Like much of the rest of the world, I love garden peonies—Paeonia lactiflora–for their lush, unabashedly sumptuous flowers and gorgeous colors. A single bloom in a tall bottle constitutes an elegant arrangement. Snip a handful of stems and you can create an over-the-top floral extravaganza. No wonder they are popular as wedding flowers, particularly for … Read more
I last thought seriously about Geranium phaeum, aka “the mourning widow,” about six years ago. I was in the first throes of a serious love affair with all kinds of hardy geraniums and was swept off my feet by the phaeum species, because it thrives so well in shade. I bought one and it died, … Read more
At the beginning of every season I take inventory of my garden to see what works and what doesn’t, and where the “holes” are in my current planting schemes. This task is easier to do in the spring, because the growth is less abundant. Every year I vow to plant more tulips and I generally … Read more
