Back before the dawn of time and the omnipresence of e-Bay, you used to be able to find dusty little antique shops on side streets in towns and cities all over the country. Those shops were generally filled with equal measures of junk and treasure, though sometimes it seemed that little if any merchandise changed … Read more
Those twentieth century poet/troubadours, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, captured a universal sentiment when they penned the words “I get by with a little help from my friends.” Most gardeners would agree. I depend on friends for inspiration and friendly criticism, not to mention timely donations of cuttings, perennial divisions and collected seeds. Last week … Read more
Sometimes, in a congested garden like mine, plants get overlooked. That is, until they announce their presence by blooming, spreading like weeds or exuding a bad odor. My little white Turk’s cap lily—Lilium martagon var. ‘Album’—was one of those overlooked plants. I think I planted it last year in a burst of whimsy. It was … Read more
If a garden does not look good in May and June, it will never look good. I have heard that particular aphorism at least a thousand times over the years. Theoretically, at least, it’s true for many gardens. If your landscape is home to a lot of spring-flowering plants of the flashy variety—roses, peonies, iris … Read more
I last thought seriously about Geranium phaeum, aka “the mourning widow,” about six years ago. I was in the first throes of a serious love affair with all kinds of hardy geraniums and was swept off my feet by the phaeum species, because it thrives so well in shade. I bought one and it died, … Read more
