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2007

PHOTO CONTEST
WINNERS

page 6

THE PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

1979 - 2008

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.

r aahsa

Quality?

A Nonprofit, Nondenominational CCRC • Accredited Since 1983
Affiliated With the Jefferson Health System

Editor

Pete Prawn

Associate Editor

Jane Carroll

Assistant Editor

Daniel Moise

Art Design

Baxendells' Graphic

The 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@aoi.com

Classified Ads

The Allure of Hellebore

Just when winter seems at its bleakest,
out comes the subtle, rich blossoms of
the hellebore. Currently experiencing a
renaissance of popularity, this late-winter
favorite seems to be popping up every-
where. Ilene Sternberg investigates.

Cold-Weather Containers
and Window Boxes

If thriller, spiller, and filler sound like the
latest dance crazes, let Ellen Zachos set
you straight. The experienced interior
landscaper dishes the dirt on the art of
winter window boxes and containers,
while assigning memorable monikers to
different sorts of plants.

Printer

ALCOM Printing Group, Inc.

Cozy Up to Winter

Winter has been unfairly characterized as
a dull time in the garden. While it might
not be as sensual as spring or as flashy as
fall, there’s a serenity about the buds,
pods, and catkins of winter that’s both
haunting and beautiful. If you re among
the unconvinced, writer and photogra-
pher Karen Bussolini will help sway your
opinion.

16 Restoring Former Glory

Who says you can’t go home again? Four
years ago Bob Butera and his wife,
Marilyn Sifford, moved into the charm-
ing Norristown house of his childhood.
Unfortunately the property had fallen
into disrepair through the years, but Bob
and Marilyn were up for a challenge.
Betsie Blodgett explains how the pair
refurbished the memory-rich landscape.

COLUMNS

6 The Potting Shed

32 Basic Botany

Garden Genes

Daniel Moise, 215-988-8871
gsads@pennhort. org

Ask A Gardener Phone Line

215-988-8777, Monday through Friday,
9:30 to 12 [dosed in December]
askagardener@pennhort.org

GREEN SCENE (USPS 955580),

Volume 36, No. 1 , is published bi-monthly
(January, March, May, July, September, November)
by The Pennsylvania Horticultural

34 Botanical Bouquets

Beauty and the Beach

38 The Backyard

A Lesson in Green

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, 2008

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

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

PHOTO-rific!

The Green Scene “Garden Photo”
Contest has come to a roaring
conclusion, and were happy to
share the winning images with you in this
issue. This year, we had more than 100
entries and nearly 600 individual photo-
graphs to judge. And when you’re search-
ing for just 13 winners (first, second, and
third places, plus 10 Honorable
Mentions), that becomes a formidable
task. Fortunately, it’s also an enjoyable one.

Ritz Camera again came through with
terrific prizes for first and second places
(a Nikon Coolpix L10 camera and 100
free digital prints, respectively), while
PHS supplied the third place award — a
free “Household 2” membership includ-
ing Flower Show tickets. All winners also
get their images published in this issue, as
well as on our website.

Throughout the summer, entries trick-
led in, but as usual, that trickle became a

flood as the September 13 deadline
approached. One of our publications edi-
tors, Daniel Moise, was put in charge of
managing this influx of photos and did a
magnificent job creating order out of
chaos. Thank you, Dan.

Once the deadline passed, we conduct-
ed our first round of judging, when we
were charged with reducing 590 photo-
graphs down to a manageable quantity.
Members of PHS’s publications and cre-

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

ative services departments, all of whom
work with photography daily in their
work, looked at dozens upon dozens of
excellent garden photos, including land-
scapes, closeups, and a plethora of bees
and butterflies. After lots of “lively” dis-
cussion, we selected 60 finalists.

In early October, we brought in the
final judging team to pick the winners. In
this group were longtime PHS volunteers
Sharon Turner, Ann Reed, and Jenny
Rose Carey, as well as PHS senior project
coordinator Margaret Funderburg
(pictured left to right , opposite page), who
photographs many of the organization’s
Philadelphia Green projects. These four
individuals brought together a wealth of
expertise in photography and horticulture
that proved a good mix for this task.
Another hour of good-natured wrangling
ensued, at the end of which we emerged
with a list of winners. You can now see them
by turning to page 6 or visiting our website,
www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org.

I’d like to thank everyone involved with
the contest, from Ritz Camera to our vol-
unteer judges to the PHS staff who work
to pull this off every year. Mostly, I'd like
to thank our entrants, who continue to
amaze us with their skill and keen photo-
graphic eye. Also, I think you’ll be pleased
to know that contest entry fees go right
back into the organization, supporting the
greening projects of the Pennsylvania
Horticultural Society. It’s important work
that benefits people all over our region,
and the photo contest contributes to that
success. We thank you. »Ay

email: greenscene@pennhort.org

OPPORTUNITY

IMAGINE
LIVING IN AN
ARBORETUM!

DYNAMIC COMMUNITY LIFE
IDEAL LOCATIONS FOR
CULTURE AND RECREATION

• BEAUTIFUL ARBORETUM SETTINGS

• WIDE ARRAY OF GARDEN-STYLE
HOMES AND APARTMENTS

• ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR
PRIVATE GARDENS

SUPERIOR HEALTH & WELLNESS
SERVICES WITH A UNIQUE
“PATIENT PARTNERSHIP”
APPROACH

Home of the Lewis W. Barton
Arboretum and Nature Preserve

Member, Greater Philadelphia Gardens

A nationally accredited. Quaker-related, not-for-profit community for those
age 55+ , with campuses in Medford and Lumberton, New Jersey

VISIT OUR WEB SITE WWW.MEDFORDLEAS.ORG
OR CALL 800.331.4302 • 609-654-3000

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

IT’S A SNAP!

Winners of the Green Scene 2007 "Garden Photo" Contest

Without further ado,

here is this year's crop
of talented contest
winners. As usual, the
competition was fierce
and the results ...

I SPECTACULAR!

Prizes courtesy of Ritz Camera

1ST PLACE (far left)

Name: Lorene J. Athey
Title: Bumblebee on Rose
of Sharon

Prize: A Nikon CoolPix LI 0*
digital camera

2ND PLACE (above)
Name: John W. Powell
Title: Datura at home
Prize: 100 Digital Prints*

3RD PLACE (left)

Name: Brett C.Youmans
Title: Red and Yellow and
Pink and Green

Prize: A one-year membership
to PHS

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

HONORABLE MENTION

(clockwise from top left)

6) David Morse

7) Patricia M. Danzon

8) Cindy Masiejczyk

9) Erin Thomas

10) June McKenney

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

BUDS,

All summer long, woody plants
help define our gardens
and landscapes, contributing
structure, color, and texture. But so
often when the leaves drop in
fall — whami — it’s all gone, and we are
left with a jumble of bare gray sticks.

The skeletons of some trees and shrubs,
like a twisted old apple tree or a weeping
Japanese maple, have a commanding
presence. But a few dramatic silhouettes
don’t make a satisfying garden for most
people.

Winter’s beauty requires a closer look.

I’m with Elizabeth Lawrence, who
begins her book Gardens in Winter by
writing, “I never did care for fair-weath-
er gardeners. Standing behind glass
doors, they look out at the cold ground
and leafless branches, and exclaim, ‘How
beautiful this must be in spring!’ ‘How
beautiful it is now!’ I want to cry ...”

PODS AND

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

CATKINS

The Subtle Joys of Winter

Winter's beauty requires
a closer look.

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

Winter Buds

BEAUTIFUL BUDS

Already in January, the promise of
spring’s renewal is right there, clear as
day in the swelling buds of woody
plants. These embryonic leaves and flow-
ers can’t retreat underground like those
of herbaceous plants, so they protect
themselves with winter jackets. Buds jazz
up somber schemes. Some buds act as
punctuation that calls attention to the
structure of deciduous trees and shrubs.
Small uniform nubs mark off the slender
lengths of weeping larch branches ( Larix
decidua ‘Pendula’) as though construct-
ing sentences. Gnarly old Magnolia
kobus and M. stellata trees give rise to a
profusion of twigs sprouting and twist-
ing, ending in an exclamation point of
furry flower buds.

Fortunately for those gardening in
Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic
region, winters are warm enough for
buds to enlarge to a size worth looking at
and cold enough for them to last a long
time. Buds that form in fall swell slowly
over the entire season, the showy ones
providing pleasure for a much longer
time than their flowers do.

Two intriguing shrubs, Stachyurus
praecox and Edgworthia chrysantha , have
spectacular flower buds. They are more
common in the South, but have proved
themselves hardy at the New York
Botanical Garden in a protected loca-
tion. So they should thrive at lower ele-
vations in Pennsylvania if properly sited.
Racemes of Stachyurus (Zones 6 to 9),
which look like bumpy rats’ tails in
November, enlarge to graceful propor-
tions and resemble 4- to 6-inch, yellow

hanging-bead curtains
well into March, after
which they open to bell-
shaped flowers (there is
also a red form). Every
branch of Edgworthia
(rated Zones 8 to 10,
but apparently hardier)
splits into three branch-
lets, which also give rise
to threes, from which
dangle large (3/4 to 1-
1/2 inches) white com-
pound buds that look
like flowery ornaments
or fancy earrings.

For gardeners who crave vibrant color,
the flower buds of Mahonia japonica
(syn. M. bealei) really pack a punch. A
dozen or so sizeable upright clusters of
round yellow buds (sometimes tinged
reddish) form early atop branch tips. Set
off by the Mahonia's dark glossy leaves,
they pop out even at a distance, so this is
one to place where it can be seen from
inside the house. The golden European
ash (Fraxinus excelsior ‘Aurea’) sports a
sexy combination of large, deep, velvety
black buds along young stems that glow
bright yellow until warm weather arrives.

Delights await those inclined to ven-
ture outside to view smaller buds.
Winter-blooming heaths ( Erica sp. and
cvs.) and “winter heathers’’ ( Calluna sp.
and cvs.) bud up early with welcome red,
purple, lavender, pink, and white tones,
as well as pale yellow, set off by green,
yellow, or silver foliage. For a blaze of
color, check out coral moosewood, also
called painted maple ( Acer pensylvan-

icum ‘Erythrocladum’), whose mature
bark is coral over-painted with white
stripes. New growth is clear bright coral,
marked by slender buds of an even
brighter intensity. Acer capillipes olive
green-and-white-striped bark with
maroon new growth has diminutive but
vivid red buds; it’s a color combo worth
trudging through the snow to see. Some
buds are so beautiful, no one but their
pollinators would care if they never
opened into flowers. Near the end of
winter, bright flower buds on the aptly
named redbud ( Cercis canadensis), espe-
cially ‘Appalachian Red,’ are the bright-
est of all.

PLEASING PODS

Seedpods — the other end of the flower
bud’s life cycle — add rich texture and
sculptural qualities. Translucent seed-
pods like those of Caryopteris clando-
nensis catch the light and glow like
paper lanterns. Clethera alnifolias wispy

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

Edgworthia
has white
compound
buds that
look like
flowery
ornaments...
or fancy
earrings.

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

Catkins move, dance, and dangle.

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

racemes of pepper-like brown pods
develop a lively curl that suggests move-
ment. Rose of Sharon ( Hibiscus syriacus)
seedpods look like stars carved from
balsa wood. Flame-shaped tulip tree
(. Liriodendron tulipfera ) pods stand
upright and are especially dramatic when
capped with snow and silhouetted
against a blue winter sky. Sycamore
( Platanus sp.) and sweetgum
( Liquidambar sp.) balls (technically
fruits) bob in the breeze. How plain all
these branches would be without such
entertaining ornaments.

CAPTIVATING CATKINS

Catkins move, dance, and dangle.
They sparkle and add subtle color. These
clusters of tightly packed petalless flow-
ers are typical of the birch, willow, and
hazel families. Like buds, they form early

and develop a presence through the cold
months until they bloom in late winter.
A European filbert ( Corylus avellana
‘Royal’) clothes itself in a haze of dan-
gling russet catkins that change yellow
when pollen forms. Salix koriyanagi
‘Rubykins’ glows soft pink at a distance,
but up close reveals striking fuzzy catkins
with brilliant red dots of pollen. It’s hard
not to love the common pussy willow
{Salix discolor). More impressive yet are
the silky silver and gray upright catkins
of Salix chaenomeloides and S. caprea
‘Kilmarnock’ and the black pussy willow
(5. gracilistyla ‘Melanostachys’), all
impossible not to pet and big enough to
pack a visual wallop.

None of these plants shout like a red
hibiscus in summer; rather, they bring a
quiet beauty to the garden long after
summer fades. So banish bare sticks! Put
these cold-weather gems together for sat-
isfying garden com-
binations; gather
them close to where
you walk every day
or where you look
out the window.
Bundle up and ven-
ture forth to check
on them, or bring a
branch indoors for
some welcome win-
ter pizzazz.

Karen Bussolini
is a garden
photographer,
writer, and lecturer.
Her fifth book of
photographs,

The Homeowner’s
Complete Tree and
Shrub Handbook,
written by Penelope
O’Sullivan, was just
published by Storey
Publishing.

Winter Buds .

More Ornamental Buds,
Pods, and Catkins

Buds

Pieris sp.

Rhododendron sp.

Camellia sp.

Euonymous sachielensis

Pods

Lagerstroemla sp.

Catalpa sp.

Catkins

Alnus sp.

Compton la peregrins
Corylus avellana 'Contorts'

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

Bob and Marilyn’s
formal patio, a
favorite gathering ^
place for family and
friends, i

There is pfenty of room
for whimsy, lijje this giant
watering can.

By Betsie Blodgett

A Charming
Garden Restoration
near Norristown

To visit Bob Butera and Marilyn Sifford’s garden
is to make a pilgrimage to a place where family
traditions and friendships are deeply rooted.
From their lush vegetable and herb plot in Norristown,
PA, where Bob's parents had their World War II-era
“Victory Garden,” to the stately oaks his brother planted a
generation ago to the circle of variegated liriope their late
friend and gardening mentor Chuck Rogers propagated for
them, the design and plantings honor the past and preserve
its beauty for the future.

“To me, it has a sacred nature to it; it was my immigrant
father’s dream,” Bob says of the home and 1.8-acre
Norristown-area property where he grew up. A once dense-
ly wooded slope is now a flowing series of themed gardens
connected by meandering paths, including one canopied
trail on which Bob and his seven siblings walked to and
from school.

When Bob and Marilyn moved back here from
Philadelphia after Bob’s mother passed away four years ago,
the property was overgrown with Norway maples and
invasive vines and weeds. “Nothing but poison ivy growing
up every tree,” Bob recalls. “Over the past four years, we
have tamed the land.”

Both were up to the challenge, having grown up in
families where horticulture was second nature — Marilyn
was raised on a North Carolina tobacco farm that is still in
cultivation — and both graduated from the Arboretum
School of the Barnes Foundation.

The couple has a long association with PFiS, as well. A
former state representative, Bob was president of the
Pennsylvania Convention Center and helped the
Philadelphia Flower Show move there from the Civic
Center in 1996. Fie served on the PFiS Council in the
1980s, and together Bob and Marilyn chair the Azalea
Garden Party Committee, the group that organizes the
annual fundraiser for the four-acre Azalea Garden, a PHS
project.

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

■J)

The French-style
vegetable garden is
planted on the site of
the Butera family’s
World War ll-era
Victory Garden.

Potted tropicals add a
punch of color to the
border— -and provide
portable design
options.

The couple count themselves fortunate that Chuck, an expert plantsman, PHS Plant
Dividend donor, and Flower Show Early Morning Tour guide, collaborated with them to
create a vision for their emerging garden (he passed away in November). “He encouraged
us to go slowly and to let it grow naturally,” says Bob. “The result is something we’re real-
ly pleased with."

They traced out paths linking a series of smaller, themed gardens that would look good
in any season. “Our goal was to create a year-round garden," Marilyn explains as we walk
though the shady Woodland Garden filled with native spring ephemerals like trillium and
may apples. “When we first started, we had no idea we would get this tar,” she says.

Although Bob and Marilyn are intent on replanting the property with native trees and
perennials, they stay open to trying unusual plants as well, like the chocolate mimosa
(. Albizia julibrissin ‘Summer Chocolate’) near their grass garden. “We love using natives,
but we’re not purists,” Marilyn says.

Happy to try just about any plant, the couple has rescued dozens of “orphans” that
friends planned to toss. Stands of ferns and anemones once destined for the compost heap
now thrive on a hillside and remind Bob and Marilyn of gardening friends every time they
walk along the paths.

The two seem to agree on most plants in their garden save one: a star of Bethlehem,
which Bob loves to see in the early spring but which elicits a hearty “ugh! from Marilyn.

While Bob and Marilyn enthusiastically grow a great variety of perennials, annuals,
vines, ornamental grasses, shrubs, and trees, they each have a soft spot for a chosen few.
“My favorites shift, but I do love hydrangeas, and I love them in that spot,” says Marilyn,
pointing to the opulent mounds of 15 varieties flowering in the dappled late-summer
shade. Bob’s choice, an elegant 30-foot cedar of Lebanon ( Cedrus libani), is not far away.

They have had great success with a number of PHS Gold Medal Award-
winning plants, such as ‘Limelight’ hydrangea ( Hydrangea paniculata), ‘Sparkleberry’ holly
{Ilex serrata X verticillata), and the dark-hued ‘Diablo’ ninebark {Pbysocarpus opulifolius) .
(Lor a list of Gold Medal plants that thrive in the Philadelphia region, please visit
www.goldmedalplants. com.)

Bob and Marilyn also share the time-honored code of all successful
gardening couples: “We stay out of each other’s way so there’s room for both of us,” laughs
Marilyn. Both have a well-defined niche: Marilyn waters the scores of containers near the
house and wields the loppers, while Bob is the planter and “picker-upper,” vegetable garden-
er and orchardist. Marilyn has turned her pruning talents into collaborative art projects,
shaping branches from downed shrubs and small trees into sculptural stands before Bob
spray-paints them cobalt blue. This garden art helps punctuate the landscape with a bold shot
of color during the muted fall season — and camouflages eyesores like the newly dug well.

To the visitor, the Butera/Sifford property looks completely landscaped, but it’s a sure
bet that Bob and Marilyn have plans to add something new for spring. Their big fall proj-
ect was planting 6,000 flowering bulbs in great drifts. And, of course, family and friends
were an integral part of the process.

“We had a bulb-planting party,” Marilyn says.

Gardening Symposium March 15, 2008 Princeton, NJ

Responsible Gardening With Pizzazz!

Allan M. Armitage - Gardening With Native Plants
Erica Glasener - On The Road With A Gardener’s Diary
Barbara J. Bromley - Horticultural Q&A Session
Stephen Scanniello - Bring Your Roses Into The Garden

Presented by: Master Gardeners of Mercer County

Info: xvww.mgofrnc.org/symposiurn/ or call 609-497-4589

Gardening Tips from Bob |

Butera and Marilyn Sifford

• Select unifying design
motifs. Bob and Marilyn's gar-
dens, from the formal patio area
to the untamed wildflower gar-
den, share two elements.
“Everything is on a path, and
everything is rounded,” Bob
explains. Marilyn adds that cer-
tain plants like Japanese
anemone and 'Sparkleberry' hol-
lies growing throughout the
property also help tie together
the diverse gardens.

• Don't be a snob when it
comes to finding good plants.

Bob enjoys driving hundreds of
miles to specialty nurseries for
the latest cultivar, but he i
also knows that the local home
improvement center can be a
great resource for bargains —
like the healthy stand of
'Knockout' roses he planted last
year.

• Propagate your own
plants. Expert propagator
Chuck Rogers encouraged Bob
to experiment with this horticul-
tural technique. Last spring and
summer, Bob propagated
scores of irises to donate to
PHS for the annual Plant
Dividend at Members' Day.

• Include plants that honor
your roots. "Marilyn is from
the South, so we had to have
some crape myrtle," Bob notes.

• Instill a love for gardening
in the next generation. If

you want to pass on a love of
horticulture to your children,
maintain a chore-free attitude.
“They didn't have to weed or
work in the garden," Bob says of
his kids, "but they did learn to
appreciate the beauty of it."

t is easy to see why Americans have
become so hellebore happy in recent
years. Unsurpassed for year-round
interest, hellebores are easy, drought tol-
erant, early and long-blooming, long-
lived, and — oh, yes — beautiful. They are
the gardening season’s opening act.

The hellebore’s ornamental, leathery
leaves persist most of the year, and its
gently nodding intricate flowers are con-
spicuous yet subtle. (Hellebore flowers
nod as a survival mechanism to protect
pollen from snow, sleet, and rain.)
Native to open meadows and alkaline
rocky slopes in the Balkans and else-
where, and thus quite sun tolerant, helle-
bores nevertheless make superb wood-
land specimens, even in acidic soil. They
thrive in dense shade, including at the
base of those dreaded black walnut trees.

Thanks to these virtues, few admirers
still call them “Christmas and Lenten
roses,” much to the relief of those who
have wondered why theirs never climb a
trellis or make aromatic potpourri. Turns
out they’re not roses at all. Helleborus is a
genus of about 20 species in the butter-
cup ( Ranunculaceae ) family.

All parts of hellebores are poisonous.
Despite this, people historically used
them to rid children of worms and as
part of an absurd medical tradition of
treating mental problems with caustic
substances. Warning of its toxicity to
animals, Pliny the Elder bluntly said, “It
killeth them.” (Well, I suppose that’s one
way to cure a problem.) That toxicity,
however, presents another benefit: they
are seldom on the menu of deer or other
critters.

Hellebores prefer dappled shade in a
sheltered site. Direct sun is fine, as long
as soil is moist, not soggy. Though it’s
not crucial, they welcome a dose of time-
released fertilizer, well-rotted manure, or
compost tea. Winter mulch also helps in
an exposed location. Remove spent

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

Photo courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries Photo by Alan & Linda Detrick

Hellebores

Growing from Seed

Hellebores self-seed, but
seedlings are variable.
The surest way to get the
flower you want is to buy
plants in bloom. Seeds
sprout easily when fresh,
but not when dried. When
sowing in pots, place
them outdoors, since
seeds need a cold treat-
ment. Bring indoors at
Christmas and they'll
sprout immediately. Left
outdoors, they'll sprout in
late winter.

Resources

Hellebores are available at
many local nurseries in our
area. For more informa-
tion, as well as mail-order
plants, visit the following
websites:

• David Culp

www. davidlculp. com

• Hardy Plant
Society/

Mid-Atlantic Group
www. hardy plant, org

• Hellebore info
www. hellebores, com

• Heronswood Nursery
www.heronswood. com

• Sunshine Farm &
Gardens

www. sun farm, com

H. niger (Christmas rose)

Photo by Rob Cardillo

leaves in late spring. (The recently pub-
lished Hellebores: A Comprehensive
Guide , by Cole Burrell with Judith
Knott Tyler, addresses any of the rare
problems that might occur.)

For companion plantings, snowdrops
( Galanthus sp.), lungwort ( Pidmonaria
sp.), primroses ( Primula sp.), barrenwort
(Epimedium sp.), foam flowers ( Tiarella
sp.), and miniature daffodils make ideal
buddies under open shrubs or trees with
high shade, in a border or rock garden, or
naturalized in a woodland setting. Vinca,
pachysandra, and ivy are too aggressive as
companions, and hellebores spread too
slowly to make good groundcovers by
themselves. Unlike many plants that look
best planted en masse, hellebores are out-
standing specimens on their own. They
also make superb cut flowers. Place them
high on a shelf so you can admire their
pretty faces, or cut with an inch of stem
and float blossoms in a bowl of water.
They last for weeks, slowly fading into a
new palette of colors.

When it comes to propagation, helle-
bores fall into two distinct groups:
“caulescent” types, such as H. foetidus,
whose foliar parts are borne on stems
and which cannot be propagated by divi-
sion but self-sow; and the “acaulescent”
types, such as H. orientals, whose foliage
emanates from underground rhizomes
that can be divided. Acaulescent types
also self-sow. Division is rarely necessary;
it’s a slow way to propagate, and helle-
bores don’t appreciate root disturbance.
If you must divide them, late spring after
flowering is the optimal time. Use a
sharp knife dipped in alcohol then rinsed
in water; leave at least two buds on each
rhizome. Plants may not flower the fol-
lowing year.

“Tissue culture has proven disappoint-
ing so far in speeding up the propagation
process,” says Barry Glick of Sunshine
Farm & Gardens, “but the future holds
hope.” Glick wrested a commercial nurs-
ery out of wild acreage on a West
Virginia mountaintop and maintains

more than 68,000 flowering plants just
for seed production. On his website, he
tells how to make your own crosses and
how to propagate from seed (see side-
bar).

Local hellebore expert David Culp,
whose Brandywine Hybrids"' populate
his exceptional Downingtown, PA, gar-
den, has been collecting and making
hellebore hand-crosses for several
decades, striving to produce true blue
and pure red flowers. Originally, he dis-
tributed his creations through the seed
exchange of the Hardy Plant Society/
Mid-Atlantic Group, an organization
Culp helped found, which may explain
why HPS members are consummate
helle-zealots.

Dave takes his propagation work seri-
ously. “Preparing to cross-pollinate,” he
says, “I wear a smoking jacket, put on a
Barry White record, and whisper sweet
nothings over the hillside.”

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

GREAT HELLEBORES FOR THE PHILADELPHIA REGION

With the unfortunate common
name "stinking hellebore," H. foetidus
is an upright evergreen clump-former,
about 18 to 32 inches tall, spreading
12 to 18 inches, with clusters of pale
green flowers and graceful narrow
foliar fingers (looks nice with hostas).
Often short-lived (3 to 5 years), it gen-
erally leaves behind seedlings. H. f.
Wester Flisk Group has red-tinted
stems and leaf petioles and some-
times a red blush to its flowers.

The usually evergreen H. x
hybridus (Lenten rose, Oriental
hybrids) grows to about 18 inches tall
and wide and blooms from late winter
through spring in a wide range of col-
ors, including white, purple, yellow,
green, and pink. Flowers can be spot-
ted, picoteed (with differently colored
petal margins), or double and appear
in an ever-broadening range of new
forms and variations. Almost all plants
sold as H. orientalis are hybrids. The
true species is actually difficult to
grow, while the hybrids prove more

vigorous. 'Mrs. Betty Ranicar' is a

Tasmanian beauty with large double
white blossoms and should come true
from seed. 'Kingston Cardinal', a

Heronswood Nursery introduction, has
double raspberry-mauve flowers atop
2-foot stems.

H. odorus produces luminescent,
soft green, 3-inch flowers. Purportedly
the best and toughest green-flowered
hellebore, its fragrance varies from
sweet to slightly musty. (Only your cat
will notice.)

Ultra-cold hardy H. niger (Christmas
rose) is clump-forming with deep ever-
green leaves and grows 12 inches tall,
spreading 18 inches. "Niger" refers to
its black roots. Pure white flowers
often bloom during the holiday season
(hence its common name) and contin-
ue for four months or more.

H. x nigersmithii 'Ivory Prince',

with blue-green foliage that is silvery
mottled in spring, produces numerous
outward-facing ivory blossoms 1 to 2

inches across on plants 12 to 18 inch-
es tall and wide. It blooms from
March or April through May.

H. x nigercors 'Honeyhill Joy' is

an exceptionally vigorous clone with
masses of large outward-facing white
flowers aging to green over shiny blue
green foliage.

H. Regal Ruffles Strain, a series
replete with double picotees, splashed
forms, and rich colors, was bred by
Marietta O'Byrne of Oregon.

Helleborus x stern ii is a sun-hardy
form with marbled foliage that
emerges almost steely blue — a nice
contrast with its pink stems and pink-
flushed flowers. 'Hot Flash' is a 2008
Terra Nova clonal introduction with
pewter leaves highlighted by silver
markings and a red central vein, with
6-inch stalks of light green flowers on
12- to 18-inch clumps.

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

Memoirs of the

American Philosophical Society

Transactions of the American
Philosophical Society

'SC'

_'$C

Renaissance Vision from
Spectacles to Telescopes

Vincent llardi

The monograph deals with the history of
eyeglasses from their invention in Italy ca.
1286 to the appearance of the telescope
three centuries later. Eyeglasses served an
important technological function at both the intellectual and prac-
tical level. A subthesis of the book is that Florence, rather than
Venice, seems to have dominated the commercial market for
eyeglasses during the fifteenth century, when the ability to grind
convex lenses for various levels of presbyopia and the ability to
grind concave lenses for the correction of myopia occurred.

WINNER OFTHE JOHN FREDERICK LEWIS
AWARD FOR 2006

Vol. 259 - $85.00 ISBN-13: 978-0-87169-259-7

The Making of a Romantic
Icon: The Religious Context of
Friedrich Overbeck’s Italia und
Germania

Lionel Gossman

WINNER OFTHE JOHN FREDERICK
LEWIS AWARD FOR 2007

Friedrich Overbeck's "Italia and Germania" (1811-1828) is a well-
known image in its native Germany, where it is seen as an alle-
gory of the perennial longing of German artists and poets for the
beauty and harmony of the land "where the lemon tree blooms."
The contextualization of "Italia and Germania" in this essay
reveals a painting that is an emblem not only of the sisterhood
of North and South, the early German and early Italian traditions
in art, but of the general Romantic longing for reconciliation,
reunion, and the overcoming of historical alienation.

The Temple of Night at
Schonau: Architecture, Music,
and Theater in a Late Eighteenth
Century Viennese Garden

John A. Rice

Between 1796 and 1800 Baron Peter von
Braun transformed his estate into an
English-style landscape park. The most celebrated building was
the Temple of Night, a domed rotunda accessible only through a
meandering rockwork grotto. Only the ruins of the Temple sur-
vive, and this book brings it back to life by assembling the many
descriptions of it by early nineteenth-century eyewitnesses.

Vol. 258 - $70 ISBN-13: 978-0-87169-258-0

Vol. 97, Pt. 5 - $29 ISBN-13: 978-0-87169-975-6

The Tintype in America,
1856-1880

Janice G. Schimmelman

The book offers a history of the tintype from
its invention in Paris to the end of the wet-
plate era. Americans embraced the tintype.
They were comfortable with its artlessness
and liked the come-as-you-are independ-
ence of the thing. The stories were real, untouched by the
manipulations of artist or photographer, and unencumbered by
Romantic notions of moral and civic virtue.

Vol. 97, Pt. 2 - $29 ISBN-13: 978-0-87169-972-5

The Library of Ben Franklin

Edwin Wolf 2nd and Kevin J. Hayes

(Joint publication with the American
Philosophical Society and The Library
Company of Philadelphia)

Benjamin Franklin's library, the largest and
best private library at the time of his death
in 1790, was sold by his grandson and sub-
sequently sold again. None of the catalogues of the collection
survive. In 1956, Edwin Wolf discovered the unique shelfmarks
Franklin used to identify his books. His work to reconstruct a cat-
alogue of the library was unfinished at the time of his death.
Kevin J. Hayes took up the work as the tercentenary of Franklin's
birth approached. Everything found to date, close to 4,000
entries, is compiled here.

THE LIBRARY
‘BENJAMIN f RAN KLIN

Classical Romantic: Identity in
the Latin Poetry of Vincent
Bourne

Estelle Haan

Vincent Bourne (1694-1747) was one of the
most popular Latin poets of his day. His Latin
verse appealed to early eighteenth-century
and Romantic sensibilities. The present
study examines a broad range of that Latin verse in its classical,
neo-Latin, and vernacular contexts with particular attention to
the theme of identity (and differing forms of identity. Appended
to the study are the texts (with Haan's translations) of the Latin
poetry discussed.

Vol. 97, Pt. 1 - $27 ISBN-13: 978-0-87169-971-8

Vol. 257 - $100.00 ISBN-13: 978-0-87169-257-3

American Philosophical Society

104 South Fifth Street • Philadelphia, PA 19026-3387
(Tel) 215-440-3425 • (Fax) 215-440-3450

BOOK ORDERS: Please contact our fulfillment service—

DIANE Publishing Co., 330 Pussey Avenue, Unit #3 Rear,
Collingdale, PA 19023 (phone 800-782-3833 or 610461-6200; fax
610461-6130). Online orders may be sent to
fulfillment@amphilsoc.org. See our website for recent catalogs
and backlist: www.aps-pub.com

Just because
you've put your GARDEN
to BED for the SEASON

Winter Window Boxes

& Containers

Story by Ellen Zachos

Photo by Rob Cardillo

doesn't mean your

POTS AND WINDOW BOXES have to be bare.

Why not brighten up winter
windowsills and containers with some
evergreenerfi. A little color goes a long
way on a cold, gray day and can help tide
a gardener over until spring. There are
two kinds of evergreen plantings to
consider: living evergreen plants and
arrangements of cut boughs and berries.
Both make a bright contrast to the ice
and snow of winter.

For a living display, start by choosing
a frost-proof container. Most terra cotta
will crack if left outside for the winter.
As the moisture in the clay freezes and
thaws, it expands and contracts, which
ordinary clay can’t tolerate. Cast iron,
wood, or fiberglass work well as winter
planters. And if you must have terra
cotta, paint it inside and out with sever-
al coats of a water sealing product before
planting.

THRILLER, SPILLER & FILLER

Choose a few different evergreen
plants with contrasting textures and col-
ors that please you. If you’re working
with a small pot (18 inches in diameter),
three or four different species are plenty.
In a larger container, you may want
more. Remember, too many different
shapes and sizes in a small space make a
planting look piecemeal. You’re better off
making several strong choices and work-
ing some repetition into your arrange-
ment. And keep in mind the rule for suc-
cessful container planting by including a
thriller , a spiller , and a filler.

The thriller is usually an upright ele-
ment with unusual foliage or form, like a
coppery ornamental grass, or a variegat-

ed broadleaf evergreen like boxwood
( Buxus species), holly ( Ilex species), or
andromeda (Pieris japonicd). The spiller
might be trailing ivy ( Hedera helix) or a
creeping needle evergreen. The filler can
be any number of things to beef up your
planting: a gold thread false cypress
( Chamaecyparis pisifiera ‘Filifera Aurea’);
a fragrant, silvery santolina ( Santolina
chamaecyparissus)', or a blue-star juniper
( Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’). It
should fill in the middle ground, linking
the different levels of your planting.

You may need to adjust your concept
of the hardiness map. Plants in contain-
ers are more vulnerable to the cold than
plants in the ground, since they have less
soil to insulate their roots than those in a
garden bed. So if you live in Zone 6,
plant your winter window box with
Zone 5 plants, just to be on the safe side.
You’ll need to water your container until
the ground freezes, and after that, when-
ever daytime temperatures rise above 45°
Fahrenheit.

USING ANTI-DESICCANTS

Wind wicks moisture away from leaf
surfaces, and in winter this isn’t regular-
ly replaced by soil moisture. Broadleaf
evergreens suffer most, and the resulting
leaf burn can seriously mar the beauty of
a plant. To prevent this, spray all leaf sur-
faces with an anti-desiccant spray. This
coats the leaves with a waxy substance
that slows moisture loss and prevents
substantial damage.

An arrangement of branches and
berries won’t last as long as living ever-
greens, but if you don’t have room for
plants, it’s a great alternative. If you have

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

Above: Container with holly ‘Yellow Girl’, yellow twig dogwood,
Chamaecy paris, incense cedar, kumquats and small apples.

Right: Watering can with nandina leaves, broom, contorted hazel,

Chamaecyparis, and juniper.

28 I GREEN SCENE* january/february 2008

Window Boxes
& Containers

Photo by Ellen Zachos

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GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

Window Boxes
& Containers

an empty window box that held annuals
in summer, try decorating it with an
assortment of cut boughs. You can use
broadleaf and needle evergreens, berries,
and unusual bare branches to create an
arrangement that looks festive for
months.

Start with large evergreen branches, 3
to 4 feet tall. White pine ( Pinus strobus )
is long-lasting and feathery soft, juniper
( Juniperus virginiana) has loads of blue
berries and branches shaped like fox
tails, and blue spruce ( Picea pungens) is
spiky with gray-blue needles and a stiff
form. Broadleaf evergreens offer a glossy
contrast with a wide range of leaf shapes,
colors, and sizes, from diminutive box-
wood ( Buxus species) to impressive mag-
nolia ( Magnolia grandiflora) . (Magnolia
branches also have large, decorative
cones on the ends.) Variegated holly

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{Ilex aquifolium ) is eye-catching with
bright white leaf margins and red berries,
and leucothoe {Leucothoe fontanesiana
'Rainbow’) foliage is streaked with red
and white.

Place your large evergreen branches
first, at the center of the box. This is the
foundation against which you’ll display
your colorful berries and branches. The
window box will be looked at from
indoors and out, so plan the view from
both vantage points.

On either side of the evergreens, stick
colorful shapely branches into the soil.
Consider red and yellow twig dogwood
( Cornus sericea ‘Cardinal’ and
‘Flaviramea’), white birch ( Betula
papyrifera), or the contorted limbs of
Harry Lauder’s walking stick {Corylus
avellana'Conona). Next, choose berries
to complete the picture: red winterberry
{Ilex verticillata), yellow and orange bit-
tersweet {Celastrus orbiculatus) , or pink
rose hips {Rosa species).

LETS ACCESSORIZE!

Now it’s time to accessorize. Tuck in a
few pine cones, or some miniature
gourds, perhaps white pin lights or a few
holiday ornaments. You may even
change these accessories as winter pro-
gresses, moving from autumn berries
like bittersweet to white snowberries
{Symphoricarpos albus) at New Year’s.

So let Jack Frost nip at someone else’s
nose. As it rains, sleets, snows, and
freezes, you'll sit comfortably inside,
thumbing through plant catalogs with a
mug of hot chocolate and marshmal-
lows. And what will you see outside the
window or on your patio? Evergreen
beauty for months at a time. ^

Ellen Zachos is the author of
Down and Dirty , as well as numerous
articles on interior landscaping,
container gardening, xeriscaping, and
annual and perennial plants. You can
find her online at www.acmeplant.com.

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The Barnes Foundation

« Visit the Barnes Foundation this fall and

winter and enjoy an unparalleled aesthetic
ftp ' ' tfS < experience inside the Gallery and

/ Wr outside in the Arboretum.

mmmfm

V 1

7;'-" v.-; w ' i'f '

Of?

| Ij

t Kit

Paul Cezanne, Terracolln Pols mid Flowers,
1891-1892, BF235.

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.barnesfoundation.org

GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

Basic Botany

By Jessie Keith

Beautiful Mutants

Moondust carnations

oubled. Weeping. Contorted. Prostrate.

These words sound more like descrip-
tions of anguish rather than pleasing
plant characteristics created through genetic muta-
tion. In reality, such mutations are the basis for orna-
mental horticulture, and they drive the search to select,
hybridize, and perfect new plants. It’s a practice that
has existed since the dawn of crop domestication,
and it grows more compelling as new breeding techniques
develop and the ornamental palette grows and changes.

SELECTION

Plant selection was the first form of genetic alteration. It
began with agriculture around 8,000 BC. Early agricultur-
ists genetically modified crops, inadvertently, by choosing
more vigorous plants with bigger and better fruits. Crops
like rice, wheat, corn, and apples are products of such early
endeavors. In fact, for a few plants, like corn, selection was
so good that there are no morphologically similar wild rel-
atives, meaning corn as we know it exists strictly as a
human innovation.

Roses were cultivated as early as 5,000 years ago, along
with other ornamentals such as peonies (2,500 BC in
China) and lotus (3,000 BC in China). Selection criteria
like large, double, and fragrant flowers and unusual colors
were similar to today’s plants. In fact, some ancient hybrids,
like the pale pink Rosa X richardii (100 AD in Egypt), are
still commercially available.

HYBRIDIZATION

Mendel’s hybridization experiments in 1865 charted the
path toward understanding basic genetics. Early geneticists
learned how desirable traits like floral color were passed on
and maintained through controlled crosses of parents with
known traits (PI generation) to their progeny (Fl genera-
tion) and their progeny’s progeny (F2 generation). They
also found that many hybrids were more vigorous than
their parents, a phenomenon known as heterosis (hybrid
vigor).

By 1940 hybridization began improving our repertoire of
innovative horticultural plants. Early efforts brought us
groundbreaking plants like the first Fl Petunia hybrid
‘Ballerina’ (1952) and first Fl Zinnia hybrid ‘Peter Pan’
(1971).

GENETIC ENGINEERING

Early genetic engineering techniques included mutagen-
esis (introduction of genetic variation into plant lines
through exposure to genetic
mutagens such as chemicals or
radiation) and chromosome
doubling (chemical doubling of
chromosomes to increase vigor).
But after the first foreign gene
was introduced into a tobacco
plant in 1983, “genetic engineer-
ing” adopted a new meaning.

Since then, genetically modi-
fied or transgenic crops have
become common in agriculture
because they simplify breeding
schemes, but are less common in
ornamental horticulture. Why?
High costs and a process riddled
with red tape. Still, a few plants
have made it to the forum.

Heuchera ‘Cinnabar Silver’

Australia’s Florigene created a transgenic
line of purple cutting carnations called the
Moon series and is striving to create a
truly blue rose. Likewise, Pennsylvania’s
Novaflora successfully created transgenic
ornamentals using dwarfing genes but
eventually found this method cost prohib-
itive. “We have lots of tools in our tool-
box,” says Novaflora’s Dr. Michael Dobres,
“but we’ve curtailed transgenic techniques
because they are expensive and the tech-
nology is not freely available.’

Nevertheless, Novaflora has done won-
ders using other breeding tools. For exam-
ple, they’ve taken the excellent Knock Out
rose line and created great variants using a
little mutagenesis. “We have many prom-
ising new Knock Outs," says Dr. Dobres,
“like compact and creeping varieties, new
color options, and doubles.”

The Oregon-based Terra Nova nursery
also taps into the more accessible breeding
toolbox. “Our program is rigorous and
diverse,” says head plant breeder Dan
Heims. “We do a lot of ‘sport fishing’
(sports being plant sections that genetical-
ly deviate from a main plant). Even our
tissue culture propagation reaps rewards.
One in 10 plants exhibit a visible muta-
tion (something called somaclonal varia-
tion). Mutants are our bread and butter.
In fact, Terra Nova’s seed money came
from Dan’s first discovery, Heuchera san-
guined ‘Snow Storm’.

With such a rich history, the future of
ornamental plant breeding is bound to get
even better as we hanker for more beauti-
ful and distinctive plants. It is awe-inspir-
ing to realize that we are the protectors as
well as the purveyors of all domesticated
plants. They wouldn't exist without us,
and without them, our gardens and lives
would be less vivid and exciting.

Jessie Keith is a horticulturist and plant
biologist who works as assistant editor for
the Learn2Grow.com plant database and
lives in Wilmington, Delaware, with her
husband Knut and daughter Franziska.

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GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

A "Pave" Design in Sand

Before the invention of floral foam, sand was
often used to support flower stems.
Advantages of this technique are that flow-
ers last longer and it is better for the environment. A
style of floral design known as pave (pronounced pah-
vey) is based on this concept. It uses flowers and other
materials in tightly placed groups to form a design of
colors and texture (as in pave diamonds). Although it
requires quite a few flowers to complete the design, the
flowers need not be expensive and may — weather per-
mitting— come from your garden. This is a good use
for flowers harvested by children, which so often end
up with 1-inch stems. It’s also a perfect way to be cre-
ative with the colors and textures of diverse plant
material.

Photos by Margaret Funderberg/PHS

STEP 1: GATHERING
MATERIALS

• A low dish or bowl

• Builder’s sand to fill container and
moss to cover sand

• Water to moisten sand

• Your choice of flowers. Here we use:

• 4 stems bells of Ireland

• 3 spray roses

• 4 stems hypericum berries

• 3 stems eucalyptus pods

• moss

• wire or greening (fern) pins

STEP 2: PREPARING

• Fill the container with sand, moisten with
water and cover with moss.

• Organize your materials into groups and
cut flower stems to about 1-1/2 inches.

• Cut Bells of Ireland into single florets.

STEP 3: ARRANGING

• Draw a plan of where you want to place
your flowers.

• Place your flower heads, berries, and
pods according to your plan.

• Fill in any empty spaces with extra plant
material or moss.

Your pave design will last a long time

because the stems are short and close to their

water source. Be sure to keep it watered.

Alternate Design:

This design may be created
with floral foam. Here you see roses,
chrysanthemums, Bells of Ireland and
galex leaves.

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GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

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COBBLESTONE-edging and paving,
STONE walls, RETAINING walls, MARBLE,
GRANITE-floors, walls, countertops.
215-699-5611 Upper Gwynedd, PA

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/February issue (by November 1)
March/April issue (by January 1)
May/June issue (by March 1)

July/ August issue (by May 1)
September/October issue (by July 1)
November/December 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 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: Daniel Moise, Green Scene

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495.

If you have any questions, please call 215-988-8871.

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY

CONSTRUCTION

Solar Innovations, Janco,

Lord & Burnham and more.

Call Robert J. LaRouche at
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

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

Many pictures and information on our website
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or call 888-855-3500 for prices and information.

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36 GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

LANDSCAPE DESIGN

LINDA CORSON
LANDSCAPE DESIGN

• Consulting
• Plans

• Supervision

Registered Landscape Architect
Member ASLA 215-247-5619

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Bean Road Nursery

Architects, Builders and Nurserymen
Providing the Fine Art of Garden
Construction

and Landscape Restoration

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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.

LARGE SPECIMEN TREES

Large Specimen Trees
20’ American Holly and Colorado
Blue Spruce

Delicious Homegrown Seasonal Fruits

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

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Won’t change soil pH
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BALED PINE NEEDLE MULCH

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Call for brochure
1 -800-LANDSCAPE

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NURSERY

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• Great Plants • Display Gardens • Programs
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856-694-4272
greatplants@tripleoaks.com

PONDS

PONDS AND WATERFALLS

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View our pond video at

www.YourPond.com
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1 -800-LANDSCAPE

UNUSUAL SPECIMENS

Statement of Ownership Management and Circulation (Act of October 23, 1962; Section 4369. Title 39, United States Code)

1. Date of Filing: October 01, 2007. 2. Title of Publication: Green Scene 3. Frequency of issue: bimonthly. 4-3. Location
of Known Office of Publication and Headquarters: 100 N. 20th Street, 3th 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 19103-1495. 8. Known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders holding one percent
or more of total amount of bonds, mongages, or other securities: None. 9. Extent and Nature of Circulation:

Average No. Copies Single Issue

Each Issue Preceding 12 Months During Nearest Filing Date

A. Total No. Copies Printed
(net press run)

12,690

12,887

B. Paid Circulation:

1 . Sales through dealers and carriers,
street vendors and counter sales

2. Mail subscription

11,772

12,230

C. Total Paid Circulation

11,832

12,290

D. Free Distribution by mail, carrier,

or other means, samples, complimentary,
and other free copies

100

E. Free Distribution outside the mail
(carriers or other means)

200

110

F. Total Free Distribution (sum of D and E)

300

210

G: Total Distribution (sum of C and F)

12,132

12,500

H. Copies not distributed:

1 . Office use, left over, unaccounted,
spoiled after printing

420

375

2. Return from news agents

Total (sum of G, Hi and H2)

12,552

12,875

Percent Paid and/or Requested
(C divided by G times 100)

97.5%

98%

I certify that the statements made by me above are correct
Pete Prown, Editor

and complete.

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
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GREEN SCENE • january/february 2008

The Backyard

GROWING TEACHERS IN PHILADELPHIA

By Daniel Moise

n what was often referred ro as “summer camp for teachers,”
40 Philadelphia educators spent three days in July learning
about schoolyard gardens, courtesy of PHS’s Green City
Teachers initiative.

Now in its second year, Green City Teachers is designed to
provide educators with skills and resources to help their students
appreciate the role of nature in their lives. This is primarily
accomplished through a five-session course offered each fall that
encourages the integration of horticulture and environmental
education into curricula, after-school programs, and service-
learning projects. The training is funded by the Burpee
Foundation, operated by the 131 -year-old seed and plant
supplier, W. Atlee Burpee & Co.

The idea for the program grew from the concern that youth
can’t fully appreciate nature through lessons and exams — they
need to experience it directly. By establishing onsite gardens,
schools can provide such learning opportunities in a safe and
structured environment. “Many of my students are visual learners
who retain information better through hands-on activities,” says
Rita Stevens of West Philadelphia’s Huey B. Samuel School.
“Gardening is a self-esteem builder and it gets kids excited.'

PHS’s Sally McCabe explains the summer workshop’s agenda:
“We walked the teachers through the process of building a garden
from soup to nuts — -everything including design, planning,
planting, and growing. By the end we wanted them to have the

necessary skills to return to school and start a garden.”

Participants built a garden from scratch on an unused parcel of
land near St. Francis Xavier School in the Fairmount neighbor-
hood. Trading in their number-two pencils and calculators for
hammers and screwdrivers, the teachers proved to be determined
and productive workers. Phil McCabe (no relation to Sally) of
West Philadelphia’s Wilson School says, “It was great working
together with a common goal and a sense of community. That is
something I strive for at my school.”

Although the weather during the workshop was stiflingly hot,
the teachers took it in stride. In all, they constructed 12 raised gar-
den beds out of recycled materials and planted two trees. Everyone
agreed that the dramatic improvement was worth the perspira-
tion.

Since then several of the educators have met with their respec-
tive administrators and launched fantastic gardens. One partici-
pant, Maureen McHugh, is most grateful for the networking that
occurs as part of Green City Teachers. She says, “Sometimes it
feels as though you’re out there by yourself trying to do the
impossible. Now I have a list of people I can call for advice and
support.”

Preschool teacher Tuesday Vanstory adds, “Gardening is a
passion of mine, so I’m appreciative of the knowledgeable and
enthusiastic instructors for showing me how to share it with my
class.”

PHS is a proud
co-sponsor of the
2008 National Children
& Youth Garden
Symposium. Produced
by the American
Horticultural Society,
the annual event brings
together educators,
garden designers,
community leaders,
and youth gardening
advocates from across
the country. This year's
symposium will take
place from July 24 to
26 at the University of
Delaware in Newark.

Highlights of the
symposium will include
tours of Longwood
Gardens, Winterthur,
and the Camden
Children's Garden. To
learn more about the
event, themed
"Cultivating Fertile
Minds," visit
www.ahs.org.

A teacher training for a
new school garden in

Philadelphia

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sight throughout. Experts Yal Easton, Ray Evison, Jan Moyer, and
Gary Roller will discuss why patterns are essential in garden making
and how you can enhance and reveal rhythms, textures, and colors.
Visit hortprograms.com or call 877.GDN.PROG to register.
Presented in cooperation with Horticulture magazine.

From Bank to Bend

March 16, 2008

This half-day symposium features garden experts David L. Culp
and Chris Lane on the subjects of snowdrops and witch hazels,
followed by an optional tour of March Bank with Winterthur
horticulturists. Registration begins January 2008.

Trillium Symposium

April 17- 19, 2008

Join academic professionals and expert gardeners as they address
the science, conservation, and horticulture of the fascinating
trillium. Registration begins December 2007.

Visit trilliumsymposium2008.org.

Spring Photography Weekend at Winterthur

April 25-27, 2008

Go from taking garden snapshots to truly great floral
images! Master photographer Allen Rokach will share the
techniques professionals use to craft dramatic photographs of
flowers and gardens. Registration required.

Photography : Jeannette Lindvig, John Gyer, Raymond J. Evison, and Atlen Rokach.

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Contents

FEATURES 34

Mrs. Hamilton’s
Greenhouses

iSTCFtirLUir

Year after year, Show-goers are delighted
and amazed at the plants from
Mrs. Hamilton’s famed Main Line
greenhouses. In a Green Scene exclusive,
Betsie Blodgett takes us on a tour, where
we ll find hundreds of exotic orchids,
topiaries, succulents, and more.

Gallant Galanthus

If the late-winter landscape is making
you feel dreary, look for the delightful,
nodding heads of snowdrops, which
pop up this time of year. Their quiet
beauty is a favorite among winter-flower
lovers and should have a place in
everyone’s plot.

A Flower Show Preview

At the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show,
you can enjoy dazzling southern gardens,
hot New Orleans jazz, and loads of
educational opportunities. Join Daniel
Moise for a sneak peek.

Gardening in the Big Easy

How can you get the sultry, semi-tropical
look of New Orleans’ gardens.. .in your
own backyard? Southern-garden expert
Felder Rushing shows us the plants,
combinations, and effects that can turn
even a single container into a French
Quarter vignette.

The Potting Shed

Basic Botany

The Mysteries of "Biotic” Pollination

Botanical Bouquets

Fun with Spring Blossoms

The Backyard

Artfully Controlling Stormwater

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society motivates people to
improve the quality of life and create a sense of community
through horticulture.

Cover art by Eliza Leydon

Editor

Pete Prown

Senior Editor

Jane Carroll

Associate Editor

Daniel Moise

Staff Photographer

Margaret Funderburg

Art Design

Baxendells’ Graphic

Printer

ALCOM Printing Group, Inc.

The Pennsylvania
Horticultural Society

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 Media Group
610-527-7047

mmanzo@manzomediagroup. com

Classified Ads

Daniel Moise, 215-988-8871
gsads@pennhort. org

Ask A Gardener Phone Line

215-988-8777, Monday through Friday,
9:30 to 1 2 [closed in December]
askagardener@pennhort. org

GREEN SCENE (USPS 955580),

Volume 36, 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 19103.

POSTMASTER: Send address change to GREEN
SCENE. 100 N. 20th St„ Philadelphia, PA 19103.
© Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 2008

Letter from the President

Thank You
for Your Support

Flowers and music — what
a wonderful combina-
tion. The Philadelphia
Flower Show is always beautiful,
but this year, thanks to the
extraordinary efforts of our
exhibitors, it will be positively gor-
geous. There will be one exhibit
after another to inspire your gar-
dening activities, and, if you enjoy
a party, our musical entertainers
are going to make it a celebration
every day. This is a Show you
won’t want to miss.

I never cease to marvel at the
creativity of our exhibitors. In
preparation for this year’s Show,
some started talking to design
director Sam Lemheney almost
two years ago. Thev heard a rumor
about the Jazz It Up\ theme and
just couldn’t wait to tell him about
their dreams. Before last year’s
Show closed, we had suggestions
for balcony gardens, rhythm
rooms, and ornate courtyards from the
French Quarter. Since I made my first visit
to New Orleans last fall, I can hardly wait to
see how these talented people bring the
Southern style of gardening alive in
Philadelphia in early March.

Beyond the creativity of our exhibitors, I
also admire their persistence in bringing
Flower Show visitors nothing but the best in
horticulture. It’s not easy tricking a summer-
blooming plant or a flowering tree into pro-
ducing its very best blooms on a cold March
day. Over the years, exhibitors have devel-
oped rigorous schedules that tell them when
to plant seeds for annuals, when to place
perennials in cold storage, and when to
bring dormant trees into the greenhouses.
Even with the best records however, every
exhibitor faces the vagaries of the one thing
they can’t control: the weather. If we have
dark days in January and February, more
light is needed to encourage bloom. If we
have an extreme cold snap, exhibitors lose
sleep at night hoping the alarm won’t go off

GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

Philadelphia Flower Show revenues,
including contributions from PNC
Bank, support PHS programs,
including Philadelphia Green. The
nation's most comprehensive urban
greening program, Philadelphia
Green works with community
groups, city agencies, corporations,
and other partners to transform
derelict vacant land, plant trees, and
revitalize parks and civic landscapes,
creating vibrant, well-managed green
spaces.

These efforts contribute to the
quality of life throughout Philadelphia
serve as an economic stimulus for
communities, and provide a model
for similar efforts nationwide.

Learn more about our work at
www.philadelphiagreen.org

in the greenhouse to let them
know the heater has burned out.

Successfully exhibiting plants
for the Philadelphia Flower Show
takes true dedication, and I could
not be more grateful to all our
exhibitors, from the first-time
participant who is willing to put
their plant up for scrutiny to the
landscape company that turns
mountains of mulch into a 2,000-
square-foot garden.

I also want to express my grati-
tude to our volunteers. Each year,
more than 3,500 wonderful peo-
ple donate their time to help this
Show get up and running. Some
are involved in the planning, some
in the judging, and some in greet-
ing our guests. They arrive at the
Pennsylvania Convention Center
at all times of day and night to
install exhibits, water plants, and
even work on plans for the next
year’s Show. If you would like to
become a volunteer, please contact
our volunteer program manager,
Susan Strawbridge, at 215-988-8876 or
sstrawbridge@pennhort.org. We have a job for
everyone at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

Many, many thanks to PNC Bank,
Presenter of the Show for 17 years. We are
also grateful to Premier Sponsor Subaru of
America Inc.; Official Sponsors Acme
Markets, Bartlett Tree Experts, Cabrini
College, EP Henry (Official Hardscaping
Supplier), Fiskars Garden & Outdoor
Living, Monrovia, Philadelphia International
Airport, TH Properties, and Tourism
Ireland; Media Partners WPVI-TV 6 ABC
and Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.; and
caterer Aramark.

Thank you for coming, and I do hope you
enjoy the Show.

Jane G. Pepper, PHS President

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Our staff is trained to attend
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The Potting Shed

Growing
Ivy for the
Flower
Show

Above:

Sandy at
the
Show

Right:

‘Anna’

Right: Two of

Sandy’s ivy
entries,
Hedera helix
‘Plume D’Or’
(front) and
Hedera
algeriensis
‘Gloire de
Marengo’
(rear)

To call it “beginner’s luck” would
downplay the incredible success
Sandy Jones had her first time
exhibiting at the Philadelphia Flower Show.
An ivy enthusiast, Sandy left the 2007 Show
with 52 ribbons.

Before this fortuitous turn, Sandy partici-
pated in the Show as a member of the
American Ivy Society, which for several years
has had an exhibit at the Show. Typically
Sandy would field visitors’ questions at the
exhibit during Show week, but when given a
free moment she enjoyed perusing the com-
petitive plant entries of the “Show It” section
(formerly known as the “Horticourt ”). It was
during one of these walkabouts in 2005 that
Sandy was inspired to compete.

“As I was admiring the entries I noticed that
ivies were underrepresented,” she says. “And
while I might not be able to compete at the
same level as Flower Show veterans like Mrs.
Hamilton, it gave me something to aspire to.”

When she returned home to Atlanta, Sandy
wasted no time growing and grooming some
of her favorite species of Hedera. There were
several factors working in her favor: for one,
the mild climate of the South allowed her to
raise many of the ivies outside. With the assis-
tance of rolling racks and other handy tools,
Sandy says her front porch quickly became
Hedera headquarters.

Secondly, many of the skills Sandy employs
in her career as a fine jeweler came in handy
when caring for plants. An eye for composi-
tion, the ability to notice tiny details,
and manual dexterity are useful whether
assembling a platinum necklace or pruning
sickly leaves.

Sandy’s last and ultimate weapon was a fam-
ily who helped her hone her talent. Growing
up, Sandy learned from her mother, Mary
McDonald, as she helped in their Japanese-
influenced backyard garden. As an adult,
Sandy’s sister-in-law, Candy Simmons, taught
her the delicate art of Hedera forms. Sadly,
Candy passed away in 2007 after a 10-year
fight against breast cancer. Sandy says,
“Candy’s tutelage and legacy remain alive in
every plant I touch.”

While she was unable to compete in the
2006 Show, all these advantages came to a
head when 2007 arrived. A few days before the
Show, Sandy carefully loaded the car with her
entries and made the trek to Philadelphia. “In
future years I hope to have enough room in
the car for my husband,” she jokes, “but that
year it was just me and the plants.”

At the Show, Sandy’s 32 entries were a big
hit, accumulating ribbons from the judges and
accolades from the public. Most memorable
was one ivy topiary shaped as the profile
of a dog. Another crowd-pleaser was a careful-
ly groomed moss-fern form resembling a
potbellied pig.

While Sandy says she was flattered by the
attention, her favorite Flower Show moment
was meeting Mrs. Hamilton. She says, “I
thanked her for giving me the motivation to
compete; it was such a fun and rewarding
experience.”

Fun, rewarding, and rigorous. Sandy is
hooked. Look for her entries in the upcoming
2008 Show, Jazz It Up!. Sandy says, “Every
day that I’m in Philadelphia I call my husband
to make sure he’s watering and looking after
the plants. Fortunately, he understands
my obsession.”

— Simon Dayne

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Vinny’s Home & Garden Showplace

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MARYLAND

Johnson’s Flower & Garden Center

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Williams Nursery

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A Tuneful

Tour of
the 2008
Philadelphia
Flower Show

Winter in Philadelphia may
be ice cold, but the
Pennsylvania Convention
Center will be red hot from March 2
through 9 for the Philadelphia Flower
Show. This year’s theme, Jazz It Up!, brings
to life the sultry sights and sounds of New
Orleans.

“A music-themed Flower Show was
something we toyed with for years. Once
we decided on jazz, all the pieces quickly
came together,” says Sam Lemheney, the
Show’s design director. “Taking this idea
and transforming it into a 10-acre Show
has been a thrill."

In many ways jazz is a harmonious pair-
ing for the 179-year-old Flower Show. Just
as jazz reinvented contemporary music, the
Flower Show takes gardening and horticul-
ture in bold and daring new directions. To
find his muse, Sam traveled to the birth-
place of jazz in the spring of 2007.

“New Orleans was a great source of
inspiration. I took a nice tour with Stephen
Swain, president of the city’s Patio Planters
garden club. He led me through intimate
private properties, beautifully designed gar-
den blocks, and urban landscapes filled
with flower beds, he says.

Sam has incorporated that experience
into the main exhibits of the 2008 Show.
In fact, when visitors first enter they will
travel under an archway of floating piano
keys and vibrant cut flowers. As with past
Shows, water features play a major role in
setting the tone: at the end of the archway
is a cascading waterfall imbued with light
and color.

Farther back are the Rhythm Rooms,
which were inspired by the famous Cotton
Club — a Harlem hotspot where many
prominent performers such as Duke
Ellington and Lena Horne got their start.
There will be six rooms in all, each of
which promises to push the limits of “out-
side-in” decor. Sam expects visitors will be
particularly won over by the elaborate floral
chandeliers that will be aglow with orchids
and calla lilies.

Philadelphia’s award-winning Lamsback
Floral Decorators have contributed their
talents toward the design and construction
of the Rhythm Rooms and other principal
exhibits. Flower Show exhibitors for the
past 18 years, the husband-and-wife team
of Bob and Karen Lamsback create chic
table settings that exude refinement.

Bob says, “It’s a given that when you go
to the Flower Show you’ll see lots of incred-
ibly beautiful flowers. What will be distinct
about this year is that the major displays
will feature a more contemporary look,
very much inspired by modern art.”

Each of the rooms — or vignettes, as Bob
calls them — is designed with a specific
shape and color combination. For instance
one room will primarily feature circles;
another, triangles. Connecting the rooms
will be more than 1 ,600 fiery bromeliads in

GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

GREEN SCENE • man

RAILS

shades of red, orange, and yellow.

At the center of the Rhythm Rooms will
be the Legends Stage, presented by the
Settlement Music School, featuring an
exquisite piano supplied by Jacobs Music.
The one-of-a-kind Steinway & Sons
instrument, designed by renowned glass
artist Dale Chihuly, will be featured in
rousing performances throughout the day.
Students, faculty, and alumni of the
Settlement School — now celebrating its
centennial — will provide the tunes.

The grand finale of the themed exhibits
will be a contemporary take on New
Orleans famed French Quarter. Here,
courtyards, cast-iron balconies, and foun-
tains will capture the festive mood of the
Big Easy as magnolias, oleander, and end-
less tropical flowers wow the senses.

“Putting the Flower Show spin on New
Orleans' most swinging spots allows us to
showcase what 1 call the ‘hidden treasures’
of horticulture,” Sam says. “Visitors will be
inspired with new ideas on color, texture,
and garden design. Best of all, hanging bas-
kets and planters will illustrate how easy it
is to recreate the same ambiance at home."

Of course you can’t recreate N’awlins
without the music that makes the city soar.
Each day the Bourbon Street Stage will
offer live performances by the New
Orleans-based Big Sam’s Funky Nation.
And, as a special treat, some visitors will be
invited to don beads and strut their stuff in
“The Second Line” — a rollicking parade
that snakes across the Show floor.

“It’s important that we capture the ener-
gy of New Orleans,” Sam says, “and we
hope Flower Show visitors will be moved to
book a trip and see the city for themselves.”

PHS president Jane Pepper adds, “All
the plans and designs I’ve seen have me
tappin my toes. I’ve told my friends that
il they want to experience the magic of
Mardi Gras right here Philadelphia, they
ought to mark their calendars right now for
Jazz It Up! .”

Visit www.theflowershow.com for the latest
Show information.

The Barnes Foundation

In 1940, Laura Barnes established the Arboretum
School to provide students of horticulture, botany, and
landscape architecture the opportunity to work under
professional guidance.

Each fall the Arboretum School of the Barnes
Foundation accepts twenty-five new students for its
three-year program in ornamental horticulture which
offers a comprehensive curriculum of botany, plant propa-
gation, 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 Foundation also offers one and two-day work-
shops during the summer.

_1_)

For more information, a full course description and registration, please call 610-667-0290 ext. 3825 or ext. 1071

THE BARNES FOUNDATION

300 North Latch’s Lane, Merion, PA 19066 www.barnesfoundation.org

ARBORS *

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SHOWROOM BY APPOINTMENT

GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

#1IH

SHOW INFORMATION

Dates: March 2 - 9, 2008
Theme: Jazz It Up!

Website: www.theflowershow.com

Recorded Information:

215-988-8899

Location

Pennsylvania Convention Center
12th & Arch Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Hours

Sundays, March 2 & March 9
8 am to 6 pm

Monday, March 3 through Friday, March 7
10 am to 9:30 pm

Saturday, March 8
8 am to 9:30 pm

"Sales Outlets: Flower Show tickets are avail-
able at participating PNC bank branches; AAA
Mid-Atlantic branches; ACME; Giant Food
Stores; Philadelphia-area Borders Book &
Music; SEPTA ticket-sales outlets; and partici-
pating garden centers, nurseries, and florists.
Check availability with individual outlets;
service charges may apply.

‘"Student tickets are available for $17 for stu-
dents (ages 17-24) with a valid student ID and
proof of age. This offer is only available at the
Show Box Office at the Pennsylvania Convention
Center, between March 2 and 9, 2008.

Show revenues support the Pennsylvania
Horticultural Society's outreach efforts,
including its acclaimed greening program,
Philadelphia Green.

Visit www. philadelphiagreen. org.

Sponsors

Best viewing hours are after 4 pm. Box office
closes one hour before Show closing on all days.

Producer:

the PEN NSY LV A N I A
HORTICULTURAL society

Flower Show Presenter:

©PNC

Tickets:

Tickets may be purchased online until Feb 27.

Advance Tickets

(Good any day. Available online and at sales
outlets*)

• Adults $22

• Children (ages 2 - 16) $13

General Admission at the Box Office

Adults

• Sunday, March 2 $28

• Monday - Friday, March 3 - 7. $24

• Saturday & Sunday,

March 8 - 9 $26

Children (ages 2-16)

• March 2 -9 $13

Students ( ages 17-24)**

• March 2-9 $17

©PNC

presents

BOUQUETS TO OUR SPONSORS

Premier Sponsor

SUBARU

Official Sponsors

a cue

CAbrini

COLLEGE

€P HENRY

Ireland

^MONROVIA

Family Fun Pak

The Family Fun Pak is available for $65. The
Pak includes Flower Show tickets for two
adults and two children (2 - 16 years) in
addition to a year-round membership to the
Pennsylvania FHorticultural Society. This
offer is available at www.theflowershow.com
and at Membership Sales, located adjacent to
the Will Call booth, West Entrance at
12th & Arch Streets.

Media Partners

Catering

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GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

Gardening,

New Orleans Style

With this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show focused on the
gardens, music, and style of New Orleans, you may be dream-
ing that an alluring touch of the romantic South in your gar-
den would be charming. You can borrow elements of this laid-
back style and even find suitable plants and accessories. But
believe me, there’s something about New Orleans that cannot
be recreated; the real thing requires total sensual immer-
sion— not to mention an attitude adjustment.

Consider this: gardeners in New Orleans think that 40°F is
biting cold, but 80°F at three in the morning is perfectly nor-
mal. And they glide gracefully through humidity so thick you
can lick it, while visitors stand around panting until they stop
struggling and simply limber up.

New Orleans is one of the steamiest towns in America, part-
ly because it is below sea level and surrounded by miles of
swamp land that filters the warm breezes wafting in from the
Gulf of Mexico. And did I mention it doesn’t cool off at night?

Below:

New Orleans
gardens, from
private court-
yards to festive
street plantings
in front of
colorful
bungalows

GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

French Quarter
balconies drip with
trailing tropical
plants year-round.

PROVEN

WINNERS

Passionate
Seductive
Black Lace

Black Lace's dark, finely cut
foliage has seduced thousands of
gardeners across North America.
The elegant texture and rich
color is used in perennial gardens,
container designs, and traditional
mixed borders. Try it and see
why the Plant for Passionate
Gardeners is loved by so many.

The Plant for Passionate Gardeners

Sombucus nig ro
Eva'

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COLOR O

www.colorchoiceplants.com

That’s why New Orleans is called the Big
Easy — we aren’t slow out of laziness; it’s our
humidity survival strategy.

Out-of-towners are immediately struck
by the lavish decadence of New Orleans.
Small lots dominated shoulder-to-shoulder
by often-rickety houses are overstufled with
plants and accessories. Throw in fertile
growing conditions and overlay everything
with an “it’s too hot to care, let’s just party
attitude, and it’s no wonder paved areas for
outdoor entertaining and lush groundcov-
ers prevail over lawns. Arbors and porches
drip with flowering vines, lending an even
more dank, almost foreboding effect that is
only partly offset by abundant outdoor

lighting and gaslights.

This is a town where flamboyance is a
relative concept. Though nearly every gar-
den has an Old World touch of neatly
clipped boxwood parterres and classical
urns and statuary, even the most over-the-
top Victorian landscaper would have
blushed at New Orleanians gaudy use of
color and texture. Because of the city’s cel-
ebrated rich, mixed heritage and early lack
of zoning or covenants, in all but the most
staid areas of the upper-crust Garden
District, it’s not unusual to see purple
Victorian “painted lady” houses nestled
between bold pink, royal blue, or lime
green cottages, or filigreed row houses

GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

COLOR

Vivid color.

Green thumb
not required.

ColorChoice featured plant is My Monet™ Weigeia.

www.colorchoiceptants.com

PROVEN

WINNERS'

The so called "experts" say shrubs
are the backbone of the garden.

I disagree.

ColorChoice shrubs from Proven
Winners! They give you all the color
of perennials — without all the work.

Color is easy with ColorChoice.

I plant shrubs in mixed containers,
side by side with my perennials,
right out front.

I'm no expert, but with ColorChoice®
flowering shrubs, I don’t have to be.
My neighbors agree — the yard
looks fantastic.

encrusted with cutout gingerbread details
in contrasting pastels.

And add a dash of declasse: in New
Orleans, Mardi Gras beads festoon most of
the trees at least part of the year, and no one
so much as raises an eyebrow if a vinyl alli-
gator mailbox appears down the street. This
is also a city of excess, and garden orna-
ments— even highly decorated fences — are
de rigueur.

Frosts are rare, making every inner court-
yard a microclimate, so in addition to
familiar temperate trees and shrubs, rang-
ing from giant magnolias, oaks, bald
cypress, and arborvitae ( Thuja sp.), there
are also hulking rubber trees, small citrus
trees, and bananas under-planted with
monstrous agaves, hibiscus, variegated shell
ginger ( Alpina zerumbet ), philodendrons,
plumbago, and aspidistra. Though palms
and Volkswagen-sized sagos are popular
accents, a surprising number of hardy cacti
and succulents can tolerate the prodigious
rainfall. And ghostly gray Spanish moss, an
epiphytic bromeliad, drapes nearly every-
thing.

Volunteer ferns cover brick and masonry
walls. Vines wrap around porches and trees
and wind themselves around the hurricane
evacuation route signs. Though insects are
kept in check by unseen armies of natural
predators, most gardeners rarely go out
without a small stick for dealing with spi-
der webs and mostly-benign crawling and
slithering reptiles.

There has been an amazing garden come-
back since Hurricane Katrina, especially at
the New Orleans Botanical Gardens
( www.neworleanscitypark.com/nobg) and the

Above: Live oaks draped
with Spanish moss
are plentiful

Right: The gardens at
Longue Vue
have been
restored since
Hurricane Katrina.

Plants for New Orleans-style
gardens

Annuals: castor bean, basil, cleome,
coleus, impatiens, pentas, pepper,
ornamental sweet potato, zinnia,
hollyhock, and begonias

Perennials and bulbs: caladium, canna,
miscanthus, ajuga, artemisia, daylily,
ferns, mallows, sedums, violets, yarrow,
mint, gladiolus, hosta, iris, amaryllis,
dahlia, elephant ears, and lantana

Tropical plants: asparagus ferns,
philodendrons, spider plant, fatsia,
aucuba, palms, rubber tree,
dwarf schefflera

Shrubs: azaleas, conifers, boxwood,
elderberry, hydrangeas, lilac,
pyracantha, rose of Sharon (Althaea),
everblooming shrub roses, buddleja,
camellia (C. oleifera and Ackerman hybrids
are cold tolerant), hollies, and magnolias
(especially M. grandiflora 'Little Gem' in a
large pot). Also include hardy vines such
as ivy and climbing roses.

Books related to

New Orleans gardens in the

PHS McLean Library

Courtyards: Intimate Outdoor Spaces by
Douglas Keister (Gibbs Smith Pub.)

Gardens & Historic Plants of the
Antebellum South by James R. Cothran
(Univ. of South Carolina Press).

Gardens of New Orleans by Jeanette
Hardy & Lake Douglas (Chronicle Books)

Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carre: The
Historic French Quarter of New Orleans by
Roy F. Guste, Jr. (Little, Brown)

For more information on the PHS
McLean Library, visit our website, call
215-988-8772, or send an email to:
mcleanlibrary@pennhort. org.

ADVERTISE
YOUR BUSINESS

to the Thousands of Local Gardeners who read

GREEN

scene

Magazine

Contact Michel Manzo at 610-527-7047
or mmanzo@manzomediagroup.com
for more information

Master Plans _ Roof Gardens _ Garden Architecture

610.584.5941 www.SEDdesignstudio.com

Our Quaker values show
us our lives together are
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women and men of all
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1382 Newtown-Langhome Rd
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215-504-1118 • 1-888-454-1122
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GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

New Orleans
Gardens

— \

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weeds from popping up in your lawn
while it nourishes the grass so that
it becomes more resistant to heat,
drought and other stress. And
because the products consist of
100% organic ingredients, they are
safe for your family, your pets, and
the environment.

nearby historic Longue Vue house and gar-
dens ( www.longuevue.com ), both of which
suffered great losses from two weeks under
salty water and no irrigation for months
afterwards.

Because of the mild winter climate, even
fast-food restaurants have something in
bloom every day of the year, including
bold-textured and large-flowered annuals
and luxuriant perennials. Gaudy spring
azaleas precede antique shrub roses and
summer crape myrtles, which overlap with
cool-season camellias ( C. sasanqua for fall,
C. japonica for winter). In-your-face fra-
grance billows off gardenias, sweet olive
( Osmanthus fragrans), evergreen gingers,
and jasmine vines.

One of the easiest ways to give your gar-
den a New Orleans feel would be by over-
stuffing a large ornate planter with coarse-
textured shrubs, vines, perennials, and
tropical annuals. Be sure to include authen-
tic, cascading “spillers” such as asparagus
fern and ornamental sweet potatoes.

New Orleans gardens are much more
than the hanging baskets and carefully
tended inner courtyards of the French
Quarter. A leisurely walk or drive around
the Garden District off St. Charles
Avenue — at any time of year — will inspire
and quicken the pulse of even the most
meticulous gardener. There is something
for everyone, from terraced mansions with
Old World culture and style to outlandish
cottages with innovative twists.

Yet there’s something about New
Orleans’ unique terroir — the sounds, the
tastes and smells, the undeniable effect of
the climate on skin and attitudes — that
keeps it from being a cacophony. If you cre-
ate a slice of it in your own inner garden,
you’ll know you’ve got it right when you
catch yourself saying, “C'est la vie!" ^

Felder Rushing, syndicated garden colum-
nist, author of 15 garden books, and host
of a public-radio gardening program, is a
tenth-generation Southern gardener from
just north of New Orleans. He is a con-
tributing editor for Horticulture magazine.
For more tips on “N’awlins’-style” garden-
ing in colder climates, visit him online at
www. felderrushing. net.

GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

We build communities & sell homes
so we can help more people.

Visit the "Eighth Note" at booth #528 and discover how you can help change New Orleans -

simply with the change in your pockets.

Bring music back into a child's life and support the Katrina Relief Fund...

...and discover why we are a different kind of home builder.

FOULKEWAYS AT GWYNEDD

More Time -

More Choices - More Friends

Setting Standards of Excellence in Retirement Living Since 1 967

Foulkeways at Gwynedd, community members look forward to
exploring new horizons and re-establishing past interests and hobbies.
There's always something close at hand to inspire both mind AND body!

So, what are you doing with the second half of YOUR life?

For more information about life at Foulkeways Continuing Care Retirement
Community, call Lori Schmidt at 215-283-7010 in the Residency
Information Office today.

Guided by Quaker Values
1120 Meetinghouse Road, Gwynedd, PA 19436

panptul

FRIENDS
SERVICES fS
AGING

aahsa

215-643-2200 • www.foulkeways.org

Foulkeways® at Gwynedd does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
religion, national origin, sex, handicap or familial status.

When a local Bartlett Tree Expert strolls under your
favorite oak, he has the world's most advanced tree
care technology in the palm of his hand:
a computer link to the Bartlett Tree Research
Laboratories and advanced diagnostic tree science.
What he also has is hands-on knowledge of local
weather, soil and environmental history.

Bartlett Tree Experts and Bartlett Science protect
the beauty, health and value of one of the most
important natural resources on earth, your trees.

The ELM is one of many Bartlett
innovations and techniques in
arboriculture that has helped
Bartlett improve the landscape
of tree care since 1907.

ELM. Environmental
Landscape Manager.

Bartlett Tree Experts is proud to be a continuing
sponsor of the Philadelphia Flower Show

Please call 877-BARTLETT
1.877.227.8538 or visit
our website www.bartlett.com

BARTLETT

TREE EXPERTS

GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

Highest rating for

“SUPERIOR QUALITY SKRVIOES*”

Highest rating for

o o

“WII.LINtiNKSS TO UtXX)MMENl )*”

Highest rating for

o o

“WORTHINESS OF PRICE PREMIUM*”

Thankyou

Of course, we’re proud of our ranking in the *2007 Luxury Brand Status Index
survey of private banks. But mostly, we’re grateful. Grateful to the individuals and
institutions that trust $20 billion to us. If you’d like to talk with the wealth advisory
and investment management firm that has earned that trust, call Stan Broadbent
at 215.419.6100 or visit www.glenmede.com.

Philadelphia • Wilmington • Princeton • Morristown • Cleveland

Glenmede

The Philadelphia Flower Show Presents

Market

A special advertising section for retail vendors in the Flower Show's
"Marketplace" area.

We invite you to visit them when you come to the Show.

‘Exhibiting in the ‘PhiCadetphia
l Tlozver Show for over 60 years

Come see us in the Marketplace (‘Booth 421 )

Visit our new Web site and online store:

www.Waldor.com

10 E. Poplar Ave. Linwood, NJ 08221

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GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

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Twenty-five years and hundreds
of Philadelphia Flower Show
ribbons and trophies later,
Joseph M. Paolino, manager of the
Hamilton Greenhouse in Wayne, PA,
still remembers what started it all.

“It was a ‘Martha Washington’ gerani-
um and a Paphiopedilum Invincible,” Joe
recalled one late-fall morning in the
greenhouse office. “Both won first place,
and the orchid won a special award.”

He leaned back in his chair and
smiled. “It just escalated from there,” he
said, referring to the hundreds of
entries — everything from tiny rock gar-
den plants to big orange trees — the
greenhouse staff now brings to the Show
in a large truck.

For Dorrance Hill Hamilton, who
exhibits as Mrs. Samuel M. V. Hamilton
and is known affectionately to fellow
competitors as “Dodo,” the first week
of March has become an annual tradi-
tion of early mornings and late nights,
as plants are carefully scrutinized
and groomed to perfection
before each of the three hor-
ticulture and orchid
judging days.

“I love the
competition and
being part of the world’s largest indoor
flower show,” she said. “1 enjoy seeing
the other competitors’ plants — and, I
must admit, I do like those blue rib-
bons and special awards. It is a tribute
to the greenhouse staff.” [See sidebar.]
PHS President Jane Pepper believes
Dodo and her greenhouse team exem-
plify the high standards that judges,

Siorj oy
Baisfe SJodgsn

Proiocjr^pny z>j Pa. la Pr z>uu

entrants, and visitors have come to
expect. “They are perfect Philadelphia
Flower Show exhibitors because they are
not only very competitive, but they are
also very generous in sharing cultural
information, seeds, cuttings, and even
precious plants with other exhibitors,”
she explained.

But perfection does not happen
overnight, as every seasoned exhibitor
who’s watched a perfectly grown pot of
daffodil bulbs flower and fade a week
before the Big Judging Day can painfully
attest.

“The most challenging are the azaleas,
getting them to flower in time for the
Show,” Joe said of the shrubs that would
naturally prefer to blossom a month or
two later. “For the first judging on

GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

Grand Greenhouses

Dorrance Hill Hamilton and her
greenhouse team have a win-
ning streak at the Philadelphia
Flower Show that spans 13 con-
secutive years.

She has won the top prize for
winning the most points in the
horticultural division— the Mrs.
Lammot du Pont Copeland
Horticultural Sweepstakes
Award— since 1995.

Last year, for example, she and
her team submitted 350 entries
that received 2,668 points,
including 76 blue ribbons and
nine special awards, including:
the coveted Garden Club of
America Certificate of
Excellence, the Edith Wilder
Scott Award for the outstanding
blue-ribbon winner in the horti-
culture classes, and two of the
three Susie Walker Awards for
the outstanding begonia entry
on each judging day.

The ribbons, rosettes, plaques,
and trophies have pride of place
in the Hamilton greenhouse and
help encourage everyone to
strive for perfection at the next
Show.

Whether you have one plant or
two hundred, Dodo encourages
everyone to be part of the
Flower Show family. "Get in
there and try it," she says.
"Entering a plant is a very edu-
cational experience, both for the
novice and the veteran
exhibitor— and it's fun!"

■amm

(ft mmL l

GREEN SCENE

Saturday, we like them to go in ‘tight’ so
we can re-enter them again during the
week — that way, the flowers will still be
in good shape.'

Both Dodo and Joe relish a challenge,
which for most exhibitors and visitors
points to the Orchidaceae family. “Some
of my favorites are the orchid classes,”
Dodo said. “We’ve had great success
with Papheopedilum Invincible ‘Spread
Eagle’, Cymbidium Dilly ‘Del Mar’,
Cym. Fort George ‘Lewes’, Cym. Pat
Nixon ‘Dory’, Oncidium sphacelatum,
Cattleya Friendly Third, and
Dendrobium kingianum," she added, list-
ing a number of her plants that have gar-
nered top orchid awards.

“With orchids, we never know how
many we re going to have — it’s always up
to the last minute to see what’s flower-
ing,” Joe explained. “Were always look-
ing for something new; we ll try to get an
orchid that’s never flowered during the
Flower Show timed just right.”

One of their iconic plants is the elab-
orately clipped myrtle ( Myrtus commu-
nis) topiary, which they’ve been training
since they acquired it some years ago.
“We call it the ‘Pagoda tree’,” Joe said.
“People look for it, because it changes
slightly every year.” Dodo’s other
favorites include one of her mother’s
jade plants ( Crass u la ovata ), Wardian
cases, Clivia miniata, Carissa shrubs
{Acokanthera oblongifolia), and a
showy pink-flowered hanging cactus
( NopaLxochia phyllanthoides) .

The combination of new and old cre-
ates excitement on the Show floor. “The
great thing about Dodo, Joe, and the
team at the Hamilton Greenhouse,” Jane
said, “is that they bring to the Show
some of my old favorites, plants that
come to the Show year after year in great
condition, but every year they try a new
plant, a new class or a new twist on a
type of plant they have exhibited
before.”

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iy\

Show fever hits the greenhouse staff of
six right after Christmas. “That’s when
we really get geared up,” Joe said. Not
including potted bulbs, he estimates
about 200 plants are earmarked for the
Show, although not all make it in.
“We’ve gotten to know the competition
and the classes,” he explained. “If we
don’t think it’s going to compete (for a
blue ribbon), we don’t put it in.”

Each staff member has a different
responsibility, one for bulbs, another for
orchids, and two for the larger potted
and hanging plants. Starting in January,
they stake, clip, turn, and keep a keen
eye out for infestations of the insect
kind.

Unstable weather conditions also keep
everyone on their toes. “Warmer win-
ters, particularly in the past couple of
years, have affected the timing of hold-
ing back the plants to be at their peak
during Flower Show week,” Dodo
added. “And, of course, transporting our
plants to the Show in an unheated truck
is one of our biggest challenges.”

Once they arrive at the Pennsylvania
Convention Center, getting plants safely
from the unloading area to the
Horticulture staging area by freight ele-
vator is not without peril. “Last year, the
Adam’s needle ( Yucca filamentosa), a
perennial winner, dropped off the back
of the cart," Joe said, wincing at the
memory. “It missed the Saturday morn-
ing judging, but we took it back to the
greenhouse, repotted it, and had it back
in the Show on Tuesday.” (And yes, he
still gets nervous on judging days.)

For Dodo, whose commitment to
Flower Show and horticultural excel-
lence prompted her to a give a generous
grant to PHS to redesign and upgrade
the Horticulture section, the enjoyment
goes beyond the blue ribbons.

“Being part of the Flower Show fami-
ly is something 1 look forward to every
year,” she said. ^

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GALANTHOMANIA

A Wintery Passion for Snowdrops

Story by
llene Sternberg

Photography by John Lonsdale

G. reginae-olgae

Once the winter meltdown
begins, and sometimes way
before, a new breed of plant
obsessives — the galanthophiles — slosh their
way through the garden to welcome their
favorite spring harbingers ... and experience
a sort of meltdown of their own. That’s not
to imply that snowdrop collectors are a bit
loopy; it’s kinder to call them “pleasantly
eccentric.”

While there are 19 species and some 700
variations of snowdrop, only three are read-
ily available in the United States: the com-
mon snowdrop ( Galanthus nivalis), the
double ( G . nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’), and the
giant ( G . elivesii). Even the astute nursery-
man who deals in rarities usually does so at
a formidable price. Snowdrop trade was
severely curtailed more than 10 years ago
when bulbs were being wild-collected as a
cottage industry in Turkey. Now that coun-
try has a strict export quota, and Dutch
catalog offerings are propagated in Holland
from existing stock.

But that doesn’t faze veteran snowdrop-
pers like David Culp and John Lonsdale.
Known for his hellebore collection, David
grows over 70 kinds at Brandywine
Cottage, the home he shares with his part-
ner in Downingtown, PA. A few miles
away in Exton, John says he has probably
somewhere between 75 to 100 varieties,
many of which he acquired by trading with
other snowdrop fans. In mid-October he
mentioned that the cryptic “G. reginae-
olgae and G. peshmenii will be flowering
soon." Indeed, both men qualify as genuine
snowdrop zealots.

What makes galanthophiles so uncon-
ventional? Well, not only are they clomping
around in the slushy snow to revel in the
glory of their collection, and not only does
it take a true aficionado to distinguish the
subtle differences between one snowdrop
and another, but their sport sometimes
entails remarkable effort. Hitch Lyman of
Temple Nursery in Trumansburg, NY, for
instance, installs tiny mirrors around his
bulbs so he can view the faces of his nod-
ding treasures more easily. Others simply
crawl around under them. Swarthmore
horticulturist Charles Cresson does deep
knee bends before his Galanthus ‘Ophelia’
every February just to help its reluctant
petals unfold. (Ophelia’s apparently shy

Snowdrops

Information & Sources

Snowdrop.com

Here you will see more
snowdrop variations than you
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Temple Nursery

Box 591

Trumansburg, NY 14886
catalog $3.

(Digging and shipping is in
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telephone sales.

44 j GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

about exposing herself.) Yes, it takes a cer-
tain stalwart type to fit in with this crowd.

But one needn’t go to extremes to grow
or appreciate snowdrops. Occasionally
blooming as early as October, but mostly
January through March, these delicate,
diminutive babies can actually muscle their
way through ice in order to bob their genial
greetings from the frozen turf Truly adapt-
able, thriving in sun or shade, they’re hardy,
disease free and — digging birds and squir-
rels notwithstanding — increase and give
yearly pleasure. Fertilized by bees, they
multiply rapidly by division and seed and
interbreed promiscuously. Plant them 4
inches deep and 2 inches apart at the feet of
early blooming deciduous shrubs like
witch-hazel and cornelian cherry, and
among other early birds such as crocus,
squill, winter aconite, and hellebore. Plant
them extravagantly. As garden writer
Louise Beebe Wilder advises, “A thousand
daffodils or tulips make a grand show, but
a thousand snowdrops are a mere handful
in the emptiness of the winter landscape."

The British have long been galanthoma-
niacs, but Henry Francis DuPont of
Winterthur was one of few Americans who
was smitten early in the last century.
Consequently, Winterthur now has the
most bountiful snowdrop display in the
Americas, with several identifiable types
that have crossbred into interesting varia-
tions blooming among the early bulb
extravaganza on DuPont’s March Bank. At
their “Bank to Bend Galanthus gala on
March 15, you can view the display and
hear David Culp “speak snowdrop.”

DuPont’s spread simulates wild popula-
tions in their native habitats from the
Pyrenees to the Caucasus, including Greece
and Turkey. The giant Crimean snowdrop
(G. plicatus), found near the shores of the
Baltic Sea, reportedly gave solace to soldiers
during the dreadful first winter of the
Crimean War. Survivors brought clumps
home to plant. Galanthus may have some
pharmaceutical applications, as well.
Derivatives of G. nivalis have been used to
treat glaucoma.

Like many plants with long histories,
Galanthus, relatives of amaryllis, have
numerous common names. In England,
because they bloom during the holiday of

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Candlemas in February (the Feast of the
Purification of the Blessed Virgin), they
were called “Candlemas Bells,” “St. Mary’s
Tapers," or “Fair Maids of February.” In
French, they are perce-neige (snow piercer),
while in German they are schneetropen, a
pendulous sixteenth-century style of ear-
ring. Galanthus also means “milk flower.
Superstition warned it was unlucky to
bring them into the house too early, or eggs
under sitting hens wouldn’t hatch. That
doesn’t do justice to a flower said to have
been made by angels to comfort Eve after
her eviction from the Garden of Eden.

Unlike crocus, which need sunshine to
induce them to open, snowdrops depend
on air temperature. If brought into a sun-
less room at 55°F, they will open in 20
minutes. To admire their pristine beauty
indoors, dig a clump just before or during
bloom, perhaps one you’re ready to divide
and transplant. Pot them up and mulch
with crushed leaves for a woodsy effect.
They’ll provide a long-lasting display and
can be reset in the garden when finished
blooming. They also make excellent cut
flowers, especially placed on a high shelf so
you can admire their faces from below.
Double snowdrop blossoms floated face up
in a bowl of water make charming
“waterlilies.”

Snowdrops should always be planted
when freshly dug and green. They are most
likely to succeed right after flowering in
spring, not in fall when most bulbs are
shipped to us. One English nurseryman
who ships his bulbs only at that time states,
“They must not remain out of the ground
a moment longer than necessary. Double
snowdrops in particular are finicky to a
drastic extent: if G. nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ are
allowed to become really dry, only 25 per-
cent of them will flower, whereas if moved
green, 75 percent will flower the following
spring.”

Finally, Mrs. Wilder says, “I know of no
sight more heartening on a winter day than
fountains of frosty bells and arching slender
leaves.” Add to that a mug of hot cocoa in
your gloved hand while appreciatively
inspecting your brood, and you have one of
winter’s rare magic moments. ^

GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

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Basic Botany

By Jessie Keith

Biotic Pollination

How Flowers Communicate with
the Birds and Bees

Pollination is a tricky business, particularly with
animal, or biotic , pollination. Whether it’s polli-
nation by mammals, birds, or insects, flowers
communicate through groups of traits like flower size,
shape, color, scent, nectar levels, and pollen. These trait
suites, called pollination syndromes, are what make flowers
attractive to their pollinators.

BIOTIC POLLINATION SYNDROMES
Floral displays are about sex and competition.
Pollination is required for fertilization, and the exchange of
genetic material, which keeps gene pools healthy and
species surviving. Floral displays also mean food rewards
for pollinators, so as pollinators compete for flowers and
flowers compete for pollinators, our gardens reap the
rewards of color and movement.

Many animals pollinate plants, but complete specialist

relationships (one pollinator to one plant species) are rare.
More commonly, animal-pollinated plants have floral syn-
dromes geared toward larger pollinator groups, and know-
ing them enables gardeners to design with pollinators in
mind.

MELITTOPHILY: BEE POLLINATION

Certain floral traits attract almost all of the 20,000
known bee species. Bees are drawn ro yellow, blue, and
ultraviolet (a color just outside of our visible spectrum, but
which many insects can see). They consume pollen and
sugary nectar, have an acute sense of smell, and must land
to pollinate. Other flower traits to look for are yellow or
blue nectar guides (petal marks indicating nectar), sugary
nectar, copious pollen, and fragrance. Bees also favor land-
ing pads in bell or bowl shapes like Campanula and
Platycodon , heads like Helianthus, or wide tubes like
Digitalis.

ORNITHOPHILY: BIRD POLLINATION

Bird-pollinated flowers are usually red or orange. Not
because birds only see these colors, but because they are
more sensitive to red and insect pollinators are less sensitive
to it. Red and orange may also signify big nectar rewards,
another attribute of bird-pollinated flowers.

Hummingbirds are highly specialized pollinators. These
tiny birds have very long beaks and rongues, are sensitive to
the red spectrum, have a poor sense of smell, and must con-
sume lots of nectar to keep their wings flapping up to 200
beats per second. The red or orange flowers that attract
them, like those of Lonicera sempervirens and Campsis rad-
icans , are odorless, tubular, nectar-rich and require no land-
ing pads because hummingbirds are hover feeders.

PSYCHOPHILY: BUTTERFLY POLLINATION

There are approximately 17,500 butterfly species, and
they share the common traits of a weak sense of smell, long
curled tongues (proboscis), and excellent vision.
Consequently, their preferred flowers are brightly colored
and odorless with tubular nectaries perfect for a butterfly’s
proboscis. They allow for perching and are often clustered.

Flowers such as Pentas , Catharanthus, and Lantana are
butterfly pollinated. In fact, Lantana camara flowers have
the added feature of temporal color cues. Pink flower buds
open to yellow and age to orange and finally to scarlet-
pink. Only the yellow flowers offer the nectar reward, so
butterflies know to pollinate these.

PHALAENOPHILY: MOTH POLLINATION

Nocturnal pollinators like moths rely on their good sight
and smell to feed, so their flowers are highly fragrant and
often white. Moreover, moths are hover feeders and require
large, funnel shaped flowers that can be easily entered in

GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

flight. Many moth-pollinated flowers only emit fragrance
at night, including Datura , Ipomoea alba, and Oenothera
macrocarpa.

CHIROPTEROPHILY: BAT POLLINATION
Most bat pollinators are also nocturnal and rely on
echolocation as well as smell to find food. These fruit and
nectar feeders have very high metabolisms, so their flowers
accommodate them with large, lightly colored nocturnal
blooms that smell strongly of fermenting fruit and have lots
of dilute nectar. The fruity flowers of mangoes, bananas,
and guava are all bat pollinated.

GENERALISTS

Some flowers have evolved to attract the entomological
masses. They have general appeal and are usually weedily
successful. For example, highly prolific goldenrod and this-
tles draw eclectic crowds of beetles, wasps, bees, butterflies,
and flies.

These are only five common biotic pollination syn-
dromes, but they are perhaps the most useful. They help us
understand why major pollinators are drawn to our plant-
ings and how to welcome a broader range of creatures to
our gardens.

Jessie Keith is a horticul-
turist and plant biologist
who works as manager
for the Learn2Grow.com
plant database. She lives
in Wilmington, Delaware,
with her husband Knut
and daughter Franziska.

Your garden is ^ ; *
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and inspiration

Home $

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Lewes, Delaware

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Botanical Bouquets

By Jane Godshalk

Spring Blossoms

Create a smaller opening on the
top of your vase to support
branches and flower stems.

Cut
-ranches
at an
angle
and split
stems to
allow
more
water
intake.

Place branch into
taped opening
of vase.

Hellebore foliage and tulips t *
complete the design.

Dramatic flowering branches make wonder-
ful arrangements and bring thoughts of
spring even before it arrives. It is easy to
force branches or buy them from a market or florist.
Add color with spring flowers such as tulips, which are
also readily available in winter.

STEP 1: GATHERING MATERIALS

• A tall glass cylinder or square vase
• Scotch tape

• Flowering branches 2 to 3 feet tall; here you see
cherry blossoms. Other suggestions are quince, for-
sythia, apple, or dogwood.

• A few spring flowers such as tulips or narcissus
• Some leaves or foliage from the garden — rhodo-
dendron, azalea, hellebores

In early spring, branches can be forced into blossom
by picking, splitting stems at their base, and placing
them in warm water. In a week or two you should have
flowering branches.

STEP 2: PREPARING

• Use tape to divide the top of the vase into two
parts, with one section about one third of the top.

• Reinforce ends of tape by adding another tape over
the ends at the rim of vase. Make sure that the sides
of the vase are dry or tape will not stick.

• Strip any foliage or blossoms from branches that
will sit below the water line.

STEP 3: ARRANGING

• The top of the vase now has a larger and smaller
section because of the tape. Place the tall branches
in the smaller section.

• Add foliage to give extra support to branches and
cover the tape.

• Strip extra foliage from flowers and place inside of
vase with the stems facing slightly forward.

• To keep water clean, add a teaspoon of bleach to
the water.

• Move carefully so that tape stays in place.

Now — think spring! ^

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VALLEY FORGE AMERICAN ELM

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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.

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
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(610)558-5000

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GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

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RARE & PREVIOUSLY OWNED BOOKS
ON HORTICULTURE & BOTANICAL

Base Rate $3.00 per word

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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

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July/ August issue (by May 1)
September/October issue (by July 1)
November/December issue (by September 1 )

PRINTS • Bought and Sold

Polly Goldstein
37 Lochwood Lane
West Chester, PA 1 9380
610-436-9796
Email: GrannyPol@aol.com

BOTANICAL LIGHTING

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Specializing in tasteful
architectural and landscape lighting.

Please view our on-line gallery:

botanicallighting.com

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Serving: Pennsylvania • New Jersey
Boston • Maryland • Washington DC

GARDEN STRUCTURES

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: Daniel Moise, Green Scene,
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor,
Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495.

If you have any questions, please call 215-988-8871.

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

GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

Custom Aluminum or Wood
33 Years’ Experience
Call Robert J. LaRouche at
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

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

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

www.davidbrothers.com

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 SPECIMEN TREES

Large Specimen Trees
20’ American Holly and
Colorado Blue Spruce

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

FLOWERS AND MORE, INC.

Garden Design, Installation & Maintenance
PINE-NEEDLE MULCH
Wholesale and Retail
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
150 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.tripleoaks.com
856-694-4272
greatplants@tripleoaks.com
See Triple Oaks’ Joe Keifer speak at
the Flower Show
Topic: Broad-Leaf Evergreens
March 6, 11 am. Room 201 C

PONDS

PONDS AND WATERFALLS

Design/lnstallation/Maintenance
View our pond video at

www.YourPond.com
Cedar Run Landscapes

1 -800-LANDSCAPE

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

GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

By Jane Carroll

The Philadelphia Water Department’s Office of Watersheds
is on a mission. It aims to reduce the amount of polluted
stormwater flowing into the city’s rivers and streams. This
is particularly important in Philadelphia, because nearly all the city’s
drinking water comes from the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers.

One approach is to keep as much storm flow — which picks up
chemicals and waste as it passes over the land, especially paved sur-
faces— from reaching waterways in the first place. The idea is to
create natural filters where water can slowly percolate into the ground
instead of flowing into storm sewers. That’s where the Pennsylvania
Horticultural Society comes in. PHS’s Philadelphia Green program
works with the Water Department to find horticultural
solutions to stormwater problems, creating attractive landscapes and
enhancing community open space to boot.

A recent undertaking in Cliveden Park in the city’s Germantown
neighborhood beautifully demonstrates how this approach works.
Designed by PHS landscape architects Linda Walczak and Mark
Paronish, with civil engineering consultant Duffield Associates, new
features in the park include underground piping that collects storm
runoff from the streets, a series of terraced stone retaining walls, new
plantings, and landscaped basins that retain and filter the water.

“The goal, as with all stormwater management projects we have
undertaken, is to capture the runoff and allow it time to slow down,
be taken up by plants, and cleaned,” explains Walczak, a PHS
program manager.

Cliveden Park is in the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford (TTF)
Watershed, an area serviced by a “combined sewer overflow system.”
Prevalent in older cities like Philadelphia, combined systems become
overwhelmed during heavy rains and carry both stormwater and
untreated sewage, dumping both into waterways.

“More untreated waste comes from the TTF Watershed than any
other watershed in the city," notes Joy Lawrence, PHS manager of
environmental initiatives. “This project is part of a management plan
the Water Department has devised for the area.”

Near the foot of each terrace wall is a mixture of water-tolerant
sedges and grasses. Other plantings include native trees and shrubs
such as tulip trees, redbud, serviccberry ( Amelanchier sp.) swamp
azalea, and Virginia sweetspire ( Itea virginica). There are also sensitive

54 GREEN SCENE • march/april 2008

ferns and sweeps of spring-blooming Crocus tomasiniana. A graceful,
stone-faced footbridge replaces an outdated culvert.

“Cliveden Park’s topography lends itself well to the terracing of the
basins, Walzcak explains, “and we were sensitive to the existing large
trees and the park’s overall character. Also, the facing stone on the
walls and bridge is native Wissahickon schist, complementing the
stone house in the park.” The design is partly inspired by a similar
project Walczak worked on several years ago in Brandywine Park along
the Brandywine River, when she was with Rodney Robinson
Landscape Architects in Wilmington.

Cliveden Park is part of Philadelphia Green’s Parks Revitalization
Project, a partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Recreation,
the Fairmount Park Commission, and neighborhood groups. As such,
it benefits from the efforts of active volunteers like Fred Lewis, vice
president of the
Friends of Cliveden
Park. “This project
has generated a lot of
positive conversation
in the neighbor-
hood,” says Lewis,
who is a member of
the PHS Council.

“It’s an opportunity
to create environ-
mental awareness,
especially among the
children.” His group
plans to use the park’s
new features as an
outdoor classroom to
teach schoolchildren
the principles behind
wetlands.

“Aesthetically,” he
adds, “it’s a real asset
to the neighborhood.

It’s just beautiful.”

Funding for the Cliveden Park
project came from many sources,
including the Philadelphia Water
Department (through a grant from
the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection), the
City of Philadelphia, the William
Penn Foundation, and Philadelphia
Green's Parks Revitalization
Project. The footbridge was made
possible by a grant from Bank of
America. TreeVitalize, a project
of the Pennsylvania Department
of Conservation and Natural
Resources, provided funds
for trees.

PFTS would like to thank

JMG Construction and
All Seasons Landscaping for

their work on this project.

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DOUBLE FLOWERS

THE PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

DE: Wilmington

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Finest Plant Selection • Outdoor Furniture • Garden Accents & Supplies
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Now with 4 convenient locations!

PA: Exton • Devon • Warminster

IMAGINE LIVING IN AN ARBORETUM!

• BEAUTIFUL ARBORETUM SETTINGS ON TWO CAMPUSES

• WIDE CHOICE OF HOME DESIGNS

• IDEAL LOCATIONS FOR CULTURE AND RECREATION

• SUPERIOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS SERVICES

Home of the Lewis W. Barton Arboretu m and Nature Preserve
Member. Greater Philadelphia Gardens

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS
WWW.MEDFORDLEAS.ORG OR CALL 800.331.4302

MEDFORD LEAS

A nationally accredited. Quaker-
related. not-for-profit community
for those age 55+, with campuses in
Medford and Lumberton. NJ

We stock flowers, shrubs and trees that are recom-
mended by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s
“Gold Medal Award” program. They are superior
plants that will provide longer-lasting beauty all
around your home. Stop by today and check out
our incredible collection of greenery. The colors are
gorgeous. The values are exceptional. And the
prices are surprisingly low for such high quality. But
then, that's what you should expect from Mostardi
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Newtown Square, PA 19073
610-356-8035 • www.mostardi.com

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Spend time “potting” your favorite plants for your home or patio and
learn “tricks of the trade” at our Horticulturists 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.

This is the Best of Both Worlds where every program and amenity is
designed and maintained by Cathedral Village management and staff
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We invite you to visit, question, and compare!

Come in Monday through Friday between 9 and 3.
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A Nonprofit, Nondenominational CCRC • Accredited Since 1983
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Contents

FEATURES

Double Your Pleasure,
Double Your Fun

It’s hard not to love showy “double”
flowers. With names like “Razzmatazz”
and “Aphrodite,” they simply command
the gardener’s attention. Jo Ann Gardner
explains their allure.

OLUMNS

24 An Urban Eden

Discover Colobo, the latest garden to
add flair and fun to North Philadelphia’s
Norris Square neighborhood. Inspired by
the African elements of Puerto Rican
ancestry, Colobo invites the community
to learn about their heritage while plant-
ing seeds in the soil. Daniel Moise shares
the details.

18 An Oasis of Color

Visiting the sprawling Bucks County
property of Andrew Hartnagle and
Wayne Stork is like taking a tour of
Europe. In their travels, the pair has
assembled a passel of antiques that now
sit prettily among 1 00 acres of gardens,
ponds, lawns, and architectural accents.

The Many Shades of Coleus

Container gardening is a lot like paint-
ing a picture: all the elements of
design — color, line, and texture — must
work in harmony to create a master-
piece. With years of experience to his
name, Ray Rogers gives a detailed look
at experimenting with coleus.

Jane Carroll

Associate Editor

Daniel Moise

Staff Photographer

Margaret Funderburg

Art Design

Baxendells’ Graphic

Printer

ALCOM Printing Group, Inc.

The 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 Media Group
610-527-7047

mmanzo@manzomediagroup. com

8 The Potting Shed
11 The Gardener’s Bookshelf

40 Basic Botany

Hot Stuff

42 Botanical Bouquets

Spring-Blooming Shrubs &
Flowers

46 The Backyard

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society motivates people to
improve the quality of life and create a sense of community
through horticulture.

Cover photo by Dency Kane

fjf PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

Classified Ads

Daniel Moise, 215-988-8871
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 36, No.3, 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, 2008

Letter from the Editor

Global warming. Sustainability.

Conservation of resources.
These phrases are on the minds
of many people, including those who grow
plants and care for open spaces. Many are
looking for environmentally friendly ways
to keep their gardens healthy and beautiful.
We asked a few prominent horticulturists,
gardeners, and landscape professionals for
ideas on how they might alter their own
behavior this season. Let’s hear their
thoughts.

Says author Ellen Zachos (author of
Down & Dirty: 43 Fun & Funky Projects to
Get You Gardening), “I’m going to finish
installing the soaker hose and drip-
irrigation system for my own garden this
year. I’ve insisted my clients do it for years
because it’s so much less wasteful of water.
I'm also focusing on edible ornamental
plants, combining beauty with organic pro-
duce. I'll be planting gooseberries, high-
bush cranberry, rhubarb, asparagus, and
lots of herbs.”

Adds George Weigel, garden writer for
the Patriot-News in Harrisburg and a
Pennsylvania Certified Horticulturist,
“One of the smartest things we can all do is
knock off the idea of spraying ‘just in
case. Every time we think were fixing
one problem, we mess with Mother
Nature and create two more. I don’t spray

GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

anything in my yard. Don’t fret over the
imperfections. Most of them take care of
themselves anyway.

“Most of our bug and disease troubles
can be traced to relatively few plant species
and relatively few pests (such as lacebugs on
azaleas, spider mites on dwarf Alberta
spruce, and scale on euonymus). Once you
figure out what they are and start planting
the bullet-proof stuff, you won't run into
trouble as much. The good news is we have
so many great plant choices that seldom, if
ever, are attacked by anything: fothergilla,
Virginia sweetspire, ninebark, Hinoki
cypress, ‘Gold Thread’ false cypress, cary-
opteris, most hydrangeas, purple beauty-
berry, spirea, viburnum, weigela, and many
more. A little homework can eliminate a lot
of spray bottles.”

Marilyn Reynolds, a project coordina-
tor in PHS’s education services depart-
ment, says, “I'll be making greener choices
about soil amendments and fertilizer in the
garden. I also want to take a look at my gar-
den furniture — heavy plastic chairs and
tables aren't likely biodegradable, so what
are my other choices? It’s something we
should probably think about.

Local garden writer and lecturer
Eva Monheim adds this advice for going
green: “Increase the number of natural
areas on your property, since they promote
animal migration, feeding, and nesting.
Also, consider putting in rain gardens
around each downspout, or connect rain
barrels to your gutter. This will provide
you with an extra source of water for
the garden and prevent stormwater

n ler

from running off your property.”

“I suggest using more sustainable lawn-
care practices, such as buying a ‘mulching’
mower,’ notes Julie Snell, a landscape
architect and project manager in PHS’s
Philadelphia Green department. “During
spring and fall, we should also mow grass to
3 inches, and 3.5 inches during summer
months. The goal is to cut no more than
one third of the blade each time you mow.
This allows the short clippings that are
returned ro your lawn to decompose easily
and is equal to an application of synthetic
fertilizer.”

Finally, we hear from Lorraine Kiefer of
Triple Oaks Nursery in Franklinville, NJ.
She sagely notes, “Gardening is a timeless
tradition and one in which we are all stew-
ards of the earth. To me, natural gardening
is the only way to garden because it mimics
Mother Earth. It is imperative to use all
leaves, grass clipping, and any other organ-
ic materials generated by your household to
make compost. This will feed the soil,
which will feed your plants, and encourage
birds, beneficial insects, and the natural
cycles that create a balanced environment
in your garden. Also, limit sprays to natural
ones. Today, more than ever, gardeners
must be in tune with the environment.

Do you have a green garden tip to share?
Please email it to the address below (or mail
to: Green Scene, 100 N. 20th St.,
Philadelphia, PA 19103), and we ll publish
the best tips in a future issue.

^/r/r fV/W/v/

email: greenscene@pennhort. org

ROBERT MONTGOMERY LANDSCAPES

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Contracting

a Storyteller
in the Garden

By Daniel Moise
Photography by Margaret Funderburg

Thad Montgomery is a natural
storyteller and a gifted gardener.
The two attributes come together
nicely as he escorts guests through his one-
acre property in Radnor, PA, and regales
them with tales of plant origins and design
theory. He begins all tours by explaining
how the garden first looked when he and his
wife moved into the home 50 years ago.
“There wasn’t much to see initially,” he
reminisces. “So I decided to plant some
rhododendrons. To me, rhodies and other
shrubs are the backbone of any garden.”
Like any good storyteller, Thad
appreciates the “big reveal,” which is why
the largest part of his garden is tucked
behind the house. When he leads a tour
around the corner, one’s eye is immediately
drawn to a score of sumac, hydrangea, iris,
petunias — a catalog’s worth of species. Like
an art enthusiast in a museum, Thad
approaches each plant, looks it over, and
shares his assessment. Some ol his favorites
are blackberry lily (. Arabidopsis thaliana),
black-eyed Susan ( Rudbeckia triloba)., and
bleeding heart ( Dicentra formosa).
Although he professes to have limited plant
knowledge, Thad easily identifies the mul-
titude of plants before him, many of which
he purchased from Mostardi Nursery in
Newtown Square, PA.

Beyond the plants, water elements play a
major role in this part of the garden. In
fact, there are 15 ponds throughout. On
any given day more than 1 50,000 gallons
of water courses through the backyard, and
nine pumps work endlessly to keep it flow-
ing.

The largest body is a koi pond erected in
1993; it’s 36 feet long, up to 10 feet wide,
and 4 feet deep. Within are roughly 35 fish,
and it's mesmerizing to watch their yellow,
red, and orange fins and tails swirl under
the placid surface. It is beside this pleasant
spot that Thad likes to sit and sip an early-
evening cocktail.

Although he can occasionally stop and
relax now, that wasn’t the case when the
pond was under construction. Thad built
the 15 water features, including all
stonework and woodwork. He takes great
pride in saying, “No one has laid a hand on
the garden or anything in it but my wife
and me.”

Of course he did have some help along

GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

Thad surveying one of his ponds

the way. Because the koi pond is so large
and the shape so uncommon, he had to
have its lining specially made by a compa-
ny in Sweden. “You should have seen the
box it came in!” Thad says, stretching his
arms far apart.

Serving as garnish to the flowers and
ponds are Thad’s garden decorations,
which he calls “artifacts.” All of the items
are hand-selected and extremely rare (if not
one-of-a-kind). The roster includes 10
birdhouses designed by Anne Hayes that
resemble Norwegian stave churches and a
stained-glass butterfly on the roof of the
shed that emits a brilliant ochre in the
afternoon sun.

Thad has two art pieces by English sculp-
tor David Goode on his property; both are
painstakingly detailed cast bronze figures of
elves. These creatures aren’t the sort that
assist Santa Claus, rather they appear undo-
mesticated, with impish smiles that reveal
childlike playfulness and age-old wisdom.

The artifacts tend to be crowd-pleasers.
About a year ago, Liz Schumacher of
Garden Accents — a friend of Thad’s —
asked if she could bring her granddaughters
over to the garden. “She told me, If there’s
a way to interest young people in garden-
ing, this is it! ” Thad recalls. Sure enough,
the storybook setting enthralled the two
preteens.

Although he has endless amusing anec-
dotes to share, Thad can’t spend all day
chatting — there are chores to complete.
Once he leads visitors to the front gate, he
waves goodbye, turns around, and sets off
to work in the soil. But that’s a story for
another day.

The Potting Shed

A jewel of north Delaware gardens, Nemours is set to reopen this spring after a $39 million reno-
vation of the mansion and gardens. Formerly the home of the Alfred I. du Pont family, the mansion
was built from 1909 to 1910 in the style of a Louis XVIth chateau. The grounds surrounding the
mansion feature extensive formal gardens, making Nemours one of the best examples of French-
style horticulture in America. Here, head horticulturist Ric Larkin talks about the garden restoration.

Please join PHS on a tour of Nemours
on June 17. Call 215-988-8869 or email
programreg@pennhort.org for information.

10 Minutes with

RIC LARKIN

, Head Horticulturist at

Nemours Mansion & Gardens

What are the garden's style and

INFLUENCES?

The garden’s style is European neo-
classical with a strong French influence.
Were restoring it from a master plan by
landscape architect Rodney Robinson,
which utilized original photographs and
archive documents, so as to preserve
Alfred I. Du Font’s original vision. As for
the plants, their selection has been influ-
enced by the realities of what will and
will not thrive in this particular zone.
Delaware is quite a bit hotter than cen-
tral or northern France.

What plants are you using, and are

THEY DIFFERENT FROM THOSE USED 80
YEARS AGO?

Because this is a restoration of a gar-
den, we are trying to return to what was
used in years past with a tew variations.
We are excited by the ability to replace
some plants with new cultivars that are
hardier and more appropriate to the
individual garden area. For example,
with barberries we are substituting
Berberis ‘Bagatelle’ for B. ‘Crimson
Pygmy’ in the Temple of Love area. And
we’re planting Qryptomeria japonica
‘Rein’s Dense Jade’ — which is a shorter-
growing cultivar — in the Long Walk
area, where the species Crytomeria grew

many years ago. Finally, in the Sunken
Garden, we are changing Aesculus trees
from the straight species to Aesculus hip-
pocastanum ‘Baumannii’, which have
double white flowers and are sterile.

Actually, Mr. du Pont, too, was always
looking for new and better plants. We
know that he often reassessed the vegeta-
bles and roses he was growing. He even
had an experimental garden near his
greenhouse.

What should visitors expect to see at
Nemours?

Visitors coming to the garden will now
enter through the main gates that the du
Fonts used and will view the garden just
as guests of the du Fonts once did. The
drive up to the mansion will give the vis-
itor a sense of the grandeur of the estate.
A magnificent view can be seen from the
forecourt of the mansion, with bright
colors in a very formal setting.

Even much of the stonework has been
restored to its original grandeur. Some of
the stone was quarried on this very prop-
erty during the early part of the twentieth
century. The travertine coping and lime-
stone urns as well as many of the walls
have been cleaned and the walls
re-pointed, restoring them to their origi-
nal beaut)'.

Nemours Mansion & Gardens is located on Rockland Rd. between Children’s
Drive & Rt. 202, in Wilmington, DE. For more information, call 302-651-6912 or
visit nemours.org/mansion.html.

The Gardener’s Bookshelf

Bringing Nature Home;

How Native Plants Sustain
Wildlife in Our Gardens

By Douglas W. Tallamy
(288 pp„ 27.95)

University of
Delaware professor
Douglas Tallamy
has written a per-
suasive argument
for liking insects
and planting native
plants in our area.

He explains that
of the 9,000,000
insect species, only one percent affect
humans in negative ways, while the rest
pollinate, aerate, and enrich the soil; eat
plant pests; and provide food for other ani-
mals. He also gives practical advice for how
we can create a healthy ecosystem in our
gardens and help save the planet. Easy,
thought-provoking, and stimulating to
read, the book includes an excellent Q & A
section that tackles such questions as, What
exactly is a native plant? What about culti-

Ivars of natives? and What about those
@#$%A deer?

— Ilene Sternberg

The Herb Society of
America's Essential Guide
to Growing and Cooking
I with Herbs

Edited by Katherine K. Schlosser
(349 pp„ $29.95)

IHere at Green Scene, review copies of
tempting new gardening books frequently
I ! cross our desks. But this is the first one that
has made me, well,
hungry. The Herb
Society of Americas
Essential Guide to
Growing and Cooking
with Herbs , edited by
Katherine K. Schlosser,
is as appetizing as
it is authoritative.
Published as a fund-

raiser for the National Herb Garden at the
United States National Arboretum, the
book contains cultivation tips and a bit of
history on each of the 63 herbs growing in
the Herb Garden’s Culinary Garden. But
the real fun is in the recipes, submitted by
Herb Society of America members from all
over the country. These range from lemon
verbena muffins to turkey tenderloins with
lingonberry rosemary sauce to lavender
raspberry cheesecake. The final word on
this book is simply, “Yum!’

— Jane Carroll

The Garden Primer: The
Completely Revised
Gardener's Bible
By Barbara Damrosch
(714 pp., $18.95)

When I started gardening 18 years ago, I
was fortunate enough to stumble across the
first edition of Barbara Damrosch’s The
Garden Primer. It immediately became the
book I pored through incessantly, day after
day, season after season, until I had my
basic gardening chops in order. Now the
Primer is back, revised and bigger but still
very much a user-friendly resource. And
that’s the beauty of this book — it contains
expert advice that anyone can understand
and use in the garden. You’ll also find a
wealth of information about all manner of
plants. And while I don’t heed Damrosch’s
advice on double-digging beds anymore,
following her instructions on this laborious
activity taught me much about what condi-
tions plants need and why. It was a priceless
lesson.

— -Pete Prown

BRINGING

NATURE

HOME

How Native Plants
Sustain Wildlife
in Our Gardens

DOUGLAS W. TALLAMY

Coleus, nicotiana, alternanthera and
carex in a terra cotta planter
designed by Beds & Borders

"It's time to
liberate coleus
from those
dank corners
of your garden
and make them
the stars of
the show."

Once widely embraced by
Victorian partem gardeners
and schoolchildren with sci-
ence projects, coleus were long considered
garish, dumpy blobs and confined to the
darkest parts of the garden. But the past 20
years or so have brought a revolution in the
coleus world. Most notably, coleus now
offer a vast color range. Many become
handsome little shrubs or trail gently along
the ground or from a container. Quite a few
of them even thrive in full sun and delay the
urge to produce their unimpressive flower
spikes until frost is almost in the air.

Coleus do all of that? Yes, indeed, and as
a result they have become a favorite go-to
choice for container gardening (and in the
open ground, which will not be addressed
specifically here, but much of the following
information applies).

GROWING COLEUS IN
CONTAINERS

Coleus do beautifully in pots, whether as
solitary specimens or combined with other
plants. Any well-drained, good-quality' pot-
ting mix suits them. The usual cultural
guidelines apply: keep a watchful ey'e out
for their water and fertilizer needs (moder-
ate in both cases) and any pest or disease
problems (rarely encountered outdoors);
give them the light conditions they require
(some actually need full sun, while the

paler ones do best with a few hours of early
morning sun); and protect them from
strong wind, hail, and heavy rain, which
can easily shred the leaves into coleus slaw.

Here are a few other points to keep in
mind:

• Pinch coleus occasionally to encourage
branching and fullness, although they
don’t all respond the same way to pinch-
ing. The bigger ones usually benefit,
becoming denser and a bit more com-
pact, but the small ones may be stunted
by overzealous removal of growth.
Trailers as a group bloom early in the
season if not pinched three or four
times or more.

• Be prepared for slow growth and duller
coloration during high heat. Coleus are
tropical in origin, but they originated in
lower mountainous regions, where
night temperatures drop significantly
from daytime highs. The hot summer
nights of the Delaware Valley — particu-
larly in August — will shut them down
and alter their colors, but cooler nights
revive them. In fact, most coleus look
their best during the last six weeks or so
before frost.

• Don’t overstuff the pot. Most coleus
grow quickly, and the big ones can over-
whelm slower-growing companions.
On the other hand, don’t expect coleus
to keep pace with a Brobdingnagian
Bnigmansia or other equally giant and
fast-growing tropicals. Give the big boys
their own pot to play in.

• Don't forget the pot! With all the truly
gorgeous containers available today
(especially the thick-walled, colorfully
glazed ones coming in from southeast
Asia), it would be a pity to miss out on
the fun of coordinating the colors of
coleus and the pots. Conveniently, many
green, purple-black, deep red, yellow,
and dark orange coleus look splendid in
a conventional terra cotta pot, too.

FUN WITH DESIGN

So how can container gardeners make
the most of the new coleus’s fine qualities?
Think about the five design elements of
color, line, form, space, and texture:

COLOR

There’s very little true, clear blue or rich
purple to be found among coleus, except in
their flowers, some of which rival the blue
of the sky or of sapphires, and in the sultry
dark purple tones of some cultivars’ leaves
and stems. But most of the rest of the rain-

bow is there: damask to blood reds; smol-
dering to refulgent oranges; lemon-ice to
brassy yellows; primordial-ooze to
Kryptonite greens; baby to Pepto-Bismol
pinks; whites; browns; near-blacks; and
even the bad seed, magenta . . . more than
enough inspiration for the most color-chal-
lenged among us.

Just about anything (including other
plants, containers, and accessories) com-
bines attractively with at least one coleus.
Here’s a tip: gather leaves, small cuttings, or
plants of an assortment of coleus and hold

A single plant
of ‘Pele’ makes
an attractive

specimen on
a patio.

‘Fishnet

Stockings’

SOURCES

Meadowbrook Farm

1633 Washington Lane
Meadowbrook (Abington Township), PA
215-887-5900

www. gotomeadowbrook. com

545 Weston Canal Road
Somerset, NJ, 732-356-3373
www.atlockfarm.com

1604 West Richway Drive
Albert Lea, MN, 507-377-2572
email: vjogren@charter.net

them next to plants already in containers.
Be prepared for surprises as coleus harmo-
nize, contrast, and otherwise play very nice-
ly with just about everything.

Another (admittedly iconoclastic) hint:
resist the urge to obsessively pinch out the
growth tips all season to allow dark red,
orange, gold, and chartreuse cultivars to go
to flower. The blue blooms just might stop
you in your tracks, and your gardening
peers will applaud you as a visionary trend-
setter. For those who long for bright purple
in their plantings, plant simpatico-colored
coleus with verbenas, petunias, angelonias,
Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’, Persian
shield ( Strobilanthes dyerianus), or many
other choices.

LINE

Only trailing coleus provide noticeable
linear interest, with their gracefully curving
stems spilling downward and outward.
Look to other plants, such as Cordyline,
Cyperus (sedges), grasses, and any number
of climbers — whether trained or allowed to
sprawl — to provide the suggestion of move-
ment in combination plantings.

FORM

Most well-grown (and pinched) coleus
become solid mounds that lend an air of
stability to plantings, unless they are
allowed to grow unimpeded by pinching,
in which case they turn into open and/or
freeform individualists (which describes

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 curriculum develops skilled horticulturalists
through a combination of classroom lecture, self-directed
learning, and hands-on practice.

The Foundation also offers one and two-day work-
shops during the summer.

-1— )

For more information, a full course description and registration, please call 610-667-0290 ext. 3825 or ext. 1071

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GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

Coleus

most of the trailers). That can be a useful
and attractive quality. A few become car-
pets on the “floor” of the composition,
visually separating the plants from the pot.

Of course the “ball on a stick” appear-
ance of a standard coleus topiary makes a
very strong expression of form. Many other
companion plants, such as begonias,
bromeliads, and Syngonium, also have
strong form that is set off nicely by the less
emphatic coleus.

SPACE

The space between plants and their indi-
vidual parts creates the impression of open-
ness, airiness, and lightness. Again, it’s the
trailing coleus that stand out from the rest
of the crowd by virtue of the open space
between their stems and leaves, making
them look less dense and solid. Also, a less
diligently pinched, non-trailing cultivar
will be more open and spacious than the
same cultivar nipped back frequently. For
spatial contrast, consider combining coleus
with smaller-growing elephant ears
( A/ocasia , Colocasia, or Xanthosoma ) or car-
doon ( Cynara cardunculus) .

TEXTURE

Next to color, texture (visual, not tactile) is
the most useful design element coleus can
provide. Those with big, dark leaves growing
closely together look coarse (like hosta or cal-
adium, for example), while the tiny-leafed
ones, cultivars with heavily cut leaf edges,
and more open, less heavily pinched ones,
appear finer (think of a fern). Play with the
textural differences by combining them with
even coarser plants such as dwarf cannas and
Solarium quitoense\ finer ones including
Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’, ferns, and ver-
benas, and plants with similar texture, such
as Acalypha, Alternathera, and Pentas.

It’s time to liberate coleus from those
dank corners of your garden and make
them the stars of the show. Your containers
are waiting!

Ray Rogers, author of Coleus: Rainbow
Color for Containers and Gardens, refuses
to refer to coleus as Solenostemon scutel-
larioides, except in the most rarified of cir-
cles. He has called them coleus for more
than five decades of gardening.

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GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

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BEAUTIFUL

Some people return home from
vacation with postcards and
keychains. Andrew Hartnagle
and Wayne Stork prefer to bring back
antique fountains and garden statuary,
many of which can be found throughout
their large property north of Doylestown,
Pennsylvania.

“Traveling is a great source of inspira-
tion, Andrew says. “I enjoy taking what
we see abroad and incorporating it into our
home and garden.” And while the relics
represent a variety of eras and cultures, the

A secluded formal space'hear
the house ' • '

pair has successfully interwoven the items
to present a cohesive composition.

The most telling example of this aes-
thetic is what Andrew and Wayne call “the
pavilion,” situated in the far back of the
lawn. Designed for entertaining guests, the
pavilion features a kitchen and restroom.
Bridging the two facilities is a tall, ornate
khaki-colored wall made of English stone.
Adding interest are a centuries-old stone
altar from Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula and a
towering fountain that once stood before a
library in midtown Manhattan.

“Because the items have such history,
they make for great conversation pieces,”

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Andrew says. That’s certainly true of a
sarcophagus placed on the back patio as a
planter. Seeing such an ancient artifact sets
the imagination reeling. One can ponder
the many travels that ultimately
brought the sarcophagus to southeastern
Pennsylvania.

Andrew and Wayne’s travels also influ-
ence the flowers and trees they select for the
property. Because the land was mostly
woods when they first moved in 20 years
ago, each species was deliberately chosen.
For instance, the focal point of their French
garden is a tall wisteria encircled by a cocoa-
colored bench. Also present are white
cherry, chocolate mimosa, and beech trees.

The neighboring Italian garden boasts a
lengthy plant list as well. Some examples
include variegated boxwoods, weeping red-
buds, contorted lilacs, and Schizophragma
hydrangeoides ‘Moonlight’ (a PHS Gold
Medal plant). The centerpiece of this
garden is a curtained canopy flanked by
planted cisterns.

The gazebo overlooking the manmade
pond is not without its charms, either. The
cascading branches of weeping willows add

GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

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A Bucks
County Estate

romantic flourish to rhe pond’s perimeter,
as do the dawn redwood trees (Metasequoia
glyptostroboides ) .

Amusingly, a 12-year-old black swan that
inhabits the pond recognizes its owner
instantly. When Andrew approaches the
water, the bird swims up close and makes
an unexpected noise similar to that of an
attention-starved puppy. “I’m not sure if it
likes me, or just recognizes that I’m the
source of its food,” Andrew jokes.

The pond is home to other black and
white swans, as well as ducks. There are also
Canadian geese, but despite living up to
their reputation as noisy and messy crea-
tures, the gaggle of geese hardly detracts
from the serenity of the space.

As the birds glide along the water’s sur-
face, down below swim largemouth bass
and koi, some of which are 2 to 3 feet long.
Like the swan, these fish are far from timid.
Visitors who near the water’s edge are often
greeted by a chorus of gaping mouths with
insatiable appetites. Andrew says, “I don’t
think I over-feed them, but they keep get-
ting bigger.”

Also hungry for a meal are the
carnivorous pitcher plants Andrew and
Wayne have raised in antique stone troughs
along the house. Like the pipes of a cathe-
dral organ, the neatly arranged, open-
ended tubes aim skyward, biding time until
the arrival of an unsuspecting fly. To hurry
things along, at night the plants emit an
odor like sweet perfume to attract prey.

Whether it’s luck, skill, or a bit of both,
Andrew has had uncommon success with
several plants. The son of a farming family,
he planted hostas around the pool area and
has been rewarded with leaves the size of
serving trays. He gives all the credit to the
soil. He imports a combination of mush-
room soil and lime that outperforms the
natural soil of the area, which is largely clay.

Regardless of who, or what, deserves
credit, Andrew and Wayne have trans-
formed what was once a blank canvas of a
backyard into a series of chic gardens. And
while the statues and sculptures add flair to
the property, it’s exciting to think that this
is just the latest chapter of their storied his-
tory. And who knows what new treasures
will come to the garden from Andrew and
Wayne’s future travels. ^

GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

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Right: Children’s artwork hangs on the exterior <
an African-style hi
Above: Local musicians perform a combinatio
of traditional Puerto Rican and African sound:

An African Village
in North Philadelphia

n the song “La Playa de Colobo,” the late singer Ismael
Rivera describes a peaceful seaside village where friends gath-
er and the worries of city life are forgotten. The idyllic scene
inspired Iris Brown and her colleagues at the Norris Square
Neighborhood Project to create their latest community garden.

“I love that song and I remember the real Colobo from my
childhood in Puerto Rico. It was a cultural place full of life,” Iris
says. “We wanted this garden to celebrate culture too, so the
name seemed like a good fit.”

Located in North Philadelphia, the recently completed
Colobo is a treasure. Garden beds set among colorful art instal-
lations have made it an instant hit with the community. "It’s a

Above:

A shaded seating area used for educational classes,
cooking demonstrations, and hosting volunteer groups

dream come true,” says Norris Square resident Tomasita
Romero — and just in time to commemorate the Norris Square
Neighborhood Project’s (NSNP) 35th anniversary.

Founded in 1973, the NSNP enriches the lives of communi-
ty members through a spectrum of projects focused on educa-
tion, art, and the environment. Gardens are a cornerstone of
NSNP’s efforts, as they provide a safe yet lively place for resi-
dents to meet, grow, and learn. Iris serves as the Project’s garden
coordinator.

Today there are a half-dozen gardens, Colobo being the most
recent addition to the family. Las Parcelas (meaning, “the
parcels”) was the first garden, and is considered by many to be

GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

the heart and soul of the Norris Square
community.

“Our gardens are extremely important
because they came at a time when there was
nothing else in the neighborhood. Through
hard work we created something to be
proud of,” Tomasita says.

The gardens have helped transform the
neighborhood and have made it safer.
“Spending time at the garden keeps
us informed,’ Iris adds. “By being outside
we serve as the eyes and ears of the
community.”

What makes Colobo distinct is that it
recognizes the African aspect of Puerto
Rican ancestry. “Many Puerto Ricans don’t
acknowledge or embrace their African
roots,” Iris says. “We wanted to create a
space where we could celebrate our shared
culture through music, food, and poetry.
It’s not just about horticulture; this is a
learning place.”

The garden is divided into three distinct
plots, each representing a subset of African
culture. Forming a triangle, they recognize
Africa, the African influence in Puerto
Rico, and the plantation era of the
American South. Vegetables and flowers
were specially selected to correspond with
each theme, but the three are clearly inter-
connected.

In the center of the garden are African
huts that are extravagantly painted both

GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

35 Years of
Norris Square

The Norris Square
Neighborhood
Project celebrates
its 35th Anniversary
this year.

A celebration will
take place on
Saturday, June 28
Take a tour of the
award-winning
gardens from
4 to 5 pm; then,
enjoy dinner, music,
and entertainment
from 5 to 8 pm.

Tickets are
available on a
sliding scale from
$50 to $75. For
tickets and more
information,
please call
215-634-2227
or visit

www.nsnp.com.

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inside and out. To ensure the huts were as
true-to-life as possible, Iris spoke with two
women from Ghana. She says, “Not only
did rhey give me instructions as to how to
build the huts, but they also told me about
the symbolism and ritual involved.'

Adding to the authenticity is an assort-
ment of African household items,
including books, baskets, and furniture.
The children of Norris Square have con-
tributed to the decor as well: By working
with the Philadelphia Museum of Art they
have created masks, paintings, and clay fig-
urines shaped like animals.

Complementing the huts is the new
Storytelling Room. There, children are cap-
tivated by folktales, fables, and personal
accounts from some of Norris Square’s sen-
ior residents. “When 1 tell the children
about my childhood in Puerto Rico, I
sometimes think they don’t believe me!
They were born in the United States and
most of their parents were too, so there’s
much they don’t know about their her-
itage,” Tomasita says.

The garden also features an outdoor
kitchen used for cooking demonstrations
and get-togethers. The residents don’t need

to look far for delicious ingredients:
Colobo is a tremendous source for vegeta-
bles, spices, and herbs. Not only is the food
fresh, but the gardeners take great pride in
the fact that it's organic.

“In Puerto Rico my father was always
planting and my mother was always cook-
ing. Yucca, peppers, okra — all the things I
had growing up are here in Colobo," says
Tomasita.

Tomasita isn't the only one enamored by
the garden’s bounty. The judges of PHS’s
annual City Gardens Contest awarded
Colobo a First Place prize in 2006 and
2007. One judge described it as “a delight
to explore.” Another said, “Who needs to
go overseas? I could vacation here!”

PHS has a long connection to the Norris
Square gardens that predate the Contest.
As executive vice president of PHS,
J. Blaine Bonham Jr. has witnessed the
community’s transformation firsthand.
“Twenty years ago we first partnered with
the leaders of Norris Square to help them
realize their dreams,” he says. “These gar-
dens are a hallmark of the community’s
rebirth, and it’s inspiring to be a part of
that.”

GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

(continued)

Reside in the beautiful Skippack Village while taking part in the quaint country
atmosphere. Biltmore Estates is just a leisurely walk away from antiquing,
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The Morris Arboretum

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University or Pennsylvania

Don’t miss out on unusual and
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Members only, Friday, May 9, 10am-8pm

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Sat, May 10, 10am-4pm, Sun, May 11, 12pm-4pm

For more information, www.morrisarboretum.org
or 215-247-5777

Official arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvo

Norris Square was also involved in the
2003 Flower Show. Titled Festival de las
Flores , the Show recreated Loiza, Puerto
Rico, a coastal city on the northern shore
and Iris hometown. The central exhibit,
which replicated the Loiza town square,
delighted Show visitors and provided the
Norris Square gardens with well-earned
recognition.

More recently, Ann Reed, a veteran PHS
volunteer, has worked with Iris and others
to have the gardens inducted into the
Archives of American Gardens, an initiative
of the Smithsonian Institution. “The
Archives feature many lavish and historic
gardens, but Norris Square is distinct
because it showcases the importance of
community-run gardens,’ Ann says.

“We’ve had people from all over visit and
it’s always the same reaction: joy ,” Iris says.
“They had no idea there are such colorful,
beautiful gardens right here in North
Philly.”

GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

Memoirs of the

American Philosophical Society

The Passion of George Sarton: A Modern
Marriage and Its Discipline

Lewis Pyenson

George Sarton animated the discipline of history of science in
America. This monograph, the first full-length study of Sarton's
life and work, traces his youth and education in Ghent, Belgium,
and his stormy marriage to the talented English artist Mabel
Elwes. It follows George and Mabel Sarton in their path from idealistic refugees
fleeing the invasion of Belgium in 1914 to destitute intellectuals at Harvard
University. For half a century, history of science as an academic specialty owed
much to George Sarton's visions and anxieties, especially as they were expressed
in his marriage. Mabel Sarton sustained his enterprise and contributed to its form,
which included parts of socialism, pacifism, aesthetics, and faith.

Vol. 260 - S90.00 ISBN: 978-0-87169-260-3

Renaissance Vision from Spectacles to
Telescopes

Vincent llardi

The monograph deals with the history of eyeglasses from
their invention in Italy ca. 1286 to the appearance of the
telescope three centuries later. Eyeglasses served an
important technological function at both the intellectual and
practical level. A subthesis of the book is that Florence, rather than Venice,
seems to have dominated the commercial market for eyeglasses during the
fifteenth century, when the ability to grind convex lenses for various levels of
presbyopia and the ability to grind concave lenses for the correction of myopia

occurred.

WINNER OFTHE JOHN FREDERICK LEWIS
AWARD FOR 2006

Vol. 259 - S85.00 ISBN-13: 978-0-87169-259-7

The

Temple of Night
at Schonau

The Temple of Night at Schonau:

Architecture, Music, and Theater in a Late
Eighteenth-Century Viennese Garden

John A. Rice

Between 1796 and 1800 Baron Peter von Braun transformed
his estate into an English-style landscape park. The most
celebrated building was the Temple of Night, a domed rotunda accessible only
through a meandering rockwork grotto. Only the ruins of the Temple survive,
and this book brings it back to life by assembling the many descriptions of it by
early nineteenth-century eyewitnesses.

Vol. 258 - S70 ISBN-13: 978-0-87169-258-0

TIIC 1 1 BEAR V
IP V/.f W/ Y/A.4.V*/ IS

The Library of Benjamin Franklin

Edwin Wolf 2nd and Kevin J. Hayes

(Joint publication of the American Philosophical Society and
the Library Company of Philadelphia)

Benjamin Franklin's library, the largest and best private library
at the time of his death in 1790, was sold by his grandson and
subsequently sold again. None of the catalogues of the
collection survive. In 1956, Edwin Wolf discovered the unique
shelfmarks Franklin used to identify his books. His work to reconstruct a
catalogue of the library was unfinished at the time of his death. Kevin J. Hayes
took up the work as the tercentenary of Franklin's birth approached. Everything

found to date, close to 4,000 entries, is compiled here.

Vol. 257 - $100.00 ISBN-13: 978-0-87169-257-3

Transactions of the American
Philosophical Society

The Making of a Romantic Icon: The

Religious Context of Friedrich Overbeck’s
Italia and Germania

Lionel Gossman

WINNER OFTHE JOHN FREDERICK LEWIS AWARD
FOR 2007

Friedrich Overbeck's Italia and Germania (1811-1828) is a well-
known image in its native Germany, where it is seen as an allegory of the peren-
nial longing of German artists and poets for the beauty and harmony of the land
"where the lemon tree blooms." The contextualization of Italia and Germania in
this essay reveals a painting that is an emblem not only of the
sisterhood of North and South, the early German and early Italian traditions in
art, but of the general Romantic longing for reconciliation, reunion, and the
overcoming of historical alienation.

Vol. 97, Pt. 5 - $29 ISBN-13: 978-0-87169-975-6

BEYOND

COMBAT

Beyond Combat: Essays in Military History
in Honor of Russell F. Weigley

Edward G. Longacre and Theodore J. Zeman, editors

"The 'new military history' is new in its concern for military
history as a part of the whole of history, not isolated from the
rest, for the military as a projection of society at large, for the
relationships of the soldier and the state, for military institu-
tions and military thought." So wrote Russell F Weigley, one of the most
accomplished and respected military historians of the latter half of the
twentieth century. Beyond Combat includes a brief biography of Dr. Weigley by
the editors, an introduction by Dennis F Showalter, essays by nine of
Dr. Weigley 's PhDs, and a select bibliography of his work.

Vol. 97, Pt. 4 - $29 ISBN-13: 978-0-87169-974-9

The Tintype in America,
1856-1880

Janice G. Schimmelman

The book offers a history of the tintype from its invention in
Paris to the end of the wet-plate era. Americans embraced the
tintype. They were comfortable with its artlessness and liked
the come-as-you-are independence of the thing. The stories
were real, untouched by the manipulations of artist or photographer, and
unencumbered by Romantic notions of moral and civic virtue.

Vol. 97, Pt. 2 - $29 ISBN-13: 978-0-87169-972-5

Classical Romantic: Identity in the Latin
Poetry of Vincent Bourne

Estelle Haan

Vincent Bourne (1694-1747) was one of the most popular Latin
poets of his day. His Latin verse appealed to early eighteenth-
century and Romantic sensibilities. The present study
examines a broad range of that Latin verse in its classical,
neo-Latin, and vernacular contexts with particular attention to the theme of
identity (and differing forms of identity). Appended to the study are the texts

(with Haan's translations) of the Latin poetry discussed.

Vol. 97, Pt. 1 - $27 ISBN-13: 978-0-87169-971-8

American Philosophical Society

104 South Fifth Street • Philadelphia. PA 19106-3387
(Tel) 215-440-3425 • (Fax) 215-440-3450

BOOK ORDERS: Please contact our fulfillment service —

Diane Publishing Co., PO. Box 617 Darby, PA 19023 (phone 800-782-3833; fax 610-461-6130).
Online orders may be sent to orders@dianepublishing.net

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Gardeners are drawn to double
flowers for their sumptuous
looks. Simplicity is fine, but
sometimes even the most dedicated purist
craves an extra ruffle or two. The great
observer Gerard wrote in his sixteenth-cen-
tury herbal about every type of wild prim-
ula, but

primrose, of all the rest, is the greatest

Double Impatiens Fiesta
Series 'Deep Orange'

in his eyes “our garden double

DOUBLE

DELIGHTS

New Spins on Double Flowers

32 GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

beauty.’’ Multi-petaled flowers, grown as a
near or distant accent or focal point, infuse
the hum-drum with a little dazzle and
romance. Double flowers also last longer
than singles and make wonderful cut flow-
ers. And anyone who has walked past a per-
fumed double flower will remember its
intense aroma and sensory pleasure.
Thanks to improved breeding, more dou-

bles than ever are available to those who
revel in dressed-up flowers.

In the past, multi-petaled flowers were
natural sports from the original single-
petaled blooms. These turned up in nature,
in a garden, or in a plant nursery. Desirable
ones were carefully selected to produce new
cultivars. Nowadays, plant breeders under-
stand how to mix the genes to create dou-

GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

Double Flowers

Clematis Josephine
('Evijohill')

ble flowers without waiting for nature, so
the possibilities are no longer confined to
groups that tend to produce doubles, such
as roses, dianthus, and peonies. The range
of multi-petaled flowers has expanded to
include plants like Echinacea, in which
doubling is unexpected. The race is on to
carch the gardening public’s favor with ever
more striking double flowers. Some of
these may prove to be short-lived novelties,
while others will attain the status of a clas-
sic. Even the briefest survey of perennials
and vines suggests a rich plant palette with
fresh design possibilities.

Double flowers vary in appearance
according to the arrangement of their extra
petals. Full doubles bear an extravagantly
petaled head with no center visible. Semi-
doubles add to, rather than sacrifice, the
grace of the single form with just an extra
ring of petals around the flower’s center.
Hose-in-hose flowers, beloved by
Elizabethans, display an extra flower
perched arop the original, with spectacular
effects. Some of the showiest doubles today
are daylilies, echinaceas, and clematis,
where the flower’s stamens become petals
or where both the inner and outer parts of
the flower are doubled. As the bloom
matures, the flower may change its aspect,
appearing at different times to be single,
semi-double, or double.

Until fairly recently, the only hardy dou-
ble daylily was ‘Kwanso’, a hose-in-hose
sport of Hemerocallis flava, introduced
from Japan by 1860. In today’s double
daylilies, flowers may have extra layered
petals; center doubling; or both characteris-
tics combined in a single bloom, as in the
heavily-layered H. ‘Double Misty Dawn’
with its delicious melon-peach hue.
Hemerocallis ‘Siloam Double Classic’, now
an established favorite, is loved for its pink,
diamond-dusted flowers with center dou-
bling. It has a sweet scent to boot. ‘Double
River Wye’, a tall mid-season, semi-double
bloomer, has extra pale yellow petals, a
green throat, and extended flowering. The
latest extravaganza is ‘Susan Pritchard
Petit . Its flowers are huge — to 6 inch-
es— with ruffled burgundy-rose petals
(edges are picoteed) and center doubling.

Plant breeders continue to expand the
echinacea repertoire, not only for color, but

J \ \ 4

\ 11

| , A

K A #

L iL

GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

Datura 'Yellow Ruffles'

Hibiscus syriacus
'Pulcherrimus'

Double

Flowers

E^l MTCUBA

! -2Sa CENTER >nc

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Few places offer nature-inspired beauty and plant diversity like
Mt. Cuba Center. Nestled in the rolling hills of northern
Delaware, this woodland wildflower garden awaits discovery.

also for extra petals, often in the flower’s
center. Recent introductions include
‘Doubledecker’, a two-tiered flower with an
extra set of rose-pink petals roosting atop
the central cone; ‘Fancy Frills’, a semi-dou-
ble with multiple rows of shaggy pink
petals; and ‘Razzmatazz’, a pom-pom head
of fringed rose-pink florets surrounded by a
set of single petals. The latest variations
include ‘Pink Double Delight’, reported
to have twice the flower power of
‘Razzmatazz’. It is well-branched and stur-
dy, so stems can bear the weight of the
heavy 3-inch-wide blooms. As an added
bonus, it thrives in intense Texas heat and
humidity. ‘Coconut Lime’ is the first dou-
ble white and offers great possibilities for
color combinations. A ring of white petals
surrounds a pom-pom of pale green florets
on well-branched plants, 24 to 30 inches
tall, which don’t bend under their load of
bloom.

Clematis are getting a big push with stun-
ning multi-petaled cultivars. Josephine, a
1998 Chelsea Flower Show winner, is con-
sidered a breakthrough for its center dou-
bling. Pink striped guard petals, or tepals,
surround densely packed inner tepals
tinged cream and green, which expand to
form a pom-pom as the bloom matures.
The spectacular 3-inch flowers appear in
late summer on 10-foot-tall vines. Clematis
viticella ‘Purpurea Plena Elegans’ is smaller
flowered but blooms in masses of double
violet-purple rosettes on vines that grow up
to 30 feet long. Franziska Maria has multi-
layered purple flowers, 4 to 6 inches wide,
that bloom on both old and new growth
for repeat flowering all summer.

Double flowers give us a lift whenever we
gaze into their beautifully adorned, intri-
cately designed faces. Who knows what wall
be next? Thanks to the plant breeders’ art,
we will continue to see ever more multi-
petaled blooms among plants we never
dreamed of as doubles, as well as variations
on a theme in well-known groups such
as double tulips. Consider new Tulipa
‘Double Six’: each rose-pink petal is
streaked with green flames against a white
background to complement the plant's
white-edged, green foliage. Onward and
upward in the luxuriant garden!

GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

FOULKEWAYS AT GWYNEDD

More Time - More Choices - More Friends

Setting Standards of Excellence in Retirement Living Since 1967

t Yt Foulkeways at Gwynedd, community members look forward to
exploring new horizons and re-establishing past interests and hobbies.

There's always something close at hand to inspire both mind AND body!

So, what are you doing with the second half of YOUR life? ^

For more information about life at Foulkeways Continuing Care Retirement

Community, call Lori Schmidt at 21 5-283-7010 in the Residency
Information Office today.

t=3‘ panphCa

FRIENDS
SERVICES 2
- AGING

aahsa

Guided by Quaker Values
1120 Meetinghouse Road, Gwynedd, PA 19436
2 15-643-2200 • www.foulkeways.org

Foulkeways® at Gwynedd does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
religion, national origin, sex, handicap or familial status.

BURKE

Landscape Design / Build

215.887.1773

«v 1

More than 20 years of
award-winning experience
goes into every landscape
we create.

GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

Petunia cv. ‘Priscilla'

Choice Cut-Flower
Double Perennials

• Aquilegia vulgaris Tower
White'. Double flowers,
still spurred. 24 inches.

• Campanula 'Wedding
Bells'. Hose-in-hose
white within pink bell.

26 inches. a

• Coreopsis grandiflora
'Early Sunrise'.
Semi-double orange-red.
18 inches.

• Dlanthus 'Desmond'*'*^
Double deep red.

12 inches.

• Gypsophlla paniculataM
'Perfects'. Double white,
larger flowers than usual
36 inches.

Hosta 'Aphrodite'*. Hose-
in-hose, lily-like
blossom that blooms in
late summer and early fall
Grows to 30 inches
in bloom.

Leucanthemum x superbum
'Highland White Dream'.
Semi-double white, center
doubling Shasta daisy.

24 to 30 inches.

• Paeon ia 'Raspberry
Sundae'*. Double pink,
yellow blend. 27 inches.

• Rudbeckla hirta
'Goldilocks'. Double but
with dark cone showing.
Stupendous flower on
2-foot stems, plant 15
inches. Treat as
short-lived perennial.

• Tulipa 'Angelique'*.
Double-late pink blend
tulip, perennializes.

14 to 16 inches.

• fragrant

38 GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

Hemerocallis cv.

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GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

Basic Botany

By Jessie Keith

Plants Designed for Heat

n graduate school, I collected Agave and cacti because they
required little water, and I had no time for needy house-
plants. Thick-skinned xerophytes (heat and drought-toler-
ant plants) like these are tougher because they have the tools
to manage resources more efficiently than their more tender
relatives. Not a bad thing for the busy gardener.

Xerophytes reside in the harsh dry terrains of places like the
American Southwest, Australia, and South Africa, and many
are as beautiful as they are tough. They are also self-sustaining
and easy to grow.

Last summer my xerophytic garden thrived without care
during our bout of dry weather. Perennial favorites like the
western native Agastache rupestris, succulent Delosperma nubi-
genuem, silvery Sedum rupestre , and fragrant lavenders all
flourished.

So, what enables these plants to tough it out? A lot of fac-
tors— inside and out — contribute.

ON THE SURFACE

Most water exits a plant
through the leaves, so many
physical barriers for water
retention exist here.

Leaf shape is vital for mini-
mizing water loss while maxi-
mizing light intake. It’s all

about surface area. Broad-

leaved plants like elephant ears
Yucca filamentosa ‘Color Guard’ , ,

lose more water, while

those with dense nee-
dle-like leaves (pines),
thick succulent leaves
(sedums), or no leaves
(cacti) lose very little
without missing out
on sun exposure.

Some leaves even
change form in
response to drought.
Those of rosemary are
flattened when water
is plentiful but curl
under to a needle-like
form when it’s dry.

Leaf and stem sur-
faces have armor to
prevent evaporation

Delosperma ‘Kelaidis’

and retain water too. Xerophytes have a thicker epidermis
(skin cell layer), denser cuticle (waxy water-repellant skin),
and fewer and deeper stomata (leaf pores that release water
and exchange gas). All of these factors help them retain water
better.

THE INSIDE SCOOP

When it comes to storing water and generating food, xero-
phytes pack it away until another rainy day.

For food intake, there are three ways plants photosynthesize
(generate food from sunlight), one of which is CAM photo-
synthesis. CAM stands for Crassulacean Acid Metabolism, but
don’t get overwhelmed by the jargon. This is a highly efficient
form of photosynthesis found only in xerophytes, especially
members of the stonecrop, cacti, and pineapple families.
Basically, most plants open their stomata in the day to take in
the CO2 needed for photosynthesis, but CAM plants do it in
the dark. At night when temperatures are low, they open their
stomata to take up and chemically store CO2. Then in the day
they close their stomata to reduce water loss and internally
release the chemically stored CO2 for photosynthesis. Very
cool!

Xerophytes store more water better. Succulents contain
more water storage cells and tissues than average plants. Some
even have specially adapted cells for this purpose. Certain cacti
species even have “collapsible” cells with unique flexible walls
that fold in like little bags when water is low and quickly refill
when it’s available.

DOWN BELOW

The root systems of succulents vary widely. Some have deep
taproots for water storage, while others have broad, shallow
root systems to maximize water uptake during infrequent
rains. Others have both, like the southwest native creosote
bush (Larrea tridentata), which has a three-foot-deep taproot
and horizontal roots that can extend to 10 feet.

Root succulents are a unique group of xerophytes that safe-
ly store their water underground. These peculiar plants are
known for their colossal bases. Two such curiosities are the
Mexican natives Calibanus hookeri , which has a massive, three-
foot-wide fleshy base, and Jatropha berlandieri, with a bowling
ball-like stem from which arise sparse green leafy branches.

The self-sustaining nature of these plants is what I like best
about them. Whether planted in beds or containers, at the
height of drought they will continue to smile in the sun, and
so will you. 'Ay

GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

You can spend the morning hiking the rugged Wicklow
mountains, and the afternoon whiling away the hours
gazing out on the lush gardens at Powerscourt.

Discover more at discoverireland.com
or 800 SHAMROCK

Your very own Ireland

Botanical Bouquets

By Jane Godshalk

t Garden Branches in Bloom

The Philadelphia area is known for its beautiful
spring-blooming shrubs and flowers. This is a
time for enjoying the lush color and textures
from your garden. Making a beautiful arrangement with
these materials is quite simple, but there are a few condi-
tioning steps that will make your indoor arrangements look
fresher and last longer.

Step 1: Gathering Materials

Pick materials either in early morning or evening.

• Branches with blossoms: azalea, rhododendron, lilac

• A few large, smooth leaves, rhododendron, acuba, helle-
bores

• A few flowers for accent: tulips, lilies, peony, hellebores

• A glass vase or bowl

• Clippers and a sharp knife

Step 2: Preparing

Preparing branches

• Cut branches with stems at an angle.

• Strip several inches of bark from bottom of stem and
split stem in half to allow greater water absorption.

• Remove all foliage from below water line. Leave in cool
water for 4 to 6 hours or overnight. (Note: Lilac blossoms
will last longer if almost all of the foliage is removed from
the stem.)

Step 3: Preparing flowers

• Cut flower stems at an angle and
place in cool water.

• Tulips will be straighter if wrapped
in paper while conditioning.
(See Green Scene , May/June 2007.)

• Early in the season, hellebores are
very tender and will benefit from a
quick dip of their stems in very hot
water prior to 4 to 8 hours in cool
water. Later in the season they
are very hardy and need little
conditioning.

• Peonies should be cut when just
beginning to open and then given
a soak in cool water.

Step 4: Arranging

• Fill vase with water.

• Create a support with large foliage
by crossing stems.

• Add branches grouped according
to color and variety. Grouping
branches will give them more
impact.

• Add a few focal flowers at base
of design.

SUMMER CLASSICS

We cariv tire most extensive collection of Summer Classics in the area.
In-stock and ready for immediate delivery

Hill Company. Where beautiful outdoor living begins.

Now at two great locations:

Hill Company of Chestnut Hill

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610.584.4020

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Many pictures and information on our website
wwrw.botanyshop.com • Joplin, MO
or call 888-855-3300 for prices and information.

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VALLEY FORGE AMERICAN ELM

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• New U S D. A Release

- also -

PRINCETON
AMERICAN ELM

3' size - $20 each

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 w ebsite specials.

v John Scheepers

» •- 23 Tulip Drive • PO Box 638

' ' Bantam. CT 06^50

(860) 56- 0838

www.johnscheepers.com

Serving America's finest gardens for over 90 years.

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DESIGN SERVICES ~ CONSULTING

Expert advice for

GARDEN DESIGN &
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GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

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Discount 10% off the second

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Deadlines

January/February issue (by November 1 )
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May/June issue (by March 1 )
July/August issue (by May 1)
September/October issue (by July 1)
November/December issue (by September 1)

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Pi .EASE 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.

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

Custom Aluminum or Wood
33 Years’ Experience
Call Robert J. LaRouche at
Glass Enclosures Unlimited

610-687-2444

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: Daniel Moise, Green Scene
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor,
Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495.

If you have any questions, please call 215-988-8871.

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

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

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

PONDS

PONDS AND WATERFALLS

Design/lnstallation/Maintenance
View our pond video at

www.YourPond.com
Cedar Run Landscapes

1 -800-LANDSCAPE

LANDSCAPE DESIGN

LINDA CORSON
LANDSCAPE DESIGN

• Consulting
• Plans

• Supervision

Registered Landscape Architect
Member ASLA 215-247-5619

MULCH

FLOWERS AND MORE, INC.

Garden Design, Installation & Maintenance
PINE-NEEDLE MULCH
Wholesale and Retail
610-701-9283
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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

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

www.davidbrothers.com

DONALD PELL GARDENS

Creating & maintaining gardens with expert
horticultural craftsmanship.

View our portfolio of landscape
designs online at www.donaldpell.com or
call 61 0-91 7-1385 for a brochure
and consultation.

LARGE SPECIMEN TREES

Large Specimen Trees
20’ American Holly and Colorado Blue
Spruce

INDIAN ORCHARDS

610-565-8387

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
150 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.tripleoaks.com
856-694-4272
greatplants@tripleoaks.com

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.

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Buy where the professionals buy.

GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

An INSPIRING VOICE
in the GARDEN

Hayward Ford of Aspen Farms

By Betsie Blodgett

Hayward Ford, longtime leader at Aspen Farms commu-
nity garden, can't resist trying new things, whether it be
growing the latest tomato or supporting one ot the
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s new programs. “I was ready to
step down as president ot Aspen Farms a few years ago, but then I
heard about the City Harvest program that PHS was launching,”
Hayward recalls. “I knew I wanted to stay around and be a part ot
that.”

Hayward encouraged his tellow community gardeners to join
this initiative, which partners with the Philadelphia Prison System
inmates and staff with community gardens to provide fresh pro-
duce to city food banks. Aspen Farms gardeners harvested a ton
(literally) ot fresh vegetables — potatoes, broccoli, greens, tomatoes,
and more — during City Harvest’s first growing season in 2006.
Last summer, they grew 2,500 pounds.

Hayward, who has served on PHS Council and has chaired the
Philadelphia Green Advisory Board, is best known for his work for
almost 30 years shepherding Aspen Farms from a small eight-plot
patch at the corner of 49th and Aspen Streets into a thriving, com-
prehensive community garden.

Whenever Hayward is involved, he can be counted on to carry
out the PHS mission — by motivating people to create a sense of
community through horticulture — with utmost enthusiasm.
That’s one reason he was selected for the first Philadelphia Green
Leadership Award. J. William Mills, III, PNC Bank president of
Philadelphia and South Jersey, presented the award to Hayward at
the Philadelphia Green Brunch on March 9 at the Flower Show.

“Hayward exemplifies leadership," says PHS executive vice pres-
ident Blaine Bonham, who has known Hayward since Aspen
Farm’s early days. “Philadelphia’s greening movement has been
blessed to have him as one of its pioneers. Simply put, he inspires.'

Hayward and Aspen Farms have been featured in numerous
newspaper articles, National Geographic and Landscape Architect
magazines, and on Good Morning America. They also “starred” in
Edens Lost & Found — Philadelphia: The Holy Experiment , the
Philadelphia segment of a documentary that shows how four
American cities are transforming themselves through greening.
Aspen Farms is also included in the archives of the Archives of
American Gardens at the Smithsonian Institution.

Hayward serves as tour leader whenever local schoolchildren,
garden clubs, and international groups come to visit Aspen Farms,
as they frequently do. He points with pride at the neatly kept beds,
organic compost piles, passive solar power, and extensive irrigation
system. “The capital improvements to this garden make me
proud,” he says. “There are so many amenities to this particular
garden." In addition to PHS, Hayward is grateful to the
Neighborhood Gardens Association (NGA), which has held Aspen
Farms in land trust since 2004, for making some of these improve-
ments possible, including recycled-plastic lumber edging for the
garden beds.

“Aspen Farms is one of the most attractive and well-managed
community gardens in the city, and Hayward is a key part of its
success,” says Terry Mushovic, NGA’s executive director. “I'm most
impressed with the range of activities Hayward has been involved
with, not only at the community level, but throughout the city,
too,” she says, adding that he is a past president and treasurer of
NGA and currently serves as recording secretary'.

While Hayward did resign as president of Aspen Farms in
November, he knows its success will continue. “The garden is
not a one-man thing,” he points out. “Many people have
been involved to help make it what it is today. I hope it stay's
that way."

GREEN SCENE • may/june 2008

xperience

What’s in Bloom

Year-round

\V1 ion H. F. du Pont was developing the Winterthur Garden he kept a
weekly listing of what was in bloom -a tradition the Garden Division
staff continues today. To find out what’s currently in bloom, please call
302.888.4856 for the daily update.

Wednesdays at Winterthur

Now through October 29, 1 1:30 am

Hone your gardening skills with our expert horticulture staff! For a
complete list of workshops and topics, visit winterthur.org/wednesdays
or call 800.448.3883. No Wednesday programs in August.

Second Saturdays Garden Walks

Now through December 13

Join Winterthur’s horticulture staff for garden walks on the second
Saturday of each month. Walks last approximately 90 minutes. For a
complete list of topics and times, call 800.448.3883.

Above, programs included with admission. Members free. To join, e-mail membershipinfo@winterthur.org.

WINTERTHUR MUSEUM & COUNTRY ESTATE

Nestled in Delaware’s beautiful Brandywine Valley on Route 52, between 1-95 and Route 1
800.448.3883 • 302.888.4600 • winterthur.org

Success doesn’t come easy and
you’ve worked hard for what you have.
At PNC, we understand the wealth
you’ve earned isn’t an end in itself.

It’s simply a way to help you take on
your next challenge. That’s why our
highest priority is to thoroughly
understand your situation. And help
guide you on your journey ahead.

Call (888) 762-6226 or visit pnc.com.

©PNC

WEALTH
MANAGEMENT

LEADING THE WAY

Trust & Estate I Wealth & Retirement Planning I Investment Management I Private Banking Services

Your life is an exciting
adventure story.
Let us help write the
next chapter.

The PNC Financial Services Group. Inc. ('PNC') provides investment and wealth management, fiduciary services, FDIC-insured banking products and services and lending and borrowing ol funds through its subsidiaries.
PNC Bank, National Ass ration and PNC Bank, Delaware, which are Members FDIC. PNC does not provide legal, tax or accounting advice. ©2007 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc All rights reserved

Investments: Not FDIC Insured. No Bank Guarantee. May Lose Value.

All About
Hydrophytes

page 36

Derek Fell's
Water Garden

page 12

THE PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

€P HENRY

EXCELLENCE SINCE 1903

September 26-28, 2008

Join us as GardenFair celebrates
its fifth anniversary!

This year’s spectacular autumn sale pays tribute to the Artist & Gardener
and features more than 80 exhibitors offering everything from one-of-a-kind selections
of plants to garden art and antiques. Enjoy expert gardening information, artists,
celebrity lecturers, demonstrations, entertainment, and more!

Special Garden Club group discounts. Call 302.888.4827 for group information and reservations.
Benefits educational programming at Winterthur.

Free to Winterthur Members.

WINTERTHUR MUSEUM & COUNTRY ESTATE
Located in Delaware’s beautiful Brandywine Valley on Route 52, less than an hour south of Philadelphia.

800.448.3883 • 302.888.4600 • gardenfair.org

How Often Can You Choose. . .
Both Substance And Sizzle i

Choose the Community that led the way in
Sizzle and has always provided the most
Substance in Quality of Care and Services
. . . the best Value for your Monthly Fee . . .
and Life-long Assurance of Physical and
Financial Security that you deserve.

Many communities extol the Sizzle of their amenities but
leave gaps in services and charge additional fees for the
continuum of care that residents need.

The Value of Cathedral Village cannot be surpassed. Here,
your monthly fees include, but are not limited to, these
important reasons for choosing a retirement community:

• Outpatient Department Professional Nurses
on-site 24 hours every day.

• Physicians on-site 5 days a week and always
on call.

• Unlimited days of Short Term Nursing Care,
as well as Long Term Care, without the need for Long Term Care insurance.

• Our own uniformed Security Staff on duty 24 hours every day. Security personnel
also drive all of our transportation vehicles.

• Promotion of the body’s strength and spirit in our award-winning Health Club
and Pool.

• Opportunities for continued learning in our Village College and our Horticultural
Center.

• Daily Celebration of the Arts with our Painting and Ceramic Studios, our V illage
Chorus, Play Reading, and Concerts presented by professional-resident musicians
and visiting artists.

Cathedral Village residents are secure knowing that these and many other important sendees are
provided by our own management and staff who have a national reputation for job retention and
career longevity. The value of experience and stability should not be ignored or underestimated!

Enjoy Both Substance and Sizzle!

We Invite You to Visit ... Question ... and Compare!

Come in Monday through Friday between 9 and 3. Appointments are Necessary on Weekends.

t=r

(OUM. MOUSMO
OPPORTUNITY

A Nonprofit, Nondenominational CCRC

Accredited since 1984 (215) 984-8622

Affiliated with the Jefferson Health System www.cathedrAlvillage.com

600 East Cathedral Road
Philadelphia, PA 19128

Contents

GREEN SCENE (USPS 955580),

Volume 36, 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, 2008

Pixel Perfect

If your garden has never looked better,
break out the camera and capture the
beauty. Alan and Linda Detrick offer
advice on angle, color, lighting, and
composition, and Green Scene editor
Pete Prown demystifies the complex
world of digital cameras.

Cross-Country Containers

Philadelphia and Chicago have much in
common: first-rate restaurants, countless
cultural opportunities, and historic
landmarks. Beyond that, there are the
sidewalk container plantings that add
color and panache to crowded city
streets. Andrew Bunting of Scott
Arboretum explains.

18 Four-and-a-Half-Acre
Heaven

For Jenny Rose Carey, gardening isn’t a
leisure activity; it’s a way of life. The
daughter of a botanist and granddaughter
of a farmer, Carey is a garden historian
and stalwart Philadelphia Flower Show
volunteer. Jane Carroll tours Carey’s
home garden in Ambler, PA.

Editor

Pete Prown

Senior Editor

Jane Carroll

Associate Editor

Daniel Moise

Staff Photographer

Margaret Funderburg

Art Design

Baxendells’ Graphic

The Pennsylvania
Horticultural Society

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 Media Group
610-527-7047

mmanzo@manzomediagroup. com

Classified Ads

Daniel Moise, 215-988-8871
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

Swimmin’ with the Fishes

Derek Fell made a splash three years ago
when he decided to create a “dipping
pond” on his property. Filled with
koi and adorned with waterlilies, the
completed pool is quite a sight. Derek
explains his process in the pages ahead.

OLUMNS

The Potting Shed

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society motivates people to
improve the quality of life and create a sense of community
through horticulture.

Cover photo by Alan & Linda Detrick

Basic Botany

Wonderful Water Plants

Printer

ALCOM Printing Group, Inc.

Web Site

www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org

Botanical Bouquets

Simple Design with Lilies

The Backyard

Kids Go Green

Letter from the Editor

bur in the interim, I still get excited when
meeting someone who’s just installed a
pond. One such person is Jim DeLeece, the
husband of Green Scene designer Laurie
Baxendell. Jim has been a “terrestrial
gardener for years, but had the itch last
summer to do something more aquatic in a
lonely corner of their property. “I realized
that I wanted fish and, most of all, the
sound of moving water. Laurie got me the
pond for my birthday and arranged for
Dutchman Fountains (of Aston, PA) to line
the pond and build the waterfall. But first I
needed a hole. A big one."

While many people hire builders to dig
the pond with machinery, Jim — a brawny
fellow in his mid 40s — decided to do it the
old-fashion way ... with a shovel. “I’m the
cafeteria manager at Conestoga High School
in Berwyn, PA, and get my summers off.
So last year, I started digging every morning
for about three or four hours. If I had known
how much work it was going to be, I never
would have started. But I just kept going
and, after about 3 weeks, had it done.
It came to be about 8 x 12 feet
across and a full 3 feet deep. I threw the

WATER

You Waiting for?

f you go to the Philadelphia Flower
Show, it’s hard not to be entranced by
the many water features found in the
floriferous displays. I’m sure many ol us
walk away from the Show thinking, “Gosh,
wouldn’t it be great to have one of those in
my garden?” I had a small pond at my old
house and miss it desperately. To me, it was
an “interactive” garden, one that constant-
ly moved and tolerated regular tinkering —
feeding the fish, siting the water plants,
adjusting the waterfall and, of course, just
tinkering for the sake of tinkering.

Someday I’ll put in a new water garden.

GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

excavated soil behind the pond to create a
berm that would eventually be home to the
waterfall and new plantings.”

Eventually, the pond experts from
Dutchman Fountains arrived to line the
hole with a thick butyl-rubber liner. Jim
also has a lot of experience with indoor fish
tanks, so he knew he’d need some hardware
to keep the water clean. “I had them put in
a UV filter and giant, 150-gallon bio-filter
to help maintain the water quality,” says
Jim. “There’s also a pump to circulate the
water up to the waterfall. Keeping the
water moving is a great way to keep it fresh
and healthy.”

“I also use plants to keep the water free
from algae. One of the best is anacharis
( Egeria densd), an underwater plant that
filters water all by itself. 1 also put in
cattails, canna, hardy water lilies and water
hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes). I got all of
these at Pickering Valley Feed & Farm
in Exton, PA."

Finally, it was time for the piece de
resistance — the fish! “I also got my koi at
Pickering. The key with outdoor fish is not
to buy too many. That’s because they really
grow fast and can get pretty large. I just
feed them with floating koi pellets and they
seem happy. Plus, with the 3-foot depth,
they can overwinter in the pond easily,
burrowing into the soil at the bottom. I’m
also going to put some tadpoles and catfish
into the water this year; they also help
maintain the aquatic environment. ”

Granted, not everyone has the time — or
the muscles — to create a pond as Jim did,
but this is a great illustration of the pond-
building process. And it makes me want to
have a pond again, hopefully sooner than
later. If that weren’t enough, in this issue
of Green Scene you II also learn about a
magnificent water garden designed by
garden photographer Derek Fell (page 12),
as well as read Jessie Keith’s column on
“hydrophytes,” the botanical classification
for water plants (page 36).

In fact, there’s nothing left to do in this
edition of Green Scene except ... dive in!

-sere

email: greenscene@pennhort.org

We Grow Beautiful Gardens.

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GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

The Potting Shed

‘There are two pillars of cheesy campiness in the
American pantheon. One is the velvet Elvis.

The other is the pink flamingo.”

■ Robert Thompson of Syracuse University,
pop-culture commentator

FLAUNTING

A History

By llene Sternberg

Photo by Rob Cardillo

Famous-er than a bent-over wooden lady showing her
bloomers, more powerful than a painted tire ‘round a
petunia bed, and possibly able to leap tall buildings at a
single bound is the pink plastic flamingo, America’s answer to Britain’s
garden gnomes.

The earliest known rendering of a flamingo is a Spanish cave
painting dated 5,000 BC, but the iconic 3-D pink plastic flamingo
was hatched in 1957 when fme-arts-trained Don Featherstone made
one for Union Products of Leominster, Massachusetts, thereby
making bad taste affordable for every American.

In the late 1950s, hot pink was hot, and America’s exploding
population of suburbanites sought to add that flair to their lawns.
“ Tropical elegance for under $10!” claimed its creator, who dubbed it
Phoenicopteris ruber plasticus. Union Products produced an estimated
20 million flamingos. Sears sold them for $2.76 a pair: “Place in
garden, lawn, to beautify landscape,” their catalog directed. In 1986,
Featherstone’s signature was added to its rump, a trusted symbol of
authenticity.

But there was resistance. “The plastic pink flamingo’s natural
enemies are the plastic alligator and the Neighborhood Beautification
Committee,” says Featherstone. Many residential developments
banned them. Flamingos became a target of pranksters, some of
whom swiped them, took them on the road, and then sent their own-

ers photos of the kidnapped birds at the Grand Canyon or
Mount Rushmore.

When, just shy of the flamingo’s 50th birthday, Union Products
closed its doors and the bird was threatened with extinction, HMC
International LLC took the copyright and plastic molds of
Featherstone’s originals under its wing, and flamingos were once again
breeding in Westmoreland, New York.

Today, the namesake of the infamous 1972 John Waters movie is a
thriving industry. For a price, some people even install flamingo flocks
on a victim’s lawn under dark of night. Flamingo flocking is also a
nationwide fund-raiser. Organizations sell “flamingo flocking
insurance” and then sneak flamingos onto the lawns of those without
coverage. The flocked then pay a “flamingo removal fee.

Baby boomers adopted the plastic bird to challenge the boundary
between high art and good taste. Flamingo-themed installations
appeared in avant-garde galleries. Boomers carried flamingos across
Europe in backpacks. Flamingos became popular housewarming gifts,
often sold in chic museum shops. The motif is worldwide now. There
are Flamingomania clubs. As the boomer generation retires, though,
will plastic flamingos retire, too?

Last I saw, an original Don Featherstone lawn flamingo in
original packaging is selling on Amazon.com for $109.

GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

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GARDEN PHOTO

CONTEST

and win this Nikon camera ... and a
Fun Photo Assignment
for Green Scene magazine!

•gas*

We want to see your best photos of gardens,
flowers, landscapes, and people
outdoors enjoying nature The contest’s
judges — all professional photographers and
gardeners from across the region — will be
looking for knockout images that capture the joy
of gardening and nature. Winning photos will be
published in the January/February 2009 issue of
Green Scene magazine and on the PHS website.

This year's winner will not only win a camera,
but also will be invited to take photos for an
upcoming Green Scene article. This could
be your big break!

Photos can be shot in any format, but must be
submitted as 4 x 6- or 5 x 7-inch prints with
your name, phone number, and email address
on the back. No submissions by email or on CD
will be accepted.

The deadline for entries is
September 15, 2008.

For more information,
please visit the
PFIS website at
www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety. org or
email greenscene@pennhort.org with questions.

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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) Q

Payment option: Check □ (payable to PFIS) Credit Card □ Credit card type: Visa □ MasterCard □ AmEx Q

Card number: Card expiration date:

Please Mail your Entries to: GREEN SCENE GARDEN PFIOTO 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, 2008.

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
electronic 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.

Printed Name

Signature

water begins its journey high on the hill
and courses down to the waterfall and
basin — somewhat reminiscent of an
amusement-park log flume.

“I didn’t have any trouble selecting a con-
tractor,” Fred says. “Lorenz Landscape
Contractors of Glenside, PA, was the only
one daring enough to take on something
like this.”

Situated above the fountain is what Fred
aptly calls “The Ruins.” Because the back-
yard is so sheer, this assemblage of
Coventry stone blocks can be seen directly
across the deck. Although it appears to be
the remains of a Celtic castle, or maybe an
Indonesian temple, Fred said that no
particular structure inspired his creation. “I
would sit on the deck, look out, and think,
‘What would look good there?’” he recalls.
“Given the way the ivy grows like crazy,
something rustic and forgotten-looking
seemed like a good fit.”

Off to the left stands a square shed with
a green roof. Fred says, “About five years
ago or so I attended the Philadelphia
Flower Show and saw a display on green
roofs. I thought, ‘I could do that. ” Now
the top of the shed looks like a floating
patch of lawn, and ivy climbs up the side
walls. Fred installed a sprinkler system to
ensure the plants have ample water.

Consistent, frequent watering is the key
to the garden’s success. Fred says, “The
flowers tell you when they’re thirsty. The

□rowing

in Hilly

Northwest

Philly

by Daniel Moise

What’s better than a backyard
with a striking view? Two

views, of course. Fred

Bilstein, a longtime gardener and resident
of Philadelphia’s hilly Roxborough

neighborhood, makes the most of his
nearly vertical backyard by creating two
distinct vistas.

On the ground level, a patio looks out on
a small fountain. Shielded by slate slabs and
impatiens, goldfish and koi swim below the
water. The careful eye may also discern a
bullfrog among the moss. Fred once tried
adding turtles to his menagerie, but the
experiment proved faulty. “They would just
climb out and amble away. What could I
do? " he laughs.

To appreciate the second view, guests
must wend their way up a spiral staircase to
the deck high above. A comparatively
recent addition to the property, the deck
offers a spectacular vista. By looking down,
the fountain can be seen in its entirety and
is larger than it seems at eye level. The

second they start to droop it’s time to pull
out the hose.” While Fred — a retired police
officer — does the watering, he credits his
wife, Debbie for keeping the garden spic-
and-span.

The combined effort earned the pair first
place in the 2007 PHS City Gardens
Contest. Fred says winning isn’t what’s
important to him; he just delights in
having the judges stop by for a visit. “To us,
the best part about gardening is creating a
space people can relax in and enjoy,” he says.
“As the sign on our shed reads, ‘One who
plants a garden, plants happiness.’”

GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008 11

Photos by Margaret Funderburg

Three years ago, I decided my garden at
Cedaridge Farm, near Pipersville, PA,
needed a new water garden. My wife
Carolyn and I already had a natural stream and a
wildlife pond, but I wanted a place to swim among
waterlilies and koi. I had contemplated a traditional
swimming pool, but decided against it because it
would be out of place on a historic farm founded by
Mennonite farmers in 1791.

Thus, the idea for a “dipping pond” was born. I
chose a site at the rear of my barn in a flat, grassy area
adjacent to woodland. I roughed out a design on
paper — taking inspiration from the nearby, scenic
Tohickon Creek — and contracted Aquascape Designs
to perform the installation. A Chicago-based
company, Aquascapes worked through its local agent,
Lenzscaping, of Horsham, PA.

Amazingly, the installation took only three days
using eight workers. The first day, a supply of stone
and boulders arrived in two truckloads. Two flanking
stones for a series of waterfalls weighed three tons
each. There were also specially selected boulders and
stones that served specific purposes, such as anchor-
ing the waterproof liner, edging the pool, or directing
the water in a certain direction. Positioning
everything was like fitting together a jigsaw puzzle.

The day after the stone arrived, it was time to get
digging. A Bobcat and shovels worked at full-speed as
we made space in the earth for a series of three pools
and an 80-foot-long meandering stream with an
island. Boulders were positioned using a crane, and
the depression was filled with water from a tanker
truck (and topped off by a nearby wellj.We installed
pumps and filters to circulate the water and keep it
crystal clear.

We spent the third day laying additional boulders
and stone and planting the site. I obtained some large
trees and shrubs from Feeney’s, a Bucks County
wholesale nursery. The tree roster included two
mature weeping pines, a large weeping spruce, and
two ‘Heritage’ river birch.

As for shrubs, I selected several varieties of azalea
and rhododendron, six winterberry, three tricolor
willow, and a magnificent Arnold Promise’
witch-hazel. Together these create a background

GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

Photc

lotus

tapestry behind the waterfall, making it appear as though the
waterfall is emerging from the woodland. Three mature
specimens of cut-leaf Japanese maple ‘Waterfall’ (a PHS Gold
Medal plant) are among boulders and are trained so that their
leaves dip into the water. They create a bright-green, fleece-
like canopy of foliage in spring and blaze orange in fall.

As a result of many years photographing gardens for
publication, I noticed that the most natural pool plantings
have three levels of interest. First is the water surface, which
features floating plants such as waterlilies. There are also
marginal plants— such as Japanese iris and pitcher
plants — that have their roots permanently submerged in
shallow water or boggy soil. Third are the edging plants that
can take good drainage, such as astilbe and hosta.

I chose only pink, red, and yellow waterlilies as floating
plants because the whites can be too aggressive. To keep the
waterlily roots within bounds, 1 planted three of each color in
a three-gallon container and sunk them about a foot deep
below the ice line. To maintain continuous flowering in
summer, I feed the waterlilies high-phosphorus fertilizer
tablets pushed into the root zone, three tablets every three
weeks per container. In spring, before the waterlilies break the
surface, I lift the containers and divide the roots to make
more. It is said that to have healthy waterlilies, you must keep
your pond clear of fish because they will eat the tender new
shoots, but I have not had this happen. Indeed, waterlilies are
so prolific I must prune vigorously to prevent them from
covering the swimming zone.

A favorite marginal planting is a clump of ‘Mrs. Perry D.
Slocum’ lotus, a pink and white hybrid. It is planted in a
submerged 10-gallon container. In order to grow pitcher
plants I had to create a boggy area using a soil mix of equal
parts sterile sand and peat. I keep it free of fertilizer because
pitcher plants cannot tolerate salt build-up. Some of my
pitcher plants are native to the New Jersey Pine Barrens
(though commercially raised from seed), but my favorite is
the white Sarracenia leucophylla, native to the Carolina Low
Country. It has pure-white pitchers delicately veined with red.
It keeps company with several hybrids developed by the
University of South Carolina, a particular favorite being
‘Judith Hinkle’, which features pink pitchers and deep red
veins. By mid-winter, all the pitchers turn brown and die
down, but sprout new growth in spring from dormant roots.

In addition to the plantings, I pay special attention to water

GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

reflections. Plants like cardinal flower and pink stonecrop
create colorful reflections when planted close to the water,
depending on the position of the sun. At sunset, the red
siding on my barn is reflected in the water, as are the yellow
clumps of Bowles golden grass and hakone grass.

The swimming zone is below a series of waterfalls. At 20
feet in diameter and 4 feet deep, this area is not large enough
for swimming laps, but it does allow me to float with my toes
under the lower waterfall. The water is not heated, but I find
the temperature to be just fine from May to September. I also
like to don a mask and snorkel and observe the koi under
water. They are exceedingly friendly and often allow me to
touch them.

Although I gain a great deal of pleasure from my dipping
pool, visiting children gain even greater pleasure. They will
paddle along the stream seeking frogs to tickle with a stick
and scream with delight when the frogs leap into the air and
vanish into the water.

Derek Fell is a widely published author of garden books. His
latest is The Magic of Monet's Garden (Firefly Books).

GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

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GREEN SCENE • july/augusf 2008

What do you get when you mix
history, environmental awareness,
and a playful aesthetic informed by
classic design? You get a garden like Northview,
designed and tended by Jenny Rose Carey, a
garden historian, director of the Landscape
Arboretum at Temple University Ambler, and a
very active Philadelphia Flower Show volunteer.

Born in Kent, England, Carey holds degrees in
biology, education, and horticulture and has
taught in both England and the United States,
including at the Barnes Foundation and Temple
University. The daughter of a botanist and grand-
daughter of a farmer, she was perhaps pre-destined
for the gardening life.

FROM THE GROUND UP

When Carey and her husband Gus bought the
four-and-a-half-acre property in Ambler and
moved in with their young daughters, invasive
plants like Norway maple, ailanthus, and poison
ivy ruled the day. Northview's saving graces
were a stunning 100-year-old Japanese maple,
other venerable trees, a lot of history, and
great potential.

The Northview house was built in 1887 as the
summer home of Wilmer Atkinson, founder of
the Farm Journal, the nation’s leading agricultural
magazine, which is still published today. (The
historic Farm Journal building is on Philadelphia’s
Washington Square.)

Carey had a vision for the gardens, and she
set out planting daylilies near the entrance drive
before attacking the ubiquitous weeds. “While the
girls were playing on the swings I would put
plastic bags on my arms and pull poison ivy,”
she recalls.

Taking

the

Long
View at Northview

Jenny Rose Carey gardens for today ... and tomorrow

GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

Northview Garden

"As a child,

I remember
running down
paths in my
grandmother's
garden and not
knowing where
they were

Carey soon began to create the eclectic
mix of gardens now seen at Northview. The
variety is immediately evident looking out
from the front porch, which is framed on
opposite sides by two contrasting gardens.
The formal Fountain Garden to the right
includes a boxwood parterre and classical
fountain, while on the left is the
Overgrown Garden, an unstudied wild-
flower patch with a platform feeder that
draws birds to the kitchen window for up-
close viewing.

A GARDEN WALK

Our tour starts with Carey’s most ambi-
tious project, the Dry Garden, a xeriscape
garden inspired by a trip to Provence,
France. “I saw a whole garden mulched
with gravel; it was a baking-hot space, but
the herbs seemed to love it,” Carey recalls.
“So, 1 thought, we ll just do a whole garden
in gravel. The gravel insulates the crowns of
the plants and holds them down, so I don’t
get as much damage from frost heave in the
winter. She waters new plants in, but
otherwise, plants in this garden receive no
supplemental water.

The emphasis on drought-tolerant plants
reflects Carey’s desire to garden as “sustain-
ably” as possible. “My hope is that as you
walk through here, youre thinking about
the use of water,” she says. The plants look

GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

leading. I tried

very happy. Bountiful masses of Verbena
bonariensis sway in the breeze. Donkey-tail
spurge ( Euphorbia myrsinites) happily
re-seeds itself, along with agastache, pasque
flower, brooms, rock rose, knautia, laven-
der, and dianthus. Mounded planting beds
absorb heat and conserve moisture.

Carey’s plant choices and design sense
stem from her knowledge of garden history,
her visits to gardens all over the world, and
her memories of childhood. “I vividly
remember as a child running down the
little paths in my grandmother’s garden
and not knowing where they were
leading,” she says. “I tried to
re-create that feeling here.”

Childhood favorites include
California poppy and
Crambe , a Mediterranean
native popular in
Victorian times. “We
used to go for a week in
summer to Dungeness, a
pebble beach near Kent,”
says Carey. “It grows on
the sea coast right
there.”

to re-create that
feeling here."

■

—

The winding walkway ends at the Italian
Circle, a seating area under an arbor
covered with trumpet vine and dangling
copper ornaments. Other copper objects
and sculptures are scattered throughout
Northview, the work of Joe Giampa Jr.,
an artist and carpenter who helps the
family.

We climb up a rough-hewn tree house
for a look around. Giampa built the tree
house atop the trunk of a large oak struck
by lightning in 2003. (T he Careys counted
130 rings in the trunk.) From here we can
see the Dry Garden’s spiral design — a
repeated theme at Northview — and we
look down on the Big Things
Border (there’s a Little
Things Border, too). “Big”
plants include helianthus;
heliopsis; and yellow Silphium
perfoliatum, or cup plant, so called

because its opposing leaves join at the base
to form a cup — convenient for thirsty
birds.

At the end of a path between the Dry
Garden and an herb garden sits the
Cottage, Carey’s pride and joy. T his garden
shed has serious charm appeal. It’s stuffed
with pots, dried flowers, seed packets, and
notebooks and sits on an angle just so. “I
wanted it angled just like that," Carey says.
“Things like axial views mean a lot to me.”
Nearby, the Pond Garden offers a respire
from the hot sun, with goldfish; lotus; water
lilies; elephant ears; yellow flag iris; and a
lovely young Japanese maple (Acer Palmatum
‘Waterfall’, a PHS Gold
Medal plant). The tree
signals Carey’s penchant
for horticultural puns:
there’s a real waterfall just
below it.

A CHILD'S PARADISE

One corner of Northview seems tailor-
made for children. Here you’ll find the
Fairy Garden, Moss Garden, and a
“Stumpery." The gnarled limbs here are the
remains of two sassafras trees that once
stood on the spot. A nearby ring of neatly
cut stumps is all laid out for a kids tea
party — straight out of Alice in Wonderland.

Ringed by large stones (placed by Gus
with a tractor), the Moss Garden has a
spiral stepping-stone path and a giant
copper teapot in the center, accented with
the copper-leaf fern ‘Brilliance’.

“What I love about the garden are all the
little surprises," notes Gus. Unexpected
delights include a “thyme carpet” under a
dogwood tree, a hornbeam archway, and a
“nyssa tunnel.”

TAKING THE LONG VIEW

For inspiration, Carey reads all she can
about gardens and travels extensively.
England’s Sissinghurst tops her list
of favorite spots, but she also loves Hidcote;
Powis Castle in Wales; Villa Lante in
Italy; and Wave Hill in the Bronx
( www. wavehill. org) .

As for cultivation tips Carey says, “It’s
nothing new. Get the best soil you can and
don’t over-fertilize. The Careys brought in
truckloads of mushroom soil. She says
every gardener should have their own
compost bin, and the only thing she sprays
is the poison ivy.

Carey has big plans for Northview. She
sees the carriage house as a meeting
and lecture space, and she gardens
with the future in mind. In addition
to the big Japanese maple, the property’s
other remarkable trees include beeches,
oaks, redbuds, and a Metasequoia
glyptostroboides ‘Ogon’. “I'm adding more
Japanese maples,” she says. “Wilmer
planted all these wonderful plants for me,
so I’m planting for someone else down
the road.” ^

GREEN SCENE • july/august

Nemours Mansion & Gardens

...has completed a dazzling restoration by world-class
architects, gardeners, engineers, and craftsman that has restored
this premiere North American estate to its turn of the century magnificence.
A new visitor center, re-landscaped gardens and the
spectacular mansion welcome the public.

For reservations call 1-800-651-6912 or go to www.nemoursmansion.org.
Route 141 and Alapocas Drive, Wilmington, Delaware

GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

Story and Photography

by Alan & Linda Detrick

ou have a nice garden
and a new digital
camera ... now what ?

Digital Garden Photography

Here are some easy tips to make the
act of pictorially documenting your
garden a joy, rather than an exercise
in photographic frustration.

GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

ABOVE:

W , JKg. ;» r3p ,V >y'- K

fsB

P'i 1

Alan & Linda Detrick are a husband-and-
wife team specializing in photography
for the garden and horticulture markets.
You can see more of their images at
www. alandetrick. com .

GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

Digital Garden Photography

* h ..

Photography is all about LIGH1 "ING. Move
around your subject to determine which
view provides the best light. In this
example, the side lighting highlights both
the ornamental grass seed heads and the
bright red leaves of the nearby bush.
The interplay of light and shadow give
added dimension to the picture.

BELOW:

Constant movement is one of the many challenges in : I 5 . It

seems the closer you get, the more they move. Try to photograph early in the morn-
ing when insects like bees or butterflies are still chilled and won't move. Better yet,
choose subjects that don't frighten easily, like this praying mantis. Always focus on

the eyes to make sure they are sharp.

LEFT:

Always think about COMPOSITION
before you shoot. Groups of brightly
colored blossoms are always attractive,
but are not as easy to photograph as
they might seem.

In this image of Anemone 'Harmony
Mix' flowers, the three blossoms form a
slight arch in the foreground at the
center of interest. They were
intentionally captured in sharp focus,
while the balance of the blossoms
were left to go soft (i.e., slightly
out of focus).

Digital Garden Photography

THE DIGITAL SLR

(single lens reflex camera)

These cameras offer the
photographer the most control and
shooting power, as well as the
ability to change the lens. They are
rather heavy and bulky, however.

1) Most digital SLRs have a
program thumbwheel that
allows the shooter to select
different shooting modes, from
fully automatic to fully manual.
You'll find the best one for your
level, but generally the "P"
(Program) setting allows for
auto exposure, yet also manual
control of the flash. Also,
professional photographers
often use the Aperture Priority
setting, which allows for
precision control over the depth
of field.

2) The lightning-bolt arrow is the
standard button on all digital
cameras for setting the flash
mode. There are certain situa-
tions where you want to manu-
ally have the flash fire, such as
on a very sunny day that
creates dark shadows on your
subject. A flash can help light
up those deep shadow areas.

Use the flash in conjunction with

exposure compensation

buttons to achieve the right
amount of light (see your
manual for details).

And if you don't have a flash,
you can somewhat adjust the
exposure when editing photos
on your computer.

3) The Autofocus/Manual button
is a vital tool. While autofocus is
good for many situations (such
as wider garden scenes),
manual focus is a must for
critical close-ups of flowers,
especially for getting leaf/petal
edges or stamens (the central
reproductive organs of a flower)
perfectly sharp.

4) Once you turn the focus to
manual, use the focus ring on
your lens to find the exact point
of perfect sharpness.

Know

Your

Camera

Gear!

INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES & TRIPODS

One of the main advantages of
SLR cameras is the variety of
lenses that are available. Here are a
few that are useful to the garden
photographer.

1) The standard zoom lens
covers focal ranges from basic
wide-angle to semi-telephoto.
This is an all-purpose lens for
general garden shots and
semi-closeups.

2) There are also telephoto
zooms, good for shooting
subjects that are either far away
or for which you want to get
very close. Some even have
"macro" settings for ultra-close-
ups, which are best achieved by
mounting your camera on a
tripod and using a shutter-
release button to keep the
camera and lens perfectly still.

3) The wide-angle lens is one

of the handiest for the garden
photographer. It can be used to
shoot a large landscape or
garden vista or brought in close
to highlight a flower in the
foreground of the composition.
It's also useful on crowded
garden tours, when you need
to shoot a garden bed, but don’t
have room to back up very far.

4) The lens hood attaches to
the end of lenses and can help
screen out sun glare and UV
rays. Each lens should also
be fitted with an affordable
UV filter (not pictured] to
keep colors from getting
washed out and also protect
the glass on the end of your
lens from scratches.

GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

POINT-AND-SHOOT CAMERAS

These workhorses are light and
affordable, yet still able to take
good garden photos if you
understand their strengths and
weaknesses.

1) One of the main controls
on a point-and-shoot is the
Wide/Telephoto Zoom con-
trol. Use it to frame your
subject and create a pleasing
composition. (TIP: Placing the
subject off-center often creates
a more pleasing image.)

2) Again, look for the flash
button This important control
allows you to turn the flash off,
on, or have it fire automatically.

Learn how to shoot with flash
on to combat shadow-filled
sunny days, or leave it off to get
natural-light effects without
harsh artificial flash.

3) Use the viewing screen and
delete button to get rid of
missed shots. This will save
space on your memory card.

HYBRID DIGITALS

These automated cameras
bridge the gap between point-and-
shoot ease and the control of an
SLR. They are also smaller than
an SLR, making them more con-
venient to carry around, but they
lack some of the larger camera's
features and precision controls.

1) You can add an external flash

unit for more control of lighting

2) A program mode thumb-
wheel can dial in automatic
exposure settings or some
manual functions.

3) The lens on hybrid digitals
usually has a non- manual focus,
limiting the shooter's ability
to pick the point of perfect
sharpness.

GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

n the last 20 years there has been a significant
horticultural movement afoot in major cities across the
United States. Many urban leaders are recognizing the
importance of using horticulture to improve the look of their
cities, and one of their main tools is the humble container. Let's
look at container plantings in two major US metropolises.

CHICAGO

In my travels I often hear people refer to
Chicago as “the most beautiful city in the
United States” and, no doubt, there is some
validity to this statement. When Mayor
Richard M. Daley was elected in 1989, he
started a massive greening program. By
2003, the Mayor’s office had planted over
400,000 street trees and completed major
horticultural projects at Navy’s Pier and
Grant Park.

One of the hallmarks of Daley’s initiative
was the addition of hundreds of massive
ornamental containers spanning more than
two miles along Michigan Avenue.
Custom, cast-concrete containers were
installed on both sides of the street running
from the south all along Grant Park, in
front of the Art Institute of Chicago, and
continuing up through the Magnificent
Mile to Lake Michigan. Three seasons of
stunning displays are designed and
installed by private contractors, including
brilliant combinations of tropical plantings
for summer.

Mayor Daley’s vision earned him a Scott
Medal from the Scott Arboretum of
Swarthmore College in 2003. The Medal
honors an individual who has made a signif-
icant contribution to the art or science of
horticulture. Some would say that the costs

of such extravagant plantings would be a
major drain on any city’s resources.
However, Barry Burton, assistant to the
Mayor, noted that “Chicago’s entire 63
miles of medians and 30 miles of boulevards
that are landscaped cost less than one per-
cent of the city’s budget. ” This seems a small
investment considering that many studies
show such beautification projects yield sig-
nificant economic benefits for cities.

PHILADELPHIA

In Philadelphia, as well as in other East
Coast cities, similar efforts are being used to
beautify and revitalize downtown areas. The
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has been
leading the charge in collaboration with
other organizations. Some of the most suc-
cessful container planting projects in down-
town Philadelphia are the result of a part-
nership between PHS, the Center City
District (a community development corpo-
ration), and the Avenue of the Arts. As
horticultural consultant to the Center City
District and Avenue of the Arts, Inc., PHS
oversees the container installation and
maintenance contracts. Center City District
executive director Paul Levy refers to these
container projects as the “Chicago style.” an

Presented h

PEPSI

Story & Photography
by Andrew Bunting

Heat-loving, colorful plants, like
canna, coleus, elephant ears, and
sweet-potato vine, light up large
containers along the streets of
Philadelphia and Chicago.

City Containers

In 1996, the Center City District began
the Streetscape Improvement Project,
which included the maintenance of more
than 800 street trees. In 1998 several
ornamental containers were planted along
Jeweler’s Row and intermittently along
Walnut Street from 1 1 th Street through
18th Street. These containers are filled with
a mix of tropicals for the summer including
cannas, elephant ears, and a myriad of
coleus and other plants with attractive
foliage.

The Center City District also installed
large containers on Market Street East from
6th Street to City Hall. Three years ago, 1 56
large hanging baskets were added to the
light poles on both sides of Market Street.
These moss-lined baskets are planted with
summer annuals like coleus, petunias, and
sweet potato vine. Because of the changing
light conditions along Market Street,
specific plants combinations are selected
for each container.

You can also find large containers on the
Avenue of the Arts — the area of South
Broad Street that is home to some of
Philadelphia’s high-profile performing arts
institutions. Containers are installed on
both sides of Broad Street from City Hall
to the Kimmel Center. These glazed
containers are approximately 3 feet wide
and 4 feet tall. In past summers, large
tropical plants including Canna ‘Pretoria’,
Canna ‘Wyoming’, Alpinia zerumbet
‘Variegata’, and Colocasia esculenta ‘Illustris’
and ‘Black Magic’ (elephant ears) formed
the central plantings. In November the

summer plantings were replaced with
conifers, such as Thuja plicata, or western
red cedar, and Juniperus virginiana Emerald
Sentinel™, the eastern red cedar. For
interesting stem colors, the red-stemmed
dogwood, Cornus sericea ‘Cardinal’, and a
selection of willow, Salix alba ‘Chermesina’,
were added and underplanted with pansies
and daffodils for spring.

“It is a project with many moving parts;
it definitely takes a lot of planning and
maintenance to make this come to life,”
says Julie Snell, a project manager with
PHS’s Philadelphia Green program who
oversees the container project. “But the
rewards of standing next to an eight-foot
plant in full bloom along a city street are so
worth it. I think projects like the Center
City District’s streetscape improvements
have really raised the bar for other efforts in
the city.”

Cities across the US are realizing the
important role played by horticulture and
greening when it comes to the vitality of
urban spaces. By attracting visitors and
improving neighborhoods, thriving spaces
can be the catalyst for reviving business
districts as well as residential areas. Nancy
O’Donnell, a director of Philadelphia
Green, says, “Beautiful plants lift the spirits
of everyone and are an essential element of
a world-class city.” ^

Andrew Bunting is the curator of the Scott
Arboretum at Swarthmore College and
owner of Fine Garden Creations in
Swarthmore, PA.

ARCHITECTURAL
WONDERS OF THE

MAY

24 - OCTOBER 13, 2008

Special Carden Railway
events all summer long. Visit
www.morrisarboretum.org
for details, or call 215-247-5777.

75th Anniversary
\Ibh Morris Arboretum of the

University of Pennsylvania

Official arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society

The Passion of George
Sarton: A Modern
Marriage and Its
Discipline

Lewis Pyenson

George Sarton animated the disci-
pline of history of science in
America. This monograph, the first full-length study of
Sarton's life and work, traces his youth and education
in Ghent, Belgium, and his stormy marriage to the
talented English artist Mabel Elwes. It follows George
and Mabel Sarton in their path from idealistic refugees
fleeing the invasion of Belgium in 1914 to destitute
intellectuals at Harvard University. For half a century,
history of science as an academic specialty owed
much to George Sarton's visions and anxieties,
especially as they were expressed in his marriage.
Mabel Sarton sustained his enterprise and contributed
to its form, which included parts of socialism,
pacifism, aesthetics, and faith.

Vol. 260 - S90.00 ISBN: 978-0-87169-260-3

lewis fSvrvor

Tlw Passion of
GrOIKir BARTON

Renaissance Vision from
Spectacles to Telescopes
Vincent llardi

The monograph deals with the
history of eyeglasses from their
invention in Italy ca. 1286 to the
appearance of the telescope
three centuries later. Eyeglasses served an important
technological function at both the intellectual and
practical level. A subthesis of the book is that
Florence, rather than Venice, seems to have
dominated the commercial market for eyeglasses
during the fifteenth century, when the ability to grind
convex lenses for various levels of presbyopia and
the ability to grind concave lenses for the correction
of myopia occurred.

WINNER OF THE JOHN FREDERICK LEWIS AWARD
FOR 2006

Vol. 259 - S85.00 ISBN: 978-0-87169-259-7

The Temple of Night at
Schonau: Architecture,
Music, and Theater in a
Late Eighteenth-Century
Viennese Garden

John A. Rice

Between 1796 and 1800 Baron Peter von Braun
transformed his estate into an English-style land-
scape park. The most celebrated building was the
Temple of Night, a domed rotunda accessible only
through a meandering rockwork grotto. Only the
rums of the Temple survive, and this book brings it
back to life by assembling the many descriptions of it
by early nineteenth-century eyewitnesses.

Vol. 258 - S70 ISBN: 978-0-87169-258-0

The Library of
Benjamin Franklin

Edwin Wolf 2nd and Kevin
J. Hayes

(Joint publication of the
American Philosophical
Society and the Library
Company of Philadelphia)
Benjamin Franklin's library, the largest and best
private library at the time of his death in 1790, was
sold by his grandson and subsequently sold again.
None of the catalogues of the collection survive. In
1956, Edwin Wolf discovered the unique shelf-
marks Franklin used to identify his books. His work
to reconstruct a catalogue of the library was
unfinished at the time of his death. Kevin J. Hayes
took up the work as the tercentenary of Franklin's
birth approached. Everything found to date, close to
4,000 entries, is compiled here.

Vol. 257 - $100.00 ISBN: 978-0-87169-257-3

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Transactions of the
American Philosophical
Society

The Making of a
Romantic Icon: The

Religious Context of
Friedrich Overheck’s
Italia unci Germania

Lionel Gossman

WINNER OF THE JOHN FREDER-
ICK LEWIS AWARD FOR 2007

Friedrich Overbeck's Italia and Germania (1811-1828) is
a well-known image in its native Germany, where it is
seen as an allegory of the perennial longing of
German artists and poets for the beauty and
harmony of the land "where the lemon tree blooms.”
The contextualization of Italia and Germania in this
essay reveals a painting that is an emblem not only of
the sisterhood of North and South, the early German
and early Italian traditions in art, but of the general
Romantic longing for reconciliation, reunion, and the
overcoming of historical alienation.

Vol. 97, Pt. 5 - $29 ISBN: 978-0-87169-975-6

BEYOND

COMBAT

Beyond Combat: Essays
in Military History
in Honor of
Russell F. Weigley

Edward G. Longacre and
Theodore J. Zeman, editors

soldier and the state, for military institutions and military
thought." So wrote Russell F Weigley, one of the most
accomplished and respected military historians of the
latter half of the twentieth century. Beyond Combat
includes a brief biography of Dr. Weigley by the editors,
an introduction by Dennis F Showalter, essays by nine
of Dr. Weigley 's PhDs, and a select bibliography of his
work.

Vol. 97, Pt. 4 - $29 ISBN: 978-0-87169-974-9

Dashkova: A Life of
Influence and Exile
Alexander Woronzoff-
Dashkoff

A woman of letters and the first
woman member of the American
Philosophical Society, Ekaterina
Romanovna Dashkova (nee
Vorontsova) was appointed director of the Academy of
Sciences by Catherine II and she founded and became
president of the Russian Academy. She was a leading
figure in eighteenth-century Russian culture as she
strove to institute reforms, to adapt and apply the ideas
of the Enlightenment, and to establish new
approaches to the education of Russia's youth.
Alexander Woronzoff-Dashkoff is Professor of Russian
language and literature at Smith College in
Massachusetts. Born in Renon, Italy, he received a
Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at the University of
Southern California.

Vol. 97, Pt. 3 - $29 ISBN: 978-0-87169-973-2

The Tintype in
America, 1856-1880

Janice G. Schimmelman

The book offers a history of the
tintype from its invention in Paris to
the end of the wet-plate era.
Americans embraced the tintype.
They were comfortable with its
artlessness and liked the come-as-you-are independ-
ence of the thing. The stories were real, untouched by
the manipulations of artist or photographer, and
unencumbered by Romantic notions of moral and
civic virtue.

Vol. 97, Pt. 2 - $29 ISBN: 978-0-87169-972-5

Classical Romantic:
Identity in the Latin Poetry
of Vincent Bourne

Estelle Haan

Vincent Bourne (1694-1747) was
one of the most popular Latin
poets of his day. His Latin verse
appealed to early eighteenth-
century and Romantic sensibilities. The present study
examines a broad range of that Latin verse in its
classical, neo-Latin, and vernacular contexts with
particular attention to the theme of identity (and
differing forms of identity). Appended to the study are
the texts (with Haan's translations) of the Latin poetry
discussed.

Vol. 97, Pt. 1 - $27 ISBN: 978-0-87169-971-8

Gassical Romantic

BOOK ORDERS: Please contact our fulfillment service —

Diane Publishing Co., PO. Box 617 Darby, PA 19023 (phone 800-782-3833; fax 610461-6130).

Online orders may be sent to orders@dianepublishing.net

See our website for recent catalogs and backlist: www.aps-pub.com

American Philosophical Society

104 South Fifth Street • Philadelphia, PA 19106-3387
(Tel) 215-440-3425 • (Fax) 215-440-3450

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GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

Basic Botany

by Jessie Keith

Water-Lovina

Hydrophytes

Years ago, during a water garden presentation at
Longwood Gardens, I was given a cut lotus leaf to
inspect. As I held the large, parasol-shaped leaf I
realized its edges, which were green minutes earlier, were turn-
ing crispy brown before my eyes. Its surface pores (stomata)
passed water so fast that its cells collapsed, died, and dried at
super speed.

I later learned that hydrophytes— that is, water
plants — quickly lose water because ot adaptations that help
them survive aquatic life. Like fish, partially submerged,
floating, or underwater plants have the genetic tools to thrive.

WATER AEROBICS

All plants, in land or water, need oxygen for photosynthesis
(the generation of sugars from sunlight) and carbon dioxide
for respiration (the breakdown of sugars for energy). Without
them, they will die. So, how do hydrophytes access these in
water?

They do it mostly through aerenchyma: specialized air-filled
tissue found in roots, shoots, and leaves. These air pockets
carry oxygen and carbon dioxide from leaves to submerged

roots and stems. Hydrophytes
also allow the carbon dioxide
and oxygen dissolved in water
to diffuse in through their
delicate, thin skin.

Buoyancy is another perk
of the aerenchyma. The
porous cross-section of an
aquatic reed or water lily stem
that keeps plants afloat looks
like the inside of a water
noodle pool toy.

ANCHORED
PLANTS

Partially submerged hydro-
phytes are rooted in muck
and have underwater stems
and leaves above. Such plants,
like pickerelweed ( Pontederia )
and American lotus ( Nelumbo
luted), exist in shallow mar-
gins of calm water bodies and
are adapted to maximize sun
exposure and gas exchange.

These sun-lovers have big
leaves topped with slick waxes
that completely repel water.

This keeps open the many large stomata and chlorophyll-rich
surface cells on their leaf tops so they can take in the rays and
“breathe.”

Soft, flexible stems are important too, think of the jelly legs
a water lily has out of water. These allow leaves to go with the
flow, which reduces breakage. It also takes stress off their small
anchoring root systems, which function more for stabilization
than nutrient and water uptake.

AFLOAT

Free floating hydrophytes are diverse, from tiny duckweed
(. Lemna ) to the bubbly carnivorous horned bladderwort
( Utriculana cornuta). There’s also water lettuce (Pis t id), which
appears rooted in water as if in soil. Plants like this hang on
the calm edges of lakes, swamps, and rivers.

Buoyancy is crucial, so in addition to aerenchyma, most
water-loving plants have air-trapping surface hairs to keep
them seaworthy. Others use less conventional means.
Featherfoil ( Hottonia inflatd) has bouncy balloon-like flower
stalks, and bladderworts, which may be floating or underwa-
ter, have floating bladders that also trap and digest prey.

Feathery underwater roots and stems help most floaters trap
air underneath and take in water-born nutrients.

DOWN BELOW

Totally submerged plants like waterthyme ( HydrilLi ), water-
weed ( Elodea ), and watermilfoil ( Myriophyllum ) are fine,
feathery, and flexible. Some float and some are anchored, but
all need light and cannot exist in depths below 20 to 25 feet.

Their feathery leaves have more surface area and trap bubbly
pockets of air, which facilitate gas exchange and light exposure.
They’re popular hangouts for fish, especially little guys, because
they oxygenate water and provide shelter and camouflage.

AMPHIBIOUS PLANTS

The leaves of amphibious hydrophytes change in the
presence of water; a duality compared to the morphing of
Batman’s Batmobile from a roadster to a sea-ready vessel. This
foliar duality is called Heterophylly.

For example, above water the leaves of marsh mermaid
weed are simple and have stomata, but submerged plant parts
generate fine and ferny leaves without stomata. Such changes
are caused hy complex hormonal changes triggered by water.
Slick!

It’s amazing what a simple lotus leaf can teach you. In a
struggle to photosynthesize and respire, this fish-out-of-water
broadened my interest and perspective.

GREEN SCENE • july /august 2008

The Barnes Foundation

ARBORETUM SCHOOL

OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR 2008 CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

Barnes Foundation
Horticultural Classes
2008-2009

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 curriculum develops skilled horticulturalists
through a combination of classroom lecture, self-directed
learning, and hands-on practice.

The Foundation also offers one and two-day work-
shops during the summer.

—]

— )

For more information, a full course description and registration, please call 610-667-0290 ext. 3825 or ext. 1071

THE BARNES FOUNDATION

.s.

300 North Latch's Lane. Merion. PA 19066 • www.barnesfoundation.org

ADVERTISE
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GREEN

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mmanzo@manzomediagroup.com
for more information

Gateway Garden Center

invites you to our

Annual Water Garden Tour

Saturday, August 2 ~ 9 am to 4 pm

Join us on this self-guided tour of the
area's premier water gardens. Be inspired
and educated in the waps to create pour
dream garden.

Proceeds benefit Delaware Center for Horticulture

Gateway Garden Center: 7277 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, Delaware

Information: 302-239-2727

www.gatewaygardens.com

GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

by Jane Godshalk

Botanical Bouquets

Lilies in a Low Bowl

Asiatic lilies ( Lilium asiaticri) come in many varieties
and are a colorful, long-lasting addition to the
summer garden. They have stiff stems that require
no staking and are excellent flowers for arrangements.

Step 1: Gathering Materials

• A low bowl
• Scotch tape
• Watering can or pitcher

• Large flat leaves (such as those from bergenia, hosta or the
small delicate leaves of lady’s mantle)

• 4 to 8 stems of Asiatic lilies (number depends upon size

of bowl)

Conditioning tips: Flowers do best if cut in the early morning or
late evening and then left in cool water overnight or at least
4 to 6 hours. Remove all foliage below the water line.

Step 2: Preparing the Container
• Using the Scotch tape, make a crisscross grid over the top
of the bowl (like the lattice of a pie crust).

• Place a piece of tape around the very top of the bowl
securing the grid tape ends. Make sure that your hands and
the bowl are dry or the tape will not stick.

• With a small pitcher or watering can, fill the bowl with
water, carefully pouring between spaces of the tape grid.

Step 3: Arranging

• Cut stems of leaves just to reach the bottom of the bowl
and place in a circle around the edge of the bowl.

• Cut the stems of the lilies to the height of the bottom of
the bowl and place them in the center of the bowl. If there
are multiple blossoms on each stem, cut off some of the
individual flowers and place them in the water.

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GREEN SCENE • july/august 2008

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Botanical Lighting

Specializing in tasteful
architectural and landscape lighting.

Please view our on-line gallery:

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or call: 610-519-1212

Serving: Pennsylvania • New Jersey • Boston
Maryland • Washington DC

GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

Custom Aluminum or Wood
33 Years’ Experience
Call Robert J. LaRouche at
Glass Enclosures Unlimited

610-687-2444

CLASSIFIED RATES

Base Rate $3.00 per word Deadlines

(without formatting) T , . ,, NT L i\

° January/ February issue (by November 1)

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

March/April issue (by January 1)
May/June issue (by March 1)

July/ August issue (by May 1)
September/October issue (by July 1)
November/December issue (by September 1)

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

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

HOME FOR SALE

Glorious Gardener’s Hideaway - 4BR/3BA
Half-acre of raised garden beds &
gravel pathways

100s of unusual perennials, shrubs & trees
Beautiful neighborhood: walking distance to
Radnor trains, schools & shopping
Call 610-687-3742

LANDSCAPE DESIGN

LINDA CORSON
LANDSCAPE DESIGN

• Consulting
• Plans

• Supervision

Registered Landscape Architect
Member ASLA 215-247-5619

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: Daniel Moise, Green Scene

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA

19103-1495.

If you have any questions, please call 215-988-8871.

BURKE BROTHERS
LANDSCAPE DESIGN/BUILD

Nationally-recognized designs.
Experienced staff ensures
the integrity of the design
from concept to completion

burkebrothers.com
215-887-1773 610-520-2025

David Brothers Landscape Services
Bean Road Nursery

Architects, Builders and Nurserymen
Providing the Fine Art of Garden
Construction

and Landscape Restoration

I 215-247-2992 610-584-1550

www.davidbrothers.com

PONDS

UNUSUAL SPECIMENS

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 SPECIMEN TREES

Large Specimen Trees
20’ American Holly and Colorado Blue
Spruce

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

FLOWERS AND MORE, INC.

Garden Design, Installation & Maintenance
PINE-NEEDLE MULCH
Wholesale and Retail
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
150 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.tripleoaks.com
856-694-4272
greatplants@tripleoaks.com

PONDS AND WATERFALLS

Design/Installation/Maintenance
View our pond video at

www.YourPond.com
Cedar Run Landscapes

1 -800-LANDSCAPE

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

Official Photo Contest Rules

WHO MAY ENTER

• Amateur photographers aged 18 and older (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 4 x 6-inch or 5 x 7-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 back-
ground information.

• If you'd like your images returned, please enclose a SASE with your submission.

• Original images may be shot on print film, slides, or digital cameras, but all
submissions must be 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 , 2005).

• Photos may eventually be mounted on cardboard if we choose to display them.

• 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 L11 Digital Camera & Accessories,

a photo assignment for Green Scene, & publication of your photo*.

2nd The Philadelphia Flower Show coffee table book, a one-year

PHS Membership & 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 ‘09 issue) and on the PHS website.

IMPORTANT DATES

• All entries must be postmarked by September 15, 2008.

• All winners will be notified by November 15, 2008.

For more information:

For more information, please email greenscene@pennhort.org for fastest response.

You can also call Daniel Moise at 215-988-8871.

The Backyard

Young
People in
Action

Inside the Youth Environmental
Stewardship Project

Each summer Philadelphia parks bustle with activity as groups
of young people put their talents into action as part of the
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Youth Environmental
Stewardship program — known as YES. Its purpose: to help high-
school students connect with nature. Through YES, 40 to 50 city
teenagers dedicate their summer to improving Philadelphia’s parks.

“We saw a need on both ends,” says Joan Reilly, a senior director of
PHS’s Philadelphia Green program, which partners with the
Philadelphia Department of Recreation and the Fairmount Park
Commission to facilitate YES. “The students benefit from clean, safe
parks, and the parks benefit from energetic and aware youth. YES is a
powerful tool for bringing the two together.”

YES provides participants with six weeks of paid employment. The
youth are divided into teams and assigned to parks near their homes,
such as Papa Playground (Overbrook), the Mander Recreation Center
(East Park), and Cobbs Creek Park (West Philadelphia). The young
people perform a variety of tasks, including clearing and building
trails, establishing recycling programs, and planting gardens and trees.

It isn’t just working at a job doing a little bit of landscaping; we’re
learning a lot, says Sean, a YES participant. “For instance, in the first
couple of weeks people were saying we should install a swale. I had no
idea what they were talking about! But now I understand every inch
of what we’re doing and I’m applying it.”

By Daniel Moise

“The YES teams learn skills that could easily lead to a career if they
so choose,” says Joe Caesar, Fairmount Park’s volunteer coordinator
for West and Southwest Philadelphia. “They are role models for their
peers.”

YES instructor Laura Tiley adds, “I see a lot of growth in all of
them; they flourish. Any of the hesitancy they initially had just disap-
pears, and before long the kids can’t wait to get busy.”

Equally important as the physical, hands-on portion of the program
are the lessons in health, nutrition, and fitness. Obesity and diabetes
are all too common among American teens, and YES aims to inter-
vene. East Park’s Mander Recreation Center is home to a new initia-
tive called the Environmental Health Corps (EHC). Through EHC,
YES instructors ask the teens to reevaluate their eating habits and
activity levels and show them clever ways to make smart decisions.

Sergeant Nate Griffin, fitness instructor for EHC, says, “It’s an out-
standing program in the way it incorporates a lot of interconnected
lessons. The participants learn to take care of themselves as well as
their environment.”

On the final day of the program, the young people from each park
gather to share their experiences. It is an inspiring occasion for YES
coordinators as the participants describe all they have learned in just
six weeks. “I enjoy the opportunity to meet the teams and thank them
for their hard work and commitment,” says Barbara McCabe, parks
coordinator for the Philadelphia Department of Recreation. “They
really do make a difference, and it’s important to celebrate that accom-
plishment.”

While the parks receive much-needed attention, the real impact of
the program is the groundwork that is laid for personal transforma-
tion. “There are other jobs where I could make more money, but it
wouldn’t help out the area where I live,” says YES alumnus Isaiah.
“When I come to the park I can say, ‘Hey! I did that right there! I
made that.’”

Isaiah’s teammate Iyanna adds, “This is a good way to teach kids
about their community and about nature. You come away from YES
with a good work ethic and know how to act at a job. For me, YES
has opened the door to new opportunities.”

GPEEN SCENE • july/august 2008

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Biltmore Estates

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WEALTH
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Investments: Not FDIC Insured. No Bank Guarantee. May Lose Value.

John Lonsdale's

EDGEWOOD
GARDEN

2009

GOLD MEDAL

PLANTS

THE PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ,

iiii

[

GardenFair

M \

September 26-28, 2008

Join us to celebrate the
Artist & Gardener.

This year’s spectacular autumn sale features more than 80 exhibitors offering
everything from one-of-a-kind selections of plants to garden art and antiques.
Enjoy expert gardening information, artists, celebrity lecturers, demonstrations,
entertainment, and more at GardenFair’s fifth anniversary!

Special Garden Club group discounts and hotel packages available.

Call 302.888.4827 for group information and reservations.

Your support benefits educational programming.

Free to Winterthur Members.

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Located in Delaware’s beautiful Brandywine Valley on Route 52, less than one hour south of Philadelphia

800.448.3883 • 302.888.4600 • gardenfair.org

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Contracting

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Editor

Pete Prown

Senior Editor
Jane Carroll

Associate Editor
Daniel Moise

Staff Photographer
Margaret Funderburg

Art Design
Baxendells’ Graphic

Printer

ALCOM Printing Group, Inc.

The Pennsylvania
Horticultural Society

Website

www. pennsylvaniahorticultu ralsociety. 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 Media Group
610-527-7047

m manzo Qmanzomediagroup. com

Classified Ads
Daniel Moise, 215-988-8871
gsads @pennhort. org

Ask A Gardener Phone Line

215-988-8777, Monday through Friday,
9:30 to 12 [closed in December]
askaga rdener@pen nho rt. org

GREEN SCENE (USPS 955580),
Volume 36, No.5, is published bi-monthly
(January, March, May, July. September, November)
by the Pennsylvania Horticultural
Society, a nonprofit 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, 2008

FEATURES

Darling Dahlias 12

Dahlias possess undeniable flair. In fact, figure-
heads from Empress Josephine to Prince Charles
have long admired their stunning shapes and
colors. Fortunately, regular folk can have great
success with dahlias, too. Globetrotting gardener
Eric Hsu explains it all.

COLUMNS

The Potting Shed 8

Mighty Moss 18

Alice Waegel visits Delaware's Mt. Cuba Center,
a nonprofit horticultural institution where
mossy marvels abound. With 650 acres, Mt.
Cuba employs moss for a variety of uses,
including groundcover, garden edging, and
pond-side plantings.

Defying the Odds 24

The skeptics told UK native Dr. John Lonsdale that
certain species of irises would be impossible to
grow here in the United States. But John, a man
of science, simply experimented with shade, sun,
and soil until he achieved the optimal conditions.
Ilene Sternberg tours the good doctor's garden in
Exton, PA.

Basic Botany 36

Debunking Garden Lore

Botanical Bouquets 38

A Colorful Coleus Centerpiece

The Backyard 42

Go for the Gold 30

Joe Ziccardi brings you the latest inductees to the
elite list of PHS Gold Medal Plants. Hand-selected
by an expert panel, these woody plants will give
any Mid-Atlantic garden the golden touch.

MISSION

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society motivates people to
improve the quality of life and create a sense of community
through horticulture.

Cover photo by Rob Cardillo

Letter from the Editor

EQUAL HOUSING

OPPORTUNITY

rends in the Garden

What's new in the garden this
year? According to the
Garden Writers of America,
the use of perennial plants among those who
garden has jumped Lrom 31 percent to 41
percent in the past year. “Sustainability” or
environmentally friendly gardening is also
hot. Sixtv-eight percent of gardeners say they
are concerned about the ecological impact of
the garden products they purchase. The recy-
cling of plastic nursery trays and pots is also
way up and, with rising food prices, seed
companies are reporting a dramatic increase
in the sale ol the vegetable seed packets.

To find out about other fresh trends in the
local gardening world, we polled the horticul-
tural staff at PHS for their insights. Project
manager and educator Larry Stier confirms
that the rising cost of food and recent food-
safety scares have inspired more people to
grow fresh produce at home. “It speaks to a

larger issue of food security,” he says. “I'm
also finding that habitat gardens are increas-
ingly popular. People hoping to protect local
wildlife are making their properties more
accommodating to critters.”

Philadelphia Green project manager Julie
Snell adds that sustainable practices have
become very popular locally in the past few
years. “It seems as though water-saving rain
barrels are popping up all over,” she says.
Sally McCabe of the PHS Education Services
department echoes that sentiment, “I can’t
pick up the phone without someone asking
me about rain barrels.”

For project coordinator Amanda Leon,
new plants are taking center stage. One
hip plant of the moment is Euphorbia
‘Diamond Frost’ — Amanda likes how this
annual’s flowers are suspended above the
leaves, giving it a woodland feel. She says, “It
looks great in a container and can take a good

amount of sun or shade. No wonder it’s sold
out at every nursery in town.” Amanda has
also found people taking a second look at the
chartreuse-leafed Liriope ‘Pee Dee Ingot’,
also known as golden monkey grass. She says
this plant looks particularly pretty in late
summer: “When most things arent bloom-
ing, liriope adds bright color to the garden.

Landscape architect Erica Sollberger, a
project coordinator for Philadelphia Green,
says that tropicals — while always having a
niche market — have exploded onto the scene
this year. “Even if they won’t make it through
winter, people are clamoring for cannas,
banana plants, bougainvillea, and hibis-
cus. They have an exotic appeal that’s hard to
deny.”

Office assistant Carol Dutill observes,
“People are interested in daylilies more than
ever; I think it’s because there are so many
varieties. And because different varieties
bloom at different times, you can plan to
have a davlily in bloom from May through
October.

Staff horticulturist Marilyn Romenesko
says Knock Out roses are more popular than
ever, as are coneflowers, which are now avail-
able in a wide variety of colors and fragrances.
Some coneflowers are even two-toned or dou-
ble flowering. Marilvn also savs that hostas,
which many people associate with their
grandmother’s garden (meaning old-fash-
ioned and unexciting), are coming back.
“Before there were only a handful of vari-
eties,” she says. “Now there are new kinds
that outshine the others, and they are less sus-
ceptible to slugs and diseases, too.

In this issue of Green Scene , you'll also find
stories on other trendy topics such as moss;
dahlias; and that hot-ticket item, ferns, which
seem to be more popular than ever. We ll also
learn about the cut-flower business and visit a
lovely woodland garden near Exton. Enjoy!

Petes prawn/

email: greenscene@pennhort.org

Retirement Living at Wave r ly Heights

You have taste, integrity, respect for tradition.
Already, we have a lot in common.

WAVERLY

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1400 Waverly Road, Gladwyne, PA 19035-1296
Tel: 610.645.8764 Fax: 610.645.861 1
www.waverlyheightsltd.org
A nonprofit, non-sectarian lifecare community

GREEN SCENE • september/october 2008

GARDEN PHOTO

CONTEST

and win this Nikon camera ... and a
Fun Photo Assignment
for Green Scene magazine!

We want to see your best photos of gardens,
flowers, landscapes, and people
outdoors enjoying nature. The contest’s
judges— all professional photographers and
gardeners from the across the region— will be
looking for knockout images that capture the joy
of gardening and nature. Winning photos will be
published in the January/February 2009 issue of
Green Scene magazine and on the PHS website.

This year’s winner will not only win a camera,
but also will be invited to take photos for an
upcoming Green Scene article. This could
be your big break!

Photos can be shot in any format, but must be
submitted as 4 x 6- or 5 x 7-inch prints with
your name, phone number, and email address
on the back. No submissions by email or on CD
will be accepted.

The deadline for entries is
September 15, 2008.

For more information,
please visit the
PHS website at
www. pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety. org or
email greenscene@pennhort.org with questions.

SEE PAGE 41 FOR CONTEST RULES!

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 O MasterCard □ AmEx O

Card number: Card expiration date:

Signature:

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 1 8 years and older. To be eligible, all mailed-in entries must be postmarked on or before
September 15, 2008.

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
electronic 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.

Printed Name

Signature

From

The Potting Shed

Tracing a
Cut Flower's
Journey from
South America to

By Betsie Blodgett

On a frosty Valentine’s Day, you
may wonder how your sweet-
heart’s roses were grown in the
depths of winter. If they’re one of the two
million stems of roses that passed through the
doors of Delaware Valley Wholesale Florist in
the days before February 14, they’ve had a
couple of cool, quick rides from a South
American farm to your local retail store.
Make that very cool, quick rides.

“Roses are put on a plane in South America
for a six-hour flight to Miami,” says director
of business development Frank J. Soucek dur-
ing a recent tour of the wholesale company’s
main facility in Sewell, NJ. “From there, it’s
an 18-hour truck ride to us. And the whole

Delaware Valley
Wholesale

Florist

^Common stock

(Matthiola mcana)

time, we make sure they’re kept at
37° F and 85 percent relative humidity. We
call it the ‘cold chain.’”

Because time and temperature affect how
long those roses will stay fresh once you get
them home, the company goes to great
lengths to minimize both, starting with the
art of “cubing out, or packing and loading a
truck to prevent the boxes from sliding
around. “Movement means friction, and fric-
tion means heat,” Frank explains. “We have
very high-tech equipment on the trucks to
monitor the temperature during the entire
trip.”

Delaware Valley Wholesale Florist (called
“DV” for short) was founded 49 years ago by
Doris and Robert Wilkins, and it remains a
family-run company. It has grown into one of
the largest floral distribution companies in
the United States. The company has been
part of the Philadelphia Flower Show for 20
years, supplying a variety of cut flowers and
bunches of curly willow.

Flowers from all over the world — from as
far away as New Zealand and as close as
Virginia — pass through DV’s climate-con-
trolled coolers, according to Frank, who
serves on PHS’s Flower Show Executive
Committee.

“You name it, we have it,” Frank says as he
shows visitors boxes of ‘Pink Lady’ and ‘Pink
Lambada’ alstromeria from Canada. “It’s a
veritable U.N. of flowers in here.” A sophisti-
cated tracking system means DV can pin-
point the specific farm, greenhouse, and row
where the flowers were grown in case a prob-
lem crops up. All work surfaces are kept spot-
less, as a variety of fungi will quickly set in
and ruin cut flowers if the floors and con-
tainers are not scrubbed often enough.

“ Botrytis (gray mold) is the bane of the cut-
flower business,” Frank says.

While the “pick and pack” distribution
area is quiet on a weekday morning, by the
afternoon an automated conveyer-belt system
is humming as employees fill customers
orders in Proconas, which are reusable square

plastic tubs that protect the cut flowers and
keep them hydrated. During the busiest times
of the year, especially Valentine’s Day and
Mother’s Day, packers work 1 4-hour shifts to
keep up with the orders.

While DV has mastered controlling the
temperature in its trucks and distribution
facilities, Mother Nature often trumps tech-
nology, sometimes during setup week for the
Flower Show. “For the 2008 Show, Jazz It
Up!, anthuriums for the Central Feature came
in by Fed-Ex,” Frank recalls. “A cold snap
froze them and turned them blue. We had to
re-order more than 300 from Hawaii. They
arrived on Friday, the final setup day, and
Frank personally delivered them to the
Convention Center with less than 24 hours
to go before the judges walked onto the Show
floor.

“That was my behind-the-scenes story for
this year,” he laughs. “What a relief!”

The Gardener's Bookshelf By llene Sternberg

Hardy Succulents: Tough
Plants for Every Climate
by Gwen Moore Kelaidis
(Storey, 160 pp.; paper $19.95;
hardcover $29.95)

This book pays homage to five botanical families of succulent
plants that can defy our increasingly droughty Mid-Atlantic summers.
There’s an excellent chapter on growing succulents in containers,
including how to choose and even make containers of your own. We
learn about appropriate companion plants, selecting and preparing the
planting site, and how to handle and weed around prickly agaves and
spiny cacti. Particularly useful is the chapter on sedums for shade.

Great Landscape
Evergreens

by Vincent A. Simeone
(Ball; 146 pp., $24.95)

To replace woolly adelgid-prone
Canadian hemlock and the commonplace
Colorado spruce, American arborvitae,
and Leyland cypress, author Vincent Simeone presents 80 alternatives.
The director of Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, New York,
Simeone surveys choice cultivars and varieties of broadleaf evergreens,
conifers, semi-evergreen, and even deciduous shrubs that homeowners
and landscaping professionals can use for borders, hedges, privacy
screens, and to block unsightly views. Simeone also handles site selec-
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that obstructing the spectacle of your neighbor’s dreadful gargoyle dis-
play will be aesthetically pleasing, as well as practical.

Time-Saving Gardener: Tips
and Essential Tasks, Season
by Season
by Carolyn Hutchinson
(Firefly, 146 pp., $19.95)

For those who appreciate planning, organizing and prioritizing, but
are too dizzy or busy to do so, this how-to guide lays out efficient plans
for gardening chores by season, indicating priority with exclamation
points (///for high, //for medium, and / for low). The book contains
detailed step-by-step illustrations and easy-to-follow directions, with
an approximation of the time each task will take. While Hutchinson
deftly covers the essentials, she also details some less basic tasks, such
as planting alpines in walls, installing a computerized watering system,
and protecting pond fish from predators.

A Natural History of Conifers

by Aljos Farjon
(Timber, 308 pp., $34.95)

If conifers are “cone-bearing trees or shrubs,”
then why do some, such as ginkgos and yews, not
bear cones at all? Why are relatively few species
available in the nursery trade, leading many to consider conifers bor-
ing? How, in 300 million years, have conifers adapted to endure cata-
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You’ll find the answers to these and other coniferous quandaries in
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Ken Druse's Planthropology

Garden expert Ken Druse's books are always informative and entertaining, and his photographs
are simply inspiring, as evidenced in his new book, Planthropology: The Myths, Mysteries,
and Miracles of My Garden Favorites (Clarkson Potter, 288 pp., $50). Ask him what his
favorite plant is, and he'll probably say, "You mean today?"

Of his upcoming book, Ken says, "I invented the word planthropology to tell the stories about
the plants we appreciate and even those people take for granted. Every
plant has a story to tell, and they're often sensational. They harbor mysterious traits
that help them thrive, and have even more remarkable secrets to reveal— plants that
were once worth their weight in gold, others that are potential cancer cures, and a
few that gave rise to wars. Their tales relate to history; art; medicine; murder; and
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viduals into realizing just how important plants are, and also that all of us can become
more observant and caring about the plants that make life possible ... and beautiful."

GREEN SCENE • september/october 2008

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GREEN SCENE • september/october 2008

DAHLIAS

'Bishop of Llandaff'

Boasting bold, modern colors and
protean shapes, dahlias are with-
out equal in bringing pizzazz to
the late-summer and autumn garden. Aside
from the rose, few other flowers arouse such
strong sentiments. The Empress Josephine of
France, in a fit of possessive jealousy,
destroyed her dahlias at the Chateau de
Malmaison upon seeing stolen brethren in a
rival garden. Gertrude Jekyll astutely
remarked: "The dahlia’s first duty in life is to
flaunt and to swagger, and to carry gorgeous
blooms well above its leaves and on no
account to hang its head.”

Certainly the flaunting and swaggering of
dahlia’s “gorgeous blooms" have inspired a
devoted following. Such is the diversity of
dahlias that the American Dahlia Society
(www.dahlia.org) organizes cultivars by their
flower size, color, and shape (i.e. B for medi-
um, FL for flame blend, AN for anemone-
flowered). Lest one dismiss dahlias as coarse,
gargantuan “show horses,” varieties with orna-
mental foliage and smaller flowers on willowy
stems should convert any naysayer.

GARDEN-WORTHY CULTIVARS

The dahlia’s rebirth as the darling of mod-
ern gardeners is largely due to interest in its
foliage. Nurseries and breeders have concen-
trated on dark-leafed cultivars, which perform
double duty. On the crest of this wave is
‘Bishop of Llandaff’, introduced in 1924 to
honor its namesake Pritchard Hughes; it
gained the prestigious Royal Horticultural
Society Award of Garden Merit in 1928. With
its blood-red single flowers and smoldering
black-green foliage, Bishop of Llandaff’ has
been popular for “hot” borders, like the Red
Border at Hidcote Manor where it mingles
with cannas, Cotinus coggygria , and Cordyline
australis ‘Red Sensation’.

At the former Hadspen Garden and
Nursery in England, Bishop of Llandaff’ was
cleverly paired with maroon sunflowers and
red roses, to which the blues of agapanthus
(Agapanthus ‘Hadspen Moon’) added an elec-
trifying jolt. Britain’s Prince Charles prefers to

let the foliage speak for itself in the Black and
White Garden at Highgrove, and his garden-
ers meticulously disbud the plants. To ratchet
up the temperature in my garden, I have suc-
cessfully let ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ sing with
Canna ‘Roi Humbert', Gomphrena
‘Strawberry Fields’, Pennisetum setaceum
‘Rubrum’, and Salvia coccinea.

Within one growing season, ‘Bishop of
Llandaff can grow as tall as 3 feet in fertile
soil. To avoid staking, you can severely prune
it early in the season without compromising
the flowers. Attempts to containerize it for
display have been mixed, for it is not florifer-
ous and kneels off from the top-heavy
growth. Those who want large numbers of
Bishop — which can be expensive — can raise
plants from a seed strain collectively known
as “Bishop’s Children.” The progeny will
offer varying hues of smoky foliage and gay
colors sometimes striped and shaded. ‘Bishop
of Canterbury’, ‘Bishop of Leicester’, and
‘Bishop of York’ are variations of ‘Bishop of
Llandaff’ with different flower colors.

Breeders are attempting to combine the
ornamental merits of ‘Bishop of Llandaff’
with more manageable growth habits. Dahlia
‘Bednall Beauty’ looked promising, but the
carmine flowers look anemic against the
blackish foliage. I overlook this paltry floral
display in favor of its foliage, which is lovely
in a mixed container planting of black sweet
potato vines ( Ipomoea batatas Ace of Spades’),
coleus ( Solenostemon Religious Radish ), cape
fuchsia ( Phygelius X rectus ‘Devil’s Tears’), and
Canna ‘Australia’. ‘Ellen Houston’ is a reliable
dwarf variety with coarser foliage and profuse
orange-red flowers and rarely needs staking.

The Dutch have released the Happy Series
with perky names to match: ‘Juliet’, ‘Kiss’,
‘Party’, and ‘Romeo’. These cultivars general-
ly form tight clumps no bigger than 2 feet tall
and wide. Offered in this country by Plant
Delights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina,
they are worth trying in containers or as
front-of-the-border accents. Their appeal to
butterflies and bees is a welcome bonus.
Another standout is ‘Moonfire’, which has
been bred with ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ to create

"While no dahlias have

yet been bred that are

quite as large as TV

sets or as bright as

atom bombs, they will

bloom magnificently and

conspicuously enough

through September

and October."

- Garden writer
Henry Mitchell

Dahlias

single-petaled cultivars. Highlighted
by the dark foliage, its yellow flow-
ers are vividly marked with a red
bull’s eye. A cheeky compatriot is
‘Roxy’, flaunting fochsia flowers
above black foliage. ’Terra Cotta’
and 'Yellow Hammer’ are similar in
their butterscotch yellow flowers,
except that the latter is taller.

‘David Howard', which features
prominently in Christopher Lloyd’s
Exotic Garden at Great Dixter, may
not have the foliar refinement of
'Bishop of Llandaft ’, but no one can
deny the immediate appeal of its
deliciously orange sorbet flowers. It
can grow as tall as 4 feet, so staking
is necessary. Tone down the flowers
with the glaucous-leaved Melianthus
major and the chartreuse bells of
Nicotiana langsdorfii , but toss in

The 2008 National Show of the
American Dahlia Society is coming
to the Delaware Valley

Come to the 42nd National Show at Longwood
Gardens, September 18-22, hosted by our local
society, the Greater Philadelphia Dahlia Society.

For more information, call Brent Grant at 610-388-6317
or Jim Thomas at 610-644-7614. Online, visit
www. dahlia, org

Photos courtesy of Plant Delights Nursery and Arrowhead Dahlias

Cuphea ignea 'David Verity' and
Canna ‘Phaison’ for heat.

A host of species dahlias provide
refinement and subtlety. Given its
single 3-inch, pink-to-lilac flowers
and lacy foliage, Dahlia merckii
might be mistaken for cosmos
( Cosmos bipinnatus). Tony Avent of
Plant Delights praises the heat toler-
ance of Dahlia sublignosa, discov-
ered among yucca-like Dasylirion
plants in the Cerro Pena Nevada
Mountains of Tamaulipas, Mexico.
With finely dissected foliage and
single rose flowers on 2-foot stems,
this species is a compact dumper. I
am partial to Dahlia coccinea , whose
lax stems and 2-inch, zappy orange
to scarlet flowers have a relaxed
stature far removed from the stiffer
descendants. 1 tend to let this
species interweave with its neigh-
bors for support rather than mar the
wild look with stakes. Plants raised
from open-pollinated seed can be
highly variable in foliage and flower
color. 'Hidalgo Crimson’, singled
out by North Carolina plantsman
Bobby Ward, reaches 3 feet tall with
red orange flowers.

Some breeders are backcrossing
species dahlias with single-flowered
cultivars to maximize their best
attributes. At the dahlia trials at the

Royal Horticultural Society’s
Wisley, ‘Northwest Cosmos’ stood
out for its pink flowers blushed red
at the base. Not yet available in the
US, ‘Dark Desire’ has chocolate
brown flowers with reflexed petals.
New Zealand breeder Dr. Keith
Hammett has introduced ‘Timothy
Hammett’, a shrubby dahlia derived
from D. tenuicaulis, D. apiculata,
and D. coccinea. It’s unique for
being persistently woody rather
than herbaceous. Single, bright pink
flowers cover the plant in profusion,
with slow flushes in spring and
autumn.

Clearly, today’s gardeners have
many choices for exceptional
dahlias. Enjoy the hunt.

Formerly at the Scott Arboretum
in Swarthmore, Eric Hsu is
currently a doctoral student
studying conifers at the University
of Tasmania in Hobart, Australia.
He is particularly excited about
the possibilities that the mild,
maritime climate of Tasmania
affords him, allowing him to grow
Australian endemics, South
African proteas, and European
and Asian herbaceous perennials,
all of which are hardy there.

Sources

Plant Delights Nursery

919-772-4794
www.plantdel. com

Meadowbrook Farm

1633 Washington Lane
Meadowbrook (Abington Township), PA
215-887-5900

www.gotomeadowbrook.com

Arrowhead Dahlias

970-785-6014

www. dahlias, net/htmbox/arrowhead. h tm

Old House Gardens

734-995-1486

www. oldhousegardens. com

If you are seeking a mail-order source for
specific cultivars, the Colorado Dahlia Society
has a cultivar plant finder at
www. dahlias.ne t/dbiglls t.htm,

GREEN SCENE • september/october 2008

Dahlias

DARK FOLIAGED CULTIVARS

NAME HEIGHT FLOWER TYPE FLOWER SIZE FLOWER COLOR

'Bednall Beauty'

24"

Single petalled

Red

'Bishop of Canterbury'

36"

Single petalled

Red purple

'Bishop of Leicester'

24"

Single petalled

Pink

'Bishop of Llandaff'

36"

Single petalled

3" to 4"

Red

'Bishop of York'

36"

Single petalled

3.5"

Yellow

'David Howard'

30" to 40"

Small decorative

4" to 5”

Light orange with dark center

'Ellen Houston'

24" to 36"

Small decorative

Red orange

'Fascination'

36"

Single petalled

4.5" to 5"

Bright pink

'Date'

28"

Single petalled

4.8"

Orange stained red around center

'First Love'

24"

Single petalled

Peach to apricot stained red around center

'Juliet'

24"

Single petalled

4.4"

Lilac pink with dark center

'Kiss'

24"

Single petalled

4.8"

Salmon

'Party'

28"

Single petalled

4.4"

Yellow

'Romeo'

22"

Single petalled

Red

'Magenta Star'

36"

Single petalled

4.5"

Bright pink

'Moonfire'

18"

Single petalled

4.5"

Yellow with red centers

'Roxy'

24" to 36"

Single petalled

Fuchsia

'Terra Cotta'

24" to 36"

Single petalled

4.5"

Yellow stained orange

'Yellow Hammer'

36"

Single petalled

4.5"

Yellow stained orange

GREEN-FOLIAGED CULTIVARS

'Northwest Cosmos'

70"

Single petalled

Pink stained red violet at base

SPECIES

D. coccinea

36"

Single petalled

2" to 3"

Red orange to orange with yellow centers

D. coccinea 'Hidalgo Crimson'

36"

Single petalled

Red orange with yellow centers

D. imperialis

108"

Single petalled

Lavender

D. merckii

40"

Single petalled

Light pink

D. sublignosa

30"

Single petalled

Pink

Bishop of Leicester’

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GREEN SCENE • september/october 2008

Adventures with

NATIVE

MOSSES

As moss gardening
becomes more popular, the
staff at the Mt. Cuba Center in
northern Delaware mingles
native perennials and mosses,
experimenting with many
different species for color and
texture, and choosing the best
native mosses for easy
maintenance and beauty.
These adventures are part of a
new era in moss gardening.

he Mt. Cuba gardeners love native
mosses and use these primitive plants as
low-maintenance groundcovers and
edgings. Throughout the seasons at Mt. Cuba
Center, moss weaves in and out of center stage. In
spring and summer, moss groundcovers provide a
verdant background for flowering native plants. As
autumn peaks, moss contrasts with vibrant fall
foliage. Only in winter does moss dominate the
ground layer, with glowing green and silver strips
surrounding leaf-covered garden beds.

Located in the piedmont of Northern Delaware,
the Mt. Cuba Center is committed to education,
conservation, and display of regional native flora.
Mt. Cuba gardeners Betsy Cage and Marcie Weigelt
integrate native mosses into harmonious mixed bor-
ders, often transplanting moss from other areas of
the garden or rescuing it from renovation projects.
Gage and Weigelt also encourage volunteers from
wind-blown spores and select beautiful but tough
native species. Tough, because to survive in a Mt.
Cuba garden, a moss must be able to withstand a
minimal watering regime as well as routine leaf
blowing, sweeping, and mowing.

To withstand the mower, edging mosses have to
be low-growing or creeping species. A winner is the
stupendous common smoothcap moss ( Atrichum
undulation), often mingled with the silvery, pale
green feather mosses like Hypnum imponens and H.
jutlandicuni. Together, Hypnum and Atrichum cre-
ate a lovely color and textural contrast. Easily trans-
planted and a prolific sporulator, Atrichum forms
lush spongy carpets in moist areas surrounding Mt.
Cuba’s ponds, yet does equally well in the drier
environment of a gentle slope called the Moss Bank.
The Atrichum is so valued that Betsy and Marcie
cultivate it in “moss nurseries’’ and frequently har-
vest it to increase its presence in the gardens.
Conversely, Hypnum species, with their unusual
color, pinnate branching structure, and gracefully
curving tiny leaves, found their way into the gar-
dens naturally. A stand of Atrichum and Hypnum
holds up well under the cleaning and weeding
regime required for a healthy moss bed.

Betsy and Marcie think all mosses are “winners”
when sited in an optimal habitat. When grown in

GREEN SCENE • september/october 2008

Sio/y i Prioiogrzi^h j by
PJioa Wziscjzl

dry areas, the lacy fern moss ( Thuidium deli-
catulum) has an unfortunate tendency to get
easily pulled out of the ground. However, fern
moss requires little care when grown in moist
areas along the pond edge or on rocks, where
it is better adapted.

Atrichum, Hypnum, and Thuidium grow in
carpets, while other mosses make beautiful
mounds or spiky accents mixed with petite
perennials. Mounding mosses, such as
Mnium cuspidatum and broom moss
(. Dicranum scoparium), have become special
favorites of Betsy Gage, who cultivates both
in her Moss Bank domain. Dark green broom
moss sports the windswept look with its fine-
textured narrow leaves curving in the same
direction. In Mnium colonies, strands of juve-
nile foliage swirl attractively around a center
of mature shoots. An interesting attribute of
Mnium cuspidatum is resistance to glyphos-
phate (used in the herbicide Round-Up).
Arborists and gardeners at Mt. Cuba are
experimenting with this species around the
base of a specimen oak. By creating a glyphos-
phate-resistant buffer zone between tree and
lawn, weeds can be sprayed with herbicide
while keeping lawn mowing equipment away
from the base of the tree.

For an upright spiky accent in the
Lilliputian world of mosses, ifs hard to beat
tree moss ( Climacium americanum ) or hair-
cap moss ( Polytrichum commune , so-called for
its hairy sporophyte capsules). Both of these
larger moss species resemble miniature
conifers, with hair-cap moss having a more
fastigiate habit than tree moss. Both thrive in
the bog and the Moss Bank. Hair-cap moss
springs out of cushions of white moss
{Leucobryum glaucum) in the meadow.

Besides selecting mosses for easy mainte-
nance and beauty, Betsy and Marcie search
for workable combinations of moss with
native perennials. The trick is finding plants
of restrained habit that won’t crowd out the
moss; evergreen foliage is a bonus. On the
Moss Bank in spring, a frothy profusion of
pale blue Quaker ladies ( Houstonia caeruled)
is punctuated with foam flower ( Tiarella

GREEN SCENE • September/ October 2008

Mt. Cuba Center

www.mtcubacenter.org

• Bryophyte Flora of
North America
www.efloras.org

• The US Department
of Agriculture
Plants Database

http://plants. usda.gov/

toss-lined banks at the pond

Native Mosses

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cordifolid), partridge berry flowers ( Mitchella
repens), crested iris (Iris cristata), and the exot-
ic spotted blooms of Callaway ginger
( Hexastylis shuttleworthii ‘Callaway’). After
the spring frenzy subsides, the tiny dark blue-
green rosettes of Quaker ladies, burgundy-
marked foam flower leaves, blue-green succu-
lent Sedum ternatum foliage, and dramatical-
ly mottled Callaway ginger leaves continue to
provide intricate and long-lasting contrast
with the moss throughout the winter.

Pond-side plantings are also designed for
long-lasting bloom. In the bog, shaggy, lion-
headed Sphagnum palustre, a peat moss;
Polytrichum; Climacium; and the spikemoss
Selaginella apoda (a fern ally) complement a
multitude of pitcher plants ( Sarracenia
hybrids) that turn burgundy in winter. Other
moss companions in the bog include the ter-
restrial orchid ladies tresses ( Spiranthes odora-
td), Woodwardia ferns, and sedges. Around
the banks of Mt. Cuba’s ponds and connect-
ing rills are clumps of great blue lobelia
( Lobelia syphilitica), blooming in late summer
with Eurybia divaricata, the white wood
aster. Spring bloomers like Chrysogonum
virginianum, as well as Phlox divaricata and
Phlox stolonifera, Meehina cordata, Sedum
ternatum, Tiarella codifolia, and Thalictrum
clavatum accent the moss earlier in
the year.

Mt. Cuba has woven mosses into its
mission of education and conservation,
encouraging visitors to observe and study the
different species. Most primitive of the plant
species, mosses are encouraged to grow on
walls and rocks and are actively tended on the
ground. Mt. Cuba gardeners bring mossy logs
and stones in from the woods as garden
ornaments. Home gardeners can also
cultivate local mosses, creating distinctive
native plant landscapes in the Mid-Atlantic
piedmont region. ***

A biology professor at Neumann College,
Alice Waegel has become increasingly
involved with horticulture over the years,
lecturing and writing on a number of
topics. Recently, Alice spent a sabbatical
leave at the Mt. Cuba Center, identifying
and photographing native mosses.

To learn more about Cuba, visit
www.mtcubacen ter. org.

GREEN SCENE • september/october 2008

Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society

The Passion of George
Sarton: A Modem
Marriage and Its
Discipline

Lewis Pyenson

Vol. 260 - $90.00 ISBN: 978-0-87169-260-3

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Renaissance V ision from
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The monograph deals with the
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Florence, rather than Venice, seems to have
dominated the commercial market for eyeglasses
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convex lenses for various levels of presbyopia and
the ability to grind concave lenses for the correction
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Vol. 259 - S85.00 ISBN: 978-0-87169-259-7

The Temple of Night at
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John A. Rice

Between 1796 and 1800 Baron Peter von Braun
transformed his estate into an English-style land-
scape park. The most celebrated building was the
Temple of Night, a domed rotunda accessible only
through a meandering rockwork grotto. Only the
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back to life by assembling the many descriptions of it
by early nineteenth-century eyewitnesses.

Vol. 258 - $70 ISBN: 978-0-87169-258-0

The Library of
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Edwin Wolf 2nd and Kevin
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Vol. 257 - $100.00 ISBN: 978-0-87169-257-3

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Transactions of the
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The Making of a
Romantic Icon: The

Religious Context of
Friedrich Overbeck's
Italia unci Germania

Lionel Gossman

WINNER OFTHE JOHN FREDER-
ICK LEWIS AWARD FOR 2007

Friedrich Overbeck's Italia and Germania (1811-1828) is
a well-known image in its native Germany, where it is
seen as an allegory of the perennial longing of
German artists and poets for the beauty and
harmony of the land "where the lemon tree blooms."
The contextualization of Italia and Germania in this
essay reveals a painting that is an emblem not only of
the sisterhood of North and South, the early German
and early Italian traditions in art, but of the general
Romantic longing for reconciliation, reunion, and the
overcoming of historical alienation.

Vol. 97, Pt. 5 - $29 ISBN: 978-0-87169-975-6

BEYOND

COMBAT

Beyond Combat: Essays
in Military History
in Honor of
Russell F. Weigley

Edward G. Longacre and
Theodore J. Zeman, editors

Vol. 97, Pt. 4 - $29 ISBN: 978-0-87169-974-9

Dashkova: A Life of
Influence and Exile
Alexander Woronzoff-
Dashkoff

Vol. 97, Pt. 3 - $29 ISBN: 978-0-87169-973-2

The Tintype in
America, 1856-1880

Janice G. Schimmelman

The book offers a history of the
tintype from its invention in Paris to
the end of the wet-plate era.
Americans embraced the tintype.
They were comfortable with its
artlessness and liked the come-as-you-are independ-
ence of the thing. The stories were real, untouched by
the manipulations of artist or photographer, and
unencumbered by Romantic notions of moral and
civic virtue.

Vol. 97, Pt. 2 - $29 ISBN: 978-0-87169-972-5

Gissicj! Romantic

Classical Romantic:

Identity in the Latin Poetry
____ of Vincent Bourne

lillifl Estelle Haan

Vincent Bourne (1694-1747) was
one of the most popular Latin
poets of his day. His Latin verse
appealed to early eighteenth-
century and Romantic sensibilities. The present study
examines a broad range of that Latin verse in its
classical, neo-Latin, and vernacular contexts with
particular attention to the theme of identity (and
differing forms of identity). Appended to the study are
the texts (with Haan's translations) of the Latin poetry
discussed.

Vol. 97, Pt. 1 - $27 ISBN: 978-0-87169-971-8

BOOK ORDERS: Please contact our fulfillment service —

Diane Publishing Co., RO. Box 617 Darby, PA 19023 (phone 800-782-3833; fax 610-461-6130).

Online orders may be sent to orders@dianepublishing.net

See our website for recent catalogs and backlist: www.aps-pub.com

American Philosophical Society

104 South Fifth Street • Philadelphia. PA 19106-3387
(Tel) 215-440-3425 • (Fax) 215-440-3450

PLANTSMAN

Watch out, Flower Show exhibitors! Another
passionate plant enthusiast has invaded the area,
although affable, witty Dr. John Lonsdale does
not characterize himself as an obsessive gardener. At the very
least, he qualifies as a keen plantsman with great fervor and first-
hand expertise in numerous categories, particularly with those
plants that strike his fancy. Edgewood, his 13-year-old garden in
southeastern Pennsylvania, is a wonderland of specialty plants
that will tantalize most horticultural zealots.

Lonsdale is an active member of the Daphne Society and
Alpine Garden Society, as well as their Fritillaria and Crocus
groups. He belongs to the Cyclamen Society, North American
Rock Garden Society, Scottish Rock Garden Club, Aril Society
International, Species Iris Group of North America, and several
Internet discussion groups, such as Alpine-L. He contributes
articles to their publications and lectures widely. He gets his rare
plants by trading with other collectors and from nurseries
around the world.

Born in 1939 and raised in Sheffield in Yorkshire, England,
Lonsdale has a PhD in microbiology. After spending 18 years in
the pharmaceutical industry attempting to discover new antibi-
otics, he currently works in Philadelphia as a research director of
a nonprofit provider of human tissues and organs for research.
His gardening prowess reflects his scientific penchant for exper-
imenting, reveling in successful results, and sharing his discov-
eries with others. His extraordinary website, www. edgewood
gardens.net, is replete with exquisite photographs he took him-
self and information about how to cultivate some of his favorite
gardening treasures here in our area.

In 1995 Lonsdale was awarded the prestigious Alpine Garden
Society’s Gold Merit Medal. In the UK, he specialized in
Primulaceae, particularly Dionysia , Primula and Androsace, cush-
ion saxifrages, and hardy bulbs — all grown in pots because it facil-
itated showing them. Cold-frame or greenhouse cultivation gave
him an element of control over growing conditions for exciting
and challenging plants, including choice alpines unbefitting the
British climate and the typically small English gardens.

GREEN SCENE • september/october 2008

"I just love
plants and my
interests have
broadened
beyond all
recognition
since we came
to the States —
the best move
we ever made!"

After moving the same year to one and half acres in Exton,
Pennsylvania (Zone 6b), with his wife, two daughters, and one
on the way, Dr. Lonsdale had both space and the proper
environment for growing hardy plants, especially bulbs, flower-
ing trees, and shrubs. His property is perfect for his interests, as
only a mountain goat or alpine lover would consider gardening
on a 40-degree wooded slope traversing the entire garden. “I just
love plants and my interests have broadened beyond all
recognition since we came to the States — the best move we ever
made!” he says. (Let that be a lesson to those who lust after
English gardening conditions.)

The soil is moderately acid and superbly drained. In many
places, the ground is very rocky, with large exposed boulders;
some pockets tend toward pure sand. With the exception of
raised sand beds he built for many of his babies, such as Asian
allium, Corydalis, Colchicum, Crocus , Oncocyclus irises, and some
of the more sensitive Juno irises, no attempt was made to mod-
ify the soil. Crocuses are, of course, gastronomic delights to
rodents. However, he says, “Our ‘homeland security system’
(five cats) does a fine job in reducing the chipmunk, mouse,
vole, squirrel, and rabbit populations to such a low level that I
haven’t seen any bulb loss to wildlife.”

Edgewood is most showy from mid-March through June with
countless bulbs, Corydalis, Hepatica, Helleborus, Adonis and

GREEN SCENE • september/october 2008

Eranthis, woodland peonies, a host of Trillium, slipper orchids,
Erythronium , and Epimedium, as well as Daphne, Magnolia,
Cornus and various other flowering shrubs. He has the most
complete collection of species irises in the US. “My aim has
largely been to grow from seed as many choice and beautiful
plants as possible that are effectively unused in US gardens and
trial them here,” he says. “These are supposed to be ungrowable
or not hardy, but hundreds have done incredibly well and have
become a permanent feature of the garden. I’ve also been select-
ing lots of native plants that should eventually be more widely
used. The potential is enormous for American gardens to
become so much more than something a landscaper visits to
mow the grass, kill the crab grass and plow the snowr.”

In October, Cyclamen, Colchicum, and about 30 species and
sub-species of fragrant crocus bloom, some which flower well
into December and pick up again between February snowfalls.
Hardy fall-blooming crocuses grown at the woodland edge
include C. banaticus, vallicola, nudiflorus, kotschyanus ssp.
kotschyanus, kotschyanus ssp. suworowianus, tournefortii, speciosus
forms, longiflorus and goulimyi. The hardy cyclamen include C.
coum, with its gorgeous pewter leaves, as well as the species

mirabile, cilicium, and the tiny intaminatum. “C. purpurascens,
mirabile, and colchicum are also hardy, flower in late summer/
early fall and have incredible leaves,” John advises. About five
Sternbergia species blossom in autumn. (A white one flowers in
winter or very early spring.) Lonsdale sells his surplus seeds and
bulbs. (Check his website for updates.)

“Fall-flowering bulbs are certainly still largely a mystery in US
gardens; misunderstood and under-used,” says John. Naturally
there are other things, mostly unusual, going at that time of
year. “The fall/ winter foliage color of the Galax aphylla is just
unbelievable — burnished mahogany! As the temperatures

GREEN SCENE • september/october 2008 27

increase in the spring, it goes back to green,” he says. “And then, there are
camellias.”

John’s three daughters show varying degrees of curiosity about his hobby.
“The older ones are very interested in plants, as in, ‘If I dug that up how much
could I sell it for?’ Fortunately, the youngest seems genuinely interested, and
she even impressed some women at Longwood Gardens by explaining the var-
ious events involved in pollination.”

Of course, no gardener is ever satisfied. John says, “My biggest regret: there
just doesn’t seem to be anywhere in the garden suitable for roses.”

llene Sternberg is an award-winning writer and author who gardens
in West Chester, PA.

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GREEN SCENE • september/october 2008

This page & opposite: Chaste tree

Standard

Introducing the 2009 PHS Gold Medal Plant Award Winners

Each June, a dedicated
group of horticulturists,
nursery owners, and gar-
dening experts meets at the
Scott Arboretum in Swarthmore,
PA. They are members of
the Pennsylvania Horticultural
Society's Gold Medal Plant
Committee, whose mission is to
choose the annual winners of the
PHS Gold Medal Plant Award.
After some friendly banter, this
team of plant lovers sets out,
armed with sunglasses and sun-
screen, to take one last look at
the plants under consideration.

An hour later, a pollinated posse returns to
the meeting room eager to share facts and
opinions. The nominated plants are graded
for their cultural, commercial, and aesthetic
merits. To these numeric scores each commit-
tee member adds a touch of his or her own
personal and professional judgment to choose
the winners. Plants exhibiting multi-season
interest, easy availability, and superior land-
scape value are given priority. Plants with
“eco-friendly” attributes such as low mainte-
nance needs and pest and disease resistance
also make the top of the list. Finally, the win-
ners are agreed upon and all the hard work is
over.

In the following pages, we present the five
winners for 2009. The Gold Medal Plant
committee hopes you’ll take the opportunity
to enjoy these plants in your own gardens.
Each one is a terrific choice for this region.

CHASTE TREE

Vitex agnus-castus ‘Shoal Creek’ is a decid-
uous, vase-shaped shrub (a small tree in the
South) with an upright growth habit.
Selected for its large, “best-of-the blue” flower
spikes and dense habit, the plant’s long bloom
time (June through September), disease-
resistant foliage, and attractiveness to butter-
flies put it in a class by itself. As horticultur-
ists Deborah Metrustry and Dr. Tomas
Anisko mentioned in American Nurseryman
magazine, ‘Shoal Creek’ is noted for its “vig-
orous habit, large flower spikes and foliage,
and bluer blooms. [It] clearly was the best
blue-flowered V agnus-castus in our trials.”

Although chaste tree is a large shrub, the
deer-resistant plant can be cut back in June to

control height. Stem die-back can occur dur-
ing a cold winter, but this fast grower recov-
ers quickly. It can be planted in mass, in gar-
den borders, as a specimen, or as a cut-back
shrub. Chaste tree prefers full sun, but will
tolerate part-sun and is best planted in loose,
well-drained soil. It grows about 6 feet high
by 5 feet wide. It’s hardy in Zones 6 to 9.

Pim

mSM

- v jaS

WEEPING KATSURATREE

Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Morioka
Weeping' is a graceful, medium-sized decidu-
ous tree with attractive blue-green foliage.
This deer-resistant tree can be used as a
specimen or in a large mixed border. “It’s the
smallest and most beautiful weeping
Cercidiphyllum cultivar,” says veteran
nurseryman Tom Dilatush of Wrightstown,
New Jersey. “Its weeping branches and overall
pendulous configuration also contribute to
winter interest. In my mind, ‘Morioka
Weeping’ can be used in the landscape of any
home — everything from small ranches to
huge mansions.”

The weeping katsura tree will grow 25 feet
high by 10 feet wide in 10 years, eventually
reaching about 40 feet. It is hardy in
Zones 4 to 8.

SPICEBUSH

Lindera glauca var. salicifolia is a distinc-
tive, deciduous shrub with a pyramidal habit.
Says horticulturist Dan Benarcik, “I fell in

Photos by Jeff Jabco & Dan Benarcik

Gold Medal Plains

feeping Katsura tree

Spicebush displaying
its fall color.

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GREEN SCENE • september/october 2008

(

love with this plant several years ago at the
garden where 1 work, Chanticleer in Wayne,
PA. I enjoy what this plant does for me every
day of the year. Oblong, willow-like leaves
adorn the plant from late spring through the
season. But when the days shorten and the
nights cool, the display begins to change.
Zinfandels, merlots, clarets, and all the good
reds appear in the fall colors of this plant.”
The foliage of Lindera glauca var. salicifolia
eventually changes to an eye-catching khaki
color on stubbornly persistent foliage that
hangs on throughout the winter, making it a
magnificent year-round screen plant. You can
also use it as a specimen planting, in a group,
or in the mixed border. Spicebush grows 10
feet high by 6 feet wide. Inconspicuous flow-
ers produce opal-black fruit in late summer. It
looks best in full sun but will tolerate part-
sun. Hardy in Zones 5 to 7.

PRIVET HONEYSUCKLE

Lonicera pileata is a low, dense, deer-resist-
ant, ground-hugging shrub with fine-tex-
tured foliage. Steve Mostardi of Mostardi

Nursery in Newtown Square, PA, calls privet
honeysuckle the “ultimate all-terrain per-
formance plant.” He says, “Nothing bothers
this woody groundcover. It even tolerates sur-
face root competition from trees casting
heavy shade all day. In fact, experience has
shown that it develops richer green leaf color
where it’s shady during the afternoon. We
need more plants like this.”

The privet honeysuckle can be used as an
evergreen groundcover in place of more com-
mon plants such as ivy and pachysandra. It
also works well in difficult sites like slopes
and ledges. It sometimes produces translu-
cent, amethyst-colored fruit. Growing 3 feet
high by 5 feet wide, this plant prefers well-
drained soil and full or part-sun. It’s hardy in
Zones 6 to 8.

FRAGRANT SUMAC

Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Low’ is a dense, wide-
spreading groundcover with attractive, aro-
matic, glossy green foliage that turns amazing
shades of red and orange in autumn. Small
yellow flowers (panicles) appear in early

spring followed by wildlife-attracting, hairy
red fruit in fall. ‘Gro-Low’ is a native, eco-
friendly plant with drought and urban toler-
ance and high deer resistance. Use this sumac
to stabilize embankments and in many other
difficult areas. It grows about 2 feet high by 6
feet wide in full or part-sun. Hardy in Zones
3 to 9.

Longwood lecturer Richard Bitner says
‘Gro-Low’ is an outstanding groundcover
that’s also versatile. “Its stems will root when
they touch the ground,” he says. “It is an
excellent choice for hard-to-cover areas with
poor soil and in urban or corporate situa-
tions, but it’s also wonderful in an informal
border, along woodland edges, or in natura-
listic areas in home gardens. It is a very low-
maintenance plant and — best of all — deer do
not find it edible.”

Joe Ziccardi is a PA Certified
Horticulturist and manager of the PHS
Gold Medal Plant Award program.

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GOLD MEDAL

PLANT AWARD COMMITTEE

Steve Mostardi

Chair

Mostardi Nursery
Newtown Square, PA

Richard L. Bitner

Representing the home gardener

Jack Blandy

Stoney Bank Nurseries
Glen Mills, PA

Tom Dilatush

Dilatush Nurseries
Wrightstown, NJ

Sheila Gmeiner

Clinton Nurseries of Havana, FL

Joseph Gray

Hines Nurseries, Inc. of Irvine, CA

Richard Hesselein

Pleasant Run Nursery
Allentown, NJ

Steve Hutton

The Conard-Pyle Company
West Grove, PA

Rhoda Maurer

Scott Arboretum of
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA

Paul W. Meyer

Morris Arboretum of the
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

Philip Normandy

Brookside Gardens
Wheaton, MD

Larry Shehan

Hines Nurseries
Inc. of Irvine, CA

R. William Thomas

Chanticleer
Wayne, PA

Barry Yinger

Asiatica Nursery
Lewisberry, PA

Charles Zafonte

Morris County Park
Commission, NJ

Basic Botany

by Jessie Kieth

GARDEN LORE: Truth or Tales

When I was a kid, my family subjected me to
many gardening tenets that 1 simply accepted.
My grandfather feverishly sprayed his veggies
with odd homemade concoctions, my grandmother insisted
that amending her roses with coffee and tea remnants was
beneficial, and my aunt claimed that planting marigolds
among veggies deterred harmful pests. These are a few of
many bits of advice that were handed down to me.

So, is there any validity to these and other similar practices?
Are they based in truth, or are they simply products of tradi-
tion and hearsay? To tackle these questions, 1 turned to
friends, family, and texts to gather some anecdotal garden lore
and illuminate the matter with a little science and sense.

CREATIVE PEST DETERRENTS

Bars of soap hanging from trees, carnivore urine sprinkled
in beds, and dishes of beer scattered among the hostas. Some
of the things we do to ward off pests are downright strange,
but are they useful?

Folksy remedies to deter
deer are some of the most
popular, because these ani-
mals drive gardeners crazy.
Soap, sachets of human hair,
pepper sprays, and urine
concoctions are favorites
because deer dislike dis-
agreeable scents and flavors,
but effectiveness is more a
question of density and cov-
erage than dislike.

Such remedies create a
fleeting sense of protection.
But I’ve found that scented
bars of soap hanging in
apple trees are not enough
to keep deer from delighting
in their fragrant, sweet
fruits. It’s arduous to repeat-
edly swath ornamentals with
pepper sprays (though they
work), and human hair is a
red herring. However,
though carnivore urine is
not cheap, it is effective.
Predator odors can linger, and studies have shown they ward
off natural prey like deer, mountain goats, and beavers.

In the end, the best course of action is to grow plants that
deer dislike — though they’ll eat practically anything in a lean
winter. Vociferous dogs work wonders, too.

Snails and slugs are real pests, and beer is the favorite way
to bring about their demise, which is great because it works.
Slugs love beer’s hoppy sweetness but are pickled by its ethyl
alcohol. Try sinking a half-filled can in the ground near a trou-
ble spot one evening, and you’ll have marinated escargot by
morning.

Some gardeners tout homemade pesticide concoctions with
ingredients like tobacco juice, dish soap, or medications.
Beware such motley mixes. Certain ingredients may be help-
ful; soap acts as a surfactant and smothers insects on contact,
and nicotine (actually a nasty neurotoxin) is one of the oldest
pesticides. On the other hand, spraying meds on plants, par-
ticularly veggies, could be utterly dangerous.

GREEN SCENE • september/october 2008

COMPANIONS OR
CHARLATANS?

Much has been written about
companion planting, and certainly
some plants offer benefits to their
neighbors (nitrogen-fixing legumes
for instance), but can one repellent
plant keep pests away from another?

It’s doubtful. Herbivorous insects
can pick up the volatile compounds
from their host plants from great dis-
tances, and a 2005 study conducted
in the UK showed that insects can
find their host plants even when hid-
den among other undesirable plants.
This should not be surprising. To
survive, they must be able to pick
that needle of a plant out of a
haystack of others. So, sadly,
marigolds probably won’t protect
your cabbages from loopers.

AMENDMENTS

1 imagine the settlers raised their
eyebrows when Native Americans
taught them to plant a fish with their
corn crops, but we now know that
these fine finned creatures acted as
fertilizer. Other creative amendments
might offer help, too.

Take my grandmother’s favorite
amendment for roses: tea and coffee.
Both are slightly acidic and break
down quickly, so essentially they act
as quick compost at a pH suitable for
roses. Okay, I buy it. So long as it’s
organic and disease or heavy-metal
free, it’s probably going to eventually
do some good.

With age I’ve learned to approach
home-grown garden cures with a
healthy dose of skepticism. But, I
also refrain from total naysaying,
because even the oddest-sounding
remedy might yield good fruit.

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GREEN SCENE • september/october 2008

Botanical Bouquets

by Jane Godshalk

COLEUS &
ROSES

EXUBERANT

COLOR,

EASY ARRANGING

Dramatic and diverse colors in the many vari-
eties of coleus make stunning combinations
with the addition of just a few roses. The key
is to choose a rose that contrasts or harmonizes with the
shades and tones of the coleus.

1 stumbled upon this idea one evening when
company was coming to dinner and I needed a
last-minute centerpiece. The colors were exciting, and I
received many compliments, although little work or
expense went into the arrangement. Coleus from
the garden was the “star,” with a few roses from the
florist or supermarket.

First, select a variety of one or more coleus and choose a
rose that will highlight the wonderful colors in the coleus
leaves. For conditioning, coleus leaves benefit from early
morning or evening cutting and then a few hours in water
in a cool, dark place. Since they will be in fresh water, this
conditioning step may be skipped, especially later in the
season when foliage is mature. Cutting garden roses by the
above process, however, will extend their life. Next, follow
these steps:

AM you need for this
design are a few of your
favorite roses and
coleus leaves.

STEP 1: GATHERING MATERIALS

• A square glass vase (4 to 6 inches)

• Clippers or a sharp knife

• Coleus leaves

• 5 to 7 roses

STEP 2: PREPARING

• Strip leaves from roses and coleus that will
be below water line.

STEP 3: ARRANGING

• Fill vase with cool, clean water about 1/2
to 2/3 full.

• Cut coleus leaves about 1-1/2 times taller
than the vase.

• Place coleus leaves in vase with stems
crossing in an orderly manner.

• Place roses with stems in same directions
as leaf stems.

• You can use more than one vase to create

a series of arrangements for a long table. *AM

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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:
Daniel Moise, Green Scene
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100
N. 20th Street, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA
19103-1495.

If you have any questions, please
call 215-988-8871.

BOTANICAL LIGHTING

Botanical Lighting

Specializing in tasteful
architectural and landscape lighting.

Please view our on-line gallery:

botanicallighting.com

or call: 610-519-1212

Serving: Pennsylvania • New Jersey • Boston
Maryland • Washington DC

GARDEN STRUCTURES

HERITAGE STONE & MARBLE

We are an installation and restoration
company who emphasizes long lasting quali-
ty with outstanding craftsmanship.
FLAGSTONE, BRICK-patios and walkways,
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GRANITE-floors, walls, countertops.

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GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

Custom Aluminum or Wood
33 Years’ Experience
Call Robert J. LaRouche at
Glass Enclosures Unlimited

610-687-2444

PATIOS & WALKWAYS

Flagstone - Pavers - Brick
Robert J. Kleinberg
Landscape Design & Construction
610-259-6106
See our work online
1 00’s of pictures at
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HOME FOR SALE

COUNTRY LIVING IN THE CITY

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Gorgeous 4-season organically tended
garden: figs, peaches, apples, berries,
specimen & heirloom plants.

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Philadelphia neighborhood.

For details, contact Maria Quattrone, Realtor,
Coldwell Banker Preferred
215-51 0-6868 www.mahaquattrone.com

LANDSCAPE DESIGN

LINDA CORSON
LANDSCAPE DESIGN

• Consulting
• Plans

• Supervision

Registered Landscape Architect
Member ASLA 215-247-5619

BURKE BROTHERS
LANDSCAPE DESIGN/BUILD

Nationally-recognized designs.
Experienced staff ensures
the integrity of the design
from concept to completion

burkebrothers.com

215-887-1773 610-520-2025

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

www.davidbrothers.com

DONALD PELL GARDENS

Creating & maintaining gardens with expert
horticultural craftsmanship.

View our portfolio of landscape designs
online at www.donaldpell.com or
call 61 0-91 7-1 385 for a brochure
and consultation.

LARGE SPECIMEN TREES

20’ American Holly & Colorado Blue Spruce
25 Apple Varieties, Picked or Pick-Your-Own
Peaches, Pears, Concord Grapes,

Pole Lima Beans

INDIAN ORCHARDS

610-565-8387

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

PONDS

UNUSUAL SPECIMENS

Flowers and More, Inc.

Garden Design, Installation & Maintenance
PINE-NEEDLE MULCH
Wholesale and Retail
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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
Fall Mums • Asters • Cabbage • Kale

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.tripleoaks.com
856-694-4272
greatplants@tripleoaks.com

PICTURE FRAMING

Frames and Company

We’ve been framing for 35 years
and can make any artwork blossom!

Our designers/framers and archival materials
will guarantee a perennial favorite.

10% off for PHS members

3723 W. Chester Pike, Newtown Square
Under the Green & White Awning
610.356.8122

www.framesandcompany.com

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.mutschters.com

Official Photo Contest Rules

WHO MAY ENTER

• Amateur photographers aged 18 and older (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 4 x 6-inch or 5 x 7-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 back-
ground information.

• If you’d like your images returned, please enclose a SASE with your submission.

• Original images may be shot on print film, slides, or digital cameras, but all
submissions must be 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 , 2005).

• Photos may eventually be mounted on cardboard if we choose to display them.

• 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 $15; 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 L1 1 Digital Camera & Accessories,

a photo assignment for Green Scene, & publication of your photo.*

2nd The Philadelphia Flower Show coffee-table book, a one-year

PHS Membership & 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 '09 issue) and on the PHS website.

IMPORTANT DATES

• All entries must be postmarked by September 15, 2008.

• All winners will be notified by November 1 5, 2008.

Rainwater Harvesting Systems

Capture • Filter • Reuse
Please visit our website to learn more
www.YourPond.com

Cedar Run Landscapes

1 -800-Landscape

For more information:

For more information, please email greenscene@pennhort.org for fastest response.
You can also call Daniel Moise at 215-988-8871 .

PHS Garden Tenders visit
a Chester County Nursery

By Daniel Moise

Who says field trips are just for elementary-school stu-
dents? On May 22, alumni of PHS’s Garden Tenders
course boarded a yellow school bus and journeyed to
Valentine Gardens near Coatesville in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Nursery owners Pat Valentine and Patricia Schrieber (a member of
PHS’s Education Services department) gave these “city mice” a sample
of country style.

Upon arrival, the group oohed and aahed as they disembarked the
bus. Valentine Gardens boasts four greenhouses, a display area, and a
meadow for summertime strolls. Despite a slightly overcast sky, the
fresh air was invigorating, and the group was eager to explore the
grounds. But first, it was time to learn.

Under the shade of a dowering dogwood, Pat Valentine led a dis-
cussion on the merits of “garden workhorses” — plants that are hardy,
with many seasons of interest. Soon the conversation broadened, and
before long an assortment of gardening matters was discussed — every-
thing from assembling troughs to taming extra-prolific plants. In fact,
there was an extended debate on the merit of hostas. (Some in the
group adored them; others couldn’t stand them!)

Despite the stark party lines on the hosta issue, everyone enjoyed
spending time with other gardening enthusiasts. Few of the visitors
were strangers; either they knew each other from Garden Tenders or
they had met before on trips like this one. Blanche Pipps, a reliable
presence at such outings, said, “We’ve all become friends. It’s a great
group of people.” Blanche wasn’t just spouting platitudes; she had

baked and brought pies
for her Garden Tenders
compatriots.

After the informative
presentation (complete
with visual aids) the gang
was free to mill about the
property. “I look forward
to getting ideas for my
garden,” said one partici-
pant, Debbie Thomas, as
she perused a sampling
of succulents. She and
others had notebooks in
hand and diligently
jotted down interesting
facts or the Latin names
of plants that caught
their eyes.

Center City resident
Cora Turpin described
her involvement in PHS educational excursions as “relaxing and grat-
ifying.” A retired teacher, Cora often encouraged her students to
attend PHS workshops for extra credit.

PHS project manager Sally McCabe, who runs the Garden Tenders
program, added, “Besides being a hands-on opportunity to broaden
their horticultural knowledge, these trips allow Philadelphia’s great
gardeners to network and support one another.” Garden Tenders is
supported by Chanticleer ... a pleasure garden in Wayne, PA.

When 1 :30 arrived — all too quickly — it was time to board the bus
and return to Philadelphia. With arms full of plants, the guests
thanked their hosts and assumed their seats. As the bright yellow
vehicle drove down the quaint country lane, all agreed it was a day
well spent.

Valentine Gardens is located at 358 N. Sandy Hill Rd.,
Coatesville, PA. Contact 610-857-9584 or

valentinegardens@peoplepc.com .

For more information on Garden Tenders, please visit the PHS
website, www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety. org/phlgreen/
gardentenders. html.

GREEN SCENE • september/october 2008

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Quality?
First

Editor

Pete Prown

Senior Editor
Jane Carroll

Associate Editor
Daniel Moise

Staff Photographer
Margaret Funderburg

Art Design
Baxendells’ Graphic

Printer

ALCOM Printing Group, Inc.

The Pennsylvania
>*Ia7 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 Media Group
610-527-7047
mmanzoQmanzomediagroup. com

Classified Ads
Daniel Moise, 215-988-8871
gsadsGPpennhort. 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 36, 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.
POSTMASTER: Send address change to GREEN SCENE, 100
N. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103.
© Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 2008

Gardening on a Slope 10

Despite tricky growing conditions, Paula and Mark
Solomon had the vision to turn the steep backyard
of their Gladwyne, PA, home into what their
daughters call "Daffodil Hill." Betsie Blodgett visits
the gracefully planted property.

Find your Frond 16

Horticulturist Marilyn Romenesko has found that
successfully growing ferns as houseplants
depends on selection. Fortunately, indoor
gardeners can choose from a wide variety of
species, provided they supply the right conditions.

Cooking up More Ferns 20

With ferns more popular than ever, why not
turn your kitchen into a fern factory? Writer/
photographer Rob Cardillo shows you how to start
ferns from scratch with some surprising culinary
tricks.

The Seeds of History 22

Trends come and go, but the simple seed packet
has been a gardening staple for more than 200
years. Ilene Sternberg digs deep into Philadelphia's
rich horticultural history and uncovers the city's
significance in the seed revolution.

The Potting Shed 6

The Green Arranger 28

Go Organic!

The Multi-Purpose Garden 30

Home-Grown Harvest

The Backyard .... 34

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society motivates people to
improve the quality of life and create a sense of community
through horticulture.

Cover image: PHS McLean Library

(collection of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society)

Letter from the Editor

ing. Under the auspices of our indefatigable
ad manager, Michel Manzo, the program was
not only accepted in stride by readers, but
became a great success, bringing in revenue to
offset the growing costs of production and
allowing readers to learn about sellers of qual-
ity gardening products from around the
region. (It would be remiss of me, too, not to
thank all the writers, copyeditors, photogra-
phers, and printers who strive to produce
each issue of Green Scene — your work is
absolutely priceless.)

Outside in the garden, other things have
changed, too. When I started editing Green
Scene, the red-hot poker plant we now call
Kniphofia was often referred to as the genus
Tritoma. And the Latin name for the butter-
fly bush, Buddleja, was more often spelled
with an “i”, as in “Buddleia.” Locally, a gar-
den in Wayne, PA, a place called
“Chanticleer,” was creating quite a buzz as
the hot new kid in town. Today, it’s a world-
renowned garden beloved for its daring
horticultural legerdemain.

Of course, some things haven’t changed,
among them that Philadelphia remains a
hotspot of American gardening, delighting
residents and tourists alike. Or that the
Philadelphia Flower Show reigns supreme
over the winter landscape, giving hundreds of
thousands their first blast of spring each year.
My first Flower Show as a PHS staff member
was 1999’s “ Design on Nature ... the art of
gardening, ’’which celebrated great estate gar-
dens from around the country, such as
Kykuit, Chesterwood, and Filoli. It was a
great show, as I recall.

Each year since then, the Show's large
displays seem to get more spectacular, though
personally, I often find myself in B Hall,
staring agape at all the beautiful, potted
horticulture entries. Indeed, looking back
over 10 years of Flower Shows, I still find that
nothing amazes me more than those small,
dazzling, perfect plants.

Pet& prow ei/

email: greenscene@pennhort.org

Then & Now

This fall, as 1 mark 10 years editing
this magazine, I’m reflecting on
some of the changes I’ve
witnessed, both at PHS and in the local
gardening scene.

Since 1998, one of the greatest areas of
change, of course, has been in technology.
When I started editing the magazine, we
routinely received articles that were either
printed out or pecked out on a typewriter.
Soon after I arrived, we asked writers to begin
sending in stories on floppy discs (remember
those?), which increased our efficiency and
made the editing process so much easier.

This was also before the era of
digital photography, so we were
still dealing with all
manner of slides,

our

transparencies, and prints. Today, however,
we only occasionally use slides, since perhaps
80 percent of the photos we print in Green
Scene are digital. Most are sent to our offices
electronically by email or file-transfer, some-
thing unthinkable 10 years ago. Indeed,
thanks to the Internet, my phone rarely rings
anymore; for better or worse, the publishing
world now runs on a long, daily stream of
email.

Laurie Baxendell remains our talented
graphic designer, a job she took over from her
mother, Julie, who had been with Green Scene
since its beginnings in 1972. One task that
Julie retained for my first year or two was the
creation of thumbnail sketches of each issue’s
layout. A skilled artist, she would draw small
boxes on a piece of paper, each one
representing a page in an upcoming issue
with notations where every article, photo,
and graphic element would sit. These are
relics from the era of non-electronic
magazine publishing, but in my
mind, they remain quite remark-
able and beautiful.

In early 2000, we did
something revolutionary
with Green Scene, some-
thing we thought might
incite a revolt among
readers: we

began running
display advertis-

Feeding Desire: Design and the
Tools of the Table, 1500-2005

November 1, 2008-February 1, 2009

Long before the dish ran away with the spoon,
flatware designs added drama to the art of
dining. This rich overview considers the
evolution and influence of utensils on the
theater of the table. Winterthur Members free.

s th$o

Feeding Desire: Design end the Tools of the Table. 1500-2005 is organized by c2p™h'Z„ Mmcum

The exhibition was sponsored by The Tiffany & Co. Foundation. Additional support was provided by Mr. John H.
Bryan, Crate and Barrel, and The Felicia Fund. Presented at Winterthur by <ffU PDHt> and The Tiffany & Co.
Foundation. Additional support provided by Potter, Anderson & Corroon, LLP.

Macaroni server. Museum purchase from the Decorative Arts Association Acquisitions Fund and the Dona
Guimaeres Fund, 1995-147-1. Photo: Matt Flynn.

Yuletide at Winterthur
Open Daily for Mansion Tours
November 22, 2008-January 4, 2009

View elegant interiors of the du Pont mansion
bedecked in holiday finery and be inspired by
dazzling dining and entertaining displays.
Admission discount for Winterthur Members.

Hours

Daily, 10:00 am-5:00 pm
Special 1

Open until 8:00 pm on Tuesdays in December
Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase

WINTERTHUR MUSEUM & COUNTRY ESTATE
Nestled in Delaware’s beautiful Brandywine Valley on Route 52, between 1-95 and Route I
800.448.3883 • 302.888.4600 • winterthur.org

The Potting Shed

Painted Tongue

Growing

Salpiglossis

sinuata

By Jessie Keith

The name “painted tongue”
( Salpiglossis sinuata) brings to
mind something wild, tropical,
and dazzling like a rainforest tree frog,
ceremonial face-paint, or Macaw plumage,
and the plant’s glorious blooms don’t
disappoint. Each funnel-shaped flower holds
a shock of bright, broken colors, often in
sharply contrasting multi-colored arrays. Yet
for reasons unknown, this once wildly
popular Victorian bedding plant is uncom-
mon in contemporary American gardens. It’s
time to return it to the fore.

ORIGINS AND HISTORY

Salpiglossis is native to Argentina, Chile,
and Peru, where it grows along the Andean
slopes and piedmont. On occasion, this
“annual” has been known to live through one
or more growing seasons where winters are
moderate. And, like most mountainside
plants, it grows and flowers best where
summers are cool.

In Victorian Europe, brightly colored,
exotic bedding annuals became all the rage
and were planted in carpets arranged in geo-
metric blocks, a practice called mosaiculture.
Painted tongue was first introduced to
Europe early in the nineteenth century and
became a favorite for these fanciful gardens.

Shortly afterwards, American gardeners
embraced mosaiculture, and by the mid nine-
teenth century Salpiglossis sinuata became
commercially available. It maintained a
popular status up until the mid twentieth
century, when its limelight was overshadowed
by the floriferous hybrid petunias that
quickly dominated the market.

Presently, painted tongue is available
through select seed houses like Renee’s
Garden, Annie’s Annuals, and Thompson &
Morgan.

ARTFUL BLOOMS

As if painted by Van Gogh, the blooms of
Salpiglossis have bold contrasting colors that
appear in broken bursts across the velvety
petals. The palette contains almost ever)'
color imaginable, including violet-blue,
purple, red, orange, yellow, white, burgundy,

As if painted by Van Gogh, the blooms of
Salpiglossis have bold contrasting colors
that appear in broken bursts across the
velvety petals.

and pink. Even better, Salpiglossis is a superb
cut flower that will draw oohs and aahs
from all.

It is not difficult to recognize that
Salpiglossis is a close relative ol Nicotiana
and Petunia. The funnel-shaped, petunia-like
blooms are held on taller stems like flowering
tobacco and, like both of its Solanaceous
brethren, its stems are resinous and sticky.
Standard painted tongue is tall, but most
cultivated varieties have been bred to
be compact.

There are several cultivars to choose from.
The Royal hybrids, which come in all colors,
are compact, heat tolerant, and easily found
in seed catalogs. Likewise, the compact and

heavy-flowering Casino hybrids are pretty
and easy to find. Some even have solid-
colored flowers, like ‘Chocolate Royal’, which
bears profuse chocolate-burgundy flowers on
tall, bushy plants.

CULTIVATION

This annual prefers cool weather, so it should
be grown in our region when temperatures are
milder. The key is choosing the right site and
season. Plant in spring once fear of frost has
passed, or in fall in a location with good light;
cooling greenery; and friable, organic-rich soil.
Painted tongue is not too needy when it comes
to fertilization but does appreciate occasional
light feeding. For best performance, water and

deadhead plants regularly. Under these growing
conditions, painted tongue will flourish.

Doug Croft, a horticulturist at Chanticleer
in Wayne, PA, says, “ Salpiglossis isn’t fond of
the heat and humidity of Philadelphia, so it’s
a fun challenge to get it up and flowering
during our spring. I start it early in the green-
house, harden it off in our cold frames, and
then set it out in a partly shady part of the
garden as soon as the threat of frost has
passed. It is valuable for early-spring color
and for use in our cut-flower arrangements.”

So what are you waiting for? If you are a
garden thrill-seeker, consider enlivening next
year’s spring planting beds with a splash of
painted tongue.

GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

Photos by Pete Prown

The Gardener's Bookshelf By Pete Prown

Green House

By Norm Crampton
(soft-cover, 116 pp., $9.95)

Now here’s a clever idea — an A to Z book on how ro dispose
of everyday household goods. Green House covers a wide range
of items, from old books to used car wax to insecticides, that
many of us often drop in the trash without a second thought.
You’ll also learn new things about common gardening topics,
such as food disposal. While composting is good, author Crampton says sending food down
an in-sink food grinder is also good, since it creates “solids” that water-processing plants can
convert to everything from fertilizer (such as Milorganite) to methane gas, which can be
captured and used to fuel equipment that would otherwise run on fossil fuels. Who knew?

GREEN

HOUSE

eco-fnendty disposal and recycling at home

A Green Tip for the

HOLIDAYS

Right after Christmas,

Linda Yang (author of
The City Gardener's Handbook
scours her neighborhood for
discarded Christmas trees, sharp
pruning shears in hand. After
removing the tinsel, she cuts the
branches into manageable sizes
and distributes them liberally
around her street-tree and front-
garden plantings, as well as
those of amenable neighbors.

Don't Throw it, Grow It

By Deborah Peterson &

Millicent Selsam
(soft-cover, 160 pp., $10.95)

Another home reference book, this one shows readers how
to take many kitchen scraps and turn them into thriving
windowsill plants. We all know about the ubiquitous avoca-
do suspended in a glass of water, but you can also start beets,
sweet potatoes, peas, pineapples, and more as indoor plants using the tips included here.
The authors claim that various other plants — such as mustard, jicama, and turnips — are
especially easy to grow. As long as you have a windowsill and some sunlight, there are dozens
of fruits and veggies that can be turned into viable, food-producing plants in your home.

This thick, natural, decorative —
and free — mulch helps retain the
soil moisture from the winter
rains and snow, as well as
stabilize soil temperatures
through freezes and thaws. The
dropped needles eventually
decay, further enriching the soil.
When the first bulbs appear in
spring, she discards the bits of
spent branches that remain.

THE

IDE

JOE LAMP’L

The Green Gardener's Guide

By Joe Lamp’l (soft-cover, 352 pp, $16.95)

his small book aims to teach gardeners how to become even greener as they coax plants
from the earth. It may be preaching to the choir, but author Joe Lamp’l says that he can
offer fresh tips on making gardening a key part of saving the planet. “ The Green Gardener 's
Guide offers a straightforward approach to creating a more sustainable garden — be that a front lawn or
a vegetable row,” he says. “The powerful impact we gardeners can have on the environment through
just a handful of simple acts is astonishing. By simply correcting habits such as over-watering and over-
fertilizing, gardeners can help protect our precious resources
and ensure our planet’s future vitality.”

The Green Gardener’s Guide also offers cause-and-effect sce-
narios of the environmental consequences of seemingly minor
lifestyle changes. Says Lamp’l, “If U.S. gardeners collectively
watered early in the morning instead of in the midday sun, the
nation would save at least 700 billion gallons of water annually. If gardeners planted trees for
shade and windbreak, national heating and cooling costs would drop by as much as 40 percent."

“The love of nature is central to gardening,” he concludes. “Isn’t it time we gardeners started
acting on it?”

SIMPLE. SIGNIfICANT ACTIONS TO
PROTECT & PRESERVE OUR PLANET

GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

The Potting Shed

The American Smoketree

A Civil War Survivor

Story & photography by Eva Monheim

^ an arborist, I am always

/ \ ^ looking for great trees to

/ \ ^ -J recommend for difficult
areas, such as polluted streetscapes or sites
with poor soil. American smoketree or
chittamwood ( Cotinus obovatus) is one gem
that might just fit the bill for those trying
environmental situations.

The American smoketree’s European/Asian
cousin, the ever-popular smoke bush ( Cotinus
c°ggygria) has worked its way into our local
landscape quite effectively. But what about
our native American smoketree? First discov-
ered by Thomas Nuttall in 1819, the tree was
introduced into cultivation
the US and
England in 1882

Redbud Nursery
www. redbudnativeplantnursery. com

AYnerican Native Plant!
www.americannativeplantsonline.com

lants

through the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.
The plant is a member of the cashew/sumac
(ANACARDIACEAE) family, known for the pro-
duction of urushiol oil found in poison ivy
and poison sumac. But this group is also well
known for its highly valued food crops like
mangos and cashews. The smoketree is not
considered poisonous, and early herbals make
reference to its medicinal attributes.

During the Civil War, smoketree’s
orange/yellow resinous sap was prized for pro-
ducing a dye used to color Confederate
uniforms. The bark also produced high-
quality tannins for the leather tanning process.
In addition, the wood was used as fencing
posts that proved to be insect and disease
resistant. This avid use of the smoke tree
almost pushed it to extinction, something
reflected in its dramatically smaller post-war
population.

In its native regions, the tree is usually
found growing at an altitude of 700 to 2,000
feet on steep rocky hillsides in soils mainly
composed of a limestone base. Drought, heat,
and cold tolerant (Zones 4 to 8), the smoke-
tree would prefer poor and urban soils of
varying pH over a deep, nutrient-rich soil.
Surprisingly, rich soils actually weaken the
wood of the specimen. Again, the varied
environmental conditions that the tree
can endure make it a highly desirable
city dweller.

Although the straight species is hard
to find in the trade, Michael Colibraro
from Colibraro Nurseries in Horsham,
Pennsylvania, says there are several fine
cultivars available on the market.
The highly desirable Cotinus X
‘Grace’ is a cross between Cotinus
obovatus and a cultivar of Cotinus
ooggygria. Cotinus obovatus ‘Red Leaf’
was selected for its red fall foliage.

Temple University Arboretum has a
lovely specimen tucked into a small

planting bed between two buildings off a slate
patio. The area is hot and dry during the
summer, which never seems to affect the
smoketree’s robust growth. In fact, the large
ovate, cool green leaves (approximately 2 to
12 inches long) look almost tropical. The leaf
petioles are a rose pink hue and they hold the
leaf blades 2 to 2 1/2 inches away from the
branch of the tree.

For cultivation, plant the American
smoketree in light wooded areas, along the
woodland edge, or in full sun. The tree is
great for use in containers and once
established can grow in shallow soils, in small
planting areas, and under power lines.
Although the American smoketree has been
known to grow as high as 80 feet, its average
height ranges from 20 to 30 feet and it
exhibits a slightly narrower to similar width
with a rounded crown. In higher pHs the tree
will have a shorter, shrub-like stature, while
in lower pHs it will grow taller.

With excellent fall color, overall toughness,
and a bark that acquires better texture with
age, the American smoketree is a clear winner
for the landscape.

Eva Monheim is a
horticultural lecturer at
Temple University and
a certified arborist.
She is a member
of PHS’s Education
Committee and has
worked for its Tree
Tenders project, as
well as for Tree-Vitalize, a program of the
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation
and Natural Resources.

GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

FINDING A THRILL ON Daffodil Hill

The Garden of Paula and Mark Solomon

GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

Nothing makes a gardener grow like accepting reality. For Paula
and Mark Solomon, that meant casting an eye up their steeply
sloped Gladwyne, PA, property and seeing not a boulder-strewn
hillside, but thousands of spring-blooming daffodils. In their imaginations,
this show would be followed by daylilies and rudbeckia in the summer and a
grand show of chrysanthemums in fall. After several years of planning and
hard work, their efforts have paid off, so much so that their two young
daughters, delighted with the broad swaths of springtime yellow, nicknamed
the area “Daffodil Hill.”

“It’s about finding what works and what doesn’t,” Paula says of their
2 1 /2-acre property, which has the added challenge of poor drainage in some areas and, of course, that four-foot-
ed bane of Delaware Valley gardeners, deer. “I had to learn to garden around the deer,” she adds. “The
inter-planted daffodils and daylilies are more than a design choice. The daffodils hide the tender daylily foliage
from browsing deer and, later in the season, the daylilies and rudbeckia obscure the ripening daffodil foliage. It

This page:

A parade of
daffodils, tulips,
and mums
color the
seasons.

GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

"I try to
use a lot of
native
materials
for the
showier
‘bones
[of the
property].”

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definitely required a shift in thinking.”

Paula, who has a degree in landscape architecture from Temple University’s
Ambler College, collaborated with Mark to plan the “lots of little spaces"
around the home. The house — which consists of an 1810 Chester County
band barn and a pre-revolutionary War stone barn found on the property —
sits comfortably into the hillside and overlooks Dove Lake.

“In general, I try to use a lot of native materials for the showier ‘bones’,”
says Paula, referring to flowering shrubs and trees. “I really like the dogwoods
( Cornus florida)-, their shape is fabulous.”

At the top of the hill, the serene woodland garden with a running stream is
a cool retreat for the family. “The kids love the water,” Paula says. “It’s a won-
derful place for them.” Low-growing hellebores, pachysandra, painted ferns, velvety moss, and — of course —
Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum commutatum) look fresh and green through the summer, while tulips, primrose, and
phlox add splashes of color.

Paula has created a woodland path leading to Daffodil Hill, where flowering native shrubs like oakleaf
hydrangea, fothergilla, and clethra hold up well in the summer. However, some natives hold up too well. “The
buckeye ( Aesculus parvifolia) tends to take over on this slope,” notes Paula.

Chrysanthemums

highlight the fall

show, punctuated

by interesting

plants like the

ornamental pepper,

‘Black Pearl’ left)

GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society

The Passion of George
Sarton: A Modem
Marriage and Its
Discipline

Lewis Pyenson

Vol. 260 - $90.00 ISBN: 978-0-87169-260-3

Lcwte Pyensor

THe Passion of
GTORGr .SARTON

Renaissance Vision from
Spectacles to Telescopes

Vincent llardi

The monograph deals with the
history of eyeglasses from their
invention in Italy ca. 1286 to the
appearance of the telescope
three centuries later. Eyeglasses served an important
technological function at both the intellectual and
practical level. A subthesis of the book is that
Florence, rather than Venice, seems to have
dominated the commercial market for eyeglasses
during the fifteenth century, when the ability to grind
convex lenses for various levels of presbyopia and
the ability to grind concave lenses for the correction
of myopia occurred.

WINNER OFTHE JOHN FREDERICK LEWIS AWARD
FOR 2006

Vol. 259 - $85.00 ISBN: 978-0-87169-259-7

The Temple of Night at
Sehonau: Architecture,
Music, and Theater in a
Late Eighteenth-Century
Viennese Garden

John A. Rice

Vol. 258 - $70 ISBN: 978-0-87169-258-0

The Library of
Benjamin Franklin

Edwin Wolf 2nd and Kevin
J. Hayes

Vol. 257 - $100.00 ISBN: 978-0-87169-257-3

THE llftRARY
■HKNJrt.MtN fRANKUN

Transactions of the
American Philosophical
Society

The Making of a
Romantic Icon: The

Religious Context of
Friedrich Overbeck’s
Italia and Germania

Lionel Gossman

WINNER OFTHE JOHN FREDER-
ICK LEWIS AWARD FOR 2007

Friedrich Overbeck's Italia and Germania (1811-1828) is
a well-known image in its native Germany, where it is
seen as an allegory of the perennial longing of
German artists and poets for the beauty and
harmony of the land "where the lemon tree blooms."
The contextualization of Italia and Germania in this
essay reveals a painting that is an emblem not only of
the sisterhood of North and South, the early German
and early Italian traditions in art, but of the general
Romantic longing for reconciliation, reunion, and the
overcoming of historical alienation.

Vol. 97, Pt. 5 - $29 ISBN: 978-0-87169-975-6

Beyond Combat: Essays
in Military History
in Honor of
Russell F. Weigley

Edward G. Longacre and
Theodore J. Zeman, editors

Vol. 97, Pt. 4 - $29 ISBN: 978-0-87169-974-9

Dashkova: A Life of
Influence and Exile
Alexander Woronzoff-
Dashkoff

Vol. 97, Pt. 3 - $29 ISBN: 978-0-87169-973-2

The Tintype in
America, 1856-1880

Janice G. Schimmelman

The book offers a history of the
tintype from its invention in Pans to
the end of the wet-plate era.
Americans embraced the tintype.
They were comfortable with its
artlessness and liked the come-as-you-are independ-
ence of the thing. The stories were real, untouched by
the manipulations of artist or photographer, and
unencumbered by Romantic notions of moral and
civic virtue.

Vol. 97, Pt. 2 - $29 ISBN: 978-0-87169-972-5

Classical Romantic:

Classical Romantic

Identity in the Latin Poetry
of Vincent Bourne

Estelle Haan

Vincent Bourne (1694-1747) was
one of the most popular Latin
poets of his day. His Latin verse
appealed to early eighteenth-
century and Romantic sensibilities. The present study
examines a broad range of that Latin verse in its
classical, neo-Latin, and vernacular contexts with
particular attention to the theme of identity (and
differing forms of identity). Appended to the study are
the texts (with Haan's translations) of the Latin poetry
discussed.

Vol. 97, Pt. 1 - $27 ISBN: 978-0-87169-971-8

BOOK ORDERS: Please contact our fulfillment service —

Diane Publishing Co., PO. Box 617 Darby, PA 19023 (phone 800-782-3833; fax 610-461-6130).

Online orders may be sent to orders@dianepublishing.net

See our website for recent catalogs and backlist: www.aps-pub.com

American Philosophical Society

104 South Fifth Street • Philadelphia. PA 19106-3387
(Tel) 215-440-3425 • (Fax) 215-440-3450

Its all
about

coming to
| terms
j with the

difficulties

and

I pleasures
of the
landscape.”

Swales in another area of the property created a drainage issue. Paula at first
tried planting cardinal flowers ( Lobelia cardinalis ) and iris — two perennials
touted for their love of wet feet — without much luck. Fortunately, she found
that American hyacinth ( Camassia scilloides) flourished there where the others
flopped. "They’re amazing,” she says of the bulbs. “They put on a show in the
late spring/early summer with great wispy purple-blue flowers that blend so
well with the green. It’s just a huge swath of color, and they soak up the excess
water.”

In addition to pots and window boxes of ranunculus and other colorful
selections, the Solomons created edible container gardens near the carriage
house. "For the children the past couple of years, we’ve planted tomatoes and
cucumbers. The herbs over-winter there, too," Paula says. Deer, however, are not invited to the dinner table:
Paula learned to rely on pots of ivy geraniums instead of impatiens, which the deer routinely treated as their
personal salad bar. The Solomons also use an electronic deer deterrent from DeerTech (www.deertechusa.com).
These chest-high, saucer-shaped devices “emit sounds that keep the deer away,” Paula says. “It has really done
the trick.”

Paula says future plans include reforesting the woodland with native flowering trees: “We’ve already taken out
a lot of invasive trees. Also on the list is digging out the boulders and building stone walls. Until then,
spreading cotoneasters will continue to soften the massive rocks.”

She adds, “It’s all about coming to terms with the difficulties and pleasures of the landscape." ^

GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

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Anyone who grows houseplants
knows that some plants seem
to thrive with minimal care,
while others require almost constant atten-
tion. For fabulous houseplants, sometimes
the trick is finding the right match
between the plants and those who tend
them.

Some people like nothing better than
puttering with their orchids or begonias
each morning, while others prefer low-
maintenance alternatives like cacti and
succulents. For those who don't mind
watering frequently and who have low
light conditions, such as north- or east-fac-
ing windows, ferns may be the answer.

The most crucial factor in growing ferns
successfully is humidity. In their native
habitats, ferns often thrive in 70 percent
humidity. By contrast, a typical home
environment in winter has about 5 to 10
percent humidity. Despite this challenge,
those who want to grow ferns have several
options.

The first is to choose ferns that tolerate
drier conditions. Those with leather-like or
strap-like foliage are easier to grow in low
humidity than those with flowing, fine, or
ruffled foliage. Some examples are rabbit’s
foot fern ( Davalha fejeensis), Cretan brake
fern (Pteris cretica ), and holly fern
( Cyrtomium falcatum). They prefer evenly
moist soil that dries out slightly between
watering. A north-facing window and tem-
peratures of 60 to 70 degrees in the day-
time and 10 degrees cooler at night are
optimal for these ferns. An all-purpose fer-
tilizer at half strength once a month, from
April to September, helps stimulate and

maintain new growth.

If you prefer more challenging types,
there are several ways to provide extra
humidity. One of the easiest is to double-
pot the plant. Use a clay pot initially and
then place that pot into a plastic or ceram-
ic pot lined with moist sphagnum moss.
Be sure the moss covers the soil surface as
well as the inside pot. This will retain soil
moisture and provide a humid microcli-
mate for your fern.

Another option is to line a large tray or
saucer with pebbles, fill it just to the top of
the pebbles with water, and rest the pots
on top of the pebbles. This method has
two advantages: it allows excess water to
drain out of the pot onto the tray without
having the pot stand in water, and evapo-
ration from water in the tray creates much-
loved humidity for the ferns.

Other approaches include misting the
foliage several times a week; growing the
ferns in a bathroom or kitchen where there
is frequent water usage; or giving the entire
plant a deep watering and shower in the
bathtub — allowing it to dry before return-
ing it to its usual location. (This last

Rabbit's foot fern
(Davillia fejeensis)

Photos by Rob Cardillo

Indoor Ferns

A tremendous variety of ferns await those who are
willing to provide the right environment.

method is recommended by Lynn Cook, a
successful fern exhibitor at the Philadelphia
Flower Show.)

A more costly approach is to use a humid-
ifier during the winter months. By placing it
near the ferns you can increase the average
humidity to 30 to 50 percent. You can also
place ferns in a terrarium, though that limits
the size of the ferns you can grow.

As with all plants, ferns grown in optimal
conditions are less likely to suffer from insects
or disease. If you find a problem, check the
cultural conditions for your particular fern
and try to provide them. If you decide to use
a pesticide, read the label carefully to be sure
it is safe for ferns. Many ferns are very
sensitive to pesticides.

A tremendous variety of ferns await those
who are willing to provide the right environ-
ment. With their graceful, flowing appear-
ance, ferns can soften architectural features,
complement your furniture or design ele-
ments, and create a striking focal point in any
room of your home.

Many pictures and information on our website
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Palm Tree or Tree Fern?

The majestic tree ferns in the Conservatory at Longwood Gardens
might pass as palm trees, since their tall, sprawling forms are
similar. But once you take a good look, the Australian tree fern
(Cyathea cooperi ) is actually quite different. Its fronds have long,
bi-pinnately compound, lacy leaves that give them a fine texture,
while the wooly trunk sports oval-shaped notches from previous
fronds.

Longwood gardener Karl Gercens explains the culture and growth
habit of this tree fern: "Given the ideal conditions of moist, acidic
soil, trunk misting, and high humidity, the tree ferns at Longwood
thrive. We water the pots up to three times a day and often flood the
sunken marble floor with water. Ultimately, these ferns can grow to
30 feet high, but we replace them when they reach the glass ceiling
of the conservatory."

Hardy to USDA Zone 10b through 11, tree ferns are sometimes used
as container plants outdoors in cooler climates or during the
summer in other climates. In this case, they need to over-winter
indoors. Like most ferns, tree ferns prefer moist, acid soil; high
humidity; and shade.

You can see these tree ferns at Longwood Gardens in
Kennett Square, PA (www.longwoodgardens.org).

GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

Cupcake

Growing ferns from scratch is easier than you might think. You
can propagate ferns either by collecting spores from your own
plants or — with permission — from other people’s greenhouses and
garden ferns. Here’s a kitchen-tested recipe that comes from frond

FERNS

lovers Shelly Dillard and Diane Smith, who manage the Victorian
fernery at the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania. It’s
simple, nearly foolproof, and uses everyday materials you may already
have in your home, such as cupcake liners.

Step 1. Select a frond from one of your favorite plants
and check the backside for ripe brown spores. If ripe,
the spores will rub off easily onto your fingers. Snip the
frond, place it inside a folded sheet of paper, and put it
in a dry spot for a week or two.

9—m

Step 2. (Optional). If you're starting more than one
kind of fern, you may want to label the paper with the
name of the fern and the date you started drying.

Step 3. Soak several standard peat
pellets in warm water. When fully
expanded, tear and pull away some
of the netting from the top opening
to maximize your planting area.
Place each pellet in an individual foil
cupcake liner. Then, open the paper,
remove the frond and tap a little of
the black, brown, or yellowish
powdery spores onto the pellets. Be
careful if you're starting more than
one kind of fern. The microscopic
spores tend to drift like dust; they
can stick on hands and clothing and
may fall onto other pellets.

GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

First a quick note about fern biology. Rather than seeds, these
primitive plants propagate through dust-like spores that are typically
produced by the little brown dots (known as sporangia ) found on the
undersides of fern fronds. When ready, the spores fall to the earth and
grow into small moss-like creatures (known as prothallia) with teeny
heart-shaped leaves. When the prothallia mature, they develop both
male and female sex organs on the same plant. With enough moisture
in the environment, sperm will swim to and fertilize the eggs, and new
baby ferns are born.

Story & photography
by Rob Cardillo

Step 4. Place the fern cupcakes in a plastic tray
and carefully add a few teaspoons of water to the
cupcake liners to ensure that the expanded pellets
stay moist.

Step 6. Depending on the type of fern, you'll have to
patiently wait two to six weeks to see the prothallia
develop. Thin them carefully with a small scissors and
allow only two or three of the largest ones to remain. Add
a little water as necessary to keep the environment moist.

Step 5. Cover each cupcake liner with an 8-ounce clear
plastic tumbler to create a miniature high-humidity terrarium.
Keep the whole tray in a warm spot with indirect light.

Step 7. Wait another six to eight weeks until you
see tiny true fronds appear, then transplant the
baby ferns into a larger flat filled with good quality
potting mix and give them more light. You can
separate and repot them later when they begin to
crowd each other. »a?

GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

Henry Augustus Dreer
started his seed and
flower business at the
Woodlands estate on
the banks of the
Schuylkill in the 1830s,
now the Woodlands
Cemetery. Dreer was
later buried there.

Story by

TRADE MARK

As you pore over next year’s enticing seed catalogs
and websites, marveling at the variety, remember
to thank some enterprising Philadelphians —
including early officers of the Pennsylvania
Horticultural Society — who helped start it all.

How Great Grandma
Got Her Seeds

Philadelphia's Role in America's Seed History

While many of us know that the Philadelphia area
is a hotbed of horticulture, the importance of our
region’s role in the development of the American seed
industry cannot be overstated.

GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

Seed History

The PHS McLean
Library houses over
4,000 historic seed and
nursery catalogs from
the late 19th century
through the mid 1950s.
Many of the Delaware
Valley companies
represented in the
collection— like Burpee
and Landreth — sold all
kinds of plants and
seeds for the garden.
Others, like LaBars’
Rhododendron
Nursery and Dahliadel
Nurseries (sellers of
"Dahlias of quality and
distinction"), were
specialty firms.

Open to researchers,
historians, students
and writers, the
collection offers a
snapshot of what
plants were in fashion
during the past two
centuries. For more
information, or to
make a research
appointment, please
call 215-988-8782 or
email mcleanlibrary@
pennhort.org.

—Janet Evans

24 GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

The first European settlers to the colonies
brought seeds from their homelands,
imported others, raised what they found here,
and shared many of them with their
neighbors. Seeds were eventually sold in
general stores and by nurserymen, but few
specialized in seeds exclusively before the
1700s. As for variety, field crops and
medicinal plants were the focus for these
practical pioneers; gardening for fun was a
luxury few could afford.

In New York, the Shakers were selling seeds
as early as 1780, inventively enclosing them
in paper packets, a practice that soon became
universal. But the first important business in
America dealing exclusively in seeds was that
of Philadelphian David Landreth, founded
in 1784. Landreth (1752-1836) left Great
Britain to launch his company in Montreal,
but decided Canada was too cold for the
nursery business and moved here.

Among other achievements, Landreth
introduced the zinnia from Mexico and the
first white potato in the United States.
Landreth and son David Jr. were also
among the founders of the Pennsylvania
Horticultural Society and each was vice
president for seven years. By the time of the
Civil War, Landreth’s company was shipping
as far away as India and Australia and
garnering high praise for its American-grown
seeds. The firm stayed in the family until
1942 and, as recently as 2003, the Landreth
Seed Company name was bought and resur-
rected as a mail-order company and marketed
as the “Oldest Seed House in America.”

Other prominent early Philadelphia seeds-
men were plentiful. According to Peter J.
Hatch, director of Monticello Gardens and
Grounds, Bernard McMahon (1775-
1816) was often described as Thomas
Jefferson’s gardening mentor, and McMahon’s
1806 book. The American Gardener’s
Calendar , was the first “how-to” book for the

US gardener. McMahon had a seed store at
129 Chestnut Street and a greenhouse in
Germantown. Hatch also credits John Jay
Smith, editor of The Horticulturist, with a
rich description in 1857 recalling McMahon’s
Philadelphia seedhouse:

“Many must still be alive who recollect
the store’s window, ornamented with
tulip-glasses, a large pumpkin, and a
basket or two of bulbous roots. Behind
the counter officiated Mrs. M’Mahon,
with a considerable Irish accent, but a
most amiable and excellent disposition.
Mr. M’Mahon was also in the store
often, putting up seeds for transmission
to all parts of this country and Europe.

“Such a store would naturally attract
the botanist as well as the gardener, and
it was the frequent lounge of both class-
es, who ever found in the proprietors
ready listeners. Here you would see
Nuttall, Baldwin, Darlington, and other
scientific men who sought information
or were ready to impart it.”

McMahon was later honored by botanist
Thomas Nuttall, who in 1818 bestowed the
genus name Mahonia on a group of West-
coast evergreen shrubs, which were so
popular when introduced that they sold for
the princely sum of $20 each.

In the 1830s, Henry Augustus Dreer
began operating his seed and florist business
on the banks of the Schuylkill at “The

Woodlands,” the 600-
acre estate of William
Hamilton. He later ran
six small greenhouses at
35th Street until 1873
when, upon his death,
his son William F. Dreer
took over and moved the business
to Riverton, New Jersey, where the company
grew to encompass 295 acres, had 14 green-
houses, and employed 250 people. It
specialized in bedding plants, palms, ferns,
and hybrid water lilies. Both Henry and
WILLIAM TRICKER, his lead aquatics grower,
served as PHS treasurers.

Scottish emigre ROBERT BuiST came to
work for Landreth and later worked for
Henry Pratt, owner of Lemon Hill, one of the
finest American gardens at the time (now part
ofFairmount Park). In 1830, he and Thomas
Hibbert bought McMahon’s nursery and
opened the first noteworthy florist business in
Philadelphia, importing rare plants and
flowers. Later, Buist began one of the most
successful seed businesses in the country and
is credited with introducing the poinsettia to
the United States. Known for his roses and
verbena, he wrote several books and was PHS
treasurer from 1858-62 and vice-president
for 22 years.

Another PHS stalwart, THOMAS MEEHAN
(1826-1901), was a British-born nurseryman,
botanist, and author who briefly worked as a
gardener at Kew. Mostly self-taught, he wrote
his first horticultural paper when he was 12
and, three years later, produced his first
hybrid fuchsia. He moved to Philadelphia in
1848 at the age of 22, and less than two years
later was a member of PHS and served as
corresponding secretary. Hired by Robert
Buist Sr. in Philadelphia, he became
superintendent of Bartram’s Garden and later
gardener to Caleb Cope.

Meehan opened his own nursery in

GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

Seed History

• TOP LEFT: W. Atlee
Burpee had a passion
for improving seeds.
He created the first
hybrid vegetables
and, by 1890, his
was the largest seed
company in the
world.

• TOP RIGHT: Charles
Dingee and Alfred
Fellenberg Conard

opened a nursery in
West Grove,
Pennsylvania, in
1862. This evolved
into the Conard-Pyle
Company, a nursery
and seed business
specializing in roses
and cannas. Still
operating in West
Grove 150 years
later, Conard-Pyle,
known for its trade-
marked Star Roses,
introduced the
famous Peace rose
in 1942, a plant from
which many of
today's hybrid tea
roses are descended.

• BOTTOM LEFT:
William Henry Maule

(1828-1902) expand-
ed his father's lum-
ber company into a
seed business in
1877, catering to
market gardeners
and farmers who
supplied local con-
sumers with fresh
vegetables. With the
help of his son, the
company grew into a
prominent mail-
order business oper-
ating well into the
1940s.

• BOTTOM RIGHT:
Meehan's

Germantown
nurseries featured
750 kinds of plants,
almost all of which
were exhibited at the
Centennial of 1876,
held in Fairmount
Park.

CATALOGUE

HARDY TREES & PLANTS

Thomas Meehan & Sons

OFFICE, 6000 Germantown Avenue, at Harvey Sc.

GERMANTOWN. PHILADELPHIA. PA.

Display Gardens, Vernon Road and Boyer Street

GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

SEED RESOURCES

Germantown in 1853. Two of his featured
plants, the pink dogwood ( Cornus florida var.
rubra), which he found growing on the banks
of the Wissahickon Creek in 1888, and full-
moon Japanese maple ( Acer japonicum var.
aconitifolium ) became the “hot” plants of
their day.

Henry F. Michell started a retail seed
business in an attic on Market Street in 1890,
joined by his brother Frederick in 1892. By
1900 the business had a five-story facility and
a four-story warehouse. In the 1920s, the
brothers expanded into the wholesale market.
In the 1950s, Frederick's grandsons, Henry F.
Michell, III and Frank Michell, Jr., relocated
the headquarters to King of Prussia, PA,
where it is still thriving today. The company
now offers greenhouse supplies, structures,
and equipment and has about 70
representatives working around the country.
The company is now owned by Henry F.
Michell, III and Henry F. Michell, IV,
making it one of the few seed companies still
in the same family for over a century.

Herbert W. Johnson operated the
Johnson Seed Co., in Moorestown, New
Jersey, in 1878. Three years later, Walter P.
STOKES became a partner in the Johnson &
Stokes Company, supplying vegetable seeds
to commercial growers in New Jersey and
eastern Pennsylvania. When they parted ways
in 1906, Stokes launched Stokes Seed Farms.
In 1916, the reins were handed over to
Walter’s son, FRANCIS. A horticulturist with a
national reputation as a dynamic young
seedsman, Francis helped develop the famous
New Jersey tomatoes in the early 1900s. He
was responsible for many industry firsts,
including offering seeds in a tin can,
protecting seeds with fungicide, and
importing and cataloging broccoli from Italy.
Washington Atlee Burpee sold

mail-order chickens (yes — chickens!) from
Philadelphia in 1876, then branched out to
other livestock and corn seed. When
customers requested European-quality
vegetable seeds, he founded W. Atlee Burpee
& Company and bought much of his seed
from Germany and other European nations.
In 1888, Fordhook Farms in Doylestown,
PA, became the family home, a farm to
evaluate flower and veggie varieties, and a
seed production operation. Burpee had a
passion for improvement and innovation. He
created the first hybrid vegetables and, by
1890, his was the largest seed company in the
world.

When Mr. Burpee died in 1915, his 22-
year-old son David took over the business.
With Europe embroiled in World War I,
David and his brother opened several plant
breeding sites and sales offices in the United
States and Mexico. During the Second World
War, Burpee vigorously promoted home
gardening — the impetus for the “Victory
Gardens” campaign. The company established
test-garden sites and diversified its offerings to
satisfy the burgeoning gardening interest after
the war. In 1991, they merged with George J.
Ball, Inc., a flourishing commercial-horticul-
ture company founded in 1902.

Much of this story is told through the PHS
McLean Library's collection of more than
4,000 historic seed and nursery catalogs
from the Delaware Valley. (Several images
from the collection adorn this article.) As
Philadelphia was the center for science and
natural history in Americas early days, it’s
little wonder that the seed industry took
root here. Our early seedsmen served
the likes of Thomas Jefferson, histori-
cal horticultural icons, and humble
gardeners alike, and their presence can
still be felt today. ’A*'

Seed Savers Exchange

( seedsavers.org ) is a leader
in the "heirloom" seed
movement. Its 8,000
members grow and distribute
seeds of vegetables, fruits,
and grains. Since 1975,
members have distributed an
estimated one million
samples of seeds of endan-
gered plants, many on the
verge of extinction and not
available through catalogs.

American Horticultural
Society ( ahs.org ) and the
North American Rock
Garden Society ( nargs.org )
have large seed exchanges.
Locally, the Hardy Plant
Society/Mid-Atlantic Group
[hardyptant.org] has desirable
seeds of all kinds, many rare,
donated by novice gardeners
as well as horticultural top
guns.

The Green Arranger

by Jane Godshalk

EARTH-FRIENDLY ioai Design

Like other areas of horticulture, floral design is
making the leap into more environmentally friendly
products and processes. Cut-flower producers around
the world are reducing chemicals for growing and handling
flowers, using more environmentally friendly farming
practices, and implementing more humane conditions for
their workers.

A quick scan of the Internet will give you an idea of the
many sources available for eco-friendly flowers. Look to
California Organic Flowers, Diamond Organics, Organic
Bouquets, and for USDA Certified Organic blooms. Stores
such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are stocking flowers
grown by Local Harvest growers ( www.localharvest.org ), as
well as those certified by VeriFlora, a sustainability certifica-
tion program for fresh cut flowers. As in the trend toward
organic foods, we as consumers can make a difference in
encouraging this market. The first step is to ask; the second

step is to seek out and pur-
chase the products when
available.

Beyond flower purchases,
you can help the environment
by arranging flowers using
natural mechanics and recy-
cled materials, which create
less waste. Your floral designs
can reflect your respect for
nature and your wish to pre-
serve our natural world.

Now, on to our arrange-
ment.

In land conservation and
urban renewal, open space
provides a myriad of benefits.
Translating the concept of
“open space” to floral design
can help conserve resources. A
series of small, adjacent vases
containing just a few flowers
and greens makes a large area
look elegant with very few
flowers. This is easy to do,
and the space between vases
increases visual impact.

Tips for Purchasing
Organic Flowers

If you're looking for organic flow-
ers, ask your market or florist
shop if they sell them or can get
them. Ask if their flowers are
grown by the standards of the
labels below:

• VeriFlora: flower certified to be
grown under "the best" condi-
tions

• Fair Trade Certified: worldwide
certification group, includes
South America and Africa

• Rain Forest Alliance: promotes
"healthy farms" that preserve
the rainforest and treat workers
fairly

And, if you're interested in organic
floral food, check out the products
developed by Vita Products
(www.vitaproducts.com), a USDA
National Organic Program-compli-
ant company.

MATERIALS:

• Small glass vases of varying heights
and shapes. A smaller opening at the
top will make flower insertion easier.
These, of course, can be reused over
and over again.

• Some greens from your garden, at
least one stem for each vase.

• An assortment of flowers, 1 to 3
blooms for each vase.

• Optional accessories for the table,
such as raffia, ribbon, or recycled
colored wire left from the electrician.
Suit the accessories to your occasion
(e.g. pumpkins for Thanksgiving,
golf balls for Father’s Day). Votive
candles help expand the space and
light up an evening table.

ARRANGING:

• Fill your vases about 1/2 to 2/3 full
with water.

• Put greens in vases, then insert flow-
ers. Make sure that no foliage is
under water.

• Arrange your vases on your table
leaving space between them. If your
space is round, place vases in a circu-
lar pattern; if it is rectangular, make
a line down the table.

• Place your accessories, candles, raf-
fia, or ribbon to connect vases and
create your mood.

SUGGESTION:

It the arrangements are going on a
wooden table, it is a good idea to use a
neutral-colored coaster to protect your
table. Be careful not to leave fresh pro-
duce, such as the squash pictured here or
pumpkins, on wood too long because it
can discolor the finish.

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VIP early entrance and tour
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Shopper’s Delight discount card
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Flower Arranging Demonstrations

Goodie Bag PLUS extra
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Special Members’ Rate $85 per person

Tours are available March 2-6. Reservations deadline
is February 13, 2009. Send name and mailing address
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Reservations are limited.

theflowershow. com

GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

The Multi-Purpose Garden

by Nancy J. Ondra

HANDY FOR HARVEST

Top: Chard 'Bright Lights',
Coreopsis 'Limerock Ruby'

Above: Lettuce 'Australian
Yellow', Basil 'Red Rubin' and
Salvia 'Lady in Red'

Right: Kale 'Nero diToscana'
and Rhus 'Tiger Eyes'

GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

With today’s easy access to produce from all over
the globe, growing food at home hasn’t been a
high priority for many gardeners. But when
you consider the many advantages of home-grown edibles —
especially in these days of rising food and fuel prices — it
becomes an idea worth revisiting. My path to raising edibles
began once 1 noticed herbs with amazing-looking leaves in
shades of chartreuse or purple, or those with vibrant variega-
tion. Clearly, I could find room for plants that both looked
and smelled great. The fact that they were edible was a nice
bonus.

The sages ( Salvia spp.) alone offer enough colorful cultivars
to fill a garden, though my current favorite is ‘Golden
Delicious’ pineapple sage (5. elegans), with bright yellow
leaves, glowing red flowers, and a fruity scent and flavor. Spicy
basils ( Ocimum spp.) are fantastic as well, and you can create
all kinds of beautiful combinations with the deep purple
foliage of ‘Osmin’ or ‘Red Rubin’, or the variegated foliage of
‘Pesto Perpetuo’. Toss in a few of the chartreuse or variegated
thymes ( Thymus spp.), and you have a bed or container that
looks good, smells good, and tastes good.

Once I started looking at herbs with an eye toward their
ornamental as well as culinary value, it was a short step to

choosing veggies that look as great as they taste. A number of
years after its introduction, I still adore the potential color
delights in each packet of 'Bright Lights Swiss chard seed.
Even if you grow out just a dozen or so seedlings, the range of
reds, pinks, oranges, and yellows in their leaf stalks makes for
exciting color pairings — plus an abundant harvest of tasty
leaves.

Kales provide fantastic foliage accents. Two of my favorite
kales are frilly-leaved 'Redbor', which has purple-pink stalks
and green leaves that turn rich purple in cool weather, and
'Nero di Toscana’, with pebbly-textured, powder blue leaves.
And who could overlook the lovely lettuces, such as deep red
'Merlof and chartreuse Australian Yellow’? I confess that I
seldom actually harvest any of these, because they looks so
stunning in the garden, but just knowing that I could makes
me appreciate them all the more.

It took the longest time to get over my impression of fruits
as being too fussy to grow, especially without chemicals. Here
again, I eased into it by trying out some colored-leaf intro-

ductions, such as golden and purple-leaved elderberries
{Sambucus spp.). The birds got the fruits before I did, but the
experience gave me the confidence to try other bush fruits,
and I found that currants such as red 'Jhonheer van Tets’ and
pearly ‘Primus White’ make respectable background shrubs
even when not fruiting. Seed-grown strawberries, such as
‘Sarian’, have been a blessing too, with a single packet provid-
ing ground-cover quantities of good-looking plants that fruit-
ed in their very first year.

So, before you skip over the edibles on your next visit to the
garden center, why not stop and consider their eye-catching
qualities? Whether you mix them into your ornamental plant-
ings or combine them into one glorious culinary garden, I
think you'll savor them as much as I do.

Nancy J. Ondra gardens in Bucks County, PA, and blogs at
hayefieldhouse.com and gardeninggonewild.com.

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PLEASE NOTE: Green Scene docs not guarantee advertisement position,
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ads are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis until space is filled
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Please calculate your ad cost based on number and formatting of
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Make checks payable to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

Send all advertising correspondence to:

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The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society,

100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor,

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If you have any questions, please call 215-988-8871.

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Holiday Horticulture at

Meadowbrook Farm

( ( f \ nee upon a time, buying your poinsettias required
a very simple decision: they came in red white, and
pink," says Meadowbrook Farm head grower
Jessica Story. “Now you can find them in shades of maroon, cream, yel-
low, and fuchsia, among others. Some, like the Jingle series, are even
speckled with different colors. It’s a whole different ballgame now.’’

Jessica is well-versed in the poinsettia world. She and her colleagues
at Meadowbrook Farm sell around 1,000 of the holiday favorite each
season at their Abington Township, PA, gift shop. And, as horticulture
advances and trends change, Jessica is always among the first to know.

Another new feature of poinsettias is the various shapes of their
bracts (although they appear to be flower petals, the colorful portion of
a poinsettia is actually a specially modified leaf). For instance, the
Carousel variety has ruffled bracts whose up and down undulations
resemble the classic carnival ride.

For people whose taste tends toward the bold and daring, Jessica
recommends the glittery, blue-and-gold tinted poinsettias available in
the Meadowbrook gift shop. Although purists may balk, Jessica says the
alcohol-based paint used on these sparkling specimens dries quickly and
does not damage the plant. What’s more, she says, “Since red is a color
strongly associated with Christmas, these alternative colors appeal to
people who celebrate other holidays at this time of year.”

In terms of care, it may seem ironic that this December staple is
sensitive to cold, but Jessica says poinsettia ( Euphorbia pulcherrima ) is a
native of Mexico and genetically similar to cacti and succulents. “The
short time between purchasing a poinsettia and carrying it to the car

34 GREEN SCENE • november/december 2008

can be enough to send it into shock,” she
says. “That’s why we wrap them up snugly
before customers leave the gift shop.”

And while poinsettias don’t like the
cold, they don’t like it too warm either.
“Sixty degrees is just about perfect. A cool
windowsill works great, but be sure it isn’t
near a radiator,” says Jessica. “Also, most
poinsettias are wrapped in foil at the bot-
tom. This can act as a saucer and retain
water, so people should either remove the
wrapping or poke holes in the bottom. The
worst thing you can do to a poinsettia is
over-water it, but with proper care it can
last longer after the holidays.”

The cut boughs of evergreen trees are
another holiday staple and are often the
primary element of wreaths, hangings, and
centerpieces. Jessica says that much like a
salad, a great arrangement should include a
variety of mixed greens. In addition to
color and texture, scent is an important
factor to consider. “Incense cedar in partic-
ular has the rich, full fragrance that — along
with gingerbread — goes hand in hand with
the holidays.”

By Daniel Moise The cut greens for sale at Meadowbrook

Farm are first sprayed with an anti-
desiccant that creates a film to delay browning. As with the poinsettia,
cooler temperatures are preferable for greens, but unlike the poinsettia,
the boughs will not last long after the holidays. Jessica says, “The ideal
place for a big bushy wreath is on the front or back door where it will
get plenty of the crisp winter air. The worst place is near fireplaces and
candles; when these greens dry out they’re practically kindling."

Last but not least, the Christmas cactus is a tried-and-true darling for
many. These seasonal succulents come to life each winter because of the
shorter days and cooler temperatures. To get the best bloom (which is
often a brilliant magenta color), keep the cactus in a well-drained medi-
um and give it lots of sunlight. As for watering, Jessica offers this handy
bit of advice: “If you’re on the fence about whether or not to water a
Christmas cactus, leave it alone for a while longer. A day or two of dry-
ness won’t hurt it, but being too quick with the watering can will.”

With all these helpful hints, holiday horticulture just got a lot easier!

Save the Date!

Ring in the season with Meadowbrook Farm's Holiday
Open House on Saturday, December 6 from 10 am
to 5 pm. The festivities this year include self-guided
tours of the estate house (festively decorated for the
holidays), refreshments, and a kids' craft. PHS Members
receive a 10 percent discount on all plant purchases.

Visit www.gotomeadowbrook.org or call
215-887-5900 for information. Meadowbrook Farm is
located at 1633 Washington Lane in Abington
Township, PA.

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for those age 55+, with campuses in Medford and Lumberton, NJ

WWW.M EDFORDLEAS.ORG
800.331.4302 • 609-654-3000

Your life is an exciting
adventure story.
Let us help write the
next chapter.

@PMC

LEADING THE WAY

Success doesn’t come easy and
you’ve worked hard for what you have.
At PNC, we understand the wealth
you’ve earned isn’t an end in itself.

It’s simply a way to help you take on
your next challenge. That’s why our
highest priority is to thoroughly
understand your situation. And help
guide you on your journey ahead.

Call (888) 762-6226 or visit pnc.com.

Trust & Estate I Wealth & Retirement Planning I Investment Management I Private Banking Services

WEALTH
MANAGEMENT

The PNC financial Services Group, Inc. ('PNC') provides investment and wealth management, fiduciary services, FOIC-insured banking products and services and lending and borrowing of funds through its subsidianes.
PNC Bank. National Association and PNC Bank, Delaware, which are Members FDIC. PNC does not provide legal, tax or accounting advice. ©2007 The PNC Financial Services Group. Inc All rights reserved

Irrvestme "•* crur injured. No Bank Guarantee. May Lose Value.

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PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

827 00018586 7

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