Let’s Talk Plantswise
I’m all about sharing. I did it with my Barbie doll, my cookies, and my first marigold seeds. But sometimes, I feel like I’m gardening in a vacuum. Here I am (in Connecticut, by the way), thumbing through seed catalogs and everything is tempting. Same thing when I get to the nursery. I could easily empty my wallet and break my back planting perennials that aren’t perennial and sailor blue blossoms that are mauve. What I need is advice. How about you?
That’s when the lightbulb flashed. Why not create a forum where we can talk about which Panicum virgatum cultivar is really dwarf. And how are the new echinaceas working out for you? Any luck wintering over those Euphorbia amygdaloides hybrids in your zone? Has anybody else tried naturalizing species tulips? Which lettuce is bolt resistant for you during a hot summer? The goal is to make gardening a shared experience and to spread our wealth of knowledge.
So, I need your input. In a world where we can’t really trust plant tags, and catalog close ups are often hard to interpret (to put it politely), we need to touch base together. I wish you were online to talk me down when I put in the hollyhock chorus line (rust, rust and more rust). And you need to hear about the new drought-tolerant, knock ’em dead gorgeous celosia I stumbled on last summer.
Here’s how it works. I’m going to serve up a topic and tell you about my experiences — the good, the bad, and the mediocre. You chime in and tell me how it works for you. Give thumbs up or down. Suggest alternatives. Suggest topics. Whatever. We will cover all avenues of gardening including perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, vegetables, houseplants, groundcovers, lawn substitutes, you name it. Are you with me? I can’t do it without you.