I remember a time in the distant past when I actually looked forward to the arrival of the day’s mail. My husband and I dated long distance for a couple of years before getting married 36 years ago, and we corresponded feverishly. Part of the ritual of letter-writing for me involved the choice of postage stamps. I loved to go to the post office and survey the offering of commemorative stamps. I was fascinated by the random creativity of the postal service. Little-known artists actually designed these wonderful little compositions that celebrated everything from astronauts and poets to sea mammals and geological formations. Now, of course, the postal service is somewhat diminished, overtaken by email, UPS and other alternative carriers. But it still produces interesting stamps, for those of us who still use them.
One of the latest issues is sure to delight gardeners. The winter berries stamps celebrate four of winter’s small but colorful offerings: the winterberry (Ilex verticillata), the juniper berry (Juniperus communis), the beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) and the soapberry (Sapindus saponaria). The stamp art features highly detailed botanical portraits of each plant that highlight the bold colors and rich textures of their berries. Artist Steve Buchanan worked with art director Antonio Alcalá to create these four new stamps.
You probably give little if any thought to the release of new postage stamps. But every stamp issue has a formal introduction. Just in case you’re in the neighborhood, the winter berry stamps will be released at a ceremony at the Tulsa, Oklahoma Botanical Garden on Sept. 17.
These stamps have reminded me that it’s not too late to plant trees and shrubs for winter interest. With their eye-popping red berries, winterberries are a wonderful feature of New England gardens. They don’t call much attention to themselves the rest of the year, but after they shed their leaves, their berries are a welcome sight. The female plants bear fruit and require a male plant nearby to pollinate them. You only need one male to pollinate several females, but the male and female must bloom at the same time. Some good pairings are Jim Dandy with Afterglow, Shaver, and Red Sprite. Southern Gentleman blooms later and pairs well with Winter Red, Winter Gold, and Sparkleberry.
Juniper berries are not as brilliant as winterberries, but their blue-gray hue is a pleasant addition to the winter landscape. Juniper bushes come in all shapes, colors and sizes. They’re tough as nails and are a godsend for rugged hillsides where nothing else will grow. I like to add juniper branches to outdoor winter pots as well as indoor evergreen displays around the holidays. Juniper berries also have an important gastronomical function. They are an indispensable ingredient of gin, imparting a dry, herbal flavor that marries perfectly with tonic and lime juice.
My friend Moira has a gorgeous beautyberry bush that sports clusters of bright purple berries in the fall. The first time I saw it I was astonished. The berries are so richly colored and dense they almost look fake. If you’re not familiar with this shrub, you’ll know it when you see it. Like winterberry, these are one-season wonders, but they’re head-turners in the garden.
I confess I am not familiar with the soapberry tree. I have learned that they are so named because their hard, honey-colored berries contain saponin, a toxic chemical compound that is used to make soap. They are native to temperate and tropical climates, and are commonly found in India and Southeast Asia. Apparently there are varieties that grow in the southern United States, and even further north. I found a fascinating article on the internet about soapberry trees in southwestern Texas that discussed the lore of the berries and the particulars of making soap from them (backyardnature.net/n/w/soapberr.htm). Among other things, I learned that the fruits contain hard black seeds that Mexican children use for playing marbles. If anyone knows about soapberry trees growing in our area, I’d love to hear about them.
Mickey Rathbun, an Amherst-based lawyer turned journalist, has written the Get Growing column since 2016.
Sept. 21 and 22, Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston will host a diverse display of begonias and gesneriads. Gesneriads are the family that includes African violets and gloxinias. You may enter your own plants in this exhibition. There will also be a sale of these house plants. Saturday hours are noon to 5 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The show is presented by the Buxton branch of the American Begonia Society and the New England chapter of the Gesneriad Society. Admission is free with garden entry.
Have you ever wondered how people manage to build stone walls that stay in place without mortar? On Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge is offering a hands-on workshop on dry stone wall building. Award-winning stonemason and artist Mark Mendel will lead the workshop. The program will cover the basics of dry stone wall building, including planning and layout along with demonstrations on cutting and fitting. Cost: Members $80, nonmembers: $95. Preregistration is strongly encouraged. For more information and to register, go to berkshirebotanical.org
On Sept. 29 from 1 to 2:30 p.m., BBG is offering a hands-on workshop on Bonseki, the ancient Japanese art of creating miniature tabletop landscapes out of natural materials. Mariah Baca will lead the workshop, which is free of charge. To register, go to berkshirebotanical.org.
Pascommock Conservation Trust’s fall plant sale will take place on Sept. 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Big E’s Foodland parking lot in Easthampton. There will be perennials, ornamental grasses, trees and shrubs and raffle prizes. Plant donations are needed and will be accepted at 8 a.m. the day of the sale. PCT’s plant sales help fund its land preservation efforts.