The American GARDENER · March / April 2010 5 T HE ARRIVAL of this issue of The American Gardener...

T h e A m e r i c a nGARDENERThe Magazine of the American Hort icul tural Society March / April 2010March / April 2010

®®

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

Beautiful, DurableBaptisias

ConiferousGroundcovers

Agaves for SmallSpaces

Dynamic Duetsfor ShadeDynamic Duetsfor Shade

Beautiful, DurableBaptisias

ConiferousGroundcovers

Agaves for SmallSpaces

3March / April 2 0 1 0

5 NOTES FROM RIVER FARM

6 MEMBERS’ FORUM

8 NEWS FROM AHSAllan Armitage to host AHS webinar, River Farm Spring Garden Market in April,AHS National Children & Youth GardenSymposium goes to California, AHS toparticipate in 4th annual Washington,D.C.-area Garden Fest, 2010 AHSPresident’s Council Members Trip toFlorida.

14 AHS NEWS SPECIAL2010 Great American Gardeners NationalAward winners and 2010 Book Awardwinners.

42 ONE ON ONE WITH…Steven Still: Herbaceous perennial expert.

44 HOMEGROWN HARVESTA bumper crop of broccoli.

46 GARDENER’S NOTEBOOKMt. Cuba Center releasesconeflower evaluation results,study shows bumble beepopulations declining,GreatPlants® and PerennialPlant Association name 2010Plants of the Year, BerryBotanic Garden to close, JanePepper retires as president ofPennsylvania HorticulturalSociety.

50 GREEN GARAGE®

Garden gloves.

52 BOOK REVIEWSWhat’s Wrong with My Plant? (And How DoI Fix It?); Homegrown Vegetables, Fruits, andHerbs; The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible; andThe Encyclopedia of Herbs.

56 REGIONAL HAPPENINGS

60 HARDINESS AND HEAT ZONES AND PRONUNCIATIONS

62 PLANT IN THE SPOTLIGHTMountain fringe vine (Adlumia fungosa)

ON THE COVER: Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum') and celandine poppy (Sty-lophorum diphyllum) partner beautifully in a shade garden. Photograph by Donna KrischanT

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contentsVo l u m e 8 9 , N u m b e r 2 . M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 0

F E A T U R E S

18 DYNAMIC DUETS FOR SHADE BY KRIS WETHERBEE

Light up shady areas of the garden by using plant combinationsthat offer complementary textures and colors.

24 AMERICAN BEAUTIES: BAPTISIAS BY RICHARD HAWKE

The release of new cultivars offalse indigo has renewed garden-ers’ interest in the genus Baptisia.

30 GROUND-COVERINGCONIFERSBY PENELOPE O’SULLIVAN

Reduce maintenance and addvibrant color and texture to thegarden by using low-growingconifers as groundcovers.

36 AGAVES FOR SMALL GARDENS BY MARY IRISH

Many small agave selections are well suited for smaller garden sitesand also adapt surprisingly well to cultivation outside of their nativeSouthwest.

D E P A R T M E N T S

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4 the American Gardener

Board of DirectorsCHAIR Susie Usrey Dayton, Oregon

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

SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN Leslie Ariail Alexandria, Virginia

SECRETARY Harry A. Rissetto, Esq. Falls Church, Virginia

TREASURER Arnold Steiner Birmingham, Alabama

Sandra Address Chevy Chase, Maryland ■ Allan M. Armitage Athens, Georgia ■ Suzanne Bales Oyster Bay, New YorkWilliam E. Barrick, Ph.D. Theodore, Alabama ■ Kurt Bluemel Baldwin, Maryland ■ Amy Bolton Falls Church, VirginiaHenrietta Burke Alexandria, Virginia ■ Tom Cooper Watertown, Massachusetts ■ Jane Diamantis McDonald, Tennessee

Gay Estes Houston, Texas ■ Anne Garland Farrell Richmond, Virginia ■ Carole Hofley Wilson, WyomingMargaret Kulp Louisville, Kentucky ■ Caroline Lewis Coral Gables, Florida ■ Jack Lowry Phoenix, Maryland

Melissa R. Marshall Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ■ Mary Pat Matheson Atlanta, GeorgiaShirley Nicolai Ft. Washington, Maryland ■ J. Landon Reeve, IV Woodbine, Maryland

Holly Shimizu Glen Echo, 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. W. Bruce Usrey

LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY CIRCLE Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Kulp, Jr. ■ Mrs. Elizabeth Craig Weaver Proctor ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harry A. Rissetto ■

Mr. Arnold Steiner ■ Mr. and Mrs. Klaus Zech

HAUPT CIRCLE Lynda and Nathan Bachman ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert Baillie ■ Mr. James R. Cargill ■ Mrs. Susan M. Cargill ■ Mr. and Mrs.

Thomas Farrell ■ Mrs. Richard W. Hamming ■ Mrs. Carole S. Hofley ■ Mr. J. Landon Reeve, IV ■ Mrs. Enid N. Warner

COUNCIL MEMBER’S CIRCLE Mrs. Sandra L. Address ■ Mr. and Mrs. John H. Ariail, Jr. ■ Mrs. Suzanne F. Bales ■ Mrs. Suzanne F. Bales ■

Nancy J. Becker, M.D. ■ Mrs. Katherine Belk ■ Mrs. George P. Bissell, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. C. William Black ■ Dr. Sherran Blair ■ Mr. and

Mrs. Kurt Bluemel ■ Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bogle ■ Ms. Amy Bolton ■ Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. Bradshaw ■ Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Burke,

III ■ Ms. Judy Daniel ■ Mr. and Mrs. George Diamantis ■ Mr. and Mrs. Carl Estes ■ Ms. Megan Evans ■ Ms. Inger Fair ■ Dr.and Mrs.

John A. Floyd, Jr. ■ Mrs. Carolyn V. Foil ■ Ms. Marguerite Peet Foster ■ Ms. Amy Goldman ■ Mr. and Mrs. Joel Goldsmith ■ Mrs. Joan

Goltzman ■ Ms. LaDawn Griffin ■ Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Hanselman ■ Dr. and Mrs. William O. Hargrove ■ Mrs. Elizabeth Hooff ■

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

Marston ■ Mr. Charles T. Matheson ■ Mr. and Mrs. Harold McClendon, Jr. ■ Ms. Rosalyn Milbrandt ■ Mr. and Mrs. Egon Molbak ■ Dr.

and Mrs. David E. Morrison ■ Mr. and Mrs. James R. Moxley ■ Mrs. Shirley Ann Nicolai ■ Mr. David D. Parrish ■ Mr. and Mrs. Albin

MacDonough Plant ■ Mrs. Jeanne O. Shields ■ Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Smith, Jr. ■ Mr. and Mrs. William M. Spencer, III ■ Mr. Harold

Stahly ■ 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 ■ Ms. Katy Moss Warner ■ 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

Education SponsorOXO International

Corporate MembersBrent and Becky’s Bulbs ■ The Care of Trees ■ Chapel Valley Landscape Company ■ The Espoma Company

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

MTR Landscape Architects, LLC. ■ Osmocote ■ Renee’s Garden

Horticultural PartnersAmerica in Bloom Symposium & Awards Program ■ Bellingrath Gardens and Home ■

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Garden Symposium ■ Cox Arboretum MetroPark■ Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival ■ The Gardeners of America/Men’s Garden Clubs of America ■

The Homestead in the Garden Symposium ■ Inniswood Garden Society ■ Morris Arboretum■ Oklahoma Botanical Garden & Arboretum ■ Oklahoma Horticultural Society

“This is a book to turn to over alifetime of garden misadventures.”

—Dominique BrowningThe New York Times

“You’ll find step-by-stepinstructions for pruning, watering,propagating; information about allcategories of plants…sections onorganic techniques and recycling;and how to treat pests anddisease…. Consider it a plant-lover’s mutual fund—a little of thisand little of that, in a dandyinvestment.”

—Ginny SmithPhiladelphia Inquirer

“This is a must have for gardenersand landscape designers.”

—Joel M. LernerThe Washington Post

AHS New Encyclopedia of

GardeningTechniques

Available wherever books are sold

Mitchell-Beazley/Octopus Books USA480 pages Hardcover, $45

5March / April 2010

THE ARRIVAL of this issue of The American Gardener in your mailbox meansthat the official beginning of spring is close at hand—a welcome milestoneas it signals the start of the gardening season in much of the country. This

year, in particular, it takes on special significance. Here at River Farm, the task of get-ting our gardens back in order after what has proven to be the snowiest winter onrecord for the mid-Atlantic region will surely keep us busy for months to come.

While we are saddened by the broken limbs, uprooted trees, and damaged shrubsthat the storms passing through our area left in their wake, it means that the can-vas of our garden now has some openingswhere we can put our horticulturalprowess to the test. We find ourselves re-thinking the garden as once-shady loca-tions become sunny, and as plants thathad become old friends and had longbeen taken for granted are suddenly nolonger part of the landscape.

Whether it’s renewing a storm-damagedgarden or just getting a start on spring, gardeners across the country will soon be mak-ing their way to local garden centers for plants, supplies, advice…and maybe a sym-pathetic ear! A trip to the local garden center or nursery is a sure cure for cabin feverand a great way to get reenergized and gather ideas for the new gardening season.

The AHS has a long-standing relationship with the horticulture industry—par-ticularly with retail garden centers. We are unique in that our membership includesboth professional horticulturists and their customers—the common bond being apassion for plants and gardens. The AHS serves as an information bridge betweenthe industry and American gardeners, while garden centers across America are whereour members look to find the things they need to turn their ideas into reality.

At a recent industry gathering in Louisville, Kentucky, we had the opportunityto meet with a number of leaders of the garden center industry. One of these wasErnest Wertheim, a well-respected horticulturist, landscape architect, and gardencenter consultant from California. Ernest has been practicing since 1940, and hisfirm is internationally known for its work in garden center and retail nursery de-sign. He is a longtime AHS member (22 years) and an avid reader of The AmericanGardener. We salute Ernest for his dedication to helping the industry connect withAmerican gardeners and wish him belated congratulations on his 90th birthday!

Speaking of people who have influenced American horticulture, we are pleasedin this issue to announce the winners of our annual AHS Great American Gar-deners and Book Awards. Please turn to page 14 to read about these remarkablepeople, organizations, and publications.

Happy spring and please enjoy this issue of The American Gardener!

Susie Usrey, 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. 118.

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.137 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. 132.

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 1p.m. Saturdays from April through October. Ad-mission 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 (703) 650-5262, 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, finding out aboutgardening events in your area, and linking to oth-er useful websites. To access the members-onlysection of the website, this year’s password isoak. The username is always ahs.


ENGLISH IVY’S SPREADI enjoyed the article “English Ivy: Paragonor Pariah” (November/December 2009).As a public gardener working in Ontario,I wanted to respond to the quote, attrib-uted to Suzanne Pierot of the American IvySociety, indicating ivy is only a problem inthe Pacific Northwest and a small area ofVirginia. Based on my experience, I can as-sure you that English ivy is a huge threat toour ecosystem in this region of Canada,and I applaud groups such as the No IvyLeague on their eradication efforts.

Silvana ValianiCity of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

IVY SOCIETY’S AHS CONNECTIONAfter reading the article on English ivy(November/December 2009), I thoughtI would share the interesting story of theconnection between the American Ivy

Society (AIS) and the American Horti-cultural Society (AHS).

Shortly after I started the AIS in Janu-ary 1973, an article titled "Ivy SocietyFormed" appeared in the October 1973issue of the AHS’s News and Views. Be-cause of this article, no doubt, I was invit-ed to attend the formal dedication of RiverFarm as the AHS’s headquarters. It was onthis day that I met Russell Siebert, who wasthen head of Longwood Gardens in Penn-sylvania. He introduced me to the direc-tors of other botanical gardens, many ofwhom I asked to send me cuttings of ivieswith questionable names so that the AIS’sResearch Center could grow them in testgardens. Many of the gardens responded,and that is how our first reference collec-tion was created. �

Suzanne PierotPresident, American Ivy Society

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.

Serving America’s finest gardens for over 100 years! AG10

Phone: (860) 567-8734www.vanengelen.com

Phone: (860) 567-0838www.johnscheepers.com

Kitchen Garden SeedsTM

Phone: (860) 567-6086www.kitchengardenseeds.com

Trumpet Daffodil Bravoure (#8048) and Muscari latifolium (#3743)

BEAUTY FROM BULBSBring the beauty of bulbs to your gardens from our vastcollection of the best Dutch flower bulbs and herbaceouspeonies at the best prices. Select your own color palette andcreate natural, harmonious gardens with intermingled flowerbulbs. Here is a stunning drift of Trumpet Daffodil Bravourewith a thick ribbon of Muscari latifolium.What would springbe without Daffodils and Muscari?

Contact Van Engelen for our 52-page wholesale flower bulbprice list or John Scheepers for our colorful 88-page Beautyfrom Bulbs catalog. Contact Kitchen Garden Seeds for our60-page catalog with over 500 gourmet vegetable, herb andflower seeds.

2010 Password for AHS Website is oakThe members-only section of the AHSwebsite (www.ahs.org), provides accessto membership benefits as well as thecontents of each issue of The AmericanGardener since January/February 2001.

To access the section, the usernameis always ahs and the password, effec-tive February 1, 2010, is oak. Both user-name and password must be entered inlowercase letters.As a reminder, thepassword is always listed on page 5 ineach magazine issue.

7March / April 2010

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News from the AHSMarch / April 2010

PROGRAMS • EVENTS • ANNOUNCEMENTS

ARMITAGE TO HOST AHS MEMBERS-ONLY WEBINAR ON VINESUNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA HORTICULTURIST Allan M.Armitage will be presenting the first AHS online seminar thisyear. On Friday April 9 at 1 p.m. eastern time, join Armitageas he covers “Vines and Climbers for American Gardens.” Anaward-winning author of more than a dozen gardening books,Armitage has just completed a new book on vines, Armitage’sVines & Climbers: A Gardener’s Guide to the Best VerticalPlants, that will be published this spring by Timber Press. On-line registration for this webinar, exclusively for AHS mem-bers, is now open in the members-only section of the AHSwebsite (www.ahs.org).

RIVER FARM’S SPRING GARDEN MARKET IN APRILTHE AHS’S SPRING GARDEN MARKET on April 16 and 17 will feature vendorsfrom the Mid-Atlantic region offering new and time-tested plants, garden supplies,

and unique garden art. As an incentive, shoppers whose to-

tal purchases reach qualifying levels can

earn free herbs and vegetables donatedto the AHS by Bonnie Plants.

Located at the AHS’s River Farmheadquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, thespring sale will include a raffle of vendoritems and an art exhibit in the Estatehouse by the American Art League. Dis-

trict II of the National Capital Area Garden Clubs will be hosting a standard flower show,“Carpe Diem: Seize the Day,” which will be open to the public. Also, the Fairfax Coun-ty Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer gardening questions.

Members will have the opportunity to shop and have a first-look at the merchan-dise during a special preview sale from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 15. For moreinformation on the Spring Garden Market, visit www.ahs.org or call (703) 768-5700.

SHOP FOR PLANTS AND SUPPORT THE AHSB L O O M I N ’ B U C K S , a progressive fundraising program created by Brent andBecky’s Bulbs, now allows gardeners to support the AHS while preparing for theplanting season. Anyone who places an order with Brent and Becky’s throughout theyear can select a non-profit organization, including the AHS, to receive a donationfrom their purchase. Brent and Becky’s Bulbs is a mail-order and retail purveyor ofspecialty bulbs and other plants, based in Gloucester, Virginia. A family-owned busi-ness, Brent and Becky’s became an AHS Corporate Member in 2009.

To learn more about Bloomin’ Bucks, visit the AHS website (www.ahs.org) andclick on the Bloomin’ Bucks link on the home page.

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

Krystal FlogelCONTRIBUTING 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 ©2010 by the American Horticultural Society.

Printed in the U.S.A.

The Spring Garden Market will feature awide variety of plants as well as gardenmerchandise, such as these unusual pumiceplanters from last year’s event.

Allan Armitage

2010 YOUTH GARDEN SYMPOSIUM GOES WESTTHE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY’S Nation-al Children & Youth Garden Symposium is hosted each yearin a different city by gardens and organizations that have made

advancements in youth gardening. This year’s event, “The Vi-tality of Gardens: Energizing the Learning Environment,” willtake place July 22 to 24 in Pasadena, California. Among the or-ganizations set to host the symposium are Descanso Gardens;Garden School Foundation; Kidspace Children’s Museum;Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens;Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden; and theUniversity of California Common Ground Garden Program.

“Our hosts span the spectrum of youth gardening, frompublic gardens to school- and community-based initiatives,from preschoolers to teenagers. This symposium will offersomething for anyone who is passionate about engaging today’syoungest generations in gardening,” says AHS Director ofMember Programs and Outreach Stephanie Jutila.

Attendees of this year’s 18th annual event will hear fromkeynote speaker Roger Swain. The widely recognized “manwith the red suspenders,” who hosted television’s longest-run-ning gardening show, The Victory Garden, for 15 years, realizedhis interest in gardening as a teenager. Now a noted biologistand author, Swain’s childhood hobby has become a lifelong pas-sion that he has shared with people around the world.

Symposium participants will also have the opportunity totour California’s host gardens, attend field trips and workshops,and network with children’s gardening advocates from through-out North America.

For more information, e-mail [email protected] orcall (703) 768-5700 ext. 137.C

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9March / April 2010

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens is a hostof the 2010 National Children & Youth Garden Symposium.

For 40 years, distinctive, award-winning landscapes havebeen the hallmark of Chapel Valley Landscape Companyʼscommitment to creativity, quality and service. We design,install and maintain landscapes that make a positive firstimpression. Call us today to discuss your plans using ourcomprehensive landscape services.

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

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AHS TO PARTICIPATE IN MAY GARDEN FESTIN CELEBRATION OF National Public Gardens Day, theAmerican Horticultural Society will join with eight otherWashington, D.C.-area horticulture institutions in the 4th an-nual Garden Fest to be held on May 8 in the Smithsonian In-stitution’s Enid A. Haupt Garden on the National Mall.

Sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution, Garden Fest2010: Making Connections will include live entertainment andhands-on activities for children and adults. Beneficial insect re-leases, an heirloom vegetable display, a floral design demon-stration, a souvenir photo booth, and authors signing books ata garden book shop are just a few of the day’s offerings. Thisfree event is open to the general public.

Shelley Gaskins, horticulturist for the Enid A. Haupt Gar-den, says the festival is intended to “highlight the importantcontributions gardens and plants make in our lives and the con-nections they foster in our communities and to the world.”Brookside Gardens, Green Spring Gardens, and the NationalGallery of Art are among the other gardens and organizationscurrently scheduled to participate.

To learn more about Garden Fest and to view a complete listof participating organizations, visit www.gardenfest.si.edu.

THE AHS PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL TRIP TO FLORIDA IN APRILTHE 2010 AHS President’s Council Members Trip, scheduledfor April 21 to 25, will explore private and public gardens in thePonte Vedra and Jacksonville area of northeast Florida. The his-toric Ponte Vedra Inn will serve as the oceanside headquarters

for this year’s program, hosted by former AHS President Car-olyn Marsh Lindsay and AHS Executive Director Tom Un-derwood. In addition to visiting a number of exceptionalprivate gardens, attendees will tour historic Glen St. MaryNurseries, the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens, and the CummerMuseum of Art & Gardens. For more information about thetrip or becoming a President’s Council member, please call SueGalvin at (703) 786-5700 ext. 111 or e-mail [email protected].

AHS NATIONAL EVENTS AND PROGRAMS

2010 CALENDAR

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

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

MAR. 3–MAY 16. Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

APR. 9. AHS Webinar: “Vines & Climbers for American Gardens,”presented by Allan M. Armitage.

APR. 11 & 12. Colonial Williamsburg Garden Symposium.Williamsburg, Virginia.

APR. 15–17. Spring Garden Market. River Farm, Alexandria, Vir-ginia. (Note: AHS Members-only preview sale is Thursday, April 15.)

APR. 15–17. National Capital Area Garden Clubs, Inc. District IIStandard Flower Show. River Farm, Alexandria, Virginia.

APR. 17–25. Historic Garden Week in Virginia.

JUNE 10. Great American Gardeners Awards Ceremony & Banquet. River Farm, Alexandria, Virginia.

JULY 22–24. National Children & Youth Garden Symposium.Pasadena, California.

AUG. 20–22. The Homestead’s 12th Annual “In the Garden Withthe Experts” Symposium. Hot Springs, Virginia.

SEPT. 25. AHS Annual Gala. River Farm, Alexandria, Virginia.

SEPT. 30–OCT. 2. America In Bloom Symposium and Awards Ceremony. St. Louis, Missouri.

OCT. Date to be determined. AHS Webinar.

The Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens offers ideas for subtropical gardening.

��Gardens of East Angliawith AHS Host Stephanie Jutila and Tour Escort Antonia Lloyd Owen ofSpecialtours May 22–31, 2010■ Designed for the connoisseur ofEnglish gardens who has perhapsalready visited the great houses andgardens within easy reach of London,this trip features the gardens of EastAnglia—Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, andCambridgeshire—a region rich inhistory. In addition to touring privategardens in charming English villages,we will visit several celebrated sites,including Anglesey Abbey, the BethChatto Gardens, and Wyken HallGardens.

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

THE AMERICANHORTICULTURAL SOCIETYTRAVEL STUDY PROGRAM2010 TOURS

THE AMERICANHORTICULTURAL SOCIETYTRAVEL STUDY PROGRAM

THE AMERICANHORTICULTURAL SOCIETYTRAVEL STUDY PROGRAM2010 TOURS

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*Exclusive offering for AHS President’sCouncil members. For more informationabout or to join the AHS President’sCouncil, contact Sue Galvin at (703) 768-5700 ext. 111 or [email protected].

Gardens and Innovation:Chicagoland and Rockford! ��"#�"� �$� ��%��June 16–20, 2010■ This tour will highlight the innovative gardensthat have contributed to the greening of Chicagoand influenced the horticultural heritage thatdistinguishes the surrounding communities. InRockford, Illinois, an America in Bloom award-winning city, we will see how community spirit hasfostered the creation of exceptional gardens.

Sicily: Gardens and Antiquities! ��"#�"� �$� ��%��&�� #��'��( #�� October 28–November 7, 2010■ From the sparkling seascapes of Taormina to therugged landscape of the island’s interior, this tourwill explore the fascinating archaeological sites,historical monuments, and fantastic gardens ofSicily. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity awaits you.

THE ANNUAL HISTORIC GARDEN WEEK IN VIRGINIAT H E A M E R I C A N H O R T I C U L T U R A L S O C I E T Y ’ S head-quarters at River Farm will once again be a part of Virginia’s His-toric Garden Week, an annual tour of the region’s finest gardens,homes, and historic landmarks. “America’s Largest Open House,”sponsored by the Garden Club of Virginia, will take place April17 through 25 and will include tours of properties ranging fromthe early 17th through the early 21st centuries. This year will markthe 77th anniversary of Historic Garden Week, making it the old-est house and garden tour in the country. Proceeds will benefit thepreservation and restoration of historic Virginia gardens.

Tours in the Alexandria area, including self-guided tours ofRiver Farm, will take place on April 17. For more informationon Historic Garden Week, including tour schedules and tick-eting, visit www.vagardenweek.org.

GRANT FUNDS AHS YOUTH PROGRAMS INTERNSHIPTHE AHS is once again seeking a Youth Programs Intern to as-sist the Member Programs staff with developing the Society’seducational programs, including the upcoming National Chil-dren & Youth Garden Symposium. The intern will also assistwith the management of youth gardening programs at theAHS’s River Farm headquarters. Applicants should have an in-terest in educating children and youth about gardening and ex-posing them to garden-related activities.

The internship is made possible through a grant funded bythe ExxonMobil Foundation’s Community Summer JobsProgram (CJSP). The CJSP was founded in 1971 to introducecollege students to the non-profit community. By sponsoringinternships at non-profit agencies, the program helps studentsgain hands-on experience in a variety of organizations while in-creasing the ability of those agencies to accomplish their goals.

The application deadline for the Youth Programs Internshipis March 31. For information about the internship and applica-tion forms, e-mail [email protected] or visit the AHS websiteat www.ahs.org/river_farm/internships_employment.htm.

COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG GARDEN SYMPOSIUMC O - S P O N S O R E D B Y the AHS, the 64th annual ColonialWilliamsburg Garden Symposium, “Timeless Lessons from His-toric Gardens,” will be held April 11 and 12 in Williamsburg, Vir-ginia. Speakers will include noted author and photographer KenDruse and garden designer and author Gordon Hayward.

AHS members are eligible to receive discounted registration.For more information, contact Colonial Williamsburg at (800)603-0948 or visit www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/conted. �

News written by Editorial Intern Krystal Flogel. AH

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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, 2009 and January 31, 2010.

iGifts ofNote

iIf you would like to supportthe American HorticulturalSociety as part of your estate

planning, as a tribute to a lovedone, or as part of your annualcharitable giving plan, pleasecontact: Tom Underwood,

Executive Director, at (703) 768-5700 ext. 123 or

[email protected].

The Bachman FoundationMs. Amy BoltonThe Care of Trees Alexandria VirginiaMrs. Susan M. CargillMr. and Mrs. George DiamantisEstate of Jane SteffeyMr. and Mrs. Thomas FarrellMs. Carolyn V. E. FoilMs. Amy GoldmanMr. and Mrs. Joel GoldsmithMr. and Mrs. Richard W. HanselmanDr. and Mrs. William O. HargroveKurt Bluemel, Inc.Ms. Marta J. LawrenceMrs. Carolyn M. LindsayMrs. Phillip H. McCaull

The Melville FoundationMr. and Mrs. Frank NicolaiOsmocoteMr. David D. ParrishMr. and Mrs. Harry A. RissettoSakata Seed America, Inc.Terra Design Studios, LLCMs. Angela M. VikeslandMr. and Mrs. Robert D. VolkMs. Katy Moss WarnerMs. Jill Yates

In Honor of Arabella DaneMs. Dorothy S. CabotGarden Club of St LouisWolfeboro Garden Club

In Honor of Joan GoltzmanSchwab Charitable Fund

In Memory of Jaqueline Bluemel-Meystol

Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Bluemel

In Memory of Phil LoiaconaMs. Denise Bielan

In Memory of Mr. and Mrs. MalcolmMatheson, Jr.

Mrs. Catherine Hendricks

Pour & Store Watering Cans 1.800.545.4411 www.oxo.com

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CAHS NEWS SPECIAL

AHS 2010 Great American Gardeners National Award Winners

THE AMERICAN HORTI-

CULTURAL SOCIETY isproud to announce the distin-guished recipients of the Society’s2010 Great American GardenersAwards. Individuals, organizations,and businesses who receive theseawards represent the best in Amer-ican gardening. Each has con-tributed significantly to fields suchas plant research, garden communi-cation, landscape design, youth gar-dening, teaching, and floral design.We applaud their passionate com-mitment to American gardeningand their outstanding achievementswithin their area of expertise.

The 2010 awards will be pre-sented on June 10 during the GreatAmerican Gardeners Awards Cere-mony and Banquet at River Farm,the AHS’s headquarters in Alexan-dria, Virginia. For more informa-tion, visit www.ahs.org/awards orcall (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 Steven M. Still,a professor emeritus of horticulture at the Ohio State University (OSU) in

Columbus and an internationally recognized expert and leader in the field of herba-ceous perennial plants.

Still began his teaching career while doinggraduate work at the University of Illinois.After graduating in 1974 with a doctorate inhorticulture, Still taught horticulture atKansas State University in Manhattan for fiveyears before moving to OSU, where he taughtand mentored thousands of horticulture stu-dents from 1979 to 2005. In addition to histeaching duties, he conducted horticultural re-search and served as the first director of OSU’sChadwick Arboretum and Learning Garden.

Still’s acclaimed book, Manual of Herba-ceous Ornamental Plants, was first published in1980. Now in its fourth edition, it is a standardtextbook for horticulture students. In addition,he has written numerous articles for horticul-tural publications and has amassed an extensivearchive of plant photographs, many of whichhave been published in books, magazines, cat-alogs, and on plant tags.

For the last 27 years, Still has been the exec-utive director of the Perennial Plant Associa-

tion, a 1,400-member international organization for horticulturists, plant growers,researchers, and gardeners interested in propagating, growing, and promoting theuse of perennial plants. One of five founding members of the PPA, Still edits the or-ganization’s quarterly journal and coordinates its annual symposium and trade show.He has also served in top leadership positions with many other national and region-al organizations, including the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association, the GardenWriters Association, and the American Horticultural Society.

Still has received numerous awards, including the L.C. Chadwick TeachingAward from the American Nursery & Landscape Association in 2004 and the Gar-den Club of America’s Medal of Honor in 2008. In 2007, the Steven M. Still Gar-den in the Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Garden was dedicated to Still. (Toread an interview with Still, turn to page 42.)

Steven Still at the 2007 dedication ofa garden named in his honor at theChadwick Arboretum

H. MARC CATHEY AWARDRecognizes outstanding scientific researchthat has enriched the field of horticulture.

A research geneticist at the USDA’s Agri-cultural Research Service (USDA-ARS),

Robert J. Griesbachearned a doctorate in ge-netics from MichiganState University in 1980.The following year, hejoined the Floral andNursery Plants ResearchUnit within the USDA-ARS. While conducting

research in the genetics of floral plants,Griesbach helped to create new floralcrops, develop new genetic engineeringtechnologies, and determine the geneticbasis of floral and vegetative leaf colors.

Griesbach has published more than130 articles. He served as the chair of theAmerican Orchid Society’s ResearchCommittee for more than 10 years and isa past president. In 2006, he was nameda Fellow by the American Society forHorticultural Science.

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.

The late Tom Hoerr II was president ofGreen View Companies, founded in Peo-

ria, Illinois, in 1955.Green View Companiesincludes landscape con-tracting, growing-retailcenters, and a landscapedesign and architecturalfirm that serves centraland northern Illinois.Hoerr’s vision of high-

quality plants and products, innovative de-sign, and overall excellence fostered thesuccess of Green View Companies.

Hoerr served on the board of directorsfor Excellence in Creative Garden Con-cepts, the Illinois Nurserymen’s Associa-tion, and Peoria City Beautiful. He alsosupported many community causes.

Following Hoerr’s death in 2009,Green View continues to be operated byHoerr’s wife, Jeanette, and their children.

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

A landscape architect based in Bar Harbor,Maine, Bruce John Riddell is principal of

his one-person firm,LandArt. Riddell re-ceived a masters of land-scape architecture fromthe University of Penn-sylvania in 1986.

After graduation,Riddell worked withJames van Sweden and

Wolfgang Oehme in Washington, D.C.,where he participated in the design of sev-eral major public projects, including theU.S. National Arboretum in Washingtonand Battery Park in New York City.

Riddell’s primary focus is on the designof intimate residential gardens, but he hasdesigned three public gardens in Maine—Southwest Harbor Veteran’s Park, Char-lotte Rhoades Park, and the Coastal MaineBotanical Gardens. Riddell’s designs typi-cally combine native and naturalizedplantings with site-specific handmade ele-ments such as fountains and stonework.

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.

A retired registered nurse and longtimeresident of Alexandria, Virginia, Betty

Smalley has dedicatedmore than 4,000 hoursof volunteer time to theAmerican HorticulturalSociety over the last 20years at its River Farmheadquarters.

In addition to help-ing with outdoor activi-

ties such as weeding and planting, Smalleyhas been an important participant in theAHS Annual Seed Exchange program, fill-ing orders from members in the wintermonths. She also regularly assists at otherevents held at River Farm and has been afriend and mentor to countless other vol-unteers over the years.

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

An author, photographer, and a recognizedauthority on North American native

plants, William Cullinais director of horticultureand plant curator at theCoastal Maine BotanicalGardens (CMBG) inBoothbay, Maine.

Cullina has writtenand contributed pho-tographs to five highly

regarded books: Growing and PropagatingWildflowers of the United States and Cana-da (2000), Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines(2002), Understanding Orchids (2004),Native Ferns, Moss, & Grasses (2008), andmost recently, Understanding Perennials: ANew Look at an Old Favorite (2009).Three of his books have received annualbook awards from the American Horticul-tural Society. He is a sought-after speakerand contributes articles and photographsto many gardening publications.

Prior to moving to CMBG, Cullinaworked at the New England Wild FlowerSociety in Framingham, Massachusetts,from 1995 to 2006.

FRANCES JONES POETKER AWARDRecognizes significant contributions to floraldesign in publications, on the platform, andto the public.

Jane Godshalk is a member of the facultyof Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square,

Pennsylvania, whereshe teaches floral de-sign. She also lecturesand teaches across thecountry.

Godshalk is anartistic judge for theGarden Club ofAmerica (GCA) and

her floral designs have been featured inbooks and magazines, including a col-umn on “Eco-Friendly Floral Design” forthe Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’sGreen Scene magazine.

15March / April 2010

Among her numerous awards is theGCA Bonnlyn Martin Medal for “con-sistently innovative floral design.” She isactive in the American Institute of FloralDesigners and the World Association ofFlower Arrangers.

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

Eric Tschanz has been president and ex-ecutive director of Powell Gardens in

Kingsville, Missouri,since 1988. During thattime, he has implement-ed the first three phasesof the Gardens’ masterplan. He recently com-pleted a more than $9-million developmentcampaign and oversaw

the construction of the new HeartlandHarvest Garden—the largest edible land-scape in the country.

Tschanz earned a master’s degree inBotanic Garden Management throughthe University of Delaware’s LongwoodGraduate Program. In 1982, he becamethe first director of the San AntonioBotanical Gardens in Texas.

Since 1985, Tschanz has been an activemember of the American Public GardensAssociation. for which he has served as vicepresident and then president.

CATHERINE H. SWEENEY AWARDRecognizes extraordinary and dedicated phil-anthropic support of the field of horticulture.

In 2006, brothers William, Daniel, andAlbert Nicholas made a lead gift of$2,150,000 to the Rockford Park Districtin Illinois for a centerpiece project to cel-

ebrate the District’s 100th anniversary in2009. The gift is being used to create theNicholas Conservatory & Gardens inSinnissippi Park. When it is completedin spring 2011, the conservatory will be-come the third largest in Illinois.

The Nicholas brothers, who grew upin Rockford in the 1940s and 1950s, elect-ed to support the district as a way tohonor their parents, William and RubyNicholas. The donation ties in with theirongoing efforts to champion the benefitsof plants and quality of life issues.

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.

Growin’ Gardeners is a hands-on, interac-tive program that inspires and nurtures

young horticulturists and their families.The program is the centerpiece of theDow Gardens Children’s Garden in Mid-land, Michigan.

Through the program, families are as-signed a four-by-four-foot plot where theycan choose, plant, and grow their own veg-etables. With the aid of weekly lessons anda workbook, they learn the basics of gar-dening and the use of gardening tools.

Growin’ Gardeners, which began in2003 with 10 garden plots and 34 partici-pants, has grown under the leadership ofhorticulturist Melissa Butkiewicz to in-clude 84 garden plots and 270 participants.

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.

An instructor and acting coordinator ofthe horticulture program at Naugatuck

Valley CommunityCollege (NVCC) inWaterbury, Connecti-cut, Robert Herman hasmore than 30 years of ex-perience in both horti-culture and education.

Prior to NVCC,Herman worked at the

Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis,where he started the Master GardenerProgram, trained volunteers, coordinat-ed the adult education program, and wasresponsible for all interpretive signage.

Earlier in his career, while working at aperennial plant nursery in Germany, Her-man trained German apprentice horticul-turists and created an internship programfor Americans.

In 2009, Herman received a nationalaward for Teaching Excellence from theUniversity of Texas.

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

An all-volunteer community organizationformed in 2004 in Roslindale, a neigh-

borhood of Boston,Massachusetts, Roslin-dale Green & Clean(RG&C) was created

by a group of residents whose goal was tocreate green and attractive oases within thetown’s urban environment.

With the help of the City of Boston andother neighborhood groups, six projectshave been completed so far. Through spe-cial events like the Green Garden Ex-change—an educational program thatoffers participants practical information onplant selection and gardening tech-niques—and a planned 2010 garden tour,RG&C continues to bolster communityinterest and participation. �


Nominations for 2011If you would like to nominate someonefor one of the 2011 Great American Gar-deners Awards, please visit our website(www.ahs.org) and click on “Awards”for more information.


The Brother Gardeners by Andrea Wulf. Alfred A. Knopf, NewYork, New York.

“With a well-written and compelling narrative, Andrea Wulfsheds light on a band of 18th century plant-lovers—English

and American—who changed the worldof gardening,” says Irene Virag. “Thisbook is an important contribution to ourhorticultural heritage,” notes WilliamWelch. “Lest you fear the book is set instaid drawing rooms filled with rattlingtea cups and powdered wigs, the text ispeppered with tales of English playboyson high seas plant adventures, Tahitianorgies, and glimpses into Benjamin

Franklin’s passion for horticulture,” says Scott Calhoun.

The Explorer’s Garden by Daniel J. Hinkley. Timber Press,Portland, Oregon.

“This book is a wonderful education in the form of a book,”says Marty Ross. “It offers an opportunity to learn about rare

and interesting plants, see thembeautifully photographed, and readthe fascinating stories about collect-ing them,” says William Welch. “Iparticularly liked the propagation andhardiness comments Hinkley provid-ed with each plant, and I wound upwith a way-too-large must-grow listafter reading it,” says Doug Green.

Parks, Plants, and People by Lynden B. Miller. W. W. Norton& Company, New York, New York.

“In an age where public and common spaces are threatenedby underfunding and privatization, Lynden Miller makes a

clear case for their continued impor-tance in our lives,” says Jane Glasby.“Though this intriguing narrative aboutthe demise and restoration of some ofAmerica’s best-known urban parks andgardens is New York-centered, the gen-eral principles apply anywhere,” saysScott Calhoun. “The author offers a lotof great design and planting observa-

tions that worked in these public projects, but also would bebeautiful in home gardens,” says Marty Ross.

Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart. Algonquin Books, Chapel Hill,North Carolina.

“I love Stewart’s criteria for inclusion of a plant in thisbook…..a body count! The histories of various “perps” are

entertaining, educational, and spell-binding,” notes Doreen Howard. “Thebook contains stories well told, and Ilove the illustrations, which are appro-priately macabre,” says Jane Glasby.“Stewart has uncovered a treasuretrove of great plant stories, and relatesthem with a sense of humor,” saysIrene Virag. �

2010 AHS Book Award Winners

Each year, the American Horticultural Society recognizes outstanding gardening books published in North America with itsannual Book Award. Nominated books are judged by the AHS Book Award Committee on qualities such as writing style, au-thority, accuracy, and physical quality. This year’s four recipients, selected from books published in 2009, are listed below.

The 2010 Book Award Committee was chaired by Marty Ross, a regional contributor for Better Homes & Gardens andwriter for Universal Press Syndicate who lives in Kansas City, Missouri, and in Hayes, Virginia. Other committee memberswere Scott Calhoun, a garden designer and author based in Tucson, Arizona; Jane Glasby, associate librarian for the HelenCrocker Russell Library of Horticulture in San Francisco, California; Doug Green, a garden writer and online media entrepre-neur based in Stella, Ontario; Doreen Howard of Roscoe, Illinois, a former garden editor for Woman’s Day who writes for var-ious garden publications; Irene Virag, a Pulitzer-Prize-winning writer for Newsday who lives in Fort Salonga, New York; andWilliam Welch, a professor and Extension specialist at Texas A&M University and author of several garden books.

Citation of Special MeritThe AHS Book Award is given to publish-ers for a single book published in a spe-cific year. However, this year a Citationof Special Merit is being awarded inrecognition of a regularly revised refer-ence that has made significant contribu-tions to horticultural literature over time.

Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael Dirr. Stipes Publishing L. L. C.,Champaign, Illinois.

First published in 1975, this volume has become an essential reference for hor-ticulture students, professionals, and home gardeners. The most recent 6th edi-tion (2009) covers more than 2,000 taxa of trees and shrubs. “Dirr’s updatededition, the culmination of a life’s work of observations and experience, is a de-light,” says Marty Ross. “His book is a friendly, opinionated masterwork, and areference I couldn’t do without.” �

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Light up shady areas of the garden by using plant combinations

that offer complementary textures and colors.

BY KRIS WETHERBEE

The bold, thick, gray-blue foliage of Hosta sieboldiana ‘Elegans’ provides a striking contrast to the lacy, finely-textured fronds of woodland ferns.

Dynamic Duets forShadeDynamic Duets forShade

FOR YEARS I was envious of gar-deners who were blessed withshade. Yes, you heard me right—

blessed with shade! Though my husbandand I live in the Pacific Northwest—where it’s presumed that every gardeneris sun-challenged—when we moved intoour home most of the potential garden-ing space was in bright light to full sun.Over the years we worked at creatingshady niches to satisfy our craving forthe boldly shaped leaves of hostas andligularias, the subtle textures of bug-banes (Actaea spp.) and sweet woodruff(Galium odoratum), and the delicate flo-ral sprays of heucheras and astilbes.

Most gardeners don’t have to manu-facture shade, as we did, in order to takeadvantage of the broad palette of attractiveshade-loving plants—including herba-ceous perennials, bulbous plants, grasses,and shrubs—that are now available.

DESIGN TIPSThe key to creating an attractive shadegarden is selecting harmonious duets ortrios of plants that have complementaryattributes. For instance, look for foliageplants that offer intriguing textures andpatterns and match them with plantsprized for their colorful flowers or berries.“A well-designed garden bed is anchored

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DEGREES OF SHADENot all shade is created equal. Treesof different types and heights—alongwith adjacent walls, houses, or otherstructures—create shadows of vary-ing scope and intensity. Knowing thedegree and duration of shade in a giv-en area will help you select plantsthat are best suited to your setting.

Part shade areas receive sunlight forpart of the day (about three to sixhours) whether in the early morningor late afternoon.

Dappled or light shade refers to areasthat receive filtered light in summerfrom a high, open canopy of decidu-ous trees. This type of shade is idealfor a wide range of shade plants thatwill tolerate full sun in winter.

Deep shade is dense year-round shadecast from a building, large ever-greens, or other large trees with densecanopies. These low-light conditionsstill support a number of intriguingand attractive plants noted mostly fortheir foliage, but gardening optionsare definitely more limited than withother types of shade.

Regional climate also affects howmuch shade certain plants need tothrive. For instance, hostas can begrown in nearly full sun in New Eng-land, but in the Deep South they willgrow best in a site that gets medium todeep shade. In warmer regions, a num-ber of plants—coral balls (Heucheraspp.) for instance—do well planted ina site that is sunny in the morning butat least partly shaded during the heat ofthe day in summer. Observing whereplants thrive in neighboring gardensand local public gardens will offer cluesto help you place your plants, but insome cases trial and error will deter-mine the optimum site. —K.W.

‘Copper Canyon’ coleus and ‘Red Flash’ caladium both thrive in moist, humus-rich soils.

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by structural plants that perform yearround and contribute dramatic foliage,form, or color,” says Shirley Bovshow, aLos Angeles garden designer and televi-sion host of the online weekly “GardenWorld Report Show.” Bovshow recom-mends that you start with three plants thatlook great together for most of the year.All additional plants will then serve as the“icing on the cake.”

The most interesting compositions forshade gardens feature plants with attrac-tive foliage—think variegation, shape, andtexture—as the foundation or backboneof the planting. Use flowering plants as anaccent to these foliage plants, or framethem against the backdrop of foliage.

Consider horizontal as well as verticalby planning for vividly arranged horizon-tal patterns that will fill in the vegetativelayers of your space with texture, foliage,bloom color, and overall shape. Illuminatethe deepest shade with an eye-catchingobject such as a painted bench or colorfulurn. In dark areas where impenetrable treeroots pose a problem you can bring light

By selecting shade plants with ornamental foliage, like coral bells (Heuchera sp.) andPolemonium ‘Brise d’Anjou’, top, you can create a long season of interest. The persistentflowerheads of astilbes, shown with Carex dolichostachya ‘Kaga Nishiki’, above, dry toshades of brown and remain attractive all winter.

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NORTHEASTJerry Fritz, owner of Linden Hill Gardens and Jerry Fritz Gar-den Design in Ottsville, Pennsylvania (USDA Zone 6), rec-ommends the following combinations.■ Golden tufted sedge (Carex elata ‘Aurea’) and forget-me-not(Myosotis scorpioides): an eye-catching combo of gold andblue for moist, shady areas.■ Ligularia dentata ‘Britt Marie Craw-ford’ with Lysimachia nummularia ‘Au-rea’ and Brunnera macrophylla. Thebold leaves of this ligularia work wellwith her favorite blue-and-gold colorpairing.■ Symphytum ✕uplandicum ‘Axmin-ster Gold’ with Actaea racemosa ‘BlackNegligee’ and bluebells (Mertensia vir-ginica): Dependable, deer-resistanttrio provides a long season of beauty.■ Rodgersia podophylla and purpleviolet (Viola labradorica): A wonderfuldeer-resistant pair for shade.

MIDWESTIndiana-based Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp(USDA Zone 5), editor of Indiana Liv-ing Green magazine, offers this listof dazzling performers for shade.■ Golden Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’)with coral bells (Heuchera spp.): For a golden spot in the shade,mix the forest grass with any of the golden or chartreuse coralbells. For contrast, combine with any purple-leaved coral bells.■ Barrenworts (Epimedium spp.) with Corydalis lutea or C.flexuosa ‘Blue Panda’: The lacy foliage of corydalis is the per-fect foil for the heart-shaped leaves of barrenwort—one of thebest groundcovers for dry shade.■ Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ with Astilbe chinensis‘Purple Candles’: This textural combination also offers winterinterest with decorative flower heads.■ Carex conica ‘Marginata’ and heucheras: This evergreencombo mixes two distinct textures—narrow blades of varie-gation with the bolder scalloped leaves of heucheras.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND PACIFIC NORTHWESTLaura Livengood Schaub, an award-winning landscape design-er in San Jose, California (USDA Zone 8), has had great suc-cess with these combinations in her own gardens and thoseof her clients.■ Bugleweed (Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’) with Lamium ‘CannonGold’: A wonderful dark-and-gold groundcover combinationfor moist shade.

■ Heuchera ‘Amethyst Myst’ with golden dwarf sweet flag(Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’): Offers glorious color and texturecontrast year-round in a protected spot.■ White cyclamen with Liriope ‘Silver Dragon’: This sparklingcombination lights up the shade garden, especially in winter.■ Giant chain fern (Woodwardia fimbriata) with bacopa(Sutera cordata): The tall fern with the flowing groundcover is

simply spectacular, especially on ashady slope or near water.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHWESTLos Angeles-based Shirley Bovshow(USDA Zone 8B), garden designerand host of the online weekly “GardenWorld Report” show, recommendsthese dynamic combos for shade.■ Variegated shell ginger (Alpiniazerumbet ‘Variegata’) with Cordyline‘Jurred’: The tropical ginger in yellowand green is striking against the ma-roon color of the cordyline.■ Chiastophyllum oppositifoliumwith Sedum spathulifolium ‘CapoBlanco’: These succulents are stun-ning as a simple, sculptural combi-nation for hot climates.

■ Mirror bush (Coprosma repens ‘Pink Splendor’) with NewZealand flax (Phormium ‘Dark Delight’ or Phormium ‘Platt’sBlack’) and rain lilies (Zephyranthes candida): With its ever-green leaves in shades of green, yellow and pink, mirror bush pro-vides the perfect backdrop to the contrasting grasslike foliage ofthe dark phormium underplanted with the rich green rain lily.

SOUTHEASTHorticulturist Katie Elzer-Peters, a garden consultant and free-lance writer with the Garden of Words, L.L.C. in Wilmington,North Carolina (USDA Zone 7B/ 8), suggests these combina-tions for the southeastern United States.■ Colchicums (Colchicum spp.) and black mondo grass (Ophio-pogon planiscapus): The dark grass serves as a dramatic foil tothe fall-blooming bulbs peeking up through the groundcover.■ Cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) with barrenwort(Epimedium spp.): Both grow well in dry shade and bringadded textural interest.■ Blue stars (Amsonia spp.) and hostas: Great combo forlight shade, the amsonia’s lacy texture contrasts beautifullywith the broad leaves of the hostas.■ Ajuga ‘Bronze Beauty’ with any sedge (Carex spp.): Thebroad, short, coppery-colored leaves of ajuga work well withthe wispy texture of sedges. �

REGIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SHADE PLANT COMBINATIONSKnowing that plant recommendations vary from region to region, I asked experts from around the country to weigh in on someof their favorite, eye-catching plant combinations for shade. —K.W.

Barrenwort (Epimedium sp.) combines well with avariety of plants and thrives in dry shade.

to the area and preserve the tree’s delicateroots by adding container plantings of var-iegated plants, pale-colored flowers, andfoliage in hues of silver, yellow, and gold.

With a little planning, a bit of inspira-tion, and clever combos, you’ll be well onyour way to transforming sun-challengedgardening spaces into shade gardens thatwill be the envy of your neighborhood.�

A regular contributor to The AmericanGardener, Kris Wetherbee is a freelancewriter based in Oakland, Oregon. L

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PLANTS FOR CHALLENGING SITES

FOR DEEP SHADE■ Cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior): 16–24 inches tall; will even grow in darkshady areas, such as underneath decks or stairs. USDA Zones 7–10, AHS Zones12–4.■ Clivia (Clivia miniata): 16–24inches tall; in cold areas, growin container and bring indoorsin winter. Zones 9–11, 12–1.■ Fatsia (Fatsia japonica): 5–12feet tall; can be grown in con-tainers; tolerates dry soil inshade. Zones 8–10, 10–8.■ Bleeding hearts (Dicentraspp.): 1–4 feet tall; D. spec-tabilis grows best in part shade.Zones 3–9, 9–1.■ Japanese aucuba (Aucubajaponica): 3–8 feet tall; pruneto maintain desired height,spotted forms fade in deepshade. Zones 7–10, 12–6.■ Solomon’s seal (Polygonatumspp.): 1–3 feet tall; thrives inloose, organic-rich soil. Zones3–8, 9–1.■ Sweet woodruff (Galium odor-atum): 8–12 inches tall; can beinvasive—best as groundcover or pathway edging. Zones: 5–8, 8–6.■ Ternstroemia gymnanthera: 3–8 feet tall; thrives in well-drained, slightly acidicsoil. Zones 8–10, 10–8.

FOR DRY SHADE■ Astilbe (Astilbe chinensis): 18–26 inches tall; part to almost full shade. Zones4–8, 8–6.■ White wood aster (Aster divaricatus, 2 feet tall, Zones 4–8, 9–1) and blue woodaster (A. cordifolius, 2–5 feet tall, Zones 5–8, 8–1): light to part shade.■ Bear’s breeches (Acanthus spp.): 4–5 feet tall; part to near full shade.■ Barrenwort (Epimedium grandiflorum); Height: 8-12 inches; part shade; Zones:5–8, 8–5.■ Hostas (species and hybrids): 1–4 feet tall; part to full shade.■ Lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina): 1–2 feet tall; part shade. Zones 4–8, 8–1.

FOR DAMP SHADE■ Beebalm (Monarda didyma and hybrids): 15–48 inches tall; part to dappledshade. Zones 4–10, 10–1.■ Coral bells (Heuchera spp.): 15–20 inches tall; part to dappled shade.■ Caladium (Caladium bicolor): 1–2 feet tall; part to full shade. Zones 15, 12–4. ■ Goat’s beard (Aruncus dioicus): 3–6 feet tall; part to almost full shade. Zones3–7, 7–1.■ Ligularia spp.: 3–6 feet tall; part to full shade.■ Lobelias (Lobelia cardinalis, L. siphilitica, L. hybrids): 2–4 feet tall; part shade.

Solomon’s seal and celandine poppy, top, areexcellent choices for brightening up deepshade. Above, the chartreuse foliage of Fatsiapaired with a dark purple barberry create aclassic color combination.

Bleeding hearts

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SourcesAvant Gardens, North Dartmouth, MA. (508) 998-8819. www.avantgardensne.com.Busse Gardens, Big Lake, MN.(763) 263-3403. www.bussegardens.com.Greer Gardens, Eugene, OR. (541) 686-8266. www.greergardens.com.Well-Sweep Herb Farm, Port Murray, NJ. (908) 852-5390. www.wellsweep.com.Whitney Gardens and Nursery, Brinnon, WA. (800) 952-2404. www.whitneygardens.com.

ResourcesThe Complete Shade Gardener by George Schenk. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 1984 (updated version?)Perennial Combinations by C. Colston Burrell. Rodale Books, Emmaus, Pennsylvania, 1999, updated 2008.Shade: Ideas and Inspiration for Shady Gardens by Keith Wiley. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2007.Shady Retreats: 20 Plants for Colorful Private Spaces in Your Backyard by Barbara Ellis. Storey Books, NorthAdams, Massachusetts, 2003.

Ligularia and hostas, left, favor full morning sun withafternoon shade. Above, hellebore’s yellow stamens subtlyecho the golden foliage of ‘All Gold’ hakone grass. Forget-me-nots complete the understory trio with accents of brightblue saucer-shaped flowers.

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WHEN CONSIDERING tough,dependable perennials, bluefalse indigo (Baptisia australis)

naturally comes to my mind. An excep-tional garden plant prized for its colorfulflower spires, handsome foliage, ease ofcare, and pest-resistant nature, this trueAmerican beauty has been named the 2010Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perenni-al Plant Association.

With the exception of B. australis, how-ever, I do not think of wild indigos as“Everyman” plants. Their qualities are bet-ter known and perhaps more respected bynative plant enthusiasts than by averagegardeners. But some nursery owners andplant breeders have taken an interest in thegenus, and the introduction of a numberof fantastic new selections in recent yearsis a promise of greater things to come.

As manager of plant evaluations at theChicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illi-nois, since 1999 I have grown and assessed17 different wild indigos at the Garden(USDA Hardiness Zone 5b, AHS HeatZone 5). Our trial was fairly small given thelimited number of wild indigos that werecommercially available until recently. Wesaw successes and failures but managed toidentify a number of wild indigos that werecommend based on their superior orna-mental qualities, cultural adaptability, re-sistance to pests, and winter hardiness.

GETTING TO KNOW WILD INDIGOSThere are approximately 20 species ofBaptisia native to eastern North Ameri-ca, ranging from Canada south to Flori-da and westward to Texas. Commonlyknown as false or wild indigos, these

BY RICHARD HAWKE

The release of promising new

cultivars of false indigo has

renewed gardeners’ interest

in the genus Baptisia.

American Beauties:Baptisias

Wild blue indigo (Baptisia australis) isstriking in early summer when the flowersshow to effect against the dense foliage.

the American Gardener24

American Beauties:Baptisias

plants are in the pea family (Fabaceae).Some species have a long history in cul-tivation, dating back to the 1700s whenthey were grown as a blue-dye substitutefor true indigo (Indigofera spp.). Thegenus name comes from the Greek bapto,meaning “to dip” or “dye.”

Wild indigo flowers are predominantlyblue, white, or yellow, although shades andsubtle variations occur naturally. Wild in-digos are promiscuous, so new color formsare not uncommon where two or moreplants or species are grown together.

Baptisia species are commonly grownfrom seed, which means that flowercolor, habit quality, and size can varywidely from plant to plant. Years ago, Iplanted B. australis seeds in my homegarden hoping to enjoy its spires of vi-brant blue flowers. To my dismay, myplants turned out to have insipid blue

flowers. If you want to replicate an at-tractive plant (assuming it’s not a propri-etary cultivar), you’ll need to propagateby softwood cuttings.

The distinctly pealike blossoms are pro-duced in many-flowered racemes, dramat-ically rising above or arching outward fromthe plant. Structurally, the flowers consistof the standard (upstanding dorsal petal),wings (two lateral petals), and keel (twolower petals fused together). Most wild in-digos bloom for about three weeks begin-ning in spring, and white-flowered speciesgenerally tend to bloom later than blue- oryellow-flowered plants. The floral displaymay be shortened by unseasonably warmtemperatures. The inflated elliptical orround seedpods, which age to black or tan,persist on the plants late into the season.

Most wild indigos have handsomethree-part leaves that range from gray-

green to blue-green to green. Plants areclump-forming with upright vase-shapedto rounded habits. Because they dislikeroot disturbance, avoid dividing clumps;trim stems around the edges if they get toolarge or—better yet—plant them in a sitewhere they have ample elbow room.

Wild indigos are often spindly or openin youth, slowly adding stems as they ma-ture. Plants range from a diminutive 12inches up to a statuesque seven feet tall.

CULTURE AND COMPANIONSSun-loving wild indigos thrive in moist,well-drained soils but are adaptable topoorer and drier soils once established.These durable plants are heat- anddrought-tolerant, essentially trouble-free,and long-lived. Most wild indigos, in-cluding many of the southern species, arewinter hardy to at least USDA Zone 5. Fo-R

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The glowing flowers of yellow wild indigo (B. sphaerocarpa ‘Screamin’ Yellow’) make a bold statement in the background of this perennial border.

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liar chlorosis can be a problem for somespecies growing in highly alkaline soils.Like other members of the pea family, theroot nodules on wild indigos contain abeneficial bacterium (Rhizobium sp.) thatconverts atmospheric nitrogen to useablenitrogen. This trait allows wild indigos togrow well in poor soils. Conversely, in fer-tile soils, they need little or no supple-mental feeding (especially avoid use ofhigh nitrogen fertilizers, which could pro-mote overly lush foliar growth).

Wild indigos work well in perennialborders, wildflower gardens, and mead-ows, whether grown as specimens or insmall groups. Mass plantings can be strik-ing—an expansive mixed planting of char-coal-stemmed Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’ andred-leaved switch grass (Panicum virgatum‘Shenandoah’) is a favorite at the ChicagoBotanic Garden. Baptisia australis and B.alba var. macrophylla are great structuralplants, standing head and shoulders aboveother perennials in the garden.

While larger wild indigos are not ap-propriate for small gardens, shorter speciessuch as B. sphaerocarpa and B. australisvar. minor are perfect choices. Peonies,irises, phlox, asters, and ornamental grass-es make good companions.

THE BEST OF SHOWWith the exception of wild blue indigo,most Baptisia species are listed only in na-tive plant catalogs. When we started ourtrial, the wild indigos offered were pre-dominately seed-grown species. At thattime, because it was little-known thatspecies readily hybridize, some interspecif-ic hybrids were sold as true species. We ob-served a number of plants identified asspecies in our trial were actually hybrids;we also noted genetic variability withinsome species. The following wild indigosreceived high ratings in the trials and areexcellent choices for the Midwest. (For rec-ommended selections in other regions, seethe box on page 28.)

Baptisia australis is a sturdy, reliablegarden plant with a dense shrubby habit,three to four feet tall and six feet wide. Vi-olet-blue flowers in erect racemes grace thestems from mid-May to mid-June in theChicago area; flowers open earlier inwarmer climates. The black seedpods re-main on the plant into winter.

Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’ is a standoutin the early spring garden because of itssmoky-purple stems, which bear purpleflowers in June. ‘Purple Smoke’ is a bushyplant, three to four feet tall, but has a more

OVERVIEW OF BAPTISIA SPECIES

Botanical/Common Name Height/Width Notable Features Native USDA Hardiness,(feet) Range AHS Heat Zones

B. alba var. alba 3/2–3 white flowers with purple tinting;brown stems Southeast 5–9, 9–6(white wild indigo)

B. alba var. macrophylla 5–7/2–3 white flowers Central, South 5–9, 9–5(largeleaf wild indigo)

B. arachnifera 11/2/2 yellow flowers Georgia 7–9, 9–6(hairy rattleweed)

B. australis 3–4/3–6 purple to violet flowers in early to midsummer East, Central 4–9, 9–5(blue wild indigo)

B. australis var. minor 1–2/1–2 compact with purple flowers Central, South 5–9, 9–5(compact blue wild indigo)

B. bracteata 11/2/21/2 pale yellow flowers East, Central 4–9, 9–5(longbract wild indigo)

B. bracteata var. leucophaea 11/2/2 creamy white flowers Central, Southeast 4–9, 9–5(cream wild indigo)

B. perfoliata 2–3/2 clear yellow flowers, attractive bluish leaves Southeast coast 7–9, 10–6(catbells)

B. sphaerocarpa 2–3/3–5 bright yellow flowers, rounded seed pods Central, South 5–9, 9–5(yellow wild indigo)

B. tinctoria 2–3/2–3 pale yellow flowers in midsummer East, Central 3–9, 9–4

Dusky purple stems make Baptisia ‘PurpleSmoke’ a standout.

refined habit than B. australis. It was a bitslow to establish in our trial and was proneto chlorosis in our alkaline soil. ‘PurpleSmoke’ remains a garden favorite 14 yearsafter it was introduced by the late RobGardner at the North Carolina BotanicalGarden in Chapel Hill.

‘Twilite’, ‘Starlite’, and ‘Midnite’—the first offerings in the Prairieblues™ se-ries—were hybridized by plant breederJim Ault at the Chicago Botanic Garden

and introduced through the ChicagolandGrows® plant introduction program.‘Twilite’ features bicolored deep violetflowers highlighted with a yellow keel.Growing five feet tall and seven feet wide,a four-year-old plant bears well over 100stems. Soft-blue-flowered ‘Starlite’ pro-duces impressive 24-inch-long inflores-cences atop stems three feet tall. Growingfour feet wide, its vase-shaped habit be-comes broadly rounded with age. Thedeep violet-blue flowers of ‘Midnite’ areborne in long clusters over two feet long;

a secondary period of bloom producesshorter inflorescences. Long-legged‘Midnite’ is strongly vase-shaped andgrows to four feet tall and wide.

Largeleaf wild indigo (B. alba var.macrophylla, formerly B. leucantha), is anelegant resident of Midwestern tallgrassprairies. Although not a strong bloomer,its creamy white flowers open later thanother wild indigos—typically in mid-Juneinto early July. It has the potential to reach

seven feet tall in flower, although in ourtrial it was about half that height.

Native from Missouri and Oklahomasouth to the Gulf Coast, yellow wild indi-go (B. sphaerocarpa), is a showstopper. Itblooms from late May into late June andhas a robust habit to three feet tall and fivefeet wide. Flower color among our evalua-tion specimens varied from bright to softprimrose yellow. The round seedpods aredistinct from the oblong seedpods of otherwild indigos. ‘Screamin’ Yellow’ is a supe-rior selection with golden yellow flowers.

Although I would not place Baptisia‘Carolina Moonlight’ at the top of the listof exceptional wild indigos, it certainly de-serves an honorable mention. Another se-lection made by Rob Gardner, it featuressoft-yellow flowers on strongly upright in-florescences in June. Although touted as avigorous selection, it suffered from foliarchlorosis in our evaluation. I believe thatwith a lighter soil and a bit of patience, thiscan be a top-notch plant.

NEW ON THE HORIZONOver the years, many North American na-tive plants have gone on the Grand Tourof Europe and returned home with a so-phisticated new look. But in the case of ournative wild indigos, all the breeding has oc-curred at home. Pioneers such as ‘PurpleSmoke’ and ‘Carolina Moonlight’ pavedthe way for many superb new selectionsthat have been introduced in recent years.

‘Chocolate Chip’, introduced by HansHansen, plant breeder at Walters Gardensin Zeeland, Michigan, is fittingly namedL

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The cultivar ‘Twilite’, above, is defined by itslemon-yellow keel. Largeleaf wild indigo,right, performs much better in part shadethan its blue-flowered counterpart.

for its chocolate-purple-and-yellow flow-ers, which are a delicious novelty atop ro-bust stems to three feet tall. Plants grow tothree feet wide.

‘Solar Flare’ is the latest offering in thePrairieblues™ series. Its unusual two-tonedflowers open clear yellow, aging to a deeporange. ‘Solar Flare’ has a dense habit,growing four feet tall and slightly wider.

‘Lunar Eclipse’, a future Prairieblues™

introduction, offers a kaleidoscopic floraldisplay—flowers open white with a hintof lemon yellow, age to cream, and finallyturn a deep violet.

Avid plant collector and breeder TonyAvent of Plant Delights Nursery in NorthCarolina has long championed wild indi-gos, and in recent years he has introduceda number of superior selections. Baptisiaalba var. alba ‘Wayne’s World’ is a vigorous

white-flowered selection that grows to fourfeet tall and three feet wide. Baptisiabracteata ‘Butterball’ features large boun-tiful racemes of creamy yellow flowers oncompact stems to 18 inches tall and 24inches wide. The light blue flowers of B.australis var. minor ‘Blue Pearls’ are pro-duced in profusion on upright stems tothree feet tall and two feet wide.

COMING ATTRACTIONSThanks to the ongoing work of many B

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REGIONAL FAVORITES

NEW ENGLAND: Tom Clark, collections manager at the Polly Hill Arboretum onMartha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, values wild indigos for their tolerance of drysites, bushlike presence in the garden, and their colorful flower spires. Althoughhe does not find ‘Carolina Moonlight’ to be a particularly strong grower, he likeslovely pale-yellow-flowered ‘Anne’, a vigorous but little-known selection. He es-pecially admires the new Prairieblues™ series for their heavy flowering and rangeof colors. He has grown an inspiring combination of Baptisia alba var. macrophyl-la with tall Allium ‘Mount Everest’—both are white-flowered but offer a fantasticcontrast of shapes.

MID-ATLANTIC In her Baltimore garden, Angela Treadwell-Palmer, president ofPlants Nouveau, a plant introduction company, says ‘Purple Smoke’ is her favoritethese days. She loves its grayish leaves, smoky-purple stalks, and smoky-periwin-kle flowers with charcoal highlights in the keel. In early June, she welcomes thedeep blue to deep lavender flowers of wild blue indigo. This stalwart plant with itssturdy, upright habit can replace many medium-sized flowering shrubs and makesa wonderful hedge. She cites ‘Twilite’ as one of the brawniest and most floriferousselections she has ever grown. “The color combination is to die for with its rich,chocolaty, burgundy petals and complementary yellow keels,” she says.

SOUTHEAST “We find that all species of wild indigo perform equally well here,” saysTony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina. He refers to themas “redneck lupines” for their superficial floral resemblance to finicky lupines(Lupinus spp.). He feels that ‘Carolina Moonlight’ is the best hybrid cultivar cur-rently on the market for his region. Many forms of B. australis, including thePrairieblues™ series, are poor selections for warmer climates because the foliageenvelops the open flowers, obscuring them. Among Avent’s foliar favorites are B.arachnifera, a rare coastal species growing to 16 inches tall with short spikes of yel-low flowers and heart-shaped leaves, and yellow-flowered B. perfoliata, growing to30 inches tall, with attractive glaucous leaves reminiscent of eucalyptus.

UPPER MIDWEST Baptisia australis var. minor is a favorite of Mike Heger at Am-bergate Gardens, a nursery near Minneapolis, Minnesota. He likes this well-pro-portioned Great Plains native because its shorter habit allows it to be used in a va-riety of landscapes. ‘Purple Smoke’ is a hardy and vigorous plant that has provenits worth in the far north. A mature specimen produces an amazing number ofstems with large flower spikes that make a dramatic floral display. He highly rec-ommends the Midwestern native B. bracteata var. leucophaea (formerly B. leu-cophaea) for its early, creamy-yellow flowers, which are a delight in the spring gar-den. “It is a bit slow to establish and some patience is required during its juvenileyears but the payoff on the other end is worth the wait,” he says.

GREAT PLAINS Harlan Hamernik of wholesale Bluebird Nursery in Clarkson, Ne-braska, unequivocally prefers B. australis var. minor to B. australis. Topping out attwo feet tall, it has large, more glaucous leaves and tight bouquets of blue flowersthat stand up like candles above the foliage. “Baptisia australis var. minor is amore beautiful plant overall,” he adds. Creamy-yellow-flowered B. bracteata is an-other of his favorites. The large, pendulous flower clusters droop to form a skirt atthe base of the dense plants, and when dried, the hairy gray-green leaves make anattractive addition to floral arrangements. Both of these Great Plains natives aretough perennials for drought-prone gardens. —R.H.

‘Carolina Moonlight’ is a cross between B.sphaerocarpa and B. alba.

plant breeders, the future for wild indi-gos in American gardens is bright. PaulCappiello, director at Yew Dell Gardensin Crestwood, Kentucky, is currentlyworking with sterile plants in an effortto lengthen bloom time. He has alreadydeveloped a couple of bicolored formsand a strain of apricot-flowered plants.

Jim Ault is investigating a number ofcomplex hybrids, selecting for novelflower colors and refined habits. AndHans Hansen at Walters Gardens is ex-panding the color range of wild indi-gos—pinks, lavenders, bicolors, and darkbrown blends are all in the works. “Thecolor diversity in baptisias is amazing,”he says. “It is one of the most excitinggenera of plants to be working on.”

Tony Avent is in agreement. “Wehave some new cultivars in thepipeline—and so does Hans Hansen—that will blow away anything currentlyon the market,” says Avent. Gardeners,you are forewarned. �

Richard Hawke is manager of the plantevaluation program at the Chicago BotanicGarden in Glencoe, Illinois. R

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SourcesAmbergate Gardens, Chaska, MN.(877) 211-9769. www.ambergategardens.com.Klehm’s Song Sparrow Farm and Nursery, Avalon, WI. (800) 553-3715. www.songsparrow.com.Niche Gardens, Chapel Hill, NC.(919) 967-0078. www.nichegardens.com.Plant Delights Nursery, Inc., Raleigh,NC. (919) 772-4794. www.plantdelights.com.Prairie Nursery, Inc., Westfield, WI.(800) 476-9453. www.prairienusry.com.

ResourcesArmitage’s Native Plants for NorthAmerican Gardens by Allan M. Armitage. Timber Press, Portland,Oregon, 2006.Growing and Propagating Wildflowersof the United States and Canada byWilliam Cullina. Houghton Mifflin,Boston, Massachusetts, 2000.

Prairieblues™ ‘Lunar Eclipse’ will be a future release from the Chicagoland Grows™ program.

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TI R E D O F V I N C A ? Ivy gettinginto everything? For year-roundcolor and convenience, consider

spreading conifers as groundcovers in-stead. With hundreds of choices availablefrom different genera—including ju-nipers, larches, pines, spruces—it’s easyto find conifers suitable for a variety ofregions, garden sites, and designs.Groundcover conifers can be so richlytextured, so colorful, and so appealingthat they will become indispensable ele-ments of your garden.

MYRIAD LANDSCAPE USESSpreading conifers come in many formsand sizes that enhance their versatility asgroundcovers suitable for challenginglandscape sites such as slopes and mixedborders. Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’, forinstance, makes uneven low mounds inthe landscape as it expands. ‘Green Car-pet’ Korean fir (Abies koreana) and thedeciduous weeping European larch(Larix decidua ‘Pendula’) also undulate.

Slightly taller spreading shrubs alsomake effective groundcovers when plant-ed in masses. The ‘Valley Cushion’ culti-var of mugo pine (Pinus mugo), whichforms a low, spreading mound that growsabout 12 inches tall and 30 inches wide in10 years, is the perfect companion formounding small shrubs such as heaths(Erica carnea) and heathers (Calluna vul-garis). Another taller, spreading conifer,Juniperus virginiana ‘Grey Owl’, growstwo to three feet high and six to eight feetwide. With its feathery silver foliage, thiscultivar makes a stunning winter com-panion for ornamental grasses.

The most common use for ground-cover conifers is to help control erosion onnatural banks and steep manmade slopes.

Although somewhat overused for this pur-pose, creeping juniper (Juniperus horizon-talis) spreads quickly and toleratesproblems—such as salt, wind, drought,heat, and heavy soils—that some otherconifers won’t stand. Some selections de-velop roots where their branches touch theground, anchoring the soil as they grow.“You can use them for weed control, asliving mulch,” says Adam Wheeler, prop-agation and plant development managerat Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden,Connecticut. Creeping junipers also lookattractive nestled between landscapeboulders or gently cascading over the edgesof retaining walls.

Other traditional roles for spreadingconifers include their use as foundationplantings around the front and sides of ahome. They also commonly serve as asoothing backdrop against which the starsof the garden—usually specimen trees orshrubs—can be showcased. For example,Duane Ridenour, manager of BeaverCreek Nursery in Knoxville, Tennessee,considers the undulating habit and long,fat needles of prostrate plum yew(Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Prostrata’)“the perfect complement for Japanesemaples. It has caught on all through theSouth for a shady groundcover instead ofivy or periwinkle (Vinca spp.), which can

covering ground withConifersBY PENELOPE O’SULLIVAN

Reduce maintenance and add vibrant color and

texture to the garden by using low-growing

conifers as groundcovers.

The silvery-blue foliage of Juniperus virginiana ‘Grey Owl’ stands out against grasses in thiswinter landscape, above. Opposite page: Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Carpet’ mingles happilywith cutleaf stephanandra in a Connecticut landscape designed by Natureworks.

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be invasive,” says Ridenour, who is alsopresident of the Southeast regional chap-ter of the American Conifer Society. And,unlike true yew (Taxus spp.), plum yew israrely damaged by deer.

Another incentive for creating beds ofrecumbent conifers is to reduce the area ofa garden devoted to lawn. A few years ago,I visited an inviting home landscape in aPennsylvania subdivision where theowner, a landscape designer, had encour-aged a large swath of Siberian carpet cy-press (Microbiota decussata) to fill inunder a redbud (Cercis canadensis) on hissloping front garden. In this way, he re-duced the size of his lawn and the result-ing time and resources needed to keep it

looking good. The groundcover prevent-ed erosion on the slope, offered texturalinterest, and created an attractive look thatwas consistent, albeit with more panache,

with the well-groomed lawns of sur-rounding properties.

Rock gardens and conifers go hand inhand because many species originate onrocky or mountainous terrain. They canflow like water over and around bouldersand cascade over stone retaining walls.Their often-graceful habits and needled orscaly foliage helps soften hardscape ele-ments such as driveways, sidewalks, andstone steps. Conifers take the edge off theharsh perpendicular angle between thevertical walls of a house and the ground.Swaths of geometric foundation plantingsaren’t always necessary to accomplish thisfeat; one well-placed low and wide-spread-ing conifer can do the trick.

IN LIVING COLORToday’s groundcovers come in colors rang-ing from gold and lime to silver, powderblue, cream, and bicolor. In cold weather,some conifers take on shades of rust, pur-ple, and bronze.

“Temperature affects the color of manyplants,” says Wheeler of Broken Arrow.“Different pigments build up in differentseasons. Juniper builds up plum and pur-ple tints in winter.” Even more striking, thearching stems of Siberian carpet cypressturn from green to a silvery purple-bronze.

Gold-needled J. horizontalis ‘MotherLode’ forms a ground-hugging, weed-smothering groundcover with the addedbonus of burgundy-plum winter color.Wheeler also likes Pinus mugo ‘Carsten’(syn. ‘Carsten’s Wintergold’), a dwarfspreading conifer with lime-green foliagein spring and summer, turning an intenseorange-gold in late fall and winter.

The deciduous foliage of Europeanlarch cultivars ‘Pendula’ and ‘Puli’ is lightgreen in spring and turns vivid yellow infall before the fine-textured needles drop.Low-growing Siberian carpet cypress is evergreen, hardy, and deer resistant.

WEED BEFORE PLANTINGIn his book Gardening with Conifers (see “Resources,”page 34), British gardening ex-pert Adrian Bloom recommends gardeners take time to eradicate any perennialweeds—such as mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) or Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense)—before planting groundcover conifers. Weeds can be eliminated by solarization (whichcan take up to six months) or with an herbicide. Lay down a layer of water-permeablelandscape fabric to help prevent future weeds, then plant your conifers and com-panions through holes cut in the fabric. A layer of mulch over the fabric provides thefinishing touch for the new bed. —P. O’SULLIVAN

Several cultivars of Colorado spruce(Picea pungens) are notable for powderblue needles. Low-growing ‘Glauca Pros-trata’ is one of Wheeler’s favorites. “I haveit growing down a bank meanderingthrough boulders,” he says. “I’m hopingit will look like an icy blue stream.” An-other conifer with very blue foliage is the‘Monber’ (Icee Blue®) selection of creep-ing juniper. Its foliage contrasts well withthat of another juniper cultivar ‘JadeRiver’, which has light blue-green foliage.

Combining conifers with complemen-tary or contrasting foliage can create a verysatisfying design. “I like the blue of ‘Glau-ca Prostrata’ or an upright blue spruce withthe plum and burgundy winter foliage of

Siberian carpet cypress or junipers,”Wheeler says. Talon Buchholz, owner ofBuchholz and Buchholz Nursery in Gas-ton, Oregon, concurs, touting the beautyand simplicity of a “quilt of mixed conifersthat cover ground with color.”

Duane Ridenour offers one caveatwhen combining colorful conifers. “Becareful that you don’t put one here andone there,” he says. “If you want to themto blend, you have to plant them en

masse.” He likes the combination for theupper South of ‘Formanek’ Norwayspruce (P. abies) with P. pungens ‘Procum-bens’. “You have big masses melding to-gether, light green with ice-blue,” he says.“It resembles white caps on the sea.”

When planting carpeting conifers, besure to leave room for them to spread for afew years before they start to overlap. Tofill the gaps while the conifers are young,you can plant space-filler perennials orsmall shrubs that can gradually be movedelsewhere when they are no longer needed.

CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONSConifers have an undeserved reputationfor being difficult to grow. But conifer ex-

perts and enthusiasts advise that it’s just amatter of selecting the appropriate speciesfor your region and site conditions. “Theideal conifer soil is slightly acidic and richbut free-draining,” says Wheeler. “Manyconifers are upland native plants that growon mountain tops where temperatures arecool in summer, the topsoil is thin, andthere’s good drainage.”

According to Wheeler, the major dif-ference in garden conditions between the

Midwest and the East is soil pH, or the de-gree of a particular soil’s acidity or alkalin-ity. Soils in the East tend to be neutral toslightly acidic, while in the Midwest theyare generally neutral to slightly alkaline.The conifers most adaptable to the morealkaline soils of the Midwest include arborvitaes (Thuja spp.), false cypress(Chamaecyparis), and yews (Taxus spp.).Pines, spruces (Picea spp.), and juniperswill grow well as long as the soil is neutral(pH 7) to slightly acidic.

In the Pacific Northwest, the limitingfactor for conifer success is often excessmoisture. “Some plants don’t do well inthe Pacific Northwest, where we have somuch rain and cold,” Buchholz says. “For

example, you have to be careful with ju-nipers because they can get diseased insites where it’s always moist.”

Over the last few years, the southernUnited States has seen dramatic shifts inweather, ranging from drought to flood-ing. “The great thing about conifers is thatonce they’ve been established for a year orso, they can take drought,” says Ridenour.The biggest conifer-growing problem inhot climates is the increased respiration

CONIFERS IN CONTAINERSIf the scale of your garden is too smallfor groundcover conifers, you can stillenjoy low-growing species in contain-ers. Certain conifers benefit from con-tainer planting because their textureand color is easier to appreciate whenelevated off the ground. Sometimesthese are paired with vertical plants toadd a three-dimensional quality.

“More and more you’re seeing con-tainer plantings of miniature uprightplants contrasting with a conifer trailingover the edge,” Talon Buchholz says.His wholesale nursery in Oregon offers12-inch-square boxes that contain adwarf maple paired with a low-growingconifer—either J. horizontalis ‘Pan-cake’ or Sequoia sempervirens ‘Kelly’sProstrate’ (USDA Zones 7–10). Buch-holz says that after three or four years,when the plants’ roots outgrow the con-tainer, they can be transplanted intothe garden. —P. O’SULLIVAN

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Colorado spruce cultivars such as ‘Procumbens’ have attractive blue foliage.

rate of plants such as spruces and firs.Combine warm, wet, clay soil with heatand humidity, and conifer roots becomesusceptible to fungal diseases.

“Because nighttime temperatures areoften in the 80s, conifers don’t get achance to rest. They’re still processingsugars at night,” says Ridenour, who livesin Tennessee’s Cumberland Mountains.Ridenour is testing some northernconifers grafted on rootstocks tolerant ofheat and poor drainage. He also collectsSerbian spruce (Picea omorika) cultivars

grown on their own roots, including cul-tivars ‘Pendula Bruns’ and ‘Pancake’,which grow to about a foot tall and threefeet in diameter in 10 years. Both do wellin the upper South—Kentucky, Ten-nessee, and North Carolina, particularlyin the mountains—but not furthersouth. For gardeners in warmer climes,Ridenour recommends low-growing de-odar cedar (Cedrus deodara) cultivarssuch as ‘Feelin’ Blue’ and ‘Prostrate Beau-ty’, which are better adapted to the heatand humidity of the lower South.

PRUNING AND MAINTENANCEWhen selecting a groundcover conifer,it’s best to choose the right size plant foryour location so it will not need pruningto restrict its growth. Sometimes, how-ever, shaping a conifer or curbing itsgrowth is necessary. To encourage bushi-ness and slow growth of pines, spruces,and firs, pinch some of the fresh growththat resembles candles at the branch tipsin spring to early summer, depending onthe growing season. Do this while can-dles are soft and lighter in color than the K

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SourcesArrowhead Alpines, Fowlerville, MI.(517) 273-3581. www.arrowheadalpines.com.Bethlehem Nursery, Bethlehem, CT.(203) 266-7783. www.bethlehemnursery.com.Broken Arrow Nursery, Hamden, CT.(203) 288-1026. www.brokenarrownursery.com.Forestfarm, Williams, OR. (541)846-7269. www.forestfarm.com.Oriental Garden Supply, Pittsford, NY.(585) 586-3850. www.orientalgardensupply.com.Wavecrest Nursery, Fennville, MI.(888) 869-4159. [email protected].

ResourcesAmerican Conifer Society, Lewisville,NC. (336) 945-0483. www.conifersociety.org.Bickelhaupt Arboretum, Clinton, IA.(563) 242-4771. www.bick-arb.org.Conifers for Gardens: An Illustrated Encyclopedia by Richard L. Bitner.Timber Press, Portland, Oregon,2007.Dwarf & Unusual Conifers Coming ofAge: A Guide to Mature Garden ConifersFeaturing the Gotelli Collection of Dwarfand Slow Growing Conifers at the UnitedStates National Arboretum, Washington,D.C. by Sandra McLean Cutler. Bar-ton-Bradley Crossroads Publishing,North Olmsted, Ohio, 1997.Gardening with Conifers by AdrianBloom. Firefly Books, Buffalo, NewYork. 2002.

Although deciduous, low-growing larches have interesting branch structure and foliage.

previous year’s growth. You can alsoprune the main candle in the bud clus-ter back to the branch tip and pinch theremaining candles as they develop to cre-ate denser coverage.

Prune dead, damaged, or diseasedbranches on a conifer immediately, nomatter the time of year. With groundcov-er conifers, particularly spruces and pines,if you see a leader or upright stem grow-ing upward, remove it right away.

When it comes to cosmetic pruning,experts have different approaches on tim-ing. Buchholz’s philosophy is to prune forappearance whenever he sees the need. “If

you have pruners in your hand and yousee a job that needs to be done, then that’sthe best time to do it,” he says.

Other conifer experts prefer to deferoptional pruning to specific periods in theplants’ growth cycle. Wheeler prunesconifers any time from July throughMarch, avoiding the time when most ac-tive growth occurs in his region. “Makeclean cuts to major branch angles withsharp pruners,” he advises. Ridenourprunes his conifers just as new growthstarts to appear, typically when the for-sythias begin blooming—in late Februaryor early March in his region.

For Ridenour, ease of maintenance isjust one of the many benefits of usingconifers as groundcovers. “No othergroup of plants has given me so muchpleasure in the garden for so little effort,”he says. Add to that their year-roundbeauty, intriguing variety of textures, andlongevity, and you may wonder why youdon’t have more conifers covering groundin your garden. �

The author of The Homeowner’s Com-plete Tree & Shrub Handbook (Storey,2007), Penelope O’Sullivan lives inStratham, New Hampshire.


RECOMMENDED GROUND-COVERING CONIFERS-Where possible, the plant size shown is for 10-year-old plants (these are marked with an asterisk*). Otherwise, size is at ma-turity, which can vary considerably based on factors such as level of care, planting site, and soil conditions.

BotanicalName/Common Name Height/Width Ornamental Attributes and Uses Origin USDA Hardiness, (feet) AHS Heat Zones

Abies koreana ‘Green Carpet’ 1/3–4* slow-growing, dense, mounded form with eastern Asia 5–6, 6–5(Korean fir) green-and-silver needles; ideal for rock

gardens, border edgesCedrus deodora ‘Feelin’ Blue’ 1/6 outstanding blue-gray undulating central Asia 7–9, 9–7(deodar cedar) groundcover; tolerates heat, humidity

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 1–2/4–8 broad, dark green needles; furrowed semi- eastern Asia 6–9, 9–3‘Prostrata’ peeling bark; tolerates heat, humidity,

(prostrate plum yew) drought, deer, part shade once establishedJuniperus horizontalis ‘Monber’ 1/2–1/ 8 dense, silver-tipped blue foliage Canada and 3–9, 9–1Icee Blue® northern U.S.(creeping juniper)

Juniperus horizontalis ‘Pancake’ 1/2/4* forms a dense mat akin to woolly thyme Canada and 3–9, 9–1(creeping juniper) northern U.S.

Juniperus ✕pfitzeriana 1/4* light yellow new growth contrasts with hybrid 4–9, 9–1‘Daub’s Frosted’ fine-textured blue-green older growth(Pfitzer juniper)

Larix decidua ‘Pendula’ 2/10* unstaked, forms striking groundcover Europe 3–6, 6–1(weeping European larch) with undulating form; deciduous foliage

is lime-green in spring, gold in fall Microbiota decussata 1/5* feathery green foliage on arching stems eastern Russia 3–7,7–1(Siberian carpet cypress) turns purple-bronze in winter; tolerates

part shade, drought, salt, and wind Picea abies ‘Formanek’ 1/2/3* forms dense mat with medium- green Scandinavia 3–8, 8–1(Norway spruce) foliage

Picea pungens 1/8* silvery blue foliage; pinch leaders that Rocky Mountains 2–8, 8–1‘Glauca Procumbens’ may appear to keep spreading habit (Colorado spruce)

Sequoia sempervirens 1/4–5* soft blue-green texture; tolerates part shade coastal California 8–9, 9–8‘Kelly’s Prostrate’ and Northwest(prostrate coast redwood)

Taxus ✕media ‘Green Wave’ 3–4/6–8* dense mounding form with dark green foliage hybrid 5–7, 7–5(yew)

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TWO TRENDS in American gar-dening are causing a considerableadjustment in our landscapes and

plant choices: increasingly drought-proneconditions and ever smaller gardeningspaces. The convergence of these twotrends has gardeners—and plant develop-ers—on the hunt for new plants that canwithstand dry conditions yet offer multi-season interest on a scale suited to morecompact gardens.

Desert gardeners have long turned toagaves for their range of color, textural con-trast, and exquisite symmetry to combine

low maintenance, drought tolerance andbeauty. However, many gardeners withonly a patio or small yard turn away fromthese plants either because they think theyare not hardy, or because they mistakenlybelieve the mighty giants, like the spectac-ular five-foot-tall blue agave (Agave amer-icana), are their only choices. But there aremany smaller agave species that are wellsuited to smaller-scale gardens—and someare not armed like warriors.

There are three strategies to keep inmind when selecting agaves for smallspaces. The first is to focus on thosespecies or selections that are inherentlysmall—for the purposes of this article Iconsider small to be under two feet high.The second is to choose plants whose ar-mament—terminal spines and marginal

Agavesfor small gardens

BY MARY IRISH

Many small agave selections

are well suited for smaller

garden sites and also adapt

surprisingly well to cultivation

out of their native Southwest.

With its blue-gray leaves and black spines,Parry’s agave is striking in a container.

teeth—is either absent or tiny and soft.The third strategy is to grow agaves incontainers that are large enough to allowthe plant to thrive but small enough to re-strict its ultimate size.

DIMINUTIVE SPECIESThe tiniest of all agaves is A. toumeyanasubsp. bella. Rarely over six inches tall andwide, this central Arizona native has darkgreen leaves marked with white and ac-cented on the margin by curled white fil-aments. Despite its size, this species ishardy to at least 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Twoother tiny agaves, A. parviflora and A. po-lianthiflora, are virtually indistinguishablefrom the former without flowers.

A Mexican native, A. parrasana, hasspatula-shaped, gray-green leaves linedwith short maroon teeth and spines.Hardy to at least 20 degrees, this diminu-tive plant is eight to 10 inches tall and upto two feet wide.

One of the most stunning small agavesis A. victoriae-reginae, well known for its

tight, crowded rosette composed of thick,deeply keeled, dark green leaves variouslylined with white. The leaves have no teethbut end in a pair of short, black spines.This Mexican species is cold hardy to 0 de-grees. A number of yellow-variegated se-lections, including ‘Golden Princess’,generally stay even smaller than the species.

A. victoriae-reginae has hybridizedfreely with A. scabra to form a hybridgroup that is sometimes listed under thename A. ferdinandi-regis. The selection‘Sharkskin’ is part of this group and hasdusky gray to gray-green leaves that areup to 30 inches long, with smooth, ma-roon-edged margins and a sturdy, solitaryspine. Although these species and hy-brids are quite cold tolerant, they are verysensitive to wet, cold soils.

There are a host of agave species withblue-gray leaves that are under two feettall. The most commonly grown—andamong the most cold hardy—is Parry’sagave (A. parryi), native to northern Mex-ico and Arizona. Known in at least threevarieties, and even more forms, this speciesT

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Agave parviflora, above left, is a tiny plantwith distinctive fibrous strips on its leaves.Left: The popular A. victoriae-reginae hasneat rosettes of white-edged leaves.

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typically grows to two feet tall and aroundwith numerous blue-green to gray-blueleaves held in a perfectly symmetricalrosette. Hardy to at least 0 degrees, this isa plant for almost any location blessedwith good drainage and plenty of sun. Ofthe varieties, A. parryi var. couesii is thesmallest—rarely growing more than eightinches tall—and A. parryi var. truncata isthe most dramatic, featuring nearly roundgray-blue leaves held in a tight rosette.

Few agaves are more drought resistantthan desert agave (A. deserti). A highly vari-able species from the deserts of westernArizona and southern California, it mayhave green, gray, or blue leaves that are 10to 24 inches long. Leaves range from thinto wide, well-armed to smooth-margined.Hardy to at least 20 degrees, this is a goodchoice for many cold western gardens.

In gardens where cold is not a strongconsideration, the charming, 12-inch-tallA. macroacantha, with its narrow, blue-gray leaves rimmed with regularly spaceddeep purple teeth is a colorful choice.

Gardeners in warmer climates can alsoseek any of the forms of A. titanota, avariable species that ranges from urn-shaped plants that are nearly pure white,to deep green-leaved forms with expan-sive, fancifully-shaped teeth.

One of the oldest agaves in cultivationis the 15-inch-tall A. filifera. Its numerousstiff, deep green leaves are marked withwhite and lined with slender filamentsand form an extremely symmetricalrosette. Hardy to at least 20 degrees, it riseson a stem in old age and may then reachthree feet tall. It has two distinct varietiesthat were once considered separate species.The variety multifilifera has a prolifera-tion of delicate filaments that almost ob-scure the leaves and the variety schidigerahas wide, well-armed leaves with few to nofilaments and highly regular teeth.

CHIHUAHUAN AGAVESOften overlooked are four stars from theChihuahuan Desert, which straddles theborder between Mexico and Texas, New

Mexico, and Arizona. The aptly namedshindagger (A. lechuguilla) is an uprightplant 12 to 18 inches tall whose narrow,yellow-green upright leaves are markedwith pale splotches on the back. Thisspecies shows immense variation over itsbroad range. One of the most stunningof its forms, sometimes listed as A. albo-marginata, features narrow, deep blue-gray leaves that are up to 30 inches longand rimmed with prominent white mar-gins and widely spaced white teeth.

Agave lophantha is equally difficult topin down. The leaves of most selectionsare dark green with white margins andregularly spaced white teeth; typically theback side of the leaf shows a linear paleshadow. But this species is highly variableand there are countless hybrids betweenit and A. lechuguilla—as well as manyother species—creating some outstand-ing, but generally unnamed, hybrids.Both A. lophantha and A. lechuguilla haveexcellent cold tolerance, down to 0 de-grees and as low as –20 degrees in dry cli-

With blue-gray leaves and contrasting dark spines, A. macroacantha is a good small agave best suited for gardens in warmer regions.

mates, but many of the hybrids are notnearly as hardy.

Agave havardiana has dozens of duskygreen leaves marked by regular spines anda rigid terminal spine held in a stunning-ly regular rosette. Plants grow up to threefeet tall and as much around and are coldhardy to at least 0 degrees.

Agave neomexicana is smaller, usuallyto two feet tall and wide, with a more sig-nificant range of leaf color. In the wild,most are dusky green with small teeth andspines, but forms in cultivation tend tohave paler, almost white leaves rimmedwith dark purple-brown teeth and a long,stiff terminal spine. This agave, too, ishardy to at least 0 degrees.

All of these Chihuahuan species, es-pecially the last two, are highly tolerantof wet, cold winters at least throughUSDA Zone 8.

KINDER, GENTLER AGAVESIn considering agaves without spines, thechoices cover a wide range of appear-ances. Agave ocahui is a symmetricalplant with deep green, smooth leaves thatis particularly effective in a pot. The sim-ilar A. pelona has darker, often brownmargins and a long, tapered, terminalspine with fewer and narrower leaves.

The wondrous A. bracteosa is one of thefinest, unarmed small agaves for any gar-den. Plants support only a dozen or soceladon leaves that curl and curve grace-fully. Plants range in size from 8 to 15 inch-es tall and are fully hardy to at least 20degrees and perhaps colder.

Larger agaves without significant ar-mament are generally suitable only for

USDA Zones 9 and above. Among theseis the stunning foxtail agave (A. attenua-ta) with its large, light green leaves at theend of a trailing white stem, and its beau-tiful hybrids ‘Blue Flame’ (with A. scabra)and ‘Blue Glow’ (with A. ocahui). Alongwith octopus agave (A. vilmoriniana),which has narrow, arching leaves up tofour feet tall, and the urn-shaped A.desmettiana, these plants are all favoritesin the western United States for their dra-matic forms and ease of handling.

CULTIVATION AND CAREThe most vital cultural requirement forsuccess with agaves is excellent drainage. Inareas with clay soil, or where there is abun-dant rainfall, placing agaves on a moundor in a raised bed helps wick water awayfrom their roots. Waterlogged soils, espe-cially when they are cold, will kill theseplants. In areas with reliable and consistentrainfall, fill the hole with gravel and/or mixgravel generously into the backfill beforeputting in the agave. Avoid placing agavesin a site where water naturally collects ordrains from a roof or gutter.

These superb drought-tolerant plantshave the root system typical of most suc-G

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Minimally-armed agaves such as A. ocahuiare called for in garden sites where sharp-tipped selections could be hazardous.

AN OVERVIEW OF AGAVESThe genus Agave is composed of about 200 to 250 species that are native toarid regions in the western United States south through Mexico, Central Amer-ica, and the West Indies. Along with yuccas, agaves are members of the agaveor century plant family (Agavaceae). They commonly grow in dry hillsides,deserts, arid plains, forests, and coastal plains.

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of agaves is their rosette of rigid, fi-brous, and often sharply-toothed leaves. Designed for water storage, the leaveslive 12 to 15 years on average, and it is not uncommon for them to remain ona plant for its entire life.

Another adaptation to dry climates is the agaves’ root system; the shallow-growing, wide-spreading roots are very fine and die off when soil water levelsare low. Then, when it rains, the roots can be regenerated quickly to make themost of even the slightest soil moisture.

Although they are usually referred to as perennials, most species of Agaveare monocarpic, meaning they only bloom once in their life, so they could bemore accurately considered multiannual. When they do flower, agaves’ inflo-rescences are often very tall, reaching over 30 feet in some species.

Bats are important pollinators, as well as bees, wasps, moths, and beetles.

—Krystal Flogel, editorial intern for The American Gardener

SourcesAlplains, Kiowa, CO. (303) 621-2247. www.alplains.com.Arid Lands Greenhouses, Tucson, AZ.(520) 883-9494.www.aridlands.com. High Country Gardens, Santa Fe,NM. (800) 925-9387. www.highcountrygardens.com.Plant Delights Nursery, Raleigh, NC.(919) 772-4794. www.plantdelights.com. Yucca Do Nursery, Giddings, TX.(979) 542-8811.www.yuccado.com.

ResourcesAgaves, Yuccas, and Related Plantsby Gary and Mary Irish. TimberPress, Portland, Oregon, 2000.Crazy About Cacti and Succulentsedited by Ray Rogers. BrooklynBotanic Gardens, Brooklyn, NewYork, 2006.

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TIPS FOR GROWING AGAVES IN COLD CLIMATES

Tony Avent grows dozens of small agave species in containers at PlantDelights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina, above. Among these is A.schidigera ‘Shiraito no Ohi Nakafu’, top, a golden green-variegated hybridsometimes listed under A. filifera.

Many gardeners and horticulturists are successfullygrowing agaves in regions well out of their native range.In many regions, winter moisture, rather than cold-hardiness is the critical factor for agave survival.

One such noted agave enthusiast in the Southeastis Tony Avent, owner of Plant Delights Nursery, whogrows nearly 200 agave selections at his home andnursery in Raleigh, North Carolina. “For agaves grownin the ground, the absolute key is they must be dry inwinter,” says Avent. “So in climates like ours wherewinters are often wet, you need extremely well-drain-ing soil.” Avent recommends incorporating coarseamendments such as PermaTill—a porous granularaggregate—or pea gravel to improve soil drainage.

According to Avent, it’s also critical to plant agaveson an incline so water won’t collect around the base.“One thing I noticed when looking at agaves in the wildis that they are all growing on a slope,” says Avent.

Avent advises planting agaves early in the growingseason because that gives them time to develop athicker base that helps shed water. “You never wantto plant them late in the season—after mid-August—in a cold, wet climate,” he says.

For agaves in containers, Avent says there are twomain factors to keep in mind. The first is to providewinter protection. “Honestly, as long as you give thema good-draining mix, they can sit outside in the rainall summer long,” he says, “but once daylength short-ens in the early fall, container plants will die quicklyif they get rained on.” At that point, he adds, theyneed to be moved to a sheltered location.

The other cultural consideration is to select con-tainers that are the same size or a bit smaller than theagaves so the plants can serve as their own umbrel-las. “If the container is bigger than the agave, that’sa problem,” he says.

In addition to growing dozens of agave selections inpots, Avent has planted them in raised beds around hishome and display nursery. For companions, he says low-growing groundcovers such as ice plants (Delospermaspp.) “go nicely underneath the agaves, as do some ofthe mat-forming Dianthus species.” In his rock gar-den, he pairs agaves with a variety of dwarf sedums.

Among small agaves that have performed well inthe Southeast, Avent recommends A. victoriae-regi-nae because of its many variegated forms. He alsolikes the A. ferdinandi-regis hybrid group, selectionsof Parry’s agave, and the easy-to-grow A. lophantha.“There’s a lot more to the genus than people real-ize—when people see what we’ve done with agaveshere, they are always amazed,” says Avent. —M.I.

culents: shallow, with a fine web of fast-growing roots that die off as soon as thesoil is dry. This clever adaptation todrought has a downside in that whenwater is plentiful, agaves take it up andnever quit until the water does, by whichtime they have begun to rot. So whilegood drainage helps, careful attention toprevent overwatering is also important.

Be sure that the soil dries out signifi-cantly between waterings. Even in the hotArizona desert where I live, most of myagaves thrive when watered just twice amonth in the summer.

For agaves in containers, test the soilwith your finger or a long prod and be surethat the pot is dry nearly to the bottom be-fore watering again. In the winter this maybe a few weeks, in the summer possiblyweekly depending on the temperaturesand the size of the pot.

Agaves rarely need to be fertilized, re-gardless of where they are growing. Evenwith agaves growing in containers, a lighthand is best. Apply a layer of compost tothe top of the potting soil once a year, orlightly sprinkle a small amount of slow-

release fertilizer in the late spring, orapply liquid fertilizer at half the recom-mended strength once a month duringthe warm season.

Agaves are very heat tolerant and—inall but the hottest regions—they will growbest in as much sun as you can manage. Invery hot regions, provide agaves with someafternoon shade or filtered shade from ahigh canopy.

Cold tolerance in agaves varies by thespecies, and it may take some experimen-tation or consultation with local growersto find the best species for your region.

When using agaves outside of theirknown range, or if a sudden or unex-pected cold snap is predicted, you canbriefly cover them with row covers, blan-kets, or sheets for protection. Plasticmust be used with a frame so that itdoesn’t touch the plant.

Placing agaves on a southern exposure,snugging them up to the south face oflarge rocks, and providing rock or gravelmulch will also help to prevent damage.For tips on growing agaves in regions withwet winters, see the sidebar on page 40.

AGAVES IN CONTAINERSAgaves are well suited to container cul-ture. The same cultural principles applyto growing agaves in pots as those in theground. Provide excellent drainage andample sun, water when the soil is dry, fer-tilize lightly, and apply mulch—particu-larly rocks or gravel.

In addition, agaves grow best in con-tainers made of clay, which keeps the pot-ting soil from holding too much moisture.It also helps to choose pots that are widerthan they are tall to accommodate agaves’shallow radial root system.

GETTING HOOKEDNo matter what part of the country youcall home, you can successfully includestriking agaves in your garden by selectingadaptable species and providing the rightsite and soil conditions. Start with one andyou may find yourself hooked. �

Mary Irish is the author of several garden-ing books, including—with her husband,Gary—Agaves, Yuccas, and RelatedPlants (Timber Press, 2000). She lives inScottsdale, Arizona.G

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Agaves, cacti, and a variety of drought-tolerant plants grow well together in this colorful anf richly-textured dry landscape.

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CONE ON ONE WITH…

Gwyneth Evans: What drew you intothe field of horticulture?Steven Still: I grew up on a farm in Illi-nois, where my parents had an acre ofland where they grew vegetables in a Vic-tory Garden. It was not only a hobby, buta necessity for my parents to have freshproduce. I started growing vegetables for4-H events, did demonstrations at shows,and sold my crops to grocery stores.

As a teacher, what is the most importantthing you have tried to impress on thenext generation of horticulturists?A love for plants. Students find much en-joyment and interest in learning aboutwhat they can grow and design with in thelandscape. I tell the students in my Woodyand Herbaceous Plant Materials class, “For

the next 10 weeks I want you to really no-tice and comment on plants you encounteras you walk. Take interest in them, in iden-tifying them, and report your observa-tions.” Plant identification courses formthe foundation of the industry.

How did you come about writingHerbaceous Ornamental Plants andwill there be a 5th edition?Many years ago, when I took a course onperennials as a student at University ofIllinois, there was no text book on thesubject, and the instructor had no slidesor images; we didn’t have a lot of infor-mation. Later, in my first full-time teach-ing position at Kansas State, I taught acourse in herbaceous plant materials. Be-cause there was still no text book, I lec-

tured from my own notes and my stu-dents would tell me, “Why don’t youwrite this all down and give us a copy?”So my notes and research turned into thetext book we needed.

There will be a 5th edition of thebook—revision is a major goal. It willtake some time as well because of thenumber of cultivars that have just ex-ploded into the industry.

How did you get involved in thePerennial Plant Association?Back in 1983, I helped sponsor a perennialplant symposium at Ohio State. For manywho attended, it was really their firstknowledge of the industry. Previously,perennials had not been looked uponfondly; they were often deemed “weeds.”

STEVEN STILL, this year’s recipient of the American Horticultural Society’s Liberty Hyde Bailey Award,has spent his life sharing with others “a great love for an interest in horticulture”—primarily as an edu-

cator, first at Kansas State University and later at The Ohio State University, where he is now professor emer-itus in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science. Over the years, he has inspired and mentored

many students who are now leaders in the horticultural world,including Tracy DiSabato-Aust, an internationally knownlandscape designer and author of The Well-Tended PerennialGarden, who credits Still with helping “to guide me to a ful-filling and successful career in horticulture.”

It was also Still’s devotion to his students that promptedhim to write the groundbreaking Manual of Herbaceous Or-namental Plants (1980) to fill a need in horticultural educa-tion. The book, now in its fourth edition, was, according toDiSabato-Aust, “one of the first valuable resources on peren-nial plant identification.”

A founding member of the Perennial Plant Association, atrade organization that provides education to the perennial plant industry and promotes the use of herba-ceous plants in the landscape, Still has served as its executive director since 1984 and continues to play an ac-tive role. Freelance writer Gwyneth Evans spoke to Still recently about his life-long work in horticulture,recent award, and plans for the future. (For more about the Liberty Hyde Bailey Award, see page 14.)

by Gwyneth Evans

Steven Still: Mentoring a Love for Perennials

They were not considered valuable ma-terials in landscape design.

At the time, the market for herba-ceous perennials was small, but as inter-est in perennials increased, there was agreater demand for education in how togrow and market them. Industry repre-sentatives, including myself, created thePerennial Plant Association (PPA) to fillthis need. It felt good to have helped de-veloped a niche market.

Who makes up the PPA and what is itsmission ?The PPA membership is composed ofgrowers, retailers, landscape designers,contractors, educators, public gardenpersonnel, and others who are profes-sionally involved with herbaceous peren-nials. We have 1,400 members in NorthAmerica and six foreign countries.

The PPA’s mission is to seek to en-hance the opportunities for the success ofour diverse professional membership byproviding education for the production,promotion, and use of herbaceous peren-nial plants.

Could you talk a bit about how inter-est in, and uses of, perennials havechanged over the years in America?Each generation of gardeners finds differ-

ent ways to use plants. Right now there’snot as much interest in having a beautifulclassic perennial border, but gardenersmight have a perennial border that also in-cludes vegetables, bulbs, and native species.

Native plants are getting a lot of atten-tion now as they often may be betteradapted to the climate and soils of the areasin which they are planted. The perennialplant industry has always used nativeplants, but now that native plants are com-monly incorporated into perennial bor-ders, they have gone from being viewed as“weedy” to great landscape plants.

We are also seeing more perennialsgrown in containers.

How has the industry responded to theincreased interest in perennials?There’s more mechanization and new cul-tivars are increasing exponentially as a re-sult. The industry watchwords are “New,new, new.” When people tire of certainplants, they want to move on to somethingnovel or plants with better ornamental fea-tures. In the past, using traditional meth-ods of division took a long time to buildup, for example, a supply of hostas to putinto market. Now, tissue culture has al-lowed for faster production of plants.

More recently, there is the use of un-rooted cuttings from off-shore sources—usually from Latin America and Israel,where the growing season is longer thanmost of North America—so that nurseriesdon’t have to have stock plants any longer.

Plugs are another great advancement inproduction. Before, nurseries had to havea propagation facility where plants weregrown from seed or cuttings. Now, thenursery grower can take a plug, put it in acontainer, fertilize and water it, andpresto—you have a marketable plant!

As an educator, what are you seeing interms of the future of the horticultureprofession?The number of horticulture students hasdecreased, but they are still filling theneed—and have the same level of interestas those in years past. I think the numbersmay increase as the industry moves moretowards addressing the need for green andsustainable gardening. �

Gwyneth Evans is a former editorial internfor The American Gardener.M

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According to the Perennial Plant Association,daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.), above, are oneof the most popular and largest-selling plantgroups. Others include hostas, coneflowers(Echinacea spp.), coreopsis, coral bells(Heuchera spp.), and sedums.

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CHOMEGROWN HARVEST

TH E C U L I N A R Y versatility andease of growing broccoli make itone of the most desirable vegeta-

bles for the kitchen garden. And whenplanted to mature in the cool weather ofspring or fall, broccoli has a superb flavor.

Ensuring cool weather conditionsaround maturity produces the best heads.Ideally, the temperature should be between50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and certainlyno more than 80 degrees. By planting early,mid-season, and fall varieties and harvest-ing side shoots, gardeners can extend theharvest season considerably.

GROWING GUIDELINESBroccoli belongs to the genus Brassica andis related to other “cole” crops such as cab-bage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.The secret to growing a prime head of anycole crop is to grow it fast and provide theright sun, soil, and water conditions.

Broccoli grows best in a sunny locationin fertile and moist but well-drained soil

enriched with organic matter such as agedmanure, compost, or leaf mold. A soil pHbetween 6 and 7 and a soil temperaturebetween 55 to 75 degrees are ideal. Theadded organic matter and appropriate soilpH helps ensure that nutrients, includingessential micronutrients like boron, arereadily available. (A boron deficiency cancause plants to develop hollow stems.)

The soil should also have good mois-ture-holding capacity and receive one totwo inches of water per week for bestgrowth. Lack of adequate moisture canresult in plants that produce premature,poor-quality heads. Mulching helpsmaintain an even soil moisture and mod-erate soil temperature.

Broccoli is a moderately heavy feeder.In order to produce big and tasty heads,you need to keep them well fed. Beforeplanting, work a two-to four-inch layer ofcompost or a thin layer of well-aged ma-nure into the soil. Another option is to fer-tilize only the planting hole rather than

by Kris Wetherbee

Getting the Best Out of Broccoli

Broccoli freshly harvested from the garden has a flavor unmatched by any purchased at market.

Planting Basics GETTING STARTEDTransplants are your best bet for earlyspring plantings because seeds have dif-ficulty germinating in cold spring soil. To

start your own, sow seeds indoors five toeight weeks before your last spring frost.Set out four- to six-week-old hardened-offstarts into the ground about four weeksbefore your last spring frost, or up toseven weeks ahead if protected with rowcovers or cloches.

DIRECT-SEEDINGSeeds sown directly in the ground oftenproduce more vigorous plants with in-creased resistance to disease and stress.Direct-seeding works especially well forfall-harvested crops. Sow seeds about1/4- to 1/2-inch deep, with two to threeseeds per hole, six to eight inches apart.Cover the seeds with loose soil or siftedcompost and keep the seed bed moist.

SPACINGThin direct-seeded plants or space trans-plants to 12 to 18 inches apart depend-ing on variety. For raised bed or wide-rowgardening, space seeds 15 inches apart.

DAYS TO MATURITY40 to 80 days from transplanting, de-pending on the variety and season. Whendirect-seeding, add 25 to 35 days.

the growing bed. Work in about a halfshovelful of aged manure or compost, ormix in one quarter cup per plant of nitro-gen-rich organic fertilizer.

The nitrogen boost is crucial to get-ting early spring varieties off to a fast startwhen the soil is cool. If soil fertility ispoor, water plants with fish emulsion ora manure or compost tea about twoweeks after transplanting into the garden.

Depending on the fertility of your soil,you may also want to lightly sidedress witha nitrogen-rich fertilizer when the centralhead is about an inch across. An addition-al sidedressing may also be needed oncethe central head has been cut.

Broccoli can tolerate frosts down to 20degrees, although extended temperaturesbelow 35 degrees can turn buds purple andsometimes soften heads. Floating row cov-ers provide an extra four to eight degrees ofprotection, potentially extending the sea-son three to four weeks on either end.

PEST AND DISEASE PREVENTIONUsing row covers also provides protectionfrom insect pests such as flea beetles androot maggots, especially when used fromthe day of planting.

Cabbage loopers and cabbage wormsare broccoli’s biggest pests. These de-structive caterpillars are best controlledby introducing parasitic trichogrammawasps, or applying Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt)—a naturally-occurring, non-toxicbacterium.

Aphids can easily be controlled with ahard spray of water or spraying with in-secticidal soap. Better yet, plant nectar-rich flowers to encourage aphid-eatinglacewings to visit your garden.

RECOMMENDED VARIETIESThere are two types of broccoli: headingand sprouting. Some heading types formusable side shoots once the central head iscut. Sprouting types—such as ‘PurpleSprouting’, ‘De Cicco’, and ‘Calabrese’—form small florets within the leaf axils.

Some varieties grow best when plant-ed in early spring, while others excelwhen they are planted in late summer fora fall crop. A few choice varieties forspring include ‘Blue Wind’, ‘SouthernComet’, ‘Belstar’, and ‘Fiesta’, which tol-erate both heat and cold temperatures.‘Arcadia’, ‘Windsor’, ‘Green Magic’, and‘Gypsy’ tolerate summer’s heat betterthan most other varieties. Best bets for

fall harvests include ‘Gypsy’, ‘PremiumCrop’, and ‘Marathon’, along with versa-tile cultivars ‘Arcadia’ and ‘Belstar’.

ENJOYING THE HARVESTThe best time to harvest broccoli is whenthe unopened flower buds are just start-ing to swell but before they open and re-veal the yellow petals. (Although broccolican still be eaten when buds begin toflower, the taste will be a bit stronger.) Inthe cool of the morning, cut each stalk fiveto eight inches below a central head at a45-degree angle. This will encourage theproduction of smaller side shoots, in-creasing the per-plant yield. Harvestingthese side shoots regularly encouragescontinued production.

Broccoli can be consumed raw orcooked. Cook the florets only until theyare tender-crisp and bright in color.Avoid overcooking, which produces asulfur odor and strong flavor. �

Kris Wetherbee is a freelance writer living inOakland, Oregon.B

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SourcesJohnny’s Selected Seeds, Winslow,ME. (877) 564-6697. www.johnnyseeds.com.Pinetree Garden Seeds, NewGloucester, ME. (207) 926-3400.www.superseeds.com.Territorial Seed Company, CottageGrove, OR. (800) 626-0866.www.territorialseed.com.

Top: ‘De Cicco’ is a sprouting type of broccoli.Above: ‘Belstar’ is a good variety for growingin cooler spring and fall weather.

A thick layer of mulch helps retain soil moisture that is essential for young broccoli plants.

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MT. CUBA CENTER RELEASES CONEFLOWEREVALUATION RESULTSThe horticultural research program at Mt.Cuba Center, a non-profit horticultural in-stitution located in Greenville, Delaware,recently released a list of recommendedconeflowers (Echinacea spp.) based on theresults of a three-year evaluation project.

The project, which was conducted inUSDA Hardiness Zone 7A/6B, assessedfive coneflower species, 31 cultivars of pur-ple coneflower (E. purpurea), and 12 hy-brid coneflower cultivars. The goal of theproject is to give mid-Atlantic gardenerspractical feedback, including ornamentalvalue, adaptability, ease of maintenance,and pest resistance, to consider whenchoosing coneflowers for their gardens.

Most of the seven highly recommend-ed coneflowers determined by the trials arecultivars of purple coneflower. ‘Pica Bella’,a purple coneflower with an upright habit,was chosen in part for its distinctive andvividly colored blooms. ‘Elton Knight’,‘Fatal Attraction’, and ‘Vintage Wine’ arethe other highest-rated purple coneflowercultivars. Also at the top of the list is PixieMeadowbrite™ hybrid coneflower (‘CBGCone 2’), which is notably the first hybridconeflower created from crossing threeconeflower species. Pale purple coneflower(E. pallida), with gray-green foliage, andTennessee coneflower (E. tennesseensis) arethe only species coneflowers to receive Mt.Cuba’s highest recommendations.

In a report summarizing the evaluationproject, Mt. Cuba researchers Jeanne Frett

and Victor Piatt pointed out that Ten-nessee coneflowers are “a Federally Endan-gered Species and should only bepurchased from nurseries with a valid U.S.Fish and Wildlife permit to propagate andsell them.” An easier option is to seek out

the Tennessee coneflower selection ‘RockyTop’, which is not protected.

To read the entire report and view alist of other recommended cultivars, visitwww.mtcubacenter.org/research/plant_evaluations.html.

Horticultural News and Research Important to American Gardeners

CGARDENER’S NOTEBOOK

2010 Marks 40th Anniversary of Earth DayFounded April 22, 1970 by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day hasbecome an increasingly global event and a catalyst for environmental advocacyat all levels. This year, events, including volunteer activities, rallies, and town-hall style meetings with community leaders, are being planned worldwide to com-memorate the 40th anniversary of the holiday.

The Earth Day Network (EDN), an environmental action group based in Wash-ington, D.C., dedicated to supporting worldwide environmental stewardship, haspartnered with community organizations and governments to feature “Global Daysof Service” on April 17 and 18. This event will allow volunteers around the worldto take part in clean-up and restoration activities in local parks, beaches, andforests. The EDN is also organizing “A Global Day of Celebration” on April 25,which will include 40 major city events around the world, with the flagship eventoccurring on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

It’s a perfect opportunity to volunteer at a local community or school garden,or to simply celebrate the day tending your own favorite patch of Earth. To learnmore about events taking place in your area, and other ways to get involved onEarth Day, visit www.earthday.net.

Pixie Meadowbrite™ hybrid coneflower, left, features an abundance of fragrant pink flowers.‘Pica Bella’ purple coneflower, above, is noted for its clean, vigorous growth habit.

STATUS REVIEW SHOWS BUMBLE BEE POPULATIONS DECLININGHoney bees are not the only native polli-nators whose populations are facing seri-ous peril; a 2007 report by the NationalResearch Council revealed that the num-ber and distribution of several types ofbumble bees have notably declined withinthe past two decades. Recently, bee expertRobin Thorp, professor emeritus at the

UC Davis Department of Entomology,and the Xerces Society, a non-profit orga-nization focused on the conservation of in-vertebrates, completed a status review ofthree of the most threatened types of bum-ble bees. Based on their findings, they es-tablished that wild populations ofrusty-patched, yellowbanded, and westernbumble bees have drastically declined sincethe 1970s and 80s. All three of these close-ly-related bumble bee species were oncewidespread throughout their prospectiveU.S. and Canadian ranges and played cru-cial roles in pollinating crops such as cran-berries, apples, alfalfa, and potatoes. Thesurvey also showed that Franklin’s bumblebee, native only to parts of California andOregon, might be extinct.

According to Thorp, the major threatto these four bumble bee populationscould be a disease that was introducedfrom Europe between 1992 and 1994.During this time period, the USDA’s An-imal and Plant Health Inspection Service(APHIS) allowed queen bumble bees tobe shipped from the United States to Eu-rope, where they were commerciallyreared for greenhouse crop pollination,

and then shipped back and distributed.Thorp believes that, while overseas, thebees were infected by a virulent strain ofan internal parasite, Nosema bombi,which was being carried by Europeanbees. Once back in the United States, theinfected bees would have been able topass the disease on to wild populations.Thorp points to the fact that the timingof the native bumble bees’ populationcollapse coincides with the timing of thecommercially reared bees’ reintroductionsupports his hypothesis.

In an effort to help protect these cru-cial pollinators, which can fly at lowerlight levels and cooler temperatures thanhoney bees, Thorp, the Xerces Society,and other wildlife conservation societiesand scientists recently submitted a peti-tion to APHIS. The petition asks that theFederal government regulate interstatemovement of commercial bumble beesin order to stop the spread of disease.

To learn more about bumble bees’ roleas pollinators and the threats they are fac-ing, visit www.xerces.org/bumblebees.

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Franklin’s bumble bee has been in declinesince 1998 and is now thought to be extinct.

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GREATPLANTS® AND PERENNIAL PLANT ASSO-CIATION NAME 2010 PLANTS OF THE YEARSince 1998, the GreatPlants® program, ajoint effort of the Nebraska Statewide Ar-boretum and the Nebraska Nursery &Landscape Association, has worked to cre-ate an annual list of recommended plantsfor Great Plains gardens. The goal of theprogram is to both “promote overlookedlandscape plants and release exciting newplants” that are environmentally sustain-able as well as ornamental year-round.

The program’s 2010 Tree of the Year isAmerican yellowwood (Cladrastis ken-tukea), a beautiful disease-resistant and un-derused tree native to the East Coast. Therecommended shrub for 2010 is bottle-

brush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora), an un-derstory plant native to the southeasternUnited States, and the top-rated perennialis ‘Gateway’ Joe Pye weed (Eupatoriumpurpureum), a great addition for gardenershoping to attract bees and butterflies.

GreatPlants is also releasing two newplants for 2010. Carnose flower euony-mus (Euonymus carnosus) is a small non-invasive tree from China that featurespersistent pink seed capsules, and ‘WhiteSprite’ blazing star (Liatris microcephala)is a perennial prized for its upright whiteflower spikes. To learn more about theGreatPlants program and to see the restof its recommended plants for 2010, visitarboretum.unl.edu/greatplants/.

PEOPLE and PLACES in the NEWSMcNamara Awarded 2010 Scott MedalPlant explorer, botanist, and horticulturist William McNamara has been chosenas this year’s recipient of the Scott Medal and Award. The annual award, spon-

sored by the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore Col-lege, was presented to McNamara on March 14 inhonor of his contributions to the fields of botany,horticulture, and plant conservation.

In 2007, McNamara was appointed executivedirector of Quarryhill Botanical Garden in GlenEllen, California, where he has been involved for20 years. During this time, he has carried out morethan 20 plant conservation expeditions to Asia and

has helped to bridge conservation efforts between the United States and China,in addition to making significant progress in preserving Asian forests and treespecies facing extinction. He was the recipient of the Garden Club of America’sEloise Payne Luger Medal in 2009, and he currently serves as the director forthe Magnolia Society International and the field associate of the Department ofBotany at the California Academy of Sciences.

PHS’s Jane Pepper RetiresAfter nearly 30 years of leadership, Jane Pepper will retire this spring as presidentof the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS). Pepper has made considerable

contributions to PHS programs like Philadelphia Green, whichhas become a national model for city revitalization. During hertenure, the Philadelphia Flower Show gained international sta-tus and PHS membership doubled to 16,000.

PHS Council Chair John Ball commended Pepper’s devo-tion to the organization. “Jane has provided extraordinaryleadership. For her, this has not been simply a job. It’s beena passionate commitment to the PHS mission,” he says.

Pepper also serves as a director of the PNC Financial Services Group and asa member of the Board of Directors of the First Hospital Foundation, the FoxChase Cancer Center and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of commerce.Among her many honors are the Pennsylvania Society Gold Medal for Distin-guished Achievement (1996) and the AHS’s Liberty Hyde Bailey Award (2003).

The PHS has just announced that Pepper’s replacement as PHS Presidentwill be Drew Becher, a national leader in urban greening.

Endress Honored by the National Tropical Botanical GardenThe National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) honored Peter Karl Endress, pro-fessor emeritus at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, with the 12th annual David

Fairchild Medal for Plant Exploration on February 12 at theKampong, the NTBG’s Florida garden and former private estateof David Fairchild, the renowned U.S. plant collector for whomthe award is named.

Nominations for the Fairchild Medal are made each year bya board of plant explorers and botanists. The award goes to ascientist who has worked to continue Fairchild’s legacy of plantexploration and conservation. Over the course of his career, En-

dress’s work has led to considerable advancements in the understanding of breed-ing systems, systematic botany, and the plant family Monimiaceae, which containsjust over 20 genera of shrubs and small trees native to the Southern Hemisphere.

Endress has also served as director of the Institute of Systematic Botany andBotanical Garden of the University of Zurich. �

Euonymus carnosus bears brightly colored,persistent seed capsules.

Another organization that sponsors anannual award for outstanding plants isthe Perennial Plant Association (PPA),which has named blue false indigo (Bap-tisia australis) its 2010 Perennial Plant ofthe Year. The PPA award program is de-signed to showcase low-maintenance,consistently ornamental perennials thatcan be grown successfully in many areasof the country. Native to the easternUnited States, blue false indigo was cho-sen in part because of its striking combi-nation of cloverlike, bluish-green foliageand erect racemes of violet-blue flowers.It is adaptable to a variety of landscapeuses, including meadows and perennialborders. To learn more about blue falseindigo and other Baptisia species, you canread the feature article on page 24 of thisissue, or visit www.perennialplant.org.

To view a list of 2010 plant awardssponsored by other North Americanplant societies and organizations, click onthe link in this issue’s table of contents onthe AHS website (www.ahs.org).

BERRY BOTANIC GARDEN TO CLOSE After carefully searching for other alterna-tives, the board of The Berry Botanic Gar-den (BBG), a public garden located inPortland, Oregon, has reluctantly slatedthe property to be sold. It became evidentto the board after the 2008 economicdownturn that the garden, which reliesheavily on visitors, members, and donors

for funding, is no longer economically vi-able as a non-profit organization.

The 6.5-acre garden is the former estateof Rae Selling Berry, a plantswoman whospent 32 years establishing and maintain-ing the garden’s collections. FollowingBerry’s death in 1976, the estate was soldto the Friends of the Berry Botanic Gar-den, a non-profit corporation that wasdedicated to maintaining, studying, andadding to Berry’s collections.

Located on a small street in an afflu-ent neighborhood south of downtownPortland, the garden has struggled overthe years with issues such as a lack ofparking facilities and opposition to ex-pansion by community groups.

Negotiations are currently underway tomove the BBG’s seed bank and plant con-servation program, headed by Ed Guer-rant, to Portland State University’s (PSU)Environmental Science and Managementprogram. BBG Interim Director MargaretEickmann and Mark Sytsma, chairman ofthe PSU program, are optimistic that themove will be successful. Although the tran-sition cannot be finalized until the proper-ty is sold, its completion would be crucialto preserving the more than 14,000 acces-sions of rare and endangered native plantsthat the seed bank currently holds.

Although BBG board and staff mem-bers are still hopeful that a public entitywill assume ownership of the garden be-fore it is placed on the market, Eickmannemphasizes that its loss “is a blow to cur-rent and future generations.” The gar-den’s situation has helped her realize that“people who love public gardens mustlook for fresh ways to communicate thevalue of such places, so that a new gener-ation of people will become involved intheir protection and support. Withoutactive champions for preserving publicgardens, I fear that many of the smallgems, like the Berry Botanic Garden, willbe lost,” she adds.

The garden remains open while theFriends of the BBG search for a buyer, butprospective visitors must contact the gar-den to make an appointment. The BBG’swebsite, www.berrybot.org, will continue tobe updated with information on the statusof the garden’s transition and the future ofits many unique plant specimens. �

Written by Editorial Intern Krystal Flogel.CO

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ABCS OF GARDENING GLOVES There are several things to consider whenselecting gardening gloves: The first is thatthere is no one pair that fits all gardeningchores. Trying to use the same glove forevery gardening task can be like trying touse a baseball mitt to play golf.

Glove lengths vary. Thin, wrist-lengthgloves that are snug and flexible are greatfor pinching chrysanthemums but likelywon’t prevent blisters when you are rak-ing leaves. But padded gloves that reduceblisters and scraped knuckles also reducethe manual dexterity needed for detailedwork in the garden.

If you are pruning shrubs or workingaround poison ivy, a glove with an ex-tended sleeve provides much more pro-tection than wrist length models. Mostgardeners should have at least two pairsof gloves, one for precision chores andone for those activities that require someprotection.

Your gloves should also suit the sea-son—the gloves you wear for summerweeding are probably not warm enough

for turning the compost in winter. Wa-terproof gloves are particularly impor-tant for cold, wet weather. While it’s alsoimportant to wear waterproof gloves formixing garden chemicals or cleaning thepond, breathable gloves are a better op-tion for many warm-weather tasks.Some gloves offer waterproof palms andfingers and a breathable back. In sum-mer, gloves with added sun protectioncome in handy.

Gloves get dirty, so it’s helpful if theyare washable. But you needn’t put them

through the washer each time you wearthem. Washing them with the hose whilethey are still on your hands—add a littlesoap if necessary—is often sufficient.

Fit is also very important; glovesshould be tight enough to stay put with-out binding and be loose enough to becomfortable without feeling too bulky.Try them on before you buy them to besure they are comfortable. Or if you buythem online, follow the manufacturer’ssize guidelines.

Durability is another consideration. Noglove lasts forever, but a well-constructedglove will take some abuse—sturdy mate-rial and reinforced seams can make a bigdifference. However, if you work in thegarden a lot—like I do—most gardeninggloves are good for a single growing seasonat best. But they do earn their keep.

GLOVES FOR DETAIL WORKFor precision chores such as thinning anew row of beets or transplanting youngimpatiens seedlings into a bed, you needsnug-fitting, flexible gloves. Foxgloves, de-signed with women in mind, are made of

by Rita Pelczar

Garden Gloves

WHILE HE WAS in officein the 1970s, I had the

pleasure of meeting PresidentJimmy Carter in a reception line.As I shook his hand, I was struckwith the thought that it had beensome time since the Presidenthad worked in a peanut field. Hishands lacked the calluses androughness I associated with ac-tive gardeners and farmers. Butperhaps President Carter simplyknew the benefit of good gar-dening and work gloves.

SourcesBionic Gloves, www.bionicgloves.com.Clean Air Gardeningwww.cleanairgardening.com.Foxgloves, www.foxglovesinc.com.Gardener’s Supplywww.gardeners.com.Mud Glove, www.mudglove.comPallina, www.thepallina.com.West County Gardenerwww.westcountygardener.com.

Pallina Garden GlovesPallina Garden Gloves

Supplex® nylon and Lycra® spandex for atough glove with a cottony feel and a com-fortable, stretchy fit. Their “Elle Grip”gloves are elbow length, providing bothscratch protection and 50+ UPF sun pro-tection. The silicone grip ovals provide a

non-slip grasp that is great for working withtools. Foxgloves are available in a range ofcolors and sizes.

The Nitrile Weeding Glove fromGardener’s Supply fits the bill; it is madeof lightweight nylon that has beendipped in nitrile (a non-latex rubber) tocoat the palm and fingers. The back ofthe glove is not coated, so it breathes,making it a good choice for warm weath-er. Simply Mud® gloves also use nitrilefor strength and suppleness. Mud’s Sun-flower™ gloves extend beyond the elbowwith an air mesh gauntlet that is made ofUV-blocking fabric. The Original Mud®

Gloves are a bit more rugged, with aheavy latex coating and a textured gripthat I have found particularly good forworking in soil; these gloves have a com-fortable cotton liner.

For those gardeners who insist on feel-ing the dirt beneath their fingers, YardGlove lotion provides an alternative togloves. Containing natural ingredientssuch as aloe vera and beeswax, Yard Gloveis spread on skin to create a thin barrierthat protects and moisturizes skin and cu-ticles for several hours while you work. Itwashes off with soap and water.

GLOVES FOR RUGGED CHORESFor heavier gardening chores like pruning,digging, and working with power tools, Iprefer a heftier glove that prevents blisters

and protects skin from nasty thorns. Thefirst place my gloves always wear out is thefingertips, so Pallina gloves, with their re-inforced fingertips and sturdy kevlar stitch-ing, rank high on my list for durability.They are available in both soft goatskinleather and a material made out of 100 per-cent recycled plastic bottles. Pallina also of-fers a fully lined pruning sleeve that comesin handy when dealing with dense branch-es, particularly if they are thorny.

Another rugged option is the Land-scape Glove from West County Gar-deners, which is particularly well suitedfor working with power tools because itfeatures a padded gel palm that reducesvibrations. The heavyweight fabric ofthe glove increases its durability, and sil-icone dots on fingers and palm improvegrip. These gloves are also made from re-cycled plastic bottles.

The Winter Work Glove from Gar-dener’s Supply keeps hands warm, blocks

wind, and wicks away perspiration. Thelatex-treated fingers and palms provide asteady grip for handling tools. WestCounty Gardener also offers a breathablewaterproof glove that is designed like a

ski glove—withthree layers.

If you sufferfrom hand or wristfatigue or arthritis,consider the BionicGlove, manufac-tured by LouisvilleSlugger®. Designedby an orthopedichand surgeon, thesegloves are made

from top-grade kid leather and areequipped with relief pads and wrist sup-

ports. “Motion zones” over the knucklesand “web zones” between fingers allownatural movement with reduced stress.Its rose gloves, with an extended sleevefor protection from thorns, have receivedthe Arthritis Foundation’s Ease-of-UseCommendation.

The Miracle Fiber Rose Glove fromGardener’s Supply also provides forearmprotection. It is breathable and flexibleyet tough, and is made of a syntheticsuede material that is washable but won’tshrink or crack.

KEEP A SUPPLY AT HANDI have learned that if you want occasion-al help in the garden, it’s important tokeep a supply of gardening gloves onhand. Offer a nice pair of gloves as yousolicit assistance for turning the compostpile or digging the carrots and you’remore likely to get a positive response.Kids, in particular, enjoy having their

own pair of gloves, and several companiesoffer kid-size gloves in fun colors.

The evidence of your hard work in thegarden should be your well-maintainedflower beds, neatly-pruned shrubs, andweed-free rows of vegetables, not the con-dition of your hands. Forget the notionthat blisters and calluses are a badge ofhonor; invest in a pair of good gloves. �

Rita Pelczar is contributing editor for TheAmerican Gardener.


West Country GardenerLandscape Gloves

West CountryGardener Children’sGarden Gloves

Bionic Glove

Foxgloves

West CountryGardener Children’sGarden Gloves

West Country GardenerLandscape Gloves


What’s Wrong With My Plant? (And How Do I Fix It?):A Visual Guide to Easy Diagnosis and Organic Remedies. David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2009. 451 pages. Publisher’s price, softcover: $24.95.

THERE HAVE always been ways to diagnose what is wrongwith plants. Ask someone who is knowledgeable in the area of

plant diseases or try to find your plantsymptoms in that big Ortho ProblemSolver sitting in the corner of the localnursery. Ah, but it isn’t always easy tofind a cooperative Extension pest scout,and there are way too many pictures inthe Ortho book.

To the rescue comes What’s WrongWith My Plant? (And How Do I Fix It?),a tremendous collaborative effort be-

tween plant pathologist David Deardorff and naturalist/photo-grapher Kathryn Wadsworth. Finally, an easy-to-use system thatwill help the indoor and outdoor gardener figure out what isgoing on when plants develop problems. It made me wonderwhy someone hadn’t done this before.

The book allows readers to select a suitable starting pointthat describes a plant’s symptom—for example, wilting leavesor holes in the stems—and answer simple questions that even-tually lead to a solution to the problem. What is even better,following the predicate of doing the least amount of harm whencorrecting problems, the authors then suggest organic ways toaddress each situation.

The book is divided into three parts. The first features clearkeys that help identify the cause. Each step of the way includesits own illustration. Once the problem is identified, the readerjust goes to the suggested page in the second section, whichcontains a hierarchy of remedies. The third section, also refer-enced by individual page numbers in the previous two, containsexcellent pictures of symptoms to help confirm the diagnosisof the problem and offer remedies.

This is a massive undertaking, covering virtually every prob-lem a gardener might come across. Because it’s easy to use, wellwritten, and well illustrated, What’s Wrong With My Plant?(AndHow Do I Fix It?) is an important reference that will help gar-deners successfully diagnose their own plant problems andmake educated decisions about how to solve them.

— Jeff Lowenfels

Alaska garden writer and radio host Jeff Lowenfels is author ofTeaming With Microbes: The Organic Gardener’s Guide to theSoil Food Web (Timber Press, 2006). He is a member of the GardenWriters Hall of Fame.

Homegrown Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs: A Bountiful, Healthful Garden for Lean Times.Jim Wilson. Photographs by Walter Chandoha. Creative Homeowner,Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 2009. 191 pages. Publisher’s price,softcover: $16.95.

The Vegetable Gardener’s BibleEdward C. Smith. Storey Publishing, North Adams, Massachusetts,2009 (revised and updated). 351 pages. Publisher’s price: hardcover,$34.95; softcover: $24.95.

JUST IN TIME for the 2010 growing season come two com-prehensive vegetable-garden books from experienced garden-ers, welcome titles in an age when too many horticulture

volumes are written by people whoown neither shovel nor hoe. Althougheach has unique insights, they coverpretty much the same ground, frompreparing the soil through gardenplanning and maintenance and deal-ing with diseases and insects to har-vesting the crop.

In Homegrown Vegetables, Fruits, andHerbs, Jim Wilson—a prolific authorwhose face is familiar to fans of PBS’sThe Victory Garden—“aims to hold thehand of the new gardener.” And he doesjust that, although his advice is useful tothe experienced as well. With the helpof Walter Chandoha’s beautiful pho-tographs, Wilson’s unassuming but au-thoritative voice reveals his sevendecades in the garden while striking ex-actly the right tone for beginners.

Diehard organic growers will disagree with Wilson’s less-than-orthodox views, but he is far from an apologist for usingtoxic chemicals. Although a champion of organic fertilizersand integrated pest management, he admits that he “won’tlose any sleep over not being 100 percent organic.” I like thatphilosophy, as well as his recommendation not to go over-board on heirloom vegetables, which may not “weather theworst that Mother Nature can throw at them.”

Ed Smith’s The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible, a popular bookpublished a decade ago, is an update, 42 pages longer than theoriginal. A resident of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, Smithknows about tough growing conditions—his are slightly betterthan Siberia—and promotes wide, raised beds with deeply dugsoil for edible crops. This is not a regional book, however; hissystem offers a winning approach for any location.

CBOOK REVIEWS

Recommendations for Your Gardening Library

For those who own the original edition of the book, itshould be noted that there is not a great deal new in this up-date, as Smith’s guidance for creating a high-yield, environ-mentally safe garden and harvest is spotless. All the basics anddetails are there, from making compost to the pH requirementsof different crops to when to harvest. “Bible” may be an over-statement, but the book is a fine introduction to vegetable gar-dening and will be useful to both novices and veterans.

You can’t go wrong with either of these books. Having saidthat, neither is perfect, especially when it comes to identifyingspecific varieties to plant. Homegrown Vegetables, Fruits, andHerbs includes almost no varietal recommendations—exceptvariety lists, and the descriptions often are vague: “Disease Re-sistant” isn’t very helpful. Resistant to what? And despite ex-plaining the important difference between determinate andindeterminate tomatoes, that quality is not specified for any ofthe listed tomatoes.

Choosing the right variety is crucial to garden success. Aheat-resistant variety suitable for Florida won’t succeed innorthern Idaho. Having detailed, varietal recommendationsfrom these experts would have really added value.

—Karan Davis Cutler

Karan Davis Cutler is the author of The Complete Vegetable andHerb Gardener (Macmillan, 1997) She lives in Vermont, where shewrites a garden blog for The Christian Science Monitor and isworking on a book about gardening to attract wildlife.

The Encyclopedia of Herbs: A Comprehensive Reference toHerbs of Flavor and Fragrance. Arthur O. Tucker and Thomas DeBaggio. Timber Press, Portland, Ore-gon, 2009. 604 pages. Publisher’s price, hardcover: $39.95.

I’M GOING TO start off with full disclosure: I count both ArtTucker and Tom DeBaggio as friends, and they have been men-

tors and colleagues since I first met themdecades ago. While this may call intoquestion my ability to be an objective re-viewer, I think it would be difficult tofind anyone in the herb communitywho does not know the authors, whoare noted international experts.

The Encyclopedia of Herbs is an ex-pansion and revision of The Big Book ofHerbs, which was published by Inter-

weave Press in 2000. Since the publication of the earlier book, I,along with many other herb growers, gardeners, and horticultur-ists, have used it as a constant resource. One would think that suchan important and useful—not to mention award-winning—bookcould hardly be improved on. Well, nearly a decade later, it has.

The new-and-improved revision has a handsome new appear-ance and is thoroughly updated to reflect the latest nomenclature,new cultivars and varieties for each herb described, an expandedlist of references, and some totally new plants that have been addedbecause they have become more commonplace in today’s market.


In addition, the section on the genus Pelargonium has been fullyrevised. The book was edited by Francesco DeBaggio, who hasfollowed in his father’s garden footprints as an excellent growerand resource for cultivation information in his own right.

One of my favorite parts of the book is the “super label” at thebeginning of each plant entry. This at-a-glance chart immediate-ly lets the reader know how to pronounce the botanical name, andprovides succinct information on family, growth form, hardiness,light, water, soil, propagation, culinary, craft, and landscape use.

The book is laid out in the same, easy-to-use style, with the firstsection providing a thorough overview of growing, harvesting andpreserving herbs. The second section is an alphabetical listing ofmore than 500 species of herbs of fragrance and flavor. Each entrycontains in-depth descriptions, recommended cultivation andcare, history, and use of individual herbs.

Although I miss the illustrations by Susan Strawn Bailey thatgraced the first edition of the book, I am happy to see MarjorieLegitt’s lovely, detailed illustrations with many of the entries.

The book has been added to, tightened up, and well editedto become a modern equivalent of the classic herbal. If I couldhave only one herbal reference in my library, without a doubtit would be The Encyclopedia of Herbs. �

—Susan Belsinger

Susan Belsinger is a culinary herbalist who blogs for Taunton Press(www.vegetablegardener.com) and is a contributing editor to HerbCompanion.


If you’re intimidated by the often-daunting task of pruning—deciding when to prune, how much to remove, and how to

minimize damage to the plant—thenewly revised and updated The PruningBook (Taunton Press, 2010, $21.95)by Lee Reich has the answers. Now in asoftcover edition, the straightforward,three-part reference includes more than350 color photographs and detailed il-lustrations showing step-by-step in-structions for pruning techniques that

can be applied to a variety of trees, shrubs, and vines. In the first section, Reich discusses the reasons for prun-

ing and reviews different types of pruning equipment. Ac-knowledging that some gardeners “shudder at the thought ofputting a blade to a plant,” Reich explains how proper prun-ing methods are used to benefit, not harm, woody plants.

The second section of the book provides pruning recom-mendations for specific kinds of plants, such as evergreens,deciduous trees and shrubs, vines, and houseplants.

Reich ends with an overview of specialized pruning tech-niques such as pollarding, pleaching, and creating standards,and ultimately provides a comprehensive resource suitable forboth novice pruners and landscape professionals.

—Krystal Flogel, Editorial Intern

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

RAP MAR. 20–APR. 11. Spring Festival.Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens.Buffalo, New York. (716) 827-1584.www.buffalogardens.com.

MAR. 24–28. Boston Flower & Garden Show.Seaport World Trade Center. Boston, Massachusetts. (617) 933-4900.www.masshort.org.

RAP MAR. 28. Early Spring Specimens.Guided tour. Blithewold Mansion, Gardens,and Arboretum. Bristol, Rhode Island. (401)253-2707. www.blithewold.org.

RAP APR. 3–MAY 2. Hanami: The CherryBlossom Viewing Season. Brooklyn BotanicGarden. Brooklyn, New York. (718) 623-7210. www.bbg.org.

RAP APR. 4. Guided Garden Tour. Tower HillBotanic Garden. Boylston, Massachusetts.(508) 869-6111. www.towerhillbg.org.

APR. 30. Spring Plant Auction & Sale.Connecticut Horticultural Society. TollandCounty Agricultural Center. Vernon, Con-necticut. (860) 529-8713. www.cthort.org.

Looking aheadMAY 1. May Gardener’s Market. Garden Edu-cation Center of Greenwich. MontgomeryPinetum Park. Cos Cob, Connecticut. (203)869-9242 ext. 10. www.gecgreenwich.org.

RAP MAY 1–JUNE 13. Emily Dickinson’s Gar-den. Exhibition. The New York BotanicalGarden. Bronx, New York. (718) 817-8700.www.nybg.org.

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

MAR. 27. Camellia Society Show & Sale.Camellia Society of Potomac Valley. Brookside Gardens. Wheaton, Maryland.(301) 962-1400. http://montgomeryparks.org/brookside.

RAP APR. 3 & 4. Virginia Daffodil SocietyShow. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Richmond, Virginia. (804) 262-9887.www.lewisginter.org.

RAP APR. 9. Global Gardening. Lecture. Ad-

kins Arboretum. Ridgely, Maryland. (410)634-2878. www.adkinsarboretum.org.

APR. 10–NOV. 21. Making Scents. Indoor andoutdoor exhibition. Longwood Gardens. Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. (610) 388-1000. www.longwoodgardens.org.

AHS APR. 11 & 12. Colonial WilliamsburgGarden Symposium. Williamsburg, Virginia.(800) 603-0948. www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/conted.

RAP APR. 24. Spring Plant Sale.Historic London Town and Gardens. Edgewater, Maryland. (410) 222-1919.www.historiclondontown.org.

APR. 25. Wildflower Celebration. Mt. CubaCenter. Greenville, Delaware. (302) 239-4244. www.mtcubacenter.org.

Looking aheadMAY 1. Rare Plants and Garden OrnamentsSale. Ladew Topiary Gardens. Monkton,Maryland. (410) 557-9570. www.ladewgardens.com.

JUNE 3–5. 20th Annual Millersville NativePlant Conference. Millersville University.Millersville, Pennsylvania. (717) 871-2189.www.millersvillenativeplants.org.

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

MAR. 25–28. Plant Fair and Sale. Callaway

Gardens. Pine Mountain, Georgia. (800)225-5292. www.callawaygardens.com.

MAR. 25–28. Savannah Tour of Homes & Gar-dens. Savannah, Georgia. (912) 234-8054.www.savannahtourofhomes.org.

RAP MAR. 26. John Bartram Lives. Lecture.State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Athens,Georgia. (706) 542-6156.www.uga.edu/botgarden.

RAP APR. 3 & 4. Orchid/Bromeliad Expo &Sale. Flamingo Gardens. Davie, Florida. (954)473-2955. www.flamingogardens.org.

k APR. 9–11. Bloom ‘n’ Garden Expo. AgExpo Park. Franklin, Tennessee. (615) 973-2112. www.bloomngarden.com.

RAP APR. 17. 21st Century Plants fromGrandmother’s Garden. Lecture. DanielStowe Botanical Garden. Belmont, NorthCarolina. (704) 829-1252. www.DSBG.org.

APR. 17 & 18. Flower & Garden Expo. St.Johns County Agricultural Center. St. Augustine, Florida. (904) 829-3295. www.epiccommunityservices.org.

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

RAP MAR. 19–MAY 2. Tree Trunk Show.Tree-art exhibit. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Chaska, Minnesota. (952) 443-1400. www.arboretum.umn.edu.

RAP APR. 17. Spring Fever Mini-Sympo-sium. Iowa Arboretum. Madrid, Iowa. (515) 795-3216. www.iowaarboretum.org.

RAP APR. 17 & 18. Ann Arbor Orchid Festival. University of Michigan MatthaeiBotanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum.Ann Arbor, Michigan. (734) 647-7600.www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg.

k APR. 17–25. Cincinnati Flower Show.Cincinnati Horticultural Society. SymmesTownship Park. Symmes Township, Ohio.(513) 872-5194. www.cincyflowershow.com.

RAP APR. 24. Basics of Composting.Demonstrations. Garfield Park Conservatory.

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 benefits offered,visit www.ahs.org/events/index.htm and clickon “Flower and Home and Garden Shows.”

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/events/reciprocal_events.htm.

Chicago, Illinois. (312) 746-5100.www.garfieldconservatory.org.

RAP APR. 24 & 25. Perennial Premiere.Plant sale. Indianapolis Museum of ArtGreenhouse. Indianapolis, Indiana. (317)920-2660. www.imamuseum.org.

k APR. 30–MAY 2. Orchard in Bloom GardenShow. Holliday Park. Indianapolis, Indiana.(317) 251-9253. www.orchardinbloom.org.

Looking aheadRAP MAY 1 & 2. Glenview/NorthshoreAfrican Violet Society Show & Sale.Chicago Botanic Garden. Glencoe, Illinois.(847) 835-5440. www.chicagobotanic.org.

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

RAP THROUGH APR. 11. Dallas Blooms.Floral festival. Dallas Arboretum and Botani-cal Garden. Dallas, Texas. (214) 515-6500.www.dallasarboretum.org.

RAP MAR. 27 & 28. Zilker Garden Festival.Zilker Botanical Garden. Austin, Texas.(512) 477-8672. www.zilkergarden.org.

RAP APR. 2. Arbor Day Tree Giveaway. Mis-souri Botanical Garden Kemper Center. St.Louis, Missouri. (314) 577-5100.www.mobot.org.

RAP APR. 10 & 11. Spring Plant Sale & Gardening Festival. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Austin, Texas. (512) 232-0100. www.wildflower.org.

APR. 10–26. Tulip Time Festival. Old PrairieTown at Ward Meade Historic Site. Topeka,Kansas. (785) 368-2437. www.topeka.org.

RAP APR. 19 & 20. Garden Symposium.Biedenharn Museum & Gardens. Monroe,Louisiana. (318) 387-5281. www.bmuseum.org.

APR. 24 & 25. Show Me Gourd Festival. StateFair Grounds Agriculture Building. Sedalia,Missouri. (816) 987-2133.www.showmegourdsociety.com.

SOUTHWESTAZ, NM, CO, UT

RAP MAR. 8–JAN. 31. Moore in the Gardens.Outdoor sculpture exhibition. Denver Botanic Gardens. Denver, Colorado. (720) 865-3500. www.botanicgardens.org.

MAR. 27. New Leaf Plant Sale. TucsonBotanical Gardens. Tucson, Arizona. (520) 326-9686. www.tucsonbotanical.org.

APR. 3 & 4. Spring Plant Sale. Living DesertCO

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Lilytopia at Longwood GardensLONGWOOD GARDENS will be showcasing the latest lily cultivars from Dutchbreeders in a new event this spring at Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Lilytopia, which

was inspired by the Netherlands’ famed Keuken-hof Lily Show, will take place May 21 to 31 inLongwood’s East Conservatory and will featurethousands of lilies arranged in unique displays.Dorien van den Berg, the designer of Keukenhof’sdisplays, will be travelling from the Netherlandsto oversee Lilytopia’s creation. The event will bepresented in association with the InternationalFlower Bulb Centre and the Royal Dutch TradeAssociation for Flowerbulbs and Nursery Stock.

In addition to the cut flower display, on May24 Longwood will host the Lilytopia Symposium,

a one-day seminar aimed at providing lily breeders, growers, and floral designers withthe latest research, production techniques, and marketing strategies. Symposium at-tendants will hear from leading lily experts from the United States and the Nether-lands on topics such as recent design trends and the newest lily cultivars.

Of the new event, Longwood Gardens Director Paul Redman says, “Lilytopia willshowcase the diversity of the genus Lilium in one of the largest displays in NorthAmerica and offer valuable educational and networking opportunities for growers andretailers to take their businesses to the next level.”

The fragrant lily displays will be an added component of Longwood’s upcomingexhibition, “Making Scents: The Art and Passion of Fragrance,” which will take placeApril 10 through November 21. This ongoing outdoor and indoor exhibition willevolve with the changing seasons and will invite visitors to learn about the processesand plants involved in making perfume, as well as create their own personal fragrance.

For more information regarding Lilytopia, including how to register for the Lily-topia Symposium, visit www.longwoodgardens.org.

Cylburn Arboretum Announces Grand Opening of the New Vollmer CenterON MAY 1 , following more than a year of construction and renovations, the Cyl-burn Arboretum in Baltimore, Maryland, will celebrate the grand opening of its newvisitor and education center, the Vollmer Center.

In addition to housing a visitor orientation gallery, a state-of-the-art auditorium,and offices for the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland and the Horticultural Soci-ety of Maryland, the Vollmer Center will implement the latest in green technology.Among the center’s sustainable features are geothermal heating and cooling, com-posting toilets, a green roof, recycled slate siding, and a parking lot filter system de-signed to manage stormwater and reduce erosion.

Along with the construction of the new building, Cylburn’s $6-million revitaliza-tion project also included numerous improvements to the grounds and landscape dis-plays, as well as a new classroom and other additions to the greenhouse facility.

The Vollmer Center’s grand opening will include a ribbon-cutting and dedicationceremony followed by a day of family garden events, exhibits, demonstrations, andfood. Special activities, including garden lectures, guided tours, and a spring plantsale, are also planned for each weekend in May.

“Everyone is looking forward to spring and our grand opening events,” says Cyl-burn’s acting chief horticulturist Melissa Grim. “With all the renovations, upgrades andthe construction of the new Vollmer Center, it is a new day for Cylburn Arboretum.We will be the center for horticulture in Baltimore and the region as well as a site forlearning about green building. The Vollmer Center is one of the ‘greenest’ city build-ings in Baltimore and we look forward to sharing all that technology with our visitors.”

For more information, visit www.cylburnassociation.org.


Zoo and Gardens State Park. Santa Fe, New Mexico. (505) 476-3355. www.emnrd.state.nm.us.

RAP APR. 16–18. Cactus and SucculentShow and Sale. Desert Botanical Garden.Phoenix, Arizona. (480) 941-1225.www.dbg.org.

RAP APR. 17 & 18. Spring Bulb Show &Competition. Red Butte Garden at the Uni-versity of Utah. Salt Lake City, Utah. (801)585-0556. www.redbuttegarden.org.

RAP APR. 22. Edible Landscaping. Lecture.Denver Botanic Gardens. Denver, Colorado.(720) 865-3500. www.botanicgardens.org.

k APR. 30–MAY 2. Maricopa County Home &Landscape Show. Arizona State Fairgrounds.Phoenix, Arizona. (602) 485-1691.www.maricopacountyhomeshows.com.

Looking aheadMAY 7. National Public Gardens Day. RioGrande Botanic Garden. Albuquerque, NewMexico. (505) 848-7112.www.cabq.gov/biopark/garden/ index.html.

WEST COASTCA, NV, HI

MAR. 24–28. San Fransisco Flower & GardenShow. San Mateo Event Center. San Mateo,California. (415) 684-7278. www.sfgardenshow.com.

RAP MAR. 26 & 27. Spring Plant Sale.Descanso Gardens. La Cañada Flintridge,California. (818) 949-4200. www.descansogardens.org.

k APR. 8–11. California State Flower &Garden Show. Cal Expo. California GardenClubs, Inc. Sacramento, California. (877)696-6668. www.calstategardenshow.com.

APR. 10 & 11. Spring Plant Sale and GardenTours. Occidental Arts and Ecology Center.Occidental, California. (707) 874-1557.www.oaec.org.

APR. 12. Australian Perennials. Presentation.The San Diego Horticultural Society. DelMar Fairgrounds. Encinitas, California.(760) 295-7089. www.sdhortsoc.org.

APR. 16. Practical Pruning: A Workshop forArborists and Landscapers. UC Davis Exten-sion. Davis, California. (800) 752-0881.http://extension.ucdavis.edu/agriculture.

RAP APR. 24. Growing Proteas in Bay AreaGardens. Lecture. San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum. San Francis-co, California. (415) 661-1316. www.sfbotanicalgarden.org.

NORTHWESTAK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY

RAP MAR. 26–28. Boise Flower and GardenShow. Idaho Botanical Garden. Boise, Ida-ho. (208) 343-8649. www.idahobotanicalgarden.org.

MAR. 28. Sand and Stone Raking Workshop.Portland Japanese Garden. Portland, Oregon. (503) 223-1321. www.japanesegarden.com.

RAP APR. 10. Early Bloomers Plant Sale.Washington Park Arboretum. Seattle, Wash-ington. (206) 325-4510. www.arboretumfoundation.org.

APR. 13–15. World Tulip Summit. Skagit ValleyTulip Festival. Northwest Agriculture BusinessCenter. Mt. Vernon, Washington. (360) 336-3727. www.2010worldtulipsummit.com.

APR. 14. Visionary Landscapes. Lecture. Cen-ter for Urban Horticulture. Northwest Horti-cultural Society. Seattle, Washington. (206)527-1794. www.northwesthort.org.

RAP APR. 17. Plant Sale. Leach BotanicalGarden. Portland, Oregon. (503) 823-

9503. www.leachgarden.org.

Looking Ahead:RAP MAY 8. Washington Native Plant Society Sale. Bellevue Botanical Garden.Bellevue, Washington. (425) 452-2750.www.bellevuebotanical.org.

CANADA

RAP MAR. 27. Spring Pruning Workshop.Royal Botanical Gardens. Hamilton, Ontario.(905) 527-1158. www.rbg.ca.

RAP APR. 14. Parks, Plants, and People.Lecture. Toronto Botanical Garden. Toronto, Ontario. (416) 397-1340.www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca.

APR. 25. VanDusen Plant Sale. VanDusenBotanical Garden. Vancouver, British Colum-bia. (604) 878-9274. www.vandusengarden.org.

Looking aheadMAY 8. UBC Perennial Plant Sale. UBC Botani-cal Garden and Centre for Plant Research.Vancouver, British Columbia. (604) 822-4529. www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org. � C

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Second Year for National Public Gardens DayFOR THE SECOND YEAR in a row, the American Public Gardens Association (APGA)is encouraging its more than 500 member institutions around the United States to

schedule special events for NationalPublic Gardens Day. This year’s cele-bration is scheduled for May 7, the Fri-day before Mother’s Day. Rain Bird, aleading manufacturer of irrigationproducts, is a sponsor of the program,and water conservation will be a themeat many gardens, including the Los An-geles Arboretum, the Atlanta BotanicalGarden, and the Morris Arboretum inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania. These gar-dens will also have special activities con-tinuing through Mother’s Dayweekend. The AHS will be participat-ing in a Smithsonian Institution-spon-sored special event on May 7; for moredetails on this, turn to page 10.

The APGA launched National PublicGardens Day in 2009 as a way to fostergreater public awareness of the impor-tance of public gardens and the role they

play in supporting environmental stewardship in local communities. “Regardless of theirsize, all public gardens share a common commitment to providing outreach programsaimed at engaging their communities and educating future generations about the irre-placeable value of plants,” says Dan Stark, APGA executive director. For informationabout events at gardens and arboretums in your area, visit www.publicgardens.org.


The Atlanta Botanical Garden is among thepublic gardens offering special activities inobservance of National Public Gardens Day.


CPRONUNCIATIONS AND PLANTING ZONES

AAbies koreana AY-beez kor-ee-AN-uh(USDA Zones 5–6, AHS Zones 6–5)

Acer palmatum AY-ser pal-MAY-tum(6–8, 8–2)

Acorus gramineus AK-or-us grah-MIN-ee-us (6–9, 9–5)

Actaea racemosa ack-TEE-uh ras-eh-MO-suh (3–8, 9–1)

Adlumia fungosa ad-LYOO-mee-uh fun-GO-suh (3–7, 7–1)

Aesculus parviflora ES-kyew-lus par-vih-FLOR-uh (4–8, 8–4)

Agave albomarginata uh-GAH-vee al-bo- mar-jih-NAY-tuh (8–10, 10–4)

A. americana A. uh-mair-ih-KAN-uh(8–11, 12–3)

A. attenuata A. uh-ten-yew-AY-tuh(9–11, 12–4)

A. bracteosa A. brak-tee-O-suh (9–11, 12–4)

A. deserti A. DEZ-urt-eye (11–11, 12–5)A. desmettiana A. dez-met-ee-AY-nuh(9–11, 12–5)

A. filifera A. fih-LIF-ur-uh (11–11, 12–5)A. ghiesbreghtii A. gees-BREK-tee-eye(9–11, 12–5)

A. guadalajarana A. gwah-duh-luh-HAR-uh-nuh (10–11, 12–6)

A. havardiana A. huh-var-dee-AN-nuh(6–10, 11–5)

A. lechuguilla A. leh-choo-GEE-yuh (7–9, 10–3)

A. lophantha A. lo-FAN-thuh (9–11,12–5)

A. macroacantha A. mak-ro-uh-KAN-thuh(8–11, 11–4)

A. neomexicana A. nee-o-mex-ih-KAN-uh(8–10, 10–3)

A. ocahui A. o-kuh-HOO-ee (8–11, 12–4)A. parrasana A. pah-rah-SAH-nuh (9–11, 12–4)

A. parryi A. PAIR-ee-eye (7–10, 11–4) A. parviflora A. par-vih-FLOR-uh (9-11, 12–4)

A. pelona A. pel-O-nuh (9–11, 12–4)A. polianthiflora A. pah-lee-an-thi-FLOR-uh (10–11, 12–5

A. scabra A. SKAY-bruh (7–10, 11–4)A. titanota A. ty-tuh-NO-tuh (9–11, 12–5)A. toumeyana subsp. bella A. too-mee-AY-nuh subsp. BEL-uh (8–11, 12–4)

A. utahensis A. yoo-TAW-en-sis (11–11, 12–6)

A. victoriae-reginae A. vik-TOR-ee-ay reh-JEE-nay (9–11, 12–5)

A. vilmoriniana A. vil-mor-in-ee-AY-nuh(9–11, 12–5)

A. xylonacantha A. zy-lon-uh-KAN-thuh(11–11, 12–6)

Alpinia zerumbet al-PIN-ee-uh zeh-RUM-bet (11–11, 12–1)

Aruncus dioicus uh-RUN-kus die-o-EE-kus (3–7, 7–1)

Asparagus densiflorus as-PAIR-uh-gusden-sih-FLOR-us (11–11, 12–1)

Aspidistra elatior as-pih-DIS-truh ee-LAY-tee-or (7–11, 12–4)

Aster cordifolius ASS-tur kor-dih-FO-lee-us (4–8, 8–1)

A. divaricatus A. dih-vair-ih-KAY-tus(4–8, 8–1)

Astilbe chinensis uh-STIL-bee chy-NEN-sis (4–8, 8–2)

Aucuba japonica aw-KYEW-buh jah-PON-ih-kuh (7–10, 12–6)

B–CBaptisia alba var. alba bap-TIZ-yuh AL-buh var. AL-buh (5–9, 9–6)

B. alba var. macrophylla B. AL-buh var.mak-ro-FIL-luh (5–9, 9–6)

B. arachnifera B. uh-rak-NIF-ur-uh(7–9, 9–6)

B. australis B. aw-STRAY-liss (4–9, 9–4) B. autralis var. minor B. aw-STRAY-lissvar. MY-nor (4–9, 9–4)

B. bracteata B. brak-tee-AY-tuh (4–9, 9–5)B. bracteata var. leucophaea B. brak-tee-AY-tuh var. loo-ko-FEE-uh (4–9, 9–5)

B. perfoliata B. per-fo-lee-AY-tuh (7–9, 10–6)

B. sphaerocarpa B. sfeer-o-KAR-puh(5–9, 9–5)

B. tinctoria B. tink-TOR-ee-uh (3–9, 9–4)Brunnera macrophylla bruh-NEH-ruhmak-ro-FIL-luh (3–7, 7–1)

Bulbine latifolia BUL-byne lat-ih-FO-lee-uh (11–11, 12–10)

Caladium bicolor kuh-LAY- dee-um BY-kuh-lur (10–11, 12–1)

Calluna vulgaris kal-LOO-nuh vul-GAIR-iss (5–7, 7–5)

Carex conica KAIR-eks KON-ih-kuh (5–9, 9–5)

C. dolichostachya C. dol-ih-ko-STAKE-ee-uh (5–8, 8–2)

C. elata C. eh-LAY-tuh (5–8, 8–3)Cedrus deodara SEED-rus dee-o-DAH-ruh(7–9, 9–6)

Cephalotaxus harringtonia sef-uh-lo-TAK-suss hair-ring-TOH-nee-uh (6–9, 9–3)

Cercis canadensis SUR-siss kan-uh-DEN-siss (4–9, 9–2)

Chiastophyllum oppositifoliumky-as-toh-FIL-um op-pos-sih-tih-FO-lee-um (6–9, 9–6)

Cladrastis kentukea kla-DRAS-tis ken-TUK-ee-uh (4–9, 9–1)

Clivia miniata KLY-vee-uh min-ee-AY-tuh(9–11, 12–1)

Coprosma repens kop-ROS-muh REP-enz(8–10, 10–8)

Corydalis flexuosa kuh-RID-uh-liss flex-yoo-O-suh (6–8, 8–6)

C. lutea C. LEW-tee-uh (5–8, 8–4)

D–L

Dicentra eximia dy-SEN-truh eks-ZIM-ee-uh (3–8, 9–1)

D. spectabilis D. spek-TAH-bih-liss (3–9, 9–1)

Dichondra argentea dy-KON-druhar-JEN-tee-uh (10–11, 12–3)

Echinacea pallida ek-ih-NAY-see-uh PAL-lih-duh (4–8, 8–1)

E. purpurea E. pur-PUR-ee-uh (3–9, 9–1)E. tennesseensis E. ten-uh-see-EN-sis(3–9, 9–1)

Epimedium grandiflorum ep-ih-ME-dee-um gran-dih-FLOR-um (5–8, 8–5)

Erica carnea AIR-ih-kuh KAR-nee-uh(5–7, 7–5)

Euonymus carnosus yew-ON-ih-mus kar-NO-sus (4–8, 8–3)

Eupatorium purpureum yew-puh-TOR-ee-um pur-PUR-ee-um (3–9, 9–1)

Fatsia japonica FAT-see-uh jah-PON-ih-kuh (8–10, 10–8)

Galium odoratum GAY-lee-um o-doh-RAY-tum (5–8, 8–5)

Hakonechloa macra ha-kon-ee-KLO-uhMAK-ruh (5–9, 9–4)

Hydrangea arborescens hy-DRAN-juh ar-bo-RES-enz (4–9, 9–1)

Juniperus horizontalis joo-NIP-er-iss har-ih-zon-TAL-iss (3–9, 9–1)

J. ✕pfitzeriana J. fit-zeer-ee-AN-nuh (4–9, 9–1)

J. procumbens J. pro-KUM-benz (4–9, 9–5)

J. sabina J. sah-BYE-nuh (4–7, 7–1)J. squamata J. squaw-MAT-uh (4–8, 8–1)J. virginiana J. vir-jin-ee-AN-uh (3–9, 9–1)

Larix decidua LAY-riks deh-SID-yew-uh(3–7, 7–1)

Liatris microcephala ly-AY-triss my-kro-SEF-uh-luh (6–8, 8–5)

Ligularia dentata lig-yew-LAIR-ee-uh den-TAY-tuh (4–8, 8–1)

Lobelia cardinalis lo-BEEL-yuh kar-dih-NAL-iss (2–8, 8–1)

L. siphilitica L. sih-fih-LIH-tih-kuh (4–7, 8–2)

Lysimachia nummularia liss-ih-MAHK-ee-uh noom-yew-LAIR-ee-uh (4–8, 8–1)

M–ZMertensia virginica mur-TEN-see-uh vir-JIN-ih-kuh (3–8, 7–1)

Microbiota decussata my-kro-by-O-tuhday-kuh-SAY-tuh (3–7, 7–1)

Monarda didyma muh-NAR-duh DID-ih-muh (4–10, 10–1)

Myosotis palustris my-o-SO-tiss pah-LUS-triss (5–9, 9–5)

M. scorpioides M. skor-pee-OY-deez(5–9, 9–5)

Ophiopogon planiscapus of-fee-o-PO-gonplan-iss-KAY-pus (6–11, 12–5)

Panicum virgatum PAN-ih-kum veer-GAY-tum (5–9, 9–1)

Picea abies PY-see-uh AY-beez (3–8, 8–1)

P. omorika P. o-MOR-ih-kuh (4–8, 8–1)P. pungens P. PUN-jenz (3–8, 8–1)Pinus mugo PY-nus MYEW-go (3–7, 7–1)Polygonatum falcatum pah-lih-GO-nay-tum fal-KAY-tum (4–9, 9–4)

Rodgersia podophylla rah-JERZ-ee-uhpah-doh-FIL-luh (5–8, 8–4)

Sedum spathulifolium SEE-dum spath-yoo-lih-FO-lee-um (5–9, 9–5)

Sequoia sempervirens see-KWOY-uhsem-pur-VY-renz (8–9, 9–8)

Stachys byzantina STAY-kiss bih-zan-TY-nuh (4–8, 8–1)

Sutera cordata soo-TARE-uh kor-DAH-tuh(11–11, 12–1)

Symphytum ✕uplandicum SIM-fih-tumup-LAN-dih-kum (3–9, 9–1)

Taxus ✕media TAK-suss MEE-dee-uh(5–7, 7–5)

Ternstroemia gymnanthera tern-STRO-me-uh jim-nan-THUR-uh (8–10, 10–8)

Viola labradorica VY-o-luh lab-ruh-DOOR-ih-kuh (2–8, 8–1)

Woodwardia fimbriata wood-WARD-ee-uhfim-bree-AY-tuh (8–9, 9–8)

Zephyranthes candida zef-ih-RAN-theezKAN-dih-duh (7–9, 9–6)

Most of the cultivated plants described in this issue are listed here with their pronunciations, USDA Plant Hardiness Zones, and AHS Plant HeatZones. These zones suggest a range of locations where temperatures are appropriate—both in winter 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, moisture, snow cover, and hu-midity also play an important role in plant survival. The codes tend to be conservative; plants may grow outside the ranges indicated. A USDA zonerating of 0–0 means that the plant is a true annual and completes its life cycle in a year or less.


CLASSIFIED AD RATES: All classified advertising must be prepaid. $2.75 per word; min-imum $66 per insertion. Copy and prepayment must be received by the 20th of the monththree months prior to publication date. Display ad space is also available. To place an ad,call (703) 768-5700 ext. 120 or e-mail [email protected].

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CPLANT IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PLANT OF MANY NAMESIncreasingly rare in the wildand listed as endangered insome states, mountain fringevine is native to moist wood-lands and rocky outcrops overa large swathe of easternNorth America from NovaScotia west to southern Man-itoba and south to Tennesseeand North Carolina.

A member of the fume-wort family (Fumariaceae),it is known as Alleghenyfleece vine in mountainousPennsylvania locales, while“climbing fumitory” is theless-than-lyrical label inother regions.

A more descriptive name—climbingbleeding heart—alludes to the plant’spendant flowers and finely-cut leaves,which resemble those of a closely-relatedplant, bleeding heart (Dicentra eximia).While mountain fringe vine grows 10 to20 feet tall, eclipsing its diminutive rela-tive, both plants boast a remarkably del-icate leaf form and a similar flowering

habit distinguished by heavy clusters ofhanging blooms.

GROWING ADVICEMountain fringe vine will thrive in a sitewhere it receives part or morning sun,protection from drying winds, and ade-quate moisture. It needs well-draining,organic-rich soil with a near neutral pH.Plants are not very heat tolerant and willpine in regions where nighttime temper-atures remain high.

During the first year of growth, plantsproduce slender new stalks that hug theground, developing a lacy, pale greenmounded form.

When mountain fringe be-gins dying back to the groundat the close of the first season,topdress the surrounding soilwith an inch or so of compostand apply a thick mulch ofshredded leaves.

During the second grow-ing season, mountain fringevine started slowly in my coolChicago garden, but once theground warmed, the rate ofgrowth picked up.

Mountain fringe vine willsprawl over azaleas or othershrubs when given room, butin my limited space, I trainedmine up a trellis.

By mid-July, mountainfringe flaunted crisscrossing vines fairlydripping with clusters of half-inch-long di-aphanous blooms in a spectrum of colorsfrom white to pink, mauve, and purplethat continued for weeks into late summer.

At the end of the second season,plants produce abundant seeds that canbe gathered to grow new plants or sharewith friends. For optimal germination,provide seeds with a three-month periodof cold conditioning.

In addition to being a beautiful anduncommon native plant, mountainfringe vine’s adaptable growing habit of-fers shade gardeners a wealth of designpossibilities. �

A resident of San Francisco, California, AliceJoyce writes the Bay Area Tendrils blog.

by Alice Joyce

Mountain Fringe Vine

AFEW YEARS AGO, when I was living in Chicago, I was looking for plants to spruce up a shady areain my small townhouse garden. To my delight, a local garden center offered a beguiling, rare Amer-

ican native called mountain fringe vine (Adlumia fungosa, USDA Zones 3–7, AHS Zones 7–1). Althougholder botanical references generally classify this delicate-looking climber as an annual, it’s now consid-ered a biennial. What made the biggest impression on me was that it is a vine that thrives in part shade—a relative rarity—and exactly what I sought for my garden.

The tubular flowers of mountain fringe vineresemble those of its relative, bleeding heart.

SourcesSummer Hill Seeds, Whittington, IL(618) 248-2010. http://summerhillseeds.com.Sunshine Farms & Gardens. Renick,WV. (304) 497-2208. www.sunfarm.com.

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