Are you getting ready for spring? I took a walk around the garden today and was so pleased to see all the little nubs of plants poking through the ground and leaf buds ready to pop on the trees and shrubs. My seed orders arrived last week, and I realized that I had gone all-in on things … Read more
For years, I used the planting bed near my front door as a holding area for new things that didn’t yet have a permanent home. It was a mish–mash mess that was exhausting to look at. I needed a cohesive design that highlights the house (especially now that it is freshly painted!). The before is … Read more
Walking through New York City brings a unique combination of good and bad smells to mind. Cooking onions and sausages from street food vendors, freshly roasted coffee from the one-of-a-kind coffee shop, and urine from the subway and parks. Maybe it was the sense of smell that set the High Line apart from all the … Read more
Most gardeners just buy their seeds willy-nilly at the big box stores. But you and I are different, aren’t we? I want to let you in on a little secret … the world is filled with incredibly unique plants and vegetables. Most gardeners will never know about them. They’re called heirlooms and we grow them with … Read more
As a Northeasterner, I’m accustomed to sugar maples dominating many of my nearby forests. And from the pervasiveness of this tree stems a healthy set of cultural associations (everything from our beloved pancake syrup to Canadian flags). Similarly – the American sweetgum tree (liquidambar styraciflua) is the southeastern United States version of the New England … Read more
Rhus typhina, commonly known as Staghorn Sumac, is a genus of plants known for their striking foliage and resilience. Within this diverse genus, one newer gem that truly stands out is Rhus Typhina ‘Tiger Eyes’. Renowned for its exceptional qualities, this cultivar features vivid golden foliage that seems to glow throughout the seasons. Staghorn Sumac … Read more
I am a horticulturist who works at a zoo, and this is often terribly humbling. Although the zoo where I work is also a botanical garden, and a damned good one (great plant collection, a beautiful tree canopy, colorful gardens, research, community work, conservation and Arbnet level IV accreditation), whenever I’m out and about in … Read more
If you live in Western Massachusetts, you might be familiar with Pat Leuchtman. She has been writing her column, Between the Rows, for The Greenfield Recorder since 1980. (WOW! — do the math — that is IMPRESSIVE!!). Pat grows over 70 varieties of roses, and every June, she opens her garden for her Annual Rose viewing. Perhaps … Read more
It took me a while, but happily, I found an interesting specimen tree that is native to only one state, in this case Florida. Gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba) is a beautiful tree that is native not just to South Florida but to Caribbean islands and Central and South America. It is often referred to as … Read more
Snowdrops and Ambivalence Well, I’m sorry, but I didn’t have a happy Christmas. We were both full of cough and were quite unwell. I have not recovered, and I find myself quite unable to write anything new. So I dipped into The Bad Tempered Gardener to offer you a piece on those plants which gardeners … Read more