You may not have noticed, but gauras have exploded in a big way. This mass detonation has taken place over the last two decades, and while the world at large may have perceived it as white noise, it resounded in horticultural circles. Gaura lindheimeri, a perennial also known as Lindheimer’s beeblossom, wandflower, or just plain … Read more
It has been a wet summer in my region and plants are lush and green. Lurking everywhere among that lushness is poison ivy, which is having a banner year. And, if that news is not enough to make you itchy, consider mosquitos, which also thrive in rainy, humid summer weather. The pesky insects, with their … Read more
When you see or hear something—plants, animals, situations—several times in a short span of hours or days, the universe is probably trying to send you a message. This past week, the message I received was about buttonbush, known to botanists as Cephalanthus occidentalis. On three separate days, I saw buttonbushes in three separate parks in … Read more
I have always wanted an arboretum. The world is full of beautiful trees and woody plants and if someone were to hand me a few extra acres—say 50 or so—I would grow more of them. Right now, as the great spring flowering continues to unfold; I feel the lack of an arboretum most keenly. I … Read more
Last year at about this time, my daughter and I sought out some COVID lockdown relief in a park that boasts the highest elevation in our state. As we indulged in that relief, we spotted a number of interesting wild plants, including the star of the wildflower show, pink lady’s slipper orchid or Cypripedium acaule. … Read more
