I Love Rhododendron ‘Weston’s Lemon Drop’
Name: Weston’s Lemon Drop Azalea aka Rhododendron ‘Weston’s Lemon Drop’ Type of Plant: A July-flowering, deciduous azalea with fragrant yellow flowers. Hardy in zones 4 to 8. A cultivar of our native swamp azalea. Why I Love/Hate this plant:...
I Love Sweet Potato Vine, Ipomoea batatas
Name: Ipomoea batatas, aka sweet potato vine Type of Plant: In the northeast region this plant is an annual. There are varieties available with lime green or purple to black leaves. Some grow long and others stay more compact and mound-like. Why I Love/Hate this...
I Love Nassella tenuissima aka Mexican feathergrass
Name: Nassella tenuissima aka Mexican feathergrass, formerly known as Stipa tenuissima. Type of Plant: This is a very soft, fine textured low grass that is perennial in a warm Zone 7 but considered an annual elsewhere. This plant grows to about 20 inches tall and...
The Summer Weeds are Back!
At the end of June, gardeners might assume that once the vegetables and annuals are planted, they can sit back and relax. After all, you pulled those spring weeds like the bittercress and the chickweed, so the gardens should be done for the summer, right? This would...
I Love Veronica spicata Royal Candles aka Royal Candles speedwell
Name: Veronica spicata Royal Candles aka Royal Candles speedwell Type of Plant: A perennial that’s hardy in zones 4 to 8, that flowers in early summer and beyond if deadheaded. Why I Love/Hate this plant: I have to confess that Royal Candles has given me an entirely...
Why Doesn’t My Blue Hydrangea Bloom ~ A GardenLady Graphic
I’ve written many a blog and social media post about why blue hydrangeas don’t flower. You can read one of them here. But I’ve always had it in mind to put this in a graphic form, and today was the day! You can get a printable pdf of this graphic by...
I love Paeonia lactiflora, the garden peony
Name: Paeonia lactiflora aka the garden peony Type of Plant: A low-maintenance, early summer flowering perennial plant that does best in zones 4 through 7, but can live in a zone 3 or the cooler parts of zone 8. Why I Love/Hate this plant: This plant has many fine...
I Love The Rieger Solenia Series Begonias
Name: Begonia X Hiemalis aka Rieger begonias aka the Solenia Series Begonia Type of Plant: Begonias that are a cross between the wax begonias and the tuberous begonia, producing a plant with a larger flower that can be grown in sun or shade. Why I Love/Hate this...
Containers: Transitioning From Spring To Summer
On March 26th I planted two urns with spring flowers and perennials. I used pansies, dianthus, English daisies and a Heuchera in each urn. It was an act of faith, since even April can be quite cold on Cape Cod, but it was also an expression of joy. Spring was here,...