I hate to brag, but my African violets look glorious right now. They are blooming abundantly, the leaves look healthy and I am proud to say that they have even been watered recently. As the motivational speakers say, “It’s all good.” Except for the watering, I had nothing to do with it. All of the … Read more
If I wanted to, I could fill the entire yard with roses of Sharon. So could most people, because roses of Sharon, or Hibiscus syriacus, are among the most prolific garden shrubs. All you need to launch a rose of Sharon world domination campaign is one small specimen anywhere on or near your property. If … Read more
In 1797, Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge may have had an especially vivid opium dream that resulted in the production of a now-famous poem called “Kubla Khan.” One memorable stanza described Kubla Khan’s estate: So twice five miles of fertile ground With walls and towers were girdled round: And there were gardens bright with sinuous … Read more
At the end of the garden season, I cling to my roses, at least figuratively. Even as night temperatures begin to dip and the geraniums on the porch shiver, I deadhead the roses to keep them producing flower buds. No one knows if the weather will cooperate long enough to bring those buds to bloom, … Read more
Pity the poor parlor maple. It is not a maple tree by any stretch of the imagination and its days of houseplant stardom peaked back when people still had parlors. It’s a sad predicament for a lovely plant. The plant taxonomists will never assign parlor maples, more formally known as Abutilon x hybrida, to the … Read more
