DECEMBER 1983 Members of the American Horticultural Society Will Gather in Miami from March 14-17. 1984 ./ For the AHS Spring Symposium. We Would Lil<e You To Join Us. Leave winter woes behind and join us in Miami for our Spring Sym­ posium. Tour Fairchild Tropical Garden, famous for its tropical flowering trees, palms and cycads, and stroll through Vizcaya, the Italian Renaissance palace of John Deering. Explore The Kampong, once the home of world-renowned plant explorer David Fairchild. Learn about tissue culture propaga­ tion at the Orchid Jungle, and visit wholesale and retail nurseries filled with exotic plants. Be sure to join us for a unique tropical experi­ ence-south Florida promises to be in the full bloom of spring. For more information about the Spring Symposium, look in the January issue of American Horticul­ turist news or write to the Society's Education Department. You may also elect to extend your horticul­ tural holiday by joining the Post Symposium Tour of gardens along Florida's west coast, the Everglades and EPCOT from March 18-26, 1984. Please join us! ABOVE: Fairchild Tropical Garden is famous for its collection of palms as well as cycads, orchids, bromeliads and trees native to South Florida and the Bahamas. BELOW: Hibiscus 'Norma', growing in the hibiscus display garden at Fairchild. Barbara W. Ellis EDITOR RICAN PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR Rebecca K. McClimans, RKM, Inc. ART DIRECTOR -ORTICULTlIRIST Lynn M. Lynch VOLUME 62 NUMBER 12 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jane Steffey EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Irene Polansky PRODUCTION ASSIST ANT Gilbert S. Daniels HORTICULTURAL CONSULTANT BOOK EDITOR Everett Conklin PRONUNCIATION GUIDE ADVISOR Louise Baughn Cindy Weakland ASSISTANTS TO THE EDITOR May Lin Roscoe BUSINESS MANAGER Connie Clark MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR John Simmons, Chromagraphics Inc. COLOR SEPARATIONS ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES C. Lynn Coy Associates, Inc. 55 Forest Street Stamford, CT 06902 (203) 327-4626 Bougainvillea and nasrurtiums add beauty to a sitting area in Las Palmas Altas, a garden in Phoenix, Arizona. For more information about this remarkable desert garden, rum to page 28. Photograph by Tom Campbell, courtesy of Phoenix Home/Garden magazine. Replacement Issues of AMERICAN President's Page by Edward N . Dane 2 HORTICULTURIST are available at a cost of $2.50 per copy. Strange Relatives: The Acanthus Family by Jane Steffey 4 The opinions expressed in the articles Book Reviews by Gilbert S. Daniels 8 that appear in AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST are those of the Improving American Gardens by Frederick McGourty 10 authors and are not necessarily those of the Society. They are presented as Foliage Favorites Text and Photography by Pamela Harper 15 contributions to contemporary thought. Manuscripts, art work and photographs Passionflowers Text and Illustrations by Kathleen Crawford 18 sent fOF plilssible publication will be rerurned if they are accompanied by a The Glass Flowers by Margaret Parke 22 self-addressed, stamped envelope. Las Palmas Altas by Maire Simington 28 AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST is the official publication of The American Pronunciation Guide 32 Horticultural Society, 7931 East Sources 34 BoulevaFd Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22308, (703) 768-5700, and is issued Gardener's Marketplace 36 monthly. Membership in the Society includes a subscription to AMERICAN Seasonable Reminders: Deciduous Hollies by Steve Bender 39 HORTICULTURIST. Membership dues start at $20.00 a year, $12.00 of which 1983 Index 41 is designated for AMERICAN HORTIClJeLTURIST. Copyright © 1983 The Design Page: Garden Paths Text and Photography by Margaret Hensel 44 by The American Horticultural Society. ISSN 0096-4417. Second-class postage paid at Alexandria, Virginia and at ON THE COVER: Although this mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia, looks freshly cut, it is additional mailing offices. PosbDaster: acrually a glass model crafted nearly 100 years ago. See page 22 for more information on the Please send Form 3579 to AMERICAN unique Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Flowers housed at the Harvard Botanical Museum. HORTICULTURIST, Mount Vernon, Photograph courtesy of E. P. Dutton, Inc. Virginia 22121. American Horticulturist 1 PREsIDENT'S PAGE hose of you who follow the events American Association of Museums and the of your Society will recall that about American Association of Botanical Gar­ T a year ago the President's Page dens and Arboreta. Other important ac­ contained an announc€:ment by Tom Rich­ complishments during his term as Director ards of his rt'lsignation as Executive Di­ include the completion of a long-range plan rector. It is with great ph'l asure that I can for the development of the entire propefty, now tell you that his successor has been and the development of a computerized chos€:N and that by the time you receive plant records system that keeps track of this issue of American Horticulturist, our the more than 15,000 plants in the Garden. new Executive Directer will be at River Dr. Huckins has been a memb€:r of nu­ Farm. merous organizations, including the He is Dr. Charles Albert Huckins, for­ American Association gf Botanical Gar­ merly Director of the Desert Botanical dens and Arbor€:ta, American Association Garden in Phoenix, Arizona, of Museums, American Society fOf Hor­ Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Dr. Huckins ticultural Science, Arizona Native Plant received his Bachelor of Arts degre€: in Bi­ Society, Cactus and Succulent Society of ology from Brown University in 1963. After America, International Association for Plant a tour in the United States Marine Corps Taxonomy, and the National Council for Res€:rve, he attended Cornell University, Th€:rapy and R€:habilitation Through Hor­ where he rec€:ived his Master of Science ticulture. He has been a consultant f(J)r the degree in Horticulture in 1967. He com­ New York City Department of Parks, th€: pleted his Ph.D. in Botany at Cornell in Clov€: Lakes Nursing Hom€: on Staten Is­ 1972. land (where he helped develop a horticul­ While at Cornell, Dr. Huckins served as tural therapy program) and the St. louis a Research Assistant and a Teaching Fel­ Zoological Park. His articles and papers low, working in the University's herbar­ on a wide variety of horticultural topics ium and teaching classes in woody and have appeared in many publications, herbaceous plant materials. Dr. Hu ~kins is marri€:d to the former Following his doctoral studies, Dr. Mathilde Germaine Demisay, who has had Huckins received 'th€: William Frederick a distinguished career in nursing admin­ Dreer Award from Cornell University and istration, sp€:cializing in geriatric care. To­ a grant from the Druce Fund of th€: Uni­ geth€:r they enjoy gardening, traveling and versity of Oxford, England to study and water sports of all kinds. conduct research at major herbaria and The search for th€: most qualified can­ arboreta in Europe and Central Asia. didate for the directorship of your Soci€:ty Dr. Huckins joined the staff of the Mis­ by the Executive Committee and myself souri Botanical Garden in 1974 as Curator has been a very exciting and rewarding of Tropical Plants. While there, he oversaw process: exciting, because we were able to all of the display greenhouse operations at enlist the support and assistance of so many the Garden, including those in the Cli­ people in kindred societies and groups; re­ matron and the Desert House. He was also warding, because so many people reaf­ responsibl€: for the design, development and firmed to us the importance and signifi­ operation of the Garden's new Mediter­ cance of the Society in the world of ranean House, horticulture and gardening. In 1977 he was made Assistant Chid The Committee and I set very high stan­ Horticulturist at the Missouri Botanical dards for the individual to fill this position. Gard€:N and a year later was promoted to Foremost among the qualifications we CAMELLIA NOUVEAU 24" x 36" Chairman of the Department of Indoor sought were proven administrative ability, FLORAL POSTER ART Horticulture. and a dedicatiON to the expansion of the Beautiful Full Color - Hand-Signed In 1979 Dr. Huckins accepted the po­ ideals of our Soci€:ty among the people we sition of Director of the Desert Botanical serve. I believe that as you meet and come ONLY $20.00 S2.50 hondling to know Dr. Huckins, you will agree that OVER 25 SUBJECTS - THE PERFECT GIFT Garden, a 140-acre garden in Phoenix, Ar­ COOPERSMITH STUDIOS #D izona devoted to the study, display and the Society is fortunate. p.o. BOX 6752 . THO USAND OALS, CA 91361 interpretation of plants native to desert SEND FOR FREE CATALOG TODAY regions of the world. During his four-year ~ tenure, the garden was accredited by the -Edward N , Dane 2 December 1983 For the first time - an internationally renowned floral artist creates an original sculptured bell. 'Ghe c50nia c.Rose BY JEANNE HOLGATE Life-;;ize sculpture of intricate beauty in fine , hand-painted porcelain . .. at the very attractive price of $60 . Painted by hand. Hand-decorated with pure 24 karat gold . Issued in limited edition. Fresh and arresting, The Sonia Rose is a triumph of two great traditions. Combining the beauty of floral sculpture ... and the lilting grace of a bell ... in an enchanting new work in fine porcelain to enjoy and treasure always. The creator of this delightful sculpture, Jeanne Holgate, has been acclaimed as Amedca's finest floral artist. Internationally admired, her work is represented in the great floral art collections of the world, including the British Museum, America's famous Hunt Collection, and the private collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Here, the artist has captured a rose in the radiant blush of first bloom. With entrancing precision, the sculpture portrays every vein of each leaf, every curve of each petal-even the tiny thorns growing out of the stem.