Yellow Magnolia

I am very partial to yellow flowers—especially those that don’t normally bloom in that hue.  I was one of the first gardeners of my acquaintance to buy ‘Barzella’, a yellow-flowered interspecies hybrid peony that represented a color breakthrough for peonies. A few years ago, I paid a premium for a newly-rediscovered heirloom yellow hyacinth.   My … Read more

Tulips on Trees

Thomas Jefferson was President of the United States when he wrote, “Altho’ the times are big with political events, yet I shall say nothing on that or any subject but the innocent ones of botany and friendship.” Jefferson kept to that resolution in the lengthy letter he posted to his friend and fellow garden enthusiast, … Read more

Cucumber Magnolia

Several weeks ago, as I was prepping for a local shade tree tour, one of the tour organizers sent me a picture of a “mystery tree” that was growing on private property on our chosen route.  The picture showed little, except very large green leaves.  I thought the tree might be some kind of catalpa, … Read more

Sourwood

Friends often ask me to identify mystery plants and those identification attempts sometimes lead me on voyages of discovery. Not long ago I took one of those trips. My friend asked me to look at a mystery tree growing only about two blocks from my house. I had only a few available minutes, but I … Read more

Smoke Bush

Those twentieth century poet/troubadours, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, captured a universal sentiment when they penned the words “I get by with a little help from my friends.”  Most gardeners would agree.  I depend on friends for inspiration and friendly criticism, not to mention timely donations of cuttings, perennial divisions and collected seeds. Last week … Read more