I’M CELEBRATING New Year’s in the company of a rare bird and the flowers of the first of the witch hazels, neither of which is supposed to be here right now.
That’s the kind of year it has been, and I suppose will be again in 2024.
‘Jelena’ (below) is always my first witch-hazel to bloom each year, but typically it starts a month or more from now, sometime in late January or even February. Odd, but no peril to the plant.—unlike my avian visitor.
Ever feel like your life got way off course? A male Wilson’s warbler (top of page) should be on the Gulf Coast or farther south, but he is wintering here (Hudson Valley of NY) the last couple of weeks, foraging under my feeders with all the more expected species, and drinking from the opening in the ice in the adjacent water garden.
This is quite an uncommon bird here even in milder months—they pass through briefly en route from their wintering areas to their Canadian breeding grounds—but winter?
Presumably during fall migration he got blown off course, and happened upon my backyard, finding it to be hospitable enough to take up temporary residence in. Wilson’s warblers are insectivores, usually, but he is eating sunflower hearts (shelled sunflowers) from the ground at the moment; make do with what you’ve got, I guess.
Last week it was 13F degrees one night and I feared I would not see him again; that it would do him in. But there he was hopping around and chowing down all morning. Apparently he is determined to make the best of having lost his way.
He sets a good example for all of us who are feeling a little befuddled by the goings-on outside in our backyards, and across the planet.
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Discover the world of rare snake plants, a unique addition to any home garden. From the strikingly patterned 'Sansevieria Masoniana' to the compact and charming 'Sansevieria Trifasciata Hahnii', these varieties are not just visually stunning but also remarkably resilient and low-maintenance.
While some may be familiar with Japanese sacred lily (Rohdea japonica, Zones 6–10), Rohdea pachynema is an uncommon species that is indeed a Rohdea less traveled. Found only in the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan, it is an intriguing member of the Asparagaceae family that is slowly becoming more available to gardeners. It was formerly known as Campylandra sinensis or C. pachynema, but recent DNA work has moved it into the genus Rohdea, whose name commemorates German botanist Michael Rohde. We can find no documented common name for this species, so we have dubbed it “yellow thread rohdea” since pachynema means “thick thread” (referring to the colored central stripe on the leaves).
Most of us know that snake plants produce really long-lasting fragrant flowers, but there are more surprising ones on this list of “Houseplants that Grow Rare Flowers” below.
If you’re in search of easy-growing, yet visually stunning blooms, these White and Purple Calla Lily Varieties are your best fit. Not only do they bring a unique blend of sophistication and vibrancy, but thrive with minimal fuss too. Pick the best for your garden!
Rare and Exotic Hoya Varieties – these enigmatic beauties defy the ordinary with their eclectic mix of colors, textures, and shapes, offering both seasoned collectors and budding enthusiasts a taste of the extraordinary!
All varieties of squash will cross pollinate with each other, resulting in some unusual squash varieties. They are also intentionally bred in an effort to produce squash with unique traits. Some of the weird squash varieties that result may be found on the dinner table or may simply end up as interesting yard art.
Fall bird migration is in full swing in South Carolina. As our temperatures cool and the days get shorter, many birds start preparing to move south. Many warblers pass through the South Carolina Botanical Garden (SCBG) on their way to subtropical and tropical areas. If you visit the SCBG with your binoculars, you may see some warblers in the migratory flight path located below and behind the Bob Campbell Geology Museum.
WHO VISITED: We met Twitter friends like @GardenGuyKenn (all the way from Michigan) and other blog-commenters like Bobster (all the way from Rhode Island) and Leslie (from Connecticut) and Ailsa and Patti, from Ottawa, Ontario.We met Joyce from Iowa and Michelle from Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania (31 miles from Wilkes-Barre, apparently) and Sandra from Clarks Summit (also Pennsylvania, 8 miles from Scranton) and Julie from Reston, Virginia, and Stephanie from Bainbridge Island, Washington, and Stephanie from Seattle (both Stephanies, both from prime garden country…a coincidence?). Someone signed in as being from Scotland, but can that be so? And all of you, thank you, whether from a mile down the road or a country or ocean away…or whether you just visited our virtual tour yesterday.Some of t
DID I MENTION THAT I COUNT BIRDS? (…4 tree swallows, 2 pileated, 5 turkey vultures, 4 bluebirds…no partridge in a pear tree but close. I could go on and on.) Everybody’s returning as fast as the plants are blooming: warblers, catbirds, hummingbirds are all here, with voices (and nests) galore.
Andy is nursery manager of Broken Arrow in Hamden CT, a destination nursery with an extensive retail operation plus a giant mail-order catalog of unusual things. His 25-year-old personal Epimedium collection includes more than 150 kinds, with other shade treasures such as Solomon’s seal, or Polygonatum, and some lookalikes also on his radar.Broken Arrow, where he has worked for 25 years, is known for unusual things: “Especially if it’s variegated, dwarf, or has contorted branches, or there’s something that’s not quite looking right about the plant”–in the very best way, of course–Andy says you’ll find it there. Plants with an irresistible twist
IN 2013, A MILLION DIFFERENT PEOPLE visited me and Jack and the frogboys here at A Way to Garden, and from the looks of things, statistics-wise, a lot of you treasure your homegrown garlic as much as I do. Yes, garlic was the top topic of the year, in which edible plants in general–from growing them from seed right through to tricks for putting up the harvest–dominated your top-50 favorite stories.