We have been together for going on 4 years and thousands of miles.” Do you remember the first time you got on a bike as a kid and were able to ride away into the neighborhood and beyond? Away from the house …your parents and siblings? That feeling of freedom? Well, this aging gardener has … Read more
I don’t recall ever seeing a garden so prominent in a movie, with most of the scenes set in the garden, as in the Oscar-nominated film The Zone of Interest. There’s even a long scene, shown above, of the homeowner/gardener naming each plant as she gives a tour of the garden. It’s all the more … Read more
We live fairly near The Laskett. So seeing it was open, we thought we’d have an afternoon out and went to visit. And we took lots of photos – so thanks to Charles for his contributions. Introduction Sir Roy has donated the place to Perennial, the Gardeners’ Benevolent Fund, after rejection by the National Trust. … Read more
Packera aurea Bloom Combos I Hate Packera aurea (a/k/a golden groundsel or golden ragwort) in my garden; azaleas at the National Arboretum Ever been excited about a new plant until you saw what was blooming nearby at the same time and the color combo almost made you retch? Sounds extreme, but that was my reaction … Read more
When I told a friend who lives in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware that I was blogging about the roses I saw blooming there last week she said, “Oh, all the Knockouts”? Because there SURE are a lot of them! Sometimes to a nice effect, like this pond-side garden, or to a really boring effect, like the … Read more
Ever read the book or seen the movie “Misty of Chincoteague“? They’re about wild ponies living on barrier islands off Virginia and Maryland, the destination of my latest road trip. (About 3 hours from the DC area, and an hour south on the Delmarva Peninsula from my usual beach haunt – Rehoboth Beach in Delaware.) … Read more
I have a theory that most gardeners and every person who has hiked somewhere in the eastern North American forest will at some point developed an infatuation with pawpaw trees. Mine occurred somewhere in the early 1980s and it hit me hard. Went all in and never drifted. And over the decades, I’ve learned enough … Read more
For perhaps the 15th consecutive autumn let me TRUMPET THE MOST UNDERUSED PLANT IN HORTICULTURE HISTORY OK, calm down Bob..Bob.. But I’m telling you, it is underused. These pictures were taken yesterday as the rest of our garden shades Autumnal to Outta Here. The Korean mum is truly hardy. Very easy to grow. It … Read more
There are a couple of magnificent, one hundred-and fifty-year-old gingkoes across the Ohio River in Louisville. Visitors to Cave Hill Cemetery and the Peterson-Dumesnil House make annual pilgrimages to see the colorful leaves. You can’t help being awestruck. My gingko in Utica, Indiana doesn’t draw big crowds, but it holds magic. Good to the last … Read more
Thanksgiving has arrived! The cool season annuals are finally going out. As I put them in their places, Charlie Brown tunes pop into my head. We’re all feeling festive. Bill’s inflatable turkey sits outside bouncing in the breeze, delighted to be the focal point of a front yard instead of the dining table. “Eat more … Read more