MARCH 2OO6 $5.99/ $6.99 CAN. Garden Furniture for La Dolce Vita Take-Home Ideas from Paradise: Morocco’s Secret Gardens Spring-Fresh Outdoor Rooms in Atlanta, L.A., St. Barts WAYHOT1OO Chocolate grass, black cannas, perfect container plants Coolest plants for 2006— brand new and breakouts
“Whenever I visit my favorite local nursery to look for plants or ideas, I can immediately spot the Monrovia plants— fantastic specimens and a wide range of varieties. They always inspire me to try a new combination.” –Mark Rios Monrovia Style: Presents THE BOUNDARY BREAKER Mark Rios, Landscape Architect and Architect. Mark crosses the lines between open and enclosed spaces, natural and geometric, hard and soft, using plant material to create memorable modern spaces. Monrovia Style™: Creating distinctive gardens ...
one plant at a time. www.monrovia.com Ceanothus x 'Blue Sapphire' Blue Sapphire Ceanothus
A gardener’s autumn begins in March, with the first faded snowdrop—KAREL CAPEK GARDEN DESIGN 3 On the Cover Just one of our Way Hot 100, Carex ‘Milk Chocolate’ is a trendy chocolate-colored sedge (story begins on page 55). Photo by Tom McWilliam. 55Way Hot 100 A sizzling collection of the best new plants for 2006 as discovered in private trial grounds and horticultural trade shows or recommended by our green-thumb designer friends. BY JENNY ANDREWS AND RAY ROGERS 68 L.A. Soul Bohemian chic and an English sensibility come together to create this alluring and distinctive private retreat in Bel Air, California. BY DONNA DORIAN 78 Return to Paradise A trip to the gardens of Morocco with landscape architect Topher Delaney was an inspiring education in an ancient design tradition for style editor Donna Dorian. 88 The Green Room An Atlanta plant collector’s passion for accumulating Japanese maples is balanced by his sophisticated eye for scale and detail. BY DAVID MCMULLIN Features 55 88 68 contents MARCH 2006 78
4 MARCH 2006 Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart—VICTOR HUGO POSTAL INFORMATION GARDEN DESIGN, NUMBER 136 (ISSN 0733-4923), is published 7 times per year (January/February, March,April, May, June/July, September/October, November/December) by World Publications, LLC, P.O. Box 8500,Winter Park, FL 32790. ©Copyright 2006, all rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without consent of the copyright owner. Periodicals postage paid at Winter Park, FL, and additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S.: $23.95 for one year, $39.95 for 2 years. Canadian subscribers add $6.00 per year, foreign subscribers add $12.00 per year. For subscription information, please call 800/513- 0848. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GARDEN DESIGN, P.O. Box 421145, Palm Coast, FL 32142-1145. For faster service, please enclose your current subscription label. Occasionally, we make portions of our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services we think may be of interest to you. If you do not want to receive these offers, please advise us at 1-800-513-0848. EDITORIAL: Send correspondence to Editorial Department, GARDEN DESIGN, P.O. Box 8500,Winter Park, FL 32789; E-mail: [email protected] welcome all editorial submissions, but assume no responsibility for the loss or damage of unsolicited material. ADVERTISING: Send advertising materials to RR Donnelley & Sons Company, Lancaster Premedia Center,Attn: Garden Design Ad Management Module, 216 Greenfield Road, Lancaster, PA 17601. Phone: 717-481-2851. Retail sales discounts available; contact Circulation Department. Following are trademarks of GARDEN DESIGN and World Publications, Inc., and their use by others is strictly prohibited:The Golden Trowel Awards; Dirt; Growing; Style; Sage Advice; Details. Departments contents 24 11 Dirt The old world of terrariums is new again, outdoor rugs, self-help for plant addicts, a tulip museum, a favorite magnolia, letter from New Orleans. 28 Decor A luxurious adobe-style outdoor living space on St. Barts. 32 Style Hot Italian style for la dolce vita. 36 Growing The wild, wildWest—California native plants for a homegrown Mediterranean look. 46 Groundbreaker Don Shadow of Tennessee, the man behind the plants we all know and love. 50 Abroad English garden hotels that serve up luxury and horticultural delights. 96 Sage Advice Jack Ruttle’s seasonal advice, expert insight on the art of espalier, a cool front garden in Austin,Texas. 112 Details Paris in spring is a simple affair. For more, check out www.gardendesign.com. 11 28 32 36 46 100
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Bill Marken EXECUTIVE EDITOR Joanna Fortnam ART DIRECTOR Michael Bessire STYLE EDITOR Donna Dorian MANAGING EDITOR Jenny Andrews PHOTO EDITOR Jason Upright COPY EDITOR Nancy Ogburn ONLINE EDITOR/WEB PRODUCER Brent Schmierbach SENIOR ADVISER Ken Druse HORTICULTURAL CONSULTANT Jack Ruttle CONSULTING EDITORS Charles Birnbaum, Dr. Marc Cathey, Ruth Chivers, James David, Dick Dunmire, Amy Goldman, Richard Hartlage, Christy Hobart, Adam Levine, Michael MacCaskey, Deborah Madison, David McMullin, Denise Otis, Diane Dorrans Saeks, Ivette Soler, AltaTingle, EmilyYoung PUBLISHER DianeTurner, 407/571-4883 ADVERTISING SALES NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Lisa Lawn, 407/571-4916 HIGH-DESIGN TRADE Jason Champion, 321/806-9946 HOME FURNISHINGS & ACCENTS MANAGER Jodi Bech, 407/571-4600 GREEN GOODS & PLANT MATERIAL MANAGER Meshele Conley, 407/571-4797 SALES ASST./PROJECT MANAGER Laurie Sanders, 407/571-4541 MARKETING MARKETING DIRECTOR Leslie Brecken, 407/571-4668 EVENT MARKETING DIRECTOR Katherine Haack MARKETING MANAGER Jennifer Reiser, 407/571-4788 GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jennifer Collier ADVERTISING DESIGN DIRECTOR Suzanne Oberholtzer ADVERTISING SERVICES/ PRODUCTION MANAGER Krista-Lise Endahl ADVERTISING ARTISTS John Digsby, Monica Alberta, Laura Peterson, LindsayWarden RESEARCH DIRECTOR Heather Idema CORPORATE ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE SALES Russ Cherami, 212/219-4636 NEW YORK OFFICE Advertising Sales, 212/219-7400 WINE AND SPIRITS MANAGER/NORTHEAST: John Horan, 212/219-7413 TRAVEL MANAGER/SOUTHEAST: Rick Johnson, 212/219-7413 FINANCIAL SERVICES AND LUXURY MANAGER: Eleanor Dixson-Hobbs, 212/219-7476 REGIONAL OFFICES MIDWEST: Maureen Grady, 773/281-0559 DETROIT: Focus Media & Marketing, 313/670-0553 TEXAS/SOUTHWEST:Weikel Media LLC, LucindaWeikel, April Bliss, 214/824-9008 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA/NORTHWEST: Publicitas North America, CarolynWare, 415/624-2400 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: MediaCentric Inc., StevenThompson, 415/435-4678 CANADA: Impact Media Group Inc., Allan J. Bedard, 416/679-9600 MEXICO:Towmar, Lucy Gastulum, 011/52-5-395-5888 PRESIDENT Terry Snow CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Jo Rosler DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE SALES Russ Cherami ADVERTISING CONSULTANT Martin S.Walker VICE PRESIDENT/CIRCULATION Bruce Miller CIRCULATION BUSINESS DIRECTOR Dean Psarakis CONSUMER MARKETING DIRECTOR Leigh Bingham SINGLE COPY SALES DIRECTORVickiWeston DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PeterWinn DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION OPERATIONS Lisa Earlywine DIRECTOR OF NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES Jay Evans DIRECTOR OF NETWORK & COMPUTER OPERATIONS Mike Stea CONTROLLER Nancy Coalter CREDIT MANAGER Dinah Peterson DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES Sheri Bass COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR DeanTurcol PUBLICATION AGREEMENT NO. 1685317 CANADA RETURN MAIL: 4960-2 WALKER RD, WINDSOR, ONTARIO N9A 6J3 CUSTOMER SERVICE: For subscription-related queries, call: 800/513-0848; write: P.O. Box 421145, Palm Coast, FL 32142-1145; For editorial or advertising correspondence, write: P.O. Box 8500, Winter Park, FL 32789 e-mail: [email protected]: or fax: 407/628-7061.
from the editor IN CALIFORNIA’S SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS, NOT FAR FROM where I grew up, there’s a mysterious, isolated ecosystem called Bonny Doon. I should add that this is near a locally famous tourist attraction in the redwoods called the Mystery Spot, where the “laws of physics and gravity cease to exist.” Is the proximity just a coincidence? I don’t know since I have been able to resist the Mystery Spot’s alluring bumper stickers and claims (“highest dielectric bicosmic radiation known anywhere in the world”) and have not visited the place. In the sandy hills of the Bonny Doon ecosystem you will find native flora that a bumper sticker might describe as “climate-defying” and “unique in the universe.” You will see wild plants that do not grow elsewhere— the Ben Lomond gnarly red-trunked manzanita or a dwarf, silver-leaf lupine, for instance.There also are ponderosa pines, the common tree of the Sierra Nevada Range, which is hundreds of miles away and thousands of feet higher in elevation, as well as heathers that normally grow at the beach.What are those plants doing here? Short version of a long, long story: It has something to do with an ancient seabed and other geological mysteries. I guess my point is: If plants could talk, they would have fascinating stories to tell. I asked JennyAndrews, our managing editor and Queen of Hot Plants, about the stories behind the Way Hot 100 in this issue. She told me,“100 plants, 100 stories.” Maybe I should have asked when she wasn’t swamped putting together the story.Just a few plant stories from our Way Hot 100: Liquidambar styraciflua‘Slender Silhouette’ was introduced by plantsman Don Shadow (profiled on page 46).The original tree, discovered growing along railroad tracks, was 60 feet tall and only 3 feet wide. Sad to say, it was cut down recently, probably by someone who doesn’t listen when plants talk. Kniphofia‘Green Jade’ has a circuitous story that goes back to 1707, when redhot pokers were first brought back from Africa to England, then kept in greenhouses until the 1840s, when they moved outdoors and a century later became a fixture of neglected California gardens.This lime-green form, introduced by Beth Chatto in 1968, originated as a seedling in an English garden.Today it’s a star in the catalog of Digging Dog Nursery,Albion, California. Euphorbia‘Diamond Frost’, from ProvenWinners, was almost passed over in the breeding selection process in Germany, until someone noticed a hanging basket with an exceptional plant—covered with small airy flowers. Colocasia‘Nancy’s Revenge’ must have an interesting story to tell. Or maybe it’s just an example of the talent of Plant Delights Nursery to create catchy names. Read about them, grow them, listen to them—check out all of 2006’s coolest plants, beginning on page 55.—BILL MARKEN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF If these plants could talk correction TheWeb site address for Golden Trowel amateur winners Matt Proctor and Aixe Djelal’s company was incorrectly listed in the January/February issue.The artists’ work—elegantly edgy cast-aluminum objects for the home, garden and commercial spaces—can be viewed at www.meltmodern.com. I had to go back to that house…to see if camellias were in bloom—LUCINDA WILLIAMS
All good work is done the way ants do things: little by little—LEFCADIO HEARN GARDEN DESIGN 11 dirtTERRARIUMS | OUTDOOR RUGS | RALPH MOORE | TULIP MUSEUM | ATHENS SELECT TerrariumTales went on their way, into oblivion. Until now. In March 2005, as a first-time visitor to the Philadelphia Flower Show, I was surprised to see a gathering of terrariums.They had shed their lamp shades but were present in strength, some sporting single plants and others, whole ecosystems of small, humidity-loving plants like moss, ivy, ferns, miniature sinningias, pitcher plants (sarracenia) and flame violets (episcia). Although all sorts of plants can make a miniature world—for example an open terrarium of cacti and succulents makes a Lilliputian desert—the terrarium is traditionLIKE AFROS AND DENIM FLARES,TERRARIUMS were big in the seventies. But who today under the age of 40 remembers the giant wine bottles with impossibly narrow necks that fanatical Terrarium People filled with plants and fashioned into table lamps with orange hessian shades? Or the brandy snifters displaying an African violet? History records that gardeners soon abandoned this demanding cult and turned back to hand-size tools and human-size plots. But legend has it that some of the most loyal Terrarium People held onto their tiny forks and tiny spoons lashed to chopsticks and Garden designer Paula Hayes stirred interest in Manhattan fine-art circles with her duodenum-like glass vessels (handblown by Jeff Zimmerman).“I was attracted to the idea of taking care of a tiny world, like a dreamscape,” she explains.“A terrarium is art combined with science.” Biospheres cost $2,400 to $10,000, depending on size. From Salon 94 (646-672- 9212, www.salon94.com) or R 20th Century (212-343- 7979,www.r20thcentury.com). See wwwpaulahayes.com. Growing plants in a too-small container may sound eccentric, but the results are captivating RICHARD FELBER
12 MARCH 2006 There are no passengers on spaceship earth.We are all crew—MARSHALL MCLUHAN dirt ally an enclosed environment. Victorian doctor Nathaniel Ward was the first to devise one—to transport specimens by sea from plant-collecting expeditions. He discovered that a sealed glass case could form a self-sustaining environment for plants, since the water the plants transpired condensed inside the case and was reused.Today, in homes where air-conditioning and heating systems can mean slow death for plants, the idea is still timely. Charlene Marietti of Medford, New Jersey, and Martha Miller of Newark, Delaware, are both experienced terrarium gardeners. Marietti grows sinningias—a relative of African violets,with delicate nodding flowers and rosettes of leaves that tend to die back in too-dry environments. Miller has found that carnivorous pitcher plants are a perfect subject for terrariums (and give rise to such irresistible names as Little Bog of Horrors and the Terrarium of Terror). She recommends compact varieties such as ‘Dixie Lace’ and‘Mardi Gras’. Bad puns aside, the appeal of one perfect plant or a lush tropical landscape encapsulated in a bubble of glass is timeless and has sparked a popular resurgence for the terrarium, with hybrid forms appearing in art galleries and florists’ shops.Wrestling with ship-in-a-bottle tools is not a requirement—in fact, most terrariums at the show had wide mouths for easy access—but the challenge is to find a good container. Goldfish bowls and large pickle jars work well. Florists’ suppliers sometimes offer large apothecary-style jars, and Smith & Hawken has Victorian-style terrariums on its Web site. Marietti also recommends browsing flea markets, and if you’re a beginner the seventies brandy snifter is not to be sneezed at.—JOANNA FORTNAM top terrarium tips Almost any clear container can be made into a terrarium, but it must be waterproof. To create a humid environment, the container should have either a small mouth or a cover to regulate the humidity. To encourage bushy plants, snip their growing tips but do not fertilize. If plants look undernourished use a liquid houseplant fertilizer at onefourth strength. Never place a closed terrarium in full sun or risk cooking the plants. Don’t allow leaves to rest up against the glass, and remove decayed leaves immediately. If algae forms on the glass, clean it with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. If the glass mists over or you see large water droplets forming, leave the lid off for a day. It should be possible to leave a terrarium unwatered for a month or longer. When the terrarium looks dry, lightly mist the plants to freshen them up. Never allow more than 1 ⁄4 inch of water to collect. For advice by Bonnie Monte on plants and terrarium care, see www.smithandhawken.com/html/ features/archives/2003/cs_under_glass/ cs_under_glass1.jhtml. fyi For the Philadelphia Flower Show, see www.the flowershow.com. Below:TheTerradome Terrarium in clear acrylic is the modernist answer to the Victorian glass case. From Design Within Reach, $108. See www. dwr.com. Above, right: Atlanta-based florists Pollen tweaked the terrarium into a bouquet alternative. Charming landscapes in a jar include bronze snails, eggs and other artifacts and make great table centerpieces. Call 404-262- 2296 or see www. pollenatlanta.com.
14 MARCH 2006 The tulip’s petals shine in dew, all beautiful, but none alike—JAMES MONTGOMERY dirt TULIPS ARETIM SCHIPPER’S LIFE.DITTO FOR SJOerd van Eeden and Carlos van der Veek.That’s why, when a quaint little shop in Amsterdam just across the street (or canal, actually) from theAnne Frank House became available, the three friends immediately made the leap and created the AmsterdamTulip Museum. Exhibits cover tulipomania, the 17th-century frenzy during which Dutch investors gambled tens of thousands of dollars or more on a single bulb. But this intimate museum also chronicles tulip-farming heritage—displaying field tools and archival photos of those furniture ASYMMETRY Knoll, the design firm founded in 1938 that pioneered modernism in the workplace, recently announced the introduction of a lost American masterpiece, Harry Bertoia’s Asymmetric Chaise. Bertoia is widely known for his iconic Diamond Chair, which in 1952 moved the history of furniture design a giant step forward through its use of industrial wire rods.Also born in the early 1950s, the Asymmetric Chaise was its sibling. But while the Diamond Chair is still virtually ubiquitous in modernist outdoor room settings and cafés, the chaise, thought to be prohibitively expensive to produce, has languished in prototype for the past five decades. Looks like Knoll might be up to something big.—DONNA DORIAN For more information, call 800-343-5665 or see www.knollspace.com. rugged ancestors who wrestled enchanting flowers from Dutch sand. In addition to tulipemblazoned everything, the shop offers Colorblends’ bulbs (Tim Schipper’s U.S. company), approved for USDA import to fetch home a living souvenir such as ‘Mayday’, which is as close as you can come to the streaked tulips that provoked Holland’s 1630s version of the gold rush.—TOVAH MARTIN Call 011 31-204210095, or see www.amsterdamtulipmuseum.com. places Tiptoe thruTulipomania In its shop, the AmsterdamTulip Museum (above) sells all things tulip, including original artwork (left) and packaged bulbs poised for planting (below). TOVAH MARTIN (3)
RALPH MOORE, REGARDED AS THE FATHER OF modern miniature roses, turned 99 in January 2006. Hailed by rose experts as a living legend, Moore began breeding roses over 75 years ago and estimates he has created 1,000 new varieties, with 150 patented. “I started early in my life and have lived a long time,” he says. “Rose breeding is a combination of science, art and luck, and I’ve just been very lucky.” Moore still owns and operates Sequoia Nursery in Visalia, California. Tom Carruth, a renowned rose breeder with Weeks Roses in Upland, California, freely credits Moore’s work.“Ralph Moore is the most influential living rose breeder we have,” he says.“We wouldn’t have striped roses today if it weren’t for Ralph Moore.” Moore’s fascination with roses started when at age 3 he gazed up at roses in his mother’s garden. In high school he grew roses to sell and later worked at several nurseries. He even approached the great horticulturist Luther Burbank for a job, who said there were 20 other people in line first but he would be glad to meet the young man if he visited Santa Rosa. In 1927, Moore did meet Burbank, who discussed his research and gave Moore one of his own roses,‘Santa Rosa’. When Moore started his breeding work, only a handful of miniature roses existed. Then in 1933, a red miniature ‘Oakington Ruby’ was discovered in England and Moore obtained a plant. It became the foundation of his breeding program. Because miniatures were very difficult to breed (most were sterile), he used pollen from species roses, most notably Rosa wichurana and an orange floribunda. The combination of crosses, with subsequent backcrosses to parent plants three and four generations later, formed the basis for the miniature roses we enjoy today. Moore estimates that half of all modern miniatures are descended from ‘Oakington Ruby’. Moore’s mission has been to create excellent roses for the landscape, ones that are easy to grow and produce an abundance of flowers. His most recent creation is the Halo™ series—11 varieties with a characteristic pink, lavender or red eye (the “halo”), with petals in pink, yellow, pumpkin or russet. The Moore magic continues.—KAREN DARDICK 16 MARCH 2006 There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence—RALPH WALDO EMERSON dirt art ATOUCH OF GLASS At two big public gardens this spring,Washington artist Dale Chihuly’s shapely glass sculptures take on even greater dimensions, mingling among tulips, banana trees and other leafy plants and blooming flowers en plein air. At Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, Florida (Chihuly at Fairchild, through May 31), and Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis (Glass in the Garden,April 30- October 31), set among natural terrain and indoor conservatories, the colorful glass is viewed in, well, a new light. At Fairchild, hundreds of handblown creations can be seen scattered throughout the property, as well as in the two conservatories, palmetum and arboretum.“We realized there was a synergy between art and the gardens. If you look at the histories of gardens, they are about promoting and initiating design. It’s a natural part of gardens’ natural heritage,” says Fairchild director Mike Maunder, who cites this as the first in a series of annual outdoor sculpture exhibitions at Fairchild. At Missouri Botanical Garden (above) sculptures are placed inside the Climatron conservatory amid tropical plants—cycads, a talipot palm, banyan and double coconut palms—while other pieces are outdoors, nestled among flowers and floating on pools. Both sites offer special nighttime displays on Thursdays—“Tropical Chihuly Nights” at Fairchild and “Chihuly Nights” at Missouri. Chihuly’s work has been shown in more than 300 locations worldwide, from the Bellagio in Las Vegas to Palais de Louvre in Paris.—KRISTINE HANSEN For more information, visit www.fairchildgarden.org and www.mobot.org. plant people Moore Miniatures Above: Ralph Moore. Below left:The Halo™ series of miniature roses. IRENE LINDSEY (1)
books ROADTRIP Ruah Donnelly follows her first book on nurseries in New England with The Adventurous Gardener:Where to Buy the Best Plants in New York and New Jersey (The Horticultural Press, 2005, $25.95). It’s a good read for any plant lover even if you don’t live in the region, and some of the nurseries also have a mail-order business. Whatever the plant, it seems someone in New York or New Jersey is growing it, from heirlooms to the latest cultivars.There are plenty of sources for annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees, but also an astounding variety of specialty growers—orchids, water lilies, tree peonies, bonsai, iris, beach grass, gladiolus, roses, rare rhododendrons, fruit trees, wildflowers, and on and on. The treasure hunt will lead you to unique places run by remarkable people who have devoted their lives to their fascination (some would admit obsession) with plants. Though the book is an excellent travel guide for plantaholics, and includes maps, directions and other sites to see near each nursery, it is more than that. Each of the nurseries has a story to tell, from the seed company whose owner champions heavyweight pumpkin contests to a bird observatory that sells wildlife-friendly plants to a Dutch bulb supplier that has been in the same family for seven generations.—JA fyi For other regional guides to plant sources, see The Northwest Gardeners’ Resource Directory, 9th Edition by Stephanie Feeney and Debra Prinzing (Sasquatch Books, 2002, $24.95) and In Search of Great Plants:The Insider’s Guide to the Best Sources in the Midwest by Betty Earl (Cool Springs Press, 2004, $19.99).
18 MARCH 2006 Nothing is so beautiful as spring—when weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush—GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS dirt shopping Lush Experience TEN YEARS AGO WHEN BILL HUDGINS SET UP Lush Life, his shop in the affluent Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, he was a pioneer, charting the new and relatively unknown territory between home and garden. A well-traveled nurseryman with a collector’s eye for plants and special wares, he felt Atlanta was ready for more than a garden center. He imagined a “store with a European feel, offering an eclectic mix of home and garden products.” Hudgins excels at combining sleek, contemporary pieces with rustic, organic ones, and his hunch has become a destination shop for style-conscious Atlantans. (See his own garden on page 88.) The tightly organized store offers a floral-design and container-planting service, a plant nursery with accessories for the garden, and a luxurious home shop that includes rock crystal, scented candles, Simon Pearce and Juliska glass and dinnerware, Pierre Frey table linens, pillows and throws. Hudgins always looks for “classic contemporary lines, good workmanship and, where possible, multiple-purpose items.” Outside container-grown plants (including choice varieties of Japanese maple, a house specialty) are massed to make avenues and rooms; decorative pots (from minimal zinc to glazed Asian) and salvaged architectural pieces provide the focal points and ornamentation.The effect is a kind of outdoor theatre of contrasts and textures. Hudgins truly teaches how to transform basic ingredients through the inspired grouping and display of his collection.—JF Lush Life, 146 E. Andrews Dr., Atlanta, GA 30305; 404-841-9661. MUST-HAVE RUGS ROCK ON Natural Pebble on Mesh is composed of flat-topped Indonesian river stones set on a nylon mesh. Only one small step from the river itself.Available in eight colors, ranging from speckled to white, green and mixed. From Island Stone, available to the trade. Call 800-371-0001 or see www.islandstone.com. products SEEING RED Mat is loomed from signature Rope yarn specifically crafted for outdoor use by the chic, up-and-coming Italian design firm Paolo Lenti.Available in a wide range of colors and twocolor fibers. From Paolo Lenti: $265 to $4,165, depending on size. Call 619-230-1083 or see www.paolalenti.com. Energized by sophisticated designs and an innovative approach to materials, outdoor rugs are the next big thing EVEN FLOW Sweeping Swirls Amber is made from Lamontage, an innovative fabric derived from the ancient art of felting. Color-dyed acrylic fibers of over 600 hues are hand-bended, needlepunched and saturated with natural latex for great durability. From Liora Manne: $200 to $2,135, depending on size. Call 212-965-0302 or see www.lioramanne.com. TO THE MATS Plynyl Shag Indoor/Outdoor Mats are ideal for snazzy use both indoors and out. Made from tufted vinyl with a vinyl backing, they are available in black, gunmetal and lime as either a doormat or a utility mat. From Chilewich: from $38, depending on size. Call 212-679-9204 or see www.chilewich.com.
dirt WITH HURRICANE KATRINA’S DESTRUCTION estimated at $75 billion, along with an uncountable toll of human suffering and displacement, most reports have justifiably focused on those hit the hardest.As I visited Louisiana this past winter, I was struck by the hurricane’s impact on so many people and places under the radar who also need our support. In my role as founder of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, I can’t help but worry about New Orleans’ magnificent historic gardens and the people who depend on them for their livelihood as well as inspiration. You may have already read about the monumental devastation and flooding at New Orleans’ famed City Park and the Ellen Biddle Shipman-designed masterwork Longue Vue, both of which received direct hits. But what about other places in the region? Is it politically incorrect to draw attention to these landmarks, trapped in the financial disaster facing the tourism economy that is unfolding throughout the Gulf Coast region? What about such famed plantations as Laura, Oak Alley and San Francisco, three of the six historic properties on Great River Road Plantation Parade (www.plantationparade.com)?This upbeat and evocative Web site notes, “For centuries, the subtropical air was filled with the sweet smells of sugarcane, as wagons rumbled from the fields to the docks.” In December what I sensed was a feeling of dormancy and isolation in the air. For Sand Marmillion, the proprietress and caretaker of the Creole plantation Laura, the future for this 14-acre historic homestead is uncertain.Visitation to Laura today is just a trickle, three or four folks a day instead of three or four hundred. Marmillion says that after Katrina she had to let her four gardeners go. “It was heartbreaking.When you work with someone to develop a living project, you bond, you plant your vegetables and harvest them together.”Where there was once a staff of 33, letter from new orleans THE QUIET AFTER THE STORM
today they rely on the helping hands of volunteers. At Oak Alley, one of the region’s most iconic plantations, the state of affairs is magnified. At this National Historic Landmark property, celebrated for its freestanding colonnade of 28 colossal Doric columns as well as its majestic double row of giant live oak trees, the only trace now of Katrina is a great hush and a sense of loneliness. Before the hurricane, Oak Alley averaged 736 visitors day. Post-Katrina, the average is 27, and the staff has been reduced from 75 to 21. Even with operating expenses kept to a bare minimum, Oak Alley will require more than $1 milwe will have to endure the grieving period. There is nothing that anyone can do—only time can make this better.” So while the dust settles along the muddy Mississippi, an unfamiliar silence has replaced the normal hustle and bustle.The character-defining ancient live oaks stand as mute witnesses to an economic chill that has engulfed these beloved cultural landscapes. So what can we do? When that most aromatic of Louisiana spring perfumes—equal parts rain and soil—rises in the air, let us, too, take to the skies and make a pilgrimage to these special places so that they may seduce and inspire another generation of garden lovers.—CHARLES BIRNBAUM Charles Birnbaum is the founder of The Cultural Landscape Foundation. lion in financial assistance to stay open while awaiting the return of the tourists. These cultural landscapes are all intact and open, but how will they get the visitors that have been supporting them? Zeb Mayhew Jr., administrative director of the Oak Alley Foundation, noted, “It is an amazing situation to find yourself in, but Above top: Oak Alley before Katrina. Bottom:After the storm. For more information, see www.lauraplantation.com, www.oakalleyplantation.com, www.sanfrancisco plantation.org and www.longuevue.com.
22 MARCH 2006 Who would look dangerously up at Planets that might safely look down at Plants—JOHN GERARD dirt i love this plant ‘LANARTH’ MAGNOLIA One mild sunny spring our own ‘Lanarth’ put on a spectacular show, with the most perfect blooms I’ve ever seen. Magenta flowers, 10 inches wide, covered the 15-foot specimen. I was taking pictures March 10, and though I usually take only three or four shots and then move on to the next plant, the flowers were so enchanting I took 24 photos. My brother Eric asked,“Do you want to be alone?” To which I answered,“Yes.” You have to consider Magnolia campbellii ssp. mollicomata ‘Lanarth’ as top among beautiful deciduous magnolias. Scottish plant hunter George Forrest introduced this rare tree from seed he collected in Yunnan, China, in 1924 and named it for the Cornish estate where the seeds were planted. Though limited in the United States to the moderate climate on the West Coast from California to British Columbia (our nursery is in Oregon) and slow to reach blooming size (16 to 20 years), this choice plant enthralls everyone who sees it. Gooseegg-size flower buds covered with golden hairs wait in anticipation all winter, then between January and March explode into stunning pink blooms 8 to 10 inches across, splayed open decadently like water lilies. Trees can eventually reach 40 to 50 feet tall, making a spectacular show when in bloom. ‘Lanarth’ is a parent of several hybrids including Magnolia ‘Vulcan’, which is much more adaptable to heat and cold. If you live in areas where ‘Lanarth’ is adapted, try it and you, too, will have a love affair with a magnolia. —ROGER GOSSLER WE’VE SHARED THE PLANET with them from the dawn of human existence, and we usually take them for granted—they are the parsley on the edge of the plate, the grass we dread mowing, the weeds in the sidewalk— though we need them for the air we breathe and the food we eat.Two exhibits explore the fascinating, often misunderstood, sometimes eerie world of plants. The brainchild of Roger Hangarter, a biologist at Indiana University in Bloomington, in collaboration with composer John Gibson and artist Dennis Dehart, sLowlife uses film, music and still and time-lapse photography to offer altered perspectives on the lives of plants, with startling results. At the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., through March 26. Call 202-225-8333 or visit www.usbg.gov. In Survive/Thrive/Alive at Wave Hill in the Bronx, New York, invasive plants overrun a stairwell, proteins look like Dutch still-life paintings, and the humble plants in Albrecht Durer’s 1503 masterpiece Der Grosse Rasenstuck (The Great Piece of Earth) are tracked across five centuries. Using mixed media, installations and painted works, eight artists chosen byWave Hill explore the survival mechanisms of plants and how they cope with the dynamic, often stormy relationship between the natural world and civilization. March 4 through May 29. Call 718-549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.—JENNY ANDREWS exhibits Behind the Chlorophyll Pots with a Past “A Place to Take Root,” a traveling exhibit tracing the early days of flowerpots in American and Europe, makes its next stop at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show March 15-19. Most of the pots were crafted by artisan potters Guy Wolff in the U.S. (above) and Whichford Pottery in the U.K., using molds dating back over 100 years. Complementing the old-style pots is a display of contemporary containers planted by the Bay Area Gardens Network, a group of over 40 public gardens co-hosting the exhibit with Pacific Horticulture magazine. See www.aplacetotakeroot.org or www.gardenshow.com.—JA Beaker of chlorophyll at sLowlife. Still Life with Grapes by Survive, Thrive,Alive artist Mia Brownell. Roger Gossler is co-owner of Gossler Farms Nursery in Springfield, Oregon: 541-746-3922, www.gosslerfarms.com. ROGER GOSSLER
24 MARCH 2006 All a green willow, willow, all a green willow is my garland—JOHN HEYWOOD dirt RECIPE Large rectangular glass vase, 2 by 10 by 15 inches 10 stems of 1⁄4- to 1⁄2-inch-thick curly willow (roughly 10 inches long to be cut exactly to fit the length of the vase) 6 ladyslipper orchids as cut flowers (not as plants) 6 airplants (such as Tillandsia ionantha var.van-hyningii , T. karwinskyana,T. caputmedusae or T. recurvifolia) Cut the pieces of curly willow to the inside length of the vase, and then pile them on top of each other to the top of the vase in one row. Fill the vase close to the top with water. Because airplants don’t grow in water or soil, place their stems in the vase just above the water line.Then cut the stems of some of the ladyslippers to about 2 inches and others longer so some can be placed close to the lip of the vase and others will rise higher.When placing the orchids into the vase, be sure to cover the stems of the airplants with the orchid stems, and weave the orchid stems into the top layer of the curly willow.—DD For more information, call 212-924- 7848 or see www.ovandony.com. the cutting edge OPPOSITES ATTRACT “I LOOK AT DESERT PLANTS AS CUT FLOWERS . To me, they look like gems,” says Sandra De Ovando, the owner and floral designer of the GreenwichVillage-based eponymous Ovando. She admits to looking at her specialties—Mexican plants, cacti and succulents—with a decorative eye. It shows:The Tillandsia xerographica, for example, that she sported in her shop window as a cut flower—with no vase, no dirt, no water—was a showstopper. “I like to work with opposites,” she says. Follow her directions, and you can do the same. MICHAEL KRAUS
26 MARCH 2006 If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?—STEPHEN WRIGHT dirt art The Iris Has It On the heels of our story in Dirt (Nov/Dec 2005) on the resurgence of interest in botanical illustration,Washington artist Jean Emmons edged quietly onto our radar. Jean is the watercolorist equivalent of an Oscar winner, having received a gold medal at the 2005 Royal Horticultural Society Exhibition in Birmingham, U.K., for her eight watercolors of Pacific Coast hybrid iris. Shown here is ‘Ununhum’. Pacific Coast iris, native to Oregon, Washington and parts of California, bloom between March and May. For more information, visit www.pacificcoastiris.org.—JF plants TAKING THE HEAT No one knows the implications of combining high heat and humidity better than the folks in Georgia—anything on two, four or even eight legs knows how to scramble for relief. But think of the plants, poor things, held firmly in place to face the brunt of Southern weather. The plantsmen at Athens Select™ took pity on these earthbound creatures and started a collection of varieties able to withstand high heat and humidity—from the hills of Georgia to the Midwest to Southern California. Each Athens Select™ variety has been tested at the University of Georgia Trial Gardens in Athens for multiple growing seasons and selected by renowned horticulturist, author and self-proclaimed “plant nut” Dr.Allan Armitage. The Athens Select™ collection numbers 25 varieties that outdo themselves in borders, baskets and container plantings under grueling conditions.While hardy only in warmer zones, they make outstanding annuals elsewhere.The metallic-purple and green Persian shield (Strobilanthes dyeriana) (Zones 10-11) is a popular variety. Verbena ‘Homestead Purple’ (Zones 7-11) is another cornerstone in the program. Watch for three new varieties this spring: Alternanthera ‘RedThreads’ (Zones 9-11) with grasslike, deep burgundy foliage; Alternanthera ‘Summer Flame’ (Zones 9-11) with pink, white and green variegation; and Begonia ‘Bonita Shea’ (Zones 10-11) with curled, reddish-green foliage, red undersides and delicate white blossoms.—ELLEN C. WELLS For more information about Athens Select varieties or to find a retailer near you, visit www.athensselect.com. PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE HOW much fashion there is in gardening.We always want to be the first one on the block, in the town, state and region, to possess and grow a fancy plant. I am a collector and am attracted to whatever is the kinky, bizarre, never-before-offered and newest hot plant.There is the thrill of the hunt. First I track down a source, then finally acquire the plant; but no sooner do I plant it than I’m off to the next new thing that captures my fancy. It’s a sickness. Being attracted to the abnormal has led to missteps. Still, every year when the catalogs arrive, the kid-in-the-candy-store syndrome kicks in. Ultimately, I will be stopped by my credit card limit, but I will always buy more plants than I have room for. I might be able to cut back. But stop? Never.There should be a 12-step program for us plantaholics. [1] Three strikes and it’s out. If a plant fades in one spot, move it. If it still dies, figure out if the problem is the plant or you.Try it once more. Refrain from giving a plant more than three tries. [2] Decide where a plant will go before you buy it. Make notes, which are really helpful when all the plants arrive at once. [3] Read descriptions and labels, but learn to see behind the hype and translate plant-purveyor-speak.Avoid “easy, spreads, instant,” which often mean invasive. [4] Reject some choices if their only attraction is novelty. [5] Fill out order forms but don’t send them all in. Writing down a plant’s name (and price) helps the selection process. [6] Buy from outlets that have sold you great, healthy plants in the past. But also test one new mail-order catalog, grower or garden center each year. [7] Consider what a plant will contribute to the overall design scheme—is the color right?Will the ultimate size fit the space? [8] Buy more than one of a chosen plant, and make a grouping so it might have a prayer of becoming a design enhancement and not an attention detractor. [9] Curb “zone denial,” and do not use your garden as a test site for wildly inappropriate (read “dead”) plants. [10] Order a few new versions of plants that have already succeeded, perhaps with more flowers or compact growth. [11] Set a budget in advance.Then redo it, and this time tell the truth. [12] Make a nursery holding bed to plug plants into when most of the above steps are ignored.—KEN DRUSE Intervention! A 12-step program for plantaholics
IslandTime 28 MARCH 2006 Beautiful isle of the sea, smile on the brow of the waters—GEORGE COOPER decor ANDRE BARANOWSKI (2) A hillside escape on St. Barts draws on an amalgam of global influences for a new take on French Caribbean style THERE MAY BE MORE THAN 20 BEACHES TO roam on the Caribbean island of St. Barts, but for Kevyn deRegt there still is no better place to bask than in the calm of her own private mountainside terrace. Outdoor entertaining with lavish settings done up in every style from Moroccan to Tuscan to French Provençal is the theme of her first book, ATaste of Fantasy. Now, drawing on her firsthand experiences across the globe, deRegt has brought a touch of these diverse international styles to her own white, adobe-style terrace, making it the centerpiece of her latest book on St. Barts style. An inviting door leads to a white adobe-style terrace with built-in bar and sofa at this St. Barts hideaway. CREATIVE IDEAS IN EXTERIOR DECORATING
30 MARCH 2006 Paradise is our native country, and we in this world be as exiles and strangers—RICHARD GREENHAM decor FUNCTION: The outdoor space at this St. Barts home-away-from-home was designed for pure enjoyment—as a place to swim, sunbathe, have drinks, hold barbecues or take a quiet nap in the shade. FORM: A seamless unity of architecture and furnishings is made possible by permanent built-ins ranging from bar, sofa and side tables to white adobe fencing. STYLE: French Caribbean. “The whitewashed adobe construction reminds me of the Southwest,” says deRegt,“but the spirit of the place is French Moroccan. St. Barts has been a French protectorate since the 19th century, so the French influence is quite strong here, just as it is in Morocco.”Add to that a blue and white color scheme culled from Greece, and you can call the style “global.” FURNISHINGS: The traditional blue and white scheme also holds the mélange together. Blue tiles accent the white flooring tiles, blue Caribbean frisés, or roof trim, outline the white bar, and blue coping punctuates the whitewashed fence. Blue decorative accessories add the finishing touches, and, as with all the rest, link the entire space to the blue waters below. PLANTS: Because hurricanes have frequently denuded the island of vegetation, plants in great number tend to be imported. To help things along, deRegt’s gardener also collects seeds on his travels and plants them throughout the grounds. But the absence of hurricanes since 1999 has allowed the vegetation to reach unusual heights.The palm trees around the pool are 7 feet high and the yuccas almost as tall. Meanwhile, deRegt enjoys drawing on the flowers immediately at hand—yucca, bougainvillea, frangipani—for her own island-style floral arrangements. BONUS: Quiet and relaxing, the patio is the perfect environment to take in the peace and tranquility of the fresh sea air. —DONNA DORIAN For more on Kevyn deRegt and her upcoming book on St. Barts, see www.atasteof fantasy.com or www.fantasysettings.com. Blue and white, the colors of the French Caribbean, bring unity to a wide range of cultural influences. ANDRE BARANOWSKI (4)
32 MARCH 2006 An artist makes beautiful things without being aware of it—EDGAR DEGAS style BY MAVIS LINNEMANN [1] RELAX MAGLIE CHAIR The tightly knit weave of this hand-wrought iron chair was inspired by the chest plate from a piece of ancient armor. These days, it’s about peace, not war, the second you sit down. From Tuscan Hills: $4,693. Call 609-921- 9015 or see www.tuscan-hills.com. [2] ISLAND SEATING SERIES These seating modules by Francesco Rota for Paola Lenti come in a variety of shapes and sizes that can adjust from group sofa to daybed. In brushed stainless steel and synthetic fiber, the seats are water- and moldresistant, nontoxic and hypoallergenic. From Karkula: $1,685 to $4,840 per piece. Call 212-645-2216 or see www.karkula.com. [3] SCARLETT LIGHT Let it do its thing: lamp and sculpture.An elegant and weather-resistant statement designed by Christophe Pillet for Serralunga, it is made from a single piece of hollow, break-resistant polyethylene and stands nearly 6 feet tall. For covered outdoor areas only. From The Magazine: $464. Call 510-549-2282 or see www.themagazine.net. THE EXHILARATING MIX OF CUTTING-EDGE STYLE AND CLASSIC ELEGANCE, COMBINED with a fascination with new materials, has made Italy a playground for contemporary designers since the 1960s, and there are no signs of things slowing down anytime soon.That was the message of i Saloni, a group of 60 modern Italian design firms that made its first appearance last year during NewYork’s first-ever Design Week. Among them were companies that had a distinctive hand in outdoor furniture design, including the elegant Gervasoni, the edgy Serralunga and the fashion house Missoni.The latter entered the outdoor market this January on the heels of Armani. Isn’t it interesting that high fashion is chasing after the world of exteriors? In Italy, it seems an everyday kind of thing. Take a look at where the Italians are taking us now. With abundant sex appeal, humor and bravado, this is outdoor furniture for la dolce vita Hot Italian Marked with its signature look, the Italian fashion house Missoni debuted its outdoor line at i Saloni last May. 1 2 3
34 MARCH 2006 By faithful study of the nobler arts,our nature’s softened, and more gentle grows—OVID style 4 5 7 8 6 [4] OCEANO DAYBED Call it a dream boat: Armani’s new outdoor bed fashioned with a brushed-steel frame and nylon woven straps. Part of a three-piece collection, including table and chairs. From Armani Casa: $2,795. Call 212-334- 1271 or see www.armanicasa.com. [5] INOUT 36/23 TABLE AND CHAIRS Could there be a betterlooking couple? The outdoor table with its ceramic pedestal (in three colors or with four legs) is topped with slatted teak. Dining chairs, in glossy brushed or coated aluminum, lacquered wood or teak. From Gervasoni: table, from $2,485; chairs, from $522, depending on size and finish. Call Imoderni 877-455-6350 or see www.gervasoni1882.com. [6] HAVANA LAMP The modernism of this hip indoor/outdoor lamp by Foscarini made it a natural for the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection.The fact that it is functional—and able to light large garden areas, pathways and drives— is an essential part of its charm. Available as a hanging or floor lamp in white, cream or ice. From Modern Living: $325 to $620, depending on indoor/outdoor and floor/suspension adaptability. Call 310-657-8775 or see www.modernliving.com. [7] JOE SOFA This oversize-baseball-glove sofa, originally designed in leather in 1970, is being reissued in a luxurious polymer, adapted for outdoor use. The sofa is one hollow piece that comes in either marble gray or traditional tobacco brown. From Heller: $800. Call 212-685- 4200 or see www.helleronline.com. [8] TWISTER POT This stylish fiberglass pot with its terra-cotta finish looks like it could have been recovered from an Etruscan tomb. Inspired by the pedestal of a table lamp, the twister comes in three sizes—perfect for showing off a wide variety of plants. From Capital Garden Products, Ltd.: $295 to $440. Call 415-864-2251.
36 MARCH 2006 In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous—ARISTOTLE growing Appeal: One compelling attraction, among many, is the Mediterranean quality that pervades the California native plant palette. Examples are: fragrant leaves and flowers; broad-leaved evergreens of olive green, silver, blue, gray and white; bold flower colors; drought tolerance; a profusion of annuals; and finally the enigma of summer dormancy, when many of the plants shut down growth and wait to make a fresh start with the winter rains. Zones: The majority of California’s most gardenTHE INCREASING DEMAND FOR REgionally appropriate plants and landscapes has long been answered by the native plants of California— the most diverse state flora in North America north of Mexico. Fortunately for the rest of the gardening world, many California natives also do well in other Mediterranean and even not-soMediterranean climates.As early as the 1830s, well before gold was discovered and California became a state, selections of its native flora were winning top awards at the Royal Horticultural Society in England. In late winter and early spring, California natives look their best, as these photographs attest. They were taken at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont, a showplace for hundreds of Golden State species.—BART O’BRIEN California Gold POINT REYES MEADOWFOAM In large numbers, this tiny wildflower (Limnanthes douglasii ssp. sulphurea) creates an impressionist scene at Rancho Santa Ana. Easy and dependable to grow. In mild Mediterranean climates, sow seeds just before rainy season. In the rest of the country, plant seeds in spring once soil thaws. Native plants are one of the state’s treasures, wherever you live
To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wildflower—WILLIAM BLAKE GARDEN DESIGN 37 WOOLLY BLUE CURLS Evergreen subshrub (Trichostema lanatum), 3 to 5 feet tall and equally wide, is nearly ever-blooming but difficult to keep around for long. Native to sunny, warm, well-drained chaparral slopes. Let self-sown seedlings survive; they generally perform well. PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE GUNTHER
38 MARCH 2006 To me the meanest flower that blows can give thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears—WILLIAM WORDSWORTH growing worthy plants are best in Zones 9 to 11. However, many may be successfully grown in Zone 8 or in other areas where suitable microclimates can be created. Seasonal containers are always an option. Exposure: Most California native plants prefer full sun, though there are species suited to every kind of exposure imaginable. Soil: Well-drained soils are generally preferred. Most of the plants are adaptable to soils that range from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. Care: While most California native plants are considered low-maintenance, they do need appropriate seasonal attention and grooming to stay at their best. Once established, some do their best with no summer watering:You need to know individual requirements. Bart O’Brien is director of horticulture at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont, California. He is co-author (with Carol Bornstein & David Fross) of California Native Plants for the Garden (Cachuma Press, 2005, $27.95). 1 2 3 4 [1] CARPENTERIA CALIFORNICA Known as bush anemone, this is one of California’s signature evergreen flowering shrubs, listed as a threatened species but widely grown around the world. Dark green foliage complements the terminal clusters of pure white, 2- to 4-inch blooms, which are exquisitely fragrant. [2] HEUCHERA MAXIMA Called island alumroot. Outstanding when massed beneath a deciduous tree, this evergreen, rosette-forming perennial prefers partial shade. Foliage mass may reach 8 to 12 inches tall and nearly 3 feet wide.An abundance of 2- to 3-foot-tall flower clusters emerges in spring. Numerous hybrids with red, pink or white flowers. [3] IRIS DOUGLASIANA ‘CANYON SNOW’ Of the numerous cultivars of California native irises, this one is the easiest and most dependable in the garden. It flowers best when it receives maximum sunlight from late fall to early spring and partial shade during the heat of the summer. [4] ENCELIA CALIFORNICA California bush sunflower displays profuse 2- to 4-inch blooms in spring and fall.To prevent sprawling growth, cut back plant to 6- to 12-inch stubs in winter—after the first flush of fall blooms.Treated this way, the plant should remain a manageable 3 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide.
CHIRANTHOFREMONTIA X LENZII ‘GRIFF’S WONDER’ A spectacular flowering shrub, this is an intergeneric hybrid between Chiranthodendron pentadactylon from southern Mexico and Guatemala and Fremontodendron ‘Pacific Sunset’. Ultimate size is unknown, but it should reach at least 20 feet tall and wide. Plants tolerate, and seem to prefer, moderate amounts of summer irrigation.All known specimens (except for the original plant) have tipped over because of a weak root system, yet they continue to thrive as crown-sprouting, multitrunked shrubs. Recommended as a large supported espalier. 40 MARCH 2006 I am so absorbed in the wonder of earth and the life upon it that I cannot think of heaven and angels—PEARL S. BUCK growing
42 MARCH 2006 There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks—LINDA HOGAN growing 1 2 3 4 [1] SHRUBBY MONKEY FLOWER With an astounding range of colors—pure reds, yellows, oranges, purples, whites, pinks and innumerable blends—California’s shrubby monkey flower (Mimulus hybrids) have long enamored native-plant enthusiasts. Plants prefer full sun to partial shade. Pinch young plants regularly, and cut them back by about one-fourth to onehalf when flowering is over. [2] WILD ROSE California’s many native roses naturally form thickets of upright thorny stems and are best used to create barriers and wildlife habitats.This one, Rosa woodsii var. ultramontana, has attractive pink blossoms followed by red to orange rose hips in the fall. [3] HUMMINGBIRD SAGE One of dozens of California sages, Salvia spathacea displays broad, textured green foliage— with a fruity scent—and erect stems carrying numerous clusters of bright flowers that appeal to hummingbirds.An evergreen perennial, the plant forms colonies by slowly spreading underground. Full sun to partial shade. [4] OPUNTIA ECHINOCARPAAttractive and shrublike,silver cholla cactus has a fierce yet compelling presence.Beware of its silvery long spines and numerous brown glochids (short hairlike spines) found in dense clusters at the base of the long spines. designing with natives Group plants with similar ecological and irrigation requirements. Most plants that grow together in nature look good together in a garden. Use the summer and fall dormant form and color of these plants as an asset—waves of burnished rust from the common Eriogonum fasciculatum (California buckwheat) are brilliantly accented when combined with masses of any of the following: Artemisia californica, Hesperoyucca whipplei, Salvia apiana, Leymus condensatus ‘Canyon Prince’. Combine blue-flowered California natives (ceanothus, iris, lupine, penstemon, salvia, sisyrinchium) with bright, clear yellow flowers that have similar flowering times (fremontodendron, dendromecon, mahonia, coreopsis, encelia).
44 MARCH 2006 And their flowers surprise; just like little blue eyes, they can wink in the breeze as you pass—SHEILA B. BLUME growing SISYRINCHIUM BELLUM (BLUE-EYED GRASS) Cheerful is an oft-used epithet to describe the starry blossoms of blue-eyed grass. Flower color varies from all shades of blue-violet to white—but always with a bright yellow center.This small perennial may be evergreen or summer deciduous and will seed about when situated in sunny gardens and heavy soils. For a classic combination, plant it with California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), arroyo lupine (Lupinus succulentus) and California buttercup (Ranunculus californicus).
www.sundancespas.com GARDEN DESIGN LIVE! THE MAGAZINE OF EXTERIOR DESIGN WWW.GARDENDESIGN.COM www.evergrain.com www.modernlandscapinginc.com Garden Design Live! unveils its most innovative garden yet at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show. Join us and experience the signature style of hot west coast landscape design firm CLTV8 Art Design and award winning builder Modern Landscaping, Inc. as they create an oasis within the walls of San Francisco’s historic Cow Palace.This California lifestyle garden draws its influence from the southern Mediterranean area of Morocco and creates a bridge between old world Morocco and the new world pleasures of California. Plus, don’t miss your chance to win a fantastic trip for two to Morocco from Royal Air Maroc and the ledgendary La Mamounia Hotel! Visit www.gardendesign.com for more information on Garden Design Live! Stroll through an eclectic dream garden and surround yourself in the colors, textures and scents of an exotic location. San Francisco Flower & Garden Show March 15–19, 2006 At the Historic Cow Palace www.gardenshow.com www.CLTV8artdesign.com www.eyeofthedaygdc.com www.goldengatepalms.com www.bellaluci.com Stop by Garden Design Live! and enter to win fabulous prizes – including plants and other outdoor design elements used in our garden from these sponsors: www.royalairmaroc.com www.kalamazoogourmet.com www.monrovia.com www.mamounia.com
46 MARCH 2006 The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes—MARCEL PROUST groundbreaker INNOVATIVE MINDS IN GARDEN DESIGN DON SHADOW KNOWS A GOOD PLANT WHEN he sees it. Over the past 30 years Shadow Nursery in Winchester, Tennessee, has brought to market such mainstays as ‘Snowflake’ oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia),‘Hummingbird’ summersweet (Clethra alnifolia), bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) and Rutgers hybrid dogwoods like ‘Constellation’ and ‘Aurora’. Don selects some of the trees, shrubs and perennials he introduces, but many more are brought to him to propagate and produce by enthusiasts around the globe, a list that reads like a horticultural who’s who. Why bring a plant to Don? “He can propagate a stone,” says Paul Cappiello, co-author with Don of the new book Dogwoods (Timber Press, 2005, $39.95).“Shadow Nursery is unique because Don has the collector’s zeal, the staff to propagate and the network to disseminate large numbers of plants to nurseries around the world.” It is this kind of commitment that has earned Shadow Nursery a designation as one of the few private cooperators in the U.S. National Arboretum plant introduction program. Meanwhile, Shadow’s international renown is not limited to horticulture; he is also a successful breeder of endangered animals. What does Don look for in a new plant? Don Shadow:A man of many introductions A Peaceable Kingdom
“I select plants to give interest in all four seasons,” he says. “I grow a plant for 10 to 15 years to make sure it’s good. I’m reluctant to name and introduce a plant unless it is outstanding.” In this context “outstanding” means that a conventionally green plant might offer variegation, purple or yellow coloration; exceptional flower color or size; disease and insect resistance; or natural dwarfing that makes it suitable for small gardens or containers. If a plant is hard to propagate, Don gets extra satisfaction from cracking the code. “I won’t introduce a plant unless I have enough stock,” he notes.“If people hear about a plant but can’t get it, the introduction won’t be successful.” “New” and “useful” are two words constantly on Don’s mind.Always on the lookout to fill any voids in the extant pool of useful plants, he believes the industry must respond to the shifting needs of gardeners. So while he evaluates hundreds of trees and shrubs annually, only the crème de la crème pass muster. For small spaces he supplies undersize versions of large trees and shrubs. ‘Peve Minaret’ bald-cypress (Taxodium distichum) grows just 12 feet tall, an excellent vertical accent for a patio. Larger but strictly columnar is ‘Slender Silhouette’ sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua). Crape myrtles are de rigeur in the Far left: Don Shadow. Upper left: Seedling of ‘Cherokee Chief’ dogwood. Below left: Carolina silverbell (Halesia tetraptera). Below: Camels at the nursery. BETH GWINN (4)
groundbreaker South, but most are large trees. Not Lagerstroemia ‘Velma’s Royal Delight’ and ‘Cheyenne’.These mature at just 6 to 8 feet, ideal for containers or small-gardens. In response to the pervasive dogwood anthracnose, Don has in production a disease-resistant flowering dogwood developed by the University of Tennessee. Cornus florida‘Appalachian Spring’ is one of many cultivars in this favored genus, along with his own selections, the upright ‘Dixie Colonnade’ and 8-foot dwarf‘Little Princess’. Sometimes, beauty is all that is required of a new introduction. Gems such as ‘Floating Clouds’ redbud (Cercis canadensis), noted for near-white variegated foliage that doesn’t scorch; Iris cristata ‘Tennessee White’, a dwarf ground cover with large white flowers; and floriferous‘China Snow’ Chinese fringe tree (Chionanthus retusus ) stand out in any landscape setting. A fourth-generation nurseryman with a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from the Right: Spring flowers of native red buckeye (Aesculus pavia). Far right: Shadow with very rare, shaggycoated Poitou donkey native to France. BETH GWINN (2)