Our hot summer had almost done me in, constantly dragging hoses to keep my new landscape alive. Finally after over 45 days over 90 degrees and less than 1/2 inch of rain in August & September, October brought rain! Yay!! I was especailly happy since my order of  tulip and daffodil bulbs arrived on my doorstep October 15th.  Thanks to a few welcome rains, the ground was soft enough tto start planting them today. Late October through November is the perfect time to plant spring blooming bulbs in our Piedmont Triad. If you plant too early while the ground is very warm your bulbs sprout too quickly...

Attention Fellow Gardening Enthusiasts, If you are not on the email distribution list for the Paul J Ciener Botanical Garden in Kernersville, NC, you may be missing some great events! There are wonderful speakers, the spectacular spring tulip bloom , plant sales and concerts on the lawn!  I am adding these events to my calendar now.   Check the dates and register soon!  And by all means JOIN this garden.  It is entirely privately funded, so by joining you are helping ensure the growth of this public wonderland.  As a member you get discounts that will quickly pay back your membership! This...

Create Your Happy Place While the world outside seems pretty messed up, being surrounded by your own beautiful garden can recharge your positive energy! My gardening classes will take you to beautiful places to learn and restore your soul. Even if you have never grown anything - but want to - This is the place to start! The deadline to sign up is Friday, February 22, 2019. Classes start March 14. Here is a printable version of the schedule: 2019 Course Schedule There are 6 classes in spring, 3 more in late summer. Choose Thursday or Sunday class dates. To Register: Choose your...

NOTE - NEW DATES ON 2019 COURSE SCHEDULE BELOW Happy New Year! And indeed what a wonderful one 2019 should be!  My new house is DONE, the driveway and parking areas are paved, my gardens are planted and I am ready to host another year of sharing my love of gardening. The advantage of teaching at my own place again is that I have all the tools, soil amendments, seeds, plants and a smart TV right here (no more fuzzy slides!) to make learning easier. Three classes will be held in other wonderful gardens where you will experience different plant palettes, designs and garden styles. Of course,...

Hello Everyone, I'm so excited about this year's gardening classes!   We will be in some of the very best gardens in Greensboro.  It will be a blast exploring them and learning from the successes and failures of the most knowledgeable gardeners around. Here is the final edition of the 2018 Gardening Course Schedule: 2018 Course Schedule Registration information is below and also at the bottom of the schedule.  This is a printable document.  Classes start March 11th!   Please register soon as I anticipate that these will fill quickly. (I may add more one date to each course if there...

Hello my Fellow Gardening Enthusiasts, Have you missed me just a little bit?  I have missed you! MY GARDENING CLASSES ARE BACK ON FOR  2018!  The first draft of the 2018 Course Schedule is here:  2018 Course Schedule   It is a program of nine 2-hour Courses. The fee is $295 per student.  Classes will not be offered separately.  (Sorry, I won't have time for the extra bookkeeping.) I sold my home and gardens last July so each gardening class will be held in a different local garden this year.  How EXCITING is that?!  Now in my classes, you will be exploring beautiful gardens...

The dozers have been working for 4 days to clear leggy pines, dead trees, poison ivy, honeysuckle vines and ancient barbed wire fences to make room for our new house.  There will be still more underbrush to clean up when they leave, but already the clearing has left our 4 acres quite exposed, with more road noise and less privacy.  As soon as the back hoes and dozers are out of the way, I will be desperate to get some large plantings in the ground. But what to plant? What will be of substantial size, mostly evergreen, super drought tolerant, deer resistant, tough enough to stand up to strong...

It was no surprise to NC Triad gardeners that 2016 set world records (again) for the warmest year ever.  It was a HOT one and our NC Piedmont summer seemed to last forever! Our first frost in Summerfield did not come until mid-November, a month later than average, but by November I was grateful for the mild temperatures. If there was ever something to renew your spirit after a fierce political season, it is the beauty of nature. I harvested the last ripe figs on November 8th.  My “Bloomathon” azaleas were still gorgeous. Camellias had begun to bloom even as my summer annuals were still...

I have been so happy in my garden this spring that I could not bear to sit at my desk any longer than to handle the most urgent necessities.  Surely you missed me!!  Now at the summer solstice with 90 degree temps upon us, it feels good to be inside chilling out and taking time for a bit of reflection. Perhaps my favorite surprises over the past couple of months have been the bulbs I planted last fall. For many springs seasons, as soon as the last azalea and rhododendron blooms had faded, my garden turned a quiet monochromatic green.  Yes, green is still a color and May did offer offer rose...

What vegetable can you plant once and enjoy eating for 20 years?  Yes, Asparagus! If you love asparagus, planting your own is a pretty darn good investment!  I harvest crisp, delicious asparagus spears for 2 months in spring, and  then let the bed turn into a mass of beautiful ferns over summer to rejuvenate the plant for next spring’s harvest. Here it is in June after a morning of heavy dew on the mass of 6’ tall ferns.  I like using the etherial summer foliage in flower arrangements. Asparagus is super easy to grow as long as you give it the right home.  It needs a permanent...