Every year in early to mid December, a few snowdrops or galanthus pop up in the little bed by my back porch steps. Depending on your perspective, they are either the last flowers of the old season or the first flowers of the new season. I prefer to think of them as a reminder that … Read more
The world is full of beautiful flowers, but the most beautiful ones have fragrance to match their good looks. That is why I always thought colorful, beruffled florists’ cyclamens, also known as Cyclamen persicum, were just a little lacking. The selective breeding that transformed an eastern Mediterranean wildflower into a modern-day floral celebrity resulted in … Read more
“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” That evocative line, from Daphne du Maurier’s novel Rebecca, has become famous, casting an elegiac spell over the rest of the story. I have similar thoughts and dreams about gardens in my past. I am certain that other committed gardeners have the same experiences. Not long … Read more
Like most couples, my parents compromised on various issues throughout their marriage. One of the most significant centered on flowers. My mother wanted flowers in the house 365 days a year. My father did not want to go broke providing them. The compromise, which took place before I was old enough to know about it, … Read more
You may not have noticed, but gauras have exploded in a big way. This mass detonation has taken place over the last two decades, and while the world at large may have perceived it as white noise, it resounded in horticultural circles. Gaura lindheimeri, a perennial also known as Lindheimer’s beeblossom, wandflower, or just plain … Read more
