Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
It’s midsummer and the virtual tummies of my carnivorous plants are sated with the insects of the day. Right now I have three different types of carnivorous plants: Pitcher plants (Sarracenia), Cape sundews (Drosera capensis), and Venus fly traps (Dionea muscipula). The pitcher plants sit in a bog that I build over a decade ago. […]
It is wildflower season and one of my favorites, chicory, can be found next to nearly any road around here. This bright blue plant is somewhat reminiscent of bachelor buttons and is a herbaceous plant. Unappreciated and untended, chicory reached the height of popularity during WW II when its ground and roasted roots became a […]
Though the current weather conspires against much activity outside, the pollinators are having none of that. Between the countless butterflies, moths, dragonflies, and bees, the garden is swarming with activity, sounds, and life. The coneflowers and black cohosh are particularly popular now though others like Queen Anne’s lace, black-eyed Susies, hostas and roses are not […]
The daylillies are out in force. The only thing I despise about daylilies is that each of their flowers are out for only a day and then need to be trimmed off so the stem does not collapse into the foliage. Still it is a contemplative exercise where I watch the pollinators taking their turns, […]
It is Flower Friday! And here are a few of the flowers that are populating my garden (trust me there are lots more)! Black cohosh: This highly fragrant native plant, spreads easily and has a long history of medicinal uses. The bees love it too. Musk mallow (Malus alcea): This pretty, though invasive plant from […]
A few weeks ago I found a bunch of amaryllis pots in the basement that I had forgotten to bring out earlier this month. A little heat and water gets all of them to start flowering.
The gardens I manage at Ann’s Place are visited (and weeded) by me once a week. But rather than the incremental changes I see in my garden every day, the weekly differences are more extreme. This week, the biggest change is in the pollinator garden where I have planted lavender, anise hyssop, monarda, sunflowers, and […]
The saying, “stop to smell the roses,” should sometimes be taken literally in the garden. Many of our roses are in bloom now but I think my favorite is a beach rose (Rosa rugosa) that we have had for just a few years. It is the most simple of roses to care for as it […]
I love lupines but they don’t love me (or more accurately my soil). I was reminded of my troubles upon reading a recent post by @matt_mattus on his lupines (and success). I became enchanted by this flower during a bike trip on Prince Edward Island, which was carpeted with this plant in every conceivable color. […]
Christmas in May! Or that’s what you can think with amaryllis bulbs blooming in our yard. Every Christmas we buy a few to help decorate. But many folks don’t realize that this tropical bulb can bloom whenever you want (provided you take the right measures for rest periods). So we usually have a dozen or […]