A noun. A verb. A blog.
Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Delft Blue’ – the camera turns it more purple than the soft blue of real life So glad I didn’t plant hyacinths last fall – or, rather, so glad I didn’t plant all of them. I held back six extra-fragrant ‘Delft Blue’ hyacinths from Botanus to try forcing. And now, when you step […]
Sarah’s garden won the Snowdrop Derby in 2013 It’s a tradition at Toronto Gardens to mark the arrival of the first snowdrops. Despite the recent dump of snow and slush, these welcome babies arrived on Sarah’s south-ish facing slope just yesterday, if not before. Snowdrops in February? Priceless. Time to note where to plant more, […]
Campanula and Veronicastrum against the golden leaves of Calalpa bignonoiodes ‘Aurea’, VanDusen Botanical Garden The same garden from beneath the fretwork of the branches A basketload of May/June blooms on the species of this North American native tree Now, in close-up And from a distance in an east-end Toronto parkette Helen and Sarah and […]
Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Rainbow’ – ‘Rainbow’ drooping fetterbush or dog hobble Variegated foliage is my weakness. But, I have to be careful. A garden full of typical green-and-white “interesting” foliage can be too much of a good thing. But these two shrubs – both seen growing in Toronto – can introduce a kiss of pink into […]
Staghorn Fern at Allan Gardens, Toronto. You know how certain plants call to you, and others don’t? I’d always been a little wary of Staghorn Fern Platycerium Bifurcatum. There was something a little creepy and non-plantlike about them that left me a little cold, but I never forgot how much they appealed to my father, […]
These mottled leaves on my Clivia could be telling me a sad, sad story. Oh, dear. You might know of my constant quest for unkillable houseplants. When I find one purported to be Helenproof, I’m on it like bees (or Battersbys) on honey. How thrilled I was to hear about Clivia, an easy-to-care-for flowering bulb […]
My Hoya carnosa or wax plant is pushing the Big 3-0 Like the Brave Little Tailor in the fairytale, I should wear a sash reading, Helen the Houseplant Killer. It’s my specialty, particularly in creative ways. Most houseplant killers do it with too much love – by over-watering. My poison, on t’other hand, is neglect. […]
Who could resist the golden form of spike winterhazel (Corylopsis spicata) ‘Aurea’ also known as ‘Gold Spring’? Why do I always fall in love with the wrong guy? Look at those handsome leaves! All boldly goldy-chartreusy, with a blush on the newest. Then look below at the bright pink bud scales (that protect the leaf […]
Finally, Boxing Day 2012 had a late delivery of snow. Toronto gardeners got a late gift yesterday – a nice, deep blanket of snow! Whenever you’re shovelling it off your walks, don’t push it into the street. Pile it onto your garden! As long as it doesn’t contain salts, that snow contains just what your […]
‘Intokazi’ white amaryllis, from South Africa is a stunner. Let’s face it, November, early December is the prime season of brown and bedraggled—bare trees, sundown at 4:30, and the dreary heft of winter coat and boots. I can’t think of a better time to impulse-buy an amaryllis in a pot. I bought this one a […]
Helenium autumnale – that’s Helen’s flower, to you. Not sneezeweed. Geez. Enough about me. Let’s talk about Helenium. I don’t know what variety this is (perhaps its short stature points to ‘Ruby Dwarf’ aka ‘Rubinzwerg’), but I wish it were growing in my garden. Despite what they say about the need for full sun and moist soil, […]
Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) – “leaves of three, let it be.” Hiking with Mr. TG last weekend, it became clear that my former- Scoutmaster husband had forgotten what poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) looks like. Yikes. And it was everywhere along our path. One study suggests that poison ivy might get itchier and more plentiful in […]