Yes, I’m an idiot, but only sometimes, I think, no matter that my wife brings up the subject a bit too often. I’m convinced she knows I’m not a complete fool, but she must remind me of the error of my ways to keep some semblance of order. Still, I must stop driving with her…

Three somewhat compact selections of Joe Pye weed (‘Little Joe’, ‘Gateway’, and ‘Phantom’) are planted in the damp lower end of the rear garden, with the tall native recently invading into edges of the barely maintained koi pond. The native is first to reach peak bloom, with the others slightly behind to varying degrees, with…

In this third week of July, newspapers and television warn to stay indoors, not so unusual for the season, but advice that must be ignored today. As temperatures climb to one hundred degrees, is the garden at its best? Of course not, but I’ve just returned from two weeks of business travel, and there’s work…

Buried in the garden beneath wide spreading redbuds and various evergreens are a gold tipped cypress and long forgotten hydrangeas, but also native jack-in-the-pulpits (below) that are found on the very occasional clean up in these parts that are hidden from view. I delayed removing a native cherry seedling on the back side of the…

Seedlings are common in this garden. Toad lilies (Tricyrtis) and ferns regularly spread by seed or spore, and others are typically found in close proximity to the parent. Today, I am surprised to see a small flowered Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia, below) growing between two toad lilies and a yellow flowered Baptisia. With no more than…

If I cannot be in the garden, I am happiest hiking on a trail bordered by ferns and trilliums, or bumping through hollows (hollars?) planted with rows of dogwoods and redbuds in the mountains of North Carolina. And here I am, again, for nearly the fortieth year, travelling, evaluating and purchasing plants. A short visit…

I read from garden acquaintances that Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora, below)  flowered weeks ago in area gardens, but here, in moderate shade it is just beginning. I will be travelling for two weeks, unfortunately with my return just as flowers are fading, I expect. Otherwise, I have no quarrel with the late blooming, which I’ve…

The Sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) is a favorite, particularly since none have been planted, so this native fern that has spread liberally through the garden has not cost me a penny. Sporelings most often appear in small voids, so rarely do any require removal. And, while this contributes to what some would call an untidy…

Here, blueberries ripen slowly in shade that is far from ideal, but the quantity of berries is of lesser importance since I do not expect to harvest a single berry. Well, I might eat a few, if I catch them on the right day, but I long ago gave up and turned the harvest over…

One of two Alaskan cedars (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) is distressed, now the second year this is noted, and perhaps the decades old tree will not be around for much longer. While diagnosis is not a simple matter, I suspect the cedar has been too shaded for too long. Branches on the shadier side have been bare…

The season has changed, but even with one ninety degree day after the other, the garden has not quite turned to its summer look. What look? Hostas in part sun fade, other broadleafs lose their vibrant coloring (reds and greens), and by mid season many will show a little crispiness around the edges. This garden…

I can’t help it. Hiking a lush mountain trail, I look at the splendid scene of the rolling Blue Ridge, but then am distracted by fern bordered, mossy boulders, or a clump of Clintonia (Clintonia borealis, below). My wife agreeably stops to view False Solomon’s Seals and trilliums, and any number of ferns that I…