A late rose for Christmas? (Helleborus niger)

Helleborus niger, blooming January 26, 2012 at my house

There are a number of plants that are clever enough to bloom during the winter months: none
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Forget-us-not! (Plant Select is true and blue)…

Who doesn’t love blue in flowers? Do our gardens ever have enough blue? Well…
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Disaster! Los Angeles Botanic Gardens rise to the Challenge!

The dictionary definition of a botanic garden is “a garden for
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Phlox: the All American genus

Phlox by Jim Locklear (Published by Timber press)

Okay: I lied.
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Passing of a gardener

Frank Cabot (Photo by Marina Schinz)

This last weekend we lost the most eminent gardener of our era, and possibly the greatest gardener America has ever produced. Francis Higginson Cabot passed away peacefully at his home in Malbaie, Quebec. Frank possessed the vision and means to practice horticulture on a nearly mythical scale: he created not one but two extraordinary gardens of enormous scope: Stonecrop in Cold Spring, New York, and Les Quatres Vents in Quebec. He pursued other gardens on almost as ambitiously in scale in Wales, New Zealand and New Mexico. He took a leadership role in many organizations, notably chairing the Board of the New York Botanical Garden in the seventies, and serving as Treasurer of the North American Rock Garden society for seven years.
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Buckley Oak: my favorite tree in the world…

Foliage up close of Buckley or Texas oak

Every year I remind myself to plant another oak: most ashes, maples,
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Late autumn glory: crocuses and colchicums still at it!

Now Ellen! I don’t decry your lovely shots of snow, but flowers are still
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The iceman cometh!

Buckwheat border in Wildflower Treasures at the height of the flowering season (mid-June)

I start off with high summer: if I showed the “after” picture you would not
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