European Trip Day 5 Morning

Arboretum Kalmthout

Autumn weather continued to be decent. A frosty morning, with last night's Belgium beers still fogging our faculties, was followed by blue sky and songbirds. Finally, my long-held desire to visit the Arboretum Kalmthout would be fulfilled.

Upon entering, one path goes left, one goes right, and one goes straight ahead. We split into three groups, two with guides: half went left, half went right, so I alone chose straight ahead. Soon I came across the largest Abies koreana 'Silberlocke' I have ever seen (and I've been twice to Horstmann's Nursery in Germany), a perfect glittery-blue pyramid. The label reflected the old (inappropriate) name 'Horstmann's Silberlocke'.

Abies koreana 'Silberlocke'

The garden contains plants from all over the world--about 7,000 different varieties they claim. The de Belder family was particularly fond of Hamamelis, and many of us know 'Jelena', the old orange-flowered selection named for Jelena de Belder. Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane' was named for her daughter. Kalmthout, indeed, is famous for its annual "witch hazel" tour in January and February. Good thing they redeem themselves in winter, because now they looked rather scrappy, and wildly-widely spread into other shrubbery.

Hamamelis intermedia 'Spanish Spider'

Hamamelis intermedia 'Spanish Spider'

The ground's history goes back to 1856, and some trees date back to that time. Unlike spacious Wespelaar, tree editing at Kalmthout with a chainsaw would be my mission if I owned the garden. But still, it was an arboretum, and though unlike my Flora Wonder which is crammed with cultivars, there were many fantastic old specimens. Per my usual habit, I tend to focus on the old-timers' trunks. Stewartia x henryae was spectacular, with the mottled bark resembling the pseudocamellia parent more than its other parent, monadelpha. We are growing the Polly Hill Arboretum selection 'Skyrocket', which has great potential for its slender habit. Sorry, none for sale yet.

Stewartia henryae

Betula papyrifera

Betula papyrifera

Carpinus turczaninovii

Carpinus turczaninovii

Zelkova serrata

An old specimen of Zelkova serrata proudly showed off its trunk, as did Carpinus turczaninovii, Betula papyrifera, Paulownia fortunei 'Fast Blue' and Stewartia pseudocamellia. But the best trunk of the day was Quercus x hispanica (Q. cerris x Q. suber) 'Lucombeana'. This is a large ornamental tree originally grown by Mr. Lucombe in England in the 1760's. The Quercus suber parent is known as the "cork oak," and has been wedged atop millions of bottles of wine, but unfortunately is not very hardy (USDA zone 8). The Quercus cerris parent, or "Turkey Oak," is hardy to USDA zone 6, so the hybrid would be a wonderful tree where space permits.

Paulownia fortunei 'Fast Blue'

Paulownia fortunei 'Fast Blue'

Stewartia pseudocamellia

Quercus hispanica 'Lucombeana'

Another tree of note was an old Acer buergerianum, which turns out to be Belgium's champion. I was impressed with Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Imbricata Pendula', apparently thriving on its own roots. We grow--and easily sell out of--this curious cultivar, but must graft it on Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'DR', which is resistant to Phytophthora. I've preached before about the irresponsibility of too many American growers who propagate and sell Chamaecyparis lawsoniana cultivars on their own roots.

Acer buergerianum

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Imbricata Pendula'

Another impressive tree was Euonymus planipes, with autumn color just beginning. As mentioned before, Kalmthout is an old arboretum in an old country with old nomenclature. E. planipes is now referred to as E. sachalinensis, as its origin is Sakhalin Island, off the coast of Siberia. An Asian tree, Picrasma quassioides, was a new genus to me. Hillier describes it as related to Ailanthus and "a very ornamental small hardy tree with attractive pinnate leaves…flowers green…followed by red, pea-like fruits."

Euonymus sachalinensis

Euonymus sachalinensis

I enjoyed the old trees and the vistas of this excellent tree collection, although there was very little of horticultural value from this visit for Buchholz Nursery. Flora Wonder Arboretum will be inspired to try a few trees, however.

Picrasma quassioides

Picrasma quassioides

European Trip Day 5 Afternoon

To Hemelrijk in the afternoon. At Kalmthout, the de Belders loved trees perhaps too much. Another, larger piece of property was purchased in 1961, and served as the spill-over estate. We were greeted by the lovely Barbara de Belder, daughter-in-law of the late Jelena. While the property is a landscape park and botanical garden, Jelena loved her trees more than tree labels. One of the purposes of our botanically-trained group was to hopefully identify some of the species.

Prunus species

As I was ill-equipped, and never solicited to help, once again I struck out on my own. I was careful to focus on my wander through this 250 acre park, careful not to get lost and find myself in France. It was a wonderful place with lakes and forests and vistas. Hemelrijk is a combination of the Dutch words for "sky" and "kingdom."

Fagus sylvatica

Azalea species

Hamamelis 'Orange'

Daniel de Belder stayed out of sight until the end (or perhaps he had been spying on me all along), when he was recruited to show his bee hives. At the end we were treated to his honey, perfect honey which was the color of his wife's hair. I read later that Daniel works in the diamond business in Antwerp, and drives home every night to his 15,000 plants and trees. He said, "My father would come home from work, and he and my mother would go for a walk. And whenever he traveled for his business, he would bring her a new plant. The garden is really the love story between my parents." Aww.

Acer japonicum

Acer palmatum 'Shinobu ga oka'

As in America, de Belder's Acer japonicums would be among the first trees to display autumn color. A strap-leaf green palmatum with red seeds was labelled 'Shinobi ga oka' which should read 'Shinobu ga oka', which is very similar to (or the same as) 'Scolopendrifolium'. Most impressive was the cork-like trunk of Acer palmatum 'Nishiki gawa'. Acer lobelii had a richly colored gray trunk, and once was considered a subspecies of platanoides, but now is more carefully regarded as the Italian subspecies of Acer cappadocicum. The trunk of Acer rufinerve was fantastic. I had my first-ever encounter with Acer diabolicum, a medium-sized Japanese species, commonly named the "horn maple," or "of the devil," due to the horn-like projections on the fruits.

Acer rufinerve

Acer palmatum 'Nishiki gawa'

Acer cappadocicum ssp. lobelii

Acer diabolicum

Everything was beautiful on this sunny afternoon. I eventually caught up with the group, in time to have our photo taken in front of Acer x freemanii, which is a hybrid between Acer rubrum and Acer saccharinum. Or was it freemanii? The botanists bobbed, weaved and jabbed, but a consensus was never reached. Oh well, all of the trees could go unlabelled from my point of view. Today was a day of light, and all of the trees looked wonderful; and for sure, nomenclature today was totally unnecessary.

Attendees of the 2011 International Maple Symposium

European Trip Day 3

One excuse for our European trip was to attend the International Maple Symposium, held in Antwerp, Belgium, a two-day conference with lectures, followed by a three-day post tour to botanic gardens and a maple nursery.

We checked into our hotel, a high-rise rectangle with a large orange-red sign which could be seen for a mile. This hotel is yet another big-city enterprise where the cost--even at our reduced rates--never lives up to expectations.

Philippe de Spoelberch

Never mind that. The next morning we left for a half-hour drive to Wespelaar, to the famous arboretum owned by Philippe de Spoelberch. The collection was started in 1985 and has become a world-class arboretum and scientific institution, noted for its plantings of Acer, Magnolia, Stewartia and Rhododendron. Botanical explorations around the world have resulted in the introduction of plants from known wild provenance, some on the Red List of endangered plants. But more than a scientific laboratory, Wespelaar has a beautiful, peaceful charm. I think most visitors come away with the feeling that the money (Spoelberch's) was well spent.

Koen Camelbeke

Peter Gregory

I won't go into detail about the lectures, except to say that they were given by botanical heavyweights. On the podium for the day was Koen Camelbeke, Cor van Gelderen, Tony Aiello, Augustin Coello-Vera, Peter Gregory and Piet de Jong. My experience with Maple Society events is that there are two general groups of attendees: the "botanists-dendrologists" and the "cultivarists." The botanists are forever arguing about the identification of a species and how it should be classified. There is sort of a pecking order to the botanists, which can be amusing when they disagree. The cultivarists, usually collectors and growers of Acer palmatums, japonicum and shirasawanum (i.e. Japanese Maples) grow weary of the debates. When the botanists can't agree, they'll walk away from the tree and proclaim that "it's probably a hybrid."





 Enough! We still had time for a two-hour tour of the arboretum in the afternoon. Our hosts constantly remarked how lucky we were, to have blue sky and pleasant weather late in October. Yes, so why were we sitting in the lecture hall most of the day? With my newly attained freedom, I ran into the garden to see the trees, at my own pace, which is never with someone else, let alone a group.

I was impressed with plants known and unknown, or with those simply underappreciated by me previously. The Acer pensylvanicums were stunning; they were not cultivars, but just the species collected from the wild in eastern USA. A species unknown to me was Acer calcaratum from Laos and Burma--handsome but certainly not hardy for Flora Wonder Arboretum. Acer micranthum, the "Small-Flowered Maple," a neat, small tree from Japan never disappoints for autumn color, and even features pink seeds. Another new species for me was Acer tsinlingense, from China and similar to Acer sterculiaceum. We probably have the only variegated selection of the latter, called 'Joseph's Coat'.

Acer calcaratum

Acer tsinlingense

 The largest specimen of Carpinus betulus 'Columnaris Nana' I have ever seen stood proudly on the lawn. A fantastic Ginkgo biloba 'Fastigiata' skyrocketed into the blue sky, and I had never before seen another cultivar so narrow. Liliodendron chinense displayed a wonderful trunk, and so did Paulownia 'Purple Splendour' and Phellodendron piriforme.

A big surprise was the dainty beauty of Sorbus alnifolia, a small tree from Japan with red berries and rich-red foliage in autumn. This species is not at all rare, but I had never seen it looking so good before. Zelkova serrata was majestic with foliage just turning to gold, and of course with a reddish-tan trunk. Sapium japonicum, the "Japanese Tallow Tree," with deep-green leaves turning to purple-red in fall, is a tree I'd like to try, even though it is only hardy to USDA zone 8.

Ginkgo biloba 'Fastigiata'

Carpinus betulus 'Columnaris Nana'

Besides colorful foliage, autumn brings on berries and fruits, and especially interesting Magnolia seed pods.

The tree collection was tied together with a rich green lawn, and here and there were some very tasteful statues. One got the sense of space in this arboretum, with distant views, but at the same time it felt intimate to me. Around every corner was another wonderful tree or vista. Sadly, dark shadows grew longer and the bus began to fill, but tomorrow we would be back.

                                                        
                                                           

Phellodendron piriforme

Acer pensylvanicum

Magnolia 'Athene'

European Trip Day 4

Sunday we returned to Wespelaar. I was still grousing about botanist Piet de Jong's comment a day earlier, that the hybrid of Acer griseum and Acer maximowiczianum (one such cross resulting in the cultivar 'Cinnamon Flake') "do not show an interesting bark and they are a collector item at the most." What? 'Cinnamon Flake', anyway, shows very interesting bark. The cultivar is vigorous with excellent fall color. Seeds and leaves are larger than just Acer griseum; indeed the previous owner of Birchwood Arboretum, Dean Linderman, described it as a griseum on steroids. For me, it was the most impressive specimen in his extensive collection.

Well, another botanist was quoted in a previous Maple Symposium, that "certainly we have enough Japanese Maple Cultivars." Ha! Since that comment was made, our small nursery has introduced Acer palmatums 'Japanese Princess', 'Mikazuki', 'Geisha Gone Wild' and 'Ikandi', just  to name a few. And from Japan: 'Akane', 'Ryu sei' and 'Amagi shigure'. And from Europe….. For me, these cultivars are like pretty girls: they're all new and different, and who tires of another one?

But I have no feud with the botanists, and I certainly wouldn't want to contend with one. Just stick to your day job, your microscope and pubescent undersides, and leave horticultural merit to nurserymen and hobbyists who actually have dirt under their nails.

Back to the lectures, which were good. Douglas Gibbs spoke of maple conservation in the 21st century. Philippe discussed autumn color in maples with colorful photographs. Indeed, he contributed photos to the excellent An Illustrated Guide to Maples by fellow countryman Antoine Le Hardy De Beaulieu. Sorry to the Europeans that Oregon's native "Vine Maple," Acer circinatum, does not color well in autumn. You're missing a lot.

Hugh Angus

Piet de Jong and Philippe de Spoelberch

John Grimshaw spoke on recent maple introductions, Hugh Angus on maple identification, and Paul Goetghebeur spoke on whether Acers should be in the family Aceraceae or Sapindaceae. He championed Sapindaceae and the botanists nodded in approval. How could it be otherwise? He also promoted the notion that Acer comes from Latin for "sharp," and should never be pronounced as it commonly is, "Ā-ser," but should be "Ahker," as in acute, or acropolis.

Arboretum Wespelaar

Malus hupehensis

Finally, back outside, where attendees were divided into groups, each with a leader, to use the maple identification keys. Some were keen on the project, and spent a half hour on the first tree. The impatient truant in me quickly abandoned that project, and I struck out on my own again. And a good thing, for every hour or day or season, a tree is never the same. I chased the light, and experienced the collection anew, happy as could be.

Sapium japonicum

Liriodendron chinense

Acer sieboldianum 'Microphylla'

Sorbus alnifolia

Paulownia 'Purple Splendour'

Sorbus alnifolia

Zelkova serrata

Arboretum Wespelaar:  can I return?
Yes, I must return!

European Trip Day 1

I am now (in the air) returning home from seven days in Holland, then Belgium, plus a day at both ends for travel. I was accompanied by Phil Turrell, my most diligent and intelligent employee of many years. Our job is horticulture, and work we did.

We left our pruners and shovels at home, instead concentrating on progressive European growing methods, new ways of marketing, and of course, new plants. We have cultivated relationships with some of the greatest plantsmen on earth, which can be a very humbling experience. Nevertheless, our cameras were in focus and our wits were sharp, and we devoured all that we could.

The first stop was at the nursery of Nelis Kools of Duerne, The Netherlands. Nelis, his wife and a few employees produce a million coniferous rooted-cuttings per year. The demand for his plants is much larger, as his product is exceptionally healthy and uniform, but he prefers to remain at his current profitable, manageable size. The success of his cutting business allows him to "play" with new plants, which occur from his discoveries, or from like-minded plantsmen (such as me). Nelis also holds the Dutch national collection of Sequoia, Sequoiadendron and Metasequoia. Reluctantly, he posed in front of his new Metasequoia selection, 'Golden Guusje', which will be marketed in America as 'Kools Gold'.

Nelis and Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Kools Gold'

This cultivar is more deeply yellow than the common selection, 'Gold Rush', and is less likely to suffer foliage burn. 'Kools Gold' must be grown in full sun for best color.

Nelis has introduced another very worthy Metasequoia cultivar into Europe, 'Schirrmann's Nordlicht', a dwarf with sparkling white foliage. We have introduced this same conifer into America as 'North Light', with the European name attached to avoid confusion (the same with 'Kools Gold').

The best part of a trip to Kools Boomkwekerij in Duerne is to visit with Nelis's lovely wife, Marjolein, and their beautiful children Jop and Guusje (yes: 'Golden Guusje'). At six years of age, Guusje is between the age of my two daughters, Saya and Harumi, and after just one day I began to miss my kids very much. Perhaps we stayed too long, as the "Golden Girl" was falling asleep in her mother's arms, so we retired for the night.

The Kools Family

Guusje Kools

European Trip Day 2

An early start to visit Vergeldt Nursery in Lottum, The Netherlands. Many will know of this nursery because of their plant introductions, all of which begin with "Peve," the abbreviation for "Piet Vergeldt." He and his sons Job and Tijn, and their employees have discovered many wonderful plants. Perhaps most famous is Taxodium distichum 'Peve Minaret', a compact (but not so dwarf) "Bald Cypress." Maple introductions include Acer palmatums 'Peve Multicolor' and 'Peve Starfish'.

Acer palmatum 'Peve Multicolor'

Acer palmatum 'Peve Starfish'

Vergeldt also holds the Dutch national collection of Cornus, and he showed off an impressive array of dwarf, variegated and abnormal leaf-shaped cultivars. Conifers hold an important place at Vergeldt Nursery as well; one introduction which comes to mind is the dwarf, golden Picea omorika 'Peve Tijn'. We're anxious to compare it with our own recent introduction, Picea omorika 'Golden Midget'. Which cultivar will display the best golden color without burning?

Tijn Vergeldt wouldn't get off the tractor and kept working, but Piet and son Job took us to the propagation area, holding back no secrets. We observed their propagation methods and commented on, and answered questions about, our own. It was a lively "catch-ball" session, where keeping up on our notes was challenging. Sometimes the rush of insightful information can practically paralyze the jet-lagged (and simple-minded anyway) nurseryman.

One thing is certain: the horticultural practices of Vergeldt are reduced to simplicity, and everything seems common-sense in hindsight. How many of us encumber ourselves with tunnel-vision tradition and "how-you're-supposed-to-do-it" nonsense? Well, everybody's nursery is different, and exists in a different climate, but one has the feeling that the Vergeldts would figure it out no matter where they farmed.

And what a likable family! Piet turned a little shy when I asked him to pose with a pot of Ginkgo biloba 'Marieken', as if I were the only cameraman on earth to ever have requested his portrait.

Job Vergeldt

Piet Vergeldt

Some conifers that entertained us include Abies koreana 'Bonsai Blue', Abies procera 'Procumbens', Pinus mugo 'Benjamin', Pinus mugo 'Golden Glow', Juniperus procumbens' Peve Spikkel', and Picea abies 'Lucky Strike'.

Abies koreana 'Bonsai Blue'

Abies procera 'Procumbens'

Pinus mugo 'Benjamin'

Pinus mugo 'Golden Glow'

Juniperus procumbens 'Peve Spikkel'

Picea abies 'Lucky Strike'

Deciduous plants were impressive as well, with fall color evident, especially on the Cornus. Cornus kousa 'Melanie' and 'Eva' are both small variegated trees, with 'Eva' more pink and 'Melanie' more white in fall.

Cornus kousa 'Eva'

Cornus kousa 'Melanie'

Cornus kousa 'Peve Patrick' is a Vergeldt seedling with great promise, an upright with tri-colored leaves.

Cornus kousa 'Peve Patrick'

With our brains overloaded with new plant selections, and jet-lag creeping back in, fortunately we were invited in to lunch. Afterwards we would drive to Antwerp, Belgium for a five-day International Maple Symposium, held at the nearby Wespelaar Arboretum. We said goodbye to the Vergeldts, and I suspect the family worked late into the evening to make up for the time lost with the Americans.