THE DIRT

Summer Issue 2016, Volume 42, Issue 2

The Rotary Botanic Garden page 5

1
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Ed Burke
Rocky Dale Gardens
806 Rocky Dale Road
Bristol, VT 05443
802.453.2782
ed@rockydalegardens.com
VICE-PRESIDENT
Hannah Decker
Fairfax Perennial Farm, Inc.
7 Blackberry Hill Road
Fairfax, VT 05454
802.849.2775
perennialfarm@surfglobal.net
SECRETARY/TREASURER
Nate Carr
Church Hill Landscapes, Inc.
287 Church Hill Road
Charlotte, VT 05445
802.425.5222
nate@churchhilllandscapes.com
DIRECTORS
David Burton
Ginkgo Design, LLC
22 Pearl Street
Essex Junction, VT 05452
802.857.5104
ginkgodesignvt@gmail.com
Carrie Chalmers
Carrie Chalmers Design
239 Lawrence Hill Road
Weston, VT 05161
802.375.5930
carriechalmers6694@gmail.com
VJ Comai COMMITTEES
Bartlett Tree Experts
184 Tamarack Rd BUDGET AND FINANCE
Charlotte, VT 05445 COMMITTEE CHAIR
802.296.1797 Nate Carr - Church Hill Landscapes, Inc.
vcomai@bartlett.com 802.425.5222
Marlys Eddy INDUSTRY AWARDS COMMITTEE CHAIR
Vermont Technical College Ed Burke - Rocky Dale Gardens
PO Box 500 802.453.2782
Randolph Center, VT 05061
802.728.1207 LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR
meddy@vtc.edu Shannon Lee - Sisters of Nature
802.825.1851
Shannon Lee
Sisters of Nature MARKETING & EDUCATION
135 Phyllis Lane COMMITTEE CHAIR
Waterville, VT 05492 Ed Burke - Rocky Dale Gardens
802.825.1851 802.453.2782
sistersofnature@yahoo.com
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR
Ashley Robinson VJ Comai - Bartlett Tree Experts
Ashley Robinson Landscape Designer 802.425.6222
PO Box 28
Charlotte, VT 05445 PROGRAM COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
802.922.1924 VJ Comai - Bartlett Tree Experts
arobinsonld@gmail.com 802.425.6222
Ashley Robinson - Ashley Robinson
Landscape Designer
ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY 802.922.1924
Kristina MacKulin RESEARCH & AWARDS
Green Works/VNLA COMMITTEE CHAIR
P.O. Box 92 VJ Comai - Bartlett Tree Experts
N. Ferrisburgh, VT 05473 802.296.1797
Toll Free: 888.518.6484
P: 802.425.5117; F: 802.425.5122 VERMONT CERTIFIED HORTICULTURIST
Kristina@greenworksvermont.org COMMITTEE
www.greenworksvermont.org Nate Carr - Church Hill Landscapes, Inc.
802.425.5222

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2
PRESIDENT’S LETTER Ed Burke, Rocky Dale Gardens

Keeping Up

As I write this, we are getting some badly needed rain in the form of
a brief but heavy thunderstorm. I’ll take it! The lack of snow cover this
past winter, (and snow melt this past spring) and the modest rainfall
so far this season has created dry conditions that most of us are not inside this
used to. One of the most difficult but important jobs for us is to make
sure our customers water their new plantings. And not only this year’s issue
new plantings, but also those installed over the last couple of years.
Young plants do not have established root systems and depend on
surface water unlike established plants that have deeper root
systems. Get this point across to your customers through an email
newsletter, a phone call, a note or a conversation. The success of your work depends on it! Board of Directors 2
Even with the lack of rain, it’s been a bumper year for weeds and I’ve noticed a high The President’s Letter 3
demand for landscape and garden maintenance. While not the sexiest part of our
profession, maintenance is an important component of a successful landscape or garden The Buzz 4
installation and will assure that the vision we have for our projects will be achieved.
Green Works
Maintenance is an undervalued service in our industry. Just today I had a customer complain Summer Meeting
about the “outrageous” cost of maintenance and that any 3rd grader could pull weeds! The History of the
Before I could set him straight, he kind of laughed, he was half joking, but in him I see the Rotary Botanic
many people who want professional services but aren’t happy paying a professional price. In Gardens
that instance, many customers hire untrained individuals or companies to do the work and
Calendar of Events
the result will often be a tidy looking but unsuccessful landscape. Naturally vase-shaped
shrubs will be pruned into rounded or oval shapes, perennial plantings will have buckets of Vermont Tree
mulch between each plant, mulch volcanoes will surround trees, and, well… you get the Steward Awards
picture.

How many of us have installed a landscape only to go back in a few years and see that it News from the U! 9
doesn’t look anything like what we had envisioned? Who did the pruning? Who didn’t prune?
Even installing “low maintenance” landscapes will take maintenance and guidance to get The Lab 11
established, and they will take the right kind of maintenance and guidance. When you sell Observations from
your design and installation, do you sell a maintenance agreement that will assure the
UVM Diag. Lab
installation develops to its full potential? Do you have a contractor you work with who is
excellent at maintenance and understands your design intent and good horticultural News from the
practices? While we all enjoy designing and creating new spaces, there is important work in Agency of Ag
on-going horticultural services and I believe there is a lot of opportunity for our members here.
The Idea Factory 18
Speaking of maintenance… the summer meeting is at my place this year, Rocky Dale
Gardens. I have about 5 weeks to get the place spiffed up and as usual, I’m too busy taking Strictly Business 20
care of other people’s gardens, (and I couldn’t find any 3rd graders to help me out!). Check out the VT
Regardless, it will be a great day and I hope you can carve out time to attend on August 24th.
Small Business
Our keynote speaker, Mark Dwyer, is the Director of Horticulture at the Rotary Gardens in
Wisconsin. Mark has helped transform a sand and gravel quarry into a fabulous 20-acre Development
botanical garden. As you’ll read in this issue of The Dirt, it’s an impressive achievement! I Center
heard Mark speak last year at New England Grows and found him to be an excellent
plantsman! You’re sure to come away with some new ideas! The Plant Lounge 22

And speaking of opportunity…summer is short; take a break! Between now and the summer
meeting, I hope you have time to enjoy some fun and get all your work accomplished! For
most of us, the Fourth of July marks a turning point in the season and even though you’re
super busy, it’s good to reflect on how the year is going, and how you’re feeling and what
you might do differently next season. Do this with a cold beer or iced tea or while kayaking or
hiking. We need to take care of ourselves to be able to take care of everyone else. As a flight
attendant advises before take off, “put your oxygen mask on before assisting others”!

See you soon! Cover Photo:

Rotary Botanical Gardens

Ed

3
 THE BUZZ
the low down on what’s up!
Green Works
Summer Meeting and Trade Show
August 24, 2016
The Summer Meeting is fast approaching! We will
gather on August 24 at Rocky Dale Gardens in Bristol
for a day of catching up with colleagues, some great
presentations, good food, and garden tours.
Our keynote speaker is Mark Dwyer. Mark has been
the Director of Horticulture at Rotary Botanical
Gardens (Janesville, WI) for the past 18 years. Mark
manages the continued maintenance, improvement
and development of this 20 acre garden along with
hundreds of dedicated volunteers and a talented
grounds staff. The history of the Rotary Botanical
Gardens is a fascinating story, which you can read
about on page 5.
Mark is a member of many plant societies and
organizations and enjoys both presenting and writing
about a wide range of horticultural topics. He
previously worked as a horticulturist at Fernwood
Botanical Garden & Nature Preserve in Niles, MI and
was a landscape designer in Appleton, Wisconsin for
many years.
Mark’s true passion is obtaining, growing, observing
and photographing all types of plants. He continues
to do landscape design both at work and
independently and enjoys exploring endless plant
combinations and the benefits they provide for
people, wildlife and the environment. Mark has done
an “almost daily” gardening blog (found at
www.rotarybotanicalgardens.com) for over 8 years
which has seen over 500,000 hits.
Mark will be giving two presentations at the summer
meeting: “New and Exciting Plants and Displays” and
“The Innovative Management and Development of
the Rotary Botanical Garden”. We feel lucky to have
Mark join us in August and hope you will too!
4
THE VERMONT FLOWER SHOW
MARCH 1–3, 2017
Become a Sponsor for the
2017 Vermont Flower Show!
In its 18th year!
Look for Exhibitor
Registration forms in late August!
Neverland truly is where dreams are born at the 2017
Vermont Flower Show!  Join us for three days as spring
comes to life thanks to hundreds of volunteers working
together to build a spectacular 12,000 square foot
New expanded floor plan!
landscape indoors.  This year’s Grand Garden Display offers
the world of Peter Pan as inspiration for a magical garden
journey.  Gardeners and non-gardeners alike are drawn
to the show for inspiration, education and a break from
the long cold winter. Our biennial event, in its 18th year,
attracted over 10,000 attendees in 2015.
2015 Grand Garden Display
BECOME A SPONSOR of the 2017 Vermont Flower Show!
This is a unique opportunity to showcase your business to attendees from all over Vermont, New York, Canada, and beyond.
Show features include the Grand Garden Display, over 40 seminars and workshops to attend, over 100 exhibitors
Participate in the Green Works
displaying their wares and services; VT Specialty food and product vendors; a Family Room with hands-on activities
and entertainment; experts on hand to answer horticultural questions, a local bookstore, cooking from the garden
demonstrations, VT Garden Railway Society and VT Federated Garden Clubs displays. The Vermont Flower Show is an event
2016 Industry Awards Program
attendees spend the entire day at.
The Vermont Flower Show is produced by Green Works – the Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association.
Established in 1964, Green Works is a non-profit professional association representing Vermont’s green industry
professionals. Our mission is to support and strengthen the horticulture industry in Vermont by creating greater
awareness of the benefits of landscaping and promoting the professional services and products of our members to
the public. Green Works is committed to being an information resource for our members and the public.
888.518.6484 / p: 802.425.5117 / f: 802.425.5122
kristina@greenworksvermont.org / www.greenworksvermont.org
Scope out your projects and
take lots of photos this season!
Entry forms will be available in August!
The History of the Rotary
Botanical Gardens
Rotary Botanical Gardens is a non-profit, award-winning
botanical showcase, located on 20-acres in the heart of
Janesville, Wisconsin. Their awe-inspiring landscapes and
gardens are a vibrant and welcoming host to an
estimated 100,000 visitors each year. Supported solely by
donations, the Gardens receive no tax dollars.
The Gardens occupy the site
of an abandoned sand and
gravel quarry on Palmer Drive.
In 1988, the original site
between Lions Beach and
Kiwanis Pond was covered
with debris and used as
storage for the Parks
Department and a BMX
bicycle racetrack. The
Gardens’ founder and original
visionary, retired orthodontist
Dr. Robert Yahr, approached
the two Rotary Clubs in
Janesville and inquired about
their interest in developing a
botanical garden for the
community to enjoy. Both
clubs agreed to this service
project. Dr. Yahr’s original idea was to clean up the pond
and surrounding area as a club project, but his
imagination began to soar and the result was an
ambitious new project for Janesville Rotarians.
The clubs began with a 10-year plan to clean up the
grounds, create gardens with international themes,
convert an old brick structure to a visitors’ center, improve
the area across the road from the proposed gardens,
and develop and beautify the Ice Age Trail. On May 2,
1988, the City of Janesville agreed to lease what is now a
20-acre site to the Janesville Rotary Foundation at no
charge for a period of 99 years. Rotarians began their
work at the site with a massive cleanup effort, removing
tons of broken glass, rusty barrels, old tires, concrete slabs,
rusty cyclone fencing and underbrush. With the
cooperative efforts of volunteers and the expertise of
engineers, contractors and carpenters, the project
moved ahead. Jobs Bank workers from General Motors
began renovation of the dilapidated brick building, first
fortifying the foundation, and then gutting the interior.
Duane Rath donated $160,000 for the complete
renovation. The refurbished structure, the Rath
Environmental Center, housed a meeting room, library,
solarium, workshop and second floor administrative
offices.
The Wisconsin Conservation Corps provided assistance
with the development of the gardens, and the Wisconsin
5
Department of Natural Resources helped with the pond.
Wooden benches were installed to provide resting spots
at the water’s edge and along the walkways, and brick
paths were created that are marked with the names of
people who made financial contributions.
Structures completed in 2002 as result of a $3.2 million
campaign included: a new horticultural building and the
Parker Visitor/Educational Center (an expansion of the
Rath Environmental Center) with meeting rooms,
educational classrooms and a gift shop.
With the help of local
Rotarians, countless
volunteers, supporters
and the City of
Janesville, Rotary
Botanical Gardens has
become a botanical
treasure enjoyed by
both the community
and visitors from around
the country and the
world. It has grown into
a retreat which offers
peace, beauty and
serenity, but also serves
as a prime destination
for educational
programs, family-friendly
events, weddings and
community gatherings.
About Dr. Robert Yahr
Dr. Robert Yahr was dogged in his dream to create an
internationally-themed botanical garden and
orchestrated unique collaborations with local Rotary and
service clubs, the City of Janesville, businesses, labor
unions, citizens and private donors to make it a reality.
Now in his 80s, Dr. Yahr maintains an emeritus position on
the Board of Directors and strolls through the Gardens on
a daily basis.
Did You Know...?
• Originally there was no dirt in the Gardens, it was
nearly 100% sand and gravel. Over 15,000 yards
(800 truckloads) of topsoil had to be hauled during
the course of this and the following year.
• During 1989 intense planning, structural
improvements, cleanup and landscaping were
carried out. It was also the year that the Japanese
bridge was constructed.
• In 1990, a group of volunteers affectionately
referred to as “The Grumpies” (from the movie
Grumpy Old Men) was formed. The purpose of the
group was to provide volunteer labor in the
Gardens on a scheduled rather than random
basis. The original four members were Dr. Robert
Yahr, Dr. Dick Sholl, Norm Carle and Bob Duckert.
 The “Grumpies” are still an incredibly active • The Gardens announced it would become an All-
volunteer group and continue to meet every America Selections display garden in 2002. The
week, year-round. The number of “Grumpies” has Gardens has since been awarded first-place in
grown sizably, and is inclusive of men and women the All-America Selections landscape design
of all ages. contest in 2012 and 2013.
• In 1991, the Gardens •Another Vern O.
welcomed 17,000 Shaffer sculpture,
visitors, installed the “Biota”, was moved
first signage, placed from the former Rath
the first memorial headquarters to the
bricks and positioned Gardens in 2006 and
the bronze sculpture now sits in the southeast
created by Vern O. corner.
Shafer named •In 2007, the terrace
“Dialogue” in 1991. was built and the
• Volunteers garden area behind the
reconstructed an terrace was designated
ornate arch in 1992 and is now known as
that was donated by the Nancy Yahr
the Rock County Memorial Children’s
Historical Society. It Garden. Themes for this
was the original popular garden
(1919) frame to the change every two
entrance of the years.
Parker Pen •Rotary Botanical
Company’s Janesville Gardens celebrated its
Headquarters and is 20th Anniversary on
now the entrance August 5, 2009 with free
leading from the admission, guided tours
Reception Garden and refreshments.
into the Sunken • In 2010, the North Point
Garden. Garden, providing a
• The Japanese picturesque view of the
Garden was formally pond was added.
dedicated in 1992. It •The Holiday Light Show
has since been welcomed over 13,000
named one of the visitors in both 2012 and
top 25 Japanese 2013.
gardens in North •Rotary Botanical
America. Gardens earned Travel
• In 1993, the Gardens Green Wisconsin
became an certification from the
independent 501(c) Wisconsin Department
(3) not-for-profit of Tourism in 2013.
organization with a
volunteer board of directors. Rotary Botanical • QR Code signage was placed in the Gardens
Gardens is self-funded, and does not receive any during the summer of 2013 to provide guests with
city, state or federal funding. It relies solely upon a technological interactive experience. Smart
the generosity of its Friends members, admissions, phone users are able to access information
special events, and corporate partnerships. regarding wedding gardens, volunteer
• In 1995, the Shade, Rhododendron, Azalea and opportunities, link to the Gardens’ Facebook
Scottish Gardens were developed. page and more.
• The fundraising event now known as the Garden • 2014 marks the 25th Anniversary of Rotary
Gala (formerly the Dinner Dance) was held for the Botanical Gardens. The anniversary will be
first time in 1996. The event raised $17,000 for commemorated with “free days” on the 25th of
continued garden development. every month during admission season, a
• In 1997, the first-ever Holiday Light Show event Founder’s Dinner to honor Dr. Yahr and other
took place. At that time it was named Winter surprises along the way.
Wonderland and featured 15,000 lights. It now
boasts over 330,000 twinkling lights.
6
 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
August 1-5, 2016 September 12, 2016 October 11, 2016
34th Perennial Plant Symposium Montreal Botanic Garden & Chinese Connecticut Invasive Plant Working
Minneapolis, MN Lantern Tour w/Leonard Perry Group Symposium
www.perennialplant.org www.greenworksvermont.org UCONN< Storrs, CT
www.store.uconn.edu
August 8, 2016 September 14, 2016
Northern VT Perennial Garden Tour Eco-Tour: Sustainable Eco-Systems for November 9-10, 2016
w/Leonard Perry Wildlife Northeast Greenhouse Conference
www.greenworksvermont.org Cambridge, MA & Expo
www.ecolandscaping.org Holiday Inn
August 12-14, 2016 Boxborough, MA
NOFA Summer Conference September 20, 2016 www.negreenhouse.org
Amherst, MA WEBINAR: Reawaking Large Landscapes-
November 30 - December 2, 2016
www.http://nofasummerconference.org/ Activating the Space
New England Grows
7pm
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
August 13-17, 2016 www.ecolandscaping.org
Boston, MA
ISA Annual International Conference &
September 23, 2016 www.newenglandgrows.org
Trade Show
Fort Worth, TX Perennial Inspirations & Concepts
March 3-5, 2017
www.isa-arbor.com Northeastern Regional Symposium
Vermont Flower Show
Mass Hort Center
CVE
Wellesley, MA
August 24, 2016 Essex Junction, VT
www.perennialplant.org
Green Works/VNLA Summer Meeting www.greenworksvermont.org
Rocky Dale Gardens September 29, 2016
Bristol, VT MA Green Careers Conference
www.greenworksvermont.org Worcester, MA
www.massgreencareers.org

Cobble Creek Nursery, LLC

W e offer quality Vermont Grown trees and

shrubs and superior service. Natives, tried
and true, and hardy new cultivars are grown at
our nursery in Monkton.

Knowledgeable, experienced, Vermont Certified

Horticulturists on staff. Support your local
economy, buy Vermont Grown plants.

Call for a catalog or stop by for a visit.

John Padua
991 Tyler Bridge Road, Bristol, VT 05443
phone/fax: 802- 453-3889 / e-mail: cobcreek@gmavt.net

7
Vermont Tree Steward
Award Recipients

The Vermont Urban and Community Forestry

Program awarded their annual Tree Steward
Awards on May 6, 2016 at the VT Arbor Day
Conference held in Montpelier. We were
proud to be a sponsor of that event and two
of our members received an award!

Congratulations to VJ Comai and Marie

Ambusk for being Vermont Tree Stewards!

“I am pleased to nominate VJ Comai. VJ has

worked in the horticulture industry, upon
graduating from UVM, for the past 20+years.
During most of those years, VJ has operated South
Forty Nursery in Charlotte, VT - a wholesale nursery
- where he has cultivated Vermont grown trees
and shrubs for the landscaping industry. One year
ago VJ took a full-time position with Bartlett Tree
Experts. This position specifically focuses on tree
care for customers throughout the State of
Vermont, as well as managing a crew on the
ground.

VJ is the past-president of the VT Nursery &

Landscape Association and remains on the board
of directors. This is his second stint at serving on
this board and has been very active in the
Association the past 20 years. VJ has spent many
hours promoting tree care to the public by giving
“The end of 2016 will mark the 10th year the project pruning workshops and working with the VT Urban
& Community Forest Department in their tree care
TREEage has been led by Marie in the City of S. Burlington.
initiatives. He offers his time and expertise over
Marie started TREEage with the goal of promoting best
and over again both to the general public and
practices for urban and community trees. Under her professionals in his field”.
guidance, they have performed training and structural
pruning on young trees, excavated, inspected, and - Kristina MacKulin, Green Works/VNLA
corrected stem girdling root defects, conducted surveys for
invasive forest pests, and helped host Arbor Day programs.
In 2008, she championed the establishment of the TREEage
Community Tree Nursery, where trees have been
transplanted from the nursery to the streets. Even though
she is no longer a resident of S. Burlington, Marie continues
to volunteer her time and considerable energy to promote
the health and vitality of the city’s urban forest”.

- Craig Lambert, S. Burlington City Arborist

8
 NEWS FROM THE U!
by Dr. Leonard Perry
After a 35 year run at UVM in the
Department of Plant and Soil
Science, and with UVM Extension,
this chapter of my career has
ended with my June 30 “official”
retirement, and title change. Yet as
I’ve mentioned previously in this
column I’ll continue much of what I
am doing now, only just under the
Plant and Soil Science department
(my online teaching, website
including monthly articles, and
Across the Fence). And I’ll continue
working with your association (one
activity being continuing my
column only under a new title), field
testing perennials for hardiness,
coordinating the Northeast
Greenhouse Conference, serving as
Horticulturist in Residence at the
King’s Garden at Fort Ticonderoga,
and other activities under my new
Green Mountain Horticulture LLC.
You can still reach me at the same
email (leonard.perry@uvm.edu), or
new phone and address
(802-318-8453, PO Box 735 Milton VT
05468).
On summer teaching, now that
UVM courses (at least in CALS) are
determined whether they’ll run
based on bottom-line budgeting
under the new IBB Budget model
and extensive formulas, with only 5
students my summer online
Perennial Garden Design course
was cancelled by the college, as
was Hydroponics (1 student,
Armstrong). Yet other courses that
only had 5 or less students AND
were part of the Summer Institute
geared to Ecological Agriculture
majors did run. These included
Composting Ecology (3 students,
Herlihy), Permaculture (1, Morris),
Soil Science (11, Gorres),
Sustainable Farm Practicum (3,
Bradshaw), Advanced Agroecology
(4, Mendez), and Sustainable
Orchard Management (1,
Bradshaw). My new online course
on Herb Growing, Design and Use,
even though not part of the
Summer Institute, had sufficient
students (12) and is running.
We can’t tell our story enough on
the importance of our industry—the
Green Industry or Environmental
Horticulture—enough, at least to
policy makers. Over my 3.5
decades in Vermont, I’ve often
seen a lack of acknowledgement
of this field here, particularly as a
funding priority. A great example
was at a recent University reception
and dinner, where more than one
speaker (scientists who should be in
command of facts) touted that the
three main ag crops in Vermont
were dairy, maple, and apples.
The agriculture reality, according to
the latest USDA figures available
online for Vermont from the 2012
Census, shows as percent of total
sales: milk from cows (65.1%), other
crops and hay (11.4%), cattle and
calves (8.0%), grains and related
(3.4%), and nursery/greenhouse
(3.3%). Next was vegetables and
related (2.7%), and fruits/nuts/
berries (1.7%). Add the three
horticulture categories, and the
production value is 7.7% or $60.3
million, close to the cattle
production.
While not part of the Ag statistics
census, USDA maple production for
VT in 2014 was shown by the USDA
at $44.5 million, which would put it
fourth after cattle ($61.9 million), or
fifth if compared to the combined
horticulture categories. Actual 2012
USDA value of production for
apples in VT (as part of the fruits and
berries category) was $10.4million,
which puts it under half that of
nursery/greenhouse production.
And, of course, these are purely
production figures, and don’t count
9
the services component to our
industry. Our previous surveys,
funded by our state and regional
associations, showed that services
(tree, landscape, other) contribute
about 3/4 of our industry income.
As long as consumers get the value
of our industry, perhaps this is the
main group that in the end counts.
In May, two from our department
were honored with awards from the
college (CALS). Professor Emeritus
Norman Pellett received the Sinclair
Cup Award . The Sinclair Cup
Award honors dean emeritus and
distinguished alumnus, Robert O.
Sinclair. Dr. Sinclair’s exemplary
career spanned more than four
decades of outstanding service to
UVM Extension (1944-1953) and the
College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences (1953-1987). This award is a
means of recognizing those
individuals who, like Dr. Sinclair,
served CALS and/or UVM Extension
with distinction as a member of the
faculty or staff for a major portion of
their professional career.  
The second CALS award went to
Terry Bradshaw, current manager of
the Horticulture Research and
Education Center (aka Hort Farm),
and Research Associate in PSS. He
teaches, helps direct the
Catamount Farm, and conducts
research (primarily on apples and
cider production). The New
Achiever Alumni Award recognizes
and honors individuals who earned
an undergraduate or graduate
degree in the last 15 years
(2001-2015) from a program
currently or formerly affiliated with
the College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences. Terry earned all three
degrees—BS, MS, and PhD last year
from our department.
Once again, thanks to support from
Green Works and assistance from
Burlington Parks and Recreation, we
have the All-America Selections
display garden at Burlington’s
Waterfront Park. This year’s list of 75
varieties and some photos will be
posted online, along with those
from past years (pss.uvm.edu/ppp/
aaswp.html). As in the past, only
about one quarter of the varieties
are All-America Selections winners,
another quarter thanks to D.S. Cole
Growers, the other half being
mainly new varieties for this coming
year from the Proven Winners and
Selections Program of Pleasant
View Gardens. This year among the
list we have several cannas, several
Colocasia, quite a few petunias
and Calibrachoa. A couple others
that stood out at the start from DS
Cole was Pennisetum ‘Black
Stockings’, and a couple Verbena
from Pleasant View—Royale
Peachy Keen (peach) and Royale
Romance (dark red). As in the past
I’ll take performance data and
ratings, and post these on my
website the end of summer.
We had a great bus tour sponsored
by Green Works in May to several
greenhouses of the Connecticut
Valley of Vermont. It is good we
only had 36 for the day, as we filled
the bus. As of this writing there are
still seats for the Green Works August
tour to three nurseries/greenhouses
in northern Vermont, and only a few
seats left for the day trip in
September to Montreal. Details
can be found on
www.greenworksvermont.org.
track mentioned in the last Dirt, as
well as the keynote (Kate Santos,
Operations Director for the global
Dummen Orange), there are quite
a few presentations for pest credits. Join Dr. Perry on his
A few include: Upcoming Green Works
• Thrips Tips, Pot Drips, Mite Blips, Sponsored Tours:
and Neonic Hits: Management
Matters from 2016 – Dan
Gilrein, Cornell Univ.
August 8, 2016
• Alternatives to Neonicotinoids
– Carlos Bográn, OHP, Inc.; Northern VT Perennial
• Being a Plant Diagnostic Garden Tour
Detective – Brian Whipker,
North Carolina State Univ. September 12, 2016
• What’s New and How do We
Montreal Botanic Garden &
Stop It: Disease Management
on Flowers and Herbs in the Chinese Lantern Tour
Greenhouse – Margery
Daughtrey, Cornell Univ. for complete details visit
www.greenworksvermont.org
If you’re involved with greenhouses,
garden retailing, perennials or
garden design, do check out the
program. I hope to see you there,
as well as at the Green Works
annual summer meeting.

As noted in the last newsletter, the

Northeast Greenhouse Conference
will be held this fall at a new
location—the Holiday Inn in
Boxborough (MA) November 9-10,
2016. As you read this the program
should be getting printed, and
maybe online (negreenhouse.org).
In addition to the day perennial
The May 23 Greenhouse Shopping Tour to member businesses.

10
 THE LAB
putting it under the lens . . .
Observations from the UVM
Plant Diagnostic Lab
Ann Hazelrigg, PhD.
We have had a little bit of every kind of weather this
spring, so all the pathogens out there been exposed to
conducive weather for the specific disease they cause!
The earlier warm wet weather has resulted in a fair
amount of fire blight, at least in Chittenden county
orchards. This bacterial disease attacks the new
succulent shoots causing the blighted shoots to curl over
into a characteristic hook or “Shepard’s crook”. I saw
some new infections that were even showing the
diagnostic amber-colored droplets of ooze of the
bacteria on the tissue, a sure sign of the bacterial
disease. If you looked at those droplets of ooze under
the microscope they would be teeming with very small
bacteria. Most of the time when looking for the disease
you will see the Shepard’s crooks but the bacterial
droplets have dried up and are no longer evident.
APS.net
The pathogen attacks anything in the rose family, so the
disease can be a problem on hawthorns, mountain ash,
pears, raspberries, cotoneasters, apples and quince.
Open blossoms are very susceptible and often are
infected with the bacteria carried by pollinating bees.
Any sort of injury such as hail, can also provide
vulnerable sites for infection since bacterial diseases
need natural openings or wounds to get into the tissue,
11
unlike fungi. Fire blight often results in cankers where the
bacteria can overwinter. Although we still have “fire
blight” weather throughout the summer, the disease
attacks the succulent new growth, hence it is a disease
seen primarily in the spring. Over fertilization can
increase the amount of succulent new growth so avoid
over fertilizing susceptible plants. The best control is to
watch susceptible plants in the spring (typically late
May/early June) and prune out any “strikes” (blighted
tissue that looks like it has been hit by fire) below the
damage. These should be taken out of the orchard or
landscape and disposed. Between pruning cuts, be sure
to surface sterilize shears with alcohol or bleach so you
do not introduce the bacteria into your next pruning cut.
Anthracnose damage is just showing up in susceptible
trees (maple, ash, oak and sycamore). This fungus
disease likes cool wet weather and attacks early in the
spring. I saw it on a red maple that had brown blighting
on new foliage. This browning often follows the leaf veins
since it stays wetter there than on the flatter surface of
the leaf.
By the time you see the disease, there is not much to do
about it, plus it really will not cause that much damage.
Several years ago, maples in Burlington were hit hard
with the disease and many lost a lot of foliage, but new
leaves came out later and all was fine. Anthracnose on
sycamores can be more destructive, causing cankers
and dieback that can result in abnormal branching of
the tree.
Orange rust on black raspberries has been a common
complaint this year. This is a destructive fungus disease
that shows up as bright orange spore pustules on the leaf
undersides. If you are a plant pathologist, it is beautiful! It
does not attack red raspberries. Once infected, it is
OMFRA, Canada
systemic in the plant and cannot be controlled.
Although the disease rarely kills plants, it will causing
stunting and lack of fruit. Plants should be destroyed.
Hydrangea leaf tier is evident in hydrangeas. This
caterpillar ties together 3-4 leaves with silk and feeds
inside. There can be several tied up leaves on one
plant.
http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id+359
12
Control the insect by squishing caterpillars inside or
removing cupped leaves and destroying. Once inside, it
is difficult to spray but Dipel (Bacillus thuringiensis) would
work.
http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id+359
Viburnum is showing damage from the snowball aphid,
which also results in curled/twisted leaves from their
feeding. They typically don’t cause that much damage,
but could be controlled with horticultural oil or
insecticidal soap.
Also seeing the shredding damage from viburnum leaf
beetle. The larvae cause this leaf damage, then drop to
the ground to pupate, followed by the feeding adults in
July. With a just few years in a row of this unchecked
feeding, plants can die. Check http://
www.hort.cornell.edu/vlb/manage.html for
management and pictures of adults and egg-laying sites
that should be removed in the fall.
As always, we are here to help so if you have a picture
of an unknown problem send to
ann.hazelrigg@uvm.edu, call at 656-0493 or send or drop
off a sample to Plant Diagnostic Clinic, Jeffords Hall, 63
Carrigan Drive, UVM, Burlington, VT 05405.
 Your Landscaping Resource

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1177_Dirt_Mar16v4.indd 1 13 3/28/16 9:24 AM

News from the Agency of
Agriculture, Spring 2016
Tim Schmalz, VT State Pathologist
Pest Observations
It is mid-June as I write this, and in spite of the weird
cold weather this spring, pests have been emerging
across Vermont, as expected. Reports of eastern tent
caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum) and forest tent
caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) feeding and
defoliation have been coming in. Eastern tent is the
one that forms webs and messy tents in apples, cherries
and similar species, and has a continuous white stripe
down the back. Forest tent does not make a tent, in
spite of the name, tends to concentrate feeding on
maples, and has a series of dots or keyhole shaped
white markings down the back. Heaviest feeding by
forest tent has been reported from around the Dorset
area (along the Taconics), but I have seen larvae
everywhere around the state. Eastern tent seems to be
widespread at low levels. Both are controllable using
conventional and organic insecticides in cases where
the infestation is causing unsustainable damage to
trees. Hopefully the forest tent infestations will not
reach the levels of the mid 2000’s when aerial spraying
of Btk was undertaken in an effort to provide some
relief for sugarmakers in Bennington and Rutland
counties.
A satin moth (Leucoma salicis) infestation has been
reported on poplars in the Randolph area, with heavy
defoliation noted on some trees. This pest attacks
poplars and willows mainly, but is reported on other
hardwood species. The larva is a pretty caterpillar,
mainly black with a series of white circles bordered by
red markings down the back, and yellowish hairs
(setae) overall. The adult is a pure white moth, with
almost translucent wings. Although heavy defoliation is
alarming, most trees with recover by re-foliating by mid-
summer. Manual control on valuable ornamentals is
most effective using insecticides at leaf emergence in
the spring, when the larvae hatch and begin feeding
on host leaves. There are a variety of natural predators
and parasites which usually limit infestations however,
and supplemental control is usually not indicated.
Pollinator protection and pesticides
Act 83, An act relating to establishment of a Pollinator
Protection Committee (H.539) was signed into law by
Governor Shumlin on May 4, 2016. This law creates a
committee charged with evaluating the causes and
occurrences of pollinator declines in Vermont, and
14
providing recommendations for actions Vermont can
undertake to help conserve and protect our pollinators.
Wild animals and insects are included in the definition
of pollinators (bats, birds and other insects or wildlife
that pollinate flowering plants), so the committee’s
charge is not limited to evaluating impacts to and
protection of honeybees (‘managed pollinators’). The
committee is to be assembled on or before September
1 by the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets,
and will comprise representatives from a variety of
sectors, including the nursery and landscaping industry,
beekeepers, vegetable and fruit growers, pesticide
applicators, universities, dairy farmers, pollinator
advocacy interests, as well as the Agency of
Agriculture. There are several topics the committee is
required to evaluate and report back to the
Legislature, including assessment of pollinator heath in
Vermont, if Vermont’s pesticide licensing and
registration process is effective, whether other states
have implemented more effective outreach and
regulatory programs than Vermont, specifically
evaluate whether best management practices avoid
harm to pollinators due to neonicotinoid pesticide uses,
evaluate sources of funding for pollinator protection
efforts, if required surface water buffers along state
waters should include perennial vegetation beneficial
for pollinators, and develop a State pollinator
protection plan. A tall order, especially considering the
final committee report is due to the Legislature on
December 15, 2016.
Studies addressing pollinator exposures to pesticides
have been appearing with increasing frequency as a
result of concerns surrounding colony collapse disorder
impacting managed honeybees, and observations of
wild pollinator die-off thought to be associated with
pesticide applications. Results and conclusions of these
studies suggest pollinators are exposed to a variety of
pesticides, including insecticides, obviously, but also
fungicides and herbicides. As an example of the work
that is being done to address these concerns, Dr.
Christian Krupke, Purdue University Professor of
Entomology has released a study showing a variety of
pesticides present in pollen samples his research tema
collected during the summer of 2011. As many as 31
different pesticides were found in samples from borders
of cornfields planted with neonicotinoid treated seeds
and non-treated seeds, and from untreated/
unmanaged meadow plots. Interestingly, although the
research found neonicotinoid class pesticides
associated with agricultural applications in many of
their samples, pyrethroid insecticides associated with
non-agricultural applications (landscaping,
homeowner use, mosquito control, urban applications)
were also widely found, and were named as a more
serious threat to honeybees than neonics. The study
also found the insect repellent DEET in all of their
samples. Although Krupke was originally interested in
evaluating impacts of the neonics, the pyrethroid
information, as well as the range of pesticides
detected, sheds new light on the pressures honeybees
exposed to in their day to day foraging in agricultural
and unmanaged areas. It also suggests that the role
played by neonic-class pesticides in pollinator declines,
although undoubtedly important, may be smaller than
currently presumed. As I am fond of saying, this seems
to be a case of ‘the more we learn, the less we
“know”’. Regardless, pollinators, managed and wild,
are obviously sensitive to pesticides, will be impacted
adversely by insecticides. As pesticide applicators, the
nursery and landscaping community is obligated to be
thoughtful of these impacts, and rigorously employ
practices intended to not only manage pests, but to
minimize impacts to non-target organisms under all
conditions.
Other News of Note
Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases in Vermont
(Alan C. Graham, State Entomologist, Vermont Agency
of Agriculture, Food & Markets.)
We would like to remind everyone to check themselves
for ticks when you are working in areas where ticks may
be present, and to be familiar with the symptoms of
Lyme Disease especially.
The blacklegged tick or deer tick may transmit Lyme
disease and other tick-borne diseases in Vermont. Thirty
years ago the tick was not found in the state, but now it
is commonly found in many areas. Along with
increased numbers of blacklegged ticks, we are also
finding an increase in the number of reported cases of
Lyme disease. Currently Vermont, New Hampshire, and
Maine are among the states with the highest per capita
rate of Lyme disease.
There are 13 tick species in Vermont. Most species are
difficult to find, but the blacklegged tick, Ixodes
scapularis, is now found in every county in the state. It
was originally described by Thomas Say in 1821, when it
was typically found in the southeastern part of the
United States. In the 1980s this tick started becoming
more abundant in New England. This discovery was so
unusual that one researcher at Harvard, Andrew
Spielman, originally reported it as a new species.
The blacklegged tick has a 2-year lifecycle. Eggs hatch
in June and July into a tick larva. This life stage is
unusual in that it has 6 legs, compared with the usual 8
legs found in adult ticks. The larva looks for a small
rodent host on which to feed, and then drops off to
15
molt in September. This is a process in which the larva
sheds its skin and becomes a nymph with 8 legs.
Nymphs winter over from October to April and are safe
in the leaf litter under snow cover, protected from
extreme temperatures. . In April, May, or June, nymphs
look for another rodent host and feed. They drop off in
September and molt to become an adult. Any time
during the fall and winter when the temperature is
above 50 F°, adult ticks may be found “questing” for a
large animal host. The deer is a preferred host, but
humans, dogs, and other mammals may be selected.
In 2015 the Vermont Agency of Agriculture surveyed in 7
counties to look for blacklegged ticks and 3 tick-borne
pathogens: Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi),
Anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum), and
Babesiosis (Babesia microti). Most of the ticks collected
were blacklegged ticks. Dog ticks, Dermacentor
variabilis, may occasionally show up during the warmer
months of the year. Of the 659 blacklegged ticks tested
by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture laboratory in
Burlington, 58% carried Lyme disease. Another 10% had
the bacteria Anaplasma, and 1 site in Bennington had
5 ticks with Babesia (0.8%), a disease not previously
found in either ticks or humans in Vermont. Two
pathogens were found in 56 ticks (8.5%), and 1 tick had
all 3 pathogens. The survey did not look at
blacklegged nymphs. The highest rate of Lyme disease
transmission in Vermont is in July when the nymphs are
active. They are small and easy to miss when doing a
body inspection. You may not even notice that you
have been bitten.
For those of us who work outside, this finding means that
we need to change our behavior. It is important to do
tick checks on ourselves, our children, and our pets.
The Vermont Department of Health recommends that
we use a tick repellant, one recommended by the
CDC. Ticks attached to a human for more than 36
hours may transmit disease. Clothing treated with the
pesticide Permethrin is recommended for hunters and
loggers who are especially at risk for ticks and tick-
borne diseases. There are few other tick management
options at this point. Some possible options include
reducing deer numbers on islands in Maine, mouse and
deer stations baited with a pesticide, pesticide
treatment on the ground, and landscape
modifications. The use of Guinea fowl to control ticks
has been popular, but scientific studies have not found
these birds to be effective. Ticks do not do well in dry
environments. Cutting grass and opening up forest
edges can be helpful. Hope for the future may focus
on biological controls that would reduce the
population of this species.
For more information see: of poor vigor, heavy defoliation over several years, or
trees with compounding stressors (like insect infestation
http://agriculture.vermont.gov/plant_pest/ or poor site selection), mortality may occur. I suspect
mosquitoes_ticks/ticks there will be some loss of forest white pines over the
http://healthvermont.gov/prevent/zoonotic/tickborne/ course of the next few years as a result, in part, of these
ticks.aspx repeated needle cast events, but I don’t believe this
will be a ‘death knell’ situation for the species.
http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/

Tick Management Handbook CAES: http://

www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/publications/
bulletins/b1010.pdf

White Pine Needlecast

Again this spring, like many of the previous springs,

white pines are showing signs of browning and
premature needle drop across the region. This has
been happening due to the wet cool springs we have
had over the last several years, as with most needle
diseases, but the scope the white pine browning is
remarkable because of the size and prevalence of
these trees, and the fact that most of us have become
accustomed to the relative absence of serious needle
problems with white pines. The primary causal agents
New Laboratory Facility
are canavirgella needle cast (Canavirgella banfieldii)
and brown spot needle blight (Mycosphaerella Progress on the new joint Agriculture/Environmental
dearnessii), but there may be other minor pathogens Conservation laboratory is being made. As of early
contributing to the problem in isolated circumstances. June, funds have been allocated, architectural plans
have been drawn up, and the proposed site at the
What managers should remember about the majority
Vermont Technical College in Randolph is under permit
of needle blights and casts is the delayed nature of
review. Hopefully, all the necessary permits will be in
symptoms associated with needle pathogens. The
place shortly, and the initial sitework will commence on
actual infection occurred last spring, during needle
schedule in Autumn 2016. Our anticipated move in is
emergence and elongation, and by the time the
early 2018, before the summer field season
symptoms manifest themselves, all you can do is hope
commences.
for better weather this spring during spore release (wet
cool weather promotes successful infection of the This facility will be able to provide all the services
newly emerging and tender needles this spring, by formerly associated with the laboratory lost in
spores released by infections on last year’s needles, Waterbury due to Tropical Storm Irene (core functions
which are now browning and falling off the tree), and of chemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, and
apply appropriate fungicides to the trees in the event programmatic lab support including plant industry,
the weather is cool and wet this spring. The good weights and measures, aquatic survey, air quality, and
news is that so far in 2016 it has been generally drier fish and wildlife) and will additionally boast improved
than in previous years, which favors tree health. The teaching/training laboratory spaces, an animal
cold won’t help however. If you are working with pathology lab, increased and improved specimen
especially high value ornamental white pines, and archive spaces, and a methods development space.
would like to guard against infection, many of the We are all excited to see the groundbreaking and
standard fungicides (chlorothalonil, mancozeb, construction progress begin, and eventually have a
myclobutanil, thiophanate-methyl, etc.), are registered permanent home for the state labs.
and effective against needle casts and blights, and
applied correctly, will provide protection when applied
properly.

As with most needle diseases, many trees can

withstand one of more defoliation events with little or
no noticeable ill effects long-term. However, in cases

16
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17
 THE IDEA FACTORY
tips & trends, food for thought…

Business Resource Guide Favorite Books – Another good read:

courtesy of member Aaron Smith:
Looking for alternatives to that
The Pumpkin Plan , by Mike Michalowicz mowed lawn? Turn to this book for
Good to Great, by Jim Collins helpful tips.
Small Giants, by Bo Burlingham
Beautiful NO-MOW Yards,
A Clearing in the Distance. by Evelyn J. Hadden
by Witold Rybczynski

I have been taught…

Foraging at Home heard on that all beings are my relatives
VPR, VT Edition May 2, 2016: (the plants as well as the animals) and,
entitled to the same dignities and survival.
Gather Your Nettles While Ye May:
All About Wild Edibles. Listen here: I have been taught…
that we...as participant in the Circle of Life,
http://digital.vpr.net/post/gather- have no choice but to take from it and,
your-nettles-while-ye-may-all- in so doing, inevitably alter that Circle.
about-wild-edibles#stream/0
I have been taught…
that not only for our own survival, but
for all the others within the Circle of Life,
we must maintain a balance and harmony,
within that Circle, for our Mother, the Earth.”

Nova M. Kim, Osage

Check out the Northeastern
IPM Center’s Publication page!
Read their newsletter, view IPM
guidelines, read pest alerts, Ah, summer, what power you
and MORE!
have to make us suffer and like it.
www.northeastipm.org
~Russel Baker

18
 For generations, we’ve been helping
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19
 STRICTLY BUSINESS
no kidding …
Check out the VT Small Business
Development Center!
Fellow member Julie Rubaud, owner of Red
Wagon Plants, sought out the advice and
expertise of the VT Small Business Development
Center. Below is an article on how VTSBDC
helped Julie grow her business. This article is
reprinted with permission.
The VTSBDC offers general advising on business:
starting out, growing, funding, marketing,
improving operations, hiring and retaining
employees, and how to transition out of
business. They offer specialty advising in
technology, agribusiness, and more.
Hinesburg Farmers Tap Organic Business
Growth Tactics
Over the course of its
twenty-year existence, the
growers at Red Wagon
Plants in Hinesburg have
become experts at
producing high quality
organic plants and
vegetables. But as their
business evolved owners
knew they needed to focus
on more than just
agriculture to ensure they
could also experience
healthy business growth.
“Our business is special
because it has grown organically over twenty years,”
said Red Wagon Plants owner Julie Rubaud. “We
believe in what we do and are known for our high
quality standards,” she said, adding that she started the
plant business “as a way to augment the income to the
vegetable farm in 1996. Since then, the plants eclipsed
the vegetables.
As the plant portion of the business became more
integral to the farm’s success, Rubaud came to realize
that monitoring budgets, expenses and other overall
bookkeeping tasks were proving increasingly important,
20
as well as challenging. The farm, which grows and sells
plants at both retail and production locations in
Hinesburg also works with wholesale partners
throughout the state.
Rubaud knew she needed help determining which
aspects of the business were most successful and why,
so she sought the assistance of Vermont Small Business
Development Area Advisor and Agricultural Specialist
Steve Paddock. The two quickly went to work making
sense of the sometimes complicated budgeting and
bookkeeping at the farm.
“I wanted to work with Steve to better understand my
finances,” Rubaud said, describing Paddock’s
approach to the topic as “patient and instructive.”
With Steve’s help Rubaud said she was able to
successfully separate the various activities of the
business into their own unique budgets and profit/loss
statements, giving her the ability to compare the
various departments and see which are the best to
invest in. “It’s a seasonal business, it can take a whole
year to figure out how to measure each expense and
income category,” Rubaud
said.
Paddock and Rubaud also
spent time using
Quickbooks accounting
software and Excell to
analyze and compare
various aspects of the
business. Paddock was also
able to provide industry
numbers to assess the
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Plants. And the effort has
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“Our business saw a 20
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Steve,” Rubaud said. “With his help we were able to
put together much more accurate budgets and
measuring tools that have allowed us to monitor our
progress more closely. He has given us valuable
information about our industry, and innovative ways to
look at our problems. It has been an inspiring and
reassuring experience,” she said.
For more information on Red Wagon Plants, check out
www.redwagonplants.com and for more information
on VtSBDC check out www.vtsbdc.org.
 Prides Corner Farms
We are all about

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21
 THE PLANT LOUNGE
wiry stems, hairy leaves and bodacious blooms. . .

The Edible and Attractive

Wetland Shrubs
by Dan Redondo, VT Wetland Plant Supply, LLC

Wetland restoration projects generally include native

shrubs that have multiple values, such as rapid root
growth for soil stabilization, nesting habitat for birds, and
food sources (browsing and fruit production) for
mammals and birds. The same shrubs can also be
incorporated into backyard landscapes for their showy
spring flowers, prized fruits, and attractive fall leaf colors.
Many people are aware of the delicious jams, jellies, and
syrups made with elderberries, so this article will focus on
four equally valuable but lesser used species that should
be integrated into the edible backyard habitat.

Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)

Black chokeberry(pictured below) is a small multi-

stemmed shrub that grows to a height of 3-8 feet in moist
woods. In the backyard landscape, black chokeberry
will thrive in virtually any moisture, soil, and sunlight
conditions. Showy white flowers are produced in mid-
spring and are frequently visited by early-season
pollinators, including swallowtail butterflies. Fall leaf color
ranges from orange to red and is similar in appearance
to highbush blueberry and the invasive species burning
bush. The black fruit hangs in clusters and can be eaten
raw, as well as processed into jams, jellies, syrups, and
compotes, or baked into bars, cookies, and pies.
Red chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
Red chokecherry (pictured above) is an upright, multi-
stemmed shrubs that grows to a height of 10-20 feet.
Chokecherry grows in a wide variety of soil types and
moisture regimes, and will likely thrive anywhere in the
backyard landscape. The shrub produces multiple white
flowers along an elongated cluster. The fall leaf color
ranges from orange to red. The fruit matures to a reddish
black in hanging clusters. The fruit is prized turning into
jams, jellies, and syrups. It should be noted that the seed,
stem, and leaves are toxic and should not be eaten.

Highbush cranberry (Viburnum trilobum)

Highbush cranberry (pictured on the next page) is an

upright, multi-stemmed shrub that grows to a height of
10-15 feet. In the wild, highbush cranberry grows in rich,
moist woods in full or partial sun. The shrub produces
attractive white flowers in late May (popular among
swallowtail butterflies) and the leaves turn a vivid
burgundy and red in the fall. The fruit matures in
September as a bright red berry that will stay on the stem
all winter long. The berries are bitter when eaten raw, but
can be turned into a delicious (but tart!) jam with a
beautiful red hue. Berries left on the stem are ignored by
birds until several freeze/thaw cycles the following spring,
at which they become a preferred food of cedar
waxwings.

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 gold, with some touches of red. The shrub produces an
abundance of sweet black berries, but you’d better pay
close attention to ripeness if you want to make jams or
syrups, or bake them into pies or muffins, as the birds are
quick to strip the fruit from the shrub.

Shadbush (Amelanchier canadensis)

Shadbush (also called serviceberry and Juneberry -

pictured to the right) is an upright and suckering shrub
that grows to a height of 6-10 feet. In the wild, it grows in
a variety of habitats, including bogs and swamps, which
makes it an excellent candidate for the oft-ignored wet
areas of the yard or at the edge of a pond or creek.
Showy white flowers appear in early April as one of the
first flowers of the spring. The fall leaf color is yellow and

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