Gardeners are, by nature, optimistic. We plant seeds, bulbs and transplants, fully expecting them to grow up into beautiful and useful specimens. We dig new beds and move existing plants around, dreaming about how much better the garden will look and function. We spend time looking in garden books and plant catalogs, picturing how perfect [...]
I have a secret place in my garden, concealed behind a tall screen of leatherleaf viburnum (Viburnum x rhytidophylloides ‘Alleghany’), red maple (Acer ‘Red Sunset’), and Norway spruce (Picea abies). The space between this screen and the backyard neighbor’s wooden fence is a practical space, hidden from garden visitors view. This is where I pile [...]
I woke up this morning to find the first faint traces of frost on the grass in my back yard. If I had slept any later, I would have missed it; there was just a tiny bit in the shaded spots. Because I live in a northern suburb, I often see frost a week or [...]
Despite the dry times, there are still some good flower vignettes in the garden. In the image above, chartreuse-leaved spiderwort, Tradescantia ‘Sweet Kate’ really shines in front of the annuals Zinnia ‘Profusion Apricot’ and Salvia ‘Lady in Red’.  The taller plant is the perennial Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’. The beebalm on the right, Monarda ‘Grand Mum’, [...]
The lovely, sunny days and cool crisp nights that we’ve had in the Cincinnati area this week are perfect for a fall hike, a trip to the pumpkin patch . . . or an afternoon spent in the garden, or renovating the lawn. People who know me well know that I have a love-hate relationship [...]
The cool night temperatures – in the 40’s this week – mean it’s time to think about bringing tender plants indoors. Like many gardeners, I grow tropical and other tender plants to jazz up the garden. These plants need special treatment to live through the winter. If you grew tropical plants in your garden this [...]