Fall Color
Fall Foliage and Fruits
This weekend heralds our last open days for 2018 and there’s still lots to see. While asters and dahlias continue to bloom unabated, it’s the vivid colors of fall foliage and fruits that steal the show. …
Terrific Toad Lilies
Toad lilies, warts and all
Amongst the panoply of excellent fall-flowering perennials, toad lilies (Tricyrtis) occupy a special place in my heart. When I first encountered them as a child, I was convinced that the flower buds resembled …
Fabulous Fall Flowers
A Tale of Two Tubers
Brrrrrr! Chilly mornings are a sure sign that Fall is upon us. While most trees have yet to display their characteristic colors, below their leafy canopies, fall-blooming cyclamen and roscoeas light up the Woodland Garden …
African Odyssey
It’s been a long, hot summer. For many gardeners, that’s meant a constant struggle to keep plants watered, but here at Heronswood, our African plants have thrived. As a largely tropical continent, Africa offers little for Pacific Northwest gardens. Agapanthus …
Schizophragma and Pileostegia
Not All Climbing Hydrangeas are Climbing Hydrangeas
The genus of Hydrangea is indeed diverse and comes in a wide array of forms, from small scrambling shrubs to 2.5′ (Hydrangea scandens of Japan), dramatic trees to 35′ (Hydrangea xanthoneura of China) …
Pollination Paradise
Amazing Asters
There’s a bumper crop of blooms at Heronswood right now. From daisies to dahlias, geraniums to gingers, our flower borders are hopping! But while they gladden our hearts, flowers don’t put on this show for our benefit. They …
Hip Hip Hooray for Hydrangeas
Heronswood Hydrangeas at their Finest
In these dusty days of summer, the heat can feel relentless, so what better way to spend a day than wandering the Woodland Garden at Heronswood. Enjoy dappled shade beneath a canopy of evergreen conifers, …
Scented Sentinels of Summer
Lilies of Summer
The heat is on. Summer is here and all around Heronswood, flowers are doing their thing, producing a dazzling display. While undoubtedly attractive to us, flowers are actually sending a message to pollinating insects and birds. They’re …
Geum: Tales from the Old Country
The Gorgeous Genus of Geum
Geums – I love them! And if you’re uncertain how to pronounce this little Latin name, then split it in two: Gee-Umm.
The genus Geum is a member of the massive rose family (Rosaceae), which …
Illcium anisatum; Beyond the Stars
Good Foliage Amongst a Richness of Flower
Foliage First.
Far more people are familiar with the genus Ilicium than the nerdy gardener. Authentic cuisine in SE Asia has long relied on sweet, spicy aroma of star anise, the star-shaped seed …
