The snow is finally melting in my part of the world, after an intensely hyped “blizzard” ten days ago. Gardeners are emerging from their lairs and approaching their beds, borders and overwintered containers with low expectations. After an “open” winter, with fairly reasonable temperatures and almost no snow, we were hit with a series of … Read more
Surfacing at the end of winter like a horticultural life raft, the week-long Philadelphia Flower Show is salvation for gardeners grown weary of cold weather. The Philadelphia Convention Center, a cavernous place, is filled with flowers and plants, from tulips to exotic orchids to beautifully grown succulents. Flowers strut their stuff in display gardens and … Read more
Plant taxonomists are the scientists who make it their business to classify the world’s flora according to common characteristics. In the last thirty years or so, DNA has become a major player in this effort. Now plants that dirt gardeners, horticulturists and plant scientists only suspected of family relationships have been grouped or regrouped based … Read more
I hate to brag, but my hellebores are glorious. Little plants that I bought several years ago and installed in my front strip on a wing and a prayer have arrived at maturity. The gentle, open winter, with few really cold days and little snow has been a tonic for them, coaxing them into bud … Read more
On the garden magic scale, butterflies rank pretty high, but I think hummingbirds stand even higher. On a normal spring or summer day—provided that your chosen habitat is not a glass office tower—you will probably catch a glimpse of a butterfly, even if it is only a common cabbage white. The arrival of a hummingbird, … Read more
