Blooming right now in Catskills gardens is the gloriously fragrant Lily-of-the-Valley, known to botanists as Convallaria. This plant is a native of Europe and Asia, but it has been planted in Catskills gardens since colonial times. In the 1800s it was potted, forced and sold in the florist trade. It…
Blooming right now in Catskills gardens is the stately Great Solomons Seal, known to botanists as Polygonatum multiflorum. A wildflower in Europe and Asia, it became popular as a staple of Victorian era shade gardens and has been growing in Catskills gardens ever since. Its gracefully arching stems reach three…
Spring has been very busy for me this year, so this week I am re-posting a popular blog from 2013, with a few new photos. All azaleas are rhododendrons, but not all rhododendrons are azaleas. And not all small leaved rhododendron are azaleas either. Rhododendron is a huge genus (group…
Violets are common wildflowers blooming now throughout the Catskills. They are found carpeting the woodlands in dappled shade, and they can also be found growing in old pastures or even lawns. Violets are all known botanically as members of the genus (group of species) Viola. New York State actually has…
