Summer is here, but many of us are still locked in the clutches of spring. Why? Because the remnants of the swell garden party that was the spring growing season are still with us. Think of all the flashy “guests” at that party—roses, clematis, peonies and iris of all sorts. They thrilled us all, … Read more
True blue flowers don’t happen every day, but when they do, their beauty is heart-stopping. A few years ago, my daughter, the queen of container growing, had a heart-stopping moment with Lithodora diffusa, a small, perennial, ground-covering plant with true blue flowers. She thought it was perfect for a mixed container arrangement. I thought it … Read more
If a garden does not look good in May and June, it will never look good. I have heard that phrase, read it, and even said it many times over the years. It stays current because it’s true-at least most of the time. If your landscape is like mine, full of a lot of spring-flowering … Read more
Only eight short weeks ago, gardeners in my part of the world were rhapsodizing over the diminutive glories of snowdrops and crocuses. Now, even the foliage is gone with the wind, and the memory of their charms has been washed away in the high tide of one of the greatest floral show horses of all—the … Read more
It is axiomatic among gardeners that the garden is always at its best either the week before or the week after visitors stop by. “You should have seen it last week,” you say regretfully while looking at the desiccated remains of your formerly sumptuous double daffodils. “Wait until next week,” you mutter, as you point … Read more
