Indholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2018 i Horticulture

DO YOU LOVE cucumbers? If so you should get to know these three cucumber-like plants that are easy to grow and bear a long crop of tasty, bitter-free fruits. Cute, crunchy cucamelons are the most popular vegetable in our garden. Everyone loves the grape-size fruits that resemble tiny watermelons but offer a cucumber-citrus flavor. Each plant yields hundreds of cucamelons, which we enjoy fresh from the plant, in salads, dipped in hummus, chopped into salsa or pickled. Given their vines that can grow between 12 and 15 feet long, West Indian burr gherkins demand ample space. To save precious garden room, I like to grow the vines up a sturdy A-frame trellis made from sheets of wire mesh. They can also be grown along chain-link fences or on the ground.…

SURROUNDING THE SMALL village in north-central Michigan where I spent my youth are acres of farmsteads being reclaimed by natural forces, victims of changing agricultural practices and the poor, tired soils inherent to the region. Yet through the openness of the fields and meadows in that era I came to appreciate the autumn-blossoming members of the Asteraceae, the daisy family, and also what we associate with them: cooling temperatures, a flickering cacophony of pollinating insects and the transitions of our deciduous trees to a sizzling blaze of leaf color. But before we carry on with the prose, a few taxonomic problems must be addressed. Enamored as I am with the essence that our native asters bring to our natural landscapes and gardens alike, it remains a hard nomenclatural pill to…

The beautiful, seemingly prim and manicured gardens enveloping the 900-year-old, castellated Forde Abbey appear at first glance formal and regimented. This perhaps was once the favored garden design for the large, historic former Cistercian monastery situated in Somerset in the southwest of England. Sir Francis Gwyn laid out the gardens in the early 18th century, formal lawns and driveways lined with pollarded limes and topiaried yew designed to lead the eye along organized views and vistas. However, look more closely and you will see a softening, even blurring of this geometric hard and living landscaping. Once die-straight avenues and carriageways now meander. A cacophony of billowing, floral color decorates formerly controlled, clipped and clean evergreen silhouettes. A former chiselled wall of yew now wanders caterpillar-like up the garden. In culinary…

So finely put together, they don’t even seem real. The hundreds of worthy cultivars make it difficult to pick a favorite. Here’s a sampling to help you decide what will look the best in your garden. Breadbox poppies ( Papaver somniferum ) ‘Hungarian Breadseed’ (shown)—These grow at least 3 feet in height with large pods following beautiful lavender-colored single flowers. ‘French Flounce’—This mix boasts beautiful shades of pinks, reds, purples, whites and salmons, with fringed petals. Shirley poppies ( Papaver rhoeas ) ‘American Legion’—These are the epitome of the flowers described in “In Flanders Field,” with their single crimson blooms. ‘Angels’ Choir’ (shown)—Ruffled, 2- to 4-inch double flowers offer an array of soft pastel colors, from white to lavender. ‘Pandora’—Deep shades of rose and silver streak…

THE FIRST SECTIONS of Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha’s Botanical Center, were constructed and planted in 1995, but few visitors would guess that this destination is scarcely older than 20 years, or that many of its gardens are indeed much younger than that. Nearly every year since its inception, new plants and gardens have been added to the 100-acre site, creating a diverse and dynamic landscape near downtown Omaha, Neb., that continues to evolve. Highlights include The Song of the Lark Meadow, named for Nebraska author Willa Cather’s short story, an ever-changing tapestry of prairie grasses and native wildflowers; the Peony Garden, begun in 2007, with close to 200 peonies and tree peonies within 3,000 square feet; the Victorian Garden, where remnants salvaged from old Omaha and Council Bluffs buildings accent geometric…

ON PURPOSE or unintentionally, many gardeners have left plants in their gardens over the winter. This is a good thing;everyone should consider doing so on a yearly basis. Scientists, specifically agronomists and soil scientists, refer to the plant litter that remains after a harvest as “residue.” Leaving residues in place over the winter, instead of pulling them up or tilling them into the soil surface, provides numerous benefits for the soil and your garden. Plant residues reduce erosion and the loss of valuable topsoil. Residues cover soil and protect it during the non-growing season. They catch rainfall, reducing the impact that individual rain droplets have with the soil surface. Residues also slow any flow of melting snow over the soil. Both of these actions help protect the soil structure, keeping…

Having spent six decades of my life as a gardener, with two-thirds as a research entomologist, I have been confounded by the choice between what gardeners refer to as native (or natural) gardening and what I grew up understanding as just plain gardening. For me gardening began by sowing seeds of exotic nasturtiums in the back yard of a San Francisco apartment. As I gained in wisdom—at least theoretically—gardening eventually morphed into an aesthetic art form meant to dress up my first home’s bones with enchanting forms and colors. As a biologist, however, my thoughts of environmental impact eventually lead to the realization that plants are not mere decorations for my pleasure but spaces that house many other life forms. In the mid 1960s, Charles S. Elton (1900–1991), an early…

In the language of flowers, coreopsis signifies persistant cheer. (More on what the word means in botanical nomenclature later.) These delightful natives of the Americas live up to this symbolism in glorious fashion. Equally at home in naturalized prairie settings and manicured landscapes, coreopsis provide a lovely sunny presence in any garden. Although typically seen in yellow and gold, many species also contain red, bronze and burgundy and have been commonly used as natural dyes. Native Americans also boiled the flowers into teas before the introduction of coffee. In recognition of its importance, Florida and Mississippi have named coreopsis as their offi cial state wildflower. ORIGINS There are about 80 Coreopsis species, all at home in the Americas, with 38 listed as native to the contiguous United States. Like other…

A SUMMER VIRGINIA rain provided relief after the driest July in memory. For weeks, I had watched the ground crack in the hot sun, the weeds extend their spindly probes and the flowers wilt with thirst. I dreaded the garden shovel and soon discovered I misplaced it. Searching in the humidity just made me more sallow. My mother in Nevada and aunt in Florida felt the same way. Both long-time gardeners, they were also sweltering and suffering along with their plants. We had started strong in spring. Had we taken on too much? I worked tirelessly, weeding the celosia-and-aster flower path, tending the vegetable garden, adding cosmos and milkweed to the pollinator garden, cutting alliums and salvia for friends. When I wondered what I had gotten myself into, my mother…

THAT YOU ARE READING Horticulture magazine shows that you have a great love for cultivating assorted plants. Some of us enjoy the more technical aspects of propagating and nurturing our flora. Others lovingly tend their gardens because they are a connection to people they have known and loved. For me it has always been a combination of both. I have been guardian of The Rose for more than three decades now. This rose bush has been in the American branch of our family for more than a century. In old family photographs it appears along with men wearing bowler-style hats and sporting handlebar moustaches. Great-grandmother bought her house in Providence, R.I., around 1890, moving here from Italy by way of Argentina. It still is an impressive residence, listed on…

J. BERRY HOLLYWOOD™ HIBISCUS RICO SUAVE™ PPAF The award-winning Hollywood Hibiscus Collection showcases vivid, multi-day lasting blooms, compact habits, and five star performance in containers and landscapes. Rico Suave is one charismatic, disease and pest resistant tropical hibiscus with tri-color blooms; golden yellow with a burgundy center, rimmed in magenta for one macho, ‘don’t you want me baby’ in your garden vibe. Hollywoodhibiscus.com J. BERRY CABANA CANNA™ LEMON & GIN™ PPAF The Cabana Cannas bring repeat blooms on compact habits to the home landscape. Lemon & Gin drips with colorful yellow flowers with fun, dark yellow speckles from early spring until frost which contrast against its dramatic, lush green tropical foliage. This bubbly beauty will also bring butterflies to your home gardening oasis. Jberrynursery.com J. BERRY SUMMER SPICE™ CORDON BLEU™…

Poppies are one of those flowers that are so finely put together, they don’t even seem real. The papery petals of their often-large yet always delicate flowers last only briefly. Although they resist being cut and brought indoors, poppies continually elicit enthusiastic reactions. Part of poppies’ appeal is their range of color. They bloom in brilliant reds and oranges to the softest pastels, so you can always find a variety that suits your botanical palette. But the most wonderful aspect of poppies, be they annual or perennial, is their ease of care. Poppies make a large, illustrious collection with striking examples like the Himalayan blue poppy (Meconopsis; USDA Zones 3–9) and the prickly poppy (Argemone; Zones 8–10), whose flowers sometimes resemble a fried egg. Most home gardeners focus on the…

KARALEE PETITE PINK WAND FLOWER GAURA LINDHEIMERI KARALEE PETITE PINK Karalee Petite Pink gaura, or wand flower, is a social butterfly in the garden for a few reasons. Its pink flowers look like butterflies, for one thing. Another reason is its habit; with its low foliage and taller stems of flowers, this perennial is best grown in swaths or mixed in among other garden plants, among which its wands can thread and mingle. Lastly, this plant is a social butterfly because it draws attention! Its bright color and the movement of its airy flower stems in the slightest breeze beckon garden visitors to take a closer look. HABIT: This perennial gaura grows just 14 to 20 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide. It has an upright shape. ORIGINS:…

WINTER WEATHER is hard on me, as a gardener. I was raised in the subtropics, so the winters where I live now are like a reverse Hell: ice and brimstone. My New Englander wife, Chris, insists we don’t have winter here in North Carolina, so I get no sympathy at home. As bad as winter is for me, it would be worse—fatal—to some of our favorite plants. I keep about a dozen tropical Moses-in-the-bulrushes (Tradescantia spathacea), with their two-tone leaves that accent well-drained flowerbeds for the summer. Chris likes to have four tender geraniums (Pelargonium) in handsome, heavy pots to frame the steps to the front and back doors. In USDA Zone 7 we normally get a light frost within two weeks of Halloween (which I often ignore) and then…