Friends of the Arboretum Newsletter
Vol. 6, No. 2

Director's Letter

On the Cusp of Our Future

By Bob Lyons, Director

It is early August at this writing and I'm driving Chris Glenn nuts having missed another deadline for my letter; I'm probably the last contributor to get my information to him! This time it wasn't writer's block; in fact, it rarely is. There is plenty to write about in each issue, the challenge is what not to write about.....after all, Chris won't give me the entire newsletter! This time I have started many times, stopped, and started again, "crumpling" up the computer file and discarding it because it just didn't read right. Then it dawned on me: it's time for a little reflection.

I literally found myself amidst an unexaggerated, noisy whirlwind of activity and transition at the JCRA today. Within a 24-hour period, furniture was arriving, patios and engraved bricks were being installed and re-installed, dinosaur-like claws were ripping through absolutely the worst soils I'd ever seen, old buildings were being demolished, telephones were on the brink of installation, the York Auditorium was being changed to accommodate an incoming group, visitors were deciphering new and temporary pathways to the east JCRA, and volunteers were seemingly undaunted by it all as they crisscrossed through the new spaces in the west. I actually stood motionless in the new parking lot to take it all in; it was almost paralyzing as I pondered the scope of this construction project and the potentially fabulous impact it will have. All I needed was a backdrop of the "Rudy" soundtrack or a cut from a Tim Janis album to accompany and complete the experience. As a kid I used to purposely spin like a dervish, then fall to the ground to alleviate my dizziness, laughing hysterically...you know you've done that before! Well, standing in that parking lot that day was not too different.

My habitual Wednesday morning construction meetings were ending after 1.5 years! Met a lot of good people but happy to get that time back. I became very familiar with "change orders" and the various interpretations of blueprints; and learned that one person's substitution may not be what the other person has in mind.

Now we start planning for the future....the fun part! If I can get one point across, it would be echoed in that adage that Rome was not built in a day, and that's okay. It took us 25 years to get to where we were just before construction, packed to the gills with plants, with little space to spare. We now have the luxury of brand new open beds, new complimentary hardscapes, and plenty of plants in our nursery with plans for new ones to arrive from future expeditions. Simply put, we should enjoy the years ahead as we grow gradually and sensibly into our new spaces with little regard for a "completion date." We want to savor our newfound fortune of "empty beds" and approach our future installations with a deliberate pace, coupled with rich experiences for our staff, students, members, volunteers, and visitors! We are not abandoning the unwritten philosophy that few plants have a permanent place at the JCRA, we'll just have much more room to practice it.

Anne Calta and Lee Davis picking up our new Ford F-150 from Ciener-Woods Ford in Kernersville, NC. Thank you, Ciener-Woods Ford, the Paul Ciener Botanical Garden, and the Ciener family!

Onward to the events and development of the past few months. One of the most significant was the donation of a Ford F-150 pickup truck to replace the one that was stolen (see last newsletter)......can you say guardian angel? Thanks to the commitment of our Board of Advisors and the generosity of David Ciener of Ciener-Woods Ford in Kernersville, we are now "picking-up" where we left off before the theft.......thank you very much from all of us at the JCRA! This vehicle is crucial to so much of what we do....travel internally, transporting people and plants, and embarking on road trips for staff development.

We continue to be assisted ably by the professionals in the College's Office of Advancement. Through the efforts of Keith Oakley, we were thrilled by the $100,000.00 pledge announcement at our Gala by the A. E. Finley Foundation; these monies will sponsor the entire rooftop of the Ruby C. McSwain Education Center. We were also fortunate to receive all of the rooftop garden media as a gift from the Stalite Company, represented by Chuck Friedrich. This donation is worth thousands of dollars to us and consists of a proven medium for the stressful gardens that sit exposed and shallow! Chuck has been a great friend through the ages, donating a seemingly endless supply of another product, Permatill, to increase the drainage of our problem areas throughout the JCRA. I remember meeting Chuck well before I came here and he is as generous now as he was then....thanks!

On July 20, I had the privilege of mixing with our volunteers at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. Nearly 100 people showed up to enjoy a catered lunch in the new Ruby C. McSwain Education Center/York Auditorium, and they were the first group to be hosted in the new facility....very fitting! Following the meal, tons of door prizes and plants were distributed and the JCRA staff hosted tours of the entire Center. Our volunteers will move into a marvelous new space which will certainly enhance their contributions to the Arboretum as well as their own personal comfort in doing so.

This past July also saw the wildly successful return of another group of JCRA associated travelers. Todd Lasseigne and Anne Calta guided the group through the wonderfully intricate web of nurseries, botanical gardens, and arboreta of the Pacific Northwest. With pre-trip assistance from Jon Roethling, this excursion was virtually assured of success, given the itinerary and guides. You'll read more about their experience in this newsletter issue! And, mark your calendars if you haven't been lucky enough to go on either this trip or the earlier one to the Los Angeles area. We're planning Part II of the California Coast experience for March 9-15, 2003, this time to the San Francisco Bay Area. More details to follow, but we're looking at Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, Filoli Center, Quarryhill Botanical Garden, Muir Woods National Monument, the Napa Region, and then up to Mendocino to catch a neat botanical garden.

To close my remarks, a few words about our educational efforts. Two excellent students, Tim Ketchie and Jennifer Eshellman, were on board this summer. Tim worked primarily in the Annuals Trials area where he did a superb job, leaving the attendees of the Landscape Bedding Plant Field Day in awe. Jennifer completed an Internal Learning Experience under the guidance of our Interpretive Specialist, Nancy Doubrava. Her projects focused on a creative map and identity key for our Entry Bed of tender perennials and a key for our reception desk.

We were very fortunate to be included in the final wishes of another supporter, Isabel Cannon. The first woman mayor of Raleigh, Isabel Cannon lived a very rich life and loved the JCRA, bequeathing a $25,000.00 internship to mature over time for us......a very thoughtful gesture. We are looking forward to initiating the internship. Such vision is both touching and invaluable!

Please join us as we embark on a great new future. Encourage your friends and acquaintances to become members; such support remains the lifeblood of our Arboretum and the foundation for our mission.

On a final note, here's the financial breakdown from Gala 2002. I might add that all members will be receiving a separate mailing which outlines the results of this past Gala, so watch your mailboxes in the near future. Here goes, total income came in at $81,021.00 and total expenses were $35,282.00. This give us net revenues of $45,745.00, better than last year, by about $5,000.00! These dollars were distributed by allocating $20,000.00 to continue our development efforts (same as in 2001), $15,000.00 went to general operations of the JCRA ($5,000.00 more than allocated in 2001), and, like last year, $10,000.00 went into the overall JCRA Endowment which was initiated following the 2001 Gala. Incidentally, this brings the Endowment total to over $20,000.00. By all measures, the 2002 Gala was a resounding success, financially, meteorologically, logistically, aesthetically, and socially! See you again in May 2003!

Above: Anne Calta and Lee Davis picking up our new Ford F-150 from Ciener-Woods Ford in Kernersville, NC. Thank you, Ciener-Woods Ford, the Paul Ciener Botanical Garden, and the Ciener family!

Arboretum Trip

California Coast Excursions Part II – The Gardens & Arboreta of the San Francisco Bay Area

With the greater Los Angeles area behind us, we are now planning to visit the second of three jewels in the Golden State crown. The Bay Area is a noted treasure trove of horticultural hangouts, all nurtured by a distinctly Mediterranean climate, which changes rapidly with every inland mile eastward. You'll be amazed by the grand urban escapes in the heart of San Francisco, the idyllic coastal setting for botanic gardens and arboreta, and the blending of the wine country and gardens in the Napa and Sonoma regions just north of the Bay.

Dates: March 9-15, 2003
Approximate Cost: $1,600.00 per person, double occupancy
More Information: Custom Travel of Raleigh is our exclusive agent; contact Judi Grainger at (919) 872-4420. Visit our Web site for more details.

This trip is limited to 35 travelers. Departure will be from Raleigh Durham International Airport to San Francisco but arrangements are easily made for those wanting to meet the group in San Francisco.

Here's Where We Plan to Go.......

• The Conservatory of Flowers – www.conservatoryofflowers.org
• Filoli Center – www.filoli.org
• Golden Gate Park
• Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens – www.gardenbythesea.org
• Muir Woods National Monument – www.nps.gov/muwo & www.visitmuirwoods.com
• Napa or Sonoma Valley winery tasting/garden
• Quarryhill Botanical Garden – www.quarryhillbg.org
• Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens – www.strybing.org
• The University of California Botanical Garden – www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden

Horticulture

Seeking Refuge in a Haven of Fall Color

By Karen Harris, Foothills Nursery, Mount Airy, NC – Guest Writer

For some gardeners, the bloom of a plant or the twist of its branches piques their interest. For me, however, there's nothing that quite matches the warm shades of autumn for beauty and tranquility. I look forward to the brilliant hues of yellow-gold; the flames of orange, red, and burgundy; and the shimmering shades of copper found amongst the foliage of autumn. The allure of this quiet season appeals to the part of me that loves to traipse through the woods alone, or stand along the river's edge to watch as the trees and shrubs offer their last performance of the year. They seem to drop their dazzling costumes into the quickly moving water, to float past like a multi-colored armada heading for greater things.

It is likely that every painter has, at some time, tried to capture the warm glow of autumn on his or her canvas. Those of us with different talents use our garden for the canvas and fill in the spaces with our chosen palette of colors. I've never forgotten the startling impact achieved by placing Fothergilla major 'Mt. Airy' in an area in front of a weathered old tobacco barn. With its multi-colored coat in shades of orange, yellow, and red in October, the plant seemed to be flaunting its beauty without a hint of modesty. Surely those gardeners who buy this plant for its unusual bottle-brush style white blooms in spring are pleasantly surprised by this forthright proclamation of additional magnificence in the fall.

At home in my nursery, however, where tobacco barns are scarce, the fothergilla is loudly claiming its due in the native planting area across from the greenhouse. Admittedly, it does receive some competition from the 'Henry's Garnet' Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet') planted nearby. This simple native beauty is one that we often recommend in place of burning bush (Euonymus alatus) because it offers such rich hues of burgundy-red in fall. The lengthy fragrant white bloom in late spring, when most other spring blooms are spent, is a superb bonus. In addition, this plant is highly adaptable to various environmental conditions. Mt. Airy city horticulturist, Michella Huff, combined this eye-catcher with a tough, small evergreen along a parking lot edge for a great display of year-round interest. For smaller spaces, the more recently introduced Little Henry™ Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica 'Sprich') is perfect. It offers the white fragrant blooms and fiery red fall color on a more compact frame.

For the gardener who seeks a distinctive plant that adds blue-green foliage to a border or bed, Disanthus cercidifolius (redbud hazel) is worthy of attention. The shift to autumn clothing blends leaves into combinations of deep reds and purples, shot through with orange highlights...well, as Mike Dirr, Ph.D., in his Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, notes "It is one of the most beautiful shrubs for fall color." These fabulous shades against the backdrop of a silvery-blue Sawara falsecypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Boulevard') create one of our greatest showstoppers in our front garden. The plant adapted readily to our heavy clay soil and has taken off with incredible speed.

Another unusual garden addition is the seven-son's flower (Heptacodium miconioides). An introduction from eastern China, it is easiest to grow as a large arching shrub, but can be trained into a small tree with pruning. Fragrant, creamy-white late summer flowers are not overwhelming, but they do attract butterflies. Glossy dark green leaves and exfoliating gray bark are attractive, but this was the first year that our plants were large enough to display their most engaging attribute. The masses of reddish-pink sepals that persist after the bloom are, also, visually arresting. Anything that stops people in their tracks as they wander along in October is worthy of a garden corner.

Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia) and the cutleaf fullmoon maple (Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium') also tend to provide a lot of excitement in their respective sites. Stewartia is a lovely mid-summer bloomer with 2-3" white, camellia-like blossoms. It warms the landscape in autumn with brilliant yellows and red-oranges as the leaves change, and offers outstanding exfoliating bark for winter interest. The cutleaf fullmoon maple makes a terrific statement as a focal point with its interesting form and plump "full moon-shaped" leaves. In addition, A. japonicum 'Aconitifolium' serves as an alternative to dwarf forms of the Acer palmatum Dissectum Atropurpureum Group because of their small size, a magnificent range of crimson fall colors, and showy purple-red flowers in spring. This is likely my favorite among the Asian maples.

Let me also point out the trident maple (Acer buergerianum). This tree actually stole the show last fall with such a bold display of rosy-red and burgundy foliage that you could almost feel the heat. This terrific species grows slowly to 20-25' and is beautiful as a multi-trunk focal point. Its shiny, lush green foliage in summer and a great tolerance for semi-drought and air pollution make this beauty a good choice for boulevard plantings in urban areas. The reality is that nearly all of the Asian maples from Acer griseum to the many cultivars of A. japonicum and A. palmatum offer fabulous fall color. If color in autumn is an especially important feature in your garden, visit a nursery that carries many different maples so that you can compare the many choices as the weather cools.

A number of viburnums flaunt fall finery as well. For berry-set last year, tea viburnums (Viburnum setigerum) were impossible showboats. Often a fairly leggy species, they appear elegant and graceful when the branches arch outwards with the heavy drupes of brilliant red fruits. This 8-12' viburnum is delightful when tucked along the edge of the woods or into a mixed shrub border.

Two selections of Viburnum nudum have been of great interest to us. 'Winterthur' was grown side by side with 'Angustifolium', with the latter advertising a semi-evergreen nature. Large waxy green foliage, an abundance of fragrant white blossoms, and handsome reddish-purple fall foliage that makes one yearn for a nice glass of red wine in front of the fireplace was virtually the same on each plant. The difference, however, is discernible in winter. In mid-December, 'Angustifolium' is fully clothed, while 'Winterthur' stands shivering in the nude.

Overall, however, my favorite viburnum performer last year was Viburnum sargentii 'Onondaga'. Its new foliage was incredibly soft to the touch and tinged with burgundy. Large creamy white, lace-cap type blossoms seemed to have almost a peachy undertone. Then, in autumn a fabulous shade of red foliage was more spectacular than the bright red fruits that it would hold into winter. Most folks assumed that the plant was a maple. What a treat! Expect a large 8' × 8' mound from this coarse-foliaged grower. It is best used as a backdrop in a large garden space or as a transitional plant between the lawn and the woods.

For those who are limited by space or simply prefer working with perennials and smaller shrubs, there are a number of options for outstanding fall to winter colors. The leathery lettuce-like foliage of bergenias (Bergenia) becomes a sparkling burgundy shade with cool weather and then pops forth in spring with pink to red stalks of bloom. I have used several plants to underplant a dwarf conifer in a large container with great success. In our rather warm part of the country, these plants prefer some afternoon shade. For a spot with a bit more sun, 'Husker Red' bearded tongue (Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red') makes a good choice for incorporating burgundy hues in the autumn landscape. I like to leave the spent bloom stalks, as they too, will take on burgundy hues for a spiky "punk" look above the mounded leaves.

John Newman, a noted garden designer and landscape architect in Winston-Salem, NC, notes that he prefers the buttery yellow foliage of Japanese Solomon seal (Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum 'Variegatum') among the falling leaves of the shade garden. In sunnier spaces, plant Amsonia hubrichtii for a stunning golden mound of fall color. When I first noticed this plant from a distance in mid-autumn in the gardens at André Viette Farm & Nursery, I ignorantly asked, "What fantastic new conifer is that?" It was a shock to discover, upon closer inspection, that the fine, feather-like foliage in a large 3' × 3' mound belonged to an herbaceous perennial. I wasn't even in the ballpark! Early spring blooms are pastel blue to white and star-shaped amidst the green color of the needle-like foliage. This is a great plant for additional texture in the rock garden, perennial border, or in front of a backdrop of dark green.

A wonderful group of fall performers is also found among the ornamental grasses. Among the larger grasses, most gardeners consider the plumage of Miscanthus and Pennisetum to be their main attraction. When massed, however, the brilliant orange-red shades of the blades of flame grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Purpurascens') or the bright yellow shade achieved when 'Heavy Metal' switch grass (Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal') begins to abandon its coat of metallic blue is also worthy of attention. If plumage is a must to merit a spot in the garden, the airy panicles of pink flowers that drift cloud-like above pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) rate high on the list of enticing garden additions for autumn interest.

It's so difficult to choose a few "greats" when so many exist. For those who appreciate the garden during its "mature foliage" moments, autumn is an unbeatable season. I can't think of a time that I love more...but then, no one has ever accused me of being an "early bloomer."

Plant Geek Heaven

By Viv Finkelstein, JCRA Volunteer – Guest Writer

Twenty happy people and their plant purchases boarded the plane for home at Portland International Airport after a ten-day adventure in the Pacific Northwest, seeing nurseries and gardens, photographing, and plant shopping until their motorcoach was full. Todd Lasseigne and Anne "Mom" Calta were excellent hosts, with Todd enlightening us all the way about the history and characteristics of not only the plants we saw in cultivation, but also of the natural landscapes. The tall dark green Douglas-firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii) of the Vancouver and Seattle areas gave way further south to the Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana), ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosa), incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), madrone (Arbutus menziesii), and manzanita (Arctostaphylos) of the drier high country. Then we approached the east-west Siskiyou Mountains, where layer upon layer of mountain ranges fading off into the distance recalled the Great Smoky Mountains.

Weather was perfect, since July and August are almost rain-free in the coastal northwest. The famously wet fall-to-spring rains and dry summers allow them to grow in that modified Mediterranean climate plants that would rot in our usually wetter summers. Our only regret was that Jon Roethling, who had made the detailed advance arrangements scheduling our time and itinerary, was unable to join us.

Nurseries hosted us with guided tours, gracious service, and often either a discount or an offer to ship our choices in September during cooler weather. We bought so many plants that a fellow guest in the Inn at the Rogue River, OR, seeing us come in with carton after carton of plants, asked, "Do these people bring their houseplants on vacation with them like some people bring their pets?"

At Stanley & Sons Nursery, Inc. (Boring, OR), we enjoyed a surprise salmon cookout on the lawn of Larry Stanley's home and nursery. Sean Hogan and Parker Sanderson invited us to a surprise cocktail party and viewing of their private garden, and the gardens they maintain in their historic Oakwood-like neighborhood (Raleigh, NC). We enjoyed a visit to their nursery, Cistus Design Nursery, on our way out of Portland.

At Heronswood Nursery (Kingston, WA), we toured the entire, amazing private gardens and then had free reign to buy from the nursery while it was being spiffed up and vacuumed (really!) in preparation for their annual open house. At Collector's Nursery (Battle Ground, WA), Bill Janssen, their designer (reminding us of NCSU's Will Hooker in manner and appearance), showed his beautifully crafted garden of treasures around their home; while Diana Reeck, back from multiple trips to collect Epimediums in China, staffed the nursery. Their garden was an artistic jewel, holding, for example, a beautiful specimen of Daphne ×burkwoodii 'Briggs Moonlight', a ghostly pale apparition with green edges, the reverse of Daphne ×burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie'. Unfortunately, in Raleigh it would succumb to the dreaded "Sudden Daphne Death." Joy Creek Nursery (Scappoose, OR) hosted a whirlwind tour with an all-too-short opportunity to buy plants and enjoy fresh berry and cookie snacks at their idyllic mountain home nursery.

Coenosium Gardens (Eatonville, WA) is the creation of a true conifer fanatic, Bob Fincham, who with his wife Diane maintains the most extensive private conifer collection imaginable. Diane also handles the mail order business out of their modest home. An unexpected treat was Bob's reminiscences of his late friend Jean Iseli.

Still living in their original small Quonset hut home, now surrounded by jam-packed top quality plants at Forestfarm (Williams, OR), Ray and Peg Prag and their staff valiantly hosted our small swarm of fanatics in their mail-order-only nursery, even offering a cooler filled with drinks and chips. Roger Gossler and his mother Marge, with dogs Annie and Beau, provided cookies and a leisurely tour of the gardens and nursery that surround the house where his father turned a corn and mint (grown for Wrigley's gum) farm into one of the foremost magnolia nurseries in the U.S., with so many other well-grown offerings that we hardly noticed the magnolias. At Greer Gardens (Eugene, OR), known especially for rhododendrons, it didn't matter that rhodies were out of season, for we hiked through acres of other herbaceous and woody wonders. They had a selection of maple species choices that amazed even fans of the Japanese maple-intensive JC Raulston Arboretum. One favorite was the curious Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala, Amur maple, whose pink samaras persist, covering the tree with color.

At Iseli Nursery (Boring, OR), the famous Möbius strip of golden deodar cedar (Cedrus deodora 'Aurea') and a lovely peaceful memorial garden to honor founder Jean Iseli provided photographic heaven. Two vans showed us around, while our guides explained their incomparable conifer production facilities. We saw acres of conifers, topiary in whimsical animal shapes, and dozens of square wooden 45-gallon tubs of weeping cutleaf Japanese maples half as big as ours in the Klein-Pringle White Garden, interior pruned so you could stand under their canopy. When we thought we were finished, there were yet more acres of conifers and maples of merit.

The foremost purveyors of street trees in the nation (3.5 million trees a year sold) is J. Frank Schmidt & Sons Co. (Boring, OR). There, research director Keith Warren, on crutches from a basketball mishap, personally showed us the display gardens. Both new trial specimens and original old Schmidt creations like Acer rubrum 'Franksred' (Red Sunset®) could be grown to full natural size for display and photography in comparison. After a surprise picnic of frappucino and cookies to die for, we waddled back to the bus for a guided tour of their gigantic production facilities, which left us with our mouths agape at endless rows of grafted maples, crabapples, and oaks, each painted with a color-coded pattern of stripes to uniquely identify the cultivar. At the ends of several fields, we encountered magnificent views of Mount Hood, snow-covered and majestic in the distance.

At Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery (Medford, OR), owner Baldassare Mineo personally took us through his gardens, the tightly restricted nursery, and a small public shopping area of his mail order nursery, whose Gaura lindheimeri 'Siskiyou Pink' has made it a household name. We also saw his newest introduction, Gaura lindheimeri 'Pink Perfection'. My favorite recollection of that visit is the memory of Baldassare with his classic Greek profile, standing triumphantly as king of the mountain atop Mount Halda (his rock garden built by Josef Halda), pointing out his latest discovery, found just that morning: a yellow variant sport on Daphne kosaninii, which we were the first visiting mortals ever to witness.

But it wasn't all nurseries. Public gardens were the other focus of our trip. At the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden in Vancouver, BC, Acting Director Douglas Justice gave us a full personal tour of their mature university research and display collections, from the forests of trees and climbing vines, some 100' tall, to the geographically arranged alpine gardens with a Stipa Todd had lusted after; the edible garden where we tasted enormous raspberries and salmon berries like shiny clusters of fish eggs; Sorbus galore; dark wine colored lilies; and the famous first Sinocalycanthus chinensis (Chinese wax plant) brought out of China. Their late Curator of the Asian Garden, Gerald Straley, Ph.D., had tried unsuccessfully to hybridize this Sinocalycanthus with Calycanthus occidentalis (western sweetshrub), while collaborators J. C. Raulston, Ph.D., and Richard Hartlage at NCSU were successfully crossing a seedling from UBC's Sinocalycanthus with the eastern Calycanthus to produce the new bigeneric hybrid that would later be named ×Sinocalycalycanthus raulstonii 'Hartlage Wine'. Volunteers among us were interested to learn that UBCBG's 160 active volunteers put on events and raise as much as one third of the budget, but except for the edible garden area, are not permitted by Canadian union rules to assist the staff curators in maintaining the gardens and collections. Here, we had our first view of giant Gunnera manicata which would appear in unbelievably enormous sizes at nearly every garden to follow.

VanDusen Botanical Garden, also in Vancouver, BC, gave us an outstanding taste of a mature and well-financed garden maintained by a private foundation. On what was originally a golf course belonging to a railroad company, the volunteers, again, do not even weed, but 120 of them give tours while others run the gift shop. We marveled at the original surviving specimen of Cornus 'Eddie's White Wonder' which was the sole survivor of a Fraser River flood in 1948 when all rooted cuttings but this one drowned. This large-flowered, disease-resistant cross made by Henry M. Eddie between the west coast native Cornus nuttallii and the east coast native Cornus florida was moved to VanDusen in 1994. Exquisite landscaped gardens and a lake with fountains and a swan enhanced our enjoyment of the extensive plant collections.

South Seattle Community College Arboretum (Seattle, WA) displayed a new teaching garden, where instructor Van Bobbitt took us through the student- and volunteer-built gardens, including a pool, texture garden, and a new dwarf conifer rock garden with plants donated by Coenosium Gardens, and finally the adjacent, newly begun Seattle Chinese Garden which will be financed and built on a windy ridge by the Seattle Chinese Garden Society. The latter is destined to become the largest Chinese garden in North America.

Across Puget Sound at Bellevue Botanical Garden (Bellevue, WA), NCSU graduate Tyler Burgess greeted us. This 36-acre garden displays exquisite fuchsias, a rock garden, a mammoth volunteer-maintained perennial border, a breathtaking entrance water feature, and my personal favorite, the Yao Japanese Garden, an apparently wild but in fact carefully crafted ravine garden of endless perfect vistas and combinations of plants.

Located along the banks of an U.S. Army Corps of Engineers canal runs the Carl S. English, Jr. Botanical Garden (Seattle, WA). Hardly the group one would expect to maintain a surprising collection of trees of merit. Features here include an enormous Thuja plicata 'Zebrina' (variegated western redcedar), an Aesculus indica (Indian horsechestnut) with stunning fragrant flowers, a Quercus hypoleucoides (silverleaf oak) with white leaf undersides, and a collection of Garrya elliptica (Oregon silk-tassel) adorned with dangling seed chains, which we would see again and again on the rest of our trip.

The Washington Park Arboretum offered another type and size of public garden, 75 years old, on land owned by the city of Seattle, in cooperation with the University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture, and always free so area residents can enjoy it. After a greeting and overview from Director John Wott, Ph.D., we were treated to a guided tour by the very knowledgeable Collections Manager, Randall Hitchin. It was an education and a pleasure to listen while he and Todd matched horticultural skills bringing out the best in both, as they discussed their plant collections. Here we saw excellent Stewartias; the biggest ever Oregon crabapple (Malus fusca) with its twisted trunk; Acer tegmentosum 'Arthur Witt' dating from 1949 with its trunk striped all the way to the base; the original Magnolia ×kewensis 'Wada's Memory'; and the original Mahonia 'Arthur Menzies', the only seedling not winter-killed from seeds that Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens had sent them labeled as Mahonia lomarifolia, but were hybrids with M. bealei.

Adjoining Washington Park, The Japanese Garden of Seattle is a gem. Manicured and formal, it abounds with perfect vistas galore around a huge pond with bridges; stone lanterns; exquisitely selected, maintained, and trained plants; and subtle color variations on a green theme. It is a highly civilized garden of ooh-aah views, in contrast to the wilder feeling of the Yao Japanese Garden at Bellevue. Here Todd taught us about vivipary when we found a Skimmia with berries germinated on the plant.

The one-acre formal Portland Classical Chinese Garden (OR) was a scholar's residential retreat. It featured the five elements of architecture, stones, water, plants, and literature with equally-weighted importance. Surrounding a pool were a teahouse and poetically named theme pavilions with beautifully carved panels of camphor, ginkgo, rosewood, and various stones, representing classic Chinese literature. A privately owned and maintained collection of penjing, the Chinese precursor to bonsai, is displayed on permanent loan. Symbolism abounds.

The newest and still unfinished public garden we visited by admission fee. The Oregon Garden (Silverton, OR) was uniquely commercial. Initially financed by J. Frank Schmidt & Sons Co. with a grant to purchase land and get started, every area bore a sign prominently naming the donor who sponsored the section and/or plants. Sadly, the guided tram tour seemed like an endless advertisement of donors with little said about the plants or design. That focus blunted my enjoyment of the landscape and some fine new plantings. One hopes that this garden will outgrow this commercialization as it matures.

Our final visit was an unscheduled one to the newest arboretum of the future, Pacifica, a 500-acre ranch that will eventually become an educational public garden. Peg Prag, who took us to see it a few miles from her Forestfarm nursery, is on the steering committee, as are Sean Hogan and several other west coast nurserymen. As yet unplanted except for a few trees, it has a "plantmobile," painted like a caterpillar that serves as a plant lab for school visits.

After the first Acer palmatum 'Shaina' that knocked our socks off at Wells-Medina Nursery (Medina, WA), we found almost every nurseryman whose home garden we visited had an example of this truly red-leafed compact Japanese maple planted near his front door. The beauty of this tree is its maraschino cherry colored teensy new leaves and small, star shaped red adult leaves in full sun. By the time we reached our last stop at Forestfarm, we learned from their catalog that 'Shaina' was taken from a witches' broom on an Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood'. This was probably the woody plant purchased by more trip participants than any other. Dierama, angels' fishing wands, named for its dangling flowers on 6' canes, was perhaps the herbaceous runner up. We saw beautiful Cornus controversa 'Variegata' almost everywhere. Garrya. Stipa. Fuchsia. Blue and gold variegated conifers. And on and on and on.

The trip was plant geek heaven. We all loved it. Collectors found unparalleled plant shopping. Photographers and designers took home limitless views and ideas. Perpetual students took notes and filled their heads with knowledge. Even a husband just along for the ride with his gardening wife enjoyed the scenery and the company. There was variety and balance and good fun. Would we want to do it again? You bet!

Desert Life in Raleigh

By Nancy Doubrava, Interpretive Specialist

What a show! This spring we had a taste of the Southwest right here in Raleigh, when two spectacular agaves flowered for the first time at the JC Raulston Arboretum. The giant flower spikes began to emerge in late April from the center of each rosette, rising over 20' high with candelabra-like flower clusters high above the Southwest Garden. The bright yellow flower clusters were constantly covered by swarms of insects feasting on the rich nectar. Extremely drought tolerant, these plants were collected by J. C. Raulston, Ph.D., from the mountains of northern Mexico in late December 1991, during the joint expedition with Yucca Do Nursery, The Arboretum of Los Angeles County, and The NCSU Arboretum.

Agaves are intriguing plants. Most are monocarpic, meaning that they will flower once and then die. A beautiful rosette is formed from large stout, fleshy gray leaves that have a murderous spine on the tip of each. Our two magnificent agaves that flowered are identified as an Agave havardiana hybrid (a hardy blue agave) and Agave neomexicana (New Mexico agave), but identification of these unique plants is often complicated.

In the landscape, these agaves are an excellent alternative to century plant (Agave americana), especially when plenty of space is available. Both of these agaves have proven to be cold hardy in Raleigh, exhibiting only a very slight winter burn. (A. americana is not cold hardy in Raleigh.) They need minimal, if any, maintenance, grow in full sun, and are extremely drought tolerant. Watch for many more accessions of southwestern plants, including agaves, waiting to be planted in the new garden areas at the JC Raulston Arboretum.

Development

Planting the Seeds for Development

By Anne M. Porter, Director of Major Gifts

In the last issue of the JCRA Newsletter, I was very pleased to be introduced as the new Director of Major Gifts for the Arboretum, and I am really excited about working with the exceptional JCRA staff, volunteers, and donors. I am calling my little section of the newsletter "Planting the Seeds for Development." Okay, the title may be a little corny, but if you think about it, contributions to the JCRA, whether an outright gift of cash or stock, a planned gift, or some other in-kind donation, are all "seeds" planted to make the JCRA grow!

We would like to extend our appreciation and thanks to The Paul Ciener Botanical Garden for the donation of a "new" truck via Ciener-Woods Ford (photograph on page 2). The Paul Ciener Botanical Garden is a fledgling public garden being developed in Kernersville, NC, in memory of Paul J. Ciener who passed away in 1998. Paul was the principal investor in Piedmont Carolina Nursery with Mark Peters, who is currently the JCRA Board President.

Paul was an avid gardener and plant enthusiast, well traveled, and a lover of great gardens. It was his desire to develop a public garden for the enjoyment of the citizens of Kernersville and surrounding communities in thanks for the manner in which the area embraced his business and his family. Master planning for the garden is currently underway with tentative plans for groundbreaking in early 2003.

Paul Ciener's sons, David and Greg, attended the 2002 JCRA Gala in the Garden this May and were most impressed with the Gala participant turnout and all the gardens. When they heard of the theft of the JCRA's truck and the complications with the state's budget shortfalls, they generously donated a pre-owned truck to the Arboretum. This truck will be an invaluable part of the day-to-day activities and operation of the JCRA – thanks to the generosity of the Ciener Family and Ciener-Woods Ford! If you know David or Greg or are just driving through Kernersville, be sure to stop by and add your thanks. Ciener-Woods Ford is located at 1330 Highway 66 South in Kernersville, NC.

The Gift that Pays You! – A Charitable Gift Annuity

Do you have a certificate of deposit coming due? If you have looked at renewal rates, you know that your income will be less than in the past. Why not consider establishing a charitable gift annuity with the JCRA? We can offer a guaranteed return for life, an income tax deduction to lower your tax bill, and a very attractive rate of return – plus a gift that supports the JC Raulston Arboretum.

Consider the benefits Jim and his wife (both are 67 years old) will receive in exchange for a $10,000.00 charitable gift annuity:

• Charitable income tax deduction of $2,395.00
• Annual income of $640.00 and of that only $311.00 is taxable, the remaining $329.00 is tax-free
• Projected total income over their lives of $14,720.00
• Eventual gift in support of the JCRA of $19,743.00

(These projected numbers may change subject to the discount rates going up and down.)

If you would like to learn about what you might receive from a gift annuity, please contact Joan DeBruin, Director of Gift Planning or Anne Porter, JCRA Director of Major Gifts.

This Old "Brick" House......

The old brick house on the "front lawn" of the JCRA is a familiar site and has stood for more than 55 years – long before the Arboretum was established. This building has been the hub of Arboretum volunteer activities, horticulture classes, the center of Gala in the Garden preparation, and much more. Plus, its upstairs rooms housed staff from the Horticultural Field Lab.

The brick house was scheduled for demolition in the original education center construction plans, but was saved from the wrecking ball in light of interest in historic preservation, continued needs for space by the JCRA, and the possibility of integrating it and its immediate surroundings into the JCRA itself through creative landscape planting within the mission of the JCRA.

Now I would like to "plant this seed for development." (You knew that I was going to use my catchy new heading again – right?) This old brick house needs a benefactor. Our vision for the old brick house is to redesign, renovate, and furnish the house. The vision includes establishing living quarters in the upstairs area to be used by an intern or graduate student. It also includes a computer-equipped work area to integrate students and volunteers more deeply into our labeling, accessions, and mapping activities. The possibilities are very exciting!

If you would like more information regarding this project or any other JCRA development "seeds," please contact Anne Porter at (919) 513-3463 or e-mail <anne_porter@ncsu.edu>.

Developing News

By Donna Walker, Development Associate

Gala in the Garden 2002

Whew! Gala 2002 is a thing of the past. I really can't believe it. May 2002 seemed like an eternity away when we met back in November 2001 for the first time to begin planning. The time went so fast. I'm pleased to say that we were able to stick to our time line on nearly every item. What satisfaction to check those tasks off as they're completed.

But, of course, there's always much that must be done at the last minute. When the workmen arrived early on Thursday to deliver and put up the tents, I knew we were on the countdown. You can't imagine how exciting it is to watch all those plans actually fall into place. Our committee had worked so hard for several months and now it was time to swing into action. The wonderful folks who had volunteered to work the auction tents, drive vans and carts, and just generally take the burden off our shoulders met with us on Thursday night.

Friday – time to meet the folks delivering the essentials such as the (all important) "facilities," the gator and the golf carts. Saturday – a pouring rain – we couldn't be other than grateful but I do have to add cold and really wet! The decorations committee showed up with raincoats and smiles and we went to work transforming our already beautiful Arboretum into a showplace. Sunday morning – a walk through with several pairs of new and sharp eyes to make sure nothing had been missed. The auction committee and their volunteers arrived and began putting out and arranging all the goodies – making them ready to tempt the guests. The public address folks and the caterer arrived. Final touches on the decorations – I could almost hear the drumroll. A mad dash home to shower and change. The registration, auction, and transportation folks in place. Arboretum Director Bob Lyons and committee chair, Phyllis Brookshire ready to great our guests.

The NCSU student Jazz Band began to play. The trays of delicious hors d'oeuvres were ready; the bars opened! All those months of hard work and planning came to fruition and it was – a party! Over 575 guests arrived to enjoy the Arboretum at its best. Everything – as a friend says – "came together nicely." The food was enjoyed and the bars were frequented, while the auction items enticed, the decorations bedazzled, and the band entertained. Folks mingled among the auction tents and munched on Catering Works' offerings. The bidding was frantic on some of the more treasured items. I noticed some fancy footwork in time to the music and lots of laughter, hugs, and handshakes.

After the closing of the silent auction, Bob Lyons took the podium and introduced Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, Dean James Oblinger, and Phyllis Brookshire. Then – to great excitement – Bobby Brown, president of the A. E. Finley Foundation (the honorary chairs of this year's Gala), took the mike. He announced a new pledge of $100,000.00 to be given to the JC Raulston Arboretum through the Marian Nottingham Finley and Marian Nottingham Rice Rose Garden Endowment which enabled us to name the Rooftop Terrace at the new Ruby C. McSwain Education Center. This endowment will be used to support the Finley-Nottingham Rose Garden and as a source of unrestricted funds for the benefit of the Arboretum at the discretion of our director. What a wonderful gift to have announced at the Gala.

Sandy Houston, auctioneer, of Houston Auction Company, began the live auction. When the auction was completed, our guests began to gather their newly won items and headed for home after a fun day at the Arboretum. What a wonderful event!

My thanks go out to everyone on the committee and especially those who chaired a sub-committee. Our corporate sponsors – well – how can we thank them enough? All the volunteers – you were wonderful! To the staff and garden curators who, as always, put in much extra effort to put the gardens into tip-top shape – thank you. A special thanks to Walt Thompson and Steve Walker who were "command central" and kept things moving smoothly before, during, and after the event. Also a tremendous thanks to Joe Stoffregan of Homewood Nursery for supplying the great polo shirts for each of the volunteers and staff working the event and to York Simpson Underwood for the hanging pens which made the bidding much easier.

Now for the rest of the thank-yous. I know I'll forget someone, so my apologies up front, but here goes! Oh, be sure to put Sunday, May 4, 2003 on your calendar – we're about to rev up the planning committee for next year!

Our Sponsors

Double Diamond
NC Association of Nurserymen

Diamond
A. E. Finley Foundation

Platinum
Hamlin Companies

Gold
Carolina Nurseries
CP&L – A Progress Energy Company
Leo & Helen Daughtry
Fair Products – Frank & Judi Grainger
Ambassador Jeanette Hyde & Wallace Hyde
J. W. York Company
George & Gwen McCotter
Wendell & Linda Murphy
Piedmont Carolina Nursery
Progress Energy
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
Weyerhaeuser Company
Rosemary & Smedes York

Silver
Jane J. Avinger
Bland Landscaping
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
Dorothy & W.L. Burns
Capitol Broadcasting
Certified Systems
Dick & Marlene Daugherty
Day Associates – Insurance Services
Doris & Buddy Deal
Hawksridge Farms
Hal & Patsy Hopfenberg
Horticultural Plantscapes, Inc. – Nelsa Cox
Rick & Linda Lawson
Pender Nursery
Quality Staffing Specialists
Tom & Amira Ranney
Rodgers Landscaping Services
Taylor's Nursery, Inc.
J.D. "Dick" & Doris Thompson
Tri Properties
Wyatt-Quarles

Our Steering Committee
Kara Bertoncino, Phyllis Brookshire – Committee Chair, Helen Daughtry – Sponsorship Chair, LeAnne Day, Rosemary Easton, Peggy Fain, Leah Goodnight, Judi Grainger, Carolyn Grant, Mitzi Hole – Staff Representative, Pat Long, Bob Lyons, Shelley McCain – Decorations, Marge O'Keeffe – Hospitality, Anne Porter, Sylvia Redwine, Gretchen Saussy, Susan Stephenson, Lu Troxler, Amy Veatch – Auctions, Donna Walker, Janice Weedon, Dan Wilkinson, Jan Wilson – Auctions, Miles Wright – Invitations, George York – Food & Beverage, J.W. York, and Parker York

Additional Volunteers
Mark Armagost, Barb Amos, Jim Burton, Dennis Carey, Bernadette & Ken Clark, Goldie Coats, Genelle Dail, Bob Davis & Judy Morgan-Davis, Alan & Cynthia Dowdy, Carolyn Fagan, Sarah Funderburk, Noel Griffin, Kathy Hafer, Leslie Herndon, Peggy Herbert, Adelaide Joyce, Barbara Kennedy, Carolyn Lewis, Deborah McGuinn, Heidi Miller, Jean Mitchell, Donna Moffett, Hilary Nichols, Pat Olejar, Leslie Pate, Patrick Pizer, Dixie Porter, Sandy Reid, Mike Stallings, Priscilla Swindell, Kathleen Thompson, and Bill & Libby Wilder

Our Auction Donors
A Proper Garden
An Anonymous Friend
Angus Barn
Tony Avent
Beanie & Cecil (Leah Goodnight)
Bella Bella (Linda Lawson)
Better Tree Care (Guy Meilleur)
Dick Bir/Jelitto Perennial Seed
Black Cat Bead
Phyllis and Don Brookshire
CALS College Relations (Bob Cairns)
Camellia Forest Nursery
Canaan Valley Resort
Capital City Club
Certain Things
Chuck-em, LLC
Felix Cita-Gomez
CMI Jewelry Showroom
Custom Landscapes
Day Associates (LeAnne Day)
Dazzle & Lace
Deckled Edge
Ron Doggett
Eagle Ridge Golf Course
Charlie & Rosemary Easton
Exploris & IMAX Theater
The Fire Place (Ruby McSwain)
Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, Ph.D.
Garden Supply Company
Garden Symphonies
Garibaldi & Burns Jewelers
Commissioner Jim Graham
Judi Grainger
Robin Hackney
Hawksridge Farms, Inc.
Highland Creek Nursery
Hoffman's Nursery
Holland Sweets
Horticultural Plantscapes, Inc. (Nelsa Cox)
JC Raulston Arboretum
Juniper Level Botanical Garden
Bryce Lane
Liggett Design Group, Frank Liggett, ASLA
Liles Clothing Studio
Long Hill B&B (George & Rhoda Kriz)
Lorax Farms
Lundies Salon
Lyons Photography (Bob Lyons)
Margaux's Restaurant
Maude Miller's Garden (Nancy Dunn)
Shelley McCain
McCracken's Nursery
Messenbrink's Perennials
Anne Mueche
NCSU Men's Basketball
North Ridge Country Club
Pat Olejar
Ora Designers
Pender Nursery, Inc.
Piedmont Carolina Nursery
Plant Delights Nursery, Inc.
Raleigh Little Theatre
Bob Rankin
Tom Ranney, Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center
J. C. Raulston's Estate (Tracy Traer)
Revels Tractor
Rivers Whitewater Rafting
Sam & Bill's Place (Steve Cox)
Sam & Bill's Place (Tammi Wolosuk)
Sarah P. Duke Gardens
Slope & Sail Tours (Steve Walker)
Dodde Stark
Stevenson Millwork
Taylor's Nursery, Inc.
Karen Tiede
Tinga Nursery, Inc.
Triangle Imports
Tyler House at the Lassiter
Amy Veatch
James Whitesell, Ph.D.
Jan Wilson
Wintergreen Resort
Yadkin Valley Nursery Company
George York
J. W. York
Parker York

Special Thanks
Alley Associates
Alpha Gamma Rho
Jane Avinger
Biltmore Estates
EZ-Go/Textron, Inc.
Sandy Houston, Houston Auction Company
Michelob – Harris Wholesale
Mutual Distributing Company
NCSU Jazz Band
Keith Oakley and the staff of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Lou Pucillo, Inc.
Raleigh Garden Club
Revels Tractor
Lucy Ringland
Kathleen & Walt Thompson
Miles Wright – Walker-Ross

Membership

The JCRA receives many guests each day. Many people enjoy the Arboretum because of its beauty, its tranquility. Others appreciate the opportunity to pick up suggestions for that bare corner in the garden. Some visitors bring the family and watch the kids enjoy the cats and the ponds full of creatures. Some come for solace, to work through a problem or sorrow. Some avid gardeners just thirst for more knowledge about all plants in general. Whatever your reason for coming to the JCRA, we welcome you.

But you need to know that this beautiful site and our events don't just happen. I'm probably "preaching to the choir" here, but the operations and maintenance of the JCRA are dependent primarily on donations and memberships. When you receive your renewal notice this year, how about raising your level of membership or throwing in a few extra bucks to help out our efforts. Anyone joining or renewing a membership in the $250.00 and above levels will receive two or more of our wonderful Connoisseur Plants. Invite a friend who's a gardener but not a member to walk the Arboretum with you or attend a lecture and encourage him or her to join the Friends. Looking for a different gift for a friend's birthday or anniversary? How about a JCRA membership? It'll be a gift that will make your friend happy and help the JCRA! Remember, we depend on you. Have questions? Go to our Web site or please call Donna Walker at (919) 513-3826 for more details.

New Benefits for Members

We are very proud to announce a new benefits program for our members. If you needed an additional reason for support of the JCRA, here it is! Thirty-plus businesses have agreed to offer JCRA members various benefits. The offerings range from theater tickets to ice cream to discounts on plants and landscaping design. Please visit our Web site at <www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum> to view the many exciting opportunities to save. More businesses will be solicited and added so be sure to check the site frequently. Remember, it's necessary to show your membership card to receive the benefit so keep your card with you. Call Donna Walker at (919) 513-3826 if you need a copy of the list.

Gift Announcement

In case you missed the announcement at the Gala, the A. E. Finley Foundation has made a pledge of $100,000.00 to be given to the JC Raulston Arboretum through the Marian Nottingham Finley and Marian Nottingham Rice Rose Garden Endowment. This wonderful gift will enable us to name the Rooftop Terrace at the new Ruby C. McSwain Education Center in their honor. The endowment is used to support the Finley-Nottingham Rose Garden and as a source of unrestricted funds for the Arboretum. We are honored by this gift and treasure our relationship with the A. E. Finley Foundation! Many thanks to Bobby Brown, Earle Finley, Andy Goodwin, Alton Howard, Charlie Nottingham, and Ben Nottingham – the A. E. Finley Foundation's board members.

The Great N&O Birdhouse Competition

The Raleigh News and Observer joined forces with the JCRA again this year to hold the second annual Birdhouse Competition on May 11 and 12, 2002. This is a fun event, showcasing the creations of folks old and young from all over the Triangle. Beginning early on Saturday morning, the birdhouses and the rain arrived almost simultaneously. But soon the rain ceased and the competition continued.

The entries were novel and ingenious – ranging from the usual to the unusual, the sublime to the ridiculous. Every medium from milk jugs to twigs to hand cut cedar to Legos was used. The styles were as varied as the entrants. The Arboretum was filled during the weekend with guests, many of them treating Mom to a Mother's Day walk through the JCRA. Everyone enjoyed strolling down the walkway beside the Perennial Border to examine the birdhouses. Was it my imagination or were the mockingbirds just a little more evident?

Judges John Dole, Will Hooker, and Pat Lindsey, all from the NCSU's Department of Horticultural Science, had a difficult time choosing the final winners but after over an hour of consultation, they were finally able to decide on the winners.

In the adult's division, Woody Pekoske won first place for his "traffic light" with a place for a nest in each of the green, yellow, and red lenses. Louis Stevens received second place for his entry, a cottage birdhouse. Third place was awarded to Donna Carver for her entry, painted in a feather pattern. A special creativity award went to Hilliard Greene for his birdhouse built of golf balls, which he has in abundance to feed his retirement pastime. Craftsmanship was honored with an award for George Allenbaugh's impressive cedar purple martin house, which is designed with 6" × 6" apartments for each bird.

In the children's division, Rolf Frazier, 8, a second-grader at Combs Elementary School in Raleigh, used a set of wooden construction toys his aunt had given him to create his winning birdhouse. Kendall Lancaster, 11, a fifth-grader at Lacy Elementary School in Raleigh, took second place with his spooky birdhouse inspired by his "second-favorite holiday." Mary Copeland Cain, 7, a third-grader at St. Timothy's School in Raleigh, took third place. Two creativity awards were also given in the children's division. One went to Lydia Youngblood, 6, a first-grader at Carolina Friends School in Durham, and the second to Beth Stern, 12 (last year's winner), of Raleigh, who is home-schooled.

Many thanks to all the entrants, the judges, and to Bill DuPre, who not only made all the arrangements for the contest and prizes, but also contributed to this article.

Volunteering

Volunteer News

By Frankie Fanelli, Volunteer Coordinator

So much is going on...change often stirs memories of what was and I am hearing delightful stories from volunteers that have been around the Arboretum for many years. There is a saying, "Some things change but many things remain the same." We are changing this to "Some things change and some things remain the same or continue to get even better!" Read on to see all the goings-on with the Volunteers – we could not do it without them!

Some Things Change...

Members of the Volunteer Office staff came together for a bittersweet task in mid June. Mary Edith Alexander, Carolyn Fagan, Viv Finkelstein, Edna Munger, and Elaine Pace packed up the volunteer office. These ladies are always asking, "What can I do to help?" Thank you for your support in such a time of change; what is more appreciated is your special spirit as we look forward to a new chapter in the Arboretum's history!

The move to the new quarters was most exciting. The logistics of how volunteers got around was not always so exciting. The transitional move, demolition of structures, and the removal of the stone driveway caused serious logistical problems for both staff and volunteers. Just getting from one point in the Arboretum to another became difficult and potentially unsafe. For this reason we asked the volunteer teams to hold off working a few weeks and avoid attempting to reach the new staff building. The safety of both our volunteers and staff was foremost in our minds. The entire JCRA staff wishes to express their appreciation for your patience, understanding, and cooperation.

Many things remain the same or continue to get even better...

Gardening Teams

In the last issue, I began introducing those volunteer teams that contribute week after week, month after month, and for many this has been year after year. Many gardening teams meet regularly to plant, maintain, and coax their area of the Arboretum with support from the staff. A few of these dedicated gardening volunteer teams are profiled in this issue, while the others will be presented in the next few issues.

Everything is Coming up Roses

Have you seen the Finley-Nottingham Rose Garden this season? You will not believe that this garden was entirely replanted this spring. It is just fabulous thanks to the efforts of both staff and volunteers who took it through a major renovation that began last fall. Mitzi Hole, Research Technician and Bradley Holland, Horticultural Field Lab Superintendent, along with their teams, reworked the paths and beds following the removal of all of the plant material due to disease. Harvey Bumgarner and Anne Clapp, Co-curators, sought out new plant material, planted, and nurtured the renewed garden. Stop in and take a look – it's a great place to find the best cultivars for your garden. Terrific job, y'all!

A Team of His Own

That is CJ Dykes, Wisteria Garden and Vines Curator, who faithfully manages the Arboretum vines. Most any Friday morning you can find CJ with his ladder and clippers making his rounds. Those vines do not have a chance to become unruly with CJ's dedication! In addition, CJ is always ready to help on any project – he is a truly all around volunteer. Thanks for your dedication and great sense of humor!

Special Projects

Wayne Friedrich volunteers regularly as part of the Paradise Garden team, the summer evening garden crew, and for about anything else where he is needed. Wayne graciously shared his woodworking expertise in designing and building a Paradise Garden vine support and a butterfly house pictured below. He has a most unique vine support on the drawing board for next spring – watch for it! Thank you, Wayne, for all that you contribute to the JCRA!

Priming, caulking, and painting...yes we did get volunteers to transform the new gazebo into a showpiece! Bless those that love to paint! CJ Dykes, Gina Kappes, Andy Liepins, Jean Mitchell, Judy Morgan-Davis, Elaine Pace, and Nancy Simonsen accepted this challenge. Jennifer Eshellman, Internal Learning Experience Student, was asked to take pictures of the crew as she was out and about the garden photographing plants. She reported back that the painters were "having a blast!" Thanks to all of the painters and to Jennifer for the following pictures of the fun.

New Volunteers

Join me in welcoming Rick Boggs, Bob Davis, Gina Kappes, Andy Liepins, and Rick McGirt, who have joined the JCRA volunteer force this summer. Andy's very first project was the gazebo painting party. Rick McGirt started by teaming up with Bob Davis and Judy Morgan-Davis in propagating 144 cuttings for the plant distribution. Gina has pitched in to help the Klein-Pringle White Garden team with their major plant rejuvenation. Rick Boggs has very quickly put his landscape architect skills to work re-drawing maps of several areas of the garden under the guidance of Val Tyson, Plant Recorder. Welcome to you all and thank you for such enthusiasm in support of the JCRA!

Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon

It was only fitting that the Annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon be the first significant event in the Ruby C. McSwain Education Center. Special people deserve special treatment and JCRA volunteers are very special people. Over a hundred volunteers and their guests enjoyed lunch followed by the recognition of the significant volunteer contributors for 2001. Bob Lyons gave a program, "Skulking around Los Angeles...Garden Highlights with JCRA Travelers!" The door prizes were a big hit as many, many plants were included. Bob Lyons contributed a fabulous framed photograph from the California trip. Mitzi Hole and Anne Calta made sure each volunteer left with a unique plant, either an Agave montana or an A. macroculmis they propagated. The event concluded with a tour of all of the new facilities. Check out the fun and food had by all in the Ruby C. McSwain Education Center in the following photographs.

Significant Volunteer Contributors for 2001

400+ Hours
Carolyn Fagan and Vivian Finkelstein

200+ Hours
Mary Edith Alexander, Tom Bumgarner, Laddie Munger, and John Schott

100+ Hours
Virg Birkin, Susan Cheatham, Colin Daniels, Edith Eddleman, Doris Huneycutt, Margaret Jordan, Amelia Lane, Heidi Miller, Jean Mitchell, Elaine Pace, Robert Roth, Bill Satterwhite, Ann Stellings, Dee Welker, and Dora Zia

50+ Hours
Rosanna Adams, Alicia Berry, Harvey Bumgardner, Mary Button, Mary & Claude Caldwell, Dennis Carey, Anne Clapp, Laurie Cochran, Patrice Cooke, Cynthia Dowdy, CJ Dykes, Judy Elson, Wayne Friedrich, Barbara Kennedy, Guy Meilleur, Beth Parks, Richard Pearson, Jeanette Redmond, Anna Reed Absher, Sandy Reid, and Judy Ryan

A special thanks goes to all volunteers who contribute their personal time and talents in support of the JC Raulston Arboretum.

Formatted into HTML by Christopher Todd Glenn
Programs & Education Coordinator
JC Raulston Arboretum
Department of Horticultural Science
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-7609

) The JC Raulston Arboretum, October 2002