First, the good news. As a result of frequent applications of the Stare of Life, several of the plants on the winter death watch have broken dormancy. Specifically: both my two year old fringe trees (Chionanthus virginicus), the bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Longwood Blue’}, the ‘Blue Adonis’ compact butterflybush (Buddleia), and the ‘Conca D’Or’ orienpet …
I have been working very hard at not jumping to conclusions about which plants got killed off during our brutal winter. However, I am becoming increasingly fretful. Here’s the situation as of today. Gone forever After two seasons in my back garden, my flowering dogwood (Cornus florida ‘Appalachian Spring’) is pretty clearly a goner. No …
Following our long, cold winter, we seem to be having a cold spring as well. Temperatures lately are mostly in the 40s and 50s (F), well below normal. This means delayed blooming and leafing out, particularly for woody plants. In 2013 we had another cool spring, but many shrubs seem to be running about two …
At this time of year the blooms of the spring bulbs tend to get all the glory. But it is also worth paying attention to the tender green growth of later herbaceous plants, as well as the woody plants that are just starting to break bud. This new growth has a freshness and sweetness that …
Because of rabbits, I need to replace the three ‘Autumn Brilliance’ serviceberries (Amelanchier x arborea) that stand along the west hedge of our lightly shaded back garden. This past winter was so long and the snow so deep, the rabbits ended up chewing even more of the bark off some of their favorite trees …
Snowdrops are blooming. It’s a relief to finally see the first snowdrops (Galanthus) in bloom. In 2012 they bloomed in February and were done by mid-March. This year they are just getting started. I really should have kept track of the varieties I planted, but I didn’t so I can’t know which kinds are early …
It’s been a warm fall. The days have been a bit warmer than normal. More important, the nights have not been nearly as cold, generally about 10 to 20 degrees (F) warmer than average. Weather is only one factor affecting fall color, I believe the shortening days are a bigger one. But I’ve got to …
It seems a melancholy thing that summer is slipping away into fall. I especially regret seeing the daylight hours slowly shortening with each sunset. On the other hands, there are compensations for us and for the suburban wildlife around us. For people, there are plentiful peaches and tomatoes, cooler temperatures, fewer mosquitos (or at least …
My Asiatic Lilies are blooming. Mostly bright orange, some yellow, and a couple of magenta. These are the descendants of a naturalizing lily mix I bought from White Flower Farm about eight years ago. The hybrid and variety names are long forgotten. I like these lilies. The exciting colors grab my attention. Plus orange is …
I’m late with this post for some very legitimate reasons. It rained most of the day yesterday so photography was not an option. When it finally cleared, we were due to leave for Judy’s brother’s house for what turned out to be a wonderful dinner. Judy did take a few rushed shots but we didn’t …
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