Jens Jensen: Prairie Visionary by Carole Ottesen Regional Happenings Co 36 56 Ht

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F EATURES DEPARTMEN T S

5 NOTES FROM RIVER FARM 6 MEMBERS’ FORUM 8 NEWS FROM AHS AHS Gala highlights, new AHS Board members, Homestead Gardens is new Corporate Partner, Girl Scouts help revitalize River Farm’s children’s gardens.

12 AHS NEWS SPECIAL America in Blooms 2005 Award winners.

40 GARDENING BY DESIGN Sequencing the sensual.

pagepage 1818 42 ONE ON ONE WITH… Kathryn Kennedy, plant conservationist. pagepage 1212 44 HABITAT GARDENING EASTERN PERFORMANCE TRIALS BY AHS STAFF 14 Tro pical Florida and Highlights from the first-ever Eastern Performance Trials held in Hawaii. September at several mid-Atlantic sites, including River Farm. 46 GARDENER’S NOTEBOOK Ball Horticultural Company celebrates 100 BEAUTIFUL BRASSICAS BY RAND LEE 18 years, Bailey Nurseries plants new rose garden A diverse array of charming ornamentals are kissing cousins to at State Capitol in St. Paul, post-Hurricane cabbages and broccoli. Katrina replanting efforts, winter moth plagues trees in Massachusetts, ‘Feuerhexe’ Cheddar pink is Perennial Plant Association’s TEA IN THE GARDEN BY ALLISON KNAB 23 2006 Plant of the Year, sugar-based Compost tea is gaining popularity in public and private land- compounds ward off insect pests. scapes, and for good reason. 50 GIFTS FOR THE GARDENER Ideas for holiday gift-giving. 28 SPOTLIGHT ON TREE BARK BY RITA PELCZAR Trees with colorful or texturally interesting bark shine in winter. 53 BOOK REVIEWS

OOM Yard Full of Sun; Attracting Birds, Butterﬂies INTRIGUING ARISAEMAS BY GENE E. BUSH & Other Winged Wonders to Your Backyard;

A IN BL 31 C Once mainly the province of collectors, these fascinating aroids Growing Hardy Orchids, and The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Hardy Perennial Orchids.

F AMERI are now becoming popular shade garden plants. O Special focus: A potpourri of tempting titles. Y S

URTE JENS JENSEN: PRAIRIE VISIONARY BY CAROLE OTTESEN REGIONAL HAPPENINGS CO 36 56 HT:

G The prairie landscape style that Jensen promoted in the late 19th 2005 MAGAZINE INDEX and early 20th centuries influences landscape design to this day. 60 62 HARDINESS AND HEAT ZONES AND PRONUNCIATIONS ON THE COVER: The bright red fruits of common Jack in the pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) provide

LEFT: MARK TURNER; RI interest in the fall and winter garden. Photograph by David Cavagnaro

November / December 2005 3 AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 7931 East Boulevard Drive Alexandria, VA 22308-1300 (800) 777-7931 fax (703) 768-8700 www.ahs.org Making America a Nation of Gardeners, a Land of Gardens

American Horticultural Society President’s Council

PRESIDENT Katy Moss Warner CHAIRMAN'S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. John H. Ariail, Jr. ■ Mr. Bill Barry ■ Mr. Board of Directors and Mrs. Kurt Bluemel ■ Mr. and Mrs. Edward N. Dane ■ Mr. Gerald T. Halpin ■ Mr. and Mrs. James S. Hutchinson ■ Mr. Robert E. Malesardi ■ Ms. CHAIRMAN Arabella S. Dane Center Harbor, New Hampshire Nancy Petersen ■ Ms. Barbara Robinson ■ Mr. Phil Snyder ■ Mr. Robert FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN Brian E. Holley Cleveland, Ohio Stohler ■ Mrs. Pauline Vollmer ■ Ms. Claire Watson SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN Don E. Riddle, Jr. Davidsonville, Maryland SECRETARY Albin MacDonough Plant Baltimore, Maryland LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY ASSOCIATES Ms. Sue Dick ■ Mr. A. Michael Gellman TREASURER Christine Perdue Middleburg, Virginia ■ Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Lynch ■ Mr. and Mrs. Ken Mountcastle ■ Mr. and

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Kurt Bluemel Baldwin, Maryland Mrs. J. Landon Reeve IV ■ Mr. and Mrs. Don E. Riddle, Jr. ■ Mr. Timothée

Sallin ■ Jeanne Shields ■ Mr. and Mrs. W. Bruce Usrey ■ Ms. Katy Moss GENERAL COUNSEL William A. Pusey Arlington, Virginia Warner

Leslie Ariail Alexandria, Virginia ■ Allan M. Armitage Athens, Georgia ■ William E. Barrick, Ph.D. Theodore, ■ Alabama ■ Katherine Belk-Cook Charlotte, North Carolina ■ Katherine Stark Bull Washington, D.C. ■ John HAUPT ASSOCIATES Dr. and Mrs. William E. Barrick Mr. and Mrs. C. ■ ■ Alex Floyd, Jr. Trussville, Alabama ■ Joel Goldsmith Gilroy, California ■ Beverly Hanselman Nashville, William Black Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bogle Mr. Richard C. and Mrs. Katherine Stark Bull ■ Dr. and Mrs. H. Marc Cathey ■ Mrs. Elisabeth C. Tennessee ■ Carole Hofley Wilson, Wyoming ■ Natasha Hopkinson New York, New York ■ Margaret Kulp Dudley ■ Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Hanselman ■ Mrs. Carole S. Hofley ■ Louisville, Kentucky ■ Melissa R. Marshall Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ■ Carol C. Morrison Palatine, Illinois ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Kulp, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Matheson, Jr. ■ Mr. J. Landon Reeve IV Woodbine, Maryland ■ Harry A. Rissetto, Esq. Falls Church, Virginia ■ Felder Rushing and Mrs. Harold McClendon, Jr. ■ Ms. Christine Perdue ■ Mr. Paul H. Pusey Jackson, Mississippi ■ William Seale, Jr. Alexandria, Virginia ■ Jeanne Shields Greenville, Delaware ■ ■ Ms. Michele Richardson ■ Harry A. Rissetto, Esq. ■ Dr. and Mrs. George E. Arnold Steiner Birmingham, Alabama ■ Steven Still Hilliard, Ohio ■ Howard McK. Tucker Alexandria, Staehle ■ Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Steiner ■ Mr. John Wm. Thomas and Mrs. Virginia ■ Susie Usrey Dayton, Oregon ■ Robert D. Volk San Marino, California ■ Valerie Thomas ■ Mr. Howard McK. Tucker and Ms. Megan Evans ■ Mr. and Daryl Williams Lake Buena Vista, Florida Mrs. Robert D. Volk

2005 Advisory Council PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Angino ■ Nancy J. Becker, Beverly Hanselman, Nashville, Tennessee – Chair M.D. ■ Mrs. Katherine Belk-Cook ■ Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Benedict ■ Mr.

Phillip Bermingham ■ Dr. Joel Birnbaum ■ Mrs. George P. Bissell, Jr. ■ Dr. Katherine Belk-Cook, Charlotte, North Carolina Robert and Joanna Martin, Menlo Park, Colorado Sherran Blair ■ Count and Countess Peder Bonde ■ Mrs. Anne Bucher ■ Mr. Clarissa Bonde, Washington D.C. Mrs. Malcolm Matheson, Mt. Vernon, Virginia and Mrs. Cason Callaway, Jr. ■ Mrs. Susan M. Cargill ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles Walter Bull, Columbia, South Carolina Egon Molbak, Bellevue, Washington E. Carr ■ Mr. and Mrs. James L. Corfield ■ Mr. and Mrs. Edward Daisey ■ Elaine Burden, Middleburg, Virginia Nancy Keen Palmer, Nashville, Tennessee Mr. and Mrs. James F. Delano ■ Ms. Doris Diman ■ William P. G. Dodson, Dr. H. Marc Cathey, Silver Spring, Maryland Bob Patterson, Washington D.C. D.D.S. ■ Mrs. Robert Duemling ■ Mrs. Beverley W. Dunn ■ Dr. and Mrs. Fred Clapp, Alexandria, Virginia Dr. Julia W. Rappaport, Santa Ana, California John A. Floyd, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Garcia ■ Mr. John Sward Gleiber ■ Russell Clark, Boston, Massachusetts Harry A. Rissetto, Esq. Falls Church, Virginia Mr. and Mrs. Joel Goldsmith ■ Mr. and Mrs. John H. Guy, IV ■ Mrs. Richard Bartie Cole, Owings Mills, Maryland Deen Day Sanders, Norcross, Georgia W. Hamming ■ Dr. and Mrs. William O. Hargrove ■ Mr. and Mrs. Max Hartl Jim Corfield, Geneva, Illinois Josephine Shanks, Houston, Texas ■ Mr. and Mrs. Brent Heath ■ Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Hohlt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Virginia Hill Daisey, Dedham, Massachusetts Barbara Shea, Baltimore, Maryland Brian E. Holley ■ Mr. and Mrs. Allan L. Holmstrom ■ Mrs. Elizabeth Hooff Edward N. Dane, Center Harbor, New Hampshire Holly Shimizu, Glen Echo, Maryland ■ Mr. and Mrs. Peter Hopkinson ■ Mr. Philip Huey ■ Mr. Henry Jameson ■ David and Kitty Ferguson, Westwood, Massachusetts Charles Henry Smith, Jr., Middleburg, Virginia Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Lindsay ■ Ms. Joann Luecke ■ Mr. and Mrs. Ben Griswold, Glyndon, Maryland Nancy Thomas, Houston, Texas Randolph Marshall ■ Mrs. Dorothy Marston ■ Mr. George Cole S. McCray Sheryl Heckler, Middleburg, Virginia Bryan Thomlison, Haddonfield, New Jersey ■ Mrs. Rachel L. Mellon ■ Mrs. Rosalyn Milbrandt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Egon Henry Jameson, East Sound, Washington Pauline Vollmer, Baltimore, Maryland Molbak ■ Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Moore ■ Dr. and Mrs. David E. Morrison Dr. Richard W. Lighty, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania Joyce and Harvey White, Nashville, Tennessee ■ Mr. and Mrs. William J. Moss ■ Mrs. Shirley Ann Nicolai ■ Mr. and Mrs. Carolyn Marsh Lindsay, Ponte Vedra, Florida Joannah and Daryl Williams, Sebring, Florida William G. Pannill ■ Mr. and Mrs. Albin MacDonough Plant ■ Mrs. Charles Mickey Lynch, Dunmore, Pennsylvania Price ■ Mr. and Mrs. William A. Pusey ■ Mrs. Deen Day Sanders ■ Mr. and Stu McMichael and Lucinda Crabtree, Mrs. William Seale, Jr. ■ Mrs. Josephine M. Shanks ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles Falls Church, Virginia Henry Smith, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. William M. Spencer ■ Mrs. Juliet Sproul ■ Corporate Partners Mr. Harold Stahly ■ Ms. Lida M. Stifel ■ Dr. and Mrs. Steven Still ■ Mr. and Mrs. John B. Strasenburgh ■ Mr. Joe Viar ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harvey C. White ■ ■ The Care of Trees Chapel Valley Landscape Company Cherry Lake Tree Farm ■ Mr. and Mrs. John W. White, Sr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. D. Anderson Williams ■ ™ ■ DK Publishing ■ EarthBox ■■Green Industry Yellow Pages ■ Homestead Gardens Mrs. Marilyn B. Wilson ■ Kurt Bluemel, Inc. ■ Monrovia ■ NaturaLawn of America ■ Osmocote ■ Thompson & Morgan HONORARY PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL Mrs. Enid A. Haupt ■ Mrs. John A. Lutz ■ Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Miller Horticultural Partners

America in Bloom ■ Bellingrath Gardens & Home ■ Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Garden Symposium ■ Communities in Bloom ■ Cox Arboretum ■ Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival ■ The Gardeners of America/Men’s Garden Clubs of America ■ Great Southern Tree Conference ■ Greater Gardens of the Washington Area ■ Homestead Resorts Horticultural Symposium The 2005 member passwood for the AHS ■ Horticulture Gardening Institute ■ Leonard Haertter Travel Company ■ Magic of Landscaping Web site (www.ahs.org) is blooms. Symposium ■ Morris Arboretum ■ Oklahoma Horticultural Society

4 the American Gardener T h e A merican NOTESC FROM RIVER FARM GARDENER

EDITOR David J. Ellis MANAGING EDITOR AND ART DIRECTOR S WE WIND down this year and look to the next, I took a little time to re- Mary Yee A flect on the many challenges faced, tasks well met, and plans for the future. ASSISTANT EDITOR It has been a tough year overall. Nationally, we faced tragedy from Hurricane Viveka Neveln Katrina, and each of us in our own way reached out to help. Globally, we contin- EDITORIAL INTERN William Clattenburg ued to see suffering from the ravages of both war and natural disasters, and, again, CONTRIBUTING EDITORS we sought individual ways to make a difference. Personally, I experienced great Rita Pelczar sadness this year with the loss of my father. It was sometimes difficult to find a sil- Joanne Wolfe ver lining among the dark clouds. CONTRIBUTING WRITER And then I reflect on what we are doing at the American Horticultural Society. Carole Ottesen When Dr. Marc Cathey retired this past summer, he left the AHS with a signifi-

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD cant legacy relating to the power of plants in our lives. He frequently reminded us, “Green is the color of CHAIR John Alex Floyd Jr. Birmingham, Alabama hope.” I often come back to this very simple and inspi- Allan M. Armitage rational thought. And I am encouraged that the work Athens, Georgia we do at the AHS to educate and inspire people of all Nina L. Bassuk ages to garden, to appreciate plants, to grow food, to Ithaca, New York value big trees, to cherish natural environments, and Richard E. Bir add beauty in their communities, is critically important, Brevard, North Carolina especially in tough times. John E. Bryan And so, at the AHS, we continue to strengthen our San Francisco, California educational programs nationally, expand our partnerships with those who help gar- John L. Creech deners be successful, and inspire our AHS members to treasure all that is green. In Columbus, North Carolina addition, we continue to ask AHS members to support gardening programs for youth Keith Crotz Chillicothe, Illinois and help us preserve the national treasure that is George Washington’s River Farm. Panayoti Kelaidis Our many successes this year are encouraging harbingers for the future. Denver, Colorado Through the National Children & Youth Garden Symposium, the River Farm In- Richard W. Lighty tern Program, and The Growing Connection we have established strong programs Kennett Square, Pennsylvania to support the connections between young people and plants. The AHS Garden Elvin McDonald Schools, Reciprocal Admissions Program to public gardens, and the AHS Awards West Des Moines, Iowa Program shine a spotlight on horticultural excellence and offer every one of us an Felder Rushing opportunity to participate in great gardening and expand our knowledge. Jackson, Mississippi And the Eastern Performance Trials, held for the first time this year, provided a chance for AHS to work closely with the American green industry. The displays ADVERTISING The American Gardener AND CORPORATE 7931 East Boulevard Drive of new introductions at River Farm and five other Mid-Atlantic sites showcased PARTNERSHIPS Alexandria, VA 22308 the companies that bring us exciting new plants each year so that we will contin- (703) 768-5700 ue to find pleasure and solace in gardening. (See page 14 for more about EPT.) E-MAIL: [email protected] Over this past year, I have become acutely aware of the importance in my life of flowers and house plants, trees, and beautiful gardens. So with renewed energy The American Gardener (ISSN 1087-9978) is published bimonth- ly (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, Septem- I ask each of you to join me in supporting the power of plants and gardens to make ber/October, November/December) by the American Horticultural the world a better place. Together, through the AHS, we can truly show that green Society, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308-1300, (703) 768-5700. Membership in the Society includes a subscrip- is the color of hope! tion to The American Gardener. Annual dues are $35; two years, $60. International dues are $50. $10 of annual dues goes toward My very best wishes to all for a joyful holiday season! magazine subscription. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Vir- ginia, and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to The American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308-1300. Botanical nomenclature is based on The American Horticultural Society A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, on A Synonymized Check- list of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada and Greenland and on the Royal Horticultural Society Index of Garden Plants. Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and are not necessar- ily those of the Society. Manuscripts, artwork, and photographs sent for —Katy Moss Warnerr, AHS President possible publication will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. We cannot guarantee the safe return of unsolicited material. Back issues are available at $8 per copy. Copyright ©2005 by the American Horticultural Society. Printed in the U.S.A. on recycled paper.

November / December 2005 5 MEMCRUM

COMPOSTING CONCERN Many of the ingredients used to cre- in the compost pile for later use in the I would like to share a few observations re- ate the compost teas Ingham recom- vegetable garden. I also share the author’s garding your “One on One” interview mends are also not readily available to the disdain of leaf blowers. with Elaine Ingham (July/August 2005). average homeowner. A more practical ap- However, it begs for a follow-up arti- Composting facilities across the coun- proach is to encourage homeowners to cle from the same author covering more try have increased in number and are serv- use the more limited resources they have details on just how much to cut back cer- ing as an important influence on the at hand to put Ingham’s scientific knowl- tain perennials in the fall, and when they general public to use compost instead of edge into practice. should be cut to the ground. the “chemical way” to promote growth of Robert H. Cooper, Jr. David Messer plants, modify tired or dead soil, and repair Horticultural Consultant Royersford, Pennsylvania construction damage to soil structure Williamstown, New Jersey around new housing developments. CORRECTION However, commercial composters— MORE WANTED ON FALL CLEANUP In the YGS 2005 article in the Septem- especially in urban areas of the North- The article “Fall Cleanup Reconsidered” ber/October issue, Atlanta Botanical east—are usually limited to grass clippings (September/October 2005) is one of the Garden Executive Director Mary Pat and leaves in their choice of organic mate- most significant articles that you have Matheson’s name was incorrectly spelled. rials. To produce compost, most facilities published. It not only provides new and We apologize for the error. rely on the “windrow technique,” which is thought-provoking ideas for garden not an exact science. Limited choices of or- maintenance, it shows a whole new way PLEASE WRITE US! Letters should be addressed to ganic materials and equipment constrain of thinking. I have followed the tech- Editor, The American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308, or you can facilities from producing the standard of nique of using mower-chopped leaves in e-mail us at [email protected]. Letters we print may be compost described in the interview. beds for years, with the remainder going edited for length and clarity.

60TH C OLONIAL W ILLIAMSBURG G ARDEN S YMPOSIUM C ELEBRATING THE A MERICAN G ARDENER: [ { S PACES FOR R ELAXING AND E NTERTAINING AprilApril 30–May 3, 20062006

1-800-603-0948 www.ColonialWilliamsburg.org/conted

6 the American Gardener Immerse yourself in the intricacies of gardening with native plants, color in the garden, and garden photography at these three exclusive AHS Garden School offerings.

the AHS Garden Schools for 2006

hrough a variety of presentations, April 6 & 7, 2006 Tdemonstrations, and specially planned Gardening with Native Plants activities, participants will learn practical tips and AHS Headquarters at River Farm, Alexandria, Virginia techniques for mastering the effective use of Discover new plants, awaken your creativity, and surround native plants, color in the landscape, or the art of yourself in the rich world of native plants with “Gardening capturing the garden through photography. with Native Plants” at a truly inspirational setting —the Avid garden enthusiasts and horticultural Society’s River Farm headquarters overlooking the professionals alike will benefit from these beautiful Potomac River. Featuring guest horticulturist Carole Ottesen, author of inspirational and informative two-day program the Native Plant Primer: Trees, Shrubs and Wildflowers for workshops. Natural Gardens, and a special evening with Rick Darke, The AHS Garden Schools offer a truly unique author of The American Woodland Garden. CAROLE OTTESEN environment for life-long learning—intimate, in- depth workshops featuring personal instruction May 11 & 12, 2006 from noted garden authorities; opportunities for The Art & Science of Color in the Garden practical application and hands-on experiences; Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus, Ohio and outstanding settings. Sharpen your skills, recharge your creativity, and immerse Visit www.ahs.org or call (703) 768-5700 ext. 121 yourself in the intricacies of color in the garden with “The for more information on these exciting events. Art & Science of Color in the Garden” at Franklin Park Conservatory, one of North America’s notable glass conservatories. Featuring guest horticulturist Heather Will-Browne of the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and a special evening with Julie Moir Messervy, landscape designer.

HEATHER WILL-BROWNE October 26 & 27, 2006 The Art & Science of Garden Photography Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas

Look at the garden through a new lens, heighten your ability to capture the garden and gain a greater appreciation for the surrounding landscape with “The Art & Science of Garden Photography” amid the stunning landscape of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Featuring guest horticulturist Robert Bowden of Orlando’s Harry P. Leu Gardens and a special evening Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio, with Van Chaplin, garden photographer at Southern Living site for “The Art & Science of Color in the magazine. Garden” workshop, May 11 and 12, 2006 ROBERT BOWDEN 8 A D.C., andBaltimore, metropolitan Maryland, re servation, servation, of New Harbor Com Va companyoperatingprimari services Valley Landsca providin W sion for Memorial inWashington, D.C THREE p cided withthefinaleofweeklon THE AHSHOSTED A w th more aboutthetrialsatRiver Farm Eastern Per Satur Host ma I Gala Chairman t W an g co t Goldsmith Seeds,EPT participants Cen d attentionas ed further W p colorfull d t wh ive erton Nursery,erton an ta he estatehouse,andnextb ardens ofthecompaniesfrom the EPTwithdistin l isp esigne erennia ere welcomed toRiver Farm firstb HS’s restored WhiteHouse News easant stro Dir P e artic arner Scesu n oofl20 H Gal SuccessfulandColorful2005AHS l i d inners dis ll l J In keepin The gardens behindthehouseattract “We were deli or d ll ic ian R . Lan

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VIVEKA NEVELN Nancy Hill Retires After 30 Years Wildlife at River Farm in New Book THIS PAST OCTOBER, the AHS staff bid farewell to Nancy Hill, one of our membership services representatives, as she re- A variety of wildlife call tired after more than 30 years at the AHS. Over the years, River Farm home, such Nancy interacted with thousands of members on the phone and as colorful butterflies, a by mail and e-mail. She introduced new members to the ben- family of foxes, many efits of joining the AHS, helped existing members with ques- songbirds, a turkey, and tions about the organization, and quietly played an important even a few bald eagles. behind-the-scenes role in the membership department. “There You can meet some of were a few people who would call me every year to renew their these creatures in Wild membership,” says Nancy. “They would ask for me specifical- Washington: Amazing ly, and I’m glad I could be there for them all those years.” Wildlife In and Around “Nancy was so great at making our members feel welcome Our Nation’s Capital, a and taken care of,” says AHS President Katy Moss Warner. new book by photo- “She also was a treasure trove of historical information about grapher Don Chernoff. the AHS.” “Many people think Nancy started work at River Farm in 1974, just after the Enid they have to travel to Haupt Foundation generously donated the site to the AHS for its faraway places to see headquarters. Although she has seen many improvements to the wildlife,” says Don, grounds and offices since then, she says, “I still miss my type- “but this book shows writer!” In addition to member services, Nancy has worked in al- that nature is really all most every department and building at River Farm as her role at around us—even in big the AHS changed over the years. cities like Washington.” A fox kit at River Farm appears in In addition to traveling and spending time with family and Copies are available a new wildlife book. friends, Nancy plans to return to River Farm on occasion as a for $19.95 and may be volunteer. ordered by calling (703) 849-1492 or through Don’s Web site at www.dcwild.com. Many of the 172 photo- News written by Assistant Editor Viveka Neveln and Editorial In- graphs in the book are available as prints as well. tern William Clattenburg.

American Horticultural Society 2006 Washington Blooms! Events at River Farm April 1 • Spring Garden & Bulb Tour ashington April 8 • Spring Garden & Bulb Tour April 15 • Spring Garden & Bulb Tour April 20 • Members-Only Preview Night Friends of River Farm Plant Sale looms! April 21 & 22 • Friends of River Farm Plant Sale W April 29 • Spring Garden & Bulb Tour BApril 1–29, 2006 • Family Day at River Farm Ongoing for the month of April at River Farm Join us this April for Washington Blooms! at River Farm. • Thousands of spring blooms! Nothing compares with the beauty of the early spring blooms • AHS Garden Shop in the National Capital area. Cherry blossoms, daffodils, and • Botanical and garden art exhibit tulips herald the coming of spring in an explosion of color. Mark your calendar and plan to visit River Farm and the More reasons to visit the National Capital Area National Capital area this April—you’ll find a variety of spring in April delights with something for every gardener and garden • National Cherry Blossom Festival (March 25 – April 9) enthusiast, no matter what your passion! • Historic Garden Week in Virginia (April 22 – 29) Visit www.ahs.org or call (703) 768-5700 for more information.

November / December 2005 11 AHS NEWSSPECIAL: America In Bloom’s 2005 Award Winners by William Clattenburg

This year’s award-winning communities include, left to right: Meredith, New Hamp- shire; Logan, Ohio; and Riverside, California.

ATAPULTING OFF last year’s communities for particular achievement rector of the Greater Meredith Program, success, America in Bloom grounded on the eight criteria of AIB: flo- to tell her about AIB’s exciting challenge. C (AIB), a non-profit organization ral displays, urban forestry, landscaped Because Meredith already had a substan- and an AHS horticultural partner, hon- areas, turf and ground cover, tidiness, en- tial improvement program in place, the ored nearly 50 of America’s greenest, most vironmental awareness, heritage conserva- major task was to synchronize the green- revitalized communities. This year’s AIB tion, and community involvement. ing projects. Their efforts paid off, as Symposium and Awards Progam was held For Meredith, New Hampshire, the Meredith won for the 5,001 to 10,000 in Cleveland but hosted by all of northern road to success began a year ago when population category (see sidebar for full

Ohio from September 8 to 10. The hard Jodie Herbert of Meredith in Bloom list of winners). Jeanie says, “We learned B F AI

work of AIB judges helped to single out 16 contacted JeanieJeanie Forrester, executive di - fromfr the evaluation the things we can O Y improve upon—one of which is getting S

POPULATION CATEGORY AWARD WINNERS more children involved.” URTE ■ 5,000 or less Lewes, Delaware Community members in Logan, Ohio, CO ■ 5,001–10,000 Meredith, New Hampshire thhis year’s recipient of the American Hor- ■ 10,001–15,000 Loveland, Ohio tiicultural Society Community Involve- ■ 15,001–20,000 Newburyport, Massachusetts ment award, also benefited from the F EVELYN ALEMANNI;

■ 20,001–50,000 Hudson, Ohio competition as they worked to make their O Y ■ 50,001–100,000 Kettering, Ohio toown into a tidier, more vibrant place. “I’ve S ■ 100,001–300,000 Rockford, Illinois URTE never seen a town so committed,” says CO ; ■ 300,001 and greater Grand Central Partnership—New York City Evelyn Allemani, an AIB judge and sym- S ■ University Campus Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah posium speaker. “Last year we gave them a leengthy evaluation and they did everything PA AT MILL FALL

SPECIAL AWARD WINNERS we said, and the town was transformed." S ■

Ball Horticultural Co. Floral Displays Award University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Together, Logan residents accumulated AND S ■ Yoder Brothers Heritage Preservation Award Eureka Springs, Arkansas 129,500 hours of community involvement. ■ Project Evergreen Landscaped Areas Award Westlake, Ohio Interested communities can register F THE INN O

■ American Horticultural Society Community Involvement Award Logan, Ohio now to enter AIB’s 2006 competition by Y S ■ The Scotts Co. Turf & Groundcover Areas Award Ocala, Florida loogging onto www.americainbloom.org URTE

■ Gardens Alive! Environmental Awareness Award St. Paul, Minnesota or calling (614) 487-1117. CO HT:

■ Planting Pride Magazine Tidiness Award Bartlett, Tennessee G RI ■ Urban Forestry Award Riverside, California William Clattenburg is an editorial intern O

for The American Gardener. LEFT T

12 the American Gardener AmericanAmerican HorticulturalHorticultural SocietySociety 2006 Travel Study Program R NBA U

2006 TOUR SCHEDULE F LYNN ALLEN D O Y S FEBRUARY 3–17, 2006 RTE Summer Coastal Gardens of New Zealand COU AHS Hosts: Leslie and John Ariail, Susie and Bruce Usrey

ourney with America’s premier travel team—AHS MARCH 2–13 Gardens and Monuments of Sicily Jand the Leonard Haertter Travel Company—to AHS Host: Kurt Bluemel some of the world’s most beautiful destinations. Since MARCH 28–APRIL 11 Gardens of Chile and 1985, we have offered extraordinary travel study Argentina and the Wilderness of Patagonia programs to exceptional private and public gardens AHS Host: Arabella Dane led by knowledgeable and experienced guides. Exciting MAY 14–23 Gardens of the Veneto opportunities await you this year! AHS Host: Christine Perdue MAY 19–26 The Great Gardens of England and the Royal Chelsea Flower Show AHS Host: Katy Moss Warner

SEPTEMBER 16–27 Gardens of Bohemia and Moravia AHS Host: Bill Barrick

OCTOBER 17–22 Gardens of Charleston AHS Host: TBD

OCTOBER 25–NOVEMBER 8 Spring Gardens of Australia AHS Host: Mac Plant

IE KEITH For detailed tour information, tour SS

F JE brochures, or to make a tour reservation, O Y

S call the Leonard Haertter Travel Company

URTE at (800) 942-6666. CO No member dues are used to support the Travel Study Program 1 eac plant and fiveothersitesto als, alon g w p event the EPTadvisor c b and seedcompanies,theEPTlived uptoits held from Se f F 2006 p conver In Se try’s mostexcitin BY AH introduced un2006 b Estate Houseshowcase N a Color aboundedthrou River Farmdurin 4 irst EasternPer u te eoewoypatpol,pe ether before—woody plantpeople, i arts ofthe arts ssortment of h review thehottestnew ll urseries. Ri l h “It wasanincredible week forhorti M ture,” says ing asas ic spring the American Gardene h o b companies an O attracte

d SS h roug p e . i R aven’t rea g ll ntroduct g tember, visitor -runnin e S ed atRiverFarm TAF d b IX D h h a p y g t toget d owcase tember 19toSe f g ht: Newbedsinfrontofth D d ter t near F reen industry, manyo ozens o g on Ri g f A p introductions for2006 ormance Tria g theEPT.Above:Avivi lants fromCenterto ll Y h industry event hosted industry y ly h y wor d S committee.“Thi e Ca i y er somany over 100,000p g f 1,000visitorstot ons ProvenWinners at sixsites,25plan or t hout the ddl f West Coast p p l lants thatwillb i h k f e, c ornia Pac e p e f d o r p s c h r l tember 24. ant in g airman o l l ose s (EPT) rounds at d i ff l k eren y to- l d T - i Tr ants l . an us- he e e n d s - t t t f f . , 200 t River Farm—one o s s s t i i he Mid-Atlantic forthedebutof ai onvi g o r ners and l n R e ers an nnial i of ddl ll

e, Mary H e’s omestea d p w eo H g rowers.” omestea p h le, andannual o l an l esa d d f Gar , was—a t l ers, h d 5 e six Growers, d l ens an h d p ost sitesin l in Davi sca on E eo g p p a wit le, re- e d d ivi d- e h - - es gi Virginia Grower C r profit th p etai aste lant trials,whichwere coordinated by ompan n e i Gar a; in C l gar White’s Nurser g roup that supports independen roup thatsupports d en Centerso y d h in West Grove, Penns en centers. esapea s k in Montpe e, Virginia; an y

f andGreenhous- Americ Conar

r l a ier, Vir y , a d lvania n -Py n o n- l d e - t ;

LEFT: DAVID ELLIS; RIGHT: ALAN AND LINDA DETRICK Performance Trials

The EPT exhibits at River Farm began, above left, with a new pathway flanked by large trees from Cherry Lake and containers from Campania filled with plants from the EPT partners. The recently refurbished White House gates linked the pathway to the EPT displays. Above: An EPT attendee, right, chats with Proven Winners representative Sharon Gravitt about the company’s summer collection. Left: Visitors enjoy the colorful display of annual bedding plants by Goldsmith Seeds.

to see the spirit of cooperation and creativity among companies that don’t often work together,” says Onofrey. “Everyone worked very hard to make it succeed and McDonald Garden Center in Virginia ber 22 to get a first-hand look at the this first year was a great start to get the Beach, Virginia, also hosted the event. In transformation of the gardens. concept across.” addition to the hundreds of registered “Each location took a totally different green industry members who visited one approach with their displays,” says RIVER FARM SPARKLES

) or more trial sites, members of the pub- Delilah Onofrey, who visited all six sites River Farm, decked out in newly created 3 (

S lic attended special open days at each site. while covering the EPT for Meister Media garden walks and vibrant floral displays, Many AHS members took advantage of Worldwide, which publishes several hor- exemplified how the EPT modeled the AVID ELLI

D the open day at River Farm on Septem- ticultural trade publications. “It was nice glamour of New York’s Fashion Week,

November / December 2005 15 1 tour theEPTdis Industr Sau Cam p Goldsm p Above: Purpleandwh is pavedwithadark-leavedoxalisandother AHS PresidentKat Centerton Nursery’s“PerformanceH t w d f Passing t containers T flanked by lar f v on sitetoanswer companies. Durin sta al’s Lon 6 rom w h irst wa lants. Bottomri isitors a otato v ens aroun ree Farm ere manicured settin toperfection, e ff As visitorsentered theexhibitarea the n d p mem de the American Gardener isp ania y r YellowPa h i s l lk th Seeds’floralclock.R i b ays o Br h ic nes createat g out t roug p e b h wood Gardens Collection f rovides afittin ot d a ers rom ittoo d nd mixed floralplantin a h River Farm’s estate f g t e h p h l e trees from f r h ong a curving pat ong acurving e new e new la rom eac t g s C e y ’ ht: AstatueofPanfro h g q y MossWarnerandGree k am bo f s atRiverFarm. es founderSteve Cissel e AHS’s W uestions andtalkwith ive participating p ive participating inspiration.T g i xw te petun EPTweek, several p pl ania Internation- ood ants an i h mely d g com focal

a C i ll as andsweet herr ée h p d ite House i any wer .

splay d p y is oint fo h i h Way” Lake e pl h i g ouse g wa ght: g l ays. s i off ant ar- in m n n y y e r . Proven g “For t A PR g b p b t th in b Goldsmith Seeds w t th b ured anele he meadow andPotomac River asthe roun ates, t y re e lants witha“roadway” ofoxalis flanke y co y a g en experience e d , lk toward theAHSChildren’s Gardens s in C d O e d isp d MI enterton Nurserenterton l d h um or aroun covers, an e AHS,t f Wi S h ront o l f ay ING e nextex u b nner l g re perennia f ant alléeofboxwoods. Near or d S ll f TAR t as an t s Saun h d h h e si p t e EstateHo d T is wasawon lants in newly desi lants innewly h d roses. d e spectacu d h isplay, distin a d e o i l b s, grasses,s ers Brot fl it area y f ora t s h h e l c owe u h l se. Visitors l ouse tot oc d ar view o ar view h er f d k g eature ers f o . Mov h uishe u ru g ff l o f ned it ea- b he p- s d d d y s - - f , , i i also befeatured on2006 plant inanarticle o w n E River Farm hasnever looke contributions from somany b K Farm saysAHSPresiden headquarters,” i tocollaboratewiththe portunity effort alltheparticipatin effort c our sta ss n ntro l f i ew PT sites,aswell asima ww.eastern u aty t g d u T success.Thankstoalltheimportan d ustry an ustry h e of o seep ing ourAHSBoar e p d pl M uctions int ff ants t T l oss ants

p he American ut intoma d W h p

d d otograp er h arne isp raw attentiontoourRive f at were ormancetrials.or l aye r h . “I’m soprou e January/Fe d k h G atRiver Farm wi e t s g ar g es ofsometh d f h companiesand d rom t d is is event suc ener. mem d pl p better. aye eo g h p

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THE LEADER I N ORGANI C- BASED LAWNCARETM © 2005. NaturaLawn of America, Inc. All rights reserved. Each office independently owned and operated. www.nl-amer.com For permission to reproduce this piece, call 800-989-5444. B 18 as theaforementioned broccoli, cabba an p odd speciesreco l member ofthemustard orcabba you may I t y as h roducin ere d Y severa et, amon h F YOUWER cooked broccoli orBrussels sprouts b the American Gardener d oo eing A diversearrayofcharmingornamentalsarekissingcousinstocabbagesandbroccoli. we d g ll

ve f l b d noton in ot y too many servings o y toomanyservings e g d l g eaut h etables, butalsoanumbero icious, muc the375 it er vitamin-ric g d E l nized inBrassicaceae, y suc i t ff raumatized inchild icu g h enera and3,000 l w h t tocre

l h ess ravis o h l , met esome g d e fami- f it an over- h h ane ing f are g if e, y - - - f , . “cross- find more onpa choicesinthechart p s elon mer familydesi ornamentals. c cold re c i h h redominantly native totem l ici aracteristic o arming annua ul H All g l es an ere are a ated seedpodstermed,respectively possesst b g ions oftheNorthern Hemisphere. earing”) an d si BY l i f

f q ew o t

g h ues. Fami l RAND h , nation ofCruciferae— e e b B d iennia f f many f our-peta ami my

LEE l y ( f l l avorites; you’ , an b y mem h ear in ence t l d e p d perennia erate and

fl bl b ate h ers ar ooms g e rass e 21 d f or o ll e r - , . l plants were oncethou quite noticeablyfra pa early summerwithpaniclesofscentless, s Lo c an Al T t All grows sixinc ‘ ‘ low flowers of s l form similardense, l ye i t i d i h g r n t n n G a This native ofcentralan ‘Gold Ball’, o well with c T iage, an nches tallb ts Mountain Gold’, iswidel Berggo oo e aller sorts arealler sorts he s he sprin HE ALYSSUM o prin weet al ly ommonly round, where itmakesarapid-spreadin f war airy graymatcovereairy ame and ess, w he delicatewhitebloomsofever ess Zones g ree t p ll l yssums d b ssum bl e ye ate

Th Al h k ow ow e isatits bl ularia, p em s m ooms are k A y g f y oom , ecies. d variety ‘Go e tuft roots meaning“not insane”—t andearlysummer. Thebri ssum montanu “madwort. ll urinia bl ’ h ow ow f y d ld h u irst ma ( b ossoms tinge ic g ssum. p

ave won Aurinia saxati c fl ears ’, o ( isbasket-of- f ur h h f Iberis sem a fl ower ata y A. g or a wh g 4 ex ll

b S p about20incheswide,butthe owers. rown perennial species,an l , rows onlysixinchestalland –8, AHSHeat Zones 8–1). f h intot le aubretiaands g est onstonyorwe i saxatilis A. montanum, ten o d k g i reat forcuttin w es ta pl ic d ar e Al ray an f hich containthemos wort to wort ains t h air d A k ” y inc er cas er ye ldk ssu urinia g A. saxati ll ff b h ray- f l

m out t ere engt u ree d

b p m ‘Dudle g d uge d ll apricot. h lud ervirens y 20inc d rant. Acultivar l ll g g w ( y in is, g eir o d c so Zones 4– old or ow t ow ht tohealmad- bl g f reen poolsoffo- omes from two

int h h h l ragrant saxatilis enera: es t oom U ’, a u o e sametimei y ite l l g ate springto i theastern E available; it SDA Har y s h h ld f —and some p

time—t Nevill Var h g l an t owever, are h rin l so common ) rows eig eaves an g e tra h ll e ann f old-dust or mein c - es wi g A d g fl ombine h 9 bulbs. . ht yel- ly raine owers. B ose o g , d ld ssu reen 9 e as oth u d –1 as d h he u- ht m g a e i- n d d d e ) - t f , . , l

MARK TURNER GROWING BRASSICAS FROM SEED If you're saving seeds from your own plants, make sure they are fully ripe (i.e., turning brown) before you harvest them. Seeds of most brassicas, ornamental or edible, germinate readily at 70 degrees Fahrenheit with no special cold treatment or light re- quirements. Among the few excep- tions are Aethionema and Physaria alpina, which germinate best if cold conditioned for two months at 40 degrees; and stocks (Matthiola spp.), which sprout best if surface-sown. For earliest flowering, sow seeds about eight weeks before they will be ready to go outdoors, using a sterile, just-moist growing medium. Cover

The aptly named basket-of-gold (Aurinia saxatilis) weaves its way among early tulips and white rock cress (Arabis procurrens) in this spring garden.

Another, ‘Luna’, blooms a refreshing CANDYTUFT lemon yellow. Of the three species of candytuft (Iberis Both aurinias and alyssums are prone spp.) best known to American gardeners, to fungal diseases and need well-drained two are annuals and the third is a shrubby soil, particularly in winter. They are ideal evergreen perennial. All possess narrow, al- for planting between paving stones or ternate green leaves and hold their tiny atop low stone walls. They also look ter- four-petaled flowers in flattened, conelike, rific planted among the dark green leaves or globular clusters. The common name and long-blooming, sky blue spring flow- “candytuft” derives from Candia, an old ers of creeping Tu rkish speedwell (Veron- English name for the island of Cyprus, to ica liwanensis). which several species are native. Annual sweet alyssum (Lobularia The annual rocket candytuft (Iberis maritima, Zones 0–0, 12–1), is native to amara, Zones 0–0, 12–1)—particularly the Sweet alyssum is easy to grow from Mediterranean Europe and the Canary cultivar ‘Giant Hyacinth-Flowered’—is direct seeding in spring. Islands. A terrific edger and filler for bor- my favorite candytuft. It grows a foot tall ders and container plantings, it grows and six inches wide, producing a summer the seeds with an eighth to a quarter from two to 12 inches tall and eight to 12 explosion of lightly fragrant, starch-white inch of soil. Most types will germi- inches wide, producing narrow, light blossoms resembling little fireworks. nate within one to three weeks. green leaves and (usually) fragrant flow- Globe candytuft, (I. umbellata, Zones Once germination has occurred, re- ers that are held in rounded clusters in 0–0, 12–1) is the annual candytuft you are move the seedlings from bottom heat summer and autumn. The scent brings most likely to find in garden centers. It dis- and grow them in the best light you to mind baby powder mixed with new plays a more spreading habit, growing any- can give them. Transplant to individ- mown hay. where from six to 12 inches tall by 10 inches ual containers using a free-draining Sweet alyssums come in a range of col- wide, and produces a weaker version of I. growing medium when they have de- ors, including white, lavender, rose-red, vi- amara’s soft powdery scent. Although the veloped two to four true leaves. olet-blue, coppery pink, and palest lemon. flower clusters are smaller and rounder Plant outdoors when all threat of Once their first flush of bloom has than those of I. amara, they are more nu- hard frost has passed, in a neutral to passed, shear the plants back by a third to merous and more highly colored, particu- alkaline soil. If your soil is acidic, half their height. Within three weeks, they larly in the ‘Flash’ series, which offers pink, amend your bed with a shot of agri- will have budded out again and, if this purple, and carmine forms. cultural lime before you plant. —R.L. treatment is continued, they will bloom Native to southern Europe, evergreen OP: MARK TURNER; RIGHT: SAXON HOLT

T until frost. candytuft (I. sempervirens, Zones 5–9,

November / December 2005 19 20 ever 6–9, 9–1) 9–1) ismuc h l inc men o breath onsteroids.” Awell- k I CO b w Gem) bl b inc flocke’ (aka‘Snowflake’) l w evergreen its name,this d 9–3) isatou enjoy t sively drou Zone 6gar wi m g Above: Colewortflowers earl eaves framestoutstemsthatterminatein eaves all f I had to characterize colewort andse f Ihadtocharacterize colewort round for a e ears particu uge c raine ith a10-inchspread. Theseselectionsca one ho live where wintersare warmercan ossom c t l LEW h f h e ina C Severa h antastica y y es ta t es wi June.Ri the American Gardener ole r y winterinm a O

f l d h p n sea usters o RT AND RT lant , neutra as acompact s h w ll l f l y wit e uce g p cu ort ew wor ew l f d ear. usters. “Weisser Zwer g rows about30inchestallby 2 or me, k eonies andmeadowcranesbillin h g e, its d ht-tolerant onceestablished. d ll a l ive wa g t l n g h en inSanta Fe. Gar ar le ar y tivars are avai (C. cor ht: Thelate-s t h h subshrub, fondofwell- as f inn p S l fl airy w airy ( k e same,on y l EA KAL erennial hasnot Cram toa ori green, spoon-s l l d i arge, two-tot d e y f gh y s, Iwou oot- r w f USDA ying toflat,roundseed erous an t lk d h l h b a y i E p a a f ll e maritima, ite l rovide alac g b olia, l ong, s. b g ine soi reater sprea it, sixinc rows ei ac l bl p y l ld a rin Z k g ossoms. d bl b say, “ Z tot rown speci one 6/AHS are impres- igger: eig g bl e: ‘Sc ones 6–9 flowerso l h . Despit ue-gree g g ree-inc h ’ (Litt ht to1 p h d y e roots h Z b rove back es ta h ener d ape a ones p nee an b ods y’s ht le n n n h 0 d d ll 4 a e s - - - f , L th H HO w c d s fl feet tallb L haped leaves, thou o own insummer. unaria . annua ower. Ita ell-drained soiltoprevent root rot. onesty inc e annua ld NE Both speciescanbeeasily -con S TY

d rediviva (Zones 3–9,9–1).Bot y itione l (sometimes five feetorsowidewhenin l l so u d h es d as see b (Zones 6–9,9–6),and ot d eep d h . P g a h, alas,theydie b l p l y ru ant t iennia erennia ffl g h rown fro h em invery e l ) species, are mos d l s , p h ecies, eart- m t er. Theindividualflowers 5–8, 8–5),t mon names,moonplant,moneyplant l i once itisesta w t s d s t ova by an d often d wh blossoms inpurple,lilac,orlilac-veine t t f t nia flower. The littlerhizomes ofthisperen c very lon very P fruits turnbrownfruits and n either full sun or part shade,andthe n eitherfullsunorpart i oot across, o imes cent pring toear rous dark oppe o two-footsprin ounter is iviva, is k l ou ater it every ater itevery eno’, an a l d about18incheswide,withtoothed e amu erant—I k H Th Th ite. Dou l l si sprout - to s t bl l onesty is not particularly drou onesty isnotparticularly g ess in l fl e p e s d e ver h rown fortheirdriedfruits—papery us wit open whitetopurplefrom lat h at ins g l p l eart-s lived andresents transplantin i h l ants reac d l ecies you’re most c ac- e d o L Car h f g g d h h f rom w ll ora l bl . annu bl reen leafyrosettes about in eat row mineina y summer p wit e prominent ar p ubi a won Northern Hemis s t annua t d countr an cas tub T CARDAMINE t T r e green, r p cresses are r d h is ire ion earnedb reasure in i o ex a e e d d ue tot rized by children andflo in o avoid leafburn l . l ay. T bl h ape l dd h h a very innermem very d d g amine

L. annu h e car d q d d f e ery, gray-green to ero k e eig ed leaves andstrikin f grown t ry weat ry orms suc d ecorators. purp oun uity, how littleknow

h h y’s smoc is

a p d h . Bot d ic twoto bl l h h g h ose t b u , onesty’s ot car y er, consi h h -flowerin g eart-s - ut d e perennia s woo h , butthisma ossoms, are we p d p e t reen arisegrace . amines or t-inc p a l t ur d h f e incoo S a ratensi p p h ragrant in h h h amines species h art s art h ery, pl uggis ‘ er. W roug e trans h Varie y izomatous or f l k ey are int l dl h f ar l our-peta h eaves, some , someofth ape e our i orcuc whichar d

k an as‘F d g h bl ering t p e p war e tu h h a g s h d l eel the , d b here. It’s g l ossoms. l y toen- . sitethi er com- h d stem reputa f

out t ( , w weat ata’ ha rane s

d f k eet ta l e. Zones b en t b u ucen f o we b in itter- L rassi wit l h y an g on l k h l . re d ore ite- be l us ht- h o eir e h h h is m i n ll h d d d ll o o ll g g y a e e e e e e s s s s ------t , ,

TOP: MICHAEL S. THOMPSON; CENTER: DAVID CAVAGNARO MORE ORNAMENTAL CABBAGE FAMILY MEMBERS

Name Height/Width Flowers Foliage Origin USDA, AHS (inches) Color/Season Zones ANNUALS AND BIENNIALS Orychophragmus violaceus 12–24/12 violet/ late spring, pale green,upright Asia 10–11, 8–1 (Showy rocket) early summer Schizopetalon walkeri 6–14/8 fringed, white, night- green feathery, upright Chile 0–0, 8–1 scented/summer PERENNIALS Aethionema schistosum 6–10/10–15 pink, scented/ blue-green, succulent Turkey 4–8, 8–1 (Fragrant Persian stone cress) early spring Alyssum propinquum 1–3 /10 golden/spring gray-green Turkey 4–10, 8–1 Arabis blepharophylla 4–8/4–8 scented, rosy-purple/ evergreen, mat forming California 5–8, 8–5 ‘Frühlingszauber’/‘Spring Charm’ spring (Rock cress) Aubrieta ✕cultorum 4/12–18 purple-red/springgreen, mat forming hybrid 5–7, 7–5 ‘Leichtlinii’ (Purple rock cress) Erysimum asperum 12/10 gold/spring evergreen, upright Western U.S. 5–8, 8–5 (Western wallflower) Erysimum ‘Bowle’s Mauve’ 30/24 mauve/ early springgrayish, evergreen hybrid 6–10, 10–3 (Hybrid wallflower) to summer upright Lepidium nanum 1/6 tiny, cream/spring small green, Nevada 3–8, 8–4 (Dwarf pepperweed) tight cushions Physaria alpina 2–4/5–6 yellow-orange/spring silvery gray rosettes Colorado 3–8, 8–3 (Avery peak twinpod) Physaria integrifolia 5–6/3 yellow/spring followed small silvery creeping Wyoming 3–8, 8–3 var. monticola by decorative tan fruit rosettes Stanleya pinnata 36–48/24 yellow/summer mound of basal foliage Southwest 5–10, 10–5 (Prince's plume) U.S.

worth growing if you can find them. dense, low-growing perennial with dark All cardamines thrive in a cool, moist For those interested in trying some- evergreen foliage. “In late winter, clean site in part to full shade. thin g n ew, D an Hinkl ey of H er on swood wwhite flowe owesrs rise setos to six inches c es in he egight t Nursery in Washington State, offers a and remain attractive for many weeks, ” STOCKS range of little known Cardamine species says Hinkley. “It’s self cleaning, so we need The genus Matthiola contains about 50 and selections. One of Hinkley’s favorites not even cut the flowering stems back species of branching annual, biennial, or is C. trifolia (Zones 5–7, 7–5), a sturdy, when the floral show is over.” perennial herbs with gray-green foliage, spikes of single or double pastel flowers, and an odd, sweet scent, a bit rank in some strains, like the smell of aging hy- acinths. American garden writer Louise Beebe Wilder, in The Fragrant Path, described stocks as reproducing the colors of “old and worn chintzes—old rose, dim purple, delicate buff, [and] cream,” which is exactly right. There are only two species readily available to gardeners. The day-scented stock (Matthiola incana, Zones 5–8, 8–5) is the

N species from which most garden stocks are

The late-spring flowers of lady’s smock (Cardamine pratensis) carpet the floor of this

MICHAEL S. THOMPSO woodland garden.

November / December 2005 21 Sources Annie’s Annuals, Richmond, CA. J.L. Hudson, Seedsman, La Honda, (510) 215-1671. www.annies CA. www.jlhudsonseeds.net. Cata- annuals.com. Catalog online. log free and online.

Chiltern Seeds, Ulverston, England Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery, Medford, www.edirectory.co.uk/chilternseeds. OR. (541) 772-6846. www.srpn.net. Catalog online. Catalog $3; free online.

Diane’s Flower Seeds, Ogden, UT. (801) 782-8121. www.dianeseeds. com. Catalog online. Resources Armitage’s Manual of Annuals, Bienni- Heronswood Nursery, Kingston, WA. als, and Half-Hardy Perennials by Al- (360) 297-4172. lan M. Armitage. Timber Press, www.heronswood.com. Catalog $5. Portland, Oregon, 2001.

Among sweetly scented brassicas are day- scented stock (Matthiola incana), above, and wallflowers (Erysimum cheiri), right. Both are available in a wide variety of colors. derived. M. longipetala subsp. bicornis (Zones 8–10, 10–1) is the night-scented stock, which, in summer, produces single, white to pale lilac to brownish flowers on lolling stems, the whole plant barely reach- ing a foot in height. During the day, the flowers droop, but at night they pour forth a sweet scent that has none of the rank un- dertones some detect in M. incana. Stocks grow best in well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil where summer nights are cool. They can tolerate heat and drought if protected from full af- ternoon sun. drained soil of my mountain garden, through the end of May or later. Occa- WALLFLOWERS wallflowers are completely hardy, and in sionally, they rebloom in fall. (For more Erysimum cheiri (Zones 3–7, 7–1) is the most years they stay evergreen even be- wallflower recommendations, see the chart common English wallflower, though neath the snow. on page 21.) you will still find these plants listed in The first wallflowers I grew were ‘Cloth So even if you turn up your nose at most catalogs under their old name, of Gold’, a yellow, and the orange-brown broccoli, cauliflower, and kohlrabi, con- SON Cheiranthus cheiri. ‘Covent Garden’, both of them more-or- sider these lovely cabbage relations as Wallflowers’ long, narrow leaves and less biennial strains that do not flower reli- hearty additions to your beds and borders.

stout stems are very like those of stocks, ably until their second year from seed. Their simple flowers will charm you with HT: LYNNE HARRI G

but they are rather stiff and dark lustrous Many old strains flower the second year their abundance and delicacy, and unlike ; RI O

green, not gray. Although wallflowers are from a spring sowing, but modern selec- their edible cousins, many are delightful- NAR perennial, they are commonly grown as tions will flower the first year, their single ly fragrant. G AVA annuals or biennials and in colder parts to double buds opening with the earliest C of the country, plants must be started bulbs. If kept from going to seed, and the Writer Rand Lee grows ornamental cabbages

each year from seed. But in the dry, well- weather remains cool, they will continue in his garden in Santa Fe, New Mexico. LEFT: DAVID

22 the American Gardener RON CAPEK Christine N field andIthou o I r can h f C etorica W b periment, ChristineNye, isn’t even sure how she’d letvisitorsknow whatshe’s wouldthesi done.“What b F Y h ell, theymi e rewing t icago’s S d C OU one even ont ll om y y onea e usescom T Tea inthe Garden

W p h h ER ost tea e ere. T g dd g ht, ‘This wholepeninsulashouldbeor ht, ‘This f E ht saysomethin ternoon ass Aquarium, t o stroll past theRose Gardens inChica p h h ost teatoim e gar is sca i s d g l ens e.” Soon a a h i h e stan n a l p oo d i g rove n w aboutcomposttea,ornatural pestcontrol, orbi k g h

d l

i i s int p p l k f e ter, Nye was ont lant e t o l p an h h ular g ey a d e gar rowth inseveral scaping att l ways i d t y en,

i n BY ALLISONKNA h h g ave; nosigns in er straw p anic,’” Nye says.“We shouldsetanexample—that[or h h e p ubl e aquariuminspring2004.“One g g h o’s Grant Park, you’d have noideathatalandscapin reen s one tot i c and h at s p aces inChica h h ie d e p ld icate anongoingexperiment.T B h r ing i ea vate landsca d h quarters o quarters er eyes g o, includin g ideasthatNye, mana thehorticultural f rom t f t h g e C p d theRoseGarden atGrantP h ay Iwasoutwor es, e sun h icago Par N f . or ovember g h ood reason. k e District, as f / orce December k g g ns say?”sheasks ing ont anic b g e revolution is h g in ar ardenin 200 k d h k, ing per- t e nort a h 5 b e ex ove g 23 g e h r - ] . Christine Nye, applying compost tea to roses in Grant Park, left, and sampling compost tea-drenched soil, above, is trying to document the effects of compost tea on plant growth and health. mission to test her theories at several sites Traditionally, compost tea has been on her Web site: “Compost tea is a liquid in the city’s park system. brewed by placing compost in a burlap produced by leaching soluble nutrients For nearly a decade, Nye has kept the sack, immersing the sack in a container of and extracting bacteria, fungi, protozoa, Shedd Aquarium’s indoor spaces free of water, and stirring the odiferous brew now and nematodes from the compost.” The pesticides and its outdoor landscaping and then until it’s deemed ready for use. nutrients feed both the beneficial mi- nearly free. She advocates organic meth- But the results of this haphazard croorganisms in the tea and the plants to ods because she believes that using inor- method were far from great. “Sometimes which the tea is applied. ganic fertilizers on plants is akin to giving it would work, sometimes not, and on oc- Proponents of compost tea say that it them addictive drugs. In addition, she casion, it would kill the plants,” says Elaine puts nutrients and beneficial microorgan- has focused on selecting native plants R. Ingham, president and director of re- isms back into soil that has been depleted and using natural products for garden search at Soil Foodweb, Inc. and author of by years of exposure to pesticides, inor- maintenance, such as corn gluten meal the Compost Tea Brewing Manual. “The ganic fertilizers, and air pollution. As the for pre-emergent weed control. problem was the lack of consistency in beneficial organisms consume organic what people were calling compost tea,” In- matter, they secrete compounds that pro- IMPROVING ON TRADITION gham continues. “Now that specific promote soil aggregation, which improves Nye’s big interest is compost tea, which duction parameters have been defined, soil structure. Some symbiotic fungi— she has experimented with on the plants production of aerated compost tea using mycorrhizae—colonize plant roots and in and around the Shedd Aquarium for those defined methods means we can guar- enhance the plants’ ability to absorb food years. She brewed the tea in a 22-gallon antee that there will be benefit from the or- and water. And, in some cases, proponents tank in the aquarium’s basement, and, ganisms in the tea.” believe, beneficial organisms out-compete when she had some left over, she trucked disease-causing organisms. All of these it elsewhere in the city and beyond, shar- RECIPE FOR SUCCESS factors, advocates say, lead to healthier soil ing it with other horticulturists. Simply put, today’s compost tea is a mix- and, thus, healthier more vigorous plants. Although compost tea is not a new ture of compost, water, and a substrate like idea—it is a concept that’s been around molasses to encourage the desired organ- WORD GETS AROUND for centuries—the organic plant fertil- isms, stewed together in a brewer through With the support and consent of other APEK (2) izer typically has been made and used by which air is continuously bubbled. Ing- area horticulturists, last spring Nye C N O only a small number of home gardeners. ham offers this more scientific definition began testing her compost tea in green R

24 the American Gardener COURTESY OF BATTERY PARK (2) from thoseplotstodeterminehow the p P G P s um’s groun a soi times aseason,bothasfoliarsprayand paces throu ar ar art ofthecity,art andtheShedd A p p p will be p In the tea gallons andstartatabout Compost teabrewersareavailableinsizesfromfiveto500 s quality product,sousingabrewerwillgiveyouthebestre The remainin fee grounds,vegetables,woodchips,newspaper,andleaves. i p Conservancy inNewYorkCity.Ifyou’remakingyourowncom Fleischer, directorofhorticultureforBatteryParkCity “ G as fresh brew afewtimeseachda to soaktheso rant Park’s Rose Garden tems highincarbon,suchasweeds,drygrassclippings,cof ults. Andaddunsulfuredmolassestofeedthebacteria Your com ost, Fleischerrecommendsthat80percentofitshouldbe end anies suchasSoilFoodweb(see“Resources”),whichsu l lanted, oruseasprayertoapplythetea k k ETTIN i g es re ’s Coni l ’s perennia Dedicated Use theteasoona Aerat ham advises.Shealsorecommendsvi

d i renc ng onthebrewer,mak g i p in todieoff.A s bubbl g i orts o on—add rass cli G f h d p er Gar . Nye a s. S

ost teaisonl g S g hout thecity:Lincoln i l g 20 TARTED WITH l aroundplantsordouseseedsbe gar f h ardeners canhavetheirteaanal i them n e app pp d g p en innort i l n d n so extractssoi in ercent shouldbenitro en int g i cel g ox l f i s, manure,andle pp ies t croor ter y y yg , l l as y y i thesolutionusin i h en— to $ h t ke aso g h , e sout i 100. “Maintainaerationsotha e teat i g ng teaw s brewedortheorgan an C ood as p Garfield romote microbial i h i s cr sm content l q icago cores CO f uari- h h t bo ern ree i y t i MP our com i ll take , cal tomak i l onthestove,”Ela g g uminous material. g OS enous—items such orousl studies are toestablishbaseline important A o d ed microor an w com f ening” onWGN Ra . ssociation (MELA), ssociation (MELA), eb. She hasthesoilsamplesanalyze g t 12 d T TE awaterin M f p h trac ol ost,” warnsT p e Mi y to4 i f i y k ost tea zed b age ore theyare g stirrin i e Nowa n rowth. De- k A i g s c sms d 8 . ah g west Eco hours y —A.K h anisms. com- g a g h can i ng ig the n k, as a i g n h p

es int it e s . h . t - - - - - . . ost o ff l ecte o d g b h io an ica f e e “Let’s Ta l d ieves t l eve l t Lan past sevenyears,drawsafreshbatchfromlargebrewer. Park, wherecompostteahasbeenregularlyappliedforthe Monika Haberland,ahorticulturistatNewYork’sBattery h d l e soi co s o h d f f at Nye’s at scapin oun lk assort l

Gar- f oo d e d d g r - “We’ve maintaine and perennial borders—for seven years. for the cause pro fact, proponents andsellersofcomposttea acres—inc t s pending onthetypeofplants, Fleisher approximately sixweeks, de onceevery p b Par t l a ma t a p co “Ri d h a B ic s ea asama ion Agency ays. or ofhorticulture forBatter pp an een usin pp roducts intermsofdiseasecontrol, be- ar ata ont atter mp Nye isn’t t k k d g dh lies com roval from theEnvironmental Protec p p,y s Conservancy inNews Conservancy Yor ’s ’s ht now, mostoftheinformationo j ucts are care H aces, or pro ost teaisanec e d y h e cautions against viewing compost e cautionsagainstviewing ParkhorticulturistRobertHanse ld oing sowou p orticu s ast 14years,” Fleisher says.The g h g h p l compostteaonthepark’s 92 u e ic j N ra owever. T. F p ect usin d ( ovember ost teatoaballfield usin h b EPA y ing trees, l ff e er. u turists a iciency o ll f f irst persontoun et, u ) d d . l ld g notto t ota b compostteainpub- / h ut says,“We’ve require testingan December e par l ppl l ,” l awns, a eis Nowa f com y com d h k escri er, t organica y Park Cit k 200 b City, p k h b p a ost tea sa d e e t ll ost te erta 5 d

ys f b h irec ie een . In h os g ld 2 ll ke a a n d n y y 5 a e s - - - . , tled, “Natural Plans for Urban Lands.” “The reason I wanted to have that first conference was so that people would talk to each other,” Nye says. “If we’re not communicating, it’s like we’re reinventing the wheel.” The response was tremendous. In addition to the Chicago Park District, representatives from two other park districts attended, as did employees of lawn-care companies, Brookfield Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, and local landscapers. Speakers included Sadhu A. Johnston, assistant to the mayor for the Green Initia- tives program, and Jeff Frank, founder of Long Island Lyceum School of Environ- mental Horticulture. This past February, MELA held a similar conference, “Common Sense Choices for Landscape Design and Care.” Nye has become a board member at MELA, and cofounder Mike Nowak says, “She’s the Christa Conforti, integrated pest management coordinator at San Francisco’s Presidio, applies kind of person who changes an organiza- compost tea to a flat of seedlings in an effort to document its effects on container-grown plants. tion just by being there.” successful at building a natural nutrient posium for Chicago-area gardeners, land- THE BOTTOM LINE cycle in the soil, and that’s one of the ben- scapers, and horticulturists interested in or- Although she’s awaiting the end-of-season efits of compost tea.” ganic methods. Together with MELA and results of her experiments, Nye has been At San Francisco’s Presidio—a former Daniel Staackmann, president of Organic pleased with early feedback. Her former military post that is now part of the Gold- Matters, Nye put together a program ti- boss at the aquarium, Bryce Bandstra— en Gate National Recreation Area—park landscapers conducted a 12-month trial of compost tea on their golf course. In 2001, landscapers treated turf on one green with TEA TREATMENT FOR RIVER FARM’S TREES compost tea and compared it with un- The Care of Trees, a national tree care company that maintains the trees at River Farm, treated turf on another green. They ap- applies compost tea as part of its regular maintenance program. “Compost tea has plied the tea weekly or biweekly, been a standard component of our tree-care program for about three years now,” depending on incidence of disease, and says Richard Eaton, a certified arborist who is district manager for The Care of Trees. evaluated the turf monthly. According to Eaton, the company has found that applications of compost tea On the compost tea–treated turf, park around the root zones of trees enhances soil quality. “We see much better general staff noted a reduction of turf disease and health of trees, fewer pest problems, better growth, and better resistance to drought.” an increase in root depth. As a result, the The trees at River Farm get sev- park has made compost tea “an integral eral treatments of compost tea part of the pest management and general throughout the growing season. turf management program on all Presidio The tea is applied throughout Golf Course greens,” says Christa Con- the entire root zone of the tree forti, Presidio Trust integrated pest man- from the trunk to the drip line agement (IPM) coordinator. “We’ve of the canopy. started using compost tea on the Presidio Eaton says The Care of Trees ballfields and at our native plant nursery. brews its own compost tea at And we’re currently conducting a trial on each district office. The tea is nursery plants to see whether we can doc- aerated during the brewing ument the effects of compost tea on con- process and also during transit tainer-grown plants.” to job sites. “We have special trucks fitted with a bubbler sys- A technician with The Care of Trees applies compost EXPANDING THE NETWORK tem,” says Eaton. —AHSSTAFF tea under a Kentucky coffee tree at River Farm. Inspired by her compost tea projects, in OP: COURTESY OF THE PRESIDIO; BOTTOM: JESSICA ROZMUS spring 2004 Nye helped organize a sym- T

26 the American Gardener Sources EPM Inc., Cottage Grove, OR. (541) 767-2747. www.composttea.com.

Growing Solutions, Eugene, OR. (888) 600-9558, www.growing solutions.com.

Keep It Simple, Redmond, WA. (866) 558-0990, www.simplici-tea.com.

North County Organics, Bradford, VT. (802) 222-4277. www.norganics.com.

Soil Soup, Seattle, WA. (877) 711- 7687. www.soilsoup.com. Among the growing number of public spaces that are successfully maintained Resources with compost tea is the International Compost Tea Council, Marriott Green Roof garden www.intlctc.org. in Houston, Texas, above. The compost tea is delivered Soil Foodweb, www.soilfoodweb. through an automatic irri- com. Extensive background on gation system, right, provid- compost tea and the soil food web, ing an effective way to recommendations for making and supply continuous nourish- using compost tea, as well as mak- ment for the garden’s trees ing and using compost; Compost and beds of annuals and Tea Brewing Manual. perennials. National Sustainable Agriculture Infor- now general foreman of Garfield Park and wear protective gear and the area is off lim- mation Service, www.attra.org. See Lincoln Park Conservatories in Grant its for four hours afterwards, all of which section on Soils & Compost; publi- Park—notes that spray from the park’s can be off-putting to the public, he says. cation Notes on Compost Teas. Buckingham Fountain contributes to Compost tea carries none of those risks. fungus black spot on the roses, but adds, Others in Chicago also are waking up “The roses that were treated with com- to the possibilities of compost tea. “When Nye is pragmatic about compost tea’s post tea were no worse than those sprayed Christine brings [compost tea] to limiiitations but enthusiiiastic about its with the fungicide. That’s a compli- Garfield, there’s a fight for it now,” Band- possibilities. “Maybe compost tea isn’t ment—it means that the compost tea stra says, and adds that gardeners who going to fix everything, but it’s a way to does a pretty good job.” Preliminary tests treat ferns and orchids are especially en- get started,” Nye told the scientists, city also show that the soil’s total bacterial bio- thusiastic about results of using the tea. employees, landscapers, and home gar- mass, total fungal biomass, fungal com- In addition to the environmental and deners who gathered at the third annu- munity, and ciliate levels have moved safety benefits of using compost tea, cost al MELA conference earlier this year. within the desired ranges since last year’s is yet another advantage. “If [horticul- Later, applying tea to one of her tests. “Will you have a perfect, disease- turists] spent their money on building up plots, she muses, “If something works, free garden with compost tea?” Bandstra the soil, a lot of their problems would it’s cheaper than what you’re doing, and asks. “No. You have to be willing to ac- disappear,” Nye says. Applications to it’s safer for the environment, why cept some diseases, some pests.” Grant Park’s Rose Garden, for example, wouldn’t you choose to do that?” For Bandstra, a major benefit of com- cost less than $80 last year, compared post tea is its safety. When the Rose Gar- with the tremendous labor and supply Allison Knab is a freelance writer based in OURTESY OF JENNIFER APPEL (2)

C dens are sprayed with pesticides, workers costs of traditional pesticides. Chicago who enjoys indoor gardening.

November / December 2005 27 2 BY RITAPEL s w interestin Trees withcolorfulortexturall beec or an and folia co rou nus kousa stroemia in assumin ficient reason toinclude itinyour come tomin birch andpaperbark maple ( l (Dios th l t shades ofbrown, green, copper, rose, and t t t wh w l A Rita Pelczar isacontri b bl petition from verdant folia l t beds with shrubs andherbaceous beds withshrubs gu The AmericanGar an iating arge an eaves, atree’s rees makeoutstandin Walkin an. akes centersta eristic bark. Textures ma he 8 eauty o inter asitdoesinsummer. But inwinter ooms t i e smoot l l nter garden d pot i ors an Some trees have suchremarkable bark B E So ta So gh ar p l g e inmi h ac ut trees t the American Gardene py amut from whitetoblack,throu d l

, ea (Fa b h fl year-roun ros vir d ar M Un a l tree s g a f k f ates o an sma h ), k

itisculturallysuitedtothesite g e a g d g k h b d ID is winteran in us d arden, bark provides continuity e, as do crape myrtle e, asdocrapemyrtle /or textures—‘Heritage’ rive o provide additionalseasonalcol- , ar l -Decem g i d ica) l k d g f d throu h ig g k

g t b fl ll , or T e g vantage o iniana p —t ran at a . C h h g gar ower ar f l H ecies barkshineinth fl e. t gray an e river ournative persimmo ZA k eetin f E d l h d urrowe

i so d d l i . d at t g R b oo ever-c interest. T f

ens an olia), b h mywoodsinMary ener. ) k er, itiseasyto h b gh , u ousa g k g b ave attractive ears itsown c h a b d d

s muc specimensinbot ar b nd thetou f e bl irc en s t utin d h k b l ossoms, g t h ie y d h . An o anging scenesi he dark ar d e andabundant j e besmoothor a

( oy t oy d ogwoo (Betu f k Acer griseum) h anAmerican g l l ormant, r a ac so e t d h l t o h co d h k one issu f ese sma e samei itor with o p e ru it we l g , a nigra). p f l ( lants. rectan- g h, exfo- d ruit, o ruit, ors ru fl f ic La arden h com

owers ( k arac gg Cor b ll g ou ar er in gh e f- e . n n n n y h d ll k r r - - - - - t . , , n ( w Z The stri above) ones 7–1)isanunderstor ith cons Acer pensylvanicum Acer T p p ed ma roduces brilliant coral stemsthatmaturetooran p icuous whitestri p ens p r le ormoosewoo y lvanicu ee y treeofeasternNorthAmerican forests. Its p es thatfadesomewhat witha d m ( Acer B p ens y lvanicum a , USDA HardinessZones3–7 g e-red with r g e. Thecultivar‘Er k p rominent whitestriations. g reen barkismarked

y throcladum’ , AHSHea t

MICHAEL S. THOMPSON CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SAXON HOLT; KEN MEYER; JOSEPH G. STRAUCH, JR. Acer griseum A cer griseum i ma dee camell oval crown.Inadditiontoitsfra matures toa30-40-foottreew p Ja Ri trifoliate leavesturnbronzeandred i a reddish brownbarkbe usuall 4–8, 8–1)makesafines p Above: Anim n boldpatchesoftan,brown,and gray nterestin a seudocamellia t a p g p g anese stewartia er ht: AnotherAsians p nificent sinew y redfallfolia b y oun ar i

al g k rowin i ma ke summerflowersand g g a texture.Inautumn,it pl g g p e, e about30feettall.It ort fromChina,the ( , y Acer g barkthatexfoliate Zones 5–8 ivin g e, itdevelo g g ins toexfoliat g riseum p thetreean p ecimen tree ( ecies, th Stewarti , , 8–4 Z g i th a one rant p s . i t a a e e n s s s s s ) , , . S Stewartia psuedocamellia tewartia psue shades ofred,brown,andmaho f a Th h exfoliatin lowers. Itsmosta smallroundedtreefromwesternChinawithwhites orizontal lenticelst Prunus serrula Prunus P e p runus serrul runus a d p er ocame g b barkthat ar k c h ll err i y a yp pp p

( eels todis Prunus serrula ical ofcherries. a ealin g feature,however,isit g N an p ovember la y , withthecons y

, g Zones 6–8 loss / December y swatchesin , p 8–6)i icuous p 200 rin g s s 5 29 3 Native toChina,thelacebark j g develo i B M 0 rowin g Prunus sar Betula Betula nigr Arbutus uned Zelko Q Pseudoc Pin M La J Fa Fagus grand C C C C C Parrotia Eucalyptus gunn Araucaria araucan Bursera micro otanical name saw uni unn ornus kous horisia s erdici ar uercus m Pinus bungeana etase O Pinus g g the American Gardene y us erstroemi us s RE TREE p a ovat g p p i v erus vir r tree,oftencultivatedwithmulti s anintricate,lac n atches ofcolorthat ran a p es p q g

y se h ham p a uoia y lvatic in donia sinensi y py p ersic a rr llum g y ecios a osa b enti rsinifoli ata rifer a if i g a ungeana g a lanceolat o ol a inian p a l s

yp h ia i pp j a a a S y ii

tostroboide p ll

a . andh WITHATTRA a onicu a a

y s

p a m attern thatiss y p brids cra ine r g s e fromolive ( Pinus bun p omnnm USDA,AHSZones Common name Chinese ever Ja Chinese 4–7 Sar red Persian ironwood 3–9 d eastern redcedar Amer C katsura tree sha 8–9,9–6 ele p river birch 7–11,12–6 strawberry tree monkey puzzletree Euro 5– 13–14,12–1 Kousa dogwood floss silktree c le trunks.Itsbark,which i w ewo 5–10 awn redwood a h der gum p p i p C p g na ns ekv 5–9,9– anese zelkova g p er birch p atte 13–15,12–10 hant tree e m ent cherr p bark hickor ectacular TIVE BARK ine i g can beech a ec 4–7,9–4 ean beech fi g eana, reen tobrown, r7 y q rtle ic 6–8,8–4 uince Zones 4–7 g y enok7–9,9–6 reen oak y ear round. y g , 7–1)isaslow p ra 8 eels toex – y , andwhite 10 4–9, 9–1 3 4–8, 8–1 2–7, 7–1 3–7, 7–1 4–8, 8–1 5–9, 9– 7–9, 9–7 – – 9 , 9 , 8 12–8 10 , , , , , 7–1 9–1 9 9 8 p –7 – – –5 ose 0 1 8 5 5 - , t C becomes smoothanduniforml ( shape, growingtoamatureheightofabout40feet. effectively withitsblue-grayfoliage.Itdevelopsaconical to revealasleekglaucoussurfacethatcontrasts 10–9) isanAustraliannativethatshedsitsbarkinflakes The Tingiringigum o Arbutus menziesii ultivated s Arbutus menziesii p Arbutus menz Eucalyptus glaucescens Euca outatabout50 feet. l p y ecimens ofthiswestern NorthAmericannative p tus , (Eucalyptus glaucescens, Zones 7–9,9–7) g l aucescen i es ii y cinnamon-colored. s p eels awa Zones 9–10, y untili t

LEFT: JOSEPH G. STRAUCH, JR; TOP RIGHT: KAREN BUSSOLINI; BOTTOM RIGHT: MARK TURNER LYNNE HARRISON hardy andeasyto avai or sospeciesin the some 15years ago,on s an l ar O i Once mainl y themostfascinatin h s Jack i a d saemas W d captivating p l e gar a hen Ifirstbe bl e. But d g g F ( i en wit Arisaem rown over my manyyears asa ardener and nursery owner,ardener andnursery n thepulp

ALL , t y h the h l

g g ants out t an row. Ican’t ima a THE an collectin s l k pp.) are un g g y acoup s tot . Thesemysteriou enus were readil A l p h oo em. rovince ofcollectors,thesefascinatin i p k t—are nowpopularshadegardenplants. exotic lants Ihave h e l g e o arisaema d RI ff f ou g t orts o orts b ine m h ut are b e 15 te d 0 y y s s - f i t But I o g s f cialty plantexchan l now relatively easytoobtainfrom popu- atica Nursery, Deli pl ar gar urt e h arden, there’s notimelikethepresent l ant e temptation to try arisaemasinyour e temptationtotry ntr ections I SA h f g er sources o y hts Nursery Yin andBarry f d anatics suc ou haven’t alread ff en cata er . f air warning,once you’ve start d l ogs. T ig ozens o f h

p asTony Avent o revious EM h g e Internet an es are providin f u exotic species ar y succumbedto l y i h g ar aroids—themostwidel g n d er ofAsi -to- f d P spe g f l in an d g e - - - t .

u d th A BA ed, it’s hard tostopat after anthuriumsand ti Emer u AS p pp iversity l risaemas are t ar e arum e arum wella C ed s KGR l y t g in h OU p g g adix o e Hima inearl f ainst thedark,stri f ND ANDB or arisaemasisinAsia—partic ami N ovember f ly

Arisaema sikokianu h l (Araceae).T y ayan re e t s y O p knownofwhich h rin TAN BY / ir p December j ust oneortwo! d hilodendrons—i g Y g , thewhite,club

G l ion, C argest genus— p ENE E.B ed hood h e centero h 200 ina, an m . 5 sh US ows 31 H n d - - f Japan—but they also range into the Mid- dle East, Africa, and North America. They are primarily found in seasonally moist, woodland habitats, and most are native to temperate zones, which makes them adaptable to a wide range of gardens in the United States. Arisaemas are herbaceous plants that grow from—depending on species—tubers or rhizomes. Despite what you might assume after seeing them in “bloom,” arisaemas are really mostly about foliage. In addition to one to three “true” leaves that develop on each plant, what is gener- ally thought of as the flower is actually a modified leaf that curls into a tube, broad- ening at the tip to form a hood (spathe). Inside this tube, the inconspicuous true flowers form on a slender club called a spadix. In some species, a band of male flowers forms near the top of the spadix, followed by a sterile band and then a band of female flowers. If pollen from the male flowers reaches the female flowers—and sufficient energy is available in the tuber— seeds will form inside fleshy berries. Most plants are pollinated by flies and beetles. Berries are produced in tight clusters, usually turning a brilliant waxy red by fall. Because I grow a number of species with different blooming and fruiting sequences, I enjoy a flowering season from March through July, followed by a colorful berry display from Sep- tember to early December. When it comes to reproduc- tion, some arisaemas behave in Berries of Arisaema triphyllum (left) add a rather unusual ways. Plants can be splash of brilliant color to the shade garden monoecious as described above, in autumn. In the author's garden (above), having both male and female the green spadix of a Jack in the pulpit flowers at maturity. Some species “preaches” beneath its hoodlike spathe. are dioecious—the male and female flowers are on separate The best time to plant new arisaemas plants. And some change their is in late summer or early fall, so the tubers gender from one year to another have time to set roots before the plant goes in response to environmental conditions. Before selecting an arisaema for your dormant for winter. Plant tubers four to garden, determine whether it emerges six inches deep in free-draining organic GROWING ARISAEMAS early, mid-season, or late. Species break soil as described below. Much of the published information about dormancy at varying times in spring, and I treat all the species I grow pretty much winter hardiness of arisaemas is outdated. although a species may be hardy, if it be- the same. My garden is on the north side USDA Hardiness Zones of 6 to 8 are still gins growth too early, it can be injured by of a hill, shaded by trees and shrubs. The quoted for many Asian species, although a late freeze. In southern Indiana, we often original clayey soil has been steadily many have survived in my southern Indi- get a warm spell during February that lasts amended with organic matter so that it’s ana nursery and garden when temperatures seven to 10 days, then it’s back to winter. now moist yet well-drained. dropped below –30 degrees Fahrenheit, Arisaemas that emerge during those mild Arisaemas respond well to an annual

and without benefit of snow cover. days are often damaged. light dressing of composted manure or LEFT: DAVID CAVAGNARO; TOP RIGHT: GENE BUSH

32 the American Gardener JOSEPH G. STRAUCH JR. The ei p sp common name, s Nort in appearance,andbotanistsreco ing inacovere centra r ulations thathave severa r r f Mountains, w ph for metocover here. s T SPECIES AMERICAN NORTH i prov w a can AHS Heat Zones 9–1).Native tomoist m p c matter. rom t escence toapreacher (thespadix)stand- escences, ange, Jac p arts oftheeastern UnitedStates. o p a can takeuptofiveyearsbeforethefirstbloomsappear.Andrememberthatseedprop- local weatheroverwinter.Mostoftheseedwillgerminatefollowingspring,butit Or sowtheseedincontainersandsetthemoutsideashadedspottoridewith th washin the seedsandwashin r nation tooccur.Itmaytakesomeyearsfortheplantsestablishacyclewhereon cause bothmaturemaleandfemaleplantsmustbloomatthesametimeforpolli- plants ofeachspeciesinyourgarden.Thisisespeciallytruefordioecioustypesbe If PR planted clud oo it h b e athum) adix ofArisaemadracontiu ecies isconsidered endan y g p roduce anew y m Not surprisin T i a ree arisaemaspeciesare collection.Its commonnamestem h y ated rootsordetachthemselvesfromthemaintuber, ll s, becausethe g dl Sow seedsoutdoorsinfallwhereyouwantthemtogrowandcoverlightly In man Harvest berriesoncetheyaremature,thencleanthembysqueezingthepulpfro l ou intendtocollectseedsfrom ddiilid i l i ddi id c he O ance a um ardeners isJack inthepulpit h i l ng an in h l h su g America, e a PA Mexico an

e o a g ht to10-inchlon s p , d ri m pp li b A. conc f ddi lants ma i d s inmoststateseasto k USDA Har i ancie nto conta d sae s G s endemictothehi q int

p y a ar f e uid hasbeenadded.Besuretoweara cases,offsetsformonthemothertuber.Ifthesesmalltuberletsdevel- J ATIN ecies. You can erti l d t ack wasthefirstarisaemain m e k i d

ona

l orspotte d a h a eaves t g pu l p n m resem g e pu i reen dra izer. Eac nnum, lant severalfeetfromthe d ly, y d l p g G l

d b nutr ost pit (t t reen stemsandinflo isnot ul i h ners ortootherlocat ut one g ARI i l s e pit isquitevaria p iven itswide nativ d

h p g fa

bl cansta iness Zones 4– ot at la theminacontainerofwatertowhichfewdro d i are stolon h mi ance o ents an g h stemsan y h e spat b on. Thisnative S somevar f g e h

l in g rea r m , ton f i AEMA ar s ered insome a a ( d

r ll f d i beco A. macro g k i t

ns f l to , n f y enoug h hlands of oca h

oun itsin d d I mu e) g p fi e Roc Am or own t ( if ired it uelike n d . A. tri- m l g erous, send g

S i

y p d g d at niz ers andsome e our arisaemas,itisbesttohavethreeormor fl o e an in ar l bl f i c ky ri- p- o- on 9 e h h o k s e e e s - - - , m i f a ons rom the p l arent e tu Followin f s b chocolate blooms,ora over 25years insuita stems ( eet ta db i i bl id . etween t b i i era N J ng outundergroundstemsthatmay n thegarden.A er canincrease 200percent insize. ack is very adaptableandcanlive wellack isvery . ormall bl p ll p p p eo , ot arent air ofrubber y etio g i p h n s anespeciallyfavorable year, it h le ex e two. Mature y ers never excee l . , amature Jack hastwoleaf i es) t ze—some y canbecarefull p er h i at arise ence sk f g ew ar loves whiledoin bl g e environments ny row a pypl i f i combination sameas, d rom t n ants var p 18inc i s ofdish rr l f l y i most tat trans- — h e mai G i h y on. .B es i con n- m f e g e ou . . - - . n r s - . matc fl c f p a f op T tu m es or so Ja 4– in i qu tu s r s o d s found aboutathirdf ofthewayup ri to Ar n o t o u u eac o a tem. Theinflorescence islon t ta o s o ndn ui – r p l ut, runnin o er, vesv from theshapeof thesheaththatis s ro s alk (psuedostem)thatemer he lon twotothree feettall. ck intheeasternUnited States, butis ant emer und 1 al g swampyareas w re ten ber. Eachleafhasthree leafletsexce r asubs me areas ofNew En nsi 9, 9–6)s own rescence arisesonastem(peduncle)of en halfcircle attheendofastick. lk Green Green dra I T natum, 5 u l Ienjoy watc have aforminmy h in g i l . h h n k es six d i arden soil,butwithoutextramois k e imaginative commonname t d e anum ere g d e atu h t rowin d ivi g e b h s tomaxoutata d d stalkedleafisshapedlikean ble-lookin 5–9, 9–3 i p b th s b at t h l 18 inc J p arisaemas isthesnow ricecak O F mott a back plant, withanoutsidecolor etween t e o p h d ragon wi w g f eaves atmaturit en nside ofthespathe ispur a h pat ion alon O N eet. A ur lack-bur in l as varying as varying es inlateApril inmy ua eig p ecies,

ne o ant at is very at isvery ares muc g hich hasfi REIGN RELATI t ovember g Th an. T b u h g upandaround themain d pl d h on l b inmoistdraina e wit tsi h e

l in angere e is l e e an re

t, ma ea e variegate f ce ( d h d h t ll g g A. si ( ll w fl es ta

e o h in ) A. ing it h round for thespell- n h A. triphyllum p l a. ll native to native arge inre ets. h e mostco ere ittypica is s te h d arts arearts grow g g g h / h e two December k f w atonguestic d plant theed undy ribbedwith r d g d t itis k fl v t . ing racontium p d arden thatreliabl g eep an ort o h e leaflets.Thein- ll h orescence. T h ecies stan land. It isoften egrees o k l O at circ h an ite stri e samerangeas itera ianum h N b d green tosi f y or a . appi S

out two . Eachleaflet h b f l l o l eaves. T d reatene u ation tot g Ch or g d g l ll lk

iage g es andis andslen- l es from a 200

y un ll l e are p f h f e ditches l y innor e , ormi ustrous u y reac ina an , g f es. T as tw d d s l serra- Z arden, Z Asia s 14t u ubs 5 f orms ones k ones f f d p ur l eet. f in d d ver ive in to 33 h h he h h pt p e- a- l n d o o g y e e e e e - - - - , . MORE HARDY ARISAEMAS The following descriptions are based on my observations of plant performance in southern Indiana (USDA Hardiness Zone 6, AHS Heat Zone 5). All these species have survived through temperatures 20 degrees below 0 Fahrenheit more than one winter in my garden. The heights and colors given are typical of the species in cultivation, although there is considerable variability in nature. —G.B.

Species Height Origin Season Remarks (feet) of bloom

Arisaema concinnum 11/2 Himalayas, late May single leaf divided into many heavily veined leaflets, (syn. A. affine) India spathe tips straight out or downward; purple-brown to dark green with light green stripes A. heterophyllum 6 East Asiamid-May tallest arisaema in my garden; large leaflets arranged in open horseshoe; spathes large and green, large clusters of bright red berries for late season show A. intermedium 2 Himalayas, late May leaf composed of 3 large dull green leaflets with N. Indiawhite stripe or purple-brown; threadlike 2-foot spadix coils down and around leaflets A. sazensoo 1Japan mid-May short and stocky appearance, green leaves with notable golden sheen are over 14 inches across; brown-black spathe with red stripes emerges before leaves A. serratum 2China, mid-April leaves can reach 2 feet across, the form I grow has (syn. A. japonicum) Japan, Korea silver markings; spathe is brown-red with white stripes A. ternatipartitum 1Japan mid-April smallest arisaema in my garden; 3-part leaves on slender stem; the brown and whitish-striped bloom is in perfect proportion; forms tight colony A. tortuosum 3 Himalayas late May mine has green stems and blooms, but others can be (syn. A. helleborifolium) marked or mottled; slender, snakelike spadix extends out and up from the tube, twisting downward as it matures A. urashima 11/2–2 Japan early May highly variable; single leaf with 11 to 15 leaflets; (syn.A. thunbergii spathe has almost black hood, tube is purple-brown subsp.urashima) and red-brown with white markings, spadix whiplike white with a snow-white club that has a pearance that shows off the inner colors of duces blooms that resemble a miniature largegp knob at the top . white and mauve-pink. mauve-pinkp cobra ppulled back to strike . The inflores- It is an early riser for me and it took a Native to China, Japan, and Korea, cence is short and full, dressed on the out- while to find a location where it per- Arisaema ringens (Zones 5–9, 9–6) pro- side with white and purple stripes, ending formed well. I now protect it from with a tightly curved hood. The early winter sun in a northeast loca- form I grow has a deep, waxy, dark tion under mature cedars, so it does purple spadix; it resembles a small not warm up too early. I also find snake with its tongue sticking out. that this species is relatively short The two leaf stems divide just above lived, fading away after five years or soil level with three leaflets at the top so in my garden. of each. The bloom emerges between Another colorful Asian species is them, and is eventually hidden by candy Jack (A. candidissimum, Zones the foliage. Stems are only 10 to 12 5–9, 9–5). It grows just a bit over two inches tall with individual leaflets feet tall in my garden. Its single leaf eight to nine inches long, so the plant has three ovate leaflets that are about has a short stocky appearance. eight inches across by nine inches This is an early riser that has long. The plant has a solid look adapted to my garden. It emerges in about it and the foliage has a clean late February or very early March, H JR. appearance until mid-September. and usually gets hit by a frost, but it C TRAU S

The inflorescence comes up just be- proceeds undamaged to bloom and . G fore, or in tandem with, the foliage. The Candy jack is one of the few arisaemas that unfurl its foliage. For a small garden, this EPH OS spathe hood is tilted back for an open ap- has a pleasant scent when in flower. would be my choice. J

34 the American Gardener Sources Asiatica, Lewisberry, PA. (717) 938-8677. www.asiaticanursery. com. Catalog $5; free online.

Heronswood Nursery, Kingston, WA. (360) 297-4172. www.heronswood.com. Catalog $5; free online.

Munchkin Nursery & Gardens, Depauw, IN. (812) 633-4858. www.munchkinnursery.com. Top: The large, asymmetrical leaflets of Catalog $3. Arisaema fargesii give this late riser a stout, robust appearance. Right: The tightly curled Plant Delights Nursery, Inc., spathe of Arisaema ringens emerges between, Raleigh, NC. (919) 772-4794. and will eventually be hidden by the leaves. www.plantdelights.com. Catalog 10 stamps or box of chocolates; Arisaema fargesii (Zones 5–9, 9–1) is free online. a very late riser, emerging in late June. If it never bloomed, I would still find a Seneca Hill Perennials, Oswego, place for its marvelous foliage in my gar- NY, (315) 342-5915. www.seneca den. This tropical-looking Chinese hill.com. Catalog $4; free online. species produces a single leaf stem that reaches about 20 inches in height, topped with three leaflets. Two upper Resources leaflets are about 12 to 14 inches each, The Genus Arisaema: A Monograph and the third is closer to the length of for Botanists and Nature Lovers by the leaf stem, by about 15 inches wide. I Guy and Liliane Gusman. A.R. placed three tubers in a raised bed some Gantner Verlag Kommanditge- years ago and now seedlings and offsets sellschaft, Germany. 2003. (Dis- almost fill the bed. tributed in the United States by The curved, pointed hood has a waxy Timber Press, Portland, Oregon.) sheen outside; its color resembles a white and brown seersucker shirt. This species forms offsets at a reasonable age and sets Aroids: Plants of the Arum Family by abundant seed for a colorful show in my Deni Bown. Timber Press, Port- garden into December. land, Oregon, 2000. The owl-faced arisaema (A. flavum, Zones 5–9, 9–1), native from Yemen to The International Aroid Society, P.O. western China, produces two leaves, each Box 43-1853, South Miami, FL with five to 11 leaflets. The spathe is short 33143. www.aroid.org. and rounded, its hood strongly reflexed over the tube with a point that resembles a beak. The hood bends to form “ears” on izes how incredibly variable Arisaema MICHAEL S. THOMPSON ; each side, thus the common name. It species are in nature. does somewhat resemble a yellow owl sit- My own fascination for these strange ting on a branch. The plant is tall and beauties continues to grow. Each year, I MARK TURNER ; thin, with narrow, skeletonlike leaves. find one or more Arisaema species that I Although the usual height described must have, and the hunt is on to expand for this species is a bit less than a foot, I my collection. have a form in my garden that grows about three feet tall. This is not too sur- Gene E. Bush owns Munchkin Nursery & The spathe color of Arisamea flavum ranges prising; the longer one talks and trades Gardens in Depauw, Indiana, specializing OP TO BOTTOM: JERRY PAVIA

T from greenish to bright yellow. with other collectors, the more one real- in rare and unusual perennials for shade.

November / December 2005 35 3 prairie visionary Jens Jensen landscape designandconservationofnaturalareas. A championoftheprairielandscapestyle,JensJensenleftanenduringlegacyonAmerican had a l t w meteoric. In a t th J d Hansen, because his mar j mustac ing sca maximize th c C L A PRAIRIE I e ust 24,andhehadleftSlesvi ia hrou ensen 6 entury wasforJensenentury theri i g ay tobecomin h d e city’s Par l e ri acy asachampionoftheprairieland- p

The couplesettledinChica icago int notapprove o l f an e en k, b name N the American Gardener igure, stan g oat ontoAmericansoi wit d gh g 1884, ayoung Danis h therankswasnothin h f scape reat headofred hair, aflowin oun d e, an t time—t ures tot d h h O Jens Jensen steppe is uniquepotentia d VE AFFAIR

h d d wor k h e waningyears o piercing esigners inAmerica,an d District. T is d g eca oneofthemostinfluen- ing over six h k f f is iancée t d asastreet swee h h e, d e i eir union. p ay. h ros bl e waswe d ue eyes. He was , ea AnneMari p h h erous famil l l ere, . Anim settin g immigran f eet ta g ht placea l g . T f lesstha d t o, wher g ll o h h , Den on h is rise e 19t p ff e cit ll er in g d p t , t

os h h he h is i n h o g y y e e e s - - t t s i o w o Jens Jensen,aboveandto Memorial GardeninS t. W ign o f hislastma utward, devourin as b h ursting atitsseams,growing ever f i “progress,” Jensen l e most j or p h ublic desi ai l g e p d theprairiearoun rin rapi g field, Illinois,on g d l ns p amente growt , atLincoln . h d asa t h d e e tuated by an va scribes as“a Euro t p mations and w sa “wi consin, propagates an w att pervasive quer-the-wilderness syndrome thatwas historian fortheChica l l ne d sprawlin and forbs.Instead ofseein osing natura an h reciation forthefloraandlandformso isa hose Prairie Nurser ide sky, withexpansive y l e region, a g d ue o Rick Darke, awriter, photo He stu “Jensen wasn’t in “He worrie wasvery d s Diboll, Jensen fellinlove withit ld at

pp scape an l erness to an i ve spaces. f earance o our d g scape consu development eatin d g ie roves oftrees, withrock for b d g l d h areas,” saysJu eauti d ently meanderin an b extreme e time,”saysNei opting w e tame BY p d f f ean t

u d C f h l eve y ecte native d AR inWestfield, Wis e l d g p se tant w l an o Park District ers l fl y worrie g O ope d ll h rasslands punc- at g LE s native grasses wit at Di d p d theprairiea e l ective onth g d a pl ia Bac l awayatou l an a h O iminate h ants. g b o TTE streams t l d d g b out t Di d h l eep ap- rapher, sca o ives i a e con h ” ll S rac b b

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TOP: MORTON ARBORETUM; BOTTOM: COURTESY OF FILSON/GORDON ASSOCIATES You took little children away from the sun and the dew… under the great sky…and…put them between walls To work, broken and smothered, for bread and wages To eat dust in their throats and die empty-hearted For a little handful of pay on a few Saturday nights.

The plight of city dwellers fired Jensen’s work at the Park District with a reformer’s zeal. If he could not take the workers and their children out of the city to enjoy nature, he would bring nature into the city. Jensen was soon in a position to do just that. Quickly promoted from street sweep- er to gardener, Jensen rose to the position of foreman of the Union and Humboldt Parks in just four years. “As foreman, I had my chance to design a garden,” he told Eskil. He observed that “the foreign plants didn’t take kindly to our Chicago soil. They would die out no matter how carefully we tended to them….” Coming to the conclusion that he was “trying to force plants to grow where they don’t want to grow,” Jensen turned to more willing candidates—the very wildflowers he had seen on his forays into the countryside. Because at the time, native plants were not available through nurseries, Jensen re- membered, “we went out into the woods with a team and wagon and carted [them] Top: Jensen’s naturalistic landscape design can be seen in the meadow at the Edsel and Eleanor in ourselves.” In Union Park, he arranged Ford House at Grosse Point Shores in Michigan. Above: Jensen incorporated a feature called a the plants in an informal way, quite unlike council ring into many of his designs, such as this one at The Clearing in Ellison Bay, Wisconsin. the placement of imported plants in formal, geometric beds typical of the era. Landenberg, Pennsylvania, notes that frequent jaunts into the country, but Created in 1888, Jensen’s informal instead of focusing just on the plants, worried about the “multitudes who rarely American Garden of wildflowers, backed Jensen took in the bigger picture. get beyond the City limits.” by native shrubs and trees, was an innova- “Jensen looked at the repetition in the A seemingly endless stream of people tive and completely new kind of display. regional landscape and recognized pat- from rural areas and immigrants from Eu- And it became wildly popular, not least be- terns,” says Darke. rope were flowing into Chicago at the end cause its plants thrived in the hot mid- of the 19th century. Their legions labored western summer, but also because visitors BRINGING NATURE TO THE CITY by day and went home at night to recognized the homey, familiar flowers of “Nearly every Sunday and holiday, sum- cramped quarters in crowded neighbor- the countryside. mer and winter, spring and fall…I spent hoods. Jensen feared that these people, cut “People enjoyed seeing the garden,” botanizing, studying and learning to off from the natural world, would suffer Jensen told Eskil. “They exclaimed excit- know every plant that was native to this spiritually and emotionally. In this con- edly when they saw flowers they recog- region,” Jensen told Ragna Eskil for a cern he was not alone. Though poet Carl nized: They welcomed them as they 1930 Saturday Evening Post article. “By Sandburg championed the city of Chica- would a friend from home.” riding to the end of the street-car line and go, calling it “Stormy, husky, brawling, then walking, one could see quite a num- City of the Big Shoulders,” in his poem TAKING CUES FROM THE NATIVE LANDSCAPE OP: COURTESY OF EDSEL & ELEANOR FORD HOUSE; BOTTOM THE CLEARING.

T ber of plants in a day.” Jensen enjoyed his They Will Say, he admonished it: The success of the American Garden at

November / December 2005 37 3 8 And Jensen’smessa bition oftheJensen’slifeandwork Henr si e si scape ofextraordinarybeauty and a p tio l reform t e to now operatedbyan home inWisconsin.TheClearin Je c D G says DarrelMorr by Jensen’sworkandph work hasbeengreatly c c of Illinois c o F e and Universit ter dent ofChicago’sGracelandCeme- such asO.C.Simonds,superinten f Jensen’s desi JEN some Count Chicago ParkDistrictco-curatorof“A the Universit chitect andwriteronthefacultyat yond Ill non- Julia S.Bachrach no dean emer sen eade i luenced andsupportedbypeer ration oflandscapearchitects,”says h x y,” saysN f ourse atThe n n iates, Inc.,inEvanston,Illinois. orce o reservat o eor es g g Ill

p i i n ce d n y o nificance—he brou n workandhiseffortsatsocia In additiontohislandscapede- “ “ In turn,Jensen“influencedagen n m tecture, who s the American Gardene eriences inthefolkschooltradi- i , WilhelmMiller,alandsca ig

se ff The or v Both myteach t p gi S sta i y S

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a s y o o n c a r n g e linestobebuiltinGarfield Park. In- e construction o e construction e settingsunan sted thebluffsalon urce ofinspirationforlandscape parks sothattheyoun ant- 1908,w e vers it,thechan nservatories nservatories ntours o nin rtook anarrayofprojects including rtook ht ofthemoon.” rdware was rendered invisiblebehin

ong o insta at Victorian pe s considered revolutionar scons ent atH course hecalleda“ e, ratherthansettin 98). Jensen rejecte nts le andlooked,hetoldEskil,to“th reated outdoorlandscapes by placin h sen, Maker o “For Jensen, t J Fin s, aswere o seeninmostconservatories uld u ion Par sen scholarRobert E.Grese in ensen wasanouts d e wor ld h ay, Jensen g g d l d ouse an not wast y g arde naturalisticstyle. irect in row uptolove it andpreserve i h ll n, Jensencoaxedthenat k g orizonta h k f e e t t u d encourage en t l d l ose touc y int h h h mbol c in e eart e native e p d h f retentious, Jensen ordered h a Natural Parks g i d d b g ld e green ran d ht, forchildrentoex esta g h ot esigne i f l d ldren’s Park a in t ren’s gar h ong, mean l e groun h stonewor t Park. There he h h e on gl d g , t g d par l h e a seasons,therayso iose sty midwestern rivers s in ass tra l g d p wit h p an containerplant g Jensen toexper f h d oken, dramatic, e vegetation t rairie river.” He terg k est citydweller h l ouse opene p d d s, y meaning f d ouse wit d itiona h scape,” write orma y l . Green h . antings t ens insever nature an l ow, an e l k d i es o & n Mad h t ering wa Garden one l h l group gar at sug f h most h p d sim- d i ous lore d g son J d t u

h h i en f h ar- , i e he v n u a a i n d d g e g a e e s s s - - s - - - - t t t f f . , s s . . l roun ate anentire t wh s f ancient beach, Utter s Bac C p cise t promoted to I CO b h h 2 h I s s w a aside alar par or t hey mi o—a poke passionately—somethou ent g n 1895,hisimmensetalentandener ite, n 1905,Jensen wasnotonlyrehired, bu he entire West Park S nd controversial 00-acre Hum ecome involved with political ar onest is inte im it olumbus Park hismasterpiece,” say L I I ere, away h k k U h d n t n 1912,hehadtheo h s an s’ c s’

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ld l l h e openspaceforchildre d b e insta f y new y new g e t an rom t d ority int d ges aroun g oar ot himdismissedby adis ren’s p b J d tosu eneral superintendento erin h lk ensen useditasthethem d o insta d in scape arc ld d scar

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g t Par ersonality. He dresse g ll b h p y t s t l prairieriver ation o ecause e aygroun p ar ll h f erinten h h e at k h pp at concerne d k azar d is remnant o . “He consi e re t . Five years

y b ortunity tocre-ortunity h h h stem. Asthe erms torepre e is nec d itect h f d f t new ones new d s o e re esi d d h area, g ent o ges tosur- g e 144-acre f g raft. ht overly . t f h n o k use h e exer —an d g e city d h

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THIS PAGE: MORTON ARBORETUM (2); OPPOSITE: COURTESY OF BROOK COLLINS/CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT ing was flanked by a “council ring”—a cir- sion. “This gives a feeling of breadth and cular stone bench surrounding a fire pit. freedom that only the prairie landscape One of Jensen’s signature design elements, Resources can give to the human soul.” the council ring was intended to encour- Jens Jensen: Maker of Natural Parks & If Jensen was not already considered age story telling and other social interac- Gardens by Robert E. Grese. Johns the country’s foremost landscape architect, tion. An enormous swimming pool was Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Columbus Park cemented his reputation. edged in stone to resemble a swimming Maryland, 1992. Reprinted 1998. In the next two decades, many prominent hole. And he designed an outdoor theater Americans, including the Henry Fords, he called a “players’ green.” Pioneers of American Landscape the Edsel Fords, and Julius Rosenwald— “Friends of the Native Landscape [a Design, edited by Charles A. Birn- founder of Sears and Roebuck—commis- conservation group Jensen helped form] baum and Robin Karson. McGraw- sioned his work in their own gardens. performed ‘The Beauty of the Wild’ at the Hill, New York, New York, 2000. “In his work on private gardens, Jensen solstice,” says Bachrach. The audience sat also collaborated, on a limited basis, with across the stream from a stage surrounded The Prairie Spirit in Landscape architects Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sul- by Jensen’s favorite native trees—elms, Gardening by Wilhelm Miller (1915). livan, and others who were lead figures in maples, crabapples, and sumacs. Reprinted by University of Massa- the parallel movement known as the In addition to tennis courts, baseball chusetts Press, 2002. prairie school of architecture,” says Darrel diamonds, and football fields, there was a Morrison, professor and dean emeritus of golf course that symbolized for Jensen the Siftings by Jens Jensen (1939). Re- the University of Georgia’s School of En- horizontal essence of prairie. Jensen took printed by Johns Hopkins University vironmental Design. great care in orienting the golf course to- Press, 1990. One of Jensen’s last big public com- ward the setting sun and designing groves missions was the Lincoln Memorial Gar- of trees to provide shade for the players. den in Springfield, Illinois, in 1935. In Columbus Park, Jensen brought Greater than the sum of its parts, Designed to re-create the landscape Abra- together all of the elements of his beloved Columbus Park, now a National Historic ham Lincoln might have known in his prairie landscape—“our meadow with its Landmark, condensed the glories of the youth, the garden features a system of in- woodland borders, our river with its dark Midwestern l and scape i nto one id eali ze d terconnecting paths that pass through shaded bluffs, and our groves with their whole, that, Jensen told Eskil, fulfilled his groves of native trees and wildflower variation of light and shadow, are only a “obligation as a park man to bring this meadows and meet at council rings. part of the landscape. The sky above, out-of-doors to the city.” with its fleeting clouds and its star-lit “Looking west from the river bluffs at A SCHOOL OF THE SOIL heavens, is an indispensable part of the sundown across a quiet bit of meadow, In 1935, at the age of 75, Jensen retired from whole,” he reported to the West Park one sees the prairie reflected in the river his Chicago practice and founded The Commission in 1917. below,” he told the West Park Commis- Clearing on a property he had been using as a summer home on Ellison Bay in Door County, Wisconsin. He directed The Clearing, which he described as “a school of the soil,” in the tradition of Danish folk schools. In the isolated simplicity of The Clearing, students would develop their life values from contact with the wilderness, with nature, with the soil. It was in the peace of the Clearing, that on October 1, 1951, just 17 days after his 91st birthday, Jensen died. Born in 1860 into a Europe hissing with the steam-powered Industrial Revolution, Jensen had spent his adult life in the booming, braying, bur- geoning, “hog butcher of the world.” In re- action to the great city’s noise and glare and relentless development, Jensen drew an honest and fitting style from the landscape around him. It was a design approach that resonates even more powerfully today.

Carole Ottesen is a contributing writer for Jensen’s design of Columbus Park evoked his beloved prairie landscape. The American Gardener.

November / December 2005 39 4 tics —asitwaxes an once we a “score,” g c A C w cess o L touched onthe an colors, andculturalre architect Lawrence Hal Sequencin This isthetwel hart. The chart isameansofcapturin Thechart hart. 0 HART AND HART rap time-teste orkin Gardening byDesign d c h the American Gardene h f y—t

oreograp h process of selectin s A g tructure ontheusuallychaoticandoft-im orticu listofcandidates,how thentoensure awell-planned S h T I d h ave narrowe SOU rawing t e comp d SSUE too l f L tura th article o th article h g e arden as theater intheSeptember/October l d Iemp l l d gar

w ex movement o d h wanesover t e e metap e attem l q p d ig d uirements addto theconfusion.But rin calledhisfancyversion ofthechart en? g

h f l d plantsforour anon oy increating gar ts stu own t r p h te or l g ti d oin h h f f toim ies us.En e seasons.In e c rom f g sense-stirrin g serieson h BY oices an d g g p ance an t ardens. Thesheerex aplantin ose someor T RES FRO dl d ens ist g ess h ar d d ee d d g assem bl en c d t e Sensua oom times, g , h h ’s choreo- h l d eater (we aracteris- an M e esi d p bl d ME er an bl g ulsiv scape n. oo e d m

d a e - for bothdesi formin umenting t l M R i h r t e F s th 2 mme y useanelectronic spreadsheet pro hree-dimensional complexityofhis evea ee xtensive c 004 issue).Halprin’s score wasameans ofdirectin IGHT PLA rederick, Jr., amasterfrom whomIhave learnedmuch,employs is out-o rou a k T k ing co in h l s t gh d e c g g iate h ac thewarpandwoofofhis spaceover aperio f h e su - C art orscore’sart simp p h l E ATTHERIGHTTIM h y h rint erence an h arts tocapturearts intwo g art isconceptua art b h e sequentia nin t oc l l e an The Exu k g your andanalyzin d sop d c p b l ear h erant Gar arity. Lan l an isticate d l l o s orRo icity ll E d y rat f episo g time.

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gh b seasona ff uy it). h icacy an t f itect Wi orwar h e d l exu ynamica g d d anddoc- f . Iusua potency ll o g b iam H. Han erance g b lance jects ll d, l- y

TOM CLIFTON NAME JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

TREES Pinus strobus SHRUBS Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Gulftide’ fragrance fragrance Philadelphus coronarius fragrance Rosa ‘The Fairy’ Viburnum carlesii ‘Aurora’ fragrance HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS Anemone tomentosa ‘Robustissima’ Aster tataricus Athyrium niponicum var. pictum foliage Iris ‘Harvest Memories’ fragrance fragrance BULBS Crocus speciosus ‘Pollux’ Narcissus ‘Sweetness’

A simple chart like this one can help you visualize the sequence of color, fragrance, and texture throughout the year. It’s a useful tool for determining what your garden lacks or has in excess at any given season and at different height levels.

Paper and pencil works as well, though the computer allows for easy revisions and editing. I list the months of the year along the top row of the chart. WHY CREATE A PLANTING CHART? Charting the 12 months is usually descriptive enough for most A well-made chart illuminates several key aspects of your plantings. Subdividing each month into early, mid, and late al- garden and acts as part of a useful design review. lows for capturing additional, fine textured detail. Many plants do not bloom for a full month, so the subdivisions are very help- Organizing Your Thoughts ful. The obsessive-compulsive among you may even want to If you have trouble remembering the specific color and schedule week by week. Others may be content with roughly bloom time of every plant you are considering for use in delineating spring, summer, fall, and winter. your garden, enter the information on the chart to quickly The left-most column lists each plant in the garden. I often compare combinations. group these into categories—trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, bulbs, etc.—to designate the design’s spatial layers. That Building Upon Sensory Characteristics way, I can be sure I have included interest in all seasons and at A chart shows at a glance what overlapping colors or other all levels of the garden. characteristics (fragrance, texture, etc.) are simultaneously I then fill in the row next to each plant corresponding to its present in the garden and allows you to see what harmonies moment of special display. I fill the row in with a color roughly and/or horrors you are planning in your plant combinations, matching the plant’s ornamental trait—berry, bark, or flower. I as well as where plantings become too busy or go bust. also find it useful to chart the various evergreen foliages since they are a constant, underlying structure. The chart will quickly show Testing Intensity and Duration of Interest gaps and excesses in the planting scheme. The horizontal rows reflect the length of time the plants are Adding various hatchings over the bars of color augments in bloom or otherwise doing their thing, when your garden the amount of information you can include. For example, a peaks, and when it peters out. White space will indicate in crosshatch might indicate when the plant contributes fragrance. what temporal or spatial layers interest may be lacking. For Other patterns might suggest foliage texture (fine, bold, wispy) example, you may realize that ground-level perennials are the or plant form (vertical, rounded, spreading). The trick is to bal- only elements providing interest through most of the year. ance capturing essential information against creating a cluttered page that’s too chaotic to be useful. Inventorying Your Garden The sidebar outlines several major uses for the chart; you may The chart lists all the plants in the garden, so it offers a discover many more of your own. Next issue we conclude the two- record of what you are growing. Adding a column at the far year-long Gardening by Design series with a retrospective cover- right of the sheet provides a space for you to make notes ing the key issues we have explored in that time. or describe the plants’ key attributes. Generating a chart for each year allows comparisons over time. Tres Fromme is a landscape designer at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

November / December 2005 41 4 Kathryn Kennedy,PlantConservationist i o sustain manyspecies.Often landowners r at theHarold L p l b t try’s mostim fl commercial cotton,whichhasstrikin Hawaii has thehi t Could out manys w come tomin For p certain an invasive speciest tributin h p an l K t Lyn tune taina by an and forest habitat, butI’m ha l ember/October 2003).It wasbelieved to esto on h 2 e e extinctint ort t ort l ave noi owers (see lanned aheadforbiodiversity, orfine- i athr u d reats toournation’s native ld d d d A L l p otherhabitatsaswell asthe

u d uset d

d ( r not the American Gardener bl b h l a DeWitt: Ko atio our y isp h ants. One is t y p y at t e nda DeWit y as renewe g n Kenned u k h ou identif t h eln fwildplants. tothedeclineof h l d n se o ia coo l h er ma ace native p l at ant ea t an . e success p T d ec d f h he American Gar waterreso estroys or p h d managementtec l f e wi i ants—orc anciers t at t es eri —overcollection inthe y j k or t h on Arboretum inHon- ei), Wh g . d l at c ld hest numberofimper- y h

e h y f h : eir practicesare con u d

h afewofthecoun- e Hawaiian tree cot- d ope at are t The mainthreat i l a c t

reat iswi h tissuecu ue to pl l ant popu ange our d h u ant s egra l reatens towip f rces. We ose re h or itseventua i l d oss o d h s an p es wet d e h pp l ecies? ener, ture wor fl d l niques to p ati f h esprea l ora? its y tore rimar d ations h u a p w p f t v o cact b aven’t v ns l rom Hawaii toMassac he Missouri Botanical Garden inSt. Louis.Over 30participatin g an Sep ation (CPC),anetwor e o itat f d lants withthe reservation p reservation re ith garden writerLynda DeWitt aboutthreats tonative plants,current anationwi u ry- C ds s- d d k y e s s - - - f i . l PC Presi of thecountry’s entire native flora—are atriskofextinction.At theheart XPERT C l H Henry Door such asChica tanthera o tion ine monitor t g f U.S. Fish andWildlife Service CPC institutionsare workin p flower, is known from onlyasin um tive tota aevi ornia Native P onservation andits roups tocollect seedsforpropa f a eri ourw w I A N NOEWITH ONE ON ONE g n theMidwest, more than70percen l b a ous nother, Baker’s larkspur p g enetic issuesrelatin ii akeri) S ata ossi a d d E n l ent an ll h l p y-situate e t ) ans, an grass prairies,are gone.Partner h b ite prairie r raeclar S g , ee aboveri C , e wi i oal ofreturnin TIMAT l ff l a ities. y Zoo are con

cotto g ort to ort b o State University andth ld eauti d a l popu ant Society, an d Executive Director, Kat a d n roa n k h p w ( g f d f Kokia cookei) ringe artners areho E o ht, areendan usetts wor u p

P d h l l f Ca revent t . leuco t ation, an si American at American hat about2,000U.S. g d toreintroduc d d e l orc uctin i f p ornia wi g p g (Del o , haea), themtonaturalhabitats. h theCali withth p i g d … u d h d stu g , exam k l p s ot p ese ation ation above left,andsmooth g in wit hini ( ered AmericannativesthattheCenterforPlant P d g h n b g ld- l ie toreestablishintheirnaturalhabitats. a e a- l l otanica e e e osses ist r s s - - - - - t . , h g CPCtostu ar ery ery gere a T cone er’s w p sp G h grows in w s i d n e o we’re increasin b o a i idespread butdeclinin h eners can ar ecies “are concern.” ofconservation ll out t lf pp I I ese speciesinc

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p d p n theAtlantic states,smooth n additiontothesecriticall l b d g institutions fl orts to orts en lan forthis i y mallo e reverse ryn Kenne ryn one. T species,anot p h o p h ewort w e Center lant s h e s er as wor f rs pnns ismore t orest openings, p (Ec h h ecies’ re-esta p d w e Nort d e ur (Eriocau d y an p

l . ( h p propagate t p k o to Callirhoe ecies—or 10 inacea g le coneflower e p l ly hopefulthatdeclines d u lant andiso d f h d ont h d or P h y, recent er 3,000U.S.p grow imperi Caro e t h ea l on par e l h aevi h d l g bl g l e s p. p. e b quartere ant Conser- institutions aquaticPark l ushii) is f ina Botanica e h g h h d ata), owy Bus k ese species ment. ( era l eri) Echinace p y s p y endan- timistic an ercen l recov- p . wh p ur d d o l h th l ant ic p e at k an h le d h ’s e e a t - , l

LEFT TO RIGHT: COURTESY OF DAVID KENNEDY; COURTESY OF CPC; COURTESY OF J.S. PETERSON @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS DATABASE The CPC network is monitoring 1,090 For More Information away from wild-hardy types, so most gar rare plant sites nationwide. We hope to de Center for Plant Conservation deners cannot cultivate these plants at termine which plants need intervention P.O. Box 299 home for restoration work. before populations fall to critically low st. Louis, MO 63166-0299 But gardeners can help by keeping in numbers. (314) 577-9450 vasives out of their landscapes. To help www.centerforplantconservation.org with this, CPC offers a voluntary code of With so many endangered plants and conduct that we encourage all gardeners so little time, how does CPC manage Are you hopefulthat these endangered to follow (see www.centerforplantconser these conservation efforts? plants can be saved? vation.orglinvasives). Another way gar Our state and federal resource managers Without intervention, many of them are deners can help is to avoid any unneces are critical to coordinating efforts, but, ul expected to be gone within 20 to 25 years, sary spraying when pollinators are timately, recovery has to be done locally by but there is still great potential for recovery actively foraging. informed, engaged communities and in for the majority of these species. We need people who value plants to stitutions. That's what is so important We have to avert these losses. Every use their voices and their gardens to ad about CPC; it works to build this network. species plays a role in a healthy ecosys vocate for plant conservation. Every gar Institution scientists work with imper tem, and you just can't foresee what com den plant came from a native somewhere. iled plants in greenhouses and in the wild, pounds or features our native plants have Share your appreciation for plants with and they help to maintain and restore habi already evolved that we may need in the children, friends, and neighbors, and talk tats for the plants' later re-introduction. A future. Eighty percent of u.s. endan about why they are important. It's also critical component of this effort is the Na gered plants are closely related to plants critical to write or speak to our policy tional Collection of Endangered Plants, a that are economically important today. makers and let them know that you sup collection of cultivated plants and seeds of port saving our national plant treasures imperiled, native plants that is stored at What can gardeners do to help? and are willing for them to make the nec- participating institutions across the coun People often ask if they can grow plants at essary investments. ty. The collection is a backup in case a home for us. Unfortunately, without species becomes extinct or no longer re scrupulous management of reproductive Free-Lance writer Lynda DeWitt lives in produces in the wild. lines, most species' genetics begin to shift Bethesda, Maryland.

HORTICULTURE GARDENING INSTITUTE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2005 43 44 Florida s example—but eachhasitsown uniqu similar plants—tree fernsandhibiscus, fo Tro FL d ornectarandthosethatoffer form offruits c w humans andwildlife l you’ your location andfinda suitable habitatmodelsand encroachment ofinvasive gions that somuchnative habitatinthesere ch H the elementsandpredators HABITAT The tropicso ig p om ense orevergreen ill sustainwildlife O ecies t a h A But i RIDA HABITATGARDEN ll p t ll b f s a enge an the American Gardener ica u

ination o f h l in l an ways, w as l f F h d you ta a t ABITAT ropica t at itcan b d n l ori h een rewar d d at it’s so a d f tro h t a an l u d h en consi l ost to k c t e ose t d e t G h l p l f ing imates suc ig o b ff d ern F ossi . , l h G e ARDENIN Hawaii s h iage focusonadivers h er awealtho e timetoresearc t. T l ARDE d d at o an pp bl S i d eve ff l p ering p e tocreate a f d ori ro h or s icu . ff scape l e c , er p opment an non-native p d h N riate ica l h lants. a is t to h f h asHawaii oo e I a are som l l NG ants t ll f ter or d enge i b p l int ocat ot lants f b rom ot d h h G he in e- a a h h d l e e e e r s - t , f nativewildli F you unusual, fin t w nuts t s ory, t t b an th andsea hickory are int hickor and scrub ginicus s t ver ica plants andwildlife.Althou e ree is en he at prin ir l b ild creatures. Thisattractive landsca ori e s g l d estena y T S Geranium tree isoneoftheshowiest d , F e flowers are ama g g different from thoseinHawaii. s an h cru rees: toattac p d d arden, where it’s bestlocatedsothat ardens are g h as cat ectrum h on’t notice t l a native trees; its , followed by husk-covered, swee a ori at are enjoye ) h ig b , d e 20-to30-

), hl h s d s Four to ea gra ic n a k y h frin g ins o ow upwe k k d h erlike leaves anddelicate,fra . or its roug a b g d y g e tree itat gar , a p f g p y f rape onthetallerendo ye o eranium tree e

h trees f d h l (Car l so ca e plants t to

iage (Cocco e geiger b ll f oot-ta y g ow-green ll ( net forhummin l h H d

Chionanthus vir erant. Fringe tree’ l . y f f ll umans an arge, tu ens ten a rom t or tro e g d f h equallytrop l lori ll o F range,wit b b l a uvi ori eet p h d . fl d ica e b ana) owers in ( d to u l b d Cor es t a l l ac man

ar or f h h era) l . awa k a oo ic h d All b o p k- g- ia a i h k y e s - - - - - t t f f , are Scarlet hibiscus, left,andsea c p l most oftheyear. Vinin isespecia ry simpsonii berr wit Sea grapeissa canbeeatenfreshfruit ormadeinto mer andred infall. Gra out start round andleather Se Lar grant birds quicklyconsumethe bird favorite for bothflowers Elderber andediblefruit. e inea atens p (Lonicera sempervirens A S Sea grapea h g g tem y hrubs and hrubs

e, dark blue fruits ripeninAue, dark bluefruits ood o nnu h

( fl ), is oneofthebesthummin umans an Morus ru ower c b wh er, ), a b p ls ronze t tions forFlorida habitat ic an ll b y appea a h ut t d , l l a nd Perenni usters give it an airy aspect usters give itanairy asisfirebush t to

l b d d V l so so attracts ra) h ew wi i ines: h l e s erant y en turngreen insum h , b ldl l withred veins, the elderberr as unusua ing h err i ow is i B Berries are g f . e; c y Y coralhoneysuck b p )

ecause it ( elike clusterso JO a i Ru j bu h s a uicy morsels ls b ANNE W oose re rie b : y tter g h

us trivialis) S ( ra l umming- ( f Sam

alvia coc- , Hamelia l p fl g eaves g p b bl e, ri ust an ies ardens d o ecause g oom b mu p O . j bir ucu ula elly LFE g — ht . l- d d y r s - - - f s . . , .

LEFT: BILL JOHNSON; RIGHT: JERRY PAVIA BOTH COURTESY OF FOREST AND KIM STARR (USGS) or angusti gar be sure toseekoutspeciesthatare indi savica ot coccineus tat gar b t sprawl inrocky areas where itreceives plen- among si hibiscuslike yellowsports flowers nestle ( b ton orma l tractive landsca onl h trees offerclustersoffra to fl swamp sun ates pruning. Itates pruning. o an unique tropica v plant The Hawaiian Islands are a HAWAIIAN HABITAT ketflower (Ascle L p p I COASTAL perennials,to vines,shrubs, andannuals. everyt tion terize w H g nous to over this pa some s caroliniensis i y o n coasta Wikstroemia uva-ursi) ary ary ardens andnative plantnurseries. inano; eac etween sixan ine, alsocalledhal l k ies an obelia et ants inany h awaiian chain:coastal,dr d 3 l e coconut. d T S Ma`o grows twoto Roun Lo`u o` y er 0 feetbutcastsdiffuseshadethatallows native c f f , ens, asitcangrow to10 h h b , butcoastalcommunitiesare charac sun.Naupa orest. Some native p f h whereas forest communitiesoffe ulu p d rom is ru naupa pl ) g h d ree ty y g ias tu

p enera. Species ofthose d for an unequaled butterfly haven. for anunequaledbutterfly f

femaletrees older than10 en wit ing b e and y ants tot b o cardinalis p l ecies bearedibleseedsthattast ;

our area. Consu y d us are sma l s are amainstayo ( b communities,anc inea let themshare thelimeli ius), Pritchar l (Gaillar o ees very evergreenvery l fl f ` ow-growing, s b l p rom ) h ka ff o an owers , erosa, A. incarnata, A.curras-erosa, A.incarnata, g es o g h oices inc ppl . t all ofwhichattractbutter- ar

et helpfrom localbotanica d ( an asma d ( l h p h Goss environments t Scaevo 15 d tois e e-s e focal rive h f d k en, d ff G

d a uge trees an fl a is h wi i ( n ARDEN f ll ers c a ia h a Helianthus ora eet; a yp

d pa ll a l b ( f b s an o p Pan p ld vario er tree suc l l pp.). Ha eneat ium tomentosum . itats g b u a sericea), ulchella), ll e l l p rant flowers called l s petunia est use d d l h d f ms t owe usters o t l ive oints; moreover, e Hawaiian cot S , ant speciescross h

owever, itto d f h f coasta h h ow wit anus tectorius), ruits areruits f h ru l d h eet an u owever, soit’s e resources on eaves. Leti d y or h f ominate t it.T s mi eet ta bb forest, an

at ma d b l g d a cangro y d tree y h enera can g in h an y vegeta our f e beach o l asscre roup of g Hi purp d ( lk

b at s h y g h ht wit Rue sprea d ilis, H. ears. ar e ma

wee ll b l k b bl à h arger f an orn d h e at iscus ern a l an ll ens g ar k b er l he ds ia e- e w w i le ), i- h d d d d a e e e r r s ------t l a Cons an (Ci Hawaiian forest communities.Ha Tree F c formin an w h l its whiteflowers aftersunset p s s t t À ittoleratespoorsoilsandsaltair.fruit; s iotro all asfourfeet;red, o pecies ofàkiaare endemictotheislands ers o trea bove, forHawa O l i as succu usters o hite-to-purple flowers withyellow eyes l RE d k o d l S oo b po ia provi

i (Capparis san hrubby hrubby b ST k der screwp otium splen p k ear e f f h e g tu erns are asi

d f shrub withtrailin shrub ina (He or onenative toyour area w f f

l b ron bl ent, h d h u l es a in ite-to- ue iotro g l ar ye d round covers includepu a ii i

fl h s as ne, top,andHawa an coastalgardens (Vitex rotun d owers. d airy airy p d ense, spraw ens ium anoma wichiana) l ll j i l uicy fruits followuicy fruits clus l ong asnine ow ow ac ) l g eaves an can reach 20fee nature p fl bl owers an g stemsthatbea ooms. Twe d , l ifolia), ing s wh l ; um), beachhe- d ii ic

f an cotton f . l h eet, . ragran h ant o d e o a ma wh juic l p ter a p u` b en ic l ve u t- h u y a r s s - t t t f ; , , 10 feetwithflowers indark red tooran T Joanne Wol b Hawaiian stateflower I 12 ming est tree an tree shedsitsleaves. Wiliwili isadr tween August an ters ofred, oran (Er it isextremely slow 20 to blooms andisdrou Ko plant. Its nectar-richflowers attracthum t to iscus 3530 Pa 5 32960. H HAWAII F P Pl F w P T w F N T FLORIDA Resources i w N 96 N g w G available. he AmericanGardener ndex.html f lorida’s BestNativeLandsca h arden/index.html he FloridaNativePlantSociety, k lor L 32666.(877)352-2366 arden For a Hibiscus isanotherHawaiian si ress ofFlorida,Gainesville, .O. Box690278,VeroBeach,FL 021 ow toPlantaNativeHawaiian urser ative HawaiianPlantSociet ational Tro y eet ta ww.fn ww.afnn.org ww.an ww.hawaii. ant e thrina san i`o ` 74 l A erates wet or b 3 i da, b 0 s ir ssociatio , Kahulu 1 rackenri i d f by ll ul es . f eet ta ( p g s an an aster-growing wi tree, try onl 2003. d ( w a ` s.or GilNelson,Universit p el , 561 N wi f ww.nt alina Road,Kalaheo,H P e isacontri . fi d ovember ula i p ne handbook .O. Box434,Melrose, d re.com

g. ll d g ll h ical BotanicalGarden, manyinsectpo ) . an ov/health/oe wicensis) n d notto as acanopy

562-1598 i g ( , HI Retail directory gei Hi d e, oryellow flowers be o bg d Septem f Fl g d s ) b . ht tolerant. .or g ry con ry , / / h iscus kokio 96 s December ma`ohauhele h rowin o ports ports ows o l r g. i erate wet soi 4 ida b 7 , . / utin w 33 nh N ), b hich avera f . d q g ff p l rom t er w -5 ati . c arge ye itions. T

s g y pe d / / e 021 , . ) v ense c 200 ll B e d y g h inators. g rows o itor h en t nature x 5 . ree to y I l l iwi ll for ( s l Hi- . g ow us g f 4 he he to or es e li 5 - - - - . 4 Since theState CapitolBuildin desi awareness. For more in Pau says Jim Nau, Ba i B owned, now by fourth run B pro h r t excellence, andcreativit “ B th c Sim w d nois, Ball isafamil fittin N B ce Two giantsinthehorticulture industr 1 seven-acre trialanddisplaygardens at be w able containers,or t has inue to ieties ompany’s centennial,Ball redesi b 00 6 orticu eve all all” were unveiled this all Horticultural CompanyandBaile ai h e urseries, Inc., l eir Horticultural NewsandResearch ImportanttoAmericanGardener g etter s e ll Bai Hea o g l YEAR in theirsecondcentury, Ball willcon- b , l p eys. Base g - l visi turne rams toincrease customer an l the American Gardene g rate esa k h ly Beautifu ops ornamenta ned and installed a new rosened andinstalled anew ways to observe themilestone. waystoobserve , no ea l withafocusonsustainable l d g ey Nurseries isa ture t l d t h quartere rown intooneofthelar d d S e nurseriesint

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a century in acentury quarters. T quarters. O d n F H 100t l h W d op innovative p new roug inNew b O b a ll ot RTI allhort.com. l v d ™ ’s tria e h inWest C h y h ™ CU is year aswe starte g l -owned businessthat t in anic practices,an l h h p LT p l e new “Gare new e. e useo y etunias an s manager. Ast p b U h l f we value atBall,” In In ants suc ort, Minnesota,ort, usiness t ormation a R e Unite p d E h ast summert in1905, e innovation ho l r so f h g

b icago, I n eneration io ll o d d h h f g g , Bai r d l States. d d ami pu ant va- ned its is year ast inSt. egra of f ens at t oun b g g h

bl h out the l ar est l ll ei he ey ey d y ic i d d o y y r - - - - . , buildin S Nurser C Hort L ce com t s v id p d t t ue toactively su al M ‘ E t n d Centennial’ name eft: Partoftheredes he o he environment, andstud ervices. ri h tate Cap iding thehighestqualityproducts and lastic inourindustry,” saysBailey ursery ursery uce usageo en infront ofitthis asy E G ’ rose ent Terri McEnaney. In a l i innesota a b l e cago. Above:M A earn more. ARD g b i ute toorganizationst p cultural Company’sheadquarters s arden, whichfeatures 11varieties of ration. Eac any will“remain dedicatedto g i f es plantedanewrosegardenatth or ’s 100thanniversar l pl egance d ” i Visit f onate ants as E tol uture C l so receive i n St.Paultocelebratethe f ® c d w pl h a roses—inc p ww. h pp o i art o art ans, “We wi ll emica nnesota-based Ba t f i d t ort research,ort con- gned gardensatBall b h inhonorofthe h ai e d f e 87countiesin t y p

l pl f . eynurseries.co l h ive ‘Centenni- ast June. The s, water, an ants tocreate e h y dd l wa f at en E u estivities. d B ition, t ll ing y contin OO s tore h p ance Rosa p res- i K ro- ley h m in d e - - e resilient a t U (LOS). Landr Orleans (circum front isthatli members are allli fr c s K V th a h n T AFTERH REPLANTING l v b L withaminimum must have atrunk a b L r f a i p most 1,000-year-old specimensnorsaplin hese inNewOrleans Cit stic trees, have proven fairlyresilient. “Of earn more a are mot ina andRita,”sa n registere h nlike man ll thetrees inLouisiana ived Katrinaquitenicely, ur er a wi er” o owever, thelandscape—both physica an andr alle o he long-termeffectsofHurricane Katri- atrina’s windandwaterdislod roug d an m O h g d emotiona d a , t t y g ne s ry, c h p t ll p y h hasbeenirrevocabl e h ere f rominent natura h ta s t , the‘Seven Sisters Oak’ inLewis- h t e f e h , e oa erence) o out t

Biloxi g l s h h b h k as iver o d h ainst HurricaneKatrina. d y airman o e LOS; t e years to est e Gu GulfCoasttrees,liveoaks—lik manyroots, sparingneit o mem k b r v e wit b een t h y d l e oaks(Quercus vir

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f L andothercommunities p l Coast’s mostc f b h ower Mississippi River v ositive ont news eig er o e oaktrees. To become t h a f U k y h h e t h h b RRI s ColeenPerilloux e h e ot e h e LOS, visit l in t h e P f t oss o l e Live Oa l t e Hurricanes Kat-

ar f f o f C u eet. Accor eatures: t h y n ANE KATRIN h y h g human“mem- ll e society, atre j , tc y Park— e citeso est ust twoblocks er 5,000- thelive oaks y un altered. One f h t a h g r irt e re t d k h g r g erstoo a h iniana Society aracter- h d ed and in h e trees. p f , “sur- www. g ing to New e tree roved A g g . ion’s pl ” T s. irth h s us d; er ) o e e , l

LEFT: COURTESY OF BALL HORTICULTURAL COMPANY; CENTER: COURTESY OF BAILEY NURSERIES, INC.; RIGHT: COURTESY OF COLEEN P. LANDRY COURTESY OF ROBERT D. CHILDS Hurricane An the replantin “We tree cano “ReLeaf” pro “ReLeaf” h g u matc or Forests’ We pl their communitieswhenit’s possiblet h p as well asthesenseofcommunit “Trees are important ecutive director ofAmericanForests p create p p louisianagar t for a link to the “Releaf” pro for alinktothe“Releaf” h anizations anduniversities inthethree rovi eople oftheGulf Coastsoonwillmiss romotin rofit p e ar ant againint g eir trees,” saysDe l wit V American Forests Donations madethrou / p resi d p isit t k est- h d lanttrees, d now h g e. AmericanForests in aKatrinaReLea roup dedicatedtoextendin statean g h h d p g

e AH it statestoim f ents put y inurbanenvironments an sound forestry practices,ha soundforestry f un d rom simi b g enclu site g d ofMississippi Valley trees. d ram in2006. h s. T SW are eli d rew an e Gu

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oca w s.org/pages/oak.htm. h e d b e f ww.american l b or t ar experiencesa own roots new i lf ora , l site(www.a g Forest or Service g anationa Coast.” d roup ible forfedera f Hugo t h h Fun eir Gang h pl g as p h America h ement t l ea g d as teame rams an toai l f e l y s h dg o l f y h non at t ff orests h the g s.org) e , ex- d a the d f d in ter t he h e n n d d d o o y e s - - , . . l d T b w A NEW M r o ecover from H ama he tin t een re inter mot h er e l g ative newcomeront f oun e totreesb y O ff larvaofawintermoth(com TH PLAG orts to orts d h inWas s (Operopt h u U y e rricane Katrina. E attackin l S p t h MA in h g e Gu h SS ton an era A g C theleafbudsand h lf b H Coastregion rumata) rumata) e US d p Ore ETT est scene, S p g are itssizetothe on a h a v e s y oun we y Boston th M becomin ar assac e state—it’s int g ll “W d leaves,whicheventuall asinregions o , CapeCo e kno h , thesouthshore p usetts an g enn aseriousproblem ineaster N w y ovember belowit)inflictstremendou it’s inallcoastalto d d , rea seemto f Cana / December h ll e nort , Martha’s Vine y mosto d y weakenstrees. a, b e sprea b ut now ar h 200 s w 5 h d f ns in t ing. ore he 47 n e - , s 4 and laye Tree morta emerge neart in five counties inRhodeIsland a w inc of mothdefoliation.Host trees are diverse ten v p in eat w w c molo capes, an southern New Ham l h oracious caterpi HORTICULTURAL HISTORY: HENRY NEHRLING’SGARDENS 8 Henr the non- i t and Theodore Roosevelt,ThomasEd foundation forFlorida’sthennascentnurser d p shrubs— serve thes 40 acresoflandinGotha,Florida,wherehebuilta 1853, wasalsoanavidgardener.In1884,hepurchased Nehrlin h sands cametovisithis Henry Nehrling l in so targetroses, hite elms,and crabapples. Themoths ou n g i in usetts Extension Lan d i i lants mes andbeend T March andApril—in somecasescrip s debts. l ums, hybr d l g u Ur G ea g When Nehrl Work ld er youn h s appear to have hairy mar s appeartohave hairy the American Gardene d t otha. H g f f e mot ” n’t n’t amous hort y ing oa an ist fortheUniversity ofMassa h b saysRic Nehrl i e trees’ a gg an Forestry Program. “It’s a n th g p i d b ng w i l devotedhimselftostud ro s. When the larvae hatch,the s. Whenthelarvae

e sur ity canoccura n O fl i h x acresthatrema g fi h ver theensu k i ower i f i s are s s garden,

d amaryll act everytypeo t Henr e en s, map l i eaves unti n g i i p ng d ll reat g th theU. h bl b rise ars continueto i , aschoolteacherandnatural d i b v ar l cultur i ue ig o i l u ded up.Now,e ity to y d i p d f h l d g ed Nehrl b Novem es, c shire.

s o randson R t i ChC erries, an i d i b f s, andglor i nclud h n we we i i f f scape, Nursery, rown an l st L ng years, ter severa

i May orJune. h h 1929 l ld ea i erries, as ” ost trees S n valuable surrounded withman material, andIsoonfoundm me moreandtropicalplan lished in1933.“Kindfolksen da wrote in p the resultsfarsur and develo Cottage Gardens’atGothagre several decades.“Asmy‘Pal renowne r g s, anento f . Departmento g i ectations oreffortsNehrlin b f arden, includin i oun f berty HydeBa g out.T i n o

, acollectionofhisnotespub er tomate grow ng manyplants,suchascala S ins. They d , thepropertywassoldtocover oc i f

chard Nehrl , f d ee h d and i Nehrl i l ff i i son, andNehrl t year osa l er itin et t haschangedhandsman d orts arebe d i h h T ng plant. o d b y ur y l es, ei h he PlantWorldinFlori- so , a- gar in p n p y e I r - s - - - f , i alms, trees, or th l i ed from g i n es, thatbecameth andtestin g d ’s or ‘Feuerhexe’ Cheddar Pl ucts containin c Baci en overt i eous perennia i y ley. i s a industr n i ” p ng madetopre- f g n Appl p g Agr igi assed an t thelikeso ll has ur A y us t i nal ear to i ssoc p n y st born ications o ose. g rarean i h culture, ’s f y h g urin g ounde . Thou- i ardens thes e nex at f f erns r y y y i i o l ear en ex g sel s g n’ iensi thebacterialinsecticide g i m w n d d d s e g e y rowin t f - f t - t - , , f 2

d s 006 ormant oi (Bt) p as parkland find anothersolution.“Eventhou w H has influenced we ho F the countr to preserve home, above,alongwithsixacresofsurroundinggardens. The HenryNehrlingSocietyhopestopreserveNehrling’soriginal g ink, thePerennial lorida, this ww.nehrlin enry Nehrl Pl un F A h or more a f ter anunsuccess ave d n p erneat t e that

o l an f p t roven e y h d ,” sa e h i i p

Y gg i n con p t, contactAngelaW trees. p i n ast Se ng ro ear eo f ardens.or ormat p y d- p f- lants andtreesthatwenow s Richard S le willrealizethatHenr j unct oc p tember, theor i i ers inspringan ma Z h p Perennia o ‘ f I DIANTH w a s v f den earned Har drained soil,andwillgrow inUSDA f on aboutthe ety, at Feuer ective at o etts scientistsare alsoexperimentin ntense ma ul attempttopurchasetheproperty ae, respective roduces abundant, clove-scented flow- f 2 eaded. Growin ones 10to1. hich fee i l p on w iage, an g k arasitic d . p es agoo 006 . iness Zones 3to8an lant. It thrives infull sunandwell- h US i th exe’ (Firewitc Pl WITHDI l ( d P k 4 Dianthus O s onwintermothlarvae i d 0 lll l g fl range a l g aneasy-goingnature ant Association.T d i in 7 enta flowers, silvery-blu n thers, pres h thisisalocal y ca groun g l g y. University o ) t g anization isworkin

arden andthee

d t 8 g o S wi h uptosixinchestall,it 7 ll TIN f C e e 6 ounty y t ll d d C h - Nehrlin re- gg

cover or roc h TI 9962 g e Cy ratiano ) t O Y s an g N i bl zenis al zenis h dent o row allover ea i n oom i e d d , orv r fr f AHSHeat O d Massac youn g g istinctio rlando, ’s wor p arden h — olitanu ff o is f f b th m V . orts

g g i k d icans, pl . g s to wit h N. gar- ea

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TOP LEFT: COURTESY OF NAPLES ZOO AT CARIBBEAN GARDENS; TOP RIGHT: COURTESY OF THE HENRY NEHRLING SOCIETY; BOTTOM: COURTESY OF MARY WALTERS/WALTERS GARDENS On a nomenclatural note, the common the nicotine in the plants caused the in A PRESERVATION PARTNERSHIP name of this Dianthus species is Cheddar sects to die, they later determined that Through a multi-million dollar cam pink, which refers to a region of southwest sugar esters were responsible. paign called "Restore America: A Salute England, Cheddar Gorge, where the plant Natural sugar esters proved too costly to Preservation," Home and Garden was once commonly found in the wild. to manufacture on an industrial scale, so Television (HGTV) and the National The accepted cultivar name is the original scientists turned to synthetic models. In Trust for Historic Preservation part German rendition, but in North America 2002, Gary]. Puterka, an entomologist nered in 2003 to restore 12 sites per year the plant is often sold under the English at the Appalachian Fruit Research Sta around the country. Sites are chosen translation, Firewitch. tion in Kearneysville, West Virginia, from the National Trust's Save America's patented the first synthetic sugar ester Treasures program, which is "dedicated SUGAR NOT-SO-SWEET FOR INSECTS sucrose octanoate-with industry part to identifying and rescuing the endur Researchers have discovered how to har ners. This compound has been registered ing symbols of American tradition that ness one of nature's own insect controls for use on agricultural and greenhouse define us as a nation." sugar-based compounds found in wild crops as well as on indoor and garden Horticulturally important sites on tobacco plants. Known as sugar esters, plants. Marketed under the name Sucro the list to date include the Conservato this family of compounds is showing po cide, it is currently being used by the bee ry of Flowers in San Francisco, Califor tential as a safe and effectivealternative to keeping industry to control varroa mites nia; Dunn Gardens in Seattle, conventional chemical insecticides. on honey bees. Washington; and Hakone Gardens in Several years ago, Agricultural Re Most recently, Puterka and his team Saratoga, California. HGTV features search Service (ARS) researchers at the have patented two new synthetic sugar each preservation project on its program U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) esters, one of which, sorbitol octanoate, "Restore America" for a month. Please laboratories in Beltsville, Maryland, ob can be produced more cheaply than su check HGTV's Web site at www.hgtv. served an interesting phenomenon when crose octanoate. Puterka is awaiting a com for program scheduling and more insects came in contact with the tobacco decision from the U.S. Environmental information. � plants. The insects rapidly weakened and Protection Agency on approval of a li died from what turned out to be desicca cense for commercial and garden use of Written by Assistant Editor Viveka Neveln tion. Although scientists initially believed the new compound. and Editorial Intern William Clattenburg.

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2005 49 GIFTS FORC THE GARDENER F the deserving gardenersrdeners on your list,list, herehere are some niftynifty giftgift ideasideas thatthat are sure to please.please.

Olive Wreath Not only is this silvery green wreath a stately adornment for your door or table, but all profits from its sales beenefit America’s Second Harvest—The Nation’s Food Bank Network. Priced at $50 plus shipping. Available exclusively at www.lindsayolives.com orr by calling AHS Membership (8800) 801-1469. Until December 5, you can get three memberships in the American Horticultural Society for the price of two (a $105 value for only $70). Membership includes six issues of The American Gardener, free admisssiion to hundreds of botanical gardens and flower shows, priority registration for AHS educational programs,rams, anddtiiti participation in the popular AHS Annual Seed Exchange. To take advantage of this offer, visit www.ahs.org or call (800) 777-7931.

Gardener’s Remedy Kit Protect your skin before gardening and soothe it afterwards with the help of this all-natural assortment from All Terrain. In- cludes insect repel- lent, lip balm, massage cream, sun- screen, and more. Retails for $41.53. To Garden-opoly order, call (617) 332- Gardeners of all ages will enjoy this new twist on a familiar 1960, or visit www.all- board game. Garden-opoly offers a whimsical way to learn fun terrainco.com. facts about the garden as players buy “plant” properties and spend time “weeding” rather than going to jail. Available for $24.95. (800) 422-3434. www.lateforthesky.com.

50 the American Gardener Radius Garden Tools Gardening chores jusst got easier with four new ergonomically designed garden hand tools from Radius—a trowel, bulb planter, weeder, and cultivator—eachh designed to reduce wrist stress and maximize efficiency.efficiency Available from Lee Valley Tools (www.leevalley.com) and from retail garden centers. Contact Radius for a source near you; (734) 222-8044, www.RadiusGarden.com. Each tool retails from $13 to $15.

2006 Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Wall Calendar Give a gardening friend 12 months of beautiful native wildflowers photographed by Darrell Gulin. Available for $18.95, shipping included. Call toll free (877) 945-3357 or order at www.wildflower.org.

Mini Wellington Boots Terracotta Vase Cattail Bird Feeder This glazed terracotta “wellies” vase adds Treat a friend (and his or her birds) to one a touch of charm to any desk or shelf. It’s of these unique metal feeders. Each holds just the right size for a small bouquet, or up to a half pound of sunflower seeds it can also hold pencils or plant labels. and is easy to refill. Available from Available in green or blue for $14.95 Gardener’s Supply Company for $19.95. from Garden Artisans. (410) 721-6185. To order call (800) 427-3363 or visit www.gardenartisans.com. www.gardeners.com.

Products profiled are chosen based on qualities such as innovative design, horticultural utility, and environmental responsibility; they have not been tested by the American Horticultural Society. Listed prices are subject to change. Send new product information to New Products, The American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308, or e-mail to [email protected]..

November / December 2005 51 Join us now to take advantage of the many benefits of membership in the American Horticultural Society

As an AHS member, you get The American Gardener Our beautiful full-color bi-monthly magazine offers in- Heat Tolerance Map In 1997, AHS introduced the AHS depth articles written by plant and gardening experts and enthusiasts. Plant Heat Zone Map, which has revolutionized the way American gardeners select region-appropriate plants. Free Admission or special discounts to 170 public gardens and flower and garden shows across the United States and Canada. Book Program AHS and DK Publishing, Inc., have teamed up to create a definitive horticultural Free Seed Exchange Program AHS’s annual seed exchange program enables reference library for the 21st century. members to obtain hundreds of uncommon varieties of seeds. SMARTGARDEN™ Launched in 2000, this AHS program uses Travel Study Program AHS and the Leonard Haertter Travel Company offer existing tools, such as the USDA Plant Hardiness and AHS Plant Heat Zone codes, superb national and international garden-based, educational tours to beautiful and considers new criteria to develop guidelines that bestbest reinreinforce our private and public gardens in the United States and abroad. stewardship of the earth.

Special invitations to educational programs such as the AHS Garden Schools and Horticultural Intern Program Horticulture students from around the country get AHS partner events that include the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival hand's-on experience in garden maintenance and design and an opportunity to and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Garden Symposium. work with leading gardening experts.

AHS Online Our Web site (www.ahs.org) contains a wealth of information, National Awards Program The Great American Gardeners Awards recognizes including articles from The American Gardener, members-only pages with special individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to information and updates, and links to other prominent gardening sites. horticulture. The Flower Show Awards spotlight earth-friendly garden displays at flower shows. Noteworthy garden books are the focus for our Book Awards program. Your membershipp also supports our many national programs Annual Membership Levels Annual membership in the American Horticultural Society, George Washington's River Farm The AHS's National Headquarters is located on a including six issues of The American Gardener magazine and all the scenic 25-acre site overlooking the Potomac River. Formerly one of our First benefits described on this page, is available at the following basic President's farms, the property now features an artful blend of naturalistic and levels (for additional levels, visit www.ahs.org): formal gardens that offer year-round delight to visitors of all ages. • $35 Individual • $1,000 President's Council National Children and Youth Garden Symposium Since 1993, this annual program • $100 Family* • Corporate Membership (contact our office) has led the way in promoting the value of children's gardens and garden-based • $50 International • Horticultural Partner (contact our office) education. • $50 Couple *Up to four membership cards per household The Growing Connection This innovative educational program teaches children about the science of growing food plants and their role in a healthy diet. Online Gardening Courses Enroll in state-of-the-art online garden classes through To become an AHS member, call (703) 768-5700 AHS's partnership with the Horticultural Gardening Institute of Michigan State University. or visit us at www.ahs.org BOOKC REVIEWS

Recommendations for Your Gardening Library

Yard Full of Sun: The Story of a Gardener’s Obsession That Attracting Birds, Butterflies & Other Winged Wonders Got a Little Out of Hand to Your Backyard Scott Calhoun. Rio Nuevo Publishers, Tucson, Arizona, 2005. 192 Kris Wetherbee. Lark Books, New York, New York, 2004. 176 pages. pages. Publisher’s price, softcover: $22.95. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $24.95.

WHAT DO NOAH WEBSTER, Peter O’Toole, and Wile E. KRIS WETHERBEE, in collaboration with her photographer Coyote have in common? Each has contributed to society’s mis-- hhusband b d RiRick, k hhas created d an attractive, i illillustrated,il d step-by-step b guidedgui notions about deserts. Inn guide to help you entice birds his dictionary, Webster defined a and butterflies to visit and nest desert as “a desolate or forbidding in your gaarden. After introduc- area.” This scary image wouldd ing wildlife’s basic needs—food, later be “confirmed” in movies fresh water, and shelter—she suchc as Lawrence of Arabia and alll elaborates with chapters full of those Roadrunner cartoons. projects andn illustrated instruc- In fact, the deserts of the tions for providing them. Southwest are alive with a variety Every page contains captivat- of vibrant colors, textures, and ing pictures—from birds at forms, and over the years, a num- feeders, to tandem damselflies, ber of books have attempted to counterc all that unfriendly pro- to charming birdhouses. The paganda. Among the very best is Scott Calhoun’s Yard Full of Sun. author approaches her topic with passion and from an appar- Calhoun is a pprofessional nurserymanr living in Tucson. Be- ent wealth of personal experience, providing practical tips sides being an exceptional gardener,n he is also a gifted writer; hee througggpghout, such as filling bird feeders at night and placing tells the story of his (and his family’s) horticultural odyssey with stones for butterflies to bask on. Descriptive lists of plants with wit and a delightful earthiness—qearthiness—qualities all too rare in garden- their wildlife value, sections on how to design and garden, and ing literature. His book reads like a chatty letter from a friend. profiles of 15 bird types, 10 butterfly and four moth groups, and “Where Phoenix had largely rejected the Sonoran Desert,” six dragonfly/damselfly genera round out the text. Calhoun observes, “Tucson embraced it.” So did the Calhouns. On occasion, the book misses opportunities to enlighten its The author details the building of his family’s resource-con- readers. Despite several mentions of checking with local nurseries serving “green” home, and the designing of their Sonoran gar- for advice about plants that will grow well in one’s conditions, den. His plant profiles are full of solid information as well as there’s no emphasis on the value to wildlife of growing regional personal anecdotes, including a thwarted prairie zinnia raid at species—for example, the need of some species for the protective a local library. effect of chemicals in the nectar of flowers with which they coe- One of the requisites of a good gardening book is good volved. And although a sidebar extols the virtues of natural pest photography, and we are not disappointed here. The pictures control, the book does not explicitly warn that using pesticides of plants and gardens are first-rate, thanks to the combined may undo your good work in attracting beneficial wildlife. camera skills of Calhoun, his wife Deirdre, and W. Ross Readers will find well-written instructions for making 11 dif- Humphreys. The photo of an ocotillo fence is pure art. ferent nest boxes (including those for robins, screech owls, and Calhoun also provides useful plant lists, rainfall charts, and chickadees). There are six feeder projects, such as hanging plat- lists of public gardens and native nurseries in all the South- form, covered bridge, and butterfly fruit feeder, and four pro- western states. He even throws in some prickly pear recipes. jects for providing water in the garden, which range from—my If you live in New Jersey or Iowa, you’ll find this book a de- personal favorite—a simple flowerpot birdbath to a full-out lightful read. If you live in the Southwest, it’ll be one of your mini wetland. A delightful chapter, titled “Enjoying the Show,” most valuable resources. teaches how and when to get out in the yard to find and enjoy —Andy Wasowski these winged wonders. —Elizabeth Schwartz Andy Wasowski and his wife, Sally, have authored nine books on native landscaping, including Requiem for a Lawnmower: Gardening in a Elizabeth Schwartz teaches native-plant gardening at the University Warmer, Drier World. They live near Taos, New Mexico. of California–Los Angeles Extension.

November / December 2005 53 Growing Hardy Orchids Growing Hardy Orchids and The John Tullock. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2005. 244 pages. Gardener’s Guide to Growing Hardy Publisher’s price, hardcover: $29.95. Perennial Orchids are excellent books that contain well-researched discus- The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Hardy Perennial Orchids sions ofo plants and planting tech- William Mathis. The Wild Orchid Company, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, niques, and sources of commercially 2005. 104 pages. Publisher’s price, softcover: $24.95. propagated species. Both books have fully illustrated galleries of orchids. ORCHIDS! The very name conjures up images of colorful, ex- Johnn Tullock’s book is the more otic flowers in a hobbyist’s humid greenhouse, or vigorous plants thoughhtful of the two in presenting his ladenladen wwithith ovoversized blooms on dis- personala views on orchids in nature, play in a botanical garden’s conser- their conservation, and the problems vatory. With over 50,000 species with previous efforts to grow hardy species. He describes his test- and hybrids in cultivation, most of ed soil mixes and growing situations that anyone can follow. The which are easily grown and more pictures of plants and bed preparation are also very good. readily available than ever, tropical The book by William Mathis focuses more on growing orchid appreciation is among the techniques, and less on background and philosophical issues. world’s most popular pastimes. He also includes some good photos of unusual hybrids and Until a few years ago, these were companion plants, such as pitcher plants for the bog garden. the only scenarios for growing or- While certain hardy orchid genera have long been available— chids in the temperate zone. In the such as Calanthe, Cypripedium, Platanthera, and Pleione—help- 1980s, knowledgeable and forward- ful information about them was obscure. With these books, you thinking folks exchanged ideas at won’t have to content yourself with wishing you could grow these two ground-breaking symposia that focused on growing native and others in your garden, you’ll know how. terrestrial orchids and discussed the problems of propagating them —Larry Mellichamp from seeds, division, and tissue culture. ThThat was the beginning. Now,N suddenly,dd l tthereh are ttwo greatt bbooks k thhat offer gardeners de- Larry Mellichamp is director of the University of North Carolina at tailed information about growing hardy orchids in the backyard. Charlotte Botanical Gardens and co-author of The Winter Garden.

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54 the American Gardener GARCD OOKS

A Potpourri of Tempting Titles

OOKING FOR A good book to dig into on a cold win- roughest waters in the world. How it got there and why can only ter’s day? Or perhaps you’re hoping to find the perfect be answered by first exploring the rich natural history of the re- L holiday gift for a gardening friend. These tantalizing ti- gion, which revolves around the na- tles could do the trick. From understanding insect pests to time- tive Haida people and their saving garden tips, each book offers unique, useful, and encounters with early explorers, fur fascinating insights into the horticultural world. traders, and finally loggers. One log- Most gardeners bristle at the thought of marauding aphids ger in particular has an integral and and voracious Japanese beetles, but in Insights from Insects: unexpected part to play in this vivid- What Bad Bugs Can Teach Us (Prometheus Books, 2005, $18), ly written and well-researched story Gilbert Waldbauer makes the case that if you really stop and about the golden spruce, a 300-year- get to know these insects, you’ll find they’re actually quite amaz- old tree tht e Haida held sacred. ing creatures. “We know much more about pest insects—those A mutant golden spruce is just that conflict with our interesinterests—than about the great majority one examplm e of the weird and won- of other insects,” explains Waldbauer. derful variations found in the plant “Fortunately, what we learn about kingdom. The Nature of Plants: pest insects applies to all insects, and Habitats, Challenges and Adaptations by Jason Dawson and teaches us a great deal about the role Rob Lucas (Timber Press, Press 2005, 2005 $39.95) $339 95) takes a thorough and of insects in a worldwide web of life, scholarly look at the incredible diversity of plant life, spurred upon which we depend for our very bhbyby thethe needn d to adapt d to our planet’s l ’ existence.” The book profiles 20 per- extremele y variable conditions. Read- nicious pests from mosquitoes and ers will discover how plants have not house flies to gypsy moths and corn only managed to gain a foothold earworms to reveal intriguing insights from thee world’s tropics to the poles, into ecology, natural selection, genet- but to thrive in spite of drought, ics,, and more. floods, fire, heat, and cold, not to For those who wish to hone their gardening skills or want to mention the animals, fungi, and bac- perform garden chores more efficiently, there’s 100 Garden teria that use them for food. Over Tips and Timesavers, one of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s 200 coloor photographs further aug- All Region Guides (Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 2005, $9.95). ment this fascinating book. “I’veIve tried to make the most of my timet in the garden by using In ligi ht of such diversity, one a combination of inspiration, ingenuity, and a fair amount of mightmight wowondernder wwhyhy ttherehere aarere ssoo mamanyany plant species in any given common sense to find shortcuts to region when natural selection tends to favor only the best sur- a beautiful, healthy, abundant gar- vivors. In Demons in Eden: the Paradox of Plant Diversity den,” writes author Walter Chando- (University of Chicago Press, 2005, $25), ecologist Jonathan Sil- ha. In this handy little volume, he vertown takes on the challenge of an- has picked 100 of his tips to share, swerring this question. He leads readers from Number 1: “Deadheading An- on a journey around the globe, look- nuals for Repeat Blooms,” to Num- ing at what can happen when “the ber 10: “Reusing Toy Wagons.” Tips Darwinian demon hiding in every are organized into categories such as speccies” is unleashed and how biodi- “Garden Design” and “Improving versity persists in spite of these “de- the Soil”” for easy reference, and il- monic” tendencies. While this may lustrated with color photographs sounnd like rather cerebral subject mat- and diagrams. ter, Silvertown has a knack for ex- Some of the largest plants on earth star in The Golden plaining complex biological concepts Spruce: A Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed (W.W. Norton, in an accessible and engaging way. He 2005, $24.95) by John Vaillant. Set in the old-growth forests of deftly uses analogy and example to illuminate his discussions, and Canada’s Queen Charlotte Islands, this true tale opens with a often waxes lyrical in his descripi tions. mysterious kayak washing up on a remote island in some of the —Viveka Neveln, Assistant Editor

November / December 2005 55 REGIONALC HAPPENINGS

Horticultural Events from Around the Country

Looking ahead NORTHEAST Events sponsored by or including official JAN. 5 & 6. The New Mid-States Horticultural CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT participation by AHS or AHS staff members Expo. The Kentucky Nursery & Landscape RAP NOV. 19–JAN. 8. Holiday Train Show. are identified with the AHS symbol. Association, The Tennessee Nursery & The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, New Landscape Association, the Southern Nurs- York. (718) 817-8616. www.nybg.org. Events hosted by botanical gardens and ery Association. Louisville, Kentucky. arboreta that participate in AHS’s Reciprocal (770) 953-3311. www.sna.org/midstates. DEC. 2–4. Monadnock Festival of Trees. Peter- Admissions Program are identified with the borough Garden Club. Peterborough, New JAN. 19–22, 2006. Gardens of Florida. The RAP symbol. Current AHS members showing Hampshire. (603) 924-6630. Tampa Bay Flower Show. Tropicana Field. a valid membership card are eligible for free or St. Petersburg, Florida. (727) 596-1204. DEC. 4. Holiday Sing-In and Candlelit Green- discounted admission to the garden or other www.flowershow.com. house. Planting Fields Arboretum. Oyster benefits. Special events may not be included; Bay, New York. (516) 922-9210. contact the host site for details or visit NORTH CENTRAL www.plantingfields.org. ww.ahs.org/events/reciprocal_events.htm. IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI

RAP DEC. 10. Heirloom Apples and Home- RAP NOV. 18–JAN 8. Holiday Door Décor and made Cider. Garden demonstration. Wave Athens, Georgia. (706) 542-1244. More. Exhibit. Klehm Arboretum. Rockford, Hill. Bronx, New York. (718) 549-3200. www.uga.edu/botgarden. Illinois. (815) 965-8146. www.klehm.org. www.wavehill.org. RAP NOV. 24–JAN. 2. Victorian Holiday. Ex- RAP NOV. 20 & 21. Decorative Outdoor Win- DEC. 10. Winter Tree Identification. The New hibit. Harry P. Leu Gardens. Orlando, Flori- ter Container Garden. Presentation. Chicago England Wildflower Society. New Haven, da. (407) 246-2620. www.leugardens.org. Botanic Garden. Chicago, Illinois. (847) Connecticut. (508) 877-7630. www.newenglandwildflower.org.

MID-ATLANTIC PA, NJ, VA, MD, DE, WV, DC

AHS DEC. 1–DEC. 23. Holiday Display. River Farm. American Horticultural Society. Alexan- dria, Virginia. (703) 768-5700. www.ahs.org.

DEC. 5–8. Virginia Turfgrass Short Course. Virginia Turfgrass Council. Virginia Beach, Virginia. (757) 464-1004. www.vaturf.org.

RAP DEC. 21–JAN. 8. Winter Silhouettes Exhibit. Bonsai. U.S. National Arboretum. Washington, D.C. (202) 245-2726. www.usna.usda.gov.

Looking ahead JAN. 20–22. “Magical Gardens” Virginia Flower & Garden Show. The Virginia Horti- cultural Foundation. Virginia Beach Pavilion. Virginia Beach, Virginia. (877) 882-0057. www.vafgs.org.

SOUTHEAST AL, FL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN

NOV. 18–DEC. 31. Fantasy in Lights. Callaway Gardens. Pine Mountain, Georgia. (706) 663-5187. www.callawaygardens.com.

RAP NOV. 21. Evening Lichen Ramble. The State Botanical Garden of Georgia.

56 the American Gardener 835-5440. www.chicagobotanic.org. Carver Garden Opens in St. Louis DEC. 3. Wreath Workshop. Reiman Gardens. Ames, Iowa. (515) 294-2710. www.reiman THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED George Washington Carver Garden opened Octo- gardens.iastate.edu. ber 15 at the Missouri Botanical Garden (MOBOT) in St. Louis, Missouri. A fitting RAP tribute to a man who dedicated his life to plant sciences, conservation, education, and DEC. 11–MAR. 2006. The Art of Nature. humanitarianism, the garden features a walkway lined with some of Carver’s inspira- Exhibit. Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Madi- son, Wisconsin. (608) 246-4550. tional quotes leading to a reflecting pool surrounded by an amphitheater. The gar- www.olbrich.org. den’s focal point is a life-size bronze statue of Carver created by noted sculptor Tina Allen. SOUTH CENTRAL “A lot of people are calling this AR, KS, LA, MO, MS, OK, TX garden a reflective garden,” says RAP NOV. 26. Fall Wildflower Walk. Crosby Amy Haake, coordinator of gar- Arboretum. Picayune, Mississippi. (601) den programs at MOBOT. “We 799-2311. www.msstate.edu/dept/crec/ hope that it promotes thought camain.html. and inspires action, using Carver as a role model and teacher.” RAP DEC. 10. Holiday Wreath Workshop. Missouri Botanical Garden. Saint Louis, Misss- Carver, who was born in Dia- souri. (314) 577-5100. www.mobot.org. mond Grove, Missouri, is proba- bly best known for his pioneering work with peanuts, soybeans, and SOUTHWEST sweet potatoes. As Haake notes, AZ, NM, CO, UT Carver’s professional dreams are DEC. 2–4 & DEC. 9–11. Luminaria Lights. Holiday display. Tucson Botanical Garden. Top right: Visitors view the Carver Tucson, Arizona. (520) 326-9686. statue on opening day. Bottom www.tucsonbotanical.org. right: Also in attendance were RAP DEC. 3–JAN. 22. Blossoms of Light. sculptor Tina Allen, second from Denver Botanic Gardens. Denver, Colorado. left, television actor and St. Louis (720) 865-3525. www.botanicgardens.org. native Robert Guillaume, far right, and other guests. Looking ahead JAN. 13–15. Maricopa County Home & Gar- what connect him to the city of St. Louis. After earning a master’s degree at the Iowa den Show. Arizona State Fairgrounds. Agricultural School (now Iowa State University), Carver “had wanted to go on and Phoenix, Arizona. (800) 995-1295. do his Ph.D. work at Washington University (St. Louis),” says Haake. Before Carv- www.phoenixhomeshow.com. er took that step, however, Booker T. Washington convinced him to accept a position at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, which Washington had founded. It was WEST COAST during his time at Tuskegee that Carver developed the many agricultural innovations CA, NV, HI that still affect us today. RAP DEC. 4. Birding in SFBG Walk. San The one-and-a-half-acre George Washington Carver Garden will also promote Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Ar- Carver’s legacy through education. “We, along with a consortium that’s being formed, boretum. San Francisco, California. (415) will be designing and developing a curriculum for school groups, primarily based on 661-1316. www.sfbotanicalgarden.org. Carver’s methods of observation,” Haake explains. “The children will be keeping Carver research journals.” The consortium is also planning a Carver internship de- RAP DEC. 10–18. Holiday Festival. Descanso signed for college-age students interested in a career in botany. Gardens. La Cañada Flintridge, California. The Missouri Botanical Garden is a member of the Reciprocal Admissions Program, (818) 949-4200. www.descansogardens.orgg. so AHS members receive free admission and a discount in the gift shop with a current DEC. 12. Camellias: Sasanquas and AHS membership card. For more information about MOBOT, call (314) 577-5100 or Other Early-Blooming Camellias. visit www.mobot.org. Lecture. San Diego Horticultural Society. —William Clattenburg, Editorial Intern Encinitas, California. (760) 730-3268.

N www.sdhortsoc.org. ARDE

G CANADA Holiday display. Idaho Botanical Garden. AL

C NORTHWEST Boise, Idaho. (208) 343-8649. DEC. 9–31. Festival of Lights. Van Dusen Botan- AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY TANI

O www.idahobotanicalgarden.org.www.idahobotanicalgarden.org. ical GGarden.arden. Vancouver,Vancouver, British ColumbiaColumbia.. RAP NOV. 26–JAN 1. Garden d’Lights. (604) 878-9274. www.vandusengarden.org. URI B Holiday display. Bellevue Botanical Garden. Looking ahead SSO Bellevue, Washington. (425) 451-3755. JAN. 20–22. Clark County Home & Garden Looking ahead F MI O

Y www.bellevuebotanical.org. Show. O’Loughlin Trade Shows. Ridgefield, RAP JAN. 17. Conifer Workshop. University of S Washington. (503) 246-8291. Guelph. Guelph, Ontario. (519) 824-4120 URTE RAP DEC. 9–JAN. 1. Winter Garden Aglow. www.oloughlintradeshows.com. ext. 52113. www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum. CO

November / December 2005 57 GARDENC MARKET

CLASSIFIED AD RATES: All classified advertising must be prepaid. $2.75 per word; mini- mum $66 per insertion. Copy and prepayment must be received by the 20th of the month three months prior to publication date. To place an ad, call (703) 768-5700 ext. 120.

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58 the American Gardener The Best Tools of the Trade for Your Garden

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AUTHOR 57. "Minnesota Landscape Ar- 2626. 10. "Gar den Club o f Amer ica boretum Opens New Visitor Cen- Rozmus, Jessica. "Cactus and Suc- Scholarships," M/A, 11. "Gifts Acton, Patricia. "Compact Shrubs," ter," M/A, 57. "A Summertime culent Society Celebrates 75 for Gardeners at www.ahs.org," J/A, 28. Celebration of Orchids," M/J, Years," J/A, 58. N/D, 10. "Girl Scouts Revitalize Albers, Charlotte. "Chocolate Gar- 58. Sternberg, Ilene. "Classic and Con- River Farm’s Children’s Garden," dens," M/J, 32. "Youth Garden Heath, Becky. "Adding Bulbs to temporary Spireas," M/A, 16. N/D, 9. "Great American Gar- Symposium 2005," S/O, 14. Fill in Borders," S/O, 28. Studebaker, Russell. "New Garden dener Awards in Florida," S/O, 9. Bush, Gene. "Ground Covers for Hill, Bob. "The Great Plains Highlights Ozark Native Plants," "The Growing Connection Gains Shade," S/O, 18. "Intriguing Plantsman," J/A, 33. J/A, 57. New Advisory Board," J/A, 10. Arisaemas," N/D, 31. Howard, Doreen G. "Mighty Mycor- Torpey, Jodi. "The Little Green- "Homestead Gardens is New Bussolini, Karen. "Pulmonarias," rhizae," J/A, 23. house in the Mountains," J/F, Corporate Partner," N/D, 9. "Hor- M/A, 33. Johnson, Kathryn Lund. "Outlandish 50. ticulture Gardening Institute Of- Cathey, H. Marc. Everyday Garden Outgrowths," S/O, 38. Warner, Katy Moss. "Notes From fers New Programs," M/A, 9. Science: "Color the Garden Joyce, Alice. "New Australian Gar- River Farm," J/F, 5; M/A, 5; M/J, "HGI Offers Master Gardener Beautiful," M/A, 60; "Time to den in San Francisco," M/A, 58. 5; J/A, 5; S/O, 5; N/D, 5. Volunteer Opportunities," S/O, Grow: Looking Ahead to 2020," Keith, Jessie. "Green Roofs," M/A, Wetherbee, Kris. "Edible Flowers," 8. "Kids Help Unveil New Book M/J, 60. 38. "Must-Have Monardas," J/A, M/J, 26. "Fall Cleanup Recon- Award in Atlanta," S/O, 11. Clattenburg, William. "America in 18. sidered," S/O, 24. "Magic of Landscaping Sympo- Bloom’s 2005 Award Winners," Knab, Allison. "Tea in the Garden," Wolfe, Joanne. Habitat Gardening sium," M/A, 8. "Nancy Hill Re- N/D, 12. "Carver Garden Opens N/D, 23. series: "California," M/J, 46; tires After 30 Years," N/D, 11. in St. Louis," N/D, 57. "Eastern Lee, Rand. "Beautiful Brassicas," "The Great Basin Desert," S/O, "National Garden Month," M/A, Performance Trials 2005," N/D, N/D, 18. 46; "The Northern Plains and 8. "New AHS Board Members," 14. "Fall Festival in New York," Means, Bruce. "Ice Flowers," J/F, Prairies," J/A, 46; "A Pacific J/A, 8. "New AHS Board Mem- S/O, 57. "Gardeners Can Aid 34. Northwest Paradise for Wildlife," bers," N/D, 8. "New Plants to be Bees and Other Pollinators," Miller, Carol Bishop. "Leucothoes," M/A, 46; Tropical Florida and Unveiled at Eastern Perfor- S/O, 52. "Monrovia Nursery: A M/J, 23. Hawaii," N/D, 44. mance Trials," J/A, 8. "Orna- Passion for Plants," S/O, 12. Neveln, Viveka. "The Care of ments for Holiday Trees," S/O, "New Conference for Indepen- Trees: Bringing a Passion for 9. "Photo Contest for AHS Mem- dent Plant Breeders," S/O, 57. Trees to Arboriculture, J/F, 14. SUBJECT bers," J/F, 10. "River Farm a Curry, Sheree R. AHS Partners in "Container Gardening Books," AHS: "2005 Plant Sale at River Monitoring Site for Emerald Ash Profile: "EarthBox: Enabling M/A, 55. "Garden Themes," S/O, Farm," M/A, 11. "2005 Youth Borer," J/A, 12. "River Farm Re- Anyone to Garden Anywhere," 55. "‘Orchid Daze’ at Atlanta Garden Symposium," J/F, 10. "A ceives Landmark Award," J/F, 9. J/A, 13. Botanical Garden," J/F, 57. "A Colorful AHS Garden School "River Farm Spruces up for East- DeWitt, Lynda. One on One With Potpourri of Tempting Titles," Kicks Off Spring," M/J, 8. "AHS ern Performance Trials," S/O, 8. series: "David Milarch," J/F, 60; N/D, 55. "Regional Gardening and JMG Team Up for Kid’s "River Farm Stars in PBS Pro- "Elaine Ingham, Soil Biologist," Books," M/J, 55. "Summer Book Award," M/J, 10. "AHS gram," M/J, 9. "Second Phase of J/A, 44; "Julie Moir Messervy, Reading," J/A, 55. "Tools and Guide to Public Gardens," J/A, River Farm’s Meadow Complet- Landscape Designer," M/J, 44; Techniques," J/F, 55. "Xeriscape 9. "AHS Member Day at the ed," J/A, 12. "Spring Blooms at "Kathryn Kennedy, Plant Conser- Conference Celebrates a Cleveland Botanical Garden River Farm," M/J, 10. "A Suc- vationist," N/D, 42; "Paul Meyer, Decade," J/F, 58. Flower Show," M/A, 9. "AHS cessful and Colorful 2005 AHS Director of the Morris Arbore- Nold, Robert. "Zauschnerias," J/A, Members Shine in Photography Gala," N/D, 8. "United Nations tum," S/O, 44; "Peter Orum," 38. Contest," S/O, 10. "AHS Part- Event Supports The Growing M/A, 44. Oettinger, David. "Planting Under ners with Green Industry Yellow Connection," J/F, 8. "Vernal, Flanders, Danny C. "Finding Won- Trees," J/F, 38. Pages," J/A, 10. "America in Utah Wins First AHS Award for derland," M/A, 21. Ottesen, Carole. "Chanticleer," J/F, Bloom Celebrates Fourth Year," Community Involvement," J/F, 9. Fromme, Tres. Gardening by De- 22. "Containermania," M/A 24. J/A, 9. "America in Bloom’s "White House Gates Make Grand sign series: "Exploring Garden "Deer Defense," M/A, 28. "Jens 2005 Award Winners," N/D, 12. Entrance at Philadelphia Flower Geography," M/J, 42; "Forget Jensen: Prairie Visionary" N/D, "American Horticultural Society Show," J/F, 8. "Virginia Historic Plants – Dream of Design," J/F, 36. "Kurt Bluemel Nursery: Annual Report," M/A, A1. Garden Week Includes River 44; "Form Should Not Follow Perennials for American Gar- "Awards Galore at the Philadel- Farm," M/A, 8. "Visit the AHS Fashion," M/A, 42; "The Impor- dens," M/J, 14. "Simplifying the phia Flower Show," M/J, 12. Garden Shop." J/F, 8. "Wildlife tance of Plants," S/O, 42; "Put Garden," S/O, 34. "Celebrate Dr. Cathey Day with at River Farm in New Book," Color in Its Place," J/A, 42. "Se- Pelczar, Rita. "The Colorful Career Bulbs," S/O, 10. "Dr. H. Marc N/D, 11. quencing the Sensual," N/D, 40. of ‘Dr. Purple’: H. Marc Cathey," Cathey Receives Alumnus AHS Awards: "2005 AHS Book Gardner, Jo Ann. "Rugged and Ver- J/A, 14. "Exotic Annual Vines," Award," M/A, 10. "Donated Award Winners," M/J, 13. "AHS satile Ornamental Herbs," M/J, M/J, 16. "New for 2005," J/F, Trees Planted at River Farm," 2005 Great American Gardeners 37. 16. "Spotlight on Tree Bark," M/A, 10. "Eastern Performance National Award Winners," M/A, Gibson, Nicole. "Festival in Col- N/D, 28. Trials at River Farm," M/J, 8. 12. "Kids Help Unveil New Book orado’s Wildflower Capital," M/J, Reich, Lee. "Native Fruits," J/F, "FORF Family Picnic Day," S/O, Award in Atlanta," S/O, 11.

60 the American Gardener AHS Partners in Profile: "Kurt Bulbs: "Adding Bulbs to Fill in 48. "Excess Nitrogen Endangers Habitat Gardening: See under Wolfe Bluemel Nursery: Perennials for Borders," S/O, 28. Rare Plants," J/A, 49. "Flowers in author index. American Gardens," M/J, 14. Cathey, H. Marc: "The Colorful Ca- with Environmental Appeal," S/O, Hamernik, Harlan : "The Great "The Care of Trees: Bringing a reer of ‘Dr. Purple’: H. Marc 48. "Fluff From Recycled Plains Plantsman," J/A, 33. Passion for Trees to Arboricul- Cathey," J/A, 14. "Dr. H. Marc Garbage," M/A, 48. "Garden Herbs: "Ornamental Herbs," M/J, ture," J/F, 14. "EarthBox: En- Cathey Receives Alumnus Trends in 2005," J/F 46. "Garden 37. abling Anyone to Garden Any- Award," M/A, 10. "Celebrate Dr. Trends," S/O, 49. "Gardeners Ice Flowers: "Ice Flowers," J/F, 34. where," J/A, 13. "Monrovia Cathey Day with Bulbs," S/O, 10. Needed for Bird Count," J/F, 48. In Memoriam: Allen C. Haskell, Nursery: A Passion for Plants," Chanticleer: "Chanticleer," J/F, 22. "Garden Crusader Turns Vacant M/A, 50. Russell Siebert, M/A, S/O, 12. Children’s Gardening: "Finding Lot Into Community Farm," M/A, 50. Perry D. Slocum, M/A, 50. Annuals: "Beautiful Brassicas," Wonderland," M/A, 21. "The Lit- 48. "Green Incentives," M/A, 49. Kathleen Fisher, J/A, 10. Lau- N/D, 18. "Exotic Annual Vines," tle Greenhouse in the Moun- "Horticultural History: B.Y. Morri- ralee Peters, N/D, 8. M/J, 16. "New for 2005," J/F, tains," J/F, 50. "Youth Garden son’s Azaleas," J/A, 50. "Horticul- Jensen, Jens: "Jens Jensen: Prairie 16. Symposium 2005," S/O, 14. tural History: Henry Nehrling’s Visionary," N/D, 36. Arisaema: "Intriguing Arisaemas," Compost Tea: "Tea in the Garden," Gardens," N/D, 48. "Horticultural Leucothoe: "Leucothoes," M/J 23. N/D, 31. N/D, 23. History: Liberty Hyde Bailey," Monarda: "Must-Have Monardas," Berries: "Native Fruits," J/F, 26. Conservation: "Gardeners Can Aid S/O, 50. "Hurricanes Hit Florida J/A, 18. Book Reviews: American Azaleas, Bees and Other Pollinators," S/O, Gardens," J/F, 47. "Jump In, The Mycorrhizae: "Mighty Mycor- J/F, 52. Attracting Birds, Butter- 52. Water Garden is Fine," M/J, 48. rhizae," J/A, 23. flies & Other Winged Wonders to Container Gardens: "Containerma- "Lady’s Mantle on Trial," M/J, 48. New Plants: "New for 2005," J/F, Your Backyard, N/D, 53. Bulbs for nia," M/A, 24. "Native California Plant Rediscov- 16. Garden Habitats, S/O, 53. Botan- Eastern Performance Trials: "East- ered," S/O, 48. "Nematode Neme- Native Plants: "The Great Plains ica North America, J/F, 53. A ern Performance Trials 2005," sis," M/J, 50. "New Carrot Pig- Plantsman," J/A, 33. "Leu- Bouquet of Roses, M/J, 54. The N/D, 14. "Eastern Performance ments Signal Nutrient Content," cothoes," M/J 23. "Must-Have Cloud Garden, J/F, 53. Dogwoods, Trials at River Farm," M/J, 8. M/A, 48. "New Moth Plagues Monardas," J/A, 18. "Native S/O, 54. Elegant Silvers, J/A, 52. "New Plants to be Unveiled at Massachusetts," N/D, 47. "New Fruits," J/F, 26. Also, see under The Essential Garden Design Eastern Performance Trials," J/A, Resource for Gardeners," S/O, 49. Wolfe in author index for Habitat Workbook, M/A, 52. A Garden By 8. "River Farm Spruces up for "Northwestern and Chicago Gardening. the Sea, J/A 54. The Gardener’s Eastern Performance Trials," Botanic Gardens Collaborate to Notes from River Farm: See under Guide to Growing Hardy Perennial S/O, 8. Train Botanists," M/A, 49. "The Warner in author index. Orchids, N/D, 54. A Garden Edible Landscaping: "Chocolate Oaks Have It," M/J, 48. "One One on One With…: See under De- Gallery, the Plants, Art, and Hard- Gardens," M/J, 32. "Edible Flow- Hundred Years of Horticulture," Witt in author index. scape of Little and Lewis, S/O, 54. ers," M/J, 26. "Native Fruits," N/D, 46. People and Places in Perennials: "Must-Have Monar- Garden Lunacy, M/A, 52. Garden- J/F, 26. "Ornamental Herbs," the News: "New England Wild das," J/A, 18. "Pulmonarias," ing with Clematis, M/J, 52. Gar- M/J, 37. Flower Society Names New Exec- M/A, 33. "Rugged and Versatile den Your City, M/J, 54. Grace Environment/Ecology: "Green utive Director," M/J, 48; "New Di- Ornamental Herbs," M/J, 26. From the Garden, M/A, 52. Grow- Roofs." M/A, 38. "Fall Cleanup rector at New York Botanical Gar- "Zauschnerias," J/A, 38. ing Hardy Orchids, N/D, 54. IPM Reconsidered," S/O, 24. "Flowers den," M/J, 48; "Two Gardens, One Pests and Diseases: "Deer Defense, for Gardeners, J/F, 52. The Inti- with Environmental Appeal," Director," S/O, 51; "World- M/A, 28. "Outlandish Out- mate Garden, M/A, 52. A Natural S/O, 48. Renowned Horticulturist Alan growths," S/O, 38. History of Ferns, J/A, 54. No One Everyday Garden Science: see un- Bloom Dies," J/A, 49. "Plant Ban- Pulmonaria: "Pulmonarias," M/A, Gardens Alone, M/A, 52. On For- der Cathey in author index. ning Reaches New Level," S/O, 33. eign Soil, S/O, 53. The Perennial Fall Gardening: "Adding Bulbs to 51. "Plant Picks for the Rockies," Shade Gardening: "Ground Covers Gardener’s Design Primer, M/J, Fill in Borders," S/O, 28. "Fall J/A, 48. "Plants Contradict Laws for Shade," S/O, 18. "Intriguing 52. The Pruner’s Bible, S/O, 54. Cleanup Reconsidered," S/O, 24. of Heredity," J/A, 48. "Preserva- Arisaemas," N/D, 31. "Planting Plant, J/A, 52. Simply Clematis, Fruits: "Native Fruits," J/F, 26. tion Partnership," N/D, 49. "Re- Under Trees," J/F, 38. "Pul- M/J, 52. Yard Full of Sun, N/D, Galls: "Outlandish Outgrowths," planting After Hurricane Katrina", monarias," M/A, 33. 53. S/O, 38. N/D, 46. "Reviving Heirloom Shrubs: "Classic and Contempo- Books (Special Focus): "Container Garden Design: "Chanticleer," J/F, Petunias," J/A, 48. "Scouting for rary Spireas," M/A, 16. "Leu- Gardening," M/A, 55. "Garden 22. "Adding Bulbs to Fill in Bor- Plants," M/J, 49. "Sprucing Up cothoes," M/J 23. "Compact Themes," S/O, 55. "A Potpourri ders," S/O, 29. "Chocolate Gar- the South," J/A, 50. "Stay-At- Shrubs," J/A, 28. of Tempting Titles," N/D, 55. dens," M/J, 32. "Jens Jensen: Home Barberries," M/J, 49. "Sug- Soil Amendments: "Mighty Mycor- "Regional Gardening Books," Prairie Visionary," N/D, 36. "Or- ar Not-So-Sweet for Insects," N/D, rhizae," J/A, 23. M/J, 55. "Summer Reading," J/A, namental Herbs," M/J, 37. "Sim- 49. "Virtual Wildlife University," Spiraea: "Classic and Contempo- 55. "Tools and Techniques," J/F, plifying the Garden," S/O, 34. J/F, 47. "New Web Site for Veg- rary Spireas," M/A, 16. 55. "Turning a Garden Into a Com- etable Varieties," J/F, 47. "Win- Trees: "Planting Under Trees," Botanical Gardens: "Carver Garden munity," J/F, 31. Also, see under ning Winterberry," M/J, 50. J/F, 38. "Spotlight on Tree Bark," Opens in St. Louis," N/D, 57. Fromme in author index. Green Roofs: "Green Roofs." M/A, N/D, 28. "Chanticleer," J/F, 22. "Finding Gardener’s Notebook: "Abundant 38. Vines: "Exotic Annual Vines," M/J, Wonderland," M/A, 21. "Min- Life Seed Catalog Rises From the Ground Covers: "Ground Covers for 16. nesota Landscape Arboretum Ashes," M/A, 49. "The All Ameri- Shade," S/O, 18. Wonderland Gardens: "Finding Opens New Visitor Center," M/A, can Lenten Rose Is Perennial The Growing Connection: "The Wonderland," M/A, 21. 57. "New Garden Highlights Winner," J/F 47. "Banding To- Growing Connection Gains New Zauschneria: "Zauschnerias," J/A, Ozark Native Plants," J/A, 57. gether for Native Plants," S/O, 50. Advisory Board," J/A, 10. "United 38. Brassica: "Beautiful Brassicas," "Buy Low, Plant High," S/O, 49. Nations Event Supports the N/D, 18. "Dianthus with Distinction," N/D, Growing Connection," J/F, 8. Index compiled by Elaine Lee.

November / December 2005 61 PRONUNCIATIONS 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 codes tend to be conservative; plants may grow outside the ranges indicated. A USDA zone rating of 0-0 means that the plant is a true annual and completes its I ife cycle in a year or less. To purchase a two-by-three-foot glossy AHS Plant Heat Zone Map for $9.95, call (800) 777-7931 or visit WvVW.ahs.org. Hardi ness and Heat zone codes are generated by AHS and documented in the Showtime© database, owned by Arabella Dane.

A-D Gossypium tomentosum gos-SIP-ee-um toh-men-TOH-sum (11-14, 12-10) Acer griseum AY-sur GRIS-ee-um (USDA 4-8, AHS 8-1) Hamelia patens huh-MEE-Iee-uh PAY-tenz (8-12, 11-8) A. pensylvanicum A. pen-sii-VAN-ih-kum (3-7, 7-1) Helianthus angustifolius hee-lee-AN-thus ang-gus-tih-FO-Iee-us Alyssum montanum uh-LIS-um mon-TAN-um (4-9, 9-1) (6-9, 9-4) Arbutus menziesii AR-byew-tus men-ZEES-ee-eye (7-9, 9-7) H. debilis H. DEB-ih-liss {8-11, 12-1) Arisaema candidissimum air-ih-SEE-muh KAN-dih-diss-ih-mum Heliotropium anomalum hee-lee-o-TROP-ee-um uh-NO-muh-lum (5-9, 9-5) (11-14, 12-10) A. dracontium A. drak-o-NY-tum (4-9, 9-6) Hibiscus brackenridgei hy-BISS-kus brak-un-RIDGE-ee-eye A.fargesii A. far-JEZ-ee-eye (5-9, 9-1) (10-14, 12-7) A. flavum A. FLAY-vum (5-9, 9-1) H. coccineus H. kok-SIN-ee-us (6-11, 12-6) A.macrospathum A. mak-ro-SPATH-um (7-10, 10-7) H. kokio H. KO-kee-o {10-15, 12-7) A.ringens A. RIN-jenz (5-9, 9-6) lberis amara eye-BEER-iss uh-MAR-uh (0-0, 12-1) A. sikokianum A. sih-ko-kee-AN-um (5-9, 9-3) I. sempervirens I. sem-pur-VY-renz (5-9, 9-3) A. triphyllum A. try-FIL-Ium (4-9, 9-1) I. umbellata I. um-bei-LAY-tuh (0-0, 12-1) A.triphyllumsubsp. quinatum A. try-FIL-Ium subsp. KWIN-ay-tum Lagerstroemia indica lag-ur-STRO-me-uh IN-dih-kuh (7-9, 9-7) (4-9, 9-1) Lobelia cardinalis lo-B EEL-yuh kar-dih-NAL-iss (2-8, 8-1) Asclepias curassavica as-KLEE-pee-us kur-uh-SAV-ik-uh (9-11, 12-6) Lobularia maritima lob-yew-LAIR-ee-uh muh-WRIT-ih-muh (0-0, 12-1) A. incarnata A. in-kar-NAY-tuh (3-9, 9-2) Lonicera sempervirens lah-N ISS-er-uh sem-pur-VY-renz (4-9, 9-1) A. tuberosa A. too-bur-0-suh (4-9, 9-2) Lunaria annua lew-NAR-ee-uh AN-yew-uh (3-9, 9-1) Aurinia saxatilis aw-RIN-ee-uh saks-uh-TIL-iss (4-8, 8-1) L. rediviva L. reh-dih-VY-vuh (6-9, 9-6) Betula nigra BET-yew-luh NY-gruh (4-9, 9-1) Capparis sandwichiana CAP-uh-riss sand-wich-ee-AN-u h ( 10-14, 12-1 0) M-Z Cardamine pratensis kar-DUH-mine pruh-TEN-sis (5-8, 8-5) Mattholia incana mah-tee-0-luh in-KAN-uh (5-8, 8-5) C.trifolia C. try-FO-Iee-uh (5-7, 7-5) M.longipetalasubsp. bicornis M. lon-jih-PEH-tal-uh subsp. by-KOR-nis Carya floridana KEH-ree-uh flor-ih-DAN-uh (9-11, 11-9) (8-10, 10-8) Chionanthus virginicus ky-o-NAN-thus vir-JIN-ih-kus (4-9, 9-1) Morus rubra MOR-us ROO-bruh (5-9, 9-5) Cibotium splendens sy-BOAT-ee-um SPLEN-denz {10-15, 12-10) Pandanus tectorius pan-DAN-us tek-TOR-ee-us (12-15, 12-10) Coccoloba uvifera ko-ko-LO-buh oo-VIF-ur-uh (10-11, 12-9) Pinus bungeana PIE-nus bun-jee-AN-uh (4-7, 7-1) Cordia sebestena KOR-dee-uh suh-bess-TEEN-uh (10-14, 12-10) Prunus serrula PROO-nus sair-ROO-Iuh (6-8, 8-6) Comus kousa KOR-nus KOO-suh (5-8, 8-5) Rubus trivia/is ROO-bus triv-ee-AL-iss (8-10, 10-8) Crambe cordifolia KRAM-bee kor-dih-FO-Iee-uh (6-9, 9-1) Ruellia caroliniensis roo-EL-ee-uh kair-o-lin-ee-EN-siss (7-11, 11-7) C. maritima C. muh-WRIT-ih-muh (6-9, 9-1) Salvia coccinea SAL-vee-uh kok-SIN-ee-uh (11, 12-1) Oiospyros virginiana dy-OS-pih-ros vir-jin-ee-AN-uh (4-9, 9-1) Sambucus simpsonii sam-BOO-kus simp-SOWN-ee-eye (4-11, 12-1) E-L Scaevola sericea skee-VO-Iuh seh-RISS-ee-uh {10-11, 12-10) Stewartia pseudocamellia stew-AR-tee-uh soo-doh-kuh-MEEL-yuh Erysimum cheiri ee-RISS-ih-mum KEER-eye (3-7, 7-1) (5-8, 8-4) Erythrina sandwicensis air-ih-THRY-nuh sand-wih-CHEN-siss Veronica liwanensis ver-ON-ih-kuh lih-wuh-NEN-sis (4-8, 8-4) (11-15, 12-10) Vitex rotundifolia VY-teks ro-tund-ih-FO-Iee-uh (6-9, 9-6) Eucalyptus glaucescens yew-kuh-LIP-tuss glaw-SES-senz (9-10, 10-9) Wikstroemia uva-ursi wik-stroh-ME-uh yew-vuh-UR-sy (12-15, 12-10) Fagus grandifolia FAY-gus gran-dih-FO-Iee-uh (3-9, 9-1) Gaillardia pulchella gay-LARD-ee-uh pui-KEL-uh (10-11, 12-1)

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