In spring and fall, when the garden is either just waking up or going about the business of the fall shutdown, small flowers are easier to notice. The other day I was stopped dead in my tracks by a clump of saffron crocus or Crocus sativus. The clump has been in the same place, under … Read more
As ornamental plants go, Deptford pink or Dianthus armeria, also sometimes known as grass pink or mountain pink, rates somewhere on the showiness scale alongside snowdrops. The flowers are about half an inch wide, on slender stems that max out at 12 inches, but are often shorter. To add to this picture of general inconspicuousness, … Read more
It is clear from even a brief tour around the garden that extensive squirrel landscaping has happened over the past half year. Little “tommie’ crocuses, or Crocus tommasinianus, sprouted weeks ago in the lawn and other areas far removed from where the bulbs were originally planted. Now, having played their role in the early spring … Read more
Early spring is usually the time for the little flowers, like snowdrops, winter aconite and crocus. Though their stature is small, they emerge from the winter-drab earth in flashes of color. After a few weeks they give way to the flashier daffodils and tulips, which in turn bow out in favor of peonies and roses, … Read more
True blue flowers don’t happen every day, but when they do, their beauty is heart-stopping. A few years ago, my daughter, the queen of container growing, had a heart-stopping moment with Lithodora diffusa, a small, perennial, ground-covering plant with true blue flowers. She thought it was perfect for a mixed container arrangement. I thought it … Read more
