No doubt there are many with the same deer problems that I’ve experienced, and probably much worse. Just a few years ago my philosophy was to let the deer have theirs, I still have plenty of garden even with them nibbling a bit. But that has changed. When my wife starts talking about shotguns, I fear for…
Month: June 2009
Lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer
Okay, I’m finally willing to admit that Summer’s upon us. Nearly twenty inches of rain have fallen in northern Virginia over the past seven weeks, accompanied by clouds and cooler than average temperatures. But, the party’s over. The garden is a lush jungle, ripe for disaster. So many plants have performed splendidly that there should…
Will wonders never cease?
Most people enjoy their gardens from afar. Park the car, stroll down the front walk and notice the daylilies are blooming. How nice! Maybe even give the roses in the backyard a sniff. If your home has a “landscape”, return on investment and curb appeal are most important. The bed edges must be sharply cut,…
Funky flowers
And maybe a few leaves too. I’m not very funky. I’m not so sure what it is to be “funky”, but I’m not, I can assure you. But I know funky when it comes to flowers. And so, late May through June must be the funky season, because the garden is full of flowers that…
Ain’t no cure
…. for the Summertime blues. I beg to differ. I have a Virginia garden full of plants that stand up to drought, heat and humidity, that withstand torrential rains and hurricane gusts. And for the poor, heat-stricken gardener? Plop down on that mossy boulder beside the pond. Dangle your toes in the cool water as…
Blooming up a storm
A storm is brewing this evening, a severe thunderstorm warning. So what! How many days in a row is this? Never have I seen the garden so lush in mid-June. Though most days are cloudy, temperatures have been moderate and rainfall plentiful. The six ponds in the garden are full to the brim, and surrounded…
Touring Oregon nurseries
I’m back home in Virginia after a week on business in Oregon touring nurseries to select plants for Meadows Farms’ nurseries for Fall and Spring. I managed a few photos to show a bit about the nurseries since I’m certain that most people have never seen a large growing operation. The weather was great, highs…
Mopheads and dunderheads
I haven’t a clue what a dunderhead is, though I have given the title to many for their foolishness. It has nothing to do with mopheads, which are hydrangeas with huge globes of blossoms, but this dunderhead has been negligent in labeling the mopheads in his garden to determine which bloom longer, Endless Summer or…
Westward ho!
This week I’m headed to Oregon. A surprising number of plants sold in garden centers in the mid-Atlantic and northeast are grown there. Mild temperatures and low humidity promote a long growing season without the stressful heat and humidity of the east coast. Even when temperatures reach triple digits on rare occasions in the Summer, nighttime…
Ooh! That smell?
Can’t you smell that smell? Who stashed a dead body under the deck? I confess, it was me. Not a body, the ghastly stench is from Amorphophallus konjac, cousin to the Amorphophallus titanium that is said to be the world’s largest flower, and certainly the smelliest. The lovely scent is reminiscent of rotting flesh, thus the call…
Screening plants – Cryptomeria
Many of the popular choices used as screening plants are rather ordinary when planted as a lone speciman. Large, fast growing evergreeens such as Leyland cypress and Green Giant arborvitae are fine plants, and not ugly, but are not distinguished by color or texture that make them attractive as a single plant. Cryptomeria, however, is an excellent choice as…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 