...History Society’s Magnolia. The auction lot I wanted sold for $40,000, double its pre-sale estimate. In it were two pages of notes and a sketch that Hamilton drew for the gardener...
...repair fences, many of his notes deal with ornamental plants, including American natives. “A few dogwood trees, not large, scattered along the margin of the grove would be very pleasant,” he writes...

...Hidden Life of Trees ?” my friend and former micro-farms manager Lynden Kelly asked me. “It’s mind-blowing!” So of course I had to give it a look – and I completely...
...forest that he’d walked by for years were actually the remains of an ancient tree stump, five feet in diameter. And here’s the mind-blowing part – despite having no leaves...
...therefore no way to feed itself, the tree was still alive, decades after it had been cut down, fed by its younger “friends” through the vast web of roots and fungi that connects trees...
...myself saying “oh wow!” over and over again. In “The Language of Trees,” for example, he talks about how African acacias pump toxins into their leaves the moment giraffes start feeding...
...giraffes move on to other trees, but scientists wondered why they always moved some distance away before they resumed feeding. It turns out the chewed-on trees release ethylene gas which, when it reaches nearby...

...tree that’s 98 feet-tall and weighs 800,000 pounds? Very carefully. That’s exactly what happened in Boise this past summer when Idaho’s largest and most historic giant sequoia...
...blocks to make way for a hospital expansion. Giant sequoias are the world’s largest trees, growing up to 300 feet tall with trunks over 25 feet in diameter...
...oldest one documented by ring count was 3500 years old, so the 115-year-old Boise tree, as one of the moving crew pointed out, is “still a young tree.” Unfortunately...
...heights to where the root water cannot be pulled.” Nevertheless, the Texas firm that moved the tree gives it a 95% chance for survival, and Boise’s City Forester Brian Jorgenson...
...sister’s wedding) says he’s “cautiously hopeful.” Jorgenson checks on the tree daily, monitoring four soil-moisture testing stations and a hose running up its trunk that sprays...

...making it the oldest living thing east of the Rocky Mountains and one of the oldest trees in the world. And it isn’t alone. “There are hundreds...
...trees throughout the Black River swamp forest,” says scientist David Stahle who used core samples and radiocarbon to date the cypresses. “We think there are older trees out there still.” Awe-inspiring...
...ancient trees also offer a precipitation record in their tree rings that Stahle calls “amazingly accurate and detailed.” Along with modern droughts, the rings document “the severe multi-year droughts...

...infancy,” he writes to a fellow nurseryman in Detroit, “and my supply of fruit [trees] except apples is quite limited. My supply of hardy shrubbery and ornamental trees...
...snowballs, honeysuckle, and double flowering almond – and 10 each of horse chestnut and mountain ash trees as well as “ Lonicera flexuoso” (probably the now invasive Hall’s Japanese honeysuckle). 1929 plaque mounted...

.../img/blog/articles/170421MakingADifference.jpg" border="1px"; alt=" American Gardener Honors Us for Making a Difference – www.OldHouseGardens.com"/> From Christmas tree ornaments to one of my favorite childhood books, Julia Polentes...
...Making a Difference.” Julia starts with me comparing heirloom bulbs to the ornaments on our family Christmas tree which are “pretty to other people, but there’s a deeper beauty for us” because...

...groups in shade or partial shade to make magical pools of rich yellow between trees or to throw up light onto a spring-flowering shrub.” Snake’s-head fritillary – “The intricacy and complex beauty...
...naturalize them below small trees.” Narcissus ‘Thalia’ – “This pure-white, multi-headed daffodil is all elegance and fragility, but deceptively tough,” says Andy Sturgeon who won the top prize at last year’s Chelsea Flower...

...eventually I bought the book, and I’m glad I did. bark of a scale tree from about 300 million...
...plants unearthed near London), ghostly color (soft purple, rose, and ochre on a 380-million-year-old tree trunk from the Catskills), or graphic patterns that reminded me of both Victorian wallpaper and modern...

...Elegans Rubra’ & ‘Phillipe de Comines’ than we expected, and we’re able to offer them on sale to encourage you to try these lovely varieties...

...soothing scent of earthy woods, salted musk, and wet stones.” It was inspired by a tree endemic to Borneo, Shorea cuspidata , which hasn’t been seen in the wild since 1998 and probably...
...Vanessa’s favorite, ‘Invisible Woods’, is based on Wendlandia angustifolia , a species of small flowering trees from India’s Western Ghat mountains, last recorded in 1917 and likely a victim of drought. From perfumer Daneila...

...Eleanor Perenyi in her timeless classic Green Thoughts (1981), “herbaceous peonies are my choice.” Why? Unlike tree peonies, “herbaceous peonies stand straight and tall, don’t hide their heads, and are magnificent...
...doubles smell better than the singles and the herbaceous better than the tree peonies – to me.” We’re offering more peonies than ever this fall, including...

...requested), at which point we’ll take a day to inventory our remaining stock and then resume sales for perhaps another...
...peonies , and 22 other diverse treasures which you can see listed at our Bulbs on Sale page . Since the bulbs are going fast, please let us know if - should...

...colored tulips emerging from clear-blue forget-me-nots and a frame of step-over apple trees smothered in pale pink blossom…. The tulips are a combination of the glowing pink ‘Mariette’ , dusky purple...

...really big news: For the first time in many years, three exceptionally rare beauties are also for sale again – heart-stoppingly lovely ‘Winsome’ dahlia, perky, bee-friendly...

...daffodils were so impressive that the experts “were spotted standing under an old pear tree, dabbing their eyes with their handkerchiefs, overwhelmed by the magnitude and beauty of the display...

...Windsor’ iris is much more affordable. For an email alert when it’s for sale again July 1 (along with the rest of our spring-planted bulbs), simply...

...classics such as roses and lilies.” In fact, one major supermarket chain reported that glad sales were up 30%. “Although gladiolus are often used in magnificent displays at venues such as Westminster...

...impressively diverse. Most are herbaceous peonies, but there are plenty of intersectional and tree peonies, too, all dating from 1824 to 2015, and the incredible range of colors...

...antiques are increasingly popular – and I’m not just talking about “shabby chic” garage sale finds. No one knows this better than Barbara Israel , the country’s leading source...

...really herald in the spring. . . . Perfect for naturalizing in those tricky, shady corners under deciduous trees.” Alison Jenkins says, “It’s easy to overlook bulbs, but they add . . . some magic at a dreary...

...historic Walther House. Iris dug from Presby’s vast collection will also be for sale on weekends starting this Friday from 10:00-3:00. If you visit, please...

...Municipal Iris Garden was born. The city parks department cleared the land, planted weeping willow trees, built stone and rustic-work bridges over the stream, and laid out gracefully curving...

...cultivars. Fortunately, it was preserved and heirloom-bulb grower Old House Gardens is offering it for sale again.” “‘Fashion Monger’ is a favorite of bees,” Sherri...

...public and private uses . . . ; and the cultivation of the grounds with a focus on the specimen trees, vegetable and ornamental gardens, and conservatories. (reviewed by the White House Historical Association) Bliss Irises : Family and Flowers...

...Philadelphia’s “Peter Crouwells and Co., Gardeners and Florists” announcing that “they have for sale here” – in Alexandria, Virginia – “an extensive variety of the most rare bulbous flowers...

...designer and winner of eight gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show. His wide-ranging list includes trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, annuals, and grasses...

...famous novelist “captures the essence of Renaissance taste.” The Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs , by Hillier Nurseries – This is “for me the most valuable” reference book, Hobhouse writes, because...

...Society’s show for seedlings” – which are dahlias that are not yet named or for sale – “not one of the more than thirty varieties exhibited could be casually passed by. Judging...

...called ‘Meadowburn Byba Vincenza’ (see above left). All seven are for sale at the Meadowburn website, with proceeds helping to fund the restoration of the gardens, including “the 150-foot dahlia...

...lavender woodland phlox ( Phlox divaricata ), or planting it “in spreading groups near pink-flowered crabapple trees.” So, are you cool enough for this gloriously gray beauty? Order a few now for delivery...

...Gardens,” and Jeff Moore on the “Generosity of Succulents.” “Then hit those fall sales,” she concluded, “for a dose of colorful, graphic, and resilient plants that take dry weather in stride...

...earthworms eat the leaves that create the duff layer and are capable of eliminating it completely. Big trees survive, but many young seedlings perish, along with many ferns and wildflowers.” Although there are native earthworms...

...percussion caps out of which the spring will crack. “It is an optical illusion that trees and bushes are naked in autumn; they are, in fact, sprinkled over with everything that will unpack...

...father of his country but a gifted landscape designer and an unabashed tree...

...sunlight. While you might expect this to be south, early morning or late afternoon shade from nearby trees or buildings might cause those glads so shaded to face due east or west, or southeast...

...fabulous hyacinths, both doubles and singles , which are all on sale...

...readers said they do well in partial shade, too, especially if it’s from deciduous trees which leaf out later. PLANTING DEPTH – Some authorities...

...former HIPS e-zine, Flags . The annual Rhizome Sale fund-raiser is online now, too, and if you move fast you can order from a list of over 300 heirloom varieties (including...

... A rose may be a rose whether you live in Maine, Georgia, Kansas, or Oregon...

...winter home in Florida. It’s an orderly, geometric design with lots of trees and shrubs, broad panels of lawn ringed by flower beds, and a big kitchen garden screened...

...should select bulbs that flower early, so foliage has time to restore energy to the bulb before trees produce a new crop of leaves.” For her zone-8, South Carolina garden, Marian writes...

...species found originally in Dalmatia [roughly the former Yugoslavia], Iris pallida appears somewhere in the family tree of most modern cultivars but it has none of their faults. . . . I prefer this lovely, deliciously scented...

...learned there “as he painted his friends at the Moulin enjoying themselves under the acacia trees on a sunny afternoon. . . . Secluded and tranquil but within hailing distance of central Paris, the garden...

...surprise next week! You can check our list of remaining bulbs, all now on sale at 30% off - here . And we’ll let you know later this year when we have varieties up online...

...plenty of sun, more the further north you garden. As nearby trees and other plants grow, once sunny areas may become too shady for bulbs. 5. Soil too wet. In heavy, clay, or water-logged...

...daffodils, tulips and diverse bulbs at 15-20% off. See them all at our Bulbs on Sale page – and then order (or order more) for your best spring...

...customers who see that the big box stores already have fall bulbs for sale, and ask why we don't ship ours sooner. Mainly because it’s better...

...respite, beauty and bouquets! We’ve just put many of the spring-planted bulbs back for sale at our website, so if there are varieties you’ve especially...

...bumper crop varieties at 10-20% off and will be having a more general sale online once we ship out our current orders and see what we have left. Winter is coming...

...Oliver Franklin Brand started Minnesota’s first plant nursery back in 1868 near Faribault, offering primarily fruit trees to early settlers so that they could begin family orchards. His favorite flower...

...habitat. In our Northern climate, honeybees need nectar and pollen earlier than many of our native trees and flowers bloom, so bulbs that bloom in early spring help support them then. Our bee-keeping friend...

...spring-shipped treasures are still available. See our Bulbs on Sale page for 25% off remaining varieties. How can you resist? Order your own box-load of summer excitement...

...website now . We’ll be putting tulips, daffodils, and other fall-planted bulbs back for sale in January. Happy dreaming, and happy ordering...

...alkaline soil that does not dry out in summer. It will establish and naturalise under deciduous trees in light grass.” RHS Award of Garden Merit Crocus ‘Mammoth Yellow’ – “Crocuses are one of the earliest nectar...

...Feeling stressed? Bored? Sick of the pandemic? Maybe a jigsaw puzzle would help. Sales of these comforting, old-school pleasures have been booming ever since the pandemic began, and a while ago my sister...

...woodland gardens where it glows in the filtered shade of tall trees. “It bursts onto the scene in midsummer with tall panicles carrying 10 to 20 nodding, reflexed orange blossoms apiece. Each flower is painted...