I am not inclined to get out into the garden to provide an inventory count of the various collections. There are better things to be done in the garden, like doing nothing, and counting serves no purpose that I see. But today, I am certain of one number. I regret there is but a single…

While the garden’s best is yet to come with May into June its peak, today I could not ask for anything more. Blooms of redbuds, dogwoods, and serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis, below) are in view from every point in the garden along with colorful leaves of Japanese maples that fortunately escaped damage from recent freezes. A…

Again this spring, two twenty degree nights slightly damaged newly emerging leaves of ‘Twombly’s Red Sentinel’ Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Twombly’s Red Sentinel’, below). Happily, other maples show minimal or no damage, and all (including Twombly’s) will be fine with no evidence of damage by late spring. ‘Twombly’s’ suffered similar browned leaves a year ago,…

With many trilliums flowering (Trillium grandiflorum, below) and a number of seedlings making their first appearance, I now pronounce that the quantity is satisfactory. In spring, I am overjoyed as each forgotten treasure is revealed with foliage peeking above the piles of leaves. However, as things go in this garden, when something is successful I…

Today’s favorite tree is the redbud (Cercis canadensis, below), and with the Virginia roadsides erupting into splendid color, how could I resist? In fact, my infatuation with redbuds extends far beyond their weeks long period of bloom. The mid-spring magnolias (‘Elizabeth’, ‘Yellowbird’, and ‘Daybreak’) are coming into flower in early April, fortunately with decreasing chances…

No way it’ll spread. Several Bottlebrush buckeyes have been in the garden for years, with no evidence that the shrubby, small tree would become a suckering, wide spreading clump. Until this week, when I showed my wife what I first thought were the many seedlings surrounding the clumped stems. I then looked closer to see…

‘Elizabeth’ (Magnolia x ‘Elizabeth’) is a glorious magnolia, tall and floriferous with pale yellow blooms. Could it possibly be improved? Of course yes, if only the flowers were the same brilliant yellow as the breaking buds (below). ‘Elizabeth’ is the most prominent tree in the front garden at the moment with many thousands of yellow…

Flowers and foliage of our native Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens, below) are delightful, but the argument to encourage planting the native rather than the more aggressive Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) is rarely successful. The Japanese version spreads in the toughest, dry shade while the native is slow, though steady, wherever it’s planted. Despite its poor…

Thankfully, new growth of several trees and shrubs was not injured by twenty degree temperatures (Fahrenheit) a week ago. Flowers of camellias and magnolias were damaged by the freeze, but this is cosmetic damage only. The browned blooms look horrible, but new buds continue to open and there is no injury to the tree or…

I don’t recall how the little sweet violets (Viola labradorica, below) got started in the garden. I suspect I planted one years ago. Certainly, I did not plant the green leafed violets that are only slightly ornamental. They’re a bit of a nuisance, though I could care less that they’ve invaded the small, weedy, rear…

Predictably, early flowering magnolias (‘Royal Star’ magnolia, below) and camellias have suffered in recent cold that has dipped a few nights into the lower twenties. More buds are set to open on both, so pink and white blooms will soon join the brown mush, at least until the next freeze. Not a great look, but…

Sure enough, the twenty-six degree (Fahrenheit) night came and flowers of the ‘Merrill’ magnolia were damaged (below). Flowers are just opening on the ‘Royal Star’ magnolia so these should be okay, but there are many buds still to open on both that would not be injured by the freeze. This is routine for the early…