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. foot giants like A. giganteum, dis• There are other plants that we com• playing nature's exuberance with fan• monly grow that are far more hid• ciful geometric constructions, down to eously endowed with evil emissions the subtle solitude of A. monanthum, than onions. Polemonium pauci- a single flowered pixie of wooded florum, while a most attractive plant mountain slopes in Japan. Flower with its long dangling tubes of tarn• color, while predominantly shades of ished yellow suspended among sticky pink, mauve, and white, run the full dissected foliage, stinks of skunk so gamut of possibilities from true blue strongly on warm days, permeating to deep purple, pale greenish yellow, the surrounding air, to severely de• soft butter yellow, or lemon, shining tract from its value. Some of the teu- chrome yellow, pure and unblem• criums are pleasingly aromatic. Teu- ished, or tinged with rosy pink, pleas• crium marum on the other hand, ing biscuit tan, or odd shades of green is truly bizarre smelling, offensive to and brownish yellow, greyed laven• some, and incidentally of feline aph• ders, maroon and almost pure black, rodisiac qualities that far surpasses the and any combination thereof. Flow• annual catnip sold in stores. Teu- ering starts in late winter, continues crium massilense also smells rather throughout spring and summer, and bad in my opinion. The revered cod- persists into late autumn. onopsis with their beautifully marked Allium blooms are typically com• lanterns are best observed and not posed of six-parted perianth segments touched, as some emit a disagreeable (tepals), each having a central mid- fetid or skunky odor when handled. vein or nerve that is thickened and There are other bad-smellers such as colored differently, or more intensely

112 than the flower, though sometimes downright difficult. If in doubt, give the nerve may not be conspicuous at an allium a very sandy compost in all. The tepals are free all the way full sun, and you re probably heading' to the base (not united into a tube in the right direction. Further cultural as in the genus Brodiaea). There information will be noted under the are six stamens which surround the individual species descriptions. superior ovary which can vary con• Propagation can be achieved by siderably in structure and color, again seed, dividing the rootstock of gregar• serving as an important diagnostic ious types, separating and replanting feature. the small bulblets (increase bulbs) The foliage can be hollow or solid, formed around the parent bulb of and variously shaped in cross-section, some species, or by planting the bulb• being either glabrous or scabrid to ils found in the inflorescence of bulbil- some degree, less commonly hairy. iferous onions. Many alliums grow The leaves can be broad and waxy, quickly, blooming the second year perhaps stained with color, or thin from seed, whereas others may re• and wispy with filiform fineness. Oc• quire more than five years to reach casionally a dusty or silvery powder flowering size. (bloom) is conspicuous on the herb• While allium seeds are capable of age, as well as the floral parts. The germinating like cress, frequently they three parted seed capsules hold vary• are slow and erratic in germination. ing quantities of predominantly black Stratification is undoubtably helpful, seeds, usually flat flakes or thicker although not entirely necessary. Quite angular wedges and less commonly good germination will result during rounded pellets. periods of low temperatures and a- Having such a large global distribu• bundant moisture such as in spring tion it is hard to generalize about and fall. I sow allium seed in late alliums. While some grow under summer and early autumn, finding desert conditions, flowering and set• that a high percentage germinate with• ting seed quickly, then going dormant in a couple of months. Seedlings for yet another year; others can be are kept in a coldframe or forced found in swamps or woodland set• under lights in a cool basement or tings, thus having an entirely different enclosure. Ungerminated flats are left growth cycle. Logically it would fol• outside to receive rain, snow, and low that dryland types require a freezing weather, with a good chance summer baking, but experience in seedlings will appear in spring. Earl• cultivation prove that such general• ier sowings can be successful too, but izations are not always reliable. I seem only to germinate after a long grow several Turkish onions for ex• soaking rain. ample that go dormant for only a When sowing seeds in a sterile few weeks after flowering, quickly re• sandy medium, I cover the seed more newing growth, which remains ever• thickly than I would with other seed. green all winter, enjoying uninter• The crook-necked seedlings that ap• rupted yet moderate moisture. pear with too shallow a cover are Many alliums are very easy to culti• often incapable of freeing themselves vate in light well-drained soil in sunny from their cumbersome seed husk, locations with no effort. But a signi• languishing about with the root un• ficant number require special condi• able to grab hold of the soil below. tions for success, while others are If left in seed pots for too long,

113 the seedlings will stop growing and onions, a threat to young seedlings, retreat into dormancy. Should this species with soft flaccid leaves, and occur, keep evenly moist until growth particularly to those alliums that have renews as dormant seedlings are too persistant evergreen leaf buds that young to resist much dryness. It is poke their succulent noses just above better, however, to transplant the the soil, such as the western American seedlings before dormancy, carefully A. brevistylum. Aphids are also a separating and knocking off the soil, mild nuisance, but easily controlled then replanting in an enriched sandy on alliums. compost. It is fun to see how the Compared to other genera, alliums tiny bulbs have started to form. Once are relatively problem free, only re• transplanted, growth should be fairly quiring an understanding of their cul• vigorous. tural needs in conjunction with their There are only a few problems that growth cycle. More could be said may be encountered. Watering of about alliums, but let us proceed to dryland species can be tricky, as a description of the species suitable moisture is necessary to prevent desic• for your garden. cation, but of course, too much water can be fatal. When potting on seed• Blue-Flowered Onions lings or newly received bulbs, it is While there are only a handful of important to set the bulb at the blue-flowered onions among the ranks, proper depth. With seedlings, note considerable confusion exists among the original depth of the newly form• them, and rarely have I seen them ed bulbs, as some will be surprisingly correctly identified in gardens. Usual• deep-seated, while others may be con• ly, however, Allium cyaneum can be tent with remaining close to the sur• obtained true-to-name, a refined face. Planted too shallowly or too alpine species indiginous to western deeply, a seedling will either perish China (see illustration). This is a or struggle to attain its proper depth. variable entity, as evidenced in Re• Onion maggots can potentially ginald Farrer's concluding remarks in cause severe damage. Dusting the soil The English Rock Garden appendix. with Diazanon is advisable as a pre• Several clones are found in cultiva• cautionary measure if many alliums tion, but all are charming miniatures will be grown. Nematodes can infest providing late summer bloom in the underside of bulbs among the troughs or small scale rock gardens. mass of decaying roots after the plant Usually encountered is the dwarfer has gone dormant, particularly if the form, only growing three to six inches soil has been kept too moist. I repot tall, although specimens reaching my more prized alliums yearly, in• twelve inches are not uncommon. A specting for nematodes by washing mature plant forms dense grassy tus• the soil off and removing the brown socks of thin foliage, overtopped in deca/ing roots, being careful not to August with delicate sprays of cobalt injure the living fleshy white roots if blue starcups with long exerted sta• present, dipping in a mild Diazanon- mens, the latter an important diagnos• water solution if the pests are present, tic characteristic. The individual and repotting in fresh soil. flowers are held erect to semi-nod• Here in the Pacific Northwest, slugs ding, each tepal with a central nerve pose a serious problem. Surprisingly of dark green or black. The anthers slugs have quite an appetite for are generally simple, entire, and not

114 toothed, another characteristic with Allium sikkimense: a most welcome which to separate the other blue simplification. Allium sikkimense and species. its synonyms are inevitably replaced The gregarious bulbs of A. cyan• by A. cyanthophorum var. farreri eum are in actuality enlarged leaf in the horticultural world, another bases attached to short perennial rhi• Chinese species that I'll discuss later. zomes, the rhizomes achieving the Allium beesianum is perhaps the same food storage function as a true best of the blues, having much larger bulb. Other alliums exhibit similar narrowly campanulate blooms of pure rhizomatous tendencies, and as such deep blue. Obtaining correctly la• are placed in the genus subdivision belled seed is the only difficulty with Rhizirideum. this easy-going beauty. I refer readers Allium cyaneum is .sometimes to the photograph published in the passed off as A. caeruleum, A. A.G.S. Bulletin, Vol. 50, No. 4, sikkimense, and A. beesianum, page 273, for comparison. The nod• among others. Varietal names are ding flowers are valuable for their late attached to forms of A. cyaneum, but summer and early autumn appear• according to very recent comprehen• ance, certainly among the most beau• sive treatment of the genus in China tiful of flowering onions. by Xu Jie-Mei published in Flora Rei- All of these Chinese species prefer publicae Popularis Sinicae, Tomus 14, fairly moist situations in sun or partial no varieties are recognized. There are shade, doing well in a rich scree. several other Chinese onions, but only Allium beesianum likes more shade A. sikkimense and A. beesianum are than the others. in cultivation. A commercially available onion is Allium sikkimense grows at very A. caeruleum sold by Dutch bulb high altitudes on steep slopes and companies under its synonym: A. cliffs in Sikkim, and is very similar to azureum. This is a handsome plant A. cyaneum. The plant ranges from of salt marshes is steppe mountain four to sixteen inches with the flowers zones of S.E. Russia. As described coming in several shades of blue. by Vvedenskii in the Flora of the It may be distinguished from A. U.S.S.R., plants can vary from six cyaneum by virtue of its stamens to twenty four inches tall, although being shorter than the tepals, the those in cultivation tend toward the inner tepals having a fine denticulate latter dimension. Many alliums seem edge and the inner three stamens or to encompass a similar broad spec• all six stamens having a dilated trum of variable plant stature. Early (broadened) base. Over the years the in the season, dense one to two inch geographical variants Allium tibet- balls of bright azure blue flowers icum and A. kansuense have been with conspicuously dark blue nerves, tenuously recognized as separate spe• are held aloft on slender stems.- All cies, although never adequately dif• of the forms I have grown produced ferentiated, thus remaining obscure in a few sessile bulbils in the flower botanical opinion and hopelessly head (var. bulbilliferum). Shortly confused in our gardens. But as after flowering, the plants go dormant suggested by noted allium expert Wil• and seem indifferent to moisture or liam T. Stearn, and as now confirmed dryness during their rest, therefore an by Xu Jie-Mei, both these so-called easy doer in the garden. Viable seed is plentiful, so it is advisable to re- species are reduced to synonymy with 115 move the dried heads if self sown however, are the beautiful spherical seedlings are not wanted. heads, up to three and a half inches Allium caesium occurs in the same across, densely packed with soft habitat as A. caeruleum, and where milky blue flowers, strikingly nerved populations mingle, hybrids are with deep navy blue. The flowers known to occur, being one of the few exude a strong sweet fragrance that reported instances of hybridity among on warm sunny days can be detected alliums. Allium caesium can similarly several feet away, perhaps the pro• vary in stature and flower color (from vocative attraction accounting for mul• blue to white). The two species are titudes of ants, bees, and butterflies often confused, and can be distin• that linger among the blooms. guished from each other by difference The inflorescence is remarkable in in foliage and the stamens. In A. the bud stage, as the buds are cram• caeruleum, the leaves are narrow and med together into a fastigiate column triquetrous (three-sided) whereas in much taller than wide, but eventually A. caesium these are semi-cylindric opening out into a rounded head with and hollow. The inner filaments of A. light blue pedicels of equal length. caesium are dilated or toothed above After flowering, all energy is drawn two thirds the length of the filaments, back into bulbs, the aerial portion of but below half the filaments length in the plants becoming dry, eventually A. caeruleum. dehiscing from the bulb, but not be• Of forms that I am familiar with, fore setting prodigeous amounts of A. caesium is a coarser plant than seed. The bulbs may be totally dried A. caeruleum, with untidy flopping off at this time, although it is not foliage that is mostly wilted by an- really necessary, and by autumn, with thesis. More than compensating, the slightest hint of moisture, the plants start growing again with foliage persisting throughout the winter. In Massachusetts the plants behaved dif• ferently. Not content with a summer rest, flowering continued well into fall and winter, seeming unperturbed by snow and ice. Allium caesium does have one an• noying habit. The bulbs grow very close to the surface, even becoming totally exposed and rolling about — no doubt a natural reproductive mech• anism — necessitating an annual late summer ritual of gathering up the mature bulbs and younger bulblets that have pushed their way to the surface, and resetting into the planting bed, covering the bulbs with a couple inches of soil. It is worth a little extra effort to grow a sizable clump of this unique onion for its sweet powder-blue blooms produced during "Bud column" of Allium caesium the heat of summer. 116 Both A. caeruleum and A. caesium warnings abound, although exagger• are useful for their long stemmed ated in my opinion. Preferring shad• dried seed heads, attractive for dried ed exposures in the mountains of floral arrangements. If picked before Spain and France, plants similarly the heads have become dry, the blue treated in the garden will make a bold color will last indefinitely, although splash of color in late spring. they will be somewhat paler. Also, One or two greyish leaves per bulb both species have the curious habit appear, each leaf being rather broad of producing odd heads of bloom and mildly striated. The neat herbage poking out at ground level, sprouting makes an attractive foil for the up• from the side of a tall flower stem. right brilliant yellow flowers. All A third species closely related to parts of the flower including the A. caesium is A. caesioides, a N. W. ovary, filaments and anthers, are of Himalayan plant of Afghanistan and the same golden color, with the excep• India. This taxon has only recently tion that the back of the tepals show been described. I have never seen a faint diffuse green nerve, although the plant nor do I believe it is in only barely noticeable while the bud cultivation. is unopened. The fully expanded The only other true blue onions blooms are surprisingly glossy and I know by name only, hoping some• reflective, particularly noticeable on day to make their acquaintance. Al- sunny days, this quality reminiscent lium hierochuntianum is a Palestinian of the gleaming of buttercup blooms. species described as an early-blooming Grown in open shade in poor, dry, dwarf of desert regions, with filiform sandy soil, plants will retain a dwarf hollow leaves, and dense heads of habit of six inches or so, and feel blue. Allium wemieum, a name that less inclined to invade the rest of I've been unable to trace so far, is the garden. After flowering the plants casually mentioned in alpine garden• go completely underground without a ing literature as a dwarf blue-flowered trace until the following spring. Bulbs species. There are additional Chinese are commonly and inexpensively of• onions donning the color blue, but fered in nursery centers every fall. as they are not in cultivation, nor Allium moly (luteum) is sold by likely to become so until botanical bulb companies and featured in fall exchange is accelerated, I will not bulb catalogs, but is nothing more mention their names here. Other than typical Allium moly. The epi• species of purplish and mauve hues thet "luteum" is amusingly redundant are sometimes exaggerated as being as well as invalid. The type species "blue," but only those that I have is so deeply colored that this catalog mentioned are truly blue as far as invention has no meaning. But re• I'm aware. The color blue is relative• gardless of its attached name, the ly rare in the genus Allium. A "golden garlic" is always a pleasing greater number of alliums have yellow plant worthy of cultivation. flowers, and I will speak of these Allium flavum is a widespread Eu• next. ropean species that I would not be without for its June and July display Yellow-Flowered Onions of frenetic yellow bursts. Having a Perhaps the best known of the large geographical distribution, the yellow-flowered onions is Allium plants exhibit considerable variation. moly, a species for which ominous Dwarf mountain forms have been 117 given varietal names such as "var. In the best specimens, the wiry nanum", "var. minus", and others, leaves are glaucous and the twelve but currently these are not accepted inch stocky stems are thoroughly as valid names. However, horticul- powdered with a silvery "bloom." turally, it is important to maintain The buds are enveloped in a beauti• these names at least in quotation fully veined silvery spathe, each of the marks to separate them from less two spathe segments bearing a very desirable tall forms. long leaf-like appendage or "beak"

Three aspects of Allium flavum flower, from left to right: Spathe opens to allow upright buds to spill out. Spathe segments bend downward and upright buds open and droop as pedicels elongate and become flexious. In full flower the spathe segments are lax, some buds are yet to open and remain upright, some flowers have been fertilized and are now becoming erect as seed pods start to form.

118 at its apex, one being much longer able to allium nomenclature in the than the other. The buds expand geographical area covered by the re• into a haphazard explosion of small vision. The archaic name Allium waxy lemon yellow bells with pro• flavum pumilum roseum, still appear• truding stamens, the umbel skewered ing in seed lists, should be laid to with the persistent dried and twisted rest forever, with plants bearing this spathe segments. The flowers of name representing dwarf mountain certain specimens have a mild yet forms of A. carinatum ssp. pulchel• distinct fragrance reminiscent of gar• lum. These diminished plants are denia. Plants prefer sandy soil in virtually identical to A. flavum, ex• full sun, and are ideal for providing cept for the bright pink of the flowers. summer color in hot and dry spots More will be said about this later. less conducive to other plants. Self Allium condensatum sneaks in here sown seedlings are a definite problem, with flowers of translucent greenish but if the spent blooms are removed, yellow. This is a tall plant from or the plants placed where they will Siberia and the Far East, a species be in competition with other vigorous reportedly used as food by native plants, such as in the alpine pasture, peoples. In June and July the sturdy then no difficulties should ensue. stems may exceed three feet, bearing The dwarf forms can be somewhat at their summit small dense globes inconsistant, becoming larger if grown of short petalled flowers with a sweet in better soils. Generally the moun• yet oniony smell. While of some tain forms tend to be more slender, interest to the alliumaniac, many gar• shorter, often having prostrate stems deners will consider it trash, un• at first then becoming erect to bear worthy of garden space. the blooms. Usually the flowers are Lastly I should mention a delight• of a paler butter-yellow tone, a color ful miniature onion from Turkey, still that I find pleasingly complementary under a MacPhail and Watson col• when used in association with other lection number (Mac. & W. 5855). small scale plants. Starved in a dry I examined blooming plants at the scree or trough, the dwarf variants U.B.C. Rock Garden that were a mere of A. flavum have a definite charm. three inches tall, displaying a loose A variant with yellow rosy tinged nodding umbel of exquisite soft yel• flowers is named A. flavum var. low bells with exserted violet stamens; tauricum. I shudder to mention this a pastel combination to delight any as there is considerable debate regard• bulb enthusiast. We will have to ing the status of this taxon, the dis• wait for the impending Flora of Tur• cussions bringing into the picture such key volume on monocotyledons to species as A. pulchellum and A. find its identity. My lone two year pseudo flavum. old seedling is alive and well, and Allium flavum does have affinities with luck, may bloom next summer. to A. pulchellum, now correctly A. Few of the remaining yellow-flow• carinatum ssp. pulchellum according ered species are in cultivation. While to William T. Steam's revision of the a few boast bright yellow flowers, genus in Europe, published in Flora most are pale yellow, yellowish, Europaea. As this comprehensive greenish yellow, or stained with an• treatment is the first of its kind in other color. One that can claim deep over a century, it should be regarded yellow flowers is Allium coryi, an as the latest authoritative text applic• endemic of a few counties in Texas,

119 and the only yellow-flowered Ameri• S. E. Tibet as having heads of golden can species. The habit is dwarf, yellow, but unfortunately this plant bearing heads of brightly colored is not in cultivation, admiral Paul Furse bells, sometimes tinged with red, in• collected the Afghan endemic A. cu- dicating potential garden value. Al• cullatum, a compact species with lium scorzonerifolium (syn. A. stra- many-flowered heads of an unusual mineum) is occasionally cultivated, golden yellow-brown, tinged with but is considered invasive on account purple. This desirable plant is pre• of the presence of bulbils in the in• cariously in cultivation in England, florescence. This species hails from but is proving to be very difficult Spain and Portugal, and we can only to grow. By now, it should become hope that one day the non-bulbili- evident that there lurks considerable ferous variety (var. xericiense) will untapped horticultural potential with• be collected and introduced. Re- in the genus Allium. knowned plant explorer Joseph Rock writes of Allium chrysanthum from (To be continued)

Careful With Those Plant Names Mark McDonough believes that the In T. Paul Maslin's article "Some plant mentioned and pictured in Pam Fall Blooming Bulbs" (Vol. 41, No. 1) Harper's article "Southeastern Sun one of the alliums described in that and Sand" (Vol. 41, No. 3) as Al• article was named Allium jeneum. lium thunbergii 'Ozoke' should be When questioned by Mark McDo• called A. thunbergii 'Ozawa'. This nough, _who exchanged plants and allium was originally imported from seeds with Paul and who could find Japan by George Schenk, owner of no reference to this species, Paul "The Wild Garden" in Kirkland, Maslin checked his records and found Washington and he named it 'Ozawa' he had obtained it from the Moscow for the man who had selected it Botanic Garden under a name that in Japan. Unfortunately it has been appeared to read Allium yeneum. As widely dispersed by nurseries and there were no references to that spe• among gardeners under the misnomer, cies either in any of the literature, 'Ozoke'. The label on this plant Paul sent a detailed description of should be changed to read 'Ozawa'. his plant to Mark. This description The moral of this story is to be exactly matched Allium cyaneum and sure to check the names of your sure enough when the two plants plants and the correct spelling prior were placed side by side Paul Maslin's to passing them on as plants or seed. "Allium jeneum and/or yeneum" was This applies particularly to nurseries, a twin of Allium cyaneum. Looking which should take special pains to at the two names it is easy to see make sure the plants they sell are how it might be possible to misread correctly named. Misnaming plants a carelessly handwritten cyaneum as compounds confusion and spreads yeneum or jeneum. misinformation. This applies to us The moral of this tale of misidenti- all. If you later discover you made fication is that we should print or an error in the name of a plant type plant names clearly on labels you passed on, try to correct it. and seed envelopes. §

120 An Oaxacan Journal Part I The View from La Casita (Rhodochiton Volubile Country) Francis H. Cabot Cold Spring, New York

Picture by the author

The state of Oaxaca [pronounced Wahahka} lies astride the Continental Divide west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Northeast of the capital city the high humid mountains drop off to the hot lowlands of Vera Cruz. The temperate rain forests of the Atlantic slope of the Sierra are a para• dise for a botanical collector. Deep ravines and precipitous slopes everywhere form barriers to travel. — Paraphrased from Introduction to Bentham's Plantae Hartwegeanae, Roger McVaugh.

Boone Hallberg's Vivero Rancho lasted just long enough for its recent Teja (Nursery Ranch) is perched at inauguration by the President and was 7200 feet on the slopes of the Sierra built as a political retirement favor to de Juarez in a clearing in the pine the then Governor of Oaxaca who forests that commands sweeping pan• hailed from neighboring Xiaqui) lie oramic views from the clouds hover• the towns of Ixtlan and Guelatao, the ing over the northern faces of Cerro former boasting three colonial Malacate to the east to the Sierra de churches in varying degrees of disre• San Felipe which looms to the west pair and the latter the proud fact that and separates the valley of the Rio Benito Juarez, the founder of modern Grande from the valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, was born there. a mere twenty-five miles as the crow Ixtlan and Guelatao lie on Route flies but a tortuous hour and a half's 178, the main road north from Oax• drive to this most charming of Mexi• aca to the Vera Cruz coast, which can colonial cities. provides the motorized tourist with Directly in front of "La Casita", one of the few chances to see alpine Boone's guest house, and framed by vegetation and a proper rain forest undulating pine covered promontor• in Mexico. The road winds up to ies, stretch ridge after ridge of Cordil• the 9500 foot ridge of Cerro Pelon lera etched against the startlingly blue and then plunges like an interminably Oaxacan sky, their green slopes high• writhing serpent for two hours down lighted here and there by Indian vil• the precipitous north face of the lages. Two kilometers below the mountain through cloud and rain'for• ranch on what must be one of the ests that extend the entire distance worst "new" roads in the world (it down to sea level. In the space of

121 View of Sierra Juarez from La Casita

three hours, a curious and interested Route 178 is the only paved road tourist can first see alpine gentians through the Oaxacan hinterland for and the most diverse of ericaceous miles in any direction and to see the scrub replete with myriad varieties of vegetation properly, especially in the gaultherias, vaccinium, pernettya, remote Chinantla to the east where symplocos, and ilex and then descend the Central American rain forest flora from pine forests (that include P. reaches its northernmost limit (and ayacahuite among the fifteen pinus where Galeotti and other 19th Cen• species that grow on the ridge) tury plant explorers such as Hartweg through oak forests adorned with and Liebmann found a profusion of ferns down into a temperate rain for• new and rare plants, many of them est with begonias, orchids and tree local endemics and many which have ferns fighting for their piece of the never been collected again), one has action and finally through a precip• to use shanks mare or at best a mule itous tropical jungle into the banana or donkey. An expedition to this belt below, complete with thatched fascinating area, where there are sure• villages and a lushness of vegetation ly new species awaiting discovery is that makes Douannier Rousseau seem an operation best performed by bot• pallid by comparison. In 1839 Henri anists familiar with the Central Amer• Guillaume Galeotti, a Belgian botanist ican flora and with the time and re• and plant hunter, described the botan• sources to make an extended explora• ical paradise in these deep ravines tion of the hinterland. The gradual and precipitous slopes dropping from extension of dirt roads that is slowly the high humid mountains to the but surely taking place will greatly tropical lowlands as a "region d une simplify access to the Chinantla in fertilite admirable et d'une beaute the coming years. By the same token presque incomparable" characterized the destruction of the forests by by "une foule d'orchidees". logging and the invariably unfavor-

122 able impact of the modern world on ly absorbing. Rhodochiton volubile, the Indian way of life will unfortun• a colorful, luxuriant and charming ately do much to destroy the un• endemic climber discovered by Baron spoiled beauty that exists today. Karwinski in 1829 was growing at The southeastern corner of the 8500 feet twining among shrubs and Chinantla is dominated by Cerro low trees in the cool shade of the Zempoaltepetl which rises over 11,000 cloud forest. Karwinski, a Bavarian, feet and is the highest peak of the spent the years 1827-1832 collecting northern Oaxacan mountains. After objects of "natural history" in Mexico our first visit to the Hallberg Casita on behalf of the Russian government. in January, 1980, we had sent Boone The Munich Botanic Garden received a photograph of Weldenia Candida Karwinski's rhodochiton seed and along with Farrer's mouth watering within five years it was offered for description in the hopes that he might sale in an English nursery. While find it in his travels. That May Boone we have found rhodochiton growing wrote that he had climbed Zempoal• throughout the region at the edge of tepetl on May 1 and found that the cloud forests or in the cool shade summit was a carpet of weldenia in• of water courses between 7100 and terspersed with Tigridia seleriana, a 8600 feet, there have been very few tiny, choice, blue-flowered species. subsequent collections for herbaria Since one could drive to a point with• and, as far as we can tell, no further in four hours walk from the summit, introductions of the plant. The rho• it was definitely an attainable goal dochiton collected above Villa Alta and we looked forward to a visit. is thriving in a cool greenhouse in The road to Zempoaltepetl is the Cold Spring, N. Y. and is being same road that now leads to Villa spread around (for the asking) among Alta, the jumping off place for the institutions and growers who are in• Chinantla hinterland. In January, terested in it. In Victorian times, 1981, Boone took us to Villa Alta according to Martyn Rix, the plant before the road was finished so that was used in exotic summer-bedding we could see the profusion of plants schemes, trained on a trellis and, pre• on the trail winding down from 8500 sumably, wintered over in a cool to 4500 feet. greenhouse in all but the mildest clim• What looked like a three hour drive ates. It propagates easily from cut• and a four hour walk turned into tings at any time of the year and a six hour drive and a seven hour one or more plants have bloomed walk, making for rather a long day. under glass in Cold Spring every To reach what appeared to be just month of the year with one plant over the mountains surrounding the blooming from February through Casita one has to drive back to Oax- August. The timing of initial blossom aca then east to Mitla and then on a appears to be related to the degree tortuous, rutted, rocky, bumpy road of shade, with the February bloomer over a series of mountain ridges and placed in direct sunlight the previous a pass at the base of Zempoaltepetl fall. A monotypic genus of the to the point where the road ended Scrophulariaceae very close to Lopho- and the trail to Villa Alta began. spermum, the flowers are striking and distinctive with reddish-mauve camp- Despite the unexpectedly long walk, anulate calyces appearing intermit• the vegetation and the views, at least tently in the alternate leaf axils along during the daylight hours, were total•

123 the twining stems (The Oaxacans call ing trees, shrubs and vines mostly it "la campanita") from which extra• with glossy leaves and unfamiliar ordinary two and a half inch long, names such as Befaria, Weinmannia, dark purple, phallic corollas emerge, Bomarea, Drymis, Bouvardia, Oes• ultimately developing a trumpet shape trum, Cloranthus, Deppea, Hoffma- with four decorative large white an• nia, Psychotria, Rondeletia, Suttonica thers highlighted against the five pet• and others that are thoroughly un• als forming the bell that surrounds familiar to our uninitiated eyes. Next the dark trumpet's mouth. The we pass through a zone dripping with calyces persist long after the corolla bromeliads and, closer to Villa Alta is spent and encase attractive two- on the path, find a fascinating creeper lobed, bun or crown-shaped seed with lapis lazuli fruits the size of pods. The leaf colour appears to almonds, set atop it, which Rupert vary directly with the degree of shade Barneby has identified as Coccocypse- and/or the temperature from a light lum hirsutum. But then night falls yellowish green in full sun to a dark and we stumble on for three hours purplish mauve in deep shade and the in the darkness down to the comforts coolest conditions. The underside of of Villa Alta where Boone expects the leaf is tinged purplish-mauve. The to find lodging. extended flowering period means that As it turned out, it was just as one finds all stages of the flower well there were no lodgings for it was on the vine at the same time from New Year's Eve and every house in the delicate, emerging, little bells to Villa Alta was full. We later learned the three inch bicolored extravaganza that Boone, inured to a lifetime then back to the campanulate calyx among the Zapotecs, slept quite com• with only the slender pistil stalk fortably as long as he could find emerging from it and finally the seed a dry spot of ground or concrete pod, swelling until it completely fills porch on which to lay his thin straw its bell-shaped hood (chiton is the petate. Fortunately an amiable and greek for cloak) and gradually turning rather tipsy gentleman (it was after from the colour of the calyx to the all by now 11 p.m. on New Year's dried pod that remains once the Eve) offered us the shelter of his calyces shrivel up. To date only store, which was blessed not only autumn blossoms have set seed under with plastic chairs which could be glass and we have yet to try to emu• lined up so as to form a narrow bed late the Victorians. (We have a but even with a brand new double supply of seed including some har• bed replete with plastic-covered mat• vested in the wild in November 1982 tress, which the Cabots, known to be at 8500 feet for interested readers). sybarites, were kindly given for the Tree ferns grow amongst the rho- night. So finally, well-exercised and dochiton, becoming taller as one loses bone-tired, we collapsed and awaited elevation. Epidendrum vitellinum the arms of Morpheus. with its bright orange or vermillion But then it was New Year's Eve flowers grows on the tree trunks in and Villa Alta is the principal town of dense shade. Other orchids abound a district to which it gives its name. in bewildering variety together with At midnight the Villa Alta district a voluptuous, large-leaved begonia band, the pride of that hilly region, and a myriad of ferns. Throughout which unbeknown to us had assem• there is a plethora of attractive flower• bled on the local square right outside

124 our window, struck up a rousing ver• a tributary valley that runs into the sion of The Monkey Wrapped his Tail valley of the Rio Cajonos. The view Around the Flagpole, (The Washing• denied us the night before was ton Post March) by John Philip Sousa spectacular with the green jungles of and proceeded to play every piece in the Chinantla just over the mountains its repertoire, some several times over bordering the right side of the valley until the first blush of dawn silhouet• and the higher range that ends in ted the pine on the serrated ridges Cerro Pelon and the rain forest on the to the east and the church bells and left. Bonifacio was eager to take us roosters took over the celebration of into the Chinantla, mule and all. the very new year. After giggling That's where the plants, especially the helplessly when the band began to orchids and ferns were truly fabulous. play and the audience, which for But that, a week's trip in itself, would some reason was seated outside the have to wait. store windows, cheered, we enjoyed In fact, there was no time to do a few occasional moments of fitful more than reconnoiter the base of sleep, I think. Zempoaltepetl if we were to get back "Botanicus verus," said the great to the Casita before 10 pm. Boone Linnaeus, "desudabit in augendo am- pionted out Tlahuitoltepec, the town abilem scientiam" ("the true botanist where he usually spent the night be• will sweat in advancing his beloved fore climbing to the summit. That science"). Such were our thoughts May the town chief had very kindly as we staggered wearily into the dawn allowed them to sleep comfortably in facing the prospect of a very long the municipal hall (we had visions of uphill walk. Several drunks were a room with chairs and tables and no still slowly weaving in and out of mattressed bed). Tlahuitoltepec was a the columns on the porch of the Mixe town (pronounced Mee-Hey). municipal building that adjoined our This was Mixe country and Zem• store and we were warmly greeted poaltepetl was their sacred mountain. by the prisoners in the local jail in So plans were laid for a future trip this same building who had had an to find Weldenia and other treasures al fresco, if barred, ringside seat for at the higher altitudes and we grit• the festivities. "Had we enjoyed the ted our teeth for the bumpy ride back music? They had loved it!" to Mitla. After a refreshing dinner in "Oh yes, it was wonderful." Dario Quero's hacienda turned po- But the early morning light and the sada (he claims to have invented the early colonial buildings (Villa Alta is Margarita but with mescal rather than a very old town) and a delicious Tequila: in any event it helped!) breakfast in a thatched hut where the the two hour drive back to the Casita, patronne was doing in a guajolote which once had seemed both demand• (Mexican turkey) for the New Year's ing and terrifying, was now child's Feast, was wonderful and, in some play. magical fashion, Boone and his son, The Casita, though simplicity itself, Oscar, found a local by the name of felt like the grandest and most lux• Bonifacio Bautista who undertook to urious of haciendas, and from its provide a mule to haul our packs and ample terrace, one could just separate collections and, to her great relief, the sweeping line of the cordillera Anne up the mountain. from the night sky with the twinkling Villa Alta is perched at the head of lights of Capulalpan and Lachatao,

125 perched on ridges across the valley, vast and starlit mountainscape. lending the element of scale to the (To be continued)

Exploding Some Hardiness Myths Sonia Lowzow Lakeside, Arizona

Until four years ago, most of my (and it truly is lovely, when growing gardening was done in the desert in full sun at high altitudes — low and Southwest, an area where Primula tight and blue, blue, blue) grows malacoides was a winter annual, here in the White Mountains at an my favorite landscape tree was Laurus altitude of over 9,000 feet, where nobilis and a severe winter caused the winter lows are commonly -25 enough die-back on the bougainvilleas degrees F. (albeit with good and con• so that some of the bloom was lost. tinuous snow cover). And what about Consequently, when I moved to Dodocatheon ellisiae, which Sally the mountains of east-central Arizona, Walker found at 8,000 feet and which I was very wary of the possibility of was once mistakenly listed as occurr• frost damage. Acquaintances here ing at 800 feet and was therefore as• sounded dire warnings of winter lows sumed to be very questionably hards? of -20 degrees F. and the books were Finally, my eyes were really opened full of notations like "HH", "dies to to this entire question when I made the ground at +20 degrees F." etc. another trip to Denver. At the Botanic I dared to plant out none but the hard• Gardens, Panayoti Callas assured me iest species, carefully mulched my that I really was seeing Campanula dwarf rhododendrons and others of isophylla and that, no, he didn't lift their ilk, lifted all questionably hardy them for the winter and that, yes, plants to overwinter in the greenhouse they had survived a winter of -28 de• and worried and worried. grees F. (Brr. Even colder then here). Then I discovered that the extreme I returned from that trip determined lows occur very seldom, that -20 de• to take another, more careful, look grees F. is something that can happen around. I had quite a few rooted cut• perhaps once in fifteen or twenty tings of C. isophylla and its forms, years and that it then usually occurs alba and 'Mayi', a little flat of Mentha in midwinter when an insulating snow requienii that had never been happy blanket is present, often up to two feet with its winter sojourn in the green• deep. I further discovered that hardi• house, some plants of Convolvulus ness determinations are frequently mauritanicus, a little clump of Are- based on the area where some plants, naria balearica, many plants of Cen- but not others, of a particular species taurium scillioides and an extra plant are found. A case in point is that of of a sarcococca that I believe is S. Commelina diathifolia, which all humilis. Out they all went. I retained the reference materials describe as a few plants of most of these in the "half-hardy". This lovely little plant greenhouse for insurance. I even

126 went so far as to cover a tender pleione to grow. On the last two, the mulches (sp. ign.) with a bushel-sized pot of were carefully replaced, since we have dry peat and to plant out a pot-full of at least another two months of frost Sprekelia formsissima, also well- waiting in the wings. mulched. During this winter, our lowest temp• At the date of this writing (February eratures were -8 degrees F. with snow 25th), our first real thaw of the season cover and +5 degrees F. without, (of three days, with night tempera• which is a fairly typical range for this tures above freezing and day tempera• area. tures in the low sixties) is just about It is so pleasing to be able to add over and another snow storm is due all these plants to those that one would in this weekend. Today, I made a normally expect to be able to grow brief check of the screes and peat here in a mountain garden. And what beds. The campanulas have a little a relief to free all that extra green• touch of green at their bases; the house space. At one time I had twenty convolvulus is starting to grow, as six-inch pots of Campanula isophylla is the arenaria; the centauriums have alba hanging from the rafters. I now remained evergreen (I had previously wonder only how many more "HH" found this species completely peren• plants will be found able to survive nial — all my plants are from seeds our winters. sown in 1979); the sarcococca looks The moral of this tale, of course, completely untouched by frost as does is not to accept hardiness ratings at the Mentha requienii. I gingerly face value — EXPERIMENT! But do lifted the bushel of dry peat from the hold back a plant or two of each spe• pleione and found a tiny green shoot cies in a protected area; the others just at ground level. I also pulled away might not survive that "once in twenty a little of the mulch from around the years" low. § sprekelias and they, too, are starting

Saxifraga caespitosa 'Cape Breton Island' Dr. C. William Nixon Randolf, Massachusetts

Photographed by the author

About sixteen years ago, in 1967 it. I understand that Siskiyou Rare to the best of my recollection, I was Plant Nursery now has it so perhaps given a most interesting and attrac• it will be offered for sale to the gener• tive saxifrage that had been collected al public in the near future. shortly before along the coastline of This plant was determined to be Cape Breton Island in Canada. I have Saxifraga caespitosa in one of its grown it ever since and have given many forms, this one particularly it to countless other rock gardeners. lovely. Because of its distinct form It has been interesting to observe that, and garden worthiness, I propose the without exception, a visiting gardener cultivar name Cape Breton Island.' will zero in on this plant and want Indeed, it has been labelled that

127 throughout all these years in my own ance of the rosettes is likely due to garden. the arrangement and great variation of the individual rosette leaves. The basal are all entire and uncut, a simple leaf blade. As one approaches the center of the rosette, however, the leaves become variously indented to give two lobes, equal or unequal, deeply or shallowly notched. Still further toward the apex they become increasingly notched into three, four or five, sometimes more, lobes. Basal leaves are largest and tend to frame the upper portions of the rosette, giving the unique appearance that is so typical of this cultivar. Like its close relatives, however, this plant tends to brown in the center of the clump in warmer or hot weather, its only serious drawback. Flowers are basically similar to those of other forms of this species, the color being pink upon opening, fading with age Saxifraga caespitosa 'Cape Breton Island' to near white. The real beauty and Saxifraga caespitosa 'Cape Breton charm of this cultivar lies in the Island' has vivid green rosettes, the color and shape of the rosettes. It leaves of which are less generally cut is easily propagated from cuttings at and fringed than many of the forms almost any time of year. of this species that I have seen. In In summary: S. caespitosa 'Cape cool weather, which the plant likes, Breton Island' is a cultivar well worth it makes masses of compact rosettes acquiring and growing. I hope it that may become an inch or more will become a mainstay in rock gar• in diameter. The interesting appear• dens around the world. §

C ongr a tulations

Carla Teune, whose serialized journal about her trip into the mountains in western Sichuan Province in China you have enjoyed in the pages of the Bulletin for the past year, has recently been appointed curator of the University Botanic Garden in Leiden, The Netherlands. She is the first woman to be so honored in that country. Our congratulations and best wishes to Carla in her new job.

128 Ed Lohbrunner and His Garden George Nation with Ed Lohbrunner Victoria, British Columbia

I had wanted to write about Ed with lilies. He told how he sent Lohbrunner's latest rock garden, feel• $10 to Yokohama for an assortment ing that I would have a great excuse of lily and iris seed only to receive to find out how to grow plants as one pound of Iris kaempferi and half well as he did while asking questions a pound of Lilium auratum. for this article. He had recently An early venture in horticulture retired and rebuilt a large rock gar• was in water lilies. He had been den. What are a famous nursery• building garden pools after his job as man's personal choices when he no a radio repairman folded in the early longer has to think about his market? thirties. He quickly discovered that Does he stay with old favorites or there was no supply of water lilies seek out the new? All these questions in the Pacific Northwest and before were in my mind, but the more time long he was in the business of water I spent with Ed and his wife Ethel gardens, offering fifty different vari• around their kitchen table, the more I eties of water lilies. knew the story that had to be told He likes to tell of his earliest was about their early days and their collecting trips on Vancouver Island, contribution to the alpine gardens not too far away, up on the Forbid• of England and North America. den Plateau with a friend and Ethel. Like so many of the greatest nurs• Ethel showed her stamina by out- erymen his interest in plants took him climbing and out-walking Ed's friend and Ethel to the places where rock and helping to find Lewisia pygmaea, garden plants come from. Their which had seldom been seen before in journeys over a period of fifty years this part of the world. Even now took them all over North America Hitchcock and Cronquist in their plus trips to Japan and Europe. He Flora of the Pacific Northwest do not went to areas of Northern British admit that this plant grows on Columbia and the Yukon that had Vancouver Island. The Lohbrunners never been botanized before he went first found it up on Mount Albert there in the early 1930's. Edward, a 7000 foot giant by local Readers who were at the Port standards. That is one of the joys Angeles Study Weekend will no doubt of local mountains — tree line is remember some of these stories as at 4500 feet more or less, compared many of them were taken from a tape to about 7500 feet in the Southern of his talk at the meeting. One lovely Canadian Rockies, and around 13,000 one was about his mother's prowess feet near Denver, Colorado. as a gardener and how she grew Ed was always a great trader and peanuts on Vancouver Island. one of his early sources of plants ". . . If only I had kept up with was the local nursery operated by them," he said, "I might have become Messrs. Preece and Nicholls. They President of Canada!" were glad to give him plants in One of his early fascinations was exchange for loads of composted

129 leaves, which he obtained from under collecting: 1. Small plants usually the stands of Garry Oak that abound survive; 2. Cuttings mostly sur• around Victoria. Archie Nicholls was vive; 3. Take lots of dry sphagnum his companion on one of these early moss; 4. Always keep an eye open expeditions into the fjord like country for different forms; 5. Don't over• of Alice Arm up near Alaska. Here look the mosses and ferns and wil• he found pyrolas and clintonias grow• lows. ing lushly in the woodland areas, Dry moss brings up another of Ed's while sand bars in the rivers were favorite stories about the time he covered with acres of Dryas drum- asked a friend to send him several mondii and the lovely dwarf fireweed bushels of sphagnum by boat. He Epilobium latifolium. They climbed was surprised at the amount of the Mount McGrath, which is'some 6000 freight bill until he realized that the feet and found "acres and acres of friend had sent the moss dripping Cassiope stelleriana" with flowers that from the bog. Sphagnum holds over he measured as being over half an sixteen times its weight in water. On inch in diameter. This is about the same trip they came across a double the usual size for this easily grotto covered with both the local and recognized cassiope. It is the only circumboreal aspleniums - A. tricho- one in the Northwestern part of the manes larger and with reddish brown continent with terminal flowers. rachis, and A. viride slightly smaller Growing with Gentiana glauca and and with a greenish rachis. Both are Anemone narcissiflora he found an excellent garden plants especially interesting variety of Aconitum A. viride, which is about six inches delphinifolium with the typical mid• tall. night blue colour, but dwarfer and In 1936 Ed and his brother Joe went with flowers far larger than described on a four month trip in the Yukon in the manuals. and Alaska. They started at Skagway On the same trip to the Alice Arm and went by train to Whitehorse country, while walking along a tele• where they bought a sixteen foot graph trail over sphagnum tundra, wooden boat. In this they travelled they found growing together Drosera about 1000 miles down the Yukon rotundifolia and Drosera anglica. River, which flows Northwest to the The latter, which was much more Bering Sea. At Dawson, one of their abundant, has on its leaves bronzy many stops while drifting down the red hairs, each equipped with a round Yukon, they enquired for someone drop of "honey" used to catch no-see- who was a wildflower expert. They ums. In the setting sun Ed described were taken to Mr. Berton, father of the tundra as "looking like a world Pierre Berton, a well known Cana• of burnished copper studded with dian author. He took them across millions of sparkling diamonds." the river in a boat to see the finest Among the drosera were Habenaria stand of Cypripedium guttatum and dilatata growing about ten inches in passerinum that Ed had ever seen. height. As these orchids are usually The Cypripedium guttatum extended two to three feet tall, it appears that about half a mile and were "as thick he found yet another interesting new as a clump of Lily-of-the-Valley." form. The C. passerinum were in smaller His companion on the trip, Archie clumps interspersed throughout the Nicholls, taught Ed the first rules of magnificent show of C. guttatum.

130 This last mentioned is quite a rare few in number — two or three com• orchid and was not encountered again pared to many on D. ochotensis and on their lengthy trip. Its principal D. gormani. At Circle, Alaska, near distinguishing marks are large purple the Arctic Circle they sold the boat blotches on the flowers while the for six cans of milk which helped to lateral petals look as if they have sustain them on their journey over• been cut off with a pair of nail land to Eagle Summit, Fairbanks and scissors. . . (ovate tapering to blunt eventually back to the sea at Valdez. apex) according to Eric Hulten's Before going down to Fairbanks Flora of Alaska. they went to Eagle Summit where Near the Alaska border they went they saw eritrichum which at that up into the Ogilivie Mountains which time was E. aretioides. This was mark the divide between the Yukon especially interesting to Ed and his River system flowing to the Pacific brother because the King of the Alps and the Mackenzie River's tributaries doesn't grow in British Columbia that finish up in the Beaufort Sea. while it or its half brothers grow in They think they were the first people some variety in Alaska and the South• to go into the area because when they ern Rockies. According to Dr. Wil• asked a local trader how to get there liam A. Weber, on whose authority I his reply was, "You can't. I've lived have dropped the "i" before the "urn", here since 1906 and nobody has been this species originates in Asia and is up there since I've been here except quite distinct from E. nanum of the in the winter when you can get up Alps. Another plant they saw on on the frozen river." This was the Eagle Summit was Campanula lasio- Tatonduk River, which, near its carpa, which also can be found on junction with the Yukon, was sur• both sides of the Bering Sea. This rounded with tens of thousands of is a lovely dwarf about six inches tall, Cypripedium passerinum"... thick as which is suitable for a trough. Ac• dandelions around here in the spring." cording to the panelists at the First This is a limestone range and they Interim International Rock Garden were interested to find, in peaty Conference it may bloom itself to pockets in the limestone, ericaceous death, but is readily replenished by plants such as cassiopes and Rhodo• its abundant seed. Ed notes that the dendron lapponicum. Up high on reference was to the Japanese form. rocky ledges they found Myosotis The plant near Eagle Summit is quite alpestris about ten inches tall and the different although called C. lasiocarpa color a glorious vivid blue. Of note by botanists. was the fact that where these forget- After Eagle Summit, Ed and his me-nots were growing in Dahl sheep brother made their way down to the droppings on a three foot wide ledge, coast at Valdez where they encoun• they were twice as tall. tered Primula egaliksensis, the Green• On the very highest ridges they land Primrose, growing in the tide came on Douglasia arctica. The flow• flats. This genus differs from many ers sit down tightly on the bun, which other Alaskans in that it doesn't cross is tiny and very tight. It differs from the Bering Sea, but instead extends the other two Alaskan douglasias, in eastward around the top of North that its leaves are glabrous above, but America to Greenland. In Volume 32 more visibly different in the lack of of the A.R.G.S. Bulletin Mr. P.J. Cot- stems for the flowers and these are terill tells of finding them at Church-

131 ill, Manitoba: ". . . where the mud• Ed and Ethel went on many trips flats had given way to somewhat with Mrs. Berry and Ed remembers drier ground scattered with boulders with particular fondness trips to her and willow scrub, the white flowers favorite Oregon alps: the Wallowas. of Primula egaliksensis seemed sud• Located in the northeastern corner of denly to appear all over the grass, like the state, they are sufficiently sepa• stars coming out in the sky." rated from the Coast mountains and The two brothers had some dif• the Rockies to have some fascinating ficulty getting home because by this endemics. One of these, Mrs. Berry time the ships heading south were called Cookie — Primula cusickiana. booked up, so they took the law into In Vol. 23, p. 103 of the A.R.G.S. their own hands and stowed away for Bulletin, Mrs. Berry tells how she first the voyage to Seattle. found it in abundance. "After walk• Some eighteen years later Ed and ing all morning, we were ready to Ethel went back to Alaska with Mrs. give up and have lunch when all of a A.C.U. Berry, founder of the famous sudden there came a breeze with a Berry Gardens in Portland, Oregon. most heavenly perfume. We dropped They went back to Eagle Summit and everything and ran over the top of were shown the newly discovered the hill, and there sticking up on tufts Claytonia scammaniana. This is a of grass was a P. cusickiana. We very rare plant, which has only been even found an albino and a rose reported from a dozen or so stations, coloured form." She goes on to say, mostly up high, in Alaska and the she wishes she had left them there Yukon. Ed maintains it is a lovely because she was never very successful pink while the Flora of Alaska in growing these plants. On other describes it in no uncertain terms as trips with Mrs. Berry they found "deeply purple-coloured." The three Primula suffrutescens, which she of them then flew over to Mayo in called Stuffy, in the High Sierras of northern British Columbia, but three California. Then there was Tricky — inches of snow in mid-August discour• Eritrichum howardii, which they aged them from any more collecting, found in Montana. so they headed back to Alaska and Another expedition with Mrs. Berry the Yukon. On the White Pass sum• was with Marcel LePiniec to North mit they stayed the night in a Umqua in Oregon. Here Kalmiopsis railroad section house. The plants leachiana was found growing in south were wonderful. Cassiopes in variety, facing perpendicular cliffs and from phyllodoce,and Dodecatheon frig- that visit the N. Umqua form was idum, but the weather was gloomy, introduced as Kalmiopsis leachiana typically; apparently there had only 'Marcel Lepiniec Form.' The plant been three days all season without that was collected had been torn loose rain. from the rocks by frost action and This trip, like most of Ed's trips, was found lying on the ground. Cut was for collecting, and he commented in three, Ed's portion is still growing that he had little success with far in his garden in peaty soil north of a northern plants. He attributes this to large rock. our difficulty in providing long winter During these expeditions Ed was rest and, in summer, twenty-four looking for parent plants for his hours of daylight with temperatures nursery, which started in 1929. He up to 93 F. also used his collected plants for 132 exchange. At that time he could last winter to emphasize the impor• seldom afford to buy plants, so he tance of propagating this species to wrote all the greats in alpine gar• replace losses. This led me to remark dening, such as Dr. Guiseppe, offering that the rows of four inch pots outside them alpines from North America in the greenhouse didn't seem to jibe exchange for European and Asiatic with his contention that he really has plants. Many of Ed's plants were retired. At that Ethel said "You introduced in Great Britain and, on should see inside the greenhouse!" the other hand, a number of European There I found about sixty feet of and Asiatic plants were introduced to bench full of newly potted up cuttings North America as a result of Ed's or pots full of cuttings waiting to initiative. During his fifty or so years acquire roots. He says they are as a nurseryman, not only did he there to move to his new house and thoroughly cover the Northwest, but also as trade material to replace he also made collecting trips to losses. My theory is that after fifty- Ontario, Quebec, New England, and three years in the nursery business he even the Midwest, to add to his range just can't stop. of plants. His visits to Europe and The last time he retired he built Japan helped to expand his catalog a whole new rock garden. One sec• even further. tion runs from the house to the green• A walk around Ed's garden brings house about thirty feet long facing a wealth of memories of plants that he south and the other about fifteen feet introduced: Penstemon rupicola alba high curves around the south west appeared in the garden of Mrs. Big- corner of the house. This part pro• gerstaff Wilson, a well known Vic• vides north slopes and some shade torian gardener. This was the first from a tree for his Saxifraga oppo- white P. rupicola in cultivation. An• sitifolia and Kabschias which he has other variety he introduced is Narcis• in great variety. Many are new ac• sus 'Ethel,' which appeared in their quisitions from a friend of Jim Le- garden between a planting of JV. comte, who in a letter from Czecho• watieri, a snow white endemic from slovakia said, "My friend Jim Lecomte the Taurus mountains, and yellow in New Zealand has informed me that N. rupicola. The flowers of N. 'Ethel' you have Pleione forrestii. I have resemble those of N. watieri, but are a been trying to obtain one for some soft lemon yellow. time, I can offer you Kabshia saxi• Ed grows his special bulbs in one frages in exchange." Ed sent a P. gallon black plastic pots buried in the forrestii and in return received thirty rock garden. This provides some different Kabschia saxifrages and a protection from mice and pheasants Daphne arbuscula. Some of the and also stops the bulb and its offsets kabschias weren't happy in the south from burrowing down to China. facing bed so he dug them up and Another of his introductions is they are now potted and ready to Daphne cneorum 'Leila Haynes.' This move to his new house on part of lovely variety was found by Mrs. the old nursery garden. Haynes of Haynes, British Columbia This move is only a quarter of a in the Alps and thanks to Lohbrunner mile, but it is necessary because he Nursery, is now to be found all over sold his land to a developer and, I Europe and North America. He think a bulldozer is about to level mentioned that he lost his best plant the greenhouses, rock gardens, house

133 and all. The new house is on a style and a memory attached to it rocky rise, which will have glorious is Rhodothamnus chamaecistus, which views of the snow capped Olympic he brought back from Austria in 1967. Mountains and ample room for yet In its homeland it grows in limestone another rock garden. crevices, but is quite happy in Vic• Dr. Lohbrunner, to use his proper toria in a peat bed with limestone title, received an honorary degree in chips. recognition of his contribution to The peat bed is full of interest horticulture. Even more fittingly the with seven kinds of cassiope including University of British Columbia named a very large and very healthy C. war- its alpine garden the E.H. Lohbrunner dii. It too appears at our shows from Alpine Garden. time to time. To end this story I asked him which As well as collecting plants Ed has of his plants he most cherished. also collected botanical books. One There was a Cyclamen graecum, special prize is Gray's Hardy Bulbs which he described as the last of the which he traded for $15 worth of Mohicans — there used to be five bulbs. It is available in London at and now only one is left. Then the rare book stores for $400. there is an enormous Leiophyllum And finally we came across A.T. buxifolium v. prostratum, which Johnson's A Woodland Garden, sometimes appears at our spring which says of Ed Lohbrunner: "that shows. It is hard to imagine a more keen grower of good plants and most perfect plant. Another plant with a skillful of exporters". §

Whatever Happened to Sedum Nuttallianum?

Ron L. Evans London, England

"They seek him here, they seek him there, Those Frenchies seek him everywhere. Is he in Heaven, is he in Hell? That d-d elusive Pimpernel?"

Not that Sedum nuttallianum who have seen it during flowering should be so d-d elusive. According time have not recognized it, or have to the late Dr. Clausen, the expert on not been all that interested. What• North American sedums, where it ever the reason, S. nuttallianum re• does grow it grows in "vast numbers." mains one of the very few North Nevertheless, despite enquiries over American sedums which I have so the years I have not yet traced any• far not managed to capture for my one who has come across it, much collection, and any dedicated collector less had it in cultivation. Maybe the will understand what a tribulation latter is not very surprising, as the it is to be left with a vacant space. plant is an annual and perhaps not Clausen, of course, found it in the much "garden-worthy." Possibly those wild and cultivated it; but that was

134 in 1949 - 1968. Presumably it had then been growing there for a few thousand years, and presumably it still is. In its apparent elusiveness S. nut- tallianum resembles S. villosum in the British Isles, where it is a "native." But S. villosum, one hears, does not grow in "vast quantities," but sparsely in very localised sites, and not with little competition from other vegeta• tion as S. nuttallianum is said to do but amongst turf and other small plants wherein it may snuggle un• detected save by prayer and long searching. It also is probably an an• nual and so unlikely to be recognised except during its flowering period, which in the very variable climate Sedum nuttalianum of Great Britain could easily be a lengthy description, it can grow as month earlier or later than the one a single little runt of a plant about prescribed for it by botanists. So un• 1/4 inch high with a single flower less one has (which one has not) a to a bushy great monster of 7 inches pin-pointed location such as "154 with one hundred and seventy flow• paces S. S.W. of Farmer Giles' cow• ers, — which is a big help for a start. shed under the second boulder on the I should judge, however, that the left" finding S. villosum is more a normal height is about 3 inches, with matter of luck than extensive and pro• an erect stem branching from the longed search. base. The fleshy, terete or some• S. villosum is reported to occur what sausage - shaped leaves, about in its localized habitats — round the 1/4 inch long, would be alternately Mediterranean basin and along the arranged "lanceolate-elliptic or ob• European litoral as far as Iceland and long", and "pale- or bluish-green". Greenland. Clausen found it around As these leaves are said to wither the Gulf of St. Lawrence, it having at flowering time one would find possibly set forth on an ice-floe either the leaves or the flowers, but from Greenland. I had my evanescent seldom both together, which is not plant from Iceland; but in Great Brit• an uncommon attribute of annual ain the only precisely known habitat sedums. From the drawing, the in• seems to be the Ben Lawers Nature florescence would be two-forked, with Reserve in East Scotland — where, I a flower in the fork and the stemless fancy, it is guarded night and day flowers arranged along them. by two men with shotguns, like the As to the flowers, these would be ospreys. Some dark night, maybe, the usual five-pointed stars with the a little critter will stealthily crawl up petals free to the base, and yellow. and eat it, and that will be the end Sepals are unequal and the carpels of conservation. "greenish-yellow", erect in flower and However, to get back to S. nuttal• spreading in fruit. lianum. To paraphrase Clausen's Clausen describes S. nuttallianum

135 as growing in large patches in shallow I suppose all wild plants must need soil on sandstone, and in open woods consent to live with man and grow of oak or red cedar, where it prefers in his gardens. Their natural habitat the shadier spots. He cites southwest and climate has for so long been Missouri and northwest Arkansas in specialized to their particular require• general, on the southern and western ments that they must be carefully Ozark Plateaus and the central and nursed before they can adapt them• southern Osage Plains. More parti• selves to novel and possibly adverse cularly he mentions the area round conditions. It is, however, remark• Everton in Dade County, Missouri, able how relatively soon, having once "on the western side of Jorden Creek been persuaded to adapt, the offspring south of the road from Everton to of so many different species can flour• Antioch Church", and also Shoal ish and abound in a new environment Creek "about three quarter mile and with such little alteration in their southwest of Joplin, Newton County, original character. It is perhaps some• Missouri". what different with annuals, which So if any Missouri members are in could pop up and flower before they the habit of patrolling these areas have quite realized where they have during April to June, which is said been transposed to. But, again their to be the plant's flowering period, and seed may not be viable. The only happen to notice something similar to course is to do as nature does — pro• the above perhaps they could collect pagate as many as possible and select some flower-heads for me. (I never the strongest. I should rather like to attempt to separate the dust of sedum try to experiment with S. nuttal- seed from other dust around it). lianum, though the nearest oak is in Who knows, the seed might germi• my neighbor's garden, and I have not nate. And the seedlings might sur• noticed any red cedars in the vicin- vive and transplant, and the plants ity. § might flower, and the flowers in their Drawing taken from Steyermark's turn might produce viable seed. Flora of Missouri

Folded Paper Seed-Packets Wayne Kittredge North Reading, Massachusetts

For those interested in trying their hands at making folded paper seed-packets here are three different designs from easy to more complicated. Square or very nearly square pieces of paper work best for all three designs.

Quick and Easy The first one shown is quick and easy and well suited for emergency use in the field. It can be made from sheets torn off a small rectangular pad or from a notebook. Even sheets of toilet paper can be used in a pinch, though somewhat stiffer paper is much more satisfactory. These packets hold together rather well as long as they are not jostled too much. They are best carried right side up in the breast pocket of a shirt or the small back pocket of a

136 pair of pants. A small piece of sticky tape or a paper clip to hold down the flap will make them more secure.

b. Fold folded sheet into thirds (approximate). a. Fold paper in half lengthwise.

Fold over at least 1/2 inch of open top to c. The seeds are put in the back compartment. close, pressing crease firmly with back or edge of thumb nail.

Classic Origami The classical Japanese origami seed packet takes a bit of practice to make, but is very secure. It is best made of paper that is not too flimsy. Onion skin, manifold paper, or lightweight typewriter paper work fine. Even crisp newsprint will do. A piece the size of a quarter page of typewriter paper folds to a packet IV* inches square. Half a sheet makes a 2>Vi by AVi inch packet. Unless you have dexterous fingers it is easier to start with the larger size sheet. Be sure to press the creases well with edge or back of thumb nail. It is best, if possible, to work on a hard flat surface. It is easier to complete the packet, folding both ends, and then reopen it to put in seeds than to fold the second end from scratch after the packet already has seeds in it. This type of packet, if properly folded of good quality letter paper, might even go through the mails without an outside envelope, particularly if the two little tabs at the bottom were folded over to the back and secured with pieces of tape, though it might be wise to put a strip of tape over the edges of the seam also.

Y\

o. Fold over upper open edges 1/2 to 3/4 inch n. Fold paper in half lengthwise. to make seam, pressing crease firmly.

137 p. Turn folded paper over so flap of seam is at r. Fold top corner of seamed edge forward and back. down so it is flush with bottom edge. Press crease. k o s. Fold bottom corner of same end forward and t. Lift tip of this corner and slip it under the up so it exactly covers formerly folded edge of folded flap. Gently but firmly corner. Press crease firmly. maneuver the tip into corner of flap until edge is secured under flap. This can be tricky at first try.

u. Reverse partially folded packet keeping flap at top back and fold other end in same manner to close packet. To open, pull out one of the corners that is tucked under the flap and unfold that end. Refold that end U_ after filling packet with seeds. You'll find it easier to fold this second time.

Compromise Packet Though not as attractive looking, this packet is not as fussy to fold and is just as secure as the classic origami packet described above. It is best made from a square or nearly square piece of paper that is not too flimsy. As is true of the classic origami packet, it is best to completely finish this packet and then reopen to fill with seed than to fold it closed originally with the seed inside.

G e. Fold paper in thirds (approximately) length- f. Open flat and fold in half lengthwise, wise to form creases.

138 Fold edges of open top forward and down h. By placing fingers of both hands inside open for about 1/2 inch. Then fold over again to ends while thumbs are holding down folded make a double-folded seam. seam, shape the folded paper into a tube with the seam approximately opposite the crease made when folding the sheet in half. The first creases made by folding the sheet in thirds facilitate this process.

i

Flatten tube with seam approximately center• ed. Fold down top corner of one end. It J need not come to bottom edge of flattened tube, but should come down more than j. Fold up bottom corner of same end so slant• half-way to bottom edge. ing edges of point are exactly even.

Fold over open end so its end comes about 1. Raise pointed end slightly and insert it into 1/4 to 1/2 inch below bottom edges of folds open end. Push it in to crease across base in pointed end. Fold over pointed end of point if possible so it does not slip so crease is just beyond end of previously out too easily. Press packet flat. folded open end.

m. To open, pull pointed end out of open end. When filling hold tube upright with open end up and pointed end partly folded up to prevent seeds from descending into this end. Seeds should be in center section of tube as much as possible. Reclose by in• serting pointed end as before.

Seed Requested

Anne D. Tourney of 2710 Cole Rd., Wexford, PA 15090 would very much like seed of the little annual, six inch, blue daisy Charieis heterophylla, also known as Kaulfussia amelloides or Amellus annuus. Perhaps one of our members can help her out.

139 A Peat Garden in Newfoundland

Bernard S. Jackson Manager and Naturalist Oxen Pond Botanic Park St. John's, Newfoundland

Photographs by the author

We started the construction of our of the year when this could happen peat beds in the summer of 1975, that a regular and careful check on four years after a small experiment the situation will indicate when into the durability of peat blocks sprinklers are required to bring up the under our climatic conditions. Here soil moisture and atmospheric humid• on the Avalon Peninsula of New• ity. We have now installed under• foundland we experience an excessive ground piping (which must be drained amount of rain and an extended every fall) to facilitate watering and season of freezing and thawing temp• to eliminate the time spent laying out eratures. We have an annual pre• foot after foot of hose and the danger cipitation surplus of forty inches of multiple hoses tripping up elderly which always causes our soil to enter visitors, thus causing undesirable the winter period in a saturated con• publicity. We are, after all, a public dition. It is not unusual to see garden. sections of the soil surface held aloft Our next consideration is to use a on sheets of ice crystals up to three growing medium that will remain as inches in height. Needless to say, stable as possible under the stress of this can play havoc with young plants repeated freezing and thawing, erratic and even with some of those that are snow cover, sudden winter rains, ice considered well established. Despite storms and long periods under a cover such problems there would appear a of cold snow-slush. I cannot recall great potential in our area for produc• ever reading of or seeing a peat bed ing plants in a peat or woodland where the growing medium does not growing medium. Our trials in the contain at least some soil. Ours is Oxen Pond Botanic Park are confirm• completely without soil. The reasons ing this assumption. for this are that reasonably good soil Our trials suggest that in order to is scarce and the little that is available grow plants successfully in a peat bed is of a clayey nature and terribly under our conditions, the following unstable under our weather condi• practical steps should be taken: tions. Firstly, the bed must be raised to We started off with a mixture of ap• some extent to allow a fast and proximately fifty-fifty shredded peat thorough drainage. Of course we all and coarse sand with some well know that a peat bed must not be decomposed leaf-mold incorporated allowed to dry out; in this area, into the top three inches. This proved however, there is such a short period suitable for Dlants such as the heathers

140 and dwarf Rhododendrons but too frugal for Trilliums and Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon sp). We have now set up a bed with a growing medium of 63% shredded sphagnum peat, 25% leaf mold (mainly maple) and 12% coarse sand. This mixture was all hand mixed in the back of a pick up truck. We have found that mixing in situ is unreliable. Due to the slope of the bed this mixture varies in depth from approximately 12 to 36 inches. We have found that too much sand draws the sun, (in our occasional good summer) heating up the bed and burning out the organic matter. Our next concern was to use a peat block that would not readily disinte• grate. Rightly or wrongly, I believe that the more orthodox peat block (a twelve inch or 30.5 centimetre cube) would prove unsuitable so we have therefore used blocks approxi• mately two feet long, by fifteen inches Kalmia polifolia forma leucantha wide and fifteen inches deep. Such blocks are decidedly heavy and one leucantha) propogated from wild needs a strong back and an active stock. We have not yet found the friend to get them positioned. Be• wild white Kalmia angustifolia but cause we are particularly interested collected a very nice intermediate in our native plants we do not cut off colour phase this past summer. the surface layer of ericaceous vegeta• Our older peat bed is set in a slight tion since the growing roots of these hollow and receives very little shade plants help maintain block solidity. because the surrounding trees have This vegetation is, however, sheared gradually all blown down and the down to ground level, thus encourag• new young growth is not yet tall ing a dwarfer, more compact carpet• enough to cast shade. We have found ing. Individual plants that show that our climate is such that many of promise are left unsheared but are the plants usually associated with judiciously pruned when necessary. shade actually do quite well in the Such plants include Ledum groenland- open. This is an important con• icum, Kalmia angustifolia, K. poli- sideration since it means that it is still folia, Rhododendron canadense, and worth trying shade loving plants even Chamaedaphne calyculata. Inciden• though shade is not readily available. tally, these species make useful spec• Unfortunately a small area of the bed imen shrubs. We also have a white sits in a frost pocket so one can really Rhodora {Rhodendron canadense only grow some of the hardiest spe• forma albiflorum) and the rare white cies there. Bog Laurel {Kalmia polifolia forma Late frosts are a nuisance especiaL

141 ly when they follow a premature trial including our own native Rhodo• warm spell. Astilbe simplicifolia, dendron lapponicum, collected in the one of my personal favourites, suffers wild. I personally have a soft spot for dreadfully under such conditions. It the heart-shaped leaves of R. william- can bounce back after having its sianum. The leaves of R. camtscha- young foliage burnt off once, but ticum are very sensitive to frost but cannot stand it if the replacement the young wood does not appear to foliage gets the same treatment. So be adversely affected. far we have found it unusual for our Some of the heaths and heathers summer to extend long enough to grow exceptionally well for us especially allow such plants as Astilbe chinensis the cultivars of Calluna vulgaris, Erica var. pumila or Polygonum vaccini- cornea and E. tetralix. Erica cinerea folium to bloom, though maybe this is gets cut back but recovers after prun• caused more by the lateness of our ing; E. vagans, however, does not sur• spring than by our short summer. vive in our area. Many visitors are Certainly Cyananthus lobatus flowers surprised to see the Connemara Heath later, putting on a fine show for an (Daboecia cantabrica) in our beds. extended period. Indeed, one visiting Irish horticulturist Newfoundland rarely experiences a was so delighted that he sent us cut• windless day. Our wind not only tings of the cultivar Alba' . The one drives the flower photographers al• we grow, D.c. Praegerae', has large most rabid but blows the leaves off purple bell-shaped flower, but does the larger leaved Rhododendrons and require a deep, reliable snow cover to the decorative berries off such plants maintain a healthy, robust appearance. as Actaea rubra and A.r. forma The Yellow Lady Slipper (Cypripe- neglecta. The latter forms dense, dium calceolus var. parviflorum) and showy, compact clumps for us, which the Showy Lady Slipper (Cypripe- are eagerly sought after by the nature dium reginae) grow very well without photographers. We have erected a shade in our original sand and peat traditional Newfoundland "quiggly" mixture. Ten years ago I found a fence to slow down the worst of the lovely pure white phase of the latter wind. Incidentally this fence is made species growing with more usual ones by weaving the eight to twelve foot of its kind at the side of a public high• stems of freshly cut young black way. Unfortunately, it has since been spruce or balsam fir trees in an up• destroyed and I now wish I had col• right position through a three railed lected it for safe keeping in the Park. post and rail fence. No nails are We also have the Purple Fringed Or• used and I can assure you it would chid (Platanthera grandiflora), Ladies take a strong cow or a very deter• Tresses {Spiranth.es romanzoffiana) and mined small boy to get past it. the unusual Cypripedium calceolus Our area is one of the few parts var. planipetalum. The latter should of Canada where rhododendrons thrive more correctly be grown in a limy reasonably well. My personal opinion, soil. Though they do flower in our however, is that the larger species and peat bed the plants are not as robust cultivars require too much mainte• as those in the wild. nance against ice storms and such to Very few types of primula have be worth the effort. It is the dwarfer been grown locally so we are present• forms that show the most potential. ly experimenting with this group. We have ten or a dozen types under Primula juliae, P. veris and P. den- 142 ticulata grow well, but P. auricula is covering of well rotted maple leaf more difficult. The native P. lauren- mold. Though most of the plants ap• tiana, does well but is short-lived both pear to thrive under this treatment, in the peat bed and the rock garden. plants such as Trilliums, Shooting In Newfoundland this plant is found Star and Primula have not. These growing on limestone, but neverthe• plants are now being tried in our less has done well in a peat-sand mix• woodland bed for comparison. The ture for four or five consecutive years. medium in this bed is made up mainly P. mistassinica in Newfoundland is of shredded peat but with varying found amongst grass on moist sand amounts of sand, leaf mold, well de• adjacent to the sea. It flowers well in composed animal manure with clay the peat bed but, like P. laurentiana, soil incorporated. The top few inches is short lived. P. egaliksensis and P. of the bed are raised above the stricta, are also in the Farinosa Sec• ground level and it is hoped that the tion, native to the Province of New• mixture will drain sufficiently to deter foundland and Labrador, but so far the adverse effects of our weather. In we have not tried growing them. the peat beds we are now experiment• Until recently I have been fertilizing ing with a top dressing of fifty per• our oldest peat beds with a very light cent sieved leaf mold and fifty per• dusting of a complete commercial cent commercially composted sheep fertilizer with a non-limestone base. I manure, in lieu of the commercial have also been topdressing with a thin chemical fertilizer previously used.

Sanguinaria canadensis forma multiplex in peat bed

143 A plant that is doing extremely well Zigadenus nuttallii, Gentiana acaulis, in the old peat bed is the Alpine G. asclepiadea, Jeffersonia dubia, Platy- Azalea (Loiseleuria procumbens). Our codon grandiflorum, Poly gala cham- specimen, gathered in the wild when aebuxus and P.c. var. purpurea. small, is steadily increasing in size Naturally we are particularly in• and blooms profusely. It is one of terested in our own, beautiful natives. our most treasured plants. Three plants Clintonia borealis has a charm and of our native Trailing Arbutus (Epig- simplicity that can be used to good aea repens L.) also thrive, without advantage, but we must be careful shade, in our sand and peat mixture. of the spreading habits of the lovely They were collected from an open site little Cornus canadensis, Maianthe- a number of years ago and though mum canadense, and Trientalis bore• their leaves are paler than others we alis. These are best planted in an in• have in shade, they nevertheless flow• formal woodland bed where they can er far more profusely. romp at will. Our only native tril- None of our peat beds are given lium, T. cemuum makes nice compact a winter protection of spruce boughs clumps with shy, nodding flowers, or such. Since they are in a slight whereas Iris setosa makes compact hollow they usually get a fairly de• clumps bursting with large, colourful cent depth of snow cover. Also, be• blooms. Arctostaphylos uva-ursi forms cause of their location, they usually a beautifully textured ground cover warm up a little earlier in the spring. but the deciduous A.alpina provides This latter fact may or may not be a more appealing fall colouring. Ane• a blessing because, as mentioned earl• mone canadensis, which, believe it or ier, early tender young growth is easi• not, is extremely rare in Newfound• ly nipped by late frosts. land, grows better in our old peat bed One of the main problems encoun• than in any other medium we have tered in gardening in our part of the tried. The stems withstand our in• world lies in the difficulty of acquir• cessant wind and the clear, white ing any plant other than the general flowers persist for an extended period. run of annual bedding plants and Our visitors love it, but unfortunately such. Specialist nurseries are non• its thick, spreading mattress of roots existent, whilst purchasing plants a- will quickly take over such a favour• cross the border is fraught with all able site. sorts of pitfalls. Fortunately the Park's A number of dwarf native shrubs horticulturist recently spent some time are ideal for the peat bed if grown with Mr. Alfred Evans in the Edin• in an open situation as specimen burgh Royal Botanic Garden and plants. Those already mentioned in brought back cuttings of a good selec• another context, such as Ledum groen- tion of hard-to-get Ericaceae. Though landicum, Kalmia angustifolia, K.poli- it was a very poor time to take cut• folia, Rhododendron canadense, and tings, quite a few have rooted. We Chamaedaphne calyculata are ideal. are now looking forward to planting Vaccinium angustifolium V. uligino- them in their permanent sites. sum, Gaylussacia dumosa and Andro• A few other interesting plants that meda glaucophylla are also useful. flower well in our peat bed include, We suffer very little damage from Erythronium tuolumnense "Pagoda", disease or animal pests, which is for• Sanguinaria canadensis forma multi• tunate, doubly so since the Park is plex, Anemone blanda "Bridesmaid", also a nature reserve where chemical

144 controls are frowned upon. The only public gardens have to resort to wires artificial control we use is to keep and fences and alarm systems to pro• some slug pellets tucked away in suit• tect their exhibits. The very small able locations. On one occasion we minority are expert at spoiling things had a large moose walk over the beds, for the vast majority of visitors who driving a number of plants deep simply want to look and who appre• below the surface with it large hooves. ciate every little thing that is done Actually its feet did not do anywhere for them. Those of you who can hide near the damage now being done by away and potter around in some the feet of those Park visitors pinch• green and quite private spot, count ing plants. your blessings! § It is unfortunate that the staff in

Quiggly Fence

A quiggly fence is made of younger firmer though inclined to rot at the spruce or fir with a stem diameter of bottom. The posts are set about one to two inches and a length of eight feet apart. The top rail is about between six and twelve feet. They are four feet off the ground, the bottom cut down while thinning out natural rail about six inches above the forest regeneration and must be used ground. The three cross rails are while still green and sappy; ii you nailed (galvanished nails) to the posts, store them too long they become dry which are about eight feet apart. and are extremely difficult, if not im• These should be of black spruce or possible, to weave through the three cross bars of ihe post and rail tence. We remove all the branches, but leave the stem from the butt up to where it thins to about a half inch. I have seen the stem peeled before weaving, but we do not bother, believing it looks more natural to leave the bark on. Some people cut the top ot the fence off level at about four teet, but the traditional way and the way we do it is to leave them uncut. By mixing short ones with longer ones, you come up with a fairly tall, even looking structure. Humulus, con• volvulus, and lonicera climb these fences quite readily and soften the overall appearance. If you look care• fully, you'll see how some humulus has grown to the top of the fence in the center of the picture. If the butts of the fir and spruce stems are raised off the ground slight• ly they will last longer, but if they are poked into the ground they are Quiggly Fence

145 larch, not fir because it rots too no nails. The photograph gives you easily. If we had cedar or locust we the general idea. I have seen Moun• would use that. The old timers used tain Alder (Alnus crispa) sticks used to cut holes in the posts and fit the instead of spruce and fir and guess rails into them (similar to a mortise one could use whatever saplings are and tenon joint) — much neater and available. § - B.S.J.

Rare Find in Ontario - Albino Northeastern Columbine

James L. Hod gins Toronto Canada

The white-flowered form of Aquil- Erigeron sp., Arctium sp., Nepeta egia canadensis was first described cataria, Matteuccia struthiopteris, by Homer D. House in 1923. It's full and Equisetum arvense. The soil scientific name is Aquilegia canaden• was sandy, with stones, and there sis L. forma albiflora House. Accord• was a thin layer of forest litter on top ing to M.L. Fernald in the eighth edi• of it. tion of Gray's Manual of Botany The white columbine had three (1950), this albino is "very rare" in separate stems, which were contig• eastern North America, which is the uous at the base, possibly emerging general range for the typical red- from the same root. It was about orange form of this species. twenty-nine inches tall and had eleven The first recorded sighting of this flowers and two buds, but no fruits rare albino form for Ontario and pos• when first seen. However abundant sibly Canada was made on June 3, seed was collected about four weeks 1983 at the Greenwood Conservation later for horticultural purposes. The Area in Durham Regional Municipal• perianths of the flowers were pure ity, Ontario by James L. Hodgins and white, but the vegetative portions Z. Zichmanis. This particular speci• appeared typical in every way. men was growing at the base of a Three color photographs of the plant west-facing valley . slope, which was were taken and later examined and covered with mixed deciduous forest. the species and form verified by J. S. The plant was growing at the edge of Pringle of the Royal Botanical Gardens the forest, between it and the flood in Hamilton, Ontario, who, in a per• plain of the east side of Duff in Creek. sonal communication with the author, The overstory consisted of Thuja said that very few species normally occidentalis, Ulmus americana, and having petals and/or sepals in the Fraxinus americana. Our white-flow• scarlet to yellow range ever have white ered plant was growing among other flowers, as contrasted with those in Aquilegia canadensis of the typical the Cardinal Hower red to blue range. red-orange color, along with Rhamnus The photographs have been deposited sp., Solidago sp., Glecoma hederacea, at the herbarium at the Royal Ontario Tussilago farfara, Ranunculus acris, Museum in Toronto. The plant was Aster macrophyllus, Solanum sp., left in situ.

146 Among Hot Rocks

Zdenek Zvolanek Prague, Czechoslovakia

Drawing by the author

As I write this at the end of May, only partly below the level of the sur• 1982, we have temperatures of about rounding terrain, and is filled with a 30 degrees C. My rock garden is mixture of a poor soil and limestone situated in a rather dry area with grit. The sharp slope of the scree a maximum precipitation of 400 mm. faces exactly south. The young seed• per year, twenty-five kilometers south lings were transplanted directly into of Prague at an altitude of 220 meters. this scree about the end of May, 1981. Some superb North American plants In this way I made a colony of thirty play an important role in this inform• plants of Aquilegia jonesii altogether. al garden. Last year I constructed Here, they underwent all the hot and a small scree here in front of one dry days of our summer and survived of our native rocks of diabase espe• with no trouble our very terrible cially to grow the famous Aquilegia winter without any protection. Of jonesii. Thanks to Mr. Hans Asmus course, 1 was full of joy and loved of Wisconsin I have a number of seed• to see their dense cushions of velvety, lings of this temperamental colum• bluish-gray leaves with three large bine, some of which germinated in flowers with their short spurs on three situ in various sections of my rock of the one year old plants in the garden. last week in March 1982. The scree is a good two feet deep, The ripening of their seed pods took

147 quite a while longer. It was not other hand, a prostrate greenish her• until the end of May (following an baceous plant with a long blooming unusually cold April) that I was able period of large light red flowers, has to gather the seed. One plump pod survived severe frosts to -16 degrees contained 110 seeds, so at least I need C. with no snow cover. Because have no fear about future progeny. of its underground stolons, this plant, Last year I collected two pods from though only 5 cm. high, forms a my two pot grown plants and seed dense carpet that wishes a large space, from them germinated this year in so the plant has been placed quite a April. distance from the neighborhood of My alpine partner, Mr. Rudolf Aquilegia jonesii. Zeman, has successfully transplanted A similar plant, but with more seedlings from the seed pan into pots silvery-gray leaves and slower when they had only cotyledons. We growth, is Zauschneria septentrio- have also transplanted seedlings with nalis. My young specimen also sur• their first true leaves, but their roots vived the bad winter with the help in the light seed sowing mixture are of the underground portions of the by then up to 10 cm. long and it is plant. This North American corner not easy to fit them into small pots. of my rock garden was completed Indeed, all the plants that I grow in with Silene hookeri, Haplopappus a- the usual English way - in pots - are caulis, Sisyrinchium douglasii, Ane• too restricted. mone multifida, Phlox diffusa and a Aquilegia jonesii is a superb plant fairly old Abies concolor 'Compacta'. for open south-facing limestone Nearly all my garden is exposed screes; in such sites they take with a to scorching sun. Unfortunately I can smile long hot periods with no arti• water only from time to time because ficial watering and the unusually col• I am only there for some weekends ored buns of lacy leaves are highly and the source of water is rain run• decorative in spring and summer. At ning off our roof into two reservoirs. the moment my robust inhabitants of In addition to the North American the scree are only thirteen months plants already mentioned I grow a old and I am waiting for more flowers number of others perfectly here and I next March, because full success with appreciate their courage and beauty. a delightful alpine plant depends Erigeron linearis carries its yellow mainly on its good bloom. flowers on seven centimeter high In the same hot scree the silvery- stems over a firm cushion of narrow gray leaved androsace from the Wen- grayish leaves. Penstemon davidsonii atchee Mountains, Douglasia nivalis ssp. menziesii forma microphyllus is a var. dentata, is also happy. This real small gem, especially when its April the plant flowered richly with pygmy stems with miniature, red- its typical dark wine-red flowers with brown leaves that hug the hot ground black-purple eye. I admire the very are set with nice purplish flowers. The large, stemless, light violet flower plant, including the flowers is 4 cm. heads of Townsendia rothrockii in high. I raised it from a seed from association with the aquilegia and the an exchange. Onothera fremontii, douglasia. I was pleasantly surprised though not a dwarf plant, such as, by Zauschneria villosa as I had lost for example, Saxifraga ferdinandi-co- many plants of Z. cana during past burgii, is much better suited to a rock winters. Zauschneria villosa, on the garden than the larger O. missou- 148 riensis, and I like it. ideal dwarf mound. The small phloxes are giving me the Phlox peckii has been unhappy with greatest pleasure. Some of the Scotch me for four years. It was probably hybrids are charming in the difficult placed in too scorching a site and I conditions of this garden. For ex• cannot root it from cuttings. The ample: Phlox 'Red Admiral', which is plant gave me only one small, dark dark red with a darker eye and round• flower with longer than usual hairs, ish petals; Phlox 'Crackerjack' of a but I admire the tiny, wooly leaves on most intense carmine color on a com• narrow shoots coming from the pact mound; Phlox 'Lilac Queen', lav• woody branches. I would like to ender-violet blossoms in profusion on move it to a cooler place with semi- a thirty centimeter wide mat. Phlox shady conditions where my best white 'Purple Cushion' has also proved its flowered shrub of Penstemon rupi- qualities in this hot spot. I think cola alba is now placed. that the above phlox have as part of What a pity that I only have one their makeup Phlox diffusa. (I have pygmy plant of Eriogonum gracilipes, some taxons of this phlox from wild which I raised from the seed sent in collected seed and these flower in cool by Mrs. Margaret Williams. This lilac colors or pure white, but never shrub is planted in full sun in a with the same rich colors as the crevice in order to get it to flower. named cultivars.) This is a native of the White Moun• It may be that Phlox caespitosa tains of California. The flowers gave its chromosomes to others of change their color from dark yellow Jack Drake's group of hybrids. Phlox to red-orange as they age. 'Apollo' is a superb cushion form with Polemonium viscosum I keep in a stemless, dark violet flowers about 10 semishaded area near a large tree mm. in diameter. Phlox ']. Hibber- where there is more underground son,' has larger, dark lavender-lilac moisture available. Here it grows flowers and Phlox Concorde' is proud fifteen centimeters tall and I love its of its three toned petals of good size crowded heads of violet-blue flowers. (reddish-violet with a gray eye.) They Pclemonium brandegei survives better all want a cooler run for their roots in drier conditions and, for me, has and a better supply of water than my creamy yellow flowers of good size. other cultivars so I must plant them In the same shady corner is planted between larger stones or in half-shady Phlox nivalis 'Red Wings'. This may spots. My very nicest plant is Phlox be a form or a hybrid of this fine 'Iceberg' with a very light lavender eastern American species. Every year blossom and perfectly formed trian• it impresses me with a wealth of huge, gular petals. This looks as though it shining carmine flowers with a darker might be a selected form of Phlox eye. caespitosa, but I have no wild mater• As all of us do, I have had my ial for comparison. Similar condi• own sad failures with new plants. I tions suit Phlox alyssifolia ssp. abdita, planted them directly into the rock a pretty, shrubby plant with larger garden instead of carefully trying lilac-white flowers and sharply point• them in a cool alpine box or frame. ed, longer leaves with ciliate hairs, So the imperial Phlox lutea flowered and also a plant I received as Phlox for one summer with two times four douglasii ssp. hendersonii, which has large flowers and was killed during cream white flowers and forms an its second winter. I apologize for

149 this to Mr. Panayoti Callas, who sent localities in the western half of North me three seeds. America for those of us who cannot The western portion of the North go ourselves. To introduce one really American continent offers many of beautiful plant into cultivation (and the most perfect rock garden plants, the best way is to collect good a- but, unfortunately, it is pretty far mounts of ripe seed) should be the away for it to be anything but a dim highest aim for all of us. Thank you, possibility for us from eastern Europe Mr. Asmus, for your sometimes un• to visit. We must, therefore, be comfortable trips into the limestone patient and dream our sweet dreams areas of the Big Horn Mountains. in which hundreds of new plant Aquilegia jonesii is happily among us prospectors and energetic seed col• now, here in the heart of Europe. § lectors search diligently in the best

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4J|fe . . / i„ <^V* ^: (Book [Reviews S5*2ft <^V\ '<€\o y^f

Handbook of Cultivated Sedums specialize in collecting, growing, and by R. L. Evans. Science Reveiws, Ltd. exchanging the hardy and tender Northwood, England and in U.S.A.: varieties of sedums. Chief among Science Reviews, Inc., 707 Foulk them is Ronald Evans, author of this Road, Suite 102, Wilmington, DE excellent new handbook of cultivated 19803. $25.00 sedums, who reminds us that "anyone who has a garden is likely to have In his classic work on the English some type of stonecrop growing in it, rock garden, Reginald Farrer sum• and very likely more than one kind. marizes one view of the stonecrops, But of all the plants growing therein, or genus Sedum, by remarking that it is the stonecrop which is least "this vast race, as a whole, is curious• likely" to be correctly named. ly uninteresting." Clarence Elliott Why are sedums so maligned and concurs: 'As a class they are impor• so misnamed? Part of the reason, tant in the rock garden and yet I some believe, is that comprehensive, feel neither affection nor enthusiam reliable, current information about for them." Most other writers agree, them has not been available to but in contrast, Chris Brickell, direc• gardeners. The best previous book on tor of the Wisley gardens, describes sedums was that written by R. Lloyd them as an "unsung but most useful Praiger in 1921, but it is now both and attractive group of plants." And, out-of-date and difficult to obtain, difficult as it may be to believe, even though it was reprinted in 1967. there exists today a small scattered Ron Evan's new book is an attempt band of enthusiasts who actually to fill this void and to offer a

150 modern gardener's description of a on the border line. Rosularia is out very large genus with a bewildering and so is Graptopetalum (with the diversity of forms. Sedums range in curious exception of G. paraguayense, height from one and a half inches to now born again under its old name, well over one and a half feet; in Sedum weinbergii, leaving in limbo foliage color from pale green to deep such ghostly kin as G. amethystinum mahogany; in floral color from pale and G. filiferum.) Nomenclature is blue through white, yellow, pink, and generally conservative with preference carmine, to deep purple; and in apparently being given to the briefest flowering times from early May to of the available synonyms, except for late October. Indeed, at least one a popular plant listed as — take fanatic has found it possible to build a deep breath — S. spathulifolium a rock garden composed entirely of ssp. pruinosum var. purpureum Cape sedums. Blanco.' Another reason why sedums are Too much should not be made of often shunned is that they are sup• differences of opinion on nomencla• posed to be absurdly easy to grow, ture. By linking his names with but Evans describes many kinds which precise descriptions, Evans provides are difficult enough to challenge the disignations which are readily usable most skilled. by gardeners. At the same time, he Long awaited, Evan's handbook offers some basic data for the taxono- surpasses all expectations. It is hand• mists who, it is hoped, will some day somely produced in a convenient ten revise the entire genus. In any event by seven inch format with 345 pages the book certainly proves its worth and sixteen color plates showing as a guide to identification. By using photographs of 206 specimens, includ• it, I was able in a very brief time ing an absolutely smashing Sedum to sharply reduce my number of praealtum 'Cristatum.' At a price of unknowns. $25.00 it is a bargain. Each species Americans may find some British or major variety gets a page to itself. brand names unfamiliar, and some The detailed descriptions are based on species are described which are cur• a thorough study of the literature rently unobtainable in this country. but are verified and supplemented by On the other hand, a few plants Evan's observations of his own plants. commonly grown here are omitted There are tips on cultivation and such as: SS. burrito, lucidum suggestions for horticultural uses for 'Cristatum,' platyphyllum, and tor- each species. Some sixty pages of ulosum; also Orostachys spinosa. general notes are provided, with the The description of S. rubrotinctum is section on geographical distribution based on the cultivar, 'Christmas being particularly outstanding. Amer• Cheer,' rather than on the type, which icans will find that the pests and has olive-green to deep maroon diseases which are described are all leaves. The reference on p. 16 to an too familiar, with the exception of "alkaline" pH of about 6.5 to 7 is the vine-weevil which the author apparently an oversight. While the warns is a "menace to be born in mind." book is not free of typographical Evans follows Praeger in dividing errors, few of them are of serious the genus into seven sections, thus consequence. necessitating some hard choices. Praeger's book was a landmark, Rhodiola is in. Orostachys is firmly the point of departure for all sub-

151 sequent studies of sedums. Unques• straints and freely ramble among his tionably, the Evans handbook now store of reminiscences of plants, occupies the same position. It will people and places. The flavor of the be widely used by scientists, by writing is that of a friendly chat with nurserymen, and by all gardeners a fellow rock gardener. who wish to learn more about a On reading the work one has the fascinating and beautiful, but hereto• impression that much of the writing fore mostly neglected, genus of plants. was done in odd moments and then — David H. Heller pulled together at a later date. There was apparently very little editorial Alpine and Rock Plants supervision or revision by the publish• by Will Ingwersen. 1983 J. M. Dent ers after the submission of the manu• & Sons, Ltd., London. Available script. This, of course, does enhance through Biblio Distribution Centre, the familiar tone of the work, but 81 Adams Dr., Totowa, NJ. 07512. it leaves the reader sometimes con• $22.50 fused. For instance, at the conclusion of Will Ingwersen is one of the premier the chapter "Ericaceous Plants" there names in the world of alpine and rock is this paragraph: "So much for garden plants in all of Europe, of ericaceous plants — with one or two America and even in Iran. He comes interlopers. Others will doubtless be to this elevated status not solely by found on subsequent pages but these being the son of one of the greats of are just a few of the creme de la yesterday, Walter E. Th. Ingwersen, creme. As I write I am continually but by virtue of years as a nursery• beset by thoughts of plants which I man in Great Britain, a consort of all have omitted from their appropriate the finest horticulturists in that horti• chapters, but comfort myself with the cultural island, and a moving force in intention to enthuse about them in due the sanctums of the horticultural course. A plant which I unforgivably world there. left out of the chapter on aristo• For many years, I feel sure, he has crats . . . definitely deserves a few been pressured by the avid horticul• paragraphs, even if only to tempt you tural publishers in Great Britain to to a rarely attainable desire." The produce books that could record his "deserved paragraphs" never appear extraordinary knowledge and exper• in the book. tise. Finally a few years ago, he There is a handsome eight page produced the Manual of Alpine spread of color plates in the center Plants, a thorough catalogue of rock of the book, and throughout there garden plants including many recent are some sensitive line drawings of introductions. Because of the format individual plants by Charles Stitt. he had to condense his comments on The book is a pleasure to read individual plants and stick closely to despite a frequent repetition of cliches an alphabetical sequence. and a few less than precise descrip• In this new book he has been tions of plants. — H.L.F. permitted to escape from these re•

152 . . . of Cabbages and Kings . . .

The following guest editorial was flower guides or the Flora of your sent in as a possible article by Sonia state or area or check out your local Lowzow, owner of Fjellgarden in herbarium. Collect, preferably, only Lakeside, Arizona, who has recently seed or cuttings of your chosen plants. started a new and thriving Arizona (If they can't be propagated reason• Chapter. Her theme seemed more ably easily, further distribution will suited to Cabbages and Kings and, be difficult, anyway.) Bring them though it has been touched on lightly home and grow them, trying a few in this column before, it is important in various locations as similar as pos• and deserves greater comment and, sible to their native habitats. Don't may we hope, further action on the expect a meadow plant to thrive in part of our members. lean scree or a scree-dweller to accept the rich humus of the woodland gard• en. If you have a botanic garden in your area, contact them for in• Out there in the American country• formation about the plants themselves side, there are vast untapped reser• (nomenclature, and so forth) and voirs of native plants ready and will• about the preferred cultural condi• ing to come into our gardens if we tions of each species. If, after a will only find them and make a place period in your garden, the plants for them. As a rock garden society, prove amenable to cultivation (are one of our stated aims is to "en• "garden-worthy"), then start the dis• courage and promote . . . introduc• semination process. Perhaps you tion of new species". I'm sure that have a friend in a region with dis• actual dissemination of the plants, similar climatic conditions. Send him themselves, is also intended. Where some. If they pass the test for garden- would we, as rock-gardeners, be if worthiness at his place, also, pass the Swiss, for instance, had allowed them on further. A nursery in your their native flora to languish in ob• area might welcome an opportunity scurity? But many of us are doing to bring a really good plant into culti• just that with our natives — and they vation or one of our mail-order alpine are everywhere. You don't live in an nurseries might be happy to propagate alpine area, you say? An alpine some especially fine plant they have plant, in the broad sense, can be any not previously encountered. Give a reasonably hardy plant that will live few plants to a botanic garden — the and thrive in rock garden conditions. word will spread from there. And The definition can be even further write an article about the plant for broadened to include so many lovely the ARGS Bulletin; then we'll all learn woodlanders that will establish them• about it. selves on the shady verges of the rock garden or under our trees. There is then, in effect, a mandate to American rock gardeners: Go out To Sonia's excellent suggestions it and find your native plants. Acquire might be added that while you are enough botanical knowledge to at about it you should collect, whenever least make a stab at identification. possible, seed or cuttings from the Use one of the readily available local sturdiest, most attractive and health-

153 iest plants in a colony. Cuttings will, will die under the same conditions. If of course, grow into plants identical these plants are then grown on for to the parent from which they were several generations in the less than taken, but even seed will tend to perfect (from their point of view) some extent to pass on in their genetic growing conditions of your garden, material the vigor, growth habit, nature itself will kill off those unable flower color and quality that first to take it, leaving perhaps a few attracted you to that particular plant. stalwarts to set seed and become the Within almost every species there progenitors of a whole new "garden- are individuals that carry in their hardy" population of that particular genes features which are attractive to species and the "impossible plant" will gardeners. It may be an obvious become not only possible but, per• characteristic such as particularly haps, even fairly easy. It has hap• good growth habit, flower color, or pened before. leaf texture. Or it may be a quality Those plants with more obvious not so easily recognized such as dis• attractions such as color and size ease resistance, cold or heat hardiness, of blossom will require more personal or in the case of alpines, a tolerance selection on the part of the gardener for growing conditions at lower ele• if a population with this trait is the vations. Those with the more ob• goal. As many seeds as possible of vious attractions are easy for the the desirable plant or plants should gardener to select. Mark these plants be sown and raised to maturity in with a strip of rag or a plastic ribbon groups so that fertilization can take and when the seed is ripe, collect it. place among them. It may be that Those individuals with less ob• a certain amount of selection among vious, but perhaps even more valu• the seedlings can take place at this able characteristics will prove more first generation level, but it is wise difficult, if not impossible to identify; not to be too ruthless in weeding but the site where they are growing out the poorer individuals at this may give a clue. By collecting seed point as some gene-carried character• from wild plants naturally growing istics may not show up visually in near the northern limit of a species' this first batch of seedlings even range, plants more cold resistant than though the wanted trait may be latent normal may result. The further south in some of the plants. With the a population is growing the more second generation, however, some likely it is to tolerate warm condi• segregation will probably occur so tions. Seed collected from individuals that the less desirable individuals can growing at altitudes lower than is be rogued out and discarded before usually true for that species may har• they have the opportunity to pass on bor resistance to the ills attendant to their pollen or set seed. Deliberate garden conditions at low elevations. hand fertilization by the gardener One of the advantages of growing among the better plants may speed wild plants from seed is that, by the the process, but if the less good in• luck of the draw, a few of the seed• dividuals are removed promptly the lings grown from such collected seed ^ees and butterflies will frequently do may carry in their genetic material a more than adequate job. Occasion• some of these invisible advantageous ally even after several generations of characteristics and these will survive selection, throw-backs to the more in your garden whereas their cohorts typical, less desirable characteristics

154 of the species will appear and these centrate the genetic debilities as well plants should be weeded out immedi• as the desirable trait. In addition, ately and discarded to prevent con• characteristics wished for by a horti• tamination of the strain. culturist, such as a certain blossom Genetic selection by human beings color or a dwarf growth habit may be is tricky, however, and not as simple genetically linked to such unwanted as the above description could lead qualities as weak stems, a suscepti• you to suppose. There is good reason bility to certain diseases, or even for strictures against close and pro• sterility and it is extremely difficult longed inbreeding, but in their eager• to divorce the two, so that in selecting ness to attain coveted characteristics, for the coveted quality you are also breeders may forget or ignore such automatically selecting for the un• warnings, sometimes with unfortunate wanted characteristic with sometimes results. fatal and usually unhappy results. Plants as well as animals may carry There are many examples in horti• in their genetic material incipient de• culture and agriculture of both im• bilities. In a wild population, plants proved and impaired strains of plants which carry too great a burden of caused by selection practiced by such weaknesses are likely to be breeders; yet, as we become more eliminated by natural selection, or the knowledgeable about the strange debility, if not dominant, may be world of genetic manipulation, we ameliorated in large populations by may learn how to guard against the cross fertilization with plants that do pitfalls, and in the meanwhile no not carry the flaw in their genes. In drastic harm is likely to result from small populations, however, wide• gathering seed of the best wild plants spread cross fertilizarion is limited at we can find and attempting to raise best and may actually be discouraged from them garden-hardy, garden- or even prevented by the gardener- worthy strains for our enjoyment and breeder, who, in addition coddles the that of other gardeners. So gather plants and protects them from natural seeds and cuttings of your native attrition. Thus the weaklings are wildings where ye may, and grow likely to survive to pass on and con• them on and disseminate them. §

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155 HYACINTHS • TULIPS • CROCUS • DAFFODILS • ANEMONES • NARCISSUS •

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159 Alan Bloom's Alpine and Perennial Books

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

THE ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY'S PUBLICATIONS,

WRITTEN BY ACKNOWLEDGED EXPERTS IN THEIR OWN SUBJECTS, OFFER OUTSTANDING VALUE THE GENUS LEWISIA By R. C. Elliott $4.50 SAXIFRAGES By Winton Harding $4.00 ALPINES IN SINKS AND TROUGHS By Joe Elliott $2.25 THE GENUS CYCLAMEN By D. E. Saunders $2.25 ASIATIC PRIMULAS By Roy Green $9.00 DAPHNE By Chris Brickell and Brian Mathew $11.25 ANDROSACES By George Smith and Duncan Lowe $9.00 MOUNTAIN FLOWER HOLIDAYS IN EUROPE By Lionel Bacon $15.00 DWARF SHRUBS By Harold Bawden $9.00 A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO ROCK GARDENING By Winton Harding $3.75 PROPAGATION OF ALPINES By Ken Hulme $2.75 PRIMULAS OF EUROPE AND AMERICA By G. Smith, B. Burrow and D. Lowe (including 32 color pages) $33.00 AGS Publications are available ONLY from AGS Publications Ltd. (All prices postpaid) D.K. HASELGROVE, 278/280 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London E17 9PL, England

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

President KENNETH J. LOVE,3335 N.W. Luray Terrace, Portland, Ore. 92710 Vice-President LEE M. RADEN, Alpine Flora, 1 Alpine Way, Phoenixville, Pa. 19460 Secretary NORMAN SINGER, SR 66 Box 114, Norfolk Rd., Sandisfield, Mass. 01255 Treasurer NORMAN CLARK, 8608 39th S.W.,Seattle, Wash., 98136

Directors Term expires 1985 William S. Folkman Andrew Pierce Waid R. Vanderpoel

Term expires 1986

Marvin E. Black Iza Goroff Howard W. Pfeifer

Term expires 1987 Betty Blake Anita Kistler Sandra Ladendorf

Director of Seed Exchange Evelyn Wittemore 90 Ridgecrest Drive, Westfield, MA 01085

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

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

CHAPTER CHAIRMEN

Adirondack LEE NELSON, 8 Peer St., Binghamton, NY 13901 Allegheny ANNE TOUMEY. Cole Road. Wexford, PA 15090 Arizona SONIA LOWZOW, Rte. 2. Box M365. Lakeside, AZ 85929 Columbia-Willamette. FREDNILSEN, 2744 SE 30th Ave., Portland OR 97202 Connecticut GEOFFREY CHARLESWORTH, Norfolk Rd., Sandisfield, MA 01255 Delaware Valley ROBERT WAY. P.O. Box 116, Kennett Square, PA 19348 Great Lakes ROBERTA CASE, 7275 Thornapple Lane, Saginaw, MI 48603 Hudson Valley ROBERT M. COLE, 60 Benedict Ave., Tarrytown, NY 10591 Long Island JOANNE and FRED KNAPP, Kaintuck Lane, Locust Valley, NY 11560 Minnesota STEVE KELLEY, 2325 S. Watertown Rd., Long Lake, MN 55356 New England SAM RYBURN, 33 Wilsondale St., Dover, MA 02030 Northwestern PAT BENDER, 4123 N.E. 186th St., Seattle, WA 98155 Ohio Valley MICHAEL D. COLE, 730 Carlsbrook Dr., Beaver Creek, OH 45385 Potomac Valley LYNN MAKELA, 5408 Yorkshire, St., Springfield, VA 22151 Rocky Mountain RAY RADEBAUGH, 335 Gorham Ct., Louisville, CO 80027 Siskiyou LIBBY PINKHAM, 551 Ash St., Central Point, OR 97502 Watnong DIANE McNALLY, 7 Ski Hill Rd., Bedminster, NJ 07921 Western TED KIPPING, 257 Joost Ave., San Francisco, CA 94131 Western-No. Carolina SAM CHILDS, 3410 Brevard Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28739 Wisconsin-Illinois GWEN MOORE, 807V2 Oakland Ave., Madison, Wl 53711 YOUR ARGS BOOKSTORE All Books Paperback Unless Otherwise Noted * Plus Handling and Mailing

1. ALPINES '81—Report of Fifth International Rock Garden Plant Conference. 229 pp. 32 pp. color plus black and white photos $18.00* 2. ALPINES OF THE AMERICAS — Report of the First Interim International Conference, 1976. 327 pp., 20 pp. color plus black and white photos $15.95* 3. BULB BOOK — Martyn Rix and Roger Phillips. 192 pp. A photographic guide to over 800 hardy bulbs. A must for the bulb grower $13.50* 4. FERNS TO KNOW AND GROW —F. Gordon Foster. 2nd revised edition. 282 pp. Line drawings and photos $3.00* 5. HANDBOOK OF ROCK GARDENING — 77 pp. Published jointly by ARGS and Brooklyn Botanic Garden $2.25* 6. JEWELS OF THE PLAINS — Claude A. Barr. 226 pp. Hardcover. 119 color photos. Wildflowers of the Great Plains grasslands and hills. The author's personal experience flavors the plant descriptions $17.00* 7. PLANTS OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK — 168 pp. Color photos $6.95* 8. ROCK GARDENER'S HAND BOOK —1965. 138 pp. Hardcover. Compilation of the best of early ARGS articles. Only 30 copies from a former Secretary's attic $8.00* 9. ROCK GARDENING — H. Lincoln Foster. 466 pp. Written for American rock gardeners by THE expert. A MUST for your library $22.00* 10. ROCK GARDENS — Wilhelm Schacht. 192 pp. Well illustrated with color photographs ... $8.00* 11. SEEDLIST HANDBOOK — Bernard Harkness. 3rd ed., 246 pp. Indispensible to all rock gardeners $7.50* 12. SOURCES OF NATIVE SEEDS AND PLANTS —35 pp. Listed by state and type of material or seed $2.50* 13. WILD FLOWERS AND HOW TO GROW THEM — Edwin F. Steffek. 186 pp. Color and black and white photos. Enlarged and revised edition. Includes Western natives $18.50* 14. WILDFLOWERS ACROSS THE PRAIRIES — 214 pp. Color photos $8.50* 15. ROCK PLANTS FOR SMALL GARDENS - Royton E. Heath. 144 pp. Hardcover. Reprint of "Miniature Rock Gardening" plus new color photos $15.00* 'Handling and Mailing — $1.00 per 1st book plus 500 per additional book Overseas — $1.50 per 1 st book plus 500 per additional book

16. ARGS PRINTS of Laura Louise Foster's pen and ink drawings. Inquire for prices. 17. ARGS NOTE PAPER. 12 cards and envelopes. Reduced to .. $3.50 All postpaid. 18. ARGS LAPEL PIN $3.35 Overseas add 19. ARGS SHOULDER PATCH $2.25 50(6 per order 20. ARGS BULLETIN LIBRARY BINDERS $4.00 plus $2.00 mailing charge for 1; $3.25 mailing charge for 2. Overseas add 500 per binder. 21. ARGS BULLETINS — Back issues. Inquire about availability and price. 22. CUMULATIVE INDEX for ARGS Bulletins, Vols. 1 thru 34 750 23. SEEDS — 3 Methods of germinating seeds. Xeroxed from ARGS Bulletins $2.50 24. TROUGHS — Construction and lists of plant material to use. Xerox $3.50 Nos. 21, 22, 23, are all postpaid. Overseas add 50? to order. All orders must be prepaid in U.S. funds. Payable to ARGS. U.S. destinations must show ZIP code. Airmail billed at cost.

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

ARGS BOOKSTORE: Kathy Lippitt, 6 Glenn Terrace, Scotia, NY 12302