As I finished my sermon for Sunday at the UU Church of Barnstable, I was reminded of this post I wrote on Whole Life Gardening a few years ago. It's a long overdue thank you note. Dear Gardens, Yesterday I was reminded that sending you a note...
As I walked through the gardens with my coffee this morning, what caught my eye were tall Gomphocarpus physocarpus plants in the cutting garden. These are some of my regular "party crashers," self-seeding in the same area every year, and delighting me with sturdy growth,...
It is often my habit to take my morning coffee outside in the morning and see what catches my eye. Today, it was Hibiscus tiliaceus variegata, aka Mahoe or variegated sea hibiscus, or seaside Mahoe. [caption id="attachment_20146" align="aligncenter" width="680"] Even from across the deck the Hibiscus tiliaceus...
This question was recently posted on the Cape Cod Gardening Group page, and I thought it was a great query. “Curious: have seen many beautiful properties in this group and am wondering: do most of the people who post here have 1+ acre lots and a...
Imagine: A perennial for shade that isn’t a hosta or a fern! Can you imagine? After growing this hardy impatiens, we can say that it isn’t necessary to be big and bold, and we’re in love… Name: Impatiens omeiana aka hardy impatiens Type of Plant: A...
All my GardenLine and Plantrama listeners would love an easy way to rid their gardens of weeds. And frankly, if there were a product, tool or magic potion that made weeds quickly disappear from my gardens you can be sure that I'd be using it...
Imagine: I can’t do a consultation for someone with a shade garden without the following plant name coming out of my mouth: Epimedium. Followed closely by the words, “weed smothering” and “easy” or “elegant.” Name: Epimedium – various species including: x rubrum, x versicolor ‘Sulphureum,’ and...
Imagine: You say you want a cutting garden with plants that come up every year? You can grow that! But be sure to plant Camassia… Name: Camassia leichtlinii Pronounced kuh-MASS-ee-uh liked-LINN-ee-eye The variety called Blue Danube is widely available. Type of Plant: Perennial bulb the flowers in late-May...
This is a repellent to spray on plants to keep rabbits from eating them. It is only for ornamental plants, not for edibles. (Do not use this on your vegetables or fruits.) Rabbits are herbivores - they are vegans. They don't eat animal products. Therefore...
Imagine: “We need some screening plants, so we’re buying Leyland cypress,” she said. “Why Leyland cypress?” I asked. “Because they grow quickly,” she answered. “Don’t do it,” I said. Name: Leyland Cypress aka Cupressus x leylandii Type of Plant: A fast growing evergreen conifer that can quickly grow to...
