Calamintha nepeta wasn't a plant I chose. It chose me. Several years ago, I attended a writer's conference and received a plug pack that contained a mixture of Summer Beauty allium and Calamintha nepeta. Neither looked very impressive. But being the plant junkie that I am, I found a sunny sight for them and waited. And man was I impressed! I wasn't struck the way one would be by the enormity of a hardy hibiscus bloom. The fascination came from the way this little plant with the delicate white flowers hosted a United Nations of insects all summer long with no effort from me beyond the first year in my garden. It's a very soft spoken plant. Sometimes those are the ones most worthy of our attention. The frenzy of pollinators darting through it created all the buzz it needed. I love ...
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Adopting an Organic Approach to Lawn Care
Thanks to Gnome for partnering with me on this post. All words and opinions are my own. I've had a change of heart. For the first time in 20 years, my husband will fertilize the backyard lawn this spring. You should have seen his face. It was as though I'd announced "Pizza and beer will be served every day for the rest of our marriage!" We take frequent walks and every time we pass a home with what he considers a prime example of turf perfection, he slows his pace and always asks in a slightly exasperated way "What does this guy use?" because of course, it has to be a man that would exhibit such fastidious lawn prowess who's obviously privy to some closely held knowledge that has yet to be shared with my husband. I'm convinced it's a guy thing since I've never heard any woman, myself ...
Why Rugosa Rose Is A Lazy Gardener’s Dream
I was doing a live chat on Instagram a few months ago with my friend Erin, you know her as The Impatient Gardener, and we briefly touched on roses. Our conversation turned to them when I asked her about a plant she was over. She thought for a moment and replied "roses." Too much work, too needy, too demanding. I get it. All valid points. Erin lives in Wisconsin, a stones throw from lake Michigan. Winters are harsh, the season short. We didn't really dig into her response but immediately after she said it, I resisted the urge to argue the case for the rugosa rose. My rugosas are the Rosie the Riveters of the rose world, full of beauty, brawn and multi-season interest. After all, rugose means rugged or rough, which relates to the overall appearance of their thick toothy leaves, but ...
January Is A Great Month To Plan A New Garden
The Christmas decorations are packed away and I finally have space in my brain to think about something not holiday related. Why Heather, whatever could that be? No surprise here. Gardening is always front and center. In addition to the veg garden that got a glow-up at the end of 2022, I'm also focusing on the garden around our patio. My husband built it for me over a decade ago and I've filled it randomly over the years, without ever making a real plan. How hard could it be to plant a narrow border? Well, as you can see from the photo above, I have my work cut out for me. I've been a let's-throw-it-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks sort of gardener. Which isn't always a good thing. There's something to be said for a plan, no matter how big or small and I feel like this small space ...
Choosing the Right Sunflowers for Your Garden
Happy New Year, garden tribe! It's early January which means I'm buried in seed catalogs and slightly overwhelmed. I want so much! Not because I need it but because I have this thing for plants. Animal shelters have the same effect. If I had the land, and the money, I'd bring everyone home with me. All kidding aside, winter is a time of reflection as well as one of hope for all that's possible in the garden. And as I thought about my garden and how very mediocre it was in 2022, one thing struck me. I really love sunflowers. Perhaps the saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" really is true. There wasn't a single sunflower in my garden last year, the first time in over a decade, and I certainly don't want to repeat that in 2023. Of course there were rudbeckia, coneflowers and ...
Start Your 2023 Wish List with These New Plants
There's a certain amount of anticipation that goes along with an invitation to a garden event showcasing new plants. You know you're not coming away from it unscathed, but in the best sort of way. For me, such invitations result in some serious plant lust, the kind that fills my garden brain with intrusive thoughts throughout the day about how I can use all those new plants. Remember, I have a relatively small garden so space is limited. But the upside is that I have all winter to figure it out. Waiting is the hardest part and what I'm about to show you won't be available until 2023. I thought it best to save this post until you'd buttoned up Garden 2022. It seems to resonate better when one isn't consumed by all the plants currently in their keep. This summer, I toured the display ...
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