Seed catalogues are arriving and they provide the impetus for every kind of wish fulfillment. For instance, the dreamy heads of ‘Lilac Candy Floss’ poppy (Papaver somniferum ‘Lilac Candy Floss’) are densely packed with lilac-mauve petals arranged to look like peonies, and are followed by intriguing seedheads. If you enjoy fancy pelargoniums (also referred to as geraniums), … [Read more...] about Browsing the seed catalogues for new finds
January in the garden
Winter beauties in the garden
Most gardeners leave some perennials standing over winter, hoping they'll catch the snow and make a beautiful picture in the garden. With the first snow still fresh, now is a good time to look around to see where dried stalks and seedheads have been transformed into a winter tableau. Of course, you’ll also notice the empty areas where grasses and perennials were cut down, and … [Read more...] about Winter beauties in the garden
Repotting my moth orchids
You might have read my article about growing orchids on windowsills in the winter issue of Garden Making. I keep a few moth orchids (Phalaenopsis spp. and cvs.) in a small bay window with northwest exposure. It’s a cool spot that doesn’t receive any direct sunlight, but does have bright, reflected light from the sky. When plants are out of bloom and the bark growing medium has … [Read more...] about Repotting my moth orchids
Favourite honeysuckle vines
Winter windows are important garden features in my office. I have windows near two sides of my desk, and a close view of a birdbath. Just outside each window are honeysuckle vines outlined in snow. In warm months they bloom sequentially from early spring through midsummer. Originally I had grape vines around the windows, but they were much too vigorous. One actually grew … [Read more...] about Favourite honeysuckle vines
