Indholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2022 i Horticulture

Happy New Year! In this issue of Horticulture we’ve assembled a variety of stories to keep you plotting and even planting this winter. There’s advice on seed starting, covering what to plant and how (“Edibles Year-Round,” page 11, and “Annual Delight,” 44). Or maybe you’d like to get a jump on the growing season by sprouting warm-season bulbs indoors (“Summer Dreams,” page 52). If you love winter’s muted beauty, you’ll appreciate the advice in “Winter Wonders” (page 38). But the centerpiece of this issue is what has my gears turning: “These Are the Champions” (page 26), our annual showcase of plants recently granted awards by gardening institutions across the United States. I’ve already started a list of champs I’d like to acquire in 2022 (like Pretty Polly Pink rose, page…

Dr. Dirr has authored numerous books that are treasured by horticulture professionals and students, as well as any gardener who appreciates shrubs, trees and all they can do for the garden. His books include: Viburnums (Timber Press, 2007): “Of my many books, this and the Manual are the two to which I am most attached,” says Dirr. “Viburnums are not sexy or flashy like hydrangeas. They will never sell like roses and hydrangeas but are the bedrock of many great and not-so-great gardens.” Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Stipes, 6th Edition 2009): The classic continues to serve enthusiasts and professionals alike, with updates keeping it relevant amid an ever-expanding palette of cultivars. Dirr’s Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs (Timber Press, 2011): Dirr describes this hefty volume as a “melding of…

As you contemplate plants for winter enjoyment, the first that come to mind may be evergreens. Conifers that do not lose all their needles in one season (the way our native larch, a deciduous conifer, does) boast a variety of deep-green, blue-green or golden tones that look good all winter. POSITIONING CONIFERS Think about placing your conifers in groups throughout the garden, as they may look lonesome dotted singly around when intervening herbaceous foliage is absent. Combining them with deciduous shrubs also works well. Conifers function nicely as a dark background for shrubs or small trees with light-colored bark such as shadbush (Amelanchier), seven-son flower (Heptacodium miconioides), magnolia, viburnum or deciduous holly (Ilex). However, one single specimen can also make an impactful focal point. Dwarf and miniature conifers can be…

A Marigold TAGETES French marigold (T. patula) is the low-growing, familiar type. Their colors reside on the yellow, orange and red side of the color wheel, which makes them great foils for plants with purple flowers. Tagetes erecta is the African marigold, which not only grows much taller than its cousin — up to 48 inches — but also offers cultivars with large white blooms. Both types want lots of sun, fertile soil and regular watering. B Calendula CALENDULA OFFICINALIS Also called pot marigold, calendulas present chrysanthemum-like yellow to orange blooms from summer to fall. Best for cooler, less humid regions, they are easily grown in average soil in full sun, though a little late afternoon shade helps them thrive. It’s best to pinch young plants to promote…

All of the plants addressed in this article can be transplanted outside after the threat of frost has passed and the soil has warmed to approximately 65 degrees (F). Typically this will coincide with the local planting-out date for tomatoes and other warm-season crops. As with annual seedlings that have been started indoors, bulbous plants should be hardened off before taking their final planting position. Do this by placing them first in a shaded, sheltered location for longer hours each day and gradually moving them into stronger sun, before finally leaving them outside overnight. If temperatures threaten to dip into the 40s, keep the plants under cover.…

I AM A NEW ENGLANDER at heart and I still enjoy winter, to a point. That point is somewhere around January 3, at which time my wife and I join the caravans that form throughout the Northeast and Midwest to funnel snowbirds of a feather into Florida via the I-95 and I-75 corridors. All migrators should ask themselves how far they must travel. The answer to that question depends on why they are traveling. In January and February, Abby and I crave summer-like weather, such as we would experience in June and July at home. My dad was an enthusiastic amateur ornithologist who also enjoyed a warm winter sojourn in the Sunshine State with my mom. He keenly observed the migratory patterns of birds as well as their various habitats.…

EVERYBODY KNOWS gardeners are positive, happy, simple folk who just want to make the world better, and who could be against that? Yet, in our fervor to do so, we must admit that sometimes we act like fools. I know that was hard to hear. It wasn’t easy to say. But how else would you describe otherwise bright people who willfully, joyfully suspend all disbelief, again and again, and fall victim to the delusion that this time might be different? That we could get lucky? That we’ll succeed where noone ever has? Yep, we gardeners are, and always will be, suckers. Big, dumb dopes. Forever vulnerable to that trap wiser people call wishful thinking. Lord, take pity on us. And you know I’m not wrong. Who can even count all…

Wherever they’re found, forest schools share some basic practices and beliefs, among them: School happens outside every day, whatever the weather. On rainy, snowy or very windy days, teachers will set up tarps between tree branches to create a sheltered space. Children are expected to dress appropriately to spend the whole day outside. Place-based education is central. Rather than relying on a far-away national organization to design and dictate curriculum, lessons revolve around the local natural history. Free play and discovery in the natural world are the impetus for much learning. Sensory exploration provides the path through which children learn best — and best remember what they learn. Free play is a big part of this, but so are teacher-introduced, skill-building activities, such as making fires responsibly and identifying animal…

The text and images on these pages are excerpted from Winterland (Princeton Architectural Press, 2021), which demonstrates how to create a garden that remains beautiful outside of the growing season, even in northern regions. The book includes thorough advice on design, maintenance and plant choice, taking into account the challenges and opportunities of winter’s short days and harsh weather, as well as the ways that we can experience the garden’s unique beauty in this season.…

A Common sunflower HELIANTHUS ANNUUS Seemingly countless cultivars of sunflower are available due to its ease of hybridization and long history as a cultivated plant. Some, like ‘Russian Mammoth’, grow over 10 feet tall and form a single, massive flowerhead filled with edible seeds. Others, like ‘Moulin Rouge’, a burgundy variety, produce multiple flowers on multiple stems. Either kind will thrive in full sun and dry soil, while attracting birds and butterflies. Native or naturalized across the contiguous United States. B Basket flower CENTAUREA AMERICANA With thistle-like flowers but none of the prickles, these stout, two- to five-foot-tall plants bloom best in late spring into early summer. Happy in dry or moist soil, in sun or part shade, basket flower is a reliable wildflower attractive to butterflies, bees…

LEARNING IS THE ESSENCE of growth, and growth is the essence of life. That’s why it’s so thrilling to learn new things, discover fresh ideas and expand our understandings. People who love plants and gardening can find a double thrill in learning from the ornamentals and edibles that grow as we care for them. In other words, as they grow, we grow. Is it really true that we can learn something valuable about ourselves from our gardens and orchards? Well, I’ll tell you some stories. LEARNING TO LOOK There was a large stone in an overgrown, unused part of my secluded property, about the size of a VW Beetle half buried in the ground—perfect for sitting. I decided to surround that stone with a trio of filbert trees, planting them…

Many of us first experienced the magic of seeds in elementary school, when our teachers handed out cups of dirt and single beans and showed us how to sow. We watered our seeds, set them on the sunny windowsill and waited. I still remember watching the little radicle break through the seed coat and root down, and the new shoot rise up, dragging its dual cotyledons with it, before opening two new leaves to the sun so photosynthesis could keep it growing. What I didn’t learn about seeds then, I’ve since gleaned in my life as a professional gardener. Lessons like some seeds need to go through winter (stratification) and others need to pass through an animal’s gut (scarification) before they will sprout. That we sprinkle small seeds on the…

t ender or tropical plants that grow from tubers, bulbs, rhizomes or corms—like dahlias, tuberous begonias and canna—bring color and flair to gardens and containers throughout the year’s warmest months. These plants are typically added to the garden at the start of the growing season, when frost is no threat. At that time, they can be planted as dormant bulbs or as pre-sprouted plants purchased from the garden center. There is a third option for starting these summer beauties, of course: sprouting them indoors, starting in late winter or earliest spring. Similar to annual seed, dormant warm-season bulbs entice us with low cost, more choices of species and cultivars and, especially in cold regions, a head start on the growing season, leading to bigger plants and earlier flowers. Even where…

Narrow-leaf chalk sticks (S. vitalis)  A spreading, shrubby foliage plant reaching 12 to 18 inches tall and wide, it’s often grown as a container plant with fellow succulents. Where hardy, it makes a compelling ground cover. Full to part sun, low water. USDA Zones 10–11. Trailing jade (Kleinia petraea, formerly S. jacobsenii)  Though its spoon-shaped leaves resemble those of jade (Crassula ovata), the two plants are not closely related. A succulent, trailing jade’s creeping habit recommends it for tall pots or hanging baskets. Cool weather turns its foliage purple hues. Full to part sun, low water. Zones 10–11. Angel Wings senecio (Senecio candidans ‘Senaw’) Its broad leaves combine shimmering silver color with fuzzy texture, earning it conversation-piece placement. A container is the obvious choice for this unique foliage plant, but…

THE HOUSEPLANT renaissance has brought a great benefit: many more choices of plants, aligning the indoor-plant-shopping experience with that of the outdoor garden. Where once we were limited to Boston fern, Christmas cactus and a few varieties of pothos, now interesting, distinctive cultivars abound, often from branded collections that gather their own following. Gardeners might be interested to know that in 2022 the well-known grower Monrovia is “branching in” with a series of large houseplants. Chosen for their striking leaves, these cultivars of familiar plants like rubber tree and philodendron are being offered in the company’s familiar green one-gallon containers, often with multiple specimens potted together for a full look. VARIEGATED COUNCIL TREE FICUS ALTISSIMA ‘VARIEGATA’ A cousin to the fiddleleaf fig (Ficus lyrata), F. altissima shows a similar upright…