Monthly Archives: June 2009

Don’t Just Water — Soak!

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How to make watering easier and more efficient. Whenever I plant a new flower garden for one of my clients, I give the "watering talk," in which I underscore the importance of watering during the first year. I note that standing at the garden's edge with a hose and a sprayer (one hand on the hip), is not watering. Sure, it might feel good, but it's not watering. Watering is a slow process, best done by the drop. By using soaker hose or drip irrigation, you ensure that water percolates to the root Read more [...]

Weeding With a Broom

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Cutting garden gets a low-maintenance makeover. Early June in my "sweepable" cutting garden. When possible, overlap the fabric to avoid any unnecessary cuts. Tuck the edges under, giving yourself a 5" or 6" hem, and anchor securely on ends and sides to prevent fraying. Headed for the dahlias, his life was cut short … It was about six or seven years ago that I began to realize I’d created more gardens than I could handle. Feeling like something had to go, it was Read more [...]

Clematis Claim a Forgotten Corner

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I was amazed to see these clematis bloom so well the first year after planting. That's General Sikorski on the right and Venosa Violacea in the middle.   Betty Corning blooms early and has delicate, pendulous, recurved flowers. Look closely and you can see how the leaf stems bend and twist to grab on.   This spring, the clematis on the left (Betty Corning) raced to the top and was blooming by mid-June. Read more [...]

Chuck Attack!

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The woodchucks are back -- cuter than ever. My nemesis The woodchucks in our neighborhood have broken the perimeter in our backyard. Since late spring, they have found ways to penetrate the forcefield that protects our phlox, asters, echinacea and balloonflowers. As soon as one breach is sealed, they find another weak point. They've even threatened to chew a very special New Zealand delphinium that my friend Kathy grew from seed. I never thought I'd say it, but here goes: This means war. Here's Read more [...]

Bog in a Bowl

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Make room for a planter of unusual, moisture-loving plants. After placing a fiberglass screen over the bottom of the bowl, I filled it with dampened peat.   Long-fiber sphagnum peat moss covers the surface to prevent soil splashing and give a natural finished look. Bog and pond plants intrigue me, but I don’t have a pond or bog in which to plant them. But, when the water plants arrived at our garden center a couple of weeks ago, I just had to have some of them anyway. The bold, Read more [...]

Make a Grand Entrance

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Vermont garden is a nonstop flower show. The entrance to the manor house at Great Dixter is always flanked by terrific potted plants. The entrance to Sue's is a bit different, but a grand entrance, nonetheless. Last summer, Sue's display featured Gartenmeister Bonstedt fuchsia, many different coleus varieties, some rex begonias and lots of impatiens. I love visiting my friend Sue's house. She's the best flower gardener I know. We could talk about flowers nonstop for days on end. In Read more [...]

Invitation to a Swarm

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Our population of bees is booming. You know those interoffice e-mails that you get about mid-afternoon: Please be aware that the refrigerators will be cleaned on Thursday … Well, we got one the other day that started out kind of like that. Very perfunctory, but then it changed: It appears the bees have swarmed — left the hive, that is — and are all in a clump on the arborvitae. This shouldn't pose any problems, but just be aware. Thanks. It was one of those moments when you think, "Only at Read more [...]

Please Pass the Asparagus

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Asparagus is one of the easiest and most satisfying vegetables you can grow. At my house, the asparagus harvest will soon be drawing to a close. Some of us are rather happy about that. We’ve been eating asparagus at least once a day since the end of April. Steamed, parboiled, sautéed and roasted. In omelets, pasta salads, stir-fries and soups, but mostly on its own with olive oil, pepper and sometimes a little balsamic vinegar. Leftover asparagus makes a delicious lunch snack. Giving away Read more [...]

Perennials for Late-Season Color

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Does your perennial garden peak early and disappoint from midsummer on? Asters are stars of the late-summer show. Shown here are two types of asters paired with a fall-blooming allium (Allium thunbergii 'Ozawa') In the garden center, this plain-looking aster has a hard time attracting buyers. Still, avid gardeners can see its potential. Does your perennial garden peak early and disappoint from midsummer on? You’re not alone. In most parts of the country, the majority of commonly-grown Read more [...]