Years ago, a mint was planted in damp ground in the lower rear garden. I pledged to carefully monitor its spread, but this was not necessary as the mint soon disappeared. Today, I’m surprised to see two clumps of mint spreading on small areas of bare soil. It seems impossible that this is the mint…

On a cool mid-August morning, I began my tour of the closeby State Arboretum of Virginia, my second visit to the Arboretum, but the first without my wife (a benefit of retirement and she is a year away). By my lonesome, I could spend as much time as I wanted, prowling every corner to visit…

On occasion, I wonder what harm might come if the several types of ground hugging weeds were allowed to grow in areas of bare ground in the lower rear garden. Certainly, they are a nuisance to pull, and of course, as weeds are well adapted to persistence, the entirety of the root is rarely removed….

Once again, I have planted a gardenia, the columnar shaped ‘Diamond Spire’, after years ago declaring “never again” as several that were optimistically promoted as cold hardy to zone 6 perished early in their first winter cold (in temperatures slightly below zero). I rarely see gardenia in local gardens, confirming my assumption based upon limited…

Remnants of the recent hurricane moved gently through the garden. Yes, it was a gully washer, eroding bits of loose debris that required only minutes of cleanup along with several arm loads of small branches brought down in the storm. Areas nearby fared far worse, and while I would have been thrilled with another inch…

I am thrilled that a storm is upon us. No doubt, this should break our drought and saturate soils (at least temporarily) dried by weeks of summer heat. The gardener must be grateful for whatever is provided, but I am overjoyed. I watch the pounding rain from my perch in the sunroom, several feet above…

On occasion, a tree or shrub overgrows its allotted space so that it must be chopped back. Truthfully, there is not one but many, and most are left to fend for themselves. I’ve pledged several times on these pages to hack back paperbushes (Edgeworthia chrysantha) that have spread several times the width promised by otherwise…

No one is surprised when an oldtimer tells an often repeated tale. And so, I must repeat the well-worn story of the unfortunate passing of the Franklinia (Franklinia alatamaha) in the garden and its eventual replacement with a Gordlinia ( x Gordlinia grandiflora). Tell me if you’ve heard this one before, but I hope to…

The wide spreading mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum, below) is aptly described as a colony in this garden rather than a clump, covering an area of damp ground to host hundreds, perhaps thousands of pollinating insects while the sun is shining. While it spreads vigorously, I have little doubt in recommending mountain mint since spreading growth…

Forget the flowers, at least until the next circle around the garden (in fifteen minutes). On every stroll in late July, there are plants with foliage that must not be overlooked. Yes, it is the flowers, bees, and butterflies that are the main attractions in summer, but with brilliantly colored leaves just a step behind….

I must continually balance care of this garden. At what point is my hand too intrusive (rarely) or too light? I am not the only human occupant of this garden, so I must not allow patios to become overly cluttered by debris or paths to be obstructed by overhanging foliage. Certainly, birds, bees, and other…

A first in the garden, I see a mild infestation of mealybugs. While I plan no action to be rid of them, I shooed them away from buds of lilies ready to open as a precaution. I see they have taken residence nearby, and I’ll be curious to see if a predator moves in. For…