I have friends and relatives who are nuts about ferns, from great big ostrich ferns to small ground-hugging varieties. In spring, these fern lovers take walks in damp, muddy woods just to see the young fronds, or fiddleheads, before they unfurl. In summer, they pour water on their prized ferns to keep them from curling … Read more
Not long ago a friend called me with dramatic news about epimedium. For those who might be wondering, this is a plant, not a medical condition. Epimedium might occasionally induce euphoria, which is a psychological condition, but that is another story. Epimedium is, in fact, a shade-loving, spring bloomer that covers ground in a very … Read more
Garden cyclamen, sometimes known as hardy cyclamen, are subtle plants and easy to forget when they are not in leaf or flower. I forgot mine completely until I noticed that they hadn’t appeared this year. I don’t know what happened, but I blame the squirrels who have rampaged through the garden, digging with impunity and … Read more
It is almost mid-spring and creeping phlox—Phlox subulata—is having its moment. You can see it on the edges of flower beds, in planting boxes and cascading politely over garden walls. Healthy creeping phlox looks like a plush pink, blue/purple or white carpet that spreads outward just in time to make you forget that the daffodils … Read more
Plant craziness has attacked me again. As always, it came on suddenly, as I sat down after a long day’s work and paged through one of my favorite English gardening magazines. These publications are full of what my husband called “plant pornography”—gorgeous photos of alluring specimens, dripping with dew and ready to jump right off … Read more
