Month: March 2022

Shopping for landscape plants – an illustrated cautionary tale

Flower shows, like this one in Philadelphia, get gardeners excited about buying new plants.

“In the Spring a gardener’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of…plant shopping!”

If Alfred, Lord Tennyson had been an avid gardener, I am sure he would have included the above line in his poem “Locksley Hall.” I certainly look forward to visiting nurseries and plant centers in the spring to see what new goodies await. But my enthusiasm is tempered with caution – because bad things can lurk in otherwise perfect plants.… Continue reading this article “Shopping for landscape plants – an illustrated cautionary tale”

Agua Es La Vida.

No swimming? That’s the last thing we should be concerned about.

Water is a precious resource and gardeners are often careless with it. Water rationing is a real thing for many of us and, with continuing and spreading drought, may become a reality for many more. Is it possible to have a beautiful garden while minimizing water use?
It is indeed.
[Disclaimer: This blog post is about ornamental landscapes. While efficient water use is also needed for a production garden, the need to produce food is the priority.]… Continue reading this article “Agua Es La Vida.”

The ABC’s of Plants for Bees!

A yellow flower with a pollen-covered bee resting on top.

A bee collecting pollen from a Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta).

Though it might not seem like it for some of us who are still in the throes of winter and it especially feels like a distant dream as I look outside my window here in Montana, but Spring is right around the corner. Along with this magnificent season filled with new life in our gardens and landscapes our world will soon be buzzing with pollinators as well!… Continue reading this article “The ABC’s of Plants for Bees!”