Chronicles of a traveling gardener, or, smitten by visions of wonderful plants!

Last week, I had the good fortune to attend the annual meeting of the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries (CBHL) hosted by the Los Angles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden. In addition to an annual meeting filled with interesting speakers, thoughtful papers and engaging discussions, meeting attendees toured the gardens and collections of the L.A. County Arboretum, Huntington and Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. Wow! It is always such a treat to visit new gardens especially gardens with such diverse plant communities. From the ×Chiranthofremontia lenzii (pictured above) at Rancho Santa Ana to the desert garden at the Huntington to the herb garden at the L.A. County Arboretum, I was totally smitten by the plants that I wandered by. As a post-conference trip, I visited the Getty Center – Los Angeles and Getty Villa – Malibu. The gardens at each of these sites are fascinating! Color, texture, sound and scent all collide for a very memorable horticultural experience. Upon leaving the Malibu destination on Saturday afternoon, I felt like I was drenched in views, vistas and visions.

Beginning to make summer vacation plans? In between the water park and other popular vacation destinations include some gardens and arboreta! If you are a member of The Morton Arboretum, you already have free admission or discounts to over 150 gardens and arboretums across the USA (for a complete list of these visit the website of the American Horticultural Society).

Here is a sampling of resources from the Sterling Morton Library directing you to gardens that you might want to visit:

• National Geographic guide to America's public gardens : 300 of the best gardens to visit in the U.S. and Canada by Mary Jenkins. SB466.U6 J45
• The Gardens of Europe edited by Penelope Hobhouse. SB466.E9G2
• The Garden lover’s guide to the Midwest by Paul Bennett. SB466.U6B25
• A Guide to the sculpture parks & gardens of America by Jane McCarthy & Laurily K. Epstein. SB466.U6M33
• The complete guide to North American gardens – the Northeast by William Mulligan. SB466.U6M8
• Gardens of the heartland by Laura Martin. SB466.U6M53

We even have resources focusing on specific gardens such as:

• The Greater perfection by Francis Cabot. SB466.C2C3
• Featuring Cabot’s fabulous private garden of Les Quatre Vents in Charlevoix County, Quebec.
• The Gardens of Colonial Williamsburg by M. Kent Brinkley. SB466.U6W52

In addition, we receive newsletters from selected gardens such as:

• Fernwood
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden
• Lotusland
• New York Botanical Garden

Ahhh .... Summertime!

The livin’ is easy and the gardens are beautiful!

Butterfly Gardening

As you spend time in your garden, you might become aware of some winged visitors to your gardening space. Butterflies are beginning to flitter through our area and the Sterling Morton Library has numerous resources to assist you in identifying and attracting these wondrous creatures to your garden.
Journal articles of note

• Arrigoni, Karin. “A fluttering garden: herbs create a butterfly oasis.” In Herb Companion; April/May 1997, Vol. 9 Issue 4, p. 26-31.

• Ball, Liz. “Butterflies and caterpillars in your garden.” In Flower & Garden; May2001, Vol. 45 Issue 3, p. 46.

• Bruner, Stephanie Polsley. “Butterflies welcome!” In Garden Gate; Aug2004 Issue 58, p. 8-11

• Dole, Claire Hagen. “The magic of butterflies: learn how to identify common butterflies and attract and keep them in your garden.” In American Gardener; July/August 2002, Vol. 81 Issue 4, p. 30-35.

• Jackson, Bernard L. “Butterflies in the rock garden.” In Rock Garden Quarterly, v. 64, no. 2, p. 115-118.

• Lawrence, Karen. “Growing a butterfly garden.” In The Herb Quarterly, no. 107, p. 42-46.

• Maloney, Cathy Jean. “ Give Your Garden Wings.” In Chicagoland Gardening; Jul/Aug2005, Vol. 11 Issue 4, p. 52-57

• Mattern, Vicki. “Plant a butterfly garden!” In Organic Gardening (1978); Jul/Aug92, Vol. 39 Issue 6, p24

• Mattern, Vicki. “The good, the bad and the beautiful.” In Organic Gardening (1978); Jul/Aug92, Vol. 39 Issue 6, p. 28.

• Moore, Sarah. “Gardening for butterflies.” In Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin; Summer2004, Vol. 66 Issue 2, p. 6-8.

Books of interest

• The Audubon Society handbook for butterfly watchers by Robert Michael Pyle. QL542 .P95

• Butterflies--how to identify and attract them to your garden by Marcus Schneck. QL542 .S36

• Butterflies of the East Coast : an observer's guide by Rick Cech and Guy Tudor. QL551.A7C43

• The butterfly garden by Mathew Tekulsky. QL544.T45 1985

• The butterfly gardener's guide. QL544.6.B88

• Butterfly gardens : luring nature's loveliest pollinators to your yard. QL544.6.B8

• Caterpillars in the field and garden : a field guide to the butterfly caterpillars of North America by Thomas J. Allen, Jim P. Brock, and Jeffrey Glassberg. QL548.A44

• Field guide to butterflies of Illinois / John K. Bouseman, James G. Sternburg. QL551.I3 B68

• Perennial combinations : stunning combinations that make your garden look fantastic right from the start by C. Colston Burrell. SB434.B86

• Includes a section on “Combinations for hummingbirds and butterflies.”

Books about butterflies to share with children

• The butterfly alphabet book by Brian Cassie and Jerry Pallotta. J QL544.2.C38

• Waiting for wings by Lois Ehlert. J QL544.2.E35

• Butterfly story / Anca Hariton. J QL544.2.H37

• Monarch butterflies : mysterious travelers / text and photographs by Bianca Lavies. J QL561.D3L38

• Butterfly magic by by Melissa Getzoff. J QL544.2.G38

• Where butterflies grow by by Joanne Ryder. J QL544.R93

• The big bug book by Margery Facklam. J QL467.2.F33

• Crinkleroot's guide to knowing butterflies and moths by Jim Arnosky. J QL544.2.A76

Websites of interest

• Butterflies of North America from the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
  

• Butterfly gardening – Larval food
  

• Butterfly gardening – Nectar sources
  

• Butterfly Gardens & Habitats from the North American Butterfly Association

• The Butterfly House at the Missouri Botanical Garden

Later in May, a butterfly exhibit will be presented in the Arboretum’s Maze Garden. Before or after visiting the Maze, be sure to stop by the Library to look at some of these remarkable resources!