For years I have planted certain fall bloomers in my front garden in the hopes of creating a lush golden and russet display of rudbeckia, helenium, and late summer sunflowers. The current show is respectable, but would never make the pages of a glossy garden publication. I should probably just abandon the effort and cede … Read more
What do Thomas Jefferson, early American nurseryman John Bartram, and a long-ago Native American healer have in common with the twenty-first century Dutch plantsman Piet Oudolf? All are part of the long history of Joe Pye Weed, a beautiful and useful native perennial. Jefferson used the plants in his garden, John Bartram sent seeds to … Read more
There is something wonderful about coming back to the garden after a trip. My homecoming ritual always starts with a walk around the garden to reintroduce myself to the plants and see what has changed in my absence. And something has always changed, even if I have only been away for a weekend. Flowers bloom … Read more
The rock band Deep Purple was formed in the late 1960’s and named after an old, popular English song. The first line of that song goes, ‘When deep purple falls over sleepy garden walls…” The rest is a wistful remembrance of lovers coming together as day fades to night. I think of “Deep Purple” because … Read more
When I was on vacation in August, I saw the most inspiring bioswale I have ever seen. Some people may ask, “What on earth is a bioswale?” The answer is simple. A bioswale is a more sophisticated and ecologically sound version of a drainage ditch. Bioswales are designed to hold, channel and sometimes filter the … Read more
