Peony Wisdom
Peony season may be short, but choosing the right variety makes all the difference. Here’s why mail order might be your best bet for fall planting
Larry Hurley’s Photo Of The Week: An Orchid for the Garden
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…
Perennial Chatter from Wisconsin
A visit to Maryland from Middleton, Wisconsin by Larry Hurley to say Good by to a friends and hello to other friends. Plus, what is happening in his new garden.
Gambrills Flower Farm Visit
Where Is Gambrills? A few months ago, one of our Behnke friends, Lynn Foster, suggested that I take a trip out to visit one of her favorite places to shop for plants, Gambrills Flower Farm. When she mentioned it, I…
Garden Walkabouts with Dr. A: In His Garden, Warts and All
Join Dr. Allan Armitage as his, 2022 Spring Garden Walkabouts with Dr. A: In His Garden, Warts and All on March 26th. Dr. A is a well known writer, speaker, and horticulturist. Born and raised in Quebec and Ontario, he later lived in East Lansing, MI and now resides in Athens, GA.
Bear’s Breeches ‘Acanthus spinosus’
Stephanie talks about the perennial Bear’s Breeches in her garden and how beautiful it is this year.
Thanksgiving Farms ‘We Grow Our Own’
Road Trip Last Sunday, my friend Donna and I took a road trip to Adamstown, Maryland, in Frederick County. I have always heard about Thanksgiving Farms, an independent garden center but never had the opportunity to go there. Carol Allen…
A Visit To Patuxent Nursery
This week Stephanie’s road trip took her to Bowie, Maryland where she stopped in to see Patuxent Nursery. Lucky for her, former Behnke Bes, the perennial manager, was there, and they were able to catch up.
Spring Blues
Larry Hurley writes about one of his favorite blue flowering perennials. There are a number of blue-flowered, spring-blooming perennials. A group you should consider are in the genus Amsonia, commonly known as Bluestar.
Several are native to the United States, and one, Amsonia tabernaemontana, is native to Maryland. This species gets two to three feet tall, and blooms for several weeks in late April through early to mid-May, depending on weather conditions. It has pale blue flowers and nice yellow fall color. It grows in full sun to partial shade.
Victory Garden 2.0 – Fall is for Planting Perennials
Fall may be a better time to plant perennials than spring. The cooler, rainier weather is more conducive to helping plants establish.
Profusion of Pink Fringe from Nature Hills Nursery
This Dianthus will bloom most heavily in mid-to-late spring. If the summer is mild, you may be able to extend the blooming season by deadheading (removing the spent flowers.)
Calamint – A Low Maintenance Perennial
Here’s another perennial that I think is underappreciated. Calamint, officially Calamintha nepeta, is a low maintenance perennial for the front of the garden, staying at around 18 inches in height. It has airy masses of tiny flowers in white to…