Several years ago, my mother-in-law, a devout Catholic, gave me a St. Francis of Assisi statue for my garden. As the patron saint of nature and those who care for the environment, she thought it perfect for my little Eden. And it is in so many ways. I’m not religious, but I deeply appreciated the…
I used to think dust was the only thing I could grow on my windowsill. Houseplants were not my thing. So you might be wondering, after such an admission, why the heck you should trust me on this one. My answer is simple. I haven’t killed these guys. And that’s saying something. I’m not the…
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…
Every year I’ve added a few more spring bulbs to my garden. Approximately 700 went in last year. It’s a little bit more than a few, I know. My hands ached despite the fact that I planted them over a period of several weeks. I suppose that’s the price one pays for beauty. But the…
I was warned by people a heck of a lot smarter, and far more experienced, than me to choose anything other than a purple leaf sand cherry. But the temptation was too great. Tall, dark and cheap. Sold! Ten years ago, my gardening brain was more like that of a teenage girl hell-bent on the…
For the second year in a row, my rose of Sharon looks like crap. Not all of it, just the side closest to the patio. Which stinks because that’s the side most visible when we’re chilling. I gave it the benefit of the doubt and hoped that with just a little more time it…
