Flowers are not expected on two recently planted sweetshrubs (‘Michael Lindsey’ and ‘Burgundy Spice’), though upon close examination I see the start of flower or growth buds on the dark leafed ‘Burgundy Spice’ (Calycanthus floridus var. purpureus ‘Burgundy Spice’, below). So, there’s hope. I expect that whenever it flowers, the blooms will not stand out…

There is always something, most often minor nuisances that temper the gardener’s glee. Just as he should expect an occasional April freeze, the gardener must also expect damage to the garden that is mostly unavoidable. Trees and shrubs are tarped or otherwise covered with great difficulty in a one acre garden, but there is surprisingly…

New plantings of trout lilies, sharp lobed hepaticas, and several hardy orchids are missing, or at least I can’t yet identify foliage that is just emerging through the cover of leaves. I am quite certain I planted them, though I have little clue where. When relatively small numbers of very small plants are scattered about…

When overnight temperatures dropped into the mid-twenties two weeks ago I proclaimed with absolute certainty that this would be the last freeze of the spring. This, of course, verifies the lack of influence I have in such matters, and how could a gardener be so foolish as to think that more cold was not only…

Years ago, a six foot, well branched Franklinia (Franklinia alatamaha, below) was planted beside the garden shed, an ideal placement close to a regularly trodden path and with soil moisture and sun exposure that I deemed well suited to this out of the ordinary tree. The Franklinia grew vigorously with no care on my part,…

All of the three spurge varieties in the garden are confounding, but for varying reasons. The most useful of the three, Robb’s spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides subsp. robbiae, below) covers substantial territory in difficult, dry shade with surface roots of maples and tulip poplars that leave little room for digging. Little else grows in this area,…

The yellow leafed ‘Ogon’ winter hazel (Corylopsis spicata ‘Ogon’, below) seems determined to stay small, so sprawling from beneath a Chinese dogwood seems an ideal spot, where it gets some afternoon sunlight but doesn’t demand attention. Someday I’ll happily point it out, probably nearing the end of this decade, when the slow growing ‘Ogon’ has…

The garden moves quickly in April, transforming from near dormancy to full leaf a few weeks later. While several emerging mysteries have been identified, I wonder what the heck I planted along the stone path under the dwarf Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Elegans nana’). I’ll soon find out, and while I have given in to…

Thankfully, not all magnolias were damaged by recent freezes. While ‘Jane’ lost a few flowers, many more buds were closed and protected, but they have now opened into glorious bloom (below). I’ve noticed browning on the outside of buds of yellow flowered magnolias ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘Yellow Bird’, and I think several of the flowers of…

This garden is in Virginia, and with some sections of boggy ground I feel obligated to grow Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica, below). But, repeated half hearted efforts have been unsuccessful, so I must be content to visit local floodplains where these grow in much greater abundance than I could possibly grow. I’ve discovered multiple sites…

Not bad. I can’t complain much about relatively minor damage following two nights with freezes in the mid-twenties (Fahrenheit). Yes, as expected the flowers of ‘Merrill’ magnolia (before and after the freeze, below) were ruined. A shame, but the blooms were enjoyed for a week. Late opening flowers of ‘Royal Star’ were spared, and only…

The small flowers of round-lobed hepatica (Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa or Anemone americana, below) do not put on much of a show, but this local woodland native is prized in the garden along with several other early flowering perennials and ephemerals. Several sharp-lobed hepaticas (Hepatica nobilis acuta or Anemone acutiloba) planted late in autumn have…