Leucojum aestivum

I was at my folks' place yesterday after doing some site work in a nearby town.  I wanted to check up on the garden and see how things were looking.  I have to say, I was pretty pleased!  The whole front looks like we're almost in May, rather than just in the first days of April.  The boxwoods are growing like mad, and the Chionanthus virginicus has tons of buds on it.  Iris germanica is in full bloom, but no sign of the Allium giganteum, which, last year, was blooming at the same time as the irises.

Dotting the garden, in little pointillist spots of white, were the blossoms of Leucojum aestivum or spring snowflake.  

This is a great go-to bulb in this area (Virginia).  The deer stay away from it, it multiplies like crazy and it's perfectly lovely.  The tall stems of white blossoms remain visible over the burgeoning perennial foliage and it adds a lovely sprinkling of botanical salt (or as the common name suggest, snow) on a spring garden.

Magnolia acuminata

This, reader, is your first peek at where I am living now.   It is also the only peek you are gonna get of the grounds, as the lawn is ridiculously bad (and I don't really care about turf) and the plant collection is pretty typical.  But I did notice this specimen walking the other day and was excited to introduce to you (at least via this blog) Magnolia acuminata or Cucumbertree Magnolia. 

As a straight species found in its native habitat of the Appalachian, M. acuminata is not very showy.  It's one of the largest of the Magnolias and one of the most cold hardy, but the flowers are typically diminutive. Cultivars like this one have been bred for better display of the creamy yellow blossoms that occur in early/mid-spring.  A popular cultivar these days is 'Yellow Bird.'

It's called Cucumbertree Magnolia because the seed heads when they are still ripening, resemble cucumbers.  I'll try to be watchful for them on this specimen and share more photos then!

Quercus...hemisphaerica?

More often than not, I find specimens (like Monday's Erica) while on a run, and I snap photos of them on a older version iPhone that is painfully slow and takes somewhat fuzzy pics.  Recently, on a run past Arlington Cemetery, I noticed these trees and decided to return with an actual real camera. 

The habit of the plant made me certain it was an oak, though I was surprised to see any evergreen oaks in our climate.  I had heard rumors that live oaks (Quercus virginiana) can survive up here but wasn't quite convinced this was that species.  (It should be noted that the use of virginiana as a species name doesn't literally mean of the state of Virginia, but simply of the colonies.  Canadensis is used for a similar purpose as well as occidentalis, which means 'western' and indeed the new world was west of Europe.)

Upon further look however, of photos of this plant and of Quercus virginiana, I became certain that they are not a match.  A quick look at my post on NYPAOS would illustrate how different the bark is on this species.  On Q. virginiana, the bark is corky and blocky, whereas this species has the shallowly fluted bark similar to a red oak (Quercus rubra). This was a great clue that perhaps this mystery species was in the red oak (or Loboatae) section of the genus.  After a bit of investigation, I'm tempted to identify this as Quercus hemisphaerica or laurel oak.  Everything I read on Dirr seems to help confirm this.  The plant is marginally hardy, loses its leaves around February (depending on the severity of the winter - and this one has been mild) and is generally a tough plant, used commonly as a street tree further south. 

Finally, as the common name implies, the leaves do look like laurel leaves.  I will have to watch this plant and take more pics when it forms acorns which should help confim the species. 

Finally! The USDA Hardiness Zone Map Changes

When I teach certain plants, I often find myself qualifying their hardiness.  I'll say things like, "Well, when I was in college, we were taught that Crape Myrtle would never survive in NY.   It's considered a solid zone 7 plant.  Yet, more and more, we see it in Manhattan gardens and in the Hamptons."  This was perplexing because New York was considered Zone 6 until yesterday.

On January 25, the USDA introduced an updated hardiness zone map, showing an upward shift of average lowest temperatures and thus generally making each zone shift north.  For example, whereas New York was Zone 6, it is now marked as Zone 7. 

The map itself debuted in 1960, and was revised in 1965.  In 1990 the map was updated, using data from 1974-1986.  This revision actually caused zones to skew lower, as during those years winters were particularly colder.  The current edition includes data from 1976-2005, and thus should have better average temperatures reflected in the map. The map is also clickable- so you can view insets of your state.

Holiday Wreaths '11

Last year, I posted a how-to on wreathmaking. I know for a fact that at least two people read that post, because this year my mom and my sister asked me for help making their own wreaths.  So the Tuesday before Thanksgiving we got together for a little craft party.

I bought all the goods from Michael's crafts, with these requests: My sister wanted to do something unconventional, with non traditional holiday colors. My mom wanted a boxwood wreath (using boxwood cuttings from her garden).  I wasn't sure what I was going to make.

I saw the above for sale at Michael's and liked the idea of it; I decided to use that as a guide, only I'd scale back the....bling.  I bought fake lemons for my mom and pink and blue Christmas balls for my sister. And I bought wine.  Beaujolais Nouveau in fact. (For the record, the food was tasty too - whole wheat pasta in a butternut squash sauce with toasted walnuts and a salad of shaved Brussel sprouts with pecorino and toasted walnuts).

Above, mom gets started with wire, boxwood and wreath frame.

While Tina starts plotting out placement of ornaments on her foam wreath, using toothpicks to do preliminary placement.

Meanwhile, I took a grapevine wreath and painted it with silver shimmer spraypaint.

Tina's progressed beautifully, though I underestimated how many ornaments we'd need.

Mom's placing an "H" ornament of silver bells on the wreath.

Tina's finished wreath is above - it's Katy Perry's dream wreath, candy colored and fun.

Mom's is above -- very traditional, though I like the off center placement of the bow wrapped around cinnamon sticks.

And mine, above.  It really doesn't photograph well, but not counting drying time for paint, it took about ten minutes to make.

It's simply a grapevine wreath, with silver and red "berries" wired into it.  I would have added more gilt perhaps, but in person it's quite nice.

Long Bridge Park, Part II

Last May, I wrote a post about a construction field trip I took of Long Bridge Park in Arlington, Virginia.  Then in July, a reader submitted a photo of the construction's progress.  Well shame on that reader, for not sending some finished photos of phase I!  (Just kidding -- I know you've been busy!) 

 

Last Sunday, I finally went for a run through the park on what was a somewhat gray, dreary day. Above is a view from the southern entrance of the park.

Along the promenade, large concrete "benches" occur, though they aren't particularly inviting to me.  Concrete stays damp for so long, they aren't very usable in wet weather, plus they are a little...blocky or monolithic looking.  Though no doubt, the budget was friendly!

To the left of the promenade, a large stair leads to the sports fields.

While to the right of the promenade, people are actively enjoying views of the water and Reagan Airport.

Further down the promenade, a look to the left shows the rain garden.  I'm looking forward to seeing the plants in the summer.

While little kids happily look to the right at the passing train.

Another shot of the rain garden.

Finally, above, lighting at the sports fields.

Switchgrass

Switchgrass, or Panicum virgatum, has become increasingly popular in the past ten or fifteen years as an ornamental grass that is native to North America, as opposed to the previously used Miscanthus and Pennisetum species.  It's a terrifically useful plant aesthetically, but it also has scientific merits as well.  The plant has been used for phytoremediation as well as biomass.  

Grasses are amazingly evolved plants -- where most angiosperms have the apical meristem (the part of the plant that signals growth and cell production to the entire organism) located at the terminal leader of the plant, grasses evolved so that the apical meristem is located at the joint where new blades emerge from the sheath.  This is an adaptation in response to the grazing habits of mammals on the plains.  If, for instance, buffalo grazed on grasses and consistently chewed off the apical meristem, the plants would diminish quickly.  When the apical meristem is at a node closer to the ground, growth patterns are not interrupted by nearby herbivores. (Please note: I probably condensed several books' worth of science into a few sentences -- no doubt a better scientist could have explained this more clearly and accurately!)

The photos above are most likely of a cultivar of switchgrass called 'Shenandoah' which is notable for it's red foliage.  The shots above also show the panicle of flowers typically seen in late summer/early fall.  Panicum is a warm season grass, which means the plant grows most during hot, dry summers and has extensive root systems to allow them to survive drought.

The shot above and below is at the Christiana Mall in Delaware.  I think it is a good illustration of how a native prairie grass (though its distribution stretches from Nova Scotia to Mexico) can be used in a very corporate landscape.  I also think it combines beautifully with Hydrangea paniculata.

Panicum is derivative of the Latin word for millet, which is also the root for the word bread in French and Spanish, pain and pan, respectively. 

Yikes

Wow, my last post was 11 days ago!  Shameful!

If you're reading this, well, thanks for coming over, even though I have been posting infrequently.  My own back-to-school resolution is to maintain 3-5 posts/week.  Wish me luck, things have been piling up lately!

Speaking of being of "piling up" (cheesy segueway alert!), here are some shots I took on a run yesterday near the Air Force Memorial in Arlington.

Locals probably recognize the memorial immediately, as it's visible from DC and the Potomac.  It's also within the first and last mile of most of my runs.  It's also - as you can see, at the crest of a very large hill.  A great spot for firework viewing, it's also a little brutal to climb after a long run, and there's a good chance I end up walking some of it.  In any case, I know this stretch of land quite well.

 
Which was why I was so fascinated with the recent storm damage that occurred there.  You see the way the ground sheared off in the top photo?  I'd say the ground dropped about 24-30" -- a very small landslide.  From there, the soil, beneath the turf, slowly migrated downhill, rippling the turf like a buckled carpet.

In the shot above, you can see how the guardrail bows out a little from the pressure of the soil.  It also reaches the top of the guardrail, piling up to a height of around 30".  We've all seen evidence of the power of water lately (I was on a site in Vermont last week doing damage assessment -- I wish I could share those pics), but I thought I'd share this small example.

Progress at Long Bridge Park

In early May, I wrote a post about Arlington's Long Bridge Park, which is currently under construction.  Then a reader sent me a photo of his view of the park from his office window.  Today, he sends an update:

On another note, apologies for the scant posts lately.  This week things will be back on track!

More Long Bridge Park

I love validation -- particularly in the form of comments and emails from readers.  One reader, after reading Wednesday's post on Long Bridge Park, sent me this picture. 

 

They were pleased to finally learn more about the project via the post!

Long Bridge Park

Last Saturday, the National Building Museum arranged for a tour through the construction site of what will become Long Bridge Park.  The park is in Arlington County and is a brownfield site (for years this site was strictly industrial, serving as a whitegoods dump as well as a site for other industrial uses).  Today the 30-acre site is being converted to parkland, with three sports fields being developed and eventually (during phase II) the construction of a large aquatic sports and recreation center. 

The site represents a terrific grading challenge.  Above, to the far left, you see the ground rises up from the existing grade.  This is the site of an asphalt cap, which seals various metals and pollutants.  The asphalt cap will be topped with soil and be used as a playfield and the finished elevation of that field sets the upper baseline for the site as a whole.  Essentially, all the sports fields are meeting that elevation and parking is being placed beneath one of the fields.  The parking area you see above is a Phase I parking.  In Phase II, a fourth field will be built above the parking deck in this location.  In the foreground of this picture the grade stays the same -- this is the site of a rain garden which will collect runoff from much of the site.

The top photo was taken from the esplanade - a large wall that meets the top-of-field elevation and connects the length of the whole site.  It also buffers the noise from the immediately adjacent train rails (right). 

Above, one looks up to the esplanade from the rain garden.   The project is being led by Hughes Group Architects with Hargreaves Associates being the lead landscape architect and LSG Landscape Architecture functioning as project landscape architect. 

The photo above tells an interesting story.  In addition to the CSX train line, the park is in the shadow of Reagan Airport (you can see a plane ascending in the background).  This relationship posed a special challenge in designing the photometrics for lights in the sports fields.  The posts had to meet a maximum height limitation that was much lower than normal and as a result, the lamps were specially arranged to flood light on the field and avoid shadows.

Viburnum plicatum 'Popcorn'

Viburnum plicatum - or doublefile viburnum - is a terrifically handy plant.  It's deer resistant, has great fall color and no real pest problems.  It's in bloom right now and typically can be spotted by its large, horizontal branches that seem to extend from the plant parallel to the ground plane, as you can see in this specimen at Tompkins Square Park in New York.

It's called doublefile because typically the flowers and the showy bracts appear in a double line along the branches.

The specimens below belong to the same species, but these cultivars are called 'Popcorn' -- because of the round head of flowers which are actually quite similar to a Hydrangea.

Though this plant is not native (it is from China) the berries it sporadically forms in the fall are good food for birds.  I also love the deeply recessed venation in the leaves -- a feature common in many Viburnum species.

Phlox stolonifera

Yesterday, my sister and another friend of mine ran the George Washington Parkway Classic -- a ten mile race that begins in Mount Vernon and ends in Old Town Alexandria.  It was kind of a gloomy morning - but by the time the race was ending the sun began to peek out.  Walking to brunch, I stopped to take a picture of this:

The flower itself may look familiar if you happen to remember my three-year-old post on NYPAOS about Phlox paniculata.  This is indeed a Phlox as well: P. stolonifera.  Clearly enough, it's called stolonifera because the plant spreads by stolons -- or adventitious stems that trail along the soil layer and eventually establish roots. 
 

The plant is quite similar to moss phlox, or P. subulata, though that plant is farm more prostrate, growing along the ground in a flat dense carpet.  They are both native to the US.  P. stolonifera is found in the Piedmont region, along streams or under the forest canopy.  P. subulata is more likely to be observed from the mid-Atlantic towards the western side of the Appalachian on exposed banks or slopes.
 

To confuse matters further, this plant could very well be P. x procumbens, which is a cross of the two species!

Vinca minor

These pics were also taken during the run I mentioned in yesterday's post.  I had passed by this modest little stand of Vinca minor several times already and kept putting off getting a few pictures of it.  Honestly, I thought I'd encounter a better use of this common groundcover...but why put off til tomorrow what you can do today?

As I mentioned, this plant is often used as a groundcover, actually, I think it's only used as a groundcover.  And as far as groundcovers go, I rank this high above Pachysandra or Hedera helix.  The flowers are pretty in the spring, much more attractive than Pachysandra and it's not likely to take over your landscape (and buildings) the way English ivy would. 

 

That said, it is noted by some as invasive, though I've personally discovered its relative, Vinca major 'Variegata' to be far worse.  My folks put some in planters in their backyard once and in the fall, dumped the soil, which contained a few of the variegated vines.  They overwintered and began to colonize the backyard.  We're steadily removing them now.  

Vinca is in the Apocyanaceae or dogbane family.  The flowers are fairly distinctive among this family which includes Plumbago auriculata and Alyxia ruscifolia.