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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I </FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>We invite you to visit the 2008 Native Seed Catalog of New
England Wild Flower Society at <A
href="http://www.newenglandwild.org">www.newenglandwild.org</A>. William
Cullina shares some of his favorites in the writeup below. </FONT></DIV>
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<P class=NFS-Body style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>Go GREEN with New England
Wild Flower Society Seeds</STRONG></FONT></P>
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face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=NFS-Body style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Framingham, Massachusetts</B><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Growing native plants is a key
element to greener landscape practice. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Purchase seeds and spores ecologically collected and prepared
by Society Seed Ecologist Tristram Seidler at the Society’s Garden in
the Woods in Framingham, Nasami Farm in Whately, MA., and select area
locations. <STRONG>Seeds sales continue through March 15, 2008, while
supplies last.</STRONG><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Orders are filled on a first-come
basis.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> These seeds are for garden use
only. </SPAN>To ensure the best selection of trees, shrubs, perennials,
ferns, and grasses, especially if you have your heart set on uncommon
species become a member of the Society and also enjoy up to fifty
percent off the price of seeds. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>You can join online at
<STRONG>www.newenglandwild</STRONG>.<STRONG>org.</STRONG> or contact Karen
Pierce at <A
href="mailto:kpierce@newenglandwild.org">kpierce@newenglandwild.org</A>.
Your membership and purchases support the award-winning programs of
America’s oldest plant conservation organization, and members also receive
discounts on nursery plant purchases, gifts, books, and classes, and free
admission to Garden in the Woods throughout the season.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
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face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=NFS-Body style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial>Contrary to
popular belief, many wildflowers and woody native plants are easily grown from
seed.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Beautify your garden and
incorporate ecological practice at the same time. Many are unavailable anywhere
else in the trade. View <STRONG>hundreds of species of native plants and their
seeds and spores</STRONG> featured in the new 2008 wildflower seed catalog at
www.newenglandwild.org, January through March. William (Bill) Cullina, author
and Horticultural Research Director of the Society, provides many interesting
ideas in the online catalog.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Here
are some of his seed favorites for 2008: </FONT></P>
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style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P class=NFS-Body style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Liatris ligulistylis</I> (meadow blazing
star) </B>– Time and time again this easy, summer-blooming meadow or border
perennial proves its amazing ability to attract monarch butterflies.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is almost as if the lavender purple
button flowers exude a butterfly pheromone that lures the freshly minted insects
to them as soon as their wings are dry.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Customers in the Garden in the Woods and Nasami Farm sales areas have
even had monarchs follow them into their cars as they tried to leave with a few
of the blooming plants.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This is a
good beginner species to grow from seed, often blooming the first summer at its
full 3 foot height.</FONT></P>
<P class=NFS-Body style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Rhododendron atlanticum </I>(coast azalea)
</B>– Coast azalea is one of the earlier of our many native species to
flower.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The trumpet-shaped flowers
are a blend of white and shell pink, and they release a </FONT></P>
<P class=NFS-Body style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial>captivatingly
sweet perfume that makes me want to stoop over for a closer whiff.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Even if you are of<B><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></B></FONT></P>
<P class=NFS-Body style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial>diminutive
stature, you will find yourself bending over too when this deciduous shrub is in
bloom, for it only grows to three feet or so.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The battleship blue leaves are an
attractive addition that along with its compact habit makes this a worthy
addition to foundation plantings and mixed borders.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The seed germinates quickly upon sowing
in a warm, bright location.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></I></P>
<P class=NFS-Body style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Stewartia ovata </I>var. <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">grandiflora</I> (mountain camellia)</B> – I
first saw this stunning and relatively rare small tree when I lived in North
Carolina.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A close relative of the
Asian Stewartias that grace many gardens, this variety of the Southern
Appalachian species has especially large and luminous blooms.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The flower buds form in summer and seem
to take forever to finally open.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>When they do, they reveal a rich white, camellia-like bloom with a thick
central tuft of anthers.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Typically,
this tuft is golden in color, but in rare individuals it is tinted the most
beautiful shade of ultraviolet.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Fall color is a rich red and orange on this 10-15 foot understory
tree.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The seed offered is from a
mixed population of golden and violet individuals from the mountains of
Tennessee.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This is a slow species
to germinate, but well worth the effort as it is virtually unavailable in the
trade.</FONT></P>
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style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></I></P>
<P class=NFS-Body style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Trillium</I> <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">flexipes</I> (upright form) (bent
trillium)</B> – The flowers of this extremely robust trillium look similar to
showy trillium but they are of thicker substance and perch above the leaf like
big white pyramids. The leaf rises to over 20 inches on a stiff stem, its three
leaflets overlapping to form a 12 inch green saucer to set of the bloom.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is one of the best garden trilliums
as it holds its own with many other woodland wildflowers in mixed
plantings.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Like all trilliums, this
plant requires patience to raise from seed.</FONT></P>
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face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=NFS-Body style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial>In addition to
the detailed advice William Cullina provides at the online seed catalog, you can
order <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">New England Wild Flower Society's
Guide to Wildflowers, and the Guide to Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines, </I>both
by William Cullina, online at www.newenglandwild.org. You can also pre-order a
signed copy of the new <EM>Ferns, Moss & Grasses.</EM> Do you prefer to
start your garden with nursery plants?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Check the availability list online and plan your pre-orders. Volume
orders (with a minimum of $500) are accepted in advance of opening day and
receive a twenty percent discount. Contact the Society at
plants@newenglandwild.org for details.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>View and purchase plants at Garden in the Woods in Framingham
Massachusetts beginning April 15, 2008 <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>and at Nasami Farm in Whately,
Massachusetts on Spring weekends, Thursday-Sunday, beginning April 17,2008.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
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