May - UT Gardens - The University of Tennessee

Volume 14 No 4 May 200716 th ANNUAL SPRING PLANT SALETime to take stock of your garden and figure out what it might need for futurebeauty and enjoyment. The Friends of the UT Gardens will sponsor the 16 th annualplant sale May 12 and will have perennials, annuals, herbs, shrubs and trees availablefor purchase. In addition, yard and garden ornaments, benches and planterswill be available. Free parking and friendly volunteers. Friends get a 90-minute headstart on the sale. All proceeds benefit the University of Tennessee Gardens.Board MembersNicholas AndersonFaye BeckBen BlackwoodCarolyn CrowderMelissa FergusonLucy GibsonChristine GriffinBunni HoodSandra LeachLaura McFee-AdamsDarby ParkerTheresa PepinMitzi RouseP. J. SnodgrassMary SpenglerDennis SuperczynskiEditorial BoardBettie CoreyCarolyn DeanSteve RowComing June 1:Blooms DaysIssueDATE: Saturday, May 12TIME: 8:30-10 a.m. preview for Friends; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for publicPlantsPerennials: baptisia, coreopsis, crocosmia, euphorbia, phlox, sedums, and salviasAnnuals: angelonia, petunia, zinnia, euphorbia, colocasia, alocasia, bananas,agave, and sun coleus, including the ‘Rocky Top’ seriesHerbs: basil, chamomile, lavender, lemon verbena, scented geraniumsShrubs: hydrangea, Rosa ‘Knock Out’Trees: Japanese maples (from 3-gal. to 25-gal.) ‘Crimson Queen,’ ‘SangoKaku,’ ‘Viridis’ and many more varieties.Plus too many more individual plants to list by name!Cast Garden OrnamentsFrom exclusive vendor Michael Peters, creations by Georgia artist Richard Taylor:Concrete faux bois cast garden ornaments including mushrooms, planters, critters,plaques, finials, architectural elements, garden benches and faux bois cork, bark,and shell plantersRecycled TreasuresGarden hand tools and supplies; garden art and garden themed jewelry; outdoorfurniture and fabric; birdhouses; outdoor garden ornaments and antiquesTo donate items, please bring to the Gardens on Friday afternoon, May 11. NOsales on Friday. Please, NO clothing, shoes, or tools not in working order. Savegardening books for the Blooms Days sale June 24. Questions? Call Ellen Barkerat 982-4656. Volunteers please call Lisa Phipps at 980-9911.

From the UT Gardens’ DirectorDr. Sue HamiltonThere is so much vibrant color in the newly plantedannual beds, as well as the perennial border, thatyou can’t help leaving the gardens feeling trulyuplifted. But the gardens also serve educational,research and outreach functions as well.The Gardens represent an important teaching toolfor people of all ages. Graduate student TerumiWatson directed a recent field trip of 48 secondgraders and their nine chaperones from WallandElementary School. Garden staff members BethWillis and Amanda Hannah assisted Terumi inhelping these students learn about the ecologyand beauty of the Gardens and the diverse plantcommunities they host.Terumi continues her leadership in teaching environmentaleducation to children through the Books& Blooms summer reading program. In April, sherecruited participants with an educational boothshe hosted at the Children’s Book Festival sponsoredby the Farragut Arts Council. A “plant pettingzoo” and other garden/nature activities were theteaching tools that Terumi used to inspire childrenand their parents to participate in this summer’sBooks & Blooms program. More than 200 childrenand their parents participated in this educationalprogram last summer.More than 50 students from the Thackston Schoolhave visited the Gardens this past month to docrayon rubbings of the engraved symbols on thepink Tennessee marble Touchstone table. Theirrubbings will be used to inspire their interpretationof the symbols for use in a series of children’sbooks. The students seemed to have a lot of funbeing in the Gardens and working on the fascinatingmarble table.We hosted 18 local members of the AmericanConifer Society for an educational walk throughour conifer collection last month. Duane Ridenourof Beaver Creek Nursery, a local conifer expert, ledthe walk. Participants were excited about many ofthe new additions to our collection and spent morethan two hours asking questions and learning moreabout conifers for the Mid-South.Terumi Watson leading a recent field trip with Walland Elementary School

Viola Alpine Summer2007 Winter annual trialsThe research aspect of the Gardens continuesto run at full speed. We will complete the wintervariety trial evaluations this month, which includeda variety of pansies, violas, snapdragons, cabbagesand kales. Our annual variety trial program is infull swing this month, with everything transitioningfrom the greenhouses to the Gardens. We continueto work with leading plant breeding companies toidentify the best plants for commercial greenhouseand nursery producers, commercial landscapers,and home gardeners to use.Although many people are involved in makingour trial program a success—from sowing seedsto transplanting to planting in the Gardens tolabeling—one person is critical in getting all of thedata recorded and compiled into a final report.Betty Tipton continues her work with our staff andme on evaluating plant performance, taking photographsand launching all of this information intoa final report. Betty, a recent Plant Sciences graduatewho contributes to the UT Gardens by volunteeringher evaluation services, will again create theWeb information and photos of our winning plantson the UT Gardens website. Betty evaluates thehundreds of plants in our Gardens three differenttimes over the course of the summer, which lets usdetermine the best plants for use. Jason Reeves,curator of the West Tennessee UT Gardens, collectsthe data from our Jackson UT Gardens, but Betty isthe one who creates the wonderful finished productthat is useful to so many people. If you see Betty inthe Gardens, thank her for her wonderful efforts inmaking our trial program a success.Pansy Panola Rose PicotteePanola Yellow BlotchThe staff was busy during April talking about theUT Gardens and the wonderful plants we identifyas being ideal for growing in our region. Among themany places where we either had an educationalbooth about the Gardens or we spoke and taughtothers about the Gardens:• The Great Smoky Mountains National ParkWildflower Pilgrimage• Sevier County Flower & Garden Show• East Tennessee Earth Fest• Knox County Public Library Garden HeritageFestival• Blount Mansion “Victorian Revival Garden”Also, Curator James Newburn and graduatestudent Beth Willis have made a wonderful andinformative poster about the UT Gardens for displayat events.Don’t forget that there are many ways you can volunteerin the Gardens. From watering and labelingplants in the gardens to mulching, weeding, andplanting, we can use your help. If you’d like to volunteer,contact Andy Pulte, our volunteer coordinator,at 865-974-8820 or email at pulte@hotmail.com.

From the UT Gardens’ CuratorJames NewburnElsewhere in this newsletter, Terumi Watsonwrites about this year’s Thomas Jefferson themeof our heirloom vegetable garden. I am also a bigfan of Mr. Jefferson and have also worked in hisvegetable garden and fruit orchard while studyingat Monticello. One of my favorite quotes fromJefferson is from a letter he wrote late in his lifeto portrait painter and naturalist Charles WillsonPeale in 1811: “Though an old man, I am but ayoung gardener.” Although I don’t think of myselfas an “old man” (yet) I do think of myself, evenafter 13 years of working in the UT Gardens, asa “young gardener,” because there are alwaysnew plants to discover and miracles of natureto behold. This month I would like to point outsome of the wonderful new plants that have beenadded to our collection and some others that havespecial distinctions.One of my new favorite trees is a variegated giantdogwood Cornus controversa ‘Variegata,’ orWedding Cake Tree. It is so named because of itswonderful horizontally tiered branching habit andits bright white variegation on green foliage. Asthe leaves unfurl in the spring, the creamy edgingmakes it appear this plant is flowering. However,those will come in late spring as clusters of smallwhite flowers. This is an ideal specimen plant andwill reach a height of 30-35’ with 30-40’ spread.It really makes a bright statement in the gardenand adds color and texture to the landscape. Thedistinctive layered branching even adds interest tothe winter landscape after the leaves have droppedand its bark is a rich dark color.I have also been so excited about a new additionto our conifer collection and cannot quit talkingabout it. Thuja orientalis ‘Van Hoey Smith’—VanHoey Smith Oriental Arborvitae—immediatelydraws your eye to it. You cannot miss this brilliantlygold variegated evergreen that is more goldthan green. This conifer has a somewhat looseupright growth habit and will reach a size of 8 feettall by 3 feet wide in about 10 years. Our specimencame from Gum Tree Nursery and is planted to theright of the entrance to the groundcover and arborgarden. But you can’t help but have this “24 carat”specimen catch your eye from many yards away.What a great plant for year round interest.Terumi Watson has not only taken on the heirloomvegetable garden but is also coordinating the maintenanceand refurbishing of our wonderful perennialborder. In April, Terumi and I went on a plantacquisition trip to several outstanding growingand breeding facilities, including MousecreekNursery near Riceville, Signal Mountain Nursery inChattanooga and Pike Nursery and Saul Nurseriesin the Atlanta area.Richard and Robert Saul and their partners arepremier plant breeders and have been responsiblefor bringing many new plant cultivars to themarket like ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Sunset’ Echinacea orConeflowers. Besides their perennials, they areknown for their tropical, succulent, ornamentalgrass and green roof plant selections. Be sure andcheck out the new plants that we are evaluating inthe perennial border and throughout the Gardensin pocket beds to see the latest and soon to bereleased cultivars.Also in our perennial border and herb gardennotice the 2007 Perennial Plant of the Year, Nepetax faasenii ‘Walker’s Low’ or Walker’s Low Catmint.The name does not refer to the growth habit butis named for an Irish garden where it was discoveredin the 1970s. This plant can have stems thatget 2-3’ feet tall but will flop if not staked and forma lovely mounded mass. It is a prolific bloomerin early summer and is covered with beautifullavender-blue flowers for many weeks. In fact, afterits long bloom time, it can be sheared back andwill often bloom a second time. The soft gray-bluegreen foliage is fragrant when crushed and attractscats much like its relative Nepeta cataria—the truecatnip. This plant is ideal for the foreground ofthe perennial border and to add even more to its

Curator of the Perennial Border, Terumi Watsonappeal it is drought and heat tolerant once established.It is truly a “set it, forget it, enjoy it” plant.Finally, with all my experience with floweringbedding plants, I am always amazed at the new(to me) plants I am introduced to each year andthe improvements breeders consistently come upwith. One new trial we have this year for evaluationthat I am totally unfamiliar with came fromProven Winners and is Otacanthus or BrazilianSnapdragon. This is a tropical plant that here willbe treated as an annual. Blooming with a blue twolippedsnapdragon-like flower, it will grow in sunor shade and is tolerant of heat. ‘Caribbean DeepBlue’ is already available but our test cultivar isnamed ‘Peek-a-Blue’ which with that name alonemakes it worth paying attention to. Other new2007 varieties that we are anticipating this year areBacopa ‘Calypso Jumbo White,’ Bidens ‘MexicanGold,’ a new salmon-colored Rocky Mountain ZonalGeranium, a yet un-named purple geranium fromBarlett and a dark purple Lantana.Check out these new and exciting plants in theUT Gardens. There is always something new todiscover or something not so new to regain anappreciation for; but always something that, nomatter what your age, will inspire and allow you toremain a “young gardener.”

Special Events in the GardensThe first Lunchtime Walk and Twilight Walk ofthe 2007 season in the Gardens were led by staffApril 17. There is no fee for the guided walks, andthey are always open to the public. They are a greatway to take a break from a workday, get outside andlearn more just at the time when a special plantlooks its best. This year the Friends are offering lightrefreshments and answering questions about howto support the Gardens at all walks. The next set ofwalks is May 15. Don’t miss!Third Annual Children’s Festival of ReadingJune 2, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.Knox County Public Library is hosting the ThirdAnnual Children’s Festival of Reading at World’sFair Park. There will be children’s book writers, storytellers,magicians, puppets, musicians and foodvendors to provide family fun all day long. This year’sfeatured guest is Tomie dePaola, the noted children’sbook author and illustrator. It is free and opento the public. The UT Gardens will have a booth topromote the Books & Blooms series in the Gardens.Our participation at this event last year tripled theattendance of Books & Blooms throughout thesummer.Books & Blooms returns to the Gardensin June and JulyBooks & Blooms, the kids’ storytime in the UTGardens, will kick off its third summer June 7 andcontinue through the end of July. This year, theevent will be held on every Thursday with a varietyof storytellers from the community. Children willhear enchanting stories about nature and then beprovided with some fun activities, such as crafts,singing, and/or sprinkler time. If the weather is niceand hot, please prepare to come in swimsuits withtowels for the sprinkler time. It is free and open tothe public, and everyone is welcome to bring a picniclunch to the UT Gardens. If you would like to volunteeras a storyteller for this event, please contactTerumi Watson at tsaito@utk.edu, or 974-7256.Dates: June 7, 14, 21 & 28; July 5, 12, 19 &26, 10:30 a.m.Secret Garden Parties 2007Seabolt-Harris House and Gardensand Bluebird HillDandridgeSaturday, May 12, 1-5 p.m.; $35 per personTicket sales for the Secret Garden Parties havestarted briskly this year. Several have limitednumbers of tickets remaining. Purchase yourtickets as soon as possible so you will not bedisappointed. The Secret Gardens listed hereare those coming up in May and early June.Take the short drive to the historic town ofDandridge and enjoy two beautiful gardens. Make afun day of it; have lunch in one of the many restaurantsand enjoy the historic town walking tour led byBob Jarnagin, or take the self-guided walk throughthis quaint little town before or after you visit thetwo featured gardens.

May Gardening TipsBecause May is one of the busiest times of thegardening season, it’s important to keep somesafety tips in mind:• Before beginning strenuous work, take amoment to stretch and loosen up your muscles.Remember it’s harder on your body to plant andweed a garden than to look at pretty pictures ofthem in a catalog.• Apply sunscreen often and evenly, even oncloudy or cool days.• Wear knee pads or use a foam knee support, oran old folded blanket or towel.• Drink plenty of water.• Lift with your knees not with your back.• Know your limitations. Take more but lighterloaded trips to the compost or mulch pile.• Sharpen, repair or replace hoes, pruners andmower blades, which will take less effort to useand be safer.—James Newburn, UT Gardens curatorUT Gardens’ Plant ProfileBotanical Name: Paeonia hybridsCommon Name: PeonyThis fragrant big-bloomed perennial is said to benamed after Paeon, the pre-Apollonian physicianof the Greek gods. Also known as a blessed herb,peonies have been used medicinally for centuries;in China it was known as the healing plant. Paeonymasculata the “masculine” peony, was used greatlyin medieval England, particularly in monasterygardens. Feminine, medicinal and most commonlyused today, came Paeony officianalis, in 1548. Thefirst “Chinese” peony arrived at Kew (Royal BotanicGardens) in 1784. Thanks to American settlers, weare able to enjoy the peony’s beauty and charmyear after year in our Tennessee gardens.Peony Angel CheeksPeonies look great in perennial borders and serveeffectively as a boastful cut-flower. It is an easy andreliable perennial to grow that can live 100 yearsor more if undisturbed. Peonies do not need to befertilized or divided. The only maintenance chorerequired is cutting old foliage back to the groundonce it turns yellow and starts to die. Plants grow toabout 3 feet tall and wide with a round growth habit.Having ants on your peonies is common and not aproblem. Ants are attracted to the sweet juice of abud about to open. They do no damage and are gonewhen the bud opens. Place plants in full-sun to lightshade,and in deep, fertile, well-drained soil, where itcan really shine. Plant no more than 2 inches belowthe soil surface, away from competing roots, andprotected from late spring freezes.Different perhaps from what your mother or grandmotherused to grow, new colored cultivars are availableincluding corals, reds, and yellows. They arebeing bred for greater blight resistance and morecompact forms to avoid bowing blooms. Favoritesconsist of a double pale pink ‘Sarah Bernhardt,’‘Coral Charm,’ ‘Vivid Rose,’ and a yellow ‘Build MeUp Buttercup.’ Dr. Steven Still, a herbaceous ornamentalplant guru and author, suggests checking outthe American Peony Society for further informationon this voluptuous aromatic perennial. Peonies atthe UT Gardens can be found in the perennial borderin beds Nos. 12 and 13. Peonies and peony trees areavailable at Stanley’s Greenhouses, Dixie Lee GardenCenter, Meadow View Nursery and Pope’s.—Jennifer Resig, student intern

Botanical Name: Cornus kousaCommon Name: Kousa DogwoodWe all enjoyed the show that the FloweringDogwood (Cornus florida) gave us in late Marchand early April. This month its cousin from Asiatakes its turn flowering. While Cornus kousa is thescientific name, it is commonly referred to as theKousa Dogwood.Native to Japan, China and Korea, C. kousa wasintroduced into cultivation in 1875. The leavesof C. kousa are smaller than those of our nativeC. florida, and the branches have a more horizontalpattern to them. This species makes a greatspecimen tree or an addition to a shrub border toadd some height and again display the horizontalbranching. One of the most notable characteristicsof C. kousa is its bark. Tan, gray and brownall can be found in the bark of the trunk and thestems. Bark is exfoliating with age and producesgreat color patterns. This adds to its winter appealmaking this a four-season show plant in the garden.The flowers of C. kousa are slightly smaller thanthose of C. florida and appear weeks after thosemore familiar trees have bloomed. C. kousa flowersmid-May in our area, sometimes lasting into June.The fact that they flower during this period is nice,because the leaves have broken dormancy and theflowers show up very nicely elevated above the darkgreen leaves.The tree can rise 20-30’ but is slow growing, andmulti-stemmed shrubs can also be formed. Thelargest of the species is C. kousa var. chinensis,which can reach the 30-foot mark and usuallydisplays slightly larger flowers. Many cultivars arewidely available locally, and one notable cultivarof this variety is ‘Milky Way.’ Michael Dirr describesthis cultivar in his Manual of Woody OrnamentalPlants as “appearing more floriferous than thespecies.” The UT Gardens has another beautifulcultivar, ‘Wolf Eyes,’ which is a variegated selection.Variegated dogwoods can burn in the sun, but thisCornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’cultivar seems to do just fine in partial shade. Thereare also pink as well as white blooming cultivars.‘Wolf Eyes’ and the species specimen can both befound in the lower section of the woody gardenrooms. Another C. kousa is in the middle gardenroom on the path leading to the bridge to theChildren’s Touchstone Table and is near the Cornusmas or Cornelian Cherry past the Cornus florida.This provides a great opportunity to compare thesethree different species of dogwood.My favorite way to see this tree in the landscapeis in combination plantings of all three Cornusspecies mentioned. C. mas is the first to bloomin early March and is covered in clusters of yellowflowers. This is followed by our celebrated C. floridaand finally C. kousa, both of which bloom whiteor pink, making for a colorful show all spring. Besure not to miss the Cornus kousa while it’s in fullbloom; you might realize it’s just what your gardenis missing.—Robin Yeery10

Enchanting Plants of SpringThere is always so much to do for the Gardens andFriends that every once in a while we try to makesure we remind ourselves to make note of whatenchants us in our own private gardens or in theUniversity Gardens, despite our harried schedulesin support of a myriad of official advocacy, promotionaland fundraising activities. During the burstof spring that appeared in the last week of March,these plants caused some board members andcommittee chairmen to stop and really take notice:Faye Beck—One of the plants that I reallynoticed this week was my Chinese May Apple orPodophyllum pleianthmum. It has about fourstalks this year and bud blooms that will open adeep red (for the first time). Also, another greatplant was Trillium pusilum ‘Roadrunner’—about2-3 inches tall with lots of white blooms. Anotheris Cercis ‘Little Woody’ in full bloom (from DonShadow).Mary Spengler—It is a no-brainer when I amasked what my favorite plant is during this specialseason—whatever my eyes are feasting on at thatvery moment. It could be the ephemeral springbeauty emerging from the winter forest floor or themagnificent Cercis canadensis (Eastern redbud)blooming in royal purple along its stems. A particularfavorite is the subtle beauty of the HalesiaCarolina (Carolina silverbell). The slender bellshapedflowers dance through the deciduous forestand look to be ringing in the new season.Lucy Gibson—I am especially delighted with my‘Pink Pearl’ azaleas. The color is exquisite—sodelicate, white in the center, with a cotton-candypink on the edges. The overall effect comesacross as almost fluorescent.Theresa Pepin—A favorite of mine that is juststarting to bloom is the Rhododendron macrosepalum‘Koromo Shikibu’. A fragrant, lavenderbloom with very unusual “strap-like” or “spider”sepals, this azalea also has a lovely dwarf formand graceful habit. I bought it years ago as arooted cutting from Roslyn Nursery (before theyceased mail order) because of a recommendationof Pamela Harper in her wonderful book Time-Tested Plants. Just enchanting.P. J. Snodgrass—Sanguinaria canadensis orBlood Root is my favorite. The small white flowersare bright and cheery, and I think the leavesare such an interesting shape. Because it is oneof the early risers in spring, I always think it isbrave.Mary Collins-Shepard—Epimedium grandiflorum‘Rose Queen’ is flowering now under oneof my (pre-Dogwood Arts Festival) full-bloomdogwoods, and it’s a gem.Dr. Sue Hamilton—I particularly like our newdogwood addition in the UT Gardens Cornuscontroversa ‘Variegata’ or Wedding Cake tree.It has layers of horizontally-held branches withstriking green and white variegated foliage soluminescent that you would think it is in bloom.(It actually will not bloom until late spring/earlysummer.) It is valued for its form and foliagetexture. If you haven’t yet noticed this destinationtree in the Gardens, it is planted in the newestbeds along Neyland Drive.Carolyn Crowder—Tiny ‘Hawera’ daffodils, a1938 heirloom from New Zealand that had moreblooms on each bulb than a bouquet.Christine Griffin—Although it blooms for barelya week, I love that I have out by my front doorat this time of year a ‘Koreanspice’ viburnum(Viburnum carlesii). Just as its name implies, thefragrance is spicy. It would make a fine aftershaveor perfume.Do you have a favorite plant you want to sharewith our membership in the newsletter? Let usknow.11

Thomas Jefferson’sKitchen Garden2007 UT Heirloom Vegetable GardenThis is the fifth year to cultivate the soil in our vegetableplot at the UT Gardens and I am pleasedto announce that we have chosen “ThomasJefferson’s Kitchen Garden” for our theme of theheirloom vegetable garden. The terraced garden atMonticello, near Charlottesville, Va., is probably themost famous kitchen garden in the country, and Ilearned so much about the garden while I studiedat Monticello last summer. This experience ledme to a greater level of appreciation for heirloomgardening. Jefferson was a passionate and dedicatedgardener and collected amazing numbers ofvegetable varieties in his life time. Our heirloomexpert, John Coykendall, and I will demonstrate acolonial kitchen garden, just like Jefferson’s, on asmaller scale at the UT Gardens this summer.The seedlings of spring vegetables are getting readyto be put out in the Gardens any time now. Johnand I carefully selected vegetables that Jeffersonparticularly liked to grow and eat, as well as somepopular varieties that were commonly grown in the19 th century kitchen gardens.In early spring, we will start with some ofJefferson’s favorite lettuce varieties, ‘Tennis Ball,’‘Bath Cos’ and ‘Brown Dutch’ lettuce, as well ashis prized peas, ‘Prince Albert’ and ‘Blue Prussian.’Jefferson was also known as one of the first peopleto grow tomatoes for eating. Before that time,people were afraid of eating tomatoes for they werethought poisonous, as are many other membersof the nightshade family. You will find ‘Large Red’tomatoes in our garden this summer as one of therare tomato varieties from the 19 th century, becausetomatoes that Jefferson used to grow have unfortunatelydisappeared over the years. Other summercrops include white eggplant, red orach, Florencefennel, sesame, large red cayenne pepper, pricklyseededspinach, and more. We will also attemptto continue with our garden through fall and earlywinter with some late season crops, such as ‘ChinaRose’ winter radish, ‘Early Curled Siberian’ kale,walking onion and globe artichoke.There will be interpretive signs for each vegetable atthe Gardens, and John will be speaking about thisheirloom collection at the Blooms Days in June. Ifyou would like more information or want to help memaintain this garden, please contact me at tsaito@utk.edu or 974-7256.—Terumi Watson, graduate studentNews BriefsCaula A. BeylIn late March, Joseph DiPietro, vice president foragriculture, announced the appointment of a newdean for the College of Agricultural Sciences andNatural Sciences. After a rigorous search process,Caula A. Beyl was selected from a pool of manyqualified candidates. She currently serves as directorof the Office of Institutional Planning, Research andEvaluation for Alabama A&M University. A professorof horticulture, she has received numerous awardsand recognitions for teaching and research. She hasalso served in editorial and review capacities fora number of scholarly publications, including theJournal of the American Society for HorticulturalScience. Dr. Beyl holds a Ph.D. in stress physiologyand a master’s in horticulture from Purdue University.12

She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology fromFlorida Atlantic University.The first female dean in the College’s nearlycentury-old history, Dr Beyl is among a handful offemale leaders of such land-grant colleges acrossthe nation. Her appointment recognizes a shift fromtraditionally male-dominated programs to studiesthat are attracting nearly equal numbers of maleand female students.Dr Beyl plans to be on campus June 1 for a summerof intense preparation before the beginning of fallsemester. If you meet her while visiting the Gardensthis summer, please join us in welcoming heraboard.We had great attendance for the March 26 seminarby Dennis Jones, director of planned giving forthe Institute of Agriculture. He shared plannedgift ideas with the Friends board and other interestedmembers. Those seeking to make gifts tothe Gardens through their estates should contacthim while planning wills and bequests to get theright language to be sure gifts are directed exactlyas intended. Other good counsel included lettingthe university know about bequests so that we canhonor your gift now. He also shared other creativeways for providing for the UT Gardens down theroad, including charitable remainder trusts that canprovide income for life while benefiting your favoriteprogram. For more detailed information or to attendan estate planning seminar, contact Dennis Jonesat 865-974-7396.We received word too late for our April issuebut wanted to note an exhibition by the Arts &Culture Alliance, “Honoring Betsy Worden: ARetrospective,” on display at the Emporium Centerin April. Worden, who died in January 2006, wasperhaps best known for her works in watercolor andweaving, and she contributed greatly to Knoxville’svisual arts community throughout her life. Herwork also graces the Friends’ Secret Gardens publications,thanks to her generosity and that of herhusband, Stuart Worden.Paintings by Friend Margaret Scanlan are displayedin a new showing at Bennett Galleries that openedin late March. The exhibit features scenes fromseveral of her own gardens in imaginative assembliesof canvasses.Nashville garden writer Troy Marden has contributedan article for the March 2007 issue of GardenDesign. Carol Reese and Faye Beck have recommendedTroy to our new Friends Advisory Board.Friend and former board member Dr. Frank Galyonpassed away at home Feb. 20. Dr. Galyon spentmany years hybridizing magnolias, daylilies, iris,camellias and daffodils. He was an active memberof many gardening organizations. Memorials can bemade to the Knoxville Garden Club.The travels of active Gardens’ volunteers andFriends W. C. “Dub” and Glenna Julian werefeatured in a March 11 article in the KnoxvilleNews Sentinel, including many photos of theJulians’ visits to Tennessee state parks.“You Gotta Have Plants” by Business Friend andSweet Pea owner Dee Lockwood-Hicks wasfeatured in the March 2007 issue of EvaMag.Metro Pulse reported on student Tony Clark’s “Boldand Organic” design for the new Entrance Plaza ofthe Gardens in its Citybeat column March 22.A follow-up from last month’s report about the UTplant science students who used the Gardens toprepare for a national competition called “PLANETStudent Career Days”: The UT team placed 27th outof 70 schools.Mary Spengler and Theresa Pepin visited withPaul James and Todd Witcher of Ijams NatureCenter in mid-February to discuss opportunitiesfor collaboration. As we joined Paul and Todd forlunch at the wonderful visitor center at Ijams—with parking, restrooms, running water, electricity,and indoor exhibits—we couldn’t be anything butenvious! Someday. Ijams will generously helpthe Friends to accommodate lectures planned in2007 and 2008, while parking is so difficult on thecampus of the university.Dr. Sue Hamilton and Beth Babbit were featuredspeakers as “The Garden Girls” at the GardenHeritage Festival of the Friends of the Knox CountyPublic Library in late March. (Dr Hamilton had avery full day—she also taught a course that samemorning on the Best and Beautiful Plant Trials inTennessee for 2006 and then was back on theradio station the same afternoon.) James Newburn13

answered lots of good questions at the Universityof Tennessee Gardens booth. Also at the GardenHeritage Festival, Terumi Watson spoke about herresearch and documentation of the historical andnotable Van Deventer garden in Knoxville.Ian AndersonWelcome a new sprout to the Friends! Born toFriends board member Nick Anderson andElizabeth Anderson, their first child, a baby boyIan Anderson March 30. Reports Nick: “Sevenpounds thirteen ounces. Twenty-one inches. Momand baby are doing great.”Theresa Pepinspoke to the RotaryClub of WestKnoxville aboutthe University ofTennessee GardensMarch 16 at theinvitation of RotaryClub member andFriends boardmember LucyGibson. Theresadescribed thesteady growth ofthe Gardens since their establishment in 1983on 10 acres of the Agriculture campus and futureplans to build and improve facilities as the Gardensapproach their 25th anniversary in 2008. A roomfull of business people asked some very goodquestions and made suggestions for encouragingsupport from the business community and sustainablebusiness planning for the Gardens. Please letTheresa know if you would like her to speak at yourclub or community event, and she will be delightedto do so. Call her at 865-573-0445.In AppreciationYou’ll note a newBenefactor to theUniversity Gardenslisted as a donor inthis issue:Amy I. Yancey.Amy is assistantdevelopment directorfor the Institute ofAgriculture. She alsoserves as an advisingmember on theboard of the Friends.As far as we know,she is the first UT employee ever to sign up for payrolldeduction through the university for the benefit ofthe University Gardens. Her gift is specifically directedto the Williams Chair endowment and amounts to$3,000. Please thank Amy for her passionate workon behalf of the Gardens and for this very generousinvestment in the future of the Gardens. What aterrific example this young lady sets for all of us!Dr. Sue Hamilton, Gardens director, offers a special“thank you” to the Smoky Mountain Herb Societythat dissolved at the end of 2006 for a $4,000 giftto purchase a new garden shed. “We had outgrownour old shed and desperately needed one that wasbigger,” Sue says. “The old shed will be removedto make way for the Children’s Touchstone Gardenbeing developed. Our new shed is 12’ x 20’ andallows us to organize and store a variety of large andsmall garden tools and supplies more efficiently. Thenew shed is located at the east end of the ‘Nellie R.Stevens’ holly hedge out of public view.”Delivery of new garden shed14

Many thanks to Cindy Williams for her initiativeas a volunteer in partnering with the University ofTennessee Press to provide Friends and Gardensinformation in their booth at the Women TodayExpo in March. We could not have afforded thebooth rental and so are very appreciative of theUniversity of Tennessee Press to let us share abit of their space.Welcome, information and donor cases new locationThe very first contractor to donate work inthe Entrance Plaza on Phase 3 was TerrenceMcDonough, who moved the welcome, informationand donor cases to new locations in the Gardensaway from heavy equipment with the assistance ofhis son, Gardens student intern Nick McDonough.The McDonough family has three children at UT.When we thanked Terrence for his help, he toldus he was thankful, in turn, for the opportunity togive back to a university that meant so much to hisfamily. What a great thing to hear!Also on the Entrance Plaza front, there is no way tothank Tom Boyd adequately for what would havecost us nearly $10,000 in grading and demolition.Despite being ill with flu just a few days prior, hedid the job quickly, safely, thoroughly and expertly,over the course of three days. We also had the mostcompetent and pleasant volunteer work force forthe demolition cleanup March 10 you’d ever want tohave—James Newburn, Faye Beck, Matt Wampler,Deedee Blane and Craig Behling. They left the siteclean as a whistle. Claiborne Hauling took awayfour full roll off containers at a value of $1,600 forthe removal and disposal (following a similar contributionin Phase 1). Cortese Tree Specialistscontributed in kind work valued at $2,500 inconnection with removal of part of the holly hedge toaccommodate the new Plaza footprint.We are also grateful to Nancy Rennie for hercareful work in reproducing the Donald B.Williams wildflower prints. The latest release ofthe Williams prints will take place at Blooms Days2007 in June.Special thanks to Jack Neely for his meeting withand assisting Theresa Pepin and Terumi Watsonwith research in library collections and referralsto people still living in connection with historicalgardens and landscapes in Knoxville. SandyMcNabb, Mary Spengler, Mrs Ralston (Cecil)Matheny and Mrs Herbert Carter Van DeventerSlatery all helped us to finally find the elusivelast of the four Jens Jensen designs in Knoxvilledating back to the early 20 th century. If any of ourreaders has knowledge of the gardens of John E.Oberne (1917), Hugh W. Sanford (1917), HughF. Van Deventer (1923) and James Van Deventer(1928) in Knoxville, please call the Infoline at865-525-4555 and we’ll put you in touch withTerumi Watson, who is doing her master’s thesison this subject.Welcome new Business Friend PittmanProperties and be sure to thank them for theirmembership. They have become a member inhonor of James Newburn.The new Tennessee east of 75 magazinefeatured the University Gardens in a full colorspread in their Spring Gardens 2007 issue. Hownice to get this chance to see the Gardens incolor in such a beautiful publication. For moreinformation on this new magazine visit www.eastof75.net. Thank you to editor CandiceDurman and east of 75 for giving us a chanceto let more of the state of Tennessee know aboutthe University Gardens. We are acknowledgingMorrison Printing as a Business Patron for thisin kind contribution.15

Friends Courses at UTComing up in early June is a new course taught by a master of the art:Creating Topiary StandardsLearn how to create a specimen topiary or standard.Participants will select plant material to beginthe initial training and pruning necessary to makeyour own plant specimen. The instructor has beentraining topiaries and growing specimen qualityplants for over 20 years. You will be able to see15-year-old standards and many uncommon specimenplants. The class meets at Riverdale Nursery.Directions will be mailed with your receipt. All materialswill be furnished, and a $20 materials fee isdue to the instructor at the class.Date: June 9, l0 a.m.-l p.m.Instructor: Mark Burch of Riverdale NurseryCourse: # 274603Fee: $39Location: Riverdale Nursery. Directions will be mailedwith your receipt.Space is strictly limited for this class.Registration deadline is June 1.The Friends offer educational programs through UT Outreach & Continuing Education Professional &Personal Development. Call 865-974-0150 to register or order a catalog, or see www.outreach.utk.edu/ppd to register or for additional details.Spotlight on Business PatronsBig Rock Building Products in Rockwood is oursingle largest contributor to the Entrance Plazaproject so far. The firm is donating over $30,000worth of Belgard pavers to the University Gardensin a special custom finish that adheres to UniversitySite Guidelines, based on the Belgard CambridgeCobble pattern of squares and rectangles. Thefinish is a very rugged and beautiful one. Theuniversity will also be looking at a new productfrom Big Rock—a permeable concrete paverthat can be used in applications to reduce waterrunoff from hard surfaces—to see whether it couldbe included in current research on permeableconcrete. When we thanked Big Rock for this exceptionalgenerosity, they told us, over and over again,how wonderful it was to have this opportunity. Ithas been hard NOT to refer to Big Rock as Big RockCandy Mountain!Claiborne Hauling Contractors in Knoxvilleprovided a lot of containers and hauling to assistwith demolition and remediation of surfacing anddrainage in both Phase 1 (in 2006) and now Phase3 of construction. We particularly wish to acknowledgetheir patience in working with a lot of volunteerson Saturdays.Cortese Tree Specialists Inc. in Knoxville assistedwith removal of a portion of the hedge of hollies toclear way for the new footprint of the plaza. This willkeep roosting birds away from event setup and foodservices in the plaza. (Never fear: There are 63—wecounted them—overgrown ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ holliesleft.) Cortese has also donated a tremendousamount of time in helping train students in arboricultureduring this last semester. They are also a16

Secret Gardens sponsor. Be sure to use Cortese forall your tree needs and tell them how grateful weare for all they do for the Gardens.These generous and community-minded BusinessPatrons have all donated a minimum of $2,500in kind. They will be among the first listed onthe new permanent donor recognition wall in theEntrance Plaza. Please join them in support ofthis vital project.Meadow View Greenhouse and Garden Centerworkshop: Meadow View Greenhouse and GardenCenter will sponsor a free workshop “Hypertufa—Cast Your Own Stone” May 5, 10 a.m., at 9885Highway 11 East. Learn how to make these versatilecontainers, creating your own containerfor plants. A small fee will be charged formaterials. You can sign up at Meadow View or bycalling Elizabeth Vernon or Rodney or Lisa Gruginat 865-986-7229. Look for the big yellow wateringcan above the sign.ALPINE GARDENINGCreate a rich garden tapestry by weavingstone and these diminutive little bloomersinto your garden. 100 varieties!Willow Ridge Garden Center97 Oak Ridge Turnpike ?481-3825SIMPLY THE BEST17

Q& AQ: I came to visit the Gardens and I gota parking ticket. The visitor spaces werefull. What to do?A: There is a lot of construction on the campusthis year and there are a lot more students.The combination means that there are very fewparking spaces to go around during peak times.Although almost no one heeds us until they gettheir first parking ticket, we encourage visitors tocome to the University Gardens at times outsidethe peak of 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays. If theGardens visitor parking spaces are full, do notassume that you can park near those 10 spaces.You cannot. At peak times, it can be difficult tofind any space available anywhere, either on themain campus or the agriculture campus. Evenif you find a space during that time, we recommendyou do not park in the space (unless it isone of the 10 visitor spaces near the Entranceto the Gardens) without getting a permit first.You are almost sure to get a ticket.The easiest option, if you must attend ameeting during peak times on weekdays, is togo to Morgan Hall (top of the hill and facingthe interstate on the north edge of the agriculturecampus) and obtain a parking pass so youdon’t take a chance on a ticket. Otherwise youcould pay for parking in the garage behind theUniversity Center and take a bus over to the agriculturecampus, or you can go to the parkingoffices at either Circle Park or on StephensonDrive and pay $5 for a day permit. Even with apermit, it can be tough to find a space.So, we recommend visiting the Gardens before8 a.m. on weekdays (it’s cooler for one thing!)and after 5 p.m. Weekends are usually fine,unless there is a sports event that attracts muchof the town—usually football. Spaces are mucheasier to find when classes are in recess forthe summer (generally early May to late August),plus holiday breaks. However, you still do not wantto park outside the allotted visitor spaces withoutgetting a parking pass if it is between 8 a.m. and 5p.m.If your group includes several vehicles for a specialevent, call Arlene King at 865-974-7439 to requestparking passes in advance.Q: Today I parked at the Third CreekGreenway lot and wanted to walk from thereto the Gardens, but then I realized that Icould not get in to the Gardens from thesouthern end unless I walked all the wayaround to the Entrance Plaza on the northend of the Gardens. Could there be gatesor a pass-through at each end along theGreenway so we could walk through theGardens?A: Good question. Smart idea to park on theGreenway lot. That’s what many Friends do duringthe week and then they walk to the campus fromthat public parking lot.Among the many details that are awaiting a masterplan are additional entrances or paths in, out andaround the Gardens. Security is also an issue,because right now we have no staff who couldregularly open and close gates every day yearround.We think that the fence has served to keepvandalism to a minimum but, as you note, thereare a lot of people who would like to be able tomeander through the Gardens from the Greenway.Most bicyclists, of course, routinely ride their bikesaround and up Jacob Drive and park outside theGardens near the Entrance Plaza while they visit theGardens. We will be adding a bike rack as part ofthe Entrance Plaza Project.We will also pass your query on to the EastTennessee Research and Education Center andTennessee Agricultural Experiment Station administratorswho manage the site. They may see agood, simple solution in the meantime while welook forward to a master plan that can help us withbetter traffic patterns overall.18

New & Renewing Members & Donors-April/MayBenefactors ($1,000+)Anonymous *Tom BoydAmy I. YanceyBusiness Patrons ($1,000+)Big Rock Building ProductsClaiborne Hauling ContractorsCortese Tree SpecialistsMorrison Printing &Tennessee east of 75Patterson Design StudioPatron Friends ($500+)Sandee CookBusiness Friends ($250+)Ellenburg NurseryPittman Properties **Pope’s Garden CenterTerrence McDonoughSponsoring Friends ($250+)Maribel KoellaContributing Friends ($100+) ***Bill Dohm & Patty CooperAnne & Gaines PittengerMrs. Don B. PrestonWayne RussellSarah SheppeardFamily FriendsSue & Don ByerlyBobbie CongletonCor & Dorothy de VogelWayne & Judy FreeJoe & Erika FuhrHiram Rogers & Jean GaugerCharlie & Emily JerniganCharles & Clara McNuttCheryl Layson PetersGeorge & Margie PickensRandall StewartJason WoodleIndividual FriendsChristine AcuffH. Ted BallardMary Jean BryantDebbie CavanaughNissa Dahlin-BrownMary Nell FarmerMaria GallKathy T. JacksonSondra JamiesonShirley JohnsonLucie JonesKaren KriegElaine LindkeShelley NewmanEileen RuddLethco SandyIrene SchinsEsther WebsterWilhelmina WilliamsStudent FriendsCathleen C. Rose* Anonymous is the $10,000 challenge grant to Friends members in support of the Entrance PlazaProject. Please help by sending your matching contribution to the Friends at P. O. Box 51394, Knoxville,TN 37950-1394. Mark your check “Entrance Plaza.” Questions? Call Theresa Pepin at 865-573-0445.Thank you!** Pittman Properties has become a Business Friend in honor of James Newburn.*** Note that in late 2006 we consolidated the former Sustaining and Contributing categories ofmembership into a single Contributing category. This change is reflected in the new membership applicationforms and renewal forms.“Never think you need to apologize for asking someone to give to a worthy cause, any more than asthough you were giving him or her an opportunity to participate in a high-grade investment. The dutyof giving is as much his or hers as is the duty of asking yours.” - John D. Rockefeller, Jr.19

P.O. Box 51394Knoxville, TN 37950-1394Non-profit Org.US PostagePAIDKnoxville, TNPermit No. 204Address Service RequestedVolume 14 No 4 May 2007Calendar Issue865-525-4555friendsoftheutgardens@utk.eduwww.friendsoftheutgardens.orgTHE GARDEN POSTComing Up On The Calendar:Tuesday, May 1. . . . . . . . . . DEADLINE . . . . . . . . June newsletter (Blooms Days Issue)Saturday, May 12 . . . . . . . . . EVENT . . . . . . . . . Secret Garden Party—Seabolt Harris House & Bluebird HillSaturday, May 12 . . . . . . . . . .SALE . . . . . . . . . Spring Plant & Rummage Sale Featuring faux bois containers& ornamentsTuesday, May 15. . . . . . IN THE GARDENS . . . . . Lunchtime Walk 12 Noon Twilight Walk 6 p.m.Saturday, May 19 . . . . . . . . . EVENT . . . . . . . . . Secret Garden Party—The Eagle’s NestMonday, May 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No board meeting Free for committee meetingsFriday, June 1. . . . . . . . . . . . EVENT . . . . . . . . . Secret Garden Party—RiverviewSaturday, June 2. . . . . . . . . . EVENT . . . . . . . . . Secret Garden Party—The Friendship GardenIn this Issue:16th Annual Spring Plant Sale – p 1From the UT Gardens’ Director - pp 2-3From the UT Gardens’ Curator - pp 4-5Special Events in the Gardens - p 6Secret Garden Parties - pp 6-8May Gardening Tips - p 9UT Gardens’ Plant Profile - p 9Best & Beautiful - p 10Enchanting Plants of Spring - p 11Thomas Jefferson’s Kitchen Garden - p 12News Briefs - pp 12-14In Appreciation - pp 14-15Friends Courses at UT - p 16Spotlight on Business Patrons - pp 16-17Question & Answer - p 18New and Renewing Members - p 1920