Kathy Purdy

I've lived here over five years now, but just when I think I've seen all the plants that grow wild here, another one catches my attention and arouses my curiosity. Several people suggested it was baneberry, and baneberry does bloom around the same time, with a similarly shaped flower. Only one problem: Baneberry is herbaceous, and the flowers were blooming on a woody plant. Hmm, what could it be?

Take a stroll with me through the Secret Garden and admire the flowers I recently planted to make this garden even more beautiful. I hope it delights you as much as it delights me!

I know rock gardeners who can coax rare alpine treasures into bloom, but have been stumped by trout lilies. They are common in the woods of eastern North America--do you know these ephemeral charmers?

Want to grow perennial Mediterranean herbs--specifically, rosemary, lavender, thyme, tarragon, oregano, and sage--in your cold climate garden? There's a secret to getting them through the winter, which I share in my latest blog post. Hint: it doesn't involve moving to a war

Just ten days until Kerry Mendez's latest webinar, Jaw Dropping Shrubs--The New No-Fuss Glamour Plants, goes live on Thursday, April 27 at 2pm Eastern time. Are you looking for high impact, low-maintenance, pollinator-friendly plants for your garden? Then flowering shrubs are your answer! Kerry's online lecture features exceptional, head-turning varieties that will be the talk [...]

It's like Christmas, except instead of tumbling downstairs to see what "Santa" left me under the tree, I'm dashing out the door every day to see what's blooming in each garden bed. Believe me, I know where to look, and I usually spot each emerging plant when its tip first pierces the surface. Yes, it's spring! Wanna see what I got?

I just knew a mild February would mean trouble later on. Spring in February doesn't happen here without some sort of counterbalance later on. But even I couldn't guess it would be the snowstorm of the century. I thought those sub-zero temperatures the week before were punishment enough. Read on to learn what was blooming before Snowmageddon and what is currently cheering me in the house.

I cut the dead foliage off my hellebores in February, and I paid the price in March. How was I to know we'd have the coldest temps of winter in March? Read on to find out what I did to fix things.

Our house "was built for a newlywed couple in 1885. The big oak tree in the front yard was planted the year they moved in and the maple tree was also one they planted," according to information provided by the previous owner. I was thinking about this oak tree as I drove home from a [...]