A neighbor stopped by not long ago and said, “What are those beautiful aqua iris by your front walk?” The iris in question were small but glorious, resembling a cluster of orchids or a small flock of butterflies hovering just above ground level. The three outer petals or falls of each one were pale aqua-blue … Read more
The first clumps of daffodils are blooming at long last and I have to resist the urge to go out and pick all of them for the house. Little nosegays of snowdrops and early crocus have been a welcome relief from grocery store flowers, but daffodils in a vase—especially a blue vase– radiate spring sunshine. … Read more
On May 1, 1891, Geraldine Mayo, of County Kildare in Ireland, armed herself with a stout pair of loppers and climbed a ladder—long skirts and all. “I got on the top of the Yew hedge in the garden at the risk of my life..,” she wrote later, adding that the risky yet satisfying hedge pruning … Read more
Winter has set in for good and even the toughest of the garden flowers have gone the way of all things. I look longingly on the remains of the last fall-blooming crocuses—two brave singletons that bloomed on a warm day last week. Having done their duty, they have folded their petals and taken to their … 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
