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National Arboretum III - Early Spring

Unless you're into crowds and cherry trees, there's no better place to get a first look at spring than DC's US National Arboretum. And you have to be there just at the right time.  The Cornus mas (Cornelian Cherry), shown here, is one of the lovliest harbingers of warmer months to come, but the blooms are quite fleeting. It's not particularly ornamental in summer, but the small tree has a nice, rounded shape, and it's attractive, peeling bark is showy in winter. In July, it even has small, cherry-red drupes that some gardners prize for syrups and preserves.  Plant this 25 x 20 foot tree against a dark green hedge or a dark fence where the yellow flowers will stand out in spring.  As a garden focal point, it's one of the best.

I don't know why so many early flowering trees and shrubs have yellow flowers (Mahonia bealei, Jasminum nudiflorum, Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold Promise' & other cultivars), but another of my favorites is Corylopsis (Winterhazel), which is not used in gardens nearly often enough.  This one is Corylopsis 'Winterthur,' a cross between C. spicata and C. pauciflora, which was found in the gardens at Winterthur in Delaware, where it had hybridized naturally. It gets about six feet high and twice as wide, and the flowers are fragrant. Hardy to about zone 5. Again, it looks simply great against a dark background.

The Arboretum's magnolia collection is a wondrous sight in spring, and it is well worth studying.  Aside from all the Little Girl cultivars, there are huge specimens that you are unlikely to see in many other gardens. 'Galaxy' has lovely pink flowers and ascending branches, and there are huge specimens that resulted from scientists' attempts to cross the Southern Magnolia with the Sweetbay ... something you won't see anywhere else.  The magnolias are housed with the holly collection, so in summer there are great spires of green and in winter through early spring, bright splashes composed of thousands of red berries.

Click on images to enlarge

(images ©Jane Berger)

Happenings April 09

Selected Garden Events Across the Country:

Through April 12, "Brazilian Modern," Bronx, NY
Annual Orchid Show, NY Botanical Garden, 718-817-8700
Through April 19, African American Gardens, Washington DC
Photo Exhibit, "Places for the Spirit," US Botanic Garden 202-225-8333
Through April 27, Orchids through Darwin's Eyes, Washington DC
15th Annual Orchid Exhibit, National Museum of Natural History 202-225-8333

April 1 Rock Gardening Basics, Abingdon Twp, PA
10AM-noon, Workshop, Meadowbrook Farm, PA Hort Socy,215-988-8800
April 3-5, Azalea Garden Tour, Wilmington, NC
10AM-6PM, 56th annual tour, 12 gardens & more, 910-200-3134
April 3-5 Garden Show, Franklin, TN
6th Annual Bloom'n Garden Expo, Ag Expo Center, 615-973-2112
April 3-4 Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours
Doylestown, PA; Vero Beach, FL
April 4, Growing Food in Shade, Brooklyn, NY
2PM-4:30PM, Workshop, Brooklyn Botanic Garden,718-623-7200

April 7, "Sustaining Beauty," Philadelphia, PA
6PM, Penn Design, Upper Gallery, Lecture by Elizabeth Meyer, Assoc Prof. of Landscape Architecture, U-VA.
April 8, "Edible Landscaping," Los Altos, CA
7PM, Lecture, author Rosalind Creasy, Christ Episcopal Church, Sponsor Western Hort Society, 650 948-4614
April 8, Veggies 101, Abingdon Twp, PA
10AM-noon, Workshop, Meadowbrook Farm, PA Hort Socy, 215-988-8800
April 10, "Moving Toward Native," Washington DC
12noon-1PM, US Botanic Garden, Lecture by landscape architect Sandra Clinton 202-225-1116
April 11, Northern Gardening Symposium, Randolph Center, VT
9AM-2PM, VT Technical College, "Design Inspirations" with designers Richard Enser, Elizabeth Farnsworth and Gordon Hayward Sponsor NE Wildflower Socy, 508-877-7630
April 11, "Designing Great Gardens," La Cañada Flintridge, CA
3PM-5PM, Descanso Gardens, Lecture by landscape architect Heather Lenkin 818-949-4200

Books: Soils & Sustainable Gardens

With all the interest these days in sustainability and in vegetable gardens, the latest All-Region Guide from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is coming along at just the right time.

Healthy Soils for Sustainable Gardens (Brooklyn Botanic Garden 2009) is the latest in this masterful series of handbooks on all kinds of gardening subjects.

Soil seems to be one of those great mysteries to many gardeners, and it's particularly difficult for novices. This book unravels the riddles about making and using compost; mulching and fertilizing; understanding soil pH; and determining whether your soil is acidic or alkaline, clayey, sandy, or just right.

The best thing of all is that this book is written in an easy, understandable style so that gardeners will get the point about using their common sense in the garden.  In the chapter on mulch, Janet Marinelli explains that "When it comes to mulching ... I try to think like a forest."  In other words, folks, think about the natural layers of leaves and other organic matter that litter the forest floor  ... that is mulch at its most natural and best.

In the chapter on soil ecology, Niall Dunne notes that all gardeners should have their soil tested, and once the results are in, they can either amend it as necessary or simply grow plants that will thrive in those conditions -- and there are always some of those.

Best of all, the book concentrates on organic solutions to promote and maintain healthy soils. There are great lists in the book of plants for specific kinds of soils -- as well as solutions for gardening on slopes and in raised beds.  The book includes tips for specific plants, including shrubs and perennials, vegetables, annuals, roses and lawns. 
It's a must-have reference for anyone who wants garden without chemicals, and that should include all of us who love gardens.

(click on text link to purchase book)

Roses: Beyond Knockout

A grand rose experiment started a couple of years ago at the US Botanic Garden ... and although it's still going on, some of the positive results are now in.  The rule at this garden is no chemicals ... and if the rose doesn't perform well, it's simply tossed.  The norm in Washington DC summers is hot and humid .. and more hot and humid -- probably the very worst climate for roses.

When 'Knockout' roses came along, they were definitely an answer because they survive the climate, bloom from spring until frost, and are not disfigured by black spot.  The problem with 'Knockout' is that it's almost all you see in a lot of mid Atlantic gardens these days, and with no fragrance to mention, it, well, just doesn't stand up in the beauty department.

I went to a heartening lecture a couple of weeks ago by USBG Executive Director Holly Shimizu, and the news is that there are dozens of roses that are doing perfectly well in the summer weather.  One of them is 'Pretty Lady,' shown above.  Also doing well are a lot of the David Austin Roses, including 'Graham Thomas' and 'Heritage.' 

According to Shimizu, several miniatures are doing just fine, and one of the most floriferous is 'Gourmet Popcorn," at left. Some of the other staff favorites include the rugosa 'Purple Pavement' and the polyantha 'Marie Pavie.'

Unfortunately, the official flower of the District of Columbia -- 'American Beauty' -- has been removed from the garden because it simply didn't stand up. (And you can read the history of 'American Beauty' in the New York Times, here.) The floribunda 'Gold Magic' suffered total defoliation, although it kept its flowers, and the much-touted 'Just Joey' was also removed because of disease problems.

The next time you're in DC, it's well worth a visit to the Rose Garden (located in the National Garden adjacent to the USBG conservatory). You'll be able to write down the names of the roses that are doing well ... and if they are doing well in DC, they'll surely do fine anywhere in the country.  And FYI, USBG does use all-organic products on their roses, which they get from the Organica Company  in Norristown, PA:  PGA Plus, Agroroots, Plant booster, and K+ Neem Insecticide, which is made from potassium salts and fatty acids from cold, pressed Neem Oil.

(images: top two © Gene Sasse courtesy Weeks Roses; bottom: © Jane Berger)

click on images to enlarge 

Art for White House Veg Garden

You've already heard about plans for a White House veg garden, I'm sure ... (NY Times article here) ... and to complement the garden, someone surely should donate one of these striking red pepper pots designed by noted garden author and photographer Ken Druse.

As Druse himself puts it, "a perfect pot is always a perfect fit." And there couldn't be anything more perfect for the White House garden than this glazed red terracotta container (or sculpture) from Seibert and Rice.  It's 24 inches tall and 18.5 inches wide, with a bright green stem and a removable lid.  So if you like, it can be planted -- or as Druse says, it can also be used to stash garden tools.

Since simply EVERYONE has to have a veg garden these days, it would also make a great addition to your own home plot.

Seibert and Rice terracotta is made in Italy and is said to be frost-proof to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit, so there certainly wouldn't be a problem in Washington DC.  So ... someone step up and make this idea a reality.

(photo: Seibert and Rice)

Forget Twitter - Try Pecha Kucha

The next NY Pecha Kucha night is on Monday, March 23 -- and among the participants is Dickson Despommier of the Vertical Farm Project, pictured here.

What is Pecha Kucha?  The phrase means "the sound of conversation," and in this case a dozen or so creative professionals will present 20 slides for 20 seconds each on whatever topic they like.

The March 23 participants, aside from Despommier, include environmentalists, multimedia artist DJ Spooky, design blogger Tina Roth Eisenberg, and many others.

Check it out.  Doors open 6:30PM at Le Poisson Rouge, live music by the Sam Barsh Band, and speakers at 8:30. These are quarterly events that SHOULD be taking place all over the country, with lots more landscape architects and designers.

My original post on Vertical Farm is here.

(image: Vertical Farm Project)

Garden Globe Lights

I get a lot of mail in my inbox, especially at this time of year ... and these globe lights are a definite winner.  They can be mounted on the ground, on decks, on poles, floated on the water, hung from branches ...  just let your best design instincts take over.

"Moonlight" globe lights are illuminated at night by fluorescent bulbs, and in daytime, many of them look like stone.  Depending on your decor, stone finishes resemble dark and light granite, sandstone or terra cotta.

Otherwise, choose almost any color you like -- and custom colors are also available.  The globes are made in Germany, and they come in many sizes ... to fit either modern or more traditional landscapes.

They're made of a durable polyethylene, and are said to withstand winter temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero and summer heat up to 170 degrees F. They can also be cleaned with pressure washers, if necessary. 

For complete information, see the Moonlight website. 

 (photos "©Moonlight USA, Inc/Visuelle Medien.de")

More In the Magazines March-April 08

The American Gardener March-April

• Native Plants for Water Gardens
• Profile of Primrose Path native plant nursery and owners Charles & Martha Oliver by Transatlantic Plantsman Graham Thomas
• Perennial Vegetables (beyond asparagus)
• Interview with Rob Johnston, Jr. of Johnny's Selected Seeds
• note: join the American Horticultural Society to receive your monthly copy of American Gardener -- well worth it!

Horticulture April 2009

• Designing with Bulbs.
• Hostas
• Profile of plantsman and explorer Don Jacobs
• Growing vegetables in containers and other small spaces
• The spectacular garden of landscape architect Isabelle Greene
• 2008 Award for Garden Excellence: The Bloedel Reserve

Best Garden Books of 08

The American Horticultural Society has announced the winners of its annual garden book awards.

Hardy Succulents: Tough Plants for Every Climate by Gwen Kelaidis (Storey Publishing, 2008). See my review here.

The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table: Recipes, Portraits, and History of the World's Most Beautiful Fruit by Any Goldman (Bloomsbury USA, 2008)

Plant-Driven Design: Creating Gardens That Honor Plants, Place, and Spirit by Scott Ogden and Lauren Springer Ogden (Timber Press, 2008)

Native Ferns, Moss, and Grasses: From Emerald Carpet to Amber Wave, Serene and Sensuous Plants for the Garden by William Cullina (Houghton Mifflin, 2008).  See my review here. (And I can attest this is a fabulous book).

Special Merit Citations went to two others:
The Garden Primer: Second Edition by Barbara Damrosch (Workman Publishing, 2008). See my review here.

Herbaceous Perennial Plants: A Treatise on Their Identification, Culture, and Garden Attributes by Allan M. Armitage(Stipes Publishing, 2008).

Enjoy! (and maybe next year I'll do my own list!).

Tree House Design

A new study by the Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH, finds that about 2800 chidren a year are treated in emergency rooms because of injuries suffered in tree house accidents.  The most common injuries were fractures (37%), bruises (20%), and cuts to the upper body( 20%).

The study's author, Lara McKenzie, PhD, of the hospital's Center for Injury Research and Policy, noted -- not surprisingly -- that the most serious injuries resulted from falls at great heights. "The odds of a child requiring hospitalization tripled if the fall was from higher than 10 feet, and boys and older children were the most likely to sustain falls from these heights," she said. 

Dr. McKenzie said there are no national or regional safety standards for tree houses, and she is strongly urging adoption of such standards.  Recommendations include tree house height no greater than 10 feet from the ground; a nine-inch deep protective surface such as wood mulch extending a radius of 72 inches from the tree's trunk, and solid barrier walls on the tree house at least 38 inches high. Adult supervision is also recommended.

Most of us in the design field have encountered at least a request or two for a tree house, and it might be a good idea to keep the above recommendations in mind when designing tree houses for children.  If you're designing for adults (and yes, there are some huge tree houses around), the points might be moot.