TheThe AmericanAmerican GARDENERGARDENER The Magazine of the American Horticultural Society January/FebruaryJanuary/February 20042004

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Available wherever books are sold www.dk.com contents Volume 83, Number 1 . January / February 2004

DEPARTMENTS

5 NOTES FROM RIVER FARM 6 MEMBERS’ FORUM

7 NEWS FROM AHS AHS assists Ithaca Children’s Garden workshop, children’s ornaments decorate holiday trees at River Farm, Chicago joins The Growing Connection progam, AHS Reciprocal page 7 Admission Program continues to grow. page 10 34 GARDENER’S NOTEBOOK Forcing winter , Japanese painted fern FEATURES is Plant of the Year, the growing need for organic produce, the 12 dirtiest fruits and vegetables, new water 10 NEW PLANTS FOR 2004 BY RITA PELCZAR garden society forms, page 34 Update your garden this year with some of these exceptional saving the endangered plant introductions. silverspot butterfly, legacy of the late Currier McEwen. 16 THE PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW BY ADAM LEVINE AND RAY ROGERS. PHOTOGRAPHS BY ADAM LAIPSON. 37 GARDENER’S INFORMATION SERVICE This renowned indoor flower show turns 175 this year. Go behind Yellowing yews, planting freesias, for the scenes to see what it takes to stage this annual spring event. containers. 38 EVERYDAY GARDEN SCIENCE 20 WILD BY CAROLE OTTESEN The color of all things, including plants, is in Harvesting edible weeds from the garden makes weeding a much the eye of the beholder. more satisfying experience. 39 BOOK REVIEWS Native Trees for North American Landscapes 26 DELECTABLE DAPHNES BY GERALD TAAFFE and Roses: A Celebration. If you’re looking for a small to medium-size , hardy, fra- Special focus: Tomes on trees. grant daphnes should be high on your list. 42 REGIONAL HAPPENINGS

32 ANYWHERE BUT EDEN BY TRES FROMME 45 HARDINESS AND HEAT ZONES The first article in a new series on garden design challenges garden- AND PRONUNCIATIONS ers to shed preconceived notions of landscape design. This issue: 46 Why no garden is ever perfect—and why that’s perfectly fine. page 46 PERFECT PLANT COMPANIONS 2004 AHS Member Guide. This annual guide to special benefits available to AHS mem- Coast silk tassel and bers can be found between pages 24 and 25. Included are flower shows and public gardens offering discounts to members and the listings for the AHS Annual Seed Exchange. hardy .

ON THE COVER: In addition to highly fragrant late-winter to early-spring flowers, odora

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY OF MONROVIA, CINDY SOBASKI, OREGON ZOO, MARK TURNER ‘Aureomarginata’ bears beautiful gold-edged evergreen . Photograph by Ken Meyer

January / February 2004 3 AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS 7931 East Boulevard Drive Alexandria, VA 22308-1300 (800) 777-7931 fax (703) 768-8700 www.ahs.org For general information about your membership or to report damaged magazines, call (800) 777-7931. Send change of address notifications to our mem- Making a Nation of Gardeners, a Land of Gardens bership department at the address on the left. Mem- bership questions and change of address notification can also be e-mailed to [email protected]. PRESIDENT Katy Moss Warner THE AMERICAN GARDENER BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS 2003-2004 To send a letter to the editor, write to the address CHAIRMAN Kurt Bluemel Baldwin, Maryland on the left or e-mail to [email protected]. FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN Arabella S. Dane Boston, Massachusetts DEVELOPMENT SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN Valerie L. Thomas Alexandria, To make a gift to the American Horticultural Soci- SECRETARY Albin MacDonough Plant Baltimore, Maryland ety, call (800) 777-7931 ext. 115. TREASURER Christine Perdue Middleburg, Virginia IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Jim Corfield Geneva, Illinois GARDENER’S INFORMATION SERVICE (GIS) Have a gardening question? Call (800) 777-7931 ext. 131 GENERAL COUNSEL William A. Pusey or 124 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time on week- PRESIDENT EMERITUS Dr. H. Marc Cathey days. Or e-mail questions to [email protected].

Leslie Ariail Alexandria, Virginia ■ Allan M. Armitage Athens, Georgia ■ William E. Barrick, Ph.D. Theodore, Alabama GREAT AMERICAN GARDENERS ■ Katherine Bull , D.C. ■ Peg Dunnigan Alexandria, Virginia. ■ Joel Goldsmith Gilroy, California ■ Brian AWARD BANQUET E. Holley Cleveland, Ohio ■ Natasha Hopkinson , New York ■ Robert Malesardi Easton, Maryland ■ Melissa Join us on April 2, 2004, to honor the winners of R. Marshall Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ■ Carol C. Morrison Palatine, Illinois ■ Don Riddle Davidsonville, Maryland ■ AHS’s 2004 annual awards, given to those who are Felder Rushing Jackson, Mississippi ■ William Seale Alexandria, Virginia ■ Jeanne Otis Shields Greenville, Delaware ■ making a significant difference in American garden- Steven Still Hilliard, Ohio ■ Howard McK. Tucker Alexandria, Virginia ■ Susie Usrey Dayton, Oregon ■ Robert D. ing. Call (800) 777-7931 ext. 121 for details. Volk San Marino, California THE GROWING CONNECTION

CORPORATE PARTNERS Get your kids involved with this innovative educa- The Care of Trees ■ DK Publishing ■ EarthBox ■ Kurt Bluemel, Inc. tional program in which they can experiment with Monrovia ■ Thompson & Morgan seeds that have gone into space in a NASA science bal- loon. Visit www.ahs.org or call (800) 777-7931 ext. 121 AHS HORTICULTURAL PARTNERS for more information.

■ ■ ■ America in Bloom Center for Plant Conservation Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Garden Symposium INTERN PROGRAM ■ ■ ■ Communities in Bloom Cox Arboretum Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Greater Gardens of To receive an application for the Society’s Horticul- ■ ■ ■ the Washington Area Horticulture Gardening Institute International Master Gardener Conference Leonard tural Intern Program, e-mail [email protected]. For in- ■ ■ ■ Haertter Travel Company Morris Arboretum National Cherry Festival Oklahoma Horticultural formation about the Editorial Intern program, e-mail Society ■ Summer Master Gardener Conference in East Lansing [email protected]. Intern application forms can also be

THE AHS PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL downloaded from the River Farm area at www.ahs.org. NATIONAL CHILDREN AND YOUTH GARDEN CHAIRMAN'S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. John H. Ariail, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Bluemel ■ Mrs. Maureen Ecke ■ Mrs. Marion E. Greene ■ Mr. SYMPOSIUM (NCYGS) Robert E. Malesardi and Ms. Jean Lauer ■ Ms. Nancy Petersen ■ Miss Jane Steffey LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY ASSOCIATES Mrs. Charles ■ Mr. A. Michael Gelman ■ Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Manson, III ■ Mr. John Wm. Thomas and Mrs. Valerie Thomas HAUPT ASSOCIATES Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, is the setting for the 12th annual NCYGS, to be held July 29 to 31, Mrs. Lynda A. Bachman ■ Dr. and Mrs. William E. Barrick ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bogle ■ Mr. Richard C. and Mrs. Katherine Stark Bull 2004. For more information, call (800) 777-7931, ext. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Louis Cordia ■ Mr. and Mrs. James L. Corfield ■ Mr. and Mrs. Edward N. Dane ■ Mr. Gerald T. Halpin ■ Ms. Minako 117 or visit www.ahs.org. Henderson ■ Mrs. Carole S. Hofley ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Kulp, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Matheson, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harold McClendon, Jr. ■ Mrs. Rachel L. Mellon ■ Mr. Samuel Moerman ■ Mr. and Mrs. Ken Mountcastle ■ Mrs. Shirley Ann Nicolai ■ Jeanne RECIPROCAL ADMISSIONS PROGRAM Otis Shields ■ Mrs. Steiner ■ Mr. Howard McK. Tucker and Ms. Megan Evans ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Volk ■ Ms. Katy Moss Warner Through this program, AHS members receive free PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL Mr. Dwayne Angelo ■ Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Angino ■ Mr. and Mrs. James L. Bartlett ■ Mr. R. A. Bartlett, Jr. and discounted admission to botanical gardens ■ Nancy J. Becker, M.D. ■ Mrs. Katherine McKay Belk-Cook ■ Mrs. George P. Bissell, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. C. William Black ■ Ms. Sylvia throughout North America. Participating gardens are Black ■ Dr. Sherran Blair ■ Ms. Katie Bloome ■ Countess and Count Bonde ■ Mr. Bruce Bordine ■ Anne Bucher ■ Ms. Claire Burrows listed in this year’s AHS Member Guide and also in ■ Mr. Bill Byers ■ Mr. and Mrs. Cason Callaway, Jr. ■ Mrs. and Mr. Joseph Carman, III ■ Mrs. and Mr. Charles E. Carr ■ Mr. and Mrs. the Membership area of our Web site. For more in- Peter Cartmell ■ Mrs. Sharon B.J. Casdin ■ Dr. and Mrs. H. Marc Cathey ■ Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Crawford ■ Mr. and Mrs. Edward Daisey formation, call (800) 777-7931 ext. 127. ■ Mr. and Mrs. James F. Delano ■ Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Demisay ■ Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Dolin ■ Mrs. Elise du Pont ■ Mr. and Mrs. TRAVEL STUDY PROGRAM Michael D. Dubke ■ Ms. Judy Dubow ■ Mrs. Elisabeth C. Dudley ■ Mrs. Beverley W. Dunn ■ Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Dunnigan ■ Mr. AHS members and friends can visit spectacular gar- Thomas J. Fannon ■ Mr. and Mrs. John H. Fitzpatrick ■ Mrs. Walter S. Fletcher ■ Dr. and Mrs. John A. Floyd, Jr. ■ Ms. Carolyn V. E. dens around the world through the Society’s exclu- Foil ■ Mrs. Ethel W. Foley ■ Ms. Marguerite Peet Foster ■ Mr. and Mrs. J.S.M. French ■ Mr. Todd Fries ■ Mr. Ezra Glaser ■ Mr. and sive arrangement with Leonard Haertter Travel. To Mrs. Joel Goldsmith ■ Mr. and Mrs. David B. Gray ■ Mr. and Mrs. Steve Griffith ■ Mr. and Mrs. John H. Guy, IV ■ Mrs. Richard W. learn about upcoming trips, call (800) 777-7931 ext. Hamming ■ Mrs. Richard W. Hanselman ■ Dr. and Mrs. William O. Hargrove ■ Mr. and Mrs. Max Hartl ■ Mrs. Enid A. Haupt ■ Mr. 117 or visit the Events section of our Web site. and Mrs. Roger L. Headrick ■ Mrs. Elsie Hilliard Hillman ■ Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Hohlt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Brian Holley ■ Mr. and Mrs. Allan L. Holmstrom ■ Mrs. Elizabeth Hooff ■ Mr. Philip Huey ■ Mr. Richard Hupfel ■ Mr. and Mrs. James S. Hutchinson ■ Mr. Henry WASHINGTON BLOOMS! Jameson ■ Col. and Mrs. Freeman E. Jones ■ Mr. and Mrs. Duane M. Kelly ■ Ms. Marta J. Lawrence ■ Mr. and Mrs. Keun-Sam Lee ■ AHS’s annual celebration of spring will be held Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Lindsay ■ Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Lynch ■ Mr. and Mrs. Howard S. Maney ■ Mrs. Elizabeth Marshall ■ Ms. Melissa April 1 to 25, 2004, at River Farm. This year is the Marshall ■ Mr. and Mrs. Randolph Marshall ■ Mrs. Dorothy Marston ■ Mr. and Mrs. Gregory May ■ Mr. and Mrs. Ellice McDonald, Jr. debut of the AHS Garden School, a series of in-depth ■ Mr. Hunter H. McIntosh ■ Dr. and Mrs. H. W. McKay, Jr. ■ Mrs. Lotte K. Melhorn ■ Ms. Rosalyn Milbrandt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Egon workshops on exciting new gardening trends. To reg- Molbak ■ Ms. Carol C. Morrison ■ Mr. and Mrs. William J. Moss ■ Mr. and Mrs. William G. Pannill ■ Ms. Christine Perdue ■ The ister, call (800) 777-7931 ext. 121 or visit www.ahs.org. Honorable Lauralee M. Peters ■ Mr. and Mrs. Albin MacDonough Plant ■ Mrs. Frances Poetker ■ Col. and Mrs. Joseph F. Polito ■ Mrs. WEB SITE: www.ahs.org Charles Price ■ Mr. Paul H. Pusey ■ Mr. and Mrs. William A. Pusey ■ Drs. Irv Rappaport ■ Mr. and Mrs. Don E. Riddle, Jr. ■ Mr. and The AHS Web site contains information about AHS Mrs. Alfred G. Rindler ■ Mr. Harry A. Rissetto, Esq. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles ■ Mrs. Diana Carter Samples ■ Mrs. Deen Day Sanders programs and activities, gardening events in your area, ■ Mr. and Mrs. William Seale, Jr. ■ Ms. Maggie R. Seeley ■ Mrs. Josephine M. Shanks ■ Mr. Emanuel Shemin ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles and links to other useful Web sites. Starting January Henry Smith, Jr. ■ Mr. Phil Snyder ■ Ms. Vandy Solomon ■ Mr. William M. Spencer, III ■ Mrs. Juliet Sproul ■ Dr. and Mrs. George E. 20, 2004, AHS members can reach the member’s- Staehle ■ Mr. Harold Stahly ■ Ms. Lida M. Stifel ■ Mr. and Mrs. John B. Strasenburgh ■ Mr. Phil Synder ■ Mrs. Benjamin W. Thoron ■ only area of the site by typing in this year’s password: Mr. and Mrs. W. Bruce Usrey ■ Mr. Joe Viar ■ Mr. and Mrs. André Viette ■ Ms. Angela M. Vikesland ■ Mr. and Mrs. Mark Wasserman meadow. ■ Mrs. Agnes Binder Weisiger ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harvey C. White ■ Mr. and Mrs. John W. White, Sr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harvey C. White ■ Mr. and Mrs. D. Anderson Williams ■ Mrs. Marillyn B. Wilson ■ Mrs. Diana S. Wister

4 the American Gardener The American NOTESC FROM RIVER FARM GARDENER

DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP Joe Lamoglia E GARDENERS regularly witness new beginnings. We plant bulbs in EDITOR the fall and eagerly await the first sign of growth. We carefully plant David J. Ellis seeds and watch for the wakening of a new favorite treasured plant. We MANAGING EDITOR AND DESIGNER W plant trees and shrubs in new locations and hope that the soil and sunshine and Mary Yee heat and cold will be in the perfect combination for ideal growth in their new ASSOCIATE EDITORS Carole Ottesen home. Each of these beginnings offers us an opportunity for joy and satisfaction. Shepherd Ogden As we welcome this New Year, I hope you will join us at the AHS in planning EDITORIAL INTERN a few of your own new beginnings. One great opportunity is through the AHS an- Angela Taylor nual seed exchange, which has enjoyed a surge in participation over the last two years. This year there are seeds of more than 160 different plants waiting for you EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD to give them life. If you haven’t taken advantage of this CHAIR John Alex Floyd Jr. program in the past, I encourage you to try it this year. Birmingham, Alabama Order some seeds, plant them and watch them grow. Allan M. Armitage You might be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is. Athens, Georgia With so many wonderful plants now available from Nina L. Bassuk nurseries and garden centers, we often miss the special Ithaca, New York joy of growing our own plants from seeds. Richard E. Bir Brevard, North Carolina Another beginning we’d like you to be an integral part John E. Bryan of is the launch of the AHS Garden School. This pro- San Francisco, California gram, which will debut during Washington Blooms! in John L. Creech April, will feature three different gardening schools with exceptional instructors shar- Columbus, North Carolina ing how-tos and why-tos and can-dos with innovative technique and personal in- Keith Crotz teraction (for more details, see the ad on page 31). It is our plan that each of these Chillicothe, Illinois schools will eventually expand beyond Washington Blooms!, and that the entire AHS Panayoti Kelaidis Garden School will expand through the launch of additional courses of study. Denver, Colorado And in this New Year, I hope you will also support us as we unveil some grand Richard W. Lighty new beginnings for the AHS and for horticulture in America. As I have shared Greenville, Delaware with you in previous columns, we are focusing a great deal of attention on our Elvin McDonald West Des Moines, Iowa headquarters at George Washington’s River Farm. Our nearly-completed new Mas- ter Plan envisions development of exciting garden areas, including a new children’s garden and restored meadow and woodland areas that reinforce the importance of ADVERTISING The American Gardener protecting natural lands. The Master Plan also incorporates renovated offices for 7931 East Boulevard Drive the staff of the AHS; new facilities for the AHS Garden School, The Growing Con- Alexandria, VA 22150 (703) 768-5700 ext. 120 nection and other AHS educational programs; and new meeting space that will E-MAIL: [email protected] allow us to convene horticultural organizations throughout America so that we can work on important issues together. Each of these improvements at River Farm will help us more effectively achieve The American Gardener (ISSN 1087-9978) is published bimonth- our vision of “making America a nation of gardeners, a land of gardens.” Each of ly (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, Septem- ber/October, November/December) by the American Horticultural these improvements will help us more effectively reach out across America with pro- Society, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308-1300, (703) 768-5700. Membership in the Society includes a subscrip- grams that connect people to plants and gardens. Please help us plant the important tion to The American Gardener. Annual dues are $35; two years, seeds that will let the AHS grow. We need gifts big and small. We need each of our $60. International dues are $50. $10 of annual dues goes toward magazine subscription. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Vir- AHS friends to help us realize this dream of a new American Horticultural Society. ginia, and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to The American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Feel free to contact me personally with your thoughts and offers of support. Alexandria, VA 22308-1300. Botanical nomenclature is based on The American Horticultural Society A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, on A Synonymized Check- Happy Gardening in this New Year! 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 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 ©2004 by the American Horticultural Society.

Printed in the U.S.A. on recycled paper. —Katy Moss Warner, AHS President

January / February 2004 5 6 tum) Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspida- lower southeasternstates.Or when sipes) when waterhyacinth(Eichhornia cras- people. We are notactingresponsibly ly orintentionally, by theactivities of have been introduced, eitheraccidental- many ormostofour“unwanted plants” working together.ing industry Afterall, involvedto geteveryone inthegarden- issue, either. Ithinktheonlysolutionis a meansoftacklingtheinvasiveness ally endsupbeingadismalfailure. come “noxious,” usu- effort theregulatory plant(orplants)thathasbe- a particular politicians declare openhuntingseasonon volved inregulating invasive plants.When the federalgovernment shouldnotbein- garden writers,wouldprobably agree that plant industry, aswell asgardeners and tober 2003).Ibelieve mostpeopleinthe 2003) andRobert Stiffler (September/Oc- pressed by Pam Harper (March/April ness,” andIfirmlyagree ex- withtheviews addressed theoldissueof“plant invasive- lettersinthiscolumnrecentlyA few have MORE ONINVASIVES bustle ofcountlesswingedcreatures. on theground nearby, atthe marveling (Solidago bed explodeswithlate-seasongoldenrods continue feeding.Whentheperennial obliviously walkacross myfingersto will intoxicating thatthebutterflies “gayfeathers”). Theflower spikesare so is terfly wonders isyet anotherofnature’s gifts. ulous andgracefulactivityoftheselittle (September/October 2003).Themetic- ticle, “Garden Havens forPollinators” birds, Ienjoyed reading Jo AnnAbell’s ar- bees,andhumming- attract butterflies, As aproponent ofusingnative plantsto POLLINATORS PRAISED I amnottoosure about“localism” as My favorite magnetformonarch but- the American Gardener Master Gardener Volunteer Educator is stillcommonly offered toan un- is stillsoldingarden centersinthe Liatris ligulastylis spp.), you canfindmesitting Baltimore, Maryland Stuart Caplan (one ofthe letter from Virginia C.Baker thatsaid onHeucheraarticle This isinreference toCarole Ottesen’s continues togenerateinterest. Carole onheucheras Ottesen inan article of asongreferenced by AssociateEditor Editor’s note: ENCORE FORWHITECORALBELLS solve thisissue. socially-responsible mannerinorder to (Elodea the commonaquariumplant,elodea contamination oflakesandpondswith stormwater drains,we are contributingto aquarium waterandplantsdown blame. When,forexample,we dumpour knowing generalpublic. 20190. Wildlife CenterDrive,Reston, VA program. Thecorrectaddress is 11100 tion’s BackyardWildlifeHabitat dress fortheNationalWildlife Federa- same articlewegavetheincorrect ad- dria, Virginia,alsonotedthatinthe AHS memberJudithHarleyofAlexan- tiger swallowtail,notamonarch. 2003). Thebutterfly,above,isaneastern for Pollinators”(September/October page 35ofthearticle“GardenHavens misidentified thebutterflyshownon Several readerswrotetotelluswe Corrections We mustallbegincooperatingina We asconsumersmustalsoshare the MEMBERS spp.). C The wording andmeaning Williamstown, Robert H.Cooper,Robert Jr. and thesubsequent ’ FORUM PLEASE WRITEUS! print maybeedited forlengthandclarity. can e-mailusat [email protected] Boulevard Drive,Alexandria,VA22308, oryou to Editor,TheAmericanGardener, ding lilies-of-the-valley. walk amongswayingcoralbellsandnod- humming thattune,picturingalovely plants andI’ve spentdecadeshappily to both canpertain scription certainly Convallaria den walk…”meantbothHeuchera der stalk;lily-of-the-valley deckmygar- I believed “white coralbells,uponaslen- When IlearnedthesonginGirl Scouts, title andfirstlinemakemore sense. Bells.” Whenyou re-read thelyrics, Choral titleofthesongis“White true Bells.” Ijustwantedtopointoutthatthe is apieceaboutsong,“White issue andinthe“Members’ Forum” there I justreceived mySeptember/October the ideaofbellsringing(insong). white choralbells,whichgoesalongwith Heuchera’s Heuchera line sources. Thusthereference to sive collectionofreference booksandon- name forConvallaria “coral bells” isnotlistedasacommon ish); theyare whitetobeginwith.And coral-colored (althoughtheycanbepink- valley seemstomakenosense.Theyaren’t “white coralbells” torefer tolily-of-the- to valley the “white coralbells” refer tolily-of-the- Editor, Heuchera. I donotknow thesong,butusing My guessisthatthesongrefers to (Convallaria majalis), American Nurseryman common nameiscoralbells. makes more sense,because lined thepathway. Thede- High Point, North Carolina Letters shouldbeaddressed The Plant Locator® in anyofmyexten- Portland, Oregon Chicago, Illinois Sally D.Benson Susan Narizny Sharon Burgos rather than 7931 East magazine and 

NICOLE GIBSON COURTESY OF MEG W. COLE November to help plan a new children’s garden in Ithaca. director MegWahligCole(farright)duringatwo-dayworkshopin Underwood, CarlaShuman,andMarkMillerworkedcloselywithICG Workshop leaders (left to right) Sonja Skelly, Melody Gray, Tom Chicago Embraces AHS Assists Ithaca Children’s Garden Workshop THE CITY OF CHICAGO “Chicago’s history of support for innovative urban greening ini- AnnPatterson,Mary educationalproject,” important saysthis in areusgo joining nection United Nations, and all the other partners in The Growing Connection MayorDaley.says greenspace,” urban tainable pleased am “I movement,ecologicallynaturesus- toof beauty the bringing tion area for TGC. “The City of Chicago is a leader in the that the city had committed to become an official demonstra- in a healthy diet. ing food plants and the important role of fruits and vegetables grow-behind science the children teach to designed program city for H AEIA HRIUTRL SOCIETY’S HORTICULTURAL AMERICAN THE planned Ithacaplanned Children’s con- be to is Gardenwhich (ICG), River ber, at the AHS was invited to facilitate a gardens design workshop for the children’s Farm—makes itavaluable resource inthefield.LastNovem- acclaimed of velopment dren and Youth Garden Symposium (NCYGS) in 1993 and de- programs—including establishment of the AHS National Chil- track record ofinvolvement insuccessfulchildren’s gardening News PROGRAMS •EVENTS •ANNOUNCEMENTS “The AHS, the Foodthe the of AgricultureOrganizationAHS, and “The Chicago Mayor are delighted that Mayor Daley and the City of Chica- The Growing Connection Richard Daley AHS director of national programs. has chosen Chicago for this project.” from has agreed to serve astheflagship has agreed toserve The Growing Connection (TGC), aground-breaking announced last November AHS The Growing Con- long that is representative of the city’s spirit and character.” children’srealizingtoa committed people many so to garden horticulturist from 1995 to 1997. “Ithaca is fortunate to be home first children’s gardens at River Farm during his tenure as AHS the of installation and design the involvedin was Mark, who all the during participants the ICG design workshop,” says the 2000 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Warner who worked closelywithCarlaandAHSPresident children’sto ment Tom,says gardeningnationwide,” programs exciting design,” says perts to integrate our community’s concept into a workable and children’sthese all of talents the together bring gardeningex- cation at Cornell Plantations. “We were delighted to be able to Walt Disney World Resort; and landscape design intern; landscape architect AHS deputy director of national programs; gardensbuildings; of and curator director and in Ithaca this summer (see box, page 9). held be to is NCYGS,which annual 12th the coordinationof ber York. ICG Board Member and NCYGS panel advisory mem- alongtheCayugaLakeScenicBywaystructed inIthaca, New information technology. other students, teachers, and scientists through state-of-the-art ing unitscalledEarthBoxes periments growing food plants from seed in standardized grow- nation ofGhana. Students atthoseschools willconduct ex- schools in the United States and 10 schools in the West African spring, the formal component of the program will debut at 10 TGC.of phase This informal an in areparticipating America rants, farmer’s markets, and cooking schools. for potential community partners such as civic groups, restau- and community garden sites for project installations and look school advantageous identify to be will step next The mittee. ing with Mayor Daley’s office to establish a local steering com- ness of effective- the demonstrate to site perfect the it makes tiatives “I was impressed with the vision, creativity, and expertise of wasa great for AHS to share opportunity “This its commit- Leading the ICG workshop wereworkshop ICG the Leading Currently, schools and youth groups throughout North TGCwork-severalmonths, be next will Overthe officials Marcia Eames-Sheavly The Growing Connection.” in the creation of the AHS-cosponsored Kid’s Garden at Meg Wahlig Cole, January/February 2004 ™ is working closelywithAHSon , thenshare their findings with Sonja Skelly, January / February Tom Underwood, ICG director. Melody Gray, Carla Shuman director of edu- Mark Miller, Katy MossKaty 2004 AHS AHS of 7 8 C. Bunn Garden Guides of Poland, Ohio; ton ( and white), and plants and flowers (multicolored). blue colors), Lewis and Clark (silver and gold), George Washing- orated trees representing four themes: Americana (, white, and iday trees at River Farm this past December. The ornaments dec- groups from around the country added a special luster to the hol- site at To order TGC kits, call (800) 777-7931, or visit the AHS Web others. with experiments and activities their share and on log able at cial Web site dedicated to this January to participating youth groups and schools. A spe- CREATIVE HANDCRAFTED Deck Holiday Trees at River Farm Children’s Handcrafted Ornaments mentary posium, held in Washington, D.C., last summer. tendees at the AHS National Children and Youth Garden Sym- teachers and leaders of these youth groups were among the at- with of Hendersonville, North Carolina; and 4-H Central Elementary Toll Free Phone The children’s groups that created ornaments were the Kits ordered for the informal phase of TGC started shipping the American Gardener of Horse Shoe, North Carolina; American HorticulturalSociety. Justclickonthe Castelar School Elementary Thompson & Morganlinktoplaceyour order. www.ahs.org. 800•274•7333 www.thegrowingconnection.com. Log ontowww.ahs.org andsupportthe and Tuckahoe Elementary of Muskegon, Michigan; Since 1855ourWorldFamousSeedCatalog has surpassedallothers,offeringaselection of themostuniqueandunusualseedvarieties in theworld. Hundreds offullcolorphotographspacked The Growing Connection into 200pageswillmakeplanningyour backyard gardenavisualreality!

TRY US! ornaments madeby children’s in Omaha, Nebraska. The RESERVE YOUR Just paytheshippingandhandling. Henderson County4-H Toll Free Fax FREE

COPY TODAY! Virginia; Alexandria, in Soon, participants can 888•466•4769 Lauritzen Gardens John Ele- Mountain View is now avail- Offer #478C Paul Omaha, Nebraska. program atLauritzenGardensin year-olds inthe“Lil’Sprouts” and, above,bythree-tofive- Castelar ElementarySchool made bysixth-gradestudentsat Farm, left.Theornamentswere decorate aholidaytreeatRiver the shapeofcottonwoodleaves Brightly paintedornamentsin

TOP: COURTESY OF CINDY SOBASKI; BOTTOM: MARY YEE “Sparkling snowflakes made from recycled tin cans became New Gardens Join RAP Program a creative lesson on the importance of recycling for our di- verse students while getting into the festive spirit of the sea- THROUGH THE SOCIETY’S Reciprocal Admission Program son,” says Hilari Hinnant, a first-grade teacher at John (RAP), AHS members are eligible for free or discounted admis- Adams Elementary. sion or other benefits at public gardens throughout North Amer- Members of the Garden Guides at Paul C. Bunn School sub- ica. According to Danielle Laday, AHS Membership Manager, mitted quilt-patterned star ornaments for the Americana tree. there are now 170 participating gardens, and new ones are con- “The nine guides include students from grades four through six, stantly being added to the list. “We often hear from our mem- some with disabilities,” says Samie Winick, the Garden Guide bers about much they love the program,” says Danielle. “It is a mentor. “Their creative spirits were really engaged in making hor- great opportunity to see a lot of wonderful plants and gardens.” ticultural and patriotic quilt-pattern stars for each state.” Three new gardens joining the program in 2004 are Aldridge “The fifth-grade class of Tuckahoe Elementary School en- Gardens in Hoover, Alabama; Rockingham County Botanical joyed creating their clay Lewis-and-Clark-themed ornaments Garden in Brentwood, New Hampshire; and Georgia South- and are proud to have had them displayed at the American Hor- ern Botanical Garden in Statesboro, Georgia. ticultural Society,” says their teacher, Laura Keller. Other recently joined gardens include the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame’s Botanical Garden, Augusta, Georgia; The MARK YOUR CALENDARS! American Orchid Society’s Botanical Garden, Delray Beach, The 2004 AHS National Children and Youth Garden Symposium Florida; Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Fort Myers, Florida; will be held July 29 to 31 in Ithaca, New York. The theme for Sunken Gardens, St. Petersburg, Florida; UC Davis Arbore- this year’s symposium, a joint effort with Cornell University, tum, Davis, California; Conejo Valley Botanic Garden, is “Branching Out: Beyond Formal Garden-Based Education.” Thousand Oaks, California; Lake Erie Arboretum at Fron- Symposium attendees will be able to take advantage of the tier Park (), Erie, Pennsylvania; and The Journey Mu- wealth of field sites and programs available in the Ithaca area, seum and Gardens, Rapid City, South Dakota. including the Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell Plantations, For a complete RAP listing, see the 2004 AHS Member Guide, and many more. More information will be available at the AHS included in this issue of the magazine, or visit www.ahs.org.  Web site (www.ahs.org) starting in February, or call Mark Miller at (800) 777-7931 ext.117. Compiled by Angela Taylor, editorial intern for The American Gardener

Garden Symposiumth H58EIRLOOM GARDENING Join Fine Gardening contributing editor Scott Kunst, rosarian and heirloom gardener Bill Welch, and internationally known food histo- rian William Woys Weaver and explore the roles that 18th-century vegetables, antique bulbs and heir- loom flowers play in preserving our

genetic heritage and in fashioning Photo courtesy of Scott Kunst, Old House Gardens the new Green garden. For program information, CO-SPONSORED BY April 4–6, 2004 call: 1-800-603-0948 email: [email protected] & © 2003 The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

January / February 2004 9 Verbascum 10 Verbascum Update yourgardenthisyearwithsomeoftheseexceptionalplantintroductions. sneak peekof New Plants W covered growing for thenew season. the mostexciting plants we’ve new un- no exception. fulfill ourexpectations,and this year is Amazingly, eachyear breeders attemptto and improved varieties for ourgardens. provide uswithanannualparadeof new have come toexpectplantbreeders to and beans? tolerant, tomatoes,cucumbers,squash, heavier-yielding, more disease-andpest- improvements, how aboutsometastier, enced. Andaslongwe’re talkingabout haps, afragrancewe’ve never experi- shorter, ormore statuesque,and,per- shades,onplantsthatarezling new taller, The following isasamplingofsome In we ourendlessquestforperfection, the American Gardener ‘Plum Smokey’ ‘Plum Smokey’ longer-lasting flowers, indaz- much. We onlywantbigger, E GARDENERS don’t askfor large, vigorous selectiontopping outat14 gonia (www.goldsmithseeds.com) tainers andborders. Goldsmith Seeds nias are waitingtobrightenoutdoorcon- dramatic annualhedge. borders, itisrecommended foruseasa addition toaddingared splashtomixed hybrid thatbloomsallsummerlong.In Round Red’ (Zones 12–15, 12–1),a24-inch kle, good diseaseandweather tolerance. Plants grow to35inchestallandbear 12–1) are rosy pinkwithagreen reverse. Zone kerbell’ (USDAZone 0–0,AHS pollen. Theflowers of dazzle uswithaflower blue thatsports Leave ittoJohnny’s Selected Seeds to ANDTENDERPERENNIALS ANNUALS Cotinus coggyria New beddingbego- high-performing Also from Johnny’s comesaperiwin- Cotinus coggyria Catharanthus roseus ‘Merry-Go- ‘Bayou ’ (Zones 13–15,12–1), a ‘Ancot’ ‘Ancot’ Nicotiana introduces ‘Tin- for Be- flower color:‘Blue Improved’, ‘Burgundy’, varieties, eachwithadifferentfour dwarf lium members oftheDevotion seriesof 18 inchestallandare great forcontainers. glossy dark green foliage.Plants reach 15to flowers thatshow against offtoperfection 13–15, 12–1),withgoldenyellow, orchidlike Impatiens auricoma can Seeds (www.PanAmSeed.com) rose, coral, scarlet,andbicolors. tall andflower shadesincludewhite, pink, massing. Plants grow sixtoeightinches extremely for uniform selection,perfect (www.SimplyBeautifulGardens.com) 12–1) from Ball Horticultural Company brid begonia‘Prelude Mix’ (Zones 13–15, ers non-stopfrom springtofrost. Thehy- to 16inchestallandproviding pinkflow- Pan Americanalsointroduces new To brightenshadycorners, Pan Ameri- Begonia ‘PreludeMix’ (Zones 9–10,10–9),composedof Begonia 2004 ‘Prelude Mix’ ‘Jungle Gold’ (Zones BY RITAPELCZAR Trache- offers is an

LEFT TO RIGHT: TERRA NOVA, MONROVIA, BALL HORTICULTURAL COMPANY TracheliumTrachelium Devotion series LathyrusLathyrus odoratusodoratus ‘‘Sugar nn Spice’Spice’

‘Purple Improved’, and ‘White Improved’. HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS ence with its deep green, criss-crossed All are uniform in height, and work well Terra Nova Nurseries (www.terranova fronds that narrow to a point with a alone or mixed in beds and planters. nurseries.com) continues its effort to ex- small crest. If you live where summers are reason- pand the options for color, size, and form As usual, some of Terra Nova’s most ably cool, try the long-flowering Nemesia among several ornamental perennial exciting introductions are heucheras, cheiranthus ‘Shooting Stars’ (Zones 9–10, , this year introducing 42 new va- tiarellas, and heucherellas. Heuchera 8–1) from Thompson & Morgan for an rieties, many that you can look for at ‘Lime Rickey’ (Zones 4–9, 8–1) bears ruf- exotic accent. It grows about 12 inches tall, your local garden center. fled, lime-green leaves and pure white producing unusual gold, purple, and For shady locations, a new lady fern, spring flowers. H. ‘Pink Lipstick’ (Zones white flowers with reflexed from Athyrium filix-femina ‘Dre’s Dagger’ 4–9, 8–1) produces a low mound of green summer through autumn. Its distinctly (Zones 4–9, 9–1) makes a dramatic pres- foliage that supports 24-inch spikes of coconut fragrance will have you bright pink flowers. The evergreen dreaming of the tropics. leaves display red overtones in win- For lush, sweet-scented contain- ter. The large green leaves of Tiarel- er plantings, it’s hard to beat annu- la ‘Candy Striper’ (Zones 5–8, 8–5) al sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus, display a deep red stripe down the Zones 0–0, 8–3). Renee’s Garden center of each lobe. The foamy offers ‘Cupid Color Palette’, a cas- white flowers emerge from pink cading selection with large, fragrant buds. ✕Heucherella ‘Party Time’ flowers that range from white (Zones 4–9, 9–3) bears pink flowers through pink, rose, and , to over a long season above its bronze deep purple. Three from Thomp- and silver leaves. son & Morgan are worth consider- A new heucherella from Mon- ing, each for a slightly different rovia Nursery (www.monrovia.com) purpose. Sugar n Spice™ is another named ‘Heart of Darkness’ (Zones cascading type that is great for con- 4–9, 9–3) is purported to have one tainers, with a mix of solid white, of the most interesting foliage pat- pink, and purple flowers plus bicol- terns of any available heucherella. ors; ‘Pansy Lavender Flush’ climbs Leaves are large and lobed, with to a very manageable four feet and dark burgundy centers and mint- bears two-tone blooms; and green margins, all overlaid with ‘Borderline’ is an excellent cutting metallic silver-gray. The white variety with white flowers blushed Athyrium filix-femina ‘Dre’s‘Dre’s Dagger’Dagger’ spring flowers, borne on 18-to 24-

TOP LEFT: PAN AMERICAN SEEDS; RIGHT: THOMPSON & MORGAN. BOTTOM: TERRA NOVA and edged in . inch stems, are excellent for cutting.

January / February 2004 11 Hibiscus moscheutos Hibiscus moscheutos 12 rovia offersthegoldstripeflaxlily flowers withprominent spurs. tall, withbrightyellow, upward-facing columbinegrowsThis dwarf to15inches shade. compost-enriched soilsandpart GardensCountry introduction suitedto ‘Little Treasure’ (Zones 3–8,8–1),isaHigh in part shadewithevenly moistsoil. in part ers from February toApril. It needsasite leaves andbearswhitebell-shapedflow- native toChina,hasred-splashed green son Fans’ (Zones 4–9,9–5).Thisplant, heuchera relative, Mukdenia rossii ‘Crim- Mukdenia rossii Mukdenia rossii For gardeners inwarm climates, Mon- Aquilegia chrysantha Another Terra Nova introduction isa the American Gardener ‘Luna Red’ ‘Luna Red’ ‘Crimson Fans’ ‘Crimson Fans’ var. chaplinei (Di- ers fade,theleaves deepentogreen. flowers. Assummerprogresses andflow- Gold’ produces goldenfoliageandwhite flowers withapinkblush.‘Sunningdale buds of‘Magnum Blush’ opentoivory major, barrenworts (Astrantiaoffers twonew that persistintowinter. flowers are followed by blue-blackfruits entire length.Small spraysofbluespring striped green andbrightyellow alongtheir The strap-shaped,evergreen leaves are 8–11, 12–1)toaddcolorshadycorners. anella tasmanica Mulleins For sunnycottagegardens, Terra Nova look forHibiscus moschuetos late springthrough summer. ple flowers withwhitecentersfrom that bearstwo-inch-wide,blue-pur- a sturdy andfloriferous selection ula large rose-purple flowers. dark green insummer, settingoff ducing red winter leaves thatturn 9–1) iseasytogrow inthesun, pro- punctata ornamental displays.Campanula many toresist given theirlong-term from Terra Nova—may behard for purple flowers on16-inchstems. ety bearingdenseclustersoflarge (Zones 5–9,8–2)isa compactvari- garden. Terra Nova’s ‘Plum Smokey’ larly athomeinthesunnycottage Zones 4–7,7–1).The largepink If really bigflowers are your aim, A pairofcampanulas—also ‘Royal Wave’ (Zones 3–9,9–1)is (Verbascum ‘Plum Wine’ (Zones 3–9, ‘Yellow Stripe’, Zones spp.) are particu- Campan- ‘Luna from whitetovarious shadesofpurple. in spring.It prefers aleansoil. foliage andbearssmallpurpleflowers early Africa. It produces a tightmatofevergreen plant, isnative tothemountainsofSouth genta’ (Zones 8–10,10–8),acarpetingice sunny gardens. stems.Itthe leaves on wiry thrives inhot, and dark red bloomsthatare heldabove forms low moundsofblue-green foliage, (Dianthus pinifolius, Gardens.Country Pineleaf garden pink investigate twointroductions from High foot-tall plants. impressive displayonbushytwo-to-three- seven toeight inchesacross andmakesan cultural Company. Eachbloommeasures Red’ (Zones 5–11,12–1),from Ball Horti- Dianthus pinifolius Dianthus pinifolius Echinacea ‘Art’sPride’ Echinacea Most coneflowers bearflowers ranging Gardeners indrierclimesmaywantto ‘Art’s Pride’ Delosperma Zones 4–9,8–5) ‘Tiffindell Ma-

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: TERRA NOVA, HIGH COUNTRY GARDENS, MONROVIA, BALL HORTICULTURAL COMPANY Echinacea ‘Art’s Pride’ (Zones 4–9, 9–3)— tivo Growers, Inc. These hybrids produce offered by Monrovia as the trademarked very large flowers: ‘Valentine’ is red, ‘Ver- Orange Meadowbrite—brings a new ity White’ opens cream and fades to pure tropical color to the palette. Like all cone- white. Both are drought tolerant and flowers, it attracts butterflies and prefers a thrive in full sun or part shade and a well- sunny, well-drained location. drained soil. They are well suited to grow- Lavandula stoechas ‘Hazel’ (Zones 8–9, ing in containers or beds. 9–8) hails from New Zealand, is intro- duced by Pride of Place Plants, Inc. Gaura lindheimeri ‘Pink‘Pink Lady’Lady’ SHRUBS AND GROUND COVERS (www.prideofplaceplants.com), and grown Bailey Nurseries (www.baileynurseries. by Monrovia. This lavender comes a new globe mal- com) introduces an exotic-looking selec- reaches 30 inches tall, and— low, Sphaeralcea fulva ‘La tion of the eastern North American native except for a brief hiatus dur- Luna’ (Zones 5–9, 9–5). staghorn sumac, Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’ ing the hottest part of sum- Plants grow to three feet (Zones 4–8, 8–1). Also known as Tiger mer—it bears vibrant tall and wide, with sage Eyes™, this selection is much more com- lavender flowers from early green leaves on fuzzy gold pact than the species—growing six feet tall spring through mid-autumn. stems, and cup shaped and wide—and spreads with more re- Also from Pride of Place blooms that appear over a straint. Its foliage starts off chartreuse, then Plants, Gaura lindheimeri long season. The flowers turns bright yellow in summer, contrasting ‘Pink Lady’ (Zones 6–9, are composed of pink- dramatically with the fuzzy purple-pink 9–6), has a more compact, LavandulaLavandula stoechasstoechas blushed white petals, a stems. Like the species, Tiger Eyes™ is not tidy habit than traditional ‘Hazel’‘Hazel’ pink , and black particular about soil and is drought toler- gauras, displaying its blooms anthers. This is a good ant once established. just above the foliage rather than in long choice for dry perennial borders, desert A new selection of the western native arching wands. Once established, it is quite gardens, and for cutting. sand cherry, Prunus besseyi ‘Select Spread- drought tolerant. West Coast gardeners will also be in- er’ (Zones 4–8, 8–1), offered by High From the plant introduction program terested in Mimulus ‘Valentine’ and M. Country Gardens, boasts a profusion of at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden ‘Verity White’ (both Zones 8–10, 10–8), a white spring flowers followed by abundant (www.santabarbarabotanicgarden.org) pair of subshrubs available through El Na- fruit that is an excellent food source for

Prunus besseyi ‘Select‘Select Spreader’Spreader’

wild birds. It also displays outstanding red foliage in autumn. Growing only three to five feet tall with a horizontal spreading habit, it makes an attractive, rugged large ground cover. Arctostaphylos ‘Arroyo Cascade’ (Zones 2–7, 7–1) is a drought-tolerant, prostrate ground cover that spreads slowly six to nine feet. Its leaves are gray-green, and it bears rosy pink flowers in winter on red- dish stems. Introduced by Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, this hybrid manzanita is recommended for gentle slopes, retaining walls, and rock gardens. RhusRhus typhinatyphina TigerTiger EyesEyes™ Monrovia Nursery introduces a new

TOP AND CENTER: PRIDE OF PLACE PLANTS, INC. BOTTOM LEFT: BAILEY NURSERIES. RIGHT: HIGH COUNTRY GARDENS smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria ‘Ancot’,

January / February 2004 13 Zones 5–9, 9–3) that bears golden yellow grows slowly to a mature height of 15 to foliage and abundant pale pink flower 25 feet with a spread of 10 to 12 feet. In heads that appear on long plumes. In au- addition to screening, it is effective as a tumn, leaves turn orange, red, and coral. specimen or in a container on a patio. Endless Summer™ hydrangea (Hy- A weeping selection of river birch is drangea macrophylla ‘Bailmer’, Zones being released jointly by Shiloh Nursery, 4–9, 9–3), another shrub developed by North Carolina State University, and Rosa ‘Falstaff’‘Falstaff’ Bailey Nurseries, is a proven repeat North Carolina Foundation Seed Produc- bloomer. Because it produces its eight- ers, Inc. Betula nigra ‘Summer Cascade’ inch diameter mophead flowers both on (Zones 4–8, 8–2) makes a graceful focal new and old wood, it provides summer- point in a garden. It is a fast-growing, adaptable tree with exceptional pest resis- tance. Although its mature height is not yet known, growers estimate it may eventual- ly grow to 60 feet; a 10-year-old specimen measures six feet tall and 10 feet wide. ROSES Bailey Nurseries is expanding its Easy Ele- gance™ rose collection—roses bred for easy care, hardiness, and disease resistance— with several new varieties this spring. Among these are ‘Firecracker’ (Zones 4–10, 9–4) which bears bright pink-red flowers Rosa Yellow Flower Carpet® with white centers, and ‘Funny Face’ (Zones 4–10, 9–4), with variable flowers in Six new roses from David Austin , some with darker pink (www.david austinroses.com) will debut splotches, freckles, or blushes. this growing season, including ‘Falstaff’, Conard-Pyle (www.starroses.com) is in- which has large, fully double flowers that troducing several new easy care and dis- open dark crimson and fade to a rich ease-resistant roses, most prominently purple. ‘Falstaff’ can be grown as a shrub Blushing Knock Out™ (‘Radyod’, Zones or as a climber. 4–10, 9–4), a pink-flowered shrub rose If you’re looking for a ground cover that blooms profusely, is extremely hardy, rose, try Monrovia’s Yellow Flower Car- and thrives even in humid regions. pet® (Zones 4–10, 9–4). A vigorous grow- er, this rose will reach three feet high and wide. Soft yellow PodocarpusPodocarpus elongatuselongatus ‘Monlan’‘Monlan’ blossoms over two inches across bloom in mid-season. long color. Mature plants are rounded, Disease- and pest-resistant as reaching three to five feet in height and well as heat-tolerant, this rose width. It grows best with some shade and is semi-evergreen where win- does well in containers. ters are warm. Another hydrangea worth seeking out is H. ‘Mikata Yae’ (Zones 6–9, 9–6), one VEGETABLES of a new collection of Japanese hydrang- Salads are bound to taste bet- eas from Pride of Place Plants in Canada. ter this year with several new ‘Mikata Yae’ bears double, blue, star- varieties of greens. Harris shaped blossoms. It will be available from Seeds offers ‘ Ruffles’ leaf Park’s Countryside Gardens this spring. lettuce, a slow-to-bolt and dis- Warm-climate gardeners searching for ease-resistant selection that an evergreen screen might want to con- develops frilly, deep red leaves. sider a Monrovia introduction, Podocar- Renee’s Garden offers ‘Sum- pus elongatus ‘Monlan’ (Zones 9–11, mer Perfection’ spinach, bred 12–1)—sold as Icee Blue®. This pyrami- for sweetness and its ability to dal tree has blue-gray fernlike leaves that Rosa ‘Funny‘Funny Face’Face’ tolerate heat, resulting in a

are two to three inches long. The tree long harvest season. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: DAVID AUSTIN, MONROVIA, BAILEY NURSERIES, MONROVIA

14 the American Gardener Sources Retail sources for many of the plants and seeds described in this article are list- ed here. For selections that were only available through wholesale distributors at the time we went to press, the name of the distributor and contact information are provided in the article. Contact distributors for retail sources.

El Nativo Growers, Inc., (626) 969-8449. www.elnativogrowers.com. Mimulus ‘Valentine’, M. ‘Verity White’.

Harris Seeds, Rochester, NY. (800) 514-4441. www.harrisseeds.com. ‘Citrus’‘Citrus’ cauliflowercauliflower ‘Ruby Ruffles’ leaf lettuce.

High Country Gardens, Santa Fe, NM. (800) 925-9387. www.highcountrygardens.com. Aquilegia chrysantha var. chaplinei ‘Little Treasure’; Dianthus pinifolius; Delosperma ‘Tiffindell Magenta’; Prunus besseyi ‘Select Spreader’.

Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, ME. (207) 861-3900. www.johnnyseeds.com. Nicotiana ‘Tinkerbell’; Vinca ‘Tokonatsu’; ‘Citrus’ cauliflower; ‘Orange Blossom’ tomato.

Nichols Garden Nursery, Albany, OR. (800) 422-3985. www.gardennursery.com. ‘Perfection’ fennel; ‘Triple Purple’ orach.

‘Yellow‘Yellow Punch’Punch’ tomatotomato Park’s Countryside Gardens, Greenwood, SC. (800) 845-3369. www.parkseed.com. Gaura lindheimeri ‘Pink Lady’; Hydrangea ‘Mikata Yae’. Also from Renee’s Garden comes ‘Round Romeo’, an adaptable and fast- Pendulous Plants, Fletcher, NC. www.pendulousplants.com. growing ball-shaped carrot with smooth- Betula ‘Summer Cascade’. skinned flesh. Its petite size and sweet flavor make it perfect for eating raw, but it Renee's Garden, Felton, CA. (888) 880-7228. is also delicious cooked. Lathyrus odoratus ‘Cupid Color Palette’; ‘Summer Perfection’ spinach; ‘Round Cauliflower goes colorful with ‘Citrus’, Romeo’ carrot. an early-maturing hybrid variety from Johnny’s Selected Seeds that develops a Thompson & Morgan, Jackson, NJ. (800) 274-7333. www.thompson-morgan.com. golden orange head. It makes an attractive Nemesia cheiranthus ‘Shooting Stars’; Lathyrus odoratus ‘Sugar n Spice’, ‘Pansy presentation in raw vegetable platters. Lavender Flush’, ‘Borderline’; Nicotiana ‘Tinkerbell’; ‘Jaspée de Vendée’ winter Light cooking intensifies the color. squash; ‘Legend’, ‘Sweet Olive’, and ‘Yellow Punch’ tomato. Thompson & Morgan claim that its new winter squash, ‘Jaspée de Vendée’, is so sweet, the flesh can be eaten raw, like Nichols is offering a cultivated orach va- For additional contrast, grow ‘Orange a melon. It develops a semi-bush habit riety called ‘Triple Purple’ that produces Blossom’, a determinate variety from and produces large fruits that hold up dark purple-red leaves on five-foot Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Its mild, sweet- well in storage. plants. In addition to its food value, it ly flavored globes are bright orange. Nichols Garden Nursery introduces va- makes a bold statement in any garden. rieties of two lesser-known vegetables that No vegetable garden would be com- PLANNING THE PERFECT GARDEN deserve greater use—fennel and orach. plete without tomatoes. Thompson & So start planning your gardens and or- ‘Perfection’ fennel is a uniform producer of Morgan is offering three new varieties. dering your seeds. This year’s varieties sweet, tender bulbs with a flavor that sug- ‘Legend’ is a blight-tolerant, determinate just may be the ones you’ve needed to gests a combination of celery and anise. type, and a heavy producer of large red add that perfect touch to your garden. Orach (Atriplex hortensis), often con- fruit. ‘Sweet Olive’ is an early variety that Try a few, retain those that work, and re- sidered a weed, is actually edible and can bears cascading trusses of grape-sized member, there’s always next year.  be grown as a substitute for spinach. (For fruit. And ‘Yellow Punch’ will contrast more about orach and other “weeds” for gorgeously with red varieties in salads Rita Pelczar is a former associate editor of

TOP: JOHNNY’S SELECT SEEDS. BOTTOM: THOMPPSON & MORGAN culinary use, see the article on page 20.) with its bright yellow, plum-shaped fruit. The American Gardener.

January / February 2004 15 Celebrating 175 Years of the Philadelphia

OR NINE DAYS in March every year, the 10-acre main exhibition F floor of the Pennsylvania Conven- tion Center is transformed into a horti- cultural extravaganza. The Philadelphia Flower Show, with reaching back 175 years, is now the largest indoor flower show in the world and is the standard of excellence by which all others are judged. Produced by the Pennsylvania Horticul- tural Society (PHS), the logistical work for each show begins two to three years prior and involves more than 50 major exhibitors, roughly 3,000 entries from both professionals and hobbyists in hun- dreds of competitive classes, and more than 3,500 dedicated volunteers. The end result is a combination of horticulture and theater that delights thousands of visitors each year. HARD WORK PAYS OFF The queen of indoor flower The 52 major exhibit spaces at the 2003 shows has been inspiring show took up nearly five acres of display area. Starting with spaces ranging from generations of gardeners. This several hundred to several thousand square feet, major exhibitors have less year, as the show enters its than 10 days to execute plans that have been more than a year in the making. 175th year, we take you The exhibits go up with the swiftness behind the scenes to see and commotion of a military force estab- lishing a base camp. Carpenters build gaze- what it takes to stage this bos and pergolas and entire small elaborate scenes, often accompanied by buildings, while craftsmen lay stone walls recorded music and theatrical effects. annual spring event. and patios that may include ponds, water- The largest major exhibit is the central falls, fountains, or all three. Backhoes feature, which greets visitors coming sculpt piles of composted sawdust that through the main entrance. Based on the serve as the “soil” of many of these tempo- show theme, which changes every year, rary gardens. Soon after, platoons of nurs- this important display often includes a by Adam Levine ery workers bring in a fantastic array of number of experienced nurseries and and Ray Rogers plants, all forced out of dormancy into florists, who are invited to work in collab- early leaf and bloom. Forklifts race across oration with the show designer. photographs by Adam Laipson the floor, carrying pallets of stone or big Other major exhibits are mounted burlapped trees in full flower. Heated trac- by a variety of entities—including plant tor-trailers from Florida unload thousands societies, non-profit institutions, for- of dollars’ worth of tropical plants. Teams profit companies, government agencies, of florists using tens of thousands of cut and schools—but the largest are created flowers construct colorful mosaics and by local florists and nurseries. These towering arrangements dramatically lit in competitors vie for a range of trophies,

16 the American Gardener Flower Show

The 2004 Philadelphia Flower Show will run from March 7 to 14 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The AHS Environmental Award will be presented at the show. A $2 discount on show tickets is available by ordering them online at www.theflowershow.com until February 15. For more information call (215) 988-8800.

Christine’s Garden Gale Nurseries, 1986

This exhibit’s centerpiece was a playhouse that Chuck Gale designed for his daughter, Christine, then four years old. Chuck is the third in a line of Charles H. Gales to run the nursery, which his grandfather started in the late 1920s. His late father, Charlie Gale III, was a fixture at the show for many years, and one of the first exhibitors to force garden plants such as foxgloves and delphiniums. The sculptures of the children around the maypole are by artist Greg Leavitt, whose work has adorned many show exhibits over the years. The playhouse still stands on Chuck’s property, but Christine Gale doesn’t play in it anymore. Now a college student, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in landscape architecture and join the family business.

awards, and cash prizes. These supple- After setup is done and the judging is THE SCIENCE OF ART ment a show subsidy based on the square over and the trophies and other awards are Part science and part horticultural intu- footage of their exhibit space. Many distributed, the main task is to maintain ition, forcing plants into early bloom is major exhibitors consider the show a part the exhibit—watering and replacing spent what makes this late-winter event a true of their annual advertising and promo- plants or flowers—so it looks good for the flower show. Forcing for the major ex- tion budget and say that it pays for itself entire run of the show. hibits is done on a grand scale, with in new business generated. For the show’s nine-day run, the Con- nurseries stacking hundreds and even Another motviation for exhibitors is vention Center glows like Cinderella thousands of pots of various plants into knowing that the show’s proceeds help dressed up for the ball, but as soon as the refrigerated trucks. Mature trees are support the urban greening programs of show closes on Sunday night, the fanta- forced by laying balled-and-burlapped the PHS. However, it is more than just sy is quickly stripped away. In less than specimens on their sides in heated business or philanthropy that encourages three days the cavernous hall is emptied, . them to take weeks or months out of their with hardly a rose left behind on the Aside from sheer numbers and size, busy lives, year after year. The thrill of cre- concrete floors to serve as evidence that the greenhouses of major exhibitors are ating something fresh and exciting out of the show ever happened. Like many a equipped with technologically sophisti- nothing, quickly and with a definite dead- wondrous flower, the show blooms only cated plant-growing systems. To ap- line, is surely part of the attraction. once a year. proximate a long spring day in the dead

January / February 2004 17 A Woodland Retreat Daniel G. Kepich & Associates, 1994

Daniel G. Kepich first exhibited at the show in 1986, when he created the display for the Pennsylvania Nurserymen’s Associa- tion, which is no longer part of the show. The large trees in this scene were actu- ally cut specimens. To keep them upright, Kepich and current exhibitors use what, in essence, are oversized Christmas tree stands. The trunk of the tree is inserted into a hollow pipe onto which long steel legs have been welded. The trunk is secured in the pipe with tightly wedged shims, and the whole stand is hidden under mulch. To pro- vide added support for taller specimens, guy wires are often strung from the tree trunk to the ceiling. This works only with evergreen specimens that will hold their needles for a time. For safety, the cut trees must be treated with a fire-retardant spray before being put on display.

The Journey Home Burke Brothers Landscape Contractors, 2003

When the tent Kevin and Sean Burke or- dered for this major exhibit came in a few shades too pink, there was less than a week to go before opening day, so they had to use it and managed to soften the color by bathing it in blue light. They also projected branch-like shadows on the top of the tent to suggest overhanging trees. The waterfall is made from a local Penn- sylvania stone. The apparent change in depth toward the waterfall was made by leaving that spot in the dark and floodlight- ing the area closer to “shore.” The pond liner is hidden under a layer of gravel, stones, and moss.

18 the American Gardener of winter, high-intensity lights are run for as long as 18 hours at a stretch. Stud- FORCING BULBS FOR COMPETITIVE EXHIBITION ies have shown that carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere increase It’s safe to say that most of the bulbs in the Philadelphia Flower Show are forced. during warm weather, so many growers While the bulbs in the main exhibits command immediate attention, the forced also run CO2 generators for several bulbs entered in the container-grown plant competition at the show—the horticul- hours a day. Computerized controls for ture classes—require closer inspection to appreciate the beauty of the plant itself, watering, heating, and ventilation allow but the growing and grooming skills of the gardener. the soil to be kept constantly warm Lee Morris Raden’s Narcissus bulbocodium won the Delaware Valley Daffodil while keeping the air temperature Society rosette for best narcissus in the 2003 show. Raden has served in various cool—ideal conditions for growing leadership roles for PHS and the show, and last year marked his 37th year as an stocky plants with flowers packed tight- award-winning show exhibitor. ly on the stem. A rock garden enthusiast living Many growers keep forcing log in southeastern Pennsylvania, most books, which, over a period of years, can of Raden’s show entries are drawn give a good indication of when to take from the world’s choicest alpine certain steps with various plants, but species. While forcing bulbs to weather is always an unpredictable vari- bloom perfectly and on time for the able. The outdoor temperature and the show is tough in amount of sunlight can greatly affect itself, Raden when a plant blooms. Most major ex- takes it a step hibitors have several greenhouses kept at further by grow- different temperatures, so plants com- ing his daffodils ing along too slowly can be hurried in a from seed col- warmer house, and those coming on too lected in the At- Left: Raden in his specialized . fast can be sent to a cooler house to chill las Mountains in Above: Raden’s prize-winning Narcissus out. To be safe, growers might force as northwestern bulbocodium from the 2003 show. many as double the number of plants Africa in 1989. they need. N. bulbocodium, which Raden grows in a specialized greenhouse that recreates Most exhibitors are willing to share in- alpine conditions, usually begin to emerge from their dry summer dormancy as ear- formation with fellow competitors, but in ly as October. When they start to grow, Raden begins to water them freely, simulat- the end, nothing counts like experience. ing the conditions of the snow-melt areas where they grow in the wild. Years ago, nurseryman Robert Mont- Raden watches for flower buds to appear at soil level, which normally indicates the gomery, eager to learn all the ins and outs plants will bloom in two to three weeks. If a pot of bulbs seems to be coming on too of forcing, visited the operation of the late slowly for a specific show judging date, Raden resorts to a method used by many ex- Charlie Gale III, of Gale Nurseries. Gale hibitors: He places the pot immediately below a bank of fluorescent lights in his base- was among the first exhibitors to perfect ment, which is kept at 55 to 65°F. —A.L. and R.R. the art of forcing late-spring and summer- blooming perennials. He politely showed Montgomery around his facility, describ- ing in detail all the equipment he would need. After the tour Montgomery said, This article is adapted with permission of “Great, Charlie, but how do you actually the publisher from The Philadelphia Flower force?” Gale smiled and said, “That’s what Show: Celebrating 175 Years by Adam I’ve spent the last 25 years learning, and Levine and Ray Rogers, with photographs that’s what you’ve got to learn.” Mont- by Adam Laipson, published by Harper- gomery explains the moral to his story, Collins, New York, 2003. Hardcover: “He was telling me that you can have all $44.95 in U.S., $69.95 in Canada. the right gadgets, but forcing is as much The book features 244 pages filled an art as it is a science.”  with inspiring color photos of show exhi- bitions and stories of the show’s events Adam Levine is a free-lance writer who and players over the years. To purchase, lives in Pennsylvania. Ray Rogers is a free- log on to the AHS Web site (www.ahs.org) lance writer based in New Jersey and has ex- and link to amazon.com. The book is al- hibited and won awards at the Philadelphia so available in bookstores. Flower Show. Photographer Adam Laipson gardens in western Massachusetts.

January / February 2004 19 20 A “mess”ofgreens:chickweed, lambsquarters,andgarlicmustard. Top lefttoright: Nettle,garlicmustard,pokeshoots. Above: memory dancedjustoutofreach—a songaboutpokeweed.A memory English gardens, buteatingitwassomethingnew. Or wasit?A N miliar weed, now. Ifollowed him,stillmystified,untilhepointedto afa- of itgrowing theprevious fall,reckoned itwouldbeupabout along theroad thathadoncebeenapaddock.He’d seenamess into theyard andasked permissiontocutpoke. fine springmorningsome30years agowhenanoldmancame Harvesting edibleweedsfromthegardenmakesweedingamuchmoresatisfyingexperience. I hadheard thatitwassometimesgrown asanornamentalin “Yes, pokesallet,”hesaid,gesturingtoward afencedarea Poke? In thebackofmybrainabellrang—ever sofaintly. WILD GREENS WILD GREENS the American Gardener O, WILDGREENS you caneat. My associationwiththembeganonone ical party. Theyare plants—okay, okay, weeds—that Phytolacca americana. are notapro-environment polit- BY CAROLEOTTESEN Poke saladAnnie, pokesaladAnnie Made thealligatorslooktame There lived agirl thatIswear totheworld Where thealligatorsgrow somean Down inLouisiana of anElvis Presley songsprang forth: of water. It’s poison,don’t you know.” knife. “It’s goodeatin’ butfirst,you gottoboilitintwochanges just a-comin’ out,”hesaid,slicingofftheshootwithapocket a gnarled,knobby finger. “You gottogetitwhenit’s likethat— southern delicacy, then.Iwasdefinitelyinterested. That word “poison” triggered mysubconscious,andthewords Seeing myinterest, themanindicated atubularshootwith

ALL PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE: CAROLE OTTESEN, EXCEPT FOR TOP CENTER: KAREN BUSSOLINI No wonder poke salad Annie was dustry in the United States. Around France and Italy. Italian Nelly Capra, a chef meaner than an alligator, I mused. All she Vineland, New Jersey, the “dandelion cap- and cooking school teacher who divides had to eat was a poisonous weed. The old ital of the United States,” farms produce her time between the Ligurian Riviera near man left with a shopping bag full of it. 30,000 bushels of dandelion greens each Genoa and San Francisco, includes them “There’s still plenty left for you,” he said. spring. An additional 100,000 pounds of in her signature focaccia stuffed with wild Not on your life, I thought. the root are imported each year for patent greens, along with “a mixture of bitter Still, that spring as I hoed and weeded medicine production. greens, broccoli rabe, and kale.” and watered and fussed over my tiny let- Dandelions have a long history of Like many greens, dandelions are an ac- tuces and embryonic peas and beans, I medicinal use. In fact, the Latin binomi- quired taste. They are never sweet, but be- contemplated the irony of vegetables that al, Taraxacum officinale, comes from the come extremely bitter after bloom when grew tentatively, always at risk from Greek taraxos, meaning “disorder,” and the weather gets hot. The time to buy or drought or deer, slugs, or insects, while akos for “remedy.” Both roots and leaves gather them is in the cool months when weeds like poke shot up, robust and abun- have been used as a purifying tonic for they are putting out new growth. This can dant, just like the biblical lilies of the field. the liver and immune system and as a be either in the spring or fall or during mild Of course, that’s what makes them weeds. mild diuretic, a phenomenon that gave spells in winter. Dandelion greens can be rise to the French common name, pis- stored unwashed in a plastic bag in the re- WHEN IS A WEED NOT A WEED? senlit—literally, piss in bed. frigerator for about three days. The dictionary says a weed is “any unde- Recent scientific research substanti- Young leaves can be eaten raw and are sired, uncultivated plant that grows in pro- ates earlier uses and has illuminated other good mixed in salads, where they add a bit- fusion as to crowd out a desired crop, useful properties in the plants. Chen- ter note that is offset pleasantly by mild let- disfigure a lawn….” That “disfigure a odeoxycolic acid, a substance found in tuce and, perhaps, crumbled feta cheese, lawn” bit, of course, brings dandelions to dandelions, dissolves cholesterol. Other orange segments, or chopped apples. One mind. People certainly go to great lengths studies suggest that additional com- way to start cooking with them is to add to eliminate them from lawns. And in spite pounds in dandelions lower blood sugar small amounts to familiar dishes. A mix- of all the spraying of and back- levels, stimulate immune cells, and retard ture of chopped dandelion leaves with breaking hand weeding, they still pop up tumor formation. spinach or other greens is delicious. in front yards in all 50 states, all Canadian Dandelions also have an extraordinary provinces, and Puerto Rico. Their ubiqui- nutritional profile. Ounce per ounce, the LAMBSQUARTERS ty— coupled with our national obsession leaves are higher in vitamin A than broc- Another wild green with a long history is with neat, ping-pong table lawns—is per- coli, carrots, or spinach. They contain lambsquarters (Chenopodium album), an haps the reason this once highly esteemed potassium, iron, calcium, zinc, and vita- annual most gardeners find growing on plant fell from grace. min E. And their vitamin C content was the verges of their gardens. Sometimes That may be changing. Even as some great enough to keep employees in the called goosefoot for the shape of the folks are trying to eliminate dandelions, early days of Hudson’s Bay Company leaves, the plant grows into a treelike others are actually planting them. Dande- from developing scurvy. shape with wide branches. In rich, moist lion farming, fueled by the demand for or- While dandelions pop up here and soils, it can top six feet, but more com- ganic produce and the plant’s medicinal there in U.S. markets, they are not the fix- monly it grows to three feet. When uses, has become a multi-million dollar in- ture they are in Europe, especially in young, the small, edible leaves are coated

Above: The ubiquitous and much maligned lawn weed, dandelion, is now gaining culinary recognition. Cultivated varieties specially developed for salads and cooking are now available. Right: Use lambsquarters as a substitute for spinach, either raw or

CAROLE OTTESEN (2) cooked, in any recipe.

January / February 2004 21 22 leaves frequently, by harvesting orsimply You canprolong theproduction ofnew green, young. theyare bestwhenharvested when spinachpetersout.Like anyother weather warms,theybecomeavailable fiber. Because theydon’t shootup untilthe folate, calcium,iron, protein, anddietary A and111percent forvitaminC,aswell as cent ofthedailyrequirement forvitamin are arichsource ofvitaminswith349per- That’s becauselambsquarters unfortunate, 16th century, fellfrom favor. lambsquarters stems,arrived fromand shorter Asiainthe Europe forcenturies. and continuedtobegrown throughout ters were cultivated duringthatperiod, Bronze Ageremains suggestlambsquar- a recipe forthem,“Kokt Svinmatta.” cient food.TheVikings atethemandleft other vegetables growing nearby. toprotect think detersinsectsandserves with awhitedustthatsomegardeners ■ ■ www.gardenmedicinals.com. Garden MedicinalsandCulinaries, Seed Sources forWild Greens 97217-3338. Wild FoodAdventurerNewsletter, Boston, Massachusetts,2002. The WildVegetarianCookbook Vermont, 1987. Stalking theWildAsparagus Places) Identifying andHarvestingEdibleMedicinalPlantsinWild(AndNotSo The HerbalEpicure icsburg, Pennsylvania,2001. Feasting FreeonWildEdibles James A.Duke.KeatsPublishing,NewCanaan,Connecticut,1998. The EncyclopediaofEdiblePlantsNorthAmerica Resources Seeds ofChange, When spinach,whichhasbiggerleaves greensLambsquarter are alsoanan- Burdock, lambsquarters,purslane. Burdock, dandelion,garlicmustard,nettle,purslane. the American Gardener by SteveBrill.WilliamMorrowPublishers,NewYork,1994. www.wildfoodadventures.com. Santa Fe,NM.www.seedsofchange.com. by CaroleOttesen.BallantineWellspring,NewYork,2001. by EuellGibbons.CountrymanPress,Woodstock, by BradfordAngier.StackpoleBooks,Mechan- by SteveBrill.HarvardCommonPress, 4125 NorthColonialAvenue,Portland,OR Earlysville, VA.(434)964-9113. (Atriplex prostrata), (Atriplex patula) tives, considered weedy, suchasorach mashed potatoandtoppedwithGruyere. mixedonions andlambsquarters, with Chenipode with ricottacheeseinlasagna.Gratin au greens. Stir them.Chopandmixthem fry or frittataalonemixed withother filling forcrêpes.Or usetheminaquiche Gruyere cheese-chargedwhitesauceasa recipes callingforspinach.Try themina growth.lopping offoldstalksfornew not manypeople toleratethemingardens, and seedwithabandon. For thesereasons, sensitive. Theyalsospread by raise ferocious welts ontheskinofthose “stinging nettles.”Theyspare nooneand boys. Not fornothingare theycalled Nettles HANDLE WITHCAUTION Lambsquarters have severalLambsquarters near-rela- areLambsquarters interchangeable in (Urtica dioica), by FrancoisCouplanand is adeliciousmélangeofsautéed and spear-leaved orach that are alsoedible. are thegarden’s bad Orach is relatedtolambsquarters. tified asUrtica dioicavar. West Coastthere isaregional strainiden- found justabouteverywhere,butonthe most oftheweeds I’ve described,theyare woodland edgesandinvacant lots.Like but theyare easytofindgrowing wildnear also abound.Just besure touseonlyyoung cooked greens, butrecipes fornettlesoup dandelions, collards, orkaleinamessof I liketominglethemwithlambsquarters, Personally, Ifindtheytasteratherbland,so lose theirstingassoontheyare cooked. with cautionintheirrawstate—butthey etable thatnever fellfrom favor Scandinavia, where theyare aViking veg- countries suchasIreland, Scotland,and in coldplaces.Nettles are aspringritein before mostotherplants,theyare popular growingnettles start inearlyspringlong They’re inlasagna.”Because wonderful a replacement foranygreen inany recipe. ventures inPortland, Oregon, “nettles are John Kallas,director ofWild Food Ad- disorders suchasarthritis. ing tonicusedtotreat immuneresponse remedy forcystitisandtomakeapurify- asa their medicinalqualities,particularly and vitaminsAC.Herbalists value magnesium, potassium,selenium,zinc, than 25percent protein aswell ascalcium, nutritional superstars,containingmore is justasstingyandediblethespecies. Nettles andhandled mustbeharvested “To me,”sayswildedibleauthority Despite thebadraponnettles,theyare (Atriplex patula) is anedibleweed that californica, that

JESSIE M. HARRIS leaves. Eating the older leaves, says Kallas, “is like chewing on rope—even when they are cooked well.” This is not surprising, as TIPS ON GROWING AND HARVESTING WEEDS nettle stalks were at one time used for mak- ■ Positively identify weeds before eating them. Once you learn them, you can ing rope as well as a linenlike cloth. forage anywhere. “Most wild gourmet garden vegetables are the same all over North America,” says wild food authority John Kallas of Portland, Oregon. CHICKWEED ■ If you grow rather than forage for wild greens, give them the TLC you would any One of the earliest wild greens available is vegetable. Wild green seedlings thrive with light, air, nutrients, and room to grow. chickweed ( media). Present at the Thin seedlings to allow for maximum growth. Enrich the soil with compost. cool extremes of the growing season, chick- ■ Treat greens such as nettles, lambsquarters, purslane, and chickweed as cut- weed is a perennial that can be seen pok- and-come-agains. Trim them back to encourage tender, new growth. Lamb- ing through snow in winter thaws. Present squarters, nettle, and purslane get tough when mature. throughout the world’s temperate and arc- ■ Avoid harvesting weeds from an area that may have been treated with chem- tic regions, chickweed is one of the most icals or those growing by the side of a road that may be tainted by car exhaust widespread weeds in the country; a USDA or road runoff. —C.O. map shows it occurring in 50 states. Chickweed gets its common name from the fact that birds of all feathers find it delectable and feast upon it. During Elizabethan times, it was fed to falcons. People still offer it to caged birds as a tonic, rich in vitamin C and phosphorus. Chickweed is good for people, too. It has a nutritional content and cooked fla- vor comparable to that of spinach and a medicinal tradition that dates to antiquity. The Greek physician Dioscorides recom- mended it for eye and ear inflammation. Throughout history, it has been used in poultice form to treat inflammation and ulcers, and is still effective, crushed and ap- plied to itchy, irritated skin. A tea from the entire plant yields a soothing drink for colds and flu. According to herbalists, chickweed contains that emulsi- fy fats, which may account for its use in folk medicine as a remedy for obesity. Chickweed is delicate with small— Above left: Chickweed () begins growing very early in the year and can about half an inch long—spoon-shaped sometimes be harvested for a pre-spring salad despite cold weather and snow. Above right: leaves that are rather widely spaced on The succulent stems and leaves of purslane have a tangy flavor and mucilaginous texture. prostrate stems. This tendency to sprawl makes harvesting difficult. Gardeners can the cracks in sidewalks in midsummer at India and the Middle East. Although it prune the little plants for a steadier supply precisely the time when many other wasn’t grown in Europe until about the of shorter, more upright greens. greens disappear or become too bitter to 16th century, by the mid-18th century, Chickweed favors moist, rich soil and eat. The spoon-shaped mucilaginous Martha Washington was pickling it in is very easy to identify. A line of fine hairs leaves and round, succulent stems com- the New World. Mexicans call it vegola- runs down only one side of the stem until prise the greatest source of Omega-3 fatty ga and use it in soups, tortillas, and it hits a leaf, then switches to the other acids in the green world. And that’s not omelets. And, mixed in equal parts with side. Eaten raw, chickweed is a fine addi- all. Purslane contains iron, more beta- sorrel (Rumex acetosa), purslane is an tion to salads. Blended with basil or pars- carotene and six times more vitamin E okralike component of the classic French ley, it makes an excellent pesto. than spinach, high levels of magnesium bonne femme soup. and potassium, and vitamins C and A. Young purslane leaves and shoots en- PURSLANE Although purslane has a long history liven salads with a citrusy tang. Older Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), belonging of medicinal use, its primary use shoots and leaves are fine as a potherb and to the same family as chickweed, is a suc- throughout history and the world is as a a few cooks still pickle them for winter sal- culent, green, annual weed that favors food plant. Ancient Egyptians prized it, ads. Some people plant purslane or gold-

LEFT: CAROLE OTTESEN; RIGHT: DAVID CAVAGNARO hot, sandy soil. It is frequently found in and it is still used in traditional dishes in en purslane (Portulaca sativa), which has

January / February 2004 23 The roots are prized medici- Kimpira Gobo nally, used as a blood purifier for auto-immune conditions, par- This basic recipe for fried burdock was ticularly psoriasis and acne. The shared by Osamu Shimizu. For variation, root also contains inulin, which add other ingredients such as ginger, shal- can be converted to insulin lots, and Japanese chili sauce. —C.O. when consumed by diabetics. 1 lb. burdock roots The plant’s most famous—and 1/2 lb. carrots controversial—medicinal use is 1 to 3 togarashi or Thai hot peppers as a tumor reducer. Along with 2 tablespoons sugar slippery elm (Ulmus fulva), 1 tablespoon mirin sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella), 3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce and turkey rhubarb (Rheum 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil palmatum), it is a component of sesame seeds, to taste the essiac recipe for cancer, named for Rene Caisse (essiac is 1. Rub burdock with the back of a “Caisse” spelled backwards), a knife to remove skin. Cut into 1 to Canadian nurse. She credited 11/2-inch lengths, then slice into the essiac formula to an old matchstick-sized pieces. Soak in cold Ojibway medicine man, and water for several minutes, then drain. used it, often successfully, to 2. Peel and slice carrot into match- treat patients whose prognosis stick-sized pieces. was deemed hopeless. 3. Cut off top of hot peppers and re- Its medicinal qualities aside, move seeds. Slice into thin rounds. burdock is an excellent winter 4. Heat oil in frying pan or wok and vegetable with healthful prop- add burdock and carrot. Stir-fry over erties. Skinned and chopped high heat for about three minutes. into matchsticks along with an 5. Add sugar, mirin, and soy sauce. Both the leaves and roots of burdock (Arctium lappa), top, equal amount of similarly pre- Sprinkle hot pepper and sesame are edible. The roots are especially prized for their pared carrots, burdock is an es- seeds. Continue to cook until liquid is reputed efficacy in stimulating the auto-immune system. sential ingredient in a classic gone, stirring frequently. Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella), above, is another weed Japanese dish, Kimpira Gobo that reportedly shares similar disease-fighting abilities. (see box, far left). larger yellow leaves and grows more up- ing larvae die, it is thought, because of GRAZING THE GARDEN right. Others find just enough wild plants compounds in the leaves. There is beautiful economy in weeding the in cracks in the sidewalks and along the Fortunately, cooks fare better. The garden and in so doing, putting tasty and patio to enjoy for summer meals. As weeds most tender, best-tasting leaves are the nutritious foods on your table. Once you go, purslane is generally well-behaved. first-year rosettes and the small leaves on start harvesting wild greens, you may find the stalk, before the plant flowers. Garlic your views of vegetable gardening altered. WEEDS YOU LOVE TO HATE mustard is not so much bitter as it is ro- You may never grow spinach again, but Not so, garlic mustard (Alliaria petiola- bust. By itself, it is a powerful blending choose to pick the lambsquarters that ar- ta), a biennial that is a nuisance in gar- of its namesakes. Red meat stands up to rive on their own. You may never again dens and a real threat in natural areas. In its lusty flavor. It could star as a stuffing bother raising endive when dandelion Europe, where it is native, it is a good cit- in pork roast or roast beef. Or, lightened roots can be had for the digging. You may izen. In North America, garlic mustard is up by mixing with lambsquarters or buy rather than grow organic carrots and a noxious invasive throughout the east- spinach and onions, it makes an excellent let the burdock grow itself. Nettles plant- ern half of the continent, as well as in side dish for lamb. ed in flats on the leaky window of a base- many central and western states. In rich, Biennial burdock (Arctium lappa) is ment room may provide an endless supply moist, shady places, it spreads swiftly, another annoying weed—the one with of greens throughout the winter. And, on crowding out native understory plants the seed burrs that stick to your socks and those long January evenings, instead of such as spring beauty (Claytonia sp.), dog. The time to harvest its root, called poring over seed catalogs, you may choose Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra sp.), tril- gobo in Japan, where farmers grow it as a to read about weedy candidates for next lium, and bloodroot (Sanguinaria sp.). In food crop, is after the first year before the year’s culinary efforts.  the absence of familiar wildflowers such flower stalk develops. This way, you’ll have as violets, butterflies lay eggs on garlic a gourmet vegetable, and you’ll eliminate Weed gourmand Carole Ottesen is associate

mustard’s round leaves and their emerg- the nasty burrs that follow the flowers. editor of The American Gardener. TOP: CAROLE OTTESEN; BOTTOM: DAVID CAVAGNARO

24 the American Gardener

26 the American Gardener Delectable Daphnes hardy, fragrantdaphnesshould behighonyourlist. If you’relookingforasmall tomedium-sizeshrub, BY GERALDTAAFFE

JERRY PAVIA APHNES ARE so beautiful, so sweetly fragrant, and so delicate looking—and so often labeled as finicky D and difficult—that it took me a few years of trial and error to realize that the includes a number of tough and versatile garden plants. Several of the 20 or so selections I have tried since then are strong growing plants that have become mainstays in my USDA Zone 4 garden in Ottawa, Canada. A good example is a recent planting of the wonderful varie- gated Burkwood daphne (Daphne ✕burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’, Zones 4–8, 9–2) that fills a space between a flagstone patio and a right angle where two walls meet. In one of the rare landscape schemes I’ve tried that did better than expected, four waist-high daphnes fill an area 12 feet long and deep. The semi-evergreen plants are unfazed by the winter dumps of ice and snow from the roof. In summer, looking down at the multitude of light green leaves, each neatly edged in cream, brings on a sort of blissful daze. And then there’s the fragrance. For a few weeks in spring, with lesser but very welcome encores in late summer and early fall, the ‘Carol Mackie’ daphnes are covered with clusters of waxy-tex- tured, light pink flowers, shedding an aroma that permeates the garden and makes its way into the house through windows left open for just that purpose. The powerful sweet scents of the gar- den’s many other daphnes make trips out to the garden, even to pull out weeds or fetch tools an im- mersion into a sea of fragrance.

BURWOOD HYBRIDS Above: Growing in the author’s USDA Zone 4 ‘Carol Mackie’ is the best known of a garden in Ottawa, February daphne’s bounty of series of selections, sometimes termed delicate blooms belies its sturdy constitution. Burkwood daphnes, that resulted ‘Carol Mackie’, opposite page, and ‘Briggs from crosses between the Moonlight’, left, are variegated, cold-hardy D. caucasica and the evergreen rose forms of the Burkwood daphnes. daphne (D. cneorum). All add a special elegance to a foundation planting or The February daphnes in my garden shrub border. are planted behind a sprawling bed of low- ‘Carol Mackie’ and the two most lying winter heath (Erica carnea), which widely available green-leaved forms— has turned out to be the happiest of com- ‘Somerset’ and ‘Arthur Burkwood’— binations, giving a jump start to spring. make shapely mounded shrubs Both bloom just after snowmelt, and the between three and four feet high, uni- bright , purplish- and white of form enough in size to make a sensa- the various heaths bring to life the tional untrimmed hedge. ‘Lavenirii’ is a lower, very densely daphne’s relatively subdued purples. And both kinds of plants branched, spreading shrub with smaller leaves, and there are vari- do well in the heath bed’s special lean soil mix of sand, peat eties with gold-edged leaves and one, ‘Briggs Moonlight,’ with re- moss and composted pine-bark. verse variegation, cream edged in green. All are cold-hardy to at There’s considerable variation in flower color in this species. least USDA Zone 4. There are named selections, some of them double, in white, pink, Very different is February daphne (D. mezereum, Zones 5–8, magenta, and fairly close to red. The loveliest color variation I 8–5), another mainstay of my garden. From November on, fat, have seen, however, was a self-sown seedling with flowers of the purple-tipped flower buds lend hopeful bits of color to the bare lively, clear rose-pink that turned up in the 75-year-old garden of twigs of this three- to four-foot-high-and-wide shrub. In milder a several years after its presumed mother plant had died. climates, the plants may be semi-evergreen and actually bloom Another sensational specimen is a rose daphne cultivar (D. in February, as the common name suggests. Here, though, they cneorum ‘Ruby Glow’, Zones 5–7, 7–5). Its spring flush of always shed their leaves by early winter, making it all the more bloom covers the plant with intensely fragrant clusters of deep dramatic when, just after snowmelt, usually in early April, every rosy pink—a powerhouse of color and fragrance on a low mat last bare twig is lined with intensely fragrant flowers in various over five feet wide and still spreading. . In summer pretty but poisonous red berries and Rose daphne is a plant that can rebound from adversity. Dur-

TOP: RUTH TAAFFE; BOTTOM: MICHAEL S. THOMPSON self-sown seedlings often spring up around mature plants. ing the great ice storm of January 1998, the one in my garden was

January / February 2004 27 28 long inthegarden. but myexperiencehasbeenthatthosecoddledplantsdon’t last lush, unblemished,symmetricaldaphnesinprotected conditions, evitable inplantsgrown outdoorsinleansoil.Nurseries cangrow thatarechoose aspecimenthathasthelittleimperfections in- eties are seekingout,butkeepinmindthatit’s well worth bestto narrowwhich hasvery leaves andlargeflowers. Allofthesevari- edged leaves; andabotanicalvariety, leaved, prostrate form; awhite‘Alba’; ‘Variegata’, withcream- with thedeeppink‘Ruby Glow’, there is‘Pygmaea’, asmaller growth, andinfollowing years theplantgrew stronger thanever. to appearinitscenter. Fall brought flower budsonthenew byyet latespringadensegrowthdead, oftinygreen sprigsbegan the tree’s remains. Thedaphne’s topgrowth wasunmistakably maple, andtheninMarch trampledonby workers takingdown bombarded withbranchesdropped from animmensesilver plants re-bloom freely inlatesummerandfall. grows stronger andprettier witheachpassingyear, andolder sometimes surrounded by abrood ofself-sown plants. Thisspecies orange berriesinearlysummerand,likeFebruary daphne,is flowers sweet withadistinctive fragrance.It light,very haspretty the deciduousD.alpina tween two andthree feetinheightandwidth.Afavorite here is well-drained mixed borders isabevyofmid-sized daphnesbe- Almost asprominent inlargerrock gardens andatthefront of SMALLER DAPHNES rugged. Lastyear,rugged. when thedeciduous often spelldisasterforotherspecies inthegenus. ically andtransplanted,notonce butseveral times,treatment that tremely tough.It didn’t missabeatafter beingtrimmedbackrad- the difficult,rare alpineD.blagayana ish buds.Againstexpectation,this cross between rose daphne and fragrantflowersous daphne,hasvery thatopenwhitefrom pink- Daphnes havevariedgrowthhabits.Wide-spreading conditions, whileD.genkwa,aboveright,growsuprightintoashowy,mid-sizedshrubwithreputationforbeingfinicky. Rose daphnealsohas anumberofinteresting variations. Along D. Some otherdaphnesofaboutthe same size are notquiteas the American Gardener ✕ eschmannii (Zones 5–7,7–5),anothermid-sized decidu- (Zones 5–8,8–6),withclustersofwhite D. cneorum has turnedouttobeex- D. giraldii D. cneorum, (Zones 4–8, var. verlotii, above left,growsclosetothegroundandcanwithstandsomeharshenvironmental snow-line andeventually succumb toanespeciallysevere winter. white tingedpurpleinside.Here, theytendtodiebackthe withfragrantrose-purple flowers,stiffly uprightshrubs sometimes enough formyZone 4garden. In slightlymilderclimatestheyare mid-sized evergreen speciesthatare almost,butnotquite,hardy similar but itsfuture isalittledoubtful.Thisspecies,alongwiththevery duced apretty specimenwithshiny, stiffleaves. Hope high, runs anyamountoftrouble.tinctiveness ofthisplantmakeitworth for beingfinickyeven inmilderclimates—thegraceanddis- winter-killed someyears here inZone 4—and hasareputation fragrance ishauntinglylightandcanbeelusive. Althoughitis ple flowers thatclothearching, bare branchesinearlyspring.The largebluish-pur- 5–9, 9–6),mid-sized anddeciduouswithvery more interesting thanshowy, butIwouldn’t bewithout it. fragrance. It doesn’t bearflowers asfreely asotherspecies sois the smallclustersofyellow flowers hadtheusualsweet daphne 8–3) firstbloomedinthegarden here, Iwasthrilledtofindthat Evergreen My atgrowing latesttry D.retusa (Zones 6–9,9–6)has pro- Beautiful andshowy by anystandard is D. tangutica D. tangutica (Zones desirable 6–9,9–6),is oneoftwovery is borderlinehardy inUSDAZone4. D. genkwa (Zones

TOP LEFT: MARK TURNER; TOP RIGHT: LYNNE HARRISON; BOTTOM: JERRY PAVIA ROCK GARDEN GEMS (Zones 5–7, 7–5) is my favorite among a pro- DAPHNE FAMILY PORTRAIT fusion of smaller daphnes that are ideal for rock gardens, sand beds, and the special fast draining containers that rock gardeners Botanists have identified some 50 species in the genus call “troughs.” The flowers are fragrant and relatively large, pink Daphne, which is part of the daphne family (Thymelaceae). or purplish-pink, on a six-inch-high, gently spreading evergreen Most are small to mid-sized deciduous to evergreen shrubs shrublet with shiny deep green leaves. Surprisingly, considering it with fragrant flowers. Native to mostly temperate regions grows wild only in a single location in the mountains of Slovakia, of Europe, Asia, and North Africa, daphnes occupy a vari- this species has been adaptable and perfectly hardy here. ety of habitats from woodlands to mountain slopes. It’s too soon to say whether my recently acquired specimen Many references connect the name Daphne to the leg- of ‘Muran Castle,’ a selection of D. arbuscula by the Czech plant endary chaste nymph of Greek mythology, but the nymph’s explorer Josef Halda, does, as heralded, have slightly showier name may in fact be derived from an old Indo-European flowers. So far, it looks just like the type species, which is good root meaning “fragrance,” a glimmer of which can be de- enough for me. tected in the modern German word Duft. Among the many endearing traits of these alpine daphnes is Daphne flowers, which bloom singly or in clusters, are that some start to bloom on young plants no more than an inch tubular near the base, opening into four waxy or succulent- or two across. This is true of the lovely hybrid, ‘Leila Haines,’ with looking lobes that resemble petals. Most species have al- fragrant pink flowers on a plant that never gets higher than a few ternate leaves that are linear to oval in shape with smooth inches and takes some years to reach a foot in spread. It’s a cross edges. Many daphnes bear attractive fleshy fruits in a wide between rose daphne array of colors, but be aware that the fruits—and indeed all and D. striata. parts of daphnes—are considered toxic; some gardeners The enchanting have reported skin irritations from contact with sap. ‘Delphi Form’ of D. There are several other ornamental representatives of jasminea (Zones 5–9, the daphne family worth investigating, starting with paper- 9–6) also blooms on bush ( chrysantha, Zones 7–9, 11–3), a round- tiny plants, with ed deciduous shrub that bears dense heads of fragrant yel- small, fragrant starlike low flowers in late winter to early spring. Native to , white flowers. It isn’t paperbush grows to about five feet tall and wide. reliably hardy here, Another mainstay is leatherwood (Dirca palustris, Zones but I’ve seen flourish- 4–9, 9–1), a deciduous, four- to six-foot shrub native to east- ing specimens in ern North America. Leatherwood does best in moist, shady Denver, only slightly spots, and I grow it under a dense stand of very large mag- milder at Zone 5, nolias, where its precocious small flowers provide enticing where the ground- flashes of yellow before the trees have leafed out. Western hugging plants can leatherwood (Dirca occidentalis) is similar in appearance to spread several feet and its eastern counterpart but its native range is restricted to be counted on to re- moist woodland areas in California. bloom in summer. chamaejasme (Zones 5–8, 8–6), a hard-to-acquire The rarest alpine herbaceous perennial, is a sort of Holy Grail among daph- species in the garden nephiles. The two-foot stems of this Himalayan native rise in here is D. circassica a dense mass from a long taproot, each topped by very fra- (Zones 5–8, 8–4), grant, daphnelike flowers that are red in bud and open white. pretty and perfectly There’s also a very beautiful yellow variety. —G.T. Petite, at only a foot tall, the hybrid daphne hardy but extremely ‘Lawrence Crocker’—growing here with slow growing. Eight echeveria—is perfect for a rock garden. years after germina- mini (sometimes listed as D. kosaninii, Zones 5–7, 7–4), which tion, it has grown into has pink flowers that never quite open and are followed by or- a perfect little dome no more than three inches across. It hasn’t ange fruit; D. oleoides (Zones 5–8, 8–6), a lovely, very hardy flowered yet, but I’m willing to wait indefinitely to see what pale pink-flowered species; and spurge laurel (D. laureola might turn up in a plant that’s named for an area that since an- subsp. philippi, Zones 5–8, 8–6) which has especially thick tex- tiquity has been renowned for the beauty of its women. tured, shiny leaves and unique fragrant yellow-green flowers. Somewhat larger, reaching about a foot in height, is ever- green ‘Lawrence Crocker’ (Zones 5–7, 7–4), a pink-flowered DAPHNES FOR WARMER REGIONS hybrid that blooms very early in life. It’s a cross between D. Other daphnes would be mainstays if I gardened in a much arbuscula and D. collina, the latter a pink-flowered species na- gentler climate. Near the top of the list is D. bholua (Zones tive to Italy that’s proven to be surprisingly hardy in Zone 4. 8–9, 9–7), a deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub that can reach

MARK TURNER Other desirable foot-high evergreen species include D. do- close to seven feet. In Irish gardens, which is the only place

January / February 2004 29 I’ve seen this plant growing, it blooms from midwinter until St. Patrick’s Day, with purplish flower buds that open into big, very fragrant white flowers. Much more common in milder areas of North America is the fragrant or winter daphne (D. odora, Zones 7–9, 9–7), one of the choicest ever- green garden shrubs. Growing three to five feet tall and as wide with The extraordinarily fragrant D. odora a densely branched, ‘Aureomarginata’, above, thrives in mild broadly mounded habit, winter areas. D. ✕burkwoodii ‘Somerset’, it has glossy, dark green right, like other daphnes, benefits from a leaves and bears a display garden site that has very good drainage. of extraordinarily fra- grant reddish-purple flowers that lasts from late winter to early spring. Best known of several named selections is ‘Aureomar- ginata,’ which has gold-edged leaves and is said to be a little hardier than the species. Plant fragrant daphne near the house, where you can enjoy its scent daily. lieve that a little extra care will prevent most of these mishaps. The most important advice comes from a veteran nursery- KEEPING DAPHNES HAPPY man I know, whose prescription for keeping daphnes happy There is no doubt that daphnes of all kinds can die, some- and healthy is to “give them not just good, but very good times suddenly, for what seem to be mysterious reasons. Some drainage.” His words came back to me this summer when I ob- horticulturists ascribe “daphne death”—as this phenomenon served many perfect specimens in the Denver Botanic Garden. is called—to a viral or fungal disease, but I would rather be- They were planted in full sun, between rocks or in dry, gritty soil, and—once established—got very little supplemental irri- gation despite the dry, semi-desert climate. Most daphnes grow best in full sun, but at the southern ex- Resources tent of their range they may benefit from a site that receives fil- Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (5th edition) by Michael tered light or afternoon shade. The exception to this is spurge A. Dirr, Stipes Publishing, Champaign, Illinois, 1998. laurel (D. laureola), which requires some shade. Daphnes tolerate a wide range of soil pH, but they grow best in slightly alkaline to slightly acidic soil. I’ve found they thrive in Sources a lean, sandy or gravelly soil, occasionally fortified with a top dress- Fairweather Gardens, Greenwich, NJ. (856) 451-6261. ing of organic matter. Mulching with pine bark—or gravel for www.fairweathergardens.com. Catalog $4. rock garden specimens—helps keep the roots cool and conserve soil moisture, but be sure to keep mulch away from the crown. Forestfarm, Williams, OR. (541) 846-7269. They are especially sensitive to root disturbance. Just digging www.forestfarm.com. Catalog $5. Free if ordered online. near a plant can kill it, so avoid this if possible. Although I have successfully moved several species out of necessity, I don’t rec- Heronswood Nursery Ltd., Kingston, WA. ommend this as a regular practice. (360) 297-4172. www.heronswood.com. Catalog $5. As shrubs go, daphnes require little care beyond an occasional pruning to remove crossing branches. I never fertilize my daphnes; Roslyn Nursery, Dix Hills, NY. (631) 643-9347. indeed, I worry if they seem to be growing too fast. As I have noted www.roslynnursery.com. Catalog $3. earlier, be leery of garden center specimens that seem unnatural- ly lush. It was after buying such specimens years ago that I quick- Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery, Medford, OR. ly lost my first few daphnes and came close to giving up on the (541) 772-6846.www.srpn.net. Catalog $3. genus. In retrospect, that would have been a great pity. 

Free-lance writer Gerald Taaffe gardens in Ottawa, Ontario. LEFT: MARK TURNER; RIGHT: JERRY PAVIA

30 the American Gardener Celebrate Spring with AHS

oin us this April for Washington Blooms! at River Farm. Nothing compares with the beauty of the early spring blooms in the National Capital area. Cherry Jblossoms, daffodils, and tulips herald the coming of spring in an explosion of color. Throughout the month of April —National Garden Month—AHS hosts a variety of events with something for every gardener, no matter what your passion!

New! AHS Garden School This year we introduce the new AHS Garden School. These in-depth workshops offer a truly unique environment—personal instruction from garden pros; behind- the-scenes tours of landmark sites and hidden treasures; and hands-on projects. Each course includes an intimate evening at a spectacular location. The Amazing World of Indoor Plants—April 1, 2 Gardening is truly a year-round hobby when you bring it indoors. Meet the experts who will introduce you to gorgeous and unusual tropicals. Create a tropical bonsai treasure. Travel to public conservatories as well as small, beautifully designed indoor garden rooms. 2004 Washington Blooms! Creating Your Own SMARTGARDEN™—April 8, 9 Events at River Farm A garden that is low-maintenance, works with nature, has minimal pests and April 1–2 AHS Garden School: diseases, and flourishes year after year. Sound impossible? Not at all! The The Amazing World of Indoor Plants SMARTGARDEN™ program provides practical choices and techniques for April 2 Great American Gardener becoming a successful gardener and a steward of the earth. Award Banquet April 3 Spring Garden & Bulb Tour The Art and Science of Garden Photography—April 15, 16 April 8–9 AHS Garden School: Garden photography hangs in galleries and dazzles audiences at symposia. Creating Your Own SMARTGARDEN™ If you ever wondered “how do April 10 Spring Garden & Bulb Tour they do that?”—this school is April 15–16 AHS Garden School: for you. Learn the tips and The Art & Science of Garden Photography techniques involved in basic April 17 photography as well as diverse ◗ Spring Garden & Bulb Tour photographic styles. Small, ◗ Alexandria House and Garden Tour intimate hands-on workshops April 22 Member’s Night led by experts allow you to work Friends of River Farm Plant Sale closely with the pros. April 23 AHS Garden School: How to Nurture and How to Nurture and Show Show Prize-Winning Prize-Winning Plants Plants—April 23 April 23–24 ◗ The work involved in taking a plant from house to show is fraught with Friends of River Farm Plant Sale ◗ challenges. Ray Rogers, frequent winner at the Philadelphia Flower Show and National Capital Area Federation co-author of The Philadelphia Flower Show, will provide personal tips and of Garden Clubs District II Flower Show techniques for success. Included is an afternoon visit to the National Capital Area Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc., District II Flower Show at River Farm. Ongoing for the month of April ◗ Washington Landscape Artists Exhibit ◗ AHS Green Garage Display ◗ River Farm Cottage Shop Visit the AHS Web site (www.ahs.org) for more details ◗ Historic Garden Week in Virginia or call 1 (800) 777-7931 for a brochure. (April 17–25) 32 and, more importantly, “ideal” gardens, whichIbelieve donot, idea of beginningsand“perfect”very or table forthis,let’s takeaslantedlookatthe tives; ondeliriouslytiltedangles.To setthe creatively fromanddifferent new perspec- dening, andgardens—to perceive them you perceive (notmerely see)design,gar- dress duringthecourse ofthisseries. to design.It isthisprocess thatIwillad- andoftensurprisingwaysisessential new ity tothinkmetaphoricallyaboutthingsin the garden designprocess. Indeed, theabil- mulling thingsover are allprerequisites of thinking, contemplating,andgenerally about theoverall process ofdesign.Yet writing attemptstosuggesthow to compositions. tocreate color-balanced beyond trying they have littleideawhattodowiththem choice collectionsofplantsonlytorealize plantknowledgedeners amassexpert and assemblages ofplantsorfeatures. Many gar- but gardens are somuchmore thanmere course, are onecriticalelementofgardens, color andsculpturaleffects.Plants, of dens orhow tocombine plantsforvarious how tobuilddiscrete componentsofgar- or anornatebirdbath ofperfection. short house orgarden throw isjustafew pillows The writersseemtoassumeeveryone’s overall houseorgarden spacesthemselves. rarely discusshow todesignandbuildthe photos of—mostlyEnglish—gardens, or tomes,filledwithmouth-watering your homeandgarden? Thesetechnicol- accessorize, andgenerallyaddfroufrou to H Anywhere butEden Master’s ofLandscapeArchitecture from theUniversity ofGeorgia’s SchoolofEnvironmental Design in1996. design. He ondesigntomagazinessuchas hasalsocontributedarticles Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Nationally known forhiscreative approach togarden design,Tres lectures garden andteachesclasseson This isthedebutofanongoingcolumnongarden designwrittenby Tres Fromme, planninganddesignleaderatLongwoodGardens Gardening byDesign In doingsoIhopetochangetheway In myexperience,littlepopulargarden Other booksandmagazinesmaytellyou the American Gardener cover only“how to” decorate, most popular“how-to” books AVE YOUNOTICED cannot exist. the way think BY TRESFROMME diverse, fascinating,contradictory, and designing and gardening are usuallyas ibis, andjustificationspeople offerfor right down toit,theexcuses, reasons, al- fits withotherpeople.When you get of beautyandadesire toshare itsbene- tal needs.Others are inspired by alove sustenance andfulfillbasicdevelopmen- necessity; themandatetoprovide basic or another. Some gardens emergefrom All gardens have beginningsofonetype IN THEBEGINNING Country GardensCountry and nient andwell-known subjectandIask Eden asametaphorbecause itisaconve- literature, theGarden ofEden. Iamusing famous gardens inWestern and history trepidation. of great energy, creativity, passion,and and oftenintimidating.Theyare times of thereason we love gardens somuch. these psychological complexitiesare part human asthegardeners themselves. And Landscape Architecture. Take, forexample,oneofthemost in- Beginnings are exciting, inspiring, Tres his earned in

TIM CRAWFORD you, the reader, to set aside for the mo- tinually return to them no matter how ar- ment religious connotations or beliefs. duous or annoying they become. As the story goes, Adam and Eve lived So, why and how do we begin today to blissfully unaware and unclothed in Eden. create gardens of compelling delight and The garden provided all they required pragmatic functionality? And how can we without them even having to request it. avoid being seduced by the sirenlike call of The weather was perfect. The animals were the grocery aisle magazine cover that friendly and tractable. No one toiled or promises the perfect garden is but one sweated. Peace and plenty reigned supreme. new plant or a pergola away from perfec- The First Couple from all accounts were in tion? For answers to these and other ques- accord with each other on every decision. tions, I invite you to join me over the next Does this sound like any garden (or re- few years to plumb the murky depths of lationship) you have ever known? garden design. So, along comes the Serpent and con- vinces Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. Adam was a bit slow on the uptake, so she prompts him to taste. Suddenly both know Beginnings are all sorts of things—namely that they need a good tailor (thus fashion, rather than ar- exciting, inspiring, chitecture or horticulture, becomes the first creative human ac- tion). The expulsion and often from Eden quickly follows and the pair intimidating. They find themselves armed only with are times of great Knowledge and fig leaves in an inhos- energy, creativity, pitable world. Adam and Eve begin passion, and to toil, to plan, to use their power of cre- ative will to shape the world. They grow trepidation. their own plants, protect themselves and the garden from unpredictable weather, de- fend themselves from hostile animals, and become acquainted with death. We will re-examine basic assumptions Now, that sounds more like gardening, about design, gardens, and the idea of cre- doesn’t it? ative thinking to pave the way for explo- rations about “Big Picture” design ideas REALITY OVER FANTASY such as figuring out what you want from Many gardeners set out to recapture their your garden, the role of plants in garden own bit of Eden, to make their own earth- design, and understanding the befuddling ly paradise. No wonder so many are so mess enticingly known as “garden style.” quickly disappointed, despite the growing Having laid these conceptual founda- number of gardening books, television tions we will go on to deconstruct several makeover shows, lectures, and support precious darlings of the horticultural groups for the horticulturally-challenged. “glamoratti,” including color, childrens’ Praying that Eden is but a season away in gardens, plant snobbery, and the issue of your garden is as deluded as hoping you native versus exotic plants. will wake up tomorrow looking like Brad But before we go too far afield, in the Pitt or Naomi Campbell. These two do next issue we will tackle the rather slippery not even look like themselves without a question of “What the Heck is Design, lot of artifice, fussing, and good lighting. Anyway?”  And neither does a real garden. Our gardens involve work, creative intent, in- Tres Fromme is a landscape designer at spiration, failure, success, and delight. Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, This is why we love them, why we con- Pennsylvania.

January / February 2004 33 34 Zones 4to8andheattolerantinAHS full shadeandmoist soil.Hardy inUSDA to graceful colonieswhenplanted inpart stems. Japanese painted fernwillform silver variegated fronds andwine-red to 18inchestallwithbeautiful green and China, Korea, Japan, andTaiwan—grows maintenance perennial fern—native to choice for2004Plant oftheYear. Thelow- niponicum scribes Japanese paintedfern Association(PPA) de- way Steven Still, executive director ofthe “Graceful, attractive, andversatile,” isthe OFTHEYEAR PLANT JAPANESE PPA PAINTED FERNIS2004 Forcing Winter Flowers will bloomindoors.Forexample,forsythia,cutinlateFebru- period thebranchesarecut,fasterthey drons, lilacs,andmagnolias. honia bridal wreathspirea,mountainlaurel,Ma- nus mas),witchhazel pear trees,dogwoods,corneliancherry(Cor- schedule includepeach,cherry,apple,and may becoaxedintofloweringaheadof pussy willow(Salix flowering quince most reliableindoorbloomersareforsythia, flower aheadofschedule.Theeasiestand brought intothewarmthofahouse,theywill fall. Veryoftenwhentheirbranchesare have formedtheirflowerbudstheprevious is seeingthembloomforyouindoors. wash Listerine reduce bacterialgrowthinwater.Inapinch,youcanmakeyourownpreservativebyaddingonetablespoonofthemouth- TIP: away, thenextbestthingtoseeingtreesinfloweroutdoors When you’retiredofwinterandspringseemsimpossiblyfar Horticultural NewsandResearch ImportanttoAmericanGardeners the American Gardener The closertoaplant’snaturalflowering Shrubs thatbloominearlyspringwill The littlepacketsoffloralpreservativefloristsincludewithbouquetsflowerssupplynutrientsforcutand spp., camellia,hibiscus,rhododen- ‘Pictum’), hisorganization’s ™ (Chaenomeles to agallonofwaterandusingthefillvasesforyourfresh-cutflowerarrangements. spp.). Otherwoodiesthat (Hamamelis (Athyrium spp.), spp.), and for shadeandwoodland gardens. Japanese painted fernisastellarperennial GARDENER can beforcedforearlyblooms. Cherries areamongtheshrubsthat C ’ NOTEBOOK S fruit treebranchestakealittlelonger—overthreeweeks. ary, usuallybloomswithinaweek.Dogwood,witchhazel,and eral hourseverytwodayswillhelpthemstayhydrated. day orsoakingtheentirebranchesforsev- Misting thesebranchesseveraltimeseach such asmagnolia,lilac,andrhododendron. cially importantwithharder-to-forceplants in aplacewithhighhumidity.Thisisespe- the branchesinbrightlightand,ifpossible, up bloom;acoldonewillslowitdown.Keep a floralpreservative.Awarmroomspeeds transferring themtocontainersofwaterwith of lukewarmwaterforseveralhoursbefore place themintoapailofwater. measuring onetothreefeet.Immediately knife orpruningshearstocutbranches with fatflowerbuds.Useaverysharp freezing. Selectyoung,pliablebranches morning whenthetemperatureisabove Once inside,soakthebranchesinatub Cut branchesforforcingonasunny and ajugas. iegation suchashostas,sedges shade plantsthathave green andwhitevar- Zones 8to1,itcombineswell withother perimental field siteinChampaign,Illi- of Roma tomatoeslastsummeron anex- searchers raisedmore than4,000pounds and shows promise forhomegardeners. farmers andothergrowers, fedtheneedy, ment ofNatural Resources hasbenefited and Wisconsin and theIllinois Depart- searchers at theUniversities ofIllinois An organicgardening studyby re- RESEARCH ORGANIC WIN-WIN Using organicmethods, there- (Carex spp.),

TOP: COURTESY OF ARS/USDA. BOTTOM: CAROLE OTTESEN TOP: COURTESY OF ARS/USDA; RIGHT: MICHAEL DURHAM/COURTESY OF OREGON ZOO green beans,grapes(Chileangrown), and (Mexican grown), celery, apples,apricots, (American grown), peaches,cantaloupes and spinach(tiedforsecond), cherries etables are: strawberries,bellpeppers ly-grown andveg- contaminatedfruits U.S. Food andDrug Administration. ofAgricultureU.S. Department andthe contaminated, EWG useddatafrom the fornia. To compileits listofthe12most Washington, D.C.,andOakland, Cali- mental research organizationbasedin Group (EWG), anot-for-profit environ- nounced by theEnvironmental Working toxic —was recently an- containing thehighestlevels ofthemost dozen andvegetables list—the12fruits is contaminatedby pesticides.Adirty we are learningthatalotofourproduce more andvegetables. On fruits theother, On onehand,we are toeat exhorted DOZEN DIRTY formation thatcouldbenefitgardeners.” applications)willprovide in- management optionsthatdonotinvolve soil amendmentsandevaluation ofpest lated experiments(suchasthebenefitsof the basicprinciplesandresults ofre- ly information,”saysEastman.“Some of sure thedisseminationofrelevant, time- working withExtension specialiststoen- groupings over is “The thelongrun. are likelytobenefitfrom thestudy’s find- from conventional to organicgardening annual growth rate,”saysEastman. ments intheindustry, witha20percent ture…is oneofthefastestgrowing seg- evolving markets. “Organic agricul- raise organiccrops andcapitalize onthe conditions, willhelpfarmerssuccessfully based dataapplicabletoMidwest growing Eastman’s research, providing science- go andSt. Louismetropolitan markets. mand fororganicproducts intheChica- consumers benefited.” ject isuniquebecausebothgrowers and tional toorganicagriculture. But thepro- focused onthetransitionfrom conven- Survey inChampaign,“thetory research Entomology attheIllinois Natural His- scientist withtheCenterofEconomic Cathy Eastman,associateprofessional nois. “Initially,” saysproject director From worsttobad,theconventional- Home gardeners interested inmoving Currently, growers cannotmeetthede- most contaminatedbypesticides. commercially grownfruitsandvegetables Strawberries rankedfirstonthelistof duce—visit download awallet-size guidetopro- ic chemicalsanddiseaserisks—orto cucumbers. To learnmore aboutspecif- the organization’s firstadministrative di- is welcome tojoin,”saysEllen Beaulieu, (NAWGS), founded inMay 2003. American Water Garden Society’s small have theirown society, theNorth water gardeners withpondsgreat and that homeowners most request. Now, garden isthelandscaperenovation project indicatethatcreating awater and surveys growing segmentofthegreen industry Water gardening hasbeenratedthefastest FORMED WATER SOCIETY GARDEN “Anyone interested inwatergardening www.foodnews.org. STAUDENSAMEN ·PERENNIALSEEDSGRAINESDEPLANTESVIVACES hn:0195 19 90·Fx0195 19 29-27·www.jelitto.com ·[email protected] 71-98 29-0·Fax01149-50 71-98 Phone: 01149-50 German Headquarters:P. O. Box1264 Schwarmstedt ·D-29685 34·http://www.jelitto.com ·[email protected] 07·Fax(502)895-39 Phone: (502)895-08 USA Office: 125 ChenowethLn.·Suite301Louisville,KY40207 Production ·Breeding ·SeedTechnology Perennial Seeds endangered silverspotbutterfly. The OregonZooisworkingtosavethe Species Act, isonthebrink thisbutterfly “threatened” undertheU.S.Endangered gon’s silverspot butterfly. Listedin1980as ofOre-food source vitalforthesurvival dog violet those whoplantedseedsofwestern blueor School inPortland, Oregon, were among Fifth gradersatMarkham Elementary FORBUTTERFLIES VIOLETS call Aquascape Designs at(630)326-2700. NAWGS Web site: gardens andtheWest Nile Virus. cerns thatpeoplehave regarding water surance, liabilityissuesandeven con- to permits,waterrestrictions, safety, in- ranging from plantandfishregulations dens, NAWGS on creating andmaintainingwatergar- rector. In additiontoofferinginformation For more information, visitthe

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www.jelitto.com (Viola adunca), January / February plans toaddress issues www.nawgs.com a mainlarval 2004 35 or 36 future of all plants and animals.” gered sotheycare butterflies aboutthe volve children in the protection of endan- ecosystem,” says Vecchio. “We want to in- an rebuilding for model a as serving is effort conservation “This chrysalises. and a new lab for raising threatened caterpillars create to program, conservation butterfly abled theOregon Zoo, renowned forits Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) en- where they hatch into tiny larvae. dishes, petri into them put and terflies officials collect eggs daily from female but- Oregon silverspot butterfly is found. Zoo remainingwhere sitesthe few the of one vancy’s 280-acre CascadeHead Preserve, leased 293 pupae at the Nature Conser- Oregonthe Zoopopulation, recently re- threatened butterfly species. verspot isamong22eitherendangered or gon Zoo director Tony Vecchio, thesil- many in AccordingOre-populations. to butterfly decline steep a to tributed con- has plants host of loss sponding corre-its with loss Habitat extinction. of A $16,100 grant from the American the from grant $16,100 A To stabilize the declining silverspot the American Gardener In Memorium: Currier McEwen was packed with accomplishments. After graduating from medical school at 24, McEwen diedonJune23,2003—shortlyafterhis101stbirthday.Hislonglife Called agiantintheirisworldand“deanofbeardlesshybridizers,”Currier American HorticulturalSocietyin1995,andtheAISGoldMedal1999. the PerennialPlantAssociationin1991,LutherBurbankAwardfrom Plaque oftheBritishIrisSocietyin1977,DistinguishedServiceMedal ors weretheAISHybridizersmedalin1976,comparableFosterMemorial with oneofhishybridirises. The lateCurrierMcEwen “That’s one “That’s “ “That’s one “That’s “My brother has 14 tomato plants, I out produce out I plants, tomato 14 has brother “My - Elizabeth H., Passaic NJ Passaic H., Elizabeth - pro!” a like feel me made garden EarthBox “My him with just three.” just with him “62 pounds of tomatoes of pounds “62 It’sthe simply “62 pounds of tomatoes of pounds “62 Join the 1000’s of gardeners who praise the 1000’spraise the who Join gardeners of right from our patio!” our from right right from our patio!” our from right diploids inIrissibirica. chromosome setsandproducetetraploidsfrom vents the normal division of cells—in order to double duced theuseofcolchicine—acompoundthatpre- Iris Society.Inhisbreedingwork,McEwenintro- irises received thehighest awardsofthe American McEwen’s SiberianirisesandfiveofhisJapanese ing beardlessirises, but helearnedquickly.Fourof viding themwithpositionsatNYU. he rescued Jewish doctors from Nazi Germany by pro- York University School of Medicine. In the late 1930s, youngest deanofmedicineinthecountryatNew he becamearheumatologist,and,at35the (Timber Press,1996).AmongMcEwen’smanyhon- published in1990,followedbyTheSiberianIris He wasnearing60whenhefirstbeganhybridiz- TM Easiest Garden Ever Developed!” Ever Garden Easiest Call NOW ToNOW 1-888-502-7336 Call Order - Jim N., Scranton PAScranton N., Jim - P.O. Box 1966, St. Petersburg, FL 33731 P.O.FL Petersburg, St. 1966, Box Or mail your check to: Dept P-AH153 Dept to: check your mail Or - Carol F.,Carol - IN Greenwood smart smart His bookJapaneseIris - Gil Whitton, Host Whitton, Gil - ONLY$29.95 ONLY$29.95 S for fresh vegetables and herbs. and vegetables fresh for sunlight is need you all forty! back even - patio or deck Your M nature intended. nature way the produce, healthy grows EarthBox The hydroponics. expensive or chemicals No The National Lawn and Garden Show Garden and Lawn National The water, less fertilizer and less care. less water,and fertilizer less less with - method gardening any produces out EarthBox The guessing. There’sor weeding, digging, no 100% N 100% year.after year - automatically W O ORE ORKS S IMPLE P garden!” garden!” RODUCTIVE A ATURAL 1-888-502-7336 The EarthBox grows EarthBox The NYWHERE EarthBox + $6.95 S&H $6.95 the was

COURTESY OF MICHAEL J. MCLANE DAVID WINSTON/ARTVILLE planting theircorms attwo-week intervals of thesefragrant flowers, nextyear try following spring.If you wantasuccession freesias outsideisearlyfallforflowering the them outdoors.Thebesttimefor planting America, you live farenoughsouthtotry house culture of North inmostparts While freesias are suitableonlyforgreen- the besttimetoplantthem? How hardyarefreesiabulbsandwhenis FREESIAS PLANTING system) isatorjustabove thesoilline. place where themain stemmeetstheroot When replanting, besure thecrown (the bark mulch andotherorganicmatter. soil isheavyclay, amenditwithfinepine with limeifitproves tooacidic.If your 7.5. Get your soiltested andamendit areated soilthathasapHbetween 6and from theroof cansolve theproblem. ing themoutfromunderthedripline around theirroots. Sometimes justmov- and/or reroute watersoitwon’t collect placing them,you shouldamendthesoil able tosave theexistingplants.Before re- If thisisthecase,you probably won’t be from adownspout oroverflowing gutter. close tothehousewhere theyreceive flow because yewsare plantedtoodeepor a combinationofboth. ated orextremely acidicsoil—sometimes environmental factorssuchaspoorlyaer- disease butratherisassociatedwithadverse usually notdirectly related toaparticular of yewdieback,aseriousproblem thatis What you describesoundslikeasymptom there anythingwecandotosavethem? turning yellowandthendroppingoff.Is to ourhomeandtheneedlesonthemare We haveyewsplantedatthefrontentrance YEWS YELLOWING Yews willdobestifplantedinwell- This kindofdiebackoftenhappens —S.B., FORTSMITH,ARKANSAS Our ExpertsAnswerYour Gardening Questions —T.R., MOBILE,ALABAMA GARDENER and Becky’s Bulbs, (804)693-3966, 883-6998, clude: McClure andZimmerman, (800) leggy andbloompoorlyornot atall. low lightwillcauseplantstobecome are developing. High temperatures or 55 degrees while their foliageandflowers posed tonighttimetemperatures of45to it doesn’t get coolerthan40degrees. could beplacedinacoldframeaslong well-lighted area atthatpoint—orthey They shouldbebrought indoorstoacool, sun untiljustbefore frosts are expected. or earlyfall,keepingthemoutdoorsinfull pot cormsinasoillessmixlatesummer through anyheavyfrosts. of pineneedlesorfinebark tohelpthem well-drained soil.Provide alightmulch will grow bestinasandyloamorother in fullsunorhigh,filtered shade.They inch below inasheltered thesurface site from September through November. grown outdoorsyearroundinwarmregions. Freesias arenothardyandcanonlybe we’re ready tohelp: anytime [email protected]. and 4p.m.Easterntime,ore-mailus 777-7931, extension131,between10a.m. Gardener’s InformationServiceat(800) answers toyourgardeningquestions,call Mail-order sources for freesias in- Freesias willdobestiftheyare ex- Gardeners ofUSDAZone north 8can Plant thecormssotopsare an ’ NOMTO SERVICE INFORMATION S C http://fall.mzbulb.com; Brent For shrubs willworkinUSDAHardinessZone6? about fivefeetandisevergreen.What thing inthemthatwilleventuallyreach tainers nexttomywindowsandplantsome- has brightshade.Iwanttoplacethreecon- house thatgetsverylittledirectsunlight,but I haveacoveredwalkwayinfrontofmy SHRUBS FORCONTAINERS heavy mulchforthewintermonths.” until theendofNovember, thenput on a ter. Fazio says,“We usuallykeepwatering sure towaterthe plants through thewin- that your site isacovered walkway, make are hitwiththecold ofwinter.” Andgiven inthecontainersbeforecomfortable they son sotheplantshave achancetobecome vises “not toplantthemtoolateinthesea- New York’s Brooklyn BotanicGarden, ad- out inyour landscape. the container, you canalwaysplantthem plants shouldeventually gettoolargefor Gardener’s Information ServiceManager. mation ServiceVolunteer, andMariannePolito, Compiled byWilliamMay,Gardener’s Infor- crenata), the manyselectionsofJapanese holly ese andromeda (Pieris japonica), ‘Otto Luyken’), formsofJapan- thedwarf Luyken’ skiplaurel and apyramidalhabit. seven feetin35years. It hassoftneedles slowvery growing—reaching onlyabout tually cangrow to20feetinheight,itis container culture, andalthoughiteven- AHS heatzones 7–2).It adaptswell to ‘Conica’, USDAhardiness zones 2–7, (Picea glaucavar. spruce berta Al- conditions you describeisthedwarf One plantyou might considerforthe johnscheepers.com. Scheepers, Inc., (860)567-0838,www. www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com; Jackie Fazio, director ofhorticulture at Other possibilitiesinclude‘Otto or a dwarf Chamaecyparis. or adwarf January / February —V.C., SPOKANE,WASHINGTON (Prunus laurocerasus albertiana 2004 and John one of If the (Ilex  37 38 by Dr. H.MarcCathey In theEyeofBeholder the Conference ofthe Ameri- groups complainedthatitwasmisleading. was soonabandonedbecause consumer fresh, green, andhealthy. But thispractice Under thatlighting,vegetables looked rescent lampsintheproduce section. came upwiththeideaofusinggreen fluo- from sunlight. flected backfrom fluorescent lightthan with thewavelength oflightthatisre- in sunlight.Thecoloroureyes seediffers rescent lightingmay lookquitedifferent to beonecolorinthestore underfluo- ping forclothing—anitemthatappeared You mayhave noticedthiswhenshop- jects underdifferent kindsoflighting. fooled isthrough theappearanceofob- yield manyscientificbenefits. industry,the entertainment aswell asto film have goneontobecomeastapleof sional sight.Of course3-Dtelevisionand ly, creating theillusionofthree-dimen- plane ofvisionandmoves itsheadrapid- its one“good” eye inthemiddleof the getting hit.Dad toldusthatthebird puts eyed chickencancross theroad without based onmydad’s ofhow aone- oldstory television. Theideaforthisresearch was time—and twocolleaguesinvented 3-D University of South Carolina atthe who wasaphysicsprofessor atthe ing theearly1970s,myolderbrother— of three-dimensional (3-D)video. Dur- eyes canstill befooled. is outstanding,yet ourincredible closeup tofaraway. Human vision sions, andtobeablefocusfrom ity toseeincolor, inthree dimen- sight, includingtheamazingabil- A I learned about a new twistonthis at I learnedabout anew About stores 20years ago,somegrocery Another wayinwhichoureyes canbe Take, forexample,thephenomenon the American Gardener MONG THE humans enjoy isour senseof greatest giftwe VRDYGRE SCIENCE GARDEN EVERYDAY sorb red andblue wavelengths andreflect under normallighting,mostplantsab- if itwere metallicblack.That’s because was offputting—theirfoliagelookedas growing underthesespecialized lights human eye theappearanceofplants successful ingrowing plants, but tothe light-emitting diodes(LEDs),proved ing, whichismadeupofred andblue or longdurationflights. was tofeedastronauts onthespacestation chambers. Theendgoaloftheresearch testing togrow plantsinspacegrowth kindoflightingtheywerecussed anew nautics andSpace Administration dis- scientists affiliatedwiththeNational Aero- ing oneofthepresentations Iattended, in Providence RhodeIsland lastfall.Dur- can Society forHorticultural Science,held see theadonpage 31 den Schoolsessionsandotherevents, bration. FormoreabouttheAHS Blooms!, AHS’sannualspring cele- Farm onApril2duringWashington ing WorldofIndoorPlants”at River Garden Schoolsessionon“TheAmaz- ing forindoorplantsduringanAHS Dr. H.MarcCathey The scientistsreported thatthelight- C will discusslight- Gar- the American Horticultural Society. Dr. H.Marc Cathey ispresident emeritusof to thehumaneye. time makingedibleplantslook appealing need togrow successfully, andatthesame tem thatstillprovides plants everything of thatenergysupplywithalightingsys- finite energyresources istomakethemost occur nearthebaseoflargeplants. filter down toallow photosynthesisto penetrate thetoplayers offoliageand yellow light,ontheother hand, will plants. Some wavelengths of green and won’t reach leaves lower down ontaller the firstlayer offoliagetheyhitand the red andblue rangeare absorbedby in space,becauselightwavelengths in also benefitthegrowth oflargerplants experiments. light from fluorescent lampsinfuture addinglow levelsgoing totry ofgreen NASA researchers indicatedtheyare ofastronauts, the mishness onthepart light toreflect back. red andblueLEDsthere wasno green which iswhatwe expecttosee.Under the the green (andsometimesyellow)— The challengeinaconfinedspacewith Further research alongtheselineswill To conqueranypotentialsquea- 

PHOTO: AHS ARCHIVES; COMPOSITE: MARY YEE BOOKC REVIEWS

Recommendations for Your Gardening Library

Native Trees for North American Landscapes Roses: A Celebration, Thirty-three Eminent Gardeners (From the Atlantic to the Rockies). on their Favorite Rose. Guy Sternberg with Jim Wilson, Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2004. Edited by Wayne Winterrowd. Original paintings by Pamela Stagg. 575 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $59.95. North Point Press, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 2003. 256 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $30. AMONG MY COLLECTION of garden books, a few look sadly bedraggled, with bindings falling apart, or spine type worn off. ROSES: A CELEBRATION is a collection of 33 essays written Sometimes I fault poor production. But in the case of the origi- by some of the finest garden writers and rosarians of the 20th nal version of this book, Landscaping with Native Trees, published century, including Graham Stuart Thomas, David Austin, Lau- as a paperback in 1995, I have to blame my own passionate affec- ren Springer, Dan Hinkley, and Ken Druse, among others. tion. It’s puffy from rain, stained from coffee, battered from vari- Each writer discusses his or her ous strange things being used as bookmarks, because I lug it out favorite rose, but the book is to the garden, off to the weekend house, and onto the trail. As a much more than a tribute to a se- guide to our native trees, it was lection of hybrids and species. both paean and practical, so I Many of the essayists use the was surprised to hear it had gone subject of roses as a springboard out of print—and jubilant to to communicate a life truth or an hear that Timber Press was going insight into human relation- to reproduce it. ships. Jamaica Kincaid writes, “I “Reproduce,” it turns out, take it as a given that all things was a major misunderstanding. worth loving are difficult, hard The book has doubled in size, to pin down, and changeable, all by virtue of including more the while being true to themselves. The ‘Alchymist’ can do species, more detailed descrip- whatever it wants, but it remains a rose, the rose that I love.” tions, and more photographs. Many of the writers hold strong opinions, and they are not Sternberg has updated infor- shy about expressing them. Therein lies much of the enter- mation on cultivars, including tips on why you don’t necessar- tainment. Henry Mitchell, who wrote a much-loved garden ily need to spend that money (sure, you can buy a “cottonless” column for the Washington Post newspaper for more than 20 cottonwood, but you can also simply propagate a male speci- years, had an antipathy towards hybrid tea roses. Of ‘Chrysler men) and national champion trees. (That was a major focus of Imperial’ Mitchell wrote, “when it blooms I always feel that I the previous book that is a bit neglected here.) have witnessed an upheaval rather than a flowering.” He was The range of photos—single specimen profiles, close-ups of equally disparaging about the rose ‘Peace’, which he said, “has nuts, leaves, flowers, and bark, and an occasional grove of trees or huge flowers that should please anyone who has always longed leafless branches in a woodland or on a snow-swept plains—is to grow the largest turnip in the world.” magnificent. The previous version of the book had way too many Each essay in the book is prefaced by an original color paint- pictures of the coauthors—much as I like and respect them— ing by Pamela Stagg of the rose in the spotlight. posed beside their subjects. Although the champion trees needed This is a book you can dip into at random when you have a this for perspective, Timber’s answer was to start each entry with spare five or 10 minutes to read one essay. But beware: The book a silhouette drawing of the tree indicating shape and relative size. is addictive. It is easy to become so immersed that an hour or two There’s a selection guide for special environmental situations. later you find yourself still reading, and saying, “I’ll read just one The result may be somewhat less down-home friendly than my more essay, and then I’ll stop.” But you can’t. And that’s all right. beat-up old pal, but it achieves a fine mix of academic informa- Give in to the pleasure and enjoy the book.  tion and poetic appreciation that could make it a classic. Now I —Catriona Tudor Erler just have to figure out how to lug around something twice as big. —Kathleen Fisher Catriona Tudor Erler’s most recent books are Poolscaping: Gardening and Landscaping Around Your Swimming Pool and Spa, The A resident of Alexandria, Virginia, Kathleen Fisher is author, most Frugal Gardener and Complete Home Landscaping. She writes recently, of Taylor’s Guide to Shrubs, published by Houghton-Mifflin. and gardens in Vienna, Virginia.

January / February 2004 39 GARDENERC’S BOOKS

Tomes About Trees

REES ARE THE backbone of a landscape. They T line our avenues, shade our gardens, frame our houses, and provide homes for wildlife. The right tree adds charm and value to the landscape; alternatively, the loss of a tree can be devastating.For help in se- lecting, caring, and appreciating our woody sentinels, we recommend these recently published books. Selecting the best tree for your yard requires a bit of research, and two recently published books are here to help. Trees for the Yard and Garden by John Cushnie (Tafalgar Square Publishing, 2003) landscape, planting basics, as well as after-planting care: water- offers recommendations and de- ing, staking, trunk protection, fertilizing, and mulching. Sep- scriptions of the best trees for spe- arate chapters are devoted to pruning, diagnosing problems, cial purposes, including those protecting trees from damage, and how to determine when it’s adaptable to clay soil, alkaline soil, time to call in an arborist. sunny dry sites, for growing The American elm (Ulmus americana) has been a significant against walls, in small gardens etc. part of our country’s landscape since its beginning, lining avenues The chapter “Trees Grow on You” addresses care and culture, first in the earliest towns and cities of from planting and pruning to propagation. New England, and then, because it Best Trees for Your Garden by Allen Paterson (Firefly proved so adaptable, throughout the Books, Ltd., 2003) begins by providing a sympathetic perspec- United States. Republic of Shade: tive of “how trees as living organisms arrange their lives,” and New England and the American Elm what trees mean to us and our landscapes. Paterson also offers by Thomas Campanella (Yale Univer- advice on choosing the right tree for the constraints of your site. sity Press, 2003) is the story of this el- Both books include directories of egant and highly venerated tree. broad leaf trees and conifers, con- Campenella discusses how the elm be- sisting of encyclopedic entries that came a symbol of the early environ- provide valuable insight into the mental movement of the 19th century, landscape attributes of each. and he relates the devastation of this For beautiful handpainted il- species by Dutch elm disease in the lustrations of over 1,000 species 20th century. Illustrated with historic photographs and prints, this and varieties commonly cultivat- book traces the story of the elm through the history of this coun- ed in Europe—many of which are try and presents hope for its survival through research aimed at also grown in the United States— the development of va- look for The Illustrated Encyclo- rieties that resist Dutch pedia of Trees by John White, elm disease. illustrated by David More (Timber Press, 2002). Each double- Covering 20 North page spread contains descriptions and detailed illustrations of American tree groups, leaves or needles, bark, flowers, fruit, etc. Arboretum America: If you need some maintenance advice for your trees, The A Philosophy of the Tree Doctor: A Guide to Tree Care and Mainentance (Fire- Forest by Diana fly Books, 2003) by Daniel and Erin Prendergast is a good place Beresford-Kroeger to start. In addition to tips on selecting the right tree for your (The University of property, this book addresses placement of trees within the Michigan Press, 2003)

40 the American Gardener O BE SAVORED in small bites, Susan H. Munger’s T Common to this Country: Botanical Discoveries of Lewis & Clark (Artisan, New York, 2003, $22.95) is a deli- cious read that retells the well- known story of the Lewis and Clark expedition through the plants encountered along the way. Released on the 200th an- niversary of the duo’s historic journey, the book is enriched with quotes from the journal of Meriwether Lewis, allowing the reader to see some of the Northwest’s botanical treasures through the fresh eyes of the explorers. Charlotte Staub Thomas’ botanical watercolor illustrations—from the Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) to the gumbo evening prim- rose (Oenothera caespitosa)—remind us of the many beautiful native plants that still inhabit wild landscapes.

is a melding of philosophy, history, ecology, and practical gar- den advice. Beresford-Kroeger discusses trees in terms of their historic medicinal uses, their culture, their contribution to both human well-being and the health of the natural environment, and their use in our landscapes. She includes tips on seasonal interest, organic care, placement, and complementary plantings. A variety of stories about trees is included in Tree Stories: A Collec- tion of Extraordinary Encounters edited by Warren David Jacobs and Karen I. Shragg (SunShine Press Publications, 2002). This is a col- lection of stories and poems writ- ten by tree lovers of all ages that testifies to the many ways that trees can enrich and add meaning to our lives from childhood to adulthood. The book is divided into chapters that include: “Trees as Teachers,” “Trees of Childhood,” “Trees as Companions,” and more. Aptly wrapping up our survey of arboreal book selections is Tree Bark: A Color Guide by Hugues Vaucher (Timber Press, 2003). A beautifully illustrat- ed volume, it was originally pub- lished in French and German in the 1990s. This translated revision has been expanded to include over 440 species and varieties from all over ardens of renewal and discovery, charged with a mission to the world that are guaranteed to educate, preserve, innovate, and to celebrate have you appreciating tree bark not Ghorticultural excellence -- past, present, and future. only for its ornamental value, but The Gardens at Morris Arboretum also its diverse characteristics, func- 100 Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118 tion as part of the tree, and uses in (215) 247-5777 · www.morrisarboretum.org art and industry. 

January / February 2004 41 REGIONALC HAPPENINGS

Horticultural Events from Around the Country

MAR. 14. 6th Annual Emily Whaley Memorial NORTHEAST More Flower and Garden Shows Garden Tour. Self-guided tour. Charleston, CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT South Carolina. (843) 953-7691. Most flower and gardens shows are JAN. 24–JUNE 7. Japan and Nature: Spirit of the Seasons. Exhibit. For children aged 5 to listed in the 2004 AHS Member Guide NORTH CENTRAL 12. Brooklyn Botanical Garden, New York. found in the center of this magazine. IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI (718) 623-7220. www.bbg.org. Listings begin on page 2 of the guide and include details on special dis- JAN. 20–FEB. 10. The Chef’s Kitchen Culinary JAN. 25. Winter Wonders Walk. For children counts and other benefits offered to Program. Four sessions/demonstration. with an adult. New England Wild Flower current AHS members. Chicago Botanic Garden’s Garden Cafe. Society. Framingham, Massachusetts. (847) 835-8396. www.chicagobotanic.org. (508) 877-7630. www.newfs.org. Alexandria, Virginia. (703) 642-5173. JAN. 24. The 8th Annual Toward Harmony JAN. 27. Plant-O-Rama. Trade show and sym- with Nature Conference. Native landscap- posium. Brooklyn Botanical Garden, New FEB. 27. Green Matters Symposium: Exotic ing. Oshkosh, Wisconsin. (920) 589-2602. York. (718) 623-7220. www.bbg.org. Invasive Plants. Brookside Gardens Visitors www.for-wild.org. Center Auditorium. Wheaton, Maryland. FEB. 12. American Gardening Lecture Series: (301) 962-1400. www.brooksidegardens.org. JAN. 24. Plant Folklore in Mexican Culture. Doug Ruhren and David Franko. New York The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois. Botanical Gardens. (718) 817-8747. Looking ahead (630) 719-2468. www.mortonarb.org. www.nybg.org. MAR. 10. Great Gardening at Maymont: Rose Pruning. Stone Barn & Italian Garden. JAN. 24 & 25. The Orchid Show. Frederik FEB. 14. Topiary Workshop. Wave Hill. Bronx, Richmond, Virginia. (804) 358-7166. Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Grand New York. (718) 549-3200, ext. 305. www.maymont.org. Rapids, Michigan. (888) 957-1580. www.wavehill.org. www.meijergardens.org. MAR. 13. Eastern Panhandle Horticulture Fo- FEB. 25. Jenks Farmer Photography Lecture. rum: Livable Landscapes: Design with Habi- FEB. 9. The American Prairie Landscape. New York School of Interior Design. Manhat- tat in Mind. Featuring Rick Darke. National Wege Environmental Lecture Series. Gardens tan, New York. (718) 549-3200, ext. 216. Conservation Training Center. Shepherds- & Sculpture Park. Grand Rapids, Michigan. www.wavehill.org. town, West Virginia. (304) 725-2040. (888) 957-1580. www.meijergardens.org.

FEB. 29. A Celebration of Orchids. Conserva- FEB. 15. The Well-designed Mixed Garden. SOUTHEAST tory Exhibit. New York Botanical Gardens. Lecture. Chicago Botanic Garden. Glencoe, AL, FL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN (718) 817-8577. www.nybg.org. Illinois. (847) 835-6850. www.chicago JAN. 23–25. 18th Annual Southern botanic.org. Gardening Symposium. Callaway Gardens, MID-ATLANTIC Pine Mountain, Georgia. (800) 225-5292, FEB. 24. Woody Plants: Urban Upgrowth. PA, NJ, VA, MD, DE, WV, DC ext. 5153. www.callawaygardens.com. Symposium. Chicago Botanic Garden. JAN. 14–31. Landscape Design Workshop for Glencoe, Illinois. (847) 835-8261. Homeowners. (Seven sessions.) Green FEB. 7. Anything Grows—Adventures in Gar- www.chicagobotanic.org. Spring Gardens. Alexandria, Virginia. dening. Lecture. Greenville Master Garden- (703) 642-5173. ers. Furman University. Greenville, South MAR. 6–21. Spring Show. Olbrich Botanical Carolina. (864) 244-1767. Gardens. Madison, Wisconsin. (608) 246-4550. JAN. 18. The Kingdom’s Sexiest Plant: The www.olbrich.org. Orchid. Green Spring Gardens. Alexandria, FEB. 8 & 9. 11th Annual Wilmington Garden Virginia. (703) 642-5173. Show. Coastline Convention Center. Wilm- SOUTH CENTRAL ington, North Carolina. (910) 452-6393. AR, KS, LA, MO, MS, OK, TX THROUGH FEB. 1. Deck the Halls with www.ces.ncsu.edu/newhanover/garden Hippeastrum. Botanical exhibit. United show.html. JAN. 12–MAR. 14. Plants of the Louis and States National Arboretum. Washington, DC. Clark Expedition. Ridgeway Center in the (202) 245-5898. www.usna.usda.gov. FEB. 19–22. 10th Annual Palm Beach Tropical Missouri Botanical Garden. St. Louis, Mis- Flower and Garden Show. Downtown West souri. (314) 577-5100. www.mobot.org. JAN. 31–MAR. 21. Orchids! Beauty and Be- Palm Beach, Florida. (561) 655-5522. yond. U.S. Botanic Garden. Washington, www.palmbeachflowershow.org JAN. 29–FEB. 1. Oklahoma Garden Festival. DC. (202) 225-8333. www.usbg.gov. Cox Communications Center. Oklahoma MAR. 5 & 6. Piccadilly Farm’s 12th Annual City, Oklahoma. (405) 330-9150. FEB. 15. Creating Green Roofs: Replacing Hellebore Days. Bishop, Georgia. www.okgardenfestival.org. Asphalt with Plants. Green Spring Gardens. (706) 769-6516.

42 the American Gardener COURTESY OF DAVIDSON COLLEGE (480) 481-8144.www.dbg.org. Botanical Garden.Phoenix,Arizona. www.nevadanla.com. Reno, Nevada.(775)673-0404. Association TradeShowandConference. www.powellgardens.org. (816) 697-2600,ext.225. Activities Center.Lee’sSummit,Missouri. Journeys ofGardenDiscovery. JAN. 17. http://penorchidsoc.org. Redwood City,California.(650)593-4793. and Sale. JAN. 3&4. FEB. 24. FEB. 13–15. MAR. 6&7,1314. MAR. 6. FEB. 4–8. FEB. 19–22. FEB. 12. JAN. 23–26. JAN. 21–24. sciences/homegarden/default.html. (909)-787-5804. Extension Center.Riverside,California. Unversity ofCalifornia–Riverside farm.org. California. (831)763-2112. Asilomar ConferenceCenter.PacificGrove, gardenshow.com. (253) 756-2121.www.tacomahomeand Show. (206) 789-5333. ington StateConvention Center. Show. JAN. 28–FEB.1. 548-6700. Center. SanFrancisco,California.(650) Annual Show. http://arboretum.ag.arizona.edu. tum. Superior,Arizona.(520)689-2723. Chocolate Tasting. www.riveroaksgardenclub.org. den Club.Houston,Texas.(713)523-2483. Trail. www.festivalhill.org dens. RoundTop,Texas.(979)249-5283. Tour ofhistoricsites.RiverOaksGar- Tacoma Dome.Tacoma,Washington. Washington ParkArboretum.Wash- Kansas CityGardenSymposium: Boojum TourBreakfast. All AboutHerbs. 14th AnnualNevadaLandscape Northwest FlowerandGarden Community ActivitiesBuilding. Peninsula OrchidSocietyShow Citrus TreesintheGarden. Ecological FarmingConference. 52nd PacificOrchidExposition’s Language ofFlowersShow& www.orchidsanfrancisco.com. AK, ID,MT,OR,WA,WY Festival Pavilion,FortMason Tacoma HomeandGarden WEST COAST NORTHWEST SOUTHWEST AZ, NM,CO,UT . CA, NV,HI www.gardenshow.com. www.ucrextension.net/ Boyce ThompsonArbore- The 69thAnnualAzalea McAshan HerbGar- www.eco- Unity Village The Desert Congress Centre. Toronto,Ontario. den tradeshowand conference.Toronto JAN. 13–15. FEB. 18–22. tradeshows.com. (503) 246-8291.www.oloughlin Show. Angela TayloriseditorialinternforTheAmericanGardener. e-mail [email protected]. ruary 14,2004.Formoreinformation,contactSusanAbbott at (704)892-6281orby is inspiredbythepeaceandbeautyofgardens. vard GraduateSchoolofDesign,Upchurchisaprofessionallandscape designerwho to createfour-seasonflowerbordersandornamentaledibles. A graduateoftheHar- which receivedtheAmericanHorticulturalSociety’sannualbookaward. books. Amongtheseis senior advisorto sign projectsisthethree-acreMusicGardeninToronto,Canada. spired Design”columnin books andwritesthe“In- of threeaward-winning turer, Messervyisalsoauthor designer, teacher,andlec- cial anniversary. will highlightthisyear’sspe- Mary WaltonUpchurch— Druse, DougRuhren,and Julie MoirMesservy,Ken tinguished gardenexperts— and newideas. new plants,designs, with theinspirationtotry broaden gardenpalettes goal ofthesymposiumisto harmonize thesespaces.The thresholds toconnectand transitional plantingsand and emphasizetheuseof creation of“specialspaces” offer aframeworkforthe well aseducational.Itwill signed tobeinspirationalas and issuesinaprogramde- about horticulturetopics den enthusiaststolearn rich traditionofbringingtogetheradiverseaudienceprofessionalandamateurgar- posium, whichissponsoredbytheDavidsonGardenClub.Thesymposiumhasa son CollegeinDavidson,NorthCarolina.Thisisthe20thanniversaryofsym- year’s DavidsonHorticultureSymposium,whichwillbeheldMarch1and2atDavid- “INSIDE OUT:INSPIREDSPACESFOROUTSIDELIVING” Davidson SymposiumCelebrates20Years Registration fortheDavidsonHorticultureSymposiumcontinues throughFeb- Ruhren, ahorticulturistwiththeDanielStoweBotanicalGarden,willdiscusshow Nationally knownforhisgardenwritingandphotography,Druseiscurrentlythe An acclaimedlandscape Lectures fromfourdis- Expo Center.Portland,Oregon. Congress 2004. Portland HomeandGarden CANADA Garden Design Making MorePlants:theScienceArtandJoyofPropagation, Lawn andgar- Fine Gardening Outside Living”isdepictedinthispaintingbyRobinWilgus. The symposium’stheme“InsideOut:InspiredSpacesfor magazine andhasauthoredfivesuccessfulgarden magazine. Amongherrecentlandscapede- (800) 265-5656.www.locongress.com. qc.ca/jardin/en/propos/papillon.htm. (514) 872-1400. www2.ville.montreal. tréal BotanicalGarden.Montréal, Québec. FEB. 26–APR.18. FEB. 18. www.greentrade.ca. Hall, LansdownePark.Ontario.(613) 796-5156. Green TradeExpo2004. January / February Butterflies GoFree. is thetitleofthis —Angela Taylor Exhibition 2004 Mon-  43 GARDENC MARKET

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44 the American Gardener PRONUNCIATIONSC AND PLANTING ZONES

Most of the cultivated plants described in this issue are listed here with their pronunciations, USDA Plant Hardiness Zones— based on the 2003 revised hardiness map, which is currently un- der review by the USDA—and AHS Plant Heat Zones. These zones suggest a range of locations where temperatures are ap- propriate—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 sur- vival. The codes tend to be conservative; plants may grow out-

AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 7931 East Boulevard Drive side the ranges indicated. A USDA zone rating of 0–0 means that Alexandria, VA 22308 U.S.A. (703) 768-5700 Fax (703) 768-8700

Coordinated by: the plant is a true annual and completes its life cycle in a year Dr. H. Marc Cathey, President Emeritus Compiled by: Meteorological Evaluation Services Co., Inc. or less. To purchase a two-by-three-foot glossy AHS Plant Heat Underwriting by: American Horticultural Society Goldsmith Seed Company Horticultural Research Institute of the American Nursery and Landscape Association Monrovia Zone Map for $9.95, call (800) 777-7931 or visit www.ahs.org. Time Life Inc. Copyright © 1997 by the American Horticultural Society Hardiness and Heat zone codes are generated by AHS and doc- umented in the Showtime™ database, owned by Arabella Dane.

A–C D. ✕eschmannii D. esk-MAN-ee-eye (5–7, 7–5) Mukdenia rossii ‘Crimson Fans’ mook-DEEN-yuh D. genkwa D. GENK-wuh (5–9, 9–6) ROSS-ee-eye (4–9, 9–5) Alliaria petiolata al-ee-AR-ee-uh pet-ee-o-LAY- D. giraldii D. jir-ALL-dee-eye (4–8, 8–3) tuh (USDA 0–0, AHS 10–1) D. jasminea D. jaz-MIN-ee-uh (5–9, 9–6) N–Z Aquilegia chrysantha var. chaplinei ‘Little Trea- D. laureola ssp. philippi D. law-REE-o-luh subsp. sure’ ah-kwi-LEE-juh krih-SAN-thuh var. chap- Nemesia cheiranthus ‘Shooting Stars’ neh-MEE- fil-LIP-ee-eye (5–8, 8–6) LIN-ee-eye (3–8, 8–1) see-uh kee-RAN-thus (9–10, 8–1) D. mezereum D. meh-ZEE-ree-um (5–8, 8–5) Astrantia major uh-STRAN-tee-uh MAY-jer Phytolacca americana fie-toh-LAK-uh uh-mair- D. oleoides D. o-lee-OY-deez (5–8, 8–6) (4–7, 7–1) ih-KAN-uh (5–9, 9–5) D. odora D. o-DOR-uh (7–9, 9–7) Athyrium filix-femina ‘Dre’s Dagger’ uh-THIH-ree- Picea glauca var. albertiana PY-see-uh GLAW- D. retusa D. reh-TEW-suh (5–9, 9–6) um FEEL-iks-FEM-ih-nuh (4–9, 9–1) kuh var. al-bur-TEE-an-uh (2–7, 7–2) D. tangutica D. tan-GYEW-tih-kuh (6–9, 9–6) Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’ uh-THIH-ree-um Pieris japonica PY-er-iss jah-PON-ih-kuh Daucas carota ‘Round Romeo’ DAW-kus kah-RO- nih-PON-ih-kum (5–8, 8–5) (5–8, 9–6) tuh (0–0, 8–1) Atriplex hortensis ‘Triple Purple’ AT-rih-pleks Podocarpus elongatus pah-doh-KAR-pus Dianella tasmanica ‘Yellow Stripe’ dy-uh-NEL-uh hor-TEN-siss (0–0, 9–1) ee-lon-GAY-tus (9–11, 12–1) taz-MAN-ih-kuh (8–11, 12–1) A. prostrata A. pros-TRAY-tuh (0–0, 8–1) Portulaca oleracea por-chew-LAK-uh o-luh-RAY- Dianthus pinifolius dy-AN-thus pin-ih-FO-lee-us Betula nigra ‘Summer Cascade’ BET-yew-luh NY- see-uh (0–0, 12–1) (4–9, 8–5) gruh (4–8, 8–2) P. sativa P. sah-TEE-vuh (0–0, 12–1) Dirca palustris DEER-kuh pah-LUS-triss (4–9, 9–1) Brassica oleracea ‘Citrus’ BRASS- ih-kuh Prunus besseyi ‘Select Spreader’ PREW-nus edj-WORTH-ee-uh o-luh-RAY-see-uh (0–0, 8–1) BESS-ee-eye (4–8, 8–1) krih-SAN-thuh (7–9, 11–3) Campanula punctata ‘Plum Wine’ kam-PAN-yew- P. laurocerasus ‘Otto Luyken’ P. law-ro-SEH-rah- Erica carnea eh-RY-kuh KAR-nee-uh (5–7, 7–5) luh punk-TAY-tuh (3–9, 9–1) sus (6–9, 9–6) Foeniculum vulgare ‘Perfection’ fee-NICK-yoo- Chenopodium album cheh-no-PO-dee-um Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’ RUS tie-FEE-nuh lum vul-GAY-ree (4–9, 9–1) AL-bum (0–0, 10–1) (4–8, 8–1) Garrya elliptica GAH-ree-uh ee-LIP-tih-kuh Cornus mas KOR–nus MAHS (5–8, 8–5) Rheum palmatum REE-um pal-MAY-tum (8–10, 10–8) Cotinus coggygria KO-tin-us ko-JEE-gree-uh (5–9, 9–5) Gaura lindheimeri ‘Pink Lady’ GAW-ruh lind-HY- (5–9, 9–3) Rumex acetosella REW-meks uh-set-o-SEL-luh mur-eye (6–9, 9–6) Cucurbita pepo ‘Jaspée de Vendée’ kew-KER-bih- (4–7, 7–1) tuh PEH-poh (0–0, 8–1) Sphaeralcea fulva ‘La Luna’ sfeer-AL-see-uh H–M Cyclamen coum SY-kluh-men KOOM (5–9, 9–5) FUL-vuh (5–9, 9–5) Hibiscus moschuetos ‘Luna Red’ hy-BISS-kus Spinacia oleracea ‘Summer Perfection’ spin-AY- D–G mos-KOO-tos (5–11, 12–1) see-uh o-luh-RAY-see-uh (0–0, 8–1) Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bailmer’ hy-DRAN-juh Stellera chamaejasme STEL-ur-uh kam-ee-JAZ- DAF-nee al-PY-nuh (5–8, 8–6) mak-ro-FIL-luh (4–9, 9–3) may (5–8, 8–6) D. arbuscula D. ar-BUS-kew-luh (5–7, 7–5) Ilex crenata EYE-leks kreh-NAY-tuh (5–7, 7–3) Stellaria media steh-LAR-ee-uh MEE-dee-uh D. bholua D. bo-LEW-uh (7–9, 9–7) Impatiens auricoma ‘Jungle Gold’ im-PAY-shenz (3–8, 10–1) D. blagayana D. blag-ay-AN-uh (7–9, 9–7) aw-rih-KO-muh (13–15, 12–1) Taraxacum officinale tah-RAKS-ah-cum D. ✕burkwoodii D. burk-WOOD-ee-eye (4–8, 9–2) Lactuca sativa ‘Ruby Ruffles’ lak-TOO-kuh sah- oh-fiss-ih-NAL-ee (3–10, 12–1) D. circassica D. seer-KASS-ih-kuh (5–8, 8–4) TEE-vuh (0–0,12–1) Ulmus fulva UL-mus FUL-vuh (5–9, 9–5) D. cneorum DAF-nee nee-OR-um (5–7, 7–5) Lavandula stoechas ‘Hazel’ lah-VAN-dyew-luh Urtica dioica UR-tih-kuh die-o-EE-kuh D. cneorum var. verlotii D. nee-OR-um var. STEE-kas (8–9, 9–8) (13–15, 12–1) vair-lo-TEE-eye (5–7, 7–5) Lycopersicon esculentum cultivars ly-ko-PER-sih- Viola adunca VY-o-luh uh-DUN-kuh (4–8, 8–1) D. domini D. DOM-ih-nye (5–7, 7–4) kon es-kyew-LEN-tum (13-15, 12-1)

January / February 2004 45 by CaroleOttesen Coast SilkTassel andHardy Cyclamen 46 15 feettall,canbeseenfrom adistance,has silk tassel,alandscapefeature that,at10to sync andoutofscale.Theevergreen coast seem atfirstglanceanoddcouple—outof ington Park Arboretum inSeattle, they Combined, astheyare here attheWash- appreciated phenomenonofwinterbloom. quently encountered butprofoundly clamen T Carole Ottesen is associateeditorof well. marry couple, theynevertheless hardy cyclamen lightupthewintergarden. If theyare anodd and ashadysite.Blooming insequence,coastsilktasseland erate somesummerdrought. Bothare tolerantofaneutral soil to thetinytreasures bloomingatthefootoftree. They catchthebeholder’s eye andleaditdownward from adistance. ly distinguished tassel canbeeasi- on thecoastsilk thatremain cream-colored bloom chainsof dangling after- Now, theunusual leaves atitsbase. fully patterned collar ofbeauti- leaves formeda young cyclamen full bloom,the silk tasselwasin er, whenthecoast that becomeobvious upondeeperinspection.Earli- prise tobesavored closeup. scape. Theirfull,fresh bloomsare adelightfulsur- hardy cyclamen are invisibleintheland- virtually already bloomed.At three inchestall,theephemeral Both plantsshare apreference forwell-drained soilandtol- However, thisunlikelypairworks togetherinways the American Gardener HE WESTCOAST tassel (Cyclamen coum) (Garrya elliptica), 5–9, 9–5. red flowersinwinter,Zones in latefall,withwhite,pink, ingly patternedfoliageappears and 5to6incheswide,strik- coum), Hardy cyclamen Zones10–8. AHS winter, USDAZones8–10, long chainsofshowyflowersin green leaves;maleplantsbear and aswide,withwavyever- ca), Coast silktassel grows 10to15feethigh grows 3incheshigh native, coastsilk share theinfre- The AmericanGardener. and hardy cy- (Garrya ellipti- (Cyclamen EFC LN COMPANIONS PLANT PERFECT C  www.forestfarm.com. www.thimblefarms.com. Salt SpringIsland.V8K1A3B.C. Canada.(250)537-5788. Cyclamen coum: Garrya elliptica: Sources Forestfarm, Fraser’s ThimbleFarm, Catalog $5.Freeiforderedonline. Williams, OR.(541)846-7269. 175 ArbutusRoad,

MARK TURNER

Create your own garden retreat... With a little help from Mother Nature and Southern Living

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