December 2002

Do you know which hellebores you have? Is it H. niger? I'm not familiar with the 'Lady' series.

Mine aren't in a sheltered spot and they are subject to wind almost every day that comes from the south. After a very mild late summer and early fall, the temps plunged without benefit of snow cover. The Hellebores fell over and looked quite forlorn and as soon as the weather moderated, they lifted their [...]

I had always thought you were in Zone 4, Ro, but when I consult my most detailed copy of the USDA Hardiness Zone map (which I got in an old issue of Fine Gardening) I see you actually are listed as Zone 5. Not that the map is the last word on what zone you [...]

Now that you have been reviewed, and someone has complimented your writing and synergy, I hate to wreck it by by my disjointed off topic rambling. This is probably the last time I post, since I am very, very pregnant. I spent a lot of time working out my seed order, knowing that I will [...]

So, Lynda, they really do bloom in the snow, unlike snowdrops or crocus, which wait until March for me? How important is snow cover? If you have good snow cover, the soil doesn't freeze and I guess I can see how they might bloom. But what about if the ground freezes solid and there's no [...]

Finally, some snow to make the yard look pristine. 12/26 and the Hellebores by the back door are poking their dainty pink heads above the snow. It's always fun when someone pulls into the drive not familiar with 'Christmas' or 'Lenten' roses. It can be 30 degrees and a foot of snow on the ground [...]

Thank you to Nicole at The Weblog Review for her very favorable review of this blog.

Another good source of information on cold climate gardening is the University of Minnesota Extension Service. Their online publications catalog is not organized for easy perusal, I'm afraid. Ornamental Grasses for Cold Climates is located under the Landscaping - Plant Selection. Roses for the North is under Flowers - Culture. It is probably better to [...]

Just like you, Judy, "I like having an idea of whether [a plant] would turn to slime come April before I spend money on it." I'm always on the lookout for sources of information that keep me from reinventing the wheel. Woody Landscape Plant Cold-Hardiness Ratings, Technical Bulletin #156 from the Maine Agricultural and Forest [...]