Redvein Enkianthus

By Joan Butler

photo by kenpei

Recently, I came across a list of Cary Award-winning plants. https://nebg.org/cary-award-past-winners/ The Cary Award program, named after Shrewsbury plantsman Ed Cary, was designed to highlight relatively uncommon plants that New England gardeners can choose with confidence as good performers for their home landscapes. The program was administered by the Worcester County Horticultural Society from 1997-2019. In its first year, five plants were selected as winners. One of these is a favorite of mine, Redvein Enkianthus.

I first encountered this plant many years ago, on a garden tour of a remarkable rhododendron garden in Concord, MA. The garden was full of towering rhododendrons, mountain laurel and azaleas. As I walked along the woodland paths, I found myself beneath a tall, smooth-barked shrub with dangling creamy pink flowers. Later, I asked the owner about the plant and learned it was a Redvein Enkianthus.

photo by joan butler

Redvein Enkianthus (Enkianthus campanulatus) is an upright deciduous shrub that is native to the open woodlands of Japan. It has a slow to moderate growth rate, but can eventually reach the size of a small tree (15-20 feet).  It is hardy in Zones 4-7, making it an ideal selection for New England gardens. It has a graceful branch pattern, with elliptical leaves clustered at the branch tips. The bluish-green summer foliage turns to show-stopping shades of brilliant red, orange and yellow in autumn.

Bloom time is late spring/early summer. The half-inch long bell-shaped flowers hang in clusters (racemes) near the branch tips and are creamy white accented with red veins. The flowers are followed by dangling brownish seed capsules that are not particularly showy, but which add an element of distinction to the winter landscape, especially when frosted with a light coating of snow or ice.

Enkianthus c. ‘Showy Lantern’ by avant gardens

Hybridizers have introduced new cultivars with an increased range of flower color, such as the red-flowered ‘Red Bells’, and the dark pink-flowered ‘Showy Lantern’, introduced by Weston Nurseries. There is also a naturally occurring white-flowered form, ‘Albiflorus’.

Redvein Enkianthus prefers cultural conditions similar to those required by rhododendrons: acidic soil, with good drainage and moderate moisture. It is useful in the woodland garden, in the shrub border or as a specimen plant. It prefers part shade to full sun. It is considered pest- and disease-free, and is rarely damaged by deer.

photo by joan butler

My own Enkianthus is now nearly ten feet tall and functions as a small, multi-trunk tree in my landscape. It is planted next to my deck, where we can enjoy its dainty spring-time flowers at eye-level. Right now, in late March, its pointy little buds are yellow at the base and rosy pink at the tips, announcing that spring really is here!

Redvein Enkianthus is easily grown and deserves to be more widely used in the home landscape. It is a valued addition to the woodland garden or the shrub border, and is ideal for small gardens due to its slow growth rate. It offers four-season interest with its delicate spring flowers, rich green summer foliage, brilliant autumn color, and the winter prominence of its seed capsules and smooth gray-brown bark. I wouldn’t be without this graceful, distinctive shrub.

Best Spring Bulb Displays in the Northeast

HOlland ridge farms (photo courtesy of holland ridge farms)

Ready to welcome spring after a long Northeast winter? Nothing lifts the spirit like a stroll among masses of daffodils, tulips and other spring bulbs. Here’s my list of wonderful spring bulb displays to enjoy this year.

new england Botanic Garden

New England Botanic Garden

Mid-April to late May, Boylston, MA

Enjoy a changing bulb display at New England Botanic garden, beginning with Reticulated Iris and Hyacinths in mid-April, fields of 25,000 daffodils in late April to early May, and gorgeous tulip displays in mid to late May. nebg.org

Spring Bloom Fest at The Stevens Coolidge House and Gardens

Spring Bloom Fest at The Stevens Coolidge House and Gardens

Late April–mid-May, N. Andover, MA

Immerse yourself in the beauty of more than 175,000 tulips and other bulbs, filling nine display gardens with the exuberant colors of spring. the trustees

naumkeag

Naumkeag Daffodil and Tulip Festival

Late April–mid-May, Stockbridge, MA

Stroll through the 8 acres of our world-renowned gardens decorated with over 75,000 daffodil, tulip and minor bulbs as we celebrate spring in the Berkshires. the trustees

Nantucket Daffodil Festival

Nantucket Daffodil Festival

April, Nantucket, MA

Nantucket’s annual daffodil celebration includes the Nantucket Daffodil Flower Show, a window decorating contest, antique car parade, tours, and art shows. Come in costume to the Daffy Hat Contest and children’s parade. daffodilfestival.com

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Late April–late May, Boothbay, ME

Coastal Maine’s display gardens feature thousands of tulips, daffodils and other spring bulbs from late April to late May in one of New England’s premier public gardens. mainegardens.org

Blithewold Daffodil Days

Blithewold Daffodil Days

April through Mid-May, Bristol, RI

The Bosquet, a cultivated woodland, features more than 50,000 daffodils at Blithewold Mansion Gardens and Arboretum. You will also see many woodland wildflowers in bloom.  blithewold.org

Wicked Tulips (photo by Beth Reis)

Wicked Tulips Flower Farm

Late April–mid May, Exeter, RI and Preston, CT

Wicked Tulips has the largest u-pick tulip field in New England, with 600,000 early, mid, and late blooming tulips. Enjoy the fields of color, and bring home a fresh hand-picked bouquet. The early tulips begin blooming in late April, followed by waves of later blooming tulips until Mother’s Day. The website Bloom Report provides important updates and allows you to see what is in bloom. Advance tickets are required and must be purchased online. wickedtulips.com

Green Animals

Green Animals

April–May, Newport, RI

Visit the nation’s northernmost topiary garden ablaze with the bright colors of tulips and daffodils!

Newport Daffodil Days

Newport Daffodil Days Festival

April, Newport, RI

Now in its 8th year, the Newport Daffodil Festival has beautified the city with more than 1 million daffodils. The week-long celebration includes a garden party, classic car parade, concerts, tours, dog parade and much more. newportdaffydays.com

Elizabeth Park

Elizabeth Park

Mid-April–mid May, Hartford, CT

Daffodils in mid-April give way to a beautiful display of 11,000 tulips that peak on Mother’s Day. elizabethparkct.org

Colorblends

ColorBlends House and Spring Garden

Bridgeport, CT

 Stroll through an evolving display of color as snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs come into bloom at the ColorBlends House and Spring Garden. Located in Bridgeport’s  Stratfield Historic Distric, the 1903 Colonial Revival  mansion is surrounded by an intimate garden designed by distinguished Dutch  garden designer Jacqueline van der Kloet for Colorblends Wholesale Flowerbulbs. colorblendsspringgarden.com

Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens

Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens

Late April–mid May, Stamford, CT

Enjoy planting of early bulbs, daffodils and tulips blooming in 93-acres of formal gardens and natural habitats. bartlettarboretum.org

Meriden Daffodil festival

Meriden Daffodil Festival

April, Meriden, CT

One of Connecticut’s favorite celebrations, the Meriden Daffodil Festival features a juried craft fair, rides and food vendors, and an amazing fireworks show, all set against a spectacular display of 600,000 daffodils. daffodilfest.com

New York Botanic Garden

New York Botanic Garden

April–May, Bronx, NY

Explore the Rock Garden for tiny species daffodils, and Daffodil Valley, where the Murray Liasson Narcissus Collection is located. See the latest hybrids on the Daylily/Daffodil Walk, and antique cultivars planted in a seal of yellow and white on Daffodil Hill. nybg.org/garden

Reeves-Reed Arboretum

Reeves-Reed Arboretum

Mid April, Summit, NJ

Celebrate spring with a "host of golden daffodils," as poet William Wordsworth wrote, at Reeves-Reed Arboretum and enjoy one of the largest daffodil collections in New Jersey. The collection, planted in the Arboretum's glacially carved 'kettle' or bowl, was started in the early 1900s by the original owners of the property. Today the collection boasts more than 50,000 bulbs and the annual Daffodil Day brings visitors from all over the tri-state area. reeves-reedarboretum.org

Deep Cut Gardens (photo deep cut gardens)

Deep Cut Gardens

Mid-April–mid May, Middletown, NJ

Beautiful tulip and daffodil blooms are on display in this 54 acre formal garden. monmouthcountyparks.com

HOlland ridge farms (photo courtesy of holland ridge farms)

Holland Ridge Farms

April, Cream Ridge, NJ

Tulip Festival with more then 8 million tulips that you can pick. hollandridgefarms.com

Frelinghuysen Arboretum

Frelinhuysen Arboretum

Mid April-mid May, Morris Township, NJ

The formal gardens at Frelinghuysen Arboretum feature gorgeous bedding displays of tulips. arboretumfriends.org

Frelinghuysen Arboretum

Chanticleer

Chanticleer

Early April to mid-May

Chanticleer is ablaze with spring bulbs from species tulips, miniature daffodils and grape hyacinths on the hillside, to formal bedding of tulips and daffodils around the mansion. A sloping lawn, punctuated by flowering shade trees, features 80,000 white or pale yellow narcissus running in two rivers to the bottom. Virginia bluebells, trilliums, grape hyacinths and camassias create gorgeous displays in the woodlands. chanticleergarden.org

Longwood Gardens

Longwood Gardens

Early April to early May, Kennett Square, PA

Early spring bulbs like glory-of-the-snow, winter-aconite, and crocus first herald the season’s arrival, with gorgeous tulips, wisteria, and flowering trees creating a lush spring tapestry of color, fragrance, and warmth. longwoodgardens.org

Longwood Gardens

Gardening in March: 10 Things You Can Do to Prepare for Spring

With temperatures climbing this week, the feeling of spring is in the air. While I know that true spring is still a ways off, the desire to get outside and work in the garden is getting strong. Luckily, there are a few garden tasks that should be done now, before the soil warms up, the trees leaf out, and the rapid growth of bulbs and perennials begins.

1. Prune deciduous trees and shrubs

Late winter is prime pruning time for deciduous trees and shrubs, while they are still dormant. Always use sharp tools to make clean cuts, and let the wounds heal naturally. Remove dead, damaged, or diseased wood, suckers and water sprouts. This is the ideal time to prune fruit trees and summer-blooming shrubs such as weigela, butterfly bush, redtwig dogwood, and spireas.

2. Pamper discolored evergreens

Evergreen foliage may become brown or bleached during winter due to excessive transpiration, sun exposure, or cold temperatures in early fall. Injured plants should be fertilized in early spring and watered well throughout the season. It’s best to wait until mid-spring before pruning out injured foliage. Although brown foliage is most likely dead, the buds, which are more cold-hardy than foliage, will often grow and fill in the shrub. If the buds have not survived, prune dead branches back to living tissue.

3. Remedy snow and ice damage on multi-leader trees

Heavy snow and ice storms cause damage by bending and breaking branches. Multiple leader, upright evergreens, such as arborvitae and juniper, and multiple leader or clump trees, such as birch, are most subject to snow and ice damage. Small trees can be temporarily wrapped together or the leaders tied with strips of strong cloth or nylon stockings to correct the splaying that occurs in winter. Large multi-stemmed trees should be cabled together by a professional arborist.

4. Prune hydrangeas

I like to leave most of my hydrangea blooms for winter interest in the garden, but now is the time to prepare the shrubs for spring growth. I carefully remove any dead branches from all my plants, cutting down gradually on each stalk to make sure that I don't remove a branch that looks dead, but is green half way down the stem. I reduce my mature paniculata hydrangeas to about half their height to keep them in scale with their garden location. My hedge of ‘Annabelle’ hydrangeas is cut back to 2’ in height. This keeps the hedge at a compact height, and the plants produce stronger stems to hold up those giant white mopheads. My ‘Endless Summer’ hydrangeas receive a very light pruning to remove the dried flowers and restore a rounded shape.

5. Trim roses and remove winter mulch

Winter pruning should be done when the season begins to warm up and the small buds begin to swell. It is best to wait until the worst of the frosts have passed - early April in Massachusetts. I remove any dead or weak stems and last year’s flower buds, and reduce shrub roses to about half their size, aiming to create a nice rounded shrub. I also gradually remove my winter mulch of compost or shredded leaves.

6. Prune Group 3 (or Type C) clematis

These are the summer blooming varieties such as the viticellas, Jackmanii types, texensis, the herbaceous species such as integrifolia and recta that bloom on new wood and the late bloomers such as Sweet Autumn Clematis (C. terniflora) and orientalis types. Clematis in Group 3 mainly flower on new wood produced in the current year and should be pruned back severely every year in late winter, when they are completely dormant, to about 12 - 14 inches. Leave at least two pairs of buds (4) on each stem of the plant. Most Group 3s are very fast growing and will reach their full height before blooming every summer. If you fail to prune these, they will develop long 'legs' that get woody and will be devoid of foliage and blooms.

7. Cut back ornamental grasses

I like the look of ornamental grasses in early winter, but by late January, they have collapsed into a mess of tangled stalks. This is a great time to clean up the grasses before new shoots appear in the spring.

8. Cut back foliage of persistent perennials

Perennials with evergreen foliage, such as hellebores, epimediums, and ginger will soon start sending out new growth or flowers. Late winter is a great time to remove last year’s tattered foliage without harming the emerging new shoots or flower buds. To fully enjoy the blooms of your Orientalis hellebores, make sure that you remove all of last year’s foliage. Hellebore Foetidus grows as a single stalk, so should NOT be trimmed in this way.

9. Replant heaved plants

The freezing/thawing cycles of early spring sometimes lift entire small plants out of the ground. Check your garden for any heaved perennials and gently replant and water them as soon as possible. Heucheras, astrantias and newly planted perennials are susceptible to heaving. A layer of winter mulch or evergreen bows remedies this problem by keeping the soil at a more even temperature through the winter.

10. Feed spring bulbs

Spring bulbs will benefit with a dose of an all-natural organic fertilizer as their green tips push through the ground.

Winterthur: A Glorious du Pont Garden

An excerpt from The Garden Tourist’s Mid-Atlantic: A Guide to 90 Beautiful Historic and Public Gardens by Jana Milbocker. Publication date: April 2024

Nestled in 1,000 acres of rolling hills and meadows in the Brandywine Valley, Winterthur is a historic estate with a magnificent 60-acre garden and a museum of American decorative arts. The collection of 90,000 objects made or used in America since 1640 is displayed in a 175-room museum that was once the home of Henry Francis du Pont. Accompanying graduate degree programs and an extensive research library make Winterthur the leading center of decorative arts in the country.

When Henry Francis du Pont inherited Wintherthur in 1927, he had already been responsible for its garden for almost 20 years. The estate had been his family home, in the du Pont family since 1816. The du Ponts had a shared interest in horticulture and farming. At its height, Winterthur was its own town, with 2,500 acres of farms, vegetable and flower gardens, a sawmill, railroad station, a post office and its own zip code. Henry earned a degree in practical agriculture and horticulture so that he could successfully manage the family estate.

Photo courtesy of Winterthur

Henry had a life-long passion for gardens and plants. Influenced by the theories of William Robinson and Gertrude Jekyll as well as his visits to gardens throughout Europe, Henry spent almost 60 years working on his gardens. The estate had second-growth oak-chestnut forests, typical of the Brandywine area. American chestnuts, tulip poplars, red maples, hickories, oaks and American beech grew in groupings in the woodlands. A trip to England with his father inspired them to add a pinetum of unusual conifers. In 1909 he began ordering spring bulbs by the tens of thousands and having them planted in large drifts throughout the property. When chestnut blight attacked the native trees in 1917, Henry began planting the newly available Japanese karume azaleas. This grew into the eight-acre Azalea Woods that fill the woodlands with dazzling color in early May. Adjacent to the house, the March Bank was planted a carpet of Glory-of-the-snow, crocus, snowdrops, Siberian squill, Winter aconite and Amur Adonis that greet early spring. The du Ponts used Winterthur primarily in spring and fall, so these were the important seasons for flowering displays.

Photo courtesy of winterthur

When he added a massive nine-story addition to the house to display his collection of antiques and decorative arts, Henry hired his lifelong friend and landscape designer Marian Cruger Coffin to design a new garden that would integrate the house with the landscape. Marian created a series of terraces and a grand central staircase that descend to a rectangular pool with two charming changing pavilions. Shaded by ancient tulip trees, the hillside plantings include dogwoods, viburnums, azaleas and handkerchief trees. Twenty years later she also designed the Sundial Garden as a spring collection of lilacs, quinces, and cherry, crabapple and dogwood trees.

Azalea Woods was a garden that he worked on for 40 years. He was the artist, and this garden was his painting. Underneath the canopy of tall trees with their leaves unfurling in chartreuse green were waves of pastel colored azaleas in shades of pink, white, salmon and red. These in turn were underplanted with Spanish bluebells, white trilliums and Italian windflowers. Henry was fascinated with color, and would move mature blooming azaleas to achieve his ideal color harmonies. He also incorporated a few discordant plants in a grouping to “chic it up” or enliven the composition with an unexpected hue.

During the last part of his life, Henry focused on achieving a succession of bloom in his garden. As more and more visitors came to the museum that opened to the public in 1950 and toured the gardens, Henry added plantings to existing gardens to ensure that the flower display continued through all seasons. He kept meticulous notes with the bloom times of all of his plants, and adjusted accordingly. He added lilies to Azalea Woods, wildflowers to the March Bank, and more flowering shrubs throughout the gardens. Henry continuously sought out new varieties of trees, shrubs and flowers, and tested them for several years before incorporating them in the garden. He formed strong relationships with Charles Sprague Sargent and other prominent plant collectors, breeders, and botanical gardens, and consulted with them on plant cultivation and new plant varieties.

Other gardens of interest at Winterthur include a peony garden that is spectacular in late May and the Quarry Garden with its spring display of Japanese candelabra primrose and other damp-loving perennials. The newest garden is the three-acre Enchanted Woods on a site once occupied by the children’s play set. With its thatched Faerie Cottage, Troll Bridge, whimsical Tulip Tree House, giant Bird’s Nest and a Forbidden Fairy Ring with misting mushrooms, it is a fantasy garden for kids of all ages. A garden tram tour is available at Winterthur which provides a history of the property as well as an overview of the gardens and grounds.

Photo courtesy of winterthur

Winterthur is featured on The Garden Tourist’s Spring in Brandywine Valley Tour, May 2024.

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

5105 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE 19807, 800-448-3883, winterthur.org

An Artist's Garden: Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens

The tranquil gardens at the Albin Polasek Museum are an integral part of the story of the internationally renowned sculptor. Many of the sculptures were created here by Polasek after he survived a debilitating stroke that left him paralyzed on the left side of his body. Yet he continued to paint, draw, sculpt clay, and, with assistance, carve stone. These gardens are not only beautiful to behold but part of Polasek’s inspirational legacy.

In 1950 Albin Polasek, then aged 70, retired to Winter Park after a successful 30-year career as a sculptor of public and private commissions and head of the Sculpture Department at the Art Institute of Chicago. He had been born in 1879 in Moravia (a part of the Czech Republic) and apprenticed with a woodcarver in Vienna before immigrating to the United States in 1901. After four years of carving ecclesiastical sculptures for churches throughout the Midwest, Polasek began formal training at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and later at the American Academy of Art in Rome. Large public commissions in Europe and the US brought him success and an international reputation.

When he came to Winter Park, Polasek designed his home, studio, and gardens with Old World charm. The stucco home, with its tiled roofs, gentle rounded facade, and warm ochre color, is reminiscent of Moravian villages. The interior is filled with paintings, sculptures, a private chapel, and mementos from family, friends, and travels abroad.

Polasek designed the gardens himself as a beautiful setting for his artwork. More than 50 sculptures are carefully situated with groupings of tropical plants or a panorama of Lake Osceola as their background. Their themes are taken from history, mythology, and folklore.

Many are earlier works whose originals grace churches and museums all over the world. In front of the house you will find one of Polasek’s most famous pieces, Man Carving His Own Destiny, an homage to his personal struggle to establish himself in the world. Originally conceived in 1907, Polasek created 50 versions of it in his lifetime.

man carving his own destiny

In contrast, the Forest Idyl is a tender reunion of a dryad and her wild forest companion. The Emily Fountain welcomes you in the courtyard. It is a sculpture of a young woman playing a harp, with streams of running water creating the strings. It was a romantic wedding present to his second wife, Emily Muska Kubat.

In the tranquil garden behind the house you will find The Victorious Christ and his Stations of the Cross that are mounted on a curved wall covered with ivy. Unfettered, a beautiful bronze of a woman reaching for the sky, is Polasek’s vision of a woman breaking through the clouds of ignorance and superstition into the full light of freedom.

Unfettered

The mysterious Water Goblin, based on a Czech folktale, perches at the edge of a pond in a dark grotto. The classical figurative, deeply religious, and whimsical mythological sculptures tell the story of Polasek’s life.

water goblin

Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, 633 Osceola Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789, 407-647-6294, polasek.org

2023 Holiday Events for Gardeners

From beautiful light displays to Christmas teas and train shows, you will find a wealth of holiday cheer at historic mansions and botanic gardens in the region. Below is a list of holiday events in the Northeast and Florida. Please note that almost all of the events listed below require an advance-purchase admission ticket, and are selling out very quickly this year.

Maine

Gardens Aglow

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, ME
November 18–December 31

New England’s biggest and brightest light display! With over 750,000 lights, the 14 acres of central gardens are transformed into a dramatic display of brilliant color.

Massachusetts

Holidays at Highfield

Highfield Hall and Gardens, Falmouth, MA
November 24–December 10, 10 am—4 pm

The Holidays are set for another year of spectacular decorating, seasonal activities, displays and Santa is expected to set up residence on specific days. The Gift Gallery will once again be alive with artisan gifts for all ages. Come on in and complete your Holiday shopping!

Festival of Trees and Snow Village

Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Elm Bank, Wellesley, MA
November 24-December 31

The Festival of Trees, displayed in the Hunnewell Building, offers beautifully decorated holiday trees that are donated and decorated by local businesses, garden clubs, and individuals. Snow Village is an enchanting display of model trains winding through villages and vignettes, including Christmas in the Boston, Fenway Park, and hundreds of decorated houses and lights. Visitors can also enjoy the decorated buildings and grounds at The Gardens at Elm Bank with a stroll or a horse-drawn wagon ride. 

Holiday House Tours & Nightwood

The Mount, Lenox, MA
Holiday House Tours: Saturdays–Sundays, November–December, 10 am- 3 pm
Nightwood: Thursday–Sundays, November 17–January 6, 5–8 pm

Tour Edith Wharton’s home decorated for the holidays and enjoy the second year of an ethereal winter landscape inspired by The Mount’s unique architecture and history. NightWood combines music, lighting, and theatrical elements to create unique scenes that evoke feelings of wonder, mystery, and magic.

Winter Lights

Naumkeag, Stockbridge, MA
November 24–January 6, Wednesdays–Sundays, 4:30-8:30 pm

Enjoy the spectacular garden of Naumkeag lit with thousands of shimmering holiday lights. Each weekend features performances and activities for the whole family, from the young to the young at heart. 

Nightlights

New England Botanic Garden, Boylston MA 
November 24–December 31, Daily 4:00–10:00 pm

Celebrate the season with a light display heralded last year as a top-five show in Greater Boston! Enchanting landscapes, fun experiences, and thousands of lightsawait. Enjoy s’mores, seasonal drinks, a model train, shopping for holiday gifts, and fun photo opportunities while creating memories for the whole family.

Connecticut

Holiday Magic

Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, CT
November 24–December 31 

Enjoy the Griswold mansion decorated for the holidays. In the Krieble Gallery, over 250 painted palettes, including a dozen new ones created this year, adorn four stunning Artist Trees. Miss Florence’s Christmastime Teas are available December 1-30. In the art museum, enjoy the special exhibit “Revisiting America: The Prints of Currier and Ives.”

Rhode Island 

Christmas at Blithewold & Sparkle

Blithewold, Bristol, RI
November 22–January 4, Wednesday—Sunday 11—3 pm 

Visit the beautifully decorated mansion. This year’s theme, "All About Augustine," will focus on the youngest daughter and her interesting and adventurous life. The holiday season includes Jazz Brunches, Afternoon Teas, Wreath-making Workshops, Music in the Living Room Series, and a Sing-Along with Santa.

Outdoors, there is the Sparkle program. Explore Blithewold’s illuminated Gardens and Grounds as you collect scavenger hunt clues. Gather around cozy fires in the Enclosed Garden and listen while seasonal music floats through the air. Cocktails and hot beverages are available. Follow beautifully illuminated paths throughout the grounds to discover stunning, newly expanded light displays, handmade bamboo lanterns, and fun photo ops.

Holidays at the Newport Mansions

Newport Mansions, Newport, RI
November 17 - December 30
Sparkling Lights at the Breakers: Thursday–Sundays, 4:30–7 pm

A total of 28 Christmas trees will glow in various places throughout The Breakers, Marble House and The Elms, featuring ornate, themed decorations that reflect the room where they are located. As always, the 15-foot poinsettia tree in the Great Hall of The Breakers – made up of 150 poinsettia plants – will provide a perfect holiday photo opportunity for visitors. Poinsettias, flowers, evergreens, wreaths and floral arrangements will decorate the fireplace mantels, tabletops and staircases of these Gilded Age mansions.

For the second year in a row, thousands of lights will illuminate the historic landscape at The Breakers. This year Sparkling Lights has been expanded to include both the north and south portions of the grounds. Stroll along a winding path and enjoy holiday music and displays including Peppermint Woods, Gnome Knoll, Snow People Corner and a Tunnel of Light, among others.

New York

Holiday Train Show & NYBG Glow

New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY
Train Show: November 17–January 15
NYBG Glow: November 17–January 13

Marvel at model trains zipping through an enchanting display of famous New York landmarks—imagine the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Rockefeller Center, and other favorites—each delightfully re-created from natural materials such as birch bark, acorns, and cinnamon sticks.

Experience the magic of New York City’s longest outdoor illuminated color spectacle with NYBG Glow. See NYBG’s iconic sights and buildings come to life as dramatic, glittering canvases with the Haupt Conservatory and Mertz Library Building as the centerpieces. Colorfully lit paths and trees, thousands of dazzling LEDs, illuminated plant stories, and whimsical, picture-perfect installations reflect the surrounding gardens and collections—creating a spectacle not to be missed!

A Vanderbilt Holiday

Vanderbilt National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY
November 24–December 31, Thursday–Monday

The first floor of the mansion is decorated for a Vanderbilt holiday house party, including an extravagant new holiday buffet.

A Gilded Age Christmas

Staatsburg State Historic Site, Staatsburg, NY
November 24–December 31

Staatsurg is a 65-room mansion designed in the Beaux-Arts style. Enjoy Staatsburgh's beautiful interiors, with their original furniture, art and décor, lavishly decorated for the holiday season.

Holiday Classic Mansion Tour

Lyndhurst Mansion, Tarrytown, NY
November 27–December 29, Thurs.–Mon. 9:30–3:00

See Lyndhurst mansion transformed into an extravagant wonderland of holiday splendor. Described as one of the “Ten Best Historic Holiday Tours” by USA Today, Lyndhurst goes all-out during the holiday season, filling the mansion with elaborate tableaus of décor, which change every year. Dozens of Christmas trees are expertly decorated and designed to complement the elegant period furnishings within the rooms of the house. During this month only, the curators bring out rarely-seen items that belonged to Lyndhurst’s former owners. This is a once-a-year opportunity to see many of the glittering possessions that are usually tucked away in the archives.

Pennsylvania

A Longwood Christmas

Longwood Gardens, Kennet Square, PA
November 17–January 7, 10 am–11 pm

This holiday season, experience a radiance of retro, a bevy of bright, and numerous nostalgic moments with us. Marvel at playful trees draped in throwback baubles to shimmering tinsel to childhood-favorite toys. Stroll through a fab, festive holiday party scene decked out in mid-century magic. Reminisce amid a vintage Christmas street scene, make new merry memories amid dazzling, vibrant light displays—including some super-sized surprises—and revel in the retro fun at every turn.

Holiday Railway

Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia, PA
November 24–December 30

Visitors of all ages will be wowed by a quarter mile of track featuring seven loops and tunnels with fifteen different rail lines and two cable cars, nine bridges (including a trestle bridge you can walk under), and bustling model trains, all set in the lovely winter garden of the Morris Arboretum. The display and buildings are all made of natural materials – bark, leaves, twigs, hollow logs, mosses, acorns, dried flowers, seeds and stones – to form a perfectly proportioned miniature landscape complete with small streams. Philadelphia-area landmarks such as a masterpiece replica of Independence Hall are made using pinecone seeds for shingles, acorns as finials and twigs as downspouts.

Delaware

Yuletide at Winterthur

Winterthur, Winterthur, DE
November 18–January 7

The Yuletide tour at Winterthur showcases rooms in Henry Francis du Pont’s former home decorated in full holiday splendor, including specialty decorated trees that celebrate the garden, and du Pont family traditions. The displays are inspired by the traditions and festivities of the season as enjoyed by H. F. du Pont and his family. Special holiday programs throughout the season include Wonderful Wednesdays in December, evening events featuring live jazz performances, caroling, and workshops.

Noel at Nemours Estate

Nemours Estate, Wilmington, DE
November 14–December 30, Tuesday–Sunday 10 am–5 pm

Ever since 1910, when Mr. and Mrs. duPont began living in their newly built mansion, the holiday season has been a festive time at Nemours. The Christmas decorations at the Nemours Mansion are often inspired by the architecture of the home, the customs of the duPonts or the French influence.

Florida

Holiday Lights in the Gardens

Florida Botanical Gardens, Largo, FL
November 24 – December 31, 5:30–9:30 pm

The Florida Botanical Gardens Foundation invites you to attend its annual winter event, beginning the day after Thanksgiving and ending the first day of the new year. The Gardens will sparkle with 1 million, twinkling, LED lights in a multitude of colors. Vibrant laser lights and lighted figures round out our display to wow guests of all ages.

Lights in Bloom

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota, FL
Select dates – December 8–January 3

Step into a tropical winter wonderland at our Downtown Sarasota campus featuring more than two million lights, festive photo opportunities, activities & entertainment for the whole family to enjoy!

Johnsonville Night Lights in the Gardens

Naples Botanic Garden, Naples, FL
November 24 – January 7, 6:00–9:00 pm

What better way to celebrate winter in the tropics than with an annual lighted extravaganza awash in color? Stroll through the Garden and marvel at the beauty of our collections illuminated in thousands of lights.

Dazzling Nights

Leu Gardens, Orlando, FL
November 24 – January 6

Dazzling Nights is a magical holiday experience for everyone. Over a million lights will immerse you into the wonder of the holidays.

NightGarden

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens, Miami, FL
November 10 – January 8

Take a stroll through Miami’s breathtaking Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden at night! The beautiful 23-acre gardens have been transformed into an illuminated magical fairyland with technicolor flowers and unique sculptures. Step into this enchanted wonderland at NightGarden.

The Historic Gardens of Middleton Place

Middleton Place is the most famous plantation and oldest landscape garden in the Charleston area, set on a natural bluff overlooking the Ashley River. It has miraculously remained under the same family stewardship for over 300 years, and boasts an 18th-century garden planted with collections of camellias and azaleas.

henry middleton

First settled in the late 17th century, Middleton Place was acquired by Henry Middleton through his marriage in 1741. At its peak, the rice plantation was 7,000 acres in size. For 125 years, the property was the family seat of four successive generations of Middletons who played important roles in American History. Henry was the second president of the First Continental Congress; Arthur, an ardent revolutionary and signer of the Declaration of Independence, his son Henry became the Governor of South Carolina, and Williams was a signer of the Ordinance of Secession.

This gate welcomes you to the historic plantation. The plantation house and several outbuildings were burned by the Union troops in 1865, and further destroyed in the 1886 Charleston earthquake. A flanker building survived, and provided a home for the family after the Civil War.

Middleton descendant John Julius Pringle Smith embarked on several decades of property restoration in 1916. He hired New York architect Bancel LaFarge to design a stableyard complex built of brick that was salvaged from the ruined main house.

His wife, Heningham Lyons Ellett Smith, restored the landscape that had been neglected for six decades following the Civil War. Her efforts led the Garden Club of America to describe Middleton Place in 1940 as the “most important and interesting garden in America.”

In the early 1970s, 110 acres, including the flanker house, the gardens, and several outbuildings, were placed on the National Register of Historic Places and opened to the public. Today you will find a living museum with stable yards, carriage house, textile, carpentry, coopering and blacksmith shops, a mill, and a spring house on an estate of historic gardens and grounds.

The Gardens, which Henry Middleton envisioned and began to create in 1741, reflect the grand classic style that remained in vogue in Europe into the early part of the 18th century. A long reflecting pool greets you at the plantation entrance..

Henry Middleton was determined to outshine his neighbors, who were laying out neat four-square parterres. He adopted the principles of André Le Nôtre, the designer of Versailles to create a design based on rational order, geometry and balance with stunning vistas, focal points, and surprises.

Photo: Middleton Place

The most elaborate garden feature at Middleton Place is the terraced gardens with its parterres and “Butterfly Lakes.” With the help of an English gardener and a sizable crew, Middleton created a formal lawn bisected with a gravel carriageway leading to six shaped turf terraces with bowed centers. At the level of the river, a pair of  "Butterfly Lakes" were excavated on either side of a turf causeway, further prolonging the axis.

The lakes were flanked by the river, Mill Pond, and a levee that flooded the rice fields. This stunning feature was installed to impress visitors when viewed from the plantation house and from the river.

Photo: middleton place

Strolling gardens were created with allées of camellias, hollies and azaleas. The shrubs were sheared into green walls that partitioned off small garden galleries, green arbors and bowling greens.

Sculptures and benches were placed as focal points throughout the garden.

Here we see the Octagonal Sunken Garden, planted in spring with white tulips and blue pansies.

The wheel-shaped Sundial Garden reflects formal European garden design of the 18th century, and looks magnificent when seen from above.

An interest in botany continued in the Middleton family, and the gardens evolved as subsequent generations made their own contributions. Henry’s son Arthur befriended the French botanist André Michaux, who brought the first camellias to America in 1786. Three of those historic camellias are still growing in the garden, along with hundreds of others.

Arthur’s son, Governor Henry Middleton, planted many more camellias and introduced plants such as tea olives and crepe myrtles. He also filled greenhouses with exotics plants which gave the antebellum Middleton Place something of the air of a botanical garden.

Williams Middleton expanded the Gardens, incorporating romantic garden influences, and brought azaleas to the plantation, which now number over 100,000.

The azaleas are beautifully displayed on a hillside overlooking the Mill Pond. Although Middleton Place is lovely in all seasons, a visit in late March is particularly rewarding since both the camellias and azaleas are in bloom.

Photo: Middleton Place

Photo: middleton place

You will also find many historic live oaks on the property, including one that is almost 1,000 years old. As Andreas Feininger wrote in his 1968 book, Trees, referring to the specimens that he had seen at Middleton Place:

“No other tree combines as many virtues with fewer faults…the most beautiful, majestic, yet friendliest of all trees; the tree which as far as humans are concerned is the most rewarding not in terms of lumber and cash, but in the creation of an atmosphere of comfort, well-being and peace.”

Dripping with Spanish moss, these trees frame views of the river and of the pastures.

Twig Borers and Girdlers on Oaks

By Susan Clark, Board Member, Massachusetts Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society

Photo by bert Cregg, MSU

In mid to late summer the ground under our oaks is usually littered with terminal leaf clusters that seem to have been snipped off.  I always wondered what caused this loss of healthy twigs as it didn’t seem to be the wind twisting them off; the stems seemed smoothly cut, as though by a mysterious vandal high in the tree tops. I resolved to figure this mystery out and, once again, it’s amazing what a clumsy Google search can turn up. ‘Oak twig loss’ eventually explained the mystery and, no surprise, it turns out to be insect damage.

Two different beetles cause this twig loss in the Northeast. Both are members of the huge Longhorn Beetle family, Cerambycidae, with more than 35,000 species found world-wide. Most species, including the two in the Northeast, have distinctly long antennae (horns?) and eat plant tissue like twigs, stems, and roots. The taxonomy of these beetles is predictably complex and disputed. Curiously, the family name comes from Greek mythology, a story about an unfortunate shepherd, Cerambus, who was a master musician and probably invented the pan-pipes. He became dangerously conceited and eventually lost an argument with some nymphs he had offended with his song lyrics. He was transformed into a large wood-eating beetle with horns.

Photo credit: Tim R. Moyer, bugguide.net

Twig Pruner Beetles (genus and species names of this beetle are uncertain and different sites give very different names), are native long-horned beetles, ¾” long, brownish, slender and elongate. They have two posterior spines on each wing cover and their antennae are longer than their bodies. The Twig Pruner prefers oaks but also attacks other hardwoods, like dogwood, elm, honey locust, hickory, but around here it really favors our Red Oaks. When the oaks begin leafing out, these beetles lay their eggs at the tips of the host tree branches up to 1 inch in diameter, one egg per tip.  When the eggs hatch, the growing larvae, called roundheaded borers, which are the usual legless white with black heads, bore into the stems and tunnel down them. They winter over inside the twigs, continuing to feed again the next spring. In midsummer they cut around the inside of each branch, but leave the thin cambium layer and bark intact. Eventually the twigs’ weight or the wind snaps them off. Look at the end of a leaf cluster with a Twig Borer and you should see a hole in the inner pith plugged with frass (the beetle poop) to protect the overwintering larvae from predators. The larvae remain inside their now fallen stems, eventually pupating in the twig over the winter, to emerge as adult beetles the following spring when they will fly up into the host tree to lay the next generation of eggs.

Twig Girdler, Photo from Mississippi state university

A different long-horned beetle, Oncideres cingulata, girdles rather than cuts off the leafy twigs and it has a similar life cycle as the Borer. The Twig Girdler is about ¾” long but it is grey-brown with a lighter stripe across its wing covers (its elytra) and its antennae are about the same length as its body, not longer. Adult beetles emerge in late summer when the females girdle a twig and lay a single egg in the cut portion so their eggs can feed on the dying wood; these larvae don’t eat live wood, unlike the Twig Borer. The girdled terminal quickly falls to the ground that first summer. The Girdler Beetle can be identified by looking at the cut end with its smooth V-shaped outer cut and ragged torn inner wood, quite distinct from the Twig Borer’s cut appearance with the visible tunnel inside. The Twig Girdler larvae bore further into the fallen twig, spending the winter and the next spring inside until they pupate and emerge as adults to start the cycle again.

During late summer, the cut-off twigs, with their green leaves attached, litter the ground under infested trees or worse, they stay snared in unreachable branches, very noticeable and often long-lasting, and to the tidy landscaper, frustrating. Their remarkably persistent green leaves eventually brown but don’t drop off since no abscission cells form as they normally would each autumn for leaf drop. You can diagnose the source of these branches by their ends, a rather smoothly cut surface, very unlike any branches ripped off by the wind.

I have to confess I have never noticed nor identified either beetle; I only saw their littered handiwork. And in a cursory examination of the fallen leafy terminals in my yard, they all seem to be from the Twig Girdler, not the Twig Borer, so each clump of leaves lacks a central eaten-out tube and a frass plug. But I will look more carefully in the future. These beetles do not do much damage to healthy trees, only to the gardener’s peace of mind. The natural world continues to amaze and mystify, but at least I have finally solved another minor mystery.  

Longwood’s Chrysanthemum Festival: Horticultural Artistry at its Finest

As part of the Garden Bloggers Fling in September, our group of 100 garden writers were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the propagation greenhouses at Longwood Gardens. What a treat! I have been to Longwood Gardens many times in the past 10 years, and always wished to see the magic behind the beautiful displays.

Longwood’s annual Chrysanthemum Festival, held in October and early November, celebrates fall’s favorite flower in its many forms, hues, and varieties. During previous visits, I had marveled at the beautiful chrysanthemum displays, so was happy to see how they are created by Longwood’s designers and growers.

Chrysanthemum Festival is a distinct “season” in the Conservatory, when the Orangery, Exhibition Hall, and East Conservatory undergo a nearly complete transformations with an autumn color palette and thousands of mums. Preparations for the Festival begin more than a year in advance, when the designers finalize the  appearance of the displays and choose the Chrysanthemum varieties that will be grown. The team is led by Jim Sutton, who has been at Longwood Gardens for more than 20 years. In addition to fall colors, Jim tries to incorporate Asian aesthetic touches since mums are native to Japan and China.

Photo: Longwood gardens

While most of us are familiar with the potted mums sold at nurseries and grocery stores, modern chrysanthemums are actually divided into 13 classifications based on their flower form. In the floral trade, the decorative, pompon, daisy, spider, and football mum are some of the more common types seen in floral arrangements. The Chrysanthemum Festival includes all of these varieties in amazing displays that require labor-intensive grafting techniques developed more than 400 years ago in Japan and China. To learn these techniques, Longwood’s growers traveled to Asia to train with specialty chrysanthemum growers who are skilled in this dying art form.

Jim considers the Chrysanthemum Festival to be the most horticulturally challenging exhibit presented each year. The special hybrids that are grown for the Festival are not the regular garden mums or hardy outdoor mums that we are all familiar with, and require a lot of attention. We met Jason who has been the Chrysanthemum grower for the past 20 years. With the assistance of 6 seasonal employees and 6 volunteers, he cultivates that hundreds of mums that amaze visitors each year.

The process begins more than a year in advance with cuttings from stock plants. Some cuttings are grafted on two different stocks—either on chrysanthemum stock or Artemisia (Artemisia annua) stock. Artemisia is used because it has strong root system for summer heat, disease and insect resistance. Others are grown on their own roots. Once rooted, these young plants are potted in mid- to late-summer, depending on when they are scheduled to bloom. From then on, plants are fertilized, pruned, pinched, trained, and grown under lights to create various forms that are needed for the displays. Some are trained to be “single stems,” so that side buds are continuously pinched off to produce one giant flower. Others are disbudded to produce plants with five medium-sized blooms. The mums that require the least amount of work are the spray-style mums, which are allowed to retain all of their buds.

Cascade chrysanthemums have long been at the heart of the Chrysanthemum Festival. Longwood grows specialty mums (Chrysanthemum x moriflorum) that originated in China and Japan and are selected for their ability to create beautiful and lasting forms. These amazing plants can grow six feet in a season, are extremely flexible, can be adapted to many shapes and forms, and produce an abundance of small anemone-type blooms. They are used in the three-dimensional pieces such as columns, globes, swags,  and cones. We saw them trained into spirals, on v-shaped supports and obelisks, which have been fabricated by Longwood’s in-house welders.  These mums are capable of being grown down a metal frame, and then removed from the frame, brought into the Conservatory and hung from their pots down the columns.

An interesting training method is stem-breaking, which is used for creating spirals and cascade curtains. This ultra-meticulous method requires nerves of steel, because it is easy to snap the plant in half.  First, the pants are wilted, and then, using both hands, the stems are broken in multiple locations without rupturing the surface layers. The stems are then bent in the desired directions, wired to their frame and the plants are watered. Within hours the plants have mended with no lasting damage! Stem breaking is used throughout the entire vegetative growing season to create the incredible forms that you see on display.

A star feature of the Chrysanthemum Festival is the Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum. This is always a show-stopper, and takes more than 1,800 labor hours of growing, pruning, pinching and training. The plant reaches a diameter of 12-1/2 feet, barely able to fit through the Main Conservatory’s doorway. We did not get to see this plant during our tour, but you can read more about its cultivation on Longwood’s blog.

The Chrysanthemum Festival is definitely worth a visit! This year, it runs from September 30–November 12. Visit longwoodgardens.org for more information.

Autumn Splendor at Stonecrop

Stonecrop Gardens has become a destination for gardeners and students of landscape design since it opened to the public in 1992. I have visited several times in different seasons, and find it particularly striking in the fall.

Its founder was Frank Cabot, a financier and self-taught horticulturalist who began gardening to relieve the pressures of venture capitalism and ended up creating two of the most celebrated gardens in North America—Stonecrop in New York, and Les Quatre Vents in Quebec. He also founded the Garden Conservancy, and served as chairman of the New York Botanical Garden and advisor to botanic gardens in Brooklyn and Ontario.

the gravel garden with alpines and dwarf conifers

Stonecrop began as a private garden in 1958, when Frank and his wife, Anne, built their home on 60 acres in the Hudson Highlands at an elevation of 1,100 feet. They began to garden on the rocky site and soon developed a passion for alpine plants. Since choice alpines were hard to come by, they started their own alpine mail-order nursery. Although the nursery no longer operates, you will see many alpines in Stonecrop’s gardens and greenhouses, that available for sale. 

Tufa troughs with alpines and dwarf conifers

Over the years the Cabots’ garden grew to 12. In the mid-1980s, they began planning for Stonecrop to become a public garden that would inspire and educate other gardeners. They engaged English horticulturist Caroline Burgess, who had studied at Kew Gardens and worked for Rosemary Verey. Under Caroline’s direction, Stonecrop’s gardens have expanded in scope and diversity and now contain an encyclopedic collection of plants. Caroline continues to serve Stonecrop as its director today.

Caroline Burgess in the systematic garden

A visit to Stonecrop is a serious immersion in plants and design ideas. Plan to spend several hours with a plant list in hand. Some of the highlights include a cliff rock garden, woodland, and water gardens, an enclosed English-style flower garden, and systematic order beds representing over 50 plant families. 

Asters, dahlias and persicaria in bloom in the flower garden

The flower garden is an english-style cottage garden with color-themed beds

Inspiration may be found in all seasons, from the spring show of bulbs and the explosion of color on the cliff ledge, to summer’s profusion in the flower garden and the subtleties of fall foliage and fruit in the woodland. In late September when I visited, the flower garden was bursting with tall dahlias, asters, love-lies-a-bleeding, persicarias and other perennials and annuals.

The rock ledge was built from stone on the property as well as blasted rock from a road construction project. A lovely stone bridge lies across the pond, which is surrounded by weeping katsuras and cherries and a grove of metasequoias. Rock crevices are planted with dianthus, dwarf Lady’s Mantle, bergenia and sedums. A wisteria-covered pergola offers beautiful views of the pond and woodland.

The woodlands are carpeted with ferns, hostas, Goat’s Beard, Solomon’s Seal and sedges. In autumn, the acteas are lovely. Rodgersia frames a second pond with a 2,000-square-foot conservatory housing tender specimens, and display greenhouses of alpines, tropicals, and succulents.

Stonecrop, 81 Stonecrop Ln., Cold Spring, NY 10516 (845) 265-2000 www.stonecrop.org

Plant Colchicum Now for Blooms This Fall

by David Burdick

Last fall, I saw that Jana was presenting a program at the Berkshire Botanical Garden on FallScaping. Thinking she might somewhere in the presentation mention the autumn flowering bulbs of the genus Colchicum, I sent her the list of the ones I grow commercially in Western Massachusetts for mail order sales. After taking a look at it, she must have realized that I am a bit obsessed with them. Because many gardeners remain unfamiliar with them or are unsure of how to use them in their landscapes, she graciously offered me the opportunity to share a bit of what I know about these marvelously weird bulbs through her blog.

As a gardener in New England, I dread the coming of the first killing frost. All the tropicals in pots have to be moved in, and much of the riot of annual flowers that has made the growing season so colorful is abruptly gone. I soon realize though, that by no means is the garden or gardening finished for the year. Fall brings some of the bluest skies and nicest weather for working outside. Beautiful perennials like Sanguisorba canadensis, Vernonia and a number of asters continue to bloom. Others like Amsonia hubrichtii and Lysimachia clethroides have foliage that turns fantastic colors. We also see the appearance of the Colchicums, with their clusters of  4”-8” stemmed wine goblets in every shade from rosy-pink to purple and white magically mushrooming out of the ground seemingly overnight. Their flowers resemble Crocus, hence their common name of “Autumn Crocus.” They are marvelous.

colchicums at stonecrop garden in new york

Now for the weird. The fall-blooming Colchicums send up their blooms without any accompanying foliage. This has given rise to one of their common names “naked ladies”. Their wide, green, Hosta-like leaves arise from the ground very early the next spring, and continue growing until they yellow and die down in July. The flowering portion of their life cycle begins with flower buds poking through the ground starting in late August and continue through early October depending upon the cultivar/species.

During the dog days of August, very few gardeners are thinking about planting bulbs. It usually takes a few of those aforementioned frosts and a series of colder nights to get us warmed up to the idea. Yet it is the ideal time to plant the fall blooming Colchicum, and if done now or in the earliest part of September, one will reap their floral rewards in just a few weeks’ time (and so will the butterflies and bees that flock to them). Planting as soon as you can get them also helps with another bizarre aspect these autumn bloomers possess, which is that the bulbs will start the flowering process whether placed in the ground or on your windowsill, no soil or water needed. In fact, some people will occasionally choose to enjoy the flowers inside before finally incorporating them into their gardens. (I guess now is the time to mention that they also make nice cut flowers).

colchicum gioia brown

Be aware that if you are just noticing these bulbs for the first time and then head to the local nursery to purchase some, they may already have spent their bloom while sitting in their display boxes. They’re still viable, but you will have to wait until the following fall to see the floral show.

Up to now, I’ve been referring to the Colchicum as a bulb. To be botanically correct, it should really be called a corm. I’m not eager to go into specifics as to what the differences are, other than that corms (gladioli and the true crocus are also examples) completely replace themselves annually. The object you plant this fall will be totally used up, and if should you dig it up come the following July it would only be represented by a slim, slimy wafer of tissue with one, two, sometimes three-four replacements in its stead. The oddly shaped corms often have an extension from the bottom called “the foot”. Roots of newly planted corms do not come from the central bottom of the corm as one might expect, but rather emerge from the base of this “foot” and any other additional sprouting floral tubes the corm may produce. These shoots also include the rudimentary buds that will produce the leafy stems in early spring. Two floral tubes from a corm mean two new corms will develop to replace the original, three means three replacements will form, etc.

So how does one use them in the garden? Colchicums require a well-drained soil and prefer sunny locations. Incorporating them into herbaceous borders can be tricky, as the mass of leaves from established clumps can be quite substantial. I have successfully used them next to some of the classic late season perennials, especially ones like the ornamental grasses, Japanese Anemones, Russian Sages, or the smaller Joe-Pye Weeds, all plants that wait until the weather starts to warm before beginning their rapid growth stage. Place the corms at the perimeter of the foliage spread of their neighbor. The sunny spots at the bases of trees and in between shrubs display them well, and they will perform happily here provided that competition with surface roots is not an issue. Please, please do not fall victim to the old horticultural saw still being regurgitated that an ideal situation for them is amongst vinca minor, where “the green of the groundcover’s foliage provides the perfect foil for the emerging Colchicum blooms”. That design may look great the first time the newly planted corms flower, but be aware that the light conditions where vinca grows well does not grow colchicum well; they will soon dwindle away.

The nuances between all the kinds I choose to grow may involve their depth of color, whether the petals are checkered or not, time of bloom, length of flowering time, and foliage size. Here are a few of my favorites:

‘Disraeli,’ with bright, rich rosy-purple tulip shaped flowers treasured for their intense tessellation (darker lines of color that create a very attractive checkering pattern on the petals).

‘Poseidon,’ a bear of a grower with the longest flowering period of any we grow. Deep lilac.

‘Innocence,’a beautiful white that often will begin with petal tips colored with apple blossom pink.

‘World Champion’s Cup,’ broad lilac petals and what I call “walk by fragrance”. We are the sole US producers of this one.

Cilicicum, last to start blooming with short, funnel-shaped flowers and a delightful fragrance.

I only wish that I could get my hands on even more varieties, as there are lots of beauties in European gardens that I would like to trial, but sourcing from overseas has become almost impossible. As of now, I offer 20+ types through our mail order listing, and believe I am the only U.S. grower of a few of the varieties. My premier advantage is that I can begin shipping by the second week of August, where those coming from Dutch suppliers are never available before Labor Day. Ask for a list of everything we offer in the late summer/early fall by emailing me at david@daffodilsandmore.com or check out the website www.daffodilsandmore.com.

Bartram's Garden: The Home of America’s First Botanist

John Bartram was America’s first botanist, plant explorer, and collector. He compiled a stunning selection of flora at his home garden and nursery from plant collecting expeditions across eastern America, as well as through his trades with European collectors. Located on the west bank of the Schuykill River, Bartram’s Garden covers 45 acres. It includes his 1728 home and the historic botanical garden and arboretum that showcases North American plant species collected by three generations of Bartrams.

Bartram was a Quaker, a denomination that produced many naturalists at that time. He taught himself about plants through books and his own observations. His curiosity fueled a desire to collect plants from all over New England, as far south as Florida, and west to Lake Ontario. He collected seeds and plant specimens and established a relationship with another plant collector—London merchant Peter Collinson. Their plant swaps led to a burgeoning business. Prominent patrons and scholars in Britain were fascinated by the native American species, and were eager to purchase from Bartram’s Garden. In 1765 King George III appointed Bartram Royal Botanist. At home in Philadelphia, Bartram received both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

Bartram’s international plant trade and nursery business thrived under his descendants. Son William accompanied his father on most of his expeditions and became an important naturalist, author, and artist. William’s drawings of birds and turtles were used in publications in 1758. He transformed the garden into an educational center that trained a new generation of botanists and explorers. Granddaughter Ann Bartram Carr built a successful nursery business that introduced Asian plants to the American public.

The Bartram garden has many distinct areas to explore. In front of the house is the Ann Bartram Carr garden, which celebrates her Asian plant introductions such as peonies and dahlias. Behind the house are the kitchen, flower, and medicinal plant gardens. And beyond those are woodlands of trees and shrubs that were collected, grown, and studied by the Bartrams from 1728 to 1850. These are primarily native plants of eastern North America: flame azaleas, highbush cranberry, Carolina allspice, sweetbay magnolia, and more. A bog garden illustrates the Bartrams’ fascination with carnivorous plants. A separate area is devoted to plants William Bartram collected in the South, including bottlebrush buckeye and oakleaf hydrangea.

The garden also contains three especially notable trees:

Franklinia alatamaha: John and William Bartram discovered a small grove of these trees in October 1765 while camping by Georgia's Altamaha River. William eventually brought seeds to the garden, where they were planted in 1777. The species, named in honor of John Bartram’s friend Benjamin Franklin, was last seen in the wild in 1803. All Franklinia growing today are descended from those propagated and distributed by the Bartrams, who saved this tree from extinction.

Cladrastis kentukia (Yellowwood): A notably old tree, possibly collected by French plant explorer Andre Michaux in Tennessee and sent to William Bartram in 1796.

Ginkgo biloba: The Bartrams’ is believed to be one of three original ginkgos introduced to the United States from China in 1785.

The property continues to the edge of the river, where there are opportunities for water recreation. Native plants and those discovered by the Bartram family are available for purchase year-round in the Welcome Center.

Bartram’s Garden 5400 Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19143 (215) 729-5281 bartramsgarden.org

Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum

Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum is a wonderful place to visit from June to September, when the exquisite rose garden is in bloom.

The three families whose names were given to the Rotch-Jones-Duff House all shared close ties to New Bedford’s dominance of the whaling industry in the 19th century. The beautiful Greek Revival mansion was built in 1834 for William Rotch Jr., one of the wealthiest and most influential citizens of New Bedford. Rotch was a Quaker who had distinguished himself by helping to found several banks and schools. He built his house on a hill overlooking the port, with room for expansive gardens on the south-facing side of the property. Rotch had a tremendous passion for horticulture, with a particular interest in the cultivation of pears, which were a popular fruit in New Bedford at that time. He created a bountiful garden of vegetables, fruits, and exotic ornamental species brought back from whaling voyages. Rotch founded the New Bedford Horticultural Society. He shared his horticultural interests with his son-in-law James Arnold who would later become benefactor of the Arnold Arboretum. (Below: William Rotch, Jr and James Arnold and family)

Edward Coffin Jones, a successful whaling agent, purchased the mansion in 1851. The Jones family expanded the garden and added the Victorian pergola situated at the main axis of the ornamental gardens. Jones’s daughter Amelia Hickling Jones lived in the house for 85 years. Photographs of the garden from the late 19th century show the pergola covered with wisteria and parterre beds edged with boxwood and filled with roses, hollyhocks, and calla lilies. Amelia became a prominent philanthropist in the community supporting the arts and founding a children’s hospital. With no heirs, the property was offered for sale when she died in 1935.

In 1936 the property was purchased by successful businessman and politician Mark M. Duff whose fortune was made in whale oil, coal, and oil transportation. Duff hired Mrs. John Coolidge, a Boston landscape architect, to enhance the garden with ornamental beds, reflecting pools, and graceful walkways. Duff was extremely fond of tulips, and more than 7,000 bulbs were planted during the Duff tenure, which concluded in 1981.

Today elements of all three residencies remain. A massive copper beech, planted by Amelia Jones in the 1880s, greets you at the front entrance of the mansion. On the left side of the house, stone steps descend to the formal boxwood rose parterre garden, the star of the property. The best view is from the porch of the house, where you can clearly see the pattern. The 19th-century wooden lattice pergola punctuates the garden, and its intricate lattice work casts lovely shadow patterns on the ground below. An heirloom apple orchard is sited nearby.

The Garden Club of Buzzards Bay has been involved in restoring these and other gardens on the property since 1982.  In the southeast corner, the club has created the kind of naturalistic woodland garden that might have existed on the site in the late 19th and early 20th centuries while referencing modern horticultural and environmental practices. Here you will find trilliums, Tiarella, trout lilies, and Solomon’s seal in early spring. The club also operates the historic greenhouse and maintains an adjacent historic collection of about 50 boxwood specimens.

Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum, 396 County St., New Bedford, MA 02740
508-997-1401, rjdmuseum.org
Hours: May–Oct.: Wed.–Sat. 10–4, Sun. 12–4.

June Garden Tours 2023

June is the ideal garden tour month for the Northeast! Below is a listing of several tours open to the public. Please note that the information was provided by the organizations listed below. There are many additional Open Garden Days sponsored by the Garden Conservancy in New York, New Jersey and other states. Please visit https://www.gardenconservancy.org for more information.

Massachusetts

Highfield Hall and Gardens

Falmouth, By appointment
Highfield Hall and Gardens, http://highfieldhall.org
Ticket Price: $12
We invite groups to coordinate private tours of our gardens with our Landscape Director, George Chapman.

6/3 90th Anniversary Garden Tour

Holliston, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, Rain or shine
Holliston Garden Club, http://Hollistongardenclub.org
Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 on day of tour
Tickets available to purchase on our website. Pre tour price $25. Day of tour $30. Pick up tickets at the Holliston Library. Magnificent display and variety of 7 gardens in Holliston and one in Millis. Drawing at each garden for a $40 gift certificate to Fiske’s General Store.

6/4 Norfolk County Open Garden Day

NORFOLK COUNTY, 10 am–4 pm
Garden Conservancy, https://www.gardenconservancy.org/open-days/open-days-schedule/norfolk-county-ma-open-day\
Tickets: $10 per garden
Visit 2 private gardens in Needham and Milton

6/9–6/10 Artistry in Nature

Carlisle, 10 am–4 pm
Carlisle Garden Club, https://www.carlislegardenclub.org/
Tickets: $Seniors, 65+ $20, Adults $30. After June 5th, tickets are available at $35 online or in person.
Artistry in Nature features 6 fabulous private country gardens and 2 beautiful public gardens. Come experience the country and get fabulous ideas for using native plants in your garden!

You can pick up or purchase your tickets at Carlisle Town Common on both days of the tour between 10:00am-3:00pm. At that time you'll receive your booklet/guide to the gardens!

6/9–6/11 Boston Bonanza Weekend with the Conifer society

Massachusetts, various locations
American Conifer Society, https://conifersociety.org/news-events/event/ner-rendezvous-wakefield-estate/
The majority of the events for this weekend sponsored by the American Conifer Society are free - with a few workshops and Saturday night progressive dinner as paid ticketed events. 4 private gardens, a nursery, a local Arboretum will be featured as well as topics of interest to gardeners and people interested in learning more about conifers.

6/10 South Shore Open Garden Day

Cohasset, 10 am–4 pm
Garden Conservancy, https://www.gardenconservancy.org/open-days/open-days-schedule/south-shore-ma-open-day-2
Tickets: $10 per garden
Visit 3 private gardens in Cohasset

6/23 Secret Gardens of Marion

Marion, 10am – 3pm.  Rain or shine
Marion Garden Group, http://mariongardengroup.org/secret-gardens-of-marion/.
Tickets: $35 in advance, $40 on day or tour

A self-guided walking tour of 8 stunning public and private gardens throughout Marion, on the picturesque shores of the Southcoast of Massachusetts.  Visitors will enjoy a variety of garden styles including expansive waterfront vistas, intimate cottage gardens, hardscaping, container gardens and more.  Additionally, two gardens will feature local plein air artists, Jay Ryan and Barbara Healy from the Marion Art Center.

Secret Gardens of Marion tour starts at Bicentennial Park, 1 Spring Street, Marion,MA.  Tickets and tour maps will be distributed at Bicentennial Park.  Marion is located one hour south of Boston and 20 minutes northwest of the Bourne Bridge.The event is organized and managed by the Marion Garden Group (MGG). Those wishing to include lunch are invited to purchase a boxed lunch from partner restaurant, Kate’s Simple Eats.  A prompt to purchase lunch is conveniently accessible on the ticketing webpage. Please note dogs are not permitted.

The Marion Garden Group is an organization of Marion-area residents interested in gardening.  Its goals are to assist in the enhancement of the town’s parks and landscape projects and to further expand members’ knowledge of gardening through discussions and presentations by experts in the field.  The Secret Gardens of Marion tour is a bi-annual event that raises money for the beautification of town public spaces.

6/24 June In Bloom

Mattapoisett
Mattapoisett Woman's Club Garden Group, http://Mattapoisettwomansclub.org
Tickets: $30 before 6/23, $35 on day of tour

The public is invited to view several fabulous gardens selected for a variety of gardening styles.  Inspirations will await attendees who visit the various gardens— from formal to informal, woodsy to cottage, seaside to secluded. The gardens will highlight the use of annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, shrubs, trees, and beautiful container plantings.

6/24 Garden Oasis

Roslindale, 11 am to 4 pm
Roslindale Green & Clean, http://www.roslindalegreenandclean.org/
Tickets: $20

Roslindale Green & Clean hosts Garden Oasis, the seventh Roslindale Garden Tour on Saturday, June 24, 2023. Join us as we feature gardeners who have created oases of calm in each unique space. Each garden is a unique blend of perseverance and creativity, particularly impressive given the challenges of an urban setting. All of these private gardens will inspire you with their stories, design, and genuine love of nature. The proceeds of the tour benefit continued improvements to the public green spaces in Roslindale.

Connecticut

6/10 Through the Garden Gate

Manchester, 9:30 am - 3:30 pm, rain or shine
Perennial Planters Garden Club of Manchester, http://manchestergardenclubs.org/perennial_planters.htm
Tickets: $20
Through the Garden Gate Grab your sun hat and join Perennial Planters Garden Club of Manchester for their biannual garden tour, “Through the Garden Gate.” Visit six beautifully designed private backyard gardens in Manchester, including a secret garden near Case Mountain with a landscaped hillside with stone boulders, seasonal perennials, and a beehive collection. Check out an historic Greek Revival home with a hidden swimming pool, including a stone patio and sweeping gardens with roses and hydrangea. Another charming garden is graced with trellises covered in fragrant heritage roses. On a quiet street, wander around a large part-shade, part-sun perennial garden with an extensive collection of hostas. Also view a vibrant farmhouse herb garden and newly restored flower garden with beautiful stone patios. Date: Saturday June 10, 2023, from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM, rain or shine. Advance Tickets - $20 Day of Tour Tickets - $25 Tickets will be available starting mid-May at the following locations: • Garden Sales, 308 Oakland Street, Manchester • Woodland Gardens, 168 Woodland Street, Manchester • Highland Park Market, 317 Highland Street, Manchester • Highland Park Market, 1320 Manchester Road, Glastonbury Or, reserve your ticket online here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/manchestergardentour2023 Proceeds from this garden tour fund local horticulture-related non-profits and scholarships.

6/10–6/11 Art & Garden Tour

Northeastern Conn: Mansfield, Willington, Coventry, Ashford, 10 am–5 pm
Connecticut Art & Garden Tour, https://artgardenct.com
Tickets: Free

Visit nine professional artists' private gardens, many with additional guest artists. Bring your camera or sketch book. Find inspiration and discover treasures for your own gardens. Experience paintings, sculpture, pottery, woodwork, pyrography, photography, calligraphy, gourds, and other works of art. The gardens, which vary in style, include a woodland trail, acres of mountain laurel, two sculpture gardens, fountains, pools, a wildflower meadow, stone arches, paths, terraces and an abundance of flowers, shrubs, trees, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Art work, much of it horticulturally inspired, will be available for purchase. Individuals, families and groups are welcome. This relaxing self-guided tour through Ashford, Coventry, Mansfield and Willington in the beautiful hills of northeastern Connecticut is free. 

6/11 Fairfield & Hartford County Open Garden Days

Fairfield & Hartford Counties, 10 am–4 pm
Garden Conservancy, https://www.gardenconservancy.org/open-days/open-days-schedule/cheshire-county-nh-open-day-3
Tickets: $10 per garden
Visit 4 private gardens in Burlington, Westport and Riverside

6/17 Litchfield County Open Garden Day

Litchfield County, 10 am–4 pm
Garden Conservancy, https://www.gardenconservancy.org/open-days/open-days-schedule/cheshire-county-nh-open-day-3
Tickets: $10 per garden
Visit 6 private gardens including Page Dickey’s and Bunny Williams’ gardens.

New Hampshire

6/17 Cheshire County Open Garden Day

Chesire County, 10 am–4 pm
Garden Conservancy, https://www.gardenconservancy.org/open-days/open-days-schedule/cheshire-county-nh-open-day-3
Tickets: $10 per garden
Visit 2 private gardens in Westmoreland and Jaffrey

6/24 Hillsborough County Open Garden Day

Hillsborough Count, 10 am–4 pm
Garden Conservancy, https://www.gardenconservancy.org/open-days/open-days-schedule/hillsborough-county-nh-open-day
Tickets: $10 per garden
Visit 4 private gardens in Nashua, Milford and Goffstown

Kinney Azalea Gardens: Rhode Island’s Hidden Gem

The Kinney Azalea Gardens are a hidden gem—a private garden that grew out of the horticultural passions of Lorenzo Kinney, Jr, who moved there with his wife, Elizabeth, in 1927. The first azalea and rhododendron plants were planted shortly, with help from Lorenzo’s father, the first professor of botany at the nearby University of Rhode Island. Lorenzo inherited a love of horticulture from his father, and a love of plein air oil painting from his mother, who was URI’s first painting professor. Lorenzo was able to pursue both in the creation of his garden.

Azaleas became his passion after visiting Elizabeth’s native Virginia and seeing the extensive azalea plantings in southern estates. At that time, there were few azaleas available for northern gardens, so Lorenzo began collecting azaleas from the southern U.S. and from around the world, and hybridizing his own—a hobby that turned into a second career. His hybrids, known as the K-series, can be seen on the K Path in the garden. A beautiful peach hybrid is named in honor of Elizabeth.

With help from many high school and college students, Lorenzo planted five acres of gardens. One of those high school students, Susan Gordon, went on to earn a doctorate in plant sciences. She worked extensively with Lorenzo from 1976 until his death in 1994 at the age of 100. The gardens have stayed in the Kinney family, and visitors are still welcomed!

Dr. Gordon manages the gardens and continues to develop new hybrids. She has planted a sixth acre as Galle’s Footsteps, a series of five footprints, each devoted to an azalea hybridizer. The area is dedicated to the late Fred Galle, author, horticulturist and friend of Lorenzo’s. She has also created naturalized areas with native shrubs and perennials to preserve the biodiversity of the garden.

The azaleas are at their peak from mid-May to early June, when the garden is ablaze in pink, white, red and coral. There are hundreds of azalea and rhododendron cultivars, and collections of mountain laurel, boxwood, pieris, leucothoe, itea, calycanthus, and oakleaf hydrangeas. You will also find a stand of mature umbrella pines that was a wedding gift to Lorenzo from his parents, and a 10-foot circular moongate that was built by a local landscape architect and stonemason.

You can also purchase azaleas, rhododendrons, leucothoe, mountain laurel, and other shrubs, both in pots and as full-grown specimens from the garden. Cash and check only.

Kinney Azalea Gardens, 2391 Kingstown Rd. (Rte 108), South Kingstown, RI 02879, (401) 782-8847, kinneyazaleagardens.com. Admission by donation, open daily dawn to dusk, street parking.

Big Rhodys

heritage museums and gardens, photo by jana milbocker

By CJ Patterson

A number of years ago, I was selling a rhododendron to a citizen, and he was thrilled with it.  It was Calsap (Catalgla X Sappho), a large frilled white with a dynamite purple-black blotch, very showy. He had seen it in our flower show and was smitten.  He had asked about it, and was told “it will be hard to find”. As he picked it up to head for the cash register, I remarked “it gets big, so be careful where you site it.” He froze in mid-lift and turned.  “What do you mean, big?”

calsap, photo by jana milbocker

And so it begins. Breeding with R. yakushimanum, R. brachycarpum, and other compact, slow-growing hybrids has changed our aesthetics in the garden. Nowadays, if it isn’t a little green toadstool, no one knows what to do with it. We really do need to cultivate some creativity in our garden design. One of the most fun things about Rhododendrons is their sheer variety. Every natural plant form from hedging, groundcovers, and foliage accent to small trees can be found amongst the rhodys right along with the standard rounded green shrub. All it takes is a little imagination to use them.

photo by jana milbocker

My Calsap loving customer had a small suburban garden, and I think the term “gets big” suggested a giant shambling mound that would eat the dog. I admitted that Calsap could indeed fill that description, but that it would take it a number of years to make it to the dog-eating stage, and in the meantime, if he gave it a good site with a half day of sun, and regular deadheading, he could look forward to being the envy of the neighborhood for two weeks every year for quite a while. Personally, I like a really big rhododendron. Something about a tree-form rhododendron that you can stroll under is irresistible to me. Like an evergreen magnolia, only better because it’s a rhododendron. And then once a year, it blooms gloriously, not a flower here and there like the magnolia, but great masses of bloom. Anyone who owns a mature “Andy Paton” will know what I  mean. 

heritage museums and gardens, photo by jana milbocker

And they can be so useful.  Big rhododendrons can be used as accent plants, or hedging, or blocking a nasty view.  They are good for anchoring beds, be they wildflower, perennial, or rhody collection.  I speak here of the varieties that have a naturally upright growth habit, with a solid scaffolding of branches that can be pruned up a bit to allow for air circulation and “head space” for underplantings. But which to choose?  There are so many fine varieties to choose from!  In no particular order, here are some suggestions for a “big” rhody.  All are dependable healthy solid citizens, hardy to at least USDA zone 6, and several to zone 5 or lower.

cadis, photo courtesy cornell university

Cadis (Caroline X R. discolor) is an old Gable hybrid that has stood the test of time, and is now considered a standard. A sturdy upright grower with strong crotches, it will reach 6-8 feet in ten years and bears copious masses of candy pink flowers in late midseason, as shown in the picture to the right. It takes good disease and drought resistance from the pod parent Caroline (an earlier hybrid of Gable which is famous for its ability to turn away the slings and arrows of outrageous weather) and an upright tree form habit and later bloom period from the pollen parent, R. discolor.

Wyandanch Pink, courtesy ARS

Wyandanch Pink is one of the fastest and largest growing Dexter hybrids.  A mature specimen can have multiple upright trunks 4” or more in diameter. Add to this hardiness to at least USDA zone 5, and you have a good candidate for the colder garden.  It is one of the hardiest Dexters we can recommend for western Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. Its main flaw is that because it is such a fast grower and grows so large, that it can have brittle wood.  For this reason I do not recommend planting it under white pines or where it will catch the wind.

Spellbinder, photo by CJ patterson

Spellbinder is a very large growing hybrid by Leach {(R. maximum X Russell Harmon) X (R. calophytum X sutchuenense)} that was bred for a tree form plant. It has plenty of hardiness from the pod parent, and a solid tree form from the pollen parent to give a sturdy tall upright plant.  It does not root easily from cuttings, so it may take a little searching for, but I have seen it in nurseries. It is hardy in zone 5 and should have at least a few hours a day of sun to bud up well.

katherine Dalton, courtesy Cornell university

Katherine Dalton is a Canadian hybrid of R. smirnowii and R. fortunei and taking the best from each parent.  A healthy hardy strong growing plant, with good clean foliage and well clothed, a dense upright plant with a shared leader, very resistant to snow load and windstorms.  It does not set many seedpods and so does not need much deadheading, a happy characteristic in a plant you need a stepladder to deadhead.

Now we reach the varieties that, while splendid, may take a bit of searching, but they are totally worth the trouble.

Babylon, photo by CJ patterson

Babylon (R. calophytum X praevernum). This is a famous plant, found in many collections, but almost unknown in the standard nursery trade, probably because it takes a while to mature to a flowering specimen. To become a convert, try looking at the specimen plant at Sakonnet Gardens in RI shown in the picture to the right. It needs a sheltered position as it blooms very early, with enormous trusses of white with a large jewel red blotch cascading over the plant. It is hardier than you would expect from the parentage, and I have seen trusses from west of I-495 and from southern NH, but their growers have been careful to provide both light shade and good air drainage. Even so, late frosts may ruin your show, although it seldom injures the plant.

babylon, photo by CJ patterson

Atroflo I and II (R. atrosanguineum X floccigerum) Another antique from Gable that is an ideal beginner’s plant for a tall rhododendron. It is an excellent foliage plant with long slender leaves of dark green with fairly thick indumentum beneath. It flowers freely with at least a half day of sun, bright rose in a medium sized truss, and the petals look like they were made of crinkly tissue paper. Habit is upright to a fault, growing up before filling out.  Branches that touch ground layer easily and then reach for the sky, forming a separate leader.  An Atroflo neglected in a large planting will form a little woods of its own, shading out its neighbors. Unfortunately, mine never seem to get much more than 15 feet or so tall, but perhaps they are not ideally situated. Atroflo I was the first to be selected from the seedlot for floral characteristics, but later Atroflo II was selected as being not quite as tall, but hardier.  Other than that, they are nearly identical in the garden.

hardy giant, photo by cj patterson

Hardy Giant (R. fortunei X fictolacteum) One of the earliest attempts to produce a hardy tree rhododendron, this uses R. fortunei as a pod parent for hardiness and fictolacteum as a pollen parent for size, as it is a true tree species related to R. rex. Unfortunately, the enormous leaves of the pollen parent did not come through, but it did yield a handsome sturdy upright plant with good foliage (though not overlarge) and a growth habit that grows up about twice as fast as it grows sideways. It blooms in early midseason with ample trusses of white flowers tinged pink. Solidly hardy to zone 5b and probably more, given a sheltered position with good air drainage. Our first plant grew to 12 feet in 20 years from a cutting, almost twice as tall as wide.

Russell Harmon, photo by cj patterson

Russell Harmon is a hybrid of our two native broadleaves, R. catawbiense and maximum and was introduced by La Bar’s nursery in the 1950s. It is about as hardy as you will get in a large rhododendron, down to -25F or better, and once established, is pretty bulletproof for a tall rhododendron. It roots easily and does not seem to be much discouraged by drought, once established. Personally, I think this rhody would be the poster child for the term “abundanza”, growing ten feet tall and fifteen feet wide, and once it reaches its maximum height it will continue to grow sideways. When it reaches its allotted space, it should be pruned.  It will reward good light with very large trusses of magenta tinged flowers, not individually large, but plenty of them. It blooms late in the season, too late for most shows which is unfortunate, as its tall triangular trusses are much loved by judges.

duke of york, photo by CJ Patterson

Duke of York (R. fortunei X Scipio) Last but not least, one of my all-time favorite rhodys, an antique from the early days of hybridizing.  Large flowers of pink with a slight tinge of magenta in lax but copious trusses, on a taller than wide plant, it is a healthy and long-lived vigorous variety bred in England but completely hardy in zone 5b here. When I was still working at the Arnold Arboretum, I found three of them at the base of Hemlock Hill that had been planted nearly 100 years earlier and were still in wonderful shape, at least twelve feet high and still blooming prolifically. I was thrilled to find that it roots easily and grows like a weed, and brought cuttings to P4M, where others shared my enthusiasm. Unfortunately, I made the major error of mentioning the plants to a garden designer, and she enthusiastically rerouted a major footpath right over them. In vain did I point out that rhododendrons do not like having their roots pummeled by traffic and that a stream of callous visitors would pull the plants down and rip off their stems (“there are so many flowers, no one will mind if I take a few” and rip them off they will do. I never mentioned a plant to upper echelons again.) I have not been back in many years, so I do not know if they are still there, but if they are, they are worth the extra hike when you visit the arboretum. The variety is so tall growing that I decided to experiment with it. I planted four rooted cuttings as a little grove, and then stood back to see how they would grow. The good news is that they grew into a wonderful grove that I could walk unimpeded under as though it were a grove of trees. The bad news is the closed canopy is very dense, allowing little light to filter down, and you cannot even tell when the plants are flowering except from a distance. And, of course no wildflowers or companion plants will grow under them.

scintillation, photo by jana milbocker

So I recommend tall rhodys to you as an accent plant, a boundary fence, or a visual screen from the neighbors. Use your imagination. A friend and chapter member, Berta Atwater had a superb garden and grew many unusual rhododendrons, but she also grew many standards, but with extra flair. She grew a row of Scintillation and limbed them up when they got big enough, and planted a group of clipped white R. kaempferi underneath. Come bloom time, the effect was stunning, and out of bloom was very elegant. Unfortunately, eventually a hurricane came and trashed the planting, but it was glorious while it lasted.

CJ Patterson is Vice President of the American Rhododendron Society, Massachusetts Chapter, and District 6 Director of the American Rhododendron Society. She and her husband have been hybridizing rhododendrons since 1986.

Prepping your Peonies for Spring

By Dan Furman, Owner, Cricket Hill Garden

Spring is here and we in the northeast are just about a month away from peony season. All types of peonies have a well deserved reputation as tough, long lived perennials that put on ostentatious displays of colorful blossoms year in and year out. A little annual basic maintenance of established peonies will help ensure that they remain healthy and vigorous for years to come. Here at Cricket Hill Garden we have thousands of plants growing in our display garden, stock plant blocks and nursery. Here is what we do ensure that our plants are off to the best possible start.

peonies at cricket hill nursery

Clean up any old foliage from left over last year which can harbor disease. It's best to dispose of old peony foliage in the fall at the end of the growing season, but as with many things, better late than never. Since fungal pathogens can survive for long periods on old foliage, if possible discard old foliage outside of the garden unless you have a compost pile that gets hot.

fertilizer ring: a 'ring' of granular soil amendments including lime, azomite, and pro-gro fertilizer are applied around the drip line of a peony in early spring

All peonies like a slightly acidic to neutral pH. Many areas of the Northeast have acidic soils. Lime is used to ‘sweeten’ the soil and raise the pH. If you are in an area with acidic soils and it's been a while since you added any lime to your peonies, spring is a great time to do so. Sprinkle one cup of garden lime around the drip line of established peonies. Use less for younger plants. 

Depending on your soil, you may also want to fertilize your plants for increased blooms. Some are blessed with rich soil which delivers all the nutrients peonies need to grow and bloom well without any fertilization. At Cricket Hill Garden, we are not so lucky. Adding compost to the soil in your garden is an investment in the long term fertility of your garden. Like many good investments, it can take a few years to pay dividends as the nutrients filter down to the root zone.

For a more immediate boost, we like to apply a granular organic fertilizer in the early spring such as Pro Gro 5-6-5. We apply 1-2 cups of this fertilizer around the base of the plant and lightly scratch it into the soil. We also use Azomite, a crushed volcanic rock powder, contains 70 different minerals and trace elements. These micro-nutrients help facilitate healthy plant growth. We have found to be an excellent supplement for our peonies, other perennials as well as in the vegetable garden. Bone meal is high phosphorus fertilizer which is also good for peonies, but is best applied in early summer after the bloom. 

The soil amendments are lightly worked into the ground. This final step of ‘scratching’ the soil amendments and fertilizer into the ground is very important. If simply left on the surface, they will cake and not break down into the soil as quickly.

One green growth has commenced, we will begin fertilizing the peonies with Neptune’s Harvest. For area where fungus is an issue for us, we apply the organic fungicide Actinovate. This is only effective when the air temperature is above 40° F.  

Pruning Cut: cutting a stub of dead wood from above live buds waking up in early spring

For tree peonies, early spring is the best time to do any necessary pruning. First remove any crossed or damaged branches. Next weak and interior growth can be pruned out. Some tree peonies are prolific in sending new shoots from the ground. While some of these can be kept and allowed to grow, allowing all to grow will sap too much energy from the established stems. Thin out all but the strongest of this new growth. Many tree peonies are grafted onto herbaceous rootstock, which is liable to sucker. If you see a herbaceous peony incongruously growing right next to your tree peony, this is the sprouted root stock. Remove these suckers. Leaving them will weaken the tree peony.

suckering rootstock: the eyes of a suckering herbaceous rootstock emerging next to a tree peony stem. These should be removed.

One of the great debates around peonies is whether or not to mulch. It has clear benefits, but if done incorrectly can also have negative effects on the plant. The best materials are double ground wood chips, bark mulch, chopped leaves and ‘clean’ compost which is free of weed seeds. Wood Chips are less than ideal but actually the material we use most here at Cricket Hill Garden. The benefits of applying a 1-2” layer of mulch around your peonies are many fold. It will suppress weeds and retain moisture in the soil as well as build soil health as the material breaks down. The dangers of using mulch are that they can build up to too heavy a layer overtime, making it difficult for the new shoots of herbaceous and intersectional peonies to emerge in the spring. Another potential pitfall is to apply too much directly around the stems of the peony. This can cause this area to retain too much moisture and lead to disease problems. It is best to keep the ‘drip line,’ the area underneath the foliage of the plant, free of mulch. Beyond the drip line the mulch will serve all of its beneficial roles in the garden without posing a danger to the peony.

Wood chip mulch: A layer of wood chip mulch helps suppress weeds around a woodland herbaceous peony

Now that you have your peonies all prepped for the coming season, it is time to actually stop working for a little while and enjoy the fleeting beauty of spring in your garden!

Cricket Hill Garden offers tree peonies, herbaceous peonies and fruit trees by mail order and in their nursery.

Cricket Hill Garden, 670 Walnut Hill Rd. Thomaston, CT 06787, 860-283-9393, treepeony.com. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10 am-4 pm.

Spring in New England's Garden in the Woods

bloodroot

April is the perfect time to visit Garden in the Woods, New England’s living museum of rare and common native plants. It is also the home of the Native Plant Trust, whose mission is to conserve and promote the region’s native plants, and encourage both home and professional gardeners to choose natives when they plant outdoor spaces. 

great white trillium

trillium cuneatum

Garden in the Woods began in 1931 when Will C. Curtis, a self-trained botanist and landscape architecture graduate of Cornell University, purchased 30 acres in north Framingham. He began clearing, planting, and sharing his garden with others. When he opened the garden to the public in 1934, Curtis wrote: “I am bringing together all the Wild Flowers and Ferns hardy in this latitude and establishing them in natural environments where they can easily be reached and enjoyed by the interested public.”

As he entered his 80s, Curtis became concerned about the future of his garden in the midst of a busy city. In an agreement with the New England Wild Flower Society, he pledged to donate the garden if an endowment of $250,000 could be raised. Wild flower hobbyists from every state and Canada, along with 450 different garden clubs, conservation groups, foundations and businesses, heeded the call. On Curtis’s 82nd birthday in 1965, the deed was transferred to the Society. With the land came Curtis’ collection of nearly 2,000 native plant species. Within a few years, the Society moved from its Boston headquarters to the garden, added a nature center, and purchased 15 acres of adjoining land as a buffer from surrounding housing developments.

rue anemone

Erythronium, scilla and bleeding hearts

Today the Garden is the largest landscaped collection of wildflowers in New England, containing over 1,700 kinds of plants representing about 1,000 species, 200 of which rare and endangered. Ponds fringed by native blue irises, swamps with skunk cabbage, and a bog where carnivorous yellow pitcher plants catch flies illustrate the variety of Massachusetts habitats. Rare and common native flora create a changing tapestry of flowers and foliage throughout the seasons.

Mayapples unfurling their leaves

canadian anemone

The best time to visit Garden in the Woods is in the spring, when the blooms of trout lilies, squirrel corn, Virginia bluebells, pink lady’s slipper orchids, Canada violets, blue woodland phlox, twinleaf, and Jack-in-the-pulpits cover the forest floor. In late spring, rhododendrons and azaleas burst into bloom, followed by clethra and the legendary franklinia in summer. Curtis was a fan of white flowers, and you see them everywhere: white varieties of wild geranium, bluebells, Virginia rose, great lobelia and cardinal flower. Partridgeberry and red baneberry, which normally produce red fruit, here produce white.

marsh marigold

Since the gardens are planted with natives and maintained organically, they attract a multitude of butterflies, honeybees, and other insect pollinators, as well as frogs, turtles, black snakes, dragonflies, and birds.

painted turtles bask on a log

Although the plantings look spontaneous, most of the plants were raised from seeds cultivated at the Society’s Nasami Farm nursery and meticulously placed in the landscape. A wide selection of native plants is available for sale at the gift shop. You can also purchase plants at Nasami Farm from April to early October; Saturday and Sundays, 10-5, and weekdays by appointment. 128 North St., Whately, MA, (413) 397-9922.

Other gardens dedicated to native plants include Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve in New Hope, PA, and Mount Cuba in Wilmington, DE. New York Botanic Garden and Stonecrop in New York, Jenkins Arboretum in PA and Leonard J Buck garden in Far Hills, NJ also have many natives. Other native plant nurseries include Native Landscapes in Pawling, NY, and Earth Tones Native Plants in Woodbury, CT.

The Longstalk Holly

By Joan Butler

Longstalk holly (Ilex pedunculosa) is a unique and beautiful addition to the home garden. This large evergreen holly, native to China and Japan, was first grown in North America from seeds planted at the Arnold Arboretum in 1907. It has proven to be long-lived and extremely cold tolerant, with some of the original specimens still gracing the Arboretum landscape. It is dependably hardy through Zone 5. In my garden, it has survived temperatures as low as -10 degrees with ease.

Like all hollies, it prefers a well-drained, slightly acidic soil. It thrives in partial shade and has no serious pest or disease problems. Its smooth, green leaves are 2-3 inches long x 1 ½ inches wide, with a satiny sheen and gently rippled edges that catch the light.

Its most unique feature is the bright red berries that hang from one- to two-inch long slender stalks (pedicles), resembling tiny cherries. These fruits (drupes) are one-quarter inch in diameter and ripen in early fall. They persist on the plant well into winter, until they are eaten by birds and other wildlife. As is common in hollies, both male and female plants are needed in order for the female to set fruit.

My own longstalk hollies were planted over 25 years ago. They were slow-growing at first, then hit their stride and are now 12-foot tall beauties that add grace and distinction to my shrub border (upper right in photo). Their long branches are very supple, and it is amusing to watch squirrels as they try to inch their way along the swaying branches to nibble on the tasty fruits. Towards the end of winter, the only berries left uneaten are at the very tips of the branches, and I have seen robins on the ground attempting a weird jump/fly up to a low branch to grab a berry on their way down.

The longstalk holly is surprisingly under-used in the home landscape. Its lustrous, wavy leaves add depth and motion to the garden as they catch the light of the sun. Its shiny red, dangling berries add unique beauty and provide food for birds. Its graceful form adds elegance to the shrub border. In his book, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, Michael Dirr calls it “the most handsome of the evergreen hollies that can be grown in northern gardens”. Easily grown, with few pests or diseases, and beautiful in all seasons, longstalk holly deserves a place in every home garden.

Japanese Umbrella Pine: A Living Fossil for the Winter Garden

One of the most beautiful evergreens for the winter garden is the Japanese Umbrella Pine (Sciadopitys verticillata), a slow-growing specimen that always attracts attention. It is an elegant conifer with long, thick, lustrous needles and a fascinating history.

The Umbrella Pine is actually not a pine at all.  It is a coniferous evergreen that is now classified in its own family, the Sciadopitaceae. The Umbrella Pine can be traced to the Triassic period, some 250 million years ago, when the continents were joined and much of North America was near the Equator. At that time, the Japanese Umbrella Pine and its then-numerous relatives flourished in what is now Eurasia, northern Europe and northern North America. But as the continents moved and flowering plants replaced conifers, the Umbrella Pine’s range and species diversification shrank. Today, this once successful family is reduced to just one species growing in the cool cloud forests of central Japan at elevations of 1,500-3,000 feet.

Enthusiasts and collectors of unusual and historical specimens consider the Umbrella Pine a “living fossil”. A living fossil is any living species of plant or animal with no known close relatives outside of the fossil record. Growing a living fossil in the home garden is one way to help preserve rare or endangered plant species since it increases their geographic range. Other trees that are considered “living fossils” include the ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia), and Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria araucana). For more examples of living fossils, visit the Arboretum at Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, Conn., which displays more than 250 species and cultivars of trees and shrubs from the Dinosaur Age.

Japanese umbrella pines frame the entrance to the dinosaur state park in rocky hill, Ct.

Francis Parkman, a Boston historian with a passion for gardening, was the first to grow this conifer outside Japan.  In 1861, he was sent the first Umbrella Pine - along with the first Japanese maples to be grown in America - by George Hall, an Oriental trader. Parkman named this unusual conifer Japanese Umbrella Pine because the whorl of stiff flattened needles at the end of each shoot resembles the spokes of a Japanese umbrella.

Although the Umbrella Pine has a narrow growing range (Zones 5-7), it is an ideal tree for much of New England. It enjoys moist, acidic, well-drained soil, full to part sun, a sheltered location, and is not subject to diseases or pests. In nature, it grows as a 120-foot tall tree with a dense, symmetrical growth habit and reddish-brown bark that exfoliates in shreds. In the garden, it is very slow growing - often making only 6 inches of growth a year to a height of 25-40 feet. The luxuriantly rich evergreen needles are 2 to 5 inches long.

As the tree ages, 3- to 6-inch-long oval-shaped, brown pine cones will appear. Even the pine cones are slow growing – they take almost two years to mature after pollination. Because of its slow growth rate, the Umbrella Pine can be used in rock gardens. It makes a unique addition to the home landscape as a specimen or lawn tree, or even as part of a foundation planting. Attractive, unusual, but somewhat pricey, this long-lived conifer will be a prominent focal point in any garden setting.

Japanese umbrella pines frame a collection of azaleas at the kinney azalea Garden

New cultivars from Iseli Nursery include ‘Joey Cozy’, an upright, narrow variety that grows to 20’ high and withstands snow load due to its shorter branches. ‘Picola’ is a dwarf variety which grows to 4’, and ‘Richie’ grows to only 12’ high and features yellow spring growth.