Mints are a huge family of plants with many representatives, both in the wild and and in the garden. Besides spearmint and peppermint, obviously mints, thyme and sage of the herb garden, and the beebalm (genus Monarda) one of the most popular flowers in Catskills gardens – all are members…
Hyacinths are flowers known and loved for their fragrance. In in the Catskills, these early spring bulbs are planted in the garden and are most effective when located near the doorstep, where their fragrance welcomes the passerby. Many millions more people buy hyacinths forced in pots, and are able to enjoy their…
This last week’s snowfall made a post about spring garden flowers seem somewhat unseasonal. During the warm spell preceding the snow fall, however, I sampled some leaf litter from my backyard, and I found some interesting critters doing their thing to help break down the fallen leaves from last summer.…
Maples are not considered by most folks to be a flowering tree. Most people won’t even notice them until the fallen flowers collect on the windshields of their vehicles. Close up, maples flowers are recognizable as flowers. Red maple and sugar maple are the two most common species here…
