A handful of hybrid mahonia cultivars (Mahonia x media) are barely distinguishable from one another, but I’ve determined to obtain one or more of each. Multiples are necessary to plant in varied conditions, so at least one if not all will thrive. That I often cannot recall which is which after several years is inconsequential,…
Category: gardening
A wet snow
There is no reason for concern with this morning’s snowfall, at least not in this garden, though there are reports that areas nearby have greater accumulation. Though the snow is wet and branches are arching, there will not be enough in this garden to cause any damage. If there is a potential complication for areas…
Cold on the way
Scattered late blooms of spirea, azalea, and Rankin jasmine vine are a curiosity (particularly as they stray into December), but hardly unusual following mild autumn temperatures. With an extended period of cold overdue, but expected within days, remaining flowers will be ruined with no more expected. Camellias have flowered heavily since early October (the best…
Winter is near
Time is short. Winter is near, and more immediately, cold is forecast that should put an end to late season blooms of daphnes, camellias and ‘Autumn Amethyst’ azaleas. Perhaps camellias will flower again when milder temperatures return. Certainly, there are many unopened buds, and two camellias that are typically tardy, a ‘Winter’s Star’ and ‘Winter’s…
Bunches of berries
I prefer plants that require little thinking, ones that do what’s expected without a fuss. There’s more than enough to think about with sunlight exposures and drainage. If I have to consider who’s a male or female, or where a pollinator will come from (if a separate one is needed), I’m in trouble. While most…
Autumn fading
Flowering of camellias was exceptional through earlier parts of autumn, and though twenty degree nights brought ruin, many buds assure continued flowering for weeks. With nightly freezes common, even with mild afternoons in the forecast, white and pink blooms will frequently be bordered with brown. Still, there is no complaint. While the foliage of many…
Flowers after the freeze
Despite repeated pleas by my wife, we will not be heading south for the winter. Not that I enjoy the Virginia winter, but her plan sounds costly. I’m not a fan of the cold, so I’ll be overjoyed if the winter is mild (again), though unusually warm temperatures through the winter did not improve productivity…
Too close to winter
I’ve just returned from a delightful week along the Gulf Coast with daytime temperatures around eighty and few signs of autumn anywhere, much less of winter. I have nothing against winter, except that I’d rather it not be winter, though the cold is clearly necessary to grow the plants I treasure. I stepped off the…
After the freeze
A single twenty degree night changes the garden. A day before, coneflowers (below), azaleas, camellias (2nd photo, below), and toad lilies were flowering despite repeated frosts and a light freeze a few weeks ago. After this freeze, flowers remain, but in an altered state that shows effects of the cold. While some extol the beauties…
Foliage and flowers of early November
After a lengthy delay through an unusually mild October, leaves of swamp maples (Acer rubrum, below) in the forest that borders the garden have turned to their typical yellow. Selections of this same tree, then called red maple, are preferred by local homeowners for red autumn foliage, but leaf color of most native trees is…
Coneflower magic
After mediocre, or worse, results with coneflowers in prior years, it suddenly seems I’ve gained a magical touch. In recent years, only a lone white flowered ‘Coconut Lime’ has survived, which is remarkable since it must peek out for sunlight from beneath an ever spreading cypress. A year ago, after repeated failures with purple coneflowers…
Treasures of the November garden
There are wonders to be seen any day in the garden, not only this garden, but in many, no matter the season. Certainly, there are a few to be excited about in early November, and not only colorful leaves. At the start of the month there are many more flowers than expected or typical, and…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 