Bulletin - Summer 1994 - North American Rock Garden Society

On the Track ofDaphne arbusculaby Joan MeansÂ^hen they heard of our plans tojoin a botanic group visiting the Czechand Slovak Republics during the summerof 1993, our friends had two questions:"Are you sure you'll be safe?"and "Will you buy me one of thoseyellow spring gentians that the Czechsgrow so well?"But Czechoslovakia was not Bosniaor even Miami. Although the countrydivided its name and territory only sixmonths before our visit, it was an amicabledivorce. Yes, sometimes wecrossed the border between these twosmall Central European nations severaltimes in a single day, and each timewe had to show our passports tofuzzy-cheeked guards who wore armbandsbecause their uniforms hadn'tyet arrived. And, no, we couldn't buyGentiana verna var. oschtenica. Wedidn't visit any nurseries, and wedidn't even visit rock gardens, exceptone owned by an abashed forestranger—though in several cottage gardenswe did see Trillium grandiflorumgrowing under apricot trees just a fewfeet away from carrots and leeks, notto mention Papaver somniferum, universallygrown to provide poppy seed fordelicious rolls and pastries.Our trip was upcountry, to the ruralparts of these countries that few foreignershave visited. Farmland waspunctuated by small villages, theirhouses surrounded by gardens containingeverything from Albertaspruce to chickens, their streets decoratedwith red floribunda roses—andby loudspeakers on poles. These originallyrelayed government announcements,but apparently they've beenkept so that residents withoutWalkmans can enjoy music while theywork. Usually we stayed in smalltowns with well-stocked state supermarkets,private shops with ratherbare shelves, old churches, beer halls,and medieval buildings in the processof restoration. We could easily havespent our time sightseeing, but we'djoined a group from the New EnglandWild flower Society in hopes of seeingDaphne arbuscula in the wild. And wedid find that enchanting miniatureshrub—but not until we'd seen a greatmany other wonderful plants.Happily, we were in the hands of E-Tours, a Czech firm which is carvingout a niche in special-interest tours—bird-watching, farm practices, wineproduction, etc. For nearly three163

weeks, starting in late June of 1993, wecrisscrossed the Carpathian Mountains,and everywhere we were joinedby local botanists and conservationistsready to help us identify the plants wewere seeing. This was important,because it was too late in the year tolocate many familiar alpines by theirflowers. Still, other small plants ofgreat interest were in bloom, and theyweren't all on the tops of tall peaks.Indeed, because most of our groupwas interested in ferns and orchids,we had the pleasure of exploringplaces most rock gardeners mighthave bypassed: fields where pink andcream scabiosas bloomed along withthyme and teucrium; magnificentbeech forests carpeted with Soldanellaand Hepatica; limestone cliffs studdedwith campanulas and, yes, Daphnearbuscula.To fully appreciate our experience,you must meet the tour's cast of characters:Paul—our American leader, is a lectureron wildflowers who told E-Tourshe was bringing his "botany students"to study the flora. Naturally theCzechs expected a group of youngadults, so you can imagine the consternationfelt byBorek—a 27-year-old Czech with adegree in forestry, who served as theE-Tours agent and as our interpreter.Though urbane and charming, heclearly was surprised when he firstsaw...The 16 Students—most of us well pastretirement age. At least two wereclearly along just for the ride, onerecovering from a hip operation, andanother an octogenarian unable towalk without a cane. (Give us an hourfor shopping in a little town, though,and these two would beat the rest ofus to the stores.) As for young Borek,he spent his evenings switching ourreservations from youth hostels tomore "appropriate" quarters and persuadingbotanists that, no, our groupreally couldn't manage eight-hourtreks over the peaks of the HighTatras. His right-hand man was...Frank—champion bus driver of theCzech Republic (I couldn't possiblymake this up). Because he was practicingfor the international competitionto be held in Finland in August, Franktended to put the pedal to the metalon the straights, but he could wheelhis big bus over precipitous, ruttedlumber roads where I would haveopted for a Jeep. Despite a penchantfor flirting with pretty girls and breakinginto folk songs, this 30-somethingnative Slovak was a mother hen, constantlyworrying about our comfortand welfare. When, on the second fullday of the trip, my interest in orchidshad been so dampened by a downpourthat I returned to the bus, Franktook one look at my soggy jeans andsaid, "You take off." I'm past the agethat excites general male interest, but,not knowing him well, I declined,although he made his intentions clearerby offering me a dry pair of his ownsweat pants.Finally, there was the bus—large forour small group, washed daily byFrank, it was equipped with a smallrefrigerator to keep bottles of the magnificentlocal beer and the execrablelocal soft drinks cold. It did not, however,have a toilet. "Why can't you usenature, as we do?" asked youngBorek. Beech forests are markedlydeficient in underbrush, so we campaignedfor less exposed facilities. Nodoubt Borek will tell his grandchildrenabout the day he escorted a dozenAmerican ladies to a public loo164 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

ecause, having failed to get us to abank during the unpredictable workinghours, he was the only one withcoins in the right currency.Natural functions aside, pollution isa major problem in both countries. Tokeep rural populations employed, thecommunists scattered factories everywhere—eventiny towns had at leastone high-rise block of apartments forworkers. As a result, most rivers arefull of industrial chemicals, not tomention sewage. In short, they arewhere the USA was 30 years ago. Still,we were struck by environmentalefforts that don't require large capitaloutlays. Forests are selectively cut orclear cut only in very narrow bands;landfills are promptly capped with alayer of earth; even when they havetractors, farmers use horse-drawnmachinery and hand labor to reduceerosion on steep slopes. Most impressive,as land is returned to privateownership, and it becomes clear thatthe heirs don't want to farm, smallconservation groups are buying uptracts to save them from development.Many of the glorious meadows andwoodlands we visited, especially inthe Czech Republic, were in the handsof these miniature nature conservancies.As mountains go, most of theCarpathians are small potatoes, justlow, wooded hills, which east of theDanube sweep in a great half-moonfrom Hungary to Poland to theUkraine. Composed of limestone thatin some places has been carved bystreams into spectacular caves, gorges,and pinnacles—usually crowned bythe ruin of a castle—they boast a florathat seems to owe as much to centuriesof farming and timbering as togeographical location. Indeed, theopen fields looked like herbaceousborders, and, where they are conservationland, they are carefully cut byscythe to preserve late-ripening seed. Iespecially remember, in damp meadows,red and pink orchids (Dactylorhizamajalis and Platanthera chlorantha)mixed with spikes of Gladiolus imbricatus,underplanted by the leaves ofColchicum autumnale and Primula veris.Drier fields were colorful with tall,purple salvias and yellow verbascums,the pink cluster-heads of Dianthuscarthusianum, and cream Scabiosaochroleuca, among too many others tomention. Nearly every open placeboasted a trio of ubiquitous campanulas:lavender C. persicifolia, purple C.glomerata, and mauve C. patula. Lesswell known, the third is a short-livedcharmer with up-facing bells. Shadierspots at the edge of woodlands wererich with yellow and purple aconites,Campanula trachelium, the attractivewhite buttercups of Ranunculus plantanifolius(longer stemmed than itscousin, R. aconitifolius), Lilium martagon(we saw only one white one), andlO'-tall spikes of Delphinium elatum(Foerster cultivars are available inGermany). The white plumes ofAruncus Sylvester filled the narrow cutsmade by selective timbering. Even theforest floors were gardens: there wereferns, of course, but also Paris quadrifolia(a trillium relative), Asarumeuropeum growing mixed with Hepaticanobilis and lily-of-the-valley, Convallariamajalis.Confusingly, the small plants treasuredby rock gardeners often showedup among border plants. Adonis vernalisand the alpine thistle, Carlinaacaulis, nestled among tall campanulasin dry meadows; encrusted saxifragescovered limy outcrops only inchesfrom the tall spires of Digitalis grandiflora;and a mat of 6" stems bearingracemes of spectacular purple bells—acampanula we weren't able to identify—grewin a hay field.On the Track of Daphne arbuscula 165

After the gardenesque comfort ofthe western Carpathians, the brutallyglaciated granite peaks of Slovakia'sHigh Tatras came as a shock. We hadtraveled along the highly industrializedVah River to the city of Poprad,where chemical plants belched fumesover a high plain. And there in the distance,thrusting into the sky as abruptlyas the Grand Tetons, was a smallcluster of rugged peaks: at 8,500',much taller than we ever imagined,yet occupying not much more territorythan the island of Manhattan. TheHigh Tatras is a national park and alsoan enormously popular tourist and skiresort—both the Czech Republic andSlovakia are incredible vacation bargainsfor most Europeans.We frittered away most of a morningon still another Dactylorhiza besidethe road, but finally, about noon, a fewof us started up a trail with severalthousand tourists and the parkbotanist, Dr. Rudolf Soltes, a burlyman who is an eminent expert onlichens. We hadn't even entered thewoods before we saw one of the outstandingplants of our trip: Campanulatatrae, a bellflower in the rotundifoliacomplex (photo, p. 223). This onemakes a neat clump and has sumptuouspurple bells hanging in profusionon sturdy, 6" stems; apparently, it isnot in general cultivation—but shouldbe. The trail rose through the forest—we nearly stumbled over a Soldanellacarpatica nestled among the rocks—and wound into a stand of mughopines, where the purple-spotted yellowflowers of 18"-tall Gentiana punctatawere magnificent. Eventually, thepath emerged on a gentle alpinemeadow of turf and willows. Beyond,the path to a hanging valley and lakewas blocked by a cliff that had beendraped with what looked like a cargonet. Anyone wishing to climb up hadto pay a fee to a park functionary.By then, only Borek was with us."Joan, I don't think you should go farther,"he said. I didn't think so either,so we contented ourselves with theplants at hand. Campanula alpinacaught our attention immediately(photo, p. 222). Huddled against bouldersout of the wind, it had furry littleleaves and 4" stems carrying severallarge, purple bells, The last few goldbossed,white cups of Pulsatilla alpinanodded in the wind; glistening whitedaisies of Chrysanthemum (Leucanthemopsis)alpinum hugged the ground;and along the brook tumbling from thehanging lake, mats of the rather succulentleaves of Arabis alpina were toppedby long-stemmed white flowers.Paul was afraid of ski lifts, so six ofus interested in alpine plants left thegroup the next day to ride a chair tojust below the snow line. There wasanother fee for those wishing to hikethe trail to a lake, but we were happyenough crawling over a steep slope ofturf and scree, as Borek and Frankwatched over us like sheep dogs fromthe lift terminus. With the added altitude,we found pulsatillas newlyopened, along with the glisteningwhite, multi-flowered inflorescences ofAnemone narcissiflora (photo, p. 222). Apatch of Silene acaulis mingled with ahandsome plant new to me, Pedicularisverticillata, with typical ferny foliageand, on stems only a few inches high,heavy little spikes of brilliant pinkflowers (photo, p. 223). A very different,classic alpine was far less conspicuous.We'd been kneeling on it, and itsmossy matrix, for an hour before werealized that the dime-sized rosettes ofshiny, little, notched leaves were thoseof Primula minima. The big pink flowershad been replaced by capsules, butthe slope must have been spectacularwith them a month earlier.Still, for biodiversity, nothing beatslimestone. As it turned out, the largest166 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

array of alpine plants we saw grewwell below treeline, southwest of theHigh Tatras on a 4,000'-high plateaupeppered with sink-holes and icecaves. The Muranska Planina is part ofa large "protected landscape/' similarto our national forests, established in1977 and taking in about 5,000 squaremiles. It is administered by only tenemployees compared to 2,000 in theHigh Tatra National Park. This is thewildest part of the two republics, thelast place where wolves, bears, lynxes,and wild boars still roam. It wasempty of people. Once away from thefew farms and villages, we saw only acouple of woodcutters—indeed, topass down several of the lumberroads, we first had to unlock woodengates.We stayed in the rather impoverishedtown of Revuka, in a hotelwhich only two weeks earlier hadbeen sold by the State to private owners.We were their first guests. In fact,the hotel wasn't really open yet, andthey were still cleaning the wall-towallcarpets by scrubbing them withsoap and water in the parking lot.Needless to say, the carpets didn't fitvery well when they were nailed backdown. No matter, our hosts couldn'thave worked harder to make our staypleasant. After the first morning, theybought an espresso machine especiallyto satisfy the American demand forbreakfast coffee, and one evening agypsy musician accompanied ourhilarious attempts—under Frank'senthusiastic guidance—to dancepolkas and the csardas.Our daytime guide was Dr. PeterTuris, the young chief botanist for theMuranska, and right away he took usto where the main road (beautifullyasphalted) rises to cut through a limestoneformation. The white fringedpinks of Dianthus hungaricus splayedfrom the rock; a colony of Primulaauricula had seeded into the crevices.In a glade in the woods across theroad, near a stand of golden Trolliusaltissimus, another limestone outcroppingwas covered with moss in whichcolonies of the delicate, pale blue harebell,Campanula cochlearifolia, grewnext to Pinguicula vulgaris, a moisturelovermore often seen in bogs. Fartheralong the main road, where a hair-pinturn sliced through heavy clay banks,the gorgeous pink pincushions ofScabiosa lucida waved on foot-highstems next to compact clumps ofCampanula carpatica. The latter hadrather congested foliage and hugelavender saucers on short stems andlookedclose to the form called"turbinata."The next day, Frank inched the busup a precipitous lumber road andparked it in an open meadow fragrantwith thyme. From there, the able-bodiedwalked up a trail lined withPinguicula and Moneses uniflora, theround leaves of Soldanella hungarica(slightly larger than S. carpatica, whichwe'd seen growing in the acid Tatras)carpeting the adjacent deciduous forestfloor. After crossing a field studdedwith newly planted conifers, weducked under some larch branchesand crawled (at least I, with no headfor heights, did!) out to the edge of acliff. And there they were: 8"-highshrubs with narrow evergreen leavesand with every accessible seed headcovered with a little white bag. Dr.Turis is conducting research onDaphne arbuscula, trying to discoverwhy it is so rare in the wild. Thedaphne, as are many of the otheralpines growing on the Muranskabelow treeline, is a relict of the IceAge, but it is also an endemic andindeed, according to Dr. Turis, is fairlywell restricted to this particular cliff.Sometimes it is listed as coming fromHungary, but that in itself is a politicalOn the Track of Daphne arbuscula 167

elict dating to the end of the FirstWorld War, when Czechoslovakia wascreated in part from Hungarian territory.Now, of course, the daphne mustbe listed as Slovakian.Whatever its nationality, Daphnearbuscula is a marvelous rock gardenplant with clusters of tubular lavender-pinkflowers appearing in Mayand often again in the fall. It doesn'tseem to set seed in cultivation, but it iscertainly hardy at least into USDAZone 4 and is easy to grow. Limedoesn't appear to be a requisite.Certainly most of the bushes we sawwere rooted directly into the cliff, butsome also seemed to be growing in thelayer of humus overlying the limestone.This was acid enough to supportmountain cranberry, Vacciniumvitis-idaea, although lime-lovingPrimula auricula and Gentiana clusii, atrumpet gentian in the acaulis group,grew there as well. As the King ofSiam said in the musical comedy, "It'sa puzzlement."Curious to see what was going on inhis domain hundreds of feet below, Dr.Turis disappeared over the edge of thecliff while the rest of us ambled back tothe bus. Frank had borrowed cupsfrom the hotel and had rigged animmersion heater to make coffee, completewith fresh cream from the busrefrigerator. Sitting on the thyme, westrained particles of coffee beansthrough our teeth (in these parts,"Turkish" coffee is made by pouringhot water over regular grind) andpassed around Frank's pictures of hiswife and two children. Eventually, Dr.Turis came bounding up the trail toreport that soldanellas were stillblooming, in mid-July, in the gorge,where patches of snow and ice werestill melting. Somehow, I wasn't surprised.In this charmingly enigmaticpart of the world where revolutions arevelvet and even the Communists triedto preserve the land, why shouldn'tdown be as good as up, or alpine plantsgrow happily in the woods?Along with an acre of garden in Georgetown, Massachussetts, Joan Means shareswith her husband, Bob, an interest in searching for great plants in their natural settings.Joan reports that for the first time this spring Boykinia jamesii bloomed in hergarden. Nine cherry-red flowers appeared on a single flowering stem of the PikesPeak form, and Joan is thrilled!Drawing by Rebecca Day-Skowron168 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

CalochortusSensational Native American Tulipsby Claude A. BarrI n the western half of our continentdwells a brilliant and versatilerace of spring bulbs that are knownand enjoyed but little outside theirnatural area. Calochortus, comprisingthe mariposa tulips and related groupspopularly known as fairy lanterns orglobe tulips and cat's ears or startulips, are the instant delight and envyof every flower lover who sees them,whether as specimen groups in thegarden or in nature's lavish landscapes,where fifty thousands holdtheir shining cups stiffly erect to thesun and the breeze on a quarter-mileslope.The mariposas gain their devoteesthrough many lines of appeal. Thetypical form of the flower is of matchlessgrace. Three very broadly obovatepetals with recurved tips form anample bowl or a deeper chalice with abroad rim; three like-colored sepalsthat alternate between the bases of thepetals. Low upon the inside of eachpetal is a splotch of strikingly contrastinghue called the gland. It may be flator deeply pouched, is often surroundedby decorative tufts of bright hairs,and usually forms the axis of a fancifuland intricate pattern which the earlySpanish adventurers in Californiaaptly saw as the wing-eye of a mariposa—butterfly,in our tongue. This"eye," this scintillant peacock feathermotif, seems the reason for being ofthe flower's tri-part structure, peculiargrace and exquisite modeling.The rich effect is enhanced by textureand color in the ground of theoften bearded segments: pure, dazzling,fine-velvet white in Calochortuscatalinae, melting lilac in C. macrocarpus,pinks, grays, citrons, purples andreds in the C. venustus varieties,molten gold in C. clavatus, andorange-vermilion in C. kennedyi, sointense that the delicate pile of its velvetgives reflections of pale lavenderin certain lights. There are perhapshalf a hundred species and nearly asmany more varieties and color forms,all widely set apart in appearancefrom the forms and species of OldWorld tulips.Slight acquaintance does not compassthe wonder of these flowers. But,believing, one demands, "Why are notthese rare beauties in all our gardens?"Ah, there! Though more than a hundredyears have gone since DavidDouglas gathered the first of them for169

eager English experimenters andthough 50 years or more some ormany of the species have been on themarket, still they remain the playthingsof a few lucky or extremelyclever gardeners who somehow meettheir exacting requirements. Just whatthese are a steadily augmenting coterieof admirers is striving to know.The usual final failure under thebest available advice and care andtheir usual advent from California arethe basis of the familiar assumptionthat these most desirable of all nativesare not hardy. The generalization goesvery wide of the mark. Those whichhave their origin in California includetender kinds from the southern coastthat bear practically no frost to othersthat withstand fairly low temperatures,even light freezing during earlygrowth if the all-important factors ofsoil and moisture are right.In addition a few high-mountainsorts are quite hardy and—a fact notcommonly dwelt upon—some twentyspecies are native outside the mildcoast state or but touch its colored borders.While a few of these are Mexican,others, chiefly in the showy class andincluding some of the most outstandingand distinguished in form andbeauty, are to be met with from northeasternCalifornia far into the intermountaindry belt of British Columbiaand across Washington and Oregon,Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, twospecies extending onto the plains ofthe Dakotas and northwesternNebraska and following the coldranges of the Rockies far to the south.In the difficult environment of mygarden on the South Dakota plains thesuperhardy species have proven theirtrue worth. Here a basically heavy soil,often a shortage of moisture in thegrowing time, occasional deep wettingin the dormant, and rapidly fluctuatingand extreme temperatures haveprovided a natural laboratory forobserving various limits of adaptability.Yet here has been met an encouragingsuccess in growing nearly all thekinds available commercially in recentyears and a number of rare ones sentme by friends.My first effort, with a mixed lot ofthe vaunted gaudy Californians, wasas fruitless as anyone may expect whoplants them wholly without understanding.There followed a splendidperformance by one of the local kinds,the lovely C. nuttallii, brought in froma gravelly ridge a mile or so from myhome. This gave new courage and preparedme for the next step, the possessionof Carl Purdy's wonderful catalog,which described species andforms in bewildering variety and gaveexplicit cultural directions.Bulbs for a good-sized plantingwere purchased and put into theground in October, the soil of the gardenbeing lightened by the addition ofsand and gravel to a depth of six inches.Taking on faith an impression as tohardiness, no protection was given.But as the good Deity looks after foolsand children, the winter was mild,with light snowfall, and frost did notstrike deeper than six inches. Springbrought no superabundance of wet,thus furthering the absorbing adventure,and a dozen kinds, Californiansand others, gave thrilling bloom. Therecord notes that two or three kindsdid not bloom at all, possibly from toolittle moisture, that C. plummerae andC. catalinae, too tender, had renouncedearthly cares, and that an occasionalbulb was missing from others.Calochortus catalinae and C. plummerae,procured a second time, have sinceperformed faithfully, year after year,given full protection from cold.So began an extensive series ofexperiments, testing many types ofsoil, varying the planting depth,170 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

improving subdrainage, increasing orlessening shade, seeking the rightmoisture for the growing period. Oneyear severe cold came. All theCalifornians had been given their thenaccustomedblanket of 12" of hay at thefirst serious onslaught of winter—all,that year, but a test lot of theredoubtable C. vestae, one of the finestof mariposas, perhaps the most adaptableof all, and one of the hardier of theCalifornians. The cold wave held for amonth. A drop to 40°F belowcame onenight, and the unprotected lots hadonly an inch or so of snow cover.Calochortus vestae failed utterly, and Inoted with surprise and shock, inApril, the vacant spot where my onlybulbs of the rare and costly "pinkshades" had been ventured. From that Iquite lost interest in cold tests, and so Ido not know, exactly, how much someof the Coast Range bulbs will bear.Circumstantially, side by side withC. vestae through that fatal trial stoodC. macrocarpus, C. lyallii, C. apiculatus,C. gunnisonii, C. nuttallii from southwesternColorado, and other cold-climatekinds, and 40°F below impressedthem not at all. They came through toa bulb.The following data are now clearlydetermined: outside the growing season,early March to mid-July, here, thesoil may be as dry as ground canbecome in this dustbowl climate, evenfor the Californians accustomed totheir winter rains; a dry dormant bulbis a safe one. There has been no opportunityin many years to observe theeffect of a continuously wet summerand fall, but occasional soaking rainsare not fatal when soil texture anddrainage provide quick dissipation ofthe excess. Planting may be done aslate before winter sets in as convenient.Four inches to the base of thebulb is a good depth; deeper plantingis of no advantage except for extralargebulbs. They grow well at twoand a half inches apart but make agood show spaced four inches. Bulbsthat have remained so dry that theyhave merely swelled their root nodesand made a start of tip growth byearly March bloom freely if theyreceive moisture at that time or assoon as the ground is frost free.Within the month shoots of themost precocious will appear, rednosedand hardy, but from the firstactivity of the tips beneath the soiluntil blossom buds are in evidence is atouchy time and moderate moisture isthe safe rule. For the less hardy kindsit is well to have lath frames, burlappads, perhaps hay, at hand until frostsare surely past. They want plenty ofwater from the appearance of the budsuntil just before flowering time; then,preferably drought. The new bulbwhich grows annually within the old,crowding the flower stalk into acurved position against the old husk,is fully developed at flowering timeand matures without further supply ofmoisture. At this time or with littledelay a thorough drying out servesperfect ripening. In a congenial environmentthe bulbs continue for manyyears.Just here a criticism of acceptedbeliefs is due. Alternate freezing andthawing during early growth is creditedwith being enemy number one ofCalochortus. Granted that repeatedfreezing is injurious, the careful observationsof years are 1) that frost injury,even killing back to the ground, maybe only an accessory act and that whenfatality occurs, a clinging, smotheringmoisture does the dirty work after thefreezing of a heavy, soggy wet soil;meanwhile calochortus bulbs areentirely immune in this same soil if onthe dry side. 2) That the semi-hardyones really do not differ in their essentialreaction, as I have had themCalochortus 171

esume growth after sudden cold—inthis garden a late March blizzard hasforced the mercury to zero—had takenthe first few inches of leaf, when thesoil warmed quickly and moisture wasnot excessive. And 3) that the bulbsperish in wet ground in an apparentlyidentical manner without Jack Frost'scoming on the scene.But ahead of suggestions for gardenhandling let us pause to look into theprivate lives of the mariposa bulbs. Inthe West's great open places, with afew exceptions, they forgather, worshippingan ardent sun, selecting theirparticular abodes with a knowing eyeto a sloping surface and a subsoil thatis fully capable of carrying downwardand away any unbearable surplus ofwater taken into the earth. More oftenthan not they grow in regions of low,irregular rainfall and active and dessicatingwinds. Further, the prairie soilswhich are acceptable to them, theadobe soils, or sandy deserts and sagebrushplains, and the stony mountainsideswhere a pick is required to extricatethe bulbs contain little humus,and this leanness also aids drying.With these habitat characters inmind the gardener will seek a moderatelylight medium such as will bereadily warmed by the sun and avoidrichness. A lean soil like the subsoilfrom an excavation or a cut bank willreturn to relative dryness while richsoils are still reeking wet. Some finenessof texture at least in contact withthe bulb seems their preference andconducive to good coats. Clay, acceptableto such as C. eurycarpus, C. nuttallii,C. vestae, C. venustus, C. purpurascensin their native climates for itsgreater storage capacity, in a wet climatemay become a clinging deaththrough that same property, that andits natural coldness that holds backgrowth when growth must be surgingupwards. Clay, leafmold, and humusincrease moisture capacity, do theynot? Avoid them, along with all thattends to defeat dryness. One must notfear to provide starvation rations, foran astonishingly little fat-of-the-landwill nourish a mariposa's beauty.A medium of the desired qualitiesmay be compounded of one-third veryfine clean sand, one-third fine limestonechips, and one-third lean loam.Alternates are coarser sand, any finescreenedgravel, any convenient earththat has not been enriched. It may benecessary to employ a portion of subsoil.If a heavy loam must be used themeasure may be reduced by half or tojust enough to fill in not too completelybetween any sand grains.In early planting, one speciesshowed unmistakable dissatisfactionwith drainage facilities or growingmedium or both. That most brilliant ofthem all, C. kennedyi, darling of thedesert gods of Ojai, the Panamints andDeath Valley, freely sacrificed herselfto demonstrate the family hatred ofstagnant wet. The least affected of theplants came blind, that is, withheldtheir blossoms; others suffered theusual sickening and withering of thefoliage, and the bulbs, still firm, werehastily rescued and dried; some, damptoo long, were full of a mushy decaywhen examined.Desperate, I vowed to build a suitabledesert for C. kennedyi. And little asI knew of real deserts, I happened todo the right thing. Well out in theopen a place was selected, away fromthe close air and fitful reflected heat ofwalls and with practically a full day ofsun. An excavation of 20" exposed anabsorbent shale which, it seemed,would take care of subdrainage.Twelve inches of coarse gravel weretamped in, an inch of fine gravel tosupport the soil layer, three inches ofsand with just a slight admixture ofloam. At this depth, four inches, the172 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

ulbs were placed, covered with thesamesoil, and the balance of the holefilled with almost pure sand. Abracadabra!And a winter of suspense—doubt—and condemnation.The greater wonder and excitement,then, as C. kennedyi came forth to greetthe spring in all her native queenlysplendor, and as thus, responsively,recurrently, she serves her foreignbondage.But as the treatment seemed undulyharsh, a similar planting was made,another year, with the difference of alittle more and "better" soil. Theresult? No drama here. The C. kennedyilives but has never flowered. And theleaf growth is narrower, more channeled,lacking most of the frosty bloomand white margin that mark luxuriantwell-being in this species.In the desert type of planting, whichdoubtless will aid in growing manymariposas where other efforts havefallen short, the gravel layer acting as acatch basin is not intended to remain areservoir; an outlet must be assured.Thus moisture depletion is permanentlyprovided for, and capillary moistureis cut off from below, a further vitaladvantage. The gravel may be shallowerif the escape is good. Somecoarser gravel may be added to therecommended sand-limestone chipleanloam mix, up to the level of thebase of the bulbs, augmentingdrainage and simulating a commonnatural footing. For most species a 4"rooting layer is preferred as manykinds are stronger growing.Means of surface drainage are theusual ones of raising the beds and tiltingthe surface. As in the wild, grassesand other vegetation compete with thetulips for available moisture. Shrubsthat form networks of shallow rootsmay be made use of where they willnot cast shade. Whether low annualsthat will survive without watering areto be used to dress the beds after thebulb season is a matter for consideration.Mulches or cover, as such, overthe dormant bulbs are best not usedexcept when the ground is dry or atfreezing temperature.Digging and storing the bulbs oversummer, sometimes effective wherethat season brings much rain, doubtlessmay be obviated by the adjustmentof soil and drainage. When summeringin the ground results in failure,predisposing factors have with certaintybeen at work prior to the dormanttime. Digging gives the groweropportunity to note the condition ofhis bulbs, and if they are anything lessthan perfect, he will do well to remodelhis program. On the other hand ifthe set-up has produced thrifty growthand good flowering, full-sized replacementbulbs and crisp and clean ripening,with fair probability they willsummer in the ground.An unhappy phase of Calochortusculture in the form of a disease alsoinvolves moisture. It is popularlycalled lily leaf rot, botrytis, or mildew.The critical period is just before flowering.If at that time cloudy, dampweather comes, infected plants willdarken and wither at the leaf tips, andas the trouble advances, buds droopand flower parts and portions of thestem may be destroyed. The blight issometimes detected at an earlier stagein distorted leaf tip growth, noted inlateral curling, browning and stunting.Hot sun and dry air halt the destructionat any stage. The infection is oftenpresent in wild stands of the plants,appearing with wet weather and havingno more final effect than to ruin acrop of blossoms. The bulbs are notdirectly destroyed. Scientific knowledge,as far as I can learn, is lacking,and at present no one can prescribe.The answer may lie in Clorox treatmentor in hormones. FortunatelyCalochortus 173

some species and certain strains ofothers seem immune. In my garden,Old World tulips grown in close proximityhave not contracted the trouble.Among very hardy kinds C. apiculatus,C. macrocarpus, C. greenei, C. gunnisonii,C. eurycarpus, and C. nitidus arebest ventures for the beginner, whileC. venustus var. purpurascens, C. venustusvar. citrinus, and C. vestae, of theCalifornians are very adaptable andfairly hardy. Mr. Purdy recommendsC. venustus var. citrinus, C. venustusoculatus, C. vestae, C. nitidus, C. eurycarpus,C. lyallii, and C. apiculatus as practicallyimmune to the leaf rot.The fairy lanterns and cat's eartulips are less exacting than the majorbranch, liking some shade and leafmold,and where the mariposas can beaccommodated, these groups will befound more uniformly hardy and amiable.Each variety has its own distinctcharacter, charming in degree, andwhen one has come to know them, tolook for the silken glow of the lanternsor to expect the half-mischievous andever watching "eyes" of some of thecat's ears, an absence would be notedsadly.If a prophecy may be entertained,the calochorti of the future are destinedto prolong the glory of springbulb bloom. They will follow closeupon the receding wave of the Darwintulips and surge on into July, andsurely we may look forward to the daywhen first one, and finally numbers,will be brought under the transforminginfluences of hybridization andselection and made amenable to generalgarden use. Now and again naturetakes a hand at adapting her offspringto meet new and different conditions,and in any lot of bulbs may appearone that survives and prospers whileits fellows perish. Such a marked individualis to be treasured as a pearl ofgreat price by the gardener whoseunderstanding eye detects it, and theutmost thought and effort given itspreservation and increase. This is theprimary commission to those whogrow Calochortus. For in strange climatesand in strange soils may newadaptive characters best be observedand tested, and doubtless there alsowill this aloof and many-starred racebe wholly fitted to stand alongsidepresent favorites.Claude Barr lived on a ranch in South Dakota. He was the pioneer horticulturistfor the Plains and Rocky Mountain regions, the original xeriscaper, and one ofthe greatest early voices of the North American Rock Garden Society. His Jewelsof the Plains is a classic of horticultural literature.This article was found (with the help of Prof. Ronald Weedon, Director of theChadron State College Herbarium) in the Claude Barr archives in Chadron,Nebraska. Written in 1939, it was accompanied by a folder containing a decade ofnotes and correspondence on growing Calochortus. The last entry in the folderwas a 1940 rejection by Flower and Garden. This was early in Barr's writingcareer, and it appears that Barr was devastated by the rebuff, and in any case, heput the manuscript and the folder aside forever.—Tom Stuart[Carl Purdy was a plant collector of note who sold many wild-dug bulbs ofCalochortus in the 1930s. He died in 1945. Current sources of Calochortusinclude Robinett Bulb Farm, PO Box 1306, Sebastopol, CA 95473. There is nowan American Calochortus Society. Write: ACS, 260 Alden Road, Hayward, CA94541. —Ed.]174 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

Harmony with Natureby Jaroslav FaiferlikÊveryone is part of Nature. Weall depend on her, our vital functions,including mental ones, yielding to herlaws. There is an instinct in us that letsus sense and emotionally live throughNature's various scenes and stages.We find an inner harmony and healingfor our souls in her.Country scenery has its genius loci,the spirit of each place, whichimpresses and excites our emotions—whether in a joyful, beautiful, sad, orunpleasant way. The impact of a particularlandscape depends on the sensibilitiesand mood of the individual.We look to Nature for ways to putourselves at ease again in the worldafter the hustle and bustle of humantrade and interaction. This could perhapsbe gained by arranging our gardensin a natural style. Havingdreamed of a desirable garden scene,we try to obtain the best flowers andnatural materials to in order to bring itin to being. Some plants, for example,require the company of rocks or pebbles,while others prefer decayingwood, and so on.If we really want to cooperate withNature, we should take advantage oflocal ecological conditions. Of course,we can change the final face of thelandscape—artificially—but wherethere is a desert, we often find ourselvesmodelless in ridding ourselvesof that bleak scenery, in completelyconverting it to something else. Andhow hard it would be not to plantriverine growth next to a rich supplyof water! True cooperation betweenNature and the gardener suggests thatwe refrain from inventing artificialvegetation inconsistent with the originalconditions of natural reality.By respecting the original compositionof the ground and choosing theright plants and other natural elements,the desired psychological effectmay be acheived. The larger the garden,the more variety we may grant it.An undulating landscape with clumpsof trees and shrubs offers us a greatchance to add a variety of habitats.Then each small area just waits for usto arrange it well and finally berewarded by a wonderful magic oflight and shadow.A garden's shady groves, for example,perfectly complement an inconspicuousfootpath. The path brings upmystery likely to strengthen anddevelop our interest and imagination.175

Beyond each visual obstacle appears asurprise hidden in the very next scene.Such a path may astonish us withgraceful changes caused by the progressionof Nature through the seasons.In such scenes we find the originalmodels of the paintings of the masters,including spring buds tensed withmaximum vitality as well as the tranquillityof winter rising through snowand hoarfrost. Thanks to the infinitevariability of weather, the continualshifting of day to night, and the alternatingbeauty of the seasons, theatmosphere of the landscape is at onemoment stimulating or at another subdued,always of interest, always new.Beauty and holiness call to us fromthe softly undulating grassy groundand from the proud semicircularcrowns of trees and shrubs. Connectedby the simple "S" pattern curve of atrodden footpath, a creek's meander,or the edge of a planting, the effect ofsuch a landscape is certainly deepened.A feeling of pleasant satisfactionis found in various green hues andlight-colored petals. Such harmoniousscenery moves our thoughts, mostpowerfully in the corners of a shadowed,mysterious garden. Wherethere are dark pines and overhangingwoody plants, one might even becomea bit nostalgic and sad.Let's create optimism then! Thesunny parts of the landscape plantedwith tiny and bright plants, as in realwildflower meadows, are the verybest places for that! Trembling tinyleaves, sparkling half shadows, thesoft movements in the rapids ofbrooks are joyful as well.Nobility is another emotion thatmay be evoked by natural scenes. Ifthere is, however, no view of mountains,of giant trees nor of powerfulrivers from our window, one of thequickest ways to evoke a feeling ofgrandeur is to plant large andstaturesque species, such as Miscanthus,Heracleum, Rheum, Polygonum.These may succeed in growing to anadmirable height in a short time.Flowers with large and colorful petalshave a similar effect.Dreary scenery where the developmentof plant life is limited troublesthe human mind. During hot summerdays our gardens may remind us ofsuch landscapes. Similarly, peoplemay find the dead remains of organismsugly and useless. But MotherNature values all of these as bearers ofpicturesque shades. Doesn't this pushus to borrow them from her and find aplace for them in our gardens?Strongly impressive scenery will beproduced in this way. Among thesegifts of Nature belong crumblingrocks, the dead trunks of trees, and soon. "The symbol of mortal life," onewould add. But actually we are goingto express the cycle of life in our gardens.As soon as first plant takes rootfrom an old stump, we realize thereare no cemeteries in Nature. Thedecaying tree just carries on withanother task—the one parents gothrough.Thoughts, born of Nature's spirit,have constantly led us to the gate ofoptimism. We should never forget thatthis is a mission of our gardens, too.Let's create our favorite scenery, nomatter what it actually consists of—rockery, grove, heath. Only we mustremember, it is not for cheap decorationthat we build, but rather to trulycharm, to stimulate sensitivity andhappiness by obeying and understandingNature's effects and laws.Jaroslav Faiferlik gardens in Plzen, in theCzech Republic, and strives to create hisgardens in harmony with Nature, to livethrough natural activities, and to makethe workings of Nature available also toother people.176 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

Blechnum penna-marina (p. 183) photos by Sue OlsenDryopteris erythrosora (pp. 182-183) Woodsia polystichoides (p. 183)177

Adiantum venustum (p. 182)Polystichum polyblepharum (p. 182) photos by Sue O sen178 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

Athyrium niponicum var. pictum (pp. 181-2)Athyrium otophorum (p. 183)

180 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

Pacific Treasuresfor the Temperate Fern Gardenby Sue OlsenX he ferns of nature's wonderlandwere first cultivated for both ornamentaland medicinal purposes. Some arestill in use as herbal remedies today,especially in the Orient. However,ferns, with their monochromatic hues,are primarily used in the contemporarylandscape to give coherence togarden design. Victorian Britain enjoyedits fern craze, but for most of thiscentury the only selections availablefor the North American gardener /horticulturistwere our natives (whichwere regrettably mostly wild collected,and unfortunately in some cases stillare), and several of the select Britishcultivars and European species. It wasnot until relatively recently that theabundance of mostly evergreen materialnative to Pacific Rim countries hasbeen researched, imported and introduced.And what wonderful introductionsthey are. Colorful Dryopteris,creeping blechnums, and an evergreenmaidenhair are but a few of thedelights now available for cultivation.With today's increasing horticulturalexchange with China and more diversespores arriving from Japan and theHimalayas, the prospect for discoveringfuture treasures is very high.Not all of these imports are smallplants, however. In fact, there's not arock garden "cushion" in the crowd.But, as I've seen 3'-plus. Osmunda is inperfect scale in such places as the rockgarden at England's Sizergh Castle, Iguess it all depends on your site (andperspective)!Meanwhile, at least four prizeimports in the flowerless categoryhave made their way into mainstreamgarden design in the '90s. These oncerare plants are here presented,admired, and promoted for their beautyand adaptability. They are followedin the text by newcomers that cancompete for the gardener's attentionand, in time, for priority in the landscapestructure. Unless noted, all ofthe ferns described are hardy and suitablesubjects for at least Zones 6-9.Athyrium niponicum var. pictum isthe overall best-selling fern in NorthAmerica today (photo, p. 179). I havebeen in gardens where (lamentably) itis the only fern in the plant community—thetoken fern of choice.Commonly known as the Japanesepainted fern, its deciduous foliage isindeed painted with gray, blue, andpink-to-burgundy tints in varying181

intensity. Normally, this exceptionallyhardy variety grows to 15-18" in thegarden; however I have been givenplants that vary widely from thisnorm—stately knockouts thatapproach 3'! There is some speculationthat genes of the lady fern, Athyriumfilix-femina, may be involved withthese giants; however, further researchis desperately needed before the variationscan be defined with scientificaccuracy. Meanwhile, it is a beautifulplant that serves well as a tidy groundcover under the burgundy foliage ofJapanese maples, or in the company ofany shade-loving foliar or floral blues.Over time it has been in the trade asAthyrium goeringianum var. pictum, andas Athryium iseanum var. pictum,—• neitherof which it is. Athyrium iseanum, adelicately lacy but untested species, isjust now becoming commerciallyavailable. Athyrium iseanum combineswell with A. niponicum var. pictum orwith typical plants of the species A.niponicum, which, while less flamboyant,are in themselves worthy plantsfor subtle color in the sylvan scene.Color, by definition, is part of theglamour of another cosmopolitanworkhorse, the autumn fern, Dryopteriserythrosora (photo, p. 177),although in reality the "autumn" colordisplay takes place in April! It is hardto believe that this fern was virtuallyunheard of in cultivation in the UnitedStates 25 years ago. It was the veryunavailability of this ornamental thatled me to venture into the wonders ofpropagating from spores...a subsequentlyaddictive activity! Autumnfern is a tall, broad evergreen that furnishesa colorful complement in a bedof epimediums. Both plants preferdappled, deciduous shade, althoughwhen established both performadmirably well in almost full sun. Alittle kindness by way of shade in themidday helps, however. Dryopteris erythrosoravar. prolifica is a smaller counterpart,again rosy and evergreen, butwith a more finely cut profile andpropagable bulbils along the frond'smidrib. It is openly elegant and distinquishedin effect.Polystichum polyblepharum, the tasselfern, is a lustrous, evergreen staple forany woodsy planting (photo, p. 178).At 18" the shiny foliage gives life andlight in shady somber or, for that matter,in the flower vase. It must not beallowed to dry out. It looks especiallynice with low-growing, rustic woodlandwildflowers...trilliums, hepaticas,violets, but nothing too boisterous.The fourth in the category of betterknownAsian ferns is Adiantum venustum,the Himalayan maidenhair(photo, p. 178). This evergreen gardenextrovert creeps about in partial shade,giving an airy elegance to anyplanting, without overwhelming itscompanions. The pale new growthsprouts surprisingly early in thespring and at 12" is a refreshing understorycarpet for heavyweight evergreens,especially rhododendrons, azaleas,and kalmias. Unfortunately, it ismost inconsistent as a spore crop, oneyear producing in quantity, and neverprogressing beyond the prothalliastage the next. Flooding a spore cultureoften resolves this problem byencouraging fertilization, but resultshave been erratic at best.The following species tend to be lessfamiliar than the above selections, butas they become increasingly available,they should indeed be future standardsfor fern collections or be used asembellishments in the mixed bed.Amongst the lower growing speciesthere are several species of Asplenium—A.incisum, A. sarelii, and A.tenuicaule, all of which are delicate andlacy. But unless you have better-manneredslugs than I do, all must be culti-182 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

vated with every precaution available.Woodsia polystichoides is a more reliablechoice in the dwarf category (photo, p.177). As the name implies, the frondshint of Polystichum in outline, butunlike Polystichum, the foliage is softand deciduous. I like it in a casual settingwith shiny ground covers such asCoptis, Vancouveria or Asarum. Be sureto note its location so that you don'taccidentally plant something on top ofit during dormancy—or am I the onlyone who does this?Another deciduous beauty isAdiantum pedatum 'Japonicum' (Adiantumjaponicum, in ed., photo, p. 180)Tissue-thin fans of sunset reds radiatefrom brittle stipes (stems) as the gardencomes to life in the spring. In timethe color fades to a more traditionalgreen, but the grace of the typicalmaidenhair silhouette remains belovedand unchanged. This surprisingly sturdyone-footer is an outstanding choicein soft shade at water's edge.Athyrium otophorum has been on themarket for just over a decade andbears uniquely colored fronds of limeand raspberry (photo, p. 179). This 2'species retains its foliage in frost-freewinters but can be more wisely handledas a deciduous specimen. Thesherbet shades associate harmoniouslywith dark greens and wine-reds.However, unless you're into screamingcombinations (say Houttuynia andvariegated ajuga), it should be wellremoved from anything even vaguelyblue or yellow.Phegopteris decursive-pinnata is myfinal suggestion in the deciduous category.This is a refined ground coverwith stiffly erect, apple-green 15"fronds. It is very hardy and adaptableand an excellent cover for maintaininga tidy appearance in neglected areas orto dress up the formal shade border. Itwill wither with the first frost soshould not be used as a focal point inthe winter view. While most fernsmust be propagated from spores, thisspecies can easily be divided once severalcrowns have formed—fall is thepreferred season.Two species of Blechnum add diversityto the garden design. NewZealand's Blechnum penna-marina is afairly well-known evergreen groundcover that once established will colonizein poor soil and sunshine (photo,p. 177). A sunny exposure is recommendedfor keeping the planting compactand tidy. New growth is a mixtureof holiday reds and greens, whichwill be maintained throughout the seasonin a sunny location. Blechnumniponicum, by contrast, grows as a singlerosette of sterile fronds with afountain of fertile fronds at its center.Like many species of Blechnum, thistoo has colorful new growth. Unlikemany species, however, this is quitecold tolerant. My own spores camefrom a good friend who rock gardensin Connecticut. Blechnums in generalwant a lime-free soil and resent potculture. This latter must be taken intoconsideration when propagating, orpotting for a show. Let them share rootspace with a fellow plant.Dryopteris bissetiana and Dryopterispurpurella, which may very well beconfused in the trade, are offered asalternatives to (or in addition to) D.erythrosora. They, too, are evergreen,have autumn colors in their newgrowth and are reputed to be evenhardier than D. erythrosora. They arebushy and like shuttlecocks in formand can perform the landscape dutiesof a small shrub. In their companyDryopteris decipiens makes an excellentforeground plant or edging species.The foliage has a satiny, metallic patinathat plays delightfully with varyingangles and degrees of light. At onefoot in height, it is a quiet evergreenpartner in the fern composition.Pacific Treasures for the Temperate Fern Garden 183

Mickel lists it as Zone 5 in his newbook.Another Dryopteris, D. championii,has survived cold winters with class.This Japanese evergreen saves its beautyfor maturity. As a youngster it couldbe any of several attractive species.However, in established plants the 2'-plus fronds unfurl with a dusting ofsilver and when fully expanded are arich, dark, velvet green. It is especiallyhandsome as a guardian of white andpastel primroses.Dryopteris polylepis, introduced toAmerican horticulture by NARGS legendRoy Davidson, stands out in thespring garden by virtue of the crozier'sdense cloak of prominent nigrescentscales (photo, p. 180). These are inbold contrast to the warm green tonesof the fern's emerging foliage. Plant itunder your Acer shirasawanum'Aureum' (formerly A. japonicum),where the fern will anchor the color ofthe tree. In the Zone 8 PacificNorthwest Dryopteris wallichiana haslong been admired, yet it has beentotally unpredictable in cold winters,sometimes surviving Zone 6 weatherwhile at other times expiring in Zone 8termperatures. Although smaller, D.polylepis is clearly the better choice.Treat it with patience, however, as it isboth slow-growing and resentful oftransplanting.A trio of polystichums round outthis brief portfolio of fern delicaciesfrom Pacific populations. Polystichummakinoi, P. neolobatum, and P. rigens areall excellent evergreens for generalpurpose landscaping, specialty fernplantings, and green unity in the colorfulbed. All appear to be more cold tolerantand less moisture dependentthan the attractive P. polyblepharum,which they resemble in shape andgloss. They are rigid, toothy species ofmedium height that best display theirindividuality when planted in combinationwith each other. Or, try combiningthem with various textures andcolors of hostas for a visual feast.While this is but a sampling of thebounty of recent imports, hopefully itincludes a new fern or two for yourgarden. The introductions of the past25 years have indeed extended theoptions and increased enthusiasm inthe fern world, whether for the collector'sappetite, the beginner's woodlands,or the shady rock garden.Enjoy!!!!For the fern lover, horticulturallyadventurous, or the botanical enthusiast,a new non-profit organization, TheHardy Fern Foundation, is working toexpand these introductions by testingferns for hardiness and ornamentalvalue in the Northwest and at numeroussatellite gardens throughout theUSA. There should, in time, be onenear you. Members receive quarterlynewsletters with reports and observationson fern culture in North Americaand throughout the world, have accessto a spore exchange and are offeredplants as they become available. Youcan help this program and your ferngarden as well. For further informationsend a SASE to The Hardy FernFoundation, 12921 Ave. DuBois S.W.,Tacoma, WA 98498. Thanks and goodgrowing!!Sue Olsen has been growing ferns formany years in her garden in Bellevue,Washington. She has travelled toChina and England studying ferns andhas introduced many new species andforms through her specialty nurseryFoliage Gardens.184 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

South African JournalKarroo to the Drakensbergby Panayoti KelaidisiR.ecent years have seen a flood ofgermplasm from the Andes, Turkey,Central Asia and the Western UnitedStates into horticulture. Rock gardenjournals are filled with pictures ofexotic plants from these locales, andmore and more plants are showing upfrom these areas—mostly in pot cultureand plant sales. With a fewnotable exceptions, much of this materialappears to be more exacting, andcertainly more challenging to grow forlong periods of time in the garden thanmore familiar, traditional Europeanalpines.I remember reading an article, once,that spoke of plants that "paid rent"—which is to say plants that bloomed foran extraordinarily long period of time,or else plants that had such beautifulfoliage throughout the year that theyhardly needed to bloom. Viola cornutais an example of a plant that bloomsvirtually the entire growing season inmy climate at least, while Sempervivumcultivars in their infinite variety arethe classic example of foliage alpines.Year after year I discover that practicallyany African alpine I acquire fitsneatly into one or both of these categories.I began to notice that theAfrican alpines grew very quicklyfrom seed or cuttings, often bloomingthe first year. They seemed to beunparticular with regard to soil andculture; a large proportion of plantsfrom the southern part of Africaapparently approximate that holy grailof nurserymen—the Ever-BloomingPerennial.One of the first African plants I evergrew was Euryops acraeus, the epitomeof silver leaved shrubs. Assuming thatsuch shimmering foliage properlybelonged to a dryland plant, I placedthe Euryops on a rather dry scree,where it proceeded to grow—eventuallyattaining a foot in height andalmost two across. It smothered itselfyear after year with golden flowers.Marty Jones from 8000' at Vail,Colorado, asked to try a few cuttingsonce, and I blush as I remember myrather grudgingly agreeing to his havingone or two, thinking why send apoor African to certain doom? Ofcourse, this bona fide alpine from10,000' cliffs felt right at home in Vailwhere it grew more luxuriantly than itever did in Denver. This exemplifiesthe cultural versatility of SouthAfrican plants.185

Then there was Oxalis depressa,known for so long as O. inops. Thisspread its underground bulbils thoughmany square feet of rock gardenbefore I realized that even the harshestColorado winter wouldn't faze it. Theleaves don't appear until early June,but the cheerful, pink, cup-like bloomson 3" stems last for much of the earlysummer. Place it where it can spreadwith wild abandon, and enjoy. Somuch for the myth of tenderness inSouthern Hemisphere plants! Nowthat a host of bulbs and succulentherbs, including Anacampseros, fourspecies of Lithops and almost 50species of Aizoaceae, have comethrough Colorado winters unscathed,it is apparent that not just high alpineSouth African plants possess tremendousgenetic tolerance to cold. Onecannot make pat judgments based onthe much warmer isotherms of theSouthern Hemisphere.In the early 1980s I visited VancouverIsland in midsummer. A highlightof that trip was visiting AlbertDeMezey's remarkable garden on FoulBay Road in Victoria. A steep bankcarpeted with Echeveria spp. next tothe house alerted me to how mildVictoria can be in the winter. Peatbanks covered with the foliage ofPleione were a further sign. But theopen, sunny screes were dotted withinnumerable plants of Helichrysummarginatum—a simply stunning midsummerbloomer. (This has been confusedwith the woolly leaved H. milfordiaewith crimson buds that bloomsmuch earlier in the season, but the realH. marginatum is a deep blue-green,leathery-leaved plant with a silverstripe on the margins of leaves bornein lax rosettes; the 2"-wide, whitestrawflowers are displayed on stems 4-8" tall. I have subsequently obtainedthis plant from several sources andfind that it does much better in a peatbed with some shade in Colorado.)Only a few helichrysums are beinggrown in rock gardens, but like somany plants from the Drakensbergthey bloom in our gardens from Julyonward, making them invaluable forextending bloom in rock gardens.African plants are fulfilling the dreamof year around gardening.Many more helichrysums havejoined H. marginatum to enliven thesummer doldrums with pink, whiteand yellow. A myriad of other SouthAfrican daisies—white, purple, andlavender Osteospermum, yellow Gazania,and black-and-white Hirpicium, toname a few—will often bloom forthree months on end. Three species ofDiascia have thus far proved to behardy, and suddenly there are availablemore and more species ofKniphofia and Crocosmia, and the firsthardy Moraea.The plant that most quickened ourenthusiasm, however, was the mysteriousice plant that had made the circlesof rock gardeners for years labelledsimply "Othonna sp. Basutoland," or"Mesembryanthemum sp. Basutoland." Iremember accepting three such plantsfrom Bob Putnam in the spring of 1980with considerable trepidation—surelyno ice plant would grow in Colorado.Like so many people who first grewthis plant, I was astonished as Iwatched it spread with such gusto thatfirst summer. I took a few cuttings inthe autumn, since surely anything solush, so green, so vigorous couldn'tpossibly be hardy. When it turned thatremarkable ruby-purple color in thewinter, I hardly knew what to make ofthe plant! But when it cleverly turnedback to Irish green with the first warmdays the next spring, I was completelycharmed by this chameleon of a plant.Each spring since I think I fully recapturethe shock and delight I first experiencedwhen for a few weeks this ice186 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

plant completely covers its muchbranchedstems with such cheerful,inch-wide, shimmering, daisy-like yellowblooms. And to think, at first Ididn't even have a clue to what it was.You can imagine how pleased I waswhen I found out that Bruce Bayer, theleading authority on plants of theSouth African karroo was to come toDenver and give a lecture. People inthe know assured me that no oneknew South African succulents betterthan Bruce. I grew impatient as thiswise scholar lingered over every bit ofvegetation the quarter mile or so ittakes to get down to the Rock Gardenfrom the entrance gate. Upon arrivingat our specimen, Bruce proclaimed "ADelosperma, of course," and I heaved asigh of relief—it would be no problemto determine a species once we'd gottenit down to genus. "Don't be sosure," he went on, "The genus has severalhundred names, and it's neverbeen properly monographed, and I, forone, have never seen anything like thisspecimen in the karroo."Although I have subsequentlyinvestigated major American herbariatrying to find out more aboutDelosperma in general and this speciesin particular, I have never seen a specimenof Delosperma nubigenum taken inthe wild. And almost 15 years later, Iwas stunned to find no specimens ofthis species or its close allies in theCompton Herbarium at Kirstenboschin Cape Town. John Wurdack, of theUS National Herbarium in Washington,DC, took the initiative to writeleading workers on the family Mesembryanthaceae,and I will never forgetreceiving from him copies of the correspondence—threedifferent scholarshad given him three different names!Delosperma nubigenum seemed to fitour plant the best. What does thisplant look like in the wild? Since noone has ever seen a capsule on the cultivatedclone, is it self sterile? Howdoes it compare with wild germplasm?These are some of the questions thatnagged at me for years and spurredme on in the desire to visit the highmountains to seek out this remarkablemysterious mesemb.Johannesburg may be the principaladministrative capital of South Africa,but Cape Town will always be thepoint of departure for the botanicallyinclined. Not only is Kirstenbosch oneof the most exquisite public gardens inthe world, but the fynbos floristicregion, where Cape Town is situated,is generally acknowledged by botaniststo be the richest floral domain onearth in terms of plant speciation, relativeto its total area. From a distance,in midsummer the mountains of theCape look rather barren, but fromclose-up I had to agree with KuusRoux, an African botanist who felt thatfynbos with its proteas, plumy restios,and a welter of shrubby, bulbous, andsucculent plants really does resemble adusty Victorian parlor when viewed atclose range. Species density approachesthe equatorial rainforests in numberand variety. Even though I arrived inearly January, after the summer solstice,I was amazed to find ericas,restios, proteas, and numerous bulbsstill in full bloom every time I visited apatch of fynbos. It was only towardthe end of my trip that I realized thatthe high mountains both north andeast of Cape Town rise to sufficientheights that a great range of fynbosplants might well prove hardy one dayin Colorado: after all, we grow a goodmany alpines from the hills surroundingthe Mediterranean Sea from a latitudewith climatic parameters closelyapproximating the higher parts of theCedarberg and the Swartberg. If thisprove true, bar the door, Katy; our gardenswill never be the same.South African Journal 187

Careening through the KarrooMy first destination for a field triplay but a hundred and fifty miles fromCape Town, beyond the first fewranges in the heart of the karroo.Karroo is a term used in South Africato characterize the drier interior portionsof the country. Karroo generallyhas richer soil substrates than thenutrient-poor quartzitic sands onefinds in fynbos. Karroo is nearly asspecies rich as fynbos—and might becompared to the desert/steppe vegetationof central Anatolia or the Iberianpeninsula contrasted to the macchieone finds in these same regions, or thekarroo-like Great Basin desert orMojave contrasted with coastalCalifornia chaparral.I had managed to grow quite anumber of plants from the karroo andwanted particularly to investigate theescarpment of the Roggeveld mountainsnear Sutherland in the heart ofthe Great Karroo, an area renowned inSouth Africa for its harsh winter climate.I was fortunate to be accompaniedby Fiona Powrie, Kirstenboschhorticulturist specializing in Pelargonium,who has explored extensivelyin the mountains of South Africa andhas a tremendous grasp of the nativevegetation—both as a botanist andhorticulturist. There is a stark contrastbetween the coastal mountains, withtheir magnificent protea forests, andthe lowland karroo, reminiscent attimes of madronos on the AmericanPacific coast, and then again of olivegroves in Greece—until one notices thegigantic flowers! But soon we descendedto an even sparser scene, with tansoils and even more burned up vegetation,a setting that obviously had notseen rain in many months. When wefinally stopped to look around, thevariety and density of plants growingon the karroo astonished me: giantTylocodon shrubs with muscular trunksand an almost solid ground cover ofherbaceous plants like pelargoniums,dried stalks of who knows how manykinds of bulbs, and tiny crassulas,mesembryanthemums and other succulentsintertwined. Time and again Iwas struck by this dichotomy—aseemingly barren vista transforming toincredibly rich vegetation on closeinspection.Of course, large stretches of the karroohave been terribly overgrazed,reducing species diversity drastically.It is inevitable that agriculture willprosper on these rich soils, and largestretches of karroo vegetation nearWorcester have been turned into tablegrape plantations to satisfy Europe inthe winter and spring. Saddest of allwere the acres that had been plowedand planted to an exogenous Atriplex,which must be thought to producefodder more efficiently than the nativevegetation. Even so, there is still quitea bit of karroo left to enjoy—and Ibelieve that the floral bounty in thisregion has barely been touched byrock gardeners.Our base camp in the karroo wasthe town of Sutherland—renowned inSouth Africa for its cold winter weather.The vegetation in the town was virtuallyidentical to what one might findin the lower Rio Grande Valley—thelittle town of Truth-or-Consequences,for instance. I am quite sure that therainfall and temperature patterns arevery close to some of the mountainsaround El Paso or Roswell. And, ofcourse, plants from these parts of theUnited States are proving to be quitehardy, so when I saw giant Agaveamericana in Sutherland, or Eucalyptusin valleys not far away, I didn't loseheart altogether. Even colder weathermust occur in the escarpments 1000' ormore above the town.The landscape felt utterly familiar—188 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

from a distance the mesas and landforms could have been Utah or northernArizona. The soils are mostlyderived from shales and are apparentlycircumneutral or even acid, which surprisedme. Unlike Western America,there seems to be relatively little calciumin the rocks of the karroo. Bothlandscapes are dominated by gnarled,dwarf shrubs—almost entirelyArtemisia and Atriplex in the dry West,but in Africa the variety of shrubs wasbewildering. Mostly Compositae, theywere almost all beautiful ornamentals:dark-green-leaved Pteronia with largeyellow flowers; Eriocephalus in a numberof species, all with small whiteflowers transforming into woolly seedheads;many species of Euryops—somewith waxy, succulent leaves, otherswith tiny, raspy leaves. At many stops,we saw neat mounds of Osteospermumcuneatum with habit and dusty grayleaves resembling Atriplex cuneatasomewhat, only with 3" cream and yellowflowers. There are also unexpectedfamilies, such as gnarled shrubs in theCampanulaceae called Lightfootia,which had tiny stars, sometimes yellow,sometimes pale lavender. Therewere frequent groves of dwarf, desertpersimmon in a number of species,forming dense colonies. Unlike theWest where the same two or threeshrubs can dominate for thousands ofsquare miles, the species compositionchanged at every stop, and new generaand even families kept cropping up.And the ground layer is a rock gardenersdream! There are a few familiargenera—Dianthus, for instance. Atevery stop there were pinks rathersimilar to the European species wealready grow. At one place nearFraserburg I found a cushion with atrunk of a root that would be the envyof any bonsai enthusiast—at least aninch and a half across: decades old forcertain. A few species of familiar generaof mints, Stachys forming billowingsilvery mats among rocks on manycliffs with large pink flowers and apowerful smell that justified the commonname "Dead man's mint," a wonderful,tiny gray Ballota africana withmuch larger flowers than its Europeancousins. There were dried remains ofbulbs everywhere, Albuca, Galaxia,Homeria, Lapeirousia, Moraea, Ornithogalumand who knows what else.There was even an Allium that musthave been native along one stretch oflonely highway.Of course, there were succulentseverywhere—primarily mesembryanthemumbut also large cushions ofDrosanthemum from deep pink towhite; spiny Eberlanzia looking likesome Mediterranean Sarcopoterium onsteroids; Malephora and Ruschia andDelosperma in many species thatseemed to vary significantly from onehilltop to another; and smaller clumpsof annuals—true Mesembryanthemumand the famous local Pherolobus. Wefinally even found Aloinopsis, one ofthe true specialties of the colder, centralkarroo. This was the only pinkone, A. spathulata, which by midsummerhad retreated into the dusty clay,leaving only a few leaf tips visible.It was surprising to find plants thatI associate with gaudy annuals, suchas Nemesia, forming dense and veryperennial mounds several places alongthe Roggeveld. At least three kinds ofthese have germinated well and comeinto full bloom less than a half yearfrom the time I first saw them. Itremains to be seen how perennial theyprove in Colorado—but even as annualsthey are attractive.I had seen pictures of Selago in variouspicture books on South Africanplants, so I immediately recognizedthe first of these I saw in the wild.Imagine a veronica with billowy, puffyflowers as if it had studied postureSouth African Journal 189

from a baby's breath. Sometimes thestarry flowers are pink, and oftenwhite, but most often they are a varietyof lavender shades or even a rangeof blues from powder and lavender tocobalt blue.For rock gardeners the genusAptosimum, commonly called karrooviolets in Africa, will undoubtedlybecome a major new pinnacle to conquer.There are several dozen speciesof Aptosimum, one occurring on practicallyany roadside in the karroo. Thesemay be tiny tuffets, like A. procumbensstudded with bright blue flowers(photo, p. 197). Imagine a lax rosetteof a compact, glossy-leaved penstemonsuch as P. humilis. Now imaginethat flowers are stemless, an inch ormore across in thick clusters of trueblue. I doubt that I will ever forget athunderstorm that punctuated thedrive between Sutherland andFraserburg early this year. As we triedto speed as quickly as possible overthe slick tarmac, I noticed darkmounds along the road. Stop the car! Itlooked as if some jokester had plantedinnumerable giant cushions ofVitaliana primuliflora ssp. canescens randomlyacross the desert pavementamong prickly mounds of Eberlanzia—an acanthamnoid succulent with powderygray leaves and pink flowers. TheVitaliana look-alike turned out to bemuch stiffer to the touch—almostspiny. Eventually we determined thatthis was either Aptosimum spinescens(photo, p. 197) or something quiteclose to it. We were to see this againand again throughout the Roggeveld,but never as densely pulvinate as atour first stop. The cushions were studdedwith hard, round seed capsulesthat were almost—but not yet—ripe.Finally we found a fresh bloom—identicalto Aptosimum procumbens andpure blue. A mound in full bloomwould be quite a picture—and adelightful plant pun to put alongVitaliana.Of course, it is more than a littlepresumptuous to write about the karrooon the basis of a week's travel inthe middle of the summer heat there.So varied is the flora in this extraordinarilyrich, vast region that the localbotanists find it necessary to specialize,and few pretend to know the floracomprehensively. From a few dozenstrolls and hikes over the period of aweek I know I saw more fascinatingand attractive mats, cushions andtuffets than I have seen in months inthe Northern Hemisphere.My final day spent exploring in thekarroo was on top of a broad tablemountain just north of Calvinia calledHam Tarn Mountain—Hamtamberg inAfrikaans. It is privately owned byranchers who are sensitive to overgrazing,and the flora appeared to bequite pristine on top. The tablelandwas perhaps 15 miles across with 1000'cliffs all the way around. We weregiven keys to go through several stockgates, and we wound up a narrowpath to the top, where broad slabs ofnaked stone were exposed on much ofthe surface. A dizzying assortment ofshrubs and herbaceous plants grewacross the top—which was considerablycooler than the dry desert below.There were Nemesia still blooming, andmany of the dozen or so species ofHelichrysum were at the peak of bloom.All of a sudden we began to seegiant, symmetrical mounds with avery alpine look to them. They were ofa densely pulvinate Ruschia, one of thelargest genera of mesembs. You couldprobably walk upon it and not makeany dents in the cushion. Only a fewpink flowers persisted on a few individualspecimens, but the plants weresimply stunning in their vegetativestate—studded with hundreds of deep190 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

maroon capsules. Some of the barrenrocks where this grew in thick flocksmust have looked as if they were coveredby giant scoops of raspberry icecream in early December.I left the karroo behind me wistfully—somuch like my native Westernlandscape, only filled with endlessnovelties. What would the Drakensberghold?The DrakensbergI was very lucky to be accompaniedby Kuus Roux—a botanist from theCompton Herbarium at Kirstenbosch.Kuus is the leading authority on SouthAfrican ferns (many species of whichhe has named, and genera as well.)Our plan was to circumnavigate theprincipal ranges of the Drakensberg—visiting strategic sites on the west sidefirst, then to the north, next to thefamous Sani Pass half-way down theDrakensberg on its east face, with severaldays devoted to exploring the EastCape Drakensberg at the southwesternterminus of the range toward the endof the trip.There were a few species of plantswe saw again and again, such asEuryops tysonii (photo, p. 198),Passerina montana and Felicia filifolia,all three of which were commonthroughout the karroo as well,although they lagged by many weeksand even months in blooming cyclefrom the desert species up there.Felicia filifolia is a deep blue-greenleaved shrub that was completelycovered with deep lavender-bluedaisies in spring. I was surprised tosee it in fynbos as well, making itone of the most universal and abundantplants of South Africa.The first day we drove into theDrakensberg on the peaks just eastof the large and bustling metropolisof Maseru, capital of Lesotho. Thelowland vegetation of that country isvery lush and subtropical, and hasbeen largely displaced by agricultureand free-ranging livestock of allkinds. But as you climb higher ontopasses and the mountains, shepherdsfind it harder and harder towatch their flocks and get them backto safe haven for the night.Consequently much of the high countrywas still pristine.As we ascended to the rather overstated"God Help Me Pass," I wasextremely agitated to have spottedmy first Dierama (7' tall and lavender),and Zantedeschia albimaculatain all the moist swales. We againdropped back into the steamy lowlands,where giant eucalypts makeme question just how cold it couldget here. Throngs of little childrenpursued our car through villages.With considerable relief we climbedout of this lowland and saw before usbroad patches of color staining thehillsides on the next pass. BlueMountain Pass is one of the betterknown places in Lesotho for alpines,and the density of plant speciesthere, the extraordinary beauty ofthe massed flowers and their vibrantshades compare with the most beautifulmeadows I have seen anywherein the Alps or Western America(photo, p. 201).Shrubby mounds of Geranium pulchrumwith silver leaves and mauvefaces grew in drifts everywhere, contrastingdramatically with nearbyscarlet patches of Phygelius capensis.One charred hillside was punctuatedwith the gaunt black carcasses ofBuddleia loricata and the commonestnative shrub, the rosaceousLeucosidea,marking a burn of an earlieryear. But underneath these andbetween them a dozen or morespecies of just one genus, Helichrysum,grew as tiny, white-floweredtuffets, large shrubby moundsSouth African Journal 191

with yellow flowers, and ground covers.In places, deep violet-blueSenecio speciosus formed thickcolonies alongside glowing salmonDiascia anastrepta, which itselfformed mounds 3' or more across andover 2' tall (photo, p. 200).No wonder Delosperma cooperi isso hardy; here at almost 7500' itmakes dense mats on a wet cliff(photo, p. 200). Many, many speciesof ferns grow on steep cliffs. Orchidsare tucked away among rocks, anddifferent orchid species grow in wetmeadows. Here I became acquaintedwith a dozen or more exotic plantgenera. Two of the most widespreadwere Scrophulariaceae: intenselyaromatic Sutera in every color imaginable,and Zaluzianskya with brightscarlet stripes along lower surface ofthe corollas. Grassy knolls were litup with innumerable pale yellowflowers of Scabiosa drakensbergensisand numerous stately clumps ofBerkheya, the Drakensberg specialtythat looks like a hybrid between avery choice thistle and a sunflower.I lost count of what was bloomingafter nearly a hundred differentkinds—but I was never to see such amagnificent meadow of solid, cardinalcolors again on the trip.A half-mile or so farther alongbrought us to the summit of BlueMountain Pass with its endlessviews in all directions across thedeep green Lesotho countryside. Analtogether different group of plantsarrayed themselves across the top ofthe mountain, beginning with a newassortment of Helichrysum. Manyyears before I had received Helichrysumbellum and H. marginatumfrom this very spot; they are nowindispensible July-blooming everlastingsfor the Rock Alpine Garden.And here they were in the wild, lookingjust like my plants in the garden!Nearby, Helichrysum aureum, theonly large-flowered yellow strawflowerin this part of theDrakensberg, grew in a vast colonythat was in full, puffy seed. Thelarge, yellow-bracted flowers shouldmake superb everlasting bouquets.Soon I began to notice tight cushionson some rocks—Helichrysumsessiloidesl—the tiniest and mostabundant saxatile everlasting. Anumber of species of white-, pink-,and purple-flowered forms of Ericagrew densely in low spots among thegrasses. A giant patch of blue Selagogrew tight against the ground.Amazing numbers of succulentswere everywhere. Crassula rangedfrom sedum-like tufts in the rocks tothe shrubby C. sarcocaulis, whichgrew 3" or more in height andbreadth and was covered with waxy,ivory flowers. Pale pink and whiteDelosperma dominated this hill,along with rather congested moundsof yet another Ruschia, R. putterillii,surely the highest altitude Mesembryanthemum.There, in the distance,was a flash of scarlet. Thecloser I got the less likely itseemed—and then I realized thatthis was the highest elevationCotyledon orbiculatum (photo, p.198) I could imagine. This is perhapsthe most widespread succulent I sawin Africa. It grew on cliffs near thesea in fynbos, on open slopes in thekarroo and here near freshets on topof the Drakensberg! Very reluctantlyI returned to the car, knowing thatevery few feet there were yet moreintensely beautiful ornamentals completelynew to me.The very next day we had establishedourselves in Sir Harry's Hotelin Harrismith, a bustling and picturesquetown nestled at the base ofyet another Table Mountain (thistime called Platberg), some 30 miles192 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

north of the main Drakensbergescarpment. Kuus was surprised Iwanted to spend a day on top of thismountain that was a thousand feetor so lower than the main ranges ofthe Drakensberg. The entirePlatberg is a preserve and wellfenced, and I was fortunate to havehis guidance. The cliffs responsiblefor the table-like shape are largelysheer and unscalable by casual hikers,but Kuus quickly led us up "OneMan Pass"—which might have beenappropriately named "ScreamingBaboon Pass" that morning, for ourdistant cousins managed to curdlemy blood when they launched into avigorous family squabble a few dozenfeet from me.Views of Harrismith and the blueand distant high berg would havemade this hike memorable even if Ihadn't noticed a single flower. Hereagain, an extraordinary number ofornamentals came into view every fewfeet: There was a deep blue Streptocarpusgardenii in pockets on therocks in the woodlands; severalPelargonium species including thegigantic, peachy yellow P. luridaalong the road. An Ipomoea with 5"flowers of velvety purple-maroonformed a deep-green-leaved mat(photo, p. 198).Superficially Barliera monticolalooks like some sort of brooding, violetblue penstemon, but closerinspection reveals the Ruellia-\ikestructure of the flowers and the stiffAcanthus-like pose of the flowerstems. Once we reached the top ofthe mountain an incredible array offlowers wove a veritable tapestry ofcolor everywhere. On rock outcropsaround a pond near the edge a particularlyexciting assortment ofplants appeared: Hebenstreitia,wand-like scrophs with speckledwhite or yellow flowers, formed widedrifts everywhere on the top. SeveralCrassula species made big patches ofcreamy white on rocky ground, ofteninterspersed with bright blue or violetNemesia capensis. One of themost congested mats of HelichrysumI have ever seen, sprinkled withstemless, pink buds, grew amongover an outcrop. When will I ever seeit in bloom? Nothing seems to matchits form in Hilliard and Burtt's magnificentmonograph of the genus.And then, there was another dream!A delightful, clump-forming race ofHelichrysum chionosphaerum withsmall mats of linear leaves and 6"stems with bubble-like white andyellow blooms on top.Bulbs were everywhere, the oddAlbuca, an occasional Gladiolus, hotpink Hesperantha on cliffs andspeckling a meadow. Then the exotic,whorled flowers of a Bulbine onstems less than 1' high really capturedmy imagination—no seed, darnit! Kuus summoned me over somehundred feet ahead. On a gentlesouth-facing slope, among three orfour species of tangled rock ferns hefound a huge plant of Aloe aristata infull bloom, with dozens of giantracemes. The bent scarlet trumpetswere beautiful. The deciduous-leavedAloe ecklonis grew nearby in a pureyellow phase—a delightful rock plantbarely a foot high.Among patches of Gazania linearisstudded with nosegays of yellowbloomed a hot pink Delospermaof the ashtonii group, the two forminga rather disturbing contrast. Andthen, another marvel—a densemound of tiny, blue-green heads, onEuphorbia puluinata. This is rathersmaller, making a flatter moundthan the magnificent E. clauarioidesthat I saw on practically every hotslope of the Drakensberg.As we gradually worked our waySouth African Journal 193

to the edge again and found one ofthe few descents over the cliffs, awhole new vista and assortment ofplants appeared. Dianthus basuticusmade big masses of wide-petalledpink flowers over dense tufts offoliage—incredible! Hundreds ofhusky plants of Hirpicium armerioidesgrew coarsely on 8" stems in thetall grass—very different from theutterly prostrate and nearly stemlessspecies from Blue Mountain Pass.How carefully we picked throughrocky areas, for Agapanthus campanulatusssp. patens grew in suchdizzying numbers everywhere (photo,p. 203). The stark cliffs even had amisty blue tinge from a distance dueto these lilies of the Platberg, whichemerge out of every crevice, redefiningthe meaning of rock plant.Platberg must be one of the mostinspiring hikes a gardener coulddream of on a toasty January day.Mont-aux-SourcesThe second highest peak of theDrakensberg forms the dividebetween Lesotho, Kwa-Zulu/Nataland the Orange Free State. The classicapproach is via Witziehoek, anelegant subalpine resort in whatused to be the QwaQwa homeland.Fantastically rich subalpine meadowsfilled with color climb towardthe escarpment, and for many milesthe cliffs drip with ferns, severalmat-forming Helichrysum species,and airy sprays of Wahlenbergiaundulata.The car was quite secure in abarbed-wire enclosure at almost8000' at the base of the Sentinel, animmense block of basalt that hasdrifted, so to speak, a mile or sonorth of the main escarpment. Awonderful, wide path snakes up thesteep cliffs for several miles, and anextraordinary assortment of alpinescrowd the edges, distracting youfrom the dizzying vistas off towardPlatberg and the rolling plains of theOrange Free State.In the morning we were greetedwith a number of delightful Moraeaspecies drooping gracefully fromcliffs: I could identify Moraea trifidaand M. modesta—willowy-stemmedplants with pale blue-and-whitespeckledflowers. Dense clumps ofMoraea alticola did a good job ofmimicking Iris pseudacorus in steepgorges on the way up the mountain—only with gigantic pale yellow flowers6" or so across. What a contrastto Moraea alpina a few miles higheron the summit plateau, barely aninch or two high with prismatic flowersan inch across. Late in the afternoonas I scampered down the mountaina little worried that eveningmight descend before I did, all thesewere closed, but in their place therewere tremendous drifts of Moraeainclinata—a vivid-blue-floweredplant with four or more flowers oneach stem a foot or so high (photo, p.203). Kuus told me of finding Moraeacarnea in the gorge below us. Andwho knows what might have beenblooming a few weeks later in theseason in just this one genus.Other bulbs included at least twospecies of shockingly blue Aristea:who would have dreamed they'd beup here at 9000'! Several kinds ofDierama grew on the mountain—agiant one (D. cooperi?) on top, but thequeen of the mountain that day hadto be Dierama dracomontana, growingin dense colonies with thousandsof tomato-red bells swaying. Wholecliff faces were dotted with the tinycones of a dwarf pineapple lily,Eucomis humilis, and ghostlycolonies of Galtonia viridiflora oftengrew out of mossy beds on the wayup (photo, p. 203). I was particularly194 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

startled to find large mounds ofNerine bowdenii in full bloom in theequivalent of July. This is obviouslya different form from that in cultivation,and at 9000' it may be hardieras well.One other bulbous plant cannot beomitted: Crocosmia pearcei, apparentlynamed only recently. A colonyof this giant-flowered alpine withstems barely a foot high startles visitorsas they depart the parking lot.For over 50 years English growershave propagated a vivid purpleOsteospermum under the name O.barberiae var. compactum. Osteospermumbarberiae is an intenselyaromatic plant from low altitudes.The would-be variety compactum isO. jucundum, the purple daisy of theDrakensberg. I found dozens of matsidentical to the deep magenta-purpleforms sold as var. compactum growingalmost a yard across. No wonderit's considered so much hardier thanO. barberiae—this is a bona fidealpine that probably experiencesfrost most any month of the year innature, and it will not condescend togrow in Cape Town, because it needsa long cold winter. On Sani Pass Ifound it again, only a much pinkercolor and dwarfer habit. But onPlatberg it was an icy-cool white.Rock gardeners must enjoy thiseverblooming gem as long as we can,for it undoubtedly has a glorious horticulturalfuture as an edging to bordersor even as a ground cover.Mont-aux-Sources possesses apalette of plants entirely differentfrom those of the Platberg and BlueMountain, and so very different fromwhat I was to see farther south! Iwas practically feverish from theextraordinary panorama, the lush,dripping tundra on either side of thepath, pulling out camera, takingnotes, looking first at a plant closeup,then gazing out to the meltingdistance. Soon Kuus was far out ofsight, and I found myself at the footof a chain ladder, the only way toscale the last hundred feet onto thetop of the plateau.I hadn't noticed the wind blowingbefore I began to climb up the clinking,clanging rungs. Better not lookdown. Higher and higher I climbed.Suddenly I saw up above me tworather fierce looking warriors withZulu style shields and spears—withouta stitch of clothes, despite a stiffalpine breeze. This unofficial welcomingcommittee has probably startledquite a few visitors. The mengestured "smoke a cigarette" in auniversal sign, and I paused—Ihoped anything I said or gestured inreturn won't mean "Please throw meoff this cliff in Sotho. I smiled andshrugged sort of vaguely and walkedoff quickly. Looking back, I realizedthat the welcoming committee areprobably two shepherds playinghookey, enjoying a few hours oftourist viewing. I'd never thought ofmyself as Sotho television before.Incidentally, all this transpired inview of a colony of Delosperma nubigenumgrowing on the cliff rightalong the chain ladder. Kuus luckilypicked a tiny sprig from this spot andshowed it to me once we met againback at the car that evening. I nevernoticed it—for some reason!The summit plateau at the base ofMont-aux-Sources constitutes ahuge, gentle, rolling bowl a mile or sowide, sheer cliffs falling off towardthe Northwest and Northeast. InJanuary practically every plant inthe bowl is in full bloom, includingsolid carpets of several species ofRhodohypoxis in wetter areas anddense mats of Helichrysum flanaganiiyards across, completely hiddenunder yellow pussytoe blooms.South African Journal 195

There are mottled-leaved Disaorchids with pink or purple flowers,and a shaggy white-leaved shrub,Eumorphia sericea, with almostwaxy white daisies mimicing the wayshrubby potentilla grows in theNorthern Hemisphere. The compositesare abundantly represented,with bright purple senecios, whitehelichrysums of a dozen species,bright yellow flowers like the cutleaf,trim Ursinia alpina. There aredensely packed mounds of Macowaniasororis, growing a foot or twohigh along the cliff edge, incrediblywooly Helichrysum trilineatum, andH. splendidum blanketing the area.As far as I can tell, the only planton the entire summit plateau notblooming was Helichrysum retortoides.This remarkable miniatureshrub is only an inch or so tall,branching and spreading along theground, with glossy, dark greenleaves reminiscent of a tiny willow.Only a few blossoms were fresh—pinky-white everlastings 2" across,but hundreds and hundreds werefilled with fluffy, blowing seed.The vista was utterly exotic,speckled with mounds of white andyellow, violet and red flowers. Thesefestive colors are so much more vividthan those usually seen in theNorthern Hemisphere.Here on the Mont-aux-Sourceswould be a good place to set up campand spend a week or two. If Heavenisn't this floriferous, this rich inspecies, this colorful, I imagine I willbe disappointed. Assuming, that is,that I'm even admitted!AcknowledgementsI would like to express my deep gratitude to the North American Rock GardenSociety for a generous grant that paid for my travel to and around South Africa. Iam likewise grateful to the management at Denver Botanic Gardens for considerablesupport for this venture. I thank Elisabeth Harmon for distributing seedfrom this trip so promptly, to so many, with such efficiency. I have a special debtof gratitude to Sean Hogan and Parker Mache-Sanderson who provided the inspirationand impetus for this trip. They introduced me to Shawn Johnston, whowith Ernst Van Jaarsveld helped me plan and execute the trip of a lifetime. Inthe next issue I will describe the last half of this expedition—the Eastern andSouthern face of the Drakensberg.Panayoti Kelaidis is Curator of the Rock Alpine Garden at Denver BotanicGardens.196 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

Aptosimum procumbens at Sutherland Observatory (p. 190)Aptosimum spinescens (p. 190) photos by Panayoti Kelaidis197

Cotyledon orbiculatumon Blue Mt. Pass, Lesotho (p. 192)Ipomoea sp. on Platberg (p. 193)photos by Panayoti KelaidisDiascia integerrima, EuryopsDelosperma sp. 10 miles north of Sani Pass at Sani Pass (p. 191)tysonii198 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

Hermannia cf. stricta, on HamtambergCrassula sp. at Blue Mt. Pass

Delosperma cooperi at Blue Mt. Pass, p. 192photos, Panayoti KelaidisDiascia anastrepta at Blue Mt. Pass, p. 191Delosperma sp., Blue Mt. Pass200 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

Blue Mountain Pass, South Africa (pp. 191-192)

Mont-aux-Sources, South Africaphotos, Panayoti KelaidisMacowaniaglandulosa202 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

Agapanthus campanulatus ssp. patens on Platberg (p. 194) photos, Panayoti KelaidisMoraea inclinata on Mont-aux-Sources (p. 194) Galtonia viridiflora, Mont-aux-Sources (p. 194)203

Faiferlik garden, Czech Republic. "A small lake dominates this garden. The universeisreflected in its surface at night, the neighboring rich vegetation during the day."Butomus umbellatus, Lysimachia punctata, above. Below, a more autere part of the garden,with Physaria didymocarpa, Yucca baccata.. Photos by Jaroslav Faiferlik204 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

TroughsA Few More Commentsby Waid VanderpoelT'A ve been asked to comment on any points missed in the wonderful lastissue of the ARGS Bulletin on troughs. What can I add to the marvelous assemblageof information, expertise and tips set forth in the six excellent articleswhich collectively covered troughs—would that we could mulch as completelyas this topic was covered. My good spouse read those articles and informed meI'd be writing a very short piece. Nevertheless, I'll give it a try.Regional troughsMore rock gardeners are utilizing this concept. It is one I have alwaysenjoyed, partly because it provides interesting contrasts of foliage. Regionaltrough themes allow us to create miniature landscapes aimed at simulatingnature—a goal towards which we strive.How long do troughs hold up?After fifteen to seventeen years I do observe serious deterioration of the structureof my oldest troughs. However, the modern acrylic bonding agents andfibers mentioned in Michael Slater's articles should extend trough life, possiblydramatically.Evergreens in troughsWhile Anita Kistler would disagree, and her reason is based on solid, successfulexperience, I do not feel my own experience would support the use of evergreensin troughs over a long period of time. I have two small troughs each containinga handsome little Picea abies 'Echiniformis'. However, the roots are sodominant that only one faithful Erigeron pinnatisectus survives as a companion inone trough after a dozen years, while nothing else remains in the second trough.What do you do with a trough now dominated by only a very few faithful oldplants?This is not an easy question, and it is probably best decided by each individualrock gardener. However, most gardeners will enjoy their troughs most if205

they own at least containers boasting some relatively young plant communities.Life's greatest expectations come to the young—troughs or people. If a dominatingbut still interesting plant can be replicated by seed, cuttings, or division andplanted elsewhere, the decision to relenquish it in the trough is simplified.Is there an ideal trough age?Rock gardeners strive to group plants such that neighbors mature on a complementaryscale. Young plants can be introduced into obvious spots, but I find Ienjoy troughs where most of the space is occupied by plants of fairly similarmaturity. A trough can look mature in three years; in fact, many plants lookwonderful after two years. Conversely, some troughs look enchanting a decadeor more after the original planting, though by then a number of the first inhabitantsare only a memory. Matching trough plants is always challenging, alwaysfascinating.Troughs in waterTroughs, by variations in size, shape, soil mix, location, and plant material,lend themselves to experimentation. I've had my share of failures. However, Iwould like to share a winner with you.I've always enjoyed growing little Aleuritia primroses, particularly P.farinosa,P.frondosa, and P. halleri. The books say they like "damp meadows." On our visitsto the Alps, they could usually be discovered, and often by the hundreds,even thousands, near the tiny little brooks and rivulets that drain sunny meadows.However in my garden in the sun, in our intense Midwestern heat, theyoften wilted and needed near constant attention. I established some primulas incomplete shade, where they have thrived to this day, though perhaps they arenot as compact as one might like.I consigned some P. farinosa to a small trough and placed it in our fishpool inan inch or inch and a half of water (photo, last issue, p. 120, center left). This wasto be the equivalent of a wet, sunny meadow. Since hypertufa is water porous,the soil, even though the surface was 3-4" above the water, wasn't wet—it wassoggy! At first the primroses thrived—I kept waiting for them to rot out in theautumn. They looked remarkably healthy for plants about to perish. The littletrough wintered in a cold frame and in spring exploded into growth, then intobloom. The tight little plants had considerably shorter stems than those in theshade—but produced a mass of dainty little flowers.Over the years these little sun lovers have thrived with precious little attention.Every year, there is a surge of bloom, never a sign of wilt no matter howintense the sun, how high the temperature. I've added troughs, tried otherspecies. I later planted several species of Dodecatheon, a genus notorious for itstendency to wilt when it is hot and dry. All three species have thrived for five orsix years. If you have a pool and like little primroses and shooting stars, give thetechnique a try.Species for troughsAfter Geoffrey Charlesworth's masterful exposition on species for troughs,there isn't much I can add. Despite the differences in our climates and rainfall,Geoffrey's observations on certain short-lived plants closely parallel my ownexperience. I'll simply provide observations on plants based on my experience.206 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

Androsace—would be ideal except most small ones succumb in my garden to thecombination of summer heat and wet. Androsace chamaejasme and A. villosa haveboth persisted as species though with casualties among individual plants.Certainly a premier genus for trial and error.Aquilegia saximontana—is trough-sized, miniature, pretty, neat, easy, persistentas a species. Has never produced strange gawky hybrids.Arenaria obtusiloba—seldom mentioned in our literature, but a winner for me.Makes a persistent, attractive, tight mat—even deigns to bloom now and then.Dianthus—onlywee, tight ones which appear at home in a trough.Draba—lots of potential material, American, European, Asian—but choose thetiniest species.Erigeron—any small, neat ones are trough material. Erigeron pinnatisectus,though larger than many, rates a description such as "particularly nice foliage,faithful, tops in bloom."Gentianaverna —far from immortal; consider growing more every two years.Lesquerella arizonica—rather new to me. Tiny, neat, gray foliage, colorful inbloom and easily grown, but expect casualties. Grow a few every year—a smallcharmer.Myosotis alpestris, an alpine forget-me-not you can grow. Persistent and troughsized.Overlooked since it isn't its glamorous cousin.Petrocallis pyrenaica—a tiny gem from the European Mountains. For me, difficultto get past seedling state—BUT the three I own which met this challenge havebeen with me for a number of years. Give it a try—with special attention at timeof first transplanting.Penstemon—any attractive, smaller, low member of this vast race can be consideredgood trough material. Penstemon aridus has faired very well for 15 years inmy troughs. Penstemon hallii, P. eriantherus (those big, exotic blooms displaywonderfully in a trough) and P. teucrioides are ones I've particularly enjoyed.Experiment to the hilt.Primula—in mountain-setting troughs I enjoy species auriculas, P. auricula, P.clusiana, P. daonensis, P. hirsuta, P. marginata (obtain a good form—quality varieswidely) and certain Bernina Pass hybrids, particularly P. 'Windrush'. I find P.villosa too large, while P. glaucescens, P. minima, P. tyrolensis, and P. wulfenianahave all shared one characteristic in my garden—they have a death wish.Hybrid auriculas should be small, compact and floriferous.Saxifrages—You will try them in your troughs, and you should. They are evenmore appealing when you can see them up close.Silene acaulis—One of my top favorites, as much for foliage as its bloom, and canoften overcome damage.Townsendias—ideal for troughs, but given to sudden death. Since they are easilygrown, a solution is to have a stream of young plants in our "farm systems."Waid Vanderpoel has a large garden near Barrington, Illinois. He has been gardening introughs since 1976. Many of photographs of his troughs appeared in the last issue.Troughs 207

Colorado RockiesWaid Vanderpoel, Barrington, IllinoisSIZE: Length 36" Width 24" Height 8" (all outsidedimensions)EXPOSURE: east-southeast, but slightly more sun than Alps troughSOIL MIX: 2 parts sharp, coarse sand; 1 part gravel, 1 part humus (peatand leaf mold)TOP DRESSING: stones and coarse gravel1. Draba2. Erigeron sp. and Erigeron pinnatisectus3. Androsace chamaejasme4. Myosotis alpestris5. Penstemon aridus6. Penstemon (small)7. Townsendia sp.8. Aquilegia saximontana9. Sedum lanceolatum10. Silene acaulis11. Hymenoxys acaulis12. Hymenoxys grandiflora13. Arenaria obtusiloba208 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

AlpsWaid Vanderpoel, Barrington, IllinoisSIZE: Length 36" Width 24" Height 8" (all outsidedimensions)EXPOSURE: Facing east-southeastSOIL MIX: 2 parts sharp, coarse sand; 1 part gravel, 1 part humus (peatand leaf mold)TOP DRESSING: stones and coarse gravel—Strive to attain vertical effect with rock placement1. Draba2. Petrocallis pyrenaica3. Primula4. Encrusted saxifrages, set into holes drilled in rock5. Thlaspi rotundifolium6. Gentiana verna7. Kabschia saxifrages, set into holes drilled in rock8. Vitaliana primuliflora9. small cultivars of Sempervivum10. Silene acaulis209

Hypertufa Rocksby Wayne Kittredge.^Vmong the memorable events ofmy rock garden career was theungrateful upbraiding I received fromthose to whom I had generously givensamples of my latest batch of homemadehypertufa rocks. Winter hadturned the soft "rock" into mush, leavingthe plants my friends had so lovinglyplanted sitting atop heaps ofashy mud. Instead of a showy homefor a treasured specimen, there wasnow a mess to clean up. My own rockhad suffered the same fate—what todo but apologize?But my need for tufa was undiminished,so I have continued undauntedto experiment with my hypertufa rockrecipe, having as my goal a productthat not only looks like real tufa butbehaves like real tufa. This year I builta walled garden using my most recentrecipe, and shortly after completionvisitors claimed to have mistaken therocks for real tufa.My first hypertufa rocks—not theones I gave to friends, but the firstbatch— used 6 parts peatmoss to onepart cement. I built a mound of this inwhatever shape the fancy ran to andcovered the whole with standardhypertufa mix of 3 parts peat, 3 partsperlite, and 2 parts cement. I cut holesthrough the layer of standard mix forplanting and holes on the bottom fordrainage. While the surface was stillwet, but after it had set slightly, a culinaryfork was used to poke holes shallowlyand densely over the entireupper surface to give the rock somesemblance of real tufa (photo, p. 224).Over the years, rocks made of thatrecipe have proven durable. Encrustedsaxifrages grow elegantly on them,while Lysimachia japonica var. minutissimabelieves it owns every availablegrowing hole. Dianthus alpinus submitsto life in a planting hole and occasionallyspends a few flowers, whileDraba aizoid.es flourishes and flowerswith its usual abandon, although itdoes not seed into the fake tufa.Because the original artificial rockswere performing well, I began readingabout the chemical character ofcement and other ingredients, hopingto improve on the mix. I got sidetrackedon the matter of the cosmeticappearance of the surface of the rocks,trying acrylic paints, waterproofcements, cement pigments, even potterypigments; none of these weremuch use, and the kitchen fork210 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

method, while very labor intensive,produced the most satisfactoryappearance.I tried more ingredients—perlite forlightness; vermiculite and long-fibersphagnum for moisture retention;wood chips for their ability to decomposeeventually, leaving air gaps aswell as humus in the rock; anddiatomaceous earth because of its reputationfor deterring bugs.After the mush incident, I overreactedby using waterproof cement asthe outer layer over a softer core, hopingfor greater strength and bettermoisture retention. Waterproofcement is, however, pure white andpure ugly, and it cracks over winter,although the rocks do not usuallyactually fall apart. Many plants dislikethis very hard and very alkaline whitecement, yet others like Gypsophila nanaand Dianthus gallicus have taken to itwithout complaint, and Symphyandrawanneri has sown itself into the cracksand made very neat, healthy rosettes.The next year I added play sand (adolomitic limestone available as sandsizegrit, used primarily to fill children'ssand boxes), an expanded clayproduct (designed to absorb liquidfloor spills), and grass clippings (orother organic material which wouldbreak down fairly quickly, unlikewood chips). When organic matterbreaks down, it leaves channels forroots to penetrate, similar to the channelscaused in real tufa by watermovement during the formation of therock.The ratio of ingredients in hypertufais inexact and is apt to changeaccording to availability or whim.However, if the ingredients are usedin the ratio of 6 parts non-cements toone part cement, then the rocks arelikely to be durable. Even though thesoft core is covered by standardhypertufa, it must be able to retain itsown integrity and not go to mush. Arecipe I now favor might be: 4 partsPortland cement: 16 parts peat moss: 1part diatomaceous earth: 1 part playsand: 1 part expanded clay: 1 part vermiculite:1 part perlite: 1 part longfibersphagnum peat: 1 part grass clippings:1 part a serendipitous ingredientof your own choosing.Over time, hypertufa weathers andbecomes quite handsome, but that can211

take years. It's worth spending someeffort in applying the surface to have itlook natural. The most irregular,lumpy surface looks most like realtufa. The kitchen-fork method previouslymentioned has its merits, butI've found a neat and efficient shortcut. Apply diatomaceous earth to thevery wet to slightly set outer surface.Diatomaceous earth can be shaken orthrown onto the surface by hand (usegloves), resulting in somewhat spottycoverage, or blown on with a rubberear syringe. Complete coverage of thesurface is the goal. Diatomaceousearth gives the surface a grainyappearance instead of the glossy surfaceof cement. Excess diatomaceousearth may be washed off after thecement has set for a day. Spraying thewet surface with a solution of chelatediron after washing imparts an uneventan stain. The finished color is a combinationof the gray of the cement, thegrainy white of the diatomaceousearth, and the tan stain, the wholebearing a remarkable resemblance toreal tufa. The kitchen fork method canbe used in addition, but I feel it isunnecessary.Plants already occupying theAugust 1993 wall built of these hypertufarocks include: Acantholimon araxanumon top of the sunniest, windiestpart of the wall, Aethionemaarmena in the hottest,windiest planting hole, andin crevices: Campanulaandrewsii v. hirsuta inshade, C. cashmerianabeneath the Aethionemaarmena, C. hakkiarica inshade, and C. waldsteinianain sun, Convolvuluscantabricus on top, Drabaacaulis, Draba paysonii ontop and out of the wind.Hypericum athoum has positivelyfilled a vertical crevice with itscute, fuzzy, rounded leaves below theAcantholimon araxanum. Primula marginata(named clone) has a shadycrevice away from the wind and iskept purposely very moist; it is flourishing.Saxifraga is already creepingout over the hypertufa surrounding itsplanting hole, Thymus 'Elfin' peeks outat the sun from a deeply overhungcrevice. Teucrium subspinosum andVerbascum dumulosum have escapedtheir pot prisons into sunny crevices,which I am hoping will provideenough protection for them to survivezone 5 winters. This spring, pottedplants of Campanula zoysii andPhysoplexis comosa were planted in thewall. I still have ample room to sowseed and put in plants. The hypertufarock wall provides an attractive settingfor plants that prefer crevices.Readers might think the alkalinityof the hypertufa could be a liability.However, in my experience, the peatmoss neutralizes the alkalinity of theother ingredients adequately. I don'texpect to be able to grow the entirerange of plants one can grow in realtufa, but I am encouraged by the successesI have had to date.Wayne Kittredge gardens in NorthReading, Massachusetts.212 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

What Do They Want?by Bob Noldfew years ago I had the opportunityto visit what is probably themost unusual rock garden I have everseen. Not that I get around much, andnot that I enjoy finding my innate andentrenched snobbery revealing itselfin a variety of uncontrolled gestures(walking hurriedly around the garden),but here was a garden, a rockgarden, shockingly devoid of anythingI considered "appropriate," consistingalmost entirely of hundreds of miniatureroses. I don't like miniature roses.Miniatures, in my opinion, have noplace in the rock garden, and there areplenty of people who will agree withme. Of course, there are plenty ofalpine roses that are small and suitablefor the rock garden, but they'respecies and not lilliputian hybrid teas.I mentally made comparisons withanother garden I knew, featuringevery known lawn ornament highlightedwith matching colored gravel—andhurried home to tend myandrosaces.Snobbery is a strange state of mind,usually a sign of an inability to thinkfor oneself, a mind too ready unthinkinglyto receive codified, narrow opinions.There are certain plants that simplyhave no place in rock gardens—itsays so right here. Look, "no miniatureroses under any circumstances."And earlier it said—I had skipped thispart—"no cacti."In fact, I even came across a briefarticle practically condemning thevery existence of cacti, as though theywere some horticultural abominationthreatening the concept of rock gardeningas practiced since the dawn oftime. The next page had a picture of awoodland plant. Why are woodlandplants acceptable in rock gardeningcircles and cacti (not to mentionminiature roses) are not? No woodlandplants this side of the Himalayasgrow at higher altitudes than doesPediocactus simpsonii, an alpine if everthere was one, so whence the prejudice?There are many arguments to bemade. It could be said that the majorityof rock gardeners live in areas moreamenable to the growing of woodlandplants than to cacti, and that the sheeracquisitive nature of plantsmanshipbrought woodland plants into rockgardening's ambit. It could be saidthat, being primarily desert plants,cacti represent an unwelcome intrusioninto the rainy greenery of the213

average garden concept, and thatminiature roses, being products ofhybridization, are artificial plants havingno place in what is essentially awildflower garden, regardless of theclimatic zone it represents. Well, whosays so? Every book I know on thesubject implicitly (at least) admits that"alpine" is a term used not as anadjective, meaning in precise termsplants come from high mountainmeadows in the Alps, but as a noun,referring to plants "suitable for therock garden." "Suitable," here, cansafely be interpreted as meaning "of acertain height or character."So you can have cacti—and miniatureroses if it's absolutely necessary—in a rock garden, after all. You caneven have bananas, if you want—thedwarf kind, to be sure. The purist willstand his/her ground and still insistthat these are inappropriate criteria."Let's admit nothing but plants undersix inches," the suggestion might go,deriving this rule from the truth thatall "high alpines" are indeed small—but this then excludes all woodlandplants, many being small but nonebeing "high alpines," but admitsmany cacti and even a few miniatureroses. This definition could be carriedfurther: only plants from certain geographicalareas, only plants whichbloom in spring, only plants havingorange flowers with purple stripes,only plants whose names have the letter"b" in them, and so on.I have at hand a very interestingdocument: a computer printout of thenumber of first choice requests forseed from the 1992-1993 ARGS seedexchange. More than a collection of"rules" determining what should orshouldn't be grown in rock gardens,this printout shows what it is thatARGS members want in the way ofplants for their gardens. Of the first 50most-requested plants on the list, halfare woodland plants. Not "highalpines," but woodland plants. To besure, there are no cacti or miniatureroses. Of the first 25 entries, five arespecies of Arisaema. In fact A.sikokianum and A. backii were the toptwo most-requested seeds; six times asmany requests for these as for a classichigh alpine like Androsace vandelii.Shortia, another genus currently infashion, is represented by five speciestotalling 369 requests. There are alsoTrillium nivale, Anemonella thalictroides,and so forth, interspersed, of course,by the usual classic choices such asCampanula zoysii, Aquilegia jonesii, variousforms of Lewisia tweedyi, and theperennial favorite (if not perennial inthe garden) Eritrichium nanum. A cynic(although there are surely noneamong rock gardeners) might pointout that aroids are in fashion, and thatten years from now cacti or miniatureroses might head the list, givenenough exposure. Maybe everyonehas the Androsace, and it's now becomingpasse. This printout, more than anytextbook on rock gardening or anyrules of appropriate plant choiceshanded down in secret through generations,tells us what rock gardenersthink should be in their gardens. Allthese plants are desirable, all are beautiful.Rock gardeners want their gardens,whether they are woodland gardens,high alpine gardens, cactus gardens,or miniature rose gardens, to befilled with beauty and interest. Whenselecting plants appropriate for a rockgarden, that's all you need to know.Bob Nold gardens in Lakewood,Colorado, specializing in dryland rockplants, but sampling all—well, almostall.214 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

SeedExchange1994Seed listings will be accepted only until November 1,1994. Laterripening seed will be accepted only if an alphabetical listing has beenreceived before that date. Overseas members—please mail beforeOctober 15th.Any amount of seed is appreciated. Less than 5 seeds will not be listed.To receive donor privileges (10 bonus packets) send a minimum of5 different kinds of seed suitable for the rock garden.Send clean dry seed as early as possible. We appreciate several mailingsas the seed ripens. You will be issued a 1994 donor number withyour first submission. Please include this number with subsequentmailings.Use paper envelopes no larger than 2" x 4". Use separate envelopes foreach kind of seed. One small envelope is usually sufficient, except forsuch large and frequently requested items as Arisaema sikokianum, AA.backii, candidissimum, purpureogaleatum, Glaucidium palmatum or Trillium215

Trillium simile. Besides the preceding, the following smaller items arealways in short supply: Campanula zoysii, Aquilegia jonesii, Eritrichiumnanum, Dicentra peregrina, Lewisia tweedyi, Campanula piperi, Shortia soldanelloides,Shortia galacifolia, Paraquilegia spp., Jeffersonia dubia, Phloxhoodii and Dionysia involucrata.5. Mark, legibly, each envelope with the botanical name printed inblock letters. If collected in the wild, state the location.6. On the Seed Donation Form provided (as an insert in this issue of theBulletin) list the botanical name in alphabetical order, followed by: theclass, Annual, Biennial, Bulb, Fern, Shrub, Tree; the approximateheight, including flower, in inches; the flower color, red, blue, bi-color,mixed, etc.; the location if collected in the wild; the reference book orFlora z/this is a new listing for the seed exchange. Be sure to fill out thedonor name and address.7. Group envelopes alphabetically. Check that seed envelopes sentmatch the list. Secure the envelopes with a rubber band and enclose in apadded mailing envelope with the Seed Donation Form. Be sure yourname and address are clearly written on the outside of the mailingenvelope. Ask the postmaster to hand cancel the envelope.8. All members of NARGS will receive a seed list. When you receive thelist, please return your order promptly.Mail seed early to:Elisabeth Harmon, Director1994 NARGS Seed Exchange75 Middlebury RoadWatertown CT 06795, USA216 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

AwardsAward of MeritGiven to persons of demonstrated plantsmanship who have made outstandingcontributions to rock and alpine gardening and to NARGS.Barry, YingerWe are very proud, as members of theWatnong Chapter of the North AmericanRock Garden Society, to be able toannounce that Barry Yinger has receivedthe Award of Merit. He has indeed madeoutstanding contributions to rock andalpine gardening and to the NARGS andis unquestionably a person of demonstratedplantsmanship.His career interests were set from anearly age, when he graduated with highhonors earning an interdisciplinary degreein botany, horticulture, and Asian languages.He served a term as Curator ofAsian Collections at the US NationalArboretum, where he designed and developed Asian Valley and led the first ofmany plant expeditions to Korea. Since then, he has organized and carried outmore than 30 explorations to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and England. His ability tospeak Japanese and Korean has been an important asset.From 1988 until recently, he has been Director of Horticulture for theSomerset County Parks, in charge of ornamental horticulture for a 6,000-acrepark system. A primary focus of interest was the Leonard J. Buck garden, 33acres of alpine and woodland gardens. Here he improved the plantings andincreased the educational value of this beautiful landscape, by careful labeling ofplants and by issuing weekly lists of what to look for in the garden as the bloomseason progressed.His contagious enthusiasm, his can-do attitude, and his really extraordinaryknowledge of plant material have been major influences on gardeners in ourarea. Membership in the Watnong Chapter greatly increased, and he frequentlyattracted outstanding speakers and programs. His Obsession Weekend, the 1993Eastern Winter Study Weekend he organized as chapter chair, was a sell-out andgenuinely enjoyed by many people. His personal obsession is asarums, and hecertainly seems to know all there is to know about this genus.217

Barry has introduced many new plants into this country and several havebeen named for him, e.g., Hosta yingeri. Some of the best nursery catalogs mentionhim as the source of special offerings. He is always willing to share a cuttingor rooted plant of something unusual.He has presented programs to many groups, including the NARGS, theInternational Plant Propagators' Society, the New York Botanical Garden, thePerennial Plant Association, Longwood Gardens, the Missouri Botanical Garden,and garden clubs too numerous to mention. In addition, he has published articlesin Arnoldia, Plants and Gardens, the American Conifer Society Bulletin, theBulletin of the American Rock Garden Society, and many other journals. Barry maintainsan active membership in many horticultural organizations, including theInternational Dendrology Society and the Hortus Club of New York.Late last year, Barry moved back to his family farm in Pennsylvania, where hetends a significant garden. He is an advisor on new plants in the nursery industryand continues to serve as consultant to several organizations.Barry has been honored by the Japanese government for service to theJapanese nursery industry, and it is fitting that we be able to honor him here inNorth America.—Jeanne T. WillEv WhittemoreEvelyn (Ev) Whittemore has been an activemember and has ably served the NorthAmerican Rock Garden Society at nationaland chapter levels for a number of years.Her term as National Board Director continuesthrough 1995. She directed theARGS Seed Exchange for several years andunder her direction the seed list came outbefore Christmas. She has contributed articlesto the Bulletin of the American RockGarden Society, as well as to chapternewsletters. Her interest in alpine and rockgarden plants may be expressed as "At thedrop of a hat, Ev will travel from coast tocoast to find a rare or unusual plant." Shefinds rocks, too!Her garden friends are national and international, and she stays in touchthrough correspondence and seed and plant exchange. On many occasions shehas hosted gardening friends from here and abroad.Before moving south to North Carolina about ten years ago, Ev was a memberof the New England and the Connecticut Chapters of the NARGS. In June 1986she was instrumental in chartering the Southern Appalachian Chapter, and,largely through her efforts, the chapter has grown and prospered. She and herhusband Bruce opened their home, gardens, and hearts for the chapter meetingplace. Ev was elected our first Chairman, and during the past five years she has218 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

given many programs: slides, workshops on trough making, seeds, seedlings,plants and plantings, and the basics for making a rock garden. She always provideschoice plants from her gardens for our plant sales.Ev and Bruce live in Penrose, North Carolina; their place is called FortCourage. It is a natural beauty spot crossed by a flowing stream with a waterfall.Several years ago Ev cleared the vegetation from her mountain side and hauledin tons of rock, gravel, soil, and mulch, creating a rock garden, and adding morewater features. Fort Courage is unique and interesting; it is a show place forgrowing and displaying rock garden and alpine plants. Ev's plantsmanship isamazing. Fort Courage has been created with toil, sweat, back-breaking work,and perseverance.Ev abounds with energy, enthusiasm, and strength. She shares it, too! Shecooperates with local garden clubs and other groups for educational purposesand tours of her gardens.Ev was instigator, motivator, planner, and mover for the 1994 NARGSAnnual meeting, Appalachian Spring. In spite of some early skepticism and negativecomments about the chapter's "youthful age and inexperience," Ev forgedahead, and the meeting was a huge success.—Jude GreggMarvin Black AwardGiven to a member of NARGS who promotes membership in NARGS andorganizes meetings. Emphasis is placed on members who have helped otherpeople to reach their potential in the plant world.Eleanor Brinkerhof SpingarnThe 1994 Marvin Black Award is presented to Eleanor Spingarn ofGeorgetown, Connecticut.Ellie was one of the organizers of thefirst Eastern Study Weekend, held inAtlantic City, New Jersey, in 1969.Subsequently, she was the guiding forcein the organization of Eastern StudyWeekends held in Connecticut in 1974and 1981 and served as general chairmanfor the 1994 Eastern Study Weekend inStamford, Connecticut. She was alsoinvolved in the planning and organizationof the 1978 Annual Meeting, held inStamford, Connecticut.In addition to the above activities, Elliewas responsible for organizing theConnecticut members, initially as a districtwithin the North Atlantic Regionand, after a change in the bylaws, as theAwards 219

Connecticut Chapter. In the early days of the chapter, she initiated annualseedling sales for the purpose of making choice plants available to all membersat modest prices. For the first several years, these sales were held at Ellie's homein Georgetown, and many of the plants were provided from her very successfulpropagating benches.For many years Ellie has been an inspiration, not only to members of theConnecticut Chapter, but to members of surrounding chapters as well. She isrichly deserving of this award.—Richard RedfieldMarcel LePiniec AwardGiven to a nursery-person, propagator, hybridizer, or plant explorer currentlyactively engaged in extending and enriching plant material available to rockgardeners.Panayoti KelaidisPanayoti Kelaidis has brought excite- |ment, high expectations, new ideas, andnew plants to Colorado gardens. Privategardeners, nursery people, landscapearchitects, and individuals who wish tobuild Western-style gardens are constantlyrequesting his counsel. With Panayoti'shelp, the rest of the world is beginning torealize that the joys of gardening inColorado have been a well-kept secret.Panayoti has also made outstandingnational and international contributionsto gardening. Few individuals have evergrown so many diverse plants so well orshared them more widely.Panayoti is an acknowledged authorityon the cultivation of alpines, with a similarlywide knowledge of native herbaceousand woody plants, as well as those from temperate climates from easternand southern regions of the world. He is an avid reader and scholar, researchingthe latest floras and systematic treatments to discover new species of possibleinterest to rock gardeners. His enthusiasm for the unattempted, the unknownand the exotic never flags or wanes.Nor is he content merely to grow thousands of kinds of plants, artistically displayed.As much as a collector of endless appetite, Panayoti is a dedicated seedsman.He can spot a novel species of Eriogonum in seed on a roadcut while driving60 miles an hour on a blazing-hot afternoon when his travelling companionsare wiltingly longing for the comforts of camp. He's never too tired to collectthat smidgen of seed from his garden after a long day's work. And for years220 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

Faiferlik garden

Campanula alpina (p. 166)Joann KnappAnemone narcissiflora (p. 166) Bob Means Doronicum styriacea (p. 166) Joann Knapp222 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

224 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

he has enlisted the enthusiastic help of his volunteers at DBG in collecting hundredsof kinds of seed for distribution to other botanic gardens, nurserymen,and interested growers. He has been a driving force in Rocky Mountain RarePlants, his wife's commercial seedlist, which has led the way in offering seed ofWestern American natives not before distributed commercially.Among plants now common in cultivation because of Panayoti'sefforts are Delosperma nubigenum, D. cooperi, Veronica Hwanensis, andPenstemon 'Claude Barr'.Yet Panayoti is not a taciturn mountain man or a reclusive scholar but rather acharismatic and active participant in a wide range of horticultural organizations,continually sharing his knowledge and discoveries with others. He has lecturedlocally, nationally and worldwide: at the Royal Horticultural Society, theInternational Rock Garden Plant Conference, the National Meetings of the NorthAmerican Rock Garden Society, the Perennial Plant Association, and theWestern Region of the American Conifer Society. He has been active in thesegroups at both national and local levels. He has spoken at conferences inCanada, the United Kingdom, and Sweden.As curator of the Denver Botanic Gardens' Rock Alpine Garden, Panayoti hascollected, planted, observed, and continuously learned about how plants growand can be grown in many different microclimates. He estimates that he hasgrown as many as 10,000 kinds of plants in this garden, often growing a dozenor two individuals of a new accession at a time, testing them in the many ecologicaland edaphic situations of the Rock Alpine Garden.The knowledge and experience Panayoti has acquired in all his plant adventureshas been shared with a wide national audience, through his writingsdirected both at specialists and general audiences. Some of the intriguing titlesincluded in his list of publications are: "The Chihuahuan Phloxes," "TheTethyan Garden," "Prickly Charmers," and "Spontaneity on the Rocks."Bob Nold, a sophisticated collector of specialized plants, credits Panayoti withmaking it possible to have more plants than he could have dreamed of in his life.He writes, "A luminous sky-blue Aquilegia scopulorum, choice townsendias,Western micro-phloxes, penstemons, cacti, dwarf parsley, Astragalus, Turkishsalvias and androsaces, acantholimons, fuzzy and spiny things from theMediterranean, mesembryanthemums—the range of plants is astonishing, thediscrimination impeccable. Collectors of eriogonums will find their gardens infinitelyenriched thanks to Panayoti's enthusiasm—I must have half a dozen varietiesand forms of Eriogonum ovalifolium alone in my garden. The flora of centralAsia now finds regular representation in our gardens, thanks to his re-thinkingof the relationship of garden climates to plant choices. His recent expedition toSouth Africa may well prove to be the event that makes Panayoti's name holy torock gardeners for generations to come."Panayoti has received three major awards from the North American RockGarden Society, the Award of Merit, the Edgar T. Wherry Award and now theLePiniec Award. Line Foster is the only other person to have received all of theseawards. Congratulations, Panayoti.—Sandy SnyderAwards 225

Edgar T. Wherry AwardGiven to a person who has made an outstanding contribution in the disseminationof botanical and/or horticultural information about native NorthAmerican plants.Noel HolmgrenIt is with great pleasure and absolute certaintythat I state that the description of aWherry Award recipient is the perfectdescription of Dr. Noel Holmgren. No onewho knows him or his extensive body ofwork can doubt that his noteworthy contributionshave increased our knowledge ofNorth American native plants. His writingson the Western flora are not only of highstanding in the scientific community but arerelevant and useful to the ardent amateurnaturalist and gardener as well.Dr. Holmgren's field experience is extensiveand far-ranging, well beyond the bordersof this country, to South America andAsia. His professional positions have culminatedin his present ones as Curator of theHerbarium of the New York BotanicalGarden and Editor-in-Chief of its scientific journal, Brittonia. But it is from hisnumerous publications that the members of our Society have most benefited. Wehave learned much from his descriptions of new species and his clarifications andtaxonomic revisions, notably of Castilleja and (the current NARGS favorite)Penstetnon. More directly, his generosity with his knowledge and his time haveserved those chapters that have invited him to lecture. But his most valuable contributionshave been his work in the Flora of the Great Plains and, especially, the severalvolumes of the Intermountain Flora. As we are finally learning to value our own westernAmerican flora, his publications guide us and often ride with us as we explorethe back roads of the West. They assume an added significance for us as preparationsare made for the 1996 Annual Meeting in Utah.—Joyce Fingerut[Editor's Note: A new volume of Intermountain Flora has just been published, this onecovering the Asteraceae of the Intermountain Region. It is available from the NewYork Botanical Garden for approximately $75. Write Sandi Frank, NYBG, Bronx, NY10458-5126.]226 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

Plant PortraitAnemonecarolinianaThe first time I saw Anemone caroliniana (photo, p. 224) was in MinnesotaChapter member Ed Burckhardt's garden. It was the end of April and a beautiful,sunny day. The bright blue of that wonderful patch of prairie anemone wasa sight I will not soon forget. The blooms on 2-4" stems were so abundant thatyou couldn't see the tiny, wine-green leaves nestled close to the ground. Theinch-and-a-half wide flowers with their clusters of bright yellow stamens werethe stars of his garden that day as they swayed in the spring breeze.Anemone caroliniana was a favorite of Claude Barr's, a self-trained botanistand rancher from the Black Hills of South Dakota. He spent much of his lifelearning about and growing the wildflowers of the Great Plains. In his book,Jewels of the Plains, he says this plant grows on its favorite rich loam untouchedby the plow. The competitor-protectors of this anemone are low forage plants,mainly buffalo grass, blue grama, and some small sedges. The sparse turf preventsserious erosion during rains, which can be heavy at times.Anemone caroliniana is by no means growing everywhere on the plains. It doesnot grow on low, wet ground. It grows in colonies rather than as single plants.Most flowers are white, but there are plants that bear blooms of a magnetic sapphireblue. Others are various lighter tones of blue, some with a white eye;rarest are the few pink flowers."Flowers of eight to twenty sepals in a daisy pattern, 4" or so above ground,develop from a small tuber or rhizome an inch or two down. This half-inch orshorter, delicate structure is the vital part of the plant; in the dormant period,from seed ripening until fall, all other parts, including roots, are absent. Duringlush spring growth, thick, short stolons are sent out horizontally from the rhizome,each to form a new rhizome at its tip, thus slowly developing a colony.Leaves return with fall moisture to remain all winter; healthy leaves ensuregood flowering. Anemone caroliniana is surely one of the world's prime treasures."—Claude A. BarrMy dear friend Ed entrusted me with a location of this treasure, and I gavemy word to keep it safe—and I keep my word. It was exciting to look forAnemone caroliniana that fall with Ed: I was almost run over by a train and knelton a cactus. Of course, we did not find it, because the rains had not returned thetubers to growth. Even when leaves are present, they are so tiny and very difficultto see.In spring of 1993 I went back to take pictures, only to be rained out andscared by huge rain storms and tornadoes—the road became impassable under awildly flowing creek that even a cow would be afraid to set foot in, and I had toleave in a different direction.The next morning was sunny, but there was a stiff breeze. I set off anyhow,227

hoping to get some pictures. The wind was blowing so hard, the flowers werelying on the ground, and I thought all the hair had blown off my head. To top itoff I kept hearing this roaring that terrified me because I thought it might beanother tornado. Finally, I figured out it was jet airplanes taking off from an airport—notto worry! So I vowed to return later to collect seed, and I did. Anemonecaroliniana listed in the 1993 ARGS seedlist was collected on that prairie, as wellas listed in seedlists of other societies of which I am a member.I have noticed that the small tubers of this plant are sometimes washed out ofsteep areas in the garden, so I am careful to keep good cover over them in theform of turf or a fine gravel mulch. Some growers have lost this anemone in theirgardens after it slowly dwindles away. They thought that perhaps it didn't likelimestone, but Barr wrote of finding the plant near limestone bluffs in nature, sothat can't be the problem. I think rather that it is a matter of planting them in toolean a soil, too narrow a crevice, or of allowing other plants to grow over themand crowd them out.-Karen SchellingerThe Genus Arum, by Peter Boyce. 1993. The Royal Botanic Garden:Kew. ISBN 011-250085-4My sister lives in Israel. A number of years ago, she wrote that she was surprisedto see lack-in-the-pulpits growing there. What she had mistaken forArisaema triphyllum of our childhood days in Connecticut was some species ofarum, also a member of the family Araceae.Those of us who are bemused by aroids and their bizarre flowers will welcomethe publication of Peter Boyce's book, The Genus Arum, published byHMSO Books in association with the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew. It has the substantial,horticulturally sound appearance one expects of such an institution. Thecolor plates are elegant—suitable for framing—and the black-and-white illustrationsof botanical details are of great assistance in distinguishing between the 25different arum species. Of the maps, the less said the better. Perhaps a box of coloredpencils should be included to allow purchasers to fill in the bare outlines.The text is informative and scholarly without needlessly dry pedantry, evenquite lively at times (how else to characterize a description of the inflorescence ofArum italicum as "smelling strongly of stale urine or occasionally reminiscent ofpineapple and citrus."?). The nomenclature includes an extensive list of synonymsto encompass taxonomic revisions; particulars of each species and subspeciesare clearly given, with anatomy lucidly described. Pollination, germination,and cultivation, both outdoors for hardy species and indoors under glassfor the tender ones, are also covered.228 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

For both botanists and gardeners, this book will be a welcome, handsomeaddition to the library of those interested in this genus.Judy GlattsteinErrataVol. 52(2): pp. 97,124 . Photos attributed to Michael Slater were taken by JaneGrushow. The editor apologizes.Vol. 52(2): p. 120. Captions are reversed for top right and bottom right photos.Vol. 52(2): Inside of back cover: The wrong address was given for ElisabethHarmon. The correct address is 75 Middlebury Road, Watertown, CT 06795.All the stylized drawings of troughs in this issue (p. 208, 209) and the last issuewere drawn by Dick Bartlett.m\ North AmericanRock GardenSocietyJoin Today!Benefits of Membership Include:Beautiful, Colorful Quarterly Bulletin; Seed Exchange offeringThousands of Species of Seed at Low Prices; Spectacular NationalMeetings; Meet Fellow GardenersSend $25 to:Jacques Mommens, Executive Secretary,PO Box 67, Millwood, New York 10546.J& JP O BOX 10, 789 61 BLUDOVCZECH REPUBLICSeeds of rare wild plants collectedin Russia, Siberia, Sachalin,Manchuria,Central Asia.Please write for catalogue,enclose US 2 in bills, (not a check)THE CUMMINS GARDENDWARF RHODODENDRONSDECIDUOUS AZALEASDWARF EVERGREENSCOMPANION PLANTSYes, We Ship!Catalog $2.00(Refundable With Order)Phone (908) 536-259122 Robertsville Road Marlboro, NJ 07746229 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3 229

ORDER NOW!!at the special pre-publication price of $19.95!A Gardener Obsessed -*~>Observations, Reflections, and Advice for other Dedicated GardenersBY GEOFFREY B. CHARLESWORTHDAVID R. GODINE, PUBLISHER is pleased to offer A Gardener Obsessed 1 at a. prepublicationprice of $19.95 (a 20% discount off the retail price of $24.9 5). This offerwill expire in August (September for overseas members,) when A Gardenerbecomes available in bookstores.ObsessedGEOFFREY CHARLESWORTH knows his plants and how they grow, whatever theclimate or season. He is one of that exotic breed whose consummate gardening skillsare matched by his talents as a writer, and whose wide-ranging knowledge informshis essays with remarkable vitality and breadth. Although the focus in A GardenerObsessed remains rock gardening, he also presents his thoughts on a variety ofpersonal and philosophical issues, from envy and patience, to old age, to why someplants die and others live. This book is sure to become a classic reference for themany who share Charlesworth's wonderful obsession with gardening.Praise for Charlesworth's The Opinionated Gardener (Godine, 1988),essays about growing and maintaining an Alpine rock garden:"a glorious mix of sophisticated how-to information anddispassionate, occasionally hilarious observation...pure pleasure." —The New York TimesGeoffrey B. Charlesworth, a retired professor of mathematics, received the 1987Award of Merit from the North American Rock Garden Society (NARGS) and itsCarlton Worth Award for "distinguished writing."A Gardener Obsessed, 256 PAGES, HARDCOVER, ILLUSTRATIONS, 16 PAGES COLOR PHOTOGRAPHSTo order by check, Visa or Mastercard call (800) 344-4771, or fax us at (800)226-0934. Please add $4.50 shipping and handling to all orders. To pay by mailsend your order to: DAVID R. GODINE, PUBLISHER, Horticultural Hall,300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. (617) 536-0761230 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

CHEHALIS RARE PLANT NURSERY2568 Jackson Hwy., Chehalis, WA 98532Herb Dickson, Prop.After 30 years of selecting and breeding,I have developed an improved strain ofGarden Auricula with a complete palett ofcolor.Hypertufa TroughsHandcrafted with the lookof weathered stoneMail Order U.S. OnlyFor Further InformationSend SASEKAREN HARRIS200 East Genesee St.Fayetteville, NY 13066Garden Auricula - 75 seeds per packetMixed Brown YellowRed Blue PicoteeWhitePetite HybridsExhibition Alpine - 75 seedsHand pollinated Double Auricula15 seedsHand pollinated Show Auricula20 seedsRed Self. Yellow Self - Green EdgePrimula Florindae - 150 seeds or moreMixed Candelabra - 200 seeds or moreAll packets $2.00 each50 cents postage & handling in U.S. & CanadaOther foreign orders $1 00 postage & handlingWashington residents add 7 5% sales taxMINIMUM ORDERS 3 packets^^NEWFOUNDLANDWAII< THROuqln AlpiNE MEACJOWS, hilcE TIHE EERIE,AUEN IANCJSCAPE CAIIECJ TIHE TAblElANds.SEEWHAIES, MOOSE, CARibou;CjANNET & puffiN ColoNiES;Tk fjoRds of CROS MORINE.STAY AT IOCAI\msTltEADLlGHTLYLIMITED*World Travel lo F.nrich Your Mindand Awaken Your SensesWEEkly DEPARTURES July & AuqusT FROM $650 U.S.CUSTOM, fAMil/'pRicEd miMERARiEs AVAibvblE.CAII FOR INFORMATION: 800-645 006020*-868'1710v WAshiNqTON DEPOT, CT 06794 JNATURE'S GARDENWOODLAND AND ROCK GARDEN PERENNIALSINCL. PRIMULAS GENTIANA &EDELWEISSWRITE FOR PLANT LISTPLEASE SEND FIRST CLASS STAMP40611 HWY 226Scio, OREGON 97374LUROSEEDSUnusual and rare seeds of alpine and bulbousplants from various areas of the world such as:lien-Shan, Africa, Spain, the Alps, etc.Someselected garden seeds are also available. Pleasesend$2.00 (in bills only) for our descriptiveOctober catalog to:Mojmir PavelkoP.O. Box 95 .74101 Novy JicinCzech Republic231

J^SKIYOLT* RARE PIXANTJVURSERY"An ever growing collection of over 1,000 varieties ofAlpines^Ferns, Dwarf Conifers, Northwest Natives (as Lewisia cotyledon,pictured), and other hardy plants for the Woodland and Rock Garden. Forour Annual Mail Order Catalog and Fall Supplement send $2.00 refundable.Dept 1, 2825 Cummings Road, Medford, Oregon 97501Visitors Welcome by Appointment - Phone (503) 772-6846SHIPPING TO U.S. and CANADA ONLYPERENNIALS, WILD FLOWERS,ROCK GARDEN PLANTS,CONIFERS, FLOWERING SHRUBSover 1,000 varieties available at our nurserySam BridgeNursery N' Greenhouses437 North Street, Greenwich, Conn. 06830(203) 869-3418SORRY,NO SHIPPING^Books - rare, old, out of printon rock and general gardening, landscaping,flowers, pomology, botany,vegetables, and related subjects.Catalogue available.Calendula Rare Boob Box 930/KPicton, Ontario K0K2T0 CanadaA DistinguishedCollectionOver 1500 hard to findand useful varietiesROSLYNNURSERY,

Rocky Mountain GardenerThe only magazine exclusively for gardenersin the Rocky Mountain States, Tahoma NurseryAlpines for the EnthusiastRick Lupp (206) 847-9827Alpines, Washington StateNatives, Species Primulas, Troughsand Trough PlantsDwarf ShrubsWe cover topics such as growing wildflowers,cold hardy cactus, alkaline soils,tree and shrub varieties, low water landscaping,short season gardening, environmentalissues, composting, visitinggardens, tips from expertsand more!For a one year subscription (4 seasonal issues)send $12. Two years - $20.Samples available for $4. Send payment to:RMG, PO Box 1230,Gunnison, CO 81230.Nursery open weekends and byappointmentSend $1.00 For List28111-112th Avenue E., Graham,Washington 98338THE PRIMROSE PATHR.D. 2 Box 110 Scottdale, PA 15683Choice and unusual perennials, alpines, woodland plants, all nursery-propagated.Specializing in new hybrids and selections from our breeding program, speciesPrimulas and Phlox, native wildflowers, western plants adaptable to the East.Mail-order Catalog $1.50 (412) 887-6756Primula verisSCOTTISH ROCK GARDEN CLUB1933 -1993invites you to join nearly 4500 members who receive:"THE ROCK GARDEN" -our twice yearly journal, illustrated in colour, devoted toplants and dwarf bulbs suitable for the rock garden, peat garden and alpine houseThe ANNUAL SEED LIST with over 4000 species of plants and bulbsOur TWICE YEARLY BOOKLISTFor Details of membership contact The SRGC Membership Secretary,Mrs. J. Thomlinson, 1, Hillcrest Rd., Bearsden, Glasgow G61 2EBSubscription: Ordinary Members £9 Sterling, £10 if paying by Giro, or $20US. FamilyMembers £3.50 or $7US for each additional person. Junior Members (under 18 yrs)£3.50 or $7US. Includes participation in the SEED EXCHANGE and DISTRIBUTION.233

uCOf^mFor over 20 yearswe have specialized indwarf Rhododendrons,Azaleas and dwarf conifers.We also have one ofNew England's largestselectionsof rare specialtyAlpines,perfect for thetrough or rockgarden.Free 120-pagecatalog when youvisit us.To send for catalog,include $3.00towNURSERIES, INCSa^-t^ff-aâ1159 Bronson Road, Fairfield, CT. 06430(203) 259-5609 (Sorry we do not mail order.)American Penstemon SocietyLearn all about the largestgenus of flowering plantsendemic to North America.Bulletins twice a year, seedexchange, round robin correspondence,and yearly meets*Tîngs. Join us by sending $10to Ann Bartlett, 1569 South HollandCourt, Lakewood, Colorado 80232./* H r { T Hardy CamelliaM^J 1 ( V J.>^V Dwarf Conifers_ _^ ... Rare Asian TreesGwiELUA and ShrubsvT FOREST Catalog: $1.00N U R S E R y125 Carolina Forest RoadChapel Hill. N.C. 27516Rare wild collected seeds fromSiberia, Crete, European Alps,and selected garden seeds.Send U.S. $2, in bills only,for October Catalogue.V. Jane, PO Box 1789 61 BLUDOVCzech RepublikWildflowers of theSouthern AppalachiansChoice, hardy, reliable, showy.FROM OUR NURSERY TO YOUR GARDENbe it woodland, rock, moist or dry.Send $3 for 2-yr. subscr. to illustrated descriptivecatalog of wildflowers, hardy ferns and perennialsSunlight Gardens174-R5 Golden LaneAndersonville, Tenn. 37705Nurseryinc.P.O.Box 693 Truro MA 02666Garden Shop on Depot Rd.New England grown HeatherWe grow the hardy cuttivars ofCalluna and Erica in 4", 5 1/2"and 1 gallon pots. Excellentavailability of cuttivars selectedfor their unique foliage andflower color. Visit our gardenshop April-OctWe ship UPS theyear-round! Wholesale-RetailColor catalog loaded with allthe information you will need inselecting plants for your gardenonly $1.00. (508)349-6769234 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

BOX - 7470800-OSTRAVA-8CZECHREPUBLIC-PGR THIS YEAR WE OFFER YOU-SUMMER-1.EXTENSIVE OFFERof Bulbs Native in Turkey,Greece.Russian Middle Asiaand all Caucas.AUTOMN-2.Seeds of Alpine pi.from Turkey,Pyrenai mts.Kirgizia,NW China,Yugoslav.3.Super selection of PLEIONEOrchids-species and hybrids,4.Seeds of very Easy-to-growAlpine spec.from cultivation.5.Super Bid of Succulentiseeds from exped.to S.Africa.-HIGHQUALITY and LOW PRICES-Send US % 2.inbills for Catalogand postage,please .yJt s&ipafonps?anywn&w...fiaxdv fwti&s * fLoatdarsfor aiOxmr co(or inifugarden,yQaths SO-katfUrd®o% 650, CCma.'vJa. 9854-1(206,) 482-3255SEND S.A.S.E. FOR FREE LIST.NURSERY VISITORS WELCOME!THE COMPLEATGARDENCLEMATISNURSERYMAIL ORDER CLEMATISUnusual and Hard-To-Find VarietiesSmall and Large FloweredWideInPotsSelection1994 Descriptive Listing $1.50217 Argilla RoadIpswich, MA 01938-2614EXCITING PLANTSFROM AROUNDTHE WORLDTREES, SHRUBS^0%Mir CATALOGPERENNIALS,^// \ \ W $ 2 00I V I N E S^TAI WrIt(206) 574-3832^COLLECTOR'S NURSERY16804 NE 102nd Ave.Battleground, WA 98604ALL PLANTS NURSERY PROPAGATEDHomeplace GardenExceptional List of Rhododendrons,includes Dwarf Species and Hybrids,Azaleas, Dwarf Conifers, Maples,and Choice NativesWrite for Catalog, $2Rt. 1 PO Box 300Commerce, GA 30529Phone (706) 335-2892235

WE-DU NURSERIESA SPECIALTY NURSERY WITH AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION, FEATURING:American and Asiatic wildflowers; unusual perennials; rockery plants;species i r i s and daylilies; ferns and fern relatives; hardy and tenderbulbs. All nursery propagated.Catalogue (over 650 items) $2.00, refundable with f i r s t order. Sorry,no shipments to CA, AZ, or HI.We enjoy having visitors; please call ahead for directions and hours.RTE. 5, BOX 724, MARION, NC 28752-9338 TEL. (704) 738-8300Colorado ftfyvnes, IncGrown at 8,000' in the Rockies,our plants are hard and hardyMarty and Sandy JonesPlants shipped in 2-1/4' pots to help insure healthy arrival and transplantShipped regular or blue label U.P.S. Send $2 ($5 for overseas) for catalog.P.O. BOX 2708(303) 949-6464 AVON, CO 81620"IOVCREEKN~/IMVJRSER • \Unique and UnusualPlants1000 Hardy Perennials IncludingPenstemons, Dianthus, Salvias andNorthwest NativesCatalogue: $2.00 - Refundable With Purchase20300 N.W. Watson Road, Bin 1- Scappoose, OR 97056WESTERNWILDFLOWERSover 1000 varieties, nursery propagated plantsWILDFLOWERS, PERENNIALS, WESTERN SHRUBS & TREESfor free catalog, WRITE OR VISITAGUA FRIA NURSERY1409 AGUA FRIA ST. DEPT. ARG, SANTA FE, NM 87501236 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

PETITE ALPINES LOW-GROWING PERENNIALSSELECTED SHADE-DWELLING PLANTSSome choices are: Alliiini cyaueuui, Arabis audrosacea, Dryas octopetala 'Minor',Gypsopbila uaiia, Hyloiuecou japouicuiu, Iris gracilipes, Primula modesta alba,Seduui sieboldii, Solidago cutleri, Tiarella wherryi, and a variety of other favorites.WOODLAND ROCKERY6210 KLAM ROADOTTER LAKE, MI 48464• Mall order catalog $1.00 Shipping within USA only All plants nursery propagatedWOODLANDERSNURSERY GROWN TREES, SHRUBS,PERENNIALS,SOUTHERN NATIVES & EXOTICSPlease send $2.00 for mail-order list or$3.50 to include Descriptive Catalog #2.WOODLANDERS, DEPT. RG1128 COLLETON AVENUEAIKEN, SC 29801PacificHorticulturea magazine aboutplants and gardens of the westillustrated color quarterlyannually, in US currency: US $15;Canada & Mexico $18; overseas $20write to:Circulation DepartmentPO Box 680, Berkeley, CA 94701LEWISIA22 species and hybrids—wide variety of flower colorsinternational orders accepted—retail, wholesaleSend $2 or SASE to:Rare Plant Research 13245 SE HaroldPortland, OR 97236 USA FAX (503) 762-0289SEED GERMINATIONTHEORY AND PRACTICEBy Norman C. DenoThe only book you need on seed germination. Extensive dataon 146 families. 803 genera, and over 2000 sped83.Optimum condition* for germination are given for nearlyevery species studied. Extensive data on the effects ofgibberelic add on seed germination. Extensive discussionof the theory and principles governing seed germination.The second edition is priced at $20 (postpaid by surface mailanywnere in the World).Order from Norman C. Deno. 139 Lenor Drive.State College PA 16801 USAWild Collected and Cultivated Seed of Cushion and Saxatile PlantsSend $1 for November catalog to PO Box 200483, Denver, Coloraao 80220.237

Books—mostly at 80% list priceN-A-R-G-SBOOKSTOREA Manual of Alpine and Rock Garden Plants*, by C. Grey-Wilson $22.00A Utah Flora*, by Welsh $35.00Albums*, by D. Da vies $24.00Alpine Wildflowers, by Strickler $8.00Alpine Wildflowers of the Rocky Mountains*, by J. Duft & R. Moseley $7.00Alpines in the Open Garden*, by Jack Elliott $23.00Alpines*, by W. Ingwersen $45.00Azaleas*—NEW, by Galle $56.00Bitterroot—NEW, by J. DeSanto $10.50Bulbs*, by J. Bryan $90.00Cape Bulbs*—NEW, by Doutt $28.00Colorado Flora—Eastern Slope, by Weber $22.00Colorado Flora—Western Slope, by Weber $22.00Crocus & Colchicum*, by E.A. Bowles $13.00Cuttings from a Rock Garden*, by H. Line Foster & L.L. Foster $23.00Daffodils*, by D. Barnes $18.00Dictionary of Plant Names*, by A. J. Coombes $8.00Field Guide to Alaskan Wildflowers, by E. Pratt $10.50Flora of the Great Plains*, by Great Plains Flora Assoc $50.00Flora of the Pacific Northwest*, by Hitchcock & Cronquist $50.00Flowers of Wyomings Big Horn Mtns & Big Horn Basin, by E. R. Jensen $13.00Gardener's Guide to Growing Hardy Geraniums*—NEW, by Bath & Jones $24.00Gardener's Guide to Growing Hellebores*, by Rice & Strangman $20.00Gardening with Native Wildflowers*, by S.B. James & L.E. Foote $25.00Gentians*, by F. Kohlein $23.00Hardy Heather Species, by Metheny $25.00Hardy Orchids*, by P. Cribbs & C. Bailes $38.00Hillier's Guide to Connoisseur's Plants*, by Toogood & Glover $31.00Hosta*, by Grenfell $30.00Index of Garden Plants*—NEW, by Griffiths $48.00Japonica Magnifica*, by D. Elick & R. Booth $120.00Iris*, by Kohlein $27.00Manual of Cultivated Conifers*, by Krussmann $52.00Manual of Saxifrages*, by D. A. Webb & R.J. Gornall $40.00Manual of Vascular Flora of the Carolinas*, by Bell $24.00Meconopsis*, by J.L.S. Cobb $23.00Miniature Gardens*, by J. Carl, trans. M. Krai $21.00Modern Miniature Daffodil Species & Hybs.*, by J. Wells $26.00Narcissus*, by W. Jefferson-Brown $28.00Orchids of the Western Great Lakes*, by F. Case $26.00Plant Hunting on the Edge of the World, by F. Kingdon-Ward $8.00Plant Propagation Made Easy, by Toogood $13.00Plants of Waterton-Glacier National Park, by Shaw & On $7.00Poppies*—NEW, by Grey-Wilson $26.00Prairie Wildflowers, by Strickler $7.25238 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 52:3

N-A-R-G-SBOOKSTOREPrimula*—NEW, by Richards $40.00Propagation of Alpine Plants and Dwarf Bulbs, by B. Halliwell $20.00Rainbow Bridge, by R. Farrer $8.00Rare and Endangered Plants of Oregon, by Eastman $12.00Rare Plants of Colorado, by Colorado Native Plant Soc $8.25Rock Gardening, by H. Line. Foster $18.00Rocky Mountain Alpines*, by Alpines 86 Int'l Conference $30.00Saxifrages*, by F. Kohlein $25.00The Alpine House*, by R. Rolfe $22.00The Crocus*, by B. Mathew $20.00The Bernard Harkness Seedlist Handbook, 2nd Ed., by Harkness et al $23.00The Dolomites, by R. Farrer $8.00The Genus Cyclamen*, by C. Grey-Wilson $22.00The Genus Hosta*, by W. G. Schmid $48.00The Genus Lewisia*, by B. Mathew $23.00The Genus Pleione*, by P. Cribb & I. Butterfield $25.00The Genus Primula, by J. Halda $32.00The Hosta Book 2nd Ed, by Aden $14.50The Iris of China*, by Waddick & Yu-tang $23.00The Iris*, by Brian Mathew $23.00The Opinionated Gardener*, by G. Charlesworth $14.00The Rock Garden and its Plants*, by G. S. Thomas $26.00Wayside Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest—NEW, by D. Strickler $16.00Wildflowers of North Carolina, by W. S. Justice & C.R. Bell $14.00Wildflowers of SW Utah, by Buchanan $5.50Wildflowers of the Northern Great Plains, by F. R. Vance et.al $13.00Wildflowers of the Western Cascades, by R.A. Ross & H.L. Chambers $15.00Please mail inquiries and orders to:Ernie O'ByrneNorth American Rock Garden Society Bookstore86813 Central Road, Eugene, OR 97402 USAPlease print name and address clearly. Country of origin and postal code must be included.Allow 8-12 weeks for overseas shipment. Orders must be prepaid in US dollars by check on aUS bank or by intl. money order (VISA and MC accepted—include signature, date of exp., andfull acct. #). Add postage and handlingFirst Book, US $3.00Outside US $5.00Each Additional Book $2.50This is a partial listing. For additional titles, see previous bulletins, or write239

Chapter ChairpersonsAdirondackAlleghenyBerkshireCalgary/ AlbertaColumbia-WillametteConnecticutDelaware ValleyEmeraldGatewayGreat LakesHudson ValleyLong IslandManhattanMinnesotaMt. TahomaNew EnglandNewfoundlandNorthwesternOhio ValleyOntarioOttawa ValleyPiedmontPotomac ValleyRocky MountainShastaBill Plummer, 10 Fox Lane East, Painted Post, NY 14870Al Deurbrouck, 6915 Hilldale Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15236Doroyth Clark, Route 1, Box 58, Stamford, NY 12167Sheila Paulsen, 6960 Leaside Dr., SW, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaDon Howse, 41370 SE Thomas Road, Sandy, OR 97055Sally Katkaveck, 82 Ashford Road, Ashford, CT 06278-9609Jane Grushow, 213 Meadow Valley Road, Ephrata, PA 17522Loren Russell, 3420 SW Willamette, Corvallis, OR 97330June Hutson, 10601 Knollside Circle, St. Louis, MO 62123Tony Reznicek, 890 Wickfield Court, Ann Arbor, MI 48105Thomas Stuart, PO Box 517, Croton Falls, NY 10519Shelley Herlich, 43 Greenfield Lane, Commack, NY 11725Fred Knapp, 58 Kaintuck Lane, Locust Valley, NY 11560Lawrence Thomas, 340 E. 74th, #11G, New York, NY 10021Steve Roos, 311 Sunnydale Ln. S.E., Rochester, MN 55904Steven Hootman, 7714 196th St. SW, Edmund, WA 98026Stuart Sotman, 73 Mt. Vernon St., West Roxbury, MA 02132Bodil Larsen, Box 50517, SS#3, St. John's, Newfoundland A1B 4M2Judith Jones, 1911 Fourth Ave. W., Seattleo, WA 98119Barbara Abler, 990 Blind Brook Dr., Worthington, OH 43235Andrew Osyany, Box 146, Shelburne, Ontario, L0N ISO, CanadaLois Addison, 201 Wagon Dr., Box 9015, RR 1 Dunrobin,Ont. KOA 1T0 CanadaNorman Beal, 2324 New Bern Ave., Raleigh, NC 27708Robert Faden, 415 E. Mason Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301Marilyn Raff, 8055 W. Ontario Place, Littleton, CO 80123Barbara Coatney, PO Box 160, Etna, CA 96027Barbara Lane, 2945 Lone Pine Road, Medford, OR 97504SiskiyouSouthern Appalachian Furman (Frank) Strang, 105 Albany Rd., Oak Ridge, TN 37830Watnong Jeanne Will, Rd. 2, Box 119, Chester, NJ 07930Wasatch Bruce Grable, 2166 Wellington, Salt Lake City, UT 84106Western Jana Olson Dobrinsky, 917 Avis Dr., El Cerrito, CA 94530Wisconsin-Illinois Jack Ferreri, 3118 Timber Lane, Verona, WI 53593Bulletin StaffEditor Gwen Kelaidis (303) 322-14101410 Eudora Street, Denver, Colorado 80220Advertising Manager Al Deurbrouck (412) 653-02816915 Hilldale Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15236Proofreading Assistants Barbara and Ted Cochrane, Madison, WisconsinAnne Spiegel, Wappingers Falls, New YorkEditorial AdvisorsGuest ArtistsBernice Petersen, Littleton, ColoradoRochelle Herlich, Commack, New YorkGrazyna Grauer, Columbus, OhioCindy Nelson-NoldJoann KnappWayne KittredgeJaroslav FaiferlikRebecca Day-SkowronPanayoti KelaidisBob MeansSue OlsenDick Bartlett

Officers.PresidentVice PresidentRecording SecretaryTreasurerJames L. Jones (617) 862-950645 Middle Street, Lexington, MA 02173Patricia Bender (206) 364-15614123 NE 186th Street, Seattle, WA 98155Alice Lauber (206) 363-735718922 45th Place NE, Seattle, WA 98155Robert Mills (609) 924-5003150 Prospect Avenue, Princeton, NJ 08540Administrative Director-at-Large Joann Knapp (516) 671-659058 Kaintuck Lane, Locust Valley, NY 11560Immediate Past PresidentPresident EmeritusNorman Singer, North Sandisfield, MassachusettsHarold Epstein, Larchmont, New YorkDirectors of the Boardmi—-19951993— 19961994— 1997Panayoti Kelaidis, Denver, ColoradoMargery Edgren, Woodside, CaliforniaEv Whittemore, Penrose, North CarolinaJoann Knapp, Locust Valley, New YorkBobby Wilder, Raleigh, North CarolinaLawrence Thomas, New York, New YorkBrian Bixley, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaJack Ferreri, Verona WisconsinMicheal Moshier, Seattle, WashingtonManagersExecutive Secretary Jacques Mommens (914) 762-2948PO Box 67, Millwood, NY 10546Seed Exchange Elisabeth Harmon (203) 274-029075 Middlebury Road, Watertown, CT 06795Bookstore Ernest O'Byrne (503) 935-391586813 Central Road, Eugene, OR 97402Archivist Marnie Flook (410) 778-403823746 Lovely Lane, Chestertown, MD 21620Slide Collection William Plummer (607) 962-264010 Fox Lane East, Painted Post, NY 14870LibraryJanet Evans, c/o Pennsylvania Horticultural Society,325 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106You are invited to join the North American Rock Garden Society. Membership includes a subscription to theBulletin and participation in the seed exchange, as well as other benefits. Annual dues: US $25; UK £17; Canada $32.Payment by check on a US bank, International Money Order, VISA, MC, or check in appropriate currency from countrylisted above. General Membership, $25 (domestic or foreign, single or joint); Patron, $75; Life Member, 40-59 yearsold, $500; over 60 years old, $450. Membership inquiries and dues should be sent to Executive Secretary, NARGS, POBox 67, Millwood, NY 10546.Address editorial matters pertaining to the Bulletin to the Editor. Advertising matters should be addressed to theAdvertising Manager, 6915 Hilldale Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15236. The Bulletin is published quarterly by the NorthAmerican Rock Garden Society, a tax-exempt, non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the State ofNew Jersey. Second Class postage is paid in Millwood, New York and additional offices. Postmaster: Send addresschanges to Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society, (ISSN 0003 0864), PO Box 67, Millwood, NY 10546.

Bulletin - Summer 1994 - North American Rock Garden Society

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