Bulletin of the merican Rock Garden Societu VOL. 42 SUMMER 1984 NO. 3 THE BULLETIN Editor . Laura Louise Foster, Falls Village, Conn. 06031 Assistant Editor... Harry Dewey, 4605 Brandon Lane, Beltsville, Md. 20705 Contributing Editors . Roy Davidson, Anita Kistler, H. Lincoln Foster, Owen Pearce, H.N. Porter Layout Designer . Buffy Parker Advertising Manager... Anita Kistler, 1421 Ship Rd., West Chester, Pa. 19380 CONTENTS VOL. 42 NO. 3 SUMMER 1984 Allium Notes: Part I — Mark McDonough 109 An Oaxacan Journal: Part I — Francis H. Cabot 121 Exploding Some Hardiness Myths — Sonia Lowzow 126 Saxifraga Caespitosa 'Cape Breton Island' — Dr. C. William Nixon . 127 Ed Lohbrunner and His Garden — George Nation 129 Whatever Happened to Sedum Nuttallianum? — Ron L. Evans .... 134 Folded Paper Seed-Packets — Wayne Kittredge 136 A Peat Garden in Newfoundland — Bernard S. Jackson 140 Rare Find in Ontario: Albino Northeastern Columbine — James L. Hodgins 146 Among Hot Rocks — Zdenek Zvolanek 147 Book Reviews: Handbook of Cultivated Sedums by R.L. Evans; Alpine and Rock Plants by Will Ingwersen 150 Of Cabbages and Kings 153 Cover Picture — Allium cyaneum — Mark McDonough, Bellevue, Washington Published quarterly by the AMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETY, a tax-exempt, non-profit organization incor• porated under the laws of the state of New Jersey. You are invited to join. Annual dues (Bulletin included), to be submitted in U.S. Funds or International Money Order, are: General Membership, $15.00 (includes domestic or foreign, single or joint — 2 at same address to receive 1 Bulletin, 1 Seed List); Patron, $50.00; Life Member, $250.00. Membership inquiries and dues should be sent to Norman Singer, Secretary, SR 66 Box 114, Norfolk Rd., Sand- isfield, Mass. 01255. The office of publication is located at Norfolk Rd., Sandisfield, Mass 01255. Address editor• ial matters pertaining to the Bu//ertn to the Editor, Laura Louise Foster, Falls Village, Conn. 06031. Address ad• vertising matters to Anita Kistler, 1421 Ship Rd., West Chester, Pa. 19380. Second Class Postage paid in Sandis• field, Mass. and additional offices. Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society (ISSN 0003-0864). Printed by Printing Services, Canaan CT 06018 VOL. 42 SUMMER 1984 NO.3 Bulletin of the merican Rock Garden Societu Allium Notes Part I Mark McDonough Bellevue, Washington Drawings by the author. I am drawn to the wildflower at• packages, the buds breaking free from titude assumed by most alliums I see, their congested confinement in a va• admiring their quiet existence and re• riety of fascinating modes, giving strained flamboyance. At the same birth to freshly expanding blooms. time I can be amused and amazed Alliums are not for everyone. Most by the more lavish oddities that na• gardeners grow a few flowering on• ture has conjured up, adding spice to ions, thinking of them as pleasant an otherwise understated genus. enough plants, but few will become I parallel my interest with that of enraptured with the genus as I have. fritillaria enthusiasts, similarly admir• In the larger scheme of landscape ing subtle variations of form and gardening, some species have undis• texture, intrigues with an endless ar• puted value, yet many are too mod• ray of stars, trumpets, saucers, and estly structured to effect great impact. bells that characterize the "Orna• Rather, onions are plants of finer mental onion," sometimes of fritillar- proportion, effective in small rock ian muted tones, defying definition, garden associations or grown singly and appeal. Alliums offer the added as potted specimens, deserving of in• attraction of neatly wrapped bud timate inspection. Those taking the 109 time to closely observe the flowering tiate its existance. In South America, cycle of an allium will be rewarded the genus Nothoscordum replaces Al- and potentially captivated by the in• hum, and perhaps this mysterious tricacies of diverse detail. Even the "onion" belongs, in fact, to that more stalwart beauties of intrinsic genus. landscape value such as the regal I sense that alliums are becoming Allium giganteum, while stunning at a more popular these days as seed of distance, are remarkable floral struc• the rarer sorts are quickly snapped tures of equal fascination at close up in the seed exchanges. It's about hand. time that more interest be shed on The genus Allium is very large, this genus, as for too long it has containing approximately six hundred been overshadowed by more exuber• species found throughout the northern ant genera. Partly to blame for the hemisphere. The largest concentra• allium's relative unpopularity is the tion of species occurs in the U.S.S.R., bad habit of a few species to repro• with two hundred twenty-six taxa duce with ridiculous abandon. Un• described, followed by other centers fortunately a few bad apples (or in of development such as the Near this case — bad onions) have spoiled East, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Eu• the barrel. Also of significant blame, rope, North Africa, the Far East, is the scarcity of information regard• Japan, and the U.S.A. In North ing alliums in popular horticultural America a few species push the range literature. Typically only a handful northward to Alaska and south to of species are given coverage, if at all, central Mexico, while in the Old in the various references that rock World, alliums may be found in Si• gardeners use. The information can beria, and as far south as Ethiopia be found, however, by those who are and Somalia in Africa. willing to search through university It is generalized that no true allium libraries and herbaria. But this is a grows in the southern hemisphere, but task for only the most crazed allium a couple of exceptions should be nuts. Meanwhile the average garden• noted here. Allium dregeanum is er is sadly left behind, frustrated with somewhat of a puzzle, accepted by scant bits of dubious information. some authors as a spontaneous end• I think we can lay to rest Reginald emic of South Africa. However, Farrer's scorn for the genus as being others believe this to represent an the sole cause for allium anonymity early introduction of one of the culti• in horticulture. While opening his vated onions to which it is closely passage on Allium in his The English related, and that through time and Rock Garden on a rather discouraging isolation, genetic modifications have note, he continues to describe glow• rendered a distinct taxon. This may ingly some of the species he was be a reasonable conclusion as onions aware of at that time, and seems in have been introduced into cultivation fact to be quite enthralled with sever• throughout the world for centuries. al. Farrer's memorable passage on Also puzzling is Sampson Clay's Fritillaria, passing the bulk of the brief description of the yellow A. species off as "stinking bells of dingly bonariense found in Patagonia. Index chocolate and greenish tones," has Kewensis reports that A. bonariense is done little to daunt the affections of native to Argentina, yet I have found many alpine plant enthusiasts, and the no additional information to substan• genus has enjoyed a place of honor 110 .of Allium Buds: 1. A. cernuum, 2. A. cernuum var. obtusum, 3. A. acuminatum, 4. A. chrisi- ophii, 5. A. cyathophorum var. farreri, 6. A. species Mac. and W. 5866 Turkey, 7. A. moly, 8. A. olympicum, 9. A. tchaihatchewii Mac. and W. 5766, 10. A. rubens, 11. A. cyaneum. in the world of rock gardening despite all who dare approach these vile it all. weeds. The onion smell will not be I think too we can put to rest noticed unless one bruises a plant or the silly notion thit alliums should be steps on it. In my opinion, you avoided in the garden lest it reek should not be treading on the plant an "odious stink" capable of offending in the first place. Even when handling 111 the plants and bulbs in repotting, the a few aroids and fritillarias, but 1 onion scent is hardly noticed in most welcome all such scented plants in species, not detectable at all (even if my garden, whether disagreeable or pinched) in two major sections of the not, as it is an integral characteristic genus, with only a relative few being of plants, which unfortunately many strongly odoriferous. In fact, it is pass over as subordinate to the more surprising to learn that most alliums, obvious features of a plant. when in flower, are quite sweetly Alliums are herbs with sheathing scented with a few richly perfumed in• leaf bases, and bulbous or rhizomat- deed. Those that do smell of onion ous rootstocks. All wild species are are not, in my opinion, offensive, but perennial, some having the curious rather remindful of the piquant aroma habit of totally replacing their bulbs associated with a well seasoned meal. annually, with new bulbs formed be• I enjoy a daily summer routine of side the decaying void of the old sniffing about in my garden, perhaps bulbs. The rootstock is protected catching the sweet yet mild oniony with fibrous or membranous bulb fragrance exuded by a particular al- coats (tunics), an important diagnostic lium, when its nectar is secreted on feature. The flower buds are enve• a warm sunny day, and then to pinch loped in a protective sheath, which a Turkish origanum for its heady eventually splits to allow the blooms aroma, or rub the scaly backside of to expand. The sheath structure is a lepidote rhododendron leaf to re• similarly important to aid in species lease its rich spicy scent. The dimen• identification. sion of scent is one poorly appre• Height varies from spectacular five ciated in the garden.