When I was small, Bleeding Heart (Dicentra) was one of my favorite flowers. When Mom occasionally let us pick small bouquets to bring into the house, I always chose bleeding heart. I remember mixing them with another spring favorite, lily of the valley because they both bloomed at the same time and to this day […]
Garden Notes
The Ephemeral Virginia Bluebell
I have a large Virginia bluebell colony in my garden that began with few small plants a friend gave me from her yard. I think they are one of the prettiest spring perennials native to North America. The bluebell flowers start out as pink buds and then open to a darker bluish hue that becomes […]
Primroses for Bright Color
In early spring, I often use primroses around the house as decorations, especially for dinner parties. They add such a cheery and colorful spring flair to the table setting and when the event is over, I simply plant them into the garden to join the primrose colony already growing there. We get to enjoy them […]
Pruning Forsythia Shrubs
I have a couple of forsythia shrubs that bloom beautifully each spring with their vibrant yellow flowers preceding the leaves. Forsythia are fast-growing shrubs with an upright and arching form that can take on a rather wild-looking shape that, to me, looks very natural and free. I prefer this natural look and prune our forsythia […]
Rock Cress, Spring Charmer
I obtained my first rock cress plant by admiring the white flower (Arabis caucasica ‘snowfix’- white rock cress) in our neighbor’s yard. I complimented the owner on the beautiful white rock cress growing in her front border and she gave me a small plant to try in our yard. That original plant was very small […]
Slug Control in the Garden
We have a large perennial garden, some of which is quite shady. In those areas, I have spring flowers such as bleeding heart, Virginia Bluebells and Lungwort. When they have finished blooming, a variety of hosta plants replace them and hide the foliage as they fade. The problem is that while the hosta are very […]