By Claire Jones
After the final hard frost of the season, sometime in mid-November here in USDA zone 7 Maryland, I am starved for winter color. Much of my winter interest is present with pealing bark, stem colors, and berries, but I am especially interested in flowers that bloom in the coldest of weather. Flowers in December, January, …
Continue reading "Favorite Top 10 Blooms for the Winter Garden"
Sunny yellow blooms fringed with a green ruff green poking through snow is my first sign that spring has sprung. Eranthis hyamalis, or Winter Aconite, in the buttercup family, is a spring ephemeral, which means that it is a short-lived plant above ground with a burst of blooms, then disappears, remaining under ground until next …
Continue reading "Winter Aconites-Harbinger of Spring"
You love spring bulbs but have a huge deer and squirrel problem? Yes, this fall you can plant a number of bulbs that they will pass up! Most people know that daffodils are always ignored by deer and rodents, but don't limit yourself to daffodils. There are many other deer/rodent resistant bulb varieties. Deer and …
Continue reading "Critter Proof Bulbs"
Underutilized and unknown to many people, Summer Snowflake, Leucojum aestivum, should be planted in more gardens. Deer resistant, easy to grow, and thriving in shady situations, this bulb deserves more recognition. Resembling giant snowdrops, these bulbs bloom for weeks in late April, and not in the summer like the name indicates. If you have deer …
Continue reading "Summer Snowflake-An Heirloom Bulb"
Winter Aconites are easy to grow bulbs that herald the first sign of spring along with Snowdrops. Valuable as an early nectar and pollen source for honey bees and other pollinators, these sunny flowers should be in every garden.
