Right now the showiest foliage in my yard is displayed by ‘Autumn Brilliance’ Serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’). I have six of these upright, multi-stem shrubs in a couple different spots in my yard, and I consider them pretty much indispensible. There are few shrubs that are happy in shade that have as much to …
Yesterday we drove up to St. Paul, Minnesota, to celebrate my birthday with my younger son, my brother Richard, and his wife Diane. When we get to St. Paul, we like to take a little hike at Minnehaha Park, site of the waterfalls made famous, though never actually visited, by the poet Longfellow (“By the …
Fall in the garden means seedheads, pods, and fruit join flowers and foliage as features of the garden. So here are some non-floral highlights for mid-September: I forget what this variety is called, but I think I’ve decided I like these plain green and white Caladiums (Caladium bicolor) best. I built this raised bed on …
Shrubz 2 Treez. I may have mentioned this before, but Judy really dislikes shrubs. She’s fine with small trees, but despises shrubiness. Me, I like shrubs. But I was very taken with a photo I found from the website of the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center in which Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) had been pruned into small …
I planted Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) four years ago and this is really the first year I’ve gotten berries in any serious quantity. Spicebush berries are a highly valuable fall food for songbirds, particularly those in the thrush family. The berries are also ornamental, and have a citrus fragrance when crushed – as do Spicebush leaves. …
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