Sword Lilies

Flower lovers tend to either loathe or adore tall hybrid gladiolas.  Dame Edna Everage, actor Barry Humphries’ diva-esque, lavender-haired alter ego, loves them so much that she dubbed them her “signature flower.”  It’s a perfect fit—both are commanding and flamboyant.  Available in an array of colors, from pastels to some truly screaming shades, gladiolas are … Read more

Privet Pain

No matter what time it is in my garden, it’s always time to clip the privet.  It bounds the front yard on three sides and thrives on a diet of neglect and neighbors’ complaints.  I trim and trim.  When I am finished with the entire hedge, I start all over again.  If I relax with … Read more

Complaints Department

An English newspaper recently asked readers about their most frequent garden complaints.  Being a veteran gardener, I could think of a few–the string trimmer running out of string in the middle of a job, an invasion of Japanese beetles, the loss of a favorite pair of clippers, etc.  But when I think about it, the … Read more

Mulch Helper

Hamburger Helper is a supermarket panacea that extends and livens up ground meat to make a one-dish meal.  Mulch helper is a homemade extender for store-bought mulch. Lately I have been using a lot of mulch helper. I like to use shredded cedar bark mulch from the garden center.  It’s not all that expensive–until you … Read more

The Caretaker

I am a grandmother, which is hardly unusual.  Like all grandparents, I like to brag that my grandchildren are unique. But that word is actually an understatement–all my grandchildren are geraniums.  They belong to my daughter, who buys them, installs them in elegant pots and fusses over them like any other doting parent.  She is … Read more