THE GARDEN OF JOAN AND DAVID POOS

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Clarissa Hill
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Roberta Chopko Boonton, New Jersey THE GARDEN OF JOAN AND DAVID POOS Just an ordinary garden behind a typical suburban house at the end of a cul-desac NOT!

1 Roberta Chopko Boonton, New Jersey THE GARDEN OF JOAN AND DAVID POOS Just an ordinary garden behind a typical suburban house at the end of a cul-desac NOT! The Poos residence is situated close to the street on what is only a threequarter acre lot. This gives them a large, sloping, somewhat diamond-shaped expanse of property behind the house in which to work their garden magic, giving one the illusion that the lot is much bigger than it actually is. The single river birch and modest appearance of the front of the Poos home does not prepare you for what awaits you in their backyard. Though the sign in the front yard, informing us that they were designated as the The Yard of the Month by the local Beautify Crestwood organization, does offer a hint as to what lies behind their home. As you walk along the shady side of the residence, a continuous row of H. Golden Tiara flanks the walkway, hugging the house on your right. You are certainly conscious of the carefully placed and labeled hostas, ferns and other shade perennials in the garden beds on your left, but as you leave the path and step out into the sun, you catch your breath as you view the flaming vista of thousands of daylilies in full bloom.

2 David Poos informed us that there are 900 different species of Hemerocallis in this garden, as well as 2000 of his own seedlings. Fortunately the sun was shining brightly when we were there so we were able to admire the daylilies in all their glory. Quite simply, Dave Poos says that he is a hybridizer of daylilies, rather than hostas, because hybridizing hostas takes too long and needs more room, but upon further investigation it is obvious that he and Joan devote an equal amount of time in cultivating the many hostas on their property. Though the daylilies took center stage, and were certainly impressive, they did not put the extremely well-grown hostas in this garden to shame. The Poos bought the house in 1971 and before Dave retired in 2001 he said they had eleven hosta varieties. Once he retired the hosta garden took off and at Dave s last tally the hosta count rose to 753, but he admitted that was before they hit the vendors at the Convention hotel. Shady beds frame the perimeters of the garden on both sides of the house. Old and new hosta cultivars exist in conscious placement throughout so that the garden seems to flow as you walk. Labels by each plant carefully identify the cultivar, the hybridizer, and the year of introduction, and we were surprised to see beautiful specimens of hosta varieties that are not found in many gardens, like H. Good as Gold, Hollywood Lights, Lovely Loretta and Lakeside Midnight Miss, to name but a few.

Hosta Lovely Loretta Hosta Good as Gold Several Convention attendees also commented on the large H.

This specimen was perhaps one of the largest many of us had ever seen.

conifers, Japanese maples, redbuds, dogwoods and azaleas throughout the garden add bones to the beds.

3 Hosta Lovely Loretta Hosta Good as Gold Several Convention attendees also commented on the large H. Stitch in Time in this garden; a cultivar that is difficult to grow. This specimen was perhaps one of the largest many of us had ever seen. Hosta Stitch in Time A massive shingle oak anchors the shade in this immaculately manicured landscape, while conifers, Japanese maples, redbuds, dogwoods and azaleas throughout the garden add bones to the beds. Unique and strategically placed pieces of garden art, like the large recycled steel sculpture created by a local starving artist, contribute to the visual appeal of the plant material that surrounds them.

The relaxing stroll through this magnificent backyard garden culminates in a cascading waterfall that flows into the pond directly behind the house.

5 The relaxing stroll through this magnificent backyard garden culminates in a cascading waterfall that flows into the pond directly behind the house. Rock ledges surrounding the pond are planted with a mixed array of colorful annuals, sedums, and perennials. The vibrant flowers of the hardy water lily Wanvisa, past winner of the Best New Water Lily of the Year by the International Water Lily and Water Gardening Society, provides a final explosion of color in varying shades of fuchsia as one exits this secret garden in the rear and returns to the small, sedate garden in the front of the house. Dave Poos said that he and Joan spend about thirty hours a week in garden maintenance. I don t know if he meant each, or together, but either way, this garden is evidence of time well spent. David and Joan Poos have created a beautiful garden that appeals to the garden lover in all of us.

The Society for Siberian Irises, The Species Iris Group of North America and Region 4 Spring 2018 Meeting

The Society for Siberian Irises, The Species Iris Group of North America and Region 4 Spring 2018 Meeting Celebrating The 25 th Anniversary of Siberian/Species Conventions Sponsored by the Francis Scott