallyrecognized reference, transformed withthegoalofbecoming NAPCC, thepeonycollectionisbeing ent times,eachwouldbeassignedauniquecode.Similarly,iftheywereacquired fication codewhichcontainsthesourceanddateitwasacquired. the processasasortofinventorycontrol.Eachplantisassigneduniqueidenti- In horticulturalterms,plantrecord-keepingisknownasaccessiondata.Thinkof ALL-IMPORTANT ACCESSIONDATA nursery—their codeswouldbedifferent.Thus,whenanorganizationtalksabout on thesamedatebutfromdifferentsources—oneinwild,othera insular approachmeansthatcooperationwithothersislimited,especiallyre- tions prefertodevotelandscapecreation,maintenance,andacquisitions.This their holdings.Suchdatacollectionrequirestimeandfundingthattheseinstitu- species orcultivars. the numberofaccessions,itdoesn’tnecessarilyrefertodifferent tant toknowaplant’sorigin,especiallythosethatareendangeredanddisappear- goals andtohighlightareasthatneedimprovement.Itisalsoenormouslyimpor- its manyholdingstoensurethattheyareimportantanorganization’soverall Betty FordAlpineGardensnotes,suchdataallowstheorganizationtoscrutinize gard togermplasmresearch. performance overtimeandlocation. ing inthewild.Finally,datasimplifytaskforresearcherscomparingplant Ripley notesthattheapplication Nicola Ripley, director ofhorticulture, With guidelinesestablishedby the If, forexample,twoplantsofGeraniummaculatum Many publichorticulturalinstitutionsdonothavecurrentcomputerrecordsof All NAPCCmembersmusthavecurrentaccessiondata.AsNicolaRipleyofthe the American Gardener both here andabroad—is thatscientists tion totheentire research community— endangeredvars orpreserving plants. ofthosebreeding culti- same istrue new want onlythefinestingredients, the extinction. Andjustasgourmetcooks plantsaswellnew assavingothersfrom nity, there isgreat interest indeveloping Within commu- thebroad horticultural RESEARCH SCIENTIFIC The NAPCCpage on theAPGAwebsiteoutlines requirements for prospectiveapplicants. “The value ofanationalplantcollec- “The were acquiredatdiffer- —P.A.T. ington, assistant director andcurator of rapid globalchange,” saysMark Weath- endangered plants.“In thisperiodof pollen, andwholeplants. ed. Thisincludesplanttissue, seeds, from whichmore plantscanbegenerat- fines germplasmasanylivingmaterial plasm available toresearchers. She de- collections, McCue notes,makegerm - accessioned seedvarieties. and vault, whichstores more than4,000 its extensive research facilitiesaseed room breeding andhasamong andpreservation BotanicalGardenDesert isactive inboth tional collectionsofagaves andcacti,the den inPhoenix, Arizona. Home tona- BotanicalGar-and habitatsattheDesert ofthreatened species tor forconservation plains KimberlieMcCue, program direc- only diverse butofthehighestquality,” ex- know thatthesegroups ofplantsare not Another NAPCCgoalisto protect All institutionshousingnationalplant

The Polly Hill Arboretum’s noteworthy Stewartia collection includes Stewartia pseudocamellia, left, and S. ovata, above.

ALL KINDS OF COLLECTIONS Many types of collections are eligible for membership in NAPCC. While all member institutions have to belong to the APGA, individual collection holders may apply if they are sponsored by an association member. The Plumeria Society of America’s as- collections at JC Raulston Arboretum in circles that the organization is a serious sociation with the Naples Botanical Gar- Raleigh, North Carolina, “this program and respected one. Thomas Clark, col- den in Florida is a rare partnership allows for ex situ conservation of endan- lections and grounds manager for the example. The two organizations signed a gered plants and allows for a more coor- Polly Hill Arboretum in West Tisbury, working agreement when the garden offi- dinated effort among gardens to perform Massachusetts, firmly believes this. cially opened in 2009. Today, the Naples gap analyses of their collections.” “NAPCC membership formally ac- Botanical Garden has the world’s most Although capturing and maintaining knowledges the significance of our Stew- comprehensive collection of these color- all of the genetic potential of even one artia collection and Polly Hill’s ful, fragrant-flowered small trees. As Brett species may be an unattainable goal, “we tremendous success in growing these Adams, curator of collections, explains, can collect and maintain a useful repre- splendid small trees,” he says. “We are “When we feel we need additional culti- sentative sample of each species if we di- still transitioning from a private to a vars, the society will contact its members vide the responsibilities among those public garden, and holding an NAPCC and ask them to donate registered plants.” with a serious interest in each,” says collection is a huge feather in our cap.” Several institutions host more than one Lighty. “We are not there—not even Clark feels that the arboretum’s par- national plant collection. The Arnold Ar- close—but the procedures and protocols ticipation in NAPCC demonstrates that boretum of Harvard University in Jamaica have been defined and a few public gar- it is more than just a pretty place. “This Plain, Massachusetts, for example, holds dens have taken on the responsibilities re- is something that most gardens struggle seven national collections: beech, hemlock, quired to do the job.” with,” he says. “By getting visitors to look hickory, lilac, maple, pecan, and stewartia. beyond a garden’s aesthetic value and to And because no single institution can MORE THAN A PRETTY PLACE understand the research and passion that cultivate a comprehensive collection of Membership in the Consortium pro- underlie it is a major accomplishment. some genera, there are multi-institution- vides gardens and arboreta with a cer- Inclusion in NAPCC can be a tool in al collections. The maple collection, for tain cachet, a credential in horticultural reaching that point.” example, combines the climatic varia-

November / December 2011 17 tion, expertise, and physical space of 11 institutions throughout the United States and Canada. The combined holdings currently represent over 60 percent of known taxa. While the em- phasis of each institution varies from botanical to horticultural, there is an overall Maple Curatorial Group made up of representatives from each institution and headed by Gregory Payton, plant records specialist at the Dawes Ar- boretum in Newark, Ohio. To date, there is a preponderance of woody plants represented in the collections and a paucity of perennials and bulbs. Pam Allenstein, NAPCC manager, reports that the Consortium is actively encouraging institutions with perennial collections to apply for membership. MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS Even if an organization believes it has met all the requirements for NAPCC membership, the application paperwork can be daunting (see “Are You Ready to Apply” at the NAPCC website at www.public gardens.org/content/what-napcc). Once the application has received first-round approval, the mandatory site visit by experts may result in further work. The oak collection at Taltree Ar- boretum & Gardens in Valparaiso, Indi- ana, for example was granted provisional status in 2010 after an evaluation by An- drew Bell, curator of woody plants at the Chicago Botanic Garden. While Bell praised the collection, the arboretum needs to do more work on signage and specimen preservation before it becomes a full Consortium member. Allenstein emphasizes that experts donate their time to conduct site visits. There are at least 100 volunteers and many Above: Hetty Ford, plant records assistant at Naples Botanical Garden, introduces a group of act as mentors after their visits. young visitors to Plumeria stenopetala. Top: Plumeria ‘Bali Hai Gold’, also at the garden.

BEAUTIFUL DISPLAYS of colorful spring flowers that flow At Mt. Cuba, the trillium and ginger Whether you’re a researcher, an aficiona- through the grounds. collections are integrated into the natu- do of a particular genus, or someone who Plant geeks, however, seek out little- ralistic gardens to provide inspiring ex- simply enjoys visiting gardens, you will known treasures, many of which are beau- amples of their use in home gardens. appreciate the creativity and color of the tiful but rare plants such as the mottled The Norfolk Botanical Garden in Vir- Consortium gardens. wakerobin (Trillium discolor). This species ginia chose a different approach, hous- When you walk through the grounds has pale yellow, candlelike flowers with a ing its national plant collection in a of Delaware’s Mt. Cuba Center in early soft lemon fragrance. In nature, it is found designated area. Indeed, there is proba- May, for example, you may not be aware only in the Savannah River watershed, bly no better or easier introduction to that it hosts national collections of trilli- along the Georgia-South Carolina border. the genus Hydrangea than to stroll ums and native gingers (Hexastylis spp.) “I’ve never seen it offered for sale,” says Mt. through its one-and-a-half-acre Kauf-

because they are tucked among the swaths Cuba research horticulturist Jeanne Frett. man Hydrangea Garden.

18 the American Gardener PLANT HERITAGE OF GREAT BRITAIN

Participants in the NAPCC readily ad- mit that the impetus for such a consortium came from work undertaken in Great Britain. There, an organization now known as Plant Heritage was formalized in 1978 and now has 650 national collections under its purview. It differs significantly from its North American counterpart in three major ways. Public access As explained by David Knott, curator of the living collection at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, the garden’s collection of the Rhodo- dendron subgenus Vireya is not open to the general public and is maintained strictly for research purposes. Other gardens under Plant Heritage auspices are at private residences and are only open on select days. In contrast, NAPCC members open their collections or, at the very least, part of them, to the general public throughout the year. Financial backing Collection holders in Great Britain, many of them indi- viduals, must support their collections from their own resources. For example, Ian Scroggy has spent almost 30 years acquiring 1,500 Hosta species and cultivars; many of the latter are results of his own breeding efforts. He has supported the entire endeavor, including buying a nearby four-and-a half-acre plot when his collection out- grew his quarter-acre backyard. Cur- rently there is no long-term financing for the future of the collection. Such a garden could not be a mem- At Mt. Cuba Center, collections of trilliums and native gingers, including Hexastylis shuttleworthii ber of the NAPCC. To be included, a var. harperi ‘Velvet Queen’, above, are integrated with other woodland perennials. collection must demonstrate that financial resources are available to This area is devoted to a collection of growing them, conserving them, learn- maintain it in perpetuity. 300 hydrangeas, comprised of more ing about them, and gaining a better un- Overall goal While the major purpose than 200 different cultivars and species. derstanding of all aspects of their of Plant Heritage is to conserve plants, There are hydrangeas in flower from cultivation, propagation, and conserva- the NAPCC seeks to raise the quality of spring through fall and the colors range tion needs.” And that translates into plant collections by establishing plant from gleaming whites through lush something relatively new to North Amer- collection management standards and pinks and purples to stunning blues. ican horticulture—beautiful gardens that to ensuring that germplasm from these Each plant is labeled and growing tips both the general public and research sci- collections is available to researchers. are often included. entists can enjoy and learn from. The NAPCC shares with Plant Heritage The bottom line, as Polly Hill Ar- a commitment to global efforts to save boretum’s Clark states, is that the Patricia A. Taylor is a freelance writer based endangered plants. —P.A.T.

.ֲֳִֶָָֺֹ֤֪֪֭֠֠֠֩֨֠֬֬ NAPCC “is really all about the plants— in Princeton, New Jerseyִֶַָֹ֪֬

November / December 2011 19 20 namaquensis, Stapelia hirsuta, that runthegamutfromstarfishlike lipstick plant(Huerniazebrina), Stapeliad flowerscomeina veritable kaleidoscope ofshapes,colors, and patterns the American Gardener above, andthealmostgarish top, tospottedHuernia right. smelled sobad,” he recalls, ahint of disbe- couldn’t believe there couldbeaflower that up hisyard andattracting flies.“Ijust Floridaopened athisnew home,stinking foot-wideblossomthat pared forthe R gigantea) lief stillapparent inhisvoice. classified as“stapeliads.” Stapeliads are low- comprising some 30generaandloosely cination withthis bizarre group ofplants counter withgiantcarrionflower (S Otherworldly, star-shaped flowersare themaindrawforfans Despite thisexperience,Lemieux’s en- bizarrely beautiful Florida, wascompletelyunpre- Tropiflora Nursery inSarasota, AY LEMIEUX, was thestar Stapeliads of thisintriguinggroupsucculents. ting pointforhisfas- a gr BY JEANETTEATKINSON ower for tapelia native rangethatextendsfrom subtropical family (Apocynaceae). They have abroad now considerasubdivisionofthedogbane family (Asclepiadaceae),which botanists Stapeliads are membersof themilkweed RELATIVES MILKWEED relatively dry winters. relatively dry and outdoorsinwarmregions thathave in coolgreenhouses intemperateregions, They are primarily grown ashouseplants, clumps thatcangrow quitelarge over time. stems branchfrom theirbasestoform upright ordrooping angularstems.The growing, mostlyleaflesssucculents with

regions of Africa north to southern Spain, The scent, along with the vivid colors Brack recommends Stapelia flavopur- and east through the Middle East and into and quivering hairs inside the flowers, is all purea and its varieties because “their flow- Southeast Asia. part of an elaborate stage set intended to ers are super pretty and they smell like Stapeliad flowers are composed of five suggest rotting meat covered with fungal warm honey.” Others liken the fragrance petals fused at their bases to form a tube bodies and a mass of flies. Lured in, car- to licorice. It has a crawling habit, and housing the reproductive structures. Dif- rion-eating flies arrive to lay their eggs, pol- stems turn purplish in strong light. The ferent points of fusion produce blooms linating the stapeliads in the process. (For starfish-shaped flowers are small, with shaped like starfish, cups, saucers, bells, or more on stapeliad pollination, see sidebar, a warty surface, and can be yellow, green, crowns. In some species, notably those in this page, and “Resources,” page 23). orange, or purple. the genera Huernia and Orbea, the bases Most stapeliads bloom from summer to Clump-forming Stapelia hirsuta has of the petals swell to form a distinctive fall, but even when they aren’t blooming, upright stems that grow to nearly a foot tall. raised ring, known as an annulus, around there is something intriguingly other- Its pink to purplish brown, starfishlike worldly about them. Many grow less than flowers reach three or four inches in diam- a foot in height, which, in combination eter and are often covered with bristly white with their shallow roots and spreading habit, makes them ideal for growing in INTRICATE POLLINATION fairly flat, dishlike containers. Side shoots form near the bases of stapeliad stems, giv- The milkweed family is known for its ing rise to a variety of habits from upright, complex pollination mechanisms. In to mat-forming, creeping, or pendulous. milkweed flowers, the stamens and pis- The stems may be chunky or slender, til are merged into one columnar struc- smooth or gnarly, bristled or delicately felty ture. Five narrow vertical slits are spaced and they come in colors ranging from evenly around the column. Milkweeds apple green to gray green, dull purples and concentrate their pollen into pairs of reds, and shades of tan and brown. sticky masses called pollinia. These The stems may be circular or ribbed, pairs are located directly behind the slits with the majority having four ridges. in the column. A visiting insect becomes Fleshy bumps, or tubercles, growing in trapped when a spur on its proboscis, longitudinal rows on the stems are all that head, or a leg slips into one of these remain of ancestral primitive leaves. Tu- openings. In its struggle to free itself, bercles may be flattened or elongated into the insect dislodges the pollinia. Polli- teeth, which may in turn sprout hairy or nation occurs if the insect visits anoth- Orbea schweinfurthii is easy to grow and has thornlike projections. er flower of the same species and frees small but colorful orange-yellow flowers. itself of one or both pollen bodies in a re- SAMPLING STAPELIADS verse of the original process. the center of the flower. With or without The easiest stapeliads to find tend to be In the case of stapeliads, pollination an annulus, the center of the flower is those from three main genera: Stapelia, is not a “simple” matter of redepositing comprised of concentric rings of ap- Huernia, and Orbea. These plants often the pollinia. Each pollen body of a pendages that aid in pollination and often show up even at big box store garden cen- stapeliad has a raised ridge on one side are very decorative. ters, invariably mislabeled as cacti. of it that must be inserted so that it fits In addition, a sometimes kaleidoscop- Stapeliad classification seems to under- exactly into a corresponding depression ic array of color patterns, ridges, and warts go perpetual revision, so a plant may be within the column, like a key in a lock. ornament the inside surface of the flower listed under different generic names. For Most flowers produce nectar or share petals. Many species also are coated with instance, the genus Orbea has been reclas- their pollen to reward their pollinators. myriad, colored, club-tipped hairs that sified several times, and species have been But the stapeliads are guilty of false ad- tremble with the slightest air movement. moved in and out of the genus Caralluma. vertising, luring insects in to pollinate No description of the flowers is com- Synonyms are listed in parentheses with and then providing nothing for the off- plete without addressing their notorious some of the plants described below. spring that hatch from the eggs they lay. scent, which ranges from sweet or slightly “In general, plants from the genus Given the intricacy of stapeliad polli- musty to what has been described as a Stapelia are fairly easy to grow,” says New nation, seed set tends to be low, espe- well-used cat’s litter box or decomposing Jersey-based horticulturist and garden cially when they are grown outside their meat. According to cacti and succulent ex- writer Ray Rogers, author of The Encyclo- native habitat. When seeds form, they pert Steven Brack, owner of Mesa Garden pedia of Container Plants (Timber Press, are borne in a two-part, horn-shaped nursery in Belen, New Mexico, the good 2010). For beginners, Rogers recommends structure that splits longitudinally. If not news is that most species “do not have an starting with giant carrion flower (Stapelia gathered quickly, the winged seeds will offensive odor, just a small fraction of gigantea), which grows to eight inches tall float away. —J.A.

them really stink.” and spreads indefinitely.

November / December 2011 21 22 cally whiteorcream-colored withpinkor two incheslongthatgrow flat onthe pared withotherhuernias. Lifesaver plantshave afaintodorcom- stem. Abotanicalvariety, H.z low-growing plantwithafour-angled is namedfor. Likemosthuernias,itisa tled annulus,whichresembles thecandyit tivate, buttheydotendtohave foul- and onlymildlyfetid. inches indiameter, are spectacularlyhairy ground.” Its crown-shaped flowers, typi- creeper fatstemsaboutoneto withshort, the baseofstems. or two-and-a-half tothree inchesindiameter. magniflora, dish-brown-striped petalsframethemot- Thegreen-and-red-look almostartificial. inch flowers are sostiffandshinythatthey identifiable stapeliads.Theone-and-a-half nia zebrina) brown annulus,the lifesaver plant(H smelling flowers. With itsbrightreddish red flowers, whichreach agood three with downy, dark green stems.Its ridged tall, ithasanupright,clumpinghabit, garden centers.Growing toaboutafoot grow stapeliadthatcanoftenbefoundin charitable. e hairs. Brack describestheflowers’ odorlev- namaquensis, only aslightlydisagreeable odor, formnear shaped, burgundy-red flowers, whichhave an attractive mound.Thesmall, cup- more inheight,spreading rapidly to form tapelia) apple-green stemsthatcanreach a footor l as“minimal,” butothergrowers are less S Huernias are alsorelatively easytocul- Other sought-afterhuerniasincludeH. Huernia schneideriana Stapelia grandiflora the American Gardener is alargerplantwithflo is oneofthemoststrikingand has narrow, arching, ribbed, which B rack describesas“a is anothereasy-to- (syn. ebrina var. C aralluma the potentialto causeliverdamage. products becausetheyareunregulated andhave perts adviseagainstexperimentation withthese pills advertisedasdietaids.However, medicalex- spawned acottageindustryin Hoodia press hungerandthirstondesert huntingtrips traditionally ingestedstemsofH.gordonii digenous peopleinSouthAfricaandNamibia cause ofitshorticulturalmerits.Reportsthatin- sation isHoodiagordonii, One stapeliadthathasbecomeaninternetsen- HOODIA HYSTERIA wers uer- less thansixinchestall. the size ofthe stems,whichgenerallygrow dish flowers are largeincomparisonwith covering oflonghairsonitsstems.Its red- Then there’s H.pillansii,featuringadense inch indiameterandhave afaintodor. maroon patterning,reach nomore thanan although it’snotbe- extracts and to sup- —J.A. make themattractive even whentheyare mottled withmaroon blotches,which ter oftheflower andtheirstemsare always nonetheless.” ed animation, buttheflowers come urn. Thefoliageseemstobein suspend- says Martin. “Mine dwells inatinylittle boot. “Forget towaterit—noproblem,” warm year round, it’s easytocare for, to t’s oneofthemost diminutive blossoms.” Andotherthan keeping it balloonlike budstoformotherworldly stapeliads, butthislittlestinkerburstsits grandis. says herfavorite stapeliadisE garden writerandindoor plantexpert, ularly foulscent. small orange-yellow flowers borneatthe seem toscrambleover eachother. It has or not.Its four-tosix-inch-longstems shiny texture ofO of thegroup. ly, someofthefoulest-smellingmembers not inflower. Theyinclude,unfortunate- tips ofthestems.It doesnothave apartic- make thisaplantwithpresence inbloom highly intricatepatterning. bears comparativelyoversizedflowerswith Edithcolia grandis, come inavarietyofyellowtopurpleshades. above, hasstarfish-shapedflowersthat pleasant scent,Stapeliaflavopurpurea, One ofthefewstapeliadswithasomewhat Orbeas have alargeannulus inthecen- Tovah Martin, aConnecticut-based The prominent, cone-shapedteeth and “I left, isatinyplantthat rbea schweinfurthii dithcolea

CARE AND CULTIVATION Stapeliads are heavy feeders, so those in In frost-free areas such as southern Flori- containers will do best if they receive reg- Sources da and southern California, a number of ular water and fertilization when they are Arid Lands Greenhouses, Tucson, AZ. common stapeliads will thrive outdoors in active growth, usually from late spring (520) 883-9404. in a free-draining site with shade during through fall. Add one-eighth teaspoon per www.aridlands.com. the hottest period of the day. In their na- gallon of a balanced, water-soluble fertil- Gardino Nursery, Delray Beach, FL. tive habitats, most grow in the shade of izer that contains trace elements every (888) 323-1333. www.rareflora.com. rock outcroppings or other plants. time you water. You can also use slow-re- Mesa Garden, Belen, NM. (505) Because stapeliads like to sprawl and lease fertilizer pellets at one-quarter to 864-3131. www.mesagarden.com. their roots don’t grow deeply, Brack says one-half the recommended rate. Stapeli- they fare best in relatively shallow, gritty ads require a dormant period, so in win- Resources Seeds and cuttings can be obtained by joining stapeliad interest groups: The International Asclepiad Society, www.asclepiad-international.org. Yahoo! groups: stapeliads and sastapeliads. Further Reading Crazy About Cacti and Succulents edit- ed by Ray Rogers. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, New York, NY, 2006. Stapeliads: Floral Wonders of Creation, www.stapeliads.info/serv/core.s3. The Asclepiad Page, http://succulent- plant.com/families/asclepiadaceae. html. Article on stapeliad pollination: www.cactus-mall.com/stapeliad/ pollin.html.

fit from repotting every couple of years,” In this trough garden at Chanticleer gardens in Wayne, Pennsylvania, a specimen of giant discarding older stems in favor of the vig- carrion flower (Stapelia gigantea) mingles with a variety of other succulents. orous newer growth.

soils. Thus they are ideal additions to ter, stop fertilizing and water only if the A SHARED PASSION rock or gravel gardens. However, they plants appear to be shriveling. Malodorous flowers notwithstanding, won’t endure long exposure to tempera- Inspect plants frequently for pests and stapeliads have a surprisingly large and pas- tures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and a diseases. Mealybugs and scale are the most sionate following worldwide. “The flowers combination of cold temperatures and common pests. Small surface infestations are so remarkable and interesting, and the wet soil in winter is deadly. can be cleared up by rubbing pests off with range of diversity is amazing,” says Brack, For container culture, grow stapeliads a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. Larger in- who notes that the wealth of plants in the in a free-draining medium and never let festations are difficult to control, so it is group is largely untapped. While the num- the plants stand in water. Place them best to discard those plants, sterilize their ber of commercially available species is lim- where they will get bright, indirect light pots, and start anew. ited, there are a number of online groups and good air circulation year-round. Black spots or mushy, water-soaked devoted to stapeliads (see “Resources,” Most stapeliads thrive in a slightly growth indicate rot. Detach healthy stems above), so if you become a devotee you will acidic soil with a pH between 6 and 6.5. To and cut away rot on others. Let the stems find plenty of people who will share advice create a container mix, combine 50 percent and roots dry before repotting using new as well as seeds and cuttings of their prized grit with 25 percent each of organic mate- potting medium. plants. And, like Lemieux, you may even rial (peat, coir, or fine bark chips) and very Because stapeliads do sometimes suc- find the objectionable smell of the flowers coarse sand. Pumice is ideal; turkey grit, cumb to diseases, it’s best to take cuttings a small price to pay for enjoying the beau- (unless it is made from crushed limestone), of favorite species regularly to ensure sur- ty of these intriguing plants. small gravel, or fired clay material is also vival. Stapeliads root readily from stem suitable. If the mix tends to stay too cuttings placed flat on the surface of pot- Jeanette Atkinson is a free-lance writer based

.dry, add up to 25 percent vermiculite. ting medium. Brack says stapeliads “bene- in Naples, Florida ֱֱִִֶֶ֦֧֮֩֨֠

November / December 2011 23 24 Winter’s Berried Treasures we’ve beendecking ourhallswiththem decorative additiontoanygarden, and not onlyonthespeciesorcultivar, buton ing intowinteroreven spring—depends Whether theberriesare persistent—last- thatbearshowyshrubs berriesinlatefall. mockingbirds inmygarden allwinter. ange berriesonmyfirethorns willfeed than lastseason.AndIknow thattheor- holly, hopingforeven more scarletfruits of thegreen knobsonmywinterberry amethyst pearls.Imakeaninformalcount ball bearingsandenvisionthemturningto have beenreplaced bybeautyberry green note thatthetinypinkflowers onmy Mosquitoes lurk. stop weeds. Theairislikechloroform. drought, orgrayskies,drizzle,andnon- August. Take your pick:Hose-dragging ing intheMid-Atlantic, Idread July and mer. But asamiddle-agedgardener liv- appetizer before thebacchanaliaofsum- about rear theirtenderheads. berries onfemaleplantsmakes thema Evergreen holliesare synonymouswith HOLLIES ered theseharbingersofspringjustthe Herbaceous perennials we’d forgotten bare woodybranchesgrow plump. fodil shootsforahintofyellow. Buds on A for centuries. their brightgreen leaves andthered the winterweather andthepresence of winter beauty. The contrast between fruit-eating residentfruit-eating birds. showy berriesthatwilllendvisualélanto something tochirpabout,too. your garden whilegivingavianfriends There are dozens ofotherworthy So I’ve learnedtoanticipateautumn.I As anon-gardening youth, Iconsid- Here are withespecially someshrubs the American Gardener aconites andcrocuses; we eye daf- spring. We celebratewinter LL GARDENERS anticipate Shrubs thatretaincolorfulberriesthroughlate fallandwinterare a delighttogardenersandwildlifealike. Among themostpopularare thewinter- to appreciate our native deciduoushollies. small, serratedleaves andtinywhiteflow- ing upto15feettallandwide, theyhave eastern halfofNorth Americaandgrow- lex verticillata, AHS Zones 8–5),whichmakeaknockout berries begin ripening in latesummer, andwhen ers hiddeninthe leafaxils.Theberries hedge ormassedclump. Native tothe But onlyrecently have gardeners come Ilex verticillata Ilex verticillata (I ‘Sparkleberry’ ‘Sparkleberry’ USDA Zones 5–8, BY KATHLEENFISHER branches, easilylastpastNew Year’s and up. Theberries,heldsnugagainstthe reallythe foliagefalls,curtain comes award in 2005,bearsorange-yellow Gold’,‘Winter whichreceived thesame ety (PHS) Gold Medal in1995;itssport, won aPennsylvania Horticultural Soci- flickers, andthrushes. on theseberries,includingbob-whites, sometimes intospring.Many birds feast ‘Winter Red’‘Winter isafemaleselectionthat

predators away. The clusters of small, white, mid- to late-spring flowers can completely cover the stems, but you’ll have to wait until early fall for the real drama—orange-red, pea-sized berries that often last through winter. Fungal diseases such as scab and fire blight are serious problems for this otherwise useful shrub, so look for cultivars, such as the ones below, that are disease tolerant and that also have pronounced upright or spreading habits or smaller size. ‘Apache’ grows only four feet tall, with red, long-lasting berries; ‘Fiery Cascade’ grows upright, its berries deepen from orange to red, and it is considered more cold tolerant than most. ‘Gold Rush’ (dense) and ‘Teton’ (upright) both have yellow-orange berries; Pyracantha ‘Mojave’ ‘Mohave’ has profuse flowers and fruit and an upright habit; ‘Pueblo’ is wide, with abundant, persistent fruits. Give firethorns full sun for best fruiting and neutral to acidic, well-drained soil. They tolerate drought and resist disease better in dry climates. Pruning can be done at any time of year, but early to mid- spring is best to reduce the loss of flowers and berries. CHOKEBERRIES There are only two species in this deciduous genus, both native to the eastern Unit- ed States. Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa, Zones 3–8, 8–1) sometimes develops attractive red and purple fall foliage, is well suited to small gardens at six feet tall and slightly wider, and has dark berries. But it pales in comparison to red Aronia melanocarpa chokeberry (A. arbutifolia, Zones 4–9, 9–4), especially the cultivar ‘Brilliantissi- ma’, which offers both stellar fall foliage berries. Other PHS award winners are pruned in winter if you want to harvest and bright red berries. hybrids of winterberry and finetooth berries for decorations. A PHS Gold Medal winner in 2000, holly (I. serrata), a similar species from ‘Brilliantissima’ grows six to eight feet tall Japan and China. ‘Harvest Red’ has a FIRETHORNS and three to five feet wide, tending to spreading form while ‘Sparkleberry’ is Like talented thespians, these members sucker and become leggy. It can also more upright. All of these plants need a of the rose family can play myriad roles, catch some of the diseases (such as “male escort” in order to produce berries: from fountainlike specimens to bristling leafspot) and attract pests (such as Japan- the recommended ratio is one male for security hedges and fanciful espaliers. ese beetles) that disfigure other members every four females. Scarlet firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea, of the rose family. You can control its Possumhaw (I. decidua, Zones 5–9, Zones 6–9, 9–3) is really the only species shape by pruning it back by about a third 9–1), native to the mid-Atlantic and South- common to gardens, but there are lots of in spring but, depending on your region’s east, is another deciduous holly with red cultivars and some worthy hybrid selec- proclivity for these above-mentioned berries. ‘Warren’s Red’ is a superior cultivar tions. Scarlet firethorn is an evergreen problems, you might want to relegate it that can grow to 15 feet or more. that ranges from six to 18 feet tall and to a hedgerow toward the edge of your Most hollies will grow in either sun or wide. The stiff stems are perfect for birds property, where its bright berries will still

shade. They prefer acidic soil and can be to perch on and the long thorns keep shout out their presence.

November / December 2011 25 26 Once you have seenoneofthese beauties BEAUTYBERRIES offer allyear long.In earliestspring,it Zones 4–9,8–1)has somethingspecialto and wide,spicebush(L thatgrowsA native shrub sixto12feettall SPICEBUSH A wetland native, it’s anexcellent choice name. The fruits arename. Thefruits shiny, brightpurple, tions onceestablished,butappreciates an they don’t lastmuchpastOctober. so appealingtofall-migratingbirds that glowing red althoughthelatterare fruits, ia-yellow, withthe contrastingsmartly bare stems.In fall,itsfoliageturnsforsyth- low-green flowers thatbloomdirectly on lights upwoodlandswithdelicatelittleyel- also adaptstodriersoils. for pondbanksorothermoistsites,butit chalky soils.It willadapttodriercondi- will thetwigsorberrieswhencrushed. againthem,as spicy scentwhenyou brush butterfly. Theleaves alsoemitawonderful ofthespicebushswallowtailfor thelarvae occasional doseofdolomiticlimestone.It streams andin moist woods,oftenin in fullberry, you won’t forgetthecommon will grow denserinfullsun;given shade, bordering onmagenta. it develops anappealingopenshapethat Texas, grows eightfeettallandsix from toFlorida Maryland andacross to americana, showcases thoseflowers andberries. Red chokeberry colorsbestinfullsun. Red chokeberry In summer, itsleaves are afavored food Spicebush grows naturallyalong American beautyberry (C American beautyberry the American Gardener Z ones 7–10,9–6),native L L indera benzoin, indera benzoin indera benzoin allicarpa berries. ber. ‘Welch’s Pink’ bearsmedium-pink ing berriescluster, beginninginSeptem- shyly intheleafaxils.Andhere thestrik- flowers fringedwithstamensbloom spring orearlysummer, tinypink-purple half thatsize andbettershaped.In late wide, buthard willkeepitabout pruning pink-red fruits; self-pollinated;nativetoeastern andcentralUnitedStates. native tonorthernNorthAmerica. orangy yellowfruits;needspollinatorplants; sis, central andwesternNorthAmerica. fruits; needspollinatorplants,nativetonorth Zones 3–7,7–1).Tento15feettall;red ■ ■ ■ native towesternNorthAmerica. tall; blue-blackfruits;needspollinatorplants; formis, ■ red fruits;self-pollinated;nativetoJapan. ■ sideration inashrubborderorwildlifesanctuary. Here aresomemoregoodchoicesforfruit-bearingshrubsthatworthyofcon- MORE FRUITINGSHRUBSFORWINTERINTEREST ■ self-pollinated; nativetoeastern NorthAmerica. 7–1).Twoto fourfeettall;whitefruits, 3–7, Sargent crabapple(Malussargentii, Russet buffaloberry(Shepherdiacanaden- Coralberry Osoberry orIndianplum(Oemleriacerasi- Snowberry Silver buffaloberry(Shepherdiaargentea, Callicarpa americana‘Welch’sPink’ Callicarpa americana‘Welch’sPink’ Zones 2–6,6–1).Seventoeightfeettall; Zones 6–10,10–6).Eightto15feet (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, (Symphoricarpos albus, Zones 4–8,8–1).Tento12feettall;bright Zones above thefoliageor, ofits inthenorth four tofive feettallwithberriesjutting (C. dichotoma, berries. Thegracefulpurplebeautyberry prolificarching branchesandparticularly ‘Profusion’ (Zones 5–8,8–3),whichhas species suchasC.bodinieri Zones 2–7,7–1).Sixtoeight feettall; There are alsoseveral attractive Asian Z Symphoricarpos albus Symphoricarpos albus ones 5–8,8–7)grows only v ar. giraldii

Rhus typhina

range, on bare branches. Japanese beauty- Cascades mahonia (M. nervosa, Zones SUMACS berry (C. japonica, Zones 5–8, 12–3) is 5–7, 7–5), another Northwest native, Our native sumacs are just beginning to roughly the same size, with arching makes a pretty purple-blue-berried get a little more respect. Given their bright branches; ‘Luxurians’ is considered a supe- ground cover at 12 to 18 inches tall; and red autumn foliage, heavy swags of late- rior cultivar. There are also white-berried leatherleaf mahonia (M. bealei, Zones summer flowers, and fruits that draw forms with white flowers. 6–8, 6–3), a Chinese species to 12 feet tall, dozens of bird species, the only reasonable Beautyberries are a snap to grow in sun with bright blue berries coated with a explanation for their neglect by gardeners or shade, although like most plants, they white bloom. is that they are too easy to grow. Especial- fruit better with more sun. Northern gar- Mahonias grow best in part or dappled ly fine—literally and figuratively—are two deners usually prune beautyberries near shade; in arid regions, they even appreci- cultivars named ‘Laciniata’, each featuring the ground in spring to keep them com- ate heavy shade. Give them a spot out of deeply divided leaves. pact and get rid of any winter dieback. the wind in acidic, humusy soil. In spring, The first is sometimes identified as a after the berries are gone, remove any cultivar of smooth sumac (Rhus glabra, MAHONIAS shoots that have rocketed above the rest of Zones 3–9, 9–1), other times as a selec- There are many garden shrubs with blue the foliage and spoiled the shape. tion of R. ✕pulvinata—a cross between berries. But they’re usually small, dark, or smooth sumac and staghorn sumac (R. hidden in evergreen foliage. Mahonias, typhina, Zones 4–8, 8–1). Just to make however, almost go to excess, with true things additionally confusing, staghorn blue berries half an inch long, hanging in sumac has its own cultivar called ‘Lacini- grapelike clusters. The berries are not ata’. Both species are similar, except that birds’ favorite repast, but are valued in late staghorn sumac has reddish down on its winter when tastier treats are long gone. branches. The cultivar Tiger Eyes֠ has Best known is Oregon grapeholly (Ma- bright yellow leaves that turn red-orange honia aquifolium, Zones 6–9, 9–6), a na- in autumn. Smooth sumac usually grows tive of the Pacific Northwest that is 10 to 15 feet tall, while staghorn can reach adaptable to gardens elsewhere. The 20 feet or larger. Both will sucker and species grows to about six feet tall and five form colonies, so they are best used on feet wide. The leaves are compound, with large properties, or for naturalizing in up to a dozen leaflets on a side, spiny, thick, masses or shrub borders. and often tinged with bronze in spring and Much shorter—at two to six feet tall— fall. Yellow flowers bloom early to mid- is fragrant sumac (R. aromatica, Zones spring, with the bold blue berries forming Mahonia aquifolium 4–9, 9–1), an eastern native that makes a

in summer and persisting through winter. wonderful cover for steep banks.

November / December 2011 27 Resources Bird-by-Bird Gardening by Sally Roth. Rodale Books, Emaus, Pennsylvania, 2006. Dirr’s Encyclopedia of Trees & Shrubs by Michael A. Dirr. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2011. The Homeowner’s Complete Tree & Shrub Handbook by Penelope O’Sulli- van. Storey Publishing, North Adams, Massachusetts, 2007. Native Trees, Shrubs & Vines by William Cullina. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts, 2002.

Sources (Plants for which there is only one Symplocos paniculata mail-order source are noted.) Camellia Forest Nursery, Chapel Hill, NC. (919) 968-0504. www.camforest. com. (For Symplocos paniculata.) Fairweather Gardens, Greenwich, NJ. (856) 451-6261. www.fairweather gardens.com. Forestfarm, Williams, OR. (541) 846-7269. www.forestfarm.com. Las Pilitas Nursery, Escondido, CA. (760) 749-5930. www.laspilitas.com. (For Heteromeles arbutifolia.) Sooner Plant Farm, Park Hill, OK. (918) 453-0771. www.soonerplant farm.com.

The fruits, borne on female plants, take the shape of upright cones more than six inches long. Those on smooth sumac tend to stay bright red, while those on staghorn sumac fade to brown. Viburnum trilobum ‘Wentworth’ They will tolerate the most adverse conditions, including seaside banks, as berries are the feature attraction, ripen- There are few that don’t offer fruits to long as they have good drainage. ing in early autumn and usually lasting please the human eye or the avian palate. for several weeks until the birds have Many of the berries, however, either start SAPPHIREBERRY gorged themselves with them. out blue-black or quickly fade to that color. If you’re among those gardeners who go Sapphireberry grows in neutral to acidic Two with the longest lasting color are the bonkers for blue, sapphireberry (Symplo- soil that is moist and well-drained, in sun ‘Erie’ cultivar of linden viburnum (Vibur- cos paniculata, Zones 4–8, 8–4) fits the or light shade. It makes a good informal num dilatatum, Zones 5–8, 8–5) and the bill. This deciduous Asian shrub ranges hedge and shouldn’t need pruning unless American cranberry bush viburnum (V. from 10 to 20 feet tall. The leaves are fine- you need to control its size. Unfortunate- trilobum, Zones 2–7, 7–1). ly toothed and slightly fuzzy, while the ly, its availability is quite limited (see Another PHS medal winner, ‘Erie’ is upright branches are furrowed and gray. “Sources,” this page). one of the many worthy viburnum culti- Sapphireberry is impressive in bloom, vars developed by the late great U.S. Na- since the star-shaped flowers are high- VIBURNUMS tional Arboretum breeder Donald Egolf. lighted by prominent stamens and flow- If hollies offer a feast of berry plants, vibur- The linden viburnum species is from

ering is often heavy. But its bright blue nums are a block-long smorgasbord. eastern Asia and averages nine feet tall

28 the American Gardener ATTRACTING BIRDS TO YOUR GARDEN The best way to attract avian visitors to your garden is to have a caerulea, Zones 5–8, 8–4) is the western counterpart. a diversity of shrubs and small trees that will provide sugary The evergreen southern wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera, Zones berries to feed nestlings in spring; fatty berries that fuel fall mi- 7–10, 10–5) and the northeast native bayberry (M. pensylvani- grants; and persistent berries that dry and stick around year round ca, Zones 3–7, 7–1)—which is deciduous in much of its range— for resident birds and the return of migrants in spring. have tiny blue-gray fruits only on the female, but some 25 bird The berries of our native spicebush are high in fat that mi- species dine on these persistent fruits. grating birds such as warblers need to fuel up for the big trip. You can bet your bottom birding dollar on a viburnum. In Those of sumacs, bayberries, and crabapples are less immedi- addition to those already mentioned, there are wayfaring tree ately tempting, but stay on the plant for months to provide food (Viburnum lantana, Zones 4–8, 8–1, which has berries that for omnipresent sparrows and finches. change from yellow to red then black, with all colors in a clus- Not all berries are a feast for the human eye. Berries that ter, and smooth witherod (V. nudum, Zones 5–9, 9–5) has birds love tend to be small. Some berries start out red—na- berries that are pink before they turn blue. ture’s way of signaling a meal for hungry migrants—then fade Remember that berries evolved on plants as clever means for or shrivel. But pretty much all of them provide sustenance for persuading birds to disperse their seeds. Some highly invasive birds when severe weather has eliminated other sources. non-native plants—such as bush honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.) For example, the sweet berries of American elder (Sambucus and Russian and autumn olives (Elaeagnus angustifolia and E. canadensis, Zones 4–9, 9–1), a ditchside deni zen native to the umbellata)—are especially talented at this and are sometimes eastern United States and Canada, feed almost 40 species, and promoted as wildlife plants. Be sure to avoid invasive berry plants others prefer this shrub for nesting. The blue elderberry (S. when planning your bird-friendly landscape. —K.F.

and six feet wide, but some of the culti- American cranberrybush is native to from wind and prune only to remove suck- vars, including this one, often grow more Canada and the northern United States. It ers or correct any growth that spoils their broad than tall. The foliage is toothed grows eight to 12 feet tall and wide with natural, relaxed shape. and puckery, and in fall turns yellow, or- three-lobed leaves that turn yellow to red- ange, and red. They bear four-inch flat dish purple in fall. The white mid-spring TOYON clusters of white flowers followed by in- flowers resemble those of a lacecap hy- Heteromeles arbutifolia (Zones 8–10, 12–8), tense red berries that turn an unusual drangea, and the edible fruits, which ap- a Southern California native, is usually coral color and last most of the winter. pear in early fall and last through winter, called toyon, but also California holly and ‘Iroquois’ and ‘Oneida’ are other selec- virtually glow. ‘Wentworth’ features red Christmas berry for its red berries. tions of linden viburnum with red autumn leaves and bright red berries. Toyon usually grows five to 10 feet tall berries; ‘Michael Dodge’ has yellow fruit. Viburnums are relatively easy to grow and slightly less wide, although it has been For best fruiting, plant more than one in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil known to reach 25 feet. The evergreen linden viburnum. in either sun or part shade. Protect them leaves are thick, shiny, and dark green with sharp teeth. In early to midsummer, white flowers bloom in terminal clusters. Then in fall the oval berries turn bright orangy red, ready for the birds to snack on between November and January. Occasion- ally, berries turn yellow rather than red. Toyon can be hard to transplant, so look for a good-sized specimen with a healthy set of roots. Plant it in well- drained soil in sun or part shade. It makes a good seaside bank plant since it tolerates wind and drought, but will do best with supplemental water, especially during its first summer. The availability of toyon is limited (see “Sources,” page 28).

The late Kathleen Fisher was a former editor of The American Gardener. This article is an updated and adapted version of her Heteromeles arbutifolia original article, which was published in the

.November/December 2000 issue ֱֳִֶֶֶָָ֪֪֣֦֦֮֠֠֨

November / December 2011 29 30 Bare-Root Plants success with purchasing bare-rootplantsisacost-effectiveoption. If youbuyalotofplantsandarelookingforwaystosavemoney, asparagus tofillthree 30-foot-longbeds. since retired, trees, butourfruit blueber- and grapes,alongwithenough bare-root ries, andgrapevinesare stillproducing an asked whatwasinthepackages,he bare-root plantingmarathonwithapple and cherry trees, blueberries,strawberries, and cherry 100 bare-root Asianpeartrees. Whenhe weeks that followed, we continuedour O plant trees atthat timeofyear. In the fit injustthree boxes andthatwe could surprised tolearnthatsomanytrees could Plant bare-rootpeonies infallsotheirfeederroots developbeforebudsbreakin thespring. Our originalstrawberrieshave long the American Gardener three longboxes containingover ver arrived inFebruary with 0 years ago, ourUPSdri- years 0 VER 2 (B&B) plants.Bare-root stockallowed us to buymore with thesamebudget. and traditionalballed-and-burlapped pensive than container-grown selections er-grown plants.That’s becausebare-root withmorehad we started costlycontain- wouldn’t be nearlyasabundant,however, Our harvest fruit. abundance offlavorful the soilhasbeenwashedoff roots, the stockthathave beendugfrom old nursery plants are typically 20to50percent lessex- plants are packedinamoistmaterialsuch the ground inthefallwhendormant.After facilities andthenshippedinlate fall,win- as sawdust. Theyare keptincold-storage Bare-root plantsare one-tothree-year- Starbuck, anassociateprofessor withthe Chris than onB&B,”sayshorticulturist larger root systemonbare-root plants easier toplant. plants orB&Bs,bare-root plantsare also they are lesscumbersomethancontainer tainer-grown orB&Bstock.Andbecause therefore are cheapertoshipthancon- are lightweight andeasiertopackage, mant, withnosoilaround theirroots, they Because theyare soldwhentheyare dor- potting mixisusedintheirproduction. less expensive togrow sincenopotsor several advantages. Bare-root plantsare place inthelandscape,bare-root stockhas While container-grown plantshave their BENEFITS BARE-ROOT planted tree orshrub.B&B trees, “With main above thesoillevel forthe newly bare-root plant.Theroot flare shouldre- root tissue—isreadily determinedona point where stemtissuetransitionsinto oftheplant widensorflarestrunk atthe lished,” explainsStarbuck. better anchorageoncethetree isestab- system ofabare-root plantwillprovide roots spreading widely. Thewiderroot “the roots are inasmallvolume, withfew plants canhave extensive root systems, sity ofMissouri. Andalthoughcontainer Division ofPlant Sciencesat the Univer- vines (see“Bare-Root Selections,” page34). numerous ornamentaltrees, and shrubs, flowers, daylilies,andmilkweeds, aswell as perennials suchasasters,astilbes,cone- as bare-root stockincludeawidevariety of common;otherornamentalsavailable very paragus, andrhubarb. Bare-root roses are herbaceous ediblessuchasstrawberries,as- trees, grapevines,andsome canefruit, andnut many woodyplants,suchasfruit ting mixsurrounding theirroots. ter, orearlyspringwithoutanysoilpot- Another benefitisthat“you candiga The naturalroot flare—where the This typeofsystemworks well for BY KRISWETHERBEE

the soil may be mounded on the trunk, making it difficult to see the buried root flare,” explains Nina Bassuk, professor and program leader with the department of horticulture at Cornell University’s Urban Horticulture Institute. “The root flare of bare-root trees is obvious and the proper planting depth is easy to determine.” PLANNING YOUR PURCHASE Bare-root planting season is pretty short, and if you’re not on the ball, it can slip right by you. Most plants need to be shipped and planted while still dormant and before their buds start swelling. Late winter or very early spring—January to early April in most regions—is the most common time to order and begin planting bare-root stock. “I prefer to plant bare-root in the fall when the soil is still warm, and there is no chance of early bud break,” says Bas- suk. A few mail-order companies ship bare-root plants in fall, including Prairie Moon Nursery in Winona, Minnesota. Prairie Moon, which offers a wide variety of trees, shrubs, vines, and perennials na- A wide selection of fruit trees, including apples, is available as bare-root stock. tive to the Upper Midwest, has both fall (October) and spring (April to May) parities, it’s best to purchase bare-root should be moist and well formed, with lots shipping seasons for bare-root plants, ac- plants from a nursery as close to your re- of fine, fibrous feeder roots growing from cording to Bill Carter, the nursery’s pres- gion as possible. Also, choose a company the main root system. Avoid plants that are ident. “We ship over a hundred thousand that offers reasonable guarantees and dried, brittle, or shriveled; roots that are every year with pretty good results,” says money-back or replacement offers for slimy, squishy, or moldy; and dried or Carter. He adds the nursery has seen damaged stock or plants that aren’t up to leafed out buds. Be wary of end-of-season growth in sales of bare-root plants over the standards specified. bargains that have begun to show signs of the last five years, thanks in part to the growth. They won’t establish as quickly as detailed planting instructions provided CARE ON ARRIVAL bare-root selections that are planted while on its website. Whether planting in fall Once your plants arrive, the first step is to still truly dormant. or early spring, be sure to place your inspect them carefully. Healthy bare-root Ideally, bare-root plants should be order early for best selection. specimens have plump, fresh, and firm planted within 24 hours of arrival, but Bare-root selections of fruit and nut stems, twigs, roots, and buds. The roots there are ways to keep them viable for trees, fruiting vines, and perennial edibles such as rhubarb and asparagus are available at many nurseries and garden centers. Resources But for gardeners who seek a wider selec- Creating the Urban Forest: The Bare Root Method by Michelle Buckstrup and Nina tion of plants, buying online or from a L. Bassuk. Department of Horticulture, Cornell University. mail-order catalog is the way to go—es- www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/outreach/pdfs/bareroot.pdf. pecially when it comes to ornamental Hand-Planting Guidelines for Bareroot Trees and Shrubs, USDA Natural Resources trees, shrubs, and rare heirloom varieties. Conservation Service. www.sdda.sd.gov/Forestry/Publications/PDF/ Nurseries typically wait to ship bare- Hand-Planting-Guidelines.pdf. root plants until after the danger of freez- ing in transit has passed. So if you garden Sources in sunny southern California, and your Nourse Farms, Deerfield, MA. (413) 665-2658. www.noursefarms.com. mail-order source is located in Upstate Prairie Moon Nursery, Winona, MN. (866) 417-8156. www.prairiemoon.com. New York, a late freeze there may mean Raintree Nursery, Morton, WA. (800) 391-8892. www.raintreenursery.com. you receive your plants after your plant ing Trees of Antiquity, Paso Robles, CA. (805) 467-9909. www.treesofantiquity.com.

window has passed. To avoid climate dis-

November / December 2011 31 32 planting time.Hydrogels are synthetic ry willbuyyou uptoanextraweek of ry sugar whendry, butwhen moistenedcan compounds thatlookabitliketable break dormancy. because thiscancauseyour plantto Fahrenheit witharelative humidityof90 and move theboxes toacoolandshady around theroots moist—not soggy— periodsuntilyou areshort prepared to that istoowarm,suchasaheatedgarage, to 95percent isideal.Avoid alocation freeze-free location;33to38degrees the water-retaining packingmaterial their originalpackageaslongyou keep two tothree daysyou cankeepthemin plant. If you willbe plantinginthenext It takesabout30minutes toanhourbe- in water. According toBassuk, thefine fore thewaterfullyhydrates thegel.“The hold several hundred timestheirweight ounces ofhydrogel per25gallonsofwater. than thecoarsegrades. grades provide muchbettercoverage of theholehighenoughsothatplant’scrown times aswide.2. accommodate rootsandone-and-one-halftotwo 1. hole. Adjusttheheightofmoundifnecessary. easily identifiedbyplacingayardstickacrossthe will sittwoinchesabovegroundlevel,whichis Although bare-rootstockisdormantwhenshipped,itcriticaltokeeptherootsmoistuntiltheyareinground.Planting HOW TOPLANTBARE-ROOTSTOCK depth. Stepsinplantingabare-rootroseareillustratedbelow. should bedoneassoonpossibleafterpurchaseorreceipt,andgreatcaretakentosettheplantatproper Dipping theroots inahydrogel slur- Bassuk recommends mixingabout15 the American Gardener Dig aholewithtaperedsidesdeepenoughto 1 1 Form amoundofsoilinthecenter several daysofholdingtimeaslong out;this willbuyyouto prevent drying moist sawdust, straw, orshredded leaves ly covered, addmore soil.Mulch with If therootssoil surface. aren’t complete- below stemsabove thesoilsurface; the oughly. Theroots shouldliecompletely cover theroots withsoilandwaterthor- lay plantsinthetrench atanangle,then break dormancy. plant your bare-root plants before they you keepthesoilmoist.But besure to After soakingtheroots forseveral hours, roots inashady andwind-protected area. deep enoughtoaccommodatetheplant mon wayofdoingthisistodigatrench plants inacool,shaded,frost-free location dipping andputtheroots inalargeplas- ontheroots after says. Leave theslurry dipping,”she thick gravywhenyou start hydrogel shouldbe theconsistencyof is toheelintheplants.Themostcom- longer thanaweek. until you’re ready toplant,butwaitno tic bagtoholdinmoisture. Again,store Another optionfordelayed planting 2 2 tilizer tothesoakingwater andtimemy ally addonetablespoon ofliquidfishfer- water forseveral hoursorovernight. Iusu- hydrate by soakingtheroots inapailof hose theirroots down, butIprefer tore- water before planting.Some gardeners the backfillsoonafterplanting.” number ofwater-absorbingroot tipsin willincrease the ing,” heexplains.“This easier toplantandcausesroot branch- sue. “Shortening longroots makesit ened roots backtohealthy-lookingtis- anydamaged,broken, orblack- pruning thensoaked.Starbuckpruned, suggests morning orlateafternoon. is coolandcloudyplantintheearly If possible,chooseadayforplantingthat TECHNIQUE PLANTING plants failisallowingout. theroots todry most commonreason thatbare-root covered andprotected atalltimes.The choose, it’s vitalthatyou keeptheroots The roots needtoberehydrated with To prepare theplant,roots shouldbe No matterwhichholdingprocess you

3. Once the correct depth has been determined, place the plant on top of the mound and spread roots evenly; do not bend or fold the roots. 4. Place soil around the roots, tamping it down gently with your fingers. Form a ring of soil around the plant base to help direct water to the roots. 5. Water thoroughly to settle the soil 5 around the roots and eliminate air pockets.

soaking so that I can leave the plants in commodate the height of the root system “so I amend the soil with organic mater- water buckets until the minute I plant and one-and-one-half to two times the ial so that the soil within the planting them. Do not keep the roots in water any width of the extended root mass. The hole is a little looser for the roots to easi- longer than 24 hours. slightly wider than deeper hole will give ly grow out into. Once the plant is es- The planting hole should be shallow roots plenty of room to grow outwards. tablished, the roots will be strong enough and tapered: make it deep enough to ac- “The roots shouldn’t be folded, curled or to grow out into the pure native soil.” otherwise constricted in the planting My philosophy on digging a hole is hole,” says Nan Sterman, a garden de- much like Baumle’s. After digging the signer and horticulture consultant who hole I use a spade to break up any com- lives in southern California. pacted soil, loosen it on the sides and Some experts suggest loosening the bottom. Then I throw in several shovel- soil beneath the root system while others fuls of loamy topsoil or compost, digging think you should leave it alone. But all it into the surrounding native soil until seem to agree when it comes to loosening blended. A good ratio for less-than-ideal the soil on the sides—it’s a definite yes. soil is one part compost to two parts na- Another area where experts disagree is tive soil. whether to amend the soil removed from Fill the hole with water and allow it to the planting hole or fill the hole with drain; if it takes longer than two hours backfill only. The approach you choose for the water to disappear, you will need should be based on the quality of your to improve the soil’s drainage or relocate existing soil; in some suburban gardens your hole. To prepare for planting, use the “soil” is a mix of clay and building de- the backfill to form a cone-shaped bris left after home construction. mound several inches high within the “We have very heavy clay,” says gar- hole and place your plant on top of the Soak roots in water for several hours or den blogger and master gardener Kylee mound so that the roots spread out over

overnight prior to planting bare-root stock. Baumle, who lives in northwest Ohio, the mound as evenly as possible. The first

November / December 2011 33 BARE-ROOT SELECTIONS roots should rest just below the soil line GROWING ON and the crown positioned about two Providing adequate and consistent mois- With the exception of roses, the most inches above ground level. Lay the han- ture for the first year is key to ensuring commonly found bare-root selections dle of a shovel or a yard-long ruler across continued development of the root sys- at garden centers are typically edible the top of the planting hole to ensure the tem. The rule of thumb is one inch of plants. You’ll have more to choose positioning is correct. Adjust the level of moisture per week for most plants; the from—an extended selection of fruits, the soil beneath the roots if needed. goal is to keep the soil moist but never vegetables and other edibles, as well Once the plant is properly positioned, soggy or the roots may rot. as more ornamental choices—if you gently fill in the hole with loose soil or a Regularly monitoring your plant for purchase bare-root plants through blend of compost mixed with native soil. signs of stress and assessing its overall mail-order sources. Steady the plant with one hand while health will help you determine when using your other hand to gently firm the and if to fertilize, weed, and add pro- EDIBLE PLANTS soil and stabilize the plant. This, along tection from wind or animals. Fertiliza- Fruit trees Apples, Asian pears, cher- with a thorough watering, will help re- tion after planting is usually not needed ries, figs, peaches, pears, plums Nut trees Availability varies depending on location, but may include almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts Other fruits Blackberries, blueberries, grapes, raspberries, strawberries Other edibles Asparagus, artichokes, rhubarb

ORNAMENTAL PLANTS Trees Serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.), American elm hybrids (Ulmus americana hybrids), ashes (Fraxinus spp.), basswood (Tilia americana), lit- tleleaf linden (Tilia cordata), hedge maple (Acer campestre), red maple (Acer rubrum), sugar maple (Acer sac- charum), sycamore (Acer pseudopla- tanus), honeylocust (Gleditsia triacan- thos), pin oak (Quercus palustris), yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea), Japanese flowering cherry (Prunus ser- rulata), Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulata), katsura tree (Cercidiphyl- After planting and watering, spread a two- to three-inch layer of mulch around the base of lum japonicum), and crabapples the plant, keeping the area immediately around the trunk mulch-free. (Malus spp.). Shrubs and Vines Clematis, dogwoods move air pockets and settle the soil the first season as plants settle into their (Cornus spp.), forsythias, lilacs (Sy- around the roots. “When you’ve replaced environment, especially if you have al- ringa spp.), common witch hazel half of the backfill, water the hole to help ready amended the planting hole with (Hamamelis virginiana), roses, mead- collapse air pockets,” suggests Bassuk. compost. If you do fertilize, a mulch of owsweet (Spiraea alba), butterfly To ensure water is delivered directly to compost or aged manure or a topdress- bushes (Buddleia spp.), inkberry (Ilex the roots, build up a ring of soil around ing of slow-release organic fertilizer glabra), blackhaw viburnum (Vibur- the plant’s base. Water deeply, filling the should suffice. num prunifolium), southern arrowwood basin several times if needed. Add more Maintain the mulch and remove (Viburnum dentatum), and nannyber- soil if additional settling occurs after wa- weeds as needed to help get your bare- ry (Viburnum lentago). tering. The last step is to spread a two- to root plants off to a great start. By sum- Perennials and Grasses Milkweeds (As- three-inch layer of mulch around the mer, the plants should be growing clepias spp.), asters, astilbes, tick- plant to help retain moisture, moderate vigorously and on their way to a beauti- seeds (Coreopsis spp.), coneflowers soil temperature, prevent weeds, and pro- ful and fruitful life in your garden. (Echinacea spp.), daylilies (Hemero- tect its roots. Leave a mulch-free zone callis spp.), peonies. immediately around the base of the A regular contributor to The American —K.W. trunk or stem to reduce the risk of fun- Gardener, Kris Wetherbee lives in Oakland,

ֱֱֲֲֳ֦֥֪֦֭֮֯֯֠֬ .gal infection or rodent damage. Oregon

34 the American Gardener gardening lessons from Parking Lots

For those seeking design and plant ideas for tough environments, botanical garden parking lots can be instructive places to start. ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY KAREN BUSSOLINI

S I PULLED my rental car into mediately see examples of tough, drought- time, it occurred to me that these areas, the Denver Botanic Gardens’ resistant plants that thrive in low-main- where the needs of plants, people, and ve- A small parking lot some years ago, tenance areas in the dry West. Having hicles all have to be taken into account, it was immediately clear that it was a very previously traversed many a barren expanse yield ideas that can be adapted for small- special place. I was suddenly eye-level of blistering hot, car-packed pavement at er-scale home landscapes. with a strip of technicolor western native botanical gardens across the country while Planting around parking lots and perennials. City noise was replaced by pursuing my work as a garden photo- drive ways presents many challenges over swishing grasses and birdsong. grapher, this was definitely more like it. and above those normally encountered in Despite being tired after a long day of Based on that experience, I began pay- the garden. Practical considerations such traveling, it was wonderful to be welcomed ing closer attention to the landscaping of as snow removal and handling water by such beauty in a parking lot and to im- parking lots at other public gardens. Over runoff have to be dealt with in an attrac-

36 the American Gardener Low-maintenance groundcovers, interspersed with upright evergreens and deciduous trees such as zelkovas, provide an attractive setting around the parking lot at Chanticleer, opposite. Above: Granite curbs, draped here by deutzias and ferns, help direct runoff to a designed wetland area. tive yet environmentally responsible resources and protect the environment in ly seep in,” says Bill Thomas, Chanticleer’s manner. Visitors need to be given cues on inventive and attractive ways. The ap- director. Small, earth-toned asphalt lots where to park and how to enter the gar- proaches range from basic design and tiered down a steep slope give way to per- den. The soil will likely be thin, highly plant selection to more sophisticated so- vious gravel at the bottom. From there, disturbed, or compacted from construc- lutions such as permeable paving and rain water sinks into a basin planted with tion and foot traffic. Plants, which often gardens. The following gardens provide marsh marigolds (Caltha palustris), blue suffer from heat reflected off the hard- particularly good examples in different re- flag iris (Iris virginica), pussy willows scaping, need to be tough and offer in- gions of the country (a list of plants from (Salix discolor), and other edge-of-pond terest over a long period of time. the parking lots at these gardens can be plants. When pond cypress (Taxodium as- These pass-through areas aren’t usually viewed in a web special linked to this arti- cendens, syn. T. distichum var. imbricari- high priority for soil remediation, irriga- cle on the AHS website at www.ahs.org). um), shadblows (Amelanchier spp.), and tion, or maintenance, yet they do play an other moisture-tolerant trees mature, this important role in creating a first impres- DESIGNING FOR PRACTICALITY AND BEAUTY will become a wet woodland. sion for visitors and setting the stage for At Chanticleer garden in Wayne, Penn- Thomas says his philosophy is to make the rest of the garden. Because they are sylvania, near Philadelphia, visitors are the parking lot “gardenesque” but lower somewhat isolated, they also present op- slowed down by plantings so interesting maintenance. “We don’t irrigate but we do portunities to get a little wilder than might that you want to roll down the window weed and mulch,” he says. “We try not to be desired close to a visitor’s center (or and gawk. Trees and shrubs partly conceal plant things that need deadheading and home), paint with a broader brush, try what is around the bend, and high granite we use perennials that are ground-cover- something new, and even use plants whose curbs prevent wandering off-road. The ing to smother weeds, planted more in overly aggressive nature may be an asset. curbs serve another important function: masses than they are in the garden.” What I discovered after a few years of redirecting stormwater runoff. “It’s sim- Tough trees, shrubs, perennials, and travels is that public garden parking lots pler to have curbs so you can design them grasses serve many practical purposes in are becoming models of how to conserve to direct water to basins where it will slow- addition to their aesthetic qualities. For in-

November / December 2011 37 stance, suckering shrub dogwoods and Maine Botanical Gardens (CMBG) in minimizes impervious surfaces, and be- self-layering Deutzia gracilis ‘Nikko’ an- rural Boothbay was sited to seem natur- fits its rural setting. chor steep banks. Feather reed grass (Cala- al and have minimal impact on native On my first visit, it took me a long magrostis ✕acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’) is a ecosystems and hydrology. The road time to get to the actual gardens because stellar parking lot plant in Thomas’s esti- snakes around fields of moss, massive the drive along the entrance road entailed mation because it “requires almost no stone ledges covered in polypody ferns many stops to make notes on combina- tending, gives a sense of movement, and and lichen, dense stands of fir and tions and ideas for mingled groundcovers, provides some screening. It looks great spruce, boggy dips and hummocks, of- and to renew my appreciation for the gor- from midsummer all the way through Jan- fering visitors an intimate experience geous texture of massed hayscented ferns uary, unless it’s beaten up by heavy snow.” within a dense forest. Although the un- (Dennstaedtia punctilobula). Evergreen Shade trees are a challenge because they paved road takes a good deal of mainte- tree seedlings carpeted the earth, along need a lot of soil for proper root develop- nance, it has a low-carbon footprint with lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium an- ment. Chanticleer’s gardeners experiment (local stone, no oil-based materials), gustifolium), Canada mayflower (Ma- to see what does well in existing conditions. Evergreen cryptomerias have proven to be tough, but they don’t like reflected heat and prefer some shade. They provide a backdrop for a variety of flowering deciduous shrubs, which in turn buffer lower branches from the pavement’s heat. Up- right eastern juniper (Juniperus virginiana) does well in poorly drained soil and better withstands heat. Thomas advises maintaining a safety zone around trees to keep vehicles away from trunks. Herbaceous plants such as bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) or shrubs such as Hydrangea arborescens that can be cut to the ground every spring, are good buffers for vulnerable trees because they will grow back readily if damaged. While toughness and appropriateness to the site are important, so is a tree’s shape. Selecting trees with the right form, avoiding trees with down-sweep- ing branches, and removing lower branches (limbing-up), keeps branches out of harm’s way and enhances sight lines—this is as useful a lesson for a home garden as it is in a parking lot. Many of Chanticleer’s cryptomerias are pruned to be skinny. Trees such as red oaks (Quer- cus rubra), planted where there is enough soil, look good limbed up. Pond cypresses have a naturally narrow form and sawleaf zelkovas (Zelkova serrata) develop a vase shape that rises up and over vehicles below, especially if lower branches are removed. CREATING A SENSE OF PLACE If the quiet magic felt upon turning into nearly untouched Maine woods isn’t Near the parking lot at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, this evocative natural vignette— enough to make a driver slow down and a clump of pink lady’s slipper orchids (Cypripedium acaule) in front of a solitary boulder notice the surroundings, the long, loop- capped with moss and fine sedge—-caught the author's eye. She immediately envisioned ing roads might do the trick. The mean- how the component elements, with an ethically propagated replacement for the lady’s dering gravel road into the Coastal slippers, could be adapted to a Northeast woodland garden setting.

38 the American Gardener them. Logs keep cars in place. This design garnered an award from the “smart growth” organization Friends of Mid- Coast Maine for innovative and environmentally responsible site planning. Observant visitors will notice natural compositions full of interesting forms, textures, and contrasts that vary with small differences in soil moisture and sunlight. Drifts of hair-fine sedges (Carex spp.) are interrupted by a linear tapestry of bunchberry, lowbush blueberry, moss- es, and wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) . On a spongy hummock, more bunchberry and wintergreen mingle with princess pine (Lycopodium obscurum), and bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum); higher ground was silvery with lichens. Where the driveway plantings at Chanticleer are simplified and the gardens complex, the scenario at Coastal Maine is The low-tech gravel parking lots at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens are separated by reversed. Natural areas around cars are naturalistic boggy areas designed to absorb runoff. more varied and complex than anything designed; the gardens are a simplification. ianthemum canadense), bunchberry sometimes the best way to convey a pow- Traversing the crushed stone path over a (Chamaepericlymenum canadense syn. Cor- erful sense of place is to preserve what is al- rise from the parking lots’ native plant nus canadensis), and sweeps of ostrich ferns ready there. communities to the clearly defined beds (Matteuccia struthiopteris), cinnamon ferns Instead of filling in low areas and level- around the Visitor’s Center is intriguing (Osmunda cinnamomea), and interrupted ing to make a big parking lot, three small because there’s a subtle transition between ferns (Osmunda claytoniana) in wet spots. gravel “pods” were built with strips of trees the untouched, the managed, and the All of this together demonstrated that and low wet areas for runoff between planted. Highbush blueberries (Vaccinium ADDITIONAL GARDENS WITH INSPIRATIONAL PLANTINGS

Here are a few other public gardens that offer thematic or interesting plantings or “green” features in their parking lots.

Delaware Center for Horticulture, Wilmington, Delaware. Color- ful curbside combinations of plants that can take heat and humidity in stride. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas. Native shrubs and grasses in a naturalistic setting. Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Ever-changing and inspirational plantings of both new and familiar plants. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota, Florida. Hellstrips are planted with shrubs most gardeners know only as houseplants. Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois. Permeable paving in the parking lot allows water to drain through filtering gravel and collect in bioswales planted with woody and perennial plants for year- round interest. New York Botanical Garden, New York, New York. A variety of mature, less common canopy trees and interesting shrubs that tolerate urban conditions. Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. Showcases In the parking lot at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Cary Award winners—underutilized trees and shrubs adaptable Austin, Texas, visitors are immediately introduced to native plants to New England. —K.B. such as Texas ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens).

November / December 2011 39 corymbosum) and huckleberries (Gaylussa- cia baccata) provide natural edible landscaping as the path winds through sun and shade, ledges and soil pockets, wet and dry. A sense of place is also apparent in the parking lot at the Oregon Garden in Sil- verton, where Oregon State University Extension Horticulturist Neil Bell and Cistus nursery owner Sean Hogan collab- orated to “get some Oregon into the Ore- gon Garden” right up front. The goal was to design a lot that “sampled the geo- graphic and sustainable possibilities and showed people how they can have landscapes that look good with months of no summer rain and no irrigation.” Adding to the challenge, Heather Desmarteau-Fast, staff horticulturist at the Oregon Garden, describes the parking lot soil as “terrible”—nothing but red clay and rock, but the design was planted without amendments. Oregon’s winters are as wet as summers are dry, so a bioswale—a wide, shallow ditch—runs through the two big beds, collecting runoff and allowing it to infiltrate slowly. Rushes (Juncus effusus), along with various Willamette Valley winter ephemerals such as Brodiaea spp. and summer-blooming monkey flower (Mimulus lewisii) fill the bioswale. Elsewhere, a combination of “drought- adapted creatures,” as Hogan calls them, from the Mediterranean region—rose- maries, rock roses (Cistus spp.), lavenders, olives, Italian cypresses—and the Ameri- can West—dozens of manzanitas (Arc- tostaphylos spp.) and Ceanothus species and cultivars, native grasses, Penstemon centranthifolius—grow under, around, and through each other. Lush mounds of Drought-tolerant Oregon natives, such as manzanitas and the ‘Wayne’s Silver’ selection of Mediterranean spurge (Euphorbia chara- California fuchsia, mingle with lavender, rosemary, and other Mediterranean-region plants cias ssp. wulfenii) and fine-bladed ever- in the parking lot at the Oregon Garden in Silverton. green grasses such as California needlegrass (Stipa californica) and native fescues (Fes- that look good any day of the year. “It’s ex- Platinum certified Visitor & Adminis- tuca californica, F. glauca) make big con- citing to show people in this area that you tration Center, described as “an encyclo- trasts in form and texture against the many can have a visually appealing display that pedia of techniques that conserve water, twiggy small-leafed dryland plants. Gleam- doesn’t need much water,” says Des- tap renewable energy, and work with na- ing silver California fuchsia, (Epilobium marteau-Fast. (For some tips from Hogan ture to mitigate global warming,” the ‘Wayne’s Silver’), with scarlet trumpetlike on how to create a low-maintenance gar- parking garden is a whole system de- flowers, is dazzling against dark green rose- den, see sidebar, left.) signed to provide environmental services maries and manzanitas. and inspiration for home landscapes. Now, on sunny summer days, visitors LESSONS IN SUSTAINABILITY Parking “fingers” of permeable pavers are greeted with delicious scents rising on The Queens Botanical Garden in Flush- set into a deep bed of gravel, alternating waves of heat from the asphalt and en- ing, New York, doesn’t have a parking lot, with mini bioswales, absorb water, let it counter low-input, high-impact plantings it has a parking garden. Like its LEED infiltrate slowly, and divert most of it to

40 the American Gardener larger bioswales. Most of the water— SEAN HOGAN’S LAWS OF LAZY GARDENING even during hurricanes—is quickly ab- sorbed, evaporated, or used by native Oregon-based horticulturist and nurseryowner Sean Hogan, who helped design plants, such as sweet flag (Acorus calamus) plantings at the Oregon Garden in Silverton, offers these guidelines for North- and shallow sedge (Carex lurida) in the western adapted, low-maintenance plantings that, with substitution of regionally bioswales. This reduces runoff to the adapted species, apply equally well in botanical garden parking lots and home gar- city’s already overburdened stormwater dens anywhere. system. Excess water flows into a native ■ No bare ground ever, especially in winter when many weeds grow. wet meadow designed to mimic the ■ Use as many “spillers”—such as grasses, rushes, and rosemary—as possible over ecosystem prior to urbanization. Plants curbs and walls. and oil-eating bacteria in the soil break ■ Use plants, such as Chilean strawberry (Fragraria chilensis), that creep into the down or sequester leaking car fluids, fur- understory to conserve moisture and cover ground. ther reducing pollution of natural bodies ■ Make sure that “sustainable” isn’t a toothless cliché; plant diversity and re- of water. duced needs for resources such as water and fertilizer are fundamental. The light gray pavers reflect light, re- ■ Use legumes such as Coronilla glauca (syn. Coronilla valentina ssp. glauca) and ducing the urban heat island effect. Addi- other plants that fix nitrogen in their roots, such as Ceonothus spp., and hairy ca- tional “gravel-grass” areas with large naryflower (Dorycnium hirsutum), a silver subshrub tough enough for planted roofs. chunks of bluestone gravel planted with ■ Incorporate as many winter-growing and evergreen plants as possible: winter-flow- native grasses remain green while absorb- ering Corsican hellebores (Helleborus argutifolius) keep neat rosettes of foliage all win- ing water and accommodating occasional ter; native Salvia clevelandii contributes silvery-green mounds. —K.B. parking. “You never go through a puddle, there’s always cool shade, and no hot asphalt,” says Patrice Kleinberg, the garden’s director of education and visitor services. The mostly native plants are combined to evoke original habitats such as wet meadows, wetlands, prairies, and brushlands. Grouped by needs and toler- ances—prairie plants where it is high and dry, plants that can take wet or dry conditions in bioswales—they receive no irrigation. As plant communities mature, the hope is that they will outcompete the invasive plants so problematic in disturbed areas and perhaps even colonize surrounding areas. PUTTING IDEAS TO WORK AT HOME As several public gardens around the country are proving, parking areas need not be boring or uninviting. Instead, they can be used to increase biodiversity and reduce pollution, while spotlighting some really tough but beautiful plants. Strategies used in parking lots can be applied to terraces, sidewalks and roadsides, neighborhood traffic circles and hellstrips, rain gardens, and even planted roofs. So I encourage you to slow down and take notice of the places you leave your vehicle, whether close to home or across the country, for there is lots to learn from parking lots. In the parking garden at Queens Botanical Garden, permeable pavers and gravel beds are used to absorb and channel rainwater. Here a laurel oak (Quercus imbricaria), which will Karen Bussolini is a garden writer, photo - eventually shade parked cars, grows amid little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and grapher, and eco-friendly garden coach based other native grasses in a gravel bed. in Connecticut.

November / December 2011 41 by Scott Aker 42 Taking Care ofIndoorPlants inWinter some clues. are andlightislessintense, soyou short growing, findoutwhattheirnatural range plants, especiallyduringwinter whendays is andcheckoutthatarea’s climatefor perature rangefor thehouseplantsyou are but ifyou can’t findthetem- balance ofred andbluewavelengths, which might wanttoconsidersupplemental light- found inbooksoronline, F Light isthemostlimitingfactor forhouse- LIGHT THE RIGHT Definitive informationon where theynaturally grow. foundinthedeserts dryness cool nights,brightlight,and Cacti andsucculentsneed found inmore tropical areas. atures andhighhumidity need theconsistenttemper- lets andspathi phyllums places oforigin.Africanvio- subtropical climateoftheir and warmdays—mimicthe conditions—cool nights sunroom allwinter, where are quitehappykeptina ondin oranges,forexample, plants’ native habitats. vibrancy ofhouseplantsallthemore. possible toyour house- these conditionsasmuch our homesandmatching tural parametersfoundin examination ofallthecul- looking goodinvolves close cold drafts.Keeping them air,sufficient light,dry and on indoorplants,too,thankstolackof However, thistimeofyear canbetough ing. Thebestlighting systemsofferplantsa temperature needs canbe Gardenias andcalam- the American Gardener dening, makingusappreciate the puts areal damperonoutdoorgar- OR MOST of thecountr y, winter from regions withhighhumidity, so they Many speciesgrown ashouseplants come WATERING,HUMIDITY, ANDFERTILIZER place plantsthatneedthemostlightclose ly payforthecostoftimer. money onyour electricbillthatwillquick- to makesure thishappens.You’ll alsosave use atimerforyour supplementallighting plants needadailydark periodtogrow well, are forphotosynthesis.Because important minimal light,suchascastiron plants(A speciesthatdowell with sunny spots,try to south-orwest-facing windows. For less pidistra .), philodendrons, andsnake anseveria plants If you are relying solelyonnaturallight, G (S ARDEN spp C spp.). SOLUTIONS s- of saltsinthepotting soil. growthperiods ofnew tomitigatebuildup two weeksmore during thanonceevery strength thenexttimeyou water, and no athalf ply applyabalancedliquidfertilizer growth.winter mayalsoinducenew Sim- However, supplemental lightinginthe which usuallyoccursspringthrough fall. iswhenyougrowth,fertilizer seenew card it—never letyour plantssitinit. of thepot.Collectdrainedwateranddis- helps tocreate ahumidmicroclimate from midity high.Grouping plantstogether the coolside,whichkeepsrelative hu- the rooms where your houseplantsare—on One trickistokeepyour home—oratleast don’t airinheatedhomes. appreciate thedry The onlytimemostindoorplantsneed water drainsoutthebottom generous enough sothat yet. When you dowater, be you maynot needtowater face. If you feelmoistsoil, or twobelow thesoilsur- the soilby pokingitaninch check themoisture level of days, useyour fingerto perature low. Every few and you alsokeepthetem- al weeks iflightlevels are low not needtowaterforsever- depths ofwinter, you may more days.Andduringthe not needtowaterforafew overcast allweek, you may weather. If skieshave been take your cuesfrom the the trayonceinawhile. on thepebblesandtopup the air. Just setpotsinsaucers put someextramoisture into humidifier orusetraysfilled with pebblesandwaterto liage. You canalsopurchase a and beingreleased from fo- water evaporating from soil As faraswateringgoes,

PESTS AND OTHER PROBLEMS If you take your houseplants outside dur- Gardening Q&A with Scott Aker ing the warmer months, be sure to inspect them for pests and give them a quick but HOLIDAY CACTUS BUD DROP forceful shower either with a hose or in Last year I bought a Christmas cac- your bathtub before bringing them back tus (Schlum bergia spp.) just after indoors for the winter. Scale and spider Thanksgiving. It bloomed beauti- mites are some of the most common pests fully, and I put it outside on my you might encounter, both of which can deck over the summer, where it got be controlled with horticultural oil. If you much larger. When I brought it in- spot mealybugs, consider discarding inside for the winter, I noted that it fested plants since these pests are nearly was full of flower buds, with some impossible to control. of the leaves carrying three or four! As with your outdoor plants, don’t ex- Some have dropped off. Is there pect perfection. You might see a few leaf anything I can do to rescue the remaining flower buds? When is it likely to bloom this year?

These cacti can bloom at different times, most commonly around Thanks- giving, but generally in early winter. They respond to shorter days and cooler weather by growing flower buds at the ends of their cladodes, which are short, flattened stems that function as leaves. It is normal for some of the flower buds to be shed prior to flowering if the bud set is particularly high. Keep the plant cool and keep the humidity as high as you can. Don’t water it too frequently, make sure that it never sits in water, and give it bright indirect sunlight. A few more buds may fall off but the remaining ones will likely open sometime around Thanksgiving. You might even be able to keep it blooming through early De- cember if you keep it in a cool location.

LAST-DITCH SOLUTION TO WEED PROBLEM Over the years, a defunct drainage ditch between the street and my Missouri yard has become partially filled in with leaves and other organic debris. Its surface is now only about one foot below street level and my front lawn, and in summer, Scale, shown here on the underside of a weeds grow in it with wild abandon. Sometimes the city comes and mows it down; poinsettia leaf, is a common pest that can sometimes I spray it with herbicide. I would like to vanquish the weeds for good be controlled with horticultural oil. and plant something else there. How should I prepare the site?

spots or dead leaf tips, but most of the The drainage ditch may still function to control stormwater runoff, so I would advise you time these can just be snipped off and the not to alter the grade until you have checked with the transportation department in your plant will be fine. And for some house- municipality. Wet meadows are an integral part of the natural landscape in your area, plants sold around the holidays, such as so designing a rain garden may be a good solution. poinsettias, cyclamen, and kalanchoe, The best approach starts with eliminating the weeds that are there now. Mowing their needs are very difficult to satisfy in the area followed by treatment with a non-selective herbicide in late summer or early the standard household environment. If autumn is the most efficient way to do this. You may want to follow up with additional you’re not up for that challenge, treat spraying for another entire growing season to ensure that the woody weeds are com- them as cut flowers—enjoy them while pletely killed and that the bank of weed seeds in the soil has been exhausted before they look good, then add them to the proceeding with planting. Among the plants that should do well in your region are compost bin when the show is over. queen of the prairie (Filipendula spp.), Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum), marsh milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), blue flag iris (Iris versicolor), palm sedge (Carex Scott Aker is a Washington, D.C.-based muskingumensis), and river oats (Chasmanthium latifolium). horticulturist who wrote the “Digging In” —S.A. gardening column for The Washington E-mail your gardening questions to Scott Aker at [email protected].

.ְְְֱֱֱֱֱֱֱֱֱֲֳֳֳֳֳֳִִִֵֵֵֶֶֶַָֹֹ֢֢֤֧֪֦֪֥֣֦֢֭֭֭֭֭֭֭֫֠֫֬֠֩֠֠֨֩֠֩֡֠֩֠֠֫֩֫֠֠֫֨֫ Post for a decadeְְְְְֱֱֱֱֱֱֱֱֲֲֳֳִִִִִִֵֵֵֵֵֵֵֵֶֶַָ֦֣֧֥֥֧֥֧֪֧֧֥֥֥֤֪֭֭֭֭֭֮֮֮֮֮֨֫֠֠֩֬֠֬֫֬֠֩֠֩֠֠֩֠֠֩֠֨֩֠֩

November / December 2011 43 44 by KeithUridel

Sweet Rewards:Sweet Fall-Fruiting Raspberries

raspberries in rows to make harvesting easier. harvesting make to rows in raspberries resistant heirloom variety. Right: Plant Right: variety. heirloom resistant

The bestspotforgrowing fall raspberries GROWING GUIDELINES F farm insouthernIndiana, thefirstfallrasp- shoots calledfloricanes.At myfamily’s onsecond-year bearing types,whichfruit disease- reliable, a is ‘Heritage’ Above: year’s shoots—asopposedtosummer- isborneonprimocanes—thecurrentfruit primocane-bearing raspberries,sincetheir can grow. Theyare more accuratelycalled vesting, butare amenabletogrowing in are oftengrown in rows tofacilitatehar- season’s growth, theyare easiertoprune. and continueinwaves untilthefirstfrosts berries actuallybeginripeninginearlyJuly apart ineachrow.apart Leave eightto10feet es wide,withplantstwoto three feet is infullsunandwell-drained soil.They develops onthecurrentbecause thefruit small beds.Rows shouldbe18to24inch- these are thesweetest ofallraspberries,and in October. Alsoknown asever-bearing, between rows. Bare-root raspberriescan the American Gardener oe –1 01 are among ones 4–11,10–1) the easiestedibleplantsagardener idaeus, ALL-FRUITING RASPBERRIES Z (R ubus cup ofkelpmeal,whichsuppliesmany andone-eighth anced, organicfertilizer and ahalf-poundofwormcastings. num peatmoss,ashovelful ofcompost, mix intwotofourshovelfuls ofsphag- ing raspberries.Then,foreachplant,I depth ofeightto12inchespriorplant- planted withoutaddinganygranular fer- Bare-rooteral fertilizers. stockisbest micronutrients notoftenfoundingen- heavy soilatourfarm,Iliketotilla Soil Preparation they have establishedroot systems. plant pottedraspberriesanytime,since only forZones 6andcolder. You can USDA Hardiness Zones 7to11,inspring be plantedineitherspringorfall also plantinmounds, ifyou wantto tilizers, butItopdress weeks afew after ensure adequatedrainage,but you can use forpottedstock. growth I withthesamefertilizers starts OERW HARVEST HOMEGROWN For pottedstock,Iaddonecupofbal- Amending withorganicmatter helps C B ecause we have very Fertilizing andPruning single linedown the middle. both off-center, ismore efficientthana twodriplinesdownrunning eachrow, week duringdroughts. Ihave foundthat drip irrigation,wateringmyrows twicea size. Iuse good production andberry raspberries needconsistentmoisture for Irrigation er goodalternative. ridged plantings.Raisedbedsare anoth- nearly twicethecrop inwet years asnon- farm, withridgedplantingsproducing crease above gradedoeswondersatour center oftherow. Thatlittlebitofin- rises sixtoeightinchesabove gradeatthe row, buildupyour soilsoitgradually grow plantshere afew andthere. In a well—to avoid crown rot. straw orpine bark mini-nuggets work The mulchshouldbecoarse—fresh weed control andmoisture retention. Mulching early harvest. remove thefloricanesthat produced the cane inlatewinter. Then,inlatesummer, square offthetipsofeach footandprune thin thecanestoaboutfourorfive per duction, amore complicated optionisto willing toacceptlower overall pro- fruit bearingoverfruits alonger periodbutare inlatesummer.fruit If you’d liketohave lots ofprimocanesthatwillbeginbearing open. Thiswillcausetheplantstoproduce winter toearlyspringbefore buds thenew back toground level anytimefrom late them maintain your raspberriesistoprune continuing untilberriesappear. ning whenplantsare fullyleafed-outand month duringthegrowing season,begin- kelp, andmolasses(foritsiron) twicea feed withablendofliquidfishemulsion, balanced organicfertilizer. Ialsofoliar- in lateApril, andagain inmid-June—with toemerge,whichformeis mocanes start lished plantstwiceayear—first whenpri- The easiestandmostproductive wayto M D uring hot, dry weather,uring hot,dry fall ulching isindispensiblefor T opdress estab-

PEST AND DISEASE PREVENTION The best approach to pest and disease con- Sources trol is prevention. Select disease-resistant Backyard Berry Plants, Nashville, IN. varieties and follow the cultural guidelines (812) 988-0579. www.backyard offered in this article. Remove any wild berryplants.com. raspberries growing nearby because these Raintree Nursery, Morton, WA. (800) may carry pests or diseases. Because rasp- 391-8892. www.raintreenursery.com. berries are susceptible to verticillium Nourse Farms, Deerfield, MA. (413) wilt—a fungal disease that also plagues 665-2658. www.noursefarms.com. strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplant—avoid planting them where any of these crops have recently been ENJOYING THE HARVEST grown. Raspberries are sometimes attacked Berries are ripe when they separate easily by Japanese beetles, but applications of from the plant, and best picked the day neem oil will repel them. you plan to use them because they don’t store well. In addition to eating them RECOMMENDED CULTIVARS fresh, they also make good jams or pre- ‘Autumn Britten’ An early-ripening cul- ‘Autumn Britten’ produces large, early berries. serves, or freeze well for later use. tivar with large, sweet berries. It’s one of the The quality and freshness of home- most productive fall reds I’ve grown. In ‘Anne’ A golden-hued fall raspberry that grown fall raspberries surpass anything you fact, its five-foot-tall canes need a trellis or is one of the last to begin ripening on our can find in the grocery store. Add to this other support for its heavy fruit load. farm, usually in late August. Production their relatively easy growth requirements, ‘Heritage’ This old-time, heirloom culti- is better further south, where it is able to and they make an exceptional addition to var has many things going for it: strong ripen more fruit before cool weather sets any edible garden. canes, disease resistant foliage, reliable in. The rich deep gold berries are have a fruit production, and tolerance of fluctu- sweet yet distinct flavor compared to red Keith Uridel grows organic berry plants at

.ating weather. raspberries. Backyard Berries in Nashville, Indiana ֱֳִ֦֥֪֪֦֬֠֩֫

ִ֪֧֠ ֲֲִֺֹֹ֧֠֯ ִֹֹ֪֭֠֡֯֫ ֠־ֳִֵֶ֧֣ ִֶֹ֧֪֧֥֠֫֩ ֠־ֲֲ֧֦֫ ֲֶ֧֣֮֠֫ ֱֲֳִֵֶֶָֺֹֹֺֺֹֺּ֪֧֪֧֧֧֧֧֮֫֠֩֫֠֠֫֠֠֯֯֫֬֩֠־ֲֲֳִִִֵָֺֹֻֽ֧֪֧֯֠֫֬֯ ִִִֽ֭֠֯֯ ָֽ֪֧֧֠ ֵָֻ֠ ֹ֪֧֪֠֫֩֫ ֵָֻ֠֬ ֵָּ֠֫ ֵָ֤֠ ֺ֠ ֳִֵֶָָֹֹֹ֢֯֫֯֠֯֬ ִֶֹ֧֪֧֥֠֫֩֠־ְֱֲֲֲֲֲֳִֵֵֶֶָָֺֹֺּ֧֧֧֣֧֦֧֮֮֮֮֠֫֠֨֫֫֠֫֠֠֬֠֫֠֫֩֫ ָֹּ֢֠֫֩֯֫ ִ֪֧֠ ֠־ֲַֺֻ֧֯ ֠֡־ֳִֺֺ֫֠ ֵֺ֠ ֳֳֵָֺֺּ֧֩֫֯֯֯֩ ֹֿ֠־ֳִֵֶ֧֣ ֲִִִֵֶָֹֹֻ֢֪֧֪֧֭֫֫֠֯֩֠־ֵֺֹֹֹֻ֪֠֯֩֠֠־ֲֲֵֺ֪֧֧֣֠

Maryland 410.442.2310 Virginia 703.406.0802 Washington, D.C. 301.924.5400 www.chapelvalley.com

November / December 2011 45 46 will serve asaneffective monitoring tool, will serve tum inLisle,Illinois. “We hopethis wasp research associateattheMorton Arbore- well-established,” saysFrederic Miller, a EABs visually, the infestation is usually “By thetimehumansare abletodetect is farbetterthananyexistingtechnology. ability todetectthepresence ofthebeetles predator ofEABs.More importantly, its has proven tobeanefficientparasitic about thesize ofacommonyellowjacket, borer toparasitizewithitsyoung. A infested areas. EAB infestationsbefore theyovertake un- early warningsystemsarehelping toslow ers tocontaintheirspread. But, twonew ernment agencies,homeowners, andoth- ash trees, by arborists,gov- despiteefforts beetles have killedabout50to100million ca inthe1990s,emeraldashborer (EAB) Since theirintroduction toNorth Ameri- INVASIONASH BORER EMERALD SLOW WASPS ANDPURPLETRAPS its wayacross thecountry.” To thatend, giving usanearlierread astheEABmakes wasp neststhathave EABcarcasses. ployees are trainedto keep aneye out for Awareness Program, park usersandem- program atlocal science biosurveillance the arboretum has launchedapilotcitizen form ofpurple, prism-shapedtraps.In oped anearly detection methodinthe Through theCerceris Identification hinder theirspread across theMidwest. parks todetect theborers’ presence and Cerceris Horticultural News and Research Important to American Gardeners Cerceris fumipennis, The U.S.Forest hasalsodevel- Service the American Gardener wasp capturesanemeraldash a nativ e wasp issued asForever Johnand artist D.Dawson. Theywillbe director andstamp designerEthel Kessler nally acascadestylebanyantree. style,andfi- an azaleainmultipletrunk pine informaluprightstyle, style, ablack style, atridentmapleininformalupright design: Sierra juniper insemi-cascade Eachfeatures art. apopular horticultural 2012 withfivestampsdepictingthis new is celebratingthe“beautyofbonsai” in The United States Postal (USPS) Service OFAPPROVALSTAMP FORBONSAI the value of current first-classmailingrates. www.emeraldashborer.info. ash borer anddetectionmethods, goto detect aninfestationasearlypossible. provide anotherrelatively simplewayto purple dinosaurbeloved by smallchildren, traps, nicknamedforthesimilarlyhued in all48continentalstates.These“Barney” governments groups andtree conservation more than60,000trapstostateandlocal past summer, theForest distributed Service most effective baitwasmanukaoil.This the besttrapshapewasaprism,and The APHIS teamthendeterminedthat shade ofpurplemore thananyothercolor. ored beetleswere toaparticular attracted (APHIS) determinedthatthebrightlycol- and Plant Health Inspection Service 2009, USDAscientistswiththeAnimal postage stampsto beavailablenextyear. One offivenewbonsai-themed U.S.Forever GARDENER The stampswere designedby USPSart For more informationontheemerald C ֽ stamps thatalwayscarry ’S NOTEBOOK ® lished recently inthe diseases thatwipeoutgrass.Astudypub- seen asbadguysbecausetheycancause When itcomestolawns,fungiare usually FUNGUS TURFGRASS PEST-FIGHTING Neotyphodium in New Zealand, searched forstrainsof Indiana, incollaboration withresearchers side, scientistsatPurdue University in its down-while mitigating tential benefits North Americanfarmers. animals, whichhasbeenproblematic for these compoundsare alsotoxic tograzing insecticide.However,friendly turfgrass eotyphodium. showing promise asanenvironmentally pounds thatare insects, toxic tocertain called some good guys, too, namely a fungus mental Entomology tute, which runs aprogram focusedon tute, whichruns local non-profit, theWild Equity Insti- rctostaphylos franciscana), the wildinBay Area since1947. flowering thathadn’t shrub beenseenin zanita ognized theplantasFranciscan man- returned laterto get acloserlookandrec- a housingsubdivisionwasgoingup. He plant onthesideofroad nearwhere when henoticedanunusual-looking speaking ataclimatechangeconference Gluesenkamp wasonhiswayhomefrom In 2009,San Francisco botanistDaniel ENDANGEREDFROM STATUS EXTINCTIONTO ELEVATED PLANT NAMESAKE FRANCISCO SAN insecticides tomanagelawns. gal strainsinorder toultimatelyusefewer obtain grassseedinoculatedwiththefun- agers, andeven homeowners maybeable animals.” Soon farmers, golfcourseman- this isabenefitbecauseit’s safeforthose “And ifyou likehavingwildlifearound, entomologist andleadauthoronthestudy. pasture grasses,”saysDoug Richmond,an crease thefootprintofcultured and turf theyfoundofferawayto“de-The few stock andcanactasanaturalinsecticide. In order tocapitalize onthefungus’s po- Gluesenkamp immediatelycalleda N (A that ar in dicates that there that dicates are e bothsafeforlive- J ournal ofEnviron-ournal It produces com- a rare

ְֱֱֲֳֳֳֳֳֳֳִֵֵֵֵֵֵֶֶֶֶַַַַַַַָָָָֻֻ֪֦֣֪֧֪֪֦֪֭֭֮֠֫֠֩֠֬֠֨֠֠֠֫֠֩֠֠֫ ְְְֲֲֳֳֳֳֳֳֳֳֳִִִֵֵֵֵֵֵֶֶֶֶֶֶַַַַַַַַָָֺֹֻֻֻ֣֦֪֧֤֪֪֪֧֪֧֪֦֪֭֭֮֮֮֠֯֠֬֠֩֠֫֠֠֬֠֠֠֨֠֠֠֫֠֩֠֫ environment for their survival. environment fortheirsurvival. nism. Thisensures thattheoffspringstay close totheparent plantinafavorable This new speciesistheonlymemberof This new nical termfortheself-plantingmecha- ingeocarpy,its familytoengage thetech- They namedit the plant’s ability togenuflect, orbow www.wildequity.org species, andtheEndangered Species Act director oftheWild Equity Institute. Visit provides both,”saysBrent Plater, executive form thisoneindividualintoathriving plant andlongtermprotection totrans- termprotection fortheindividual short species status. agencies relocated theplanttopark to flowers turnedup, exhibitingtheunusu- entists believe remains undiscovered. Re- biodiversity,amazing muchofwhichsci- eastern coastofBrazil, isknown forits The Atlantic Forest, locatedalongthe DISCOVERED NEW GENUFLECTINGPLANT fast tracktoward Federal endangered protect it,Wild Equity alsogotitonthe Recreational Area. Aftergovernment s endangered speciesinthePre-conserving The Garden ClubofAmerica(GCA) CLUB PARKNATIONAL ANDGARDEN SERVICE entirely species inthegenus new plant, discovered thatitrepresented an workingcharacterize to and classifythe itsown seeds. al traitofburying cently, atinyplantwithpink-and-white OF AMERICA TEAM UPFORCONSERVATION OF AMERICA down, toplaceitsseedsontheground. have recently renewed their partnership and theNational Park (NPS) Service Spigelia genuflexa idio Trust, apark intheGolden Gate “Franciscan manzanitaneedsboth An international team of scientists, of team international An S pigelia genuflexa for mor e information. to reflect S pigelia. own pairofappletrees, creating anurban Boston toplantandcare fortheirvery groups andorganizationsfrom allover has mobilized more than50community projectof hermaster’s as part thesis and graduate studentLisaGross the started Boston Tree Party. Tufts University art projectconventional calledthe publicart tion inurbanagriculture through anun- Boston haslaunchedacity-widerevolu- Back in1773itwas tea, todayit’s trees. TREEPARTY BOSTON National Preserve inTexas. formation. (Phlox nivalis the restoration ofTexas trailingphlox olina andOhio, respectively, aswell as hoga Valley nationalparks inSouth Car- invasive plantsatCongaree andCuya- includeremoval efforts conservation of earlier thisyear. Other notablejointplant Plants ofAcadia National Park, which hasculminatedinabook, plants atAcadia National Park inMaine, rare of haveincluded surveys partnership ample, previous initiatives underthis plants andconductingresearch. For ex- joint projects includeremoving invasive plants thatare native tothearea. Other threatened orendangeredand inventory to map, monitor, propagate, transplant, park staffwillwork withlocalGCAclubs goals,” saysJoan George, GCApresident. achieve to ability our mutual enhanced a andman- for native plantconservation the BostonTree Party byplantingtwoapple Peabody ElementarySchoolstudents joined seedlings onschool grounds. gement. “This ongoing relationshipgement. “This has Visit .gcamerica.org Through thispartnership, national www ssp . texensis) in Big Thicket for more in- r eleased The USED RECOMMENDED BY U THOUSANDS IEUS DEPARTMENTSHELP WINWORLDII WARTO U.S. FIVE WORLD’S #1TOP UNIQUE. HEALTHY, TOXICS-FREE FOODSGROWERS FLOWERING PLANTSSHOW WINNERS – “everywhere” 12610 Saticoy Street South, North Hollywood, CA91605 12610 Saticoy StreetSouth,North NOTHING ISAT ALL“LIKE” unbalancing substitutes–often99 REFUSE continent,withoutsalesmen. Onevery firms. plant-selling Used, tippedto,andsuppliedbythousandsofconscientious AT CONSCIENTIOUSPLANTDEALERSWORLDWIDE PLANT SUPPLY ADDED TO aei ...by U.S.A. Made in V 16 TISSUECULTURE 15 BONSAI 14 FIELDCROPS 13 HYDROPONICS 12 REFORESTATION 11 XMASTREES .S. STATES andCITIESINMULTIPLE-DRUMS LOTS # S #1 Activator, #1 Trans/ #1Extra WORLD’S I Greatest Guarantee-OfferPROOFEver A SCIENCE &INDUSTRY #1 INCE 1940, EXTRALIFE 1 WORLD’S FAIR1940 GRICULTURE, ARMY, TV, RADIO,BOOKS, CITIES, COUNTIES, ONLY GOLDMEDAL VITAMINS-HORMONES World CHAMPION R ALSO BYSTATES, USED BYU.S. ® BY EXPERTSOF CONFERENCES NAVY, AIR.Etc. Departments of UNIVERSITIES ECOMMENDED MAGAZINES, EIE, PLANTER, REVIVER, HEALTH PLANT FAIR BY

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TM BioUSABLES ADDED TO21FERTILIZERS Billions B ALNCED Millions of molecules of WORLD’S for growing plant GUARANTEED 26 25 WEATHER DAMAGE 24 23 INTERIORSCAPING 22 FLOWERINGPLANT – PROVEN TM MIRACLES MIRACLES WATER CUT 1 science / COMPETITIONS IN EACH B Landscape Architecture . 2 DROP! etter Homes&Gardens DOUBLE MONEY-BACK % water GROWER, GUARANTEED success #1 Perfecter A FLOWERS s Advertisedin ORIGINAL Horticulture 2011 GARDENS TOP VALUE XRM Concentration EXTREME Drop-A-Cup by 21Growers ® Drop-A-Gal to be 50 ONE IN V TM TM or I 47 ® ® 48 the movement toward Americaninde- that launched symbolic performance planting trees andeatinghealthy. in theharbornameof some tea banded together to metaphorically dump munities, andseveral othergroups have gious centers,low-income housingcom- assisted livingcenters,cityagencies,reli- orchard Hospitals, ofsorts. universities, women tobecomeamemberofTGOA/MGCAandenjoytheben- tion appointed When Leadership TransitionsatAmericanPublicGardensAssociationandCoastalMaineBotanical PLACESintheNEWS PEOPLE and opportunity forTGOA/MGCAandAHSmemberstoparticipatein TGOA/MGCA ortoordercalendarsfor$6.95postpaid,pleasecall our annualphotographycontest.Fromtheseentries,photosare

efits ofaworthwhileorganization.Formoreinformationabout Casey Sclar Casey One ofthebenefitsthatTGOA/MGCAoffersitsmembersis “The originalBostonTea“The Party wasa chosen forourannualcalendar.Weencourageallmenand the American Gardener ְֱֱֲֳֳִִֵֶ֢֧֣֪֧֤֥֮֫֩֠֬֠֨֯֠֫֠֫ Dan Stark ְֱֲֳֳֳִ֢֧֪֧֤֦֭֮֫֩֡֠֬֠֫֫֠֫ (515) 278-0295E-mail:[email protected] 2012 “Gardener’s” Calendar Box 241,Johnston,IA50121-0241 Casey Sclar Website: www.tgoa-mgca.org resigned asexecutivedirectorofthe acting executivedirectoruntilapermanentreplacementisnamed. by First Lady organizations, suchastheU.S.DepartmentofAgricultureandLet’sMove!programspearheaded sues, SclarwillhelpmaintaintheAPGA’simportantpartnershipsandcollaborativeprogramswithother gardens totheNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration.Inadditionhandlingday-to-dayis- and servingontwooftheorganization’scommitteesadvocatingclimatechangeissuesforpublic Gardens CMBG’s directorofhorticultureandplantcuratorforthelastfewyears,isservingasgardens’ iad Gardens and Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory transition, with or e-mail: The CoastalMaineBotanicalGardens(CMBG)inBoothbayisalsothemiddleofaleadership as itsinterimexecutivedirector.Sclarcurrentlyservestheplanthea in KennettSquare,Pennsylvania.Inthepast,hehasbeenanactiveleader Michelle Obama.Hewillalsohelpplantheassociation’s2012annualconference. Mau culture, history, andbiodiversity.” loss ofthesespeciesis“a lossofflavor, cially available, becausethepotential heirloom varieties thataren’t commer- also notesthattheywanttopromote diverse together.” communities Gross sal accesstohealthyfoodandbringing too—ofuniver- symbolic performance, ng apairofappletrees couldalsobea pendence,” saysGross. ifplanti- “What reen Heffernan reen American PublicGardensAssociation stepping downinAugusttobecomeexecutivedirectoratthe in OklahomaCity. project, visit to come.For more informationonthe provide formanyyears Bostonwithfruit to 100 years, so Gross hopes they will to anend.But, apple trees canlive forup by 2015whentheproject officiallycomes ed inApril, andwill mostlikelybearfruit Written by Editorial Intern Helen Thompson. (AP The firstgroup ofsaplingswasplant- GA) this past August, the associa- Bill Cullina lthcare leaderat www .bostontreeparty.org. atAPGA,chairing , whohasbeen Longwood Myr-

ֳֳִֵֶַָֻ֧֧֪֬֠֫֠֩ ְֳֳִֵֵֵֶַַָֻּ֢֥֧֪֧֪֮֡֠֩֠֠֫֠֩ on fourD-cellbatteries.Availablefrom house.com. lon capacitythatisaconvenientsizeforsmalljobs.Itruns slow releaseofnutrientswithout thedangerofrunofforplant corporated itintothesoilfor severalshrubsItransplanted both newandestablishedplantings as well aslawns. I’vein- extends 35inches,apaddedshoulderstrap,and1.3gal- ply—no pumpingrequired.Ithasatelescopingwandthat Master Sprayer burn. Available from which arebrokendownbysoil microorganismstoprovidea this fall.Itcontainsbothmacronutrients andtraceminerals posted agriculturalanddairymanurethatiseasytoapply to got toadmit—aprettyclevername.It’sgranulatedcom- POOpeas FOR PLANTS A BOOST www.bonide.com plication recommendations and safety precautions. Visit gle application.Asalways,besuretofollowthelabel’sap- ornamental plants.Itdispatchedmypinesawflieswithasin- mon gardenpests,andislabeledforuseonbothedible an organicinsecticide/miticidewhose active ingredient, spin- dle eatingpests. it hasprovenextremelyeffectiveonavarietyofleafandnee- This year,Iaddedanewproducttomypesticidearsenal,and KEEPING BUGSAWAY GARAGE GREEN plies. Hereshefeaturesanend-of-the-seasonmiscellanyofitemshasfoundhelpfulduringtheyear. reports onproductsshehasfoundusefulorinnovativeinhergarden,withanemphasisearth-friendlyandsup- chores easier,safer,andmoreefficient?Howaboutgettingthescoopfromanothergardener?ContributingeditorRitaPelczar With somanytoolsandproductstochoosefrom,what’sagardenerdoselectthosethatwillmakeindooroutdoor To applytheDeadBugBrewIusedabattery-powered is abalancedsoil-buildingfertilizerwith—you’ve from Charley’sGreenhouseandGardenSup- Captain Jack’sDeadBugBrew to findadealernearyou. www.poopeas.com. ® by RitaPelczar number ofothercom- der mites, thrips, and a moths, bagworms,spi- ber beetles,gypsy potato beetles,cucum- caterpillars, Colorado Japanese beetles,tent pesticides. Itcontrols many otherorganic insects than beneficial negative impacton plants, itreducesany the foliageoftreated pests when theyingest cause itprimarilykills inhabiting bacteria.Be- the fermentationofsoil osad, isderivedfrom www.charleysgreen from Bonideis Flo- included. Availablefrom awkward angles.Forthickerbranches, a15-inchsawbladeis hands onthepole.Theheadrotates230degreestohelpwith since youcankeepboth power andprecision, that maximizesboth stroke” slidinghandle chain driven“power rope-free design and a needs. Andithasa of yourpruning most need forladders feet—eliminating the handle extendsto12 friend. Itslightweight may becomeyourbest Telescoping TreePruner Fiskars’ PruningStik orremoved, back cut If youhavehard-to-reachtreelimbsorvinesthatneedtobe EXTENDING YOUR PRUNING REACH mation, visitwww.fabrikatorsusa.com. Dishwasher safeandmachine-washable.Formoreinfor- size fitsall;there’sasmallerforkidswholiketohelp. outside, andyou’llbringlessdirtindoors.Foradults,one from Fabrikators.Slipthemonandcleaningupyourveggies thanks toaniftyinventioncalled Cleaning myfallharvestofsweetpotatoeswaseasythisyear CLEANING EASY Homegrown Harvest lives inNorth Carolina. She istheeditor-in-chiefofAHS’s A contributingeditorfor (M The AmericanG itchell Beazley/Octopus USA, 2010). www2.fiskars.com. Skrub’a: theScrubbingGlove November /December November /December in the cellar. Use them Use in thecellar. ternut squash forstorage them tocleanupmybut- and turnips.Ialsoused radishes, carrots, toes, root cropssuchaspota- work equallywellonother kitchen, orstorage.They are readyforuseinthe and debrissovegetables sive textureremovessoil is easy;theirlightlyabra- ardener Pelczar, Rita 2011 2011 49 BOOKC REVIEWS

Recommendations for Your Gardening Library

American Eden Gathering: Memoir of a Seed Saver Wade Graham. Harper, New York, New York, 2011. 462 pages. Pub- Diane Ott Whealy. Seed Savers Exchange, Decorah, Iowa, 2011. 244 lisher’s price, hardcover: $35. pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $25.

AT FIRST GLANCE, American Eden by Wade Graham could be AT ITS HEART, Diane Ott Whealy’s chronicle of the history mistaken for a dull textbook on American garden history. Subti- of the Seed Savers Exchange is a story of generosity. The insti- tled, “From Monticello to Central Park tution that she and Kent Whealy to Our Backyards: What Our Gardens created is founded on the spirit of Tell Us About Who We Are,” this book sharing and built around a com- is actually an engagingly told history of munity of like-minded people American landscapes from the colonial united by a common cause. era to modern day. Ott Whealy begins by recount- Graham is a Los-Angeles-based gar- ing the story of her grandparents and den designer and writer with a doctor- the dazzling pink and magenta flow- ate in American history, which explains ers of their morning glories, the seeds the wide lens he uses in this book. Sea- of which were carried to Iowa by her soned historians won’t find much fresh Bavarian great-grandparents. As she information in it, but they will be enchanted by Graham’s way of and her then-husband Kent come to rolling everything into a coherent story instead of simply pre- understand the vulnerability of her grandparents’ flowers and senting an endless recital of facts and events that mars so many thousands of other heirloom varieties to disappearing forever, they histories. Interspersed with the narrative flow are autobiographi- recognize that the best way to ensure the survival of these plants cal threads that provide valuable insights. For example, Graham is to develop a resilient network of gardeners and seed savers. Gath- explores the influence his childhood in Southern California had ering traces the growth of Seed Savers from its launch at their on his own quest to understand what our gardens and landscapes kitchen table in 1975 to the present day, offering an insider’s reveal about their owners and builders. glimpse into the challenges and rewards of their work. While the book does a good job of presenting the roles of Much of the pleasure of this book lies in its gracious ac- various garden designers, landscape architects, architects, and knowledgement that the organization has flourished thanks to the theorists in the larger picture of American history, at times the gifts of many, and that in the end it will last beyond any individ- relevance of particular information in the book is not fully ex- ual. “It was not about what we sacrificed to make it all work,” Ott plained. An extended discussion of the British Arts and Crafts Whealy writes. “Now that we had given this gift, it was no longer Movement, for example, fails to show its influences in the Unit- ours. It belonged to others, not us.” As the organization grew be- ed States, from California bungalows and Midwestern prairie yond its founders, the book describes the sometimes wrenching gardens to New England Colonial Revival gardens. changes it brought to their personal lives. But it also shines a spot- For me, the book most comes alive in the discussion of the light on many others who were and are instrumental to the suc- mid-20th century, with the work of pioneers Dan Kiley, Larry cess of Seed Savers. The reader meets everyone from the amateur Halprin, and Isamu Noguchi. The author is on shakier ground seed collectors at the heart of the organization to artists like mu- when trying to sum up our own age—never an easy task. In- sician Greg Brown and photographer David Cavagnaro, and au- cluding Alice Waters, Michelle Obama, and Martha Stewart in thor, philanthropist, and conservationist Amy Goldman. the same breath as Michael Van Valkenburgh, Kathryn Ott Whealy’s warm, accessible writing and more than 100 Gustafson, and Oehme/van Sweden seems somewhat of a stretch. color photographs and other illustrations weave together the story American Eden is an ambitious book and certainly worthy of an institution that belongs to everyone who cares about gar- of a long winter’s read for anyone with an interest in landscape dening, plant diversity and the quality of the food on our tables. history and design. For this reason, this book deserves a place on any gardener’s shelf. — Judith B. Tankard —David Buchanan

Judith B. Tankard is a landscape historian from Massachusetts and the David Buchanan is a Seed Savers Exchange member and serves on author of Gertrude Jekyll and the Country House Garden (2011) and Slow Food’s Ark of Taste Committee. He runs a market garden and Beatrix Farrand: Private Gardens, Public Landscapes (2009). grows heirloom fruits and vegetables in Portland, Maine.

50 the American Gardener Seeing Trees: Discover the Extraordinary Secrets of The tree selection is solidly southeastern—both author and Everyday Trees photographer live in Virginia—but while the book dwells at By Nancy Ross Hugo, photographs by Robert Llewellyn. Timber Press, length on the Southern magnolia, it also includes wide-rang- Portland, Oregon, 2011. 242 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: ing species or points to similar relatives found in other climates. $29.95. One of the endearing things about Hugo is her unwavering conviction that anyone else need only have the details of trees re- THERE ARE two kinds of bird watchers: those who travel the vealed to them to become as fascinated as she is. For those to world seeking a glimpse of the rarest species, and those who whom a tree is a tree, this book would be a bit much. But for watch cardinals and chickadees at those like me—who consider ourselves tree lovers yet have never their backyard feeders day after day, thought to examine an unfurling beech leaf with a magnifying seeking to understand familiar glass, or watch, day by day, as a red maple’s frowsy flowers be- birds’ behavior and share their lives. come flitting helicopters—it’s a revelation. To someone who Nancy Ross Hugo is a backyard thought it was enough to own half a dozen field guides, it was a tree-watcher. She prowls her reproach to see photos of the range of leaf colors on a single sweet- neighborhood (and the occasional gum or the balletic elegance of that emerging leaf, and have Hugo botanic garden), delving into the explain exactly what I’ve been missing. It sent me out to my own deepest secrets of beeches, yard to peer at trees I’d lived with for years. sycamores, and white pines. In I’m not likely to devote the decades of patient observation, mostly nontechnical, often poetic research, and reflection to my trees that the author and pho- language, and with the aid of remarkable close-up photogra- tographer clearly have. But they still have taught me something phy by Robert Llewellyn, she explains how trees grow, create worthwhile about paying attention. leaves, reproduce, loft their seeds into the wind and, above all, — Beth Botts differ. A continuing theme is how each species’ evolutionary history and particular habitat have led to its traits, especially A garden writer and speaker in Chicago, Beth Botts is abashed at how its reproductive peculiarities. Some of the book’s most strik- little she has noticed about trees, considering that she was valedictorian ing passages and pictures describe fruits and flowers you of her Openlands TreeKeepers urban forestry class. She blogs at might hardly recognize as such. growinginchicago.com.

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November / December 2011 51 GIFTS FORC THE GARDENER

Need some inspiration before you brave this year’s holiday shopping rush? Here are several gift ideas ranging from practical to decorative for the gardeners in your life.

Stretch Knee Pads Made of flexible, machine-washable mesh AHS Membership fabric, these knee pads feature a half-inch Share inspiration, information, and a worthy cause gel cushion pad and adjustable Velcro straps. with an American Horticultural Society membership. They come in three colors: rose, Your recipient will love a year’s worth of The American willow, and indigo. One size generally fits all. Gardener, free admission and/or other discounts at Available for $19.95 from Gardener’s Supply. more than 270 public gardens in the U.S. and (888) 833-1412. www.gardeners.com. Canada, an annual Seed Exchange, and much more. Membership starts at $35. (703) 768-5700 or (800) 777-7931. www.ahs.org.

Mini Greenhouse Get a head start on the spring growing season with this five- tier, steel-framed mini greenhouse. With a reinforced mesh cover to capture and retain daytime heat, it mimics the conditions of two hardiness zones further south. Available for $59.95 from Dragonfly Drama Pot Plow & Hearth. (800) 494- Play up your garden’s drama with this beautifully 7544. www.plowhearth.com. designed terra cotta planter and saucer. Made in Vietnam, the pots are molded by local artisans and then fired in an 800-degree kiln. Available for $29 from Ten Thousand Villages. (877) 883-8341. www.tenthousandvillages.com.

52 the American Gardener Excalibur Food Dehydrator Those with edible gardens will love drying homegrown fruits, veggies, and herbs in this nine-tray food dehydrator. It comes with a seven-inch fan, an adjustable thermostat, and 26-hour timer. Smaller four and five tray models are also available. $259.95 from Excalibur. (800) 875-4254. www.excaliburdehydrator.com.

Solar Tea Lantern Soaking up the sun’s rays by day and emitting a warm glow in the garden after dark, this small tea lantern is both stylish and environmentally friendly. Each lantern contains an LED bulb and is made of hand-blown glass. Available for $24.99 from Allsop. (866) 425-5767. www.allsopgarden.com.

Natural Soy Candles These soy candles could be just the thing to bring a Growums Garden Kits little botanical flair into a home or workplace. They Give kids a fun, easy introduction to gardening! With themes like come in re-usable glass tumblers designed by six Pizza, Taco, and Herb, Growums kits include seeds, coco pellets, and different artists, and many feature nature and plant plant labels. Kids can also log on to the Growums website, which is themes. Available with or without fragrance for $24 full of games, garden cartoon characters, and tips for the pint-sized from Crash Candles. (847) 813-9866. gardener. Available for $9.99 from www.growums.com. www.crashcandles.com.

Products profiled are chosen based on qualities such as innovative design, horticultural utility, and environmental responsibility; they have not necessarily been tested by the American Horticultural Society. Listed prices are subject to change.

November / December 2011 53 REGIONALC HAPPENINGS

Horticultural Events from Around the Country

Show. Baltimore Convention Center. NORTHEAST Botanical gardens and arboreta that participate Baltimore, Maryland. (800) 431-0066. CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT in AHS’s Reciprocal Admissions Program are www.mants.com. ֢֠֡ THROUGH DEC. 18. Trees and Gardens: identified with the ֢֠֡ symbol. AHS members Photography by Joseph Flack Weiler. Exhib- showing a valid membership card are eligible k JAN. 14 & 15. Virginia Home & Garden it. The Arnold Arboretum at Harvard Univer- for free admission to the garden or other Show. Doswell, Virginia. (804) 425-6556. sity. Boston, Massachusetts. (617) 524- benefits. Special events may not be included; www.agievents.com. 1718. www.arboretum.harvard.edu. contact the host site for details or visit www.ahs.org/rap. k JAN. 20–22. Virginia Flower and Garden ֢֠֡ NOV. 19. Wave Hill History Walk. Wave Expo. Virginia Beach, Virginia. (757) 523- Flower and garden shows that offer free or Hill. Bronx, New York. (718) 549-3200. 4734. www.vafgs.org. www.wavehill.org. discounted admission to AHS members or present AHS awards are designated by a k SOUTHEAST ֢֠֡ DEC. 3. Holiday Bazaar at Merryspring. symbol. For details on the specific benefits AL, FL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN Plant and arrangement sale. Merryspring offered, visit www.ahs.org/events/index.htm .Nature Center. Camden, Maine. (207) 236- and click on “Flower and Home and Garden ֢֠֡ NOV. 19 & 20. Annual Garden Festival 2239. www.merryspring.org. Shows.” Heathcote Botanical Gardens. Fort Pierce, Florida. (772) 464-4672. www.heathcote .֢֠֡ DEC. 3. Shrubs in Winter. Class. The botanicalgardens.org Garden in the Woods. New England Wild Arboretum. Washington, DC. (202) 245- Flower Society. Framingham, Massachu- 4523. www.usna.usda.gov. NOV. 25–DEC. 31. Magic Christmas in Lights. setts. (508) 877-7630. www.newengland Garden display & activities. Bellingrath wild.org. NOV. 24–JAN. 2. Season’s Greenings. Exhibit. Gardens and Home. Theodore, Alabama. United States Botanic Garden. Washington, (251) 973-2217. www.bellingrath.org. .֢֠֡ DEC. 3–FEB. 26. Terrarium: Works by DC. (202) 225-8333. www.usbg.gov Jae Hi Ahn. Art exhibit. Brooklyn Botanic ֢֠֡ DEC. 1–31. Holly Hike. Self-guided Garden. Brooklyn, New York. (718) 623- DEC. 2. Turning a New Leaf. Conference. tour. Memphis Botanic Garden. Memphis, 7200. www.bbg.org. Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Tennessee. (901) 576-4100. Council. Lancaster, Pennsylvania. (410) www.memphisbotanicgarden.com. Looking ahead 212-7014. www.chesapeakelandscape.org. ֢֠֡ JAN. 23. Soil: When Geoscience Meets ֢֠֡ DEC. 2. Plant ID Workshop. Fairchild .Botany. Class. New England Wild Flower Soci- ֢֠֡ DEC. 3. Great Greens Sale. Lewis Gin- Tropical Botanic Garden. Coral Gables, Florida ety. Wellesley College. Wellesley, Massachu- ter Botanical Garden. Richmond, Virginia. (305) 667-1651. www.fairchildgarden.org. setts. (508) 877-7630. www.newengland- (804) 262-9887. www.lewisginter.org. .wild.org. ֢֠֡ DEC. 3. Holiday Greenery Wreath .֢֠֡ DEC. 7. Transforming Public Spaces Workshop. Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden .֢֠֡ JAN. 31. Plant-O-Rama. Trade show, and Individual Lives. Lecture. Morris Arbore- Belmont, North Carolina. (704) 825-4490 lectures, workshops. Metropolitan Horticul- tum of the University of Pennsylvania. www.dsbg.org. ture Group. Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (215) 247- :Brooklyn, New York. (718) 623-7200. 5777. www.morrisarboretum.org. ֢֠֡ DEC. 3. The Fairchild Challenge www.bbg.org. Botanical Fashion Show. Fairchild Tropical .֢֠֡ DEC. 10. Conifers and the Winter Botanic Garden. Coral Gables, Florida Garden. Guided walk and talk. Winterthur (305) 667-1651. www.fairchildgarden.org. MID-ATLANTIC Museum, Garden, and Library. Winterthur, DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA, WV Delaware. (302) 888-4600. ֢֠֡ DEC. 3 & 4. Orchid, Garden and THROUGH JAN. 8. Winter Flower Show. Holiday www.winterthur.org. Gourmet Food Festival. Bonnet House Muse- display. Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gar- um & Gardens. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. dens. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (412) 622- DEC. 15. Floral Design Demonstration. Brook- (954) 563-5393. www.bonnethouse.org. 6914. www.phipps.conservatory.org. side Gardens. Wheaton, Maryland. (301) -www.brooksidegardens.org. ֢֠֡ DEC. 5. Grow Your Own Fruit for Stock .962-1400 -֢֠֡ NOV. 19. Thanksgiving Design. ing Stuffers. Talk. Burden Horticulture Soci Workshop. Green Spring Gardens. DEC. 18. Taking Care of Your Christmas Flow- ety. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (225) 763- Alexandria, Virginia. (703) 642-5173. ers. Class. Phipps Conservatory & Botanical 3990. www.burdenhorticulturesociety.com. www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp. Gardens. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (412) .www.phipps.conservatory.org. ֢֠֡ DEC. 6. How Do Trees Work. Talk .622-6914 -֢֠֡ NOV. 19–DEC. 18. Potomac Viewing Durham Garden Forum. Sarah P. Duke Gar Stone Group. Bonsai exhibit. National Looking ahead dens. Duke University. Durham, North Caroli- Bonsai & Peijing Museum. U. S. National JAN. 11–13. The Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade na. (919) 668-1707. www.gardens.duke.edu.

54 the American Gardener Wright, and My Small Garden. Lecture. Mor- Mid-Atlantic Horticulture Short Course ton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois. (630) 968- 0074. www.mortonarb.org. LOOKING TO brush up on the basics, get certified, or learn the latest techniques? .The Virginia Horticultural Foundation’s Mid-Atlantic Horticulture Short Course of- ֢֠֡ DEC. 3. Wreath Making Workshop fers all this and more to both professionals and home gardeners. This year, it will be Reiman Gardens. Ames, Iowa. (515) 294- 2710. www.reimangardens.iastate.edu. held January 30 through February 2 in Newport News, Virginia, instead of Virginia Beach, where it was held for more than 40 years. There will be more than 50 classes ֢֠֡ DEC. 10. Winter Conifer Walk. The and workshops to choose from, taught by horticultural experts from around the re- Brenton Arboretum. Dallas Center, Iowa. gion and beyond. Topics include ikebana and bonsai, landscape architecture and de- (515) 992-4211. http://thebrenton sign, arboriculture, plants and production, and business management. arboretum.org.

-The short course will feature two keynote speakers. On January 30, dressed in ֢֠֡ DEC. 18. Windy City Harvest Work full colonial garb, Kirk R. Brown will personify John Bartram to speak about the shop: Fruit Tree Pruning. Class. Chicago life and times of America’s original botanist and horticulturist. The next day, gar- Botanic Garden. Glencoe, Illinois. (847) den writer Amy Stewart will discuss insects in the garden and her recent book 835-5440. www.chicagobotanic.org. Wicked Bugs. The last day of the event will be devoted to the “Home Gardener Looking ahead Day Program” for a more general audience, with book signings, workshops, and ֢֠֡ JAN. 7. The History of Botanical refreshments. For more information or to register, go to www.mahsc.org. Art & Illustration. Class. Morton Arboretum. —Helen Thompson, Editorial Intern Lisle, Illinois. (630) 968-0074. www.mortonarb.org.

k JAN. 20–29. Cleveland Home & Garden .֢֠֡ DEC. 17. Tuck Your Roses in for the Plants. Outdoor workshop. Birmingham Show. The Great Lakes Expo Center Winter. Workshop. Witherspoon Rose Cul- Botanical Gardens. Birmingham, Alabama. Euclid, Ohio. (800) 600-0307. ture. The Gardens at Witherspoon. Durham, (205) 414-3950. www.bbgardens.org. www.homeandflower.com. North Carolina. (800) 643-0315. www.witherspoonrose.com. NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH CENTRAL IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI AR, KS, LA, MO, MS, OK, TX Looking ahead -֢֠֡ JAN. 14. Winter ID of Native Woody ֢֠֡ DEC. 1. Jens Jensen, Frank Lloyd ֢֠֡ THROUGH JAN. 1. Treemendous. Exhib

November / December 2011 55 Vertical Garden of Native Plants Unveiled in San Francisco

A UNIQUE vertical garden designed by Parisian research scientist, artist, and botanist Patrick Blanc enhances the new LEED-Gold certified Samuel Cudde- back Assembly Wing at Drew School in San Francisco, California. Blanc’s Drew School vertical garden—his largest project to date in the United States—features a colorful plant palette comprising more than 100 California native species; some 4,500 plants cover a span of 1,720 square feet. Completed this past April, the floral façade is punctuated by the colorful blooms of salvias, strawberries, and scarlet monkey flowers—plants that thrive in the temperate San Francisco climate. To promote biodiversity in urban landscapes, Blanc included arrays of orange- and red-flowering natives in the design scheme to create a habitat attractive to hummingbirds and beneficial wildlife. Further enlivening the wall’s foliage displays are shrubby specimens such as chapparal nightshade (Solanum xanti) and Ribes speciosum and rare species like Channel Island snapdragon (Galvezia speciosa). The Drew School vertical garden of natives is already a landmark watched with interest by green-wall aficionados, tourists, and passersby, alike. To learn more, visit www.drewschool.org. —Alice Joyce, GardenWalks columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle

Botanica: Not Your Garden-Variety Ballet

IF YOU’RE LOOKING for something different than Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers” in the Nutcracker, the Desert Botan- ical Garden (DBG) in Phoenix, Arizona, will deliver. On January 27 and 28, the garden and Ballet Arizona will team up to produce a limited performance of the contemporary flora-and-fauna- themed ballet, Botanica, at the local Orpheum Theater. The brainchild of choreographer and gardener Moses Pendleton, Botanica will be performed by Pendleton’s contemporary dance company, Momix. The ballet depicts the wonder of the natural world through three interwoven timelines—the passing of a day, the four seasons, and the evolution of life on Earth. It will feature vibrant costumes, acrobatic dancing, elaborate props, and a soundtrack that mixes classical themes from Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” with bird song and folk music. Botanica is part of a larger program called “Dance in the Desert,” for which DBG plans to build an on-site 350-seat theater with the Sonoran Three ballerinas portray marigolds in Botanica. Desert as its backdrop. The theater will open in May 2012 with the inau- gural performance of Topia, a new ballet by Ballet Arizona’s artistic director Ib Andersen that is inspired by plants and creatures of the desert’s ecosystem. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.dbg.org. —Helen Thompson, Editorial Intern

it. Missouri Botanical Garden. St. Louis, ֢֠֡ DEC. 3. Birds’ Christmas Tree. sity. Picayune, Mississippi. (601) 799- Missouri. (314) 577-5100. www.mobot.org. Bird-feeding activities, music, food. Fort 2311. www.crosby arboretum.msstate.edu. Worth Botanic Garden. Fort Worth, Texas. ֢֠֡ NOV. 26. Gardening 101 Workshop. (817) 871-7686. www.fwbg.org. ֢֠֡ DEC. 20. Birding at Botanica. Guided Garvan Woodland Gardens. Hot Springs Na- tour. Botanica, The Wichita Gardens. Wichita, .tional Park, Arkansas. (800) 366-4664. ֢֠֡ DEC. 10. Natural Holiday Swag. Kansas. (316) 264-0448. www.botanica.org www.garvangardens.com. Workshop. Powell Gardens. Kingsville, Mis- souri. (816) 697-2600. www.powellgar- Looking ahead .֢֠֡ DEC. 1. Orchidology. Class. South dens.org. JAN. 15. Lively Gardens: Flora and Fauna Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center. Symposium. Hilltop Arboretum. Baton .Corpus Christi, Texas. (361) 854-7624. ֢֠֡ DEC. 10. Annual Holiday Open House. Rouge, Louisiana. (225) 767-6916 www.stxbot.org. Crosby Arboretum. Mississippi State Univer- www.lsu.edu/hilltop.

56 the American Gardener SOUTHWEST .֢֠֡ DEC. 10–29. ’Tis the Season for Holiday ֢֠֡ DEC. 9 & 10. Gifts & Greens Galore AZ, CO, NM, UT Plants. Display, tours. San Francisco Botani- Plant sale. The Arboretum Foundation. -֢֠֡ DEC. 2–JAN. 1. Blossoms of Light. cal Garden. San Francisco, California. (415) Washington Park Arboretum. Seattle, Wash Holiday display. Denver Botanic Gardens. 661-1316. www.sfbotanicalgarden.org. ington. (206) 325-4510. www.arboretum Denver, Colorado. (720) 865-3500. foundation.org. www.botanicgardens.org. DEC. 12. Growing Proteas in Your Garden. Lecture. San Diego Horticultural Society. Looking ahead DEC. 15. Historical Tour of the Gardens. Encinitas, California. (619) 296-9215. k JAN. 25–29. Tacoma Home & Garden Guided tour. Tucson Botanical Gardens. www.sandiegohorticulturalsociety.org. Show. Tacoma Dome. Tacoma, Washington. Tucson, Arizona. (520) 326-9686. www.otshows.com. www.tucsonbotanical.org. Looking ahead JAN. 12–14. Conservation Conference. Califor- CANADA & EUROPE Looking ahead nia Native Plant Society. Town and Country k JAN. 13–15. Maricopa County Home & Resort and Conference Center. San Diego, DEC. 2–21. Milner Christmas Magic. Holiday Garden Show. Arizona State Fairgrounds. California. (916) 447-2727. display. Milner Gardens & Woodland. Phoenix, Arizona. (602) 264-4161. www.cnps.org/2012. Qualicum Beach, British Columbia. (250) www.maricopacountyhomeshows.com. 752-6153. www.milnergardens.org. NORTHWEST DEC. 8. Cedar Lecture. VanDusen Botanical WEST COAST AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY Garden. Vancouver, Canada. (604) 257- CA, HI, NV .֢֠֡ NOV. 19. Dried Flower Wreath. Work- 8335. www.vandusengarden.org .֢֠֡ NOV. 19. Heritage Oak Walk. Descanso shop. Idaho Botanical Garden. Boise, Idaho Gardens. La Cañada Flintridge, California. (208) 343-8649. www.idahobotanical DEC. 10 & 11. Holiday Wreath & Centerpiece (818) 949-4200. www.descansogardens.org. garden.org. Sale. VanDusen Botanical Garden. Vancouver, Canada. (604) 257-8335. .֢֠֡ DEC. 4. Window Box & Deck Garden- ֢֠֡ NOV. 26–DEC. 31. Garden d’Lights. www.vandusengarden.org ing. Class. San Francisco Botanical Garden. Holiday display. Bellevue Botanical Garden. San Francisco, California. (415) 661-1316. Bellevue, Washington. (425) 451-3755. Looking ahead www.sfbotanicalgarden.org. www.bellevuebotanical.org. APR. 5–OCT. 7. Floriade: World Horticultural Expo. Venlo, The Netherlands. +31 77 399 DEC. 9. Holiday Swags. Workshop. Lyon Ar- DEC. 3. Kadomatsu Workshop. Floral design. 81 30. www.floriade.com. boretum. Honolulu, Hawaii. (808) 988- Portland Japanese Garden. Portland, Oregon. 0456. www.hawaii.edu/lyonarboretum. (503) 223-1321. www.japanesegarden.com.

November / December 2011 57 PRONUNCIATIONSC AND PLANTING ZONES

Most of the cultivated plants described in this issue are listed here with their pronunciations, USDA Plant Hardiness Zones, and AHS Plant Heat Zones. These zones suggest a range of locations where temperatures are appropriate—both in winter and summer—for growing each plant. While the zones are a good place to start in determining plant adaptability in your region, factors such as exposure, moisture, snow cover, and humidity also play an important role in plant survival. The zones 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 a year or less.

A–G H. namaquensis H. nah-muh-QUEN-sis Penstemon centranthifolius PEN-steh-mon (min. 50°, 12–10) sen-tran-thee-FO-lee-us (8–10, 11–7) Acer griseum AY-sur GRIS-ee-um (USDA Zones H. pillansii H. pih-lan-SEE-eye (min. 50°, 12–10) Pteridium aquilinum tuh-rih-DEE-um 4–8, AHS Zones 8–1) H. schneideriana H. schny-dur-ee-AN-uh ak-wee-LIN-um (3–10, 10–1) Acorus calamus AK-or-us KAL-uh-mus (min. 50°, 12–10) Pyracantha coccinea py-ruh-KAN-thuh (4–11, 12–2) H. zebrina ssp. magniflora H. ze-BRY-nuh ssp. kok-SIN-ee-uh (6–9, 9–3) Amsonia hubrichtii am-SO-nee-uh hew-BRIK- mag-nih-FLOR-uh (min. 50°, 12–10) Quercus rubra KWER-kus ROO-bruh (4–9, 9–3) tee-eye (6–8, 8–5) Hydrangea arborescens hy-DRAN-juh Rhapis excelsa RAY-pis ek-SEL-suh Aronia arbutifolia uh-RO-nee-uh ar-byew-tih-FO- ar-bo-RES-enz (4–9, 9–1) (min. 60°, 12–10) lee-uh (4–9, 9–4) H. paniculata H. pan-ik-yew-LAY-tuh (4–8, 8–1) Rhus aromatica RUS ah-ro-MAT-ih-kuh (4–9, 9–1) A. melanocarpa A. mel-an-o-KAR-puh (3–8, 8–1) Ilex decidua EYE-leks deh-SID-yew-uh (5–9, 9–1) R. glabra R. GLAB-ruh (3–9, 9–1) Bulbine frutescens bul-BINE-ee froo-TES-enz I. serrata I. sair-RAY-tuh (5–7, 7–5) R. typhina R. tie-FEE-nuh (4–8, 8–1) (9–11, 11–8) I. verticillata I. vur-tih-sih-LAY-tuh (5–8, 8–5) R. ✕pulvinata R. pul-vih-NAY-tuh (2–8, 8–3) Calamagrostis ✕acutiflora kah-luh-mah-GROS- Iris virginica EYE-ris vir-JIN-ih-kuh (5–9, 9–5) Rubus idaeus ROO-bus eye-DEE-us (4–11, 10–1) tiss ak-yew-tih-FLOR-uh (5–9, 9–5) Juncus effusus JUNG-kus eh-FEW-suss (6–9, 9–6) Callicarpa americana kal-lih-KAR-puh Juniperus virginiana joo-NIP-er-iss S–Z uh-mair-ih-KAN-uh (7–10, 9–6) vir-jin-ee-AN-uh (3–9, 9–1) C. bodinieri var. giraldii C. boh-dih-NYE-air-eye Salix discolor SAY-liks DIS-kul-ur (4–8, 8–2) Kalmia angustifolia KAL-mee-uh var. jir-ALL-dee-eye (5–8, 8–3) Sambucus caerulea sam-BOO-kus ang-gus-tih-FO-lee-uh (7–8, 8–7) C. dichotoma C. dy-KOT-o-muh (5–8, 8–7) see-ROO-lee-uh (5–8, 8–4) Leucophyllum frutescens loo-ko-FIL-um C. japonica C. jah-PON-ih-kuh (5–8, 12–3) S. canadensis S. kan-uh-DEN-siss (4–9, 9–1) froo-TES-enz (8–9, 9–8) Caltha palustris KAL-thuh pah-LUS-triss Schizachyrium scoparium skits-ah-KEER-ee-um Lindera benzoin lin-DAIR-uh BEN-zo-in (4–9, 8–1) (5–9, 9–4) sko-PAR-ee-um (2–7, 7–1) Lycopodium obscurum ly-ko-PO-dee-um Carex lurida KAIR-eks LEW-rih-duh (5–9, 9–5) Sequoia sempervirens see-KWOY-uh ob-SKYUR-um (3–8, 8–3) Chamaepericlymenum canadense kam-ee-pair-ih- sem-pur-VY-renz (8–9, 9–8) Shepherdia argentea shep-HURD-ee-uh KLY-men-um kan-uh-DEN-see (2–7, 7–1) M–R Collomia debilis kaw-LO-me-uh DEB-ih-liss ar-JEN-tee-uh (3–7, 7–1) (4–7, 7–1) Magnolia virginiana mag-NOLE-yuh S. canadensis S. kan-uh-DEN-siss (2–6, 6–1) Cypripedium acaule sip-rih-PEE-dee-um vir-jin-ee-AN-uh (6–9, 9–6) Stapelia flavopurpurea stuh-PEE-lee-uh uh-KAWL-ee (3–7, 7–1) Mahonia aquifolium mah-HO-nee-uh flay-vo-pur-PUR-ee-uh (min. 50°, 12–10) Dennstaedtia punctilobula den-STEED-shee-uh ah-kwi-FO-lee-um (6–9, 9–6) S. gigantea S. jy-GAN-tee-uh (min. 50°, 12–10) punk-tih-LO-bew-luh (3–8, 8–1) M. bealei M. BEEL-ee-eye (6–8, 8–6) S. grandiflora S. gran-dih-FLOR-uh Deutzia gracilis DOOT-see-uh GRUH-sih-liss M. nervosa M. ner-VO-suh (5–7, 7–5) (min. 50°, 12–10) (5–8, 8–5) Maianthemum canadense my-AN-theh-mum S. hirsuta S. her-SOO-tuh (min. 50°, 12–10) Edithcolea grandis ee-dith-KOHL-ee-uh kan-uh-DEN-see (3–8, 8–3) Stipa californica STY-puh kal-ih-FORN-ih-kuh GRAN-diss (min. 50°, 12–10) Malus sargentii MAL-us sar-JEN-tee-eye (4–10, 11–3) Euphorbia characias ssp. wulfenii yew-FOR-bee- (4–8, 8–1) Symphoricarpos albus sym-foh-rih-KAR-pos uh chuh-RAY-see-us ssp. wool-FEN-ee-eye Matteuccia struthiopteris muh-TEW-key-uh AL-bus (3–7, 7–1) (7–10, 10–7) strew-thee-OP-tur-iss (2–8, 8–1) S. orbiculatus S. or-bik-yew-LAY-tus (2–7, 7–1) Festuca californica fes-TEW-kuh kal-ih-FORN- Metasequoia glyptostroboides met-uh-suh- Symplocos paniculata sim-PLO-kus ih-kuh (6–10, 10–6) KWOY-uh glip-toh-stro-BOY-deez (5–10, 12–8) pan-ik-yew-LAY-tuh (4–8, 8–4) F. glauca F. GLAW-kuh (4–8, 8–1) Mimulus lewisii MIM-yew-lus loo-ISS-ee-eye Taxodium ascendens taks-O-dee-um Fothergilla major fah-ther-GIL-uh MAY-jer (5–8, 8–5) uh-SEN-denz (5–11, 12–5) (5–8, 8–5) Myrica cerifera my-RIH-kuh seh-RIF-er-uh T. grandiflorum T. gran-dih-FLOR-um (4–7, 7–3) Gaultheria procumbens gawl-THEER-ee-uh (7–10, 10–5) Vaccinium angustifolium vak-SIN-ee-um pro-KUM-benz (3–8, 8–1) M. pensylvanica M. pen-sil-VAN-ih-kuh (3–7, 7–1) an-gus-tih-FO-lee-um (2–8, 8–1) Gaylussacia baccata gay-loo-SAK-ee-uh Oemleria cerasiformis ohm-LAIR-ee-uh V. corymbosum V. kor-im-BO-sum (3–7, 7–1) buh-KAY-tuh (3–7, 7–1) seh-ras-sih-FOR-miss (6–10, 10–6) Viburnum dilatatum vy-BUR-num Orbea schweinfurthii OR-be-uh shwine-FURTH- dih-luh-TAY-tum (5–8, 8–5) H–L ee-eye (min. 50°, 12–10) V. lantana V. lan-TAN-uh (4–8, 8–1) Osmunda cinnamomea ahz-MUN-duh V. nudum V. NEW-dum (5–9, 9–5) Heteromeles arbutifolia het-ur-ah-ME-leez sin-uh-MO-mee-uh (4–8, 8–1) V. trilobum V. try-LO-bum (2–7, 7–1) ar-byew-tih-FO-lee-uh (8–10, 12–8) O. claytoniana O. klay-toh-nee-AN-uh (2–10, 9–1) Zelkova serrata zel-KO-vuh sair-RAY-tuh Huernia kennedyana hoo-URN-ee-uh Pennisetum alopecuroides pen-ih-SEE-tum (5–9, 9–5) ken-neh-dee-AY-nuh (min. 50°, 12–10) al-o-pek-yew-ROY-deez (6–9, 9–6)

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November / December 2011 59 2011C MAGAZINE INDEX

AUTHORS Hawke, Richard. Bugbanes for Taylor, Patricia A. Gardens for the ging in to the Science and Art of American Gardens, J/A, 26. Greater Good, N/D, 14. Red- Gardening, M/J, 38. Gardens for Aker, Scott. Beating the Heat, M/J, Johnson, Kathryn Lund. Plant Wars head Coleus Sails Through Learning and Playing, S/O, 36. 44; Dealing with Drought, J/A, and Turf Defense, J/A, 32. Summer Heat, M/J, 62. Re- Cimicifuga: see Bugbanes. 42; Managing the War Against Kelaidis, Panayoti. Warming up to thinking the Rose Garden, M/A, Delosperma: see Ice Plants. Weeds, S/O, 40; No-Sweat Tips Hardy Ice Plants, J/A, 36. 34. Design: Garden Secrets, M/A, 40. for Great Garden Soil, M/A, 46; Lawton, Barbara Perry. Blazing Thompson, Helen. AHS Members Gardening Lessons from Parking Taking a Big-Picture Approach to Stars, M/J, 32. Making a Difference: Dawn Den- Lots, N/D, 36. A Plant Shape Problem-Solving, J/F, 40; Taking Lee, Rand B. Fragrant Annuals, ton, S/O, 12; Alice Witterholt, Primer, M/A, 24. Care of Indoor Plants in Winter, J/F, 22. Plant Shape Primer, N/D, 12. America in Bloom’s Edible Plants: also see Herbs. Deli- N/D, 42. M/A, 24. 2011 Award Winners, N/D, 10. cious and Dependable Peas, Albers, Charlotte. AHS Children & McDonald, Nancy. Blossoms of Botanica: Not Your Garden-Vari- M/A, 48. Fall-Fruiting Raspber- Youth Garden Symposium: Dig- Aster ‘Pink Star’ Herald Au- ety Ballet, N/D, 56. Edible Gar- ries, N/D, 44. Growing Great ging into the Art and Science of tumn, S/O, 62. den Festival in Florida, S/O, 57. Kohlrabi, S/O, 42. New Plants Gardening, M/J, 38. Gardens for Morgan, Patrick. Grand Opening Industrious Tree Squirrels, S/O, for 2011, J/F, 12. Paste Toma- Learning and Play, S/O, 36. of Bookworm Gardens, J/F, 53. 50. International Master Gar- toes Perfected, M/J, 46. Askey, Linda. Out-of-the-Ordinary Savannah Tour of Homes and deners Conference, J/A, 56. Eriogonum: see Buckwheats. Small Trees, S/O, 14. Gardens, J/F, 53. Southern Garden Restoration Fruits: see Edible Plants. Atkinson, Jeanette. Bizarrely Beau- Morrison, Susan. Garden Secrets, Conference, J/A, 58. Urban Gar- Gardens, Public: Gardening tiful Stapeliads, N/D, 20. M/A, 40. dening, S/O, 54. Lessons from Parking Lots, N/D, Bentley, Caroline. Books for Find- Neveln, Viveka. Edible Gardening, Uridel, Keith. Sweet Rewards: 36. Gardens for the Greater ing Your Inner Landscape De- M/A, 56. The Good, the Bad, Fall-Fruiting Raspberries, N/D, Good, N/D, 14. Gardens for signer, J/F, 51. and the Buggy, J/A, 54. Region- 44. Learning and Playing, S/O, 36. Berger, Jane. New Plants for al Gardening Guides, M/J, 55. Wetherbee, Kris. Growing Great Rethinking the Rose Garden, 2011, J/F, 12. River Farm: A Horticultural Epi- Kohlrabi, S/O, 42. Lawn Alter- M/A, 34. River Farm: a Horticul- Bornstein, Carol. Dodecatheon center, J/F, 28. natives, M/J, 14. Paste Toma- tural Epicenter, J/F, 28. clevelandii: A Wild Cyclamen Norris, Kelly D. Next-Generation toes Perfected, M/J, 46. Suc- Groundcovers: Lawn Alternatives, from California, J/F, 58. Versa- Gardeners, M/J, 20. cess with Bare-Root Plants, M/J, 14. Planting in Dry Shade, tile and Water-Thrifty Buck- Ottesen, Carole. Growing Carnivo- N/D, 30. S/O, 30. Warming up to Hardy wheats, J/A, 14. rous Plants in Containers, J/F, Ice Plants, J/A, 36. Bracey, Christy. Tasty and Easy-to- 18. SUBJECT Herbs: Easy-to-Grow Parsley, J/F, Grow Parsley, J/F, 42. Pelczar, Rita. Green Garage, J/F, 42. Flavorful Fennel, J/A, 44. Bunting, Andrew. Cutting-Edge Actaea: see Bugbanes. 46; M/J, 52; J/A, 50; S/O, 48; Ice Plants: Warming up to Hardy Trees, J/F, 34. Allelopathy: Plant Wars and Turf N/D, 49. Ice Plants, J/A, 36. Bussolini, Karen. Gardening by Defense, J/A, 32. Pokorny, Kym. Oregon’s Plant Liatris: see Blazing Stars. Subtraction with Self-Sowers, AHS Awards: 2011 Book Award Geek Extraordinaire, M/A, 28. Native Plants: Blazing Stars, M/J, J/A, 20. Gardening Lessons Winners, M/A, 17. 2011 Great Rice, Graham. Planting in Dry 32. Bugbanes for American Gar- from Parking Lots, N/D, 36. American Gardeners National Shade, S/O, 30. dens, J/A, 26. Growing Carnivo- Cannon, Paul Lee. Bulbine Award Winners, M/A, 14. Ross, Marty. Return of the Ameri- rous Plants in Containers, J/F, frutescens: One Tough Beauty, America In Bloom: J/F, 10; J/A, 9; can Chestnut, M/J, 26. 18. Out-of-the-Ordinary Small N/D, 62. S/O, 9; N/D, 10. Sadowski, Terra-Nova. AHS Mem- Trees, S/O, 14. Return of the Cutler, Karan Davis. Flavorful Fen- Annuals: Fragrant Annuals, J/F, bers Making a Difference: Hon- American Chestnut, M/J, 26. nel, J/A, 44. 22. New Plants for 2011, J/F, ey Barnekoff, M/A, 12; Mary Water-Thrifty Buckwheats, J/A, Fisher, Kathleen. Winter’s Berried 12. Ann Newcomer, M/J, 12; Phil 14. Winter’s Berried Treasures, Treasures, N/D, 24. Blazing Stars: Blazing Stars, M/J, Huey, J/A, 13. Espoma Compa- N/D, 24. Gagliardi, James. Pawpaw: Pretty 32. ny, M/A, 13. Garden Walk Buf- People: also see AHS Members and Palatable, M/A, 62. Buckwheats: Versatile and Water- falo, M/J, 56. Lavender Festival Making a Difference. Hogan, Galer, Anne. Desert Wonder Tree, Thrifty Buckwheats, J/A, 14. Debuts in Colorado, M/J, 58. Sean, M/A, 28. Kukielski, Peter, J/A, 62. Bugbanes: Bugbanes for Ameri- Morton Arboretum Spotlights M/A, 35. Next-Generation Gar- Gilsenan, Fiona. Delicious and De- can Gardens, J/A, 26. Trees with “Nature Unframed” deners, M/J, 20. pendable Peas, M/A, 48. Bulbs: Autumn Bulbs, S/O, 24. Exhibit, M/A, 58. Native Roots, Perennials: Blazing Stars, M/J, Goodwin, Nancy. Autumn Bulbs, Daffodils: Regional Proven Per- Modern Form Exhibit, S/O, 58. 32. Bugbanes for American Gar- S/O, 24. formers, M/A, 18. Old Rose Symposium in May, dens, J/A, 26. Gardening by Gough, Robert and Cheryl Moore- Carnivorous Plants: Growing Car- M/A, 57. Subtraction with Self-Sowers, Gough. Seed-Saving Simplified, nivorous Plants in Containers, Stockbridge, Randy. Cowbirds and J/A, 20. Warming up to Hardy S/O, 20. J/F, 18. Wrens, M/J, 42. Ice Plants, J/A, 36. Lawn Alter- Gripshover, Mary Lou. Daffodils: Chestnuts: Return of the Ameri- Sweet, Rebecca. Garden Secrets, natives, M/J, 14. New Plants for Regional Proven Performers, can Chestnut, M/J, 26. M/A, 40. 2011, J/F, 12. Planting in Dry M/A, 18. Children and Youth Gardening: Dig-

60 the American Gardener Shade, S/O, 30. Warming up to S/O: Phlox, 52. Undaunted Gar- lahoma Centennial Botanical bugs, 10. Flower Show Award Hardy Ice Plants, J/A, 36. Water- den, 53. Weeds, 52. Garden, 47. No-Sweat Bulb Highlights, 9. Gala in the Gar- Thrifty Buckwheats, J/A, 14. N/D: American Eden, 50. Gather- Planting, 44. Photosynthetic den, 10. Houston Gardens High- River Farm: River Farm: a Horti- ing, 50. Seeing Trees, 51. Glow Seen From Space, S/O, 46. lighted in President’s Council cultural Epicenter, J/F, 28. Gardener’s Books: Books for Find- Pollinator Impact on Nutrition, Trip, 8. Shop for Seeds and Roses: New Plants for 2011, J/F, ing Your Inner Landscape De- 44. Tree-Damaging Herbicide Plants, Support AHS, 8. Upcom- 12. Rethinking the Rose Garden, signer, J/F, 51. Edible Garden- Banned, 44. Tree Genes “Re- ing Revised Editions of AHS Gar- M/A, 34. ing, M/A, 56. The Good, the member” Their Roots, 45. dening Books, 9. Seeds: Gardening by Subtraction Bad, and the Buggy, J/A, 54. N/D: Boston Tree Party, 47. Lead- J/A: America In Bloom Sympo- with Self-Sowers, J/A, 20. Seed- Regional Gardening Guides, M/J, ership Transitions at American sium and Awards Ceremony, 9. Saving Simplified, S/O, 20. 55. Urban Gardening, S/O, 54. Public Gardens Association and Celebrating America’s Horticul- Self-Sowers: Gardening by Sub- Gardener’s Notebook: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, tural Superstars, 8. Inspired Gar- traction with Self-Sowers, J/A, 20. J/F: 2011 Perennial Plant of the 48. National Park Service and den Party at River Farm, 8. “In Shade: Planting in Dry Shade, Year, 45. Beating Bugs with Garden Club of America Team up the Garden Weekend” at Home- S/O, 30. Plant Phenology, 44. Enlight- for Conservation, 47. New Genu- stead Resort, 10. Updated AHS Stapeliads: Bizarrely Beautiful ened Ways to Control Powdery flecting Plant Discovered, 47. Plant Guide Released This Sum- Stapelaids, N/D, 20. Mildew, 44. Gardener’s Supply Pest-Fighting Turfgrass Fungus, mer, 10. Succulents: see Ice Plants; see Names 2010 Garden Crusader, 46. San Francisco Namesake S/O: America in Bloom at River Stapeliads. 45. Loss of Russian Seed Bank Plant Elevated from Extinction to Farm, 9. Award-Winning Garden- Techniques: Gardening by Sub- Could Endanger World’s Biodi- Endangered Status, 46. Stamp of Themed Children’s Books, 8. Dr. traction with Self-Sowers, J/A, versity, 46. New Director of U.S. Approval for Bonsai, 46. Wasps Cathey Day Celebration, 9. Two 20. Growing Carnivorous Plants National Arboretum, 45. New and Purple Traps Slow Emerald AHS Board of Directors Members in Containers, J/F, 18. Planting in Sustainable Gardening Re- Ash Borer Invasion, 46. Pass Away, 8. No Child Left In- Dry Shade, S/O, 30. Seed-Saving source, 47. Rain Gardens to the Garden Solutions: Beating the side Act Needs Your Support, 10. Simplified, S/O, 20. Success with Rescue, 47. Heat, M/J, 44. Dealing with N/D: Recently Released AHS Ref- Bare-Root Plants, N/D, 30. M/A: Endangered Plant Collec- Drought, J/A, 42. Managing the erences, 8. Spring President’s Vegetables: see Edible Plants. tions, 53. Harold Pellett Re- War Against Weeds, S/O, 40. Council Trip to Northwest Woody Plants: Cutting-Edge Trees, ceives Scott Medal, 53. No-Sweat Tips for Great Garden Arkansas, 8. Welcoming New J/F, 34. New Plants for 2011, J/F, Mailorder Gardening Association Soil, M/A, 46. Taking a Big-Pic- Board Members, 9. 12. Out-of-the-Ordinary Small Changes its Name, 53. Monarch ture Approach to Problem-Solv- Plant in the Spotlight: Blossoms of Trees, S/O, 14. Return of the Populations Recovering, 50. ing, J/F, 40. Taking Care of In- Aster ‘Pink Star’ Herald Autumn, American Chestnut, M/J, 20. Win- Morton Arboretum’s New Sweet- door Plants in Winter, N/D, 42. S/O, 62. Bulbine frutescens: One ter’s Berried Treasures, N/D, 24. spire, 52. Peach and Citrus Pest Homegrown Harvest: Delicious and Tough Beauty, N/D, 62. Desert Biocontrols, 50. Dependable Peas, M/A, 48. Fla- Wonder Tree (Chilopsis linearis), M/J: Bomb-Sniffing Plants, 48. vorful Fennel, J/A, 44. Growing J/A, 62. Dodecatheon clevelandii: COLUMN INDEX Dryer Sheets Repel Fungus Great Kohlrabi, S/O, 42. Paste A Wild Cyclamen from Califor- AHS Corporate Member in Profile: Gnats, 49. Encouraging Results Tomatoes Perfected, M/J, 46. nia, J/F, 58. Pawpaw: Pretty and Espoma Company: Committed to from Great Backyard Bird Count, Sweet Rewards: Fall-Fruiting Palatable (Asimina triloba), M/A, Natural Garden Products, M/A, 48. Genes Provide New Hope for Raspberries, N/D, 44. Tasty and 62. Redhead Coleus Sails 13. Fighting Dutch Elm Disease, 48. Easy-to-Grow Parsley, J/F, 42. Through Summer Heat, M/J, 62. AHS Members Making a Difference: Golden Age of Gardening, 49. Natural Connections: Cowbirds and Regional Happenings: Honey Barnekoff, M/A, 12. Oldest Recorded Flowering Plant Wrens, M/J, 42. Industrious Tree J/F: Grand Opening of Bookworm Dawn Denton, S/O, 12. Phil Fossil Discovered in China, 50. Squirrels, S/O, 50. Gardens, 53. Savannah Tour of Huey, J/A, 13. Mary Ann New- Outstanding Plants for 2011, News from AHS: Homes and Gardens, 53. comer, M/J, 12. Alice Witterholt, 50. Plants Protected from Pesky J/F: 2011 Epcot International M/A: Morton Arboretum Spot- N/D, 12. Poachers, 51. Smartphone Gar- Flower & Garden Festival, 10. lights Trees with “Nature Un- AHS News Specials: 2011 Great dening, 51. 2011 Seed Exchange Catalog framed” Exhibit, 58. Old Rose American Gardeners National J/A: Best Disease-Resistant Blue- Online for AHS Members, 8. Symposium in May, 57. Award Winners and 2011 Book berries, 46. Citizen Science Takes 2011 Travel Study Program, 8. M/J: Garden Walk Buffalo, 56. Award Winners, M/A, 14. Ameri- on Invasive Species in Texas, 46. 10th Annual America in Bloom Lavender Festival Debuts in Col- ca in Bloom’s 2011 Award Win- Garden Club of America’s Nation- Contest, 10. AHS Spring Garden orado, 58. ners, N/D, 10. al Award Winners, 48. Grant En- Market, 9. Colonial Williamsburg J/A: International Master Gardeners Book Reviews: ables Native Plant Habitat Garden Symposium, 10. Garden Conference, 56. Southern Garden J/F: Continuous Container Gardens, Restoration in Georgia, 49. Horti- Photography Competition, 11. Restoration Conference, 58. 48. Encyclopedia of Container culture’s Carbon Footprint, 46. In New Partnership with Gardening S/O: Edible Garden Festival in Plants, 48. Green Roof Manual, Memoriam: Dutch Bulbsman Jan Symposium, 9. Florida, 57. Native Roots, Mod- 50. Paradise Under Glass, 48. Ohms, 48. Internationally Ac- M/A: ExxonMobil Grant Funds In- ern Form Exhibit, 58. M/A: Conscientious Gardener, 54. claimed Flower Varieties, 46. ternship, 10. Historic Garden N/D: Botanica: Not Your Garden- Prairie-Style Gardens, 54. Sus- Moth-Free Moves, 47. USDA Week in Virginia, 10. National Variety Ballet, 56. Mid-Atlantic tainable Rose Garden, 55. Modifies Regulations for Import- Champion at River Farm, 8. Na- Horticulture Short Course, 55. M/J: Artful Garden, 53. Bizarre ing Non-Native Plants, 47. tional Youth Garden Symposium, Vertical Garden of Native Plants Botanicals, 53. Founding Gar- S/O: Franklin Cleared of Blame 9. New Affiliate Member Pro- Unveiled in San Francisco, 56. deners, 54. for Introducing Invasive Tallow gram, 10. Spring Garden Market J/A: Attracting Native Pollinators, Tree, 46. Gardens for Better in April, 9. Index compiled by AHS Volunteer 52. Fifty Plants that Changed the Health, 47. New Director at Ok- M/J: Calling all Garden Shutter- Katherine Hoffman. Course of History, 52.

November / December 2011 61 62 Cannon Lee Paul by Bulbine frutescens: Bulbine L native South to couldprovide Africa, challengingspots. those for solution apleasing 9 to11andAHSHeat Zones 11to8andshare mypain, ago. jammeditintothesoilof Iliterally small cuttingfrom aneighborfive years My love affairwithbulbine beganwitha THETEST PUT TO through fall,alsoattractbutterflies. flowers, whichbloomfrom spring Mediterranean in est Their climates. choose, bulbinesofferyear-round inter- low, fuzzystamens.Whichever coloryou and flowers thatopentoreveal brightyel- more compactandboastsorangebuds The cultivar ‘Hallmark’, however, is stamens—that’s forthestraightspecies. shaped, lemon-yellow flowers withfuzzy foliage andculminateinspikesofstar- name, itisnotabulbousplant.) ground stemsorrhizomes. (Despite its clumping habitandspreads by under- one totwofeet,bulbinehasanupright, grower thatreaches aheightandspread of leaves are linearandfleshy, likechives. Afast withitsgoodlooks.Themattegreenstart SoBINE-ee) isaplantofmanyvirtues. let’s Inside andout,bulbine(pronounced bul- parking strip infront ofmyhomeandgave that dancedinthebreeze. lush green clumps burstingwithblooms weeks, the cuttingtookhold.Afteronlya water. splashof it anoccasional Within on all fronts. eyesores intoeye candy. Bulbine delivered a simple, fast-growing filler thatmorphed sloped borders tocontrol erosion, andas perimentation—in aplanterbox, on months,I,aswellfew aspassersby, enjoyed through wasasagroundcover underneath three 80-foot-tallcoastredwoods Reed-thin,above leaflessstalks rise the This initial successinspired ex- further The biggestchallengeIputthis plant the American Gardener from large,shallow-rooted trees where littleseemstogrow. If you reside withinUSDAHardiness Zones IKE MOST home gar deners, Ihave those“problem” areas (S O equoia ne Tough Beauty ‘Hallmark’ isacompactcultivarof tried (andfailed)toestablishothershrubs stood inheavy, acidicclaysoil,where I’d mirably inpoor, soil.Theredwoods dry kaline soil,thoughtheyalsogrow ad- prefer well-drained, loamy, normaltoal- sempervirens) leaving aboutsixinchesbetween eachcut- and plantedthemintheredwood grove, fromsions ofthebulbine myparking strip and groundcovers. So Itookdivi- fall, last ting. Therainscame,therhizomes took hold, andby thefollowing April, LN NTESPOTLIGHT THE IN PLANT (888) 323-1333. Gardino Nursery, www.aridlands.com. (520) 883-9404. Arid LandsGreenhouses, Sources C in mybackyar Delray Beach,FL. www.rareflora.com. B ulbine frutescens, Tucson, AZ. d. Bulbines — Bulbine frutescens v oila!— spaces withpoorsoilorrootspaces competition a succulent,evergreen groundcover ing themoutatyour nextplantswap. dividing theclumpsinspring andhand- ready toshare thelove, thinplantingsby blossoms.Whenyou’reencourage new care. Simply remove spentflower stalksto theyneedlittle conditions. Otherwise, or hot casional dry irrigation during very water, theylookandflower betterwithoc- garden. Although plantscanlive onlittle it wouldbeequallyateaseinatropical drought and isidealforrock gardens, but Once established, bulbinetolerates LOVELY MAINTENANCE YETLOW Chronicle. Horticulture andhaswrittenfor California, Paul LeeCannon gardens inOakland, wisps ofyellow filledmostofthearea. a patchofdeep-green foliageandfuzzy with orange-yellowflowers. and theS an Francisco P acific

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