I Love Pugster Dwarf Butterfly Bush
Name: Buddleja davidii ‘SMNBDBT’ aka Pugster dwarf butterfly bush. Type of Plant: A dwarf butterfly bush that blooms prolifically through the summer. Hardy in zones 5 – 9, and best planted in full sun. Grows 2 feet tall and 3 feet in diameter, tolerant of...
Love Silver Moon Hyacinth Vine
Name: Dolichos lablab ‘Silver Moon’ aka Lablab purpureus ‘Silver Moon’ Type of Plant: A fast growing annual vine that you can grow from seed. Why I Love/Hate this plant: If you need an annual vine to fill a trellis or other structure quickly, have I got a plant for...
What’s In Bloom, August 22, Sandwich, MA
Yesterday I spent about an hour touring our property and taking a photo of every plant that was in bloom. Okay, not every plant, and not every flower. I took one two photos of Hydrangea paniculata flowers, for example, but did not take pictures of all of the varieties...
I Love Mecardonia GoldDust
Name: Mecardonia GoldDust Type of Plant: An annual from Proven Winners that is heat tolerant, long-flowering, and totally low-maintenance. This annual does well in full sun to part-sun, and can be used in the ground or in containers. Why I Love/Hate this plant...
What’s Making Me Happy in Mid-August
This morning I was on Mindy Todd’s program on WCAI/NAN, and mentioned a few things that were making me happy. Here are some of those plants and more garden experiences that are making me smile.
Pycnanthemum muticum aka clustered mountain mint
Name: Pycnanthemum muticum aka clustered mountain mint Type of Plant: Spreading perennial that is hardy in zones 4 to 8 and appreciates moist or at least consistently watered soil in full sun to part shade. Why I Love/Hate this plant This perennial is commonly...
I Love Rutgers Devotion and Rutgers Obsession Basil
Name: Rutgers Obsession DMR and Rutgers Devotion DMR Basil Type of Plant: Basil plants that have been bred (no, not GMO!) to grow prolifically and be resistant to downy mildew. Rutgers Devotion: Genovese type with a compact, but highly productive plant habit. Leaves...
When Life Mingles With Art
In the 1970’s my mother-in-law, Misa Fornari, lived on Long Island. A friend of hers was a rep for various artists and crafts people, and at some point she gave Misa a very small painting of a zucchini. It was a sample she had shown to stores and galleries, and...
I Love Cosmos sulphureus ‘Bright Lights’
Name: Cosmos sulphureus ‘Bright Lights’ aka sulphur cosmos. Type of Plant: Summer-flowering annual for full sun. Why I Love/Hate this plant It’s no secret that I love a good splash of orange in the summer garden, especially when it’s combined with...