I love plants with interesting foliage, be it the striking color, shape or fragrance. Rosa glauca, with her lovely bluish foliage, captured me the first time I saw it. Its flowers and hips are a bonus, always appreciated for their color and delicate … read more

Carpenter Bees Recently at breakfast, I overheard someone talking about carpenter bees. Most people have heard about carpenter ants but carpenter bees were a new one to know. This person had inherited a deck that had been built with old, untreated and unpainted … read more

I expect you’ve heard that the only way to protect your plants from hungry deer is a good fence. The deer in my neighborhood illustrate this point perfectly. Before I built my current fence, I kept my treasured deer “candy” covered in black … read more

Weeds are not altogether undesirable plants. “Heresy!” you might say, but the term “weed” is an arbitrary designation made by a gardener who would prefer to grow another plant instead. To some people, a foxglove is a gift in an otherwise bare bed, … read more

The last tent caterpillar outbreak in West Sound happened quite a while ago. Yet the memories — of the sounds they made as they munched away at our tree canopy and the shivers they sent through my spine as they fell on my … read more

Most gardeners have plants they wish they never had planted. I have three in my own garden. These nefarious plants are yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata), bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria) and Peruvian lily (Alstroemeria). All three plants are deciduous perennials. I regret the day … read more