I’ve written about zombie plants before, bee balm and German thyme being the main culprits. But now, I’ll have to add a new name to the list, lantana. Yes, the lantana whose label said it was an annual. Bee balm and thyme are perennials, so one could reasonably expect toContinue Reading
Looking back over six seasons of gardening, I have a few nuggets of advice to pass on. Take what I say as a stern warning with enthusiastic encouragement. Gardening is good for the soul, but so is fasting—remember this… Get a good bookAssuming you have never had a realContinue Reading
The Words with Herbs blog suggested readers create “A Week of Flowers” posts where they shows off their summer flowers, so I decided to jump in. It has been a wonderful growing season here in Atlanta, but next week will be the first frost, and most of my perennialsContinue Reading
I have waited a very long time to get this shot. Chipmunks have been around the entire time we’ve lived here, but sightings became rare when the hawks and owls arrived a few years ago. Since then, two large trees have been cut down, and the raptors have moved on.Continue Reading
Living in the middle of Atlanta, one doesn’t expect many genuine wildlife encounters. I’ve had a few–I almost put my hand on an opossum one night on the deck. It was so dark that I didn’t see it resting on the railing. One morning, an opossum ambled across the frontContinue Reading
Description: A sprig of catmint (Walker’s Low) against a background of coral azaleas. The shot was taken in the early afternoon while the sun was high in the sky. Background: Catmint blooms in early to mid-spring and has beautiful, small lavender flowers. Bees love it. I bought three plants from a smallContinue Reading
I have been captivated by impressionist paintings since my first encounter with them at age 13. Foremost is the use of color. Color in the hands of Monet is enchanting. Lately, as I’ve looked at more paintings and taken the time to read more about the artists and their works, aContinue Reading
First-time gardeners have a steep learning curve—how much water, how much sun, best location, when to prune, what kind of fertilizer. Fortunately, help exists in some book or magazine for all of these. However, the weather is trickier. All guides, articles, and websites assume the usual four seasons when givingContinue Reading
So It May Secretly Begin (listen) is a song track from my favorite Pat Metheny album, Still Life (Talking). I have listened to this album, especially this song, hundreds of times—driving, falling asleep, studying, romancing. I like its fluid elegance. It starts softly, tentatively, as if expressing contemplation or uncertainty. As itContinue Reading
When people at a nursery warn you about a plant, believe them. Here are my four cautionary tales. I had never heard of bee balm before deciding to dig up the yard. It earned a spot in the garden because the flowers are so oddly shaped. They resemble jester’s hatsContinue Reading
