When leaving the garden untended for two weeks in early summer, the gardener is assured of one thing. There will be plenty of weeds to pull when he returns. I can live with that, and since I depend only on rainfall to water the garden little else is necessary. Yes, a tree could fall in…

As I age, my brain efficiently disposes of what it deems to be extraneous information. There’s a lot. Apparently, visitors to the garden remain impressed by my recollection of plant names, so my lapses and the quantity of “I don’t remember” utterings must escape their attention. Certainly, a part of my failing is due to…

At the close of a recent tour, a visitor commented on the ‘Whitewater’ redbud (Cercis canadensis ‘Whitewater’) at the top of the rear garden. The variegated redbud with pendulous branching has been slow to catch on in the marketplace, but it’s been a favorite since I first saw a small block growing at a nursery…

As the garden has grown to cover nearly every inch of soil, the golden rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata, below) is not the scourge that once deposited seedlings far and wide. Still, its planting is one I regret given the troubles it created. No doubt, the brief period of the golden rain’s late June flowering is…

I make no apologies that this garden was constructed for my enjoyment, but along the way I’ve discovered the joy of creating a habitat for wildlife. My obsession with a variety of trees and love of ponds has created shelter and provided water, with enough flowers and berries to provide nourishment for a wide range…

I’ve planted several dozen varieties of ferns in shaded areas of the garden. I mistakenly presumed I could recall and identify each, but after quickly failing I backtracked to tag as many as possible. A few did not survive, not due to cold, but possibly failure to adapt to heat and humidity (overly warm nighttime…

The more compact cultivar of Verbena bonariensis (Lolipop’) was planted in the lower rear garden a year ago. I did not necessarily require the shorter plant, and perhaps the taller variety growing further upslope would be preferable in the long term if the nearby Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) spreads another few feet. In the upper…

I was confused, but perhaps I’ve figured it out. When the worn-out garden area surrounding the new sunroom was removed to allow more room for construction, two clematis were chopped to the ground in October 2023, leaving the roots. The two vines, one purple, the other white, had scrambled through a tall nandina at the…

Closer to home, native mountain laurels (Kalmia latifolia, below) faded from bloom several weeks ago. On the Appalachian Trail at three thousand feet and higher, flowers are at their peak. Barbara and I were surprised and delighted to see so much flowering along this trail long after spring ephemerals had faded. While temperatures topped out…

After inches of rain in recent weeks, the lushness of foliage in the garden fades in the afternoon heat. Redbuds plumped by damp soil show their misery by midday. Nothing horrible, but few plants or animals thrive in this heat. The garden is ready for the return of afternoon rain showers and a few cloudy…

Walking the stone path above the lower circle patio is treacherous at the moment with slick, sodden blooms fallen from the stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia, below). Many flowers remain in the tree far above, but several are visible from the few lower branches. Uppermost blooms can be seen from the sunroom through the clutter of Japanese maples…

I am pleasantly surprised to see the number of flower buds on bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla). Most are cold hardier lacecap varieties with more substantial stems rather than soft wooded mopheads that were cut back considerably to remove winter-damaged stems and again following an early spring freeze. I have seen more buds forming on remontant…