Four years ago I planted a little Carolina silverbell tree—Halesia Carolina, sometimes known as Halesia tetraptera–in front of my house. It wasn’t much of a tree then. Rescued from potential oblivion after failing to sell at a charity plant sale, it was only about four feet tall. I had a space that needed a tree … Read more
WEEDS EVERYWHERE This year our area has had a long, cool spring. As the result, the spring flowers have lingered. Plants that don’t usually flower at the same time are blooming simultaneously, giving the entire area the appearance of one big flower show. The last of the magnolias are colliding with the lilacs. Pansies … Read more
The print and online worlds are awash in a sea of discussion about impatiens. For those of you who have been out in the garden or otherwise not paying attention, Impatiens walleriana, the bright, shade-loving bedding annuals, are suffering from an epidemic of downy mildew. This blight, which shows up as a gray coating on … Read more
Nearly a decade ago, I first visited Greenwood Gardens in Short Hills, New Jersey. The owners of Greenwood, 28 acres of gardens, structures, outbuildings and naturalized areas, were beginning the process of making the transition from private property to public garden. Deterioration was encroaching on the property, which had its moments of greatest glory in … Read more
For years common straw—that unassuming by-product of grain production—has played a supporting role in our homes and gardens. It has cushioned our strawberries, keeping the fruit from rotting on the ground. It has adorned our porches in the fall, sometimes serving as modular seating for Halloween scarecrows or faux zombies. It has mulched our garden … Read more
