Author Archive
YOUR HELP NEEDED Please complete a survey about growing penstemons
To expand our understanding of the experience of growing penstemons in all parts of the US, Canada and Europe I have written a brief survey. I am asking all members to fill it out. It is easy and quick to complete. The survey lists all the species that are presently under cultivation and asks you to check ‘easy’ ‘moderate’ or ‘diificult’ to grow if you have grown (or tried to grow) that penstemon. And if you have time, the survey also requests your location and to write just a little about your gardening environment — soil, moisture, temperatures, etc.
Many many thanks. Barbara Lewis
Ease of cultivation rating form .doc
SURVEY Reduced size_formatted.xls
Open Garden: Red Butte Botanical Garden Salt Lake City UT
Read about the latest Open Garden listing with two lovely photos included. And look for details about this evolving garden in the next Newsletter.
Yakima Area Arboretum looking for an APS partner
Many of you know APS is now sponsoring a grant program called Special Projects. The publicity for applications went out about a week ago. Copied in below is Yakima Area Arboretum’s reply. It sounds like the parnership could be wonderful. Click on the document below to see the poster.
Barbara – I was intrigued with the grant offer to promote Penstemon projects. Do you happen to know anyone in our area who belongs to the American Penstemon Society who we could possible partner with? Jheri Ketcham, CoExecutive Director, Yakima Area Arboretum Read the rest of this entry »
Germination Methods: Self-reports by APS Members 2009
The link given below is a compilation of members’ reports on how they germinate penstemon seed.
Barbara Lewis
OPEN GARDENS 2009
GARDENS OPEN TO VISITORS_The link below is to a Word document describing five gardens open for visitation in 2009. They are located in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Oregon.
It would be nice to have additional gardens. To add your garden please contact Cultivation Editor on this website.
Barbara Lewis
A Study Describing the Availability of Penstemon Plants from Twelve Commercial Nurseries
This study reports that the 12 nurseries listed on the APS website offer 135 species of penstemons. That number compares to 203 seeds available for puchase. A scale rating plant availability is presented.
Click on the links below to read the article or view photos of some of the most frequently offered penstemon plants.
A Study Describing the Availability of Penstemons at Twelve Nurseries.
Barbara Lewis
Digging Deeper: Focus for January-March 2009 P. canescens
Digging Deeper: A different penstemon is featured every three months.
Penstemon canescens - January, February, March 2009
It’s February in Colorado and time to select this issue’s featured penstemon species. It was a less than inspiring task this morning as the wind howled and the clouds gathered for the next snow storm. Seeking inspiration, I wandered over to my seedling bed, filled to the brim with seedlings from my 2008 germination efforts. Canescens immediately caught my eye with its dazzling other-worldly purple-red leaves. The decision was made; P. canescens had won the winter beauty contest. I took several photos of their extraordinary foliage. As I left the garden, however, several other penstemons caught my eye; I snapped them too. I glanced around another nearby bed, and click, more photos. It’s impossible to have a favorite penstemon, even for a moment. All these pictures are included at the end of this article
Perceptions of Ease or Difficulty of Germinating Penstemon Species: A Study on Ratings by Members of the American Penstemon Society
Purpose An earlier study this year[1] determined that seed for 203 of the 274 species of Penstemon were offered for sale between 2005 and 2009. Using ratings by members of the American Penstemon Society (APS), this current study reports the degree of ease or difficulty gardeners experience when germinating those penstemon species.
