April 1986

TIle

Boxwood Bulletin A QUARTERLY DEVOTED TO MAN'S OLDEST GARDEN ORNAMENTAL

Plwto: Scot Butler "The Quarters" at Blandy Experimental Farm, headquarters of the American Box-wood Society for 25 years.

25TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

Boyce, Va. Vol. 25, No.4

Edited under the Direction of

THE AMERICAN BOXWOOD SOCIETY

President ........... Mr. Richard D. Mahone 1st Vice President. Mrs. Robert L. Frackelton 2nd Vice President ... Mrs. Malcolm Holekamp Secretary ............ Mrs. Phillip D. Larson Executive Treasurer. Mrs. Katherine D. Ward

DIRECTORS

Mr. Lynn R. Batdorf ..... Prof. Albert S. Beecher .. Prof. James A. Faiszt. .. . Dr. Walter S. Flory ..... . Mr. William A. Gray .... . Cdr. Phillip D. Larson ... . Mr. William N. Mays .... . Mrs. James M. Sykes ... .

Term Began

1983 1985 1984 1983 1984 1985 1984 1985

Registrar: Mr. Lynn R. Batdorf 1409 Elm Grove Circle Silver Spring, MD 20904

Term Ends

1986 1988 1987 1986 1987 1988 1987 1988

The Editor solicits and will welcome contributions of articles; news; notes; photographs, suitable for reproduction, of boxwood specimens, gardens, and plantings; and other items of probable interest to readers. It is requested that every item of such material carry the name and return address of the sender and be accompanied by an ad· dressed envelope carrying the proper postage for return. While every effort will be made for the protection of all materials submitted feH" publication, the Editor cannot assume responsibility for loss or injury.

The Boxwood Bulletin (ISSN 0006 8535 is published quarterly for $8.00 per year by The American Box­wood Society, Blandy Experimental Farm, Boyce, VA 22620.

Second Class postage paid at Boyce, VA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The

BoxwoodBulletin, P. O. Box 85, Boyce, VA 22620.

Thomas Printing And Publishing Company, Inc. Boyce, VA 22620

The· Boxwood Bulletin

April 1986 Vol. 25, No.4

Editor - Scot Butler Co-Editor - Joan Butler

INDEX Dues Reminder .. ; .................................. 8fj 26th Annual Meeting of the ABS ....................... 8fj How the American Boxwood Society Began .............. 87 Milestones of the American Boxwood Society ............. !)O

The ABS Memorial Garden ............................ !)fj Key to Boxwood Plants in the Memorial Gardeli .......... !)7 Alphabetical List of Plants in the

Memorial Garden .................................. !)8 The Seasonal Gardener ............................... !H) The University of Virginia and Blandy Farm-Hosts

to the ABS ...................................... 101 Robert M. O'Neil, New University President. .......... 101 Blandy Farm and the Orland E. White Arhoretum ...... 101 Friends of Blandy ................................. IO,j

Letter from Dr. Connor, Mr. Ewert and /)1". Bowers ... 10:, Report by Orme Wilson, Jr ........................ 10;,

Tour Schedule of Maryland House & Garden Pilj.,'l·imag-l' ... I (Hi Open for Historic Garden Week in Virginia .............. 107 Boxwood Work Days at Blandy Farm .................. lOS Mail Box .......................................... lOS In Memory ........................................ lOS Readers' Recommendations on Growing Boxwood ....... IO!)

Raising Dwarf Boxwood in Tidewater Virf.,rinia ......... IO!) This is Boxwood Country Too (Southern Wisconsin) ..... IO!) Plain Talk About Growing Boxwood in st. Louis ....... IO!)

Boxwood Sale and Exchange ......................... III Boxwood Society of the Midwest Offers Cuttings ......... 112 Note from the Bulletin of the Boxwood Society

of the Midwest ................................... 112 Bernice M. Speese ...................... Inside Back Covl'r Arthur A. Dugdale ..................... Inside Back Cover

ILLUSTRATIONS "The Quarters" at Blandy ExperimenL"l1 Farm ........ Cover Dr. Walter S. Flory and Joan Butler enjoy the

Conroy Wilson's box garden ......................... 87 The first Advisory Committee for the Orland E. White

Arboretum ....................................... 88 Plan cif ABS Memorial Garden, 1986 .................... !l6 ABS Memorial Garden sign ........................... !l7 Group of Dwarf Buxus rnicrophylla in Memorial Garden .... !l!l "The Quarters" viewed through double row of boxwoods

in White Arboretum ............................... 103 Korean dogwood marks start of new self-guided tour in

White Arboretum ................................. 104 Part of boxwood gardens at Wye Plantation, Maryland .... 106 Open "for Historic Garden Week in Virginia .............. 107

Sabine Hall on the Northern Neck Boxwoods surrounding the home of Dr. and

Mrs. Graham Gilmer III, Lynchburg The garden of Mr. and Mrs. Charles K. Woltz,

Charlottesville

Dues Reminder We wish to remind regular members (individual, family, contributing and sustaining) that

dues for the membership year extending from May 1, 1986 through April 30, 1987 are now payable. Please use the enclosed dues envelope to remit your payment to the Treasurer by May 1, 1986.

Prompt payment will establish you as a member in good standing and save the Society time and expense in ascertaining your intentions. Even if you owe no dues by virtue of being a life or patron member, or having already paid your dues for the coming year, you may wish to use the remittance envelope to send a contribution to one of the Society'S funds, give a membership to a friend 01' indicate your chief interest in boxwood. Thank you for giving this matter your immediate attention.

26th Annual Meeting of the 1\merican Boxwood Society

Tuesday and Wednesday, May 13-14, 1986

The Blandy Experimental Farm of the University oj Virginia, Boyce, Virginia

Program

May 13, 1986 (Tuesday)

8 p.m. Illustrated lecture in the Library at Blandy Farm followed by reception. Program: "Highlights of the ABS Garden Tours" -Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Frackelton.

May 14, 1986 (Wedllesday)

9:00 a. m. Registration. If you pre-register please pick up name tag at registration table.

9:30 a.m. Guided tour of the Memorial Garden.

10:00 a. m. Coffee-Dining Room

11:00 a.m. Annual Business Meeting-Library.

12 Noon Lunch. (See next page.)

1 :00 p. m. Educational Program: "Boxwood Research, Past and Current" -Mr. William A. Gray. "Boxwood Workshops, Past and Current-Professor Albert S. Beecher/Professor

James S. Faiszt. "A Survey of The Boxwood Bulletin"-Mr. and Mrs. Scot Butler. Slide Lecture (to be announced).

2:15 p.m. Second annual auction of named Buxus cultivars.

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Program Notes This year the Society celebrates the 25th anniversary of its organizing by our charter members

on May 2, 1961. We want to honor them on this occasion. We also want to review some of our past and present activities with an eye to charting future directions. Following these review ses­sions there will be a slide lecture on a subject of interest to ABS members. Mr. John Boyd and Mr. Harrison Symmes will be on hand to conclude the program with our second annual auction of named boxwood cultivars. (Please notify President Richard D. Mahone if you have plants to donate to this worthy cause.)

Registration and Lunch

A $3.00 registration fee will be charged to help defray the cost of refreshments and other ex­penses of the Annual Meeting.

You may reserve a lunch in advance ($4.00) or bring your own lunch. Members of the Green­way Garden Club are graciously preparing lunch for us. If you would like to reserve a lunch, please send your check for $7.00 per person (which covers registration and lunch), made payable to the American Boxw~)Od Society, to Mrs. Robert L. Frackelton, 1714 Greenway Drive, Fredericksburg, VA 22401. Please use the form below or a facsimile. Lunch will be served by reservation only, and all lunch reservations MUST be received by Mrs. Frackelton by Monclay, May 5, 1986.

Directions to Blandy Farm Blandy Farm is on U.S. Route 50 near Boyce, Virginia. Driving west on Route 50, the entraJW(' is on your left about 4 miles beyond the Shenandoah River Bridge.

Driving east on Route 50 from Winchester and Interstate 81, the Blandy entrance is Oil your right about 1.5 miles beyond the junction with Route 340.

ADVANCE REGISTRATION FORM Complete and return this form (or a facsimile) to

Mrs. Robert L. Fi'ackelton, 1714 Greenway Drive, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

* * * * *

Please register the following for the Annual Meeting of the American Boxwood Society:

Name *

Address ______________________________ _

Enclosed is a $ check, made payable to the American Boxwood Society, for registra-tion and Lunch ($7.00 per person).

Enclosed is a $ check, made payable to the American Boxwood Society, fot'registra-tion only ($3.00 per person).

Do you plan to attend the Tuesday Evening Program (8 p.m., May 13)? _____ (yes or no)

Reservations for lunch MUST be received by Mrs. Frackelton no later than Monday, May 5, 1986.

*Please list additional names and addresses here:

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HOW THE AMERICAN BOXWOOD SOCIETY BEGAN

A Backward Look on the Silver Anniversary of the ABS, 1961-1986

Walter S. Flory

In The Boxwood Bulletin for April 1964 (Vol. 3, No.2) Charter Member Mrs. Orme Wilson (Alice B.) tells of boxwood forming an integral part of The Tuleyries gardens developed by Mr. and Mrs. Graham F. Blandy in the early 1900s. About 700 acres of The Tuleyries estate was devised by Mr. Blandy upon his death to the University of Virginia, and became the present Blandy Experimental Farm.

Boxwood has been an important element in the plantings and landscape scheme of the Blandy Experimental Farm since its beginning in 1927. Orland White used many Buxus varieties and cultivars in his early plantings there-a tradition which has continued.

The already great interest in boxwood at Blandy was fanned by a visit in the summer of 1954 from J. Churchill Newcomb of Dunvegan, just across the Blue Ridge Moun­tains in Loudoun County, Virginia. He had on­ly recently learned of the Farm and its exten­sive arboretum. Mr. Newcomb was the son of Col. and Mrs. H. D. Newcomb (both ABS Charter Members) of WavertTee Hall, Alber­marIe County, Virginia. At his father's home, as well as at the nearby homes and estates of his family's friends and neighbors, Newcomb from an early age had been surrounded by and conscious of the beauty of fine boxwood specimens and plantings.

On his first visit to Blandy, Mr. Newcomb was given the "grand tour," taking in much of the 130-acre arboretum. He was impressed by the quantity and variety of the boxwood he saw. The interest engendered on this tour eventually paid high dividends for Blandy Farm and its arboretum. The immediate result was an increasing number of return visits. When he was in the area Mr. Newcomb began paying almost daily visits to the Farm, often accompanied by interested and influential friends-some from distant places. He gradual-

87

Photo: Elizabeth Bratmbridge Dr. Walter S. Flory and Joan Butler enjoy the Conroy Wilson's box garden following the 25th Annual Afeeting of the ABS, Afay 8, 1985.

ly became an almost full-time, unpaid member of the staff: he furnished many ideas and sug­gestions for the Farm's improvement, he brought in journalists for publicity write-ups on the arboretum, and in general he did everything he could to promote an institution which had captured his imagination and affec­tion. He studied the boxwood collection with growing enthusiasm, an activity in which he was eagerly joined by the Blandy staff.

With the retirement of Dr. Orland White as Director of Blandy in June 1955, the Farm's plant collection was officially designated as the Orland E. White Research Arboretum. This writer was named Curator, a position he had essentially held since February 1947. Shortly, in keeping with a sugg-estion by Dr. Bruce D. Reynolds, Chairman of the Blandy Farm Com­mittee, an Arboretum Advisory Committee

00 00

Phot(): C01(ylesy (~l D'I'. Walfe?' S. FIIII'Y

Organizational :Meeting of the first Advisory CommitteefoT the O?'land E, Whif(~ Arhm'etuw 'with officiaL,> of the Um'1'(-'rS1't y of Virginia at Blandy Farm on April 2, 1957. L eft to '1'1'ght: Slim, A 11"('/''''1111, Skinner', QU1'1'en, Ne1.1'('()'mb, Bush, Dan/en, Le11'is, Flory, Byrd, and Singleton.

~as. for~ed. T~e first roster was made up of a dIstmguIshed lIst of botanists, horticulturists, and persons involved in public service. They were: Edgar Anderson, Engelmann Professor of ~otany at Washington University, St. LOUIS; Monroe Bush, Executive Director of The C?ld. I?ominion Foundation; Harry Byrd, Jr., VIrgmIa State Senator; Pete Lewis, Direc­tor of the American Rose Society; Henry Allen Moe, President of the Guggenheim Founda­tion; Churchill Newcomb, retired journalist; E. M. Quillen, President of Waynesboro Nurseries~ Henry Skinner, Director of the United States National Arboretum; and Mrs. James Gordon Smith, Past President of the Garden Club of Virginia.

This board held its first meeting on April 2 1957 with all members present except Dr. Mo~ (see group photo on Page 88; Mrs. Smith was present but not in the picture). Also in atten­dance were Colgate Darden and Vincent Shea President and Bursar, respectively, of th~ University of Virginia; Ralph Singleton, Direc­tor of BIandy Farm; and myself. One of the items brought up for consideration was the possibility of sponsoring an organization for the study and promotion of boxwood under Ar­boretum auspices, with headquarters at Blan­dy Farm. The idea was well received and was carried over for discussion at several following meetings.

The ultimate outcome of this suggestion was a letter of March 24, 1961, prepared and mail­ed at BIandy Farm and signed by J. Churchill Newcomb, who had been elected Chairman of the Arboretum Advisory Committee. The let­ter went to many individuals, organizations and nurseries who were thought to have an in­terest in boxwood. It contained an invitation to a meeting at BIandy Farm of all interested in boxwood, pointing out the advantages of a cooperative "attack" on a group of plants widely grown in our area, as well as at many other locations with a similar climate around the globe. The gist of this letter appeared in The Winchester Star of April 22, 1961 as well as in the Richmond and several other Virginia newspapers on approximately the same date.

The result was a gathering at Blandy Farm ?n the announced date (May 2, 1961) of approx­Imately one hundred persons (prospective members!) to participate in what proved to be the organizational meeting of the American

Boxwood Society. The group gathered at 1U a.m. for registration and tours of the Ar­boretum, especially of the boxwood collection and plantings. Mter a luncheon featuring fried c?i.cken and "Newc?mb's Planters Punch" par­tIcIpaI).ts gathered m the Blandy Library for a program of talks by such boxwood specialists and enthusiasts as Sylvester March (National Arboretum), A. G. Smith, Jr. (V. P. I.), B. L. Wagenknecht (then Harvard University), and Freeman Weiss (American Type Culture Col­l~ction). The papers were discussed, and ques­tIons w~re asked and answered. The session ended with a decision by the group to form an organization to be called "The American Box­wood Society," with headquarters based at the Orland E. White Research Arboretum of the Blandy Experimental Farm. These officers were then nominated and elected: J. Churchill Newcomb, President; W. Ralph Singleton First Vice-President; Mrs. Thoma~ DeLashmutt, Second Vice-President; Mrs. Clay B. Carr, Secretary; Walter S. Flory, Treasurer. These officers, together with the following elected persons, constituted the first Board of Directors: Mrs. Orme Wilson, J. T. Baldwin, Henry T. Skinner, and Dr. Christopher Stuart.

It was decided that Churchill Newcomb and Walter Flory would jointly plan for and edit an organ, or bulletin, which would be issued quarterly and sent to all members as well as to other subscribers and several institutions such as the libraries at the University of Vi;ginia and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute "primarily to exchange information on th~ many species and varieties of boxwood· on their propagation and uses in planting (and otherwise); and on control of the few pests which attack them." ~he first issue (Volume 1, No.1) of what the

edItors chose to call The Boxwood Bulletin ("A Quarterly Devoted to Man's Oldest Garden Or­namental") appeared in October 1961. It con­tained a list of charter members, i.e., of all members who joined the Society before Oc­tober 1, 1961. There were 404 names on this charter list-names of persons who came from 90 differen.t towns and counties in Virginia, from Washmgton, D. C., and from 31 states in addition to Virginia. The first issue also includ­ed the texts of several of the talks given at the May 2 meeting, an account of the organiza-

89

tional meeting, a list of books dealing with box­wood, and a valuablt:! paper on delayed damage to boxwood resulting from the previous winter's cold.

The infant organization suffered a cruel blow in the first months of its existence. Its presi­dent, J. Churchill Newcomb, was brutally kill­ed in his own home by a murderer whose iden­tity has never been discovered. This tragic event was noted in an unsigned, black­bordered item-prepared by this author-on the editorial page of the January 1962 (Volume 1, No.2) issue of The Bulletin. The item follows in full:

It is with regret that the tragic and untimely death must be reported of the President of our Society. J. Churchill Newcomb was really the founder of The American Boxwood Society. It was his interest in boxwood in all its aspects which furnished the stimulus, the spark, that brought together those interested in this plant. The results of his facile and fluent pen are well apparent in the first issue of The Box-wood Bulletin. They are further seen in con­nection with the editing of several articles in the present issue. His knowledge of journalism and of journal composition and organization was immense.

The passing of this enthusiastic, charming and able man marks a loss in many fields. The American Boxwood Society must, certainly, record the "loss of a giant" from its ranks.

Upon the appearance of this editorial an­nouncing Mr. Newcomb's death several of my friends were kind enough to remind me that they had heard me'mention several times, over

the years, the advantages and desirability of an organization wherein all lovers of boxwood could cooperatively study the genus Buxus. Be that as it may, it was Mr. Newcomb who stimulated our joint enthusiasm and brought action at the time it occurred.

But in a broader sense the Society really had its origins in the interests and minds of a number of persons like Mrs. Orme Wilson, Orland White, Edgar Anderson, Thomas Alphin, J. T. Baldwin, Alvin Beatty and others who were responsible for many of the early plantings of boxwood at Blandy. It was natural that such a collection should stir others, like Churchill and myself, to the point of desiring to share it with the many lovers of boxwood in the aim of pooling knowledge and increasing ap­preciation of the genus Buxus.

Editor's Note. In 1931 Walter Flory was only the second person to receive a Ph. D. degree, under Orland E. White's advisorship, from the Blandy Farm Unit of the University of Virginia. In February 1947 Dr. Flory returned to the University as Professor of Experimental Horticulture on the Biology Faculty as well as Vice-Director of the Blandy Experimental Farm. Dr. Flory served as the first Treasurer of the American Boxwood Society and the first Editor of The Boxwood Bulletin until he ac­cepted a call in 1963 to become Babcock Pro­fessor of Botany at Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is now Babcock Professor Emeritus of Botany at Wake Forest and a Director of the ABS. 'rVe are indeed grateful to him for this firsthand ac­count of how the ABS began.

Milestones of the First 25 Years of the American Boxwood Society

During its first 25 years the American Boxwood Society has experienced numerous ups and downs. The following milestones, large and small, trace the events that shaped its growth from 1961 through 1985. The list is necessarily selective, arid there are many fascinating details of these 25 years that can be apprehended only by reading the en­tire 25 volumes of The Boxwood Bulletin. (A complete set of The Bulletin is in the Library at the Blandy Experimen­tal Farm for the benefit of members who may wish to consult it.)

In reviewing the sometimes painful, sometimes joyful experiences of the Society as it has grappled with problems, foreseen and unforeseen, one of its great. strengths has clearly been the dedication of its officers, directors and members to keeping the Society moving toward ever-expanding activities designed to increase knowledge and ap­preciation of boxwood.

It is noteworthy that during 24 of its 25 years the Society was served by only three presidents. To the first of these, Rear Admiral Neill Phillips, the Society is indebted for 15 years (1962-1976) of unswerving devotion in a period of agonizing uncertainties and difficult decisions. Our next president, Professor Albert S. Beecher, brought to this office during his four-year tenure very able organization and leadership in moving the Society in a number of

90

directions supportive of the educational goals of the Society. As our present president, Richard D. Mahone, prepares to relinquish office after fostering five years of growth and stability in the Society we will be electing a new president at the Annual Meeting on May 14.

We trust that this event will mark the beginning of yet another era of dedicated service to the aims of the Society and a fuller enjoyment of membership therein. With continued growth of membership the ABS can make the next five years the most fruitful in its history. A firm base exists for this development but there is need for additional par­ticipation and initiative among our members if our effectiveness is to reach its potential.

1961 Letter of March 24 is sent by J. Churchill Newcomb inviting interested parties to meeting aimed at organiz­ing a cooperative attack on boxwood problems.

Organizational meeting of May 2 ends with decision to form the American Boxwood Society; Mr. Newcomb is elected president.

First issue of The Boxwood Bulletin is published by the officers of the Society in October. Mr. Newcomb dies and Dr. W. Ralph Singleton fills out his unexpired term as president.

1962 Rear Admiral Neill Phillips is elected president, May 1. Professor A. G. Smith, honorary life member of the ABS, presents the Society at the Annual Meeting with a

gavel set made of boxwood. Dr. Walter S. Flory becomes first editor of The Boxwood Bulletin.

1963 Dr. Flory accepts call to Wake Forest College; Mrs. Eugene B. Casey assumes editorship of The Boxwood Bulletin with Mrs. Chester L. Riley and Mrs. Edgar M. Whiting as associates. A Bulletin Advisory Board of eight scientists is set up.

1964 Executive Committee frames by-law establishing membership year as May 1 to following April 30, and takes under consideration as projects the creation of a boxwood garden at Blandy and the publication of a box­wood handbook.

Mrs. Riley and Mrs. Whiting become co-editors of The Bulletin in June. Dr. Singleton retires as director of Blandy Farm; Mr. Alan Caspar, research assistant at Blandy, is named

acting director.

1965 Dr. Burdette L. Wagenknecht's "Registration Lists of Cultivar Names in Buxus L." is published in The Box-wood Bulletin and reprinted in pamphlet form.

1966 Mrs. Whiting becomes full editor of The Bulletin. Mr. Henry J. Hohman's offer of plants from his unique collection of Buxus at Kingsville Nurseries is grateful-

ly accepted by the ABS. Index of first 20 issues of The Boxwood Bulletin is published in October issue. Mr. Clark C: Crabill leaves Blandy in June after 2 years as acting head of the Orland E. White Research Ar­boretum. ABS voices concern to University of Virginia about uncertain future of Blandy Experimental Farm.

1967 Mrs. Clay B. Carr resigns as secretary-treasurer after serving six years; Mrs. Andrew C. Kirby succeeds her.

"Reader interest" poll is taken of ABS members. ABS is incorporated as nonstock and nonprofit organization (December 14).

1968 Eighth Annual Meeting is held at Morven Park, Leesburg, Virginia. Agreement is reached to undertake selected joint boxwood endeavors with Morven Park.

Mr. Caspar informs ABS that Blandy will continue to provide the Society with any office space desired, library facilities, maintenance of the boxwood nursery and other assistance whenever possible.

ABS accepts invitation to act as International Registration Authority for the genus Buxus.

1969 Tax-exempt status of ABS is established. Ninth Annual Meeting is held at Oatlands, Leesburg, Virginia. Dr. Henry T. Skinner reports on proposal to establish fellowship for research on boxwood at University of

Maryland with cooperation of the US National Arboretum. Dr. Edgar S. Anderson, honorary life member of the ABS, dies, June 18 in St. Louis.

1970 Dues for regular membership are raised from $3.00 to $5.00 to cover increased cost of publishing The Box-wood Bulletin.

ABS returns to Oatlands for Tenth Annual Meeting.

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Regulations on plant importing procedures are published in April issue of The Boxwood Bulletin. Project to fund research at the University of Maryland on nutritional aspects of boxwood culture is approved.

1971 ABS holds Eleventh Annual Meeting at US National Arboretum. Dr. John T. Baldwin, Jr. reports on plans to prepare a handbook on boxwood. Need is expressed for the ABS to take position on poisons and sprays. President Phillips warns of impending personnel crisis if Mrs. Whiting and Mrs. Kirby curtail their services. Root rot epidemic of "English" (suffruticosa) box prompts President Phillips to ask Dr. R. C. Lambe, VPI &

SU, for emergency recommendations on treatment. Dr. B. F. D. Runk named by University of Virginia to supervise BIandy Exprimental Farm directly, pending

appointment within year of a new research director.

1972 Dr. Orland E. White dies, January 10. ABS returns to BIandy for Twelfth Annual Meeting. Dr. Lambe proposes research project at VPI & SU to investigate boxwood diseases; funding for one year

with possible extension approved at Annual Meeting. Mr. Thomas E. Ewert named director of BIandy Farm effective September 1. Registration of a claim to copyright is submitted for The Boxwood Bulletin. Concerted drive launched to raise funds for two research projects in 1973-1974.

1973 Boxwood decline reaches epidemic proportions in Virginia as appeals mount for research funds. Second index to The Boxwood Bulletin, covering October 1966-0ctober 1972, is published. Thirteenth Annual Meeting is held at University of Virginia in Charlottesville. ABS is represented by display at Chicago Flower Show. Henry J. Hohman is awarded Gold Medal of the Royal Horticultural Society and made an honorary lift'

member of the ABS. Mrs. Kirby, secretary-treasurer of the ABS, is placed on salary. ABS faces deficit budget to finance boxwood research.

1974 Concern about future of Carr Publishing Company, printer of The Boxwood Bulletin. is allayed. ABS, faced with deficit, succeeds in rescheduling final payment to VPI & SU for research. Mrs. Kirby's official title becomes executive secretary and treasurer. Henry J. Hohman dies, July 25. Between 1 May 1973 and 1 May 1974 ABS members contribute ,$2,212.50 to Research Fund. Mr. Ewert urges that ABS boxwood garden be started so it can be dedicated at the 1 !)76 Annual Meeting­

(15th anniversary of ABS). Dr. John T. Baldwin, Jr. dies at 64 on September 3. All are saddened by death of two great boxwood plants­men in two months.

1975 Severity of boxwood decline continues unabated; best judgment is that it can be prevented but not cured. Dow Chemical Co. reports to ABS that they terminated research on Dowco 281 Fungicide as a commercial product for treatment of ornamentals.

President Phillips proposes that ABS boxwood garden be designated a living memorial to Dr. Baldwin and Mr. Hohman. Professor Albert S. Beecher and Mr. Ewert are appointed to present a detailed garden plan at March 1976 Board meeting for approval first by BIandy authorities and then by Annual Meeting.

Mrs. Whiting asks that arrangements for a successor be made so she may retire as editor in near future. Professors Lambe and Wills, VPI & SU, publish their "Decline of English Boxwood in Virginia." ABS is listed in Encyclopedia of Associations.

1976 Decision is made to continue copyrighting The BOX1lJood Bulletin at a fee of $6.00 per issue. Dr. Wagenknecht agrees to supply 10 copies of application form stating requirements for registration of

cultivars. Losses of boxwood at Morven Park are estimated at $30,000. Dr. Bernice M. Speese is named consultant to look after boxwood collection formed by Dr. Baldwin at Col-

lege of William and Mary. Boxwood Society of the Midwest holds founding meeting, March 31. Second boxwood gavel is presented to ABS, this one made by Life Member G. R. McCracken. ABS donation of $2,000 to BIandy for transplanting boxwoods to Memorial Garden is applied to purchase of

tree spade.

Mrs. Kirby resigns as executive secretary-treasurer and Mrs. Thomas Ewert volunteers to take on duties of executive treasurer; position of secretary is left unfilled.

Mrs. Whiting announces that she will resign as editor some time after July; Mrs. Charles H. Dick offers to assist Mrs. Whiting with publication of The Boxwood Bulletin.

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Dr. Speese is tasked with drawing up a more practical application form for registering cultivars and is asked to consider being official ABS registrar.

An additional $1,500 is authorized for work on the Memorial Garden. Admiral Phillips resigns due to ill health on November 10 after serving as ABS president for 15 years. Mrs. Whiting resigns due to ill health on November 10 after editing 44 issues, and helping to edit 12 issues, of

The Boxwood Bulletin. ABS Vice President Beecher succeeds Admiral Phillips as president and Mrs. Dick succeeds Mrs. Whiting as

editor, with the assistance of Mr. and Mrs. Ewert and Mrs. Whiting (editor emeritus). First two ABS boxwood workshops (summer and fall) are offered at Blandy. Boxwood registration office is shifted to Dr. Speese at Williamsburg.

1977 Linda G. Jones assumes duties as ABS executive secretary. First directory of ABS officers, directors and scientists is published in The Boxwood Bulletin .. Many ABS members respond to May newsletter with information concerning damage to their bl)xwood in

winter of 1976-1977. Full ABS membership list is published in The Boxwood Bulletin. Dr. Runk retires, bringing to an end his supervision of Blandy. Preparation of a Boxwood Buyer's Guide is announced. Boxwood workshops sponsored by the ABS are held at the US National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.

(September 29) and at Blandy Farm (October 28). ABS mans boxwood display booth at Washington Metropolitan Horticultural Show, Tysons Corner,

McLean, Virginia (August 4-6).

1978 ABS receives cuttings of 46 different boxwoods from US National Arboretum for eventual planting in Memorial Garden.

First ABS Garden Tour visits the Philadelphia area, May 14 and 15. Admiral Neill Phillips, third ABS president, dies in Arizona, March 22. Fall boxwood workshops sponsored by ABS in cooperation with VPI & SU Extension Service are held at

Blandy Farm (October 10), Gunston Hall, Fairfax County, Virginia (October 11) and Williamsburg, Virginia (November I).

ABS slide collection is augmented by set on boxwood diseases prepared by Drs. Lambe and Wills. Memorial Garden now numbers 4~) plants of 44 different names. Dr. Speese is formally named ABS Registrm· for International Boxwood Registration. Mrs. Whiting dies in December.

1979 ABS enters display in March at "The plower and Garden Show of the Nation's Capital," D.C. Armory. ABS Garden Tour Committee is formed to plan additional tours. Cuttings are received from Colonial Williamsburg for eventual planting in the Memorial Garden. Functional committees of officers and directors are formed at the suggestion of the Executive Committee. Research Committee notes that in the early I ~)70s ABS funding of ,·esearch at the University of Maryland on

boxwood nutrition amounted to $5,000, and at VPI & SU funding of research on boxwood decline came to $lO,OOO.

A fee is established for registration at Annual Meeting to cover various expenses of the meeting. An early arrival program is initiated for the evening before the Annual Meeting. Admiral Phillips and Mrs. Whiting are added to members honored in the ABS Memorial Garden. Coprighting of issues of The Boxwood Bulletin is discontinued. Funding of boxwood research is cut back. Membership recruitment through advertising and publicity is advocated. ABS sponsors boxwood workshops at Oatlands (June 15), Stratford Hall, Westmoreland County, Virginia

(June 14) and Martinsville, Virginia (October II). Second ABS Garden Tour is centered on greater Washington, D. C., September 29-30. Dr. Skinner and Mr. Alden Eaton retire as directors after 18 and 13 years, respectively. Boxwood cultivar names registered by Dr. Wagenknecht and Dr. Speese since 1965 are published in The Box-

wood Bulletin.

1980 Final results of ABS-sponsored research at the University of Maryland on mineral nutrition studies with box-wood are published in the January issue of The Boxwood Bulletin.

Need of a new index to The Boxwood Bulletin is recognized. A standardized system of boxwood nomenclature for use in The Boxwood Bulletin is recommended. To attract new members $100 is authorized for ABS ads in 2 or 3 horticultural journals. Boxwood workshops are held at Scotchtown, Hanover County, Virginia (July 9) and the US National Ar­

boretum (October 30). Dr. Singleton, Director of Blandy Farm (1955 -1964) and second president of the ABS (1961) resigns due to ill health as an ABS director after 15 years in office.

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1981 Third ABS tour visits Frededricksburg and adjacent Westmoreland County, April 25-26. Professor Beecher steps down as ABS president after four years in office; Mr. Richard D. Mahone of Colonial

Williamsburg is elected new president. Boxwood workshop is held in Old Salem, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (October 2). Requests by companies and organizations for ABS membership list with addresses are rejected by ABS

Board. Complete membership list without addresses is published in the October issue of The Boxwood Bulletin. Number of different named boxwoods in Memorial Garden reaches 59.

1982 Boxwood workshops are held in Eastville on the Eastern Shore of Virginia (February 16) and at Scotchtown (July 21).

ABS sponsors field research by Virginia Truck & Ornamentals Research Station to evaluate boxwood for adaptability, susceptibility and response to selected cultural practices.

Fourth ABS Garden Tour takes in the Amherst-Lynchburg area of Virginia, September 18-19. New offset process adopted for printing The Boxwood Bulletin. Clara S. McCarty, author of The Story of Boxwood, ABS charter member and honorary life member, dies,

April 29. ABS Constitution is amended to permit dues increase (from $5.00 to $10.00 for regular membership) and

augmentation of number of directors. Magazine advertising is discontinued as means of attracting new members. Dr. Singleton dies, July 28. Mrs. Dick resigns as Bulletin editor because of personal responsibilities; Scot and Joan Butler are nampd

editor and co-editor.

1983 Call for volunteers to help update the index to The Boxwood Bulletin meets with good response. Map of the Memorial Garden is published in The Boxwood Bulletin with key to identification 0f plants. Eight members of the Boxwood Society of the Midwest travel to ABS Annual Meeting to present educational

program on "The Pain and Pleasure of Growing Boxwood in the Midwest." Boxwood workshop is held at Gunston Hall (June 14). ABS membership list is put on computer. First ABS work day at Blandy is held to help maintain boxwood plantings (September 28). Decision is made to publish in The Boxwood Bulletin only lists of new members, not the full membership.

1984 Dr. Skinner is awarded Gold Medal of the Royal Horticultural Society in February. Boxwood workshops are held in Raleigh, North Carolina (April 5) and Charlottesville, Virginia (May 24). Fifth ABS Garden Tour visits the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area of North Carolina, April 28-2!l. Second ABS work day at Blandy is held (September 26). Questionnaire is sent to institutions that regularly receive courtesy copies of The BOx/l'ood Bulldiu to Iwlp

determine which ones should continue to receive them. Funding of research at the University of Kentucky on the relationship between mycorrhizal fungi and box­

wood is approved. First membership boxwood plant exchange is held at Annual Meeting.

1985 Sixth ABS Garden Tour is held on Maryland's Eastern Shore, May 4-5. Survey is made of selected colleges, universities and arboreta that might have herbarium collections of box-

wood. Board accepts invitation to hold 1987 Annual Meeting at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. First Annual Meeting boxwood auction earns ABS over $560. Dr. Speese submits resignation as ABS Registrar due to illness; Mr. Lynn Batdorf, Curator of Boxwood at

US National Arboretum and an ABS Director, is appointed to fill position. Publication of complete index to first 25 volumes of The Boxwood Bulletin is scheduled for 198{). ABS sponsors third concurrent research project, a VPI & SU study on biological control of Phytophtlw/"II

root rot. ABS membership reaches 705, including 41 charter members. Boxwood workshop is held at Newport News, Virginia (October 18). ABS publishes The Buyer's Guide for Boxwood at $3.00 per copy. Third ABS boxwood work day at Blandy is held (September 25). Dr. Bernice M. Speese, ABS Registrar from 1977 to 1985, dies after long illness, November 29. University of Virginia initiates new research activity at the Blandy Experimental Farm and appoints resi-

dent environmental scientist. ABS joins the Friends of Blandy organization, which maintains community contacts and promotes Blandy as

an educational center.

94

The ABS Memorial Garden

Phillip D. Larson Chairman of the Memorial Garden Committee

To mark the 25th anniversary of the American Boxwood Society it is appropriate to trace in outline the evolution of the Boxwood Memorial Garden and to update the plan of the plants within the Garden.

1961-General discussions began with sugges­tions for a boxwood museum composed of a col­lection of hardy and adapted Buxus species and cultivars; a library of books and articles deal­ing with the group; and eventually a collection of pressed, mounted and named dried her­barium specimens, taken from and based on the living collection (33 varieties were already at Blandy Farm, having been donated by the US National Arboretum, the Arnold Ar­boretum and Henry Hohman).

1964-A committee recommended that a box­wood garden should be designed and planted at Blandy Farm utilizing the boxwoods then own­ed by the Society. Definite plans would be an­nounced later.

1965-I t was planned to develop the collection of all species and types of box with new varieties as they might appear. (Ten new varieties were added, having been donated by Longwood Gardens, Scarff's Nursery and Kingsville Nurseries).

1966-The ABS president reported that an agreement between the Society and Blandy Farm had been reached covering the care and upkeep of the collection of boxwood cuttings donated to the Society and presently lined out in beds at Blandy Farm. An unresolved ques­tion of plant ownership arose.

1975-Professor A. S. Beecher and Director of Blandy Farm Thomas E. Ewert published in the July 1975 Boxwood Bulletin a plan and pro-

95

posal to be submitted to the ABS membership covering general recommendations for establishing and maintaining a boxwood garden as a living memorial to Dr. J. T. Baldwin, Jr. and Mr. Henry Hohman.

1976-The Society provided $1,000 and authorized the expenditure of up to $1,500 in 1977 toward the establishment of the perma­nent Garden. Thirty labeled boxwoods were moved to the site.

1979-The Garden at this time consisted of 47 varieties.

1981-The Society agreed to contribute finan­cially to the Garden from funds donated and earmarked for that purpose. It authorized $400 to $500 for plant labels. The Garden at this time consisted of 59 varieties.

1982-An appeal for Memorial Garden dona­tions was sent to the membership. The Garden then contained 63 varieties.

1983-Mrs. Joan Butler and Director of Blan­dy Farm Thomas E. Ewert published an article and plan identifying all the boxwood plants in the Garden, then numbering 72. An additional· appeal for monetary donations to the Memorial Garden Fund was made. The first ABS work day was held at Blandy Farm.

1984-The Society committed $200 to $300 from general funds and $75 from the Memorial Garden Fund to be expended for labels. The se­cond ABS work days were held at Blandy Farm.

1985-The number of varieties in the Garden reached 85. The third ABS annual work day was held at Blandy Farm.

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PLAN OF

ABS MEMORIAL GARDEN AT

BLAND"!." EXPERB1ENTAL FA2iol

1986

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Photo: Scot Butler

KEY TO BOXWOOD PLANTS IN THE MEMORIAL GARDEN (Starting at the Memorial Garden sign and progressing counter-clockwise)

I. Buxus semperuirens 'Ponteyi' 44. B. m. var. japonica 2. B . s. 'Latifolia Aurea Maculata' 45. B. s. 'Handsworthii' 3. B. microphylla 46. B. s. 'Maculata' 4. B. s. 'Pendula' 47. B. s. var. suffruticosa 5. B. m. 'Grace Hendrick Phillips' 48. B. s. 'Decussata' 6. B. s. 'Myosotifolia' 49. B. s. 'Edgar Anderson' 7. B. s. 'Ste. Genevieve' 50. B. s. 'Hermann von Schrenk' 8. B. s. 'Northland' 51. B. harlandii 9. B. s. 'Agram' 52. B. s. 'Elegantissima'

10. B. s. 'Latifolia Marginata' 53. B. s. 'Graham Blandy' 11. B. s. 'Northern Find' 54. B. s. 'Elegantissima' (prostrate form) 12. B. s. 'Latifolia' 55. B. m. 'John Baldwin' 13. B. s. 'Arborescens Undulifolia' 56. B. 'Green Gem' 14. B. s. 'Fortunei Rotundifolia' 57. B. 'Green Mountain' (Starting next bed closest to main walkway) 58. B. 'Green Velvet'

15. B. s. 'Joy' 16. B. s. 'Glauca'

59. B. 'Green Mound' (Continuing west from steps)

17. B. m. var. compacta 'Helen Whiting' 18. B. s. 'Latifolia Bullata'

60. B. s. Topiary 61. B. m. var. koreana 'Pincushion'

19. B. s. 'Vardar Valley' 62. B. m. var. koreana 'Tall Boy' 20. B. s. 'Belleville' 63. B. m. var. koreana 'Winter Beauty' 21. B. s. 'Argentea' 64. B. m. 'Henry Hohman' 22. B. s. 'Krossi-Livonia' 65. B. m. var. japonica 'Morris Midget' 23. B. s. 'Salicifolia Elata' 66. B. m. var. japonica 'Morris Dwarf 24. B. s. 'Latifolia Nova' 67. B. m. var. compacta 25. B. s. 'Inglis' 68. B. m. var. koreana 'Tide Hill' 26. B. s. 'Pyramidalis' 69. B. m. var. koreana 'Wintergreen' 27. B. s. 'Rotundifolia' 70. B . m. 'Miss Jones' 28. B. s. 'Latifolia Japonica Aurea' 71. B. m. 'Kingsville' 29. B. s. 'Longifolia' 72. B. s. 'Hardwickensis Fastigiata' 30. B. s. 'Anderson 789-34 73. B. s. 'Henry Shaw' 31. B. s. 'Salicifolia' 74. B. 8. 'Aristocrat' 32. B. s. 'Navicularis' 75. B. 8. 'Hardwickensis' 33. B. s. 'Prostrata' 76. B. m. var. japonica 'National' 34. B. 8. 'Berlin' 77. B. 8. 'Ipek' 35. B.8. 'Aurea Maculata' 78. B. 8. 'Yorktown' 36. B. m. 'Brouwer's Seedling' 79. B. 8. 'Cliffside' 37. B. s. 'Welleri' 80. B. 8. 'Varifolia' 38. B. s. 'Woodland' 81. B. 8. 'Meyeri Columnaris' 39. B. s. 'Butterworth' 82. B. m. var. japonica 'Green Beauty' 40. B. himalayensis 83. B. m. 'Sunnyside' 41. B. s. 'Myrtifolia' 84. B. 8. 'Newport Blue' 42. B. s. 'Sport' 85. B. m. 'Asiatic Winter Gem' 43. B. s. 'Mason'

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ALPHABETICAL LIST OF PLANTS IN THE MEMORIAL GARDEN (By Species)

Numbers refer to the location on the Plan of the Garden, Page 96

51 Buxus harlandii

40 Buxus himalayensis

3 Buxus microphylla 85 'Asiatic Winter Gem' 36 'Brouwer's Seedling'

5 'Grace Hendrick Phillips' 64 'Henry Hohman' 55 'John Baldwin' 71 'Kingsville' 70 'Miss Jones' 83 'Sunnyside'

67 Buxus microphylla var. compocta 17 'Helen Whiting'

44 Buxus microphylla val'. japonica 82 'Green Beauty' 66 'Morris Dwarf' 65 'Morris Midget' 76 'National'

Buxus microphylla val'. kOl'('(111(t 61 'Pincushion' 62 'Tall Boy' 68 'Tide Hill' 63 'Winter Beauty' 69 'Wintergreen'

Buxus sempervirens 9 'Agram'

30 'Anderson 789-34' 13 'Arborescens Undulifolia' 21 'Argentea' 74 'Aristocrat' 35 'Aurea Maculata' 20 'Belleville' 34 'Berlin' 39 'Butterworth' 79 'Cliffside' 48 'Decussata' 49 'Edgar Anderson' 52 'Elegantissima' 54 'Elegantissima' (prostrate form) 14 'Fortunei Rotundifolia' 16 'Glauca' 53 'Graham Blandy'

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45 75 72 73 50 25 77 15 22 12 2

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'Handsworthii' 'Hardwickensis' 'Hardwickensis Fastigiata' 'Henry Shaw' 'I-Iermann von Schrenk' 'Inglis' 'Ipek' '.Joy' 'Krossi-Livonia' 'Latifolia' 'Latifolia Aurea Maclilata' 'Latifolia Blillata' 'Latifolia Japonica i\ ul'<.'a' 'Latifolia Marginata' 'Latifolia Nova' 'Longifolia' 'Maculata' 'Mason' 'MeyeJ'i Coilimnal'is' 'Myosotil'olia' 'Myrtil'olia' 'Naviclilaris' 'Newport Blue' 'Northel'l1 Find' 'Northland' 'Pendllla' 'Ponteyi' 'Prost rata' 'Pyramidalis' 'R'otllndi I'olia'

7 'Ste. Genevi('v(" 31 'Salicifolia' 23 'Salicifolia Elata' 42 'Sport' GO Topiary 19 'VaniaI' Valley' 80 'Val'ifolia' 37 'Vl elleri' 38 '\Voodland' 78 'Yorktown'

47 Buxus sempervirfns var. Sl{t.f1·uti('().'w

Buxus 56 'Green Gem' 59 'Green Mound' 57 'Green Mountain' 58 'Green Velvet'

Photo: Scot Butler Th1~'<; ,qroup of dwarf Buxus microphylla in the Memorial Garden Wffl1' ('rowns of snow with regal dignity. Forming a semicircle are thref plants of 'Morris Midget' a,nd three of 'Morris Dwarf. In the (,pntfr is a, B. m. var. compacta ('Kingsville Dwarf).

The Seasonal Gardener Tips on Spring Care of BOXUJood

Albert S. Beecher

Spring is an important season for the care of established boxwoods and is an excellent time for transplanting or setting out new plants. In­sect problems are more prevalent during the spring months and a close examination of plants should be made to ascertain if any troublesome insects are present.

Location of Boxwood. Boxwood grows in full sunlight and will survive a heavy shade if it is planted in suitable soil and proper cultural practices are followed. Avoid planting box­wood in soils that remain wet, tend to bake or crack, or are too heavy. Soil fiiled from cellar excavation is often not suitable for boxwood, especially if there is only a light layer of top­soil. Boxwood planted in full sunlight in a soil that does not hold sufficient moisture during the dry and windy periods of late fall or winter may suffer foliage injury. Where plants are ex­posed to the morning sun in winter, leaves may

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turn reddish-brown or yellow because they are subjected to rapid thawing.

The ideal soil is fairly stiff clay, well supplied with organic matter. A sandy soil generally doesn't have sufficient moisture-holding capacity, and very heavy clay tends to bake or crack or lacks good drainage. Boxwoods are rather indifferent to soil pH. If sufficient humus is present and the texture is suitable, boxwood plants will grow in an acid, neutral or alkaline soil.

Planting or Transplanting. When setting out newly purchased plants or when transplan­ing boxwoods, certain precautions should be taken. Dig the hole large enough to accom­modate the root ball. A void setting a balled plant on filled earth where it may settle. If planted too deep, boxwood will slowly die.

If the soil lacks organic matter and is not easily workable, add topsoil or woods soil. If

good topsoil is not available, mix bone meal or 5-10-5 commercial fertilizer with the existing soil. If fertilizer cannot be well mixed with the soil at the time of planting, it is safer to wait until after the plant is established and then ap­ply 2 to 3 pounds of 5-10-5 fertilizer per 100 square feet of soil. Thin some of the inner bran­ches to reduce top growth at the time of plan­ting; this will help restore balance between the top and the root system. During the digging operation many roots will be lost and the re­maining ones may not be able to support the top unless some of the top branches are remov­ed.

When digging boxwood, be sure to get a large solid ball of earth and wrap it immediate­ly in burlap so the ends of roots are not expos­ed to the air. Shading newly set-out boxwoods can be beneficial, especially if the plants are moved from a shaded area to full sun.

Watering. Plants must be watered during the first growing season after they are set out whenever there is danger of the soil around the roots drying out. Frequent and light watering does no good and is often detrimental. Let the hose run slowly so that the water can soak completely into the root zone. Mulching helps conserve soil moisture.

Established boxwoods should be thoroughly watered at intervals during spring and early summer if rainfall is deficient. If no natural

-rainfall occurs, boxwoods need one inch of -water every 7 to 10 days during the growing season. In late summer to freezing weather, water every two or three weeks if there is no natural rainfall. Too much moisture in the fall, however, may result in excessive late growth t~at may be tender when freezing weather ar­rives.

Feeding. Established boxwoods growing in suitable soil with sufficient organic matter do not have to be fertilized every year. Appear­ance is a good indication as to whether plant food is needed. If plants-not recently fed-have off-color foliage and weak stems, they need fertilizer. If thinning has been neglected, it should be done at the same time and mulch should be applied also, if this has not been done.

Boxwood can be fed by broadcasting plant food on the soil surface or by foliar feeding. When using 5-10-5 fertilizer, apply it at a rate of 2 to 3 pounds per 100 per square feet of soil.

Other popular fertilizers are broadleaf evergreen food and cottonseed meal. If foliar feeding is used, apply it at the rate recom­mended by the manufacturer.

Cultivation. Avoid digging around box­woods because the roots are shallow. Plants can -be severely weakened or killed by too much cultivation. Use mulch to control weeds and eliminate the need for digging around the bushes. Boxwoods used as edging for flower beds are often injured by cultivation of the flower bed area. Sometimes only a portion of the edging will show injury; this can be traced to severed roots.

Protection. Newly set-out boxwoods benefit from a temporary burlap screen or snow fence that provides wind protection. Do not let the burlap touch the foliage.

Apply mulch to a depth of one inch for newly set plants. Mulches commonly used are wood chips, sawdust, pine needles or compost. Check to see if mulches around established plants are still intact after the winter season.

Repairing Winter Injury. If the plants have dead stems, remove them by cutting back to live wood. On plants where the foliage has turned reddish brown, delay drastic pruning in the spring until after new growth has started. Very often plants that are fed and given suffi­cient moisture will produce new foliage and by the end of the spring, the injured foliage will fall and be replaced by healthy foliage.

Planning Ahead. Where boxwoods are used extensively-lining a walk or in a formal pat­terned garden-it is a good idea to grow a few­replacement plants in a section of the vegetable garden or in some isolated portion of the yard. These can be used to replace injured or weak plants. Often poor quality plants can be rejuvenated by moving them out of the for­mal garden and placing them in an isolated area. Reducing some of the top growth of weak plants plus an application of fertilizer after moving is beneficial.

Pruning and Insect Troubles. Refer to The Boxwood Bulletin, Vol. 24, No.4, April 1985, Pages 92 and 93, "Maintenance of Established Boxwood Plantings" by William A. Gray. If you are a new member of ABS or have not sav­ed your Bulletins, it is possible to order this back issue by sending $2.50 to the American Boxwood Society, Box 85, Boyce, VA 22620.

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THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA AND ITS BLANDY EXPERIMENTAL FARM-HOSTS

TO THE ABS Robert M. O'Neil, New President of the University

I t is no exaggeration to say that the American Boxwood Society owes its founding and the establishment of its headquarters at the Blandy Experimental Farm to the Univer­sity of Virginia. (See "How the American Box­wood Society Began" on Page 87.) As the Society prepares to enter what we hope will be another long and fruitful period of association with the University and its Farm we take the opportunity to greet the University's new president, Robert M. O'Neil, to wish him suc­cess in the many challenges that face him, and to invite him to see the significant role that boxwood has come to play at Blandy. For the boxwood plants growing in the Orland E. White Arboretum as well as the present 85 dif­ferent named kinds of Buxus which the ABS has planted in its Memorial Garden constitute one of the finest collections of boxwood in the world.

Mr. O'Neil, inaugurated as the University's sixth president on October 2, 1985, brings im­posing credentials to the office. A 50 year-old native of Boston who holds a bachelor's, a master's and a law degree from Harvard University, he has recently served as president of the University of Wisconsin's higher educa­tion system of 13 universities, 13 two-year in­stitutions and a comprehensive extension pro­gram.

Mr. O'Neil is highly regarded in national education circles, serving on the boards of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the Council of Post-Secondary Ac­creditation, the Educational Testing Service and the Johnson Foundation. He chairs the Financial Resource Development Committee of the Center for Research Libraries and the Legal Affairs Committee of the National Association of State Universities and Land­Grant Colleges. He acknowledges a strong commitment to the liberal arts, research and public service.

An expert on civil liberties and the First Amendment, Mr. O'Neil is the author of several books, the most recent of which is Classrooms in the Crossfire. Published in 1981, it is a study of the legal and policy aspects of textbook and curricular censorship. Mr. O'Neil is married to the former Karen Elson, a graduate of Vassar College who holds a master's degree from Harvard. She is co­author, with her husband, of Civil Liberties: Case Studies and the Law. The O'Neils are the parents of four children. We wish them much joy at the University.

Note: We are indebted to the University of Virginia Alumni News for the information about President O'Neil contained in this arti­cle.

The Story of Blandy Farm and the Orland E. White Arboretum

The Blandy Experimental Farm, located near Boyce in Clarke County, Virginia, was a gift to the University of Virginia from Mr. Graham F. Blandy in 1926. Mr. Blandy, a New York stock broker and railroad magnate, came to Boyce in 1904 for a·summer vacation and by 1905 had purchased four tracts of land totaling

912 acres, including a lovely old mansion built about 1830 by a Colonel Tuley and known as "The Tuleyries." Mr. Blandy made the "The Tuleyries" his summer home until his death in 1926.

Early in the 1920s. Mr. Blandy visited Presi­dent Alderman at the University of Virginia to

101

talk with him about leaving his estate to the University as an experimental farm. Mr. Blan­dy wanted the farm to be used to "teach boys farming in all its branches, including fruit rais­ing." Dr. Alderman's suggestion was that the Virginia Polytechnic Institute would be a more logical recipient since the University was not in the farming business.

Following the probation of Mr. Blandy's will after his death in 1926 it was learned that he had given to the University about 700 acres of land of the Tuleyries Farm plus the residual estate (at the death of his widow). The residual estate amounted to about $670,000. All of this provided that the University accept the be­quest under the terms of the will within two years or it would revert to the widow. The will called for the establishment of a training center to be named Blandy Experimental Farm by the University.

Over a year later the University sent a com­mittee headed by Dr. Bruce D. Reynolds to in­vestigate the advisability of the University ac­cepting the Blandy bequest. The report and the plans for the use of the farm were accepted and the property was transferred. The plans were to (1) have a farm manager operate the farm­ing phase of the program; (2) have a director to supervise the educational program, spending winter months at Charlottesville teaching graduate courses and summer months at Blan­dy teaching and supervising actual research; and (3) found five fellowships carrying stipends of from $500 to $1,000.

Having accepted the gift of Blandy Farm the University of Virginia set about fulfilling the spirit as well as the terms of Mr. Blandy's will.

The Blandy Experimental Farm Committee, chaired by Dr. Reynolds, determined that Mr. Blandy would have wanted advance research conducted in the field of heredity. Answering the questions concerning the reasons for newly produced hybrids seemed the kind of challenge Mr. Blandy would have tackled. Through this committee Dr. Orland Emile White-the Curator of Plants at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden-was brought to Blandy as its first director.

Dr. White had developed an interest in genetics early in life and while still in college was teaching genetics to other undergraduate students. Later he searched the world for rare plants and visited the Amazon jungles and

other parts of South America. Gaining tremen­dous knowledge he was asked to give many lec­tures and described a collection of his specimens of the Amazon for the Encyclopedia Britannica

Dr. White served dually as Director of Blan­dy and Professor of Agricultural Biology at the University from 1927 until his retirement in 1955. During his tenure Dr. White initiated and stabilized two outstanding programs: (1) A research program for advanced students in genetics; and (2) a large, logically arranged and well landscaped collection of woody plants. Five research fellowships-for advanced graduate work in plant science, especially genetics, cytology and related subjects-were made available. A few students worked at Blandy while holding other grants or scholar­ships. As a usual thing these students each year spent one term in residence at the Univer­sity at Charlottesville and then spent the re­maining 6 to 8 months of the year at Blandy Farm engaged chiefly in research work in con­nection with their graduate degree re­quirements.

Their life at Blandy was communal. They slept, ate, studied and did their laboratory ex­periments all in a ten room structure called "The Quarters" because it was thought it had been used formerly to house slaves. Each was assigned his household chores for the week and learned, if not to like it, to become proficient at cooking, bed-making and the endless dishwashing.

In addition all students participated in week­ly seminars, studied the native flora and became familiar with good agricultural and far­ming organization including economic aspects of the crops and animals involved.

Field trips made with Dr. White not only taught the students to recognize the native Virginia plants but enabled them to bring back to Blandy many beautiful specimens which formed the core of the present Orland E. White Arboretum. (One of these early students was Dr. Walter Flory who later became Curator of the Arboretum and co-founder of the American Boxwood Society.) Later, trips through the southeastern and southwestern states added hundreds of species from those areas. Many of these plants have survived and are now over 50 years old. Plants from warmer temperate and subtropical parts of the earth

102

were brought to Blandy without much success except for two miniature palms and some twenty species of bamboo.

In the mid-thirties a number of stone fences were removed from around the fields near the center of the farm and one hundred and thirty acres were thereby thrown into one area to be developed into an arboretum. In the fall and winter of 1936-37 Dr. A. V. Beatty, with a group of workmen, put into permanent posi­tion the older background plants using the Ger­man system of classification whereby members of each botanical family are grouped together.

When Blandy endowment funds became available, upon the death of Mrs. Blandy in 1939, expansion was made in the area, with some terracing and formal plant arrangement, plants were developed in nursery rows and their numbers increased. Well over 4,000 plant accessions were recorded during the years 1940, 1941, and 1942. In succeeding years many plants were added from accessions secured by graduate students in connection with their research problems. This has been especially true with the collections of boxwood, of the pea family, of American roses, of barber­ries and their allies, of conifers, and of the ash or olive family.

At the time of Dr. White's retirement, the President and Board of Visitors of the Univer­sity officially designated the Blandy Farm Ar­boretum as the Orland E. White Arboretum and named Dr. Walter S. Flory as its Curator. Dr. Flory had been in active charge of this plant collection from February 1, 1947. This new title of Curator was in addition to those previously held.

Dr. White laid a solid foundation for Blandy Farm by gaining not only a material collection of plants for its arboretum but by industriously training his students in such a way that they could in their turn return to guide and protect Blandy's beauty and purpose.

Ironic, isn't it, that Mr. Blandy, a man never a student at the University, should insist upon giving it an experimental farm it did not want and for that farm to become the center for the best plant scientists in this country. Blandy graduates went on to man research posts in Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the United States Department of Agriculture, the American Cancer Society; to hold faculty posts in many American colleges and universities, in­cluding Columbia, Yale, and the University of Michigan. Students from abroad took Blandy ideas back home to Turkey, India, Yugoslavia, Argentina, Chile, and Canada.

"The Quarters" viewed through a double row ojboX'Woods planted in the Orland E. White Arboretum.

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Friends of Blandy Friends of Blandy was organized in 1983 to

"plan, coordinate and promote"more exten­sive use of the resources of the Blandy Ex­perimental Farm than the small Farm staff could do by itself.

Traditionally Blandy Farm, a self-supporting facility of the University of Virginia, has serv­ed as a field research station for faculty and students interested in agriculture, biology, ecology and the environmental sciences. But in addition it has played a significant role in serv­ing the local community and beyond.

Today, in collaboration with the Lord Fair­fax Community College, the Farm serves as a center for teaching farming techniques. The Orland E. White Arboretum offers research collections and gardens for study and enjoy­ment by the general public as well as scien­tists. Many groups and organizations avail themselves of the excellent facilities for meetings. Friends of Blandy, representing the University on the one hand, and the communi­ty, on the other, help to schedule and coor­dinate activities at the Farm. At the same time they try to see that the facilities are used pro­perly and effectively. Not only do they en­courage legitimate use of the Farm by in­terested parties but they also formulate pro­grams that will stimulate greater participation by individuals and groups, thereby opening the way to enlarging of membership.

A survey of activities held at Blandy in 1985 under the Friends' aegis indicates how broad the range is: Friends of Blandy seminars on Clarke County's historic places and on growing and using herbs; overnight outings of the Ap­palachian Trail Club, a University of Virginia biology class, the George Mason University Biology Club, the Clarke County Education Society (Visually Handicapped Children) and the Smithsonian Resident AssOciate Program; meetings of the Leesburg Garden Club, the Shendandoah Valley Artists Association, the Preservation Society of Historic Winchester; a landscape seminar by EDA W, Inc. of Alexan­dria and a landscape maintenance seminar sponsored by the Clarke County Cooperative Extension Service; two community programs sponsored by the Northern Shenandoah Valley Audubon Society; an academic contest spon­sored by the Handley High School of Win­chester and the Third Annual Invitational

Photo: Smt BUtff'1 ' This K or-ean dogwood marks thf' start of a. ne'/,(' selfguided tour, de:iwlopf'd by Fr1~en ds (!f' B I 011-dy, in part of the Or land E, Wh1~ t e A j' /)(I I'etuw , Livestock and Horticulture Judging Contest sponsored by the Lord Fairfax Community Col­lege; Christmas greenery workshops; and a Christmas open house. The calendar for 1986 is rapidly being filled with similar scheduled events.

Friends of Blandy is governed by a Board of Directors presently consisting of 14 members. The officers for 1986 are:

President Orme Wilson, Jr. Vice President James A. Minogue Secretary G. Robert Lee Treasurer William W. Peters

The work of the organization is carried out by five major committees: fundraising, informa­tion, membership, programs and projects. Members are encouraged to become involved in the work of a committee if they can. The membership categories and dues structure for 1986 are:

Individual $15 Family 15 Senior Citizen (age 65 + ) 10 Full-time student 10 Patron (individuallbusiness) 50 and over Lue 250 Friends of Blandy have been notified that the

organization is provisionally approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a nonprofit organization and that donations may be deducted as charitable contributions on tax returns. ABS members interested in joining Friends of Blandy or making a donation may write to: Friends of Blandy, P. O. Box 175, Boyce, VA 22620.

104

Letter to Members of Friends of Blandy from Dr. Edward F. Connor

Mr. Thomas E. Ewert and Dr. Michael A. Bowers

The Blandy Experimental Farm and The Orland E. White Arboretum

December 10, 1985

Dear Friends, We are writing to extend to you greetings

and best wishes for the Holiday Season and to thank you for your continuing support of our programs.

\Ve have made tremendous strides in the past year with the help of the Friends of Blan­ely. T'hrough the donation of audio-visual equip­~ent and new tables, active participation in the planting, care and maintenance of our woody plant collections and other gardens, the establishment of a guided walk through the Orland E. \Vhite Arboretum, and in many other ways, the Friends of Blandy have made significant contributions to the Blandy Ex­primental Farm and the Orland E. White Ar­boretum. These contributions have made the entire farm and particularly the Arboretum more useful in the educational and research programs of the University of Virginia and Lord Fairfax Community College, and mOl'e enjoyable for members of the Friends and the public to visit anel appreciate.

Increasing interest from the University of Virginia has allO\ved us to begin an aggressive program to make the collections and gardens of the Orland E. \Vhite Arboretum more ac­cessible, interpretable, and enjoyable to the Friends and other visitors. 'vVe have surveyed our entire collection of trees and shrubs and now have a catalogue that lists the location, name; and origin of each plant. This will better enable us to answer your questions about these collections and to plan more trails so that we can show off many more of our beautiful and interesting plants. The University also has ex­panded the research component of Blandy Ex­perimental Farm by adding Dr. Michael Bowers to the research staff and by substantial purchases of equipment and improvements to the laboratories.

Of course these are only just the first few steps toward making the Blandy Exprimental

Report by Orme Wilson, Jr.

President, Friends of Blandy

When Graham Blandy left the University of Virginia some 700 acres of Clarke County land together with a supporting bequest, he did so to provide a place for education in all aspects of agriculture. The organization known as Friends of Blandy works to promote Blandy Farm's well-being, its utilization for education and research, and its place in the community and region as an important environmental resource. Through Tom Ewert, an ex officio member of the Board of Directors, the Friends' activities are coordinated with the University's policies.

The Friends have organized seminars on agricultural and environmental subjects, developed a self-guided tour through a portion of Blandy's Orland E. White Arboretum, established azalea and perennial gardens, per­formed maintenance work on Blandy's hor­ticultural plantings and collections, and provid­ed support for the agricultural operations at Blandy of the Lord Fairfax Community Col­lege. Also, the Friends have improved the library's visual aid facilities and provided folding tables.

Now in its third year, with almost 200 members, the Friends publish a quarterly newsletter. We hold an annual meeting in Oc­tober and an open house in May. This year's open house is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 11 (just a few days before the ABS Annual Meeting). We hope that as many Boxwood Society members as can will come to our open house. We would like to meet you.

Farm a first class field station for research and education in agriculture, horticulture, biology and the environmental sciences, and in making the Orland E. White Arboretum a botanic garden known the world around. Our plans for next year include improvements to our meeting, classroom and residence facilities, ad­ditional trails through the Arboretum, expand­ed educational and research programs, im­provements and additions to our plant collec­tions, and a campaiKn to raise funds to endow the Orland E. White Arboretum.

Weare grateful for your support and en­thusiasm and hope that you wiII remember us in this season of giving.

105

Tour Schedule of the 49th Annual Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage

April 26-May 4, 1986 Saturday, April 26 Sunday, April 27 Tuesday, April 29 Thursday, May 1

Friday, May 2

Saturday, May 3 Sunday, May 4

Charles County Anne Arundel County Montgomery County Roland Park, Baltimore

City Northern Baltimore

County Oxford, Talbot County Queen Anne's County

Maryland's House and Garden Pilgrimage, an eagerly awaited annual event, celebrates spring at the height of its glory. More than 75 sites are waiting to be enjoyed during the 7 days of the Pilgrimage.

Gardens in the full beauty of spring bloom, fine furnishings, historic sites and many varieties of architecture offer much of interest to the visitor to Maryland.

Admission Tickets for each tour are $10.00 ($3.00 for a

single house). All tickets are available at Pilgrimage Headquarters or may be purchased at first house visited. A 20% discount may be obtained for bus groups of 40 or more if tickets are purchased in advance.

All bus groups must contact Pilgrimage Headquarters in advance.

Tour books with full information are available by mail or at first house visited. For a pre-tour copy, send your name, address and $2.00 to Pilgrimage Headquarters.

To order a ticket or tour book in advance or for further information, please write or call:

Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage 1105-A Providence Road, Towson, Maryland 21204 (301) 821-6933

Photo: Courtesy Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage Part of the boxwood gardens at Wye Plantation formerly the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Houghton and now the headquarters of the Aspen (Wye) Institute in Queen Anne's County, Maryland.

106

Open for Historic Garden Week in Virginia April 19-April 27, 1986

Readers will find the schedule of areas open for Virginia's Historic Garden Week printed on Pages 76-77 of the January 1986 issue of The Boxwood Bulletin. On this page are shown several privately owned houses with boxwood gardens that will be open in the course of Garden Week.

Sabine Hall, open for the Northern Neck Tour Or! Wednesday, April 23, features a terrace below the house that still retains its original 18th century design of a formal garden with walks, parterres and old English boxwood.

Photo: Courtesy Historic Garden Week

The garden of Mr. and Mrs. Charles K. Woltz will be open for the Friendly Garden Tour in Charlottesville on Sunday and Monday, April 20-21. Two acres of terraced plantings demonstrate artistic use of 350 azaleas and 250 boxwoods representing 11 varieties. There is an allee of tall, slim Blandy boxwoods.

Photo: Courtesy Historic Garden Week

Large boxwoods surround the home of Dr. and Mrs. Graham Gilmer III in Lynchburg. A recently uncovered brickway leads from the front of the house around a circle of boxwoods and rontinues to the front gate.

Photo: Courtesy Historic Garden Week

107

Boxwood Work Days at Blandy Scheduled for May 2 and 3, 1986

ABS members wishing to help care for the boxwood collection at Blandy Ex­perimental Farm should mark Frida~, May 2, and Saturday, May 3, on theIr calendars. The work sessions will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Plan to at­tend one or both of the sessions. Please bring your own lunch, tools and work clothes. We will be pruning back trees and shrubs that are encroaching on the box­woods; pruning, plucking and cle~nin~ the interiors of specimen plants; adJustmg, cleaning and waxing labels; plucking sports (mutations), pulling seedlings, weeding and performing a general cl.eanup in preparation for the Annual Meetmg on May 14.

The ABS Boxwood Memorial Garden now contains more than 80 specimen box­woods (see Page 97) and requires a degree of maintenance that exceeds the capabilities of the small Blandy staff. The University of Virginia is taking a renewed interest in the Blandy Experimental Farm but their first efforts are being directed toward research and the upgrading of the physical plant. Therefore· it behooves the Society seriously to consider regular volunteer participation in the maintenance of the Boxwood Memorial Garden and/or increased funding in order to preserve the Garden at an acceptable level of cultiva­tion.

We are hoping for a large turnout on May 2 and 3. Please notify Commander Phillip D. Larson, Chairman of the Box­wood Memorial Garden Committee, if you plan to participate (address: Rt. 2, Box 88B, Knoxville, MD 21758; phone: (301) 834-8497).

In Memory

Professor A. G. Smith, Jr. Charter Member

Honorary Life Member ABS Director, 1961-1963

Mail Box

WOODROW WILSON BIRTHPLACE P. o. Box 24, Staunton, Virginia 2440\ (703) 885·0897

Mr. Scot Butler, Editor The Boxwood Bulletin

February 4, 1986

The American Boxwood Society P. O. Box 85 Boyce, VA 22620

Dear Mr. Butler:

It was a pleasure to read Betty Walker's arti­cle "Wolf Creek-An Old Stagecoach Inn Sur­rounded by Boxwoods" in the January, 1986 issue of The Boxwood Bulletin, and to learn that Woodrow Wilson had visited Wolf Creek.

Our staff members enjoy reading The Box-wood Bulletin. Our own boxwood gardens here at this historic house museum were designed by Richmond landscape gardener, Charles Gillette and installed in 1933 as one of the ear­ly proje~ts of The Garden Club of Virginia. We welcome members of The American Boxwood Society to visit the gardens and the museum.

Sincerely, Katharine L. Brown, Ph. D.

Executive Director

Editor's Note: The Woodrow Wilson Bir­thplace is open daily 9-6, Memoria! Day-Labor Day; daily 9-5, March to MemorIal Day and Labor Day to November; and 9-5, ,Monday­Saturday the rest of the year; closed January 1, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

108

READERS' RECOMMENDATIONS ON GROWING BOXWOODS IN VARIOUS REGIONS

Procedures for Raising Dwarf Boxwood in Tidewater Virginia

Claude Reeson Spring Grove

Surry County, Virginia

I have been growing dwarf boxwood (Buxus sernpervirens val'. suffruticosaj for about 15 years with varying degrees of success. I now have for sale several hundred of these plants from 8" to 12". I cannot begin to fill the de­mand for them, especially the larger ones.

My most successful experience has been to take 6" to 10" cuttings in early March and root them in a mix of 112 sand and 112 peatmoss. I place them in a cold frame with no top under dense evergreen shade. They receive a daily mist for one hour the first month, tapering off to one hour once a week.

The cuttings are left in the cold frame for one year and then transplanted to the field in late March through early May. The field is very high in organic fertility, sheltered with evergreens to prevent plant desiccation, and the soil is a heavy clay loam.

The plants are heavily mulched to keep them free of weeds and grass. They are fed with 10-10-10 monthly on a dry afternoon. This ap­plication is followed by one inch of water from March right into December, if possible. Both transplants and established plants seem to like one inch of water per week all year. All plants are sprayed with an anti-desiccant in N ovember-December.

Transplanting of established plants begins one year in advance by root pruning and feeding to establish a high state of vigor. All

This Is Boxwood Country Too

William Bloom Weeping Tree Gardens Burlington, Wisconsin

The varieties of boxwood I have grown here in southern Wisconsin (zone 5) are: Buxus rnicrophylla val'. cornpacta; B. rn. val'. koreana 'Wintergreen'; and Buxus sernpervirens X B. rn. val'. koreana 'Green Velvet'.

I have had 'Wintergreen' for 20 years and recall only slight winter damage; cornpacta has also been completely reliable. I have had 'Green Velvet' only a short time, but feel it may prove to be best of all because it is a hybrid, having a unique color and remaining a very pleasing dark green all year. It will become the "standard" hardy box.

So far I have lost none of my boxwoods here, and each year I am adding more varieties. The soil is a sandy loam on a bed of glacial gravel, so there is no problem of heaving soil.

All of my boxwoods are growing in the shade of oak trees. They are not mulched for I have always considered boxwoods tenacious and have not pampered them.

If any ABS members have boxwoods that they would like to have tested for hardiness I would be happy to try them here. Visitors are welcome, but please phone (414) 877-2594 for an appointment.

transplanting is done in early March while plants are still dormant, just prior to putting out new growth.

Plain Talk About Growing Boxwood in St. Louis

Mary A. Gamble

The opinions I have formed about growing Midwestern climate places on Buxus; other­boxwood in St. Louis are based on the work wise you invite repeated disaster and eventual records I have kept for many years and on my disillusionment with a plant which can, if the experiences with our private garden, which my limitations are observed, be enjoyed as greatly, husband and I maintain. It is necessary to if not more, here as in.the Tidewater Country. recognize the limitations which the

109

Boxwood is a special plant. It requires ex­traordinary measures to create, in an other­wise unfavorable location, the ambience which affords boxwood its minimum physical re­quirements.

If you cannot give a boxwood perfect (not just good) drainage, forget it. Boxwood which must stand in water for any appreciable length of time is doomed. If you cannot shelter it at least slightly from the prevailing winter wind (in St. Louis it blows from the southwest, direct from the Great Plains) your boxwood may struggle on; but it will be so susceptible to wind and cold damage that its exposed side will be injured year after year. It will not be happy; and you will not be happy with it. If you don't water your boxwood during prolonged drought, or send it into winter well soaked, it will be so vulnerable to winterkill (especially if the winter turns out to be severe) that you pro­bably will lose it. If you don't give it the minimum necessary pruning care to remove old and broken stems and let light and air into the interior, it will live and grow, but will become less and less beautiful. If you don't keep an eye open for mites, leaf miners and other in-

. sect pests-and take appropriate action when they're found-they will weaken the plant and, in a year or so, kill it. If you feed your boxwood every few years, it will benefit greatly. In other words, if I ever said that boxwood is a low maintenance plant-and I'm afraid I did-I was wrong. It is not a high maintenance plant, but is certainly not a no maintenance plant. If you want to look at healthy, vigorous, beautiful boxwoods in your garden, you must care for them. But you can enjoy boxwood in the Midwest. To do so you must pick the right box­woods, and then you must treat them right! I firmly believe that Midwestern gardeners should, to avoid disappointment, plant only those boxwoods which, given reasonable care, usually survive in this region.

* * * * *

I spend a great deal of time trying to figure out where to place more boxwoods. Ours is a typical suburban lot, one-third of an acre. It is on a corner and vulnerable to the southwest wind. We have tried almost every cultivar that our Boxwood Society of the Midwest has tested in its nursery. Our ratio of success to failure has been good enough to keep us going,

and poor enough to make us cautious. Now that we are running out of space, we make room for only those plants, insofar as boxwood is concerned, which we consider as nearly fool­proof as possible for the Midwest.

We have Buxus microphylla var.lcoreana, of course. One plant belongs to the clone established by the late Ernest Wilson who brought lcoreana to this country. and gave a plant to the Missouri Botanical Garden in 1926. Our plant was propagated from that plant by the late Paul Kohl, Floriculturist at MBG for­many years, who gave it to us. I have valued it for sentimental reasons but am now beginning to appreciate it as a boxwood. Korean box is so common and available in the Midwest that many of us have tended to snub or- ignore it. But after repeated disappointments with less hardy plants one gains ever-increasing respect for reliability and begins to see the beauty in the familiar. Korean box is charming in its light yellow-green coloring in the spring, and it is here! Mr. Kohl once told me that he had seen, in his more than 40 years at the Garden, only one especially treacherous spring when the Korean boxwood was hurt.

We have B. m. var. japonica. I have spaced three plants across a 90-foot raised perennial bed which I can see from our kitchen and din­ing room windows. One plant is large, the others are catching up. They will add their evergreen beauty to the bed when the peren­nials have died down. As they grow larger, they are meant to decrease maintenance as we are forced to clear out perennials to give them room. They are barely protected from the southwest wind by a forsythia planting, but, so far, they have suffered no more than super­ficial. damage which is handled easily by light prumng.

In the same bed we have placed Buxus sempervirens 'Joy' in which we have complete confidence, due to its performance in our Society's nursery. Next spring I will make room for B. s. 'Henry Shaw'. In this bed are also two plants of Buxus 'Green Velvet' which has had a perfect record in the Society nursery.

In four small beds-their design copied from a sixteenth century herb garden-we have smaller boxwoods grouped with a larger cen­tral box. The beds encircle an oak; the ex­posure is north but the southwest wind touches the boxwoods in the outer beds. Centerpiece of

110

one bed is koreana. Its companions are B. m. var. compacta ('Kingsville Dwarf') and B. m. 'Green Pillow'. While compacta remains, to my eye, a darling plant, it has suffered not only from our cold, but exhibits the persistent faults of throwing sports and of brittleness. It does not bronze unduly during the summer because of the high shade provided by the oak. 'Green Pillow' has done better. It is, I think, one of the most elegant of the small boxwoods, but to en­joy it, you have to be willing to accept rather severe damage in extremely cold winters. For­tunately, its recovery appears rapid.

Centerpiece of a second bed is B. s. 'Inglis'. 'Inglis' has done well in our Society's nursery, but it has suffered from winter damage in our garden and the necessary therapeutic pruning has left it misshapen. However, it has lived.

In a third bed the centerpiece is an unnamed Buxus sempervirens from Colonial Williamsburg. Again, it has sentimental value as it was given to me by a horticulturist friend at MBG. It is a lovely, classical boxwood. Last year, after -18 degree cold, we thought it had had it, and I was planning its replacement; but it recovered completely, needing only a touch of pruning. One of the small plants in this bed is B. m. val'. japonica 'Morris Midget' which, to my eye, has performed more reliably than com-pacta 01· 'Green Pillow'.

In the fourth bed the centerpiece is B. m. 'John Baldwin'. This plant did not come from Blandy but was a cutting from the late Dr. J. T. Baldwin, Jr. who sent it to us in 1959 under the designation S-9. It has an excellent, strong green color and shows no tint of winter bronz­ing or of damage.

At the east end of our house we have a box­wood planting which includes three cultivars. One isB. s. 'Vardar Valley'. As expected, it is a sturdy, handsome plant which has weathered every season with occasional damage so slight that only touch-up pruning has been required. There is B. s. 'Pullman' given to us for our garden by Mr. William A. P. Pullman shortly after he introduced the plant. Its location is not favorable. When it snows, the morning sun is reflected so strongly from snow to plant that sunburn occurs. (There are 18 'Pullmans' in the Anne Lehmann Rose Garden at MBG. As' would be expected in a rose garden, they are in full sun. I have observed no whit of damage to them.) The last cultivar in this bed is a Baldwin Seedling, S-I1. It has survived several garden

111

moves, and continues to do well. It is a very light yellow-green and tends toward somewhat erratic growth.

In another bed, strongly exposed to the prevailing wind, we have failed with boxwoods too numerous to mention. Only one is still there. When I set it out as a very young plant I thought it was B. s. 'Agram', Edgar Anderson's favorite. But as it has grown, it has become clear that it cannot be 'Agram'. It suf­fers yearly winter damage, and next spring we will move it out of its misery. Our experience with this bed reinforces our belief that proper location is essential to success with boxwood in the Midwest.

Our small collection is both varied and in­teresting. Of course, we would like to have more cultivars to observe and study C!-t close range. However we are forced to "fit our pat­tern to our cloth." A boxwood garden is physically beyond our reach. But, to us, the beauty of boxwood has come to lie, not in numbers, but rather in the charm of the in­dividual boxwood plant. Viewed in this light, boxwood is within the capabilities of even the smallest garden. Over the years we have learn­ed to start with small plants (3 to 5 year olds preferred). However they, like children, grow up into specimens almost before you know it.

Boxwood Sale and Exchange

Wanted to buy (1 quart-1 gallon container preferred):

Buxus sempervirens 'Aurea Pendula' 'Latifolia Pendula' 'Pendula' 'Prostrata'

William Bloom Weeping Tree Gardens 301 Highway F Burlington, WI 53105

Interested in collecting all species, varieties and cultivars of boxwood, but particularly non­sempervtrens.

Dale T: Taylor 105 South Princeton Avenue Wenonah, NJ 08090 Business phone (609) 468-2070

Boxwood Society of the Midwest Offers Cuttings of Twelve Named Boxwoods in Summer of 1986

Like all Midwestern boxwood enthusiasts we are essentially optimistic about the winter survival of our boxwoods, and on that basis plan our 1986 offerings of cuttings. As of mid-January, when this notice was writ­ten, all was well. Our boxwood nursery entered winter in good shape following the wettest year in memory. We have learned that most of our hardy boxwoods can with­stand extreme cold, but it is the erratic "false springs" when periods of unseasonably warm weather are followed by extreme drops in temperature that do the damage. So we will not know until February and March have come and gone how safe our boxwoods are. For this reason, which is beyond our control, we reserve the right to substitute cultivars and to reduce quantities (in the latter case we will make appropriate refunds).

This year we are offering cuttings of the following nine cultivars of Buxus semper-

virens· 'Agram' 'Belleville' 'Inglis' 'Joy' . , , , , 'Myrtifolia', 'Pullman', 'Salicifolia', 'Henry Shaw' and 'Vardar Valley'. The Buxus microphylla cuttings are: 'John Baldwin' (limit of 3), B. m. var. japonica, and B. m. var. koreana.

Quantities are limited to 10 each of one plant with the exception of 'John Baldwin'. Cuttings will be taken in late June or early July, depending upon weather. They will be dipped in a mixture of Captan and Safer Solutions before being packaged. They will be shipped· early in the week by "fastest way" from the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri. Cost of cuttings will be $0.35 each, with a minimum order of $3.50. Checks should be made payable to Boxwood Society of the Midwest and sent with orders to Mrs. George E. Penhale, 304 Carson Road, Ferguson, MO 63135 (phone: (314) 521-2712).· Orders must be in her hands by May 15.

Note from the Bulletin of the Boxwood Society of the Midwest

(Vol. 10, No.2, January 1986, Page 8)

Status of Commercial Distribution of B. s. 'Hermann von Schrenk'. In 1983 our Society gave the Forrest Keeling Nursery in Elsberry, Missouri a substantial number of cuttings of Buxus sempervirens 'Hermann von Schrenk' in the expectation that this outstanding boxwood could be made available on a commercial basis to a wide public. The Forrest Keeling Nursery-an innovative nurser.y-does business in 49 of the 50 states and was as in­terested in this project as we were. But something went wrong in the rooting process, an experience with which we have some familiarity. In 1984 we tried again. This time rooting was successful and the resulting small plants were set into the field where they were carefully mounded. Weare keeping our fingers crossed because our own experience with set-

ting out one-year plants has been disastrous. If Forrest Keeling's handling of the young plants succeeds, we may learn a valuable lesson. Again in 1985, LaVerne Jaudes, our liaison with Forrest Keeling, with the help of her hus­band supplied 500 large cuttings of 'Hermann von Schrenk' from the "Secret Garden" at Gray Summit. (See "The Secret Garden Prun­ed" in The Boxwood Bulletin, Vol. 24, No.3, January 1985, Page 73.) From these, Forrest Keeling, which likes to propagate from small cuttings, made approximately 2,000 slips. We hope that this story-now in its third chapter-has a happy ending and that one spr­ing we'll read in the Forrest Keeling plant list that nice, hardy field-grown plants of B. s. 'Hermann von Schrenk' are available from them.

112

Bernice M. Speese , I

Arthur A. Dugdale

Bernice M. Speese, Registrar for Interna­tional Boxwood Registration, 1977-1985, and Second Vice President, 1977-1981, of the American Boxwood Society died in Johnston­Willis Hospital, Richmond, Virginia on November 29,1985. Dr. Speese was a member of the biology faculty of the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia from 1946 until 1976, when she retired as Associate Pro­fessor of Biology, Emeritus. For many years she was the principal organizer and coor­dinator for the large introductory biology course at the College. She taught courses in her special fields of interest-genetics, cytogenetics and plant taxonomy. She authored or co-authored more than 30 scien­tific papers, some of which contributed greatly to the understanding of taxonomic relations of a number of groups of plants. She was a member of Sigma Xi Scientific Research Socie­ty and the American Genetic Association.

Dr. Speese was born in Roanoke, Virginia where she attended public school, graduating from .Tefferson High School. She received a B. S. degree from the College of William and Mary in 1932 and returned to Roanoke where she taught in the school system for seven years. In 1941 she earned an M. A. degree from William and Mary and then, from 1941 to 1946 she served as a fellow-the first woman to do so-at the Blandy Experimental Farm of the University of Virginia. She received her Ph. D. degree from the University of Virginia in 1946.

While teaching at William and Mary, Dr. Speese worked with Dr. John T. Baldwin, Jr., in selecting, planting and caring for Buxus on campus, thus establishing one of. the first outstanding collections of thIS genus anywhere. She had a special love for cultivars of boxwood with B. microphylla parentage. Dr. Speese had her own small nursery of favorite plants in her back yard. She liked to root boxwood cuttings in late fall and early winter (November-January) and kept records of the flowering dates of the different cultivars of Buxus. She particularly enjoyed sharing her knowledge and her plants with others. We in

Arthur Annesley Dugdale, a Charter Member of the American Boxwood Society and a contributor on occasion to the pages of The Boxwood Bulletin, died on September 27 after a long illness.

Mr. Dugdale was well known as a hor­ticulturist and writer. He was the owner of Dalewood Nurseries in Hanover County. From 1956 to 1981 he wrote the weekly column "Gardening in Virginia" for the Richmond News Leader. Both he and his wife, who assum­ed authorship of the column when he retired, have steered a number of persons to the ABS through mention of the Society in their garden column.

Mr. Dugdale was a charter member of the Virginia Nurserymen's Asssociation and was also a professionally active member of the American Daffodil Society, the Richmond Camellia Society and the Ashland Garden Club. Active for many years in the Boy Scouts of America, he received the Silver Beaver Award-the Scouts' highest honor-in 1950 for distinguished volunteer service.

Arthur Dugdale was born in 1902 in Roanoke, Virginia, the son of George Henry and Bertha Sanderson Dugdale and a collateral descendant of Joseph Wright Taylor, founder of Bryn Mawr College. He was a lifelong mem­ber of St. James the Less Episcopal Church in Ashland and served on the vestry for several terms. He was also a former director of In­dependence Ruritan Club.

We deeply regret Mr. Dugdale's passing and extend sympathy to his wife, Elizabeth Cabell Dugdale, and to other members of his family.

the American Boxwood Society will long remember the privilege of knowing this gracious lady and gaining from her erudition a better understanding of the nomenclature and taxonomy of the Buxus genus. Dr. Speese is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Williamsburg.

(Editors's'Note: We wish to thank Mrs. Alfred (Martha) Armstrong, Mr. Richard Mahone and James T. May, M. D. for contributing to this article.)

THE AMERICAN BOXWOOD SOCIETY

INFORMATION Address: Box 85, Boyce, Virginia 22620

DUES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

Regular (individual) membership dues of T~e American Boxwood'Society are now $10.00. ThIs includes $8.00 for a subscription to The Boxwood Bulletin.

The Boxwood Society membership year runs from May of one year through April of the follow­ing year. Dues are payable in advance .o~ each membership year. New members who Jom the Society at intervening times of the year are sent all four issues of The Bulletin for that membership year and then, like other members, pay dues in ad­vance of the next membership year.

Non-member subscriptions are for groups and in­stitutions such as botanic gardens, libraries, etc. Subscriptions are $10.00 per year, and run by the calendar year.

At the present time all back issues of The Box-wood Bulletin are available except Vol. 22, No.1, July 1982 (photocopy can be suppl}ed, h?wever). Price per single copy of any and all Issues IS $2.50.

The present classes of membership. are:

Category

Individual Family Con tribu ting Sustaining Life Patron Institutional Subscriber

Annual Dues

$ 10 15 25 50 250 500 or more

10

Gift memberships are announced to the reci­pients by boxwood-decorated cards .which. state that four issues of The Boxwood Bulletm are mclud­ed in membership.

Contributions are welcome for the Research Fund, the Boxwood Memorial Garden and the Box­wood Handbook.

Members of the American Boxwood Society are reminded of the 1968 IRS decision that contribu­tions to and for the use of the Society are deductible by donors as provided in Section 170 of the Code.

FOR YOUR ADDRESS BOOK

If your letter is concerned with:

Change of address Membership: new, renewal or gift Dues Donations to research programs or memorial gifts Ordering back issues of The Bulletin Ordering List of Registered Boxwoods

Write to:

Treasurer American Boxwood Society

P. O. Box 85 Boyce, VA 22620

If your letter is concerned with:

General Information about the Society Advice concerning boxwood problems or cultural information Boxwood cultivar selection

Write to:

American Boxwood Society P. O. Box 85

Boyce, VA 22620

Your request will be forwarded to a member of the Board or another appropriate member who can provide the help you have requested.

You are also welcome to write directly to the President of the American Boxwood Society:

Mr. Richard D. Mahone P. O. Box 751

Williamsburg, VA 23185

If you have contributions for The Boxwood Bulletin - articles, news, notes, photographs, sug­gestions or anything of probable interest to box­wood people - it saves time to direct them to the Editor:

Mr. Scot Butler, Editor The Boxwood Bulletin

P. O. Box 190 Bluemont, VA 22012