1. Leading up to this Saturday, climate chaos was the primary thing going on here in Blount County, Alabama. The high temperatures during November have ranged from the 80s to the 40s F. There have been very dry periods and very wet ones; on Tuesday evening 7 inches of rain fell in the area as …
There is just not much blooming here at the lake. October is traditionally a dry--maybe the driest--month in Alabama, but this year is exceptional. The last measurable rain was 13 October. Before that we go back to 5 September, for less than half an inch, with 1.54 inches the day before. Autumn colors are more …
It is rather difficult writing about what has been going on in the garden these days because I have not been in the garden these days, or in fact, for most of the summer. Rather, I have been in a Star Wars storm trooper-like orthopedic boot. Consequently, things have gone on essentially un-manicured, unmanaged, and …
Last week's post focused on trees and was very green. I promised some color for the next post. A promise fulfilled below. 1. Throughout the garden Althea, also called Rose of Sharon or Rose Mallow in the UK, provides white and purple hibiscus flowers in a range of shades. Hibiscus syriacus is a non-native originating …
Black-eyed Susans head up this set of six on Saturday entries in part because I especially like them--in fact, rather consider them name sakes. They bloom in mid-June right around my birthday, and I am a Susan. But they also signal a shift in my work routine in the wooded area of the garden. Until …
1. I begin this week's six where I began last week's with the Blount County Master Gardeners' plant sale. But instead of announcing the sale, I'm reporting on my purchases: marigolds, wave petunias, hydrangea paniculatas, impatiens, columbines, coleus, Asian lilies, basil, a massive hanging pot begonia, and one very tall Japanese maple that was just …
I am posting on Saturday, but this week's six reflect the whole of another erratic week of weather in Alabama. Maybe you will find a kinder and more consistent Spring at the site of The Propagator or the many fine gardeners who join in this weekly garden celebration. So, on to the first. 1. My …
After Eden 