TheThe AmericanAmerican

GARDENERGARDENERTheThe MagazineMagazine ofof thethe AAmericanmerican HorticulturalHorticultural SocietySociety May/June 2005

Herbs with Ornamental Appeal Chocolate-Inspired Gardens Edible Offer Flavor and Flair brighten summer with tropical

contents Volume 84, Number 3 . May / June 2005

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS

5 NOTES FROM RIVER FARM 6 MEMBERS’ FORUM 8 NEWS FROM AHS Colorful AHS Garden School kicks off spring, Eastern Performance Trials to come to River Farm, River Farm to star on PBS garden program, AHS and Junior Master Gardener program team up for kid’s book award, AHS’s historic White House Gates win display award at the Philadelphia Show.

13 2005 AHS BOOK AWARD WINNERS Here are this year’s five page 22 award-winning books. 14 AHS PARTNERS IN PROFILE Kurt Bluemel Nursery.

EXOTIC ANNUAL VINES BY RITA PELCZAR 16 42 GARDENING BY DESIGN Add a few of these climbers to your garden and its ambiance Exploring garden instantly takes a tropical turn. geography. page 14

ONE ON ONE WITH… LEUCOTHOES BY CAROL BISHOP MILLER 44 22 Julie Moir Messervy, landscape designer. Fabulous evergreen foliage, fragrant flowers, and cascading form make this shrub a year-round garden gem. 46 HABITAT GARDENING The many eco-zones of California. EDIBLE FLOWERS BY KRIS WETHERBEE 26 GARDENER’S NOTEBOOK From garden to table, edible flowers add a dash of flavor and an 48 Best lady’s mantles for the Midwest, oak is accent of color. made the national tree, minimally invasive Japanese barberries identified, online 32 CHOCOLATE GARDENS finder launched, winterberry selected as top BY CHARLOTTE ALBERS cut flower, a bell pepper that helps Grow a delicious theme resist root-knot nematodes. garden sure to tempt the 52 BOOK REVIEWS senses. Gardening with Clematis, Simply Clematis, and The Perennial Gardener’s Design Primer. 36 ORNAMENTAL HERBS Special focus: Books on regional gardening. BY JO ANN GARDNER 56 REGIONAL HAPPENINGS Once grown for their medicinal or culinary page 26 60 EVERYDAY GARDEN SCIENCE qualities, these herbs are Horticultural predictions for 2020. now valued for their orna- mental appeal. 61 HARDINESS AND HEAT ZONES AND PRONUNCIATIONS

ON THE COVER: Mandevilla ✕amoena ‘Alice du Pont’ is one of the most popular tropical vines 62 RIVER FARM SNAPSHOT

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: JERRY PAVIA; COURTESY OF KURT BLUEMEL; KAREN BUSSOLINI grown as a annual in temperate gardens. Photograph by David Cavagnaro Bear’s breeches.

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

American Horticultural Society AHS President’s Council

PRESIDENT Katy Moss Warner CHAIRMAN'S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. John H. Ariail, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Kurt PRESIDENT EMERITUS Dr. H. Marc Cathey Bluemel ■ Ms. Claire Burrows ■ Mr. and Mrs. Edward N. Dane ■ Mr. Mark Board of Directors Garrison ■ Ms. Jill Hamilton ■ Mr. and Mrs. James S. Hutchinson ■ Mr. Robert E. Malesardi ■ Ms. Nancy Petersen ■ Mr. Phil Snyder LIBERTY HYDE CHAIRMAN Arabella S. Dane Center Harbor, New Hampshire BAILEY ASSOCIATES Mr. A. Michael Gelman ■ Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Lynch ■ FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN Brian E. Holley Cleveland, Ohio Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Manson, III ■ Mr. and Mrs. Ken Mountcastle ■ The SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN Don Riddle Davidsonville, Maryland Honorable Lauralee M. Peters ■ Mr. W. R. Pickering ■ Jeanne Otis Shields ■ SECRETARY Albin MacDonough Plant Baltimore, Maryland Ms. Katy Moss Warner ■ Ms. Donnan C. Wintermute HAUPT ASSOCIATES

TREASURER Christine Perdue Middleburg, Virginia Mrs. Lynda A. Bachman ■ Dr. and Mrs. William E. Barrick ■ Mr. and Mrs.

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Kurt Bluemel Baldwin, Maryland C. William Black ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bogle ■ Mr. Richard C. and Mrs.

Katherine Stark Bull ■ Dr. and Mrs. H. Marc Cathey ■ Mr. and Mrs. Louis GENERAL COUNSEL William A. Pusey Cordia ■ Mrs. Elisabeth C. Dudley ■ Mrs. Richard W. Hanselman ■ Ms.

■ ■ Leslie Ariail Alexandria, Virginia ■ Allan M. Armitage Athens, Georgia ■ William E. Barrick, Ph.D. Minako Henderson Mrs. Carole S. Hofley Col. and Mrs. Freeman E. Jones ■ ■ ■ Theodore, Alabama ■ Katherine Bull Washington, D.C. ■ Joel Goldsmith Gilroy, California Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Kulp, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Matheson, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Harold McClendon, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Tom McGlade ■ Mr. ■ Beverly Hanselman Nashville, Tennessee ■ Natasha Hopkinson New York, New York Paul H. Pusey ■ Ms. Michele Richardson ■ Mr. Harry A. Rissetto, Esq. ■ Mr. ■ Margaret Kulp Louisville, Kentucky ■ Melissa R. Marshall Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ■ Carol C. Timothee Sallin ■ Dr. and Mrs. George E. Staehle ■ Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Morrison Palatine, Illinois ■ Harry Rissetto Falls Church, Virginia ■ Felder Rushing Jackson, Mississippi Steiner ■ Mr. John Wm. Thomas and Mrs. Valerie Thomas ■ Mr. Howard ■ William Seale Alexandria, Virginia ■ Jeanne Otis Shields Greenville, Delaware ■ Arnold Steiner McK. Tucker and Ms. Megan Evans ■ Mr. and Mrs. W. Bruce Usrey ■ Mr. Birmingham, Alabama ■ Steven Still Hilliard, Ohio ■ Howard McK. Tucker Alexandria, Virginia and Mrs. Robert D. Volk ■ Susie Usrey Dayton, Oregon ■ Robert D. Volk San Marino, California PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Angino ■ Nancy J. Becker,

M.D. ■ Mrs. Katherine McKay Belk-Cook ■ Mr. Phillip Bermingham ■ Mrs.

2005 Advisory Council George P. Bissell, Jr. ■ Ms. Sylvia Black ■ Dr. Sherran Blair ■ Mrs. and Mrs. Bev Hanselman, Nashville, Tennessee – Chair Robert Bogle ■ Count and Countess Peder Bonde ■ Mrs. Anne Bucher ■ Mr. Katherine Belk-Cook, Charlotte, North Carolina Robert and Joanna Martin, Menlo Park, Colorado and Mrs. Cason Callaway, Jr. ■ Mrs. Susan M. Cargill ■ Mrs. and Mr. Charles Clarissa Bonde, Washington D.C. Mrs. Malcolm Matheson, Mt. Vernon, Virginia E. Carr ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Chandler ■ Mr. and Mrs. James L. Corfield Walter Bull, Columbia, South Carolina Egon Molbak, Bellevue, Washington ■ Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Crawford ■ Mr. and Mrs. Edward Daisey ■ Mr. and Elaine Burden, Middleburg, Virginia Nancy Keen Palmer, Nashville, Tennessee Mrs. James F. Delano ■ Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Demisay ■ Mr. and Mrs. Dr. H. Marc Cathey, Silver Spring, Maryland Bob Patterson, Washington D.C. Michael D. Dubke ■ Mrs. Beverley W. Dunn ■ Mrs. Maureen Ecke ■ Ms. Fred Clapp, Alexandria, Virginia Dr. Julia W. Rappaport, Santa Ana, California Anita Ellis ■ Mr. and Mrs. John H. Fitzpatrick ■ Dr. and Mrs. John A. Floyd, Russell Clark, Boston, Massachusetts Harry Rissetto, Falls Church, Virginia Jr. ■ Ms. Marguerite Peet Foster ■ Mr. Thomas B. Gentry ■ Ms. Dorothy Bartie Cole, Owings Mills, Maryland Deen Day Sanders, Norcross, Georgia Gillespie ■ Mr. John Sward Gleiber ■ Mr. and Mrs. Joel Goldsmith ■ Mr. Jim Corfield, Geneva, Illinois Josephine Shanks, Houston, Texas and Mrs. David B. Gray ■ Mr. and Mrs. John H. Guy, IV ■ Mr. Gerald T. Virginia Hill Daisey, Dedham, Massachusetts Barbara Shea, Baltimore, Maryland Halpin ■ Mrs. Richard W. Hamming ■ Dr. and Mrs. William O. Hargrove ■ Edward N. Dane, Center Harbor, New Hampshire Holly Shimizu, Glen Echo, Maryland Mr. and Mrs. Max Hartl ■ Mrs. Enid A. Haupt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Brent Heath David and Kitty Ferguson, Westwood, Massachusetts Charles Henry Smith, Middleburg, Virginia ■ Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Hohlt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Brian Holley ■ Mr. and Mrs. Ben Griswold, Glyndon, Maryland Nancy Thomas, Houston, Texas Allan L. Holmstrom ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Hooff, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Peter Sheryl Heckler, Middleburg, Virginia Bryan Thomlison, Haddonfield, New Jersey Hopkinson ■ Mr. Ross Hotchkiss ■ Mr. Philip Huey ■ Mr. and Mrs. Waldo Henry Jameson, East Sound, Washington Pauline Vollmer, Baltimore, Maryland Hutchins, III ■ Mr. Henry Jameson ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Lindsay ■ Mr. Dr. Richard W. Lighty, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania Joyce and Harvey White, Nashville, Tennessee and Mrs. Randolph Marshall ■ Mrs. Dorothy Marston ■ Ms. Pat Maxwell ■ Carolyn Marsh Lindsay, Ponte Vedra, Florida Joannah and Daryl Williams, Sebring, Florida Mr. George Cole. S. McCray ■ Mrs. Rachel L. Mellon ■ Mrs. Rosalyn Mickey Lynch, Dunmore, Pennsylvania Milbrandt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Egon Molbak ■ Dr. and Mrs. David E. Morrison ■ Stu McMichael and Lucinda Crabtree, Mr. and Mrs. William J. Moss ■ Mrs. Shirley Ann Nicolai ■ Mr. and Mrs. Falls Church, Virginia William G. Pannill ■ Ms. Christine Perdue ■ Mr. and Mrs. Albin MacDonough Plant ■ Mr. and Mrs. William A. Pusey ■ Mr. and Mrs. Don

E. Riddle, Jr. ■ Mrs. Alfred G. Rindler ■ Mrs. Diana Carter Samples ■ Mrs.

Corporate Partners Deen Day Sanders ■ Mr. and Mrs. William Seale, Jr. ■ Mrs. Josephine M.

Shanks ■ Mr. Bob Sierralta ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles Henry Smith, Jr. ■ Mr. The Care of Trees ■ Cherry Lake Tree Farm ■ DK Publishing ■ EarthBox™ ■ Kurt Bluemel, Inc. and Mrs. Turner T. Smith, Jr. ■ Ms. Vandy Solomon ■ Mrs. Juliet Sproul ■ Monrovia ■ NaturaLawn of America ■ Osmocote ■ Thompson & Morgan Mr. Harold Stahly ■ Miss Jane Steffey ■ Ms. Lida M. Stifel ■ Mr. and Mrs.

John B. Strasenburgh ■ Mrs. Benjamin W. Thoron ■ Mrs. Mary Ann Tucker

■ Dr. and Mrs. Peter Van Dyke ■ Mr. Joe Viar ■ Ms. Angela M. Vikesland ■

AHS Horticultural Partners Mr. and Mrs. Harvey C. White ■ Mr. and Mrs. John W. White, Sr. ■ Mr. and

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

4 the American Gardener The American NOTESC FROM RIVER FARM GARDENER

EDITOR David J. Ellis MANAGING EDITOR AND ART DIRECTOR S I WRITE THIS in April, Washington Blooms! is in full swing at River Mary Yee Farm, with hundreds of tulips, daffodils, and remarkable specialty bulbs ASSOCIATE EDITOR blooming throughout the gardens along with cherries, magnolias, and win- Carole Ottesen A ter hazel. Looking out my window early this morning, I saw a fox and her kits ASSISTANT EDITOR Viveka Neveln romping in the meadow, which is starting to emerge from its winter rest. Our River EDITORIAL INTERN Farm is alive with color and activity this spring. Nicole Gibson There is much going on with the AHS right now. After all, it is spring! In late CONTRIBUTING EDITORS March, AHS partnered with the National Gardening Association and several other Rita Pelczar gardening organizations at the kickoff celebration for National Garden Month. Joanne Wolfe On March 30 and April 1, we hosted a sell-out crowd here at River Farm for our

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD AHS Garden School on the Art and Science of Color in the Garden. At the same time, River Farm was serv- CHAIR John Alex Floyd Jr. Birmingham, Alabama ing as the “set” for an upcoming episode of Garden Allan M. Armitage Smart, a PBS gardening program. Athens, Georgia In mid-April, we were in Orlando, Florida, to meet Nina L. Bassuk the many AHS friends who joined us for our Great Ithaca, New York American Gardeners Conference and Awards Banquet. Richard E. Bir What a celebration it was with gorgeous weather, visits Brevard, North Carolina to fascinating places that showcased the wide range of John E. Bryan horticulture in America (from industry to public gar- San Francisco, California dens to community projects to festivals to home gardens large and small), and the John L. Creech event of the year, when we honored our very own American horticultural heroes. Columbus, North Carolina One of the many highlights of that evening was when our Board Chair, Arabella Keith Crotz Chillicothe, Illinois Dane, offered a special toast to Dr. Marc Cathey in honor of his six decades of ser- Panayoti Kelaidis vice to the AHS! Denver, Colorado The pace doesn’t slow this summer, either. On May 6, I will be co-hosting the Richard W. Lighty Magic of Landscaping Seminar in Orlando for landscape architects, developers, Greenville, Delaware and municipal leaders. Next up is the AHS Member Weekend at the Cleveland Elvin McDonald Flower Show May 27 to May 30. At the same time our staff is busy refining plans West Des Moines, Iowa for the National Children & Youth Garden Symposium, scheduled for July 28 to Felder Rushing 30 in Atlanta, and expanding The Growing Connection garden at River Farm. Jackson, Mississippi A very exciting new program is in the design phase. River Farm has been se- lected as one of six host sites for the first ever Eastern Performance Trials, a na- ADVERTISING The American Gardener AND CORPORATE 7931 East Boulevard Drive tionally important industry event that will be held the week of September 19 to 24 PARTNERSHIPS Alexandria, VA 22308 (for more on this, see the article on page 8). Landscape designer Tres Fromme of (703) 768-5700 Longwood Gardens and his colleague Gayle Shelden were here in April creating E-MAIL: [email protected] the preliminary design for River Farm, where industry leaders will showcase ex- The American Gardener (ISSN 1087-9978) is published bimonth- citing new plants that will be introduced to gardeners the following spring. We are ly (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, Septem- ber/October, November/December) by the American Horticultural grateful to AHS Board members Don Riddle, Susie Usrey, Joel Goldsmith, and Society, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308-1300, (703) 768-5700. Membership in the Society includes a subscrip- Allan Armitage for facilitating AHS’s involvement in this groundbreaking event. tion to The American Gardener. Annual dues are $35; two years, The 2005 Annual Gala at River Farm on the evening of September 24 will serve as $60. International dues are $50. $10 of annual dues goes toward magazine subscription. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Vir- a fitting exclamation point to the weeklong plant trials. ginia, and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to The American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, I hope all this news motivates you to make plans to join us for one of these up- Alexandria, VA 22308-1300. coming educational and inspirational programs. In the meantime, enjoy the un- Botanical nomenclature is based on The American Horticultural Society A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, on A Synonymized Check- folding drama as spring turns to summer in your garden. list of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada and Greenland and on the Royal Horticultural Society Index of Garden Plants. Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and are not necessar- Happy Gardening! ily those of the Society. Manuscripts, artwork, and photographs sent for possible publication will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. We cannot guarantee the safe return of unsolicited material. Back issues are available at $8 per copy. Copyright ©2005 by the American Horticultural Society.

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

May / June 2005 5 MEMBERSC’ FORUM

PLANTING UNDER TREES National Wildlife Federation in 1995. Thomas C. Fuller and Elizabeth Mc- As a landscape designer, I am often faced Our property has been registered with Clintock state of Symphoricarpos albus, with the problem of planting under trees, its Backyard Wildlife Habitat program “The berry contains chelidonine, an iso- so I read with great interest David Oet- for many years. We have had 93 quinolin alkaloid, reported to induce tinger’s article “Planting Under Trees” of birds visit our yard along with many vomiting.” Writing of the seven species of (January/February 2005), which describes animals. We have two ponds that are Symphoricarpos native to California, they the necessity to protect the roots of trees homes to bullfrogs and green frogs. say they “have not been implicated in poi- during construction and landscaping. We maintain our whole yard with the sonings but the berries remain on the I was happy to see this topic addressed welfare of the natural world as our prima- plants and are not eaten by wildlife.” Are in The American Gardener, but I was dis- ry concern. In the process, we receive the Monrovia hybrid’s parents of Califor- appointed that the article did not provide much pleasure from the undertaking. We nia origin? Should this plant be used to at- specific information. In one case, Oet- use mostly our own compost for fertilizer tract wildlife? tinger described how he created “an unob- and refrain from using pesticides. It is very Ellen Zagory trusive mulch bed around the tree to satisfying to know that gardeners can make Director of Horticulture incorporate shrubs and perennials. The a big difference even in such a small way. Davis Arboretum tree’s roots were not harmed and he was Joan L. Farr University of California at Davis able to install a great new garden.” What is Woburn, Massachusetts an “unobtrusive mulch bed?” And if is it Editor’s response: The cover photograph unwise to add more than two inches of soil showed a snowberry that was described in or three inches of mulch over the roots of ICE FLOWERS ENCOUNTER the article about new plants for 2005. It a tree—as is stated later in the article— Thank you, thank you for the article on was not in the edible landscaping article. how can shrubs and perennials be planted? “Ice Flowers” by Bruce Means (Janu- Most of the literature on Symphoricarpos Exactly how does the gardener “work ary/February). It explains something I had concurs that the berries are potentially around” the roots of an oak tree? How wondered about for many years. Early on toxic to humans when consumed in large deep can we dig? a frosty Thanksgiving morning in 1984, I quantities. However, several sources, in- Judy Nauseef was driving down a country road to my cluding the U.S. Forest Service and the Iowa City, Iowa sister’s place in eastern Arkansas when I National Audubon Society, recommend saw many scattered clumps of something the plant for attracting wildlife. Editor’s response: The contradiction you white in the low sheltered woods near the The Netherlands-based breeders of the noted was the result of an editing error creek. I walked back to look more closely snowberry hybrid declined, for proprietary that oversimplified David Oettinger’s ad- and discovered hundreds of “frost flow- reasons, to reveal its parentage. vice. His original text for that section ers.” I sat mesmerized by the “angel wings” read: “We accommodated the desire to of ice coming out of those narrow dried CORRECTION create the garden by staking out the edges stems. An hour later the sun filtered In the 2005 AHS Member Guide (bound of visible tree roots, then applying a layer through the trees and in only a few mo- into the January/February issue of The of mulch between them. Once the mulch ments they were all gone. Of the many American Gardener), the contact informa- was in place, the homeowner planted na- hours I have spent marveling at nature’s tion for Yew Dell Gardens, a participant tive ground covers and perennials in the incredible sights, that morning ranks as in the AHS’s Reciprocal Admissions Pro- mulched areas, avoiding damage to the one of the most mystical. gram, was listed incorrectly. Here is the majority of the tree’s roots.” Janet Williamson correct information: Because trees have different root con- Tulsa, Oklahoma Yew Dell Gardens figurations and vary in their tolerance of 5800 North Camden Lane root damage, it is almost impossible to WILDLIFE VALUE OF SNOWBERRIES Crestwood, KY 40014 state specific standards. I enjoyed reading the January/February (502) 241-4788 magazine, but I was concerned by the use www.yewdellgardens.org BACKYARD DÉJÀ VU of a photo of a hybrid snowberry (Sym- ■ Free admission for AHS members Imagine my surprise when I received my phoricarpos spp.) on the cover when one January/February issue of The American of the articles listed on the cover was PLEASE WRITE US! Letters should be addressed to Gardener and found a picture of my yard “Native for the Edible Landscape.” Editor, The American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308, or you can on page 32. It was taken from Gardening In Poisonous Plants of California (Univer- e-mail us at [email protected]. Letters we print may be for Wildlife, which was published by the sity of California Press, 1987), authors edited for length and clarity.

6 the American Gardener A green lawn does not have to be hazardous to your health.

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THE LEADER IN ORGANIC-BASED LAW N CARETM © 2005. NaturaLawn of America, Inc. All rights reserved. Each office independently owned and operated. www.nl-amer.com For permission to reproduce this piece, call 800-989-5444. 8 A ColorfulAHSGardenSchoolKicksOffSpring the AHSplanstoexpandprogram. “Eventually we would it exerts atremendous influenceover us.” inannouncingthegarden,portant andwhenusedeffectively, ticulture,” saysAHSPresident KatyMoss Warner. “Colorisim- Hirshhorn Museum andSculpture Garden forafieldstudy. visited theSmithsonian’s In addition,participants Poly Armitage, ucator andauthorAllan designer wood Gardens landscape Pamela Harper, in Florida, garden writer Walt Disney World Resort Heather Will-Browne as well ashorticulturist Mossident Katy Warner effectively usingcolorinthegarden. April 1,tolearninvaluable techniquesandpracticaladvicefor two-day intensive program, heldatRiver Farm onMarch 31and the registration deadline.More than60peopleattendedthe and ScienceofColorintheGarden,” toselloutweeks before agenda causedseatsforthe2005AHSGarden Art School,“The AN IMPRESSIVE MANY INTHE says of theplantswill beexhibitedintwoformats,” and trees—duringvines, shrubs, thetrials.“All ing beddingplants,herbaceous perennials, exciting introductions new for2006—includ- plant producers willbeunveiling theirmost cations (seebox, page9)intheMid-Atlantic. which willbeheldSeptember 19to24atsixlo- an answer: the the gardening media.Now theEast Coasthas coming ontothemarket forretail growers and where plantproducers showcasedustry plantvarieties new fornia Pack Trials, Eastern PerformanceTrials atRiverFarm News PROGRAMS •EVENTSANNOUNCEMENTS Building onthesuccess ofthisrecent Garden Schoolevent, specificarea event ofhor- wasanimmersioninavery “This AHS President Emeritus More than20internationalandnational the American Gardener Don Riddle, owner of Homestead Gardens inDavid- shared theirexpertise. Tres Fromme, and artist and artist Eastern Performance Trials, horticultural worldarehorticultural familarwiththe lineup ofgarden andanexciting experts Long- an annualspringritualforthegreen in- Sara ed- of Dr. H.Marc Cathey from AHS and AHSPres- Cali- perspectives oncolorduringtheAHSGardenSchool. Cathey andgardenwriterPamelaHarperbothsharedintriguing PresidentEmeritusDr.H.Marc experiment withwatercolors.Left:AHS Above: ArtistSaraPolyleadsaworkshopinwhichparticipants ber 22 for AHS members and the public to view theplants. ber 22forAHS membersandthepublictoview gardens andinamore traditionalmerchandising format. says eachhostlocationwillfeature theplantsininspirational andchairofthetrialscommittee.Donsonville, Maryland, send [email protected]. If you wouldliketo receive informationabout future programs, tinue toofferaspringtimeGarden Schoolevent atRiver Farm. ager regions ofthecountry,” saysAHSEducation Programs Man- to reach alargeraudience,we’d liketohave themindifferent like tooffermore thanoneGarden Schoolayear, andinorder Stephanie Jutila. have aspecialopenday onThursday, Septem- must pre-register toattend,River Farm will professionals,produced who forgreen industry America (GCA). is beingcoordinated by the host sitesforthisgroundbreaking event, which tomers’ landscapes,”henotes. how theywillbeincorporatedintotheircus- can bemerchandised intheirstore, butalso “Plant retailers willseenotonlyhow theplants AHS’s River Farm isoneofthe headquarters For thetimebeing,AHSwillcon- While thisevent isprimarily May/June 2005 Garden Centers of

TOP LEFT: NICOLE GIBSON; TOP RIGHT: VIVEKA NEVELN. BOTTOM: CAROLE OTTESEN COURTESY OF GARDEN SMART www.easternperformancetrials.org best advantage.” plantintroductionsunique settingfordisplayingthenew to ticultural Programs Tom Underwood. showplace forthegreen industry,” saysAHSDirector ofHor- Horticultural Society anunprecedented tobea opportunity design forthetrialsatRiver Farm. nova, Virginia, are collaboratingtoproduce theoverall garden ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Trials HostSites Eastern Performance For more informationabouttheupcomingtrials,visit “The EasternPerformance“The Trials willgive theAmerican Conard-Pyle, McDonald GardenCenter, White’s Greenhouse&Nursery, Virginia Growers, River Farm, Homestead Growers, Pennsylvania Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Virginia Richmond, Virginia Virginia Davidsonville, Maryland Flow with •more planters,hanging baskets •more plantvarieties andcolors •different innovativefloralplantings •more Participating municipalitieshave: and gardens Alexandria, West Grove, America inBloom e rP plays onthegrounds. creative dis- andcolorful plants willbeshowcased in Brothers. Winners, Goldsmith , Proven LakeTreeCherry Farm, Design AssociatesinCasa- Gayle Shelden Square, Pennsylvania, and wood Gardens inKennett scape designeratLong- lect, Centerton Nursery,lect, Centerton Farm siteare will bebasedattheRiver www.americainbloom.org Tres Fromme, ow The companiesthat “River Farm offersa (614) 487-1117 Each company’s and e Athens Se- Saunders of Earth r ® land- tion, orformore information,visitwww.gardensmart.tv. weeks.in thenextfew Checklistingsforyour localPBSsta- seasons.” TheepisodefeaturingRiver Farm isscheduledtoair well asshow offRiver Farm duringoneofitsmostbeautiful chance toeducategardeners onanationallevel,” saysPeggy, “as porate partner. The Care ofTrees, anAHScor- Arborist with theoff-cameraassistanceof youngformatively trees prune demonstrated how tomulchand venerable Osage orangeand for oldertrees likeRiver Farm’s Peggy alsoexplainedhow tocare around thegrounds.shrubs spring-blooming bulbsand while theydiscussedmanyofthe Charlie atourofRiver Farm crew thatvisitedtofilmanepisodeof April, providing forthetelevision spectacularspringscenery culturist Charlie Nardozzi. dening program hostedby THE AHS’S Program River FarmStarsinPBS “This program gave usa “This Richard Eaton Peggy Bowers River Farm becameastagesetin headquarters AHS Horti- from gave PBS programGardenSmart Charlie Nardozzi,hostofthe Garden Smart, May /June 2005 a PBSgar- 9 10 THE AMERICANHORTICULTURALSOCIETY Book Award AHS andJMGTeam UpforKid’s er waytogrow goodkids.” bringing gardens andgreat bookstogethermayjustbeanoth- audience totheyouthtract awholenew gardening culture. And laboration between AHSandJMG,which we believe could at- Master Gardener program. “We excited are very aboutthiscol- L.Seagraves,Randy dening andthenaturalworldisacompellingconcept,”says for, gardening andtheenvironment. effective at promoting anunderstandingof, andappreciation recognize aselectgroup ofchildren’s booksthatare especially dren’s Literature Awards” program. Eachyear, thisaward will through “Growing the new Good Kids–Excellence inChil- honor outstandingchildren’s gardening andnature books nior Master Gardener (JMG) the AmericanHorticultural Society. M Washington’s RiverFarm,Alexandria,Virginia. • Farm, Alexandria,Virginia. • bers andthepublictoviewtrials.) 22 hasbeendesignatedaspecialopendayforAHSmem- ington’s RiverFarm,Alexandria,Virginia.(Thursday,Sept. • ical GardenandWonderlandGardens. Symposium. • Farm, Alexandria,Virginia. 7-91o ii h H Web site 777-7931 orvisittheAHS For more information abouttheseevents, call(800) • Cleveland, Ohio. cal Garden • During year ofthe awards thischarter program, children’s “Using qualitychildren’s literature toconnectkidsgar- DEC. 8. SEPT. 24. SEPT. 19–24. JULY 28–30. JUNE 2. MAY 27–30. the American Gardener and programs thatare sponsored orcosponsored by ark your calendarfortheseupcomingnationalevents Friends ofRiverFarmHolidayReception, Taste ofRiverFarm. Flower Show.ClevelandBotanicalGarden, AHS AnnualGala. Atlanta, Georgia.HostedbytheAtlantaBotan- AHS MemberWeekendatClevelandBotani- 2005 CALENDAR AHS NATIONALEVENTSANDPROGRAMS AHS NationalChildren&YouthGarden Eastern PerformanceTrials. curriculum coordinator fortheJunior George Washington’sRiver George Washington’sRiver program have teamedupto (www.ahs.org). George Wash- and theJu- George visit University inCollegeStation, Texas. For more aboutJMG, vironment. Thenationalprogram officeisatTexas A&M ter alove ofgardening anddevelop anappreciation forthe en- hands-on group andindividuallearning experiencesthatfos- JMG conductsteachertraining andengageschildren innovel, nated through theUniversity Cooperative Extension network. awardthat achieve criteria. theprimary will review nominatedbooksandselectaswinnersthose endar year. TheGrowing Good KidsBookAwards Committee lected children’s gardening bookspublishedinthe previous cal- teachers, youth leaders,andkidsthroughout thecountry. fices, JMGState Coordinators andJMGSpecialists, aswell as Symposium Panel, Advisory theJMGandAHSprogram of- from theNationaltions ofexperts Children &Youth Garden isbeingcompiledthrough recommenda-Kids “CLASSICS” one-time “Classics” category. The listoftheseGrowing Good books publishedbefore 2005are being considered inaunique, Spring BloomsatRiverFarm JMG isaninternationalyouth gardening program coordi- in2006,thebookawardsThen, starting willrecognize se- www.jmgkids.com. River Farm. a verycolorfulmonthat days ofApril,makingfor into bloominthewarm planted lastfallburst Thousands ofbulbs

TOP AND BOTTOM LEFT: MARY YEE; BOTTOM RIGHT: VIVEKA NEVELN American Horticultural Society 2005 NATIONAL CHILDREN & YOUTH GARDEN

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! SYMPOSIUM Register online at www.ahs.org.

HOSTED BY ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN &WONDERLAND GARDENS

Explore the importance of connecting children and youth to plants as you join us for three days of inspirational keynotes, informative sessions, idea-filled garden explorations, friendship, networking, and much more… Gain perspective from three outstanding keynote presentations… • Sharon Lovejoy, nationally recognized author and illustrator, will offer us encouragement and inspiration as she shares her passion for all the exciting and wonderful things that can be found in “Mother Nature’s Classroom” • Tim O’Keefe, an exemplary second-grade teacher from the Center for Inquiry in Columbia, South Carolina, will help us hone our skills with “Learning Science Through Inquiry: Doing What Scientists Do” • Marcia Eames-Sheavly, winner of the AHS 2005 Jane L. Taylor Award for her work with youth and gardening, will give us reason to pause and think as she explores “What Children and Youth Really Need: How Gardening Can Provide It”

Participate in garden explorations and informative sessions… • Experience the gardens and programs of Wonderland Gardens, a developing public garden in south Dekalb County that has become a national model for environmental education and a rallying point for garden- inspired community activism

• Enjoy an afternoon and evening at Atlanta Botanical Garden, featuring a two-acre children’s garden, the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory and the Fuqua Orchid Center • Learn from 20 information-packed sessions on gardening with children and youth

• Attend the debut of the “Growing Good Kids Excellence in Children’s Literature Awards” presented by the Junior Master Gardener Program and the American Horticultural Society. This new awards program honors engaging and inspiring works of garden- and ecology-themed children’s literature The symposium will be headquartered on the beautiful campus of Emory University in suburban Atlanta. An optional excursion to Callaway Gardens and its famous Day Butterfly Center will be offered at the conclusion of the symposium on Saturday afternoon.

ILLUSTRATION BY SHARON LOVEJOY FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit www.ahs.org, e-mail [email protected] or call (703) 768-5700 ext. 132 Art Shows at River Farm

Throughout the year, the rooms of River Farm’s estate house are often graced with rotating art exhibits featur- ing plant- and landscape-related subjects. Most of the works are available for sale, with a portion of the proceeds going to support AHS. An exhibit titled “Light Work” is currently on display through May 20. It includes the works of four local artists, some of which feature scenes of the buildings and gar- dens at River Farm. From May 30 to July 1, “Potpourri of Color” will include the watercolors and pastels of garden artists Marni Maree and Karin Sebolka. The exhibits are open to the public at no charge during River Farm’s hours of operation (Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays, April through September, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m). For more information, visit the AHS Web site (www.ahs.org) or call (703) 768-5700 ext. 114.

Awards Galore at the Philadelphia Flower Show AFTER MANY MONTHS of painstaking restoration, the AHS’s set of former White House Gates appeared at the Philadelphia Flower Show in March as part of the show’s entrance display, “Gateway to America.” The grand display, which won the show’s Central Feature Award, showcased the fully restored 186-year-old historic gates and a red, white, and blue floral color scheme that reflected the show’s theme, “America the Beautiful.” AHS staff members, who were at the show to help answer questions from the thou- sands of visitors who viewed the gates, heard many enthusiastic com- ments about them. Additionally, the AHS gave its Environmental Award to “An American Woodland Garden,” a display created by Stoney Bank Nurseries in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. It featured a springhouse that connected a wood- land garden to a native deciduous forest, demon- The restored White House Gates at the strating how “nature and 2005 Philadelphia Flower Show design can embrace the beauty and chaos of the woodland.” This exhibit also earned the Philadelphia Flower Show Silver Trophy and the Kate and Robert Bartlett Jr. Award for the Best Use of Trees. 

News written by Assistant Editor Viveka Neveln. NICOLE GIBSON

12 the American Gardener 2005 AHS Book Award Winners

IVE GARDENING BOOKS published in 2004 have Encyclopedia of Water Garden Plants by Greg Speichert been awarded the American Horticultural Society’s 2005 and Sue Speichert. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. Price, F Book Award. The winning books, listed below, were se- hardcover: $49.95. lected by the AHS Book Award Committee, chaired by Dick Dunmire of Los Altos, California, a former editor of the Sun- COMMITTEE MEMBERS praised set Western Garden Book. Other committee members were this book for its comprehensiveness, Linda Askey of Birmingham, Alabama, formerly senior writer readability, and focus on plants and for Southern Living magazine; Keith Crotz, owner of the Amer- conditions relevant to American gar- ican Botanist Booksellers in Chillicothe, Illinois; Laurie Han- deners. “This is as thorough-going a nah, a horticultural librarian at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden; book on water gardening as you could Rommy Lopat of Richmond, Illinois, editor of weedpatch. com; hope for,” said Dick Dunmire. “This is Lucinda Mays of Chadron, Nebraska, a former editor of PBS’s a very useful reference for anyone The Victory Garden; and Ray Rogers, a garden writer and edi- thinking about creating a water gar- tor from North Brunswick, New Jersey. den,” said Rommy Lopat. “It’s very accessible,” said Laurie To view a complete list of books that have won the AHS Hannah, “and after reading it thoroughly I felt that I had Book Award since the program was initiated in 1997, visit the learned an awful lot.” AHS Web site (www.ahs.org) and click on “Awards.” Plants and Landscapes for Summer Dry Climates of the American Household Botany: A History of Useful Plants San Francisco Bay Region edited by Nora Harlow. East Bay 1620–1900 by Judith Sumner. Timber Press, Portland, Ore- Municipal Utility District (EMBUD), Oakland, California. gon. Price, hardcover: $27.95. Price, hardcover: $49.95.

"THIS WAS NOT only a great refer- ALTHOUGH THE title of this book— ence, but extremely readable,” said which was compiled under the direction Rommy Lopat. “Sumner is an accom- of editor Nora Harlow and incorporates plished storyteller who weaves together photography by Saxon Holt—gives the fascinating information about plants impression it is regionally narrow in and people,” observed Linda Askey. scope, the committee felt its content and “What distinguishes this book is that it presentation made it relevant to a much covers both culture and horticulture.” broader audience. “As an overall pro- Laurie Hannah added, “I don’t know of duction, this book is spectacular,” said many garden books that take a histori- Ray Rogers. Lucinda Mays said the book cal topic and expand upon it in such an interesting way.” “is a wonderful example of how we can use what we know about gardening to protect and improve our environment. It’s an ex- The Compleat Squash: A Passionate Grower’s Guide to cellent model for other regional publications.” Pumpkins, Squashes, and Gourds by Amy Goldman; pho- tographs by Victor Schrager. Artisan, New York, New York. Understanding Orchids: An Uncomplicated Guide to Price, hardcover: $40. Growing the World’s Most Exotic Plants by William Cul- lina. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. THIS INSPIRING combination of Price, hardcover: $40. Goldman’s prose and Schrager’s pho- tography earned the duo a second AHS THIS IS THE second AHS Book Book Award (their collaboration on Award for Cullina, whose Growing and Melons for the Passionate Grower won in Propagating Wildflowers of the United 2003). “It is a delicious book, and it has States and Canada earned an award in motivated me to action,” said Linda 2000. “This is my top choice of all the Askey. “It’s a wonderful celebration of books we reviewed this year,” said Ray the diversity in the squash family,” said Rogers. “It is astoundingly well written Ray Rogers, “and on top of that, all the and most other orchid books in horticultural information is completely sound.” Laurie Han- the dust.” Linda Askey said the book nah said, “I love the photography—it brought out the in- “was very readable while also including detailed information on credible character of the .” a complex topic—a difficult combination to achieve.” 

May / June 2005 13 14 says garden writerand photographer professionals, andlandscapearchitects,” numerable Americangardeners, nursery put afaceonornamentalgrassesforin- Bluemel literally group ofplants, Kurt towhatwasanobscure and knowledge hisuniqueenergies circles. “Directing Bluemel isknown as“Mr. Grass” insome grasses—some 700selections—that many different kindsofornamental by Bluemel’s sister, for suchdiverse clientsasthe ica. Bluemel’s hassuppliedplants nursery scaping projects throughout North Amer- supply retail nurseriesandmajorland- nials ineven more staggeringnumbersto land, grows astaggeringvariety ofperen- Bluemel, Inc., locatedinBaldwin, Mary- region, hasbeennurseryman nial plants,especiallyintheMid Atlantic growing popularityanddiversity ofperen- perennials andornamentalgrasses. been thevastly increased useofherbaceous trendmost significantnew toemergehas suits, of headquarters lando, Florida, andameadow atthe Bluemel. T Rick Darke, Company, dom atWaltDisneyWorldResort reached across oceansandcontinentsto Kurt yet generous mentortosomany, es Grass- Color Encyclopedia ofOrnamental sey. nursery’s (The retail arm, headquartered inFranklin Lakes,New Jer- by CaroleOttesen Kurt BluemelNursery: PROFILE IN PARTNERS AHS For more information Eva Monheimat [email protected]. porate partnershipswithAHS, contact (Timber Pr Among thenursery’s offeringsare so One oftheleadingforces behindthe the American Gardener www.earthlypursuits.com HE PAST Americans garden. Perhaps the tremendous changesintheway His wholesalenursery, Kurt a medicaltechnologycompany whose booksincludeThe s,19) “A demanding ess, 1999). Becton, Dickinsonand 40 years have witnessed Monika Burwell. Animal King- about cor- Earthly Pur- , ismanaged in Or- Kurt ) perennial plantpalette. come astandard of theAmerican part grasses, sedums,andhellebores—have be- usual orexotic—including ornamental Many oftheplantsonceconsidered un- for even more anddifferent. ofthenew sophistication, inturn,fueled ademand exciting ground new covers. Increasing grating theseplantsinlavishquantitiesas designers andgardeners, whobeganinte- perennials inspired Americanlandscape says, wasthenrelatively unknown. entalis,” theLentenrose, whichBluemel brought from wasHelleborus ori- nials,” herecalls. “One oftheplantsI just ingrasses,butherbaceousperen- wasanobvious void—notfind. “There familiar withthere were impossibleto many oftheperennials andgrasseshewas States from Europe over 40years ago, When Bluemel emigrated totheUnited VOID FILLING AGARDEN Bluemel catalogbecame theBible.” hispalette, and theKurt assemble Bluemel introducedtoAmericangardeners. Japanese bloodgrassisoneoftheplantsKurt The availability anddifferent ofnew Perennials forAmericanGardens the garden,” saysBluemel. about perennials andhow tousethemin avenueopen upawholenew ofthinking wastohelp and through mynursery companies aswell.” forAHSbenefitsthe support long run, den-loving people.”And,headds,“inthe across—to educateandmakemore gar- greater togetourmission opportunity hesays,“offerpartnerships, amuch sonal andacompanylevel. Corporate AHSonbothaper- for himtosupport Bluemel says,thatmakeitworthwhile greater results,” headds. to combinetheirstrengths andachieve kind ofleadershipallows board members leaders andavidgardeners. “Having that skills ofnationalhorticulture industry combines theexperience,passion,and strengths, hefeels,isitsBoard, which says Bluemel. One ofAHS’s great of ourpresident, tremendous future undertheleadership and educationalprograms. “AHS hasa his commitmenttotheSociety’s mission grams says AHSDirector ofHorticultural Pro- by generationsofvisitorstoRiver Farm,” this spring.“Kurt’s giftwillbeenjoyed ofKurt’smemory son,isbeingplanted André M.Bluemel Meadow, namedin to stockit.Thesecondphaseofthe and donatingmore than100,000plants by designingameadowheadquarters natural legacyatAHS’s River Farm In addition,hehas created anenduring and remains ontheBoard aspastchair. Board ofDirectors from 2002to2004 Bluemel aschairoftheAHS served A GROWINGRELATIONSHIP American Gardener. Carole Ottesen is associateeditorof “I thinkmycontributionasaperson These are the kind ofqualities, Bluemel’s ofAHSisfueledby support Tom Underwood. Katy MossWarner, The  ”

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www.monrovia.com © Monrovia 2004 04-0752L 16 Exotic AnnualVines find a few potential supports. Or a potentialvinesupports. find afew around your yard andyou are likelyto for accommodatingtheiraerial feats.Look provide framework support, thenecessary ings, even stringstiedtoasturdy overhead obelisk, mailbox, lamppost,porch rail- twiners. Atrellis,the mostpart, fence, tendrils around whatever ishandy. their stems,leaves, petioles(leafstem),or plants. Andsomevinesclimbby twining lean onordroop over nearby structures or cialized adhesive tendrils.Others simply likeawall,withaerialrootsport, orspe- they need.Some vinesclingtoaflatsup- to climb, whichaffectsthetypeofsupport oritmaybecomeanuisance. ported grow andhow thisgrowth willbesup- in advance where you wantyour vineto they are plantsonthemove! Determine garden. Lazyofhabittheymightbe,but essential before you plantavineinyour habit andwanderingnature, planningis to grow down. Given theirlaxgrowth togrowport upwards, andonlygravity upright. Theyneedsomeexternalsup- A vine’s stemslacktherigiditytostand HABITS LAZY SUPPORTING S can besampledeachyear. vines chilly winters—thatmeansnew that thevinesusuallydon’t our survive real challenge.In oneway, it’s fortunate many—narrowing theselectionis Choices amongtropical climbersare clime, buttheygrow here asannuals. Most are perennials intheirnative many tropical vinesseemathomehere. ic ofCancer, itisn’t surprisingthatso to yourgardenanditsambianceinstantlytakesatropicalturn. producing lushvegetationand,inmostcases,aprofusionofflowers.Addfewtheseclimbers With onlyoneseasonattheirdisposal,ornamentalannualvinesmakethemostoftime, The vineswe grow asannualsare, for Vines have developed several strategies the American Gardener pretty goodimitationoftheTrop- whereMaryland, Igarden, doesa INCE SUMMER in southern also addtropical flairto a porch or patio ing several growth. feetofvertical You can wires andcascadeover the edge,produc- vine willwinditswayupthe hanging er likeblack-eyed Susan vineorpurplebell bamboo poleswork well. purchased oreconomicallyconstructed— wide rangeoffreestanding canbe supports lobata Ipomoea lobata If plantedinahangingbasket,twin- moonflower My favorite, without hesitation,isthe vines are membersofthegenusIpomoea. Some ofthemostbeautifulandexotic IPOMOEAS IRRESISTIBLE through theotherplants. annuals.Alloworful thevinetoweave by combining avineinplanterwithcol- (I. alba, BY RITAPELCZAR USDA Hardiness

JOSEPH G. STRAUCH JR. Zone 12–15, AHS Heat Zone 13–15, 12–10) are nearly as exotic as 12–10), a perennial twiner found in the moonflower. They are borne tropical regions worldwide. If ever along one side of a curved, eight-to there was a more romantic garden 12-inch stem. The flowers open inhabitant, I’ve not met it. The six- from the base scarlet-red, maturing inch pure white, silky flowers to orange, then yellow, then ivory. stand out against large, heart- They persist a good while, so each shaped leaves. The blooms are so stem features all these colors. I get fragrant that you can tell when one impatient waiting for that first is open well before you see it, and if bloom to appear, which may not you bring a freshly opened flower happen until early August, but indoors, its perfume will scent an once flowering begins, it is spec- entire room. tacular and non-stop until frost. The best thing about a moon- A native of the American trop- flower is watching one open. Catch ics, mina’s culture is the same as it at the right moment, sometime moonflower, but wait until out- shortly after dusk, and before your door temperatures stay above 50 eyes, its spirally folded, four-inch degrees Fahrenheit at night before bud unfurls. Each flower lasts only moving plants outdoors—mina is one night, usually withering by mid-morn- Moonflowers will fascinate adults in the extremely sensitive to cold. Once the seed ing, but new buds open each evening. same way they did the author’s son. germinates, stems grow rapidly to 15 feet, Growing moonflowers could hardly be supporting a dense cover of three-lobed easier. Its seed needs a little scarifying— Site moonflowers in full sun in rich, leaves. It grows well in containers or in the that is, filing or nicking the hard seed moist, well-drained soil in a spot where ground, and can easily be trained to a trel- coat—followed by soaking overnight in you can observe it up close, or near a win- lis or strings to serve as an effective screen. water before you sow it, but once planted, dow so its scent can be carried indoors. I (For more Ipomoea selections and other ex- it grows quickly. I sow mine directly in the grow mine along the front porch near the otic vines, see chart, page 21.) garden, although you can start them in- swing where we can watch its enchanting doors about eight weeks before the last evening performance. CLOCK VINES frost. Don’t sow or transplant moonflow- Although they are altogether different, From the other side of the globe come the ers in the garden until the weather has set- the flowers of mina or Spanish flag (Ipo- clock vines of the Thunbergia. The tled and the soil has warmed a bit. moea lobata, syn. Mina lobata, Zones species most commonly found in gardens is the black-eyed Susan vine (T. alata, Zones 11–15, 12–10), a native of tropical ThunbergiaThunbergia alataalata Africa. It bears bright yellow, funnel- shaped flowers that are an inch and a half across, with five broad lobes and a con- trasting center that is very, very dark. Compared to many tropical vines, its stems are thin, with a very delicate appear- ance, and it is often grown in hanging bas- kets. But appearances can be deceiving. Last year, I decided to grow the variety ‘Blushing Susie’ with its shades of red, pink, and ivory flowers in a bed where I had placed a large weathered tree stump. I figured the stump would provide support and a pleasing weathered gray background for the colorful flowers. Once the vine took hold, however, it completely obscured the stump and continued to grow six to eight feet in all directions. It was a battle to keep it from overtaking surrounding plants. This year, I will restrain it in a large pot. But if I needed a fast-growing screen, I’d plant it in the ground and hang strings

TOP: RITA PELCZAR; BOTTOM: DAVID CAVAGNARO or plastic mesh for its stems to climb. I’m

May / June 2005 17 18 lution ofabalancedliquidfertilizer. creasing waterandapplyadiluteso- frost dateinyourarea,beginin- protected area. tions byplacingtheminashaded, acclimating plantstooutdoorcondi- above 50degreesFahrenheit,start 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. vorite annualvines. to successfullyoverwintermyfa- tor isalwaysspace. wintering tropicals.Thelimitingfac- suitable locationformostofmyover- north facingglassdoors,providesa portion ofmybasement,withits the gardeninspring.Theunheated state untiltheycanbereturnedto be maintainedinaneardormant vironments, mostofthesevinescan continue togrowandflower. with lotsoflight,yourvinesmay have agreenhouseorcoolroom and broughtindoorsforwinter.Ifyou Many tropicalvinescanbecutback SURVIVING WINTER plants incontainers. that staysabovefreezing. more than18inchesofstem. the soilcompletelydryout. essary, spraywithinsecticidalsoap. grow forthesummer. and placethemwherethey areto reduce wateringandstopfertilizing. When night-timetemperaturesstay Cut vinesbackhard.Irarelyleave As coldweatherapproachesinfall, Check eachplantforpests.Ifnec- Water occasionally,neverletting Place containersinacoolroom Below arethestepsIhaveused Even ifyoulackthosegrowingen- About amonthbeforethelast Once acclimated,repotplants To minimizestress,growthe the American Gardener —R.P. cuttings. If you can’t findoneatyour local difficult togrow from seed,buteasyfrom The ‘Alba’ bearswhiteflowers. It is drooping clustersthroughout summer. and three-inch, lavender-blue flowers in produces broad, six-to eight-inchleaves feet inaseason.Native totropical Asia,it ra, vineandskyflowertrumpet dramatic. triguingly dark centerare stillthemost yellow flowers ofthespecieswiththatin- to apricotandrose—but I’ve decidedthe flowers andyellow thatrangefrom ivory white flowers or‘Sunrise Surprise’ with Susie’‘White-eyed withdark-centered othervarieties—like tempted totry Thunbergia grandiflora Senecio confusus Thunbergia grandiflora Senecio confusus The Bengal clockvine,alsocalledblue Zones 14–15,12–10), cangrow sixto10 (T. grandiflo- confusus, is native, theMexican flamevine(Senecio In Mexico andCentralAmericawhere it VINE FLAME MEXICAN Winter,” left). with theirconditions(see“Surviving bloom intermittentlyiftheyare happy and brought indoorsforwinter. Theywill nials inthetropics, andcanbecutback ternoon. Thesevinesare evergreen peren- find theybenefitfrom shadeinthelateaf- shade,I ommended forfullsunorpart never beallowedout.Althoughrec- todry stant supplyofmoisture—they should chased through mailorder nurseries. garden center, young plantscanbepur- Both theseclockvinesrequire a con- Zones 13–15,12–7)is asprawl-

BILL JOHNSON (2) Resources Flowering Vines: Beautiful Climbers (21st Century Gardening Series, No. 158) by Karan Davis Cutler. Brook- lyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, New York, 1999.

Hot Plants for Cool Climates by Susan A. Roth and Dennis Schrader. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts, 2000.

Morning Glories & Moonflowers by Anne Halpin. Simon & Schuster, New York, New York, 1996. Sources Almost Eden, DeRidder, LA. (337) 462-8255. www.almostedenplants.com

Kartuz Greenhouses, Vista, CA. (760) 941-3613. www.kartuz.com.

Select , Union, CT. (800) 684-0395. www.selectseeds.com.

Swallowtail Garden Seeds, Santa Rosa, CA. (707) 538-3585. www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com. Rhodochiton atrosanguineus

ing evergreen that can become a tangled agation is another matter. It takes a long emerges. Each bloom dangles on its own mass of growth. It has the habit of root- time for seed-grown plants to reach their stem so that it really looks like a bell. ing where the stem touches the ground. flowering stage, so the fiery blooms are Flowering begins in midsummer and This is not a problem where cold winters often delayed until late summer. I’ve had continues until frost. Even when the put an end to its ramblings. In fact, it can good luck purchasing young plants that I flowers drop, as in the photograph above, be an advantage if you are using it to place in the garden as soon as the soil their calyces persist, standing out against cover an eyesore or enhance a length of warms in spring. With regular watering the medium green, heart-shaped leaves. chain-link fence. until they are established, plants develop Purple bell vine grows easily from seed It grows rapidly—six to 10 feet in a quickly, and by midsummer they are pro- started indoors about two months before season—producing four-inch, coarsely ducing lots of flowers that attract both the last frost. Move the vine outdoors after toothed, dark green leaves that provide and butterflies. Once settled in, they the soil has warmed. It can be grown in sun an attractive foil for the bright orange, are fairly drought tolerant. if given some shade in the late afternoon, daisylike flowers. Each fragrant flower- and performs well in dappled shade. It head is an inch or two across, and it dark- PURPLE BELL VINE needs a fertile, well-drained soil and con- ens with age to a soft red. Best flower The purple bell vine (Rhodochiton sistent watering. Although some references production is in full sun, but the plants atrosanguineus, Zones 12–15, 8–2) is a del- claim the vine will grow 10 feet, I have will grow in part shade. icate climber from Mexico with slender found five feet to be more realistic in my Given its propensity for rooting along stems and intriguing blooms that consist temperate garden. It’s a perfect subject for the stem, it isn’t surprising that new plants of a mauve-pink calyx from which the a hanging basket, placed where its remark-

JERRY PAVIA are easy to start from cuttings. Seed prop- dark reddish-purple, tubular flower able flowers can be viewed at eye level.

May / June 2005 19 MANDEVILLA The genus Mandevilla consists of 120 or so woody stemmed twiners from Central and South America; several have become very popular in the past decade for use as summer annuals in temperate regions. All produce large, funnel-shaped flowers with five broadly spreading lobes. They are quite easy to grow, tolerating heat and producing flowers steadily from early summer to fall. They grow best in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil with a reg- ular supply of water. Mandevilla ✕amoena ‘Alice du Pont’ (Zones 13–15, 12–1) is among the most pop- ular varieties. Its four-inch flowers open a pale pink, deepening to rose-pink with a darker pink throat and sometimes a yellow eye. They are borne in clusters on robust twining stems that can grow to 20 feet. Similar in habit is M. splendens; its pink flowers display yellow throats. New hybrid Mandevilla ✕amoena ‘Alice‘Alice dudu Pont’Pont’ Mandevilla selections include red flowered ‘Ruby Star’, ‘White Delight’ with white flowers that are blushed with pink, and the passed. Mandevillas grow well in contain- bloom when I move them outdoors. If you pink double-flowered ‘Pink Parfait’. ers, and this is convenient if you plan to are an impatient gardener like me, you may Mandevilla plants have become widely overwinter it indoors. I have not had any end up purchasing a new blooming plant available at nurseries in spring. If you pur- trouble carrying plants over the winter, but each year anyway. chase one that has been growing in a green- because I don’t have a greenhouse, my house, acclimate it to outdoor conditions plants survive in a state of semi-dormancy. PASSION FLOWER gradually once all danger of frost has It takes some time for them to return to The intricate blooms of the passion flower ( spp.) are perhaps the most ex- otic of all tropical vines. Each flower is composed of 10 outer segments—the and —surrounding a fringe of showy filaments. Protruding from the center of each flower are prominent sta- mens and pistils, the flower’s reproductive parts. Attractive lobed leaves and fine ten- drils that wind around any available sup- port line the stems. The blue passion flower (, Zones 7–9, 9–6), a South Amer- ican native, is one of the hardiest of the tropical passion flower species. I grow it as an annual here in USDA Hardiness Zone 7, although it has been known to occa- sionally survive a mild winter with the protection of a heavy mulch. Even if the stem dies back over winter, I always give the plant a few weeks in spring to see if new shoots will emerge from the ground. A good candidate for growing in a con- tainer, it can be carried indoors for winter where its survival is more certain. Its four- Passiflora caerulea ‘Constance‘Constance Eliott’Eliott’ inch flowers are white or pale blue with

purple and white filaments arranged to TOP: DAVID CAVAGNARO; BOTTOM: SAXON HOLT

20 the American Gardener MORE EXOTIC VINES Many tropical vines can be grown outdoors as summer annuals. Here are some more choices that are easy to grow and put on a good show. When grown in containers, their height will usually be less than that indicated below.

Clerodendrum thomsoniae Cobaea scandens TropaeolumTropaeolum peregrinumperegrinum

Name Hgt. (ft.) Flowers Remarks USDA, AHS Zones Allamanda cathartica 10–15 bright yellow, trumpet shaped needs to be tied to support 14–15, 12–10 Golden trumpet vine attractive, glossy foliage thomsoniae 12 papery white bracts with grow in sun or bright shade, 14–15, 12–1 Glory bower scarlet-red flowers in clusters keep soil evenly moist Cobaea scandens 15–20 fragrant, open creamy white start seed indoors 8 weeks 11–13, 12–10 Cup and saucer vine age to purple, with green calyx before last expected frost Ipomoea ✕multifida 10–15 funnel-shaped, red with white dark green, 4-inch fernlike 0–0, 12–1 Cardinal climber throats, favored by hummingbirds leaves 10–30 large funnel-shaped, in many large, heart-shaped leaves 12–15, 12–1 Morning glory colors, open in morning Lablab purpureus 10–15 fragrant, purple, pealike, shiny, flat, purple pods 9–11, 12–9 Hyacinth bean in clusters and heart-shaped leaves Passiflora ‘Amethyst’ 12 purple-blue with dark purple vigorous climber, may 12–15, 12–10 filaments bear orange fruit in fall Passiflora racemosa 15 red and white, very long lasting glossy, leathery leaves 13–15, 12–10 Red passion flower Solanum jasminoides 6–10 white or blue with yellow glossy, dark green leaves 9–11, 12–3 Potato vine eyes, star-shaped, in clusters peregrinum 10 small, bright yellow, fringed neat, deeply lobed leaves; 9–10, 10–9 Canary creeper both leaves and flowers edible; sow seed directly in the garden Vigna caracalla 10 fragrant, pink, coiled like a attractive six-inch leaves 10–15, 12–8 Corkscrew vine snail, in 12-inch-long clusters

create concentric bands of color. It is a vig- flowers can be observed at close range. lush tropical beauty to temperate summer orous, fast-growing vine and may reach 30 They are guaranteed to attract a diverse gardens, producing dramatic transforma- feet in length. The flowers of ‘Constance array of pollinating insects and amaze tions in a very short time—covering trel- Eliott’ are white and fragrant. your summer guests. lises, cascading from planters, climbing If you purchase a in lampposts. Then, like birds that fly south spring, you can enjoy the blooms from TROPICALLY INSPIRED for winter, when the temperatures drop in late spring into fall. Plant the vine in a Perhaps it is that irrepressible habit—the fall, they are gone.  rich, moist, well-drained soil in full sun. rapid growth, gypsylike wanderings, and They will grow in part shade, but flower abundant flowers—that impart such an Rita Pelczar is a contributing editor for The

LEFT TO RIGHT: SAXON HOLT; KAREN BUSSOLINI; JERRY PAVIA less profusely. Place them where their exotic feel to these vines. They lend their American Gardener.

May / June 2005 21 22 the American Gardener

JERRY PAVIA Leucothoes BY CAROL BISHOP MILLER

EW SHRUBS can match the Fabulous evergreen foliage, fragrant flowers, and cascading gracefully weeping form and year- F round appeal of Leucothoe, a stun- form make this shrub a year-round garden gem. ning and unusual genus of mostly evergreen shrubs. white or pinkish flowers that droop from the heath family (Ericaceae). The genus’s Named for Leucothea—who, accord- the axils—the point where the leaves evocative common names—including fet- ing to mythology, was a lover of Apollo join the stem—in late spring to early sum- terbush and dog-hobble—refer to the who was turned into an incense plant after mer. The flowers of some species are de- plant’s talent for suckering so profusely in being buried alive by her irate father—the scribed as fragrant, but the scent seems to the wild that it reputedly ensnared hunt- genus Leucothoe includes approximately 50 be variable and doesn’t appeal to everyone. ing dogs in its dense thickets. species. Only a few are in cultivation, how- Seeds are borne in small, relatively incon- Natural-born stabilizers of creek ever, and most of the cultivated species spicuous fruits that are often hidden be- banks, leucothoes are most effective grown in American gardens hail from the neath the drooping leaves. when planted in masses, and are choice East and West coasts of the United States. The foliage and flowers of leucothoes companions for witch alders (Fothergilla Most have shiny, evergreen foliage and bear a strong resemblance to andromeda spp.), rhododendrons, spicebush (Lin- bear showy, clustered of creamy (Pieris spp.), which is a fellow member of dera benzoin) and other lovers of moist, acidic woodland conditions. Leucothoes provide excellent cover for wildlife, and bees and butterflies delight in sipping nectar from the flowers. Although they are poisonous to domestic livestock, deer will occasionally browse them. SOUTHERN CHARMERS Drooping leucothoe (L. fontanesiana, USDA Hardiness Zones 5–8, AHS Heat Zones 8–3), also known as highland dog- hobble or fetterbush, is commonly found along mountain streams from Alabama to Virginia. This charmer’s gracefully arching stems reach three to six feet in height, but its lateral spread, while po- tentially infinite, is slow. Six feet is like- ly. Drooping leucothoe makes an excellent ground cover where moisture is sufficient and unfailing. When I planted a deciduous native aza- lea against the north side of my Alabama home and was looking to front it with low- growing, evergreen shrubs, I chose the L. fontanesiana cultivar ‘Scarletta’ because its three-foot height would skirt the tall, rangy azalea without hiding it. The rosy, pliant new leaves and lustrous, leathery, dark green mature leaves of ‘Scarletta’ echoed the spring and summer coloration of near- by Osmanthus, Photinia, and Camellia sasanqua, and its profusion of loose, arch- Drooping leucothoe, above, is the most commonly grown species in this underused genus. ing branches provided visual relief from the

MICHAEL S. THOMPSON ‘Rollissonii’, opposite, is a cultivar with a more compact habit and increased hardiness. rigidly upright forms of its companions. In

May / June 2005 23 24 white, andspeckledwithgreen, inrich low tingedwithpink,streaked with jar. Theplant’s leaves new are lemonyel- flower shapedlikeanupside-down olive racemes offragrant,creamy flowers, each denselypacked,ropelike open intoshort, ly rosy stems.Thosebudswouldsoon fromprotruded theleafaxilsalongequal- buds resembling tightlyclosedpinecones It wasinearlyspring,androsy red flower ‘Rainbow’), whichknockedmysocksoff. ‘Girard’s Rainbow’ (oftencalledsimply I laideyes ontheharlequinesquecultivar of colorinthemutedlandscape. rich burgundy, providing awelcome touch winter, itsfour-inch,pointedleaves turna old canestotheground.” ble thicketseachwinterandprune the that gardenersgetintothedog-hob- sorts,” saysBir,“soIusuallysuggest is alsoarejuvenatingtechnique of matically reducefungalproblems.“It ing canesandolderwilldra- er, saysregularremovalofseedbear- University’s researchstationinFletch- formerly withtheNorthCarolinaState Bir, aretiredextensionhorticulturist circulation isveryimportant.Richard adequate soilmoistureandgoodair stressed, soplantinginasitethathas leucothoes, especiallywhenplantsare mildew areacommonproblemwith worth it. this shrubwaseasy,buttheresultsare prove fatal.Nobodyeversaidgrowing in soilthatstaystoowet,rootrotcan a hot,droughtysummer.Conversely, well-mulched plantswilldryoutduring Without supplementalwater,even tion inverysunnyorwind-blownsites. They areparticularlypronetodesicca- plants whenIcarelesslyletitgodry. one ofmy equate moisture:tomydismay,Ilost importance ofprovidingthemwithad- acidic soil.Ican’toveremphasizethe moist butwell-drained,humus-laden, pled shadeandthriveinconsistently Leucothoes growbestinparttodap- GROWING LEUCOTHOES I wassimilarlyimpressed thefirsttime Fungal leafspotdiseasesand the American Gardener L. fontanesiana ‘Scarletta’ —C.B.M. ‘Girard’s Rainbow’exhibitsavarietyofcolorsdependingonthematurityfoliage. ness. ‘Lovita’ islaudedforitstidy, acquired areputation foraddedhardi- compact, smaller-leaved ‘Rollissonii’ has ‘Girard’s Rainbow’. and theformerisconsidered hardier than Run’ and‘Trivar’ are similarlyvariegated, the species.Hard-to-find ‘Silver ‘Girard’s Rainbow’ ismore compact than in thetrade,two-tofour-foot-tall leaves. LikemostL.fontanesiana contrast tothemaroon-purple older Coastal dog-hobble bloomsprolificallyfromspring toearlysummer. Among thelessshowy cultivars, the cultivars and windburn,atleastwhere thesoil though itmaybeatadlessprone tosun- closely resembles L.fontanesiana,al- eastern lowlands of the United States. It Zones 6–9,9–6)isnative tothe south- six feet. reaches onlytwofeettallandspreads to narrow leaves. Low-growing ‘Nana’ winter, buthasdaintier, fine-textured, Elizabeth’‘Mary alsoturnsbronze in mounded habitandbronze wintercolor. Coastal dog-hobble(L.axillaris,

TOP: CAROL BISHOP MILLER; BOTTOM: SAXON HOLT stays moist. Cultivars include the ever- known as Florida leucothoe or Carolina green ‘Greensprite’, which grows as tall dog-hobble, this species could be mis- as six feet and nearly twice as wide and taken for an overnourished L. axillaris. Resources has narrow, twisted, willowlike leaves; The shrub tops out at 12 feet or more Manual of Woody Landscape Plants ‘Sarah’s Choice’, a four-by-four-foot and its long, whiplike stems form a by Michael A. Dirr. Stipes Publish- mounding shrub that shows off vivid red darkly mysterious, evergreen thicket ing, Champaign, Illinois, 1998. leaves and a profuse floral display in that makes an effective screen. Its glossy spring and burgundy leaves in fall; and foliage is brighter green than other leu- Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines assorted compact forms such as ‘Augusta cothoes and tends to stay green in win- by William Cullina. Houghton Evans Wilson’. Variegated offerings in- ter. Fragrant, late-spring flowers Mifflin, Boston, Massachusetts, clude ‘Dodd’s Variegated’, which sports resemble upside-down milk bottles 2002. leaves streaked with cream, and ‘Holly’, loosely clustered in the leaf axils. Flori- a selection that has a pink variegation. da leucothoe reportedly is less suscepti- Western Garden Book edited by Kathleen Norris Breuzel. Sunset Publishing, Menlo Park, California, 2001. Sources Forestfarm, Williams, OR. (541) 846-7269. www.forestfarm.com. Catalog $5; free online.

Girard Nurseries, Geneva, OH. (440) 466-2881. www.girard nurseries.com. Catalog online.

Greer Gardens, Eugene, OR. (541) 686-8266. www.greergardens. com. Catalog free.

Roslyn Nursery, Dix Hills, NY. (631) 643-9347. www.roslynnursery. com. Catalog $3; free online. Western dog-hobble displays its upright flower clusters to good effect on this alpine slope.

Found in moist to wet areas from ble to the leaf-spot diseases that can colored blossoms in late spring or sum- New York and Rhode Island southward devastate related species. mer remind me of the common cherry to Florida and westward to Texas, sweet- Redtwig or recurved dog-hobble (L. laurel (Prunus laurocerasus). bells leucothoe (L. racemosa, Zones 6–9, recurva, Zones 5–8, 8–5) is seldom seen 9–6) has the broadest natural range of in commerce, but it inhabits high, dry UNIQUELY LEUCOTHOE any leucothoe species. Although it is sim- elevations throughout much of the While this understated native is unlikely ilar in size to the previously discussed Southeast. One of the tallest Leucothoe ever to enjoy the popularity of more adapt- species, its habit is more upright. It is also species at 12 feet, this sprawling, decid- able shrubs, in the right situation nothing deciduous rather than evergreen, its uous shrub bears terminal racemes of but leucothoe will do. I was once asked to leaves glowing ruby red in late fall before pink-flushed bells that curve like talons design a small, wildlife-friendly meditation dropping. This delightful shrub takes its and has fine red fall color. garden as a memorial to a beloved volun- name from the sweetly scented, white or teer at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. pinkish flowers that dangle like small WESTERN DOG-HOBBLE The site was shaded, irrigated, and elevat- lanterns along one side of the . Western dog-hobble or Sierra laurel (L. ed for drainage. What better plant to en- Sweetbells leucothoe is a good choice for davisiae, Zones 6–8, 8–5) is a graceful, tice visitors into this secluded niche than a poorly drained site. three-and-a-half- to five-foot evergreen luminous Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Girard’s Native to wet woodlands of the shrub that inhabits damp meadows and Rainbow’, arrayed on either side of the en- American Southeast, L. populifolia watersides in the mountains of north- trance like soft, welcoming arms?  (Zones 6–10, 10–5) has been reclassified central California and Oregon. Its glossy as Agarista populifolia but is sometimes green, leathery foliage, erect but spread- A garden writer and designer, Carol Bishop

DAVID CAVAGNARO still listed under Leucothoe. Variously ing habit, and upright racemes of cream- Miller lives in Huntsville, Alabama.

May / June 2005 25 26 o:Agreensaladisgarnished withthebrightandflavorful flowersofchives,bicolored violets,anddeepred-orangenasturti Top: makes you feelabitsqueamish,thenhere’s freshing beverage. even cool down summer’s heatinare- exotic flavor, give astir-fry desserts, or up salads,addahintofsweetness to accents ofediblebloomsthatcanspice foods are beingseasonedwithcolorful flavor. That’s right—flowers! Today’s F If thethoughtoffeastingonflowers the American Gardener LOWERS also enliven foodswithfabulous color toanygarden, and somecan From gardentotable,edibleflowersaddadashofflavorandanaccentcolor. Edible Flowers Edible Flowers certainly addbeautyand certainly BY KRISWETHERBEEPHOTOGRAPHSRICK blossom intheUnited States. In thelast15 cookery, itspopularityisjustbeginningto themums by theancientChinese. years, datingbacktotheuseofchrysan- centing worldcuisinesforthousandsof convincing?Flowersfurther have beenac- ing theflowering budoftheplant. Need you areor artichokes, essentiallyconsum- diet includesbroccoli, cauliflower, capers, ing flowers withoutrealizing it.If your food forthought:You mayalready beeat- In spite of the long history offlowerIn spiteofthelonghistory two. Imagine the visualappealoflemon- ably already growing anedibleflower or noted asedible,chancesare you are prob- With around 100typesofgarden flowers TABLE TO FROM GARDEN turing their colorful blooms. turing theircolorful American platewithsignature dishesfea- the wayby bringingedibleflowers tothe House’s Restaurant 301inEureka have led like ChezPanisse inBerkeley andCarter years, innovative Californiarestaurants ums.

PHOTO THIS PAGE BY KAREN BUSSOLINI ade laced with blue borage flowers, bi- colored pansies scattered on a garden- LAVENDER-ROSEMARY CHICKEN AND RED POTATOES fresh salad, or fiery red nasturtiums sprinkled over a simmering soup. Here’s one of my favorite recipes using an edible flower. Roasted chicken and potatoes The rules for picking edible flowers are take on a delightful flavor when delicately infused with lavender. —K.W. much the same as they are for harvesting vegetables: Harvest at their peak of perfec- tion; avoid blooms that are wilted, faded, 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt or show signs of insects or disease; pick in 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon pepper the cool of the morning or late after- 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, 4 skinless and boneless chicken noon—ideally within a few hours of use; melted breasts and gently clean flowers in a shallow bowl 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon olive oil of water. If you won’t be using the flowers 1 teaspoon Dijon or other grainy 4 medium red potatoes (about 1 within hours of harvest, spread them out mustard pound), cut into wedges on damp towels, blooms facing down, and 1/2 tablespoon fresh lavender flowers 3/4 cup chicken stock refrigerate them overnight. Put flowers 1/2 tablespoon fresh snipped 1 teaspoon fresh lavender flowers, with stems in a glass filled with water to rosemary leaves for garnish help keep them fresh until ready to use. In general, edible flowers are not used as the main ingredient of a dish, but rather ■ Preheat oven to 375 de- as a seasoning or accent that enhances the grees Fahrenheit. flavor of the food being served. Whether ■ Combine the first nine in- using flowers to season foods or provide a gredients together in a shal- colorful accent in beverages, go lightly at low bowl to make an herb first until you get a feel for the flower-to- sauce. Place chicken breasts food ratio. In fact, tasting your flowers be- in the sauce to coat both fore using them in any food is always a sides. good idea. Certain factors can affect the ■ Heat the remaining table- flavor, such as the location, quality of soil spoon of olive oil in a large or growing conditions as well as the time skillet over medium heat. and stage of harvest. I’ve even found that Add the chicken breasts and flowers from the same plant can vary in cook for three to five minutes on both sides, or until golden brown. taste from season to season. ■ Transfer browned chicken breasts to a large baking pan. Add potatoes to the remaining herb sauce and toss until potatoes are well coated. Arrange the pota- BUDDING ADVICE toes around the chicken and drizzle in any remaining sauce; pour chicken stock Bear in mind that not all flowers are ed- over all. ible, so be sure of the safety of any par- ■ Cover and bake for about 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender and chicken is ticular flower before tasting it. (All cooked through. (Remove the cover during the last 10 minutes of baking to culinary herb flowers, however, are edi- brown potatoes.) ble.) Always refer to the ■ Garnish with remaining fresh lavender flowers before serving. when verifying whether or not a flower is safe to eat. If a flower is not listed in this Makes 4 servings article, look it up in a reference book (see the “Resources” box on page 28). Also, avoid eating any flower that may have ing only the petals (viola species are the ing when tasted alone can be delicious been sprayed with pesticides—even exception). The stamens, pistils, and when sprinkled on a pizza or baked into some of the so-called “botanical” pesti- sepals of many blossoms are bitter and a muffin. cides, such as pyrethrum-based products, can contain pollen that may detract from On the following pages are some of the can be toxic if used incorrectly. the true flavor of the petals. edible flowers I have tried and found If you suffer from allergies or asthma, palatable. Perhaps after trying a few your- use caution when sampling flowers be- FIRST-RATE FLOWERS FOR TASTING self, you’ll agree that some flowers can cause some may further aggravate your Though I haven’t tried every one of the taste as good as they look.  symptoms. For that matter, use caution vast number of edible flowers, I have when trying anything edible for the first sampled my share. Some flowers were Kris and Rick Wetherbee, who combined time. Just because a flower is edible pleasant, others quite appealing, and a their writing and photographic talents in doesn’t mean it will taste good! You can few were downright disgusting. Just keep this article, enjoy edible flowers in their further heighten the appeal factor by eat- in mind that what may seem overpower- Oakland, Oregon, garden.

May / June 2005 27 TIPS FOR BIGGER BLOOMS ■ Pinch off the first flower buds on ros- es and chrysanthemums so the plant will put its energy into bigger and bet- ter blooms on the remaining buds. ■ Feed roses, squash, and other flower- ing plants when the first flower buds appear. ■ Choose a fertilizer with a potassium ratio higher than nitrogen. Potassium not only encourages plant vigor and hardiness, it also encourages flowers to bloom. Good organic sources in- clude rock dust (granite dust), green sand, aged manure, compost, and sea- weed- or kelp-based products. ■ Make sure plants get plenty of phos- phorus, an essential macronutrient that promotes flowering, fruiting, and strong roots. Organic sources include bone meal (a premium source), ground rock phosphate, bat guano, and fish meal. ■ Providing extra magnesium doesn’t necessarily encourage bigger blooms, but it can promote better flower pro- flowers (Hemerocallis spp., USDA Hardiness Zones 3–10, AHS duction. When plants do need a boost, Daylily Heat Zones 12–2) vary in flavor from sweet and floral or vegetal I usually work in one tablespoon of Ep- to slightly metallic, depending on the variety. Harvest the plumpest buds just be- som salt for better yields. fore they open and use them in Asian stir fries, salads, desserts, deep-fried, or ■ Mulch the soil to conserve moisture sautéed with garlic and asparagus. Daylilies grow best in full sun or light shade in and deter weeds so your flowering ed- evenly moist, well-drained soil amended with organic matter. ibles don’t have to compete for mois- ture and nutrients. —K.W. Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus, Zones 0–0, Resources 12–1) are considered by many, my- Edible Flowers: From Garden to Palate self included, to be the all-star of ed- by Cathy Wilkinson Barash. Fulcrum ible flowers. Both flowers and leaves Publishing, Golden, Colorado, 1995. have a wide range of culinary uses with a somewhat spicy, peppery Flowers in the Kitchen by Susan tang. Sprinkle flowers over salads, Belsinger. Interweave Press, Love- vegetables, pastas, stir-fries, and land, Colorado, 1991. meat dishes, or blend with salsas, cream cheese, or butter. Colors The Edible Flower Garden by Rosalind range from a moonlit yellow to bright Creasy. Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd., yellow, orange, scarlet, and red. This Boston, Massachusetts, 1999. easy-to-grow, self-seeding annual thrives in most well-drained soils in Taylor’s 50 Best Herbs & Edible full sun to light shade. Flowers by Frances Tenenbaum. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts, 1999.

28 the American Gardener Pansies, Johnny jump-ups, and violas (Viola ✕wittrockiana, V. tricolor, V. cornuta, Zones 3–9, 12–1) are similar in taste, sporting a light, floral fla- vor that some say is suggestive of grapes—others note wintergreen. Use the entire flower as a garnish for sal- ads, hors d’oeuvres, or decorating cakes. They can also be candied for use as a dessert garnish. Most grow best in part shade and moderately moist soil, though exposure and moisture needs vary by species.

MORE EDIBLE FLOWERS TO CONSIDER Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), robust root beer to strong anise flavor. Beebalm (Monarda didyma), sweet and slightly spicy with a hint of mint. Calendula (Calendula officinalis), use like saffron; has a slightly floral to slightly bitter flavor. Chives (Allium schoenoprasum), zesty, oniony flavor. Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris), floral laced with lemon and sometimes slightly pungent. English daisy (Bellis perennis), very mild to grassy and slightly bitter. Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), sweet, grapelike. Garlic (Allium sativum), garlic, onion. Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla), lemony. Marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia), citrusy with a hint of tarragon. Mint (Mentha spp.), mildly minty. Scarlet runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus), (Rosa spp.) vary greatly in flavor—from a full-bod- nectary-beany flavor. Roses ied floral to pleasantly sweet and floral or slightly Tulips (Tulipa spp.), mild, similar to snow peas. metallic and even overtones of ginger—so it’s best to taste test Violets (Viola odorata), strongly floral. first. Use petals to flavor honey, beverages, a sorbet or fruit com- pote, or make a classic rose- jam. Grow in full sun and mod- erately moist, well-drained soil.

May / June 2005 29 (Cucurbita spp., Zones Squash 11, 12–1) blossoms are the giants of edible flowers with large yellow blooms perfect for stuffing or deep frying. All squash flowers are edible—both winter and summer—though zucchini tends to pro- duce the largest flowers. The texture is somewhat crisp with a sweet zucchini-like flavor, only milder. Grow this warm-summer annual in deep, rich, well-drained but moist soil containing plenty of organic matter.

(Borago officinalis, Zones 0–0, 12–1) is a Borage stand-out with eye-catching appeal of star- shaped blooms in pink, violet, or shades of blue. The flavor is subtle, with suggestions of cucumbers, grass, or oysters. Show (Lavandula spp.) accentuates sweet off their beauty by freezing the flowers into ice cubes, floating Lavender and savory dishes with a sweet min- in a beverage, or sprinkled over soups, salads, or dips. This gling of floral, fresh pine, and rosemary with citrus notes. Its self-seeding annual tolerates a wide range of soil conditions flavor complements a variety of foods—from fish, poultry, and and can be grown in full sun to light shade. most fruits and vegetables to sauces, marinades, and dress- ings along with beverages, baked goods, and desserts. English lavender (L. angustifolia, Zones 5–8, 8–5) has the best culi- nary flavor. Strip the flowers from the stalk before using. Lavender grows best in full sun and well-drained soil.

30 the American Gardener PHOTO OF CHRYSANTHEMUMS: DAVID WINSTON/ARTVILLE DISK Sage not alldo.Grow infullsunandaverage,well-drained soil. Be suretochoose avarietyofculinarysagethat bearsflowers,as accent whenusedinsalsas,beverages, fruitsalads,anddesserts. egans, toes, eggs,orcheese.Thered spikesofpineapplesage(S.el- in awidevarietyoffoods,especially anythingwithbeans,toma- milder andsweeter.Removethe flowersfromthestemsanduse Scented geraniums to lightshadeinwell-drainedsoil.Mostalsooverwinterashouseplants. and drinks,orfreezethemintoicecubes.Growthistenderperennialinfullsun the bestflavored.Useflowersinicecreamorsorbet,sprinkleoverdesserts consensus leanstowardstherose-,peppermint-,andlemon-scentedvarietiesas sity ofscentsfromnutmegandgingertocitrus,chocolate,peppermint.The Zones 8–11,12–1),atender perennial,provideatasty flowers aresimilarinflavortotheleaves,only (Salvia officinalis,S.elegans, Zones 5–8,8–5) 7–11, 12–1)includeadiver- (Pelargonium spp., Zones and well-drained soil. rice dishes,and evenburritos.Growthisperennial infullsun flowers, theirpetalskickup the flavorofsalads,stir-fries, little usuallygoesalongway. Asthe“radicchios”ofedible Zones 5–9,9–5)areslightly spicy tostronglypungent,soa Chrysanthemum morifolium, Dendranthema Chrysanthemums moisture needsvarysomewhatbyspecies. rich, well-drainedsoil,thoughexposureand cookies. Theygrowbestinfullsunandfairly soups, sprinkleoverfruitsalads,orbakeinto hot teaorcider,floattheflowersincream slightly amongspecies.Usethemtospiceup with ahintofcloves,thoughthetastecanvary Pinks 12–1) aredelicateinflavor (Dianthus spp., Zones4–11, May /June 2005 ✕ grandiflora, 31 32 and violets and crushed hazel- and violetscrushed for achocolategarden. sanguineus, a chocolatelikescentlikeCosmosatro- like Tropicanna(‘Phasion’)canna,above,or Plants withdarkchocolate-coloredleaves © Roald DahlandillustratedbyJoseph Schindelman Quotation from division ofRandom House,Inc. imprint ofRandom HouseChildren’sBooks,a Limited. UsedbypermissionofAlfred A.Knopf,an be mixedupintheairaround 1964, renewed1992byRoaldDahl Nominee smells intheworldseemedto them—the smellofroasting nuts andappleblossom caramel andlemonpeel…” melting chocolateandmint Chocolate Gardens coffee and burnt sugarand coffee andburnt the American Gardener “All themostwonderful Charlie andtheChocolateFactory above right,aregoodcandidates Charlie andtheChocolateFactory —Roald Dahl by of bothyoungandold. Grow afunanddeliciousthemegardensuretotemptthesenses T ticing aromas. also tantalize uswithrich colorsanden- buds, gardens inspired by chocolatecan film fantasypromises totemptourtaste made intomagicalcandybars. Whilethe ing smoothlythrough glasspipestobe fall ofchocolatechurnsandflows, glid- factory, awondrous placewhere awater- golden ticketthatgetshiminsideacandy isaboutapoorboy whofindsa story on theclassictaleby Roald Dahl. This HIS SUMMER, Chocolate Factory, ers willrelease Charlie andthe Warner Broth- a movie based late (Cosmos atrosanguineus, landonsome choco- watched abutterfly around aclumpofscarletflowers andI smell ofcocoaintheair. Bees buzzed deep caramel. ers inshadesofvermilion, burgundy, and darkly colored leaves orproduced flow- Some were sweetly scented,othershad plant hadaconnectiontochocolate: friend invitedmetovisithers.Every pleasure ofachocolategarden untila I hadnever experiencedthedelicious In thisgarden, Inoticedadistinct Theme gardens are but nothingnew BY CHARLOTTEALBERS

LEFT: COURTESY OF ANTHONY TESSELAAR PLANTS; RIGHT: MICHAEL S. THOMPSON USDA Hardiness Zone 7–11, AHS Heat Zone 12–1), a wildflower native to Mexi- co that produces chocolate-scented, bur- MAGIC BEANS FROM THE TROPICS gundy flowers all season long. I pinched Processed chocolate is made from ca- a sprig of chocolate mint that was spilling cao beans, which are the seeds pro- from a pot and crushed the leaves be- duced by Theobroma cacao, a tropical tween my fingers. When I inhaled its tree native to the rain forests of Central fresh scent, I felt a bit like Charlie must America. The cacao tree played an im- have when he entered Willy Wonka’s portant cultural role among the Incas, chocolate factory. Mayas, and Aztecs of Mesoamerica, For those who want to try something who created a bitter drink from the deliciously different, there’s a wide range of seeds and used the seedpods as a form “chocolate” plants to consider for all types of currency. In the of gardens. To create a chocolate garden of early 16th centu- Seed pods of the your own, all you need is a little imagina- ry, Spanish explor- cacao tree hang tion and a selection of plants that have a er and conquerer freely in clusters chocolate scent or distinctly colored leaves, Hernán Cortés re- on the trunk. flowers, or fruit. This concept can be a par- portedly sampled ticularly appealing way to get children in- a chocolate drink in the court of the terested in gardening, as I discovered on a Aztec emperor Montezuma and later in- field trip to the Children’s Garden at Her- troduced the beverage to Spain. shey Gardens in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist who established the binomial CHOCOLATE PARADISE system for plant nomenclature that we use today, gave the plant its genus name, The most popular plant in the Hershey Theobroma, which means “food of the gods,” an apt description for a product that Children’s Garden is chocolate flower over the centuries has become associated with romance and gourmet cuisine. (Berlandiera lyrata, Zones 7–9, 9–7), a lit- Cacao trees can be found growing in tropical gardens and conservatories where tle-known perennial native to the Ameri- temperatures are reliably warm. The trees make unusual specimens, because can Southwest that emits its strong the flowers and fruits grow directly on the trunks. The fruits develop as large, foot- fragrance early in the day. They are strate- ball-shaped pods that turn orange, red, and yellow as they ripen. Each contains gically planted along walkways where the about 40 large seeds surrounded by a sticky white pulp. The cacao “beans” are heavenly fragrance of their flowers stops fermented, dried, roasted, and either crushed by hand or processed in factories people in their tracks. to be turned into the sweet treat that is loved all over the world. —C.A. “Kids can’t believe the smell and bury their noses right inside the flower,” says

Above: In the Hershey Children’s Garden, kids can set sail in a sea of “chocolate” plants. One favorite is the chocolate flower, right,

TOP: COURTESY OF THE CHOCOLATE INFORMATION CENTER AND MARS, INCORPORATED; BOTTOM LEFT: COURTESY OF HERSHEY GARDENS; BOTTOM RIGHT: SAXON HOLT which fills the air with the aroma of cocoa.

May / June 2005 33 34 www.jacksonandperkins.com. (877) 322-2300. Perkins, Jackson & colored plants. ‘Kopper King’hibiscus. www.waysidegardens.com. (800) 213-0379. Wayside Gardens, can HotChocolate’hotpepper. www.singingspringsnursery.com. (919)732-9403. Grove, NC. Singing SpringsNursery. Chocolate’. Soldier’; 643-9347. Roslyn Nursery, odoratus 845-3369. Park Seed, gardens.org. (717) 534-3492.www.hershey Road, Hershey,PA17033; Hershey Gardens, Resources ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ www.bluestoneperennials.com. (800) 852-5243. Bluestone Perennials, Sources www.chocolateflowerfarm.com. WA. (425)681-9758. Chocolate FlowerFarm, Eupatorium rugosum landiera lyrata;chocolatemint; www.tomatogrowers.com. Fort Myers,FL.(888)478-7333. Tomato GrowersSupplyCompany. An extensivelistofchocolate- Ajuga Tropicanna (‘Phasion’)canna; ‘Hershey’ sweetpepper;‘Jamai- Acalypha wilkesiana viridiflora Cosmos atrosanguineus;Lathyrus ‘Hot Cocoa’rose. the American Gardener ‘Chocolate Chip’;Ber- Tiarella cordifolia ‘Streamer Chocolate’. Greenwood, SC.(800) www.roslynnursery.com. www.parkseed.com. Dix Hills,NY.(631) 170 Hotel Hodges, SC. Medford, OR. ‘Chocolate Madison, OH. ‘Chocolate’. ‘Obovata’. Langley, Cedar ‘Mint Children’s Garden hasseveral plantswith burgundy splashesonitsleaves. ‘Chocolate Drop’ coleus, whichhasdeep tropical touch.There’s alsoeye-catching siana chocolate copperleaf sion’) canna,‘Kopper King’ hibiscus,and white, foamyflowers. Tropicanna (‘Pha- brightens uptheshadewithmassesof gosum liage. Whitesnakeroot many plantswithdark, chocolateyfo- ent in2000. Award, ofwhichshewasthefirst recipi- recognized intheAHSJane L.Taylor contributions tochildren’s gardening are spiration,” admitsTaylor, whoselifelong dream job, we atelotsofchocolateforin- to looklikechocolatebars.“It wasa by cocoa-colored concrete pathsstamped created aseriesofthemeareas connected den’s Master Plan. Taylor andKinney architect Deborah Kinney create thegar- Garden curator, whohelpedlandscape Jane L.Taylor, theHershey Children’s plants growninfullsun.Itsfrothywhiteflowersbloomfrommidsummertoearlyautumn. Eupatorium rugosum In an area calledChocolate Lane,the A stroll through thegardens reveals ‘Obovata’, Zones 11,12–1)lenda ‘Chocolate’, Zones 4–8,8–2) ‘Chocolate’ hasgreenleaveswithabronzeoverlaythatismoredistincton (Acalypha wilke- (Eupatorium ru- success inthesiteyou wanttogrow itin. such assunandwateringneeds,toensure search eachplant’s culturalrequirements, chocolate garden. However, besure tore- make goodcandidatesforyour own rose, and‘ChocolateRuffles’ coleus. ‘Chocolate Chip’ bugleweed, ‘Hot Cocoa’ ‘Mint Chocolate’, Zones 3–8,7–1), Chocolate’ foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia mouth-watering namessuchas‘Mint from thecolorsof itsdeeplycutleaves. ‘Mint Chocolate’ foamflowergetsitsname All oftheseplantsatHershey Gardens

TOP: COURTESY OF BLUESTONE PERENNIALS; BOTTOM: COURTESY OF TERRA NOVA NURSERIES MORE CHOCOLATEY PLANTS Chocolate copperleaf, above, produces unusual chocolate-burnished leaves with pink Aquilegia viridiflora ‘Chocolate margins. With ‘Hot Cocoa’ rose, above right, the chocolate tones are in the flowers. Soldier’ (columbine). Chocolate- colored foliage. DARK AND DELICIOUS permint.’ Group these tender perennials in Baptisia ‘Chocolate Chip’ (baptisia). One of the easiest herbs to grow is choco- large containers and place them along Unique chocolate and yellow late mint (Mentha ✕piperita forma citrata paths where their aroma will be noticed as flowers. ‘Chocolate’). Like many mints, it can stray, people brush by them. ferulifolia ‘Golden Goddess’ so keep it in bounds by planting it in a con- Some of the new sweet bell pepper hy- (tickseed). Chocolate-scented tainer within easy reach so that young chil- brids develop darkly colored, lobed fruit flowers. dren can experience its cocoa scent. as they ripen. Try ‘Chocolate Belle’, Fritillaria camschatcensis (chocolate The leaves of scented pelargoniums ‘Chocolate Beauty’ and ‘Hershey’. If you lily). Dark chocolate-colored offer a variety of fragrances. Several culti- garden with children, let them pick the flowers. vars smell of chocolate, including ‘Cocoa chocolate peppers and see if they like the Helianthus ‘Dark Chocolate Mix’ and Mint’, ‘Chocolate’ and ‘Chocolate-Pep- taste. A hot pepper variety to try is ‘Ja- ‘Claret’ (sunflower). Chocolate- maican Hot Chocolate’. (See , colored flowers. right, for more chocolate plants.) Heuchera ‘Chocolate Veil’ (coral It’s easy to understand the powerful al- bells). Chocolate foliage. lure of chocolate. “It’s rich, creamy, lus- Heucherella ‘Chocolate Lace’. cious, sumptuous, sensuous, and melt-on- Chocolate foliage. your-tongue yummy,” says Taylor, “and it Lathyrus odoratus ‘Streamer all comes from a plant!” And that’s why Chocolate’ (sweet pea). Chocolate chocolate gardens are sure to bring out the flowers with white streaks. kid in all of us as they stimulate our senses Rudbeckia ‘Hot Chocolate’ and indulge our imaginations.  (black-eyed Susan). Chocolate- toned flowers. Charlotte Albers is the AHS’s coordinator for Salpiglossis sinuata ‘Royale The Growing Connection program and Chocolate’ (painted tongue). was formerly children’s program coordinator Chocolate-colored flowers. It doesn’t taste like chocolate, but kids may at Green Spring Gardens Park in Alexan-

TOP LEFT: BILL JOHNSON; RIGHT: COURTESY OF JACKSON & PERKINS. BOTTOM: COURTESY OF TOMATO GROWERS SUPPLY COMPANY find the intriguing ‘Hershey’ pepper worth a try. dria, Virginia.

May / June 2005 35 BY JOANNGARDNER 36 ornamental appeal. herbs arenowvaluedfortheir or culinaryqualities,these Once grownfortheirmedicinal yarrow, alsoshines intheornamentalborder. Clarysage, herewith ington, D.C.Above, right: Garden attheNationalCathedral inWash- medicinal herbsshowcasedin the Bishop’s Top: Clarysageisamongthe traditional else, survived aharshmaritimewinter.else, survived I of anoldappletree where they, butlittle to aplantingbeneaththespreading limbs of glamorous ornamentals,Iaddedthem farm, hehadnotimeforthem. the dauntingtaskofreclaiming anold garden.plant inanew Then,facedwith specimenstore-mont—he dugupafew Massachusetts,Maryland, andVer- his teachingcareer—to Wisconsin, from seed. Eachtimewe moved tofollow blue comfrey, feverfew, sage andclary arcane uses,hehadraisedelecampane, Attracted by theircharming namesand a contributiontomyfirstflower garden. his smallcollectionofmedicinalherbsas ago, myhusband,Jigs, bequeathedtome W Although theyhardly matched myidea the American Gardener Scotia, more than30years on CapeBreton Island, Nova HEN WE moved toafarm blowing infrom theNorth Atlantic. werelittle trumpets shakenby coldwinds nectar-rich flowers even asits oflungwort, hummingbirdsserve working over the following springIwasdelightedtoob- their flowers were pretty andprolific. The were hardy certainly andadaptable, They took asecondlookatthesurvivors. my educationas agardener. With experi- ing them,they became thefoundationof and intheprocess ofgrowing andobserv- herbs madeupmyentire plantrepertoire access tonurseries,formany years these Since we wildernesswithno lived invirtual LEARNING THROUGHEXPERIENCE rugged andversatile rugged adaptable todifferent sitesandsoils. satile, disease and insect-resistant, and these European natives are ver- sorugged, not becausetheywere herbsbutbecause plants deeplyrooted intheancientworld, den favorites. and medicinalherbswere cottagegar- surprising sincemanyoldhousehold associated withacottagegarden, not ton landscapewithacharmthatvisitors cover, hedge,accent, orborder plant. could begrown asaneffective ground ways, oftendiscovering thatthesameplant ence Ilearnedtousetheminavariety of Building onmysuccess,Isoughtother infusedmyCapeBre-They artlessly

TOP LEFT: JERRY PAVIA. CENTER: LYNNE HARRISON Ornamental Herbs

wort, elecampane, and ) can be suggested that the plant was useful for planted in more informal areas of the gar- treating diseased or spotted lungs. den by matching each to its preferred Although lungwort usually does best in habitat, among already established wild shade, in Cape Breton where the soil was flowers and grasses. heavy moisture-retentive clay and sum- My technique is sim- mers cool, I grew it in full ple: I tuck the roots in a sun. In the Adirondacks I slit or hole in the ground have had to amend thinner and roughly mow around soil with compost, even in them until they establish. the shadiest spot, to create To slow their spread, I a deeper, cooler bed. One plant them in less than fa- of the best ways to show vorable conditions. In my off the plant’s foliage and new Adirondack gardens, flowers is to establish it as for instance, I grow blue a thick, low hedge. If the comfrey in dry woodland spent flower clusters are shade rather than the cut back almost to the deep, moist ground that ‘White Wings’ lungwort ground, the foliage re- encourages it to take over turns, refreshed and the world. brightly marked. Spring’s hedge is thereby Many of these plants once had promi- transformed into an all-season edger. nent roles to play in the lives of ordinary Later-blooming ‘White Wings’ has pink- people; soothing teas, compresses, eye- eyed white flowers. washes, and liniments were prepared from Sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata, Zones their roots, stems, and flowers. With the 3–7, 7–1) is an underused garden plant of development and wide availability of other great elegance. By mid-spring its thick medicines however, ancient herbs fell out of favor. Yet from early spring through fall these herbs still nurture the soul with their scents and flowers. SPRING In early spring, even through drifts of snow, the dark pink bud tips of lung- wort (Pulmonaria officinalis, USDA To me, these herbs are beautiful in an Hardiness Zone 6–8, AHS Heat Zone untamed, satisfying way. My favorites 8–6) are highlighted against a dark, offer flowers that bloom for a month or earthy mass of last year’s growth. Small more, handsome foliage all season, and be- trumpet-shaped flowers on stems to sides attracting bees, butterflies, and hum- eight inches bloom in multi-colored mingbirds, their floating scents provide clusters; individual flowers open purple, aromatherapy for the lucky gardener. then quickly change to blue, before fad- If some Old World herbs have a vice, it ing to white. Although I have grown is an eagerness to expand. Depending on new hybrids, the old medicinal lung- where you live, a few, like soapwort and wort still gives one of the best (and var- clary sage, may require some serious su- ied) flower shows. Lungwort’s foliage, pervision; left alone in the wrong location, small and inconspicuous at first, grows they can easily spread beyond desired in importance as the plant matures. areas. However, I have studied their nature Leaves are lung or heart-shaped and and learned to turn it to advantage.The bristly, splattered with little light gray to Sweet cicely’s white flowers and delicate

TOP RIGHT: KAREN BUSSOLINI; BOTTOM RIGHT; MICHAEL S. THOMPSON most rambunctious (blue comfrey, soap- white moons of varying size, which once fernlike foliage make it doubly attractive.

May / June 2005 37 38 are magnetsfor bees andhummingbirds. The beautifulbell-like flowersofbluecomfrey ln el—eyatatv obe n hummingbirds—on aplantofbushlike attractivetobeesand gling bells—very is riveting, amasseddisplayofsmalldan- spring through earlysummer. Theeffect tips ofbranchingstems,openfrom late dom. Buds, arranged inarched coilsatthe that isdifficulttomatchintheplantking- to blueflowers, inthiscaseabrightblue the boragefamily, pink-tippedbudsopen andothermembersof mon withlungwort ly veined andapplegreen incolor. In com- Basal foliageislarge, tapered, prominent- that grows from along,fleshytaproot. is arobust plantthree feettallandwide, (Symphytum caucasicum, ily adaptabletositeandsoil.Blue comfrey broken bones,comfreys are extraordinar- ‘Luxuriant’ ontheother. mound ofdark-pink flowered ‘Caitlin’s Giant’ ononesideandawidelacy hosta, flankedby purple-leaved sweet cicelyandagreen-edged golden combinations inmyshadeborders features this happens.One ofthemostsatisfying tocuttheplantbackbeforeit isimportant an armyofseedlingsthefollowing spring, multitude ofshiny, dark seeds.To prevent two weeks andare quicklyfollowed by a tall, spreading almostaswide.Flowers last wide whiteumbels,risethree tofive feet branching stalks,bearingtwo-tofour-inch for itslong-lastingbeauty. By latespring, cine, andeven furniture polish,Icherishit like aroma. ofthisplantisinfusedwithananise- part apple green, white-spottedleaves. Every taproot produces asoft,fernymoundof Once popular for healing bruises and Once popularforhealingbruises Once usedasafood,flavoring, medi- the American Gardener Zones 3–9,9–1) Dicentra Ajuga daisylike flowersshouldbecutbackafterthefirstflushtoencouragerebloom. Top: Bistort’scylindricalpinkflowerheadsarehardtomissinanygarden.Above:Feverfew’s root leftbehind willregrow. Beware thatifyou move it,anypieceof a border shade,orshade. infullsun,part as asingleaccentorinthebackground of Itproportions. isacommandingpresence and taperingleaves onslender stemstwo mound ofdistinctive, slightly wrinkled means twicetwisted—give riseto a ed rhizomatous roots—the speciesname United States andCanada.Bistort’s twist- naturalized inareas ofdampsoilinthe ning andmedicinalpurposes, ithas fortan- tringent herbthatwasimportant members ofthebuckwheatfamily. Anas- Zones 4–8,8–1),oneoftheshowiest flies flocktobistort When infullbloom,swallowtail butter- EARLY SUMMER (Persicaria bistorta, conditions such ashysteria,epilepsy, de- been usedforat least2,000years totreat (Valeriana officinalis, conditions. dry hostas. It thrives anywhere except invery ground withchives, andinshadewith light woodlandwithcowslips, inboggy ver Carpet’. Ihave in naturalized bistort in fullsun,behindStachys byzantina garden, ‘Suberba’ anchorsanislandbed frey ‘Superba’ isbackedby giantRussian com- inghurst Castle,itsfree-flowering cultivar shaped foliageturnsbronzy-red. At Siss- blooms well intothefallasitstongue- flowers. With sufficientmoisture, bistort composed oftinypink,sweetly scented by three-inch cylindricalspikesdensely feet tallandnearlyaswidethatare topped Preparations from theroots ofvalerian (Symphytum ✕ uplandicum). Zones 4–9,9–1)have In my In ‘Sil-

TOP TO BOTTOM: MICHAEL S. THOMPSON; KAREN BUSSOLINI: ROB CARDILLO Sources ForestFarm, Williams, OR. (541) 846-7269. www.forestfarm.com. Catalog $5; free online.

High Country Gardens, Santa Fe, NM. (800) 925-9387. www.highcountrygardens.com. Catalog free; online also.

Richters Herbs, Goodwood, Ontario. (905) 640-6677. www.richters.com. Catalog free; online also.

Shady Acres Herb Farm, Chaska, MN. (612) 466-3391. www.shady acres.com. Catalog $3; free online.

Stokes Seeds, Inc., Buffalo, NY. (800) 396-9238. www.stokes seeds.com. Catalog free; online also. Resources Herbs in Bloom: A Guide to Growing Herbs As Ornamental Plants by Jo Ann Gardner. Timber Press, Port- land, Oregon, 2005.

Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. Edited by Claire Kowalchik and William H. Hylton. Rodale A tall, robust plant with fragrant white flowers, valerian is especially attractive when grown Books, Emmaus, Pennsylvania, among other tall cottage-garden plants like foxgloves, Siberian irises, and bellflowers. 1998.

pression, and insomnia and is still sold in simplicity, with stubby petaled, inch-wide, Taylor's Guide to Herbs : A Fully Il- various forms as an herbal supplement. In white daisies in bouquetlike sprays on lustrated Encyclopedia of More Than the garden, it is the plant in bloom—five stems embellished by ferny, aromatic fo- 400 Useful, Interesting, and Orna- feet tall and across—that gives me a lift. liage. It flowers in profusion in early sum- mental Herbs. Edited by Rita Valerian forms a mound of handsome, mer, and if cut back to encourage the Buchanan. Houghton Mifflin Com- dark green leaves, deeply cut and set pre- developing buds at its base, feverfew pany, Boston, Massachusetts, cisely opposite one another in seven to 10 blooms non-stop through fall. It is a hard- 1995. pairs, like the rungs of a ladder. The flow- working, short-lived perennial that grows ers, which attract butterflies, are borne at two feet tall and 18 inches wide, invaluable the top of the plant in light pink or white in a border as filler, as a mediator between tions, but does not like wet soil. Al- flattish heads, two to four inches wide. The bright reds and purples, and tucked under though seldom grown today, ‘Multiplex’, plant’s aroma, heavy and sweet, is similar shrub roses. Plants should be renewed by a double-flowered selection, is choice for to that of heliotrope ( ar- stem cuttings or division as needed. The border or rock gardens. Growing from borescens) with which it is sometimes con- old-fashioned doubled pompon version, small tubers to form a 10-inch-tall fused. If its fragrant roots are disturbed, ‘Flore Pleno’, has been grown since the mound of emerald green fernlike leaves, they draw cats in the same way as catnip. 16th century. it produces airy clusters of small creamy Once a popular headache remedy and Dropwort (Filipendula vulgaris, white flowers atop wandlike stems. The still important in herbal preparations, Zones 4–7, 8–1) is an ancient medicinal plant in bloom reaches three feet with an feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium, Zones for kidney ailments. A native of dry pas- 18-inch spread. Part of double dropwort’s

KEN MEYER 4–9, 9–1) is a flowering herb of charming tures, it grows in a wide range of condi- charm is its exquisite buds. Produced in

May / June 2005 39 tight clusters, they resemble antique, rose-tinted pearls that open to miniature white roses. The flowers combine beau- tifully with purple mullein ( phoeniceum), both of which grow well among rocks where dropwort’s foliage shows off all season. Clary sage (Salvia sclarea, Zones 5–9, 9–3) was formerly used to flavor beverages and food, and is still employed to per- fume soaps and cosmetics. As Gertrude Jekyll observed in her 1916 Annuals and Biennials, it “is valuable in flower borders where good color arrangements are de- sired.” A true biennial, the first season it produces attractive clusters of velvety, nearly heart-shaped, puckered nine-inch leaves. The following season it sends up a candelabra of musk-scented flowering stalks to three feet, each small white or pale bluish bloom made significant by glistening rose-pink or mauve bracts. These are decorative even after the flow- Plant fringed elecampane in less-than-ideal sites to curb its aggressive tendencies. ers fade, giving the plant a long season of interest. During its extended bloom peri- double-flowered meadowsweet (Filipen- saponin. By midsummer or earlier, clus- od, beginning in early to midsummer, it dula ulmaria). ters of ragged-petaled flowers, each held is often visited by hummingbirds. In an I have applied similar treatment to by a puffed calyx, appear atop thick- informal planting its pastel spikes enjoy other rambunctious yet desirable herbs jointed, two-foot stems. On warm sum- association with veronicas, foxgloves, and such as soapwort (Saponaria officinalis, mer evenings the blooms’ clovelike scent bushy musk mallow ( moschata). Zones 3–9, 9–1). Naturalized in great drifts throughout the garden and hawk ‘Turkestanica’ with pink-flecked white patches along roadsides, railroad tracks, moths come to feast on the flowers. Dis- flowers is a larger, showier version. in damp meadows, and waste places, cerning gardeners should look for the soapwort creates wide mats of shiny double-flowered light pink ‘Rosea MIDSUMMER green foliage, rich in lather-producing Plena’, deeper rose-pink ‘Rubra Plena’, Once used medicinally for both people and animals, elecampane (Inula heleni- um, Zones 5–8, 8–5) is now a weed along roadsides and clearings from Ontario and Nova Scotia to North Carolina and Mis- souri. Sprouting from a thick, fragrant root, its light green tapered leaves are more than 20 inches long, with densely wooly undersides. The strong, felted, five-foot stem is topped by bright yellow two- to four-inch wide flowers, with many thin spidery rays loosely arranged around a brownish disk. Fringed elecampane (I. magnifica) produces even larger leaves, 24 inches long by 12 inches wide, and bright yel- low, thinly rayed flowers. I had to ban elecampane from my first flower garden because, in a tight planting, it crowded other desirable plants. I heaved it out and replanted it at the edge of a bog in a damp meadow where its tall stems rose

up among wild irises, wild grasses, and Where its spread can be contained, as here by pavement, soapwort makes a good ground cover. TOP: KAREN BUSSOLINI; BOTTOM: MICHAEL S. THOMPSON

40 the American Gardener OTHER UNDERUSED ORNAMENTAL HERBS All of these plants are lightly to heavily aromatic and attract bees, butterflies, or hummingbirds. They will thrive in full sun to part shade and moist soil, except those marked with an asterisk (*), which prefer drier soil.

Name Hgt./Wdth. Flowers and/or Foliage Season of bloom Origin USDA Hardiness, (feet) AHS Heat Zones Artemisia lactiflora 4–6/2–4 creamy white sprays/ late summer to 5–8, 8–5 (white mugwort) fernlike, dark green mid-autumn grandiflora 1–2/11/2 bright pink, tubular/dark green midsummer southern Europe 5–9, 9–3 (calamint) above, pale beneath to Russia Cimicifuga racemosa 5/3 white on slender stalks/ midsummer eastern North 3–8, 12–1 (bugbane, black cohosh) dark green, lobed or toothed America C. racemosa ‘Atropurpurea’ 3–4/2–3 purple-black foliage in sun C. racemosa ‘Hillside 5–6/3–4 pink buds open to white Black Beauty’ flowers/dark purple foliage Lobelia siphilitica 2–4/1 small blue tubular flowers/ late summer to fall eastern U.S. 4–8, 8–1 (blue cardinal flower) hairy, light green leaves *Pycnanthemum 2–3/1–11/2 2-lipped, pink or white late summer eastern U.S. 4–8, 8–1 virginianum (mountain mint) in compact heads *Ruta graveolens 3/21/2 yellow, 4-petaled/evergreen, midsummer southeastern 5–9, 9–5 (common rue) glaucous, blue-green Europe *R. graveolens 2/11/2 compact selection with ‘Jackman’s Blue’ bluer foliage Sanguisorba canadensis 4–6/2–3 creamy bottlebrush spikes midsummer to northeastern 3–8, 8–1 (Canadian burnet) mid-autumn North America *Santolina 3–4/3–4 bright yellow buttons mid- to late west and 6–9, 9–4 chamaecyparissus on slender stalks/ summer central (lavender cotton) silver foliage Mediterrean douglasii 11/2/1 narrow, rose-pink tubular/ all summer western U.S. 7–10, 8–1 (yerba buena) glossy mint-scented, evergreen and Canada Veronicastrum virginicum 4/11/2 white-pale pink, in narrow mid- to late summer North America 4–8, 8–3 (Culver’s root) spikes/dark green leaves in whorls

Calamintha grandiflora Cimicifuga racemosa ‘Atropurpurea’‘Atropurpurea’’ Sanguisorba canadensis

and white ‘Alba Plena’. Like most Old dums. If spent flowers are removed, fresh the landscape where they have the oppor- World herbs, soapwort will grow in var- blooms continue to open into the fall. tunity to show off their natural gifts.  ied sites and habitats. Now that I no You may encounter Old World herbs longer have a bog handy, I grow double growing wild along roadsides or in public Jo Ann Gardner now lives in the Adiron- soapwort in a bed across from the herb gardens, where they are often orga- dacks on a small farm with extensive gar- kitchen door so I won’t miss its evening nized according to their uses. With an un- dens. Her most recent books are Herbs In fragrance. It forms a spreading mat in derstanding of their habits, and some Bloom and, with Karen Bussolini, Elegant the corner of a raised bed under a tall discretionary siting, this underused group Silvers: Striking Plants for Every Garden

LEFT AND RIGHT: KAREN BUSSOLINI; CENTER: JERRY PAVIA trimmed arborvitae, with hostas and se- of plants can be carefully integrated into (both published by Timber Press in 2005).

May / June 2005 41 42 complex than walking in a straight line and viewing plants. complex thanwalking inastraightlineandviewing multaneously actor andaudienceengagingin relationships more ic relationship toeachother. Gardeners andthegarden are si- are inever-changing andtheobserved anddynam- the observer force theboundariesoflargerspaceand leave the centerempty. of creating rooms andsubspaceswithinalargerspace,they rein- garages,andotherexistingfeatures.fence lines,sidewalks, Instead borders onlyaddtothe tedium.Borders co-dependentlyclingto and oftenrequire highlevels ofmaintenance. Typical locationsfor viewpoints. be seenfrom certain rather painterly, somethinginscribedinaframeandintendedto plants inthefront. Thewholeeffectis,atitsbest,pretty and ing iscontrolled, placingtallestplantsinthebackandshortest ing ataseriesofpictures presented incoordinated sequence. Stag- showcase virtuosity. avariety ofplantswithhorticultural and sequencesebbflow over thegrowing season.Borders plants fortheireffects.Vibrant colorandtexture combinations The linearplantingstyleanditsvariations concentrateon ed firmlyintothemindsandlandscapesofAmericangardeners. thing ofaninvasive exotic designfrom England thathasroot- The traditionalherbaceousormixed border hasbecomesome- CROSSED BORDERS T own gardens. we waysofapproaching canfindnew our ing themagicwaitinginmundane, than maliciousormocking.By discover- will beapositive andcreative one,rather ing spatialcombinations.Our approach acteristics thatwe canusetocreate excit- gardens, buteachofthemcontainchar- unlikely togeneratecompletelysatisfying ings foundaround mosthouses. and foundationplantings—thetypicalplant- garden spaces—perennial borders, islandbeds, understood, maligned,andoftenclichédusesof ize, andbegindesigningunifiedgarden spaces. cles. We have discussed how tothinkabout,visual- Exploring GardenGeography This is the ninth article ofanongoingseriesongardenThis isthenintharticle design. Gardening byDesign Gardens are abouttheatrical andcinematiceffectswhere both However, outoftheirpeakseason(s),borders canbeabitdull, Viewing aborder isnotunlike visiting amuseumgallery, look- Individually, theseplantingfeatures are I now wanttoaddress someofthemostmis- the American Gardener HE IDEAOF thread weaving through thisseriesofarti- namic spatialexperienceshasbeenastrong gardens asengaginganddy- BY TRESFROMME selves asobjects. ofthegardenparts because theyconcentrateattention onthem- definethespacesbetween themandother They failtotruly garden, randomlyorbitinginthehouse’s gravitationalfield. linear plantingbedsare oftenlostinthespace oftheaverage may even encloseandenvelop features suchaspondsorgazebos. free, unattachedto fences,walls,andothergarden elements.They walk around andsometimeseven through them.Islands oftensit mensional objectsviewedandexperiencedfrom allsides.You can compositions inawayborders oftendonot.Theyare three-di- keeps thewholethingneatlypackaged. and annualsmayaddaccentsthroughout theyear. Plastic edging low ground covers definehorizontal planes.Perennials, bulbs, human-scaled enclosure, flowers, bark, andfoliage; fruit, trees) provides overhead enclosureoffer shrubs andverticality; seasons ofinterest anddependonmore thancolor. Atree (or They frequently containcompositionsofplantswithmultiple If borders are paintinggalleries,islandbedsare sculpture parks. ISANISLAND NO GARDEN Unfortunately, thesekidney-shapedandgratuitouslycurvi- On thepositive side,islandsdefinespacesandmulti-layered

TOM CLIFTON Gardens rely on the coordinated relationships between foundation plantings is their often haphazard placement and lack physical objects. Plantings, structures, hardscape, and other of relationship to anything else around the house, including the features are as important as the empty spaces (voids) between house itself. In most cases, these disconnected features merely and among them. Well-designed voids are critical for letting float randomly in deep green seas of turf, lacking any compelling people physically and mentally occupy the garden. raison d’être except their own self-referential existence. The trick is to combine the best characteristics of these fea- UNDERMINED FOUNDATIONS tures into a consciously designed garden. By carefully orches- The most recognizable—some might say notorious—Ameri- trating relationships between them, it’s possible to create a series can contribution to home garden design may be the founda- of interconnected spaces that have multi-seasonal and multi-sen- tion planting. These suburban icons frequently exhibit a strong sual appeal; in short, a garden. sense of structure due to the presence of clipped shrubs, re- For example, I might borrow the evergreen structure of the peated forms, and symmetrical layout. Indeed, some of the foundation planting, its geometric form and structure, but peel pruned evergreens rival in their sophisticated forms and perfect it away from the house so it defines a space midway between the artistry the topiary of Europe. house and the street. I might introduce arcs and curves into the When placed artfully, the cones, cubes, hedges, and other Pla- form to create small bays for seating or sunbathing (after all it is tonic solids echo the forms of the house, connecting architecture my front yard and I should be able to use it!). The entry walk now to the surrounding landscape. They also define and frame entries has some privacy from the street, allowing for an intimate garden and even windows. Unpruned shrubs sometimes soften the geom- to develop outside the front door. The evergreens are also an ex- etry, adding an exciting sense of contrast and floral interest. cellent backdrop for any other plantings. Sadly, the need to cling to the house prevents these plantings The island planting would lend the new garden layered and from being anything more than a decorative accessory like faux three-dimensional design. Canopy trees define overhead en- shutters and wagon wheel mailboxes. They do not define spaces closure and dispense shade and shadow pattern. Maybe they or even delineate edges (the house does that) and often end up even display fragrant summer flowers and winter ornamental smothering the windows, door, and sidewalk with their out-of- bark. Human-scaled deciduous shrubs would enclose small scale growth unless pruned constantly or replaced frequently. subspaces along the walk and contribute autumn foliage color and winter berries and stems. The evergreen ground cover GEOGRAPHIC SYNERGY would replace some of the endless turf and would be the per- The usual and most serious problem with borders, islands, and fect foil for the shrubs and trees. The garden would provide small moments of interest all year, never resorting to the intensive thermonuclear color assault of the border. Colorful perennial and bulb plantings would migrate from the border. I would se- lect the toughest and lowest maintenance plants to save energy and time. They would bridge gaps in the woody plants’ seasons of interest, supplementing with bloom, fra- grance, and texture. Modest—compared to a large border—drifts and clumps would weave between the shrubs amongst the ground covers. Remember, borders, islands, and foun- dation plantings in and of themselves do not necessarily make bad gardens. But gar- dens should offer more than window dressing to an ungainly intersection be- tween house and earth. Design has the po- tential to make every trip to the mailbox or the front (or side, or back) door an in- toxicating adventure that stimulates the senses and imagination. In the next issue, we will consider the role of color in good gardens. 

Tres Fromme is a landscape designer at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

May / June 2005 43 44 Julie MoirMesservy,LandscapeDesigner J in 1999.Collaboratingwithworld-renowned cellistYo-Yo Ma, shetranslatedthe sixmovements ofaBach was thegoalforperhapsherbestknown work, theToronto Music Garden (shown below), whichopened bordered theproperty. apple orchard. Even more fun, aforest There were also fields,apond,andanold garden surrounding theestatehouse. grounds ofanoldestatewithaformal subdivision outsideChicagobuilt onthe Julie Moir Messervy: served asgristforyour projects? earliest gardening memoriesthathave Lynda DeWitt: by Lynda DeWitt ULIE MOIRMESSERVY, Award, believes gardens shouldnotmerely satisfythesenses,butalsofeedspirit.Thatcertainly the American Gardener What are someofyour garden andwaysgardeners canfindinspirationfortheirlandscapedesigns. garden Beauty and Meaning. lecturer andauthorofseveral books,including has designednumerous private andpublicgardens inthelast20years. She isalsoawell known cello suiteintospiralinggarden forms. Founder ofherown landscapedesignfirm,Julie Moir Messervy andAssociates,Messervy I grew upinasmall who received theAmericanHorticultural Society’s 2005LandscapeDesign include winding paths. quently, mostofmygarden designs ing pathsinthenearby forest. Conse- climbing, andIcreated manymeander- memories oflittlehidingplaces, trees for influenced meover theyears. Ihave larger landscapearound methathasmost dening, butitwastherichnessof and vegetables, soIgrew uparound gar- Here shediscusses withgarden writerLynda DeWitt herown inner My mothergrew annuals,perennials, N NOEWITH ONE ON ONE C … The Inward Garden: Creating aPlace of dreamed aschildren. For me,thatspacein- architecture—the placeswhere we day- the world.Inspiration canalsocomefrom books, andbooksongardens from around lustrated children’s books,novels, travel Books are onegoodsource, especiallyil- no memoriestopullfrom? where shouldtheybeginifhave own earlylandscapememories, but You askyour clientstopullfrom their

PHOTO OF JULIE MOIR MESSERVY: JOHN KENNARD/COURTESY OF JULIE MOIR MESSERVY; PHOTO OF GARDEN: ALLAN MANDELL cluded the area beneath the baby grand lead to notions about movement, textures, For more information about Julie piano and under the eaves in the attic. For colors, and plants. In a design, the deci- Moir Messervy, her landscaping pro- others, it could be a window seat, a carrel sions about plants often come toward the jects, books, or the two four-day de- in a library, or under a tree in a local park. end of the process, but, sometimes, a par- sign retreats at her Vermont studio As described in my first three books, I ticular color, type of plant, or genus may (June 20–24 and October 3–7), visit find there are seven “archetypes” of drive the design. www.juliemoirmesservy.com. space—fundamental forms that offer dis- Because my clients inspire me with tinct vantage points on the world. These their ideas and their site, every garden I You recently moved to Vermont and are spatial archetypes typify the feelings and design is different from the last. busy renovating your home. What other the forms that people long for in the projects are you currently working on? spaces around them—their homes, their While every garden is different, you I’m writing a new book with architect gardens, and the natural landscape itself. have said that every good garden is con- Sarah Susanka, author of the Not So Big I try to get my clients to be aware of templative. Are there principles to House books, about how to turn the out- what kind of space they feel good in. For which you keep returning? side of your house into a home and the example, if someone loves harbors, I’ll in- Underlying all my work are Japanese principles and patterns that make a resi- clude a bench that’s well backed up by ideals, learned while studying landscape dential landscape successful. The book, ti- shrubs, a tree trunk, or a wall. If someone design in Japan and living in a Zen-Bud- tled Outside the Not So Big House, is due likes to be at the edge of the world, then dhist nunnery for a year and a half. The out in January 2006 from Taunton Press. I’ll create a vantage point that looks out Japanese have traditionally looked to na- Also, I held my first landscape design from a high place if at all possible, or cre- ture for inspiration; they understand the retreat, “Creating Inspired Gardens,” last ate a terrace that sits a few steps above the appeal of asymmetry—how asymmetrical fall here in Vermont. I’ve planned two for grass to give the impression of having a designs draw us in in a way that formal and this year, in June and in October. These are parapet wall for enclosure. symmetrical western gardens cannot. I also four-day workshop-retreats with hands-on learned to value the pull of contrasts— exercises and field trips to nearby gardens. What is your process in designing a hard and soft, rough and smooth, huge I’m really excited about these!  new landscape? and small. Japanese gardens play these op- My designs are guided by feeling. The im- positions off each other, and I like to do the Free-lance writer Lynda DeWitt lives in ages of inspired space provoke feelings that same in the landscapes I create. Bethesda, Maryland.

herry Lake Tree CFarm is pleased to announce its corporate partnership with the American Horticultural Society and is committed to helping fulfill the AHS mission by promoting the importance of large trees in the landscape.

May / June 2005 45 California 46 dangered localspecies. garden andprovide abaseforrare oren- tives includedhere willanchoryour wild ing someoftheeasy-to-grow regional na- cover However, inasinglearticle. plant- and toomanyregional habitatplantsto types, awiderangeofclimaticvariations, coastline, anunusualdiversity ofsoil several geographicregions, 1,100milesof sanctuaries forplantsaswell asanimals. list. Habitat gardens have becomecrucial in thisparadiseontheendangered species ment hasputnearly30percent oftheflora else intheworld.Unfortunately, develop- endemic; thatis,theyare foundnowhere ifornia natives. And200ofthesespeciesare species, subspecies,andvarieties—are Cal- oftheMexicannorth border—6,300 ofallNorthquarter Americanplanttypes Oaks TREESFOR WILDLIFE BEST (see “Resources”). tact theCaliforniaNative Plant Society thrive inyour own backyard habitat,con- Desert)—covers agreat dealmore. warm (Mojave), andhot(Colorado three classifications: cold(Great Basin), into of themountains,desert—divided etation covers 15percent ofthestate.East variations, andmicroclimates. Coastalveg- are subdividedintoclasses, further land; mountain(montane);anddesert— grassland, chaparral,andwoodland;wet- coastal forest; coastalprairieandscrub; California’s sixmainvegetation regions— ZEROING INONYOURREGION C ed acorns. your yard, onefrom locallycollect- start you don’t already have anative oakin food, andshelterfrom sunandwind.If aries forwildlife,offeringnesting habitat, AIA GARDENING HABITAT The state’s 100millionacres encompass To findoutmore aboutplantsthatwill the American Gardener (Quercus plants inNorth America.One- with therichestdiversity ofnative ALIFORNIANS ARE spp.) are supreme sanctu- blessed The fragrantpinkbell-shapedflowersofdesertwillowareamagnetforwildlife. othus through three seasons,native lilacs Wildlife-attracting that bloom shrubs PLANTS SHRUBS ANDUNDERSTORY a weeping willow. usual tree, to mimic whichcanbepruned leaves. Hummingbirds willlive in thisun- bell-shaped flowers amid willowlike tree thatbearsfragrant pinktolavender low ly findanoakthat’s native toyour locale. ormontanehabitatyou’ll desert true like- for anaverage-size yard. Unless you live in and Q. berberidifolia), (Q. agrifolia), live oak forms.Dwarf orscrub of thedwarf in fall.If your yard issmall,considersome nate withoutspecialtreatment ifplanted ley, Blue, andEngelmann) acornsgermi- stratification togerminate;whiteoak(Val- acorns needatleasttwomonthsofcold In desert habitats, consider desert wil- In habitats,considerdesert desert Black orred oak(includeslive oaks) Q. cornelius-mulleri (Chilopsis linearis), spp.) willdelight you withtheirfra- scrub oaks scrub leather oak(Q.durata), are allpossibilities a stunningsmall (Q. dumosa (Cean- diverse eco-regions. The GoldenStateencompasses and C. cuneatus years ifyou don’t waterandfeedthem. drought tolerant,andcanlive aslong25 ters. Californialilacsare evergreen, grant white,blue,andpurpleflower clus- sand-loving leaves—dryland has enormouswhiteflowers andhuge land mountainlilac jepsonii. like them),C.foliosus,gloriosus, Texas. Hummingbirds col- andbutterflies Nevada from Oregon toBaja andeastto canyons andvalleys west oftheSierra a must-have wildlifeshrub, grows in both drought andcold. withstands ditions, andC.leucodermis ‘Sierra Blue’ toleratesstandard garden con- stride andresists deer browsing; C. crassifolius and deeravoid it.In southern California, Ceanothus rigidus varieties.well assome ofthenorthern In northern California, try varieties of In California,try northern Blue elderberry (SambucusBlue mexicana), elderberry Central Californianscangrow is- C. impressus and takes heatandfullsunin C. greggii C. pupureus pairs well with live oak (C. arboreus) BY JOANNEWOLFE var. var. impressus, vestitus, (deer don’t C. cyaneus —which and and as C

CHARLES MANN CHARLES MANN most gardens withoutsupplementalwater. Once established, nate chaparralcurrant(R.malvaceum). currant withthebloomingofred-floweringcert alongtheWestgrate north Coastincon- the flower nectar. In spring,hummersmi- Ribes andAmericanrobin dependon thrush, fall color. TheCaliforniathrasher, hermit fragrantfoliage,andbeautiful tasty fruit, attracting wildlife,offersdelicateflowers, currants andgooseberries),unmatchedin es twotofourfeethigh. grows shadeandreach- bestinsuntopart its attractive blueberries.Blue elderberry soms; smallmammalsandmanybirds love lect nectarfrom itswhite-to-pinkblos- Sages ANDWOODY PERENNIALS HERBACEOUS in bloomandthrives ontheeasternsideof the AnzaBorrego desert. the San Diego coastinlandtotheedgeof tolerant andlonglived insandysoilsfrom tions are available. Musk sageisdrought through August, andseveral goodselec- deep blueflowers from midsummer the mostfragrantnative sage,sparkles with moths—also feedonthem. sects—bumblebees, native wasps,hawk hostofbeneficialin- fight over them.A wildlife plants,becausehummersliterally Besides attracting wildlife,Clevelandsageisan attractive,drought-tolerantground cover. The Desert sage(S.dorrii)stopstrafficwhen Desert Cleveland ormusksage berries andhummingbirds thrive on (Salvia Ribes (R. sanguineum); family (includingavariety of spp.) topthelistofnative Ribes species thrive in they alsopolli- (S. clevelandii), Native vegetation thrives onlocalsoilsand GROWINGTIPS PLANT NATIVE soil, purplesage(S.leucophylla) cannot toleratesupplementalwaterorclay the Sierra Nevada. sage Althoughdesert place itinthebackofborder. plemental water. Keep itonleanrationsor wide—if given loamy, claysoilandsup- feettalland to giganticproportions—eight soils. erant andflourishesinmostfree-draining nia’s CoastRange.It northern iscoldtol- is foundinavariety ofhabitatsinCalifor- ange-bush monkeyflower Diplacus specieslikedry, rocky soil.Or- thrive inwet, boggyconditions,while monkey-faced flowers of tosouth.Thecomical eastern slope,north nials, rangefrom coastalwoodlandto cus scarlet bugler pseudospectabilis), tolerant pinkshowy penstemon(P. mingbird favorites includethedrought- and hawkmothstoanygarden. Hum- tat, it’s possibletoattracthummingbirds spp.). habi- With speciesfornearlyevery complete withoutpenstemons moist mountainhabitats. yellow. Pink-flowered M.lewisii chaparral plant,hasred flowers thatfadeto gardens. ‘San Diego Sunrise’, astunning of goldenflowers insouthernCalifornia Monkey flowers (Mimulus No Californiahabitatgarden wouldbe p.,quintessentialCaliforniaperen- spp.), Diplacus (P. centranthifolius). ‘Ramona’ produces masses and themoisture-loving Mimulus (D. aurantiacus) (Penstemon and will grow thrives in species Dipla- habitat isthePacific CoastofOregon. habitat gardening movement. Her native American Gardener Joanne Wolfe isacontributingeditorfor tering andfertilizing. non-natives thatrequire supplementalwa- munities ratherthanintermingledwith are bestplantedtogether innaturalcom- For thatreason, Californianative plants ing topoorplanthealthandeven death. natural balanceofmicroorganisms, lead- by nonnative perennial grasses. and naturalmulch,butare easilysmothered ance. Healthy soilfungithrive onleaflitter er root systems and making itpossibleforplantstohave small- nity members. where theyare available onlytocommu- lock soilnutrientsintoaclosedsystem, bacterial organisms(mycorrhizae) that typically create anetwork offungaland like summerwateringandamendedsoils. California’s native plants, whichdonot of rainfall levels. Thatisespeciallytrue (On-site retailsales) www.northcoastnativenursery.com. Petaluma, CA.(707)769-1213. North CoastNativeNursery, www.laspilitas.com. (760) 749-5930. Las PilitasNursery, retail sales) www.elkhornnursery.com. Landing, CA.(831)763-1207. Elkhorn NativePlantNursery, Sources www.growingnative.com. Growing Native,(831)427-1818. 763-0282. California OakFoundation, (916) 447-2677.www.cnps.org. California NativePlantSociety, Resources Summer wateringalsodisturbsthesoil’s The mycorrhizae network isextensive, California native plantcommunities www.californiaoaks.org. greater drought toler- and akeyvoice inthe Escondido, CA. May /June 2005 (510) (On-site Moss The  47 ranked highinthesix-yearevaluation. Alchemilla mollis, 48 hardy andfree ofdiseasesandpests.” ofbeing“coldthey have theaddedvirtues liage andspraysofgreenish-yellow flowers, the Midwest. With attractive, scallopedfo- to beallaround “good garden plants” for mantle year evaluation ofvarious speciesoflady’s ic Garden (CBG)recently completedasix- Hawke andhisstaffattheChicagoBotan- Plant Evaluation Manager Richard G. MANTLEONTRIAL LADY’S Tripp isanatural totakethisnewpositionat our113-year-oldinstitution.” and horticulturist,akeeninterest ineducation,andadistinguishedcareer,”saysNYBGPresident andCEOGregoryLong,“Dr. achusetts, andtheBotanicGarden ofSmithCollegeinNorthampton,Massachusetts.“With her strongbackgroundasaresearcher versity’s JCRaulstonArboretum inRaleigh,NorthCarolina,theArnoldArboretumofHarvard UniversityinJamaicaPlain,Mass- president forHorticultureand LivingCollections.Herpublicgardencareerhasalsoincluded postsatNorthCarolinaStateUni In March,KimE.Trippbecame theNewYorkBotanicalGarden’snewdirector.Previously, TrippwastheNYBG’sseniorvice New DirectoratYorkBotanicalGarden EPEadPLACESintheNEWS PEOPLE and Horticultural NewsandResearch ImportanttoAmericanGardeners the American Gardener (Alchemilla above, anditscultivars New England,andthecountry’slargestpublicnativeplanteducationprogram. ranging fromthesociety’snewplantnurseryinWhately,Massachusetts, thepublicationofnext in Georgia.Inhernewposition,shewillleadthenation’soldest plantconservationinstitutioninundertakings Gardens inWashington,D.C.,and,mostrecently,shewas executive directorofgardensatCallawayGardens quartered inFramingham,Massachusetts.Stauffer’sexperience includessevenyearsatHillwoodMuseumand Gwen Staufferhasbeennamedthenewexecutivedirector oftheNewEnglandWildFlowerSociety,head- New EnglandWildFlowerSocietyNamesExecutiveDirector spp.) andfoundthem be viewedatwww.eplants.org. 60022. Evaluation informationmayalso 1000 LakeCookRoad, Glencoe, IL issue from thePlant Evaluation Program, tion Notes.” It maybeordered for$3per als inapublicationcalled“Plant Evalua- Heat Zones higherthan7. Zone 4,butdonotfare well inAHS of theseare hardy toatleastUSDA garis, A.glabelleta,vul- sala, A.erythropoda, were: and planthealth,”thetopperformers for “floral effectiveness, habitquality, mercially available lady’s mantle. Rated maple, pine,andtuliptree. native trees, includingthedogwood, than secondplaceredwood and18other oak received about20,000more votes throughoutfrontrunner thevoting, the in2001tochooseanationaltree. A survey whose organizationconductedanonline Day Foundation President John Rosenow, American people,”statesNational Arbor oakwasthepopularchoice ofthe “The THE OAKSHAVE IT GARDENER The CBGreports results ofitsplanttri- The trialincluded18taxaofcom- and A. alpina,bulgarica,epip- A. mollis C ’ NOTEBOOK S and cultivars. Most  The liveoakisthestatetreeofGeorgia. (Q. virginiana), white oak(Quercus alba) al tree. Several species,includingthe ers some600species,theofficialnation- naming “the oak,”whichgenericallycov- ple’s choice whentheypassedabill dent George W. Bush confirmedthepeo- hold itsfirstever North AmericanPond Water Garden Society (NAWGS) will On July 9and10,theNorth American JUMP IN,THEWATERISFINE GARDEN Last November, Congress andPresi- are already statetrees. and thelive oak Flora of -

TOP LEFT: MARY YEE; TOP RIGHT: CAROLE OTTESEN. BOTTOM: COURTESY OF NEW ENGLAND WILD FLOWER SOCIETY COURTESY OF THE NORTH AMERICAN WATER GARDEN SOCIETY thousands ofwatergardens. The NorthAmericanPondTourincludes between. NAWGS embracesallofit.” lilies andlotuses,awholegamutin enthusiasts topeoplepassionateabout “so thisevent isopentoanyone from koi says NAWGS President Ellen Beaulieu, promote thehobby ofwatergardening,” pond gardens ofallsizes. more than50toursthrough thousandsof and watergarden professionals willlead as well asothergarden clubs,individuals, andCanada.NAWGScountry chapters Tour ofprivate watergardens around the “Our goalistoeducatepeopleand Help UsRecoverAmerica’s (314) 577-9450 •[email protected] www.centerforplantconservation.org Vanishing Flora utes, AniskoandLovinger discovered that process ofevaluating anumberofattrib- Sarah Lovinger, curatorialintern. In the Tomasz Anisko,curatorofplants,and trialbysults ofaseven-year barberry nett Square, Pennsylvania, announcedre- in 20states. liance reports theyare considered invasive Al- giously thatthePlant Conservation them tospread intonaturalareas soprodi- duce copiousquantitiesofseed,enabling and popularornamentalshrub. time, theyhave becomeawidelyplanted Plain, Massachusetts, in1875.Since that boretum ofHarvard University inJamaica by seedssentfrom Russia totheArnoldAr- were firstintroduced totheUnited States Japanese barberries(Berberis thunbergii) BARBERRIES STAY-AT-HOME events inyour area. search forpondtoursby statetofind site ican Pond Tour, visittheNAWGS Web Recently, LongwoodGardens inKen- Unfortunately, Japanese barberriespro- To learnmore abouttheNorth Amer- (www.nawgs.com), “That’s one “That’s “ “That’s one “That’s - ElizabethH.,PassaicNJ “My EarthBoxgardenmademefeellikeapro!” “My brotherhas14tomatoplants,Ioutproduce him withjustthree.” “62 poundsoftomatoes It’s simplythe “62 poundsoftomatoes Join the1000’s ofgardenerswhopraisethe where you may right fromourpatio!” right fromourpatio!” TM ais adnEverDeveloped!” Garden Easiest Call NOWTo Order1-888-502-7336 - JimN.,ScrantonPA P.O. 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By fall,theyare resplendent, con- begin totakeonbrilliantcolorasearly with aspread ofeightfeet.Theberries ana—will grow sixtoninefeetinheight Simpson Nursery inVincennes, Indi- troduced in1977by R.C.Simpson of cillata of thehollytribe,winterberry, Ilex verti- andmember of adeciduousnative shrub not aflower stem atall,butthefruit-laden Flower Growers chose asitstopcutflower This year, theAssociationofSpecialty Cut WINNING WINTERBERRY to beonitssubscriptionlist. is free forconsumers,butsources mustpay Though winterberry drops itsfoliage, Though winterberry 2004 ComputerScr Men’s Garden Club ofAmerica 2005 “Gar the American Gardener 13 prizecolorphotosinbothitems ‘Winter Red’.‘Winter Thiscultivar—in- The GardenersofAmerica $6.95 ($59.00for10)Postpaid www.GardenersOfAmerica.org Johnston, IA50131-0241 Phone: 515-278-0295 $10.00 Postpaid dener Box 241 ’ s” Calendar een Saver winterberry aresuperiorforarrangements. The berry-loadedbranchesof‘WinterRed’ small, round swellings ontheirroots. Enter deficiencies andstuntedgrowth aswell as scopic pestsmayappeartohave nutrient etables. Plants infectedwiththesemicro- many garden annuals,perennials, andveg- plague awidevariety ofplants,including Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne NEMESIS NEMATODE sure formation. fruit Red’right timetopollinate‘Winter toen- spp.) nematode populations. also have proved usefulinreducing (Tagetes patula), tain cultivars ofFrench marigolds mance ofcrops plantedafterthem.Cer- Belle’ pepper, seemtoaffecttheperfor- available, onlyafew, likethe‘Charleston sistant varieties ofsusceptibleplantsare home gardeners,” saysThies. ble vegetable crops wouldbeusefulto knot nematodesinsubsequentsuscepti- ‘Charleston Belle’ tohelpmanageroot- ed afterthepepper. “Ithinkplanting were betterwhenthesecrops were plant- bers andsquashesfoundthatyields root-knot nematodedamagetocucum- the useof‘CharlestonBelle’ toreduce Charleston, South Carolina, evaluated Service’s Vegetable in Laboratory ogist attheUSDAAgriculturalResearch plants toresist root-knot nematodes. search indicatesthatitalsohelpsother tasty, heat-tolerantbellpepper, re- butnew ‘Charleston Belle’, whichisnotonlya While several root-knot nematode-re- Judy A.Thies,aresearch plantpathol- broccoli, andcauliflower 

CAROLE OTTESEN Join us now to take advantage of the many benefits of membership in the American Horticultural Society

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

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

AHS Online Our Web site (www.ahs.org) contains a wealth of information, National Awards Program The Great American Gardeners Awards recognizes including articles from The American Gardener, members-only pages with special individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to information and updates, and links to other prominent gardening sites. horticulture. The Flower Show Awards spotlight earth-friendly garden displays at flower shows. Noteworthy garden books are the focus for our Book Awards program. Your membership also supports our many national programs Annual Membership Levels George Washington's River Farm The AHS's National Headquarters is located on a Annual membership in the American Horticultural Society, including six issues of The scenic 25-acre site overlooking the Potomac River. Formerly one of our First American Gardener magazine and all the benefits described on this page, is available President's farms, the property now features an artful blend of naturalistic and at the following levels: formal gardens that offer year-round delight to visitors of all ages. • $35 Individual • $1,000 President's Council National Children and Youth Garden Symposium Since 1993, this annual program • $50 Family • Corporate Membership (contact our office) has led the way in promoting the value of children's gardens and garden-based • $50 International • Horticultural Partner (contact our office) education.

The Growing Connection This innovative educational program teaches children about the science of growing food plants and their role in a healthy diet. Please join the AHS family.

Online Gardening Courses Enroll in state-of-the-art online garden classes through To become a member, call (703) 768-5700 AHS's partnership with the Horticultural Gardening Institute of Michigan State University. or visit us at www.ahs.org BOOKC REVIEWS

Recommendations for Your Gardening Library

Gardening with Clematis: Design & Cultivation. ture; there are clematis for every condition it would seem, but Linda Beutler. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2004. 300 pages. only if various cultural guidelines are adhered to. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $34.95. In a direct and authoritative man- ner, Malek cuts straight to the chase Simply Clematis: Clematis Made Simple. with brisk, hard-working, how-to- Edith M. Malek. American Clematis Society, Irvine, California, 2004. grow information, presented without 304 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $24.95. hyperbole. Beutler’s work has the how-to as well, just not quite so read- WHEN I FIRST sat down with these books, I immediately ily accessible. Then, as the title pro- turned to pruning, since this is the one area where clematis claims, the remaining pages of writers, growers, and fanciers can come unstuck. I should Malek’s book are filled simply with know, as I have been all three in my time. I had not been at it clematis. Portraits of some 120 differ- long—clematis growing that is— ent clematis are accompanied by in- and the more I read about clema- formation such as the history, zones, tis and pruning the more bloom period, height, light require- confused I became. Eventually, I ments, and pruning regime. All of this makes Malek’s guide a did figure it out and had my own good companion to Beutler’s design-oriented text and is why, sizeable collection of clematis, if you are going to pursue clematis with any energy, you need but it would have been nice to both these books. have these two books to help me —Ethne Clarke along the way. Linda Beutler, the author of A garden editor for Meredith Corporation, Ethne Clarke grows clema- Gardening with Clematis: Design tis in her Des Moines, Iowa, garden. & Cultivation, is a floral designer, garden designer, and “unabashed clematis obsessive,” cultivating 250 plus clematis taxa in her The Perennial Gardener’s Design Primer: The Essential Portland, Oregon, garden. In the course of discussing the sub- Guide to Creating Simply Sensational Gardens. ject of her book’s title, Beutler describes the various sorts of Stephanie Cohen and Nancy J. Ondra. Photographs by Rob Cardillo. clematis, from herbaceous perennials to large-flowered Storey Publishing, North Adams, Massachusetts, 2005. 320 pages. climbers. She also introduces some of Portland’s better known Publisher’s price, hardcover: $34.95. gardenistas and gurus, which is helpful since a good way to learn about gardening is from other’s successes—and mistakes. IS IT TRUE, as the title implies, that this book will make you Beutler’s ability to conjure word images of clematis colors and a perennial gardening expert? It’s hard to believe otherwise, as forms growing with all sorts of other plants is impressive, though the authors have managed to pack so much in here. This book it helps to know your crocosmias from your cryptomerias. More pools the wisdom of two very experienced gardeners: Stephanie than 100 attractive color photographs further illustrate the text. Cohen is a teacher of perennial design at Temple University in And there are abundant ideas for ways to use clematis through- Pennsylvania and Nancy J. Ondra out the garden, from strict tuteurs to free-form rebar supports, is the author of several other gar- grocery carts (a rather Portlandian conceit, I think) to simple ar- dening books and a former nurs- bors. Beutler’s design message is “be inventive.” Her cultural mes- ery owner. sage is “be patient”—a sentiment she shares with Edith M. Organized into three sections, Malek, author of Simply Clematis: Clematis Made Simple. the book begins appropriately with Malek is president and founder of the American Clematis a chapter titled, “Getting Started,” Society, the first clematis society in the United States. She gar- which discusses the “basics of get- dens with 200 plus clematis in Irvine, California—a very dif- ting any design off to a great start.” ferent climate from Beutler’s Pacific Northwest garden. It was This is followed by several chapters interesting to note the variances in approach between the two that cover important design ele- pros, but was evidence, too, of clematis’s accommodating na- ments such as color and texture,

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Setting the standard in gardening reference Available wherever books are sold • For more great ideas visit www.dk.com and sign up for our FREE newsletter “The mother lode of AKE A WALK down a typical city street and California plant books.” Tyou might notice the absence of green. In —FREMONTIA Garden Your City (Taylor Trade Publishing, 2005, $24.95), Manhattan gardener Barbara Hobens Feldt asserts that urbanites don’t have to succumb to concrete and asphalt. To reap the rich rewards of gardening in a city, “finding a space and ex- panding your horticultural horizons is the key,” she writes. Feldt begins with gardening basics, then shares her experiences and advice on how to meet the challenges of city gardening—such as getting water to a rooftop. Urban gardeners every- where will benefit from this insightful book. —Nicole Gibson, Editorial Intern California’s Wild Gardens A Guide to Favorite Botanical Sites S ROSES BEGIN their colorful and fragrant Phyllis M. Faber, Editor A summertime show, A Bouquet of Roses: Glori- “This glorious book, en route to becoming ous Arrangements for All Occasions by Christina a classic, celebrates the first premise of Wressell (Chronicle Books, 2005, $19.95) offers California: nature, in all her bewildering 30 creative ideas for bringing the show indoors. variety and profusion.” Organized by color, each arrangement includes a —KEVIN STARR, author of Americans and the California Dream list of flowers to use, container suggestions, de- $34.95 paperback, 500 color photographs sign techniques, and a color photograph that

AT BOOKSTORES OR WWW.UCPRESS.EDU shows off the whole piece. Wressell also provides advice for selecting and preparing cut roses, and UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS a list of her favorite cultivars by color. —Viveka Neveln, Assistant Editor A gardener ought to have a little make-believe. how to combine perennials with other “Nan’s Notebook,” that offer the authors’ —Olive Percival plants such as annuals, bulbs, and shrubs, personal observations and tips. Cohen is The Children’s Garden Book and designing with non-plant essentials clearly a character, and I laughed out loud BY OLIVE PERCIVAL such as paths, lighting, and fences. at her wacky observations on everything Percival’s charming illustrations and The second section deals with chal- from foundation plantings with “green instructions for fifteen fanciful children’s lenging conditions like wet soils and meatballs” to difficult sites with “plants on gardens are reproduced for the first time. shade, creative color combinations and life-support systems.” Ondra’s comments Described by Percival as “a potpourri of themes (including the joys of white), and are equally informative—for example, her flowery facts and garden lore,” The Children’s perennials for four seasons. Cottage gar- warning about “black holes,” referring to Garden Book shows children that the pleas- dens, naturalistic styles, and other dark-leaved plants that are poorly sited ures of one’s own garden may be achieved themed plantings are also considered. among bright ones. through planning, patience, dedication, The final section is especially intriguing The authors’ user-friendly—and and imagination. for its before-and-after discourse on gar- sometimes hysterically funny—writing dens the authors have tackled personally. makes it easy to read, Rob Cardillo’s The book concludes with an illustrated beautiful photographs make the plants chart summarizing such plant details as easy to recognize, and color drawings of light needs, season of bloom, and color design plans make it easy to visualize the for a quick reference. resulting garden. All you’ll need then is a As a list-maker myself, I especially set of dirty fingernails.  loved the plant lists throughout the book. —Linda Yang These highlight various plants for specif- ic needs such as “Marvelous Moisture Linda Yang, a “retired” journalist for the $24.95 AT BOOKSTORES OR ORDER Lovers for Sun” and “Orange You Glad?” New York Times and author of four books, HTTP://HUNTINGTON.UCPRESS.EDU covering hot-colored blooms. including The City Gardener’s Hand- Huntington Library Press I also got a real kick out of the recur- book, now writes primarily for Better DISTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS ring sidebars, titled “Stephanie Says” and Homes & Gardens.

54 the American Gardener GARDENERC’S BOOKS

Regional Gardening Books

ARDENING is an activity flowers, vines, shrubs, and trees that are na- of local plant societies and public gardens Americans enjoy nationwide, tive to northeastern North America, in- as sources of further information. G but recommendations for suc- cluding eastern Canada and the eastern cessful practices and plant selection can United States as far as the Plains states. MIDDLE GROUND vary quite a bit from region to region. Hundreds of color photographs accompa- For gardeners from Delaware south to The diverse climates and ecosystems of ny the text, and an appendix provides plant Virginia, Month-by-Month Gardening this country’s coasts, prairies, mountains, lists for various purposes such as plants for in the Mid-Atlantic by André and Mark and deserts offer myriad challenges and wet soil and plants that attract wildlife. Viette with Jacqueline Heriteau (Cool possibilities. Here are some recently pub- For those on the other side of the coun- Springs Press, 2004, lished books that offer region-specific try, there’s The Big Book of Northwest $19.99) covers when plant and gardening advice. Perennials by Marty Wingate (Sasquatch to do what during Books, 2005, $24.95). The Pacific North- the gardening year. UP NORTH west’s “accommodating growing environ- Chapters are divid- Gardeners everywhere are becoming in- ment can make choosing perennials seem ed by major plant creasingly aware of and interested in in- like an overwhelming task,” writes categories such as digenous flora. Native Plants of the Wingate. This annuals, perennials, Northeast by Don- book aims to houseplants, lawns, ald J. Leopold (Tim- help by provid- roses, and water plants. Each chapter cov- ber Press, 2005, ing succinct de- ers when gardening activities such as plant- $39.95) provides an scriptions and ing, pruning, watering, and fertilizing invaluable resource color photo- should be done and includes a chart of rec- for using natives in graphs of more ommended plants for the region. the landscape and than 150 peren- Another title in the Cool Springs Press restoration projects. nials that thrive in northwestern gardens. series in 2004 is The book describes It includes chapters on how to design and Month-by-Month ferns, grasses, wild maintain perennial gardens as well as a list Gardening in the Prairie Lands by Cathy Wilkinson More Regional Gardening Books Barash and Melinda Myers. It follows Gardens and Historic Plants of the Ante- Perennial Gardening in Texas. Alan the same easy-to- bellum South. James R. Cothran. Uni- Franz. Taylor Trade Publishing, use format but fo- versity of South Carolina Press, 2005, $39.95. cuses on gardening in Iowa, Kansas, 2003, $49.95. Nebraska, and the Dakotas. Wildly Successful Plants: Northern Cali- In Search of Great Plants: The Insider’s fornia. Pam Pierce. Sasquatch Books, DOWN SOUTH Guide to the Best Plants in the Midwest. 2004, $24.95. High salt levels, poor soil, and tempestu- Betty Earl. Cool Springs Press, 2004, ous weather make gardening in coastal $19.99. Wild Lilies, Irises, and Grasses: areas challenging. Using plants that adapt Gardening with California Monocots. well to seaside life is a key to success. Land- Landscaping with Native Plants of Min- Nora Harlow and Kristin Jakob, edi- scape Plants for the Gulf and South At- nesota. Lynn M. Steiner. Voyageur tors. University of California Press, lantic Coasts by Robert J. Black and Press, 2005, $24.95. 2004, $24.95. Edward F. Gilman (University Press of Florida, 2004, $24.95) covers how to select Ornamental Grasses for the Southeast. The Zen of Gardening in the High and and grow plants for coastal regions, and de- Peter Loewer. Cool Springs Press, Arid West. David Wann. Fulcrum Pub- scribes more than 400 trees, shrubs, vines, 2004, $22.99. lishing, 2003, $17.95. and ground covers—each one accompa- nied by a color photograph.  —Viveka Neveln, Assistant Editor

May / June 2005 55 REGIONALC HAPPENINGS

Horticultural Events from Around the Country

MAY 20 & 21. Spring Sampler. Festival, plant NORTHEAST sale, workshop. Purchase Area Master Gar- CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT Events sponsored by or including official dener Association. Paducah, Kentucky. RAP participation by AHS or AHS staff members MAY 21. Garden Fair and Plant Sale. are identified with the AHS symbol. (270) 554-9520. www.pamga.org. Park-McCullough Historic House. North Bennington, Vermont. (802) 442-5441. MAY 21. Plant Fair. Lincoln Trail Area Mas- www.parkmccullough.org. Events hosted by botanical gardens and ter Gardener Association. Hardin County arboreta that participate in AHS’s Reciprocal Cooperative Extension Service Office. Eliza- RAP MAY 21. Spring Fair at Blithewold: Admissions Program are identified with the bethtown, Kentucky. (270) 765-4121. Garden Antiques and Specialty Plant RAP symbol. Current AHS members showing a E-mail: [email protected]. Sale. Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and valid membership card are eligible for free or Arboretum. Bristol, Rhode Island. discounted admission to the garden or other MAY 21 & 22. Blue Ridge Rose Exhibition. (401) 253-2707. www.blithewold.org. benefits. Special events may not be included; North Carolina Arboretum. Asheville, contact the host site for details or visit North Carolina. (828) 665-2492. JUNE 3–5. Annual Native Plant Sale. Massa- ww.ahs.org/events/reciprocal_events.htm. www.ncarboretum.org. chusetts Audubon Society Pleasant Valley Sanctuary. Lenox, Massachusetts. (413) RAP MAY 28 & 29. Plant Sale. American 637-0320. www.massaudubon.org. Orchid Society Visitors Center and Botani- RAP MAY 24. An Introduction to Backyard cal Garden. Delray Beach, Florida. JUNE 4. HerbFest. Connecticut Herb Pests. Environmentally friendly pest manage- (561) 404-2000. www.orchidweb.org. Association. Coventry, Connecticut. (860) ment workshop. Scott Arboretum. Swarth- 742-8239. www.topmostherbfarm.com. more, Pennsylvania. (610) 328-8025. JUNE 2–4. 2005 National Convention. The www.scottarboretum.org. Gardeners of America/Men’s Garden Clubs of JUNE 4. Spring Festival. King’s Garden at America. Jupiter, Florida. (561) 630-8075. Fort Ticonderoga. Ticonderoga, New York. MAY 27. Spice Up Your Life! Class. United www.tgoa-mgca.org. (518) 585-2821. www.fort-ticonderoga. States Botanic Garden. Washington, D.C. org/gardens. (202) 225-8333. www.usbg.gov. RAP JUNE 13–JULY 22. Environmental Summer Day Camp. For 4 to 10 year olds. JUNE 24–26. Newport Flower Show. The JUNE 2–4. Native Plants in the Landscape Atlanta Botanical Garden. Atlanta, Georgia. Preservation Society of Newport County Conference. Millersville University. Millers- (404) 876-5859. www.atlantabotanical and F.A. Bartlett Tree Experts. Rosecliff, ville, Pennsylvania. (717) 872-3030. garden.org. (Register by June 10.) Rhode Island. (401) 847-1000. www.millersvillenativeplants.org. www.newportflowershow.org. RAP JUNE 20–24. Sprout Camp. Plant edu- RAP JUNE 10. Moonlight and Roses. Gala. cation for grades 1 to 2 and 3 to 4. Daniel JUNE 25. Herb and Flower Festival. Master Morris Arboretum of the University of Penn- Stowe Botanical Garden. Belmont, North Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Exten- sylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (215) Carolina. (704) 825-4490. www.dsbg.org. sion. Parker Scripture Botanical Gardens. 247-5777. www.upenn.edu/arboretum. Oriskany, New York. (315) 736-3394. JUNE 21. How to Succeed with Hostas. www.cce.cornell.edu/oneida/. JUNE 16–18. Japanese Iris Convention. Lecture. Georgia Perennial Plant Associa- Society for Japanese Iris. Dover, Delaware. tion. Atlanta, Georgia. (404) 233-2712. (302) 239-1137. www.socji.org. www.georgiaperennial.org. MID-ATLANTIC PA, NJ, VA, MD, DE, WV, DC RAP JUNE 19. Hershey Gardens Father’s JUNE 22–25. Southeast Greenhouse Confer- RAP MAY 20. Spring Garden Symposium: Day. Free admissions for all dads. Hershey ence. Palmetto Expo Center. Greenville, Creating Native Landscapes by Design. Ad- Gardens. Hershey, Pennsylvania. (717) South Carolina. (877) 927-2775. kins Arboretum. Wye Mills, Maryland. (410) 534-3492. www.hersheygardens.org. www.sgcts.org. 634-2847. www.adkinsarboretum.org. JUNE 28. Monarch Larva Monitoring Project Looking ahead MAY 20 & 21. Treasures of Our Freedom. Training Workshop. Class. Brookside Gar- JULY 26 & 27. Summer Express Short Course. A Patriotic Standard Flower Show. dens. Wheaton, Maryland. (301) 962-1400. Chattanooga Association of Landscape Pro- Pottstown Garden Club. Pottstown, www.BrooksideGardens.org. fessionals. Colledgedale, Tennessee. (423) Pennsylvania. (610) 722-3205. 886-8874. www.chattanoogalandscapers. E-mail: [email protected]. com. (Register by July 4.) SOUTHEAST AL, FL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN RAP MAY 21. The Making of a Garden. Lec- NORTH CENTRAL ture on U.S. National Arboretum history. MAY 20 & 21. Hydrangea Conference. Center IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI U.S. National Arboretum. Washington, D.C. for Applied Nursery Research. Thomson, (202) 245-2726. www.usna.usda.gov. Georgia. (706) 597-8309. www.canr.org. RAP MAY 27–30. Cleveland Botanical Gar-

56 the American Gardener Festival in Colorado’s Wildflower Capital Cultivate Your Checkbook Now you can support the APPROPRIATELY DESIGNATED the Wildflower Capital of Colorado by the state’s legislature in 1989, the town of Crested Butte, Colorado, comes alive with color each American Horticultural Society summer as an abundance of wildflowers bloom in the mountains. To mark the occa- with every check you write. sion, this small town of approximately 1,500 FREE holds the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, Shipping & a weeklong celebration that draws visitors Handling from around the world. This year’s event, held from July 11 to 17, offers more than 60 guided wildflower hikes and tours through stunning mountain Elephant head (Pedi- meadows, national cularis groenlandica), American Horticultural Society Checks an alpine wildflower forests, and the old AHS Address Labels historic district of

town. There also will be an impressive array CHRIS B. WALKER 123 FOREST LANE of workshops and lectures on topics such as ANYWHERE, USA 54321 medicinal uses of plants, organic gardening, photography, and arts and crafts. A tradition for the last 19 years, the festi- val continues to draw crowds of regulars as well as newcomers. “Wildflowers have a cer- tain fascination for people because they are AHS Cotton Checkbook Cover so fleeting and because they are something very special produced by nature,” says Lee Renfrow, director of the Wildflower Festival. • 10% from each purchase goes directly to AHS. • Our checks meet all U.S. bank standards Early registration for workshops, hikes, and other activities is recommended. To and are guaranteed to work with your bank. register or learn more about the festival, call (970) 349-2571 or visit www.crested • 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. buttewildflowerfestival.com. Order Form —Nicole Gibson, Editorial Intern Name Address den Flower Show. Cleveland Botanical Gar- Botanical Gardens & Arboreta Annual Con- E-mail Confidential. For shipment verification. den. Cleveland, Ohio. (216) 721-1600. ference. Morton Arboretum, Chicago Phone ( ) www.cbgarden.org. Botanic Garden, Cantigny Park, and the Check Start #______(If no start number is given, #1001 will be used.) Chicago Park District. Chicago, Illinois. ❑ n (8M33U) AHS Checks ...... $ ______F8M320 ❑ $14.95 (150 Singles) ❑ $16.95 (150 Duplicates) RAP JUNE 4 & 5. Garden Fair Extravaganza. (302) 655-7100. www.aabga.org. ❑ Check Custom Lettering ...... add $2.50 $ ______Klehm Arboretum. Rockford, Illinois. (815) ❑ Cursive ❑ Modern ❑ Olde English 965-8146. www.klehm.org. Looking ahead ❑ (8M33C) Cotton Checkbook Cover . . add $11.95 $ ______❑ JULY 9–13. OFA Short Course. Classes, lec- (8ML33) 240 Address Labels ...... add $9.95 $ ______RAP ❑ Label Custom Lettering ...... add $2.50 $ ______JUNE 7. The Right Perennials for Your tures, field trips, and more. Columbus, ❑ Cursive ❑ Modern ❑ Olde English Garden. Class. Missouri Botanical Garden. Ohio. (613) 487-1117. www.ofa.org. Shipping & Handling ...... add $1.95 per item $ ______FREE St. Louis, Missouri. (800) 642-8842. Rush Delivery ...... add $4.95 per item $ ______www.mobot.org. EZShield Check Fraud Protection ProgramSM: SOUTH CENTRAL add $1.00 for EACH box of checks you order . . . . $ ______AR, KS, LA, MO, MS, OK, TX OFFER CODE: 8MG078 SUBTOTAL $ ______JUNE 11. Art in the Garden. Lecture by Sales Tax only AR (7.5%); MD (5%) ...... $ ______James van Sweden, of Oehme, van Sweden RAP MAY 3–27. Last Stand: America’s Vir- TOTAL $ ______& Associates, Inc. Botanical Garden Society gin Lands. Exhibit. Missouri Botanical Gar- IMPORTANT! Include the following with this order form: of Northwest Michigan. Traverse City, den. St. Louis, Missouri. (800) 642-8842. ❑ Voided check or reorder form with changes indicated. Michigan. (231) 935-4077. www.mobot.org. ❑ Deposit ticket from the same account. www.northwestmichigangarden.org. ❑ Three lines of personalization for address labels. (Max. 32 letters/spaces per line.) RAP ❑ Payment choice: MAY 21. Easy Floral Design. Seminar ❑ Check made payable to Message!Products® RAP JUNE 23–26. Butterfly Festival. and demonstration. Corpus Christi Botani- ❑ Charge to: ❑ Visa® ❑ MasterCard® Cox Arboretum and Gardens Metropark. cal Gardens and Nature Center. Corpus Acct#______Exp. Date _ __/_ _ _

Dayton, Ohio. (937) 434-9005. Christi, Texas. (361) 852-2100. Sig. ______www.coxarboretum.org. www.ccbotanicalgardens.org. ❑ Automatically debit my checking account (for Auto Debit option, orders must include checks) MAIL COMPLETE ORDER TO: RAP JUNE 24. Making the Connection: RAP MAY 21 & 22. Viva Botánica Festival. Message!Products® • PO Box 700 • Edgewood, MD 21040-0700 Plants and Hydrology. Symposium. Chicago San Antonio Botanical Garden. San Antonio, Order Online! www.messageproducts.com or call toll free 1-800-243-2565 To redeem this offer, use OFFER CODE 8MG078 during online checkout. Botanic Garden. Glencoe, Illinois. Texas. (210) 829-5100. www.sabot.org. Allow 2-3 weeks for regular delivery. Alaska and Hawaii delivery may take longer. Items shipped separately. (847) 835-8261. www.chicagobotanic. Offer expires 12/31/06. org/symposia. (Register by June 17.) RAP MAY 29. Iris Show. Botanica, EZShield Check Fraud Protection ProgramSM (Pat. Pend.): Guard your checks from unauthorized use of up to $25,000 The Wichita Gardens. Wichita, Kansas. for only $1.00 per box. Underwritten by Lloyd’s of London. JUNE 29–JULY 2. American Association of (316) 264-0884. www.botanica.org. See Order Form. To learn more, visit www.ezshield.org. COURTESY OF CRESTED BUTTE WILDFLOWER FESTIVAL

May / June 2005 57 JUNE 4. The Garden Tour for Connoisseurs. Tours of private gardens. Oklahoma Horti- A Summertime Celebration of Orchids cultural Society. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (405) 330-9150. www.okhort.org. THOUGH SUMMER IS generally the off season for orchids, the Santa Barbara Or- chid Estate International Orchid Fair provides aficionados a chance to get their fill. SOUTHWEST Held from July 8 to 10 at the Earl Warren Show Grounds in Santa Barbara, Califor- AZ, NM, CO, UT nia, this colorful outdoor event will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year. RAP The fair will feature 50 diverse orchid growers from around the world who will share MAY 1–JULY 31. Plants of Lewis and their knowledge and Clark. Exhibit. Denver Botanic Gardens. bring their plants for Denver, Colorado. (720) 865-3500. www.botanicgardens.org. purchase. The event also will include orchid cul- JUNE 11. Weird Plant Sale. Tucson ture demonstrations and Botanical Gardens. Tucson, Arizona. (520) talks by Lance Birk, au- 326-9686. www.tucsonbotanical.org. thor of The Paphiope- dilum Grower’s Manual. RAP JUNE18. Plant Sale and Garden Fair. Paul Gripp, who The Arboretum at Flagstaff. Flagstaff, Ari- owned the Santa Bar- zona. (928) 774-1442. www.thearb.org. bara Orchid Estate (SBOE) from 1967 to RAP JUNE 19. Sego Lily Hunt. Red Butte Garden. Salt Lake City, Utah. 1986, originally had the (801) 581-4747. www.redbuttegarden.org. idea to start the Inter- national Orchid Fair. RAP JUNE 25. Water-Smart Gardening “It all started from a Expo and Tours. Denver Botanic Gardens. crazy idea my father Denver, Colorado. (720) 865-3500. had about having an Orchids will abound in Santa Barbara in July. www.botanicgardens.org. orchid event with no fancy displays, during the off season when growers are a little less busy,” explains Paul’s WEST COAST daughter Alice, who now co-owns the SBOE with her brother Parry. “Luckily, some CA, NV, HI of the most striking, interesting, and fragrant orchids bloom in the summer,” she adds. JUNE 9 & 10. Integrated Pest Management Located just 10 minutes from the Orchid Fair, the SBOE itself warrants a visit to Conference. Horticulture and Crop Science see its collection of summer-blooming orchids. Founded in 1957 on five acres near the Department and the Environmental Horti- coast of the Pacific Ocean, this nursery specializes in outdoor-temperature-tolerant cultural Science Club of California Poly- varieties of orchids and bills itself as “one of the world’s foremost collectors and prop- technic State University. San Luis Obispo, agators of orchid species and hybrids.” California. (805) 756-2279. For further details, call (800) 553-3387 or visit www.orchidfair.com. http://hcrs.calpoly.edu. —Nicole Gibson, Editorial Intern

JUNE 11 & 12. Beyond Vineyards: Landscapes of the Napa Valley. California NORTHWEST Garden & Landscape History Society Alaska Botanical Garden. Anchorage, Alas- AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY Conference. St. Helena, California. ka. (907) 770-3692. www.alaskabg.org. (707) 963-9504. www.cglhs.org. JUNE 2 & 3. Point Defiance Flower and Garden Show. Metro Parks Tacoma and CANADA JUNE 11 & 12. Flower, Garden and Art The Tacoma Garden Club. Tacoma, Festival. “The Garden Angels” of Mission Washington. (253) 305-1003. JUNE 9–12. Vancouver Garden Show at San Juan Capistrano. San Juan Capistrano, www.ptdefianceflowershow.com. VanDusen. Vancouver, British Columbia. California. (949) 234-1300. (604) 687-4780. www.vancouvergarden www.missionsjc.com. RAP JUNE 18. Dogs and Dogwood. Classes show.com. on gardening in harmony with pets. The RAP JUNE 17 & 18. Bonsai Show and Oregon Garden. Silverton, Oregon. (503) JUNE 18. Kelowna Garden Tour. Private gar- Sale. Descanso Gardens. La Cañada 874-8100. www.oregongarden.org. dens, plant sale, family activities. Kelowna, Flintridge, California. (818) 949-4200. British Columbia. (250) 860-9389. www.descansogardens.org. RAP JUNE 18. Summer Solstice Sale. E-mail: [email protected]. Plant sale. Washington Park Arboretum. JUNE 25 & 26. San Diego Cactus and Seattle, Washington. (206) 543-8800. RAP JUNE 21. About Trees. Lecture. Succulent Society Show. Balboa Park, www.arboretumfoundation.org. The Arboretum. University of Guelph. San Diego, California. (619) 239-0512. Guelph, Ontario. (519) 824-4120. www.balboapark.org. RAP JUNE 26. 2005 Garden Tour. www.uoguelphy.ca/arboretum. Idaho Botanical Garden. Boise, Idaho. Looking ahead (208) 343-8649. www.idahobotanical Looking ahead JULY 23. Medicinal Plant Walk. garden.org. JULY 24–27. International Master Gardener Occidental Arts and Ecology Center. Conference. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Occidental, California. (707) 874-1557. Looking ahead http://mastergardener.osu.edu/img/ www.oaec.org. RAP JULY 9 & 10. Blue Poppy Garden Tour. conference.html.  COURTESY OF SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL ORCHID SHOW

58 the American Gardener TOOLS GARDENC MARKET

CLASSIFIED AD RATES: All classified advertising must be prepaid. $2.75 per word; mini- mum $65 per insertion. Copy and prepayment must be received on the 20th of the month three months prior to publication date. To place an advertisement, call (703) 768-5700.

BOOKSPLANT LABELS NURSERY STOCK

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LILIES PLANT LABELS

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POSITION OPEN TROPICAL PLANTS LANDSCAPE PLANT SCIENCE & SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT. The University of Washington (UW) College of Forest Resources invites applications for a 9-month tenure-track assistant professor position. The position offers opportunities to pursue teaching, research, and public service in landscape plant science, particularly management and selection of plants for human-dominat- ed landscapes. The successful applicant’s teaching and research programs are expected to con- tribute to an increasing emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches within the College and with other UW programs focusing on the sustainability of urban and urbanizing environments. Responsibilities: The faculty member will develop a 3-quarter teaching profile, including Landscape Plant Management and other courses supporting graduate and undergraduate program areas in envi- ronmental horticulture, urban forestry, and restoration, as well as interdisciplinary programs in the Col- lege and the UW. The faculty member will develop a vigorous research program in one or more areas such as cultivated plant physiology, arboriculture, urban forestry, and characterization/classification of urban and urbanizing planting sites. Opportunities exist to develop collaborative research programs in areas such as landscape restoration, ex situ plant conservation, cultivated plant systematics, and urban ecology. The faculty member will participate in the College’s public and professional outreach programs. The faculty member will contribute to the management of the UW’s living plant collections, under the direction of Washington Park Arboretum and Center for Urban Horticulture leadership. Requirements: Ph.D. in horticulture, botany, ecology, or other related natural resources field and a record showing potential for national and international recognition in landscape plant science, preferably including significant training in whole-plant physiology. Evidence of flexibility in teaching and research to serve the College’s evolving programs, and a demonstration of inter- est in the science underpinning the development and management of sustainable urban and LET OUR READERS KNOW urbanizing ecosystems are essential. ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS. Applicants should submit a letter of introduction stating research and teaching interest, expe- rience and qualifications, full curriculum vitae, and three letters of reference to: Gordon Bradley, To place your ad here Chair, Landscape Plant Science Search Committee, University of Washington, Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98195-2100. Applications will be accepted until an appointment is made; the or to request a media kit, committee will begin reviewing applications on May 31, 2005. Position start date is negotiable, call The American Gardener but is anticipated to be no later than Autumn 2006. advertising office at The University of Washington is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. The University is building a culturally diverse faculty and staff and strongly encourages applications from (703) 768-5700 ext. 120. women and minority candidates.

May / June 2005 59 60 by Dr. H.MarcCathey LookingAheadto2020 Time toGrow: all areas ofhorticulture, from technologytoplantselection,environmental awareness, andconservation. (twice!), bookauthor, andnow president emeritus.Over thattimeIhave seenamazingaccomplishmentsin IhadpublishedintheAHSmagazine, andexpandedintoroles asaboardthe firstarticle member, president I from elementary schoolstocolleges. from elementary ternet andtravel. plants, anddesignideasthrough theIn- and commercial real estate. lenges thatallofusmustaddress. America andtheworld,somechal- dictions forwhatgardening willdofor ahead totheyear 2020,here are mypre- dening andthegreen industry. Looking for thoseofuswhoare involved withgar- exciting andchallenging future liesahead host, andadministrator, Iknow thatan educator,horticulturist, garden radio ican agriculture. ■ ■ ■ WILLPROVIDE: BY 2020,GARDENING ■ ■ ■ WILLBECOME: BY 2020,GARDENING portunity forexercise.portunity availability ofnutritiousfoodandop- in theGreen economy. Industry July/August issue ofthismagazine. career willbepublished in the article highlightingDr.Cathey’s to workonseveralbookprojects. An olina, whereDr.Catheywillcontinue wife, Mary,aremovingtoNorth Car- Cathey isretiringinJune.Heandhis tion withtheAHS,Dr.H.Marc After morethan50yearsofaffilia- A worldwideexchange ofinformation, The majoremployer andcareer option The mostprofitable segmentofAmer- A keyelementofeducationalprograms Health benefitsresulting from greater Increased values property forhome Based onmylongcareer asaresearch of thattime,Ihave hadsomeconnectiontotheAmericanHorticultural Society. It in1959,with started T’S HARDTO BELIEVE,T’S the American Gardener but Ihave beeninvolved inhorticulture formore than50years now. For most VRDYGRE SCIENCE GARDEN EVERYDAY plasm CollectioninIllinois,isatoppriority. soybeans fromtheNationalSoybeanGerm- Preserving plantdiversity,asshownbythese ■ ■ ■ AGENDAFOR2020: A GARDENING cleaning upsites contaminatedwith resourcebecome animportant for tion, plantsandbiological agents can Through thescienceofphytoremedia- tertainment carry equalweight. carry tertainment anden- science, education,conservation, maceutical breakthroughs. credible potentialformedicalandphar- situ gered species—inseedbanksandby plants—as well asthreatened orendan- discovered newly need topreserve Saving Germplasm. Healing withPlants. theEarth A new breedA new ofpublicgarden where conservation. Theseplantsholdin- conservation. C There’s anurgent in source—water. ourmostcriticalnaturalre-to preserve harm totheenvironment. productivity whileminimizingfurther methods andproducts, we canmaintain sizing naturalandorganicgardening hydrocarbons andheavy metals. and ethicalways. this sciencemustbeusedinresponsible gineering holdstremendous promise, but ■ the American Horticultural Society. Dr. H.Marc Cathey ispresident emeritusof of hope. children. Remember, green isthecolor better placeforourchildren andgrand- cles andmaketheworldagreener and deners toensure we overcome theobsta- businesses,andhomegar- horticultural ers, publicgardens, university programs, agencies, garden clubs, Master Garden- non-profit organizations,government coordinated passionand skillsofallour these challengesalone.It willtakethe No individualororganizationcanface WORKING TOGETHER ■ ■ ■ ■ landscape andfoodplants. are attackingourmostwidelygrown and controlpestsdiseasesthat new safe methodsmustbefoundtoprevent dening tools,equipment,andproducts. efficiency prioritiesinthedesignofgar- ufacturers shouldmakesafetyandenergy Conservation andErgonomics. Conservation Pest andDisease Control. Ethical Bio-Engineering. Conserving Water.Conserving Fostering Sustainability. We mustdomore Genetic en- By empha- Innovative, Man- 

COURTESY OF ARS/USDA PRONUNCIATIONSC AND PLANTING ZONES

Most of the cultivated plants described in this issue are listed here with their pronunciations, USDA Plant Hardiness Zones and AHS Plant Heat Zones. These zones suggest a range of locations where temperatures are appropriate—both in winter and summer—for growing each plant. While the zones are a good place to start in determining plant adaptability in your region, factors such as exposure, moisture, snow cover, and humidity also play an important role in plant survival. The codes tend to be conservative; plants may grow outside the ranges indicated. A USDA zone rating of 0–0 means that the plant is a true annual and completes its life cycle in a year or less.

AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 7931 East Boulevard Drive To purchase a two-by-three-foot glossy AHS Plant Heat Zone Alexandria, VA 22308 U.S.A. (703) 768-5700 Fax (703) 768-8700

Coordinated by: Map for $9.95, call (800) 777-7931 or visit www.ahs.org. Hardi- Dr. H. Marc Cathey, President Emeritus Compiled by: ness and Heat zone codes are generated by AHS and documented Meteorological Evaluation Services Co., Inc. Underwriting by: American Horticultural Society Goldsmith Seed Company Horticultural Research Institute of the © American Nursery and Landscape Association in the Showtime database, owned by Arabella Dane. Monrovia Time Life Inc.

Copyright © 1997 by the American Horticultural Society

A–H Fritillaria camschatcensis frit-ih- Mentha piperita forma citrata Saponaria officinalis sap-on-AIR- LAIR-ee-uh kam-chat-CHEN-siss MEN-tha pih-pur-EE-tuh forma ee-uh o-fiss-ih-NAL-iss (3–9, 9–1) Acalypha wilkesiana ah-kuh- (4–8, 8–2) sih-TRAY-tuh (3–7, 7–1) Senecio confusus seh-NEE-see-o LEE-fuh wil-kee-zee-AN-uh Heliotropium arborescens hee-lee- Mimulus lewisii MIM-yew-lus kon-FEW-suss (13–15, 12–7) (USDA 11, AHS 12–1) o-TROP-ee-um ar-bo-RES-enz loo-ISS-ee-eye (8–5, 5–8) Stachys byzantina STAY-kiss Agastache foeniculum ah-guh- (12–15, 12–9) Monarda didyma muh-NAR-duh bih-zan-TY-nuh (4–8, 8–1) STAH-she fee-NICK-yoo-lum DID-ih-muh (4–10, 10–1) Symphytum ✕uplandicum SIM-fih- (4–11, 12–5) I–P Myrrhis odorata MY-riss o-doh- tum up-LAN-dih-kum (5–9, 9–4) Allamanda cathartica al-luh- RAY-tuh (3–7, 7–1) S. caucasicum S. kaw-KASZ-ih- MAN-duh kuh-THAR-tih-kuh Inula helenium in-YEW-luh Passiflora caerulea pass-ih-FLOR- kum (3–9, 9–1) (14–15, 12–10) heh-LEE-nee-um (5–8, 8–5) uh see-ROO-lee-uh (7–9, 9–6) Syringa vulgaris sih-REENG-guh Allium sativum AL-ee-um sah- I. magnifica I. mag-NIF-ih-kuh P. racemosa P. ras-eh-MO-suh vul-GAIR-iss (4–8, 8–1) TY-vum (2–9, 12–1) (5–8, 8–5) (13–15, 12–10) A. schoenoprasum A. show-no- ih-po-ME-uh Persicaria bistorta pur-sih-KAIR- T–Z PRAY-sum (5–11, 12–1) AL-buh (12–15, 12–10) ee-uh bis-TOR-tuh (4–8, 8–1) Aloysia triphylla uh-LOY-zee-uh I. lobata I. lo-BAY-tuh Tagetes tenuifolia tah-JEE-teez Phaseolus coccineus fas-see-O-luss try-FIL-luh (8–11, 12–8) (13–15, 12–10) ten-yew-ih-FO-lee-uh (0–0, 12–1) kok-SIN-ee-us (0–0, 12–1) Aquilegia viridiflora ah-kwi-LEE-juh I. tricolor I. TRY-kul-ur Tanacetum parthenium tan-uh-SEE- Pulmonaria officinalis pul-muh- vir-ih-dih-FLOR-uh (4–9, 9–1) (12–15, 12–1) tum par-THEE-nee-um (4–9, 9–1) NAIR-ee-uh o-fiss-ih-NAL-iss Bellis perennis BEL-lis pur-EN-niss Lablab purpureus LAB-lab per-PER- Thunbergia alata thun-BUR-jee-uh (6–8, 8–6) (4–8, 8–1) ee-us (9–11, 12–9) ah-LAY-tuh (11–15, 12–10) Berlandiera lyrata bair-lan-DEER- Lathyrus odoratus LATH-ih-rus T. grandiflora T. gran-dih-FLOR-uh Q–S uh ly-RAY-tuh (7–9, 9–7) o-doh-RAY-tus (9–10, 8–1) (14–15, 12–10) Bidens ferulifolia BY-denz feh-roo- Leucothoe axillaris loo-KO-thoh-ee Quercus agrifolia KWER-kus Tiarella cordifolia tee-uh-REL-luh lih-FO-lee-uh (8–11, 11–8) ak-sih-LAIR-iss (6–9, 9–6) ag-rih-FO-lee-uh (9–11, 12–9) kor-dih-FO-lee-uh (3–8, 7–1) Borago officinalis bor-AY-go o-fiss- L. davisiae L. day-VIS-ee-ee Q. dumosa Q. doo-MO-suh Tropaeolum majus tro-PEE-o-lum ih-NAL-iss (0–0, 12–1) (6–8, 8–5) (7–9, 9–7) MAY-juss (0–0, 10–1) Calendula officinalis kuh-len-DEW- L. fontanesiana L. fon-tan-ee-zee- Rhodochiton atrosanguineus T. peregrinum T. pair-eh-GRY-num luh o-fiss-ih-NAL-iss (0–0, 12–1) AN-uh (5–8, 8–3) ro-doh-KITE-on at-ro-san-GWIN- (9–10, 10–9) Chilopsis linearis ky-LOP-siss lih- L. populifolia L. pop-yew-lih-FO- ee-us (12–15, 8–2) Valeriana officinalis val-air-ee-AN- nee-YAR-iss (8–9, 9–8) lee-uh (7–9, 9–7) Salpiglossis sinuata sal-pih-GLOSS- uh oh-fiss-ih-NAL-iss (4–9, 9–1) Chrysanthemum morifolium L. racemosa L. ras-eh-MO-suh iss sin-yew-AY-tuh (0–0, 8–1) Verbascum phoeniceum ver-BAS- krih-SAN-theh-mum mor-ih-FO- (6–9, 9–6) Salvia clevelandii SAL-vee-uh kum feh-NEE-see-um (4–8, 8–1) lee-um (5–9, 9–5) L. recurva L. ree-KUR-vuh (5–8, 8–5) cleev-LAND-ee-eye (8–10, 10–1) Vigna caracalla VIG-nuh kuh-RAY- Cosmos atrosanguineus Lindera benzoin lin-DAIR-uh S. elegans S. EL-ih-ganz kul-uh (10–15, 12–8) KOZ-mos at-ro-san-GWIN-ee-us BEN-zo-in (4–9, 8–1) (8–11, 12–1) Viola cornuta VY-o-luh kor-NEW- (7–11, 12–1) Malva moschata MAL-vuh S. leucophylla S. loo-ko-FIL-uh tuh (6–9, 9–1) Eupatorium rugosum yew-puh-TOR- mos-CHAT-uh (3–8, 8–1) (10–11, 12–1) V. odorata V. o-doh-RAY-tuh ✕ ee-um roo-GO-sum (4–8, 8–2) Mandevilla amoena man-duh-VIL- S. officinalis S. oh-fiss-ih-NAL-liss (6–8, 8–6) Filipendula vulgaris fih-lih-PEN- luh a-MEE-nuh (13–15, 12–1) (5–8, 8–5) V. tricolor V. TRY-kul-ur dyew-luh vul-GAIR-iss (4–7, 8–1) M. splendens M. SPLEN-denz S. sclarea S. SKLAH-ree-uh (3–9, 12–1) ✕ F. ulmaria F. ul-MAY-ree-uh (13–15, 12–1) (4–9, 9–1) V. wittrockiana V. wih-trah-kee- (5–9, 9–1) AN-nuh (4–8, 9–1)

May / June 2005 61 62 the American Gardener I thrives in full sun to part shade.(USDAZonesthrives infullsuntopart 5–9,AHSZones 9–5.) May through midsummer. Drought tolerant onceestablished,spinybear’s breeches tractive through fall,whilethespikesofwhite flowers withpurplebractsbloom from dense, pyramidalshape. Its glossy, dark green leaves emergeinApril andremain at- herbaceous perennial grows three tofourfeettallandslightlylessindiameter, witha flowers andprickly-lookingleaves ofspinybear’s breeches N JUNE, visitors toRiver Farm are often stoppedintheirtracksby theunusual Spiny Bear’sBreeches IE AMSNAPSHOT FARM RIVER C (Acanthus spinosus).This 

CAROLE OTTESEN