Most of the tropicals that overwintered as houseplants above. The colocasias, alocasias, Bird of Paradise, Society Garlic and the not-pictured lemongrass overwinter in dishes filled water. I do have a NOID colocasia I overwinter as a tuber as I do with dahlias – cut the foliage off, let it dry, […]
Author: Jennifer
Simple guide to tree root structures and types
….no reason, I just thought it was interesting. Above, Japanese Stewartia in fall, a heart root system I believe. The guide in question. And another post on root systems.
Visitors Early Summer 2025
Front yard filled with golden alexanders and serviceberries and elderberries and other virtue-signalling native pollinators and my friends here have chosen Rodgersia (compliments of China) and a snake plant (compliments of west Africa.) I plant a lot of non-natives/non-invasives I’m comfortable with, but this is a bit like cooking a […]
The Hostas
I think I’m making this post entirely because I’m in the mood to shop for hostas, feeling inspired having just picked up some for L (shopping for others is absolutely intoxicating.) So I am making this post as an excuse to take inventory, learn names of the ones I’ve inherited, […]
Spring 2025 highlights (March to May 1st)
This gorgeous creature (below) showed up a couple of years ago under a random viburnum in a nowhere place in the yard, where no one would ever see it, and I told myself firmly that I would move it and of course I didn’t for two years. But this is […]
Blank canvas in Leeds
L. is interested in planting southern border of her back yard in Leeds. The area, conveniently located below a slightly terraced sloping lawn, has good baseline soil moisture and is relatively flat and stable. In our wooded grove, a small wooded hill of boulders and dense tree cover is constant […]
Drone footage of the kitchen garden, in desperate need of a redesign….
The kitchen garden needs to be redone – the asparagus patch was never built for easy maintenance, and so I never maintained it. It turns out asparagus doesn’t enjoy neglect, and I am moving it to behind the tomato bed. Also other stuff, like the raspberries, which have turned out […]
Snake plant gets fancy
The 25-year-old snake plant/mother-in-law’s tongue/sansevieria has decided to put out a flower. I hear they smell lovely in bloom; guess we’ll find out. Nice end to the houseplant-focused season. In a month or so they will all be outside, or most of them, which is great because by March I’m […]
Seed starting with Ruthie the cat
This is the first time she’s shown much of an interest in horticulture.

 
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
            