Author Archives: Denise
The Jasmine and the Snowman
After working in front of a computer 40 hours the last four days, I was in desperate need of a walk. Coat, coffee money, and a camera were found and I headed out the door. Reading other garden blogs, I’m … Continue reading
Dog’s Breakfast
British slang dating to about the 1930’s, meant to convey an unholy mess of dribs and drabs, a hodgepodge. Although origin is uncertain, it seems likely to have dated from the morning someone, possibly slightly hungover, dumped last night’s fried … Continue reading
Posted in creatures, Ephemera
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Waking Up to White
Sometimes I seem to be sleepwalking when planning the garden. For example, how could I not have noticed this build-up of white-flowering plants? White valerian, agrostemma, diascia, Geranium maderense, arctotis, gaura, foxgloves. True, it surprised me this morning doing a … Continue reading
Pelargonium ‘Chocolate Mint’
For eating, it’s dark chocolate, please, and hold the mint. For the 5×5 plot of ground under the Chinese Fringe tree, Chionanthus retusus, this Chocolate Mint will do. Thought to be a sport of P. tomentosum. The small white flowers … Continue reading
Drought Buster
Tibouchina heteromalla holding on to a raindrop. Photo by MB Maher. I understand the impulse. We’ve been promised a solid day of rain, but so far it’s only been a fitful one. Possibly more tonight. Euphorbia cotinifolia, Caribbean Copper Plant, … Continue reading
Posted in Bulbs, MB Maher
Tagged drought, Euphorbia cotinifolia, MB Maher, Scilla peruviana, Tibouchina heteromalla
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Three-Quarters Full
Day job intrudes on blogging, which is good (half full) in the sense the economy must be picking up if I’m busier, but which is also not so good (half empty) since I can’t grab a few minutes to blog … Continue reading
Posted in Ephemera, MB Maher, photography, Plant Portraits
Tagged angelica pachycarpa, coprosma, Hellebore argutifolius
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The Stuff of Nightmares
The mood: Moving through the garden in that dreamy, rapturous state that a gardener effortlessly attains when perusing spring growth early in the morning, usually trailing the hem of a robe on clammy bricks while drinking a steaming cup of … Continue reading
Posted in creatures
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Miracle on 28th Street
A minor miracle, just an urban meadow. This is a large medical complex that has been undergoing lots of construction and expansion of new hospital wings. The meadow, although just adjacent to the entrance, is slightly below grade and ringed … Continue reading
March of the Tulips
They are a bit regimental in appearance, aren’t they? I’m not sure I’d want to accentuate that trait by lining them out with geometric precision in bedding-out schemes. I prefer to see these little soldiers cavorting with fennel and linaria … Continue reading
Posted in Bulbs, Plant Portraits
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