The Gardeners' Apprentice It occurs to me as I peer out over the happy array of coneflowers—Echinacea—in my front yard that the coneflower has become the “little black dress” of the world of ornamental horticulture. Every woman and a good number of the men of my acquaintance know that “little black dress” is metaphor for something that is … Read more
Gardeners tend to remember days, months and years by certain significant events and conditions. Right now, too many people in the western United States are sweating through The Year of No Rain. Five years ago, many of us who grow hydrangeas in the northeastern part of the country went through a couple of late spring … Read more
A few weeks ago, I vowed that if I had an arboretum, I would include Japanese stewartia, for its beautiful, camellia-like flowers. As is often the case, a stewartia popped up in front of me just a few days later. Despite the recent infernal temperatures, it was not a heat-induced mirage. I was on a … Read more
Early summer is daisy time, with daisy family species like Shastas, echinacea and coreopsis holding forth in multi-petaled radiance. But all the daisies in the world cannot outshine the tall trumpet lilies that are also making glorious music in gardens right now. Regal lilies or Lilium regale, with their voluptuous, golden-throated trumpets, are among the … Read more
Not long ago, Scott Kunst, founder of heirloom bulb purveyor, Old House Gardens, wrote up his simple rules for gardening. Among the most notable were: “weeding is endless–learn to love it”; and “editing is more important than planting. “ I may not love weeding, but most of the time I enjoy it and relish the … Read more
