Daylilies: The Perfect Perennial
My earliest introduction to daylilies was in my grandmother’s garden when I was a small child. I remember being entranced by the bright yellow blooms one day and devastated the next when half of them were lying on the ground, dead. Somehow, in my mind, it was my fault that they were dead; I should …
Why Just Landscape When You Can Rainscape?
It has been pouring here, off and on, for the last week. We seem to have a river running down the middle of the street and matching tributaries by each curb. I’m sure that the sewer system is struggling to keep up with the onslaught. Having seen the applicator trucks throughout the neighborhood the last …
The Best of the Best: Perennial Plants for Rain Gardens
For the last few weeks we have had almost nonstop grey, rainy days. It’s been unpleasant weather (although nothing to compare to what both coasts have experienced!), but it has also had its benefits. We definitely needed the moisture; much of the state has been just one small step away from drought conditions for a …
Planting for Butterflies
To those of us who thrive on nature, there are few experiences that can rival that of watching a butterfly as it gracefully lands on a flower to gather nectar and then delicately spreads open its wings to bask in the sunlight. Its iridescent colors sparkle in the light and invites feelings of peacefulness and …
The Best of the Best -- New Varieties for a Butterfly Garden
I love spring! I love hearing the birds sing in the early morning, seeing the crocus and daffodils emerge and feeling the warm sun as I venture out to my yard. I love the anticipation of what I will accomplish in the coming months. And I love deciding which of the dozens of new plants …
Digging into Dirt: Part 4, Nurturing the Soil
In 1937, after witnessing the havoc and economic desperation that the Dust Bowl had wreaked on our nation, Franklin D Roosevelt sent a letter to all of the governors of the United States, asking them to oversee the adoption of legislation that would create soil conservation districts. In his letter, Roosevelt wrote, “The nation that …
Digging into Dirt, Part 3: The Soil Water Connection
As strange as it may seem, I’d like to start the third blog in our soil series thinking about water. Soil is our economic base, but water is our lifeblood. And the reality is that soil and water are directly connected. The earth’s surface covers about 197 million square miles. (As a reference …
Digging into Dirt, Part 2: What Kind Is It?
If I were a soil scientist (and that does take a huge stretch of your imagination), I would be presenting you with a list showing the taxonomy of 12 different soils, all having totally unfamiliar and unpronounceable names. Each soil group would be determined by one or two major characteristics chosen for how the soil …
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