In 1919, a new popular song invaded the public conscience. Its title was, “How Ya Gonna Keep ’em Down on the Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree?)” World War I had just ended and many American soldiers had experienced Europe for the first time. Some of those not annihilated in trench warfare had been exposed to … Read more
There was a time—though I hardly remember it now–when I had no asters in my front garden. Then I planted one small pot of a tall, pink-flowered aster named ‘Alma Potschke’. ‘Alma’ prospered—so much so that now, if I didn’t pull out some of the seedlings every year, I would probably have thousands of ‘Alma … Read more
After about three years of indecision and inattention, I have finally acquired a crape myrtle, known to its botanist friends as Lagerstroemia indica. The acquisition involved aging by yet another year and alerting my daughter to the fact that a crape myrtle might make a wonderful birthday present. Now, I am the proud owner of … Read more
What features are essential to a successful garden? Some people would say “structure”. Others would opine that no garden is complete without some kind of water feature—even if that water feature is only a birdbath. Still others would say “evergreens” or “hardscaping” or “four seasons of interest”. All of those things contribute to the best … Read more
Sometimes I find Joe Pye-weed, or Eupatorium maculatum, annoying. Let me count the ways. First, the North American native plant is vigorous to the point of invasiveness, with a seed germination rate that must be about 150 percent. The wind carries those seeds all over the place, starting new colonies wherever the seeds happen to … Read more
