Nothing like waiting until the eleventh hour. But in the case of my Scarlet O'Hara peony, that's exactly what I did. I received a bare root peony tuber as a door prize at a garden event about ten years ago. The planting spot I chose was visible from the house and rather close to a redbud tree that, at the time, didn't cast much shade. With plenty of morning and early afternoon sun, the peony thrived. Fast forward to a much bigger redbud and a peony that surprisingly still flowers despite receiving less than two hours of direct sun. Four to six hours is recommended. It's hard to imagine that a three-foot stick of a tree will, if all goes well, eventually create a beautiful green umbrella over the plants below. But that's exactly what the redbud's done and I'm tasked with finding a new ...
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September is for Dividing Bearded Iris, Finally
Why can't things be more like a Ronco Rotisserie? You know the kind. "Set it and forget it." Simply set the timer, walk away, and hours later your masterpiece, in this case a chicken, is juicy and ready to eat. The garden equivalent for a weary gardener would be one where every plant in your garden is planted (the set it part) and it stays beautiful for decades without any more work from you (the forget it part). It's September and that's where my mind is right now. I'm tired and ready for fall. And unlike the rotisserie, that expression certanly doesn't apply to gardening, unless maybe you're a yew or giant redwood. But September can't pass without one more necessary task. Since I've put it off for too many years, it's time to divide the bearded irises. If you're new to irises, it's ...
Spring in the Time of Covid-19
I spent much of yesterday tidying up the garden and feeling unsettled, maybe even a bit melancholy at the beginning. Like something was out of place and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It's a feeling I don't usually have here as I'm cutting, planning and imagining, but it was there nonetheless and I embraced it the way one might a porcupine or a dog who's rolled on a dead fish. It happens. I've seen it. That's the thing about gardening. You can begin it feeling blah, and end the day in a better state. And who couldn't use some cheer amidst the uncertainty that we all find ourselves in at the moment? If there's anything to be grateful for it's the fact that spring is here, a bit chilly, but it's here and that means we can either binge watch a bunch of meaningless crap on TV, ...
