The Gardeners' Apprentice SWINGING SINGLES A few years ago a windstorm blew through my garden and tore a large branch off ‘Sally Holmes’, one of my favorite roses. The branch was covered with fat yellowish-ivory buds and big, white five-petaled flowers with prominent golden stamens. I took the branch inside, cut it into manageable stems and arranged … Read more
STANDING TALL Last week a tempest flew through our town, assaulting us with wind, rain and hail. Power lines came down along with tree limbs and occasionally, whole trees. The streets were strewn with debris and in some cases people didn’t get power back for days. When I inspected my own yard, I gave … Read more
BRIDE OF HEUCHERA Sometimes when I am in the shade plant aisle of the garden center, I imagine the great and historic horticultural wedding that took place more than a decade ago. The bride was tiarella, a perennial woodland plant, native to North America and Asia. Her origins were modest but eminently respectable. … Read more
THE TROUBLE WITH IRIS There is little that can compare with a well-grown stand of tall, bearded iris in full bloom. Their great big, multi-colored heads stand proudly atop substantial stalks, which are anchored by thick sword-shaped leaves. If the catalogs and websites that I use are any indication, there are at least a … Read more
PLANT GIFTS/PLANT TRENDS Every year about this time one of the big garden wholesalers sends me a box of tiny perennial plants to try in my home garden. These plants, which are mostly hybrids, are either new to the market or new to the particular wholesaler’s inventory. The vendor always includes an evaluation form … Read more
