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GARDENERGARDENER® TheThe MagazineMagazine ofof thethe AAmericanmerican HorticulturalHorticultural SocietySociety JanuaryJanuary // FebruaryFebruary 20102010

2010’s New Plants All-American Oaks VVegetableegetable Gardening on Trellises Going “Wild” in the Garden

contents Volume 89, Number 1 . January / February 2010

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS

5 NOTES FROM RIVER FARM 6 MEMBERS’ FORUM 7 NEWS FROM AHS AHS Reciprocal Admissions Program celebrates 20 years, AHS 2010 Seed Exchange catalog available online, 2010 destinations for AHS Travel Study Program, registration for 2010 America in Bloom community competition now open, AHS co-sponsored Colonial Williamsburg Symposium set for April.

12 AHS NEWS SPECIAL AHS tour participants enjoy autumn and gardens in New York’s Hudson River Valley.

39 NATURAL CONNECTIONS Garden spiders. page 14 42 HOMEGROWN HARVEST Shiitake mushrooms.

2010 GARDEN FORECAST BY MARY YEE 14 44 ONE ON ONE WITH… Here’s a look at what the experts see as emerging gardening trends Amy P. Goldman, heirloom fruit and and a preview of new plants that will hit the market in spring. vegetable advocate.

46 GARDENER’S NOTEBOOK ALL-AMERICAN OAKS BY GUY STERNBERG 20 New England Wild Flower Society to create If you’re seeking a classic shade tree that comes with a rich cul- online database, AAS award-winning plants tural history, important ecological associations, and a durable for 2010, bird feed mixes may contain invasive constitution, look no further than one of America’s native oaks. weeds, Gardens Alive! acquires Thompson & Morgan U.S., Nona Koivula retires as executive director of AAS and NBG, WHAT IS WILD? BY RICK DARKE 24 California Pack Trials changes name. Understanding the place of nature in our gardens is more impor- tant than ever. Rick Darke explains how we can invite wildness 50 GREEN GARAGE® into the home landscape. Starting seeds indoors.

52 BOOK REVIEWS HIGH-RISING EDIBLES BY KRIS WETHERBEE 30 The Explorer’s Garden and Manual of Woody Many vegetables and other edibles can be grown on a vertical Landscape Plants (6th ed.). structure to optimize garden space and improve productivity. Special focus: Problem-solving plants.

34 PLANTS ON THE ROCKS BY KAREN BUSSOLINI 56 REGIONAL HAPPENINGS Taking inspiration from the beauty of native plants growing on and 60 HARDINESS AND HEAT ZONES around rocks in wild places, the author offers ideas for using them AND PRONUNCIATIONS in challenging garden settings. 62 PLANT IN THE SPOTLIGHT ‘Justin Brouwers’ boxwood ON THE COVER: Nature provided the inspiration for this lush, naturalized woodland garden at Win- (Buxus sinica var. insularis ‘Justin Brouwers’) COURTESY OF DAVID AUSTIN ROSES. terthur Museum and Country Estate in Delaware. Photograph by Rick Darke

January / February 2010 3 AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY “This is a book to turn to over a lifetime of garden misadventures.” Making America a Nation of Gardeners, a Land of Gardens —Dominique Browning The New York Times EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Tom Underwood Board of Directors CHAIR Susie Usrey Dayton, Oregon FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN Don E. Riddle, Jr. Davidsonville, Maryland SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN Leslie Ariail Alexandria, Virginia SECRETARY Harry A. Rissetto, Esq. Falls Church, Virginia TREASURER Arnold Steiner Birmingham, Alabama

Sandra Address Chevy Chase, Maryland ■ Allan M. Armitage Athens, Georgia ■ Suzanne Bales Oyster Bay, New York William E. Barrick, Ph.D. Theodore, Alabama ■ Kurt Bluemel Baldwin, Maryland ■ Amy Bolton Falls Church, Virginia Henrietta Burke Alexandria, Virginia ■ Tom Cooper Watertown, Massachusetts ■ Jane Diamantis McDonald, Tennessee Gay Estes Houston, Texas ■ Anne Garland Farrell Richmond, Virginia ■ Carole Hofley Wilson, Wyoming Margaret Kulp Louisville, Kentucky ■ Caroline Lewis Coral Gables, Florida ■ Jack Lowry Phoenix, Maryland Melissa R. Marshall Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ■ Mary Pat Matheson Atlanta, Georgia Shirley Nicolai Ft. Washington, Maryland ■ J. Landon Reeve, IV Woodbine, Maryland Holly Shimizu Glen Echo, Maryland

PRESIDENT EMERITUS Katy Moss Warner

President’s Council AHS New CHAMPION’S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. W. Bruce Usrey Encyclopedia of CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Bluemel ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bogle LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Kulp, Jr. ■ Mrs. Elizabeth Craig Weaver Proctor ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harry A. Rissetto ■ Gardening Mr. Arnold Steiner ■ Mr. and Mrs. Klaus Zech

Techniques HAUPT CIRCLE Lynda and Nathan Bachman ■ Mrs. Susan M. Cargill ■ Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Farrell ■ Dr.and Mrs. John A. Floyd, Jr. ■ Mrs. Richard W. Hamming ■ Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Hanselman ■ Mrs. Carole S. Hofley ■ Dr. and Mrs. David E. Morrison ■ Mr. and Mrs. J. Landon Reeve, IV ■ Mrs. Enid N. Warner

“You’ll find step-by-step COUNCIL MEMBER’S CIRCLE Mrs. Sandra L. Address ■ Mr. and Mrs. John H. Ariail, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Carter Bales ■ Nancy J. Becker, M.D. instructions for pruning, watering, ■ Mrs. Katherine Belk ■ Mrs. George P. Bissell, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. C. William Black ■ Dr. Sherran Blair ■ Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Bluemel ■ Mr. propagating; information about all and Mrs. Robert L. Bogle ■ Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. Bradshaw ■ Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Burke, III ■ Ms. Judy Daniel ■ Mr. and Mrs. George Diamantis ■ Mr. and Mrs. Carl Estes ■ Ms. Inger Fair ■ Mrs. Carolyn V. Foil ■ Ms. Marguerite Peet Foster ■ Ms. Amy Goldman ■ Mr. categories of plants…sections on and Mrs. Joel Goldsmith ■ Ms. Barbara Grant ■ Ms. LaDawn Griffin ■ Dr. and Mrs. William O. Hargrove ■ Mrs. Elizabeth Hooff ■ Mr. organic techniques and recycling; Philip Huey ■ Mrs. Marta Lawrence ■ Mrs. Carolyn M. Lindsay ■ Ms. JoAnn Luecke ■ Mr. and Mrs. Bob J. MacLean ■ Ms. Melissa Marshall and how to treat pests and ■ Mrs. Dorothy Marston ■ Mr. Charles T. Matheson ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harold McClendon, Jr. ■ Ms. Rosalyn Milbrandt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Egon Molbak ■ Mr. and Mrs. James R. Moxley ■ Mrs. Shirley Ann Nicolai ■ Mr. David D. Parrish ■ Mr. and Mrs. Albin MacDonough Plant ■ disease…. Consider it a plant- Jeanne Shields ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Smith, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. William M. Spencer, III ■ Mr. Harold Stahly ■ Dr. and Mrs. Steven M. lover’s mutual fund—a little of this Still ■ Mr. Howard McK. Tucker and Ms. Megan Evans ■ Mr. and Mrs. Tom Underwood ■ Mr. Joe Viar ■ Ms. Angela M. Vikesland ■ Mr. and little of that, in a dandy and Mrs. Robert D. Volk ■ Ms. Katy Moss Warner ■ Mr. and Mrs. Dennis White ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harvey C. White ■ Mr. and Mrs. John W.White, Sr. investment.”

—Ginny Smith HONORARY PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL Ms. Louise Fruehling* ■ Mrs. Enid Haupt* ■ Mrs. John A. Lutz* ■ Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Miller* Philadelphia Inquirer *In memoriam

Education Sponsor OXO International

“This is a must have for gardeners Corporate Members and landscape designers.” Brent and Becky’s Bulbs ■ The Care of Trees ■ Chapel Valley Landscape Company ■ The Espoma Company —Joel M. Lerner ■ Furbish Company ■ Homestead Gardens ■ Kurt Bluemel, Inc. ■ Monrovia ■ MTR Landscape Architects, LLC. ■ Osmocote ■ Renee’s Garden The Washington Post Horticultural Partners America in Bloom Symposium & Awards Program ■ Bellingrath Gardens and Home ■ Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Garden Symposium ■ Cox Arboretum MetroPark ■ Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival ■ The Gardeners of America/Men’s Garden Clubs of America ■ Mitchell-Beazley/Octopus Books USA The Homestead in the Garden Symposium ■ Inniswood Garden Society ■ Morris Arboretum 480 pages Hardcover, $45 ■ Oklahoma Botanical Garden & Arboretum ■ Oklahoma Horticultural Society Available wherever books are sold

4 the American Gardener NOTES FROM RIVER FARM CONTACTS FOR C AHS PROGRAMS, MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS & DEPARTMENTS

For general information about your membership, call (800) 777-7931. Send change of address notifications to our membership department at NE OF THE 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA greatest joys of gardening is the opportunity to witness first- 22308. If your magazine is lost or damaged in hand the natural patterns of planting, growth, and maturity. It is a rhythm the mail, call the number above for a replace- that plays out before our eyes every year, fostering a sequence of events ment. Requests for membership information O and change of address notification can also be that gives rise to a range of emotions—anticipation, wonder, surprise, satisfaction, e-mailed to [email protected]. pride, and, occasionally, disappointment. We plant, we watch, we learn, and then THE AMERICAN GARDENER To submit a letter to we get a chance to do it all over again! the editor of The American Gardener, write to It was surely this fresh start that occurs in the garden each year that Thomas The American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Jefferson, third President of the United States and an avid horticulturist, had in Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308, or send an e-mail to [email protected]. mind when he wrote: “But though an old man, I am a young gardener.” Jef- DEVELOPMENT To make a gift to the American Horticultural Society, or for information about ferson was devoted to his garden and was a donation you have already made, call (800) a student of the science and art of horti- 777-7931 ext. 118. culture. A keen observer, he kept de- INTERNSHIP PROGRAM The AHS offers intern- tailed records of what happened in the ships in communications, horticulture, and garden, knowing that he only had to youth programs. For information, send an e-mail to [email protected]. Information and wait out the cycle of the seasons for the application forms can also be found in the opportunity to start over again and River Farm area of www.ahs.org. apply his newly acquired knowledge. NATIONAL CHILDREN & YOUTH GARDEN Like Jefferson, each of us has the chance every spring to be a young gardener. SYMPOSIUM For information about the Soci- The awakening garden offers a blank slate upon which to build on our past expe- ety’s annual National Children & Youth Gar- den Symposium, call (800) 777-7931 ext. riences, try new things, and demonstrate our horticultural prowess. With the 137 or visit the Youth Gardening section of prospect of another gardening season right around the corner, there is certainly no www.ahs.org. better time than the start of a new year to embrace a spirit of optimism and en- RECIPROCAL ADMISSIONS PROGRAM The AHS thusiasm for things to come. Reciprocal Admissions Program offers members To help you get thinking about the opportunities that the New Year brings, this free admission and other discounts to more than 250 botanical gardens and other horticultural issue of The American Gardener offers an assortment of articles sure to provide in- destinations throughout North America. A list of spiration. Start with a preview of some of the new plants being introduced this year participating gardens can be found in the Mem- bership area of www.ahs.org. For more infor- and a look at emerging gardening trends observed by knowledgeable people in dif- mation, call (800) 777-7931 ext. 132. ferent sectors of horticulture and gardening. Whether you are considering adding backbone or detail to your garden, two features that will offer help with selecting RIVER FARM The AHS headquarters at River Farm is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays year- the right plants are “All-American Oaks” and “Plants on the Rocks.” And don’t miss round (except Federal holidays), and 9 a.m. to 1 the cover story by noted landscape design consultant and author Rick Darke, who p.m. Saturdays from April through October. Ad- mission is free. For information about events, offers insights on letting nature take its course in the home garden. rentals, and directions, visit the River Farm sec- As we begin a new year, we’d like to know what you, our members, are looking tion of www.ahs.org. forward to most in your gardens for 2010. Is there a new plant you are particularly ex- TRAVEL STUDY PROGRAM Visit spectacular pri- cited about? Are you planning to design a new garden or create a new border? Will vate and public gardens around the world you introduce a child or grandchild to the joys of gardening? Send your personal ac- through the Society’s acclaimed Travel Study Program. For information about upcoming count of what makes you a “young gardener” this year—no more than 500 words, trips, call (703) 650-5262, send an e-mail to please—to us at [email protected] and you will be entered in a drawing to win [email protected], or visit the Travel a brand new garden journal that will arrive just in time to record your observations Study section of www.ahs.org. on the new gardening year! Entries must be received by February 15, 2010. WEBSITE: www.ahs.org The AHS website is a We hope you enjoy this issue of the magazine and wish you a healthy, happy, valuable source of information about the Soci- ety’s programs and activities. It is also an impor- and rewarding New Year in your garden! tant resource for finding out about gardening events in your area, and linking to other useful websites. To access the members-only section Susie Usrey, Chair, AHS Board of Directors of the website, this year’s password is oak (the Tom Underwood, Executive Director new password for 2010 will take effect February 1). Until that date, the password is seeds. The username is always ahs.

January / February 2010 5 MEMBERSC’ FORUM

HEALING GARDENS ABOUND BIRCH NOMENCLATURE CORRECTION I read with interest “Gardens for Recov- I wanted to note that in the article about New Password for Website ery” (November/December), specifically John L. Creech by Leah Chester-Davis The members-only section of the AHS in regard to the Legacy Healthcare System (November/December) the scientific website (www.ahs.org), provides access gardens and programs in the Northwest. name of the ‘Whitespire’ birch was listed to membership benefits as well as the The East Coast is also well represented by incorrectly. I introduced the ‘Whitespire’ contents of each issue of The American gardens at rehabilitation hospitals such as birch in 1983 from plants thought to have Gardener since January/February 2001. the Rusk Institute, Bryn Mawr, and oth- been grown from seeds Creech collected To access the section, the username is ers, which have programs run by horticul- in Japan. At the time of its introduction, always ahs and the password, effective tural therapists like me who are accredited ‘Whitespire’ was assumed to be a cultivar February 1 for 2010, will be oak. Until by the American Horticultural Therapy of Betula platyphylla var. japonica due to this date, the password is seeds. Both Association (AHTA). We provide input on faulty records at the Longenecker Horti- username and password must be en- the design of these settings, which we use cultural Gardens of the University of tered in lowercase letters. As a reminder, to help clients recover physical or emo- Wisconsin Arboretum. We now know the password is always listed on page 5 tional function. The AHTA has about 800 that it is a cultivar of gray birch (Betula in each magazine issue. members in the United States, Canada, populifolia). Japan, and beyond. Several universities and Edward R. Hasselkus other organizations offer degree and cer- Horticulture Professor Emeritus PLEASE WRITE US! Address letters to Editor, The tificate programs in the field. Curator, Longenecker Gardens American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308. Send e-mails to Laurie Sexton, HTR University of Wisconsin, Madison [email protected] (note Letter to Editor in subject line). New York, New York Letters we print may be edited for length and clarity.

6 the American Gardener COURTESY OF JAY STANTON (2) GARDENER Botanical nomenclatureisbasedon Alexandria, VA22308-1300. and onthe Gardener American The Society A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, Garden of Encyclopedia A–Z Society Copyright ©2010 bytheAmericanHorticultural Society. ©2010 Copyright material. Backissuesareavailableat$8percopy. stamped envelope.Wecannotguaranteethesafereturn ofunsolicited possible publicationwillbereturnedifaccompanied byaself-addressed, ily thoseoftheSociety.Manuscripts,artwork,andphotographs sentfor expressed inthearticlesarethoseofauthorsand arenotnecessar- Form 3579to ginia, andatadditionalmailingoffices.Postmaster:Pleasesend magazine subscription.PeriodicalspostagepaidatAlexandria,Vir- $60. Internationalduesare$50.$10ofannualgoestoward list of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada and Greenland and Canada States, United the of Flora Vascular the of list tion to (703) 768-5700.MembershipintheSocietyincludesasubscrip- Society, 7931EastBoulevardDrive,Alexandria,VA22308-1300, ber/October, November/December)bytheAmericanHorticultural ly (January/February,March/April,May/June,July/August,Septem- h American The ADVERTISING & PARTNERSHIPS CONTACT US CORPORATE EDITORIAL The American Gardener American The Royal Horticultural Society Index of Garden Plants Garden of Index Society Horticultural Royal CHAIR The American Gardener American The Printed intheU.S.A. West DesMoines,Iowa Elvin McDonald Kennett Square,Pennsylvania Richard W.Lighty Denver, Colorado Panayoti Kelaidis San Francisco,California John E.Bryan Birmingham, Alabama Steve Bender Ithaca, NewYork Nina L.Bassuk Athens, Georgia Allan M.Armitage Brevard, NorthCarolina Richard E.Bir EDITORIAL ADVISORYBOARD Carole Ottesen CONTRIBUTING WRITER Rita Pelczar CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Gwyneth Evans EDITORIAL INTERN Viveka Neveln ASSOCIATE EDITOR Mary Yee MANAGING EDITORANDARTDIRECTOR David J.Ellis EDITOR E-MAIL: E-MAIL: (703) 768-5700 Alexandria, VA22308 7931 EastBoulevardDrive The AmericanGardener (ISSN 1087-9978)ispublishedbimonth- . Annualduesare$35;twoyears, [email protected] [email protected] , 7931EastBoulevardDrive, The American Horticultural American The on A Synonymized Check- Synonymized A . Opinions Gardens, aRAPparticipant. hometown, Stanton useshismembershipcard totakehisvisitorsnearby Hershey It alwayssurprisesmethattheynever visitedthegarden before.” Even whenhe’s inhis tovisitoneofthemanygardens intheirtown. “I’ve oftentakenmyhosts says Stanton, relatives orfriends,” visiting membership card entitledhimtofree admission.“While Last year heplannedanextensive road triparound sixRAPgardens hewantedtovisit, joying RAP’s benefitsasoftenhecansincefirstjoinedtheSociety inOctober 1998. lic gardens institutionslocallyandontheirtravels. andotherhorticultural gram’s oftheAHS’s goal—part core mission—istoencouragemembersvisitpub- at thegiftshoptoAHSmemberspresenting acurrent membershipcard. Thepro- destinations offerspecialbenefitssuchasfree admission,free parking, oradiscount well asCanada,theCaymanIslands, and theU.S.Virgin Islands. Thesehorticultural first year to120by 1993. in North America.It expandedrapidlyfrom only11locationsandorganizationsthe societies,botanicalgardensand horticultural andarboreta, andnative plantsocieties gram (RAP)debutedinApril 1990asanoutreach program tothemembersofplant THE AMERICANHORTICULTURALSOCIETY’S 20THANNIVERSARY CELEBRATES ADMISSIONSPROGRAM AHS RECIPROCAL magazine. ence, youcanalwaysfindthe passwordlistedonpage5ofeachissuethe name andpasswordmustbe enteredinalllowercaseletters.Forfuturerefer- On theAHSwebsite New MemberPassword For AHSWebsite seeds, willchangetothenewpassword, but thepasswordchangesat thebeginningofeveryyear.Thecurrentpassword, ruary 2001issue. form aswellcontentfrom clusive offerings.TheseincludetheannualSeedExchange catalogandorder members, whichprovidesconvenientaccesstomembership benefitsandex- Today RAPincludesmore publicgardens than250participating in45statesas Jay Stanton, anAHSmemberfrom Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, hasbeenen- The usernametologinthe members-onlyareaofthewebsiteisalways (www.ahs.org), PROGRAMS •EVENTSANNOUNCEMENTS wife, Janis,havevisited. gardens JayStantonandhis Phoenix isoneofmanyRAP The DesertBotanicalGardenin The American Gardener American The News there isaspecialsectionavailableonlyto oak, onFebruary1,2010.Boththe user- January /February2010 from the Reciprocal Admissions Pro- back totheJanuary/Feb- January / February gardens, Stanton’s AHS nessee. For eachofthese Botanic Garden inTen- Texas; andMemphis Worth BotanicGarden in in Phoenix, Arizona; Fort BotanicalGardenDesert homa City, Oklahoma; ical Gardens inOkla- St. Louis;Myriad Botan- souri BotanicalGarden in Columbus, Ohio; Mis- Park in Conservatory stopping attheFranklin AHS 2010 ahs, 7 ‘Brandywine Sudduth’sStrain’ 8 $25 ormore withtheirseedorder willreceive apairofOXO theprogram. Thosewhomakeadonation of ciated tosupport and offered atnoadditionalcost,donationsare alwaysappre- made ‘Brandywine’ justifiablyfamous.” weight, with“the delectablycomplex,rich,sweet flavor thathas ing heirloomvarieties. Fruits reach onetotwopoundsin Sudduth’s Strain’ tomatoes,oneofTomato Growers’ top-sell- ed by Tomato Growers. Thesebonusseedsare for‘Brandywine submit orders bonusseeds,donat- willreceive complimentary sending intheirorders by February 1.Thefirst300membersto members whodonatedseedsare eligibletohave firstpickby plantsinyour new garden.” affordablea very waytotry catalog, featuringmore Seed than200different Ex- plants.“The year? Thenbesure tocheckouttheAHS’s 2010Seed Exchange copy bemailedtoyou by calling(703)768-5700ext.132. able ontheAHSwebsite Updated twiceayear, inJanuary andJuly, isavail- thisdirectory other organizationstobemore eye-catching anduser-friendly. gardens, ofparticipating arboreta,designed thedirectory and LOOKING FORSOME ONLINE AVAILABLE 2010 CATALOG SEEDEXCHANGE While theSeed Exchange isabenefitofAHSmembership The deadlinetosubmitseedorders isMarch 15,butAHS In celebrationofRAP’s 20thanniversary, theAHShasre- i planning, asatributetoloved at (703)768-5700ext.123or one, oraspartofyourannual charitable givingplan,please Society aspartofyourestate the American Gardener If youwouldliketosupport the AmericanHorticultural Gifts of contact: TomUnderwood, [email protected]. Executive Director, Note interesting from seedthis plantstostart (www.ahs.org). i In additiontovitalsupportthroughmembershipdues,theAmerican HorticulturalSocietyreliesongrants, bequests, andothergiftstosupportitsprograms.Wewouldlikethank thefollowingdonorsforgifts “Whether you are look- “Whether ist River Farm Horticultur- the United States,” says members throughout seeds collectedby AHS unique waytoshare change program isa vegetables, orherbs,itis trees,als, shrubs, ing forannuals,perenni- Mr. andMrs.JohnW.White,Sr. Mrs. DorothyMarston Mr. andMrs.ForrestLatta The Katherine&ThomasM.Belk Foundation Ms. NicoleGagliardi Mr. andMrs.CarlEstes The CareofTrees Nancy J.Becker,M.D. Dr. andMrs.AllanM.Armitage Mr. andMrs.JohnH.Ariail,Jr. Ms. SandraL.Address James Gagliardi. You mayrequest a received betweenOctober1,2009andNovember30,2009. Good Grips seed exchange, [email protected]. Boulevard Drive, Alexandria,VA 22308.For questionsaboutthe stamped envelope to2010Seed Exchange Catalog,7931East of theseedcatalogmailedtoyou, pleasesendaself-addressed, section oftheAHSwebsite. able seedsandanorder formare available inthemembers-only THE AHSTRAVELSTUDYPROGRAM 2010 PROGRAM STUDY TRAVEL Roman times. focus onthisregion’s richhistorical legacydatingbacktopre- Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex,andCambridgeshire withaparticular glia” from May 22to31features toursofwell-known gardens in landscapes bothinAmericaandoverseas. “Gardens ofEastAn- trips plannedthisyear thatwillfeature beautifulgardens and travelers willvisitduringtheMayTravelStudyProgramtour. Blickling HallinNorfolk,England,willbeamongthemanysitesAHS To save paperandreduce printingcosts,thecatalogofavail- ® Garden Scissorsasathank-you gift. The SouthwoodGardenClub In MemoryofMaxinePickrel Mr. andMrs.MatthewZolla Mr. andMrs.BrianWyatt Dr. ErichVeitenheimer Ms. SallyQueen Ms. LynneT.Porfiri S. Freitas D. P.Freitas Mr. KevinCurnyn In HonorofJosephErrington The HanoverGardenClub In HonorofArabellaDane If you wouldprefer tohave acopy has three exciting

LEFT: COURTESY OF TOMATO GROWERS. RIGHT: COURTESY OF SPECIALTOURS COURTESY OF BILL RUPPERT the AIBforitsbeautificationefforts. communities thathasbeenrecognizedby Kirkwood, Missouri,isoneofmany el, at [email protected] or(703)650-5262. el, [email protected] on “Travel Study,” orcontactourtravel planner, MacNair Trav- Travel Study Program, pleasevisittheAHSwebsite andclick feature bothMediterranean andsubtropical plants. archaeological sites,historicalmonuments,andgardens, which 28 toNovember 7,willcombinevisitstotheItalian island’s unique ofthesetwoIllinois cities. ing efforts Chicagoland andRockford” willexplore theinspirationalgreen- THROUGH APARTNERSHIP CONTEST PHOTOGRAPHY ANNUAL GARDEN EACH YEAR, 2010 COMPETITION INBLOOM AMERICA more, call(614)487-1117orvisitwww.americainbloom.org. September 30through October2inSt. Louis,Missouri. To learn encourage communitiesnationwidetopursueurbanbeautifi- members may enter theorganization’s annualgarden photog- ca/Men’s Garden ClubsofAmerica(TGOA/MGCA), AHS Events sectionoftheAHSwebsite a fulllistanddetailsonthebenefitsoffered,visit are listedin“RegionalHappenings”onpages56to58.For awards toexhibits.Manyparticipating2010flowershows bers freeanddiscountedadmissionand/orpresentAHS of regionalflowerandgardenshowsthatofferAHSmem- The AHShasestablishedspecialrelationshipswithdozens Flower andGarden ShowDiscounts For more informationaboutupcomingtoursintheAHS “Sicily: Gardens andAntiquities,”takingplacefrom October From June 16to20,atourof“Gardens andInnovation: America inBloom (AIB) holdsacompetitionto with theGardeners ofAmeri- (www.ahs.org). scheduled thisyear for Awards Ceremony, AIB Symposium and revealed attheannual the AHS.Winners are Award sponsored by nity Involvement gories istheCommu- the eightcriteriacate- One ofthe awards for and floraldisplays. munity involvement, tal awareness, com- forestry, environmen- criteria, suchasurban size andanumberof cording topopulation are categorized ac- pating communities February 28.Partici- the 2010contestis deadline forentering ty building.The cation andcommuni- techniques, and plantselectionsthatare stillusefulandimportant dens,” thisyear’s event willfocusontraditional garden design, Virginia. With thetheme,“Timeless Lessons From Historic Gar- sium, co-sponsored by theAHS,willtakeplaceApril 11and12in THE 64THANNUAL SYMPOSIUM INAPRIL WILLIAMSBURGGARDEN COLONIAL details, call(515)278-0295orvisitwww.tgoa-mgca.org. petition isFebruary 13.For form,andmore entry contestrules, annually asafundraiser. Thedeadlinefor entriestothecom- considered forinclusion inthecalendarTGOA/MGCA sells the organization’s National Convention inJune, andwillbe TGOA/MGCA. Winning photographswillbe announcedat trance feeforthecontestalsoyieldsaone-year membershipin arrangements inhangingbasketsandcontainers.The$15 en- gories, includingroses, vegetables, wildflowers, landscapes, and raphy contest.Entries canbesubmittedinanumberofcate- www.ahs.org M ginia. (Note:AHSMembers-onlypreviewsaleisThursday,April15.) Pasadena, California. Banquet. Williamsburg, Virginia. the Experts”Symposium. Standard FlowerShow. Ceremony. Lake BuenaVista,Florida. APR. 15–17. APR. 15–17. APR. 11&12. MAR. 3–MAY16. SEPT. 30–OCT.2. SEPT. 25. AUG. 20–22. JULY 22–24. JUNE 10. APR. 17–25. sponsored orco-sponsored by theAHS.Visit ark your calendarforthesenationalevents thatare Great AmericanGardenersAwardsCeremony& River Farm,Alexandria,Virginia. AHS AnnualGala. St. Louis,Missouri. National CapitalAreaGardenClubs,Inc.DistrictII Spring GardenMarket. Historic GardenWeekinVirginia. National Children&YouthGardenSymposium. The Homestead’s12thAnnual“IntheGardenWith or call(703)768-5700formore information. Colonial WilliamsburgGardenSymposium. Epcot InternationalFlower&GardenFestival. America InBloomSymposiumandAwards 2010 CALENDAR AHS NATIONALEVENTSANDPROGRAMS Colonial Williamsburg Garden Sympo- River Farm,Alexandria,Virginia. Hot Springs,Virginia. River Farm,Alexandria,Virginia. River Farm,Alexandria,Vir- January / February 2010 9 today. The symposium will feature speakers Ken Druse, a noted garden photographer and author; G. Michael Shoup, owner of Upcoming Spring Plant Sale the Antique Rose Emporium; Mark your calendars for the AHS’s annual Spring Garden and John Forti, curator of his- Market, taking place from April 15 to 17 at the Society’s toric plants at Strawbery River Farm headquarters in Banke Museum. Their pre- Alexandria, Virginia. April 15th is sentations will focus on con- members-only night, during which cepts of adapting historic AHS members can get first pick of garden practices to modern the plants and other gardening gardening, spanning topics goods on offer from a selection of from floral design at Colonial vendors from the mid-Atlantic re- Williamsburg to edible gar- gion. Coinciding with the Spring Symposium attendees enjoy the dening. A discount is available Garden Market, the National Cap- spring gardens at Williamsburg. for AHS members. For more ital Area Garden Clubs–District II information or to register, call will hold a Standard Flower Show in River Farm’s estate (800) 603-0948 or visit www.history.org/conted. house; visitors are welcome to browse the show entries. 2010 EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FLOWER & GARDEN FESTIVAL DISNEY WORLD isn’t just for kids; it’s also for gardeners. Held and herbs, as well as a butterfly garden, fragrance garden, bon- from March 3 to May 16, the 17th annual Epcot® International sai exhibit, and much more. And Horticulture Manager Eric Flower & Garden Festival in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, will in- Darden hopes the emphasis on brilliant spring colors in the dis- clude presentations by Disney horticulturists and gardening plays will inspire attendees in planning their own spring and celebrities from around the country, as well as a Florida Farmer’s summer gardens. The AHS is pleased to be a partnering orga- Market celebration. nization for this event. For further details, call (407) 934-7639 This year’s focus on outdoor fun and discovery will be re- or visit www.disneyworld.com/flower. flected in a new “Community Garden,” featuring topiaries of

Disney characters Mickey and friends “tending” to vegetables News written by Editorial Intern Gwyneth Evans. LEFT: LINDA MCINTYRE / AHS ARCHIVES. RIGHT: JAMES GAGLIARDI

10 the American Gardener ‘SPOUT TIME!

Finally, a new spin on Watering Cans! Introducing the OXO Good Grips Pour & Store Watering Cans with a rotating spout for easier filling and space-efficient storing. Water levels in the translucent spout line up with the measurement markings on the body for easy measuring. Available in three sizes: Outdoor (2 gal), Indoor (3 qt) and Mini (1 qt).

Pour & Store Watering Cans 1.800.545.4411 www.oxo.com 12 by GwynethEvans H ESSPECIAL: NEWS AHS landscape architects ofthe early20thcen- Farrand, oneofAmerica’s mostrenowned designed by Beatrix Bellefield thatwere cluded thegardens at tural highlightsin- Steele. Other horticul- architect Fletcher landscape legendary landscape designedby toric mansionwitha burne Grange, ahis- family home,Lis- dens, includingher area’s gar- noteworthy group tomany ofthe Warner Emeritus bears hisname. Hudson’s explorationoftheregion that ofHenry 2009 wasthe400thanniversary was apropitious timetovisitbecause who lives inWyoming. In addition,it says tour participant says tourparticipant tumn wasaspectaculartimetovisit,” nottobemissed—andau- opportunity special AHSTravel Study tourwas“an andcuisine.This best landscapes,art, four daysexperiencingsomeofthearea’s al Society members from 15statesspent L AHS President the American Gardener Valley, 30AmericanHorticultur- blazing inNew York’s Hudson AST OCTOBER led thetravel Katy MossKaty Carole Hofley, , withfallcolor Tour Participants EnjoyHudsonValley’s AutumnGlory School wouldnotbecompletewithouta landscape paintingsoftheHudson River drop oftheHudson Highlands. abstract piecesamidthedramaticback- ter sculpture park, whichfeatured bold, Springwood, andStorm Cen- KingArt Delano Roosevelt’s lifelonghome, landscaping atbothPresident Franklin integratednicelywithgardens and tory lection ofalpineplants. lands, watergardens, andanextensive col- public garden featuringenchantingwood- tury, andStonecrop Gardens, a12-acre this RichardSerra pieceadornthelandscape. At StormKingArt Center,sculpturessuchas A tourofthearea madefamousby the Elements architecture, ofart, and his- visit tion aboutupcomingTravel Study tours, America andabroad.” For more informa- with tripstoexciting locationsbothin to offerthiscaliberofexperiencein2010 thetour.who escorted “We willcontinue tor ofmemberprograms andoutreach, States,” saysStephanie Jutila, AHSdirec- memorable excursions withintheUnited Wright’s homeandwoodlandgarden. at amealpriortovisitingManitoga, Wright, America’s firstindustrialdesigner, a menuandtableware designedby Russell andenjoying landconservation; and rural committed toorganicfarming,localfood, wood Farm, anon-profit organization of AmericainHyde Park; lunchatGlyn- sumptuous mealattheCulinaryInstitute joyed uniquediningexperiencessuchasa from Washington. area,” saysJulie Ernest, aparticipant ating, andgardening inarelatively small fullofbuilding, cre- of Americanhistory through 200years that onecouldtravel movement.art “Ifounditremarkable American figures ofthemid-19thcentury Edwin Church—one oftheprominent visit toOlana, the homeofFrederic el.com, orcall(703)650-5262. American Gardener. Gwyneth Evans forThe isaneditorialintern visited wasthatofAHSmemberFredRich. from Olana.Above:Amongtheprivategardens Left: ViewoftheHudsonRiverandfallcolors “Overall, this wasoneofourmost Between garden visits,thetravelers en- www.ahs.org, e-mail ahs@mcnairtrav-

STEPHANIE JUTILA (3) THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURALHORTICULTURAL SOCIETY TRAVEL STUDY PROGRAM 2010 TOURS

 

Gardens of East Anglia with AHS Host Stephanie Jutila and Tour Escort Antonia Lloyd Owen of Specialtours May 22–31, 2010 ■ Designed for the connoisseur of English gardens who has perhaps already visited the great houses and gardens within easy reach of London, this trip features the gardens of East Anglia—Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Cambridgeshire—a region rich in history. In addition to touring private gardens in charming English villages, we will visit several celebrated sites, including Anglesey Abbey, the Beth Chatto Gardens, and Wyken Hall Gardens.

Gardens and Innovation: Chicagoland and Rockford % &'& ( #$)   June 16–20, 2010 ■ This tour will highlight the innovative gardens that have contributed to the greening of Chicago and influenced the horticultural heritage that distinguishes the surrounding communities. In Rockford, Illinois, an America in Bloom award- winning city, we will see how community spirit has fostered the creation of exceptional gardens.            

Sicily: Gardens and Antiquities        % &'& ( #$)          * ' + '       ! October 28–November 7, 2010  "# #$    # ■ From the sparkling seascapes of Taormina to the *Exclusive offering for AHS President’s rugged landscape of the island’s interior, this tour Council members. For more information will explore the fascinating archaeological sites, about or to join the AHS President’s Council, contact Sue Galvin at (703) 768- historical monuments, and fantastic gardens of 5700 ext. 111 or [email protected]. Sicily. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity awaits you.

For more information about upcoming tours in the AHS Travel Study Program, please contact our travel planner, MacNair Travel: • E-mail: [email protected] • Call: (703) 650-5262 • Visit: www.ahs.org 14 2010 GardenForecast centers. Gardening hasoftenbeenviewed has brought manybeginners togarden tomers, alongwithrecipes.” own foodby offeringthesetoourcus- going tostress theeaseofgrowing your nations ofediblesincontainers. “We’re this trend by offeringpre-planted combi- containers. She isplanningtocapitalize on plants andpeppers,thatcanbegrown in egg- tomatoes andcucumbersdwarf compact varieties ofedibles,suchasbush predicts thatgardeners willbeseeking nation containergardens.” McDonald tensive] gardening andespeciallycombi- our grandparents, butinsquare-foot [in- in theold-fashionedvegetable gardens of great interest inediblegardening, notonly Washington, Missouri, says,“We’ve seen dent ofHillermann Nursery &Florist in food sotheyknow where itcomesfrom. vore” movement whogrow theirown produce orthosededicatedtothe“loca- money by growing someoftheirown bles—driven by people wantingtosave that thebiggesttrend isgrowing edi- professionals agreeAll thehorticultural FOR ARELOOKING WHAT GARDENERS L country togettheirperspectives. country professionals acrosseral horticultural the back inAmerica2010?We talkedtosev- gardening.” gardening again—especiallyvegetable “Now there isareal surgeofinterest in and authorofseveral gardening books. columnist fortheSeattle-Post Intelligencer anymore,” saysMar talk abouthow noonewantstogarden ago, there wasalotofgloom-and-doom hope forthefuture. “Up toseveral years from landscapecontractors.But there is chases andreduced demandforplants deners beingmore abouttheirpur- frugal reported laggingsalesin2009,withgar- rent economictroubles. Many nurseries This burgeoninginterest ingardening Sandi Hillermann McDonald, presi- Will gardening makeahealthycome- the American Gardener IKE EVERY been affectedby theworld’s cur- has American gardening industry business sector, the ty Wingate, garden of theSouthwest thatdon’t require sup- lies onplantssuited tothearidconditions trees. In ofthegardens, otherparts here- to maintainvegetable gardens andcitrus niques inthegardens ofclientswhowant tech- Calhoun usesrainwater-harvesting programs for us.” input gardening are alsopopularnewer dens. Raingardens, rain barrels, andlow- programs on sustainabilityor‘green’ gar- says, “People have beenaskingformore the Arkansas Master Gardener program, tension horticulture specialistwhoheads the environment. Janet Carson,anEx- about waystogarden in harmonywith many gardeners want tolearnmore cate alongwithmakingthesales.” and azinnia,sothere wasaneedtoedu- know thedifference between apetunia lot ofyoung peoplecominginwhodidn’t year,” saysWingate, “and theynoticeda in theNorthwest hadagreat springlast nurserieshere this maybechanging.“The as apastimeformiddle-agedpeople,but return tothefundamentals. What’s instore forthenew In Arizona, landscapedesignerScott In additiontovegetable gardening, year? Morechoicesanda BY MARYYEE tor ofTheAmericanGardener. YeeMary direc- ismanaging editorandart they’ll broaden theirhorizons.” plants fortheirflowers. But from there interests themmost—usuallygrowing dicts. “People are withwhat going tostart est inbeginninggardening,” Wingate pre- plants andsolvingproblems withplants.” back onthosethingsandgoneto and barsinthegarden. They have dialed to spendalotofmoneyonfrillslikespas for thebetter,” saysCalhoun.“People used ticed achangeinwhatmyclientswant— back tobasics. 2010 lookstoshapeupasayear ofgetting and economicrecovery likelytobeslow, With gardeners somanynew inthegame IT’S ABOUTTHEPLANTS Encore of theEndless Summer trend beganwiththeintroduction “This popularwithhiscustomers. are very to flower multipletimesduringtheyear woody ornamentalsthathave beenbred ner Dave Williams hasnoticedthat Nursery inWestfield, New Jersey, part- bloom are alwaysindemand.At Williams own ofthegarden part orincontainers.” says, “insteadofsegregating themintheir lents intogardens amongotherplants,”he ofanothertrendpart ofintegratingsuccu- gardens outsidetheSouthwest.is “This using succulentsfortheirboldformsin produced becauseoftissueculture.” lectors’ plantsthatcannow bemass- agaves, forexample,were oncerare col- ican plants,”saysCalhoun.“A creasing availabilityhybridAmer- ofnew cacti andothersucculents. plemental wateringtothrive, including ness inNew Jersey.” tally convincedastotheirwinterhardi- Encore azaleas,althoughI’m notyet to- Williams. “We’re tosellmore starting “Over the lastthree years, Ihave no- Plants thatprovide alongperiodof Calhoun alsocitesadesigntrend of “One ofthebiggesttrends isthein- “There’s goingtobeloadsmore inter- ® azaleas a few yearsazaleas afew ago,”says ® hydrangeas and lot ofour

CHARLOTTE ALBERS / AHS ARCHIVES NEW PLANTS FOR 2010 Each year the plant industry introduces a lengthy list of new plants aimed at grabbing the gardener’s attention. On the following pages, we’ve selected a variety of promising new plants to pique the interest of both beginning and seasoned gardeners. Edibles

‘Scarlet Empire’ runner bean. A selection of a British heirloom with improved vigor and faster germination. Flavorful pods are long and stringless. (Thompson & Morgan)

Dove hybrid melon. A super-sweet melon with five- to six-inch-diameter fruits weighing three to four pounds. (Park Seeds) Purple Pak (F1) carrot. Eight-inch-long purple carrots with yellow cores. (Johnny’s Selected Seeds) More new vegetables ■ ‘Jumbo’ green bean. Stringless even at 10 inches. (Johnny’s Selected Seeds) ■ ‘RSVPEA’ pea. Early variety that can grow in marginally cold regions. (W. Atlee Burpee & Co.) ■ ‘Skyphos’ lettuce. Heat-tolerant butterhead lettuce with attractive red leaves, grows up to eight inches in diameter. (Johnny’s Selected Seeds) ■ ‘Sweetheart of the Patio’ cherry tomato. A determinate tomato ideal for growing in containers. (W. Atlee Burpee & Co.)

‘Catalogna’ garnet stem endive. Red stems with bright green leaves and savory flavor. (The Cook’s Garden)

‘Golden’ beet. Sweet mild flesh is golden and doesn’t bleed like red-fleshed beets when cut or cooked. (Renee’s Garden)

January / February 2010 15 Echinacea ‘Heavenly Dream’. This cone- Above: Agave neomexicana flower has fragrant, white, four-inch blooms. ‘Sunspot’. A very hardy selection Compact plants grow to two feet high. Zones of variegated agave that grows to 4–9, 9–1. (Terra Nova Nurseries) 12 inches tall and 20 inches wide. Zones 6–10, 10–5. (High Country Gardens) Perennials Left: Andropogon gerardii ‘Mega Blue’ (big bluestem grass). This selection of a North American prairie native grows to over five feet tall, with gray-blue foliage that turns coppery in autumn. Zones 3–8, 8–1. (High Country Gardens)

Hemerocallis Jersey Earlybird™ ‘Cardinal’. Bred by renowned daylily hybridizer Darrel Apps, this is the first in a series of early- blooming daylilies. Red flowers start blooming in May and continue Penstemon ‘Prairie Twilight’ (beardtongue). for up to nearly 100 days. Pest and Pink-and-white flowers bloom from early to disease resistant and drought midsummer on vigorous 22-inch-tall plants. tolerant. Zones 4–10, 9–1. Zones 4–9, 9–5. (Blooms of Bressingham) (Centerton Nursery)

16 the American Gardener Retail Sources David Austin Roses, Tyler, TX. (800) 328-8893. www.davidaustinroses.com. Great Garden Plants, Holland, MI. (877) 447-4769. www.greatgardenplants.com. High Country Gardens, Santa Fe, NM. (800) 925-9387. www.highcountrygardens.com. Jelitto, Louisville, KY. (502) 895- 0807. www.jelitto.com. Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Winslow, ME. (877) 564-6697. www.johnnyseeds.com. Park Seed, Greenwood, SC. (800) Deschampsia caespitosa ‘Pixie Fountain’ Monarda didyma ‘Purple Rooster’ (bee balm). 213-0076. www.parkseed.com. (tufted hairgrass). This compact selection Deep purple flowers and mildew resistant. Renee’s Garden, Felton, CA. (888) grows only two feet tall and forms feathery Grows to three feet tall on strong stems. 880-7228. www.reneesgarden.com. blooms in June. Zones 4–8, 8–1. (Jelitto) Zones 4–10, 10–1. (Walters Gardens) The Cook’s Garden, Warminster, PA. (800) 457-9703. www.cooksgarden.com. Thompson & Morgan, Jackson, NJ. (800) 274-7333. www.tmseeds.com. W. Atlee Burpee & Co.,Warminster, PA. (800) 333-5808. www.burpee.com. Disporum cantoniense ‘Green Giant’ (Chinese fairy bells). Evergreen collected by Wholesale Nurseries plantsman Dan Hinkley in Visit these companies’ websites to find China. Plants grow to six feet retail sources for their plants. tall. Pink, white, and green Athens Select, www.athensselect.com. bamboolike shoots mature to Anthony Tesselaar Plants, green. Fragrant white flowers www.tesselaar.com. bloom in spring on new Bailey Nurseries, growth. Zones 6–9, 9–5. www.baileynurseries.com. (Monrovia) Ball Horticultural Co., www.ballhort.com. Blooms of Bressingham, www.bobna.com. Centerton Nursery, www.centertonnursery.com. Conard Pyle, www.conard-pyle.com. Gardener’s Confidence, www.gardenersconfidence.com. More new perennials Monrovia, www.monrovia.com. ■ Chasmanthium latifolium ‘River Mist’ (Northern river oats). Plants grow 30 inches tall; both Plant Development Services, leaves and seedheads are variegated white and green. Zones 5–9, 9–1. (Great Garden Plants) www.plantdevelopment.com. ■ Coreopsis ‘Ruby Frost’. Bright red flower petals are widely edged with white. Plants grow Proven Winners, about two feet high and three feet wide. Zones 7–9, 9–1. (Terra Nova Nurseries) www.provenwinners.com. ■ Gaillardia ‘Georgia Yellow’ (blanket flower). Solid yellow flowers, compact habit. Heat and Spring Meadow Nursery, humidity tolerant. Zones 4–9, 9–1. (Athens Select) www.springmeadownursery.com. ■ Leucanthemum ✕superbum ‘Banana Cream’ (Shasta daisy). Four-inch-wide, lemon-yellow Terra Nova Nurseries, flowers mature to creamy yellow and white. Compact plants grow to 18 inches tall. Zones www.terranovanurseries.com. 5–9, 9–1. (Great Garden Plants/Walters Gardens) Walters Gardens, Inc., ■ Pulsatilla vulgaris ‘Perlen Glocke’ (Pasque flower). Low-growing early-spring bloomer with www.waltersgardens.com. soft-pink, cupped flowers. Zones 5–7, 7–5. (Jelitto)

January / February 2010 17 Annuals & Tender Perennials

Ipomoea batatas Ilusion™ Midnight Lace (sweet potato vine). Dark Pennisetum setaceum ‘Fireworks’ (purple fountaingrass). Foliage is purplish, deeply lobed leaves have red venation. More compact and variegated pink, red, white, and green. Plants grow to 28 inches tall less agressive than most sweet potato vines, growing eight to 10 and bear burgundy-colored inflorescences. (Great Garden Plants) inches in length. (Proven Winners)

More new annuals ■ Ipomoea Carnival™ (morning glory). Five- to six-foot vines bear a mix of large white trumpet flowers with pink or blue streaks. (Park Seed) ■ Cyperus involucratus Graceful Grasses™ Baby Tut™ (umbrella plant). Grasslike plant ideal for small water gardens; grows two feet tall. Zones 8–11, 12–1. (Proven Winners) ■ Osteospermum Voltage Yellow™ (African daisy). A cool-season plant with improved heat tolerance. Yellow flowers bloom all summer. (Ball Horticultural Co.) ■ Phormium cookianum ‘Black Adder’ (New Zealand flax). Burgundy-black Pretty Much Picasso™ hybrid petunia. Hot-pink spikes of foliage; grows to three feet tall. flowers have contrasting lime-green margins. Zones 9–11, 12–1. (Anthony Tesselaar) (Proven Winners)

Zinnia ‘Profusion Yellow’. The first yellow in the Profusion series. Compact plants grow to 15 inches high and are heat and drought tolerant. (Park Seed)

Cosmos ‘Rubenza’. Deep ruby-red flowers on three-foot-tall plants. Fleuroselect’s 2010 Flower of the Year. (Thompson & Morgan)

18 the American Gardener Rosa Princess Alexandra of Kent (‘Ausmerchant’ rose). Large, fully double pink blooms have a strong tea fragrance. Plants are compact, growing under four feet tall. Zones 4–9, 9–1. (David Austin® Roses)

Clethra alnifolia Sugartina® (‘Crystalina’ sweet pepperbush). Dwarf selection with dark glossy leaves grows about 30 inches tall and wide. Fragrant white flowers bloom in late summer to fall. Zones 4–9, 9–1. (Spring Meadow Nursery)

Trees & Shrubs Lagerstroemia indica Berry Dazzle® (‘GAMAD VI’ dwarf crape myrtle). Early-blooming fuchsia-colored flowers cover plants that grow to three feet tall with similar spread. Zones 7–9, 9–6. (Gardener’s Confidence)

More new trees and shrubs ■ Magnolia grandiflora Baby Grand® (‘STRgra’ southern magnolia). Dwarf evergreen grows to 10 feet tall and wide. Zones 6–9, 7–1. (Anthony Tesselaar/Monrovia) ■ Prunus sargentii First Editions® Spring Wonder™ (‘Hokkado Normandale’ Sargent cherry). This hardy tree provides year-round interest: red-brown bark, pink spring flowers, and purplish spring foliage that turns dark green in summer and yellow, orange, or red in fall. Zones 5–9, 9–5. (Bailey Nurseries) ■ Rhododendron Autumn Lilac™ (Encore® azalea ‘Robles’). Lavender-colored flowers bloom from spring to fall. Zones 5–9, 9–5. Quercus nuttallii Charisma® (‘Mon Powe’ Syringa Bloomerang® (‘Penda’ lilac). Grows (Plant Development Services) Nuttall oak). Deciduous native selection has to a compact five feet tall and four feet wide. ■ Rosa Sunny Knock Out® (‘Radsunny’ rose). attractive chocolate-colored spring foliage Fragrant purple flowers bloom in spring and Vigorous, disease-resistant plants grow that matures to green. Grows to 60 feet tall. again in midsummer to fall. Zones 6–9, 9–4. three to four feet tall and wide; yellow Zones 5–9, 9–4. (Monrovia) (Spring Meadow Nursery) flowers bloom from spring to fall. Zones 5–9, 9–1. (Conard Pyle)

January / February 2010 19 20 native toNorth America.White oaks represented among the60oddspecies tions, orsubgroups, three ofwhichare giants, andfrom evergreen todeciduous. totoweringand suckeringshrubs forest genus rangesfrom low groundcover oaks Northern Hemisphere. Thisdiverse most prevalent trees andimportant ofthe tified worldwide,makingoaksoneofthe of theUnited States. the oakwasselectedasnationaltree by theNational ArborDay Foundation, popularity, inapollconducted2001 ubiquitousness. Asameasure oftheir utility, longevity, strength, beauty, and spirituality formillenniabecauseoftheir tion, fuel,food,fodder, folklore, and O All-American Oaks Oaks are categorized intofoursec- About 500oakspecieshave been iden- the American Gardener Quercus garryana Quercus Quercus garryana Quercus been associatedwithconstruc- trees oflegends.Theyhave AKS (Quercus spp.) are the Hawaii, Alaska,andIdaho—growing in States, theygrow wildin47 states—sorry the AmericanSouthwest. In theUnited third group, goldenoaks,are confinedto membersofthe on thiscontinent;afew and red subgroups oaksare theprimary many nativeoaktrees. further thanoneofAmerica’s durable constitution,lookno ecological associations,anda rich culturalhistory, important shade treethatcomeswith If you’relookingforaclassic BY GUYSTERNBERG beat oneofour native oaks. anchoring your landscape, it’s hard to able specimenorshadetree capableof perience, ifyou’re looking foradepend- “Resources,” page22).Based onmyex- searching booksonnative trees (see ternational Oak Society andwhilere- around the worldasamemberoftheIn- oaks throughout North Americaand hundred oaktaxa. Ihave alsosoughtout tersburg, Illinois, we grow several tum mywife,Edie, andIcreated inPe- small mammals,andinsects. plants,andfoodforbirds, understory ing shadeandshelterforwildlife munities towhichtheybelong,provid- in manycaseslinchpinsoftheplantcom- from theirnaturalranges.Oak trees are adaptable undercultivation even far Manyand deserts. speciesare widely habitats rangingfrom swampstodunes At Starhill Forest, theresearch arbore-

GUY STERNBERG SITING AND CARING FOR OAKS WEST mid elevations. It reaches 40 to 90 feet Oaks have a reputation for being slow Canyon live oak (Quercus chrysolepis, with a 30- to 60-foot spread. Its leaves are growing, but with proper site selection, USDA Hardiness Zones 7–9, AHS Heat glossy green on the upper surface, red- planting technique, mulching, and wa- Zones 9–7). The greatest of the golden dish and downy on the undersides; fall tering, you can coax several feet of oaks, this beautiful evergreen tree is color is red to brown. This is the only oak growth per year out of many species. found on rocky soils in the mountains of species found through much of its range, Some will attain enormous size eventual- southwest Oregon, California, and parts and is thus very important for wildlife ly, so when selecting a site, be sure to ac- of Arizona. It grows 20 to 60 feet tall with habitat. So far it has not exhibited sus- count for overhead wiring and the a similar spread. Its oval leaves—glossy ceptibility to SOD. proximity of buildings and roads. As green on top and grayish blue on the un- with most other trees, oaks do best when dersides—can be smooth-edged or spiny. SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST competition from turf is minimized, so The large acorns have beautiful, furry, Buckley’s oak (Quercus buckleyi, Zones create a mulched area around the base golden caps. This species, unfortunately, 5–9, 10–6). A fine-textured, deciduous that is continually expanded to remain is susceptible to sudden oak death species from central Texas, this is one of the about as broad as the canopy of the tree. (SOD), a fungal disease that has affected most colorful oaks in autumn and is valu- Ongoing care of oaks is similar to what many western oak species. able as a medium-sized (to 30 or 40 feet) you would provide for any other quality landscape tree. Give them supplemental watering during dry spells until they are well established. Make sure string trim- mers are kept well away from the trunk when the trees are young, avoid damage to the root system through soil compaction or excavation, apply timely structural pruning, and be on the alert for invasions of gypsy moths and other scourges that can weaken or kill your trees. You can grow oaks easily from acorns collected and planted in the fall. You also can obtain seedlings from nurseries, but make sure they have been raised using proper root-training methods. If you check with a nursery and they don’t know what root-training production means, try somewhere else. Most oaks are difficult to transplant, so don’t try dig- ging them from the wild. (For more on Quercus chrysolepis Quercus buckleyi growing oak trees from seed, visit the web special linked to this article at Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia, Zones landscape tree, often sending up multiple www.ahs.org.) 8–10, 10–6). Anyone who has photo- trunks. It is suitable for hot sites and alka- Once planted, protect oak seedlings graphed the central California coast is like- line soil. Its sharply lobed leaves are yel- from rabbits, deer, and landscape crews ly to have captured the convoluted limbs lowish green but turn scarlet in fall. Closely until they are large enough to be rela- of this majestic evergreen tree, which grows related to Shumard oak (Q. shumardii), it tively impervious to abuse. For this you 20 to 70 feet tall with an often greater has produced a stable spontaneous hybrid can use tree tubes to start, followed by spread. Its leathery, dark green, oval leaves with that species named Q. ✕sternbergii sturdy wire cages. have serrated edges much like those of hol- (yes, I’m proud to acknowledge it was The following oaks are ones I heartily lies. It is one of the only red oaks that pro- named after yours truly). recommend for gardens in different re- duces mature acorns in a single growing gions of North America (additional season. It is susceptible to SOD and grows Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii, Zones choices are listed in a chart on page 23). best where it receives regular moisture. 5–8, 8–4). The primary oak species of the Estimated heights are based on what you southern Rocky Mountains in the Four can expect in garden settings; trees often Garry oak (Quercus garryana, Zones Corners states, Gambel oak sometimes grow larger in the wild. 6–8, 8–5). The “white” oak of the North- grows into a medium-sized tree but is west, this deciduous species and its vari- more frequently shrubby (and sometimes Guy Sternberg is an author, photographer, ar- eties can be found from British suckering), typically reaching 15 to 30 borist, landscape architect, and certified tree Columbia south through central Cali- feet. It has a pale gray or whitish bark and

LEFT: SAXON HOLT. RIGHT: GUY STERNBERG hugger living in Petersburg, Illinois. fornia on dry, exposed sites at low and deeply lobed leaves that are dark green on

January / February 2010 21 22 Quercus macrocarpa Quercus Quercus macrocarpa Quercus Bur oak MIDWEST thrive inrich,well-drained garden soil. erates drought andpoorsoil,butwill Fall color, ifany, It isusuallyrusset. tol- the topanddowny, palegreen beneath. It grows 40to50feettall withequalor canyons toeasternfloodplains. and desert habitats rangingfrom Mexican mountains ural rangeofanyouroak species, in oak. It can befoundover thebroadest nat- erant ofalkalinesoilthanany otherlarge chestnut oak,thisgracefultree ismore tol- Zones 4–8,8–3).Alsoknown asyellow Chinkapin oak a half-inchtomore thantwoincheslong. insizeoratively from fringed acornsvary the middle;fallcolorisadulltan.Its dec- into twosectionsby adeepindentationin green, lobedleaves appeartobedivided reach 90feetonfavorable sites.Its dark 60 to80feetwithsimilarspread, butcan different habitats.It generallytopsoutat adaptableto drought tolerant,andvery of Texas. Thisdeciduousoakishardy, and west toManitoba andtheGulf Coast southern Ontario southtoPennsylvania vanna, burormossycup oakisnative from 9–2). AmajesticiconoftheMidwest sa- the American Gardener (Quercus macrocarpa, (Quercus muehlenbergii, Zones 2–9, Municipal Arborists. Urban Tree oftheYear by theSociety of light orangeinfall.It wasnamedthe2009 decorative serratedmargins,turnyellow to wild). Its lustrous yellow-green leaves, with greater spread incultivation (largerinthe is oneofourlongestlived, mostdurable to Florida andwest toIowa andTexas, this 9–5). Native from southernNew England Post oak SOUTHEAST Burnt RidgeNursery, Sources New York,2006. Oak: TheFrameofCivilization Timber Press,Portland,Oregon,2004. Native TreesforNorthAmericanLandscapes International OakSociety, Resources Taylor CreekRestorationNurseries, Shooting StarNursery, Oikos TreeCrops, Nature HillsNursery, Quercus virginiana virginiana Quercus Quercus virginiana virginiana Quercus (Quercus stellata, Kalamazoo, MI. at BokTowerPinewood EstateinLakewood,Florida. at BokTowerPinewood EstateinLakewood,Florida. Onalaska, WA. Omaha, NE. Georgetown, NY. www.internationaloaksociety.org. Zones 5–9, by WilliamBryantLogan.W.W.Norton&Company, www.naturehills.com. www.oikostreecrops.com. Brodhead, WI. www.burntridgenursery.com. www.shootingstarnursery.com. symbol oftheDeep South, live oakisthe Zones 7/8–10,10–7). Thequintessential Southern live oak on thetree intowinter. toorange,withleaves oftenstaying russet large lobes.Fall colortendstobesubdued trous green leaves are dividedintotwo reaching 40to70feetatmaturity. Its lus- over bedrock outcrops, itgrows slowly, ly drainedwoodlandsorthin,scorched soil deciduous oaks.Equally athomeinpoor- by GuySternbergwithJimWilson. www.appliedco.com. (Quercus virginiana,

LEFT: GUY STERNBERG. BOTTOM: MARK TURNER MORE NOTEWORTHY REGIONAL OAK TREES

EASTERN U.S. Name Height/Spread Notable Characteristics; Garden Needs Native Range USDA/AHS Zones Black oak 50–70/50–70 Glossy green leaves with orange tufts on the undersides; East & Central 3–9, 9–3 (Q. velutina) drought tolerant, adaptable Nuttall’s oak 50–70/40–80 Good spring (reddish purple) and fall (yellow to red) foliage, South Central 6–9,9–5 (Q. nuttallii, syn. fast growing; adaptable to poor drainage and various levels pH Q. texana) Overcup oak 40–70/40–70 Good spring and fall foliage color; tolerant of moist soils and flooding Southeast & Central 5–9, 9–4 (Q. lyrata) Shumard oak 60–80/80 Bright red fall color, fast growing; adaptable to pH and wet or dry soil Southeast & Central 5–9, 9–5 (Q. shumardii) Swamp chestnut oak 100/100 Brilliant fall color contrasts with light bark; tolerates wet soils Southeast & 5–9, 9–5 (Q. michauxii) Central Swamp white oak 50–80/50–80 Two-tone green and white leaves, yellow fall color; tolerates poorly East & Central 4–8, 8–4 (Q. bicolor) drained or compacted soil Willow oak 40–80/30–80 Fine-textured leaves turn gold in fall, fast growing; Southeast 5–9,9–4 (Q. phellos) adaptable, good cultivars available

WESTERN U.S. Emory oak 40–60/40–70 Sub-evergreen with intricate form, edible acorns; very drought tolerant Southwest 6–9, 9–5 (Q. emoryi) Smoky oak 20–40/20–40 Blue-tinted leaves with rosy fall color; very adaptable Southwest 5–9, 9–5 (Q. laceyi) Valley oak 70–90/70–100 Graceful, majestic habit, sometimes weeping in old age California 6–8, 8–5 (Q. lobata)

famous sprawling evergreen monarch when young better than many of plantation allées and coastal forests other oaks. Its native range is from from Texas around the Gulf of Mex- eastern Canada west to Minnesota ico and north along the Atlantic coast and south through much of the to Virginia. Trees typically grow 50 to eastern United States. One of our 80 feet tall with a spread that can be largest native trees, it can become more than twice that. The smooth- immense (60 to 80 feet in height edged, leathery, evergreen leaves are and spread) on suitable sites. Fall fo- about three inches long, lustrous dark liage color ranges from crimson to green above and downy gray-green russet. It will thrive in a site with below. The narrow, tapered acorns are moist, but free-draining, soil. a primary food for a variety of wildlife. Live oak tolerates salt spray, White oak (Quercus alba, Zones heat, and humidity, but thrives main- 3–9, 9–1). One of our most colorful ly on the coastal plain. and valuable trees, the long-lived white oak is very common in eastern Water oak (Quercus nigra, Zones forests from Florida to Canada and 6–9, 9–5). One of the fastest growing Quercus rubra west through Missouri. Many his- of the southern oaks, water oak is toric landmark trees in the north- often used as a street tree in the South. Na- propriate structural pruning while young eastern states—at least those that have tive from Delaware south to Florida and to stimulate development of a strong survived into the present century—are west to Texas and Missouri, it grows 50 to branching habit, it makes a fine shade tree. white oaks. Prized for its scarlet fall foliage, 80 feet tall with a rounded to upright It tolerates wet sites. this shade tree is relatively slow-growing, shape. Its variable leaves are often long and reaching 50 to 80 feet tall with a similar or narrow when young, becoming shorter NORTHEAST even greater canopy spread at maturity. and broader at the top as trees mature. In Northern red oak (Quercus rubra, Zones Allow room in the garden for this tree to some cases, the leaves remain green late in 3–7, 7–1). Fast-growing and adaptable, achieve its ultimate size and become a lega- SUSAN A. ROTH the year before turning reddish. Given ap- the northern red oak tolerates light shade cy for future generations.

January / February 2010 23 24 the American Gardener ELAX. Take a walk in your gar- makes clear that his concept has “nothing den. Or simply sit in a favorite to do with the old idea of the ‘Wilderness’” R spot and look around. Allow and this is an important, practical distinc- yourself a few moments to reflect on tion. In recent centuries, “Wilderness” has what is truly alive and free in your home evolved from a fearsome, dangerously wild habitat. Is everything neatly arranged ac- place to be conquered, into a mythic realm cording to plan, or are there beautiful ac- where the last best things reside. It’s easy to cidents in the mix? Among the plantings, understand the appeal of “Wilderness” if it do you see any self-perpetuating com- evokes a pristine Nature untouched by hu- munities, seeding freely and continuing mans, but as an ideal it describes no role for themselves without effort on your part us in a balanced ecology. (without watering, fertilizing, or spray- Wildness, in contrast, refers to the free- ing)? Beyond beauty, do these commu- dom of living things to exist and evolve nities also nurture other living things in without our complete control. Just as we the garden? If so, then the landscape sur- cherish our own autonomy, celebrating au- rounding you possesses something essen- tonomy in the life of our gardens is a re- tial to real diversity and sustainability: sponsible step toward integrating the What is Wild? …and why it matters

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICK DARKE

Genuine wildness. Inviting a bit of wild- human community into an enlightened ness into our gardens isn’t a new idea, but environmental model. We can begin sim- due to increasingly diminished natural ply, by allowing a seed to germinate. habitats, it is more important than ever Not so long ago, gardeners grew most before. The good news is that wildness is of their plants from seed, and with seed a renewable resource. comes diversity. There are many good rea- sons why vegetatively propagated, or ROOTS OF WILD GARDENING cloned, cultivated varieties, are now the William Robinson (1838–1935) famously norm in horticulture, but there are also introduced the concept of wild gardening costs. Clonal cultivars offer predictable ap- in his ground-breaking classic, The Wild pearance and performance, both of which Garden, first published in 1870. The book are often necessary to implement and promotes an authentically naturalistic and maintain precise designs. Unfortunately, truly low-maintenance approach based the dramatic uniformity of such plants upon Robinson’s vast experience as a gar- and the static nature of highly structured dener, a botanist, and a direct observer of plantings are at odds with biological di- diverse habitats. In his foreword, Robinson versity. In addition, the maintenance of

Great sweeps of ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) and cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) wend their way over the north-facing slope opposite the March Bank at Winterthur Museum and Country Estate in Delaware. The banks of the stream at the bottom of the slope provide habitat for naturalized moisture-loving species including sedges, ferns, and hostas. Canopy trees and a variety of indigenous and introduced shrubs self-sow freely. Some are edited to preserve views and design intent, while others remain as essential elements in the garden’s regenerative process. The garden’s founder, Henry Francis du Pont, owned a copy of William Robinson’s classic The Wild Garden, and his plantings at Winterthur were directly inspired by it.

January / February 2010 25 embrace the beauty of diversity and the This essay stems from Rick Darke’s drama of chance occurrence? Louis Pasteur personal interest in wild gardening and said, “Chance favors the prepared mind,” his contributions to a new, expanded and although his observation was intend- edition of The ed for fellow scientists, it is equally relevant Wild Garden, to gardeners. For example, if you can imag- originally writ- ine the possibilities of a mature oak, its ten by William branches spreading to shelter you and pro- Robinson. The vide sustenance for myriad wildlife, then new edition of an acorn germinating by chance is more the book, pub- likely seen as a gift, even if it is lying in a lished by Tim- spot you might never have thought to ber Press, was plant an oak. You look at the acorn, evalu- released last November. To listen to ate the space, and say “OK, you can stay!” Rick Darke reading an excerpt from Inviting wildness into your garden the book and view more images, click also increases the likelihood of serendip- on the link to this article on the AHS ity: The accidental discovery of some- website (www.ahs.org). thing fortunate, especially while looking for something else. For example, you might find that a favorite plant has van- static designs usually consumes consider- ished from the location you chose for it, able resources, since the plantings have lit- but something equally desirable has self- tle capacity for self-renewal or repair. This sown and is thriving there, and your first inability is due in part to the limited fer- favorite has established itself in another tility of many clonal cultivars. While some spot that better suits its needs. of these, both woody and herbaceous, are Begin inviting wildness to your garden capable of producing viable seed, many by taking stock of the ground layer. The are “self-incompatible,” meaning they re- goal is to strike a balance between keeping quire fertilization from a genetically dis- the ground covered, discouraging weeds, tinct plant. Some hybrid cultivars are and providing opportunities for wildlings. completely sterile. Ideally, plants should cover most of the But even if cultivars are capable of pro- surface, because this is the most effective ducing seedlings, rigid designs allow no place for them—the seedlings are per- ceived as weeds. The design is installed, and from that day forward it requires an endless cycle of maintenance and replen- ishment to keep it looking unchanged. To take full advantage of the low-mainte- nance aspects of wild gardening, both plant selection and design must evolve. BALANCING WILDNESS AND ORDER Artfulness is at the heart of gardening, and for artistic reasons highly ordered plantings will always have their place in gardens. Too much order, however, becomes monotony. As the art of our gardens evolves, can it also

Wildness is essential to meadow gardens, since rigid adherence to a precise design at larger scales is impractical or even impossible. The graceful flow of California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) wending their way through native grasses, verbenas (Verbena lilacina), and shrubs is the result of naturalized populations gently edited.

26 the American Gardener A naturalized population of white wood aster (Aster divaricatus or Eurybia divaricatus) serves as a flowering, ground-covering matrix under a grove of sassafras trees (Sassafrass albidum) in the author’s Pennsylvania garden. The asters were originally planted when the trees were young and the space was sunny. They’ve thrived without watering, fertilizing, herbicides, or replanting for more than 15 years, perpetuating themselves by self- sowing. Locally indigenous flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida) and black oaks (Quercus velutina) occasionally self-sow from seeds transported from adjacent woodlands by weather or wildlife. Some of these are edited out, and others are selected to remain.

NATIVES AND EXOTICS How does wildness in the garden relate to the choice of native or exotic plants? Today, any suggestion of naturalizing plants immediately brings up the issue of invasive species. In North America, natu- ralized exotics such as kudzu, multiflora rose, Japanese stilt-grass, and oriental bit- tersweet have proved all too well-adapted to modern conditions. Many have dis- placed indigenous species, severely reduc- ing or altering diversity, especially in habitats already affected by human activ- ity. Certainly the safest, most conservative means of retaining moisture and sup- cultural practice is to modify site condi- approach to wild gardening is to restrict pressing weeds. tions to match plants’ needs, the most ef- plantings to regionally indigenous species. Areas between plants should mostly be ficient strategy for naturalization is to At least there is empirical evidence that covered with locally derived mulch. This match plants to existing conditions as these plants are in relative balance with re- will conserve moisture and reduce weed much as possible. This is also the most gional ecologies and will not cause may- growth while providing some opportunity ecological and sustainable approach. hem if they spread beyond the garden. to germinate seeds and spores of desirable If you would like to try this in your In each region, however, there is also ev- species. The surface should be disturbed own garden, begin by making an inven- idence of exotic species that can be natu- only when necessary to eliminate weeds, tory and evaluation of the cultural nich- ralized in the garden but have no capacity since too-frequent disturbance will prevent es you can identify: These are akin to to disrupt indigenous plant communities. spontaneous germination. In temperate re- habitats. Although some garden sites are William Robinson’s vision of the wild gar- gions, mosses will establish naturally on richer than others in their variety of con- den was clearly cosmopolitan, favoring na- moist, shaded, undisturbed surfaces. In ad- ditions, most sites include several micro- tives when practical but promoting a dition to their beauty, mosses provide an habitats. In addition, the diversity of global mix of locally adapted plants. ideal substrate for the germination and es- cultural conditions usually increases as Robinson’s England of 1870–1935 had been tablishment of ferns and herbaceous and maturing plantings influence available heavily transformed by human activity for woody flowering plants. light and moisture. centuries, and virtually all of the forests, Naturalization is the key to wild gar- You don’t need a large property to prac- ponds, and meadows in his sphere were, in dening, and it is more than simply plant- tice wild gardening. Wildness works at all fact, managed landscapes. ing plants in places where they will thrive scales, often finding full expression in the Robinson was less concerned about for a time. True naturalization means es- smallest niches in gardens of any size. Like- protecting long-diminished ecologies tablishing plants so successfully that they wise, wildness can flourish within formal and more focused on finding ways to sus- perpetuate themselves indefinitely by frameworks. The distinction is in promot- tain a diversely planted garden with min- self-sowing or by natural vegetative re- ing truly dynamic relationships within your imum effort and resources. In addition production. Although traditional horti- garden’s flora and fauna. to locally indigenous plants, Robinson

January / February 2010 27 naturalized many North American, Eu- ropean, and Asian species at his West Sussex garden, Gravetye Manor, and the resiliency of Robinson’s naturalized plantings there are proof of the practical value of wild gardening. Though none of Robinson’s introduc- tions have subsequently taken over the English countryside, environmental con- ditions in his region are unlike those in most of North America, and his results are only partly relevant here. Robinson was particularly pleased with his success in naturalizing minor bulbs—including daffodils, crocuses, snowflakes, and glory- of-the snow—in meadows. Bulbs of this Pinkroot (Spigelia marilandica) has been naturalized in the author’s Pennsylvania garden type have proven equally suited to natu- for decades, although it grows nearly everywhere except where it was originally planted. This ralization in North American gardens colorful southeastern native is difficult to propagate because its seeds usually scatter before without risk of environmental harm. they can be collected. Once it finds the conditions it requires in the garden, however, it self-sows readily but never to the point of being a nuisance. EDITING AND MAINTAINING As true wildness becomes more estab- desired plants than it is to regularly re- supremely artful exercise. Truly natural- lished, management of the garden natu- place plants that have died. ized plantings often have the capacity to rally shifts from deliberate planting to Similarly, it is easier to edit self-perpet- produce dramatic sweeps and interwoven editing, and there is great efficiency in uating, ground-covering plant popula- matrices. As your understanding of the this. It is far less time-consuming and re- tions than it is to continually spread dynamics of these populations grows and source-intensive to edit out an excess of truckloads of mulch. And editing can be a your eye develops, it becomes quite satis-

Patterns of indigenous grasses and showy goldenrods (Solidago speciosa) in the gravel hill section of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Dixon Prairie are unquestionably beautiful. Although they appear artful, they are largely the result of natural dynamics, as plants in the community respond to sunlight, soil conditions, water, and competition.

28 the American Gardener TIPS FOR MANAGING WILDNESS IN YOUR GARDEN Lighten up on control. Inviting wildness into your garden doesn’t mean inviting chaos—it just means relinquishing sufficient con- trol to allow plants to find their ideal niches and to evolve into real communities sustained by fertile, dynamic relationships. Gar- den maintenance will be reduced if you let plants do more of the work for you: replacing themselves and providing natural weed suppression. Shift your emphasis from planting to editing. Embrace observation. Be watchful. Recognize that observation is a pleasurable part of the essential work of maintaining a garden. When traveling, explore the dynamics evident in plant communities you visit for useful insights into plant behavior. Pay special attention to the ground layer, and learn to recognize plants at their youngest stages. Make a point to look for desirable seedlings and nurture them. Learn to recognize problem plants as seedlings so you can re- move them before they be- come established. Adapt plants to site, not site to plants. The key to a re- source-conserving, sustain- able landscape is to make the most of existing condi- tions. Evaluate the habitats and micro-habitats on your site, and choose plants matched to available grow- ing conditions. Think twice before removing self-sown plants, since they often pro- vide cues to where they are Above: A northern flicker feeds on viburnum berries in winter. Above, right: Since wildness in the garden is most likely to thrive. This heavily dependent upon regeneration from seeds, it’s important to allow seeds to remain on standing plants managed wildness is the until they are naturally dispersed. These intricate white wood aster seeds are quite beautiful if closely observed, basis of true naturalization. and these and many other seeds provide critical sustenance for birds and other local wildlife. Choose plants with genetic viability. Ensure a majority of the plants you select are capable of producing fertile seed. Some species require the presence of genetically distinct individuals for seed production. Others require the presence of male and female plants for effective pol- lination. Plant a mix of named cultivars and unnamed seedlings. Rely on vegetative cultivars when necessary to meet design goals but use unnamed seed-grown species whenever design allows. Allow seeds to disperse naturally. Don’t be in a hurry to neaten up the garden after flowering is finished. Allow seeds and fruits to remain on plants until they are naturally dispersed. Be responsible with exotics. The safest approach is to work with only local or regionally indigenous species, but there are many examples of exotic plants that may be naturalized without risk to regional ecosystems. Before introducing any exotics to your garden, however, do some research to confirm they are not known to cause problems in your area. —R.D. fying to employ editing to produce pleas- How does wildness relate to the city? in flux throughout the grand scale of his- ing patterns in the matrix. Editing is It is perhaps as important to the future of tory, and all our present ecologies are the equally appropriate for herbaceous and our urban spaces as anywhere else, if we result of evolution and migration. Wild- woody layers, and naturalized trees and intend to keep them green. Urban ecolo- ness has been essential to the origin and shrubs can also be edited for pattern. gies, especially in post-industrial regions, sustenance of today’s species, and will re- Although editing often means simple have been modified in the span of two main so for tomorrow’s. Wilderness may removal, spontaneous seedlings can also centuries to the point that soils and be no more than a mythic ideal; howev- be transplanted elsewhere in the garden growing conditions are often radically er, wildness is something tangible, know- or given to friends. Seedlings thriving in unlike those in which the indigenous able, and valuable. your own soil and local climatic condi- vegetation evolved. The resiliency of wild tions typically transplant more easily vegetation, both native and exotic, and An award-winning author, photographer, lec- and have greater survival rates than its ability to adapt to our modern envi- turer, and landscape design consultant, Rick plants you purchase from a nursery or ronment makes it a critical resource. This Darke (www.rickdarke.com) lives in Lan- seed company. is nothing new. The global flora has been denberg, Pennsylvania.

January / February 2010 29 30 rior qualitytothe produce. Growing ver- squash, andtomatoes helpsbringasupe- their cucumbers,melons,beans, winter one-acre Applegate Valley farm. restaurant’s produce comesfrom their brother Jonoah Murphy, muchofthe Owned andoperatedby Gabriel and Restaurant inJacksonville, Oregon. Gabriel S. Murphy, chefofGogi’s say sun andairtotheplantsurfaces,” den and,mostimportantly, bringsmore “Trellising makesforamore orderly gar- INCENTIVES ADDITIONAL A to vertical gardening.to vertical deners, we discovered even more benefits tices andintegratingtipsfrom othergar- Once we beganrefining ourgrowing prac- we couldfitmore plantsinagiven area. lowed ustodiversify ourofferingsbecause per square footofgrowing spaceandal- mension immediatelyincreased ouryield much foracommercial operation. etables forpersonaluse,it’s really notvery seem likealottosomeonegrowing veg- 8,000 square feetofspace.Whilethatmay Our market garden consistedofabout I were organicmarket growers. certified ly twodecadesagowhenmyhusbandand cient waytoaccommodatetheseplants. trellisan arbororvertical isthemosteffi- Growing on vegetables andviningfruits such assquash,melons,andtomatoes. can stillgrowvegetables space-hungry they sprawlallover theground? but have hadtogive uponthembecause wine’ andotherindeterminatetomatoes room? Do you love theflavor of‘Brandy- to grow wintersquashbutdon’t have the High-Rising Edibles garden spaceandoffersmanyotheradvantages. Utilizing thethirddimensiontogrowvegetablesandotherediblesmakesoptimumuseofavailable For theMurphy brothers, trellising Taking advantage di- ofthevertical Necessity ledmetothatdiscovery near- Even whengarden space islimited,you the American Gardener RE YOU your vegetable garden? Tempted but hatehow theycanoverrun crazy aboutcucumbers permits goodairflowtominimizediseasewhilestilllendingenough supportforthevines. This handcraftedwoodentrellisworkswellforgrowingscarletrunner beans.Itsopenframework at theirpeakof perfection. neath lushgrowth, theycanbeharvested arefruits more visibleandnothiddenbe- light exposure. Andsincetheveggies and more duetotheadditionalsun- flavorful rot. Fruits are quickertoripenandoften staycleaner andareand fruits lesslikely to tically eliminatessoilcontactsovegetables ground islesslikelytoget wet from rou- Oregon. “Foliage that’s heldoffthe rial Seed CompanyinCottageGrove, product development director forTerrito- leaves wet,” saysJosh Kirschenbaum, plants tocontractadiseaseis by getting other plantdiseases.“An easywayfor Trellising helpsminimizeand mildew BY KRISWETHERBEE

RICK WETHERBEE east-to-west direction on the north side of your garden will create optimal light ex- posure for trellised plants while casting the least amount of shadow in the garden. Shadows cast over neighboring sun-loving crops can be minimized by running your trellis in a north-to-south direction, though vertical plants on the northern end of the trellis will receive less light than plants on the southern end. A few shadows are inevitable, but gar- deners can use these to their advantage by planting shade-tolerant crops near a plant- laden trellis. “Lettuce, spinach, and other leafy greens tend to prefer cooler tempera- tures and often do not perform well in the heat of summer,” Kirschenbaum explains. By trellising his tomatoes against a south-facing wall that provides shelter from wind and “A trellis oriented in an east-to-west direc- collects heat from the sun, this Oregon gardener ensures an earlier and more prolific harvest. tion will provide shade in the growing space north of the trellis.” tine waterings and, consequently, less like- GETTING STARTED ly to become diseased.” When trellised Before setting up any type of trellis system, TRELLIS-WORTHY EDIBLES plants do get wet, the added air circulation it’s important to prepare the soil. This is es- Any vining or sprawling plant with fruits helps leaves dry out more quickly. sential to produce increased yields in a smaller than a bowling ball can be trel- In addition, trellising saves strain on smaller space. Ideally the soil should be lised as long as they are grown on a stur- your back because there is minimal loose, free draining, and high in organic dy, tall structure that is strong enough to bending over needed to harvest crops. matter. Amending the soil prior to plant- support the weight of the mature plant Compared with standard growing prac- ing with lots of compost or well-rotted ma- and resulting fruits. tices, less watering, weeding, and feeding nure will improve the soil tilth and fertility Lightweight trellis structures are often is needed to produce the yield from veg- and help get plants off to a good start. adequate to support the weight of cucum- etables grown on vertical supports. “Trel- Where and how you situate your trel- bers, pole beans, and peas. Those needing lised edibles can also make a wonderful lis system is equally important. Keep in sturdier support include indeterminate living fence or privacy screen,” adds mind that plants growing vertically will tomatoes (which keep growing and pro- Kirschenbaum. cast a shadow. Running your trellis in an ducing fruits until frost), non-bush vari-

TRELLIS TIPS

■ Avoid disturbance to plant roots and emerging seedlings by installing your trellis before planting in the garden. ■ For easier harvesting, choose netting or panels that have large openings. ■ Set your trellis firmly in place by sinking trellis posts 24 inches deep. ■ Vertical frame trellises are often set side by side in a straight row. But ar- ranging them in a zigzag pattern, as an arbor, or with spacing between frames, will create different micro- climates for integrating low-growing plants such as lettuces and herbs. ■ To allow for tilling and other bed modifications, trellising should ide- ally be portable or relatively easy to dismantle. —K.W.

TOP: MICHAEL S. THOMPSON. BOTTOM: MARK TURNER When trained on a wire trellis, peas are more productive and easier to harvest.

January / February 2010 31 32 progressively smallerlower totheground. openings aboutsixinchesacross thatget els are aboutthree feettall,withtop square openings aboutsixinchesacross. Hog pan- ally aboutfive feettallwithsquare vanized heavywire. Cattlepanelsare usu- basically sectionsoffencingmadegal- plants isahogorcattlepanel—theseare boo, plastic,orPVC pipe. madeofmetal,wood,bam- lis supports twineorwirehand-strung attachedtotrel- mesh, chickenwire, orhogpanels,by are typicallygrown upplasticorstring stakes, string,trellises, andarbors.Plants grow vegetables, from cagestopoles, A variety oftrellis systemscanbeusedto TALL STANDING cause thevinetobreak. staysonthevineanddoesn’tthat thefruit willensurein thesling.Theaddedsupport to thetrellis andplacethedeveloping fruit nylon stockingsorotherstretchy material may alsoneedtoattachaslingmadeof ball canweigh uptoeightpounds—you the variety—a melonthesize ofabowling tomatoes, andwintersquash. (bowling ballsize orsmaller),determinate varieties ofsmallmelonsorpumpkins quired theweight ofnon-bush tosupport winter squash.Aheavy-dutytrellis isre- eties ofsummersquash,andsmall-fruited are anefficient way tosupporttomatoes,cucumbers, summersquash,andother cropsthatrequiresturdysupport. anA-frame Above left:Scarlet runnerbeansclimbstringon this“maypole”styletrellis.Above right:Wirepanelsjoinedat thetoptoform My favorite structure fortrellising Depending onthemature size of fruit the American Gardener the panelsare used. ons maybetooheavy, dependingonhow ever, viningcrops suchasgourds andmel- of cucumbersandsummersquash.How- as well astomatoesandnon-bushvarieties panels work well with polebeansandpeas long-lasting andrust-resistant trellis. The provide aninexpensive wayofcreating a Available from farmsupplystores, these Agri-Supply Company, Sources Bartley. TimberPress,Portland,Oregon,2006. Designing theNewKitchenGarden:AnAmericanPotagerHandbook lan, NewYork,1997. Burpee TheCompleteVegetable&HerbGardener ley/Octopus, NewYork,2009. by DavidJ.Ellis,FionaGilsenan,RitaPelczar,andGrahamRice.MitchellBeaz- American HorticulturalSocietyNewEncyclopediaofGardeningTechniques. Resources W. AtleeBurpeeCo., Park Seed, Lee ValleyTools, www.gardenersedge.com. A.M. Leonard’sGardenersEdge, Greenwood, SC.(800)213-0076. Ogdensburg, NY.(800)871-8158. Warminster, PA.(800)333-5808. Garner, NC.(800)345-0169. Piqua, OH.(888)555-5676. tach thepaneltwofeetoffground. the trellis heighttosixfeettall,simplyat- with heavy-dutywire orzipties.To raise in arow, attachingthepaneltoeachpost to metalpostsspacedaboutfive feetapart panelsuprightandsecurealso run them frame, securingthematthetop. You can tions ofhogorcattlepanelstoformanA- In ourgarden, we usetwo10-footsec- www.parkseed.com. by KaranDavisCutler.Macmil- www.agrisupply.com. www.leevalley.com. www.burpee.com. by Jennifer Edited

LEFT: JERRY PAVIA. RIGHT: RICK WETHERBEE Another hog- or cattle-panel trellis can be made by bending a panel into a U- TYPES OF TRELLISING shape and then pushing the ends into the There are many different types of trellis systems to choose from. Here’s an overview ground to form an arch. Secure the trellis of some of the most useful setups for vertical gardening. in place by pounding four-foot pieces of CAGES Often used for growing tomatoes, cages can also be used to support pep- rebar about two feet into the ground at the pers and eggplant. Cone-shaped cages corners and then wiring the panel to the can be reinforced by sinking two to three rebar for added strength. stakes on the inside of the cage. You can Bean teepees can easily be made by se- also make your own using concrete rein- curing several eight- to 10-foot lengths of forcement wire mesh to make a circular bamboo or rebar together at the top. The cage or as a box cage secured to wood- bottom ends are then spread out in teepee en posts. fashion around the growing area. Secure METAL STAKES AND SPIRAL RODS Plants the teepee by pushing each end of the pole are wound around and loosely tied up a down into the ground as far as it will go, single six- to eight-foot-tall stake or rod. from one to two feet. Weave garden twine Fruit is easily accessible, but the plant through the poles or wrap and secure must be pruned to one main stem for op- chicken wire around the teepee to create a timum support. These are best suited for surface for plants such as pole beans, pole growing determinate tomatoes. Wire cages are suitable for cherry tomatoes. peas, or cucumbers to climb. TEEPEES Eight-foot poles made of bam- boo, wood, or metal are typically used to make a teepee-style trellis. The frame is AN INNOVATIVE IDEA often wrapped in string, chicken wire, or netting to give vines additional support to Trellising doesn’t have to be vertical. In climb. Teepees are ideal for pole beans, pole peas, and cucumbers. New Orleans, Lance Hill, executive di- ORGANIC OPTIONS Corn stalks can be used as support posts for growing beans rector of the Southern Institute for Edu- (corn should be sown three to four weeks before sowing beans). Branches with cation & Research at Tulane University twiggy growth and a stem at least two inches in diameter (sink the stem into the in New Orleans, has discovered that the soil at least one foot deep) create an organic structure for supporting vigorous bush best way to grow mirlitons (Sechium peas or beans. edule), also known as chayote or veg- A-FRAME TRELLIS Two heavy-duty wire panels or wooden frames covered with wire etable pear, is on a horizontal trellis. “The or plastic mesh are leaned together to form an A-frame and then secured at the top increased sun exposure and air circula- with wire or hinges. Seeds are then sown along both sides at the bottom of each tion allows for easy access for hand polli- frame. This type of trellis will support beans, peas, and most edible vining and non- nation and greater yields,” Hill explains. bush crop varieties with Some mirliton growers construct a per- small fruits. gola-type trellis similar to ones designed for ROW TRELLIS This simple grapes. Plants climb up trellis posts and system has its roots in the then grow across the top “roof” (usually commercial fields but can made of heavy-duty wire panels), creating easily be converted to a canopy of vegetation. However, Hill has small gardens. One type of devised a four-foot high horizontal trellis row trellis is frame-and- that works well in small spaces. A series of wire, which is basically a metal posts are placed four feet out from wood, metal, or PVC-pipe the fence. He then uses clips to fasten a 50- frame with extended legs foot-long-by-four-foot-wide roll of fencing that can be sunk one to wire to the existing fence and metal stakes, two feet into the ground. creating up to six times the growing space Wire or twine is then run compared to growing mirlitons up a fence. between the upper and Whether you place your trellises hori- lower sections of the hori- Cucumbers grow well on a stake-and-weave row trellis. zontally or vertically, growing certain veg- zontal frame. etables off the ground expands your Another type of row trellis system is the post-and-wire or stake-and-weave, which gardening options. Either way, your gar- consists of six- to 10-foot steel T-posts spaced four to six feet apart. Heavy-duty den—and the bounty it provides—will string, twine, or wire is stretched horizontally between posts and then attached to soar to new heights of satisfaction. each post. If used as a trellis for tomatoes, each new line of horizontal twine or wire is installed and woven around plants as they grow in height. Another option is to Author Kris Wetherbee and her husband, attach trellis netting to the posts with staples or tied with wire or twine. This method Rick, grow vegetables, fruits, and ornamental is well suited to growing cucumbers, pole beans, or peas. —K.W.

TOP: RICK WETHERBEE. BOTTOM: SUSAN A. ROTH plants in their Oakland, Oregon, garden.

January / February 2010 33 Plants on the Rocks Taking inspiration from the beauty of native plants growing on and around rocks in wild places, the author offers ideas for using these plants in challenging garden settings.

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY KAREN BUSSOLINI

AVING SPENT a good portion of my childhood daydreaming H on mossy ledges threaded with Canada mayflowers, wild strawberries, and trout lilies, I have always been drawn to rocky places inhabited by plants. When I need to calm myself from life’s stresses, one of my most effective visualization techniques is to recall a weathered moun- taintop in New Hampshire’s White Mountains where crevices are jammed full of lowbush blueberries and three-toothed cinquefoil (Potentilla tridentata). In my own Connecticut garden, the beauty of an enormous hemlock—seed- ed long ago into a cliff face and now painted with lichens, mosses, and poly- pody ferns—regularly inspires me to hoist myself up the hillside for a closer view. I treasure these volunteers that thrive in places I’d never attempt to plant, so over the last few years I have spent time investigating how—and why—these relationships work in differ- ent regions. For me, regionally native plants and rocks embody the architecture of nature and speak powerfully of place. Throughout North America, plants enticingly colonize rocky areas of all kinds, from mountaintops to rock slides, outcrops, volcanic formations, crum- bling sandstone, limestone ledges, and gravelly depressions. Counterparts to these rock formations, both natural or constructed, are found in most of our yards. Exposed bedrock and glacial rocks are unavoidable in my region. Stone also abounds in the built landscape, in side- walks, stone terraces and steps, stone walls, and gravel driveways and paths. Plants with the tenacity to colonize these difficult niches visually soften the One of the author’s Connecticut neighbors encouraged the hardy fragrant sumac (Rhus hard surfaces and tie them—both aes- aromatica) ‘Gro-Low’ to colonize this rocky slope along a hillside driveway. thetically and ecologically—to the rest of

34 the American Gardener CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD ROCK COLONIZERS There are certain physiological characteristics that help rock-dwellers survive and squeeze out the competition. Shallow roots anchor plants and find nourishment in tiny pockets of duff or thin soil atop ledges. Rhizomes (underground stems) and stolons (horizontal stems that emerge above ground and form roots where they touch the ground) allow plants such as Canada mayflow- ers (Maianthemum canadense) and creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) to colonize thin soil. Plants with fibrous root systems, such as Christmas ferns (Polystichum acrostichoides), fill up the cracks with a network of fine roots. In order to withstand fluctuations in temperature and soil moisture, rock dwellers often have fleshy roots or leaves to store water, leaves that are small and basally arranged, leaf surfaces covered with hairy or waxy coat- ings, or silver coloration. Buckwheats (Eri- Heuchera villosa ‘Autumn Bride’ ogonum spp.) and other mat-formers and ‘Atropurpurea’ seeded them- spread out, shading out the competition selves in limestone steps in this while cooling and conserving water for Pennsylvania garden. their own roots. Plants that sucker or self- layer, such as fragrant sumac (Rhus aro- matica ‘Gro-Low’), worm their roots or stems around obstacles to send up shoots, or set down roots wherever they find soil. Penstemons produce great numbers of small seeds that wash into tiny cracks with rainfall. Other plants that send out airborne seeds or spores, in- cluding mosses and ferns, also utilize this winning strategy. Some rock colonizers combine several of these adaptations, and success often runs in families. In the wild, diverse goldenrods (Solidago spp.), pen- stemons, heucheras, pussy-toes (Antennaria spp.), junipers, phlox, and members of the heath and saxifrage families occur in and around rocks throughout North America. Many of these plants are good choices for cul- tivating in the crevices of stone walls and in rocky garden sites. —K.B. the garden and the surrounding land- you can prevent unwanted plants from perience, I spoke with several experts in scape. The scenes that inspire us in na- taking root first. different regions of the country. (Addi- ture—especially those close to home, tional plant recommendations can be where soil and climate are likely to be REGIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS found in the web special linked to this ar- similar—can inform us about gardening In his fascinating book, The Granite Land- ticle on the AHS website, www.ahs.org). in, on, and around stone. scape: A Natural History of America’s For instance, while visiting an Mountain Domes, from Acadia to Yosemite NORTHEASTERN ROCK COLONIZERS Arkansas mountaintop estate a few years (Countryman Press, 2002), ecologist Tom Some of the plants Wessels observed on ago, I wondered why someone had risked Wessels notes how similar plant commu- granite mountaintops can be seen grow- life and limb to plant magnificent silver nities form on glacier-scoured mountain- ing naturally on rocky ledges at the filigreed American alumroot (Heuchera tops across the country. This holds true for Coastal Maine Botanical Garden in americana) on treacherous crumbling alpine plants from limestone regions as Boothbay. Among these are heath fam- limestone ledges below the manicured well. Of course, not many of the species ily members—such as lowbush blueber- lawn. Then it dawned on me that these well-adapted to grueling mountaintop ry (Vaccinium angustifolium), black plants, which had failed to flourish in the conditions will tolerate the heat, humidi- huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata), and carefully prepared soil in my own garden, ty, competition, soil chemistry, high nu- bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)— were growing where they wanted to be, trient levels, and lack of snow cover in along with bunchberry (Chamaepericly- not where someone had planted them. gardens at lower altitudes. Serious rock menum canadense, formerly Cornus Sometimes, as in the Arkansas garden, gardeners who cherish these alpines con- canadensis) and a tapestry of mosses and desirable plants colonize rocks sponta- struct special crevice and scree beds with lichens. These plants thrive in Maine’s neously. But you can’t count on such just the right pH and drainage to cater to cool climate and acidic, nutrient-poor serendipity. Near my home, purple their plants’ needs. The rest of us, who soil—even at sea level. Other ledge in- loosestrife, a pernicious wetland invasive, want to create plantings that require little habitants, including hay-scented fern blooms in the dry joint between pave- maintenance, need to seek out plants that (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) and poly- ment sections on a bridge. By proactive- are adapted to existing garden conditions. pody ferns (Polypodium virginianum and ly planting appropriate native rock To get recommendations for rock- P. appalachianum), are equally adapted to colonizers that get the upper hand fast, dwelling plants to supplement my own ex- rocky areas throughout the East.

January / February 2010 35 William Cullina, the botanic garden’s Among the plants she has seen grow- plant and garden curator, does as much ing in sandstone glades and rocky out- Resources editing as planting. Cullina nurtures ex- crops are perennials such as native asters, Chasing Wildflowers by Scott Cal- isting ledge communities by removing greater tickseed (Coreopsis major), blaz- houn. Rio Nuevo Publishers, Tuc- blackberries and overly aggressive bracken ing stars (Liatris spp.), woman’s tobacco son, Arizona, 2007. fern in garden areas. He plants desirable (Antennaria plantaginifolia), azure bluet natives, including mosses, on and around (Houstonia caerulea), and pineywoods The Encyclopedia of Grasses for Liv- raw, new stonework and unearthed ledges. dropseed (Sporobolus junceus), a grass she able Landscapes by Rick Darke. Tim- Eventually, newly cultivated areas will considers worthy of a spot on a rock wall. ber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2007. blend seamlessly with the extraordinarily beau- Ferns for American Gardens by John tiful natural landscape. T. Mickel. Timber Press, Portland, Ana Hajduk, a gar- Oregon, 2003. den designer, adopts a similar strategy in a Native Ferns, Moss & Grasses by client’s more temperate, William Cullina. Houghton Mifflin less-acidic New York Co., Boston, Massachusetts, 2008. woodland garden, em- ploying unfussy eastern Rock Gardening: A Guide to Growing plants whose native Alpines and Other Wildflowers in the range extends from the American Garden by H. Lincoln Fos- Deep South to Canada. ter. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. Stone retaining walls Reprinted 1982. and steps were built over and around ledge outcrops, soil was re- Sources moved to expose ledge Eastern Plant Specialties, Rahway, in places and added to NJ. (732) 382-2508. make even paths and www.easternplant.com. planting beds in others. She planted vigorous High Country Gardens, Santa Fe, NM. hay-scented ferns to (877) 811-2700. www.highcountry rapidly cover areas un- gardens.com. derlain by thin soil. Dainty but tough foam- Prairie Moon Nursery, Winona, MN. flowers (Tiarella cordifo- (866) 417-8156. lia ‘Running Tapestry’) www.prairiemoonnursery.com. drape over retaining walls, blooming in spring with eastern Northeast natives such as hay-scented fern, Prairie Nursery, Westfield, WI. (800) red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) bunchberry, and Canada mayflower mingle 476-9453. www.american-natives.biz. growing between stones. She thins and naturally on rocky ledges at the Coastal transplants the prolific foamflowers Maine Botanical Garden. Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery, throughout the garden and scatters Talent, OR. (541) 535-7103. columbine seeds to keep the combina- Woody vines such as crossvine (Bignon- www.siskiyourareplantnursery.com. tion going. Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’ ia capreolata) and yellow jessamine and white wood aster (Aster divaricatus, (Gelsemium sempervirens) will root into syn. Eurybia divaricata) naturalize in cracks and scramble over rocks. settings such as a limestone terrace or ledge fissures in dry shade and are easy to From her observations of plants along a cement foundation or marble- remove where they are not wanted. growing on or near limestone outcrops, chip walk. she suggests that wild petunia (Ruellia PLANTS FOR THE SOUTHEAST humilis), American alumroot (Heuchera SOUTHWESTERN ROCK DWELLERS The Southeast is certainly not known for americana), fragrant sumac (Rhus aro- While exploring the dry west for his book, alpines, but Jan Midgley, an Alabama matica), native prickly pear cactus (Op- Chasing Wildflowers, Tucson garden de- nursery owner and author of several untia humifusa), the annual Sedum signer and author Scott Calhoun thought Southern wildflower guides, says there’s pulchellum, and bird’s-foot violet (Viola the breathtaking beauty of the wild plant no lack of native rock dwellers that are pedata) would make themselves equally communities he saw might make it hard- well-adapted to garden settings. at home in neutral to alkaline garden er to design gardens. Instead, he gained a

36 the American Gardener best on poor, dry soil. NORTHWESTERN ROCK COLONIZERS Calhoun recommends People often think that it rains all the time rock penstemon (Penste- in the Pacific Northwest, but rain is rare all mon baccharifolius), a summer, and mountain ranges create huge two-by-three-foot South rain shadows in areas to the east, making Texas native that has conditions there more comparable to drier leathery green leaves and desert regions. Throughout the Northeast, coral pink tubular flow- geology and climate have conspired to fos- ers in summer; Eaton’s ter astonishing plant diversity, which in penstemon (P. eatonii) turn has attracted adventurous gardeners found on scree slopes in who seem to grow everything beautifully, Utah canyons, but just even on rocky ground. as happy in hot Tucson On a recent drive through the Colum- gardens; and canyon bia River Gorge, I spotted glossy evergreen penstemon or desert creeping mahonia (Mahonia repens), red beardtongue (Penstemon flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum), pseudospectabilis), a and snowberries (Symphoricarpos spp.) shrubby, upright plant adorning a crumbling moss-covered cliff. that bears rosy to purple These familiar garden shrubs seem like flowers. Calhoun likes ideal choices to colonize rocky, hard-to- to combine canyon pen- dig slopes in home landscapes not only in stemon with yellow- this region but possibly in sections of the flowered buckwheat Rockies and the Northeast. varieties such as selec- The West Coast is home to hundreds of tions of E. wrightii. An- rock-colonizing manzanitas (Arctostaphy- Dudleya hassei, a California native other yellow-flowered selection, E. los spp.), most of which, according to Sean succulent, sprawls happily over a rock umbellatum var. aureum ‘Psdowns’ (Kan- Hogan, owner of Cistus Nursery in Port- outcrop at the San Diego Botanic Garden. nah Creek®) is recommended for colder land, Oregon, are only suitable for gardens Rocky Mountain gardens. in western Oregon and California. One ex- new appreciation for stone in the designed landscape, an expanded palette of plants to try in garden settings, and a refined sen- sibility of what sustainable gardening in the desert is all about. Desert wildflowers are mostly annu- als; their survival strategy is to lie dor- mant until winter rains allow them to germinate, bloom extravagantly, set seed, and disappear. The ability of these plants to thrive in poor, rocky, often alkaline, soil recommends them for use in unim- proved soil with gravel or decomposed granite mulch, and in places where dig- ging is impossible. Calhoun points out that while we think of rocky places as dry, rocks actu- ally create microclimates by holding water in their fissures. Throughout the dry West he spotted cacti and yuccas in rocky places and noticed that agaves, Echeveria spp., and Dudleya spp.— rosette-forming succulents that look like a cross between agaves and Echeveria— grow almost exclusively on rock. Penstemons and buckwheats (Erio- gonum spp.) inhabit rocky niches Eriogonum allenii and ‘Thai Silk’ California poppies, California fuchsias, and variegated throughout the West. Both genera grow yuccas combine well in this gravel garden at Northwest Garden Nursery in Oregon.

January / February 2010 37 ception is bearberry, or kinnikinnick (A. cultivars such as ‘Select Mattole’, which sustaining colonies. When building a rock uva-ursi), a species that also thrives in has silver leaves, and the green-leaved se- wall, planting between stones as you go upper New England and adjacent eastern lection, ‘Dublin’. gives roots a firm foothold. Canadian provinces. Many fine cultivars of Experimenting often yields unexpected this plant are available. Bearberries are TIPS FOR SUCCESS successes. For example, Pennsylvania- hardy to USDA Zone 2, but will sulk or Rocky places can be challenging to plant based designer Larry Weaner likes to plant waste away if not provided with very acidic and maintain. The key to naturalizing a few prodigious self-seeders such as Pen- soil and good drainage. natives in the garden—getting them to stemon hirsutus at the top of a rock outcrop I also found inspiration at the whole- not just live, but to reproduce—is to put and let seeds wash down into cracks where sale Northwest Garden Nursery, west of them where they want to be, and give seedlings will out-compete everything else. Eugene, Oregon, where Marietta and them what they need, but to avoid pam- One of my Connecticut neighbors Ernie O’Byrne’s gardens overflow with pering them. If they prefer nutrient-poor, planted a few small ‘Gro-Low’ fragrant

In this Connecticut landscape designed by Larry Weaner, Penstemon hirsutus thrives on a dry ledge and ostrich ferns fill damp pockets in the rock. color and dramatic contrasts. The dry gritty, acidic substrate, fill the cracks with sumacs in full baking sun on almost solid garden’s fast-draining, rock-studded fast-draining decomposed granite; give rock and loose blasting debris beside his raised beds are edged with chunks of an woodlanders rich, water-retentive leaf mountaintop driveway. He discovered that old concrete sidewalk and mulched with mold. Water to establish, but don’t over- if you break off a branch tip and stick it gravel. Smooth river rocks embellish and do water or fertilizer. into the ground, or if you skin some bark serve as place markers for small dormant Finding the right plants can be a chal- from the bottom of the branch and weigh bulbs. Delicate ‘Thai Silk’ California lenge, but make sure you purchase plants it down with a rock, it will root. The poppies dance lightly among the stiff up- from responsible nurseries; don’t dig sprawling stems trap leaves and debris that right blades of various variegated yuccas. plants from the wild however tempting improve the soil—just the way they do in Mounds of silver-leafed Eriogonum um- that may seem. If you have any moss in- those wild rocky places near and far. bellatum and E. allenii are at home in the habiting your rocks, ferns are likely to ap- rocks, along with well-behaved low- pear, so avoid dislodging the moss. In tight Garden photographer, author, and lecturer growing California fuchsia (Epilobium spaces use small plants—nursery plugs are Karen Bussolini gardens on a rocky moun- canum, formerly Zauschneria californica) ideal—to encourage development of self- tainside in Connecticut.

38 the American Gardener LEFT: BILL JOHNSON. RIGHT: DONNA KRISCHAN distinctive zigzag patternintoitsweb,andorbweavers suchas Spiders commonly encounteredbygardenersinclude theblack-and-yellowgarden spider by KathrynLundJohnson Making SpaceforGarden Spiders they don’t discriminateregarding prey, spi- wasps, andeven otherspiders.Though mantises, ants,mites,beetles, flies,bees, flies, moths,caterpillars,worms, praying and “bad” includingbutter- invertebrates, dulging inasmorgasbord ofboth“good” the garden ecosystem. so it’s tounderstand theirrole in important to cross paths withmanyofthemregularly, der speciesworldwide,gardeners are certain and plentiful.With awhopping40,000spi- “Charlottes” are even more remarkable— Charlotte isquiteamazing,thereal live spider andapig.But whilethefictional charming taleoftherelationship between a I Spiders are feeders,in- opportunistic pact isCharlotte’s Web, the onethathadgreatest lastingim- READ MANY books asachild,but E.B. White’s and shouldbeencouraged. ence indicatesahealthygarden ecosystem quantity oftheirconsumption.Theirpres- control duetotheimmensevariety and role inbiological ders playanimportant get around. drag- andballoon-linesthathelp spiders ofwebs, retreats,struction eggsacs,and for manypurposes,including thecon- within thespiders’ abdomen.Silk isused and flexibleproteins created inglands silk, asubstancecomprisedofbothrigid feature ofspiders istheabilitytoproduce Auniversal ticks, mites,andharvestmen. includes thescorpions,pseudoscorpions, members ofArachnida,aclassthatalso Spiders are notinsects;rathertheyare SILK ANDVENOM AUA CONNECTIONS NATURAL C Araneus diadematus, Araneus above right,lurking inatickseedblossom. (Argiope aurantia), (Argiope species suchasblackwidows (Lactrodectus threat tohumans—theonesavoid are fangs. Commongarden spidersofferno venom intotheprey through ductsinthe muscles circling thepoisonglandssqueeze front oftheir mouths.Whenaspiderbites, licerae, jawlikeappendageslocatedjustin and stored inglands atthebasesofche- venom, a toxic substancemanufactured weavers (Uloboridae), allspiders produce uses itslegstopullonandpositionit. through thespinnerets,truded thespider specialized functions.Asthesilkisex- composition—sticky ornon-sticky—for of spinnerets produces silkofadifferent through whichsilkissecreted. Eachpair cated attheirbackend,the“spigots” With theexception ofthehackledorb- Most spidershave sixspinnerets lo- January / February above left,which weavesa 2010 39 40 lowers itselffrom thebridge onavertical laid silkstrands calledthebridge.It then The spiderbeginsby spinningseveral over- spin intricatewebs injust30to45minutes. ing insize from one-fifth-inchtooneinch, bers oftheorbweavers (Araneidae),rang- their prey are calledtrappers.Themem- stones, orinleaflitter. ly lurks under thebark oftrees, among cream, gray, andbrown coloring.It usual- gives analmost transparent illusionwithits banded crabspider, Xysticus transversatus, into theirsurroundings. Thetransverse- white, orlightgreen tohelpthemblend pable ofcamouflage,usinghuesyellow, crab spider, Misumenops asperatus, umena vatia, immobilizes itby injecting itwithvenom. with itspowerful front legs,thenquickly When prey nears,thecrabspidergrabsit less, oftenforhours,awaitingtheirprey. flowers, andleaves where theysitmotion- them tohideinsmallcranniesofbark, ward, theirflatbodiesenable andsideways; like, allowing formovement back- forward, crab- forward, inch long.Theirlegscurve are tiny, approximately two-fifths-of-an- ed by theirfourpairsofeyes. Thespiders ambushers withexceptional visionprovid- arehunters. Crab spiders(Thomisidae) ic. There are ambushers,trappers, and Spiders’ capture methodsare familyspecif- MODES OFCAPTURE a more digestiblesoup. of regurgitated enzymes,theprey becomes lacerate andmashtheprey. With thehelp The razor-sharp teethontheirchelicerae ploy amessiermethodofconsumption. and sheetweb weavers (Linyphiidae)em- web spiders(Pisauridae),cosidae), nursery action ofits“sucking stomach.” gestive systemby theuniquepumping lowing ittobedrawnintothespider’s di- wounds toliquefytheprey’s tissue,al- gurgitate digestive enzymesintothefang and cobweb weaversre- (Theridiidae), Some families,includingthecrabspiders sume foodinotherthanliquidform. gestive systems,theyare unabletocon- in theopengarden. and seldomusedoutdoorstructures, not whichspintheirwebs inwood piles spp.), Spiders webs tosnare thatconstruct The femalegoldenrod crabspider, Mis- Other spiders,suchaswolfspiders(Ly- Because narrow spidershave very di- the American Gardener and itscousinthenorthern are ca- spider Camouflaged onarock,theelegant crab patiently initsdew-spangled web. ambush. Anorbweaver spider,right,sits called astabilimentum,intothehub. giope den spidersare orbweavers inthegenus morrow’s snares. nightly, recycling today’s proteins intoto- weavers dismantle and consumethem the complexityoftheirwebs, manyorb- spoke are woven withstickysilk.Despite trapped prey. Thethreads spunspoketo allow thespiderunimpeded travel tothe radii, are spunofnon-stickysilkthatwill thread andbuildsahub. Thespokes,or An unluckyrosechaferbeetlebecomesamealforthisgoldenrodcrabspider Among themostcommonlyseengar- that incorporateazigzagpattern, (Xysticus elegans), (Xysticus above, waitsin Ar- as theirbacklegsswatheitinsilk.Anin- process ofrotating it withtheirfront legs seize theprey, andimmediatelybegina out, ly winged—insect.Thentheydart trapment ofanunsuspecting—andusual- down onornearthe web, untiltheen- nent. Theypositionthemselves upside vibrations tosignalthatamealisimmi- weavers have poorvision,theyrely onweb tification ofthesespiders.Because orb- presence isadefinitive toolforthe tablished thepurposeofpattern,its While research hasnotconclusively es- (Misumena (Misumena vatia). iden-

TOP AND BOTTOM LEFT: BILL JOHNSON. BOTTOM RIGHT: KATHRYN LUND JOHNSON inches. They use their col- oring as camouflage, vary- Resources ing by species and habitat. Spiders of the North Woods by Larry Four pairs of eyes allow Weber. Kollath-Stensaas Publish- wolf spiders to identify ing, Duluth, Minnesota, 2003. their victims from a dis- tance as they scurry along The World of the Spider by Adrienne the ground in pursuit of Mason. Sierra Club Books, San quarry—some during the Francisco, California, 1999. day, others at night. Prey is pounced on, bitten, then crushed by the spiders’ maintain a level of humidity crucial to spi- powerful chelicerae. ders’ existence. Leaving some plants in The female wolf spider is place at the end of the gardening season notable for the way she cares provides excellent overwintering habitat for for her young. She wraps her spiders and other wildlife. Most important, Wolf spiders (Schizocosa sp.) are commonly newly laid eggs in a large silken sac, at- however, is to avoid indiscriminate use of found in leaf litter or mulch. taches it to her spinnerets and carries it pesticides, which will either kill spiders or around beneath her body. When the tiny discourage their presence because their po- jection of venom further helps immobilize spiderlings hatch, they climb onto their tential prey has been eliminated. the prey, which they carry into the hub. mother’s back where they live off their yolk Inviting spiders into your garden will Two species widely distributed in North sacs for one to two weeks until they are ma- give you an excellent opportunity to ob- America are the banded garden spider (Ar- ture enough to go off on their own. serve your very own Charlottes and to giope trifasciata) and the black-and-yellow find out, firsthand, what truly fascinat- garden spider (A. aurantia). ENCOURAGING SPIDERS ing creatures they are! Wolf spiders are hunters that actively So how can you encourage different types roam in search of prey. These spiders of spiders to take up residence in your gar- Kathryn Lund Johnson is a freelance writer

BILL JOHNSON range in size from a half-inch to two den? Mulch affords protection and helps based in Middleville, Michigan.

January / February 2010 41 HOMEGROWNC HARVEST

Shiitake Mushrooms: Delicious and Easy to Grow article and photographs by Barbara Pleasant

E WINCED as we did it, but logs are the best—shiitake translates to that are still bearing after 10 years), but last winter my husband and I “oak mushroom” in Japanese—with shorter logs are easier to handle. W harvested a sturdy young oak sugar maple running a close second. from our woods to start a new crop of These woods provide good nutrition for PREPARING THE LOGS shiitake mushrooms. Because the sugars shiitakes and retain their bark—which The simplest way to inoculate shiitake and other nutrients that shiitakes need to serves as a barrier to competing fungi— logs is to use dowel or plug spawn— grow are most abundant in live, dormant for a long time. wood dowels that are white with myceli- wood, they must be started um(the shiitake’s vegetative on fresh logs. Our tree was form). Loose sawdust the perfect specimen with a spawn and bullet-shaped five-inch-diameter trunk “thimble” spawn are also and flawless, healthy bark. available. (Spawn and other However, you don’t need mushroom-growing sup- to sacrifice a live tree to plies are available through grow outdoor shiitakes. A mail-order; see “Sources” on local tree service can help opposite page.) you to find appropriate I like dowel spawn be- logs. Then, once you see cause it gives a tight “graft” how easy and rewarding when the dowels are pound- these delicious and health- ed into one-and-a-quarter- ful mushrooms are to grow, inch-deep holes drilled into they may become your fa- the logs, six inches apart. I vorite edible crop. use a regular drill with a five-eighth-inch drill bit, GROWING GUIDELINES but if you’re doing a lot of Unlike plants that run on logs, upgrade to a high- sun and soil-borne nutri- speed drill with a screw-tip ents, shiitakes (Lentinula bit. To make sure the holes edodes), native to eastern are the correct depth, I use Asia, are the fruiting bodies paint to mark one-and-a- of a long-lived fungus. In quarter-inch drilling depth nature, the shiitake’s job is on my drill bit; you can also to speed decay of fallen for- use a bit with a collar stop to est trees. To grow shiitakes avoid drilling too deep. As in your yard, simply mimic you drill, be careful to avoid this process by placing your excess damage to the bark. logs in a moist, shady spot. After the holes are Shade prevents the logs drilled, use a hammer to tap from drying out, which will stop the Homegrown shiitake mushrooms are easy a piece of dowel spawn into each one. fungi from growing. But even with to grow outdoors in any garden. The finishing touch is a coat of food- shade, supplemental water is usually grade cheese wax (available from mush- needed to keep logs from getting too dry. Research from the University of Mis- room suppliers), dabbed over the filled Shiitakes can be grown outdoors souri’s Center for Agroforestry indicates holes to seal in moisture and keep out in- throughout the United States as long as that three-foot-long logs between three vading fungi. I use a clean metal food can supplemental water is available. and five inches in diameter are the best from the recycling bin for melting wax, Shiitakes grow better on certain types producers. Longer logs produce for a and apply it with an inexpensive dispos- of wood than others. White or red oak longer time (we have some five-footers able paint brush.

42 the American Gardener PRODUCING SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS AT A GLANCE Sources New shiitake mushroom Everything Mushrooms, Knoxville, logs can be started any- TN. (865) 329-7586. time from fall to late www.everythingmushrooms.com. winter using freshly cut three- to five-inch-diam- Field & Forest Products, Peshtigo, eter sections from oak or WI. (800) 792-6220. sugar maple trees. www.fieldforest.net. Allow inoculated logs to rest in a moist, shady Gourmet Mushrooms and Health Prod- spot near an accessible ucts, Graton, CA. (800) 789-9121. water source for a year. www.gmushrooms.com. After a year, you can begin checking for Mushroom People, Summertown, TN. mushrooms after rainy (931) 954-4400. www.mushroom spells. Or, if you don’t people.com. want to wait for rain, you can induce fruiting by A list of mushroom suppliers in soaking logs in water. A other areas of the country and a good log will produce comprehensive bibliography on three flushes per year for First-year logs in a shady part of the author’s garden bear a fall growing shiitakes are available at three to 10 years.—B.P. crop of mushrooms. Some logs can be productive for a decade. www.mushroomcompany.com.

Now the logs are ready to be stashed in late winter to let the mycelium be- Resources in the shade. I arrange them close to- come active. After six to eight weeks, Growing Shiitake Mushrooms in an gether on a bed of leaves, but they can soak the log to induce fruiting and place Agroforestry Practice, University of also be stacked. During periods of dry it outdoors again. Missouri. www.centerforagro weather, be sure to thoroughly water the forestry.org/pubs/mushguide.pdf. logs to keep the mycelium growing. PEST AND DISEASES Slugs, snails, beetles, fungus gnats, and Producing Shiitake Mushrooms: A PRODUCTION CYCLE even mice will feed on shiitakes left out- Guide for Smalls Scale Cultivation on In some climates, certain strains of shi- side too long, so it is best to harvest them Logs, North Carolina State Universi- itake will begin fruiting after six to eight promptly. Also, avoid keeping your logs ty. www.ces.ncsu.edu/nreos/forest/ months, but most begin bearing about a too wet. The bark will last longer as a pro- woodland/won-20.html. year after logs are inoculated. You can al- tective barrier if it is allowed to dry out low the logs to fruit naturally, which they between waterings. often do a few days after a soaking rain. Like other mushrooms, shiitakes re- The first signs of fruiting are rounded RECOMMENDED VARIETIES lease their juices after about five minutes “buttons”—the caps of the mushrooms— A few shiitake strains have earned variety of cooking time, and then begin shrink- emerging from the logs. These develop names, for example ‘West Wind’, which ing into more toothsome bites. Try into the beautiful brown-capped shiitakes grows especially well on red oak, and cooking shiitakes in a little olive oil and that are a gourmet delight. In my USDA widely-adapted ‘MM510’, which fruits in sea salt, and then add them to soups, Zone 6 climate, the first flush comes in a wide temperature range. But the best risottos, omelets, or other dishes. late spring, with others during the sum- way to choose spawn is to buy a regional- One cautionary note: While many peo- mer and fall. Individual logs fruit on 10- ly-adapted strain from a producer based ple enjoy eating uncooked shiitakes, they to 12-week cycles. Production stops in late in your area. have been known to trigger allergic reac- fall, once temperatures drop into the 40s. tions. Experts recommend cooking all You also have the option of “forcing” ENJOYING THE HARVEST mushrooms before eating to destroy hy- mature logs to fruit by soaking them in Harvest shiitakes when they have developed drazines and other toxic compounds. cool (50–55 degrees F) water for 20 rounded caps three or more inches across hours or so. Mushrooms will appear by twisting them off the log with their stem Barbara Pleasant is a freelance garden writer about five days after soaking. attached. Brush off dirt and debris with a based in Floyd, Virginia. Her most recent In colder climates, where low tem- damp cloth, but wait until just before cook- book, with coauthor Deborah Martin, is The peratures delay fruiting in spring, you ing to wash shiitakes. Meanwhile, store Complete Compost Gardening Guide can bring a mature log into a cool room them in the refrigerator in a paper bag. (Storey Books, 2008).

January / February 2010 43 44 by Viveka Neveln Amy P. Goldman:HeirloomFruit andVegetable Advocate and thuscan be handeddown to the plant ofvalue thatbreeds from seed true An heirloomisanopen-pollinated “heirloom.” What’s yours? There are manydefinitionsoftheterm the table! forcement forsupplyingfresh veggies for and cook,soIgotlotsofpositive rein- ily lifecentered on food.We loved toeat I hadmyfirstvegetable garden. My fam- apple trees. Later, atabouttheageof17, loved toplayinourorchard’s large,old of LongIsland. Iwasatomboy who shoremy earliestchildhoodonthenorth gression. My love forplantsdatesbackto growth, sothere’s alogicalcareer pro- ticulture bothinvolve of thenurturing Amy P. Goldman: become interested ingardening? ginning ofyour career. How didyou clinical childpsychologist atthebe- Viveka Neveln: T ing, her inspiration for writing her books, and why she believes it is so important to preserve heirlooms. topreserve ing, herinspirationforwritingbooks,andwhyshebelieves itissoimportant this “genetic erosion” andsafeguard legacyheirloomsrepresent. therichhorticultural Associate Editor Viveka Neveln caughtupwithGoldmanonediblegarden- totalkabouther views the American Gardener Goldman hasbeengrowing isnoca- andvegetables fornearly40years. fruits Assheputsit,“This HE AUTHOR OF You were apracticing Psychology andhor- three award-winning booksonheirloommelons,squash,andtomatoes,AmyP. Goldman, who has served onitsboardGoldman, whohasserved ofdirectors since2007,hopestoslow based inDecorah, Iowa, heirloom plantvarieties, thatworks toconserve hybrids. Through theSeed Savers Exchange (SSE),anonprofit organization they are nolongerbeinghandeddown ortheyare beingreplaced with new ations. Many ofthesevarieties are indangerofdisappearingforever because andvegetable varietiesfruit thathave beenpasseddown through thegener- interestedparticularly inprotecting thebiodiversity represented inheirloom “best ofthepastforfuture.” the topreserve kitchen-tested thousandsofvarieties—but alsoinherefforts sion shinethrough inherbooks—forwhichshepersonallyfield-and sual acquaintance.We’re intimacyhere.” talkingtrue Not onlydoesthispas- A strong proponent ofgrowing one’s own foodingeneral,Goldman is researching and writing A sampleofthevarieties Goldmangrewwhile N NOEWITH ONE ON ONE C The Heirloom Tomato Heirloom The … . rate ofabouttwo percent peryear. some accounts, it’s disappearing atthe thatisour heritage.Bygenetic reservoir resist disease,we thevast needtopreserve that cancopewithclimatechange and more bountifulfuture—to breed crops seeds.However,new inorder tocreate a customers mustreturn eachyear tobuy that develop andmarket them,because is more profitable fortheseedcompanies whose saved seeddonotbreed This true. plants tousthrough thegenerations. crops—have passedtheseedsofthese years, domesticated allofourmajorfood who, over thecourseoflast11,000 Our farming andgardening ancestors— topreserve?portant Why doyou thinkheirloomsare im- tage—all are preserving. keepers,worth goodies; someare ofmore recent vin- next generation.Many are oldiesbut Contrast thiswithmodernF1hybrids

TOP: SANDI FELLMAN. BOTTOM: VICTOR SCHRAGER. Above, left: To ensure that seeds from her heirloom tomato varieties breed true to type, Goldman places mesh cages over them when they are flowering to prevent insects from cross-pollinating them. Above, right: At harvest time, Goldman’s shed is filled with squash of all varieties.

What is your garden in New York’s ers came from commercial seed sources good word about heirlooms. We promote Hudson Valley like, and what are you here and abroad. And I have been known on-farm, in-garden conservation. And we planning for 2010? to take seeds off dinner plates in restaurants run a gene bank as a back-up for members. I have two plots: one an acre in size and an- or filch a tomato for its seeds from some- Since 1975, SSE members have passed other measuring 40 feet by 60 feet. Last one else’s garden! along approximately a million samples of season, I took a break from growing veg- rare seeds to each other. etables for research and publication pur- You have been involved with the SSE for poses and grew what I love most: tomatoes, many years. What are some of the most What would you say is key to the SSE squashes, melons, potatoes, carrots, par- important things the organization does achieving its goals? snips, string beans, lettuces, and other leafy to protect heirlooms from extinction? A large part of our mission is teaching greens. In 2010 I’ll be trialing various plants Seed Savers Exchange’s mission is to pre- others about the value of genetic and cul- again for possible new books. serve the world’s diverse but endangered tural diversity. Key to that is educating a garden heritage for future generations by new generation of gardeners on how to What inspired you to write the books building a network of people committed grow heirlooms and save seeds. This is you have on melons, squash, and to collecting, conserving, and sharing heir- what our SSE board member and noted tomatoes, and how did you decide loom seeds and plants. With a member- cookbook author Deborah Madison likes which varieties to include? ship of more than 11,000 worldwide, the to call “garden literacy.” I’m definitely biased towards the luscious, SSE has been very successful over the last savory, mouth-filling, and juicy fruits. I 35 years in developing this network of gar- How can gardeners help to preserve started with my favorites and let the va- dener conservationists and spreading the heirlooms? rieties increase until the gardens were The best thing gardeners can do is join the full. My aim was to find a representative Amy P. Goldman’s Books SSE (www.seedsavers.org) and other orga- sample of the most beautiful, delicious, nizations that preserve the earth’s heritage, unusual, and celebrated varieties. Melons for the Passionate Gardener and become actively involved in conserva- (Artisan, 2002). tion. By growing, buying, and eating heir- Seeds for some heirloom varieties can be The Compleat Squash (Artisan, 2004). looms, gardeners can keep them alive. hard to find. Where did you get yours? The Heirloom Tomato (Bloomsbury Lots of material came from Seed Savers Ex- USA, 2008). Viveka Neveln is associate editor of The

VICTOR SCHRAGER (2) change members and its gene bank. Oth- American Gardener.

January / February 2010 45 46 In additionto FOR2010 AWARD-WINNING PLANTS NEWFS, visitwww.newfs.org. sources. For more information about plans thatwouldmakeuseofbothre- in thenextyear, andbotanicallesson will includeabooktobepublishedwith- Along withthedatabase,project also thereby promote plantconservation. well asknowledge oflocalplants,and is toincrease publicinterest inbotany, as ed todevelop over thenextfouryears— handheld devices.” usable throughout Americaonportable munity tocreate anationalonlineflora, begin thework withinthebotanycom- NEWFS executive director. “It willalso line learning,”saysDebbi Edelstein, favors therichnessandimmediacyofon- toageneration that of scientificinquiry designed toteachbotanyopenstheworld around them. ternet capabilitiestolearnabouttheplants phones orothermobiledeviceswithIn- spaces, theycanaccessthedatabaseviacell in theiryards, orwalkinginlocalgreen people are working inthefield,gardening database. NEWFS’s visionisthatwhile online New England plantidentification Botany project thatinvolves creating an tional ScienceFoundation foritsGo- awarded a$2.49milliongrantby theNa- ogy. Theorganizationhasrecently been ly helphorticulture keepupwithtechnol- (NEWFS) hasbigplansthatwillcertain- The New England Wild Flower Society DATABASE CREATE ONLINEPLANT TO SOCIETY WILDFLOWER NEW ENGLAND als across thecountry. intri- tics andoutstanding performance were chosenfortheiruniquecharacteris- varietiesning plantsfor2010.Thesenew has announcedthree otheraward-win- Gardener, vember/December issueof Martien’, whichwascovered intheNo- Horticultural NewsandResearch ImportanttoAmericanGardeners Another goalofGo-Botany—expect- “Building aninteractive fieldguide the American Gardener All-America Selections (AAS) Viola ‘Endurio Sky Blue The American white bicolor zinnia. This new variety,white bicolor zinnia. Thisnew (Zinnia marylandica) tolerance, ‘Zahara Starlight Rose’ zinnia tolerance duringtheAAStrials, too. ding plantreportedly exhibitedgood heat yellow, andorange.Thiseasy-to-grow bed- snapdragon does—ablendofpastelpeach, habit. Its colorsnoother bloomsalsosport on ics, isthefirstdouble-flowered snapdrag- weeks earlier thanotherblanketflowers. ny, variety thisnew bloomstwotothree sun. Bred by PanAmerican Seed Compa- ers. It grows upto22inchestallinfull and prolific, three-inch, daisylikeflow- flora) low’ blanketflower (Gaillardia GARDENER ‘Mesa Yellow’blanketflower ‘Mesa Yellow’blanketflower ‘Twinny Peach’snapdragon ‘Twinny Peach’snapdragon Also showing goodheatanddrought ‘Twinny Peach’, bred by HEMGenet- (Antirrhinum majus) Judges gave highmarks to‘Mesa Yel- for itsneat,moundedplanthabit C ’ NOTEBOOK S is thefirstrose and with acompact ✕ grandi- searchers at Oregon State University. weeds, according tostudiesdoneby re- uninvited sprouts couldbeinvasive More thanjustbeinganuisance,these ing squirrels—drop seedstotheground. feathered visitors—orperhapsmaraud- that tendtocrop upbeneathfeedersafter yards butmaynotenjoy alltheweeds Many peopleenjoy feedingbirds intheir INVASIVE WEEDS BIRD SEEDMIXESMAY CONTAIN website atwww.all-americaselections.org. affect thissun-loving annual. commondiseasesthat and mildew—two also hasproven resistances toleafspot bred by PanAmerican Seed Company, brosia artemisiifolia), sium arvense), Bull thistle ‘Zahara StarlightRose’zinnia ‘Zahara StarlightRose’zinnia A survey of10brandswildbirdA survey feed For more information,visittheAAS common ragweed (Am- and parasiticdodder Canada thistle um vulgare) as bothbull weed species,such than 50different ples containedmore noxious. The sam- ing onesconsidered weed seeds, includ- that allcontained retail stores showed commonly soldin (Cirsi- (Cir- and

TOP (3): COURTESY OF ALL-AMERICA SELECTIONS. BOTTOM: COURTESY OF FOREST AND KIM STARR / WWW.BUGWOOD.ORG (Cuscuta spp.). When researchers plant- and evolving gardening styles that define launched an online database of parks, ed the seed mixes to simulate what hap- our home settings, public green spaces, gardens, and a wide variety of other land- pens when birdseed falls to the ground, and the American landscape. According scapes across America called “What’s Out about 30 different weed species sprouted to the Smithsonian, the AAG “preserves There” in November. A decade in the in just 28 days. Between three and 17 important resources for investigating this making, the database contains hundreds weed species grew from each of the 10 significant aspect of U.S. cultural and of entries from all 50 states, including brands of feed tested. ecological history.” For more informa- some of the most important designed While it may be easy enough to curtail tion, visit www.gardens.si.edu. landscapes that span more than two cen- weeds springing up in your own yard with turies of American landscape design. a quick swipe of a hoe, birds may still carry NEW DATABASE FOR CULTURALLY According to TCLF, the goal of this seeds elsewhere. To minimize the spread of SIGNIFICANT LANDSCAPES database is to “raise public awareness of the invasives through birdseed, the Weed Sci- The Cultural Landscape Foundation rich diversity and interconnectedness of ence Society of America recommends se- (TCLF), based in Washington, D.C., our shared designed landscape heritage.” lecting seed mixes that have been baked to prevent sprouting, or putting out foods such as suet, sunflower hearts, and raisins as alternatives to seed mixes. A SAMPLE OF SMITHSONIAN’S HISTORIC GARDEN IMAGES GO ONLINE If you’re a garden or landscape history buff, now you can view a selection of images from the Smithsonian’s Archive of Ameri- can Gardens (AAG) online. In celebration of American Archives Month in October, the AAG posted a set of 25 historic garden images from glass lantern slides made in the 1920s and ‘30s to the online photo shar- ing community, Flickr. The photos feature

This 1930 photograph of a garden designed by Francis T. Underhill in Santa Barbara, California, is from the Smithsonian’s archives.

private estate gardens that were designed by a number of renowned landscape ar- chitects of the time, including Beatrix Far- rand and Jens Jensen. These images on Flickr, however, are a small sampling of AAG’s full collection of photographs, many of which are cata- loged in the Smithsonian’s Collections Search Center, www.collections.si.edu. Documenting both historic and con- temporary gardens, this collection pro-

COURTESY OF SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION vides a visual record of the ever-changing

January / February 2010 47 The hope is that a wide range of users— Co., Michigan Bulb, Spring Hill Nurs- from tourists to historians to landscape ar- eries, New Holland Bulb, and Audubon chitects and the general public—will find Workshop horticultural catalogs. this database a useful reference. What’s Out There is searchable by landscape GREEN THUMB CHALLENGE FOR KIDS name, type, and/or style, landscape archi- Gardening provides an effective way to tect and/or designer, and location. teach kids about environmental steward- “What’s Out There is the only search- ship and promote their interaction with able web feature covering the nation’s the natural world. In an effort to get more landscape legacy,” says Charles A. Birn- men, based in Jackson, New Jersey. kids gardening, the Green Education baum, TCLF founder and president. Thompson & Morgan was founded in Foundation (GEF) based in Walpole, “We have a growing database of land- 1855 in Ipswich, England, and entered the Massachusetts, has launched the Green scapes and their designers, but integral to North American market in 1982. The com- Thumb Challenge. This campaign calls this sites’ success is public input.” De- pany offers 1,500 varieties of annual, peren- on schools and youth groups across the signed as a Wiki-style database, anyone nial, vegetable, and herbal seeds. country to plant 10,000 gardens between can submit information, which TCLF “With Thompson & Morgan’s long February and August. The gardens can be staff will review before adding it to the history and reputation for quality seed, indoors or outdoors, in pots or in the database. For more information, visit they match our own brands’ legacy in the ground, as long as the project involves www.tclf.org/landscapes. seed and nursery business,” says Gardens hands-on gardening activities. Alive! Founder Niles Kinerk.“Customers “A significant goal of the Green Edu- GARDENS ALIVE! ACQUIRES know that our brands offer only the best cation Foundation is to promote creative THOMPSON & MORGAN U.S. products—and that these companies have and effective ways for schools and teach- Gardens Alive!, a mail-order purveyor of survived the test of time because they’ve ers to incorporate the outdoors into their environmentally friendly garden pest man- always done right by their customers.” curricula,” says Victoria Waters, GEF agement products based in Lawrenceburg, Other brands owned by Gardens Alive! president. “The Green Thumb Chal- Indiana, has recently acquired the U.S. op- include Breck’s, Gurney’s Seed and Nurs- lenge, where students plant and maintain erations of Thompson & Morgan Seeds- ery Co., Henry Field’s Seed & Nursery gardens, is a perfect solution.”

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48 the American Gardener PEOPLE and PLACES in the NEWS WORLD’S #1 TOP AAS and NBG Executive Director Retires PLANT SUPPLY After 25 years of service, Nona Wolfram Koivula retired in December as the executive director of All-America Selec- PLANT #1HEALTH EXTRA LIFE tions, North America’s oldest plant variety testing organiza- Greatest Guarantee-Offer PROOF Ever SINCE 1940, $5,000. GUARANTEED to be tion, and the National Garden Bureau, a nonprofit that Worldunchallenged, CHAMPION promotes growing flowers and edibles from seed. The two or- #1 Activator, #1 Trans/ #1 Extra #1 REVIVER, PLANTER, GROWER, ganizations operate out of a joint office in Downer’s Grove, WORLD’S FAIR SCIENCE-MEDAL-WINNING #1 Perfecter VI TM ® TM Illinois. The new executive director for both organizations is 50 IN Diane Blazek, who previously was publisher at Ball Publish- ONE ing Company for 15 years and is very familiar with the horti- VITAMINS-HORMONES USED BY U.S. –– FERTILIZER GUARANTEED Departments of –– PESTICIDE –– POLLUTING BioUSABLES As Advertised in AGRICULTURE, ARMY, NON TM Better Homes & Gardens Nona Koivula culture industry. NAVY, AIR. Etc. TO ADD TO FERTILIZING for growing Landscape Architecture ALSO BY STATES, Horticulture CITIES, COUNTIES, DOUBLE MONEY-BACK UNIVERSITIES RECOMMENDED TOP VALUE BY EXPERTS OF TV, RADIO, BOOKS, EXTREME Concentration MAGAZINES, Drop-A-CupTM or CONFERENCES Dozens Drop-A-GalTM Name Change for California Pack Trials OF THE Since 1965, nursery and landscape professionals from around the world have WORLD’S SCIENCE & INDUSTRY ONLY GOLD MEDAL flocked to the annual California Pack Trials held throughout the state to get a WORLD’S FAIR 1940 science ADD to any fertilizingTM • 50 INSTANT BioUSABLES NORMAL PURE COMPLEXES glimpse of the latest • From Carbon-Hydrogen-Oxygen MIRACLES natural organic crystals • Save plants from waiting while IN EACH trying to make them plant varieties coming • Unique. Nothing is “like” it. DROP! SEE TO BELIEVE–– HEALTHIER, FASTER plants onto the market. It will BEAUTY and CROP yieldADDED TO 21 FERTILIZERS by 21 Growers

YOU CAN now be known as the ORDER PINT, QUART, California Spring Trials, GALLON, Billions–PROVEN according to the Nation- or DRUM B A L A N C E D ORIGINAL ADDED TO al Garden Bureau, 18 FERTILIZERS, by 18 Growers which organizes the event. This slight name modification better rep- resents what the event is NEARLY 1000 BOOKS, CONFERENCES, about, since the green RECOMMENDED BY MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS, TVs, RADIOS industry now produces USED BY plants in pots as well as FIVE U.S. DEPARTMENTS TO HELP WIN WORLD WAR II OF GOVERNMENTS, STATE UNIVERSITIES, LEADING “packs.” Previously THOUSANDS ARBORETUMS, BOTANICAL GARDENS, PARKS SYSTEMS U.S. STATES and CITIES IN MULTIPLE-DRUMS LOTS Inside a greenhouse full of annuals during the Pack Trials scheduled in late FLOWERING PLANTS SHOW WINNERS – “everywhere” HEALTHY, TOXICS-FREE FOODS GROWERS March, this year the tri- UNIQUE. Far easier plant success als will be held April 10 to 17 to allow participating companies extra time to produce better-quality plant material for visitors. Visit the National Garden Bu- reau website at www.nbg.org for more details. —V.N.

GEF will provide a variety of resources ty of California. It will be the first research for teachers, including fundraising tips and site in the United States dedicated to the “grade-appropriate standards-based envi- study of ornamental plant diseases in a ronmental lessons relating gardening and simulated nursery setting. This facility will composting to science, math, language arts conduct research that aims to minimize the and more.” GEF will also provide ideas for introduction and spread of plant diseases 11 XMAS TREES 17 HYDROSEEDING 22 FLOWERING PLANT garden projects, plant lists, and growing in the nursery trade as well as other areas of 12 REFORESTATION 18 LANDSCAPING COMPETITIONS 13 HYDROPONICS 19 PROPAGATION 23 INTERIORSCAPING 14 FIELD CROPS 20 ANTI-EROSION 24 CUT FLOWERS guidelines. Participants can interact with agriculture. One of the main focuses of re- 15 BONSAI 21 ENVIRONMENTAL 25 WEATHER DAMAGE each other through GEF’s online com- search will be on Phytophthora ramorum, 16 TISSUE CULTURE IMPROVEMENT 26 WATER GARDENS munity. For more information, visit the pathogen that causes sudden oak death AT CONSCIENTIOUS PLANT DEALERS WORLDWIDE Used, tipped to, and supplied by thousands of conscientious www.greenthumbchallenge.com. and ramorum blight. These two diseases plant-selling firms. On every continent, without salesmen. have the potential to devastate not only REFUSE “just as good,” false, cheaply made, NEW PLANT DISEASE RESEARCH SITE AT nursery stock, but forests and agriculture unbalancing substitutes – often 991/2% water. DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA in the United States. NOTHING IS AT ALL “LIKE” Thanks to a nearly $1 million grant from 50 VITAMINS-HORMONES V the 2008 Farm Bill awarded last fall, a new News written by Associate Editor Viveka Made in U.S.A. by VITAMIN INSTITUTE I National Ornamentals Research Site will Neveln and Editorial Intern Gwyneth 12610 Saticoy Street South, North Hollywood, CA 91605 Website www.superthrive.com

TOP: COURTESY OF NONA KOIVULA. BOTTOM: KOIVULA / NATIONAL GARDEN BUREAU be established at the Dominican Universi- Evans.

January / February 2010 49 50 by RitaPelczar Starting SeedsIndoors F you canfindatlocalnurseries.You will alsohave thesatisfactionofgrowing your tofinish. plantsfrom start creases your selection,sincethevariety you cangetfrom seedsuppliersissignificantlybroader thantheplants their new growingtheir new environment. lar care mustbetakentoacclimatethem to move your seedlingsoutdoors,particu- garden plants.Then,whenit’s finallytime weeks iftheyare todevelop intohealthy will needregular attentionforseveral anddedication;your seedlings time, effort, for mostannual flowers andvegetable tion varies amongspecies,but somewhat an automatictimerforconvenience. on for12to16hoursperday, soconsider growth ishelpful.Lightsshouldremain can beraisedtoaccommodate plant main relatively cool,andafixture that thatthelightsyou selectre-is important four inchesabove thetopsofplants, soit plemental lightsshouldbeplacedtwoto Many othersystemsare available. Sup- each, dependingonyour lightingneeds. to holdbetween twoandeightbulbs either 24-or48-inchbulbsare equipped provides light. Fixtures full-spectrum for System, available from Planet Natural, drofarm’s energy-efficient tween weak andsturdy seedlings.Hy- “grow lights” canmakethedifference be- orescent lightorspecificallydesigned alone sufficienttogrow robust seedlings. in your house.Andrarely iswindow light dows atnightare oftenthecoldestplaces spot,butwin- may seemliketheperfect cantly. Asunny, south-facingwindow their spacerequirements increase signifi- and are transplantedtolargercontainers, eties ofseeds,butastheseedlingsdevelop Little spaceisneededtosow vari- afew SPACE, LIGHTING,ANDTEMPERATURE Starting plantsindoorsrequires some Soil temperature forseedgermina- Supplementing naturallightwithflu- the American Gardener perfect timetothinkaboutsowingperfect flower andvegetable seedsindoors.Starting plantsfrom seedsin- OR MOSTOFUS, T5 Grow Light January andFebruaryJanuary are tooearlytodomuchoutdoorsinthegarden, soit’s the indoors isawaterproof electricheatmat fective seeds toolsIhave used forstarting degrees Fahrenheit. One ofthemostef- germination rangesbetween 70and80 seeds, theoptimalsoiltemperature for Beginner’s SeedStartingKit RE GARAGE GREEN C ® your lights. time, sodon’t plugitintothetimerfor ature. Theheatmatshouldbeonallthe helpful tomaintainthecorrect temper- asoilthermometer is mostats; otherwise Many heatmatsare equippedwithther- young seedlingstotoppleover anddie. ing-off, afungaldiseasethatcauses bottom heatalsohelpsprevent damp- more quickly, butevenly maintained flats. Seeds notonly germinatemuch ural thatdelivers bottomheattoseed like theoneavailable from Planet Nat- for afine-textured mix. drainage. Since many seedsare tiny, aim good water-holdingcapacityandexcellent ty mixes are available; selectonethathas seeds.Manyum isbestforstarting quali- ganisms, asterilesoillessgrowing medi- Because garden soilmayharbordisease or- GROWING MEDIAANDCONTAINERS

TOP: SHEPHERD OGDEN / AHS ARCHIVES Sources SOWING SEEDS AND HANDLING SEEDLINGS Drip Depot, Medford, OR. If seeding directly into cells or other individual containers, sow two or three seeds in- www.dripdepot.com. to each. After the seedlings have grown a few leaves, select the strongest seedling in each cell or container and use scissors to remove the others. Gardener’s Supply, Burlington, VT. Starting seedlings in germination flats is an efficient use of space and heat mats 800-427-3363. www.gardeners.com. but requires an extra transplanting step. Use a pencil tip to create a straight im- pression in the growing mix and thinly sow the seed into it. Follow the directions on Lee Valley Tools, Ogdensburg, NY. the seed packet for sowing depth. Keep the medium moist—a spray bottle works well. (800) 871-8158. After seedlings have developed their third pairs of leaves, transplant them in- www.leevalley.com. to individual containers or cell flats. A spoon is a useful tool for digging up your seedlings. Always handle seedlings by their roots or leaves, never by their stems, Planet Natural, Bozeman, MT. (800) which can be easily crushed. Once planted, water carefully to settle the grow- 289-6656. www.planetnatural.com. ing mix around the roots. —R.P.

Moisten your growing mix thoroughly vidual propagation trays that have vented move the bottom of the pot to encour- prior to planting. Use a clean bucket—or covers. Because you can adjust the hu- age rapid root expansion. Newspaper better yet—a Portable Potting Tray, avail- midity of individual trays, these are handy can be efficiently recycled into bio- able from Gardener’s Supply. This molded for germinating different kinds of seeds. degradable seedling containers using a plastic container helps avoid mess when This kit, which includes a water reservoir clever tool called the PotMaker, avail- moistening your growing mix, filling con- and capillary mat, also works well for root- able from Lee Valley. tainers, and transplanting seedlings. ing plants from small cuttings. Like newspaper and fiber pots, Rapid Growing seedlings Rooter Plugs from Planet Natural also in fiber pots made help reduce disturbance to plant roots Portable Potting Tray from pressed peat, when transplanting. Made of composted shredded wood, or organic material held together by natur- cow manure allows al plant polymers, they contain beneficial you to transplant the microbes that promote root growth and seedling “pot and all” nutrient absorption. into the garden with- out disturbing roots. HARDENING OFF SEEDLINGS This is particularly Before transplanting your seedlings into the helpful with difficult- garden in spring, they need to be gradually to-transplant crops acclimated or “hardened off” to protect Seeds can be started in any container such as cucumbers and squash. When them from sudden exposure to cold or sun- that holds sufficient soil and allows for transplanting, be sure to remove any ex- light. This is best accomplished by taking good drainage. Recycled pots such as posed portion of the fiber pot above the your seedlings outside for a couple of hours milk or yogurt cartons with drainage soil line to avoid drying the roots from a day and placing them in a partly shaded holes added work well. Plastic or wood- the wicking action of the fiber. Also re- area that is protected from wind. Gradual- en seed flats are excellent for sowing rows ly increase the time they are left outside, as of seeds that will be transplanted into PotMaker well as the duration of sun exposure they re- larger containers. Molded plastic cell flats ceive. After about two weeks they should be come in a variety of sizes and provide ef- ready to transplant into the garden. ficient use of space; seeds can be sown di- Alternatively, a cold frame provides a rectly into the cells or young seedlings sheltered location for hardening off can be transplanted to cells from a ger- seedlings. If you are handy, you can con- minating flat. struct one yourself. Or you can purchase A variety of space-saving seed-starting ones like the Single or Double Cold kits are available. The Beginner’s Seed Frame from Drip Depot. If temperatures Starting Kit from Gardener’s Supply in- are likely to drop below 50 degrees cludes two 12-cell trays, two clear plastic Fahrenheit at night, close the lid, but be covers, water reservoirs with capillary mats careful to vent the top on sunny days or to ensure even moisture, a bag of organic your seedlings may bake. seed-starting mix, and wooden labels. The Self-Watering Propagator Set Rita Pelczar is contributing editor for The from Lee Valley Tools offers seven indi- American Gardener.

January / February 2010 51 BOOKC REVIEWS

Recommendations for Your Gardening Library

The Explorer’s Garden: Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (6th Edition) Shrubs and Vines from the Four Corners of the World Michael A. Dirr. Stipes Publishing, Champaign, Illinois, 2009. 1325 Daniel J. Hinkley. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2009. 352 pages. pages. Publisher’s price, softcover: $76.80; hardcover: $96.80. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $39.95. A STAPLE FOR academics, nursery professionals, and avid gar- IN THIS second installment of The Explorer’s Garden (a long- deners alike, Michael Dirr’s well-known Manual of Woody awaited sequel to his earlier book, The Explorer’s Garden: Rare and Landscape Plants is now in its 6th edition, arriving 11 years after Unusual Perennials, Timber Press, 1999), the previous edition. Reviewing a plantsman Daniel J. Hinkley takes an book that needs no introduction pre- in-depth look at some of the newest and sents quite the challenge. Thus, be- most desirable shrubs and vines avail- cause too often new editions are able for North American gardens. This scantily revised, I approached this one carefully crafted book provides detailed with a crucial question in mind: information about the author’s interna- Should a person who already owns tional plant exploration trips and the the 5th edition also purchase the 6th? wonderful species of plants that have In answer to that question, I rec- been brought back and introduced into ommend the new edition because of American horticulture. Hinkley gives the text a personal touch by the substantive amount of new infor- including excerpts from his daily travel logs. Stunning photos mation in the tome. Much of this was acquired during the au- Hinkley took on his journeys help add context to the plants. Ad- thor’s six-month residency at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and ditional plant photographs are provided by Lynne Harrison. Arboretum in the United Kingdom in 1999 and visits to more Shrubs and vines are presented either by genus, or in groups than 100 public and private gardens and nurseries. When the by families with chapter titles such as “Glorybowers and Beauti- observations are not his own, Dirr diligently cites the work of ful Berries: Clerodendrum and other Verbenaceae.” Within each others. The introduction includes updated content, and there genus or plant group, detailed plant descriptions that include are many new species (the rare Corylus fargesii, for instance) plant origin and ornamental virtues are followed by practical in- added—not to mention countless new cultivars that have pro- formation on cold hardiness, care and culture, and propagation liferated over the previous decade. This makes the book as com- tips. Overall, the plant descriptions—and especially the depic- prehensive as possible—to the point that it has practically tions of the native habitat in which these plants grow—offer an become the “Yellow Pages” of trees and shrubs. Without going enlightening background for each plant group. online, no other single reference comes close. Many other garden books focus on new and improved cul- Nearly all of the descriptions have been reworked to include tivars of common, tried-and-true species, but this volume goes new information, such as cultural requirements, noteworthy a step further. In addition to covering unusual and beautiful specimens, and occasional notes on potential for becoming in- species from well-known genera such as Buddleia, Callicarpa, vasive. Revisions in taxonomy and nomenclature are included Euonymus, Hydrangea, and Viburnum, Hinkley includes entic- throughout the book, although, with more research, cultivar ing descriptions of plants from new, exotic, and little known names could have been included for a few of the plant market- genera such as Azara, Rostrinucula, and Helwingia. ed solely by their trademarks. Through his poetic writing, Hinkley’s passion for discover- Of course, this edition still contains the colorful commentary ing great garden plants and facilitating their introduction to we have grown to expect from Dirr. Despite their subjective na- mainstream horticulture is evident on each page. The Explorer’s ture, these remarks are among the most salient and idiosyncratic Garden is an ideal book for any serious gardener who enjoys elements of this book. While at times we may quibble over his ver- learning about and acquiring select, rare, and unusual woody dicts, it is important to remember that the author provides his ex- plants. It is a must-have for plant collectors who seek the newest pert opinion based upon decades of growing and observing plants. horticultural treasures to enhance their gardens. These accounts are invaluable as we strive to learn about—and —Vincent A. Simeone love—these woody plants as much as Dirr does. —Michael S. Dosmann Vincent A. Simeone is director of Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, New York. He has written four gardening books, including Michael S. Dosmann is curator of living collections at the Arnold Great Landscape Evergreens (Ball Publishing, 2007). Arboretum of Harvard University in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.

52 the American Gardener Books in Brief What moves us to create gardens? In the new edition of her book, Hidcote: The Making of a Garden (W.W. Norton, 2009, $45), Ethne Clarke explores the influ- ences that led Lawrence Johnston to cre- ate Hidcote, one of the most influential Arts and Crafts landscapes of the 20th century. American expatriates Johnston and his mother moved to the Cotwolds village of Hidcote Bartrim in England in 1907, and Johnston (at first with his mother) began what he would not finish until 1948. That was the year he signed a deed of gift that handed over Hidcote to the National Trust—the first garden it acquired and which it still maintains today. Recently unearthed information led to Clarke’s new edi- tion, which delves more deeply into Johnston’s life and times than did the original addition, published in 1989. It’s an ® enjoyable read, sort of a gossipy tell-all but factual, and with DAV I D AUSTIN a good bit of garden design history thrown in, including the F ENGLISH ROSES battle at the time between formal and naturalistic design. RAGRANT —Marty Wingate After 50 years of intensive breeding, David Austin’s English Roses combine the delicate charm and heady Marty Wingate is a garden book author and garden columnist for fragrance of old roses with the wider color range the Seattle-Post Intelligencer. and repeat-flowering nature of modern roses.Their exquisite flower forms include deeply cupped blooms and perfect rosettes.They are renowned for For more than 40 years, the Gossler family has been making the quality and diversity of their fragrances. All roses new, exciting trees and shrubs from around the world available sold in the US are grown in the US. to gardeners through their retail, mail- FREE MAIL ORDER CATALOG order nursery based in Springfield, Ore- gon. Now Roger and Marjory Gossler, Please request our new, beautifully illustrated, 108-page Handbook of along with their son, Eric, bring their Roses 2010, free of charge.This garden, nursery, and four-plus decades contains over 180 varieties, of experience growing these plants to including English Roses, old roses, the pages of The Gossler Guide to the species roses, ramblers and Best Hardy Shrubs (Timber Press, 2009, climbers together with a $34.95). selection of modern roses. This book profiles more than 350 trees and shrubs, many SPECIAL OFFER uncommon, that the Gosslers feel “represent the best of AHS members can claim a 10% discount when they each genus.” Though the selections, understandably, repre- order roses from our mail order collection. sent a regional bias for the Northwest, many of the plants Call toll free 800 328 8893, quoting TA4 or request could be considered marginally hardy in USDA Zone 4 re- online at: www.davidaustinroses.com gions of the country. This is especially true for an era in which winter low temperatures in most regions are trending DAV I D AUSTIN® ROSES LIMITED higher than historical averages. For example, Magnolia 15059 State Highway 64 West,TylerTX 75704 sieboldii, described in the book as a Zone 6 tree, actually Toll free 800 328 8893 Fax: (903) 526 1900 grows and thrives in several locations in Zone 4 Minnesota! E-mail [email protected] Handbook of Roses Many other gems described in this book should serve to stim- Please send me a free copy of David Austin’s ulate adventuresome gardeners everywhere to experiment Name with new and seldom-seen plants. Address —Stan Hokanson Zip Code Stan Hokanson is director of the woody landscape plant breeding e-mail and genetics program at the University of Minnesota. TA4

January / February 2010 53 GARDENERC’S BOOKS

Problem-Solving Plants

HAVE YET TO meet a gardener whose landscape is with- formation about deer and tactics to use if they become a nuisance out at least a few problem areas—the hot spot, the wet in your garden, this book devotes several chapters to more than I swale, or the steep slope, for example. I myself struggle with 1,000 plants these animals find un- the space in one corner of my yard beneath some large red palatable. Though Soderstrom bases maples whose fibrous roots choke out all but the most stalwart these recommendations on “a consen- interlopers. Or you might be trying to find just the right plant sus of regional authorities,” he notes for a particular purpose—say, to create a hedge or squeeze into that these “resistant” plants should not a limited amount of space. The good news is that for just about be “considered ‘deer-proof’ in all stages every situation, there are plants that are perfectly suited to of growth or all growing conditions.” them. Here are some recently published books that can help The book provides both a simple list of you find appropriate plants for your needs. the plants categorized by type (herbs, One strategy for dealing with less-than-ideal growing condi- shrubs, etc.) and an encyclopedic listing tions is to choose plants that are indigenous to your region. In alphabetized by botanical name, with color photos and a brief de- Great Natives for Tough Places (Brooklyn scription of attributes. Strategies for dealing with several other Botanic Garden, 2009, $12.95) editor Niall mammalian garden pests are also covered in this book. Dunne points out that native plants have In Right Rose, Right Place (Storey Publishing, 2009, $29.95), “evolved over thousands of years to handle author Peter Schneider asks, “What other genus offers examples soils and seasonal variations in temperature that can grow tidily in a pot on your and rainfall of your local climate.” The deck, provide months of nonstop color book describes more than 120 trees, shrubs, in the perennial border, form an im- vines, and perennials from the continental penetrable hedge, or send a cascade of United States and Canada that are adapt- bloom down from the tree it has been able without being invasive, not to mention trained to climb?” For these and other they are low-maintenance and beautiful, to gardening situations, Schneider asserts boot. This concise handbook also discusses eight common chal- that “roses provide colorful, fragrant so- lenging conditions, such as compacted soils and shady, dry loca- lutions.” His book could well change tions, and provides design ideas for transforming these types of any notions you might have of these plants being fussy and frail. sites into harmonious gardens. Schneider highlights more than 350 roses—organized by garden A desert may seem like one of the most inhospitable places to uses—that have proven reliable for him over more than 30 years attempt to garden, but Cool Plants for Hot Gardens by Greg of growing them in his Ohio garden. Chapters on caring for roses, Starr (Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2009, such as pruning and controlling pests, round out the book. $24.95) makes it clear that it’s really all Sometimes space itself is a limiting factor, but even small gar- about making wise plant choices. This dens need good “bones.” 400 Trees and Shrubs for Small Spaces book focuses on species that thrive in the by Diana M. Miller (Timber Press, arid conditions of the southwestern Unit- 2008, $29.95) provides lots of ideas for ed States and neighboring areas of Mexi- selecting woody plants that will lend co. Most are southwestern natives, some structure without being overpowering. come from areas with similar soils and cli- Some of the included plants are natu- mate, but all “will grow happily in this re- rally smaller, some need pruning or gion without huge amounts of extra training to keep them in bounds, and water,” explains Starr. For each of the 200 others are newer cultivars bred to be plants the author includes—listed by botanical name—he pro- more compact than the species. Each vides notes about the conditions of the plant’s natural habitat, a useful genus is discussed in a brief para- brief description, maintenance tips, landscape uses, and a color graph, followed by succinct descriptions of recommended species photograph (most of which were taken by Starr). and cultivars. At the end of the book, charts of plants listed by For many suburban and country gardeners, a prerequisite for characteristics such as flower color or attractive fruits make it even choosing plants for their gardens is resistance to deer. A helpful re- easier to find the right tree or shrub for your needs. source in this arena is Deer-Resistant Landscaping by Neil Soderstrom (Rodale, 2009, $23.95). Along with some general in- —Viveka Neveln, Associate Editor

54 the American Gardener

REGIONALC HAPPENINGS

Horticultural Events from Around the Country

NORTHEAST Flower and garden shows that offer free or Callaway Gardens. Pine Mountain, Georgia. CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT discounted admission to AHS members or (706) 663-5153. www.callawaygardens.com. RAP JAN. 23. Pruning in Winter. Class. present AHS awards are designated by a k y The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. symbol. For details on the specific benefits FEB. 4–6. Southeastern Flower Show. Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. (617) 384- Cobb Galleria Centre. Atlanta, Georgia. offered, visit www.ahs.org/events/index.htm 5209. www.arboretum.harvard.edu. (404) 351-1074. www.flowershow.org. and click on “Flower and Home and Garden RAP JAN. 25. Espalier Fruit Plants and Spe- Shows.” FEB. 11–13. The Antiques and Garden Show of cialty Pruning. Lecture. Blithewold Mansion, Nashville. Nashville Convention Center. Gardens and Arboretum. Bristol, Rhode Is- Events hosted by botanical gardens and Nashville, Tennessee. (800) 891-8075. land. (401) 253-2707. www.blithewold.org. arboreta that participate in AHS’s Reciprocal www.antiquesandgardenshow.com. Admissions Program are identified with the RAP JAN. 30. Rooftop Gardening. Class. RAP symbol. Current AHS members showing RAP FEB. 20. Southern Garden Heritage Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Brooklyn, New a valid membership card are eligible for free or Conference. State Botanical Garden of Geor- York. (718) 623-7200. www.bbg.org. discounted admission to the garden or other gia. Athens, Georgia. (706) 542-6156. www.uga.edu/botgarden. benefits. Special events may not be included; y FEB. 18–21. Rhode Island Spring Flower contact the host site for details or visit & Garden Show. Rhode Island Convention FEB. 26–28. Miami International Orchid Center. Providence, Rhode Island. (401) www.ahs.org/events/reciprocal_events.htm. Show. South Florida Orchid Society. 272-0980. www.flowershow.com. Doubletree Miami Mart/Airport Hotel and Convention Center. Miami, Florida. y FEB. 18–21. Connecticut Flower & Garden FEB. 26. Green Matters 2010: Food for (305) 255-3656. www.sforchid.com. Show. Connecticut Convention Center. Hart- Thought. Symposium. Brookside Gardens. ford, Connecticut. (860) 844-8461. Wheaton, Maryland. (301) 962-1400. FEB. 27. Joy of Gardening Symposium. www.ctflowershow.com. www.brooksidegardens.org. York County Master Gardeners. Rock Hill, South Carolina. (803) 324-9777. y MAR. 3–7. CNY Blooms Flower & Garden RAP FEB. 27. Understanding Your Garden’s www.mastergardenerofyorkcounty.org. Show. Oncenter Complex. Syracuse, New Life Cycle. Symposium. Green Spring Gar- York. (800) 979-1879. www.cnyblooms.com. dens. Alexandria, Virginia. (703) 642-5173. NORTH CENTRAL www.greenspring.org. IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI MID-ATLANTIC y FEB. 28–MAR. 7. Philadelphia Internation- y JAN. 22–31. Home & Garden Show. Great PA, NJ, VA, MD, DE, WV, DC al Flower Show. The Pennsylvania Horticul- Lakes Expo Center. Cleveland, Ohio. (216) JAN. 31. Berries, Bark, and Buds. Tour. The tural Society. Pennsylvania Convention Cen- 529-1300. www.homeandflower.com. Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College. ter. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (215) Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. (610) 328- 988-8899. www.theflowershow.com. JAN. 23. Gardening Show. Porter County 8025. www.scottarboretum.org. Expo Center. Valparaiso, Indiana. Looking ahead (219) 465-3555. www.pcgarden.info. y FEB. 5–7. Mid-Atlantic Home & Flower MAR. 5. People, Plants, Collections: Making Show. Virginia Beach, Virginia. (757) 523- the Connection. Symposium. Longwood JAN. 23. Spirit: Garden Inspiration. 4737. www.vahort.org. Graduate Program in Public Horticulture. Symposium. Chicago Botanic Garden. Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. (302) 831- Glencoe, Illinois. (847) 835-8261. FEB. 18. Land Ethics Symposium: Creative Ap- 2517. www.udel.edu/longwoodgrad. www.chicagobotanic.org. proaches for Ecological Landscaping. Bow- man’s Hill Wildflower Preserve. New Hope, JAN. 30. Toward Harmony With Nature SOUTHEAST Pennsylvania. (215) 862-2924. Conference. Fox Valley Area Chapter of Wild AL, FL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN www.bhwp.org. Ones. Oshkosh Convention Center. JAN. 22 & 23. Gulf States Horticultural Expo. Oshkosh, Wisconsin. (920) 987-5587. y FEB. 18–21. Maymont Flower & Garden Auburn, Alabama. (334) 502-7777. www.for-wild.org. Show. Greater Richmond Convention Center. www.gshe.org. Richmond, Virginia. (804) 358-7166. FEB. 12–14. Garden Expo. Alliant Energy Cen- www.maymont.org. RAP JAN. 23. Orchid Basics. Class. ter. Madison, Wisconsin. (608) 262-5256. Bonnet House Museum & Gardens. Fort www.wpt.org/gardenexpo. y FEB. 18–21. New Jersey Flower & Garden Lauderdale, Florida. (954) 563-5393. Show. New Jersey Convention Center. Edi- www.bonnethouse.org. y FEB. 25–28. Fort Wayne Home and Gar- son, New Jersey. (732) 449-4004. den Show. Memorial Coliseum. Fort Wayne, www.njflowershow.com. JAN. 29. Southern Gardening Symposium. Indiana. (260) 432-1705.

56 the American Gardener www.home-gardenshow.com. Looking ahead Golden Anniversary for Cheekwood MAR. 14. Green Gardening from the Ground Up. Symposium. Olbrich Botanical Gardens. CHEEKWOOD BOTANICAL GARDEN & Museum of Art in Nashville, Ten- Madison, Wisconsin. (608) 246-4550. nessee, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with various programs and events through- www.olbrich.org. out 2010. To start with, MAR. 6–14. Chicago Flower & Garden Show. from March 13 through Sep- Navy Pier. Chicago, Illinois. 773-868-3010. tember 12, there will be an www.chicagoflower.com. exhibit, “The American Im- pressionists in the Garden,” SOUTH CENTRAL which will explore the AR, KS, LA, MO, MS, OK, TX “theme of the garden in JAN. 23. Gardens: The Spirit of Your Home. American art and society of Symposium. Hilltop Arboretum. Louisiana the late 19th and early 20th State University. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. centuries.” Paintings by (225) 767-6916. www.lsu.edu/hilltop. American Impressionists RAP FEB. 3. Ethnobotany—Historic Uses of depicting European and Texas Plants. Lecture. South Texas Botanical American gardens, along Gardens & Nature Center. Corpus Christi, with several bronze sculp- Texas. (361) 852-2100. www.stxbot.org. tures created by American artists, will be on display. The Museum of Art building at Cheekwood y FEB. 26–28. Arkansas Flower & Garden Show. Statehouse Convention Center. Little Cheekwood features 10 Rock, Arkansas. (501) 821-4000. gardens of different styles and periods spread over 55 acres, along with an art collection www.arflowerandgardenshow.org. of more than 7,000 American and British pieces. Opened to the public in 1960, the property was originally established by the Cheek family in the early 1930s. The entre- RAP FEB. 27 & 28. Gardening Blitz. Classes on several topics. Missouri Botanical Gar- preneurial family made its fortune from a wise investment in a cousin’s Maxwell House den. St. Louis, Missouri. (314) 577-9400. coffee blend (then called Cheek-Neal Coffee). www.mobot.org. Now on the National Register for Historic Places, Cheekwood receives thousands of visitors every year to enjoy its grounds, art, and programs. As a participant in the Looking ahead American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) Reciprocal Admissions Program, Cheek- y MAR. 3–7. Wichita Garden Show. Century II Civic Center. Wichita, Kansas. (316) 946- wood offers AHS members with a current membership card free admission. For more 0883. www.wichitagardenshow.com. information call, (615) 356-8000 or visit www.cheekwood.org.

MAR. 5–7. Azalea Trail. Home and garden tour. River Oaks Garden Club. Houston, Texas. (713) 523-2483. Endangered Plant Exhibit in Chicago www.thehomeandgardenmarket.com. IN COLLABORATION with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural Histo-

MAR. 5–7. Dallas Home & Garden Market. ry and the Center for Plant Conservation, Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG) in Glencoe, Show. Dallas, Texas. (713) 529-1616. Illinois, is presenting an art exhibit called www.thehomeandgardenmarket.com. “Losing Paradise? Endangered Plants Here and Around the World” from January 16 to SOUTHWEST April 4. This exhibit, designed to call atten- AZ, NM, CO, UT tion to global conservation issues, features il- JAN. 28 & 29. Think Trees. Sustainable tree lustrations by members of the American care conference. Think Trees New Mexico. Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) depict- Albuquerque, New Mexico. (505) 243- ing plants that are endangered or threatened 1386. www.thinktreesnm.org. in the United States and abroad.

RAP FEB. 17. Sustainable Landscape De- A companion book, featuring all 44 sign. Class. Desert Botanical Garden. Phoenix, Dianne McElwain’s painting of Tetraneuris pieces of artwork, information about the Arizona. (480) 481-8188. www.dbg.org. herbacea is part of the art exhibit. endangered plants, and the artists’ stories about the creation of their illustrations, RAP FEB. 25. Planting the Spring Kitchen will also be available. And for those inspired to try their hand at drawing and paint- Garden. Class. Denver Botanic Gardens. Denver, Colorado. (720) 865-3500. ing their own botanical pieces, CBG’s Joseph Regenstein Jr. School is offering a class www.botanicgardens.org. titled, “Rare and Endangered Species,” which will be held on Mondays in February. For more information, call (847) 835-5440 or visit www.chicagobotanic.org. FEB. 25–28. Water Conservation/Xeriscape —Gwyneth Evans, Editorial Intern Conference & Expo. Xeriscape Council of New Mexico. Albuquerque, New Mexico. TOP: COURTESY OF CHEEKWOOD BOTANICAL GARDEN & MUSEUM ART. BOTTOM: CHICAGO BOTANIC

January / February 2010 57 (505) 468-1021. www.xeriscapenm.com. RAP FEB. 20–27. Golden Age of the y FEB. 18. Evergreens. Lecture. Idaho Camellia Festival. Descanso Gardens. La Botanical Garden. Boise, Idaho. (208) 343- Looking ahead Cañada Flintridge, California. (818) 949- 8649. www.idahobotanicalgarden.org. MAR. 5–7. HBA Home and Garden Show. Phil 4200. www.descansogardens.org. Long Expo Center. Colorado Springs, FEB. 24–28. Portland Spring Home & Garden Colorado. (719) 592-1800. ext. 14. FEB. 26–28. Pacific Orchid Exposition. Show. Portland Expo Center. Portland, Ore- www.cshba.com. San Francisco Orchid Society. Fort Mason gon. (503) 246-8291. www.otshows.com. Center’s Festival Pavilion. San Francisco, y MAR. 5–7. Southwest Flower & Garden California. (415) 665-2468. Looking ahead Show. University of Phoenix Stadium. www.orchidsanfrancisco.org. MAR. 12. Spring Ephemeral Plant Sale. Phoenix, Arizona. (602) 485-1691. Northwest Horticultural Society. Center for www.swflowershow.com. Looking ahead Urban Horticulture. Seattle, Washington. MAR. 12–14. Santa Barbara International Or- (206) 780-8172. www.northwesthort.org. chid Show. Santa Barbara, California. (805) WEST COAST 687-0766. www.sborchidshow.com. CA, NV, HI CANADA

JAN. 25. Pruning and Care of Landscaping RAP MAR. 13. African Violet Show & Sale. RAP FEB. 16. Bonsai: An Introduction. Fruit and Nut Trees. Class. University of Cal- South Coast Botanic Garden. Palos Verdes Class. Royal Botanical Gardens. Hamilton, ifornia, Davis Extension. Davis, California. Peninsula, California. (310) 544-1948. Ontario. (905) 527-1158. www.rbg.ca. (800) 752-0881. www.extension.ucdavis. www.southcoastbotanicgarden.org. edu/agriculture. RAP FEB. 20. Soil, Nutrients, and Amendments. Class. Glendale Gardens & NORTHWEST FEB. 8. Meadows by Design. Presentation. Woodland. Victoria, British Columbia. AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY The San Diego Horticultural Society. Del (250) 479-6162. www.hcp.bc.ca. Mar Fairgrounds. Encinitas, California. y JAN. 27–31. Tacoma Home & Garden (760) 295-7089. www.sdhortsoc.org. Show. Tacoma Dome. Tacoma, Washington. Looking ahead (253) 756-2121. www.otshows.com. MAR. 17–21. Canada Blooms. Flower and FEB. 11. What’s Bugging Your Garden. garden festival. The Direct Energy Centre. Presentation. Friendship Auditorium. y FEB. 3–7. Northwest Flower & Garden Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (800) 730-1020. Los Angeles, California. (818) 567-1496. Show. Washington State Convention Center. www.canadablooms.com. www.socalhort.org. Seattle, Washington. (800) 596-2832. www.gardenshow.com.

58 the American Gardener

PRONUNCIATIONSC AND PLANTING ZONES

Most of the cultivated plants described in this issue are listed here with their pronunciations, USDA Plant Hardiness Zones, and AHS Plant Heat Zones. These zones suggest a range of locations where temperatures are appropriate—both in winter and summer—for growing each plant. While the zones are a good place to start in determining plant adaptabili- ty in your region, factors such as exposure, moisture, snow cover, and hu- midity also play an important role in plant survival. The codes tend to be con- servative; plants may grow outside the ranges indicated. A USDA zone rating of 0–0 means that the plant is a true annual and completes its life cycle in a year or less. To purchase a two-by-three-foot glossy AHS Plant Heat Zone Map for $9.95, call (800) 777-7931 or visit www.ahs.org.

A–G Epilobium canum eh-pih-LO-bee-um Osmunda cinnamomea ahz-MUN- Q. muehlenbergii Q. mew-len-BUR- KAY-num (8–11, 12–8) duh sin-uh-MO-mee-uh (3–9, 9–1) gee-eye (4–8, 8–3) Agave neomexicana uh-GAH-vee Eriogonum allenii air-ee-OG-o-num Pennisetum setaceum pen-ih-SEE- Q. nigra Q. NY-gruh (6–9, 9–5) nee-o-mex-ih-KAN-uh (USDA ah-LEN-ee-eye (5–10, 9–5) tum seh-TAY-see-um (8–11, 12–8) Q. nuttallii Q. nuh-TAL-lee-eye Zones 6–10, AHS Zones 10–5) E. umbellatum E. um-bel-LAY-tum Penstemon baccharifolius (6–9, 9–5) Andropogon gerardii an-dro-PO-gon (3–8, 8–4) PEN-steh-mon bak-uh-rih-FO-lee- Q. rubra Q. ROO-bruh (3–7, 7–1) jeh-RAR-dee-eye (3–8, 8–1) E. umbellatum var. aureum us (8–10, 10–8) Q. shumardii Q. shoo-MAR-dee-eye Antennaria plantaginifolia an-ten- E. um-bel-LAY-tum var. AW-ree-um P. eatonii P. ee-TONE-ee-eye (5–9, 9–5) AIR-ee-uh plan-tuh-jih-nee-FO-lee- (3–8, 8–4) (4–9, 9–1) Q. stellata Q. stel-LAY-tuh (5–9, 9–5) uh (4–9, 9–4) E. wrightii E. RITE-ee-eye P. hirsutus P. her-SOO-tus Q. ✕sternbergii Q. sturn-BUR-jee- Aquilegia canadensis ah-kwi-LEE- (6–10, 10–7) (3–8, 8–1) eye (4–9, 9–1) juh kan-uh-DEN-siss (4–9, 9–1) Eschscholizia californica P. pseudospectabilis P. soo-doh- Q. velutina Q. vel-oo-TEEN-uh Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ark-toh- es-SHOLTZ-zee-uh kal-ih-FORN- spek-TAB-ih-liss (5–10, 10–5) (4–8, 8–1) STAFF-ih-loss YOO-vuh-UR-sy ih-kuh (8–10, 9–2) Phlox stolonifera FLOKS sto-lon-IF- Q. virginiana Q. vir-jin-ee-AN-uh (2–6, 6–1) Gaylussacia baccata gay-loo-SAK-ee- ur-uh (4–8, 8–1) (7–10, 10–7) Aster divaricatus ASS-ter dih-vair- uh buh-KAY-tuh (3–7, 7–1) Phormium cookianum FOR-mee-um Rhus aromatica RUS ah-ro-MAT-ih- ih-KAY-tus (4–8, 8–1) Gelsemium sempervirens jel-SEE- koo-kee-AN-um (9–11, 12–1) kuh (2–8, 8–1) Bignonia capreolata big-NO-nee-uh me-um sem-pur-VY-renz (7–9, 9–1) Polystichum acrostichoides pah-LIS- Ribes sanguineum RY-beez kap-ree-o-LAY-tuh (6–9, 9–5) tih-kum uh-kros-tih-CHOY-deez san-GWIN-ee-um (6–8, 8–6) Buxus sempervirens BUCKS-us H–P (3–8, 8–1) Ruellia humilis roo-EL-ee-uh sem-pur-VY-renz (6–8, 9–6) Polypodium appalachianum pawl-ee- HEW-mih-lys (4–9, 9–1) B. sinica var. insularis B. SIH-nih- Heuchera americana HYEW-kur-uh PO-dee-um ah-puh-LACH-ih-an-um kuh var. in-sue-LAIR-iss (6–9, 8–6) uh-mair-ih-KAN-uh (4–8, 8–1) (3–8, 8–1) S–Z Chamaepericlymenum canadense H. villosa H. vih-LO-suh (4–9, 9–1) P. virginianum P. vir-jin-ee-AN-um kam-ee-pair-ih-KLY-meh-num Houstonia caerulea hyews-TOH-nee- Sassafras albidum SASS-uh-frass (5–8, 8–5) kan-uh-DEN-see (2–7, 7–1) uh see-ROO-lee-uh (3–9, 9–1) AL-bih-dum (4–8, 8–3) Potentilla tridentata po-ten-TIL-luh Chasmanthium latifolium Ipomoea batatas ih-po-ME-uh Sechium edule SEK-ee-um ed-YEW- try-den-TAY-tuh (2–8, 8–1) chas-MAN-thee-um lat-ih-FO-lee- buh-TAH-tus (11–11, 12–1) lee (9–10, 12–9) Prunus sargentii PROO-nus sar-JEN- um (5–9, 9–1) Lagerstroemia indica lag-ur-STRO- Sedum pulchellum SEE-dum tee-eye (5–9, 9–5) Clethra alnifolia KLETH-ruh me-uh IN-dih-kuh (7–9, 9–6) pul-KEL-um (5–9, 9–1) ✕ Pulsatilla vulgaris pull-suh-TIL-uh al-nih-FO-lee-uh (4–9, 9–1) Leucanthemum superbum Solidago rugosa sol-ih-DAY-go roo- vul-GAIR-iss (5–7, 7–5) Coreopsis major kor-ee-OP-sis loo-KAN-theh-mum soo-PUR-bum GO-suh (5–9, 9–1) MAY-jer (5–9, 9–5) (5–9, 9–1) S. speciosa S. spee-see-O-suh Q–R Cornus florida KOR-nus FLOR-ih- Magnolia grandiflora mag-NOLE-yuh (5–9, 8–4) duh (5–8, 8–3) gran-dih-FLOR-uh (6–9, 7–1) Quercus agrifolia KWER-kus ag-rih- Spigelia marilandica spy-JEE-lee-uh Cyperus involucratus sy-PEER-us Mahonia repens mah-HO-nee-uh FO-lee-uh (8–10, 10–6) mair-ih-LAN-dih-kuh (5–9, 9–2) in-vol-yew-KRAY-tus (8–11, 12–1) REP-enz (4–8, 8–3) Q. alba Q. AL-buh (3–9, 9–1) Sporobolus junceus spor-OB-o-lus Dennstaedtia punctilobula Maianthemum canadense Q. buckleyi Q. buck-LEE-eye JOON-see-us (8–10, 11–8) den-STET-ee-uh punk-tih-LO-bew- my-AN-theh-mum kan-uh-DEN-see (5–9, 10–6) Tiarella cordifolia tee-uh-REL-luh luh (3–8, 8–1) (3–8, 8–3) Q. chrysolepis Q. krih-so -LEP-iss kor-dih-FO-lee-uh (3–8, 7–1) Deschampsia caespitosa Matteuccia struthiopteris (7–9, 9–7) Vaccinium angustifolium vak-SIN- deh-SHAMP-see-uh sez-pih-TOH- muh-TEW-key-uh strew-thee-OP- Q. gambelii Q. gam-BEL-ee-eye ee-um ang-gus-tih-FO-lee-um suh (4–8, 8–1) tur-iss (2–8, 8–1) (5–8, 8–4) (2–8, 8–1) Disporum cantoniense DIS-por-um Monarda didyma muh-NAR-duh Q. garryana Q. gah-ree-AN-uh Verbena lilacina ver-BEE-nuh kan-toh-nee-EN-see (6–9, 9–5) DID-ih-muh (4–10, 10–1) (6–8, 8–5) lie-LASS-ih-nuh (10–11, 12–5) Dudleya hassei dud-LAY-uh Opuntia humifusa o-PUN-shuh Q. macrocarpa Q. mak-ro-KAR-puh Viola pedata VY-o-luh peh-DAY-tuh HAS-see-eye (9–11, 12–9) hyew-mih-FEW-suh (11–11, 12–9) (2–9, 9–2) (3–8, 8–1)

60 the American Gardener GARDENC MARKET

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January / February 2010 61 62 by DeanNorton ing in the 1960s, dwarf English boxwoodsing inthe1960s,dwarf begansuccumbingtoafungaldiseasecalledboxwood de jected topoorculturalpractices.Because ofthecombinationoverplanting andpoorsiteselection,start- planted ininappropriate sites—exposedtofullsunandwinterwindsand/orpoorlydrainedsoils—andsub- U boxwood Zones Korean 8–6),aselection ofdwarf Brouwers’ (USDAZones 6–9,AHS wood, onegoodoptionemergedin‘Justin Englishneed ofalternatives box- fordwarf For gardeners andgrowers indesperate BROUWER’ ENTER ‘JUSTIN ceived itscurrent name—whichwasoffi- one ofhisfavorite cats;before theplantre- he plantedseedlingsaround thegrave of Brouwers likedtheselectionsomuchthat intheTheBoxwood Bulletin,article Williamsburg inVirginia. According toan former landscapegardener atColonial seedling by thelateJustin B.Brouwers, a adaptable, resilient, andeasytogrow. with amoundedshape.Best ofall,itis two-and-a-half feetinheightandspread After 15years, itwillreach approximately growth rateofonetothree inchesperyear. in sunorshade,andhasaslow tomedium hardy asEnglish boxwood, toleratessites troduced priorto1972,thisselectionisas ‘Justin Brouwers’Boxwood (www.saundersbrothers.com). Saunders BrothersNurserywebsite National BoxwoodTrials,visit the For more information www.heronswood.com. PA. (866)587-7948. Heronswood Nurseries, www.avantgardensne.com. (508) 998-8819. Avant Gardens, Sources The plantwasoriginallyselectedasa the American Gardener boxwood NTIL RECENTLY, (Buxus sinica Dartmouth, MA. (Buxus sempervirens var. Warminster, insularis). about the the predominant boxwood usedinAmericangardens English wasthedwarf In- ‘Suffruticosa’). In ‘Justin Brouwers’boxwoodmakesaneat,low-growinghedgeinthegarden. pests, whichare relatively easy tocontrol. regularly monitored tocheckforthese and boxwood leafminer. Plants shouldbe Brouwers’ issusceptible tospidermites eases. Aswithmostboxwoods, ‘Justin and hasshown resistance toroot rot dis- responds andshearing, well topruning admirably.performed eral gardens atbothsites andsofarhas ‘Justin Brouwers’ wasintroduced insev- non EstateandGardens, where Iwork. were theWhiteHouse andMount Ver- Atlantic gardens thatbenefitedfrom it ing English boxwoods. Amongthemid- dealing withtheneedtoreplace declin- a timewhenmanyhistoricsiteswere as “Brouwers’ Seedling No.1.” known asthe“Cat’s Grave Seedling” and cially registered in1989—itwasgenerally LN NTESPOTLIGHT THE IN PLANT The cultivar requires littleattention, ‘Justin Brouwers’ cameonthesceneat C the mid-Atlantic andSouth, thisboxwood wasoften Alexandria, Virginia. Mount Vernon Estate andGardens in Dean Norton isdirector ofhorticulture at smaller, easier-to-care-for option. lish boxwood, ‘Justin Brouwers’ offersa perience. If Eng- you likethelookofdwarf and Icanvouch forthatfrom myown ex- who have grown theplantsayitisawinner, for overall qualities.Many ofmycolleagues ‘Justin Brouwers’ consistentlyrateshighly Brothers Nursery inPiney River, Virginia, dinated by Paul Saunders ofSaunders iary. In theNational Boxwood Trials coor- edging. It isalsosuitableforbonsaiandtop- as aspecimenplant,low hedge,orfor landscape. It isversatile enoughtobeused incorporatingintothe definitely worth cultivars now available, ‘Justin Brouwers’ is While there are boxwood manygoodnew ATRY WORTH cline.

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