A live look at what's in flower right now, what's coming up on the calendar, and notes from the Harmons on the back forty.
Dave's pick this week. The Red Dragons just hit their peak burgundy — that deep wine red they hold from May straight through October, when they turn coppery. Slow-growing, compact (8 ft mature), perfect for a courtyard or as a feature near a stone wall.
Most workshops fill — call ahead or sign up below. Walks on the nursery are always free.
Soil prep, variety selection, support systems, and the 3 mistakes that lose people half their crop. Bring a notebook.
Deadheading, shaping, summer feeding. Bring gloves. We'll prune some of our test roses together.
A walking tour of every native species on the property, with notes on what works in residential landscapes. Hot coffee provided.
Opening day. Bring buckets, sunhats, and hungry kids. $3.50/lb. Coffee on the house for early arrivals.
Pick your own berries, then learn Carol's no-pectin small-batch jam recipe. Take home four jars. Aprons provided.
Short pieces from the family — care tips, seasonal advice, the occasional rant about big-box nurseries.
Every year somebody asks why our maples are pricier than the ones at the chain. The short answer: ours are grafted, theirs are seedlings. The long answer takes about six paragraphs and involves cell-pack economics.
If you've been staring at your soggy yard wondering what to put in, here's the trio Dave and I plant ourselves: astilbe, Siberian iris, and ligularia. None of them mind cold feet, all of them put on a show.
I planted my first row in 1985 because my mother sent me a clipping. They're still the same plants — Duke and Bluecrop, the heritage varieties. People ask if I get tired of berries. After forty Julys, no. Not yet.