The shining jewels of the holiday season belong to the genus of plants known as Ilex, the hollies. Be they bunches of twigs covered in glossy, pointy leaves and red berries, or bare stems loaded with fruit, holly brings brightness and life to the otherwise bleak winter season. Hollies are native to many different parts of […]
The great garden cut-back has started, with the first real frost/freeze that came earlier this week. Hosta turned yellow and melted into the ground, daylily blossoms turned to mush; there will not be any more blossoms this year. One group of plants that are just starting to come in to their season of beauty, though, […]
Nothing says “fall” like chrysanthemums. Mums are the most widely grown potted plant in the country, and one of the longest lasting cut flowers, and the enormous range of colors they bloom in makes them suitable for just about any area. They will hold their blooms on the plant for upwards of a month, providing […]
Some of the most stunning plants in the late summer garden are the Hardy Hibiscus. Whether perennial or shrub, they bust forth with a plethora of tropical-looking blossoms in August and September, reminding us that summer isn’t quite over. Bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies all adore the trumpet-shaped blossoms and sweet nectar within, giving them a […]
The Daylily Days of summer have arrived! Bright color is a little bit later than usual, thanks to our odd spring, but that just means we get to enjoy it for a little longer than usual. The daylilies are in full bloom, and though the flowers themselves only each last a single day, the sheer […]
Rose is a rose is a rose. Every rose has it’s thorn. Do not think that roses are cursed with thorns, but that a thorn bush is fortunate enough to have roses bloom upon it. More, I am sure, has been written about roses than nearly any other bloom imaginable, though that will not discourage […]
Blooming now (or soon to be blooming) is an incredibly fragrant tree, some small in stature, some large, all beautiful. The genus Tilia, or Lindens, are native to both North America and Europe, and are excellent trees both for the home garden and the more urban property dweller. These plants are exceptionally hardy, tolerant of a […]
Spring is in full swing! Flowers are blooming, veggie gardens are popping up green everywhere, and all the birds are back, building nests anyplace that stays still long enough. I’ve seen robins with new bunches of babies already! Hummingbirds are here too, drinking sweet nectar from just about every blossom imaginable. Some of the most […]
One of the most beautiful plants that blooms this time of year is one of our natives, the Serviceberry. Driving through the state, we are greeted by beautiful white clouds drifting through the sides of the road and fields. Relatively common in the native landscape, it is often overlooked for the home garden, but should […]
“Nature’s first green is gold” ~Robert Frost, ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’ In Maine, nature’s first golden green comes in the form of Forsythia. Bright yellow, cheery blooms open just as the last dirty piles of snow have melted away. They do not last long, soon to be replaced by fresh green leaves, often times touched […]