Plant of the Week
The pinxterbloom azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides) is a lovely woodland native found along eastern North America from Massachusetts to South Carolina. Deciduous, dense and bushy, this suckering shrub reaches around 6 feet tall at maturity. Its white and pink flowers are an early harbinger of spring, blooming before foliage emerges. This native is sure to attract all the bugs and birds to your garden.
Interview
Today, the interviewer becomes the interviewee. Susan Terwilliger, my friend and colleague at WINA radio, asks me all about my garden. A garden is a never ending work in progress. We discuss how I’ve managed to turn problem areas into useful and aesthetically pleasing design solutions. A patch of overly compacted soil became the perfect spot for my bistro table, a drainage problem led to the addition of my beloved fire pit, and those unsightly piles of soft compost keep my garden beds well-fed. No matter the problem, there’s always a creative and garden-friendly solution.
Playlist
First and foremost, science says to play in your garden. Research shows that gardening leads to a significant reduction in stress and an increase in overall well-being.
Bulb foliage: Is it brown? Cut it down!
Join me in my peony pruning experiment.
Don’t forgo leggy annuals at the nursery. Instead, pinch off the tallest stems to promote bushier growth.
Listen
Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy