growers of distinctively better plants. Nunured and cared for by hand, each plant is well bred and well fed in our nutrient rich soil- a special blend that makes your garden a healthier, happier, more beautiful place. Look for the Monrovia label at your favorite garden center. For the location nearest you, call toll free l-888-Plant It! From our growing fields to your garden, We care for your plants. ~ MONROVIA~ HORTICULTURAL CRAFTSMEN SINCE 1926 Look for the Monrovia label, call toll free 1-888-Plant It! co n t e n t s Volume 77, Number 3 May/June 1998 DEPARTMENTS Commentary 4 Wild Orchids 28 by Paul Martin Brown Members' Forum 5 A penonal tour ofplaces in N01,th America where Gaura lindheimeri, Victorian illustrators. these native beauties can be seen in the wild. News from AHS 7 Washington, D . C. flower show, book awards. From Boon to Bane 37 by Charles E. Williams Focus 10 Brought over f01' their beautiful flowers and colorful America)s roadside plantings. berries, Eurasian bush honeysuckles have adapted all Offshoots 16 too well to their adopted American homeland. Memories ofgardens past. Mock Oranges 41 Gardeners Information Service 17 by Terry Schwartz Magnolias from seeds, woodies that like wet feet. Classic fragrance and the ongoing development of nell? Mail-Order Explorer 18 cultivars make these old favorites worthy of considera­ Roslyn)s rhodies and more. tion in today)s gardens. Urban Gardener 20 The Melting Plot: Part II 44 Trial and error in that Toddlin) Town. by Susan Davis Price The influences of African, Asian, and Italian immi­ Plants and Your Health 24 grants a1'e reflected in the plants and designs found in H eading off headaches with herbs. American gardens. Natural Connections 26 Insects that use plant toxins. Weed Laws 48 by Bret Rappaport and Andy Wasowski Book Reviews 56 Outdated weed laws are still being used to persecute Ecological gardening, more from Mitchell, gardenen who p1'actice natu1'alistic garden design. Merry H all, A rmitage CD-ROM. Regional Happenings 62 On the cover: The large yellow lady)s-slipper (Cypripedium Huntington plant sale, Everett Children)s parviflorum var. pub esc ens ) is native to damp woodlands Adventure Garden. and swampy areas th1'oughout much of the Northeast. Beginning on page 28, Paul Martin Brown tells us where to Pronunciations 66 see these and othe1' beautiful native orchids in the wild. Hardiness and Heat Zones 67 Photograph by H ugh and Carol Nourse. American Horticultural Society 7931 East Boulevard Drive AlexanMia, VA 22308-1300 (703) 768-5700 commentary ~ The American Hortic-ultural Society (AHS) educates and inspires people of ail ages to vecome successful and ucn like clothing styles, plants and garden­ mvironmentally responsible gardenel's by ing techniques tend to drift in and out of advancing the art and stience of horticultun. M fashion over time. Those who have gar­ dened for many years or who are familiar with the ~ works of the classic garden writers know that many PRESIDENT/CEO of the latest "trends" in gardening are merely a res­ LU'lDA D. HALLMAN urrection of earlier interests and practices. Yet some things never really go out ofstyle. Mock BOARD OF DmEC'llORS Ojfioe1's 1998-1999 oranges-those favorites ofour mothers and grand­ mothers-still merit a place in the gat·den for their KAIT Moss>Yvj\RNER, o~ I,ake :Sllenn Vutn, Florida; fragrant, graceful white flowers and versatility. In this NAN~ S. TIi0/Y1AS,!FmS'F WeE GHAlllMAN issue, nurseryman Terry Schwartz describes mock Houston, Texas oranges that have stood the .est of time. We'll also PktlL ECKE,J'&, SE€0ND WG;E e~· Encinitas, ({;ati{ornia tell you about some native species that blend in nice­ Wfl,LTAM A. :Pl'lSE¥, SEG~~ ly with naturalized landscapes. WtUhingt01', 'D. C. Planting less formal, more natural landscapes is ©~'ES H'EN&Y SM>lTH JR" 'ilrnAs~ Mid1/.tebur;g, Vi'lfinia another gardening technique currently enjoying renewed interest. In some cases, how­ ever, gardeners who plant natural landscapes are being prosecuted under outdated weed '" SFi.ERMAN ADLER Yob. Sanna, Floridn laws. Andy Wasowski and Bret Rappaport describe some cases that have gained national L. M. BAIglR JR. attention and offer tips on how [Q avoid becoming the victim of such laws. WinSton-Salem, North CltJrolina In keeping with the theme that our gardening past is reflected in the present, Susan 'WmT,ft;M B. BARRTC!<, PH.£!. lMMJIDlATE BAST OHMR,\1AN Davis Price continues her series on our gardening heritage. She tells us about the influ­ Pine /ifoun,ain, Ilieorgia ence of African, Italian, and Asian immigrants. SWRL£Y IlAR'FJ::ETI" SanCa Barb,.,."" California. Charles E. Williams chronicles the ecological damage invasive Eurasian bush honey­ KA'J1HEMNE McKAy BY;1JK sucldes have inflicted on our natural landscapes and offers suggestions for native shrubs Chadotee, Nor,th Ci.,.olina and honeysuckles that can be used as replacements in our gardens. And orchid expert Jfu.\1:ES !t. CORF)Bll> lJO)V"C1~ G)"uve, nlinois Paul Martin Brown takes us on a tour of the best places in North America to see the crown A'RAllELLA S. ElANE jewels of our native flora---orchids-in the wild. Boston, Massath'lSettS JOHN ALEX 1'LOYI>, J-R. This issue marks an end and a beginning for our magazine, as Kathleen Fisher, eru­ Bi,.,ningha1H, Alab",ma tor since 1989, departs to pursue free-lance work. Kathy's leadership ensured a smooth J;)O]l.G1'H¥ T. Ht El.Ad'l];) :Birminghfl"", AtabMna transition for our magazine in 1996, when the name changed from American Horti­ MERLEj'ENSEN culturist to The American Gardener. We "vish her every success. This issue welcomes Tttoson) Arizona David J. Ellis, assistant editor oftl1e magazine since 1994, to the position oferutor. David WILL1M\>! R. MARI<iE1'! ["os Altos, California brings skills and knowledge that will only expand the quality and depth of your maga­ THEODORE R. MetRsTON zine. The best magazines are constantly evolving, and in this issue we have brought back ,Kirkland, Wnshingt01' a fi.lll-page photograph on tl1e cover and my opening commentary. Adrutional changes G,ENE M. MILLER Silver Spri,'.ff, Mar"9'land you may see in the coming months will be a combination of planning, hard work, and EGONMQDBAK the expanding activities of our Society. They are also a reflection of you, our members. Seattle, Waihington The extent to which we are able to stay in touch witl1 and anticipate your needs will be DumtEY MORG<W Nashvillt;, Tennessee a measure of our success. I encourage you to share your thoughts with us. Send me an GECFPRE¥ L. MBSOH e-mail at [email protected], pick up the phone, or write. Don't let us for a moment, even PiusbW/yh, Pe"11!Y£va"ia accidentally, talce you for granted. We have much to learn from each other. VM.E)UB It. THoMAS Ale.xandria, Virginia ~OBER,1i D. VOl!1K San Mar'no, OaJifornia PRESID.ENT EMERITUS DR. H. MARo CATI'!"EY -Linda D. Hallman, AHS hesident/CEO 4 THE AMERICAN GARDENER May/June 1998 THE AMERICAN members' GARDENER ED'lTOR DAVID J. EU.JS MANAGING EDI'rOR rum MARYYEE DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION JOSEPH YACINSKI D ESIGN delight to the eye. MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR Gaura's open, DARLENE O LIVBR graceful form is also ~ a wonderfiu contrast EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD to more solid plants. NINA L. BASSUK I have it next to a Ithaca, New York Hosta sieboldiana JOHN E. BRYAN var. elegans and near Sausalito, California a floribunda rose JOHN L CREECH called 'Fashion'. Hendersonville, North Carolina This is a terrific KEITH CROTZ Chillicothe, Illinois plant that deserves a place in the border of PANAYOTr KEurniS the most demanding gardener. It won't let Denver, Colorado you down. RICHARD W. LIGHTY Judith Boasbe1;g Greenville, Delat/van Leawood, Kansas ELVIN MCDONALD West Des Moines; Imva Hardy in Zones 5-9 and heat tolerant in ~ ZOl1,es 10-5, this natille of Louisiana and ADVERTISING Texas is, indeed,gaining pop~darity among AHS ADVERTISING OFFICE Ame1t ican gardeners. «Ifand when breeders 4350 DiPaolo C~nrer, Sllite B produce a fulle1t inflorescence and brighter Glenview, IL 60025 flowen, "T/Jrites Unillersity ofGeorgia horti­ (847) 699-1707 • FAX: (847) 699-1:703 cultUirist Allan Armitage, «this plant will be COLOR SEPARATIONS GAURA LINDHEIMERI ~tsed far m01'e extensiwly." 1mprolled llari­ FILM GRAPH~CS At a gardening class several years ago, the eties that are already allailable include discussion turned to little-known and (Sisleiyou Pink', a deep pink-flowend selec­ PRINTER used, but rewarding, perennials. The in­ tion from Sisleiyou NU1tser'), in Oregon; (Cor­ BANTA PUBLICATIONS GR.OUP structor asked, "How many of you are fa­ rie's Gold~ a llariegated selection with cream The American Gardener (ISSN 1087-9978) is miliar with gaura?" Sad to say, not many to gold leaf ma1;gins; and a dwarf selection publ,ished bimonthly (J~jluary /F.b.u,,"ry, hands went up. called, depending on which nference you Mardll April, MayI} lme, July/AHgust, Septe)11- ber/Ocuober, Novernb.J1/Dec"mb"r) oy the Talk about a workhorse! Gau1'a lind­ consult, either (Whirling Butterflies' or American HortiCld~uJiai Society, 793] East heimeri flowers from late May in my USDA %/Jirling Butterflies'. Sources for these cul­ S'"ijevaro d Drive, AJexand'Fia, VA 22-308-l300, (703) 7@8-S700. Memb.rs:fu.il:'in tEtg Societyil'l­ t Zone 5 garden to late July, at which time I tilla1 s and the species include Forestfarm, eludes,," sllbscrjpdoFl to '!!he American @araenM: cut it back and it blooms again from late Au­ 990 Tetherow Road, Williams, OR 97544- A1mual dues are $45; two yea<s, $80.