Spider Plants
It is said that “familiarity breeds contempt.” I think contempt is a strong word. We do crave things that are new. But most of us dine on the familiar or “comfort food” most of the time. It’s the same with plants.
Birds and Squirrels
If you are stuck at home, you may as well feed the birds. We have had several feeders up for the last year. We are on a modest suburban lot with some tall trees so we have good habitat for birds.
Solving a Water Problem with a Conservation Landscape Addition
After 36 years in the same home, I finally had a landscape project that was beyond my skill set to accomplish. Gardens evolve over the years, and my wooded quarter acre has suffered loss of trees.
Happy in a New Home
For the first time I can plant some sunny perennials. I put in two of my favorites: Fragrant Aster, Aster oblongifolius ‘October Skies’, and Eutrochium (Eupatorium) dubium ‘Little Joe.’
Hey, New Gardener!
Behnke’s closed just over a year ago, and I took advantage of that to retire. So, I’ve been home a lot more than I used to be, but then again, so is nearly everyone else.
Too Much of a Good Thing…
Too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. We moved into our home 36 years ago, and I’ve been gardening ever since. We have until recently had a fully-shaded yard, and I have tried pretty much everything for shade at one time or another.
A Tale of Two Houseplants
There are a number of cultivars of Peace Lily. I have a big pot of one of the shorter ones that looks nice now, but no flowers. On the other hand, the taller more open one, ‘Mauna Loa,’ has a half dozen large, white, long-lasting blooms.
Quiet Moments in March
The coronavirus has radically affected all of our lives, and we all have different circumstances, quirks, and abilities to deal with the changing warnings and guidelines.
Off-Color Potted Palms
I like potted palms, and over the years I’ve seen palms that were off-color, sometimes even in my own house. I attributed it to an iron deficiency but didn’t know the cause. (See the reference at the end of the article for photos of iron deficient palms.)
Time: The Fourth Dimension of Gardening
When we moved to Maryland in 1984, we bought a suburban house that was built on a quarter-acre lot in the 1950’s. Enter the Hurleys, working with perennials every day at Behnke’s, I was eager to try new things....
‘White Pearl’: Late Bloomer
I was rambling around the garden this morning, trying to get some “getting ready for winter” chores done before the rain started. I noticed my ‘White Pearl’ is getting ready to bloom, it’s the last perennial to bloom in my shade garden every year, right around Halloween.
Bagworms – The Nightmare Before Christmas
Check your shrubs for bagworms and if you find them, remove them. They are easy to find, they are little brown sacks about two inches long, hanging from branches like ugly little Christmas tree ornaments from The Nightmare Before Christmas.