Pruning Mophead and Lacecap Hydrangeas
I pruned one of my lacecap hydrangeas yesterday. It’s been a warm April – especially for Cape Cod – and one of my shrubs had leaves opening so that I could clearly tell which buds made it through the winter and which ones did not. The way to prune...
I Love Clematis Species and Hybrids
Name: Clematis hybrids and specieas Type of Plant: Most are vining plants, although there are about 300 species of Clematis and some of them are shorter, upright growing plants. Here, however, I’m talking about the vining varieties. Clematis grows, both native and...
Repairing Broken Flower Pots
If you love growing plants in pots, you’ll invariably experience the heartbreak of having a favorite container break. But on a trip to a garden in Italy some years ago, I was pleased to see a large terracotta pot that had broken and been repaired by drilling...
I Love Chaenomeles Speciosa, aka Japanese Flowering Quince
Name: Chaenomeles speciosa Japanese flowering quince Type of Plant: A thorny, deciduous shrub that flowers in the early spring. This species stays shorter than others, and doesn’t sucker to the sides as much. This plant commonly grows to 3 or 4 feet tall and six feet...
I Love Hydrangea quercifolia aka Oak Leaf Hydrangea
Name: Hydrangea quercifolia aka oak leaf hydrangea Type of Plant: A woody shrub native to North America, hardy in Zones 5 – 9, and flowering in the early to mid-summer Why I Love This Plant: There are so many things to love about this hydrangea, starting from the...
Barkcoin – The Germination of Phytocurrency
A new form of currency, Barkcoin, was announced today, opening up the possibility to partner with photosynthesizers for creating a people plant system (PPS) for making cross-species payments. Barkcoin is a hybrid developed from crossing software with mycorrhizal...
I Love Stokesia laevis aka Stoke’s Aster
Name: Stokesia laevis aka Stokes’ Aster Type of Plant: A perennial native to the Southeast United States, hardy in Zones 5-9 and growing best in full sun. Why I Love This Plant: Big, shaggy flowers in mid-summer. A perennial that doesn’t spread or self-seed,...
I Love Iris Reticulata aka Dwarf Iris or Netted Iris
Name: Iris reticulata – aka Dwarf Iris or Netted Iris Type of Plant: One of the earliest blooming bulbs – in flower on Cape Cod in March into April. Why I Love This Plant: This is one of the first spring flowers to come into bloom. Just a week or two after the crocus...
I Love Cornus alba ‘Bailhalo’ aka Ivory Halo Variegated Red Twig Dogwood
Name: Cornus alba ‘Bailhalo’ aka Ivory Halo variegated red twig dogwood Type of Plant: A shrub with variegated leaves and bright red stems, hardy in zones 3-7. Multi-stemmed, lacy (but not showy) flowers that attract butterflies and pollinators. Why I Love This...