More than a few garden pundits have decreed that the most sublime and dramatic horticultural effects occur only in all green or mostly green gardens. Flowers, they say, are ephemeral, and therefore superfluous, with gaudy shapes and colors that disrupt the harmony inherent in a plant collection that showcases the many shades and textures of green. … Read more
The island of Guernsey sits in the English Channel, thirty miles from Normandy and seventy-five miles from Weymouth, England. Occupied at various times by Romans, Vikings, Normans and Germans, it is now An English dependency occupied primarily by foreign banks who have taken advantage of the island’s favorable business climate to establish offshore operations. But … Read more
Sometimes life’s little surprises produce a chain reaction of events that affect the garden. This is the story of one such chain. About a year ago we decided that it was past time to paint the house. We signed a contract with the painter and resolved to get the exterior in perfect shape before the … Read more
The first Rose of Sharon that I ever noticed was a ragged-looking specimen that grew in an alley behind a gas station. Obviously a “volunteer,” the shrub grew in a patch of dirt that had emerged as the asphalt road surface crumbled away. At the time I thought the plant was ungainly and inelegant. Now … Read more
There are some plants, like roses and pansies, that I cannot resist. Then there are the plants that I have resisted for years, usually for no good reason. Last week, however, I saw a plant that passed instantly from the “resistible” to the “irresistible” category. The plant was a scabiosa, sometimes known as “pincushion flower,” … Read more
