This week we're in Philadelphia looking at trees, shrubs and perennial
flowers. We're visiting Temple University, Ambler College which is an
historic women's college of agriculture. It is where many well known
gardeners have trained and has a beautiful arboretum and perennial
gardens. Today we'll explore the arboretum looking at its trees and
shrubs with beautiful bark and berries, colorful combinations of
perennials and discuss ways to protect your trees this winter.
Beth Specker is the Vice President for Education at the Freedom's
Foundation in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Freedom's Foundation runs
about 45 educational programs a year bringing 3,000 students through
the city of Philadelphia. The city of Philadelphia is known as
America's most historic square mile. Contained within this historic
square mile is Independence Hall, Franklin Court, the Liberty Bell,
Congress Hall and those sites where our nation was actually born. It is
where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, the
Constitution was drafted and signed in 1787 and where the first
peaceful change of power occurred between George Washington and John
Adams. Philadelphia is also known for one of its most significant
citizens, Benjamin Franklin who celebrates his 300th birthday this
year. Philadelphia is known for a number of firsts, Philadelphia was
the first planned city, William Penn designed it in a grid. Contained
within that grid were 5 city parks and those city parks still remain
today, except one of those acres is where the city hall of Philadelphia
sits with the huge 36 foot statue of William Penn. Pennsylvania had the
first university hospital, the first library, the first fire
department, started by Benjamin Franklin. There are 58 universities
within the Philadelphia area. Philadelphia has the longest running
theatre, the Walnut Theater and the longest running residential street,
Alfred's Alley. Beth welcomes Garden Smart viewers to Philadelphia and
Temple University, Ambler Campus, one of the first women's colleges
devoted to horticulture.
Jenny Rose Carey is the Director of the Landscape Arboretum at Temple
University, Ambler Campus. This facility has 187 acres of plantings and
a rich history. It was designated an arboretum in 2000 but has almost
100 years of history. Jane Bowne Haines, a Philadelphia Quaker, founded
this as the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women in 1911. She
trained girls in horticulture and agriculture in a practical way. The
purpose was to send women out into the workplace as greenhouse managers
or as farm managers enabling them to provide a living wage so they
didn't have to get married. This school has evolved over time, at one
time it was a dairy farm, it has had pigs, all depending on the needs
of the day. Temple bought the school in 1958 and programs then moved
away from agriculture towards horticulture and landscape architecture.
Today it is a teaching laboratory. Some fairly famous people have been
involved with the school. Starting with Jane Bowne Haines who was quite
well known, then Louise Carter Bush-Brown was the long term school
director who took the program to new heights especially during World
Wars I & II when they were training women in the Victory Gardens and
Beatrix Ferrand, a founding member of the American Society of Landscape
Architects was involved here as well. There are also a lot of historic
buildings and gardens and plantings here as well. The Haines House is
the oldest house on campus, the historic red barn was the founding site
for the Women's National Farm and Garden Association. There are
historic trees on campus like an old Sycamore, a number of gardens used
as teaching gardens and used to showcase different plantings. They have
a formal perennial garden as a centerpiece that has been here since the
1920's, a sustainable wetlands garden, a green roof on the athletics
facility and other gardens to show not only students but the general
public how they can use plantings in their own gardens. There is a mix
of the old and the new. Jenny comes from London and gardening has been
in her family for a long time. Her father is a botanist. Jenny came
back to school at Temple as a student and received a degree in
horticulture and today is the Director of the Landscape Arboretum of
Temple University Ambler.
The arboretum is filled with beautiful trees and shrubs. It's the fall
and soon the place will be ablaze in color but a lot of the specimens
have interesting bark and berries. You must be appreciative of details
to enjoy evergreen trees. The Lace Pine Bark (Pinus bungeana) has
exfoliating bark which peels off to reveal a variety of different
colors that look a little like camouflage. It's a member of the Pine
family and one of its more unusual features is that it has bundles of 3
needles. Other Pines may have 5 or 2 but this one had 3 needles in a
bundle. The bark stays this way year round but as the tree matures part
of the bark exfoliates or peels off. As a small tree it may not
exfoliate but comes into its beauty as it ages. They also have a Paper
Bark Maple (Acer griseum) on campus. It is beautiful, a small Maple and
very good for suburban gardens. It has a wonderful cinnamon color as it
exfoliates. The Sycamore (Plantanus occidentalis), discussed earlier,
can get quite large, as can the Turkish Filbert (Corylus colurna) which
has some very interesting bark. The bark is much more subtle than the
brilliant leaves. To use these in a landscape setting or small garden
you would choose very few trees therefore you would pick something
special like the Paper Bark Maple. Then don't overplant around the
base because you want to show off the bark. Also you might want to limb
them up so you can really appreciate the bark and color even more.
We next look at some wonderful shrubs that will have unusual berries
that are quite colorful into the winter. Berries make the season last
longer, because they will last longer than flowers. The Beauty Berry
(Callicarpa americana) has incredible purple berries, some might call
them vivid violet, they come in white as well. They go nicely with the
Viburnum, Viburnum Setigerum, the Tea Viburnum as well as the Linden
viburnum (Viburnum dilitatum) and American Cranberry bush (Viburnum
Trilobum). There are a great variety available and they're a good
garden plant-tough, you can prune them back, you can't really hurt
them. They produce a lot of berries and many different colored berries.
Some such as the Viburnum Nudum has a blue berry. You get a double
season of interest from these plants because many have a white flower
in spring as well as berries in the fall. They're a good landscape
plant. Not only can we enjoy them but other creatures like birds
appreciate these plants as well. Also their foliage is attractive, they
can have both red berries and red foliage, thus very attractive.
We've looked at trees used as specimens in the yard but we next look at
a garden where trees are used as an integral part of the garden
design. Here an Ironwood Tree (Ostrya virginiana) has been limbed up
allowing enough light to get down to the groundcover layer, this
technique also affords wonderful views through the open network of the
trunks. It obviously isn't a single trunked tree, it's multi-stemmed.
When choosing trees at a nursery it's important to look at the basic
framework of the tree. If you want one with a single stemmed look, look
for one with a nice central leader. If looking for something with a
network effect, then choose one with more than 1 leader. This garden is
a ground cover garden thus the trees are essential for providing
shade. By limbing up the trees you allow enough light for the
Hellebores and other ground cover species to grow, plus you also get to
enjoy the lovely design of the stems and bark. By limbing up it affords
a beautiful view across the garden and outlines the next place we'll
visit.
To keep your young tree healthy through the winter there are several
maintenance tips to keep in mind. You need to protect them from mice
and voles gnawing around the base of the tree because they can easily
girdle the bark and cause a tree to die. A simple way to prevent this
is to use a plastic wrap. Simply put it around the base of the tree
about an inch or so below the soil line and wrap it around the tree all
the way up. This will prevent the little mice teeth from gnawing on the
bark. Another thing to remember in winter is that the south side of the
bark may heat up during the day, then when cold temperatures come at
night it causes the bark to split. To prevent that splitting or sun
scald you can take some nylon tree wrap, wrap it around the tree, tie
it at the bottom and the top and the white color will reflect the
sunlight so it doesn't heat up so much during the day and the bark
doesn't split. By using both these techniques you can help your young
trees turn into healthy old trees.
In the fall in many parts of the country the leaves are turning ablaze.
Have you ever wondered why they turn colors in the fall? The answer is
simple. During the summer the leaves have chlorophyll which keeps them
green because the chlorophyll pigment masks any other pigments that are
in the leaves. In the fall when the weather turns cooler and the days
are shorter, the other pigments start coming out-the reds, oranges and
yellows. Certain weather conditions will actually enhance that color.
If you've had a good summer with ample rain and sunshine the leaves
build up a lot of sugars in the leaves so in the fall you get more
pigments, more color. Also in the fall if you have bright sunny days
and cool nights below 45 degrees you will get more of the sugar and
more of the color, it will look brighter. However if you get really
warm nights or cloudy, rainy weather, well too bad, maybe next year the
leaves will look better.
We next visit their more formal gardens that feature perennials and
some tropicals. Charlie is impressed. This garden was started in the
1920's and 1930's by the young women from the Pennsylvania School of
Horticulture. The design is inspired by Gertrude Jekyll and features
mixed perennial borders with hedges on either side. The evergreen
hedges and the twin arbors at the end add to the symmetry. It is not in
its original design but it is a similar layout. It is a mix of annuals
and perennials and several different people have contributed to its
layout over the years. Stephanie Cohen and Rudy Keller did a redesign
of this garden in the 90's because gardens do need redesigning. We all
know that perennials need dividing to keep them fresh. Since its a
teaching garden there are a lot of different varieties, one of this and
one of that, much more than the usual display garden. Students need to
know their perennials and annuals so this is the space for teaching
them. The garden has themes running through, especially color themes.
At this time of year, fall, there is a dark purply red color theme that
links the 2 sides. It's not a symmetrical planting but you see how the
color echoes on either side, it links the whole garden creating the
feeling of 1 space. Charlie likes the color combinations and the
texture combinations of the plants. A Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) is
nice in a perennial border garden, it's interesting to have the nice
bold leaf of the Cardoon next to a small Aster to provide contrast. The
eye jumps from the big leaf to the little flower. Speaking of Asters
they have a beautiful combination of native Asters with Ornamental
Grasses. Charlie likes the way the light dances off the ornamental
grass, it is wonderful this time of year because you get a low angle of
sunlight and it comes through the grasses beautifully. The self sown
Asters seem to be hardier than others that were planted. The airy feel
of the Pennisetum Grass plays well with the solid feel of the Aster.
Peeking out between these plants is a Salvia Involucrata. They have
added quite a few tender perennials that would be hardy further south,
here they add them for late season color, and they do provide bright
color. In another area an Amaranth is growing, it is a nice dark color.
Some colors hold the borders together, this is repetition of that
color. Helianthus is a composite yellow flower, it's nice and bold at
this time of year. They are combined with more Asters. It's nice to
have those repeated throughout the garden, it ties the whole border
together. Charlie likes not only the bold colors, from reds to yellows
to blues, but also the different textures. This garden has composite
flowers like the hair-like Amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus), then a
Pennisetum with a feathery look. If you have tall plants like a
Helianthus in your garden you might want to put them in the back or put
them around other tall plants that will support them so they can stay
upright. That way you can enjoy the view and they won't fall down.
Another big brute is a Celosia (Celosia spicata). Most are familiar
with the bright red and yellow varieties which are more of a bedding
plant. These fit better in a perennial border garden because of their
color and form. It is a big plant. It is an annual, its little black
seeds are apparent. Behind it is an Eupatorium that looks like an
Aster, fills the same role but is related to Joe Pye Weed. Charlie
likes the way the Celosia comes through the Eupatorium, its kind of a
mystery, then it gets revealed. Charlie notices a Verbena Bonairiensis.
Butterflies like this plant, it has a flat head so butterflies can land
and suck the nectar. It has an unusual structure, it's what is called a
see-through plant, even though it's tall it is placed at the front of
the border. With the airy square stems one can actually see through the
plant and to the back of the border. The Verbena, like the Celosia is a
rampant self sower. This means a lot of seeds, thus in the spring many
babies will come up. You'll have to thin them so you only have a few or
they will crowd themselves and the flowers won't look very good. Next a
Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is coming through an Aster. Charlie
likes the way the color of the Black Eyed Susan, picks up the dark
color of the grass. The ornamental grass with its dark red leaves
really provides a nice backdrop to the brighter colors in the front.
The Celosia has self sowed and has established itself here as well.
Fall in the perennial garden is a great time to enjoy the flowers but
there are a few maintenance tips that can make a difference next year.
One is to water deeply, especially if you've had a drought in your
area. When watering make sure the water goes down into the soil at
least 6 inches. That way the roots will get the water they need and
they'll survive the winter better. If they don't go into the winter
healthy they may not make it to the spring.
Eva Monheim is a horticulturist and garden writer and today shows us
how to create a beautiful pumpkin arrangement. Take a large pumpkin,
cut off the top and clean out the seeds. Then take a 2 pound deli
container and place an oasis or wet foam into it. Fill the container
with water and place it into the pumpkin. Put the top on a shish kabob
skewer and position it in the container. Then do the same with
miniature gourds and small pumpkins, then insert flowers and other
items such as Viburnum berries. Place the berries close to the base so
they hang over the container. This is an easy arrangement to make and
is perfect for the holidays.
The last garden we visit today has a wide diversity of plants and is
the tropical corner. Adding tropicals is a great way to add late season
color. They are a little small in the spring but they grow up and
become magnificent specimens by fall. The Banana and Cannas are in
their full glory this time of year. This garden also has Coleus,
Salvias, Plectranthus and Dahlias, which add nice color this time of
year. Salvia Discolor is unusual, it has black flowers and the
underside of the leaves have a white color. When the wind blows you get
a striking contrast between the black and white, it's spectacular.
Thanks Jenny for showing us Temple University, Ambler Campus. The
arboretum is fantastic. The trees, shrubs and perennial flowers are
amazing. We hope our audience will visit. It's truly spectacular.
Links:
Golden Pheasant Inn
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Temple University-Ambler College
Freedoms Foundation
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