Learning in Bloom

Spiraea ‘Magic Carpet’ came to me through my landscaper, but it wasn’t new to me. I’ve admired it plenty of times before, that bright chartreuse foliage and those soft pink blooms, and each time I’ve told myself to remember it for next time. And then, of course, I forget. It’s a plant that hides in […]

Opening Observation When my landscaping expert suggested oakleaf hydrangeas for the new front beds, I had to look them up. Hydrangea? Absolutely. But oakleaf? That was new to me. He had just returned from an architecture tour in Chicago and mentioned that the tour guide described oakleaf hydrangeas as a designer favorite for their structure,

Opening Observation I needed an evergreen shrub for the shaded space around my chimney. It had to stay near three feet so it would not block the low windows. Flowers were on my wish list, and fragrance would be a bonus. ChatGPT recommended Sweet & Lo™ Sweet Box (Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis ‘Sweet & Lo’).

Opening Observation When I first started planning the chimney garden, I was looking for traditional evergreens, something structured and familiar, like a holly or a compact pine. It never occurred to me that an evergreen could also flower. Technically, boxwood and holly do, but I have never thought of them that way; their blooms are