In this very wet late summer I have continued to plant enthusiastically, dividing and transplanting from thick clumps in areas that are overpopulated, and ordering ferns and native orchids to plug into every small gap in shaded parts of the garden. This is work that typically is planned (if it’s planned at all) for spring…

Berries of several beautyberries (Callicarpa) have turned to purple and white in recent weeks, though the variegated ‘Duet’ and two new introductions are tardy in turning. In contrast to their unremarkable, tiny summer flowers, the berries provide a long and beautiful display. Beautyberries must be planted prominently to properly appreciate their berries, but the shrubs…

Dagummit! A newly planted variegated Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica ‘Fubuki-nishiki’) was nibbled by deer the night it was planted a month ago. I could not imagine that a skinny twig with only a few leaves would be worth the bother, but I suppose deer must sample choice morsels whenever they are found. Weeks after being…

Not that further inspiration is required, but a weekend on the western slope of Roundhead Mountain, without the distraction of internet, has encouraged  adding to the somewhat recently begun collection of ferns. My mostly shaded garden has included common Autumn, Cinnamon, Ostrich, Tassel, Christmas, Ghost, and Japanese Painted ferns for years, with volunteer Sensitive, Rock…

Arguing that bugleweed (Ajuga reptans, below) is not a weed, given its aggressive reputation, can be wasted effort. But, after two prior failed efforts in this garden when bugleweed was improperly sited and neglected early on, several areas now flourish, spreading vigorously but treading gently so as not to disturb neighbors. Now, I endorse it…

Two Yucca rostrata (below) were in dire straits when rescued several years ago. After the first winter, their fate was more in question. Finally, by this late spring they seem fully recovered, though this has little to do with my efforts. I must take small credit for planting them in an area that is slightly…

I am not a patient man, no matter that I often protest otherwise (unconvincingly, it seems). With a long established garden, I am reluctant to start small and allow any but the most vigorous of plants to grow up to match its neighbors. This is doubly true for trees, the reason that several Japanese maples…

Four of the garden’s five ponds are too shaded for waterlilies, and several waterlilies in the sunny, shallow bog area of the deeper koi pond were long ago crowded out by irises, pickerel weeds, and dwarf variegated cattails. Once, waterlilies flowered in all the ponds, but increasing areas of shade are the progression (not a…

A week ago, a two by four was set to brace one heavily ladened branch of an apple espaliered to the wall of the garden’s shed. I was concerned that the bent branch might break, but I need not worry any longer. The apples are gone. I suspect deer, ever present but mostly deterred by…

I believe that this relatively small, nearly yellow leafed hosta is a seedling, though I cannot be certain. This is a young hosta, probably two or three years old, that was transplanted to the edge of this shaded bed. Though most are uninteresting, several intriguing hosta seedlings have been discovered through the years. These are…

In early afternoon it is seventy degrees on this mid-August day. Yes, the humidity is ninety-one percent, so today cannot be mistaken for a pleasant October afternoon, but with a thick cover of clouds and a slight breeze I won’t quibble over details. The recent ten days have been wet, not only with occasional thunderstorms,…

Extended periods with minimal rainfall are typical of our summers, so there is no reason to whine when hostas that were foolishly planted in too much sun turn crispy along the edges. Though I could hardly care, the lawn begins to brown with clover and crabgrass gaining greater prominence. And then, rain comes, and again…