Spring has arrived and the winter ceasefire in my personal, perpetual war on English ivy has officially expired. A pile of the severed vines sits in the backyard, waiting to be obliterated in the mulching process. This was only the first salvo of the new growing season, but it gave me enormous satisfaction, not to … Read more
Sometimes a plant is not what it seems. A “rose of Sharon” is not a rose at all, but a member of the mallow or hollyhock family. Neither “peace lilies” nor daylilies are members of the lily or Liliaceae genus. Instead they belong to the arum and hemerocallis genera respectively. This is why I have … Read more
You have to love a plant that comes with the following catalog description: “possesses enough brawn to easily tackle heat, humidity, dry shade and lean soil, yet detests too much fertility.” That describes my climate and parts of my garden perfectly. The good news is that the plant in question is already growing there, having … Read more
It is finally February and the darkness that covers the earth—at least the part of the earth where I live—is receding as we gain minutes of light each day. But as I welcome the fact that I can now see my garden at 5:30 pm, I am thinking about adding a bit of darkness to … Read more
If I spent every dark, cold January night in the company of the many seed and plant catalogs and merchandisers’ websites, I would have to declare bankruptcy in February. Given that sad fact, I seek solace on the screen where I can stream all manner of gardening shows from the United States and elsewhere. One … Read more
