Transatlantic Plantsman

Cheap plants – you get what you pay for

We stopped in at our local Lowe's today – and the plants there were very cheap. (For British readers, Lowe’s is more or less the equivalent of a vast B&Q.)

Amongst other things we spotted a flowering dogwood, Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Princess’. The lovely specimen in a 5 gallon pot was nearly 2m (6ft) high and priced at just $24.98 – that’s £12.55 in British money. This is too cheap, far too cheap. All the plants at Lowe's are cheap… Tempting at those prices, but actually worth more.

Now I don’t know which grower supplied Lowe's… But, in general, many people complain about the number of undocumented workers (“illegal aliens”) working in landscaping, horticulture and agriculture in the US yet because they’re on such low wages this is one of the reasons prices are so low. In fact, people complain loudly about undocumented workers in general – but still demand the cheapest possible prices. You can’t have it both ways.

Now, here’s the other side of it all. Low retail prices in any shop or nursery or garden center tends to mean low profit margins which tends to mean limited expense on technical expertise. In the same Lowe's was a batch of coreopsis labelled ‘Crème Brulée’. As you can see, the plants on offer were not ‘Crème Brulée’, the lovely cool, soft yellow form of C. verticillata (needle leaf coreopsis). The plants labeled ‘Crème Brulée’ were a much less special, brash gold form of the broader leaved C. grandiflora, perhaps ‘Elfin Gold’ – perfectly good variety, but not ‘Crème Brulée’.

So, perhaps, in the broad sense, you get what you pay for: a bargain dogwood, the wrong coreopsis – and, by the way, only one single variety of ornamental grass… grasses being just about the most popular of all perennials at the moment. And even that one ornamental grass was frost damaged – as were the acers, pieris and cherries.

What’s that quote about the price of everything and the value of nothing.

OF COURSE, instead, you can, of course, buy Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Princess’ and the genuine Coreopsis ‘Crème Brulée’ in good local nurseries and garden centers.

Alternatively, order Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Princess’ by mail order from Meadowbrook Nursery in North Carolina or from these four British nurseries. You can buy the genuine Coreopsis ‘Crème Brulée’ by mail order from White Flower Farm in Connecticut or from these twenty British nurseries.

Discovering Scotland’s rarest tree

It’s not often that a completely new wild  species is found in Britain but a new whitebeam (Sorbus) has recently been discovered on an island off the coast of Scotland.

Well, that’s not precisely true. Phil Lusby, who for many years has worked tirelessly both to conserve Scotland’s rare plants and to tell people about them, was examining some pressed herbarium specimens at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Edinburgh. He noticed that one specimen was not what it was supposed to be and seemed to be a distinct new species.

It turned out that the specimen was collected on the Isle of Arran, off the south west coast of Scotland, an area already well known for its unique Sorbus species which are found nowhere else in the world. Investigation of the site, on a hillside in Glen Catacol, revealed that there are just two specimens alive – a third is thought to have been eaten by deer. A deer fence is in place and has been extended. The area is so remote that fencing material had to be flown in by helicopter.

It’s thought that the whitebeams on the island are in an active state of evolution, and that the Catacol whitebeam (Sorbus pseudomeincichii) is a hybrid between the familiar and widespread native Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), with its clusters of red berries at this time of year, and the Cut-leaved Whitebeam (Sorbus pseudofennica) which is itself a hybrid between the rowan and  the Arran Whitebeam (Sorbus arranensis). Complicated, isn’t it?

These plants have the unusual ability of produce seed without fertilisation (as can dandelions and brambles, amongst other plants) so the offspring will usually be exactly the same as the parent. Seedlings and cuttings are being grown at the botanic gardens so that the trees can be studied more closely – and just in case the deer get through the new fence.

Out with the cherry tree

Our predecessor here in Pennsylvania, who built the house in the late 1970s, planted three dramatic cherry trees in the front garden (as you can see from this picture shot from the roof). The tall one looks like good old ‘Kanzan’ to me. They’ve been spectacular every spring for a few brief weeks but, as cherries do, they’re now showing their age.

Heart rot and split crotches (yikes!) have taken their toll. As you can see in the second picture, maple seedlings are even growing in the rotted crotch of one of them. Last year I took out the first of the trio, now I’ve just started on the second. It’s not complicated, but it’s hard work.

Basically, you take off most of the top growth with a chain saw but leave 3-4ft/90cm-1.2m) of trunk standing. Then dig a trench about 18-14in/45-60cm from the trunk, all the way round. This exposes the roots and you can saw them through and keep digging down to 12-15in/30-38cm, removing all the roots. The depth depends on the soil and where the roots actually are.

As you go you can rock the stump using the trunk for leverage and this will reveal the placing of hidden roots as the soil moves. Often, you’ll also need to excavate under the stump and cut roots there too’; rocking the stump will reveal them. Do not use the chainsaw in soil; you’ll ruin the chain and send soil flying everywhere. Of course, you’ll be wearing eye protection but even so...

The hazards are using pruners in the soil to cut smaller roots – it’s all too easy to snip the tip off your finger so take care! And if you snip through a root that’s under tension, it will probably spray soil in your face.

It’s hard work… I’m doing a little every day otherwise my back will crack and I won’t be able to do it at all. But when the roots are out, and the stump is out, I have a mound of topsoil ready to make a new planting area. And I’ll have a new area in the shade garden which is a little less dark than it was before the cherry came out. I reckon the final cherry will get one more spring..

Rare variegated oak

Finally from my recent visit to Yew Dell Gardens near Louisville, KY – a very rare variegated plant that I found out in the arboretum.

The variegated form of the English oak, Quercus robur ‘Variegata’, is only listed by two nurseries in Britain and very rarely seen in the US. The one in the Yew Dell arboretum was looking rather sad after the summer drought but it had opened a few fresh new leaves so the marginal variegation could clearly be seen. It's unexpectedly attractive.

There are a number of variegated forms of this tree – with foliage splashed, mottled or edged in cream, yellow or pale green – but the names seem muddled and as far as I know no one has sorted them out and matched each type of variegation with the correct name. This cream edged form is sometimes listed as ‘Argenteomarginata’.

At the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew there is, apparently, a tree which produces green leaves in spring and then when its second flush of foliage appears later in the season the leaves are variegated. I've never heard of such a curiosity before and unfortunately I don’t remember seeing the tree when I was at Kew – although I certainly remember the golden-leaved form growing not far from The Orangery.

There must be some variegated forms of American oaks out there too…

An unusual ginkgo in Louisville, KY

One of the highlights of the recent American Horticultural Society’s Garden School at Yew Dell Gardens, near Louisville KY, was a trip to see Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville. A cemetery… why? Well, because its 296 acres are home to some magnificent trees.

One of the largest, and most interesting, is a maidenhair tree, Gingko biloba, planted in 1830 – eighteen years before the area was dedicated as a cemetery. Now with a spread of 130ft and a circumference around the trunk of 18ft it has grown into a splendid specimen – with one unexpected quirk.

The gingko usually produces male and female flowers on separate trees and males are usually planted, especially as street trees. This is because the yellow, plum-shaped fruits smell extremely unpleasant when they fall and are squashed by traffic.

The tree at Cave Hill is a male except about ten years ago just one branch mutated to female – so almost the whole of the tree produces male flowers except for one small part which carries female flowers and then fruits.

There are many more fine specimens of unusual trees, and twenty six of them are the largest of their kind in the state. The cemetery is open, at no charge of course, every day. Guided tours are also available. Visit the Cave Hill Cemetery website for more visitor information.

The ice storm cometh…

I looked out of the window a couple of hours ago this morning, back here in Pennsylvania, and every twig, every leaf was covered with ice. The temperature was just below freezing and it was raining steadily. The frozen rain covered everything - including our three 30ft birch trees.

The weight of the ice has arched the trunks so that the top of one almost touches the ground. The other two are arching over the single storey house, just touching the roof. They will never be straight again. And the area of garden which they shade will change this season as who knows where they will lean as they recover.

It’s now just after 9.00am and the temperature has crept above freezing, so the dripping as begun and the load is lightening, ever so slightly, every second. All the shrubs, weighed down in the same way, are also inching slowly back towards normal. And perhaps the phone lines – also, of course, encased in ice, - will be spared collapse under the weight.

The garden will certainly be different this season.

Tulip tree, Hemingway and six-toed cats in Florida

A brief dash to the Florida Keys for some sun (60F warmer than Pennsylvania) and relaxation brings us to Ernest Hemingway’s house in Key West. (For the benefit of Brits, Key West is the southernmost point of Florida, just 80 miles across the sea from Cuba, at the tip of the long string of islands – The Keys - extending in a westerly curve from just south of Miami).

The Hemingway House is where Death in the Afternoon, Green Hills of Africa, To Have And Have Not and For Whom The Bell Tolls were written and is well worth a visit. Not only to see the writing studio and the wonderful house - his wife had the ceiling fans taken out so she could display her collection of chandeliers – but also to see its population of 49 six-toed cats – all named. (There's a live Cat-Cam on the website but it doesn’t always seem to work.)

However, this is a horticultural blog and one of the striking things about the grounds is that many of the more significant trees, like this African tulip tree (Spathodea campanulata), are labeled. And not with hand-written tags but using sturdy an easy-to-read engraved labels.

This African tulip tree is higher than the house and although battered by hurricanes still makes a fine show, its red or yellow flowers opening for a few days each all the year round. Originally from Tropical Africa, the tree has been planted in Florida as a shade or street tree and its wind blown seeds have allowed it to become established in the wild. It’s considered invasive in Hawaii. One odd thing about this tree: the banana-shaped flower buds are filled with water and can be made to squirt like a water pistol.

Oh… and we’ve been out fishing of course with yellow tail snapper, Spanish mackerel, blue runners, all getting past the log-size barracuda as they waited for us to provide them with dinner . And there was the grouper that got away after a twenty minute battle – there’s always one.

Beanie the horticultural Real Estate Sales Puppy – RIP

I’m very sad to report that Beanie, the real estate sales puppy, has passed away. For many years Beanie has been a much loved New Jersey Licensed Real Estate Salesdog at the long established Union New Jersey real estate office, White Realty Co.

Beanie was an Official Mascot of the office and also a member of New Jersey Association of Everything Chewers, a member of the National Association of FaceLickers, a member of the Greater Union County Board of Say-Hello- To-Everyone-In-The-World-ers and a member of the Garden State Multiple Wagging League. As such, she was also a Certified Therapy Dog, and gave much joy to the ill and elderly, as well as everyone who ever met her.

Beanie was especially well known for her horticultural interests. Even in her last days as she took my doting my brother-in-law David Weisbrod, a broker at White Realty Co, for his daily walk round the block she continued to show a keen interest in the local plant life – especially woody plants. She brought home specimens for more detailed examination every day and red and white oaks, Quercus rubra and Q. alba, were special favorites although red maple, Acer rubrum, was generally preferred for its lighter weight in the mouth. On returning home these specimens, often thoughtlessly referred to as “sticks” by those who should have known better, were subjected to further investigation on the front lawn. Beanie became a noted authority on the lignin content of New Jersey hardwoods.

Beanie leaves a devoted lead holder, a loving family and a melancholy real estate office that had always been prepared with treats.

Sadly, this is one of several recent blows to the White Realty office as Bear, another of the office’s New Jersey Licensed Real Estate Salesdogs, has also passed away. A Member of the New Jersey Association of Bonechewers, a devoted member of the National Association of RugPotatoes (NAR), a member of Greater Union County Board of Hydrant-Sniffers and, of course, an Official Mascot of White Realty, Bear was also the sweetest, handsome-ist canine in the world. Bear’s horticultural interests were remarkably similar to those of Beanie.

They will both be greatly missed.

The Wrong Reasons to Plant a Tree

The March/April issue of America’s Backyard Living magazine has just arrived and, to mark Arbor Day on April 27 (two and half months away!), it includes a list of the Top Five Reasons to Plant a Tree. And their Number One reason to plant a tree? I kid you not: “Trees boost the market value of your home.”

Oh please… Isn’t the Number One reason to plant a tree the fact that trees look beautiful? Strangely, this most obvious reasons doesn’t appear in the Top Five list at all. This is their list.

These are:

• 1. Trees boost the market value of your home.
• 2. One young tree has the cooling effect of 20 air conditioners.
• 3. Trees can cut your heating costs by 20 percent to 50 percent, and cooling costs by 30 percent.
• 4. In lab tests, a tree-filled scene reduced test subjects’ stress within 5 minutes.
• 5. One acre of trees absorbs 6 tons of carbon dioxide and produces 4 tons of oxygen. That’s enough fresh air to sustain 18 people for a year!

The fact that economics dominates, and aesthetic and spiritual considerations don’t even get a mention, seems especially depressing. I need to look out of the window into the woods just to relieve the stress created by reading this list.

Laburnums and orchids

What does a garden writer do when he’s confined to bed with the mother of all sinus colds - apart from doze through re-runs of Bonanza and Gunsmoke? He reads. And what does he read? Mysteries and plant catalogs. I picked up a mystery last night – I won’t embarrass the author by naming it; let’s just say that when I came to the line “But Cressi was wrong about in whom the blonde was interested” that was enough…. “wrong about in whom”?! Can you compost paperbacks? His editor needs a little extra training, I think. Or a smack on the head,

So I tossed that aside and picked up the latest catalog from Wayside Gardens and amongst all the flash and colorful newcomers my bleary eye fell on two things: laburnums and orchids.

This year Wayside have added Laburnum anagroides ‘Fastigiata’, an upright form of the very familiar tree known in the US as the Goldenchain Tree and in the UK as the Golden Rain Tree (don’t ask, please). Now an upright laburnum reaching 20ft x 8ft would be great in small gardens or as a street tree and ‘Fastigiata’ is very rarely seen on either side of the pond. Slightly puzzling, though, that in a catalog dazzling with color their picture shows a tree with not a single flower.

Their website features a second, slower growing upright laburnum, Laburnum x watereri ‘Sunspire’, reaching 18ft x 8ft, shown in sparkling color. Not only is this cheaper, $39.95 for a plant in a mysterious “Trade Gallon” pot – a gallon which only contains three quarts! – but this hybrid produces very very few of the poisonous seeds produced by forms of L. anagroides. And ‘Fastigiata’ is listed at $69.95 for a bareroot tree. I know which I’d like to try.

And then there are the lady’s slipper orchids, they list two native US native Cypripedium species and they look absolutely gorgeous. But what, exactly, do you get for your $99.95 – apart from one bareroot plant? Well, C. reginae is one of the easiest lady’s slippers to grow and likes rich, damp soil with a little shade from the midday sun. The plants supplied are nursery-grown, from seed, and certified by CITES, the convention that oversees trade in rare species. Excellent.

They also list C. pubescens, correctly C. parviflorum var. pubescens, which is also relatively easy but needs more shade, takes a drier soil and likes good drainage. “None of those suspect field-collected Orchids here” the website says about C. reginae. Not so about C. pubescens. There’s nothing in the catalog or on the website to say that the plants are nursery grown or certified by CITES – so perhaps these are dug from the wild. If you want to spend a hundred bucks on a lady’s slipper orchid, and they do make spectacular garden plants, you know which one to choose.  British gardeners thinking about trying lady’s slippers should start at the Rare Plants lady’s slipper page.