Years and years ago, going back to the beginnings of this current garden, I purchased seeds for a flower called candy lilies.At the time I bought the seeds, the candy lily was considered an intergeneric hybrid, a cross between two plants from two different genera. You don't find those very often, for a variety of reasons!Then both parent plants were reclassified by the plant taxonomists and both ended up in the Iris genus. So now I've just got a regular ol' hybrid, probably Iris x … [Read more...] about Candy Lilies
perennials
My Old Neighbors
This Allium 'Millenium' will always remind me of our next-door neighbors when I was a kid. Not because they grew this particular variety of Allium—it was introduced in 1990, long after I'd left home—but because their son called me up one day and asked if I wanted a few clumps of it. He had planted it in a container at his mom's retirement apartment, and when he switched over the planting from summer to fall, as one does, he decided the ornamental allium might be nice for someone to plant … [Read more...] about My Old Neighbors
The Garden’s Most Photographed Flower
Step right up, dear readers, and you will see the garden's most photographed flower. The current record holder—and yes I readily admit my record-keeping in this matter is lax to the max—is a Christmas Rose, Helleborus niger. No doubt my extraordinary gardening skills the warmer than usual weather is allowing this plant to shine like the winter beauty it is. I think it is possible that maybe this flower will be featured on Great Day TV this Saturday (Dec. 28) at 10:00 am EST on WISH-TV. … [Read more...] about The Garden’s Most Photographed Flower
Peonies, in July
It worked! I picked peonies in the bud stage way back in May, stripped off the leaves, wrapped them individually in plastic wrap, then put them in the back of the refrigerator. I peeked at them a few times to make sure they weren't growing mold or anything like that. They just smiled back at me. "We're fine, Carol, please close the refrigerator door, the light is rather bright you know." Then Monday evening, I took them out of the refrigerator, re-cut the stems, and put them in vases of … [Read more...] about Peonies, in July
You say Penny, I say…
You say "penny", I say "pee-o-nee" and some people say "piney." But everyone says pretty! Everyone! There is no way any sane person could look at my new 'Bartzella' ITOH peony and not be blown over by its beauty. And the good news is, I've planted it in the ground where it belongs. In fact, until another shipment of trial plants arrived today, I had all the "plant in the ground" plants planted in the ground with the exception of one hosta. I will not pat myself on the back though … [Read more...] about You say Penny, I say…
The Christmas Rose
With my magical gardening powers, I've made a flower bloom in December, in my garden, where we've had snow and cold and some occasional sun. Dear Reader, you too can have these magical gardening powers and have winter-blooming flowers, though I will confess these powers don't seem to work in all climates. But here in my Midwest garden, they work quite well. Please lean in toward your screen and make sure no one is looking over your shoulder. Then, and only then, may you continue reading … [Read more...] about The Christmas Rose
