Presidential Naming

We rarely associate landscaping or gardening with our Presidents.  The one exception may of course be Thomas Jefferson.  Jefferson spent most of his life researching and developing flowers and vegetables suited for America.  Much of his work can still be seen at his home in Virginia.

However we certainly enjoy naming plants for our Presidents and First Lady’s.  Did you know?

• Two presidents have plants actually named for them:  Washingtonia, a genus of fern palms and Jeffersonia, a genus of small herbaceous perennials
• Roses are commonly named in honor of past presidents:  Abraham Lincoln has four roses named in his honor.  Others honored by roses include: George Washington, John Kennedy, Herbert Hoover, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, William Taft, Woodrow Wilson and, Franklin Roosevelt.
• First Ladies also get involved in naming rights for roses.  They include: Lady Bird Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, Pat Nixon, Rosalyn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, and Laura Bush.
• The other plants of choice in the presidential naming game are the rhododendron and azalea.  Twenty-one cultivars of this group are named for either Presidents or First Ladies

All great trivia information for your upcoming President’s Day celebration!

Forced Branches

One way to beat the winter blues is to force branches of spring blooming shrubs into flower for display in our homes.  Many of our most common early bloomers adapt well to forcing, especially:  forsythia, redbud, magnolia, cherry, flowering crab, and maybe even lilac.

Prior to forcing, the branches must have been subject to a minimum of 6 weeks exposure to temperatures below 40 degrees.  Usually that has happened in our area by late January into early February. It is best to select younger branches with many rounded, plump flower buds and a stem diameter around ½” in size.  Try to collect your materials on a day when the air temperature is above freezing.

Now prepare a bucket of warm water (approx. 100 degrees) and add a floral preservative.  Re-cut the base of each stem at an angle and quickly plunge the stem into the warm water.  Place the branches and bucket in a cool (50 degree) room having bright light but no direct sunlight.  The higher the humidity in the room the better your results will be.  You should plan on changing the water and adding new preservative weekly.

Within a few weeks you’ll see the buds swelling and the flowers will soon appear.  Arrange the branches in your favorite vase and enjoy.  Remember that the newly open flowers will last longer and be more colorful if kept out of direct sunlight, away from a heat source and kept as cool as possible. 

No spring blooming shrubs to harvest?  Stop by and we’ll help you find the right plants to add to your homes landscape for that special touch of spring.