Every year, there’s a moment when I can feel that spring is really on its way. It’s not just the calendar telling me, it’s the subtle shifts in nature, the little signs that winter is loosening its grip. Right now,…
My wife and I vacationed in Tucson, Arizona a few weeks ago to get away from the Wisconsin winter. While wandering around the parking lot at one of our hotels, I noticed that a couple of trees had been cut…
Ever since Susan Harris shared her visit to the U.S. Botanical Garden’s Orchid Show, I’ve wanted to go. Lucky for me, my cousin Jeanne Behnke Byrnes reached out and suggested we go to celebrate our birthdays—mine in February and hers…
This photo is from 1985, a year after we moved into our Bethesda home, and a year after I planted a “pass-along” plant, a gift from a coworker. He told me it was Marsh Marigold, and that’s also what I…
Discover the World of Orchids February 17, 2023 – April 30, 2023 United States Botanic Garden Conservatory The United States Botanic Garden—yet another place I’ve never been. How can that be? With this exhibit, I’m hoping to make it there finally. I’ve…
Anyone can grow tropical plants indoors, you just need to be aware of the plant’s needs. Some are easier than others. I’ve never been able to successfully grown weeping figs or fiddleleaf figs in the house. They are, after all, large-growing trees that…
Did You Watch The Super Bowl? Like many, last Sunday, we had the Super Bowl on in our house. And yes, my team won. If the Ravens could not be in it this year, I decided to go for another…
I hope you have had a chance to visit one of the orchid shows around your area this winter. They are always a nice change from the cold, and bring thoughts of tropical travels. So many kinds and colors! You…
Where do new perennials come from? Many are grown in tissue culture by specialty growers. One that we worked with a lot when we were growing perennials at Behnke’s was Terra Nova Nurseries, in Oregon. They have an extensive breeding program for…
Today, while putting this email together, I thought about Valentine’s Day coming up. It was fun at Behnke’s when Evelyn, our Florist Shop manager, would have all the roses and carnations arrive so everyone could start putting bouquets together. She…
It’s winter, and I’ve been having “snowbird” thoughts of times spent in warmer climates. One photo is from Bangkok, Thailand. It was not only warm, it was very hot and humid, and this from a guy who was living in Maryland…
One would have thought I would have had a Peace Lily after all these years. But one would be wrong. I am the one Behnke with a brown thumb, which is not from planting. Years ago, after killing so many…