Unfortunately, as a consulting horticulturist and arborist, I encounter horticultural ignorance quite often. I really don't mind the so-called "nurserymen" of the large home improvement stores, because they are sales representatives who may as well be selling plumbing or wallpaper or that gooey black stuff that patches a leaky roof. What really bothers me are the landscapers who only know plants as circles on a site plan or the arborists who feel they are qualified to perform arboricultural procedures because of acquisition of a pickup truck and a chain saw. In horticultural slang, these are known respectively as "landscrapers" and "hackers."

Qualified landscapers are educated and experienced with horticulture and know which species are appropriate for each application and environment. They all have their own styles but should accommodate the preferences of the client. Conversely, landscrapers are not familiar with plant material and often impose their own style in an attempt to dazzle the client. Because plant material is often not appropriate to particular environments, it eventually succumbs to declining health, but only after the landscraper has been paid and moved on to the next victim.

Reputable referrals from former clients who have been satisfied with their landscapes for several years are as important as credentials when selecting a landscaper. Such referrals indicate the landscaper is sufficiently familiar with the plant material to assemble it into a sustainable landscape, even if it is not as ostentatious as some of the projects assembled by landscrapers. Familiarity with horticulture is important, because the most educated landscape designers who are quite proficient at applying circles to paper need to know the appropriateness of each selected species.

Hackers are unfortunately more damaging and more common than landscrapers. A bad landscape can eventually be replaced and typically does not damage major features, unless it involves excavation into, or addition of, soil above roots of mature trees. Hackers can damage the largest of trees so severely that recovery is not possible. This not only damages or destroys the most substantial of features of a landscape but also necessitates expensive corrective or removal procedures.

I discuss my favorite arborists too frequently because I am honored to work with the best, but others may be found like landscapers, by referral from clients who are so satisfied with the work of a particular arborist that they continue to procure his or her services for all of their arboricultural concerns. Most of the best arborists are certified with the International Society of Arboriculture, or ISA. A list of certified arborists can be found on the Internet at www.isa-arbor.com.

Vine of the Week:
Carolina jessamine

Bright yellow flowers seem more appropriate to summer, but as the Bailey acacias finish their bloom, Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) begins blooming with comparably bright yellow flowers during late winter and very early spring. The slightly fragrant tubular flowers are about an inch long. The cultivar "Plena" has double flowers. The shiny evergreen leaves are about 2 inches long, but can be larger.

Carolina jessamine does not climb as rapidly or become as densely foliated as more voracious vines, but may eventually get 20 feet high. It is commonly grown on trellises, but can also function as a shaggy and deep ground cover. The vine prefers full sun exposure and somewhat regular irrigation. Incidentally, all parts of Carolina jessamine are toxic.

Horticulturist Tony Tomeo can be contacted at 408.358.2574 or at LGHORTICULTURE@aol.com.