crocuses

Late last week I received a review copy of Crocuses: A Complete Guide to the Genus by Janis Ruksans. This is the kind of gardening book that makes my garden-geeky heart beat faster. It focuses on one genus, and endeavors to tell you everything you could possibly want to know: growing in an open garden, [...]

Another March, another mud season in full swing. The snowdrops that had barely opened five days ago are now in full flower: The snowdrops that were buried under snow on March 7th are now in full bud, as you can see on the left. This is the path in the Secret Garden that I brag [...]

In January, the snowdrops in the Secret Garden looked like this: This Sunday just passed--March 7th--those same snowdrops looked like this: Such are the vagaries of an upstate New York winter. Since then, the temperatures have been mild and the sunshine brilliant, and the snow is receding. This, my fellow cold climate gardeners, is the [...]

Yesterday I told you how I finally realized species tulips planted in the peony bed would help to bridge the bloom gap of late spring. I got the tulips chosen and purchased, and now I'm going to show you how I planted them. The Smartest Way to Plant 150 Tulip Bulbs But first let's talk [...]

For years now, we've enjoyed the crocus display along one side of our driveway. This spring I decided it should be even bigger, and over the last two days I planted a hundred more, bringing the total to over nine hundred. The "soil" is compacted clay, making the corms somewhat difficult to plant, but, happily, [...]

As soon as the snow melts, before anything even blooms, there is color.If you are aware that some plants can grow underneath the snow, this is not a complete surprise, though I always marvel when it is an attractive garden plant that pulls this trick, and not just the tap-rooted and creeping weeds.The first flowers [...]

The Crocus Bank is looking glorious (click any photo to enlarge it): But I was pleasantly surprised to see this wee thing:

Odyssey Bulbs has long been a favorite of mine for unusual bulbs (including unusual varieties of colchicum) that you're not likely to find elsewhere--not even at Brent and Becky's. I recently learned it was featured on Martha Stewart's tv show on January 22nd. If, like me, you missed it, you can still view it on [...]

In contrast to what gardeners in many other parts of the country have endured, where Spring arrived in full force, only to be slapped down by Winter's last stand, Spring has not really made its grand entrance. It's only been peeking through the window, wondering if it really wants to come in. The snowdrops are [...]