There are several ongoing trials in the garden, with tribulations certain to follow. If forecasts for another mild winter hold true, though one as “warm” as last winter cannot be expected, ‘Spider Web’ fatsias (below) might survive again without protection. Though rated as hardy to zero, I lack trust that these will tolerate temperatures below…

Despite the passing of remnants of two hurricanes, each dropping in excess of an inch of rain but with nothing more extreme, our recent weather has been glorious. Not unusual for early autumn, and perhaps a bit cooler on average, but there is no more splendid time of the year for us. Several nights have…

Berries on the variegated leaf beautyberry ‘Duet’ (below) are scarce enough to be almost an afterthought, so imagine my curiosity upon first glance at a dense covering of berries on a single branch. A closer look revealed a mutation, a branch with dense clusters of small white berries, but with atypical variegation of varying shades…

My wife bemoans the lack of a view from our kitchen window. She imagines that trees, ones that I’ve planted over three decades, obstruct her view of the Bull Run Mountains just a few hills away. Certainly there are trees in the garden, many, since my preference is clearly for woodies rather than perennials, but…

A year ago, I pledged to discontinue additional purchases to increase the collection of toad lilies (Tricyrtis). Recent acquisitions were not significantly different that I could tell, and with all common and reasonably priced varieties already in hand, why should I pay a premium for ones that can hardly be differentiated from ones half the…

What do I know? I just live here. Amongst semi-mysterious goings on in the garden, in early October there are two common witch hazels (Hamamelis virginiana, above and below), one that has defoliated completely and the other not at all, and both are flowering. Of course, the blooms on naked stems are much more obvious,…

Not that I agree with my wife on the particulars, but there is a hazard when a garden is stuffed with too many plants. I often lose track of what’s where, or even what’s here, and after a recent display of beautyberries (Callicarpa), an inquiry pushed me to inventory, and discover disappointingly, that none were…

No doubt, readers anxiously await the newest plant collection, or the latest harebrained scheme to be started in this garden. Here he goes again, you say. Admittedly, I am prone to jumping in with both feet when something catches my eye, and yes, here I go again. I see that parts along the edges of…

The spring flowering bulbs have arrived, and once I figured out where they would go (no simple task), they were quickly planted. Planting is the easy part, and all bulbs were small enough to fit into the hole dug by the cordless drill and auger. I’ve hand dug too many holes for bulbs over the…

Several nights bordering on frost have passed, but it’s likely that milder temperatures will prevail for several weeks until more regular chances for frost and freeze arrive. While a September frost is not unheard of, mid or late October is more typical for our first cold nights. I’m in no hurry. This afternoon, I’m hoping…

A few chilly nights have started me thinking about next year. Every time I walk by the Korean Sweetheart tree (Euscaphis japonica, below) I envision next spring when it will almost certainly grow another foot or two, and perhaps I’ll enjoy its first blooms. While today it is hardly taller than the mass of competing…

Frost is on the way, possibly tonight, but soon. My wife says the weather turned cold a week ago when muggy daytime highs in the eighties and nineties slipped into the seventies, but this is only cool, and thankfully so. Now, the forecast, in this week before summer ends, is for three nights dropping into…