Plant dropoff was held on Friday evening and Saturday morning. photo credit: C. Sawyers

Check out Heidi Sentivan’s post on her “haul” from the exchange and how she is using all her new treasure in her garden.

Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’, planted in the Entrance Garden between the Wister Center and Cunningham House, is a hybrid cultivar with many similarities to A. tabernaemontana. Two attributes that set Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’ apart from the species include darker blue flowers and a more compact habit. The cultivar grows to 18” in height, does not require staking, and develops yellow fall color.  This perennial is ideal as an edging plant or in an open woodland setting. Photo credit: J. Coceano

The Oyama magnolia, Magnolia sieboldii, is unique among magnolias for the pendant to horizontally-borne ivory flowers produced in mid to late spring. Further inspection reveals contrasting red stamens. This deciduous plant takes on a large shrub to small tree habit.  Photo credit: J. Coceano

Situated near Slide Rock by David Stromeyer is a picturesque specimen of Cornus controversa. The giant dogwood is a wide-spreading tree beloved in its native China and Japan for its horizontal branches and profusion of flowers. Creamy white cymes 3-7 inches across appear in May-June. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Neoregelia ‘Fireball’ is a small bromeliad with a powerful visual presence. A clustering bromeliad, Neoregelia ‘Fireball’ colors to an intense burgundy-red when placed in full sun. Avoid shady locations as color regresses to greenish-red. The cultivar is featured along the flagstone walk leading to the Cunningham House. I have become more and more impressed with bromeliads, especially after witnessing firsthand their vigor when planted both in containers and in-ground, as well as their ability thrive indoors as a houseplant during the winter. Check other great bromeliads for your home garden at the Unusual Tropicals and Annuals Sale. Photo credit: J. Coceano

She recognized that gardening uses the trunks and stems of trees and shrubs to create structure; varies forms and shapes of leave and needles to evoke texture; while bursts of blooms and berries create pops of color. All these elements combine to “paint” the canvas of a garden.

The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College in concert with Greater Philadelphia Gardens and With Art Philadelphia wants to celebrate garden as art with a series of videos depicting 5 of our most artful gardens. Glimpse how plants create structure, color, and texture in our “painting” of the landscape.

Many plants throughout the Scott Arboretum serve in both an aesthetic and functional capacity. Trees and shrubs often mask utilities necessary for the operation of a college campus and arboretum. Native Chionanthus virginicus, or white fringetree, fulfills this role behind the Science Center where its wide-spreading to small tree-like habit screens a utility box. Fleecy panicles of white flowers are produced on the previous year’s wood. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Metapanax davidii thrives near the entrance to the Off Campus Study office. The small evergreen provides dramatic texture with fine, serrated foliage. Newly emerging leaflets are particularly showy. Provide protection from winter winds. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Asarina procumbens scrambles over and spills down the rock retaining wall in the Entrance Garden. Commonly known as trailing snapdragon, A. procumbens is a trailing herbaceous perennial native to the Iberian Peninsula. Pale yellow snapdragon-like flowers bloom singly from the leaf axils. Plants prefer well-drained soils and may self-seed. Photo credit: J. Coceano

by Marc Remillard

Get inspired and empowered to use compost tea with confidence. Compost Tea Making is a short book covering all you need to know to start using compost tea on vegetables, flowers, orchards, vineyards, and lawns. It addresses when, why, and how to use it for fertility as well as disease suppression. It offers recipes tailored to different situations, and explains how to produce suitable compost or worm castings to use in the brewing process.

The text works hand-in-hand with some fabulous photos of magnified microorganisms to render the mysterious, microscopic life that powers compost tea comprehensible at last! Aerobicity, protozoa, biofilm, and more, become fascinating and useful terms in this manual. The author cites both modern science and “wisdom accumulated through the ages” (ancient Romans used compost tea), to encourage more people to try using this organic fertilizing method.

Compost Tea Making is not only a practical guide, but a personally and passionately written book, drawing connections between the way we garden and the well-being of our environment and society.

Foamflowers are fantastic groundcovers. Tiarella cordifolia ‘Brandywine’ is a particular favorite used in mass throughout the Scott Arboretum. Vigorous rugose leaves knit and weave together creating a swath of foliage. Creamy white bottlebrush-like flowers are showy for many weeks. Tiarella cordifolia ‘Brandywine’ thrives next to the Whisper Bench in the Cherry Border where it receives afternoon shade. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Helwingia japonica is a botanical curiosity. The shrub possesses a unique characteristic known as epiphylly: tiny greenish-white flowers, and subsequently black fruit, grow on the surface of the leaves. Plants are dioecious thus requiring both male and female plants for fruit set. A specimen is planted in the Entrance Garden. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Rhododendron canescens is a deciduous shrub native to the Southeastern United States. Rosy pink to white fragrant flower clusters appear in mid-spring. The piedmont azalea can be seen blooming in Parrish Circle. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Cornus Celestial TM in bloom. photo credit: J. Coceano

The text Native Trees for North American Landscapes by Guy Sternberg with Jim Wilson gives high praise to the dogwood. The authors begin the entry as follows: “The king of spring in the Eastern United States and Southern Ontario, flowering dogwoods may be the most spectacular flowering tree native to our region. It grows slowly into a multilayered pagoda of color, its symmetrical branching pattern providing a sympodial crown of horizontal tiers…” Cornus florida is the state tree of both Virginia and Missouri and the state flower of North Carolina. Michael Dirr calls the flowering dogwood “The aristocrat of native flowering trees, often overplanted but never becomes obnoxious…”

The wonderful pink blooms of Cornus florida var. rubra. photo credit: J. Coceano

Flowering dogwood can be found throughout the forests and woodland edges of Eastern North America from Toronto south to the Gulf Coast of Mexico and west to Eastern Texas. While the small tree has a broad range which encompasses many hardiness zones it is important to be mindful of provenance. A tree transplanted far from its native home region may not grow as well as one produced locally.  When shopping for Cornus florida, attempt to obtain from a region with a similar climate and soil type.

Cornus florida bracts beginning to expand. photo credit: J. Coceano

Simple, opposite leaves appear after flowering. Quarter-inch greenish-yellow flowers, typically appearing at the end of stems, are surrounded by four white bracts. Bracts initially emerge greenish-white before transitioning to white as the bracts expand. Bracts, opening in April to May, remain showy for about two weeks. Red to reddish purple color develops in the fall. Clusters of glossy red ovoid fruit ripen in September and October. Fruit can persist throughout the winter until consumed by overwintering birds. Bluebirds are particularly fond of the fruit. Pebbled gray bark develops as trees age.

Cornus florida 'Pluribracteata' in the dabbled sun along Kohlberg Hall. photo credit: J. Coceano

The flowering dogwood is not without its share of pests. Dogwood anthracnose, a relatively recent disease, became a widespread problem in the 1980s. It was feared the disease could be the next chestnut blight. While populations are affected, particularly those in high-elevation forests or specimens grown in urban and suburban landscapes in soil of poor quality, it has not become the devastating disease pathologists feared. Proper culture is the best defense against the fungus. Other ailments include cankers, root rot, and powdery mildew. Meager growth can often be attributed to poor site selection. Consider a flowering dogwood if you can mimic its natural growing conditions. Cornus florida thrives in settings where leaves are exposed to sun and roots are in the cool shade. Air flow helps keep anthracnose at bay. Avoid compacted and poorly draining soils. Lastly, don’t over-fertilize.

The unique blooms of Cornus florida 'Pluribracteata'. photo credit: J. Coceano

Both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington planted dogwoods around their estates. Since that time other selections of C. florida have been recorded. Many have been introduced as a result of selecting and breeding for disease-resistance. Dozens of selections and cultivars are available. The cultivar ‘Appalachian Spring’ is well-known for being the progenitor of other disease-resistant cultivars. In a stand of dogwoods devastated by anthracnose stood one lone tree. Resulting from that single tree and breeding work by the University of Tennessee came C. florida ‘Appalachian Spring’. Hybrids, crosses of Cornus florida and C. kousa have been released by Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. The six hybrids demonstrate increased vigor, disease resistance, and highlight the best attributes of each species.

Cornus florida is putting on a show behind the Scott Outdoor Ampitheater. photo credit: J. Coceano

How did such a beautiful tree end up with a rather lousy common name? According to a fact sheet released by North Carolina State University several possible explanations exist. In Europe the bark from a similar looking plant dubbed dogwood was used to cure the mange. Early colonists may have scoffed at the plant calling it “dog tree” or “dog wood” for the pitiful fruits. Lastly, the name may originate from dagwood, dag being the name for skewer, a possible use of the durable wood.

The large blooms of Cornus Aurora (R). photo credit: J. Coceano

The Scott Arboretum has a diverse collection of both native and non-native cornus. My personal favorites include the cultivars ‘Appalachian Spring’, ‘Pluribracteata’ with its long-lasting double white flowers, and Aurora®, a Rutgers introduction, with rounded bracts that slowly age to a creamy white. Several pink and rose colored selections are available as well.

Another great selection Conrus florida 'Ruth Ellen'. photo credit: J. Coceano

So what now of the silver maple and dogwood? My sister and her family now live in the farmhouse. Bird feeders, nephews, and plastic Easter eggs still dangle from the dogwood’s branches. I hope you have a tree that stirs up such good memories. If not, consider planting a flowering dogwood.

Enjoy a morning stroll and sniff under the magnolias. photo credit: R. Robert

The Scott Arboretum and American Public Garden Association have partnered with Lets Move! This is a comprehensive initiative, launched by First Lady Michelle Obama, dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and more able to pursue their dreams.

Crawling through cherry trees is a fun explorers game. photo credit: R. Maurer

Physical activity is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. In combination with healthy eating, it can help prevent a range of chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer, and stroke, the three leading causes of death. Physical activity helps control weight; builds lean muscle; reduces fat; promotes strong bone, muscle, and joint development; and decreases the risk of obesity. Children need 60 minutes of play with moderate to vigorous activity every day to grow up to a healthy weight.

There are some great trails in the Crum Woods for trail running. photo credit: R. Robert

To increase physical activity, today’s children need safe routes to walk and bike to school; parks, playgrounds, and community centers where they can play after school; and activities like sports, dance or fitness programs that are exciting and challenging enough to keep them engaged.

There are trails for biking and triking through the gardens. photo credit: R. Maurer

The garden offers a safe and delightful place to increase physical activity. To help you prepare for your play time, the Scott Arboretum has updated its Wellness Trail brochure. This brochure shows four trails for bikers, walkers, runners, and kids to traverse. It details distances,  difficulty levels, and timing for each trail. Thus you can plan your walk based on the challenge you want depending on your time and goals for the day.

Garden remnants like fallen cherry blossoms are ideal for show and tell. photo credit: R. Robert

All these trails intersect with various gardens, allowing ample opportunity for educational moments about plants, bugs, and birds. Some families use these trails to collect garden remnants (fallen leaves, blooms, sticks, etc.) for show and tell and art projects. It is fascinating way to observe the changing seasons.

Enjoying a walk underneath the cherry trees. photo credit: R. Robert

Let’s Move! aims to increase opportunities for kids to be physically active, both in and out of school and to create new opportunities for families to move together. The Scott Arboretum is a place where you can become an active family by engaging in physical activity each day: a total of 60 minutes for children, 30 minutes for adults. With free admission, the Arboretum is also a component of an active community by providing a fun and accessible spot for running, dancing, jumping, and hill rolling.

Taking a tour is another great way to excerise and learn at the same time. photo credit: R. Robert

We invite you come and play in our gardens this spring, lets move!

Aesculus wilsonii is a rarely seen horse chestnut native to China. Aesculus wilsonii purple leaf form is a relatively new addition to the arboretum’s collection. Leaves emerge purple, retain the bold coloration for several weeks, then transition to dark green for the remainder of the season. Both Aesculus wilsonii and A. wilsonii purple leaf form can be seen growing between the Faulkner Tennis Courts and Sharples Dining Hall. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Paeonia ‘Tama tenshu’ is a mid-blooming Japanese tree peony noted for the purity and clarity of its white petals. Check out the tree peony collection between Clothier Hall and Sharples Dining Hall – much of the collection is in bloom. Interested in learning more? Join the Scott Arboretum on May 2^nd for a tree peony collection tour and reception with the Mid-Atlantic Peony Society. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Liriodendron become spectacular large trees over time. The genus is known for vibrant fall color and tulip-like flowers. Liriodendron tulipifera ‘Aureomarginatum’ has the same qualities as the species with variegated leaves. A specimen is planted between the Tree Peony Collection and Sharples Dining Hall. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Check out the insects visiting the flower in the video below.

Plant Delights Nursery, Inc. lists the plant as hardy to zone 6. Several species are offered. Perhaps the most impressive member of the genus is Amorphophallus titanium, which can reach upwards of 6’ tall when in bloom. The common name, corpse flower, is derived from the overwhelming smell of rot and decay. Botanical gardens, The Huntington for example, grows A. titanium and attracts enthusiastic crowds hoping to catch a glimpse (and whiff) of the bizarre flower in bloom.

Amorphophallus konjac is a beetle's delight. photo credit: J. Coceano

Many thanks to Scott Associates John Wenderoth and Ron Gatto for sharing Amorphophallus konjac with us! John donated the A. konjac that is currently in bloom while Ron shared young tubers which will be perpetuated in the garden.