If I wanted to, I could fill the entire yard with roses of Sharon. So could most people, because roses of Sharon, or Hibiscus syriacus, are among the most prolific garden shrubs. All you need to launch a rose of Sharon world domination campaign is one small specimen anywhere on or near your property. If … Read more
If I were paranoid, I would say that I am being stalked by the mallow family. Regular people cannot imagine such a thing, but we plant lovers sometimes can. Consider the following….While walking on a country road in central New York State, I saw a stand of tall, single-flowered hollyhocks blooming by the side of … Read more
Look out the window. Does the outdoor landscape make you want to go outside and tackle some garden work? As February ends, the weather can be anything from a blizzard to a sixty degree humidity-fest. It is hard to know what to do. However, if you are like me and have advanced cabin fever, there … Read more
Now that the seasonal clean-up is underway, I am struck once again by the physicality of many garden chores. I am thinking of jobs like trimming the vigorous rose that clambers up our eight-foot tall arch, or pulling down the rampant ivy that threatens the mortar of our high stone foundation. Then of course there … Read more
