Clik here to view.
How To Have Fragrant Lily-Of-The-Valley In The Middle Of The Winter
Move over, hyacinths. Stand back, amaryllis. It’s time for lily-of-the-valley to take center stage. Yes, lily-of-the-valley!After my hyacinths bulbs rotted last winter and my amaryllis were clearly not...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On The Verge Of A Thaw In February
A January thaw I expect. A thaw in February–however pleasant–makes me nervous. Last year we had a mild February–and three feet of snow in March. I would much rather have my seasons in chronological...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Unusual Plants for the Autumn Garden
Who doesn’t love a bargain? You can save a lot of money acquiring plants by growing them from seed or obtaining them as seedlings. Sometimes it’s the only way you can even get the plant, as it’s not...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fall Flowers For Cold Climates
Where do people get this silly idea that hardly anything blooms in autumn? I gave my colchicum presentation this week and one attendee remarked that I inspired her to have color in her fall garden....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lessons Learned Growing Houseplants
I‘ve been growing houseplants since high school, but I never stop learning new things about them. Take zygocacti (Schlumbergera)–popularly known as Thanksgiving cactus and Christmas cactus. The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
(Not) Learning From My Mistakes
Let’s start with the successes. The Christmas cactus is blooming better than it has in years.I count twelve blooms on it, which is double–maybe triple–what it had last year. I attribute that to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
One Way Or Another, I Will Have Flowers
Last month I told you about my failures forcing paperwhites. The first batch, packed into a narrow container that fit on the windowsill, blasted almost all their buds. My hopes were then pinned on the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Growing The Earliest Blooms: The Challenge Continues
In my quest to extend the gardening season by growing very early and very late blooming plants, I have begun growing “spring”-blooming* witch hazels. In 2017 I planted ‘Ripe Corn,’ ‘Orange Encore,’ and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The First Blooms of 2019
Desperate times call for desperate measures. And who is more desperate than the cold climate gardener who’s been inundated with social media images of spring flowers blooming in warmer climates? Thank...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mud Season 2020
How was your winter? My winter was pretty mild, and mud season started in February, with alternating snows and thaws. I was fortunate to miss a heavy snowfall that buried gardeners north of here, so...
View Article
