Last week I spotted an alluring plant in the garden center. It was in full bloom, offering up a cloud of small, white blossoms and a billowing habit. I reached for it, imaging exactly where in the garden it would go. Then I saw the label—Gypsophilia paniculata or baby’s breath. I stopped in mid-reach. Baby’s … Read more
We are now entering the daisy days of early summer, when Shasta daisies, coneflowers, Gaillardia daisies and a constellation of other Asteraceae or Compositae family members burst into bloom. I love them all, because they are strong growers, attract loads of butterflies and other pollinators, and are equally useful for ornamenting the garden or filling … Read more
High summer has just passed. In the roadside ditches and hedgerows near my Central New York State summer cottage, the green milkweed pods are fattening up. In another month they will be brown and ready to split, dispersing their silk-clad seeds. Sulfur butterflies dance over Queen Anne’s lace, chicory, butter-and-eggs and early goldenrod. The air … Read more
