by Betty Sanders
Lifetime Master Gardener

Cut Branches for Forcing. Your garden won't bloom in February (except perhaps witch hazel and Cornus mas) but you can enjoy spring blooms now by cutting branches to force. Choose from those plants that bloom early-forsythia, crabapple, quince and plums are all good candidates. Go out to cut midday, when sap has risen, not early in the morning as you would to cut flowers. Look for swollen buds on the branches. Now look at the tree or shrub as a whole and remember that as your cut you are also pruning. Take the cut branch inside and recut on an angle, place it in warm water as high up the branch as possible. After a few hours, cut the stem on an angle again and place in a vase of cool water. Blooms will last longest if kept in a cool room (under 65 degrees) and out of direct sunlight.

Softwood trees such as pines that have been bent over by the snow will right themselves with warmer weather.

Winter Pruning and Clean-up. The storms we are all tired of have not only blanketed our area, but have also damaged more than a few trees and shrubs. While our perennials are protected from the cold by their blanket of snow, our woody plants need help. Begin your clean-up pruning as soon as you can safely work outdoors. Keep in mind that clean cuts heal faster, and with less chance of damage from disease or insects, than ragged tears.

Trees and shrubs bent over from the weight of snow and ice should not be assumed to be permanently damaged. Many trees that are currently bent to the ground may surprise you with their ability to straighten when the weather warms and the sap rises within them. While the snow may not be deep in areas along the coast or on the Cape, in other places it has completely buried small, and not so small, shrubs. Do not try to dig the plant out. The chance of doing more damage with a shovel than is done by the snow is too great.

Houseplants = Show Plants. With Blooms! at the Boston Flower & Garden Show only a little over a month away, start preparing your best houseplants to be entered in the amateur horticulture division. No pre-entry is required for most plants, but you need to get busy now. Read the Amateur Horticulture rules completely so you know what is required.

Begin grooming your plants by carefully cutting any dead or damaged leaves as close to a healthy main stem or the soil level as possible. Old flower stems should be removed. Gently clean leaves with a wet cloth to remove any water or fertilizer spots. Leaf shine and other such products cannot be used on flower show entries. Your pot should be cleaned of dirt and salt stains. And remember that the container is there to hold the plant, not be an attraction or distraction from it. Continue caring for your plant, increasing your attention to grooming as March 14 approaches. No plant with any signs of disease or insects should ever be taken to a flower show.

On entry day, pack your plant carefully in a cardboard box, cushioned to protect it from sliding about as your drive to the show. Make certain your vehicle is warm before you put the plant inside and keep it covered until you are inside the Seaport World Trade Center. Entry day is March 14 from noon to 8 p.m. There's a convenient loop road that will take you around the building to a drop-off area that ensures your plants are never exposed to the elements.

You can explore more of Betty Sanders’ gardening thoughts at www.BettyonGardening.com.

Staging for Blooms awaits a fresh coat of paint in a Mass Hort greenhouse

In Billerica, volunteers are sorting through pedestals, looking for the exact heights and shapes needed for floral and amateur horticulture competitions. In Norwood, prized plants are getting an early dose of food to spur leaf and flower growth for a window display. In Cohasset, designs are being sketched for a floral design competition and in Harvard, a photograph of a garden path is being mounted.

And, if they're smart, across the region, people are looking in their Massachusetts Horticultural Society membership cards and saying, "I think it's time to renew."

Mass Hort is about a lot more than tickets to the Boston Flower & Garden Show, but in the middle of The Winter That Would Not End, the promise of a day in March when the trees and shrubs are in full bloom and flowers are everywhere is a powerful lure to renew your membership. The rules are simple: if you haven't renewed as of March 4th, you won't receive tickets.

Mass Hort's part of the show, Blooms!, involves hundreds of volunteers with most of the work coming before the show's March 16 opening. And there is still ample time to participate. For example:

• Division II, the 'open class' of the floral design competition, still has approximately half a dozen openings. If you've entered local flower shows and are ready to show your skills in front of a larger audience, contact Julie Pipe at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or Joyce Bakshi at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information about entering.
• Now is the time to start getting your houseplants into condition to enter the amateur horticulture competition. Last year's show demonstrated that placing your favorite specimens into the show is fast and easy. The Seaport World Trade Center is readily accessible by car and mass transit; knowledgeable volunteers do the rest.
• There is still a pressing need for volunteers for Blooms! Can you help load or unload trucks? Can you help assemble exhibits? Move trees? Would you like to serve as a docent during the show? Mass Hort's volunteer coordinator, Vivien Bouffard, would love to hear from you. Contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mass Hort's Big Red Chair drew throngs to have their picture taken.

Most of all, though, now is the time to make certain that you're on the membership rolls in time to receive your show tickets. Individual members receive one ticket, family memberships receive two (and the opportunity to purchase additional tickets at a discounted price); sustaining members receive four.

Your membership will entitle you to a wealth of benefits throughout the year. Most of all, though, remaining a Mass Hort member gives you the knowledge that you're supporting an organization that is dedicated to educating people about gardening and horticulture, and creating the finest gardens in New England.

So, renew now. And, to see Blooms! at the Boston Flower and Garden Show from the inside, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

What if you took a garden - a big garden nearly 900 square feet in size - and recreated it tree for tree, rock for rock and flower for flower in a space less than two feet by three feet? And, what if you recreated not just one garden, but five? It would be, in short, an amazing sight.

It's also a sight you will see this year at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society's Blooms! amateur exhibit area, at the Boston Flower & Garden Show, beginning March 16 at the Seaport World Trade Center. Long a staple of the New England Spring Flower Show, the mini-gardens will make their appearance as part of the Amateur Horticulture division hosted by Mass Hort. They'll be located immediately adjacent to Mass Hort's garden. Just look for the big green chair.

Warren Leach's and Debi Hogan's Chinese Scholar Garden

Spearheading the effort to bring the mini-gardens to Blooms! are Debi Hogan and Warren Leach of Tranquil Lake Nursery in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. Warren and Debi provided a series of award winning miniature gardens for the New England Spring Flower Show. One, a recreation of a Chinese scholar garden, still ranks as one of the most memorable gardens to appear at that show.

"It's a combination of horticulture and artistry coupled with intricate design," says Debi. "All three components have to work together to create a garden."

While the same might be said of creating a full-size garden, scaling down a vista to one-twelfth its size also requires a considerable amount of wizardry. Many tree specimens have bonsai versions that can provide structure for a garden, but what about shrubs and small plants? For example, a rhododendron in a garden might be two feet high and three feet wide. Where do you find rhododendron two inches high and three inches wide? The answer: Andromeda polifolia 'Blue Ice', a miniature bog rosemary that is a dead ringer for a rhododendron.

Need a replica of an azalea? Try Erica carnea, a miniature heath. A climbing rose? There's a pichi plant out there called Fabiana imbricata 'Violaceae'. "When you design miniature gardens as a hobby, you seek out such specimens and hoard them," Warren says. "You never know when they're going to come in handy."

Fred Perry working on a Fletcher Steele landscape	Gloria Freitas-Steidinger's New England Mountain Landscape	Mary Holbrow's Garden in the Woods

The gardens are designed over a period of months. Entrants find stones of just the right size to accent their gardens, and pamper and force plants just as is done for traditional flower show gardens. Fresh plant material predominates in miniature gardens but some dried material is also permitted. The garden vignettes will be assembled at the show on Monday before the Wednesday opening.

"It's a pleasure watching people view the gardens," Debi says. "Regardless of age, people press their faces up against the window, look for a very long time, then come away smiling. Those smiles make the effort all worthwhile."

Valentine's Day is only a few days away. Have you picked a gift for your special someone? The most popular choices are flowers and chocolates. We won't be able to help you with the chocolates, but Mass Hort has a special gift membership offer that will provide the flowers!

If you order before February 10th, we'll send your loved one two items that will guarantee a smile - a $25 gift certificate to White Flower Farm and a ticket to the upcoming Boston Flower & Garden Show!

The White Flower Farm $25 gift certificate is perfect for people with a passion for plants and flowers. For over 60 years, White Flower Farm has been a premier source for plants, shrubs, bulbs, and gardening supplies in the New England area. Their beautiful catalog has a spectacular selection to choose from and all items may be ordered online or by phone.

Secondly, you’ll be sending your Valentine to the 2011 Boston Garden and Flower Show. This beloved Boston tradition will be held at the Seaport World Trade Center March 16th through March 20th. Beautiful garden exhibits, exquisite floral arrangements and stimulating lectures will all be part of the show.

There are many more benefits, too, including magazine subscriptions to Garden Design and Organic Gardening, 10% discounts at local garden centers and nurseries, and reciprocating garden privileges with gardens and arboreta through the United States.

SPECIAL OFFER

It’s a terrific gift. And, if the recipient has never been a Mass Hort member before, it’s an even more attractively priced one. If you are a member and introduce someone new to the Society, we’ll take $15 from the price of an individual or a family membership. That makes the gift of an individual membership just $35; a family membership just $70.

Personalize your order

Use our order form to personalize your gift membership. We will then print your special message on the membership letter to your Valentine.

You may also order this gift membership by phone: 617-933-4963

There may be three feet of snow on the ground, but in the Mass Hort greenhouse, spring is well underway.

Seedlings growing in the Mass Hort greenhouses.

Hundreds of trays of seedlings are basking in an 85 degree, 100 percent humidity environment by day that cools to a comfortable 60 degrees at night. Fans keep the moist air gently moving. The seedlings are coddled by Master Gardeners and ruthlessly checked for bugs and weedy invaders.

There are primroses that will grace gardens in May and penstemon that will provide color this summer. Digitalis (foxglove) seedlings destined for the trial gardens are already several inches high. But it's the vegetables that are getting all of the attention this week.

As part of its garden exhibit at the Boston Flower & Garden Show next month, Mass Hort will show how to design and plant a vegetable garden. Visitors will see that garden in its late-May glory, which means an entire garden's worth of vegetables need to be in the same state as a home gardener would be in mid-April… minus the possibility of frost.

There are trays of a new red romaine lettuce called 'Outredgeous' that are just an inch or so high right now. Over the next two weeks, gardens curator and horticulturalist David Fiske will gingerly pry apart the seedlings into smaller clusters of lettuce. He and his staff of volunteers repeat the process with both 'Outredgeous' and other vegetables until they have created a wide row of the plant.

Master Gardener Sonja Johanson volunteers in the Mass Hort greenhouse.

Why a garden at a flower show? It's a first peek at a program you'll be hearing much more about over the next several months. It's called 'garden to table' and it's about eating healthy. That health starts with fresh vegetables and Mass Hort wants to show you that a vegetable garden isn't something restricted to homeowners with acres of lands to devote to their efforts. Vegetables can come in a pot or a window sill; they can fit in compact spaces and still keep a family in food all summer.

The exhibit will show how to keep a garden free of interlopers and how a little ingenuity can let a gardener get a jump on the season.

But it all starts with seeds, and right now, those seedlings are well on their way to becoming something beautiful.

by Betty Sanders

Syndey Eddison's "Gardening for a Lifetime" conveys her love of her subject.

When I saw that Sydney Eddison had written a book titled, "Gardening for a Lifetime", I immediately put it at the top of my Christmas list. She didn't disappoint. If you first encountered Ms. Eddison when she wrote "Gardens to Go" or you finally understood working with color in the garden after reading "The Gardener's Palette", you know she has the ability to convey her love of gardens and gardening along with the information you need.

Her latest book is subtitled "How to Garden Wiser as You Grow Older". But if you are a young gardener with more desire than time or energy to garden, you will find your answers here. The conclusions she comes to and the solutions she recommends should not be saved for the 'older gardener'. They should be snatched up and relished by everyone who finds that family and work and even other hobbies means that the garden you want is not always the garden you can have. In my garden, I have slowly been coming to many of the same solutions - perennials beds give way to shrubs, for example - they both bloom, they both add beauty to my landscape, but the latter needs significantly less time to maintain.

Accept change, she advocates, whether it be reducing the size of your garden or the way you garden. Many years ago, the rule was that a good garden required double digging, a back-breaking process of removing and replacing soil in order to add more organic material. Today soil scientists tell you that the process destroys the soils structure and disrupts the microscopic bacteria and fungi that make soil healthy. Double digging is out; top dressing with compost is in.

Her other recommendations may at first seem to verge on heresy. Accept imperfections: nature isn't perfect; you shouldn't strive to be either. The American lawn is too much work for too little reward. Rethink why you want or need lawn. Embrace container gardens - they are easier to maintain and can offer you a chance to have a new garden each year. Relish shade and the reduced requirements for maintenance that can come with it.

Sydney Eddison has lectured written and gardened for many years. Now she is distilling what she has learned to help you do the same by making choices to turn gardening from a series of chores back to a source of joy.

by Neal Sanders
Leaflet Contributor

They are camped out around my home, at least 80 refugees, far from their subtropical origins, gathered by windows and leaning toward a feeble sun for sustenance. They huddle together to preserve precious water in a house where the humidity is in single digits.

What we do to our houseplants. We take growing things whose ancestors never experienced a frost and transport them to environments where, for six months of the year, all that separates them from death by frozen capillaries is a pane of glass. And all this for…. What?

Why do we have houseplants? I typed that question into Google, ordinarily a bastion of reason and well-marshaled information. The first response was a query right back at me: 'How can I get rid of gnats?' Not ready for a Socratic dialog so early in the morning, I declined to provide an answer. Five pages of scrolling later, I had not found any erudite answers from horticulturally-inclined sociologists, although I uncovered an online survey indicating that our 80+ population of plants puts us dangerously outside the bell curve (the average number is five).

And so, I am left to come up with my own answers. The first one is obvious: they're green and they sometimes flower. It's February in New England. There is more than two feet of snow on the ground. Who wouldn't want to have something nearby that reminded us that winter is not a permanent condition?

Huddled masses of plants

Another answer is that houseplants are undemanding. Water them once a week. Check them for insects (including, yes, gnats). Re-pot them once a year. Compared to a pet, they're self-sufficient. My aunt kept a snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) in a darkened hallway that, to the best of my knowledge, was never watered, only dusted occasionally. It lived for decades.

Plants can surprise you. My wife received a lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus 'Rigel") as part of a plant challenge. She nurtured it for three months but, once the challenge was over, put it in a plant rack where it was promptly forgotten about. This winter, it has started flowering. Not spectacularly and not prolifically. But every week another bright red bloom appears.

Plants also respond to pampering. I cannot walk by a display of orchids without pouting like a six-year-old that "I want one". And so our home is filled with dendrobium and phalaenopsis specimens. They bloom for several months, then the flowers wilt and the stems turn brown. The plants go onto a lower rack away from the prime sun locations. Then, one day something magical happens: a new stem forms and, over the course of a month, bud nodes appear. The orchid gets tender, loving care: swabbed with alcohol to rid it of pests and placed in a location with perfect, filtered light. A few weeks later, the flowers begin to open.

Neomarica blooms last a single day.

Finally, plants get to become family. Last month I wrote about a cyclamen that has been around so long it is practically a family retainer. Our various bougainvillea have been in residence for so many years that I can predict their flowering cycles to within a few days. As this is written, the buds are starting to swell on our walking iris (neomarica), a plant that freeloads around the house for 50 weeks each year before earning its keep in a spectacular succession of blooms, each lasting just a single day.

Neal Sanders is a frequent contributor to the Leaflet. We encourage you to read his contributions to our In the Gardens Blog where he focuses on interesting cultivars that can found in the Elm Bank gardens. Neal's first novel, Murder Imperfect, has been published. You can learn more about it here or order it through Amazon.com.