A few weeks ago, a large branch of the tulip poplar that shaded much of the side garden was cut out. This involved a ladder and electric pole saw in a non-OSHA approved stunt, but gardeners are free to be idiots on their own time. In this case, the idiot survived to attempt even more…

While the majority of Japanese maples escaped the recent freeze with only minor damage, the bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) are a disaster. Ten days earlier, new growth indicated the point to which stems were cut back, most severely and certainly including all flower buds from last year’s growth. While older varieties will not flower after…

Recurring acts of negligence in previous months too often result in today’s disappointment. I long ago lost my excitement for blooms of the common evergreen azaleas, so I am not overly bothered by the sparcity of flowers as deer nibbled lower branch tips over the winter months. Still, a more regular spray routine with the…

Certainly, I’ve done something from the many published checklists of chores to be completed in the garden in April. The tasks are extensive, but I’ve accomplished only a few. I ignore the lists and most of the chores since the majority are necessary only in tbe tidiest gatdens. Perennials have been cut back. No doubt,…

Today, Barbara and I headed to the mountains in search of trilliums (Trillium grandiflorum, below). In fact, despite spotty recollections overall, I can pinpoint exact placement and timing of trilliums and many spring ephemerals from previous hikes. I think my attention to detail has always been very selective. The trilliums along this trail flower at…

The results are in, at least I hope that I can now confirm that no major damage was done by last week’s freeze that coincided with the most vulnerable period for emerging leaves of Japanese maples. I think that rainfall and a few days of clouds were helpful minimizing the damage, but warm and sunny…

Already, dozens of tiny Japanese maple seedlings are fully leafed while hundreds of newly germinated seedlings do not yet show the distinctive maple leaf. Most of the seedlings not weeded out a year ago will soon be pulled and discarded, though I am always on the lookout for an unusual leaf form. But, the evaluation…

With a rainy Sunday forecast (a week ago), Barbara and I decided we must stay local to make our annual bluebell hike on Saturday instead of our plan to head up into the mountains. Of course, there are a number of trails that we schedule to coincide with flowering of hepaticas, bluebells, trilliums, or orchids…

….. but I’m worried. The thirty or forty Japanese maples in the garden come into leaf over a period of weeks. Today, some are leafed fully while leaves of others are just emerging. With temperatures falling into the mid-twenties last night, I’m concerned about ones that are halfway between that are the most vulnerable. Too…

I do not claim any semblance of patience. Yes, the garden demands a measure of watch and wait, but I seek an immediate return. Fortunately, I am able to ignore these impulses to occasionally plant for the long-term and then forget until the dividends are paid years later. Why would anyone plant trilliums? They are…

The emerging foliage of spring has been witnessed over three decades in this garden, but it remains a delight with daily surprises. The same old garden is ever changing, a result of new additions, but also its continued growth. A viburnum fades as it recedes into deeper shade, but a redbud becomes more prominent. I…

Sure enough, the first of the redbuds is flowering as scheduled at the start of April. Set over thirty-six years in this garden, the timetable is that redbuds (Cercis canadensis) flower April first and dogwoods (Cornus florida) the tenth. Yes, there are variations by days and occasionally weeks, usually earlier after very mild late winters….