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The American Gardener MagaZine Directory of Member Benefits Free Admission to Flower & Garden Shows Free Seed Exchange
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Vo lume 77, Number 4
DEPARTMENTS Commentary 4 Magical Milkweeds 24 Members' Forum 5 by C. Colston Burrell r Ipomopsis) Galle tribute) more on mums and agaves. Milleweeds al e often relegated to naturalistic and }vildlife gardens) but many of these little-known natives News from AHS 7 are wonderful choices in more formal garden settings. Heat-Zone Map update) lroses for the Midwest) plants in peril. A Garden in the Redwoods 31 by Pamela Conley Focus 9 Escaping the hustle and bustle of San Francisco) a Demystifying mycorrhizae. gardening couple has created a peaceful ret1reat in Offshoots 14 the shade of CalifOirnia)s coastallredwoods. Cottage garden brings cheer to Bronx. Centaureas 36 Mail-Order Explorer 16 by Rand B. Lee Native peTennials from the Northwest. This lal;ge and versatile genus of sun-loving annuals Planting the Future 18 and perennials contains enough old favOirites and neJV r r Sowing seeds of history and geoglraphy. cultivan to g1 ace almost any gal den. Gardeners Information Service 19 Conservation by Committee 41 Bloomless ginger, sprouting beans) houseplant hazalrds. by Hugh and Carol Nourse An innovative alliance of state and federal conserva Conservationist's Notebook 20 tion groups in Georgia is allowing scarce resources and Asian beetle threatens North American trees. staff to be focused on the state)s most pressing plant Urban Gardener 22 conservation projects. CTeating focal points with gaTden features. Sea Plants Inland 46 Book Reviews 54 by Pamela D . Jacobsen GaTdening with children) Lacy)s latest) vegetable Plants that thrive in coastal habitats and beach homes r gal dening. are often well adapted to the sandy soils found in many Regional Happenings 58 inland areas of North America. Colorado wildflowers) New England garden toUTS) Mastelrgal rdeners meet in the Southwest. On the cover: BachelO1r)s-button (Centaurea cyanus), has a long history of cultivation in the garden and Hardiness and Heat Zones 62 is prized for its flowers) which are among the bluest in the Pronunciations 63 plant W01rld. Photograph by David Cavagnaro. American Horticul tural Society 7931 East Boulevard Drive Alexandria) VA 22308-1300 (703) 768-5700 commentary www.ahs.org
~ The American H01,ticultural Society (AHS) educates and inspires people t's the time of year when many of us are taking va of all ages to become succesSful cations-spending quality time with family and and environmentally responsible friends. While traveling around our country, it is al gardeners by advancing the art I and science of horticulture. ways exciting to visit gardens that contain unfamiliar plants or learn about innovative gardening and con ~ servation programs. Most of my family now live in PRESJ])ENT/C'EO the Phoenix, Arizona, area and for this Virginia na LINDA D. MALLMAN tive, every visit brings new learning experiences. Wherever you go this summer, be sure to scan those BOARD O'F DiRECTORs Officers )998-1,999 saved issues of The American Gardener before you ) Pi7'le MoutJ.tainj Georgia describes coastal plants she has integrated into her western Massachusetts garden. SHIRLEY BARTLETT In late summer, many of our gardens go into the doldrums. Milkweeds come into their Santa Barbara, California own at this time of year, however, producing vivid colors and attracting butterflies to the KATHERINE McKAY B)lILK Char'lotte, Nor.th Carolina garden right through to fall. Frequent contributor C. Colston Burrell extols the virtues of JM!ES L. CORfJ ELB several virtually unknown members of this showy genus of mostly North American natives. Downers (Jrove, JiUttois Another group of plants that offer mid-to late-summer flowers are cornflowers or A:RiIB ELIA S. D ANE Bosttm, Massach,/Jetts knapweeds (Centaurea spp.). Garden writer Rand B. Lee tells us about the best corn JOHN ALEx FLoYD JR. flowers for borders and cutting gardens. BirmingiJam, Alabama Plant conservation is in the news. A recent study revealed that nearly a third of Amer DOR01;H;Y T IRELAND .Bit:1ninghan;, Alabama ican plants are at risk ofextinction, and that the pace ofglobal plant extinctions is far above Wn:.LIfu\4 R. MARKEN historic levels (see related article on page 7). From Georgia, we bring you a story about Los Altos, Califo,...ia an innovative alliance of plant conservation groups that is being heralded as a model for THEODORE R. MARsTON Kirkland, Washington other states. By pooling financial and human resources, this coalition of state and feder GENj; M. MILLER al agencies has found it can more effectively tackle critical conservation projects. Silv,,' Sp,f'l!!, Mar, iand Of course, if your travels bring you to our nation's capital, don't miss the opportuni- z EGONMoJ.!M K Seattle, Washington ty to visit the national headquarters of the American Horticultural Society at George ~ DUDLEY MORGAN Washington's River Farm-just a few miles north of historic Mount Vernon. I look for- il: Nashville, Tmnessee ward to greeting you and telling you more about the Society'S exciting plans for this his- ~ GEOFFREY L. RAIJSCH toric property! Wherever your travels take you this season, we wish you a safe and ~ Pittsbu'lJh, Pem'sjlvania VALERIE L. THOMAS enjoyable trip. Alexandria, Vi'lJinia ROBERT D. VOLK S"tt Marino, Califomi" ~ PRESIDENT IiW:ERITUS DR. H . MARc CATHEY -Linda D. Hallman, AHS President/ CEO 4 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/ August 1998 THE AMERICAN members' GARDENER EDITOR DAVID J. E LLIS MANAGIiN<:i EDITOR. rum MA:RYYEE COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT MARK C. M.OLLAN DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION Seeds ofseveral Ipomopsis JOSEPH YACJ.NSK'I 'DESIGN species are available from MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR. Southwestern Native Seeds, DARLENE OLIVER Po. Box 50503, Tucson, ~ AZ 85703. Catalog $2. EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD CENTURY PLANTS NINA L. BASSUK AND MUMS Ithaca, New York Although I'm a longtime JOHN E . BRYAN Sausalito, California member, a couple of let ters in the MarchiApril JOHN L. CREECH "Members' Forum" have Hendersonviile, North CMotin;a prompted me to write for KEITI-I CROTZ the first time to share my Chitlicothe, Illinois own experiences. PANAYOTI KELAIDIS The first concerns centu Denver, Cotorado IPOMOPSIS ry plants. As a native North Carolinian, I RICHARD W. LIGmY I was riding my bike through one of the was amazed by the flora of the Southwest Greenville, Delaware older parts of town when I saw my first when I moved to New Mexico in 1967. ELVIN MCDONALD Ipomopsis. Struck by the beauty of its crim My neighbors were mostly transplants, but West Des Moines, Iowa son spikes, and curious as to its identity, I I met enough native southwesterners to ~ had to stop and ask the owner, an elderly become interested in the region's native ADVERTISING lady, a few questions. She called it scarlet plants. I received lots of cuttings, which AHS ADVERTISING OFFICE rocket, and informed me that all the ferny were potted up and rooted according to 4350 Di.Faol0 Center, Suir@ B little clumps amid the tall blooming stalks directions: When I moved from New Mex GleNview, IL 60025 were the result ofits annoying habit of re ico, the plants were transported to the hu (847) 699-1707 • FAX: (847) 699-1:7&3 seeding itself. midity of Portsmouth, Virginia, for three COLOR SEPARATIONS She was happy to give me as many of years, then on to Cary, North Carolina, for FILM QRl\PWlCS the ferny little clumps as I was able to carry. an additional three before moving to a I took them home and transplanted them "permanent" home on the outskirts of PRINTER into the middle of my very informal flower Cary. (I believe the line between USDA BANTA PUBLICATIONS G!RGUP garden. Only three survived the trans Zone 7a and 7b runs through my living planting and our cold Iowa winter. How room.) All have thrived in my cactus gar ever, those three bloomed, and their spikes den, including the century plants, which were filled with hundreds of seeds. I scat have managed to put out blooms for both tered the seeds in the fall and again in the my children's weddings. For people here, spring. My gardening friend was right: that is a real treat and truly amazing. Such They germinated easily, and it didn't seem a testament to the "will" of plants to sur to matter when the seed was sown. I have vive and flourish in climes totally out of since had them appear out of three-year their natural habitat! My cactus garden, old compost. now mixed with native succulents, is a I suspect my plant is Ipomopsis aggrega- great source of interest to all who see it. ta, also called towering cypress, a biennial My second response is to the letter ~ that will thrive under varying soil and mois about mums and growing them as perma ~ ture conditions. I've even had its first-year nent garden plants. I have a landscape ff: growth do very well under my sunflowers. maintenance business that deals mostly o Ifyou want dramatic, four-foot-tall, red with commercial properties. While I have ~ orange spikes in mid-July, try my favorite mums dating from 1975 in my own gar ~ plant, the Ipomopsis. Fritz Fruh den, I am sensitive to the needs of com o u Davenport, Iowa mercial properties to have a constant July/August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 5 beautiful display. So I dig up pansies on ers identif)' d1e companies wid1 d1e knowl AHS PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL May 1 for summer annuals, replace sum edge and expelience to handle their land ALEXA.'IDRlA COUNCIL OF GARDEN CLUBS mer annuals on September 1 with mums, scaping needs. Besides a knowledge of soil MRS . ALBERTA WOOD ALLEN and remove the mums on October 15 to conditions, plant hardiness, and d1e differ MR. .'\1 '1D MRS. RICHARD fu'lGu' 6 T H E AMERICAN GAR D ENER J ~d)' / A $tgust 1 998 URn!) utb< :tcrcitatic ,bonis n lJ doco' news from ahs AHS PLANT HEAT-ZONE MAP tOll, D.C., on August 3 and a lecture at dle program was to produce rhododendrons It's been almost a year since the American Kansas Arboretum in Manhattan on Octo dlat integrated dle cold harcfuless ofNordl Horticultural Society released the Plant ber 3. For details about lectures in your area, American species with the flower colors Heat-Zone Map, but enthusiasm for this check out dle AHS Web site at www.ahs.org available in selections from milder climates. new gardening tool has not su bsided. Since or call (800) 777-7931 ext. 10. "David's breecfulg of hardy, uruquely tinted the August 21,1997, release date, articles What's next? In dle faU of 1999 Mon rhododendrons produced new cultivars of about the map have appeared in most major rovia will add heat codes to tags on many exceptional performatlCe and beauty," says national newspapers and magazines, in more plants. Many gardening books pub H . Mat·c Cathey, AHS president emelitus. cluding the New Y01r/e Times, USA Today, lished in 1999 wiJJ feanLre bodl dle USDA Leach served as AHS president from 1971 Washington Post, Garden Design, Better Plant Hardiness Zone Map and the AHS to 1974 and was dle recipient ofdle Soci Homes & Galrdens, and House BeWbtti/1Itl. Plant Heat-Zone Map. As we continue to ety's Scientific Award in 1985. The industry response to the map and the assign heat codes to dle more dun 40,000 Many of Leach's hybrids were bred at information it offers has also been enthusi cultivated plants available in dle floral and the David G . Leach Rhododendron Re astic. Trade publications have featured it nursery u-ades, you wi ll become familiar search Station, which he donated in 1986 and nurseries are eager to add heat codes to widl me t\.vo sets of zone numbers dut will to the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, their offerings. Monrovia nursery in Azusa, guide you to more successful selection of Ohio. He continued to direct the station's California, published the first li st of 100 plants for your garden. operations llntil just before his death. heat-coded plants in this year's spring/swn Memorial contributions may be made mer wholesale catalog. IN MEMORIAM to tlle David G. Leach Rhododendron Re AHS President Emeritus H. Marc David G. Leach, a renowned rhododen seat-ch Station of the Holden Arboretum, Cathey'S book, H eat-Zone Gardening, pub dron breeder, horticultural audlor, wildlife 9500 Sperry Road, Kirtland, OH 44094. lished in February by Time-Life Books, de photographer, and past president of the scribes how the map works and lists codes for American Horticultural Society, died Aplil GLOOMY GLOBAL PLANT STUDY 500 popular native and exotic ornamental 22 at his home in Nordl Madison, Ohio. An international study of platlt diversity has plants. Cathey has been spreading the word He was 85 years old. revealed that at least one out ofevery eight about the Heat-Zone Map in an ongoing Leach is perhaps best known for his book known vasculat- plant species on Earth is at lecture tour that so far has included flower Rhododendrons a/the W01rld, considered by risk of extinction. The study, a 20-year shows, botanical gardens, garden club many to be dle definitive text on dle subject. joint project sponsored by 16 organiza groups, and plant conferences in 12 states He also traveled dle world in search of new tions inclnding tlle Smithsonian Institution and the District of Columbia. Upcorning rhododendron vatieties, inu·oducing more in Was hington, D .C., cites habitat de spealcing engagements include an Interna matl 70 hyblids in a career dlat spanned over strllction atld introduction of non-native tional Waterlily Society meeting in Washing- 50 years. One of the aims of his breeding species as tlle prime reasons that 34,000 plant species-or 12.6 percent of the H. Marc Cathey, 270,000 species known worldwide- are president emeritus of close to extinction. AHS and author of Because only a fraction of tlle world's Heat-Zone Gardening, species have been cataloged, scientists warn promotes the heat-zone that dle snldy's fincfulgs are actually overly concept at a press optimistic. In the United States, where conference during the platlts are studied more intensively man else Society's recent annual where in the world, nearly 30 percent of the meeting in Nashville. flora at-e considered at risk. Yet data from re Public interest in the mote sections of Asia, Mrica, atld South nr I)l , E~ Sll'l'I.JR1: AHS Heat-Zone Map America-incl uding lat-ge portions of the r\JNnO f'mv;l'" has been unabated world's equatorial and tropical regions, ~rJ'" since its release last where biodiversity is greatest-is sketchy. ~ ,.,1 "\llnmJ~ fuuth July/Au,gust 1998 · T H E AMERICAN GARDENER 7 occurring compow1ds. And the loss of ge netic diversity in plants reduces the gene pool fl:om which future disease- or pest-resistant food and ornamental crops can be bred. The 862-page study, titled " 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants," was released in April. In addition to the Smithsonian, sponsoring agencies includ ed the World Conservation Union, the World Wildlife Fund, the Nature Conser vancy, and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and at Edinburgh. SHRUB ROSE EVALUATION The Chicago Horticultural Society has pub lished a detailed evaluation report on 52 shrub roses for midwestern gardens. Be cause these roses were developed in parts of the world where the growing conditions vary greatly from those of the Midwest, this report provides critical information on how the plants actually perform in the central United States. The Chicago Botanic Garden began evaluating English roses-hybrids devel oped by English plantsman David Austin in 1990, and in 1992 began a second evaluation on Explorer and Parkland roses from Canada. Both studies, which conclud ed in 1995, took account of the hardiness, disease resistance, and general performance and characteristics of each rose. Now... a Faster, Easier, Better I .. ,f-....' ~.:i Way to Trim And Mow! ~ LEARN about the new time and FIND OUT how you can say work saver that trims better than "good-bye" to the neck strain, ordinary hand held string trim- back aches and sheer frustration mers ... mows tall, wet lawns... caused by ordinary hand held and clears areas too rough for string trimmers. 'Henry Kelsey' from the Explorer series. ordinary mowers, plus ... ~BlLT· The report gave its highest overall rating to the following varieties from the Explor erseries: 'Champlain', 'Henry Kelsey', 'Jens Mlli1k', 'John Davis', and 'William Baffin'. The English roses that fared best in the eval D VES! Please send me information on the TROY-BIL1" Trimmer/Mower along with details on the TROY-BILT EASY uations were 'Constance Spry' and 'The ~ PAY Plan and current offer in effect Reeve'; the only Parkland rose to rate five ~ stars was 'Assiniboine'. The report also in- ~ _____z;p _____ cludes a chart comparing each rose's resis- g tance to insects, diseases, and winter injury. ~ For additional information on the study j or to obtain a copy of "Plant Evaluation (5 Notes: An Evaluation Report of Shrub 0 Roses," write to the Plant Evaluation Pro- ~ gram, Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake ~ Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022. 8 8 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/ August 1998 focus july/august soil's hidden heroes by David J Ellis mutual benefits ommercial production of mycor rhizal fungi for use in gardening is in Cits infancy, but research into these microscopic plants has been going on for more than 50 years. Soil scientists now un derstand that microscopic organisms such as fungi and bacteria are just as important to healthy soil as are its physical char~ ter istics. Despite this research, scientists have only begun to understand the secrets ofsoil life. "We know a lot about what is going on above the ground, but we know very little about what is happening below ground," says Michael Miller, senior soil ecologist at The fine, threadlike feeding st~. uctures-hyphae-of mycorrhizal fungi bring nutri the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne ents and water to the roots of a sorghum plant. Globular objects attached to National Laboratory in Argonne, Illinois. hyphae are the spores of this common mycorrhizal fungus, Giagaspora gigantea. The diversity of life forms found in soil has been compared to the biological diversity of the world's rain forests. IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, products containing mycorrhizal The word mycorrhizal literally means fungi-symbiotic fungi that help plants obtain water and nutrients "fungus-root." These specialized fungi are microorganisms that colonize) or "infect," in exchange for sugars produced by the plant-have become the fine roots of plants. Gradually they ex available to gardeners. Mycorrhizae have shown tremendous tend threadlike feeding structures called potential for improving yields of certain agricultural crops and hyphae into the soil. These absorb nutri ents, which are then shared with host rehabilitating soils damaged by intensive farming) strip mining) plants. In return the fungi receive sugars and toxic waste spills. They are also being used extensively by synthesized by the plants. There is evidence foresters and nursery owners to help establish trees. that mycorrhizae help plants slll'vive stress es such as drought, elevated soil tempera Critics argue that the fungi commonly used in commercial ture, and increased salinity and even mycorrhizal inoculants are too generalized to be useful in protect them from certain soil pathogens. Mycorrhizal fungi develop an immense ornamental gardening) but producers of mycorrhizal products say network of hyphae that, in effect, serves as the proof is in the pudding-both professional horticulturists and extensions of plant root systems. Miller says amateur gardeners are reporting positive results. We)ve put together that the hyphae spread through the soil "seeking hot spots of microbial activity an overview of the current understanding of this complex topic. where nutrients are being turned over. They compete with the microbes to bring nutri ents back to the host plant." Because the surface area of the hyphae of mycorrhizae may be several hundred July / August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 9 times the sm-face area of the roots, plants belong to families that have symbiotic as have access to a much larger volume of sociations with mycorrhizal fungi," he says. soil-and thus water and nutrients-than Miller believes that with refinements in ge they would through their roots alone. "At netic testing methods "what we are even return to bloom anyone time much of the nutrients in any tually going to find is that the fungi have ecosystem reside in the fungal mass, either plant genes in them and the plants have _:&03'-"H after season fo.f years of in living fungi or in dying tissue that will fi.mgal genes in them." easy pleasure - our speci be consumed by other fungi," says Randy Scientists divide mycorrhizae into two perennials. We gt Bill and Sylvia Varney W rillen by he rb-grow ing experts, Herbs: Growing & Using the plants o( ROll1 ance provides readers with inside advice on how to grow and use morc than 150 va rieties of herbs. From the basics of planting, watering. and fe rt il izi ng to harvest ing herbs. the book includes important information on how to: · Develop plans and ideas (or more than ten special herb gardens-for any size landscape · Use herbs for added navar when cooking · Make herb honeys. teas, vinegars, and seasonings · Create natural he rb soaps, lotions, pe rfumes, and potpou rri $18.95 & $3.75 s&h Bill and Sy lvia Var ney are the owners and operators of a combmed 12-acre Fredericksburg Herb Farm herb farm, bed and breakfast, and P.O. Drawer 927 restaurant which has been written up Fredericksburg, TX 78624- many times in natio n31and regiona l 0927 publications, includi ng Texas Highways, J-800-259- HERB Country Lil'lIIg, and Victoria magazine. \''\''1yfredcricksburgherbfarmcom They also create and dis tr ibu te over email [email protected] 1,500 herb products worldwide. Ectomycorrhizal fungi are common to the forests of the Pacific Northwest, where they colonize the roots of conifers such as Sitka spruce, above. 10 THE AMERICAN GARDENER J~tly / August 1998 roots with water at intervals. Many mycor In agricultural crops, however, mycor or rapid establi shment of ornamental rhizae require specific conditions for prop rhizae have shown great promise. Accord plants. Doreen Howard of Angleton, agation, so individual species are cultured ililg to Koide, increased yields of fruits and Texas, who inoculated ber heirloom toma separately and then combined with others vegetables seem to be linked to early accu toes with a commercial mycorrhizae mix in a blended inoculant. Inoculant produc mulation of phosphates in seedlings-a ture, says, "I have picked 1,297 tomatoes ers try to create a mixture ofspecies that are fimction mycorrhizae are ideally adapted to and stopped counting from a dozen seven adaptable to a wide range of host plants. do. "We've demonstrated significant yield foot plants." "We try to pick species that will ensure that increases in field corn," says Koide. Myc Inoculant producers such as Chapman at least one will be right almost anywhere, orrhizae are also being successfully used ofBio/Organics say they are getting gen from the u'opics to northern climates," says with crops such as strawbenies, citrus fruits, erally favorable reviews both from gar Don Chapman, owner ofBio/Organics, a and avocados. SU'awberry growers use inoc deners and from o\vners of small organic mycorrhizal product company in Camaril ulants to restore microorganisms to soils fi.1- farms . "We have several thousand cus lo, California. migated with the fimgicide methyl bromide. tomers in every state for OLlr home garden Inoculants-often mL'(ed with materi Some gardeners claim buge success with products," says Chapman. "Most of the als such as moisture-retaining gels, mi inoculams-amazing yields of vegetables more dramatic results have come out of cronutrients, and a surfactant-are sold either as a powder to be mixed with water and used as a root-dip, as a liquid to be in jected directly into t11e roots of established trees, or in granules t11at are added to t11e planting hole. Not all the products that are on the mar ket are equal. The key to successful produc tion of mycorrhizal inoculants is avoiding contamination witl1 fungal patl10gens such as Phytophthora spp., which cause root rot-says Elaine Ingham, who runs Soil Foodweb, Inc., in Corvallis, Oregon, a company t1ut tests soil for the presence of microorganisms. Ingham suggests asking suppliers how they produce t11eir inocu lants. "If they are just going out and ex u'acting spores from soils, t11ey are likely to end up witl1 pathogens," she warns. Chap man says reputable producers of mycor rhizal inoculants will list the fungal species nyone who used in the product and provide certifica Ahas started plants tion oftl1e viable spore coW1t. from seed knows how critical regular watering is to the process. One day without water can wipe out a whole tray. USE IN THE GARDEN This seed starter not on ly solves this germination. In laboratory tests, mycorrhizae have problem by providing water on demand A water-level indicator in shown tremendous potential for stimulat through a capi ll ary mat, but also creates a the corner of the reservoir tell s you at a glance if any Turn the Growing Stand ing establishment and growth of both mini-environment for the seedlings. To use, you fill the seed tray with potting soi l and topping up is needed. over to eject seedlings. vegetables and woody plants. Anecdotal tamp it in place with the multi-legged stand. When the seeds germinate, remove the dome evidence for the benefits of mycorrhizal The stand is then placed in the reservoir, the and when the transplants are ready for setting capill ary mat out, turn the stand over, push the tray down inoculants in gardens also proliferates, but Clear Cover ~ there are few field studies to back up draped over tF=::===i~ over top of the pegs and out pop the trans- it (with the plants. Nothing could be easier, and there is no claims of their efficacy. The main reason ends in the transplant shock. The stand, reservoir and seed for this is it is almost impossible to run reservoir), the ::::I::~at. tray are made from a high-density polystyrene, conu'oiled field tests using mycorrhizae mat is wetted Growlng_ ~ - not the usual Styrofoam®, and the capillary mat there are just too many variables. "The as the reservoir Stand is non-rotting. Measures \S"x9"x7" high when is filled with Water- assembled. Tray has twenty-four 2" square problem is t1ut results with mycorrhizal water and the Reservoir ceJl s. An excellent and reusable seed starter. fungi are not very reproducible in gener seed tray is placed on the mat. The clear AG070 Lee Valley Seed Starter $10.95 al," says An1y Rossman, director of the dome minimizes evaporation and speeds (N.Y. residenrs, add sales rax.) USDA's systematic botany and mycology laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland. Roger Koide, professor of horticultural ecology at Penn State University, has ex perimented with mycorrhizae on annual bedding plants. "We've used botl1 our own strains of mycorrhizae and commercial Overseas , call: 1·613·596·0350 or fax: 1·613·596·6030. strains," says Koide, "but we just don't see Lee Valley Tools Ltd., 12 East River Street, Ogdensburg, N.Y. 13669 that many benefits yet." J ~tly/August 1 998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 11 • Restoring Natural Ecosystems LSICK SOIL? ne area in which mycorrhizae are showing tremendous potential is in restora ... -- tion of damaged or altered ecosystems. Robert Betz, a prairie ecologist who Ohas been studying a 1,000-acre tallgrass prairie restoration on the grounds of C~II Dr. Good E~rt~! the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, says that many areas Identify your soil's problems and that were once prairie have been farmed for so long that native mycorrhizae have learn how to remedy them. Order been depleted or exterminated. "After 150 years or more of agriculture, it appears Dr. GoodEarth's soil sample collection kit today! Follow the instructions and that some of the specific mycorrhizae as mail your soil samples back to our lab. sociated with prairie species are not pre We'll send you the test results in 10 days. sent in the amounts that were in virgin Select the type of soil test you want: prairie soils," he says. He and other sci o Basic Test: pH, organic matter, entists there are trying to determine if phosphorous, potassium, calcium, new mycoHhizal strains found in undis magnesium $19.95 turbed prairie remnants can be used to o Advanced Test: Basic Test + iron, manganese, copper, zinc, boron, help restore former prairie sites. sulfur $29.95 James Beaver, an ecologist at Argonne o Complete Test: Advanced Test + Soil National Laboratory in Argonne, Illi Classification (analysis for percent nois, says that-based on preliminary sand, silt and clay) $39.95 o Dr. GoodEarth's Soil Tips Book: experiments-use of mycorrhizal fungi (includes postage and handling) $4.00 may also aid in the recovery of some en Dr. GoodEarlh's recommendations are dangered or rare prairie plants. Prairie in 'plain English ' for the home gardener. Finding mycorrhizae specific to bottle shooting star (Dodecatheon meadii) and Please have your Visa or MasterCard ready: gentian, above, has proven tricky. Mead's milkweed (Asclepias meadii) 1-800-44-GREEN have responded well to inoculation with (444-7336) mycorrhizae in soil derived from prairie remnants, although bottle gentian (Gen Or send check to: tiana andrewsii) is still proving difficult to re-establish. "We're at the hopeful Dr. GoodEarth stage," says Beaver. P.O. Box 411272 St. Louis, MO 63141 In California, restoration of native plant communities is almost impossible with out an understanding of mycorrhizal associations. "Mycorrhizal associations are the foundations of plant communities," says Bert Wilson of Las Pilitas Nursery in Santa Margarita, who has developed a proprietary system for using mycorrhizae in ecologi cal restorations. "We basically bet the entire nursery on mycorrhizae about seven years ago," says Wilson. "When you get the combination right, it's incredible-you IUCN Red List of lose almost no plants at the site." Threatened Plants Another success story for mycorrhizae has been rehabilitating soil at strip mines, where topsoil has been stripped away and buried, leaving sterile subsoil at the surface. -D.E. This book represents a milestone in the his tory of Red Data books and lists, compiled by a consortium of scientific institutions, it pro vides the first-ever published list of vascular sandy soils in Florida and in the desert "Under most gardening conditions, you plants recorded as globally Rare, Vulnerable, Southwest, where the mycorrhizae have a have mycorrhizal fungi already present in Endangered, or Extinct. The current volume clumping effect and hold moisture and the soil. You have to have the appropriate lists 33,798 species as threatened, resulting in nutrients in the root zone." fungi to get the optimum response from the grim statistic that over 12.5% of the The bottom line, say mycorrhizal re different host plants. Unfortunately, with world's vascular flora is threatened at the searchers, is that if you already have healthy most commercial inoculants, you don't global scale. soil that contains a lot of beneficial microor know ifit's going to work." ganisms, you probably won't derive much But Ingham says that common gar ISBN 2-83 17 -0328-X benefit from mycorrhizal inoculants. Ifyou dening practices such as use of synthetic Order No. 328X have just moved to a new development fertilizers and pesticides reduce native my $45.00 where the topsoil was replaced with fill dirt corrhizae populations. "So much of what and construction debris, mycorrhizae may we do in our gardens destroys the mycor be beneficial if used in a program oforganic rhizae. You want to see 40 to 80 percent of plant root systems colonized by mycorrhizal Scientific Publications soil amendmen ts and if use ofpesticides and THE NEw YORK quick-release synthetic fertilizers is kept to a fungi, but I see a lot of situations in land BOTANICAL GARDEN minimum. (For information on getting your scapes where colonization is only five to 12 Bronx, NY 10458-5126 soil tested for microorganisms, see "Re percent. That's not enough for a plant to Tel: 718.817.8721 sources," page 13.) benefit from mycorrhizae." Fax: 718.817.8842 IUCN Opinions differ, however, on just how Bert Wilson, owner of Las Pilitas Nurs The World Cons.motion Union many home gardens contain suitable ery in Santa Margarita, California, and a visit us on the web at www.nybg.org amounts of natural mycorrhizae. Miller of specialist in using mycorrhizae in restora Argonne National Laboratory says, tions of California native plants, concurs. 12 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/August 1998 "Mycorrhizae will almost always appear naturally when conditions are right," he Lending a Hand says, "but most people treat their yards in such a way that there are few appropriate ood soil-management practices are the best way to foster mycorrhizal colo mycorrhizae there." nization. Here are some ways to encourage the natural establishment and Wilson says most ornamental plants, es Ggrowth of mycorrhizae in your garden soil. pecially natives, have relationships with a • Fertilize using compost or limited amounts of organic or gradual-release fertiliz limited number of specific mycorrhizal ers-overfertilization or use of quick-release fertilizers causes plant roots to reject fungi; thus, commercial inoculants are too colonization by mycorrhizae. generic to be of use in ornamental garden • Avoid frequent deep disturbances of soil such as annual tilling. ing. When certain plants, such as gentians, • Avoid use of synthetic pesticides, especially fungicides. prove difficult to germinate or establish in • Avoid soil compaction. a garden setting, it is often because they • Mulch with partly decomposed leaves and other organic matter. have very specific-obligate-associations • Avoid use ofleafblowers, which remove decaying organic matter. with mycorrhizal fungi. "In a backyard, • Encourage birds and other beneficial wildlife to visit your garden. with 50 different plant species all looking • When planting native trees and shrubs, add a handful of rich organic duff from a for different types of mycorrhizae, you're woodland near your home to the planting hole-this likely contains spores oflocal bound to fail," he says. ly occurring mycorrhizae. When selecting an inoculant, Ingham • If you decide to use mycorrhizal inoculants, look for a company that produces the says it is important to know what type of inoculant in your geographic region. Ingham says that in some cases it appears my plants you will be using it on. "For instance, corrhizae produced by western companies do best in western gardens; presumably we know corn is very nonspecific. Any of the opposite also holds true. the commercial inoculants available would be fine for corn." She says the same is true of common annuals such as marigolds and "if we select under high nutrient condi fungi that can be added at nurseries or even pansies. But native plants are trickier be tions, we may have unconsciously select by the home gardener," he predicts. cause many have obligate relationships with ed against mycorrhizae." "As we learn more and more about my specific mycorrhizae. "The closer a plant is By focusing breeding efforts on plants corrhizae, the strategic use of them will get to native stock, the more likely it will bene that can get their nutrients through myc better and better. There's been 50 years of fit from mycorrhizae," says Miller. "How orrhizal associations rather tl1an being de laboratory work on them, but as far as hav ever, it's also more likely to have greater pendent on synthetic fertilizers, more ing commercial amounts of inoculant that specificity requirements." sustainable farming practices can be fos we can go out into farm fields and gardens tered. The same is likely to be true for or around the world, we've only recently had GREAT POTENTIAL namental plants. "As we cut back on use of that ability," says Chapman ofBio/Organ According to Miller, one of the greatest fertilizers, mycorrhizae are going to be ics. Ifyou have tried mycorrhizal inoculants potential applications for mycorrhizae is more important," adds Miller. in your garden, we'd like to hear about your to lower the reliance of farmers in devel Continuing research on mycorrhizal re experience. We will continue to provide up oping nations on fertilizers. The availabil lationships with ornamental plants is likely dates on this exciting area of research. ity ofinexpensive synthetic fertilizers after to benefit gardeners. Eventually, says Miller, World War II led breeders to select crops host- or region-specific mycorrhizae may David J. Ellis is editor ofThe American that grow well in a high-fertilizer regime. become available. "Just as we have different Gardener. Adele Kleine, a free-lance writer Because a plant's responsiveness to myc fertilizer regimes for different plants, we from Winnetka, Illinois, contributed to this orrhizal fungi is a genetic trait, says Miller, may have different isolates of mycorrhizal article. BIOJERRA tECHNGtOGIES, INC" 9491 West Pioneer Avenue, kas Vegas, ~ NV 89117, (YOZ) 256-6404, fax (702) 255"2266, e~mail:[email protected]. www.biote~ra.c;;om/irtdex.htm. July/August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 13 fshoots COTTAGE GARDENING: day, raving from her window and tossing the pots down on the BRONX STYLE startled Sanu'day morning shoppers. In New York, much Wee everywhere else on tllis earth, good by Ruth Bird can often be salvaged fl.-om tile most tragic of circumstances; tllis woman's temporary misfortune drew my attention to my own ate in tile 20th cennu'y we have evolved a very romantic asso naleed fire escape. ciation witll cottages-sweet little vine-covered abodes with Why not? I lived on tile top floor. No one used it but me. It had Lbluebirds on the sill of mullioned windows and cats curled up great exposure, and the street was broad and not shaded by the on tile front porch. Tllis idyllic llnage is a long way from tile reality building across from me-a rare advantage in Manhattan. ofcottage life III England III tile 17th, 18t1l, and 19t1l cennuies. Cot I might as well have asked, "Why not build a pyramid?" New tages were small, dark, damp, and cold, often with dirt floors. The York is a city that offers all things to all people at all hours, but not farm aJlimals were often housed in tile same sU'ucture, providing very many of its millions are gardeners. warmtll for the huddled hlunaJ1s. Early in the 19t1l ccnnu'y, life on I didn't have a clue where to find a nursery, soil, planters, seeds, these tenaJlt farms was so abysmal tlut tile English ParliaJllent was and starts. There was an entire district full of house plants and cut moved to set staJldards for the conSU'uction flowers but I had never seen a nursery. of cottages. And how was I going to get my gar Originally, the tiny gardens that sur den essentials home-if I ever found rounded these cottages "vere filled Witll tllem-witllout a car? I was reasonably vegetables and herbs tile tenants used to self-sufficient, but that didn't extend supplement tl1eir diets aJ1d income. Every to lugging t\'Vo-cubic-foot bags of square foot of usable land was plaJlted. potting soil on the A-train. WIllie I have never had a Guernsey for a I was determined not to be de roommate or swept a dirt floor, I CaJl relate feated before I even started. I ordered to gardenlllg III a limited space. Four feet by seed catalogs and spent tile better part three feet to be exact, located six stOlies up of a dismal March planning my gar on New York City's Upper West Side. I den. Looking back at tllose catalogs moved there in 1987, leaving behind my now, I circled so many choices it looks beautifiu Los Angeles garden. I didn't tlllille as if I intended to plant tile Tuileries. of it as cottage gardeillilg at the time, but it Somehow, when it was all over, I had all tile requisites of a cottage garden: a ended up with an order of seeds gated surround encloslllg a linlited space, amowlting to more than $40. Before trellised Vllles aJld herbs, all rnixed III Witll mailing the check, I took another vegetables aJld flowers. It might have been look at my tiny fire escape. A frigid a little short in the wild profusion depart rain dripping from the bars onto the ment, but it was true to tile origlll of cot thin slats of snow-covered metal tage gaJ'delling-mal 14 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/A~tg~tst 1998 out to have many advantages over what I still considered the real thing. No need to double clig, fence , stake, or varmint proof. No weecling, no knee pads needed. There was, however, one very large REMEMBER THE Lulf'oreseen problem unique to my little fire-escape cottage garden. AMERICAN HORTlClJLTlJRAL SOCIETY I started my plants the official East Coast way in seed u·ays. When the time came, I u-ansplanted the seedlings and hardened them off IN YOlJR WILL OR TRlJST by putting them out on the fire escape, moving everything back and AHS provides reliable, up-to-date information on issues of forth through the window in my bedroom. By the third week of immediate concern to gardeners and the greater community. April, I planted them out in hanging baskets, pots, and window The Society's mission is to nurture the active boxes, specially designed to fit over railings. For vegetables I had development of the United States as a nation of successful zucchini squash, scarlet rmll1er beans, 'Early Girl' tomatoes, sweet and environmentally responsible gardeners. peas, and Japanese eggplant. In the herb category I planted basil, You can help support us in our mission by making gifts French tarragon, Italian parsley, golden thyme, and pineapple sage. to AHS during your lifetime or under the terms of your will For flowers I had gloriosa Wy (GI01~osa s~tperba 'Rothschilcliana'), through what is known as planned giving. Eust01na 'Double Eagle', Scabiosa ca~tcasica 'Alba', and forget-me To learn more about how you can support AHS, contact our nots (Myosotis spp.) sharing a pot with lamb's-ears, and Viola od01' Endowment Office at 7931 East Boulevard Drive, ata sharing cligs with chamomile and tansy. Alexandria, VA 22308-1300, The pot-sharing idea was a new one to me, and I stumbled over (703) 768-5700 ext. 33_ it mostly by accident in my stubborn desire to get tlle most out of my $40-wortll of seeds. It really is cottage gardening in minia ULre-I got better and better at LU1derstancling just how much and of what I could crowd into one six- or lO -inch pot. The effect is much more interesting tl1an one plant per pot, and it is an enjoy able design challenge to pick plants that complement each otller and grow "vell togetller. At this stage my garden looked like nothing so much as an ob stacle course of wood and clay on tlle fire escape. Certainly tllat is We urge you to consult with your tega t and financiat advisors to assist you in arranging the best method of what tlle fire marshal must have tllought. The New York City fire co ntributing. The American Horticulturat Society is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal department was the unforeseen problem I referred to earlier. One Revenue Service Code. Contributions to AHS are tax-d eductible to th e full est extent allowed by law. AHS morning I answered a very insistent knock on my front door and is also ar egisIe red charitable organization und er Section 57-49 ollhe Virginia So licitation of Contributions law; a financial statement is available upon written request from the State Division of Consumer Affair s. found tl1Iee fully geared firefighters and one fire chief eager to en gage me in conversation about my gardening techniques. They politely refused my invitation to coffee and marched me back to tlle window tl1at opened onto my fire escape. It seems tllat by obstructing my fire escape I was breaking a law mat everyone else was aware of. Guess I should have tllought about it before N~W! hand. For them the solution was pretty cut and dry: remove tlle pots. The chief said they would be back to make sure I complied. RfLAX THIS SUMMfR After tlley left and I calmed down a little, I decided it was just IN AN AHS CLASSIC a problem of perception. The city saw my fire escape as, well, a fire escape. I saw it as an opportunity to garden. I decided to try a GOLf SHIRT compromise. I moved tlle herbs to a kitchen window to make TWO StYLES, FIT BOTH MEN AND WOMEN. more room and scooted pots arOLll1d a bit to create access to tlle stairs-a garden patll as it were. Then I just forgot about it and concentrated on keeping my plants happy and growing. At least I could enjoy my garden Wltil they came back to haul me away. Civil clisobeclience and gardening. Thoreau and Walden. Romeo and Juliet. Tristan and Isolde. The fire department apparently had a lot more to worry about ilian me and my misused fire escape, so it was more tllan tllree CUFFED SLEEVES POCKETED monilis before I had a second visit from tlle fire chief. By tllis time tlle garden was in full force . My neighbors were enjoying it near ~ 00% cotton pique J(nit, 100% cotton interlock, ly as much as I was. It even charmed tlle officious fire cllief, who cuffed sleeves, long shirttail. hemmed sleeves, front agreed to let me off ilie hook as long as I left a small access to tlle Embroidered AHS logo. pocket. Embroidered AHS stairs. I sent him off witll a bag full of beans, tomatoes, and basil, Available in white logo. Available in white assuring llim tllat in no way could it be construed as a bribe. with hunter green logo with hunter green logo in I continued to garden on tllat fire escape for tlle five years I lived in sizes S, M, L sizes M, L, XL, XXL in New York. Much ofwhat I learned I was able to apply when I re $24.95 (XXL Aoo $2.00) turned to Los Angeles, especially tllat space--or, more precisely, lack AMIUlICAN $24.95 of space-should be no impecliment to me joy of gardening. HORTKUlTUftAl""',.,., ORDER TODAY! CAU. (800) 777-7931 EXT.36 t t Ruth Bil,d is a free-lance lV1 iter and editor who now gal dens with PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE SH IPPIN G. luxuriant amounts ofspace in Los Angeles, California. J $tly/A$tgust 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 15 orer RUSSELL GRAHAM: eryman who had specialized in bulbs and native woodland plants. NORTHWESTERN NATIVES The site the Grahams chose for their home is ideal for growing out nursery stock. "Native woodland plants fit in well here because the by David J Ellis previous owners had grown Christmas trees, and many overgrown ones were left behind," says Graham. Graham has more than half or gardeners who are used to the hefty catalogs issued by pop an acre of natural f.ir shade available for his woodland plants. In ad ular northwestern mail-order nurseries such as Forestfarm and dition to northwestern plants, Graham also offers woodland na FHeronswood, the Russell Graham catalog may appear some tives from other parts of North America and select species from what disappointing. The modestly sized catalog contains no illus around the world. His current catalog includes nearly 80 ferns, trations and only bare-bones descriptions of the hardy native and close to two pages of hardy geraniums, a large selection of prim exotic perennials carried by the Salem, Oregon, nursery. roses, and dozens of native and exotic violets. But on closer inspection, two things quickly become obvious: Graham 's career, first in library science and then in manage Most of the plants in the catalog fall into the highly-sought-after cat ment with the state government, slowed development of the nurs egory, and the prices are very reasonable compared with other nurs ery; the first shipping season wasn't until 1981. Last fall Graham eries. My first run through the catalog left it awash in yellow sticky finally retired from his "other" full-time job to devote all his en notes. Among the more uncommon natives listed are ginseng ergy to running the nursery. Yvonne handles much of the shipping (Panax quinquefolius), Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri), Oconee and record-keeping aspects of the operation, and two employees bells (Shortiagalacifolia), and twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla). work about 10 months a year. Leon Sirota, who lives in West Barnstable, Massachusetts, on The personal service the Grahams provide is part of the nurs Cape Cod, has been buying from the nursery for 10 to 12 years. ery's appeal to many customers. "I love that funny little nursery," "I'm interested in ferns and in northwestern plants that may make raves Mary J0 Wallace, who lives in Carmel, Indiana. "In one of it in the Northeast," says Sirota. "This year I'm going to see whether the orders I received, each plant was individually wrapped in moss. Oregon wood sorrel [Oxalis oreganaJ is hardy on Cape Cod." It just touched my heart." Sirota says he appreciates the way the nursery "almost always fills Sandra Rossire of Tumwater, Washington, says she was most the orders. I very frequently find other nurseries, particularly in the impressed by the absence of glitz and gloss in the catalog. "What Northwest, are out of stock by the time they can send plants here." Sirota adds that he tends to buy un usual or hard-to-grow plants, such as bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii), from Russell Graham rather than from other nurseries. "When I see that kind ofplan t in his catalog, I buy from him because I know it will ar rive in good condition and I know it will be moderately priced," he says. Russell Graham: Purveyor of Plants is the formal name of the nursery, and I half expected to hear an English accent when I called. But Graham, who is sole proprietor, is a native northwesterner. He and his wife, Yvonne, moved to Ore gon's Willamette Valley from Van couver, British Columbia, in 1972, with an eye to both raising their Russell Graham is one of the few nurseries four children in a pleasant environ that sell foxtail lilies, left, by individual color ment and eventually starting a nurs rather than as mixes. Graham also offers ~ ery. They took over the inventory several new selections of Peruvian lily, above, ~ of Edgar Kline, an Oregon nurs- a staple in the florist industry. 8 16 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/August 1 998 you get is always good," says Rossire. For a catalog, send $2 "They obviously care for their plants and Of/ida/Tools to Russell Graham: what they are doing." Five years ago ~ Purveyor of Plants, Rossire moved into a home surrounded 4030 Eagle Crest Road, by what was largely a woodland garden. "There wasn't much there when I bought NW, Salem, OR 97304. it," says Rossire. "Just a few trees and Now, if it could just Visits to the nursery some overgrown rhododendrons." are by appointment Among the Russell Graham plants she has pick up the kids, only except during used to flesh out her new garden are sev open garden week- eral hardy ferns, spring beauties (Clay to nia spp.), hardy cyclamen, variegated ends held several Solomon's-seal (Pol)!!Jonatum odoratum times a year. The date 'Variegaturn'), violets, sessile merry bells for the next open (Uvularia sessinfolia), and Oconee bells. weekend will be listed Garden writer and photographer Ken in the fall catalog. Druse has been buying plants from Gra ham for about 10 years now and has been impressed with the prices and the ~election . "I bought Dig italis pa1r vijlora from him-1 don't know anyone else who sells it," says Druse. He bought foxtail lilies (E1remurusspp.) from Gral1am because-unlike most nurseries-Graham sells them by individual color rather than as mi,'{es. "That's important because it means to me that he's seen them in bloom," notes Druse. Other plants he has purchased include shooting stars (Dode catheon spp.), three different selections of bugbane (Cimicifu ga spp.), and ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris). A number of the plants Graham offers-ginseng and hardy cy clamen, for example-are time-consuming or difficult to propa gate. Often nurseries that offer such plants obtain them from wild-collected sources, but Graham says he does about 85 percent of his propagation-including those plants-on site. Tony Avent, owner of Plant Delights Nursery in North Carolina sometimes buys plants from Graham to propagate and sell at his own nurs ery. He visited Gral1am's nursery a couple of years ago and was pleased to see he was propagating his own plants. "I try to check out the sources we use to make sure they are propagating the The Planter's Wagon by Ames® plants and not collecting them in the wild," says Avent. Graham So versatile you can fold the has supplied Avent with plants such as false Solomon's-seal (Smi handle down for a comfortable lacina spp.), redwood ivy (Vancouveriaspp. ), and Peruvian lilies seat. Stand the wagon (Alstroeme1ria spp. ). George Sanko, director of the Dekalb College Botanical Gar up for a vertical den in Decatur, Georgia, has been buying Graham's ferns for use workbench. Or use in the Dekalb garden and for the garden'S annual plant sale. "I got it to haul tools, a catalog from them about three years ago and saw a lot of ferns I supplies, mulch didn't have," says Sanko. "I am always looking for things from the and flower flats. Pacific coast that will do well in the Atlanta region." Although he has dabbled with breeding primroses, hardy Aga Easily maneuvers in tight panthus, and hellebores, Graham has not formally introduced any spaces. FuMy assembled and plants. "We're working on our double English primroses---d.oing ready to use. Visit our website some crosses and propagating some new plants out of Canada at http://www.ames.com or using tissue culture," he says. Other plants ofwhich he is particu call us at 1-800-725-9500 to larly enamored are hardy geraniums, which he thinks are under used, and Peruvian lilies. His offerings of these arranger favorites find the retailer nearest you. include new selections bred by Coast Alpine Nursery that are hardy to USDA Zone 6 or 7, fragrant, and ideal for containers or cutting gardens. Lawn & Garden7bols-Sincel774 Now that Graham is able to concentrate on the nursery full time, he expects to expand tl1e range ofhi s offerings. This can only make the nursery's understated catalog even more appealing to We Take The Hard Work Out Of Yard Work . gardeners seeking unusual plants at reasonable prices. ~199 7 Ames Lawn & Garden Tools David J Ellis is editor of The American Gardener. July/August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 17 futu re SAVING THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE saved from the vessel Cambridge, wrecked in 1886 en route to Bangor. To receive a free catalog, Story and photograph by Carol Howe Known as the Cambridge or Wal write to Medomak Valley High doboro Greenneck rutabaga, it has School Heirloom Seed Project, n the early 1970s, when Ray Flagg set up the first courses for a been grown in the area for genera two-year horticulture program at Medomak Valley High School tions, but was in danger of disap 320 Maoktawn Road, Waldo- Iin Waldoboro, Maine, little did he know how far it would progress pea.ring before being adopted by the bam, ME 04572. A donation in the next 25 years . Many high schools across the country had hor heirloom seed project. of at least $1.75 to cover pro- ticulture programs, ofcourse, but the Medomal< (pronounced med Other heirloom varieties have duction (Osts is appreciated. OMM-ak) greenhouse-built with federal fimds-was a first for come in from a variety of sources. The seed project's Web site is Maine. Flagg, a farmer from nearby Jefferson, taught classes at the Students have brought in seeds at http://169.244.147.29/ss. school until he retired in 1991. saved by fa mily members. Local His replacements, Neil Lash of Waldoboro and Jon Thurston gardeners offered seeds of plants ofSear smont, were already well-known for their home gardens from tomatoes and peas to watermelons, garlic, and sunflowers. Lash for his flowers, Thurston for his vegetables. But they faced a new challenge: teaching horticulture to a mixture of kids who were HELPFUL EXCHANGE in the program because they thought it would be an easy course, Since 1991 students have offered some of their seeds through the others who could not or would not learn in conventional sit-still annual catalog issu.ed by the Seed Savers Exchange. In retlrrn they and-be-quiet classrooms, and those who really wanted to find out have ordered new varieties listed by other members of the ex where this hands-on program would lead. change. "Last year we got Lafayette beans, Choctaw sweet pota Always looking for fresh ways to inspire students, Lash was cap to, and a Mandan squash," notes Lash. "We try to make sure there tivated by a story he saw on public television's "Victory Garden" is some history to the seeds." program about Seed Savers Exchange, a nonprofit organization In 1994 Lash and Thurston decided to share the school's seed based in Decorah, Iowa, dedicated to preserving and sharing heir collection with a wider audience. Immediately, letters began to flow loom seeds. "Medomak is definitely in what has traditionally been in. "Last year we sent seeds out to 37 states and six counnies," says an agricultural part of Maine, but farms are being sold off and peo Lash. Many people have also connibuted their own heirloom trea ple are giving up the agricultural component," says Lash. "We real sures to the school's effort. The list has grown to a catalog that in ly needed to find a way to COlmect our kids cluded 300 va.tieties tIlls year. with their agricultural past." The program's influence has extended Lash and Thurston were also concerned by into the commlll1ity and beyond. Some Wal the worldwide loss of biodiversity. They de doboro residents are now helping to grow cided that training their students to grow heir out the heirloom varieties. Thurston and loom crops would both establish a link to the Lash, who were voted agriculture teachers of region's agricultural history and connibute to the year last year for the state of Maine, have preservation of biodiversity. "When you add been asked to speak at fairs , flower shows, this historical flavor," says Lash, "it mal 18 THE AMERICAN GARDENER J ~tl )'/ A u g u st 1998 ~ gardeners information service I have a cultivatedginger plant that is about three years Beans for sprouting can be purchased from many health food old and seems to be thriving, but it has never bloomed. stores and some mail-order seed companies. If you buy from the It sits in a chiJhI room in the winter, probab~ 50 degrees, and in latter, however, ask if the seeds have been treated with a fungicide. the summer it goes outside where it is sunny. It is about Do not sprout or eat treated seeds; a pink, blue, or green dust on jive feet tall and looks healthy. I live in New England. How do I seeds is usually an indication they have been treated. get it to bloom? - CR., via e-mail Beans can be sprouted in a variety of wide-mouthed contain Most likely you have common ginger (Zingiber officinale), a na ers such as mason jars, crocks, or plastic pans. First, wash about a tive of tropical Asia. The aromatic, edible rhizomes of ginger are half cup of beans and soak them overnight in a container in luke extremely versatile and "videly used in Asian cuisine and medicine. warm water. The next day, rinse the beans again, drain the water This perennial herbaceous plant has thin stems and scattered, off, and place them in a container covered with cheese cloth. Con pointed leaves; it can grow up to five feet tall. Unfortunately, tinue to keep the seeds moist but not wet by rinsing and draining blooms are rarely produced on this species . According to Liz them several times each day. For best results, keep the jar in a Bodin at Stokes Tropicals in Louisiana, "The flowers of Zingibel' warm, dark place (between 70 and 80 degrees). It will take three officinale are small and rare. Gingers love long periods of summer to seven days for sprouts to mature; do not let the sprouts get more and grow best in Zone 8 or higher. North of USDA Zone 8 they than 4 inches long or they will become bitter. When they are ready, do not really have a long enough growing season to produce flow rinse them again and remove the seed coats and fibrous roots. ers.)) She suggests applying a diluted fertilizer regularly during the Sprouts are best eaten immediately but can be stored for several growing season to try to promote flower growth. days in the refrigerator. Ifyou are interested in a flowering ginger plant, you might want One source of organically grown adzuki beans is On-Line to try growing Zingiber mioga-an edible ginger grown for its flow Health Products, 387 Yellowstone Avenue, Pocatello, ID 83201, ers and colorful new shoots-Z. rubens, or Z. spectabile. These and (800) 789-1577; Internet address: www.dhi.com. For more in other varieties can be ordered through Stokes Tropicals, P.O. Box formation on sprouting seeds, see the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's 9868, New Iberia, LA 70562-9868. You can also call (800) quarterly handbook # 144, Salad Gardens: Garden Greens and Be 624-9706, or check out their Web site at www.stokestropicals.com. yond, published in autullml995. I am interested in grow I have a Dieffenbachia at home and have found that ing bean sprouts at bome;J it is causing a skin rash when I touch it. Is it possible that I but I don't know how to go about am having an allergic reaction to 1'10/ plant? it. I am particular~ interested -R.M ., Ferguson, Maryland in the Chinese red bean. Have Commonly grown as house plants, Dieffenbachia species are ac you heard ofit and do you know tually tropical evergreen perennials in the arum family. They are where I canget some? distinguished by thick, clustered stems that become woody with -P.H, Lake WOl,th, Florida age, draped with large, fleshy, spotted leaves. Many people are not A welcome addition to salads, sand aware that the base of the leaf stalks and stems contain a milky or wiches, and soups, bean sprouts are yellowish sap that can cause contact dermatitis in susceptible indi a tasty and nutritious fresh vegetable viduals. To relieve skin initation, wash the affected area thoroughly that anyone can grow in the kitchen. with soap and water; if the irritation persists, wear gloves when Half a cup of sprouts contains only handling your Dieffenbachia. The plant also contains microscop about 16 calories yet is a good ic, needlelike crystals of calcium oxalate that ifingested by humans source of protein, vitamins, and or pets can cause burning and swelling of the mouth and throat. minerals. The Chinese red bean, a People who experience severe reactions are sometimes lll1able to z variety of the adzuki or adzuki bean talle-hence one of the plant's common names, dumb cane. Be ~ (Vigna angularis), is a small, dark red, oval bean about a quarter fore blinging any plant into a home that includes small children ~ inch in diameter. Adzuki beans are known for their distinctive nutty or pets, be sure to find out if it is potentially toxic. ~ taste and red color, which gives visual appeal to dishes. -Melanie Bonacorsa, Information Specialist '">- '"z o For answers to your gardening questions, call Gardeners Information Service at ~ (800) 777-7931 ext. 31 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time, or e-mail us anytime at [email protected]. '"t; PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF THIS NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS. ~ July / August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 19 00 k ASIAN BEETLES BORE tations. On the advice of a science advisory panel, all infested trees TREES TO DEATH were cut down, chipped, and burned. As of this spring, around 2,000 infested trees-80 percent ofwhich were maples-had been by DavidJ Ellis destroyed. Because the beetles are inactive during the winter and spring, inspection teams are waiting to find out this summer how n its native China it is called the starry sky beetle because of the their control efforts have fared. "Last year the first adults weren't distinctive white markings that adorn its black body and anten seen until the middle ofJuly, but with the mild winter they could Inae. But North American forestry officials harbor no romantic emerge as early as June this year," says Hoebeke. illusions about the Asian long-horned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), which was discovered in August 1996 infesting TRADE DEFICIT street trees in Brooklyn, New York. Apparently the beetle arrived in the United States in larval form, "It certainly has the potential to be as serious a pest as the as a stowaway in wooden crating material coming from Asia. Based gypsy moth," says E. Rick Hoebeke, senior Extension associate on the beetle's life cycle and the extent of the infestation, Hoe at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. "It may not spread as beke says it is likely the beetle has been established in New York far, but if it spreads wide enough and encompasses a number of for at least a decade. "Trade with Asia has picked up over the last its major hosts, it could have a major impact on forest trees, or 20 years or so," he points out. namental trees, and the timber and maple syrup industries." According to Steven W. Lingafelter, a systematic entomologist Unlike many wood -boring beetles, which tend to feed on dead with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service and an expert on or dying trees, the larvae ofAsian long-horned beetles bore holes the family to which the long-horned beetle belongs, APHIS has in living trees, disrupting their vascular systems and weakening stepped up its monitoring activities to help prevent new infesta and eventually killing them. Hoebeke, who visited the initial in tions. "APHIS is intensifYing its inspections at ports and thor festation site in Brooklyn and was the first entomologist to iden oughly investigating packing crates, especially on ships originating tifY the beede, says that he knew immediately that he had from China," he says. In the last year and a half, closer scrutiny at something unusual on his hands. "In the 20 years I've been doing North American entry ports of such packaging and of other tim this work, I've never quite seen anything like it," he says. "The ber products has resulted in the interception of beetles at several damage was quite hard to believe, actually. It really looked like locations, including California, South Carolina, and Canada. the trees had been attacked by vandals." Following the discovery of the beetle in Brooklyn, a second in PROFILE OF A PEST festation was found a month later in Amityville, a community east The Asian long-horned beetle is native to China and neighbor of Brooklyn on Long Island. Since that time federal and state reg ing regions ofJapan and North Korea. Its range is of particular ulatory agencies have been scrambling to contain the infestation. concern to North American scientists because the equivalent lat The USDA Animal and itudes in North America Plant Health Inspection span the region between Service (APHIS) put to the Great Lakes and south gether a multi-agency team ern Mexico. "Almost the ~ to track the beetle's possible entire North American ~ spread. The beetle seems to continent could be colo- ~ >- favor maples, but it has also nized by this particular in- ~ been found on birches, pop sect," says Hoebeke. ~ lars, willows, horsechest In its native range its pri- ~ nuts, and elms. mary host trees include ~ A quarantine restricting maples, poplars, and wil- ~ the movement of potential lows, but it also has been ~ beetle host material, includ known to infest china berry S ing firewood, was imposed (Melia spp.), mulberry ~ on the two infested areas in (Morus spp.), plums, pears, ~ late 1996. Local and feder black locust (Robinia pseu- ~ al government inspectors doacacia), and elms. ~ conducted street-by-street Adult beetles have shiny ~ searches for additional infes- An adult Asian long-horned beetle on a section of damaged wood. black bodies dotted with [5 20 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/August 1998 white or yellowish spots. They are an A fact sheet on the inch to an iIlch-and-a-quarter long, Asian long-horned beetle and two prominent black-and The Beekeeper's is being distributed by white-banded antennae stretch out the Forest Service. For a in front in a V-shaped pattern. Handbook Adults can travel more than a thou copy, send a request to Third Edition sand feet during brief flights in Long.horned Beetle Fact DIANA SAMMATARO search of new host trees. Once a AND ALPHONSE AVITABILE Sheet, USDA Forest host tree is selected, females chew Service, 271 Mast Road, through the bark and lay their eggs Original paperbackl With a Foreword by Roger A. Morse For two in the vascular tissue beneath. Eggs decades, this book has been a vital tool for both beginning and Durham, NH 03824, advanced beekeepers. This new edition includes parasitic bee mite hatch in one to two weeks, and the or visit the Web site at detection and control as well as the selection and testing of bees that emerging larvae tunnel deeper into willow.netes.umn. may have some tolerance to mites. A COMSTOCK BOOK. 23 tables, 90 the tree. The grublike larvae, which drawings, 11 x 8 '/2. $24.95 edu/pa_ceram/ceramb. can reach two inches in length, live htm. for one to two years in these tunnels before metamorphosing through From Where I Sit the pupal stage and into adulthood. Adults chew their way out Essays on Bees, Beekeeping, and Science and emerge to mate and begin the cycle anew. MARK 1. WINSTON RECOGNIZING THE THREAT With a Foreword by Eva Crane "Better than any other author, Mark The nationwide control program for the long-horned beetle ap L. Winston builds linkages between the world of the bee scientist and pears to have benefited from the current attention being focused the world of the practicing beekeeper and shows that accountability flows both ways-scientists have certain obligations to the publics on problems caused by invasive non-native animals and plants. Ac who fund them, and beekeepers should support the basic research cording to Lingafelter, Congress has set aside a half-million dol that precedes and underpins applied discoveries."-Keith S. Delaplane, lars this year toward control efforts. "Treating this situation University of Georgia. A COMSTOCK BOOK. $29.95 cloth, $14.95 paper seriously and aggressively at this stage will probably save a lot of money in the long run," he notes. AT BOOKSTORES, OR CALL (800) 666-2211 Lingafelter and Hoebeke are preparing a handbook that will CORNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS help municipal arborists, cooperative Extension agents, and other www . comellpress.cornell.edu pest control officials identifY the Asian beetle and 40-odd other species-most of which are also tree pests-in the same genus. The handbook will also help to distinguish the Asian beetles from thousands of native beetle species that are not economically im portant pests of trees. According to Lingafelter, most native bee tles "consume.;: dead wood, making them important primary STAY COOL IN THE GARDEN decomposers in our forest ecosystems." Destroying infested trees is currently the only feasible control WHILE You SUPPORT AHS WITH method for the beetle, but scientists hope that eventually bio OUR SUMMER HATS logical controls can be developed from among the beetle's nat ural enemies in Asia. Toward that end, ARS scientists are working with their counterparts at the Chinese Ministry ofAgriculture and at the Sino-American Biological Control Laboratory in Beijing. Although it is most likely that additional infestations will be discovered in the greater New York City area, Hoebeke warns that the beetle has the ability to establish itself just about anywhere. "These things are coming in [on ships] all the time, so it's just a matter oftime before we get another infestation," he says. LOW..rtlSE HIGH..rtISE VISOR Homeowners are a valuable ally in the effort to contain this pest. Hoebeke says telling signs oflong-horned beetle damage Baseball style, Baseball style, Silkscreened include large circular koles in the tru.nk or main branches, copi embroidered embfoide~d with "American ous accumulations of coarse sawdust in branch crotches and at with "American with AHS logo. Horticultural the base of trees, and heavy sap flow from holes in tree bark. "All Horticultural Available Society". of those characteristics should make you suspiciOl;ls, especially if Society': in tan. Available the tree's a maple, willow, or poplar," notes Hoebeke. Ifyou live Available in $14.50 in white. in the greater New York City area and suspect you have seen the tan/moss. $5.95 beetle or have tree damage similar to that described above, call $14.50 the New York Department ofAgriculture and Markets at (800) 554-4501 ext. 2087. Outside New York, potential sightings of ~I\/ofJl-RIQ,N 11ClllffCUI,TUAAt the long-horned beetle should be reported to your state agri ~ culture department. ORoERTODAY! CALL (800) 777·7931 EXT.36 PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE SHIPPING . David J. Ellis is editor of The Ame.;:rican Gardener. July/August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 21 9 a ener GARDEN FEATURES "corrective surgery"-they concluded, barring dynamite, there was no way to shift that huge thing. So they built the patio Story and photographs by Walter M. Pickard around the outcropping and called attention to it as an attrac tive garden feature. We gardeners soon learn to go with the flow. ark Twain once said, "Everybody talks about the weath er' but nobody does anything about it." Similarly, land NATURAL AND CONSTRUCTED Mscape architects, garden designers, and garden writers Following the example of the gardener with the immovable rock, talk on and on about garden features, but nobody that I can find it is clear that almost anything can be designated a feature. In defines exactly what tl1at means. Not that this is all bad; since thinking further about what makes garden features, however, it is most gardeners fancy themselves landscape/garden designers by obvious that they can be broken down into two very broad cate more or less divine right, we can decide for ourselves what the gories: natural and constructed. Natural features include streams term encompasses. or other bodies of water, bogs or wetlands, specimen trees, and To illustrate: Some years ago, a speaker at the Williamsburg rock outcrops-in other words, natural assets that can be framed Garden Symposium was describing her garden in New England, or featured to enhance a landscape garden. where the ground often has as much stone in it as soil. The Many of us aren't lucky enough to have outstanding natUlr speaker and her husband had designed and were in tl1e process al features, so we have to rely on constructed objects. Among of building a new patio that was to be paved with irregularly the most common of these are gazebos and other garden hous shaped flagstones (beiNg British, they called that "crazy es; paved patios and garden paths; arbors, trelllises, and pergo paving"). As they were leveling the ground-removing roots, las; manmade ponds and bogs; brick and stone walls; fences of small rocks, and other debris-they ran into an outcropping of all shapes and sizes; statuary; and minor features such as bird stone that turned out to be like an iceberg: only its tip was show baths, garden benches, and gazing balls. There are also a vari ing. They dug around it, pried at it, tried to lift it OlH-with no ety of whimsical or unorthodox features such as pink flamingos, success. After all this wrenching effort-and after the husband's plaster gnomes, and planters made from truck tires. These items A gazebo, above, is a prominent design feature in the author's garden, as well as a place for restiAg and socializing. The author used paint to give the concrete birdbath, right, the look of terra-cotta. In addition to attracting birds to the gar den, the birdbath provides a focal point at the end of a perennial bed. Brick walkways, opposite, tie all the garden elements together. 22 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/August 1998 certainly don't appeal to everyone, but beauty is in the eye of Although often over the beholder. looked by the casual viewer, Resourees paving can add much to the PONDS, PERGOLAS, AND PAVING ambience of a pleasure gar Two rec~ntly published books on In the 20 years that we have been developing our current garden den. The brick paths and patio gaJ.'den features afid ornaments in Alexandria, Virginia, we've added a number of features to the in our garden are made from are available tfirough the AHS landscape. A prominent one is the gazebo, which sits in the dap old-fashioned molded brick Hotticultw-al Book Service. pled shade of a magnificent old pin oal<. and is fronted by a brick pavers, which add soft back GARDEN DElAIJ.:.S: ACCENTS, patio and flanked by flower beds, lawns, and btick paths. The gaze ground color and texture to ORNAMENTS, AND FINISHING bo is a cool and pleasant place ti-om which to view the landscape, complement the green of the lOUCHES FOR THE GARDEN, by especially the Wy pond and bog garden. lawn and shrubs and the col Warren Schultz and Carol Spier, The eight-foot-by-10-foot pond is home to four or five hardy orful flowers in the beds. The Friedman:/Fairfax Publishers, New water lilies, cattails (Typha laxmannii), and a clump of sweet flag bricks are set in sand, which York. Publisher's price, hardcover: allows water to drain quicldy $27.50. AHS member price: after a rain and offers tl1e gar $24.50. Book code: PFP 001. Although often overlooked dener more opportunities for SMITH AND HAWKEN GARDEN by the casual viewer, paving dry-shod viewing. ORNAMENT, by Linda Joan Smith, Workman Publishing can add much to the ambience WALLS AND FENCES Company, New York. Publisher's of a pleasure garden. Well-designed brick or stone price, hardcover: $22.95. AHS walls probably add more char member price: $19.75. acter to a garden than any Book code: WOR 016. (Acarus calam~tS 'Variegatus'). The adjacent, small manmade other structure. In addition to bog supports a variety of plants that like wet feet, including looking good, they can block Sibetian ilis, arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia), and pickerel weed out unsightly views, make a Sources (Pontederia cordata). fine background for plantings, Another always eye-pleasing garden feature is an arbor or per and provide a vertical element GARDENER'S SUPPLY COMPANY, gola. We placed our very small arbor between a corner rnixed bed for growing vines and hang 128 Intervale R.oad, Burlington, and a Bradford pear u-ee. A shelter for a teak bench, it is covered ing plant containers. Our 50- VT 05401. (800) 863-1700. with sweet autumn clematis and hung with flowerpots. It is part foot-long brick wall effectively KINSMAN COMPANY, INC., River ly hidden from the rest of the garden by a small bed that contains blocks out cars and people Road, Point Pleasant, PA 18950- a robust Caryoptel'is xclandonensis 'Heavenly Blue', Centranthus passing on a side street by our 0357. (800) 733-4146. ruber 'Roseus', and Hylotelephium (formerly Sedum) 'Autumn house. Yet at five-and-a-half SMITH & HAWKEN, Two Arbor Joy'. The vines over the arbor and the plants in front make it a feet high, it is low enough for Lane, Box 6900, Florence, KY cool place to sit in the summer and watch the bees feeding on the neighbors wall<.ing by to peek 41022. (800) 776-3336. nectar of the plants. over tl1e wall at our garden, which we encourage. Altl10ugh it might not be as charming as a well-sited wall, a solid board fence serves much the same purpose. We have a six foot-tall red cedar fence across the back of the garden that pro vides privacy as well as support for a great many vines. The vines create a soothing green backdrop for foreground plantings in the herbaceous and mixed beds and, in season, add the color of their blooms. A real winner in this department is sweet autumn clema tis (Clematis terniflora). It has lush green leaves and is covered with tiny white blossoms from late summer to first frost and be yond. In the spring and early summer, the perennial sweet pea (Lathyrus latifolius) adds its pastel flowers to the scene. Another contributor to the green backdrop is climbing hydrangea (H. peti olaris). And finally, another late-summer bloomer on the fence and on the garage-is silver lace vine (Polygonum aubertii). As the old adage goes, "Good fences mal<.e good neighbors." These, then, are some of the garden features that add warmth and interest to our garden. They did not all come about at once but were added over the years as the gMden developed. I regard tl1ese features somewhat like adjectives that are carefully woven into a sentence to emphasize a point and add color and interest. Lil<.e adjectives, when overused they can detract rather than en hance. It is the gardener'S job to find the right blend of natural and constructed features for each individual landscape. Forme]'lya colonel in the u.s. Air Force, Walter M. Pickard gar dens in Alexandria, Vi'0inia. July/August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 23 veals a reflexed--dmvnward curved-ring of five green sepals and five variously col ored petals. The center of the flower con tains an elaborate, up-facirlg structure called a corona that flaunts a five-lobed hood and, often, five narrow, erect horns. The corona is a little shop of horrors for insects. Lured by seductive scent and color, they come in droves to sip nectar, irlcidentally pollinating the flowers in re turn. WIllie sipping petalside, an unwary irlsect may slip on the waxen corona and become hopelessly ensnarled. Many a hapless bee or butterfly has escaped from the vise grip by leaving behind a leg or two. Others never escape and are some times found dangling from the fl ower. It seems "gentle" Mother Nature some times has a sick sense of humor! A Useful ccWeed~~ Because some milkweed plants had a long tradition of use for various medicirlal pur poses, the genus was named after Asklepios, the Greek god of medicirle. The doctrirle of signatures- an ancient theory that a plant's appearance irldicated the ailments it would treat-dictated usirlg the sap of the warty seed pods, called follicles, to remove warts. The rnilky sap was also used as a contracep tive, as an antispasmodic, and to induce vomiting. A syrup was made by collecting dew-flushed flowers, pressirlg them to re move the liquid, and boiling it. The roots, especially those of Asclepias tuberosa, were used to make a tonic to treat lung ailments such as pleUlisy-hence the common name plelUisy root. It is important to note, how ever, that many milkweeds contain cardiac Though called purple milk The milkweed family, Asclepiadaceae, glycosides and other toxic compounds, so weed, the flowers of counts among its members such diverse experimentation is discouraged. Asclepias purpurascens, top, plants as the sultry Stephanotis) a fragrant Milkweeds were irldispensable to Native can also be a deep crimson vine that reigns supreme in blidal circles; the Amelicans and early settlers. The silken fila red. The flowers of poke milk Hoya, or wax plant, often trained irldoors ments of milkweed seeds were collected to weed (A. exaltata), above, around wirldows; and the curious starfish stuff pillows and mattresses and to be woven remind the author of a show cactus, Stapelia. Family traits irlclude rnilky irlto string for candle "vicks. The fibrous bark er of fireworks. Opposite: sap and rather bizarre flowers with parts irl of some species was used to make fishirlg Seed pods of butterfly weed fives. The family is closely allied with Apocy lines, sewing thread, and lariats. The spring (A. tuberosa) split open, naceae, the dogbane family, which flaunts shoots were boiled like asparagus and used releasing their ethereal cache the showy bluestars (Amsonia), the fi'agrant as potherbs. During World War II, Boy to the whim of the wind. tropical fi'angipani (Plumeria), and the fi Scouts and other civic groups collected milk brous dogbanes (Apocynum) . weed floss-which is more buoyant than The genus Asclepias contains about 150 cork and warmer than wool- for use in life species worldwide, with the majority found jackets and aviator's flyirlg suits. irl North America and Afiica. Many are sub tropical to tropical, though temperate Well-Known Species North America has a bounty ofspecies wait Despite this long relationship between hu irlg for gardeners to discover their charms. mans and milkweeds, they are usually The flowers are clustered in flat or rounded shunned in the garden except by butterfly cymes, but a close look at an irldividual re- fanciers and natrive-plant enthusiasts. This 26 THE AMERICAN GARDENER J uly/August 1998 Asclepias sullivantii, below left, is a pity since they have so much to offer, ing it to meadow gardens where there is is sometimes mistaken for including beauty, fragrance, and easy care. sufficient competition to keep it in check. common milkweed (A. syriacaJ, Milkweed foliage provides an excellent dis Its merits include showy pink flowers that below right, but unlike its pro play all season long, with fall colors varying are deliciously fragrant and warty seed lific cousin, Sullivant's milkweed from clear yellow to burnt orange and oc heads that are coveted by floral arrangers. is a rare plant in several mid casionally flushes of rich red tones. The lack Ifyo u take the time to look, you will notice western states. Bottom: A ofenthusiasm among gardeners also means dozens of different insects, including but clump of Asclepias asperuJa that despite the plethora of milkweed terflies, bees, beetles, wasps, spiders, and grows amid a drift of Gaillardia. species, only a handful are commercially others using the plant for food and shelter. Opposite, left: The flowers of available as either plants or seeds. Butterfly For those who have the room, I heartily en green milkweed (A. viridiflora), weed (A. tuberosa) and swamp milkweed dorse this maligned renegade as an essen with its strongly reflexed (A. incarnata) have graduated to real tial wildlife plant. petals, are unusual in both perennial status in the mainstream nursery Everyone knows butterfly weed (A. color and form. Swamp milk trade, but most others are only sold t-uberosa), with its leafY stems and flat clus weed (A. incarnata), opposite through specialty native-plant nurseries. ters of screaming orange flowers. The plant right is a more familiar-looking Common milkweed (A. syriaca) is able grows in clumps one to three feet tall from species that is coveted by to leap farm fields in a single bound, and as a thick, fleshy taproot. Flowering begins in butterfly gardeners. wild a gardener as I am, I advocate relegat- June and recurs in midsummer as side shoots mature. The cigarlike seed capsules are blushed with sienna and are decorative fresh or dried. Throughout the East and Midwest, butterfly weed thrives in sandy meadows, in dry prairies, and along roadsides. In the garden it's more versatile than most species- as appropriate in formal borders as on dry clay banks-and is hardy in USDA Zone 4 to 9. The discrete clumps obligingly hold their position in the border. I like to contrast the flattish form with the yellow-sttiped swords of variegated yuccas and the crepe-paper flowers of prickly pear cactus, unifYing them with a carpet of ver benas and trailing veronica. If orange makes you queasy, try 'Hello Yellow', which has clear, bright yellow flowers. 'Gay Butterflies' is a seed strain with yellow, dark orange, or red flowers . Butterfly gardeners have recently dis covered the charms of the swamp milk weed (A. incarnata), which sports multiple flattened trusses of rose to crim son flowers on two- to four-foot stalks. The richly colored petals coupled with paler horns give its flowers a two-toned appear ance. They give way to narrow seed pods, which stand upright like candles on a holi day altar. Handsome, lance-shaped leaves clothe the stems rather densely for a milk weed and turn burgundy, orange, or yellow in autumn. Native east of the Rockies and hardy in Zone 3 to 7, swamp milkweed grows naturally in wet meadows, in marsh z es, and on pond margins but is equally at o '""- home in moist garden soil or containerized :;; in a water garden. A selection called 'Cin in :i1'" derella' is rosy pink, while 'Ice Ballet' fea a: tures large creamy white flowers. o Deserving ofAttention Gardeners in our country's arid midsection 28 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/Augus t 1998 Millcweeds Sources flOWERY BRANCM SEED GOMPANY. P.O. Box 1330, Flowery Branch, GA 30542. (770) 536-8380. Catalog $4. FORESTFARM. 990 N. Tetherow Road, Williams, OR 97544-9599. (541) 846- 7269. Catalog $4. NATIVE GARDENS, 5737 Fisher Lane, Greenback, TN 37742. (423) 856- 0220. E-ma il: [email protected]. Price list free. NICHE GARDENS, 111 1 Dawson Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27 516. (919) 967- 0078. www.nichegdn.com . Catalog $3. PRAIRIE MOON NURSERY, Route 3, Box 163, Winona, MN 55987. (507) 452-1362. E-mail: [email protected]. but charming demeanor. The flowers add it to rock gardeners and border builders Catalog free. tl1e fire, opening in flattened clusters ofbi alike. At the front of a bed it can serve as an PRAIRIE NURSERY, P.O. Box 306, colored orange and red tl1roughout tl1e accent, springing from a carpet ofveroni Westfield, WI 53964. (608) 296-3679 warmer montl1s. Bloodflower does best in a ca, verbena, or winecups. or (800) 476-9453 . Fax: (608) 296- warm, sunny position in average to rich, Several Midwest states list Sullivant's milk 2741 . ~ -ma i l : [email protected]. moist soil; it will self-sow readily south of weed (A. sullivantii) as rare. This native of Catalog free . Zone 9, however, and is considered weedy wet prairies and low meadows-{)ften mis SUNLIGHT GARDENS, 174 Golden in tropical regions of the world. taken for common milkweed-puts up two Lane, Andersonville, TN 37105. I'm partial to tl1e eccentric poke milk foot stalks topped by crimson-purple (423) 494-8237 or (800) 272-7396. weed (A. exaltata)) whose pink-and-green dome-shaped inflorescences. Individually Fax: (423) 494-7086. ~ -ma i l: spherical flower clusters look like a fireworks stalked florets are up to an inch long and a sl;I [email protected]. Catalog $3. display on Chinese New Year. The stately half-inch in diameter, with deeply reflexed WE-DU NURSERIES, Route 5, Box 724, clumps, accented with large egg-shaped petals and protuberant horns. Smooth, egg Marion, NC 28752- 9:3 38. (704) /38- leaves, rise to three feet in early summer, with to spearhead-shaped leaves clothe the stem. 8300. Fax: (704) 738-8B 1. three to five flower clusters gatl1ered on the Plants are well behaved so hostile takeovers www.wedu@wncli nk.com. Catalog upper third of each stem. Count on poke are unlikely. They will settle comfortably in a $2, refundable. milkweed to be well behaved in the garden. bed with blazing stars (Liatris spp.), rat WOODLANDERS, 1128 Colleton Its rhizomes creep slowly outward to form tlesnake-master (Eryngiumyuccifolium)) and Avel1 b1 e, Aiken. 5C 219801. (803) 648- open clumps of up to a dozen stems, but I ornamental grasses. 7522. Catal og $2. (October 1- March don't consider tl1em invasive. Its native More curibus than beautiful are the 31 shipping only.) range is from Maine to Georgia and west to tight green heads of another species called the upper Midwest; it can be found growing green milkweed (A. viridijlora)) native to in rich loamy or humusy soils along lightly dry prairies, meadows, and roadsides from are sure to appreciate the elegant species shaded roadsides, on riverbanks, and in the East Coast to central Canada and the called antelope horns (A. asperula). In clearings. In a garden it thrives where there Southwest. The individual flowers have spring, each stem bears rounded, six-inch is either sun or part shade and soil enriched strongly reflexed petals and narrow, jutting clusters of starry, pale green flowers with with organic matter. horns that resemble a spent bullet shell. Up wide, flat petals and broad, spreading Anyone who has seen common milk to three flower clusters crown the one- to horns. Slightly tapered, linear leaves fold weed take over an old field at the speed of three-foot stems, which sport thick, leath upwards in the middle to form a narrow light will find it hard to believe that there ery oval leaves. A. viridiflora var. lanceola pouch. The leafy one- to two-foot clumps could be an endangered milkweed. In fact, tal a botanical variety found in the upper grow from a thick taproot, so the plants are there are two highly ornamental species Midwest, has narrow, lance-shaped leaves extremely drought tolerant. Native to that are regionally listed as rare species. Na and is often mistaken for A. hirtella. The rocky prairies and high plains, they can eas tive to dry prairies of the Midwest, the del latter has spreading rather than totally re ily be killed with kindness in the garden. icate green milkweed (A. hirtella) grows flexed petals, however. Hardy in Zone 6 to 9, they want lean soil two to three feet tall with pairs of pencil Lance-leaf milkweed (A. lanceolata) and little supplemental watering. thin leaves. In bloom it is crowned with up grows in low woods, pine savannas, and bar Bloodflower (A. curassallica) is a jazzy to three rounded clusters ofsea green flow rens, where it is often overlooked when not but tender annual species from South Amer ers. Five slightly reflexed petals are often in flower. The somewhat wiry stems, which ica. The three-foot scapes, loosely clothed white-edged or spotted with purple. The can reach three feet, are very sparsely cov with lance-shaped leaves, possess a gawky delicate charm of this plant should endear ered with narrow, lance-shaped leaves. Peo- July/ August 1998 . THE AMERICAN GARDENER 29 Milkweeds in the Garden s you can see from some of my examples, I use milkweeds in both formal and ing little plant aJ.ld use it with showy skull informal settings. They shmv to great advantage against a stone or brick wall cap (Scutellaria incana), green-aJ.ld-gold A or accenting a garden gate. At the front or center of beds and borders tlley (Ch1'ysogonum vi1lJinianum), and fire pink mi...x wonderfully with fine-textured perennials such as gaura (Gaura lindheimeri) (Silene vi1lJinica) in lightly shaded borders bowman's- root (Gillenia t-rifoliata), meadow rue (Thalictrum spp. ), verbcma, sea aJ.ld along woodlaJ.ld trails. It will also grow lavender (Limonium spp.), and Boltonia. in full sun with verbenas, Indian pink You can keep the running species in check, at least in the short term, by planting (Spigelia marilandica), aJ.ld smooth phlox them in bottomless containers witll sides at least a foot deep. The truly rampant grow (Phloxglaberrima). This milkweed forms ers are best relegated to wild gardens and habitat open, multi-stemmed clumps and is quite plantings, where iliey can romp freely without elic drought tolerant. iting tile gardener'S scorn. Combine them with The showy milkweed (A. speciosa) is grasses, flowering spurges (Euphorbia spp.), blaz aptly named. Its spherical heads of one ing stars (Liatrisspp.), coneflowers, penstemol1S, inch, starry, pink flowers aJ.·e gorgeous and prait1e clovers (Dalea spp. ), goldenrods, and asters. deliciously fragrant. At first glance it re With the species that desire wet feet, mi...-x in smne sembles common milkweed, but it is far turtleheads (Chelonegtab1"'a) blue flag irises, iron more delicate and far less rambunctious. weeds (Vernoniaspp.), sneezeweeds (Helenium The sturdy one- to two-foot stems sport spp. ), and showy sedges such as Carex pend~tla. pairs of oval, sea green leaves and tllree or Shade-tolerant species are lovely when planted with four terminal flower clusters. The plants golden alexanders (Zizia aurea) wild geraniums, put out runners but form sparse open goatsbeards (A1'uneus dioicus) bluestars (Amsonia clumps mat are seldom invasive. Planted in spp.), phlox, wild sennas, and asters. the front or middle of the border, the Milkweeds are easy to grow £i:om fresh seed stems pop up just obligingly enough sown in winter or stratified for four weeks in the where space is available. Hardy in Zone 2 refrigerator. The seedlings develop quickly and to 8, it is native to rich prairies and low Milkweeds lend themselves some may even bloom the first Surl1l11er if they are meadows of our West. to informal garden settir:ags. sta.rted eady cnoYgh. The rur}l1ers are easily di.vid Many are me "oohs" and "aabs" uttered Here butterfly weed ar:ad ed in spring or fall, and root cuttings will produce by visitors when my drifts of whorled or Sullivant's milkweed are new plants if taken in late summer or autumn. horsetail milkweed (A. verticillata) aJ.·e in planted with Echinacea Stem cuttings will root from most species if taken full bloom. This petite enchanter has one tennesseensis. in late spring or early summer. to-two-foot stems densely hlmg wim long, Plants are mostly pest-free, though aphids may needlelike leaves, so they look something gather to feast on me fresh succulent foliage, flower buds, or young seed pods. No like a cartoon eat's tail after an eleCtl1C shock. need to call out the exterminator-just wash aphids offwith a steady stream of water. The sweet-scented white flowers open in You want to avoid using pesticides on milkweeds because of their special, exclu midswnmer, and side branches keep tllem sive relationship with monarch blltterflies, which lay their eggs singly on tile under coming for several weeks. In autumn the side of milkweed leaves. They prefer common milkweed and the otller succulent leaves turn yellow to orange, and tile pencil species, but they will use any species that is available, even the hairy-leaved butterfly tllin seed capsules are very decorative once weed. The caterpillars feed voraciously 011 the plant, but there are so many stems and tlley split open. Clwnps increase rapidly by leaves in each clump that the damage is hardly noticeable in most cases. For the small rul1llerS, but it's easy to keep unwanted cost of a few leaves, you may be rewarded with a glimpse of the chrysalis, which looks stems pulled or dug up. Prairies, meadows, as tllough it is banded in gold, and you will win the loyalty of the beautiful adult but and open woods of me eastern and centtal terflies for helping to perpetuate their species. --C.C.B. United States are its wild haunts. I hope I've succeeded in convincing you that you needn't be a sadi.st or an anarchist ple and butterflies take notice, though, when of common milkweed. This is a less inva to introduce milkweeds into your land the small heads of red, orange, or yellow sive plant that is ideal for meadow and scape. There are plenty of well-behaved flowers open. Like the swamp milkweed, it prait1e gardens. Red milkweed (A. rubra) species that won't demand weekly atten can be Llsed where soils are soggy or in a con is sin1ilaJ.·, but tile leaf tips taper to a sharp tion from a front-end loader to stay in taitler slmk in a water garden. point. In the wild it is seen only in eastern check. You will be rewarded wim intrigu WIllie it suffers from a bit of an identity coastal areas, but red n1ilkweed does well in ing, seductively scented flowers and a front crisis, purple n1ilkweed (A. purpurascens) a variety of garden situations. Bom it aJ.ld row seat for the spectacle of nature's un can be di.stinguished from common milk purple n1ilkweed are hardy to Zone 4. ceasing drama. Quite a gift fi'om a humble weed at a second glance. It is native to dry Four-leaved n1ilkweed (A. quadrifolia) group of weeds. shrubby prait1es and woodland edges £i'om is a small treasure for a semi-shaded border OntaJ.10 soum to Virginia aJ.ld west to east or rock garden. The one-foot stems of this C. Colston Burrell is a landscape designer ern Kansas. The somewhat lax stems sport eastern native produce whorls of four andgarden writer who lives in Minneapolis, ::>; sparse, egg-shaped leaves and two to three broadly lance-shaped leaves and up to tlu'ee Minnesota. His most 1'Ccent boole, A Garden- ~ clusters of deep red or purple flowers. The open clusters of soft pink, sweet-scented er's Encyclopedi.a of Wildflowers, received r;: seed pods aJ.·e softly hairy aJ.1.d lack tile warts flowers in late spring. I love this enchant- one ofthis ),ear)s AHS Book Awards. !2. 30 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/ August 1998 Garden in the In northern Redwoods California two gardeners have created an emerald oasis. by Pamela Conley When most people think of a redwood forest, they picture towering ancient trees and deep shade, Witil lillie at ground level except moss-covered Stun1ps. Yet a redwood forest offers the op portunity to create a garden mat is natural ly beautiful, in an environment that is naturally healthy. The shade moderates temperatures, keeping me forest floor moist and cool in SLUnmer. The forest canopy pro tects plants below from me forces of wind and rain. Newly fallen fo liage provides a nurturing mulch that, as it breaks down, contributes to a humus-rich soil. Because iliis is a matme ecosystem in terms of nat ural succession, ti1ere are few of the colo nizing "weed" plants mat plague a typical new development. Where else could a gar dener find a more inspiring canvas on which to paint a soul-sooiliing green retreat? Cazadero, California, is a former log percentage of part-time residents. But me Adirondack chairs and a ging town of about 2,500 residents wim a temperature seldom gets below freezing swinging bench lie along a general store, a post office, and a lumber me coldest I remember is 33-or higher stone path amid the primordial mill, hidden in tile redwood hills of Sono tilan 80, and those of us who live here year atmosphere of the author's ma County 90 miles north of San Francis roLUld are treated to a lush and tranquil set forested garden. The light co. For a brief period ending in me 1920s, ting eight monms of me year. filtering down from the tower Cazadero was a resort town, but today it is My husband, Dennis Beall, and I tested ing redwoods casts a green famous primarily for receiving tile second me waters of Cazadero by buying a small glow that is reflected by ferns, most rainfall in the state next to Humboldt weekend cottage mat we enjoyed for 12 mosses, and other shade-loving COLUlty, about 150 miles nortil ofSonoma years. But it became harder and harder understory plants. County. Just five miles from the Pacific every Sunday to make me drive soum, back Coast, Cazadero's residents live on both to m e fast pace of San Francisco. Then, --' sides of Austin Creek, which runs all year. about me same time that Dennis decided ~ t'" The 90 to 100 inches of rain we receive to retire early from teaching art at San Fran I ~ 12 between November and late April chases cisco State University, me two-story house ow off a lot of people, and the area has a high at tile end of our road canle up for sale. THE AMERICAN GARDENER 31 BWJdba Statue an1) RedWOOd Stump HOdtcu and Adtilbe . -----, . ! I:: ~ Ret) Brick Stairway ,9,Cb - . IF ''''o 0 Stone Pa.thway I) Cutting Garden '~ '.' '''''~r---- Deck -++---- Sbed ~~!J..I Nortb ---+ Little had been done to the backyard of leaf mold had been before. Admiring that the two-thil'Cis-acre plot, but we immediate new growth from the deck the following ly saw its possibilities. The main focus was spring, I exclaimed to my husband, "The four redwood trees that grew in a circle about Emerald Garden!" and we've called it that 35 feet from the house. The property was ever smce. surrounded with other native trees and The circle of big redwoods had already shrubs-fir, California bayberry (Myrica cal created a focal point, and we didn't fight ifornica), madrone (Arbutusmenziesii), tan it. The sound of Austin Creek rushing by bark oak (Litho carpus densijlorus)-offering 75 feet below inspired us to create a complete privacy. The ground Was carpeted "riverside" atmosphere to underscore it, with the cloverlike foliage of redwood sor and to do that, we wanted to pave the dirt rel (Oxalis oregana), sprinkled from spring path running through the garden with to autumn with its pink flowers and con river rock stepping stones. That summer, trasting with sky blue forget-me-nots it seemed that Dennis made endless trips (Myosotis sylvatica). We weren't uncon to the garden supply store before we had cerned about the lack of sun, but set our the two-and-a-halftons we needed to fin selves the challel1ge of naturalizing with ish the project. On a "puddle" of smaller native flora. pebbles to the left of the redwood circle, Dennis put up the redwood swing from Shedding a LiUle Light the front porch of our old cabin. They've The first task was to hire an arborist to been joined by two matching Adirondack limb up several of the 35 redwoods on the chairs. Coast trillium, above, is one of property to increase our quota of filtered The following summer, Dennis built the many native wild flowers sunlight. Most of them are relatively me a potting shed from recycled red the author and her husband young-IOO to 150 years old-and mod wood. He put windows in its swinging found growing naturally in the erately sized at 150 to 175 feet high and doors and a shutter in the front, then understory of their redwood two to three feet in diameter. On the added windows along the back and one garden. A plan of the garden, south side of the house, the increased SU!l1- side. Since one of our bird-feeding sta top, shows how it is designed light encouraged the redwood sorrel to tions is next to the shed, I can enjoy the to make the most of the clear- begin spreading down the hill, creating an antics of the birds and squirrels while pot ings between giant trees. emerald green carpet where shadow and ting up bulbs and annuals. 32 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/August 1998 Discovering Natives One of the joys ofleaving om garden nat mal is being surprised by natives that vol unteer eagerly and prolifically. In the early spring, our pathway on the south side of the house is lined with the yellow flowers ofred wood violet (Viola sempervinns). Two other violet species reside on the house's north side. The northern bog violet (V nephrophylla)-it's sometimes called kid ney-Ieafviolet but the shape looks more Wee a heart to me-has deep purple flowers with white basal hairs, and the more appropri ately named wedge-leaved violet (V cunea ta) has white flowers with pmple eye spots on the two side petals. These violets began to appear after we brought in more light, and they become more plentiful each year. A native plant we introduced to our gar den is the western bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa). Its lacy foliage shows up in early spring, but unlike the imported D. specta bilis, which disappears in midsummer, it continues to produce sprays of pink heart shaped flowers throughout the summer. We introduced a few in front of a rhododen dron next to the swing area, and they have begun spreading on their own. In spring, the white bracts of a western dogwood (Cornus nuttaUii) on a slope behind the swing shine like beacons in the shade. One of the most dramatic features on the property is the moss-covered stump of a redwood we estimate to have been logged about a century ago, 12 feet high and eight feet across, with a "keyhole" running al most its full height. Next to it on a much smaller stump we placed the statue of a white meditating Buddha, which stands out starkly in the shadows. In front of it, my ; husband built a meditation bench carved trillium (Trillium ovatum), and the lovely Grand hound's-tongue, top left, with the words "The Emerald Garden." purple Iris douglasiana, which gradually is another common redwood Redwood steps and railings lead down fades to white. Native sword fern (Poly forest native that grows natu to this spot, to the left of the seating area. stichum munitum), bracken (Pteridium rally in the author's garden. An In winter, we search here for mushrooms aquilinum var. pubescens), and lady fern elegant potting shed made of and other fungi-we admire them rather (Athyrium felixfemina) have freely natu recycled redwood provides a than eat them, since they're nearly all poi ralized in our garden. backdrop for a mix of ground sonous- and in spring, for subtle native Heading away from the house and deck, covers, including hostas, flowers. The calypso orchid (Calypso bul Dennis added a red brick stairway that leads astilbe, and ferns, top right. bosa) rises out of our highly acidic soil on a down to a gate and an ivy-covered arbor, Near a deck on the sunnier tall stem with one oval leaf. The size of a both made ofrecycled redwood. Next to the l'Iorth side of the house, Conley fingernail, its slipper-shaped flower is bright steps, we planted a bed of hostas, backed by has planted roses, irises, and pink with a tongue mottled in yellow, or the featllery foliage and flowers of astilbes. foxgloves, above. ange, and white. Several other redwood Sword ferns, along with more bleeding flowers we have are wild ginger (Asarum hearts, surround one of our birdbaths. caudatum), the aptly named fetid adder's In front of the house, we took advan tongue (Scoliopus bigelovii), woodland star tage of our acidic soil by planting a dozen (Lithophragma affine), false Solomon's different rhododendrons. From our seal (Smilacina stellata), grand hound's kitchen window, I can enjoy their floral dis tongue (Cynoglossum grande), coast play-pale pink, bright pink, red, and pur- July/August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 33 Western bleeding heart, pie-from mid-spring through early sum above left, a West Coast mer. The rest of the year I'm emertained native Conley introduced to by the birds and squirrels that come to an the garden, offers colorfwl other feeding station here. pink flowers and lacy foliage throwghotlt the summer. The Adding a Little Color flowers of Iris douglasiana, In the redwoods, most of the native flow above right, start out violet ers possess an understated beauty you can't then gradually fade to white fully appreciate unless you get down on as they mature. your knees. To add color we can enjoy from farther away, a few years ago I introduced poor man's-orchids (Schizanthuspinnatus) into my garden. These natives of Chile freely spread seeds and now come up in great numbers every July and last into fall. They stand about one-and-a-ha!lffeet tall above the redwood sorrel and forget-me nots and produce an abundance of small but showy orchidlike flowers. With their fernlike foliage, they complement the na tive ferns and bleeding hearts. It's impossible to beat impatiens for long-lasting splashy color in shade. Next to the swing area, we sunk cylindrical clay pots of various sizes, and by midsumm~r the 34 TH E AMERICA N G ARD E N ER J uly/August 1998 I spring-planted aIIDualS are continuing our been 'Cecile BrUill"1er', a pale pink, spice A shade-loving mixture of riverside theme by flowing together in a scented polyantha, and 'Margo Koster'. ferns and rhododendrons wel stream of bright hues . I must confess to a love-hate relationship comes visitors to the front of For spring color on the decks, I've pot with our biggest redwood, not because of the house, top. Among the ted several different azaleas. While they're its size but because it stands only 10 feet understated native plants blooming I pot up begonias that will pro from the house, dropping pitch and seed in found on the property is vide color later in the season. Not content summer and providing ammunition for miner's lettuce, above left. to rely on plaI1ts alone for contrast with our squirrels that drop cones on our head and Near the moss-covered stump green background, we've draped Mexican in our food when we sit on the deck. of a once-mighty redwood, serapes over our lounge chairs. Still, it was the natural redwood forest above right, Conley and Beall On the north side of the house, Demus with its deep shade, subtle flowers, moss have added a white statue of a built a small deck and two sheds to store carpet, and lush ferns-tllat was our inspi meditating Buddha to enhance wood. Ironically, it's here on the north ration, and we've tried to alter the scene as this natural focal point. where we get the most sun, aIld I'm exper little as possible. Plucking all occasional Se imenting ,vith a bed ofperennials and roses quoia cone from our salads aIld not having for cut flowers. Heucheras, dayWies, aIld bushels of roses to arrange seems a small Chinese foxgloves (Rehmannia elata) tol price to pay. We like to dunk of our Emer erate this mottled shade, as do Japanese ald Garden as a gentle and successful part anemones, marguerites (Arg)wanthemum nership with nature. frutescens) foxgloves, Shasta daisies, and heliopsis. I've even discovered that I can Pamela Conley was a senior flight atten grow dahlias and this year expanded my dant for an international air company for collection from two to 25. I ,vish I could seven years. Now a free-lance writer, she still grow more roses, but I do get a few blooms travels when she can tear herself away from every summer. My most successful have hergarden. J~d)' / August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 35 There are some 500 species in the genus Centaurea, most of them native to Europe, and as you might expect with such a diverse clan, some of them are very bad eggs indeed-among the worst weeds known to humanity and almost ineradicable once established. Warned English gardener and herbalist John Parkinson in his 1629 Garden ofPleasant Flowers, "There are a great many sorts of Knapweedes, yet none of them all fit for this our Gar den," except for something he calls the "Spanish Sea Knapweede," which may be our bright rosy purple Centaurea jacea. Parkinson made a clear distinction between the black-sheep knapweeds and the re spectable "Corne flower" or "blew Botdes." Yet even the seemingly innocent annual cornflower or bachelor's-button (Centaurea cyanus) has had a reputation to live down. Parkinson's less romantic countrymen called its wild single-flowered form-a c?mmon weed of wheat fields-"hurt-sickle" because its durable and elastic stems bLunted har vesting tools. Parkinson had no hesitation declaring it a candida.e for ornamental gardens, howevn, waxing at length on every detail ofits appearance: the leaves "long, and of a whitish green 36 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/August 1998 Left to right: Centaurea scabiosa, C. macrocepha/a, C. americana, and C. hypo/euca 'John Coutts'. taureas b y R a n d B L e e color, deeply cut in on the edges in some places," somewhat like "the leaves of a Scabi Hurt-sickles, ous," and the stallcs "two foot high or better, beset with such like leaves but smaller, and little or nothing slit on the edges." The tops are "branched, bearing many small green scaly Hardheads, heads, out of which rise flowers, consistillg of five or six or more long and hollow leaves Knapweeds, [petals], small at the bottom, and opening wider and greater at the brims, notched or cut in on the edges, and standing round about many small threads in the middle." and Bachelor's Parkinson called the cornflowers' central boss of fertile florets "thrumes" because he Buttons thought they resembled the sheared-off short threads from a loom. The diverse colors he described presaged those we're planting some 360 years later: some "wholly blue, or white, or blush [pink]," as in our modern C. cyanus Florence series; "of a light or dead red," like our 'Red Boy'; "of an overworn purple color," similar to 'Black Ball'; "or else mixed of these colors ... the edges white, and the rest blue or purple," as in today's 'Frost ed Queen' hybrids. "After the flowers are past," observed Parkinson, "there come small, hard, white and shining seed in those heads, wrapped or set among a deal offlockie [woolly or hairy] mat ter, as is most usual in all plants that bear scaly heads." The stony substance of these seed pods inspired one of the genus's common names, hardhead. LEFT TO RIGHT: JESSIE M. HARR IS; BILL JOHNSON; LYNNE HARRISON (2). July/August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 37 Native to the mountains of central and southeastern Europe, Centaurea uniflora is among the less commonly available species for growing in gardens. It is a naturally dwarf perennial that grows only about eight inches tall. Wispy blossoms give the plant a tousle-headed charm in summer. In British gardens, C. cyanus predates Parkinson. It was recorded there in the 16th cenmry and has been on this side of the Atlantic since at least tl1e Colonial pe riod. In her 1905 Another H a1'dy Garden Book, Helena Rutl1erfurd Ely called them indispensable filler plants for beds of peren nials. Today tl1e most commonly grown are tl1e double blues. 'Jubilee Gem' has been known since 1937 and, at one or two feet tall, fits into any garden. But C. cyanuscan get four feet tall , particularly the long blooming Victorian 'Emperor William' strain, the last of tl1e old, tall single-flow ered bachelor's-buttons. There are also miniamres of a foot or less, such as Cen tauna 'Dwarf Midget'. Reference books will tell you bache- 100"s-buttons must be sown where they are to grow because they don't transplant well from nursery starts; this is poppycock. If you move them before they are four inch and three feet wide, they are topped wim one to two months of cold treatment or es tall they transplant perfectly well, as long huge, softly scented, five-inch -wide rosy fall sowing for best germination, but when as you keep tl1em watered and partly shad Wac shaving brushes with paler centers. If the plants emerge tl1ey grow quickly into ed until they have acclimated to garden kept deadheaded, mey will produce flow tl1ree- to five-foot-tall , drought-tolerant conditions. Like all centaureas I have en ers till fi'ost, and you are permitted to gasp pseudo thistles bearing enchanting bicolor countered, C. cyanusneeds a neutral to al with astonishment, as I did, when you no to tricolor blossoms, one on each of its kaline soil with reasonably good drainage. tice tl1at tl1e great blossoms close at night, many stems. The flowers are up to five sometimes trapping drunken bees witlUn inches in diameter with centers that are Native Knapweeds meir filaments. llhey open right up again crean1 to yellow, and outer florets of purple For years I thought C. cyanuswas the only the next morning wim the bees apparent to pink, mrning pinkish blue at their tips. annual centaurea; then in a catalog I dis ly none the worse for wear. I do not know covered C. americana, the American bas of any other Centaurea that does mis. A Perennials ket flower, also known as cardo-dei-valle wlute form is available as well, but I have Once I discovered C. americana, it oc (tlustle of tl1e valley) and-I am sorry to never grown it. CUlTed to me that me genus might have say-jolly joker. With C. americana, it Another native American centaurea other pleasures in store, so I began casting does seem best to sow it where you want that is just now hitting some of tl1e better about in catalogs and local nursery stalls. I it because seedlings of tlus soumeastern seed catalogs is me annual to biennial C. first bought C. montana, the perennial and south central native grow very quick roth1'ockii. Native to the southwestern and mountain bluet. It hails from the moun ly into what-if they had any prickles SOUtl1 central United States, tlus species is tains of Europe. Lilce tl1e cornflower, it has you would call giant tlustles. Six feet tall very like C. americana. Its seeds require been grown in gardens since at least m e 38 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/ August 1998 16th century. It is also very hardy-report least to Zone 4. Altl10ugh C. nig1'a behaves edly reliable in USDA Zone 3 through 8- in my garden, it has naturalized in some but the flowers are more blue-violet than a East Coast areas. true cornflower blue. They are very pretty, If you are rwming out of room in your nonetheless, opening in Tlme here on the garden but still wish to include one perenni border of Zone 5 and 6 with a spatter of al cornflower, try C. simplicica-vdis. Only 16 blossoms off and on till fall. The white se inches tall, it makes a silvery green mat from Bachelor's-buttons and red lection, 'Alba', is supposed to be particu which spilces ofstJ.iking, cool rose flowers lise poppies make good garden larly appealing. All forms of C. montana loll in late spring to summer. Hailing from the companions, as shown by the on their stems, though, and since they can Transcaucasus, it is very easy to grow, ex dramatic display below. This be extremely variable in height they are not tremely hardy-Zone 3 tl1.rough 8-and species of centaurea, also plants for the formal border. quite drougl1t tolerant once established. An known as cornflower, has had The next centaurea to hit my garden was other hardy 16-inch Transcaucasian is C. pul a long history of cultivation in the perennial great-headed knapweed, C. cher1'ima, which bears rosy purple blossoms Europe. In North America, it macrocephala. This species is native to the somewhat later than C. simplicicaulis. has been grown in gardens at Caucasus Mow1tains and northeast Turkey, There are many species worth exploring least since Colonial times. and is hardy in Zone 3 through 7. The one tl1at I have not yet grown. C. 'btniflora) a gallon start I got from the garden center natural dwarf perennial to around eight was a simple c1ill11p of rather coarse basal foliage, tagged to grow three feet tall, and I planted it near a path. What grew from this clump the first year was a single starved-look ing, four-foot spike topped with one large, bulbous, shin ing brown bud. In summer, the bud opened into a blight golden yellow thistlehead about tv.ro inches across. The next spring I noticed that quite a big circle of green was coming up where the knapweed had been. Where the year before there had been only one bloom spike, this year there were seven, and they were six feet tall, not four. I had planted Godzilla. Even tually I had to move the whole c1ill11p, and it signall\:d strong resentment: It inches tall, blooms violet or white and in tl1e old warnings from John Parkinson. Five died. Perhaps it is just as well. The flowers subspecies nervosa) deep purple. C. de Centaurea species you definitely want to make a very brief show considering me beauxii is a slightly tender three-footer bear avoid are C. diffusa (diffuse knapweed), room the plants take up, although some ing orange flowers with a pink tinge. C. dubia (short-fringed knapweed), C. people admire the bronzy brown bracts that University of Georgia horticulturist Allan maculosa (spotted knapweed), C. repens linger long after the flowers. Armitage praises pink knapweed (c. pul (Russian knapweed), and C. solstitialis My current favorite centaurea is the chra) also labeled C. depressa) which he de (yell ow star thistle ). Diffuse knapweed, perennial Spanish buttons (c. nigra). sclioes as sin1.ilar in habit to C. macrocephala spotted knapweed, and Russian knapweed Plants grow easily from seed, quickly form but with rose-pink flowers. This plant is are among some 200 plants banned from ing strong, gray-green, basal rosettes; in popular in Europe but little grown in North sale or import into the United States August, they heave up-or rather, fling Amelica. According to Armitage, tl1e culti under the Federal Noxious Weed Act of about, since they tend to flop-two-foot var 'Major' is "larger and more vigorous 1974. Their tough roots infest crop and stalles of single maroon flowers . The flow than the type and is a better garden plant." grazing lands in Nortl1 America and else ers look great in bouquets, and tl1.e plants Because it has not been widely grown, har where, and tl1eir resilient stems and rock are said to be hardy to Zone 3. I would like diness limits in Nortl1 Amelica are not well hard flower buds foul machinery. to try interplanting mem with the pinle, defined, but it is safe in Zone 5 through 7. Furtl1ermore, many of them possess bracts two-foot-tall C. hypoleuca 'Tolm Coutts' or with sharp, rigid spines. the rosy Persian cornflower, C. dealbata Bad Seeds C. diffusa) for example, doesn't seem 'Steenbergii', which can grow from two to If these descriptions have afflicted you particularly threatening at first glance. It four feet tall. These last two are hardy at with Centaurea zeal, hark back to tl10se grows only about two feet tall, bearing July/August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 39 The blue-violet flowers of Centaurea montana provide soothing notes to the cool green backdrop of this garden in the Pacific Northwest. Sources and Resources AIMERS SEEDS, Rural Route #3, IIder ton, ON, NOM 2AO, Canada. (519) 461-0011. Catalog $:2. AMBERGATE GARDENS, !B7C County Road 43, Chaska, MN 55318-9:il58. Catalog $2 . BLUESTONE PERENNIALS, 7211 Middle Ridge Road, Madison, 01-144057. (800) 852-5243. Catalog free. CANYON CREEK NURSERY, 3527 Dry Creek Road, Oroville, CA 95965. (530) 533-2166. Catalog $2. FLOWERY BRANCH SEeD COMPANY, P.O. Box 1330, Flowery Branch, GA 30542. (770) 53 ~8380. Catalog $4. GARDENS NORTM, 5984 Third Line Road North, North Gower, ON, KOA T20, Canada. (613) 489--0065. Catalog $4. SELECT SEEDS-ANTIQUE FLOWERS, 180 Stickney Road, Union, cr 06076. (860) 684-9310. Catalog $1. If you live in the western states and have a problem with noxious knap weeds, contact "Fhe Division of Plant Industry, Colorado DeJ1)artment of Agri cwlttlre, 700 Kipling Street, SlIilte 4()00, Lakewood, CO 80215, (303) 239-4140. gray-green leaves and numerous white to roots, foliage, or seed heads o f knap crin1son from June to September on three purplish thisdelike fl ower heads. But it is weeds. Sheep and goats are being used to to five-foot plants, provides forage for the widespread throughout our mountain control them in some areas, and one be caterpillars of the knapweed fritillary, as well Southwest, forming dense tap rooted stands leaguered Western community has even as for those of marbled white butterflies. Its that crowd out native plants. Too many of started a campaign called "Whack the flowers provide nectar for peacock butter these stands can render rangeland useless, Knap Attack!" Volunteers patrol the flies. In addition, when the plants go to seed, and to make matters worse, C. diffusa is county for knapweed stands that are ac they are visited by snacking goldfinches, toxic to horses. cessible to hiking and biking trails. They bullfinches, and greenfinches. Yellow starthisde is a rangeland weed then post a sign near the stand, explain For this service to wildlife alone, cen that now occupies millions of acres from ing the problem and asking users of the taureas would be worth planting. With Washington east to Montana and south to area to pull a few weeds to reduce the use their varied stature and color, and their New Mexico. It is considered a priority of herbicides. striking bracts and petals, these hardheads noxious weed in Oregon and is on Califor Don't let these warnings put you off the will make even the most stubborn gar nia's list of the most widespread and inva genus, which is far from being a group of dener smile. sive wildland pest plants. environmental bad guys. It is not widely Much research is being done to devel known that many Centaurea species sup A contributor to the AHS A-Z Encyclopedia op biological controls for these species. port the life cycles of certain butterflies, but of Garden Plants, R and B. Lee is co-editor of Scientists have identifi ed beedes, weevils, there is even a butterfly species commonly the American Cottage Gardener and moths, and fl ies that all delight at one named for these plants. The European C. founder and co -president of the A merican stage or d1e other of their life cycles in d1e scabiosa, which bears blossoms of purple- Dianthus Society. 40 THE AMER I CAN GARDENER July/August 1 998 Georgia's innovative Peachofa Plant Conservation Alliance focuses limited resources on selected Partnership conservation projects. by Hugh and Carol Nourse Hairy rattleweed is an ugly name for a beautiful plant. Baptisia arachnifera-the spider indigo-is not ex actly hairy but certainly fuzzy, so its leaves look gray from a distance. That distin guishes it from a smooth-shaven relation, B. tinctoria, also sometimes called rattleweed because its pealike seed pods clatter in tl1e wind. Botl1 have yellow flowers, grow about tl1ree feet tall, and are native to tl1e East Coast. But hairy rattleweed exists only in a lO-mile strip in Wayne and Brantley COlill ties, near the coast in southeastern Georgia. In 1992, a University of Georgia at Athens (UGA) horticulture graduate stu dent, Jennifer Ceska, was smitten by "Hairy," as she calls the plant. A natural denizen oflongleaf pine savarmas, it stood out like a gray exclamation point on the open terrain where it resides today-a com mercial pine plantation. More important for a potential thesis subject, it appeared to have been little studied. To support her research, she applied for and won a fellowship awarded by the Gar den Club of America and the Center for Plant Conservation. Ceska's study did shed some light on the reproductive quirks of the hairy rattleweed. But, more important, it planted the seed of a statewide rare plant alliance, which is not only a shot in tl1e arm for professional botanists and horticultur ists, but also a call to arms for amateur nat uralists and schoolchildren. "The fellowship," relates Ceska, "en abled me to visit six public gardens, work Jennifer Ceska, whe helped set up the alliance of Georgia plant conservation ing my way north." She learned tl1at one of groups, plants a seed of hairy rattleweed. the first she visited, Callaway Gardens in July/August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 41 J rgia Alliance Restricted in the wild to a 10-mile strip along Georgia's southeastern coast, hairy rat tleweed, above, was the sub ject of alliance organizer Jennifer Ceska's graduate thesis. Georgia plume, right, has the potential to become a popular garden plant, but only 50 populations are known, all in Georgia. via:; o 4:'" \.9 w I <:I Pine Mountain, Georgia, had done good years. Even to keep Ceska on board part Plume Project z research on the hairy rattleweed in the time, the garden relied on "soft: money" The recovery of tl1e Georgia plume (Eltiot- ~ 1970s. "But it hadn't been widely circu grants and private donations. tia racemosa) is a good example of the way ~ lated, and I could easily have wasted time Ceska had to prove herself and her idea the alliance focuses on both short- and long- ~ duplicating it." At the last garden, she of a statewide plant alliance. In July 1995, term studies, and on preservation not only ~ learned about the New England Plant she and Affolter invited representatives ofsix of individual species but also of habitat. ~ I Conservation Program, a regional network other Georgia conservation organizations to This deciduous shrub or small tree is the ~ of conservation groups. a meeting. Not only did. everyone come, but only species in a genus of the heatili family g She noticed that the New England pro individuals paid their own expenses. "That (Ericaceae), which includes rhododen- ~ gram and similar networks were organized said to me," recalls Ceska, "that they drons, mountain laurels, and blueberries. ~ around habitat types. "But it seemed to me thought this was worthwhile." Charter In summer it produces pedicels of delicate ~ that a rare plant alliance could be just with members in addition to the state garden and white fragrant flowers . "It has the potential ~ in one state, because that's where you go to Callaway were the Atlanta Botanical Garden, to be a great horticultural species," says 0 get permits" for working with rare plants. the Natural Heritage Program of the state's Jonathan Streich, director ofstewardship at ~ "It would be more manageable and do Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Nature Conservancy's Georgia field of- g able." Her advisor, Jim Affolter, director of the Nature Conservancy, the University of fice. "It's a very attractive plant, botl1 in ~ research at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, and the U.S. Forest Serwce. flower and in the fall," when the foliage :) Georgia in Athens, encouraged her to add Tom Patrick, botanist with the Natural turns burnt orange. ~ a conservation network plan to her thesis. Heritage Program, proposed 20 key pro Ali SO populations are in Georgia, G When she graduated in 1994, Ceska jects for the new Georgia Plant Conserva which made for an especially appealing i signed on as plant conservation coordina tion Alliance. Limited resources led them cause celebre for the new alliance. The:)j tor for the state botanical garden, but it was to concentrate on four that could benefit plant had never been very widespread, but ~ a tenuous occupation for more than two from their pooled skills. scientists were puzzled because, ad.though ~ 42 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/August 1998 =~~------ Growing Pitcher Plants mature plants produce seeds, no seedlings ou don't need to live in Georgia or build an elaborate bog garden in order to had been confirmed in the wild for about y grow pitcher plants. Larry Mellichamp, director of the University ofNortl1 50 years. The only documented new plants Carolina-Charlotte Botanical Garden, recommends grouping several in a were suckers ofexisting plants. That meant square-foot dishpan or half whiskey barrel in a mix of half peat moss and half sand. they were clones with no genetic diversity. "You have to keep them wet, and they need a lot of Two of the Nature Conservancy's hold sun, so they don't make good houseplmts," he says. ings in Georgia include populations of "You don't want to treat them like a typical perennial, Georgia plume: the R.G. Daniell Conser because they need wet, acid, nutrient-poor soil." vation Easement and the Charles Harrold Along with Rob Gardner, curator of the North Preserve; the latter was donated to the con Carolina Botanical Garden, Mellichamp developed servancy solely because of the shrub. the first two named, tissue-cultured pitcher plant hy Elon Flack, a nurseryman in Metter, brids. Nursery-propagated pitcher plant species are Georgia, heard about the alliance's interest also commercially available, he says, "but we thought in the Georgia plume and offered to watch that manmade hybrids that do especially well in culti for seeds to set. "One day he called and vation might offer more enticement to grow them, said, 'The seeds are ripe I They're blowing and ease some of the pressure to collect them." in the wind,'" recounts Ceska. It took 13 years to develop 'Ladies in Waiting', a Working vvith seeds from that and two hybrid of three species that is 14 to 16 inches tall and other populations, the state and Atlanta This pitcher plant cultivar, deep maroon with white spots. The upright hood has botanical gardens tried treating seeds sev 'Ladies in Waiting', is scalloped edges and a pale green interior featuring eral different ways. They germinated rela being made available to white specks and maroon marbling. tively well-about 15 out of25--even with gardeners through tissue 'Dixie Lace', which took nine years to develop simple cold conditioning. "But at the time culture propagation. from crosses among four species, is eight to 10 inches we still didn't know why they weren't ger tall. Its maroon pitchers have dark red veins on a minating in the wild," says Ceska. creamy yellow background. The hood has wavy margins and hangs over the pitcher. Growing several pitchers in one container helps moderate conditions, Mellichamp Field Tests says, so that tl1e soil doesn't dry out as quickly or get as hot. "They should be hardy It was time to broaden the investigation. to zero or below, as long as they are down in the ground where their roots aren't ex Last fall, George Rogers, a retired history posed." Therefore, it's a good idea to sink your container in the ground over winter. professor in Statesboro, Georgia, and a Until full, Niche Gardens is the exclusive source for these hybrids. Their catalog is $3. graduate student, Martha Joiner, helped Write them at 1111 Dawson Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, or call (919) 967-0078. collect more seeds to test them for viabili Beginning this fall, they vvill also be available from Plant Delights Nursery, which ty. Ceska and Jay Averett of the state gar offers a number of other pitcher plant species. Their catalog can be obtained for 10 den joined Ron Determann and Madeleine first-class stamps or a box of chocolates. Write them at 9241 Sauls Road, Raleigh, Groves of the Atlanta garden and Malcolm NC 27603, or call (919) 772-4794. Hodges of the conservancy to plant the seeds at the Daniell easement. While one group was planting the seeds miss growth opportunities when tl1e fruit adjunct to lab work. "Field observations outdoors, another was subjecting tl1em to sets. Or it may be self-incompatible. A sin are often useful in solving mysteries. Deer more sophisticated lab work. A Nature Con gle common gene may determine whether love to browse Elliottia, and perhaps servancy-funded pilot study had shown that or not individuals can mate, so if you have browsing impacts seedling establishment." genetic analysis might be helpful, so in 1997 just a few closely related individuals, they the state DNR gave University of Georgia may share that gene." Pitcher-Perfect Plots botanists Jim Hanmck and Mary J 0 Godt If the genetic studies confirm that most Another initial alliance project, aimed at the financial backing for a closer look at the or all of the Georgia plumes in a population restoring pitcher plant bogs, also combines genes of 10 Elliottia populations. are clones, what then? "Ifthe habitat seems propagation, monitoring wild sites, and ge Is tl1e plant really in trouble reproduc fairly stable and protected, we may do netic studies. But in addition, it is touching tively? Hamrick, like all good scientists, is nothing," says Ceska. "Otherwise it may be several hundred Georgia schoolchildren skeptical. "The evidence tl1at the plant is in possible to get some pollen from another through the Georgia Endangered Plant trouble is anecdotal," he says. Noting that site and try to cross them, or to introduce Stewardship Network, established by the al tl1e alliance studies show the species pro seedlings [from other sites] to bolster the liance's education committee. ducing viable seed, he outlines several pos genetics of a population." Pitcher plants are especially good for in sibilities: "Not many seeds are produced, In late March ofthis year, Ceska heard clusion in education programs, says Deter conditions for germination are not present, from Rogers and Joiner, who had been mann, superintendent of the Atlanta conditions for growili are not present, or monitoring the Daniell plot every week to Botanical Garden's Fuqua Conservatory, tl1e plant may only produce new seedlings 10 days: They had discovered two tiny because "People get excited about carniv every 20 years or so when conditions are seedlings. "They're so small at tlus point orous plants." Determann developed in right. This would make tl1e plant very sen that a chickadee could wipe them out," structions for students to build pitcher sitive to environmental problems. Unfa Ceska notes. Patrick points out that this is plant bogs on school sites, where they can vorable situations may cause tl1e plant to exactly why field studies must serve as an establish plants they've propagated from J uly/ August 1998 THE AME RICAN G ARD E N ER 43 Ill .. [ c seeds collected by the alliance. Before get these plants or, if they're really gone, say a ting the seeds, schools must obtain an offi 'Here [/Cid.J] can blessing and go on." These pocket guides cial state permit for growing endangered will help amateur naturalists both identifY species. Students then record any pollina hold a real live "lost" species and report sightings of them. tors they see, bloom times, and seed The fourth of the alliance's initial pro counts, and forward the information to al jects is a scientific mystery involving a tree liance scientists. At least 26 schools have endangered platlt nicknamed "stinking cedar" because its fo constructed pitcher plant bogs. Best of all, liage gives off an unpleasant odor when the students are telling their parents and in their hand.J, crushed. Torreya taxifolia is a member of friends about Georgia's endangered plants. the yew family that has been traced in the Anne Shenk, education coordinator with fossil record back to the time of dinosaurs. the state botanic garden, leads environmen and realize that It occurs naturally in the Florida panhan tal education programs for teachers, where dle, at one site in Georgia, and in ravines they not only learn about pitcher plants but without their help, along the Apalachicola River basin. In the about other endangered natives. "By teach 1800s trees grew 60 feet tall. As recently as ing teachers, we reach more students, and it may not be the 1930s, there were reports ofspecimens the parents get drawn in, too," she says. with two-foot diameters. Today, an "Kids hear a lot about endangered animals unidentified fungal disease kills most of such as sea turtles and whales, but they never aroltnd in 10 or them before they get much more than knee get a chance to see one. Here they can hold high. Others sucker, become distorted, and a real live endangered plant in their hands 15 year.J.:1J never reach reproductive age. and realize that, without their help, it may For some years, the Atlanta Botanical not be around in 10 or 15 years." Garden has been carefully safeguarding a few specimens, and the collection had w Search for Lost Species for 25 species that once grew in the north grown enough that they needed some safe ~ The public will playa major role in yet an Georgia mountains but haven't been seen outdoor sites for the trees. In March 1997, ~ other alliance initiative-a search for historic in the wild since 1975. "These aren't all ob trees cloned from Georgia's single popula- ~ species. Jennifer Cruse, a graduate student scure species," says Ceska. "Our native tion were planted in the Smithgall Woods ~ Cl in the UGA botany department, is working bleeding heart-Dicentra eximia-isn't Conservation Area in the mountains of~ with the Natural Heritage Program and the found in the wild any more. We need to de northern Georgia. This area is north of the i§ UGA Herbarium to compile a field guide cide if we should invest time in recovery of tree's natural range and therefore may be i 44 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July / August 1998 Opposite page, clockwise from upper left: Malcolm Hodges of the Nature Conservancy, center, points out planting sites for Georgia plume. Wire cages were used to protect the plants at experimental plots. Students at a Georgia elementary school prepare a bog garden for rare pitcher plants. At another Georgia school, students monitor their pitcher plants. Left: Another alliance pro ject is re-establishing stink ing cedar in the wild. free of the fungus. Populations of Torreya work. "Every group needs someone to be from Florida will be safeguarded at various ~Poragroup the gadfly, to push projects and remind them alliance locations. that deadlines are coming up." leJJ than three As for Ceska's own future, the alliance's Baro/ Accolades track record apparently impressed the state So does the alliance make a difference? enough that last July her position was made "Overall," says UGA's Hamrick, "for a yearJ oUJ? the part of the Georgia State Botanical Gar group less than three years old, the alliance den's permanent budget. has accomplished a lot. We know much alliance htU The hairy rattleweed is looking more se more about these species than we did be cure as well. Another graduate student, fore." He and colleague Godt praise Ceska accompliJhed a David Handaly, is propagating tl1e plant, for coordinating field trips and cutting red and there are about 200 specimens in the tape. "In my study of Elliottia, I would state botanical garden greenhouse. Some have had to spend half my time trying to lot. We know will be used for future reproductive stud get permits and find private landowners," ies, and the rest will be displayed in the gar says Godt. much more ahollt den's "Threatened and Endangered Plants Hank Bruno of Callaway notes that the of the South" educational beds. umbrella group provides continuity when Subsequent genetic studies, published individuals leave member organizations. theJe JpecieJ than last October, revealed that even though the Even though many members cooperated natural populations are dwindling and their before, he believes a new synergy has de we did before. n range is limited, there's a lot of diversity in veloped out of the alliance. "The cama the gene pool. "This speaks well for the raderie of first-class plantsmen, the species' potential for survival if its habitat exchange of information, and the seminars can be protected," says Ceska. Rayoiner, all provide intellectual stimulation." and Wildlife Foundation for bog restora Inc., the paper company that owns most of One measure of the alliance's success tion, creation of a mountain bog safe the land where "Hairy" is found, is now has been grants they've received from out guarding site, and production of the field working to protect the plants on its land. side foundations: $20,000 from the Turn guide to historic mountain species. er Foundation, Inc., for bog restoration With grants, however, come paperwork. Hugh and Carol Nourse are free-lance pho and expansion of the teacher training work Ceska hopes that by taking most ofthat bur tographers and writers living in Athens, shops, and $7,650 from the National Fish den she frees the others for crucial hands-on Georgia. July/August 1 998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 45 know has ever rubbed up a genie, and very line plants that will survive their winters. few of us can pack up and move to om ver Of comse, cold hardiness is only a start sion of gardening heaven. ing point-habitat compatibility is an For tl1e past 15 years I've slaved on dry, equally important consideration. For ex extremely porous soil in western Massa ample, seashore mallow (Kosteletzk)la Vil' chusetts-various soil tests have pro ginica) is found in the wild near tidal nOlU1ced it loamy sand or sandy loam. After marshes and won't appreciate a spot in a investing hW1C.ireds of dollars on "top-grade dry rock garden. You can make it feel at loam" and countless hours hauling com home, though, if you have a low-lying area post, all I had to show for it was slightly that is consistently damp, perhaps due to darker sand. What I've got, I finally realized, large amounts of clay in tl1e soil. Opuntia is an inland beachfront. So I started invest compressa) a yell ow-flowering cactus com ing in what my landscape really needed monly found along the dunes of Cape Cod, seashore plants. Massachusetts, appreciates sunny locations And why not? Coastal flora have a lot where the soil drains quickly. It will strug going for memo For starters, mey are in gle in medium to heavy shade, especially if credibly tough. Most can tolerate salt, drainage is poor as well . drought, and high winds. But best of all, There's also a nomenclatural trick you many are simply beautiful to behold. can use to identifY coastal species. Taxono My area isn't tl1e only inland site suited mists sometimes indicate a plant is "of me to coastal flora . U .S. Department of Agri sea" or a "seashore" variety by using species culture figures show that in at least 20 names such as littoralis) littoralum) mariti states, 10 percent or more of me land con ma) maritimus) or maritimum. Occasion sists of soil types that are either sandy, ally you may need to do some additional loamy sand, or sandy loam. For instance, detective work. Take for example me scien 20 percent of Wisconsin, 41 percent of tific name of rosemary, Rosmarinus offici Michigan, 55 percent of Delaware, and 57 nalis) in which ros stands for "dew" and percent of Georgia fall into one of marinus means "maritime." Thus the mose categories. Therefore we have to con herb's botanic name lets you know it is ideal clude mere are a lot oflandlocked garden for coastal settings. I've spent many a cold ers who would find growing seashore winter night searching Hortus Third for species ... well, a breeze. plants with one of mese words in their In our northern states, there's anoth names. er reason to experiment with beach Gardeners with soil that contains be plants. In winter our roadways-and tween 40 and 90 percent sand will find meir greenery anywhere near them-take a site a natmal for dune plants. In general, me beating from salt-laden sand. Coastal site should also get fu ll sun, although a ground covers, shrubs, number ofseashore species and trees readily bounce can tolerate a small amount back from tlus harsh treat of shade each day. If tree ment, wluch is why states cover creates dappled shade such as Michigan and Illi throughout the day, the no is have incorporated gardener should look for salt-tolerant plantings plants found in maritime along their highway tree forests. belts. Consistently moist spots are candidates for seashore Selecting SelUhore plants whose natural habitat Plants is along marshes or tidal According to the 1997 ponds. Sweetfern (Compto World Almanac and Book nia peregrina)) servicebeny of Facts) there are more or shadblow (Amelanchier than 88,000 statute miles canadensis), and seashore of American shoreline, mallow are just a few good running from USDA choices. Zone 2 through 11. This vast range pretty much Halophytes guarantees that no matter In the wild, seashore mallow (Kosteletzkya virginicaJ, top, grows You may be wondering: If where inland gardeners in brackish marshes, so it needs a garden location that is consistently highway departments and live, they can find shore- damp. Above: The pond in the author's Massachusetts garden. others choose seaside 48 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/August 1998 St~ sl plants because of their salt-tolerance, can hormones to give roots an extra boost. those plants adapt in a garden where there Continue this deep waterit1g once a week is no salty air? The answer is, for the most until signs of new growth appear. Then part, yes . Scientists use the word "halo you can stop the supplemental watering phyte" for a land plant that can tolerate at LUlless you see signs ofstress. Drought-tol least half a percent sodium chlOlide (salt) in erant species need to remain tough, so the water it absorbs through its leaves or don't baby them by providing extra mois roots. It's a large category with several dis ture once they're established. They will tinctions, but to keep things simple, the send their root systems in search of the group can be divided into salt-tolerating water tl1ey need. plants or salt-desiting plants. A very few When my landscape contained mostly such as Salico1'nia, commonly called glass fussy illland plants, life was a never-ending wort or saltwort-need high concentrations cycle of watering, feeding, pruning, and to survive. Others need high salt levels for mulching. Most seashore plants, however, optimum growth. A few of our agricultur mall1tall1 tl1emselves on what appears to be al crops-including vegetables such as as a starvation diet. Maritime soil tends to be paragus, beets, spinach, and kale-have low it1 fertility, and species that tl1Iive best been found to grow better in salty soils. But usuall y don't require much nitrogen. among ornamentals-once you exclude a Some coastal dwellers such as bayberry few aster species-these preferential halo (Myrica ssp. ) and sea buckthorn (Hip phytes aren't species that even the most ar pophae rhamnoides) even help manufacture dent natural gardener would seek out, and Drought-tolerant tlleir own food wough nitrogen-fixation. duplicating their growing conditions species need to remain Otl1ers, such as beach rose (Rosa rugosa), would be difficult. The plants to invest in beach plum (Prunus maritima), seaside are the salt-resisting species, which tolerate tough, so don't baby goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens), and or adapt well to excess salt but don't re many native grasses, actually produce less quire it to flourish. them by providing extra spectacular displays when tl1ey are overfed. moisture once they're More inland gardeners are choosing or Simplified Planting and ganic fertilizers, and tl1ey are even more ap Maintenance established. propriate for environmentally sensitive What's great about choosing seashore coastlines. They release nutrients-and plants for a sandy garden is that you don't salts-more slowly and in lower concen have to spend a lot of time or money trations. Chemical fertilizers leave addi preparing a cushy site for them. You can tional salts in your soil, and even when skip digging in soil amendments like peat you've chosen plants for their salt tolerance, moss and bone meal and go right to the soil that's too salty can set up a situation in planting stage. The same is generally true which osmotic pressure actually sucks water for moisture-loving coastal out of plant roots. As an species placed in consis additional safeguard, do tently damp soils. your fertilizing when rain is About all you need to more prevalent-in most do for a dune dweller is areas, in spring-so tl1at give it a little extra atten salts won't build up il1 the tion to make sure it devel soil around plant roots. My ops roots to stay well fed fertilizer regimen consists and anchored. M ter ofspring and early summer you've dug a hole to the applications of commer proper depth, completely cially prepared liquid fish fill it with water (this is un emulsion mixed with sea necessary, of course, when kelp extract; look for fertil you're working with a wet izers with nitrogen, phos area). Deep watering re phorus, and potassium duces the stress that com levels at 5 percent or less. monly occurs when a plant Mulch, which I used to is moved from one loca apply heavily to retain tion to another. Adding a moisture, is something I teaspoon of sea kelp ex no longer buy. Once I re tract per gallon of this Seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens), top, may look like its alized that the natural en water will provide valuable inland relatives, but its leaves are more succulent. Above: A variety of vironment of coastal plants micro nutrients and plant plants flank a flagstone path in the author's backyard. provides little il1 tl1e way of July / August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 49 Seasl ()rc 11:1tlt~ Seashore plants organic cover (except for leaf debris in are known to survive Plants for Sa~, Sunny Spots maritime forests and seaweed in tidal BEACH PEA (Lathyrus japonicus subsp. zones), I discontinued most of that activi hurricanes. severe maritimus). This sweet pea relative, an ty-with no detrimental effect. Asian native that has naturalized on beach The only time I mulch now is in au drought. and tidal es around the world, is another nitrogen tumn, when I use my lawn mower to grind fixer, literally producing its own fertilizer. up an over-abLmdance offallen leaves. Then inundation. so they will Full SWl stimulates generous production of I apply an inch or so of this fine material have little trouble in its pink flowers. Common along dunes, it arowld my plants for winter protection and spreads nicely and helps prevent soil ero soil improvement. most gardens. sion. It's hardy to Zone 3 and also malces I only prune once a year, too. Outside an interesting planting under trees. of an early spring trim-up to keep beach rose, beach plum, and bayberry compact BEACH PLUM (Pr-vmus maritima). and bushy, my seashore plants are left on This eight-foot shrub is ideal for hedges in tlleir own. And you won't need unsightly Zone 3 to 7. Foamy white flowers in early stalces for even tllose herbaceous plants tllat spring give way to dense green foliage. In can grow medium to tall in height, such as September the shrub produces grapelike seaside goldenrod, sea holly (El')'ngiu1lJ!t clusters of deep purple or red fruits from spp.), and sea oats (Unio which the famous Cape la paniculata). Coastal Cod jelly is made. High species generally remain winds and salt spray rarely compact because their bother it, but in inland gar low-nitrogen diet prevents dens watch for signs of the excessive green growth brown-rot fungus. that can cause garden plants to splay and flop. BEARBERRY (An Insect pests and dis tostaphylos uva-ursi). This eases are less likely to at ground cover for Zone 3 tack seashore plants. Near through 5 stays under a the coast, salt spray acts as foot tall but spreads into a a natural fungicide, and mat up to 10 feet in diam bugs don't seem to care eter. In autumn, the tiny, much for salty plants. In dark, evergreen leaves turn land, tlle plants' inherent bronzy red and are joined resilience works in their by tiny red berries that re favor most of the time. main well into winter. It But to compensate for my requires slightly acidic soil lack of salt-permeated and perfect drainage, but winds, I guard against its exceptional salt toler fungal problems by spac ance makes it a good ing plants far apart to en ground cover under trees sure good ventilation. If if these other conditions fungal problems arise are met. from excessive or pro longed summer humidity, NORTHERN BAY- I will occasionally mist the BERRY (Myrica pensyl leaves Witll a one- to two vanica). This eight- to percent salt solution 10-foot shrub has won (carefully applied on salt derfully fragrant leaves tolerant species only). and masses of tiny, waxy, Seashore plants are gray berries that appear in known to survive hurri late summer. It is semi canes, severe drought, and evergreen in the southern tidal inundation, so I'm part of its range. Ex willing to bet tlleY will have tremely drought-tolerant, little trouble in most gar it has nitrogen-fixing abil dens. Here are a few wor ities that also let it tolerate tllY specimens for you to Opposite: Sea kale's main attraction is its glaucous blue-green leaves. infertile soils. It spreads try. All are natives unless The appeal of sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), above, easily by adventitious otherwise noted. lies in the fragrance of its midsummer flowers. roots and is useful for pre- July/August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 51 venting soil erosion. Hardy in Zone 3 to sempervirens). A spectacular yellow -flower 6; it does best in Zone 4: and g. South of ing species hardy to Zone 4, it blooms from Zone 6, M. cerifera (see page 53) is a bet mid-September into October. Compared to ter choice. other goldenrods, the seaside vat"iety has leaves that are longer, lighter green, and SEA BUCKTHORN (Hippophae rham somewhat slilcculent. A patch of four-foot noides). This nitrogen-fixing, spiny shrub is tall goldenrods looks spectacular next to native to Asia but is unrelated to the Rham purple asters. nus species from Europe and Asia-also called buckthorn-that SEASIDE WORMWOOD (Artemisia are becoming environ stetleriana). Growing less than 16 inches mental pests. The leaves tall, this wormwood's silvery white, fuzry are silvery, and ifyou have leaves form a brocade ground cover. It truly both male and female dislikes watering and does best in the driest plants, the tiny yellow of spots. A front border of seaside worm flowers will be followed wood surrounding hardy lavender is a dy by edible orange fruits. namite combination. Salt-spray tolerant, Hardy to Zone 3, it can this species also does well under trees and is make an attractive hedge hardy to Zone g. but does best with both regular pruning and Plants for Moist 01" Sh~ Spots eLbow room, since it can CUMBERLAND ROSEMARY (Con grow 30 feet tall and slilck radina verticillata). This shrubby peren ers readily. nial, native to Tennessee, thrives in moist (not wet), sandy woods. It is on the feder SEA KALE (Crambe al endangered species list, but is worth maritima). This two- to seeking out from a locally propagated three-foot-tall perennial source. The shape and scent of the ever from the Black Sea region green leaves are similar to the Mediter of Europe produces bold, ranean herb from which it gets its common bluish gray, leathery leaves name. It bears lavender-pink flowers in up to 18 inches across. spring and is hardy in Zone 5 to 9 . Gray White flowers in racemes conradina (c. canecens), a coastal dune na up to a foot across appear tive with gray foliage, is hardy to Zone 7 in late spring or early sum but requires more sun. mer. Hardy to Zone 5- but not tolerant of heat in HOLLY (Ilex spp.). Several evergreen the South-sea kale will holly species are native to East Coast mar quickly become a conver itime forests and can tolerate considerable sation piece in the garden. shade, and both wet and dry soil. They in This species grows equally clude the American holly (1. opaca), a tree well along rocky coastlines that usually grows to 20 or 30 feet; inkber Several seaside plants offer a and in average inland soils. ry (1.glabra), an eight-foot shrub with bonus of ornamental fruits. blue-black berries; and yaupon holly (1. Beach plum (Prunus maritima), WILD OATS and SEA OATS (Chas vomitoria), a multi-trunked small tree that top, produces an abundance manthium latifolium for Zone 4 to 6; develops red berries. of purplish fruit im late sum Uniola paniculata for Zone 8 to 9). The mer. The yellow summer flow sound. of wind sifting through beach OREGON GRAPE (Mahonia aquifoli ers of Mahonia aquifolium, grasses is a song more gardeners should um). Tills Northwest native is an evergreen above, give way to attractive hear, and nothing produces that romantic shrub that produces bright yellow flowers blue berries in the fall. sound as effectively as the small, flattened, ill summer and silvery blue berries in fall. drooping seed heads of sea oats. Gener Growing six to eight feet tall, it needs pro ous bundles of them form on three- to tection from winter sun and, as long as it has five-foot-tall stalks; several clumps grown some shade, can grow in very dry soil as far together create a carefree garden setting. north as Zone 6. Sea oats is endangered in its native South east and should only be obtained from RED FESCUE (Festuca rubra) . This rhi legally propagated sources. zomatous or mat-forming European grass thrives in moist, sandy soils in Zone 3 to 6. SEASIDE GOLDENROD (Solidago It grows one to four feet tall and features 52 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/ A ugust 1998 ~ "ash()rc SERVICEBERRY (Amelanchier spp.). Sources and Resources The delicate white flowers of these un derstory trees are one of the first signs of BARBER NURSERY. 14282 Rogers spring each year. In summer they lure Road. Willis. TX 77378. (409) birds with their small blue berries, and 856-8074. Price list free. many develop good fall color as well . They COASTAL GARDENS AND NURSERY. tolerate a range of soil conditions; downy 4611 50castee Boulevard. Myrtle serviceberry (A. arborea)-reliable to Beach. 5C 29575. (803) 293- 2000. Zone 4-is probably the hardiest member Catalog $2. of the genus. ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN. INC .• P.O. Box P, 210 West Chew Avenue, St. SWEET PEPPER M ichaels, MD 21663. (410) 745-9620. BUSH (Clethra alnifo Catalog free. lia). This deciduous slu'ub HORTICULTURAL SYSTEMS. INC .• Golf grows wild in swampy Course Road, P.O. Box 70, Parrish. FL areas but will tolerate illier 34219. Brochure free. conditions and cold to ROCK SPRAY NURSERY. P.O. Box 693, Zone 4. The drooping Depot Road. Truro. MA 02666-0693. bottlebrush, pinkish white (508) 349--6769. Catalog $2. flowers are renovmed for NORTH AMERICAN SEA PLANT their fragrance. The SOCIETY. Members share information species can grow nine feet about growing sea plants, receive tall and will sucker to form the quarterly Maritima magazine. a clump. It can tolerate and participate in a seed swap. fairly dense shade. Many Annual dues are $12. Write NA5P5, excellent cultivars are now P.O. Box 262, Feeding Hills, MA available . 01030-0262. Fax (413) 789-2076; or e-mail [email protected]'l. SWEETBAY MAG NOLIA (Magnolia vir giniana). This elegant lax panicles of spiky green to plum-red native tree with fragrant, flowers from June to August. creamy white flowers grows to only 10 to 20 SALAL (Gaultheria shallon). This ground feet tall in the northern cover in the heath family is native to moist section of its hardiness forests of the West Coast. It bears pinkish range (Zones 5 to 9), but white bell flowers in spring, followed by blue in its native southern black fruit. Ifit likes its setting too much, it maritime forests it can can gallop over less aggressive neighbors. reach 60 feet tall and up to 20 feet in diameter. An SAND MYRTLE (Leiophyllum buxifoli evergreen variety (M. um). This bushy shrub gets only one or two virginiana var. australis), hardy into the Clouds of white flowers on feet tall but will spread by suckers to four or southern extension of Zone 7, is also avail serviceberry (A melanchier sp.) five feet. The glossy leaves are dark green, able. Sweetbay magnolia will grow in deep signal the arrival of spring. This turning somewhat bronze over winter. In shade, but needs at least part sun to flower. small tree. commonly found in late spring, pink buds appear, opening to Does best in moist, acidic soils. the woodlands of North white flowers in tufts, or corymbs. In spite America. also goes by another of its common name, it likes moist soil and WAX MYRTLE (Myrica cerifera). This common name-shad bush will tolerate even deep shade. It is native is a more southerly, evergreen counter· because its flowering coincides from New Jersey to Florida; in the northern part to M. pensylvanica, appearing in with t he annual return of shad limit ofits range (Zone 6) it may need some swampy, infertile soil and saline condi· to eastern rivers. protection from winter wind. tions in Zone 7 to 9 . It can grow consid erably taller than northern bayberry- up SEASHORE MALLO W (Kostelezkya to 20 feet- but can be pruned into a nice virginica). This somewhat open, bushy evergreen hedge. perennial grows in sunny, brackish marshes in Zone 4 to 7. Over a long season begin Founder of the North American Sea Plant ning in late summer, it is covered with pale Society, Pamela D. Jacobsen is a free-lance pink flowers up to three inches wide. writer living in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts. July / August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 5 3 book by citing research showing tl1at hu Darmenn1aier addresses legitimate con mans have an inherent need for a relation cerns about safety-suggesting, for instar1Ce, ship witl1 plants and outdoor spaces. Even many low-risk designs for water features . She gazing at trees wough a window can re notes tl1at play ar-eas don't have to be ugly. duce stress, lower blood pressure, and help Sand doesn't have to be in a box, swings us heal faster. She cites tl1e neurobiological don't have to be made of clanking chains, studies of Marion Diamond, who found and basketball courts don't have to be con that complex environments actually in crete. There ar-e also sections on garden crea crease cOlmections among brain cells. tures, treasure hunts, peepholes, pams, As children grow, tl1ey use me natural "pickable posies," and plants mat "per environment as a "science lab cum the form," such as me sensitive mimosa. ater" to learn about the world and meir If me book does have a flaw, it may be own bodies, Dannenmaier says. Yet even tl1at many of the garden furnishings school yards-the last communal space double-decker playhouses and gazebos, available to many-are often stripped of redwood rabbit hutches, teak benches, dance biological complexity, men asp halted and cl1imes built into a patio-look like tl1ey are furnished wim unimaginative equipment. straight out of me catalogs mat cater to af "If it is true mat to care deeply about fluent baby boomers and undoubtedly nature as adults, priced beyond ar1y people must have tl1ing I would buy t>&- child~s garden intimate experi for myself, let alone ences with nature for children who will t>&- vegetables as children, then outgrow mem along me world commu wim meir sneakers. t>&- Lacy~s latest nity faces a huge It would be a problem," she shame if mose A CHILD'S GARDEN: ENCHANTING writes. "Human high-end options OUTDOOR SPACES FOR CHILDREN kind's next great obscured me real AND PARENTS challenge will be to message: We all can Molly Dannenmaier. Simon & Schuster, devise new ways to create small pockets New York, 1998. 192 pages. S1j4 x 101/4". preserve and recon for sensual delight, Publisher)s price, hardcover: $35. AHS struct me earm's exploration, action, member price: $31.50. SIM 008 natural systems, al and imagination in tl10ugh me natural our own backyards. dults usually get it all wrong when expenences mat Ifwe want me next it comes to children and gardens. previously informed generation to care as A They want to buy Jennifer a little every aspect of much about nature sunbonnet and Jason a little hoe and drag childhood have as mey do about tl1em out to me vegetable plot to plant car been allowed to be computer games rot seeds. This mentality has steered many come nearly extinct." and sitcoms, we have to. of that generation of kids toward those The message isn't new. Gary Paul Nab -Kathleen Fisher dreadful mega-houses surrounded by a han and Stephen Trimble raised me alarm Formerly editor of The American Garden micro-perimeter oflawn. in 1994 wim The Geog1taphy of Childhood, er, Kathleen Fisher is a free-lance writer who No, gardens are not about forced labor. and Dannenmaier cites meir work exten lives in Alexandria, Vi1lJinia. Children and gardens are about mud and sively. But tl1is book may reach a vvider au worms, places to climb and hide, pW1gent dience because it is also a beautiful book smells, fu zzy leaves, soft breezes, and big mat deserves to be on your coffee table. THE COMPLETE VEGETABLE skies. They're about swinging on vines, Its end papers use one of my favorite Ken AND HERB GARDENER: A GUIDE digging toward China, and sipping honey Druse photographs-a fingernail-sized TO GROWING YOUR GARDEN suclde nectar. frog perched on a leaf. Other favorite ORGANICALLY Most of us remember growing up wim photographers, Dency Kane and Roger Karan Davis Cutler. Macmillan, New all mese tlungs. Most children growing up Foley, contributed many wonderful por York, 1997. 438 pages. S y 4 X 1 Il/8" . Pub today will not. There are no longer open traits-several of which were taken at me lishel')s price: hardco'Ver $29.95. AHS mem places where children can pick wildflowers, American Horticultural Society'S River belt pltice: $26.95. MAC 039 build forts, wow stones into a creek. Every Farm headquarters. piece of ground is staked witl1 a "Do Not Here's a little boy lying on his back on a ar more complete man most works on Trespass" sign. If you want to build a tree lawn. Here's a firefighter'S pole for exiting tl1e sarne topic, The Complete Vegetable house, you need a zoning permit. Children a deck. Here are brawny trees to climb, leafY Fand H erb Gardener is bom an intellec who live within walking distance of a pub nooks to crawl into, and cool ponds to tual treat-rich wim allusions to Haw lic park don't dare go there without an splash in. There are vegetable gardens, too, morne, Sackville-West, Carlyle, and adult, even in me daytime. but me kids aren't weeding tl1em-they're Thoreau-and a w1ique feast for tl1e eyes Dannenmaier, formerly children's edi harvesting me fruit, poking in me dirt, nib tharllcs to David Cavagnaro's typically rich tor of Gal'den Design magazine, begins her bling me lemlCe, sitting on pwnpkins. and inviting photography. Cutler has craft- 54 THE AMERICAN GARDENER J uly/August 1998 ed a work that is a welcome departure from The "Plant Portraits" half of tl1e book is best tomes of gardening philosophy. many of the books that promise an organic an aptly named encyclopedic work in which The book is organized into tl1ree sec direction but seldom provide much in the eaoh plant is u'eated Lilliquely-no t\VO "por tions: "Gardening and the Senses," "Gar way of horticultural inspiration. u'aits" are quite the same. Cutler reveals fas dening and tl1e Mind," and "Gardening and Essentially, The Complete Vegetable and cinating historical information on each d1e Spirit." Each consists of tlvee to five es Herb Ga1-dene1'provides t\vo integrated el species, provides cultivar options and pref says in which Lacy invites all gardeners to ements: a thorough, yet thoughtful inu'o erences, and helps with potential problems, consider the rich personal gifts tl1at a lifelong duction to gardening organically and special cultural needs, and tips on harvest engagement witl1 gardening offers. He ad occupying half the book-a gallery of ing. Like all good plant studies, tl1e portraits vocates a lush, overgrown sanctuary where "Plant Portraits." This offers an invaluable are good reading in and of themselves. the words "look but don't touch" are never balance of old favorites and easily estab Along vvitl1 the dazzling photography, they utrered. There should be herbs and fruit to lished reliables along with a wealth of en inspire us to experiment a bit and introduce nibble, soft lamb's-ears to stroke, and tl1e tertaining and important information on a few new species into our gardens-and a sweet scent of honeysuckle or jasmine. less familiar heirloom varieties. few new tastes to our table. In tl1e essay "Education of tl1e Eye," The first half of the book serves as either -Joseph M. Keyser Lacy takes to task one of tl1e world's most a primer or a refresher course. And wIllie Education specialist for the Montgomery renowned public gardens, the Butchart Gar her chapters on "Getting Started" and County, Ma1,),land, Department of Envi dens in Victoria, British Colwnbia. This fa "Improving the Soil" may seem pre ronmental Proctection, Joseph M. Keyser mous tourist am-action sports lavish displays dictable, Cutler imbues tl1em with vital in gardens on a rooftop in Arlington, Virginia. sights and challenges to prompt even tl1e most seasoned of us to really start thinking Inviting GARDEN THE INVITING GARDEN: about our gardening goals . 9 "rd reference book and would ramer spend tl1e t' KO T o(lnAP lI s 8) C"YNTN I I> \IIO()(j~ ... nD $39.95 on chicken manure anyway. When Allan Lacy's new book, The Invit of annuals, planted in washes of color for ing Garden: Gardeningfor the Senses, Mind, mass effect then lipped out and replaced as and Spirit, landed on my doorstep, I knew soon as mey begin to flag. "People come to I'd fOlmd more than eye candy and rehashed Butchart," Lacy laments, "to see 'flowers,' horticultural advice. The book fell open to a almost in a genelic sense, tl1e way some peo critique of me American suburban land ple go to tl1e Grand Canyon to see scape. Lacy laments me vast expanses of 'scenery. '" A garden, he argues, should offer overfertilized lawns tl1at carpet suburban depth and variety and engage the mind and neighborhoods, and he urges everyone to spirit along with the senses. "immediately kill tl1e grass in meir front This book offers someiliing for everyone: yards." By doing mat, he suggests, subur historical and literary references, personal banites would be forced to iliink about what anecdotes, horticultural advice, and even a they really want to plant in meir gardens. few botany lessons. Complete witl1 color One of America's finest "thinking gar photographs and Lacy's personal list of fa deners," Lacy has charmed readers for years vorite mail-order nurseries, The Inviting wim his New York Times gardening column Garden offers a rich and varied exploration Otl1er chapters cover topics such as md books such as Home Gro$tnd: A Gar of gardening as a sensuous, spiritual, and in choosing equipment, planting tl1e garden, dener's Miscellany and Farther Afield: A tellectual journey. As Lacy says, "It isn't the selecting and starting seeds, transplanting, Gardener's Excursions. Witl1 its wide-rang knowledge about plants and gardening implementing long-term organic care, and ing exploration of gardening as a sensuous that's offirst importance. It's the passion." using OPM (Organic Pest Management) to delight, an intellectual challenge, and an in -Amy Stewart handle garden problems. There is also a well tensely personal and spiritual experience, his Amy Stewart is a free -lance lVI'iter who tends illusu'ated section on common pests. new book will smely take its place among the a seaside gal,den in Santa Cruz, Califol'nia. J uly/Aug$~st 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 55 price: softcover, $24.95. AHS member price: $22.50. FIR 005 gardeners' You don't have to live in the desert to face dry garden conditions in the summer. The secret to success is adopting methods of books gardening that conserve not only water but also time and energy. Bennett explains Books are chosen fOI' the AHS Horticultural that a xeriscaped design can be as beauti Book Sel'vice based on perceived reader in ful as a lush perennial garden. Her bright, tel'est, unusual subJect matter, or substantive open designs include more silvery foliage content. The foliOlving descriptions are not and grasses than conventional plants. The intended to be critical reviews, but are writ book contains advice on lawns, vegeta ten to give an overview ofth e books' contents. bles, bulbs, roses, and even heatproofing Fo r further information about these or other the gardener. Includes more than 100 gardening books-or to order books-please color photographs. call (800) 777-7931 ext. 36. SUMMER INTEREST COLOR IN GARDEN DESIGN Sandra Austin. Taunton Press, Newtown, propagation of bulbs and cultivation in both Connecticut, 1998. 165 pages. Publisher's containers and beds and an encyclopedia of price: hal'dcover, $34.95. AHS member more than 100 bulbs with photographs and price: $31.50. TAU 007 specific growing instructions. With an artist's understanding and appre ciation of color, Austin relates the concepts of hue, value, and saturation in the garden. CHILDREN'S BOOKS She teaches gardeners to look at how the changing light, progression ofseasons, and MY BACKYARD GARDEN backgrow1d all affect the colors of our gar Carol Lerner. Morrow Junior Books, New dens. This book talces a serious look at the York, 1998. 48 pages. Publisher's price: hard use of the color wheel to select plants and cover, $16. AHS member price: $14. plant combinations and helps us take an MOR004 other view of our landscapes. Includes 200 With clear and colorful illustrations color photographs and 40 drawings. throughout, this charming large-format book guides a child and an adult compan ion though choosing a site and designing, GARDENER COOK planting, and maintaining a garden. Sec Christopher Lloyd. Willow Creek Press, tions on weeds and beneficial insects are Minocqua, Wisconsin, 1997. 255 pages. particularly good. A great summer project Publisher's price: hardcover, $29.50. AHS book. member price: $26.50. WCP 001 Lloyd's garden writing has been irre sistible to many for years, and now it is revealed that his success spills over into the kitchen. His newest book is a careful look at his English kitchen garden and a course in his English country cuisine, where tradition meets absolute freshness. Includes more than 100 exquisite color y CKYARD photographs. arden SUMMER BULBS: SIMPLE STEPS ~ FOR GROWING BEAUTIFUL GLADS, ~ DAHLIAS, BEGONIAS, CANNAS, AND OTHER TENDER BULBS H enry Jaworski. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, DRY-LAND GARDENING: A 1998. 124 pages. Publisher's price: hardcover, XERISCAPING GUIDE FOR DRY $20. AHS member price: $18. HOU 033 SUMMER, COLD-WINTER CLIMATES Don't stop at daffodils and tulips-tender Jennifer Bennett. Firefly Books, Westport, bulbs are perfect for the gardener looking for Connecticut, 1998. 176 pages. Publisher's something new to grow. The author covers 56 THE AMERICAN GARDENER J u ly/ August 1998 THE MOON FLOWER THE GARDEN LOVER'S GUIDE Peter and Jean Loewer. Peachtree Publisher, TO ITALY Atlanta, 1998. Publisher's pll ice: hall dcovelj Penelope Hobhouse PAP 002 $15.95. AHS member price: $14. PTP 001 Princeton Architectural Press, New Yo rk, The wonderful story of nature at night is 1998. 144 pages. Publisher's price: softcove1j told by renowned garden writer Peter Loew $19.95. AHS member price: $17.95. er, but the brilliant, whimsical illustrations of This new series of guidebooks for garden Jean Loewer will steal your attention. enthusiasts and travelers is both author Among many lessons, learn how bats see, itative and well designed. Each book in how bees sleep, and how to grow a moon cludes more than 100 gardens, from flower vine of your very own. A beautiful world-renowned sites such as Versailles book for the yOlU1g child in your life. to little-known hidden treasures. Writ ten by garden experts, each book begins with an overview of climate and' the re gion's garden history and goes on to provide all the details you need for a spectacular tour. Includes three-dimen sional garden plans, highlights of nearby cultural sites, and maps. to cutting, conclitioning, and preserving lover's guide to more than 200 kinds of flowers, foliage, and berries. Includes a section on principles of flower arranging, plenty of illustrations, and appenclices on topics such as water quality and use of flower preservatives. CUT FLOWERS WORLD GARDENS THE COMPLETE BOOK OF CUT THE GARDEN LOVER'S GUIDE FLOWER CARE TO BRITAIN Mary Jane Vaughan. Timber Press, P01I t Patricle Taylol1 PAP 003 land, Oregon, 1998. Publishell 's price: ha1'd THE GARDEN LOVER'S GUIDE cove1j $19.95. AHS member price: $17. 95. TO FRANCE TIM 143 Patrick Taylor PAP 004 Once your garden is in full bloom, it's tin1e THE GARDEN LOVER'S GUIDE to create wonderful bouquets for your TO GERMANY home and for gifts. This book is your guide Charles Quest-Ritson PAP 001 AHS HORTICULTURAL BOOK SERVICE ORDER FORM SHIP TO: Name CHOOSE PAYMENT METHOD: Address o Check enclosed. Amount: $ ____ City State Zip o Charge to: 0 VISA 0 MasterCard Daytime phone ( Account # ______ Book Code Qty. Book Title Price Each Total Exp. date Signature POSTAGE & HANDLING Order Amount UPS $1.00 - $20 $5.25 Subtotal $20.01 - $40 $6.00 Virginia residents: Add 4.5% sales tax $40.01 - $60 $7.00 Postage & Handling (see c.hart) $60.01 - $80 $7.75 $80.01 - $100 $8.75 Total $100.01+ add $.75 for each additional $20.00 Mail complet ed form t o: AHS Horticultural Book Service, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308-1300. Or call toll-free (8 00) 777-7931 ext. 36. Prices in effect until August 30, 1998. After expiration date, orders will be fil led pending availability. Please allow four to six weeks for delivery. Prices subject to change without notice. July/August 1998 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 57 JULY 17 . Shorewood Hills Home tures, and food. Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Gardens Tour. Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, Michigan. (313) 998-7061 . Madison, Wisconsin. (608) 246-4550. AUG. 29 & 30 • Garden Clubs of JULY 18-19 . Cook Energy Informa Illinois State Flower Show. Chicago tion Center's Flower Show and Sale. Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois. (847) St. Joseph, Michigan. (800) 548-2555. 835-5440. JULY 2s-AUG. 2 . The Henry Shaw NORTHEAST Cactus Society Show and Sale. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, JULY 5 • Country Inns in the White Missouri. (314) 577-9400. Mountains Garden Tour. North Conway, New Hampshire. (603) 356-9460. AUG. 8 & 9 • Gardeners of the North Shore Show and Sale. Amateur JULY 11 & 12 . Lily Show. New regional gardening contest and sale. Chicago England Lily Society. Tower Hill Botanic Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois. (847) Garden, Boylston, Massachusetts. (508) happenings 251-1774. 869-6111 ext. 10. AUG. 15 . Herb Fest. Demonstrations, lec- JULY 11 & 12 . Newport Flower a look at wha~s happening around Take a Walk on the Wild Side in Colorado the nation hether you are looking fo r peaceful garden tours, arduous wildflower hikes, instructive workshops on garden-related topics, or nature programs for MID-ATLANTIC W children, the 1998 Crested Butte Wildflower Festival-scheduled for July 6 to 12--offers something for everyone. The Victorian-style village of Crested JULY 23 . Tree Identification Walk B utte~ es i gnated the wildflower capital of Colorado-hosts this popular annual fes For Children. u.s. National Arboretum, tival, which is dedicated to the conservation and appreciation of the region's wild Washington, D.C. (202) 245-4521. flowers. In addition to taking full- and half-day guided hikes through plant habitats that range from alpine tundra to sagebrush steppe, festival-goers can tour many local JULY 25 • Summer Perennials Work gardens, including the Mount shop. Monticello, Charlottesville, Crested Butte High Altitude Virginia. (804) 984-9822. Botanical Garden. At nearly 9,000 feet, this is one of the highest public JULY 30-AUG. 1 • 6th Annual Youth gardens in the cOLmny Garden Symposium. American Horti From dawn to long after dusk cultural Society, Washington, D.C. area. each day, dozens of diverse activi (800) 777-7931 ext . 10. ties are offered. Workshops, class es, and lectures foc us on topics AUG. 1 & 2 • Butterfly Identification such as ecology, landscape design, and Gardening. Workshop. Winter nature photography, floral design, green Nature Foundation, Wintergreen, botanical illustration, and medici Vi rginia. (804) 325-8169. nal plants. This year's highlights include a five-day photography AUG. 29 • 7th Annual Native Plant workshop, a course in identifica Seminar and Sale. Irvine Natural tion of grasses and sedges, a Ma Science Center, Stevenson, Maryland. jolica tile-painting workshop, and (410) 484-2413. a hands-on gardening workshop. For children, there are butter NORTH CENTRAL fly hlU1ts, plant identification workshops, and wildflower walks. JULY 16 . All Commodity Field Day. Everling events include concerts, Educational field studies of horticultural art exhibits, slide shows, and din issues. University of Kentucky, Princeton, ners featuring local edi ble plants. Kentucky. (502) 365-7541 ext . 221 . Individual fees are charged to at tend most events. JULY 16-19 . HERBS '98. International Call (970) 349-2571 for a free Herb Asso ciation. Workshops with in festival brochure and schedule of dustry experts. Holiday Inn-Lexington events. - Mark C. Mollan, Sunflowers and lupines are among the North, Le xington, Kentucky. (847) 949- Communications Assistant wildflowers that bloom at Crested Butte. HERB . 58 THE AM E RI CAN GARDEN E R J~tly/A~tg~tst 1 998 JULY 27 . Antique and Garden Show. Massachusetts Garden Tours Idaho Botanical Gardens, Boise, Idaho. (208) 343-8649. rom July 10 to 20, the Garden Club ofMassachl1setts is sponsoring whirlwind garden tours feauuing more than 50 private and public gardens in 10 commu SOUTH CENTRAL Fnities across the state. Each community will take turns opening several private estates, historical sites, and university display gardens for a period ofrwo days, al JULY 12 . American Hibiscus Society lowing visitors to view a variety of garden designs in settings stretching £i.·om the Show. Louisiana State University 4-H Berkshire M OlU1tains to the whalin g towns of the Boston suburbs. N ew to this Mini-Farm, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. year's tour are the Fletcher Steele Colonial Gardens in Stockbridge and the gardens (504) 627-9346. of the Durfee Conservatory at the University of Massachusetts. Some offb eat stops on the tour include a restored medieval herb garden and the flower gardens at JULY 25 • Christmas in July Herbal tached to the H ouse of Seven Gables of 17th-century Salem witch-hunt fame. Tick Workshop. Ozark Folk Center, Mountain ets for the entire tour can be purchased for $28; single-day tickets are $14. For View, Arkansas. (870) 269-3851 . more information, call (888) 982-TOUR. AUG. 16 . American Hibiscus Society Blue Hill Show. Belle Aire Community Center, Houston, Texas. (713) 723-5858. he community of Blue Hill, Maine, AUG. 25 • Kids Detective Day. Search Tis opening nine of the gardens for butterflies and insects. its garden treasures for a Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, Wichita, one-day rain-or-shine Kansas. (316) 264-0448. garden tour on Satur day, July 18. The SOUTHEAST breathtaking gardens and views include the JULY 11 • Gardening with Heirloom Scrivelsby estate enu'y Vegetables. Slide show and walking garden, designed by tour of the Palace kitchen garden. Tryon renowned early 20th Palace Auditorium, New Bern, North century landscape archi- Carolina. (800) 767-1560. tect Beatrix Ferrand, Loon's Landing looking toward Blue Hill Bay. and Rockwood, on 29 July 11, 12, & 25 . 6tb Annual acres of waterfront property with wooded paths through a white-pine forest and vis International Mango Festival. Fruit tas of wildflowers and pin k lady's-slippers. Tours are sponsored by the Blue Hill Gar tastings, cooking demos, horticultural den Club. Tickets are available for the entire tour ($15) or individual gardens ($3 displays, and workshops. Fairchild each). Maps fo r the tour and box IWlChes are also available at the centrally located Tropical Gardens, Miami, Florida. Blue Hill Baptist Church. Proceeds benefit Blue Hill cOl11lTIlmity beautification pro (305) 667-1651 . jects. For more information, call (207) 374-2714. July 25 & 26 . Cactus Show and Sale. Memphis Botanic Garden, Memphis, Show. The Historic Mansion-Rosecliff, Amherst, Massachusetts. (978) 355-2853. Tennessee. (901) 685-1566. Newport, Rhode Island . (401) 847-1000 ext. 140. AUG. 9 . Caribbean Festival. New AUG. 8 . American Hibiscus Society York Botanical Garden, New York, New Show and Plant Sale. Sarasota Muni JULY 16-AUG. 2 . Rockefeller Center York. (718) 817-8700. cipal Auditorium, Sarasota, Florida. Flower and Garden Show. New York, (941) 351-1596. New York. (212) 843-8046. NORTHWEST AUG. 8 . Gardens of the Delaware JULY 17 & AUG. 14 . Fireworks JULY 12 & 13 . Herb Fest '98. Valley. Lecture and slide show. Tryon and Fountains. Longwood Gardens, Washington County Fair Complex, Palace Auditorium, New Bern, North Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. (610) Hillsboro, Oregon. (503) 359-1705. Carolina. (800) 767-1560. 388-1000. JULY 15-18 . Western Regional AUG. 22 & 23 • Tropical Fruit JULY 18 . Kennebunk Private Master Gardeners Conference. Symposium. Marie Selby Botanical Garden Walking Tour. Benefits York Parkway P'laza Hotel and Convention Gardens, Sarasota, Florida. (941) 366- County Child Abuse and Neglect Center, Casper, Wyoming. (307) 472-6936. 5731 ext. 10. Council. Biddeford, Maine. (207) 284- 1337. JULY 25 . Symposium: Great Gardens SOUTHWEST Gardeners. Northwest Horticultural AUG. 7-9 • Northeast Organic Society and Heronswood, Museum of JULY 10-12 . Rocky Mountain Farming Association Summer History and Industry, Seattle, District's Annual Rose Show and Conference. Hampshire College, Washington. (206) 527-1794. Convention. Pikes Peak Community J uly/ August 1 998 TH E AM E RI CAN GARDENE R 59 College, Colorado Springs, Colorado. (719) 520-1555. Desert Gardening Conference in Arizona JULY 11 • Arboretum Open House. he University of Arizona Maricopa County Extension Service is presenting the Arboretum at Flagstaff, Flagstaff, 1998 Southwestern Low Desert Gardening and Landscaping Conference, Au Arizona. (520) 774-1442. Tgust 7 to 9, to help desert gardeners overcome the challenges of gardening in the arid American southwest. Living up to the conference theme "Growing Through AUG. 2-4 • Cultivating the Earth Knowledge," more than 25 educational Spirit in the New Millennium. workshops will be offered highlighting na American Horticultural Therapy tive vegetable and ornamental gardening in Association 26th Annual Conference. the Sonoran Desert. Examples of workshop Albuquerque Biological Park, Albu topics include selecting the best varieties of querque, New Mexico. (505) 848-7148. citrus for the low desert and designing a gar den with cacti and succulents. Of special in WEST COAST terest this year is the Teacher Track series, designed to educate, train, and inform JULY 9 . Tour and Taste Thursdays. teachers about the instructional benefits of First of four biweekly events featuring establishing school gardens. tours of the Arboretum of Los Angeles, Carolyn Polson O'Malley, executive direc Arcadia, California. (626) 447-8207. tor of the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, will be the keynote speaker on Fri JULY 18 & 25, AUG. 1 & 8 . Intro day, August 7. Other speakers include Cass duction to the Garden. Tour and lec Turnbull, executive director and founder of ture series. University of California PlantAmnesty in Washington State; Mary Botanical Garden, Berkeley, California. A workshop instructor demonstrates Irish, director ofpublic horticulture at the (510) 643-2755. the uses of culinary herbs. Desert Botanical Garden; and Christy Ten Eyck, a noted Phoenix landscape architect. AUG. 8 • Venus Flytrap Terrarium For registration information, contact the University of Arizona Maricopa County Kids Workshop. Huntington Botanical Extension Service at (602) 470-8086 ext. 824, or check the Web site at Gardens, San Marino, California. (626) http://ag,arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/html/calendar/lowdsrt7.htm. 405-2272. Rock Island, Illinois, Goes Tropical AUG. 20 • Cultivating Sacred Space. Lecture by Elizabeth Murray. Friends of here is the last place you would expect a tropical rain forest garden to Filoli. Filoli, Woodside, California. (650) sprout? If you said Rock Island, Illinois, you had better guess again. 364-8300 ext. 508. W Blooming from the rubble of the old Rock Island Millworks building, the Quad City Botanical Center (QCBC) has opened a 6,444-square-foot conservatory CANADA called the Sun Garden, with hidden waterfalls, trompe foeil tropical garden scenery, hundreds of tropical plants, and a fog simulation system to complete the atmos JULY 9. Fern Identification and phere. The state-of-the-art trumpet-shaped conservatory is designed to maximize Propagation Workshop. The natural daylight for plant growth and for heating and cooling efficiency. Additional Arboretum of the University of Guelph, ly, the bOO-plus varieties of tropical plants are not planted in soil but in a new planti Guelph, Ontario. (519) 824-4120 ng medium composed of organic material, perlite, vermiculite, and sand. ext. 4110. In addition to a beautiful refuge of tropicana, the QCBC is making its educational mission a reality by inviting area schoolchildren aged five through 15 to experience a JULY 19 . Kingsbrae Horticultural variety of hands-on exhibits, starting with tropical plants that yield chocolate, vanilla, Garden Grand Opening. Live music bananas, ginger, and chicle (the last is the main ingredient in all the world's chewing and children's activities. St. Andrew, New gum). "It is important for children to realize that things we use every day come from Brunswick. (506) 529-3335. the plant world," explains Becky Buckrop, marketing manager for the gardens. "It is equally important to illustrate how we rely on tropical forests in our lives, whether it z o AUG. 2 • Ikenobo Ikebana Japanese is for food, medicines, or fresh air." Other educational programs are planned. Near- if! Flower Show. Royal iE!otanical Gardens, ing completion is a horticultural reference center featuring computer and CD-ROM 8 Burlington, Ontario. (905) 527-1158. facilities, as well as printed materials. ~ The Sun Garden lies in the center of the 14,670-square-foot facility on the banks ~ of the Mississippi River, which will be developed in phases. The grounds will eventu- ~'" Reminder ally hold horticultural and educational facilities including an amphitheater, lookout 8 tower, and interactive children's garden. ~ To list an event, please send informa Newly opened as ofJune 20, the QCBC is a participant in the AHS Reciprocal Admis- § tion at least four months in advance sions program, so AHS members are admitted free . Regular admission is $3.50 for adults, ~ to Regional Happenings, The Amer $1 for youths aged eight to17, and free for children seven and under. For additional infor- (; ican Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard mation, visit the Web site at www.qcbotanicalgardens.org, or call (309) 794-0991. ~ ~ Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308. -Mark C. Molian, Communications Assistant ::J 8 60 THE AMERICAN GARDENER July/August 1998 exotic tree peonies ava ilable. Catalog $3. SMIRNOW'S SON'S PEONIES, 168 Maple Hill Road, Dept. AG, HlU1tington, NY 11743, (5 16) 421-0836. Plant A PERENNIALS Historic Tree. BEAUTIFUL PERENNIALS at pleasing prices. Trees Bring History Alive! Send for FREE catalog-our bi ggest everl BLUESTONE PERENNIALS, 7201 Middle a look at current offerings Ridge Road, Madison, OH 44057. from the marketplace PLANTS (UNUSUAL) NATIVE PLANTS-nursery-propagated and grown in containers! Also hostas, water-lovi ng CLASSIFIED AD RATES: All classified advel,tis plants, and w1uSUal perennials Catalog $1. PINE ing must be prepaid. $2 per wordj minimum $50 RIDGE GARDENS, 832AG Sycamore Road, per insertion. Copy and prepayment must be re London, AR 72847-8767. ceived on the 20th ofthe month three months prior ROSES to publication date. Send orders to: AHS Adver tising Office, 4350 DiPaolo Center, Suite B, MANY NEW ROSE SELECTIONS for the com ing season. Over 700 varieties: new show roses and Glenview, IL 60025, or call (847) 699-1707. ground covers; English and old garden roses; 6 d10rnless HT varieties; antique and classic roses by BEEKEEPING Beales; miniatures by Rennie; Ben Williams roses; Yesterday... ln 1785, George hardy Ottawa explorers; Manitoba Parkland vari QUALITY BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT AND Washington planted a tulip poplar at SUPPLIES. Explore the miracle. Free catalog. eties; and our fab ulous Pavement roses d1at are dis BRUSHY MOUNTAIN BEE FARM, 1-8 00- ease-free, low-maintenance types suitable for harsh Mount Vernon. Our first president prairie winters. A superb collection. Our fields are BEESWAX (233-7929). known to be virus-free. Orders shipped ,vid1 our kept meticulous journals about his temperature-controlled truck to UPS depots in the estate and planted many trees. BOOKS USA for local distribution. Catalog $3 . Please sub mit retail orders by fax at (905) 689-6566, or call Today... The George Washington Hortica: Color Cyclopedia of Garden Flora in on (905) 689-9323. HORTICO INC., 723 Tulip Poplar is now over 200 years with Hardiness Zones and Indoor Plants, Robson Road, Waterdown, Ontario LOR 2H1. 8,100 color photos by Dr. A.B. Graf, $238. Tel: (905 ) 689-6984 or 689-3002. old and towers over the graceful Tropica 4: 7,000 color photos of plants and estate on the Potomac River. trees for warm environments, $165. The seeds from the original Geo rge Exotic House Plants: 1,200 photos, 150 in THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN color, with keys to care, $8.95. School of Professional Horticulture, Academic Washington Tulip Poplar have been Shipping additional. Circulars gladly sent. and practical training, two year program. hand-picked and ROEHRS CO., Box 125, East Rutherford, NJ Write: School of Professional Horciculturi1. grown into small, 07073. (201 ) 939-0090. FAX (201 ) 939-0091. NYBG, Bronx, NY 10458 or phone . (718) 817-8797 for information. ._ ...:~ direct-offspring trees. Each tree in BOOKS ON GARDENING, LANDSCAPING, PLANT-HUNTING, BOTANY, ETC. a complete A stock of over 3,000 titles, including A focal point for your planting kit is rare color plate books. Garden, Patio or Doorstep accompanied by a Certificate MAINE MILLSTONES of Authenticity, attesting to its Free catalog from: ST. ANN'S BOOKS Southport, Me. 04576 Rectory House, 26 Priory Road 207 -633-6091 historic event. Malvern, Worcs. WR14 3DR, U.K. Tomorrow... You can own and Tel: 011 44 1684562818 NEW ZEALAND - AUSTRALIA plant a historic tree and help Fax: 011441684566491 GARDEN TOURS AMERICAN FORESTS - the oldest E-mail: [email protected] :Jtt~ national nonprofit conservation Join one of our Spring or Summer Garden organization, founded in 1875 - INTERNET 'Fours or a specialized Plant Society group. continue our work to preserve trees GARDENWEB-Come visit with oilier gardentlrs ~ For infonnation call: from around the world at GardenWeb , the Intem.et's ~ .Kj1J!ifqc. '(OJ:t'[s (650) 595-2090 and forests , far into the twenty-first garden community: http://www.gardenweb.com. New Zealand - Australia Garden Tour Specialists century. No one knows the South Pacific Gardens better. IRRIGATION DRIP IRRIGATION-large selection of highest ~~~ People Caring For Foresls And Trees Since 1875. quality components for landscapes, gardens, and farms . Complete systems or parts. Design assis MOVING? Hundreds of historic trees to choose from. Call1-S00-320-S733 for your complimentary tance available. Pond lin ~ rs, too. FREE catalog. Don't miss a single issue of THE AMERICAN Famous & Historic Trees booklet or write to: DRIPWORKS. 1-800-616-8321. GARD ENER. Send an old address label and your AMERICAN FORESTS Famous & Historic Trees, new address to: AHS, Address Change Dept., 8701 Old Kings Road,Jacksonville, Florida 32219, PEONIES 7931 East BouleTJard Drive, AlexM,dria, VA www.amfor.orglfht. fam oustrees@ msn.com BEAUTIFUL JAPANESE/CHINESE TREE 22308-1300. Please allow 4 weeks notice. PEONIES-3 years old and older. Wide variety of July/ August 199 8 THE AMERICAN GARDENER 61 C. simplicica$dis 3-8,8-1 M. cerifel'a 6-9, 9-5 C. uniflorasubsp. nel'vosa 3-8,8-1 M. pensylvanica 3-6, 6-1 hardiness and Centranthus ruber 'Roseus' 5-8,8-2 Opuntia compressa 6-8, 8-4 Chasmanthium latifolium 5-9, 9-3 Oxalis ol'egana 7-9, 9-0 Chelone glabra 4-9, 9-3 heat zones Clematis terniflora 4-9,9-2 Conradina verticillata 8-11, 12-7 Phloxglaberrima 3-9,9-1 a guide to USDA and C. canescens 8-11,12-7 Polygonum aubertii 5-8,8-3 Cornus nuttallii 7-8,8-6 Polypodium vulgare 6-8,8-3 AHS zones for plants Crambe maritima 6-9, 9-6 Polystichum munitum 3-8,8-1 Cynoglossumgrande 7-8,8-6 Pr$tUus maritima 3-6,6-1 found in this issue Rehmannia elata 9-11,12-9 Romneya cO$tlteri 7-8, 8-6 Dicentra eximia 4-8,8-2 Sagittaria latifolia 5-11,12-2 FOI' J'OUI' convenience, the cultivated plants fea D.formosa 4-8,8-1 Scabiosa caucasica 'Alba' 4-9,9-2 tl1-red in each edition of the magazine wre listed D. spectabilis 4-8, 8-1 Schizanthus pinnatus 0,6-1 hel'e with their USDA Plant Hardiness Zones and Digitalis parviflora 4-9, 9-1 Scoliopus bigelowii 6-8,8-5 AHS Heat Zones. If ais listed in place of USDA Eryngium yuccifolium 4-8,8-2 Scutellaria incana 6-8, 8-5 hardiness zones, it means that plant is a true an Festuca rubra 4-8,8-1 Shortia galacifolia 6-9,9-2 mtal-it completes its life cycle and dies in a yecw Gaura lindheimeri 6-9, 9-3 Smilacinastellata 3-7,7-1 01' less. 'hopical plants that require minimum tem Gaultheria shallon 6-8, 8-3 Solidago sempervirens 5-9, 9-4 peratures warmer than 40 degrees Fahrenheit Gentiana andrewsii 4-9,9-1 Spigelia marilandica 7-9,9-7 the minim$tm average temperature in USDA Gillenia trifoliata 5-9, 9-3 Zone ll-will be listed by minimum average tem Gloriosa superba 'Rothschildiana' 50°, 12-8 perature rather than by zone mtmbers. Hippophaerhamnoides 3-8,8-1 Trillium ovatum 5-8,8-4 Hylotelephium (formerly Sedum) Typha laxmannii 3-11, 12-1 'Autumn Joy' 4-9,9-1 Uniolapaniculata 7-11,12-7 Arbutus menziesii USDA 7-9, AHS 9-7 Ilexglabra 3-8, 9-2 Viola cuneata 6-8,8-3 Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 8-11, 12-8 1. opaca 5-9, 9-1 V. nephrophylla 5-9, 9-3 Argyranthemum frutescens 10-11, 10-1 1. vomitoria 4:-9,8-2 V. odol'ata 8-9,9-7 Asarum caudatum 6-9, 9-4 Ipomopsis aggregata 8-9, 9-1 V. sempervirens 6-8, 8-4 Asclepias asperula 3-9, 9-1 Iris douglasiana 7-9,9-6 Zingiberspp. 0,12-7 A. curassavica 45°, 12-8 Zizia aurea 3-9, 9-1 A. exaltata 3-9, 9-1 A. hirtella 4-8,8-1 Jeffersonia diphylla 5-7,7-4 A. incarnata 4-9, 9-1 Kosteletzkya virginica 6-11,12-6 The codes above are based on a numbel' of com A. lanceolata 3-9, 12-1 Lathyrus japonicus subsp. maritimus monly available references and are likely to be con A. purpurascens 4-8, 11-1 4-9, 9-1 sel'vative. Facto1'S such as micro climates, plant A. quadrifolia 4-9,12-1 Leiophyllum buxifolium 6-8, 8-4 prOVenal%e, and use of mulch may affect indi A. ntbra 5-9, 9-4 Lithocarpus densiflorus 8-10, 10-7 vid$tal gal'deners' experiences. To pU1'Chase a A. speciosa 3-9, 9-1 Lithophragma affine 4-6,6-1 d$wable two-by-three-Joot poster of the AHS A. sullivantii 3-7,7-2 Myrica californica 5-8,8-4 Heat-Zone Map, call (800) 777-7931 ext. 45. A. syriaca 4-9, 9-1 A. tuberosa 4-9, 9-1 A. verticillata 3-9, 9-1 A. viridiflora 5-8, 8-3 Athyrium filix-femina 4-9, 9-1 Baptisia tinctoria 4-10,10-1 Blechnum spicant 5-8,8-3 Carex pendula 5-9, 9-4 Centaurea americana 0,12-1 C. cyanus 0, 9-1 C. dealbata'Steenbergii' 4-8,8-1 C. debeauxii 7-9,9-5 C. depressa (c. pulchra 'Major') 0, 9-1 C. hypoleuca 'John Coutts' 4-8,8-1 C. jacea 3-8, 8-1 C. macrocephala 3-7,7-1 C. montana' AI ba' 3-8, 8-1 C. nigra 3-9, 9-1 C. pltlcherrima 4-8,8-1 C. rothrockii 6-11,12-6 C. scabiosa 3-9, 9-1 62 THE AMERICAN GARDENER A. purpurascens Eltiottia racemosa A. per-per-ASS-senz el- lee-OT-ee- uh ras-eh -MO-s uh A. sullivantii Eryngium yuccifolium A. sllh-W1 -VAN-tee-eye ee-RIN-jee-um yule-ih-FO-lee- um A. verticillata Gaultheria shallon A. vur-tih-sih-LAY-tllh gawl-THEER-ee-uh SHAL-lon Athyrium filix-femina Gentiana andrewsii uh-THIH-ree- um FIL-iks-FEM jen-she-AN-uh an-DREW-zee-eye ih-nuh Gillenia trifoliata Baptisia arachnifera jih-LEN -ee-uh try-fo-lee-AY-mh bap-TIZ-yu.h ah -rale-NIF-ur-ul1 Hippophae rhamnoides Blechnum spicant hip-po-FAY-ee ram-NOY-deez BLEK-l1LU11 SPEE-kant Houstonia caerulea Calypso bulbosa hyew-STOH-nee-uh see-ROO leal1 -LIP-so bul-BO-s uh lee-uh Centaurea babylonica Ipomopsis aggregata SEN-taw-ree-uh bab-ih -LON ip-o-MOP-sis ag-reh -GAY-mh ih-leuh Kosteletzkya virginica C. dealbata leos-teh -LETZ-kee-yuh vur-JIN a simple speaking guide to c. dee-al -BAY-mh ih-leuh C. debeauxii Lathyrus Japonicus subsp. maritimus plants found in this issue C. dee-BO-ee-eye LATH-ih-rus jal1-PON-ih-leus C. pulcherrima subsp. muh-WRIT-ih-muss Acorus calamus C. pul-KER-lih-muh Leiophyllum buxifolium AK-or-us KAL-uh-mus C. rothrockii lay-o-FIL-lulTI buk-sih-FO-lee-um Arbutus menziesii C. roth-ROCK-ee-eye Lithophragma affine ar-BYEW-tllS men -ZEES-ee-eye C. scabiosa W1 -tho-FRAG-mllh uh-FEE-nay Arctostaphylos uva-ursi C. skay- bee-O -suh Matteuccia struthiopteris ark-toh-STAFF-ih-loss yew-vuh C. simplicicaulis muh-TEW-leey-uh struh-thee UR-sigh C. sim-pW1-sih-KAW-liss OP-mr-iss Argyranthemum frutescens C. solstitialis Panax quinquefolius ar-jih-RAN-theh-mum fi·oo C. sol-stih-s he-AL-iss PAN-ales KVVIN-lewe-FO-lee-us TES-senz Centranthus ruber Polygonum aubertii Artemisia stelleriana sen-TRAN-thus ROO-bur pal1-LIG-o-nulTI aw-BERT-ee-eye ar-teh-MEEZ-yuh steh-leh-ree Chelone glabra Polypodium vulgare AN-uh kee-LO-nee GLAB-rul1 pawl-ee-PO-dee-lU11 vul-GAR-ay Aruncus dioicus Chrysogonum virginianum Polystichum munitum uh-RUN-kus die-o-EE-leus lerih-SOG-on-um vur-jin-ee pal1-LISS-tih-leum mew-NY-tllm Asarum caudatum AN-um Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens llh -SAR-um leaw-DAY-mm Conradina verticillata teh-RID-ee-um al1-icwi- LY-num Asclepias asperula leon-rul1-DEEN-uh vur-tih-sih Vat. pyew-BES-senz as-I J u l y/A ugu st 1998 THE AMERI C A N GARD ENE R 63 ~otechnologv and Plant Health Plant Health Care, Inc. is a microbial biotechnology company specializing in the development of Uplant health care" products and natural systems solutions for the commercial tree care, horticulture, turfgrass, forestry and land reclamation industries. The Company is the world technology leader in the commercial development of endo- and ectomycorrhizal fungal inoculant products, and is fast becoming a leader in beneficial bacterial technology.