Digitized by the Internet Archive
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https://archive.org/details/greenscene3516edpr
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CHESTER COUNTY
page 28
Cathedral
Village
Above photo shows our latest amenities to support resident activities: Surrounding a new professional, six-hole putting green is this butterfly garden complete with a natural rock waterfall and shaded seating area. The putting green is maintained daily so that it is always ready for residents and their guests.
600 East Cathedral Road Philadelphia, PA 19128 (215) 984-8622 www.cathedralvillage.com
1979 - 2006 Twenty-seven Years . . . and the Vision Continues . . .
Cathedral Village still offers the traditional CCRC contract, the most extensive available in the retirement industry. The contract provides a Value to our residents, measured in the number and quality of services received for the monthly fee, that is unparalleled and ... it covers more today than it did 27 years ago.
Years of Innovative planning by the Board of Directors and Management have gone into Cathedral Village. The outstanding array of services and quality of care provided by all departments, including Dining, Health Care with Outpatient Services and Unlimited Nursing Care, Health Club fitness and exercise programs, Horticultural activities and workshops, Village College classes, and Art and Music facilities have resulted in unusually high Resident Satisfaction.
The Vision of Cathedral Village continues. It is an on-going process that accommodates changes in cultural trends and in residents’ lifestyles.
We invite you to visit, question, and compare! Come in Monday through Friday between 9 and 4. Appointments are necessary on weekends.
A Nonprofit, Nondenominational CCRC • Accredited since 1983 Affiliated with the Jefferson Health System
Table of Contents
GREEN SCENE (USPS 955580),
Volume 35, No.1, is published bi-monthly (February, April, June, August, October, December) by The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, a non-profit member organization at 100 N. 20th St„ Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495. Single Copy: $5.00 (plus $2.00 shipping). Second-class postage paid at Philadelphia, PA 19103.
POSTMASTER: Send address change to GREEN SCENE, 100 N. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103. © Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 2007
GREEN SCENE subscriptions are part of the membership benefits for:
Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ Horticultural Society of New York Phipps Conservatory, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA Staten Island Botanical Garden, Inc, New York
PHS Membership Information
Linda Davis, 215-988-8776
Display Ads
Manzo Communications, LLC 610-527-7047 manzocomm@aol.com
Classified Ads
Joe Soprani, 215-988-8809 gsads@pennhort. org
Ask A Gardener Phone Line
215-988-8777, Monday through Friday, 9:30 to 12 [closed in December] askagardener@pennhort. org
FEATURES
28 Native Beauties
Jane G. Pepper takes us out to bucolic Chester County to visit Yellow Springs Farm, where you’ll find native plants galore. In 2000, owners Catherine and Al Renzi bought this plot of land in the country and proceeded to launch a native-plant nursery. Seven years later, they now sell about 5,000 plants a year to a growing list of happy customers.
OLUMN
The Potting Shed
34 Show Plants
Springing Back to Life
38 The Backyard
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society motivates people to improve the quality of life and create a sense of community through horticulture.
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
Pete Prown
Associate Editor
Jane Carroll
Assistant Editor
Daniel Moise
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Web Site
www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org
President
Jane G. Pepper
22
32
Botanical Bouquets
One Dozen Roses
Advertising Coordinator
Joe Soprani
Art Design
Baxendells’ Graphic Publications Committee Rob Cardillo Stephanie Cohen Joe Henderson Harry E. Hill, ex officio Anne Kellett Adam Levine Jennifer Lin Rhoda Maurer llene Sternberg
Printer
ALCOM
10 The Glass Garden
Many of us marvel at those elegant Wardian Cases at the Flower Show, each brimming with exotic hot-house plants and foliage. In this piece, Elise du Pont shows us how to create these magical “gardens under glass,” whether for the Show or simply for your own personal enjoyment.
16 It’s a Snap!
We re happy to bring you the winners of this year’s Green Scene Garden Photo Contest. From exuberant flower beds to smiling faces, these images deftly capture the work, passion, and joy of gardening.
Work in the Winter Garden
Even when cold weather sets in, there’s much to do in the winter landscape. In this story, llene Sternberg talks to the hard-working professional gardeners at Chanticleer (in Wayne, PA) and learns what tasks they tackle in the so-called “off season.” From tool repairs to grounds cleanup, their work will give you fresh ideas for your own winter projects.
100 N. 20th St. Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495 215-988-8800
Chair
Harry E. Hill
Executive Vice President
J. Blaine Bonham, Jr.
Letter from the Editor
What's an
EXPERT GARDENER?”
eing at the helm of a gardening magazine, I meet “expert gardeners all the time. Tall ones, short ones, degreed ones, amateur ones. This line of thought emerged recently when I was outside planting shrubs and was greeted by a new neighbor. We chatted a bit and, as is often the case when I divulge the name of the organization for which I work, 1 was greeted by oobs and ahs, as well as the inevitable comment, “Golly, you must be an expert gardener.”
Alas — I’m not. While 1 know a goodly amount of botanical Latin (thanks to my Green Scene labors) and have gardened for many years, I’m far from an expert. The real experts, I’ve found, are a more varied and interesting lot. For example, there are the official experts, including horticulturists and botanists bearing degrees from institutions of high- er learning. They are the scholars of the gardening world, dedicated to the mastery of academic gardening knowledge. They eat Latin nomen- clature for breakfast and try to stay current with the never-ending name changes that occur in the plant world (as well as having to remember the myriad new varieties introduced each spring). These professionals attempt to blend the best of garden knowledge and garden practice into one skill set.
Another schooled variety of gardener I sometimes encounter is the arborist. This is a person who has devoted his or herself to the care and cultivation of trees, whether it’s planting the right tree on someone’s property or removing a 100-year-old giant whose best days are behind it. In the latter case, being an arborist can be a dangerous line of work. When scaling a 70-foot tree with ropes, it’s good to be an expert.
There are many other fields of professional horticulture I could men- tion for their expertise (such as landscape architecture, forestry, and public-garden management), but there are plenty — and I mean, plenty — of top-notch gardeners who hold no degrees. Take, for exam- ple, a professional landscaper. Granted, some land- scapers know only how to mow grass and fire up a gas-powered weed whacker, but good ones are also knowledgeable about planting trees and shrubs, weeding beds, and applying the correct amount of mulch to woody
NEW COVER DATES
What happened to the December issue of Green Scene ? No, you didn’t miss an issue. We’re “re-serializing” the magazine, starting with the January/February 2007 issue you’re holding right now (formerly known as the December ‘06 issue). Henceforth, Green Scene will bear the follow- ing cover dates: January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December.
If you have questions, please call 215-988-8767 or email greenscene@pennhort.org.
Photo by Dori O '
plants (as opposed to those who build unsightly and harmful “mulch mountains”).
To home and business owners, as well as landscape architects and designers, good landscapers are worth their weight in gold.
Another group of pros who may or may not have degrees are nursery owners and members of their staff. (I say “may not” because it’s not a professional requirement — unlike landscape architects who need a degree to legally practice their craft.) Fortunately, in the nursery world, a degree is not necessary to successfully earn the mantle of expert gar- dener. In my experience, many of the nursery owners and employees I’ve met over the years are bona fide experts who are learned about both plants and the art of placing them in the best spot. I’m generally pleased with the advice I receive from nursery staff; they’re usually knowledge- able, well-meaning people who can help you find the right plant.
Perhaps I’m biased, but some of my favorite garden experts show up each March in Hall B at the Philadelphia Flower Show. Many of these people are just regular folks with a deep passion for plants. Some of them are business men and women, others are city folk and country folk, and many just grow flowers for fun. But in their free time, they voraciously read books and journals about specific plant genera and join relevant plant societies. Many are what I’d call the “black belt” experts of horticulture, and I learned long ago not to underestimate them. They know more about plants than I mrwill and can cite reference books on their chosen subjects until the sun goes down. Trust me — those plants you see in Hall B are grown by many of the best “garden experts” in the region and beyond. It’s definitely one of my favorite spots at the Flower Show each year.
The gardeners who impress me the most, however, may not be pro- fessionals or Show exhibitors. They are home gardeners who have taken their tiny plots to new creative heights. Each spring and ^ summer, I drive to various gardens in the city and suburbs, fol- lowing a “hot tip” from another gardener or a PHS colleague. There’s always a thrill when I discover a secret garden created by a skilled amateur, someone who just loves the process of gardening, understands plants, and has a highly developed artistic eye. Admiring their horticultural feats, I often say, “You should write a book!” to which they return a shy smile and politely decline. But while they’d disagree, I count these quiet masters among the finest garden experts I’ve ever encountered.
And who knows? Maybe you, too, are one of them. As I’ve learned over the years, garden experts sometimes appear where I least expect to find them.
email: greenscene@pennhort.org
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Martina Martin
Phlox (Phlox paniculata) with black swallowtaj butterfly. I
Agastache foeniculum with Coreopsis . verticillata, and various Solidago sp.
MARTINA’S GARDEN
J rilliant bluebirds and noisy I a Carolina wrens eagerly swoop to
I </ feeders perched on the railing of
Martina Martin’s deck. Hummingbirds hover, sipping rhe nectar that helps meet their ravenous need for energy. Amid the lively chatter and flapping wings, Martina and her big cat Harley settle into their morning routine of welcoming these daily visitors.
Martina’s lifelong interest in nature inspired her to volunteer at the Schuylkill Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic 15 years ago. Later, a class at the Cape May Bird Observatory sparked her desire to create a backyard habitat. Retired from a busy career as a rheumatologist, Martina finally was able to begin work on this project when she and husband John settled into a new Media, PA, home in 2002.
Limited gardening experience didn’t stop Martina from thinking big. She knew the essentials of creating a beneficial habitat and the importance of indigenous plants in sustaining local wildlife. When a friend told her about Redbud Native Plant Nursery in Glen Mills, PA, Martina con- tacted owner Catherine Smith, who designed a habitat garden for her incorpo- rating fruiting trees and shrubs as well as flowers that provide nectar and seeds.
The cranberry viburnum ( Viburnum trilobum) is one of Martina’s favorites: “The flowers are beautiful, and the berries are outstanding. I’ve seen cedar waxwings on them; they are one of my favorite birds.” Another shrub chosen for its tasty fruit is elderberry (Sam bums canadensis ), which attracts more than 40 bird species. “It was a huge surprise to find how fragrant the milkweed ( Asclepias syriaca) blossoms are; they’re heavenly,” she says. “And the butter- fly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is just so lovely in July with its orange flowers, but in addi-
tion, it hosts my monarch caterpillars.”
Martina’s meadow hums with life as asters, coreopsis, and towering ironweed sway in the breeze. “When I moved here this was just dirt, dust, and mud,” she recalls.
A wildlife habitat doesn’t have to be as ambitious as Martina’s garden, as long as it includes five key elements: food, water, shelter, places to raise young, and earth- friendly landscaping practices. “You can start small and add as much as you want,” says Martina. Any outdoor space, from a small city balcony to a suburban property, can provide the basic necessities for wildlife. For example, a water source can be as simple as a birdbath or shallow dish.
Decide what critters you want to attract and select plants that help create the envi- ronment they need. “Goldfinches love pur- ple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) and Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium sp.). Phlox (Phlox paniculata), which are just so gor- geous, are great for butterflies,” Martina says.
Restoring biodiversity to our own back- yards is critical for wildlife survival in urban and suburban settings where development has eliminated most natural areas. “I’m sad that we re destroying so much of the natu- ral ecosystem,” says Martina. Then, enjoy- ing the abundant display of colorful winged creatures that flutter by, flourishing in the haven she created, she adds, “This is my contribution.”
The National Wildlife Federation’s “Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program” offers tips on gardening for wildlife. You can even have your property certified as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat site. Visit www.rtwf. org/backyard/.
GREEN SCENE • january/february 2007
7
Photo by Kirill Rozhdestvenskiy, Dreamstime.com
The Potting Shed
FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS
from the
PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW
Class: Defined Space
Title Theme: Runway
Arrangers: Karen Milbourne-Messer and Booker Messer
Plants: Anthurium
Ribbon: Blue
Judges’ Comment: “A powerful and energetic design.”
For information about entering the 2007 Philadelphia Flower Show, visit www. theflowershow. com
Coming to Dinner
Set another place at your yuletide table, because Rudolph might be coming this year! Each December at PHS, staff assem- ble for a holiday workshop to create wreaths and centerpieces for their domestic holiday decorations. We couldn’t help but grin at this clever reindeer centerpiece cre- ated last year by senior project coordinator Margaret Funderburg and thought we’d share the fun.
Margaret took a shallow plastic, rectan- gular container and fitted a block of Oasis in the center. Then she covered it densely with freshly cut yew tips. Other materials included saucer magnolia branches for the antlers, a pair of magnolia leaves for the ears, pinecones for the eyes, and a red plas- tic ball for the nose.
What could be easier.. .or more festive?
The Gardener’s Bookshelf
By Daniel Moise
The Life Cycles of Butterflies
By Judy Burris & Wayne Richards (151 pp., $16.95)
The brother-sister team of Richards and Burris presents a detailed look at 23 commonly found butterflies at each phase of develop- ment, from egg to winged wonder. Readers will benefit from the full- color photos that handsomely display the intricate distinctions among the species. Also of use are the field notes, breeding-range maps, and gallery of host plants.
Closely Observed
By Andrea Baldeck (176 pp., $49.95)
A collection of 178 black-and-white photos, Closely Observed asks readers to slow down for a moment and appreciate the delicate details of the botanical world. Photographer and
Judy Burn* & Wayne Richards
Wildflowers in the Field and Forest
By Steven Clemants and Carol Gracie (445 pp., $35)
The latest addition to the Field Guide series (past editions featured caterpillars and dragonflies) is a dense but user-friendly directory of 1,450 species of wildflowers. Extensive information is provided for each variety, including color- coded maps that indicate where and when a flower best blooms. Note: this guide is Northeast specific.
PHS member Andrea Baldeck has an eye for detail, and common flora seen through her lens appear in a whole new light. It’s no surprise that roses and orchids make for beautiful
muses, but even cabbage is captivat- ing in this coffee-table tome.
Living Monet —
The Artist’s Gardens
By Doris Kutschbach (144 pp., $35)
From water lilies to wheat stacks, Claude Monet’s paintings of nature are among his best-known works. Art historian and author Doris Kutschbach explores and celebrates the artist’s outdoor interests with her new book, Living Monet. Featuring reproductions of his paintings, an abundance of photos, and even recipes from his kitchen, readers will acquire a fuller perspective of Monet’s daily life and of the gardens at Giverny.
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GREEN SCENE • january/february 2007
9
THE ELUSIVE
WARDIAN
CASE
Growing Under Glass with Elise du Pont
Story by Daniel Moise Photography by Pete Prown
n Victorian-era America, no parlor or drawing room was complete without a Wardian case, commonly called a terrar- ium. Named for their inventor, Nathaniel Ward, the ornate glass cases, often shaped as houses, were used to create controlled environments for plants. And though they might not be as much in vogue now as they once were, many people still find great joy in designing their own tabletop greenhous- es. One such enthusiast is Elise du Pont, wife of former Delaware governor Pete du Pont. She’s devoted much time, effort, and energy to creating these cases and tests her mettle each March at the Philadelphia Flower Show.
Planning for the Flower Show is a process that requires several months of work at Patterns, her home near Wilmington, Delaware. After nurturing a host of miniature plants through the spring and summer, Elise gathers together her most trusted advisors to discuss the layout and design of her entries. Although the end results vary greatly from year to year, Elise operates by a certain set of criteria. She says, “We always try to incorporate a good mix of plants, but we’re careful to adhere to a particular culture. After all, you don’t want a desert plant next to a jungle plant.”
Construction of the display typically starts with a rare, standout species. “I per- sonally believe that each case should have a clear focal point, something that will catch the judges’ eyes and set the tone,” says
Elise. Then, other specimens follow suit. Her overall objective is to construct a dis- play that appears refined and harmonious, yet lush and dynamic — not an easy balance to master. “The whole thing is very artistic, so there’s really no one way to go about it. Different sets of judges look at things dif- ferently, so you never know what the reac- tion will be,” she adds.
In the weeks before the big show, cases may be reconfigured multiple times. Since the growth or bloom of a certain species may not be up to snuff, Elise plans ahead and has alternates in reserve to call upon.
Once the roster is finalized, the plants undergo a rigorous grooming regimen. Elise’s experiences have shown that good grooming can make the difference between a blue ribbon and a “better luck next year.” The majority of the grooming occurs in the du Pont home prior to transporting the entries to the Show floor. There, unruly branches are gently snipped away, unattrac- tive leaves are tweezed, and every inch of the plants are scrutinized for imperfections. “I appreciate as much feedback as possi- ble,” Elise says, “So I'll grab anyone within five miles and ask for their input.”
But when it comes to Wardian cases, grooming extends beyond the plants them- selves. Each glass pane of the mini-green- houses must be thoroughly washed and rinsed — luckily, they’re removable. Soap and water is usually sufficient to keep the glass spotless and shiny; Elise is wary of
10
GREEN SCENE • january/february 2007
Wardian Cases
harsher chemical cleaners for fear the residue could harm the plants. She also stays away from lint-leaving paper towels. Instead, she uses a squeegee for scrubbing and a razorblade for removing stubborn spots.
The week of the Show is always a high- light of Elise’s year. Not only can she share her hard work with thousands of people, but it also gives her the opportunity to observe the competition. “Once they estab- lished a special class for Wardian cases, we really had to step it up. More people enter now than before, so it’s always exciting to see who’ll come out on top she says.
And though you can’t win them all, Elise certainly has a fair share ol blue ribbons to her name. In fact, a small partition adjacent to her greenhouse is seemingly wallpapered with primary-colored ribbons — a testa- ment to her labor of love. While the major- ity of this collection comes courtesy of PHS and the Philadelphia Flower Show, several represent distinction from other horticul- tural organizations.
Still, all the accolades haven’t lessened Elise’s drive. She often tries new sorts of soil, experiments with drainage techniques, and takes classes at Longwood Gardens to keep on her toes. “What can I say?” she adds with a shrug. “I’m a plantaholic.”
Elise du Pont at home.
12
Left One of Elise’s entries at the Flower Show.
Below The greenhouse at Patterns, the home of Elise and Pete du Pont.
Wardian Cases
www.Aston-Simms.com
Quality products and services for the home and garden.
YOUR OWN HOUSE
If you’d like to enter the world of Wardian cases, allow Jessica Story to impart advice from her many years of experi- ence. Jessica is head grower at Meadowbrook Farm (www.gotomeadowbrook.com), a garden center in Abington Township, PA, and a nonprofit affiliate of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
• Select the right case for your home. Meadowbrook Farm offers a variety of Wardian cases ranging from $25 to $300. For a less formal look, fishbowls or glass globes work just as well.
• To plant, put a 3/4-inch layer of gravel in the bottom of your case or terrarium. Add a layer of chipped charcoal to keep the soil sweet, and top it off with about two inches of sterile potting soil.
www.Aston-Simms.com
Above: Wardian cases in Elise’s living room.
GF GLASS
• Choosing the right plants is extremely important. Be sure to select species that thrive in moist, closed conditions. Ferns and houseplants such as peperomias, fittonias, marantas, and begonias do well. Avoid the cactus and other such species that do poorly in high humidity.
• Arrange your specimens as though in a landscape, using rocks or pieces of wood if desired. Be mindful of proportions to obtain the best appearance.
• Since the glass covering traps so much moisture, water lightly. You may go for weeks without watering.
• Place your case in bright shade, not in direct sunlight.
• Overall, terrariums require relatively little maintenance, but make sure the more vigorous species do not overtake the others in mixed plantings. ^
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The Barnes Foundation
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Paul Cezanne, Terracotta Pols and Flowers, 1891-1892, BF235.
Visit the Barnes Foundation this winter and enjoy an unparalleled aesthetic experience inside the Gallery and outside in the Arboretum.
The Barnes Foundation's collection of French Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early Modem paintings is unsurpassed in breadth, quality, and depth. The collection also includes important examples of African sculpture, American paintings and decorative arts. Old Master paintings. Native American art, Asian art, and ancient artifacts, which provide a rich context for the study of art and aesthetics.
The Arboretum, which features an exceptional collection of rare trees and woody plants from all over the world, a fem collection, formal gardens, and a lilac grove, provides an unparalleled environment for horticulture education. The 12-acre Arboretum, which surrounds the gallery building, reflects and enhances the beauty of the art inside.
For information on visiting the Barnes Foundation please call 610-667-0290.
To learn about art and horticulture classes and workshops ottered at the Barnes, please contact the Education Department at 610-667-0290, ext. 2259, or the Arboretum at 610-667-0290, ext. 1071.
THE BARNES FOUNDATION
300 North Latch's Lane, Merion, PA 19066 610-667-0290 www.barnestoundation.org
Potted Amaryllis
Exquisite and Foolproof
Amaryllis are tropical bulbs that open their large, trumpet-shaped blooms in lustrous colors during the dreariest days of winter. Our huge, healthy bulbs are guaranteed to produce at least 2 stems, each with no less than 4 blooms, for a ravishing display (as shown above by the Nymph Amaryllis Trio). Best of all, these carefully prepared giants require only light and water to perform, making them the ideal gift for anyone who enjoys beautiful flowers.
Our holiday gift selection includes more than 200 items of comparable quality and charm — fragrant wreaths, greens, and trees cut and shipped at the last minute to assure freshness, spring- flowering bulb collections prepared for forcing, Paperwhite Narcissus, unusual houseplants such as Jasmine, Abutilon, and Olivia, plus other attractive gifts with natural beauty and simplicity. Gardeners appreciate our gift certifi- cates, which provide access to a vast offering and a compelling discount.
To review our holiday catalogue, please visit whiteflowerfarm.com. Your selections will be delivered with complete instructions and your greetings enclosed. Satisfaction is guaranteed. Kindly mention Source Code 63050. We look forward to serving you.
White Flower Farm
whiteflowerfarm.com
GREEN SCENE • january/february 2007
15
PHOTO FINISH
Winners of the 2006 Green Scene “Garden Photo Contest”
Shutters were snapping madly this summer as Green Scene readers prepared for the 2006 Garden Photo Contest. Friends, family, and flowers were all part of our “People in the Garden” theme, bringing the welcome addition of smiling faces to the competition.
As usual, the quality of the images was uniformly excellent, proving that our entrants certainly know how to handle their digital cameras, film SLRs and friendly “point ‘n’ shoot” models. Now... off to the winner’s circle!
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16
GREEN SCENE • january/february 2007
1st Prize courtesy of:
◄ 1st PLACE winner
NAME: Diana Keat
PRIZES: Nikon Coolpix L4 Digital Camera (courtesy of Ritz Camera)
SHOOTER’S COMMENTS: “Chinese gardeners are both meticulous and tenacious. I photographed this man working hard in 107° temperatures in a public garden near l-Cheng, on the property of the Three Gorges Dam."
LTHA
QfJTTUT
& IMAGE
2nd PLACE WINNER
NAME: Patricia Danzon PRIZES: The Philadelphia Flower Show coffee table book
SHOOTER’S
COMMENTS:
“This photo shows a little cottage garden set within the larger, grander gardens of St. James’s Park in Central London. I took many pictures of the wider vistas, impeccable flowerbeds, ducks, and pelicans that inhabit this park, but this cottage garden is my favorite image.”
3*o PLACE WINNER
NAME: James Creighton PRIZES: A one-year PHS Membership
SHOOTER’S COMMENTS:
“It took three nights of shooting to get just the right image of the frog.
It looks so surreal.”
17
Photo Contest
HONORABLE MENTION WINNERS
HONORABLE ► MENTION
Fanny Lynn Esh
HONORABLE
MENTION
Brian Wengenroth
18
GREEN SCENE • january/february 2007
◄ HONORABLE MENTION
Jane Irvin-Klotz
HONORABLE MENTION ▲
Mary Ann Watson
GREEN SCENE • january/february 2007
19
Photo Contest
HONORABLE MENTION Y
Laurie Van Sant
HONORABLE MENTION A
June McKenney
20 ! GREEN SCENE • january/february 2007
HONORABLE MENTION A Ar
Gene Castellano, Jr.
AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
Scholarly Publishing Since 1771
THE LIBRARY
OF
^BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
Edwin \ Volt 2nd oo Kevin J. Hi)t»
The Library of Benjamin Franklin
EDWIN WOLF 2nd and KEVIN J. HAYES
Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society — Vol. 257 ISBN: 978-0-87169-257-3, $100.00
Beginning in the late 1950s, Edwin Wolf 2nd embarked on a bibliographic odyssey to reconstruct the “lost” library of Benjamin Franklin. Franklin’s library, the largest and best private library at the time of his death in 1790, was sold by his grandson in the last eighteenth century to Robert Morris Jr., who subsequently sold it in the early nineteenth century. None of the catalogues of the collection survive, and the contents of the library were virtually unknown until 1956, when Wolf discovered the unique shelf- marks Franklin used to identify his books. Wolf’s work to reconstruct a catalogue of the library continued for the next thirty years but was unfinished at the time of his death. As the tercentenary of Franklin’s birth approached, Kevin J. Flayes took up the work and has continued to discover titles that were part of the library. Everything found to date, close to 4,000 entries, has been compiled here.
The Temple of Night at Schonau
JOHN A. RICE
Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society — Vol. 258 ISBN: 978-0-87169-258-0, $70.00
Between 1796 and 1800 Baron Peter von Braun, a rich businessman and manager of Vienna’s court theaters, transformed his estate at Schonau into an English-style landscape park. Among several buildings with which he embellished his garden, the most remarkable and celebrated was the Temple of Night, a domed rotunda accessible only through a meandering rockwork grotto that led visitors to believe that their destination lay somewhere deep underground. A life-size statue of the goddess Night on a chariot pulled by two horses presided over the Temple, while from the dome, which depicted the night sky, came the sounds of a mechanical musical instrument that visitors likened to music of the spheres.
Only the ruins of the Temple of Night survive, and it has received little scholarly attention. This book brings it back to life by assembling the many descriptions of it by early nineteenth-century eyewitnesses. Placing the Temple within the context of the eighteenth-century English landscape park and of Viennese culture in the fascinating period of transition between Enlightenment and Biedermeier, Rice’s book will appeal to anyone interested in the history of garden design, architecture, theater, and music.
Portrait of Elizabeth Willing Powel
DAVID MAXEY
Transactions of the American Philosophical Society — Vol. 96, Part 4 ISBN: 978-0-87169-964-0, $24.00
Drawing on original manuscript sources, David Maxey has produced a persuasive study of a late eighteenth-century portrait and its subject. Fie has focused attention on an enigmatic painting that has long puzzled art historians, and the person portrayed in it — a woman of talent and verve, whose life has remained undeservedly obscure.
Elizabeth Willing Powel occupied an influential position in Philadelphia society during and after the Revolution. She presided over a salon; spoke her mind freely; and maintained, for a period of forty years, an extensive, illuminating correspondence. She was the trusted confidante of the country’s first president, whom she did not hesitate to instruct on where duty summoned him.
Personal loss touched her deeply, and at a critical moment, the Philadelphia limner and sign painter, Matthew Pratt, was commissioned to capture on canvas the grief she experienced. What happened thereafter to the portrait Pratt painted becomes an essential part of the mystery that David Maxey has successfully undertaken to solve.
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WINTER CHORES in a PLEASURE GARDEN
22
GREEN SCENE • january/february 2007
Chanticleer, the secret treasure tucked away on a quiet road in Wayne, PA, closes at the end of October and doesn’t unveil its glories to the public again until April 1. But does that mean the worker bees are asleep in the hive for five fallow months? Hardly. There’s more industri- ous buzzing around in this 35-acre “pleasure garden” than one could possibly imagine. The staff is variously planting and moving bulbs, zipping around on wheeled vehicles, mowing, weeding, clipping, cleaning, and mulching, all amid the emerging sweeps of daffodils and greening lawn, babbling stream, and tranquil pond. And that’s not counting the hammering, sawing, painting, and paving!
The four office people and eleven gardeners (more during spring and summer) at Chanticleer take enormous pride in their efforts and are always eager to show-and-tell their handiwork. Whether working independ- ently or as a team, “Chanticleerians” are some of the most motivated, diligent, and multi-tal- ented gardeners around. This is largely because the 1913 Thomas Sears-designed Adolph Rosengarten estate has undergone a major ren- ovation since the Chanticleer Foundation was established in 1993, and directors (first Chris Woods and now Bill Thomas) have allowed the staff to exercise their genius and imaginations to create a romantic, one-of-kind garden.
1 asked these gardeners to tell me what they did on their winter “vacation” last year, and I was stunned by how much they accomplished while I lolled around watching Dr. Phil, wait- ing for spring to return.
Jonathan Wright, one of four gifted flower arrangers (Lisa Roper, Doug Croft, and Laurel Voran being the others), worked on curly wil- low twig sculptures and other container dis- plays for the courtyards. He used cold frames to warm up blue Himalayan poppies (you know, that flower none of us mere mortals can grow here), bringing these heat-sensitive plants into bloom while the weather was still cool. He also spent hours sorting, identifying, and cap- tioning over 6,000 images of Chanticleer taken
by photographer Andrea Jones over the past three seasons, and visited London to study form and structure of gardens in winter and consult an authority on cyclamen at Wisley.
Horticulturists Przemek Walczak and Joe Henderson designed and crafted a new iron fence for the front gate. “It is a magnificent metal meadow,” says Joe. “I’m also working on a bench for the wildflower slope and a gateway to the walkway along the creek. The walk, which I’m going to line with some native azal- eas, will connect to the Asian woods across from Lisa’s path that now ends at the water.” Przemek also tends the stream garden, does stonework, woodwork, and tree care — and tutors others in pronouncing his name.
Dan Benarcik made picnic tables. “We picked up and moved our woodworking facili- ty, packing and hauling large pieces of equip- ment, determining the layout of dust- collection systems, wiring, lighting and all that technical stuff you don’t think about before a piece of garden furniture comes out the door,” he says. He made new chairs, built a bamboo fence, and helped plan the national meeting of the Garden Writers Association. “Aside from that, plant orders occupy a big part of the win- ter time,” he says. Grounds manager Peter Brindle and Dan are state-licensed pesticide applicators and held their annual staff training. There were also pruning and tree workshops. Benarcik attended the Tropical Plant Industry Expo in Florida, returning to volunteer, as many staffers do, at the Philadelphia Flower Show.
Among other deeds, Laura Aiken planted thousands of bulbs. Laurel Voran tucked 40,000 bulbs in among the winter shrubs, painted an “underground world of chipmunks” mural in the Apple House, and designed and built a new plant list box that looks like a mushroom. She’s also in charge of a propaga- tion greenhouse and overall pest control.
Last winter, facilities manager Ed Hincken and groundskeeper Bryan Christ helped design the new Asian Woods restroom, a masterpiece of craftsmanship debuted at a gala heralded by
Story by llene Sternberg
GREEN SCENE • jcmuary/february 2007
23
Winter
an invitation asking attendees to “please help Chanticleer welcome the first flush of spring. The Asian Woods is Lisa Roper’s domain. She built a stone terrace and curved retaining wall overlooking the stream and designed and laid the path and bamboo fence for the new privy. (She visited Kyoto, Japan for inspiration.) In a spare moment or two she planted 20,000 Scilla and Chionodoxa in the Orchard Lawn to add to the 100,000 already there. Craftsman Doug Randolph, who designed and built the Asian Woods bridge and the stone couch and chairs near the ruins, finished, refinished, and rebuilt other furniture, including two masterfully con- structed wood benches outside the new rest- room, so guests can wait their turn in style.
Doug Croft manages Chanticleer’s website and tends the cut-flower and “Tennis Court” gardens. He also redesigned the vegetable gar- den. “As soon as the gates close at the end of October, I start cleaning the beds,” he says. “I lift any tubers that I want to keep, then start planting bulbs for the following year and hope to get them in before the ground gets too wet or freezes, at which time I start on my dormant and formative pruning.
“On horribly cold or wet days, I peruse the seed catalogs, deciding what we’ll grow next year," Doug adds. “I try to squeeze in some time to prepare the trellises. As soon as the seeds arrive, I spend time in the greenhouse sowing our cool-season vegetables and some of the easy annuals. Most of our seed will be grown at Meadowbrook Farm. Oh, and those darn leaves that keep blowing in... well, I keep on raking them.”
Ilene Sternberg is the co-author of Best Garden Plants for Pennsylvania (with Alison Beck) and a frequent contributor to Green Scene.
Chanticleer is located at 786 Church Road in Wayne, PA (phone: 610-687-4163, web: chanticleergarden.org). PHS members receive reduced admission to the gardens with their membership card.
24 GREEN SCENE • januory/february 2007
Above: The pond.
Right: Laurel Voran and Janet Hall working on leaf cleanup and fall cutbacks in the Gravel Garden.
Below: View of Chanticleer House from Pond Garden.
Left Lisa Roper laying new pathway to the Asian Woods restroom.
Above: Dan Benarcik building chairs in the woodshop.
Left: Laurel Voran modifying bed lines and amending soil at the Ruin and Gravel Garden.
gr j i |
b.- . Mi m |
|||||
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Left: Joe Henderson building frames for the Meadow Fence.
25
Winter
1 2 THINGS TO DO IN YOUR WINTER GARDEN
Here are just a few things you could be doing while waiting for spring to arrive (aside from watching Dr. Phil):
1. Move leaf debris (preferably chopped) from lawn to flower beds.
2. Reassess and, perhaps, redesign your garden when all the “bones” are most apparent in winter. If massing and spacing are badly arranged, or if the ground forms and general proportions are wrong, winter will expose the mistakes. Move rocks and garden ornaments to more aesthetically pleasing locations if necessary.
3. Prune suckers, water sprouts, and crossing branches from trees. Prune or cut back late- blooming shrubs that form buds on new wood. Avoid trimming spring-flowering plants, such as azaleas, Pieris, forsythia, viburnum, weigela, and lilacs until after flowering, or you may sacrifice bloom.
4. Submit catalog and web orders early while the choices abound.
5. Read. Research the histories and natural habitats of plants you have or are considering to help you discern their optimum growing conditions.
6. Plant a pot of grass seed for indoor cats to nibble. (Give them tiny mowers and instruct them to keep their lawn edges well trimmed.)
7. Clean, sharpen, oil, and organize hand tools. Paint handles a bright color so you can find them in the garden.
8. Have machines repaired now to spare you spring headaches or being on a waiting list at the shop for mower, chainsaw, or other power-tool repairs.
9. Dig up and compost plants that were ghastly choices — a good way to bury your mistakes (and so much kinder to kill them in their sleep).
10. Conduct a bagworm check. The pointy 1 -to-2-inch cocoons of these destructive moth larvae may be dangling merrily from your arborvitae right now, ready to devour host plants in late spring. Although they are fond of evergreens, search for them also on beech, maples, lindens, locusts, sycamores, and even roses. Pick off and destroy them now before an infestation war- rants spraying.
11. Get at those persistent weeds that are still active in winter. While the ground is moist and still soft, uproot them before they spread, but avoid walking over the same areas of frozen or wet lawn or you may find bald spots in spring. (I think it’s called grass pattern baldness.)
12. Volunteer to help at the Philadelphia Flower Show! ^
26
GREEN SCENE • january/february 2007
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CHESTER COUNTY
CHARM
Growing Native Plants at Yellow Springs Farm
Salamander studies in the spring house, Nubian goats in the front field, and an array of native plants are a few of the pleasures I found one hot August day at Yellow Springs Farm.
Owners Catherine and A1 Renzi are ded- icated conservationists, and together they are pursuing their passions on eight acres in Chester County. Catherine took a cir- cuitous route to her present activities. Trained in art and architecture, she has worked in an architectural firm, run a small gift business, and before she and A1 pur- chased Yellow Springs Farm, she was a financial planner. Al trained as a biologist and thought he would become a scientist. With business school degree in hand, he decided to join a growing local company and was in the biotech field for two decades. Today he has a “day job” in health care consulting.
When she was a kid, Catherine loved rid- ing and always appreciated the opportuni- ties she had to roam through open country on her horse. When she was 12, she remem- bers saying to herself as she rode in Chester County, “This is a place I would like to return to one day.” After she and Al mar- Story by Jane G. Pepper r‘e^ 'n 2000,
they decided to look for a property in Chester County. Their criteria for this new home included historic buildings and land they could protect from development with a conservation easement. After searching for more than a year, they found a proper- ty with eight acres, a house built in 1851, and a former dairy barn of a similar age. The house was not “a disaster,” but follow- ing the house inspection they did receive a sixteen-page report of issues “to be addressed sooner rather than later.” The former owners, Catherine said gratefully, had done some of the behind-the-scenes work, such as repairing the roof and chim- neys and replacing the heating and septic systems.
The Renzis knew from their research that their property was smaller than their local conservation organization, the French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, would usually accept for a conservation easement, but they decided to make their pitch to the Trust based on the diversity of habitats on the property. Over two seasons, botanists from the Trust surveyed their land, which includes a meadow, pond, and woodland, and indeed, they found a signif- icant diversity of flora and fauna, including more than 300 plant species.
The total watershed area for the French and Pickering Creeks is 69,770 acres, of which 21,000 have been protected, 8,250 by the Conservation Trust through pur- chases, conservation easements, and pub- lic/private partnerships. Part of the Trust’s mission is to monitor and maintain the
28
GREEN SCENE • jonuary/february 2007
Native Plants
stewardship of 120 easements on preserved land. By donating a conservation easement on their property to the Conservation Trust, Catherine and Al have given up in perpetuity the right to divide the property or place any kind of development on it. “This kind of easement,” says Catherine, “is the strongest land protection tool we have available as homeowners. " Most of the land in their section of Chester County is of “exceptional value” as a watershed, giv- ing it the highest amount of protection from degradation. This designation raises the bar for developers and builders, accord-
ing to Catherine, ensuring that they have to meet higher standards for issues such as water discharge.
When they bought the farm, Catherine and Al alternated between fixing the house and clearing the vines and brush that surrounded it. With some of the clearing complete, it was time to start planting. That is when they discovered it was harder than they had expected to find the native plants they wanted to increase the diversity on the property. Hence the birth of Yellow Springs Farm Native Plant Nursery in 2002.
That first winter, when the hoop house collapsed to the ground after a heavy snow storm, they doubted the wisdom of their decision. They had selected a Canadian manufacturer for the greenhouse, figuring their product would withstand hard win- ters, but the combination of snow followed by an ice storm was too much for the struc- ture. Subsequent winters have been kinder, and now the Renzis offer more than 200 native species to customers, who last year purchased approximately 5,000 plants on location and by mail-order. “We are surprised and delighted by the demand,”
Below: Hibiscus coccineus (Swamp hibiscus)
Below: A Springhouse on the property.
P |
|
Right: A walled garden with pasture beyond it.
says Catherine. Customers find their way to Yellow Springs Farm by appoint- ment, when the Renzis hold an Open Day (listed on their website www.yellowsprings farm.com), or through mail-order (also available through the website, where you will find native wildflowers, grasses and ferns, trees and shrubs, as well as plugs for meadow installations).
Besides running the nursery, Catherine’s interests lie in communicating to others the passion she and Al share for native plants. She offers design and consulting services to homeowners and community groups, to Scout troops embarking on conservation projects, and to members of garden clubs and organizations such as the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania.
On Yellow Springs Farm, Catherine and Al garden almost completely organically. Pesticides are not on their shopping list, the fertilizers they use in the nursery are envi- ronmentally friendly, and they use herbi- cides only very carefully, with a paint brush, when the need is extreme. Recently, they received certification by the National Wildlife Federation as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat ( www.nwf.org/backyardwildlife- habitatt).
I didn t see the salamanders, which are the subject of a University of Delaware census, but 1 did meet Dora, Rosebud, Rebecca, and Rena, the wonderfully noisy Nubian goats that clamor for attention when you wander down from the barn. The older goats, Dora and Rosebud, were gifts from a friend. When they were ready to breed Rosebud, the Renzis hired the services of a buck for $25 in the Lehigh Valley. That weekend was unproductive but after spending another $25 and the next weekend driving back to the buck’s farm, the mating worked, and sev- eral months later Rebecca and Rena were added to the family.
In keeping with the Renzis’ tradition of experimentation, there may be a new busi- ness in the offing once the goats are in full milk production. Apparently goat’s milk can be valuable to premature babies that are allergic to cow’s milk. Next time you visit the neo-natal unit at your local hospital, you may find Al and Catherine making a milk delivery.
Right: A view of the nursery area.
-4*
Botanical Bouquets
By Jane Godshalk
DESIGNING with ONE
DOZEN ROSES
God gave us memories so we might have roses in December" — J.M. Barrie
It’s easy to find a dozen roses at your local grocer
or produce market, even at this chilly time of year.
Here’s a floral design you can make with roses and
greens from your garden, using a wooden clemen- tine box.
You will need:
• Scissors or clippers
• 1 clementine box (Paint it dark brown or dark green. Those colors will make the box recede and flowers dominate.)
• 1 large plastic bag
• 2 blocks of floral foam
• 10 clementines
• 5 skewers (cut in half)
• 12 roses
• 6 stems hypericum or other berries
• Your choice of greens such as boxwood, pine, laurel, skimmia, pachysandra, galex
Variation:
Another way to use your clementine box with greens is to place your rose stems a little higher and add pine cones and winterberry holly ( Ilex verticillata) .
Step 3: Cut large plastic bag in half and line the box with it. Place the soaked foam in the lined box.
Step 6: Group clementines in threes around the base of the design.
32
Step 1 : Gather the necessary supplies.
Step 2: Soak floral foam by placing it on top of a bucket of water and letting the water gradually soak in. Do not push the foam or dry pockets will be created.
Step 4: Cut the greens to 4- to 6-inch lengths and Step 5: Put skewers into the clementines.
place in the foam. Group the foliage to create textural
contrast.
Photography by Margaret Funderburg
Photos by Ken Selody & Ray Rogers
By Ray Rogers
The Ugly Ducklings
I _L mid-December, and my potted clumps of
miniature-flowered amaryllis (Hippeastrum L. cvs.) look like abandoned heaps of brown-
skinned onions. Their dead and dying leaves offer no indica- tion of the happy, strappy foliage and masses of eye-catching flowers that will emerge in late February and early March, just in time for the Philadelphia Flower Show. Right now they look, to put it diplomatically, unpromising.
How did they arrive at this sad state? Very deliberately, fol- lowing a cultural regimen that has taken me 20 years of exper- imentation and dumb mistakes to master. At the close of the Show in March, I return the pots to the greenhouse and enjoy the remaining flower display. Liberal watering in a sunny spot through the end of April maintains abundant foliage, and then it’s time to begin my fertilizer routine. On paper it prescribes a weekly drenching of water-soluble Miracle Gro 10-52-10, but in practice it probably averages a big dose every 10 days to two weeks.
Around the end of May, heat and strong light make the foliage look stressed (because I can’t keep up with the water needs of the plants, whose roots completely fill the pots). Then it’s time to move them to a shadier but still bright spot. Notice I didn't say “move them outside.” Long ago, in my pre- greenhouse days, I learned the pitfalls of growing amaryllis outdoors during frost-free weather, namely an erratic water supply, leaf-shredding hailstorms, battalions of hungry slugs, and Narcissus bulb flies, whose larvae tunnel out the insides of the bulbs and turn them into to slimy, disgusting goo. This fate befell my now-venerable pot of ’Pamela’, which was reduced to a sad clump of three puny bulbs (it recovered and has been enlarging ever since). “Never again,” I vowed. The systemic insecticide I now use sees to that (and to those infer- nal mealybugs, seething masses of which terminated my prizewinning pot of ‘Pamela’ X ‘Scarlet Baby’).
Throughout summer and into early fall, the clumps pro- duce an exuberant mass of foliage and sometimes a bloomstalk or two. I stop fertilizing in September, and in early October I begin to reduce their water. By mid-November I place the pots in my cool, dark basement, where they remain, unwatered, until late January, when it’s time to pull off the dead leaves and take the pots back to the greenhouses for resumption of heat, light, and moisture. Then the clumps explode into renewed growth in the race to bloom in time for the Show. Of course, the timing isn't guaranteed, so February will see me (some say obsessively) shuttling the pots between more or less heat and light, depending on how poky or precocious they are this time around.
Here’s what else is happening with my showplants in mid-December:
• The pots of daffodils have rooted in and are biding their time under my front porch. Routine checks of their watering needs keep them happy — and me bent over and cold.
• My cacti and deciduous succulents are either fully or nearly dormant or are in surprisingly active growth (especially Haworthia sp.). Dormant plants need only a once-monthly dribble of water, while active growth requires regular but judicious watering.
• My hardy herbaceous perennial and woody plants are now quite dormant and sit forgotten either under the front porch or outside in a cold frame. Their wake-up calls will begin in a few weeks.
• The geraniums ( Pelargonium sp.) are in active growth and will remain so until the heat of late spring arrives. Determined pinching should produce dense, symmetrical mounds of foliage.
Left Top: After a few months of dormancy and a thorough removal of dead and tired leaves, it’s time to wake up the amaryllis.
Left Middle: Amaryllis grow quickly when given appropriate levels of heat, light, and moisture. It’s up to the exhibitor to get things just right.
Left Bottom The author is not infallible: here’s what the big pot of the intrepid ‘Pamela’ looked like soon after the 2006 Philadelphia Flower Show closed (it should have bloomed during the Show).
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Statement of Ownership Management and Circulation (Act of October 23, 1962; Section 4369. Title 39, United States Code)
1 . Date of Filing; September 26, 2006. 2. Title of Publication: The Green Scene. 3. Frequency of issue: bimonthly.
4-5. Location of Known Office of Publication and Headquarters: 100 N. 20th Street, 5th floor, Philadelphia, Pa 19103- 1495. 6. Names and Addresses of Publisher and Editor: Publisher - The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia, Pa 19103-1495; Editor: Pete Prown, 100 N. 20th Street, 5th floor, Philadelphia, Pa. 19103-1495. 7. Owner: The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia, Pa. 19103. 8. Known bondholders, mortgages and other security holders holding one percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None. 9. Extent and Nature of Circulation:
A. Total No. Copies Printed |
Average No. Copies Each Issue Preceding 1 2 Months 12,575 |
Single Issue During Nearest to Filing Date 12,505 |
(net press run) B. Paid Circulation: 1 . Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales |
50 |
50 |
2. Mail subscription |
12,064 |
12,081 |
C. Total Paid Circulation |
12,114 |
12,131 |
D. Free Distribution by mail, carrier or Other means, samples, complimentary And other free copies |
18 |
16 |
E. Free Distribution outside the mail (carriers or other means) |
3 |
2 |
F. Total Free Distribution (sum of D and E) |
21 |
18 |
G. Total Distribution (sum of C and F) |
12,135 |
12,197 |
H. Copies not distributed: 1 . Office use, left over, unaccounted, spoiled after printing |
380 |
242 |
2. Return from news agents |
0 |
0 |
Total (sum of G, Hi and H2) |
12.515 |
12,149 |
Percent Paid and/or Requested (C divided by G times 100) |
96.50% |
97.15% |
I certify that the statements made by me above Pete Prown. Editor |
are correct and complete. |
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The Backyard
PAINTINGTHECITY
GREEN
by Jane G. Pepper
project. Each region choos- es its own project. In past years, employees have worked at food distribu-
When the alarm went off last October 7, I just wanted to snuggle under the covers. It was cold and wet and windy, hardly the perfect condi- tions for a large volunteer tree planting scheduled to start at 8:30 am at 471*1 & Aspen Streets in West Philadelphia.
It turned out to be a memorable day. Several months previ- ously, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Michael DiBerardinis had secured a commitment from Comcast to support the Commonwealth’s TreeVitalize program as part of Comcast’s national day of caring. Philadelphia Green director Maitreyi Roy and associate director Bob Grossmann started discussions with several of our partners about the possibility of reclaiming a weed-infested, debris-strewn site in the Mill Creek section of West Philadelphia. Located between the Sulzberger Middle School and the beautiful new Philadelphia Housing Authority Lucien Blackwell Homes, this one-block site was a communi-
tion centers and painted school classrooms. In the Philadelphia region this year, Comcast employees planted approximately 300 trees in five counties as their contribution to their communities and also to further the goals of TreeVitalize to restore tree cover in Southeastern Pennsylvania. By the end of the morning at the Mill Creek site, 200 volunteers had planted 73 trees. After heavy rain the night before, the ground could only be described as soggy, and 1 was full of admiration for the cheery enthusiasm and hard work of the volunteers as they slogged through the mud carrying trees and shovels and pushing wheelbarrows full of mulch.
At a ceremony to commemorate the planting, Amy Smith, Comcast’s regional senior vice president of operations for the Philadelphia Metro area, presented me with what looked like a can of paint, but inside was a $25,000 donation from the Comcast Foundation to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
Some days it really pays to get out of bed — for both emo- tional and financial reasons. Our thanks to Comcast, the Pennsylvania DCNR, and all the other part- ners who made this day such a success.
ty eyesore.
The Philadelphia Housing Authority agreed to clear the site, and DCNR was ready to contribute trees through TreeVitalize, including flowering cherries, red maples, and tulip poplars. Volunteers from the Urban League and Comcast supplied the labor to plant the trees.
Now in its sixth year, Comcast Cares Day is a nationwide initiative, held on the first Saturday of October, to enable Comcast employees to volunteer together on a community
GREEN SCENE • january/february 2007
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2007 Philadelphia Flower Show
live Irish Dancing at the Show! page 16
THE PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
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Twenty-seven years ago Cathedral Village’s Board of Directors and Management addressed these concerns with programs and services to assure that you would have the security of immediate and full access to 24-hour medical care. As a result:
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GREEN SCENE subscriptions are part of the membership benefits for:
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Ask A Gardener Phone Line
215-988-8777, Monday through Friday, 9:30 to 12 [closed in December] askagardener@pennhort. org
GREEN SCENE (USPS 955580),
Volume 35, No.2, is published bi-monthly (January, March. May, July, September. November) by The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, a non-profit member organization at 100 N, 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495. Single Copy: $5.00 (plus $2.00 shipping). Second-class postage paid at Philadelphia, PA 1 91 03.
POSTMASTER: Send address change to GREEN SCENE, 100 N. 20th St„ Philadelphia, PA 19103. © Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 2007
100 N. 20th St. Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495 215-988-8800
Chair
Harry E. Hill
President
Jane G. Pepper
Executive Vice President
J. Blaine Bonham, Jr.
PHS Membership Information
Linda Davis, 215-988-8776
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12
Legends Come to Life
Whether you’re Irish or not, you’ll love the 2007 Philadelphia Flower Show with its colorful theme “Legends of Ireland.” From castles to knot gardens to daring plantings, the upcoming Show comes alive in this exciting preview.
The Irish Ideal
UK garden expert Michael Warren is well-versed in the ways of Irish gardens and is always pleased to reminisce about his favorites places. Learn more about the stunning properties he describes as “inspi- rational’’ and the hard-working, innova- tive Celtic caretakers that nurture them.
COLUMNS
20
46 The Backyard
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society motivates people to improve the quality of life and create a sense of community through horticulture.
Main cover photo by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
f j PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
The Potting Shed
42
Show Plants
Entering "Show Mode”
38
Botanical Bouquets
Branching Out
30 The Clivia Craze
From South Africa to the Slovak Republic, Mike Riska has been across the globe to observe his favorite flowering plant — the clivia — in its native setting. Here, writer Betsie Blodgett sits down with Riska to learn about his travels, as well as more about these hot-colored flowers. If you want to see some clivias yourself, stop by the Flower Show’s “Grow It” section (located in Hall B) and thrill at their magic.
Editor
Pete Prown
Associate Editor
Jane Carroll
Assistant Editor
Daniel Moise
Advertising Coordinator
Joe Soprani
Art Design
Baxendells’ Graphic
Printer
ALCOM Printing Group, Inc.
FEATURES
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Web Site
www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org
Letter from the President
we plan each Flower Show, we seek the perfect balance between the beau- ty of flowers, plants and gardens combined with a little whimsy and a whole wheelbarrow full of practical information. This year, I believe we have hit the perfect combination on all counts! The displays will be lush and beauti- ful, and full of great ideas for gar- deners.
If you thought Ireland was all about green, just wait until you see what Show designer Sam Lemheney and guest designer Chris Woods have in store for you in this year’s themed exhibits.
The gorgeous castles, knots and spirals of Ireland will definitely be on display combined with the splendid plant palette our exhibitors will offer, from rhodo- dendrons to Irish-bred daffodils and delphiniums, not to mention roses, daylilies and all kinds of cut flowers.
For those who love the whimsical side of life, there will be sprites and faeries hanging out in the sculptural forest known as the Ealain Wood and legends galore throughout the displays. And, Flower Show visitors will enjoy a dazzling spectacle of entertainment. This year, along with live music and cocktails in The Flive lounge, our partner Tourism Ireland has brought Ragus, one of Ireland’s hottest artistic troupes, whose performances will be interspersed by those of local Irish groups, all taking place daily on the Castle Stage.
Practical information on gardening will be at an all time high. Garden creators are planning to offer a special how-to-do-it tidbit at each display for visitors to try at home. Look for these nuggets at each garden display.
The Philadelphia Flower Show is a spring extravaganza with a great cause. Once it’s gone from the Convention Center, we return to our offices at 20lh & Arch Streets to plan a host of activities for the whole year. Proceeds from the Show are combined with rev- enues from government contracts and contributions from founda-
tions, corporations and individ- uals to fund PHS’s Philadelphia Green program, the nation’s most ambitious urban greening program. Through Philadelphia Green, PHS has been working for more than three decades with hundreds of organizations and thousands of people throughout the city to transform derelict land into beautiful spaces, to restore parks and to plant trees, bringing a renewed sense of hope and a healthy dose of reli- able gardening advice to resi- dents throughout Philadelphia and the region.
Ir is rewarding work and we invite you join our efforts. To learn more, please visit www.pennsylvaniahorticultural- society. org.
A hearty thanks to our delightful corps of volunteers, members, exhibitors and part- ners. We are grateful for the sup- port of so many who make the Show a success. At the top of the list of Show supporters is PNC Bank, the Show’s Presenting Sponsor. For 16 years, we have benefited greatly from the produc- tive relationships that develop with such a longstanding partner- ship. Many thanks to our Premier Sponsors'. Subaru of America, Inc. who has served in this capacity since 2001, and Tourism Ireland for its creative participation in the development of this year’s presentation. Special thanks also to our Official Sponsors: Acme Markets, Bartlett Tree Experts, EP Henry, Fiskars, Monrovia, Philadelphia International Airport, and Smith & Nephew; to our Media Partners: WPVI-TV 6ABC and Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc., and Caterer: ARAMARK for their generous support.
Best wishes and please enjoy the Show.
Jane G. Pepper PHS President
©PNCBANK
2007 PHILADELPHIA
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6
GREEN SCENE • march/april 2007
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I
the ANTIQUE SECRETS of SKELETON LEAVES
Story by Francine Kirsch
While it’s hard to believe that skeleton leaves could be anything but artificial, especially given all the colors they come in today, these gauzy — and natural — delights were first used for flower arranging 1 50 years ago. Dried foliage, from which all but the veining and ribs have been removed, were sometimes also called “phantom leaves” in the 19th century. But Victorian ladies could not buy them in cellophane pack- ages— they had to make them.
First the leaves were gathered, preferably in June or July. Among those most recommended were the leaves of ivy, holly, ferns, orange or lemon trees, wisteria, lilacs, and honeysuckle. As one book of the period noted, they should ideally “be at once laid between the leaves of a book; and, as soon as possible after, subjected to a certain amount of pressure.”
When dry and flat, the leaves were submerged in a pan of rainwater by placing a china plate on top of them. The pan was left outdoors, preferably in sunlight, for two weeks. Then the leaves were removed individually for “cleaning.” Everyone agreed that this was the worst part of the process. Warned one writer, “The stench is often unbearable. Wrote a second, “The leaves themselves are absolutely so disgusting in their filthy sliminess, that if it were not for the exquisitely beautiful results one would determine at once to have done with it.”
Working gingerly with a soft brush on a pane of glass, the lady removed all the green matter from both sides of the leaf. Then she bleached it by brushing on buttermilk or chloride of lime. Once the excess moisture was pressed out, the skeleton leaves were made ready for arranging by “graceful curling."
A finished arrangement might be placed under the ubiq- uitous Victorian glass dome or in a “recessed frame" (shad- ow box). In a frame “the recess should be lined with dark- colored velvet” to contrast with the leaves. So many sup- plies for arranging and mounting were available that S.J. Pardessus & Co., a New York City retailer of glass Wardian cases, even offered an entire catalog of them in the 1870s.
Much artistic inspiration could be gleaned from the fabulous skeleton leaf arrangements shown in stereoscopic (three-dimensional) photographs. Famous Americans — like Admiral Dewey, Charles Seward, Civil War generals, and Presidents Garfield and McKinley — made favorite centerpieces for them.
In Britain, Lady Dorothy Nevill applied isinglass (a transparent gelatin derived Irom fish bladders) to skeleton leaves to make them “paintable." She recalled that “one of the best skeleton leaves I illuminated was for Lord Beaconsfield ( aka Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli).” And as late as 1934, lamed English flower arranger Constance Spry mounted skeleton magnolia leaves onto bare branches for an unusual — and sophisticated — touch.
m
8
GREEN SCENE • march/april 2007
The Potting Shed
78% of all cut flowers sold in the US are imported, primari- ly from Latin America, mostly from Colombia and Ecuador.
Americans buy about 1 0 mil- lion cut flowers per day.
Americans buy more roses, carnations, and chrysanthe- mums than they do all other flowers combined.
‘Star Gazer is the most popu- lar lily ever to hit the cut- flower market. Last year,
13.8 million stems were sold through Dutch auction hous- es. However, the man who hybridized it, Leslie Woodriff, never made a dime for his cre- ation.
the BAD
AND THE
BEAUTIFUL
Amy Stewart nips a few buds in her new book
Flower Confidential is a new “tell-all book about the flower business — a global, $40 billion- per-year mega-industry. In its pages, author Amy Stewart tells the tale of how that demure pack of posies at your florist or super- market actually got there. As these “fast facts” from the book reveal, these flowers have often traveled thousands of miles and passed through many hands to reach that vase on your dining room table.
• Rose breeders spend seven years developing a new variety for market. An Australian team has been working for 1 0 years on a blue rose, using a pigment gene from petunias.
• Since 1997, almost 3,500 flower shops have closed.
Only 21 percent of flower purchases are now made at a florist; roughly half are now made at supermarkets.
• During the two weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, 12 to 15 million stems of Latin American flowers will arrive each day at Miami International Airport.
• Americans buy 180 million roses on Valentine’s Day. Over a third of orders will be placed on February 13th... and anoth- er 22 percent — that’s 39.6 million roses — are called in on the holiday itself!
FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS
5388
from the
PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW
Class: 1 25
Title Theme: Treasures from the Deep
Arranger: Pamela Danner (Four Lanes End Garden Club)
Plants: Mums, begonia, protea, eucalyptus seeds, thistle, foxtail lily
Ribbon: Blue
Judges’ Comment: “A delightful representation of the deep.”
Some of the world’s most
were discovered here this evening by TOM and HELEN from Philadelphia.
Oh look, some Indian Rhubarb.
Mount Stewart House in County Down. Anyone arriving here, or at any of our hundreds of great stately homes and gardens, will soon discover that Ireland possesses many, many more colors than just green. To find out more call 1800 SHAMROCK or visit www.discoverireland.com
Your very own Ireland £
Discover it at discoverireland.com
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THE
COLORS OF IRELAND
Come Take an Irish Journey at the 2007 Philadelphia Flower Show
shopping experience. “Being the nation’s premier flower show is a distinction we take very seriously,’’ says Show design director Sam Lemheney.
Not willing to rest on well-earned laurels, Sam and his team have spent countless hours to ensure that this Show will soar. By teaming up with Tourism Ireland and guest landscape designer Chris Woods (director of the VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, Canada), Sam was able to make the “Legends” theme come to life. He says, “More than ever before, this year’s collabo- rative effort has allowed us to think bigger and be more ambitious.”
Visitors to the Show will enter a vast, four-part display with a Celtic theme. The inspiration for these exhibits largely stems from Sam’s journey to Ireland in the spring of 2006. Camera and notepad in hand, Sam trekked around the green isle hoping to find his muse. “When most people think of Ireland, they think green — I did too before I visited,” he says. “And while the green countryside is stunning, there’s also a remarkable amount of color. I'll never forget the fields of light and airy Queen Anne’s lace or the hills of heather just waiting to bloom."
The shades and hues Sam spotted will be present throughout the Show. Rather than emulate one particular garden or site, how-
Visitors to the Philadelphia Flower Show have been trans- ported to some pretty fantastic places through the years. From the shores of Puerto Rico to the streets of Paris, the Show prides itself on exploring the culture (and horticulture) of the world’s most dynamic locales. The tradition continues this year with “Legends of Ireland.” From March 4 through 1 1 , the Pennsylvania Convention Center will be transformed into Tir-Na-nOg (pronounced teer-nah- noag), the mythical land of the young.
In addition to the world-class horticul- ture for which it’s known, this year’s Show will welcome several first-time exhibitors, expanded individual entries, and a Marketplace providing a one-of-a-kind
By Daniel Moise
ever, the displays borrow from a diverse assembly of sources. “Were essentially illus- trating 400 years of Irish garden design — both traditional and contempo- rary,” says Chris Woods. “Meshing them together will be the fun part."
The first component is the Living Wall, which serves as the entryway to the Show. By using ivy, moss, and other greens in ancient Celtic knot patterns — a common element of the exhibits — the design team has set the stage for what’s to come. Thematically, the giant gateway serves as a portal to a world of mystery and wonder.
Once on the other side, visitors will find themselves in a towering forest — quite a feat for an indoor event. The Ealain Wood (pronounced ell-ee-enn, the Irish word for art) is one ol the tallest Flower Show attrac- tions in recent years. Trees made of muslin will rise into the Convention Center rafters, while real specimens of lin- dens and smoke trees line the path. Six vari- eties of daffodils will be peppered about the wood, each of which was bred in Ireland.
Above:
Tollymore Forest Park
Left:
Powerscourt
13
The Flower Show
i
i
The uncommon beauties boast memorable cultivar names like ‘Verona’, ‘Tibet’, ‘Broughshane’, and ‘Birthday Girl’. Adding to the illusion of otherworld- liness will be the “surpris- es” lurking in the shadowy canopy. “I’d tell you more,” Sam says with a smile, “but why spoil the fun?”
The final two por- tions of the main dis- play will embrace the more formal settings Sam discov- ered on his trip to the Emerald Isle. The Spiral Knot Garden will be a 60-inch conical planter with full-blossomed flowers arranged in iconic Irish symbols. At the structure’s peak, a large fountain in the shape of a harp will send water cascading down the sides. Two additional fountains, inspired by
GREEN SCENE • march/april 2007
Celtic illuminated manuscripts, will flank the garden and be covered with lavender and pink and white roses. “I think this gar- den is sure to elicit an emotional response, Woods says. “I want it to make people’s hearts sing."
The centerpiece of the Show will be the Castle of the Emerald Kingdom. Staying true to Irish architecture, the stately struc- ture isn’t boxy and fortress-
14
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The Flower Show
like; rather there are many dimensions, angles, and shapes in play. The tiered landscaping surrounding the castle will consist of linden and willow trees, daf- fodils, rhododendrons, fuchsia, dichon- dras, persimmons, and more.
While the displays may seem larger than life, Sam firmly believes that people can look to the Flower Show for inspira- tion for their own gardens. “1 don’t expect anyone to build a castle in the backyard,
but there are valuable techniques and tricks to be garnered in terms of balance, color, and arrangement,” he says.
PHS president Jane Pepper, a native of the U.K., couldn’t be more excited about this year’s Show. She says, "It’s been thrilling to watch ’Legends of Ireland blos- som into something so extraordinary. As we’ve started to say around the office, ‘Erin go Bragh /”’
I
Great Ways to Spend Your Day
To get the most out of your day at the Flower Show, it pays to plan ahead. First, scope out the week’s myriad events and presentations on the Flower Show website, www. theflowershow.com.
You won’t want to miss the Irish entertainers that have been recruited to regale Show visitors. Every hour on the hour, catch mini-concerts at the Castle’s rear courtyard stage. The popular per- forming group Ragus will cross the Atlantic to showcase the traditional music, dance, and song of their native land. Additional acts can be seen and heard each evening in The Hive lounge. Located off the Grand Hall Concourse, the cozy cranny will also offer food samplings from local restaurants and a cash bar.
So, start planning your itinerary now to fully experience all that the Flower Show has to offer.
Back on the Show floor, the Gardener’s Studio returns this year with free demon- strations presented by regional gardening experts. This is the perfect place to learn something new and rest those tired feet.
The Gardener’s Studio is located in the center of the exhibition halls.
Another can’t-miss educational opportuni- ty is the Lectures & Demonstrations
series. Celebrated speakers will tackle a spectrum of horticultural topics including flower arranging, container gar- dening, pest control,
Ikebana, growing orchids, and much, much more. Country Gardens magazine is hosting a full day of lectures on Sunday,
March 4, and, in recogni- tion of the “Legends” theme, Irish speakers will be on hand on Saturday,
March 1 0. There are 8 to 1 2 lectures each day in Rooms 201 B and 201 C (located on the Grand Hall Concourse), all of which are listed online.
AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
Scholarly Publishing Since 1771
THE LIBRARY
OF
«■ BENJAMIN fRANKLIN
Edwin Wolf 2nd and Kevin J. Hayes
The Library of Benjamin Franklin
EDWIN WOLF 2nd and KEVIN J. HAYES
Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society — Vol. 257 ISBN: 978-0-87169-257-3, $100.00
Beginning in the late 1950s, Edwin Wolf 2nd embarked on a bibliographic odyssey to reconstruct the “lost” library of Benjamin Franklin. Franklins library, the largest and best private library at the time of his death in 1790, was sold by his grandson in the last eighteenth century to Robert Morris Jr., who subsequently sold it in the early nineteenth century. None of the catalogues of the collection survive, and the contents of the library were virtually unknown until 1956, when Wolf discovered the unique shelf- marks Franklin used to identify his books. Wolf’s work to reconstruct a catalogue of the library continued for the next thirty years but was unfinished at the time of his death. As the tercentenary of Franklin’s birth approached, Kevin J. Hayes took up the work and has continued to discover titles that were part of the library. Everything found to date, close to 4,000 entries, has been compiled here.
The
Temple of Night at Schcimu
ARCHITECTURE. MUSIC. AND THEATER II LATE EIGHTEENTH -CENTURY VIENNESE G A
The Temple of Night at Schonau
JOHN A. RICE
Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society — Vol. 258 ISBN: 978-0-87169-258-0, $70.00
Between 1796 and 1800 Baron Peter von Braun, a rich businessman and manager of Vienna’s court theaters, transformed his estate at Schonau into an English-style landscape park. Among several buildings with which he embellished his garden, the most remarkable and celebrated was the Temple of Night, a domed rotunda accessible only through a meandering rockwork grotto that led visitors to believe that their destination lay somewhere deep underground. A life-size statue of the goddess Night on a chariot pulled by two horses presided over the Temple, while from the dome, which depicted the night sky, came the sounds of a mechanical musical instrument that visitors likened to music of the spheres.
Only the ruins of the Temple of Night survive, and it has received little scholarly attention. This book brings it back to life by assembling the many descriptions of it by early nineteenth-century eyewitnesses. Placing the Temple within the context of the eighteenth-century English landscape park and of Viennese culture in the fascinating period of transition between Enlightenment and Biedermeier, Rice’s book will appeal to anyone interested in the history of garden design, architecture, theater, and music.
Portrait of Elizabeth Willing Powel
DAVID MAXEY
Transactions of the American Philosophical Society — Vol. 96, Part 4 ISBN. 978-0-87169-964-0, $24.00
Drawing on original manuscript sources, David Maxey has produced a persuasive study of a late eighteenth-century portrait and its subject. He has focused attention on an enigmatic painting that has long puzzled art historians, and the person portrayed in it — a woman of talent and verve, whose life has remained undeservedly obscure.
Elizabeth Willing Powel occupied an influential position in Philadelphia society during and after the Revolution. She presided over a salon; spoke her mind freely; and maintained, for a period of forty years, an extensive, illuminating correspondence. She was the trusted confidante of the country’s first president, whom she did not hesitate to instruct on where duty summoned him.
Personal loss touched her deeply, and at a critical moment, the Philadelphia limner and sign painter, Matthew Pratt, was commissioned to capture on canvas the grief she experienced. What happened thereafter to the portrait Pratt painted becomes an essential part of the mystery that David Maxey has successfully undertaken to solve.
Send Orders To:
AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY FULFILLMENT DIANE PUBLISHING COMPANY 330 PUSEY AVENUE, UNIT #3 REAR COLLINGDALE, PA 19023
Phone: 800-782-3833 or 610-461-6200
Fax: 610-461-6130
E-mail: fulfillment@amphihoc.org
Shipping Information: All orders must be prepaid. We accept checks and money orders and all major credit cards: VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and the Discover Card. Foreign checks and money orders must be in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank. Make all checks and money orders payable to: DIANE Publishing Co.; credit card receipts will indicate DIANE Pub. Co. as the processor. Domestic orders are shipped by U.S. Postal Service Media Mail. The charge is $4.00 for the first book and $1.50 for each additional book. Please add $1.00/book extra for shipping by FedEx Ground or UPS Ground. Expedited shipping (next day or 2nd day) is available; please inquire. All foreign orders arc shipped by U.S. Postal Service Global Priority; please add $7.00/book for shipping.
The Flower Show
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Show Information
Dates: March 4 - 11, 2007 Theme: Legends of Ireland
Website:
www. theflowershow. com
Phone Information:
215-988-8899 (recorded info)
LOCATION
Pennsylvania Convention Center
1 2th & Arch Streets Philadelphia, PA 19107
HOURS
Sundays, March 4 & March 11 8 am - 6 pm
Monday, March 5 through Friday, March 9 10 am - 9:30 pm
Saturday, March 10 8 am - 9:30 pm
Best viewing hours are after 4 pm. Box Office closes one hour before Show closing on all days.
PRODUCER
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
PRESENTING SPONSOR
PNC Bank
TICKETS
Tickets may be purchased online until March 1st
Purchased in Advance
(good any day, available online and at Sales Outlets *)
• Adults $22
• Children (ages 2-12) $12
Purchased at the Door
Adults
• Sunday, March 4
(Opening Day) $28
• Monday, March 5 through
Friday, March 9 $24
• Saturday, March 1 0 &
Sunday, March 1 1 $26
Children (ages 2-12)
• March 4 - 11 $13
Family Fun Pak
The Family Fun Pak ($13 sav- ings off regular admission) is available for $55 and includes 2 adult and 2 child (2-12 years) tickets plus a year-round mem- bership in the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. This offer is available only at www. theflowershow. com.
*Sales Outlets: Flower Show tickets are available at partici- pating PNC Bank branches; AAA Mid-Atlantic braches; Acme Markets; Philadelphia- area Borders Books & Music; Giant Food Stores; SEPTA tick- et-sales outlets; and participat- ing garden centers, nurseries and florists. Check availability with individual outlets; service charges may apply.
Show revenues support the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s outreach efforts, including its acclaimed greening program,
Philadelphia Green. Visit www.philadelphiagreen.org.
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One Englishman's View of Ireland’s Garden Style and Unique Plant Palette
When I think of Irish gardeners, the term “plantaholic” comes to mind, though I mean that in the nicest way. The introduction of so many new plants onto the market seems to have bred a race of Celtic gardeners who delight in having the latest introductions for their own gardens and who take great pleasure in introducing them to their friends. Of course, there are still a few Englishmen who believe they are the only people who can garden properly, but that perception is wrong. Not only are the Irish keen on their new plants, but they skillfully arrange their plantings to display them in the most tasteful manner.
I always consider it a great privilege to visit and enjoy other people’s gardens, and I have visited many charming gardens in Ireland. They are created with much toil and care, lovingly nur- tured to perfection over a long period. When I visited the fol- lowing gardens, I found them full of interesting plants but
Below: Mount Usher Gardens is a “Robinsonian” garden of 20 acres. Five thousands different species of plants enjoy this garden in a valley along the Varty river.
Right: The grand gardens of Powerscourt have an impressive traditional, double-herbaceous border. Here is a portion with stat- uesque deep blue Aconitum, peony, golden daylilies, Phlomis , and popular Persicaria ‘Red Dragon’.
designed and landscaped in different ways, as the owners saw fit.
First was Carmel Duigan’s “cottage gar- den in Shankill (Co. Dublin), which has a patio area at the rear of her bungalow and steps leading up to a higher garden. A seat on the patio offers an unusual perspective, as normally one would look down on a garden from a standing position. I describe it as a cottage garden because of its informal design, with opium poppies ( Papavar som- niferum) adding colour here and there where they have chosen to grow, no doubt left in strategic positions to best effect amongst perennials and shrubs.
Anna Nolan’s garden in Cabinteely (Co. Dublin), on a sloping site with different lev- els, is packed full of perennials, grasses, clematis and shrubs. The spectacular grass Hakonechloa, undulating in the breeze, contrasts beautifully with a crimson Acer palmatum 'Dissectum Atropurpureum’. Agapanthus and Verbena bonariensis, blue and mauve, grows in a bed with a see- through effect, whilst Dierama Angels Fishing Rods’ waves its delicate pink bells as it moves on the slightest breeze. The shel- tered sitting area is a clever design, with a series of walls softened everywhere with plants — a great joy to see.
Dublin’s Airfield Garden, an urban farm and garden with a learning center for chil- dren and adults, incorporates many styles of gardening. There is a formal garden, with vegetables and herbs in raised beds, and informal ornamental borders full of colour, including perennials, grasses and summer bulbs such as Crocosmia against a backdrop of an ornamental greenhouse.
Right: Anna Nolan’s secluded back garden slopes, so sunken gardens of alpines are at the top on the patio edge. The sloping bed is filled with these contrast- ing foliage plants, grasses and lady’s mantle.
The garden of Helen Dillon in Ranelagh has to be described as inspirational. All the gardens I visited in Ireland were tended by practical, ‘hands-on’ gardeners, and Helen’s is no exception. I sat transfixed on the edge of my chair at the presentation she gave, detailing how, over the years, she has changed her gardening style many times. As it is now, it is hard to imagine how it could be improved, but I can envisage changes in the vears to come. A knowledgeable plantswoman and designer, Helen is full of ideas and is not shy to make changes, to experiment, to admit when an idea does not work, and to abandon a scheme and the plants, too. “Try them, like them, keep them, dislike them, discard!’’ is her motto.
The patio area adjacent to her house in a warm sheltered pocket has many containers
grouped together to good effect. Many are filled with succulents and tender plants that need to be taken inside for winter protec- tion. From here, steps lead up to two long borders divided by a small brook, edged with splendid limestone paving. The source of water is a shallow pool at the far end. Beyond this feature, there are other interest- ing areas of mixed planting, but for me the fiery border full of cannas, dahlias, lythrums, knautia, helenium, persicaria and lilies was just stunning in the sunshine.
Finally, a visit to Belvedere in Mullingar (Co. Westmeath), an old, established estate with a traditional walled garden on a sunny, sloping site, evoked memories of country house parties of centuries past. Renovated some years previously, the garden is quietly maturing again under the hands of a new
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Above: Helen Dillon is not only an entertaining writer and lecturer, but an extremely talented gardener. Here is a hot, fiery border of hers, nicely tiered with the lower knautia and lythrums, then dahlias, bold cannas and lilies for height.
generation of gardeners. New young trees were planted amongst mature material, but at the time ot my visit in summer, the tradi- tional herbaceous borders were still the best feature. Familiar old perennials, such as ligu- larias, miscanthus, dahlias, echinops and achillea, are still being grown to good effect.
The gardens of Ireland have always been a haven for plants more tender than we are able to grow in England; that has not changed. What has changed is that we have both moved up the temperature scale. We hear so much about global warming these days. This subject can be controversial, but I myself am convinced that something is changing in our weather patterns. Today, we here in England can grow more tender plants than we could, say, 30 years ago, and Irish gardeners can now grow even more tender plants than before. Through the
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Mediterranean Garden Society, I see such gardens being created in the most unlike- ly places on the globe.
Ultimately, keen gardeners will always adapt to changing conditions. Like many Irish gardeners I’ve met, we should learn to face any challenge, overcome it, and next year will always bring even more promise of the ‘best year yet’ for your garden.
Since 1968. Michael Warren has worked with many well-known figures in the horticultural world and, with his wife Lois, established the Photos Horticultural Picture Library. He is currently the national president of the Garden Writers Guild and is a Fellow of the Institute of Horticulture in Great Britain.
Helen Dillon Lecture at the Flower Show
You can read more about several of the gardens featured in this article at www. dublingardens. com .
Considered one of Ireland’s most famous gardeners and an expert on gardening in small spaces, lecturer Helen Dillon will present “An Irish Garden” at the 2007 Philadelphia Flower Show, “Legends of Ireland.”
This special event will be held Friday, March 9, 2007 from 5 to 7:30 pm at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th & Arch streets, Room 1 03-A and B, West Entrance. The lecture will be fol- lowed by a wine reception and musi- cal entertainment. The cost is $65 and includes Flower Show admis- sion ($55 for PHS members). Hand- stamped Show re-entry will be issued at the reception upon request.
Advance reservations are required and can be made by calling Betsy Gullen at 215-988-8778 or via email at bgullen@pennhort.org.
Below Belvedere is a large estate with yet
another walled garden, common on many larger gardens in Ireland. The herbaceous border within its walls skillfully places purple Verbena bonariensis and red Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ against Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’.
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OLIVIAS
Wherever clivias grow, so goes Mike Riska.
Riska’s clivia expeditions have taken him to South Africa to see them growing in the wild and to conferences in California. But he also has a knack for finding them in unexpected places, like his second cousin’s home in the Slovak Republic.
“There was a Clivia craze in Europe in the 1800s, and these are plants that have been passed on through families,” he explains. “1 saw them in restau- rants and all over the place.”
A founding member and director of the North American Clivia Society, Riska is crazy about the genus discovered in South Africa nearly 200 years ago. “I got started with clivias about 1999, says Riska, who is also executive director of the Delaware Nature Society. “After that, I went all out."
“All out” for Riska means maintaining a collection of about 3,000 clivias (including seedlings) and developing a finely tuned system of moving, fertilizing, and watering the plants for peak bloom — hope- fully to coincide with the Philadelphia Flower Show. “I take pride in being able to make them flower every year, because it doesn’t happen all the time,” he says of his blue- ribbon specimens.
Riska’s fascination with clivias has grown steadily over the years, although he insists it’s nowhere near the fever level attributed to Dendrobium and Cattleya orchid enthusiasts. “I’m glad I didn’t get involved with orchids, he says. “Where do you start and where do you stop?”
■I
30
GREEN SCENE • march/april 2007
His wife Angie might dis- agree. “She supports me, but she thinks I’m a little out of control,' he laughs. His collec- tion has taken over the porch, most available windowsills, and the attic of their 1790s home in Delaware, as well as a garage and an unheated pit house. Riska even collects Clivia memorabilia and has framed floral stamps from other coun- tries, including South Africa, China, and North Korea.
Riska claims that despite their reputation for being fussy and demanding, clivias are remarkably foolproof. A win- dowsill and some basic knowl- edge about their cultivation — a cool temperature, light and fluffy growing medium, a light hand with water, and some bal- anced liquid fertilizer — is all you need to get started. Riska’s clivias even spend their sum- mer outside where they thrive in bright shade.
“Once you know how to grow them, they’re easy,’ he insists. “You can't kill them. In fact, the more you fuss over them, the worse they do. The orange-flowered Clivia miniata is the most commonly available species. (Meadowbrook Farm has a number in stock starting at a reasonable $18; rarer species, however, can cost $500 and up.) Riska advises buying clivias from a trusted source and avoiding online auction sites.
Beyond keeping them alive, Riska admits there is a knack to getting clivias to flower on demand. (Clivias do not flower every year under normal household growing condi- tions.) When he decided to enter the Philadelphia Flower Show four years ago, he knew
A Visit with Clivia Aficionado Mike Riska
Photography by Pete Prown
‘Victorian Peach’
he needed a plan to coax them into peak bloom the first week in March. He hit the right combination of light exposure, moisture, fertilizer and tem- perature the first time out. He entered two clivias in the 2004 Show and both won blue ribbons. The next year, he rented a panel van to transport eight plants, and last year he entered 13. Others have been following his lead; the 2007 Show will feature nine more Clivia classes to accommodate the growing number of entries.
Riska can speak at great length about Clivia lovers around the world — Japanese growers perfecting miniature clivias; Chinese hybridizers growing them exclusively for their var- iegated leaves; and Belgian nurseries, where they’re trying to develop clivias that can reliably flower from seed in three years rather than the usual five or so. He foresees clivias becoming disposable, like the ubiquitous Phalaenopsis orchid that’s now avail- able everywhere from Trader Joe’s to Home Depot. “They will be like orchids — buy them, enjoy them, and then toss them after they’ve finished flowering,’’ he says.
Riska has even ventured into grow- ing his own plants from seed. “If you have the time in your life and you have the room, you’re going to get some nice mutations,” he says. “And it’s always a surprise, because you never know what you’re going to get.”
And after that? “Hybridizing — I think that’s where I’m headed,” he says. “Hybridizing them, enjoying them, and passing them on to others.” He pauses. “Maybe I need a summer shade house, too.”
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Mike recommends the book OLIVIAS, by Harold Koopowitz (2002, Timber Press, Inc.), which he says “changed everything” for clivia neo- phytes and experts alike. A copy is available for loan in the PHS McLean Library.
The Clivia Society, based in South Africa, has an annual member- ship fee of $25. “You get a yearbook that’s worth every penny,” Mike says. (www. cliviasociety. org)
Closer to home, there’s the North American Clivia Society based in California
(www. northamericancliviasociety. org). Mike would like to start a local clivia group to meet informally, encourage members to enter the Flower Show, and exchange plants. If interested, please contact Mike at mike@delawarenaturesociety. org. ^
34
GREEN SCENE
THE
Stores MiradfrCro
COMPANY
Many pictures and information on our website www.botanyshop.com • Joplin, MO or call 888-855-3300 for prices and information.
THUJA X ‘GREEN GIANT’
Screening Alternative to Leyland Cypress &. New England's Dying Hemlocks
Plants 8"-3 1 /2ft. tall $3.00 to $45.00 each
• New USDA Release
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• Deer, Bagworm & Disease Resistant
• Fast Growing.
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Reblooming
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- also -
PRINCETON AMERICAN ELM
3' size - $20 each
native plants f o r
ponds
wetlands
bogs
meadows
woodlands
sun
shade
borders
hedgerows
hillsides
, — C
middletown road ^en mills, pa 19342
t 610 358 4300 f 610 358 3330
redbud native plant nurserx
wvyw.redbudnativeplantnursery.com
Planning construction around trees?
We specialize in residential and commercial land development management.
FCP /TCP Plans Preservation Fencing Forestry Consulting Root Pruning GPS/GIS/CAD Organic Soil Care Invasive Control
Selective Removals Woodland Cleanup Construction Mitigation Lot Clearing Pest & Disease Mgmt Tree Maintenance ISA Certified Arborists
thecareoftrees
610.525.2525
fax 61 0.239.7576
bg ra ha m@theca reoftrees.com www.thecareoftrees.com
Our business is people and their love for trees.1
You can find it all at
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FNE
PHILADELPHIA AIRPORT SYSTEM
Where can you find nesting turtles, acres of wetlands and woodlands, blooming trees and flowers, even a community garden?
36
GREEN SCENE • march/april 2007
A summer home for the Robin family. A little shade for the lemonade. In countless ways, trees contribute to our quality of life. Bartlett Science and Bartlett Tree Experts protect the beauty, health and JpT value of that important quality.
, Our knowledge and techniques in ,J1 root care' s0^ sc'ence' Pest control and environmental stewardship are respected worldwide.
We have been dedicated to Hi improving the landscape of j tree care, and the settings for lemonade stands, since 1907
Bartlett Tree Experts is proud to be a continuing sponsor of the Philadelphia Flower Show
BARTLETT
TREE EXPERTS
Please call 877-BARTLETT 1.877.227.8538 or visit our website www.bartlett.com
1907 - 2007
Bartlett Science.
It helps make your whole world more beautiful.
rci pv~7/0\ |
|
cs |
|
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|
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GREEN SCENE • march/april 2007
37
Botanical Bouquets
By Jane Godshalk
Beauty
From Branches
"If flowers bring
us joy, trees give us strength"
FLOWER
ARRANGING
TIP
Open lilies contain pollen, which is beautiful when fresh on the blossom. Once it matures, however, it can stain the flower’s petals and also your clothes and tablecloths. It is a good idea to remove the pollen with a damp paper towel as soon as possible.
In the long winter season, a pleasing floral arrangement can bring us both the joy of flowers and the strength of bare branches.
ARRANGEMENT 1:
You will need:
• Scissors or clippers
• Twine, raffia or string
• Branches, 6 to 8 stems of birch, willow or other branches, fewer stems if larger branches
• 1 to 2 stems of winter foliage, magnolia, rhododendron or other evergreen leaves
• 1 to 2 stems of large, showy flowers, such as lilies
• Vase with a neck or collar
Step 1 : Collect your materials and bunch the branches together, trimming ends so that all branches are about the same length — 24 inches should be a good length depend- ing on the size of your vase.
Step 2: Tie your branches into a bundle in two places near the center at about the distance of the vase opening.
Step 3: Attach your branches to the lip of the vase by tying two more strings around the branches and then wrapping them around the top of the container. Make sure to leave enough space on at least one side of the bundle for your foliage and flowers.
Step 4: Insert your foliage into the vase and trim any leaves that seem too big, in poor condition, or in the wrong place.
Step 5: Add your blossom or blossoms, placing them to their best advantage. Pay attention to where you will view the design.
ARRANGEMENT 2:
A stem of magnolia is cut at the end of a branching point and is placed in a glass cylinder to support the addition of one lily. The lily is tied to the branch to keep it upright — simple!
Select from 800 Dutch flower bulb varieties for unmatched garden display and naturalized landscapes at the best prices. Visit www.vanengelen.com for our 48-page price list and website specials.
& VCwi €v»5clcn
23 Tulip Dti't . PO Box K3K — 1 * Bsnlum, CT 06750
vjj (KAO) 567-8734 PA90
www.vanengelen.com Buy where the professionals buy.
In 1940, Laura Barnes established the Arboretum School to provide students of horticulture, botany, and landscape architecture the opportunity to work under professional guidance.
The Arboretum School of the Barnes Foundation offers one and two-day workshops during the summer. Each fall the Foundation accepts twenty-five new students for its three-year program in ornamental horticulture which offers a comprehensive curriculum of botany, plant propagation, practical horticulture techniques, and landscape design.
A well-trained faculty provides expert instruction and guidance in the horticultural arts and sciences.
Students learn and practice in the 12-acre arboretum and in the state-of-the-art greenhouse in Merion.
The curriculum develops skilled horticulturalists through a combination of classroom lecture, self-directed learning, and hands-on practice.
The Barnes Foundation
OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR 2007 CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
For more information, a full course description, and registration, please call 610-667-0290, ext. 3825 or ext. 1071.
Your Source
for
Native Plants
WILDFLOWERS ~ SHRUBS TREES ~ GRASSES - FERNS DESIGN SERVICES - CONSULTING
Expert advice for
PLANT SELECTION & CARDEN DESIGN
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Hill Company, where beautiful outdoor living begins.
THE HILL COMPANY
8615 Germantown Avenue, Chestnut Hill, PA 19118 215,247.7600 | www.hill-company.com Free Parking Behind Our Store
OUTDOOR
FURNITURE
GREEN SCENE • march/april 2007
39
Quality products and services for the home and garden.
www.Aston-Simms.com
Select from 800 varieties of the finest Dutch bulbs for your family's garden at the best prices. Visit www.johnscheepers.com for our 84-page color catalog and website specials.
John Scheepers
_ . 23 Tulip Drive • PO Box 638 Bantam. CT 06750
(860) 567-0838
www.johnscheepers.com
Serving America’s finest gardens for over 90 years.
Open April-October, Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm Wayne, PA 19087, 610-687-4163 www.chanticleergarden.org
40
GREEN SCENE • march/april 2007
4* A*
Exquisite Decor for the Garden J^emiei
garden ornament ' c * **>■ showroom for an
" unrivaled inventory
\ vvill mmk' ^ contemporary
fuM-\ / J > containers, fountains,
N \vW' statuary and more!
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Elizabeth Schumacher's 1
Best Find
(Clir JDIiilaUrlpIjia Jlnquirrr
Neighbors - May 2006
^arden^^Qpcents
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Hours
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buying and selling items of distinction 20 Minutes from Center City
vvvvw. whitehorsevillage.org
A retirement community located on 96 acres of gardens, meadows and woodlands adjacent to a state park, White Horse Village is truly paradise for nature lovers. We invite you to visit and stroll through our splendid gardens where residents have tagged and identified over 2500 species of trees and plantings! 535 Gradyville Rd in Edgmont Township.
(610)558-5000
pour some love into your patio
driveways walkways patios pool decks interiors
ARCHITECTURAL ACD CONCRETE
D E*S 1 G - N
By Christopher McMahon Contracting, Inc.
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3001 new falls road | levittown, pa www.ArchitecturalConcreteDesign.com
Show Plants
By Ray Rogers
Rush Hour!
Final Preparations for the Flower Show
With only a few weeks remaining until the opening day of the Philadelphia Flower Show, most exhibitors are in full- blown “Show mode.”
As opening day approaches, I’m concentrating on two major aspects of preparing my entries: cajoling them into per- forming at just the right time (in other words, growing them) and making them look their very best [grooming them). So exactly what is happening now? In a word, everything.
ALL IN THE TIMING
Because hardy bulbs often look their best for only a day or two at the Show, timing is critical. After removing the pots front winter storage — not all at once, since there are three sep- arate judging days and 1 like to have some pots available for all of them — and gradually exposing them to increased light, heat, and water, the plants are now growing strongly and flower buds are beginning to appear.
However, if the greenhouses have been running cooler or warmer than usual, it the days have been notably sunny or dark, or if I’ve forgotten to water the bulbs, then the bulbs could bloom too soon, too late, or never. Fortunately, I have a bag of tricks at my disposal, gleaned from years of successes and failures and from conversations with other exhibitors. The tricks work for most of my plant entries, not just the bulbs.
The author’s plants being prepped forjudging.
SLOWING BLOOMS DOWN
If a potential entry is coming along too quickly, moving it to a cooler spot should slow it down. Possible sites include areas of a greenhouse farthest from the heater or on the north side; under a greenhouse bench or large, leafy plant; on the cold gravel floor in a cooler greenhouse; outside under cover (for hardy plants, providing the weather is not severe); or in my refrigerator. Yes, I don't eat at home much the week before the Show, because bulbs and other cold-tolerant plants consume just about every possible cubic inch of space in the fridge.
SPEEDING BLOOMS UP
Some plants move along too slowly, requiring the opposite approach (along with calming potions for me). Warm, growth-accelerating spots for them include areas downwind from the greenhouse heaters, along the south or southwest sides of the greenhouses, suspended close to the top of the greenhouses where warmer air collects, on heat mats normally used for rooting cuttings, in the warmest greenhouse at the nursery, and sometimes in my home (no, not in the oven).
WATERING TO CONTROL BLOOM TIME
It’s fairly easy to control watering needs: since I may not be able to get over to the nursery every day, roomy saucers and
the occasional frantic call to water the big pots of amaryl- lis help a great deal. Standing plants in saucers of cold water can hold back growth and bloom, and frequent applications of warm water might encourage the tight flower buds on a particularly promising entry to open just in time.
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
If you’re thinking that I run around frantically at the nursery for several weeks ahead of the Show, you're overestimating my passion; my “rush hour' spans only the two weeks before the Show. Not only do I move plants repeatedly from warm, sunny spots to cooler, shadier places or vice versa, but I also need to scrub or replace dirty
42
GREEN SCENE • march/april 2007
pots, choose more attractive show pots for my best entries and carefully move the plants into them, stake formal plants and pots of bulbs, and top-dress the potting mix.
The night before each of the three entry days, I pack everything in boxes for trans- porting to the Show. Then I return home to prepare the white entry cards and organize my bag of pens, grooming tools, Exhibitor’s Guide, and other necessary items. After a few hours’ sleep I head back to the nursery, pack the van (sometimes in subfreezing weather or pouring rain), drive to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, unpack the van, cart the entries upstairs, perform last-minute grooming, and submit the entries — all during those few hours that feel like minutes. Then, I await the results.
Call me crazy, but I hope to find myself stuck in this kind of rush hour for many years to come.
-THE Inn at
(Lswontchanin
ryiLlAQE
Experience the gentle comfort and beauty of a restored 19th Century hamlet.
The 28 guest rooms and suites are situated in 1 1 restored buildings among PHS awarded gardens and pathways.
Also located at The Inn is Delaware’s award winning restaurant, Krazy Kat’s.
;W r
The World s Best Hotel for $250 or less as selected by TRAVEL + LEISURE World's Best Awards for 2006
For information about our leisure packages call us at 1-800-269-2473 orvisitwww.montchanin.com We are only 4 miles NW of Wilmington, Delaware.
rareFINDnurserync
YOUR SOURCE FOR RARE & UNUSUAL HARDY PLANTS
We ship East of the Rockies - 110-page Catalog $3.00
• 1,000 Rhododendron and Azalea varieties
• 75 Magnolia species and cultivars
• 75 Japanese maple cultivars
• 500 Tree. Shrub, and Conifer varieties
• 300 Unusual Perennials and Native Plants Order on-line at www.rarefindnursery.com
957 Patterson Rd Jackson, NJ 08527 • 732-833-0613 Fax 732-833-1623
Explore the possibilities of living at Medford Leas
• beautiful arboretum settings
• wide choice of home designs
• ideal location for culture and recreation
• superior health and wellness services
1971-2006
CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF TRADITION AND INNOVATION
For more information: 8oo.33i.43o? or www.medfordleas.org
A nationally accredited. Quaker-related, not-for-profit community for older adults with campuses in Medford and Lumberton, N]
Home of the Lewis W. Barton Arboretum and Nature Preserve I Member, Greater Philadelphia Gardens
Hi
GREEN SCENE • march/april 2007
43
Classified Ads
ANTIQUE BOOKS
RARE & PREVIOUSLY OWNED BOOKS ON HORTICULTURE & BOTANICAL PRINTS - Bought and Sold
Polly Goldstein 37 Lochwood Lane West Chester, PA 1 9380 610-436-9796 Email: GrannyPol@aol.com
BOTANICAL LIGHTING
Botanical Lighting
Specializing in tasteful architectural and landscape lighting.
Please view our on-line gallery:
botanicallighting.com
or call: 609-953-5334
Serving: Pennsylvania • New Jersey Boston • Maryland • Washington DC
GARDEN GIFTS
Yellow Springs Farm Native Plant Nursery Packaged Butterfly, Shade, Deer resistant theme gift gardens Plants - shipped spring 2007 Gift certificates, butterfly baths, books, other specialty items - shipped now Shop Online
www.yetlowspringsfarm. com 610-827-2014
GARDEN STRUCTURES
HERITAGE STONE & MARBLE
We are an installation and restoration company who emphasizes long lasting quality with outstanding craftsmanship. FLAGSTONE, BRICK-patios and walkways, COBBLESTONE-edging and paving, STONE walls, RETAINING walls, MARBLE, GRANITE-floors, walls, countertops. 215-699-5611 Upper Gwynedd, PA
GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY CONSTRUCTION
Solar Innovations, Janco,
Lord & Burnham and more.
Call Robert J. LaRouche at Glass Enclosures Unlimited
610-687-2444
THE SUNWORKS CORPORATION
• Greenhouse Sales: Residential, Commercial and Institutional.
• Installations: Of greenhouses from any manufacturer, shading and ventilation systems.
• Maintenance: Reglazing, reskinning, painting, cleaning. Emergency repairs.
Call 302-655-5772, ask for John Klein
PATIOS & WALKWAYS
Flagstone - Pavers - Brick Robert J. Kleinberg Landscape Design & Construction 610-259-6106 See our work online 1 00’s of pictures at www.kleinberg.com
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
J B Falini & Associates
Award Winning Designer BSLA 23 years experience field and design studios • Consultations • Landscape Master Plans
• Softscape/Hardscape Installations • Lighting Plans & Installations
• Water Features, Garden Amenities
61 0-293-0596(office) 21 5-266-5988(cell)
jbfalini@verizon.net(e-mail)
LINDA CORSON LANDSCAPE DESIGN
• Consulting • Plans • Supervision
Registered Landscape Architect Member ASLA 215-247-5619
David Brothers Landscape Services Bean Road Nursery
Architects, Builders and Nurserymen Providing the Fine Art of Garden Construction and Landscape Restoration
215-247-2992 610-584-1550 !
610-525-3232
DONALD PELL GARDENS
Creating & maintaining gardens with expert horticultural craftsmanship.
View our portfolio of landscape designs online at www.donaldpell.com or call 610-917-1385 for a brochure and consultation.
SED design
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
Master Plans and Garden Design,
Water Gardens, Pools & Lighting
610-584-5941
seddesignstudio.com
LARGE SPECIMEN TREES
20’ Colorado Blue Spruce and American Holly ‘Menantico,’ ‘Old Heavy Berry,’
‘Janice Arlene’ Lampost, Ilex x aquafolia
INDIAN ORCHARDS
610-565-8387
LARGE TREES
Tree Transfers Inc.
Large Tree Transplanting and Sales Large Screening & Specimen Plant Material Garden Restoration. Ponds, Waterfalls & Patios 215-635-2310
Serving the Delaware Valley since 1987
MULCH
PINE NEEDLE MULCH
Won’t change soil pH Wholesale and retail FLOWERS AND MORE, INC. 610-701-9283 renee52@comcast.net
BALED PINE NEEDLE MULCH
Pick up/Delivery/Spreading service Cedar Run Landscapes Call for brochure 1 -800-LANDSCAPE
www.CedarRunLandscapes.com
NURSERY
800 varieties of Perennials 1 50 varieties of Annual flats & Proven Winners
POPES’ GARDENS
1146 Old White Horse Pike, Waterford, NJ 856-767-3343
Unusual Farm Animals on Display
www.popesgardens.com
Triple Oaks Nursery & Herb Garden
‘Great Plants'Display Gardens*Programs* Franklinville, New Jersey www.tripteoaks.com 856-694-4272 greatplants@tripleoaks.com
PONDS
PONDS AND WATERFALLS
Design/Installation/Maintenance View our pond video at
www.YourPond.com Cedar Run Landscapes
1 -800-LANDSCAPE
44
GREEN SCENE • march/april 2007
UNUSUAL SPECIMENS
RARE & UNUSUAL PLANTS
• Specimen plants • Pond plants • Bonsai
• Orchids • Hardy cacti • Tropicals
• Sculptured trees and shrubs • Perennials
• Unique Flower and gift shop.
MUTSCHLERS’ FLORIST & RARE PLANTS 1-800-242-9438
www.mutschlers.com
CLASSIFIED RATES
Base Rate $3.00 per word
(without formatting)
1 Line $15.00 per line
Formatted Words $5.00
(ex. Bold, Italic or ALL CAPS)
Minimum Charge $60.00
Discount 10% off the second
consecutive ad, using the same copy
Deadlines
January Issue (by November 1)
March Issue (by January 1)
May Issue (by March 1)
July Issue (by May 1)
September Issue (by July 1)
November Issue (by September 1)
PLEASE NOTE: Green Scene does not guarantee advertisement position, and we reserve the right to edit copy to fit available space. Green Scene ads are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis until space is filled for a particular issue.
Please calculate your ad cost based on number and formatting of words, and enclose a check along with your copy (call for assistance).
Green Scene will bill any difference or credit upon publication of your advertisement.
It your new ad arrives very close to deadline, we may deposit your check until ad is sched- uled. If we can’t schedule your ad, your check will be returned. Make checks payable to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
Send all advertising correspondence to:
Joe Soprani Green Scene
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society 100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19103 -1495.
If you have any questions, please call
215-988-8809.
• Over 200 apartments and villas.
• Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing
THE FINER THINGS IN LIFECARE.
• 100% and 50% recoverable entrance fee plans.
Waverly Heights is a nationally accredited Continuing Care Retirement Community located in a lovely residential setting on the Philadelphia Main Line. Call us for information or a personal tour.
• Fitness Center, Pool, Dining Options and many other services and amenities.
610-645-8764 • www.waverlyheightsltd.org ^AVE K LY
HEIGHTS
1400 Waverly Road, Gladwyne, PA 19035-1296
Thejree Car©
' yf Y
{stive Alti ....
* ' <■ I o H
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
All-Region Guides
“For expert advice in all realms of horticulture, gardeners have come to depend upon the handbooks produced by Brooklyn Botanic Garden."
—Booklist
$9-95 each, complete with color photos and pages of expert information.
Available in book stores.
iooo Washington Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11225
The Tree Care Primer
This is a must-have guide for gardeners who want to provide the best age-appropriate care for trees with practical tips for tree selection, planting, pruning and health care.
Native Alternative to Invasive Plants In this fully illustrated encyclopedia, gardeners will discover hundreds of spectacular native plants for every region, chosen as alternatives to invasive plants harming the American landscape.
To order, call 77 8-623-7286 or purchase handbooks from BBG’s online store: shop.bbg.org
Brooklyn
Botanic
Garden
45
The Backyard
A LETTER FROM THE GARDEN
For more than three decades, PHS’s Philadelphia Green program has been helping Philadelphia resi- dents turn neglected vacant lots into beautiful com- munity gardens brimming with vegetables, flowers, and neigh- borhood pride. Of its many initiatives, the Garden Tenders “Basic Training” course was created in 1995 to teach groups of gardeners how to create and maintain their own gardens.
Community' gardens are often catalysts for revitalization in urban neighborhoods. Research has revealed the many benefits
of these gardens, including increased property values of sur- rounding homes.
But for PHS project coordinator Sally McCabe, head instruc- tor of Garden Tenders, all the research in the world could not be more gratifying than a recent email she received from a Garden Tenders graduate. “When an email like this pops up in your inbox, it can really re-charge your professional battery',’ says Sally. “It reminds us why we do what we do.”
Sally McCabe Garden Tenders
delpbi-0
. onliZed I bad never
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, One issue was a . . times to cie market, auc
dren there, une We tried a tew house on tne
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tx. c0\d in two our house. It whtch we’ve now
In We or^ ^ e.9ht years, „e
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“re ^ ToreTorkin, your Tree
trees and are s0 great.
Tenders. Both PHS Pr°^ ^ ^ s0 much They are part of w a fortunate
ubout Philo***10' L ire
t0 be raising «y ,0" >'
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Belatedly, thanks for ail Your Charlie Cooper
Sally
The adventure begins. Again.
Introducing the 2008 Subaru Outback. Trademark versatility and the traction and capability of Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, now with a fresh look inside and out. Built for everything out there It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.
SUBARU
PREMIER SPONSOR 2007 PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW
1 'i
The ABC’s of Safety: Air bags. Buckle up. Children in backseat. Government star ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). See safercar.gov for more details.
mi.
Wealth can make a profound difference on the future. .
It’s time for PNC Wealth Management.
First, you need a vision - s plan that addresses your unique concerns. Let PNC serve your wealth management needs, powered by one of America’s most trusted financial service firms. Call us at 1-888-762-6226 or visit pnc.com.
ip
©PNC
WEALTH MANAGEMENT
PNC is a registered service mark of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. ("PNC"). Investment management, wealth management, fiduciary services and FDIC-insured banking products and services are provided by the PNC subsidiaries, PNC Bank. National Association and PNC Bank, Delaware which are Members FDIC. PNC does not
provide legal tax or accounting advice Investments: Not FDIC Insured. No Bank Guarantee. May Lose Value
I
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■
create your own
amatie
Exceptional Patio Furniture | Acres of Top Quality Plants Garden Supplies and Accents | Exquisite Gifts and Home Decor Seasonal Christmas Merchandise Professional Landscaping Services
Water Coo Qarderis
136 Lancaster Avenue ^ 200 N. Whitford Road
Devon, PA 19333 /Vj Exton, PA 19341 610.293.0800 Ov. 610.363.0800
waterloogardens.com
Double Knock Out® Rose
Beauty
and the
A faiiy tale come to life, this neo- classic bieaks all boundary of beauty with cheny-red double blooms so full and rich you hardly believe your eyes.
Luxuriant green foliage creates the backdrop for a pageant of color from early June to hard frost. New-fashioned splendor en masse, in containers, or in tandem.
B east
A landscape shrub rose like no other, this powerhouse in genetics leaves you awestnick by a rampage of garden peiformance.
No fear for black spot or pests. A brute against humidity and drought. Hardy in the face of winter and aggressive in partial shade, Double Knock Out ® knows no rival.
)
Plants that Work® Perennials and Shrubs for Sun and Shade
Quality Genetics and Breeding
Planting/Care Instructions and Consumer Web Support
Introducing in 2007:
Pink Double Knock Out® and Lemon Daddy™ Hydrangea
Available at These Fine Independent Garden Center:
Brock Farms
4189 Route 9 Freehold, NJ 07728 732-308-0498
DiSabatino Landscaping
471 B & O Lane Wilmington, DE 19804 302-764-0408
Distinctive Gardens LLC
1531 Telegraph Road Marshallton West Chester, PA 19380 610-436-4511
Double Knock Out Rose ‘Radtko' PP16202
The Farm at Green Village
403 Green Village Road Grenn Village, NJ 07935 973-377-8703
Gateway Landscaping Inc.
1 168 Old Lancaster Pike Hockessin, DE 19707 302-239-4675
J. Franklin Styer Nurseries
914 Baltimore Pike Concord, PA 19331 610-459-2400
Waterloo Gardens
200 N. Whitford Road Exton, PA 19341 610-363-0800
Waterloo Gardens
136 Lancaster Avenue Devon , PA 19333 610-293-0800
For a List of All Participating Plants that Work" Garden Centers Near You, Visit:
www.plantsthatwork.com
1979 - 2007 Twenty-eight Years . . . and the Vision Continues . . .
Cathedral
Village
Photo shows residents' six-hole putting green surrounded by this comfortable pergola, a rock waterfall, and butterfly garden. The state-of-the-art greenhouse is the center for personal and group horticul- tural activities, seminars and classes.
600 East Cathedral Road Philadelphia, PA 19128 (215) 984-8622
www.cathedralvillage.com
Cathedral Village still offers the traditional CCRC contract, the most extensive available in the retirement industry. It provides a Value to our residents in quantity and quality of services received that is unparalleled and ... it covers more today than it did 28 years ago.
Years of Innovative planning by the Board of Directors and Management have resulted in an outstanding array of services and quality of care. This includes 12-hour a day Dining Services, 24-hour Outpatient Services including weekends and holidays, free medical transportation, unlimited days of Nursing Care, Health Club fitness and exercise programs, Horticultural activities and workshops, Village College classes, and Art and Music pro- grams. All have resulted in unusually high Resident Satisfaction.
The Vision of Cathedral Village continues. It is an on-going process that accommodates changes in cultural trends and in residents' lifestyles.
We invite you to visit, question, and compare! Come in Monday through Friday between 9 and 3. Appointments are necessary on weekends.
A Nonprofit, Nondenominational CCRC • Accredited Since 1983 Affiliated With the Jefferson Health System
Getting Lil* Jimmy Outdoors
With the proliieration of electronic entertainment and the Internet, today’s kids are simply not going outside enough. Jane Carroll explains how our environmental future depends on getting kids motivated to care for and protect our outdoor spaces.
F
EATURES
Petunia Fever!
Today’s petunias bloom more abundantly and lushly than ever. Join Jo Ann Gardner as she shows us some of the latest petunia cultivars and innovations, and shares growing tips.
32
Summer can be brutal on flowering plants in containers. In this article, Ellen Spector Platt shares her knowledge about low-water, “xeric” container gardens, all of which can stand the heat ...and then some.
18 Come See Beautiful Gardens
Each spring, PHS sponsors its annual Garden Visits around the region. This year, the tours will occur in Bucks County and northern Chester County. As a preview, read about a few of the great gardens you’ll see in Doylestown,
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8 Potting Shed 36 Botanical Bouquets
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GETTING KIDS OUTSIDE
Many of us have fond memories of spending time outdoors as a child. Before it was politically incorrect to play “army,” my childhood pal Andrew and I used to conduct military maneuvers in the woods behind my house. Armed with stick rifles, we'd dive behind rocks, leap over logs and do anything to avoid “enemy fire.”
Heck, we were only 10 years old, but we were outdoors, running around, and having a great time in nature’s vast playground.
Thirty years later, I take my kids out behind my Delaware County house for more politically correct activities, such as heading down toward Ridley Creek to skip stones, watch the deer, and generally have fun (though I must confess to the occasional bamboo-stick sword fight). My children love these adventures and, more importantly, it helps balance out the remainder of their electronic lives, which are crammed with cable TV, video games, and the ubiquitous computer.
In this issue, you can read Jane Carroll’s insightful article on the cri- sis facing today’s children, many of whom have little or no concept of the natural world waiting beyond their Nintendo consoles. Beyond highlighting how important out- door time is for a child’s develop- ment, this article talks about devel- oping children’s sense of nature’s
“value.” Indeed, how will young people eventually take care of our environment, both locally and globally, if they don’t even know about it?
It should come as no surprise that my co- workers at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society share this ideology. Each of the par- ents I spoke with tries to buck the trend and provide their children with an infor- mal, hands-on environmental education. For example, author Jane Carroll (also Green Scene associate editor) recruits her four-year-old daughter, Mae, pictured below, to help plant seeds in their backyard garden. Jane notes, “Now that she’s getting older, Mae is starting to see the connection between the seeds we plant and the flowers that bloom a few weeks later. We also go on walks through the woods near our house, and she likes lifting rocks and watching all the bugs crawl around underneath. It’s a learning experience in many ways.”
As part of her work for Philadelphia Green, landscape architect Lisa Hanes spends a good deal of the work day at dif- ferent gardens, parks, and public spaces throughout the city. That doesn’t stop her, however, from spending Saturday after- noons at the Green Thumb community garden in University City’ with her five-year-old son, Isaac. “Beyond physical activity, I think the time he spends outside is good for his mental health,” she says. “It’s calming, freeing, and introduces a lot of life lessons.”
As the proud parent of two young boys (pictured above), Philadelphia Green program manager Claire Baker doesn’t always find family time outdoors calming, but she assures me it’s never dull. “My sons like to help pick tomatoes from our garden — even the ones that aren’t ripe yet. Once they get started they don’t want to stop. And when I ask them to water the garden, they usually end up wetter than the flowers. But the important thing is that they’re outside and having fun; they value this outdoor time.”
Environmental Initiatives program manager Michael Leflf says that some of his fondest memories are of the times he and his three sons have gone hiking, biking, and camping. “All the distractions and obligations of everyday life fade away when you’re in the middle of the forest, so the time we spend there is really special,” he says. Although it is important to Michael that he passes on an appreciation of nature, he may have gotten more than he bargained for. “My 13-year-old son, Alex, recent- ly suggested that our family backpack across the entire Appalachian Trail!” Michael says. “I told him that while I appreciate his enthusiasm, we should probably stick to something a bit more moderate."
Michael adds, “We’ve recently made it a family tradition to spend Martin Luther King Day cleaning up a creek not too far from our home — in a way we’ve adopted the land as our own. I think it’s taught my sons the importance of stewardship. They’ve even started to invite other families and friends to join us."
Now that’s a good message.
email: greenscene@pennhort.org
GREEN SCENE • may/june 2007
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Koi Story
By
0 I t’s a brisk morning in
I October, and were I standing amid green- houses and several acres of open ponds ar the Nisei Koi Farm in South Jersey. Even though big trucks rumble by on the nearby New Jersey Turnpike, you wouldn’t know it by looking at the contented koi swimming in their giant indoor tanks, some of which hold 85,000 gallons of clear water. Always hungry, they eagerly follow visitors from one end of the tank to the other, hoping for a quick snack from above.
“Nisei means ‘second generation’ in Japanese,” says farm owner Joe Zuritsky, who is also Chairman and CEO of Parkway Corporation, which owns and operates parking facilities in Philadelphia and other cities. “Our koi are all grown from pure Japanese parentage, so ours are the ‘second generation’ and are of very high quality. Last year, we bred about 20,000 koi. This year, it might be more like 25,000.”
Joe has been fascinated by this water-garden favorite for almost four decades, first as a hobbyist, then as an amateur, and now as a
GREEN SCENE • may/june 2007
professional breeder and seller. He’s visited Japan — the mecca for koi breeding — about 40 times and has many close contacts over there, including his mentor, Toshio Sakai. Says Joe, “Mr. Sakai won the Grand Champion Award at the combined All-Japan show a couple of years ago for a koi he produced that was one meter long (40 inches).” He achieved that size by cross-breeding koi, which is itself a carp, with a huge common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) from which koi originated about 200 years ago."
Joe’s koi begin their lives in vast “mud ponds" on the 43-acre farm. These clay-lined ponds average 150 x 50 feet in size and are
8
fenced in and covered with wires to prevent attacks from hungry birds, such as the notorious great blue heron. The fish breed and live in these ponds, often growing dramatically in size over the course of a single season. During a few festive days each fall, the koi are harvested from the ponds with seine nets and sold to collectors from across the country. “We ship koi to our customers by cargo plane, using cardboard boxes lined with Styrofoam,” says Joe.
Koi are specifically bred to highlight certain ornamental colors, shapes, and even scale patterns, all of which can affect a fish’s mar- ket value. “A small koi might sell for $50 or $100, but one that’s two feet long or larger and is elegantly patterned and colored can command tens of thousands of dollars in Japan,” says Joe. “Japanese buyers often prefer the traditional red and white fish, while Americans might go for the interesting metallic pale yellow ones or those with sparkly scales that glitter in the sun — that vari- ety is called gin-rin."
Joe and his team keep their koi in top condition by running their indoor water supplies through enormous “bio-filters” that clean the water, in one tank pumping about 144,000 gallons of water per hour. Koi are also susceptible to invisible-to-the-eye par- asites, so they are examined and treated to eliminate them. Properly cared for, these fish can live for an extraordinary length of time. “In the best conditions,” says Joe, “koi can live to be 50 years old and sometimes much older.”
“They’re just wonderful creatures,” he adds. “They will swim to you when you approach the pond and some even like to be petted. I find them endlessly fascinating, especially the amazing but pre- dictable changes in color, pattern, and body shape that occur over the first 5 to 10 years of a koi’s life.”
For more information, contact: Nisei Koi Farm
104 East Quillytown Road Carneys Point, New Jersey 08069 phone: 856-299-7564 www. quality koi. com
The Potting Shed
i
Phyllis Williams knows a thing or two about potted plants. In fact, sitting by the window in her Gladwyne kitchen is a 40-year-old Confederate jasmine ( Trachelospermum jas- minoides) that she first entered in the Philadelphia Flower Show in 1965.
For the past 12 years or so, however, Phyllis has devoted most of her horticultur- al energies to growing orchids. Why orchids? “Well, I’ve tried everything else,” she quips. To fuel her passion, she had a small greenhouse built right off her bed- room. There, Phyllis houses her collection of several hundred specimens, which she sprays with water regularly to keep the humidity levels up. The greenhouse has its own hot- water heater and high-powered lights to help her orchids get through the winter in the tropical conditions they prefer.
Phyllis grows a variety of orchids, includ- ing some that are more difficult to grow, such as dendrobiums, epidendrums, and oncidium. Many of her prize treasures were originally purchased from Flower Show exhibitor Waldor Orchids in South Jersey, as well as Stewart Orchids (now located in Mississippi). When asked which species is
her favorite, she says, “Whichever orchid is in bloom is my favorite, but I do enjoy the fragrant ones, like Oncidium ‘Sharry Baby’.”
Phyllis’ top piece of advice for new orchid growers is to “see the flower in full bloom before buying the plant; otherwise you might end up with something you didn’t expect.” She also recommends getting a good, thorough book from PHS’s McLean Library or taking a class before attempting orchid-growing. She’s taken many classes at Longwood Gardens through the years, par- ticularly enjoying those taught by Mike Owens.
Beyond her beloved orchids, Phyllis has a long history with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, as did her husband John G. Williams, who was president of the PHS Council in the mid 1960s. “My hus- band was a leader at PHS when it took con- trol of the Flower Show in 1964,” she says, proudly. “He was very skilled at getting everyone to work together.”
Phyllis is also a three-time sweepstakes winner at the Philadelphia Flower Show: “I love everything about the Show — the plants and especially the people. I guess some folks are born with the plant gene. I just got a big dose of it.” *Ay
Quietly Growing Orchids in Gladwyne
By Daniel Moise
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PETUNIA
Since their introduction in the late 1 800s, petunias have been a mainstay of the summer garden, appearing in bright displays with marigolds and other common annuals. By the 1950s they were synonymous with summer bed- ding plants, the sort you picked up at the local nursery, pushed out of their contain- ers, plunked into the ground, and forgot about, except for some tiresome deadhead- ing and trimming. They were limp in rain, melted in humid conditions, and became sprawly by mid to late summer, but that was to be expected.
Then in the 1970s, the petunia image began to change with the introduction of the ‘Madness’ series, large-flowered Grandiflora types that were significantly
Petunia ‘Purple Wave’ and Zinnia ‘Profusion Orange'
DEVOLUTION
more weather tolerant and bloomed more prolifically than others in this class. ‘Sheer Madness’, an especially abundant bloomer, produced large, show-stopping, dark-veined pink flowers. Some credit these introduc- tions with launching a plant breeding fren- zy that continues to give us ever more per- fect plants that can take heat and humidity, are disease resistant and self-cleaning, and need little if any trimming. Not “just petu- nias” anymore, these summer standards have been reinvented as choice plants for landscaping and containers.
Petunia hybrids are thought to be descended from two South American wild- flowers: Petunia axillaris from Brazil with 2-inch-wide, softly waved and nocturnally fragrant, white or buff trumpets on lax
stems; and the Argentina native P. integrifo- lia with smaller, more tailored, star-like flowers, 1 1/2 inches wide and deep on spreading stems to about 10 inches. Short- lived perennials in their native habitat, these are usually grown as annuals in North America.
Until recently petunias were divided into two classes — grandifloras and multifloras. Grandifloras bear up to 5-inch-wide, single or double, frilled, fringed, veined, striped or starred flowers in shades of red, pink, blue, purple, a few yellows, and white on sprawling stems. The ‘Supercascades’, an improvement over the earlier ‘Cascades’, are still popular for hanging baskets. Color range includes ‘Blush’, ‘Salmon’, ‘Burgundy’, bi-colored, and veined ‘Daddy’
types as well as pure white.
Multifloras have single or double flowers on more compact plants. Their smaller blooms are tightly massed and are not as affected by adverse weather as the showier grandifloras. The bushy ‘Primetime and ‘Celebrity’ series are improved multifloras known as Floribundas, whose larger flowers are often starred, ruffled, veined, or have cream or white throats. The pink, cream- throated ‘Celebrity Chiffon Morn’ was a 1995 AAS winner. The ‘Primetime Buttercream’ I grew last summer had great color — soft cream with a yellow throat — and was striking combined with purples, but as the season advanced it lost its compact form without trimming. Milliflora or miniature-flowered petunias, such as ‘Fantasy’, bear masses of attractive | 1- to 1 1 /4-inch-wide flowers on bushy ° plants and also require trimming.
* These advances set the stage for the dra- g matic appearance in the mid 1990s c of the ‘Wave’ petunias from Ball | FForticultural — the first seed-grown pros- trate petunia — and the vegetatively propa- gated Proven Winners ‘Supertunias’. In a class of their own, these plants incorporate previous breeding improvements, such as early and prolific bloom on weather- and disease-resistant plants in a steadily improv- ing range of colors. Flowers never need deadheading or trimming, except to limit spread if desired, and plants take not only heat and rain in stride but humidity as well (an important point for southern growers). Of course, they must be grown in sun to
By Jo Ann Gardner
GREEN SCENE • may/june 2007
13
Petunias
Lush, Low-Maintenance Container Plantings
Many of the new vigorous trailing petunias are most beautiful grown alone in containers. A favorable location, fertilizer-amended soil, and steady moisture at the plant’s roots will assure lush growth throughout the season. You can spend more time enjoying them if you follow this guide.
1. Choose a container with proper drainage holes (omit standard drainage material such as pottery shards) and place it in partial shade where plants will receive at least five hours of sun. In such a protect- ed site, self-watering containers that hold at least a gallon of water can reduce watering to once a week.
2. Fill containers with pre-mois- tened potting soil that includes fer- tilizer, including some slow-release fertilizer.
3. Make a planting hole and add one teaspoon of potassium-based water granules. These take up water in a few seconds, providing an immediate reservoir that roots can draw on for moisture. Water never has time to leach through the soil as may happen with sodium- based granules. Remember, gran- ules reduce rather than eliminate the need for watering.
4. Lightly fork in slow-release fertil- izer like Osmocote around the plant, according to directions, then water in with a water-soluble fertilizer like Miracle Grow.
5. Halfway through the summer — and later, too, where summers are long and hot — water again with water-soluble fertilizer. ^
14
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partial shade and watered and fertilized reg- ularly.
^XTiat are the best of the best? That depends on their uses. The 'Waves’ are hard to beat for tight, packed bloom even as stems spread over the summer. Showy masses of bright (perhaps too bright) pinks, rose, blue, and purple precision-cut flowers are riveting as they spill over window boxes and containers. The aptly named 2002 AAS winner 'Tidal Wave’, with looser, more graceful silver-white to silver-lilac trumpets on long spreading stems to 4 feet, represents a new class, the Hedgifloras, which if spaced 1 8 to 24 inches apart rap- idly cover the ground with mounds of bloom that don't open up in the center. If spaced 12 inches apart, plants grow upward from 2 to 3 feet to create an astonishing wall of bloom. 'Easy Waves’ are more upright and bushy. The mounding ‘Easy Wave Salmon’ is a striking border plant. 'Double Waves’, actually semi-double but
full in appearance and like the Multiflora in size, are improvements over other doubles for their self-cleaning habit. 'Double Wave Blue Velvet’ blooms profusely along cascad- ing stems and looks smashing in an urn.
The major trend in petunia breeding favors smaller-flowered trailing types for containers. The 'Supertunia Minis’ are among the best for maintaining form and flower production. Irresistible flower colors include 'Mini Appleblossom’, 'Mini Rose Veined’ and the ethereal 'Mini Silver’. Some of my favorite Supertunias have larg- er, looser flowers. Bred by a hobby breeder in Nova Scotia, ‘Supertunia Bordeaux’ is one of the finest petunias I have grown over the past 30 years. Its ruffled Grandiflora- type flowers are 2 1/2 inches wide and have dark purple veins over warm lilac; they grow on stems that spread with undimin- ished vigor all summer without trimming. This plant was stunning in a large tub in my silver herb garden. The semi-double
veined lilac-rose 'Supertunia Priscilla’ has a branching habit that shows off well in a hanging basket. ‘Supertunia Vista Bubblegum’ (a precise color description) produces endless 2-inch blooms on plants less tightly packed than ‘Waves’. It created a graceful curtain of bloom scrambling up a chicken-wire support against my house.
Gardeners have rediscovered the charm of wild and semi-wild petunias whose more widely spaced flowers and lax habit give them an unsophisticated cottage garden air. These are more easygoing in terms of watering and fertilizing than fancy petu- nias, but they do need midsummer shear- ing. Older ‘Balcony’ and 'Old-fashioned Vining’ petunias (still available from spe- cialty seed sources) are close to the wild P. axillaris. Two- to nearly 3-inch-wide fluted trumpets self sow with abandon even in Zone 4, returning every year in window- boxes, in the ground, even between bricks. Their silky, blowsy, fragrant flowers bloom in every hue of purple and from bright pur- ple-rose through pastel pinks and white flushed purple. ‘Rainmaster’ is a desirable white selection. P. integrifolia is a more refined, vegetatively propagated selection of the species. This high-fashion container plant is favored for its smaller, pert star flowers in white or deep rose on vining stems.
What do we want in petunias? Neatly tailored flower machines or more relaxed plants with a looser, more lissome habit, or something in between? The petunia race is on and all gardeners have to do is wait for the latest introductions. I await the day when the new captures the simple beauty of the old without sacrificing the strides breeders have made in updating an old gar- den favorite. 'A#'
Jo Ann Gardner and her husband Jigs operate a small farm with extensive gar- dens in the Adirondacks. Her latest book, with Karen Bussolini, is Elegant Silvers: Striking Plants for Every Garden (Timber Press).
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In 1940, Laura Barnes established the Arboretum School to provide students of horticulture, botany, and landscape architecture the opportunity to work under professional guidance.
The Arboretum School of the Barnes Foundation offers one and two-day workshops during the summer. Each fall the Foundation accepts twenty-five new students for its three-year program in ornamental horticulture which offers a comprehensive curriculum of botany, plant propagation, practical horticulture techniques, and landscape design.
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Come to the 2007 PHS Garden Visits
By Daniel Moise
II there’s anything more fun than tending a garden, it’s
I getting the chance to tour someone else’s
garden — even better if it’s a private garden that only a few lucky souls get to see. That’s part of the fun of the PHS Garden Visits. Each year, PHS organizes these self-guided tours through impressive gardens in the Philadelphia region.
This spring, PHS members and their friends can tour gardens in the rolling hills of northern Chester County (May 20) and in Doylestown in Bucks County (June 3). As a tempting teaser, here is a preview of a few garden gems in Doylestown. Enjoy.
Photographs by Margaret Funderburg and Pete Prown
18
GREEN SCENE • moy/june 2007
THE BARTELL GARDEN
There’s a lot ol history at Sycamore Spring, the verdant three-acre proper- ty that the Bartell family has called home for the past 25 years. Dating back to 1733 when the land was deeded to one of William Penn’s sons, the wooded estate has many charm- ing fixtures that evoke a different era. The stone bridge over the brook, the rustic dinner bell out back, and the antique cars that reside in a hand- some three-story barn all contribute to the enduring legacy Doris and Michael Bartell are thrilled to be a part of.
Of course, preserving history takes a lot of hard work, and the intrepid couple always seems to have a project in the works. Putting together a free- standing stone wall — easily 12 feet long by 4 feet high — was a particular- ly daunting undertaking and resulted in a trip to the arthritis specialist for Michael. “It wasn’t easy, but building that wall was certainly rewarding,’’ he says.
As for the horticulture, Sycamore Spring’s gardens are certainly note- worthy. Most impressive is the herb garden. With a selection that includes basil, dill, tarragon, parsley, rosemary,
LEF I ! Bartell Garden CENTER: Van Dyke Garden RIGHT Bean garden
GREEN SCENE • may/june 2007
19
1
I
I
BARTELL GARDEN (RIGHT & ABOVE)
Doris and Michael Bartell and their beautifully landscaped pool area. Also, a lovely garden view from indoors.
BEAN GARDEN (LEFT & BELOW)
Enjoy a classic formal style at the Bean garden.
thyme, and more, the culinary possi- bilities are just about endless.
But one word of caution: beware of the dog, or in this case, dogs. Visitors must be sure to show affection to Bumble and Cricket, the exceptional- ly friendly Welsh Pembroke Corgis that reign over Sycamore Spring. As natural herders, the cuddly canines will be glad to usher you about the lawn.
THE BEAN GARDEN
In contrast to the sprawling woods of the Bartell backyard, the cozy and carefully planned courtyard of the Bean family includes rows of boxwood flanking the graveled path- ways that lead to a tasteful fountain. Edged with a white post fence, the courtyard is a secluded spot well-suit- ed for reading or quiet reflection. The beauty doesn’t end there though; around back is deep-set lawn that has hosted a fair share of croquet games and Easter-egg hunts (for the Bean’s brood of 14 grandchildren).
Although she tends to alternate her attention between the two sections of the property, Gisela Bean confesses that the backyard has slightly more appeal for her. “The trees out back are so colorful and varied, I enjoy coming out here with a cup of coffee to sit down and take it all in.”
THE VAN DYKE GARDEN
When visiting the garden of a well- known landscape architect, expecta- tions tend to run a bit high. Fortunately, the garden of Carter Van Dyke does not disappoint. Blending traditional New England style with modern rwists, the multifaceted gar- den has something for all sensibilities.
In both my practice and personal gardening, I try to create something contextual with the landscape and the
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VAN DYKE:
Spring splendor in Carter Van Dyke’s stylish garden. Note the vintage “one-room library” in the upper right, now a focal point in Carter’s design.
architecture. The goal is to have the garden look as though it’s always been there,” Carter says.
Indeed the house, lawn, and all the various nooks and features of the property seem well-coordinated yet distinct. Each step offers new vantage points to appreciate the incredible variety of flowers, including peonies, cleomes, and stunning poppies.
But while most gardens have flow- ers, how many have a library? The charming one-room Dolington Library served the people of Upper Makefield, PA, for several decades, but by the late 1920s it was eclipsed by a newer building. After serving a number of purposes for nearly 75 years, the small cottage-like building was moved to its permanent home in the Van Dyke garden. “It’s something I’m very proud of — it adds a real focal point to the plantings,” Carter says with a smile,
To learn more about the PHS Garden Visits, check out upcoming issues of PHS News , or visit the website at www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsoci- ety.org/ Calendar. Click on May 20th and June 3rd for specific tour details.
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I
Contain Your Thirst
Save Water by Planting Succulents & Other Xeric Plants
have lived under water rationing, and it’s scary. When drought hits, the water commission first outlaws sprinkling lawns, then flower beds, and finally pro- hibits all outdoor watering. Household water use must also be curtailed or heavy fines are imposed. Rationing reminds us that water is a limited resource.
When I was looking for a theme for the garden I tend on the 18th floor of my apartment building, I decided to plant succulents and other “xeric” plants that can thrive with very little water. It’s an all-container garden, so my goal was to design an eye-catching space to break up the empty middle of a 100-by-50-foot terrace. I wanted containers that could withstand the freezing winter (Zone 6 with heavy winds) and some perennials that will return each year. I’m the laziest gardener around and reject unessential chores like dragging big containers to storage because they can’t winter over.
Containers. The hunt was on! I searched and found low bowls made of iron- stone pottery that suited my needs: three different sized bowls (22-, 24-, and 26- inch diameter) plus a tall barrel, all in the same high-fired clay with drainage holes in the bottom. But I wanted different height levels to add interest to the design, and the three sizes did not vary quite enough. (See tip #1 for my solution.)
Photography by Alan & Linda Detrick
Author photo by Ellen Zachos
Tip #1: To vary the height of containers, simply pile
Whence Cometh the Plants. With water conserva- tion in mind, I scoured plant catalogs and garden cen- ters for succulents and found a nice variety. From my own living room windowsills, I grabbed a pencil cactus (. Euphorbia tirucalli) and carrion flower (Stapellia gigan- tea) to summer outdoors. My friend Ann needed to divide her Montauk daisy ( Nipponanthemum nippon- icum), so I was happy to provide a new home for some of her divisions. My friend Ellen offered the climbing hoya ( Hoya kerry), extracting the promise that 1 would take it in for the winter and not treat it as an annual.
Planting. When positioning the containers, I looked at the placement from all angles of the patio. I assembled the plants and a sandy potting soil, like cac- tus mix or other potting soil, to which I added builder’s sand. Excellent drainage is important here, so in the bottom of each container I placed an inch or so of pebbles, pot shards or Styrofoam popcorn covered with a piece of porous black garden cloth. Then I added the soil and plants and watered them in.
The plants tell me how much water they need. New plantings always need some help until they root well
them on top of something else. In this small garden I had seven containers to start with, but inverted one of the 22-inch pots to use as a base for another of the same size. A trash-picked seatless chair gave me a framework to raise another container and at the same time provided a trellis for a climbing hoya in the contain- er at back. Containers can also stand on flat rocks, a few bricks, unused birdbaths, or any other secure pedestal.
Use small stones or broken pot shards to create good drainage. -s
Tip #2: If a plant has been growing indoors under relatively low light condi- tions, when you take it outdoors let it acclimate to the intense sun by putting it in a semi-shade location for the first week or so. Most garden-center plants have already made that adjustment, but plants from your living room defi- nitely have not.
HHI
Xeric Containers
and then require watering only once a week or every 10 days depending on rain and temperatures. I allow the natural elements to take over, watering only when plants show the first signs of leaf shrinkage.
I dug in the plants with the soil balls almost touch- ing so the containers would look full from the begin- ning. Bv the end of the season the portulacas had over- grown some of the hens and chicks, and the large sedums had almost crowded out some of the shorter plants. I’d do it all the same way again, because the grouping looked fabulous for five months.
WINTER VACATION
As frost approached, I gave the hardy plants no extra care; I left them to fend for themselves and they did just fine. By the second year they had spread to crowd the room devoted to some of the portulacas. But I wasn’t eager to lose my tender succulents, so I dug them up and repotted them in terracotta containers to spend their winter vacation indoors near a south-fac- ing window. Come spring, the agave and the pencil
Mail-order Sources for Succulents and Xeric Plants
• Bluestone Perennials
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• High Country Gardens
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• Meadowbrook Farm
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• White Flower Farm
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GREEN SCENE • may/june 2007
Indoors, the succulents winter-over happily in a south-facing window. Notice the tall bloom spikes on the kalanchoe, a result of intense light from summering on the terrace.
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GREEN SCENE • may/june 2007
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Xeric Containers
cactus had grown too big to re-plant in the shallow bowls, so they went out on the terrace in their own terracotta pots. But I returned the wax plant, the thorny aloe, the carrion plant, and the kalanchoes to the ironstone bowls. The second-year design looks quite different as plants grow and spread and crowd out the space for annuals.
I thrill to find single portulaca plants that have reseeded from last year’s display between the pavers, sometimes 30 to 40 feet away from the succulent garden. I leave them as a reminder that nature has its own gardening plan and point them out to the children who play on the roof and ask me questions as I garden there.
Ellen Spector Platt is editor of Container Gardens magazine and author of nine books on flowers and herbs. Her website is www. ellenspectorpla tt.com.
MY PLANTS
Annuals and tender plants:
1. agave (Agave desmettlana)
2. thorny aloe (Aloe marlothii)
3. pencil cactus (Euphorbia tirucalli)
4. rope hoya (Hoya carnosa)
5. wax plant (Hoya kerry)
6. kalanchoe (Kalanchoe daigremontiana)
7. kalanchoe (Kalanchoe thrysiflora)
8. portulaca (Portulaca grandiflora ‘Sundial Yellow’ and ‘Margarita Strawberry’)
9. apricot purslane (Portulaca grandiflora)
10. carrion flower (Stapelia gigantea)
11. carrion flower (Stapelia variegata)
Hardy plants:
12. ice plant (Delosperma nubigenum)
13. Montauk daisy (Nipponanthemum nipponicum)
14. sedum (Sedum cauticola)
15. sedum (Sedum ‘Autumn Fire’)
16. sedum (Sedum ‘Vera Jamison’)
17. sedum (Sedum ‘Frosty Morn’)
18. dragon’s blood (Sedum spurium)
19. sedum (Sedum makioni ‘Ogon’)
20. hens and chicks (Sempervivum sp.)
28
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AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
Scholarly Publishing Since 1771
The Library of Benjamin Franklin
EDWIN WOLF 2nd and KEVIN J. HAYES
Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society — Vol. 257 ISBN: 978-0-87169-257-3, $100.00
Beginning in the late 1950s, Edwin Wolf 2nd embarked on a bibliographic odyssey to reconstruct the “lost” library of Benjamin Franklin. Franklin’s library, the largest and best private library at the time of his death in 1790, was sold by his grandson in the last eighteenth century to Robert Morris Jr., who subsequently sold it in the early nineteenth century. None of the catalogues of the collection survive, and the contents of the library were virtually unknown until 1956, when Wolf discovered the unique shelf- marks Franklin used to identify his books. Wolf’s work to reconstruct a catalogue of the library continued for the next thirty years but was unfinished at the time of his death. As the tercentenary of Franklin’s birth approached, Kevin J. Hayes took up the work and has continued to discover titles that were part of the library. Everything found to date, close to 4,000 entries, has been compiled here.
The
Temple of Night at Schonau
ARCHITECTURE. MUSIC AND THEATER IMA LATE EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY VIENNESE G/VEN
The Temple of Night at Schonau
JOHN A. RICE
Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society — Vol. 258 ISBN: 978-0-87169-258-0, $70.00
Between 1796 and 1800 Baron Peter von Braun, a rich businessman and manager of Vienna’s court theaters, transformed his estate at Schonau into an English-style landscape park. Among several buildings with which he embellished his garden, the most remarkable and celebrated was the Temple of Night, a domed rotunda accessible only through a meandering rockwork grotto that led visitors to believe that their destination lay somewhere deep underground. A life-size statue of the goddess Night on a chariot pulled by two horses presided over the Temple, while from the dome, which depicted the night sky, came the sounds of a mechanical musical instrument that visitors likened to music of the spheres.
Only the ruins of the Temple of Night survive, and it has received little scholarly attention. This book brings it back to life by assembling the many descriptions of it by early nineteenth-century eyewitnesses. Placing the Temple within the context of the eighteenth-century English landscape park and of Viennese culture in the fascinating period of transition between Enlightenment and Biedermeier, Rice’s book will appeal to anyone interested in the history of garden design, architecture, theater, and music.
Portrait of Elizabeth Willing Powel
DAVID MAXEY
Transactions of the American Philosophical Society — Vol. 96, Part 4 ISBN 978-0-87169-964-0, $24.00
Drawing on original manuscript sources, David Maxey has produced a persuasive study of a late eighteenth-century portrait and its subject. He has focused attention on an enigmatic painting that has long puzzled art historians, and the person portrayed in it — a woman of talent and verve, whose life has remained undeservedly obscure.
Elizabeth Willing Powel occupied an influential position in Philadelphia society during and after the Revolution. She presided over a salon; spoke her mind freely; and maintained, for a period of forty years, an extensive, illuminating correspondence. She was the trusted confidante of the country’s first president, whom she did not hesitate to instruct on where duty summoned him.
Personal loss touched her deeply, and at a critical moment, the Philadelphia limner and sign painter, Matthew Pratt, was commissioned to capture on canvas the grief she experienced. What happened thereafter to the portrait Pratt painted becomes an essential part of the mystery that David Maxey has successfully undertaken to solve.
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31
"When I planted the flowers, I loved the feeling.”
The quote above is from a student reflecting on his first year with Green City Youth, one of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s newest pro- grams serving Philadelphia children. Richard Louv, author of the influen- tial 2005 book Last Child in the Woods , no doubt would approve.
YOUTH m, he GARDEN
I Cultivating the Environmental Stewards of Tomorrow
A LOST CONNECTION
As Louv contends, today’s American children spend significantly less time expe- riencing nature than any previous genera- tion in the country’s history. Louv writes that baby boomers “may constitute the last generation of Americans to share an inti- mate, familial attachment to the land and water.” Most adults now in their forties and older, he explains, had relatives with some connection to farming, or they played near farmlands or in woodlands at the suburban rim, but many children growing up today lack this proximity to nature.
There are numerous reasons for this dis- turbing trend. For starters, about 80 per- cent of Americans now live in metropolitan areas, too many of which lack sufficient park space. Development in outer-ring sub- urbs, where population is surging, is rapid- ly eating up woodlands and farmlands.
Time is another factor. More children are growing up in single-parent households or in homes where both parents work, so instead of going outside to play near their homes, they are enrolled in daycare or after-school programs that keep them indoors or in enclosed play areas. Today’s children also spend large amounts of time playing with computers, video games, and other electronic gadgets. At the same time, kids are under more pressure to excel aca- demically and to fill their “free time” with extra-curricular activities.
WHY KIDS NEED NATURE AND NATURE NEEDS KIDS
Aside from a nostalgic wish for our chil- dren to be able to meander across meadows or swing from the branches of a tree, what are the consequences of this lost connection to nature?
The future stewardship of our planet is literally in the hands of the next generation, and children exposed to nature from an early age are more likely to grow into adults who care about the environment. But the relationship is a two-way street, for kids need nature, too.
Physical health is a major concern, espe- cially regarding the epidemic of obesity among today’s kids. Overweight children are at greater risk for diabetes and other serious conditions, and physical activity is one way to prevent those outcomes. But Louv points out that, ironically, children’s girth is expanding despite the fact that more kids than ever before are enrolled in organized sports. He says one possible explanation is that “the physical and emo- tional exercise that children enjoy when they play in nature is more varied and less time-bound than organized sports.”
Children out of touch with the natural world also suffer emotionally. Several stud- ies suggest that contact with nature may help prevent or lessen the symptoms of attention-deficit disorder, reduce stress, and guard against depression.
PHS: REACHING OUT TO YOUTH
Recognizing the breach between today’s youth and the natural world, PHS recently developed a five-year strategic plan that includes the goal of reaching out to younger audiences, including school-age children. “It is vital that PHS have a mean- ingful youth program that connects to its mission,” says PHS education director Eva Ray. “We want children to understand that they have an impact on their green envi- ronment, now and in the future.”
PHS’s Kids Grow Expo has been engag- ing young children in the joys of gardening and nature since 1975. The annual event promotes environmental awareness with activities and interactive displays, service- learning projects, and a horticultural com- petition. Kids Grow Expo attracts hun- dreds of school groups from Philadelphia and the surrounding region.
Schools are an obvious place where more can be done to engage children with nature, but time and resources are often in
“Studies suggest that contact with nature may help prevent or lessen the symptoms of attention-deficit disorder, reduce stress, and guard against depression.”
Youth in the Garden
FUNDERS & PARTNERS
PHS is grateful to the following funders and partners of its youth programs:
Burpee Foundation Delaware Valley Earth Force Fairmount Park Commission Hamilton Family Foundation Lincoln Financial Group Foundation National Recreation Foundation Pennsylvania Dept, of Conservation & Natural Resources Philadelphia Dept, of Recreation William Penn Foundation Temple University Ambler College EarthFest Youth Works
WEBSITES
• AHS Children & Youth Gardening Symposium
www. ahs. org/youth_gardening
• Children & Nature Network www. cnaturenet. org
• Cornell University Garden-Based Learning Program
www. hort. Cornell, edu/gbl/
• Pennsylvania Assoc, of Environmental Educators www.paee.net/
BOOKS (in the PHS McLean Library)
• Cornell, Joseph Bharat, Sharing Nature with Children: A Parents' and Teachers’ Nature-Awareness Guidebook
• Kiefer, Joseph & Martin Kemple Digging Deeper: Integrating Youth Gardens into Schools & Communities
• Louv, Richard, Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature- Deficit Disorder
short supply. PHS’s Green City Youth pro- gram helps fill the gap. Working with five Philadelphia schools, Green City Youth brings teachers, students, and community greening activists (associated with PHS’s Philadelphia Green program) together and engages them in horticultural activities. The hands-on, service-learning curriculum encourages students to conceive and devel- op greening projects in their own neigh- borhoods.
About 150 students took part in Green City Youth during its first year. Projects included habitat gardens, tree plantings, and a self-made video promoting the importance of community greening.
Sulzberger Middle School science teacher Crystal Martin is participating in Green City Youth for the second year. “My stu- dents have really learned what greening is — that it’s more than just potted flowers,” she says. “They’ve taken ownership of their community and how it looks.
PHS has designed a complementary pro- gram called Green City Teachers. Through workshops and seminars, the program helps give Philadelphia educators the tools to incorporate horticulture and environ- mental education into their classroom cur- riculums. “We had teachers calling wanting to get involved with Green City Youth,” says PHS community education manager Patricia Schrieber. “We can’t accommodate all the schools at that level, but by reaching out to teachers, we can serve more chil- dren.”
For teenagers, PHS created the Summer Youth Environmental Stewardship Program. An offshoot of Philadelphia Green’s successful Parks Revitalization Project, the program provides six weeks of paid employment to youth in Philadelphia who take part in stewardship activities in parks and recreation centers. It has a special focus on environmental education, service- learning, job readiness, and leadership development.
Going forward, the program will develop
a health component called the Youth Environmental Health Corps. Project coor- dinator Takkeem Morgan worked with the young people during the first year and pro- posed the idea. “The kids were excited to be working for positive change,” he says, “but some had trouble seeing the connec- tion to their own lives. We want them to grasp the link between, for example, clean air and asthma, to help them see the impact on their own health and the health of their neighborhood.”
Gardening is another way to get kids interested in nature. It gives them direct, hands-on experience and helps them understand where their food comes from. PHS has helped many Philadelphia teach- ers develop school gardens. Kindergarten teacher Chuck Lafferty is a graduate of the PHS training programs Tree Tenders and Garden Tenders. In 1998, he helped start a community garden adjacent to his school, Longstreth Elementary School in Southwest Philadelphia. When he began to integrate gardening into his classroom cur- riculum, it was an instant hit with the stu- dents. “In other schools, students might grow a potted plant on a windowsill,” says Chuck. “Here, we allow them to plant it in the garden, see how it grows, and watch it change with the seasons.”
Philadelphia is home to some 500 community gardens. In an effort to culti- vate younger gardeners and provide oppor- tunities for outdoor learning, several PHS- supported community gardens have created partnerships with nearby public schools.
“The key to the future of our commu- nity gardens and other green spaces," says PHS executive vice president J. Blaine Bonham, Jr., “is to engage young people in taking an active role. By working now to get them involved in horticulture, we hope to not only build a long-lasting constitu- ency, but also to ensure that the natural resources of our region will have cham- pions to protect them far into the future.”
34
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Arranging with Tu
ins
3. Wrap stems in damp newspaper and place in container with water up to necks for at least 3 hours.
1. The tulip is great for cutting and comes in many colors.
2. Cut stem at a sharp angle to increase the surface area of the stem, which then allows more water to be absorbed.
The first tulips were discovered in Turkey in the 16th century, but the Netherlands made them famous a century later. During the “tulip mania” craze in ly^-century Holland, a single blossom could cost as much as a house. In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan suggests that the tulip uses its great beauty to seduce us into propagating and planting it, thus encouraging the continu- ation and improvement of its species. Whatever the reason, tulips have become one of the most popular garden flowers. Many varieties can now be purchased as cut flowers or planted as bulbs to be cut from your garden.
TULIPS FROM THE GARDEN
Picking and conditioning tulips
• Cut your tulips in the early morning or evening to ensure the longest life. Cut the stems at an angle and leave at least one set of leaves to produce a bloom next year.
• Re-cut the stems, again at an angle, 1 to 2 inches and roll them carefully in damp newspaper to keep the stems straight.
• Place in a bucket or container filled with tepid water (about 1 00 degrees) up to their heads for at least 2 to 3 hours.
5. The petals of one or more tulips may be reflexed (i.e., its petals opened by hand) to create a dramatic effect and give variation in form. Try this when the flower is warmed, either by light or by hand, and gently turn each petal backward to create an open flower.
H4. In a square glass
vase, tulip foliage can support the stems in a design. Grouping colors makes an appealing display.
6. A series of vases creates a simple and easy way to decorate a long table.
TULIPS FROM THE STORE
• Tulips are available from stores from late autumn through late spring.
• Look for good-sized blossoms that are upright, not droopy, in form.
• If stems are drooping, follow conditioning instructions for garden tulips.
TIPS FOR DESIGNING WITH TULIPS
Tulips are heavy-drinking flowers. Make sure to check their water daily and add more if needed. They will last in a vase from 3 to 7 days depending on the freshness, variety, and conditions of the room. Flowers prefer a cool temper- ature with not too much direct sunlight.
Tulips will continue to grow after arranged, sometimes up to 2 inches over a three- to four-day period. They are heliotropic and will follow the light, so a strong light over- head will encourage upright stems and blossoms, a light source from the side will attract the stems toward it. Enjoy this magic!
7. Branches make a good support for longer tulips or in a vase with a wide opening. Here are Bradford pear branches cut into 24-inch stems. (Shorter tulips will need shorter branches.) If a stem is still drooping, tie the flower head to one
of the branches with string or raffia.
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Show Plants
By Ray Rogers
Geraniums: Ribbons & Recollections
really like geraniums (Pelargonium sp.), and have known and grown them for a long time. Some of my earliest mem- ories recall planting neatly spaced trios of pungently scent- ed, bright red-flowered young plants in front of family head- stones in observation of what was once commonly known as Decoration Day (now widely called Memorial Day).
Those resilient plants were selections of large-growing zonal geraniums, reliable workhorses that still play a worthy role in summer bedding. However, they are not the sorts that captured my exhibitor’s eye several years ago and still figure into my entries for the Philadelphia Flower Show. What I dote on are the miniature and dwarf zonals (which grow from three inches to about a foot tall), the intriguing scented-leaved species and their kin, and the sometimes difficult succulent species. One reason for their popularity as Philadelphia Flower Show plants boils down to one shared trait: they grow and bloom more readily in the cooler weather of the fall and winter months pre- ceding the Show than during the advancing heat of spring and summer.
So now that May is here, instead of lavishing water and fer- tilizer on my geraniums over the next few months. I’ll be drag- ging the hose around less for them and easing up on applying fertilizer. They’ll be kept growing, of course, but not vigorous- ly, partially to avoid the stem and root rot that can terminate them in the doldrums of July and August. But come September, as day length wanes and the nights turn cool, my geraniums will rev up and grow strongly for several months. Frequent watering — three times weekly — and generous biweekly or weekly doses of fertilizer will support lush growth.
OK, of course it’s not quite that simple. Not all of them require the same amount of water (some of the succulent species do quite well with a drink every 10 days or so, if that), and the fertilizer they receive depends on whether they are grown for flowers, attractively variegated foliage, or simply their abundant leaves. Flowering types bloom heavily and most variegation patterns develop best when given plenty of phos- phorus, so I mix up batches of Miracle Gro 10-52-10 for those. Geraniums prized primarily for less-colorful foliage grow lush- ly when given plenty of nitrogen, so they receive Miracle Gro lawn food (having an analysis of 36-10-10).
With ample water and fertilizer, plenty of sunny days (not always the case, though) and cool nights (the greenhouses run at 50° to 55°F at night), by Show time my geraniums look lush and robust. ..but not simply as a result of being allowed to grow as they will. Almost any geranium grown for competition ben-
‘Bird Dancer’ ranks at the top of the author’s list of favorite geraniums because it can be grown as an impressive little standard (as shown here) or as a perfectly shaped mound of foliage.
efits from some timely and considered pinching of the shoots. While many of the species may need only a wayward shoot or two cut back to prevent lopsidedness, the scented-leaved types and fancy-leaved dwarf and miniature zonals look their best when presented as compact mounds, so they require more attention. Standards must be routinely pinched and turned to produce an impressively rounded head of foliage. To compli- cate matters, pinching of flowering pelargoniums must be timed to produce the maximum number of flowers: too-early pinching often results in flowers past their peak at Show time, while shoots pinched too late might bear promising buds but few or no flowers.
Like people, my geraniums can have a run of nasty luck or a bad day, so over the years some of my favorites have died in the middle of summer or yellowed a few weeks before the Show opened, perfectly timed flowers have been ruined by hungry thrips, and major branches have been broken off while being stripped of their dead leaves during grooming sessions. But others have stayed the course over a year or 10 and have been awarded those colorful pieces of ribbon that I and every other dyed-in-the-wool exhibitor covet.
GREEN SCENE • may/june 2007
Rob Cardillo
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THE PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
1979 - 2007 Twenty-eight Years . . . and the Vision Continues . . .
Cathedral
Village
Photo shows residents’ six-hole putting green surrounded by this comfortable pergola, a rock waterfall, and butterfly garden. The state-of-the-art greenhouse is the center for personal and group horticul- tural activities, seminars and classes.
600 East Cathedral Road Philadelphia, PA 19128 (215) 984-8622 www.cathedralvillage.com
Cathedral Village still offers the traditional CCRC contract, the most extensive available in the retirement industry. It provides a Value to our residents in quantity and quality of services received that is unparalleled and ... it covers more today than it did 28 years ago.
Years of Innovative planning by the Board of Directors and Management have resulted in an outstanding array of services and quality of care. This includes 12-hour a day Dining Services, 24-hour Outpatient Services including weekends and holidays, free medical transportation, unlimited days of Nursing Care, Health Club fitness and exercise programs. Horticultural activities and workshops, Village College classes, and Art and Music pro- grams. All have resulted in unusually high Resident Satisfaction.
The Vision of Cathedral Village continues. It is an on-going process that accommodates changes in cultural trends and in residents' lifestyles.
We invite you to visit, question, and compare! Come in Monday through Friday between 9 and 3. Appointments are necessary on weekends.
A Nonprofit, Nondenominational CCRC • Accredited Since 1983 Affiliated With the Jefferson Health System
Editor
Pete Prown
Associate Editor
Jane Carroll
Assistant Editor
Daniel Moise
Advertising Coordinator
Joe Soprani
Art Design
Baxendells’ Graphic
Printer
ALCOM Printing Group, Inc.
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
10
A Backyard Bog
If you’re looking to add excitement to your garden, transform a portion of your property into a bog garden. Joe Henderson describes some eccentric and exotic plants, including carnivorous species that are guaranteed to intrigue your horticultural palette.
F
EATURES
Web Site
www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org
100 N. 20th St. Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495 215-988-8800
Chair
Harry E. Hill
22
26
Birds and Boxes
Tucked away on a quiet street in Northwoods, PA, is the property of Howard and D-J Brosius. Daniel Moise showcases the couple’s inventive garden accessories, including raised planters and “living” birdhouses that make this back- yard garden one-of-a-kind.
Edible and Beautiful
Sure they taste good, but vegetables have ornamental merits as well. Learn how sweet potatoes, kale, and Swiss chard can give gardens newfound flair, as Eric Hsu reveals his recipe for success.
President
Jane G. Pepper
Executive Vice President
J. Blaine Bonham, Jr.
PHS Membership Information
Linda Davis, 215-988-8776
Display Ads
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16 Spider Sense
Daylilies are divine, but why not spice up your garden with daring “spider” varieties? As author Jessie Keith tells us, these long-petaled flowers offer great col- ors, shapes, and even an air of mystery.
COLUMNS
6 The Potting Shed 32 Botanical Bouquets
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Ask A Gardener Phone Line
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Parallel Designs
34 Show Plants
Spotlight on Hardy Plants
38 The Backyard
A Riverside Ramble
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society motivates people to improve the quality of life and create a sense of community through horticulture.
Main cover photo by Rob Cardillo PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
askagardener@pennhort. org
GREEN SCENE (USPS 955580),
Volume 35, No.4, is published bi-monthly (January, March, May, July, September, November) by The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, a non-profit member organization at 100 N. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495. Single Copy: $5.00 (plus $2.00 shipping). Second-class postage paid at Philadelphia, PA 19103.
POSTMASTER: Send address change to GREEN SCENE, 100 N. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103. © Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 2007
GREEN SCENE subscriptions are part of the membership benefits for:
Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ Horticultural Society of New York Phipps Conservatory, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA Staten Island Botanical Garden, Inc, New York
-rom Park to Park
I
I
Every year, PHS’s Philadelphia Green program sponsors a wonderful citywide event called Spring into Your Park. This day brings together hundreds of volunteers in 62 parks across the city to revitalize their neighbor- hood parks. The cleanup was held on April 21st, and the weather was perfect — a far cry from last year’s rainy deluge.
Philadelphia Mayor John Street made an appear- ance in Nicetown Park and noted, “My fourth grandchild was just born and it made me think, ‘What kind of world are we going to leave for him?’ So we need to do the right thing today. Our goal is not just to clean up this park, but to educate anoth- er generation of children at the same time.”
For me. Spring into Your Park is a chance to get out from behind my desk and spend time touring Philadelphia with my camera. That day, I stopped at several West Philadelphia parks (Conshohocken- Windemere, Carroll, Cedar, Muhammed, and Morris), capturing enthusiastic volunteers planting trees and annual flowers, picking up litter, and hav-
ing a great time engaging with their community. But instead of writing about my experiences, I thought I’d let my camera do the talking. Here are a few snapshots from this inspiring event.
email: greenscene@pennhort.org
4
GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
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Left: A restored 1940 playhouse by the bay
A quick fix for sandy soil is to take cheap bags of potting soil and add composted veg- etable scraps, eelgrass, and 2 cups of Espoma’s Plant-Tone to each bag. Another is a spring “tonic” at planting time consisting of 4 cups soy meal, 2 cups blood meal (nitrogen), 3 cups bone meal (phosphorus), 2 cups kelp meal, and 4 cups green sand (potassium). This mixture decomposes slowly and does not deposit excessive amounts of nitrogen in the water.
Sandy seashore soils usually tend to be slight- ly alkaline. However, Japanese pines growing all around continually blow acidic needles into our
6 i GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
ardening in shore loca-
From
SAND
»SOIL
Improving Growing Conditions in Shore Gardens
By Gretchen F. Coyle
tions requires special attention to the soil because, in general, there’s very little of it. Instead, gardeners are faced with fast-draining, nutrient- poor sand by the bucket- ful. When visitors ask about our bay-front prop- erty and garden in New Jersey, I smile and say, “Here, there is only sand — our soil must be made." As such, secret recipes for good soil in coastal areas are as varied as the gardeners themselves.
On a sandy peninsula in Beach Haven 23 years ago, we dumped nearly 3 feet of commercial topsoil into raised beds for grow- ing vegetables and non- native flowers. Lacking in nutrients, the soil did not hold water, which imme- diately leached through the sand. So we imported a few truckloads of mush- room soil and mixed it in for “body.” Within a few weeks our beds changed color, and earthworms protruded from every shovelful.
Seashore gardeners have to find creative ways to enrich the soil, continually adding natural ingredients. A “beach mixture” wash- es up on our bay beach, consisting of eel grass, seaweed, reeds, dead crabs, and fish car- casses. Used as mulch, it protects seedlings from strong wind, retains moisture, and pro- tects clematis roots from the strong sun. It takes about two years, however, for this mix- ture to fully break down.
Grass clippings from non-chemically treat- ed lawns are another welcome addition, as are leaves from the mainland, which are mixed in and left to decay, forming a rich humus. Farm manure has been used sparingly.
Our spring ritual is adding “beach mix- ture” and lime. Friends tie up plastic bags of leaves and leave them to warm on the ground, producing soil faster than compost. We use salt hay, regular hay, peat moss, pine needles, and coffee grounds.
raised beds. Lacking the patience to conduct yearly soil tests, we live by the “bird rule”: if birds pull out large earthworms and scatter mulch all over, the soil is good.
Most seashore gardeners are also concerned about the environment, especially about water quality, so we try to avoid using chem- icals that might run off gardens and pollute the water. Natural ingredients are abundant on the beaches, so we happily fill trash cans with whatever washes ashore.
Seashore soil needs yearly care and upgrad- ing, but with a little extra effort, coastal gar- deners can experience the beauty of the bay and ocean — and beauti- ful gardens, too!
Gretchen F. Coyle gardens in Beach Haven, NJ, and has contributed to Green Scene since 1995.
Left: Gardening in raised beds at the shore
Below: Our backyard protected from the salt air and wind
Heat-Loving SunPatiens
By Jo Ann Gardner
What are we to think of an oversized impatien that grows best in sun and sulks in shade? When we add a preference for extreme heat and humidity to its profile, we know we are in the presence of an extraor- dinary new garden plant.
SunPatiens are the result of painstaking work by plant breeders at Sakata Seed to produce a flowering plant that would stand up to Japan’s hot, humid summers— hotter even than Florida’s.
A cross between New Guinea impatiens and a wild species, SunPatiens have more vigor than either parent. Growing 1 8 to 30 inches tall, they are shrubby with glossy, sharply pointed green leaves. But flowers — an abundance of them all summer without interruption — are what SunPatiens are all about. The first colors, introduced in 2006, were mostly hot: ‘Tropical Mango’ (red), Tropical Punch’ (magenta), and ‘Tropical Orange’ (bright orange). Tropical Ice' is a clean white; its flowers are out- standing against arching, dark green foliage.
Gentler colors have been introduced this year: ‘Vigorous Lavender’ (soft lavender) and ‘Spreading Salmon Variegated’ (light salmon), which has the bonus of chartreuse- and-green variegated foliage and a more compact habit suitable for a hanging basket.
Sold only through Home Depot stores, SunPatiens can be grown as annuals in all but the hottest regions of the country (mature plants survive light frosts). Site plants where they receive morning or after- noon sun, or sun all day. A little too much
shade and they will stretch, so it’s better to err on the sunny side. Mulch and potassium- based water crystals, or Zeba, a cornstarch- based product, will help maintain soil mois- ture and reduce the need for watering.
In the ground, use SunPatiens as a focal point among other sun and heat lovers such as marigolds, petunias, portulacas, and zin- nias. Or grow them as a striking hedge along a sunny path. SunPatiens offer many design possibilities for container gardens, where plants of different heights, forms, textures, and colors are put together as if they were growing in beds or borders. Before the first hard frost, pot up a few to winter over on the windowsill. SunPatiens thrive indoors.
Yet no matter how temperatures soar or humid conditions prevail, these heat-lovers keep on producing a massed display of blooms. In return they ask to be watered regularly (SunPatiens are not as demanding as New Guinea impatiens in this regard), pruned only when needed for shapeliness, and given a light application of all-purpose fertilizer once a season. These are modest requests for such a dazzling summer flower. ^
Jo Ann Gardner also wrote the article on new petunia varieties in the May issue.
GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
7
Enter the 2007
GREEN *
Enter the Green Scene “Garden Photo Contest” and win this Nikon Coolpix L10 digital camera, provided by Ritz Camera.
%
V. nTLAOCLTHIvCiHA
'< rBtLiDcrrauni^onKin mi loonuon run
We want to see your best Garden shots, Flower close-ups, and other Nature and Landscape shots! The contest’s judges — all professional photographers and gardeners from the Delaware Valley— will be looking for knock-out images that capture the essence of gardening and the beauty of nature. Winning photos will be published in the January/February 2008 issue of Green Scene magazine and on the PHS website.
Photos can be shot in any format, but must be submitted as 4 x 6 or 5 x 7-inch prints with your name and phone/email address on the back. No submissions by email or on CD will be accepted. The deadline for entries is September 15, 2007.
For more information, please visit the PPIS website at
www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org or email greenscene@pennhort.org with questions.
SEE PAGE 37 FOR CONTEST RULES! A
—
ENTRY FORM (please fill out completely)
Name:
Address:
City: State: Zip:
Phone: Email:
ENTRY FEES
Amount (check one):
1 photo ($15) □ 2-5 photos ($25) □ 6-10 photos ($40) □
Payment option: Check □ (payable to PHS) Credit Card □ Credit card type: Visa □ MasterCard □ AmEx □
Card number: Card expiration date:
Please mail your entries to: GREEN SCENE GARDEN PHOTO CONTEST, The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th
Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495
The contest is open to photographers 18 years and older. To be eligible, all mailed-in entries must be postmarked on or before September 15, 2007.
Warranty and Permission
By sending this photograph(s) to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Green Scene Garden Photo Contest, I warrant that I am the sole author of this photo(s). I grant the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society the right to publish this photo in its publications and elec- tronic newsletters; on its website; and in collateral publications, including, but not limited to, promotional materials. I understand that
beyond granting PHS these rights, I retain all other rights to this photograph.
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1531 Telegraph Road Marshallton West Chester, PA 19380 610-436-4511
The Farm at Green Village
403 Green Village Road Green Village, NJ 07935 973-377-8703
Gateway Garden Center
7277 Lancaster Pike Hockessin, DE 19707 302-239-2727
J. Franklin Styer Nurseries
914 Baltimore Pike Concord, PA 19331 610-459-2400
Waterloo Gardens
200 N. Whitford Road Exton, PA 19341 610-363-0800
Waterloo Gardens
1 36 Lancaster Avenue Devon , PA 19333 610-293-0800
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Story by Joe Henderson
Photography by Rob Cardillo
Spiranthes cernua var. adorata
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BEAUTIFUL
BOG
GARDENS
My love of bog and water-loving plants began when I was young. My parents were avid gardeners who wanted a farmstead but ended up with a house full of children. Nevertheless, they instilled a life-long interest in horticulture in all of us Henderson kids.
Grueling outings were mandatory. On one occasion, my brothers came back from the Pine Barrens of New Jersey with great tales of the ‘pygmy forest” and carnivorous pitcher plants growing amid thick sphagnum moss that could swallow me whole. I was entranced.
A CHILD IN THE BOG
Despite growing up in urban Wilmington, Delaware, images of that New Jersey swamp stayed with me. I imagined screaming insects being plucked from the air by adept hunters, dare I say, on the fly. I fantasized wild scenes of wanton destruction with carnivorous plants waging war against insidious mosquitoes, yellow jackets, deer flies, and other blood- thirsty vermin. When time permitted, my family took me to see bog plants in the wild, and, though it was not as fraught with fantastical may- hem as I had imagined, 1 was infatuated with the wet, sloshy landscape of the Pine Barrens.
To my child’s mind, it was akin to a lost, prehistoric land: bracken and dense scrub on the forest floor and dwarfish-looking pine and oak trees overhead. On family hikes, we would come upon tannin-stained water, deep cinnamon in color, where tributaries splayed out to meet the river. There I first found my love — the pitcher plant. Its modified, deep bur- gundy leaves were standing at attention, looking eerily like insatiable gaping mouths waiting to be fed. That was enough for me.
GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007 11
RESOURCES
Lilypons
www. lilypons. com 800-999-5459
Meadowbrook Farm
www.gotomeadowbrook.com
215-887-5900
Plant Ideas
www.plantideas.com/bog/
Van Ness Water Gardens
www.vnwg.com
800-205-2425
Left: A pitcher plant in a container with moss
Below: Springtime blooms of pitcher plants brighten this small, home-made bog garden lined with native rocks.
Right: Sarracenia ‘Judith Hindle’
Pitcher plants and other bog plants, of which there are many, grow in special places with other special plants. In the Pine Barrens youll find purple pitcher plant ( Sarracenia purpurea), sundew ( Drosera sp.), bladderworts (Utricularia sp.), sphag- num mosses, orchids ( Pogonia ophioglos- soides and Cypripedium sp.), cranberry ( Vaccinium macrocarpon ), and blueberry ( Vaccinum corymbosuni). Listening to all the names makes you feel kind of dizzy with anticipation.
BOG IN A POT
Recreating a slice of this environment on your own property is surprisingly easy. If you are more ambitious, think of creating an entire garden that calls to mind your idea of a primeval bog, complete with all the accoutrements — stumps, ferns, mosses, pitchers, and reflective water. Voila!
The first step in developing a bog is to do a bit of research. The first question is how big can I make id Working at Chanticleer in Wayne, PA, I have had the good fortune to plant a rather large bog garden: 60 feet by 30 feet. Having a large area allows room for many challenging and fantastic plants that highlight and accent the pitcher plants.
For home gardeners, I suggest starting out small.
For starters, a shallow pot about 1 8 to 24 inches across will do nicely. Create a list of favorite plants that might like this environ- ment. My list starts with pitcher plants, botanically known as Sarracenia, named by an early plant explorer after Dr. Sarrazin, a noted French-Canadian physician. There are many species as well as cultivated forms of Sarracenia.
Another New Jersey favorite is American cranberry (or craneberry, so called because the flower looks like a crane’s head). It has fine, dark green foliage that turns a deep burgundy color in the fall and wiry, run- ning stems. It makes a nice contrast to the coarse leaves of Sarracenia. When pollinat-
GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
13
J
ed, its small white flowers give rise to the familiar fruit. Another easy and very satisfying plant is ladies’ tresses (Spiranthes cernua var. odorata ), of which a good cultivar is Spiranthes ‘Chadds Ford’. Patrol for excessive growth with the cranberry and Spiranthes , as they can be a bit rambunctious.
THE PERFECT PEAT
The next step is to gather your grow- ing medium. Bog plants like moist roots, so the potting mixture must never dry out. In the wild, Sarracenia grows on hummocks of moss and roots, with the crown of the plant above the water, not in the water. In the Pine Barrens, the water table is quite high, which keeps low-lying parts of the barrens wet. These are the conditions in which bog plants thrive — wet, acidic, sandy soils with a good amount of organic material.
The growing medium should have a mix of peat moss and sand. A ratio of 2 parts peat to 3 parts sand is ideal. Use builders’ sand as it is coarser than other
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types. Place a tray of water underneath your bog container to keep the mix moist but not sodden. The tray should be deep, rising to a third of the way up the side of the pot. Alternatively, put a liner in the bottom of the pot to hold in the water, keeping the water level approximately 2 inches from the rim of the planter.
My friend Carol Lim, who has sever- al container bogs, suggests adding a few handfuls of charcoal in the bottom of the container. Protect the plants from winter extremes and place in full sun during the growing season.
DO YOU WATER BOG PLANTS?
Yes, indeed you do! For watering, Carol uses a tonic of oak leaves steeped in rain water until the water turns dark, but not foul. Tap water can be alkaline and full of minerals, but if you fear mosquitoes breeding in your rain bar- rel, let tap water sit a day or two to let chlorine dissipate. If you can get it, live sphagnum moss is a good indicator of the conditions in your bog. If it lives, conditions are good; if not, well, there’s your answer. Dried, long-fiber sphag- num is a good substitute. You can use it to top dress and if conditions are right, it may sprout from dormant spores.
For me, bogs conjure all sorts of asso- ciations and emotions, from my earliest childhood memories of fantastic land- scapes to the intrigue of their singular growing environment. Bogs are also a very special community of plants. I hope that by helping gardeners under- stand the needs and requirements of mini bogs, I’ll also help them under- stand the larger picture of the rare plant communities that grow around us. 'A*'
Joe Henderson is a horticulturist and gardener at Chanticleer in Wayne, PA (www. chan ticleergarden. org) .
Photos taken at Aquascapes Unlimited, Bedminster Organics, Culp garden, and the Mt. Cuba Center.
14
GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
WINTERTHUR
Gardenfair
Save the date! September 14-16, 2007
A spectacular autumn sale featuring everything from one-of-a-kind selections of unique plants to antiques, expert gardening information, celebrity lecturers, demonstrations, entertainment, and more. This event benefits educational programming at Winterthur.
WINTERTHUR
MUSEUM & COUNTRY ESTATE
Located in Delaware’s beautiful Brandywine Valley on Route 52, less than an hour south of Philadelphia.
For more information, please visit winterthur.org or call 800.448.3883.
SuDernatura
With over 40,000 registered daylilies, the genus Hemerocallis is a veritable cornucopia of cultivars. So, why not reach beyond the confines of ditch lilies ( Hemerocallis fulva ), lemon lilies ( Hemerocallis lilioas- phodelus), and the ubiquitous, ever- blooming ‘Stella D'oro? There are plenty of unusual forms and variants of Hemerocallis that break the mold. Some flowers are circular in circumference, star- like, or triangular in shape, but for me, the creme de la creme of visual elegance and beauty are spider daylilies.
AMAZING
ARACHNID-LIKE
ANGIOSPERMS
Spider daylilies have an almost ethereal floral form. Their flowers are divinely sinewy because their petals are four to five times as long as they are wide (from the widest point on the petal). They look like they’ve been worked through a taffy pull. Some cultivars have the added appeal of petals that recurve back, curl, or cascade down into flirtatious curlicues. Two beau- ties with curled tips are the golden yellow ‘Dancing in the Sunlight’ — a new intro- duction from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, hybridizer Don Herr — and the award- winning ‘Yabba Dabba Doo’, which has lightly curled petal tips, a chartreuse-yel- low throat, and medium-purple petals.
Some spider cultivars fit the visual ideal more than others. Lean, linear, rib- bon-like petals are the most stylish, while wider petals give flowers a heavier appearance comparable to the difference between a graceful garden spider and the goliath tarantula. ‘Kindly Light’, an old- fashioned lemon-yellow spider with 9- inch blooms, has the most classically lithe spider form. The rich scarlet and gold ‘Scarlett’s Web’ and spring green and pale lavender ‘Skinwalker’ are also svelte selections.
Size matters with these flowers, and bigger blossoms are certainly more arresting. Many gardeners enjoy the creamy lavender, burgundy, and butter- cup yellow of ‘Tennessee Flycatcher', whose flowers can span 10 inches or more. ‘Pink Super Spider' is also a mon- strous 10 inches across and has wide pink petals and a creamy green throat. Believe me, when these colossal flowers make their garden debut, your friends will want them, too. One flower will make any vase shine for a day. Talk about impressive!
Spider colors cover the full daylily palette of burgundies, yellows, oranges, reds, pinks and purples, with petals and throats displaying various bi-colored pat- terns. Theoretically, any funky color combination can arise if you get the genetics right. One of the more uncom- mon color variants is ‘Grey Witch ,
16
GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
Top left:
‘Grey Witch’
Top right: Unnamed spider lily among other variants
Left:
‘Scarlett’s Web’
Bottom left:
‘Dancing in the Sunlight’
Bottom right:
‘Summer Fireworks’
which has petals of cool lavender, a dark purple eye and yellow-green rhroat. The curious color of the super-skinny 8 1/2- inch ‘Skinwalker’ also represents a stark change from the norm. Technically its petals are creamy bright green and pale lavender, but they also have plenty of peachy skin tones.
BLOOM TIME
Hemerocallis can bloom in early to late summer depending on the cultivar, so one can design a plan with spiders blooming throughout much of the sea- son. For example, in our area the tanger- ine ‘Orangeman’ can bloom as early as late May, while the orange and red ‘Stoplight flowers into late summer. Remontant (re-blooming) varieties like the pale pink and yellow ‘Ouachita Beauty’ and dark red ‘Aabachee’ are also available and worth seeking out.
If buying for continued floral display, look for cultivars that bloom heavily. These make the season extra bright. Vigorous selections like the prolific crimson and yellow ‘Summer Fireworks’, another Don Herr hybrid, have masses of blooms and extended bloom times.
AWARD WINNERS
Since 1989 the American Hemerocallis Society has honored a sin- gle registered spider daylily with a special award called the Harris Olson Spider Award. Winners are trialed and voted upon by a large panel of judges, so only the best of the best win. Plants are judged on floral form, color, vigor, and floriferousness, among other criteria. The 2006 winner (the most recent) is ‘Holly Dancer’, which has rich crimson flowers with a green throat.
SPIDER IMPERSONATORS
Many spider-like daylilies are catego- rized as “unusual forms rather than spi- ders because their petal length does not quite make the cut, and they have strik- ing petal abnormalities like cascading curls and quill-like petals. Two outstand- ing unusual forms are ‘Thin Man’, with bold red and yellow flowers that are both
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curled and slightly pinched, and ‘Desert Icicle’, which has refreshing curly petals of lemon cream and mint. The giant, 13-inch spider-like blooms of ‘Webster’s Pink Wonder’ are also highly garden worthy for their luscious pink lemonade color and grand size.
New and unusual spider daylilies can be very costly because they tend to be bred by select nurseries and propagated in small quantities, but not all will break the bank. Cultivars that have been around for a few years are usually reasonable. So, find a sunny well-drained spot in your garden and plant a few spiders this season. ^
Special thanks to Don Herr for letting the author waddle through his garden taking daylily photos while seven months pregnant.
For more information on daylilies, contact the American Hemerocalis Society at www.daylilies.org or the Delaware Valley Daylily Society at http: //daylily. net/ gardens/ dvds. htm .
20
GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
Home of the Lewis W. Barton Arboretum and Nature Preserve Member, Greater Philadelphia Gardens
Spring is a great time to visit Medford Leas
beautiful arboretum settings
wide choice of home designs
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A nationally accredited, Quaker- related, not-for-profit community for adults age 55+, with campuses in Medford and Lumberton, NJ
For more information: 800. 33i. 4802 or www.medfordleas.org
GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
21
22
GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
Building GARDENO BOXES O l
BIRDHOUSES
“The fun of garden accessorizing is the element of surprise,” says D-J Brosius. “You walk along and come upon something that’s completely unexpected.” D-J and her husband Howard have clearly adopted this philosophy at Chipping Hill, their Northwoods, PA, property. Perhaps the most arresting objects found there are those
that Howard and D-J have created with their own hands, such as garden boxes, bird- houses, and clever wall sculptures made from old garden tools.
Left: A funky yet functioning birdhouse made from recycled materials Center: Howard and D-J Right: Another “bird condominium”
BUILDING A BETTER BOX
Of particular interest are their “gar- den boxes.” In a garden that’s wood- ed and dense, it was all too easy for some of the couple’s favorite species — such as dwarf hostas — to be overshadowed by larger plants that were unwilling to share root-space and sunlight, hence the idea for boxes. When placed in a sunny spot and filled with nutrient-rich soil, these garden boxes make for perfect planters, giving prominence to the diminutive plants.
To build the planters, the couple buys lumber from a local home-supply store. The dimensions can vary depending upon space constraints, but Howard says, “The key is to buy enough to create two boxes, not one.” Although it’s not immediately notice- able, the planter is actually tiered, with the larger of the two boxes resting atop the other. Howard uses an electric screwdriver (to avoid splintering) and deck screws to fasten them together.
Drainage is extremely important. Howard recommends providing 1/4- inch-thick spaces between the bot- tom boards of both boxes to allow water to drain. For the summer months, he places the completed planter on blocks or bricks to encour- age greater drainage. In winter, the planters sit directly on the ground to minimize exposure to the cold.
Once the basic structure of the
GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
23
I
f
;
planter is complete, Howard likes to add some decorative touches, such as finial balls at each of the four corners. Although he could leave it bare, he likes to paint his planters a mixture of brown and gray; a shade that blends with the landscape. Vibrant colors would work as well, but the couple feels it would take focus away from the plants.
Through the years Howard has devised a formula for what he considers the perfect soil. It’s a three-part blend of standard store-bought potting soil, composted mushroom soil substrate (a type of fertile, post-harvest mushroom soil), and a sam- pling from the compost pile. This hardy humus guarantees good growing.
While the boxes can host a wide range of species, the Brosius family gravitates toward miniature hostas. Howard can easi- ly rattle off a list of his favorite varieties, many of which boast memorable names such as “Radio Waves” and “Spilt Milk.” He says, “Many people are reluctant to buy
hosta because you invariably lose some to pests. Frankly, I enjoy the challenge.”
Before he knew it, boxes were peppered throughout the property — lining pathways, framing benches, and adding newfound depth and contrast. Plants that might oth- erwise be overlooked receive a second glance simply by being two feet off the ground, and the many shades of green come together nicely. Says D-J, “I love the fact that so many of the items in the back- yard are of our own design and device. It really makes the property an extension of our home.”
Top to bottom:
The early stages of box assembly
D-J’s wall sculpture adds flourish to the side of a tool shed
A “living birdhouse” with moss and sedums growing on the roof
A homemade planter featuring miniature hostas
24
any pre-made or store-bought model with a pitched roof will suffice. Howard first applies “mud pies” of compost and wet soil across the roof and layers the sheet moss on top. To secure it, he pulls plastic deer net- ting tightly across the roof and staples it under the eaves. He then cuts tiny holes into the netting and gently affixes the small succulents in the hole. Given the nature of sedums, the plants quickly take root and send out offshoots in all directions (hence the name “hens and chicks”).
No two birdhouses look quite the same; in fact, each one takes on a new appearance daily as the plants thrive and bloom. D-J says, “Lots of people have birdhouses in their gardens, I just think we’ve put a new spin on an old classic.”
The birds seem to approve as well. Each of the existing establishments is quite pop- ular among the winged warblers, inspiring Howard to make each subsequent bird- house larger than the one before. D-J jokes that Howard no longer builds birdhouses, but bird condominiums.
BUILDING A GARDEN BIRDHOUSE
One of the appealing attributes of a woodland garden is the wildlife it invites. And although the deer and chipmunks sometimes view the Brosius backyard as their own buffet, Howard and D-J are very welcoming of all sorts of critters. In fact, their property has been certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a wildlife habitat.
Chief among the animals found on their property are birds. With nearly a dozen birdhouses around the grounds, it’s the avian equivalent to a major metropolis. What set the dwellings apart from the stan- dard mold are their roofs. Adorned with golden sphagnum peat moss, the birdhous- es appear to have thatched roofs, like nurs- ery-rhyme cottages. Rising from the moss are thick and fleshy succulents known as “hens and chicks”, a species of sedum ( Sempervivum sp.).
The look is distinctive, and recreating it is surprisingly easy to do. Although Howard prefers to assemble his own bird- houses (usually with leftover lumber from his other gardening projects), practically
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In 1940, Laura Barnes established the Arboretum School to provide students of horticulture, botany, and landscape architecture the opportunity to work under professional guidance.
The Arboretum School of the Barnes Foundation offers one and two-day workshops during the summer. Each fall the Foundation accepts twenty-five new students for its three-year program in ornamental horticulture which offers a comprehensive curriculum of botany, plant propagation, practical horticulture techniques, and landscape design.
A well-trained faculty provides expert instruction and guidance in the horticultural arts and sciences.
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GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
25
ORNAMENTAL
Momordica charantia ‘Palee’ (green gourd)
Cucumis sativus ‘Diva’ (cucumber)
Cucumis melo ‘Savor’ (melon)
Capsicum annuum ‘Ancho 21 1 ’ (pablano pepper)
Lycopersicon esculentum ‘Wonder Light’ (yellow tomato)
In May 1917, an editorial entitled “A Vegetable Year” in House Beautiful urged the inclusion of vegetables in
ornamental gardens, coyly suggesting:
There is no reason why a suitor should not bring to his lady-love a wonderful bouquet of tender, pearly scallions, ruby radishes, and lettuce leaves in various shades of buttery yellow and glossy green, except that after presenting it to her, and after her admiration had subsided a little, they could fashion the bouquet into a salad and eat it together, which would be... a material symbol of their unity of heart.
Still, vegetables have not received their due and for too long have been relegated to military rows in a separate plot — far from color- ful flowers and shrubs. But vegetables can be striking additions to gardens and containers. Rosalind Creasy’s Edible Landscaping, cou- pled with the slow food movement (which combats the spread of fast food and promotes local cuisines), has broadened the choices. A visit to the long border flanking the Robison York State Herb Garden at Cornell Plantations, designed by curator Diane Miske, would convert any naysayer. At Chanticleer, a pleasure garden in Wayne, PA, where visual theatrics are all-important, the vegetable garden meshes together the geometry of the French potager with the casual playfulness of American gardens.
Purple sets the tone for many vegetables: think purple cauli- flower, tomato ‘Krim’s Black’, blue potatoes, and of course, egg- plants. With their purple flowers, lacquered black fruits, and dark foliage, eggplants are splendid in containers. Enhance their appeal by potting them in glazed violet urns with good drainage. Generous fertilizing for container plants is a must for these heavy feeders. Be vigilant for flea beetles whose telltale symptoms are pin- sized holes in the leaves.
Kales can provide that regal purple, too, but some gardeners overlook them, more likely to plant them with chrysanthemums in autumn. Doug Croft, who oversees the vegetable garden at Chanticleer, loves them for their early spring color and texture. He is particularly keen on 'Redbor’, pairing it with the crinkled, blue- green leaves of ‘Lacinato’ (‘Nero di Toscano’). The appeal of this cultivar lies in its frilly leaves arranged like a vegetable pagoda. Vdien nights begin to cool, the leaves, dew with morning mois- ture, turn a delicious plum color. In one container at the Scott Arboretum, this kale is mixed with Colocasia esculenta ‘Illustris’, Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender , and Strobilanthes dyeranius , for a lovely study in purple. In fertile soil, these plants may grow rapid- ly to more than 2 feet high and will require staking.
William Woys Weaver speaks highly of ‘Lacinato’ (listed as Black Tuscan Palm Tree Kale) in his tome Heirloom Vegetable Gardening, calling it “truly one of the most beautiful kales to grace any kitchen garden.... There is probably no more spectacular combination than
to see this gray-black kale inter-planted with vivid green Silesia let- tuce.” ‘Redbor’ and ‘Lacinato’ can be harvested and prepared in the same manner as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. Those who are not keen on the purple leaves of ‘Redbor’ should try ‘Winterbor instead.
Salad greens are wonderfully versatile, fitting just as easily on the city dweller’s balcony as in the sprawling vegetable gardens of large estates. They can be grown in containers near the kitchen door, where the gardener-cook can snip leaves for salads or cooking. Their colorful foliage and variable heights make them interesting partners for other plants. Chanticleer horticulturist Jon Wright has deftly combined salad crops with cool-season annuals in hanging spheres. In urns, sweet peas twirl around loosely spaced willow branches under-planted with salad crops. Croft is enthusiastic about the lettuces ‘Merlot and ‘Revolution’, which always draw visitors’ attention for their deep red leaves.
If you can prevent cabbage moth larvae from skeletonizing the leaves (try using a fleece cover over young plants), cabbages can be wonderful garden centerpieces. Amy Goldman, who gardens in Rhinebeck, New York, particularly likes Savoy types for their frost hardiness and cool, sunset hues. Her sentiments were shared by a writer in the American Agriculturist in May 1 882: “Savoy cabbage is as much superior to the common hardheaded kinds as the least cultivated grape is superior to the ornamental fox-grape of the woods. ‘January King’ not only has superb, crisp flavor, but also a blue violet leafy color with pink veins. Deeply crimped leaves are
Photography by Rhoda Maurer
GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
27
Gt&isv*
the hallmark of ‘Ormskirk’, which can be harvested as late as Christmas. Once known as large drumhead savoy, ‘Des Vertus’ is a French variety that produces green, 4- to 6-pound heads and has a mild, sweet taste.
The once unassuming Swiss chard ( Beta vulgaris Cicla Group) has undergone a col- orful metamorphosis; new strains like ‘Bright Lights’ have vivid stems and veins. In a private suburban Chicago garden, ‘Bright Lights’ was cleverly paired with Asiatic lilies of various hues. ‘Ruby Red' seems to pulse with life as the veins appear to course through the leaves like blood. Unfortunately, the stems do not retain their color when cooked. Upon first glance, beets look unassuming, but they are as vibrant as Swiss chard. I like to dress up salads with the young leaves of ‘Bull’s Blood’, an heir- loom variety with metallic, garnet foliage.
Many gardeners grow the Malabar spinach ( Basella rubra) as an ornamental vine. Growing as fast as one foot a day in hot climates, this plant (unrelated to true spinach) revels in the tropical summers of the Mid-Atlantic region. ‘Rubra’ has thick red stems that recall pokeweed ( Phytolacca americand), but none of the latter’s poison- ous tendencies. The insignificant white flowers eventually give way to inky black berries used for food coloring. Malabar spinach makes a great cascade plant in con- tainers, but its unruly growth necessitates a trellis or an upright support. Harvest the leaves, rich in vitamins A and C, to eat either raw or cooked.
Another ornamental edible with kudzu- like tendencies is sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas) — no stranger to anyone who has relied on ‘Margarita’, ‘Sweet Blackie’, or ‘Sweet Caroline’ for trailing accents in con- tainers. Although my mother’s appraisal of the tuberous roots from these cultivars was not positive, the leaves, rich in vitamins A, C, and B6 and often boiled with garlic in Taiwanese cuisine, are delicious.
Classified as neither a salad nor a fruit crop, cardoon ( Cynara cardunculus) is usu- ally grown for its filigreed silver leaves and extraordinary thistle-like flowers. Victorian gardeners used to blanch and harvest the stems for cooking with white wine, garlic, olive oil, and butter. (Handle with care as cardoon stalks can have small, nearly invisi-
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MAY 26 - OCTOBER 8
Miniature replicas of original railroad stations
Model trains on a 1/4 mile track running through the summer garden
FREE with general admission
100 Northwestern Avenue in Chestnut Hill, PA • 215.247.5777 • www.morrisarboretum.org
ble spines.) Okra is another vegetable worth welcoming into the flower border. Its pale yellow flowers sometimes blushed with rose, deeply incised leaves, and willowy stems are outstanding attributes. It is unfazed by the hot, humid summers of our region and remains relatively free of pests and diseases though crop rotation can be helpful. Croft recommends under-planting okra with pars- ley for foliar texture.
Peppers are overlooked for their showy merits. Some, particularly chili peppers, make perfect potted plants that last all sum- mer, since they require a long growing sea- son to produce and ripen fruit. The petite ‘Aurora (10 to 12 inches), with its profuse quantities of yellow, orange, red, and purple fruits that look like blinking Christmas lights, makes a stunning statement in a con- tainer or as an edging plant. ‘Bellingrath Gardens’, named in honor of a famous Alabama garden, has striking dark purple stems and satin-like leaves tinged with green, purple, and cream. The combination becomes provocative when the small scarlet fruits appear later. ‘Orozco’ has black-purple foliage and multi-colored fruits. ‘Poinsettia’, a Japanese cultivar of compact size, has 3- inch-long red fruits held upright in clusters. ‘Trifetti’ (‘Purple Tiger’ and ‘Variegata’) has the same tricolor foliage as 'Bellingrath Gardens’, but produces 1 -inch-long purple fruits that eventually turn red. I like to use peppers for their piquant flavors in stir-fry dishes; chopped pieces go well with Sichuan-style tofu and peppercorns. Their spiciness also complements the sweet, milk)" aroma of coconut milk in curry dishes.
With so many stunning vegetables to choose from, there is no reason why garden- ers cannot indulge their eyes and taste buds simultaneously. Rather than limit your gar- den palette to impatiens, petunias, or gera- niums, why not add eggplants, peppers, salad greens, and herbs? Your garden will turn into an edible potpourri, and you can offer your loved ones a nourishing “vegetable bouquet.”
Formerly with the Scott Arboretum, Eric is now the RHS Fellow pursuing a Master of Science in Taxonomy at University of Reading, UK. He used to grow vegetables extensively during his youth, and now misses the opportunity to harvest them fresh for cooking.
30
GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
SOURCES
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
www.johnnyseeds.com
207-861-3999
Tomato Growers Supply Company
www. tomatogrowers. com 888-478-7333
Territorial Seed Company
www. territorial-seed, com 541-942-9547
Seeds from Italy
www. growitalian. com 781-721-5904
Renee’s Garden Seeds
www. reneesgarden 888-880-7228
Bay Flora
www. bayflora. com fax: 888-549-2969
The Scott Associates’
2007 Plant Sale
Fri . . Sept. 7
4 -8 pm Special Friends Preview Donor Passes Req’d .
Sat. , Sept. 8
10 am — 1 pm Members Only must show card 1 -3 pm
General Admission
Sun.. Sept. 9
10 am — 3 pm General Admission
Assnri/V i s m-
• Choose from hundreds of varieties of perennials, trees, shrubs and vines - many unusual species or hard to find
• 2007 Plant Sale Feature - Hydrangeas in all of their glorious variety' and splendor
• Wide choice of exotic houseplants and tropicals.
• Many' plant experts on hand and all eager to assist you
• Proceeds will help build the new Education Center and Greenhouse
• Visit our website for Plant Sale news and dates of lectures and arboretum tours highlighting our Plant Sale offerings.
• Free parking and general admission
• VISA and MasterCard accepted
• Ruin or shine!
The Sale will be held on the Swarthmore College Cunningham Field on College Avenue. Follow signs on Rt. 320 in Swarthmore, PA For info, call 610-328-8025. For recorded directions, call 610-328-8001
Gateway Garden Center
invites you to our
Annual Water Garden Tour
Saturday, July 28 ~ 9 am to 4 pm
Join us on this self-guided tour of the area's premier water gardens. Visit Certified Backyard Habitats and enjoy learning of water 's role in bringing life to your garden. Be inspired to create your own dream garden!
Proceeds benefit Delaware Center for Horticulture and Delaware Nature Society
Gateway Garden Center: 7277 Lancaster Pk., Hockessin, Del. Information: 302-239-2727
www.gatewaygardens.com
GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
31
32 GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
The “parallel style” of design uses stems placed at right angles to the container and in groups to create the feeling of grow- ing in a garden. This differs from the traditional flower arrangement, which uses flowers placed with stems radiating from a central point.
STEP 1 : Materials
Select a low container.
• Use a rectangular clay pot or wooden box lined with heavy plastic.
• Cut and soak floral foam to fit snugly into the pot and cut to top of rim.
Select four or five kinds of flowers and/or branches with linear form.
• Suggestions: larkspur, liatris, delphinium, bamboo, birch branches.
Botanical Bouquets
By Jane Godshalk
A Parallel Design
"If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk." —Raymond Inman
Select a few flowers for your main color.
• Tulips, narcissus, astilbe, lilies, phlox, zinnia, cosmos (just about any garden flowers will do).
Select a variety of low plants and flowers for color at the base of your design.
• Pachysandra, galax, scented geranium, Dusty Miller, boxwood, succulents.
STEP 2: Org anize flowers into groups. Make sure that stems are free from foliage and side branches.
Here, you see tall stems of delphini- um, liatris, and birch branches.
• Medium stems of lily, astilbe and freesia.
• Short stems of pachysandra, scented geranium. Dusty Miller, small roses, and one succulent.
STEP 3: Arrange
Place linear flowers into the con- tainer at right angles to the rim of the container.
• Place the two tallest groups on the outside of the arrangement to give a feeling of stability.
Follow with the medium-height flowers. Add your low material in groups at the base.
• Colored flowers clustered togeth- er will create a visual interest and some smooth green leaves or a succulent plant will give a visual resting place.
STEP 4: Walk through your gar- den and see what plants and flowers you have to use in your own parallel design. Don’t forget to look at groundcovers for interesting color and texture at the base of your design. A few blossoms from the store are a hne addition, too. For best results, remember to cut your garden materi- als in the early morning or evening, and give them a few hours to harden in a bucket of water in a cool, dark place. ^
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GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
33
By Ray Rogers
Hardy Plants for the Flower Show
Right:
Solomon in all its splendor at the 2007 Flower Show.
Below:
At season’s end, the big pot of Solomon's seal is anything but regal. The top growth is dead, and soon the plant will be reduced to a mass of caterpillar-like rhizomes.
When it comes to growing for the Philadelphia Flower Show, I’m something of an omnivore: during the past 18 years my eclectic mix has included herbs, begonias, various types of ivy, gesneriads, pelargoniums, and even a few memorable vegetables.
Although cacti, other succulents, and hardy bulbs (especially daffodils) are the principal players in my cur- rent repertoire, I confess a longing to return more hardy plants to the lineup. Past favorites included a formally trained, richly scented clove currant (Ribes odoratum ) and an exuberantly cascading, snowy Deutzia ‘Nikko’ (a PHS Gold Medal Plant), as well as woodland gems including the umbrella-like Asian Syneilesis palmata and lavender- misty Thalictrum kiusianum. Alas, most of them are gone, including the Boehmeria megaphylla, Houttynia cordata ‘Chameleon’, and Persicaria virginiana ‘Painter’s Palette’, all of which noted horticulturist Charles Cresson amus- ingly (and fittingly) dubbed “Ray’s weeds.”
But one trouper has survived, namely my super-sized and cumbersomely named Polygonatum odoratum pluri- florum ‘Variegatum’, familiarly known as variegated Solomon’s seal. It’s been with me for a while now, in spite of repeated pronouncements that I didn’t want it any- more (I once offered it to Ken Selody at Atlock Farm, his nursery where I grow all of my show plants) and that it had grown too large to manage.
Fortunately, Ken knew I didn’t really want to part with it, so over the years it grew unhindered from a small divi- sion to today’s tangle of rhizomes and crowd of foliage in
a 1 4-inch pot. And what a workhorse it has become: over the past seven Shows, it has won several blue ribbons as a hardy herbaceous perennial in bloom, and as an herb, it took two rosettes from the Philadelphia Unit of the Herb Society of America.
Why do I enjoy growing the Solomon’s seal and other hardy plants as show plants? Basically, they offer a chance to start over each year with a potentially better plant. The perennials die back to their rootstocks at the end of the growing season, and the woody plants drop their foliage, offering a clean slate for the next Show. Despite their con- finement to pots, they perform much like their compan- ions in the open ground, and their terra cotta quarters allow me to control the moisture, fertilizer, light, and winter cold they require to thrive. The Solomon’s seal grows from late winter to fall in a shady spot outdoors or in a greenhouse, and then a shady spot outdoors (alter- nating between the two Miracle Gro products with analy- ses of 10-52-10 and 36-10-10). Before cool fall tempera- s’ tures induce the top growth to die down as the plant goes o dormant, I stop fertilizing and reduce watering.
| By November the big pot is moved to the space under ° my front porch — where my daffodils also spend the win- ter— and sleeps unfrozen and lightly watered until late January, when I heed the call to prepare for another Show. It spends a few weeks gathering itself in a greenhouse and then seemingly erupts almost overnight into a mass of foliage and flowers. Soon thereafter judges hopefully swoon, and, similarly seduced, I reconsider my previous vows to split up the big clump and make life a little easi- er for me and my back.
But this year I think I will finally bite the bullet: this big Solomon will fall under the blades of my trusty prun- ing shears and be divided into several smaller pieces. It’s the sensible thing to do. ^
34
GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
Ray Rogers
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CLASSIFIED RATES
Base Rate $3.00 per word
(without formatting)
1 LINE $15.00 per line
Formatted Words $5.00
(ex. Bold. Italic or ALL CAPS)
Minimum Charge $60.00
Discount 10% off the second
consecutive ad, using the same copy
Deadlines
January Issue (by November 1) March Issue (by January 1)
May Issue (by March 1)
July Issue (by May 1 )
September Issue (by July 1) November Issue (by September 1)
PLEASE NOTE: Green Scene does not guarantee advertisement position, and we reserve the right to edit copy to fit available space. Green Scene ads are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis until space is filled for a particular issue.
Please calculate your ad cost based on number and formatting of words, and enclose a check along with your copy (call for assistance). Green Scene will bill any difference or credit upon publication of your advertisement. If your new ad arrives very close to deadline, we may deposit your check until ad is scheduled. If we can’t schedule your ad, your check will be returned.
Make checks payable to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
Send all advertising correspondence to: Joe Soprani, Green Scene
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA
19103-1495.
If you have any questions, please call 215-988-8809.
David Brothers Landscape Services Bean Road Nursery
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and Landscape Restoration
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View our portfolio of landscape designs online at www.donaldpell.com or call 61 0-91 7-1 385 for a brochure and consultation.
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Master Plans and Garden Design, Water Gardens, Pools & Lighting
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LARGE SPECIMEN TREES
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LARGE TREES
Tree Transfers Inc.
Large Tree Transplanting and Sales Large Screening & Specimen Plant Material Garden Restoration, Ponds, Waterfalls & Patios 215-635-2310
Serving the Delaware Valley since 1987
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Triple Oaks Nursery & Herb Garden
• Great Plants • Display Gardens • Programs Franklinville, New Jersey www.tripleoaks.com 856-694-4272 greatplants@trip/eoaks. com
OFFICIAL
PHOTO CONTEST RULES
(See page 8 for details)
WHO MAY ENTER
• Amateur* photographers ages 18 and over (‘those who earn less than 1/4 of their annual income from photography).
• Employees of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and its affiliates are not eligible.
SUBMISSIONS
• Photographers may only enter images as 4x6-inch or 5x7-inch prints, either in color or black-and-white.
• IMPORTANT: On the back of each image, you must write your name, address, email and/or phone. Optional: You may also include technical information about the photograph (camera type, f-stop, speed, film type, etc.), as well as background information.
• Original images may be shot on print film, slides, or digital cameras, but all submissions must prints as stated above (no slides or CDs accepted).
• All photographs must be previously unpublished.
• All photos must have been taken within the past three years (since August 1 , 2004).
• Photos may eventually be mounted on cardboard if we choose to display them.
• If you’d like your images returned, please enclose a SASE with your submission.
• Photos that violate or infringe upon another photographer’s copyright are not eligible for entry.
• The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is not responsible for loss of or damage to any photographs submitted for the contest.
ENTRY FEES
• Photographers may enter 1 photo for a fee of $1 5; 2 to 5 photos for a fee of $25; or 6 to 10 photos for a fee of $40. Fees are non-refundable.
PRIZES
1st Nikon Coolpix L10 digital camera & publication of your photo*.
2nd 100 free photo DigiPrints** & publication of your photo.
3rd One-year PHS Membership & publication of your photo.
Honorable Mentions (10) ....Publication of your photo.
‘Publication will occur in PHS’s Green Scene magazine (Jan/Feb ‘08 issue) and on the PHS website.
"From your Digital Camera, Media Card or CD
IMPORTANT DATES
• All entries must be postmarked by September 15, 2007.
• All winners will be notified by November 1 5, 2007.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
For questions about the contest, please email greenscene@pennhort.org for fastest response.
You can also call 215-988-8871 .
PONDS
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Design/lnstallation/Maintenance View our pond video at
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• Specimen plants • Pond plants • Bonsai
• Orchids • Hardy cacti • Tropicals
• Sculptured trees and shrubs • Perennials
• Unique Flower and gift shop.
MUTSCHLERS’ FLORIST & RARE PLANTS 1-800-242-9438
www.mutschiers.com
GREEN SCENE • july/august 2007
37
The Backyard
Strolling
on the
SCHUYLKILL
By Daniel Moise
On any given afternoon, the pathway along the Schuylkill River in Center City Philadelphia is bustling with joggers, cyclists, and businesspeople out for a lunchtime stroll. Set apart from the busy streets, this new park — known as Schuylkill Banks — is literally a breath of fresh air for city dwellers.
Schuylkill Banks is quickly becoming one of Center City’s most vital open spaces, and recently the Fairmount Park Commission and Schuylkill River Development Corporation united to bring some major enhancements to the landscape along the trail. Starting at the south end near 25th & Locust Streets and working their way north, the duo has cleared debris, installed benches, and planted shrubs and trees.
The first part of the project proceeded smoothly; however, the second leg — the stretch of land between Race Street and the Fairmount Water Works — presented a distinct set of challenges. This section of the trail was particularly overgrown, and the result- ing seclusion attracted illegal activity. Still, the site had undeniable potential, and the partner organizations were determined to make
the most of it. At this juncture, PHS, through its Philadelphia Green program, became involved.
Removing several trees was the first step in the revitalization process. Dozens of species considered invasive were growing on the site, such as self-propagating mulberry, tree of heaven (Ailanthus sp.), and honey locust. With those trees gone, the native species would be able to flourish.
“At first I feared that taking out so many trees would make the area look barren, but instead it created several beautiful vistas of the river and the Philadelphia Museum of Art,” says Linda Walczak, PHS senior project manager. Removing the trees also uncovered a path that had disappeared long ago under a tangle of weeds and grass. Recovering the riverside walkway was a major contribution to the project’s ultimate aim of making the area more accommodating to the public.
But the new walkway is just one of several ways the area will be enhanced. Philadelphia Green and its partner organizations recruited Lager Raabe Skafte Landscape Architects, Inc. to design this section of the park and incorporate new amenities, including a fishing pier. Because the area is a common checkpoint in Fairmount Park’s bike- and foot-races, a plaza will also be built to func- tion as a gathering place. A trellis alongside the plaza will display the name of this future community hotspot: Schuylkill River Park.
Additionally, Schuylkill Banks River Tours are now available, providing people with beautiful views of the city. One of the tours, a round-trip to historic Bartram's Garden, clearly has gardeners in mind.
The William Penn Foundation provided financial backing for the tree removal and landscape design, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is funding the installation.
Philadelphia Green director Nancy O’Donnell says, “A lot of people use the trail, and these renovations will make it better and safer for them. At the same time,
I hope newcomers will be drawn to this stunning site — it’s going to be great.’ ^
WHAT DOES “SCHUYLKILL" MEAN?
gchoylki
boons
The Schuylkill River was named by 1 ^-century explorer Arendt Corssen of the Dutch West India Company. Its name rough- ly translates to “hidden river” or, perhaps more accurately, “hideout creek,” related to the modern Dutch word Schuilkil.
For more information about the park, visit www.schuylkillbanks.org. For more on Philadelphia Green, visit www.philadelphiagreen. org.
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1979 - 2007
Enjoy the Best of Both Worlds !
Cathedral
Village
The Vision our Board
of Directors and
Management
has created
is a secure...
exciting...
and vibrant
community
for those who
will appreciate
The Best of Both Worlds!
600 East Cathedral Road Philadelphia, PA 19128 (215) 984-8622
www.cathedralvillage.com
Spend time “potting” your favorite plants for your home or patio and learn “tricks of the trade” at our Horticulturist’s weekly seminars.
Practice your “putting” skills on our Professional Golf Green and join in competition with our “other putters.”
Take advantage of our Fitness Center to swim and exercise. Attend the many Village College courses offered throughout the year, or take painting and sculpting classes in our Art Studios.
You can spend as much time as you wish expanding your talents without concerns about preparing meals every day, housecleaning, maintenance, medical appointments or transportation. Most importantly, you have guaranteed security about your current and future medical care.
This is the Best of Both Worlds where every program and amenity is designed and maintained by Cathedral Village management and staff to enhance your lifestyle.
We invite you to visit, question, and compare!
Come in Monday through Friday between 9 and 3. Appointments are necessary on weekends.
A Nonprofit, Nondenominational CCRC • Accredited Since 1983 Affiliated With the Jefferson Health System
Contents
FEATURES
24 Solid Gold
For 30 years, the PHS Gold Medal Plant Award program has promoted plants that meet the highest standards of beau- ty, performance, and longevity. PHS s Joe Ziccardi introduces this year’s crop of inductees, which include three trees and two shrubs ideal for the Mid-Atlantic
GREEN SCENE subscriptions are part of the membership benefits for:
Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ Horticultural Society of New York Phipps Conservatory, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA Staten Island Botanical Garden, Inc, New York
Up on the Roof
When this old world starts getting you down, go to the roof for relief and relax- ation. As more and more Philadelphians are learning, rooftops make great garden settings with unbeatable views. Laura Beitman explores this lofty trend.
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society motivates people to improve the quality of life and create a sense of community through horticulture.
Main cover photo by Rob Cardillo
ft PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
10
18
A Taste of Britain
Nestled in Chadds Ford, PA, is a home and garden that capture the quiet charm of an English manor house. Daniel Moise tours the property that can only be described as simply smashing.
Let the Sunshine In
As summer begins to fade, Ilene Sternberg explains how to preserve its warm glow by adding sunflowers to the garden. There are 5 1 varieties to choose from — which one is right for you?
The Backyard
A Free Lecture Series for Gardeners
region.
28
Botanical Bouquets
An Autumn Arrangement
Show Plants
Prize-Winning Succulents
38
OLUMNS
The Potting Shed
32
34
Gr( m u 1 1-
Editor
Pete Prawn
Associate Editor
Jane Carroll
Assistant Editor
Daniel Moise
Advertising Coordinator
Joe Soprani
Art Design
Baxendells’ Graphic
Printer
ALCOM Printing Group, Inc.
Tire Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Web Site
www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org
100 N. 20th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495 215-988-8800
Chair
Harry E. Hill
President
Jane G. Pepper
Executive Vice President
J. Blaine Bonham, Jr.
PHS Membership Information
Linda Davis, 215-988-8776
Display Ads
Manzo Communications, LLC 610-527-7047 manzocomm@aot.com
Classified Ads
Joe Soprani, 215-988-8809 gsads@pennhort. org
Ask A Gardener Phone Line
215-988-8777, Monday through Friday, 9:30 to 12 [closed in December] askagardener@pennhort. org
GREEN SCENE (USPS 955580),
Volume 35, No.5, is published bi-monthly (January, March, May, July, September, November) by The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, a non-profit member organization at 100 N. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495. Single Copy: $5.00 (plus $2.00 shipping). Second-class postage paid at Philadelphia, PA 19103 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to GREEN SCENE, 100 N. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103. © Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 2007
Letter from the Editor
Finding INSPIRATION
/row/i
email: greemcene@pennhort.org
Late summer is a strange period for ornamental gar- deners. For the veggie gardener, of course, it’s the thrilling apex of the harvest, but for flower lovers, it’s one of quiet conflict. While many flower gardens begin to recover from summer’s heat for a final moment of glory, the gardener is simply pooped from four months of heavy labor. The hard part is finding that last burst of energy and inspira- tion to finish out the blooming season on a high note and pre- pare one’s garden for the next year. I have trouble with this every year.
To get some pick-me-ups, I canvassed a number of garden- ing experts and “harvested” these tips to help improve our late- summer outlooks. “In the waning days of the growing season, 1 have more time to think about the garden, mainly about what needs fixing," says garden writer Jo Ann Gardener. “I make notes ... to move this, replace that, combine these. Next spring, I may even look up what I’ve written. I also take cuttings of favorite tropicals to winter over on my windowsill. I know some of them won’t make it, but in the fall, I’m full of hope for what is to come. Isn’t that what keeps us going?”
Erica Sollberger, a Philadelphia Green project coordinator, adds: “Take a trip out to your favorite pleasure garden or gar-
den center and see what is blooming. So often we choose spring and early summer-blooming plants in abundance, for- getting the late-summer bloomers in our garden plans, such as coneflowers, goldenrod and Japanese beauryberry ( Callicarpa sp.). Sometimes a garden visit can jog our minds to recall flow- ers of summers past that we have admired but not yet added to our garden collections. Perhaps we just need a reminder how beautiful a garden can be, even in the heat and exhaustion of late summer.”
Local horticulturist and arborist Eva Monheim, a popular speaker at PHS’s City Gardening Series, favors the subtle glo- ries of the late-season garden: “Now is the time to walk through your garden and making notes of the plants that did well with the least amount of effort during the previous four months. I’m always looking for plants that look dazzling, despite the varying weather conditions; ones that produce abundant flowers and fruits; and those that provide great color and texture contrast. I also check on the latest PHS Gold Medal Plant Award winners to discover what new trees, vines, and shrubs I can plant to further reduce maintenance.”
Finally, we hear from Jersey shore gardener Gretchen Coyle, who imparts these bits of garden wisdom: “In late summer, I
do a major deadheading, cut back foliage, and pull out whatever looks brown. Then I fertilize with Osmocote’s new ready-mixed fertilizer, maybe put pots in the shade for a few days to recoup, and then just hope for the best. And by late summer my gourds and pump- kins are ready to pick. There’s always so much to do in the garden. Nature doesn’t let me get tired!”
4
GREEN SCENE • september/october 2007
WINTERTHUR
September 14-16, 2007
A spectacular autumn sale featuring everything for the great American garden! Shopping • Gardens • How-to Demonstrations • Lectures • Floral Tours
lo purchase wristbands or for more information, please visit gardenfair.org or call 800.448.3883.
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Located in Delaware’s beautiful Brandywine Valley on Route 52, less than an hour south of Philadelphia.
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\
The Potting Shed
Grand Greenhouses at Duke Farms
Story and Photography by Pete Prown
Everyone loves a garden greenhouse, especially when it’s cold outside and inside there are blossoming plants galore. Heiress Doris Duke loved greenhouses, too, so much so that she built one of the most spectacular glass structures on the East Coast, each room of which sports a themed garden from around the globe. Lucky lor us, the greenhouses at Duke Farms — located in Hillsborough, NJ, near Somerville — are open to the public throughout the fall, winter, and spring.
What impresses most about these indoor displays is the level of horticulture. Each garden has been meticulously groomed and is filled with well-tended plants, from Italian bottle-brush and Monkey puzzle trees, to annuals, succulents, and hundreds of blossoming orchids (from Duke’s collection of over 7,000 orchids). One show- stopper is the 1 8th-century-style French Garden, featuring an elaborate lattice ceil- ing; classical sculpture; and formal, “parterre” bedding schemes.
Other themed gardens include Italian, English, Chinese, Japanese, and even a tranquil Indo-Persian garden complete with a geometric design and water channel down its central axis. Mrs. Duke was heavily involved with the creation of each gar- den, both as a designer and even as a weeder (she occasionally liked to work in the beds and eavesdrop on visitors’ conversations to hear what they thought about each
Above: The Chinese Garden
Right: A view of the greenhouses
Indo-Persian Garden
A garden). And, aside from
V traveling the world for horti-
I cultural inspiration, she also visited the du Ponts at Longwood Gardens to glean ideas on how to lay out an indoor display garden.
Duke Farms offers an array of environmental pro- gramming and tours, but the horticultural stars of the show are clearly the green- houses. If stretched end-to- end, they would reach a half- mile in length — that’s about 2,600 feet of impressive plantsmanship and charm- ing garden design. It’s a sight that’s well worth a visit.
For more information on Duke Farms, visit www.dukefarms.org or call 908-722-3700.
The Gardener’s Bookshelf
By llene Sternberg & Pete Prown
I
Defiant Gardens: Making Gardens in Wartime
By Kenneth Helphand (304 pp„ $34.95)
Kenneth Helphand, profes- sor of landscape architecture at the University of Oregon, pre- sents an extraordinary account of those who garden under the most improbable and horren- dous conditions. Using histori- cal records, personal interviews, and archival photographs and illustrations, Helphand has unearthed stories of soldiers gardening in WWI trenches, ghetto gardeners during the Nazi Holocaust, and Gulf War “landscapers.” The book includes accounts of American soldiers in Iraq growing corn and of one soldier hand-clip- ping a tiny plot of grass he raised outside his tent.
Don’t expect a book of pret- ty garden pictures. Instead, the author offers a compelling trib- ute to the capacity of the human spirit, the comfort and hope gardening affords, the need to nurture living things in the face of death, and a testa- ment to the irrefutable bond between Man and Nature. This is a unique, poignant, and thought-provoking chronicle to be treasured for its message.
Conifers for Gardens,
An Illustrated Encyclopedia
By Richard L. Bitner (448 pp„ $59.95)
Longwood Gardens instruc- tor and acknowledged “cone head” (pinecone, that is), Richard Bitner has written the first comprehensive book on American conifers to appear in 20 years. A member of the PHS Gold Medal Plant Award Committee, he has outdone his predecessors with 424 pages of meticulously researched infor- mation on 1,370 species and cultivars. Well-organized, informative, thorough, and richly illustrated with 1,550 of Bitner’s own crisp photo- graphs, Conifers for Gardens helps us choose the best gar- den-worthy selections and dis- cusses ornamental attributes; culture; diseases; value to wildlife (including attractive- ness to “hoofed browsers”); tra- ditional uses of the wood; and the best dwarf cultivars for bonsai, particularly useful to those of us who are “down- sizing.”
A Guide to the Great Gardens of the Philadelphia Region
By Adam Levine & Rob Cardillo
(192 pp„ $21.95)
The Philadelphia area is often recognized as one of the finest gardening regions in the USA, and this stunning book helps confirm that notion. Author Levine and photogra- pher Cardillo offer this com- prehensive guide to area gar- dens, from Center City sites to Longwood Gardens to many smaller gardens you may not have heard about, such as Grumblethorpe in Germantown. The book has a clean layout that gives a quick overview of each garden, a little history, contact information, and an insider’s tip in the “Off the Beaten Path” sections. Great Gardens seems so handy that you might want to leave it in your glove compartment for spontaneous garden jaunts when driving around our hap- pily floriferous region.
GREEN SCENE • september/october 2007
7
The Potting Shed
By Christine Herz
USING CONTAINERS as garden
As most gardeners know, groups of containers can showcase colorful annuals. But containers also create focal points in the garden or function as transitional objects. With careful placement, containers integrate garden beds, fit together distinct garden rooms, or announce the change from hardscaped-surface to meandering pathway. More than just mere “pots,” containers add color and tex- ture and fill their multiple roles with ease.
Grouped Containers
A grouping of terra cotta pots planted with gardenia, jasmine, and princess flower ( Tibouchina urvilleana , also known as glory bush) sit by the edge of my patio, signaling the transition from brick patio room to attached walkway and beyond. The flowers stand up well to sweltering August heat and humidity.
On a low wooden deck, containers of similar annuals arranged on different lev- els interweave the deck’s surface with a nearby bench, inviting the passerby to pause and sit. These smaller containers not only anchor the bench and deck to the gar- den, but also create an eye-pleasing arrangement, much as an artist would arrange items in a still life. The containers soften the edges of the deck’s surface and pull in the surrounding planting bed.
Next, varieties of begonias arranged in pots of three alert the viewer to a shadier space and respite from the heat of the midday sun. Placed alongside a moss-out- lined stone path, the begonias provide a transition from bright light to the dense shade of mature trees.
Hanging Planters for Vertical Interest
Hanging baskets create interest by leading the eye upward and, when viewed from a distance, weaving elements of the house, such as a porch or fence, into the adjoining garden. By repeating nearby colors and textures, hanging containers relate the vertical elements to what’s down in the garden bed — much as the water- colorist connects and softens the interrupting white space with diluted hues.
"Focal Pots" Make a Point
A larger eye-catching pot grabs attention from afar and creates a focal point for a gar- den scene. When viewing the backyard gar- den from the door or upstairs window, the focal pot catches your eye. It may be planted with combinations of striking foliage and showy flowers, or with just one plant to emphasize the attractive container, whose pri- mary purposes are drama and impact,
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reminds me so much of a country house in the Cotswolds,” enthuses Scottish-born Jane Pepper, president of PHS, as she tours the estate of Sheila and Dick Sanford near the Brandywine Creek. Indeed, the house, garden, and grounds of this Chester County, PA, property exude a classic English style, right down to the crisply edged perennial beds and the walled potager designed by the late British gar- dening doyenne, Rosemary Verey. While the house, garage, and stables are only about ten years old, they look as if they were built more than 100 years ago.
During the design phase, the Sanfords visited many English country estates seeking inspiration. “Despite
having no English ancestry, we wanted to capture the essence of Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds, Sheila says. “We just had an image in mind and became immersed in the idea.”
Dick and Sheila hired an English architect to help them hone their vision and hammer out the logistics. Presenting the blueprints to U.S. contractors proved to be more complicated: “They kept wanting to add win- dows!” Sheila laughs. “I had to remind them that / wanted it to look old-fashioned.” Even more challeng- ing, Dick had to coax the Amish builders they hired into crafting a deliberately crooked roofline on the garage.
10
GREEN SCENE • september/october 2007
To complete the aura of time-worn authenticity, Sheila — who has taken quite a few classes at Longwood Gardens — trained ivy to grow up the walls of the house. She adds that while the Boston ivy ( Parthenocissus tri- cuspidata ) gets decimated by beetles each summer, before it can change to brilliant red in the fall, the English ivy ( Hedera helix ) has so far held up well. “The biggest compliment we get is when people assume our home is a century old,” she says.
Once the new house was complete, the gardens became the Sanford’s top priority. Rosemary Verey was the creative force behind most of garden layout. “Local designer Bill Frederick suggested we ask her to come look at our garden, and we were totally surprised when she said yes. What was wonderful about Rosemary was that she supported our ideas and literally spent hours with us,” Sheila says. “She had such strength. Well over 70 years old, she would spend winter days out in the cold in her boots, taking notes and making sketches.”
“As for the plantings, Rosemary suggested using sev- eral plants that grow well in the UK, and Bill kept her in check regarding what would and would not grow in the Delaware Valley,” Sheila recalls. While there’s no denying Rosemary was a stickler for precision, Sheila says her number-one rule for gardening was to have fun. Sheila also cites Carol Lim as one of her longtime gar- den advisors, picking perennials and other plants for the property.
In the rear of the house is the walled potager featuring an architectural “folly," a whimsical structure popular in England in the 18^ century that serves as an outdoor conversation piece. The Sanford’s folly is used as a gar-
in the
COUNTRY
den shed, though Sheila expresses frustration at the color of the door. “There’s a specific blue-purple that’s com- mon in England. I can never get it quite right no matter how many times I paint it,” she laments. Nearby are lead cisterns, one in each corner of the garden. Although it’s nearly impossible to tell, one of them is an antique and the rest are replicas. In keeping with the style of the house, Sheila believes the more weathered they are, the better they look.
GREEN SCENE • September/ October 2007 11
!
i
Lush lawns surround this patio space
Photos this page by Mark Turner
This multi-purpose garden also includes vegetables growing along carefully constructed grapevine trellises. The bounty includes ‘Brandywine’ heirloom tomatoes and Asian bok choy, which Sheila grew for the first time this season. She says it is “easy to grow and unbelievably delicious,’’ and questions whether she’ll ever grow finicky (and pest-ridden) cabbage again.
Also present are ‘Cardinal Climber’ morning glories. “I showed the plant to Rosemary, and she had never seen it before,’’ says Sheila. “I couldn’t believe that I could show her something new. She even wanted to take some seeds!”
From behind the house, one can also enjoy a stun- ning sweetgum allee. Sheila originally thought a simple allee of grass and trees would be a snap to grow and maintain; instead she has found that sweetgums are messy. “The fallen seed pods are a pain,’’ she says. “I know sterile trees are an option, but they lack the bril- liant color of the fertile ones, which is especially notice- able in the autumn.”
On the south side of the property is a perennial gar- den divided into three sections per Rosemary’s specifi- cations. Nearest the house are warm-colored blossoms, featuring red and orange. Next are the cooler colors, mostly blues and pale yellows, followed by the pinks.
12
GREEN SCENE • September/ October 2007
Rosemary Verey designed this walled potager garden
A sitting area overlooking the rolling fields of Chadds Ford
All materials mill imag i's & The Barites Foundation 2006
The design is reminis- cent of the garden at Rodmarton Manor in Gloucestershire.
Clematis and Dutch- man’s pipe ( Aristolochia sp.) adorn a bench at the end of the garden.
Around the corner is a green and white garden designed by Bill Frederick. The Sandfords’ gardener,
Ken Profita, considers this parcel his pet proj- ect, and it shows. The turf-grass lawn is immaculate; a visitor could search high and low and wouldn’t find a weed. This garden fea- tures seven-son flower ( Heptacodium miconioides , a PHS Gold Medal plant), which has gorgeous white flowers followed in fall by small, purplish-red fruits. These in turn are crowned by very showy, sepal-like rose calyces that elongate after bloom and last into late fall.
Another standout here is Schizophragma
hydrangeoides ‘Moonlight vine, also a Gold Medal
plant. “If it’s a Gold Medal winner, I buy it,” Sheila says, pointing to a row of potted ‘Green Giant arborvi- taes she’s about to plant, praising their deer resistance.
The Sanford plant list includes box- wood (notably ‘Winter Gem’), sugar maples, katsura, mulberry, and chest- nut trees. There’s also Golden Catalpa ‘Aurea’, which has large lime-green leaves, and amelanchier with its bril- liant berries. The Kentucky coffee trees, despite the naysayers, have thrived.
Friend and former neighbor Helen Reed gave Sheila a ‘Miss Kim’ lilac, which looks lovely in the spring. When Helen first presented the plant it was only a stick in a pot. Sheila says, “I was so happy to have her over to the house one day years later. I said, ‘Helen do you recognize this? She couldnt believe this big blooming shrub was the same tiny twig she’d given me.
Sheila concludes, “I’m coming along in my gardening. The most important thing I learned from Helen was to be willing to wait for things to grow." And at this sublime estate in Chester County, a sense of the slow passage of time is evident everywhere one gazes. *Ay
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Visit the Barnes Foundation this fall and winter and enjoy an unparalleled aesthetic experience inside the Gallery and outside in the Arboretum.
The Barnes Foundation's collection of French Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early Modern paintings is unsurpassed in breadth, quality, and depth.
The collection also includes important examples of African sculpture, American paintings and decorative arts, Old Master paintings, Native American art, Asian art, and ancient artifacts, which provide a rich context for the study of art and aesthetics.
The Arboretum, which features an exceptional collection of rare trees and woody plants from all over the world, a fern collection, formal gardens, and a lilac grove, provides an unparalleled environment for horticulture education. The 12-acre Arboretum, which surrounds the gallery building, reflects and enhances the beauty of the art inside.
For information on visiting the Barnes Foundation please call 610-667-0290.
To learn about art and horticulture classes and workshops offered at the Barnes, please contact the Education Department at 610-667-0290, ext. 3825, or the Arboretum at 610-667-0290, ext. 1071.
THE BARNES FOUNDATION
300 North Latch’s Lane, Merion, PA 19066 610-667-0290 www.barnesfoundatlon.org
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GREEN SCENE • september/october 2007
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GREEN SCENE • september/october 2007
mm
Enter the 2007
GREEN *
Enter the Green Scene “Garden Photo Contest” and win this Nikon Coolpix L10 digital camera, provided by Ritz Camera.
We want to see your best Garden shots. Flower close-ups, and other Nature and Landscape shots! The contest's judges — all professional photographers and gardeners from the Delaware Valley — will be looking for knock-out images that capture the essence of gardening and the beauty of nature. Winning photos will be published in the January/February 2008 issue of Green Scene magazine and on the PHS website.
Photos can be shot in any format, but must be submitted as 4 x 6 or 5 x 7-inch prints with your name and phone/email address on the back. No submissions by email or on CD will be accepted. The deadline for entries is September 15, 2007.
For more information, please visit the PHS website at
www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org or email greenscene@pennhort.org with questions.
SEE PAGE 37 FOR CONTEST RULES!
ENTRY FORM (please fill out completely)
Name:
Address:
City: State: Zip:
Phone: Email:
ENTRY FEES
Amount (check one):
1 photo ($15) d 2-5 photos ($25) □ 6-10 photos ($40) □
Payment option: Check □ (payable to PHS) Credit Card □ Credit card type: Visa □ MasterCard □ AmEx □
Card number: Card expiration date:
Please mail your entries to: GREEN SCENE GARDEN PHOTO CONTEST, The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th
Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495
The contest is open to photographers 18 years and older. To be eligible, all mailed-in entries must be postmarked on or before September 15, 2007.
Warranty and Permission
By sending this photograph(s) to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Green Scene Garden Photo Contest, I warrant that I am the sole author of this photo(s). I grant the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society the right to publish this photo in its publications and elec- tronic newsletters; on its website; and in collateral publications, including, but not limited to, promotional materials. I understand that
beyond granting PHS these rights, I retain all other rights to this photograph.
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— —
Late summer through early fall is time to pay homage to the
humble HELIANTHUS'
Aztecs and Incans did. Pure gold sunflower representations embellished their temples. Native North Americans did, too, vener- ating the flower in religious ceremonies. At one time or another, all sunflower parts were used for food; brewed into coffee-like beverages; smoked like tobac- co; employed to treat snakebites, wounds, and blis- ters; and made into cloth and dye. Early settlers planted sunflowers around their homes to ward off malaria. Farmers fed seeds to livestock; miners drank sunflower whiskey; and tubers of carb-rich sunchoke, a.k.a. "Jerusalem artichoke” (H. tuberosus), became an edible staple for both animals and humans.
Spaniards brought them from America and intro- duced them to Europe, where they became a major crop in Russia. Van Gogh immortalized them. France’s Sun King, Louis XIV, made them a symbol of his reign, and l6th-century English herbalist John Gerard believed sunflowers "provoked bodily lust.” All 14 annual and 37 perennial Helianthus species are native to the Americas. The perennials grow under wide-ranging conditions: swamp sunflower (H. angustifolius) likes boggy wet areas; willowleaf sunflower (H. salicifolius) is more drought tolerant; and tall, sturdy, multiflowering Maximilian {H. max- imiliani) prefers hot, dry windswept areas.
Most fascinating, though, are H. annu- us. Like an obedient troupe of smiley faces, they trace the course of the sun across the sky from east to west, reorient- ing overnight to
Story by & fa llene Sternberg
GREEN SCENE • september/october 2007
18
Photo by Alan & Linda Detrick
await sunup again. Actually, in these domesticated annuals, the inflorescence holds its face obliquely toward the sun, seldom facing it directly except in early morning and late afternoon. As the mesmeriz- ing pageant takes place, the leaves also turn, keeping their surfaces perpendicular to incoming rays, maxi- mizing the solar radiation available for photosynthe- sis. Heliotropism (the action of specialized cells regu- lating water flow in the stem triggered by sunlight’s blue wavelengths) reorients the leaf or flower. Once in full bloom, the heads abandon tracking the sun, usually face east and bow, concluding their ballet. Although it seems the plant is perhaps embarrassed by its performance, it’s actually only protecting itself from weather and hungry birds.
Beautiful annual cultivars come in rich reds, bicol- ors, doubles, and semi-doubles in varying heights and flower sizes for cutting and garden display. We now have longer-lasting, pollen-free choices: ‘Chianti’, ‘Angel’s Halo’, ‘Sunrich Lemon’, ‘Sunbeam’, ‘The Joker’, ‘Dorado’, ‘Fantasia’, ‘Ruby Eclipse’, ‘Lemon Eclair’, and ‘Moonshadow’. While most sunflowers rapidly grow 5 to 12 feet tall, dwarf cultivars are ideal for large planters. ‘Teddy Bear’ grows 2 to 3 feet tall, sporting fluffy' yellow double flowers. ‘Music Box grows 2 feet, blooming in several autumnal colors, including yellow, cream, orange, and mahogany.
Like ‘em tall? Tom Heaton, who hybridized an array of vivid, long-stemmed, pollen-free cultivars, claims his King Kong of all sunflowers, ‘Sunzilla’,*
20
GREEN SCENE • september/october 2007
tops traditional biggies like 'Russian Mammoth’ or ‘California Greystripe’. And while older varieties often become top-heavy and fall over in wet or windy weather, ‘Sunzilla’ was selected for a strong, thick stalk to support its heavy head. It can reach over 16 feet, producing colossal 24-inch seedheads.
Heatons recipe for gargantuan sunflowers is quite specific: sow seed directly in the garden (sunflowers develop fast-growing taproots, often 4 feet long, that become stunted if confined) when night tempera- tures climb above 50°F. Late May to early June is best; later planting may produce shorter stalks. Sunflowers need 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily — even more to reach their maximum potential.
In a well-drained location about 2 to 3 feet in cir- cumference and 2 feet deep, work a slow-release gran- ular fertilizer containing trace minerals (Heaton uses Osmocote), composted manure, greensand, dried seaweed, and/or other enrichments into the soil. Sunflowers are gluttonous feeders, depleting soil’s nutrients quickly.
Ideal spacing is 20 inches apart. Closer spacing may yield taller stalks but smaller heads, while plant- ing them farther apart may produce larger seedheads but weaker stems, conceivably unable to carry their weight. Press groups of 5 to 6 seeds about 8 inches apart and 1 inch deep. Encircle groups with snail bait and loosely cover emerging seedlings with protective netting to keep birds away.
In moist soil, seedlings should sprout in 5 to 10 days. When they’re 3 inches tall, pull out all but the strongest 3 or 4 in each group. At 12 inches, thin to 2, and when 2 feet high, retain the most vigorous shoot. This gradual thinning guarantees at least one viable plant if predators damage others.
While plants are small, water root zones about 3 to 4 inches from stems with 2 gallons of liquid fertilizer weekly. As they enlarge, carve 18-inch moats about 4 inches deep around plants. Pour several gallons of fer- tilizer into the moats weekly. Avoid spilling fertilizer directly on stems to avoid rot. Staking is necessary only under excessively windy conditions. Delay watering if gusty weather is predicted to reduce their chances of blowing over.
When the plants are mature (mid-September through October), petals fall, center florets wither, seed kernels swell, heads droop, and the back of disks
*‘Sunzilla’ is available from Renee’s Garden, www.reneesgarden.com, 1-888-880-7228.
GREEN SCENE •
September/ October 2007
I
turn lemon yellow. Split some seeds with a knife to check if they’re filled. Poorly filled seeds may be due to lack of pollinating insects. Climb a stepladder and cover seed- heads with mesh, burlap, or paper bags to
keep pillaging birds from eating seeds, unless that’s why you grew them. Cut stalks at the base when ripened seeds develop hard shells. Hang heads with 12-inch stems attached in a warm, dry, well-ventilated, rodent- and insect-free place. Keep a perfo- rated paper bag or cheesecloth over the heads to catch falling seeds. If you plan to eat seeds or preserve them for bird feeders, wait until they’re completely dry, then remove them by hand. Store them in closed containers.
While gardeners experiment with sun- flower colors and textures, researchers study them. There is considerable disagreement as to whether sunflowers and/or their seed hulls are allelopathic, meaning they secrete toxins that inhibit the growth of plants growing under and around them. Most observe that nothing grows under birdfeed- ers where hulls accumulate, but some peo- ple compost their hulls and other sunflower residue and claim no injurious results.
Findings reveal that the roots of some species of sunflower, especially H. annuus and H. tuberosum , possess the ability to kill certain weeds, particularly wild mustard and bindweed. Unfortunately some desir- able plants (beans, radishes, potatoes and even snapdragons) don’t thrive where an abundance of sunflowers have been plant- ed. Sunflowers are also allergic to them- selves, something known as “autotoxicity. Thus, if you plant sunflowers in the same
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place as the year before, they may not flour- ish. Allelochemicals from leaf extracts, roots, and seed hulls are all suggested as possible culprits.
Still, there are many reasons to grow sun- flowers. Try encouraging some brave annu- al vines to grow up sunflower stalks. Children can also plant and play in sun- flower forests, playhouses or teepees. And wild or cultivated, sunflower seeds nourish at least 45 bird species. The flower heads serve as a feeding perch — very entertaining to watch, especially when glorious goldfinches are hungry. However, I’m told that feeding parrots a diet exclusively of sunflower seeds is supposed to make them mean.
Finally, according to the Guiness Book of World Records, the tallest sunflower on record measured 25 feet, 5.4 inches, while the largest head was a massive 32 inches in diameter. Okay, maybe that wouldn't be an appropriate flower for your latest tabletop arrangement, but it’s a pretty impressive posey all the same. Welcome to the won- derful world of sunflowers.
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GREEN SCENE • september/oefober 2007
23
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society presents the 2008 Gold Medal Plant Awards
OLD MEDAL
MAGIC
Since irs initial meetings in 1978, the Gold Medal Plant Award program of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has recognized trees, shrubs, and woody vines of outstanding merit. The program was conceived by noted nurseryman Dr. J. Franklin Styer, who realized that homeowners and gardeners needed to know about superior woody plants for their landscapes. These plants are evaluated and chosen for superb eye-appeal, performance, and hardiness in the growing region of Zones 5 to 7, though many selections are hardy in a broader geographic range.
Three lovely trees and a pair of tough-as-nails shrubs have earned the 2008 Gold Medal Plant Award, and each is a terrific plant for our growing region. When a gardener acquires a Gold Medal champion, he or she can be assured the plant will be pest and disease resistant and easy to grow when planted and maintained by recommended methods. Gold Medal Plants are also chosen for their beauty, whether it be foliage, flower, form, or bark, through several seasons.
24
GREEN SCENE • september/october 2007
TREES
Magnolia vlrglniana ‘Jim Wilson’ Moonglow™
(Sweetbay Magnolia) — A mid-size tree with lemon-scented blossoms and winter hardiness
Known in the nursery trade as ‘Jim Wilson' (after the longtime host of PBS’s Victory Garden), Moonglow is a standout magnolia among the many cultivars derived from the parent plant, Magnolia virginiana. Retaining most of its leaves throughout a normal Mid-Atlantic winter, this almost-evergreen native magnolia has a very upright growth habit (usually multi-stemmed), dark-green foliage, and a long bloom period in late spring. Moonglow grows to 35 feet tall by 18 feet wide with a moderate growth rate and prefers acid soil and a part-sun location. Its fragrant, creamy white blossoms (2 to 3 inches across) lace the air with a pleasant lemony scent. Pest-resistance, winter hardiness (Zones 5 to 9), and adaptability to wet sites — characteristics shared by the species — add to its versatility. Better yet, its fruits contain bright red seeds that birds eat in the fall.
The selection of Moonglow was a painstaking process, according to PHS Gold Medal manager Joe Ziccardi. “A lot of variation exists in the species,” he says, “and because of this, the GM committee evalu- ated many strains of M. virginiana. The committee eventually focused on select cultivars including Moonglow and ‘Henry Hicks’. While they decided that Moonglow has the characteristics that warrant the Gold Medal Award, they all agree that no gardener can go wrong with any Magnolia virginiana .”
Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Ogon’
(Yellow Dawn Redwood) — Adds dramatic yellow foliage to the spring and summer landscape
This cultivar with bright-yellow needles is smaller than the popular species of dawn redwood, a majestic living fossil that’s become very popular in our region. ‘Ogon’ (also known as ‘Gold Rush’) contrasts well with blues and burgundies in the landscape and turns yellow in the fall before shedding its needles. It has no pest or disease problems and tolerates soil types from dry to boggy and acid to alkaline. The fast-growing tree prefers full sun and will grow to 80 feet tall by 30 feet wide. ‘Ogon’ is hardy in Zones 4 to 8.
Notes Barry Yinger of Asiatica Nursery in Lewisbury, PA, “‘Ogon’ is one of the most valuable trees for bright yellow foliage in the land- scape. The feathery new growth is gleaming yellow, and as the foliage ages, it becomes chartreuse, creating a wonderful contrast with the new growth. It also has an interesting history. It was selected from seedlings grown from irradiated seed at the Kobe Municipal Arboretum in Japan, where it grew on the grounds for many years. In the early 1990s, it was propagated by the Japanese nurseryman Noboru Sato. He gave me one of the first propagated plants, which 1 brought to the United States. The Japanese name means ‘gold bullion. ’”
Gold Medal Plants
Carpinus japonica (Japanese Hornbeam) — A shade- tolerant small tree with interesting ornamental fruit
This hornbeam is a small, deciduous tree characterized by a round- ed, wide-spreading habit. Its serrated foliage is dark green in the sum- mer and turns yellowish in the fall. In spring, Japanese hornbeam is profusely adorned with thumb-sized, cone-shaped nutlets in shades of cream, tan, and green, which turn brown upon maturity and persist into fall. Its exotic, Asian demeanor makes it a desirable understory or small accent tree. It grows 25 feet tall by 15 feet wide in full or part- sun and is hardy in Zones 4 to 8.
Notes Andrew Bunting, curator at the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College, “At both the Arboretum and along Swarthmore’s streets, we have used Carpinus japonica as a small street tree for tough urban situations. It is perfect as a street tree because it’s maximum size is shorter than most power lines. It is also tolerant of urban pollution, salt spray, poor soils and compaction. Ornamentally, I like it for its dark green corrugated leaves, smooth gray bark, and interesting, pen- dulous fruits. It also has a nice yellow in fall.”
SHRUBS
Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Duke Gardens’ (Plum Yew) —
A pest-resistant shrub to replace your deer-munched yews (Taxus sp.)
ing and relative tolerance to wet or heavy soils makes it a good alter- native to low-growing yews, where these issues are problematic. It pro- vides an evergreen foil to winter interest plants like winterberry holly and Chinese witchhazel. Here at the Morris Arboretum we use it as a shrubby groundcover on a steep bank.”
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Discovered in Georgia's Duke Gardens in the 1950s, this plum yew is a small spreading conifer that, unlike the common yew, is blissfully deer resistant. Its dark green needles and rounded, vase-like shape make it useful as a small accent plant, growing 2 to 3 feet in height and 3 to 4 feet wide. ‘Duke Gardens’ is identified by a more disci- plined upright habit than ‘Prostrata’ and is useful as a foundation plant or in a mass planting. It’s best sited in light shade in well-drained soil, although it will tolerate heavy shade.
Says Paul W. Meyer, the F. Otto Haas Director at the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, “'Duke Gardens' has wonderfully clean, glossy, evergreen foliage. Its low-growing habit makes it useful even in a small garden, and it performs well as a clas- sic foundation planting under windows. Its resistance to deer brows-
Buxus sempervirens ‘Dee Runk’ (Boxwood) —
Makes a striking vertical accent with cool blue foliage
Need an “exclamation point” to highlight a new planting? If verti- cal is what you’re looking for, then check out ‘Dee Runk . This box- wood is an upright, conical evergreen shrub with blue-green foliage. Deer resistant and pollution tolerant, 'Dee Runk’ adapts well to full sun and poor soils and is a reliable, stately choice for the formal gar- den or founda- tions, as a speci- men, or in con- tainers. It grows to 1 0 feet tall by
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As Steve Mostardi of Mostardi Nursery in Newtown Square remarks, “Other than its humorous name (which the Gold Medal committee members had a fun time with), ‘Dee Runk' has a number of useful features and improved characteristics which make it “best in class” in upright boxwoods. In trials, it proved to be the most adaptable to sun and heavy soil conditions. ‘Dee Runk’ also toler- ates shade and is deer-proof. The slender, upright shape is just right for foundation plantings with limited space. What more could a homeowner ask for?”
For more information, visit www.goldmedalplants. org
PHS is grateful to the many individuals and organiza- tions that help support the Gold Medal program. The Gold Medal Plant Award Committee, a volunteer panel of horticulturists, nursery owners, landscape professionals, and home growers, meets twice yearly to select new plants. The Chanticleer Foundation pro- vides financial support for the program and highlights Gold Medal Plants at Chanticleer ... A Pleasure Garden in Wayne, PA. Staff and members of the Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association help force plants and donate plants each year for the Gold Medal exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show.
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GREEN SCENE • september/ocfober 2007
27
28
paradise on the
ROOF
There is a whole other world that exists in Philadelphia, high above the sidewalk and pleasant- ly removed from life below. It’s a place where herbs stretch toward the hot sun, flowers blow in the breeze, and patio chairs, tables, and garden decorations sit snugly against the backdrop of the city skyline.
Increasingly, Philadelphians are discover- ing the charm of rooftop gardens. Whether expansive or cozy, these gardens in the sky may be the only option for city residents who don’t have a yard. But before you build up, consider a few major factors.
WEIGHT
Sitting in a lawn chair and looking across South Philadelphia through tinted sun- glasses, Dennis McGlade says his first step toward creating his rooftop garden was to call an engineer.
His four-story row home near Cianfrani Park was already outfitted with a deck, and he wanted to double-check how the roof’s weight was transferred to the load-bearing walls below. The engineer determined that the deck was built like the floor of house — stretching from one end of the home to another — and plenty strong enough to sustain his vision of colorful pot- ted plants and parties of up to 10 people. It’s not that simple for everyone.
“You have to understand the load,” says Dennis, a longtime resident and landscape architect who says he reserves his roof gar- dening just for fun.
His deck, a cornucopia of terra cotta and Chinese egg pots overflowing with herbs, hardy foliage, and colorful annuals, boasts a marble-topped table with a terra cotta Roman-style bust, a cast-iron table, and an umbrella.
Dennis grows hardy shrubs, including shrub roses, gold lace junipers, and red and yellow twig dogwoods from year to year. For color, he adds oleanders, mandevillas, and white heliotropes each season.
To keep things moist, he uses a battery powered 35-foot soaker hose set on a timer twice a day. He designed the garden to block out the unsightly antennas of neigh- bors. Over the years, Dennis says he has simplified the garden and scaled back on the parties: “When I first started I was into flowers, but carrying annuals up four flights of stairs got old fast. Now I focus on hardy foliage plants that don’t require as much attention.”
The roof garden’s best feature? The breeze.
“It’s always 10 degrees cooler than the street,” says Dennis. “On the down side, because of the wind, the butterflies don’t come up here. I guess they get blown to New Jersey.”
“Increasingly, Philadelphians are discovering the charm of rooftop gardens.”
GREEN SCENE • September/ October 2007
29
Weight: Have a structural engi- neer or architect check your roof for its weight-bearing capacity. To lessen the weight load, use plastic furniture, lighter potting soil, and foam pots instead of terra cotta.
Wind: Pay attention to the type of plants you want to use. Banana trees and cannas leaves tend to rip. Place some plants against walls.
Water: Most experts recommend irrigation systems even if you have a spigot and hose. Roofs may have to be sealed. If hand water- ing, you need to water every other day. Choose plants whose water needs are compatible.
Sun: Choose plants like olean- ders, mandevilla, and roses. Many rooftop gardeners also grow veg- etables because they thrive in full sun.
Design: Make use of your best views, and if you don’t like a container arrangement, you can always move things around.
Cost: Like any garden, set-up costs can be steep, but remember that you will enjoy it year after year.
GREEN SCENE
WIND
Restaurant owners Jim Caiola and David Salama learned about wind the hard way. Five years ago, they built their fourth-floor apart- ment and rooftop garden above Beau Monde, their French-style creperie in the Queen Village neighborhood of Philadelphia.
“We wanted real terra cotta,” says Jim, a LaSalle University graduate who serves as the
restaurant’s general manager. “But we went to plastic when two broke after being knocked down.”
David, originally from Bolivia, designed the outdoor space, which he says is a must for living above the business. The rooftop deck, lined with a cast-iron fence, is outfit- ted with dozens of olive, fig, and maple trees (the olive and fig trees are brought inside in the winter). The space includes a Chinese-style “pagoda on a budget,” including wooden deck chairs and a hot tub framed by moon flowers. The slow- growing olive trees are balanced out by fast- growing topiaries. For color, hydrangea bushes fit the bill.
“When Dave and I met, he was obsessed with topiaries,” Jim says. “When we were traveling in Italy, I fell in love with olive trees and then we were obsessed with olive trees. Then David got a maple tree and we got obsessed with maple trees. We have eclectic taste.”
Dealing with the wind is really about plant choice, they say. It was just too windy for banana tree leaves, which ripped. But the trial and error was worth it.
“Up here, I feel not only outside of the restaurant but outside of Philly,” Jim says. “During sunset, the view of Camden turns into Prague."
The beautiful but wind-challenged garden of Jim Caiola and David Salama (pictured above)
Photos this page by Margaret Funderb
SUN
Looking through his floor-to-ceiling windows, Craig Drake says there’s one major difference between his rooftop gar- den and others in Philadelphia. He actual- ly lives in his.
A jewelry manufacturing executive, Craig says sunup and sundown are his favorite times of day in his adobe-style penthouse apartment in Rittenhouse Square.
“I like every spot,” the longtime resident says. “I like it in the morning when the sun is just starting to lick the end of the deck. At night, I’m here all the time. It’s exciting when the sun is going down.”
In honor of Craig’s Brazilian-born wife, the garden boasts hot colors, such as the annuals blue salvia and bromeliads, which are indigenous to South America.
To deal with stressful conditions like heat and wind, the garden includes tried-and- true plants like junipers, grasses, gerani- ums, and super hardy vinca vine, according to Helen Pettengill, who manages the gar- den for Craig. “I try to combine them beautifully, playing off their texture and color,” she says. “It’s how you mix them that matters.”
In a long bed, she combines junipers, grasses, and varieties of sedums (no taller than 12 inches) with orange cosmos in between.
Pettengill recommends staying away from delicate plants that can’t handle the wi nd, making sure to consider height, as well as choosing colorful, tropical annuals that can withstand the intense sun. 'A*'
Laura Beitman is senior public relations coordinator at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and a freelance writer.
Top Tough plants like junipers and grasses help reduce wind damage in Craig Drake’s garden Bottom A spacious deck garden for entertaining
GREEN SCENE • sepfember/october 2007
31
Botanical Bouquets
Gather a large bunch c sunflowers, grasses
By Jane Godshalk
branches and othe bountiful flower
Harvest
Bounty
Autumn is the time to revel in nature’s abun- dance, and there’s no better way to celebrate the harvest than to create a glorious bouquet with lively sunflowers (see p. 1 8 for more about sun- flowers). The challenge of working with these big blooms lies in making room for their large stems and supporting their heavy heads.
STEP 1: GATHERING MATERIALS
• Clippers or floral shears.
• A large basket, pot, or bowl. (If not watertight, line with a bucket or waterproof liner.)
• Sunflowers (10 to 20 stems, depending upon size of container and size of flower heads).
• 8 or more woody branches about 24 inches tall with leaves and cross- ing stems (ex. beech, smokebush, pear).
• Grasses and/or wheat.
• Filler flowers, such as celosia, ama- ranthus, wax flower or liatris.
STEP 2: CONDITIONING
• Harvest all materials in early morn- ing or evening.
• Branches and sunflower stems should be split and placed in warm water for 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Strip all foliage below water line.
• Grasses should be put into water as soon as they are picked and will benefit from a dip in vinegar or alcohol.
• Cut and place other flowers in warm water for a few hours or overnight.
STEP 3: ARRANGING
• Fill pot with water.
• Create a sturdy grid with crossing stems and leaves. You may remove excess leaves, but leave all branches for support.
Completed design contains smoke-
bush, ornamental pear, sunflowers,
wheat, celosia and wax flowers. *A*'
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GREEN SCENE • september/october 2007
33
Cacti & Succulents
Like a lot of people, I’m mad for cacti and other succulents. Their sculptural shapes and wildly diverse flowers intrigue me, so they’ve made up a large portion of my Philadelphia Flower Show entries for several years. In fact, most of my year-round, greenhouse- grown plant collection consists of them.
So, with the approach of autumn’s lower light levels and cooler temperatures, they will all begin slowing down and going dormant, right? Wrong. A surprising number of
PHSID
PROUFERA
JCCULEHT S'
Above: Patient hand- pollination over two years and plenty of water and fertilizer in summer resulted in the author’s rosette-winning specimen of Mammillaria prolifera.
Right: Unlike cacti and some other succulents, aeoniums grow actively in winter and rest in summer. That fact helped the author produce this winning specimen of Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’ at the 2007 Flower Show.
them — all “other succulents,” not cacti — are about to resume active growth after spending the warm months in semi-dormancy. This seemingly unnatural growth pattern has required me to do a little research and observe my plants carefully.
These days, conducting research is often a matter of going online and typing in a few keywords. That’s how I rediscovered an excellent source of information on succu- lents. The website, www.highlandsucculents.com, provides useful information on the fine points of dormancy and pro- vides an extensive list of genera, including summer-dor- mant and winter-dormant members. Simply put, summer- dormant (or winter-active) plants need relatively little water and fertilizer from about April to September in the Delaware Valley area. However, they benefit from ample amounts of water and fertilizer from October to March. The opposite applies to winter-dormant succulents (including virtually all cacti).
But plants don’t read books or go online, so a key to suc- cess with cacti and other succulents (and with any plant, for that matter) is to “read them: watch how they respond to environmental conditions and the specific care you provide them. So, while some of my summer-dormant Haworthia and Aloe plants grow actively during cooler weather and take a summer rest, others remain more or less active throughout the year. That means I must pay attention to their individual needs and not just slavishly follow broadly drawn rules. (This is even more pertinent to those of you who grow indoors under lights, where some plants might never go dormant.)
Speaking of broadly drawn rules, please allow me to dis- abuse you of another widely held misconception about this group of plants: that they all require hot, desert-like, intensely sunny conditions. Not so. I’ve watched some South American Andean cacti turn to mush in high sum- mer heat, and many euphorbias, haworthias, and holiday cacti will suffer a major case of sunburn unless shaded from strong sun. Many “wild cacti seedlings spend their first few years in the shade of deciduous plants, so it helps to provide young cacti a shady spot in summer. As for their dormancy patterns, it pays to learn about a specific succu- lent’s heat and light requirements and to observe the plants under your conditions.
All told, I hope you get as much enjoyment from grow- ing these plants as I do. And, as this is my final column for the year, I’d like to say that it’s been terrific fun sharing some of my “Show Plants” experiences with you. See you at the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show!
34
GREEN SCENE • september/october 2007
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35
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WHO MAY ENTER
• Amateur* photographers ages 18 and over (‘those who earn less than 1/4 of their annual income from photography).
• Employees of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and its affiliates are not eligible.
SUBMISSIONS
• Photographers may only enter images as 4x6-inch or 5x7-inch prints, either in color or black-and-white.
• IMPORTANT: On the back of each image, you must write your name, address, email and/or phone. Optional: You may also include technical information about the photograph (camera type, f-stop, speed, film type, etc.), as well as background information.
• Original images may be shot on print film, slides, or digital cameras, but all submissions must prints as stated above (no slides or CDs accepted).
• All photographs must be previously unpublished.
• All photos must have been taken within the past three years (since August 1 , 2004).
• Photos may eventually be mounted on cardboard if we choose to display them.
• If you’d like your images returned, please enclose a SASE with your submission.
• Photos that violate or infringe upon another photographer’s copyright are not eligible for entry.
• The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is not responsible for loss of or damage to any photographs submitted for the contest.
ENTRY FEES
• Photographers may enter 1 photo for a fee of $1 5; 2 to 5 photos for a fee of $25; or 6 to 1 0 photos for a fee of $40. Fees are non-refundable.
PRIZES
1st Nikon Coolpix L10 digital camera & publication of your photo*.
2nd 100 free photo DigiPrints** & publication of your photo.
3rd One-year PHS Membership & publication of your photo.
Honorable Mentions (10) ....Publication of your photo.
'Publication will occur in PHS's Green Scene magazine (Jan/Feb ‘08 issue) and on the PHS website.
"From your Digital Camera, Media Card or CD
IMPORTANT DATES
• All entries must be postmarked by September 15, 2007.
• All winners will be notified by November 15, 2007.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
For questions about the contest, please email greenscene@pennhort.org for fastest response.
You can also call 215-988-8871 . 1 8
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GREEN SCENE • september/october 2007
37
The Backyard
FOR SMALL GARDENS
East Oak Lane resident Alex Pollack thought he had been involved with everything PHS has to offer. He was a Tree Tender. He volunteered at the Flower Show.
He even helped out at the Kids Grows Expo. So when PHS launched the City Gardening Series in 2002, Alex knew he “had to give it a try.”
The City Gardening Series offers free lectures, tours, and demonstrations designed for people who garden in small spaces. Chanticleer, a pleasure garden in Wayne, PA, supports the series, which has expanded to become integral to PHS’s outreach efforts. “At the start of the program we had 40 classes a year,” says Marilyn Reynolds, PHS project coordinator. “We’ve now doubled that.”
The Free Library of Philadelphia co-hosts the series, offering evening classes at neighborhood branches citywide. Topics include growing cacti, designing hanging baskets, container gardening, and starting seeds, to name just a few.
Men and women with extensive horticultural training lead the classes. Marilyn says, “Our roster of presenters includes garden writers, landscape architects, and horticulturists. They are skilled speakers who know how to share their knowledge with amateurs.”
In addition to lectures and demonstrations, there are also tours of popular local gardens. Throngs of eager people board chartered buses for daytrips to Triple Oaks Nursery and Herb Farm, Awbury Arboretum, Pennsbury Manor, and, of course, Chanticleer.
Anne Sims, visitor services manager at Chanticleer, says, “It’s always great having the City Gardening Series folks out to Chanticleer; they are an engaging and animated group. On their visits, we like to pass on tips that can be applied to their home gardens.”
Each session of the series ends with a raffle for items related to the day’s topic. The prizes often include books, tools, seeds and plants.
On average, 30 people attend each event. Some show up occasionally, while others wouldn’t dream of missing a single meeting. These individuals are affectionately known as “the regulars.”
Unsurprisingly, Alex Pollack is a “regular." He says, “What keeps me coming back is the excellence of the speakers. They know their stuff, and I always leave having learned something new.”
For Marilyn, her favorite aspect of the series is how it brings people together: “I’ve witnessed friendships form among peo- ple from all walks of life. They share tips and information and even visit one another’s gardens.” ^
City Gardening Series events can be found online at www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org (click on “Calendar”). For more information, email citygardening@pennhort.org or call 215-988-8872. These events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.
38 GREEN SCENE • sepfember/october 2007
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PLANTING SPRING BULBS
page 26
1979 - 2007
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Spend time “potting” your favorite plants for your home or patio and learn “tricks of the trade” at our Horticulturist’s weekly seminars.
Practice your “putting” skills on our Professional Golf Green and join in competition with our “other putters.”
fake advantage of our Fitness Center to swim and exercise. Attend the many Village College courses offered throughout the year, or take painting and sculpting classes in our Art Studios.
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Contents
Editor
Pete Prawn
20
Associate Editor
Jane Carroll
Assistant Editor
Daniel Moise
Art Design
Baxendells’ Graphic
Printer
ALCOM Printing Group, Inc.
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
26
Web Site
www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org
100 N. 20th St. Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495 215-988-8800
Chair
Harry E. Hill
President
Jane G. Pepper
Executive Vice President
J. Blaine Bonham, Jr.
PHS Membership Information
Linda Davis. 215-988-8776
Display Ads
Manzo Communications, LLC 61 0-527-7047 mmanzo@manzomediagroup.com
Classified Ads
Daniel Moise, 215-988-8871 gsads@pennhort. org
Pioneering Women
Philadelphia’s gardening legacy would be nothing without the intrepid women of the past century who helped shape the gardening scene in our region. Coupling vivid stories with photos of a long-gone era, Ilene Sternberg shines a light on the contributions of these horticultural heroines.
Dealing with Deer
Deer may be elegant and adorable, but — as gardeners know — they’re also major pests! Fortunately, avid bulb growers John McClain and Mitch Prince have discovered secrets for keeping deer at bav and share them here.
EATURES
Cultivating Cranberries
Everybody enjoys a helping of cranberries while partaking in the Thanksgiving feast, but how many stop to appreciate the storied history of this tart and tantalizing fruit? Lorraine Kiefer wades through the bogs of southern New Jersey to pay homage to the brilliantly red berry.
Gardening from the Heart
A great garden doesn’t just catch your eye, it stirs your soul. Tucked away behind a wall of wisteria and
10
delphiniums, the Main Line home of Daria and Andy Pew has exactly that effect, as practically every blossom has a story behind it. Daniel Moise tells the tale.
COLUMNS
6 The Potting Shed
Ask A Gardener Phone Line
215-988-8777, Monday through Friday, 9:30 to 12 [closed in December] askagardener@pennhort. org
GREEN SCENE (USPS 955580),
32 Basic Botany
Considering the Climate
34 Botanical Bouquets
Warming Up to Winter
38 The Backyard
Playing at a Philadelphia Park
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society motivates people to improve the quality of life and create a sense of community through horticulture.
Main cover photos: courtesy of Temple Univ. Ambler Archives.
/ \ PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
Volume 35, No.6, is published bi-monthly (January, March, May, July, September, November) by The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, a non-profit member organization at 100 N. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495. Single Copy: $5.00 (plus $2.00 shipping). Second-class postage paid at Philadelphia, PA 19103 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to GREEN SCENE, 100 N. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103. © Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 2007
GREEN SCENE subscriptions are part of the membership benefits for:
Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ Horticultural Society of New York Phipps Conservatory, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA Staten Island Botanical Garden, Inc, New York
Letter from the Editor
The Grape Vine that
ATE MY HOUSE
The issue now is how to get rid of them. The wrong way to remove a vine is to pull it from its tip. Doing so will only get you a few feet of vine before it snaps off, leaving its main stem hap- pily hidden in the heart of a shrub. Yanking on an invasive vine’s tip can also damage the branch- es of the host tree or shrub.
Instead, you must prepare to get dirty.
Since many of us live in areas rife with deer ticks (and the threat of Lyme disease), you should cover up as much as possible before pruning — long pants, sleeves, socks, and perhaps a hat. Once you’re properly attired and have armed yourself with your cutting implement of choice (hand pruners, loppers, or a small saw for thick grape vines), then your horticultural counter-attack may commence.
No pun intended, but to get at the “root” of the problem, you must literally find where the vine is growing from. In some cases, that is as easy as find- ing a single vine stem trailing down the trunk of a tree. At the base, you would simply cut the stem and pull its root out of the ground. (Just keep in mind that snapping a root underground can inspire dozens of new shoots, making the situation worse. Some horticulturists even recommend cut- ting the vine’s stem a foot or two from the ground, and then treating it with full-strength Round-Up or a brush killer, but not everyone has the same comfort level with chemicals.)
However, if you’re simply cutting or pulling vines out, you’ll find that most aren’t such willing victims. You may find a vine that has clambered over two other trees, and that its point of terrestrial origin is actually 20 feet from where you’re standing. Or you could discover that those particularly hard-to- remove grape or honeysuckle vines are inside a large shrub, requiring you to actually climb into the shrubbery to find where the vine is pro- truding from the earth. This will take some time and a little sleuthing, too. But once you find it, feel free to cut the stem close to the ground, snap your fingers, and say, “Hah! Take that." If that’s the vine’s only stem, in due time the remainder will turn brown, die and crumble to the ground.
So heed my words: before you stand on your lawn in late summer like me, looking gormlessly at an azalea that was just eaten by a hon- eysuckle, make a mental note to tackle invasive vines earlier in the gar- dening year, say in late spring. Back then, it’s a mid-sized, yet still per- fectly manageable job. By the middle of summer, it’s war.
email: greenscene@pennhort.org
tach June I usually take an afternoon,
grab the loppers, and sweep my heavily wooded property for invasive vines. I failed to do that this year and, as I write this column in late summer, my landscape is under full attack. The wild grape vines are devouring a dogwood tree with their powerful tendrils. Spiky “mile-a-minute” vine is clambering up and over a fence with gleeful abandon. And my utility shed now has a green roof—z las, not the environmentally friendly kind, but a fast-moving creature that is quite enjoying the view up there.
Had I done my seasonal cut-back eight weeks ago, this wouldn’t be such a dramatic situation. But within that short time, the vines have begun a ferocious assault, so much so that there’s annual bindweed twining itself up each blade of my ornamental Miscanthus grass. Now that’s tenacity. In some ways, you have to admire the botanical aggres- sion of these plants and their desire to thrive and conquer all who stand in their way. Equally impressive is their ability to blend in with their environments — the way a grape vine’s woody lower stem can hide itself within a maze of rhododendron branches is nothing short of brilliant.
GREEN SCENE • november/december 2007
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Photos by Pete Prown
The Potting Shed
SEEING THE FORES
Lloyd and Thacher Brown planted more than 1,000 native hardwood trees and shrubs this spring on their Devon, PA, property. However, they admit to having a hard time seeing the forest for the ... tube P.
“We live on a tube farm now,” jokes Thacher, who serves on the PHS Council and Executive Committee. Hundreds and hun- dreds of 4-foot-high white plastic tubes now punctuate 5 1/2 acres along the banks of Darby Creek, which meanders through their property and is a prime habitat for wildlife, including brown trout.
Inside the tubes are 745 tree seedlings, including red maples, black willows, shagbark
hickories, American sycamores, pin oaks, and other native hardwoods. Along with 315 native shrubs planted at the same time, these seedlings will form a “riparian forest buffer,” an area of forested land adjacent to a body of water that provides a number of environmen- tal benefits.
“It’s designed to create a wildlife habitat,” Thacher says of the deer-resistant trees and shrubs. “They were planted this spring, and green leaves started showing up in early June on the tops of some of the tubes.”
Although the property is shaded with stately mature trees, deer have eaten the understory, creating a perfect environment for invasive plants like multiflora rose and Japanese bit-
By Betsie Blodgett
tersweet — and a poor one for trout, nesting songbirds, and native flora. Lloyd, who was Flower Show Preview Committee Chair in 1999, wanted to re- turn the wetland to its natural state.
Fruiting winterberry and chokecherry shrubs will provide food for songbirds. Tree roots will stabi- lize the stream banks, while leafy boughs will cool the water. Native hardwood leaves will feed aquatic insects, a food source for rainbow and brown trout. “More leaves, more insects, more trout,” explains Sam High, district conservationist with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service office in West Chester, who worked with the Browns to develop a conservation plan and provided a grant for the project.
Earlier this year, after a company called Weeds Inc. cleared the invasive plants, Williams Forestry & Associates in Millville, PA, prepared the wetlands for installation of the seedlings. “They just stuck them in the ground, tubes and all,” Thacher says of the process, “In two years, everything will be out of the tubes and we ll have some sense of what it will look like.” The plastic tubes will protect the young trees from deer browsing on the tender leaves and new growth, as well as from mice girdling the trunks during the cold winter months.
Adds Sam High, “This will take the woods back to what it might have looked like a couple of hundred years ago. It will provide a better balance for the future, too.”
GREEN SCENE • november/december 2007
emerges from its protective tube
The Potting Shed
Cecily Clark’s name is well known in Flower Show circles, and among her many horticultural achievements, this one might be the most impressive: she has been exhibiting at the Philadelphia Flower Show since the 1940s and has never missed one. “Back then, the Show was held in a hall that has long since been torn down,” she recalls. “It was a building with beau- tiful French ironwork holding up the roof. I was a flower arranger at the time because back then, there were no horticulture classes.”
By Daniel Moise
Decades of Perfection
Entering the Flower Show with Cecily Clark
This Show hat belonged to Cecily’s late husband, John, a faithful member of the plant- staging team in Hall B
Today, with the Show now held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Cecily is known precisely for her horticulture, namely for amazing potted plants, some of which she has exhibited for years. Among her awards, she’s won Best in Show four times and also received the Edith Wilder Scott Award, a very prestigious honor among plant entrants at the Show. The secret of her success? “My trick is to enter a plant in every class it can belong to,” she says. “It’s sort of a game and one I love to play.”
In her current menagerie, Cecily has several trained topiaries, foliage plants, and one succulent. “1 used to grow a lot of herbs, such as gerani- ums ( Pelargonium sp.) and that rosemary,” she says, pointing to the windowsill. “And also a dwarf myr- tle (Myrtus communis subsp. tarenti- na). In her apartment, Cecily’s col- lection of Show plants sits in a west- facing window that provides intense afternoon sun. She concedes that the heat is “not much help to the plants,” but it reminds her to keep her plants well-watered, and she believes the moisture keeps bugs away. She also uses a fan to circulate the air. “Good air circulation makes a huge difference to houseplants,” she notes.
Cecily readily acknowledges that some of the best tips she learned over the years came from fellow Flower Show exhibitors. “Sally Reath and Dot Keith were friends and inspirations,” she says. “Dot once said that there’s a tempta- tion to propagate a plant from every piece that’s cut. But you have to be disciplined and throw some out.” She rotates her plants faithfully, but bears in mind something former PHS president Ernesta Ballard once told her,
8
GREEN SCENE • november/december 2007
Left top: This bonsai-like specimen is designed with No. 9 wire, which is hard to bend. At Christmas, Cecily adorns it with glass ornaments.
Left middle: One of Cecily’s most notable plants began as a cutting from a wedding bouquet in 1988. Today it is shaped in a perfect circle, a difficult but rewarding shape to maintain.
Left bottom: ‘Yellow ripples' is a potted ivy from 2005 shaped somewhat like a figure eight.
which is that “every plant has its good side.”
When it’s time to bring the plants down to the Convention Center, the pots are carefully transported in inverted cardboard boxes with holes cut in the top or packed with paper. For some plants, she puts a brick in the bottom of a bucket to hold up the plant and protect its limbs. She arrives at the Show the second the doors open, sometimes at 6 am. The best part, she adds, is “seeing my good friends again. It’s like going back to high school. There’s such joy among the exhibitors.”
Finally, her advice to Flower Show newcomers is “Just do it! It’s not so scary.” She would also advise them to bring a notebook, claiming she has a pile of notebooks that list the favorite things she encounters on the Show floor. Cecily says if she were to enter the Show for the first time now she’d pick up one of the “Challenge Class” plants that are sold at PHS in September. “Everyone starts with the same thing,” she says. “It’s a wonderful way to build up a collection.”
For all her endeavors, Cecily is clearly a plant lover first, last and always. She suddenly points to a Euphorbia milii sitting on her kitchen table and exclaims, “Look at this color — this is great.” ^
The Gardener’s Bookshelf
By llene Sternberg & Pete Prown
Classic Irises & the Men and Women Who Created Them
By Clarence Mahan Krieger Publishing Company
International iris authority Clarence Mahan has conducted years of research, diligently plumbing French, British, and American primary and secondary sources, to produce this book. Perhaps only the most ardent iris fanatic ( you know who you are) will be willing to spring for this 400-plus-page scholarly history — market- ed as the first ever written — on garden irises. Mahan takes on the taxonomists (doesn’t everyone?) and goes into delicious detail about the lives of the movers and shakers and breed- ers in the iris world since the early nineteenth century. Unquestionably, this book is an essen- tial addition for any serious horticultural library, but even those with merely a passing interest in irises should find the anecdotes and garden gossip enlightening, engrossing, and entertaining.
(418 pp„ $87.50)
Pots in the Garden: Expert Design & Planting Techniques
By Ray Rogers & Richard Hartlage
Ray Rogers, a veteran rib- bon wrangler at everyone’s favorite Flower Show, can ar- gue for the title of “pot king” for his peerless potted plants. With this pub- lication, he demonstrates that he also pos- sesses excellent skills as a writer and teacher. With illustrative photographs, Rogers’ book analyzes the aesthetics of good design and shares tips for selecting, planting, and arranging containers and their contents in the garden. It’s helpful and inspiring infor- mation.
Timber Press (248 pp, $29.95)
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9
a working cranberry bog in New Jerseys Pine Barrens, time stands still. During the long after- noons of Indian summer, a sea of glistening, jewel- like fruit sparkles in the sun, as growers harvest the glossy red berries that have delighted and nourished humans for centuries. Those who think of cranberries as a canned supermarket item would be surprised by this idyllic agricultural scene.
Despite the modern farming techniques found at the Joseph J. White Farm in Whitesbog, NJ, and other nearby growers, the his- tory of the American cranberry dates back to the Native Americans. When preparing for long hunting excursions, tribes- men are said to have brought along pemmican , a dish made from dried deer meet and ripe cranberries. The fruit was later adopted by Colonial settlers, who lovingly referred to the berries as “Rubies of the Pines.’
CRANBERRY CULTURE
The American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) grows on small evergreen plants in the acidic soil of southern New Jersey and other places along the Atlantic coast. These bogs are not really boggy, but actually have firm sand bases in which the cranberry vines grow. New Jersey is the third largest cranberry producing area in the United States with approximately 3,100 acres of cranberry bogs.
In the wild, cranberry plants typically grow near a river or lake that floods naturally in winter. On manmade farms, the bogs must also be flooded so a machine known as a wet harvester can operate and knock the berries loose. The floating berries at the White farm are gathered to one side of the bog, lifted into trucks, washed and rough-sorted in a central station, and shipped in bulk to the Ocean Spray receiving station in Chatsworth, NJ (the town of
RUBIES
Growing Cranberries in South Jersey
PINES
10
Photo by Alan and Linda Detri
■■■■■ ■■i ■■■■■
A worker pulls & section of .“pranboorh" into the harvest ring. This will be ' pulled by hand to ppsh the fruit towards the elevators that lift the cranberries from the bog into trucks. *
Chatsworth also hosts a large cranberry festival each October). A large-scale agricultural cooperative, Ocean Spray is a leading pro- ducer of canned and bottled juice drinks in North America.
Cranberry plants are low, creeping perennials that root freely via runners to form a dense mat. Each runner sends up many slender, 5- to 6-inch-high flowers, known as “uprights” or “fruiting spurs.” Bees are the traditional pollinator for this plant, but with the 17 to 25 million flowers per acre on commercial beds, the natural bee population can’t keep up, forcing many cranberry growers to rent honey bee hives. With good pollination, each plant produces fruit. Although there may be five or six blossoms per shoot, one to three
New Jersey is the third largest cranberry producing area in the United States.
GREEN SCENE • november/december 2007
11
Spinning reels with horizontal bars knock the fruit off the vines
Joe Darlington and Brenda Conner are both 5th-generatioft cranberry growers
Photo by Alan and Linda Detrick
full-sized berries is usually the norm. The small, oblong leaves of a cranberry plant are white in winter and turn brilliant green when spring arrives.
Although cranberries spend most of their life cycle on dry land, they are wetlands plants, and water is essential for cranberry pro- duction. There are several distinct times when water is needed: First, water provides frost protection at the beginning of the sea- son. Water is then needed during the growing season, as the porous sand soils dry out quickly, and insufficient water can quickly injure vines. Since berries can be damaged by the heat when temperatures are above 85° to 90°F, water from sprinkler irrigation at the farm protects immature fruits from sunscald during New Jersey’s hot summers. Large volumes of water are also required to flood the beds for harvest, usually 2 to 3 acre-feet. Finally, cranberries need a wintertime flood from December through April or May to pro- tect the vines from cold-weather damage.
GROWING AT HOME
Fortunately, homeowners can grow cranberries without flooding their gardens, but there are some special considerations. Like rho- dodendron, mountain laurel, azalea, blueberry, and other wood- landers, cranberries are finicky about their soil. It must be very acidic (pH 4-5), very high in humus, moist, and low in fertility. To create these soil conditions, mix a generous amount of peat moss — humus that is low in nutrients — into the soil.
Cranberries
Even’ four to six years during the winter months, commercial growers apply a layer of sand to their bogs to reinvigorate the vine growth and force the plants to produce uprights and berries. Homeowners may use sawdust, leaves, or pine needles to mulch their cranberry plants for winter.
Cranberry roots usually go only 6 inches deep, but their slender, evergreen stems spread over the ground, often growing a couple of feet or more in all directions each season. Small white flowers emerge in earlv summer, each of which nods downward from curved stalks. Later in the season, shiny red berries can be seen hanging on the wiry stems, and the cranberry fruits cling to the plant all winter.
i
BERRY DELICIOUS
Cranberries have very few calories and are rich in Vitamin C, but they are so tart that chefs often combine them with sugar. Those on restricted diets find that honey or sugar-free gelatin pro- vide the same effect. Cooked cranberries also blend well with other
fruits such as apples and oranges, as well as nuts.
When cranberries are added to vinegar, wine, or vodka, the color and flavor of the fruit is extracted into the liquid. Cranberry vine- gar and oil makes a delicious salad dressing. Toss a handful of dried cranberries, goat cheese, and walnuts with crisp greens for a delightful fall salad.
In winter, consider stringing some cranberries with popcorn along the branches of a tree for the birds. These “Jersey jewels” can be threaded with a thin wire and incorporated into wreaths or heart-shaped trims for the Christmas tree. Indeed, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of ways to enjoy the venerable cranberry. Who would have thought you could get so much from such a small, unassuming fruit? ^
Cranberry plants are available year-round from Triple Oaks Nursery, 2359 Delsea Dr., Franklinville, NJ, 856-694-4272, www.tripleoaks.com . For more on the Joseph J. White Farm and cranberry harvesting in Whitesbog, NJ, also see Jane Pepper’s article “Cranberries: A Growth Industry” in the September 1983 issue (available in the PFIS McLean Library).
©PNC
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Goody Bag PLUS extra Flower Show admission ticket
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Tours are available March 3-7. Deadline for reservations is February 15, 2008. Send name and mailing address to earlymomingtours@pennhort. org, call 215-988-8775 or go to www.theflowershow.com to download an order form.
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A Garden of
MEANING
16
GREEN SCENE • november/december 2007
« y ■ 'fhe moment you think you’ve done everything in the garden, -A. a new idea will come out of nowhere,” says Daria Pew, describing her garden planning. And indeed, the two-acre Gladwyne, PA, property she, her husband and son call home displays several years’ worth of actualized inspiration. Though dozens of garden enthusiasts have passed through on tours, the underlying symbol- ism and sentiment that imbue the gardens hold special meaning for the Pews.
When Daria first moved into the home 16 years ago there was nothing but lawn. She used trial-and-error methods at first, but once a bed of peonies took off there was no looking back. “1 can’t deny that I’m obsessed, I feel as though I’ve found my calling — but at least it’s a healthy obses- sion!” she exclaims.
First, Daria set out to under-plant every tree. Mostly towering oaks, the trees now have ferns, hostas, or geraniums growing
underneath, adding lushness and serenity to the landscape.
Assisting Daria in her gardening endeav- ors was her father, Richard, who passed away in March 2007. Daria describes him as multi-talented and attributes the proper- ty’s beauty to his imaginative ideas and admirable work ethic. One of Richard’s final projects inhabits the far end of the property near the swimming pool. It is a topiary dubbed the love garden due to the plants shaped as an Xand O, representing a kiss and hug. The border of the garden con- sists of Korean boxwood, and the interior features an array of herbs. “When I look at this garden I see my father’s influence. It is comforting, a way to keep his memory with us,” Daria shares.
Other evidence of the Pews’ affection for symbolism and heritage includes a bed oi dianthus in the shape of a heart and, in the herb garden, an antique chair that once belonged to the mother of
“When I look at this garden,
I see my
father’s influence.”
— Daria Pew
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Story by |
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Daniel Moise |
Right: Delphiniums, poppies, and alliums festoon the garden in late spring
Below: PHS President Jane G. Pepper (2nd from left) with the Pew family
Above: Whimsical garden sculpture by Marty Long
Left: Leadership Level members enjoy an evening in the Pew garden
B. Gullan
Daria’s husband, Andy.
The garden has some entertaining ele- ments, too: large-scale wooden carvings of popular fictional creatures adorn the prop- erty. Sculptor Marty Long created each of the five memorable children’s characters, including the appropriately named Pepe Le Pew and Winnie the Pooh, the latter of which was commissioned to commemorate the birthday of Daria and Andy’s son, Westy.
Owl from the Pooh stories sits in the front of the house, proudly perched in a curved garden full of tall species that buffer noise from the road. The area features wis- teria, tree peonies, larkspur, and delphini- um by the score. A variety of clematis grows out front and around the property, offering stunning purple blooms in late spring. Also featured are cranesbill, pale yellow irises, and forget-me-nots.
Overall, Daria’s garden style evokes the aura of an English country cottage. The plants and landscape aren’t severely mani- cured; rather they are able to thrive — and seem content and healthy as a result. An abundance of roses, such as moss roses and antique selections, adds to the cottage feel. The David Austin rose ‘Constance Spry’ is one of Daria’s favorites.
But head and shoulders above the rest, roses or otherwise, is what Daria calls her pride and joy. The rambling rose ‘Tausendschon’ (the name means “1,000 beauties” in German) adds color and joi de vive with its countless blush-pink blossoms. The plant prospers in a tall, old umbrella stand in the backyard. ‘Blue Eyes’ and ‘Blue Angel’ clematis, planted in memory of Daria’s father, grow nearby.
“Gardening is a very personal thing,” says Daria. “What you like, someone else might not, but you have to do what’s right for you. I like to incorporate plants and items that have personal significance and meaning. My garden tells my story.”
GREEN SCENE • november/december 2007
19
1
of HORTICULTURE
Honoring Women from Philadelphia’s Gardening Past
Long before the modern women’s movement, some formidable Philadelphia females were break- ing new ground. Early in the twentieth century, these progressive women recog- nized that aside from the traditional teach- ing, nursing and charity work, horticulture could provide a vehicle for improving women’s vocational prospects. They mobi- lized to educate gardeners, pioneered the garden club movement, and launched sev- eral vital organizations that transformed lives and landscapes. Though their names are unfamiliar to many, we should all doff our garden hats in appreciation to them. Their far-reaching legacy empowered women, widened career opportunities, and stimulated the kind of community activism that PHS’s Philadelphia Green program exemplifies today.
AMERICA'S FIRST GARDEN CLUB FOR WOMEN
With a Iudor Rose and the motto Furor Hortensis (“Garden Mad”) for its seal, the Garden Club of Philadelphia was formed in 1904 by Ernestine Abercrombie Goodman and Elizabeth Price Martin, becoming the first American club of its type for women. Meeting at the home of Letitia Glenn Biddle at Andalusia in Bucks County, the club set out to promote inter- est in garden design and management, encourage civic planting, and help protect wildflowers and native plants. The Bulletin of the Garden Club of America referred to its firs: president, Ellen Stuart Patterson, as “The Duchess of Chestnut Hill” and “The Mother of Garden Clubs” and declared that her “faithfulness, tact, charm and ^ passionate love of flowers” was the * club’s chief inspiration and guiding spirit. Another of its founding mem-
^ ■
bers was the mother-in-law of current PHS president Jane G. Pepper.
The club studied horticulture and con- servation and carried out numerous beauti- fication projects, including the rehabilita- tion of Bartram’s Garden. One member detailed the club’s first attempt at civic planting in 1911: “After a precarious trip across the Schuylkill River in rowboats, [we] personally planted forsythia on Peter’s Island which we still admire as we follow the River Drives to town. ” Considering the boned corsets, high-buttoned collars, long skirts, petticoats, hats, gloves, and umbrel- las that were de rigueur at the time, it must have been quite an outing.
A SCHOOL OF THEIR OWN
A few years later, Jane Bowne Haines II founded the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women (now Temple University Ambler) to “teach a practical remunerative art, offer possibilities of sci- entific and practical investigation, and open a new field of healthful labor for women, one where they could “live and dream, not be expected to do household work,” and could focus on learning. Miss Haines lived part-time at Wyck in Germantown, home to nine generations of the Wistar/Haines family, where she man- aged a family nursery business prior to opening the school on the
f -
71 -acre McAlonan farm in Ambler.
The school’s two-year residential pro- gram offered botany, horticulture, floricul- ture, fruit and vegetable growing, soil sci- ence, and farm management with optional courses in canning and preserving, bee- keeping, and farm carpentry. (Students helped build the school’s first greenhouse in 1911, which still stands.) For each lecture hour, students received two hours of practi- cal training in the gardens and fields. In dark tunics, skirts to mid-calf, white shirt- waists, and high-top boots, students were considered suitably outfitted as dirt farmers living a wholesome country life in a coun- try community. (Financial concerns led to the school’s merger with Temple University ,,, 1958.)
Haines once wrote, “The natural garden- er is a genius, born rather than made, with the solid head of a cabbage, the heart of a let- tuce, the strength of an onion, the rooting qualities of a carrot, and the persistence of crabgrass. ”
21
Heroines of Horticulture
Right and below:
Students at the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women (PSHW)
/
22 GREEN SCENE • november/december 2007
Not surprisingly, Miss Goodman and Mrs. Patterson sat on the School of Horticulture’s board of directors along with botanist, conservationist, crusader and edu- cator Mira Lloyd Dock (1853-1945), the “Mother of Urban Forestry.” When Dock joined the Pennsylvania Forestry Commission, she became the first woman ever appointed to a government post in the Commonwealth. Another board member, the multi-faceted garden expert Mary Helen Wingate Lloyd (1842-1934), had a remarkable “Iris Bowl” garden visited by thousands during the 1920s. PHS’s McLean Library houses her collection of rare botanical works of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Elizabeth Leighton Lee, one of the country’s first landscape architects and the first practicing female landscape architect in Philadelphia, served as the school’s director until 1924.
Louise Carter Bush-Brown followed for another 28 years, overseeing many changes and expanding enrollment. Co-author with
her husband of one of the all-time popular garden guides, Americas Garden Book, she also organized settlement house workers and garden clubs into the Neighbor- hood Gardens Association in 1953 to sponsor local beautification programs in low-income neighborhoods. (The Neighborhood Gardens Association remains active today.)
GARDENING FOR THE GREATER GOOD
In 1914, Jane Haines pushed to establish the Woman’s National Farm & Garden Association (WNFGA), hosting a national gathering to discuss ways to unite horticul- tural and agricultural interests of city and country women. Some 400 attendees met in the School ol Horticulture barn, which was decorated with rhubarb and dogwood blossoms, and discussed small fruit culture and raising broiler chickens for profit. Prolific author Louisa Boyd Yeomans King,
onetime editor of McCall’s magazine and an early advisor to the school, became pres- ident of the new association. Local VPs were Jane Haines, Mrs. Martin, and Miss Lee.
Lee and Beatrix Farrand were the first garden consultants to the Garden Club of America, which formed the same year “to stimulate the knowledge and love of gar- dening among amateurs; to share the advantages of association through confer- ence and correspondence in this country and abroad; to aid in the protection of native plants and birds; and to encourage civic planting.” The Philadelphia group and 12 other garden clubs met at Stenton in Germantown and elected Elizabeth Martin (this was one busy lady) as its first president. Ellen Patterson was honorary president until 1915, and Mary Lloyd, director from 1928-33, edited the club’s Bulletin for 40 years.
World War 1 was the impetus to mobilize even further. The School of Horticulture
Heroines of Horticulture
A MOST VITAL INFLUENCE
Elizabeth P. Martin served as president of the Garden Club of America until 1 920. At her retirement, the group passed a resolu- tion stating, “Mrs. Martins leadership from the very beginning of our organization been our mainstay. During the war, President not only kept life in the clubs, made them powerful factors in food tion. Since the war, she most ably over the Association in a time of rapid until now we properly call ourselves the vital influence in all this land against door ugliness and for out-ofdoor
At Elizabeth Martin’s death in 1932, Ithe flags in the City of Philadelphia hung half mast.
The author wishes to thank Jenny Rose Carey, director of the Landscape Arboretum of Temple University Ambler, for her assistance with this article.
Touring through Philadelphia Garden History
In the Philadelphia area, Plant Lovers Discovery Tours offers self-guided excursions or group jaunts called Progressive Women in Horticulture. These tours celebrate these women and other trailblazers and the collaboration that made their achievements possible, exploring their lives and the
places associated with them.
4 rt
For detailed itineraries, visit www. plan tloverstours. com , or call Sharon Lee at 610-543-1024.
24 k GREEN SCENE • november/december 2007
J
offered 12-week “Lieutenant’s and Captain’s” war courses in vegetable garden- ing, fruit growing, canning and preserving. Mrs. Martin also rallied her troops: “America is at war, and the Garden Club of America must assume what responsibility its name implies.” She and Louisa King were made directors of the Bureau of Registration and Information of the National League of Women’s Service under the U.S. Department of Labor, which, among other functions, “furnished garden clubs with information about planting, canning, and kindred activities.”
The U.S. Council on National Defense requested that WNEGA organize various women’s agricultural groups to form the Woman’s Land Army of America. Spearheaded yet again by Jane Haines, this group trained 20,000 “farmerettes” to grow food for U.S. and European citizens and troops, preventing starvation for thousands of European families.
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25
I
Planting & Protecting
John McClain and Mitch Prince love to garden so much that they have more than one garden. In fact, they have more than one house, maintain- ing two primary residences in Philadelphia’s western suburbs, each of which has gardens flush with spring bulbs by the score. But achieving those endless beds of color requires constant vigilance to keep deer from consum- ing the tender, delectable bulbs.
26 j GREEN SCENE • november/december 2007
‘Tilted Manor" in Wynnewood
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Story and Photography by Pete Prown
GREEN SCENE • november/december 2007
John McClain
BULBS BY THE THOUSANDS
Both men practice law (bankruptcy and real estate) in Center City, though they joke that they sometimes spend more time gardening than working. John and Mitch’s main house in Gladwyne is wryly called Tilted Acre, owing to a sloped backyard that drops off into woodland. In the space of just a few years, the two have trans- formed the hillside into a series of dramat- ic terraces with large retaining walls crafted by an Italian stone mason.
Within the beds at Tilted Acre are literal- ly thousands of spring bulbs, including rare hybrid tulips, daffodils, alliums, fritillaria, and hyacinths. They even have a rare voodoo lily ( Dracunculus vulgaris). Says Mitch, “It’s a burgundy shade and blooms for slightly more than a week. The smell is rather foul, so it is advised that you don’t grow it near your house. But we like it there, just off the porch — it’s a conversa-
tion piece.” Elsewhere in the garden you’ll find gardenias, Japanese maples (Acer palmatum), nandina, and hundreds of vio- let larkspur blossoms that John liberally re- sows each year.
At John and Mitch’s other property, a grand old house dubbed Tilted Manor, the two installed gardens along the driveway in spaces that were once pavement. Adorning the lawns are a variety of sculptures, notably a stork, dog, and other artistic ani- mals made of copper. Daffodils and tulips are planted by the score, and much of the planting takes place between Christmas and New Year’s Day in hopes they’ll be ready for bloom in spring. “We once had 10,000 bulbs dropped off on the front yard, and that was just one of the ship- ments that year,” John says. “I’ve planted as many as 1,000 bulbs a day. It’s a lot of work, but very much worth the effort.”
The Barnes Foundation
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Paul Cezanne, Terracotta Pols and Flowers, 1891-1892, BF235.
Visit the Barnes Foundation this fall and winter and enjoy an unparalleled aesthetic experience inside the Gallery and outside in the Arboretum.
The Barnes Foundation's collection of French Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early Modern paintings is unsurpassed in breadth, quality, and depth.
The collection also includes important examples of African sculpture, American paintings and decorative arts, Old Master paintings. Native American art, Asian art, and ancient artifacts, which provide a rich context for the study of art and aesthetics.
The Arboretum, which features an exceptional collection of rare trees and woody plants from all over the world, a fern collection, formal gardens, and a lilac grove, provides an unparalleled environment for horticulture education. The 12-acre Arboretum, which surrounds the gallery building, reflects and enhances the beauty of the art inside.
For information on visiting the Barnes Foundation please call B10-667-0290.
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GREEN SCENE • november/december 2007
29
^ Gladwyne
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property
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OH, DEER!
John, in particular, is quite serious about deer control and employs a number of techniques to keep them from feasting on the bulbs sitting just under the soil. For example, the gardens include plenty of alli- ums, which are unappealing to deer, as well as peppermint because deer cannot tolerate the strong methanol scent. But John notes that peppermint is the only mint that has this effect (and it tends to overcrowd a gar- den bed, so you have to keep it in check). Garlic and onion also deter the deer. “But deer will eat anything if they’re hungry enough,” Mitch adds, “even hibiscus.”
For repellents, the natural liquid product Deer-Out has earned a thumbs-up in John’s book, and he says it has a far more pleasant odor than other products. They also use fishing line draped between trees, which browsing deer find unpleasant and avoid. While the two try to keep deer out, howev- er, “Hummingbirds and butterflies are always welcome,” John says.
30
GREEN SCENE • november/december 2007
GARDEN CHORES
People who visit John and Mitch’s proper- ties can’t believe there isn’t a full-time gar- dener or a team of landscapers. Mitch does a lot of the hardscaping and stone work, while John is quite proud of his Kubota, a large tractor used for landscaping chores. “My neighbor says I need to see a psychia- trist since I spend so much time roto-till- ing,” jokes John.
The gardens change on a regular basis. Mitch says that John moves trees like other people move furniture. Even stone walls are taken down and rebuilt elsewhere. When it comes to planting and deconstructing gar- den beds, John says “it’s easier putting one in than taking one out.”
When it’s time for planting bulbs each fall, John tills the soil weeks ahead of time and applies generous amounts of mulch. “But I don’t worry about colors,” he adds. “I like whatever color combinations sprout up, especially with the bulbs. I haven’t seen any I don’t like, and it’s exciting because you never know what you’re going to get.”
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Basic Botany
By Jessie Keith
TEMPERATURE CHANGE AND PHENOLOGY
Global temperatures have increased 1°F since 1900 and are projected to rise up to 6°F in the next 50 years, causing the growing season to length- en. Flow might plants respond?
Research suggests that spring bloomers will flower earlier. Dr. Abu Asab in | Washington DC ran a 29-year t study of trees’ flowering pat- terns. By the end of the peri- o od, 100 tree species from 44 | families bloomed three to five
Q.
Basically, buds are set in the fall, dormancy is maintained through winter, and buds break in spring.
There are two types of winter dormancy: endodormancy and ecodormancy. Both protect plants from untimely bud break, but each function differently. Then there’s vernal- izationi, the winter-chilling period that controls flowering.
Endodormancy is the deep dormancy required by many temperate perennials. It ensures that plants break bud after winter and is regulated by hormones in the ter- minal meristems (topmost buds). Endodormancy is initiat- ed by cooler temperatures and shorter days and is broken by a period of chilling followed by longer days. Insufficient chilling reduces or disrupts bud break and decreases the plant’s vigor.
ECODORMANCY is a transient or light dormancy that’s brought on by unfavorable growing conditions, such as cold temperatures, low light, or insufficient water. It can precede and follow endodormancy. Ecodormant plants will grow again when favorable conditions return.
VERNALIZATION, like endodormancy, is controlled in the terminal meristems. Along with light levels, it controls flowering in many temperate species. It’s especially vital for fruit and floral crops, like apples, cherries, and tulips. Chilling must occur below 45°F for 200 to 1,000 hours depending on the species, for flowering to occur.
Many plants experience all of these dormancy factors in the course of a season, but phenology can be altered in various ways if important environmental cues like tem-
perature change rapidly.
Climate Change and Plant Phenology
uring that stretch of uncommonly warm days last December, 1 strolled along the Brandywine River and saw an improbable sight: happily blooming snowdrops. “Wow!” I exclaimed to my husband, “What’s with this bizarre balmy weather ... and what other surprises will it bring?” These questions inspired me to explore the effects of temperature change on winter dor- mancy and the timing of bud break, flowering, and fruit- ing, an area of plant science known as phenology.
DORMANCY
Dormancy occurs in perennials when the meristems (the growing points found largely at shoot and root tips) stop growing in response to environmental cues like tempera- ture and light. For temperate plant survival, winter dor- mancy is as essential as sleep is for us human beings.
32
GREEN SCENE • november/december 2007
Late-summer asters like Symphyotrichum novi-beU and other perennials may bloom later if summers heat up
ers keep personal flowering and fruiting records to track local trends.
As far as those precocious December snowdrops, their chilling requirements are short, so by early winter they are already ecodormant. This may mean more holiday snowdrops in years to come.
days earlier. Likewise, a study of 385 British plant species, conducted by Dr. Alastair Fitter, showed they bloomed four and a half days earlier after just 10 years. Comparable results have been found in Central Europe and China.
Conversely, late-season bloomers may flower later. Dr. Elsa Cleland of Stanford University recently examined the effects of increased temperature on 12 prairie species. Plants responded differ- ently based on their seasonal bloom times.
Those blooming before the hottest day of summer flowered or fruited earlier, and those blooming after it flowered or fruited later.
Higher temperatures from the "urban heat island effect," in which large cities are hotter than their local surroundings, may intensify the effects on city plants. Studies in China,
Europe, and North America found that trees like apple and cherry bloomed earlier in urban areas than nearby rural specimens did.
Moreover, early spring ephemerals and insect- pollinated plants reacted more dramatically to higher urban temperatures than late spring bloomers and wind-pollinated plants.
Some speculate that warming will create untimely warm winter weather and increase frost damage as plants are coaxed into earlier blooming, but studies are inconclusive.
The consequences of temperature change on plant phenology are not yet fully under- stood. The 250,000+ plant species across the globe’s diverse habitats will certainly react in different ways. Researchers suggest that grow-
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Amaryllis... or Hippeastrum ? What is the correct genus name for this bulb? Although greenhouses often call both of these stun- ning bulbs “amaryllis,” those that come from South Africa are actually Amaryllis , and those from South America are Hippeastrum. Structurally they are the same, and Dutch flower growers have solved the problem by labeling their flowers Amaryllis/Hippeastrum. To those of us who not botanists, however, the Amaryllis is considered acceptable for both.
A SIMPLE WINTER ARRANGEMENT:
STEP 1 - GATHERING
You will need:
• Several stems of amaryllis
• A variety of greens. Here, you see boxwood, pine, rose hips, Christmas bush ( Ceratopetalum gnmmiferum), and pine cones.
• A bowl or basket lined with plastic and filled with floral foam
• Stakes or sticks about the length of the amaryllis
• Cotton or cotton balls
• Clippers
STEP 2 - PREPARING
• Soak floral foam and cut to shape of basket or bowl.
• Select a basket lined with plastic (or use one with a plastic dish in it).
• Cut sticks or stakes to about two inches shorter than the amaryllis stems.
• Cut greens to varying heights.
STEP 3 - ARRANGING
• Add greens and berries and/or flowers to the basket, leaving space in the center for the amaryllis.
• Fill amaryllis stems with a little water and plug with cotton.
• Insert amaryllis stems into the center of the oasis by making a hole with your finger for each stem. Keep your thumb on the base of the stem until you insert it into the foam.
• Stems may be tied together with dec- orative cording, wire or raffia.
ALTERNATIVE DESIGNS
For a long-lasring show of amaryllis, cut the stems short and place them in a vase with a few greens and water. Here you see boxwood and pine. Make sure that your water stays clean by adding a teaspoon of bleach and changing it fre- quently. There is no need to stake short- er stems.
Another way to show off the dramatic amaryllis plant is to put the potted flow- ers into a basket, add a few greens (floral foam may be cut into pieces and put into plastic bags to hold greens), and tie the stems decoratively.
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Scholarly publishing since 1771
RENAISSANCE VISION FROM SPECTACLES TO TELESCOPES
Vincent llardi
Vincent llardi tells the story of the history of eyeglasses from their invention in Italy ca. 1286 to the appearance of the telescope three centuries later. “By the end of the sixteenth century eyeglasses were as common in western and central Europe as desktop computers are in western developed countries today.”
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THE TEMPLE OF NIGHT AT SCHONAU
John A. Rice
Between 1796 and 1800 Baron Peter von Braun, manager of Vienna’s court theaters, transformed his estate at Schonau into an English-style landscape park that included the Temple of Night, a domed rotunda accessible only through a meandering rockwork grot- to. Only the ruins of the Temple of Night survive, and John Rice brings it back to life by assembling the many descriptions of it by early nineteenth-century eyewitnesses. Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society Vol. 258 ISBN: 978-0-87169-258-0 $70.00
THE LIBRAY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
Edwin Wolf 2nd and Kevin J. Hayes
In the late 1950s, Edwin Wolf 2nd embarked on a bibliographic odyssey to reconstruct the “lost” library of Benjamin Franklin after discovering the unique shelfmarks Franklin used to identity his books. His work, unfinished at the time of his death, was taken up by Kevin J. Hayes as the tercentenary of Franklin’s birth approached. Everything found to date, close to 4,000 entries, has been compiled here.
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ESSAYS AND REVIEWS IN HISTORY AND HISTORY OF SCIENCE
Charles Couston Gillispie
Charles Gillispie has assembled a collection of essays representing an eclectic selection of his writings, spanning more than half a century. Included with these writings are new prefatory editorial comments to many of the essays. An appendix listing other titles pub- lished by the author is given as well.
Transactions of the American Philosophical Society Vol. 96, Part 5 ISBN: 978-0-87169-965-7 $24.00
A PORTRAIT OF ELIZABETH WILLING POWEL, 1743-1830
David W. Maxey
David Maxey offers a persuasive study of a late-eighteenth century portrait and its sub- ject. Elizabeth Willing Powel occupied an influential position in Philadelphia society during and after the Revolution. Personal loss touched her deeply and, at a critical moment, Philadelphia limner and sign painter Matthew Pratt captured on canvas the grief she experienced.
Transactions of the American Philosophical Society Vol. 96, Part 4 ISBN: 0-87169-964-8 $24.00
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Glass Enclosures Unlimited
610-687-2444
PATIOS & WALKWAYS
Flagstone - Pavers - Brick Robert J. Kleinberg Landscape Design & Construction 610-259-6106 See our work online 100’s of pictures at www.kleinberg.com
i8th annual winter symposium
SPONSORED BY THE MORRIS ARBORETUM
Natural Landscape Design:
A Practical Approach
Wednesday and Thursday, January 16 and 17, 2008 at Villanova University
An in-depth examination on the state of the art in naturalistic landscape design. Accomplished and diverse speakers (designers, horticulturalists, ecologists and artists) will conduct seminars in an interactive and informal setting.
To request a brochure, call (215) 247-5777x156 or 125.
A.
Morris Arboretum of the
University of Pennsylvania
Official arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pmntyhama
www.morrisarboremm.org
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THE SUNW0RKS CORPORATION
• Greenhouse Sales: Residential, Commercial and Institutional.
• Installations: Of greenhouses from any manufacturer, shading and ventilation systems.
• Maintenance: Reglazing, reskinning, painting, cleaning. Emergency repairs. Call 302-655-5772. ask for John Klein
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
LINDA CORSON LANDSCAPE DESIGN
• Consulting • Plans
• Supervision
Registered Landscape Architect ! Member ASLA 215-247-5619
David Brothers Landscape Services Bean Road Nursery
Architects, Builders and Nurserymen Providing the Fine Art of Garden Construction and Landscape Restoration
215-247-2992 610-584-1550
610-525-3232
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DONALD PELL GARDENS
Creating & maintaining gardens with expert horticultural craftsmanship.
View our portfolio of landscape designs online at www.donaldpell.com or call 610-917-1385 for a brochure and consultation.
LARGE TREES
Tree Transfers Inc.
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Serving the Delaware Valley since 1987
MULCH
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www.CedarRunLandscapes.com
NURSERY
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PONDS
PONDS AND WATERFALLS
Design/Installation/Maintenance View our pond video at www.YourPond.com
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• Unique Flower and gift shop.
MUTSCHLERS FLORIST & RARE PUNTS 1-800-242-9438
www.mutschiers.com
Wholesale Dutch Bulbs
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23 1\ilip Drive • PO Box f»38 (T5 Banlam, CT 06750
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Many pictures and information on our website www.botanyshop.com • Joplin, MO or call 888-855-3300 for prices and information.
THUJA X ‘GREEN GIANT’
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O Plants 8"-3 1 /2ft. tall $3.00 to $45.00 each
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Reblooming
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y size - $20 each
RAILS
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FENCES
The^> Painted Garden^, Inc.
(215) 884-7378 WWW.THEPAINTEDGARDENINC.COM 304 EDGE HILL ROAD. GLENSIDE, PA 19038 SHOWROOM BY APPOINTMENT
GREEN SCENE • november/december 2007
37
The Backyard
NEW LIFE
By Jane Carroll N EG L ECT E D C I T Y PA R K
For too long, the neighborhood park at N. 47th Street & Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia was no place you’d want to be. With its broken benches, decrepit playground equipment, dismal landscape, trash, and broken glass, Muhammed Park was a symbol of urban abandonment and neglect, a haven for drug dealing and other illegal activity. “You name it — it was going on there, recalls neighborhood activist Mike Cormany.
The seeds of change were planted about two years ago, when the Philadelphia Empowerment Zone (a federally funded redevelopment program) began to refurbish the commercial strip along Lancaster Avenue in collaboration with the city's Neighborhood Transformation Initiative (NTI). Through its NTI contract, Philadelphia Green start- ed working with Cormany and other neighbors to clean up two vacant lots on N. 46th Street. The volunteers not only cleaned the lots, but also turned one into a “village square” for use as a community meet- ing place.
Attention turned next to the dismal Muhammed Park (formerly Durham Park). Philadelphia Green staff set up meetings with com- munity residents to determine priorities for the site, and they decided the most pressing needs were new benches, a new playground, and long-overdue tree pruning.
“We started looking for partners,” says Cormany, who is co-chair of the restoration committee for the nonprofit Philadelphia Weed & Seed, a program that focuses on strategies to reduce crime and revital- ize communities.
And partners they found: The Empowerment Zone and the William Penn Foundation each committed funds for park improve- ments, adding to money provided by Philadelphia Weed & Seed. Project NEAT (Neighborhood Environmental Action Teams), an environmental education project of the American Cities Foundation that engages Philadelphia residents in stormwater issues, also made a commitment. It awarded $35,000 toward a new playground with a porous surface to help alleviate excess storm runoff.
Building on this support, the city’s Department of Recreation
donated labor to replace all of the wood on park benches, prune the trees, and remove the old playground equipment. One of its contrac- tors installed the new equipment at no cost. The Department also hired a part-time seasonal maintenance attendant from the communi- ty to pick up trash. Crews from a work-training program called Ready, Willing & Able [ profiled in the Feb. 2004 issue ] helps keep the perime- ter of the park clean and mowed. Neighborhood schools, churches, mosques, and other volunteer groups have become involved as well.
The new playground was unveiled in August, and neighborhood children were more than ready to try it out. Cormany says the spruced-up park has been in heavy use by people of all ages. “There have been summer camps there, a “Community Day” event, and a neighborhood bazaar,” he says. “The goal is to continue to work with the community to encourage people to use the park. The more good things that happen in the park, the less it will be used for negative activity.”
Philadelphia Green is now helping to organize a formal “Friends of Muhammed Park” group to ensure long-term stewardship for the park. The group will receive support through Philadelphia Green’s Parks Revitalization Project, which helps reclaim community parks throughout the city and now includes more than 80 friends groups.
“It’s very different from how we usually work,” explains CR Robinson, a Philadelphia Green senior project coordinator. “Normally, we encourage park groups to partner their efforts with ongoing neighborhood development. In this case, existing neighbor- hood partnerships connected to the park, and from those efforts, a new park group is being formed. The improvements already made will build community confidence that something positive is being done. We hope to inspire and encourage people to start thinking about the future of the park. So, stay tuned; this is just the beginning at Muhammed Park."
For more information on PHS’s Parks project, visit www.philadelphiagreen. org.
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