Notes from Chanticleer

by Heather Prince

eestates with formal plantings often come to mind. Places like Longwood Gardens or the English gardens at the Chicago Botanic Garden can be top of mind. Chanticleer, a pleasure garden, in Wayne, Pennsylvania is one of the country’s premier public gardens. It is the 50-acre former home of the Rosengarten family, of which 35 acres are devoted to beautiful garden spaces, some formal and some creatively naturalistic. According to Chanticleer, it is “a garden of pleasure and learning, relaxing yet filled with ideas to take home.” Widely considered to be one of the most innovative and intriguing gardens in the U.S., it frequently sets the trends for landscape design. We were fortunate to have the Executive Director and Head Gardener, Bill Thomas, as one of the speakers at the 2022 iLandscape. Thomas has been involved with Chanticleer for the past 19 years. We had a wonderful conversation about gardens and landscapes and have developed a three-part series around a few of the design ideas employed by Chanticleer that are at the forefront of landscaping today.

One of those design trends is naturalistic landscapes utilizing a great many native plant species. As the public has become more aware of the important role native plants play for pollinators, especially butterflies, demand for these species in home gardens and public spaces has dramatically increased. How do we marry the crisp formality desired by clients with the oftentimes casual habits of Midwestern native plants? What species of plants translate easily into a more regimented planting design? How do we think about adding a diversity of species?

As in many landscape designs, let’s start with trees, the plants that often grow the largest. Some native favorites from Bill Thomas include, “I’m a Midwesterner by birth, so (continued on page 20)

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Midwestern plants are what I grew up with. I love sugar maples, bur oaks, white oaks, swamp white oaks, red maples — although red maples can have trouble if the soil is highly alkaline. I also love sycamores, shagbark hickory, and American linden. There are so many wonderful native trees. American beech is certainly a fabulous tree. If you’re planting trees in a garden, it’s really easy to go native.” All of these are large shade trees that offer impressive ceiling and when thoughtfully pruned, can become a living statue over time. Plus, while oak trees support around 2,300 species of animals according to a recent British study, Thomas’s other favorites are also important larval hosts for many butterflies and moths. These tree choices provide beautiful structure, fall color, and increase biodiversity in our landscapes. They can also be quite formal in growth habit, especially swamp white oak, maple, and linden.

One of the lessons learned at Chanticleer has been planting smaller younger trees so they establish quickly and start putting on growth sooner. “One of the things we do at Chanticleer is we plant small trees, if possible bare root, so you know if you have a good root system,” commented Thomas. “They can be much less expensive to plant bare root. In an urban environment or with street trees you have to plant a bigger tree, so people don’t walk over it or mow it. However, in one’s own garden or a clients’ you can put some stakes around it so anybody who’s cutting grass remembers where it is. But we really plant small so the plants can get quickly established. I’ll water them a lot if it’s a dry season, but once they’re established you can get really good growth.”

Not only do we have a host of wonderful native tree species to use in designs, but shrubs as well. “Some of my favorite native shrubs include bottlebrush buckeye, ninebark, chokeberry, and the colored twig dogwoods like Cornus sericea (aka C. stolonifera),” reported Thomas. “However, one of my all-time favorites is common witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana. It blooms in autumn as plants are losing their leaves. It looks so happy as the weather is getting colder and there’s less sunshine. It looks especially good on a cold drizzly October or November day. It’s one that always makes me happy when I see it.” Common witch hazel is a large vase-shaped shrub that can top out around 15 feet. However, its elegant form allows it to be a sculptural addition to the landscape, especially as an understory plant or as a specimen. Large potato chip-ruffled leaves turn brilliant gold in the fall. Smooth pale grey bark can be lovely in winter. Plus, witch hazel is a larval host to a long list of moth species while myriad small pollinators visit the flowers for a last meal before migration or hibernation. (continued on page 22)

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The staff at Chanticleer have woven natives into display gardens, particularly Agastache, Echinacea, Asclepias tuberosa, mountain mints (Pycnanthemum spp.) and prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis). “The agastaches are a visitor favorite and they’re wonderfully fragrant. The echinaceas are real showstoppers,” recalled Thomas. One particularly effective use of native plants is Chanticleer’s prairie dropseed meadow. Its changing moods from spring into winter have become a visitor favorite. The soft cascading fine foliage creates almost a wave effect and is particularly effective en masse.

A native ephemeral bulb that is also enchanting planted in masses is Camassia. “In terms of natives that really knock people’s socks off are Camassias,” commented Thomas. “We’ve got a mass of Camassia ‘Blue Danube’ along our creek. People stop in their tracks when they see that much blue. We also grow the eastern native, Camassia scilloides. We don’t have a big mass of it, but wherever it grows, it’s quite pretty.” The native plant is also known as wild hyacinth and can frequently be found in our forest preserves. With a silver blue flower and prominent yellow anthers, it blends beautifully with late season tulips and daffodils. The upright clusters of flowers are graceful and formal in their carriage. Try them as filler in boxwood parterres or as part of spring displays.

As you make plant choices for designs this year, consider the form and function of native species. Many of the perennials boast tidy or upright habits that fit into formal gardens. Native trees and shrubs can be statement specimens, screening, or overhead ceiling for patio spaces. Try substituting native grasses for sweeps of ornamental plantings and you might just fall in love with them.

Many native plants are also charming in containers, especially some of the spring ephemerals. “We’ve been starting to use more native flowers in our spring displays,” commented Thomas. “We then might take them out of the seasonal display area and plant in another area permanently. I hate throwing away something after it’s used just once. I like to get at least two uses out of a plant.” Some might surprise you on their versatility. “Talking about natives, one that is ephemeral, is Virginia bluebells, Mertensia virginiana. That’s a great one to use either in a spring display in the ground or in a container. Then when it starts to go dormant, dig it out and move it to a permanent spot. Trilliums are similar. You could also do it with bloodroot, Sanguinaria, but they bloom and fade so quickly, you might want to use the double one because it does bloom for a longer period of time.” By adding these woodland natives to containers, you can capture their ephemeral nature and bring them up close and personal. We are instantly drawn to the delicate and fleeting flowers, plus they pair beautifully with other cold-tolerant annuals like stock, pansies, and bulbs.

Containers also allow us to interact with unusual native plants. “I’ve seen lady slipper orchids (Cypripedium spp.) done in beautifully in containers,” observed Thomas. “They are a bit of a challenge, but so wonderful when they bloom. Make sure you’re using a reputable nursery and purchase lab-propagated plants, though, as they are endangered in the wild.” Another fascinating plant that benefits from being grown in a container where the unique flowers can be enjoyed are pitcher plants. “North American pitcher plants, the Sarracenias, are intriguing however they’re used, but are quite strong in containers,” said Thomas.

If you’re looking for tough, low maintenance, and beautiful in a sunny spot, Thomas recommends, “Agastaches – they’re just such a tough plant, they’re wonderful in containers. Being able to touch the leaves and get that fragrance going is really nice.” As a group, agastaches thrive in full sun and sharp drainage, making them ideal for containers on rooftops and exposed spaces. They’ll bloom for the summer months and be covered in pollinators. An edible plant in the mint family, leaves and flowers can be used in teas or lemonade for a fun floral twist.

When planning or revamping your container designs this year, try thinking about combinations with natives for long-blooming flowers, fragrant foliage, and interesting textures.