September 12, 2019 Charmed by Yellow Wax-Bells, Daniel Cady Eaton, Arthur Shurcliff, Chinese Wilson, Agatha Christie, Beverley Nichols, Lemon Herbs by Ellen Spector Platt, Hanging Basket Tidy Up , and a Record-Setting Apple from 1843
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Monologue
How's your garden doing? Is there something blooming that is stealing your heart?
In my garden, I'm especially enjoying the Yellow wax-bells or Kirengeshoma palmata ("kih-ren-gesh-OH-mah palm-AY-tah").
Heidi Heiland installed these for me last summer during my garden renovation. They are right up by my front door in a North-facing garden - and I see them every day as I go in and out the front door.
I have to say that this plant has slowly won my heart. All season, I watched this perennial grow into a clump of maple-leaves (the leaves look just like the maple tree but smaller and a lighter green.) Then, as August comes on, you begin to see these pendulous pale yellow buds. They are quite enchanting, and they hang there through September.
Fine Gardening describes the plant this way:
This hardy, clump-forming perennial bears pendulous, shuttlecock-shaped soft-yellow blossoms in late August and early September. The plant has attractive, glossy, 4- to 8-inch-long, maple-leaf-shaped leaves.
This unusual flowering perennial is native to mountainous areas of Japan and Korea. Survives the -20ºF winters of USDA Zone 5, as well as winters of warmer climates.
Grow in rich, moist, acidic soil. Shelter from wind.
Anyway, when you think of yellow blossoms in the garden, that spectrum of color can be pretty broad; there are so many shades of yellow. I'm personally not a fan of the super bright yellows, and I end up eliminating flowers if their bloom is too jarring to my taste. But, I've decided that the soft pastel, the creamy-buttery yellow of yellow wax-bells, has to be hands-down my favorite yellow in the garden.
Botanical History On This Day
1834 Daniel Cady Eaton, America’s first pteridologist, was born. He had a lifelong devotion to ferns, inspired by love, Latin, and a remarkable botanical lineage.
1870 Arthur Shurcliff, influential American landscape architect, was born. He later redefined authenticity in historic landscape restoration through his monumental work at Colonial Williamsburg.
1930 Ernest Henry “Chinese” Wilson addressed the Connecticut Horticultural Exposition, urging society to prepare for increased leisure by teaching future generations the enduring joys of gardening.
1959 Agatha Christie appeared in The Illustrated London News, proudly photographed with her gardener and flower show trophies. The Greenway was her beloved garden retreat on the River Dart.
Unearthed Words
This week’s reflections continue with garden writer Beverley Nichols. From his book Garden Open Today, Nichols offers a gardener’s quiet wisdom on partnership with nature and the art of holding her hand—not in command, but in friendship.
Grow That Garden Library™
Read The Daily Gardener review of Lemon Herbs by Ellen Spector Platt
Buy the book on Amazon: Lemon Herbs by Ellen Spector Platt
Today's Garden Chore
Tend to your hanging baskets. A late-season trim, a thoughtful edit, and a few well-chosen transitional elements can restore vigor and carry your containers gracefully into autumn.
Today's Botanic Spark
1843 A report in the New England Farmer marveled at an 18-ounce apple of heroic proportions, which left readers with a deliciously practical question about cider, abundance, and just how much is enough.
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And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.
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