Paging through an English garden magazine recently, I saw a column devoted to the snowdrop chapter of the unwritten garden rule book. Traditional wisdom holds that snowdrops should only be divided and transplanted “in the green”—just as the blooms fade in early spring. Many snowdrop growers have followed that rule since the beginning of time—or … Read more
Now that the first of the little early crocuses—Crocus chrysanthus—have opened their petals, I am opening the seed catalogs to put together my orders. Of course, I peruse websites and visit garden centers as well, but I cling to the notion that there is nothing like catalog browsing to whet the gardening appetite. Every year … Read more
Back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth, before plant breeding was the domain of huge conglomerates, the breeding and nursery business often ran in families. The Lemoine family of Nancy, France was one of those multi-generational concerns, breeding and selling plants from 1849 through 1960. Victor Lemoine, his wife, Marie Louise, their son, … Read more
Rose breeders are always looking for something new—blue roses, continuous bloomers, roses that flower in the shade and plants that are absolutely impervious to climate change, pests and diseases. This has been going on for centuries, but in an era when breeding advances can be communicated around the world in an instant, the hunt for … Read more
Alan Titchmarsh is quintessentially English, from his last name to his loves—gardening, dogs, country life and the Queen. Best known to Americans from the imported gardening makeover series, Ground Force, Titchmarsh is a celebrity in Britain. He hosts the BBC’s round the clock coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show every year, has written numerous garden … Read more
