Every year as spring approaches, one of my favorite seed companies sends me a free sample of a new variety, along with promotional literature. Sometimes the seeds are for something that I am unlikely to grow—like the latest and best kohlrabi. I happily donate seeds like that to a vegetable-growing friend. This year the seeds … Read more
It occurs to me as I peer out over the happy array of coneflowers—Echinacea—in my front yard that the coneflower has become the “little black dress” of the world of ornamental horticulture. Every woman and a good number of the men of my acquaintance know that “little black dress” is metaphor for something that is … Read more
Most of the time I strive for a garden where mounds of perennials and annual flowers meld together in a colorful tapestry. Plants are staggered by height in an artistic manner and tranquility reigns. The image, at least in my mind, is idyllic. Right now though, I am looking for a little more excitement. I … Read more
When I look out at the sea of asters in my front yard, it is hard to believe that there was a time when I had none. In search of some fall color, I planted one small pot of tall, pink-flowered ‘Alma Potschke’ asters. ‘Alma’ prospered—so much so that now, if I didn’t pull out … Read more
In 1928, a year before the onset of the Great Depression, the Carter Family, of folk and country music fame, recorded a song, “Keep on the Sunny Side”, that was originally written as a hymn. It became one of their standards and has lifted spirits ever since. The refrain is as follows: Keep on the … Read more
