pussy willow

A pussy willow for every swamp

The variegated pussy willow (Salix gracilistyla ‘Variegata’, above) sprawls about the rear property line with an open habit and a tangled mass of branches. One look will dissuade a gardener from believing this wide spreading shrub is appropriate for any place other than the far reaches of the garden, and more preferably onto someone else’s property. A…

Through February the local grocery store does brisk business selling bundles of pussy willow stems that have been forced into bloom. I have a rather large pussy willow growing at the rear of my garden, so it’s no surprise to me that few homeowners have a pussy willow of their own from which to cut…