We have had wonderful weather this summer. The upper Midwest (zone 4b) received ample, well-spaced rains, with no extended heat waves. And these Cimicifuga blooms are just one of the delightful results. Ample water is clearly a factor in the … Continue reading
Martagon lilies are a wonderful addition to any dappled shade garden. The bulbs are expensive, but when they are well-sited, martagons naturalize slowly but well. This is the Martagon ‘Claude Shride’ viewed up close in a shaft of sunlight at our … Continue reading
In Fall 2013, I planted a large section of Princess Irene tulips in the bed in front of our living room windows. I don’t think Princess Irene are known for their ability to return year over year. So I was … Continue reading
It’s easy to dismiss the quiet wonder of spring, the shy unrolling of a fern frond or a thickly bunched rose leaf bursting from a hard brown stem. Hidden among the dead brown of winter’s remains, the jeweled chalice of … Continue reading
I rarely over-winter plants. I truly admire the frugal gardeners who store pots and pots of annuals under lights in their garages or basements, but all it took was one big infestation of insects crawling out of the pots and … Continue reading
It’s less than four weeks until 2015! Do you know where your year has gone? Because I sure don’t know what’s happened to mine. So I’ve decided to do a rerun on summer 2014 . . … Continue reading
Yesterday was the first snowfall of the season here in zone 4b. Just a few miles to the north, they had over a foot of snow. Here in Minneapolis, though, only around five inches fell. Schools remained open and life … Continue reading
