A few years ago, I bought several gorgeous ornamental cabbages to brighten up my late fall garden. I love cabbage and its relative, kale, in my borders, but I hate it on my plate. Because of that, I assumed that the resident varmints would feel the same way. I was wrong. Two days after I … Read more
Opportunist plants lurk in every garden, even those well maintained oases of perfection that routinely knock visitors’ socks off. Some of those opportunists we tag as “weeds”, but others are perfectly respectable plants whose only sin is seeing the main chance and taking it. In fall, some of the most prominent of these plants make … Read more
I love my oak leaf hydrangea, or Hydrangea quercifolia, now in bloom, along with the similar oak leaf varieties illuminating lightly shaded spots throughout my neighborhood. Its cone-shaped flower panicles are enormous; each one covered with creamy white florets. They make wonderful cut flowers—a symphony in fresh white and green. Eventually, of course, the panicles … Read more
Friends often ask me to identify mystery plants and those identification attempts sometimes lead me on voyages of discovery. Not long ago I took one of those trips. My friend asked me to look at a mystery tree growing only about two blocks from my house. I had only a few available minutes, but I … 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
