As we move into the winter season, I am often asked when we should worry and provide protection for our landscapes. There are, of course, many variables that can affect winter hardiness in a plant, but in general, my rule of thumb is…
Disaster In The New Garden
Okay, this title is probably a bit more dramatic than it needs to be. The truth is, that while I lost a ton of new plants from last year’s plantings, both from the record heatwave in the summer and the colder-than-usual winter, I probably planted too many in the first place and would have thinned out several of them anyway. Just the same, I think I would have preferred that I made those decisions and not Mother Nature. So much for the illusion that we are in control of our gardens…
One useful plant more and more local gardeners are discovering is the Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia), an evergreen shrub with spectacular flowers. We are borrowing this beauty from…