erIC• an • • IC urIS The Camp Springs Community Garden Project in Camp Springs, Maryland, has a motto that rings true for all community gardens, and in fact, all gardens in general: "Gardening is down to earth." There is something about kneeling in the rich brown earth, with your friends and neighbors and the sweet smells of the garden sur­ rounding you, that awakens the senses and brings an inner peace to the soul. Community gardeners of all ages reap both intangible and tangible rewards from their gardening projects, including a sense of community, an appreciation for the environment, horticultural therapy, nutritious and less expensive food ... and the list goes on. For more on community gardening, including how to obtain funding and enter contests, turn to page 14. Electric Steinmax Chipper-Shredder • Compare the value • Most powerful motor. Join Society members in San Francisco from August 13 to 17 for our 41st Annual 2.3hp on 110v. 1700 watts. • Chipper does 1'14" branches Meeting_ The theme for this exciting meeting-Beautiful and Bountiful: Horticulture's • Center blade shreds corn Legacy to the Future-certainly reflects the city in which it will be held. San Francisco stalks, prunings , old plants, and its surroundings are filled with lovely and historic gardens and parks, each with newspapers and leaves. • Bulk leaf shredding its own legacy. Pictured above is the conservatory in Golden Gate Park, whose Victo­ accessory. rian architecture was inspired by the royal greenhouses at England's Kew Gardens. Imported from England For more information on the Society's Annual Meeting, see the ad on page, 13. watering --, Cans Club Becomes Sponsoring Member Regular & The Ohio Association of Garden discount from our regular dues). In Long Reach Models Clubs (OAGC), an organization of addition, the Society will refund to over 474 Ohio garden clubs with the OAGe's treasury 10 percent of This range of 6 nearly 10,000 combined members, is the dues paid by each Associate cans handles every watering job in the greenhouse, garden or . the first of its kind to become a Member. The OAGC may now take home. Good looking, strong green plastic and Sponsoring Member of the American advantage of opportunities for co­ built to last. Brass-faced rose attachments pro­ vide gentle rain for seed beds and delicate seed­ Horticultural Society. By doing so, sponsoring tours, using booth space lings. All priced under $10. the OAGC fulfills one of its stated ob­ at AHS annual meetings or major Sliding-panel jectives: to coordinate the actions of shows, and using AHS publications its members for the accomplishment for publicizing major activities and compost Bins of its other objectives. This new alli­ special offers (such as discounts to Garden and kitchen wastes become rich ance will enable both organizations special events). compost in weeks. to promote horticulture in a cohe­ Programs within the OAGC include ScienMcally designed English bins hold in sive, cooperative way. schools for flower show exhibitors warmth and moisture Members of the OAGC may now and judges; educational clinics; a five­ for accelerated decomposition yet become Associate Members of AHS at day Nature Study Camp; annual con­ ventilate correctly. Add materials anytime . a special price of $18 (a 10 percent tests and awards for club program 3 sizes in steel or books, flower shows and civic beauti­ plastic. fication; a quarterly publication, The Rose Arbors & Garden Path magazine; and the pub­ American lication of various books, handbooks Carden Arches and leaflets pertaining to gardening With these classic and horticulture. English arches you can lIortictlitllrist build a wide variety The AHS Sponsoring Membership of garden structures VOLUME 65 NUMBER 3 Program is set up as a service to pro­ for climbing roses, grapes, wisteria, EDITOR, PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR, Barbara W. Ellis. mote horticulture throughout the clematis, etc. Strong ART DIRECTOR, Rebecca McClimans. ASSOCIATE steel tubing sealed in EDITOR, A Brooke Russell. ASSISTANTS TO THE EDITOR, U.S. by creating a network of horti­ weatherproof green Manha Palermo, Cindy Weakland. MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR, cultural societies, garden clubs, plant pla stic. Easily Sa lly Hutcheson. assembled . 8' tall Address all editorial correspondence [0 : The Editor, societies and related organizations. x 5' wide. American Horticulturist. American Horticultural For more information about the Call or write for Society, Box 0105, Mount Vernon, Virginia 22121. FREE INFORMATION PACKAGE AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST, ISSN 0096-4417, is published Sponsoring Membership Program, monthly by the American Honiculrural SOCiety, 7931 East write the Society's Memberspip De­ Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22308, 703-768-5700. • The Dues fo r membership in the Society Slan at $20 per year, $12 partment (AHS , P_O. Box 0105, Mt. of which is for AM ERICAN HORTI CULTURIST. Copyright © Vernon, VA 22121). For membership Kinsman 1986 by the American HOrticultural Society. The American Horticultural Society is a non-profit organization. information from the OAGC, write Company Contributions are deductible for income ta."{ purposes. the OAGC Secretary, Mrs. D. D. Fer­ River Road (Dept. 911) Point Pleasant , PA 18950 I Second-class postage paid at Alexandria, Virginia and at (215) 297-5613 additional mailing offi ces. Postmaster: Please send Form guson, 112 Juan Street, Milford, OH 3579 to AMERI CAN HORTICULTURIST, Box 0105, Mount Vernon, Virginia 22121. 45150, or call (513) 831-0418. 2 • MARCH 1986 Tipsfor Light Gardeners 1S-page booklet, Guide toJndoor Gar­ den Lighting with Sylvania Gro-Lux® Researchers at GTE 's Sylvania Light­ colors. A balance of blue and red Lamps. This booklet includes detailed ing Products Division have been light promotes and maintains healthy information on plant lighting, with studying agricultural and horticul­ and attractive plants. several charts that explain the differ­ tural applications of artificial lighting. • Fluorescent grow lamps emit light ences between the various types of They suggest the following tips for chiefly in the red and blue bands, Gro-Lux® lights, as well as informa­ light gardeners: under which most indoor plants tion on spacing, temperature, ventila­ • Keep in mind that there are three fl ourish. Incandescent lamps produce tion, propagation, watering and fertil­ aspects of photosynthesis that are im­ red and far-red light energy, but little izing. To order a copy, send a portant to successful light garden­ blue output. Fluorescent lamps tend business-size envelope with 37¢ post­ ing-photoperiod, light intensity and to be more efficient in the conver­ age to Public Affairs Department, light quality. sion of electrical energy to light. GTE Lighting Products, Sylvania light­ • Different plants require different GTE researchers have produced a ing Center, Danvers, MA 01923. photoperiods (the duration of light exposure daily) for maximum per­ formance. Group plants with similar photoperiod requirements together, and schedule the light exposure with an automatic timer. • For early growth and develop­ ment, short-day plants generally need 14 to 18 hours of light per day. After the first months of leaf and stem growth, they should be converted to a short-day schedule of 10 to 13 hours. Common short-day plants in­ clude pOinsettias, chrysanthemums, gardenias and Christmas cactus. Long-day plants such as geraniums, gloxinias and begonias should re­ ceive the opposite treatment. • Plants require different light in­ tensities. For low-energy plants, the growing area should have 15 lamp watts per square foot, with the light source 12 inches to 15 inches above plant tops. High-energy plants should !BE:gin yoU'1. watE.'1. gadw todaJj with a 1!4pom catalogUE: have 20 lamp watts or more per fwtu'1.ing pagE: aftE:'1. pagE: of Gwutiful watE.'1. liliH, lotuf>., Gog square foot, with the source 12 inches to 15 inches above the plants. plantf>., (i~, f>.tatua~, and thE: E:HWtialf>. fO'I. kE:E:ping it all wo~ing For germinating seeds and rooting togE:thE:'1.. cuttings, 10 lamp watts per square foot, with lamps six inches to eight JVo pool? {!f!WOf>.E: a (iGE:'1.glaH 0'1. gJ<tJ(! pool f'1.Om thE: m~ f>.iz£f>. inches above soil , should be pro­ ~own in thE: 1!ilyponf>. catalogUE:. vided. (Aspidistra, dieffenbachia, dra­ caena, philodendron, and baby's-tears ---------------------------, are low-energy plants. African violets o Please send the new Lilypons catalogue plus informative I are intermediates. High-energy plants newsletters with seasonal sales. Enclosed is S4.00. I include herbs, some orchids, vegeta­ Maryland (20¢) and Texas (21 ¢) residents please add tax. I bles, petunias and marigolds.) o Please rush my catalogue by first class mail. Enclosed is $5.50. I • To increase the radiant energy at I the plant surfaces, you can decrease o 1500 Arnhort Road o 1500 Lilypons Road I the height of the lamp above the P.O. Box 10 P.O. Box 188 I plant, place a good reflecting surface Lilypons, MD 21717-0010 Brookshire, TX 77423-0188 I above the lamps, increase the num­ (301) 874-5133 (713) 934-8525 I ber of lamps or use higher output I lamps. I • Light quality refers to the combina­ Nam e Address I tion of wavelengths emitted by the I light source. In the invisible region City State Zip I of the spectrum, the different wave­ --------------------------~ lengths are perceived as different AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST • 3 New Publications trated with numerous pen and ink drawings and beautiful color photo­ graphs depicting the species. Richard W. Dyer sums up the importance of works such as this in his foreward: VEGETABLE SEEDS FROM "Endangered and threatened species AROUND THE WORLD possess the unique ability to force us Radiccio from Italy, Leeks from • Breaking New Ground. Readers to ponder our relationship with the Holland, Pac Choy from Japan. Over may be interested in this excellent, 350 varieties including all the home natural world we share and make us but not-so-new publication, cognizant of the intricacy and fragility garden favorites.