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David Haskell: Green Giant in Massachusetts

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David says his father's lasting legacy is garden design. He'll wager that enthusiasts can pick out a Haskell garden from among others. A strong focal point is one quality; masses of under-plantings are another. "My father was uncompromising and unyielding in his tastes," David says. "He was discriminating. He had strong opinions on a selective use of one plant, but he would also back it up with why he would be in favor of a plant. We've all developed that awareness. He was a great mentor."

Allen C. Haskell Horticulturists, Inc., 787 Shawmut Ave., New Bedford, MA. 508-993-9047. haskellnursery.com

David Haskell's Picks

One of David's fall favorites is an unusual plant called Heptacodium miconioides (seven-son flower). It is a shrublike tree with green leaves during summer, but it puts on a command performance come fall. First, it produces panicles of star-shaped white blossoms in September and October. Then, its calyxes, which are green when flowering, ripen to a rosy red in October and November. In late fall, the plant drops its leaves to reveal showy, shaggy brown bark during winter months.

David says another fall knockout is the daisy Chrysanthemum 'Sheffield Pink', which produces silvery-pink flowers. "It stays flowering through November," he says. "It's a true perennial and is very hardy. It will come back year after year, unlike a lot of mums that don't reliably survive the Northeast climate."

David likes the look of berry-producing plants, too. In autumn, he favors the bright-red berries of the Ilex verticillata (winterberry holly). Also consider Callicarpa 'Profusion' (beautyberry), a fast-growing shrub. "Its purple fruit is quite stunning," he says, adding that the berry clusters remain on the plant long after the leaves fall.

While in New Bedford

Don't miss the whales, more gardens, and Portuguese food.

New Bedford Whaling Museum

Hear whale calls and sounds of the sea the way whales hear them underwater. The gallery, enclosed in glass, is airy and dramatic—and free to the public, part of the whaling museum’s involvement with the restoration of this historic waterfront city. Open daily 9-5. [DETAILS]