Plant of the Week
The state tree of Missouri, North Carolina, and Virginia, the native dogwood is mighty popular. Its beautiful white and pink flowers are a springtime staple in Virginia. The flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is bred to sit in the full sun, but it also makes wonderful understory. Plant them at the edge of your woods and marvel at your blooming treeline.
Guests
This week, I chatted with Historic Garden Chairwomen Michele Hayes Silver and Robin Cherry about the Historic Garden Week Tour. All ticket proceeds support the Garden Club’s many important missions, including funding three conservation studies fellowships and the restoration of 39 historic sites. I’m so happy and humbled to be sharing my Albemarle garden alongside two gorgeous Charlottesville and Rivanna gardens. If you buy a ticket, you will be treated to a collection of showstopper specimen trees, including an enormous American elm, a redwood, a dove tree, and a backyard that houses over 22 varieties of Japanese maples. For those of us who haven’t seen a dove tree in bloom, the flowers “look like white silk handkerchiefs blowing in the wind.”
Playlist
Now is as good a time as any to get mulching!
Avoid mulching trees and certain perennials like German irises and peonies.
There’s no need to mulch everywhere. Let your leaf litter be—it’s great for insects.
To Listen
Americana/country singer Rusty Gear’s albums What We Believe and High Gear.
https://www.rustygearmusic.com/
Up Next
Tune in for my talk with horticulturist Kelly D. Norris about his latest book New Naturalism.