Bumblebees, those ace pollinators in the fuzzy yellow and black suits, are very fashionable at the moment. And since they are fashionable, the plants that attract them are also extremely popular. I thought of that as I returned from vacation last week and drove by the many swathes of purple-flowered wild bee balm or Monarda … Read more
Monarch butterflies, known to their scientific friends as Danaus plexippus, abound this year—at least in the areas I frequent. Even though they are considered relatively common, I see them as miraculous. Backlit by bright midsummer sun, monarchs’ orange, black and white wings glow as they float from flower to flower. Unlike many other butterfly … Read more
If you happen to be a flashy individual who changes your name every few years and carries on colorfully in public places, you might be called a “performance artist”, or possibly something even more descriptive. If you were to morph into plant form and do the same thing, gardeners would simply ignore all the name … Read more
Not long ago I went to Grace Gardens, in Geneva, NY, a magical daylily garden and nursery. It was early July, just before peak daylily bloom, but thousands of blossoms were already open for business. The array of colors and forms was breathtaking. I found it impossible to leave without a handful of new daylily … Read more
The great American garden writer, Elizabeth Lawrence, famously said, “No one gardens alone.” The truth of those words shows in my garden every day. Ninety percent of the landscape and tending falls to me; the rest is done by others. Fortunately, given the state of my bank accounts, I don’t have to pay them anything. … Read more
