Podcast

May 2, 2019 Plant Sales, May Fools Day, Rivdan, The White House Gardens Symposium, Jimi Hendrix, Stonewall Jackson, Didier Decoin, Dividing Iris, and The Enid A. Haupt Garden

Ah May… the Month of Plant Sales. When I started gardening, I would Plant Sale away my Saturdays in May with my dear friend Judy. We would plan our way to a successful sale day, waking up while it was still dark out. Then we’d arrive at the church or the building where the sale was to be held, we’d set up our lawn chairs at the door, and we’d pat ourselves on the back for being first and second…

May 1, 2019 Lily of the Valley, Aimee Camus, Chicago Worlds Fair 1893, Arthur Galston, Wolcott Andrews, Phoebe Hinsdale Brown, The Orchard Thief, Susan Orlean, Bare Root Roses, Chris Van Cleve, and the State Flowers

Happy May Day! Today, the tradition in France is to give a sprig of Lily of the Valley to loved ones. Originally from Japan, Lily of the Valley has long been considered lucky. It’s a sweet scent, belies its high toxicity. Other names for Lily of the Valley include May Bells, Our Lady’s Tears, and Mary’s Tears. The French name, Muguet, is a diminutive form mugue or muguete and means “musk.” Brevities #OTD Today, we celebrate the…

April 30, 2019 Raisin Day, George Washington, William Starling Sullivant, Bertha Stoneman, Samuel Mills Tracy, David Douglas, Matt Mattus, Tulip Turkestanica, and Washington’s Botanical Garden

I realize you are very excited to get going in your own garden. But don’t forget to schedule some time this spring to visit other gardens. The gardens of friends, neighbors, or public gardens can provide you with inspiration and teach you something new – even when you didn’t think you’d learn anything. #BTW This entire week, April 27-May 4, is Historic Garden Week at Monticello (“MontiCHELLo”) in Virginia. If you visit today, April 30, you can learn more about…

April 29, 2019 Perennial Defined, Agnes Chase, Cornelia Vanderbilt’s Wedding, Alfred Hitchcock, Ron McBain, #AmericanSpringLive, Botany Bay, Mary Gilmore, Garden-Pedia, Composting, and the Significance of Grass

Merriam-Webster gives the following synonyms for the word perennial: abiding, enduring, perpetual, undying Those terms can give gardeners unrealistic expectations for their perennials. They’re not eternal. They will eventually part ways with your garden. But, for as long as they can, your perennials will make a go of it. Returning to the garden after their season of dieback and rest. Ready to grow. Ready for you to see them and love them all over again. Brevities #OTD It’s…

April 26, 2019 Placement of Early Spring Bloomers, Eugene Delacroix, Charles Townes, Irma Franzen-Heinrichsdorff, John J. Audobon, Frederick Law Olmsted, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Kavanagh, Justin Martin, Photo Friday, Anna Eliza Reed Woodcock, and the Michigan State Flower

How close are your earliest bloomers to your front door? Your crocus, snowdrops, iris, daffodils, tulips, forsythia, daphnes, and magnolias? When I redid my front garden last year, the designer had put all my earliest bloomers right near the front porch and walk. When I asked her reasoning, she reminded me of our long winters. Her advice was spot-on: When spring finally arrives, it’s much more pleasurable to have those earliest blooms where you can see them first thing when…