Five Spot

Inspiration comes at the strangest times and in the most unlikely places. The other day I was walking in a neighboring town, doing what I always do—looking at other people’s landscaping, envying some of the results, and imaging what I would do with less inspiring properties. This practice is highly satisfactory because it exercises my … Read more

Roses of Shearing

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

Gardening Lessons

My collections of garden books and garden weeds are roughly the same size.  I haven’t learned much from the weeds–except that they are eternal–but I have learned a lot from the books. There are some lessons, though, that only experience can teach.  Here are a few of them. Self Seeding vs. Self Preservation—If you have … Read more