A goldenrod that grows in the shade? Yes, there is such a thing!
native-plants
Young Witch Hazel: Wildflower Wednesday September 2016
October 1, 2016 – Posted in: Native/InvasiveWalking up the hill to view the witch hazels in bloom was a favorite fall activity at our old house. For the past four years, I've thought we didn't have any on our property. Our neighbor said he had some on his land, so I always hoped I might someday find one. Turns out there's [...]
Water Hemlock: Wildflower Wednesday
July 27, 2016 – Posted in: Native/InvasiveA couple of weeks ago, my thirty-something daughter was busy gathering wildflowers for her brother's wedding. "Mom, do you know what that plant is?" There it was, growing in our backyard along the creek. I am pretty sure it has been there ever since we moved in almost five years ago. But no, I didn't [...]
Woodland Phlox Knocks My Socks Off: Wildflower Wednesday
May 25, 2016 – Posted in: Native/Invasive, The Secret GardenI bought a small pot of 'Blue Moon' woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata) in 2013. It was kind of over its bloom period when I bought it, so I didn't expect much. The following year, it was nice enough, but nothing to write home about. The following year (which was last year) it bulked up enough [...]
My Spicebush Is Blooming! Wildflower Wednesday April 2016
April 29, 2016 – Posted in: Native/Invasive, The Secret Garden, What's up/bloomingMy spicebush is blooming! Only a mother--I mean, a gardener--could be so happy about the blessed event. See: Well--ahem--yes, they are rather small. Try this:Okay, let's really zoom in: I saw my first spicebushes in 2009 in the Mundy Wildflower Garden on the grounds of Cornell Plantation in Ithaca, New York. There were several of [...]
Apprentice to a Garden: Book Review
December 22, 2013 – Posted in: Book reviewsApprentice to a Garden: A new urban gardener goes wild by Evelyn Hadden is a collection of essays chronicling the development of Hadden's garden and her growth as a gardener. Evelyn starts out as "the omnipotent landowner," but gradually discovers that she doesn't know enough to be a totalitarian dictator. She begins observing more, and [...]
Great Blue Lobelia: Wildflower Wednesday
August 22, 2012 – Posted in: Native/Invasive, What's up/bloomingSometimes plants surprise you. I recently came across this plant growing in front of the stone retaining wall of the parking pad. Ordinarily I would have considered any plant growing at the base of this wall a weed, but this plant had presence. I certainly hadn't planted it, and none were growing in the soil [...]
Winterberries: Wildflower Wednesday
January 25, 2012 – Posted in: Native/InvasiveWinterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a native holly that drops its leaves in the fall. That's what enables them to survive in colder climates. If your winter landscape seems dark and dreary, you will want to plant some of these shrubs where you can see their profusion of colorful berries from the heated side of your [...]
Queen of the Prairie: Wildflower Wednesday
July 27, 2011 – Posted in: Native/InvasiveQueen of the Prairie was introduced to my garden. The Gentleman Farmer found it growing in a roadside ditch about a quarter of a mile from our house and brought it home for me. Shortly after that, the road crew mowed the roadside down. I had previously grown this plant in the front southwest bed [...]
Trailing Arbutus
May 2, 2011 – Posted in: Native/InvasiveI've been trying to go for a walk up in our woods every day that it isn't raining. (We got 8.55 inches of rain this April and our normal is 3.49 inches, so there haven't been as many opportunities as in past springs.) During this time of year, when the native spring ephemerals are blooming, [...]
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