John and Ted's Excellent Conifer Adventure

John Auditore and Ted Williams purchased their north Arlington home in 1989. It is sited on a small, sharply sloped lot in a hilly area of suburban Arlington, Virginia.  When they bought the property,  the home's surrounding landscape was nothing more than trim grass, hydrangea, azaleas and irises.

John Auditore and Ted Williams

As a child growing up in coastal Massachusetts, John had an strong interest in plants and gardening. He helped his mother tend her garden.  His grandfather was a golf course groundskeeper.  Ted grew up in Ohio. From his paternal side, Ted descended from farmer stock. His maternal grandfather was a tree surgeon and his mother’s family always grew their own food. Throughout his childhood, Ted did all the gardening around the house. While in college, he landed a summer job on the landscaping crew at Ohio State University. John and Ted’s garden has always been a joint effort based on combined experiences.

Before: Their well-planned 'cottage style' garden

You can see the steep sloping as it rises

Their original 'cottage style' garden featured vegetables, annuals, perennials, roses, peonies, iris, lilies, spring bulbs, alliums, and ornamental grasses.  Early on, John developed an interest in collections and propagating plants. While he had no hesitation propagating plants from inexpensive ones from big box stores, his bulbs were always from New England.  His special collections, over many years, have included lilies, peonies, hostas and an array of spring bulbs.

Ivory Zinnia 'Dreamland'

Over time, though, John developed a keen interest in conifers. Conifers are a division of vascular land plants containing a single extant class, Pinopsida. They are gymnosperms, cone-bearing seed plants. All extant conifers are perennial woody plants with secondary growth. The great majority are trees, though a few are shrubs. Examples include cedars, Douglas firs, cypresses, firs, junipers, kauri, larches, pines, hemlocks, redwoods, spruces, and yews.[1] As of 1998, the division Pinophyta was estimated to contain eight families, 68 genera, and 629 living species. (see Wikipedia link here for more information).  For their garden, conifers added definition to the architecture of the landscape. The plants have many varied shapes, textures and colors. Some conifers even change color with the seasons.

3 year grafted Abies koreana 'Child's #1'

What John didn't recognize at first was that he was navigating toward a serious conifer garden. He and Ted began searching online for conifer specimens and discovered Conifer Kingdom                       ( Coniferkingdom.com ) in Oregon. They also travel regionally to Susanna Farm Nursery in Boyds, Maryland ( susannafarmnursery.com ) and Conestoga Nursery in East Earl, Pennsylvania. John prefers miniature and dwarf varieties in their garden beds, and with larger specimens bordering their property lines.

Chamaecyparis Nootkatensis Pendula "Weeping Alaskan Cedar'

Cedrus deodara (Himalayan cedar) 'Robusta Glauca'

To set off many of the garden beds, Ted built stone walls including one for a rock garden. Later in the rock garden he added an eye catching dry creek bed. This added depth and redirected water. The rock garden beds are mounded about three feet above the original lawn. As the garden evolved, Ted removed some of the stone and gravel paths he built that meandered through the garden and replaced them with grass. This was for safety reasons.

Miniature Thuja occidentalis Primo* ('IslPrim'); Hosta 'Lovely Rita" 

top left: Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Butter Ball'  center right: Chamecyparis pisifera 'Tsukumo'
bottom left: Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Nymph' Dwarf Blue

Ted estimates that over the years through using mulch and composted materials,  they added sixteen or more inches of rich, black soil to their garden beds. As John has gotten older, he finds the Conifer garden easier to maintain than their cottage-style one. The Conifer garden”s neatness appeals to his sensibilities.

 Upper rear: Pinus strobus 'Diggy'; bottom front: Abies pinsapo 'Horstmann'

left: Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Ogon' Dawn Redwood in container,
surrounded by a collection of Caudiciform plants (which winter indoors)

bottom front: Daphne xburkwoodii "Carol Mackie'; 

Taxodium distchum 'Peve Minaret' dwarf bald cyprus 

In blue pot (accented with thyme): top right: Abies nordmanniana 'Dobrichovice' ;
upper left: Taxus cuspidata 'Nana Aurescens'; bottom left: Cedrus Deodara 'Golden Horizon' 

Their joint efforts have resulted in an eclectic, urban conifer garden that is serene yet full of surprises.  The array of conifers is amazing and probably includes about 150 specimens.

An array of John and Ted's collection. left: Raywood's Weeping Arizona Cypress;
front bottom: Taxus baccata 'Fastgiata Micro'

This garden shows well in all seasons. John especially loves it in winter when the negative spaces highlights the garden's structure, from the stone work to the shape of the conifers.

They have incorporated garden accents that create a unique mix of Asian and New England. Their garden attracts birds and beneficial insects. Morning coffee includes birdwatching and looking at the continual rippling changes in colors.

Acer palmatum 'Sango-Kaku' Coral Bark Maple  

Many of their flowering plants and bulbs have migrated to friends and fellow garden club members. Still, there are plenty of flowering bulbs, annuals and perennials around. Tucked into their coniferous landscape, they also have sixteen Japanese maples and gorgeous camellias. They also have space allocated for native pollinator plants that attract bees and humming birds. John also has an amazing succulent collection. He and Ted use container plants, many of which hold his some of impressive succulents. The containers  serve as accents throughout the garden.

Pinus parviflora "Tani Mano Uki' Japanese White Pine

Before John joined the Club, John and Ted won the Rock Spring Garden Club's Garden of the Year award in 2013. John is a resource and respected member,  earning several horticulture blue ribbons in a recent flower show for his specimens.  John and Ted are also members of the American Conifer Society. They enjoy attending the Society’s conferences and contributing articles to its newsletter. 

Any conifer questions? Leave a comment and we will respond.

Thea McGinnis is blogmistress for National Capital Area's website blog. She is a member of NCAGC District III's Rock Spring Garden Club.  

Photography by Thea McGinnis, John Auditore

Flower Show Season - A Gift to Everyone

Thea here.  Today I'm celebrating garden club flower shows.  I took these pictures on my phone so it's strictly amateur hour, but here are some of my favorite shots from flower shows I attended, including District II's Standard Flower Show, District I's Small Standard Show, and Rock Spring Garden Club (that's MY club, BTW) -

Multi Rhythmic Design by Jane Smith

National Capital Area Garden Club's membership did an outstanding job hosting Small Standard and Standard Flower Shows over the last few months.  Each District has hosted a flower show within the last year, and District III will host a small standard flower show this coming August.

Monarch educational exhibit

I cannot emphasize enough the purposes of a Standard Flower Show:  to EDUCATE club members and the viewing public; to stimulate interest in horticulture and floral design; to provide an outlet for creative expression; to convey to the community objectives of National Garden Clubs, Inc..

Having attended and participated in my own club's hosting, and entering horticulture and floral designs and educational exhibits for competition, I have learned so much, made many new friends, and, well, I had a blast!

My buddy, Joan, working and having fun

I truly believe the most important part is having our flower shows open to the PUBLIC.

Club Member, John, discussing his award winning flower show specimens with guests

 I cannot think of a better way to let people know that there are active, thriving and interesting people working, learning and sharing information that promotes gardening, highlights environmental concerns, promotes beautification in their communities, partners with schools and other civic organizations, and provides a way to continue your journey of life long learning.

Hi Renee! friends working together

Horticulture specimens ready for judging

Very creative staging by Mary Cottrell

Poss Tarpley's award winning creative design

Having a garden club organization invested in your community is a blessing.  Feel free to contact me if you are interested in joining a club in your area.

District I  small standard flower show top award displays for horticulture

The Rose of Winter - A Guest Post by Garden Club Member Christine Wegman

Once upon a time there were pure white winter flowers that turned pink as they aged, looked like single roses and bloomed around Christmas time.  They were called Christmas roses (Helleborus niger, as they were known botanically).  During Lent, in March or April, very similar flowers bloomed in shades of pink and cream and they were called Lenten roses (Helleborus orientalis).  Then, a few decades ago, plant breeders began developing exciting new hybrids, many of them crosses between and among different hellebore species, of which there are many more than these two.  Taxonomists (those academic gnomes who give plants their Latin botanical names) got involved, giving names to the new crosses, and eventually deciding that all Lenten roses were probably natural or intentional hybrids anyway, whereupon a new name, ‘Helleborus x hybridus’, was given to the Lenten rose.  And all was confusion, a sort of horticultural Tower of Babel.  The good news is that we now have so many exquisite new hellebores that the confused nomenclature doesn’t really matter; the bad news is that you can’t tell a Christmas rose from a Lenten rose anymore without expert help.

Hellebores are native to the Balkans and other parts of Eurasia. Their evergreen foliage looks good all year and the flowers can last for months.  They are easy to grow, combining especially well with ferns and colorful heuchera to make a year round, deer-resistant and trouble free shade garden.  If you are not plagued with deer, add some light-leaved hosta for a lovely effect.  Many new hybrids have marbled foliage that draws the eye, even when not in bloom.  They are slow to get started, but once established look good either massed or as single specimens.

Beginning in the 1980s, a number of hybridizers focused on these lovely plants and produced a glorious profusion of different colors and forms.  Dozens of new hybrids have been introduced with richer colors, double flowers and up-facing blooms.  Many new hybrids sport colorful edges, some are bi-colored with beautiful veining, some are shades of creamy yellow, some are purple and lavender, many are beautiful shades of red and pink, others are pristine white.  Grow the darker colors near a path where they can be viewed up close.  Whites, yellows and light pinks or lavenders will show at a distance.  Hellebore flowers are quite subtle and are often hidden by the large leaves.  To make sure you can see them, remove the old leaves on stemless types (the ones where the flowers come straight out of the ground) in late winter or early spring as the flower buds emerge.  The plants will quickly put out fresh, new leaves after flowering.

Many gardeners, myself included, love another species of hellebore, the Corsican hellebore (H.  argutifolius), whose flowers bloom in early spring atop long stems.  Although not as colorful as the Lenten roses, the Corsican hellebore is well worth growing for its larger size, beautiful saw-toothed foliage and showy, light green-to-white flowers.  It looks beautiful blooming with blue grape hyacinths or any other early spring bulb.  Some cultivars, such as ‘Snow Fever’ and ‘Pacific Frost’, have lovely marbled foliage and remain showy all year.  To prune this stemmed hellebore, cut the stems all the way back to the ground after flowering.

Hellebores like rich, well-drained soil.  They have deep roots, so make sure the hole is deep enough that they do not become water logged and don’t mulch heavily.  They are slow to get started, but eventually make beautiful clumps that do not need to be divided, although they can be if desired.  They like shade, but will grow in sun as long as they are kept moist.  They are quite tolerant of neglect, but will give their best with a little care and fertilizer.  Many will self seed in a few years, and you might want to move the seedling away from the mother plant because it probably won’t have the same blooms and may detract from its appearance.  

A word about cost:  if you have purchased hellebores you know that they are expensive.  This is because they are hard to propagate.  Many will seed readily, but they do not often come true to the form of the parent plant.  Each plant is a bit different.  To get plants that bloom as promised, growers rely on division (which takes a lot of time for these slow starters) and tissue culture, both of which are expensive.  If you purchase a plant that is not in flower, make sure that it comes from a reliable nursery and grower so that you will not be disappointed.

Hellebores are poisonous, but it is mostly the roots that can cause a problem.  The leaves are coarse and fibrous, highly unlikely to be eaten by pets or children.  One final caution:  hellebores are addictive.  Once you begin to enjoy having roses in winter, you will want more and more.  When you see that new double lavender hybrid in a nursery catalog, it will be really hard to resist ordering it.

Christine Wegman is a Rock Spring Garden Club member in National Capital Area Garden Clubs' District III.  She is one of the go-to 'hort' experts in her club. Christine and her husband, Charlie Flicker, are avid and generous gardeners and have cultivated a delightful garden (for any season) in Arlington, Virginia. 

Rock Your World - A Guest Post by Teresa Payne

 Let's give a big NCAGC woot and welcome to our guest blogger and NEW TO GARDEN CLUB! Teresa Payne.  Teresa was born and raised in Alexandria, VA where she also currently resides.  Teresa joined the NCAGC's District II Red Hill Garden Club in January 2014.  Her mother, Janet Baker, is also a long-time member of Red Hill and is Teresa's inspiration.  Teresa works full time for the federal government, has a supportive husband (who plays guitar) and two lovely daughters , one a drummer, who also like to make their own mini-arrangements with Teresa's leftover flowers! (This is a family that passes the baton of gardening love down through the generations!)  

“Music” Notes from a New Member

December 2015

                As the Cowsills so aptly put it – I love the flower girl!  Flowers in her hair… flowers everywhere. 

                I look forward to making flower arrangements and gathering horticulture samples from my garden every month.  As a new member to the garden club scene, I had no idea how fun the monthly meetings would be.  The new friendships, beautiful flowers, delicious food and learning opportunities that abound are truly amazing!  After having two children, it was the first thing I really decided to do for myself.  And, I’m so happy that I did!

                While preparing to make my arrangements on a Sunday evening, I get all my materials organized and set up my work station right next to my most critical component – my iTunes player.  What I decide to play depends entirely on my mood and may subconsciously impact what I create.  I could pick anything from Beethoven to country to hard rock to classical jazz. 

I somehow visualize the flowers swaying to the music as I cut, snip, clean, and start placing them in just the right spot in my latest creation.  Who knows, they may even like the music, too!  As a result of the music coming out of the speakers, the end result may be a more classical, linear, or abstract arrangement.

                Gardening, flowers, and arranging are a creative outlet from my everyday routine of work, motherhood, laundry, dishes, etc. 

And it’s really all about some quality “me” time as I take a journey into another world where I’m creating something that reflects my innermost mood as expressed through the music I’m hearing from my playlist.  When I set my final product on the table with all the other beautiful arrangements to be judged, I’m judged on my creation alone that is brought to life through the joy of music, and oh how sweet that is!

photo by Teresa Payne

photo by Teresa Payne

As Mick Jagger would say … It’s only rock and roll and I like it, like it, yes I do!!! ~ Teresa

Teresa's essay is inspirational! I could not keep the smile off my face while I read it. I cannot emphasize enough the fun, the friendships, the creative challenge, and the joy of being a member of a garden club. Whether you are interested in horticulture, gardening, or floral design with a community service component, there's something for everyone in garden club. No matter where you live, there's a garden club nearby.  Interested in joining a garden club or finding out about one in your area? Just drop me a private message at ncagardenclubblogger@gmail.com. - Thea McGinnis, your NCAGC blog host