The year after we planted our first river birch I planted a small container with European ginger. This is not the knotty kind of ginger that you will find at the grocery store. Its proper name is Asarum europaeum.  They are commonly referred to as wild gingers (they are not culinary gingers) but are so-called because their rhizomes have a similar spicy scent. It has not increased rapidly under the river birch, but it spreads nicely every year.  It is happy to spend its life in  the shade. (more…)

While raking leaves  yesterday I was stunned and surprised. My row of hellebores was covered by leaves from our sycamore and I had  only seen a few of  the hellebores big green leaves that are still showing off. As I cleared some of the leaves I saw a bit of white – small white buds were beginning to open.  It was only this hellebore that was preparing  to bloom. I am not sure of its name, but I think it is Ivory Prince. (more…)

This Thanksgiving day was a wonderful event. Henry and I got all the children together! We see them all often – except for Kate down in Texas, but we see her via ZOOM often. And when we see our ‘children’ we often get to see their children, although we have to remember that their children are starting to have children. And beyond that Granddaughter Tracy has given us two Great-granddaughters! What a world!

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Autumn means falling leaves, but there are some shrubs like Fothergilla that show brilliant faces before there is heavy frost. It truly is glorious when the late afternoon sun is shining on the leaves. This particular plant is Fothergilla major which is Fothergilla large, between 6-12 feet.  But there is more to  Fothergilla than a brilliant color. (more…)

Clarkdale is the first fruit farm we ever went to, but you will also get to visit the Apex farm, and the West County Cider house here. First we tried to make choices of apples for us at Clarkdale. Very difficult. They have 40 types of apples, but they have pears, peaches (yum), nectarines and plums.  We enjoy these many flavors, but on Cider Days we get to see how cider is made. (more…)

After a dry summer the rains are falling – and we are enjoying the brilliance of autumn. (more…)

There is joy in the early spring when colorful plants, like grape hyacinths, surprise us. The foliage did not mind resting on the soil all winter, but the blue grape hyacinths amazingly shoot up through the foliage and thrill us. But there is a surprise. (more…)

Boltonia is a wonderful flower because it comes into bloom towards the end of summer and continues into the fall. Even now in mid-October after drought, and unexpected heavy rains, my Boltonia is in full bloom. The marigolds have a longer blossoming season, beginning in early summer and continuing. They also keep us bright and cheerful. (more…)

American Roots is a useful and wonderful book about many gardens in the Midwest, the East Coast, the South and the West.  Naturally I turned  first to the East Coast. The first gardens I saw were designed and planted by John Gwynn and Mikel Folcarelli who live on the Sakonnet Penninsula in Rhode Island.

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