Dirt Therapy

I have to confess that I am a book hoarder. It takes an act of Congress for me to let go of a precious volume although I did diminish my library quite substantially when we moved to Washington. That said, I still find myself with around 200 gardening related books. In addition, there are my cookbooks, Hollywood biographies, and fiction. And, oh yes, I also have a collection of nothing but the children's classic "The Secret Garden" of which there are about 50 different editions. When I do decide to give up a book, I can guarantee you that I will find myself needing to consult that book a few weeks later. It never fails.  Recently, I was conducting yet another futile attempt to weed out some books. Glancing through them, I noticed that I have many old books, titles that I picked up at library book sales and used bookstores many moons ago. I used to believe that old books might bring money some day. Ha! Never ask me for financial advice. But that isn't the only reaso...

Aster 'Kickin Purple'  For fall perennials, asters are hard to beat and I've just recently went a bit crazy over them. I've always admired the half-hardy types that appear in garden centers alongside the chrysanthemums for seasonal color in pots. I don't remember having any of the hardier varieties in the old garden but I've added several in the garden here. According to my spread sheet, I have at least five varieties. The latest is pictured above (Aster 'Kickin Purple'). The "Kickin' series offers a more compact plant that hopefully stays neat and tidy. Advertised as growing only 2' x 2', it appears to adhere to that size so far. There are about six or seven different colors in the series. The first aster I planted was the old standby Aster frikartii 'Monch'. I have several along the fence border that runs alongside the street. It is the earliest blooming aster and I've seen flowers as early as late July. Normally, ...

I think molasses cookies are one of those things that you either love or hate. Michael doesn't like them and our neighbor's husband doesn't either. I find that they would not be my first choice if I had several types to choose from but once I eat one, I want another and another... I think they are a great cookie for this time of year when it starts to get colder.  I have been on such a Maida Heatter kick for the past decade that I have neglected many of my other cookbooks. I pulled Dorie Greenspan's baking book from the shelf and was browsing through it when I came across this recipe. I haven't made many recipes from her book and I really should remedy that. It is a large, beautiful book and the recipes that I have tried in the past have been wonderful. This one is no exception. Sugar-Topped Molasses Cookies (from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, Houghton Mifflin, 2006) 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp...

After a few weeks in Alabama, I returned home earlier this week to find that autumn was in full swing. Temperatures are in the 50s and 60s during the day and it has been damp. I've got a lot of chores to catch up on, mostly getting the pots inside and some pruning. A quick look around the garden -  Persian Ironwood ( Parrotia ), much more colorful this year than last.  Black Tupelo ( Nyssa sylvatica ), planted last fall.  Mountain Gordlinia, just planted about a month ago, showing vibrant red leaves.  Ginkgo 'Princetown Sentry', planted last fall in the front garden, just gets better and better.  Another view of the gingko, with the Sourwood ( Oxydendrum ) in the foreground.  Acer 'Sango Kaku' (Japanese Maple) Japanese Stewartia Burning Bush ( Euonymous 'Rudy Haag') under the Sourwood tree One of the potted Japanese Maples - 'Dancing Peacock'  Bluestar ( Amsonia hubrichtii ) Dwa...

I think sometimes that we gardeners take for granted the simple plants that do so well in the garden. We just plop them in the earth or a pot and forget about them as they go on their way and perform amazingly with minimal care. I was thinking about that this morning as I pulled up a sad clump of ratty portulaca and tossed it into the compost bin. This was our second night with light frosts and while it did not do too much damage, I could definitely see that the portulaca was unhappy. It would linger on, had I left it, but the fact of the matter is that it just doesn't like these cloudy, rainy days that we've been having, much less the dipping temperatures. It prefers the sun-kissed, warmer days of August, when these photo were taken. I've been growing this colorful annual for 30 years now and realized that it first came to my attention after I met Michael. His mother absolutely loved Moss Rose, the common name that many know it by, and one year we planted it all alon...