In early spring I spend a lot of time staring at the ground. Of course, I’m looking for the first flowers. But I’m also looking for the new foliage that proves a plant has broken out of winter dormancy.
In the normal course of events, November is one of the two most dismal months of the year. At least, in my part of the world. An inky blackness falls by 5 PM, the leaves are dead, and a penetrating chill is in the air. (The other most dismal month is February.)
I am a flower-centric gardener, and so it is useful to be reminded that a garden is about more than blooms. Which is exactly the service performed by Garden Bloggers’ Foliage Day, sponsored by Christina at My Hesperides Garden. At this point in the summer the warm-season grasses start to assert their presence, especially the …
Recently a friend told me I needed more color and variegation among the foliage in my garden. I admit that when I think about plants, the foliage is often an afterthought. That’s one reason I like to participate in Garden Bloggers Foliage Day, sponsored monthly by Christine at My Hesperides Garden, which nudges me to …
As we near the end of October, fall seems to be ambling rather than marching on. We have yet to see a frost, and the warm weather means colors have shifted only slowly. Seedheads of Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) are no longer green, but seem to shimmer like hundreds of tiny goldfish. They look …
We stayed at a cabin on Loon Lake owned by our friends Bob and Wendy. There was a wonderful small dock jutting into the water, It was perfect for gazing at reflections in the water … Not to mention reading, stargazing, and listening to the loons. Judy really enjoyed hanging out on the dock. You …
And now I’m going to force myself to stop obsessing with brightly colored flowers and focus on some calming green stuff. This is something I need to do to keep from getting overstimulated. Fortunately, My Hesperides Garden hosts Garden Bloggers’ Foliage Day to remind me of this essential aspect of the garden. ‘Northwind’ Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) …
Seeds, berries, and foliage sounds like some kind of trail mix, although it would have to be called seeds-berries-n-foliage because apparently the word “and” is bad branding, as you never see it in the names of consumer products. Commas also seem to depress market demand. But this post is not about consumer products, it is …
Even gardeners like myself who gravitate to bright colors realize that from time to time you have to pause to appreciate the more subtle beauties of foliage. May is a good time to do that, because the fronds and leaves are so fresh and the green-deprived winter months are not yet a distant memory. May …
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