Gardener’s Dilemma

A terrible thing has happened.  My sister has given me a gift certificate for my favorite perennial plant vendor.  Of course I am grateful for the gift, which is enough to buy me a few new plants, but not so much that I can go crazy.  The problem is that time, that most precious of … Read more

Renard’s Cranesbill

Life is full of dichotomies.  I freely admit to falling madly in love with a different plant every few weeks during the growing season, but I am also remarkably faithful to plants that have served me well over many years.  Hardy geraniums fall into that latter category. Hardy geraniums, also known as cranesbills, are Geraniaceae … Read more

Rockin’ Rozanne

I grew up in a town that was less than an hour’s drive from Niagara Falls, but the only time we paid a call on that natural wonder was when we hosted visitors from England.  In similar fashion, I have lived—at least horticulturally speaking—near the perennial  hardy geranium ‘Rozanne’ since its introduction in 2000, but … Read more

Cover-Ups

COVER-UPS It is spring and everything looks healthy—especially chickweed, wild onion and dandelions.  As all gardeners know, Nature abhors bare ground and works hard to cover it as soon as possible.  Unfortunately the plants that cover the quickest are the aforementioned weeds.  Dandelions are nice if you want to make salad from the young greens … Read more