Evaluating the cold hardiness of plants seems an inexact science, better than guessing, but a process prone to inaccuracies. Many gardeners accurately tell stories of a plant, or several that should have been sufficiently tolerant of cold, but failed in temperatures that should not have been a problem. No doubt, there are a number of…
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Adding a fothergilla
Funny how things pop into your head out of nowhere. For no particular reason, it suddenly occurs to me that I must plant a fothergilla into a more prominent spot. Already, there are two in the garden, but in areas where they are least likely to be seen. Why does there have to be a…
Cold and colder
In this frigid, snow dusted garden, large leafed evergreens (aucubas, daphniphyllum, and rhododendron, below) curl for protection as temperatures approach zero. Leaves will return to form once temperatures rise nearer the freezing point, and it is likely that there is no long term harm, though Daphniphylum is only marginally cold hardy for this zone, so…
A chilly week
No doubt, there will be few treks through the garden over the the next week. While unpleasant, overnight temperatures forecast to fall into single digits should not be much of a problem, though cold over an extended period following a dry autumn is reason for concern. With long established plants in this garden, desiccation and…
Ready to flower, or not
Several hellebores with Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) genetics appear ready to flower this third week of December, but experience tells that these could bloom next week, or remain in this state for another ten weeks. In recent years, this group has flowered as early as late December, or more typically sometime in February, only a…
Collecting mahonias (and other treasures)
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,…
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…
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…
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…
Autumn foliage – better late than never
There is general acknowledgment that coloring of autumn leaves is tardy, and living just off the route taken by many thousands of leaf watchers, I hope that their experiences visiting the nearby Blue Ridge have not been disappointing. Foliage in the garden is also late in turning, and as in every year there are disappointments,…
A pink Carnation
Ideally, the gardener will love plants in his garden, or at the least he should not despise them. So, what to do with ‘Autumn Carnation’ Encore azalea? Unquestionably, ‘Carnation’ is a flowering machine, with first blooms in early August and now into the second week of October with no end in sight. I believed flowers…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 