Mr. Marshall’s Flower Book

I love garden books so much that my bookshelves are listing under the weight of my collection.  Some of those books are reference volumes, but they are in the minority.  I favor books that go beyond the “how” of gardening to the “why” of gardening.  After all, I can do an internet search and find … Read more

Flower Books

Winter has set in for good and even the toughest of the garden flowers have gone the way of all things.  I look longingly on the remains of the last fall-blooming crocuses—two brave singletons that bloomed on a warm day last week.  Having done their duty, they have folded their petals and taken to their … Read more

The Green Florilegium

One of the best plants in my garden is spiderwort—Tradescantia virginiana.  The flowers are a vibrant shade of blue purple and have three petals apiece.  Perched at the tops of relatively stout stalks, the blooms appear in clusters.  Their lives are short but beautiful–individual flowers last only one day apiece.  The long slender leaves curl … Read more