TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen - the...Honeysuckle
  • We've been waiting for the splendid Lonicera (Trumpet Honeysuckle) sempervirens to dazzle us; it's at its best right now. A little unruly, but, hey, that's what my shears are for.
  • I'm always interested where plant names come from - Lonicera come from the dashing renaissance botanist Adam Lonicer, who, in 1500's Germany, was a doctor, math whiz, botanist, publisher, writer and scholar. Whew! I guess one can accomplish a bunch when one isn't tied to a TV or cell phone.
  • I'm always reminded to mulch the roots of my client's Honeysuckle, never do, and the thing always looks fabulous, darling. La-de-da.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011

3-in-1 Butterfly Bush
Hydrangea - up close and personal
WORKING GARDENER'S JOURNAL
  • What a great time for Butterfly Bush lovers. One of my clients has a beautiful multi-color Buddleia, ordered through a catalog. The lavender, magenta and white flowers are mixed together and look positively stunning - right now. Up top is a pic of a 3-in-1 Butterfly Bush from Spring Hill Nursery.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2011



A COUNTRY INCIDENT

Absorbed in planting bulbs, that work of hope,
I was startled by a loud human voice,
“Do go on working while I talk. Don’t stop!”
And I was caught upon the difficult choice—
To yield the last half hour of precious light,
Or to stay on my knees, absurd and rude;
I willed her to be gone with all my might,
This kindly neighbor who destroyed a mood;
I could not think of next spring any more,
I had to re-assess the way I live.
Long after I went in and closed the door,
I pondered on the crude imperative.

What it is to be caught up in each day
Like a child fighting imaginary wars,
Converting work into this passionate play,
A rounded whole made up of different chores
Which one might name haphazard meditation.
And yet an unexpected call destroys
Or puts to rout my primitive elation:
Why be so serious about mere joys?
Is this where some outmoded madness lies,
Poet as recluse? No, what comes to me
Is how my father looked out of his eyes,
And how he fought for his own passionate play.

He could tear up unread and throw away
Communications from officialdom,
And, courteous in every other way,
Would not brook anything that kept him from
Those lively dialogues with man’s whole past
That were his intimate and fruitful pleasure.
Impetuous, impatient to the last,
“Be adamant, keep clear, strike for your treasure!”
I hear the youthful ardor in his voice
(And so I must forgive a self in (labor).
I feel his unrepentant smiling choice,
(And so I ask forgiveness of my neighbor).

May Sarton


 (If one enjoys the garden, one might appreciate May Sarton's journals, especially Plant Dreaming Deep)












































TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2011

  • GLOBE THISTLE DOING WHAT THEY DO
  • If you are looking for a cool perennial that can go for a while without water, try the Globe Thistle, or Echinops. Also, GT makes a super cut flower, lasting for weeks in the vase.  If you have a friend with too much Thistle, they (the plant, not the friend) can be divided in the spring. Hint, hint.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2011


What is more beautiful - a rainbow or Phlox?
WORKING GARDENER'S JOURNAL
* It's time for the Phlox festival! This wonderful native plant is a joy for working gardeners, as it gives us a shout from Mother Nature, as if she is saying," Hey, I ain't done yet!"

Please don't let water puddle up with Phlox; they can suffer from mildew and fungi, along with mites looking for food and moisture.

Believe it or not, Phlox don't need a lot of fert this time of year, better to give them a good dose in the spring.
Have you seen hummingbirds feeding from your Phlox? Turns out that Phlox has a high nectar count, enabling the H-birds to beef up for their winter trip down south.