Unsurprisingly, vigorous, long stems of the Vernal witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis, below) are sparsely budded while older stems will soon display many clusters of small, ribbon-like flowers. But, I am curious why many of the long, mostly unbranched stems retain leaves that are, of course, brown in this second week of December. The marcescent leaves…

As the temperature climbed to sixty degrees on this sunny mid-December afternoon, bees swarmed (at least for the season) freeze ruined flowers of camellias and bright yellow mahonia blooms. I presume their foraging began several degrees colder, with the brilliant sunshine being the additional ingredient that brings them from their winter shelter. Another reason to…

If temperatures remain mild for another day or two (however unlikely with nighttime lows dipping into the low twenties (Fahrenheit) this week), the single flower bud of ‘Autumn Amethyst’ will open in mid-December. This is not unusual for ‘Amethyst’, though more typically this azalea would have scattered blooms over the past month. This autumn, there…

The delivery of bulbs arrived a few days ago, too late to be planted that evening, but the weather was just mild enough (not below freezing) that all were dug in the next afternoon. The planting in the newly cleared area around the sunroom (soon to be designated the treehouse, since the structure is elevated…

Hours before sunrise, the thermometer showed nineteen degrees (Fahrenheit), but that’s beside the house, so I figure the night was colder by a degree or two. No doubt, temperatures will turn colder as winter progresses, but this was the coldest night so far as autumn flowering camellias are blooming. It’s not a pretty sight. Of…

Unquestionably, I am not ready for winter. Never have been. I don’t like the cold, I don’t like the idleness, and while there will be a few somethings in bloom every day until hellebores and bulbs start flowering in February, the garden is still a bit dreary. The tropicals were hauled into the basement several…

After considerable thought, I’ve finally figured a spot to plant the ‘Carolina Sweetheart’ redbud (Cercis canadensis ‘Carolina Sweetheart’, below). I’ve evaluated the ups and downs of planting this redbud for several months, and now I see it. Adding a tree in this cluttered garden involves many considerations, but this location is so simple that it…

Maples and tulip poplars bordering the garden shed leaves weeks ago, but several trees in the garden remain colorful, at least for a few days as November’s end is near. The best autumn foliage color in this garden comes from Japanese maples that range from coloring in October to trees that are at their peak…

Influenced by visits to brilliant gardens on visits to the Pacific Northwest, I once had grand visions of developing a large portion of this garden as a conifer garden. And why not? The contrasts in color, form, and texture are marvelous, and most conifers flourish in Virginia, even if some bright colors are slightly muted…

With newly opened space as the sunroom nears completion, the time seems appropriate to divulge my process in planning the addition to this thirty-four year old garden. While the typical shoehorning of plants into small gaps in this cluttered garden is often accomplished with little attention, this area demands thoughtfulness. A first? And, am I…

With holiday guests visiting soon, a part of the day was spent clearing leaves from the front walk and the patio seen from the sunroom. Again this year, leaves of ‘Bloodgood’ and ‘Seriyu’ Japanese maples fell just in time for the holiday to blanket the front walk, and while Barbara and I rarely use this…

This is an off year for the Koehne holly (Ilex koehneana) that is typically the most dependable and heaviest to berry in the garden. There are scattered berries, but not in the quantity seen every other year. Unfortunately, lower branches were removed recently as the huge holly strayed too far over the driveway. The newly…