The common names of plants can be aptly descriptive, or absolutely puzzling. The mostly spotted blooms of  toad lilies (Tricyrtis) are exquisite, and indeed it is difficult to imagine that the flowers bear any resemblance to toads, so do not be dissuaded by such an unpleasant moniker. Toad lilies are pest free and easy to grow,…

The crinum (below) has finally come into bloom, a bit later than normal to my recollection. Though it is marginally cold hardy I planted it in a pot, and each October I lug it indoors to spend the winter in the basement along with elephant ears and assorted other tropicals. No more! In the next…

In recent years the pink Japanese windflower (Anemone x hybrida ‘September Charm’, below) has flowered in August, or October, but not September. I suppose that in most years out of ten ‘September Charm’ will flower sometime in September, and this year it began to bloom with the turn of the calendar page. I learned long ago…

The orbicular blooms of Aralia ‘Sun King’ (below) are a bit unusual, appearing much like small satellites attached to thin wires for a homemade science project. Rarely are the flowers shown in perennial catalogs or references, mostly because the bright yellow foliage is the aralia’s foremost attribute, but also because the blooms are not showy…

I realize that by happenstance I’ve begun to assemble quite a collection of hummingbird mints (Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’, below). With little planning I’ve added a few from the garden center, and one or two that sounded too good to pass up were purchased by mail order. In similar fashion I’ve purchased enough coral bells and…

I took a leisurely stroll through the garden Saturday morning for the first time since the heavy rains ended, and with a bit of sun the lawn has firmed up so that I can walk without turning my gardening sandals to a muddy mess. An abbreviated tour a day earlier had shown no damage from…

With one hundred degree temperatures and parched ground only a few weeks ago, I’ve no doubt that many area gardeners were praying for rain, and sho’ nuff, here it is. In my garden I’ve had nearly ten inches this week, on top of several inches from the hurricane and assorted storms a week earlier, and…

Thankfully, in the last half of August temperatures were moderate and rainfall more regular so that much of the garden has recovered from the heat and drought of July. Over the next week heavy rain from a Gulf Coast tropical storm is forecast, so the worry is more likely to be plants floating away in…

Beautyberries (Callicarpa) do not leaf until late in April, and then the foliage is unremarkable, as are the clusters of small white blooms (below) in late July that are arranged along the shrub’s arching stems. The shrub grows quite large, and its form is coarse and unsuitable for a prominent position in the garden. But,…

Along the margins of the garden are a variety of “weeds” that flower as beautifully as any any plant in the garden, and through the years I have cultivated several so there is an indistinct transition from garden to the native wetland meadow. The back property line remains swampy through much of the year, and…