The Gardeners' Apprentice

Oh Deer!

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OH DEER!             Two weeks ago I was standing in line at the deli when I heard someone behind me say, “I saw two deer yesterday–big ones–right on the front lawn.”             Then, a few days later, I went to an end-of-season party at the little public garden in my town.  I was sipping punch … Read more

Japanese Anemone

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JAPANESE ANEMONE             Every year I wait for the arrival of the monarch butterflies.  For much of the second half of the summer, one or two monarchs a day float through the yard, especially when the butterfly bushes are at their peak.  But every year around this time, the numbers increase as the butterflies gear … Read more

Balloon Flower

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BALLOON FLOWER             Envy may be a sin, but it is also one of mankind’s most popular hobbies.  Every day we envy each other’s homes, gadgets, cars and clothes.  In this respect I am no better than anyone else.  At least once a week during the growing season I suffer from a bout of plant … Read more

Parrots

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PARROTS             For years I worshipped at the shrine of the lily flowering tulip.  Tall, slim and elegant, the lily flowering tulip is everything I aspire to and is also closest in appearance to the wild tulips that got the world started on its long love affair with these spring flowering plants.  For years I … Read more

Successes and Failures

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SUCCESSES AND FAILURES             The growing season is coming full circle.  As I cut back the browning daylily and iris foliage, patches of bare earth emerge, and the garden begins to look more like it does in the early spring.  The slow-moving stages of clean-up give me ample opportunity to think about this year’s garden.  … Read more