I am a romantic at heart, so I never could have imagined that I would fall madly in love with a plant that sounds like a fairy tale/throat infection mash-up. The plant in question—and the object of my current crush—is Streptocarpella ‘Dancing Doves’. The affair is so successful that I rooted a cutting from the … Read more
At this time of the year, all the gardening publications are publishing predictions for next year. This is both exciting and intimidating, especially for those of us who are still competing in the great Race against Frost and trying to finish garden clean-up and bulb planting. Glancing through the predictions, one catches my eye—vibrant color … Read more
In 1919, a new popular song invaded the public conscience. Its title was, “How Ya Gonna Keep ’em Down on the Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree?)” World War I had just ended and many American soldiers had experienced Europe for the first time. Some of those not annihilated in trench warfare had been exposed to … Read more
After about three years of indecision and inattention, I have finally acquired a crape myrtle, known to its botanist friends as Lagerstroemia indica. The acquisition involved aging by yet another year and alerting my daughter to the fact that a crape myrtle might make a wonderful birthday present. Now, I am the proud owner of … Read more
Sometimes I find Joe Pye-weed, or Eupatorium maculatum, annoying. Let me count the ways. First, the North American native plant is vigorous to the point of invasiveness, with a seed germination rate that must be about 150 percent. The wind carries those seeds all over the place, starting new colonies wherever the seeds happen to … Read more
