Life is full of ironies. A woman who used to live in my neighborhood loved gardens and gardening, but spent long days working as a nurse. Between career, family and other obligations, she never had time to create the garden of her dreams. Finally she found the money to hire a garden designer/installer who brought … 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
When you think about the intelligent, courageous and, inevitably, flawed people who founded our country, a host of names come to mind. Bernard McMahon’s is not among them. However, McMahon—1775-1816—knew or corresponded with many of the political and horticultural notables of his era. He was a garden mentor to Thomas Jefferson, who may be considered … Read more
Bumblebees, those ace pollinators in the fuzzy yellow and black suits, are very fashionable at the moment. And since they are fashionable, the plants that attract them are also extremely popular. I thought of that as I returned from vacation last week and drove by the many swathes of purple-flowered wild bee balm or Monarda … Read more
MOCK ORANGE Plant breeders and merchandisers are working hard to create the perfect garden plant and I am sure someday they will do it. This paragon of horticultural virtue will be easy to care for, pest and disease resistant, adaptable to a wide range of conditions and perform equally well in sun and partial … Read more
