This is one of the busiest weeks of the year at work, so I’m doing another short post. First of all, I wanted to show you a picture of our new fountain, all settled in and with the Cinnamon Ferns (Osmundastrum cinnamomea) growing up around it. The birds seem quite happy with this new source …
Here is a view of the entrance to the back garden, taken last Saturday. This is the time when the Celandine Poppies (Stylophorum diphyllum) are finishing their bloom season but the Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) is hitting its stride. These two plants dominate the ground level in the beds inside the wooden gate. Wild Geranium …
Bleeding Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) is one of the stars of my garden in May. This makes it even more unfortunate that it got switched from the genus Dicentra to the genus Lamprocapnos, one of the ugliest plant names in existence. Yes, I’ve carried on about this before, but bear with me. What makes it even …
A few years ago I removed the foundation planting of yews that were in front of my house and replaced them with Ostrich Ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris). Overall, I have been happy with the switch, though it leaves the front of the house bare for several months of the year. Right about now the Ostrich Ferns …
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are a widely loved wildflower. One of its best companions, however, is not so widely loved. I speak of Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum), which is peaking in my garden along with the Bluebells even as I write this. These plants perfect for each other. There are the simultaneously blooming flowers – …
Fine, it’s actually Thursday at this point, but don’t get hung up on technicalities. On to the vignette. The west side of our house is a little bit challenging.The relatively narrow side yard between our house and the neighbors’ is mostly shady. There is also a rain shadow from the roof that keeps the area …
If you have a shady garden but would like to grow an ornamental goldenrod, do not despair. Zigzag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis) is quite happy in shade, though I think it likes part shade best. Actually, I suspect that Zigzag Goldenrod would be happy growing in concrete under a quonset hut. As the Missouri Botanic Garden …
As you may know, our new patio has created some new shady space for garden plants. Most of those I’ve put in so far are familiar to me – Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica). But I’m also trying a couple that are new to my garden: Bush Honeysuckle …
My back garden raised bed has been something of a permanent work in progress. I was in my Raised Bed Period when I created it. Somewhere, I really can’t remember where, I had read about the virtues of raised beds. Over the next couple of years I created four of them in the garden. Anyway, …
New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri) are the workhorses of my shade containers. Their virtues include a full, mounded habit; larger velvety flowers, and shiny foliage. Plus, they are resistant to impatiens downy mildew, which has devastated annual impatiens plantings around the country. Their biggest defect is that they are much more expensive as plants than …
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