Winter/Spring 2017

B E R K S H I R E B OTA N I C A L G A R D E N

G R E AT

PERENNIALS F O R E A R LY S P R I N G

EXPLORING THE G R E AT G A R D E N S O F S E AT T L E ____________________ GROWING BEGONIAS

WINTER 2017

WINTER 2017

Getting ready for the season ahead...

DECEMBER 3-4

Holiday Marketplace From the Hall of Wreaths and seasonal plants to a coterie of artisanal vendors, this annual event has something for everyone.

JANUARY 28

Houseplant Daze A day dedicated to indoor gardening, Rob Gennari opens with some succulent plants for easy indoor growing and and Barbara Pierson will teach us some of her favorite fragrant plants for growing indoors.

MARCH 1-22

The Bulb Show BBG’s cure for the winter doldrums expands to include a collection of South African bulbs from gardener Rob Girard.

(See more on his class on Growing South African bulbs on page 14)

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Matt Larkin, Chairman Madeline Hooper, Vice Chairman Janet Laudenslager, Secretary Ellen Greendale, Treasurer Daniel Kasper Wendy Philbrick Martha Piper Kip Towl Mark Walker Rob Williams KK Zutter

Jeannene Booher David Carls Joanne Cassullo Mary Copeland Lauretta Harris Ian Hooper Tom Ingersoll

S TA F F Michael Beck Executive Director Amy Butterworth Office Manager Christine Caccamo Senior Gardener Elisabeth Cary Director of Education Bill Cummings Buildings and Grounds Manager Duke Douillet Senior Gardener Cynthia Grippaldi Membership and Volunteer Manager MacKenzie Hitchcock Assistant Camp Director Dorthe Hviid Director of Horticulture

FEB

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Dan Mullen Buildings and Grounds Assistant

Winter Lecture Noted landscape architect Thomas Woltz shares his artfully created landscapes at the seasonal event that has become the best cure for cabin fever, the BBG Winter Lecture.

This New York garden designed by Thomas Woltz comes alive in spring and is one of the projects this deeply talented landscape architect will highlight at BBG’s Annual Winter Lecture.

MARCH 4

MARCH 18

Plants That Perform

Noel Kingsbury Workshop & Talk

David Culp, the author of The Layered Garden shares his knowledge of perennials that really perform in our area.

Jamie Samowitz Youth Education Coordinator Christopher Wellens Youth Education Coordinator CUTTINGS Lee Buttala, Editor Julie Hammill, Hammill Design, Design On the cover: Hellebores bloom early in the spring. For other early season suggestions from plantsman David Culp, see page 18.

Noted English plantsman shares his knowledge of gardening in a naturalistic manner.

BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN

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DIRECTOR’S CORNER MICHAEL BECK

The Berkshire Botanical Garden is on the move!

Great Gardens of the Pacific Northwest, page 6

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CUTTINGS

WINTER 2017

This season is about nature slowing down, with perennials entering dormancy, trees and shrubs shedding their summer garb of leaves, and many of our local fauna burrowing into their respective dens and caves to outsmart impending cold.

But the level of activity here at the Garden does not seem to be decreasing one bit. Have you seen our temporary new home for BBG’s horticulture staff? Dorthe, Chris, Duke, and Lou no longer reside in Center House, which is about to be transformed and rejuvenated, but have taken up residence in the headhouse of our Fitzpatrick greenhouse. It was a herculean effort to (re-)move not only staff, but literally decades’ worth of accumulated furniture, files, books, and equipment to make way for construction. Now all that is left inside the old building is cobwebs and a sense of anticipation of what’s to come.

The Garden recently took another huge step towards becoming more mobile: thanks to the wonderful generosity of our summer Fête guests, we were able to purchase a passenger van to bring our many youth education learners to and from schools, off-site classes, and our BBG summer camp activities. The BBG van will also allow us to make our various adult field trips more accessible to participants. Say goodbye to carpooling!

But perhaps the biggest indicator of how mobile we’ve become has been the tremendous success of our overnight travel study opportunities. In 2013, BBG dipped its toe in the scary world of organized travel with a two-day visit to the Perennial Plant Conference. This trip to Greater Philadelphia was a well-received albeit sparsely attended first effort. But Elisabeth, our Director of Education, had faith that there was demand for this type of programming.

And with the help of an enthusiastic BBG board member, she went for broke: “Let’s go see Ireland’s magical gardens”, she said. And so we did, in August of 2015. The response was great, and our fourteen participants came back from touring with stories, photos, and lots of buzz to share. “Where should we go next?”, our members soon asked. We decided to explore the U.S. this time, and the following June set off for Seattle. By then, our traveling group of garden lovers had swelled to 22. There was even a waitlist. And so we tried a scientific experiment by once again offering that Philadelphia excursion last October. The statistics don’t lie: enrollment was twice that of the previous trip!

BBG is on a roll now, and we plan to offer one or more overnight trips a year going forward. Oh, and should you ask: our visit to the Italian Lakes region this coming April is waitlist-only.

I hope you will enjoy this latest issue of Cuttings, which includes a travel report from Seattle by BBG board member Ian Hooper. Take note of all our exciting upcoming classes and other programs. And please make sure to join us for our signature February event, our annual Winter Lecture, featuring accomplished and lauded landscape architect, Thomas Woltz. With innovative projects from Maine to Florida, Manhattan to New Zealand, Thomas doesn’t seem to stand still. Just like BBG!

Begonia Fever Garden writer Tovah Martin shares her passion for this venerated genus.

BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN

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Begonias, such as this collection photographed by BBG volunteer Harriet Wetstone, will prosper in a west facing window if given proper air circulation and just the right amount of water. As a general rule, begonias do not like to have wet feet.

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CUTTINGS

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I’M A SUCKER FOR JUST ABOUT EVERY HOUSEPLANT, but begonias hold a special place in my heart—and on my windowsill.

Over my deep green past, I’ve grown just about every begonia available.

Well, not really, because there are upwards of 900 species out there, not to mention the thousands of cultivars created by folks like me who feel that 900 is not nearly enough. But during my 25-year tenure at Logee’s, I curated the begonia collection—an assemblage that spanned the rhizomatous, rex, cane, angel wing, semperflorens, semi-tuberous, tuberous, and hiemalis groups. I’ve experimented with a lot of begonias.

Would I recommend them all as bulletproof in the average home?

Definitely not. But some are pretty tough cookies.

The rhizomatous group probably has the stiffest upper lip. These include the begonias inherited from our grandmothers, such as B. x erythrophylla (the pond lily begonia—alias the beefsteak begonia) and B. x ricinifolia (the star begonia—alias the castor bean begonia). The pond lily begonia has smooth, shiny, round leaves with a bronze cast. The star begonia has (you guessed it) star-shaped, green leaves with a chenille of bristly red hairs on the leaf petioles. Both are nearly unkillable. Yes, they can come down with powdery mildew if continually subjected to poor

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The Secrets of Begonias Tovah Martin will be revealing the secrets of begonias in depth and in all their many guises at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. See page 16.

Don’t be a windowsill wannabe.

Tovah Martin, the undisputed Queen of Green, shows that anyone can grow healthy houseplants. It all boils down to a simple set of skills and—here’s the crucial part—picking the right plants. These tough but beautiful plants can thrive in less-than-ideal conditions, and they’re easy to find. You’ll also learn how to pot, repot, water, and fertilize; pick up some great ideas for fun, funky containers; and benefit from Tovah’s tips on how to display your plants to perk up a room. Get some indestructibles and start your indoor garden. As Tovah promises, “Life will be beautiful.”

Tovah Martin gardens fanatically and organically both indoors and throughout her seven-acre Connecticut garden. She is the author of many classic gardening books and the recipient of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Gold Medal “for extraordinary service to horticulture, especially greenhouses and indoor plants.”

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EAN

COVER PHOTOS BY KINDRA CLINEFF COVER DESIGN BY LAKEN WRIGHT

where they receive good light, but not baking sun. A north-facing window is pushing it. South works in winter, but can scorch in summer. As for temperatures—they do not like chilly conditions—but neither do you.

When working begonias into the indoor scenery, I play up their texture because many have furry and eyelashed leaves. Since I’m a collector, the dialogue is often between several begonias grown side by side, but ferns and orchids are also good companion plants. And the beauty of begonias is that they work equally well in a Victorian home or a contemporary scene. They are infinitely congenial.

The rhizomatous group is just the beginning of the odyssey, because begonias have in their favor diversity beyond your wildest dreams. Basically, you could explore the genus for years, and never grow even slightly bored. I speak from experience.

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air circulation and dank conditions. But generally, they are impervious.

But the pond lily and castor bean begonias are just the beginning, because begonias have come a long way. There are loads of rhizomatous begonias out there and many are equally rock solid.

Varieties such as ‘Zip’, ‘River Nile’, ‘Tiger Kitten’ and many others aim to please and add some dash to your home with their colorful, mottled or striped leaves. Granted, there are some truly challenging rare species rhizomatous begonias, but most readily available rhizomatous varieties are a cakewalk.

Flowers are also in your cards with the rhizomatous clan, especially in late winter when they send up wands of tiny colorful blooms to quell the pangs of cabin fever. Those pink, salmon, or white blossoms are adorable, and they make all the difference at a time of year when you’re starving for color.

Although they are relatively easy, even rhizomatous begonias will not endure constantly wet foliage or consistently damp roots. Do not overwater these plants. In fact, if you lean in the drier direction, your relationship will be happier. Another trick is to aim the watering can at the soil surface rather than the leaves. Begonias don’t like wet foliage. And likewise, because begonias detest soggy conditions, do not grant them overly generous root room. There is not a begonia on earth that likes to swim in its pot. Most prefer shallow containers rather than deep pots because begonia root systems grow horizontally. Most begonias like to be stationed in an east or west window

Berkshire Botanical Garden

TOVAH MARTIN

INDESTRUCTIBLE

THE

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HOUSEPLANT 200 BEAUTIFUL PLANTS THAT EVERYONE CAN GROW PHOTOGRAPHS BY KINDRA CLINEFF

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Adapted from The Indestructible Houseplant (Timber Press, 2015) by Tovah Martin

BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN

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Great Gardens of the Pacific Northwest

By Ian Hooper

A Berkshire gardener explores Seattle and comes across gardening principles that he can bring back home.

In addition to native plants, gardens can embrace native artists and the work of Dale Chihuly is celebrated and set off by plantings at Chihuly Garden and Glass in downtown Seattle.

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CUTTINGS

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Having missed BBG’s 2015 tour of Ireland, my wife Madeline and I were determined to participate in the 2016 trip, Great Gardens of the Pacific Northwest.

Neither of us had ever been to Seattle, but we knew that it was renowned for some remarkable gardens.

We landed in Seattle during a dramatic thunderstorm with fork lightning and lashing rain but, during the week, the weather was good for visiting gardens and taking pictures: cool and overcast with some sun. Although Easterners often think of the region as rainy and damp, it turns out that the biggest challenge for Pacific Northwest gardeners is the dry summer; and, in fact, Seattle only receives 38 inches of rain per year.

The tour took in 18 public and private gardens of all sorts and sizes, representing a wide variety of locations, conditions, styles and inspiration but, looking back, I find my memories (just like many of the gardens) framed by open water, soaring pines, wonderful evergreens, and mossy woodlands.

Many of the smaller gardens were quite different from one other. The first we saw had a natural and almost wild feel, while another in the South End of the city was an assemblage of unusual specimens that

Left: The Carhart Garden on Vashon Island exemplifies how Pacific Northwest gardens use conifers, water, moss and good plantsmanhip to great advantage.

Below: The humility of the Chase Garden in deferring to its view of Mount Rainer is one approach to working with the surrounding landscape. The extreme plantsmanship of Dan Hinkley at Windcliff is another approach.

achieved a fascinating and striking effect as a collector’s garden. A third was a slice of New England – with lawn, mixed borders, a stone terrace and a little wooden greenhouse – transported to the Pacific Northwest. It felt like home!

There were also woodland gardens with an incredible sense of place, with moss underfoot and hanging from the branches.

One of the most memorable gardens was that of Whit and Mary Carhart, on Vashon Island. It was a beautiful sequence of areas cascading down a hillside that sloped gently to the water. The colors and textures of green and gold evergreens, bronze Japanese maples, and pink and blue lace-cap hydrangeas had been masterfully selected and placed along winding paths and around a curving pond of clear blue water. This artful display would also be at home in the Berkshires.

South of the city was Chase Garden, which, although now a public garden, was also a deeply personal landscape.

It was created by Ione and Emmott Chase, who bought the acreage in the mid-1950s, first building a charming, modest, mid-century modern house with a Japanese flavor and then spending the next 50 years lovingly perfecting their garden. The entrance garden is very Japanese in style, with rocks, pea-stone, sinuous concrete pools and modernist sweeps of Aquilegia flabellata ‘Ministar’ and lavenderflowered Penstemon davidsonii. It also included an alpine meadow and a native woodlands and, at the back of the house, a lawn with simple masses of winter heath and Pfitzer juniper that allow an astonishing view of Mt. Rainier to take center stage. It was a lesson for gardeners: don’t try and upstage what nature gives you.

An opposing perspective on dealing

with the surrounding landscape was to be seen at Windcliff, the home and garden on Bainbridge Island of plant explorer Dan Hinkley (BBG Winter Lecturer in 2009). What an assault on the senses! Where the Carhart garden was neat and tidy with carefully labeled plants, and the Chase Garden almost meditative in its simplicity, Windcliff was impulsive and unruly, with wonderful and often rare plant material billowing joyfully over narrow paths and set against the backdrop of Puget Sound, the Seattle skyline and Mt. Rainier.

Three other public gardens also captured the gardening sensibility of Seattle for me. Chihuly Garden & Glass featured the artist’s sculptures in an interesting and attractive sequence of beds planted to show off both plants and artwork to good effect, and was attached to an impressive 40-foot tall glasshouse that celebrated the BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN

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Washington State native’s astonishing art, including a suspended 100-footlong installation in reds, oranges, yellows and amber that seemed inspired by the colors in the garden and nature itself. A masterful sense of color was also at work at the Kubota Garden, which was created decades ago by selftaught, immigrant gardener Fujitaro Kubota to highlight the coniferous beauty of the Northwest in a Japanese way. The 20-acre landscape contains waterfalls, reflection pools, carved stones, maples and hundreds of wildly hued conifers including weeping Norway spruces, emerald thujas, and a 32-foot long weeping blue Atlas cedar.

The most moving garden for me was Bloedel Reserve. This truly extraordinary place combines trails through the forest, glorious views of a stream from a trestle bridge, a woodland thick with moss, a bog with carnivorous plants, and the formality of the gardens surrounding the residence into one cohesive landscape. The shrub borders along the lawns, the ponds and the reflecting pool, the views of the bay and the Sound from the overlook, and the peaceful Japanese sand and

The careful selection of conifers for texture and color is a signature of many great Pacific Northwest gardens, such as Kubota Garden, and is a principle that can easily be incorporated when selecting evergreens for the Northeast as well.

stone garden and guesthouse all contributed to a totality of horticultural and landscape experience that was unforgettable, and was a culmination of all that I had seen on my visit.

Bloedel was only surpassed by the final night at Old Goat Farm, where the owners, our wonderful guide, Greg Graves, and his partner Gary Waller, made a farewell dinner for us to enjoy

in the garden at the golden end of our last day. And, given that their home is also a nursery, the evening also provided us with an opportunity to bring back a bit of the Pacific Northwest to the Berkshires. Gardens are also about memories and plants that we take home and the people that we meet Winter along the way.

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CUTTINGS

WINTER 2017

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Winter Thoughts

By Duke Douillet, Senior Gardener, Berkshire Botanical Garden

Gardeners in the region face a stark picture at this time of year. The greenery that so recently graced our landscape has conspicuously vanished. A few hellebores or Christmas ferns persist here and there reminding us of Nature’s resilience. We pause to reflect on the season past before gradually shifting our focus to the season ahead. Here are a few things to consider when not perusing the latest seed catalogs.

n Voles

are notorious, both for their reproductive

n As

winter progresses, assess trees and shrubs for pruning needs. First and foremost,

abilities (they can reportedly produce a new litter every three weeks), and for the damage they inflict in gardens.

Deprive them of cover by doing a thorough garden cleanup, leaving perhaps a few bird-friendly plants such as Rudbeckia, Helianthus, and ornamental grasses if you’re so inclined, and by keeping groundcovers a distance from valued shrubs and small trees. Further protect woodies by applying tree wrap or hardware cloth to protect trunks from girdling by hungry voles and mice. n

onsider incorporating some native C perennials or shrubs, or perhaps establishing a small meadow area this upcoming season. This simple gesture not only increases one’s aesthetic pleasure, but is a way of acknowledging the value of other species on the planet. Butterflies and birds would be among the more obvious beneficiaries, but tuning in to some of the smaller creatures (insects and spiders e.g.), brings about the realization that our yards are virtually teeming with life. For those seeking further inspiration I’d strongly recommend reading The Living Landscape by Doug Tallamy and Rick Darke.

remove any broken branches to prevent winter winds from whipping them about and potentially causing major bark tears, as well as any dead and diseased branches. Rubbing or heavily congested branches are undesirable and thinning should be performed to alleviate these conditions. Consider taking our pruning class at the Garden or read The Pruning Book by Lee Reich if you want to hone your pruning skills. n As

winter begins to give way to Spring, start cutting back the foliage on semi-evergreen plants such as Hellebores and Epimediums to make way for new growth. Be sure to avoid tromping around in the garden when the ground is soggy as this can seriously compact the soil.

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Make plans to visit the BBG to see some of our early-flowering trees and shrubs. Beginning in March, our witch hazels are in bloom, shortly followed by shadblow, spicebush, and cornelian cherry. The earliest flowering bulbs also make their appearance around this time. You’ll likely see snowdrops, winter aconites and scilla announcing the coming of spring.

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T H A N K YO U !

Harvest Festival

Arborist Day

In addition to our gratitude for the work of all of our volunteers, staff and board, the Berkshire Botanical Garden would also like to thank the major sponsors of our annual Harvest Festival.

The Berkshire Botanical Garden would like to thank the individuals working at the following companies for volunteering their time on a community service project on this year’s Arborist Day, October 26, 2016. The trees at the historic New Marlborough cemetery benefited from this work of these ablebodied professionals.

Barrett Tree Service Brush Hill Tree Service Burkhart Works Butternut Tree and Land Care Ingersoll Land Care John W. Field Tree Service Race Mountain Tree Services, Inc. Sweet Tree Service Treecology Whalen Nursery, Inc.

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WINTER 2017

EDUCATION

JANUARY – MAY 2017

Education

MAR

1-22 BBG’s Annual Bulb Show includes an array of spring flowering bulbs as well as a collection of South African flowering bulbs curated by Rob Girard. The show is free to the public.

The Berkshire Botanical Garden is focused on providing educational opportunities to the community throughout the year, from handson courses to lectures and tours of places of interest to gardeners. And the winter and early spring are a great time for gardeners to learn new skills, whether through our Horticultural Certificate Program or through one-off classes and workshops, or simply by attending our Winter Lecture, which combines an inspiring talk by noted landscape architect Thomas Woltz with a chance to reconnect with gardening friends at the reception that follows. And during our Bulb Show in March, participants can take a walk through our conservatory filled with flowering bulbs before or after their classes at the Garden.

For more information on classes and events happening at the Garden, visit our website at berkshirebotanical.org.

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EDUCATION

Classes, Lectures, and Workshops

Lecture: The Begonia Winter Survival Guide with Tovah Martin Saturday, January 21, 1 - 3 pm Members $25; Nonmembers $30 Winter is way too long for gardeners, so why not turn to begonias? Is there another group of plants with equal diversity, definition, and intrigue? Garden writer and self-described plant-obsessive Tovah Martin will share her passion for these delightful houseplants.

Featuring colorful leaves in just about every shape imaginable topped by spikes of adorable little flowers and an unflappable personality, begonias turn attention inside when the weather is yucky outdoors. Begonias can easily become the best cold-season companions, but there are a few tricks for keeping them happy and healthy. That’s what this begonia intensive is all about. Come with questions and courage, and leave as a die-hard begonia fan. Tovah will also demonstrate how to make more begonias to share with friends and converts and there will be some cuttings for students to bring home.

January Houseplant Daze JANUARY 28

Deep down we all yearn to grow houseplants, but struggle to keep plants happy and healthy through the winter months.

Join the experts to learn how to enjoy some plants all year long.

Lecture, Demonstration, and Plant Sale: Growing Fragrant Plants Indoors with Barbara Pierson Saturday, January 28 10 am – noon Members $25; Nonmembers $30 Learn all about our favorite fragrant indoor plants including jasmine, citrus, lavender, culinary herbs, and forced bulbs. White Flower Farm nursery manager Barbara Pierson will share her expertise for keeping these plants looking their best from fertilization and winter care to pest control and trade secrets for keeping plants healthy. She will bring a selection of specimen plants and offer some plants for purchase from the greenhouses at White Flower Farm.

Workshop: Growing Succulents, Agave and Aeoniums with Rob Gennari Saturday, January 28, 1 – 3 pm Members $25; Nonmembers $30 Join plantsman Rob Gennari of Glendale Botanicals for a focused look at growing and overwintering succulents, agaves, and aeoniums indoors. Come warmer weather, this great group of plants make a special statement on a terrace or patio in the summer, but how do these stately specimens make it through winter in the indoor setting?

Learn what varieties and cultivars are best for overwintering, how to care for these plants, where to situate them, and seasonal tips for watering and fertilization. After a transplanting demonstration (an art all of its own when dealing with sharp-tipped agaves), participants will go home with a few treasure to grow on.

Sign up for both classes and get a discount: Members $40; Nonmembers $50

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WINTER 2017

TO R EGISTER , VISIT WWW. BER KSHIR EB OTA N I CA L .OR G

EDUCATION

Winter Lecture:

Thomas Woltz Saturday, February 11, 2 pm Monument Mountain Regional High School Great Barrington $35 members, $45 nonmembers

Lecture: Unusual Edible Fruits for the New England Landscape Saturday, February 4 10 am – noon Take your home orchard beyond apples and plums (or leave these complicated growers behind altogether for unusual fruits that grow well in the region). Cricket Hill’s Dan Furman will share his experience growing and cultivating various unusual fruits and berries that he has found to grow well at his family’s second-generation nursery in Thomaston, CT. Focusing on the landscape and the ecological planting of these species that bear interesting fruit, Dan will advise experienced orchardists and novices alike on the practice of growing pawpaws, persimmons, quince, Asian pears, elderberries, and more. Exploring everything from basic cultivation to pest and disease issues, this impassioned grower will also impart his propagation know-how for these coveted fruiting plants.

TO R EG IST E R, V IS IT W W W.B E RKS H IRE B OTANICAL.O RG

Known for his subtle, sensitively detailed designs that take in the essence of place, acclaimed landscape architect Thomas Woltz shares his design philosophy, his superb sense of plantsmanship focused on selecting species and varieties that have a connection to the local flora and fauna, and his use of indigenous materials in creating landscapes around the world at this year’s Winter Lecture. Although he has designed projects from coastal gardens in New Zealand and the Dell at the University of Virginia to New York’s Hudson Yards, in his talk for the Berkshire Botanical Garden, Woltz will focus on landscapes that he has created in the region, from private gardens in New York State to Hudson’s Olana and Coastal Maine Botanical Garden. Trained as a fine artist, an architect and a landscape architect, Woltz is revered for having the soul of a naturalist, with a heartfelt attachment to plants and the local environment.

His illustrated talk, filled with ideas for professionals and home gardeners alike, is sure to inspire the audience and to be much discussed at the reception following the talk.

The Winter Lecture Series was begun by the Berkshire Botanical Garden in 1997 and was established to bring inspiring speakers to the region to talk about horticulture, landscape design and history, plants and plant exploration, and home gardening. Over the years, the Garden has invited such luminaries as Marco Polo Stufano, Anna Pavord, Joe Eck, Tovah Martin, Dan Hinkley, W. Gary Smith, Penelope Hobhouse, Ken Druse, Gordon Hayward, Lauren Springer and Scott Ogden, Bill Cullina, Fergus Garrett, Debs Goodenough, Margaret Roach, Michael Dirr, Glyn Jones, Louis Benech, and Alan Power to share their knowledge of plants, gardening, design and history with an interested audience of gardeners and horticulturists from the region. This popuiar series is traditionally held in midFebruary at the Monument Mountain Regional High School in Great Barrington. Proceeds from ticket sales are used to further the Garden’s educational efforts. Over the years, the postlecture reception, a chance for friends of the Garden and fellow gardeners to reconnect in the off-season, has become as much of a tradition as the lecture itself.

BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN

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EDUCATION

The Natural History of Bees for Beekeepers and Naturalists Alike Saturday, February 25, 10 am - noon Members $10; Nonmembers $15

Hacquetia

Flowers for the Start of the Season

Aimed at beekeepers who want a more in-depth understanding of bee behavior as well as those interested in the natural world, this class, focused on honeybees as well as other types of bees as pollinators, explores the basic biology of these essential creatures. Dr. Heather Mattila of Wellesley College shares information that allows beekeepers and naturalists to better understand the bees they see on flowers, how they live, and what they need in terms of habitat and food sources.

The Garden is very pleased to have plantsman and garden writer David Culp come and share his knowledge of perennials that perform well in our area. But we were also delighted to peruse his book, The Layered Garden, and read about some of his favorite early blooming bulbs and perennials that can get our spring season off to a good start.

Hacquetia epipactis is a woodland perennial with yellow flowers with charteuse bracts that lights up a shady site. The fact that it flowers early in the season as the snow melts is an added bonus. It is also known to self-sow if grown in moist soil.

Anemonella thalictroides is an easy to grow woodland perennial that comes on early in the spring with flowers ranging in color from the lavender ‘Oscar Schoaf’ to a white-and-green flowered form David prizes known as ‘Green Hurricane’.

Cardamine quinquefolia, with its pink flowers that often bloom in conjunction with hellebores, is a spreading perennial that often goes dormant by summer, and in David’s opinion is underused in most gardens.

Helleborus spp., along with snowdrops, are probably near the top of David’s list for early in the season. From double-flowering forms to types that bear flowers in shades of green, red, purple, yellow or white with some even having picoteed edges, there is a hellebore for everyone. David is known for his own strains, known as Brandywine Hybrids, that he has spent more than twenty years collecting and breeding. There is one right for almost every shady situation. Cutting back the last season’s foliage before the flowers start to emerge is one of the most satisfying tasks in the winter garden.

Galanthus, or snowdrops, are always a sight for winter weary eyes, but there are dozens of varieties which delight the obsessed, from ‘Diggory’, which resembles small Chinese lanterns, and ‘David L. Culp,’ which appears to have yellow markings, as opposed to the signature green marking to ‘Deer Slot’ which has markings resembling a deer hoof, a pattern familiar to many Northeast gardeners.

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EDUCATION

Workshop: Maple Sugaring at Home Saturday, February 25, 1 - 3 pm Members $25; Nonmembers $30 This workshop will demonstrate the beloved New England tradition of making maple syrup at home, using the sugar bush on the grounds of the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Chris Wellens, Director of Youth Education at BBG, will cover all aspects of maple sugaring: identifying suitable trees, the when and how of collecting sap, the boiling down process for the home setting, and preserving the syrup for year-round use.

Participants will walk through the BBG sugarbush, install spiles, develop collection schedules, and boil down maple sap to syrup.

A tasting will follow. Dress for the outdoors.

Lecture and Book Signing: Perennials: The Best of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow with David Culp Saturday, March 4, 10 am - noon Members $25; Nonmembers $30 Have you ever wondered why a plant that has received accolades from the gardening community just does not seem to work for you? Join author, gardener, and plant expert David Culp as he shares his advice on selecting perennials for Northeast gardens. Using the Perennial Plant of the Year listings of the past few decades as a starting point, David, who has evaluated plants for Sunny Borders for many years, examines what perennials are strong performers for gardeners in our region, and makes suggestions of additional species and varieties that may work better given local conditions. His expertise will be put to good use in his talk and by attendees as they go about selecting new plants for their gardens. And images of Brandywine Cottage, his own garden in Downington, PA, as captured in his book The Layered Garden, are sure to inspire our design sense as well. A book signing will follow his talk.

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Class: Growing an Organic Vegetable Garden Mondays, March 6 - April 3, 5:30 - 8:30 pm Cost: $230 (co-enrolled with the Horticulture Certificate Program) Whether starting a new vegetable garden or caring for an established one, CSA owner Peter Salinetti of Woven Roots Farms is the one to turn to for a deeper understanding of soil and nutrient management, seed selection, crop rotation schemes, bed preparation, seed sowing and planting, pest management, and specific plant cultivation. Each week, the class will investigate a different vegetable family to insure all questions are answered about cultivation of these important crop families for the home vegetable gardener. He will pass along traditional and environmentally sustainable practices for growing cole crops such as kale, broccoli, and cabbage; umbellifers such as carrots and fennel; legumes such as peas and beans; greens such as lettuce, radicchio, and arugula; herbs; corn; onions, leeks, and garlic; cucurbits such as melons, squashes, and pumpkins; and perhaps one of the most cherished groups: the solanums—tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplants. All in all, the perfect primer for planning and growing a well-balanced vegetable garden and diet.

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Lecture: Spring Hive Management for Beekeepers Saturday, March 11, 10 am - noon Members $15; Nonmembers $20 Join Massachusetts State Beekeeper Ken Warchol for an in-depth lecture on the spring care of honeybee hives. The class will focus on managing spring hive population build-up, feeding, dividing, monitoring pests, protecting the hive, and, most importantly, learning approaches to prevent swarming. In essence, this program will provide all of the critical information to properly time critical practices for getting the honey season off to a positive start.

Talk and Conservatory Tour: South African Bulbs with Rob Girard Saturday, March 11, 1 – 3 pm Members $15; Nonmembers $20 Join gardener and plant expert Rob Girard as he shares his knowledge of an array of geophytes from South Africa, one of the most botanically diverse regions of the world. A dedicated plantsman, Rob has been growing these bulbs for many years, many of which were started from seed collected by the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in South Africa, and will tell us about their provenance and history, as well as their development, cultivation, and care. Rob will take the group to the Fitzpatrick Greenhouse, where he has worked with the BBG staff to grow on Chasmanthe bicolor, Ferraria crispa, Gladiolus tristis, Lachenalia, Ornithogalum dubium, Veltheimia bracteata, and (hopefully) some Babiana and Watsonia, which are being shown as part of the Garden’s annual Bulb Show.

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Bulbs from the Other Cape Bulbous plants are geophytes, a collection of perennial plants that produce an underground food-storage organ, such as a bulb, tuber, corm, or rhizome. Many of these plants, from tuberous begonias and dahlias to onions and daffodils, are familiar to most gardeners. And each year, springblooming bulbs, such as grape hyacinths, crocus, tulips, and daffodils, are forced to bloom early and fill the Fitzpatrick Greenhouse with their magic as part of the Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Bulb Show, which runs from March 1 to March 22 and is free to the public.

But this season the Garden has worked with gardener Rob Girard to include some bulbs that might not be so familiar.

These bulbs, often known as Cape or South African bulbs, are grown by plant collectors for their amazing late winter floral display. These plants, many of which live in the harsh climate of the South African fynbos, have evolved to flower before the droughts of the harsh South African summer, proceeding through their vegetative and reproductive flowering cycle in the cool season while they have the water they need, and then storing their energy in an underground storage organ until the rainy season is upon them once again.

Some of these bulbs, such as Ornithogalum dubium, some Gladiolus spp. and Hippeastrum (amaryllis) may be familiar to knowledgeable gardeners, and others such as Watsonia, Lachenalia, and Babiana may be known by florists and avid readers of bulb catalogs. But the Cape region of South Africa is home to more than 1,300 species of flowering bulbs (only a smattering of which will be on display at the Garden), with many that are well suited to adorning a cool winter windowsill as they bloom away and can then be allowed to go dry and enter dormancy until the following season. A trip to the BBG Bulb Show is sure help build up the fan base of these South African natives and to give gardeners a new range of plants to add to their bulb collections. And for those interested in learning more about them, Rob Girard will be teaching a class at the Garden on March 11.

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Spend the Day (or the afternoon) 18 with Renowned Plantsman Noel Kingsbury MAR

What better way to gear up for the gardening season than a day with Noel Kingsbury, the plantsman, writer, and garden designer who has worked with the likes of Piet Oudolf and James van Sweden to move forward the naturalistic planting style that has become so popular with the next generation of gardeners. His latest book, Planting: A New Perspective, written in conjunction with Piet Oudolf, will be available for purchase and signing.

Don’t miss a rare opportunity to hear from this knowledgeable plantsman and designer and learn firsthand about planting and planning the garden. The workshop, the price of which includes admission to the afternoon lecture, is limited in size and is likely to sell out. Reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

Workshop: The Rabbit’s Eye View: Long-Term Plant Performance with Noel Kingsbury

Lecture: Wild about Perennials with Noel Kingsbury

Saturday, March 18, 9 am - noon (for the workshop; the lecture is at 1 pm) Members $75; Nonmembers $85 (cost includes the workshop and admission to the afternoon lecture)

Saturday, March 18, 1 pm Members $30; Nonmembers $35

This half-day workshop aims to encourage participants to observe garden and landscape plants, focusing on their growth through the season and over the years, looking at how they compete with each other, and assessing prospects for their longevity and their suitability for a variety of garden locations. Kingsbury addresses questions about how the garden will evolve: How long will plants live? How far will they spread? How will a newly planted border look in five years, or ten years? Gardeners and designers can then use this knowledge to maximize garden interest while minimizing maintenance. This workshop teaches participants about how plants are linked to their natural habitats and ecology, and how this connects to the way gardeners can use such plants in the garden to best effect. Students will walk away with a rabbit’s eye view—a perspective that will enable them, through close observation of growing habits and life cycles of various plants, to be better gardeners and designers, and to more deeply appreciate the traits of the plants that they grow.

The author of Planting: A New Perspective shares his understanding of the naturalistic approach to planting design of landscape designers such as Cassian Schmidt, Thomas Rainer, and Sarah Price. This introduction to the naturalistic style explains the basic philosophy behind the practice of selecting plants for the ecology of the site and gives us lessons on how to create a landscape that looks natural and responsive to site, while also having the long season of interest that gardeners desire. Using his own extraordinary photographs, Kingsbury will illustrate the techniques used in creating these planting designs, with examples of his own work and that of the renowned Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf.

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BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN

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Art Class: Illuminating Botanicals with Gold Ink Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday, March 22, 23, & 24, 10 am – 4 pm Members $290; Nonmembers $315 In this studio class with botanical illustrator Carol Morley, students learn to add a decorative element to their botanical drawings by embellishing the flowing lines of a drawing of a flower or leaf with 18-carat-gold liquid ink. They will also learn to add details to a drawing with the point of a luminous silver or gold Prismacolor pencil. Students should bring along a few favorite botanical drawings to the class. They can then transfer one of them to a dark paper, add a bee or two and a butterfly, and weave in some gold lettering, which will transform the drawing into a glowing illuminated botanical illustration.

Students will discover how easily spectralite liquid gold flows from the nib of a crow quill pen and how it looks and feels.

For those with no crow quill experience, there is the option to work solely with luminous colored pencils.

Workshop: Spring Pruning of Woody Ornamental Plants Saturday, April 8, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm Members $25; Nonmembers $30 (offsite but within a 25-minute drive from the Garden)

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Spring is a great time to assess woody shrubs for shape, structure, and winter damage. This offsite workshop will focus on learning by doing. Ron Yaple, noted arborist and owner of Race Mountain Tree Services in Sheffield, MA, will demonstrate how to renovate, rejuvenate, and shape shrubs and small ornamental trees for structure, health, and optimal growth.

Plants covered will include viburnums, lilacs, witch hazels, deciduous azaleas, sweet shrubs, crab apples, and ornamental cherries. Following the demonstration, participants will work in small groups to properly assess and prune a wide selection of plants commonly found in the home landscape.

Come visit and see what makes Bay State special!

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Lecture, Book-Signing, and Optional Field Study: Spring Ephemeral Wildflowers of the Northeast Saturday, May 6, 10 am – noon Members $15; Nonmembers $20

Nightshades include many ornamental and poisonous plants, but also a few coveted crops, such as eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers.

Growing Nightshades in the Vegetable Garden?

Saturday, April 8, 1 - 3 pm Members $25; Nonmembers $30 Mention nightshades and most people immediately think of highly poisonous plants. While it is true that there are members of the nightshade family, or Solanaceae, that are quite toxic, several species of nightshade are among the most widely cultivated and economically important food plants in the world, including tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Vegetable guru Ron Kujawski will discuss the cultural needs of these nightshade plants that belong in the home vegetable garden, from starting plants from seed and growing them on, to preparing the beds for planting, ongoing seasonal care, pest and disease management, and finally, the harvesting of their fruits. Participants will go home with a variety of nightshades for planting in their home garden.

Starting with a lecture highlighting the wildflowers of New England’s natural habitats, including alpine summits, forests, meadows, wetlands, and coastal environments, Garden in the Wood’s staff botanist Ted Elliman will also take the class on an optional walking tour of Stockbridge’s Ice Glen, just minutes down the road. Based on Elliman’s research for his book, The Wildflowers of New England, the talk will focus on spring-flowering plants that will be in (or almost in) bloom in the forests and meadows of the Berkshires. After the lecture, attendees can have their books signed by the author, before heading off to hike the trails of the Ice Glen, where he will identify the plants along the path of the mossy ravine and answer any questions about the local flora.

enjoy the Benefits of your memBership while earning garDen rewarDs

Ask In-store for More Information on How to Join

Transplanting Shrubs and Planting Small Ornamental Trees Saturday, April 29, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm Members $10; Nonmembers $15 Certified Arborist Ken Gooch, the Forest Health Program Director for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation, shows that the best way of learning is by doing in this hands-on shrub and tree planting and transplanting workshop. All aspects of successful planting will be demonstrated as participants assist in transplanting and properly siting a multi-stem shrub and in planting a small tree. Learn how to time the transplanting of shrubs to create minimal disturbance to the plant’s lifecycle and to ensure a smooth transition to its new site. The differences between bareroot, container-grown, and balled-and-burlapped trees will also be demystified. Bring work gloves and dress for the weather.

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Ward’s Where Gardeners Grow

Ward’s Nursery & Garden Center 600 S. Main Street - Gt. Barrington Open 8am-5:30pm; winter hours start Dec. 27, 9am-5pm 413-528-0166 www.wardsnursery.com BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN

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Spring 2017 Horticulture Certificate Program

Spring 2017 Level I

The Science of Plant Propagation Tuesdays, January 3 - 24, 5:30 - 8:30 pm Instructor: Adam Wheeler, B.S. Cost $175, $10 lab fee applies.

Sustainable Landscape Care & Garden Maintenance Tuesdays, January 31 - February 21, 5:30 - 8:30 pm Instructor:Brad Roeller, B.S. Cost $175

Landscape Design I

In addition to our general education courses, the Garden also has a certificate program which may be of interest to gardeners. These classes, on topics ranging from plant and garden care and propagation to landscape design and greenhouse management, are open to the general public as well as enrollees in the certificate program.

Tuesdays, February 28 - April 11, 5:30 - 8:30 pm Instructor: David Dew Bruner A.S.L.A. Cost $300

For more information on these classes or to enroll, visit our website at berkshirebotanical.org.

Spring 2017 Level III

Spring 2017 Level II

Landscape Design Clinic Wednesdays, January 25 – March 15, 5:30 - 8:30 pm Instructo: Chuck Schnell, M.A., Guest Instructor: Walt Cudnohufsky, R.L.A., M.L.A. Cost $690

The Business of Gardening Thursdays, January 12-26, 1 – 5 pm Instructor: Craig Okerstrom-Lang, A.S.L.A. Cost $195

Greenhouse & Plant Conservatory Management Thursdays, February 2 - March 2 (no class Feb. 16), 4:00 - 7:00 pm Instructor: Bill Florek, M.A. Cost $195

Organic Vegetable Gardening Mondays, March 6 - April 3, 5:30 - 8:30 pm Instructor: Peter Salinetti, B.S. Cost: $230

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Welcome New Members!

New members who have joined between July 1 and November 1, 2016 and prior to the press deadline for this issue of Cuttings.

Lisa Aber-Cohen and Shirley Mueller Margot Allen Maureen Angerame Deborah Barry and Ron Holdman Craig Bender and Kelly Kynion Kathie Bredin and Sarah Bloomgarden Eileen and Alan Breindel Jenny Rose and Gus Carey Katherine Chapdelaine Elizabeth Welch and Charles Christensen Charlton Clay and Tom Parrish Carol and Paul Collins Thomas Coon Drew Cushing and Ralph Burr Charles and Ada Beth Cutler James Daily Arabella Dane Susan Diamond and Henry Michaelis Leigh Doherty Ruah Donnelly Richard and Bayle Drubel Nancy and Frederic Fagelman Dale Flecker and Jaylyn Olivo Anne and Cope Garrett Ken Gooch Kristin Griffith Randy and Allison Grimmett Judith Hanmer Saidiya Hartman Elise Hejira Ann and Brett Hellerman Marjorie and Simon Hewett Carol and James Hillestad William Hilton and Elena Delgado Mackenzie Hitchcock Julia Holcomb Katherine and James Hold Jeanne Holm Lisa Holt Jack Hyland and Larry Wente Laurie Johnson Manu Kingston and Lindsey Hamilton

Pat Konecky and Bob Putz Kendra and Rich Lassor Vincent Maganzini and Sara Folta Ellen Matheson Jean Mayer Diane McAveeney and Candace Palangi Catherine McHugh Susan and Robert McLaughlin Robert Merli and Soo Sung Wong-Merli Jayne Merrick Susan and Terry Moor Karen Morris and Allan Fobes Maria Nation and Roberto Flores David and Pamela Nichols Charles Pardoe and Mariet Westermann Susan Platania Joanne Powell Robert Presutti Paul Provost and Pepe Lopez Gerard Richard Beth Rinzler Alice Rivera Judy and Eli Rosman Linda and Raymond Rovegno Helene and Steve Sacks Harriet Samuels Eleanor Saunders and James Murray Maria and Mark Schmidt Toby Schneider and Stephanie Petillo Harriet Schweitzer Jule Marie and Daniel Smith Virginia and Walter Smith Donna St. Jean Tina and Irma Taber Steven and Griffin Targum Jerald and Joan Vancik William and Celeste Watman Susan Wolf Caitlin and Vikrant Yadav Cheryl Zaccaro

Landscape and Garden Design www.blackbarnfarm.com

Join or renew online at www.berkshirebotanical.org, or call us at 413-298-3926, ext. 14.

Checks may be mailed to: BBG, P.O. Box 826, Stockbridge, MA 01262.

For more information, please email BBG Membership at membership@berkshirebotanical.org BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN

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Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Qualprint 5 West Stockbridge Road Stockbridge, MA 01262 413-298-3926 • berkshirebotanical.org

Give the Gift of Membership!

Membership at the Garden comes with all sorts of benefits, from free admission to the garden and early buying at our Annual Plant Sale to nursery and class discounts, and depending on the level of support, members have access to other museums and gardens across the country. But most of our members say the most important benefit of membership is supporting a place that they value and love.

For a list of membership benefits, or to become a member or pass along a gift of membership to a friend, business associate, or relative, visit

berkshirebotanical.org.