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Gardeners and their Gardens

Until recently, residential landscape lighting was primarily held to various shades of white light. Colorful outdoor lights showed up during the Christmas season and then disappeared until the next year. With the introduction of colored LED and halogen lights, as well as a variety of easily used colored lens covers, white lights are no longer the only option for homeowners.

While we’re on the subject of bulbs   -  be sure and read last week’s article on alliums, -  I thought that it might be fun to showcase some of the less well-known specialty bulbs.  I discovered them a few years ago while pouring over a catalog from one of Embassy’s garden products suppliers, ordered a few varieties and have been hooked on them ever since. From the ones that peek out while the snow is still falling to those that herald the beginning of a long, lazy summer,  they are all worth a prime spot in the landscape.  

Boxes of fall bulbs ready for planting have begun to appear in the big box stores. As I’ve looked around here, I’ve seen a satisfying variety of daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and crocus available. Even some of the smaller, less familiar bulbs like Galanthus (Snowdrops) are well represented. Sticking just to these varieties, you could have the beginnings of a beautiful spring garden, but you’d most likely miss out on one of the most dramatic, and under-appreciated stars of the spring and summer garden, the allium.

The first of the spring blooming bulb catalogues landed in my mailbox yesterday. That means it’s time to start seriously planning for those early bursts of color. Ten years ago that simply meant deciding which new variety of tulip to buy and whether to plant single or double cupped daffodils. Now my choices aren’t quite so clear cut; the best selections have to not only add beauty, but also nurture early appearing pollinators.

To say my garden looks sad right now is actually giving it a compliment it doesn’t deserve. Too much rain this spring followed by unrelenting heat has left wide swaths of brown leaves and dying flowers.  As anxious as I am to bring back my garden to its full glory, the garden center offerings this time of year are few and far between and, if truth be told, I am getting tired of planting pots of mums for fall color.  Luckily, there are other ways to bring vibrant color back to the garden. Embassy Landscape Group’s designers suggest that adding tropicals to your landscape can keep your garden view striking throughout the coming months. 

My four-year-old granddaughter sat for a good half hour the other morning completely mesmerized by a caterpillar climbing up a branch. She squealed in delight each time it inched its way up the branch, forming an arch, then straightening out.  She declared that green was her favorite color and asked if she could keep it “forever.”    

I have to admit it --  I wasn’t quite so entranced with the giant tomato hornworm crawling up my heirloom tomato plant, but her fascination and pure joy did strike a chord with me. We all need to be a bit more appreciative of the insect populations that surround us, not just the monarch butterflies and golden honeybees, but all insects -- even the tomato hornworms in our lives. The stark reality is without insects, the planet will cease to exist as we know it. 

Living in the heart of our city, I had wondered what the reaction was going to be when we killed the grass and replaced it with a prairie. Many of the homes in this older, established neighborhood (including hers) sport traditional landscapes with perfectly balanced foundation plantings, precisely edged sidewalks and lush, well-manicured lawns. 

Last week we promised you a look at some of our favorite fluttering beauties. After some serious thought and lively discussion, here are our top ten choices...and one runner up.