The Daily Gardener

Merriam-Webster gives the following synonyms for perennial;   abiding, enduring, perpetual, undying   Those terms can give gardeners unrealistic expectations for perennials; They're not eternal. They will eventually part ways with your garden. But, for as long as they can, your perennials will make a go of it. Returning to the garden after their season of dieback and rest. Ready to grow; ready for you to see them (and love them) all over again.

How close are your earliest bloomers to your front door?   Your crocus, snowdrops, iris, daffodils, tulips, forsythia, daphnes, and magnolias.   When I redid my front garden last year, the designer had put all my earliest bloomers right near the front porch and walk.  When I asked her reasoning, she reminded me of our long winters. Her advice was spot on: When spring finally arrives, it's much more pleasurable to have those earliest blooms where you can see them first thing

Today I learned how botanists used to say "hello" to each other.   In the 1800's and 1900's, a common way for botanists to introduce themselves, often from the other side of the world, was to send each other plant specimens as the foundation for developing a relationship.   When it comes to friendship, plants are icebreakers, communicators, and binding ties all rolled into one.

I recently had a gardener ask me about the first herb I'd ever grown.   That would be chives.   Chives, like many herbs, are so easy to grow. Plus, you get the cute purple puffball blossoms.   I had a chef friend show me how she liked to cut off the flower. Then, she snipped a little triangle off of the bottom where the bloom comes together (like cutting paper to make a snowflake). By doing this, you basically get "chive-fetti" and you can easily sprinkle the little chive blossom over salads or...

There's a soldier's prayer that goes,   "Stay with me, God. The night is dark, The night is cold: my little spark Of courage dies. The night is long; Be with me, God, and make me strong.   Dark. Cold. Long.   It's easy to get so excited about the first nice days of Spring.   "It was 80 degrees today!"   "It's going to be above 70 all next week!"   Well, hold your horses. You're forgetting about those nights. Remember?

Children's book writer and illustrator Tasha Tudor (Books by this author) once said,   It's exciting to see things coming up again, plants that you've had for 20 or 30 years. It's like seeing an old friend. This made me think of the old saying;   Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.   Perennials are old friends. Gold friends. They are the best kind of garden friends.   They may not be as flashy or exciting as the gardener's silver friends; annuals...

Does your garden have a signature plant?   If you can't decide, maybe it's time to let your garden do the talking.    Complete the following sentence: My garden has the perfect spot to grow....(fill in the blank).    For instance, you may have the perfect spot to grow anemone.   I remember going to my friend Carmen’s house in the spring. I came around the corner and stopped in my tracks when I saw her happy anemones - so cheerful, so vibrant,... and so demanding...

Do you have pet names for your plants?   Amy the Amaryllis.   Jerry the geranium.   Once I bought some dahlias at a private plant sale.   Before I drove away, I rolled down the window to ask for the sellers name; they’ve been my “Doris“ dahlias ever since. Doris and I have stayed in touch over the years, and I have to say; she’s as lovely as the bloom on those dahlias.

William Cullen Bryantwrote,    “There is no glory in star or blossom  till looked upon by a loving eye;  There is no fragrance in April breezes  till breathed with joy as they wander by.”   That pretty much sums up what happens with the plants I’ve dubbed "double-takes".    A double-take plant is the one you first ignore or blow off - but them something about them causes you to take another look; to appreciate what you didn’t see the first time around...

“The sun was warm but the wind was chill. You know how it is with an April day.”   ~ Robert Frost   April can be a challenging time in the garden.   How many truly lovely Aprils does one get in a lifetime? I’d venture to say maybe five or six.   Often, the gardens are too wet to get into; provided you could even get to them. Even with the rain, the snow hasn’t completely melted away.   It’s too cold to turn the spigots on, so you’ll have the thrill of trooping through the resid

William Kent wrote:   "A garden is to be a world unto itself,  it had better make room  for the darker shades of feeling  as well as the sunny ones.”   I’ve usually think about my garden as my happy place.   It’s a natural mood changer for me.   But I remember one time when I was out in the garden with feelings of a definite darker shade.   I was very pregnant with John and I was wearing a hideous, striped, maternity tank top.   It was super hot out and I looked like an absolu

I was looking at the cute brass plant labelson the Target website the other day - I was trying to find the link to that adorable garden tote I was telling you about and I thought about the evolution of a gardener when it comes to using plant tags.   First you start out needing the labels - is that dill? What does basil look like again?   Then you label only the newcomers or the look alike  parsley or cilantro - who can tell without smell...

How much do you care for your garden?   Does your time and attention stay pretty constant throughout the season?   If not, why not?   What would your garden look like in August if you loved it then as much as you do now?   What do you need to do to sustain a high level of care for your garden all season long? Fewer tomato or pepper plants? More raised beds? Getting regular garden time committed on the calendar? Removing high maintenance plants?

Just when you thought you had winter beat… You thought wrong.   Surprise.   Unpredictable weather. Dicey temperatures. Gardeners need resilience.  If Spring’s arrival is dashing your hope,  start to look for the survivors in your garden. In your neighborhood. In your city.  On your social media feed. Every Spring - no matter the conditions, there are successes...

Today’s thought is exactly that: How we think when we garden. Emerson wrote: “Blame me not, laborious band, For the idle flowers I brought; Every aster in my hand Comes back laden with a thought.” How wonderful our gardens are for thinking. Creatively. Therapeutically. Soulfully...