While showy flowers of Indian pinks (Spigelia marilandica, below) catch the attention and favor of visitors, the clump forming native is rarely seen in garden stores. When found, the buying public generally, but inexplicably ignores it. The first planting of Indian pinks in the garden was disappointing, though not entirely unsuccessful. While planting, I imagined…
Month: June 2016
A few favored hostas
Visitors to the garden remark on the huge leaves of hostas, supposing that the gardener possesses some unique skill to make this so. Certainly, there must be some special fertilizer, or at the least annual applications of manure to grow leaves so large. In all modesty, and modesty is required when the gardener has done…
A slow recovery
No doubt, gardeners get jittery at the mention of any number of weather events, constantly dreading freezes and droughts that might bring ruin to their treasures. Certainly, every gardener has suffered losses due to cold, snow or ice, wind, hail, or combinations of these within a single storm. Never, he proclaims, has he seen a winter…
A work in progress
Perhaps someday, the garden will be complete. After twenty-seven years, much of the property is covered by ponds (below) and plantings, but the gardener’s work is never done, it seems, and much remains to be done along the edges. If all goes well, in another decade the garden should be perfectly satisfactory, though setbacks are…
Memory lapses
Seemingly, I am incapable of recalling the dates of most events in my life without an unforgettable reference point. I’m quite certain I would not remember when I was married if it was not the year after I began to work full time after college (Egads! In the same place since 1976. It seems like…
A week away from the garden
A week ago, I left the garden in reasonably good order to travel to the west coast. Weeds were mostly under control, and I even fit in a bit of planting before leaving since a few afternoon storms were forecast. The storms faded, so the small perennials barely survived the week, but otherwise the garden was in…
Glimpses from the garden
While traveling to visit nurseries in Oregon, I offer random glimpses of the garden. With any good luck, I’ll find a treasure or two to add to the garden.
Where the wild things are
Perhaps the wildness of this garden has gone a step too far. Yes, Japanese beetle populations are mostly held in check by birds, and mosquitoes are minimized in the rear garden by dragonflies that perch on tall irises and sweetflags bordering the koi pond. The gardener will argue against the spraying of poisons, figuring that nature will find…
Marvelous foliage
The unfortunate timing of April freezes ruined this year’s blooms of the purple leafed Smoketree (Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’, below). In the best circumstance there are only a few scattered flowers since the shrubby tree was a latecomer to the garden, and it is sandwiched between a tall, gold cypress and the maples and tulip…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 