Spring is right around the corner, and I've been going through photos of the garden bed adjoining our back deck. My, has it grown up--but it also needs tinkering. If you're looking for some flower power to get you through mud season, c'mon over and check this post out. Who knows? Maybe you'll get some ideas for your own spring renovation.
peony
New Peonies! Lovely And Mysterious
June 20, 2017 – Posted in: Peonies, What's up/bloomingTwo and a half years ago I acquired a couple of peonies through a members-only sale of my local chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society (NARGS). You may not realize this, but most rock gardeners get interested in alpine plants after years of gardening experience. They are all plant geeks and expert (or [...]
A Tour Of The Gardens: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day June 2016
June 16, 2016 – Posted in: Bird Sanctuary, Cutting Garden, Deck Alcove, Fern Alley, Front of the House, Herb Garden, New House, New Gardens, North Deck, Parking Pad Bed, Roadside Beds, Slope Garden, South Deck, The Secret Garden, West DeckIt's been four years since I started working on the gardens here at the "new" house. I thought it was about time I gave you a full-fledged tour. It takes a bit of time to see all the gardens, so prepare for a leisurely visit. Can I pour you something to drink? Let's start the [...]
Summer Is Here: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day June 2015
June 15, 2015 – Posted in: What's up/bloomingWe know it's summer when the frost-tender mosaic bird bath (pictured above) takes its rightful place in the front garden. That move from winter storage was delayed because I was attending the Garden Bloggers' Fling in Toronto. (There's a good story about the bird bath here.) All the usual suspects are blooming, so I'll just [...]
Unidentified Blooming Plants: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day June 2012
June 15, 2012 – Posted in: What's up/bloomingThings are finally blooming in the garden at the new house, only I don't know what they are. Well, for the most part, I know what genus they are, but not the variety. So I'd like to show you some of what I've got, and maybe you can tell me more about them. Peonies There [...]
Garden Bloggers Bloom Day June 2008
June 15, 2008 – Posted in: About this site, Colchicums, Recommended LinksPoppies, peonies, and iris: the three Grandes Dames of June In a cold climate, the gardening season is shorter and more compressed. By the time the spring flowers get going, boom! it's summer. Consider this: on May 29th we had our last frost. The next day it hit 80F (27C), which we reckon to be [...]
The Truth About Organic Gardening: Book Review
March 11, 2008 – Posted in: Book reviews, PeoniesIf you can have only one of Jeff Gillman's books, The Truth About Organic Gardening: Benefits, Drawbacks, and the Bottom Line is the one to get. Don't get me wrong, The Truth About Garden Remedies is an interesting and informative read, but it mostly tells you what doesn't work, or what only "sorta" works. The [...]
Canada thistle, the plague of my peonies
June 23, 2007 – Posted in: Pests, Plagues, and VarmintsCanada thistle weaves throughout the peony bedObservant readers may have noticed the prickly-leaved weed sidling up to 'Rozella' in my last post. That dastardly villain is Canada thistle, aka Cirsium arvense, and it is one nasty customer. According to the University of California Cooperative Extension, Once established, Canada thistle spreads rapidly by horizontal roots, up [...]
Peonies: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day
June 19, 2007 – Posted in: Peonies'Bev' was planted in fall 2002 and has filled out substantiallyPeonies remind me of my paternal grandmother. Whether it was an evening with her bridge group, Sunday Mass, or a family cookout, she always dressed fashionably, including fully applied makeup and perfume. To be called glamorous was a compliment she always appreciated. She also grew [...]
What’s Wrong with My Peonies?
August 1, 2006 – Posted in: Peonies, Pests, Plagues, and Varmints, Plant info, WeatherThis spring, I had the most beautiful peonies in the world. I was especially taken with the foliage of 'Bev,' the one on the far right. It was a smoky purple. The flowers were spectacular, too, but I never managed to get a photograph this year. You can see them, here, though. One of the [...]
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