The Perennial Plant Association has awarded Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ (Zones 3-8) the title of Perennial Plant of the Year for 2007. Named after its origins, not its growth habit, Walker’s Low catmint has silver-green crinkled foliage and a profusion of long-blooming, deep lavender-blue flowers. It’s low maintenance and aromatic, and supposedly disease- and pest-free. I […]
Archives for December 2006
Merry merry
“May your days be merry and bright…” Merry Christmas, everyone!
Winter Solstice
Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ Today marks the winter solstice here in the northern hemisphere; the shortest day of the year. And while, as a gardener, you might think this would leave me cold, in fact, it’s just the opposite. From here on, the days get longer! Spring is almost within sight (or is at least possible […]
Penguin deck chairs
I found this on a site called Objects of Design, but it should be called Objects of Desire because I’m totally coveting this sweet little Penguin Deck Chair. Based on the classic Penguin book covers, the chairs come in a number of your favourite titles. Great for the gardener/bookworm. Also available: mugs.
Update: Paperwhites love vodka
As an update to an earlier post that cited a study showing that small amounts of alcohol (rubbing or martini-ready) can limit the sometimes-overzealous growth of bulbs such as paperwhites, I’m here to report that it’s true! I wasn’t forward-thinking enough to grow a control batch of bulbs so show my readers (next year I […]
Happy Hannukah!
Happy Hannukah to my fellow MOTs. Chag sameach!
5-7-5
March 2007 will mark the second annual Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. Like last year, the festival will celebrate the beauty of Vancouver’s 36,000+ cherry trees with events, concerts, and a haiku contest. All poets, new or experienced, from British Columbia and around the world are invited to submit one unpublished haiku in English inspired by […]
Good-for-the-earth gifts
While I stand by some of my choices from last year’s list of Best Gifts for Gardeners (I love my Lee Valley Seed Keeper, and you’d still get major Heavy Petal bonus points if you got me the Nature Mill indoor composter, for example), this year I’m trying to give people less stuff. More experiences, […]