THERE is nothing like the threat of a killing frost to get a gardener hopping. Although my potted plants were brought indoors long ago, I had neglected -- at least until I heard tonight's forecast -- to lift my cherished lemon verbena, parsley, petunias and geraniums (like 'Apple Blossom Rosebud', above), from their vulnerable positions in the open garden. Read on, if you're not too squeamish, and I’ll show you my surgical procedure that permits the successful overwintering of these tender herbs and annuals. Read more » Overwintering Tender Herbs & Annuals
October 5, 2012
THERE is nothing like the threat of a killing frost to get a gardener hopping. Although my potted plants were brought indoors long ago, I had neglected -- at least until I heard tonight's forecast -- to lift my cherished lemon verbena, parsley, petunias and geraniums (like 'Apple Blossom Rosebud', above), from their vulnerable positions in the open garden. Read on, if you're not too squeamish, and I’ll show you my surgical procedure that permits the successful overwintering of these tender herbs and annuals. Read more » My Favorite Seed-Suppliers…& Yours (2012 Edition)
January 4, 2012
(Note: here is the 2013 edition of this article.) AS I’VE SAID BEFORE, I rarely buy annual, perennial or vegetable seeds from local vendors. Why? Because their selections are limited to what will fit on a rack. Take, for example, petunia seeds. The local big-box store might sell 3 basic varieties (if you’re lucky). But visit an on-line seed specialist like Summerhill, and you will find 61 petunia varieties, including the delightful ‘Shock Wave Rose,’ pictured above. The following seed-sellers get most of my business: Read more » The Perpetual Life of Pelargonium peltatum (the Ivy-Leaved Geranium)
February 24, 2011
I’LL ADMIT I’M A SUCKER FOR THE IVY-LEAVED GERANIUM, Pelargonium peltatum. Planted in a hanging basket where its trailing stems with ivy-shaped foliage can freely cascade, it puts on a pink, rose, lavender, purple or white-tinted show that is unsurpassed by even the petunia. And, as you will soon discover, the plant is a great… Read more »
My Trial with Cosmos ‘Rose Bon Bon’
February 15, 2011
LAST YEAR, Renee Shephard of Renee’s Garden Seeds sent me a trial packet of a new, fully double Cosmos called ‘Rose Bon Bon.’ Would you like to know my honest assessment of this plant that was bred in France for the cut-flower trade? First, let me tell you that I ignored the planting-directions which came… Read more »
Seeds to Winter-Sow: Bachelor’s Button (Centaurea cyanus)
January 18, 2011
SURE, Centaurea cyanus (above, in my Kitchen Garden) provides charming, long-stemmed, azure-blue flowers all summer long. And yes, it is a magnet for honey bees and butterflies. But these are not the plant’s only attributes. It also offers valium for the eyes, and serenity for the soul. I discovered its tranquilizing properties when I was… Read more »
My Favorite Seed Suppliers…& Yours (2011 Edition)
January 11, 2011
AS I’VE SAID BEFORE, I rarely buy annual, perennial or vegetable seeds from local vendors. Why? Because their selections are limited to what will fit on a rack. Take, for example, petunia seeds. The local big-box store might sell 3 basic varieties (if you’re lucky). But visit an on-line seed specialist like Summerhill, and you… Read more »
Nicotiana for Evening Perfume
July 21, 2010
I CAN’T THINK of a better evening-scented annual than Nicotiana, the “flowering tobacco” plant. ‘Purple Perfume’ (above) beguiles with dusty violet stars on one-foot stems; planted beneath windows here, it fills the house with a sweet, invigorating air. And placed along pathways, sweeps of tall, white nicotiana insure a moonlit walk in the garden is… Read more »
