JANUARY 2023
Leaflet A MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY PUBLICATION
CONTACT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Wayne Mezitt waynem@westonnurseries.com MANAGING EDITOR Meghan Connolly mconnolly@masshort.org TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 From the President's Desk James Hearsum 4 Upcoming in the Garden 6 Vegetables Worth Growing from Seed By C.L. Fornari 14 Real Yankees are cut from their own cloth. By John Lee 20 Recuperate By Catherine Cooper 24 "Dead-of-Winter" Musing By Wayne Mezitt 28 From the Stacks By Maureen T. O'Brien
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK
In a performance driven world, it is easy to lose sight of the natural and healthy need to pause for recovery and recuperation. It is built into the ebb and flow of life - a nightly sleep, a weekly rest, seasonal holidays, and vacations. In our drive to succeed, we sometimes see these as hinderances, as obstacles to our next accomplishment. And when we do, we are making a mistake. These are not merely incidental to the pursuit of a meaningful life but built into its very design.
So too with the landscapes and nature around us. Any farmer will tell you that technology can stretch and expand the potential of the land, but nothing can permanently replace the need for rotation and rest. So, as we enter the dark and cold months, let us find joy in the natural cadence of life. Here at the Garden at Elm Bank, as you will at home, we switch our focus to protection and replenishment of the garden, allowing time for recovery. We will be working on paths and trees, the infrastructure, and planning for the season ahead. We look forward as we pore through our final plant selections for next year to those first shoots of growth that mark the new season, even now not far ahead.
I trust that you have all enjoyed a restful and peaceful holiday time.
James Hearsum President & Executive Director
MHS Leaflet | 3
CLASSES: learn something VIEW DECEMBER MHS Book Club NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, January 17 1:30pm Wilding your Perennial Garden: Designing the Naturalistic Pollinator Flower Garden 3 Session Workshop Starts January 25, 2023 10am-2pm 4 | January 2023
something new this year! DECEMBER CALENDAR MHS Leaflet | 5 Foundations of Botanical Drawing and Painting Starts January 30, 2023 10am-1pm Six-Week Spring Ikebana Course Starts March 7, 2023 6-8pm Starts February 23, 2023 6:30-7:15pm Designed for beginners and experienced gardeners, this course is designed to cover the basics of plant knowledge and care in New England and provides students with the knowledge to solve many of the problems commonly faced in keeping plants healthy. Topics include soils and soil amendments; plant physiology and identification methods; planting, pruning, propagation and operation techniques; plant selection and planning guidelines; pest and disease control. The course also includes an introduction to taxonomy. FEATURED CLASS
Vegetables Worth Growing From Seed
By C.L. Fornari
I’ll admit that it’s much easier to go into the garden center in May and pick up pots and six-packs of vegetable plants. You can purchase and plant in one day, without worrying about seed-starting timetables or germination rates. Plants offer the home grower instant satisfaction and a head start toward harvest. Yet there are many vegetables that aren’t usually available as young plants, and if you want to grow those varieties, you’ll need to start them from seed. So every January when I put in my seed orders, these seven vegetables are always on my must-grow list.
Broccoli Raab (Brassica rapa) seeds can either be started indoors or go directly into the ground. In my part of Massachusetts, we plant these, along with arugula and lettuce, in early May but those wanting an earlier start could grow these indoors under lights, starting about five weeks before the last expected frost. This is also a good plant to sow after your garlic is harvested, because it will be ready to harvest from the end of summer into the fall.
Although the flowers on this vegetable resemble broccoli, it’s actually more closely related to mustard greens and shares their slightly bitter flavor. This is a fast-growing plant that’s ready for harvest in 45 to 50 days. It’s very nutritious, containing iron, calcium, potassium, plus vitamins K, C, and A. Raab, which is sometimes spelled Rabe, is also very high in anticancer and virus fighting substances. What I appreciate most about this plant is that it’s easy to grow and versatile in the kitchen.
You’ll want to grow broccoli raab in full sun, although it can tolerate some early morning or late afternoon shade. Plants can be grown
Cut the entire broccoli raab plants just before the flowers open and use the leaves, should try broccoli raab tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper, cooked on a vegetable grow in between later vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers. By the time shine, the fast-growing broccoli raab has already been harvested.
6 | January 2023
Any salad is instantly made tastier by adding Nasturtium leaves and flowers. Here, cooked faro was tossed with some lemon vinaigrette and finely chopped garden chives.
Lightly steamed filet beans and cucumbers from the garden add crunch and are complimented by the slightly spicy flavor of the Nasturtiums.
very close together, making it a good crop for small gardens. Although flea beetles can make holes in the leaves, those never show when the plant is cooked so they are seldom worth treating.
Pick the entire plant and cook the flower buds and leaves together. This vegetable is great when braised in olive oil with garlic, and then tossed with balsamic vinegar before serving. It’s also good in stir-fry combined with tofu or other vegetables and a sweet and sour sauce. And like other bitter flavors, broccoli raab combines well with creamy sauces, so can be chopped into lasagna or served with polenta or risotto with Parmesan cheese. leaves, flower buds and stems. Those who love to barbeque vegetable grill pan for two minutes. This is a great crop to time those taller plants begin to dominate the space and sun-
MHS Leaflet | 7
Cucamelons look like tiny watermelons, but taste like cucumbers. Once growing, Melothria scabra is quite productive, giving you plenty to snack on, serve during the cocktail hour, or add to salads.
Cucamelons (Melothria scabra) are an especially interesting and ornamental vegetable. It is native in Mexico, and is sometimes called the Mexican sour gherkin or Mexican cucumber. The vines are thin and need the support of fencing that’s at least four feet tall, since this plant grows quite long. I’ve found the most success starting this plant in small pots, either inside or outdoors where the earwigs, slugs and bunnies can’t get to them when they’re most vulnerable. Once the vines are about six inches tall, I transplant them into the garden.
You can grow these watermelon look-alikes in containers or hanging baskets. Since the vine is ornamental, these would also be a good choice for an obelisk in the center of a big pot or box. Since the plants prefer warm weather, you can also grow them on the same supports where you grow snap peas. Plant the small cucamelon plants in between the pea plants in mid-June, where they’ll fill the fencing after the dried pea stems are removed later in July.
The fruit is very crunchy and tastes like a cucumber, so use these as snacks, in salads, or for making pickles. These are also fun to spear with a toothpick and use to garnish sandwiches or cocktails.
8 | January 2023
Most home gardens don’t have a great deal of space, so we look for vegetables that will bear for long periods of time. This mid-October harvest from the author’s Cape Cod garden included Mad Hatter peppers, Pantheon summer squash, Buffalo Sun tomatoes and arugula.
Mad Hatter F1 hybrid peppers were designated an All America Selection vegetable in 2018, and after I grew them that year, I knew that they’d always have a spot in my vegetable garden. Although I’ve seen these listed as slightly spicy when grown in acidic soils, I’ve never found them to be so. What I have experienced is that they are extremely prolific, especially later in the season. Like most peppers, they are ready to harvest 65 to 75 days after planting, so it’s best to start the seeds indoors. Germination can take two weeks or more, and a seed-starting heat mat can be helpful. I plant these under lights in late February or early March.
Mad Hatter plants grow to about 3 feet tall and do best when staked or supported by cages. The fruit has three “noses” and is a bit flattened on the bottom, making seed removal and chopping easy. These noses also form small cups that are perfect for filling with hummus or other dips. When I pick dozens in a day, I’ll toss them in a little olive oil and roast them in the oven; from there they can be frozen or tossed them into any dish for a sweet pepper flavor.
The flowers on Malabar spinach look pearl-like in late summer, making this a plant that’s as desirable for climbing ornamental structures as it is for earlyseason eating.
Malabar Spinach seeds can be found with stems that are green (Basella alba) or red (Basella rubra). This tender perennial is native to tropical Asia, and is grown in many parts of the world. It’s most delicious when the leaves are young, but it’s most ornamental when the vines grow taller and start to flower in late summer. Since the leaves have a mucilaginous quality, similar to okra, chopped foliage can be added to thicken sauces, stews and soups.
MHS Leaflet | 9
Red noodle bean plants love the heat, so don’t put the seeds in the ground too early in spring. Like zucchini, the beans seem to multiply overnight, so pick them at least every other day when they’re forming. ◢
Basela is a great plant to grow on small, ornamental trellises or arbors since it doesn’t overwhelm the structure. Start the seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last expected frost, and be sure not to plant them outside until the night temperatures are reliably above 50°F. The plants may not grow much until nights are above 60°F, but the plant will take off once it’s warmer. If you want to share some with others, bend a stem down so it touches moist soil, where it’s likely to root.
Red Noodle Bean (Vigna unguiculata) seeds can be planted right in the ground next to a support that is at least five feet tall. The vines and flowers are ornamental, and when they pods start to form you can almost watch them lengthen. One day they will be thin and wispy, and the next afternoon the pods will be 18” long and ready to harvest! Although this plant is a form of cow-pea, the pods taste like beans. Unlike the true purple bean, however, these pods keep their color when cooked.
Plant noodle bean seeds directly into the ground at the same time you would put tomato plants in the garden. I often dust my Vigna seedlings with diatomaceous earth when they are very small to prevent slugs and earwigs from damaging them. Once the plants are over 6” tall and have toughened up, no protection is necessary.
Pick the pods when they are still smooth, before the developing seeds make them lumpy. I’ve found that they can be sautéed, steamed, or brushed with oil and tossed on the barbeque grill. I’ve served them in salad, pasta sauce, added to curry or chili, and chopped into soup. In other words, they can go in any ethnic direction when you’re cooking.
Trailing Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) is one of my have-to-growthese edibles. I know, I know…you’re wondering what a flower is doing in a list of vegetables. But in our Cape Cod garden we grow this plant to eat, as well as for the flowers that the hummingbirds love. While you can find small packs and pots of the dwarf varieties of this annual from the Andes, if you want the sprawling variety that provides daily meals, you’ll need to plant seeds of ‘Empress of India’ or other tailing varieties.
10 | January 2023
Climbing nasturtiums can be allowed to scramble up fences, shrubs or taller annuals such as dahlias. They can scramble around broccoli and squash plants, or drape over walls. Flowers and leaves can be harvested all summer until hard frost.
MHS Leaflet | 11
are
Both the flowers and the leaves are edible, and their slightly spicy flavors are wonderful in salad, fish tacos or sushi rolls. When planted in full sun and well-drained soil, nasturtiums will grow and bloom all summer. You can let them weave around taller plants in the vegetable garden or have the stems climb structures such as the garden fence. This annual will often self-seed, so be on the lookout for seedlings in May.
Don’t worry about the aphids that you’ll occasionally see on the buds or underside of the leaves; when you grow the climbing types, there’s enough plant for people and insects and you can pick the parts that are bug-free. And be sure to look at this plant after a rain…when you pick the leaves for your garden salad, you’ll see that they display raindrops like groups of diamonds on green velvet. The leaves are superhydrophobic, meaning that they have a surface that repels water so the raindrops stay round.
Zephyr Squash is a hybrid summer squash developed by Rob Johnston of Johnny’s Seeds. The fruit are yellow and green on the outside with dense, nutty-flavored flesh in the center. I especially love the taste of these squash when harvested at six to eight inches long. Like most summer squash, Zephyr produces so much on four to six plants that you can pick them almost daily. But beyond flavor and productivity, I value the plant’s ability to produce even when infected with powdery mildew.
12 | January 2023
There is something so satisfying about picking the Zephyr squash when the flower is still attached. The young summer squash
especially flavorful, and you can even chop up the flower and add it to what you’re preparing. Picking squash daily, when they’re very young, is the answer to a “too much zucchini” problem.
Most gardeners in the Northeast battle the fungal mildew in their gardens. Even when sprayed regularly with an organic fungicide, by August most summer squash will show signs of this disease. In my gardens some zucchini varieties will die from the mildew even though we use a bacterial or neem-based fungicide regularly. But Zephyr, despite having mildew, will continue to produce new growth and squash into October.
Too Many Seeds?
Those who have small home vegetable gardens are often hesitant to purchase seed packets that contain far more than they need. “Why buy 25 Mad Hatter seeds when you only have room for four plants?” they wonder. In these cases, it works well to join forces with three or four other people. Form a small “seed and plant collective” in your neighborhood or with friends that makes the purchases less expensive, and can also lead to social gatherings and opportunities to share plants started indoors. Growing vegetables from seed can cultivate friendships along with freshness and flavor.
Turn any pizza dough into a garden pie by adding thinly sliced zucchini and sliced cherry tomatoes on top of the cheese when the pan is first put into the oven. Three or four minutes before the pizza is done, sprinkle arugula pieces and nasturtium flowers on top and return to the oven just long enough to wilt those additions.
C.L. Fornari is a writer, speaker and host of GardenLine on WXTK radio. One of her favorite things is to go into the summer vegetable garden at 5 PM and ask, “What’s for dinner?” She can be found at www.GardenLady.com.
MHS Leaflet | 13
Real Yankees are cut from their own cloth.
By John Lee
John shares stories of Bert and Brenda and their gardening wisdom. These chronicles feature recipes, tried-and-true gardening practices, and seasonal struggles and successes. If you would like to read more about Bert and Brenda, they were first introduced in the March 2022 issue of Leaflet.
Or so thought Judge Learned Hand who came originally from up-state New York well before “up-state” was considered upstate. His given name was Billings Learned Hand and no relation to those who gave us Billings, Montana. (Those Billings all came from central Vermont. But that is beside the point.) Despite being a noted barrister and appellate court judge, he was also a bit of a Yankee philosopher for which he was equally well-known in his day.
Only a few hard-bitten Yankees to this day hue to Hand’s most famous off-the-bench musing preferring to stick to what they knew or what their parents had drummed into their heads rather than veer off into unknown waters of new ideas. Brenda, coming from ‘somewhere else’ (albeit just down the road) was a bit more comfortable with novelty than her beloved, Bert, who had long-since disproved the intrinsic value of a
college education and tended to be a bit of a stick-in-the-mud. He often said he knew what he knew and was quite comfortable with it, thank you very much! But he was not entirely socially obtuse. The very idea of living alone in his later years was thoroughly distasteful so he did sometimes lend an ear to Brenda’s sometimes seemingly irrelevant ideas about life and living.
They had been partners although their partnership had never produced children which more often than not cements a relationship. Theirs was channeled into self-sufficiency and community outside of their home. Both belonged to a number of fraternal organizations that fed their needs for comity and companionship, if at arm’s length. Their modus vivendi remained framed and focused on their homestead. There they both remained firmly rooted in their
14 | January 2023
cultural history although Brenda occasionally let in a breath of fresh air. Usually when that happened, Bert would audibly suck his teeth and reluctantly acquiesce to her good intentions.
Brenda’s intentions were not to antagonize Bert, but if she could get him to come around to her ’new’ ideas (Bert referred to these ideas as ‘new-fangled’), perhaps it might save one or both of them some work especially in their later years. Certainly, neither of them could or would ever contemplate leaving their now hallowed homestead. Neither could begin to countenance the privations of moving to the ‘Meadows,’ the poorly named old folks home where he could no longer garden,
she no longer cook. They would die there and such thoughts were simply figurative. Unless he could grow what she cooked, what was there to live for, they both wondered. But it was not entirely one-sided - she enjoyed their gardening as he enjoyed helping out in the kitchen. Leaving home was as unthinkable as eating TV dinners. Perhaps, as unwarranted as that may have seemed, life in the old folks home was a black hole – in their experience, those who went in never came out alive. That alone was sufficiently frightening for Bert to dote, if somewhat reluctantly, on his wife’s new-fangled ideas. If that could keep them on the farm, then he should listen up. He without her was unthinkable not simply
MHS Leaflet | 15
because he might not be able to do for himself. It was not her prowess in front to the stove that kept them together, rather he thought it was the pleasure of her company that made life worth living. Brenda thought he was slightly myopic on that point although such adoration was nothing short of flattering as the years slipped by.
Bert tended to have such musings as life headed into the bowels of winter. About the only thing changing in his view-shed was the shape of his wood-pile which was losing its once plenteous shape as fast as he put on a bit of winter weight. He reasoned that both would regain fit condition as the days lengthened and he could get outside for more than a few hours on a sunny day. Mostly, his winter wood for the following winter had been bucked and now only needed
the attention of sledge and wedge. Bert enjoyed splitting wood more than many of the domestic chores that required his attention. There was a rhythm and rhyme when straight-grained ash or mid-trunk maple cleaved cleanly when wellstruck and fell cleanly to the side. Like many a rural ’prepper,’ a pile of neatly stacked cordwood was a balm for his spirit. They would never freeze to death with a good supply of well-cured cord wood.
As on most any New England farmstead, Bert and Brenda’s gardens tend to be spread around and between bedrock knobs some as yet to see the light of day, others clearly prominent. Either way, his boulder-strewn soils were certain death to powered equipment. Bert had already buried several varieties of rototiller. They were beaten into submission in fairly short order. Hand cultivation was more difficult every year as he aged. Consequently, Brenda’s occasional thoughts about creating a new garden somewhere was usually met with lukewarm enthusiasm. (Her cut flower ‘business’ was beginning to bear fruit, so to
16 | January 2023
speak.) Each suggestion that more growing space might be nice was met with concomitant pangs of guilt about the additional work involved. Were there laborsaving, back-saving tools that might make the management of their existing gardens easier (never mind the work of an additional garden)? Bert liked his rototillers as bad as they bucked and jumped in their rocky soils. The local small equipment repair shop appreciated his devotion to small power equipment. Brenda shrewdly noticed that their equipment repair bills were starting to mount year over year. Could she convince Bert to think about tilling in a different way. Were there tools that could replace their tiller?
Despite end-of season recalcitrance, this winter, Bert was beginning to come around to Brenda’s blandishments. Was this the year when he might finally give over and trade the ‘tiller for tools that might be easier on his back (and less exasperating)? Bert sucked his teeth through these dinner table contre-temps. He loved his ‘tiller, as frustrating as it might be. In a darker moment he likened it to a marriage. It was
great when it worked; ‘nuff said. But this winter, Brenda pressed her case while trying not to hurt his feelings. Hand tool catalogues started to show up in the mail box. Some were ‘slightly’ powered and low-tech, others were truly hand tools designed to be ergonomically sensible. She showed him pictures of broad forks, oscillating hoes and similar tools.
So many thoughts and ideas just after a busy and successful growing season were a bit taxing on Bert. His idea for recuperating after a long season in the gardens was worrying about his beloved Patriots and their less than scintillating season. He let the catalogues pile up but on occasion he might be caught leafing through one or the others. Brenda took heart but said nothing. Maybe Bert would come around to her thinking about new-fangled ideas for getting work done with less exertion. Time would tell, perhaps, were she to bide her time and let him figure it out. In the meantime, she, too, could kick off her shoes, put her feet up in her easy chair with a good book and enjoy a little peace and quiet.
John Lee is the recently retired manager of MHS Gold Medal winner Allandale Farm, Cognoscenti contributor and president of MA Society for Promoting Agriculture. He sits on the Governor's Food Policy Council and UMASS Board of Public Overseers and is a longtime op-ed contributor to Edible Boston and other publications.
MHS Leaflet | 17
Olmsted Asian Garden Restoration
Project Update from Erin Fogarty, Historic
If you visited the Garden in the 2022 season, you may have noticed that the Olmsted Asian Garden underwent some rapid changes. As we reflect through the winter months, I thought I’d provide some updates as to what we’ve done and what we plan on doing next.
Over the past six months, I – with the help of some fearless interns, coworkers, and volunteers – have worked hard on manually removing invasive shrubs using no more than hand pruners, loppers, saws, and ambition. I cannot express the excitement that this brings: the first time we could see the actual shape of the pond (it’s still there!) after clearing a stand of buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula), I might have screamed in joy. I am so pleased to report that woody specimens have for the most part been removed from the area directly surrounding the pond, and we are well in progress on clearing through the woods.
While this is hard work, it certainly pays off. One of the benefits of removing invasive species individually by hand – as opposed to all at once using large machinery –is that it allows us to find specimens we’d like to keep which otherwise would be lost in the shuffle. In the process of clearing a large stand of aggressive honeysuckle (Lonicera
morrowii), I discovered historic specimens of mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) and snowball bush (Viburnum opulus). While these specimens are a little oddly shaped –the product of having to reach for light while being covered by climbing vines for half a century – they appear to be thriving, and I cannot wait to see them bloom up in the Spring.
In areas where we’ve flush cut woody invasives (namely, the 20 or so feet around the “front pond” and the approach to the bridge), we’ve laid down silage tarps, which will stay in place until just after last frost. These 6 mil plastic tarps – black on the top side, white on the soil-facing side – absorb and trap solar energy
18 | January 2023
Restoration & Repurposing
MAY JUNE
JULY
Historic and Conservation Horticulturist to functionally perform a “hard reset” on the soil, killing off unwanted seeds and encouraging microbiome development. While they only have to be in place for four weeks in hot months, we’re leaving them for an extended period of time just to be safe over winter. Once they come up, we will seed the area with a quick-sprouting grass – I like a nomow fescue mix – to outcompete anything that may try to spread.
reserved for small building projects, a majority of the wood is going to be used to build a dead hedge surrounding the garden at the woodland’s edge. A dead hedge is a simple construction – 5’ wooden 1”x1” garden stakes, placed three feet apart at 4-foot intervals, with wood and other plant biomass piled in between. Not only does this allow the wood to biodegrade slowly and naturally, it also creates a fence and provides a valuable habitat for insects, birds, and small mammals.
Expanding and developing the dead hedge is an important part of our future plans, but by no means all that will be going on at Olmsted in the coming months. While we’ll continue doing what we’ve been doing, we’ll also begin work to remove hazardous standing and downed trees within the wetland landscape. Once this is completed, we are able to safely welcome guests into the area via a series of temporary paths.
OCTOBER
With all this talk of woody species removal, you may be wondering what we’re doing with the (not insubstantial) byproduct that results. While some especially straight and long canes are being
I’m so grateful for all the excitement and support surrounding the Olmsted Asian Garden project and am excited for all of you to engage with the landscape in new and diverse ways as we go forward into the 2023 season and beyond.
MHS Leaflet | 19
R E C U P E R A T E
By Catherine Cooper
Come January the whirlwind that was the holiday season is over, resolutions have been made and we now settle into routine whether old or new. After several weeks of increased activity and socializing we can be left feeling in need of some rest. Even if a vacation is not on the cards a brief change of scene can recharge the batteries, so to speak.
For me it can be as simple and easy as taking a walk along one of the wooded trails in my neighborhood. The Japanese have a term for it, shinrin-yoku, which roughly translates as “taking in the medicine or atmosphere of the forest”, or forest bathing for short. Since the 1980s the Japanese have appreciated the physical and mental health values of spending some time in nature, and since then studies have been conducted round the world which confirm this.
20 | January 2023
Above: Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens)
It is only by chance that I came across this information confirming what I understood at a simple level: a walk in the woods is good for lifting the spirit. Forest bathing asks you to use your senses to notice your surroundings, large and small, to set aside the concerns and problems of everyday life and calm your mind by immersing yourself in the natural world. So with this in mind, let me describe for you the natural beauty that can be found on a simple short walk through the woods on a January day.
If we are lucky, January brings snow, which if the consistency and amount is just right will turn the countryside into a magical world where each branch and stem is outlined and dusted with white. However, for the most part the landscape remains bare of snow and therefore enables the natural world to be revealed in stark beauty. The trail in question leaves the road and passes through a couple of small fields on one side before entering the woods proper. This landscape of open fields on one side and pines and small deciduous trees on the other is the perfect environment for bluebirds, and in passing through I look to catch sight of the flash of blue feathers as they move away from me.
The truly wooded section starts with a boardwalk as this section is boggy, home to maples and birch which create a canopy of cool seclusion in summer, but this time of year will allow some sunlight in on clear days. However, my focus is usually directed downwards, not only to walk without slipping or tripping (the boardwalk undulates in two planes), but also because I am looking for signs of life. This is the world of summersweet and ostrich fern (dormant now), skunk cabbage and moss, which can be seen to some degree. Skunk cabbage is one of the earliest harbingers of spring, and will in fact start shooting while we are still in the midst of winter chill, due to its ability to generate its own warmth. Mild days will see it start to push up a bud from which each plant’s sinister-looking flower will emerge, and should the weather turn really cold, it sits in suspended animation, waiting for warmer times. There are tiny pointed shoots indicating where these plants are, but the vibrant green of this landscape comes from the hummocks of various mosses that grow at the base of trees, just above the water level. I am no expert on mosses, and cannot name any species, but it is obvious that several varieties grow here. From soft velvety mounds to long fern-like fingers that creep up tree trunks there is a wealth of visual interest in these small plants.
MHS Leaflet | 21
Once the boardwalk ends, the trail climbs a little, the land becomes drier and pines and oaks are the predominant trees. It can be quiet here - the sound of traffic and the outside world is deadened, and in cold weather the birds can be focused on searching for food rather than singing. Chickadees with their distinctive call are the ones most frequently heard, but crows and jays are not uncommon. Occasionally, a woodpecker can be heard tapping in its search for insects. Again, my passage is audible to all wildlife and whether I am able to see or hear them is dependent on how much of a threat they view me to be. The only other natural sound that is occasionally audible is the wind. The trail is sheltered and it is only heard sighing or rushing through the treetops. So I make my own sound, with my feet crunching on twigs and leaves.
Surveying what lies at the sides of the trail can reveal delicate patterns of lichen on tree trunks, or clusters of fungi, slowly disposing of dead or declining trees. These small scalloped mushrooms, with the apt common name of turkey tail mushroom provide ringed layers of color and beauty in shades of gray and brown. The ground under the pines and oaks is by contrast a vibrant rusty brown from the carpet of fallen needles and leaves. Scattered among the foliage are what look like miniature fir trees, but are in fact examples of a type of clubmoss, one of whose common names is ground pine. At three to four inches tall, they look as if they belong in a fairy garden.
22 | January 2023
Top Left: Turkey tail mushroom (Trametes podiopsida). Bottom: Moss
At the edges of the path and extending over fallen branches are more miniature plants: small shoots of partridgeberry, eye-catching with their proportionately large red berries.
At one point the trail skirts some open land, and here are chest-high stands of Canadian golden rod, still holding their fluffy seeds and looking like a ghostly form of their flowering selves. A European beech also grows nearby, now devoid of leaves, its smooth gray bark catches the eye, while its sweeping branches cause me to duck in order to follow the trail.
Ultimately this woodland trail gently returns me to civilization, ending as it does on a gravel road where traffic is infrequent and thus slowly returning me to the modern world. The thirty minutes or so I have spent focussed on walking and observing my surroundings are all that is needed to delight and soothe the senses, giving the fortitude to face everyday life. So whenever a little recuperation from the stresses of life is needed, head for the woods and some forest bathing!
Born in England, Catherine learned to garden from her parents and from that developed a passion for plants. Catherine is in charge of the greenhouse at Weston Nurseries - Chelmsford. When not at Weston Nurseries, she can often be found in her flower beds or tending to an ever-increasing collection of houseplants.
MHS Leaflet | 23
Trametes versicolor). Top Right: Clubmoss (Lyco-
Winter in this region generally encompasses the dozen weeks from December through February, but some years it can begin in November and last until March. All visible outdoor plant growth has finished, and plants enter into their dormant, survival state until warmer conditions appear again. This is the time each year that enables us to dream, imagine, reflect, and review past achievements and shortfalls. Even as daylight hours cease their
decline at the winter solstice, it takes many more weeks for most of us to even notice the negligible daily increases in light.
Dank and dreary, dark and dismal: those are typical terms we New Englanders use to describe January’s lackluster landscape. Particularly in snow sparse years, monochromatic tones of olivegreen, brown and grey evoke a faded, sepia-like view of the woodland. A welcome blessing of snow helps refine the scene with
Top Row, Left to Right: Stewartia; Trees arching Bottom Row: Stweartia in snow.
24 | January 2023
“DEAD-OF-WINTER” MUSING
By Wayne Mezitt
starker contrasts. Aptly, as our annual season of rest sets in, these perceptions define our moods, hopefully enabling us to relax and recoup our energies, peacefully awaiting spring’s eventual rebirth.
Although I prefer positivity rather than dwelling on negatives, during this time of year, even I find difficulty dispelling the doldrums. These shortest daylight days, cold temperatures and wet/ frozen ground all dampen my enthusiasm for being outdoors. The preponderance of dreary vistas can be boring, even depressing much of the time, and leaving the comforts of indoors
arching over roadway; Lichen on maples in swamp.
often becomes more of a burden than a pleasure.
Perhaps because winter is generally considered an “offseason” for gardens, most of us don’t pay as much attention to trees, shrubs and plants when they’re not actively growing. We accept as normal the fact that most this region’s deciduous plants are typically bare of foliage for all these weeks from December through April. For many of us, especially with its colder temperatures, this is the time of year we spend indoors. But as dormant a period as it is for nature, humans can appreciate
MHS Leaflet | 25
the reality and make productive use of this time for planning and anticipating the activities for the following year.
When melancholy starts to govern my mood, viewing the outdoors with a horticultural eye can considerably brighten my outlook. Yes, the bland grey and brown tones surely dominate most everything we see, but by acknowledging this blandness as my baseline, I can adjust my perspective and begin to appreciate all of the exceptions. Much of what we can observe during this season has been less conspicuous, often even invisible during the more verdant season, and that’s what I find inspiring.
Pondering for just another moment, I begin to discern some of this season’s unique woodland particulars. These include the timeworn branching forms of the forest pines and cedars, the spruce’s powdery blue needles, the blackgreen curtain of hemlock foliage, an impossibly rough-layered flaked trunk of the shagbark hickory, the stiff stemmed thicket of red and yellow twig dogwood along the woods’ edge, winterberry’s bright crimson berries now being taken by blue jays, and the stately stature of the ancient white oak, backlit by a brilliant sunset. Can any winter leaf color compete with the unique, tawny foliage so tenaciously held
by the smooth grey branches of our native American beech?
Outside of our living room window, grey-green lichen and moss envelop the massive trunk and stipple the coarse yet intricate branch, stem and twig tracery of our backyard honey locust. Viewed from the warmth of our home, we see the patch-mottled orange, tan and gray Stewartia bark, the glossy, dark coppery cinnamon branches of paper-bark maple, and the grey and ginger colored bark of seven-son-flower shredding from its stems and trunk in papery strips, exposing the smooth, blondtan-colored underbark. All of these colors these are enhanced by the contrasting burnt-bronze winter tones of the Siberian cypress growing nearby.
On the island planting out front, the maiden grass stems and flower tassels rhythmically rustle and sing, wind gusts buffeting their upwardarching, fawn tinted foliage. New frost on the shady sections of the lawn crunches beneath my boots as I walk to the compost pile. I appreciate the unique sharpness of the fresh winter breeze and sense the fermenting tangy sweetness of the random crabapples that linger on the tree and drop to the ground. Brushing my hand through the vibrant mahogany-toned leaves of our PJM rhododendron and the apple-green foliage of April
26
26 | January 2023
Snow rhododendron releases their surprisingly pungent, spicy fragrance.
Below the house, slender, remarkably bright green shoots of Japanese kerria arch up and outward at our garden’s edge, with the following spring’s blooms remaining tightly concealed. Stark ochre ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum seed heads are souvenirs of its former intensely red flowers. Golden thread leaf cypress suggests a sudden splash of sunlight next to the cellar door. Is any texture bolder than large-leaf rhododendron leaves, or the big leaf magnolia’s silvery fallen foliage that is now layered on the ground?
On the distant horizon, we marvel at the crisp silhouettes of bare trunks and branches against the winter sky. Initially constrained by its species genetic propensity, each tree presents itself as an individual as it matures, often shaped to a major degree by the conditions where it grows. The oaks, maples, ash and elms that border so many roadways amaze us as their massive branch canopies arch solemnly over traffic beneath. The differing trunk and branch structures on birches, willows, larch, honey locust,
and beech trees in their various locations all work as a family (of sorts) to enhance and energize our visual enjoyment, accentuating their individual contribution to the natural world.
Even in the depths of winter there’s much to appreciate outdoors. Lacking their leaves, many trees and shrubs become more difficult for us to readily identify, compelling a reliance upon features such as growth habit, bark, and buds and urging us to take their habitat into account. It’s precisely these unobvious characteristics that help make each species unique and continue to arouse my horticultural passion.
Defying January’s commonly perceived paucity of interest, the winter woods and our personal gardens hold countless seasonal pleasures just begging to be appreciated. I’m continually inspired when I pay a bit more attention and experience these unexpected discoveries, converting my winter mood from bored resignation to enchantment, with such sensory treasures to be savored.
Wayne Mezitt is a 3rd generation nurseryman and a Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist, now chairman of Weston Nurseries and owner of “Hort-Sense”, a horticultural advisory business. In addition to serving as editor-in-chief for the MHS Leaflet, he chairs the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group (MIPAG). This piece is excerpted from his upcoming book scheduled to be released in Spring 2023 to celebrate Weston Nurseries’ 100th anniversary.
MHS Leaflet | 27
The history of most women is hidden either by silence, or by flourishes and ornaments that amount to silence.
Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)
The November and December issues of Leaflet, focused on bringing to light the earliest female members of the Society: Dorothea Dix and Mary Griffiths, two of the three women who became Honorary Members of the Society in 1830. This month, we look at the third, Rebecca Gore, a talented woman whose legacy continues at Gore Place1 in Waltham.
Featured Collection ― Member: Rebecca Gore Rebecca Armory Payne (1759-1834) was the daughter of a wealthy maritime insurance agent in Boston. In 1783, she married Christopher Gore (1758-1827) of Boston, a successful lawyer. Christopher held many government positions including as the seventh Governor of Massachusetts. The Gores lived in Boston and in 1786 they purchased property in Waltham, Massachusetts where, in 1793, they built a summer residence. The Gores lived in England from 1796 to 1804. While there, in 1799, their Waltham home was destroyed by fire.
In 1806, they built a Federal-style mansion. This house and landscape reflect the Gores’ time in England. Rebecca collaborated with French architect Jacques-Guillaume Legrand, who executed the plans for her design of the mansion. She played a key role in designing the surrounding landscape that emulates the designs of English landscape designer, Sir Humphrey Repton. In 1816, Gore Place became their primary residence.
Founder of American landscape architecture, Andrew Jackson Down described Gore Place “was, 25 years ago, one of the oldest and finest as regards landscape gardening.”2 The Society’s History3 describes Gore Place as
" " 28 | January 2023
… one of the most beautiful places as regards landscape gardening, with a fine level park a mile in length, enriched with groups of English Elms, limes, oaks, watered by a fine stream, and stocked with deer. Here also, the finest varieties of fruit were cultivated, the trees being trained, in the English methods; and there were also a grapery, greenhouse, and hothouse. … [one of] the best specimens of the modern style…
Theodore Lyman II (1792-1849) purchased Gore Place in 1838. Lyman was a member and generous supporter of this Society.
MHS Leaflet | 29
Heathcot Pear, a chromolithograph by William Sharp, commissioned by the Society for its 1847 Transactions.
Rebecca was honored by the Society for the Heathcot4 pear, a seedling from her garden in Waltham, Massachusetts. It was one of the earliest native American pears. It first fruited in 1828 and was exhibited at the New England Farmer5 offices the same year. By 1829, scions of the Heathcot were listed for sale and Rebecca exhibited the pear at this newly organized Society. In 1830, the Society awarded a premium to the Heathcot as the best native pear. The Society’s 1847 Transactions describes the pear as being three inches round and long, lemon yellow with russet around its eye and stem and slightly brown on the sunny side. Its flavor is described as “…rich, sprightly, vinous and excellent, with a slight perfume.”
Book Club
Contributed by Jennifer Wilton
It was definitely not a sitting outdoors day and we are probably going to be chased indoors for our discussions until spring. Jan Albers’ Hands on the Land, a cultural landscape history of Vermont, provided a vehicle for a wide-ranging discussion. Several of the group spent time in Vermont in their youth which broadened the scope and made for an interesting variety of perspectives, since Albers is looking at the state’s history with a rather different lens from usual. Starting with Vermont and its changing landscape, our perspective broadened to a more general view of its implications and we moved from history into the future and how this book highlighted environmental issues and responsibility. Albers's historical perspective resulted in a debate that ranged from the use of pictorial evidence to make salient points to how to shop for groceries with minimal environmental impact.
Our next meeting is Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. in the Dearborn Room in the Education Building. All are welcome to attend when we will discuss My Garden Book by Jamaica Kincaid.
Here is the line-up for the following three months: Tuesday, February 21: Rosemary Verey: The Life and Lessons of a Master Gardener by Barbara Paul Robinson Tuesday, March 21: The Nature of Oaks by Doug Tallamy Tuesday, April 18: TBD a book about Olmsted, perhaps Genius of Place by Justin Martin
The Windows – Indoor Gardening
30 | January 2023
Our Collections are Growing
We thank Denver Botanic Gardens for a nice selection vintage New England maps and publications.
You are invited to contribute to the Library this holiday season. Consider making a donation from the Society’s Amazon Smile Wishlist. It is just a click away! The list is searchable or you can browse to see what the Library and other departments are wishing for.
1Gore Place was originally known as “Waltham House.” For clarity, this article uses the current name of the property, Gore Place.
2Downing, Andrew Jackson. A Treatise on the Theory and Practice Of Landscape Gardening, Adapted to North America; With a View to the Improvement of Country Residences. (New York: Wiley and Putnam, 1944), p. 33. It is noted that although Downing refers to the “late Hon. T. Lyman,” the period he refers to was when the property was owned by the Gores. Further the owner of Gore Place at the time, Theodore Lyman II was still alive. His father, Theodore Lyman (1753-1839) lived at the nearby Lyman Estate aka The Vale
3Manning, Robert. History of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 1829-1878.
4As in the case of Madame Dix, some sources attribute the discovery of the Heathcot pear to Rebecca’s husband, Christopher. However, he died in 1827, before the tree had fruited. This Society recognized Rebecca Gore’s contribution to the development of the Heathcot pear in frequent references in the New England Farmer and by granting her Honorary membership in 1830.
5The Society’s Founders met in these offices prior to its founding in 1829. It was there that the idea of a horticultural society germinated.
MHS Leaflet | 31
COME VISIT: The Library is open by appointment and when the lights are on. Please email Library Manager Maureen O’Brien at mobrien@masshort.org for an appointment if you want to schedule a visit.
The Garden at Elm Bank Open April 1-October 31 Classes, Programs Year-round masshort.org
Massachusetts Horticultural Society 900 Washington St Wellesley, MA 617.933.4900