Every garden should have a pond! I have five, six if the wet weather, dirt bottom pond is included, and nothing in the garden, not the hellebores or irises, the mahonias or Japanese maples, provides greater enjoyment. Of course I started with one (as you most likely will), then on a whim added a second pond…

Most traces of almost two feet of snow three weeks back have disappeared from the neighborhood. Except in my garden! A stand of mature trees bordering the southwest shades the property so that snow and ice linger for weeks after the rest of the world has thawed. The roots nestled below this thick white blanket…

We’ve hired a fellow to rid our attic of squirrels. The pesky tree rats have chewed through wires, destroyed a heat pump something-or-other, and are generally making a nuisance of themselves. Thus far, a skunk and possum have been captured in the live traps, but no squirrels. There is plenty of space on this property for…

It has come to the attention of the Garden Guru that some have questioned his credentials. He admits to not being a true “guru”, but has been told he has many guru-like tendencies. Most importantly, he has a garden. Beyond that, the resume is thin. Read ahead at your own risk. As always, feel free…

For those who followed this journal in past weeks you might recall that our eldest son was to be married on Sunday.  Not in our garden, but we were expecting out-of-town visitors to drop by the house, and if you drop by you’re probably going to tour the garden. I discovered midway through the rehearsal dinner that…

Every unfortunate soul professing to be a gardener has experienced a disastrous error or two, and perhaps more than they care to recall. I know I have. Today we’ll delve into a comedy of errors, some of the spectacular failures from my more than thirty years in the garden, and end on a more positive…

thank goodness it’s not in our garden. Our eldest son is to be married this weekend in the garden of the Airlie Conference Center in Warrenton, a fine old formal garden considerably more appropriate for a wedding than my jungle. Since our home is only a few miles away, I’m certain that we’ll have out-of-town guests drop by,…

As a visitor wanders down the stone paths in this garden they are greeted by the splash of fleeing frogs into the stream and shady ponds. In the water, perched on a lily pad or mossy stone they are less fearful. Here, they are comfortable enough to pose for photos. Of six ponds in the…

When I built the swimming pond I anticipated spending lazy hours floating that could have been wasted on more productive pursuits. Today was such a day. I’m certain there were worthwhile tasks desperately needing attention, but none came to mind. (An excellent reason for avoiding written to-do lists. Then, I would have to misplace the…

Today, the garden is dominated by the huge flowering pannicles of crapemyrtles and hydrangeas. The large growing white crapemyrtle, Natchez , bloomed first, followed by Sioux, Burgundy Cotton, Pink Velour, Centennial Spirit, and Arapaho. The dwarf Cherry Dazzle has begun to show a bit of color, and is covered with buds, assuring a delightful display…