The recent sweltering days of extreme heat accompanied by a record-setting severe drought has made this year’s gardening a challenge for sure. Temperatures in the high 90s along with watering restrictions have resulted in sad-looking perennial plants, especially our daylilies, ferns, creeping phlox, and hostas. There were days when some of our rhododendrons, azaleas, and … Continue reading A Hot and Dry August Garden →

Common milkweed not only provides nectar for bees and other pollinators, but it is the larval host plant for Monarch butterflies. According to landscaping expert David Beaulieu, “Asclepias is the only plant family that serves as the host plant for monarch butterfly egg laying. The monarch larvae, the hatchling caterpillars, feed exclusively on milkweed leaves. … Continue reading Milkweed Hosts Monarch Butterflies →

The month of June is not only known as National Pollinator Month and National Perennial Month, but also as National Rose Month, among others. Our garden roses are amazing this month, especially our ‘Queen Elizabeth’ roses. Also enchanting are the irises, climbing hydrangeas, viburnums, Kousa dogwood bracts, baptisia, digitalis, and clematis. Incidentally, I recently learned … Continue reading June is National Rose Month! →

It seems that May has always been a “wondrous” month in our garden. Of course, we won’t delve into events like the Mother’s Day Blizzard of May 9, 1977! Our beautiful cherry tree is in bloom as are some of our rhododendrons and azaleas. Most of our daffodil blossoms are still glorious, even though some … Continue reading The Wondrous Month of May →

The increasing daylight length has added to the welcoming of spring. It’s especially exciting to see “carpets” of crocuses and blue Siberian squill blossoms. Interestingly, many of the crocuses are not where their bulbs were originally planted. For that, we have to thank the rascally chipmunks and squirrels for digging them up. During the winter … Continue reading Celebrate Spring! →

Recent storms and blizzards have set snow records according to the Blue Hill Observatory. “The 27.1 inches of snowfall measured on [Saturday] Jan. 29 also broke the record for the highest calendar day snowfall ever measured in January at the observatory.” Power outages, car accidents and damages to trees were common. But at least we … Continue reading Winter Weary! →

The New Year has brought us some really bitter cold temperatures. The last couple of days have broken some records in the Greater Boston area. Thankfully, although the recent blizzard dropped more than a foot of snow in our town, it was dry and fluffy snow and not wet and heavy. So, no damage was … Continue reading New Year Resolutions →

We’ve finally had some “killing” frosts, but it’s amazing how many of our rose bushes still have all their leaves and some pretty buds. Since it’s time to “put the garden to bed,” we’re prepping the garden for winter. Especially important is the pruning of our trees, specifically the one through which our power lines … Continue reading ‘Tis the Season! →

So here we are in November — close to the end of the year. According to “The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the origin of the name “November” comes from the Latin word “novem” meaning “nine” because originally it had been the ninth month of the early Roman calendar. Speaking of calendars, our favorite (from free samples … Continue reading An Unusual November →