My back is killing me! The wife and I drove down to Georgia to visit our son over the weekend, my first weekend away from garden chores since early March. The major tasks in the garden are long ago accomplished, but there’s always a weed to pull or an errant branch of this or that…
A rainy night (and day) in Georgia
My wife and I drove down to Georgia for the weekend to visit our son Zach, who’s in grad school at the University of Georgia. He was a bit gimpy from back surgery a couple days earlier, but while his fiancee went to friends’ wedding we went to the State Botanical Garden. UGA is somewhat…
Sunny days are here again!
After nine or ten days of rain, and scarcely a glimpse of the sun during that time, sunny days have returned. Though the temperatures are cool, with nighttime lows in the forties, blooming plants have picked up the pace. There are flowers popping out all over the garden, and buds that will open in days…
What’s that blooming next to the highway? Part 2
One after another they bloom. We call them weeds, but many of the flowering plants on roadsides are the same ones we buy in garden centers. Some are unremarkable, others delightful. Some capture our eye, and we wonder, what is that, and will it grow in my garden? In early May flowers are popping up…
What’s blooming in early May?
Thunder is rumbling and rain is pelting the window as I write these lines. Nine straight days of rain, and counting. The sun has popped out for a few minutes here and there today, a hopeful sign that this weather pattern might soon end. Still, the progression of blooms marches on, though more slowly with sunshine lacking…
What’s that tree blooming next to the highway?
What is that tree blooming on the side of the highway? The one with light purple flowers that look like Wisteria, except the panicle points up rather than hanging down. This is Paulownia tomentosa, often seen in cheap looking ads from mail order nurseries called the Empress tree or Princess tree. The ads tout its…
… bring May flowers
The air conditioner went on in the office on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday went back to heat. This is how Spring weather works, and May is no different. Last year, daily highs in May ranged from fifty to eighty-five, with a low of thirty-nine degrees early in the month and forty-one two weeks later. I can…
Japanese maples
My garden is a bit over an acre and filled with plants of every shape and size, and growing every day. I’ve forgotten the names of many over the years, there being too many hostas and other wonderful odds and ends with too little distinction between for my poor feeble mind. I know little or nothing about their…
Late April, early Summer
Saturday and Sunday this week were moving days, hauling the big tubs of tropical bananas, elephant ears, agaves, and other assorted this and that’s out of their crowded Winter home. At long last I can move around the house without fear of being speared by an agave tip. Most of the tropicals were set on the…
What’s blooming in mid April – Redbud
How many Redbud are enough in a garden? Of course it depends on the size of your plot, but in my one acre plus garden I have six, which could be enough. Or nearly enough. I am convinced that there is no better tree than our native dogwood, though it occasionally suffers from mildew, blights,…
Will the real April please stand up?
When is this going to end? April has been a rollercoaster, with more chills than thrills. Not so far from typical weather as one expects, but enough that the itch to plant is turning ugly. Thank goodness for the blossoms that are hanging around from March because of the coolness, and April’s bloomers that are only a bit late….
A maple is born
May through September, if you visit our house along with your kids you’re probably going to leave with a seedling of a Japanese maple. At any time there are dozens growing here and there, maybe hundreds could be found if you crawled around under the viburnums and moved aside the hostas. Without stopping to count…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 