We are well into mid-spring and everything has burst into bloom. In my corner of the northeastern United States, you can drive down local streets and highways and see redbuds finishing their run of bloom as dogwoods get going. If you are lucky, you might also see a silverbell tree—Halesia Carolina—covered with hundreds of dangling … Read more
It is hot and sticky and many of my plants, in-ground and in containers, are sulking. They sulk even though I water them and feed them. It is like having teenagers with foliage. As with teenagers, there is really nothing to be done except to continue the good work, and hope that all that loving … Read more
I am not always wildly successful at growing plants from seeds. This is because, I don’t have a full-fledged seed-starting set-up indoors and I do have a full-time job. Excuses aside, I am much better at letting plants sow themselves outdoors and grubbing out the occasional unwanted seedlings. That method ensures that I can lavish … Read more
Back in 1837, when England’s Queen Victoria was a sweet young thing, new to the throne, and not even officially crowned, one of her diplomats sent a new plant back to England. The diplomat was Henry Mandeville, who was serving Her Majesty as Minister in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mandeville, like so many of his … Read more
