It was 17 years ago in early June when I wrote a column entitled “Are you cranky too?”. It started out like this: “WARNING: Nothing in this week’s column is of horticultural value. The reason is because I am in a totally cranky mood. You might be feeling the same too…


The kingdom of plants offers seemingly endless treasures for us plant addicts to admire, collect and then cultivate. Stunning shrubs, stately conifers, magnificent trees, climbing vines, creeping ground-covers, perky perennials and stunning tropicals, just to name a few. One plant that always catches my eye this time of year is the…