Plant info

I get so engrossed with gardening around the house during the summer that I tend to ignore the wilder parts of our property. I decided to remedy that and take a walk through our damp meadow, and I'm glad I did. Why don't you join me, and we'll see what we can see. There are a few plants I didn't realize were growing on our property, and plenty of the usual suspects. Maybe you can help me identify some of them!

What would happen if you didn't mow your lawn? We often let the grass get pretty shaggy before we mow for the first time, and you might be surprised at how pretty it looks. Also, learn the difference between a flowery lawn and a cropped meadow.

Two 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 [...]

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?

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 [...]

It's January, and here in the northern reaches of North America we don't expect to find flowers blooming. And yet one plant in my garden is trying to do just that: Helleborus niger, commonly called the Christmas rose. It blooms at Christmas for gardeners in Great Britain. They were the ones who named it. My [...]