January/February 2002 - Volume 81, Number 1

The following is a table of contents of the articles that appear in the January/February 2002 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.

ASTERISKS (*) INDICATE PAGES VIEWABLE BY NON-MEMBERS
(Non-members get to see the EXCERPT of New Plants for 2002.)

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Features

• New Plants for 2002* by Carole Ottesen - Here are some new plants -- and time-tested award winners -- for you to consider as you plan your garden for 2002. Includes regional introductions.

• Why Gardens Need Diversity by Eric Grissell - An entomologist explains the important role that insects play in maintaining the health of a garden -- and how we can make them feel at home.

• A Study in Silver by Karen Bussolini - Plants with silver and grey foliage bring an artful look to the garden if effectively integrated with compatible colors. Includes examples from gardens around the country.

• Pruning Deciduous Shrubs by Mary Yee - Neglected and overgrown shrubs can regain their vitality if you prune them now. Features step-by-step instructions.

• Evergreen Ground Covers by David S. MacKenzie - Diversify your ground-level plantings with useful and attractive alternatives to overused ground covers such as English ivy and Japanese spurge. Among the creative alternatives are a variety of succulents, grasslike plants, herbs, and low-growing shrubs.

• Weeping Trees by Carole Ottesen - If drama or grace is needed in the landscape, few plants can match weeping trees. This photo essay focuses on select weeping trees such as Japanese maples, cedars, and cherries.

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: Questioning ginkgo's classification as a conifer; AHS reaches out to members in New York City and Virginia in the wake of the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

• AHS 80th Anniversary* - Highlights from AHS history over the past 80 years. In this issue: The founding of the Society in 1922 and the origins of The American Gardener magazine.

• News from AHS* - Updates on American Horticultural Society programs and events. In this issue: Holiday tree display at River Farm, 2002 Youth Garden Symposium to be held in San Francisco, 2002 AHS Award winners announced.

• 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: Keeping garden records.

• AHS Travel Study Program in Focus - A sneak peek into select destinations of AHS's popular garden travel program. This issue: Gardens of coastal Maine, highlighting designs by Beatrix Farrand and Jens Jensen.

• Gardener's Notebook* - Short, newsworthy articles on horticultural topics. This issue: Mail irradiation poses threat to seeds, The Garden Conservancy's 2002 Open Days Directory, disease threatens chocolate industry, a Web site that reveals what food products contain genetically engineered ingredients.

• Offshoots - Essays on gardening from a personal viewpoint. This issue: A worm-eat-worm world in a vermicomposter.

• Gardeners Information Service* - The plant specialists at the American Horticultural Society answer gardening questions. This month: Defining cold conditioning, identifying Cuban oregano, ways to prevent weedy seeds from sprouting under bird feeders.

• Habitat Gardening - Designing gardens to simulate or reflect regional plant communities and ecosystems. This issue: Planned communities that preserve the natural habitat of Florida's Gulf Coast.

• Plant in the Spotlight - Worthy plants that deserve more attention. This issue: Fragrant tuberoses.

• Gardening Online - A yearly primer on how to tap the wealth of gardening information on the Internet. This issue: Gardening discussion groups and e-mail lists.

• Book Reviews* - Featured: Bulbs of North America and the Greater Perfection: The Story of the Gardens at the Led Quatre Vents. Also, a special look at recently published regional gardening books.

• Seasonal Garden Goods - A look at selected products on the market based on innovative design, horticultural utility, and environmental responsibility. This issue: Gardening tools worth adding to your shed.

• Regional Happenings - Listings of lectures, flower shows, and other gardening events across the country. Featured: Michaux Symposium in North Carolina, Pacific Orchid Exposition in San Francisco.

• 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 a user-friendly guide to pronouncing their botanical names.

• Notes from River Farm* - Thoughts and observations from the editor's desk. This issue: AHS's annual seed exchange kicks into high gear.
   

You can gain access to the online version of this issue of The American Gardener AND get a printed copy of each bimonthly issue mailed to your home by becoming an American Horticultural Society (AHS) member today. Click here to learn about the many other benefits of AHS membership--the annual Free Seed Exchange, toll-free gardener's hotline, free and discounted admission to flower shows and botanical gardens, and much more--and for a membership application. To purchase a single copy of the magazine, click here. The American Gardener is also available through select vendors; ask your local newsstand for our publication.

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.