The Gardeners' Apprentice PLUMBAGO This is the time of year when lovers of all things blue revel in the garden’s bounty. Blue hydrangeas are everywhere–or at least everywhere with acid soil–and both mophead and lacecap varieties are producing abundant blue flowerheads. This is one of those summers that hydrangea lovers celebrate. The spring was mild, with no … Read more
BEACH GARDEN At home I garden in clay soil. It’s thick, heavy and moisture retentive. I amend it all the time and worry about drainage. While I may sometimes curse it, I am used to it. My summer garden has a completely different character because it is located on what is known in … Read more
COMMON SENSE In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense, a pamphlet that addressed ordinary people and urged them to embrace the cause of freedom from England. As I scan the Internet gardening sites, chat rooms and blogs, I feel the need for a horticultural Tom Paine to urge ordinary gardeners to re-embrace common sense. … Read more
RESTRAINT I went over the edge last week. So did ‘City of York’, a climbing rose with large white flowers that grows in a raised bed next to my garage. The expansive shrub was attached to a trellis that was in turn screwed into the garage wall. This spring’s weekly wind-storms had apparently loosened … Read more
HYSSOP BY ANY OTHER NAME A clergyman friend wanted some hyssop to use during a religious service. This was perfectly appropriate, since the herb, used in sacred purification rites since ancient times, is mentioned in the Book of Psalms, as well as in the New Testament. As is always the case in churches, … Read more
