December 21st is what we officially refer to as the Winter Solstice. This day has the ignominious distinction of being the shortest day of the year (in the northern hemisphere). Of course, while every day is essentially the same length (24 hours the last time I checked) the 21st has…
During the months of May and June one of the all-time favorite plants of local gardeners, the peony, is bursting into bloom. There are many excellent peonies available to utilize in our landscapes; including herbaceous cottage types in all sorts of colors (and varying fragrances) and larger growing tree peonies too. I would never scold anyone for growing either of these types (since I do as well), but I want to bring attention to another fabulous peony option… what is known as the intersectional or Itoh Peony.