In the middle of July, I resist the impulse to fill gaps in the garden that continually catch my eye. After returning from our recent hiking adventure, Barbara is anxiously planning the next. With possibilities for another hot and dry summer and several disappointments in the garden following our absence, I will cautiously wait another…

The sun has reached its midday peak, now shining unfiltered through the canopy of Japanese maples that surround the circular writing patio (below). While I typically move to a more shaded space, potted succulents and tropicals on the patio benefit from this brief moment of sunlight. Soon, the sun’s angle will change, and the patio…

In early July, long, flowering stems of lavenders sway, not in the gentle summer breeze but under the weight of bumblebees and carpenter bees moving from one flower to the next. Following construction of two small rockeries, the concern is not if lavenders will survive (in the native clay soil) but that they will become…

While thirty or forty varying ferns have been planted in the garden (I have no clue how many survive, but most), nature provided the most common. Sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) is not found in the forested area bordering the garden where Christmas and Ostrich ferns are seen in scattered colonies, but the native somehow found…

A summer tour Winding garden paths are most effective when offering a mystery around every bend. Obscuring the view beyond the curve is difficult in a young garden and a near impossibility with perennials that grow only to knee height. A shrub or low branched tree is most effective in shielding the view, adding a…

Don’t be fooled. I have no magic touch. I regularly kill plants, mostly ones newly planted due to my inattention, but also, ones not ideally positioned. This is a part of gardening, and while I’m disappointed by losses, I understand that I must experiment and occasionally stretch a plant’s limits and my own knowledge. Most…

One of two clumps of thyme in the new planting in crevices between boulders in the shade above the circle (writing) patio is barely hanging on after two week of heat and dryness. Thyme prefers a sunnier exposure, but if it survives, it will be ideal trailing over the rocks. I knew the shaded spot…

At 5900 feet elevation, this alpine meadow in the French Alps is in glorious bloom. From a distance, the flowers appear scattered and the meadow green, but as we stroll along this mountain ridge, there are countless blooms. Several hundred feet up slope are pockets of snow with water crashing down the mountain sides. Tomorrow,…

The carryover of spring’s lushness in the garden continues late into June, but there is little doubt that it will soon decline with the heat of summer. The degree to which brilliant colors fade and browned edges creep in largely depends on rainfall, but even in the wettest summer, the garden changes. Already, several plants…

Just prior to this wave of summer heat, Barbara and I left to hike in the French Alps. This was my first vacation since retiring, and soon, I’ll follow up with photos of the glorious alpine meadows and rocky slopes and perhaps a picture of snow-covered trails that are horticulturally relevant since many plants are…

Unfortunately, I had to stop developing construction of an ill placed ground nest earlier in the spring. While bees hardly acknowledge my presence when feeding, they are understandably defensive near their nest. But, the destruction of the nest that was barely started seemingly has had no effect on the abundance of bees in the garden….

Long ago, I discovered that the best remedy for my impatience, waiting for a plant to grow or flower, is to plant something else. Yes, this is a temporary distraction, but by the time the effect wears thin, the gardener’s attention is likely to be diverted by another shortcoming, or perhaps a beauty that calms…