Plant of the Week
I’m sorry (not sorry) to say I fell off the native plant wagon with my Edgeworthia chrysantha, the Chinese paperbush plant. This guy is known for his winter flowers, fragrant clusters of lemon-yellow and white umbrils. Join me and brighten your home with fresh Edgeworthia cuttings—it’ll be our little secret.
Guest
This week, Richmond-based botanical artist Anne Blackwell Thompson joined me on the pod. There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to botanical art. Anne describes her car as a “botanical crime scene,” complete with ladders, machetes, and scalpels. Anne’s art is a labor of love. Some pieces are composed of over 300 parts, and plant material can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 9 months to dry properly. When collecting specimens, she focuses on the shapes and curves of a single leaf or flower, selecting only the very best. As Anne says, Mother Nature drives the bus and we’re just along for the ride.
https://www.quirkgallery.com/main-gallery-charlottesville
https://www.blackwellbotanicals.com/
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/edgeworthia-chrysantha/
Playlist
Temperatures are on the rise and it’s time to get you into the garden.
● Before putting them outside for the night, acclimate your potted plants with several sun/air baths.
● Remove your annual winter weeds, like dead nettle, yellow rocket, chickweed, and hoary bittercress. I know they’re cute, but remember: off with their heads!
● Prune anything and everything. If it doesn’t make you happy—cut it out!
To Listen
● Margaret Roach’s A Way To Garden
● BBC’s Gardeners’ Question Time
Up Next
Join me for my talk with Historic Garden Chairwomen Michele Hayes Silver and Robin Cherry.