Vernonia 'Iron Butterfly' in my garden, covered with honey bees and other pollinators. I could hear the plant buzzing from a distance as I approached! It is next to Sanguisorba canadensis, another great native for September. As I walked my gardens on Sunday, I realized how...
Labor Day has come and gone and it's pretty hard to believe it's September with yet anotherheatwave upon us. But the biggest story in the gardening world is the drought. I came home from a week's vacation in Vermont (where it was also hot and...
Perennial ageratum (Eupatorium coelestinum) is starting to bloom next to the buds of Sedum 'Autumn Joy' in my Middletown garden. This week as I was fighting the crab grass wars in my perennial borders, I noticed the first of my perennial ageratum flowers coming into bloom....
Magic is in the air at Natureworks this week. The shop is filled with monarchs in every stage of life. We are preparing for our free talk this Saturdaymorning, All About the Monarch Butterfly. Join our "crazy monarch lady" and retail manager Diane St. John...
I walked by a mixed planter on the front lawn ofNatureworks and noticed the above blue berries covering a lantana. Horrors! If you let your lantana form seeds they will stop flowering. Which leads me to the burning question of the week: what should I...
I just coined a new name for my garden: Paradise unleashed! That phrase came to mind last Friday as I sat and watched in awe the life in the garden unfolding before me. Two pairs of hummingbirds did their spiral dance before my eyes. A...
'Teddy Bear' sunflowers are so much fun! My garden at home is filled to overflowing with every kind of daisy imaginable. First of all, there are sunflower "trees" everywhere (see the picture at the top of this email). I remove many of the lower leaves and...
What a wonderful sound to wake up to, a steady rain falling on the roof on Tuesday. It's a relief to know that our gardens and lawns are finally getting the deep soaking they need. This weather makes it the perfect time to plant your fall...
It's August and gardens are lush and abundant. There are many ways to think about the garden at this time of year. Recently I was reading Ken Druse's latest book The New Shade Garden: Creating a Lush Oasis in the Age of Climate Change This...
It's a glorious summer week. The humidity is lessening, scattered thunderstorms have brought rain to some towns, and the garden is alive with life. We're keeping it fresh here at Natureworks with lots of new annuals, plenty of colorful perennials, interesting ornamental grasses, and beautiful...