Bulletin - Summer 1979 - North American Rock Garden Society

Bulletin of theAmericanRock GardenVol. 37 Summer 1979

The BulletinEditor EmeritusDR. EDGAR T. WHERRY, Philadelphia, Pa.EditorLAURA LOUISE FOSTER, Falls Village, Conn. 06031Assistant EditorHARRY DEWEY, 4605 Brandon Lane, Beltsville, Md. 20705Contributing Editors:Roy DavidsonAnita KistlerH. Lincoln Foster Owen PearceBernard HarknessH. N. PorterLayout Designer: BUFFY PARKERBusiness ManagerANITA KISTLER, 1421 Ship Rd., West Chester, Pa. 19380Contents Vol. 37 No. 3 Summer 1979Two Eastern Dicentras—H. Lincoln Foster 105A Dicentra Variant—Mercer Reeves Hubbard 107We're in the Chips—Boyd C. Kline with Edward Huggins 109A Small Glamorous Shrub: Fothergilla gardenii—Mrs. Ralph Cannon 115Lester Rowntree 116Nomocharis in Massachusetts—Ronald A. Beckwith 117Cyclamen in Containers—Brian Halliwell 123The Turfing Lilies—John Osborne 125A New Hybrid Saponaria—Zdenek Zvolanek and Jaroslav Klima 126A Good Tempered Synthyris—Edith Dusek 127Victoria Rock Gardens—Sybil McCulloch 129The Evolution of a Garden . . . and Gardener—Florence Free 133Award Winners—1979: Sallie Allen, Laura Louise Foster, H. Lincoln Foster 136Book Reviews: Manual of Alpine Plants by Will Ingwersen; Wildflowers of theNortheastern States by Frederick W. Case 139Notes from Alaska: Botanizer's Bonanza at Eagle Summit—Helen A. White 142Of Cabbages and Kings: A Fresh Approach—Henry Fuller; Clematis Texensis—Pam Harper; Cutting Dates—Dorothea De Vault; Poison Ivy Cure;Cyclamen Society 144In Praise of Rock Gardening—Charles Gordon Post 150Front Cover Picture—Dicentra cucullaria—Laura Louise Foster, Falls Village, CTPublished quarterly by the AMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETY, incorporated under the lawsof the State of New Jersey. You are invited to join. Annual dues (Bulletin included) are:Ordinary Membership, $9.00; Family Membership (two per family), $10.00; Overseas Membership,$8.00 each to be submitted in U.S. funds or International Postal Money Order;Patron's Membership, $25; Life Membership, $250. Optional 1st cL delivery, U.S. and Canada,$3.00 additional annually. Optional air delivery overseas, $6.00 additional annually. Membershipinquiries and dues should be sent to Donald M. Peach, Secretary, Box 183, Hales Corners,Wi. 53130. The office of publication is located at 5966 Kurtz Rd., Hales Corners, Wi. 53130.Address editorial matters pertaining to the Bulletin to the Editor, Laura Louise Foster, FallsVillage, Conn. 06031. Address advertising matters to the Business Manager at 1421 Ship Rd.,West Chester, Pa. 19380. Second class postage paid in Hales Corners, Wi. and additionaloffices. Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society (ISSN 0003-0864.)

Vol. 37 Summer 1979 No. 3Bulletin of theAmericanRock Garden SooetnTWO EASTERN DICENTRASH. LINCOLN FOSTERFalls Village, ConnecticutDrawings by Laura Louise FosterFleeting but elegant are the two speciesof dicentra that grace the earlyspring flora of Eastern United States:D. cucullaria and D. canadensis.Similar they are to the point of confusion,with only slight above groundand yet conspicuous below ground differences.D. cucullaria, most commonly knownas Dutchman's Breeches, has green fernyfoliage early in the spring toppedby a one sided raceme of nodding,white, dancing flowers most curiouslyformed. The structure of the blossomis intricately arranged with the fourpleated and folded petals assuming suchunlikely postures that their basic poppyrelationship is not only concealed butflouted. Instead of raising a cup ofcrinkled petals upward to bask in thesun D. cucullaria wraps two of its petalsupward to form puffed wide-spreadinghorns — yes, like an upside-down pairof Dutch pantaloons, suspended by analmost invisible pedicel and filled onlywith air. Two other petals curl downto form a pouch that expands at themouth into two cupped wings tippedwith gold. Wrapped within are the functionalstamens and pistils. Theseblossoms dance for a week or so inearliest spring above the lacy platformof deeply cut, slightly glaucus greenfoliage. Then, after this ballet, all collapseswith remarkable suddenness; theballarinas sink as they sway, their gar-105

ments shrivelling to tawdry brown.Black seeds within the horned podsof the ovary extension harden andglaze. The pod bursts. The seeds extrude.The foliage fades from greento yellow, glimmering down gently toleave no remnants and the undergroundbase of this ballet of blossoms is calledupon to carry on the life processesbelow ground and unseen until anotherperformance the following spring.These underground parts consist of ashort root-stock bearing a cluster ofpinkish-white rice-like tubers, huddledinto a scaly bulb.In Dicentra canadensis the subterraneanrhizome carries loosely held, golden,grain-like tubers. It is this featurethat gives this plant its colloquial name,Squirrel Corn. The foliage is quite im-Dicentra canadensispossible to distinguish from that ofDutchman's Breeches though it appearsa bit later in the spring and persistsfor a week or two longer. SquirrelCorn blossoms are carried in a mannersimilar to those of Dutchman's Breeches,but the individual flowers, thoughsuperficially similar, are quitedistinctively shaped. Here the upwardpointed furled petals form shorter morerounded spurs, parallel rather thandiverent, looking, indeed, like the erectears of a baby rabbit, and the wingson either side of the mouth are pinkishrather than yellow as in D. cucullaria.These two dicentras, similar as theyare, possess other less obvious differences.Though their ranges overlapto a large extent, they do not hybridizeas they have different chromosomenumbers and there appear to be subtledifferences in their site preferences.Dicentra cucullaria has a slightlymore extensive range south and west,extending from Quebec west to NorthDakota and south to Alabama andMissouri with a curious disjunctpopulation, distinguished as var. occidentalis,in Oregon, Washington andIdaho. Where its range overlaps withthat of the less widespread D. canadensisthe two are occasionally found growingtogether in rich woodlands, butin all state floras Squirrel Corn isdescribed as much rarer than Dutchman'sBreeches.Neither of these dicentras is commonlyencountered in rock gardensdespite their intrinsic beauty and thefact that most rock garden texts listat least D. cucullaria. For some yearsI thought these two charmers were difficultto establish in cultivation eventhough D. cucullaria is locally abundantin certain natural settings. These seemedalmost invariably to be at the baseof rocky slopes in woodlands, mostalways where the rock was acidic.Investigation showed that the tuberslie close to the surface in pockets ofalmost pure humus.Efforts to move a few clumps ofDutchman's Breeches from an areaalong a major highway where expansionof the road was impinging onthe rocky slope, were successful to theextent that some leaves appeared thefollowing year, but no blossoms. Mysite, though rocky and shaded by hightrees was amidst rocks of StockbridgeMarble, an ancient metamorphosedlimestone. Meanwhile I had purchased106

from a "wildflower nursery" — thatmeans usually plants collected in thewild — some tubers of Squirrel Corn.These I put in a nearby spot undersome Kaempferi Azaleas. For a yearor two there were a few sprigs ofdicentra foliage and no real displayof blossoms, so I tried moving a fewcorms of each species up into theacid soil of the woodland garden.Then, I think it was the third year,there was a fine burst of early Dutchman'sBreeches blooms along the pathamidst the limestone rocks. And yearby year their numbers increase andthey have spread into the most unlikelyand enticing pockets: amidst ferns,primulas, mertensias, arisaemas, allhuddled together with the Dutchman'sBreeches generally leading the paradeof flowers. They appear to thrive oncompetition and, conversely, never interferewith the most delicate neighbors.After about five years I suddenlybecame aware that at the very endof the blooming season for the Dutchman'sBreeches, there was a greatflush of flowers on an expanding bedof Squirrel Corn which had been quietlymultiplying unnoticed beneath theKaempferi Azaleas.What I begin to think is that youneed patience and fresh seed. Thecluster of tubers usually breaks up inthe transplanting and the individualgrain-like scales become scattered, takinga few years to grow into a clumpsufficiently big to support blossomingstems. The shining black seed has, atits point of attachment, a fleshy whitearil, which shrivels quickly when exposedto air and it would seem that oncethis aril becomes desiccated the seedloses viability.Both species are beginning to appearhere and there in greater and greaterabundance in other areas of the garden,either among basic or acidic rocks.Seeds do get scattered and it is quitepossible that the tubers also are spreadabout by foraging mice. Some finda good niche. And the rewards in thevery early spring when the butterflyblossoms dance in the chill air abovethe lacy foliage are heartlifting.A DICENTRA VARIANTMERCER REEVES HUBBARDPittsboro, North CarolinaOn a walk in central North Carolina'sChatham County woods with my husbandand his father some years ago,we came upon an exciting concentrationof native plants in flower: Alum Root,Foam Flower, oxalis, Jack-in-the-Pulpit,Hound's Tongue, Trout Lily, whitehepatica, flags, Dutchman's Breeches,Toothwort, Paw-paw, and Buttonbush,all could be seen within an area ofa few acres. I never have found mygood walking stick that I threw downto look more closely at a large populationof dicentra. One group was easilyrecognized as the typical white Dutchman'sBreeches, Dicentra cucullaria,but there were others — pink ones,really pink ones!Not finding a pink D. cucullarialisted in our books, we crept up uponthese plants several times during thenext few years, wondering if they were107

eally pink breeches or if the whitehad faded into pink. Color remainedconstant; in addition the pinkblossomedplants seemed to present aslightly different aspect from the rememberedDutchman's Breeches of ourmountains.Hoping that we had discovered anew plant, finally I found my wayto native plant authority, Dr. AlbertE. Radford, in his office on the topfloor of the Botany Building at theUniversity of North Carolina at ChapelHill, a hike quite as exhilerating asclimbing the steep bluffs of Chatham.Dr. Radford said that what struckhim at first was the color and shapeof the corolla. He said that he hadnever seen that variation: the smallcorolla, the more rounded apex, thebeautiful pink coloration. "You get alittle pink in Dutchman's Breeches, butnot all that pink — a rich pink whichwas retained." He added whimsicallythat the breeches were not as baggyas those regularly seen in D. cucullariaand promised to look it up to seeif it could be a new variety.In Brittonia, at that time a publicationof the American Society of PlantEnvironments edited by Kingsley Stern,Dr. Radford found that Dicentracucullaria is listed as having a greatamount of variation, particularly inrespect to flower form. The shape ofour variant, as well as other shapes,was sketched and treated as a varietyof D. cucullaria, but with no recognitionof named varieties. I thought I wouldsurely get famous and have 'Mercer'sPink Breeches' officially listed; this iswhat volunteers at the North CarolinaBotanical Garden named the variant.Dr. Radford said we'd watch it fora while and see what happens. "I don'tthink its going to change color orshape; I think it's genetic. A disjunctpopulation which is genetically differentis likely fixed and might evenbe a new variety."Of significance, possibly, is adiscovery made last spring, while theplants were being photographed by KenMoore, NCBG Superintendent. A formwas noticed with very straight corollasacs (breeches) with dark reddishbrownand others with orange coloringat the constrictions of the petals. Afterviewing the slides exhibiting the variousforms of straight corolla sacs, roundedcorolla sacs, and varying shades ofpink, Dr. Radford expressed enthusiasmover the distinct genetic variation withinthis population. The entire populationmerits further observation andstudy and horticultural selection ofsome of the specific forms.After the hard winter of 1978 theseplants struggled to bloom according totheir accustomed schedule. Although thewinter was below freezing later thanusual, the plants came up and werein bloom within six days. They couldalmost be seen growing.This gets more interesting all thetime. We don't know how many newplants are left to be found, but we'llbe taking more walks in the woods.1979 Seed List CorrectionPlease note that Number 55 should read Aciphylla montana Armstrong,the name under which it was contributed, and not A. lyallii,the result of unauthorised alteration.James R. Le Comte, Donor 481108

WE'RE IN THE CHIPS:Exploring the Himalayas of KashmirBOYD C. KLINE, Medford, Oregonwith EDWARD HUGGINSPhotographs by Mr. KlineThis last July we flew from NewDelhi to Srinagar, in northwestKashmir, and there set out upon theadventure of a lifetime.There was Barry Starling of GreatBritain, the ericaceae expert and accomplishednurseryman, with his patience,persistence, and quiet Britishhumor — and Reuben Hatch of Vancouver,Washington, the hard working,successful rhododendron nurserymanand leader of our expedition, his visitto Kashmir four years ago now servingus well indeed — and, of course, yourstruly, the old man of the mountains.Making headquarters at once inSrinagar, the capitol of Kashmir, welooked forward to a month of excursions.We would drive northeast intothe Ladakh territory and perhapsglimpse to the far north the snowypeaks of the Karakorum Range. Intrepidexplorers of wilderness areas,we three would scramble up countlessmeadows and screes through easternKashmir, even as far south as Menali,everywhere searching along the highestridges to behold all the fascinatingplants we had read about for yearsbut never seen. Challenging theHimalayas has a rather romantic ringto it. But when I actually gazed upat those awesome heights I could onlymurmur, "Egad, what have I gottenmyself into?"Such was our reaction one morningin Sonamarg, a tiny village nearLadakh and some eighty-five milesnortheast of Srinagar. It was July 30,1978, the weather perfect.We rose at seven-thirty and wentto the village "pony-boy" station. Ghul,our forty-five year old "boy," saddledour ponies and we mounted, jiggledour stirrups, and were off — precededby Ghul and his pack-ponies laden withour paraphernalia as well as with tents,food, and supplies for our grand entourage— four pony-boys, a cook,a guide, and the guide's twelve yearold boy. So began the trip that wouldtake us twenty miles northwest to LakeKrishensar, to Lake Vishensar aboveit, and up at last to the 13,000 footridgeline. In these four days we wouldsee the best plants that we found inall Kashmir.The trail out of Sonamarg headeddown at first. It then climbed mileafter mile until, after a 2,000 foot ascent,we reached a ridgeline meadow.Ahead, northwestward, the meadowsloped up sharply to a soaring peak,its spire a gray, shaly rock in nearlyvertical, tilted layers, its side a greenmantle swooping to our left to formthe meadow's spine before plunging.Sheep herders' mud huts clustered nearthe spine. Peak after peak marchednorthward, each with its up-slope peltof dark trees and lighter green shrubsfingering toward but never surmountingthe naked spire, and each with itsdownslope striations of gray rock and109

scree. Close to our right, a forest oflong-needled Himalayan pines and Indianfirs edged the ridgeline, whichfell north to a river valley.Barry, Reuben, and I wanted to exploredown this north-face trail. Itsslippery mud terrified the poniesthough, so we dismounted, leaving Ghuland his boys to lead our mounts fartherup the ridge to a rock and scree descent.We three made our way toward thevalley.Alongside the upper, forested partof the trail, in shady places amongthe rocks we found a wide variety offerns — athyrium, polystichum, asplenium— all in species unknown tous. Barry gathered fronds with plentyof ripe spore, and I could not resistpicking out several small specimens.The trail opened out into meadows.We waded down through acres offlowers waving at us in the wind, thesalvia and geranium and potentilla soabundant that we soon walked amongthem as familiarly as among oldfriends. And even when this or thatrare little beauty peeped out, no matterhow new and exotic, no matter howshe widened our eyes, Barry wouldhardly betray the twinkle in his eyesas he bent down to observe quitecalmly, "This looks good." BeautifulMeconopsis aculeata grew in singleshere and there, the flower's baby bluepetals flared out around a golden ring.We saw both white and yellow formsof Anemone obtusiloba, some closetogether. The fern-like foliage of Adonischrysocyathus appeared in great clumpsten to fifteen inches high among therocks, each stem topped with a large,solitary, golden yellow bloom. We cameupon a Salvia hians more than a foottall; the cluster of large, basal foliagegrew in moist soil, where rivulets ofmelting snow may once have carved abed, and the dark blue flowers werehuge. Instead of the usual purple, theyhad throats of white.Farther down the slope, in a jumbleof rocks, we were examining cheilantheswhen we heard a clatter and lookedto see our ponies scrabbling, pitching,and jouncing goatlike over the mazeof boulders, manes abobbing. We shookour heads and laughed, glad to beafoot.PrimulareptansThe trail dropped precipitously tothe river and brought us to a ridgewith layers of flatrock shale. "Weshould find Primula reptans in here,"said Reuben. And sure enough, we did.Gorgeous things! Their difficulty in thegarden paled before their rare beautyhere in the valley. Tight, flat matsthey were, their tiny buns pressed rightagainst the outcropping's shaded face.With the patterned stone a fascinatingbackdrop, the extremely compressedbuns and diminutive leaflets were strikingenough. But the blooms in fullflower clinging tightly to the mats —the sight raised the hair on our necks.In dark purples and light lavenders,the blossoms huddled upon the foliageas though trying to hide from ourgaze.110

Shadows lengthened. We had a fifteenmile ride up river to make camp atLake Krishensar, so we mounted up.But our ponies were old hands atfun and games. "Stumble Bum," asI politely named my pony at first,quickly discovered that I froze to thesaddle every time he lurched, so hegleefully tripped over every rock andlog. Then he tried a new game, "accidentally"leaning against a great boulderand squeezing my leg between hisribs and the hard place. Well, the nexttime he tried that I swung my otherleg and "accidentally" gave him a swiftkick to the jaw. Meanwhile, Barry offeredhis pony a marathon lecture onits unsavory ancestry, and on we wentwith never a respite to look at plantsalong the way, teased and tested atevery river crossing, hill, and pebble.Before nightfall we reached Krishensar(11,500 feet), a large lake atthe base of the mountain we wouldclimb the next day. A young Germancouple, camped near the water, spokehappily about the fishing in the river,where they had caught fine Germanbrown trout. We made camp on a flata few hundred feet below the lake,near where the river emerged. Ourguide went fishing. Barry went looking— and in rock crevices right by ourcamp found Asplenium viride, adelightful, tiny fern with the stems notblack but green. He discovered Aspleniumseptentrionale on a large, solitaryrock in a meadow nearby, the veryfern I had seen in the Colorado Rockiesthe year before.At six the next morning we tooka quick breakfast, left everyone behindbut Ghul, and went for the gold ring.Right away, on the steep, open meadowthat mounded up from Krishensar tonearby Vishensar, we spied the huge,bright yellow flowers of foot-high Geumelatum as well as the most strikingof all potentillas, P. nepalensis, its oneto two foot stems procumbent and tippedwith beautiful crimson blossoms,some variegated to an orange-red. Thenup and up the ponies struggled, noshenanigans today, and at more than13,000 feet we reached the top saddleof the ridge above Lake Vishensar.From the steep climb and the altitude,Ghul had a terrible headache, so Igave him some aspirin and told himto rest before he headed back downto camp with our ponies. Barry, Reuben,and I wished to spend the dayon foot exploring the chips.Along the whole ridge a mantle ofchippings overlay a deep, rough scree.These finely shattered chips had brokendown from the many shaly outcroppingspoking up from the ridges. All of thesehigher outcroppings looked likebrownstone.Right at our feet we noticed padafter pad of Androsace sempervivoidesand A. muscoides. The dark, heavilyflowered mound of Androsace mucronifoliasurprised us with its tinyrosettes.Soon we came upon the Queen ofthe Himalayas, Paraquilegia grandiflora.Right up on the windsweptridge, it grew tightly adpressed to thesurface of chippings and stood barelyone inch high. Most of the seedpodswere green, but we scurried from plantto plant and finally, with diligence,collected a fair supply of ripe ones.Looking at the unexpected abundanceof plants here, we felt overwhelmedto think of all the seed that wouldripen in just two more weeks. Then,knowing that every time we found thisshaly, sandy-red rock we would findP. grandiflora, we explored the northface of a great outcropping anddiscovered several dozen plants (withtremendous taproots) all up and downthe labyrinthine stairsteps of rock. On111

some plants the aquilegia-like foliagecurled into tight little fists as thoughParaquilegiagrandifloraprotecting its wealth of blossoms andseed; on others the leaves lay open, contouringthe whole plant into a magnificentmound. We found amazing variationnot only in the foliage but in theflower — one with blooms the size of aclime, another smothered with blossomsthe size of a quarter, and still others aslarge as a half dollar, twice the size ofany other forms I had seen. In contrastto the well-known but smaller, bright lavenderflowers found in Nepal and elsewhere,these had a light lavender tintupon the back of the petal, as we saw onone plant with its dozens of buds stilltight — but the whole inside of the openbloom was pure white, a lovely Queen.Higher up the ridge we climbed, seekingMertensia tibetica. Here a deepred allium bloomed in large groups,yet onions hardly drew our interestamidst the teeming royalty. For in thisarea we came upon pink-blooming patchesof Androsace muscoides, Corydalisthyrsiflora with short, compact flowerheads of deep yellow, and the huge,flat, succulent leaves of Corydaliscrassifolia, which despite its rather dulllavender flowers aroused interest withits inflated seedpods. The WhiplashSaxifrage, S. flagellaris, waseverywhere, one of the very few plantsnot endemic to Kashmir (how curiousthat it grows at 13,000 feet both hereand in the Rockies). The large yellowblossoms whipped and danced in thebreeze, while below them the reddish,spidery stolons crept out along theground for new screes to conquer.Another very interesting saxifrage, butnew to me, was S. jacquemontana,its bun not only molding itself to rockyledges but its yellow blooms a deeporange-yellow. The flowers seemedunable to open themselves fully. Onrock outcroppings we saw S. imbricata,the tiny leaves compacted into a tightbun; from the center of the leaf clusterscame small, stemless, single whiteflowers. And we found S. sibirica, theCorydalisthyrsifloradense tufts of reniform leaves one inchacross and the stems four to eight inchestall with bulbils at the base; acorymb of fairly large white flowerstopped each stem. To our delight, S.sibirica grew thickly amidst the beautywe came seeking — Mertensia tibetica.We found it all around, an amazingmultitude, some clustering under rock112

ledges, others taking full sun right outin the open. Unlike most mertensias,the dark blue flowers turned their facesupward, as if sipping the infinite azureof Kashmir.Mertensia tibeticaBarry glanced up — "We seem tohave a visitor." Not far above, onthe top ridge, a sheep herder staredat us — peculiar white men scamperingabout and grabbing plants and seedand clambering straight up the mountainside.One large wall of gray, creviced rockcontained some beautiful Himalayan endemicsthat held us spellbound. In therock shelving we saw Primula reptans,Primula elliptica, Mertensia tibetica,and Androsace sempervivoides. On astone ledge above us stood a Sedumcrassipes with its clusters of twelve inchstems arising from a single root-stock,each stem topped with bright red, paintbrushflower heads. And there, rightbeside it on an eight inch stem, thehoodlike yellow daisy of Cremanthodiumdecaisnei peered at us.We reached the shepherd's level. Wesaid nothing. He said nothing. We walkedon, just a mite self-conscious.Clouds, like the sighs of a mountaingod, ambled about the gray peaks, touchedthem lingeringly, and moved on.Another ridge and another, and theday wore on. The mind can only absorbso much. Ever intoxicated withblossoms, Gentiana argentea roamed far"^^iS8S8^^M'^'i'•'Barry Starling and Reuben Hatch on Vishensar Ridge113

and wide over trie high meadows;though a small annual only three incheshigh, it was dense with terminal clustersof bright blue flowers. Pedicularisshowed a grand array of sizes and colors— the variegated white and rose-purpleof P. pectinata, the bright rose-purpleof P. siphonantha, the one and a halfinch long pale yellow blooms of P.versicolor. Soon, excitment settleddown. We squirmed around to get theright photo angles. Talk grew quieter.A Pedicularis bicornuta, one foot ofpure elegance just ballooning with largepuffed yellow blossoms like giant butteredhominy, drew a speculative look,a whispered "Nice," and a couple ofphotographs.Along the bowl-rim ridges we circledback and down to camp. Tired. Contented.The next morning, August 1st, webreakfasted on trout our guide hadcaught and took it rather easy by hikingup a small canyon between Krishensarand Vishensar. Here we spotted aRhododendron anthopogon and a fewspecies of primula. We gathered seedpodsfrom Aquilegia nivalis. Above all,we came upon a dwarf Aconitumheterophyllum only ten inches high, butwith unusally large helmet flowers oflime green, striped a dull, purplishbrown. Then Barry found his longsought Cassiope fastigiata at the topof the canyon ridge.We got back to camp by midafternoon,itching for a swim, and traipsedup to the shore of glacier-fed Krishensar,Canadian Club in hand. Ah, a fewswigs to warm up. Then we stripped,ran, and dove into the lake — hah!— and out much faster. Towels. Clothes.A few more swigs and lots moreplant talk occupied a beautiful, beautifulafternoon.We spent that evening caring forthe day's collection — picking out deadleaves and debris, washing roots clean,enclosing each plant in a plastic bagto retain moisture, and packing themtogether snugly in cartons. And thenext morning we prepared for the journeyback to Sonamarg.Only when Ghul yelled "Osha!" atespecially steep, precarious spots didthe ponies leave off their fun and gamesand attend to boulders. Plantsmen arenever content in the saddle, though,so on and off we got to check plantsalong the return trail. A monsoon rainswept upon us, soaking us to the skinin seconds, and for a quarter of anhour we had the ride of a lifetimeon slippery saddles upon bouncing poniesup mountain trails and down. Inthe terribly rocky, muddy area beyondNichinai Pass, Reuben's pony flounderedto its belly and pitched him headover heels into muck. Reuben calmlyremounted. All the while I kept givingmy pony swift kicks for his trippingtricks and his propensity for choosingwrong trails and so, when we got backto Sonamarg and I got one foot onthe ground but the other boot stuckin the stirrup, the pony, expecting welldeserved kicks in the ribs, kept sidesteppingand sidestepping and I kept hoppingalongside like a one-legged duckwishing I could kick that varmint. Ghulfinally got my boot out and I spitout a few purple epithets. Ghul onlygrinned and shrugged.I joined Reuben and Barry, who weregazing back at our mountain peaks.Had we actually conquered a weebit of the Himalayas? Had we perhapsput our footsteps beside those of Blatter,Coventry, and other great plant huntersof the past? At least in our heartsand minds we had our own small "Valeof Kashmir," twenty miles long, amillion memories wide.Everything we had come seeking wehad found, except Corydalis114

cashmeriana. We had hoped so muchto find that, and perhaps it was inanother area (Zojila Ridge, no doubt),or possibly mere steps from where wehad walked. In fact, it may even havepassed from bloom and gone to seedright under our feet. But the plantsthat we did find exceeded our hopes— Metensia tibetica in unbelievableabundance, the outstanding beautifulPrimula replans, and thousands uponthousands of Paraquilegia grandiflorain all her loveliness.Now, having been home for severalweeks, an interlude affording me occasionfor deep thought, in retrospectI must confess with all honesty —•I wish I had kicked that damned pony!A SMALL GLAMOROUS SHRUB:Fothergilla gardeniiMRS. RALPH CANNONChicago, DlinoisFlowering shrubs are among the mostimportant features of a garden; theydefinitely play a supporting role. If thegarden is small the lack of space preventsthe gardener from growing anythingapproaching the collection of hisdreams. The temptation to plant moreand more shrubs leads to overgrowthalong with drastic pruning which resultsin the shrubs losing their natural shapeand beauty.There are many dwarf species andvarieties that should be considered forthey not only contribute flowers butbeauty of form and foliage. A dwarfshrub worthy of inclusion in any collectionis Fothergilla gardenii (F. alnijolia)which rarely exceeds three feet inheight and is very striking both inspring and autumn. Belonging to theHamamelidaceae family makes it ahandsome cousin of the Witch-Hazel. Itdoes well in semi-shade and on a lightacid humus soil. This little roundupright bush prevails with its foliageand flowers against any competitionfrom any flowers. Being low growing itcan be ideal in many different positions,rock gardens or general landscapedesign. One of its virtues is that itflowers at a very tender age so there isno wait for a certain size to be reachedbefore you can expect flowers.Its witch-hazel like leaves are obovateto oblong, base rounded or broadly cuneate,to two inches long and coarselytoothed; nice green color above andpaler beneath. In May it produces fluffyinflorescences of fragrant flowers resemblingstubby bottle brushes. Thequantity of bloom makes the shruboutstanding. These white blossomswithout petals are borne in dense terminalheads in which the stamens arethe conspicuous part. They appear inshort clusters on the naked branchesbefore the unfurling of the leaves andare most decorative. There is a particularcharm about shrubs that flowerbefore the tufts of green leaves show asit permits the structure of the nakedtwigs that support the lovely whiteflowers to be seen.Fothergilla gardenii was named afterthe Quaker, Dr. John Fothergill. In1762 Dr. Fothergill had a most notablegarden in Upton, England, second onlyto Kew. After eighteen years his gardenscontained 3400 species of exoticplants in addition to his trees and115

shrubs. In 1772 the nurseryman, JamesLee, made the following request in a letterto Linnaeus, "I know Mr. Miller sentyou a drawing of a plant he wanted youto name after my great friend Dr. JohnFothergill. The doctor is fond of thatplant as it is sweet and elegant and willendure in the open air in the severest ofwinters." Fothergilla gardenii answersto the description of this plant. The gardeniipart of the name is in honor ofanother contemporary doctor, Dr. AlexanderGarden, who practiced inCharleston in 1755 but spent all thetime he could spare from his professionon botany. He corresponded frequentlywith Linnaeus.We are told that this shrub is hardyinto Ohio and Massachusetts although itis a native of the south-eastern statesand mostly from the Appalachianmountains. It can be propagated fromstem cuttings, root cuttings, by layering,or from seed. Good plants can be obtainedfrom most garden centers andplanted in the spring at least by the firstof May.Frequently when seeking plants withdecorative shades of colored autumnleaves one turns to some member of theWitch-Hazel Family. Few bushes canrival Fothergilla gardenii for theorange-yellow color of its leaves beforethey fall in the autumn. This seasonaleffect is very glamorous. One thing iscertain, even one specimen of this littleshrub can be worthwhile and will bringcolor and elegance to your garden.Lester RowntreeLester Rowntree, a recipient of the ARGS Award of Merit in 1967, died on March21, 1979 just eight days after her 100th birthday. Born in England, she came to theUnited States with her parents when still a school girl and spent most of her adultlife in California where she had an astonishing garden built on a steep mountainsideoverlooking the Pacific in Carmel Highlands.Mrs. Rowntree spent comparatively little time in her garden, however, as shetraveled extensively, usually alone, throughout the southwest United States andMexico, even exploring as far afield as the Mediterranean maquis and the Chileanhighlands to collect the seed of native flora of these areas, which she then dispensedthroughout this country and abroad.Mrs. Rowntree's two books (unfortunately now out of print), Hardy Californiansand Flowering Shrubs of California, are a delight to read. A writer of talent, herbooks, though authoritative, are not dry botanical texts, including, as they do, livelyaccounts of her adventurous explorations.Mrs. Rowntree maintained joint citizenship in Britain and the United States andon the occasion of her hundredth birthday received a cable of congratulations fromQueen Elizabeth II. She was a charming person with a lively sense of humor, adedicated plantsman and conservationist, and a legend in her own time.116

NOMOCHARIS IN MASSACHUSETTSRONALD A. BECKWITHSouthampton, MassachusettsPhotographs by the author"If the Peat Garden enthusiast had to confine himself to twelve genera, Nomochadswould not be last on that short list." — Alfred Evans, The Peat GardenIn 1889, in the "Journal de Botanie,"Adrien Rene Franchet, Director of theMuseum D'Histoire Naturelle in Paris,France, designated the genusNomocharis from specimens collectedby Delavay in western China. The namederives from the Greek nomo formeadow or pasture and charts, meaningoutward grace, loveliness. Surely adelightful name for a delightful plant.Our friends the taxonomists made nomistake with that name.Franchet apparently set up the genuson account of the basaily swollen filaments,and the wide open flowers withthe outer segments entire whilst theinner segments are much broader andfringed at the margin, with large, almostlobed nectary glands.Following the introduction of newspecies, the genus was reviewed inseveral papers. The first revision waspublished in 1918 by Sir Isaac BayleyBalfour in the "Transactions of theBotanical Society of Edinburgh" andwas followed by E. E. Wilson in 1925in Lilies of Eastern Asia; W. E. Evansin 1925 and 1926 in "Notes," EdinburghRoyal Botanical Garden; andD. Wilkie in 1946 in the Royal HorticulturalSociety "Lily Year Book."Fourteen species were recognized,some of which possessed slender filaments.A more recent revision donein 1950 by J. Robert Sealy in the"Kew Bulletin" reduced the genus toeight species, placing N. euxanthum,georgei, . henrici, lophophorum,mackliniae, nanum, oxypetalum, andsouliei in Lilium. Nomocharis, as conceivedby Sealy, is a small homogeneousgenus, obviously closely allied toLilium, Fritillaria and Notholirion. Thisrelationship has given rise to plantsthat loosely fit into either genera,therefore, periodically there are shiftsin taxonomic opinion and species popback and forth between the genera.To complicate matters further,Nomocharis species have proved to bea trifle promiscuous, presenting us withthe problem of natural and man inducedhybrids. This has resulted in the creationof the grex N. x jinlayorum.The eight species that Sealy acceptsare as follows: N. pardanthina, meleagris,mairei, basilissa, farreri, synpatica,aperta and saluenensis. Of these, N.basilissa and synpatica are probably notin cultivation. In this articla, I will confinemyself to the Nomocharis that Igrow and which I believe to be readilyavailable in the seed exchanges.The history of the introduction ofNomocharis into cultivation resoundswith the names that reverberatethroughout the world of rock gardening:Forrest, Fairer, Rock, Ward, andnot forgetting those great French missionarycollectors from western China,Delavay, Soulie and Maire. I think thatperhaps here we should acknowledgethe tremendous part that the Royal BotanicGarden, Edinburgh has played117

in the history of the genus N omocharisand its consequent retention in cultivation.I am sure that I speak forall growers of these wonderful plantswho firmly believe that, if all else fails,Edinburgh and that select group ofastounding Scottish growers can becounted on to keep things going. Taxonomically,Edinburgh has been in theforefront, with many reviews andpapers on the genus emanating fromthere.Pere Jean Marie Delavay (1834-1895) was a priest in the French MissionsEtrangeres and from 1867 untilhis death in 1895 lived in China. Hewas stationed in northwestern Yunnanbetween Tali-fu and Lichaing. Workingmostly alone, he sent a most remarkableamount of material back to France,to the extent that some fifty years afterhis death his herbaria were still beingsorted and classified. It was to Franchetat the Paris Museum that Delavay sentthe first known collection o fN omocharis. This was classified as N.pardanthina. Delavay collected N. pardanthinain June 1883 in the pasturesof Mount Koua-la-po in the Tali district,Yunnan Province. However, it is toGeorge Forrest that we are indebtedfor its introduction into cultivation. Itfirst flowered at the Royal Botanic Garden,Edinburgh in 1914 from seed thathe had sent back. Frank Kingdon Wardalso collected and sent back seed. N.pardanthina ranges in height from eighteento thirty-six inches with whorledfoliage. The flowers tend to be nodding,about three inches across, white or flushedwith the palest pink, the innersegments fringed whilst the outer areentire. The face is quite heavily spottedcrimson towards the center, giving theeffect of an eye. The filaments areswollen from their base to a little overhalf way up, after which they becomerapidly reduced, becoming thread-likebefore attaching to the anther. Thisswelling is quite unlike anything inLilium.N omocharis farreri is sometimes givenas a variety of N. pardanthina,which it quite closely resembles.However, N. farreri is reputed to growmuch more strongly, to have narrowerleaves, and the inner segments of theflower are not so heavily fringed, beingonly nicked. Plants that I have grownfrom seed under this name did notshow these characteristics. N. farreriwas first found by Farrer in the HpimauPass. Upper Burma in 1919 (Burma-YunnanBorder Region). It waslater collected by Forrest and by Ward.NemocharisapertaNomocharis aperta is another Forrestintroduction. He collected N. apertasometime in 1906 in southwesternSzechuan and northwestern Yunnan.This is rather a distinct plant withthe segments entire and the perianthof a flat saucer shape. The more orless outward facing flowers are threeto four inches across, white or flushedrose with blotches of deep crimsonaround the nectaries. The filaments arenot swollen. Although this species isreported to attain thirty inches, withme it tends to be rather short, growingsome eighteen to twenty-four inches tall.118

The leaves are paired to scattered(unlike N. pardanthina).Nomocharis mairei (how I admirethis plant) was first collected by E.E. Maire in 1912 in pastures at 10,000feet at Ta-Hai in northeast Yunnan.However, again we are indebted to Forrest,and later Ward, for its introductioninto cultivation. I find it difficultto categorize plants, but this really isa most lovely plant, rather reminiscentof an Odontoglossum. The tepals arewhite or flushed pink and heavily spottedwith crimson over all the segments,giving way to a crimson-eyed center,the inner tepals are beautifully fringed.By contrast, the pollen is yellow. N.mairei var. Candida is reported in theliterature. It is said to be pure whiteand unspotted. The flowers of N. maireihold themselves well, facing out orslightly down, the tips recurved. Thefilaments are club shaped, but again,they become thread-like before attachingto the anther. The leaves arewhorled.When I was preparing to write thisarticle, I read the published speciesdescriptions and I found that some ofthem did not exactly correspond withmy plants. Comparison of livingmaterial with the herbarium sheets atthe Gray Herbarium of HarvardUniversity was made as a further check.In this I was much aided by Mr. H.Ahles, Keeper of the Herbarium at theUniversity of Massachusetts-Amherst.Although Nomocharis aperta and N.mairei matched well, the conclusion wasreached that there were no true N.pardanthina or N. farreri amongst myplantings even though several batcheshad been raised from seed under thosenames. Many came very close, but didnot quite fit the descriptions. Referencesto the Royal Horticultural Society's LilyYear Books led us to the conclusion,somewhat to my dissatisfaction, thatNemocharis maireiI had a fine batch of the grexNomocharis x finlajorum.Perhaps a review of how this namecame about would be fitting. Duringa visit in June 1969 to the gardenof Keillour, the home of the late Majorand Mrs. Knox Finlay, Patrick M.Synge, former Editor of the Royal HorticulturalSociety, saw several groupsof Nomocharis which he believed tobe of hybrid origin. It was thoughtunlikely that these plants would be cloned,but would be kept in cultivationby seed propagation, and therefore, itwas decided to give them a grex name,hence N. x finlayorum, after MajorKnox Finlay, who for many years was aregular exhibitor and superb grower ofNemocharis x finlavorum119

these plants. The original descriptioncan be found in the Royal HorticulturalSociety "Lily Year Book" 1969, p. 107.What can I say about A. xfinlayorum to help you identify them?Mostly, they have whorled foliage andthey have an obvious affinity to A.pardanthina, farreri and mairei. Theflowers are white to pale pink, thespotting anything from all over theface to confined merely around the centraleye. Indeed, some have no spottingbut just the central eye. They are verylovely and worthwhile additions to anygarden; a clump standing some twoto three feet tali is a most delightfulsight.Another Nomocharis that I am raisingfrom seed is A. saluenensis, whichis reported to be closely aiiied to A.aperta. Aomockaris saluenensis was collectedfrom altitudes between 9,000 and14,000 feet in southeastern Tibet,northwestern Yunnan, western Szechuanand northeastern Burma. The presentstock in cultivation is believed to bederived from George Forrest's collectionsof 1921-1922. Photographs andattendant literature show that the widelysaucer-shaped flowers are upward facing,white to pale pink (even paleyellow has been reportedJ with purplishspotting towards the center. These areborne on plants that grow two to threefeet tall. As in A. aperta, the filamentsare not swollen and the leaves arepaired to scattered. Its name is derivedfrom the Salween River. I would ventureto suggest that the photographof A. saluenensis featured in The PeatGarden by A. Evans (Plate Xd) isa good example of this Nomocharis.But "Ah" you say, "This is all verywell; how do we grow them?" I canonly speak from my experience of themhere in the Northeast. I tried growingthem in Britain (just north of Londonon the East Coast) when I lived there,but 1 never got them to flowering size.While I have been here in the UnitedStates (Massachusetts), 1 have hadmuch better success. Starting off withseed in 1972, I have tried various seedmixtures, but these seem to make littledifference; drainage seems to be theimportant criterion. The mixture that1 use now is basically: one part ofpeat humus, one of loam and one ofsharp, course sand to which a basefertilizer is added. Then according tohow the soil mix "feels," (and you,as rock gardeners, are just as familiarwith the term as I am) I add gritor one-quarter inch trap rock screenings,I suppose perlite would be allright too. Keally, the drainage is themost critical factor. I do not use JiffyMix or vermiculite on slow-germinatingseeds. I do not have anything againsteither; it is just that during the lengthof time that I leave nomocharisseedlings in the pot, Jiffy Mix andvermiculite tend to break down andget mushy.1 have used baby flats as containersin the past, but 1 now prefer fouror four and a half inch square plasticpots as they are deeper. 1 always puta layer of three-eighths inch trap rockover the bottom for drainage and thenfill with the medium to about one-fourthinch below the lower rim. The mediumis then firmed.I try to sow the seeds very thinlyas I am going to leave them in thepot two to three years, depending ontheir growth. One can usually delermineif the seeds are good by placing themon wax paper or thin typing paperand holding it over light. You shouldbe able to identify a good seed becausethe embryo appears as two lines inthe endosperm, going part of the wayacross it. However, use this as a rough120

guide and do not discard any seeds,only what is obviously chaff, eventhough only a few appear good. I alwaysshoot for the works and assumethat I might have missed some. If theseeds appear really good, I will sowmaybe twelve in a four and a halfinch pot, but if it looks very poorand I can see only a few seeds withthe embryos plainly visible, I will sowsufficiently thickly that they are perhapseven touching each other. I then coverthe seeds with about one-eighth inchof medium over which I place a layerof siftings from three-eighths inch traprock, i.e., one-fourth inch or less. Justa single layer of trap rock pieces willsuffice. It will help keep the moss out.I then water the seeds in well fromthe top.When to sow? Frankly, I don't thinkthat it matters. The books all say tosow in early spring but I have sownin the fall, and in the winter (January,February). As soon as the seed is sownI put the pots out in the cold framewhere they get frozen solid. In mostcases seedlings will appear in the springalthough I have had them skip a wholeyear and come up the following year.I have also sown seed in April, inwhich case, they sometimes germinatealmost immediately, but sometimes theywait. I want to stress the importanceof not becoming over-anxious and pitchingthem out if they don't germinatequickly; as with all good alpines, waitthree years.For the first year or so after germination,I keep my seedlings in thecold frame, which I shade during thesummer with snow fencing so thatthe pots receive a thin moving shade.I never allow seedlings to flower inthe seed pots, however. Bearing in mindthat they are in smallish pots, I keepa special eye on them during theirsecond to third spring post-germination.Once the plants start putting on somestem growth I plant the whole potfulout as a clump, placing them slightlylower than the soil level and then workingsoil in around the stems to bringit up to soil level. I leave them likethis until the first flowers appear.Usually one or two will flower beforethe others in the third to fourth years.As soon as the flowers are faded,I dig the clump up and separate theplants out. Care must be taken in diggingbecause Nomocharis bulbs tendto get down deep like those of Erythroniums,so you must dig well downto get the spade under them, or youwill leave the bulb behind and causeyourself much annoyance. I like toreplant immediately. 1 separate out thebulbs and I dig holes eighteen inchesacross and nine to twelve inches deepwith the soil at the bottom of thehole well forked over. I then plantsix to nine bulbs in the hole, workingthe soil in around them carefully asI go. Hold the stem and plant themas you would a tree sapling. Take carethat the plants are as deep or evenslightly deeper in the soil than theywere before. They can and will adjustthemselves within reason. I always treadmy plants in after planting, treatingthem more like saplings than bulbs.As to where to plant them? I canonly speak for my garden. I have grownNomocharis in two very different gardens.Though their planting site in bothgardens was well drained, in my formergarden it was much damper than inmy present garden. Also, in the formergarden they were planted on the easternside of Pinus strobus, but the treeswere quite small and dense (twelve toeighteen feet); at present m yNomocharis are growing under a largePinus strobus, mostly on the north andeastern sides, and on a north slope.They have a somewhat thinner shade121

than previously as well as a much driersituation. I think, therefore, that it isreasonable to say that Nomocharis prefersome shade in this climate (westernMassachusetts). I give them bone mealin the fall and I spray them everyten to fourteen days during the growingseason to keep them free of aphids.I think that hand pollination is requiredin order to get seed; withoutit the seed-set is not very good andseed seems to be the only reliable wayto increase Nomocharis. While minegrow well, I have not noticed any greatincrease in numbers. This is merelya general observation, as I do not goround counting them. From all thatI read, they can continue undisturbedfor several years. There appears to beno great need to lift and move themevery three or four years as I wouldadvise with lilies.What does all this mean? Simply,that I believe that Nomocharis can begrown, at least in the Northeast, whengiven reasonable conditions and thatthey are not as difficult as many wouldsuggest. Believe me, they get no bettercare than the rest of my plants. Asalpine growers, you all know the importanceof microclimate and finding theright place for the plant. So far theyhave proved hardy and I have hadno problems with rodents or slugs.This is how I have grown a fewNomocharis. I hope that this will encourageothers to try growing them.I feel there is nothing more satisfyingthan to show your friends a groupof Nomocharis in flower during Juneand July. They have a refined etherealquality about them and they are alltrue alpines with none known in thewild to occur below the 9,000 footlevel. So how about adding a littleGrace to your Pasture?SELECTEDREFERENCESCoats, Alice M. 1970. The Plant Hunters. McGraw-Hill.Cowan, J. M. (Editor). 1952. George Forrest VMH. Journeys and Plant Introductions. RoyalHorticultural Society.Cox, E. M. H. 1945. Plant Hunting in China. Old Bourne: London.Evans, Alfred. 1974. The Peat Garden and Its Plants. Dent.Wilson, E. H. 1925. Lilies of Eastern Asia. Dulau & Co., Ltd.Woodcock and Stearn, 1950. Lilies of the World. Country Life, Ltd.Royal Botanic Garden, Kew. Kew Bulletin, 1950.Royal Horticultural Society. Lily Year Book, 1932, et al.122The Myth of the Lime-Loving PlantI am not going to say that no plant needs lime and will perish onan acid soil; my experience is far too limited for such a sweepingstatement. I do say that I would not be deterred from trying anyplant I wanted to grow because I read that it must have lime. I amat present growing at least three species which, theoretically, oughtnot to flourish in a pH 5 soil without benefit of lime, namely,Camptosorus rhizophyllus, Clematis — in variety, and Iris unguicularis(seven different cultivars.)"Clematis and lime are forever linked, like salt and pepper," writesgrower-member Richard E. Farrell. How do these myths continue tobe perpetuated?—Pamela J. Harper, Seaford, Virginia

CYCLAMEN IN CONTAINERSBRIAN HALLIWELLKew, EnglandMany cyclamen, including Cyclamenpersicum, described below, require aMediterranean climate; hot dry summers;spring and fall rains; and low,but not prolonged freezing temperaturesin winter. For this reason many ofthe very choice species will not doout-doors in the United States exceptperhaps in the Southwest, though somewill survive in the Southeast if givengood drainage. They can all, however,be grown in pots as explained inthis article by Brian Halliwell of theAlpine and Herbaceous Department atthe Royal Botanic Garden in Kew,England. — Ed.The so-called Persian Cyclamen, C.persicum, from which the florist's plantwas developed by selection, did notoriginate from Persia and, in fact, isnot to be found there. It occurs inseveral countries at the eastern endof the Mediterranean: Greece, Rhodes,Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. Inthese countries it can be found fromsea level to a height of about twothousand feet, usually in woodland althoughit also grows in the open amongstshrubs or at the base of rocks. Usuallyit is found growing in alkaline soilthat is well supplied with leaf-mold.Corms, which can be as large as atea plate, may be over a foot belowthe surface where the soil is deep butcan also be just covered where theground is thin or stony. It is veryrare to find corms exposed as theyoften are in cultivation.During the hot dry summers of thesecountries, corms are dormant withgrowth commencing at the onset ofautumnal rains. Leaves appear first inOctober and November with flowersappearing in January or February althoughthey can still be seen as lateas April. Insects are responsible forpollination and when this has occurred,the flower stems elongate; as the seedpod swells, the increased weight bringsit down to ground level. Unlike thoseof the other cyclamen species, the flowerstems of Cyclamen persicum do notcoil into a spring after pollination ofthe bloom. Leaves often die away beforepods are fully ripe. These eventuallysplit to expose sticky seeds that areattractive to ants, who seem mainlyresponsible for distribution.Leaves have serrated edges and areheart-shaped, usually about two inchesacross at their broadest and of similarlength. There is much color variationfrom plain dark green throughout tocompletely silver, but in general thereis a green background on which thereare bands or zones of silver arrangedin attractive patterns.The flowers, which are deliciouslyscented, stand well above the leaveson six to nine inch stems. Petals areabout an inch in length, narrow andtwisted. These are usually held verticallyas in all typical cyclamen. Most oftentheir color is pale pink but a searchin any colony will disclose variationin shades from white to a fairly deeprose and whilst most have a darkereye some are self-colored. Besides variationin color, flowers will be foundwhere petals are held horizontally insteadof vertically, and flowers in which123

there are ten petals instead of five.Few sights are more beautiful in earlyspring than a pine forest in oneof this plant's native countries wherethe forest floor is carpeted with the"Persian Cyclamen". On a warm daythe flower fragrance can be so intensethat it drowns the scent of the pines.Unfortunately such a scene is unlikelyin gardens but an individual plant orplants make a delightful addition toan alpine house or cool room.Cyclamen of all species are raisedfrom seed, most of their forms comingtrue to type. Best results are obtainedfrom fresh seed sown as soon as collectedat which time germination ismost rapid and even; old seed takeslonger and germination is erratic.Unless the gardener or his friends haveplants, fresh seed will be unobtainableso before sowing seed should be soakedfor twenty-four hours in cold water.A compost for sowing can consist ofequal parts of soil, sand, and leaf-mold(leaf-mold seems to suit cyclamen betterthan peat.) Space out the seed in acontainer or sow individually in smallpots, insuring that the seed is coveredwith one-quarter to one-half inch ofthe compost.When fresh seed is not available,sow in January if sufficient heat isavailable (50 to 60° F.) otherwisedelay until temperatures are rising inApril or May. Unless individually sown,pot the seedlings singly into small potswhen they have developed three leaves.Seedlings of C. persicum should be pottedone to a five-inch pot whereas allothers can be potted several to a ninetotwelve-inch pan, insuring that atall times the tubers are kept well abovethe soil. Use the same basic ingredientsas already mentioned but add somelime and a light dressing of balancedfeed.During the summer months, containersare best kept out-of-doors andplunged to their rims in a frame wherethey receive some shade. Waterwhenever required and keep them growinguntil flowering takes place. Timeof flowering will depend on species,when sown, and the amount of winterheat available. Rehouse in the fallbefore frosts arrive. A winter temperatureof 45 to 50° F. is ideal butas long as the glass house can be keptfrost free the plants will prosper. Applywater carefully whenever needed beingcareful that none fall onto the foliageor tubers. Keep the plants in a dryairy atmosphere avoiding at all timesstagnant conditions which encouragedisease.The disease Botrytis is a seriousmenace, attacking first dead or damagedplant material. From here it spreadsto immature flower buds and, whilstthere will be no obvious symptoms,these fail to develop. Pick over theplants at regular intervals, removingyellowing leaves, faded flowers, or anydamaged material taking care whendetaching the stems that no raggedplant remnant remains adhering to thetuber. Dusting the centers of the plantswith sulphur will give control againstthe disease spores and will also actas a deterrent against further infection.When flowering is over graduallyreduce the amount of water but donot dry off completely. As the dangerof frost passes, transfer out-of-doorsand plunge to the rim in a sunnypart of the garden where the plantswill receive such summer rain as fallsso they do not dry out completely. Sunand/or warmth is required by thetubers to insure free flowering in thefollowing season. In wet areas protectin a frame to which maximum ventilationis allowed at all times.Normal watering for C. purpurascens(europeum) will continue throughout124

the summer; for other species it shouldresume as flower bud formation isnoticed or as new leaves start todevelop. Before rehousing, pick overthe plants to remove any debris, scrapethe loose soil from the surface of thecontainer and replace with new. Cyclamengrow and flower best when theyare root bound so repanning will onlybe necessary when the corms becomeso large as to touch each other orthe sides of the pot.THE TURFINGLILIESThere is considerable confusion betweenthe two closely related genera,Liriope and Ophiopogon, the Asiasticturfing lilies; the only differenceseparating them being that the liriopeshave a superior (the perianth attachedbelow the ovary and not to it) ratherthan a half-inferior ovary as in theophiopogons. Ophiopogon comprisesten or more species that range fromIndia through China to Japan andKorea, while Liriope contains fewerspecies, possibly no more than four,which have a narrower range, beingconfined mostly to China and Japan.Both genera form dense tufts of arching,dark green, narrow straplikeleaves from three to eighteen incheslong or more. They bloom in late summerand fall in spike-like racemes thatare usually shorter than the leaves andvary in color from white to deep purple.These and the leaves rise from shortrhizomes, which often produce slenderstolons.Liriope platyphylla (F.T. Wang andTang) and Liriope spicata (Lour) aremuch the same, though the latter seemsto be the one found in most gardens.But here again there is much confusionas the latter plant has been knownas Ophiopogon spicatus var. communis,Liriope graminifolia, L. spicata var.densi flora and L. muscari. It hasflowers of a light purple and thereis a very attractive variasated formwith light green and cream coloredstripes running the length of the leaves.Probably the most exotic of theophiopogons, 0. nigrescens, comes fromnorthwest Nepal. It produces a smalltuft of glossy, dark green leaves aboutfour to five inches tall and flowersresembling those of a creamy Lily-ofthe-Valley.In the best form, knownas "Black Dragon Beard", the leavesare of such a dark green as to bealmost black. The fruit too, a pea sizedberry, is darker than in mostophiopogons, being a deep navy blue.Not all the plants will come true fromseed, however; about fifty percent willhave bright green leaves.Except for some of the ophiopogonsfrom warmer climates, which may needsome winter protection in more northerlygardens, these plants will toleratealmost any reasonable soil or climate.They will do well in most garden soils,but prefer it rather sandy. Though theywill grow in both sun and shade, theyflower best in half shade.Both genera divide easily, are longlived, and make very attractive additionsto the rock garden. Planted closelythey make an excellent ground coverand most forms will spread slowly butsteadily to form a dense mat, a proclivitywhich gives both Liriope andOphiopogon their soubriquet, Lily Turf.John OsborneWestport, Conn.125

A NEW HYBRIDSAPONARTAZDENEK ZVOLANEK AND JAROSLAVPrague, CzechoslovakiaPhotograph by Jan Hulka, PragueKLIMAFor a number of years Czech rockgardeners have been enjoying such saponariahybrids as S. x olivana with itslarge cushions bearing pale rose flowerson a compact mat. It showed its qualityat the May, 1978, Show in Prague,blooming for three weeks in full sun.This hybrid results from the activitySaponaria pumila x ocymoides rubra compactaof good size and the less frequentlyseen S. x 'Bressingham Hybrid' withits smaller, bright red flowers on tinybright green cushions. Now our growersare excited by a new, so far unnamed,hybrid originating in Austria from across between Saponaria pumila x S.ocymoides 'Rubra Compacta.' Thisoutstanding hybrid has flowers of awarm rose up to an inch in diameterof our pen-friend, Fritz Kummert ofMauerbach, Austria. The cross wasmade in 1974 and the seed was sownin October of the same year. Onlytwo seedlings came up. One provedvery similar to Saponaria pumila;the second is the new hybrid.According to Mr. Kummert (and inour experience, also) it is easy to propagatecuttings from plants planted out126

in the garden, but not from pottedplants. Cuttings should be made of theyoung shoots in early June taken fromthe center of the plant when it startsinto growth again after trimming itback following its blooming period.This excellent hybrid has not beenwidely distributed until recently. It hasonly one small defect: it is as yetunnamed.A GOOD TEMPERED SYNTHYRISEDITH DUSEKGraham, WashingtonThe impact of some plants can bestbe described as love at first sight.Others steal slowly into one's awareness,taking on the comfortable companionabilityof a pair of old shoes. Myfirst sighting of Synthyris reniformison the gravel prairies near Olympia,Washington created almost no impactat all. Wee scraps tangled in otherherbage and struggling for the rightto live, they had few leaves and evenfewer flowers. Still, they were theearliest of our native wildflowers. Mostof them were of that indeterminate colorour English friends are wont to callmauve with an almost audible sigh ofresignation. Unlike S. missurica, whoseflowers climb nimbly up the stem, thesewere collected toward the top wherethey did their best to make some sortof showing.A bit of searching revealed here andthere a plant with blossoms of a quiterespectable lavender. More rarely therewould be a pure white one whosevirginity was set off by glowing pinkstamens. "Oh well, might as well tryone," I thought. Prying the chosen oneaway from the stems of the shrub ithad chosen as a provider of shadetook a bit of doing. On arriving home,disengaging the plant from the grassin which it was enmeshed was evena more delicate operation. The resultwas a wisp of roots, four leaves, andtwo scrawny stems of flowers. A checkaround the garden turned up a likelylooking home, rich in humus, wheresunshine and shadow played tag acrossthe plant. Once it was tucked in, Ipromptly forgot all about it as showierplants and other garden matters demandedattention.Early the next spring as I was scootingaround trying to finish the "fall"clean up, a bright spot caught my eye.There was friend Synthyris bloomingits heart out. What a difference! Thescrawny thing had increased to a handsizedclump and was a solid mass ofbloom. To be sure, each flower wasa small thing in itself but when itsocialized with its many fellows, theeffect was quite pleasing. Smallcheckered gray and white butterflieswere as enthralled as I. The plant wasso well attended by them that therewas standing room only. It is saidto be impossible to make a silk pursefrom a sow's ear but this little planthad set out to prove otherwise. Needlessto say, my indifference to this smallperson began to disappear.In succeeding years I have addeda white flowered plant and a few withsomewhat larger petals of a more definitecolor. Each year the original planthas tried to outdo its performance of127

the year before. It would now covera dinner plate with a ruff of purplishold leaves on which sits a perfectnosegay of blossoms. Despite itsfloriferous efforts, it has managed toproduce only a few offspring. Its conducthas been nothing short of impeccable.It neither asks for coddling nordoes it become overly enthusiastic withitself or its kind. Its stature makesit a suitable companion for plants ofthe size of hepatica, bloodroot andcyclamen.Some time later an Oregon pen palinformed me that Sythyris reniformisgrows down that way too only theflowers were blue. Indeed they are,though that is rather an understatement.In contrast to the rather delicate tintsof our local plants, those from Oregonare a rich full blue, sometimes so muchso that they become a deep purple.Plants generally are larger in all partswithout losing the charm of their northerncousins. In addition to this, anddespite being botanically identical, theydo not behave in the same mannerin the garden. Coming as they do fromthe south of Oregon, one might logicallyexpect them to wait for weather hereto moderate before putting on their act.Not so. They think winter is the propertime for blooming and bloom they dofor months on end before our nativesget into the mood. These plants donot flower all at once as ours areprone to do, rather the blossomingstalks flower in succession. I have yetto see one of them produce the nosegayeffect (perhaps in time?) but sincethe individual flowers are of good size,they are still quite effective. They quitemake up in size and rich color whatthey lack in number.As might be expected, in additionto shades of blue, an occasional pinkfloweredplant may be found. Minehas rather small blossoms (for theOregon form) of a very nice pink.It set a nice crop of open pollinatedseed last year. When they ripened, Itucked them in at "mother's" feet.Despite a summer to end all summersfor drought, the seed germinated nicely.Doubtless most or perhaps even all willprove to be blue flowered but withback-crossing something of note mayappear.Garden life seems to agree with theOregon plants too for they have increasedin size and vigor without showingany signs of wearing out their welcome.It is not often that one finds a plantof such intrepid good humor.• # »Most dwarf conifers remain constant in character, but occasionallya few branches will revert to type, particularly if the dwarf originatedas a bud sport on a normal tree. A pendulous clone may give rise toupright "leaders," or a side or top shoot with the strong, faster growthof its "normal" parent, will suddenly appear on a dwarf tree. Miniatureivies will sometimes do the same and shrubs grown for their colorvariation may produce branches whose leaves are a normal green.Such reversions should be controlled as soon as noticed by cuttingout the offending branch; if permitted to grow they will destroy thedesired character of the plant.128

VICTORIA ROCK GARDENSSYBIL McCULLOCHVictoria, British ColumbiaPhotographs by the authorVictoria, British Columbia! — I oftenwish I had been aboard the firstship to sail into its harbor, it musthave been lovely in its untouchedbeauty. It still has the setting, hillsand rocky outcrops, encircled insparkling blue water and snow-cappedmountains, but gone are the bogs,streams, and except in isolated areas,the native plants.Even when I was young Erythroniumoreganum grew in multitudes on therocky slopes and in the woods withCamassia quamash and lichlinii,Dodecatheon pulchellum and hendersonii,Sisyrinchium douglasii, and Sedum spathulifolium.Cypripedium calceolusgrew in the Pemberton Woods andCalypso bulbosa carpeted the forestfloor with mauve and filled the airwith its scent. Chimaphila umbellataand Goodyera menziesii (now oblongifolia)were their choice companions. Soyou see the early settlers did not have farto go for choice plants for their gardens.The British Isles were home to manyof these early Victorians so that whenthe great plant explorations to Asiatook place early in this century, newsof the collections came quite rapidlyto Vancouver Island. Indeed, ReginaldFarrer's cousin arrived on the Islandabout the time that Mr. Farrer wasin China and Tibet. The Royal HorticulturalSociety used to send someof the collected seed to Mrs. R. P.Butchart at Benvenuto, now the worldfamous Butchart Gardens, to give thema chance of survival if they did notdo well in the United Kingdom.After World War I, many Victorianswere demanding greater variety in theirgardens than the arabis, aubretia,alyssum and campanulas that madesuch a colorful display on the rocksin spring. The Layritz Nurseries alreadywere importing the new rhododendronspecies and exotic trees and shrubs,but Mr. Farrer's books had whettedthe appetite of some keen gardenersand they formed a group in 1922 todiscuss and grow alpine plants. Thisgroup grew into the Vancouver IslandRock and Alpine Garden Society. Aboutthis time the first rock and alpine nurserywas started by an Englishmannamed Croft Bennet. He published acatalog in 1925, which was quite extensiveand included alpine plants fromEurope and Asia, as well as some hehad collected on Vancouver Island.Other founders of alpine nurseries wereHugh Preece and A. Nichols, John Hutchinsonand Norman Rant. I am toldthat Mr. Preece grew alpine plants toperfection in pans. Mr. and Mrs. Hibberson(of Trillium hibbersonii fame)grew them in troughs. Mrs. Hibbersonnow grows alpines in the alkaline anddry interior of British Columbia at Savonaon the way to Kamloops. I rememberMr. Hibberson speaking of Gentianaverna as though she were hismistress; she grew well for him.In 1929 a young Victoria couple,Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Lohbrunnerdecided to explore the ForbiddenPlateaux on Vancouver Island with afriend. Mr. Lohbrunner had been askedby Croft Bennet to see if he could129

find a white form of Penstemonscouleri. When he arrived in the alpinemeadows, the sight of the myriad numbersof flowers and their exquisitebeauty sealed the fate of Edmund Lohbrunner.He decided to live with them.This was the beginning of what wasto become the famous Lohbrunner Nursery.The beautiful early gardens of Majorand Mrs. A. Morkill, Mrs. B. Wilson,Mr. and Mrs. W. Pemberton, and theMisses Angus have made way for subplants.One area over thirty feet inlength and about five to six feet widebetween rocky outcrops lent itself toexcavation. This was cleaned out toa depth of six feet in places. The areais on a thirty degree slope and faceswest. It has been lined with three inchesof chipped rock for drainage and thenfilled with a scree mixture of one thirdloam, one third sand and one thirdleaf mold with some peat moss and agenerous topping of shale or rockchippings. This scree ends in a moraine,divisions or apartment buildings, butthat of Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Edgellis still beautiful and choice as is thatof Mr. and Mrs. Vern Ahiers. Bothof these gardens have interestingnatural rock formations but each hasbeen developed in a different way.Mr. and Mrs. Ahiers used their rockto provide suitable homes for their extensivecollection of alpine plants byeither building up suitable areas orby deepening crevices to provide a coolroot-run and proper drainage for theirbog and pond.The top of the scree is carpeted byGentiana acaulis and Rhodohypoxisbaurii with Asperula suberosa tryingto hide a magnificent plant of Daphnepetroea. Kalmiopsis leachiana thrivesin the shelter of a north-facing rock.Three Asperulas: nitida, hirta andlilaciflora grow well with Erodiumchrysanthum and Anacyclus depressus.Geum borisii flaunts its orange-scarletbanners with two of the lovelier helichrysums:HH. frigida and milfordiae. And130

these are only a very few of the choiceplants that grow so happily in the scree.Mr. Ahiers tells me that during themany years he has been growing alpinesthat he has had at one time or anotherall but two of the plants mentionedin Royton Heath's book, Collectors Alpines.Quite an achievement.On the north side of the rock outcropcan be found in their due seasonsseveral cassiopes, including C. mertensianaand C. lycopodioidcs; Arctericanana ramps vigorously along with thewee trilliums: T. nivale and T. rivaleand the form known as 'Vern Ahiers.'Penslemon scouleri, Arenaria halearicaand Erigeron mucronata frame a fernycave above a pool whose boggy rimshelters Dodecatheon dentalum, Calthaleptosepala and other bog loving plants.Many shrubs and dwarf conifersenhance the rocky outcrop which isshaded by our native oak, Quercus garryana.Among these grow two convolvulus:C. cneorum and C. mauritanica,cistus, many hebes and Nieremhergiarivularis, one of my favorites.The rock and scree have been meldedinto the lawn very naturally with dwarfrhododendrons and daphnes, includingthe lovely hybrid, D. x 'Leila Haynes.'A well grown plant of Corokia cotoneasteris charming in the spring withits little yellow stars crowning a bedof Lithospermum oleifolium, whose silveryblue flowers enhance the yellowstars.One rocky area is set aside for NorthAmerican plants: various phlox, includingP. diffusa; Eriogonum douglasii,Penstemon gairdneri, and three of theloveliest lewisias: LL. tweedyi, redivivaand howellii. In spring visitors canadmire a very complete collection oferythronium, trillium and the rareScoliopus hallii. Other woodlandersskirting the rocky outcrops are Shortiauniflora, Schizocodon (now Shortia)soldaneloides, Phlox adsurgens, Gaultheriasinensis, Epigaea repens andseveral cypripedium including an everincreasing clump of the European C.calceolus. These are just some of thetreasures to be seen.Mrs. Edgell's garden is planned ina different way. The rocky outcropis used as a focal point to bring theeye from the riotous color of rhododendronand azalea borders with their underplantingsof native woodland plantsand ferns: Clintonia uniflora, Asarumhartwegii and A. caudatum andPhegopteris dryopteris. Many varietiesof Asiatic primulas grow with Meconopsisbetonicifolia in drifts among theshrubs and azaleas lining the grassypaths that lead up to the rocky area.The rock itself slopes down to a pool,which provides wet areas for the bogloving primulas, various caltha, andLobelia cardinalis.The rock is flanked by prostrateshrubs, hebes and Clematis alpina,along with Jasminum parkeri, Astilbechinensis, various dianthus and dwarfiris. Mat-forming plants grow well inthe rocky pockets: Gentiana acaulis,Globularia cordifolia and Dryas octopetalato name a few. Helchrysummiljordiae, flanked by Lewisia howelliigrow well in a rocky seam. Cytisuskewensis ramps down from the summit,as does C. demissus and C. procumbens.Dwarf conifers find nourishment insome of the pockets and a fine specimenof Abies koreana looks well to theright of the pool.Springtime in the Edgell garden isgay with dwarf narcissus, tulips, aconiteand fritillaria. Anemones carpet manyareas: A. nemerosa, A. ranunculoides,and A. blanda, followed by pulsatillain some lovely colors. Erythroniumsalso thrive in this garden as do variousspecies of cyclamen: CC. coum, repandum,and neapolitanum.131

Garden of Mr. and Mrs. R. H. EdgellThis garden is not nearly so easyto describe in detail as that of Mr.and Mrs. Ahiers. It's the overall effectof shrubs and trees planted to blendcolor and texture all during the yearthat gives it such a pleasing effect.Ground covers blend in with the shrubsand the very fine collection ofrhododendrons.Rejuvenating The GardenThe Editor of the Alpine Garden Society asked Mr. Hanger, thencurator at Wisley, "How often is the rock garden soil rejuvenated orreplaced and is complete replanting of a section aimed at from timeto time?" The reply (AGS Bulletin, No. 123, p. 66) was that "Eachyear certain pockets are resoiled, as for Gentiana sino-ornate, etc.,and a generous top-dressing of sterilized soil is given annually inautumn, except to the screes. Small sections are resoiled at intervalsas necessity arises."As to a large-scale rejuvenation, Wisley's some two acres of rockgarden do present a rather extensive job. "During the war (1939-1945) many perennial weeds became established, and following (1949-1951) the entire rock garden was overhauled, a piece at a time.Certain stones were reseated where erosion had taken place. All plantsexcept a certain few large shrubs were lifted and almost all soil replaced.Then it was replanted."It is thus seen that the problems of a large public garden are nottoo different from those besetting any and all of us and that a regimeof maintenance and repair is probably something each must work outfor his own situation.—R.D.132

THE EVOLUTION OF A GARDEN...And GardenerFLORENCE FREESeattle, Washington"Be it ever so humble —!" Whatcan give a deeper sense of satisfactionthan moving into a brand new house,soon to be a home, destined to bethe one and only home. The early snapshotof our small daughter leaning overthe porch rail viewing a recentlybulldozed lot sprouting a vigorous cropof pigweed shows a little brick housesitting high on its concrete foundationin a row of equally bare little houses,all on fifty foot lots. The high foundationmakes possible a garage underthe house with an excavated drivewayboring down to it. A dream house,no less!In the thirty years since that picturewas taken, not only a garden, but agardener has evolved.I made it a point to be home theexciting day that the man came toput in the lawn. He brought up aquestion which I had never considered.How wide did I want the shrubberyborder around the house to be? Intenton getting the dirt covered up as soonas possible to keep it out of the house,I thought two inches would be aboutright. It was the first miscalculation.The lawn has been shrinking ever since,away from the house and the gardenperimeter. However, I am now curbingthat tendency. A small garden, full ofa wide variety of plant material, needsa generous amount of lawn to bringcohesion and serenity to the scene.There was never a blueprint forthis garden. It just happened. It evolved.I fell in love with a plant, I founda place for it. It outgrew its place,I moved it. It got too big to move,something else had to go. Until finallythe decisions were not mine, I justdid what the plant dictated.And a lot of my most valued plantmaterial was either a gift or cameto me by chance. For instance, a happychance brought a seedling of Cornusnuttallii to my garden via a bird inthe peach tree. In the nick of timeI recognized the little stranger for whatit was and instead of weeding it outI moved it to a corner of the gardenwhere it could expand into the treeit was destined to be. Now it is thirtyfeet high and so dominates that cornerof the garden with its shade and rootsthat the vegetable garden has had togo-Another bird brought me a seedlingmahonia which persisted in a clumpof blueberries in spite of my best effortsto weed it out. I finally changed mytactics and decided to grow the mahoniainstead of the blueberries. It is nowfifteen feet high, and the blueberrypatch has changed into a woodlandgarden.When I speak of "the garden" Iam primarily referring to the area inthe rear of the house. Although thelot is only fifty feet wide, it is onehundred sixty-five feet deep so thatthere is quite a bit of room back there,one hundred feet or more. This is furtherenlarged by a bank running acrossit, dividing it into two levels. WhenI joined the ARGS in 1958, this eastfacinggrassy slope became the site ofthe Rock Garden. It was spaded up,the turves turned over and buried anda montane situation simulated byspreading a heavy mulch of crumbled133

granite over it. We collect this disintegratedgranite in certain areas in themountains. It has been spread as amulch each year and has also beendug in around plants when they aremoved, so that it is now quite deep,at least a spade's length deep in mostplaces.Many plants seem to like the granite.Such raoulias as R. australis, glabra,hookeri, lutescens and subsericea growhappily there. I have also found thatthe granite makes a fine seed bed,and as a consequence there are manyplants of gentians and castillejas. Seedof the castilleja was originally rubbedinto mats of Raoulia australis, but itis now seeding itself into other thingssuch as eriogonum and sedum species,and Parahebe canescens. In fact, it isseeding into just about anything thatwill protect it from my weeding. Weespecially value the castilleja for itslong blooming season. As I write this,mid-July, Castilleja miniata and Gentianaseptemfida are blooming togetherand making a brave display. Castillejalevisecta started the blooming in May.Another bonus of the granite is thatit discourages slugs. They seem todislike its gritty, fast-drying surface.As a consequence I can grow such slugfavorites as campanulas.There is another bank along one sideof the garden having a northern exposurewhich is deeply shaded by overhangingshrubbery. When cultivated,erosion was a problem. When left alone,moss was a problem. "Sweet are theuses of adversity". I decided to leavethe moss alone and have a moss garden.But may I say that "left alone" isnot truly descriptive of the way it evolved.It is actually a high-maintenancegarden. It takes constant vigilance tokeep undesirable mosses out of it, tokeep bird and squirrel depredations toa minimum, and to hunt and destroythe slugs that love its damp depths.However, it is a lovely setting for suchthings as ramondas, (grown in chunksof tufa, green with moss), schizocodons,shortias and hepaticas. Soldanellasbloom well here and s e 1 f - s o w .Loiseleuria procumbens, A rctericanana, and the small form of Rhododendronradicans cascade down thebank. Adiantum pedatum v a r.aleuticum, Athyrium iseanum "Pictum"and other ferns enhance the picture.Another bit of adversity which turnedinto an asset was a low area on theopposite side of the garden. We debatedabout how to drain it, but in the endI decided to do nothing and have abog garden. How glad I am that Idid! A bog garden is a very interestingand attractive thing to have. Here Ican grow Lobelia cardinalis, Epipactisgigantea, and Habenaria dilatata. It wasabout 1964 that we collected a plantof Veratrum calif or nicum, (a job todig!). It is now a large plant andeach spring we enjoy the unfoldingof its large pleated leaves, and awaitwith anticipation its tall spire of bloom,but so far, in vain.Shrubs in the bog are Betula nana,Andromeda polifolia alba, Kalmiapolifolia microphylla, ledum andchamaedaphne. I have found that thefoliage of Iris gracilipes andOphiopogon planiscapus nigrescenshave an aesthetic affinity for each otherand they both do well on the upperslopes of the bog. For ground cover,Mazus reptans with blue flowers is easyand pretty, but M. radicans, with whiteflowers that slugs love, is much slowerto increase.Four years ago I discovered the joysand benefits of trough gardening. NowI am able to grow things that wereimpossible before. Campanula piperi isa prime example. This is its fourthyear to thrive and bloom in a twenty-134

two inch by sixteen inch by eight inchdeep trough. One trough is devotedto the more interesting succulents suchas Sempervivum ciliosum, Crassula milfordii"Silver Stars" and Orostachysspinosus. Under them I am trying someof the aestivating little bulbs such asFritillaria pudica and F. recurva, successfullythe first year. Dodecatheonclevelandii var. patulum is doing welland increasing rapidly after three years.Another trough is devoted to thingsfrom New Zealand. Raoulia grandiflora,Helichrysum milfordiae, and Celmisiasessiliflora are some of the plants thatI am attempting to grow here. Fuchsiaprocumbens cascades over the side. Ikeep a plastic, hand-made cloche overthis trough in winter. In fact, I hopeto keep cloches over three more troughsthis winter if I can prevail upon myhusband to make them.A Sophora japonica in the "UpperForty", a mere whip of a thing whenI planted it in 1961, is now thirtyfeet high and forty feet wide, and coversthe whole upper garden with itsbeautiful, lacey shade patterns. It isanother case of not being master inmy own garden. I have had to giveup growing such delights as salpiglosisand zinnias, but am well compensatedby being able to grow some woodlandthings like trilliums and erythroniums.I grow many kinds of them, and myfavorite erythronium, Erythroniumrevolution var. johnsonii, is naturalizingartistically. I have been able tokeep Cyprepedium calceolus for eightyears, but I have to keep a screenaround it to protect it from birds andsquirrels. It is planted in decomposingforest litter with an old drain tile buriedeight inches below to assure quickdrainage.One of the shrubs that I am especiallyfond of in the upper garden is Menziesiapurpurea, grown from seedstarted in 1959. I love the subduedelegance of this Japanese member ofthe Ericaceae family when it is coveredin spring with its small campanulateflowers of bright red tinged with purple.Garden visitors are interested in thelabelling system which we havedeveloped. My husband has made labelsby capping nails with plastic tape onwhich are punched numerals. Eachplant has its numbered nail beside itand the number refers to its nameon a plant list. This system is onlyused where leaf raking is not necessarybecause the nails are so apt to beraked out and lost. Aside from thatthey are permanent and ideal. I usethem for all plants in the troughs, bog,scree and moss garden. I have limitedtheir number to eight hundred to keepdown the work of checking them overonce a year and making new plantlists as some plantstake their place.fail and othersAfter thirty years of gardening thislittle plot, I look around and I ampleased. Also amazed. I didn't do it.I just played out there a little bit,did the things that obviously had tobe done, and let the plants dictate thelandscaping. And behold! I have amini-estate.135

AWARD WINNERS—1979Award of Merit WinnersSALLIEALLENProbably no member of the AmericanRock Garden Society has done moreto promote strong international tiesamong rock gardeners than has SallieAllen of Seattle, Washington as Chairmanof the International RelationsCommittee for some fifteen years. Hercontribution on a personal andorganization level was especiallynoteworthy in regard to the 1976 InterimInternational Rock Garden PlantConference in Seattle and Vancouver.Her sense of commitment has beensimilarly shown while serving as a nationaldirector of the Society when shereadily offered sound counsel on mattersof concern.As a recognized authority onCassiope, Sallie grows most of the taxaof the genus. In studying and expandingher wide knowledge of the smallEricaceae, she has developed world-widerelationships that have shared herknowledge and that have led to agenerous sharing of her plants as well.This facet of her busy life has enhancedand, to a degree, shaped her role inthe international relations of the Society.Sallie Allen's horticultural interestsare not confined to rock gardening.In addition to her ericaceous contributionsto Pacific Northwest rock gardens,for years she has had an active rolein the Northwest Ornamental HorticulturalSociety, whose bulletin shecurrently edits. She is active in the LakeWashington Garden Club. In both theseshe has introduced many to rock gardening,sharing her knowledge and plantsgenerously with the uninitiated in thebest traditions of gardening.More recent involvements reflectingher interest in people as well as ingardening are her active role in horticulturaltherapy and in organizing anddirecting horticultural tours.The American Rock Garden Societyis proud to present its Award of Merit136

to Sallie Allen for distinguished serviceto the Society and for outstanding contributionsto the promotion of internationalgood will among gardeners.LAURA LOUISE FOSTERRock gardeners and botantists rejoicein the delightfully definitive plant portraitsproduced by one of our mosttalented members, Laura Louise Fosterof Falls Village, Connecticut. A vitalpart of H. Lincoln Foster's Rock Gardening,of the Connecticut Plantsmanduring its brief life, and of the Society'sBulletin, our "Timmy's" drawings demonstratewell her unique perceptiveness,precise craftsmanship, andunderstanding of the living plants. Forthose who find special pleasure in theforms of the ferns, there is furthercause for appreciation of Timmy'stalent in Cobb's Field Guide to theFerns where exquisite drawings enhanceits usefulness for plant identification.While Laura Louise Foster's drawingshave done much to aid us tobecome more knowledgeable plantspeople,this has been but a part of hercontribution. Those who know themeaning of "Millstream" can readilycompare its luster to that of our finestcoin of the Land — the golden "doubleeagle". As a coin has two faces,"Millstream" has Lincoln and LauraLouise Foster identified inseparablywith its rich beauty. Timmy's reputeddisclaimer of being "Just my husband'sweeder" serves only to place this"weeder" among the best of gardeners.Throughout her membership in theAmerican Rock Garden Society, anever-ready willingness to lend a handhas marked the strong sense of responsibilityand dedication which is so mucha part of the character of Laura LouiseFoster. Time does not permit enumerationof the many times that she hasmet one or another need of the Society.Her dedication to the purposes andobjectives of the Society could standalone, however, on her assumption ofthe editorship of the Bulletin when mostneeded. The excellence of the Bulletinunder her editorship testifies fully toher commitment and competence.The American Rock Garden Societyis proud to present its Award of Meritto Laura Louise Foster for distinguishedservice to the Society and foroutstanding accomplishment in the artsand in rock gardening.Marcel Le Piniec AwardH. LINCOLN FOSTERGardeners, especially rock gardeners,identify the name Millstream with artistryin growing the distinctive plantsthat embody the creativeness and perceptivenessof an exceptional plantsman,H. Lincoln Foster of Falls Village,Connecticut.The intellectual discipline, perseverence,and critical perceptions thatLincoln Foster translates ultimately intoMillstream are recognized the worldover. "Millstream" identifies an everincreasing number of fine plants thatinclude such names as Phlox procumbens'Millstream', Buxus 'MillstreamGreen', Pieris floribunda 'Millstream',Tsuga canadensis 'Millstream No. 1'and gives assurance of superior gardenquality. To cite these few specificsleaves untouched rampant accomplishmentsamong the saxifrages,rhododendrons and other much desiredgroups. Whether a product of discovery,selection of form, or careful breeding,each plant that receives the Millstreamhallmark attests to Lincoln Foster's137

Laura Louise and H. Lincoln Foster Martha Porter photocompetence as a plantsman.Lincoln Foster's right to recognitionas a superior plantsman could rest aloneon his creation of Millstream and thefine plants that are identified with hisyears of productive effort there. Hehas not, however, confined himself tothe laboratorial potting bench and itsenvirons. His sponsoring of NorthAmerican wild flowers for garden use,his extensive writings, including theclassic Rock Gardening, and his readyparticipation in discussion — whetherperson to person or in symposia —all add immeasurably to his great contributionto horticultural knowledge andhis personal achievement. Not least ofhis contributions are his skills asdesigner and constructor of rock gardens,exemplified in Millstream, whichbring joy and inspiration to all whoview them.It is most appropriate that in May1979 the American Rock Garden Societypresent to its former President,H. Lincoln Foster, the Marcel Le PiniecAward for distinguished plantsmanshipand sustained outstanding service torock gardeners and rock gardening.138

MANUAL OF ALPINEPLANTSby Will Ingwersen V.M.H. 1978,Ingwersen and Dunnsprint, Ltd., EastGrinstead, W. Sussex, England, $20.00.Available in U.S.A. and Canada fromHHH Horticultural, Hightstown, NJ.Here is an eccentric and interestingvolume about rock garden plants. Theauthor, Will Ingwersen, has a nameto conjure with not only in his ownEnglish countryside, but here inAmerica where he has visited and lectured.His credentials are impeccable.Will Ingwersen has spent a rich andfull life associated with Birch FarmNursery in West Sussex, England, anursery of world-renown founded byhis father, Walter, just over fifty yearsago.Will's father was a giant in all theearly days of alpine gardening inEngland. His nursery and its catalogswere the source — the well spring.He was not only a tireless figure inthe day to day running of the famednursery, but he was an informed andavid explorer for plants. His fascicledsupplements to the nursery catalogs,genus by genus, and his columns inthe pages of the old Gardener s Chroniclewere models of scholarship and horticulturalwriting.On the 50th Anniversary of thefounding of Birch Farm, his son, Will,was quite naturally moved to commemoratethe occasion by a specialpublication. I am sure he had beenurged more than once to write a bookbased on his long experience with rockgarden plants.Periodically, in England as otherwherealso, there is a demand for anupdate on all recent introductions intothe rock garden plant world. SampsonClay in 1954 in The Present Day RockGarden updated Farrer's work, correctingsome slips in Farrer and addinga vast number of items to the catalogof possible rock garden plants. Hiswork ran to almost seven hundred pagesof close packed text, a monumentalwork based largely on compilation ofall the up-to-date botanical literature.He corrected some Farrer errors andclassified and described hundreds ofplants not mentioned in Farrer. Manyhe apparently grew, most he abstractedfrom literature. It remains a valuablereference work. Of course in the daysof Clay's book, publishing was a differentmatter from what it is today.It is very possible, yet I have noway of knowing, that Will Ingwersenwas persuaded by his admirers andeven by a potential publisher to doa full scale update of the Farrer-Claysequence. Things have been going onin the way of exploration and introductionsince those days. We do need anupdate. The information is containedin various publications to which most139

ock gardeners have no access and yetwe all want to know what is the latestword on primulas, drabas, dionysias,et al. A work devoted solely to thepurpose of bringing into one sourceall the latest information on new plantswould serve, I think, a real need.What Will Ingwersen has done inthis manual is a curious mixture ofthe old and the new, the extended andlimited, full of first hand and muchsecond hand information. It is certainlynot in the scale of Farrer and Clay.In fact, in the introduction to the work,the author makes clear the purposeof the book."It is our intention that the Manualshould be used in conjunction with ourannual catalogue, which will appeareach year in an abbreviated form. Allplants described in the Manual, ofwhich we have available stocks toinclude in our catalogue, will be listedand priced but not described. In thecase of such families as Aubrieta,Phlox, Helianthemum, etc., of whichthere are so many named cultivars andhybrids, the name of the variety willbe followed by a colour description."Many plants which will be in ourannual catalogue will not appear inthe Manual. For these there will bethe necessarily brief description which,unfortunately, economy now dictates.Bulbs, with certain exceptions, are excludedfrom the Manual, as areHeathers and Conifers although somewhich are truly rock garden shrubsare included, shrubs are also excluded.In any case I did not wish to becomeinvolved in deciding what was, or wasnot, a shrub!"Aside from a single page of "CulturalAdvice" there is little specific informationabout growing or propagatingthe plants listed. Genera are listed alphabeticallyfor easy reference. Thename of each genus is followed byits family designation and a gratuitousand rarely enlightening derivation ofthe generic name, most of the informationfor which the author ingenuouslyadmits he shamelessly cribbed.One cannot help but admire thedevoted efforts of research, and praisethe fine presentation in readable type.There are, as is inevitable in so crowdeda work, a few questionable pieces ofinformation and an occasional carelessnessin editing.Though this work may not be thefirst book of reference to which a rockgardener turns when faced with questionsabout a particular plant, it willfind a place in my library as a sourceI'll turn to when presented with a namelike Gratiola, for instance. — H.L.F.WILDFLOWERS OF THENORTHEASTERN STATESby Frederick W. Case, Jr. 1978, The NewYork Botanical Garden; McGraw-HillBook Co., New York, N.Y.; $18.95This book, sponsored by the NewYork Botanical Garden, represents anew dimension in book publishing. Itis, in a sense, a multi-media offering,a slide lecture in print, the slides servingto illustrate the wildflowers discussedin the text. It serves as an adjunctto the first volume of the Wild Flowersof the United States, also sponsoredby the New York Botanical Garden,and is, we understand, the first in aseries highlighting a selection of thewildflowers covered in the six volumesof that monumental work.It will be interesting to see how thisnovel approach will be accepted. It hasits limitations: the reader-viewer musteither own or borrow a slide vieweror projector so as to enjoy the slidesand it would be difficult, though notimpossible, to do so in conjunctionwith the reading of the text. These140

carpings out of the way, let us proceed.This book covers forty plants all tobe found, we discover upon readingthe preface, in the State of JNew York.The number of plants discussed islimited by the number of slides thatcan be stored in the transparent pocketsfastened to the inside of the front andback covers of the book. It must havebeen extraordinarily difficult for Mr.Case to decide which wildflowers toselect out of all the thousands availablein order to fit them into this restrictedformat. As he explains in his prefacethe choice was his and he tried tostrike a balance between the commonand rare species found in a numberof differing habitats, choosing, whenpossible, those of special interest. Thusthe book is divided into three sections:the Eastern Deciduous Forest; Meadowand Streambank Habitats; NorthernConiferous Forest and Spruce-Tamarack Bog. Within each section andto some extent throughout the bookthese plants are presented roughly accordingto their season of bloom.Each section opens with a shortdescription of the ecology of the particularhabitat under discussion. Light,moisture, temperatures and soils andthe effect of these factors on the plantsto be found in that habitat are brieflydescribed. A list of the plants to bediscussed in that particular section, givingboth the common and botanicalnames of each, is followed by a seriesof essays on these plants. These verbalportraits, each keyed to the appropriateslide, are headed by a small black andwhite reproduction of the slide; theessays themselves are models of thegenre: concise, informative and delightfullyexpressed. They give a full botanicaldescription of each plant alongwith information about its growthhabits and requirements, an occasionalbit of folk lore and, in most cases,hints as to how best to grow themin captivity. Only in a few instancesdoes Mr. Case suggest that they arebest left where they are found, andas members of the ARGS know, suchadvice from a grower as skilled asFred Case should best be heeded.The slides, though of necessity allduplicate reproductions of the originalstaken by the author, are of excellentquality and are in themselves almostworth the price of the book. As thosewho have heard and seen Mr. Case'slectures would guess, they are allbeautifully composed and lighted, givingclear detailed images of the flowers,in many cases of the foliage, andsometimes of the whole plant as well.In a few instances Mr. Case has concentratedon the blossom to the exclusionof most or all of the foliage, whichI personally regret as I do not feelsuch pictures, beautiful as they may be,give an adequate portrait of the plant.This is perhaps a minor point for,as Mr. Case points out in his preface,this book is not intended as an identificationmanual.Unfortunately the slides, though eachin perfect focus, are not all in thesame focal length so that occasionaladjustment is needed to get a clearimage. Even more annoying, however,are the thumb marks which, particularlyon the vertical shots, in the majority,are frequently misplaced, at lease inour copy. This means that each slideshould be carefully examined and remarkedbefore projection, a chore thatshould not have devolved upon thereader. There are also a number ofcareless typographical errors in the text.Such details, though not in themselvesmajor, are regrettable in a book thatis otherwise so beautifully conceivedand executed.This book is intended for the uninitiatedlayperson or for those only ca-141

sually interested in wildflowers in thehope of obtaining converts to the studyof native plants and convincing themof the worth of wildflower conservation.Most, if not all, of the flowers portrayedwill be familiar to ARGS members.However, even they will find much toenjoy both in the text and the slidesand many may learn facts about someof these plants that they did not previouslyknow.The New York Botanical Garden, ifthey decide to publish more books inthis series, will be hard pressed tofind an author and photographer asknowledgeable, skillful and delightfullyliterate as Fred Case. — L.L.F.NOTES FROM ALASKABotanizer's Bonanza at Eagle SummitHELEN A. WHITEAnchorage, AlaskaOn the Steese Highway, out of Fairbanks108 miles, one can find oneof the best botanizing areas in Alaska.It probably is the best except for AttuIsland in the Aleutians, Point Hopein northwestern Alaska and the TellerRoad out of Nome. The good thingabout this place, Eagle Summit, is thatit is on a main highway and thusis easily reached. If you are travelingin a camper or motorhome, you haveit made; just come on up and campfor a few days and look the placeover and browse around among nature'sgems.Many people camp at Eagle Summiton the nights of the 20, 21 and 22of June so that they can watch andphotograph the midnight sun. If youare not prepared to camp, drive onto Circle City (54 miles), Circle HotSprings (27 miles) or to Central whichis only 19 miles from the summit. Thereare accommodations at these places butit is best to call ahead from Fairbanksfor reservations. Incidentially, CircleCity is on the banks of the mightyYukon River and is the farthest northone can drive on interconnecting highways.But, let's get back to botanizing. Thefeast really begins at Twelvemile Summitback at milepost 89.6. From hereto Eagle Summit and on the surroundingmountainsides can be found a fabulousarray of alpine plants. Onecould easily spend a week in thisgeneral area without seeing all thatis to be seen. Eagle Summit is at anelevation of 3,624 feet which probablywill not seem like a very high mountainto those of you who dwell in the South48. However, when you consider thelatitude as well as the altitude, it isequal to at least 10,000 feet in theColorado Rockies. Some of the plantshere will be familiar to those of youwho have botanized the Rockies, too.As you no doubt know, each degreeof latitude north is the same as 200feet more elevation. Thus one does nothave to be very high above sea levelto discover alpines found at muchgreater elevations farther south. And142

what a wealth of plants are everywhereunderfoot. Some are bound to be crushedas we walk along.Eagle Summit is a place of extremes.I have seldom been more uncomfortablefrom the heat than here. On anotherday I saw it raining harder than Ihave ever seen it rain before or sincein Alaska. We could not see at allthrough the summer downpour and hadto stop driving for half an hour untilthe torrent lessened somewhat. Also,I have seen more vicious mosquitoesper square inch on Eagle Summit thananywhere else, yet it is not always"buggy." In fact, most times I havefound it pleasantly bug free. One summerwe arrived at the Summit to findvirtually no plants showing. It had beenan exceedingly dry season and everythingseemed to be dead. However, thenext summer the myriads of plants hadgrown and blossomed as usual. But letus see what plants are to be found inthis area which includes both TwelvemileSummit and Eagle Summit.The lowly saxifragas are said to beour basic rock garden plant. There arenearly twenty saxifraga species in theneighborhood. This is the first placeI ever saw Rhododendron lapponicum.If it isn't its flowering season you mayhave difficulty finding it, but it isthere. There are also perhaps ten speciesof that intriguing little shrublet, salix.Even though Silene acaulis is a rathercommon alpine plant, it is a strikingone, to be sure, and there is plentyof it here. Its broad bright greencushions with rosy purple flowers areseen on all sides. It is too bad thatLloydia serotina is not a more imposingplant because there are many of theselittle lilies. Polygonum bistorta standsout with its elegant plumes of pink.There are a couple of claytonias andstellaria, too, in variety. Oxyria digynawith its oddly shaped leaves is abundant.Anemones, AA. richardsonii,drummondii, parviflora and narcissifloracan be noted all around.Many varieties of minuartia,arenaria, melandrium are also foundin this area. The strange little blueflowers of Corydalis pauciflora are inevidence here and there and we mustnot overlook Papaver macounii withits gay yellow flowers dancing in themountain breeze. Parrya nudicaulis isan attractive plant and there are severalcardamines, including the appealing C.purpurea. We shall also see Sedumrosea (what Alaskan rock garden iscomplete without it?) and about adozen species of draba. C o r n u scanadensis is manifest, of course, asit is over so much of Alaska. Thelegumes are certainly well representedin the region. Here are six oxytropis,Lupinus arcticus, six astragalus andtwo hedysarum.In peaty pockets or along the fewstreams you may come across Violaepipsila, and V. biflora can be foundon some of the slopes. Several nicepotentillas make their homes in thesemountains and some rubus and vacciniumdo well in the surrounding area.Dryas octopetala is interspersed withD. integrifolia, and Geum rossii is oneof the more winsome plants to be foundon the Summit. Alaska's state flower,Myosotis alpestris is obviously present.A related plant, Eritrichium aretioides,is the jewel of the natural flower gardenon Eagle Summit and a real jewel itis. Androsace chamaejasme is anothergem and it is here in great abundance.I have heard that both Cypripediumguttatum and C. passerinum are in thearea but I have not seen them. Douglasiagormani and arctica are supposedto be up here, too, but I have notseen them either.143

• • • of Cabbages and Kings • • •Spring arrived in this cold northwestcorner of Connecticut in a sudden rushof blossoming and green grass in thelast week of April.After a cold, wet, but practicallysnowless winter that left the groundencased in ice and carried the frostsix, even seven feet down to freezewater pipes and plant roots, Marchcame in like a lamb. It continuedlamblike, or reasonably so, all monthwith temperatures wobbling from thefifties (and even the low sixties onseveral days) to below freezing at night.And it rained and rained and rained.Water poured over the frozen groundand, unable to penetrate, settled in everyhollow. Brooks and rivers became torrents,lowlands became lakes, roadsflooded, and the local volunteer firedepartment was kept very busy pumpingout cellars that over night becamecisterns. Then it thawed and froze andthawed again and the earth turned tothe consistency of peanut butter. It was,what in New England is called, "TheMud Season."Then came April and the temperaturedropped into the twenties and the 'teensagain and the wind blew cold and dryor cold and sleety. Winter was backwith a vengeance and buds that hadtentatively begun to swell were pinchedand broad-leaved evergreens turned sereand brown. It was typical New Englandweather.But spring came at last with thefirst warm rain and though we shallhave occasional light frosts and snowmay fall (even in May up here), itwill be a warm snow: "Poor man'sfertilizer", we call it, and though branches,heavy with buds and even youngleaves, may be broken by its weight,and soft green sprouts may be pressedflat, spring has arrived and the heartswells and the gardener rushes out tosee what has survived.Most things have, but there are alwayssome losses to mourn. The wisegardener waits and watches, however,and is cautious with the pruning shearsand with-holds the extirpating spade;there is frequently life in thosedessicated twigs and, given a chance,new growth may sprout from buriedroot-stocks.But for survival under such adversitya plant must have strong healthy rootsto pump nourishment to the stems andbuds. Indeed, without properly functioningroots a plant will suffer diebackand eventual death no matter howfavorable the conditions in which itis growing. And so it is with anorganization such as the ARGS; themembership of such a society providesthe nourishment that keeps it viable.To date the Society has flourishedmightily. Its chapters are burgeoning.In less than fifteen years the membershiphas grown from under 1,000 tonearly 3,000. Yet perhaps it has growntoo lushly for there are signs that allis not well.This past year the Seed Exchangenearly collapsed. Again and again ourpresident, Jim Minogue, reminded themembership that the term of the SeedDirector would expire in the springof 1979 and that a new director wasneeded. In the pages of the BulletinBoard and through the chapter chairmenat local meetings, he asked forvolunteers for the job to step forward.The response was discouragingly small.A few, but only a very few, individualsdid, indeed, volunteer, but upondiscovering the amount of time, spaceand assistance needed to fulfill the job,144

decided they would be unable to followthrough. A few others sent in the namesof possible nominees. These, too, werefollowed up by Mr. Minogue and themembers of the Administrative Committee,but came to nothing. In the SpringIssue of the Bulletin Board, our presidentregretfully announced the possibledemise of the Seed Exchange for lackof a director.Only at the last moment was areprieve granted; Kathy Freeland ofHolliston, Mass. reconsidered her formerdoubts and agreed to try the jobof Seed Exchange Director for a year.Kathy deserves the whole-hearted thanksof us all.But make no mistake. We must notnow heave a sigh of relief and relax.This is only a remission in a diseaseto which too many volunteer organizationsare only too prone. Though ithas no name that I know of, its firstsymptoms are always the same. As theorganization grows larger, the membershipforgets its vital function. Itno longer works to keep the societyviable, but becomes accustomed to letting"George do it," forgetting thatthey are "George."True, the work of any organizationbecomes more arduous as it grows.In the May-June Issue of the 1944Bulletin, Mrs. Hildegard Schneider ofBronx, N.Y. wrote the first report ofthe newly reorganized Seed Exchangeof which she was chairman: "Soonafter the seed lists were sent out tothe members, requests for seed camepouring in and to date 536 packagesof seed have been sent to 49 differentpersons; this seems a pretty goodresponse to a venture which formerlyhad not been successful." Comparethese figures to those reported by theSeed Exchange Director, Mrs. FrancesRoberson, in 1979: Her committeecatalogued 4267 different kinds of seedfrom 503 donors and sent out 24,881packets to fill 882 requests.The job of the Seed Exchange Director,along with those of all the otherswho serve the Society in various capacities,has indeed, grown to tremendousproportions as the Society has grown.In its first years the Seed Exchangewas handled by one person, sometimeswith the assistance of one or twoothers; Mrs. Robinson had the assistanceof sixty members of the NorthwesternChapter.Perhaps this number of assistants insitu is not essential. A dedicated groupof four to six people could probablyhandle the job if most of the seedwas sent for packaging to groups withinthe chapters across the country. Thishas been done by past directors andis, I believe, the method used by theDirector of the Seed Exchange of theAlpine Garden Society in England. Aftera botanist or other person familiarwith plant names has, with the helpof reference books, verified the namesand their spelling and proof-read thefile cards, these could be farmed outto an expert professional typist for preparationof the list for the printer.Perhaps a judicious pruning of theseed list would ease the burden onthe Exchange without diminishing itsquality. Donors could help by beingtruly selective in their offerings: seedreadily available elsewhere, such as thatof border perennials, should not clutterup the Seed List of the ARGS. It onlyadds to the Director's problems to beplaced in the position of having tochoose which seeds should be culledfrom the list as inappropriate. Needlessto say, seeds should be sent in properlycleaned and packaged and clearly labeledwith the correct name properlyspelled.But despite the number of helpinghands and carefully selected, clean145

donations of seed, the job is still anenormous one. A love of rock gardenplants and an enthusiasm for growingthem from seed is not enough. Thoughthe work entailed in the Seed Exchangeis in many ways stimulating andfascinating, much of it is donkey-work.And it is the Director who bears theburden and responsibility of managingthe complicated process of receiving,collating, cataloguing, listing, sorting,packaging and sending out the seed.It is, however, a job for which manyof our members are surely qualified.It requires a fairly systematic personwith some knowledge of plants, awillingness to attend to detail, and atrue dedication to the Society. A certainamount of executive ability does alsohelp.It has been suggested that it wouldbe better to have a more or less permanentSeed Exchange Director, asin the past, rather than continuing thepresent system of shifting the burdenevery two years to a new director anda new group of people. Both systemshave been tried and both have theiradvantages and disadvantages. Obviouslythe running of the Seed Exchangeis easier for a person who has managedit for a number of years and knowsthe ropes than it is for a neophyte.However, it is a burdensome job andfor this reason a long-term Seed ExchangeDirector is hard to recruit andkeep. To date, fairly frequent changesof directorship have not proven a detriment.In the past thirty-six years onlyone person, Bernard Harkness, hasserved as Director for more than threeyears. Mr. Harkness served two termsof six years each with three years offin between. Mrs. Schneider, the firstDirector, Mrs. L. D. Granger, Dr. A.R. Kruckeberg and Lawrence Crockerserved for three years each. Five directorsserved for two years apiece, andtwo served for only one year.It has also been suggested more thanonce that a stipend attached to thejob of Seed Exchange Director wouldmake it easier to fill. Perhaps so, butthe Exchange itself, which has traditionallybeen self-supporting, could notsupport a large additional expense,though certainly the price of the seedpackets could be higher, which wouldhelp defray such a cost. Some societiescharge from fifty cents to a dollar-fiftyfor a packet of seed and though somemembers might consider this exorbitantit would be better than havingno Seed Exchange at all. However, evenwith this additional revenue neither theSeed Exchange nor the general budgetof the Society could pay more thana token honorarium such as is presentlypaid to the Secretary and the Editorof the Bulletin. The job of Seed ExchangeDirector would still be, as istrue of all the jobs that make theSociety function, a volunteer job.Without willing volunteers the Societywould soon cease to exist. Thebest way to keep the ARGS and allits services viable is, indeed, to have"George" do it, remembering alwaysthat you are George.A Fresh ApproachHenry Fuller of Easton, Connecticut,sends in this note on Jeffersonia dubia:This spring I observed in my gardensomething I had never seen before. Itwas as surprising as water runningdown hill, but I had never thoughtof it until I saw it, and the principlecould be used to make something verybeautiful which I have never seen andnever read about.In the past I have planted Jeffersoniadubia in woodland locations, shady andfairly level; and always many seedlingsgerminated quite close to each mother146

plant, where the seed fell, and wherethere was little room for growth. Butsome time ago, because Selma wantedto see it from her window, I hesitantlymoved a large Jeffersonia plant to arocky gravelly slope, open to the skyand sunny, but not fiercely so andnot all day long. Dwarf rhododendronsgrow nearby. The Jeffersonia liked it,bloomed beautifully, throve.This spring I saw it, the horde oflittle Jeffersonias growing happily inthe gravel down the slope from themother plant. Could water runningdown hill carry little seeds? The littleplants are too thick, but after thinningout they should grow happily wherethey are, and the excess planted elsewhere.In the sun, the little plantsseem to be growing faster than theircousins in the shade.I planted my Jeffersonia near thebottom of the slope. But suppose somemore resourceful and imaginative gardenershould plant a few Jeffersoniasnear the top of an appropriate slope.In a few years what a beautiful sighthe might create! I wish someone,somewhere, would do this, and let meknow. I would not have to see it totake great pleasure in thinking of itevery spring and throughout the year.If he needs little plants I have themin abundance and would gladly send.Clematis TexensisPam Harper of Robanna Shores,Seaford, Virginia sends in the followingnote on propagating Clematis texensis:Clematis texensis can't normally bepropagated by cuttings because it isnot self-branching and makes no growthbuds in the axils (maybe a tip cutting?)It also seems to me thatfreshness of seed must be of considerableimportance. Mrs. C. W. Harveyof Kitchener, Ontario reported tome that C. texensis is a favorite ofhers. She received her orgininal plantnearly twenty years ago and after ithad bloomed collected the seeds andplanted them in late October directlyinto the cold frame in good friablegarden loam. Fifteen seedlings appearedthe next May and these she pottedup, overwintering them in the framebefore planting them out the next springagainst a trellis about a foot from awest-facing wall. They commencedflowering in May and have continuedto flower annually until the end ofNovember when hard frost kills themto the ground. They are, however, roothardy.Mrs. Harvey reported that she neveragain lacked C. texensis as she canalways find seedlings near the foot ofher mother plants though she finds themdifficult to germinate in containers. Sheachieves her best results by scratchingin some seed late in the fall near themother plants though she has a friendwho successfully germinated fresh C.texensis seed on the kitchen windowsill without bothering to freeze it first.Pam grows hers at the foot of thatlovely dwarf hybrid cherry, 'HallyJolivette' so that the clematis can scramblethrough its branches and hang itsfleshy, urnshaped flowers in the shrubbytree after the pale pink, doublecherry blossoms are gone. It must bea pretty sight. C. texensis is usuallyfiery red on the outside and the sixpointed sepals curl back to display thebuffy-pink interior though some formsare a good deep pink on the outersurface.Pam offers to send off a few seeds(so long as the crop lasts) as soonas they are ripe to any member whocares to send her a stamped selfaddressedenvelope. Her address is inthe Membership List.147

Cutting Datesmade at later intervals had struck roots.The following note on some cuttingsand when to take them was receivedfrom Dorothea De Vault of Easton,Connecticut:I enjoy making cuttings, sometimesby guess and by golly but of recentyears I have been more careful to keeprecords. Timing is often critical soperhaps this account of recent successesmay be helpful.On July 3, for the first time, I attemptedcuttings from an especially fineplant of Gentiana scabra. On July 16cuttings were taken from a favoriteevergreen azalea, unfortunately notnamed as no one so far can seemto aid with identification. On July 18I took stock from Pieris pygmaea, adelightful, delicate dwarf in our rockgarden, which I seldom see in othergardens. July 25, rather as an afterthought, for I seldom make deciduouscuttings so late in the summer, I triedBaby's Breath, Gypsophila paniculata.Here I think the lateness was a plusfor the stems were sturdy. Other yearsG. paniculata, with thinner stems, hasbeen difficult for me to root.Results: On August 4 the gentianswere husky, well-rooted plants and putin individual pots. They were plantedin their permanent homes on August26. On August 25 all the other cuttingsAnd this our life exempt frompublic haunt,Finds tongues in trees, books inrunning brooks,Sermons in rock gardens . . .Reader, forgive me. The banishedDuke Senior said nothing of the sort.He said 'stones' not 'rock gardens'.148Poison Ivy CureThe leaves, stems and roots of SweetFern, Comptonia peregrina, describedon page 43 of the Winter issue, pulledbodily from the sandy soil in whichthe plants prefer to grow, will curea case of poison ivy within a fewdays reports one of our correspondents,whose family has used this remedy successfullyfor several generations. Cutthe plants: stems, leaves, roots and all,into sections small enough to pack intoa large pot; cover with water and stewgently for two to three hours; cooland strain to remove the cooked vegetationbefore using. The resultingbrownish green broth may be sloppedon the affected area fresh or bottledand kept in the refrigerator for usethroughout the summer.Cyclamen SocietyIn Praise of Rock GardeningA new plant society, The CyclamenSociety, replete with semi-annual journaledited by Col. James A. Mars,famed for his outstanding bulb nursery,has recently been formed. ARGS membersinterested in joining should writeCol. James A. Mars, Foxbreak, CourtsmountRd., Haslemere, Surrey, GU272PP, England. The membership subscriptionis two pounds a year (about fivedollars) to cover overseas postage.But let it go. Shakespeare will not suffervexation of spirit.That I hit upon rock gardening inmy seventies was due to two friends:Elisabeth Shelden of Lansing, NewYork, and Virginia Briggs of Ithaca.They are responsible for introducingme to this gentle, energy-consuming andspiritually elevating pursuit. Mrs. Shel-

den gave me three plants, among thema Geranium sanguineum lancastrienseor true geranium and I was caught.It came as a shock to me that thegeranium of my childhood, the flowerthat was sold by all florists and whichadorned the window-sills of many aschoolroom, was not a geranium atall. Then Mrs. Briggs, a rock gardenexpert, gave me about thirty alpineand saxatile plants and I was boundhand and foot, imprisoned, corralled,encysted, incased.It so happens that at one side ofour lawn there is a slight slope. ThisI have converted into what is calleda scree, that is, "a mass of detritus,forming a precipitous, stony slope upona mountain-side". There is nomountain-side, and there is nothing precipitousabout it; but I did turn thesoil, added well-rotted compost, brokenstones and chicken grit and introducedlarger rocks, buried, like icebergs, eightninethsbelow the surface. At the sametime I tried to give the garden a naturallook. A local farmer permitted me toraid his stone pile which I did frequently,accompanied by groans fromthe car; the smaller stones I gatheredat the lake shore and these were usedprimarily as mulch. To provide betterdrainage (the sine qua non of rockgardening) I built two short dry wallsin the interstices of which I plantedseveral varieties of campanula.At first, the garden measured fourby fifteen feet; as plants were given me(rock gardeners are indeed generous) thegarden was extended fifteen feet; aftertwo years, the garden now measures fourby forty-five feet, a modest garden to besure, but a rock garden and not a gardenof rocks. There are about sixty differentplants.Of course, I couldn't do withoutguides, the most useful being H. LincolnFoster's Rock Gardening, charminglyillustrated by Laura Louise Foster. Ijoined the American Rock Garden Societywhich can boast a membershipmore exclusive than either the Quakersor the Mafia, and receive the helpfulARGS Bulletin four times a year. Ibought seeds from the ARGS Seed Exchange;and I began to meetknowledgeable and dedicated rock gardeners.Well, here are no gorgeous, sophisticateddisplays; there are nodahlias, no fireballs, no peonies gotup like over-dressed and bejewelleddowagers; no super-giant parrot tulips,no giant hyacinths, in fact, no giantanything. Everything is on a smallscale. To see some of the flowers Ihave to get down on my hands andknees but it is worth the effort.Simplicity and delicacy — these arethe dominant qualities one finds in arock garden. There is nothing grossabout any alpine or saxatile plant.Every day in spring, summer andfall I attend the garden. There is wateringto be done, weeds to be pulled,the more aggressive species to berestrained, the more fragile to be protected.Often I just stand and admireand note developments. On dour winterevenings I plan ahead. This comingyear I hope to begin growing fromseed since, as Foster says, "plants ofthe rarer alpines are almost impossibleto obtain from nurseries". And thisneophyte likes to experiment.Sermons in rock gardens? Ofcourse, there are sermons in rock gardens,sermons that one hears from allnature, from the mountains, the fields,the oceans and the streams, from thesmallest of animals and the most insignificantof flowers, and all basedupon the same text: ignore nature atyour peril.I like, however, to think that myplants have a special message. They149

say to me, Yes, we are simple, weare unpretentious, but we do manifesta quiet beauty. Look at our colors:the lovely yellows of the Primulapolyanthus or the Lysimachia japonica;the rich blues of the Omphalodes verna;the white of the Oenothera speciosa;the pink of the geranium. Look, too,at our foliage: the grace of theAthyrium goeringianum or JapanesePainted Fern, the charm of the heartshapedleaves of the Tiarella Cordifolia(Foamflower), the soft, silky touch ofArtemesia schmidtiana nana (wormwood),or the frank, shining leavesof the most modest plant I ever cameacross, the Asarum europeum or wildginger.Somehow, by some peculiar operationof the mind, I associate these plantsand their earthly home with dignity,integrity and decency. "In Nature's infinitebook of secrecy/A little I canread", declared the soothsayer in Antonyand Cleopatra. Though I havenot the percipience of the soothsayer,when I turn from my garden to otherpursuits, I turn refreshed, and withmore hope and equanimity contemplatemy small world.Strange, what age does to one.Charles Gordon Post, Aurora, N.Y.PACIFIC HORTICULTUREa magazine about plants and Gardens of the WestIllustrated Color QuarterlyAnnually.- $6 U.S., $7 ForeignWrite to P.O. Box 22609, San Francisco, CA 94122FALL AND WINTER HOLIDAYS 1979with Fairways & SwinfordOUR FALL PROGRAMME highlights a special tour to the Cape Province of SouthAfrica with Michael Upward, Secretary of the Alpine Garden Society. Dates arefrom 15 September to 6 October and the price from London back to London isestimated at about £860 (to be confirmed). The itinerary includes eight days inCape Town with daily visits to places of horticultural interest, followed by aleisurely tour by special coach, taking in Citrusdal, Swellendam, Worcester andHermanus with visits to Flower Shows and private gardens where possible.LATER HOLIDAYS include two treks (at £785 and £729 respectively) into theHimalayas: Western Sikkim under Kanchenjunga from 12 October to 2 Novemberwith Oleg Polunin, and the Annapurna Base Camp from 27 October to 16 Novemberwith Theresa Atkins. Centres in Europe and the Middle East include asuperb tour of Eastern Turkey; the Sierra de Cazorla (famous for its birds andwild life); and a journey through Jordan and Syria visiting Petra, Palmyra andmany desert sites and Crusader Castles.Full particulars of these and many other holidays in 1979 and 1980 from theorganisers:FAIRWAYS & SWINFORD (TRAVEL) LIMITED37 Abbey Road, London NW8 OBY (Tel. 01 624 9352)150

PLANTS FOR THECONNOISSEURDWARF CONIFERS—for troughs and rock garden that will notoutgrow their site in a short time.JAPANESE MAPLES—only the finest are grown. Dwarf in growth—exquisite foliage.The above for mailorder or pickup. CATALOGUE 5GVThe following for pickup only.ROCK PLANTS—ALPINE HOUSE PLANTS—DWARF RHODODENDRONMany rarities in quantities too small to list are availableto those willing to visit the nursery and extensive rock gardens.By appointment only on Tuesdays—Saturdays and Sundays,call 516-MA 3-7810 after 8:00 PM.JOEL W. SPINGARN 1535 FOREST AVE. BALDWIN, N.Y. 11510STONECROP NURSERIESCold Spring, NY 10516(Just off Rte. 301—between Rte. 9 & Taconic)Offering a wide selection ofAlpine plants and wildflowers for the Rock Garden and Alpine House;Trough Gardens; Unusual Perennials and Dwarf Shrubs.Cash and Carry—No CatalogueBy Appointment only—914-265-2000Display Gardens and Alpine HouseFrank Cabot—Prop. (914-265-3533) Sara Faust—Mgr. (914-223-3419)Grower ofROCK PLANTS, HERBSPERENNIALSANNUALSLarge SelectionNo CatalogAll Plants for Sale at Nursery OnlySAMUEL F. BRIDGE, JR.437 North StreetGreenwich, Conn. 06830AMERICAN PRIMROSE SOCIETYoffersQuarterly publications beautifully illustrated,an international Seed Exchange of approximately100 different Primulas and a culturechart to assist in the growing of speciesPrimulas.U.S.A. $7.00 per yearG. K. Fenderson, TreasurerSouth AcworthNew Hampshire 03607CJREER QARDENSSpecializing in — the rare and uniqueRhododendrons, Dwarf Conifers,Japanese Maples, Lewisia, companion plants.Color catalog hailed as being a worthy additionto your gardening library — $1.00. We shipDept. R, 1280 Good pasture Is. Rd.Eugene, OR 97401 (503) 686-8266151

WE SURE DO HAVE...Hortus III, Hillier, Bacon, Leach, Rehder, Hartmann & Kester, Jaynes,Wyman, Hoshizaki, Harrison, Bloom, Pirone, Westcott, Symonds, Dirr,and of course, the Klaber VIOLETSwith literally hundreds of other New Books.If you'd like to receive our Catalog Lists and our mailingsfor a year, send us $1.00.(We'll include a Dollar-Off coupon!)If you missed us at the Meeting, don't worry... we ship!HHH HORTICULTURAL68 Brooktree Rd.Hightstown, NJ. 08520Order Now!WILL INGWEIRSEN'SMANUAL of ALPINE PLANTSOver 450 pages distilled from theexperience of one of the world'sgreat growers.$22. plus .75$: shippingExclusive Distributor's:HHH Horticultural68 Brooktree Rd.Hightstown, NJ. 08520Rock Plants, Alpines, Dwarf Conifers,Dwarf Shrubs etc. Many Rare"Get Acquainted Special"6 Hardy Sedums Labeled $3.50 PostpaidDescriptive Rock Plant Catalog 50iRAKESTRAW'S PERENNIAL GARDENS3094 S. Term St., Burton, Michigan 48529THE CUMMINSDWARF RHODODENDRONSDECIDUOUS AZALEASDWARF EVERGREENSCOMPANION PLANTSGARDENYES, We Ship!Custom PropagatingCatalog 502(Refundable With Order)Phone (201) 536-259122 Robertsville Road Marlboro, NJ 07746152

SCARCE and INTERESTING BOOKS . . .on gardening, botany, natural history, birds, etc. bought andsold. Secondhand reference works, color plate and rare antiquarian.Send $1.00 for catalog, sent air mail. Want lists welcomed.Books quoted without obligation.BOOKS BOUGHT.. .Please send details of any books you wish tosell. Good quality collections/libraries especiallywanted.Peter Kennedy702a, Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, EnglandTelephone: Bournemouth 301461NewHardy NamedSEMPERVIVUMS SEDUMSJOVIBARBA & ROSULARIARed, Pink, Purple, Blue & GoldAmerican Hybrids—Imports from EuropeWholesale and RetailOAKHILL GARDENSI960 Cherry Knoll RoadDallas, Oregon 97338(Same location—new address)Phone 503-623-4612 before 9:00 AM orafter 5:00 PMVisitors Welcome — Picnic Area — GardenClubs welcome (please by appointment)SORRY, WE NO LONGER SHIPHelen E. & Slim PaynePLANT JEWELS OF THEHIGH COUNTRYSempervivums and Sedumsby Helen E. Payne111 Full Color PhotographsAutographed Copies $8.50 PostpaidoAtsNURSERIESSpecialists inAzaleas,Rhododendrons,Dwarf Evergreensand Rock PlantsFor sale at nursery only.Catalog 50*1159 Bronson RoadFairfield, Conn. 06430

THEAMERICANPENSTEMON SOCIETYCordially invites you to join its growing listof enthusiastic members.If you are interested in Penstemons, youwill be interested in the activities of thesociety.P.O.Write to the Secretary,Orville AA. StewardBox 450, Briarcliffe ManorNew York 10501for ParticularsBEAUTIFUL—COLORFULSEMPERVIVUM(Hen and Chicks)Hardy Semps are great decor for betweenrock edgings, borders, containersSend 50c (coin or stamps) fordescriptiveCOLVmlistingGARDE MSR.R. n, Box 2727^_^__^^ Nashville, Ind. 47448MINIATURE BULBSWe have an extensive collection of MINIATURE and SPECIES BULBS and HARDYCYCLAMEN from many countries. It includes OLD FASHIONED WILD DAFFODILS, aunique collection of SPECIES and HYBRID SNOWDROPS, CYPRIPEDIUMS, PLEIONES,EUROPEAN and other GROUND ORCHIDS.Many are UNCOMMON and RARE — COLLECTORS ITEMSWe offer speedy deliveries by air freight and U.P.S.Our catalog, over 40 pages of fascinating reading, is available fromBLACK and THOMPSON, 124 N. 181 ST., SEATTLE, WA 98133Price 50c including postageJ. A. MARS of HASLEMERE, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 2PP, EnglandORCHID GARDENSOver 150 Native Plants, Ferns, Club-mossesShrubs, Ground Covers, offered in ourCopyrighted Wildflower Culture Catalog.Send 50g for your copyAll plants carefully dug and expertlypacked to arrive in top conditionMr. and Mrs. Clair Phillips6700 Splithand RoadGrand Rapids, Minnesota 55744Sorry we cannot accept foreign ordersALPENFLORA GARDENS1798540th Ave., Surrey, B.C.Canada V3S 4N8New list in 78; many new & rare plants,colorful primroses, many dwarf & speciesirises, alpines, floriferous rockery plants,choice perennials, ornamental grafted trees,evergreens, rhododendrons, ground covers,miniature roses.Buy Canadian, U.S. $ at premium!Quality plants in 4" pots;quantity discountsOpen weekends & holidays only50 cents brings our catalog which offers an unrivaled selection of the world's mostunusual and desirable alpine, native and rock garden plants.SISKIY0U RARE PLANT NURSERY(now under new ownership)Working under the supervision of L. P. Crocker and B. C. Kline we intend to maintain the samehigh quality and individual care that goes into each order. With new larger facilities we hopeto increase production to meet the growing demand for these rare plants.J. Cobb ColleySorry we cannot accept Canadian or Foreign orders2825 Cummings Road, Medford, Oregon 97501Baldassare Mineo154

THE ROCK GARDENMaine Hardy PlantsChoice Cuitivars — Uncommon SpeciesGrown and Mailed in Peat-liteNew Varieties AnnuallySeedlings from Several Exchangesand other European SourcesMany Ericas and CallunasMail Order Catalog 40*LITCHFIELD, MAINE 04350UNUSUAL SEEDOver a thousand different species,many collected in the wild.* PLUS •BARNHAVEN PRIMROSESSeed & Transplants1979 Catalog 750 will offer manynew kinds from both North andSouth of the Equator.FAR NORTH GARDENS15621AR AuburndaleLivonia, Ml 48154WATNONG NURSERYThe place to find some"HARD TO FIND" PLANTSGaylussaciabrachyceraDwarf Conifers, LeiophyHum, dwarf & lowgrowing Rhododendrons, R. yakusianum &several of its hybridsBy Appointment, at the Nursery OnlyHazel and Don Smith201 — 539-0312Morris Plains, New Jersey 07950RARE PLANTS andSHRUBSDwarf slow growing conifers thatstay dwarf and other shrubs allsuitable for Bonsai culture.Large collection of Alpines as wellas unusual plants are listed.Please send $1.00 for catalog.ALPENGLOW GARDENS13328 King George HighwaySurrey, B.C. V3T 2T6, CanadaPUSKAS WILDFLOWER NURSERYNative plants—PerennialsWildflowers from all over the worldGroundcoversAlpines—Ferns—HerbsRare bulbsKent Hollow Rd.RR #1, Box KH-37AKent, Conn. 06757Phone (203) 927-3680Dwarf EvergreensHollyUnusual Trees and ShrubsSend 52# Stampsfor lots of interesting informationDILATUSHNURSERY780 Route 130Robbinsville, NJ. 08691"PLANTS FOR DRY SUNNY AREASAND THOSE SHADY CORNERS"Groundcovers, Alpines, WildflowersandSucculents in varietyCatalog — 50cWOODLAND ROCKERY6210 Klam RoadOtter Lake, Michigan 48464Sorry, we cannot accept Foreign orders.NATURE'S GARDENNURSERYSpecies Primulas — GentianaAlpine Show AuriculasRamondas — LewisiasSedums and SempervivumsNew Plant List — 50£Route 1, Box 488Beaverton, OR 97005155

THE ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETYMembership of the Alpine Garden Society puts the American alpine gardener inclose touch with those throughout the world who share his interest in one of the mostabsorbing branches of horticulture.The Quarterly Bulletin of the A.G.S. is respected internationally as one of themost informative publications of its kind. It will bring into your home a distillationof the experience and ideas of some of the finest gardeners, plant explorers andhorticultural thinkers of our time.Among the many other benefits of the Society, its uniquely comprehensive seedlist alone is worth more than the modest subscription of $10.00 for Overseas Members.Apply to:—LyeThe Secretary, The Alpine Garden Society-End Link, St. John's, Woking, Surrey, EnglandTHESCOTTISH ROCK GARDEN CLUB~T£\Offers you . ..its twice yearly Journal, well illustrated and containing authoritativearticles on all aspects of rock gardening, rockplants, and their world wide haunts.excellent annual scheme for the distribution of rare *•^. unusual seed, amongst its international members.for £2.50 per year ($5.00)R. H. D. Orr, C.A. 70 High Street, HaddingtonEast Lothian, Scotland will be glad to send particulars.THEALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY'S PUBLICATIONS,WRITTEN BY ACKNOWLEDGED EXPERTS IN THEIR OWN SUBJECTS, OFFER OUTSTANDING VALUETHE GENUS LEWISIABy R. C. ElliottThe only monograph on this fascinating American genus $3.50SAXIFRAGESBy Winton HardingA guide which should be read by every rock gardener $3.00ALPINES IN SINKS AND TROUGHSBy Joe ElliottA most useful guide by one of our best known nurserymen $2.00THE GENUS CYCLAMENBy D. E. SaundersThe most up to date book on this wonderful genus $2.00ASIATIC PRIMULAS By Roy Green $7.00DAPHNE By Chris Brickell and Brian Mathew $7.00ANDROSACES By George Smith and Duncan Lowe $7.00(All prices postpaid)AGS Publications are available ONLY from:D. K. HASELGROVE, Distribution Manager, 278/280 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London E17 9PL, England156

DIRECTORATEAMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETYPresident EmeritusHAROLD EPSTEIN, 5 Forest Court, Larchmont, New YorkPresident JAMES A. MINOGUE, Rt. 1, Box 126A, Bentonville, Va. 22610Vice-President ROBERT L. MEANS, 410 Andover St., Georgetown, Mass. 01833Secretary DONALD M. PEACH, BOX 183, Hales Corners, Wise. 53130Treasurer FRANCIS H. CABOT, Cold Spring, N.Y. 10516DirectorsTerra Expires 1980Norman C. DenoTerm Expires 1981Elizabeth CorningTerm Expires 1982Pamela J. HarperMrs. Louis (Molly) GrothausKovalchikT. Paul MaslinDirector of Seed ExchangeKathy Freeland541 Norfolk, Holliston, Mass. 01746Ms. Deon R. PrellCharlotte RayARGS-PHS Library ServicePennsylvania Horticultural Society Library325 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19106Quentin C. Schlieder, Jr.Director of Slide CollectionQuentin C. SchliederBox 1295-R, Morristown, N.J. 07960CHAPTER CHAIRMENNorthwestern SHARON SUTTON, 8235 NE 119th St., Kirkland, Wash. 98033Western WILLIAM S. FOLK MAN, 2640 San Benito Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598MidwesternAILEEN MCWILLIAM (Acting Chm.), 711 Magnolia St.,Mena, Ark. 71953Allegheny DR. RORERT MCDERMOTT, 1507 Mifflin Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15207Potomac Valley DR. JOHN WURDACK, 4400 Samar St., Beltsville, Md. 20705Delaware Valley ALAN P. SLACK, 908 Twyckenham Rd., Media, PA 19063New England EDWIN F. STEFFEK, Cedar Hill Rd., Dover, Mass. 02030Great Lakes HARRY W. BUTLER, Rte. #1, 2521 Penewit Rd., Spring Valley, OH 45370Wisconsin-Illinois VAUGHN AIELLO, 2322 North Wayne. Chicago, IL 60614Columbia-WillametteKENNETH J. LOVE, 3335 N.W. Luray Terrace,Portland, Ore. 97210Connecticut RICHARD W. REDFIELD, RFD #1, Hampton, CT 06247Long Island JOHN BIEBER, 185-8th St., Bethpage, NY 11714Hudson Valley JOHN TREXLER, c/o Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Box 1295-R,Morristown, NJ 07960Minnesota MIKE ZINS, Rte. 3, Cologne, MN 55322Siskiyou PHYLLIS GUSTAFSON, 250 Maple St., Central Point, OR 97502Western-No. Carolina HORACE K. FREEMAN SR., 2150 Woodridge Dr .Hendersonville, NC 28739Rocky Mountain PANAYOTI P. CALLAS, 922 12th St., Boulder, CO 80302Adirondack KATHIE LIPPIT, 6 Glen Terrace, Scotia, NY 12302

YOUR ARGS STORE1. ARGS BULLETIN, back issues. Refer to listings and prices in this issue.2. CUMULATIVE INDEX to ARGS Bulletins, Vols. 1-32 Incl. Lists Authors, Article Titlesand Subject Matter .! NC3. SEED LIST HANDBOOK — 2nd Edition — Bernard Harkness, 216 pages. Quickreference to Seed Listings of ARGS, Alpine Garden Society and Scottish R.G.Club. Gives Genus, type plant, height, color, origin and Horticultural Reference $5.004. THE ROCK GARDEN, Henry T. Skinner (reprint) $1.005. THE GENUS PHLOX, Edgar T. Wherry. 174 pg. Monograph. Photos and line drawings,Maps of distribution $6.006. THE ALASKA-YUKON WILDFLOWER GUIDE. 217 pgs. Colored plant photos by family $6.007. SEED GERMINATION REPORT, Dara E. Emery (Ed.), data on selected species andforms by various reporters $1.008. SEEDS — 3 Methods of Germinating Seeds; Xeroxed from earlier ARGS Bulletins $2.009. LIBRARY BINDERS, each holds 2 years $4.0010. ARGS LAPEL or SAFETY-CLASP PINS. Specify $3.0011. ARGS SHOULDER PATCHES. Washable $2.0012. ARGS MEMBERSHIP LIST NC13. ARGS SLIDE LIBRARY CATALOG NC14. ARGS-PHS LIBRARY SERVICE LIST NCOrder from Anita Kistler, 1421 Ship Rd., West Chester, Pa. 19380. All orders prepaid in U.S. funds,please, make checks or Postal Money Orders payable to "ARGS," (no cash.) U.S. destinations mustshow ZIP Code. Orders will be sent surface mail, postpaid; airmail billed at cost.BULLETINS FOR SALE — Back IssuesAvailable at $1.50 each. PostpaidVol. 26, No. 2 Vol. 32, Nos. 1, 3 & 4Vol. 28, Nos. 1 & 4 Vol. 33, Nos. 1, 2 & 3Vol. 29, No. 2 Vol. 34, Nos. 3 & 4Vol. 30, Nos. 2 & 4 Vol. 35, Nos. 3 & 4Vol. 31, Nos. 2 & 3 Vol. 36, Nos. 1 & 2All other Volumes not specifically listed above are $2.50 each when available.Please inquire as to availability.For specific articles as listed in the Cumulative Index, please give Volume andpage number listed. Issue will be sent, IF AVAILABLE; otherwise a charge of 15^per page for duplication from File Copy.Please remit with order. Foreign orders in U.S. funds, please. Shipments postpaid.Airmail billed at cost. Make checks/money orders payable to: ANITA KISTLER, BUS. Mgr.DISPOSING OF OLD BULLETINS?The Society's reserve stock of back Bulletins is seriously depleted. The earliest Issuesare all but exhausted. NEEDED—Any and all ARGS Bulletins!We urgently need to keep a supply available for members who seek to build up their librariesIF YOU HAVE NO FURTHER USE FOR YOURS, WE NEED THEM TO MEET DEMANDS.PLEASE—Send them to the Bus. Mgr., ARGS Bulletin, 1421 Ship Rd., West Chester, Pa. 19380ARGS will entertain offers for extensive 'runs'.Postage will be refundedOUR THANKS TO ALL THE PAST DONORS!