GardenDesignOnline

Happenings March 2024

Selected Events around the Country:

Exhibitions:

Landscape Legacy of Dan Kiley,
thru April 30, Brooklyn, NY
The Exhibition Space at ABC Stone, TCLF

Orchid Shows:

thru March 17, Orchids Forever, Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Botanical Garden
thru March 17, Patterns in Bloom, Boylston, MA
New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill
thru March 24, Orchid Show of Wonders, Glencoe, IL
Chicago Botanic Garden
thru April 14, Orchid Daze, Atlanta, GA
"Reflections in Bloom," Atlanta Botanical Garden
thru April 21, Florals in Fashion, Bronx, NY
NY Botanical Garden
thru April 28, "The Future of Orchids," Washington DC
Kogod Courtyard, Smithsonian American Art Museum

Events:

March 1, Ithaca Native Landscape Symposium, Ithaca, NY (Also ONLINE)
8:30am-4:45pm, Cinemapolis Theater 
March 2-10, Philadelphia Flower Show, Philadelphia, PA
"United by Flowers," Philadelphia Convention Center
March 2, Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours: Palm Springs, CA

March 5, 38th Davidson Horticultural Symposium, Davidson, NC
9am-4:30pm, Davidson College, "Gardening for a Greener Future"
March 6, Lecture, "The Landscape of Home," West Palm Beach, FL
2-4pm, LA Edmund Hollander & others, Norton Museum of Art, Garden Conservancy
March 8-10, Santa Barbara International Orchid Show, Santa Barbara, CA
Earl Warren Showgrounds

March 14, "Tools for Designers in Changing Climates," Philadelphia, PA
6-8pm, Lecture, Prof. Jamie Vanucchi (Cornell, SUNY-ESF), Penn Design
March 16, Northwest Hort Society Spring Symposium, Kenmore, WA
9am-3:30pm, Bastyr University, "The Beauty of Sustainability in Public & Private Gardens"

March 19,  "Women in Horticulture," ONLINE
6-7:30pm Eastern, Lecture, author Jenny Rose Carey, Longwood Gardens & Mt. Cuba
March 20-April 14, National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington DC
March 23, 37th Lahr Native Plant Symposium, Washington DC
March 28, "Little Island," Lecture, Bronx, NY
11am-noon, LA Signe Nielsen of MNLA, NY Botanical Garden

LOOKAHEAD:

April 13-14, Frank Lloyd Wright Garden Symposium, Los Angeles, CA
10am-4pm, Wilshire Ebell Theater, Garden Conservancy
April 14: Garden Tours
April 20-27, Historic Garden Week in Virginia
Tours throughout the state
April 25-27, 77th Colonial Williamsburg Garden Symposium, Williamsburg, VA

May 21-25, Chelsea Flower Show, London, UK

Books: Flowers & More Flowers

There's always room for flowers in any garden, even if the one you have is tiny.  The answer is flowers in pots, and British author and gardener Arthur Parkinson will show you the way.

In his new book, The Flower Yard in Containers and Pots, (Rizzoli, 2024), he shows you that you can have a luscious garden on a small front porch, a doorstep, a roof or a balcony if you don't have enough room elsewhere. 

As he says in the introduction, the book isn't so much a guide for growing, but it "highlights the plants that I have found will grow well in pots, those that have attributes of clout and glamour, traits that -- especially in small gardens -- are really needed when space is at a premium. 

In the beginning chapters, Parkinson what containers can be used for planting; materials you'll need; what plants to avoid; and which ones will provide shelter, food, and all kinds of wildlife. 

The book then divides into seasons -- with a showcase of which plants to grow, plus the when and how. Yes, you can grow bulbs, roses, and figs in pots, as well as herbs, and climbers, all kinds of flowers, and in winter -- even crabapples. 

And in the back, there's a very useful list of mail-order suppliers of bulbs, plants, seeds, pots and much more. If you didn't think you had room for a garden, Parkinson will prove you wrong. 

 

If you're looking for an easy way to acquire flowers for all those lovely arrangements, look no further than The Cut Flower Handbook (Quarto Publishing Group, 2024) by Lisa Ziegler, author and owner of the Gardener's Workshop, a small farm where she grows amazing blooms. 

She explains how to locate a cutting garden, then how to plant, grow, and harvest the best flowers for ravishing designs. There are profiles of 50 of Lisa's favorite cut flowers, each with growing facts and tips, as well as beautiful photos of each. 

In the back of the book, you'll find a page with suggestions for irrigation supplies and tutorials; plugs and plants; seeds; and equipment for garden and cut-flower supplies. 

And for more info, visit TheGardenersWorkshop.com for videos, online classes, podcasts and more. 

Commissions earned on book sales. 

Philadelphia Flower Show 2024

Philadelphia Flower Show
March 2-10, Philadelphia Convention Center

click images to enlarge

It's going to be flowers, flowers, flowers at this year's show, with the theme, "United by Flowers."

You'll enter the show through a bloom-filled garden that features the largest body of water ever created for the entrance display, with spectacular floral sculptures emerging from a glass-like center.  The garden connects the water to the "sky" above, reminiscent of a tropical sunset.

PHS VP and Creative Director Seth Pearsoll explained the show's overall theme: "In a world where loneliness has become an epidemic, the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show brings people together to connect over their shared love of gardening and floral beauty.  It is a place where magic happens, and where people from all walks of life come together as one."

This year's landscape design exhibits include Apiary Studio, a firm that specializes in unusual materials and designs, the adaptive re-use of urban decay, and hardy plants to create gardens and outdoor spaces that are certainly dynamic and break from the usual mode. 

Among the other designers is Kelly D. Norris, one of the country's leading horticulturists.  He's an award-winning author and plantsman, and his latest book, "New Naturalism: Designing and Planting a Resilient, Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden", was named as one of the top 10 books of 2021 by the AHS. 

Other exhibits include the Kids' Cocoon, where young guests can plant seedlings, read stories, and participate in other activities, with hourly programming from 10 am - 7pm every day, with the exception of Sunday March 10th. 

There will also be many other events, including an after-hours dance party, tours led by professional horticulturists, early morning tours, guided photo tours, and Fido Friday, when you can bring along your dogs.

Don't miss this year's show ... it promises a spectacular experience.  

New Plants 2024

just a few of the new 2024 plants from Spring Meadow Nursery:

photos: Spring Meadow, click to enlarge

Abelia Brilliantina™
(Abelia x grandiflora 'KEYFLY')

If you've tried abelias before and were unimpressed with their sometimes untidy habit, then you might want to plant this new one.  It has a dense, neat habit, at a height of about 3-4 feet, a width of around 3-5 feet, and scented white blooms in summer that also attract pollinators. 

 

 Double White Just Chill™ Camellia
(Camellia 'FARROWCJWD')

This fall-blooming pure white camellia joins Just Chill Red Tip and Just Chill Double Mauve with large blooms and thick evergreen foliage.  The flowers appear mid-fall into winter, with a height of 5-8 feet and width of 3-5 feet. It needs full to part sun and is hardy in Zones 7 (6b with protection) to 9, although Spring Meadow says it's survived very well in their West Michigan trial gardens. Bred by MIke Farrow, it's also deer resistant and heat tolerant.

Bigleaf Hydrangea Wee Bit Innocent™
(Hydrangea macrophylla 'SMNHMC')

With big, showy flowers in shades of pink or blue, this hydrangea blooms in summer and then again sports some flowers in late summer and fall.  It's said to have florist-quality blooms along with outstanding performance in the landscape. It takes full to part sun in Zones 5-9 with a height of just two feet and a slightly larger width.  It's compact and disease resistant, and can be planted in clay or alkaline soil.

Yardline™ Viburnum
(Viburnum x 'NCVX5')

This evergreen viburnum is truly a winner, because of its tall, narrow habit at 6-12 feet high and a width of just 3-4 feet.  Its white flowers bloom in spring, and it can used almost anywhere in the garden.  Try it as a specimen, a hedge, in containers, or grouped throughout the landscape.  Bred by Dr. Tom Ranney in North Carolina, it's also drought tolerant once established and free of pests and diseases.  Zones 7-10, it does best in full sun.

Check the Spring Meadow online catalogue for all of the new introductions.

PHS Gold Medal Plants 2024

Here are the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's 2024 Gold Medal Plants.  These are considered exceptional plants for mid-Atlantic gardens, although they'll grow just fine in many other locations.

photo courtesy PHS

Sugar Shack® Buttonbush
(Cephalanthus occidentalis "SMCOSS')

Unlike the usual buttonbush, this cultivar is much smaller and has a compact habit, so it's great for smaller gardens.  It has fragrant, globe-shaped flowers in spring, and bright green, glossy foliage that turns burgundy in fall -- and that's followed by bright red fruits. 

Spring Meadow Nursery

Approximate size is 48-60 inches high with a similar width.  It's often used in rain gardens and prefers moist to wet soils in full sun to part shade. It also attracts a variety of pollinators and is hardy in Zones 4-8.  So what's not to like about this plant!

 

 

 

Magnolia 'Genie'
If you've always wanted a flowering magnolia but didn't have room for one, this tree is the one for you.  At just 10-13 feet high and five feet wide, it would be perfect as a front yard specimen or tucked into a border anywhere else in the garden.  It has deep red to purple scented flowers that repeat bloom through the growing season, it's resistant to diseases and pests, and it's tolerant to both heat and cold.  An additional attribute is that it can be grown in an extra-large container, so it would easily grace a front porch,l a deck or patio. Bred by New Zealand plantsman Vance Hooper from cultivars of M. soulangeana and M. lilliflora.  Hardy in Zones 5-8.

Illicium 'Woodland Ruby'
(Florida Anise Tree)
City dwellers in Zones 6-9 might want to consider this native evergreen, which has deep red strap-like flowers that bloom from early summer through autumn. It has to be protected from winter winds and favors some shade, but it will tolerate more sun if it's in a moist location. It's fragrant, deer resistant, and attracts pollinators, with a mature height of 6-7 feet and a width of about five feet. It does very well in urban gardens where space and light can be issues. Great for a screen or backdrop.

Also on the gold medal list this year:

Asparagus officinalis 'Millenium'
Hardy in Zones 3-10. Disease, deer, and drought resistant.

Japanese roof iris (Iris tectorum)
Showy blue flowers at a height of 12-18 inches.  It's deer resistant in Zones 6-9, and can spread rapidly in the garden.

'Brandywine' foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)
Bold white flowers in spring, bronzy foliage in fall. 8-18 inches tall, hardy in Zones 4-8.