Tradescantia Surge

Every once in awhile, a specific plant will have an absolutely wonderful year.  This usually happens the year after you give it up for dead but are too lazy or preoccupied to dig it up and hurl it onto the compost pile.  My tradescantia were not in any danger of that fate, but up until … Read more

Up On the Roof

UP ON THE ROOF             The media has given a lot of publicity over the past few years to “green” structures, including roofs and walls.  Green roofs, when properly supported, planted and tended, can keep buildings cooler than conventional roofing materials.  Green walls are a way to beautify interior or exterior space by growing plants … Read more

Phlox ‘Katherine’

It is amazing how far afield you can go on a rainy day when you are trying to order garden phlox.  In my case I went all the way to Long Island in the 1920’s, with detours that went even further back.  All of this started as a quest for information about a particular tall … Read more

Sonnenberg Redux

Revisiting a celebrated garden after a long absence is like rereading a classic book.  The second—or third or fourth—time around, you build on existing impressions,  incorporate your own increased knowledge and perspective and come away with a deeper appreciation of the work. I had that experience recently when I went back to Sonnenberg Gardens, a … Read more