Kathy Macdonald, President of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society Photo by Andy Caulfield

Dear Friends,

Saturday, July 7^th, was a remarkable day here at Elm Bank. The Massachusetts Horticultural Society had an opportunity to show off its gardens to a group of discerning professionals as we hosted a tour for the Perennial Plant Association.

The PPA - a trade association composed of growers, retailers, landscape designers and contractors, educators, and others that are professionally involved in the herbaceous perennial industry – held its annual convention in Boston. As part of that meeting, over 150 PPA attendees descended upon the Gardens at Elm Bank. They came with note pads and cameras in hand to tour Mass Hort’s gardens and to meet two prominent designers.

Adrian Bloom gives a tour of the Bressingham Garden at the Gardens at Elm Bank

Julie Moir Messervy (left) outside of Weezie's Garden

Mass Hort is now offering tours of our beautiful gardens every Tuesday through the end of August.

Jessica Adani has joined the Massachusetts Horticultural Society as the new Director of Development.

Jessica Adani is Mass Hort's new Director of Development.

Jessica Adani
Director of Development
617-933-4945
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The Vegetable Garden in late June.

With the recent heat waves, everything in the vegetable garden seems to be growing inches a day. Peas plump up faster than we can pick them. We didn't quite beat the heat, but we're still hoping to find the time and manpower to install drip irrigation. As everything ripens in the garden and many of the late spring and summer vegetables come into season, we've added more tastings, cooking classes, and other events to show you how to bring out the best flavors in your harvest. Keep an eye on our schedule, and mark your calendar now for some of these exciting events!

We've partnered with Whole Foods Market in Wellesley to design a series of Wednesday night cooking classes to be held in their kitchen classroom. Each class will borrow a cuisine from some of our themed garden beds - Latin American, Mediterranean, Italian, Asian, and Too Pretty to Eat. Betty Sanders, the Master Gardener in charge of the vegetable garden, will be joining us to share some of her vast knowledge about what it takes to get the food to the table, and Lisa Caldwell, Healthy Eating Specialist at Whole Foods Market, will share her techniques to make summertime flavors pop. These classes start July 18^th, so don't forget to reserve your spot!

We're also excited to add Amy Kreydin to our schedule, who will talk about how to use herbs in cooking, healing, and aromatherapy.

The Blue Ginger Bed

The Massachusetts Horticulture Society has selected Wellesley's Blue Ginger restaurant as principal partner for its Garden to Table initiative. Staff and volunteers have planted a raised bed garden at Elm Bank with a variety of herbs and Asian greens which will supply a portion of the restaurant's local produce needs during the harvest season. In turn, Blue Ginger will celebrate the program by hosting a cocktail party, with a menu designed around produce from the garden, on September 12 with all proceeds going to Mass Hort.

Violunteers help mulch the Chef's Garden.

Mass Hort launched the Garden to Table initiative in 2011 in response to the local food movement and resurgence of vegetable gardening. The premise is simple: to help people start with a seed and end with a meal. The Chef's Garden demonstrates a beautiful edible landscape with 22 vegetable beds representing different culture's cuisines. The bed planted for Blue Ginger contains Asian greens like hon tsai tai and mizuna, as well as Thai basil and several types of chilies.

"Our menu is very ingredient-driven," said Executive Chef Jonathan Taylor. "Using locally grown produce when it's available makes our East-West cuisine that much better. And having our own garden, tended by the community, is the best case scenario for us,"

"We are delighted to partner with Blue Ginger as a way to help promote our Garden to Table initiative and inspire people to enjoy seasonal vegetables from the garden," explained Katherine Macdonald, President of Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

Every Thursday evening through November, The Massachusetts Horticultural Society offers insightful, informative and interesting talks and workshops on a wide range of gardening topics, each by an authoritative professional who is also a great communicator. This month, you can learn about Clematis, how to propagate woody plants, get rid of pesky weeds, and use biological methods to thwart invasive pests.

Presentations begin at 7 p.m. and go until all questions are answered. The classes are priced at $12 for members and $15 for non-members. There is no need to pre-register.

Here’s the lineup for the remainder of July and early August.

Clematis: The Queen of the Climbers
July 12, 2012 - Cheryl Monroe - The Garden in the Burrow

Clematis is the 'Queen of the Climbing Vines' and includes a collection of some 300 species and a thousand cultivars. Clematis is ideally suited to our New England climate and some cultivars bloom continuously for up to 16 weeks.

Cheryl Monroe is a Master Gardener who has 50 Clematis on her property and maintains an on line blog - The Garden in the Burrow.

Propagating Woody Plants for the Home Gardener
July 19th, 2012 - Carrie Waterman - Noanett Garden Club

Rooting softwood cuttings of many hardy trees and shrubs is a satisfying and enjoyable experience and not as difficult as you may think. This lecture will go over all the basics and demonstrate exact techniques that have been successful for the lecturer. Lists of suitable species will be shared as well as information about wintering over your cuttings. You will be amazed and delighted with what you can accomplish taking your own softwood cuttings!

Dealing with 10 Tough Weeds
July 26, 2012 - Randy Prostak - University of Massachusetts

What do you do when the weeds are threatening to take over? Randy Prostak’s presentation will focus on dealing with some of the toughest weeds to manage in lawns, landscapes and garden. He’ll take you through cultural, non-chemical, and herbicidal controls; and then field your questions with specific answers untainted by industry propaganda.

Randy Prostak has been a University of Massachusetts Extension Specialist since 2000 where he specializes in weed management. He is a member of the Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Team and currently serves on the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group. He is an active member of the Northeastern Weed Science Society and Weed Science Society of America.

Biological control of invasive pests in New England landscapes
August 2, 2012 - Dick Casagrande - University of Rhode Island

Our forests, landscapes, and gardens seem to be constantly assaulted by new invasive weed and insect pests. Lily leaf beetle, winter moth, Japanese knotweed, hemlock woolly adelgid, garlic mustard, mile-a-minute vine, and even kudzu are already well-established in southern New England and the emerald ash borer has its sights on us. Ironically, in many cases, the best opportunity to manage these pests involves introducing additional non-native species - generally insects - that regulated them in their native homeland.

Dr. Casagrande will discuss current programs, opportunities and limitations for biological control of landscape pests of particular importance in our region. He will also answer questions and offer practical advice to homeowners interested in controlling (or enhancing) insects in their homes and yards.

Please mark your calendars for all of our upcoming events!

Mass Marketplace Festival on August 4. Each year, the Elm Bank grounds become the home of a celebration of all things made in Massachusetts. On Saturday, August 4, you can come to look, shop and sample locally grown foods, locally made crafts and other unusual items created here in the Commonwealth. Now 16 years old and going strong, Mass Marketplace is your opportunity to encounter the unexpected.

Honorary Medals Dinner on September 27. For nearly a century, Mass Hort has honored excellence in horticulture with its annual Honorary Medals dinner. This year, the list of honorees is exceptionally distinguished. The dinner is an opportunity to hear some exceptionally learned people speak on interesting topics in a celebratory atmosphere. All proceeds of the event benefit Mass Hort.

Festival of Trees from November 20 through December 15. It's July, so of course it's time to think about decorating trees! We began accepting applications for themed trees on June 1. Our goal this year is to have 80 trees on display and up to a dozen gingerbread houses. Visit the Festival of Trees website to see how you can donate a tree or gingerbread house, sponsor a tree, or get involved as a volunteer with this wonderful activity.

Putting together your travel plans for the rest of the summer? Would you like to add some great gardens to your ‘to do’ list? If you are a member of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, you can enjoy free admission and a host of other benefits at seven superb gardens around the state between August 11 through 19. All you have to do is show your Mass Hort membership card. Not a member? Join or renew now.

Massachusetts Botanic Gardens Reciprocal Membership Week Is August 11-19. Here are the participating gardens and the special benefits, some of which require advance registration:

Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University: Free staff-led tour and refreshments for members, Tuesday, August 14, 4:00 p.m. Please register in advance or call 617-384-5277.

Botanic Garden at Smith College: Free audio tours and a 10% discount on any merchandise in gift shop.

Garden in the Woods:Free admission. Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday with free guided walking tours of the Garden at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday through Friday and at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Extended hours to 8:00 p.m., Thursday August 16 with refreshments served on the patio from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Massachusetts Horticultural Society:Special garden tour at Elm Bank on Monday, August 13, 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.

Mount Auburn Cemetery: Free Wine Tasting at Washington Tower. Savor a hand-picked selection of wines provided by The Magnolia Wine Company of Watertown while enjoying the late-summer beauty of Mount Auburn in the early evening hours, Thursday, August 16, 5:30 p.m. Please register in advance at or call 617-607-1980.

Tower Hill Botanic Garden: Free admission. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday with extended hours Wednesday until 8:00 PM.

Wellesley College Botanic Gardens: Special greenhouse tour, Monday, August 13, 2:30 to 4:00 p.m..

Elizabeth Pilcher

If you've ever been a volunteer at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society (or would like to be one), then the name Elizabeth Pilcher is going to become a very familiar one to you. Liz is Mass Hort's new Volunteer Coordinator; the person responsible for enticing dozens - and sometimes hundreds - of volunteers to come to Elm Bank or the Boston Flower & Garden Show to work for pizza, soft drinks, and the opportunity to help a worthy cause.

Liz has been on the job just a few weeks, but we thought this would be a good opportunity for readers to put a face to a name that will be increasingly visible around the organization.

* * * * *

What kinds of things had you done at Mass Hort before you were asked to be Volunteer Coordinator?

The Master Gardener course brought me to Elm Bank, which re-introduced me to Mass Hort. I used to be a member back when it was headquartered at Horticultural Hall. I did little with the organization at the time - just marveled at the building and the library.

I also understand that you work at a structural engineering firm, though not as an engineer.

I'm marketing manager at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, a wonderful structural engineering firm perhaps best known locally for their work on MIT's Simmons Hall. Their practice is global and it has been a pleasure being with them. I'm planning to retire next year.

What prompted you to take the job at Mass Hort?

For a number of years, I have been thinking about volunteering. I didn't think to ask myself until it was too late just why the job was hard to fill. Kidding aside, I like wrangling people. Vivien Bouffard has given me much support so I could get off the starting gate without falling down. So, too, have Michael Opton, Kathy Macdonald, and Holly Perry.

One of your responsibilities is to cajole people into helping rather than just waiting for the volunteers to materialize. How do you do that?

Fortunately, Mass Hort has a process in place for reaching out to potential volunteers. There's a core of long-time volunteers and new ones coming along regularly. My first effort at wrangling volunteers was for the Perennial Plant Association Tour at Elm Bank on July 7. I must have done a good job because more people signed up than expected. The next big event is the Massachusetts Marketplace Festival on August 4, which will require quite a volunteer turnout.

Do you have thoughts on how to improve things?

Mass Hort wants to consolidate and organize the volunteer base using an interactive, cloud-based software. I will play a part in this effort. You'll be hearing more about that over the next several months.

The Maine Garden Journal

(Editor's note: Lisa Colburn, the author of The Maine Garden Journal, will give an illustrated talk on her book at Elm Bank during the Mass Marketplace Festival on Saturday, August 4, at 11:00 a.m.)

The Maine Garden Journal
By Lisa Colburn (Fern Leaf Publishing Company, 2012)

Reviewed by Maureen Horn, Mass Hort Librarian

To be in Maine in the summer is the nearly universal dream of suburban dwellers of Massachusetts. The Maine Garden Journal will nourish the dream for those already smitten, and it will likely add new aspirants.

Lisa Colburn

Maine hardiness zone map

The book is organized into four types of plants: Trees, shrubs, perennials (which are divided into vines, ferns, and grasses) and annuals. The four types are listed in order according to their popularity among Maine gardeners. Each plant is described with practical advice on sustaining its growth, and that advice is frequently attributed to specific gardeners. Opening the book to a random page gives you the pleasant feeling that you're being allowed to listen in on conversations among knowledgeable neighbors. They offer hints for success, but raves share space with rules, and raves are reinforced with gorgeous illustrations.

As all gardeners know, satisfaction from the job is often tempered by destructive pests, so in another section the organization of the book is reversed: the pests are identified in the order of their unpopularity.

The Maine Garden Journal could be subtitled a "saga of the zones". Ms. Colburn wanders from place to place throughout Maine and the time moves across the year. More than half of Maine in Zones 3B and 4A, with winters that are barely imaginable to those in warmer climes. Two pockets of relatively balmy Zone 6A can be found along the Down East coast. Ms. Colburn visits them all and reports what people grow and how they grow it. Research and listening to her respondents allowed the author to offer several lists of resources, including suppliers, clubs, events, books, and websites.

A survey on vegetable gardening is in the making, and attendees at Mass Marketplace may get a preview of its findings. If you love gardening and you love Maine, this book is an invaluable companion.

by Betty Sanders
Lifetime Master Gardener

A mulch of heat-treated straw keeps moisture in the soil and retards weeds.

Hot! Hot! Hot ! Ninety degree days make a great excuse for a trip to the beach, but don't forget the garden before you go. We've had enough rain so far this summer to keep the lawns, trees and shrubs healthy; but vegetable gardens, annuals and containers need special attention. Most vegetables are annuals which do not have deep root systems. A mulch of straw, grass clippings (from untreated lawns only!) or even newspapers helps to keep water levels even and plants producing happily. Pick your garden regularly. Remove weeds - they not only steal water, fertilizer and sunlight; they may also act as host plants for diseases and insect pests. Remember to pick up and discard in the trash any fallen leaves or fruit to reduce the incidence of disease.

Containers hold a lot of plants with very little soil compared to those in your garden. As a result, they need to be checked daily during hot spells. Water deeply to prevent roots from dying in hot, dry pots.

Annuals planted in the soil should also be mulched and regularly deadheaded to stay at their best in the hot weather.

Chop, chop! If you missed the Memorial Day or Father's Day cutback of perennials, this is your last chance. Reducing the height of asters, balloon flowers, phlox and many other late-summer-blooming perennials will give you shorter plants that require less staking and yield more flowers. Cut a third of the plant and compost the healthy greens. Your perennial will recover quickly and give you a fuller plant to enjoy next month.

Lawn grub

Lawns and Grubs and Heat. Ads will soon appear telling you to apply chemicals to kill the grubs that are hatching in the lawn. If we have a hot, dry summer, there's a simpler and cheaper way to kill grubs: don't water your lawn. The newly hatched grubs need water to survive, and many of them will die if subjected to a couple of dry weeks. The grass in your lawn is quite resilient; it will go dormant and then quickly spring back when rain and cooler temperatures appear in the fall. Lawns happily tolerate the presence of a few grubs with no noticeable damage.

Divide irises

In the Perennial Garden. Keeping your perennial beds looking good is a season-long job. After the poppies have finished for the year, divide clumps to keep the plants from outgrowing their space. Now is also the time to dig, divide and replant irises. Check bearded irises for any signs of iris borers and treat them by mechanically removing the borers (yes, that means by squishing or otherwise killing each individual). Iris borers can be controlled with spring applications of a product called Merit, but be aware this is highly toxic to bees and not to be applied without due caution. Divisions of existing plants can be used to expand gardens, fill in wholes where something else didn't work-or survive, or to share with friends

In the Vegetable Garden. Use row covers or other lightweight cloth to create shade for your lettuce. Shade will not prevent the lettuce bolting during the long hot day of July, but will certainly slow down the process. Begin planting fall crops of beets, carrots, turnips, cabbage, kale, oriental greens and even peas after the middle of the month. You'll be able to harvest these in September and October if we have a mild fall. And, this is your last call to plant corn from seed, or put in tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash and melons.

Compost. It's a good job for a cool day or an early morning, but turning your compost now will speed up the process and pay dividends later with more compost for your autumn gardening needs. If your compost pile or bin is in the sun, remember to water it if there isn't periodic rain this month. The composting process doesn't work if the material is not kept as wet as a well-wrung-out sponge. (If you have a closed-bin system, it's unlikely you'll ever need to add moisture.) And, keep adding kitchen waste as well as clean garden debris to maximize your compost output.

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

by Neal Sanders
Leaflet Contributor

Vegetable gardeners are optimists. They have to be because, otherwise, they'd never lift a hoe again after they saw their first tomato hornworm.

We have a plot at a community vegetable garden in our town. It's a sunny, 1200-square-foot space that has some of the richest soil in New England. Because we also 'run' the garden (we thought we were joining a committee but it turned out no one else was on it), we field all the questions and problems from our fifty-plus fellow gardeners. As you read on, please keep in mind that this is a good year for vegetable gardening.

Cucumber beetle

Everyone is coping with an infestation of cucumber beetles. The comments started in mid-May that cucumber vine leaves had little holes in them. By mid-June, plants were disappearing overnight. By now, any squash, cucumber, or soybean plant that isn't being grown under a row cover is an endangered species.

Also, the first of the Mexican bean beetles have been spotted. This charming pest chomps on green beans and anything that looks like a green bean (the bugs are apparently far-sighted), including mung beans, soybeans and alfalfa. You know you have a Mexican bean beetle infestation because, one day, you come out to your garden and all you have are skeletons of leaves. Again, row covers are the lone salvation unless you're not averse to dowsing your vegetables with exceedingly non-organic bug killers.

squash borer

Yesterday, someone asked Betty about the cute little orange and gray moths on her squash plants. Betty patiently explained that they are the adult manifestations of Melitta curcurbitae, otherwise known as the squash vine borer. When two adults get together and make whoopee, they'll lay a mass of eggs under a summer or winter squash vine. Two few weeks later, there go the zucchini, butternut squash, and melons.

Our vegetable garden looks like a Red Cross aid station.

Because of the threat of these pests, our garden this year looks like a Red Cross aid station. White row covers shield our green beans, zucchini, yellow squash and a couple of other things that have been cloaked so long that I've forgotten what's underneath them.

Yet, despite the alarming reports noted above, this is turning out to be a great year for vegetables. Not just 'knee-high by the Fourth of July', our early corn already shows tassels and we'll likely pick our first ears before the end of July. The cooler-than-normal May and June means that our lettuce and arugula haven't bolted and are producing prolifically. Our peas produce pods by the gazillion and we've pulled beets that have reached the size of softballs without turning woody. Our basil is dark green and already redolent of the citral that gives it that wonderful scent. Rainfall has been well-spaced and the heat blasts have been of short duration.

Of course, all of this can change overnight. Our ten tomato plants look perfect right now, but Late Blight - a scourge that wiped out virtually the entire Northeast tomato crop in 2010 - has been found as close as Pennsylvania. Fungus could discover the basil and corn borers could lay waste to our crop.

The only way to keep your sanity when you grow vegetables is to assume the best. We plant, we weed, we pick off the bad bugs, we water and we fertilize. We cross our fingers and imagine the taste of that first tomato and fresh-picked sweet corn. Gardeners count their wins, not their losses.

Neal Sanders is a frequent contributor to the Leaflet. Neal's newest mystery, A Murder in the Garden Club, was published in March and you can learn more about it here . That book, plus his three other mysteries, can be ordered through Amazon.com .