Friends of the Arboretum Newsletter
Volume 9, Number 2
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Horticulture
The Metamorphosis of a Garden
By Judy Morgan-Davis, Interpretive Assistant
The JC Raulston Arboretum has a very dynamic character as a teaching and research facility. It is intended to meet the changing needs of NC State faculty, the green industry, and the public. Over the years, this character has been particularly apparent in a small area of the Arboretum nestled between the Finley-Nottingham Rose Garden and the Paradise Garden.
In May 1980, NC State horticulture students constructed a fence to enclose the area. The northern bed was planted with native wildflowers, donated and installed by North Carolina Botanical Garden staff. The southern bed contained edible plants, such as blueberries, small fruit trees, and herbs.
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This garden space became the Almanac Garden in 1989, providing an outdoor set for the public television program Almanac Gardener. The area was designed by our current interim director Kim Powell and retired NC State extension specialist Larry Bass. New features included the wooden arbor, water garden, and brick-paved walkways.
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Eventually, Almanac Gardener moved to a studio set and the little garden was adopted by Arboretum volunteer Patricia Highland in 1997. Patricia proposed that the space become a garden for butterflies. The site was perfect: west-facing with a bit of shade and protection from strong breezes. With the goal of bringing movement to the garden and encouraging visitors to recognize their connection with nature, she added plants that invited fluttering wings, such as Chinese abelia (Abelia chinensis) and pipevine (Aristolochia manshuriensis). Patricia also limbed up a large white Chinese fringe-flower (Loropetalum chinense var. chinense), creating a specimen that still attracts attention when it blooms in spring.
Curatorship of the Butterfly Garden was taken on by Wendy Elliott in 2001. After attending the Carolina Butterfly Society's Butterfly Gardening Symposium, she brought exciting new ideas and plants to the garden. One of these ideas was a chrysalis house, which was constructed by volunteer Wayne Friedrich in 2002. This structure protects the pupae (the immobile stage of the butterfly life cycle), which are placed in the house so that the process of metamorphosis and the emerging adults can be observed.
In 2004, revitalization of the garden began. That spring, the majority of plants were removed, many of which were rescued and transplanted in the curator's home garden to await the new installation. Since the existing Butterfly Garden included a water feature, Wendy invited the aquatic gardens curator Bob Davis to participate in the planning for deconstruction and renovation. As wife of the aquatic gardens curator, I joined one of the discussions and found myself agreeing to work on a plan for the garden's redesign. Wendy provided a list of potential plants, identifying the best sources of larval food and nectar and pointing out her personal favorites. I also consulted some excellent materials produced by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service entitled Butterflies in Your Backyard and Landscaping for Wildlife with Native Plants. (These documents can be found online at <www.ces.ncsu.edu/nreos/forest/wildlifepubs.htm>.)
Over time and successive iterations, the garden layout evolved from a sketch on scrap paper to a pair of circular nodes connected by a flowing curvilinear path. The larger circle is completely wheelchair accessible and informal step stone paths accommodate additional foot traffic. The organic feel of the paths and beds is compatible with the wildflower plantings and naturalistic style of the garden. Several visitors have commented that the path shape reminds them of a butterfly's unfurled proboscis; although this connection was unintentional, the observation certainly supports the garden's theme.
Plant selection meets the needs of butterflies and includes herbaceous as well as woody plants. Native grasses that are larval food sources for several butterfly species contribute sound and movement and enhance the relaxed feel of the garden. A diverse array of nectar sources with a long collective flowering period will attract a variety of butterflies across an extended season. These plants are arranged to group flowers of similar bloom times so that exposure of the butterflies to predators when traveling from one source to the next is minimized. Established plants such as the fringe-flower and the golden Hinoki falsecypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Confucius') have been retained. Evergreen inkberries (Ilex glabra cultivars), pawpaws (Asimina triloba), and a sassafras (Sassafras albidum) will provide additional structure for the garden.
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The chair swing under the arbor is one of the most popular spots in the Arboretum. Although the original water feature was leaking and difficult to maintain, we knew it was important to retain a focal point to view from the swing. We also wanted to separate that space from the primary flow of traffic. We decided to replace the small pond with a larger bog and pond system that would simulate natural conditions that attract butterflies. We reduced the size of the pond, moving it out from under the shade of the arbor, and increased the size of the bog area, planting it with pickerel weed (Pontederia cordata), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata 'Soulmate'), turtlehead (Chelone glabra 'Black Ace'), cardinal flower (Lobelia 'Diva Red Wine'), and sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia 'Compacta'). Since pickerel weed is a marginal plant that tolerates standing water, it was included in the pond as well as the bog. Unfortunately, the sweet pepperbush could not take constant wet feet or did not appreciate the dramatic root pruning at planting and died very quickly. (Wherever Jon Roethling is right now, he's entitled to say "I told you so!") We'll be looking for another compact shrub to add woody structure in the bog. Where the bog transitions to the pond, a sand bar collects salts and nutrients from the water. We hope that male butterflies will congregate near this puddle to gather the salts, which are necessary for sperm production.
The sand bar is also very popular with birds for bathing, since the water is shallow and moves relatively slowly. Five-lined skinks (Eumeces fasciatus) soak up sun on the stone edging around the pond and green frogs (Rana clamitans) discovered a new home within two days of the pond being filled with water.
With all this activity, I believe that the garden has become one of the liveliest spots in the Arboretum, manifesting Patricia Highland's original vision of bringing us closer to nature. If we remember to spend some time observing the plants and wildlife, I expect that we will experience more than butterflies metamorphosing in this garden.
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Special Thanks The recent renovation of the Butterfly Garden would not have been possible without the financial support and donations of the following individuals and organizations: Accent on Stone, Blue Moon Garden Design, Wendy Elliott, Ferguson Enterprises, Plant Delights Nursery, PondSweep Manufacturing Company, Southern Water Gardens, Wake Audubon Society, and Bobby Wilder. The invaluable clean-up and construction help of Jared Hoyle, Kim Powell, Sam Powell, and Barbara Kennedy's volunteer group is also greatly appreciated. Special thanks to all for their assistance. |
Instant Gratification and Enduring Impact: Container Gardens and the Plants They Contain
By Elaine Sisko, Bobby Wilder Intern
Getting to the Basics – The Container Itself
Pots, tubs, antique urns, hanging baskets, and window boxes – containers have played a major role in garden design since ancient times. Early Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans used earthenware pots for utilitarian purposes as well as for growing plants, in materials ranging from clay and terracotta to metal, stone, lead, and wood. Today's garden receptacles still incorporate many of these early design products, along with new and innovative materials such as fiberglass, concrete, and reconstituted stone. Such modern technology was used in the formulation of the receptacles that comprise the majority of the JC Raulston Arboretum's collection of container gardens. Composed of a substance called Glascrete, a mixture of polyester resin, fine aggregates, and glass fibers, this material provides a cast stone appearance at about one-fifth its weight.
Whether a standard terracotta pot from the local garden center or a Victorian urn from a specialty antique center, containers provide a number of uses in the total garden design concept. They can be employed as design elements unto themselves to create a particular mood or lead the eye to or away from a particular vista. A Mediterranean atmosphere, for example, can be created in the garden simply by employing distinctive vessels and plantings into the landscape. Exotic house plants can be transferred onto a summer patio to create a tropical ambiance – provided they are properly acclimated to the outdoors. Nonetheless, the primary use of containers is still to hold plants and allow color to be easily placed in the garden where it is most needed. And the larger the planter, the more imaginative and permanent the container design can be.
Integrating Plants, Containers, and Environment – The Design Element
It is important to choose not only the right receptacle – one that blends harmoniously with both the style of the house and the garden – but also the appropriate plants to complement these elements. The style, texture, color, and materials of the container should be a part of the original garden concept and not an afterthought haphazardly dropped into an available empty space. Grouping containers together on a patio, in a dull corner of the yard, or to break up a large expanse of lawn can have a dramatic effect, provided the vessels and the plants they contain are attention-grabbing and work well together.
This year's design of the Arboretum's collection of container gardens was undertaken by the mother-daughter team of JoAnn Dewar and Susan Rollins, container garden co-curators, of Fairview Greenhouses and Garden Center in Raleigh. A respected container designer, JoAnn recently designed more than one hundred and fifty containers and window boxes that graced the fairways of this year's U.S. Open Golf Tournament in Pinehurst, North Carolina. According to JoAnn, interest in and demand for container plantings evolved with the increased construction of condominiums and townhouses in our area and the subsequent landscape constraints confronting these homeowners.
According to JoAnn, environment is the first and most important element in the design of the container garden. The amount of sun or shade in a particular location should be the overriding factor in determining the selection of plants used in the container. The style and size of a planter are also important considerations in plant selection. Formal, highly stylized containers should be outfitted with more formal and upright greenery that draws attention to the container itself, instead of trailing, spreading plants that conceal it.
Once the right site has been determined, distinct texture and colorful foliage become the essential factors in creating a successful container planting. These elements will carry the design through the entire season whether flowering plants are in bloom or not. Nonetheless, to keep flowering plants blooming at their peak, continual dead-heading and pruning are essential. This will keep the design from losing its original structure and intent. Foliage plants such as coleus and sweet potato vine can provide continuity to container groupings, as do repetition of a particular color or species of annual bedding plants. Finally, trailing vines can soften the edges created by vertical plantings and permanent evergreen shrubs.
JoAnn Dewar (right) received no formal
training in horticulture or landscape design but grew up
on a tobacco farm and learned through trial and error.
However, today's aspiring container-garden designer can
benefit from periodic workshops held at various nurseries
and learning centers around the area (Fairview Greenhouses
and Garden Center among them) as well as from a number of
specialty publications and trade magazines devoted to the
subject.
Lasting Beauty – Proper Maintenance of the Container Garden
The container garden, if well designed, should only need to be changed twice a year, in the spring and fall, and should, if properly maintained, remain attractive throughout the year. To accomplish this, it is essential to start with the appropriate medium – one that is light enough to promote good drainage but sturdy enough to adequately support the plants. JoAnn recommends using Fafard 3B, a medium-weight mixture composed of sphagnum, processed bark, perlite, and vermiculite. A slow-release fertilizer should be incorporated into the soil at the time of planting and followed up with monthly supplements of a liquid fertilizer. (Note: If petunias are used in the container design, fertilization should occur more often – about every two weeks.)
The autumn container design should provide seasonal interest throughout the fall, winter, and early spring months. Dwarf conifers, boxwoods, and many other evergreens can provide permanent, year-round interest in the container garden; however, space should be provided for cold-tolerant herbaceous plants such as pansy, ajuga, and ivy to counterbalance them. Berries can be used as a focal point in the autumn design, as can ornamental grasses such as Pennisetum spp. and Miscanthus sinensis, whose decorative seed heads can supply visual impact well into the winter. Bulbs should be incorporated into the container design at this time for early spring impact. Planting a single species of spring-flowering bulbs can produce a dramatic and colorful effect and eliminate the need to coordinate the unpredictable blooming times of container-planted spring bulbs. A slow-release fertilizer should be incorporated into the fall container planting, and no additional fertilization should be necessary.
Despite the seemingly endless design choices, no container or the plants housed in them should be left unattended for too long a period. Container plants are much more sensitive to drought conditions, severe weather, and temperature fluctuations than bedded plants, and care must be taken to provide as stable an environment as possible. Daily watering is required during the heat of late spring and summer and can be supplemented with water-retention crystals. While watering needs are less urgent during the winter months, containers should always be watered before any predicted severe cold spell.
Whatever their origin, all vessels, especially antique or used ones, should be thoroughly cleaned before use to remove any existing algae, fertilizer deposits, or bacteria that can be potentially harmful to the plants. This can be accomplished by washing with soap and water followed by a gentle rinse with diluted bleach – one part bleach to nine parts water.
Visiting the JC Raulston Arboretum's Collection of Container Gardens – Their Location and History
Twenty-three receptacles, located in three distinct areas, comprise most of the JC Raulston Arboretum's collection of container gardens. The seven planters in the brick drop-off area adjacent to the parking lot represent the Charlotte and LeRoy B. Martin Parking Circle Container Garden, named in honor of the winners of the 2004 Gala raffle. The fourteen planters located on the rooftop terrace comprise the Tom and Kathy Rucker Roof Terrace Container Garden, named for the Winston-Salem couple who funded them. Two additional containers filled with shade-tolerant plants are located next to the entrance of the Ruby C. McSwain Education Center.
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The container gardens at the Arboretum were specified in the original design of the McSwain Education Center undertaken by the architectural firm of Cherry, Huffman, and Associates in the early 1990s. They were manufactured by Dura Art Stone <www.duraartstone.com>, a California company specializing in the production of cast stone objects.
When visiting the Arboretum, be sure to pick up the informational brochure about the container gardens which diagrams the location and identifies the specific plantings of each container. An interpretive sign is also provided in each planter which lists the identity of each plant in the container. The plants adorning this year's containers came from the Arboretum's own collections as well as from generous donations from Fairview Greenhouses and Garden Center and Campbell Road Nursery, both of Raleigh, North Carolina.
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Permanent Plants for the Container Garden
JCRA e-Updates Available to Friends of the Arboretum MembersThe JCRA e-Update is a concise monthly online update sent to Friends of the Arboretum members. It is full of interesting news including upcoming events and new developments at the JC Raulston Arboretum. There are also many electronic links to fabulous pictures and additional information. View previous e-Updates on our Web site at <www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum>. Do you want to receive the monthly JCRA e-Updates?If you are a Friends of the Arboretum member and would like to receive the JCRA e-Updates via e-mail, please contact Faye Koonce at <faye_koonce@ncsu.edu> or (919) 513-7457 to update your e-mail address. Cuttings from the JCRAReceive free Arboretum announcements via e-mail from staff at the JCRA. Stay informed about developments and upcoming events at the Arboretum by subscribing to the Cuttings from the JCRA listserv via the Arboretum Web site at <www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum>. All new members are automatically subscribed. Any existing subscribers may change their e-mail address anytime directly from the Web site. |
Clematis cultivars (clematis) – Mostly deciduous climbing perennials with large flowers that come in many colors. For the container, avoid rampant species.
Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) – Popular evergreen kitchen herb with upright grey-green needle-like foliage and aromatic leaves. Small blue flowers in early spring.
Yucca rostrata (Mexican blue yucca) – Drought-tolerant plant with rigid, sword-like leaves producing attractive bell-like flowers on long vertical spikes in summer.
Picea glauca var. albertiana 'Albertiana Conica' (dwarf Alberta spruce) – One of many dwarf conifers appropriate for a container garden. Dwarf conifers come in a wide range of shapes, textures, and sizes and look particularly attractive in groupings. Mature height (in ten to fifteen years) should be a factor determining your choice.
Buxus spp. (boxwood) – Whether trained to a formal shape or left to their natural habit, boxwoods make an attractive evergreen foundation plant for the container.
Plants for the Winter Container Garden
Erica carnea (bell heather) and Erica ×darleyensis (Darley heath) – Two varieties of winter-flowering heather.
Hedera (ivy) – Any type of ivy, either plain leafed or variegated.
Euonymus fortunei 'Silver Queen' (wintercreeper euonymus) – Creamy-white variegated leaves.
Carex oshimensis 'Evergold' (striped weeping sedge) – A neat evergreen grass with golden leaves.
Viola ×wittrockiana (pansy) – A great colorful addition to the winter garden.
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Formatted into HTML by
Christopher Todd Glenn
Programs and Education Coordinator
JC Raulston Arboretum
Department of Horticultural Science
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-7522
© The JC Raulston Arboretum, October 2005