Revisiting a celebrated garden after a long absence is like rereading a classic book. The second—or third or fourth—time around, you build on existing impressions, incorporate your own increased knowledge and perspective and come away with a deeper appreciation of the work. I had that experience recently when I went back to Sonnenberg Gardens, a … Read more
I have been thinking lately about good, easy to grow low hedges for my upper back garden. A garden center display reminded me about an old favorite–Teucrium chamaedrys or wall germander. This evergreen member of the mint (Lamiaceae) family has long been used in herb and knot gardens. From my perspective, part of its value … Read more
The adjective “rugose” comes from the Latin word meaning “wrinkled.” The phrase “rugosa rose” means “tougher than nails”—at least in my personal garden dictionary. Rosa rugosa is an eastern Asian species rose, notable for its heavily veined, wrinkly leaves and incredibly prickly stems. The flowers, like those of many rose species, are simple, with five … Read more
No matter what time it is in my garden, it’s always time to clip the privet. It bounds the front yard on three sides and thrives on a diet of neglect and neighbors’ complaints. I trim and trim. When I am finished with the entire hedge, I start all over again. If I relax with … Read more
An English newspaper recently asked readers about their most frequent garden complaints. Being a veteran gardener, I could think of a few–the string trimmer running out of string in the middle of a job, an invasion of Japanese beetles, the loss of a favorite pair of clippers, etc. But when I think about it, the … Read more
