Rockin’ Rozanne

I grew up in a town that was less than an hour’s drive from Niagara Falls, but the only time we paid a call on that natural wonder was when we hosted visitors from England.  In similar fashion, I have lived—at least horticulturally speaking—near the perennial  hardy geranium ‘Rozanne’ since its introduction in 2000, but … Read more

Lilacs

When I was much younger and had very little life experience under my belt, I lapped up elegiac poetry.  I am pretty sure that many bookish teenage girls did the same thing before the advent of 24/7 texting.  Elegiac poetry also paired nicely with the hunger pains engendered by the tea and strawberry yogurt diet … Read more

Rosy Future

In 2000 the horticultural world turned upside down with the introduction of a new rose.  Its registration name was ‘RADrazz’, but it became known to the world as ‘Knock Out’.  Sixteen years later, it is probably the most popular rose in the United States, if not the world. On the face of it, ‘Knock Out’ … Read more

Tommie Crocus

Crocuses, now appearing in gardens near you, are like tiny rays of light in the sea of winter garden debris. They invite you to look closer and demand that you gently sweep away the detritus around them so that they can be better appreciated. In the gardens of crocus lovers, the little snow crocuses generally … Read more

Daughters of the Wind

A kind friend brought me a beautiful bouquet of long-stemmed florists’ anemones not long ago. Shut up tight they looked almost like tulips, except for the telltale ruff of fern-like leaves around the base of each bloom. When the help of a little warmth and light, those “tulips” morphed into large, saucer-like flowers with seven … Read more