Lots of interesting new plants are coming onto the market this spring. High Country Gardens has a tough new perennial called basin fleabane that looks promising for tight, dry spots.

This fleabane stays small — just 8 to 10 inches tall and 6 inches wide — and it thrives in hot, dry weather. In late spring, it produces showy half dollar-sized white to pale lavender daisylike wildflowers that last for about four weeks.

Known botanically as Erigeron pulcherrimus v. pulcherrimus, this long-lived perennial has a woody crown and very thin grasslike foliage. It’s native to New Mexico, where it grows in full hot sun in dry clay-loam soil.

This fleabane, which is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8, should be adaptable to a wide range of average garden soils, High Country Gardens says.

For more information, visit www.highcountrygardens.com or call 800-925-9387.

I like to grow paperwhites in winter—I know, I know, they absolutely drive some people right out of the room, but the smell doesn’t bother me.

But they tend to flop right over just when they’re coming into full flower, especially if you forget to water them and let them dry out.

Did you know you can give paperwhites a good stiff drink to stunt their growth and keep them from flopping over? It really works—I tried it last year.

Give them a shot of booze (vodka, gin, whatever) when they’re 3 or 4 inches high and their final height will be cut by about one-third. The ratio should be about 1 part liquor to 8 parts water.

These guys, by the way, righted themselves after a long tall drink of water.

You can also tie them up with ribbon.

And here are a few amaryllis in full bloom that I got as Christmas presents.

The children’s organic garden at Green Chimneys School in Brewster has won a top honor in a national contest sponsored by the Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Pa.

I have an article in today’s paper about the garden. I can’t wait to go back in the summer and see it in full swing.

While checking our electronic library for photos of the garden I found these cool photos that our Frank Becerra shot last June at the annual Birds of Prey Day at Green Chimneys.

Wave Hill, the great 28-acre public garden in Riverdale, is starting a new round of training for its volunteer guides.

They’ve also got a new executive director who starts in April.

Here’s email I got from Jamie Manson:

“Bronx, NY, January 28, 2008 – Wave Hill, a public garden and cultural center, will offer its 2008 Garden Guide Training Program on Thursdays, March 27, April 3, 10 and 17, from 9:30am to 12:30pm. Now in its tenth year, the training program provides an excellent opportunity for garden enthusiasts, particularly those with a passion for Wave Hill, to share their knowledge and enthusiasm.

“Prospective Guides should have an interest in gardening, familiarity with botanical names and the ability to speak comfortably in front of a group. Garden guides receive training about Wave Hill’s plants and gardens from Wave Hill’s expert garden staff. Designed to aid new guides in learning about Wave Hill and its plants, the program requires guides to participate in three weekday orientation sessions, attend monthly meetings and contribute a minimum of 8 tours per year (including some Sundays).

“Interviews will be conducted to fill a limited number of openings for this program. For more information on the Wave Hill Garden Guides or to apply, contact Volunteer Manager Liz Sharp at 718.549.3200, x227 or lizs@wavehill.org.”

Here are a couple of file photos I found in our library.

Here’s info from Martha Gellens on the new incoming director:

“Wave Hill announces the appointment of Claudia Bonn as Executive Director, effective April 7. Ms. Bonn, Executive Director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, succeeds Kate French, who has led the 28-acre public garden and cultural center in the Riverdale section of the Bronx for the past 17 years.

“Wave Hill marked its 40th anniversary in 2005 with the launch of a two-year strategic planning effort led by the Board of Directors. The process culminated in a blueprint for capital improvements and programmatic advancement through 2012, but also embraced the transitions of both board and executive leadership, with the appointment of Cathy Marks Weinroth as the third Chair of the Board in December 2006 and now the appointment of Ms. Bonn as the sixth chief executive.

“Claudia Bonn has served as the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Executive Director since 2003 and has been an integral member of the staff for more than fifteen years, previously serving as Director of Administration and as Director of Development. Ms. Bonn’s management of the Film Society included overseeing the organization’s world-renowned annual programs, including the New York Film Festival, Gala Tribute and the New Directors/New Films series, as well as the publication of Film Comment magazine and the year-round operation of the Walter Reade Theater. She most recently spearheaded the Film Society’s $45 million capital campaign to create the new Elinor Bunin-Munroe Film Center at Lincoln Center (scheduled to open in 2010) and began developing an after-school program to use film as a means to excite and develop New York City public school students’ appreciation of the arts. Prior to joining the Film Society’s staff, Ms. Bonn worked at American Ballet Theatre and the Joffrey Ballet in New York.

“The appointment follows Ms. French’s announcement last June that she would leave Wave Hill in spring 2008. During Ms. French’s tenure, Wave Hill has emerged as a vibrant and welcoming urban destination, with lively, contemporary programming in horticulture, education and the arts amidst a spectacular, world-renowned garden landscape. Ms. French has overseen the expansion of Wave Hill’s arts and cultural programs and the growth of education offerings for Bronx students. Visitor services also advanced, including the establishment of café and catering food services, expansion of the gift shop and the creation of tour and event business to generate earned income. Capital improvements, including renovation of Glyndor House and development of the Perkins Visitor Center, have dramatically opened public access to Wave Hill facilities and increased compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Wave Hill’s first endowment campaign, undertaken in the 1990s, has become a cornerstone of support for the institution. Today, Wave Hill maintains a $6 million annual operating budget, sustained by a $20 million endowment. Public funding provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs underwrites some 15% of operations. Ms. French also has served for many years on the Steering Committee of the Cultural Institutions Group, an association of 34 prominent New York City cultural institutions operating under agreements with the City, which—like Wave Hill—occupy City-owned buildings and land.

Evergreens are the real workhorses of the winter garden, offering color and texture when not much else is around. Give them a coating of snow and you’ve got a truly stellar plant in the cold landscape.

Ordinary cedars, junipers, spruces and pines are fine, but if you want something a lot more interesting you can’t go wrong with a Japanese umbrella pine (Sciadopitys verticillata).

The needlelike leaves of this ornamental pine are significantly wider and thicker than other pines. Clustered together in whorls, the dark green needles do indeed look like the spokes of an open umbrella. The glossy foliage looks particularly good in the harsh light of winter.

Here are a few shots of a gorgeous umbrella pine in Pepe Maynard’s Bedford garden.

This slow-growing conifer is rarely seen in the landscape taller than 20 to 30 feet. It maintains a nice pyramidal shape as it grows.

Umbrella pines are hardy to Zone 5, but they prefer a slightly protected spot in a more temperate climate. They grow best in full sun in rich acidic soil that’s moist but well drained.

When it comes to trends and passing fancies, the gardening world is nowhere near as fickle as fashion or home decor. But certain plants and planting styles do fall in and out of favor with each passing season.

One popular gardening trend that shows no sign of abating is the push to use native plants in our gardens and landscapes.

It makes perfect sense, really. Native plants are good for the planet and good for your garden.

They grow better and faster than non-native exotics, and they’re much less likely to need extra water in hot and dry weather or extra pampering with herbicides, fungicides and pesticides. When you garden with native plants, you’ll also draw birds, butterflies and bees to your yard for food and shelter.

Joe-pye weed is one of my favorites.

Such great color in late summer.

One of the best places to buy plants native to the Hudson Valley and the rest of the Northeast is the annual plant sale sponsored by the Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College in Valhalla. This year’s sale will be held May 3.

Rather than just showing up that morning to see what you can get, you’ll find a much better selection of plants by placing your order ahead of time. To see the pre-sale order list, visit their Web site or e-mail the Native Plant Center at wcc.nativeplant@sunywcc.edu or call 914-606-7870. Orders are due by Feb. 22.

This year, the Web site has a photo gallery of all plants for sale and an electronic form that will calculate your order.

As in years past, the Native Plant Center has teamed up with the New England Wild Flower Society to offer plants from their expanded nursery operation.
Rare offerings this year include the pale pink form of shadbush (Amelanchier), a fragrant and showy swamp pink (Helonias bullata) and a naturally dwarf birch (Betula uber) recently discovered in the mountains of Virginia.

A native aster in my wildflower meadow.

I’ve even made piece with my wildly aggressive goldenrod.

To encourage lawn alternatives, the sale will feature plugs of low-maintenance ground covers such as meadow anemone, crested iris and woodland aster. Lots of ferns and other shade-friendly plants will also be on hand.

The nonprofit Native Plant Center was founded 10 years ago as the first national affiliate of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas.
It now has about 400 local members, who get discounts and special deals as part of the sale.

I get a monthly newsletter from Randy Schulz of Schulz Communications. A lot of it is just bread-and-butter PR for his clients, but this is where I often learn about new plants and products.

Here are excerpts from the Feb. newsletter:

“THIS YEAR, PLANT ORGANIC SEEDS!
“Gardeners are increasingly going “green,â€? which is fueling an increased interest in growing organically. This year, Gardens Alive!®, the garden catalog and website known for all-natural plant foods and pesticides, has added over 100 varieties of organic vegetable and herb seeds. Many of the seed varieties are hard-to-find items that are not typically carried by local garden centers. The seeds from Gardens Alive! are certified organic by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). These organic seeds are harvested from organically grown plants that are not fertilized with synthetic ingredients and are grown without using chemical pesticides. Organic seeds from Gardens Alive! are GMO free (not genetically modified) and most are open pollinated (nonhybrids). To request a free catalog, call 513-354-1482 or visit the website at
www.GardensAlive.com .


“GROW YOUR OWN VANILLA BEANS
Vanilla planifolia is a member of the orchid family that’s a delight­ful indoor container plant. It produces a bean that, when cured, produces the delicious flavoring so coveted by bakers. Vanilla planifolia is a somewhat slow-growing vine that needs some structure to climb on. Once the plant has matured and reaches the top of its support, it will trail downward and begin to flower. The beautiful orchid flow­ers last a day, at which time hand pollination is needed to produce the vanilla bean. One plant in a 2.5-inch pot sells for $14.95. (For folks who want to make their own vanilla extract without growing the beans themselves, Logee’s sells a Perpetual Vanilla kit that includes dried organic Madagascar vanilla beans packaged in a 5-ounce bottle with instructions on how to make pure vanilla extract. The Perpetual Vanilla Kit sells for $11.95.) Logee’s, 1-888-330-8038, www.logees.com .


“SAY GOODBYE TO SUPERMARKET SPUDS
Every backyard gardener knows that homegrown tomatoes taste fabulous compared to supermarket tomatoes. If Jim Gerritsen has his way, gardeners will soon know that backyard-grown potatoes have a similar taste advantage over basic store-bought spuds.

“Gerritsen and his wife, Megan, are the proprietors of Wood Prairie Farm, the premier supplier of early generation organic seed potatoes in the USA. Wood Prairie Farm offers 16 different varieties of organic seed potatoes ranging from the tasty and now-familiar Yukon Gold to exotics such as Swedish Peanut Fingerling and All-Blue. Last year, Wood Prairie Farm won an MGA Green Thumb Award for King Harry, a new white potato variety that is naturally resistant to insect pests. A 2.5-pound bag of certified seed potatoes sells for $10.95 ($14.95 for certified seed fingerling varieties). To order, contact Wood Prairie Farm, 1-800-829-9765, www.woodprairie.com .

“DIG IN THE DIRT
There’s no better way to get your garden soil ready for planting than using America’s favorite little tiller. The lightweight Mantis Tiller/Cultivator is powered by a commercial-grade two-cycle gas engine with push-button priming for quick, easy starts. The patented Mantis serpentine tines cut through all types of soil, and they’re guaranteed for life against breakage. At an easy-to-carry 20 pounds, the Mantis Tiller is surprisingly powerful. Everything you need to break ground, till and cultivate comes with the tiller, so there are no additional “digging tines� to buy (unlike other small tillers). The Mantis Tiller sells for $349 with free shipping, and it comes with a free border edger attachment and a kickstand. The Mantis Tiller is available directly from Mantis at (800) 366-6268 or www.mantis.com .

“QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“The love of gardening is a seed that once sown never dies.â€?—Gertrude Jekyll, garden designer (1843- 1932)

“Garden Cuttings is published by Schultz Communications, a full-service public relations agency that provides services to gardening companies and organizations including Thompson & Morgan, Gardens Alive!, Mantis, Summit, High Country Gardens, the Mailorder Gardening Association, Wood Prairie Farm and Logee’s Tropical Plants. For more information, contact (505) 822-8222 or schultz@schultzpr.com, or visit the website at www.schultzpr.com .”

The Garden Education Center of Greenwich, Conn., is offering a program on flowering trees and shrubs on Feb. 21.

Here’s the info:

“Need a new tree or some showy shrubs? Then be at the GEC with John Horne on Thursday morning, February 21st at 10:00, as he fully explores when and where these plantings flower along with how they look before and after bloom.

“Assessing your needs as well as their requirements is critical to proper material selection; come learn from this well-regarded expert’s invaluable guidance so that your property blossoms.

“John will teach a common sense, organic approach to planting and caring for these mainstays of a colorful landscape.

“Tickets are $35 for GEC members, $45 for non-members. Reservations are required and can be made by calling the GEC at 869-9242, Ext. 3, or visiting www.gecgreenwich.org. The Garden Education Center is located at 130 Bible Street in Cos Cob.”

A couple of February programs at the NY Botanical Garden caught my eye.

Saturday is “Shade Gardening Saturday,” with six courses over the course of the day. Topics include deer-resistant plants for shade, shady herb gardens, containers for shade and blooming shrubs for shade. Here’s a link with the full rundown.

Speaking of shade, Ruth Rogers Clausen is giving a talk on shade gardening at 10 am Tuesday, Feb 12 as part of the Home Gardening Lecture Series sponsored by the Cornell master gardeners. This one is at The Osborn in Rye.

I wrote a post last month about the series. I’ve heard Ruth speak—she’s excellent. And I’ve seen her lovely garden in Thornwood—tons of shade.

Also at NYBG this month:

“Landscaping with Native Plants” on Thursday, Feb. 28 from 10 am to 2:30 pm. Topics include “Patterns and Processes of Our Regional Landscapes,” “Native Plants in Context” and “Creating More Self-Reliant Landscapes.” Same link as above will get you more info.

Speaking of natives, the Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College is gearing up for its annual plant sale. The pre-sale plant list is now out. Here’s a link for more info.

I’m always amazed at how certain trees seem to do so well when planted right in the sidewalk. Even more so when you see them being planted—some of them are in containers no bigger than what you’d find on your deck.

Here’s an item written by Michelle Buckstrup, editor of City Trees, the journal of the Society of Municipal Arborists:

“SMA Announces Urban Tree of the Year: Black Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica)

“The Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA) has chosen black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) as its Urban Tree of the Year.

“The Urban Tree of the Year must be adaptable to a variety of harsh conditions and have strong ornamental traits.

“The contest has been running for thirteen years, and past winners include baldcypress (2007), Kentucky coffeetree (2006), ‘Chanticleer’ flowering pear (2005), and ‘Autumn Blaze’ red maple (2004).

“The SMA has 1,600-plus members who practice urban forestry all over North America and beyond. Members are asked to offer nominations for the Tree of the Year, followed by an on-line vote.

“In the 2008 contest for Urban Tree of the Year, black tupelo emerged victorious. Seattle, Washington City Forester Nolan Rundquist says, “The incredible [red to orange] fall color and pest-free nature make it a keeper in my book.â€?

Here’s a link to the hort.net Web site with photos of the tree in all four seasons.

“Dr. Michael Dirr calls black tupelo, with its glossy leaves, attractive blue fruits, and unsurpassed fall color, “one of our most beautiful native trees.â€?

“In the tree’s native range, from Maine to Florida (Zone 4 to 9), it can be found from dry ledges to swamps. Therefore, city foresters from Chattanooga to Milwaukee find that black tupelo is a useful urban tree for swales or other sites prone to seasonal flood/drought cycles.

“Although Nyssa doesn’t perform well in very alkaline soils, it has been observed coping admirably with clay soils. It is relatively pest-free.

“Of course, there is no one perfect tree for every situation, and black tupelo has its limitations. It can be tricky to transplant and slow to establish, and it needs a moderate soil pH to perform best.

“It should be given adequate space to grow: with proper tree care, it can be expected to mature at approximately 45 feet tall and 25 feet wide.”