~GAZINE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY A union of the American Hortilultural Society and the American HorticultuTaI Council 1600 BLADENSBURG ROAD, NORTHEAST • WASHINGTON 2, D. C. For United Horticulture *** to accumulate, increase, and disseminate horticultural information B. Y. MORRISO;\, Editor Directors JAMES R. HARLOW, Managing Editor T erms Expiring 1963 MARY W . M. HAKES Maryland Editorial Committee GRETCHEN HARSHBAR(;ER Iowa JOHN L. CREECH, Chairman FREDERIC HEUTTE W. H . HODGE Virginia W. H . HODGE FREDERIC P. LEE .'Vfa'T yland CONRAD B. LI~K .'\ LlIFRT J. IRVING .Yew York CURTIS MAY Terms E xpi"ing 196-1 FREDERICK G MEY ER R . C. ALLEN W I LBUR H. YOUM ; ~IA:-I Ohio P. H. BRYDON Officers Californifl CARL "V. F EN .\! INGER PRESIDENT Pennsy lvania JOH N E. GRAF HENRY T. SKI NNER Dish'iet of Columbia Washington, D. C. GRACE P. ' VILSON FIRST VICE· PRESIDENT Terms ExtJiring 1965 RAY C. ALLEN Mansfield, Ohio HAROLD EpSTEIN New Y o-ril SECOND VICE· PRESIDENT FRED C. GALLE Georgia FRITS W . ,.yENT FRED J. N ISBET St . Louis, MissouTi North Carolina J. FRANKLI N ST YE R ACTING SECRETARY· TREASURER Pennsylvania GRACE P . WILSON DO ~ :\LD , ,,l YMAN Bladensburg, Maryland Massachusetts The American Horticultural Magazine is the official publication of the American Horticultural Society and is issued four times a year during the quarters commencing with January, April, July and October. It is devoted to the dissemination of knowledge in the science and art of growing ornamental plants, fruits, ygetables, and related subjects. Original papers increasing the historical, varietal, and cultural knowledges of plant materials of economic and aesthetic importance are welcomed and will be published as early as possible. The Chairman of the Editorial Committee should be consulted for manuscript specifications. Reprints will be furnished in accordance with the following schedule of prices, plus post· age, and should be ordered at the time the galley proof is returned by the author: One hundred copies-2 pp $6.60; 4 pp $12.10; 8 pp $25.30; 12 pp $36.30; Covers $12.10. Entered as second class matter in the post office at Baltimore, Maryland, in accordance with the Act of August 24, 1912. Additional entry for Washington, D.C., was authorized July 15, 1955, in accordance with the pro· visions of Section 132.122, Postal Manual. A subscription to The American HOl -ticulturat Magazine is included as a benefit of membership in the American Horticultural Society, Individual Membership dues being $6.00 a year. JULY. 1962 FORMERLY THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE VOLUME 41 • NUMBER 3 Contents White Gleams In The Garden HELEN IVI. Fox _______________ ,____________________________________________________________________ _______ _____ 123 The Victoria Waterlilies PATRICK A. N UTT__________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 132 Ornamental Deciduous Flowering Viburnums DONALD R. EGOLF ___________ _____ ______ __________________ __________________________ ______ ____ ____________ ___ 139 New Discoveries In Plant Growth HENRY M. CATHEY ______ ___________ ________________________________________________________________ __ __ __ 156 A Book or Two ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 163 The Gardeners' Pocketbook Phlox alyssifolia. CLAUDE A. BARR __________ , ____________________ __ ______________ _______________ 170 Metalphoto- A Promising New Plant Labeling Method. ROLAND M. J EFFERSOK _____________________________________________________ ______ ___ ______ _______ 171 A Distribution Note on Rhododendron japonicum. J ORN L. CREECH __________________________________________ ____ __________ ____ ____ __ __ ___ __ _____________ 174 A Floral Clock. WILLIAM H . HATFIELD _______________________________________________ ______ 177 N arcisstoS viridifiorus. B. Y. MORRISOK _____________________________ ___ _____ ____________ ____ 178 Some Outstanding Ground Cover Plants. HENRY E. DOWNER ______________ 178 Updating the Beach Plum Story. GEORGE GRAVES ________________________ __ ________ 179 Notes on Florist Gardenias in Bermuda. JOHN KNOWLTON ______________ ___ _ 181 The Indispensable Ivy. W . O. FREELAND __ ____ __________ _____________ __ __________________ 182 A Message From the President __ _________________________ ______________ _______ _________________ __ 183 JULY COVER ILLUSTRATION [Co HAMPFLER] LapagejOia Tosea The rosy red waxen bell-shaped flower discussed in the January Magazine. Cot)yright, © 1962 by T he American H orticnltural Society, Inc. GOTTSCHO-SCHLEISNER Regale lily hybrids in the author's garden, Mount Kisco, New York White Gleams In The Garden are colorful lines on the back, as in the perianth of the regal lily, and also red and yellow or orange of stamens as in roses all of which accentuate the white­ HELEN M. Fox ness of petals. It would be tedious and exceedingly lengthy to describe all the white Rowers that bloom in the garden from the first Why a white garden? There have been snowdrop in mid-March to the last some famous gardens' planted entirely water lily-like bloom on Franklinia in with white-flowered shrubs and peren­ October. In this article only those white nials; generally, to be effective on moon­ blooms have been mentioned which are lit nights. One was in Rhonda in South­ notable because of their conspicuous ern Spain. There the beams of the rose beauty, and many have been left out for arbor were painted black and supported lack of space. Last spring when I was in by columns of white marble, and over the southwest France, the few trees them were trained climbing wh.ite roses. present were either along the river banks Edith 'Wharton had a white garden in or in small and isolated forests. The Stockbridge. Personally, I would not like country was an undulating landscape, a garden having only white flowers, but and the white of wild roses and fruit think white Rowers from perennials, an­ blossoms stood out dramatically against nuals, shrubs, and trees should always the green of perfectly tilled crops. be present, for white provides the most When white flowers are small they striking of all accents. It makes the should be planted in fairly large clumps, greens look darker and so gives depth to such as the near white Confederate vio­ the picture. Green without white would lets Viola Priceana, to edge a terrace or be monotonous. In painting with water shrubbery. Phlox nivalis or subulata colors it is a custom to leave some of the alba should be allowed to cover rocks white paper, for without it no matter and slopes and made to look like a snow how brilliant the Feds, purples, and yel­ drifts left behind as winter receded. In lows, the result win be duller than if a neighbor's garden, but alas! not in white had been pn~sent. mine, and in the shade, will be clumps Just as green needs white to bring life of Helleborus niger, with its white, rose to the picture so white with only green tinted cup shaped blossoms, the first of and without other colors-in a garden­ the buttercups to appear. would perhaps be too cool. Very pale The first white flowers where I live yellow will accomplish almost the same are early bulbs native to the Medite,­ effect as white and has the virtue o~ ranean where they flower in January. bringing together tones of red and blue 'With me Galanthus nivalis, snow drops, magentas which usually set one's teeth almost always bloom around March on edge. Yet yellow unlike white is not tenth. Sometimes their perianths show composed of all colors and has not the white under the snow. Other dwarf low same brilliance. Blue alone, recedes, bulbs will be M1.I.scari bot1')Ioides album merges into the horizon and is one rea­ and white kinds of Scilla. The early son it was chosen as the color for uni­ bulbs look best, less lonely, when planted forms of French soldiers. near evergreen shrubs such as pieris, Many white flowers bloom at night leucothoe, or even yews. The broad and their whiteness attracts moths. OfteR leaved evergreens however, always look night bloomers are also exceedingly fra­ a bit rusty and weathered at this time of grant and that virtue too may be to at­ year. tract moths to come and fertilize them. A very early blooming shrub A belio­ Seldom is the white in flowers un­ phyllum distichvm blossoms in early tinted or unshaded for generally there April before the leaves are out. It will [123J 124 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE WALTER BEEBE WILDER Exochorda racemosa and tulips grow to three feet tall, belongs to the Gaiety, having a large yellow centre in­ olive family and resembles its relative side as does Fosteriana. Hyacinths are the forsythia. The foliage is lush and like stiff cylinders until they have been green all summer. With this shrub as in the garden, unhampered for several with some of the early blooming mag­ seasons, when they turn into a simpler nolias there is always a chance that the form with smaller flowers on several delicate white flowers will be browned stems. Later coming Mediterranean and by early frost, but the branches are good Near Eastern bulbs represented now by for indoor forcing. garden forms, are double and single By mid-April, narcissi will be bloom­ white tulips and followed by white Cot­ ing and clumps of white will brighten tage Tulips. Presently, also in mid-April, the yellows. After the narcissi and some­ polyanthus primulas will show their times with them come species tulips. A cheerful little faces. Among them are lovely white one is Kaufmanniana delightful white forms sometimes tinted JULY 1962, VOLUME 41, NUMBER 3 125 WALTER BEEBE WILDER Ornithogalum umbellatum pale green or pale yellow either with been queening it among young fronds lines or a tiny wash. They last longer of ferns. At this time another delicious­ than most flowers in the garden and ly fruity scent will be perceived. It some stay in flower into June. In partial comes from a low round headed tree or even entire shade as is found under with clustered white blossoms, usually species roses, they provide a perfect coming before the leaves.