For millennia, the scent of lavender, botanically known as Lavendula, has been renowned for its ability to promote calm, consolation and even pain relief. For those reasons and many others, I grow this well-loved herb in my garden. I don’t have a dedicated herb garden, but I am increasingly using lavender throughout my mixed borders. … Read more
I was first smitten with scented-leaf geraniums on a visit to the Cornell Botanic Garden in Ithaca, New York. It was a sunny summer day and I passed a raised bed of vigorous geraniums near the Welcome Center. The sunshine had warmed the essential oils lurking at the bases of tiny leaf hairs, allowing visitors … Read more
When I think back on my father’s garden, lots of flowers and plants come to mind—the huge rhubarb in the very back, the Johnny jump-ups that jumped up through the grass every spring under the pine trees, and the long row of pink, rose and white peonies that grew by the back walk. The property … Read more
Merchandisers are under a lot of pressure every year to introduce new and/or different plants for the holidays. Troll the aisles of nurseries and garden centers right now and you will see new and different poinsettias, bodacious kalanchoes and even hellebores for indoor display. Novelty piques interest. I am a jaded horticulture consumer, so piquing … Read more
After seeing five deer grazing contentedly on my front lawn, I started doing some serious thinking about onions. I had some nice big ones in the crisper drawer and the temptation to distract the deer by hurling those hefty vegetables was strong. Fortunately the deer heard a noise and cleared off on their own. My … Read more
