The American GARDENER · 13 AHS CORPORATE MEMBER PROFILE The Espoma Company. 14 AHS NEWS SPECIAL...

T h e A m e r i c a nGARDENERThe Magazine of the American Hort icul tural Society March / April 2011March / April 2011

®®

T h e A m e r i c a nGARDENERThe Magazine of the American Hort icul tural Society

designing withPlant ShapesCreation of a Sustainable Rose Garden

Daffodils for Every Region

Solutions for Landscape Eyesores

designing withPlant ShapesCreation of a Sustainable Rose Garden

Daffodils for Every Region

Solutions for Landscape Eyesores

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mailto:[email protected]

3March / April 2 0 1 1

5 NOTES FROM RIVER FARM

6 MEMBERS’ FORUM

8 NEWS FROM THE AHSRiver Farm’s Osage orange tree namedNational Champion, Spring GardenMarket in April, National Youth GardenSymposium, ExxonMobil funds summerinternship, River Farm part of HistoricGarden Week in Virginia, new AHSAffiliate Member program launched.

12 AHS MEMBERS MAKING A DIFFERENCEHoney Barnekoff.

13 AHS CORPORATE MEMBER PROFILEThe Espoma Company.

14 AHS NEWS SPECIAL2011 Great American Gardeners NationalAward winners and 2011 Book Awardwinners.

46 GARDEN SOLUTIONSNo-sweat tips for great garden soil.

48 HOMEGROWN HARVESTPleasing peas.

50 GARDENER’S NOTEBOOKMonarch butterflies make slow recovery,nematodes show promise as fruit tree pestbiocontrols, Morton Arboretum introducesnew sweetspire cultivar, endangered plantslacking in botanic garden collections,Mailorder Gardening Association changesname, Harold Pellett is 2011 Scott Medalrecipient.

54 BOOK REVIEWSThe Conscientious Gardener, Prairie-StyleGardens, and The Sustainable Rose Garden.

Special focus: Edible gardening.

57 REGIONAL HAPPENINGS

60 HARDINESS AND HEAT ZONES AND PRONUNCIATIONS

62 PLANT IN THE SPOTLIGHTPawpaw (Asimina triloba).

ON THE COVER: The spiky blooms of Baptisia ‘Carolina Moonlight’ contrast with the globe-shapedflowers of Allium aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’ and A. ‘Gladiator’. Photograph by Rob CardilloS

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F E A T U R E S

18 DAFFODILS: REGIONAL PROVEN PERFORMERSBY MARY LOU GRIPSHOVER

Experts from the American Daffodil Society share their recom-mendations for cultivars that will thrive in different regions ofNorth America.

24 A PLANT SHAPE PRIMER BY RAND B. LEE

For the design-impaired, here’s how to combine plants with dif-ferent shapes effectively in the garden.

28 OREGON’S PLANT GEEK EXTRAORDINAIRE BY KIM POKORNY

Running a trend-setting nursery, globe-trotting in search of newplants, writing horticultural references, and designing gardensare all in a day’s work for Sean Hogan.

34 RETHINKING THE ROSE GARDEN BY PATRICIA A. TAYLOR

Roses that require chemical coddling need not apply to the newlyrestored Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at the New YorkBotanical Garden.

40 GARDEN SECRETS BY SUSAN MORRISON AND REBECCA SWEET

Using vertical gardening techniques can reduce the visual impactof unattractive landscape features.

D E P A R T M E N T S

page 18page 18

4 the American Gardener

Board of DirectorsCHAIR Harry A. Rissetto, Esq. Falls Church, Virginia

F IRST VICE CHAIRMAN Don E. Riddle, Jr. Davidsonville, Maryland

SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN Mary Pat Matheson Atlanta, GeorgiaSECRETARY Leslie Ariail Alexandria, Virginia

TREASURER J. Landon Reeve, IV Woodbine, MarylandIMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Susie Usrey Dayton, OregonEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Henrietta Burke Alexandria, Virginia

Sandra Address Chevy Chase, Maryland ■ Allan M. Armitage Athens, Georgia ■ Amy Bolton Falls Church, VirginiaJane Diamantis McDonald, Tennessee ■ Gay Estes Houston, Texas ■ Carole Hofley Wilson, Wyoming

Margaret Kulp Louisville, Kentucky ■ Jack Lowry Phoenix, Maryland ■ Shirley Nicolai Ft. Washington, Maryland

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Tom Underwood

PRESIDENT EMERITUS Katy Moss Warner

AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Making America a Nation of Gardeners, a Land of Gardens

President’s CouncilCHAMPION’S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Kulp, Jr.

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE Anonymous ■ Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Bluemel ■ Mr. and Mrs. George Diamantis ■ Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Farrell ■ Mr.

and Mrs. Harry A. Rissetto ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Smith, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. W. Bruce Usrey

LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY CIRCLE Mrs. Leslie S. Ariail ■ Ms. Judy Daniel ■ Trish and Cam Gibson ■ Mr. and Mrs. J. Landon Reeve, IV ■ Ms.

Katy Moss Warner ■ Mr. and Mrs. Klaus Zech

HAUPT CIRCLE Mrs. Sandra L. Address ■ Mrs. Lynda A. Bachman ■ Nancy J. Becker, M.D. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bogle ■ Ms. Amy

Bolton ■ Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Burke, III ■ Mr. James R. Cargill, II ■ Mrs. Elisabeth C. Dudley ■ Mr. and Mrs. Carl Estes ■ Mr. and Mrs.

Don W. Godsey ■ Dr. and Mrs. William O. Hargrove ■ Mrs. Carole S. Hofley ■ Mrs. Shirley Ann Nicolai ■ Mr. David D. Parrish

COUNCIL MEMBER’S CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. Robert Baillie ■ Mr. and Mrs. Carter Bales ■ Mrs. Katherine Belk ■ Mrs. George P. Bissell, Jr. ■

Mr. and Mrs. C. William Black ■ Dr. Sherran Blair ■ Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. Bradshaw ■ Mrs. Barbara O. David ■ Mrs. Julie Ernest ■ Ms.

Inger Fair ■ Dr. and Mrs. John A. Floyd, Jr. ■ Mrs. Carolyn V. Foil ■ Ms. Marguerite Peet Foster ■ Ms. Joyce W. Godsey ■ Ms. Amy Goldman

■ Mr. and Mrs. Joel Goldsmith ■ Mrs. Joan Goltzman ■ Mr. Gerald T. Halpin ■ Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Hanselman ■ Mr. Edwin L.

Heminger ■ Mr. Paul A. and Mrs. Nancy B. Hess ■ Ms. Nancy Hockstad ■ Mrs. Elizabeth Hooff ■ Mr. Philip Huey ■ Mrs. Marta J. Lawrence

■ Mrs. Carolyn M. Lindsay ■ Ms. JoAnn Luecke ■ Mr. and Mrs. Bob J. MacLean ■ Ms. Melissa Marshall ■ Mrs. Dorothy Marston ■ Mrs.

Carol C. Morrison ■ Mr. and Mrs. James R. Moxley, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. James T. Norman ■ Mr. Michael Panas ■ Mrs. Jeanne Otis Shields

■ Mr. Harold Stahly ■ Mr. Arnold Steiner ■ Dr. and Mrs. Steven M. Still ■ Mr. Howard McK. Tucker and Ms. Megan Evans ■ Mr. and

Mrs. Tom Underwood ■ Mr. Joe Viar ■ Ms. Angela M. Vikesland ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Volk ■ Mr. and Mrs. Dennis White ■ Mr. and

Mrs. Harvey C. White ■ Mr. and Mrs. John W.White, Sr. ■ Ms. Jill Yates

HONORARY PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL Ms. Louise Fruehling* ■ Mrs. Enid Haupt* ■ Mrs. John A. Lutz* ■ Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Miller*

*In memoriam

Corporate MembersBonnie Plants ■ The Care of Trees ■ Chapel Valley Landscape Company ■ The Espoma Company

Furbish Company ■ Homestead Gardens ■ Kurt Bluemel, Inc. ■ Monrovia ■ Osmocote

Horticultural PartnersAmerica in Bloom Symposium & Awards Program ■ Bellingrath Gardens and HomeColonial Williamsburg Foundation Garden Symposium ■ Cox Arboretum MetroPark

Garden Centers of America ■ The Gardeners of America/Men’s Garden Clubs of AmericaGreat Gardens and Landscaping Symposium ■ The Homestead in the Garden Symposium

Inniswood Garden Society ■ Morris Arboretum ■ Oklahoma Botanical Garden & Arboretum

How and when to groweverything you want inyour own kitchen garden•Advice on planning, setting up, anddesigning your garden

•Expert, earth-friendly techniques forsuccessfully growing and harvestingherbs, fruits, and vegetables

•Suggestions on the best crop varieties for different regions

•A season-by-season guide forbringing the freshest fruits, herbs,

and vegetables from garden to plate

NEW from the AmericanHorticultural Society

A season-by-seasonguide to a sustainable

kitchen garden

Available wherever books are sold.To view an excerpt from the book,

visit www.ahs.org.

ALSO INCLUDES…

•Handy charts that tell you when tosow seeds and harvest different vegetables

•Resource list and glossary

•More than 300 color photographsthroughout

Hardcover, $32.50 304 pages

http://www.amazon.com/Homegrown-Harvest-Season-Season-Sustainable/dp/1845335600/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299786304&sr=1-1

5March / April 2011

THE GARDENING world is abuzz—spring is around the corner! As gar-dening activities ramp up across the country, the coming weeks will be fullof opportunities to check out new varieties at garden centers, attend work-

shops, visit public gardens, or exchange tips with fellow plant enthusiasts. What-ever spring means to you, we hope it is full of rewarding gardening experiences.

At our River Farm headquarters, one of the first signs of spring is witch hazel burst-ing into bloom. In addition to watching the gardens awaken after a long winter, RiverFarm is very much on ourminds these days for otherreasons. Our “By theFoot” fundraising cam-paign for the much neededinfrastructure improve-ments at our headquartersis well under way. Withthis effort, our membersand friends can support afoot or yard of the pipe andcable necessary for us tocomplete critical upgradesto our water, sewer, andcommunications systems.

“Synergy” is an overusedword, but it aptly describesthe close connection between our River Farm headquarters and the mission of theAHS. River Farm is a laboratory for innovative and sustainable gardening practices.Our children’s garden gets field-tested daily. The various gardens and notableplants—as well as the wildlife they support—are an inspiration for our visitors, vol-unteers, and staff. Plus, River Farm’s proximity to historic Mount Vernon makes iteasily accessible to the thousands of visitors who each year drive down the GeorgeWashington Memorial Parkway to visit our first president’s home.

Over the course of its long history, the American Horticultural Society has beena trusted source of the best horticultural knowledge on a national level. AcquiringRiver Farm in the 1970s added an exciting new dimension to what the Society couldoffer, and today the property remains a vital part of our work. Help us prepare fora bright future by becoming a supporter of our “By the Foot” campaign. Detailson how to join us in this important effort may be found on page 2.

Also in this issue you’ll find advice on the best daffodils for your region, an in-troduction to a West Coast plantsman who is making his mark on American hor-ticulture, and an inside look at how the New York Botanical Garden is takingsustainable rose growing to a new level. And we would like to draw particular at-tention to the winners of our 2011 AHS awards (see page 14)—we are so pleasedand proud to be able to honor these outstanding individuals and organizations thatare making our world a better place.

Enjoy, and…happy spring!

Harry Rissetto, Chair, AHS Board of DirectorsTom Underwood, Executive Director

CNOTES FROM RIVER FARM CONTACTS FORAHS PROGRAMS,MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS &DEPARTMENTS

For general information about your membership,call (800) 777-7931. Send change of addressnotifications to our membership department at7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA22308. If your magazine is lost or damaged inthe mail, call the number above for a replace-ment. Requests for membership informationand change of address notification can also bee-mailed to [email protected].

THE AMERICAN GARDENER To submit a letter tothe editor of The American Gardener, write toThe American Gardener, 7931 East BoulevardDrive, Alexandria, VA 22308, or send an e-mailto [email protected].

DEVELOPMENT To make a gift to the AmericanHorticultural Society, or for information abouta donation you have already made, call (800)777-7931 ext. 127.

E-NEWSLETTER To sign up for our monthly e-newsletter, visit www.ahs.org.

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM The AHS offers intern-ships in communications, horticulture, andyouth programs. For information, send an e-mail to [email protected]. Information andapplication forms can also be found in theRiver Farm area of www.ahs.org.

NATIONAL CHILDREN & YOUTH GARDEN SYMPOSIUM For information about the Soci-ety’s annual National Children & Youth Gar-den Symposium, call (800) 777-7931 ext.132 or visit the Youth Gardening section ofwww.ahs.org.

RECIPROCAL ADMISSIONS PROGRAM The AHSReciprocal Admissions Program offers membersfree admission and other discounts to more than250 botanical gardens and other horticulturaldestinations throughout North America. A list ofparticipating gardens can be found in the Mem-bership area of www.ahs.org. For more infor-mation, call (800) 777-7931 ext. 119.

RIVER FARM The AHS headquarters at RiverFarm is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays year-round (except Federal holidays), and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays from April through September.Admission is free. For information about events,rentals, and directions, visit the River Farm sec-tion of www.ahs.org.

TRAVEL STUDY PROGRAM Visit spectacular pri-vate and public gardens around the worldthrough the Society’s acclaimed Travel StudyProgram. For information about upcomingtrips, call (800) 627-6621, send an e-mail [email protected], or visit the TravelStudy section of www.ahs.org.

WEBSITE: www.ahs.org The AHS website is avaluable source of information about the Soci-ety’s programs and activities. To access themembers-only section of the website, the username is garden and the password is ahs2011.

Witch hazels in early spring bloom at River Farm

http://www.ahs.org/events/travel_study.htm

http://www.ahs.org/river_farm/index.htm

http://www.ahs.org/events/reciprocal_events.htm

http://www.ahs.org/youth_gardening/index.htm

https://ahs.securedonation.org/renewal/form?jid=EC0182&source=A11WZZD&vid=1

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CREATIVE TRAINING FOR VINES Maya Manny, an AHS member and artistfrom San Rafael, California, sent us this tipfor creating decorative supports for vines.

Tired of using dangling strings, sticks,and other unsightly aids for climbingplants, I started fashioning decorativesupports attached to a six-foot cedarfence in my garden. Using recycled cordand twine, I created supports in theshape of a spider web and a sunrise.

For the spider web, I started with alarge outer circle of twine, then attachedlines of twine radiating out from a small-er circle placed inside. Once this was inplace, I added a couple more circles to fillout the web. I secured the upper ends ofthe radial lines to the top of the fence withnails, and the lower ends to the groundwith wire hoops or stakes. For the sunriseshape, I attached the radial lines to a thin

wire frame that forms the base of the sun-rise—the wire frame is held by tacks ham-mered into the bottom rail of the fence.

I’ve used these shapes to support vinessuch as morning glory (Ipomoea spp.),

clematis, and Carolina jessamine (Gel-semium sempervirens), but they are suitablefor almost any small to medium-size vines.It takes only a little initial training to getthe vines attached to the strings.

Maya MannySan Rafael, California

CORRECTIONThe article on cutting-edge trees in theJanuary/February 2011 issue contained anerroneous reference to a Magnolia yuyua-nensis growing in Overland Park, Kansas.Thanks to Patrick Muir, a Master Gar-dener from Merriam, Kansas, who alert-ed us to the mistake. This tree is tootender to survive the winters there. �

CMEMBERS’ FORUM

PLEASE WRITE US! Address letters to Editor, TheAmerican Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive,Alexandria, VA 22308. Send e-mails [email protected] (note Letter to Editor in subject line).Letters we print may be edited for length and clarity.

Maya Manny’s spider-web-inspired trellisingprovides support for clematis in her garden.


http://www.ahs.org/youth_gardening/national_youth_garden_symposium.htm


For more information about upcoming tours in the AHS Travel Study Program, please contact our travel partner,MacNair Travel: • E-mail: [email protected] • Call: (866) 627-6621 • Visit: www.ahs.org

THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURALSOCIETY TRAVEL STUDY PROGRAM2011 TOURS

Gardens and Innovation: Chicagoland and RockfordAugust 17–21, 2011with AHS Host Katy Moss Warner and AHS Tour Escort Maren Seubert■ Discover the horticultural abundance that the Chicago area offersduring this tour of the innovative gardens that have contributed to thegreening of Chicago. Among these are the Lurie Gardens in Chicago’sMillennium Park, the world-renowned Chicago Botanic Garden, andGarfield Park Conservatory. We will also visit several stunning privategardens, award-winning gardens in Rockford, Illinois, and the trialgardens at Ball Horticultural Company’s headquarters.

Castles and Gardens of Bohemia and MoraviaSeptember 25–October 6, 2011with AHS Host Kurt Bluemel and Tour Escort Harriet Landseer of Specialtours■ We begin this trip to the Czech Republic in the capital city ofPrague, renowned for its castles and cathedrals. From there we willventure to the historic and picturesque regions of Bohemia andMoravia. Experience a wealth of gardens in styles ranging from formalItalianate, Renaissance, and Baroque to Neo-classical and modern—including several 20th-century gardens created by visionary designers.

The Loire Valley and the Festival at the Domaine de CoursonMay 5–14, 2011with AHS Host Jane Diamantis and Tour Escort Susie Orso of Specialtours■ Explore the beautiful and storied Loire Valley in northwestern France inspringtime. This exclusive tour will provide entrée to some of the finestprivately-owned historic châteaus and gardens, including Château deCheverny, Château de Chenonceau, and the inspirational ornamentalpotager at Villandry. For the grand finale, we will enjoy the international“Journées des Plantes” festival at the Domaine de Courson, south of Paris.

Onlya few spaces

remain for thistrip! Make your

reservationstoday!


http://www.ahs.org/events/travel_study.htm

http://ahs.org/events/travel_study_pdf/11/110817_Brochure.pdf


http://ahs.org/events/travel_study_pdf/11/110505_brochure.pdf

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News from the AHSMarch / April 2011

PROGRAMS • EVENTS • ANNOUNCEMENTS

A NATIONAL CHAMPION AT RIVER FARMIT’S OFFICIAL! The nation’s largest Osage orange tree (Maclura pomifera), accordingto the National Register of Big Trees coordinated by American Forests, is now at theAmerican Horticultural Society’s River Farm headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. Theformer record holder was at Red Hill, Patrick Henry’s home in Brookneal, Virginia.

The potential champion status of the tree was first recognized by Jeff Kirwan, au-thor of Remarkable Trees of Virginia. While touring River Farm in 2009 during a book-signing, Kirwan was struck by the size of the Osage orange, and he encouraged theAHS staff to submit the tree’s measurements to the American Forest’s Register.

With the help of the AHS’s corporate member The Care of Trees, a tree care com-pany responsible for the maintenance of all trees at River Farm, the Osage orange’scircumference was determined to be almost seven inches larger than the previouschampion’s, according to the Register.

Champions are determined based on a formula that includes circumference,height, and crown spread. River Farm’s Osage orange measured 58 feet tall and morethan 90 feet in crown spread. Arborists estimate the tree is at least 200 years old, butso far no records have been found to indicate how the tree, which is not native to themid-Atlantic region, took root at River Farm.

“The Osage orange adds a unique historic and horticultural element to RiverFarm,” says River Farm Horticulturist James Gagliardi. “A lot of people in urbanareas don’t have the opportunity to see large trees such as this, so to have it here in apublic setting is a very special thing.” For more on the National Register of Big Trees,visit the American Forests website (www.americanforests.org).

T h e A m e r i c a n

GARDENEREDITOR

David J. EllisMANAGING EDITOR AND ART DIRECTOR

Mary YeeASSOCIATE EDITOR

Viveka NevelnEDITORIAL INTERN

Terra-Nova SadowskiCONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Rita PelczarCONTRIBUTING WRITER

Carole Ottesen

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

CHAIR Richard E. BirBrevard, North Carolina

Allan M. ArmitageAthens, Georgia

Nina L. BassukIthaca, New York

Steve BenderBirmingham, Alabama

John E. BryanSan Francisco, California

Panayoti KelaidisDenver, Colorado

Richard W. LightyKennett Square, Pennsylvania

Elvin McDonaldWest Des Moines, Iowa

CONTACT US The American Gardener7931 East Boulevard DriveAlexandria, VA 22308(703) 768-5700

EDITORIAL E-MAIL: [email protected]

ADVERTISING & E-MAIL: [email protected]

PARTNERSHIPS

The American Gardener (ISSN 1087-9978) is published bimonth-ly (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, Septem-ber/October, November/December) by the American HorticulturalSociety, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308-1300,(703) 768-5700. Membership in the Society includes a subscrip-tion to The American Gardener. Annual dues are $35; two years,$60. International dues are $50. $10 of annual dues goes towardmagazine subscription. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Vir-ginia, and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please sendForm 3579 to The American Gardener, 7931 East Boulevard Drive,Alexandria, VA 22308-1300.

Botanical nomenclature is based on The American HorticulturalSociety A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, on A Synonymized Check-list of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada and Greenlandand on the Royal Horticultural Society Index of Garden Plants. Opinionsexpressed in the articles are those of the authors and are not necessar-ily those of the Society. Manuscripts, artwork, and photographs sent forpossible publication will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed,stamped envelope. We cannot guarantee the safe return of unsolicitedmaterial. Back issues are available at $8 per copy.

Copyright ©2011 by the American Horticultural Society.

Printed in the U.S.A.

The majestic Osage orange tree at River Farm is now the National Champion.



www.americanforests.org

SPRING GARDEN MARKET IN APRIL ONE OF THE mid-Atlantic region’s can’t-miss events, the AHS’sSpring Garden Market at River Farm offers a wide selection of

plants and unique gardengoods. The sale kicks off onThursday April 14 with anAHS members-only previewsale from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.,then continues on April 15 and16 for the public. Shoppers canbrowse the wares of vendorsfrom across the region whowill be selling everything fromnative plants to trees, shrubs,vines, fruits, vegetables, andherbs. In addition to theplants, garden art, tools, ap-parel, books, and more will beavailable from vendors and inthe AHS Garden Shop.

For the event, parking is$3 (it’s free for AHS mem-bers who show a current

membership card or this issue of The American Gardener). Pro-ceeds of the sale will support the stewardship of River Farm.For more information and directions to River Farm, visitwww.ahs.org or call (703) 768-5700.

NATIONAL YOUTH GARDEN SYMPOSIUMTWO DYNAMIC speakers will give the keynote presentationsat this year’s 19th annual AHS National Children & Youth Gar-

den Symposium, “Digging Into the Art andScience of Gardening,” taking place July 21through 23 in Michigan. John Fraser of theInstitute for Learning Innovation will givethe opening keynote. Fraser is a conserva-tion psychologist known for his work in-vestigating how childhood experiences innatural environments influence attitudesand beliefs in adulthood. The symposiumwill wrap up with words of wisdom fromJane Taylor, the founder and first curatorof the 4-H Children’s Garden at Michigan

State University (MSU), who is widely regarded as a pioneer inthe children’s garden movement.

During the symposium, participants will enjoy behind-the-scenes tours of the two co-hosts: the MSU 4-H Children’sGarden and the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.Other highlights will include educational sessions, hands-onworkshops, poster sessions, and ample opportunities for net-working and sharing program success stories.

“This is the event of the year for anyone who is passionateabout involving children and youth in gardening,” saysStephanie Jutila, director of AHS Member Programs and Out-reach. For more information, visit www.ahs.org/ncygs.L

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9March / April 2011

Gifts of Note

Mr. and Mrs. Marvin AddressAnonymousMr. and Mrs. Robert BaillieThe Care of Trees Mr. James R. Cargill, IIMrs. Barbara O. DavidMrs. Elisabeth C. DudleyMr. and Mrs. Thomas FarrellDr. and Mrs. John A. Floyd, Jr.Ms. Nicole GagliardiMs. Amy GoldmanMr. and Mrs. Richard W. HanselmanDr. and Mrs. William O. HargroveMrs. Marta J. Lawrence

Mrs. Carolyn M. LindsayMs. JoAnn LueckeMs. Melissa MarshallDr. and Mrs. David E. MorrisonMr. and Mrs. Frank NicolaiOsmocoteMr. David D. ParrishMr. and Mrs. J. Landon Reeve, IVMr. and Mrs. Charles Henry Smith, Jr.Mr. Harold StahlyDr. and Mrs. Steven M. StillTerra Design Studios, LLCMr. and Mrs. Robert D. Volk

In Memory of Mr. John H. Ariail, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Norm Hofley

In memory of Kathy Jo Snyder MaddoxMs. Margaret C. Balcer

In memory of Florence G. TullidgeMr. and Mrs. Thomas Farrell

In Honor of the André Bluemel MeadowDr. and Mrs. Steven M. Still

In Honor of Sue GalvinMr. and Mrs. Carl Estes

In addition to vital support through membership dues, the American Horticultural Society relies on grants, bequests, and other gifts to support its programs. We would like to thank the following donors for gifts received between December 1, 2010 and January 31, 2011.

If you would like to support the American Horticultural Society as part of your estate planning, as a tribute to a loved one, or as part of your annual charitable giving plan, please contact Courtney Capstack, Development and Outreach Manager,

at (703) 768-5700 ext. 127 or [email protected].

A shopper at last year’s plant sale

Jane Taylor

www.ahs.org

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EXXONMOBIL GRANT FUNDS INTERNSHIPFOR THE FOURTH year, the ExxonMobil Community Sum-mer Jobs Program (CJSP) has granted the AHS funding for an in-ternship position at River Farm. CJSP, administered throughVolunteer Fairfax, will provide 60 such internships in the Wash-ington, D.C., area this summer. CJSP internships offer experiencein the non-profit sector to undergraduate students exploring ca-reer options, while organizations such as the AHS benefit fromenhanced opportunities to achieve their missions.

This year, the internship at River Farm will focus on memberprogram and outreach for the Society. The intern will assist inthe coordination of events and projects to help expand outreachefforts to gardeners nationwide.

HISTORIC GARDEN WEEK IN VIRGINIAAMERICA’S OLDEST and largest home and garden tour takesplace this spring from April 16 through 23 in Virginia. More thanthree dozen tours at over 250 properties are scheduled through-out all regions of the state. Besides highlighting horticultural as-pects of the sites, Historic Garden Week will allow participants

to experience both historic and contemporary architecture, art-work, and garden structures.

The AHS’s River Farm headquarters will be featured on thefirst day of tours. For a complete listing of tour sites, visit www.va-gardenweek.org. Tickets can be purchased in advance online, or atparticipating properties on the day of the tour. Proceeds will helpthe Garden Club of Virginia restore historic gardens and groundsthroughout the state. Since 1929, the organization has helped torestore gardens at more than 50 locations.

NEW AFFILIATE MEMBER PROGRAM STARTING IN March, the AHS is offering a new membershipoption called the Affiliate Member Program. This new programhas several levels designed for small organizations or companiesthat may not qualify for the corporate member level, but wouldstill benefit from a professional membership affiliation with theAHS. The program is designed to meet the needs of garden de-sign businesses, landscaping firms, nurseries, garden coaches,and other horticulture-related companies.

In addition to standard member benefits, the AffiliateMember Program offers a company listing on the AHS web-site and an AHS Affiliate certificate to display to customers.For information on how to involve your business in this newopportunity, e-mail [email protected], or call MarenSeubert at (703) 768-5700 ext. 132. �

News written by Editorial Intern Terra-Nova Sadowski.

AHS EVENTS AND PROGRAMS

2011CALENDAR

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events that aresponsored or co-sponsored by the AHS. Visit

www.ahs.org or call (703) 768-5700 for more information.

APR. 1 & 2. Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium.Manchester, Vermont.

APR. 10 & 11. Colonial Williamsburg Garden Symposium.Williamsburg, Virginia.

APR. 14–16. Spring Garden Market. River Farm, Alexandria, Virginia.(Note: AHS Members-only preview sale is Thursday, April 14.)

APR. 16–23. Historic Garden Week in Virginia.

MAY 5–14. The Loire Valley and the Festival of the Domaine de Courson. AHS Travel Study Program. Loire Valley, France.

MAY 7. Smithsonian Garden Fest/National Public Garden Day.Washington, D.C.

JUNE 9. Great American Gardeners Awards Ceremony and Banquet.River Farm, Alexandria, Virginia.

JULY 21–23. National Children & Youth Garden Symposium.East Lansing and Grand Rapids, Michigan.

AUG. 17–21. AHS Travel Study Trip: Gardens and Innovation.Chicagoland and Rockford, Illinois.

AUG. 19–21. The Homestead’s 13th Annual “In the Garden with theExperts” Symposium. Hot Springs, Virginia.

SEPT. 24. AHS Annual Gala. River Farm, Alexandria, Virginia.

SEPT. 25–OCT. 6. Castles and Gardens of Bohemia and Moravia.AHS Travel Study Program. Czech Republic.

OCT. 6–8. America in Bloom Symposium and Awards.Washington, D.C.

Among the gardens on the tour will be the Grace Arents Garden at theLewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond.

www.vagardenweek.org


http://www.pyours.com/symposium

http://www.history.org/history/institute/institute_about.cfm

http://www.americainbloom.org/Symposium-and-Awards/Award-Ceremonies.aspx

http://www.thehomestead.com/


http://ahs.org/events/travel_study_pdf/11/110505_brochure.pdf



http://gardens.si.edu/gardenfest/

http://www.vagardenweek.org/

http://www.ahs.org/river_farm/events.htm

Kenneth W. AndersonAnonymousRitalyn K. ArpsLawrence D. BarlowJudith BenderLois G. BenjaminTina Talbott BlackwellDr. & Mrs. William BodenDr. and Mrs. Peter BoerGregory J. Bookhultz, C. P. H.Cindy BroomeAlice Cary BrownMs. Petra BurkeWilliam BurnhamAllen Bush and Rose CooperMargaret Hodges ButlerWayne & Anne ByrdKathleen ByrnesGlory M. CaldwellPeter J. Callnan, CPACamelot Garden ClubBetsy CarboPaula B. ChipmanMr. Will ClattenburgLisa CoakleyGianne Conard,

in memory of George WallaceTorrey Matheson CookeIrene C. DavisIrene DayPeter Deahl, Fine PruningMrs. Dawn DentonChuck Du ValMichelle EckartMr. Robert Fennell

Dr. Margaret FilbertLinda & Bob FiscusMs. Anne FogleGardens RememberedHeidi C. GarmanTrish and Cam GibsonMs. Peggy GriffithMr. Bill HaggardG. T. & H. R. HalpinMrs. E. Phillips HathawayHayes Family FundMichael R. HelselKaren LeCraft HendersonV. Janet HollangerMr. McDonald HorneA. C. and Penny HubbardMerrill JensenJim JohnsonPhil & Liz JohnsonMrs. Sandra KapetanakisAnn & Mark KingtonVirginia Anne KortewegMr. Julius KuseyR. A. LanciaultMs. Elaine and Mr. W. David LeeBonnie LilleyJohn & Carol LittleTim & Zenny LogueKay E. B. MacNeilRuth Holje ManueleMr. & Mrs. Malcolm Matheson, IIIMr. S. Charles MeltonMr. and Mrs. William A. MorrillMarcia S. MortonDonna L. Nelson

In memoriam Dr. Molly NettoMs. Susan O’ConnorPennsylvania Perlite CorporationHarriet and Edward PurtellJoan F. RiceMrs. William C. Ridgeway, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Alexander RoeReginald & Dolores RoseKeith RustemeyerDr. Randall Lee SaxonLinda SchweitzerMartha S. SeamanRuth-Marie Putnam SmithMelvin StarrMartin V. Steed, Jr.John J. SzczechKevin TatreauColonel B. D. TaylorDr. R. Dale ThomasJoy Reynolds ThompsonSusan ThomsonRegina von SchriltzJudith S. WatersRosa WatkinsMs. Jamia Weeks

The American Horticultural Society is grateful to all who help advance our mission through financial,in-kind, and volunteer support. We would like to express special thanks to the following donors whoincreased their annual contributions through a special donation to the 2010 River Farm Annual Fund.

2010 HONOR ROLL OFANNUAL FUND

Thank you!

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AHS MEMBERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Honey Barnekoff

HO N E Y B A R N E K O F F may beone of the few people who can saythey enjoyed spending time in

prison. While serving as the first—and, tothis point, only—female president of the

Gardeners of Amer-ica/Men’s GardenClubs of America(TGOA/MGCA)in 2004, Barnekoffstarted GardeningFrom the Heart, aprogram designedto teach inmates ata correctional facili-

ty near her home inOverland Park, Kansas, how to garden.

“It’s a population that most peoplewould like to forget about, but about 80to 90 percent of those inmates are goingto come back out, and they’re going tohave to have mended their ways andlearned a useful trade,” says Barnekoff.

Gardening From the Heart was orga-nized under the local Arts in Prison pro-gram, which offers inmates instruction inthe fine arts. However, there were nolessons relating to gardening, so Barnekoffand five other TGOA/MGCA membersstarted giving lessons in classrooms andgreenhouses. The inmates created a watergarden, beautified the grounds, andmaintained a vegetable garden for thepenitentiary’s kitchen.

“I loved being in there with the in-mate,” says Barnekoff. “They would get soexcited about gardening and would dragme all over the place to show me what theywere doing.” Some former inmates havesince pursued careers in the green industry.

FORGING A CONNECTION WITH THE AHSAnother accomplishment of Barnekoff ’spresidency was the development of a part-nership between the TGOA/MGCA andthe AHS. As part of the relationship, AHS

members can enter the garden club group’sphotography contest and the two organi-zations promote each other’s major events.

As an AHS member herself for the lastdecade, Barnekoff is particularly fond ofthe Reciprocal Admissions Program(RAP), which gives AHS members at par-ticipating gardens free admission and otherdiscounts. Instead of flying to last year’sTGOA/MGCA conference in GrandRapids, Michigan, she drove so she couldvisit RAP gardens along the way. “Thejourney to Michigan was just as eventful asthe conference itself,” she says.

When she isn’t visiting public gardens,Barnekoff offers tours of her own largegarden where she grows lilies and manyother plants. She also enjoys hosting hergrandchildren and hopes they will cometo share her love for gardening. �

Terra-Nova Sadowski is an editorial internwith The American Gardener.

by Terra-Nova Sadowski

Honey Barnekoff

www.espoma.com

http://tgoa-mgca.org/

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13March / April 2011

MANY HORTICULTURAL com-panies today are developingand promoting natural prod-

ucts. For the ecologically minded, this ismaking it easier than ever to achieve greatgarden results while being earth-friendly.However, there are so many options, andso many definitions of the term “natural,”that it can be difficult to tell which com-panies are genuinely embracing sustain-able gardening practices. One companythat’s justifiably proud of its green com-mitment is Espoma Company, headquar-tered in Millville, New Jersey.

“We believe ‘natural’ is best defined assomething that is derived from nature andhas not been materially altered by hu-mans,” explains Espoma Vice PresidentJeremy Brunner. He is the fourth genera-tion owner of Espoma, and after 14 yearsin the business, he is still coming up withinnovative new products and other waysto reflect the company’s commitment toenvironmental responsibility.

A NATURAL ADVANTAGEEstablished in 1929, Espoma became wellknown in the 1940s thanks to its plantfood, Holly-tone®. This was the first prod-uct on the market specifically designed foracid-loving plants such as azaleas, camel-lias, blueberries, and hydrangeas. Today,

Espoma offers 50 differ-ent products rangingfrom plant foods andpotting mixes to pesti-cides and soil condi-tioners. All are madefrom natural, organic-based ingredients, in-cluding bone meal,pasteurized poultry ma-

nure, alfalfa meal, and minerals such asgypsum and greensand.

These ingredients offer a number ofadvantages compared with those com-monly found in synthetic products. Forexample, conventional fertilizers such as

urea and ammonium sulfate are notori-ous for quickly leaching into waterways.The components of Espoma’s plantfoods release their nutrients slowly sothey are less likely to be washed out ofthe soil. They also “help improve soilsby encouraging biological activity andadding humus,” says Brunner.

Brunner is particularly excited aboutEspoma’s new potting mixes containingmycorrhizal inoculants—fungi that devel-op a symbiotic relationship with plantroots to increase overall nutrient absorp-tion. Initial sales reflect a definite enthusi-asm for these enhanced mixes, whichembrace soil ecology rather than ignore it.

WALKING THE WALK“As a company that supplies environ-mentally responsible products, we feel weneed to be true to that philosophy acrossour business,” says Brunner. One com-ponent of this, adds Brunner, is to “sup-port organizations that work to promotegardening at all levels [and] promote nat-ural and sustainable gardening.” For thisreason, Espoma became a corporatemember of the AHS in 2009, and has re-

cently developed collaborations with theNational Gardening Association, theAmerican Nursery & Landscape Associ-ation, and Garden Centers of America.

Another manifestation of Espoma’s en-vironmental philosophy is its commitmentto renewable energy. As of December 2010,its manufacturing facility and office head-quarters are completely powered byrooftop solar panels. “Solar energy createsno greenhouse gases and does not rely oneither domestic or imported fuels for gen-eration,” says Brunner. “In short, it’s goodfor the company, the environment, and thecountry to switch to clean solar energy.”

The greening of the horticultural in-dustry is an important step towards creat-ing a sustainable future. Since Espoma’sinception, the company’s products andphilosophy have always made this a prior-ity. From converting its facilities to solarpower to innovative products that workwith nature instead of fight it, Espoma issetting a high standard for other compa-nies in the green industry. �

Terra-Nova Sadowski is an editorial internwith The American Gardener.

AHS CORPORATE MEMBER IN PROFILE

Espoma Company: Committed to Natural Garden Productsby Terra-Nova Sadowski

Solar panels on Espoma’s facilities occupy roughly a square acre and power all its operations.

http://www.espoma.com/


CAHS NEWS SPECIAL

AHS 2011 Great American Gardeners National Award Winners

THE AMERICAN HORTI-

CULTURAL SOCIETY isproud to announce the distin-guished recipients of the Society’s2011 Great American GardenersAwards. Individuals, organiza-tions, and businesses who receivethese national awards representthe best in American gardening.Each has contributed significant-ly to fields such as plant research,garden communication, land-scape design, youth gardening,teaching, and floral design. Weapplaud their passionate commit-ment to American gardening andtheir outstanding achievementswithin their areas of expertise.

The 2011 awards will be pre-sented on June 9 during theGreat American GardenersAwards Ceremony and Banquetat River Farm, the AHS’s head-quarters in Alexandria, Virginia.For more information, or to reg-ister to attend the ceremony, visitwww.ahs.org/awards or call (703)768-5700 ext. 132.

LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY AWARDGiven to an individual who has made sig-nificant lifetime contributions to at leastthree of the following horticultural fields:teaching, research, communications, plantexploration, administration, art, business,and leadership.

THIS YEAR’S recipient of the AHS’s most prestigious award is Richard E.Bir, Extension Horticulture Specialist Emeritus with North Carolina State

University (NCSU) in Fletcher. During his25-year tenure with NCSU, Bir worked withcounty agents and nurserymen to evaluate,select, and grow better plants for the land-scape, focusing primarily on shrubs andtrees. Prior to this, Bir was an Extension hor-ticulturist in Florida from 1972 to 1979.While there, Bir earned several national andstate Extension awards for his work, includ-ing best radio program.

Over the course of his career, Bir has beeninfluential in increasing public awareness ofAmerican native plants and making themmore available through mainstream markets.In particular, he was instrumental in establish-ing and guiding the development of the Cul-

lowhee Native Plant Conference. Since its debut in 1984, this annual event hasbecome the foremost native plant conference in North America.

Bir’s 1992 book, Growing and Propagating Showy Native Woody Plants (Universi-ty of North Carolina Press) is still considered a classic. A popular speaker, he hasmade presentations about native plants throughout North America and writtennumerous articles for popular, academic, and trade publications. In recent years,Bir has served as a consultant for the Southern Highlands Reserve in western NorthCarolina, dedicated to the native plants of the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Bir has been the recipient of many horticultural awards, including the ArthurHoyt Scott Medal and Award from the Scott Arboretum in Swarthmore, Penn-sylvania in 2006. In 2008, he received the International Award of Honor from theInternational Plant Propagators Society.

www.ahs.org/awards

LUTHER BURBANK AWARDRecognizes extraordinary achievement in thefield of plant breeding.

Through his plant-breeding efforts, TomCarruth has helped transform the rose’s

reputation from thatof a fussy prima donnainto a tough, beautifulplant anyone cangrow. As director of re-search and marketingfor Weeks Roses inPomona, California, aposition he has held

since 1988, Carruth seeks out the bestamong proven older roses as well as intro-ducing new varieties, 11 of which have re-ceived the prestigious All-America RoseSelections Award (AARS), tying him withbreeder Keith Zary for most lifetimeAARS winners. The most recent is DickClark™ (‘Wekfunk’), this year’s winner.

PAUL ECKE JR. COMMERCIAL AWARDGiven to an individual or company whosecommitment to the highest standards of ex-cellence in the field of commercial horticul-ture contributes to the betterment ofgardening practices everywhere.

A partner in Wertheim, van der Ploeg, &Klemeyer, an architecture, landscape archi-

tecture, and planning firm in San Francis-co, California, Ernest Wertheim has beeninvolved in garden center design in NorthAmerica, Europe, South Africa, and Aus-tralia for more than 50 years. Wertheimwas instrumental in the formation of Gar-den Centers of America, a nonprofit tradeassociation, in 1972. As an active memberof that organization from its founding, hehas made major contributions to the suc-cessful planning and design of NorthAmerica’s independent garden centers.

G.B. GUNLOGSON AWARDRecognizes the innovative use of technologyto make home gardening more productiveand successful.

Edmund C. Snodgrass is president andfounder of Emory Knoll Farms, Inc., and

Green Roof Plants inStreet, Maryland—North America’s firstnursery specializingin plants for greenroofs and horticul-tural consulting. Thenursery has suppliedplants for more than

400 green roof projects throughout theUnited States and Canada. Snodgrasscollaborates on green roof research withacademic institutions including Pennsyl-vania State University, North CarolinaState University, and Michigan StateUniversity, and he advises public gardens,including the Singapore Botanic Gardenand the U.S. Botanic Garden, on greenroof installations. He has also co-au-thored two books about green roofs.

HORTICULTURAL THERAPY AWARDRecognizes significant contributions to thefield of horticultural therapy.

An international leader in the field of hor-ticultural therapy, Candice A. Shoemaker

is a professor of horti-culture and humanhealth at Kansas StateUniversity in Manhat-tan, and director ofthe university’s gradu-ate studies in horticul-tural therapy. In herresearch, Shoemaker

investigates the physical and psychologicalbenefits of gardening, with a focus on chil-dren and older adults. Her work has beenpublished in numerous journals, proceed-ings, and books, and she was editor-in-chief of Interaction by Design: BringingPeople and Plants Together for Health andWell-being (Wiley-Blackwell, 2002).Shoemaker is also the executive chair of thePeople Plant Council, an international or-ganization that promotes research andcommunications relating to the influenceplants have on human well-being andquality of life.

LANDSCAPE DESIGN AWARDGiven to an individual whose work hasdemonstrated and promoted the value ofsound horticultural practices in the field oflandscape architecture.

With more than 25 years in public gardendesign and master planning, W. Gary

Smith has distin-guished himself as alandscape architectwho celebrates plantsand the connectionsthey offer betweenpeople and nature.Working almost ex-clusively in botanic

gardens and arboreta, he strives to findecologically sustainable ways of makinggardens. His most recent projects includemaster planning and garden design forthe Southern Highlands Reserve; theTexas Arboretum at the Lady Bird John-son Wildflower Center; and the conser-vatory gardens at the John A. SibleyHorticultural Center at Callaway Gar-dens in Georgia.

MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARDRecognizes a past Board member or friend ofthe American Horticultural Society for out-standing service in support of the Society’sgoals, mission, and activities.

William E. Barrick served on the Soci-ety’s Board of Directors from 1991 to 2010,

including three yearsas chair. He lent hisexpertise to variouscommittees, mostnotably the AwardsCommittee, whichhe streamlined andstrengthened during adecade as its chair. For

the Society’s 75th anniversary in 1997, Bar-rick compiled 75 Great American GardenPlants, a book describing dependable, low-maintenance plants for a wide range ofgrowing zones. In 2004, he co-authoredthe AHS Southeast SMARTGARDEN Re-gional Guide. Barrick has been the execu-tive director of Bellingrath Gardens inAlabama since 1999. Prior to that, he wasexecutive vice president and director ofgardens at Callaway Gardens in PineMountain, Georgia, for nearly 20 years.P

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www.weeksroses.com

www.wvkdesign.com

www.greenroofplants.com

http://www.hfrr.ksu.edu/p.aspx?tabid=407&ItemID=383&mid=1724&staff_category=Faculty

http://www.wgarysmith.com/design

http://www.bellingrath.org

B. Y. MORRISON COMMUNICATIONAWARDRecognizes effective and inspirationalcommunication—through print, radio,television, and/or online media—that ad-vances public interest and participation inhorticulture.

North Carolina resident Joe Lamp’l is apublished author, syndicated columnist,

national television show host, and a Certi-fied Landscape Professional. He is the for-mer host of Fresh from the Garden on theDIY Network and GardenSMART onPBS. As founder and CEO of The joe gar-dener® Company, which provides eco-friendly gardening information, Lamp’lhosts and produces Growing a GreenerWorld, a television series that debuted in2010 focusing on sustainability issues withan emphasis on gardening. Growing aGreener World content is also sharedthrough a podcast series and blog.

PROFESSIONAL AWARDGiven to a public garden administratorwhose achievements during the course of hisor her career have cultivated widespread in-terest in horticulture.

Executive director of Pittsburgh’sPhipps Conservatory and Botanical

Gardens since 1994,Richard Piacentinihas led the institu-tion’s transformationinto a model of greenbuilding practicesand environmentalawareness. Sincebreaking ground on

the first LEED certified visitor center at

a United States public garden in 2003,Phipps has endeavored to “green” all of itsgardens, displays, programs, and opera-tions. Most recently, construction beganon a new Center for Sustainable Land-scapes that will comply with the world’shighest green building standards. Piacen-tini has also served as executive director ofthe Leila Arboretum Society in Michigan,as executive director of the Rhododen-dron Species Foundation in Washington,and assisted in the development of the Pa-cific Rim Bonsai Collection.

JANE L. TAYLOR AWARDGiven to an individual, organization, orprogram that has inspired and nurtured fu-ture horticulturists through efforts in chil-dren’s and youth gardening.

As a high school student in Great Barring-ton, Massachusetts, Sam Levin co-found-

ed Project Sprout, thefirst student-initiatedand student-run pub-lic school garden inthe country. Now inits fourth year, Pro-ject Sprout has in-spired many otherstudent-run gardens

in schools as nearby as a few miles, andas far away as Uganda. In this one-acre,organic, edible garden, students learneverything from how to grow food toleadership skills and handling responsi-bility. Levin has presented at dozens ofschools, inspiring other students to starttheir own school gardens. As a keynotespeaker at the AHS’s 2010 NationalChildren & Youth Gardening Sympo-sium in Pasadena, California, he im-pressed attendees with his engaging andpassionate presentation.

TEACHING AWARDGiven to an individual whose ability toshare his or her horticultural knowledgewith others has contributed to a better pub-lic understanding of the plant world and itsimportant influence on society.

Robert M. Olen is an Extension educa-tor for the University of Minnesota Ex-

tension Service in St.Louis County, Min-nesota. For 30 yearshe has focused oncold climate garden-ing and growingfruits and vegetables.Olen developed oneof the earliest Master

Gardener programs in Minnesota, whichcontinues to be one of the most estab-lished and successful programs in thestate. His work with commercial growershas emphasized local fruit and vegetableproduction and implementing ways toextend the growing season. Olen con-ducts a popular weekly call-in radioshow, hosts a locally produced PBS gar-dening show, and writes a monthly gar-dening feature for The Senior Reporter.

URBAN BEAUTIFICATION AWARDGiven to an individual, institution, orcompany for significant contributions tourban horticulture and the beautificationof American cities.

Douglas E. Hoerr is a Fellow of theAmerican Society of Landscape Archi-

tects and a Distin-guished Alumnus ofPurdue University,where he earned abachelor’s degree inLandscape Architec-ture in 1979. Sincethen, he has de-signed public and

private spaces that emphasize horticul-ture as a transformative element. Hoerrbrings to his work a deep understand-ing of spaces and the people who inhab-it them. One of his most notableprojects is his award-winning street-scape design for the medians alongChicago’s Michigan Avenue, which hasbecome a model for urban greening ini-tiatives everywhere. �


Nominations for 2012Help us give recognition to deserving“horticultural heroes” by nominatingsomeone you know for one of the 2012Great American Gardeners Awards. Todo so, visit our website (www.ahs.org)and click on “Awards” for more infor-mation, including a list of recipientsfrom past years.

http://www.joegardener.com

http://phipps.conservatory.org/

http://phipps.conservatory.org/

www.projectsprout.org

http://www.extension.umn.edu/

www.hoerrschaudt.com

www.ahs.org/awards


Armitage’s Vines and Climbers by Allan M. Armitage. TimberPress, Portland, Oregon.

“Allan Armitage has done it againwith this book; doing for vines whathe has been doing for herbaceousperennials for the past 20 years—giving clear, succinct informationgardeners can use and delivering itwith a dry wit,” notes Doug Green.“This is a clever and authoritativeguide to perhaps the most neglectedcategory of ornamental plants that isboth a pleasure to read and a refer-ence necessity,” says Scott Calhoun.

Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy. Sierra Club Books,San Francisco, California.

First published in 1982, thislandmark book was one of thefirst to demonstrate the ornamen-tal value of edible plants. “Therehasn’t been any other book thataddresses the subject of land-scaping with food plants as effec-tively as this one,” says SusanAppleget Hurst, “The new, updat-ed edition is still detailed andspecific enough for experiencedgardeners, but is even more ac-

cessible and inspiring for new gardeners.” In addition to itsoutstanding content, Brandy Kuhl feels that this edition is“beautifully designed with striking photography,” and high-lights edible gardening in all parts of the country, not just inthe author’s garden.

From Art to Landscape by W. Gary Smith. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon.

“Brimming with innovative de-sign ideas and inspiration, thisbook is excellently produced fromcover to cover,” says Kuhl. “Whata wonderfully fresh take on land-scape design that encourages theartist and garden designer toabandon notions of realism inorder to create exceptional pat-terns on canvas and soil,” saysCalhoun. “With beautiful art and

excellent writing, it’s a thoughtful book you can get lost inso deeply you won’t want to be found,” says Irene Virag.

Gardening for a Lifetime by Sydney Eddison. Timber Press,Portland, Oregon.

This memoir gives a practical yet po-etic perspective to gardening in thegolden years of life. “It resonatedwith me because gardening isn’t aseasy for me as it once was, and itmade me think about the advantagesof the experiences I have accumulat-ed,” says William Welch. However,Calhoun points out that it’s “not justa book for the AARP crowd. Her wisegleanings from a lifetime of garden-ing are equally useful to anyone with

limited time and energy for gardening.” Further adding to itsuniversal appeal, “even if you don’t garden, you can getsomething from this book,” says Virag. �

2011 AHS Book Award Winners

Each year, the American Horticultural Society recognizes outstanding gardening books publishedin North America with its annual Book Award. Nominated books are judged by the AHS Book

Award Committee on qualities such as writing style, authority, accuracy, and physical qual-ity. This year’s four recipients, selected from books published in 2010, are listed below.

The 2011 Book Award Committee was chaired by Scott Calhoun, a garden designer andauthor based in Tucson, Arizona. Other committee members were Brandy Kuhl, head librari-an at the Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture in San Francisco, California; DougGreen, a garden writer and online media entrepreneur based in Stella, Ontario; Susan Appleget

Hurst, a garden communicator in Winterset, Iowa; Greg Williams, producer of HortIdeas newslet-ter in Gravel Switch, Kentucky; Irene Virag, a former Newsday writer who won a Pulitzer Prize and

lives in Fort Salonga, New York; and William Welch, a professor and Extension specialist at TexasA&M University in College Station and author of several garden books.

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FOR MANY of us, daffodils are theflower of spring, the flower ofhope, the flower that says, “Yes,

winter is over.” They also belong to one ofthe few plant genera that gardeners in allregions of the United States can grow suc-cessfully. Mind you, that’s not to say thatall daffodils will grow in all regions, butthere are some daffodils that will grow inall regions; it’s just a matter of selecting theones that will thrive where you live.

Daffodils (Narcissus spp.) are amongthe easiest plants to grow, which makes

them a great choice for beginning gar-deners and for introducing children togardening. For more experienced gar-deners, this large, diverse genus offersplenty of opportunities to explore waysto use them creatively in garden design orto experiment with breeding their ownunique selections.

Another great reason to grow daf-fodils: Deer don’t eat them. Neither dosquirrels, moles, voles, rabbits, or anyother critters. And once planted, thebulbs can remain in the same location for

many years and will continue to increase,or perennialize.

DAFFODIL CLASSIFICATIONDaffodils have been separated into 13 di-visions based on flower form. The systemis too detailed to be outlined in this arti-cle, but for those who are interested, afull description of the classification sys-tem will be provided through a link tothis article on the AHS website(www.ahs.org).

In general, the cyclamineus hybrids inDivision 6 and the trumpet daffodils inDivision 1 bloom early in the season.Short-cupped daffodils in Division 3 arelater-season bloomers, and poeticus hy-brids in Division 9 usually end the daf-fodil display.

MAKING CHOICESWith all the daffodils available—morethan 25,000 cultivar names have been reg-istered and hundreds are available eachyear in catalogs or at local stores—perhapsthe most difficult task a gardener faces isselecting which cultivars to grow.

One way to ensure you choose excel-lent daffodils is to select cultivars thathave won the American Daffodil Soci-ety’s John and Gertrude Wister Award(see sidebar, page 22), given for excellenceas a garden plant. Among the require-ments for award winners are that theyshould perform well in most regions ofthe country. They also must be vigorousplants that have attractive, long-lastingflowers. The flowers should be reason-ably sunfast so that colors don’t becomebleached out or the edges of the cups—or coronas—“burn” and become dry andcrisp. Thirty-three daffodils have re-ceived the award since it was established,the most recent being the 2011 winner‘Barrett Browning’, a white-and-orange,small-cupped daffodil.

Daffodilsregional proven performers

BY MARY LOU GRIPSHOVER

Few plants herald the arrival of spring like the cheerful blooms

of daffodils. Experts from the American Daffodil Society share

their recommendations for cultivars that will thrive in different

regions of North America.

Daffodils planted in masses make a spectacular showing, as in this woodland garden. For the best effect, choose a single cultivar.

http://ahs.org/publications/the_american_gardener/11/03/Daffodil_Classifiecation_Demystified.pdf

With a focus on Wister award winners,backed up by advice from American Daf-fodil Society (ADS) members in variousregions, here are some recommendationsfor specific daffodil selections that areknown to flourish in different regions ofthe country.

PACIFIC NORTHWESTGardeners in the Pacific Northwest enjoythe perfect climate for daffodils and willbe successful with nearly all selections.An exception may be some of the tazettas(Division 8), which often send up foliagein the fall.

Some of the best daffodils in this re-gion have been bred by Elise and DickHavens, the owners of Mitsch Daffodils,a nursery in Hubbard, Oregon. Their‘Rapture’, with its beautifully swept-back

yellow petals, blooms early in the seasonand is the only daffodil to have won boththe Wister Award for garden perfor-mance and the ADS’s Pannill Award asan outstanding exhibition flower.

‘Stratosphere’ is a tall daffodil with yel-low petals and a short orange cup and sev-eral blooms to the stem. In some climatesit looks more like an all yellow flower. Itblooms later in the season and was the firstto win the Wister Award, in 1985.

‘Accent’, a breakthrough flower in1960 for white-and-pink daffodils, wonthe award in 1987, the second flower tobe so honored. This is a flower that openswith pink color, and—unlike with some

selections—you don’t have to use yourimagination to call it pink.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND THE SOUTHIn warmer regions of the United States,such as southern California and someparts of the South, the tazettas steal theshow beginning in late December or Jan-uary. The tazettas offer the added bonusof fragrance, but it can be a bit over-whelming, and gardeners tend to eitherlove it or hate it.

For those who live in warmer regions, Isuggest trying ‘Falconet’, which Phil Huey,a member of the Texas Daffodil Society,describes as fabulous. This yellow-and-redT

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‘Barrett Browning’ is the 2011 winner of theAmerican Daffodil Society Wister Award.

The backward-facing petals of ‘Rapture’ giveit a unique windswept look.

‘Sweetness’ is a good choice for warmer regions, such as Southern California and the Deep South.

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selection is a cross between a tazetta and N.jonquilla and has three to five or more flo-rets per stem. Another good choice for thisregion is ‘Ice Follies’, which is one of themost widely-grown daffodils. It has an in-dustrial-strength constitution that makesit ideal for mass public plantings or largedrifts. It goes through an interesting colorchange, opening white and yellow, with

the cup becoming creamy white as theflower matures.

‘Sweetness’ blooms early and has a fra-grance to match its name. The smallishyellow flowers usually come just one to astem, but occasionally there are two.

Yellow-and-orange ‘Tahiti’, which re-ceived the Wister Award in 2003, is theonly double that re-blooms consistently in

Texas. Double daffodils, especially olderones, sometimes “blast,” or fail to openproperly, when weather conditions fluctu-ate. I haven’t seen any scientific research toexplain this, but it seems to happen whenthere’s a change either from nice coolweather to unusually warm, or vice versa.

There’s a widespread perception thatdaffodils won’t grow in Florida unless they

DAFFODIL GROWING GUIDELINESMany of the cultivars described in this article will not be avail-able at local nurseries, so you’ll need to rely on the mail-ordersources listed on page 23. Order your bulbs early—by the endof June at the latest. Early orders are shipped first, so there’sless chance of the grower being out of the bulbs you want.Avoid mixtures; a large group of the same cultivar will lookbetter and bloom simultaneously.

In most areas, plant daffodils about twice as deep as the bulbis tall—about five to six inches. The distance apart is really de-pendent on your garden plan. If you are naturalizing them, plantthem 12 inches or so apart; it may look sparse at first, but thebulbs will multiply and soon you’ll have a field of color. If youwant to create clumps of them in your garden beds, plant themfive or six inches apart.

Daffodils thrive in sites where they receive at least a halfday of sun, but they can be grown under deciduous trees be-cause they progress through much of their active growth be-fore the trees fully leaf out. They’re not particular about soiltype—either loam or clay is fine as long as it drains freely;soggy soils can cause bulb rot. They grow best with access to

regular moisture during active growth, which is from early falluntil the foliage turns yellow the following spring.

When planting new bulbs, mix a balanced fertilizer (6-10-10or 10-10-10 is good) into the soil beneath the bulbs. On estab-lished plantings, broadcast fertilizer with a low-nitrogen contentin spring and fall. If you fertilize only once a year, do it in the fall,because that’s when the bulbs are making new root growth.

To ensure daffodils bloom heartily from year to year, it’s im-portant to leave the foliage intact after blooming because thisis when photosynthesis is most active, creating next year’sblooms. Resist the urge to cut the foliage to ground level, tie itup, or fold it over and put a rubber band around it; just leave itin place until it yellows naturally. Camouflage it with annuals—marigolds are good—or other perennials such as daylilies.

If the number of blooms drops off after a few years, thebulbs are telling you they’re crowded and need to be dug up,divided, and replanted (you can also share a few with friendsor neighbors). Given space and a year or two to grow back toblooming size, they’ll again repay you with beautiful blooms.

—M.L.G.

‘Falconet’, left, and double-flowered ‘Tahiti’, right, have both proven to be successful selections in warm regions such as Texas.

are forced, but that’s not the case. The lateJohn Van Beck, who lived in the Tallahas-see area, discovered that with the properselection of cultivars, it’s possible to havefive months of daffodil bloom in Floridaand South Georgia. His wife, Linda, con-tinues to grow daffodils and the couple’srecommendations, which are included ina book co-authored by Linda Van Beck(see “Resources,” page 23), include Wisterwinners such as ‘Accent’ and ‘BarrettBrowning’.

Other good choices include ‘Bracken-hurst’ and one of its parents, ‘Ceylon’,share the same yellow-and-orange colorscheme. ‘Saint Keverne’, a lovely all-yel-low flower, is a Historic Daffodil, whichin ADS circles means it was bred or ingardens before 1940. The miniature‘Hawera’, with its several pendent all-yel-low florets is a little charmer. If you likefragrant, smaller flowers, try ‘Quail’,which bears several small-cupped yellowblooms per stem.

In northern Georgia, big, bold, vigor-ous ‘Bravoure’ flourishes. This large white-and-yellow trumpet daffodil puts on a bigshow in mid-season. For very early flow-ers, you can’t go wrong with ‘PeepingTom’, a cyclamineus hybrid in Division 6.The bold, long trumpet with its narrow,slightly reflexed petals makes a welcomepatch of gold in the garden. Another veryearly bloomer is ‘Monal’, with yellowpetals and a large, bright red cup.

UPPER MIDWEST AND MOUNTAIN STATESThe cold winters and short growing sea-son in the Upper Midwest and someMountain states don’t deter daffodils, butthey bloom later than elsewhere. Inplaces where the ground freezes early, likeMinnesota, bulbs should also be plantedearlier so they have time to set roots be-fore the ground freezes solid. To be safe,plant bulbs before October 15, and foradded protection, mulch the groundabove the bulbs once the ground freezes.

Mary Durtschi, whose garden inStockton, Utah, is an ADS Display Gar-den, says she has occasionally plantedbulbs as late as December 15 in beds thathad already been prepared, and then cov-ered with a thick layer of straw. Amongher favorites are ‘Rapture’, ‘FragrantRose’, ‘Ceylon’, and ‘Bravoure’.

Good choices for cold-climate gardensinclude ‘Golden Aura’, an all-yellow, large-cupped daffodil that blooms in late mid-season and makes a good show in thegarden. It also makes its way to the exhi-bition table now and again. The same canbe said of ‘Misty Glen’, which is all whitewith a green eye. Neither flower is large,but they bloom reliably.

‘Merlin’ is a late-blooming, short-cupped flower with white petals and asmall, almost disc-shaped yellow cupedged with red. It’s a medium-sizedflower that will benefit from a little af-ternoon shade.

‘Segovia’ is one of the larger miniatures,being almost two inches in diameter andabout a foot tall. When it’s happy, it makesa nice clump in the garden, and almost al-ways makes it to the show table as well. Itswhite-and-yellow, small-cupped flowersare borne singly.

MID-ATLANTICFrom the Ohio Valley across to the mid-S

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Dainty miniature ‘Hawera’, left, combineswell with brightly colored pansies. AnotherWister Award winner, ‘Accent’, above, wasone of the first pink-and-white daffodils.

Atlantic states, growing conditions for daf-fodils are good, and most selections willflourish. I garden in the Cincinnati, Ohio,area, and one of my favorites is ‘FragrantRose’, a white-and-pink, large-cupped daf-fodil that is a mid- to late-season bloomerwith a roselike fragrance. Besides being agreat addition to a garden, it’s also a fre-quent winner at daffodil shows.

The yellow-and-orange, double variety‘Crackington’ is another frequent show-winner. The petals and sepals open or-ange, becoming paler as the flowermatures, while the rows of yellow petalslay in perfect symmetry, one row of pro-gressively smaller petals atop another.‘Dainty Miss’ is an all-white, smallflower—about two-and-a-quarter inchesin diameter—which grows about 12 inch-es tall. A perfectly formed and larger ver-sion of its parent, N. rupicola subsp.watieri, it blooms in late mid-season.

The only split corona to have gainedthe Wister Award is ‘Tripartite’. This all-yellow flower usually comes with two tothree dancing blooms per stem, with the R

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JOHN AND GERTRUDE WISTER GARDEN AWARDThe American Daffodil Society (ADS) sponsors an award program that recognizesoutstanding daffodil selections. The award program, which debuted in 1980, isnamed the John and Gertrude Wister Garden Award in honor of two influentialmembers of the ADS.

A renowned landscape architect and horticulturist, John C. Wister (1887–1982)was a charter member of the ADS and the third recipient of its Gold Medal, in1961. He graduated from Harvard University and studied at the Harvard School ofLandscape Architecture and the New Jersey Agricultural College.

Wister had broad horticultural interests and involvement. He was secretary of theAmerican Rose Society for many years and was a member of some 50 horticulturalsocieties—including the American Horticultural Society (AHS)—and 30 scientif-ic and conservation organizations. He was the first director of the Arthur Hoyt ScottHorticultural Foundation and designed and created the Scott Arboretum at Swarth-more College in Pennsylvania, which now encompasses 300 acres.

Wister was the author of four books: The Iris, Lilac Culture, Bulbs for AmericanGardens, and Four Seasons in Your Garden. He was also the first horticulturist to re-ceive five major American horticultural awards: The Liberty Hyde Bailey Award pre-sented by the AHS; the Scott Medal; the American Peony Society’s A. P. SaundersMemorial Medal; the Honor and Achievement Award of the International Lilac So-ciety; and the Gold Medal of the American Daffodil Society.

You can find a complete list of Wister winners on the ADS website (see “Re-sources,” opposite page). —M.L.G.

Miniature ‘Peeping Tom’, here keeping company with trout lilies (Erythronium ‘Pagoda’), is a cheery-looking, early-blooming daffodil.

cup split into six segments lying backagainst the perianth. It blooms late in theseason. ‘Camelot’ is a sturdy, large-cupped, all-yellow flower that not onlymakes a beautiful display in the garden,but is the parent of more than 125 otherdaffodils, so if you have any interest inbreeding your own daffodils, take note.Its foliage remains green well into Junehere in the Ohio Valley.

William Pannill, considered the deanof amateur daffodil hybridizers in theUnited States, gardens in Martinsville,Virginia. Among the many daffodils he’sintroduced, he’s particularly proud of ‘In-trigue’, a lovely reverse bicolor. “I thinkit has dual value for show and garden,”says Pannill. Late in the season, its two orthree blooms to a stem open lemon-yel-low, with the cup maturing to white.Like most jonquil hybrids, it has a finescent. Another Pannill introduction is

‘Chromacolor’, which has a large flower,and is described as “an improved ‘Accent’of deeper color.” It’s now being mass-pro-duced for commercial sale.

Another good choice for the mid-At-lantic region is ‘Resplendent’, a GrantMitsch hybrid that bears a large, tall flowerwith yellow petals and a vivid orange-redcup. It blooms in mid-season here underdeciduous trees, which offer some protec-tion against the sun burning the cup.

FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHTWith so many amateur and professionalbreeders working on developing new daf-fodils, you can expect to see a steadystream of selections with improved char-acteristics such as color, longer bloomingseason, and disease resistance. Breedersare also striving to extend the range ofdaffodils into regions where they havenot previously been successfully cultivat-

ed. One of the more exciting develop-ments is work currently underway insouthern California to create a line offall-blooming daffodils. Now that’s real-ly something to look forward to. �

Mary Lou Gripshover is a past president ofthe American Daffodil Society. She gardensin the Cincinnati, Ohio, area.J

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SourcesBill the Bulb Baron, Santa Cruz, CA.(831) 236-8397. www.billthebulbbaron.com.Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, Gloucester,VA. (877) 661-2852.www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com.John Scheepers, Bantam, CT. (860)567-0838. www.johnscheepers.com.Mitsch Novelty Daffodils, Hubbard,OR. (503) 651-2742.www.mitschdaffodils.com.Nancy Wilson Miniature Daffodils,Garberville, CA. (707) 923-2407.www.asis.com/~nwilson.Old House Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI.(734) 995-1486. www.oldhousegardens.com.

ResourcesThe American Daffodil Society, P.O.Box 522, Hawkinsville, GA31026–0522. www.daffodilusa.org.■ Members receive quarterly issuesof The Daffodil Journal, an invitationto the annual convention, and theopportunity to become an accrediteddaffodil judge. The ADS website of-fers daffodil information and links todaffodil societies and shows. Photosof all the Wister winners, as well asthousands of other daffodils, may beseen at www.daffseek.org.Daffodils by Theodore James, ClydeWachsberger, Harry Haralambou. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York,New York, 2004.Daffodils for North American Gardensby Becky and Brent Heath. BrightSky Press, Houston, Texas, 2002.Daffodils in Florida: A Field Guide tothe Coastal South by Linda and SaraVan Beck, 2004 (available throughthe ADS website).

Suited for the mid-Atlantic region, ‘Intrigue’ was introduced by daffodil breeder William Pannill.

www.daffodilusa.org

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I’M NOT VERY good at designing agarden in my head. Plant shapes giveme particular trouble: I am always

putting things next to each other, thendeciding they look awful together. Sowith the help of my friend and fellowgarden writer Nancy McDonald, I cameup with a simple system of horticulturalgeometry that reduces all possible plantshapes to four primary groups—spikes,blobs, pools, and mists—and suggestsways of combining the shapes for maxi-mum visual pleasure.

SPIKESSpike plants stand more or less upright, al-though a few less rigid characters mayhave to be staked. In general, they are atleast three times taller than they are wide,with the bulk of the branches, flowers, andfoliage clustered either at their bases or attheir tops. If they do branch, they do so ina uniform or slightly tapered column run-ning most of the way up the central stem.They draw the eye upward, enhancing thethird dimension of a garden and creatinga framework through their linearity.Grouped together, they also add a sense offormality and order to a garden.

Certain genera—alliums, delphiniums,foxgloves (Digitalis spp.), and liatrises—aretypically spiky. So are the old-fashioned bi-ennial hollyhocks (Alcea rosea); the gold-flowered evening primrose (Oenotherabiennis), which can grow three to six feettall; taller snapdragons (Antirrhinummajus), such as the half-hardy perennialRocket series; mulleins (Verbascum spp.);perennial Maximilian’s sunflower (He-

lianthus maximiliani); and the tall, hardy,cobalt-blue Siberian catmint (Nepeta sibir-ica). All are at home in the mixed border.

BLOBSThe best blob plants form dense, heavy-looking, mounded bushes or clumps.They lend a reassuring substance to theborder that spike plants cannot, and theircurving lines counterbalance the formali-

ty of spike plants. A prime example is the‘Annabelle’ cultivar of smooth hydrangea(Hydrangea arborescens), which is native toeastern North America. It makes aroundish bush three to five feet tall andwide. Even “blobbier” are its huge, nearlyspherical white flowerheads that form inlate spring to early summer.

Another great blobby shrub is thediminutive cultivar of Norway spruce

a Plant Shape Primer

BY RAND B. LEE

For the design-impaired, here’s

how to combine plants with

different shapes effectively in

the garden.

SPIKES Spiky plants such as black cohosh (Actaea sp.), foreground, and delphiniums add athird dimension to Judy Finch’s garden in Palouse, Washington.

a Plant Shape Primer

(Picea abies ‘Little Gem’), which forms aslow-growing, dense green cushion to oneto three feet wide and a foot tall. Althoughvery hardy, it doesn’t fare well in hot,humid climates.

Spiraea japonica cultivars ‘Goldmound’and ‘Limemound’ offer gold and char-treuse spring foliage, respectively, onmounds two to three feet tall and three tofour feet wide. Alpine spirea (S. japonica‘Nana’) produces such a dainty moundshape—eight inches to a foot high and twoto three feet in diameter—that it is oftenused in rock gardens. These spireas are coldhardy to at least USDA Zone 4, but theleaves may burn if they are exposed to fullsun in warmer climates.

Symphotrichum novi-belgii ‘SnowCushion’ (syn. Aster novi-belgii) makes agreat front-of-the-border blob. At one foottall by 18 inches wide, it is a mass of gold-eyed white daisies in late summer and fall.Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’ forms lacy greenmounds spangled in summer by starlikeyellow flowers. Hemerocallis ‘Stella de Oro’,the popular miniature gold-flowered re-blooming daylily, is another good blob.

Edible blob plants include Greek basil(Ocimum basilicum ‘Minimum’), whichmakes perfect little, fragrant, green hemi-spheres about eight inches tall and wide;

and Swiss chard ‘Bright Lights’, whichforms rich green-leaved blobs adornedwith bright red, pink, yellow, orange, orwhite stems.

Coral bells (Heuchera spp.) are lovelylittle blobs for much of the year, but in latespring to early summer they hoist airywands of blossoms that transform theminto mist plants.

POOLSPooling plants hug the ground, spreadingevenly in homogeneous blankets. Theysoften harsh geometries and serve as a hor-izontal canvas upon which more dramaticplants can be framed.

My favorite pooling plant is thedrought- and alkalinity-tolerant Turkishspeedwell (Veronica liwanensis). This hardyperennial makes a spreading mat of little,round, dark green leaves that turn purplishin winter; for several months in spring itcovers itself with tiny, true blue blossoms.The hardy moss phloxes (Phlox subulata)make good pooling plants for rockeries, asdo the creeping thymes (Thymus spp.).The four-inch-tall, mat-forming stonecrop(Sedum spurium ‘Fuldaglut’) has reddish-orange leaves and rose-red flowers in latesummer and autumn; like most stone-crops, it is quite drought tolerant. Solenop-T

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BLOBS In Antje Coté’s Pacific-Northwestgarden, sedums (foreground) and spirea‘Goldflame’ form tidy mounds.

POOLS California fuchsias (Zauschneria californica) such as ‘Silver Select’ flow around rocks.

SourcesAmbergate Gardens, Chaska, MN.(877) 211-9769. www.ambergategardens.com.Companion Plants, Athens, OH.(740) 592-4643.www.companionplants.com.Forestfarm, Williams, OR. (541)846-7269. www.forestfarm.com. High Country Gardens, Santa Fe, NM.(800) 925-9387. www.highcountrygardens.com.Magic Garden, Newfield, NY. (607) 564-9055. www.magicgardenplants.com.

ResourcesGardening with Shape, Line and Tex-ture by Linden Hawthorne. TimberPress, Portland, Oregon, 2009.Perennial Combinations by C. ColstonBurrell. Rodale Press, Emmaus,Pennsylvania, 2008.The Well-Designed Mixed Garden byTracy DiSabato-Aust. Timber Press,Portland, Oregon, 2009.

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sis fluviatilis (also listed as Isotoma fluvi-atilis), an Australian native in the bell-flower family, grows an inch tall, forminga mat of cream-edged green leaves that aretopped by pale blue starlike flowers.

MISTSMist plants froth the air, blurring lines andsoftening spaces in much the same waypooling plants do, but adding a third di-mension of height. Their leaves or flowersdiffuse the light, allowing glimpses of sil-houettes of other plants set behind them.If a mist plant is small enough, it can act asa frame for plants with more rigid shapes;larger mist plants create airy space wherethe eye can rest in otherwise busy borders.

Bronze fennel (Foeniculum vulgare‘Purpurascens’), with its threadlike leaves,is the archetypal, hardy perennial mist

plant. It emerges from taproots in earlyspring as great smoky bronze-green puffsthat swell up to four feet tall and wide. Inlate summer, spikes topped with large, flat,bronze-gold flowers attract butterflies andtheir larvae. Fennel is considered invasivein some regions, however, so check to seeif this is a problem in your area.

The meadow rues (Thalictrum spp.)make nice mist plants, particularly the Eu-ropean and Asian species Thalictrum aqui-legiifolium and T. rochebruneanum and

their cultivars. They bear dense clusters ofbluish, fernlike basal leaves and, in early tomidsummer, clouds of tiny white to pur-ple blossoms. They are especially suited forborders and woodland edges. Other peren-nial mist plants include baby’s breath (Gyp-sophila spp.); American native prairie flax(Linum perenne subsp. lewisii); and thetender perennial’s orange-flowered hum-mingbird mint (Agastache aurantiaca).

There are misty annuals, too. Cosmosbipinnatus ‘Sonata Mix’ creates a thickfroth of big rose, pink, or white daisiesfloating all season long upon swells offine-cut green leaves. Love-in-a-mist(Nigella sativa) forms threadlike cloudsof green and starry white, blue, or pinkblossoms in early summer; they quicklydevelop into decorative balloonlike seed-heads. Cloud larkspur (Consolida ajacis),

annual cousin to the delphiniums, makesbillows of tiny green stems and leaves inwhich hang delicate white, blue, or pinkflowers shaped like miniature dolphins.

COMBINING PLANT SHAPESThe two basic principles of shape-com-bining are: Repetition, Not Competitionand Contrast Pleases, Monotony Freezes.These adages may appear to contradictone another, but, in fact, both are neces-sary to the geometrically balanced garden.

MORE PLANT CHOICES■ SPIKE PLANTSAcanthus spinosus (spiny bear’sbreeches), USDA Zones 5–9, AHS Zones 9–5 Aconitum ‘Bressingham Spire’(monkshood), Zones 3–8, 8–3Campanula thyrsoides (yellow-spikebellflower), Zones 5–8, 8–5Eremurus ✕isabellinus ‘Shelford Hybrids’ (foxtail lily), Zones 6–9, 9–4Iris pallida ‘Variegata’ (variegatediris), Zones 5–9, 9–5Veronicastrum virginicum forma album(white culver’s root, syn. Veronicavirginica), Zones 4–8, 8–3

■ BLOB PLANTSArmeria maritima ‘Compacta’(compact sea pink), Zones 3–9, 9–1Campanula medium ‘Premium Pink’(dwarf Canterbury bells), Zones 5–8, 8–5Dianthus ‘Tiny Rubies’ (pink), Zones 5–8, 8–5Mirabilis multiflora (desert fouro’clocks), Zones 7–10, 10–7Santolina ‘Saso Dwarf’(lavender cotton), Zones 6–9, 9–6Scutellaria resinosa (prairie skullcap),Zones 4–8, 8–1

■ POOLING PLANTSOriganum vulgare ‘Humile’(creeping oregano), Zones 5–9, 9–5Phlox stolonifera ‘Blue Ridge’(creeping phlox), Zones 4–8, 8–1Stachys byzantina ‘Silver Carpet’(lamb’s ear), Zones 4–8, 8–1Thymus lanuginosus (woolly thyme),Zones 5–9, 9–4Zauschneria californica ‘Mattole Select’ (California fuchsia), Zones 8–11, 12–8

■ MIST PLANTSAdiantum aleuticum (western maiden-hair fern), Zones 3–8, 8–1Crambe cordifolia (giant kale), Zones 6–9, 9–6Fallugia paradoxa (Apache plume),Zones 6–8, 8–5Limonium platyphyllum (sea lavender),Zones 7–9, 9–7

MISTS Airy plants such as Ipomopsis rubra, left, and Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia‘Little Spire’) soften the lines of more angular plants.

No matter how charming it may sound,a garden in which no two plants are shapedalike is usually a nightmare of visual over-stimulation. The eye instinctively looks forsimilarities, and it tires easily when it canfind few. As long as their shapes are har-monious, repeating plant shapes here andthere, even if you are using plants of dif-ferent sizes, textures, and bloom times, canmake the difference between a garden thatlooks like a community and one that lookslike a specimen collection.

On the other hand, a garden in whichall or most of the plants are shaped alikecan be boring. What is wanted is a balancebetween repeated plant shapes and con-trasting plant shapes, so that the eye canfind both reassurance through samenessand refreshment through novelty.

The spike is the most useful plant shapebecause it harmonizes with all the othershapes, as long as the various plants’ ma-ture heights and widths are consideredwhen intermingling them. For example,white foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea formaalbiflora) are striking rising from thespreading pool of bronze, pink, and gold

bugleweed (Ajuga reptans ‘Multicolor’);and a circle of the tall-necked white Dar-win tulips ‘Maureen’ would look evenmore pristine with the surprise of a weep-ing purple beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘PurpureaPendula’) in the center of them.

Blob plants harmonize beautifully withspike plants, as when one-and-a-half totwo-foot silver mounds of Artemisia lu-doviciana ‘Valerie Finnis’ are partneredwith the tall spikes of the biennial mullein(Verbascum bombyciferum), or when thewhite-edged, blue-green mounds of Hosta‘Patriot’ are backed by clumps of thethree-foot-tall white foxglove.

As long as they are not allowed togrow too diffuse in outline, blob plantsalso blend well with pool and mist plants:I love white bouquet tansy (Tanacetumniveum) lapped by a wide swathe of sweetalyssum (Lobularia maritima), or thesquat dwarf fescue (Festuca glauca ‘ElijahBlue’) interplanted with airy blue flax.Pool plants are difficult to partner withmist plants, however, unless you cover awall with a vertical pooling vine—suchas Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspida-

ta)—and plant your mists, like Thalic-trum aquilegiifolium, at its base.

If you have room, the best way to usepooling plants effectively is to figure outwhich specimen plants you want to framethem with, then plant a pool twice as wideas your specimen plants will be tall at ma-turity. That means spiky Veronica spicata‘Icicle’, which grows around 20 inches tallin bloom, would look best encircled by apool of creeping white fairies’ thimble(Campanula cochlearifolia var. alba) atleast 40 inches in diameter.

Having read all of this, you needn’t feelguilty if you decide to make your entiregarden a happy jungle of mists and mess-es, or a blazing phantasmagoria of surpris-es. But amid all that excitement, clear outa circle for a bench and surround it with awide pool of all the same type of plant. Youwill find yourself drawn to that patch ofrestfulness over and over again, as the larkis drawn to the vast blue sky. �

Rand Lee is a garden writer based in SantaFe, New Mexico. This article is updatedfrom one originally published in 2000.D

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In her Wisconsin garden, Dorothy Danforth uses plants such as Carex elata ‘Bowles’ Golden’, Astilbe chinensis ‘Visions in Pink’, Ligularia‘The Rocket’, Phlox paniculata ‘Blue Paradise’, and Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ to create a dynamic combination of shapes.


SEAN HOGAN walks through thegreenhouses of Cistus Nursery, stop-ping every few feet to describe a

plant or tell its story. Two customers fol-low, torn between listening or lagging be-hind to eyeball a striking yucca they’venever seen before. After being questioned,Hogan admits they’re looking at the onlyfour plants he’s got.

Hogan smiles and the lines around hishazel eyes crinkle. Maybe he’ll add figur-ing out how to propagate this spectacu-lar selection to the already never-endingto-do list facing him as owner of the Pa-cific Northwest nursery that inspires thenerdiest of the plant nerds. Or maybe hiscustomers’ attention will shift to the nextamazing plant, and then the next one,until their brains are overloaded and theyforget the yuccas.

HORTICULTURAL HEAVENTwelve years ago, Hogan and ParkerSanderson, his partner at the time, puttheir savings into leasing five acres onSauvie Island near Portland, Oregon.They built the first of Cistus’s 22 green-houses and began filling it with the con-siderable plant collection they’d beenamassing over the years.

Even fellow plant nuts accustomed tohorticultural excesses, such as TonyAvent, owner of Plant Delights Nurseryin Raleigh, North Carolina, were ren-dered almost speechless when first en-countering the tangled mass of treasures.“It was horticultural insanity,” Avent re-calls. “You could spend two or three daysin there. If you moved too fast, you’dmiss something.”

With more room at Cistus, Hogan andSanderson indulged their obsession for col-

lecting without feeling constrained. Ontrips around the world, including five toSouth Africa and dozens to the AmericanSouthwest, Mexico, and South America,the pair found hundreds of species, many

new to cultivation. Although Sandersondied in 2006, Cistus and its reputationcontinued to grow. Gardens now stretch500 feet down the gravel driveway, makingit clear to visitors and customers they areentering a special place.

“It’s a mecca, a world destination,”says Panayoti Kelaidis, senior curator atDenver Botanic Gardens. “No one goesto the Northwest without going there.”

Although Kelaidis and Avent are famil-iar with Hogan’s contributions to horti-

culture on a more global scale, gardeners ofall levels from beginners to aficionados arediscovering Cistus. They come by the hun-dreds on tour buses that arrive up to threetimes a week from spring through fall.They come after hearing Hogan speak,after reading his 2009 book Trees for AllSeasons: Broadleaved Evergreens for Tem-perate Climates, or after referring to hismuch-lauded, two-volume Flora: A Gar-dener’s Encyclopedia (2003), which Hogancalls “my baby.” They come to buy plantsthey can’t get anywhere else, to see the ex-traordinary garden and nursery, and tomeet the man who coined the often-mis-understood term “zonal denial.”

ZONAL DENIALThough people tend to think the expres-sion refers to growing plants that are nothardy in their area, Hogan says this is notthe intent. He defines zonal denial as “theability to create any texture, look, or feel,however exotic, with plants that thrive inone’s own climate.”

The point, he says, is to get gardenersto leave convention behind, to not beconstrained by the narrow confines oftradition or by what other people think.That can include trying plants that maynot be hardy in your garden.

“Certainly I’m a fan of growing anyplant you want,” says Hogan. “That’spart of the fun of gardening. If it’s im-portant to you, grow it on your win-dowsill in winter, or dump ice on yourlilacs in summer. But that’s not the pri-mary definition of zonal denial.”

At the nursery, a green sign with whiteletters spells out the phrase, which willsurely be part of Hogan’s legacy. For a fewdays each winter, snow falls on the sign and

Oregon’s plant geekExtraordinaire BY KYM POKORNY

PHOTOGRAPHS BYJOSHUA MCCULLOUGH

Running a trend-setting nursery, globe-trotting in search of new plants, writing horticultural

references, and designing gardens are all in a day’s work for Sean Hogan.

Sean Hogan examines bitterroot (Lewisiarediviva), a western native named after 19th-century explorer Meriwether Lewis.

coats the fine leaves of the bamboo next toit. Nearby are species of palm, eucalyptus,olive, fig, and banana. It’s not what peopleexpect, which is exactly the point.

“One of Sean’s biggest influences isencouraging people to think outside thebox,” says John Grimshaw, author ofNew Trees and manager of ColesbourneGardens in Gloucestershire, England.“He’s broadening their horizons, show-ing them there’s a much bigger palette ofplants they can try and should try.”

NATURE AND NURTUREIn the upper-class Portland neighborhoodwhere Hogan grew up, gardeners and gar-dening surrounded him. His mother,grandfather, uncle, neighbors, all of them,he says, were “pretty diehard plant geeks.”

On one side lived Margaret Mason, arock garden enthusiast who talked to therapt 10-year-old about penstemons andgentians. On the other, retired generalGen Itchner invited Hogan to help in hismanicured beds of annuals.

With his parents, Bernard and ThetaHogan, he often went on hikes in thehigh desert of eastern Oregon and thechaparral and oak savannah of centralCalifornia. He also spent time trampingaround Yosemite National Park, where hismother grew up next door to renownedphotographer Ansel Adams.

Whether by nature or nurture, Hoganis drawn to the road. He didn’t think twiceabout taking off alone for a weekend tripto the Sierra foothills after he learned todrive in Sacramento, where the familymoved when he was 12. By the time he was17, he was traveling throughout the West,

including Mexico. And the more time hespent in the wild, the more he becameaware of the connections between plants.

“You start seeing the shapes, the pat-terns, the parallels,” he says. “No matterwhere you are, you see connections. It’sabsolutely the most fascinating thing.” Forexample, he recalls standing on the edgeof a cliff in Neuvo Leon in northeasternMexico, “looking out on the same darktrunks of oak, at manzanita and ceanoth-us that look for all the world like the onesyou’ve seen in the Siskiyous.”

Even more influential for the botani-cally gifted teenager was the realization


About Cistus NurseryCistus Nursery, 2271 Northwest Gillihan Loop Road, Portland, OR 97231. (503) 621-2233. www.cistus.com.■ A mail-order and retail nursery located on Sauvie Island, 15 miles northwestof Portland, Cistus specializes in Mediterranean climate, Northwest native,Southern Hemisphere, and hardy tropical plants. The retail nursery is open dailyfrom 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., year round.

Yuccas, agaves, cacti, and a wide array of other drought-tolerant plants hold sway in this section of Cistus Nursery.

www.cistus.com


that plants grow in combinations that joltpeople out of their comfort zone. In theSierra Madre of northeastern Mexico, hesaw clumping dwarf blue palms (Braheadecumbens) and eight-foot rosettes ofAgave genterii growing under Douglas firs.Such discoveries excite Hogan, not justbecause of his love for pure science, butalso for the implications for horticultureand gardening.

NOT ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAYAll that stomping around gives Hogan,now 47, a sense of what works well in thegarden—insight he’s determined to passon to anyone who will listen, buy a plant,or hire him as a designer, an aspect of hiscareer many people don’t know about,but on which he spends about three-quarters of his time.

Though his first love is designing pub-lic gardens such as the meticulously authentic Lan Su Chinese Garden inPortland, which he devoted three years toin the late 1990s, Hogan makes his breadand butter on private jobs. His approachcan be surprisingly minimalist. In a recentproject for Portland residents John andFran Von Schlegell, Hogan reiterated thenatural materials and modern lines of thehouse with a restrained palette of silver-gray foliage and warm orange and red

SEAN HOGAN’S PLANT INTRODUCTIONS AND FAVORITES

Over the course of his career, Sean Hogan has introduced more than 500 plantsinto cultivation. Here are a few relatively new Cistus introductions; some are list-ed in the nursery catalog and others are expected to be available later this year.

Agave parryi var. huachucensis ‘Huachuca Blue’ On one of his many trips to theSouthwest, Hogan discovered a blue agave with a particularly steel-blue color at7,000 feet in the Huachuca Mountains. As he often does, he named it in honorof its native range. It’s a 20- to 24-inch tall, artichoke-shaped plant that even-tually forms small colonies. USDA Hardiness Zones 8–11 (Zone 7 if soil is verywell-drained).

Ceanothus ✕‘Nathan’s Fendling’ Named after Hogan’s partner, Nathan Limprecht,who on his first excursion to the chaparral country of the Siskiyou Mountainswaded out into a sea of shrubs and spotted something unique. Sure enough, atone of Hogan’s favorite places on the planet, he’d found a cross between WestCoast natives C. cordulatus and C. velutinus that blends the tangled branches ofthe former and the round, blue, waxy foliage of the latter. A gorgeous evergreenshrub to about six feet. Zones 6–8.

Cupressus arizonica var. glabra ‘Sedona Column’ Yes, this Arizona cypress was col-lected near the town of Sedona, but it wasn’t on a hike up in the orange cliffs.Instead, Hogan spotted this dense, upright seedling, decorated for Christmas,growing on the side of Highway 89 just a breeze away from passing semis. Droughttolerant, it grows up to 15 to 18 feet tall. Zones 5–9.

Delosperma congestum ‘Gold Nugget’ While hiking on the eastern flank of the Drak-ensberg Mountains in South Africa in 1991, Hogan took cuttings of a “cute lit-tle plant” he spotted on a cliff ledge. Trials at Denver Botanic Gardens indicatethe ice plant selection is hardy to at least Zone 5. It forms a compact mat ofbright green foliage highlighted with masses of bright yellow flowers. A good plantfor the Midwest, Alaska, and Canada. Zones 5–10.

Ficus carica ‘Sticky Fingers’ This year,Hogan introduced a new fig that he andhis late partner Parker Sanderson foundon a frosty Christmas-morning walk alongthe levee in Clovis, California. With notools at hand, Hogan used car keys tomake a crude cutting of the plant, whichoozed white sap on the walk back to thecar, thus the name ‘Sticky Fingers’.Three other figs he has introduced, allselections of F. afghanistanica andgrown for their extraordinary foliagerather than fruit, are equally fascinating.Platinum-leafed ‘Silver Lyre’ is his fa-vorite; ‘Green Filigree’ and ‘Dwarf GreenFiligree’ have foliage almost as dissectedas a Japanese maple. All stretch 15 to20 feet and are very drought tolerant.Zones 7–10.

Sean Hogan plant hunting in Mexico in 2006

Ficus afghanistanica ‘Silver Lyre’

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Ficus afghanistanica ‘Silver Lyre’


Opuntia ‘Imnaha Blue’ It’s impossible to leave prickly pear off a list of introduc-tions from cacti-crazy Hogan, who is on a crusade to convince people pricklypears are not “trailer trash” plants. The extremely round, blue paddles and sparsespines of this one should do the trick. A cross between O. polyacantha and O. vul-garis, it was found spilling over a basalt ledge in northeast Oregon near the tinytown of Imnaha. Zones 4–10.

Tetrapanax papyrifera ‘Steroidal Giant’ Here’s a plant that more than lives up toits name, rising to 15 feet tall in one season with leaves a stunning five to eightfeet in length. Hogan acquired it by a convoluted path that started with an elderlyman who brought it from Japan to Hawaii. After many years, the man gave it toCalifornia nurseryman Ed Carman, who kept it in a gallon pot for two decades.When Roger Warner, formerly of the legendary Western Hills Nursery in Califor-nia, saw it, he was ecstatic to think he’d found a miniature rice paper plant. Itdidn’t take long to figure out it was anything but, and he passed it to Hogan. Stemhardy to Zones 7–11, root hardy to Zone 6.

Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘Theta’ In a seed batch sent to Hogan from a HongKong botanical garden, he noticed an Asian star jasmine that “looked a little dif-ferent.” So he selected it and named it after his mom. Extremely thin leaves areflecked with silver in the center and turn maroon in winter. It climbs eight to 12feet up a trellis or falling over a wall. Popular in the Southeast, it prefers full topart shade and regular watering during dry spells. Zones 7–10.

Yucca rostrata ‘Sapphire Skies’ Most peoplewould find it difficult to make a list of theirtop 500 favorite plants. Not Hogan, whoputs Yucca rostrata high up on his. But it’stough to propagate and the seedlings varyin “blue-osity,” so Hogan was thrilled to findthis powdery blue selection in the early1990s in northern Mexico; he has been ableto reproduce it through tissue culture. Ifyou’re looking for an architectural plant, thisis it. It grows quickly to three feet and, ingood conditions, eventually up to 10. Zones7–10 (although has been grown successful-ly in Zones 5 and 6). If you’re looking for aneven hardier yucca, Hogan recommends Y.baccata var. vespertina ‘Hualampai Blue’, astunning banana yucca that is very upright,very blue, and grows up to four feet tall.Zones 4–10.

Tetrapanax papyrifera ‘Steroidal Giant’

Yucca rostrata ‘Sapphire Skies’Yucca rostrata ‘Sapphire Skies’

Tetrapanax papyrifera ‘Steroidal Giant’

bark and flowers. “With all my self-im-posed ideas about plants fitting together,I also think it’s fun to think about repeat-ing colors and textures in ways you won’tnecessarily see in nature,” he says.

He works on drawings in his home of-fice, upstairs in the 1880 craftsman househe shares with partner Nathan Limprecht.Maps of minimum and maximum tem-peratures are taped to one wall and lightstreams in through a cathedral of bamboooutside the six windows.

Downstairs in the kitchen he indulgeshis “hospitality gene,” chopping vegetablesand boiling pasta while keeping up a steadystream of conversation with friends, ac-quaintances, and strangers. Entertaining—planned and impromptu—is as much apart of his life as the 12-hour work days.

The hospitality gene can get Hoganinto binds, though. Even he acknowledges

that getting caught up in the momentoften puts him at a disadvantage. “He’ll tellyou he’s going to stop by,” says Avent, wholives across the country from Hogan. “Buthe’s made 40 other friends in the area. He’llstart at one end and you’ll never see him.Six months later, you say, ‘I thought youwere coming by’ and he’ll say, ‘I got busy.’”

No one seems to hold it against him,though, mainly because Hogan can charmthe leaves off an evergreen.

Legendary British gardener Christo-pher Lloyd, who could be equally engag-ing but more acerbic, traded quips andfriendship with Hogan for 20 years. Thetwo met at California’s Berkeley BotanicGarden, where Hogan was horticulturistfrom 1988 to 1995, and Hogan unwitting-ly influenced one of Lloyd’s most infa-mous gardening decisions: to tear out the70-year-old rose garden his mother,

Daisy, planted at Great Dixter, Lloyd’süber-famous garden in Sussex, England.

“I gave him starts of some things—hardy banana, agave, various hardy succu-lents,” Hogan recalls with a smile. “I didn’treally know about his famous rose garden,but I got a card that said, ‘I planted yourbananas. Tore out roses. They’ll talk.’ ”

“They” did talk—the gardeningworld, especially in we-do-it-a-certain-way Great Britain, was scandalized byLloyd’s flamboyant new subtropical gar-den. Hogan and Lloyd were amused, notsurprising for two men with a penchantfor pushing boundaries.

THE POWER OF STORYHogan also likes to engage people’s imag-inations with stories that often changethe way they think about plants. A goodexample of this comes on a fall afternoonat Hogan’s home garden in Portland.About a dozen women from a garden clublistened as Hogan patiently identifiedplants he’s identified 100 times before. Theoak (Quercus hypoleucoides) that doesn’tlook like an oak. The Chinese rice-paperplant (Tetrapanax papyrifer) that, yes, ishardy. The palm that comes from a plantfound at a temple in Japan. There are bitsof Chile, South Africa, San Francisco, andPortland in the garden, he told them.Hogan explained that plants can be morethan the sum of their parts. He’s makingthe point that they come with stories andthe stories make a difference.

“It’s one thing to understand where aplant came from in the wild; that’s a teach-ing moment,” Hogan explains. “But if youknow the history of where it came from incultivation, it adds another very rich layer.It gives a sense of place, a sense of history.”

To emphasize this, he relates a story.“There’s a little white primrose that growson the Falkland Islands. There was a fel-low who was the captain of a ship that wassunk during the Falklands War. He res-cued only one thing when he abandonedship. The King of Saudi Arabia had givenhim a gold-bound volume of a book onthe flora of Saudi Arabia, but what hegrabbed was that little primula. He took itback to England and named it ‘SwanSong’ for the ship, which was called TheSwan.” Summing up, Hogan says, “Thereis a difference between that plant and theprimrose sold at the grocery store.”


In addition to all his other activities, Hogan finds time to design gardens such as this one atthe home of Portland, Oregon, residents John and Fran Von Schlegell.

Even if the tale is forgotten by its audi-ence, Hogan believes in its power. Some-where in the brain is a spark that will lightupon sight of a primrose.

For Hogan, knowledge is a powerfuladdiction, one he hopes others will devel-op at Cistus. He and Sanderson built acovered area, intimate with exotic plants,where people are encouraged to have a seatand a conversation. This design was in-spired by the salonlike atmosphere of

Western Hills Nursery in California’sSonoma County, where Hogan volun-teered in his 20s. “Seeing people meetingeach other, hearing different languages,watching connections being made,” hesays. “That gives me the biggest high.”

ADVENTURES IN PLANT HUNTINGPerhaps the only bigger high Hogan getsis from plant hunting, where his extremefocus on the task at hand is legendary. On

plant-collecting trips, Hogan can get socaught up keying out a plant or just mus-ing at its wonderfulness that, all of a sud-den, he realizes he’s headed for anall-nighter when everyone else is headingto bed. “He focuses on what’s right infront of him, not the future,” says Avent,who has traveled with Hogan.

If you can get Hogan to sit still longenough, the stories tumble out. On ex-peditions to South Africa with Sander-son, he encountered baboons with goodthrowing arms, ended up at the hospitalwith a more-serious-than-usual case offood poisoning, and came across a red,

black, and green poisonous viper thatlooked just like a euphorbia. “We were inthe land of mimicry, so we mimicked awild hare and ran,” he says, laughingfrom the safety of time and distance.

Running isn’t always an option. On an-other trip to South Africa in 1991, the twoarrived in a remote region, only to be toldthe local constable requested their pres-ence. Politics being what they were, refus-ing seemed unwise. The day unfoldedwith a paddy wagon ride, ranch handswith rifles, a drunken Afrikaner barbecue,“Northern Exposure” on TV, a car acci-dent, and a ride in a BMW with the 1970spop group Bread blaring on the radio. “Itwas a cacophony of weirdness,” saysHogan, noting that the constable turnedout to be a “sweet, sweet guy and intense-ly passionate gardener.”

Weirdness aside, the experience makesfor a great story, one he’ll be telling foryears to come as he walks through thegreenhouses of Cistus, always with peo-ple following along, listening, looking,and learning. �

Kym Pokorny has been the garden writer forThe Oregonian for 14 years.


ResourcesFlora: A Gardener’s Encyclopedia,Sean Hogan, Chief Consultant. Tim-ber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2003(two volumes).Trees for All Seasons: BroadleavedEvergreens for Temperate Climates bySean Hogan. Timber Press, Portland,Oregon, 2009.

Hogan’s design aesthetic shows through in this elaborate border that flanks Cistus’s entrance.

Hogan has a soft spot for prickly pears (Opuntia spp.) This one is O. basilaris ‘Peachy’.

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IT W A S T H E spring of 2007 andPeter Kukielski found his eyes tear-ing as he surveyed the 1.04-acre

Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at theNew York Botanical Garden (NYBG).There was ‘Dainty Bess’, dubbed one ofthe most beloved of the single hybridteas, with its mahogany-tinted stamensnestled among soft shell-pink petals. Theexceptionally fragrant ‘Mystic Beauty’, alight-pink, continuous-blooming Bour-

bon rose, was close by. These two and an-other 400 rose cultivars had just beensentenced to death by Kukielski, the gar-den’s curator.

It was not supposed to be this way.Just a year before, he had been hired bythe NYBG, located in the Bronx, to over-see a $2.5 million restoration and tomaintain the rose garden’s status as oneof the most beautiful in the UnitedStates. During the previous winter,

Kukielski had supervised infrastructureimprovements, soil amendments, the ad-dition of new roses so that the garden wasin continuous bloom from spring intofall rather than just in June and Septem-ber, and the repositioning of many rosesto add an educational component to thegarden’s mission.

And then he was informed about NewYork City Local Law 37. This new lawprohibits the use of three groups of pes-

rethinking theRose Garden

BY PATRICIA A. TAYLORPHOTOGRAPHS BY IVO M. VERMEULEN

Roses that require chemical coddling need not apply to the newly restored

Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at the New York Botanical Garden.

rethinking theRose Garden

BY PATRICIA A. TAYLORPHOTOGRAPHS BY IVO M. VERMEULEN

ticides on city property. The botanicalgarden had just learned that it fell underthe law’s purview; its rose garden, in par-ticular, was regularly drenched with acocktail of the banned pesticides.

Suddenly, just a year after arrivingfrom Atlanta, where his company de-signed rose gardens for large estates,Kukielski was faced with an immensechallenge: turning a garden that was, ashe puts it, “living on an I.V. drip ofchemicals,” into one that showed it waspossible to grow extraordinarily beauti-ful roses not only without pesticides, butalso without extra fuss and care.

Roses that Kukielski personally loved,such as the aforementioned ‘Dainty Bess’,had to go. Others, which shall remainnameless, he admits he was glad to toss.All had been bred primarily for beauty,with little thought of the care and thechemicals needed to keep them alive. Evenwith weekly spraying, many were coveredwith black spot and yellow foliage by thetime September rolled around.

Thanks to breeders like Bill Radler,who developed the popular and robustKnock Out™ rose series, there were someroses in that spring of 2007 thatbloomed all season without the use of

chemicals. But these roses, to devotees atleast, offered little that was special be-yond their vigorousness. To someone likeKukielski, who readily bills himself as arose fanatic, roses should be enchanting.They should beguile with lush beautyand delicate fragrance.

WORLDWIDE SEARCHLike many rosarians, Kukielski hadviewed with dismay the decline in popu-larity of roses among the American gar-dening public in the last 50 years becauseof the flower’s reputation for excessivecare and spraying in home gardens.Kukielski was aware, however, that therewere breeders both in the United Statesand abroad who were seeking to bringroses back into gardens by creating vig-orous, beautiful, disease-resistant plants.

To find these plants, Kukielski spentthe winter of 2008 traveling around theworld—via the Internet. He contactedGermany’s preeminent nursery, W. Ko-rdes Sohne. A five-generation rose-breeding machine, Kordes introductionshave won more awards in All Deutsch-land Rose (ADR) trials than those fromany other firm. (The ADR trial is athree-year evaluation of new varieties at11 locations throughout Germany; ab-solutely no pesticides are used.) “With


Above: Peggy Rockefeller Rose GardenCurator Peter Kukielski with ‘Mother ofPearl’ roses. Left: Kukielski evaluates rosesin the David Austin English rose border. Inthe foreground are two floribunda roses—dark pink ‘Betty Prior’ and white Iceberg™.


extraordinary healthy foliage,” Kukiels-ki says, “Kordes roses are stand-outsamong no-spray varieties.”

He clicked over to the House of Meil-land in France, where six generations ofthe family have been busy breeding roses,among them the world-famous ‘Peace’rose. Today, the firm’s emphasis is on ex-quisite, often fragrant, roses that requirelittle or no spraying. Among these are thedwarf, everblooming shrubs in theDrift™ series introduced in 2008.

Closer to home, there was G. MichaelShoup of the Antique Rose Emporium inBrenham, Texas. For almost threedecades, Shoup has been hunting for andintroducing fragrant old-time roses—mute legacies from settlers of a centuryand more ago that had become wildalong Texas back roads and cemeteries.He has also used these tough old-timersas parents of carefree, repeat-bloomingroses that are often almost prickle free.

A little further north, at the TexasAgriLife Extension Service in Dallas,Kukielski reviewed the Earth-Kind® roses.Starting in 1990, the Service establishedplant trials in which roses were left on theirown in baking heat for four years—no fer-

Top: A panoramic view of the expansivePeggy Rockefeller Rose Garden. Right: Thegarden introduced its trial site of Earth-Kindroses in spring 2010.

tilizer, no pesticides, no fungicides, and,after the first year, no water. Those that notonly survived—and it was surprising tomany that there were survivors at all—butalso looked good were designated Earth-Kind roses. Among these, ‘Ducher’—bredin France in 1869 and featuring elegant,fragrant, ivory-white flowers—has been astar at the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden.(Earth-Kind trials are now being conduct-ed in public gardens throughout most ofthe eastern half of the U.S. and in Califor-nia, Oregon, and Alaska.)

Up in Minnesota, Bailey’s Nurseries,another multi-generational firm, was alsodeveloping stellar roses, thanks to thebreeding work of Ping Lim. Hired in1992, Lim is responsible for many award-winning roses as well as the recently in-troduced ever-blooming, fragrant EasyElegance™ Rose series. Bailey’s is so con-vinced of their vigor and resistance to dis-ease that it offers a two-year guarantee toall home gardeners.

Kukielski also sought out roses devel-oped by the late Griffith Buck. A profes-sor at Iowa State University, Buck wasone of the first recognized breeders to in-troduce disease-resistant roses. Over fourdecades, he named 90 different varieties.“These are great roses,” Kukielski says,“not only for the harsh climate of theAmerican prairie, where they were bred,but for any climate. Among these,‘Quietness’, with soft pink, fragrant,ever-blooming flowers, is a stand out.”

MAKING SPACEWhen Kukielski had finished his research,he had a list of 1,700 roses that he wantedto add to the garden. That meant an al-most equal number had to go. By recon-figuring the beds, he was able to whittledown the discard number to 1,300. Still,that is an awful lot of roses to put on thechopping block. In addition, breedingwork is on-going, so every year Kukielskilearns of new, exciting roses. Since theonly way he can acquire them is to banishother roses from the garden, it has now be-come a one-for-one tradeoff.

This tradeoff regimen is rough. Lastsummer, for example, Kukielski saw a rosedescription in the Kordes catalog and onthe spot decided he had to have it. Themore difficult decision was how to elimi-nate a rose to make room for it.

To ensure that the newcomers per-form to expectation and that old-timersremain competitive, he introduced anevaluation system in 2009. Every month,Kukielski and garden volunteers rateeach rose with regard to floral beauty, fo-liage attractiveness, fragrance, and over-all vigor. These evaluators are tough.Only 22 of the 487 repeat-blooming va-rieties in the garden received Superior

ratings in 2009 and 2010. (See sidebar onpage 39 for list.)

Roses that end up at the very bottom ofthe list are candidates for disposal. Yet a fewof these are retained, because the gardenhas an educational mission to demonstratethe history and evolution of rose breeding.So in designated areas of the garden, visi-tors can see the old, fragrant hybrid tearoses, a collection of heritage roses, a swath

WHAT IS A SUSTAINABLE ROSE GARDEN?A sustainable rose garden, such as the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, is not nec-essarily an organic garden. While the roses in such a garden are either disease resis-tant or completely impervious to diseases, they are subject to insect infestations.When the pests are particularly numerous, sprays are often used. Generally, organicsprays are tried first, but if they are not effective, synthetic chemicals are applied.

That said, the Margaret Hagedorn Rose Garden at the U.S. Botanic Garden inWashington, D.C., is totally organic. This status, according to its director, HollyShimizu, was a decision by the entire staff. The garden, however, is not a mono-culture—that is, it does not consist only of roses. Perennials are mixed in withdisease-resistant roses and the carefully chosen combination of plants helps todeter pests and diseases.

Out on the West Coast, the Huntington Rose Garden, under the aegis of its long-time curator, Clair Martin, has been almost spray-free for over two decades. Muchof this is due to stringentstate laws that have in-creasingly banned the useof toxic chemicals in pub-lic places. Martin pointsout that the relatively dryclimate in San Marino,California, is also con-ducive to discouragingdisease. That, plus thecareful selection of roses,decreases the need for reg-ular applications of syn-thetic pesticides.

Public gardens, partic-ularly those solely devotedto roses, are meant to bebeautiful displays. As is evident from Peter Kukielski’s example, an incredibleamount of work is needed to enable a public rose garden to make the transition toa sustainable one. There is another factor as well: time. As Martin points out, “Onceyou break away from chemicals, it takes at least three years to get the garden backinto balance with nature and the soil healthy.” While a rose curator might argue infavor of such an approach, a garden’s trustees, charged with overseeing a beauti-ful creation, may be more reluctant to do so.

Currently, there appears to be no overall trend toward creating sustainable pub-lic rose gardens. However, with the increase in new laws restricting the use of tox-ic chemicals in public areas, as well as the superb breeding work by rose fanciersboth in this country and abroad, expect to see more such beautiful and inspiringgardens in the near future. —P.A.T.


The rose garden at The Huntington in San Marino, California

of David Austin English roses, and classicssuch as the ‘Peace’ rose. These areas of thegarden are sprayed as needed with ap-proved pesticides so that they do not looklike a wasteland by early fall.

STANDING ON THEIR OWN ROOTSKukielski points out that just about allroses—newcomers and classics—addedto the collection are brought in on theirown roots. Own-root shrubs are just

that; a single plant from top to bottom.Grafted shrubs are two-part creations.Generally the roots—or understock—of a grafted plant determine its heightand shape, while the upper section—thescion—exhibits the attributes of itsflowers and foliage. The advantage ofgrafting is that a relatively young plantcan be grafted onto established roots,which means a larger shrub the first yearin the garden.

“While own-roots roses, when com-pared to grafted roses, take a little moretime to build up and become estab-lished,” Kukielski says, “they are alwaystrue to their variety. They are also morelikely to survive hard winters and tem-perature fluctuations. Basically, theseare healthier plants and less prone topathogens.”

It is relatively easy to distinguish anown-root rose from that of a grafted roseat a garden center. If there is a little woodyring or a knob at the base of the plant, itindicates a graft has been made.

Because the Peggy Rockefeller RoseGarden is a monoculture garden—onlyone type of plant is grown—it is essentialthat the healthiest possible plants are ini-tially included in its designs. Most othergarden areas contain a mixture ofplants—shrubs, perennials, and annuals—and this mixture ensures that no onepest can wipe out the entire display.


SourcesChamblee Roses, Tyler, TX. (800) 256-7673. www.chambleeroses.com.Heirloom Roses, St. Paul, OR. (503) 538-1576. www.heirloomroses.com.Northland Rosarium, Spokane, WA.(509) 448-4968. www.northlandrosarium.com.Pickering Nurseries, Port Hope, ON,Canada. (866) 269-9282.www.pickeringnurseries.com.Regan Nursery, Fremont, CA. (800)249-4680. www.regannursery.com.Roses Unlimited, Laurens, SC. (864) 682-7673. www.rosesunlimitedownroot.com.

ResourcesJust Say No to Chemicals—My Journeyto All Natural Rose Gardening by PaulZimmerman. Article based on lectureto New York Botanical Garden,www.paulzimmermanroses.com.The Sustainable Rose Garden editedby Pat Shanley, Peter Kukielski, andGene Waering. Casemate/NewburyBooks, Havertown, Pennsylvania,2011.

‘Awakening’ roses climb the central gabezo in the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden.

For example, rose slugs—the larvae ofprimitive wasps called sawflies—wreakhavoc on rose foliage while leaving thatof catmint (Nepeta spp.) unharmed. Byinterspersing catmints with rose shrubs,rose slugs are blocked from a straight-lineattack on the roses. Because Kukielskidoes not have such a mixed-planting op-tion in his garden, the roses that comeout on top of the monthly evaluations aretruly extraordinary.

EXPANDING AVAILABILITYQuite a few of the roses Kukielski has se-lected, particularly those developed by Eu-ropean breeders, are not only unfamiliarto American gardeners but also unavail-able. By displaying them in the PeggyRockefeller Rose Garden, Kukielski hopesto create enough interest among Ameri-can suppliers that they will offer them.

“I feel this is where we have a key role,”he says. “In all honesty, there are many rose

varieties on the market that are beautifulbut not great garden plants. These roses re-quire too much effort to maintain, both interms of chemical sprays and fertilizers.Working in the public garden arena, I wantto show everyone that comes to the PeggyRockefeller Rose Garden that they too caneasily grow roses in their own gardens.”

To aid gardeners too far away to visitthe Garden, Kukielski has co-edited, withPat Shanley and Gene Waering, The Sus-tainable Rose Garden (see review on page55). Through that book as well as throughgarden visitors, Kukielski has embarkedon a crusade—one that ironically hemight not have undertaken without thehelp of Local Law 37.

Faced with a challenge, Kukielskiturned it into an opportunity—one thatproved both satisfying and exciting. Onetestament to the success of his approachcame from the Great Rosarians of theWorld (GROW), which bestowed its

2010 Rose Garden Hall of Fame Awardon the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden.In announcing the award, GROW offi-cials noted that, “Through the vision ofCurator Peter Kukielski, the Rose Gar-den has undergone a tremendous reno-vation and transformation…which hasresulted in creating a sustainable publicgarden, representing an outstanding col-lection of roses that…can be grown with-out harming the environment.”

“I personally want to bring the roseback as a great garden plant,” Kukielskiproclaims. “It is a plant that now needslittle effort to maintain and little to nochemical intervention. It is available inmany sizes, shapes, and colors, has thelongest flowering time of all bloomingshrubs and, finally, is just absolutely, in-credibly beautiful.” �

Patricia A. Taylor is a garden writer based inPrinceton, New Jersey.T

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TOP-RATED PERFORMERS AT THE PEGGY ROCKEFELLER ROSE GARDENIn alphabetical order, the following 22 repeat-blooming roses were the only ones among 487 varieties to receive Superior rat-ings in both 2009 and 2010. For a list of the Top 100 Performers by year, go to www.nybg.org, click on “Gardens & Plants,”then “The Collection,” and then on “Rose Garden.”

NAME CLASS FLOWER TYPE/COLORBrother’s Grimm Fairy Tale™ Floribunda Double/deep red-orangeCaramel Fairy Tale™ Shrub Double/light amber-yellowCinderella Fairy Tale™ Shrub Double/light pink ‘Ducher’ China Double/whiteEaster Basket™ Floribunda Semi-double/pink-edged yellowHome Run™ Shrub Single/deep red‘Jasmina’ Large-flowered climber Very double/pink-violet‘Karl Ploberger’ Shrub Double/pale yellowKordes Moonlight™ Large-flowered climber Semi-double/coppery yellow‘Kosmos’ Floribunda Very double/creamy whiteLady Elsie May™ Floribunda Semi-double/orange-pinkLaguna™ Large-flowered climber Very double/magenta-pink‘Larissa’ Shrub Very double/pinkLions Rose® Floribunda Very double/creamy white, pink blush‘Macy’s Pride’ Shrub Double/creamy white‘Mother of Pearl’ Grandiflora Double/pinkPeach Drift® Shrub Semi-double/peach-apricotPink Drift® Shrub Single/deep pink‘Purple Rain’ Shrub Double/purple-pink‘Quietness’ Shrub Double/light pinkRosanna® Large-flowered climber Very double/salmon-pinkTraviata™ Hybrid tea Very double/red

Home Run™

Peach Drift®Peach Drift®

Home Run™

http://www.nybg.org/gardens/test_garden.php?id_gardens_collections=40


HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHTWhile your first thought might be tosimply hide an eyesore with a screeningplant, this plan can sometimes backfire,depending on the plant you choose.Whether a plant stands out or blends inhas a lot to do with its texture. A large,dense shrub with big, coarse leaves plant-

ed directly in front of an object will oftendraw the eye toward the very thing youwant to disguise. While it is certainly ef-fective at blocking a view, it doesn’t pro-vide a particularly attractive alternative.

When trying to disguise something, it’sbetter to use a plant with fine textures.From a distance, finely textured plants

with small or narrow leaves appeal to theeye without demanding a lot of attention.When placed in front of or near an object,the plant’s delicate features help the objectappear to gently recede into the back-ground. Examples of these types of plantsinclude grasses such as Miscanthus sinensis‘Morning Light’, with its narrow leaves,

Garden SecretsUsing vertical gardening techniques can reduce the visual impact of unattractive landscape features.

BY SUSAN MORRISON AND REBECCA SWEET PHOTOGRAPHS BY REBECCA SWEET

EVEN THE loveliest of gardens can harbor an eyesore. Whether it’s an ugly (and noisy) air-conditioning unit or a looming utility pole, most of us have something in our gardens that we

wish would just go away. When budget or practical considerations preclude that option, the bestapproach is to blend, hide, or soften the appearance of those offenders to minimize their impact inthe landscape. Learning a few easy design strategies and knowing the right plants to use is all it takes.

and shrubs such as Euonymus japonicus‘Green Spire’, with its small, variegatedleaves and open habit.

Barbecues and Other Built-Ins. To drawattention away from the bulky shape ofbuilt-in elements in your yard—such asbarbecues, fire pits, or hot tubs—place afinely-textured plant nearby to help themblend into their surroundings. You won’tbe able to completely hide these things—nor should you need to—but you can cer-tainly soften their visual impact with agreen, living screen.

Keep the ultimate size of a plant inmind when making your selection; youdon’t want it to grow so large that it even-tually overpowers your space. Who wantsto be completely isolated from the rest ofthe yard by a dense, massive shrub whenbarbecuing or relaxing in the hot tub?Vertical plants work well, as they have theheight to get the job done without eatingup too much garden space. The plantyou choose should also be tough enoughto withstand any residual heat or chlo-rine, such as Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald’n Gold’ or Camellia sasanqua ‘Setsug-

ekka’. And don’t forget, plants near bar-becues or fire pits can’t be allowed togrow too tall or flop over where theymight touch a flame or scalding-hot sur-face—for obvious reasons!

Downspouts. These are necessary yetpotentially distracting elements aroundyour home. Typically made from alu-minum, galvanized metal, or plastic, theyrarely harmonize with the architecture ofyour house or your landscaping. Whilethey might not consume a lot of space,they can be attention grabbers.

Softening the outline of a downspoutwith larger shrubs is a good way to reduceits impact. Again—plants with large,bold leaves tend to draw attention, so optinstead for those with soft, feathery fo-liage, such as yew pine (Podocarpuselongatus ‘Monmal’) or hopseed bush(Dodonaea viscosa).

There are a few other things to keep inmind when selecting plants to place neara downspout. The soil needs to have ex-cellent drainage to prevent root rot, espe-cially in wetter climates. Remember toleave plenty of room between the plantand the downspout so that the foliage ofthe plant when it is mature won’t block thebottom of the drain.

Some downspouts can be quite beauti-ful, of course, especially when they aremade from copper or another natural ma-terial. If you’re lucky enough to have oneof these, consider growing a delicate vineup the downspout. The beauty of thedownspout will still shine through, and thevine will act as another design element.

When choosing a vine, make sure itwon’t grow so large or heavy that it pullsthe downspout off the side of your houseor smothers your roof in a blanket ofgreen. Wisteria, ivy, and trumpet vines,


Above: Delicate leaves and an open form make evergreen hopseed bush (Dodonaea viscosa) anappropriate choice to draw the eye away from the downspout of this house. Opposite: A ‘CécileBrunner’ climbing rose provides additional height to a fenceline, screening out unwanted views.

This article is excerptedand adapted from Gar-den Up! Smart VerticalGardening for Smalland Large Spaces bySusan Morrison andRebecca Sweet (CoolSprings Press, Brent-wood, Tennessee,2011, $19.95). Usedwith permission fromthe publisher.

http://coolspringspress.com/products/product.php?catid=616&ean=9781591864929&title=Garden-Up


for example, grow too large for a gutterto support. The constant effort requiredto prevent them from covering a roofmakes them an impractical choice. In-stead, plant a deciduous vine with an ul-timate height of 15 feet. Deciduous vinesare lighter, so in stormy conditions areless likely to be pulled off than a heavier,evergreen vine. Examples of delicate de-ciduous vines to consider are somespecies of clematis, Mexican flame vine(Senecio confusus), and orange clock vine(Thunbergia gregorii).

OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MINDSometimes something is just too utilitar-ian or downright unattractive to blend inwith the rest of the landscape. Whetherit’s an air-conditioning unit, a utilitypole, or a neighbor’s roofline, softeningit might not be enough. What you needis a way to permanently hide an object orview—whether that’s using evergreenplants, a cleverly placed trellis, the art ofdistraction, or a combination of all three.

Air-Conditioning Units and HeatPumps. Why is it that these bulky thingsoften seem to be placed right in the mid-dle of prime garden views? Not only that,but they offer no aesthetic value to yourlandscape, and when they’re running, theyare loud and blow out hot air.

When you want to conceal an air-conditioning unit or heat pump withplants, select tough varieties that canstand up to hot air that will likely beblowing directly on them. Plants shouldbe spaced a minimum of two to threefeet away from the box, as good air cir-

culation is required for the unit to op-erate efficiently. Also be sure to keepone side of the unit free of any plants foreasy access and maintenance.

Avoid planting a single specimen di-rectly in front of a heat pump or AC unit;

instead of distracting the eye, it can havethe opposite effect, making the unitmore prominent. A better strategy is toplace a group of plants next to the unit tohelp nudge a viewer’s gaze to a morepleasant view.

Because they are approximately the same height and depth, these flowering quinces(Chaenomeles sp.) make an air-conditioning unit less conspicuous in this planting bed.

The use of vertical plants and upright gardenaccessories transforms a tiny suburban yard,above, into a private, tropical retreat, right.

Utility Poles. A seemingly simple solutionto an obtrusive utility pole is to wrap nettingaround it and grow a vine that will “skirt”the pole. This could be a problem, howev-er, when utility workers need to access thepoles. Most utility companies require a five-foot easement around a pole for access.When plants grow into this space, pruningbecomes the responsibility of the home-owner—you. If a plant is not pruned whenrequested, utility company workers may beforced to prune it themselves, whether thehomeowner agrees or not. Since the polesare city property, the utility company willalways have the right to remove vines.

If you decide to plant a vine, make ita fast-growing annual, such as goldenhops (Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’), black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata), ormorning glory (Ipomoea sp.) Annualvines can grow 20 feet in a single season.If access is required later, removing themis fairly easy and inexpensive.

Utility Boxes. If you have undergroundutilities, you won’t have the problem oflooming poles and overhead lines that ex-ist in many neighborhoods. Still, you mayend up with a large utility box placed onyour front lawn. These boxes are typical-ly filled with high-voltage components, so

significant open space is required on allsides for safe and easy access.

A simple solution is to focus on screen-ing the sides and rear of the box, which aremost visible from your garden and home,while leaving the front that faces the streetopen for easy access.

This can be done by planting flower-beds that will shield your view of the util-ity box, using a decorative fence or smalltrellis as the backbone of this small bed. Inaddition to providing an attractive back-ground for shorter plants, a fence may alsoprevent plants from spreading into the re-quired open space. Using a trellis to sup-

port a small vine creates an additionaldesign element in the planting beds.

Rooflines. Love thy neighbors, but nottheir rooflines? In residential neighbor-hoods, undesirable views of rooflines areone of the most common homeownercomplaints heard by garden designers.Plants that can be used as screens to effec-tively block out an offending view shouldprovide additional interest—such as fra-grance, colorful blooms, or beautiful eye-catching foliage.

Climbing roses are a good choice. De-pending on the variety, they can both fitwithin a narrow planting bed and still

grow quite tall, especially when trainedalong the top of a fence. Climbing rosesprovide months of gorgeous blooms, agarden full of scent, and decorative rosehips in fall. Even in winter, when the roseshave lost their leaves, their bare brancheswill continue to provide partial screening.Hardy and vigorous climbing rose vari-eties include ‘William Baffin’, ‘NewDawn’, and Fourth of July™.

For maximum year-round coverage,consider evergreen trees and shrubs withdense foliage. If room allows, place theplants in a staggered pattern rather thanin a single straight row; a staggered

arrangement increases the area’s per-ceived depth and offers more visual ap-peal. In very narrow spaces where only asingle row is feasible, mix your plantingsand stagger heights to create an illusionof depth.

SOFTENING CHAIN-LINK FENCESHere’s a design problem that a lot of home-owners must contend with: a chain-linkfence. Though functional, most chain-linkfences lack style as well as provide little pri-vacy—and removing them is usually notpractical. However, you can easily soften afence’s harsh line and make it less obtrusiveor even more attractive. All you need areR

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Left: Use fast-growing annuals, such as golden hops (Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’), to “skirt”utility poles. Above: Fast-growing, narrow hopseed bush and compact Carolina laurel cherry(Prunus caroliniana ‘Compacta’) hide the view of a neighbor’s unattractive roofline.

the right plants, plus materials available atyour local home-improvement store orneighborhood garden center.

Using plants to break up lines. One so-lution is to use a chain-link fence as a gianttrellis to support a mix of vines that cancover the fence with both foliage and flow-ers. While annual vines such as the com-mon morning glory grow the fastest, theyonly last for one season and will need to bereplanted each year. For most gardens,perennial or evergreen vines are a betterchoice because they will provide years ofbeauty once established.

When choosing a vine, avoid those thatdevelop large woody trunks. Not only canthey overpower a garden, but, over time,they will destroy a fence. More suitable arevines that are manageable in size andweight, such as honeysuckle (Lonicera✕brownii ‘Dropmore Scarlet’), evergreenwisteria (Millettia reticulata), or Carolinajessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens).

Add another layer of fencing. Anothersimple and inexpensive way to softenyour chain-link fence is to install reedfencing in front of it. Available at most

garden centers, reed fencing is easy to at-tach to a chain-link fence with twist ties.It offers immediate coverage and pro-vides a beautiful natural background forsurrounding planting beds. This type offencing is available in neutral colors,making it a good choice to create a sim-ple backdrop for lush planting beds. Ithas the added advantage of providingnearly complete visual privacy, and, de-

pending on the height of your chain-linkfence, can increase the height of yourscreening by an extra foot or two.

An assembly of lightweight woodentrellis panels, readily available at mostgarden centers, can also make a good ad-ditional layer of fencing. Paint the panelsa neutral color if you want the fence to re-cede into the background, or go bright totransform the fence into a bold designstatement. To take this idea one step fur-ther, consider inserting small random mir-rors or decorative tiles within the fence.

WORK WITH WHAT YOU HAVEAs you can see, no matter what you havein your landscape that detracts from itsbeauty, there is often a fairly simple solu-tion. Sometimes it’s necessary to view theproblem as an opportunity to turnlemons into lemonade. With a little cre-ativity, you can minimize negative visualimpacts—and perhaps get somethingmore in return. �

Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet arelandscape designers in northern Californiaand the co-authors of Garden Up! (CoolSprings Press, 2011).


Above: Honeysuckle covers a chain-link fencewith summer blooms. Top: A brightly paintedlattice conceals a chain-link fence andprovides a colorful backdrop for the garden.

http://www.seedsofchange.com

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CGARDEN SOLUTIONS

EARLY IN MY career as a gardener, I was convinced thathard work was needed to prepare the soil for planting.I dug deeply and incorporated peat, decayed manure,

and several other additives. Once parenting demanded more ofmy time, I had to settle for simply mulching instead of all thatdigging in part of my garden. After a few years of this, I was sur-prised to find that my intensely amended and tilled soil was nobetter than the soil that only received mulch. The mulch hadencouraged a host of creatures to inhabit the soil, and these werefar more effective than I could ever be in improving it.

Avoiding many garden problems starts with your soil. Hereare my best tips for taking care of it without needlessly break-ing your back in the process.

LET SOIL GUIDE YOUR GARDENI have never heard a gardener boast that he or she has the perfectsoil, probably because it doesn’t exist. Perhaps you think your soilis too wet, too dry, too poorly drained, lacking in nutrients, or toolight to hold plants against strong winds. Sandy soil is great whererainfall is plentiful, but doesn’t hold nutrients well. Clay soil holdsnutrients beautifully, but may stay soggy for long periods of time.

While it is possible to improve almost any soil from the topdown by adding organic matter, to a large degree success in yourgarden depends on accepting the soil you have and growing theplants that thrive in it naturally. If your soil is sandy, you’ll findyou can grow terrific melons, as well as prairie plants and suc-culents. If you have slow-draining, heavy clay soil, your best betmay be creating a perennial garden with plants that tolerate wetfeet, such as cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), Siberian iris(Iris sibirica), and ornamental sedges (Carex spp.).

That said, a soil test can help guide your selection of amend-ments. For example, if you discover that your soil is not acidicenough for the blueberry bushes you have your heart set on, youcan try using pine straw as mulch. (For more on soil testing, seearticles linked to this one on the AHS website, www.ahs.org.)

NATURE KNOWS BESTIf you want great soil, emulate nature. That means providinglots of organic matter. This will support a complex web of lifethat is essential to healthy soil that can resist invasions of soil-borne diseases, provide essential nutrients to your plants, andmaintain optimal moisture levels.

To reap these benefits, apply chopped leaves, rotted manure,or other available organic matter once or twice a year in a layer nomore than two inches deep. Also, avoid compacting the soil,which can eliminate the spaces between soil particles that provideoxygen to all the things that live in your soil, including plant roots.

GUARD AGAINST CONTAMINANTSBe careful about what you put into your soil. There are manypests, diseases, and weeds that find their way into your garden viasoil from somewhere else. For example, insects such as black vineweevils and Japanese weevils may hitch a ride in a new plant andescape detection until they’ve wreaked havoc in your garden.

Fungal diseases such as verticillium wilt, Southern blight,and phytophthora root rot can also arrive in potted plants andin improperly handled mulch. All result in the sudden collapse

and wilting of otherwise healthy plants. Southern blight andverticillium wilt are nearly impossible to eradicate once they getinto your soil, which may force you to drastically limit theplants you grow in your garden.

Oxalis, chickweed, yellow nutsedge, and other difficult weedsmay be lurking in soil that trees, shrubs, and perennials are soldwith. The best way to prevent all these problems is to hold newplants—whether purchased or passed along from friends or neigh-bors—in a quarantine area so you can monitor them for a fewweeks to ensure that you won’t be planting a problem.

This spring, I encourage you to take time to really get toknow and appreciate your soil. As you dig into it, hold some inyour hand, take a close look at its texture, and breathe in itsaroma. Notice all the things that call it home. Examine the dif-ferent stages of decay going on in it. Knowing more about yoursoil will make you a better gardener. �

Scott Aker is a Washington, D.C.-based horticulturist. For 10 yearshe wrote the “Digging In” column for The Washington Post.

by Scott Aker

No-Sweat Tips for Great Garden Soil

A tomato infected with Southern blight, a common soil-borne disease.

http://ahs.org/publications/the_american_gardener/pdf/0303/smart_garden.pdf

http://ahs.org/publications/the_american_gardener/00/0003/smartgarden.htm


Gardening Q&A with Scott Aker

FIZZLING FOXGLOVESI’ve grown foxgloves in my partly shaded perennial border forseveral years. At first they were fine, but last year the foliageturned bronze and dried up and the flower stalks didn’t de-velop properly. Do you know why this might be happening?

Your foxgloves are probably host to thrips or mites, or, more like-ly, both. Both pests are tiny, so in order to identify them, hold apiece of white paper under some of the affected leaves and thentap on the leaves vigorously. Use a magnifying glass to examinewhatever falls on the paper.

Thrips are small torpedo-shaped insects, generally yellow incolor, that scrape away leaf tissue and ingest the sap. This resultsin very small linear white stipples on the leaves, and causes themto curl a bit. Mites are small round creatures about the size of aperiod. They feed by piercing the leaves and sucking up the sap.They also stipple the foliage, but their stippling is more yellow. Ifleft untreated, either of these pests can injure the leaf tissue sobadly that the leaves turn bronze and may eventually dry up.

Mites and thrips get started in the first warm days of spring, sokeep damage to a minimum by looking for these pests as soon asthe leaves start to emerge. You may be able to discourage a de-veloping population by spraying the foliage weekly with a strong jetof water. Both pests thrive in hot, dry conditions, so you might also

try moving your foxgloves to a cooler site. If all else fails, you cantry using a pesticide containing neem or horticultural oil to controlmites, or apply a product containing spinosad to control thrips.

REVERTING SPRUCEI planted a dwarf Alberta spruce next to my front door fouryears ago, and it has since grown to four feet tall. Thisspring I noticed that a branch about six inches from the topis sticking out and has much larger needles than the rest ofthe plant. Should I cut this branch off?

Yes, you need to remove this branch, which is known as a rever-sion. Dwarf Alberta spruce is simply a compact form of whitespruce (Picea glauca). From time to time, individual buds may mu-tate back to the non-dwarf form. If left to grow, the reversion willtransform your dwarf Alberta spruce into a much larger tree.

Cut the branch off well below the point it is growing from, evenif that means removing the top of the spruce. Dwarf conifers thatspawn one reversion sometimes produce more, so if your spruceexhibits this tendency, either remove it or transplant it to a loca-tion where it has more room to grow—a mature white spruce mayreach 15 feet in diameter and 50 feet in height. —S.A.

E-mail your gardening questions to Scott Aker at [email protected].

www.furbishco.com


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CHOMEGROWN HARVEST

PEAS (Pisum sativum) are easy-to-grow cool-season vegetables with along list of attributes: they can be

sown directly in the ground where theygerminate readily; their seeds are large andeasy to handle; and with the help of soil-borne bacteria, they feed themselves byfixing nitrogen in the soil. They are deli-cious raw or cooked—even the shoots canbe snipped for salads—and they’re full ofprotein, B vitamins, and fiber.

The familiar garden or shelling peas(sometimes called English peas) havetough, inedible pods; only the seeds areeaten. Snap peas are eaten whole—boththe plump seeds and the tender pods.Snow peas are also eaten whole, but theflat pods are harvested while the seeds arestill immature.

Tall varieties or vining types will climba trellis to significant heights. Dwarf orbush varieties, which can be grown onsupports or not, usually mature earlier

than vining types, and produce their cropover a shorter season.

GROWING GUIDELINES Peas thrive in cooler temperatures, but withcareful timing, gardeners in almost everypart of North America can grow them suc-cessfully. Seed packages will indicate thenumber of days to maturity based on thedate you sow. Most varieties require 50 to70 days, although seeds planted in cool soilmay take longer to sprout.

Young pea seedlings tolerate somefrost, so in cooler climates, sow peas inlate winter or early spring, after the soilhas thawed. Select both early and late va-rieties to extend the harvest season. A sec-ond crop can often be grown in fall.

In warm regions, sow peas in the falland winter to avoid the hottest monthsof the year. In areas with mild wintersand cool summers, gardeners can sowpeas virtually year round as long as theplants are regularly watered.

Peas need well-drained soil and fullsun; they grow best with a soil pH of 6.0

to 7.5. If your soil drains poorly, amendit with compost or plant in raised beds toprevent seeds from rotting.

Be sure to erect your trellising systembefore or just after planting, otherwisestems create a tangled mess. Trellises forvining types should be six to eight feethigh and reasonably sturdy; bambooteepees work well, or you can string net-ting between posts. Although bush typescan be grown without support, the aircirculation provided by a trellis helps dis-courage diseases. A simple technique tosupport short vines is to insert branchedtwigs into the ground along the row togive them something to climb.

Soil inoculants—bacteria that help pearoots fix nitrogen in the soil—are availablefrom most seed companies and can besprinkled on seeds prior to planting. Al-though these beneficial bacteria occur nat-urally in many soils, using inoculants helpsensure a healthy population, particularly ifpast yields have been low.

Water peas deeply at least once aweek—more when they are flowering

by Fiona Gilsenan

Delicious and Dependable Peas

Planting Basics GETTING STARTED In cold weather regions, sow peas in spring as soon as the ground canbe worked; a second crop can be sown in early fall in many areas. In warmer regions, sowfrom late fall to late winter.

To speed germination andgrowth, soak seeds overnightand dust with an inoculantprior to planting.

SPACING Space bush peas inrows 16 to 18 inches apart;four feet apart for vining types.Sow seeds one inch deep andone to two inches apart.

DAYS TO MATURITY 50 to 80days from seed, depending onthe variety.

‘Sugar Ann’ snap peas‘Sugar Ann’ snap peas

and setting pods. Keep the roots coolwith a mulch of straw or compost, andweed carefully to avoid disturbing theirshallow roots.

PESTS AND DISEASESMany varieties are resistant to the mostcommon pea diseases: fusarium wilt, pow-dery mildew, viruses (such as enationvirus), and bacterial root rot. To furtheravoid diseases, provide good air circula-tion with proper spacing and vine sup-port. Grow peas in a different bed eachyear, using a three-year rotation.

Aphids may gather on new shoots;pinch out the shoots or knock the aphidsoff with a strong jet of water.

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES Shelling peas■ ‘Alderman’ (Tall Telephone). 80 days.Tall vines (up to eight feet) produce highyields of three- to four-inch pods.■ ‘Mr. Big’. 67 days. This 2000 All-Amer-ica Selections (AAS) winner has pods upto six inches long and vines to four feet.Resistant to wilt and powdery mildew.

Snap peas■ ‘Sugar Snap’. 62 days. A 1979 AAS win-ner, it grows four to six feet tall with sweet,three-inch pods. ■ ‘Sugar Ann’. 52 days. An early-ripeningbush pea bears sweet, crisp pods on two-foot plants. A good choice for small gardens.

Snow peas■ ‘Oregon Giant’. 65 days. Four- to five-inch pods on three-foot-tall vines. ■ ‘Mammoth Melting Sugar’. 70 days.Produces pods up to five inches long onfour-foot, wilt-resistant vines.

ENJOYING THE HARVEST Harvest garden and snap peas when theseeds are plump but the shells have notstarted to wither. If you can see a sharp out-line of the pea through the pod and the podhas turned a dull green, the peas are overripeand will taste bitter and starchy. Pick snowpeas just when the seeds start to swell insidethe pod. Depending on the variety, snowand snap peas may have strings to remove,similar to green beans. Don’t allow over-ma-ture peas to remain on the vine, because thiswill discourage further production.

In my opinion, peas taste best whencooked minimally, so I simply steam themlightly or throw snow peas in at the end ofa stir-fry. Peas are also delicious raw in sal-ads; snap peas are great as crudités.

My children adore frozen peas assnacks, so I freeze as many as I can. Blanchthe peas lightly—two minutes in boilingwater and then two minutes in ice water—before bagging and freezing. �

Fiona Gilsenan is a garden book author and acontributor to the Sunset Western GardenBook. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia.


SourcesTerritorial Seed Company, CottageGrove, OR. (800) 626-0866.www.territorialseed.com.W. Atlee Burpee Seed Company,Warminster, PA. (800) 888-1447.www.burpee.com.West Coast Seeds, Delta, British Co-lumbia, Canada. (888) 804-8820.www.westcoastseeds.com.

Maryland 410.442.2310 Virginia 703.406.0802 Washington, D.C. 301.924.5400www.chapelvalley.com

Chapel Valley Landscape Company designs, installs andmaintains wonderfully crafted landscapes that make a positivefirst impression. For over four decades our award winningprojects have been the hallmark of Chapel Valley LandscapeCompanyʼs commitment to creativity, quality and service.Call today to discuss your landscaping needs.

www.chapelvalley.com

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MONARCH POPULATIONS RECOVERINGEach year, monarch butterflies travelabout 2,800 miles from Canada and theUnited States to Mexico to overwinter,and the good news is that a just-releasedstudy indicates a promising increase inmonarch (Danaus plexippus) populationscounted in Mexico this season.

Monarch migration numbers have ap-proximately doubled from last year,when an alarming 75 percent drop wasobserved that put counts at the lowestlevel since comparable record-keepingbegan in 1993. Population counts arebased on the acreage the insects occupyat specific breeding sites they return toevery year. This year, 9.9 acres were oc-cupied with colonies, up from 4.7 acreslast year.

The study, sponsored by the WorldWildlife Fund (WWF), the NationalCommission for Natural Protected Areasof Mexico, and the cellular carrier Telcel,noted that although these numbers are en-couraging, populations are still chronical-ly smaller than expected, based on averagesfor the past seven years. For example, in1997, colonies occupied 45 acres.

Year-to-year fluctuations in insect pop-ulations are normal, but the primary caus-es of these monarch declines are attributedto a variety of factors such as climatechange, habitat loss through deforestation,and the use of pesticides on roadside pop-ulations of common milkweed (Asclepiassyriaca), a primary food source and hostplant for monarchs.

To reduce habitat loss, conservationgroups such as the WWF are promoting

alternate-income projects in regionsaround the monarch breeding sites. Oneprogram gives local residents who mightotherwise illegally harvest trees an oppor-tunity to grow them for profit instead.

Gardeners can encourage monarchpopulations by avoiding pesticide use andplanting a variety of milkweeds. Showymilkweed (A. speciosa, USDA HardinessZones 3–9, AHS Heat Zones 9–1) growswell in cooler regions, swamp milkweed(A. incarnata, Zones 3–9, 9–3) thrives insoggy soils, and tropical or scarlet milk-weed (A. currassavica, Zones 9–11, 12–1)tolerates heat.

PEACH AND CITRUS PEST BIOCONTROLSFruit trees are notoriously susceptible toa variety of pests and diseases. Two par-ticularly destructive pests are the peachtree borer—which kills more peach treesin the United States than any other in-sect—and the Diaprepes weevil—an in-

troduced species from the Caribbean thatdamages citrus trees. Because beneficialnematodes—microscopic worms—areknown predators of both pests, theUSDA’s Agricultural Research Servicehas been exploring the potential for mak-ing the nematodes even more effectivebiocontrols.

For instance, nematodes successfullyprey on the underground life stages of thepeach tree borer, but once the pests emergeaboveground, the nematodes are too sen-

Horticultural News and Research Important to American Gardeners

CGARDENER’S NOTEBOOK

A colony of monarch butterflies overwintering in the Oyamel fir forests of central Mexico.

Gardeners can attract monarchs by plantingmilkweeds such as Asclepias currassavica.

The destructive larva of the peach tree borer

www.thecareoftrees.com

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sitive to the sun’s light and heat to followin pursuit. In Byron, Georgia, scientistshave created a nontoxic, environmentally-friendly gel that can be sprayed on trees toform a protective barrier so that nematodescan follow the borers. During the first yearof testing, 30 percent of the borers sur-vived; the next year none survived.

At the University of Florida, anotherteam has discovered that when citrus treeroots are attacked by Diaprepes weevils,the roots exude chemicals that attractbeneficial nematodes. This is a new dis-covery in citrus tree defense mechanisms,and the researchers’ ultimate goal is to de-velop rootstocks highly adept at recruit-ing nematodes in their defense.

MORTON ARBORETUM’S NEW SWEETSPIREAfter rigorous evaluation in botanicalgardens and universities, a new Virginiasweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Morton’, Zones5–9, 10–6) developed at the Morton Ar-boretum in Lisle, Illinois, is hitting themarket. “This is a time-proven shrubthat’s been in our collections since 1958and has been a top performer all along,”

says Kris Bachtell, Morton’s vice presi-dent of collections and facilities.

Sweetspire, a clump-forming shrub na-tive to the southeastern United States, isbest known for its attractive fall foliage;

the hollylike leaves turn bright red, peak-ing in early November and lasting throughthe first frost. In addition to the colorfulfall foliage, Virginia sweetspire producesracemes of white, fragrant flowers in mid-

A shrub with multi-season appeal, ‘Morton’ Virginia sweetspire provides vivid fall color.

http://tgoa-mgca.org/

http://www.homesteadgardens.com/

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June to early July. The flowers attract but-terflies and other pollinators. ‘Morton,’which will be marketed under the nameScarlet Beauty™, is particularly cold toler-ant, and thrives in moist, acidic soil, whereit grows three to four feet tall.

ENDANGERED PLANT COLLECTIONS2010 marked the end of the InternationalYear of Biodiversity, but North Americastill has some catching up to do. An assess-ment conducted by Botanic Gardens Con-servation International, the U.S. BotanicGarden, and the Arnold Arboretum ofHarvard University found that only 39 per-cent of the nearly 10,000 endangered andthreatened plants in Canada, the UnitedStates, and Mexico are maintained in seedbanks or living collections.

The study was prompted by the need toquantify North America’s contribution to-

wards global plant conservation. An inter-national agreement, the Global Strategyfor Plant Conservation (GSPC), set targetsand principles for plant conservation ac-tions through 2020. One of these goalsstates that by that time, 75 percent ofthreatened plant species should be accessi-ble through collections. To achieve this, thecurrent capacity must nearly double.

Despite the outcome, horticultural cu-rators are optimistic. Michael Dosmann,curator of living collections at the ArnoldArboretum says, “By participating in thisassessment, many of us saw for the firsttime the direct value of our plants in bol-stering efforts to conserve our threatenedflora. We hope this becomes a new para-digm in collections management.” �

News written by Editorial Intern Terra-Nova Sadowski.

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PEOPLE and PLACES in the NEWS

Mailorder Gardening Association Changes Its NameThe world’s largest nonprofit association of direct-to-customer gardening com-panies has changed its name. In order to better reflect the full range of optionsconsumers now have for making purchases, the Mailorder Gardening Associa-tion is now called the Direct Gardening Association (DGA).

Executive Director Camille Cimino says, “Today’s consumer enjoys the con-venience of being able to purchase gardening products online in addition toprint catalogs, and our new name embraces this growing trend.”

Members of the DGA sell their products through various venues, from catalogsand websites to social media and mobile commerce. Virtually everything related togardening is available, from seeds and plants to irrigation supplies and power equip-ment. To learn more about the DGA, visit www.directgardeningassociation.com.

Harold Pellett Receives Scott MedalEven in retirement, Harold Pellett is still making waves. He is this year’s recipientof the Arthur Hoyt Scott Medal presented by the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore

College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. The award is given toindividuals who have made outstanding national contribu-tions to the science and art of gardening.

During his 38-year career as a faculty member in hor-ticultural science at the University of Minnesota, Pellettproduced over 25 shrub and tree varieties, published over50 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, and ad-vised 20 graduate students who are now involved in sev-eral horticultural fields.

In his retirement, Pellett founded the Landscape PlantDevelopment Center to continue breeding durable plants

tolerant of environmental and biological stresses. Pellett will add the medal to themany other awards he has received, including the American Horticultural Society’sLiberty Hyde Bailey Award and the American Society for Horticultural Science Dis-tinguished Achievement Award for Nursery Crops.

www.directgardeningassociation.com


The Conscientious Gardener: Cultivating a Garden EthicSarah Hayden Reichard. University of California Press, Berkeley andLos Angeles, California, 2011. 254 pages. Publisher’s price, hard-cover: $27.50.

SOMETHING’S IN the air in Seattle. First came Linda Chalk-er-Scott, the myth-busting professor, author, and blogger who

casts the hard light of science onto horti-cultural practices based at best on anecdo-tal evidence—and, at worst, on old wives’tales. Now comes Sarah Hayden Reichard,conservation biologist at the University ofWashington, wielding data from peer-re-viewed journals to examine sustainablegardening as we currently know it.

In addition to scientific facts, through-out the book Reichard invokes the philos-ophy laid out in A Sand County Almanac,

the classic 1949 book by Aldo Leopold. One of the most influen-tial conservation thinkers of the 20th century, Leopold wrote elo-quently about the need for changing how humans relate to theland. In a similar vein, Reichard aims to help us view the garden“like the land, as a fully functioning ecosystem—and to incorpo-rate the awareness that its impacts extend far beyond its footprint.”

Reichard can be an enjoyable storyteller as well as an exactingscientist, and the book is enlivened with her personal experiencesas a gardener on three quarters of an acre in a “somewhat wild”ravine in Seattle. These include her adventures with the moun-tain beavers—creatures she finds alternately captivating and in-furiating as they chew up her prized plants and stack them neatlyat the entrance to their burrows.

The Conscientious Gardener is divided into eight chapters cov-ering soil, water, the pros and cons of going native, gardening andwildlife, pest management, confronting climate change, and wastereduction strategies in the garden. Given that Reichard is one ofthe leading authorities on plant invasion—her research helpeddocument that more than half the invasive species in developedcountries around the world were introduced for the horticulturaltrade—it’s not surprising that the most compelling chapter is on“the aliens among us.”

Although Reichard comes to no earth-shaking conclusionsabout the current state of sustainable gardening, her search for agarden ethic based on both science and a love of the land can serveas a model for gardeners everywhere.

—Janet Marinelli

Janet Marinelli has written several books on sustainable gardening,including Stalking the Wild Amaranth (Henry Holt, 1998).

Prairie-Style GardensLynn M. Steiner. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2010. 303 pages.Publisher’s price, hardcover: $34.95.

THROUGH TENDING her own prairie garden in Minnesota,editor-cum-garden writer Lynn Steiner developed a love of the

myriad plants that once dominated theMidwestern landscape. Her passionshines through in this lavishly illus-trated book, written from the heart ina succinct, informative style.

As its subtitle states, this book coversall you need to know to “capture theessence of the American prairie wherev-er you live.” It begins with an introduc-tion to the vast and varied grasslandcommunities of the Midwest, from the

prairie borderlands to the slopes of the Rockies. These tall, mixed,and shortgrass prairies serve as templates to inspire and informgardeners with their majesty and species diversity.

Because “plants of the tallgrass prairie are best suited to a widerange of garden and landscape uses,” the book focuses mostly onthese. An appendix lists these species by botanical name, dividedinto the categories, Flowers, Grasses and Sedges, Shrubs and SmallTrees, and Trees.

Next, the book presents a straightforward explanation of thesteps necessary for planning, site selection, preparation, pur-chasing, and planting gardens and small scale restorations de-voted exclusively to regionally appropriate native species.Steiner devotes a chapter to weeding, watering, burning, andmowing. Unlike many books that cover prairie gardening, it fo-cuses on techniques appropriate for smaller spaces.

Steiner wisely points out the potential pitfalls of native land-scapes in urban and suburban neighborhoods. For example,prairie plants may appear weedy to the uninitiated. She suggestsways to help neighbors accept non-traditional landscapes, suchas demonstrating intent with mowing strips, fences, and otherelements common in traditional gardens.

Plant profiles complete the volume, highlighting theshowiest, most adaptable, and size-appropriate forbs and grass-es for residential landscapes.

Whether you envision a sea of waving grasses, or simply wishto enjoy a sampling of the prairie’s diverse flora, this book is sureto inspire and inform.

—C. Colston Burrell

C. Colston Burrell is a plantsman, garden designer, and author ofseveral books, including Hellebores (Timber Press, 2006).

CBOOK REVIEWS

Recommendations for Your Gardening Library

The Sustainable Rose GardenEdited by Pat Shanley, Peter Kukielski, and Gene Waering. NewburyBooks, Havertown, Pennsylvania, 2010. 272 pages. Publisher’s price,hardcover: $34.95.

ABOUT 20 YEARS ago, I stood with the eminent rosarian Ray-ford Reddell at his Garden Valley Ranch in Petaluma, California.

Masses of roses of many kinds were inkaleidoscopic bloom. Nary a mildewedleaf nor a bug-chewed bud was visible.“What’s the secret to such a healthy-look-ing rose garden?” I asked him.

“Spray, spray, and spray,” he said. Andhe meant using heavy-duty, toxic pesti-cides. Today, as Garden Valley’s currentowner Ron Robertson explains in TheSustainable Rose Garden, the only spray

now used on the roses is active aerated compost tea. “Basicallywhat we’re doing is introducing sufficient quantities of goodfungus [sic] and bacteria to out-compete the pest organismsthat are always present,” he says.

This organic approach to pest and disease control, coupledwith rose breeders’ spectacular new disease-resistant hybrids,has taken rose growing into the new era of ecological con-sciousness. The use of pesticides has become far less attractiveto many rose growers, as we learn that the chemical sterilizationof our rose gardens is ultimately self-defeating.

The editors of this book are all master rosarians with im-portant positions in the world of roses. They’ve brought to-gether pieces written by 38 of the world’s leading rose expertsto examine all aspects of the new sustainable roses, from newclasses of low-maintenance roses to sustainable gardening prac-tices, establishing healthy ecologies of beneficial microorgan-isms on the plants, and much more—including nine sweetlyscented poems about roses by Emily Dickinson.

The information presented in this reader will appeal to ama-teur and professional alike. Of particular importance are articlesabout the new landscape roses that function so well with mini-mum maintenance. “Earth-Kind® Rose Trials—Identifying theWorld’s Strongest, Most Beautiful Landscape Roses,” describestrials where candidates for the Earth-Kind label are planted inunimproved soil, given no fertilizer, water, or pesticides, and areessentially abandoned to their fate. Those that survive and thriveare given the designation. Michael Marriott weighs in on “Healthin David Austin’s English Roses,” and Gary Pellett writes a “Re-port on Kordes® ADR Roses in the United States 2010.” This lat-ter is a German program similar to the Earth-Kind trials.

Overall, this is a fascinating and informative book for any-one who loves roses but wants to avoid spraying them with toxicchemicals. �

—Jeff Cox

Jeff Cox is the author of Landscape With Roses (Taunton Press,2002) and 18 other books on organic gardening, food, and wine.


If you are looking for ways to promote your nursery,landscape design firm, or other garden-related business,consider an AHS Affiliate Membership. Among the benefitsis an official certificate affirming your affiliation with one of the most respected names in American gardening.

Through the AHS Affiliate Member Program, garden-related organizations have a special opportunity to reach gardeners seeking high-quality horticulturalproducts and services.

To learn how an affiliate membership can enhance youroutreach and marketing efforts, contact Maren Seubert at(703) 768-5700 ext. 132 or [email protected].

Let the American Horticultural Society help you promote your green industry business or organization!

Market your business to America’s most passionate gardeners!



The Kitchen Gardener’s Hand-book by Jennifer R. Bartley (TimberPress, 2010, $22.95) comes at thetopic from a seasonal perspectivewith the goal of having “somethingeither to eat or to cut for an arrange-ment through the year.” For eachseason, the book describes the plantsat their peak during that time ofyear, recipes, luscious photographs,succinct to-do lists, and a few exem-plary designs.

Ready to make the bold, brazenmove of planting your edibles outfront for the world to see, instead ofhiding them out back like a dirty lit-tle secret? The Edible Front Yard byIvette Soler (Timber Press, 2011,$19.95) covers every consideration,from which plants to choose to de-signing and maintaining your auda-cious, tradition-flouting food garden.

While a pretty edible garden is anoble goal, there’s a practical side tothis game, which is the raison d’êtrefor the Week-by-Week VegetableGardener’s Handbook by Ron Ku-jawski and Jennifer Kujawski(Storey Publishing, 2010, $14.95).This accessible, straightforwardbook lays out tasks based on weeksbefore and after an area’s last frostdate, making it useful no matterwhere you live. �

—Viveka Neveln, Associate Editor

CGARDENER’S BOOKS

Edible Gardening

ICONFESS, I’m not really a by-the-book gardener, despite having a horticulture degree. Part of thefun for me—particularly when it comes to my vegetable garden—is following my instincts andwhims, and seeing what happens, rather than trying to follow all the “rules.” While my approach

may not be exactly scientific, I love picking up tips and tricks from others, so I can’t resist perusing allthe latest books on edible gardening. Here are some that got me thinking, planning, and planting whatI hope will be my best effort yet.

Grow the Good Life by MicheleOwens (Rodale, 2011, $24.99) is, inshort, a “why-to” rather than a“how-to.” If you think veggie gar-dening isn’t for you, this book aimsto convert you into a rabid growerof all things edible. For those alreadyon Owens’ wavelength, don’t writethe book off too quickly as preach-ing to the choir—she has plenty ofwise, wry, eye-opening things to sayon the subject, based on her nearlytwo decades of experience.

For the newbie, starting small is agood idea. Sugar Snaps and Straw-berries by Andrea Bellamy (TimberPress, 2010, $19.95) will walk youthrough “planning, creating, andtending an organic food garden in asmall space.” Bellamy delivers bite-size pieces of information abouteverything from soil and pests toraised beds and containers.

The Complete Kitchen Garden byEllen Ecker Ogden (Stewart, Tabori& Chang, 2011, $24.95) providesplans for 14 different themed ediblegardens, ranging from the saladlover’s garden to the family garden.For each theme, Ogden gives briefdescriptions of the plants to use,broad guidelines distilled into 10tips for making the plan work foryou, and recipes starring the result-ing bounty.

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NORTHEASTCT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT

RAP MAR. 5–APR. 25. The Orchid Show: OnBroadway at NYBG. The New York BotanicalGarden. Bronx, New York. (718) 817-8687.www.nybg.org.

MAR. 26. Maine Garden Day. Workshops, displays, trade show. University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Lewiston, Maine.(800) 287-1482. www.umaine.edu/gardening/maine-garden-day.

APR. 9. Northern Gardening Symposium: The Life-Long Garden. Vermont TechnicalCollege, Randolph Center, Vermont. (508)877-7630. www.newenglandwild.org/learn.

RAP APR. 30 & MAY 1. Sakura Matsuri CherryBlossom Festival. Brooklyn Botanic Garden.Brooklyn, New York. (718) 623-7200.www.bbg.org/visit/calendar.

Looking aheadRAP MAY 7. Plant Sale. Bartlett ArboretumGardens. Stamford, Connecticut. (203)322-6971. www.bartlettarboretum.org.

MID-ATLANTICPA, NJ, VA, MD, DE, WV, DC

THROUGH JUNE 5. Close: A Journey in Scotland. Art exhibit. United States Botanic Garden. Washington, D.C. (202) 225-8333.www.usbg.gov.

y MAR. 17–20. Springfest Flower & Garden Show. Sussex County Fairgrounds.Augusta, New Jersey. (973) 989-9448.www.springfestgardenshow.org.

RAP MAR. 26. Lahr Native Plant Symposium and Plant Sale. United StatesNational Arboretum. Beltsville AgriculturalResearch Center. Beltsville, Maryland. (202) 245-5898. www.usna.usda.gov.

RAP APR. 2. Oh Deer: Deterring Damage in the Garden. Lecture. Green Spring Gar-dens. Alexandria, Virginia. (703) 642-5173.www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp/education.htm.

APR. 7. Plant Hunting in Western China.Lecture. Wister Center, Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. (610) 328-8025. www.scottarboretum.org.

RAP APR. 30. Rare Plant Auction. DelawareCenter for Horticulture. Longwood Gardens.Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. (302) 658-6262. www.thedch.org/activities-events.

Looking aheadRAP MAY 7 & 8. Garden Fair. The State Arboretum of Virginia at Blandy Experimen-tal Farm. Boyce, Virginia. (540) 837-1758. www.virginia.edu/blandy.

MAY 15. Eastern Shore of Virginia Habitat for Humanity Small Garden Tour.Eastville, Virginia. (757) 442-4687.www.easternshorehabitat.org.

SOUTHEASTAL, FL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN

RAP MAR. 20. Thinking Outside the

CREGIONAL HAPPENINGS

Horticultural Events from Around the Country

Flower and garden shows that offer free ordiscounted admission to AHS members orpresent AHS awards are designated by a ksymbol. For details on the specific benefitsoffered, visit www.ahs.org/events/index.htmand click on “Flower and Home and GardenShows.”

Events hosted by botanical gardens andarboreta that participate in AHS’s ReciprocalAdmissions Program are identified with theRAP symbol. Current AHS members showing avalid membership card are eligible for free ordiscounted admission to the garden or otherbenefits. Special events may not be included;contact the host site for details or visitwww.ahs.org/rap.

Old Rose Symposium in MayTHERE MAY BE no better place to explore the history of roses than at the Wyck His-toric House and Garden, established in 1689 in Germantown, Pennsylvania. On May21, the Old Rose Symposium will celebrate its third year at the nation’s oldest rose

garden growing in its original plan. Rose ex-perts will lecture on topics relating to theflower’s historical significance.

Speakers will include rosarian StephenScanniello, president of the Heritage RoseFoundation and sponsor of the sympo-sium, and Wyck’s horticulturist and cura-tor, Nicole Juday. Juday will speak on thedeep-rooted history of plants at Wyck. Forexample, at least three roses growing atWyck are believed to be from the 17th cen-tury: Rosa alba ‘Semi Plena’, ‘Pink Leda’,and ‘Celsiana’.

Additionally, there will be an auction ofrare heritage roses, including a completecollection of Bermuda Mystery Roses:unidentified varieties found growing on theisland of Bermuda in the 1950s. JennieWatlington, a former president of theBermuda Rose Society, will discuss what isknown about the origins of these roses.

During lunch, guests are invited to tourWyck’s two-and-a-half-acre site, which boasts a 1920s greenhouse. All proceeds willsupport the preservation and operation of the Wyck property. To register, [email protected], visit www.wyck.org, or call (215) 848-1690.

—Terra-Nova Sadowski, Editorial Intern

The cultivar ‘Elegant Gallica’ was firstdiscovered growing at Wyck in 1970.


www.wyck.org

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Ground Cover Box. Lecture. Aldridge Botanical Gardens. Hoover, Alabama. (205) 682-8019.www.aldridgegardens.com.

RAP MAR. 22 & 21. Atlanta Blooms! 20,000Watts of Flower Power. Spring bulb display.Atlanta Botanical Garden. Atlanta, Georgia.(404) 876-5859. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.com.

MAR. 24–27. Annual Plant Fair and Sale.Callaway Gardens. Pine Mountain, Georgia.(706) 663-5153. www.callawaygardens.com.

y MAR. 24–27. Festival of Flowers. ProvidenceHospital Campus. Mobile, Alabama. (251)639-2050. www.festivalofflowers.com.

yAPR. 8–10. Bloom ‘n’ Garden Expo. Gar-den show and plant sale. Ag Expo Center.Franklin, Tennessee. (615) 973-2112.www.bloomngarden.com.

RAP APR. 12–15. Spring Plant Sale.Wing Haven Gardens. Charlotte, North Carolina. (704) 331-0664.www.winghavengardens.com.

APR. 22 & 23. Spring Plant Sale.University of North Carolina CharlotteBotanical Gardens. Charlotte, North Carolina. (704) 687-2870. www.gardens.uncc.edu.

RAP APR. 30 & MAY 1. Food and Garden Festival. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.Coral Gables, Florida. (305) 667-1651.www.fairchildgarden.org.

NORTH CENTRALIA, IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI

RAP MAR. 26 & 27. Illinois Orchid SocietySpring Show & Sale. Chicago Botanic Garden. Glencoe, Illinois. (847) 835-5440.www.chicagobotanic.org.

APR. 2. Garden Expo 2011. Crow Wing Coun-ty Master Gardeners. Central Lakes College.Brainerd, Minnesota. (218) 824-1068.www.extension.umn.edu/county/crowwing/mg.

RAP APR. 2. Spring Fever Symposium. IowaArboretum. Madrid, Iowa. (515) 795-3216.www.iowaarboretum.org.

RAP APR. 16 & 17. Daffodil Show. FellowsRiverside Gardens. Youngstown, Ohio. (330)740-7116. www.millcreekmetroparks.org.

RAP APR. 21. Build a Rain Barrel: Save that Rain for a Sunny Day. Workshop.The Holden Arboretum. Kirtland, Ohio.(440) 602-3833. www.holdenarb.org.

RAP APR. 22. Planet Indy: Gestalt Gardening with Felder Rushing.Lecture. Indianapolis Museum of Art. Indianapolis, Indiana. (317) 923-1331.www.imamuseum.org.

y APR. 29–MAY 1. Orchard in Bloom Garden Show. Holiday Park. Indianapolis,Indiana. (317) 251-9253. www.orchardinbloom.org.

SOUTH CENTRALAR, KS, LA, MO, MS, OK, TX

RAP MAR. 21–APR. 3. Tulip Extravaganza.Floral display. Garvan Woodland Gardens.Hot Springs, Arkansas. (501) 262-9300.www.garvangardens.org.

RAP MAR. 22. Fruit Orchard Planting.Demonstrations, lectures, workshops. SouthTexas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center.Corpus Christi, Texas. (361) 852-2100.www.stxbot.org.

RAP MAR. 25 & 26. March Mart Plant Sale.Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens.Humble, Texas. (281) 443-8731.www.hcp4.net/mercer.

MAR. 25 & 26. New Albany Home and GardenShow. Union County Fairgrounds. New Albany, Mississippi. (662) 316-0088.www.newalbanygardening.com.

RAP APR. 1. Arbor Day Tree Giveaway.Missouri Botanical Garden. Kemper Centerfor Home Gardening. St. Louis, Missouri.(314) 577-5100. www.mobot.org.

APR. 2 & 3. Spring Garden Show.Louisiana State University Agricultural Center. City Park Botanical Garden. New Orleans, Louisiana. (504) 483-9471.www.lsuagcenter.com.

APR. 30 & MAY 1. Show Me Gourd Festival:Gourdening. State Fair Grounds AgricultureBuilding. Sedalia, Missouri. (816) 987-2133. www.showmegourdsociety.com.

Morton Arboretum Spotlights Trees with“Nature Unframed” ExhibitBRIGHT YELLOW fabric highlights the striking branch structure of a dead Chinesecork tree (Phellodendron chinense var. glabriusculum). In the distance, a blue ash (Frax-inus quadrangulata) stands behind a giant canvas, its branches protruding through tocreate a living painting.Nearby, a rainbow of color-ful yarn hugs the bark of ayellowwood (Cladrastis ken-tukea), imitating lichen ormoss. These are just a few ofthe 11 installations that willbe on display at the MortonArboretum in Lisle, Illinois,beginning May 19.

The exhibit is called “Na-ture Unframed,” and Ana-mari Dorgan, head of visitorexperience at Morton, says itwill be unlike any of the pre-vious seasonal exhibits.“Wewanted the artists to have thefreedom to respond to thespecific landscapes of our siteto inspire visitors to thinkabout trees in a new way,”says Dorgan.

Instead of seeing trees asa backdrop to a typical visitor experience, the exhibit will bring them to the foregroundas a focal point within the gardens. In doing this, the art will call attention to the vitalrole trees play in everyone’s lives, while providing multi-dimensional appeal for bothart and horticulture enthusiasts.

Because the Morton Arboretum is part of the Reciprocal Admissions Program,AHS members showing a current membership card receive free admission. For moreinformation, call (630) 968-0074 or visit www.mortonarb.org.

—Terra-Nova Sadowski, Editorial Intern

‘Bound Denbighshire’ by artist Philippa Lawrence is anexample what will be on view at Morton’s exhibit.

www.mortonarb.org

MAY 6 & 7. Symphony of Gardens Tour.Natchez, Mississippi. (601) 446-6345.www.symphonyofgardenstour.com.

SOUTHWESTAZ, NM, CO, UT

APR. 1 & 2. Southwest Regional AmericanCommunity Gardening Association Conference. Rio Salado College. Tempe, Arizona. (877) 275-2242.www.communitygarden.org.

APR. 9. Herb Festival. Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Superior, Arizona. (520) 689-2723. www.cals.arizona.edu/bta.

RAP APR. 16 & 17. Spring Bulb Show.Red Butte Garden at the University of Utah.Salt Lake City, Utah. (801) 585-0556.www.redbuttegarden.org.

RAP APR. 18–23. Party for the Planet.Earth Day celebration. Tracy Aviary. Salt Lake City, Utah. (801) 596-8500.www.tracyaviary.org.

RAP APR. 21. Wicked Plants: The Delicious-ly Dark Side of the Plant World. Lecture.Denver Botanic Gardens. Denver, Colorado.(720) 865-3580. www.botanicgardens.org.

y APR. 29–MAY 1. Maricopa County Home &Landscape Show. Arizona State Fairgrounds.Phoenix, Arizona. (602) 485-1691.www.maricopacountyhomeshows.com.

Looking aheadMAY 6. National Public Gardens Day Celebra-tion. Rio Grande Botanic Garden. Albu-querque, New Mexico. (505) 848-7112.www.cabq.gov/biopark.

WEST COASTCA, NV, HI

y MAR. 23–27. San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. San Mateo Event Center. San Francisco, California. (415) 684-7278ext. 2. www.sfgardenshow.com.

RAP MAR. 26. Spring Plant Sale.The Gardens at the Springs Preserve. Las Vegas, Nevada. (702) 822-7700.www.springspreserve.org.

APR. 2. Wise Water Management. Workshop.Occidental Arts and Ecology Center. Occi-dental, California. (707) 874-1557 ext.201. www.oaec.org.

y APR. 7–10. California State Flower, Food& Garden Show. Cal Expo. Sacramento, California. (877) 696-6668 ext. 4.www.calstategardenshow.com

APR. 11. The Pleasure Garden. Lecture. San Diego Horticultural Society.

Del Mar Fairgrounds. Del Mar, California.(760) 295-7089. www.sdhortsoc.org.

APR. 17. Garden Party and Tour. WindsorSquare-Hancock Park Historical Society.Los Angeles, California. (213) 243-8182.www.wshphs.org.

Looking aheadRAP MAY 14 & 15. Herb Weekend.Plant sale, tastings. Fullerton Arboretum.Fullerton, California. (657) 278-4010.www.fullertonarboretum.org.

NORTHWESTAK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY

RAP MAR. 25–27. Boise Flower & GardenShow. Idaho Botanical Gardens. Boise Centre. Boise, Idaho. (503) 335-3336.www.gardenshowboise.com.

MAR. 26. Spring Gardening Symposium: Inspired Gardening Within the Environment.Northwest Horticultural Society. Kenmore, Washington. (206) 780-8172.www.northwesthort.org.

RAP APR. 28. Hypertufa Container Workshop. Kruckeberg Botanic Garden.Shoreline, Washington. (206) 546-1281.www.kruckeberg.org.

APR. 30 & MAY 1. FlorAbundance. Plant sale.Magnuson Park. Seattle, Washington. (206)325-4510. www.arboretumfoundation.org.

Looking aheadRAP MAY 1–8. MayFest. Displays, presenta-tions, plant sale. Lakewold Gardens. Lake-wold, Washington. (253) 584-4106.www.lakewoldgardens.org.

MAY 14 & 15. Idaho Green Expo.Green Works Idaho. Boise Centre. Boise, Idaho. (208) 949-6058. www.idahogreenexpo.org.

RAP MAY 21. Plant Sale and Seasonal Kick-Off. Alaska Botanical Garden. Anchorage, Alaska. (907) 770-3692.www.alaskabg.org.

CANADA

MAR. 15–20. Canada Blooms. Flower and garden festival. Direct Energy Centre. Toronto, Ontario. (416) 447-8655.www.canadablooms.com.

RAP APR. 9. The All-You-Can-Eat GardeningWorkshop. Royal Botanical Gardens. Hamil-ton, Ontario. (905) 527-1158. www.rbg.ca.

APR. 14. Cedar Series Art in the Garden. Artexhibit. VanDusen Botanical Garden. Van-couver, British Colombia. (604) 257-8333.www.vandusengarden.org. �


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CPRONUNCIATIONS AND PLANTING ZONES

A–FAcanthus spinosus uh-KAN-thus spih-NO-suss(USDA Zones 5–9, AHS Zones 9–5)Adiantum aleuticum ad-ee-AN-tum uh-LOO-tih-kum (3–8, 8–1)Agastache aurantiaca ah-GAH-stah-she aw-ran-tee-AY-kuh (7–10, 10–7)Ajuga reptans uh-JOO-guh REP-tanz (3–9, 9–1)Alcea rosea AL-see-uh ro-ZAY-uh (2–9, 9–2)Antirrhinum majus an-tihr-RYE-num MAY-juss (7–9, 9–1)Armeria maritima ar-MEER-ee-uh muh-WRIT-ih-muh (3–9, 9-1)Artemisia ludoviciana ar-teh-MEEZ-yuh loo-doh-vik-ee-AN-uh (4–9, 9–1)Asimina triloba uh-SIH-mih-nuh try-LO-buh(4–8, 9–5)Betula pendula BET-yew-luh PEN-dyew-luh(3–7, 7–1)Camellia sasanqua kuh-MEEL-yuh sah-SAHNG-kwuh (7–9, 9–6)Campanula cochlearifolia kam-PAN-yew-luh kok-lee-air-ih-FO-lee-uh (5–7, 7–5)C. thyrsoides C. thur-SOY-deez (5–8, 8–5)Consolida ajacis kon-SOL-ih-duh uh-JAY-sis(0–0, 9–1)Cosmos bipinnatus KOZ-mos by-PIN-nay-tus (0–0, 11–1)Crambe cordifolia KRAM-bee kor-dih-FO-lee-uh(6–9, 9–6) Digitalis purpurea dih-jih-TAL-iss pur-PUR-ee-uh(4–8, 8–1)Dodonaea viscosa doh-doh-NEE-uh viss-KO-suh (9–11, 12–9)Eremurus ✕isabellinus air-eh-MYUR-us iz-uh-BEL-ih-nus (5–8, 8–5)Euonymus fortunei yew-ON-ih-mus for-TOON-ee-eye (4–9, 9–1)E. japonicus E. jah-PON-ih-kus (6–9, 9–1)Fagus sylvatica FAY-gus sil-VAT-ih-kuh (4–7, 9–4)Fallugia paradoxa fah-LEW-gee-uh pair-uh-DOK-suh (7–11, 12–7)Festuca glauca fes-TEW-kuh GLAW-kuh (4–8, 8–1)Foeniculum vulgare fee-NICK-yew-lum vul-GAY-ree (4–9, 9–1)

G–OGelsemium sempervirens jel-SEE-me-um sem-pur-VY-renz (7–9, 9–1)Helianthus maximiliani hee-lee-AN-thus maks-ih-mil-ee-AN-eye (4–9, 9–4)Humulus lupulus HEW-mew-lus LEW-pew-lus(4–8, 8–1)Hydrangea arborescens hy-DRAN-juh ar-bo-RES-enz (4–9, 9–1)Ipomopsis rubra ih-po-MOP-sis ROO-bruh (6–9, 9–5)Iris pallida EYE-ris PAL-lih-duh (1–9, 9–1)I. sibirica I. sy-BEER-ih-kuh (3–8, 9–1)Lavandula angustifolia lah-VAN-dyew-luh ang-gus-tih-FO-lee-uh (5–8, 8–5)Lewisia rediviva loo-ISS-ee-uh reh-dih-VY-vuh(4–8, 8–3)Limonium platyphyllum lih-MO-nee-um plat-ee-FIL-um (7–9, 9–7)Linum perenne LY-num pur-EN-ee (7–9, 9–7)Lobelia cardinalis lo-BEEL-yuh kar-dih-NAL-iss(2–8, 8–1)Lobularia maritima lob-yew-LAIR-ee-uh muh-WRIT-ih-muh (0–0, 9–1)Lonicera ✕brownii lah-NISS-er-uh BROWN-ee-eye (3–8, 8–3)Millettia reticulata mih-LET-ee-uh reh-tik-yew-LAY-tuh (7–10, 10–7)Mirabilis multiflora mih-RAB-ih-liss mul-tih-FLOR-uh (7–10, 10–7)Nepeta sibirica NEP-eh-tuh sy-BEER-ih-kuh(3–8, 8–1)Nigella sativa ny-JEL-luh sah-TEE-vuh (0–0, 9–1)Ocimum basilicum OSS-ih-mum buh-SIL-ih-kum(0–0, 12–1)Oenothera biennis ee-NOTH-ur-uh by-EN-iss(4–8, 8–1)Origanum vulgare o-RIG-uh-num vul-GAH-ree(4–9, 10–2)

P–Z Parthenocissus tricuspidata par-then-o-SISS-ustry-kuss-pih-DAY-tuh (4–8, 8–1)Perovskia atriplicifolia peh-ROV-skee-uh at-rih-plih-sih-FO-lee-uh (5–9, 9–2)Phlox subulata FLOKS sub-yew-LAY-tuh (3–8, 8–1)P. stolonifera P. sto-lon-IF-ur-uh (4–8, 8–1)Picea abies PY-see-uh AY-beez (3–8, 8–1)P. glauca P. GLAW-kuh (2–7, 7–2)Podocarpus elongatus pah-doh-KAR-pus ee-lon-GAY-tus (9–11, 12–1)Scutellaria resinosa skoo-tuh-LAIR-ee-uh rez-ih-NO-suh (4–8, 8–1)Sedum spurium SEE-dum SPUR-ee-um (3–10, 8–3)Senecio confusus seh-NEE-see-o kon-FEW-suss(10–11, 12–7)Spiraea japonica spy-REE-uh jah-PON-ih-kuh(4–9, 9–1)Stachys byzantina STAY-kiss bih-zan-TY-nuh(4–8, 8–1) Symphyotrichum novi-belgii sim-fy-o-TRY-kumNO-vih-BEL-jee-eye (4–8, 8–1)Tanacetum niveum tan-uh-SEE-tum nih-VEE-um (5–9, 9–5)Thalictrum aquilegiifolium thal-IK-trum ah-kwi-lee-jih-FO-lee-um (5–9, 9–4)T. rochebruneanum T. rowsh-broo-nee-AY-num(3–8, 8–4)Thunbergia alata thun-BUR-jee-uh ah-LAY-tuh(10–11, 12–10)T. gregorii T. greh-GOR-ee-eye (11–11, 12–10) Thymus pseudolanuginosus TY-muss soo-doh-luh-noo-jih-NO-sus (5–9, 9–5)Verbascum bombyciferum ver-BAS-kum bom-bih-SIF-ur-um (5–9, 7–2)Veronica liwanensis vur-ON-ih-kuh lih-wuh-NEN-sis (4–9, 9–4)V. spicata V. spy-KAY-tuh (3–8, 8–1)Veronicastrum virginicum ver-on-ih-KASS-trumvir-JIN-ih-kum (4–8, 8–3)Zauschneria californica zowsh-NAIR-ee-uh kal-ih-FORN-ih-kuh (8–11, 12–8)

Most of the cultivated plants described in this issue are listed here with their pronunciations, USDA Plant HardinessZones, and AHS Plant Heat Zones. These zones suggest a range of locations where temperatures are appropriate—both inwinter and summer—for growing each plant.

While the zones are a good place to start in determining plant adaptability in your region, factors such as exposure, mois-ture, snow cover, and humidity also play an important role in plant survival. The zones tend to be conservative; plants maygrow outside the ranges indicated. A USDA zone rating of 0–0 means that the plant is a true annual and completes its lifecycle in a year or less.

http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html

http://www.ahs.org/publications/heat_zone_map.htm


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Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation

1. Publication Title: The American Gardener. 2. Publication No. 1087-9978. 3. Filing Date: Sep-tember 16, 2010. 4. Issue Frequency: Bi-monthly. 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 6. 6. An-nual Subscription Price: $35. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: TheAmerican Gardener, American Horticultural Society, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, Vir-ginia 22308–1300. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office ofPublisher: Same as above. 9. Full Names and Corporate Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor,and Managing Editor: Publisher—American Horticultural Society, same address as above. Editor—David J. Ellis, same address as above. Managing Editor—Mary Yee, same address as above. 10.Owner: American Horticultural Society, same address as above. 11. Known Bondholders. Mort-gagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds,Mortgages, or Other Securities: None. 12. The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this or-ganization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes have not changed during the pre-ceding 12 months. 13. Publication Name: The American Gardener. 14. Issue Date for CirculationData Below: Nov./Dec. 2009–Sept./Oct. 2010. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation:

Avg. No. Copies Actual No.Each Issue Copies of IssueDuring Preceding Published Nearest12 Months to Filing Date

a. Total No. Copies (Net Press Run) 19,081 18,337b. Paid Circulation

(1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions 16,486 15,806Stated on PS Form 3541(2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions 0 0Stated on PS Form 3541(3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails 0 0Including Sales Through Dealers andCarriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales,and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS®

(4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail 0 0Through the USPS

c. Total Paid Circulation 16,486 15,806(sum of 15b (1), (2), (3),(4))

d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution(1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County 0 0Copies Included on PS Form 3541(2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies 0 0Included on PS Form 3541(3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at 705 51Other Classes Through the USPS(4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside 125 80the Mail (Carrier or Other Means)

e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution 830 131(Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), (4))

f. Total Distribution 17,316 15,937(Sum of 15c and 15e)

g. Copies Not Distributed 1,765 2,400h. Total (Sum of 15f and 15h) 19,081 18,337i. Percent Paid 95% 99%

I certify that all information furnished above is true and complete.—David J. Ellis, Editor

Production · Breeding · Seed Technology

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Perennial Seed. Beautiful.Useful. Native...To the Planet.



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CPLANT IN THE SPOTLIGHT

My first experience with pawpaw(Asimina triloba, USDA Zones 5–9, AHSZones 9–5) happened while I was servingon the Plant Selection Committee of theDelaware Center for Horticulture’s RarePlant Auction® in 2008. That year, thecommittee chose pawpaw to grace theauction catalog cover, selecting it over400 other amazing plants because ofpawpaw’s many unique qualities.

The only cultivated species among theeight in its genus, pawpaw grows as ashrub or small tree, reaching up to 20 feettall and wide. Because this tree forms atap root, transplanting is difficult; paw-paw should be purchased young orgrown from seed. From seed, fruiting oc-curs in four to eight years, while a graft-ed tree fruits in two to three years.

Pawpaw’s large, lush leaves (up to a footlong) make a bold statement in the land-scape, especially in fall when they turn pure

yellow. Before the leaves emerge in latespring, unusual flowers appear along thebare branches. The small, dark purpleflowers are easy to miss, but when inspect-ed closely, their intricacies become appar-ent. Each bloom is made of a smaller innercircle and a larger outer circle of three re-curved petals. The flowers attract flies andbeetles for pollination with an unpleasantodor. Pawpaw requires cross-pollinationfor optimal fruit set, so it’s best to plant atleast two different selections or cultivars.

Each flower produces multiple fruitsup to five inches long with several large,dark brown, beanlike seeds. These reachmaturity over a staggered period of timein late summer but have a short shelf-life, which explains why you won’t findthem in the grocery store. To eat them,simply break open the soft skin to enjoythe yellow-orange flesh, which has a cus-tardlike texture.

The unique flavor of pawpaw fruit hasbeen described as a combination of varioustropical fruits including banana, mango,and kiwi. Pawpaw can substitute for ba-nana in most recipes, which might explainsome of its other common names, such aspoor man’s banana and Indiana banana.

The true pawpaw connoisseur may seekout some of the rarer cultivars, selected fortheir fruit’s size, taste, or color. For exam-ple, ‘Taytwo’ is prized for fruits with light-colored flesh and exceptional flavorresembling vanilla custard, while ‘Mitchell’produces large, sweet fruits with few seeds.And as you might guess, ‘Prolific’ can becounted on to produce a bumper crop offruit. However, any pawpaw is worthgrowing if you have the right space. �

James Gagliardi is the horticulturist at theheadquarters of the American HorticulturalSociety at River Farm.

by James Gagliardi

Pawpaw: Pretty and Palatable

PAW PAW S E E M S strangelyout of place in the temperate

woodlands of eastern NorthAmerica. With its long, broad,hanging leaves and smooth, char-treuse fruit similar in appearanceto a small mango, it looks almosttropical. Yet the plant’s nativerange encompasses 25 states fromnorthern Florida to southernOntario and west to Michiganand Nebraska.

Pawpaws, above, thrive in sunny locations.Their pale green, mangolike fruits, above right,form in clumps, and their dark, exotic-lookingflowers, right, are worth close inspection.

SourcesNolin River Nut Tree Nursery, Upton,KY. (270) 369-8551. www.nolinnursery.com.One Green World, Mollala, OR. (877)353-4028; www.onegreenworld.com.

www.plantersplace.com

www.provenwinners.com

The American GARDENER · 13 AHS CORPORATE MEMBER PROFILE The Espoma Company. 14 AHS NEWS SPECIAL...

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