Merchandisers are under a lot of pressure every year to introduce new and/or different plants for the holidays. Troll the aisles of nurseries and garden centers right now and you will see new and different poinsettias, bodacious kalanchoes and even hellebores for indoor display. Novelty piques interest. I am a jaded horticulture consumer, so piquing … Read more
Fall means foliage and as I look around at the array of red, orange and yellow leaves, I wish for more of the same in my garden. The maple tree out front, which I estimate to be about twenty-five years old, generally makes a great show of fiery leaves. Climate conditions this year have diminished … Read more
There is something wonderful about coming back to the garden after a trip. My homecoming ritual always starts with a walk around the garden to reintroduce myself to the plants and see what has changed in my absence. And something has always changed, even if I have only been away for a weekend. Flowers bloom … Read more
I have always had a soft spot for alpine plants. Cold winds keep them short and tough. Thin soil forces their roots to reach deep into crevices to find water and nutrients. Short growing seasons mean that they must do their existential tasks—sprouting, flowering and setting seed—in a compressed time frame. All of that is … Read more
A terrible thing has happened. My sister has given me a gift certificate for my favorite perennial plant vendor. Of course I am grateful for the gift, which is enough to buy me a few new plants, but not so much that I can go crazy. The problem is that time, that most precious of … Read more
