An Herbaceous ‘Maple’ for the Shade Garden
When I first started to study horticulture, I would routinely visit various public gardens to glean whatever knowledge possible about plants. Longwood Gardens was a frequent destination and I became intrigued by a short shrubby Maple growing adjacent to a sprawling clump of Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora). To my surprise, it was not a Maple, nor was it even a woody plant! It was an herbaceous plant…


September marks the start of getting the garden – and the gardener – ready for a long winters rest. I know it seems much too early to think of winter, but it is time to start planning for winter and the year to follow. To this end, consider how best to overwinter and to make room for your favorite non-hardy plants indoors. We still have a good month remaining to plan, so there is no rush!…..
Attracting Garden Motion and Wonder
To me, August is the month that best epitomizes summer. The days remain long, with the daytime chant of the Cicadas and the evening chorus of Crickets and Katydids. Rainfall in July was ample. Coupled with the warm temperatures, most plants have flourished, although the rains of June did set some plants back a bit…..
Finally, the hazy, lazy days of summer have arrived – something many of us longed for during those chilly days last winter and even in May! The temperatures are warm, the days are long and hopefully the rain is ample! The heat and humidity have certainly returned too, so try to garden during the cooler temperatures of the early mornings and evenings….
