Innholdsfortegnelse for March/April 2022 i Horticulture

Texture and foliage keep a garden interesting through the season.—KEVIN DOYLE After gardening (experimenting!) in the shade for more than 30 years, I continue to appreciate plant combinations that offer both color and texture. Successful mixed plantings in shade hinge on not only an understanding of the cultural needs of each plant, but also an awareness of the multiple ornamental attributes each can contribute. These details include flowers, overall form and the color and texture of foliage, among others, but it’s these foliage characteristics that offer perhaps the most value as we create the shade garden. Variability in leaf texture, in particular, contributes to the beauty of the space while it also augments the perception of depth and lushness. A quote from landscape designer Kevin Doyle gains significance in the…

Beginning May 7, visitors to Cheekwood can explore humankind’s understanding of color through Colorscapes, an immersive exhibition from Chicago-based artists Petra Bachmaier and Sean Gallero of the collaborative Luftwerk. This significant, site-specific exhibition will feature a series of experiential outdoor installations and gallery interventions intended to lead viewers to a better understanding of how we perceive the physical world through color. “Cheekwood is a special place that merges history, nature and art with an extensive sculpture trail and museum galleries; a fascinating sphere to experience how history, landscape, art and culture weave and grow together,” note Bachmaier and Gallero. “We couldn’t envision a more ideal site to exhibit, engage and illuminate our artwork. Our hope is that visitors will celebrate the colors of the natural world through this immersive journey…

EACH YEAR, a panel of Kentucky plants-people come together to choose—after some debate—a handful of trees, shrubs and perennials to highlight as particularly valuable players in the gardens of the Bluegrass State (and beyond). The agreed-upon species and cultivars are added to the list of Theodore Klein Plant Award winners, which has been growing since its 1999 inception. To achieve the status of Theodore Klein winner, a plant must thrive in Kentucky’s climate, which tends to see hot, humid, rainy summers and cold, wet winters. Special consideration is given to plants developed by Kentuckians. Klein himself was a plant breeder and nurseryman whose Crestwood farm became Yew Dell Botanical Gardens after his death in 1998 at age 93. ‘GREENSLEEVES’ CHINESE DOGWOOD CORNUS KOUSA ‘GREENSLEEVES’ ‘Greensleeves’ is touted by the Theodore…

FOR A GENERATION NOW, lawns have been landscape villains to environmentally inclined gardeners. True, lawns provide an attractive setting for flower beds and shrubbery, and a traffic-tolerant play space for children and adults. But traditional turf does have serious drawbacks. To be maintained in good condition it demands huge inputs of labor, fertilizers, pesticides and water. This makes it a significant source of greenhouse gases and air and water pollution. What’s more, turf is a green desert, providing little habitat and food sources for pollinators and other wildlife. What if, though, these liabilities could be eliminated, and lawns could be made ecological contributors? That’s the challenge Dr. Eric Watkins of the University of Minnesota has been addressing with his research for more than a decade. He’s been experimenting with different…

WHAT IF YOU COULD HELP boost biodiversity, increase your opportunities for nature exposure and establish robust ecological communities in your own back yard? And what if, by doing so, you could also participate in a grand experiment whose designer dubs it the “biggest conservation effort ever”? Doug Tallamy has issued a rallying cry for gardeners and nature lovers in Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard. In the book, Tallamy outlines his Homegrown National Park project. The name is a nod to the potential influence of private property owners, who hold deeds to 78 percent of the country’s land. “Horticulture readers can really make a difference,” says Tallamy, “because you’re already knowledgeable about plants. You can use that knowledge to good purpose.” Plants are…

Winter arrives. The bulbs are planted. Maybe I’ve even cleaned the beds and raked just enough leaves that it looks like someone lives here. I do not relish this season. Yes, the physical rest is welcome, along with the crisp nights, the hot drinks. I love fall in New England, but putting the garden to bed is never a favorite task. I’m excited only by life and growth. So when the fire is roaring I putter in my slippers, watering my I-won’t-tell-youhow-many houseplants. They’re here because I need dirt under my nails. But I also need plants that tolerate some neglect, because when planting season starts, I make a mad dash for the door, and the houseplants get a little, well, neglected. Drawing from my experience, I can recommend the…

FOR THE GEEKIEST AMONG US, high risk/high reward plants are the holy grail. These rare and mythical beauties have it all. Well, everything except a will to live. Yet, sometimes, miraculously, they actually survive. Occasionally, they’ll even look as good in your garden as you could possibly imagine. Even as good as they would at Chanticleer! Where, we’ve discovered, they employ a cabal of alchemists who summon mystical forces that bestow eternal life upon seriously diffi cult plants. When a HR/HR plant succeeds like this for a mere mortal plant geek, the incredulous euphoria is beyond measure. Tragically, many of us are not very good at handling such success and wind up annoying friends and family by sharing yet more images on Facebook, (Latin) name dropping these plants into unrelated…

THERE ARE SO MANY delicious types of tomatoes to grow. I try to find space for all of them, including plum tomatoes. These plants yield dense, typically oval-shaped fruits that are used for canning as well as making thick, rich tomato sauce. Also called paste or Roma tomatoes, they are great for cooking because their fruits have thicker walls, less liquid and fewer seeds than other types of tomatoes. That said, these meaty tomatoes go beyond cooking. I like to add them to salads and sandwiches and I use them to make salsa. Read on to discover five of my favorite plum tomato varieties, which I’ve found to be reliable, vigorous and high in yield. ‘San Marzano’ is the fabled Italian heirloom with a reputation for exceptional flavor. The large,…

I THINK SOMETIMES we spoil the perfection of our moments by looking for reasons for things to be wrong. We gardeners, especially, tend to be critical of our most flamboyant plants. For instance, at the bottom of our vegetable garden’s fence is the great bulbous mass of a ‘Don Juan’ rose. In August it is nothing but a thirsty-looking shrub covered with the long-blown roses we call brown buns. But I know that in spring, after winter rains have slaked its thirst, it will be the most glorious eruption of bright crimson double roses imaginable. Maybe I should be content with that and give it a pass during its down-season. The fence extends 60 feet from ‘Don Juan’ to the top post, where a few years ago we planted ‘New…

Among the myriad forms and habits taken by woody plants, perhaps the most versatile shape is the vase. Trees and shrubs that show a narrow base and broad top lend themselves to diverse functions in formal and relaxed garden styles alike. What’s more, within the “up-side down triangle” contingent, there’s plenty of variety, with trees and shrubs that mimic the angles of the comfiest recliner, the slimmest sliver of pie and everything in between. Strongly columnar plants are go-to’s for punctuation, formal elements and vertical energy amid rounded forms in design, but narrow vase shapes can fill these bills too, without the stark contrast that columns tend to bring. Meanwhile broad vases can accent or take the place of round plants, providing the same softness but allowing for more dramatic…

The beet (Beta vulgaris) is a cool-season vegetable crop bursting in rich flavor and packed with nutritional value, offering antioxidants as well as vitamins A and C, fiber and even iron. Though we picture beets as round and crimson in color (“red as a beet”), varieties run the spectrum from white to yellow and orange to burgundy. They range from spherical to cylindrical when it comes to shape, and some reveal white rings once sliced. No matter their hue and silhouette, the roots, which vary in flavor from earthy to sweet and mild, can be enjoyed cooked, pickled or raw. Flavor depends both on variety—with newer types bearing a higher sugar content—and on maturity, with small, younger roots tasting more mild. Their sprightly tops bear slightly bitter leaves that can…

ONCE THE FAMILY HOME of Mabel and Leslie Cheek, the extraordinary 1930s Cheekwood Estate, with its 30,000-square-foot mansion and 55-acre grounds, today serves the public as a botanical garden, arboretum and museum with period rooms and art galleries. The property includes 13 distinct gardens, including the Blevins Japanese Garden and the Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden, as well as a 1.5-mile woodland trail that hosts modern and contemporary outdoor sculpture. Cheekwood has thrice been named a USA Today Top 10 Botanical Garden. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. In 2020, the grounds were awarded a Level II National Arboretum Accreditation by The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum. Cheekwood is located eight miles from downtown Nashville, Tenn.…