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Smooth Hydrangeas
Not all Hydrangeas are created equal. In beauty, yes; but in ease of care, not so much. Smooth Hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens) are a no-brainer. Smooth Hydrangea is native to the eastern United States. The shrub flowers on new wood. Translation: it doesn’t matter how windy and cold the winter; flower buds form in spring after Old Man Winter’s…
Read MoreHappy Valentine’s Day Garden Bouquet
Happy Valentine’s Day! This is the day when some fortunate recipients are blessed with bouquets of lovely flowers or other cherished gifts. Frankly, since this can be a hit or miss occasion, I like to make my own dazzling arrangement harvested from my gardens. One personal favorite is vibrant red-stemmed dogwood paired with rosy-pink pussy…
Read MoreMomma and Baby Raccoons
Alaine, a friend that I work with at Estabrook’s, recently shared this amazing story about a mother raccoon and her babies. Alaine was working in her backyard that abuts a marshy area. She saw a large raccoon out of the corner of her eye before it ran back into the woods. The next thing she…
Read MoreA City Slickers First Garden
A city slickers first garden by Paul Kelly, owner, St. Lynn’s Press In March of 1974, I moved from Pittsburgh to Leadmine, a small rural town in Tucker County West Virginia. At that time, the population of the entire county was 5,500 people. Leadmine had a convenience store and one church. That was it. Two…
Read MoreInspired Garden Design Webinar
Sponsored by Garden Design Magazine and Bluestone Perennials The next Webinar (on-line lecture) titled Inspirational Design Tips Learned from Magnificent Gardens in England, Canada and The United States will be on Thursday, January 26 at 2:00 p.m. Breathtaking gardens will be our classroom for great take-away lessons that elevate landscapes from ordinary to spectacular! What…
Read MoreMendez wows Burlington Garden Club
Kerry is an incredibly knowledgeable, engaging and interesting speaker. She wowed our crowd of 100 at a joint meeting of the Burlington and Billierca garden clubs. Her enthusiasm is contagious and bubbles up and spreads over the crowd. I have never seen so many people smiling throughout a gardening presentation before. She is so relatable…
Read MoreNative Dwarf Crested iris
Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata) At only 4” to 6” tall, this charming spring native never fails to entertain onlookers. Small, sword-shaped leaves spring from petite rhizomes. Flowers are blue, violet or white. Like its larger cousin, German Bearded Iris, Dwarf Crested Iris does not like to have its rhizomes buried under soil or mulch.…
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