Weeds seem more robust at the start of this summer than I can recall in some time. I’ve been know to ignore weeds a bit too long so that they’re allowed to go to seed (to multiply one into hundreds), and I suspect this is catching up to me. Now, the incessant weed pulling is…
Category: landscaping
A month of irises
A year ago a clump of Japanese iris (Iris ensata, above) appeared from behind a low growing cypress in the garden that borders the large koi pond. Submerged in shallow water along the pond’s edge are a variety of Japanese and yellow flag irises (Iris pseudacorus, below), so it is not too surprising that a few…
The last of winter’s damage
Two evergreen magnolias that perished in winter still stand at the margin of the rear garden. I haven’t been able to summon the energy to undertake the task to cut these into pieces small enough to dispose of, so they will remain until I’m properly motivated. Only one can be seen by a neighbor, and…
Bigleaf and big tree
The Bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla) is tall and gawky, and its enormous size makes it undeniably inappropriate for most properties. But, I cannot think of a single tree in this garden that pleases me more. In flower, it’s wondrous, though the huge blooms are sparse in number compared to other flowering trees. I suspect that many…
Colorful trees for late spring
I cannot explain why ‘Stellar Pink’ (Cornus x ‘Rutgan’) and ‘Satomi’ dogwoods (Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’ below) are barely pink most years in my northwest Virginia garden, but that once in ten years the pink is a deeper, lovelier shade. In fact, these trees have been planted for ten, maybe fifteen years, and only once was…
The assistant gardener
Once temperatures have warmed in late May to the point where there is not the slightest hint of coolness, my wife will occasionally accompany me as I wander about the garden. Several times recently she’s met me at the garage as I arrive home, and I think “oh no” when I see she has pruners…
My seventeen feet of heaven
One seventeen foot stretch of the garden is of incomparable lushness and beauty. I walk these six paces frequently, though I take my sweet time about it, and six full paces are more typically a dozen shuffling steps. Often, a few moments are spent kneeling to enjoy the scene longer and from a lower perspective….
A garden with perennials, but not a perennial garden
I regularly admire gardens chock full of perennials, and occasionally wonder if I could possibly duplicate these fabulous results. No, not a chance. First, this garden is dominated by trees, and now so much of it is too shaded to hope to grow many perennials. Yes, there are hostas and irises, assorted coral bells, daylilies,…
Azaleas and iris
The garden’s evergreen azaleas (above) have managed a few more flowers than expected, though their arrival is several weeks late and after I had given up hope that there would be more than a few scattered blooms this spring. After the severe winter most azaleas defoliated (some almost completely), and in late April when there…
More trees
After a brief shower (and minutes before the arrival of a storm that dumped several inches of rain overnight), the mix of dark clouds and streaming sunlight cast a glow as I strolled through the garden, hoping to catch a glimpse of a few blooms before the impending storm blew them to the heavens. The…
A tree centered garden
There is little doubt that there are more exceptional trees than can be fit into a one acre garden, no matter how hard I might wish to include more. By complete accident, the design of this garden is now dominated by Japanese maples and flowering trees, with a few larger trees fit in along the…
24 (or 25) and counting
After a harsh winter there is small consolation that the garden’s Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) have suffered little by comparison to the long established dwarf hemlock and Hinoki cypress that have been cut out and discarded. Evergreen magnolias could be the next to go, and I await the verdict on several crapemyrtles that are tardy…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 