GARDENS OPEN TO VISITORS
2009
1.
Contact info: Michael Young, 529 Evan Kelly Road, Missoula, Montana 59802. Email: researchym@montana.com. This is a relatively young garden (started in 2002) that is
devoted
primarily to species native to the western United States in which over 100 species or forms of
penstemons have been grown. An equally important function is to serve as a pollinator garden,
and up to three species of hummingbirds, a variety of butterflies and moths, and untold
hymenopterans frequent the site from April through September. Peak bloom is in mid-June, but
up to two dozens species of forbs are still flowering (or flowering again) when autumn arrives.
As is evident from the photos, the garden is also evolving as durable perennials or perennial
reseeders assert their dominance.
2.
John P Weiser 485 O'Brien Way, Sparks, NV 89431
Phone after 4:00pm PST on weekdays or on weekends any time after 8:00 PST to arrange a visit.
The best months for Penstemon blossoms are May and June. I do have blossoms through out the
summer until frost.
email address: johnpweiser@yahoo.com
Photo sharing sight http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierrarainshadow/
Situated in an urban setting, at an altitude of 4000 feet, in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada
Range. My garden emphasizes moderately hardy, dry-land plants from around the
world. Scattered throughout the garden you will encounter thirty species and hybrids of
Penstemon.
The City of Sparks, Nevada is the sister City to Reno. Lake Tahoe lies approximately thirty
eight miles to the south west of us by road, and a mere twenty five miles as the crow flies.
3.
Contact information: Barbara Lewis 10918 N Sunshine Drive Littleton, CO 80125
303-903-9278
blewis@iriscolorado.com
My garden is located about 15 miles south of Denver, not far from C470 and Santa Fe Drive.
We live on about 2 acres of land and are about 1 mile from the South Platte River, Chatfield
State Park, and the Highline Canal. All the penstemons are grown in native soil which has been
variously described as sandy/loam and alluvial. The drainage is good. I have about 95 species
of penstemons planted out in several beds and about 65 seedlings in my nursery garden. The
latter will be transplanted in early April. As an added bonus, visitors in late May/early June will
be treated to Lowell’s iris gardens, brimming with hundreds of iris seedlings blooming for the
first time as well as his introduced cultivars.
4.
Contact info: Jim Swayne, 4009 Old Milton Hwy, Walla Walla, WA 99362-7194. Email: jaswayne@charter.net Phone: 509 525-7683. We have hosted many garden tours and
enjoy meeting fellow gardeners.
Our garden was started in 1996 on 6 acres of old farm ground (4 acres still in pasture) at 700'
elevation close to the Oregon/Washington state line. Rainfall is around 12" annually almost
entirely in Winter and early Spring. The soil is a wind deposited deep silt loam that will grow
almost anything. The main focus has been on water conservation, water use zoning and a large
vegetable garden entirely drip irrigated. We grow most of our native plants from seed including
as many Penstemons as I can get seed for. Featured plants include Penstemons, Eriogonums,
Lewisias, Paeonia brownii, Mountain Mahogany, Rabbit brush, Buffalo grass and species bulbs.
Penstemon bloom is usually peaking around May 20 but the bulb bloom is best in mid-March
through mid-April. The garden has become a real bird magnet with a total of 83 species seen to
date. Our home is climate controlled with a water to air geothermal heat pump that, as a side
benefit, supplies water to a small bird attracting pond, especially wintering ducks.
Mark Turner has photographed our garden several times and a number of his photos from 2003
are at the link below:
http://www.turnerphotographics.com/gardens/030619Swayne/index.html
5.
Contact information: Stephen Love Aberdeen R & E Center 1693 S 2700 W Aberdeen,
ID 83210 Ph. (208) 397-4181 Fax (208) 397-4311 Email: slove@uidaho.edu
I would like to offer our evaluation plots as a site for visitors. Although it is not technically a
garden, we do have about 150 species of penstemons growing in a single location. We are
trying to determine adaptability to local climate and soils as well as ability to look nice with
limited irrigation. Many APS members might be interested. Below is my contact information. I
will attach a couple of pictures.
6.
Contact information: Ginny Maffitt maffitt@verizon.net 503-625-6384
I'd like to have some admirers of my penstemons this spring! The Dasantheras start in late April,
so anytime in May is good. Contact by phone or email to set up a schedule.
7.
Faye Rutishauser Natural Area Horticulturist Red Butte Garden and Arboretum Salt
Lake City UT Faye.Rutishauser@redbutte.utah.edu Ph (801) 587-9951 Fax (801) 585-0515
Last year Red Butte Botanical Garden and Arboretum put in what we call the Penstemon Walk.
We have about 20 species displayed there as well as our Penstemon Ridge that has another 15
species. We keep adding new species to our collection each year as it's quite a love affair!
strictus ‘Bandera’
heterophyllus ‘Electric Blue’
davidsonii v. menziesii
grandiflorus
smallii
whippleanus ‘Chocolate Drop’
acaulis
platyphyllus
cobeae
mexacali ‘Sunburst Ruby’
confertus
virgatus ‘Blue Buckle’
pachyphyllus
palmerii
richardsonii
pinnifolius ‘Mersea Yellow’
cyanocaulis
hirsutus ‘Pygmaeus”
deustus
albidus
ophianthus
payettensis
secudiflorus
subglaber
pruinosus
kingii
nitidis
utahensis
eatonii
cyananthus