Author Archives: roxannward_eplwpc

This week my garden has begun to unravel. Yellowing leaves and pine needles fall around me as I walk through the woods to my shed. If I close my eyes, all I can hear is the song of a single frog somewhere nearby and the hum of the bumblebees still busy in the salvia. Otherwise,Continue reading “The Gentlest Season”

If you live in the South, now is the perfect time to get pansies and violas planted so they’ll have plenty of time to settle in before the frosty mornings begin. Pansies and violas thrive in cool temperatures, so once you see the 80s disappear from your weather forecast it’s time to shop for everythingContinue reading “A Color Checklist for Fall”

There is nothing I love more than helping fellow plant lovers discover something new, and my top recommendation for this month is the fall-blooming anemone, Eriocapitella japonica. Elegant, charming, and easy to grow, anemones are often overlooked because they bloom at the end of summer, but this is the very thing that I appreciate mostContinue reading “Fall for Anemones”

The weather is on my mind a lot these days. It seems that when I was new to gardening many years ago, you could count on rainfall during the cooler seasons of spring and fall, with dry spells sprinkled through the summer months. While there were certainly storms and droughts, our gardens coped pretty wellContinue reading “The Resilient Garden”

If you’ve ever thought about planting a cutting garden, but don’t have the right place for one, I’d like to share an idea that might work for you. I’ve never had a dedicated space for a cutting garden. Maybe that’s because my idea of the perfect bouquet of flowers is actually one I can createContinue reading “Bring in the Blooms”

Today in my garden monarch butterflies drift between abelia blossoms and hummingbirds zip through the borders in search of salvia flowers full of nectar. A summer drought has been going on for several weeks now, and although we’ve had a smattering of rainfall here and there, a few minutes of rain isn’t ever enough toContinue reading “Drought or Deluge”

Let’s be real. Removing weeds from your garden is probably your least favorite summer activity. I’ve read about people who find this task relaxing, but I’ve yet to meet a person who looks forward to pulling weeds. I love my garden, but I don’t love my weeds. Why are there so many weeds lurking inContinue reading “Making Peace with Weeds”

What if there was a way to weave a ribbon of sunshine through your garden that would glow even on a cloudy day? It’s not garden art, a light display, or a water feature. It’s actually a foliage color. You might describe it as yellow-green, acid green, or chartreuse, but no matter what you nameContinue reading “Sunshine on a Cloudy Day”

Spring comes quickly in the South. In April azaleas burst into floral fireworks, reminding us just how spectacular the season is. I watch in awe as a veil of green sweeps over the garden. It’s almost too much to bear. I don’t deserve these riches. In April I’m exhausted, clay stained, pollen dusted, and dizzy withContinue reading “Chlorophyll High”

We’re on the cusp of spring here in Georgia, and this time of year a gardener’s thoughts turn to new plants and projects. This month, rather than give you ideas for elaborate container arrangements, or perennial and annual combinations, I’ll focus instead on plants that are simple at first glance, but prove to be usefulContinue reading “Take It Easy”