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Home , Brian Mathew, Iris cristata, Iris innominata, Iris lacustris, Iris longipetala, Iris macrosiphon

Bulletin of the merican Rock Garden S@cietu

VOL. 40 FALL 1982 NO. 4 THE BULLETIN Editor Emeritus ... Dr. Edgar T. Wherry, Philadelphia, Pa. Editor. . . Laura Louise Foster, Falls Village, Conn. 06031 Assistant Editor . . . Harry Dewey, 4605 Brandon Lane, Beltsville, Md. 20705 Contributing Editors . .. Roy Davidson, Anita Kistler, H. Lincoln Foster, Owen Pearce, H.N. Porter Layout Designer. . . Buffy Parker Advertising Manager ... Anita Kistler, 1421 Ship Rd., West Chester, Pa. 19380 CONTENTS VOL. 40 NO. 4 FALL 1982 Dr. Edgar T. Wherry, 1885 - 1982 157 Western American — Roy Davidson 163 Some Small Eastern Iris and — Roy Davidson 166 Iris cristata and — L.L.F 170 Two Crested Iris from Japan Iris tectorum — Edward Leimseider 172 Iris gracilipes — Sara Faust 173 Gardens in Ithaca — William J. Hamilton, Jr 175 Cyclamen Data — Carol Sienko 178 Non-hardy Cyclamen in a Cold Climate — Maryann Collins 180 Protection for a National Treasure: The Columbia River Gorge — Faith Mackaness 183 Award Winners - 1982: Francis H. Cabot; Panayoti P. Callas; George M. Schenk; Sharon Sutton; T. Paul Maslin; Ruth Ashton Nelson . . 187 The Show Bench — Evelyn Murrow 193 Book Reviews: The Iris by ; The Book by and Roger Phillips 194 Campanula x 'Justiniana' — Vaughn Aiello 196 Collector's Notebook: Two Columbia Plateau Albinos — Roy Davidson .... 197 A Baker's Dozen for Beginners — Dorothea DeVault 198 Notes from : Alaskan Willows — Helen A. White 200 Of Cabbages and Kings 200

Cover Picture — Iris tenuis — Jean Witt, Seattle,

Published quarterly by the AMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETY, incorporated under the laws of the State of . You are invited to join. Annual dues (Bulletin included) are: Ordinary Membership, $9.00; Family Membership (two per family), $10.00; Overseas Membership, $8.00 each to be submitted in U.S. funds or In• ternational Postal Money Order; Patron's Membership, $25; Life Membership, $250. Membership inquiries and dues should be sent to Norman Singer, Secretary, Norfolk Rd., South Sandis- field, Mass. 01255. The office of publication is located at Norfolk Rd., S. Sandisfield, Mass. 01255. Address editorial matters pertaining to the Bulletin to the Editor, Laura Louise Foster, Falls Village, Conn. 06031. Ad• dress advertising matters to Anita Kistler, 1421 Ship Rd., West Chester, Pa. 19380. Second class postage paid in S. Sandisfield, Mass. and additional offices. Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society (ISSN 0003- 0863).

Printed by the Deer Spring Press, Norfolk, CT VOL. 40 FALL 1982 NO. 4

Bulletin of the merican Rock Garden etu

Dr. Edgar T. Wherry 1885 - 1982

This issue of the Bulletin, the last one class young Edgar was awarded a four in which his name appears at the top of year college scholarship and entered the the masthead as Editor Emeritus, is dedi• University of in 1902, tak• cated to Dr. Edgar T. Wherry, who died ing all available courses in chemistry and May 19 at the age of 97. A charter geology. member of the American Rock Garden In May of that year a notice on the Uni• Society, Dr. Wherry served the Society versity Bulletin Board announced a trip devotedly in many capacities ever since by the Mineralogical and Geological sec• it started and made countless warm tion of the Academy of Natural Sciences friends throughout the horticultural and of Philadelphia to "Pink Hill" in the botanical world. Taylor Arboretum. Taking a trolly to Born and raised in Philadelphia, Lime he debarked at the foot of a pink- Edgar Wherry attended Friends Central carpeted rise; it was clothed in a copious School where he became acquainted growth of Phlox subulata. The leaders of with the natural world. As a boy he also the group pointed out that this attended lectures in various fields at the grows here only on serpentine rock, Wagner Free Institute of Science near his never spreading to other formations. No home. Here he became fascinated by one knew why and then and there young the experimental demonstrations in Wherry resolved to make a chemical chemistry and decided to make this his study of the problem if he ever had-a career. Standing near the head of his chance.

157 Meanwhile he continued his studies at tion as Assistant Curator of Mineralogy at the University of Pennsylvania receiving the United States National Museum. The his BS in Chemistry in 1906 and his following year he married E. Gertrude PhD. in 1909. He was then invited to Smith and moved to Chevy Chase, teach mineralogy at Lehigh University , where he built a small house and carry out geological mapping as field for himself and his bride on a wooded assistant to Professor Florence Bascom hill. It was here that he developed his first of Bryn Mawr College. He also lectured wildflower garden and was able to pur• on chemistry and geology at the Wagner sue his interest in soil chemistry as re• Free Institute of Sciences where he had lated to , a problem first suggested received his early inspiration. In the sum• by the phlox on "Pink Hill" so many mer of 1910 he studied crystallography years before. He divided his garden into with the eminent Victor Goldschmidt of soils of two reaction types, acid and cir- Heidelberg, Germany. cum-neutral and tested various plants in His combined interest in the field of the two soils. In this connection he in• mineralogy and chemistry led him to vented the simple soil "test kit" which originate a simple method of detecting determines the pH of soil by color reac• the presence of the non-metallic chemi• tion, a method still used extensively cal boron in silicates, a valuable con• today by horticulturists. tribution, as this element is used exten• Dr. Wherry had become so proficient sively as a constituent of boric acid, while at the National Museum in identify• soaps, water softeners, enamels, glass ing minerals by their crystallographic and pottery. While on his field trips he properties that he was asked to transfer discovered and published notes on a to the Bureau of Chemistry of the U.S. number of rare minerals in Pennsyl• Dept. of Agriculture to become the coun• vania, among them the first discovery of try's first official Crystallographer. In this Triassic basalt in this state. His PhD dis• capacity he applied his methods of iden• sertation concerned the geology, tification to chemical compounds in the mineralogy and chemistry of igneous food and drug field, work which gave rocks of Triassic age, including the him an increasing interest in plants. On basalt, southeast of Reading, Pa. As is one occasion he was called to Perry often true of such discoveries, his finding County, Pa., to investigate the complaint of camotite, a uranium-vanadium min• of a beekeeper whose honey was being eral, occurred as a happy accident com• spoiled by unusual summer crystalliza• bined with acute curiosity and considera• tion. Dr. Wherry found that the cause ble knowledge. A rock with a brilliant yel• was not the work of foreign spies as the low coating had fallen off the cliff above beekeeper thought but the fact that the onto the trolly tracks along which young insects were collecting honey-dew sec• Wherry was walking. He immediately reted by on the local pine . recognized its similarity to the camotite While in the area Dr. Wherry consulted a first discovered in shortly be• booklet on plants native to the area. This fore. He picked it up and checked it out. led him to search for and find a stand of "A thrill that comes once in a lifetime," the rare Gaylussacia brachycera growing was his comment. This was a phrase he in intensely acid soil. Dr. Wherry dug up would repeat many times during his long a small piece to take home to his garden life. for experimental purposes. In 1913 he moved to Washington, When Dr. Frederich V. Coville, Chief D.C., where he had been offered a posi• Botanist of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture,

158 heard of his find, he called Dr. Wherry of Mt. Desert Island. Thus into his office where he related that he Acadia National Park was another result himself had been unsuccessfully search• of Dr. Wherry's explorations. ing for years for gaylussacia as he wished In 1930 he was offered a position as to use this in connection with his Associate Professor of -Ecology project of developing the commercial at the University of Pennsylvania. As this culture of blueberries. He indicated to post would give him the advantage of Dr. Wherry that he wondered how a long summer vacations during which he mere chemist-crystallographer had man• would be able to do field studies of west• aged to find this elusive plant and asked ern American flora he willingly agreed the young crystallographer if he would and, selling his house in Chevy Chase, be willing to search for a "lost" colony in he bought one in Swarthmore, Pa. Like . This search ended success• the true gardener he was, Dr. Wherry fully and Dr. Wherry, by cross-pollinat• moved as many species as possible from ing the Delaware clone with that he had his old garden to his new one. His teach• found in Perry County, obtained the first ing career at the U. of Penn. lasted until viable seed and seedling of the species his retirement from this career in 1955. known to science. Gaylussacia is not self- In 1932 when the University of fertile and as each enormous colony, Pennsylvania assumed administration of some several acres in extent and in some the property of John and Lydia Morris, cases thought to be over 13,000 years Dr. Wherry was appointed Ecologist. His old, consists of a single stoloniferous first objective was to analyze the soil of clone, no berries containing viable seed the Morris Arboretum's 175 acres, find• had ever been found on wild plants. The ing three distinct soil types: circum-neu- Perry County clone was declared a Na• tral, acid, and alkaline, thus making the tional Landmark in 1967. arboretum suitable for a wide variety of Because of his success with gaylus• plant species. Here he gave summer sacia, Dr. Wherry was appointed a "hor• courses, which were very popular ticultural explorer" and from then on, among his students, fostering in many of during his wide travels, spent much time them a permanent fascination and en• gathering data on the habitats of rare thusiasm for plant ecology. Here he gave species. His soil testing kit came in very particular attention to the ferns, an in• handy for this work. terest that culminated in The Fern It was while on one of these exploring Guide, Northeastern and Midland States trips in 1935 that he rediscovered for Doubleday and Company's field another "lost" plant, Elliottia racemosa guide series. This was published in 1941 and collected the first seed ever found. and was followed in 1964 by the South- Native only in a small area in South em Fem Guide. Dr. Wherry had joined Carolina and , this lovely rare the American Fern Society in 1918 and endemic is now in limited cultivation was President from 1934-1938 at which thanks to Dr. Wherry. time, with the help of several other mem• Dr. Wherry was next assigned to do bers, he reorganized its affairs and research on the flora of Mt. Desert Island, brought the Society back to prosperity. , which was being considered as a He turned over all the royalties of his two National Park. Here he spent several fern guides to this Society. He was also a seasons exploring for wild plants and guiding spirit in the National Wildflower photographing the more notable ones, a Preservation Society while he was m labor which culminated in a book Wild Washington and in 1948 when Double-

159 day and Company published his lectures to his students and other inter• Wildflower Guide; Northeastern and ested groups. He also discovered and Midland United States, he turned over brought into cultivation two new species the royalties of this book to the later named in his honor: Silene whenyi Wildflower Preservation Society. in and Tiarella wherryi from In 1934 he became one of the Charter Polk County, . Members of the American Rock Garden One of Dr. Wherry's crusades was the Society acting as its botanical consultant perpetuation of our vanishing plant both officially and unofficially for many, species and whenever possible bringing many years. In 1943 when the Society these into cultivation. To this end he started its own Bulletin he became its first wrote article after article on particularly editor and served in that capacity for five gardenworthy wildflowers for the ARGS years. Bulletin, collecting and distributing seed The field work and botanical explora• and propagules of these to interested tions Dr. Wherry undertook in prepara• growers along with careful instructions tion for his writings about wildflowers led on how to grow and propagate them. He him to become well versed in the details also encouraged the planting of of plant classification and identification wildflower gardens both public and pri• and his early trip to "Pink Hill" in his vate, giving sound advice on their con• youth came to mind and he decided to struction and frequently donating plants fulfill his youthful vow and become an suitable for the location. He was one of authority on the Phlox Family. Travelling the Founders of the Bowmen's Hill State in a custom-made car with sleeping ar• Wildflower Preserve in Bucks County, rangements in the back seat, he pro• Pa., where the Edgar T. Wherry Fern ceeded to travel 14,000 miles in eleven Trail is one of the finest collections of na• weeks from one end of the country to the tive ferns in the country. He took an ac• other seeking out phlox in their native tive part in the development of the Natu• habitats, rediscovering many "lost" ral Area at Penllyn in Montgomery species in the process. His well-known County, Pa., and the Schuylkill Valley monograph The Genus Phlox, pub• Nature Center in the northwest corner of lished in 1955 by the Morris Arboretum Philadelphia. In the 1950's Dr. Wherry with some financial assistance from the served as a member of the faculty of the Henry Foundation for Botanical Re• Arboretum at the Barnes Foundation search in Gladwyne, Pa., resulted from where he checked the identification and this extensive research. It was truly a labeled the ferns in the Laura L. Barnes labor of love and is to this day the au• Fern Dell. His infectious enthusiasm and thoritative study of this North American everready willingness to help amateur as genus. well as professional gardeners and Dr. Wherry's interest in our native botanists won him a host of devoted wildflowers went far beyond his work friends and inspired many to join him in with Phlox, however, and during his his work of saving our native flora both in widespread travels he collected hun• the wild and in cultivation. dreds of herbarium specimens and took In 1965 Dr. Wherry was among the hundreds of photographs of the native first five recipients of the newly estab• flora he saw. Many of these latter were lished American Rock Garden Society made into glass transparencies meticul• Award of Merit and in 1973 the Society's ously hand-colored by Dr. Wherry him• most prestigious honor, the Edgar T. self. These he used to illustrate his many Wherry Award, was established in his

160 name. In 1972, the Edgar T. Wherry Dr. Wherry as one of our great natural Memorial Garden, featuring three var• biologists—a keeper of the tradition of ieties of soil, was created in his honor at Muir and Burroughs. the Barnes Arboretum with the help of — a former student, Dr. John S. Penny, the Delaware Chapter of ARGS. John Professor of Botany, LaSalle College, and Anita Kistler, members of that chap• Philadelphia. ter, under the close supervision of Dr. Wherry himself, were responsible for the • • • design of the garden, which is planted solely with new species and of What a joy to travel with Dr. Wherry in the beautiful "neglected natives" that Dr. the field where he could quickly describe Wherry has discovered or introduced with great detail and accuracy not only into . The Kistlers and other the plants growing in the area, but also members of the Chapter, especially Mor• the geological formations and relation• ris Berd, have taken it upon themselves ship one to the other. to see that the garden is properly cared — Morris Berd, Media, for and that the plants in it are propa• Pennsylvania. gated for distribution. In order to safeguard against the loss of any of the plants, divisions of them have been es• tablished in other gardens including the We will never forget his weekend visit rock garden planted by Albert Vick at the to Millstream. We had asked him if he Overbrook campus of Dr. Wherry's would be willing to help us identify the alma-mater, The Friends Central species and hybrids of phlox we were School. growing in our garden and whether we What greater memorial could any might send him samples, but though he plantsmen ask for than the living plants no longer could drive himself as he was he has brought into cultivation and the already suffering from tunnel vision, he warm memories he has left with his persuaded some friends to drop him off many devoted friends. at our house on their way to northern New England and pick him up on their A few fond recollections of Dr. Wheny way home. by some of his students and friends fol• I was weeding the lower nursery beds low this brief biography taken from Dr. when the station wagon came down the Wheny's own autobiographical sketch road and before it could come to a com• written about five years ago and from a plete stop the back door flew open and biographical essay written by Elizabeth out popped Dr. Wherry. Somewhat un• B. Derbyshire of Green Lane, Pennsyl• steady on his legs he staggered down to vania. clasp my muddy paw in both hands. "I knew this must be the place," he • • • exclaimed with shining eyes. "Look at all those phlox. My, I'm going to have fun I have known Dr. Wherry as teacher here." And without further ado, city and friend for many years. And I still see clothes and all, he cast himself full length him now as I did forty years ago: a gentle, on the grass beside the nursery bed, and selfless person, willingly sharing his pulled out his magnifying lens and knowledge and experience with all who started examining the phlox plants there. sought his help. I should always regard And fun he did have, galloping up and

161 down the steep hill on which our garden motor, Dr. Wherry had hopped out to in• is constructed, exclaiming, identifying, spect the plant material on the road offering advice, praise and tactful criti• bank: Saxifraga virginiensis, Silene cism all in one breath. And fun we had pennsylvanxca (a plant I had coveted for too, caught up by his boyish enthusiasm. years) and Aster lineariifolius .1 hurry to A more perfect houseguest would be dig one of each, write labels and follow hard for any gardener to imagine. Dr. Wherry up the very shaly slope. — L.L.F., Falls Village, . At 80 plus, he is much smarter than I; he is on his hands and knees, crawling up over the slippery shale. I hasten to catch up, only to slip backwards and cut and Driving west on the Pennsylvania scratch my arms and legs. As the slope Turnpike, bordered with six foot high levels out a bit, we find this station of chain link fences, Dr. Wherry would gaylussacia, hard to collect because of point right and left, explaining what in• the pieces of shale. A successful expedi• teresting plant material would be found tion! among the rocks or under specific trees. A few years later, in 1972, the Edgar We were going to collect cutting mate• T. Wherry Memorial Garden in the Ar• rial of Gaylussacia brachycera, the Box boretum of the Barnes Foundation is Huckleberry, one of Dr. Wherry's par• begun. Dr. Wherry would arrive each ticular interest plants. One locale is near week, to check the plants already plant• Amity Hall, Pennsylvania, while the ed, or come prepared to plant a new ad• other site is the National Preserve at New dition from one of his many correspon• Bloomfield, Pennsylvania. dents or friends. Down on his knees he Our first stop is the Preserve. I had ex• went, to plant these in the proper soil — pected a solid carpet of Box subacid (sandstone) or circum-neutral Huckleberry. Not so—there were wisps (limestone chips) separated by a shale scattered over the forest floor, plus some flake strip. These areas demonstrate the shoots emerging from the newly connection between plant species and bulldozed road that forms the boundary soil types that he had pointed out on the of the area. Here, Dr. Wherry instructed turnpike years earlier. me to collect some cutting material. In going through early issues of the Then on to Amity Hall, Dr. Wherry sat ARGS Bulletin, it is interesting to note in the front seat of my car with his topo• how often Dr. Wherry would add infor• graphical map of this area open on his mative notes in subsequent bulletins, rel• lap. I was given instructions such as — ative to past articles written about native "around this left bend in the road, take Eastern plant material or eastern U.S. the small dirt lane on the left, after the areas. These were never derogatory — second curve." When the road widened just adding some of his wide knowledge. a bit, Dr. Wherry suggested we pull over — Anita Kistler, West Chester, and park. As I was still turning off the Pennsylvania. §

162 Western American Iris

Roy Davidson Seattle, Washington Drawings by Jean Witt, Seattle, Washington

More than half of the thirty-odd high above, they have been erroneously species of North American irises are from reported as "water plants", but unless the Rocky Mountains and west, sun-lov• they can dry out until the are pal• ers all of them and tolerant of drought lid straw yellow in late summer, they will when all else is balanced to their liking. not be long for this world. By winter the All are beardless and rhizomatous repre• leaves are gone, and the stiff stalks and sentatives of this widespread genus of pods stand as sentinels through at least graceful flowers named for the rainbow, one subsequent season. with pleasant grassy foliage from a few The entirely different Iris tenuis is inches to a few feet. found in a narrow corridor west of Ore• Non-acid prairie soils of the inter- gon's Mt. Hood, as if trapped by a time mountain regions of all western states machine's malfunction between the and two Canadian provinces have Iris somewhat similar /. cristata of eastern missouriensis, the "prairie blue flag" of America and the Japanese /. gracilipes. the trail, but also an interloper Like those it is a subject of humus soils of into the Pacific slope from southernmost mixed open woodland. From short- to Puget Sound. It forms leaved, stoloniferous clumps the forked broad clumps of foliage — carefully stems of 8 to 9 inches give a sequence of grazed about by animals — from which white butterfly flowers etched with the foot-high stalks produce profusions of usual yellow plus lines of bronzy purple. usually lilac-blue and white classical iris In winter the leaves go off to leave flowers, but not infrequently alabaster al• strange little button-like dormant buds to binos and richly deep purples. Kittitas mark their place, quite unlike the resting Valley forms are veined with an espe• aspect of any other deciduous iris. (See cially "zing-electric" blue. The aberrant cover picture.) maritime climate about On the Pacific Slope from southwest Bay — dry but fog-cooled summers and Washington to southern California is a frost-free winters — has brought about natural alliance, a group of a dozen or so the summer-dormant and winter-green species, their subspecies, variant forms Iris longipetala, really only a larger /. mis• and intergrades — for they are all inter- souriensis. The cross of the two known fertile and do cross wherever they grow as Tollong' is the epitome of grace, hav• together. It is interesting too that they ing received the Royal Horticultural So• readily interbreed with a group of ciety's Award of Merit (seed or division Himalayan irises, which tells the geo• give equally fine flowers). Because these grapher something of ancient history, have been observed flowering while half since soft plants like iris leave so little fos• submerged in water from melting snows sil evidence for paleobotany. These irises

163 are constant with the coniferous forest effect; they span from white to pansy- and enjoy the same acid humus. They black with all the blue, lilac and violet be• will survive long periods of heavy shad• tween, and in ivory to gold and yolk- ing in their native state though unable to plus all the blends mixing these produce buds in the absence of pigments, and an unimaginable array of good sunshine, and often, when the patterns of emblazoned contrasts. trees are removed, they give the surprise For horticultural convenience we of "suddenly" appearing and flowering. might lump these into a "large" and a Half a day of sun seems quite necessary "small" class, the former consisting of for bud-set. Their coloring is their great the two species, Iris doughsiana and I. beauty, even in a genus noted for color munzii, with the remainder small in scale by comparison, thus more suitable for the rock garden. Of the larger, /. munzii from a climatic citrus-grove association, is not tolerant of freezing cold, but I. doughsiana from a maritime strip ex• tending northward between Point Con- cepcion on the California coast and the mouth of Oregon's Umpqua River proves quite resistant to freezing. It has been brought to total success — flower• ing and seeding — in Colorado with no trouble once acclimated. A bit coarse for most rock gardens, it is of splendid land• scape use for foliage texture and proves more tolerant of summer moisture than most. Northwest Oregon and southwest Washington share the northernmost of this group, , and as might be ex• pected it reacts to its colder environment by a strong proclivity toward being quite deciduous. Along with fresh green spears in spring, it gives stems of surpris• ingly big, airy flowers mainly in orchid to lilac and purple but also in white, cream, primrose and arty pastel blends, often with striking contrasting patterns. /. tenax crosses the coast range to sandy beach• heads above the Pacific where it replaces maritime Douglas iris north of the Ump• qua dunes, although it is essentially an inland species. is probably best re• garded and certainly the best known of all our native westerners. Most prized are the yellows, pure gold to cadmium and yolk oranges. It comes up into Oregon's

164 Siskiyou country inland from the coastal fogs, and in its purple color form extends south into northernmost California. Flower color and pattern of this species in the wild is probably the most varied of this alliance of irises, including gold and red-brown bicolors unknown in others. Further inland still and nearly confined to Josephine County, Oregon, is the larger yellow , not so easy but perhaps even more of the "ideal" or classical persuasion than even /. in- nominata. It makes haphazard looking clumps that are no garden asset, how• ever. Somewhat similar, though with a long-tubed and flat flower, is from sunny openings associated with the redwood belt further south in Humboldt and Mendocino Counties of California. It also is found in an orchid color form Iris chrysophylla (which may show introgression from an associated species, which is moving in as the Siskiyou barrier (approximately the the lumbering operations alter the Klamath Gap and state line), the taller habitat). Further south still, the cream- replaces /. chrysophylla. colored, tall, erect Iris femaldii may be Still further south, but only in the Sierra found occasionally, though it too is sub• foothills, the pristine creamy-ivory Iris ject to much the same influence from the hartwegii occurs, looking like bleached- same neighbor, . Iris blonde forms of I. tenax, but with several macrosiphon is a variable species with forms varying to golden and yolk- short stems and long tubes, usually some orange. This, the southernmost of all the shade of lilac-purple but sometimes an group, is found exclusively in San Ber• amber color. The finest forms, however, nardino County. are the intense deep blue and violet Almost as far south is the narrow en• forms of Sonoma County. demic species aforementioned as suited Back up in Oregon all the mountain to the citrus grove conditions of Tulare passes have the little white or pale yellow County, Iris munzii, famous in cultivation Iris chrysophylla, usually occurring at as having yielded unbelievable blue col• elevations above /. tenax but meeting ors. It is. however, subject to cold. It is the and intercrossing with it in numerous sole member of this California alliance so places to give hybrids that often tend to isolated that no introgression with any rosy pink. A very old hybrid swarm of the others can be noted. two, northwest of Eugene in Lane An acid humus soil full of grit and small County, is relatively well stabilized. It stones, a warm situation in good light produces its orchid-colored, stemless and shelter from drying winds are the es• flowers earlier than any known, and then sentials to satisfactorily flowering this purple seedpods at ground level; this group of western irises in gardens. When horticulturally is the "Noti Iris". South of suitably sited they succeed best on their

165 heavy soils and baking summers. When any of these species are grown in prox• imity, the bees will certainly mix them up and the end result will be an unbelieva• ble array of hybrids from generations of such bedfellowing. To the north, in Alaska and adjacent Yukon, the tall, soft-leaved purple Iris setosa is frequent in wet places that dry in the summer. One is unlikely to mistake it for any other in that the flower has three normally large falls and three standards so small they may seem absent al• together. This is of interest in that it is the sole iris found in both the Old and New Worlds, from Japan, Kamtchatka, Siberia's Pacific coast, Alaska, and then — after a big gap — in easternmost Canada. The color of /. setosa is purple, very occasionally white or pastel. Al• though from subarctic regions, it is quite suited to most temperate gardens if the Irissetosa (I. hookeri) ssp. canadensis soil does not bake. The smaller forms of the Laurentian variety I. s. canadensis own, with no water given them in sum• that have been selected are particularly mer. In fact, irrigation during this aestiva• appealing, floriferous rock garden sub• tion period may be their downfall, en• jects. § couraging bacterial decay. The upland — Reprinted with permission from Californian species are less satisfactory the Program Booklet of West Coast than others away from their customary Study Weekend Six: 1981.

Some Small Eastern American Iris Iris lacustris and Iris cristata

Roy Davidson Seattle, Washington Drawings by the author

The two small crested irises of eastern the small details by which they may be North America are frequently confused distinguished they begin to seem much in gardens for the very good reason less so. that — except for size — they appear Having come to respect /. lacustris as a much alike; yet when we come to learn good species in its own right for a distinct

166 chromosome structure, we still need to pattern to the falls: a "squared-off" bor• learn to recognize it on sight. Distinction der of pigment surrounding a little, white between I. lacustris and /. cristata on the apron-like patch with its one to three little basis of the shape of the flower segments squiggly, raised coxcomb-like crests and has proven to be misleading, and it is a certain gold penciling. Those of the highly likely that a good part of the mate• are not markedly different rial grown and labeled under the misap• beyond a tendency to be smaller and prehension that it is the true "blue iris of paler on average. the lakes" is in reality only a poorer, Iris lacustris is to be found on the smaller, and paler cristata. limestone rocks and gravels in associa• Iris cristata is not only larger in all its tion with the northern coniferous forest parts, averaging about twice the size of about the upper Great Lakes. It is almost lacustris, it is also the more variable of the non-variable, a pretty azure color, occa• two. There are two centers of its distribu• sionally white, and — except in the tion, the Appalachians and the Ozarks, white ones — bearing a pattern similar and flower color may run from white and to that of cristata on the falls, with com• near-white through the pastel tints of or• parable crests and golden markings. chid, lilac, lavender and blue to fuller ex• The unmistakable botanical distinc• pressions of purple and violet. Except in tion between the two is based on the the white, there is always a characteristic length of the perianth tube, quite a reli-

167 168 able criterion in this pair of related irises. with the related Japanese species, /. In I. cristata the distance between the top gracilipes, shown in England in 1965. of the and the ovary is far less Some years ago a plant sent out as than the length of this perianth tube 'Oliver Twist' was purported to have separating the ovary from the floral lobes been raised from the mating of the Roof above. In I. lacustris the opposite per• Iris, I. tectorum with I. cristata. To some tains and its seed capsule will be found observers it seemed only an inferior ex• atop a short stalk and on a true stem, ample of Roof Iris, and in view of the fact whereas that of cristata sits almost on the that seedlings were grown from a back- rhizome at ground level. These propor• cross to /. tectorum alba, at least some of tions are not infrequently misinterpreted, the plants sent out under the name due likely to the overall size differences in 'Oliver Twist' were probably only a poor the two species. form of tectorum. Seeds of both are very much alike, Both the blue and the white /. lacustris having a peculiar development of the are occasionally found in cultivation, raphe, which appears as a sort of gelatin• while of the variable I. cristata there are a ous little spring, which seems to assist in number of selected clones, most of them the dehiscence of the capsule and dis• found as wild plants. There is at least one persal of the seeds therefrom. On expo• excellent vigorous I. cristata alba among sure to the atmosphere it dries and a number that have been recorded, and shrivels. 'White Pearl' was one of those, although It is often said that these two irises will it may have been tinted, a semi-albino. not easily be grown in the same garden, 'Crested Ivory' is self- described. Of the probably a reference stemming from the pallid ones, 'McDonald' (which origi• record that the native soils supporting /. nated as a nursery seedling in Oregon) cristata are miniacid (pH 6-6.9) while has the faint typical pattern and 'Millard' those on which lacustris is found are cir- sounds to have been similar, as does cumneutral (pH 7.1-8.). It has been 'Whisper' (a lovely name for a pale lilac), demonstrated, however, that both while 'Skylands' was apparently a shade species are about equally tolerant of a darker. 'Crested Fairy' was said to be variety of soils as long as they are cool bicolored and 'Gold Crest' was a mid-la• and loose with humus, well-drained but vender with a greater number of yellow ever moist and never boggy. ( I. cristata lines. Of them all 'Abbeys Violet' seems can survive well even in rather droughty to be darkest and of a true violet hue. conditions as long as it is planted in a Many another good form is likely grown shady position. — Ed.) Their soft leaves without having a name given to it, as for are favored by slugs and snails, which example a good "pink" and a clear must be controlled. In dapple-shaded azure, both found in eastern Tennessee positions away from the parching after• and possibly still in some gardens. noon sun they will romp away on short, These little woodland iris belong to slender stolons, which root down to form that very long list of plants shared be• broad-spreading colonies. tween eastern Asia and eastern North As to the report of a hybrid between America, as well as to a far shorter list of the two made in British Columbia and western American representation. As shown in England in 1955, this is not an such they are members of the Evansia impossibility, although we now know group of irises, so named for the man that they should not be interfertile. There who first brought the Asiatics to western is also the record of a cross of /. lacustris horticulture. The western American /.

169 tenuis is narrowly endemic in western Co-published by Signs, the species Oregon. § section of the American Iris Society.

Iris cristata and Iris vema

Drawings by the author

It is surprising how frequently, when in the soil and with very short branches one has ordered Iris vema,particularly so the plant remains quite compact. Iris from a wildflower nursery, one receives cristata, on the other hand, has long, Iris cristata instead. Though both are low very slender , slightly thickened growing iris native to southeastern at the nodes. These sprawl widely on or United States, of approximately the very close to the surface; each plant, same height and general coloration, therefore, will quite rapidly make a fairly ranging from deep violet blue through large mat. Where competition is not too lavenders to albino forms, they are very heavy and the soil light and humusy, a different plants. single plant may eventually fill a circle six Iris cristata is, to begin with, a crested feet across or more. iris as its name implies, carrying on its The leaves of Iris cristata, though up• falls one to three parallel rows of fleshy, right when they first emerge from the soil yellow to white lobes rather like crum• in spring, soon lose their youthful arro• pled ribbons or long, narrow gance and bow over so that the flowering cockscombs. Iris vema, on the other stems rise above them. As the season ad• hand, has smooth falls, though the cen• vances and they elongate slightly, these tral orange-yellow blotch is likely to be flexed leaves in a pure stand will form a more pronounced than in Iris cristata. dense, rippling, light green carpet of foliage. In fall this carpet turns pale creamy tan and shrivels away into a threadbare covering for the tangled web of rhizomes below. The foliage of Iris vema, on the other hand, is evergreen and will last through several seasons though the leaves become progressively more discolored and tattered as they age. They are more slender for their height than those of Iris cristata and more upright, usually slightly taller than the flowering stems at anthesis, but tend to arch gracefully away from the blossoms

Fall of Iris cristata as if to frame rather than conceal them. Both species seem to prefer a site on Though both species are rhizomatous, the edge of thin woods where they re• the rhizomes of Iris vema are chunky ceive plenty of light but can be some• throughout their length, fairly deep-lying what shaded during the hottest part of

170 Iris vema the day. Both do well in light, humusy Their effect in the garden is quite dif• soil. Iris cristata will accept a somewhat ferent and not only because of their dis• heavier soil and appears indifferent to similar growth habit. Iris vema has a re• the pH, whereas Iris vema requires acid strained elegance; its slender leaves have soil and seems to need slightly sharper a more graceful carriage and its flowers drainage. Both species can withstand not only tend to be richer in coloration considerable drought. Division of the but have a certain aristocratic bearing rhizomes is the easiest method of in• and refined clarity of outline that is not as crease and either species may be grown manifest in Iris cristata. It is the difference from seed unless a particular color form between a court beauty and a bevy of is desired. pretty milkmaids. § — L.L.F.

171 Two Crested Iris From Japan Iris tectorum

Edward Leimseider Westport, Connecticut Photograph by the author

Iris tectorum alba, as seen growing on The Roof Iris is not a fussy plant to the thatched roof-tops in Japan, is a grow and does perfectly well at ground complete pleasure. Roy Elliott wrote, " .. level if given reasonable drainage. From . never . . . had I seen so exquisite a stout rhizomes come twelve to sixteen flower as that of the white form of Iris tec• inch high, ribbed leaves, from one to two torum . . ." inches wide. These come to a sharp

*N

* Iris tectorum alba Even the type species, its pale laven• point. They are of somewhat thinner tex• der petals delicately penciled with darker ture than many iris leaves. The blossoms blue-purple lines, is a lovely thing. Be• last for two to three weeks in May and sides its legendary ability to ward off have a golden crest on the falls, particu• lightning, it is reported that the flowers of larly prominent in the white-flowered /. tectorum are made into wreaths to be form. worn during a May festival in Another English writer thought that Yokohama, but it is not specifically Iris tectorum required "an alkaline soil stated whether these are the white form with plenty of humus," but in Connec• or maybe the more common lavender ticut, the somewhat acid, heavy soil in blossoms of the type. my garden does not seem to deter pro-

172 fuse annual flowering and vegetative in• papery, cream-colored curls in the fall. crease. It is, perhaps, advantageous to This species is probably of Chinese redo the soil and enrich it every two origin, but has been adopted by the avid years or so when the clumps are divided. Japanese gardeners. It belongs to the There may be some root rot that should Evansia group (the crested iris), along be cut away at this time with a fungicide with the Japanese Iris gracilipes and Iris applied to the cut portions of the japonica, and our own native I. cristata, I. rhizome. lacustris and I. tenuis. There are other re• Iris tectorum is content with sun or latively obscure iris in this group: I. for- light shade and, in our area, seems never mosana, I. milesii, I.pseudorossii and to need extra watering. Seeds are plenti• others suitable for greenhouses. While ful and germinate readily. Neither slugs hybrids of Iris tectorum have been made, nor insects seem to bother this rugged none seem to be well known in the plant, so the leaves remain in good con• United States, with the possible excep• dition throughout the summer and, as an tion of 'Poltec', which is Iris tectorum x added bonus, they dry into attractive, 'Edina'. §

Iris gracilipes

Sara Faust Hopewell Junction, Drawing by Mary R. Bell

One of the major groups which com• The plant is rhizomatous, but forms prise the genus Iris is the Evansia or dense circular clumps of foliage, rather "Crested" Iris group. Woodland and than a wide spreading mat as with Iris rock gardeners are (or should be) famil• cristata. The graceful, narrow, grass- iar with our native Crested Iris, I. cristata green foliage remains in good condition and the various forms thereof. throughout the growing season, and Iris gracilipes, a Japanese plant of wide serves as a good contrast to other distribution in its native land, is less re• forms in the half-shady garden. In May, nowned. For perfection of flower form wiry branched flower stems appear, car• and neatness of growth habit, Iris rying two to three flower buds per eight gracilipes tends to put our own Crested inch stem. These buds, slim, tightly Iris "in the shade". Found in wooded furled, even more perfect than rosebuds, mountainous areas of Japan, it first expand suddenly into flowers one and a reached the West (Royal Botanical Gar• half to two inches across, whose form is dens at Kew, of course) in the mid flat and reminiscent of the vastly larger 1850's. hybrid Japanese Iris. The color is lilac, with a white area on the falls surrounding the orange crest — a prominent ridge of Sara Faust is the manager at Stonecrop Nursery petal tissue, rather than a hairy beard. in Cold Spring, N. Y. Here she manages the nursery The flower stems are so delicate that the business and expanding gardens, is responsible for blossoms seem to float above the fans of the propagation of alpines and other plants and is involved with the garden and landscape design. light-green leaves. She also does landscaping on a free-lance basis. Rich soil with abundant organic mat-

173 ter, moist but not water-logged, is essen• tial for success with this iris, and it is a per• fect candidate for half shady areas. Flower production will suffer if the plant is grown with too little light. Acid soil is recommended by many authors. It would appear, however, that a low pH is not as critical for this plant as for ericaceae; in growing Iris gracilipes for sale in containers, it does not seem to be adversely affected by water with a high lime content over a year's growing time, though excessively limy soil is not rec• ommended. After three to four years of growth, the clump seems to benefit from division, providing an easy means of increase for this very desirable plant. This should be done soon after flowering, while the plant is making strong new root growth. Seed is another means of increase, but is sparsely produced, in my experience. I have had only a short-term experi• ence with I. gracilipes alba. A division was acquired in the summer of 1980, survived the severe 1980-81 winter (temperatures in our area went to 25 de• grees below zero Fahrenheit), but pro• duced no flowers in 1981. It was planted very near an area where the species has flourished for several years, in the same soil and light conditions, and it is just sur• viving right now. I certainly feel it de• serves its reputation as a less robust plant, and must make more of an effort to please it. A number of plants have proved to be successful companions for Iris gracilipes. Phlox stolonifera alba blooms at about the same time and its large clusters of white flowers combine well with the la• vender flowers of the iris. Tiarella wher- ryi and T. cordifolia with their spikes of tiny white flowers work well, too. An ap• pealing contrast of foliage can be ob• tained by using Saxifraga trifurcata nearby — the rosettes of divided leaves of this dependable mossy sax form large Iris gracilipes

174 hummocks in time. One more interesting a very subtle and slightly bizarre foil for combination happened at Stonecrop the iris. I'm sure many other plants re• purely by chance: a seedling of quire the same rich humusy soil and light Semiaquilegia ecalcarata established it• shade, and could be used to advantage self near a clump of I. gracilipes. The with the delicate beauty of Iris gracilipes. dusty old- color flowers and purple- § tinged foliage of the semiaquilegia made

Gardens In Ithaca

William J. Hamilton, Jr. Ithaca, New York

The 1983 Annual Meeting will be held at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., hosted by the Adirondack Chapter. According to Dr. Nina Lambert, the area around Ithaca is better known for its beautiful waterfalls of all sizes and shapes, and for its spectacu• lar gorges replete with rocks, ferns and native flora, many within a few minutes walk of the Cornell campus, than for its rock gardens. And of course there is the renowned Cornell Plantations, a large and varied arboretum and botanical garden, which boasts several gorges of its own as well as ponds and numerous woodland trails, and a number of test gardens and collections. In addition to this surfeit of floral riches, the members of ARGS who attend the meeting will have the opportunity of visiting several rock gardens, both public and private. When Dr. William J. Hamilton, Jr., whose articles on various bulbous and cormous plants have appeared from time to time in the Bulletin, was asked to write a few notes on the rock gardens that would be open to ARGS members that weekend, he attacked the assignment in rather typical fashion. Well known among his friends for his somewhat zany sense of humor, his facetious descriptions of three of the pri• vate gardens give very few clues as to what visitors will really see there, but it is sure to be interesting. — Ed.

Public Gardens The Heasley Rock Garden on the habitats of an alpine ecosystem — cre• Cornell Plantations is intended as a vice, moraine, scree, and alpine teaching garden to demonstrate specific meadow — will be represented. The first ecological and botanical concepts that area, of shale, typifies local rock outcrop- relate to the life of alpine and rockery pings and will be planted to true alpines; plants. A tour guide identifies certain adjoining will be a sandstone area. The plants and explains how the plant has third area, a rockery faced by a dry-stone adapted to live in the cold, the wind and retaining wall, will contain popular plants the intense sunlight. that might be found native to the high al• Still in construction, the four major titudes of the Northeast. Only the first

175 area (1982) has been completed. choice specimens of Arabis. Much research was done on rock gar• There is a small south-facing scree and den design and construction techniques a larger west-facing one. These screes before building this garden. Most rock feature species of Allium (chiefly Golden garden builders are forced to make con• Globe), Iris, and various other bulbous cessions regarding proper design and plants. Some shade is provided by a techniques because of equipment, time large black walnut, which prevents the and financial constraints. This was not growing of dwarf alpine tomatoes. There true here; the Heasley Rock Garden is a is a lovely woodland garden (a path "textbook" rock garden and will be a val• mowed through some brush and sap• uable teaching tool. lings) and magnificent landscaping (two The Willard Straight Rock Garden on blue and a rose bush). Visitors the Cornell campus has a long and vari• are really due for a treat. Wine will be ed history, ranging from intensive care provided, made from the sap of , lo• and nationwide recognition to relative custs and ginseng juice. neglect and very low maintenance. The Nina and Jack Lambert property Work scheduled for 1982 includes con• is heavily shaded by large silver maples, tinued soil improvement, rock place• apples and locusts. The front is kept in ment and new plantings, which should low maintenance, mostly lawn and bring the garden into excellent condition ground cover of Skimmia and low in 1983. We feel that this rock garden rhododendrons. In the back, the sunny has great potential to be a special public areas are given over to two rock gardens. garden of interest to students and visitors Mrs. Lambert comments that — "Con• to Cornell. tinued residence for twenty years has led us to concentrate on the plants which will Private Gardens. survive Zone 4 temperatures. Hardy al- The Dilger rock garden is about 100 pines and evergreens include large and feet long and varies from 12 to 30 feet small leafed rhododendrons, holly and wide. It faces largely to the south. This other more tolerant ericaceous plants. garden features deer and rabbits. They The climatic problem is such that we top-dress the whole area with attractive plant both gentians and penstemons: if gravel-like droppings, which double as the summer is dry we enjoy bloom on fertilizer. They also keep various alpine the penstemons; if it is wet the gentians treasures in compact character by rigor• will be at their best." Many of the more ous grazing. The plants indeed become unusual woodland forms flourish in the so compact that visitors often have great gardens. The Lamberts' delightful little difficulty in finding them at all. Perfect pool, nestled in , is bordered with drainage, so dear to us all, is achieved by Drosera,but some rascal started snitch• the extensive tunnelling of hairy-tailed ing these little sundews. Jack and Nina moles. Another advantage of the local introduced a dozen piranhas, those little, wildlife is that they continuously remove ghoulish and voracious meat eaters so all bloom, thus enabling the plants to put common to Amazonia. A few mornings their energies into good growth. later, Jack found a bucket, trowel, zip• Dilger, like most of us, has his troubles per, dentures, and a few coins next the with this garden. Androsace imbricata pool; the little fish had even eaten the has a tendency to seed into the adjacent clothes of the neighbor. lawn, littering it with untidy white domes, Another rock gardener, who shall be while species of Douglasia crowd out unnamed, but is known as a generous

176 contributor of rarities to the seed ex• guicula vulgaris, or below in the gorge, change, including black walnuts and nesting water thrushes and pileated horse chestnuts, orders a couple of bar• woodpeckers. Half a mile from head• rels of scotch from Glasgow to arrive quarters, the Cornell Plantations' fabu• about Thanksgiving every year. When lous Robison York State Herb Garden, a they have been emptied, shortly after the reference garden of useful and orna• holidays, the barrels are sawn in two. mental herbs, grouped for study and These do for more pretentious sinks, and beauty, can be visited. The Plantations are planted to dwarf trees, choice semps also features a five acre, well labelled and other delightful little treasures. The wildflower garden. The Clement Bowers whiskey dregs favor the growth of plants Rhododendron Garden is planted to all and repel bugs and molluscs. This gar• species that do well in our northern cli• dener is plagued with PyyAdanthera and mate. Superb ground covers, unusual he wishes he had left them in the Jersey and a famous collection Pine Barrens. This obnoxious weed has add charm to the Plantations. taken over his lawn and is only partially The many large greenhouses on the controlled by herbicides. campus will be open to our members. Of especial interest will be the Liberty Hyde Other attractions. Bailey Hortorium, where large collec• Other attractions are close at hand. tions of insectivorous plants, cacti and Our gorges are a national attraction. At other strange plants from the far corners Fall Creek, below Beebe Lake and a of the world are to be seen. If you are hundred yards from your billet, one may looking for a rare reference, seek it in the see on the sheer dripping rock walls the Mann Library. § lovely Primula mistassinica and Pin-

Seed Banks. One interesting talk at the International Conference dealt with seed storage and germination. Dr. Peter Thompson advanced the concept of a "Seed Bank." I found this idea fascinating. We sometimes receive a bumper seed crop from a rare plant or, perhaps, we want some "seed insurance" from a currently thriving plant that we would not re• lish losing. Dr. Thompson states that you can establish and maintain a permanent seed bank with little expense or work. Here is what you do: After picking, let seeds dry for a few days. Put seed in seed envelope, describing on it species and source. Place silica gel in a glass jar. (Silica gel is the granular stuff you get in little packets with some pills and optical instruments. It is usually available from gar• den centers and hobby supply centers as it is used for drying flowers for arrangements.) Put a piece of wool cloth over the gel. Put en• velopes of seed in the jar and seal. Store envelopes in airtight jar in re• frigerator for four to six months. Remove seed packets from jar and place in plastic bag. Place bag in freezer. Most seeds will keep thus in• definitely. As seeds are needed remove packets from freezer and plant. — Waid R. Vanderpoel Barrington, .

177 Cyclamen Data Carol Sienko Ithaca, New York

During a cold snap in the middle of last several months for the lessons of this January the heating system for our at• learning experience to be appreciated. tached eight by thirteen foot greenhouse Many marginal plants died — failed. Before the breakdown was dis• romulea, bulbocodium ssp. covered and repaired, the temperature romieuxii and another small narcissus in the center of the greenhouse went (Arch. 833, N. cantabricus ssp. down to 20°F; it may have been even monophyllus) plus the less hardy cycla• colder in the area closest to the glass. The men such as C. africanum, C. persicum, grapefruit that we stored in the and C. rolfsianum. Surprisingly, C. greenhouse were frozen solid. It took graecum, C. cilicium and C. pseud- about ten hours for the temperature to ibericum all survived. C. repandum did rise up to the usual minimum (40°F), and not appear this spring, whether because

SPECIES ORIGIN TUBERS ROOTS LEAVES Sea• son Shape & Color corky grayish from large, variable; Africanum Algeria brown flaky skin entire F ascending petioles much flattened surface horny teeth

Alpinum Turkey

France narrowly ovate; Balearicum Balearic somewhat from center W silvered; red Islands flattened of base reverse thin grayish variable in size, Cilicium Turkey brown skin from center F markings but always much flattened of base spoon shape Eastern thin brown skin round or kidney Coum Mediterranean covered with from base W shape; whitish ssp coum brown hair knobs at vein tips Eastern thin brown skin Coum Mediterranean covered with from base W heart shaped ssp caucasicum brown hair thin grayish from cordate, Creticum Crete brown skin lower F pointed; extremely flat surface red reverse rough gray skin; in bunches ovate, lanceolate; Cyprium Cyprus round, somewhat from base, of• F red reverse; yellow flat top & bottom ten acentrally spots on tips

178 of the freeze or for some other reason is were no numbers to indicate differences an open question. With all this firsthand in hardiness, the system used by the Ar• information, it was possible to add a few nold Arboretum for the compilation of more pieces of information concerning hardiness zones in the U.S. was added to the hardiness of some of the species to the basic information. The blooming the cyclamen chart that was put together season given is of necessity very general seven years ago for a talk. (Fall, Winter, Spring or Summer) as it The bulk of the material in this chart varies so with location (i.e., in the native was assembled from the AGS guide The country or elsewhere, indoors or out• Genus Cyclamen by D.E.Saunders. re• side). For more precise information one vised and amended by R.D.Meikel and should consult The Genus Cyclamen C. Grey-Wilson in 1973. Since there mentioned above.

ZONE FLOWERS OTHER Sea- Auri- Color son Twist Fold Refl cles Scent Petals

10 F + - + + violets pink wide crimson blotch red bifid at tip propeller like petals; + - Vfe - heather pink semi-circular blotch red base has straight edge

10 Sp + - + - lily of white no blotch on corolla valley dome shaped blotch; 3 9 F - + + - heather white prongs; possible aggre• pink gate with C. mirabile white "dumpy flowers" have 4 W - + + - none pink white eye; basal blotch red has 3 tiny legs "dumpy flowers'' with 5 W - + + - none pink pink or It. purple eye; red basal blotch has 3 legs

10 Sp - - + - lily of white no blotch on corolla valley

10 F + + + + spicy white V-shaped pinkish- purplish blotch

179 SPECIES ORIGIN TUBERS ROOTS LEAVES Sea• son Shape & Color corky; split long & fleshy obcordate; It. green Graecum Greece longitudinally in bunches F reverse; red-brown Turkey from base homy teeth Switz. Fr. from top variable shape; Hederifolium Italy, Aus. Corky dark skin and sides F long creeping Yugoslavia petioles thin hairy skin from center obcordate; wavy Libanoticum Lebanon ages to thick of lower W margin; red reverse corky skin surface creeping petioles from center sub-orbicular Mirabile Turkey corky; fissured of under- F some leaves surface pink-zoned

Parviflorum Turkey small, rounded sub-orbiculate dull green Eastern globular, corky; from sides & heart shaped; Persicum Mediterranean striated longi• center of F closely set tudinally undersurface homy teeth globular; obcordate; short Pseudibericum Turkey grayish brown from base Sp points; red reverse scaly skin sharply toothed Central irregularly from ever• circular; reverse Purpurascens Europe rounded; corky; entire green is red or green chestnut brown surface Italy globular; hairy; from cordate tapering to Repandum France chestnut brown lower F sharp point; Greece very flat surface sharply toothed irregular; globu• from sides & looks like Rolfsianum Libya lar; corky; base; occ. F maple leaf light brown from top

Non-hardy Cyclamen in a Cold Climate

Mary arm Collins Apple Valley,

Although most rock gardeners can where no species are hardy. At first I grow some of the hardier species of eye- bought the florist's hybrids, but they lamen outdoors, there are many interest- seemed blowsy and lacking in grace, ing species that are not hardy in the col- Then I began to play with seeds and der parts of the country. seedlings of the species. I went through a I have loved the species cyclamen for phase during which I thought I might be many years and have grown those able to outsmart the cold weather by species hardy to the climate in the vari- various devices such as extra-thick ous places where I have lived; for the mulches or mini-coldframes. No success, past several years, however, I have lived Then I raised a batch of seedlings of C.

180 ZONE FLOWERS OTHER Sea- Auri- Color son Twist Fold Refl cles Scent Petals blotch in 3 pieces; 9 F - - + + pink fruiting peduncle coils red from ground up faint white dark crimson blotch; 4 F - - + + or pink 2 prongs; album known strong red horticulturally only unplea• light crimson blotch 9 Sp - - + - sant white "bird in flight" scent pink on corolla small purple 9 F - - + pink basal blotch (see C. cilicium) dark purple blotch but 9 + pink no pale or white eye; dwarf plant white dark rectangular 10 Sp + - + lily of pink blotch; fruiting valley red never coils broad band of white 9 Sp - - + violets pink at mouth; dark "ace red of spades "blotch + white* * album very rare; 4 Su + & very pink basal crimson blotch sweet red is broadly oval white long exserted style; 9 Sp + + - violets pink mouth dark red red flowers have exserted 10 F + + + + lily of pink stamens and style in valley cone

hederifolium. They fattened and went covered that field mice had also moved dormant in my screen-covered cold into the basement and that cyclamen frame during their first summer. When tubers are akin to caviar to these beast- fall arrived, I knew they had to be dealt ies. (I now have a cat who dispatches all with, but I didn't know what to do. Fi• the critters, but does his own share of nally I decided they were doomed to die damage if he decides to dig.) if I left them out so it didn't matter if I kill• I was only able to save a few tubers in• ed them by bringing them indoors. tact, plus a few that were partially eaten. I I brought the tubers, in their pots, into grew the rescued tubers under lights in my cold basement. Immediately I dis• my basement where the temperature

181 ranges in winter about 40° to 50° F, but year from September until spring, espe• can go close to freezing during a pro• cially at Christmas. Another special fa• longed spell of below zero weather. They vorite is C. purpurascens v. fatrense, a grew and prospered and one even tuber received as a gift from a friend. This bloomed. That spring I put the pots out• plant bursts into bloom in November side again in the cold frame, and the next with sporadic feblooming through fall brought them back into the base• winter, and has dark green leaves with a ment. That second year I had begun beet-red reverse. plants of other species from seed and The major unsolved difficulty which I also knew to protect from mice with have in growing cyclamen by this regime hardware cloth, so I increased my is that once I have germinated the seed number of plants significantly. When and put the plants out in the cold frame plants bloomed during the winter, I for the summer, a lot of the tiny tubers brought them upstairs into an east win• shrivel and dry up and I am unable to re• dow to enjoy. The house is kept at 68° suscitate them in the fall. These babies when the family is home, 55° otherwise. are placed in the cold frame on the patio The plants bloomed and grew wonder• and watered along with the other rock fully well. I continue to send for seeds, garden plants and seedlings, but my fail• germinate, grow, let go dormant out• ure rate approaches fifty percent. (The doors, and then bring them in under mature tubers are placed in another cold lights and finally upstairs to enjoy during frame for the summer. Here they are at the fall, winter, and spring. the mercy of natural rainfall and watered The plants I have had success with are artificially only in long periods of C. hederifolium, C. hederifolium album, drought.) If any reader can suggest C. cilicium, C. purpurascens, and espe• where I go wrong with the babies, I cially the wild C. persicum. from which would much appreciate hearing from the florist's cyclamen have been hyb• them. ridized. This plant of charm and grace A book which I have found useful in has been, in my mind, corrupted and growing cyclamen is Cyclamen, The mutilated to a gaudy disaster that cannot Genus in the Wild and in Cultivation by compare with the beauty of the original D.E. Saunders. It is an Alpine Garden species. My best plant of C. persicum is Society Guide. Its photographs of exotic from ARGS seed collected by donor species whet my appetite for these #189 on the Isle of Rhodes and sent to beauties and put me into an impatient the 1976 exchange. Number 189, who• frenzy of anticipation for all my seed lists ever you are, thanks for the pleasure to arrive. Who knows what #189 or your seed has provided me. The tuber of some other intrepid explorer sent in this this plant is now three inches in diameter year. § and provides an excess of fifty blooms a

A garden is a place of the spirit: the human spirit that makes the gar• den and the human spirit that responds to it. Overall there is the natu• ral guardian spirit of the garden itself.

182 Protection For A National Treasure: The Columbia River Gorge.

Faith Mackaness Corbett, Oregon Photographs by Frank Mackaness

Between the states of Washington and The wind tunnel thus formed between Oregon, the great river of the West has the eastern and western portals of the gouged a spectacular gorge roughly a gorge is responsible for the "flag trees" mile wide, just under a mile deep and ap- that dominate the scenery from Corbett, proximately ninety miles long through twenty miles east of Portland, to the Dal- the rising Cascade Mountains. This ages- les Dam. In winter, by the time that the old process of uplift and erosion has cold dry wind from the interior has created a landscape of incomparable reached Crown Point, its velocity has ac- beauty. celerated to such an extent that it dries

Eastward trending Douglas Firs trained by chinooks near Hood River, Oregon.

183 up the buds on the east sides of the massive buttes, volcanic dikes, talus Douglas Firs; raging gales and ice storms slopes and V-shaped canyons from ("silver thaws") further prune weakened which cascade innumerable indescriba• branches that have survived previous bly lovely water falls. blasts. All conifers here appear to lean to This environment provides micro- the west. habitats suitable both for rock dwellers Beyond Bonneville Dam, the spring and woodlanders from nearly sea level westerlies or "chinooks" train the young (the Columbia is a drowned river) to the branches of fir and Ponderosa Pine so volcanic peaks that break the horizon. that these "flag trees" now "fly" in the The Oregon walls of the gorge are opposite direction. East of the Dalles, the shaded much of the year. Added mois• wide open spaces of sagebrush and ture from the myriad mountain streams sand, with sumac in the draws, stretches attracts such gems as Romanzoffia sitch- on as far as the eye can see. ensis (Mist Maidens), Dodecatheon den- Despite the one-sided conifers visible tatum (White Shooting Star), Erigeron from the Scenic Highway and the ribbon howellii (Howell's Fleabane), Synthyris of cottonwood, ash and willow that bor• stellata, Stenanthium occidentale and ders Express Route 84 along the Colum• Saxifraga mertensiana, to name a few. bia River, the gorge presents an essen• In the rain shadow country east of the tially mineral landscape. Everywhere are Cascade Divide is a quite different array vertical rock scarps, eroding pinnacles, of charmers. In early spring its dry hill• sides and woods are filled with Sisyrinchium grandiflorum (Grass Widow), pudica (Yellow Bells). Erythronium grandiflorum (Yellow Lamb's Tongue), Bird Bills, Desert Parsley and Cluster Lilies. As far as can be determined, the same wildlings grow on both sides of the gorge, though south radiation does bring on earlier flowering on the Washington rocks: Lewisia rediuiua (the Bitter Root) rises earlier at Lyle, Washington quarry than it does on outcrops east of Mosier, Oregon. Photographers willing and able to search them out can find Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman's Britches), Pens- temon rupicola (Rock Beards-tongue) and Douglasia laevigata laevigata both on the heights and along the Old Colum• bia River Highway. The fact that cold air sinks and lingers at the base of the cliffs may have something to do with this strange phenomenon. Because the normal ecologic succes• sion along the Scenic Highway is regu• Latourelle, 224 feet high. Most westerly of water• larly being disturbed by highway mainte• falls along the Scenic Highway. nance practices, there is a continuous

184 Looking east through Columbia River Gorge. The Vista House on the Oregon side to the right. Beacon Rock on the Washington side can be dimly seen in the center distance. display of wild flowers along gorge road• moniaceae, 10 Portulacaceae, 10 Hydro- sides. Periodic mowing of the verges phyllaceae, 8 Violaceae, 6 Campanula- keeps the and shrub seedlings from ceae, 5 Crassulaceae, 4 Gentianaceae, asserting their dominance. Occasional 4 Fumariaceae, etc., etc. massive wash-outs and landslides pro• During the long rainy season, the vide the right conditions for breathtaking winter rosettes of some of our best displays of penstemons and other pri• known rock plants are sheltered in cush• mary invaders until such time as the ions and carpets of mosses, liverworts woody plants reappear. and lichens. These associated lower This spring, the Portland Plant Society plants are lovely enough in themselves published an ongoing "Survey of to enhance any home rockery or trough. Wildflowers and Flowering Shrubs of the The native haunts of wildflowers on the Columbia Gorge" compiled by Russ Jol- Washington side of the river are now ley with the aid of fellow enthusiasts. Al• being threatened by haphazard develop• ready we know that the Columbia Gorge ment furthered somewhat by the new contains around one-fifth of the plant bridge across the Columbia being built population of Oregon, of which about east of Portland. It was a major tragedy sixty are on the rare and endangered list. when Bonneville Dam flooded many Imagine the richness of a local flora that low-lying habitats and turned a roaring includes: 89 Compositae, 43 Rosaceae, river into a string of lakes. Now, a rash of 40 Scrophulariaceae, 38 Leguminosae, real-estate speculators are threatening 37 Liliaceae, 33 Saxifragaceae, 29 Ranun- well-zoned Oregon's view to the north. A culaceae, 16 Boraginaceae, 12 Pole- recently clear-cut tract for twenty-four

185 homes can be viewed from world fa• dates that the designated management mous Multnomah Falls. The new de• team for the proposed National Scenic velopment is five miles from the nearest Area would be required to have local citi• settlement — another disturbing exam• zen input and that, when critical areas, ple of suburban sprawl. Plans for more targeted several years ago by the Na• industrialization within the gorge, given tional Park Service, are acquired for our infamous climate, could be devastat• public access and enjoyment, no existing ing. In the past, law suits directed at homesites would be condemned. effluents from aluminum plants within When the forthcoming bill to create a the gorge suggest that the air drainage National Scenic Area of the Columbia might trap gasses that are deleterious to River Gorge comes up for consideration the environment. When adjacent in the Congress of the United States, let states come to an impasse over the your representatives and senators know necessity for intelligent zoning and in• your concern. Time is running out for formed management of a joint resource, preserving the extraordinary scenery of federal guidelines need to be estab• the gorge with its attendant rich flora and lished. Witness that Lake Tahoe became fauna. Growth is inevitable on the the victim of unresolved conflicts be• Washington side of the gorge, but it tween California and several should proceed slowly and carefully lest years ago. To prevent this type of disas• the environment suffer and we human ter in the Northwest, the draft of a bipar• beings with it. The Columbia River tisan bill to make the Columbia Gorge a Gorge has had a rich cultural history de• National Scenic Area has recently been spite divided management by two politi• submitted to Oregon's congressional de• cal entities — Washington and Oregon. legation by the Friends of the Columbia May both sides of the gorge always re• Gorge. main the great national treasures that For too many years biological man• they are today. § agement in the gorge has fallen between the cracks while politicians and bureau• Bibliography crats feuded. The U. S. Engineers have Donald B. Lawrence: "Some Features ol solved too many problems with concrete the Vegetation of the Columbia River and asphalt, while the spray crews of the Gorge with Special Reference to railroads and Bonneville have been Asymmetry in Forest Trees." Ecologi• broadcasting herbicides. Therefore, the cal Monographs 9:217-257, April bill submitted to the congressional dele• 1939. gation urges that the U.S. Forest Service, Russ Jolley and Lois Kemp: "Survey of long successfully established in the Wildflowers and Flowering Shrubs of gorge, be given a five year mandate to the Columbia Gorge." The Portland correlate the actions of some fifty agen• Chapter of the Native Plant Society of cies operating in the area. It also man• Oregon, 1981.

A plant is only a seed's way of making another seed. — With apologies to Samuel Butler

186 Award Winners - 1982 Award of Merit

Francis H. Cabot Despite childhood summers sur• for three. In this capacity he tried to in• rounded by gardens, followed by rock terest the Gardens in modernising and climbing summers in the European Alps expanding the horticultural programs as a post-WW II college student, Frank and displays for the public. Among his Cabot never noticed gardens or moun• personal crusades was the revitalization tain flowers until the early 1950's when a of the Thompson Memorial Rock Gar• friend and long-time member of ARGS, den, which after many years of neglect Mrs. Hilton W. Long of Dover, Mass., had fallen into disrepair and had become suggested that Frank and his wife use badly overgrown. Toward this end he rock garden plants in the miniscule gar• persuaded Karl Grieshaber, who was in den they were making in their back yard charge of the rock and heather gardens in Walpole, Mass. It was then the virus at Longwood Gardens, to come to New struck and an incurable case of rock gar• York. Though a start was made in refur• dening fever developed. Since then bishing and replanting the Thompson Frank Cabot's services to rock gardening Memorial Garden and the adjacent and the ARGS have been many and wildflower area, Frank Cabot is the first varied. to say that it still does not live up to his After Frank was transferred back to hopes for it. New York, he and Ann discovered Mayfair Nurseries and proceeded to make two small rock gardens, first at Ann's family's farm in Cold Spring, N.Y. and later, in 1959, at their own home on a corner of the farm property. When Mayfair Nursery moved away from the New York metropolitan area it seemed to Frank logical to fill the gap by starting Stonecrop Nursery on his own premises. Unable to give full time to this venture because of other business commitments, Frank contacted Rex Murfitt who de• veloped and ran Stonecrop as a mail• order nursery for six years before return• ing to the better gardening climes of British Columbia. Though unable to keep up the nursery after Murfitt left, Frank did not give up gardening. He also served on the Board of the New York Botanical Gardens for six years and as chairman of that board

187 After his retirement from the NYBG (10 species), petiolarid primulas, om- Board in 1976, Frank concentrated his phalogramma and nomocharis. efforts closer to home. The nursery col• The only problem with two gardens, lection at Stonecrop was rebuilt and dis• according to Frank, is that it doesn't play gardens are gradually being de• seem possible to be in both places at veloped. For the past five years the nur• once. This has led him to paraphrase a sery has once again been in operation popular song that he finds himself con• (though not on a mail-order basis) under stantly humming as he's down on his the able management of Sara Faust. This hands and knees trying to keep ahead of spring, on an experimental basis, the weeds: Stonecrop sent out a list and sold plants Torn between two gardens once again by mail-order during Feb• Weeding all I can, ruary and March. In order to make avail• The tyranny of gardens able the best cultivars as well as those Is too much for this old man. that are difficult to acquire in this coun• It is, then, to "this old man," Francis H. try, Frank travels extensively both in this Cabot — dirt gardener, collector, nurse• country and abroad to obtain plants, ryman, superb plantsman, lecturer, au• and seeds from both nurseries and thor and acute financial manager, that far-flung mountain ranges. the American Rock Garden Society pre• In 1977 Frank became Treasurer of sents a well earned Award of Merit. the Society, a post he has filled admira• — L.L.Foster bly ever since. Through careful manage• ment he has kept the Society on a sound Panayoti P. Callas. financial basis through these years of in• flation, so much so that to date ARGS has been able to keep its membership fees as low or lower than most major hor• ticultural societies. For the past several years Frank has been patiently shepherding the Society through the in• tricacies of obtaining tax-deductable status with the Internal Revenue Service, a process which he hopes will soon reach a satisfactory culmination. In addition to his signal service as Treasurer, Frank has become an out• standing speaker, much in demand not only at ARGS chapter meetings and Study Weekends but before other hor• ticultural organizations. He is also the au• thor of a number of excellent articles in the ARGS Bulletin. Not content with all this activity, Frank is in the process of building a whole new rock garden at his summer home in Malbaie, Province of Quebec where in the cool maritime cli• mate and elbow-deep woods duff, he Colorado owes much to this fine per• can grow such treasures as meconopsis son whose interest in plants cover a les-

188 ser period of time than many. It is difficult George M. Schenk. to perceive where the extensive Rock Al• George Schenk's contributions to pine Garden at Denver Botanic Gardens rock gardening are manifold and di• would be without Panayoti Callas. verse, embracing the collecting and He has been growing and hunting propagation, testing and introduction of plants from an early age and even plant material, the design and construc• though his college education, in linguis• tion of gardens of all sorts and sizes, and tics, did not portend to horticulture, his sharing of experiences through his today one might consider him a walking writing. encyclopedia on rock garden plants. An extensive author, he has published many articles in a host of magazines and journals including our own Bulletin. He has also written extensively for the Green Thumb Magazine of Denver Botanic Gardens, The Alpine Club of British Columbia, The Primrose Society, The Iris Society and Pacific Horticulture. The style of his line drawings shows much character and helps to portray many of the subjects of his articles, to such a degree that these are almost the first thing one looks at. A member of many societies in the plant world extending from rock gardens to native plants and ferns, Panayoti em• braces many friends and contacts from all over the world. As a traveller and plant hunter he has introduced a consid• erable number of plants and improved forms of others into cultivation. Today the fruits of his knowledge are being shown in an even more significant way We know him primarily, of course, by by his expertise and display at Denver his nursery business commenced some Botanic Gardens Alpine Rock Garden. thirty years ago, through which we have When one remembers that today's area been enabled, or better, permitted to see clothed with a mass of plants was but an through his eyes and to grow and enjoy unfinished rock pile just two or so years many of the plants he considered ago one can realize what Panayoti has superior, not merely the most excitingly done. beautiful but, more importantly, those A prime mover behind the Rocky possessed of some certain qualities that Mountain Chapter and its chairman for contribute to the overall effect of the gar• two years, Panayoti illustrates the value den — be it a broad meadow or a bon- of friendship, constantly sharing with kei tray. others his superior knowledge of plants. The numerous plants introduced into He is a very worthy recipient of an Award cultivation from his own personal explo• of Merit. rations in such far-flung places as the — Andrew Pierce. Rio Grande Canyons, both the

189 California and Spanish Sierra Nevada, animate way, not a finite thing. This was the Japanese and European alps and the the essence of Schenk's last contribution tundra-like ranges of New Zealand (to to our own periodical, with its seemingly say nothing of the Cascades and Rockies cryptic title "Never Use a Rock If You near to home), and too those acquired Can Help It". Not only in his own unique from like-minded explorers all over the gardens, but in those he made for others, globe, all of them scathingly tested, the impact of this principle is im• studied and increased in his own garden mediately evident; Schenk's gardens are conditions before being entered into the plant gardens more exactly than rock horticultural encyclopedia, his Wild Gar• gardens. A further book now in manu• den catalogue listings — those inimita• script preparation, will similarly elucidate ble collectors'-item gems of prose he the related subject of "Shade Garden• sent to us. Schenk's often unorthodox ing", and its perpetrator has removed propagation procedures proved them• himself (tentatively, we might hope) selves by their uncanny successes, as from the commercialization of his art to evidenced by the tantalizing treasures in conclude its treatment. those lists, and his way with words contri• The American Rock Garden Society's buted to our pleasure as we read through Award of Merit is only a small, but surely them, time and time again, and with joy. a most sincere gesture from us all simply His other writing is not of a volumin• saying "Thank you, George, thank you ous amount, though it will forever be re• for sharing." garded as important, most of it contribu• — Roy Davidson. tions to a certain few horticultural jour• nals and culminating to this time in the Sharon Sutton. book explaining How to Plan, Build and Not far from the exact center of the Maintain a Rock Garden in which plants State of Washington is a very special must not only appear at home, but plant area. It is a haunting place of basalt would grow as at home. The book is a rock columns that can be lonely in the history, social commentary and all- moonlight or hot and harsh by day. around evaluation of the art of rock gar• Sagebrush predominates, but in the dening and its materials. The "How-to" spring come successive thousands of aspect afforded explanation of ecosys• Lewisia rediviva, of Eriogonum thym- tems, without which no garden can long oides, of Balsamorrhiza and Mentzelia, endure. It also defined for us the Amer• Penstemons and Pediocactus and laven• ican approach to the art as opposed to der Erigerons — the miracle of the both the European and Oriental pre• spring desert. decessor styles, each of which has contri• A dozen years ago, Sharon Sutton buted to and been assimilated into our traveled 150 miles from her Seattle own contemporary concept, almost home every weekend all spring, with without our knowing it. camera and notebook, to make a Since no true art can remain static, methodical study of the succession. That and as the living art of rock gardening spring was prophetic and indicative, the can never be so simple nor so obvious as sprouting of a seed of curiosity fostered it absolutely must appear — the placing by two parents who regularly took her of some stones and some plants in a into the countryside to observe plants, manner imitative of nature — we see who instilled both the love of life and the there is no middle road; the art of it is an sensitivity that she so well exemplifies.

190 Sherry studied alone, then began to learned her lonely desert lessons well, teach the rest of us, as the leader of and brought out of a complex mass and Northwest Chapter field trips, particu• following a long winter, a choice and larly to this special place. She led an special flowering. There is the book, and evening study group on native plants, there is the desert place, which she calls and edited the chapter newsletter. The "Basalt Gardens." Those of us who have members chose her as chapter chair• shared either — or both — say "Thank man, and she was on the ARGS board of you very much." directors. — Marvin Black. She has a special magic with a camera, a flair for capturing a different image. Le Piniec Award Those who saw her pictures that accom• panied Roy Davidson's "Alpine T. Paul Maslin. Botany — Just For the Walk" at the Few genera are as characteristically 1976 Interim International Conference North American as the genus Phlox. It is in Seattle will remember. So will particip• thus particularly satisfying that for this ants at two Western study weekends. year, the North American Rock Garden Her high standards of excellence surely Society's Le Piniec Award goes to a per• recall those of her father, Merle Sutton, son noted for his work on Phlox. longtime editor of the ARGS Bulletin and himself an Award of Merit recipient. Sharon shall most be commemorated by the book "Alpines of the Americas," the Report of the First Interim Interna• tional Rock Garden Plant Conference. She edited the report. Another editor, Roy Elliott of the Alpine Garden Society, said in reviewing the book, "The prepa• ration of such a Report, as your reviewer knows from personal experience, is a soul-destroying task. This Report...must have been a task of frightening mag• nitude. In the Preface, a rather sad note from a 'frustrated and utterly weary editor' (Miss Sharon Sutton) suggests a sense of failure: let her take heart. The report may not have fulfilled editorial in• tentions, but it is still a magnificent effort for which all concerned are to be sin• cerely congratulated...This is a book Dr. T. Paul Maslin was born at Wuhan, which will be eagerly sought after by near Hankow, , in 1909, the son of every alpine gardener, whether they missionaries. Although Hankow is on the were able to attend the Conference or coast and far from the botanical adven• not." tures of Farrer, Forrest, Ward, and Wil• Sherry didn't write the report; dozens son, yet it was China and it did offer a of people did. She only led us there and wealth of plants and animals to observe. helped us see more clearly the beauty, Mount Lushan was nearby and with its like a good artist-photographer. She 200 inch yearly rainfall, it is of rich botan-

191 ical interest. An article in the Autumn ery (Bull. ARGS 1979, pages 62-69) is a issue of Green Thumb ("China — A thrilling botanical adventure comparable Sentimental Journey") and a paper enti• to the well-known rediscovery of Shortia tled "Snakes of the Kiukiang-Lushan galacifolia. In a rare departure, colored Area, Kiangsi, China" reflect Paul's early photographs of two of the color phases years in China and the rich background were reproduced in the ARGS Bulletin. that it provided for an eager naturalist. Phlox nana and mesoleuca and their Paul continued his interest in the natu• thrilling purple, yellow, and flaming ver- ral sciences, receiving B.S. and M.S. de• million color forms are growing well at grees from the University of California the Denver Botanical Gardens under the and a Ph.D. degree from Stanford Uni• expert hand of Panayoti Callas. They are versity. For three decades he was Profes• being propagated at Siskiyou Nurseries, sor at the University of Colorado and and they promise to be real additions to Curator of their zoological collections. horticulture. They are hardy to 10° to 20° Over these years he has been a regular below zero and should be growable in contributor to scientific journals such as most parts of the U.S. as well as Europe Journal of Herpetology, Herpetologica, and Japan, providing attention is given Journal of Experimental Zoology;, Sys• to their needs for extra dryness in sum• tematic Zoology, American Midland mer and a loose sandy or gravel root run. Naturalist, Southwest Naturalist, Cop- Under such conditions Phlox mesoleuca eia, and University Bulletins in Biology. has been successful for over a decade in These studies took him on many field central Pennsylvania. The introduction trips to southwestern U.S. and Mexico. and development of strains in this group The ARGS is fortunate that these field promise a wide range of color combina• trips now include botanical investiga• tions with exceptionally long blooming tions. periods. The credit for these develop• The genus Phlox has been a trouble• ments goes to Paul Maslin. some one from a taxonomic viewpoint. It is a great pleasure today for the Wherry's monograph was monumental, ARGS to present the Le Piniec Award to but the genus is both rapidly evolving Dr. T. Paul Maslin for both taxonomic and populated with isolated relic col• clarification in Phlox and, even more, for onies. Maslin's particular contribution starting a new race of phlox which prom• has been to do extensive field work on ise to have a bright future in horticulture the Phlox nana complex in Mexico and and rock gardening in particular. It is fit• southwestern U.S. His separation of ting that this award is given at this annual Phlox nana (taproot) and Phlox meso- meeting in Boulder, Colorado, where we leuca (slender wandering rhizomes) is have seen these phlox growing in the described in the Quarterly Bulletin of the Denver Botanical Garden and in the gar• Alpine Garden Society, 1978, pages den of Paul Maslin. We have also had the 162-167. pleasure of hearing about these phlox Of more significance to members of from Paul Maslin himself and seeing his the ARGS are the plant introductions of slides of these phlox in the field. Paul Maslin. For nearly 100 years — Norman Deno. Pringle's report of red, purple, and yel• low phlox of the nana group had gone Edgar T. Wherry Award unsubstantiated, although Line Foster and Wherry had made brief reference to Ruth Ashton Nelson. these reports. The story of their rediscov• The story really begins in 1930 when

192 Ruth Ashton came to as work. graduate assistant in the Rocky Moun• The Handbook of Rocky Mountain tain Herbarium at the University in Plants was first published in 1969. It has Laramie. The curator there was the re• been constantly in print and in 1980 was nowned botanist of the flora of the Rock• published in a revised edition. It covers ies, Aven Nelson. Ruth Ashton became the flora of the Rocky Mountain region Mrs. Nelson the following year. from Canada to . With its For the next twenty years, until Dr. chapters on the climate, physiography Nelson's death, the couple made exten• and ecology of the region it is more, sive botanical excursions together. Dur• much more than a mere plant check list. ing this time, Ruth Ashton Nelson's first Indeed, this book, addressed as it is to book was published by the United States the layman, based on a long, scholarly Government, Plants of Rocky,; Mountain education in and devotion to botany National Park, originally written as a exemplifies perfectly the standards of the thesis for her Master's in Botany at Col• Wherry Award. Here is a scientific work orado State University, a work still in written and composed for the enrich• print through revised editions. ment of our knowledge of American Ruth Nelson continued to lead a full plants, a profound source for expert and and active life after her husband's death. amateur. This book was followed by In 1954 she moved to Colorado Springs, another written by request, Plants of sharing a house with Kathleen Marriage, Zion National Park. a long-time member of ARGS. They It is with deep appreciation of her de• shared a deep interest in and profound votion and energy in a major contribu• knowledge of the flora of the Colorado tion to our understanding of an impor• Rockies. Continuing field trips and warm tant aspect of the American flora that the personal associations with Bettie Willard American Rock Garden Society presents and Rhoda Roberts, with whom she the Edgar T. Wherry Award to Ruth worked on publications of botanical im• Ashton Nelson. § port, led finally to Ruth Nelson's master — H. Lincoln Foster.

The Show Bench.

Annual Meeting 1982 Plant Show

Class 1 — Ferns: 1st - Bommeria hispida, Ray Class 5 — Bun, Cushion or Polster: lst-Are- Radebaugh; 2nd - Adiantum pedatum var. japon- naria tetraquetra 'Granatensis', Ray Radebaugh; icum 'Hakusan', Ray Radebaugh. 2nd - Saxifraga semperviuoides 'Minutissima', Class 2 — Dwarf Conifers: 1st - Picea pungens Ray Radebaugh; 3rd- Saxifraga paniculata, f. glauca 'Saint Mary's', Ray Radebaugh; 2nd- Andrew Pierce. Picea orientalis 'Aurea Nana', Ray Radebaugh. Class 6 — Troughs: 1st - Ray Radebaugh. Class 3 — Dwarf Shrubs: 1st - Hebe buch- Class 7 — Crassulaceae: 1st - Sempervivum ananii minor, Andrew Pierce. arachnoideum, Andrew Pierce; 2nd - Sedum Class 4 — Bulbous Plants: 1st - Iris cristata, lanceolatum, Andrew Pierce. Andrew Pierce; 2nd - Tro/lius pumifus, Andrew Class 8 — Foliage Plants: 1st - Festuca ovina v. Pierce; 3rd - Allium sp., Eleanor Saur. glauca nana, Ray Radebaugh.

193 Class 9 — Plants Native to U.S.: 1st -Lewisia Class 11 —Miscellaneous: 1st -Aquilegia cae- cotyledon alba, Andrew Pierce; 2nd - Lewisia nxlea, Andrew Pierce; 2nd - Anthemis bieber- cotyledon, Andrew Pierce; 3rd -Anemone multi- steinii, Andrew Pierce. fida var. globosa, Andrew Pierce. Most Aggregate Points: Andrew Pierce. Class 10 — Rock Garden Plants in Rower: 1st — Best in Show: Iris cristata, Andrew Pierce. § Dodecatheon pulchellum macrocarpum, Andrew — Evelyn Murrow Pierce; 2nd — Aquilegia flabellata, Ray Radebaugh; Show Chairman 3rd - Edraianthus tenuifolius, Andrew Pierce.

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The Iris by Brian Mathew, 1982. Universe Geographic varieties and subspecies Books, New York, N.Y. Hardcover, 176 often are described as they compare to pages, $40.00 the type species. Iris is yet another genus in taxonomic Brian Mathew's comprehensive work confusion, and Brian Mathew's con• The Iris is sure to become the standard tribution here, while not intended to be reference to the genus. Mr. Mathew, a definitive, is based on original botanic re• Principal Scientific Officer at the Royal search in the field and in the herbarium, Botanic Gardens, Kew and a taxonomic and on familiarity with the most recent botanist for 14 years, has made the gen• taxonomic information published by era Iris and Crocus a focus of study and other iris authorities. Keys to the Sub- has travelled extensively, mainly in Tur• genera, Sections and Series are in• key, Iran and the Balkans, observing the cluded. Within these classifications, plants in the wild. Rock gardeners may there is first a description of the features be familiar with his previous publications which are common to the species within Dwarf Bulbs and The Larger Bulbs, that group. Each species is then de• which offer an introduction to species scribed in detail. The morphological bulbs both well known and rare, with characteristics which distinguish one much valuable cultural information. species from another are presented in The Iris has, as a primary objective, understandable terms (the glossary is a the description of the approximately 250 helpful addition). Geographic distribu• wild species of iris (and four very closely tion is given for all species and, impor• related genera) distributed throughout tantly, native habitat (i. e. rocky moun• the northern hemisphere, and their tain slope, grassland, shady pine woods) classification within the genus. In gen• is described for most. Mr Mathew has in• eral, cultivars and hybrids are excluded, cluded the author for each species, and the exception being those stable hybrids the synonymy, for those who might wish which have been given specific names. to track down the original description of

194 a species and the tangled nomenclature Brian Mathew's admirable (and envi• it may have acquired during its botanical able) combination of taxonomic exper• history. tise, gardening excellence, and great skill The book includes 38 color and 32 in presenting information in a concise black and white photographs. These fine and interesting way has produced a very reproductions consist mainly of unfamil• fine book, of use to the gardener in iar species, shown in the wild, which search of beautiful plants, and to those gives them special interest. Sixteen line with botanic interests as well. drawings present details of rhizome and It is regrettable that the rather steep root structure, flower form and parts, price may prevent some interested grow• seed capsules and seed, and illustrate ers from acquiring this valuable refer• several species. ence, but The Iris will surely be available The descriptive material in the text in libraries of botanic and horticultural in• alone should be of great interest to gar• stitutions. — Sara Faust deners who grow some of the species iris. Mr. Mathew is himself a gardener, The Bulb Book and he "cultivates as many as possible of by Martyn Rix and Roger Phillips the plants about which he writes, consid• Pan Books, Ross Books, Berkeley, Calif. ering this to be an integral part of under• 192 pages, Approx. $12.50. standing the whole 'make-up' of a species." This first-hand knowledge of This new book is a most exciting cultivation is shared with the reader, and photographic guide to over 800 bulbs, makes this book especially valuable. corms, tubers and rhizomes, many of Though he is, of course, most familiar which are ideal for the rock garden. with growing conditions in England, he It is rare to find the needs of both gar• includes suggestions for North American dener and naturalist combined in one growers, and the information on the volume. The photographer and design• plants' native habitats will assist the gar• er, Roger Phillips, of Tree Book fame, dener to approximate these conditions. has found the ideal format to do just that. His assessment of the garden worthiness The photographs are all dated and are of the species will be useful to the gar• arranged in the sequence of flowering. dener who wants to grow species iris, yet This is a great help when trying to iden• avoid those which are of botanic interest tify some of the more unusual bulbs that only. may have been given as gifts or raised A relatively small percentage of iris from seed. Each plant is shown complete species are truly suitable visually or cul• with roots, stems, leaves, and flowers turally for the rock garden. However, and with a scale and date given below many rock gardeners also have other the picture or in the text. In addition, kinds of garden environments — lightly where possible, they have also been shaded woodland, pond or stream side, photographed in their native habitat. A meadow, perennial or shrub border — carpet of Tulipa dasystemon growing in where iris species could add their special the Tien Shan mountains, a bluebell grace and distinction. The hard-core wood in England, or a stand of Eremurus species iris enthusiast will find many stenophyllus in the Hindu Kush were challenging iris in the book for which enough to reawaken my dormant wan• construction of a bulb frame, or cultiva• derlust. tion in pots in a cold greenhouse will not In the introduction, Dr. Martyn Rix seem like too much of an undertaking. writes, "Bulbs have a particular fascina-

195 tion for me. In this book we hope to show Photographed (in the wild) near Sarrat, something of the beauty and diversity of Andorra, by Brinsley Burbidge." bulbous plants". This they have done The introductory pages give an insight and more. Dr. Rix, until recently botanist into general distribution, native habitats, to the Royal Horticultural Society, has collection, conservation, cultivation and complemented Roger Phillips' artistry care of bulbous plants. Amateur photo• with a masterly text, brief, yet containing graphers will also appreciate the hints all the necessary information. given on taking wild flower portraits in "Erythronium dens-canis L. (Liliac- the field. eae). Dog's-tooth Violet. Native of Only a dedicated enthusiast could Europe from Spain and Portugal to Au• possibly have undertaken to research stria, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, the wealth of information which is given growing in scrub, in deciduous woods for each species. This book will have and rocky places and meadows up to great appeal to all gardeners, but espe• 1700 m, on the south side of the Alps, cially to those who enjoy growing the flowering from April to June. The rare, the small and the difficult. It is a amount of spotting on the leaves is very book to use from the practical point of variable, and some forms from Italy have view, and also a book to enjoy, for the especially beautiful leaves. Easy to grow beauty of its photographs. § in leafy soil or in thin grass in half shade. — Brenda Cole, Ottawa,

Campanula x' Justiniana'

Vaughn Aiello Chicago, Illinois

This plant was acquired at the plant wasn't sure what it was until I acquired a sale of the Annual Meeting of ARGS in copy of Fairer's English Rock Garden. 1977. It was a pretty little thing and car• His description matched my plant per• ried its bloom very nicely. It weathered fectly and I discovered it was a natural the trip home and was planted in front of hybrid of C. cochlearifolia and C. rotun• a dwarf Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Com- difolia linifolia. As both of these grow in pressa Aurea' where the dainty C. rotun- the garden, I quickly scrutinized them in difolia type flowers made a good show. the light of this new information and C. x I thought it was just a good form of C. 'Justiniana' does, indeed, exhibit a rotundifolia, which had been given a beautiful combination of the traits of cute name by someone who had taken a both parents. From C. cochlearifolia it fancy to it, but it soon exhibited traits that has acquired the ability to travel, but ever just did not seem reasonable for that so slowly as this proclivity is tempered by species; it spread out slender stems with the tap-rooted nature of C. rotundifolia small scalloped leaves and rooted as it linifolia. The is that of C. r. traveled. Soon it was divided for friends linifolia, but lacks the coarseness of this and a few of our -Illinois parent; its blooms are arranged on the Chapter plant sales and was placed in stem with the daintiness of C. several locations in the garden. But I still cochlearifolia. It hugs the ground, root-

196 ing as it spreads, and carries its bells the two bloom together. about six to seven inches high. Since Farrer's description was written One division off my original plant has in 1918 and to quote him, "C. x 'Jus- performed quite unusually. Placed in a tiniana' will be but rarely met with," and wall bed, where it has spread through the because I feel sure that this plant is soil joints between the stones, it was in worthy of any garden, I am trying to en• continual flower from May until late fall sure that it becomes more easily ac• and kept opening buds into early winter, quired. So in addition to making it availa• despite several days of freezing tempera• ble to our members in the Wisconsin-Il• tures (on one day down to 18° F.). It has linois Chapter I have sent divisions to a spread into a Saponaria x 'Olivana' and nursery that is already propagating it for should create quite a show next spring if wider dispersal. §

Collector's Notebook: Two Columbia Plateau Albinos

Clarkia pulchella alba Geranium viscosissimum album

It should surprise nobody to come un• expectedly onto an abnormally colored (or colorless) individual wildflower, but the surprise is always there when you least expect it. That is the delight of it. Last year in eastern Washington I hap• pened onto two albinos. One May day had started out with a search for nor• mally white-flowered Brodiaea hyacin- thina where I had suspected it might be. It was easily located in fine flower and the site noted for future seed gathering. In getting the car headed in the opposite di• rection for the return home I pulled off into the entrance to a field on a high basalt-rimmed bank above the river. Re• cent warm rains after some spring drought had induced a tremendous vigor to the Clarkia growing among the cheat-grass, so much so that acres and acres were glowing "pink" with its "rag• ged-robin" crosses. Near at hand and very prominent was a mound of some• thing white; I'd never seen an albino Clarkia pulchella in my sixty (and more)

197 years of living and looking. Here it was. to cut it off. In July I returned for seed, and though But at end of August it was still there I had marked it well I could not find the and every branch bore cranesbills, all of exact plant; however I took seed from which were cut and stuffed into a grocery the general area and perhaps a white bag. Two months later and now one will show up where I scattered it thoroughly dry, the mass looked like a among the twigginess of Artemisia rigida. small bale of marijuana (judging by Then right alongside the road I had news-photos of bales confiscated for traveled all my life appeared a low green burning) with the problem of extracting leafy mound of some substance covered seed from such a gummy mass. First it with white stars. I braked, backed up, was shredded and pushed through a and parked, expecting to find another half-inch mesh hardware-cloth soil sieve, escaped garden plant, but it turned out and so forth, down to the laborious to be a fine albino form of the prairie hand-picking of individual seeds, and geranium, G. viscosissimum. There are after three hours I had all of eighteen fine records of such forms taken, one of them seed and a pile of stuff for the compost. in the next county north by none other This is a fine plant, better, I think, than than Wilhelm Suksdorf in 1916. This any G. richardsonii I have seen, with a species is unfortunately marked by an texture veining that enhances rather unpleasant, slightly skunky, glandular than detracts. I am in hopes of obtaining development. The normal color is a not- some divisions from this one, though the too-pleasant crimson-lake (or dull huge taproot doesn't divide well. § magenta). This would be easily refound, - Roy Davidson, Seattle, Washington I reflected as I left, unless a mower were Drawing by the author

A Baker's Dozen For Beginners

Dorothea De Vault Easton, Connecticut

It is with chagrin I look in the garden ers, though they are a bonus of Sweet diary to find many plants listed that we Woodruff. no longer grow: the lewisias, Kabschia Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, often saxifrages, dodecatheon . . . and on and called Plumbago, is a spreader with on. Too painful to admit. But there are bright blue flowers, which bloom from compensations. It occurred to me that August on in baking sun or light shade. It beginning rock gardeners might be in• is slow to come up in spring. terested in my baker's dozen of attractive Chrysogonum virginianum grows in old reliables, which give satisfaction year slowly increasing mats and has pert yel• in year out with a minimum of attention, low, daisy-like flowers on and off all sea• at least in southern Connecticut. son. If it dies back in a severe winter it will Alphabetically, not in order of prefer• come up bravely the following spring. ence, they are as follows: Corydalis lutea is a treasure to us - Asperula odorata, a low carpet, for in• fernlike, with fine cut leaves and abun• stance under rhododendrons, a shade dant yellow flowers from spring to frost. lover. I do not grow it for the white flow• It seems to grow anywhere, in any soil, in

198 sun or shade, but it does not like trans• not the yellow button flowers. It sheers planting except when very young. It is a neatly and is a good edging plant. If it self-sower, but is no problem to remove dies back in a severe winter it will usually where not wanted. Best started from recover. very fresh seed. Many sophisticated gardeners turn up — how I like this plant. their noses at Sempervivums, Hen and We have it in rose, white, yellow, laven• Chicks, but with every passing year I find der, orange-brown, and red. The root them more desirable, not for the flower, system and clump of pretty leaves are which I remove, but for the tidy, tight thick enough to inhibit weeds. To divide rosettes of mother and children. There a well grown plant sometimes calls for a are countless forms, but S. butcher knife, even an axe. For us it is arachnoideum, the cobwebbed species, not happy in full sun and prefers a wood• is especially attractive. This is a good land soil, but will thrive in ordinary gar• genus to grow near, even on, rocks if a den soil. soil pocket is available to get them Gentiana scabra, another of our trea• started. They are completely drought re• sures, is a late bloomer, early September sistant. to hard frost. It likes sun and has beauti• yakusimanum from Japan is the ful deep blue flowers. Some forms are smallest violet known. Its leaf is smaller upright, some low and trailing. It does than my little finger-nail, the minature not appear to be fussy about soil, but flower quite perfect. Children as well as probably a friable, leafmoldy soil would grown-ups are charmed by it. I want it to suit it best. spread and spread and spread. Houstonia caerulea, known as Bluets Now deliberately out of alphabetical or Quaker Ladies, is a tiny gem best in order is a plant whose mention will cause clumps, but a pleasure wherever it shows raised eyebrows for its inclusion in a list up. It prefers sun, but will do in light of easy and dependable plants. Shortia shade, though it will disappear if there is galacifolia is not difficult if a few rules are heavy competition or a carpet of fallen followed: deciduous woods and acid soil leaves. Self-sows, thank Heaven. containing nature's own leafmold, wat• I rate Iberis semperuirens highly. It is a ering when needed the first year of trans• sturdy, small shrub, whose white flowers planting. That is all we have ever done. in May often last three weeks. It has the As our hose does not reach into the defect of burning in winter, though a light woods our plants must get along with cover of evergreen boughs takes care of whatever bounty or scarcity of rain there this problem. Iberis saxatilis is smaller, is. Our problem is deer, so a chickenwire but less dependable with us. cover in winter is a necessity. Phlox stolonifera — here I must en• Beginning gardeners who need more thusiastically present twins, 'Blue Ridge' details for planting and caring for most of and Phlox stolonifera alba, sometimes the plants on this list should consult our listed as 'Arianne.' Both are backbones "source book." I am referring to the rock for the lightly shaded rock garden. The gardeners' bible — H. Lincoln Foster's white form is a husky grower with larger Rock Gardening. The book is difficult to flowers on somewhat taller flowering buy as it is out-of-print, but is usually av• stems. Both spread fairly rapidly by stol- ailable in local libraries. Another infor• lons. mative book is All About Rock Gardens Santolina chamaecyparissus, Laven• and Plants by Walter Kolaga, also, unfor• der Cotton, is grown for the gray foliage tunately out-of-print. §

199 Notes From Alaska

Helen A. White Anchorage, Alaska

ALASKAN WILLOWS More than forty species and sub• lower 48 states. — Ed.) species of Salix occur in Alaska; of these, Salix dodgeana, S. tschuktschorum, twenty are dwarf, prostrate or trailing S. saxatilis and S. nummalaria come and qualify for use in rock gardens. Their quite close to Alaska in their present diverse forms, various shades of foliage, range. The first is in Canada and the and their curious flowers make them nice others are Siberian species. Wouldn't it plants for contrast in the garden. Most be super if you could find one or more of will start easily from cuttings but they are them in Alaska? Following is a list of Salix slow growers. species to be found in Alaska suitable for Many of these tiny "trees" are old the rock garden: plants as one can readily see when S. arctica (3 ssp.) examining the gnarled "trunks." Some arctolitoralis of the plants cling tightly to the soil while arctophila others may stand up a bit; they fill in chamissonis crevices very well. Some of the "pussies" cyclophylla or flowers are remarkably tall, up to four fuscescens inches, considering the other habits of glauca ssp. callicarpaea the plant. hebecarpa (endemic) Perhaps one of the best of the Salix for myrtillifolia home use is S. reticulata, the so-called oualifolia Net Veined Willow, which varies greatly pedicellaris in leaf size and form and has most attrac• phlebophylla tive shiny, green, much veined foliage. It polaris will settle in happily in almost any situa• reptans tion. Perhaps for the rock garden it reticulata (2 ssp.) should be kept a bit on the dry side to in• rotundifolia hibit its growth a little although it is not setchelliana (endemic) apt to get out of hand. (It is certainly not sphenophylla likely to outgrow its allotted space in the stolonifera § • • • of Cabbages and Kings • • •

It is surprising how infrequently plant to say that these chapters do not hold shows, either competitive or non-com• plant shows; perhaps these are simply petitive, are mentioned in the newslet• not considered newsworthy enough to ters I receive (and most gratefully) from be reported. the various chapters of ARGS. This is not Yet plant shows can be a very impor-

200 tant adjunct of chapter meetings. Here in winner, who keeps the cup for a year and Connecticut we have them at nearly all then returns it so it may be passed on to our monthly meetings. Such shows are future winners. At all competitive shows held in conjunction with our regular a non-competitive table is available for programs and are usually competitive as extra plants that either do not fit into the we have found our members are more show schedule or an exhibitor does not likely to bring in well presented, interest• want to put into competition. ing plants for a scheduled show than for There are several reasons for having an informal "show and tell" program. chapter plant shows other than giving its First, second and third prize plants are members an opportunity to show off chosen in each class by vote of the mem• their plants and accumulate stars on their bers at the meeting and the points (three show cards. Indeed, these other reasons for first, two for second, and one for third could be considered primary. Shows place, with ties each receiving their allot• give members an opportunity to see and ted place points) are counted by the examine closely in the flesh plants they show committee (usually volunteers at may otherwise know only from fleeting each meeting) and are recorded by the glimpses on a screen or from illustrations show chairman, who is appointed annu• in a book. Shows also encourage them ally. At the end of the year the person to try to grow some of the less well with the highest accumulated number of known rock plants. — "If he or she can points receives an award. This need not grow it, maybe I can, too." It also gives be elaborate. In our chapter's case it is a members an opportunity to find out how medium sized clay pot with "The Con• such plants can be grown in their area necticut Challenge Trophy" and the year and, perhaps, where they can be ob• it was won written with a fine-pointed in• tained. delible marker on the rim and a few It is, therefore, a valuable adjunct to a simplified sketches of rock plants drawn plant show to allow enough time for a on the sides of the pot. The prize could talk session during which exhibitors can be a small trowel, a pair of hand clippers, briefly say something about their plants, a weeding implement, or a book. Some and answer questions. If the show is a years, when for one reason or another competitive one, this could be done very few competitive shows are held or while the plant committee tallies the very few people feel moved to exhibit votes and affixes the stars to the show plants, the trophy is not given. cards or at some convenient moment af• In addition to these mini-shows, the terwards. A moderator, perhaps a Connecticut Chapter usually has one big member of the show committee, the show in the spring, sometimes at a joint chapter chairman, or some other vocal, meeting with one or two other chapters. reasonably knowledgeable member is In this case the show itself is the main necessary at this point to call on the event and no other program is planned exhibitors of particularly noteworthy for that meeting. Though the points won plants (not necessarily place winners) at such a show are not included in the and get the discussion underway, if yearly total of cumulative points, silver necessary by asking a few pertinent cups, donated for this purpose, are pre• questions of their own. Time should also sented to the winner of the highest be allowed so that all those present can aggregate points in that show and also thoroughly examine the plants at their for the best plant in show. These cups are leisure after the discussion. Such discus• engraved with the name of that year's sion and examination not only serves to

201 instruct the members — it encourages perhaps for a number of years, and gone exhibitors to show again. It's one thing to to the trouble of potting up and bringing receive the momentary recognition of a to the show and another to be able to tell blue star for a plant you have raised, your peers how you did it. §

CHANGING YOUR ADDRESS? Please send prompt notification of change of address to the Secretary, Norman Singer, Norfolk Rd., S. Sandisfield, MA 01255 If you do not do so we must charge you for the additional postage needed to forward Bulletins and notices returned to us because of non-delivery at your former address.

PACIFIC HORTICULTURE ~~~ a magazine about plants and Gardens of the West Illustrated Color Quarterly Annually: U.S. $10; Canada & Mexico $12; Overseas $14 in U.S. Currency Write to P.O. Box 22609, San Francisco, CA 94122

Catalogue for CHOICE ALPINES Gardeners DWARF BULBS ROOTED CYCLAMEN Issued spring and fall GROUND ORCHIDS & each contains an abundance of hardy plant varieties and PLEIONES useful cultural information. Tulipa Perennials • Wlldflowers praestans 'Fusilier' We ship overseas Bulbs • Selected Woody Plants

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ETHIOPIA—10 to 27 February and 10 to 27 November This tour which aroused enormous interest this year is to be repeated in 1983 with minor improvements. Starting in Addis Ababa, we follow the Historic Route to Bahar Dar on the shores of Lake Tana and watch the Tississat Falls plunge 200 feet at the beginning of their two thousand mile journey to meet the White Nile in the Sudan; to Gondar in the Semyan Mountains where we spend a day's plant-hunting and to Lalibella with its famous mediaeval hand-hewn monolithic churches, some accessi• ble only on mule-back. The second half of the tour is, by contrast, given to the explo• ration of the Rift Valley from Lake Langano and Lake Awasa to Arba Minch, near the Omo Reserve on the far side of the Great Rift Escarpment. The scenery everywhere is wild, spectacular and eminently photogenic. Apart from its unusual botanic in• terest, its bird life is unique in Africa. PROVISIONAL PRICE £1200.

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OTHER TOURS INCLUDE one-centre holidays in the Spanish Pyrenees, the Dolo• mites and Switzerland, for alpine flowers, in late June and July; three departures for Ennistymon (Eire) in spring and summer with an emphasis on The Burren with its curious limestone formation and rare flowers; North East Turkey in May; and Himalayan Treks out of Nepal and Kashmir in April, August and November/De• cember. Full details will be sent on application to the organisers:

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206 OWL RIDGE ALPINES ROCKNOLL Choice Alpines & Native Wildflowers Send for our special list of Rock Plants, Perennials, Shrubs & Evergreens Open Weekends or by appointment Free List. . . We Ship

Send 50C for List Attention — Eleanor Saur 5421 Whipple Lake Road ROCKNOLL NURSERY Clarkston, 48016 9210 U.S. 50 — Hillsboro, 45133 1-313-394-0158

COLLECTOR'S CATALOG Dwarf Evergreens Thousands of different Seeds Uncommon Trees from every continent Many collected in the wild. Visitors Welcome Displays Labeled * ALSO * Browsing Encouraged BARNHAVEN SILVER-DOLLAR PRIMROSES Please send a stamp or two for our list Seeds & Transplants (No shipping) Catalog plus Collector's Seed List $1.00 (deductible) DILATUSH NURSERY FAR NORTH GARDENS 780 Rte. 130 15621 AR Auburndale, Livonia, Ml 48154 Robbinsville, N.J. 08691

THE SEEDLIST HANDBOOK WATNONG NURSERY 3rd Edition 1980, Reprinted 1982 The place to find some With Paging Errors Corrected "HARD TO FIND" PLANTS BERNARD HARKNESS, COMPILER Gaylussacia brachycera 246 pages. References to Illustrations. Dwarf Conifers, Leiophyllum, dwarf & low Bibliography growing Rhododendrons, R. yakusimanum By Appointment, at the Nursery Only $8.50 ppd. — RETAIL ONLY No Catalog Hazel and Don Smith 201 —539-0312 KASHONG PUBLICATIONS Morris Plains, New Jersey 07950 P.O. Box 90. Bellona. New York 14415

w..jbu nur5ene5 W NATURE'S 21 WORLEY ST., WEST ROXBURY GARDEN 02132 Species Primulas — Gentiana TRILLIUM, EPIMEDIUM. IRIS Alpine Show Auriculas FERNS, ORCHIDS Ramondas — Lewisias ROCK & WOODLAND PLANTS: ORIENTAL COUNTERPARTS Sedums and Sempervivums New Plant List - 50c Route 1, Box 488 CATALOGUE 500 Beaverton, OR 97007

207 THE ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY

Membership of the Alpine Garden Society puts the American alpine gardener in close touch with those throughout the world who share his interest in one of the most absorbing branches of horticulture. The Quarterly Bulletin of the A.G.S. is respected internationally as one of the most informative publica• tions of its kind. It will bring into your home a distillation of the experience and ideas of some of the finest gardeners, plant explorers and horticultural thinkers of our time. Among the many other benefits of the Society, its uniquely comprehensive seed list alone is worth more than the modest subscription of $15.00 for Overseas Members. Apply to:— The Secretary, the Alpine Garden Society Lye End Link, St. John's, Woking, Surrey, England

THE ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY'S PUBLICATIONS,

WRITTEN BY ACKNOWLEDGED EXPERTS IN THEIR OWN SUBJECTS, OFFER OUTSTANDING VALUE

HANDBOOK OF ROCK GARDENING $4.00 THE GENUS LEWISIA By R. C. Elliott $4.50 SAXIFRAGES By Winton Harding $6.00 ALPINES IN SINKS AND TROUGHS By Joe Elliott $2.75 THE GENUS CYCLAMEN By D. E. Saunders $3.25 ASIATIC PRIMULAS By Roy Green $12.00 DAPHNE By Chris Brickell and Brian Mathew $12.00 ANDROSACES By George Smith and Duncan Lowe $12.00 MOUNTAIN FLOWER HOLIDAYS IN EUROPE By Lionel Bacon $22.00 DWARF SHRUBS By Harold Bawden $11.50

AGS Publications are available ONLY from AGS Publications Ltd. (All prices postpaid) O.K. HASELGROVE, 278/280 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London E17 9PL, England

THE SCOTTISH ROCK GARDEN CLUB

Offers you... Its twice yearly Journal, well illustrated and containing authoritative articles on all aspects of rock gardening, rock plants, and their world wide haunts. Its excellent annual scheme for the distribution of rare & unusual seed, amongst its international members. for £3.50 per year ($8.00) Hon. Subscription Secretary D. J. Donald Esq. Morea, Main Rd., Balbeggie, Perth PH2 6EZ, Scotland Please pay subscriptions by cheque in U.K. currency drawn on a British Bank or by International Money Order.

208 DIRECTORATE AMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETY President Emeritus HAROLD EPSTEIN, 5 Forest Court, Larchmont, New York

President ROBERT L. MEANS, 410 Andover St., Georgetown, Mass. 01833 Vice-President KENNETH J. LOVE, 3335 N.W. Luray Terrace, Portland, Ore. 97210 Secretary NORMAN SINGER, Norfolk Rd., S. Sandisfield, Mass. 01255 Treasurer FRANCIS H. CABOT, Cold Spring, N.Y. 10516 Directors Term Expires 1983 Marvin E. Black Iza Goroff Howard W. Pfeifer Term Expires 1984 Patricia Lou Carson Mamie Hook Dr. Robert McDermott (Mrs. Orel Dale) Term expires 1985 William S. Folkman Andrew Pierce Waid R. Vanderpoel

Director of Seed Exchange Kenneth Vogel Minnesota Landscape Arboretum 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chanhassen, MM 55317

Director of Slide Collection Mrs. Lois E. Ecklund Route #5, River Haven. St. Cloud, Minn. 56301

ARGS-PHS Library Service Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Library 325 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19106

CHAPTER CHAIRMEN

Adirondack ELVA C. LINK. Box 211 RD 2, Corinth, NY 12822 Allegheny MARIE PLAISTED, BOX 232, Connoquenessing, PA 16027 Columbia-Willamette VlOLA V. SOBOLIK, 2120 Pioneer Rd., Dallas, OR 97338 Connecticut ESTHER LEGEYTBAILEY. 157 Douglas St., Hartford, CT06114 Delaware Valley ROXIE E. GEVJAN. 536 Dogwood Place, Newtown Square, PA 19073 Great Lakes JUDY PEARSON, 5421 Whipple Lake Rd., Clarkston, MI 48016 Hudson Valley DR. ROBERT M. COLE, 60 Benedict Ave., Tarrytown, NY 10591 Long Island ISABEL HIBBARD, 4 Nancy Dr., S. Farmingdale, NY 11735 Midwestern AILEEN MCWILLIAM (Acting Chm.), 711 St., Mena, AR 71953 Minnesota JULIUS WADEKAMPER, 10078 154th Ave., Elk River, MN 55330 New England MRS. ROBERT ALBERTS, BOX 35, Old Milford Rd., Amherst, NH 03031 Northwestern MARVIN E. BLACK, 124 N. 181 St., Seattle, WA 98133 Ohio Valley MICHAEL D. COLE, 730 Carlsbrook Dr., Beaver Creek, OH 45385 Potomac Valley LYNN MAKELA, 5408 Yorkshire St., Springfield, VA 22151 Rocky Mountain ANDREW PIERCE, Denver Botanic Gardens, 909 York St., Denver, CO 80206 Siskiyou RAMONA OSBURN, 1325 Wagon Trail, Jacksonville, OR 97530 Watnong SIEGLINDE ANDERSON, P.O. Box 93, Hope, NJ 07844 Western WILLIAM FOLKMAN, 2640 San Benito Dr., Walnut Creek, CA 94598 Westem-No. Carolina SAM CHILDS, 3410 Brevard Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28739 Wisconsin-Illinois IZA GOROFF, 1976 Church St., East Troy, WI 53120 YOUR ARGS BOOKSTORE * New items in stock

1. ALPINES OF THE AMERICAS — The Report of the First Interim International Conference, 1976 327 pp., 20 pp. of color plus black and white photos $15.95 2. THE ALASKA-YUKON WILDFLOWER GUIDE — 217 pp. Color photos by plant family $9.00 3. THE SEEDLIST HANDBOOK — by Bernard Harkness. 3rd ed., 246 pp. Quick reference to seed listings of ARGS, Alpine Garden Society, Scottish R.G.CIub. Gives genus, type plant, height, col• or origin and horticultural reference $7.50 4. THE GENUS PHLOX — by Edgar T. Wherry. 174 pp. Monograph with photos, line drawings, dis• tribution maps $6.50 5. * ROCK GARDENS — by Wilhelm Schacht. 192 pp. Edited and with introduction by Jim Archi• bald. 28 pp. of color photos plus line drawings $17.50 6. THE HANDBOOK OF ROCK GARDENING — 77 pp. Published jointly by the ARGS and Brook• lyn Botanic Garden. Well illustrated $2.25 7. WHAT'S IN A NAME — 24 pp. An easy explanation of botanical names $2.50 8. * PLANTS OF THE VIRGIN MOUNTAINS — 51 pp. Line drawings and descriptions of plant ma• terial of 's Virgin Mountains $2.00 9. * PLANTS OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK — 168 pp. Color photos $6.95 10. * WILDFLOWERS ACROSS THE PRAIRIES — 214 pp. Color photos . : $8.50 11. * PLANT HUNTING IN NEPAL — by Roy Lancaster. 194 pp. Text and a few illustrations $19.00 12. * ROCK PLANTS FOR SMALL GARDENS — Royton Heath. 144 pp. 8 pp. color, 16 illustrations. Planting of rock gardens, raised beds, troughs, scree beds and rock pots. Also construction and propagation. Aimed at novice and advanced collector $15.00 Handling and Mailing — $1.00 per 1 st book plus 500 per additional book Overseas — $1.50 per 1 st book plus 500 per additional book

13. * ARGS PRINTS OF LAURA LOUISE FOSTER PEN AND INK DRAWINGS — Set of 12 prints (all different), $21.50; set of 24 prints (all different), $38.00; set of 36 prints (all different), $54.00; set of 36 prints autographed, $108.00. All postpaid.

14. * ARGS NOTE PAPER — 12 cards and envelopes, 4V2" x 6W. Each of different rock plant by 7 ARGS members $4.25 15. CUMULATIVE INDEX —Volumes 1 thru 34 750 16. SEEDS — 3 Methods of germinating seeds. Xeroxed from ARGS Bulletins $2.50 17. SEED GERMINATION REPORT — by Dara Emery. Data on selected species $1.50 18. TALLY OF ARGS SEED LIST 1ST CHOICE REQUESTS $4.00 19. TROUGHS — Construction and lists of plant material to use. Xerox $3.50 20. ARGS LAPEL PIN $3.35 21. ARGS SHOULDER PATCH — Washable $2.25 Nos. 13 thru 21 are all postpaid. Overseas add 500 to order

22. LIBRARY BINDERS for ARGS Bulletins $4.00 each plus mailing chg All orders prepaid in U.S. funds. Make checks or money orders payable to "ARGS". U.S. destinations must show ZIP code. Airmail billed at cost. 23. ARGS BOOKSTORE stocks back issues of our ARGS Bulletin. Inquire about availability and prices.

ARGS BOOKSTORE WILL BUY BACK ISSUES OF ARGS BULLETINS Contact for offer. Postage for shipping will be refunded.

ARGS BOOKSTORE: Anita Kistler, 1421 Ship Rd., West Chester, PA 19380