I have plans for the weekend, but not indoors. The list of chores awaiting my attention is long, but there are bulbs to plant, so the leaky bathroom will have to wait, and there is no need to replace the weatherstripping until it gets cold, really cold. For each of the twenty years that I’ve gardened…

The autumn foliage colors of the swamp red maples, beech, and poplars have been disappointing, a result of the late summer heat and drought, but the dogwoods have colored to deep crimson as is usual. The Japanese maples, Franklinia, Stewartia, and Gingko in the garden are beginning to change, perhaps a little late, but I…

The nighttime temperature plunged to forty one early Sunday, and since the thermometer’s sensor is attached to the house I must presume the actual temperature to be a few degree’s cooler. Fortunately, the night was breezy, so there was no frost, but this was close enough to motivate me to move the pots of tropicals…

While roaming through the garden this morning I was surprised to see dozens of lifeless bumblebees clustered on blooms atop the tall stalks of Tatarian daisy (Aster tataricus ‘Jindai’). In the years that I have been photographing the garden I’ve developed an affinity for these gentle beings, and so I was saddened that their cycle…

My wife asserts that there are far too many plants in the garden already, and how can I possibly consider planting more? Yes, the paths are blocked by hostas and nandinas flopping about, and now exuberant hydrangeas and sharp spined mahonias have obstructed another. And, the roses must be cut back severely in the spring or the…

My, what big ears you have. They’ll take some over sized earmuffs to keep warm. Better yet, bring them inside. Of course, these aren’t grandma’s ears, but rather elephant ears, cannas, and bananas, big leafed tropicals that are too tender to survive outdoors through a Virginia winter. The nighttime temperatures are getting a bit chilly,…

Most entries to this journal describe the latest buds and blooms, but any day that I wander through the garden there are curiosities that catch my eye, though usually I consider these to be too ordinary and uninteresting to relate. I am endlessly amazed by the simplest goings-on, but expect that you are not so easily…

This has been quite an odd year in the garden, and though I suppose that every year has its oddities, this one has had a disproportionate number. Record snow, followed by record heat caused some plants to bloom early, others late. Toss the late summer drought into the mix, and many of the late summer…

The breeze picked up as the rain intensified, and leaves tumbled from the trees. The dry period from mid August through September has pushed many trees into dormancy earlier than is usual, and with a nudge from wind and rain many leaves have dropped. With another heavy rain forecast we’ll have to wait to see…

There will be dry spells when the garden’s soil turns to dust, and there is little to be done besides breaking out the hose to water the aucubas and hydrangeas that have wilted and look so miserable. It does no good to moan over the sorry state of the lawn, or to whine that the…

The hours of sunlight are noticeably shorter each week, and night temperatures are delightful, though a few warm days are forecast for the coming week. The geraniums and coleus in large pots on the deck and patios have rebounded, and with cool nights do not look so bedraggled as in August. The tropical elephant ears…