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Leaflet

A MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY PUBLICATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Notes on Education and Wellbeing

Upcoming Classes

A Greenhouse for Everyone By Roger Marshall

From The Bressingham Garden to Bressingham Garden, Atlantic Crossings By Adrian Bloom

Fungus Gnat Control: An Easy, Natural Method By Joseph Bruso

Take a Walk on the Wild Side Reviewed by Patrice Todisco

From the Stacks By Maureen T. O'Brien

CONTACT

EDITOR Wayne Mezitt waynem@westonnurseries.com MARKETING Meghan Connolly mconnolly@masshort.org

MEMBERSHIP Zee Camp membership@masshort.org DEVELOPMENT Elaine Lawrence elawrence@masshort.org

Interested in contributing to Leaflet? Email Wayne Mezitt, Editor, at waynem@westonnurseries.com

A NOTE ON EDUCATION AND WELLBEING

elcome to the time of year that many of us dread the most. It tends to be the coldest, cabin fever has begun to set in, and so many seed catalogs are hitting our mailbox that it seems we can’t possibly wait another day till Spring! While February can seem like a dreary time, it does provide us with that time we look for in other months of the year, downtime. That’s why research is such a fitting theme for this month’s Leaflet. February brings around the one thing we need to dive in and explore or expand on a topic of interest. Whether it be out of general curiosity or to excel in a career path, using the time at hand to learn provides more benefits than just a newfound hobby. According to a post written by Jo Hartley for Open Colleges, a study, conducted by the University of Oxford, found that adult education classes improved overall health, both physically and mentally. It also reported that, on completion of their course, students were more satisfied with their lives. Dr. Eiluned Pearce, who led the research, noted, “The students reported benefits including increased selfconfidence, a greater feeling of control over their lives and more willingness to take on new challenges. Some said the classes made them more motivated to be more active, despite the classes not specifically involving physical activity.”

Additionally, participants reported that educational classes “broadened their networks of friends and gave them an increased sense of belonging.” As a result, there is a positive correlation between the feeling of belonging in these groups and improvement of overall health and wellbeing. I invite you to keep an eye on the education offerings

on our website. As we continue to add new classes and workshops, both in-person and virtual, I challenge you to research and learn with us. Whether it be a one time class, such as Small Plants, Big Bang or an upcoming series, possibly Botany for the Home Gardener, all of our classes invite you to join our community and grow with us. The purpose of our educational offerings is to help our members grow by providing a variety of learning outlets. We’re always looking for new topics as well, so let us know what you’d like to see in our upcoming classes. Recently we added Winter Garden Tours to our lineup, a request of many, to experience garden design through winter color and shape. As a member driven organization, we’re about Growing Together. Whether growth comes via a new hobby, a friendly face, or simply personal growth I hope you’re able to reap the benefits of research and continuing education. See you in class, Allison Dush Director of Programs and Education

UPCOMING CLASSES G U I D E D W I N T E R G A R D E N TO U R S

F E B RUA RY 9 & 1 2 , M A RC H 5 & 9 , 1 0 A M You asked and we listened, winter garden tours are here! Bundle up and enjoy the garden in a different light. Join us for a morning tour highlighting plants with winter interests, garden history, and things to keep an eye out for in the coming spring months.

Small Plants, Big Bang! February 16, 7-8pm Virtual

Introduction to Gardening Series March 9-April 6 6:30-7:45pm

Winter Pruning Series February 26, 10-11:30am

Botany for the Home Gardener March 10, 7-8:30pm

VIEW ALL

Early Training of Young Trees March 2, 7-8pm Virtual

Six Week Spring Ikebana Course March 15-April 19 6-8pm

We’re participating in the Target Circle program! You can vote for us and help direct Target’s giving to benefit MHS. For full program details and restrictions visit Target Circle.

LEARN MORE

V-DAY GIFT IDEAS FOR PLANT LOVERS! Read on for gift ideas for your plant-loving valentine!

GREEN PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Flash your membership card for a 10% discount with any of our Green Partners.

A Greenhouse for Everyone By Roger Marshall It has been said that the Romans were the first to grow out-of-season crops. They used sheets of mica placed over growing beds to force plants into growth early in the season. Forcing plants languished until glass was invented, but it wasn’t until large sheets of glass became available in the late 18th century that glass houses as we know them came into their own.

Large sheets of glass, some as large as 16”x16”, could be fashioned into windows that could protect plants from harsh winter weather. For example, it is said that George Washington grew lemon, limes, pineapples and other tropical fruit in a greenhouse in 1787 at Mount Vernon. Glasshouses, as they were originally called, became the rage in England and later, in America. They eventually came to be called greenhouses because the plants inside stayed green all winter long. Some were heated by wood burning fires that needed to be kept fueled all night long, others, like Washington’s Mount Vernon greenhouse had flues similar to those developed by the Romans to warm houses under the floor that were kept warm by wood fires. But the majority of smaller greenhouses used a far simpler and often more efficient way to stay warm. Trees and shrubs were grown in large pots and fresh horse manure piled around the pots. The rotting horse manure emitted enough heat to keep the pots warm and plants in growth all winter long. In fact, in experiments that I have done, rotting manure and compost can reach temperatures of up to 160 degrees for up to six weeks before the pile needs turning. In this way, huge greenhouses such as the Crystal Palace in London, built for the Great Exhibition in 1851,

could be kept warm (and smelly). According to reports, some of the trees in the Crystal Palace exhibition were almost 100 feet tall.

Greenhouse usage declined after World War One. Far too many men died during the war and there was nobody to maintain the huge structures. It wasn’t until the 1940s that greenhouses became popular again. Many of these greenhouses used plastic instead of glass, glass being too expensive and brittle. Today, for the home gardener, owning a greenhouse even in the coldest parts of the country, enables a keen gardener to start seeds early and to maintain plants over New England’s often brutal winters. What to Look for When Buying a Greenhouse Before you start looking at greenhouses you should decide what you will grow in it. Some uses, such as seed starting and growing succulents require a lot of shelves or table space, heat and light. Other uses need far less shelf space. For example, growing citrus fruit trees in a large pot. Seed Starting Many gardeners buy a greenhouse to use for seed starting in spring. That’s fine but remember that most gardeners want to be able to plant out good sized plants as soon as the ground is warm enough. That often means that nighttime temperatures when you start seeds could be below freezing. Because seeds like warm temperatures to germinate (often in the 65 to 75oF range) you will have to provide heat and light to help get your seeds to germinate. This can be done with LED grow lights and a heat mat, but that also means that you will need electricity in your greenhouse.

Left: In the unheated greenhouse, plants are usually four to six weeks ahead of their counterparts in the outdoor garden. By growing in the greenhouse and outdoors it is possible to obtain two and sometimes three crops of the same plants. Here an experimental crop of corn and squash are growing in the middle bed, peppers in the bed to the right hand side and tomatoes in the bed to the right. The image was taken in May in New England.

Growing Orchids Many orchid lovers have a greenhouse specifically for orchids. Some orchids like high temperatures and high humidity. Some like a desert style environment. Others such as cymbidiums can take a light frost. To grow orchids in a greenhouse you need to know what type of habitat your orchids prefer and you will need to provide a suitable environment.

Growing Food Many gardeners want to grow vegetables all year. In an unheated greenhouse in New England, you can grow spinach, lettuce and other greens even when nighttime temperatures drop below freezing. Other plants such as leek, kale, chard and carrots can be left in the ground or in pots in the greenhouse until needed.

Growing Flowers For some gardeners, growing flowers year-round is an enviable goal. Many bulbs, for example, paperwhites and daffodils, can easily be forced in a Above: In spring the greenhouse gets greenhouse. Other very crowded with many seed flats flowering plants such ready to be planted in the vegetable as pelargoniums and and flower beds. Right: The author's geraniums will keep heated lean-to greenhouse with a variety of plants. The newly installed flowering for most hydroponic guttering (top left) is of the year as long as above the plants to make use of unused space. they are warm. Growing Cacti and Succulents Many cacti and succulents are small plants that grow in dry places. Your greenhouse will need to emulate these conditions and because they are small plants you will probably need a lot of tables or shelving.

Growing Fruit You can easily grow citrus, mango, avocado and other fresh fruit in a greenhouse, but some citrus trees can grow quite tall and live in a large pot. Several of my citrus trees are well over six feet tall and produce fruit each season. However, they need to be kept warm all winter. In summer these large trees are moved out to the patio where they can enjoy summer warmth and set fruit.

Size Matters Another factor that should be considered before you buy a greenhouse is size. The size of your greenhouse is a balance between the plants you want to keep in it, the cost of the structure and the cost of heating it in winter. First, understand that a small greenhouse heats up and cools down faster than does a large greenhouse. Like humans, most plants do not like to be almost frozen at night and heated to 100oF during the daytime. So larger is better from a heating and cooling standpoint.

Size is also influenced by the space available for its location and whether it is freestanding or lean-to style greenhouse. Free standing greenhouses can be any size and ideally should be near the garden. The size of a lean-to greenhouse is often limited by the available wall space.

Another size factor is your experience. If you are a keen, experienced gardener, look at the largest greenhouse you can afford, you will fill it with plants. For example, my 30’x10’ lean-to greenhouse contains over 200 plants ranging from large citrus trees to pots of Streptocarpus (Cape Primrose). They all need to be kept warm and some need lighting during winter’s short days.

Roger Marshall has been an organic gardener for more than 50 years. He has owned a greenhouse for about 40 years and is the author of ‘How to Build Your Own Greenhouse,’ and ‘The Greenhouse Gardener’s Manual.’

FROM THE BRESSINGHAM GARDEN

famous for i Aster x frika following ye 1962 a lette in Denmark Rob) to retu My father, A at Bressingh with over 4 anyway). Al from the so garden look And with al the bare gar

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TO BRESSINGHAM GARDE ATLANTIC CROSSINGS by Adrian Bloom

e all have dreams when we are young depending how far back we go. How about a professional footballer ….or Elvis Presley both of which were on my list? Then, usually well before approaching 20 years old reality has to be faced. Perhaps like my father who knew from aged 12 that he wanted to be a nurseryman, it was fortunate in giving him an early start.

But when I left school at 18, gardening or nurseries had no great appeal for me.

So, I took out an immigration visa and made my first Atlantic crossing on the good ship, the 26,000 ton liner Ivernia across the Atlantic. I arrived in New York (6 days, 17 hours and 42 minutes later through violent storms) on the 9th of March. After 18 months doing various jobs in Maryland, Vermont, Michigan, Colorado and California (another story) I ‘failed’ mainly through my lack of motivation as a salesman of encyclopaedias in San

Francisco, and with a nurseryman as a father and a possible career ahead, I felt I should give that is opportunity a chance. In the last 3 months in Los Angeles, most of it earning reasonable money I worked on different jobs, the last for a ‘mad’ scientist in a basement who was developing an envelope opening machine……though he was only mad when he nearly set the envelopes on fire! Fast forward to my return to England in December 1960 , then Europe working one year on the nursery of Frikart in Switzerland forever

introducing the first indispensable perennial, artii Monch. The next learning experience the ear was at a perennial nursery in Denmark. In er from father Alan in Bressingham to son Adrian k, arrived with a request for me (and my brother urn to help him at the Blooms wholesale nursery. Alan Bloom, had just finished the Dell Garden ham, complete with 48 island beds planted 4,500 different hardy perennials (hardy with us lthough it was spectacular to see them emerge oil each year, the winter dormancy left the Dell king rather forlorn from late November to March. ll the perennials cut to the ground, the labels in rden rather resembled a graveyard!

eeded it most where was the winter interest and opportunity but what plants?

My father (you didn’t refer to your parent as Dad in those days, certainly not in Britain anyway) was keen to see me carving a niche for myself, and although initially I wanted to specialise in growing Dwarf Conifers and Heathers, plants not then grown by our nursery, the bigger idea was to create ‘A Year Round Garden’ , year round colour not seen in most gardens at that time.

This is a personal story because it illustrates a fairly slow learning curve about plants that has continued and will all through life. Whatever stage or age you start, in any job, motivation the key, and once you become hooked, there will always be more that you are keen to learn. Getting to the point of selfmotivation is vital to us all. Although I had a horticultural background and inadvertently must have picked up some information for later use, I was no 6, 7, 8, or 10 year old whose ambition was to follow his father’s footsteps, nor even to go into

horticulture at all. Neither my father nor I had any formal education in horticulture, so my eldest son Jason who attended horticultural college, was and is the best qualified horticulturist of us all! Horticultural education has to be helpful, but in gardening, experience counts for a lot.

HOME GARDENING This broad introduction as to how I got into gardening will make more sense within the context of “The Bressingham Gardens” on either side of the Atlantic and how the idea of using perennials with other plants in the year-round garden developed.

My own garden Foggy Bottom extends to 6 acres, and given my experience to date the concept had to been to create year round colour. The garden started with a field of grass, and our house, which my wife Rosemary and I helped to build (well I mixed most of the cement and she did the all-important pointing on the bricks). I was anxious to get on and with days getting shorter as winter approached, I sometimes dug the sticky garden under the glare of our car’s headlights. Here I jump through the years as the garden grew, carpets of heathers contrasted with shapes and form of contrasting conifers, and gradually shrubs, trees, perennials and grasses were added to the mix. Of course Foggy Bottom was a trial garden for many of the plants we were growing on our nursery, plants which, unless pruned, increased in stature each year, and unlike perennials did not die back to the ground in the autumn/fall. I would have to learn how to keep them looking attractive to serve a long term purpose. Being a nurseryman, starting to write books it was important to me to learn about plants, and how to grow them. Foggy Bottom provided a big space, but what about the majority of those with smaller gardens. Might they justifiably say “that’s all very well in a large garden like Foggy Bottom, but it (or these plants) won’t fit in our small patch.” Another challenge had arisen to show how a small garden could be designed with year-round plants.

Fast forward again, this time to the story of the The Garden of Edens…. Working with the local newspaper in 1976 I offered a ‘free’ giveaway garden of mainly conifers and heathers as a prize. The front garden chosen belonged to George and Angela Edens and it would give a ‘feelgood story’ for the local press. Planting began in the fall of 1975, completed within a few weeks and photographs taken as the garden developed.

I wrote a book, The Year Round Garden, on the project for others to follow and in 1979, as Bressingham Gardens we created a replica at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. This was the first of the ‘giveaway gardens’ firstly in England. Later, from 1997, we planted one a year across the United States… until 2007 when….. as some of you might remember… we planted a Bressingham Garden at The Gardens at Elm Bank. Of course we will never know for sure how successful these gardens were in getting more people to think about gardening, copying some of the ideas, and using some of the plants in their own garden. In America it was part of a programme of working with local garden centres and supported by a company that had been formed, Blooms of Bressingham North America. Apart from myself and my assistant Joe Kunkel, most of the planting and preparation was done by our partner’s staff and enthusiastic volunteers.

THE BRESSINHGHAM FACTOR …. The Bressingham Gardens in England now constitutes 17 Above, Top: This is taken in Foggy Bottom in winter. acres of intensely planted gardens, now all connected, with a The Hakonechloa has died back , but still attractive , stems of Cornus sanguinea Midwinter Fire show above a Foggy Bottom Trail taking the visitor to the final destination of dark leaved Carex and glowing in the distance is a Pinus Rosemary’s Wood, and the Summer House built by Matt Bloom, sylvestris Aurea , which is pruned each year to keep one of three sons of my wife Rosemary who died in 2014, and it small and bushy. Above, Bottom: An atmospheric after whom the garden is named. Some of you may have seen the shot of The Winter Garden at Bressingham, the winter sun catching the striking drift of fiery stems of Cornus Memorial Tree at the Gardens at Elm Bank kindly donated by MHS and planted in October 2016 as sanguinea Midwinter Fire through the silver birch. a memory of my wife Rosemary, who sadly died in 2014.

Above: In summer, weeping Atlantic Cedar is used as a backdrop to the contrasting Crocosmia Spitfire, introduced by Blooms in 1966 along with Crocosmia Lucifer. Right top: Adrian designed The Summer Garden with mostly perennials and grasses, introducing a few shrubs and conifers that add to winter interest. The Winter Garden is beyond. Right bottom: In all the 17 acres of The Bressingham Gardens there are nearly 8000 different plants and in many cases some ideas of plant combinations. Here in The Dell garden, the popular grass Hakonechloa macra Alboaurea is in front, behind the pink flowering Geranium Mavis Simpson (not hardy perhaps in New England, substitute with the tougher blue Geranium Rozanne). Agapanthus and Kniphofia in the background.

The Bressingham Gardens are almost seen as one garden, but in fact there are six distinct gardens, the first was Alan Bloom’s six acre Dell Garden devoted to perennials from 1953 to 1962, my own garden Foggy Bottom, also 6 acres, from 1967 and ongoing. From 2000 I added Adrian’s Wood, a Fragrant Garden, a Summer Garden, and a very

continues to be a mission of the Bloom family and all who garden at Bressingham.

THE BRESSINGHAM GARDEN AT ELM BANK The full history of the development of the Bressingham Garden at the Gardens at Elm Bank, home of Massachusetts Horticultural Society, may have to wait, and it goes along with the chequered history of the society itself, particularly in later years when it was in danger of folding which served as the backdrop to the big year of 2007.

Left: A ‘river' in Foggy Bottom covers all seasons…and continues to another bed leading to a weeping Atlantic Cedar, Cedrus atlantica Glauca Pendula. The river, here in early summer, is of Heuchera Prince, interplanted with Allium Purple Sensation. Below: Thee years after planting, this elevated view in summer, shows the drama that can be achieved using Geranium Rozanne as a ’river’. This is a garden designed by Adrian Bloom in northern Germany.

popular feature in recent years, a Winter Garden. Apart from the Dell Garden which is able to retain its historic collection of perennials, the gardens are changing year by year as woody plants mature and need pruning or thinning. With nearly 8,000 different plants in the collection, the gardens continue to give us quite a challenge with renewal and ongoing maintenance. All the better for us to show the gardens at their best throughout the year and for us to continue to learn and pass some of the knowledge on. Whether it fully realizes it or not, apart from having to make a living, the passion of growing plants and finding ways of reaching other gardeners has and

Planning was done several months ahead when I started to mark out the beds in the winter of 20062007. The area we planned to use was roughly an acre in size, included an old tennis court with a crumbling macadam surface. It was situated between Weezie’s, a popular children’s garden, and the front of the large mansion and the Italianate Garden. Local horticulturist and landscaper Paul Miskovsky had volunteered to use his machinery do the heavy work in preparing the area for planting, creating some undulations on this flat site. Unfortunately there were some heavy rains during the preparation period which meant conditions weren’t ideal. Lessons to be learnt here

in preparing well ahead, and although it looked alright, part of the garden where the tennis court had been, had poor drainage leading to some losses of our star perennial, Geranium Rozanne. Joe Kunkel and a MHS team had done a great job of promoting this planting and a welcoming sign had been put up for the day, and over 150 volunteers were ready to help. The volunteers of all ages (and sizes!), including a children’s group, were straining at the leash to be given a job and some had to be held back until I had a head start putting out enough plants. Although I had some idea about where certain plants might go I had no design to follow, only experience of the plants and their preferences. No pressure then!

THE DAY BRESSINGHAM GARDEN AT ELM BANK WAS BORN We might have chosen some different conditions, but as we all know we can’t choose the weather. I had flown in from the UK direct to Logan Airport, Boston on Tuesday 31st July 2007. Having missed the heavy rainfall, and was told this was extreme—4 inches in an hour!—I wanted to make sure that the garden was ready

Bottom: The site in turmoil after heavy rains, but on the 2nd of August, Paul Miskovsky and staff from his landscape business were moving soil, planting trees and setting out substantial sized rocks.

Top: At the latter end of a very hot day this picture says it all. The group of volunteers made it a day to remember, and it is this picture that should be remembered as we look at the garden. Please have on file in your mind, too, the wonderful letter I received from Dotti Guiffre. But of course this was only the start. Middle: Getting them Young! It was a great initiative for MHS to organise special t-shirts for the day, and for the very keen youngsters who were in their Junior Master Gardener program. Here they are being shown how to plant some of the perennials by one of the MHS tutors. They were allowed to stay in the shade as the heat was brutal as it headed towards 95°F.

for the big planting day of Friday August 3rd. The next day was for heavy machinery with irrigation being installed, and Thursday as the temperature rose to 93°F, Paul Miskovsky used his digger to help get some of the tree specimens planted and we positioned a few rocks to make the site a more interesting landscape. Bob Feige was then in charge of this development for MHS and many members of the committee came to see what was happening.

AUGUST 3, 2007 Bob collected me from my hotel at 6am, and since we knew it would be a long hot day, we also knew the first hours in the relative cool would be most productive. Paul Tukey, author and then TV producer had left his home at 3am and was pivotal in helping keep the volunteers happy with educational breaks between their planting sessions. I made an entry in the evening of that day, when the temperature reached 95°F, “an amazing sight to have staff, trustees and member volunteers, many well over 70, the oldest 93, all helping to plant in the heat.” Young 6 to 12 year old Master Gardeners

Left: There was a plan drawn after I had put out the flags marking the beds , grass pathways also planned for visitors and to set off the planting. Below: The sign mentioning the planting day and giving thanks to the many sponsors who supplied plants or services free of charge to Joe Kunkel, who organised the day with MHS staff. Literally hundreds of quality plants had been donated to fit Adrian’s ‘Want List,’ although only an outline plan had been drawn.

were shown how and where to plant. The enthusiasm can be seen from the photographs taken on the day, and hopefully those involved will look back to remember the occasion. Still very fresh in my memory I put a photograph in my book, Bloom’s Best Perennials and Grasses, suggesting that it would be great to “bottle up” that enthusiasm and spread it around.

THE REALITY OF GARDENING But we all know we can’t expect to keep up that level of enthusiasm, and although we can build instant gardens, as gardeners we also know this is not the way most people garden, or might want to garden. True gardening is a much slower process and every garden, or part of a garden has its own challenges and its own way to success. The model outlined to you from our experience in developing our gardens at Bressingham England and elsewhere is in contradiction to the instant garden at the Gardens at Elm Bank. Here there were losses due to areas of poor drainage, as always some plants succeeded and others failed (although not too many). Plants have to be accommodated for growth, weeds need to be kept under control, sunny areas over time become shady and tree roots can provide competition for moisture. That’s gardening!

In Foggy Bottom we are now regularly moving or removing plants. We want to keep some vistas open to view, some key plants not to be smothered, and new areas are created to use different plant combinations. A garden has to be helped to ‘grow old’ gracefully. Primarily because of COVID, I haven’t visited the Gardens at Elm Bank since 2018 and some thinning and replanting needs to be done.

Hopefully the Bressingham Garden at the Gardens at Elm Bank continues to serve as not only a place to enjoy the colour and seasonal changes, but also as a place to learn… as our Bressingham Garden is in England. What plants have succeeded? What is the best time to see them? Sun? Shade? Where might they grow in my garden? And maybe… where can I get them? Considering the difficulties of recent times when MHS has been rebuilding, much progress has been made in the whole management of the Society. I look forward to my next visit, and it is great that MHS has such loyal and enthusiastic followers. Hopefully more will come and the gardens as a whole will be recognised as something special.

Adrian Bloom continues to garden at Bressingham and will be giving an exclusive talk to MHS members and a wide audience on why Gardening is for Everyone on March 20, 2022 at 2pm. It's a unique opportunity to see behind the scenes of many of the gardens Adrian and helpers have created and plants and combinations that can be used. Check www.thebressinghamgardens.com for an overview of Bressingham, England. Sign up for Adrian's talk here!

FUNGUS GNAT CONTROL: A

ike many homeowners who purchase plants, receive them as gifts, or grow them from seed, I’ve struggled to control outbreaks of fungus gnats. You may have noticed these tiny, slow flying insects and thought they were fruit flies, which they approximate in size. These insects can sometimes become very numerous and annoying, though they are harmless to humans. Beyond the nuisance factor, the real problem is not the adult flies, but rather their larvae, which feed on plant roots and stems. When populations are high, stunted or even dead plants can result. So population control can be important, especially when propagating plants. Small seedlings and rooted cuttings are especially vulnerable to the damage caused by the larvae.

• • •

by Josep

imidacloprid. Biological controls, such as Bacillus thuringiensis v. israelensis, and beneficial nematodes. Yellow sticky traps can trap significant numbers of adult flies, but this is after the damage to roots has already been done by the larval stage. Heating the peat can kill the eggs.

What are Fungus Gnats? Species harmful to plants are in the family Sciaridae, under the order Diptera (True Flies). Like all flies, they undergo complete metamorphosis, meaning they have 4 distinct stages: egg, larvae, pupae and adult. Eggs can be found in numbers in dry peat moss, such as can be bought by the bale. Peat is a common ingredient the medium in which many commercially purchased plants are grown, and can be a mechanism for introducing them into the home.

I’ve tried many of these methods over the years, with limited results. Neem oil provided little relief. Other chemicals did not work consistently. Imidacloprid can be effective, but it affects plant growth if the dosage is not carefully controlled. Overdosing will virtually stop plant growth. B. thuringiensis was not effective at all. Yellow sticky traps can reduce the adult population, but not enough to stop the infestation. Heating the peat (via pouring boiling water over it, or baking in the oven) before use appears to work, but is a bit of work, and will be only temporarily effective if adult gnats invade from other areas.

Conventional Control Methods A web search will show that there are many methods being marketed to control fungus gnats, including: • Relatively benign chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, Neem oil and pyrethrins. • More heavy-duty chemicals, such as

An Alternative I live in a semi-rural area where a brown centipede is frequently seen. Centipedes are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda. The species Lithobius forficatus, family Lithobiidae, originated in Europe and has spread to North America. This is most likely the species being seen, as it fits the general description, including an extreme aversion to light. They are chestnut brown, long bodied with 7 pair of legs at hatching and up to 15 pairs of legs at maturity, not the 100 their name would suggest (see photo below). Size ranges from a fraction of an inch for juveniles, to 1+ inch

Eggs can survive for years, hatching once the peat or medium is wetted. Larvae are hard to see without significant magnification. Using a dissecting scope, I’ve observed larvae tunneling inside small roots barely larger than the diameter of the tiny larvae. Adults are dark colored, rather frail and slow flying, tending to fly in small loops within limited spaces. They can often be seen landing on the surface of the medium, where they lay their eggs. Having a short life cycle (1 month), they can rapidly increase their population if they are in a favorable environment and control measures are not taken.

Some people have reported Left: Stunted seedling during a fun success with virtually all Right: Healthy seedling when kep methods mentioned. My experience is that none of them are consistently effective and sometimes negatively affect plant growth, or else are quite a bother to implement. Some are not cheap.

AN EASY, NATURAL METHOD

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for adults. They live for up to 5 years. This centipede is found virtually everywhere in my area – under logs and rocks, within leaf litter and loose soil. The easiest way to find them is to turn over a log or rock in the woods. They move fast when suddenly exposed to light, the most elusive centipede in their family. One has to be quick to catch them before they dive under leaf litter or into the soil. They have a specially adapted pair of forelegs which resemble fangs with venom for overpowering their prey. Though centipedes in general are venomous and some can inflict painful bites, this species appears to be harmless, as handling them with bare hands has never resulted in a bite. Possibly they are small enough to be incapable of piercing human skin.

Knowing that these arthropods are carnivores, and wondering if they would prey on the fungus gnat larvae, 5 years ago I captured several and released them within trays of potted rhododendron seedlings kept under lights. This was in the fall when fungus gnats were becoming common in the growing area. Centipedes ngus gnat outbreak seem to be most plentiful and pt under control easiest to find in the fall. Since fall is the start of the seedling growing season for me, the timing is perfect. They must be caught before the weather turns too cold, however, as they disappear from view following several days of freezing weather when the ground begins to freeze. The pots into which the centipedes were released had not been treated with chemicals or any other control methods. Over the course of the next month or so the population of adult fungus gnats declined precipitously to the point where one had to look hard to find any. On occasion, I would see one of the centipedes crawl from one pot to another and quickly dive down into the soil. It seemed like strong evidence that the centipedes were

responsible for the monumental reduction in gnat numbers. During the subsequent 2 years, I neglected to capture and release centipedes into the pots. The population of fungus gnats returned to plague proportions both years.

In the fall of 2020 I captured 5 adult-sized centipedes and released them into the pots. At the time of their release, adult fungus gnats were again easily seen but not yet abundant. The population of gnats subsequently declined and stayed at a very low level for the duration of the winter, mirroring what had occurred the first year of this trial. It was never necessary to resort to other control methods for the rest of that growing season. I’ve released several centipedes into seedling pots for the 2021/2022 growing season and so far the population of adult gnats remains very low. The centipedes are reproducing within the pots, as numerous times when up-potting plants or moving pots I’ve encountered juveniles. Possibly pregnant females were among those released. This is a welcome sign. I have never seen these centipedes wandering elsewhere in the house. They are only found within the pots or trays the pots are kept in.

In one study published in 2021, the same species of centipede, Lithobius forficatus, was found to be efficient at killing another type fly, this one in the genus Drosophila (fruit fly). It appears that their use as a biological control is starting to be noticed. They could prove to be a very easy, free, and environmentally friendly way to control fungus gnats for those who have access to environments where they are found.

Brown Centipede, Lithobius forficatus, about 1”

Joe Bruso is a Hybridizer, propagator and grower of rhododendron species and unusual hybrids, with a focus on attractive foliage in addition to the flowers. Maintains a 3+ acre woodland display garden in Hopkinton, MA with the hardy species and many hybrids of his own creation. President of the Mass. Chapter American Rhododendron Society.

Take a Walk on the Wild Side Reviewed by Patrice Todisco Beyond Wild: Gardens and Landscapes by Raymond Jungles with an introduction by Michael Van Valkenburgh Monacelli Press, 240pp, $60.00

The Jungle Garden by Philip Oostenbrink with photographs by Sarah Cuttle Filbertpress, 224pp, $39.99

uring the bitter cold of January, the allure of verdant landscapes beckons. While it’s a fine time to plan for spring and summer, it is also the season when a dose of greenery is needed more than ever. At this time of year, we all benefit from adventuring (even if it is a virtual experience) into tropical worlds.

Let the work of contemporary Miami-based landscape architect, Raymond Jungles begin your journey. In the visually stunning Beyond Wild, 21 of his completed projects are profiled, accompanied by full-color photographs, sketches, renderings, and site plans. This is a beautiful book full of beautiful places. Book your ticket now.

Among the featured work are both public and private projects of varied typologies including two new gardens at the Naples Botanical Garden in Florida (it’s a direct flight); the restoration of the iconic Atrium Garden at the Ford Foundation for Social Justice in New York City, originally designed by the Office of Dan Kiley as a temperate New England Forest; The Modernist Garden honoring Jungle’s mentor, Brazilian landscape architect

Roberto Burle Marx at the New York Botanical Garden; and the Leon Levy Plant Reserve in Eleuthera, Bahamas.

This is the fourth monograph to focus on Jungle’s work. From large-scale landscapes surrounding luxury residential complexes to intimate private gardens sited in both naturalistic and urban settings, his designs are bold, inventive, and artfully conceived using a wide range of plant material. Formal and informal elements combine to create what is best described as a joyful wildness. Jungles is known for projects that respond to, restore, and preserve a site’s natural systems and ecologies on a micro-scale. Melding built and natural environments, his completed gardens are

designed to personify timelessness and beauty, creating places where people can experience, contemplate, and appreciate the natural world. Committed to innovation and craft, his work is informed by rigor, research, and curiosity.

And if you are curious about how you might design an inspired garden paradise at home, The Jungle Garden by Philip Oostenbrink, will provide the tools you need to do so. Attractively designed with beautiful photographs, it is ideal for gardeners of all skill levels who wish to incorporate lush foliage plants into their backyard or garden of any size.

to do so. Using plant combinations that focus on foliage rather than flowers and combining plants for visual interest are key. Oostenbrink notes what works and why, profiles a list of ten leaf shapes to consider, includes a series of gardens that provide inspiration, provides tips for cultivation, and in a final chapter, “Jungle Plants A – Z,” features just over a hundred plants suitable for the jungle garden.

And here’s the good news. Many of the plants featured are familiar to those of us who garden in New England, while their visual interest is seasonal. Nonetheless, Head gardener Oostenbrink at English reminds us that Heritage’s the wider the Walmer Castle variety of plants and Gardens grown, the more in Kent, beneficial it is to Oostenbrink the ecosystem, was born in the even if that Netherlands means keeping where as a child tropical plants he gardened with in pots on your his grandmother patio or balcony. Image by Sarah Cuttle, from The Jungle Garden with his A jungle garden first plant collection composed of species of is within reach of us all with a bit of creative Sempervivum and other alpine succulents. His interpretation. passion for jungle gardens was ignited during a visit to Tresco Abbey Garden on the Isles of Scilly in Creativity is key during these winter months, and if 1998 you are seeking inspiration (or just a megadose of and cemented during a 2015 life-changing visit green) there are greenhouses, open to the public, to Will Giles’s Exotic Garden in Norfolk. Giles, an that you can visit. While the Margaret C. Ferguson artist, and photographer who wrote two books, Greenhouses at the Wellesley College Botanic The New Exotic Garden (2000) and Encyclopedia of Gardens are slated to reopen in the spring, consider Exotic Plants for Temperate Climates (2007), had a trip to Historic New England’s Lyman Estate developed a highly acclaimed “subtropical garden Greenhouse (thought to be the oldest in the U.S.), in a temperate climate.” An exotic endeavor for Smith College's Lyman Conservatory, Tower Hill its place and time, it is sadly no longer open to the Botanic Garden’s Limonaia and the Roger Williams public. Park Botanical Center. The Jungle Garden is a masterclass in the art of designing a garden that uses hardy foliage plants as its central design feature and Oostenbrink carefully walks the reader through every step necessary

You can view the work of Raymond Jungles here. A presentation by Philip Oostenbrink on The Jungle Garden can be viewed here.

Patrice Todisco writes about parks and gardens at the award-winning blog, Landscape Notes.

From the Stacks

By Maureen T. O’Brien, Library Manager

A book is made from a tree. It is an assemblage of flat, flexible parts (still called “leaves”) imprinted with dark pigmented squiggles. One glance at it and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, the author is speaking, clearly and silently, inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people, citizens of distant epochs, who never knew one another. Books break the shackles of time—proof that humans can work magic. Carl Sagan (1934-1996) From its inception in 1829, an objective of the Society was to establish a library of books to promote and improve the science of horticulture and its offerings to share its offerings with members and the public. At its founding meeting on March 17, 1829, it established a Standing Committee on the Library and began to collect books, periodicals, drawings, models and new horticultural implements. In 1829, it appointed Thomas Aspinwall and Isaac Barnet as its agents in London and Paris, respectively to accomplish this goal.

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Featured Collection ― Books

The Library’s book collections include rare books in climate-controlled storage, a unique 18th century collection of horticultural books and contemporary books. In the past, the Library was the foremost horticultural library in the country. Given the advancements in science, and the growth in universities and publishing, the broad scope of the Library narrowed over the years. Today the Library is Special Horticultural Library with a focus on New England and horticultural literature of general interest.

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This December we received a generous contribution to purchase books from our Amazon Wishlist to add to our Collections. Here is a summary of these books: •

The Power of Scenery: Frederick Law Olmsted and the Origin of National Parks. Dennis Drabelle. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2021. With the upcoming celebrations of Olmsted’s 200 birthday this year, this timely book examines Olmsted’s influence on our national park system that began with his 1865 management plan for Yosemite. Drabelle

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contends that “… Olmsted and the Genius of Civilization were one, and the national parks were their legacy.” This book is an easy read of 216 pages. Drabelle sets the stage for his apotheosis with his opening lines - “The setting is a smoke-filled room, probably San Francisco. The time is November 1865. The occasion is a rump meeting of the Yosemite Park Commission…The commission’s great catch was Frederick Law Olmsted.” What Linnaeus Saw: A Scientist's Quest to Name Every Living Thing. Karen Magnuson Beil. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2019. This Book was the winner of the 2020 Council of Botanical and Horticultural Libraries Award of Excellence in Children and Young Adult Literature. Although he struggled with formal education, Linnaeus thrived studying the natural world. This engaging book introduces young adults to one of the most important figures in modern day science. Urban Forests: A Natural History of Trees and People in the American Cityscape, Jill Jonnes. New York: Viking, 2016. Jonnes claims that the modern American city is a great place to look and learn about trees “because this fundamentally unnatural environment has a far bigger variety than any crowded real forest.” She presents a history of trees in American cities, describes their pests and explains how they benefit our urban environment. Her renditions of stories about notable personages in this history are engaging and enlightening, humanizing the emerging science and its politics. Emily Dickinson's Gardening Life: The Plants and Places That Inspired the Iconic Poet, by Marta McDowell. Portland: Timber Press, 2019. Using a “year in the life” format, award winning

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author McDowell explores this beloved poet’s love of nature as reflected in Dickinson’s writings and art. This beautifully illustrated book is not a biography but focuses on the poet’s garden, her inspiration and her connection with nature. It includes a chart with plants cultivated by the Dickinsons with references to poems, letters or herbaria in which the plant is referenced. This is a lovely book to peruse before visiting the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst, Massachusetts. The Heartbeat of Trees: Embracing Our Ancient Bond with Forests and Nature. Peter Wohlleben, translated by Jane Billinghurst. Vancouver/ Berkeley: Greystone Books, 2021. This New York Times bestselling author Wohlleben runs a forest academy in Germany that supports sustainable forest management and education. While this book discusses the latest in scientific discoveries, Wohlleben presents the data in ordinary terms that any reader can relate to. He gives you an understanding of the forest and guides you on experiencing it firsthand. After reading a chapter, you will want to take a walk in the woods to explore, understand and use your senses!

Do you love book clubs and books about horticulture? Look for the ad in this Leaflet seeking expressions of interest in this new activity or let us know you're interested here! In the Windows – Flower Markets of the World Last month’s From the Stacks discussed our Flower Markets of the World Project. This month we feature the mail from the South American countries of Brazil, Chile and Peru here.

In the Windows – Our New Books & Books for Sale The Library has a wide range of used horticultural books for sale, most in the $1 to $5 range. Consider dropping by and picking out a book for yourself or for a gift. Second-hand gifting is an environmentally friendly way to reduce your environmental footprint. Used books fit that bill perfectly!

Our Collections are Growing… Thank you to the Agnes Hunsicker, Irene DelBono and Diana Conroy for their donations in kind.

Historically, the Society would publish new acquisitions in the Library in its Transactions. We continue that tradition today. Here is the list of the 357 books added to the Library’s Collections in 2021. Not listed are the ephemera, pamphlets and periodicals acquired by donations.

Consider donating a book or two to the Library from the Society’s Amazon Smile Wishlist. Many of them reasonably priced children’s books. Make sure you leave your name and we will thank you in the next Leaflet. Then come to the Library and borrow some books— one of your membership benefits! Borrowing books from a Library is a great green way to reduce your consumption. Come Visit… The Library is open by appointment and when the lights are on. Please email Library Manager Maureen O’Brien mobrien@masshort.org for an appointment if you want a scheduled visit.

The Gardens at Elm Bank Open April 1-October 31 Classes, Programs Year-round

Massachusetts Horticultural Society 900 Washington St Wellesley, MA masshort.org | 617.933.4900