A terrible thing has happened. My sister has given me a gift certificate for my favorite perennial plant vendor. Of course I am grateful for the gift, which is enough to buy me a few new plants, but not so much that I can go crazy. The problem is that time, that most precious of … Read more
Life is full of dichotomies. I freely admit to falling madly in love with a different plant every few weeks during the growing season, but I am also remarkably faithful to plants that have served me well over many years. Hardy geraniums fall into that latter category. Hardy geraniums, also known as cranesbills, are Geraniaceae … Read more
I grew up in a town that was less than an hour’s drive from Niagara Falls, but the only time we paid a call on that natural wonder was when we hosted visitors from England. In similar fashion, I have lived—at least horticulturally speaking—near the perennial hardy geranium ‘Rozanne’ since its introduction in 2000, but … Read more
COVER-UPS It is spring and everything looks healthy—especially chickweed, wild onion and dandelions. As all gardeners know, Nature abhors bare ground and works hard to cover it as soon as possible. Unfortunately the plants that cover the quickest are the aforementioned weeds. Dandelions are nice if you want to make salad from the young greens … Read more
I spent part of the day weeding out an old rock garden by the side of the stone staircase that leads down to the terrace by our summer cottage. Grass from the small adjoining lawn had invaded the rockery, almost obliterating it. As I dug out the stubborn tufts of grass, exposed spots ripe for … Read more
