Every gardener has “holy grails”—plants that they have waited years to acquire. Sometimes they are new introductions or discoveries that are prohibitively expensive; other times they are species or varieties that have gained popularity in Europe or the Far East and haven’t made their way to U.S. shores. I have some evergreen “holy grails” that … Read more
Most of us who live in cold winter climates get sick of winter just about the time that sleet, ice, snow and gray days really get going. That depressing period generally starts after the first of the year, when the holiday excitement is long gone, along with the decorations. Living spaces are bare, New Year’s … Read more
I used to think there was no earthly use for perilla (Perilla frutescens). No garden since the beginning of time has ever had just one plant. True to its mint family heritage, perilla spreads and spreads and spreads. Of course, it is quite decorative, with its purple-black ruffled leaves, but some of the similarly colored … Read more
Back in the beginning of the gardening season, my garden, along with the rest of the Northeast, was inundated with Red Admiral butterflies. Now, as the season begins to winds down, we have a bumper crop of Painted Ladies. Both are colorful, with wings that combine white, black and orange. It is probably better that … Read more
I need some cheap thrills for my autumn garden. Usually I think about this too late—in mid September at the earliest. This year, however, I am determined to get a jump on the season and the thrills. The kind of thrills I am looking for come from autumn flowering crocus and colchicum. These plants bear … Read more
