ASHLEY STEPHENSON Chief Horticulturist of England' s Royal Palace Gardens, retired. I realized the dream of every English gardener when I was put in charge of the Royal Palace gardens. My mission was to further enhance their beauty. That was when I first used Miracle-Gro. The results it achieved were outstanding. I'm still using Miracle-Gro, although today, the only garden I'm enhancing is my own. MIRACLE-GRO eric an Horticulturist Volume 74, Number 6 June 1995 ARTICLES Elixir of Echinacea by James H. Locklear . ................................. 16 Native Americans kept coneflowers handy for snakebites. They're a tonic for gardens as well. Ignite the Night by Robert L. Geneve .................................. 21 Dictamnus albus is famous for its fireworks. Mount Cuba: A Botanical Legacy by Kathleen Fisher .................................... 24 On 20 acres in Delaware, the floral treasures of the Piedmont make a silent plea for conservation. Should You Go To A Pro? by Kerry Hart ........................................ 31 JUNE'S COVER If your garden seems to be having an identity crisis, perhaps Photographed by Molly Dean its design needs some analysis. The rare Nelumbo caspicum, thought by some to be a separate The Legendary Lotus species and by others to b(J a by Molly Dean and John Creech .... ...................... 38 botanical variety of the Asian Revered by the ancients, this water plant is low-care enough lotus, N. nucifera, grows along for today's busy gardeners. the Volga River and is legally protected in Russia. In a 1%3 Discovering Dieramas plant expedition for the u.s. by John E. Bryan ..................................... 43 Department of Agriculture, John These South African bulbs impart an airy feeling to a border Creech collected the lotus from OF poad edge. the Nikitsi Botanic Garden in Yalta. Plants were propagawd DEPART MENTS from roots sent to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Commentary ....... ..... ......... ................... 4 Pennsylvania, and distribut€ld to other gardens and nurseries. Members' Forum ........... .......................... 5 Beginning on page 38, Creech and free-lance writer Molly Dean Offshoots . .. 6 discuss the religious and cultural Gardeners' Informatiof.l Service . .. 8 tradttions associated with the lotus, its marlY forms and colors, Plantif.lg the Future. .. 9 and its easy care. The Urbaf.l Galidtmer ................................... 11 Natural Connections ................................... 13 Book Reviews . 14 Classifieds .......................................... 45 Pronunc~tions ................. ................... ... 46 American Horticultural Society The American Horticultural Society seeks to promote and recognize COMMENTARY excellence in horticulture across America. BOARD OF DIRECTORS y wife, Mary, and I planned a OFFICERS 1994-1995 special activity for our family to Mrs. Sarah S. Boasberg M enjoy-planting paperwhite nar­ Chairman cissus in a mug. We used sea shells that our Washington, D.C. granddaughters had helped us pick up at Dr. William E. Barrick the beach. Several of the adults had never First Vice Chairman Pine Mountain, Georgia had the experience of learning the simple Ms. Katy Moss Warner requirements of flowering narcissus. Our Second Vice Chairman two oldest granddaughters-Miss Pink Lake Buena Vista, Florida and Miss Peach-quickly became their Mr. William A. Pusey teachers. Two-year-old Miss Emerald was Secretary having the best time of all, asking questions WashingtoR, D.C. a mile a minute, laughing, and trying to Mr. Gerald T. Halpin Treasurer press shells into everyone's cup. Alexandria, Virginia The delight continued over the next sev­ eral days. All called to report how their bulbs were growing and when they flowered. Miss Emerald's calis were particularly special because her com­ Dr. Thomas G. Amason Jr. ments were delivered as big secrets between the two of us. She had a very Birmingham, Alabama sad day when the bulb had to be discarded. Mrs. Nancy H. Callaway Our gardening knowledge, skills, and experiences accumulate for a life­ Pine Mountain, Georgia time. While I am dedicated to ensuring that my four granddaughters con­ Mr. Paul Ecke Jr. Encinitas, California tinue to have such experiences, I think too about the adults who were Dr. John Alex Floyd Jr. planting paperwhites at our family party. There may be as many as 80 mil­ Bi~mingham, Alabama lion of these inexperienced gardeners in our country, compared to only two Dr. Richard L. Lower million people dedicated enough to be members of a gardening organization. Madison, Wisconsin The American Horticultural Society hopes to bring "Gardening Again" to Mrs. Martyn L. Miller these G-rated gardeners. In cooperation with White Flower Farm of Litch­ Ashton, Maryland Mrs. Walter M. Morgan Jr. field, Connecticut, and Spring Hill Nursery of Peoria, Illinois, we will be Nashville, TeNnessee planting seven of their "packaged" gardens-with set themes, designs, plant Mr. William G. Pannill selections, and procedures-at our River Farm headquarters to encourage Martinsville, Virginia more people to "garden again." I view these gardens as akin to bicycles with Dr. Julia W. Rappaport training wheels. Everyone needs to start somewhere to be successful. Santa Ana, California One of these gardening basics is landscape design-often a challenge for Mr. Geoffrey L. Rausch Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania the most knowledgeable plantsperson. If you've ever been frustrated by this Mrs. Jane N. Scarff aspect of horticulture, you'll want to read the article in this issue on find­ New Carlisle, Ohio ing and working with a landscape professional. Mrs. Josephine M. Shanks Another basic is of course plant selection. John Bryan, the lively redhead Houston, Texas from San Francisco, begins a series on little-used bulbs to try, and James Mrs. Sellers J. Thomas Jr. Locklear of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum writes about Echinacea­ Houston, Texas the native coneflower that belongs in every garden. Robert Geneve writes Mr. Robert D. Valk San Marino, California about the amazing Dictamnus albus-the gas plant-and we go aquatic Mr. Monroe Whitton with an article by Molly Dean and John Creech on lotuses. Alexandria, Virginia We'll also preview the Mount Cuba Center for the Study of Piedmont Flo­ ra, outside Wilmington, Delaware, a destination of this year's Annual Meet­ ing in Philadelphia. I grew up in the Piedmont area of North Carolina, and PRESIDENT its plants are most familiar to me. Last year when I visited Mount Cuba, I Dr. H . Marc Cathey almost expected to see my grandmother, Miss Nannie, coming out of the EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT woods with a seedling in one hand, wrapped in her apron, and a mattock Mrs. Helen Fulcher Walutes in the other. It was like "Gardening Again" for me, taking me back to where I began my own experiences with the help of a great gardener. H. Marc Cathey, AHS President 4 JUNE 1995 American Horticulturist Editor Kathleen Fisher Assistant Editor MEMBERS' FORUM Terri J. Huck Assistant Editor David J. Ellis Editorial Assistant Nikole Williamson Canadian Palm Lovers aged to introduce an error into Dorothy Design Director Regarding the palm inquiry from V. E. in Callaway'S otherwise flawless article. It al­ Joseph Yacinski British Columbia, Canada, in the February ways makes plants more interesting to hear Designer "Gardeners' Information Service," I'm sure about the people behind their names. Pam Johnson he or she would benefit from a subscription Thanks for filling us in! Membership Director to the Hardy Palm International, published Darlene Oliver by the Pacific Northwest Palm and Exotic Architecture Primers Editorial Advisory Board Plant Society, 10310 Hollybank Drive, I'm always inspired and learn a lot from John E. Bryan Richmond, BC V7E 4S5, Canada, or call your artides and want to thank you for such Sausalito, California Frank Hunaus at (604) 271-9524. a quality publication. Kathleen Cullen's ex­ John Creech The cost for Canadians is $20 ($15 U.S.). cellent article on suburban landscaping Hendersonville, North Carolina I have enjoyed it for several years, and it ("Unwelcome Vistas," February) described Keith Crotz Chillicothe, Illinois continues to improve. Katherine Elliott the importance of landscaping comple­ Colton, Oregon menting the architecture of the house. It Panayoti Kelaidis Denver, Colorado seems that this necessitates a basic under­ Richard Lighty Hose Pipes and Sill Cocks standing of architectural styles and their his­ Greenville, Delaware In reply to the February letter about the tories. I wondered whether you or Ms. Peter Loewer phrase "hose pipe," I would like to add that Cullen could suggest a primer on architec­ Asheville, North Carolina my family (also New Englanders for more ture that would be interesting and readable Elvin McDonald than 350 years) always used the simpler for the lay gardener. Wendy Grupnick Houston, Texas term "hose." The hose was attached to the Felton, California sill cock- a term for an outdoor faucet that Advertising AHS Advertising Department folks seem unfamiliar with where I have Kathleen Cullen responds: Many houses 2300 South Ninth Street, Suite 501 lived in Michigan and Connecticut. I grew that we see today are "builder's houses" Arlington, VA 22204-2320 up halfway between Boston and Providence that can be difficult to categorize. But most (703) 892-0733 in North Easton, Massachusetts. Is "sill are updated versions of older styles that Color Separations cock" a term used only in southeastern represent a post-modern, reactionary swing Heartland Separations, Inc. Massachusetts? Judith D. King of the pendulum, so we have neo-this and Farmington, Connecticut neo-that. At first the study of architecture Printer William Byrd Press, Inc. can seem overwhelming, but it becomes Members, can you help? easier with time. Back issues of AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST are For beginner's guides, I would recom­ available at a Cost of $5 per copy. The opinions express­ mend: American House Styles-A Concise ed in the articles that appear in AMERICAN HORTI­ 'Elizabeth' with a "z" CULTURIST are those of the authors and are not I greatly enjoyed Dorothy Callaway'S arti- Guide by John Milnes Baker {W W Norton necessarily those of the Society.