Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants Christopher Brickell and Judith D
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FREE INSIDE! The New AHS Plant Heat-Zone Map ERICAN A Publication of the American Horticultural Society September/October 1997 $3.95 1\ ()o. 0 CELEBRATING OUR DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY .., ,.... 75 Great Books for American Gardeners lrI f'.. ~-a ,.... HENRY MITCHELL His Moving, Amusing Prose lrI 00 ~ MICHAEL DIRR A Day With "Mr. Tree" f'.. 0 NEW IMPROVED MUMS From Minnesota Research American lIorHcullurJ Sodely inviles you lo Celehrate the American Garden lIislory ani) lIorHcullure with a Tennessee SpirH Nashville. Tennessee April 30 -May 2.1998 'it Join fellow gardeners al our conference headquar 'it ViJit Cheekwood RolanicJ Garden wuh Us lers allhe Opryland 1I0lel. wah more 1han four acres of wildDower, pererudJ, herb, and Japanese gardens. indoor waler gardens, 15 reslauran1s, and 22 rehJl shops 'it Take a spedJ day hip 10 renowned planlsman Don under one roof. Shadow's nursery 10 learn aboul new varieHes of woody 'it Hear informaHve leclures by ouls1andmg horHcul planls and lrees, wuh Ii, side trIp 10 !he famous Jack lurisls and meel1998 naHonJ award winners. W e'll Daniel's dlsHllery in charming Lynchburg. Jso honor lhe lopikee garden books oflhe year. 'it Enjoy privale garden lours in lhe Relle M eade 'it Tour lhe house and gardens of lhe lIermUag e, secHon of Nashville. Andrew Jackson's 19lh-cenlury home. For nwre information7 call Bri{}get Flint7 conference coor{}inatol; at (800) 777-7931 ext. 24. Watcb for program {}etaiU an{} regiJtration information in tbe Directory ofMemher Benefitd maile{} in January. co n t e n t s Volume 76, Number 5 September/October 1997 Commentary 4 Remodeling the Mum 27 by Margaret A. Haapoja Members' Forum 5 University of Minnesota researchen are breeding them The bloody cranesbill. to be bigger and tougher and bloom earlier. Offshoots 14 Making memories. Announcing the AHS Plant Heat-Zone Map 30 by H. Marc Cathey Conservationist's Notebook 16 This new tool for gardeners will help you pick plants Uncle Sam)sgardens. that won)t fizzle when it sizzles. Gardeners' Information Service 17 Man of Many Woods 38 Tree wraps) boxwoods, native plants. by Bob H ill Mail-Order Explorer 18 Best known for his tree and shrub reference book, Prairie Moon: second-generation conservation. Michael Dirr is first and foremost a teacher. Plants and Your Health 20 The Exuberant Pilgrim 46 Herbs that are nal snoozers. by Nancy McDonald Natural Connections 22 For Henry Mitchell, gardening was a metaphor for Great arachnid hunters. life)s journey. Urban Gardener 24 HAPPY 75TH ANNIVERSARY, AHS! Seasoning greens with community service. 75 Great American Book Reviews 53 Garden Books 6 Hollies, ground covers, lvildflowers. A blue-ribbon committee)s pick of Regional Happenings 60 ,\Ml:RIC:\N HORTIClllTtI!<..\L essential references and timeless prose U.S. Botanic Garden closing for repair. S()CI~·'i published in the USA since 1922. 75yt.m Pronunciations 63 On the cover: Ken Druse is the undisputed master of the beautiful garden book. Our cover photograph ofa forest floor in autumn is taken from The Natural Garden, which appears on our list of 75 Great American Garden Books. His latest, The Collector's Garden, was one of three books to receive the first American Horticultural Society Annual Book Awards. American Horticultural Society 7931 East Boulevard Drive Alexandria) VA 22308~ 1300 commentary (703) 768-5700 ~ The Amerioan Horticultural Society seeks to promote and est practices, That's the story told in this land recogni;:;e exceUenoe in mark issue of The American Gardener-a story hor:ticulturre acro!s 'Y-imerilfa. Byou should share with your neighbors and col leagues, You not only want your iandscape to succeed, you want it to thrive! A flourishing landscape is not only aesthetically pleasing, it also contributes to a much larger purpose-a positive ~mpact on. the envi ronment. That's what the AmericaJil Horticultural So ciety is all about. AHS programs, products, and services define and promote best practices for America's gardeners, Run, don't walk, and spread the word about the AHS Plant Heat-Zone Map, a gift to all of our members in this issue's centerfold. It is through the support of mem bers and contributors that AHS brings America this invaluable tool to help you achieve landscaping excellence, While you have this issue open, don't miss the announcement of AHS's new Web site (see page 15), which will give you access to best practices 24 hours a day, seven days a week! It's our 75th An niversary-celebrate the AHS story! -Linda Hallman, AHS President/CEO Tools You Don't Store in the Shed llAVLE 1W,!'initas, aps and books are two wonderflu ways of discovering new information. In J!>ORO.ir,IJl!llIAND this issue of our magazine, AHS celebrates both. For our 75th Anniver Birmi1Jgham, "Mabttma sary, we have selected 75 Great American Garden Books, published in the WmLMM R MARliCEN M lAs A:ifos, Califprnia United States since we were founded in 1922. I have known many of the authors, ~OElO~ R.MARStON from Liberty Hyde Bailey, who was at Cornell University during my first year as a KMilanti, Washington graduate student; to A.B. Graf, who showed Americans how to create exotic plant GENE M. M11.'l:FiR ings in our malls and other public buildings; to Ruth Stout who made gardening $itper Spring, Ma1'~limd fun and environmentally sound. EG(,)NM@L)3RK This issue also unveils for the first time the new AHS Plant Heat-Zone Map- Seattle, Washington our way of helping gardeners cope with global climate change. I've been working DUDLEY. MORGAN N f(sIiviJ~, Tmnessee l'Oward the creation of this map since 1983 when I began updating the USDA GEOFFRE-X :to RAUSO~ Plant Hardiness Zone Map. We've used the same framework and data sources for lJittsburgh, Penmylvania this new map, guided by Mark Kramer of Meteorological Evaluation Services Co. V:A'1:ERfE L mOMAS in Amityville, New York. Without his understanding of weather data, geography, Atcxandria, Vi'Y,!Jinja and design we could never have created sIKh an attractive and valid map, ROBERT D. V01JK San Marino, Galifornia Coding all of our garden plants so that you can use the map to help you select the best ones for your garden will be a long process, Thirty-seven years after the ~ first Hardiness Map was released, we are still adjusting those codes, Today we PRESIDENT iFiMERITl'JS have new technology to help speed the journey, but your ideas are important in DR. H, MARC CA':t'PFE¥ helping us get to our final destination. Please write or call! We look forward to ili hearing from you. -H. Marc Cathey, AHS President Emeritus 4 THE AMERICAN GARDENER September/October 199 7 THE AMERICAN members' GARDENER EDITOR KATHLEEN FISHER MANAGING EDITOR rum TERRI J. HUCK ASSISTANT EDITOR DAVID]. ELLIS EDITORIAL ASSISTANT SARA Epp GERANIUM SANGUINEUM Our soil is well drained and only mod When I first planted the bloody cranesbiU erately fertile. I do water my cranes bill in DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION JOSEPH YACINSKI DESIGN (Ge1'anium sanguineum) 10 years ago, I extended drought and give it a yearly dose had no idea it would make such an out of slow-acting fertilizer. I've never had a MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR standing specimen. I poked a tiny seedling problem with pests of any kind. DARLENE OLIVER into a bare spot near my stone £i'ont porch, After I saw what this plant could do, I ~ and within a couple ofseasons it was a foot regretted not giving it a more honorable lo EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD tall mound. The dainty, saucer-shaped ma cation, such as in my peremlial border. But NINA 1,. BASSUK Ithaca, Nell' York genta-pink flowers are eye-poppers (some I liked the way it contrasted with the stones JOHN E. BRYAN people think. they could be a little less so) in my porch-the magenta and deep green Samalito, California and keep coming for months-from late against gray-brown, and the delicate foliage JOHN 1,. CREECH spring to fall if I remember to snip off the against the stones' rough texture. Hcnderso"ville, North Carol;"" spent blooms. Since it's best to divide it every three KEITH CROTZ The foliage is great, too. The leaves on years anyway, I decided I'd try for both lo Chillicothe, Illinois PANAYOTI KElAlDIS the stems-about the size of a silver dol cations. I took a suggestion from one of Delwer, Colol'ado lar-are so deeply divided they look like Rosemary Verey's books and combined it RICHARD W. LIGflTY green versions of the paper snowflakes that in my perennial bed wi th a Liat1'is-the Gre ...,,;lie, Del_are schoolchildren make. In fa ll they turn a flower colors are similar but tl1e blazing PETER LOEWER deep bronzy red. I quit deadheading then star's vertical shape contrasts with the Asheville, North C""olina because the seed heads are small but inter cranesbill 's ball. It also looks great with ELVIN MCDONALD West Des Mo;nes, Itnva esting-their bird-beak shape inspired this both the golden yellow of H eliopsis and genus's common name. Geranium is £i'om the soft yellow of C01'eopsis verticillata ~ the Greekgeranos, which means "crane." 'Moonbeam' . ADVERTISING AHS ADVERTISING OFFICE It's a perfect plant for a beginning gar The shape is perfect for edging a bor 4350 DiPaolo Center, Suite B dener. Here where we live, south of Kansas der, too. Witl1 a few more divisions, I may Glenview, IL 60025 City, Missouri, summer temperatures can try that next.