Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) brings a welcome glow of spring to the garden. It is one of the earliest bulbs to bloom in spring and its small golden flowers look like tiny buttercups. I first noticed this plant in the front shrub border at the Boerner Botanical Gardens and I have been checking on […]
Garden Notes
Is It Spring Yet?
This has been a very cold, dark and snowy winter. According to our weather service, it is the worst winter in 20 years and it certainly felt like that. My mom always talked about cabin fever and this year I really understood what she meant. I just wanted to go somewhere, anywhere warm and sunny. […]
Flowering Almond Shrub
A few years ago, while looking through one of the plant catalogs I receive each spring, I fell in love with a Flowering Almond shrub. I ordered the plant and it arrived in a few days as bare root stock. Following directions, I placed it in a bucket of water to rehydrate. The next day […]
Weigela, A Carefree Shrub
When we first purchased our home, I spent a year getting to know what was planted in the yard before making any big changes. Actually since we were busy working on projects inside the house, this was not really a problem. By the second spring I was organized and ready to garden so I […]
Boerner Botanical Trial Gardens
Last year, as a new master gardener, I volunteered to help at the Boerner Botanical Garden, a place I have long admired. Visiting once a week, I did my bloom check as directed and then walked around the grounds, enjoying the flowers and looking for new plants that might do well in my own garden. […]
Black Friday Spring Bulbs
This weekend after Thanksgiving, I went out for a bit of shopping. One of the places I stopped was Steins, a garden center near our home. Originally my plan was to check out Christmas decorations, but in passing the bulb section near the checkout counter, I noticed a 90% off sale sign for all spring […]