Plant craziness has attacked me again. As always, it came on suddenly, as I sat down after a long day’s work and paged through one of my favorite English gardening magazines. These publications are full of what my husband called “plant pornography”—gorgeous photos of alluring specimens, dripping with dew and ready to jump right off … Read more
Late spring is geranium time—hardy geraniums or cranesbills, that is. A multitude of tough, low-growing perennials are currently flaunting their five-petaled blooms and lobed, dissected leaves in beds, borders and containers just about everywhere. While they will probably never eclipse the popularity of their flashy cousins, the pelargoniums, of front porch and window box fame, … Read more
I tell everyone who will listen that hardy geraniums, sometimes known as cranesbills, are the horticultural equivalent of the little black dress or well-tailored black trousers. They go with everything, can be accessorized to suit any style or occasion and are never “wrong” in the garden. If you install a Piet Oudolf-type garden, full of … Read more
I last thought seriously about Geranium phaeum, aka “the mourning widow,” about six years ago. I was in the first throes of a serious love affair with all kinds of hardy geraniums and was swept off my feet by the phaeum species, because it thrives so well in shade. I bought one and it died, … Read more
The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) is 31 year-old trade and industry group that seeks to promote perennial plants through education, lobbying and publicity efforts. The plants probably don’t care about this, but the horticultural industry that depends on them does. Every year at about this time, the PPA rouses winter-bound gardeners all over the country … Read more
