The blooms of ‘Merrill’ and ‘Royal Star’ magnolias opened fully a few days ago, just in time to be damaged by a series of cold nights. Not unusual, but I was hopeful that unblemished flowers would remain for a few days. The frost damaged edges of petals have browned, but the trees are still quite…
Category: landscaping
It’s all very confusing
My camellias are confused, at least the autumn blooming hybrids that flowered a bit in November, but are now beginning to bloom again in early April. This is not so unusual, though I’ll not attempt to explain the phenomena for fear that it will confirm that I’m a complete idiot. Anyone who has followed these…
Shelter from the storm
I’m happy to report that I live an uneventful life, perhaps boring by most standards. I’m not a hermit, but I don’t care to travel, and I visit friends and relations too infrequently. I’m quite content to spend my days planting, keeping up with pruning and weeding, or lounging about enjoying the buds and blooms,…
April’s fool
Under the cover of a breezy, cold, gray March afternoon three Japanese maples and a Parrotia were planted in the garden, and beds were cut out of the rear lawn to accommodate the shrubs and perennials that will be planted in the coming weeks. Stealth is required whenever any portion of lawn is removed, and certainly when…
Not so wonderful
Readers occasionally inquire about visiting my garden, and I suppose no harm could come of it, but I fear that many would be disappointed that the garden is not so grand as they imagined. As gardens go, mine is larger than most. The property totals just under an acre and a quarter, and besides the…
Here today, gone by afternoon
Snow late in March is usually accompanied by considerable consternation by gardeners who fear that emerging flowers and tender new leaves will be irreparably damaged. Let us put those fears to rest, the fleeting snow will result in no injury. Abnormally low temperatures are the primary concern at this date, and though the current cold is…
Late winter treasures
In mid-February the dull monotony of the winter garden is broken by blooming witch hazels, then snowdrops, crocus, iris, narcissus, and hellebores. Witch hazels bloom on bare stems, and of course the bulbs do not have woody stems at all. Hellebores are low growing, shrub-like perennials with evergreen foliage, though by late winter it is…
Cherries are blossoming
The peak bloom period for the flowering cherries on the national mall is predicted to be March 29 through April 3. I expect that there’s already significant bloom along the Tidal Basin, but the peak is a week away. Cherries in the outer suburbs will be a week to ten days later, and in my…
Last, but not least
I went downtown a week ago, and was not surprised that daffodils of every sort were blooming, while in my garden even the early flowering miniatures were showing no color. I am certain that ‘February Gold’ blooms in February somewhere, but not in my garden, which is shaded from the late winter sun by a…
Tilting at windmills
Recently I’ve been working a bit late, so my garden strolls have been too infrequent. Each time I pass the snow damaged cryptomerias and evergreen magnolias at the back of the property I’m disheartened, and apt to sling a choice word or two skyward. Gardeners cuss the rain (if they are inclined to cuss at…
Right tree, right place
Too often I see properties that have been overwhelmed by a single tree, so that branches block driveways or walkways and must be chopped annually to prevent structural damage. The fault is not with the tree, of course, but in lack of attention in making an appropriate selection years earlier. There is a wealth of information…
A break from Saturday’s chores
Please forgive me if I sometimes sound like working the garden is constant drudgery. I find it very much the opposite, though there are afternoons when I would prefer to be lounging on the couch with a cold beverage watching this basketball tournament or that. Saturday morning began cool and cloudy, and I prepared to…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 