The Illinois Orchid Society Show

Phalaenopsis Taida King's Caroline

It's said there are more species of orchid than any other plant on Earth, with the possible exception of asters.

After attending "Spring Into Orchids," the Illinois Orchid Society show at the Chicago Botanic Garden this past weekend, I'd have to agree.

There were all colors, shapes and sizes -- everything from the more traditional Phalaenopsis and Cattleya orchids to lady slippers and pansy varieties. There was even one with a fuzzy white flower unlike anything I'd ever seen before -- a Rhyncolaelia.

I dearly love orchids, the way they provide a burst of color in late winter/early spring, just before the tulips and daffodils start coming into their own. Unfortunately, orchids don't seem to do well in my house. It may have something to do with my light exposure or getting the temperatures low enough to set the buds. I'm not sure.

So I usually go to this sale every year and buy an orchid, assuming it will be a sort of long-lasting cut flower. Who knows? One of these days I may actually get one to survive and even rebloom.  I'll definitely keep trying!

As you can probably tell from the photos below, I also love to take pictures of orchids so I can remember their beauty throughout the year. I hope you enjoy them.



Doritaenopsis Sin-Yaun Golden Beauty

Laelia purpurata

Vanda Sansai Blue 'Acker's Price'

A pansy orchid, Miltoniopsis Pearl Ono

 

 

Phagmipedium Suzanna Decker

Phalaenopsis Winter Carnival Carousel

Cattleya Blc Triumphal Coronation 'Seven Star'

Phalaenopsis Baldan's Kaleidescope 'Golden Treasure'



Iwanagara Appleblossom

Paphiopedilum kolopakingii

The strangest orchid at the show, Rhyncolaelia

By Karen Geisler

A Japanese Garden in Winter

The Malott Japanese Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden

Japanese gardens are all about peace, harmony and tranquility, a place for contemplation and the appreciation of nature. Trees, rocks, stone lanterns and winding paths are there to enjoy year round.

Most visitors to the Chicago Botanic Garden, though, probably visit its Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese garden in the spring and summer given our temperature swings. That's a shame because winter, at least in my opinion, is the best time to appreciate its design.

The surrounding lake is now covered with ice, providing a white backdrop for the many plants along its shoreline. Snow also sets off the twisted and pruned shapes of the trees and shrubs. And when the sun breaks through the clouds, the shadows created are all the more dramatic as a result.

Trees on Horaijima stand out against the snow.

I recently visited the Japanese garden as part of a free photo walk sponsored by the CBG on the first Saturday of every month. The sky was overcast at first, but patches of blue started peaking through in the early afternoon, lifting my spirits.   

This place officially is Sansho-en, Garden of Three Islands, designed by Dr. Koichi Kawana.

The main island, Keiunto (Island of the Auspicious Cloud) is reached by an arched wooden bridge and is connected to Seifuto (Island of Clear, Pure Breezes) by a zigzag bridge.  Both have winding paths around their perimeters and various buildings.

The third island is Horaijima (Island of Everlasting Happiness) which represents paradise, a place that can’t be reached by mortals. It is not accessible to the public although it can be seen from the other two islands and provides a lot of “borrowed” scenery, a key element in Japanese gardens.

During the rest of the year, these islands have plenty of greenery – deciduous trees and shrubs as well as bamboo and other groundcovers.  In winter, though, it’s stripped to its bare essentials. It’s a scene right out of a Japanese ink wash painting – simple, serene and striking, all at the same time.

By Karen Geisler

The north end of Keiunto as viewed from the entrance bridge.

The twisted shape of this tree is highlighted by the icy lake.

Stone lanterns and rocks are essential parts of a Japanese garden.

The shape of this tree is more easily appreciated in the winter.

"Borrowed" scenery, a common element in Japanese gardens, is everywhere.

Going with the Grain




From Woodcut by Bryan Nash Gill
Published 2012 by Princeton Architectural Press
 

Everywhere you look, people are going with the grain -- wood grain, that is.

You'll find such patterns everywhere -- on fabrics, wall coverings, wedding and baby shower invitations, iPhone covers, lamp shades and even stitched onto pillows and leather wallets. The list is endless.

It's all part of a movement known as eco-chic -- bringing the outdoors in, whether it's in a rustic, retro or modern sophisticated way. BrandWave, which forecasts global design and branding trends, issued an alert on wood grain in November. And even Michael's, the arts and craft store, mentioned wood grain in its recent press release about 2013 trends.

I've always been a bit cynical about trends -- here today, gone tomorrow -- but I have to admit I have long been fascinated with wood grain. If every picture tells a story, then every piece of wood tells the history of the tree from which it came. Each image is as unique as a fingerprint.

Tree rings, for example, can indicate the amount of rain, the temperature, soil pH, nutrition and carbon dioxide concentration, to name only a few factors. There’s even a name for the study of tree-ring dating – dendrochronology – and a laboratory of tree-ring research at the University of Arizona. But that's the gardener in me talking.

Scientists, of course, aren’t the only ones concerned with wood grain. Artists and craftsmen have long used it in their work. My late father turned wood in his workshop on nights and weekends when I was growing up, making gavels, bowls and vases. Each was a delight to behold.

Perhaps the best (and strangest) merger of art and science came in 2011 when Bartholomaus Traubeck of Germany figured out a way to "play" wood cross sections on a record player. Check it out here. Sounds a bit chaotic, not unlike Nature itself. 

Me, I’ll stick with something a bit more traditional -- prints taken from tree cross sections.  An exhibit of 31 original prints by artist Bryan Nash Gill will open Saturday, Jan. 19 at the Chicago Botanic Garden and run through April 14.

Gill published a book of his prints, Woodcut, in April last year to a very favorable review in the New York Times. His work has been displayed worldwide, although this will be his first Midwest show.

Most of his prints are made using cross-sections of wood salvaged near his home in New Hartford, Connecticut. This exhibit, though, will include the print English Oak made from a tree at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The tree was one of a pair along a back road near the Dixon Prairie. It had to be removed when the two trees started to grow into each other, diminishing the health of both. (The remaining tree has since returned to full health.)

The exhibit will include three custom benches made from an ash tree at the Chicago Botanic Garden that was removed after being infected with Emerald Ash Borer. There also will be a video of Gill at work. He sands and burns the wood, then makes the print by carefully pressing paper down on the individual ridges. Each print is made by hand, so each is slightly different.

 

Of course, there's always the question of what to wear to such an event. I thought about wearing this. Or maybe a dress (left) worn by reality star Toya Wright at a birthday party last fall.

On second thought, maybe I'll just stick to  jeans and a plain sweater.

As someone who has added 12 trees over the past five years, I hope all this hoopla about wood grain will have a positive effect. May it inspire people to go out and plant a tree. Or at least go out and hug one.

By Karen Geisler

Henry Eilers

It was love at first sight when I met Henry Eilers. The plant, that is.

This wasn't just another Tom, Dick or Harry. Or even another Black-Eyed Susan. This was a tall, stately flower with petals that curled under to become quills, a flower that would shout a cheery "welcome home"  when I pulled up in the driveway after a hard day at work.

Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Henry Eilers' has now graced my front yard for two years and is the star of the late summer/early fall garden. Its flowers are just starting to fade after blooming for more than a month, despite the ongoing drought.

But then Henry Eilers, also known as the sweet coneflower, is made of pretty strong stuff.

It hails from downstate Illinois where it was found just south of Springfield along Historic Route 66. This was one of the nation's first highways and became known as the Mother Road during the Dust Bowl days as people drove from Chicago to California in search of a better life. A younger generation knows it as the road featured in the Pixar movie "Cars."

Henry Eilers

Route 66 in Illinois was originally surrounded by tallgrass prairie -- most of which has long since vanished. Henry Eilers, the plant, was found in an undisturbed 8-acre remnant of that prairie which Henry Eilers, the man, and others are now working to preserve.

A retired nurseryman, Eilers has been active in the several conservation efforts near his hometown of Litchfield for many years. His name even graces a local 250-acre nature preserve on Shoals Creek.

Henry Eilers, the plant, is every bit as hard-working as its finder. It likes full sun but does well in the slightly shady spot where I have it planted. In addition to having a long bloom period, it makes a great cut flower. The leaves also smell like vanilla if crushed or dried.

The only apparent drawback is its height. This plant supposedly gets to be about 5-6 feet tall, which might require staking. In my garden, however, it has only gotten about 3 feet tall so far. That could be because both summers have had their share of 100-degree days which may have limited growth. I know that has been the case at several local prairies.

On the other hand, it could be that my plant was mislabeled. There's now a 'Little Henry' variety that only gets about 3 feet tall. Such things do happen.




Henry Eilers with asters and mums at the Chicago Botanic Garden

Guess I'll have to wait for a more "normal" year -- whatever that is -- to make such a determination. If Henry ever does get that tall, it will probably have to be moved to another part of the garden.

Whatever the final verdict, though, it's definitely sticking around. Henry Eilers is a nice complement to asters and mums. And I'll never find a cheerier, harder working plant to take its place.

By Karen Geisler




Henry Eilers at the Chicago Botanic Garden English Walled Garden


Dahlias

'Just Peachy' by Fred Brill of Mount Prospect, IL

The dahlias were dazzling this weekend at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The Central States Dahlia Society hosted its annual show in the Regenstein Building while just outside, in the Circle Garden, dahlias mingled with zinnias, grasses and black-eyed Susans to form perfect fall vignettes.

I have to admit I've rarely grown dahlias. They tend to be high maintenance, requiring a lot of fertilizer. They also prefer to be dug up every fall and stored over the winter.




Mingus Phillip II by Ed Zych of Buffalo Grove, IL.
Most Perfect AA Bloom, Section A

But after seeing the show this weekend, I may have to reconsider. I never realized there were so many different dahlia forms. Sizes range from 1 1/4 inch in diameter to a whopping 12-14". For exhibition purposes, they are divided into 12 groupings based on flower shape, number of petals and size.

Dahlias are mostly grown from tubers or fleshy roots, although they can be grown from rooted cuttings or seeds, according to a handout from the Central States Dalia Society. They love full sun, good air circulation and good drainage. Dahlias generally bloom from early August until frost.




Honeymoon by Axel and Nancy Joob of Wilmette

 

 

Midnight Star by Steve Kuiper of Goshen, IN
3 Most Perfect Orchid Type Blooms

 

Tiny (close up) by Jerry and Ruth Ann Wittrig of Goshen, IN
3 Most Perfect Pom Type Blooms, Section H, Class H3

 

 

April Heather by Robert Williamson of Madison, WI

 

 

Zorro by Jerry and Ruth Ann Wittrig of Goshen, IN
Most Perfect AA Bloom, Section D




Mingus Gregory by Tom Krewenka
Largest Bloom, Section W



The Best of Show

For those venturing out into the bright sunny afternoon, there were more dahlias waiting in the Circle Garden.

Dahlia 'Merlot' stood out beautifully again yellow foliage of Gay's Delight coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides 'Gay's Delight').

Dahlia Prince Charming played well with Ageratum houstonianum 'Diamond Blue' and Sedum rupestre 'Lemon Coral.'

Dahlia Heartthrob mingled with Bidens ferulifolia 'Bidcontis' and Carex testacea 'Prairie Fire.'




Heartthrob

Surrounding the central fountain was a mix of Dahlia 'Zachary Roberts' and Zinnia elegans 'Polar Bear.' It was set off by castor bean (Ricinus communis 'Carmencita Bright Red'), red pentas (Penta lanceolata 'Starla Red') and Salvia coccinea 'Snow Nymph' with a bit of Swedish ivy (Plectranthus coleoides) thrown in for good measure.

Everything glowed in the light of autumn's first full day. It was wonderful way to spend a sunny -- if slightly chilly -- Sunday afternoon.

By Karen Geisler




Prince Charming

Zachary Roberts

Merlot

By Karen Geisler

Jim Ault's Last Coneflower

Burgundy Fireworks coneflower

The new Burgundy Fireworks coneflower is striking with its quilled petals and deep red stems. It’s the latest introduction by Jim Ault at the Chicago Botanic Garden who helped kick off the coneflower color revolution. It also will be his last coneflower selection.

Ault has decided its time to move on. The world of coneflowers has changed a lot since his Orange Meadowbrite™ coneflower (Echinacea ‘Art’s Pride’ PP #10050) first hit the market in 2004. It was the first orange coneflower in cultivation.

Until then, this native plant had been just plain purple. It now comes in orange, peach, white, yellow, gold, magenta, pink and light green as well as various combinations of those colors. There are dwarf and double flowering varieties and even one called "Double Decker."

“Who would have ever guessed that we would see so much progress in breeding this crop say even five years ago?” Ault wrote in an email about his decision. “The progress in developing novel forms has been stunning.”

He also noted coneflowers are being developed by many people at this point.

“I am honored to have ‘been there’ at the beginning of the new trend in coneflower breeding but I cannot compete directly with the resources of the large breeding programs in terms of staffing, space to grow out plants, etc.” Ault wrote.



Jim Ault

He's definitely going out with a bang. Burgundy Fireworks (Echinacea ‘Burgundy Fireworks’ PPAF) has upturned, beet-red petals that are fused into quills. The deep red color of its stems is more prevalent in the spring and fall but can also be seen in the summer. The leaves get red midveins in cold weather.

It took ten years to develop and combines three different coneflowers: Echinacea laevigata, E. purpurea and E. tennesseensis.

Burgundy Fireworks is hardy in zones 5 to 7 and grows to about 18” tall by 24” wide. Like Ault’s other coneflowers, it is a Meadowbrite™ introduction through Chicagoland Grows®, Inc.

Ault said the Chicago Botanic Garden will continue to evaluate coneflowers though its program run by Richard Hawke. He also expressed concern about Aster yellows, a plant disease that can strike coneflowers.  

“As we grow more coneflowers, the potential is there for Aster yellows to become even more prevalent,” he wrote.

There is no cure for Aster yellows. Once a coneflower is infected, the plant has to be removed and destroyed. Ault estimated that in a bad year, he has lost up to 5% to 10% of his coneflowers to Aster yellows.

“Breeding for resistance may be a solution, but I’m not sure anyone has a clear understanding of which selections are more resistant,” he wrote. He said as gardeners become more educated about Aster yellows, they hopefully will know the symptoms and can remove infected plants from their gardens.

What’s next for Ault? He definitely will be adding more cultivars of Baptisia australis, a native plant commonly known as False Indigo, to his Prairieblues™ series. Ault currently has eight new varieties in nursery trials, with the first expected to be introduced in 2014. He also is developing new phlox cultivars, which may be available in 2013 or 2014.

Ault added that there are some other things he’s working on but he isn’t ready to talk about them just yet.

“Can’t tip my hand to the competition,” he said.

By Karen Geisler




Burgundy Fireworks coneflowers in the landscape
Photo by Chicagoland Grows ™ Inc.