July/August 2001 - Volume 80, Number 4

The following is a table of contents of the articles that appear in the July/August 2001 issue of The American Gardener.  Links have been established to each article.  However, many articles are only accessible to American Horticultural Society (AHS) members . When you click on these links, a challenge will appear for a username (ahs) and password that AHS members can use to view these articles. Non-members are encouraged to join AHS to be able to enjoy each of these articles and the many other benefits of AHS membership.

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Features

• Discover Diascias by Panayoti Kelaidis - American gardeners are just discovering diascias - also known as twinspurs - a genus of annual and perennial wildflowers from South Africa that offer a variety of hot new hues for the summer border.

• Secret Gardens by Rita Pelczar - If you're planning your summer travels, you'll want to consider visiting some of these little-known public garden gems recommended by our readers.

• All-American Mallows by Donald Humphrey - Hibiscuses and their many comely American cousins add vibrant colors and striking foliage to the late-summer garden.

• A Northern Light by Susan Davis Price - University of Minnesota plant breeder Harold Pellett has expanded the variety of cold-hardy trees and shrubs - from azaleas and forsythias to maples and viburnums - available to northern gardeners.

• Hosta Fever* by Carol Wallace - With thousands of cultivars to choose from, it's important to pick those best suited to your site. Hosta experts recommend the best cultivars for every region in the United States. Includes picks for the top 10 best new hostas.

• Collecting and Saving Seeds* by Mary Yee - This time-honored gardening practice is easy and rewarding. Learn how to gather and store seeds from your garden to share with friends or produce more plants.

• No Place Like Home by Jerry W. Brown - After years of looking to England for gardening inspiration, this Missouri gardener found true satisfaction in his own back yard. Find out how he created a flourishing, low-maintenance prairie garden he considers equal in beauty to any garden in England.

Departments

• An Inside Look* - An overview of what's in each issue and engaging insights from American Horticultural Society President Emeritus H. Marc Cathey.

• Members' Forum - Readers write to voice their opinions, make recommendations, or set the record straight. In this issue: Mystery plant in photo identified, equal time for trees, a mushroom story.

• AHS Award Winners in Focus - Profile of winners of AHS horticultural achievement awards. In this issue: Horticultural educators Dirck and Molly Brown and the Roots and Shoots program.

• AHS Member in Focus* - Profile of AHS members and what they are doing in the gardening world. In this issue: Author and garden designer Ann Lovejoy.

• News from AHS* - Updates on American Horticultural Society programs and events. In this issue: AHS and PlantAmerica partner on the Web, AHS plant sale is a success, living lab intern develops newsletter, truck donated to AHS.

• SmartGarden™* - A series of articles highlighting different aspects of AHS's new SmartGarden™ program, which promotes a holistic approach to gardening using scientifically sound and environmentally responsible practices. This issue: Heading off pests and diseases.

• Gardener's Notebook* - Short, newsworthy articles on horticultural topics. This issue: 2001 regional plant picks, the Chicago Botanic Garden gets a grant for longhorned beetle research, and a booster for BT pesticide is discovered.

• Offshoots - Essays on gardening from a personal viewpoint. This issue: The stress of getting a garden ready for a tour.

• Gardeners Information Service* - The plant specialists at the American Horticultural Society answer gardening questions. This month: Dividing irises, propagating hibiscuses, sudden oak death, identifying woundwort.

• Natural Connections - Life in the compost pile. It takes a lot of different critters to turn the raw materials of a compost pile into what gardeners call "black gold."

• Seasonal Garden Goods - A look at selected products on the market based on innovative design, horticultural utility, and environmental responsibility. This issue: a selection of garden seating to fit every style, from formal to whimsical.

• Book Reviews* - Featured: Ann Lovejoy's Organic Garden Design School, Growing Shrubs and Small Trees in Cold Climates, A Year in Our Gardens. Also, editor's picks for summer reading and short descriptions of other newly released gardening books and references.

• Regional Happenings - Listings of lectures, flower shows, and other gardening events across the country. Featured: A roof garden at Chicago's City Hall.

• Hardiness and Heat Zones and Pronunciations - A guide to USDA Plant Hardiness and AHS Plant Heat Zones for most of the cultivated plants listed in each issue-and an easy guide to pronouncing their botanical names.

• Notes from River Farm - Thoughts and observations from the editor's desk. This issue: In praise of trees.
   

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Items marked with an asterisk (*) can be viewed by non-members without a username and password.

Letters to the editor should be emailed to: editor@ahs.org or mailed to:
Editor, AHS,
7931 East Boulevard Drive,
Alexandria VA 22308.