Some of us soon might be gazing wistfully at snow out our windows, but the truth is spring is not far away. What better way is there to beat the winter doldrums than to gear up for spring planting? Continue reading
Category Archives: Native Plants
Mark Your Calendar for These Spring Plant Sales and Giveaways
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EmailPlants We Love: River Birch
A recent stroll along the James River reminded me of my love for the river birch. As I neared the end of my walk in downtown Richmond, I happened upon a few stately specimens, their bark in full peeling splendor.
You’ll know the river birch, or Betula nigra, when you see it. The bark peels up from the trunk in layers, revealing a rainbow of tans, reds and browns (“cinnamon” is a good description). These colors are more vivid in older trees. Oval or triangular leaves have double-toothed edges, and the trunk is typically divided into two or three trunks.
This entry was posted in Bayscaping, Native Plants, Trees and tagged in river birch, betula nigra, james river, ornamental bark, trees, julie buchanan | Leave a comment.
Plight of the Pollinator
I cannot live without coffee and chocolate. Therefore, I cannot live without pollinators.
This week is National Pollinator Week, and Facebook is full of beautiful, up-close photos of our pollinating friends at work. I look at them while enjoying my morning coffee (and contemplating chocolate for breakfast).
This entry was posted in Gardens, Native Plants, Wildlife and tagged in pollinators, native plants, national pollinator week, pollinator partnership, bees, hummingbirds, butterflies | Leave a comment.
Plants We Love: Turtleheads -- Snap Them Up!
Chelone, (it rhymes with phony and baloney) is a native member of the figwort family. It is more commonly known as turtlehead. It's not hard to figure out how it got its common name; those blooms shaped like turtleheads are so adorable that even someone who is not a fan of turtles can’t resist them. They remind me of kids running around in the rain with their tongues sticking out to catch the droplets. Chelone was a nymph in Greek mythology that offended the gods by not attending the wedding of Zeus to Hera. To punish her, they turned her into a turtle. Continue reading
This entry was posted in Gardens, Native Plants, Tips and tagged in turtlehead, betty truax | 2 Comments.
Native Plants for Every Environment
Natives are great for many reasons. But to give them a great start, they need to be planted in the proper environment. Whether you have shade, part shade to sun, moisture or a dry landscape, there is a group of plants that would be perfect for that site. Continue reading
This entry was posted in Native Plants, Tips and tagged in beth hellmer, native plants, garden gate landscape and design | 4 Comments.
Plants We Love: Bloodroot
Warning: Bloodroot can be extremely toxic, even fatal.
I'm not going to discuss the medical uses for bloodroot. There is plenty of information on the web (and from professional herbalists, which I certainly am not) explaining its benefits and dangers. Just let me say do your research very well. Also, consider pets and children before planting it in your landscape. As beautiful as this plant is, it is not worth risking loved ones’ health or possibly even lives. Continue reading
This entry was posted in Gardens, Native Plants, Tips and tagged in betty truax, bloodroot, native plants | 2 Comments.
Care To Make A Trade? Check Out Seed Swaps
The idea couldn’t be simpler. You have seeds left over from last year’s garden but, this year, would like to try some new plants. Somewhere nearby, a fellow gardener is in the same boat. The two of you attend a neighborhood seed swap organized by one very ambitious person or group and — voilà — you both have new seeds to plant. Continue reading
This entry was posted in Chesapeake Bay, Gardens, Native Plants, Plant More Plants and tagged in washington gardener magazing, seed exchange, seed swap, green spring gardens, brookside gardens, wheadon, alexandria | Leave a comment.
Plants We Love: Iris Cristata
Iris is one of my favorite perennial genera consisting of over 300 species. When growing iris it is important to determine the species. Some like sun others like shade and some want wet. Others can't tolerate wet feet at all. They can be 4 inches or they can grow to be over 3 feet tall. Continue reading
This entry was posted in Bayscaping, Gardens, Native Plants, Tips and tagged in betty truax, iris cristata, dwarf crested iris | Leave a comment.
Plants We Love: Buttonbush
A few years ago my husband and I moved to a lakefront property that had lawn growing down to the water's edge. I immediately started researching putting in a riparian buffer (I always think of Hyacinth from the britcom "Keeping Up Appearances" touting her "riparian buffet" when I hear that phrase). Continue reading
This entry was posted in Bayscaping, Native Plants, Wildlife and tagged in buttonbush, plants we love, betty truax, native plant, shrubs, wetlands, prince william wildflower society, lake ridge garden club | 1 Comment.
Make a Day of It at Norfolk Botanical Garden
Garden lovers should mark their calendars for Sept. 22, when the Norfolk Botanical Garden will host two great events focused on conservation landscaping.
Start the day off with the Garden Symposium from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The theme of this symposium is "How Sustainable Gardening and Landscaping Projects Improve the Health of Your Garden." Guest speakers will explain how gardeners can create nature-friendly landscapes and improve the health of their gardens at the same time. Lunch will be served, and door prizes will include a rain barrel and gift certificates for professional landscape consultations. Continue reading
This entry was posted in Bayscaping, Chesapeake Bay, Gardens, Native Plants, Tips, Trees and tagged in norfolk botanical garden, bayscaping boat tour, lynnhaven river now, garden symposium, fall planting | Leave a comment.