I love the big, bumptious, fast-spreading asters in my garden. There is ‘Alma Potschke’, often written about and even more often spotted in every single one of my garden beds. I know she is officially an “it”, but calling her “she” seems more logical. ‘Alma’ self-seeds as if she thinks extinction is just around the … Read more
It’s “red carpet season”—at least in the media. Every week, celebrities gather to watch and/or receive the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, People’s Choice or any of the thousand other awards that lead up to the Academy Awards. Many of us gawk from the comfort of our couches as red carpets roll out and celebrities … Read more
When I take my daily walks I breathe deeply, soak in the sunshine—when there is any—and snoop at other people’s gardens and landscaping. In my suburb I see a lot of conventional good taste on display. There is nothing wrong with that and it beats trash-strewn lots any day. However, amid all the conventional good … Read more
There was a time when I had no asters in my front garden. Then 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 the seedlings every year, I would have hundreds of ‘Alma Potschke’offspring. Not only do I pull out the seedlings, … Read more
The summer doldrums have officially ended in my garden. Two weeks ago, the roses were sulking through midsummer, sighing like Victorian literary characters and bemoaning their blackspotted leaves. Now they sport happy new blooms and almost sing. Morning glories put out fresh purple trumpets every day as they continue their push for world—or at least … Read more
