Do you remember the first time you saw a fascinating plant that you’d only read about in magazines, books or online? I bet you do. The first time I saw blue poppies (Meconopsis spp.), they were growing in containers at Bayport Plant Farm in Lunenburg County, N.S. That day is printed in my mind for two reasons — the glory of the blue poppies flowering their little heads off, and … [Read more...] about The thrill of finding a new-to-me plant — Anemonopsis
The scents of it all
No one has found a way to make the Internet scratch and sniff. This is a great pity, because if I could, I’d share the fragrance in my garden with everyone. Every morning I go out to walk about and breathe in the scents of the garden, and on calm evenings I do the same. You’d have to join me to appreciate the layers of fragrance, from the petite sprigs of lavender to the huge … [Read more...] about The scents of it all
For the love of monarchs
While I’m not an entomologist, I have a deep and abiding love for many insects and their relatives, and plant my gardens with their welfare in mind. When I first began my new Wolfville, N.S., garden, one of the most important perennials I had to have was rosy milkweed (Asclepias incarnate, Zone 3) and several of its relatives. Why? Because I’m fond of monarch butterflies … [Read more...] about For the love of monarchs
The joys of sharing plants
Close to 15 years ago, I stopped at a roadside plant sale in Upper Granville, not far from Annapolis Royal, N.S. The affable gardener, Jim Smith, sold me an interesting rose that he called the Dominion Day rose, as its red-and-white striped buds normally open on Canada Day, formerly Dominion Day. I have never conclusively identified the rose, other than to determine it’s … [Read more...] about The joys of sharing plants
Fiddleheads for spring
When I was a student at the former Nova Scotia Agricultural College, my major plant science project was titled, “Some Factors Affecting Rhizome Regeneration Rates in Matteuccia struthiopteris.” Translation: I was propagating ostrich ferns, the source of the delectable fiddlehead, using different types of soil and soilless media to generate new growth. Exciting stuff. What … [Read more...] about Fiddleheads for spring
