I Simply Remember These Favorite Things with Dr. A’s November 2024

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A Plant - Pineapple sage, Salvia rutilans

‘Golden Delicious’ Pineapple sage

I am racking my brain for a plant that looks good for me in November, one that I have not already mentioned in past favorites. While late fall flowering plants are not as well known as others, fall is the best time for many salvias. And how I love pineapple sage.

My garden is certainly ratty at this time of year, and frost is just around the corner, but pineapple sage is glowing. Try rubbing a leaf between your fingers and taking a whiff; the foliage actually does smell of pineapple. Come autumn, and the bright red flowers are at their peak. Buy in the spring, and they will reward you with handsome specimens in the fall.

A wonderful cultivar is ‘Golden Delicious’, so named for golden leaves.

Pineapple sage showng deep red flowers int fall.

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A Garden - Powis Castle, Wales

Many of the gardens I mention in this blog seem more appropriate for those who enjoy traveling overseas. There are untold lands to visit, but I recommend the ancient land of Cymry, the Welsh name for Wales. The castles, villages, countryside, and, of course, the gardens are outstanding. 

When asked which garden I have visited is my favorite, Powis Castle is in the top five (I wrote about Mt Stewart in Northern Ireland in October 2024—it, too, is among my top five). The castle itself goes back at least to the 1200s and is certainly interesting, but the formal Italianate terraces with the spectacular plantings throughout are stunning. 

The gardens on the terraces are quite formal but nothing like staid French estates. They boast rambling perennials, robust climbers and wonderful containers of fuchsia and other colorful plants. On every terrace. The most jaw dropping vistas however are the gigantic clipped yew hedges, so large that scaffolding is needed by the gardeners shaping them. 

This is a Royal Trust property, easily searched online. 

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A Book -The Women

Author: Kristin Hannah

Fiction

The sun-drenched idyllic world of Southern California, where Francis (Frankie) McGrath is raised, is almost oblivious to the outside world. However, in 1965, the Vietnam War cannot be ignored. The war was really not real until her brother was killed in a helicopter crash. At that point, Frankie joins the Army Nursing Corps, much to the objections of her conservative parents.   

In the beginning, the newscasts all report minimal casualties to American forces, but Frankie quickly finds out the true horror of Vietnam.  She is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of the war. The scars of the war were terrible enough, but the real battle begins when she arrives home – to angry protesters and a country that wants nothing to do with the Vietnam war. 

This is a fantastic story, one that opens your eyes to the horror of a war that never should have been fought and to the women who put themselves in harm’s way only to be shunned and forgotten. 

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A Show/Movie- Lincoln Lawyer - Netflix

This was first a book by Michael Connelly in 2005, then a movie in 2011 starring Matthew McConaughey, and is now a streaming series that started in 2022, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller. 

I enjoyed the book back then, and the movie was OK, but Susan and I are hooked on the streaming series. The cast is terrific, the episodes are enjoyable, and the twists in each season are great fun. Two seasons are available, and a third is in production.

Entertaining and worth a watch in the evening.

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A Place - The Great Wall, China

I apologize in advance for including this as a great place to visit. Not because it is not one of the world’s great wonders but simply because it is a long way to go and not the most accessible place to get to. However, more and more people are visiting China, and if you have the opportunity, jump on it. 

The Great Wall extends over 13,000 miles. Historians believe some construction started as early as 200 BC, but the best-known sections and best maintained were likely built by the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Part of the Great Wall, the Badaling Great Wall, is only about 40 miles from downtown Beijing. Walking the Great Wall, even for only a short distance, is unlike anything you have ever done.

There are literally hordes of people in some of the sections close to Beijing, and depending on the time of year, it may not be a serene stroll. But simply stopping (a necessary action because the wall is very steep in sections) and staring at the length of the wall and the terrain on which it travels will have you wondering how in the world it was ever built. 

China is huge; Beijing alone has over 21 million people. However, a walk on the wall will have you marveling for years.

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Be featured next month by leaving a little feedback, please. 
Anyone who enjoys reading, travel, and gardens could write a column like this. So, if you are keen, send me feedback on your favorites and include a book, place, plant, or garden you recommend.

Add your favorites in the comments below or email us using the button below!

I Simply Remember These Favorite Things with Dr. A’s October 2024

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A Plant - Large yellow salvia, Salvia madrensis

I have admired this large fall-flowering salvia here and there for some time. Unfortunately, few gardeners know of this plant and the fact that it does not flower until the fall makes it even more difficult to buy at the local nursery. 

Regardless, it is relatively easy to find online. Once purchased, it should be planted in a sunny place in the garden in the spring. It may put out a few flowers after planting, but remove those to allow vegetative growth all season. If you plant it sufficiently early, you can take cuttings a month later—they root easily, and you can increase your planting without decreasing your pocketbook. 

They will grow 4-6’ tall and, once they begin flowering, will continue until frost. That they flower so late may be a problem for northern gardeners who experience frosts in early October. 

After all is said and done, plants are annuals. But they provide great bang for the buck. 

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A Garden - Mount Stewart, County Down, Northern Ireland

Winter will soon be upon us, and perhaps you will be thinking about doing some overseas travel in 2025. Ireland is a wonderful place to visit; spectacularly beautiful, lovely people and easy to get around. There are many gardens worth a visit, but I recommend going north into Northern Ireland and visiting Mount Stewart. 

I have spoken about dozens of great gardens over the years and invariably I am asked to choose my favorite. Mount Stewart is definitely in my top five! The house itself is beautiful, being home of the Marquesses of Londonderry for over 250 years but strolling through the magnificent plantings will leave you in awe.  

The Italian garden, the Shamrock garden, the bloody hand of Ulster, Mairi garden, the Walled garden the Sunken garden and on and on – and the trees …. Fabulous.

This is a National Trust garden, and information and prices are easily accessible.

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A Book -Anxious People

Author: Fredrik Backman

Fiction

Fredrik Backman happens to be one of my favorite authors, having written exceptional books like A Man Called Ove (Favorites, January 2023) and Bear Town. He weaves a story often with suspense and always with humor. Anxious People is an easy read.

I don’t want to spoil how it starts, but it continues as the thwarted bank robber bursts into an apartment open house and takes a group of strangers hostage. The grievances, hurts, passions and secrets of the hostages and the robber become intertwined and the book takes turns you never expect. While it sounds a little “far out” at times, I found it a wonderful read. 

My lovely friend, Kelly Garcia, just swooned over how delightful this story is when she learned it was this month’s favorite book. The surprising twists at the end are completely unexpected, and like all of Backman’s books, the characters, even the most curmudgeon-ly ones, are ultimately the most loveable.

Anything by this author is worth the time.

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A Show/Movie- Wonder - Netflix

This month I am recommending a movie (or the book if you prefer) that was released in 2017. I like to choose more timely show/movies but having only recently watched it, I wanted to remind you of it as well. I read the book many years ago but when friends suggested I watch the movie, I was captured all over again.

Aggie Pullman was born with a facial disorder that prevented him from entering mainstream schools. He was home-schooled until he was ready to enter the fifth grade. The story follows Auggie and his family as he is initially teased and bullied by some of his classmates, then finds a friend and then another. Slowly Auggie brings out the compassion and acceptance of others and becomes an unlikely hero in the tale.

The story, however, is much more than just Auggie's struggles. His parents and, particularly, his older sister are very much part of the changes going on in Auggie’s evolution.

If you wish to watch a feel-good movie, I believe you will enjoy Wonder. By the way, a sequel, White Bird, has recently been released. I have not yet seen it. 

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A Place - St Michael’s Mount, Marazion, Cornwall, England

Traveling to the island by foot during low tide. 

I could just as easily put this in the great gardens to visit category, but this is a place that even if you have no interest in a garden, you will want to go there.

This small island is situated on the south coast of Cornwall, off the small town of Marazion - and is accessible by foot in low tide, but only by boat in high tide.  Once on the island, a walk to the top of the castle, while somewhat exhausting provides otherworldly views of the world beneath.

Steeped in history, bathed in beauty and captured in myth, a trip to The Mount is well worth your time. 

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Some recommendations from readers based on last month’s issue. 

Recommendations from our readers:

If you are ever in the Seattle area and love gardens, you should make a point to visit the Bloedel Reserve. I first visited this garden 30 years ago and never forgot it. So I was thrilled to see it again recently, and it certainly lived up to my memories! Many new features were added, especially beautiful natural trails that wind through meadows and woodlands. Highlights include the Moss Garden and the Japanese Garden. The manmade structures are gorgeous, too, and fit perfectly with their surroundings. Don't expect an abundance of flower color; this garden is meant to be a peaceful, natural retreat. In fact, you must purchase a timed ticket so there are never too many visitors at once. The garden is on Bainbridge Island and can be reached by ferry or by car.

~Robin Siktberg, Editor of The Cut Flower Quarterly from the ASCFG

Be featured next month by leaving a little feedback, please. 
Anyone who enjoys reading, travel, and gardens could write a column like this. So, if you are keen, send me feedback on your favorites and include a book, place, plant, or garden you recommend.

Add your favorites in the comments below or email us with the button below!

I Simply Remember These Favorite Things with Dr. A’s September 2024

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A Plant - Northern Maidenhair Fern, Adiantum pedatum

Last month, I chose a plant that was rather weird, somewhat smelly, and perhaps difficult to find - the voodoo lily. This month’s selection is well-known to native plant enthusiasts. A plant that is very handsome, easy to find, easy to grow, and easy to love.

The plants have many wonderful attributes. They tolerate shade and will make robust colonies in a few years. Their thin black stems end in deep green crescent-shaped fronds. They are cold hardy to USDA Zone 4.

If your garden has shady areas, purchase a few of these from your local garden center, put them in groups of three, and enjoy their beauty for years to come.

As I mentioned, this fern is quite cold-hardy; its cousin, the southern maidenhair, is equally lovely but only cold-hardy to about USDA zone 8.

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A Garden - Olbrich Botanical gardens, Madison, WI

I visited Olbrich many years ago while I was in the Madison area. It was relatively unknown then but no longer. The first thing I noticed was the ornamental grasses – they were stunning in the fall of the year. However, there is so much more to see. Today, there are 16 acres of outdoor gardens worth walking through, including sunken gardens, water gardens, perennial displays, and a few meadow gardens. If that is not enough, stroll through the beautiful Boltz Conservatory to be transported to the tropics.

The garden is a private-public garden operated by the City of Madison and the Olbrich Botanical Society. If you are in the Madison area, visit this wonderful gem for a few hours.

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A Book -The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating  

Author: Elisabeth Tova Bailey

Non-fiction

If you have ever wondered why you should join a book club, this book is an answer. I never would have picked it up, let alone read it—yet here I am recommending it to you. When one of our book club members held up this small paperback and told us how much he enjoyed it, we said, “Why not?”  It turned out to be a gem. 

It is the author’s story of her very difficult time when she was bedridden with a mysterious illness, and her only company was a snail that had hitched a ride on a pot of violets from a friend. As time passed, her interaction with the snail evolved from curiosity to an almost maternal friendship. 

“The snail and I were both loving in altered landscapes not of our choosing. I figured we shared a sense of loss and displacement.” Her primary relationship was with a snail, not with people, and when she believed her snail had left, she felt she had lost her close friend. 

As a result of her continued interaction, she started reading everything she could about a snail’s habits, anatomy (who knew a snail has more than 2500 teeth that regenerate as needed), and even sex life (Cupid has nothing on a couple of mating snails!). 

The book was a pleasant surprise. Certainly, I learned more about snails than I had ever planned, but it was even more about the healing powers of connection and the long journey back from the brink of despair, leaning on her snail as a service animal.  

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A Show/Movie-The Great British Baking Show

Who knew a baking show could bring so much drama and be so enjoyable a journey at the same time. The interaction between the amateur bakers and the hosts is the key to its success. 

The judges, Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, are joined with a series of hosts, all of whom support the struggling bakers as they try to complete pastries, cakes, breads and quite unbelievable show stoppers. 

There is no yelling or back stabbing, and in fact the show, while very stressful for the bakers, is calm and relaxing, at least for the audience. The recipes are certainly challenging but the 12 amateurs who start must be creative and inventive to attain the tastiest and most beautiful concoctions to impress the judges. 

Each week, one baker must leave and as you watch the field being reduced, you can’t help but cheer and pull for those that remain. There is a ton of pressure on the bakers, and an equal amount of drama for the audience.  Watch a show or two and you will be hooked. 

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A Place - Dynjandi Waterfall, Iceland

Having recently returned from a glorious trip to Iceland, I could regale you with a dozen places to visit and a dozen things to do. Iceland is known as the “Land of Fire and Ice”, but it should be called the “Land of Spectacular Waterfalls” as well.  There are so many beautiful sights in Iceland that after a while one more waterfall hardly registered – until we visited the Dynjandi Waterfall in West Fjords. The journey was not easy, but once there, the landscape was mesmerizing. The photo is worth any description I could possibly render, suffice it to say we were in awe. Iceland is worth a visit, do it before it is overrun with tourists.

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Some recommendations from readers based on last month’s issue. 

Recommendations Provided by:

“Ever since I took your advice and watched the series Navillera on Netflix, which was so beautifully done, Netflix has suggested more Korean films. I adored watching the series called Chocolate, which is a love story but has interesting characters who are working through difficulties in their lives. It also focuses on food as a soothing, comforting factor that seems to be a common denominator. I am always attracted to films that have food as a binding feature. I enjoyed watching the preparation of Korean food. This is a series worth watching.”

Johanna

Be featured next month by leaving a little feedback, please. 
Anyone who enjoys reading, travel, and gardens could write a column like this. So, if you are keen, send me feedback on your favorites and include a book, place, plant, or garden you recommend.

Add your favorites in the comments below!