Accidental Butterflies

The butterfly weed, or Asclepias tuberose, in my garden is obviously the result of wish fulfillment, because I never planted it. For years I thought about it, but was always distracted by the horticultural equivalent of brighter, shinier objects. My plant dollars went for all kinds of specimens, but never for butterfly weed. Still, as … Read more

Butterfly Weed

Lots of plants pop up in the fertile ground under my privet hedge—poison ivy, Virginia creeper, wild grape, Japanese honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet and common mulberry, to name a few.  I spend a good chunk of time every month battling them.  It is a quixotic battle, based on the romantic notion that I can actually defeat … Read more