BULLETIN Published by The Arboretum Foundation fin - the of Washinjjton Volume 53, No?*' Spring 1990 S2.50 H irriia Mfjfi . : 1"" J§|C- ;; ' 1 Center for Urban Horticulture Harold B. Tukey, Jr., Ph.D. Director of Arboreta Brian O. Mulligan Director Emeritus The Washington Park Arboretum Timothy Hohn Curator, Plant Collections John A. Wott, Ph.D. Professor, Continuing Education Lynda J. Ransley Coordinator Officers of The Arboretum Foundation Richard Doss President Carol Simons First Vice-President Tina Kuhnle Second Vice-President Mary Booth Third Vice-President Alan Adams, D.D.S. Fourth Vice-President Jeannine Curry Secretary Keith Patrick Treasurer Elizabeth Ayrault Moses Immediate Past President Rae Tennyson Executive Secretary Rita Lambro Bookkeeper Editorial Board of the Arboretum Bulletin Jan M. Silver Editor Van M. Bobbitt Mary Booth Jerry Clark Valerie Easton Book Review Editor Kendall W. Gambrill Clement Hamilton, Ph.D. Daniel Hinkley Timothy Hohn Steven R. Lorton Scot Medbury B.J.D. Meeuse, Ph.D. Virginia Morell Brian O. Mulligan Ruth E. Vorobik Richard Walker, Ph.D. Advertising Manager Susie Marglin (325-4510) Concerning This Issue . . . By this time of year, knowledgeable gardeners have figured out if they should plant their peas on George Washington’s original birthday or on President’s Day. The days are getting longer, and ornamental cabbages are making way for the wide variety of plants that signal spring in the Northwest. On these pages, Kendall Gambrill confesses his weak- ness for certain hybrid roses and discusses their place in the landscape. Featured are three hybrids of the extraordi- nary garden Lakewold, which is the destination that Scot Medbury recommends in the Northwest Garden Explorer. If you become intrigued by the Lakewold roses, Valerie Easton’s column suggests dazzling books to read and nearby specialty groups to join. Wayfarers, doublefiles, and withe-rods may have a place in your garden! Daniel Hinkley elaborates on these and other deciduous Viburnum in the first article of a two-part series. Mary Booth’s thumbnail sketch oiFothergilla out- lines its special place among your plants. Locally, combine history and hiking this spring. Walk among historic trees, planted by historian Edmond Meany, on the University of Washington campus. Throughout the world, there are regions with climatic, topographical, and biological similarities to ours. Some of these areas can provide new plants for us, under the right conditions. In the fifth of our occasional series on winter- rain regions, Jan Pirzio-Biroli contrasts our region to those others. The Brian O. Mulligan Sorbus collection opens later in the season, and the director emeritus, for whom it is named, tells where specimens came from and in what form. Later, the career of Frederick W. Leissler, Jr., employed by the Arboretum before Mr. Mulligan arrived, is highlighted by Scot Medbury. Curator Timothy Hohn joins Horticulturist Christina Pfeiffer to explain what’s new in the Arboretum and how the sophisticated new computer program keeps track of acquisitions and their locations. In Van Bobbitt’s column, he explains that the lawn you love to hate may be affecting the growth of your trees. In the next issue of the Bulletin , we celebrate the thir- tieth anniversary of the Japanese Garden. Later this year, the winter issue focuses on the environment. It will be a time for us to explore our important roles in issues that touch all of us, in the Arboretum. Jan Silver, Editor The Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin Thanks to Mrs. Eulalie Wagner for her generous donation, which enables color photographs to appear in this issue. Cover photo by Margaret Mulligan: Rosa foetida Austrian Copper’, from western Asia, has a broad range of distinctive or- namental qualities, including brilliant col- or and single flower. It grows in western Washington, but may do better in a hotter, drier climate. For species and hybrid roses used in Lakewold Garden’s landscape, see pege 2. CONTENTS 2 Confessions of a Rosaphobe by Kendall Gambrill 4 . . . . Wayfarers, Doublefiles, and Withe- rods by Daniel Hinkley 8 Fothergilla in Your Garden by Mary Booth 10 The Vanishing Legacy of Edmond S. Meany: A Tour of What’s Left by Duane Dietz 14 Plants of Winter-Rain Regions V : The Northern Pacific Coast by Jan Pirzio-Biroli 18 Mountain Ashes (. Sorbus ) in the Washington Park Arboretum by Brian 0. Mulligan 20 Frederick W. Leissler, Jr., 1904-1989 by Scot Medbury 21 The Northwest Hort Review by Van M. Bobbitt Book Reviews: 22 . . . . The Rock Garden and its Plants and A Manual of Alpine Rock Garden Plants reviewed by Arthur R. Kruckeberg 23 For Further Information: Roses by Valerie Easton 25 New on the Shelves of the Elisabeth C . Miller Library 25 Errata 26 The Northwest Garden Explorer: Lakewold by Scot Medbury 28 In the Washington Park Arboretum by Christina Pfeiffer and Timothy Hohn Backdrop: Close-up of pink flowering branch of Rosa macrophylla. Photo by Don Normark, courtesy Center for Urban Horticulture. The Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin is published quarterly, as a bonus of membership in The Arboretum Foun- dation. The Arboretum Foundation is a non-profit organization that was chartered to further the development of the Washington Park Arboretum, its projects and programs, by means of volunteer service and fund-raising projects. The Washington Park Arboretum is administered through cooperative efforts between the University of Washington, the Center for Urban Horticulture, and the City of Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation. The programs and plant collections are a responsibility of the Center for Urban Horticulture. For membership information, write to The Arboretum Foundation, University of Washington (XD-10), Seattle, WA 98195 or call (206) 325-4510. Articles on gardening and horticulturally-related subjects are welcome. Please call for guidelines. For permission to reprint any part of the Arboretum Bulletin , please contact the Arboretum Foun- dation for written permission. © 1990 The Arboretum Foundation. For information about the activities of The Arboretum Foundation, call (206) 325-4510. To receive information about public programs and lectures of the Center for Urban Horticulture, please call (206) 543-8800 or 545-8033. R a X I <0 Confessions of a Rosaphobe by Kendall Gambrill An asterisk (*) indicates species, including varieties and/or forms, that can be found in the Washington Park Arboretum. J behavioral scientists have presented me with the Type A and Type B personality class- ification. Observers of gardeners could note an equally basic division between people who admire roses and people who disparage them. For years, I have been a loyal member of the latter group. Dis- missing roses as “sticker bushes” suits me fine. But more and more, I catch myself admiring a rose; I have even planted a few examples of this genus whose name had been anathema. I’m ready to admit that there are garden- worthy roses. The creed of the no-rose gardener holds that roses are ugly landscape plants, susceptible to all sorts of insect and disease attacks. These flower fac- tories require careful site preparation, constant spraying, frequent fertilizing, and pruning — and they can inflict pain with their thorns. This remains my opinion of the commonly grown hybrid tea group — the roses that produce beautiful cut flowers 2 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin (Opposite) Rosa f Kathleen ’ climbing over the Tea House at Lakewold Gardens. Upper to lower photos (left): Rosa moyesii var. fargesii hips, fruiting; Rosa ‘Mermaid’, and Rosa glauca. on plants so unsightly that a whole division of gar- den design has developed to contrive settings in which to veil their awkwardness. It has been my pleasure to discover that there are roses that need not be sequestered in the rose gar- den. Many of the wild species and a large number of both old and new hybrids are capable of performing admirable landscape roles, and many require no more maintenance than a rhododendron. Convincing examples of rose suitability are as near as Mrs. Cory don Wagner’s Tacoma garden, Lakewold, recendy donated to a non-profit organi- zation for preservation and public access. (See ar- ticle by Scot Medbury, this issue). An unusually tall Rosa ‘Kathleen’ runs up and over the Tea House to give the formal garden’s focal point a graceful mantle of foliage from April through November. Toward the end of spring, clusters of fragrant blush- white flowers furnish a dense canopy, without altering the shape and proportions of the structure that they decorate. After this main crop, a scattering of these giant “apple blossoms” appears throughout the summer, joined by the ripening orange hips at the approach of fall. The casual scrambling habit of ‘Kathleen’, as well as that of many wild roses, yields a plant well suited to draping over buildings, trees, and boulders and down slopes. This same characteristic of vigorous and pliable growth makes roses likely candidates for training on walls. On the east-facing kitchen wall at Lakewold, the nineteenth century hybrid ‘Sombreuil’ softens the masonry while maintaining a flat backdrop for the intricate design of the Knot Garden. The thick plaster of ivory-cream flowers in June spreads up to the second-story windows, perfuming both house and garden. A blank, south-facing wall of the garage provides an ideal site for * ‘Mermaid’, a none-too-hardy hybrid of the southern Chinese *Rosa bracteata. The rampant shoots readily create an espalier fan, some ten feet tall and twice as wide, with year-round lustrous deep green leaves and elegant summer- long yellow flowers. With its great vigor, ‘Mer- maid’ can re-cover the wall within a year, if killed to the ground during a severe winter. But it also re- quires monthly pruning of viciously thorny growth throughout the summer. It does not like to be pruned after a certain age. Other roses, especially some of the species, pos- sess ornamental characteristics that earn them a place in the less formal areas at Lakewold and in a traditionally no-rose garden such as my own. In regions such as the Northwest, where autumn color is not naturally abundant, *Rosa virginiana is a good choice for brilliant orange-red-purple leaf color that appears after the summer display of simple rose-pink flowers. It is a bad choice, however, unless there is plenty of space for its freely suckering habit. * Rosa glauca (syn. R. rubrifolia ) easily reaches over- head with a fountain of upright shoots. The leaves begin deep crimson, then mature to soft glaucous blue to provide a striking color effect. The typical pink flowers and later display of deep red hips are unexpected dividends. As the wild rose with the showiest display of fruit, Rosa moyesii combines the spectacle of two- inch long red hips in the fall, with brilliant scarlet (or pink) flowers in early summer and fine-textured foliage throughout the growing season. This Chinese species readily pushes to ten feet tall, but the selection * ‘Geranium’ retains the best of flower and fruit color while remaining several feet shorter. ‘Geranium’ was selected in 1936 by Brian O. Mul- ligan when he was assistant director of the Royal Horticultural Society’s garden at Wisley. *Rosa roxburghii catches the eye with fruit not par- ticularly colorful, but sinister in its prickly coat. Aside from this peculiarity, it offers fragrant pink flowers and peeling bark on the older stems to pro- duce a smooth pale surface. Disease-resistant foliage; charming, simple flowers; and distinctive plant habit make many of nature’s roses good candidates for the landscape. If you are one of those people who proudly states “I don’t own a rose!”, there probably is at least one place in your garden that does not have the best plant for the site. Limited numbers of plants can be pro- pagated by the Arboretum Foundation for members. Kendall Gambrill of British Gardens, a design and consulting business, is a member of the Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin editorial board. Vol. 53:1 /Spring 1990 3 Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum ’ with fertile florets and sterile flower (right). Wayfarers, Doublefiles, and Withe-Rods by Daniel Hinkley All of the following deciduous Viburnum can be found in the Washington Park Arboretum , except for the one noted. The she-goat, Caprea — having twisted horns that superficially resembled the twisted petioles of honeysuckle leaves — unknowingly gave her name to the honeysuckle family. The Caprifoli- aceae is composed of a cohesive group of genera which can be found on every continent, except An- tarctica. A roster of its members includes an im- pressive list of hardy ornamental shrubs familiar to even the novice gardener: Abelia , Lonicera , Sam- bucus , Leycesteria , Dier villa, Dipelta , Weigela , and Viburnum . The genus Viburnum , with over 250 species found in North and South America, Europe, and Asia, outshines its brethren in ornamental ver- satility. The Latin name of the genus Viburnum is believed to be derived from vieo meaning “to tie,” due to the flexible nature of the stems of many species. As a whole, it offers merits of beauty and fragrance of flowers, autumn coloration, striking fruit, and graceful habit. Unfortunately, the pro- totype species that unites all of these virtues does not exist. For two decades, the National Arboretum has attempted to combine the best of several species. To date, many cultivars and hybrids, all named for native American tribal cultures, have been released with many improvements. Within the genus, however, are eight taxonomic sections with different chromosome numbers. It is due to this in- compatibility that many potential crosses cannot succeed and, therefore, it is unlikely that the perfect Viburnum is close at hand. The Pacific Northwest is poor in members of the Caprifoliaceae as a whole. Thus, although there are 22 species of Viburnum in the United States and Canada, here there are only three or four species of Viburnum'. V opulus var. trilobum , V edule , and V ellipticum. When hiking in Southeast Alaska, I found Vibur- num edule growing in dense thickets with large sets of striking red fruit. Its presence in the state of Washington has eluded me, yet it is considered to be quite common on the western slopes of the Cas- cades. Viburnum opulus var. trilobum extends its eastern range into the Columbia River Gorge, whereas V ellipticum is native to Oregon and Northern California. Our mild maritime climate affords us the oppor- tunity to grow a diverse sampling of Viburnum , though the evergreen species will commonly be en- 4 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin countered in our landscapes. Generally considered more tender in nature than the deciduous species, they often are regarded as being more garden- worthy with reference to form, texture, and fruit. Brian O. Mulligan, director emeritus of the Wash- ington Park Arboretum, will continue the explora- tion of this genus and its evergreen members in his fall article. The Deciduous Viburnums The deciduous species of Viburnum are less well known in our gardens outside of a few exceptions. Let’s examine these species, all of which are repre- sented in the Arboretum collection, by exploring the attributes many species contribute to our gardens. Winter-Flowering Species Many of us have experienced brief moments of awe or beauty in our lives which long remain intact in our memories. During a walk in the Washington Park Arboretum shortly after my arrival in Seattle in 1980, I chanced upon Viburnum farreri, with fresh and fragrant flowers of blushed white. The weather, midwinter and dreary, gave no hints of an early spring. This encounter was the hope of spring incarnate and my spirits were lifted. I have been jaded by a decade of winter horticultural gifts in our mild climate, but I am still thankful for that encounter. My appreciation for this species is intact. The most commonly available of the winter- bloomers is Viburnum x bodnantense which is a hybrid of V farreri and V grandiflorum . The culti- var ‘Dawn’, a rich pink, is the most frequendy en- countered, however I am partial to V x bodnan- tense ‘Deben’, a clean white which more closely re- sembles its parents. Viburnum x bodnantense often will be in full blossom by Christmas in a mild year and can produce smatterings of flowers throughout the summer and autumn. It makes a stiff arching shrub up to 10 ' in height, ideal for an entry planting where the flowers can be admired during the “in- door” months. Viburnum farreri and V grandiflorum are similar in appearance with white or pink flower- clusters, though not frequently encountered in nur- series. Viburnum farreri ‘Nanum’ is a charming plant which remains a dense compact shrub up to three feet high and flowers in mid-winter with soft pink-blushed flowers. These winter-blooming Viburnums share a com- mon pitfall. Their growth habit is awkward and thus magnified by improper pruning. Allot a generous amount of space when planting and prune on a regular basis by removing entire stems at ground level. The flowers of all Viburnums have some degree of scent, though many possess a heavy, disagreeable odor which presumably invites its intended pollina- tor. Viburnum carle sii is, however, without com- parison in the entire genus for fragrance. The foliage is a downy gray-green which can be used ef- fectively in combination with other shrubs and perennials for contrast. In April and May, a rich spicy bouquet from the waxy pink blossoms of V carlesii pervades the garden air. This fragrance is the reason that V carlesii was used as a parent to both V x burkwoodii and V x carlcephalum . Flowers The genus Viburnum is held together by oppo- site leaf arrangement as well as compound flowers which are arranged as umbels (flat-topped inflores- cences in which the stems of the flowers arise from the same point), or corymbs (short and broad in- florescences in which the outermost flowers open first). In some Viburnum species, a row of outside florets has been sacrificed for the common good of the whole with their sexual parts transformed into large showy bracts. These sterile florets surround- ing the flowers function as the entomological bill- board advertising fast-food to the traveling pollina- tor. The most ornamental and best known of this flower type is Viburnum plicatum var. tomen- tosum , commonly called the “doublefile.” The lace-like flowers are borne in pairs along the branches which grow in a tiered and horizontal Inflorescence of Viburnum macrocephalum ‘ Sterile y at the Arboretum. Vol. 53:1 /Spring 1990 5 Wbitie Marten Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum group along Lake Washington Boulevard. habit. In mid to late May, when in full blossom, there are few more beautiful ornamental shrubs than this variety. The cultivar ‘Mariesii’ has larger flowers and a more compact growth habit, and ‘Summer Snowflake’ (not yet in the Arboretum) blossoms continually from May through Septem- ber; both have superseded the type variety. In three species of Viburnum , aberrations of this curious floral design have resulted in plants of rich floral interest with flowers entirely composed of the sterile florets. An example is V macrocephalum ‘Sterile’ . These are the ‘ ‘snowballs’ ’ of our gardens which are often confused with hydrangeas, another genus in which this phenomenon occurs. Undoubt- edly, the best of these is Viburnum plicatum var. plicatum known commonly as the Japanese snow- ball. It is a splendid plant and far superior to the more frequently encountered common snowball, V opulus ‘Roseum’. Its foliage, dark bluish-green, is a perfect foil for the four-inch snowballs of clean and clear white which appear in June. Autumn brings striking hues of oranges and reds to its leaves. It is a small, elegant flowering shrub of first class and should be more widely planted in the Northwest. Autumn Color In addition to Viburnum plicatum and its cul- tivars, there are many Viburnum species which can be grown for their outstanding autumn coloration alone. Viburnum dilatatum is a vigorous Asian species that will ultimately produce a shrub up to 8' in height. It is considered remarkable for the number of pure white fertile flowers it produces each spring; however, these are heavily scented and quite un- pleasant. The cultivar, V dilatatum ‘Iroquois’ was selected not only for its floriferous nature and heavy fruit set, but for the orange to deep-red color of its leaves in autumn. Considered to be one of the finest of American species, Viburnum cassinoides, commonly called the ‘ ‘withe-rod,” colors nicely in the woodland gar- den section of the Arboretum every autumn. Its common name refers to the use of its flexible stems as withes to tie fences during early American and Canadian history. The leaves emerge in the spring with a bronze tint and become brilliant red and orange before they fall. Fruit Effects Many Viburnums produce crops of colorful, persistent fruit which add considerable interest to our autumn landscapes. The fruit of a few species, including V opulus var. trilobum , are edible and 6 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin have long been used for making jellies and pre- serves. Many of the fruit-bearing species and cul- tivars attract birds, though the ornamental crop is sacrificed to the feathered friends. For optimum fruiting habit, at least two seedlings or different clones of the same species should be planted for ade- quate cross-pollination. A few species that normally produce crops of at- tractive red fruit have yellow-fruited cultivars. Viburnum opulus ‘Xanthocarpum’ is represented in the Arboretum collections and produces large clusters of rich yellow fruit with the same general habit of the species. This cultivar — planted in com- bination with Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii , which has deep lavender fruit — produces a striking effect. The Asiatic Viburnum setigerum ‘Aurantia- cum’ has crops of glowing reddish-orange fruit which are conspicuous from a great distance. The growth habit of this species is somewhat sparse and leggy, however; it should be planted in mass rather than as a sole specimen. The fruit of several species progresses through a spectrum of colors during its ripening process. Viburnum cassinoides, mentioned earlier for out- standing autumn color, bears fruit which progresses through green, yellow, red, and finally blue-black. The fruits ripen independently from one another, so a kaleidoscope of colors can be represented on the shrub at one time, producing a colorful display in combination with the turning foliage. A selection of the European wayfaring tree, Viburnum lantana ‘Mohican’ produces large crops of red fruit which remain colorful throughout Sep- tember and October, finally fading to a deep blue- black. Versatile and appealing in many regards, the deciduous Viburnums are overlooked by many hor- ticulturists in the Pacific Northwest. Whether planting the mixed shrubbery border, enhancing bird habitat, selecting a backdrop for the perennial border, or creating foundation and accent plantings near or around the home, consider the remarkable diversity and multifaceted virtues this group of plants possesses. Brian Mulligan’s article on evergreen Viburnum will appear in the fall issue. Daniel Hinkley is a full-time educator of horticulture at Edmonds Community College north of Seattle, and a member of the Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin editorial board. Largest Selection of Bamboo in the Northwest Hedges, Groundcovers 20-40' Specimens Custom Fences Bamboo Brokerage, Inc. 196th Ave NE, just south of Redmond-Fall City Rd, Redmond 868-5166 SPECIALTY CONTRACTOR #BAMBOBI 1 1 1KW r We offer over 250 varieties of tall bearded Iris rhizomes plus cut flowers. Open for viewing the blooms during May & early June - visitors & cameras wel- come. Rhizome orders taken until August 15 & shipped In September for fall planting. We also have a few Siberians & Pacific Coast natives. Country Iris (gardens 3420 Sunnyside Blvd. Marysville, WA 98270 Send $1.00 for catalog which includes order blank & directions to the gardens - — 13232 Avondale Road Woodinville 883-8252 Cottage Creek Nursery is an all-purpose garden center with a specialty in roses and perennials. We carry over 350 varieties of roses, including shrub and antique roses. We offer a wide selection of popular and unusual perennials, including those for cottage and shade gardens. HOURS: Year around. DIRECTIONS: Take 1-405 to NE 124th exit (Totem Lake), travel East on NE 124th to Avondale Road, then North Vol. 53:1 /Spring 1990 7 Don Nonnark, courtesy of CUH Fothergilla in Your Garden by Mary Booth You can see Fothergilla and its companion plants in the Washington Park Arboretum before selecting the right species for your garden. The spring flowering season in Pacific North- west gardens is a delightful and lengthy affair. By the month of May, the profusion of blooms from rhododendrons, azaleas, and other flowering shrubs and trees can result in sensory overload. A quiet comer in the garden can be very wel- come. An interesting candidate for this area is the white-flowering shrub Fothergilla , which blooms by late April or early May in Seattle. The flower looks like an upright bottle brush and is more unique than it is beautiful. With the arrival of autumn, however, Fothergilla sheds its quiet nature and puts on quite a show. The foliage turns glowing orange to red. The Two Available Species Two species of Fothergilla are available in the nursery trade. The size of your planting area and scale of your existing plants will determine which species you choose. The larger species is Fothergilla major which grows slowly to a height of 10' with a 6' to 8' spread. Fothergilla monticola often is listed as a separate species in nursery catalogs, but is correctly classified as F. major. For a small planting area, select Fothergilla gar- denii , a lower-growing shmb whose mature size is four feet high, but less in width. Companion Shrubs Fothergilla is a member of the Hamamelidaceae family, and other members of this family are some of its best companion plants. Provide visual balance (relief) and a longer season of interest by selecting Fothergilla major 8 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin shrubs that are winter-blooming; in spring, they display unobtrusive foliage at a time when the rest of the garden may be in full flower. A good companion plant to the larger Fothergilla major is witch-hazel (. Hamamelis ), which has fragrant flowers in January and February. You may want to select the witch-hazel based on its fall foliage color, rather then its flower color. For example, select the witch-hazel cultivar ‘Diane’ {Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’) with its red fall foliage if you want to match the color of the Fothergilla foliage. Select Chinese witch-hazel {Hamamelis mollis) for its clear yellow fall foliage if you want a contrast to the Fothergilla foliage. In the summer, the large foliage of all these shrubs looks almost identical. If you use the smaller Fothergilla gardenii in your garden, combine it with buttercup winter hazel {Corylopsis pauciflora), a late winter-blooming shrub. This graceful plant has pale yellow flowers and clear yellow-to-apricot fall foliage color. It grows slowly to a height of 4 ' with a 6 to 8 ' spread. If there is room for one more shrub, add the taller growing (to 10 J Disanthus cercidifolius to this group. It is not well known, but contributes attractive foliage and beautiful fall color that includes shades of orange, red, and maroon. Care Fothergillas are native to the southeastern United States. In the Pacific Northwest, give them full sun or partial shade. They prefer moderate moisture through the summer and acid soil similar to what you would provide for camellias and rhododendrons. View Them in the Washington Park Arboretum These plants may be observed in the Hamameli- daceae (witch-hazel) section of the Arboretum. From the first southerly parking area on Ar- boretum Drive East, walk to the south. The Disan- thus also is in this area, but is set back from the road, closer to the boundary fence. The witch- hazels are to the north of this parking area, or can be seen as you enter (from the north) the newly renovated Joseph A. Witt Winter Garden. Butter- cup winter-hazel also can be observed at the Winter Garden. Mary Booth is a landscape architect. She is chair of the Seattle Design Commission and a member of the Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin editorial board. Mary volunteers at the Center for Urban Horticulture and for The Arboretum Foundation. Thomas L. Berger Associates P.S. 2021 Minor Avenue East Seattle, Washington 98102 (206) 325-6877 Landscape Architecture Site Planning HERRON GARDENS CUSTOM DESIGN AND INSTALLATION ANN HERRON P.O. BOX 69 MEDINA WA 98039 454-1216 HERROG # 1 37LQ Wells AVedina 8300 Northeast 24th Street, Bellevue 454 1853 Vol. 53:1 /Spring 1990 9 The Vanishing Legacy of Edmond S. Meany: A Tour of What’s Left by Duane Dietz Take a historic tree tour on the University of Washington campus. Degree of difficulty: Medium. The return walk has a gradual incline. University of Washing- ton trees are not always labeled, so a tree identification book will be helpful for identifying trees at the end of the walk. Time: Thirty to forty-five minutes Best time of year: Of historical interest in all seasons, although late March allows a look at cherry blossoms along the way. Tree leaf may be necessary for identification. Parking: Park your car in Lot N1 of the University of Washington near the Burke Museum. If coming by bus and entering from N.E. 42nd & 1 5th N.E., select the north path, heading east. If starting from the N.E. 45th entrance to the University, head south; you’ll already be on ‘ ‘num- ber 1 , ” the sycamore-lined Memorial Way. Buses: Any buses that travel through the University District along 15th Avenue N.E., Univer- sity Way N.E., or N.E. 45th will provide easy access to campus. To get back to your car: See the diagram. Professor Edmond S. Meany, later known as the “Grand Old Man on Campus,” taught his- tory when the University of Washington (UW) moved to its present location in 1895. He believed in teaching the natural history of the Northwest and in 1896 created a two-semester class relating to forestry in Washington State. Meany established a seed exchange in 1903 with other institutions from around the world. His home, at the time, was one block northwest of the present Meany Tower Hotel and several blocks north of existing water mains. According to one story, each day he and his forestry students carried buckets of water to keep new tree seedlings alive in his nursery. When the seedlings were strong enough, Professor Meany and his class would transplant them onto what he referred to as his “University Grounds and Arboretum.” Professor Meany taught forestry classes until the College of Forestry was created in 1907. He still is regarded as the ‘ ‘father of forestry’ ’ at the Univer- sity of Washington. Meany also was one of the driv- ing forces in establishing the tradition of a park-like campus and in forming the present Washington Park Arboretum. Yet, his return to teaching his- tory in 1907 brought a flagging interest in trees until a trip to St. Helena in 1920. Coming back from the trip, Meany successfully smuggled past U.S. Customs a slip of a weeping wil- low tree (Salix babylonica ) growing next to Napoleon’s grave. He planted it in the dampest spot he could find on campus where — at that time — a small stream flowed by the Fisheries Center, located south of Pacific Street. Professor Lauren Donaldson of the Fisheries Department was upset by the continual shedding of willow leaves into his fisheries pond and complained University € i i wi Zi !'• _J < CO o Washington ® 4 ®‘t jA LU 4 N 10 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin about it. Professor Donaldson recounts: “Professor Meany gave me quite a lecture on how young peo- ple just didn’t appreciate the historical and tradi- tional things of life. The willow stayed and Profes- sor Donaldson insured its survival during the demo- lition of the old Fisheries building in 1974. Even- tually, the tree was destroyed by the construction of the Triangle Parking Garage on lower campus. There are still some Meany trees left on the Uni- versity of Washington campus. Start your tour with the sycamore trees that line Memorial Way, leading in from the N.E. 45th Street entrance (at 17th Avenue N.E.). 1. Platanus x acerifolia (sycamore or London plane tree) When you drive or walk down the north entrance of campus on Memorial Way, you will see two rows of majestic sycamores or plane trees ( Platanus x acerifolia). Planting began on Armistice Day of 1920 with 58 sycamores, one for each of the 57 UW men and one UW woman who died in World War I. Professor Meany added six more sycamores in 1922 and another five in 1925, completing one portion of a proposed Olmsted design. As you study the sycamores, notice that recent pruning has opened up the canopy to expose the strong branching patterns and flaking bark that are characteristic of these trees. 2. Quercus macrocarpa (bur oak) At the northwest comer of Denny Hall, find the bur oak. This tall specimen, planted in 1925, was the final Armistice Day planting that Professor Meany made. It is native to the eastern United States and Canada. 3. Acer macrophyllum (bigleaf maple) Continue your walk east and around to the front of Denny Hall. Looking east, toward Balmer Hall, see the bigleaf maple. Although native to this area, it was one of Professor Meany ’s favorite trees. This one was planted in November 1923 as another Ar- mistice Day planting. 4. Araucaria araucana (monkey puzzle tree) From slightly east of Denny Hall, start walking south towards the Liberal Arts Quadrangle (“The Quad”) and, on the right, notice one of the most bizarre trees on campus. Although two specimens of Araucaria araucana originally were planted here on Armistice Day, 1921, only one survives today. It was a popular landscape plant in Seattle in the 1920s. When you take a closer look at the foliage, see the overlapping scales that are up to two inches Professor Edmond Meany ', 1 906, in front of Denny Hall. long. The scaly branches look relatively harmless, but are very uncomfortable to grasp. This tree is native to Chile, but large specimens also can be found around older homes on Capitol Hill and Queen Anne Hill. 5. Prunus xyedoensis (‘Yoshino’ cherries) Continue down the walkway, between Savery and Raitt halls, to the Quad. There you will see the ‘Yoshino’ cherry trees. They are not Meany trees, but are beautiful in late March when thousands of cherry blossoms create a “pink snowfall.” These trees, as well as many other plantings, were re- moved from the Highway 520 construction area south of the Museum of History and Industry, then Vol. 53:1 /Spring 1990 11 Special Collections Division, U. of Washington Libraries, neg. #UW11714 installed on campus by Eric Hoyt, campus land- scape architect from I960 to 1987. 6. Sequoiadendron giganteum (giant sequoia) Exit from the Quad, south, between Smith and Miller halls. The giant sequoia is to your right on the southeast side of Smith. Over the centuries, these trees will grow upwards of 275'. This seed- ling, grown from Meany ’s yard, is about 90' tall with a girth of 11 '. It was planted here in 1906 to celebrate the opening of the Alaska-Yukon- Pacific Exposition. The Grieg Garden and the International Grove Looking south from the sequoia, you see the newly developed Grieg Garden, so-named for the pedestal and bust of the composer which are near its center. This area contains the last of the major Meany plantings. Twenty-nine consuls, representing 35 countries, gathered to plant trees celebrating the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth. Profes- sor Meany selected the trees; however, the Depart- ment of Agriculture would not allow the import of any tree material originating south of Mexico. Thus, the Central and South American consuls were com- pelled to plant northern red oaks ( Quercus rubra). (Top) Acer macrophyllum. (Above) Branch of Araucaria araucana. Photos by Jan Pirzio-Biroli. (Inset) On the far left of Denny Hall see branches of the Araucaria; on the far right, Acer macrophyllum. 12 Washington lJark Arboretum Bulletin UW Special Collections, neg. #JJW 11715 UW Special Collections Division, neg. #UW 11314 Denny Hall in the late 1 930s. The Acer macrophyllum (closest to right of building) is much larger now. Of the trees which are standing now, only 14 bicentennial trees remain. Three were removed for the 1963 library expansion and another 12 elimi- nated by the latest Suzzallo addition. 7. Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’ (Blue Atlas cedar) About 150' southwest of the Grieg statue, near the tower of the new Allen library addition, is the large blue-green form of the Adas cedar. Although native to North Africa, it was planted by the Greek consul. 8. Quercus mbm (northern red oak), Fctgus sylvatica (European beech), and Ostrya car- pinifolia (European hop hornbeam) West from the Grieg statue toward the library addition are the fine red oaks planted by the Latin American consuls. Among these oaks is a specimen of European hop hornbeam with its “saggy skin” appearance and a leaf like a true hornbeam. 9. Acer saccharum (sugar maple) and Picea pun- gens ‘Roster’ (Koster’s blue spruce) Nearby are two other trees of interest, about 50' east of the Grieg statue, near Thomson Hall. The maple is one of the few survivors of the Governor’s Grove Planting destroyed by the building of Thom- son Hall. Find them between the Grieg bust and the southwest end of Thomson. The Koster’s blue spruce is worth noting due to its unique compact growing habit. It is just to the north of the Acer sac- charum . Professor Edmond Meany was responsible for the planting of approximately 2,900 trees during his 40+ year stay on campus. The trees on this tour are the only ones left that can be directly attributed to him. Between 1930 and I960, the loss of his- toric trees on this campus was minimal. The post- war construction boom has eroded the legacy of our past. Additional new construction is planned for the 1990s. Although none of it should affect the lives of Professor Meany ’s historic trees, it may effectively destroy the “arboretum” atmosphere that we have all come to take for granted on the University of Washington campus. Thanks to Bill Talley, campus landscape architect, for his help on this tree tour. Duane Dietz is a graduate student in the University of Washington Department of Landscape Architecture. References Papers of Professor Edmond B. Meany, University of Washington Archives, accession 106-2-75-10, box 27, folder 16 (“Trees Planted by Edmond Meany”). Brockman, C. Frank. Autumn 1979. Insert, “Let’s Tour the Trees on the University of Washington Cam- pus.” The University Report 11:1. Brockman, C. Frank. 1979-1980. The Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin , five articles, vols. 42-43. Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Suzzallo Li- brary Addition, December 1987. University of Washington Report (also known as the University Report). Summer 1978. “Historic Trees Re- membered at Campus Arbor Day Ceremony,” page 1. Vol. 53:1 /Spring 1990 13 Plants of Winter Bain Regions V: Woody Evergreens of the Pacific Northwest- West of the Cascade Crest by Jan Pirzio-Biroli The Pacific Northwest is defined by C. Leo Hitchcock as comprising northern Oregon , all of Washington State, Idaho north of the Snake River plains, the mountains of western Montana, and southern British Columbia. In the fifth of our series on winter-rain regions, we rtfer specifically to western Oregon and Washington to the crest of the Cascade Mountains. All the species discussed are in the Washington Park Arboretum, except the one noted. Jn the Pacific Northwest, it is generally accepted that our rain begins in early autumn, building to a virtual downpour by January. The rains taper off until the end of June when we can begin to count on two months of nearly continuous drought, al- though July and August often are overcast. Ours is a cold winter-rain, or cool Mediterranean climate, which resembles those of other regions we have dis- cussed, except for the lower temperatures that prevail. (See other articles in this series: 49(3): 8-1 1 , winter-rain vegetation; 5 0(1): 2-9, the Mediter- ranean region; 50(4): 10-1 3, California; and 51(3): 18-22, Chile). The plants that grow in those parts of the world are well adapted to our pattern of moisture and drought, and some have an even wider range of har- diness than might be expected from their natural habitat. For example, the Washington Park Arbore- tum’s specimens of Cedrus brevifolia, which is en- demic to the island of Cyprus, suffered no damage whatsoever from the devastating cold winters of the 1980s. In contrast, many species of Cistus , which we plant (and replant) in the Arboretum’s Mediter- Holding a small cone containing the winged seed of Calocedrus decurrens (incense cedar). ranean Section, are killed in the first serious cold spell that occurs after they have been set out. If you wish to grow these plants, you have three alternatives: 1 . think of them as quasi-temporary plantings to be renewed as we renew any annual or short-lived perennial; 2. give them a sheltered position, possibly with reflected heat from a south wall; or 3. seek wild-collected sources in the coldest parts of their range. The third alternative offers the best hope for es- tablishment of such desirable exotics. For example, to grow the Chilean species Embothrium coc- cineum (Chilean firebush) or Drimys winteri (winter’s bark), we would be well advised to seek seed sources in the Andes or from the highest lati- tudes in which they persist in their native range. The moisture regime of western Washington and Oregon is a northern extension of California’s warm Mediterranean climate. Prevailing west winds bring rains from the Pacific to the Siskiyou and Olympic mountains, and to the Coast Range between them. Although the Puget Sound area of western Washington and the interior valleys of 14 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin Don Normark, courtesy of CUH Oregon (Willamette, Rogue, and Umpqua) stand in the rain shadow of those coastal highlands, they still experience a pattern of winter rains and summer drought. When selecting one species that typifies the vegetation of this region, madrona ( Arbutus menziesii ) is an obvious choice. It is so well ac- climated to our patterns of rainfall that a 50-year-old tree can be killed in just a few years by subjecting it to the heavy summer irrigation that is practiced by Pacific Northwest gardeners. Familiar trees that grow throughout the region are western hemlock ( Tsuga heterophylla ), Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii) and bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum). Western white pine (Pinus monti- cola) and lodgepole or shore pine (P contorta ) occur in more restricted habitats throughout the region. Surprisingly, P ponderosa , which we know so well from eastern Washington, crosses the mountains to become a significant component of the mixed ever- green forests in the drier locations of southwestern Oregon and within Ft. Lewis on the Tacoma prairie. The deciduous Oregon white oak (Quercus gar- ryana\ grows in selected localities throughout the region. Find it in the Siskiyous, in the Willamette Valley, and in dry locations around the Puget Sound, such as the Tacoma prairie, as well as in the San Juan islands and on Vancouver Island. Two species of Rhododendron inhabit western Oregon and Washington. In southwest Oregon, the beautiful deciduous R. occidentale has an extensive color range and varying flower form. Where it grows northward along the coast, it coincides with the evergreen, pink-flowered R. macrophyllum , whose range extends into the lowlands of British Columbia. Although the woody flora of the Pacific North- west is considered to be numerically limited in com- parison with those of other areas of the world, a number of exceptionally fine evergreen woody plants are native to the winter-rain regions of Oregon and Washington. Some of them are the shrubs that typically dominate the drier habitats of southwest Oregon, namely sclerophyllous plants adapted to the chaparral, which extends into Oregon from California. Others have a wider dis- tribution. Some of these species, especially those we see around us all the time, are not valued by us as they might be if they had been imported from more exotic localities. Gaultheria shallon (salal) and two species of Oregon grape ( Mahonia ) are so familiar that they need only a passing reference in the pres- ent context. These superb plants are widespread un- derstory components of our winter-rain landscape, ranging more or less from British Columbia south through Oregon. Broadleaved Evergreens Lithocarpus densiflorus (tanbark oak) grows on the hillsides of southwest Oregon in mixed ever- green stands with Douglas-fir, Chrysolepis chrysophylla (not now in the Arboretum), and Quercus chrysophylla. Lithocarpus is like an oak except that its male catkins are upright on the branches, rather than pendulous as in the genus Quercus. It is a handsome tree whose leathery leaves are deeply impressed with parallel veins. Several specimens grow in the oak section of the Arboretum, one of them reaching about 30' high. Chrysolepis chrysophylla (syn. Castanopsis, com- monly known as chinquapin) is a bushy tree in southwestern Oregon extending into a few localities on the Olympic Peninsula and southern Washing- ton. Its close relative, C. sempervirens , has an even shrubbier habit in the Cascade mountains. These plants are so named because of the golden yellow, scaly pubescence on the underside of the leaves and on the spiny fruits which resemble the burrs of the closely related chestnut (Chryso = yellow; lepis = scale). With the contrast of dark green and yellow throughout, this is an extremely decorative plant. It is not easy to grow in Puget Sound gardens, but if you are a collector, either species is worth trying in well-drained soil and filtered sun — or even full sun, for the shrubby species. Umbellularia calif ornica (California bay laurel) grows from the Umpqua River southward, favoring river bottoms where it occurs in dense stands. A member of the laurel family, its sofdy shiny lance- shaped leaves have a pungent aroma, much stronger than that of its cousin, the true bay laurel ( Laurus nobilis ), from the Mediterranean regions of Europe. In the Mediterranean section of the Arboretum, Umbellularia becomes a forty foot tree, thriving at the edge of woodland or in the open. The leathery - skinned, one-inch drupes germinate readily beneath the trees where the soil is moist and shaded. Arbutus menziesii (madrona tree) trunk in southwestern Oregon. Vol. 53:1 /Spring 1990 15 Brian O. Mulligan Brian O. Mulligan Two species of Garrya (silk-tassel) are well known in Puget Sound gardens. The common name refers to the long, silky catkins which are produced in late winter. Those of male plants are longer and more decorative than those of the females. Garrya ellip- tica grows along coastal bluffs from southwestern Oregon into California. Two- to three-inch leaves have picturesque, wavy margins that lend consider- able character to this large shrub. The smaller, more elegant G. fremontii , with glossy, ovate leaves, is the upland species, extending its range in- to the west Cascades of Washington. Where they grow together in gardens, the two species have pro- duced a series of hybrids that have been named G. x issaquahensis . Arcto staph ylos columbiana (hairy manzanita) is a northern representative of the (mainly) Califor- nian manzanitas. It grows in small stands along the coast and inland to the west slopes of the Cascades from Oregon to British Columbia. Its gray, pubes- cent foliage contrasts handsomely with the reddish- brown bark of mature stems. Clusters of um-shaped Garrya elliptica \ James Roof inflorescences (urceolate) flowers so typical of many members of the Ericaceae are produced at the branch tips. Where the hairy manzanita grows with kinnikin- nick (A. uva-ursi\ intermediate forms can occur which are aptly named A. x media. Vaccinium ovatum (California huckleberry), another ericad, occurs frequently in the Olympics, in lowland areas inland and along the coast from British Columbia to northwest California. Al- though it does not grow natively in the Seattle area, V ovatum is well represented in our gardens. It is favored for its tidy habit and the elegant arrange- ment of small, shining leaves, as well as for the clusters of urceolate flowers and delicious black fruits. Where it grows in native stands around the Puget Sound, the florist trade harvests it frequently and — unfortunately — voraciously. Ledum (Labrador tea) is restricted to bogs and seeps along the coast and inland to the Cascades. Two species have separate ranges except where they meet on the Long Beach Peninsula of southwestern Washington. Ledum glandulosum var. colum- bianum is the southern entity from northern Cali- fornia and Oregon, whereas L. groenlandicum has a circumboreal range across Canada and Eurasia. These low plants have one- to two-inch lanceolate leaves with strongly incurved margins. The wrin- kled leaves of L. groenlandicum bear a handsome reddish-brown indumentum on their undersides, reminiscent of that of some rhododendrons. Small white flowers are densely packed at the branch tips. They prefer moist soil in your garden, but stand up very well to summer drought. Myrica californica (Pacific wax myrtle) grows along the coast, preferring sandy dunes. It is a rela- tively narrow shrub with upright branches and somewhat thin lanceolate leaves that have noticeably toothed margins. The flowers and fruits are inconspicuous, but you will find it to be valuable as a hedging plant with a wide tolerance for climate and exposure. Paxistima myrsinites (syn. Pachistima , com- monly known as mountain box) occurs on the forest floor as far north as British Columbia and south- ward into California. It deserves a much wider use in our gardens for the graceful spread of its slender branches, lined with one-inch leaves arranged in pairs. Its minute flowers are produced in the leaf ax- ils in such abundance that the plant in bloom takes on a reddish sheen. This is another maintenance- free plant, well adapted to summer drought. Once established, it persists in the landscape. If you pro- vide enough room, it will spread under a garden 16 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin Courtesy of CUH A flowering branch o/Umbellularia californica inset into a grouping. canopy to as much as six feet across, although it is rarely seen with this habit in its native range. Two Coniferous Species Calocedrus decurrens (incense cedar), an impor- tant component of the southern Oregon and north- ern California flora, flourishes in the summer-dry climate of southwestern Oregon and as far north as Mt. Hood. This is a tall, narrow tree with scaly foliage on erect, fan-like branchlets. It is fully hardy in the Arboretum and deserves to be more widely used by gardeners in its narrower forms. Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Port Orford cedar, Lawson cypress) has a limited range along the coast and in the coastal mountains of southwestern Oregon and northwestern California, but it is wide- ly exploited in the nursery trade throughout the world. Because the numerous cultivars vary widely in foliage color and form, they are readily adapted to various landscape purposes. The Arboretum has a planting of several cultivars in a grove (south of the Mediterranean Section). Selections range from typi- cal ones that have upright, glaucous foliage, to others with greener, more heavily textured branch- ing patterns. Port Orford cedar’s preference for a dry site must not be overlooked because it is prone to serious root fungus disease which can wipe out an entire planting once it has infected a single plant. The woody, evergreen flora of the Pacific North- west is well adapted to the cool Mediterranean climate that we have discussed. Take a look at such species because they are successful in the summer drought that is typical of the Puget Sound area. In these days of water conservation, they offer an al- ternative to the heavy irrigation to which we have become accustomed but that we may have to forego — or at least reduce — in the near future. For Further Reading Franklin, Jerry F., and C.T. Dymess. 1973. Natural Vegetation of Oregon and Washington. Washington, D.C: U.S. Government Printing Office. Hitchcock, C. Leo, and Arthur Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. Seatde and London: Uni- versity of Washington Press. Kruckeberg, A.R. 1982. Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle, Washington: Univer- sity Press. Jan Pirzio-Biroli is Naturalist at the Washington Park Arboretum. She has a master’s degree in botany (tax- onomy) and was editor of the Bulletin from 1976-1980. Vol. 53:1 /Spring 1990 17 Fruiting branches of Sorbus gracilis in the Washington Park Arboretum. Mountain Ashes (Sorbus) in the Washington Park Arboretum by Brian O. Mulligan Photos by the author The first plantings of Sorbus were made in 1949 and 1950 in the Arboretum. In June 1 990 \ the Brian O. Mulligan Sorbus Collection will be dedicated in honor of the director emeritus. Thirty-six species oi Sorbus from various regions of the temperate world grow in the Arbore- tum. With them are three botanical varieties, one forma (of S. aria), and three cultivars of this same species — the whitebeam tree of Europe. In addition, there are seven hybrids from several sources, chiefly the Netherlands. Together, the collection has 50 different taxa (or kinds). All — except two still in the nursery — have been growing in the Arboretum for many years. SOURCES Seeds Most of the Arboretum’s Sorbus were raised from seeds received from many arboreta and botani- cal gardens, mostly in Europe and including the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, London, and Edinburgh. Some also came from nurseries or private gardens in England, including Windsor Great Park, Hillier’s Nursery at Winchester, and W.J. Marchant Nursery at Wimbome, Dorset. Other seeds were from Copenhagen, Denmark; Gothenburg, Sweden; Essen, in West Germany; Wageningen in the Netherlands; Poznan, Poland; Brno, Czechoslovakia; and Zagreb, Yugoslavia. Our Asian examples are from Kyoto and Kobe, Japan; luckily, in 1948, we got one from a nursery in Shanghai, China. Among the North American sources were the United States National Ar- boretum at Washington, D.C., the Morton Ar- boretum in Lisle, Illinois, the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, and the U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture at Beltsville, Maryland. Plants Plants were obtained from comparatively few sources. The four Dutch hybrids listed in the Ar- boretum catalog of 1977 came from a nursery in Ohio in 1967; Sorbus megalocarpa, S. tianshanica, and the hybrid ‘Wilfrid Fox’ were from the Hillier Nursery in England. E.H. Scanlon’s nursery in Ohio supplied our S. aria ‘Majestica’, and scions of the clone ‘Lutescens’ came from the University of British Columbia Botanic Garden at Vancouver, British Columbia (or the campus there). Wild The only plants raised or obtained from known wild sources are Sorbus aria, from southern England; S. cuspidata , from two locations in the 18 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin Fruits of Sorbus cashmiriana. Himalayas; S. intermedia , from Sweden; S. lanata, from Nepal; S. sambucifolia , from the northeastern U.S.S.R.; and S. scopulina , from both Washington State and Wyoming. Some other species also may have been collected as seeds in the wild state, but we do not have infor- mation to support such speculation. Amongst them might be Sorbus folgneri from China, and S. gracilis and S. japonica from Japan. Both S’, microphylla and S. forrestii originally were raised at other institutions from seeds collected in China; we know their original collector’s numbers and they are true to name. A Need to Add Chinese Species Several important species — all from China — are missing from the collection and it is hoped that they may all be added, perhaps from recent plant intro- ductions from that country. The addition of Sorbus discolor , S.prattii, S. scalaris , S. sargentiana , and S. thibetica would make this collection even more rep- resentative of this genus than it is now. Brian O. Mulligan is director emeritus of the Wash- ington Park Arboretum. He helped revise Trees and Shrubs for Northwest Gardens , just published by Tim- ber Press. Pruning with Design MADISON PARK HARDWARE 1837 42nd E. 322-5331 GARDEN SUPPLIES • PAINTS • TOYS • GIFTS Vol. 53:1 /Spring 1990 19 Frederick W. Leissler, Jr. (1904 -1989) by Scot Medbury Hrederick Leissler was one of the founding em- Jl ployees of the University of Washington Arbo- retum and a landscape architect of considerable talent. He was assistant director under Dean Hugo Winkenwerder, University of Washington College of Forestry, from 1935 to 1939. During this period, the Washington Park Arboretum was constructed. Bom in Lake Forest Park, north of Seatde, Leissler was a graduate of Seattle’s Roosevelt High School. At Oregon State College (now University), he took a bachelor’s degree in landscape architec- ture. While an undergraduate there, Leissler won a national award from the American Society of Land- scape Architects for his Beaux Arts-inspired plan for a botanic garden. The plan depicted a monu- mentally scaled conservatory rising above an axially symmetric garden. It was modified in 1934 and sub- mitted to the Seattle Parks Department as a proposal for the new arboretum to be built in Washington Park. Working in a Washington, D.C., nursery, Leissler met David Fairchild and Joseph Rock, among other notable plantsmen of the time. The meeting led to a two-year stint in China as assistant to Scot- tish plant collector George Forrest. Before coming to the Arboretum, Leissler worked as a landscape architect for the Seattle Parks Depart- ment, designing planting plans for such familiar places as Seward and Lincoln Parks. During the building of the Arboretum, he supervised a Work Projects Administra- tion (WPA) labor force which at times exceeded 500 men. Leissler was well suited to as- sume supervision of the pro- ject, having already amassed a wealth of experience in his thirty-one years. Leissler traveled twice to Boston on behalf of the University of Washington to consult with J.F. Daw- son of the Olmsted Brothers, the landscape archi- tectural firm eventually selected to design the Arbo- retum. In 1936, Dawson wrote to Dean Winken- werder how impressed he was with Leissler ’s “en- thusiasm and keenness to do the right thing. ’ ’ (The letter is in the Olmsted Associates records, Library of Congress.) After leaving the Arboretum, Leissler went on to a career with the National Park Service. He served as Olympic National Park ranger and landscape ar- chitect from 1946-1956. He authored the much- reprinted Roads and Trails of Olympic National Park , published in 1957. Leissler ’s last position was as a landscape architect with the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads, where he helped with the “Keep America Beauti- ful” program during the Johnson Administration. Thanks to research sup- ported by the Center for Urban Horticulture, in sum- mer 1989 I had the oppor- tunity to interview Fred Leissler in Genoa, Nevada, about his involvement with the infant arboretum. He was very interested to hear of cur- rent projects there, especially the renovation of Azalea Way, which he had helped to create. Fred said that he had ‘ ‘put his whole heart and soul into making the Arboretum a success” during Depression years. He died several months after we spoke, on November 28.1 only wish he could have returned to see some of the new improvements in the Arboretum. In 1948, Frederick W. Leissler, Jr., was a ranger and landscape architect with Olympic National Park. 20 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin Most landscape trees are native to forests where the ground is covered by a natural mulch of leaves in various states of decay. There- fore, it is not surprising that many shade trees are stunted when growing in lawns. Two factors appear to be responsible for this: (1) the lack of benefits accrued by a mulch, and (2) competition from the turf. The benefits of organic mulches are well known. They reduce weed competition, in- crease infiltration of water into the soil, reduce evaporation of soil moisture, and buffer the root zone from temperature ex- tremes. Mulches also add or- ganic matter to the soil, thereby improving soil structure, water- holding capacity, and nutrient availability. Grasses, on the other hand, aggressively compete for water and nutrients that might other- wise be available to the tree. In addition, some grasses appear to produce chemicals that can in- hibit tree growth. Leachates from both the leaves and roots of fescue grass reduced the growth of young Liquidambar trees in one experiment. Studies at the Morton Ar- boretum near Chicago showed that young sugar maples ( Acer saccharum ) achieved much bet- ter top growth and root den- sities when their root zones were covered with an organic mulch. After five years, the crowns of the mulched trees were nearly twice as large as those of the unmulched ones, and the trunk diameters were about three times greater. In this same experiment, turf nearly excluded the development of fine roots in the top two inches of soil. The mulched trees had much greater root densities in the top six inches of soil. Northwest Hort Review by Van M. Bobbitt Can Grass Stunt Your Tree? Plant physiologist Gary Wat- son, in another experiment at the Morton Arboretum, stud- ied the effect of turf and mulch on 20-year-old trees. Seven species were observed over six years. The replacement of turf with an organic mulch in- creased the fine roots in the top six inches of soil in all species, to some degree (see Table 1). In another trial, Watson killed the grass around selected trees, but applied no mulch. After only two months, most of the trees with the bare soil treat- ment showed some increase in fine roots, as compared with those trees growing in turf (see Table 1). The results suggest that red oak and pin oak might be better choices for lawn trees than sugar maple, which com- petes poorly with turf. So, what can gardeners do if turf competition is stunting their landscape trees? 1. Always keep turf at least one foot away from the trunk of young trees that are just getting established. Recendy planted trees are most affected by turf- grass competition. 2. If possible, replace turf with a 2-4" layer of organic mulch over the trees’ root zone. 3. Replace turf with less ag- gressive shrubs or herbaceous ground covers. 4. If turf is to remain, addi- tional fertilization and irrigation may overcome the competition. References Green, T.L., and G.W. Wat- son. 1989. “Effects of Turf- grass and Mulch on the Estab- lishment and Growth of Bare- root Sugar Maples. ’ ’ Journal of Arboriculture 15:268-272. Harris, R.W. 1983. Ar- boriculture. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Watson, G.W. 1988. “Or- ganic Mulch and Grass Com- petition Influence Tree Root Development.” Journal of Ar- boriculture 14:200-203. Van M. Bobbitt is the Master Gardener/Urban Horticulture Coordinator, Washington State University Cooperative Extension. He has been a member of the Washington Park Arboretum Bul- letin board since 1988. Table 1 . Percent increase of fine roots above 15 cm (6 inch) depth (in- cluding mulch) compared with grass treatment. Species Bare soil Mulch Red maple 0 172 Norway maple 16 90 Sugar maple 113 195 Green ash 38 128 Pin oak 2 51 Red oak -8 6 Linden 34 127 Vol. 53:1 /Spring 1990 21 The Rock Garden and its Plants — From Grotto to Alpine House — GRAHAM STUART THOMAS Book Reviews The Rock Garden and its Plants— From Grotto to Alpine House. Graham Stuart Thomas. SagaPress, Inc., and Timber Press, Inc., Portland, Oregon. 1989. 266 pages. ISBN 0-88192-139-4. A Manual of Alpine and Rock Garden Plants. Christopher Grey- Wilson (ed.). Christopher Helm, London, and Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 1989. 278 pages. ISBN 0-7470-1224-5. Done well, rock gardening is an exquisite art form that pleases the eye and demands the utmost of skills, imagination, and patience on the part of the practitioner. This special kind of gardening, despite its challenges (and disappointments), has a world- wide following. And for its devotees, there exists a vast library of books and societal magazines on rock gardening. There is always room for new books of high quality that treat the subject in new ways. These two books pass muster, yet are different in ap- proach. The Thomas book is delightfully unconventional and superb in rendition. It portrays the rock garden art form from its earliest stage (the grotto), down through its Victorian and Edwardian forms, and through to the present. Other chapters develop detailed accounts of rock garden construction, as well as the making of the rockery’s kin: screes, peat beds, alpine houses, trough gardens, and alpines on walls. Illustrations are exquisite and meaningful: black-and-white photos of rockeries and alpine plants complement superb paintings of rock plants in color. Unlike most rock garden books, Thomas’s book eschews the “A-Z” encyclopedic descrip- tions of alpine plants, though his checklist/index nearly serves this function. Although it is “veddy British,” the book can well serve rock gardeners in the Northwest by setting high standards for the pur- suit of this captivating art form. The Grey- Wilson book is just what its tide adver- tises— a manual. The bulk of the book is an “ A-Z” encyclopedia; 247 of its 278 pages are descriptions of alpines and low-growing plants suitable for the rock garden. I estimate over 1,700 kinds are described. Informative synopses of genera are fol- lowed by descriptions of each species: size and habit, color of foliage and flowers, place of origin, and flowering season. Line drawings are few and far between, but a 30-page fascicle in the center of the book has excel- lent color photos of outstanding alpines. Only twelve introductory pages cover the “how-to-do” of rock gardening and its allied garden forms, whereas the Thomas book devotes 250 pages to these skills. The Grey- Wilson book should serve well both beginner and the more advanced rock gardeners. But users beware! The book has mistakes of com- mission (erroneous places of origin) and omission (noteworthy plants missing). For example, among plants I know best (westerners), it is a shame to give Campanula piperi away to the Rockies, when it is an Olympic Mountain endemic. And, as Roy David- son has remarked, the book omits Phlox entirely. Rock garden authors such as Reginald Farrer, Davidson, and I strenuously object to its omission! Quibbling aside, this is a good book. I only hope the author has it right for other places of origin beyond my ken. — Reviewed by A.R. Kruckeberg Arthur R. Kruckeberg is a professor of botany at the University of Washington. He and his wife Mareen’s four acres north of Seattle, the MsK Nursery, specializes in shrubs and rock garden plants. 22 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin For Further Information: Roses by Valerie Easton People feel strongly about roses. • They love antique roses, climbing roses, new varieties of roses. And they write about all of them. The prob- lem with finding information on roses is not the lack of sources, but rather the abundance. Literature- searching skills come second to a critical look at author and index when attempting to sort through the plethora of information, opinions, and prefer- ences. The following is a very selective list of resources. Peter Beales, one of England’s most famous rosarians, has written an encyclopedic guide to growing the best varieties of this century in Twen- tieth Century Roses (London: Collins Harvill, 1988). Clean, clear photographs illustrate design, cultivation and, most effectively, the descriptions of over 850 modem roses currently available to the trade in England and worldwide. This volume is a companion to Beales’ s earlier book, Classic Roses (London: Collins Harvill, 1985). Both are thorough and authoritative, with the second volume empha- sizing old-fashioned roses, shrub roses, and climb- ers. Together, these two books offer comprehensive information on nearly 2,000 varieties of roses, along with knowledgeable advice on pruning, train- ing, selection, and landscape use. Arguably, the most stunningly photographed of all the rose books is Roses by Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix (New York: Random House, 1988). Photos take up more of the space in this book than text, and go a long way in convincing a gardener to overlook mildew and mites to grow these beauties. Not purely inspirational, this tide has good descrip- tions and some basic information on growing roses. But gorgeous color photographs are what make this book special. It does a wonderful job of showing the different types of roses — floribundas, climbers, gal- licas, wild roses, etc. — in such beautiful color and marvelous variety that no reader will ever feel satisfied with hybrid teas again. There are two well-known books on roses that no serious rosarian should be without. The first is the classic Roses for English Gardens by Gertrude Jekyll, first published in 1902 (reissued, Suffolk, England: Antique Collector’s Club, 1982). Her ideas on how to use roses in the landscape are time- less. The photographs of roses in English gardens, growing up the sides of country cottages, and ar- ranged in autumn bouquets, meet Ms. Jekyll ’s ideal: . . . Here we do not want the mind disturbed or distracted from the beauty and delightfulness of the Rose. The second book that is a must is The Complete Book of Roses by Gerd Kriissmann (Portland: Tim- ber Press, 1981). Kriissmann was the director of Germany’s prestigious National Rosarium for many years, and his book deals comprehensively with the rose in all its aspects. Included is a useful dictionary of rose cultivars, but unique to this title is the extensive information on rose history and legend around the world, including chapters such as ‘ ‘The Rose in German Poetry, ’ ’ “Roses in the Pre- Historic Era,” and “The Rose and the Mogul.” You have the feeling that if you actually read all 436 pages of this book, you would be a renowned rose expert, too. A basic book for gardeners who would rather grow healthy roses than become rose experts is Growing Good Roses by Rayford Clayton Reddell (New York: Harper and Row, 1988). Clearly writ- ten with lovely photos, Reddell knowledgeably covers selecting, planting, maintaining, spraying, cutting, pruning, and exhibiting roses, as well as recommending 24 of his favorite modem garden roses. If you are looking for rose identification and description, turn to Simon & Schuster’s Guide to Roses by Stelvio Coggiatti (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1986) or The Dictionary of Roses in Colour by S. Millar Gault and Patrick M. Synge (London: Rainbird Reference Books Ltd., 1971). Both list hundreds of roses of various types, with thorough descriptions and color photographs. Without a Thom: A Guide to Rose Gardening in the Pacific Northwest , by Stuart Mechlin and Ellen Bonanno (Portland: Timber Press, 1978) is out of print, but available in local libraries. It is valu- able for its seasonal Northwest calendar, the discus- sion of landscape uses in our area, and a list of rose gardens to visit in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. Vol. 53:1 /Spring 1990 23 For the most current information on roses, turn to The American Rose , the monthly journal of the American Rose Society (The American Rose, RO. Box 30,000, Shreveport, Louisiana 71130-0030). A current issue has information on an organic rose garden in Eugene, Oregon; a monthly column for beginning rose growers; and a long list previewing 1990 roses. To meet other rose fanciers, join the Seattle Rose Society, the oldest horticultural society in Seattle (P.O. Box 42, Medina, Washington 98039). You will receive the local newsletter “Rose Petals” and be a part of the group responsible for conceiv- ing, planting, and helping to maintain the wonder- ful Woodland Park Rose Garden. If antique roses are your special interest, join the Heritage Roses Group (Northwest regional coordi- nator: Judi Dexter, 13665 -41st Avenue South, Kent, Washington 98032). Members receive four issues of “The Rose Letter.” Described above are some of the newest and most useful sources of information on roses, but it is im- possible to summarize information on a plant that probably existed twelve to fifteen million years ago, has over 5,000 different varieties, and has been grown and loved by humans for more than 2,000 years. The major impression received from all of these materials is the enduring affection and ap- preciation people have for the rose in all its forms. This is well expressed by the dedication in Rayford Clayton Reddell’s book: God gave us memories so we could have roses in winter and mothers forever. AJRneJS nURS€RI€5 WHITE DELIGHT (J&P Rose of the Year) Beautify your home and garden with the fragrant elegance of roses. Furney's Nurseries' horticulturists will assist you in selecting from more than 180 premium number one grade rose varieties. Seattle Bellevue ^ Bremerton Valerie Easton is a librarian at the University of Wash- ington Center for Urban Horticulture. Visit the newly expanded Elisabeth C. Miller library: 24 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin VALERIE EASTON New on the Shelves of the Elisabeth C. Miller Library Armitage, Allan M. Herbaceous Perennial Plants: A Treatise on their Identification, Culture, and Garden Attributes. Athens, Georgia: Varsity Press, Inc., 1989 Bown, Deni. Alba: The Book of White Flowers. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1989 Brickell, Christopher, and the American Horti- cultural Society. Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. New York: Macmillan, 1989 Burbridge, Joan. Wildflowers of the South- ern Interior of British Columbia and Ad- jacent Parts of Washington, Idaho, and Mon- tana. Vancouver, British Columbia: University of British Columbia Press, 1989 Chatto, Beth. The Green Tapestry. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1989 Cobb, James L. S. Meconopsis. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1989 Cribb, Phillip, and Christopher Bailes. Hardy Orchids: Orchids for the Garden and Frost- free Greenhouse. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1989 Gardiner, James. Magnolias. Chester, Connec- ticut: Globe Pequot Press, 1989 Head, William. Gardening Under Cover: A Northwest Guide to Solar Greenhouses, Coldframes, and Cloches. Seatde: Sasquatch Books, 1989 Hyatt, Brenda. Auriculas: Their Care and Cultivation. London: Cassell, 1989 Kramer, Jack, and the World Wildlife Fund. The World Wildlife Fund Book of Orchids, rev. ed. New York: Abbeville Press, 1989 Langdon, Brian. Begonias: The Care and Cul- tivation of Tuberous Varieties. London: Cassell, 1989 Lewis, Peter, and Margaret Lynch. Campan- ulas. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1989 MacKenzie, David S. Complete Manual of Perennial Ground Covers. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1989 Monckton, Shirley. Arranging Flowers: Techniques of Florist ry. New York: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 1989 Norse, Elliott A. Ancient Forests of the Pacific Northwest. Washington, D.C: Island Press, 1990 Ottesen, Carole. Ornamental Grasses: The Amber Wave. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1989 Schofield, Janice J. Discovering Wild Plants: Alaska, Western Canada, the Northwest. An- chorage, Alaska: Alaska Northwest Books, 1989 Stapeley Water Gardens. Waterlilies and Other Aquatic Plants. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1989 Thompson, Peter. Creative Propagation: A Grower’s Guide. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1989 Errata On page 9, line 15, column 3, 52:4, the heights of the two specimens of Sequoiadendron giganteum should be “100” and “ 90 , ” respectively. FLORA & FAUNA BOOKS Natural History Book & Print Specialists A Full Range of the Best Books in Botany & Horticulture Always in Stock Specializing in British Books • Timber Press • New and Used Books • RHS Kew Handbooks • Collections Purchased • Collins Field Guides • Search & Order Service • Ortho Books • Mail Service In the Pioneer Square area, 1 block from Elliott Bay Books 121 -1st Ave. S. - Seattle, WA 98104 - Mon-Sat 10-5 623-4727 Vol. 53: 1/Spring 1990 25 Northwest Garden Explorer: Lakewold Gardens by Scot Medbury Photos by Steven R. Lorton The relative paucity of public gardens in the Puget Sound area is more than compensated for by the quality of those the region does possess. Even visitors from garden-rich England marvel at the landscape beauty of the Bloedel Reserve, at the comprehensiveness of the collections at the Rhododendron Species Foundation, or at the size and rarity of trees and shrubs in the Washington Park Arboretum. One western Washington garden embraces all these qualities: fine design, special collections and choice, mature specimen plants — Tacoma’s Lake- wold Gardens. Here, the natural blessings of a wooded, lakeside site have been carefully and intel- ligendy enhanced to create a garden that in all ways represents the best of the Northwest. Lakewold reaffirms a long-standing tradition of fine gardening in the Lakes District south of Tacoma. The grandest gardens ever created in the Northwest were developed in this area during the “Gatsby’ ’ era of the 1920s and earlier, bringing in designers such as J.F. Dawson of the Olmsted Brothers (architect of the 1936 plan for the Wash- ington Park Arboretum) and Seattle master Otto Holmdahl. Of several dozen estates, Lakewold has the only garden that remains intact. The history of this garden has been well chroni- cled in national publications and in an hour-long documentary film entided “Lakewold, Where the Blue Poppy Grows,” which airs occasionally on PBS television. Enduring features such as the rustic stone and wood fence, and a herringbone-patterned brick walk, recall Lakewold’ s earlier incarnation as “Inglewood.” However, most of the present-day garden is the result of the special collaboration be- tween Mrs. Cory don Wagner, Jr., who has lived and gardened at Lakewold since 1938, and the innova- tive California landscape architect Thomas Church, author of the classic Gardens are for People . Following Church’s maxim, Lakewold Gardens is “for people,” too, thanks to the efforts of the non-profit Friends of Lakewold and the foresight of the Wagner family. The garden opened to the public in April 1989, greeting thousands of new visitors in its first season and exposing them to fine garden design and an increasingly sophisticated array of plants. At the center of the estate rests the Wagner home, approached by a pebble drive that curves slowly to a broad forecourt outside the front door. It was remodeled in the early 1960s in the Georgian style. The house is faced in a pale pink Tennessee brick, the perfect backdrop to the dappled pink, white, and green leaves of an Actinidia kolomikta vine planted upon it. On the west side of the house, a glassed-in porch entwined in Hoya camosa leads out into the formal garden, taking the visitor past boxwood parterres and topiaries on the way to a gazebo covered with an old specimen of the climb- ing rose ‘Kathleen’. (See article by Kendall Gam- brill, this issue.) Nearby is one of Church’s master- pieces: the elegant quatrefoil swimming pool. One can fall in love with Lakewold just for its trees. The estate is on the edge of the glacial out- wash Tacoma prairie, home to large stands of the Garry oak ( Quercus garryana ). These natives, along with mammoth Douglas-firs, form the main over- story trees on the 10-acre garden site, though sixty- year-old European beeches add their own com- manding presence. Especially picturesque is a huge, gnarled Garry oak that leans toward the shore of Gravelly Lake and on clear days frames a spec- tacular view of Mt. Rainier. If the natural tree canopy at Lakewold is interest- ing, the understory trees are even more so. In the woodland between the formal parterre garden and the lake are specimen trees of Antarctic beech (. Nothofagus antarctica ), Persian ironwood ( Par - rotia persica ), and the Chilean fire tree (Em- bothrium coccineum). The visitor can find cherries throughout the garden, including the lovely pale- green flowered ‘Ukon’, and some Yoshino cherries ( Prunus x yedoensis) which were imported from Japan in 1924 and have outlived their original counterparts in Washington, D.C. Lakewold also boasts a small pinetum, where the late Cory don Wagner tested the performance of exotic conifers, including the aesthetically controversial monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana ). Mrs. Wagner has pursued a wide range of horti- cultural interests over the years, making a collec- tion oiLewisias (which includes an unusual white L. tweedyi ), an Elizabethan herb garden replete with marble wellhead, and a rose garden featuring old roses (see Kendall Gambrill’s article, this issue). Rhododendrons were an early passion, and along 26 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin the drive such stunning species as Rhododendron roxieanum var. oreonastes luxuriate in the shade along with favorite hybrids like ‘Bow Bells’, a like- ness of which is carved in bas relief above the front door to the house. Natives such as our deciduous and evergreen huckleberries complement the rho- dodendron plantings in the front woodland, with cyclamen covering the ground beneath. Lake wold is full of secret places, all spilling over with special flowers and rock garden plants. The blue poppy ( Meconopsis betonicifolia) mentioned in the PBS film is uncommon, but it blooms gloriously at Lakewold. So does Cardiocrinum giganteum, which sends up eight-foot flower stalks from a moist spot near the masterfully laid rocks of a naturalistic water course and pool. In a protected little court on the southeast side of the house, find the tender Rho- dodendron f ragr antis simum and a strange daphne relative, Edgeworthia papyrifera , an exceedingly rare plant for our area. Tucked into one of the delightful rockeries that dot the hillside above the lake is the famed Kalmiopsis leachiana , now pro- tected in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness in Oregon’s Siskiyou Mountains. Though Lakewold always has been maintained immaculately, an increase in gardening activity has accompanied its transition from private estate to public garden. Head gardener Martha Robbins has tackled many needed projects. She has moved plants to where they will receive better light and prunes carefully to raise the tree canopy in places. The shade garden developed by Church around the venerable “wolf tree” has been renovated with great success. Several thousand linear yards of despicable English ivy have been cut from smother- ing positions on tree trunks. Numerous English holly and Portuguese laurel trees, inappropriate in such a refined setting, also have been removed. New developments occur all the time. The latest project is a fern garden sponsored by the Hardy Fern Foundation, which will exhibit both native and exotic ferns, and companion plants. It appears Lakewold is a garden that will continue to improve, as it has done for the past seventy-five years. Docent-guided tours of Lakewold Gardens are available Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morn- ings and afternoons, April through September. Reservations are required. Call (206) 584-3360. Admission is $5.00 (students, $3.00). Children and pets are not permitted. For more information, write to the Friends of Lakewold, PO. Box 1121, Tacoma, Washington 98401. Scot Medbury is finishing a master’s degree in public garden administration and environmental interpretation at the Center for Urban Horticulture, University of Washington. He is a member of the editorial board of the Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin. Vol. 53: 1/Spring 1990 27 In the Washington Park Arboretum by Christina Pfeiffer and Timothy Hohn New Plants ach winter, we clean up specific collection areas of the Arboretum. Blackberry and woody brush is removed; beds are weeded and mulched; col- lection plants are pruned, transplanted or removed as appropriate; and new plants may be added. This year, watch for the results of our work on the west side of the Lagoon, in the Viburnum Col- lection and the Holly Collection. Several plants of interest have been added to the Arboretum collections since fall of 1989. A group- ing of Pinus pityusa , Exochorda tianschanica (pearlbush), and Caragana frutex (Russian peash- rub) now enhance the two existing Acer macro- phyllum ‘Seattle Sentinel’ at the intersection of Lake Washington Boulevard East and Boyer Avenue East. Three new camellia hybrids from the National Arboretum were added to the Joseph A. Witt Winter Garden: Camellia ‘Ack Scent Sno’, C. ‘Ack Scent Star’, and C. ‘Ack Scent White’. A small grove of Cedrela sinensis (Chinese toon) was planted at the northwest comer of Conifer Meadows. These deciduous trees will grow to about 50 feet tall and have a similar habit to Ailanthus al- tissima (tree of heaven). It is the only hardy member of the mahogany family (Meliaceae). Pat Killingsworth, and Karen Panek. They have entered the basic taxonomic and source information for the entire plant collection into our computer — approximately 35,000 accessions. In phase two of this project, all the field observations, now recorded on cards, will be entered into the computer data base. By using the computer we have a more effi- cient way to store, access, standardize, edit, and util- ize our plant records. Inventory and Mapping The Center for Urban Horticulture was awarded a series of grants from the Institute of Museum Science, thus allowing the creation of a complete in- ventory and mapping system to keep better track of plant collections on the grounds. Together with the plant records data base, nearly all Arboretum curatorial and maintenance records will be managed electronically at a work station dedicated to plant records and maps. As part of the computerization process, all inventory and mapping data will be stored, accessed, and edited on a Geographic Infor- mation System (computer program), which ordi- narily has been used for soil conservation and forestry mapping. This is a unique application of the program and will be the first time it is applied to the needs of an arboretum. Plant Records The first and most critical phase of a major com- puterization project has been completed by Jan Pir- zio-Biroli (Arboretum and Center for Urban Hor- ticulture staff) and volunteers Eileen MacDonald, Christina Pfeiffer is the horticulturist for the Wash- ington Park Arboretum. Tim Hohn has been the Arboretum’s curator since 1986. Specializing in Fine Residential Properties in Greater Seattle’s Most Sought After Neighborhoods Including neighborhoods surrounding the Arboretum, Broadmoor, Washington Park, Madison Park & Montlake. Also Laurelhurst, Windermere, Bellevue and Mercer Island. /Mh 00 00 Inio PYladison Housejjd REAL ESTATE 4227 East Madison Seattle, WA (206) 382-1011 28 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin Perennials. Annuals. Geraniums. Seasonal Color. Bulbs and Vegetables. New Varieties and Old. And Herbs, of Course. 9 to 5 Everyday 206-784-2222 Easy to Find. Just 30 Minutes from Seattle. Take 1-90 east to Exit 22. 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