Garden Journal: August 8, 2010
Karen Two days of normal temperatures and lower humidity and some heavy rain have brought a relief to the super high temperatures of the past weeks but more hot weather lies…
Plant Profile: Mock Orange Miniature Snowflake (Philadelphus x virginalis ‘Miniature Snowflake’)
The clear white flowers of mock orange ‘Miniature Snowflake’ standout against the crisp dark green foliage and the citrus fragrance perfumes the air all around it as spring turns into…
Five Fabulous Perennials to Get Rid of the Summer Blahs
By the time August rolls around my garden usually looks like it needs a new lease on life. The heat and humidity have taken their toil, the insects, fungi, and…
Plant Profile: Black Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’)
When I first saw this plant over ten years ago I was thrilled by its unique look: black leaves. Of course there really are no truly black leaves in nature…
Garden Journal: August 1, 2010
We have had the gamut of weather this week from high heat and humidity to the coldest day on record for August first. Torrential showers gave the plants a good…
Plant Profile: Wishbone flower (Torenia fournier)
I first met this charming plant in a small nursery in Annapolis MD, run by a husband and wife who seemed to love plants. They had all sorts of annuals…
Five Favorite Perennials for Wet Soils
It seems that most plants I want to buy like well drained soil but sometimes I really need one for a wet spot in the garden where many plants have…
Plant Profile: Hardy Iceplant ( Delospera cooperi)
Hardy iceplant is a tough little plant as long as it doesn’t get too much water. The succulent leaves form a dense low growing mat and appear to have tiny…
Garden Journal: July 25, 2010
We are back to high temperatures; everyday is well over 90 (as high as 99) with high humidity and evening showers. I think the plants went on vacation and I…
Plant Profile: Garden Cosmos aka Tall Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
Garden cosmos is a half hardy annual native to Arizona, Mexico and Guatemala to Costa Rica and is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow,…