Hosta heaven
It’s hosta heaven at our house with everything exploding out over the last few weeks. Drops from a recent rain hang suspended on the huge leaves, shimmering as would tiny jewels. Some have huge leaves reminding me of some impenetrable topical forest. Others are tiny. For now, they are fairly intact and perfect. . . […]
Spring blanket
I love the herbaceous borders that front all of the fencing that keeps out the deer. It changes season to season and never fails to deliver a visually interesting palette of plants, textures and colors. In the back now, flowering sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) carpets the area interspersed with ferns and hostas. Both are popping […]
Propagation 101: How to make baby plants for next to nothing
One of the wonders of the world is how easy Mother Nature has made it to propagate baby plants from existing ones. Anyone with a little bit of curiosity and care can reproduce many baby plants from a single one. Not counting seeds, there are many different ways to propagate a plant where you will […]
Weed-a-lot
July is when most things in the garden start their growth sprint. Tomato plants can seem to double in size in a few days after a heavy rain and bright muggy days. Lettuces will bolt overnight given high temperatures and bright sun. And if one is not diligent, weeds will overtake everything. Such summer garden […]
Capitol arboretums and botanic gardens
While most of the tourists in Washington D.C. go to places like the Air & Space or Holocaust Museums, we spent much of our spare time last weekend at the National Arboretum and Botanic Garden. As the weather was hot and thick with humidity, the opportunity to spend some reflective time walking among tropical trees, […]