My Akismet spam blocker keeps you, dear readers, from having to see the spam messages that attack my comments section every day. Most spam comments are meaningless and not worthy of anyone’s attention, but some, I have found, are surprisingly funny. The spam bots’ use of shameless flattery combined with a–shall we say–unique grasp of the English language make it hard not to chuckle. Here… Read more →
Dreaming up stunning color combinations is one of the most fun, creative, and satisfying activities any gardener can do. But how to come up with them? Well, you can study plant combination books, look at pictures, and imagine compositions in your head, but nothing beats seeing plants live and in person and trying out different combinations right in the garden. That’s why… Read more →
I love all seasons of the year–even when there’s not much (or anything) blooming. Winter has its unique beauties. However, after moving to Portland, I didn’t expect to see much of the winter wonderland that visits the Midwest. Boy, was I wrong this year! Nine inches of snow and a coating of ice made for some fierce cabin fever last weekend,… Read more →
Think annuals are just “plant material,” plunked down for June to September color? Think again. Some annuals may not bloom all summer, but they do offer something unique at a specific time of the year. Don’t hate them because they’re not petunias! They make their season special. With all the zinnias and lantanas, sunflowers and cannas in the garden in August… Read more →
“Why include annuals in a book on bloom times?” I used to think. “They’re only blobs to be plunked down for summer-long color, right?” Well, though it might be the goal of breeders to produce plants that churn out an unwavering supply of blossoms for three months or more in summer, many annuals do not follow this program. But that’s… Read more →
When I first decided to write a book on bloom times and told my landscaper friends about it, I got a surprising amount of resistance from some of them. “But bloom times can vary so much from year to year!” they would say. “How can you be so sure of the dates?” I doubted myself at times, but as my… Read more →
A garden journal. You know it’s a good idea. “Now when did those ‘Biokovo’ geraniums of mine bloom again?” you think. “If I had jotted it down, I would know whether or not they would flower with this Twilite Prairieblues™ baptisia I had to get.” You resolve to keep better records next year. All winter you are stuck inside, dreaming… Read more →
Spring may begin in March, around the time the daffodils bloom in the Lower Midwest, but that doesn’t mean the color calendar isn’t already underway before then. Did you know that even before the daffodils bloom, quite a few plants have already stepped into the spotlight? Here are ten of them: 1. More often than not, Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) opens its… Read more →
