I have a passion for the yellow-flowered forms of common plants. Yellow roses, like Graham Thomas and Golden Unicorn, entrance me so thoroughly that I am willing to wage an unending battle with black spot to enjoy their charms. I covet yellow violets and the illusive yellow geranium. Not long ago I acquired a yellow-flowering … Read more
I need a garden product that will take care of business. This product must do its job with only a single application, and keep the garden looking good in all seasons. It should also work steadily and stealthily to eradicate horticultural archfiends like chickweed and crabgrass. If I go to the garden center and describe … Read more
This is the story of a plant obsession that started with a snowdrop. The snowdrop in question, ‘Lady Elphinstone’, is known more formally as Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus. Like all snowdrops, ‘Lady Elphinstone’ is a small plant that bears pendulous flowers with three elongated outer petals and several shorter inner petals. ‘Lady Elphinstone’ has a … Read more
Two days ago I saw the first goblet-shaped crocus blossoms just in front of the privet hedge by my driveway. They were little Crocus chrysanthus, early bloomers that are only about half the size of their later blooming, Dutch crocus relatives. They are amazingly powerful little plants, pushing up through the frozen earth, shrugging off … Read more
My house was built in 1882. Two years later, in 1884, botanist Luther Burbank (1849-1926) began to build a better daisy. Another seventeen years passed while Burbank crossed various daisy species. Finally, in 1901, he introduced a new ornamental plant named after one of California’s natural wonders. The Shasta daisy, Leucanthemum x superbum, was born, … Read more
