I have a space in a shady part of the garden where nothing succeeds except hellebores, and a “volunteer” privet shrub that is the offspring of the line of privets that bounds the front of the garden. This semi-dead zone is probably semi-dead because of its proximity to a middle-aged maple tree that sucks up … Read more
An old French fairy tale recounts the heinous exploits of Blue Beard, a nobleman with an imposing castle and a penchant for murdering his wives. Outwitted by his final wife and dispatched by members of her family, Blue Beard lived and died by the sword. Clearly, they don’t make fairy tales like they used to. … 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
Yarrow—Achillea–a plant cultivated in gardens for a very long time, has garnered a host of nicknames, some of which are worthy of Harry Potter. Among the more colorful monikers are soldier’s woundwort, herbe militaris, bloodwort, nose bleed, devil’s nettle, old-man’s-pepper and—my favorite–stenchgrass. Combine those bloody nicknames with the fact that Linnaeus, in the midst of … Read more
I love serendipitous plants—those crafty covert operatives of the horticultural world that seem to spring up unbidden and surprise you with their beautiful flowers. Not long ago a friend had a serendipitous experience with nodding star of Bethlehem or Ornithogalum nutans. Touring her garden one day, she caught it in the act of showing off … Read more
