Behind posts, articles, conferences and social media, there’s a backstory. Have you kept up with the digital correspondence between Ranters Scott Beuerlein and Marianne Willburn?  You can start here, or go back and find the entire correspondence at Dear Gardener. Caye Caulker, Belize 20 April 2024 Dear Scott, A handwritten letter today for you from...

Ever been excited about a new plant until you saw what was blooming nearby at the same time and the color combo almost made you retch? Sounds extreme, but that was my reaction to seeing the golden blooms of Packera aurea among the (can we say garish?) blooms of azaleas. So I moved the Packera to a spot with no competing blooms but in clear view from...

We live fairly near The Laskett. So seeing it was open, we thought we’d have an afternoon out and went to visit. And we took lots of photos – so thanks to Charles for his contributions. Introduction Sir Roy has donated the place to Perennial, the Gardeners’ Benevolent Fund, after rejection by the National Trust. Here is further background to...

When I wrote that I was confused by conflicting info online about stem-besting bees and how gardeners can help them, Amy Campion left an instructive comment and offered to guest-post about it for our readers.  Naturally I jumped on her offer and the result is this terrific report, based on years of doing and observing in an actual garden!  Susan You...

Many years ago, in a family backyard in Alhambra, California, a 17 year old boy started propagating Camellias with the help of his mother and father. That young man’s name was Julius Nuccio. Over the last 89 years, since 1935, the Nuccio family have been responsible for growing, breeding and introducing some of the most iconic Camellias in the world....

Do you really “see” the gardens you visit?   I mean, do you see what the creator of that space wanted you to see?   Do you see it the same way others do? Maybe. At times we may all have unseeing eyes.  We look.  But we don’t really see . . . appreciate . . . what’s in front of us.  This is what Henry David Thoreau was driving toward when he observed:...