This year has been a great one for monarch butterflies—at least in my neighborhood—and that makes me feel hopeful. In fact, the news about climate change has been so dire that every monarch sighting is a celebration. Some butterflies are rapid flyers, navigating the air in a blur of beating wings. But monarchs often float … Read more
After all my years as a gardener, you would think that I could hang out the “no vacancy” sign over my beds and borders. But sometimes weak plants die and underperformers need relocation to more congenial spaces. Occasionally I swear that the groundhogs carry off choice specimens and replant them according to their own aesthetic … Read more
Last week I spotted an alluring plant in the garden center. It was in full bloom, offering up a cloud of small, white blossoms and a billowing habit. I reached for it, imaging exactly where in the garden it would go. Then I saw the label—Gypsophilia paniculata or baby’s breath. I stopped in mid-reach. Baby’s … Read more
About five years ago I bought an alluring plant from a roadside stand in the Finger Lakes region of Central New York State. The “stand” was actually a large cart, laden with perennials that were clearly surplus specimens from someone’s well-stocked garden. The “someone” was nowhere to be seen. Among the offerings were gaillardia daisies, … Read more
I love my roses. Something about them has stirred my imagination for far longer than I have raised them. I am not alone in my passion for these flowering shrubs. They have been in cultivation for thousands of years, and have been objects of fascination and desire for the entire time. The Empress Josephine of … Read more
