I Simply Remember These Favorite Things with Dr. A, May 2024
I Simply Remember These Favorite Things, and then I Can Smile All Day. Follow along for my favorite book, garden, book, show and place.
A Plant
Hybrid Rex begonias
I write this for everyone who embraces container gardening. Containers are everywhere, from decks in the backyard to apartment and condo balconies. As I write this, I am thinking of my brother Howard and his wife Phyllis’s 14th-floor balcony in beautiful Waterloo, Ontario. It’s not a large space, but Phyllis brightened it by planting gorgeous begonias in her containers last summer. The new Rex forms are grown mainly for the foliage and are beautiful all season. So, when I revisit Waterloo this summer, I may see the balcony shimmering in begonia beauty again.
A Garden
Chicago Botanic Garden
It is hard to believe that I have been penning this commentary every month for over a year, and I have not included one of America’s great public gardens. Chicago Botanic Garden has it all and does it all. The venue in Glencoe, IL, is a wonderful place to visit and walk around, admiring spectacular gardens, berms, and verges. Their display of ornamental grasses is other-worldly; everything they do is world-class. Not only do people roam, admire, have weddings, and study pollinators and native plants, the garden is well known for its research. A great place to visit, a wonderful American treasure.
A Book
Rachel Hatch series L.T Ryan, Brian Shea
Fiction series. I try to recommend what I consider good reads that also teach me something. After finally finishing a book, I like to say that I have learned something. However, every now and then, I like to chill out with an “airplane book,” simple entertainment for listening in the garden or reading on a plane.
Rachel Hatch is essentially a female Reacher. If you have chosen not to pick up a Reacher book, this series will not interest you either. Hatch (like Reacher, she goes by a single name) is always saving villages, towns, and communities by protecting the innocent and removing the guilty. The stories are simple, easy to follow and great fun to read; the world needs world needs more bad-ass heroes.
11 books in the series.
A Show
Our Planet, Netflix
The photography in this series is unbelievable. David Attenborough, who is always fabulous, narrates this eight-part series that takes us all over the world. Every show opened my eyes to the diversity, wonder, and, yes, fragility of this place we call Earth. I can’t possibly describe what astonishments you will discover when you tune in to this show, but I can almost guarantee “oohs and aahs” from each episode.
A Place
Highlands of Scotland
Scotland is a grand destination, regardless of whether you are visiting Edinburgh, Glasgow, or the Hebrides. The country is beautiful, often rugged, and always beautiful. And without doubt, history is always alive and well. It is even more present if you visit the Highlands, which I recommend for anyone’s to-do list. Inverness, regarded as the capitol of the highlands, was first settled in the 6th century AD and is a good place to start. The Culloden Visitor Center is a must-see in order to understand the Jacobite Rising and the final violent dissolution of the Scottish clans at the battle of Culloden in 1746. Inverewe Gardens, about an hour NW of Inverness, is extraordinary, especially when you think it is on the same latitude as Hudson’s Bay in Canada. And, of course, if you are a fan of Jamie and Claire from the Outlander books, you will not be alone, especially in the stone circles such as those found at Clava Cairns.
I Simply Remember These Favorite Things with Dr. A, April 2024
I Simply Remember These Favorite Things, and then I Can Smile All Day.
April 2024
A Plant:
Annual vinca, Soiree singles
Catheranthus ‘Soiree Rose’
This annual plant is one of the prettiest of the dozens of vincas out there. It is small, prolific, and flowers all season. In the small Armitage garden, my Soirees acs as a colorful groundcover, with nary a complaint. The newer double forms (look closely at the label) are not nearly as good as the singles. This is not the perennial vinca vine, which should generally be avoided in small gardens. The annual is called Catharanthus; the perennial is Vinca.
A Garden:
Alaska Botanical Garden, Anchorage, AK
My time at Alaska Botanical Garden a number of years ago was far too short but still very memorable. The Perennial Garden (catch the Delphiniums), Herb Garden, and Rock Garden are outstanding, and while the season is short, the growth of the plants is other-worldly. The Alaskan wildflower walk is interesting, but if you get there at the right time (usually in mid to late June), you will have a chance to see Meconopsis, the blue Himalayan poppies that you will not forget! Say hello to the staff; they are in love with their jobs (as most people in botanical gardens are).
A Book:
Her Hidden Genius
Author: Marie Benedict
Historical Fiction. When studying high school biology, the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA has always been attributed to two scientists, James Watson and Francis Crick. Rosalind Franklin was an extraordinary scientist in a man’s field, and her meticulous studies of the secret of life revealed without doubt the structure of DNA. Watson & Crick received the Nobel Prize in 1962, and Dr. Franklin was never recognized, even though her X-ray work and photographs were likely used by Watson and Crick. That we have never heard of her says volumes. The book was an enjoyable read; Benedict does not lose us in scientific details – but simply shines a little light on one of the most important discoveries in science and the people who made it happen. I recommended “The Personal Librarian” a number of months ago, another excellent book by Marie Benedict.
A Show:
Slow Horses, Apple TV
I am not even sure how to describe this show except to say that Gary Oldham, the slovenly yet brilliant lead character of a dysfunctional MI-5 team, is worth the time. It is a grubby spy series in which Oldham’s agents usually get everything wrong but somehow win the day. Oldham’s iconic Jackson Lamb, a crusty old curmudgeon left over from the Cold War, is more than enough reason to binge the first season (there are now 3 seasons). This is not a series to watch if you want a lot of action, nor if you want a handsome hero riding into the sunset, but I am betting you will be quickly hooked.
A Place:
Jekyll Island, GA
One of the barrier islands of the coast of Georgia, Jekyll is a place for quiet walks on the beach, bicycle rides around the island, or simply watching the sunset. It is not a place to go for nightlife, fine dining, or a ton of activities. However, visiting the Sea Turtle Center, where sea turtles are rescued and rehabilitated, or walking on Driftwood Beach, where driftwood monuments have come ashore, is unforgettable. If a relaxing beach holiday is on your schedule, you will enjoy this Golden Isle
Watch your inbox for
my list of May Favorites
California Spring Trials 2024
Each year, ornamental plant breeders from around the world gather in California to demonstrate their new introductions which will find their way to garden centers, box stores, and other plant outlets. This year, I travelled with colleagues from a national magazine (Greenhouse Grower) from Los Angeles to San Jose, viewing new introductions from at least twenty flower breeders along the way.
We saw hundreds of beautiful annuals, perennials and shrubs and I had the difficult task of writing about those plants that truly caught my eye. Here are a few; I hope you enjoy this glimpse into the future.
Remember, these plants will not be on the market until next year, 2025.
Each year, ornamental plant breeders from around the world gather in California to demonstrate their new introductions, which will find their way to garden centers, box stores, and other plant outlets. This year, I traveled with colleagues from a national magazine (Greenhouse Grower) from Los Angeles to San Jose, viewing new introductions from at least twenty flower breeders along the way.
We saw hundreds of beautiful annuals, perennials, and shrubs, and I had the difficult task of writing about those plants that truly caught my eye. Here are a few; I hope you enjoy this glimpse into the future.
Remember, these plants will not be on the market until next year, 2025.
Hydrangea Game Changer series (Green Fuse Botanicals)
Hydrangea ‘Game Changer Pink’ From GreenFuse
I have had it up to my eyeballs with mophead and lace-cap hydrangeas (H. macrophylla). Too much water, die back with late freezes, need shade or they wilt, need sun or they flower poorly. It is no wonder that panicle hydrangeas have taken over the hydrangea market in many areas of the country. Even with remontant hydrangeas like the Endless Summer series, they are often fleeting and poor of flowering. If what Steve Jones tells me is so, then this lace-cap hydrangea series will be a gamechanger. Here is a hydrangea that blooms on new wood and keeps on blooming all season. I looked at the inside of the plant and two new stems, each with a potential flower head were waiting in each leaf axil. Colors were stunning.
Hydrangea Game Changer ‘Picotee’
Check out this video on Greenhouse Grower to learn more.
Angelonia Guardian series (Ball FloraPlant)
A dozen series of fine angelonias have been introduced in the last ten years and all have had their moments. I liked the strong, bullish stems of plants in this series; they were not going to be pushed around by rain or wind. They are tall, and useful for a backdrop behind other plants. Perhaps I am being optimistic, but I also believe they are strong and tall enough to be used as a cut flower. The flowers are large and close together on the flower stems. Two colors, Berry Sparkler and Blue.
Coleus ‘Skeletal’ (Kientzler)
Coleus seem to be everywhere. They look wonderful in the sun, in the shade, in large floral beds, containers and window boxes. So, how can yet one more coleus catch my eye? Take a look at the photo and ask if you would not look at it twice. The rose colors on the limb-like leaves look like a drying skeleton. It may not be the most beautiful coleus your customers have ever seen, but it will make them look, then look again. I can see this as a stand alone or in mixed container. It’s really a cool plant.
Canna ‘Cannova Gold Leopard’ (American Takii)
Cannas have come a long way and are well established as mainstream plants. Takii has always been a leader in seed-propagated cannas, and now they have outdone themselves once again. The beautiful golden petals are covered with orange speckles and oh my, these plants are stunning. The plant is midsize in height, and fits in well with the rest of the Cannova family.
The links below provide the full list of my and Julie's (editor of Greenhouse Growers) favorites.