“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 →
Maybe Metasequoia glyptostroboides rolls off your tongue now, but there was a time when you felt intimidated by botanical Latin. When I opened up the Dirr book for my first woody plants class, I laughed out loud. Yeah, right! Now I try to work phrases like Ceratostigma plumbaginoides and Hakonechloa macra into the conversation. Here are some plant names that trip… Read more →
This is an actual conversation that took place one late winter day at the nursery where I worked: Caller: Yes, I was wondering if you could answer a question for me. I’m going to spray my plants, and the container says not to use it on arborvitaes, and I was wondering, “Why not arborvitaes?” What will it do to them? Me: What… Read more →
Flowers are under attack. Have you noticed how many books and articles on garden design emphasize the importance of foliage to the point where flowers are entirely secondary? Many garden experts tell us that a sophisticated gardener overlooks the fleeting thrill of flowers and instead focuses, sensibly, on the form, texture, and color that foliage provides over the long haul. Once one… Read more →
Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.) sells by virtue of its frilly summer blooms alone, and where it’s hardy enough to grow sizable trunks, the exfoliating bark is a bonus, but how little ink is devoted to praising its fall color! Some plants take on deep purpley tones that redden over time. Many selections, like ‘Hopi’ and ‘Catawba,’ are set ablaze with an… Read more →
When it comes to the weather, we gardeners are prone to hyperbole. Every season, one would think from listening to us, is drastically colder or warmer, wetter or drier than ever before. Has one of us ever said, “Can you believe what normal weather we’re having?” or, “Average enough for ya?” Instead, we seize upon every irregularity in the weather… Read more →
All plants have their pros and cons. Writers of plant and seed catalogs try to paint each plant in the best light. Just as when a house listed as “cozy” usually translates to “small,” certain terms in plant catalogs raise flags in the minds of savvy consumers. Here are some phrases to be aware of when flipping through those decadent,… Read more →
