GERBERA DAISIES When I was a young, foolish gardener, I was a tremendous plant snob. I looked down my nose at petunias, dahlias, gladiolas, hybrid tea roses and gerbera daisies. They were common plants, in my lofty opinion, pretty enough if you weren’t too choosey, but certainly not anything that I would want in my … Read more
BAPTISIA Early every year, loud public relations fanfares blast throughout the horticultural world as various trade associations announce their special plant “selections” or prize picks for the upcoming growing season. More often than not, the honored plants are new introductions. The Perennial Plant Association (PPA), which is devoted to the promotion of herbaceous perennials, follows … Read more
LADY’S MANTLE Cottage gardens are full of frothy plants–low growing specimens with masses of small flowers that make a habit of surging beyond their boundaries. Like the froth on a lapping wave, they encroach gently on walkways or adjacent areas, softening hard lines and creating a feeling of abundance. Low-growing salvias, annual California poppies and … Read more
THE ADVANTAGES OF HEIGHT It is winter. The garden catalogs tantalize me with pictures of eternal sunshine and flowers. The view outside my windows depresses me as I watch the gray branches whipping back and forth in the intermittent wind storm that has besieged us for the last three weeks. If I were more virtuous, … Read more
THE GARDENER AND THE DOG A friend of mine is the proud human companion of an adolescent golden retriever. The dog, whom I will call “B.”, to avoid embarrassing him, is among the most intelligent and handsome of his breed, but he seems to have some of the same problems as male human adolescents. … Read more
