Oh, the lessons I should’ve learned. When is enough, enough? Though there are only a few neglected roses in the garden, when is the time to stop and smell them? Instead, even after thirty-five years, it’s full speed ahead. Certainly, I’m planting fewer trees as the garden overflows, but there’s hardly a week without a…

I rejoice in the cooler autumn temperatures, but more, the return to regular rainfall after a particularly dry summer. The garden survived the drought without irrigation except a few containers that demanded an occasional sip, and of course, the few new plantings from June and later required a drink or two. As I recall, nothing…

Through the dreadfully dry summer, I frequently whined and hoped for a deluge that would relieve drought stricken plants and refill the garden’s ponds. And, here it is. Of course, while the remnants of the recent hurricane saturated our parched ground, there were extreme consequences in the mountains of North Carolina where so many of…

Unsurprisingly, I give myself too much credit. My analytical self is often shoved aside by an impulsive other guy. Another redbud or Japanese maple is obtained. How can I resist? Then, the other, more reasonable side must figure out where it can be planted to do the least harm. The eventual, wonderful result is claimed…

Several toad lilies (Tricyrtis) have been rescued from beneath overgrown areas of the garden. I expect a few have been lost in recent years, but I haven’t an inventory of varieties, so I can’t be certain. Toad lilies are a treasured collection, but as the numbers increased, the minor differences in many diluted my enthusiasm…

The two year old revision of the lower rear garden that replaced a damp, weedy lawn is coming along nicely. At the start, several fillers were planted so I would not cringe for several years waiting for all to grow up. Vigorous amsonia and baptisia have quickly filled in to the point that they are…

The surprise lilies (Lycoris radiata, below) have done it again. In the garden, I enjoy today, hardly thinking about tomorrow unless I’m teased by a swelling bud. So, I hardly noticed the lilies until the buds stood above the neighboring hostas. The next day, they flowered. And, from what I recall, there are several more…

Today was a gift, maybe not Christmas, but perhaps a belated birthday gift, a week late. Whatever, a gem of a day hiking to a mountaintop lake in north Idaho. Despite the glorious scenery, I am most enthused by the trailside plants that are far different from natives of our close-to-home  Blue Ridge Mountains. Many…

A long established hosta with subtle green and yellow variegation, one that I long ago forgot the name of along with several dozen others, is a current favorite of hummingbirds.  The long, tubular flowers in early September, long after others have faded, are ideally shaped for hummers so that the tiny birds spend considerable time…

A white edged rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum ‘Silver Edge’, below) is the most vigorous of several rhododendron varieties in the garden. While one shaded beneath a wide spreading ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese maple in the front has grown acceptably to six feet, the second just below the kitchen window has grown a few feet taller and considerably wider….

I am thrilled with the recently delivered variegated Dove tree (Davidia involucrata ‘Aya nishiki’). In fact, the initial unboxing of the tree was slightly concerning, first seeing browned and wilted leaves, then the slender trunk bent severely to fit into its shipping container. But a moment later, I realized the treasure I’d been sent. Years…

Despite countless delights, every garden stroll reminds that there are concerns (most minor) that must be addressed. Eventually, if not today. When I note that parts of the garden are overcrowded, plans must be made for shuffling plants around or pruning where areas are not easily accessed as shrubs and trees have merged. The often…