My Virtual Maryland Garden

Has it ever been so easy to learn? Has it ever been so easy to track down otherwise obscure concepts or assemble tenuous scraps of connectio...

The little sweeties seen in the image above are true jonquils. Each flower is about the size of a penny and has a potent, characteristic fra...

The first hummingbirds appear in the neighborhood at about the same time that the native columbine comes into bloom. I assume these little b...

Gross, repellent, bizarre: there is something of all three about the flowers of the members of the genus Asarum . The fact that some members...

This handsome early-flowering peony has been in the garden for decades. But for most of that time it rarely bloomed; in fact, it came close ...

The first peony to open here this year was Paeonia mascula . It was followed almost immediately by three others: a white-flowered Chinese t...

Tulips have been a constant thread in the fabric of my horticultural life. There have been years when it took some discernment to notice tha...

Words fail me on this one, so I'll let Reginald Farrer take it: "They are a doomed and lonely race of irreconcilable Troades in wee...

While walking Biscuit this evening, we stopped at one of our usual corners; Biscuit seemed undecided about which way she wanted to go. While...

This plant, Fritillaria michailovskyi , is a good example of the power of modern growing practices. Twenty years ago it was still a rarity. ...

Tulipa cretica is a small tulip, smaller even than its two relations Tulipa saxatilis and Tulipa 'Lilac Wonder'. It has grown her...

The peak season for Fritillaria bloom is fast approaching. Here are four winsome, dainty species which would get lost in the garden. Top to...

Decades ago I planted three tiny Magnolia stellata between the sidewalk and the street. Now they form what one of the neighbors has called ...

I showed this to you last year; as you can see the plant is getting thicker and more floriferous. This is a favorite. And no plant ...

The fritillary season is underway, and here are four early ones. From top to bottom they are Fritillaria montana and then the very similar...

The first tulips to bloom this year bloomed in one of the unprotected cold frames. Their congeners in the open garden are only now coming in...

This odd looking little plant, Gymnospermium altaicum , is an interesting departure from the usual run of "bulbs". It's not cl...

Here are three more reticulate irises. Top to bottom: 'Cantab', 'Gordon' and 'Harmony'. 'Cantab' must be nea...

The reticulate iris season is over by now, but this year a nice, representative selection bloomed in the cold frames. Three are shown above...

March 2009 was not all bad. The first of the Fritillaria showed easily counted buds by March 11. This was Fritillaria raddeana , and by Marc...