Projo Garden Blog

April 2009 Archives


The photogenic dogwood

dogwood-5-6.jpg 2:17 PM Thu, Apr 30, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Pat Feinstein    Email

One of the prettiest flowering trees has to be the dogwood. One of the most famous photographs of flowers has to be Ansel Adams' dogwood flowers in black and white. The picture is probably more admired now than when it......

social bookmarking


Quince, 'An ideal backyard fruit tree'?

4 28 q flowers.jpg 2:09 PM Tue, Apr 28, 2009 | | Comments (8)
By Pat Feinstein    Email

For years, I have watched a small tree growing in my backyard. Each spring, it produced a few red flowers. I inherited the tree when I purchased the house in 1987. Years later I found one single fruit that......

social bookmarking


The parrot tulips

4-27-tulip-collage.jpg 3:35 PM Mon, Apr 27, 2009 | | Comments (1)
By Pat Feinstein    Email

Flamboyant is an adjective used in describing the parrot tulips, which are usually larger than regular tulips. Their petals are unique, with unusual texture and a feather-like appearance, twisted and curled up. They are so fascinating to watch from the......

social bookmarking


Magnolia and cherry blossoms

4-25-cherry-blo.jpg 6:28 PM Sun, Apr 26, 2009 | | Comments (3)
By Pat Feinstein    Email

This is a perfect weekend to be walking outside and appreciating all the flowering trees. You could not miss all the beautiful blossoms, and especially saucer magnolia (Magnolia soulangiana ) in both pink and purple. The latter can be seen......

social bookmarking


Fighting the losing battle with squirrels?

4-23-untouched-tulips.jpg 2:52 PM Thu, Apr 23, 2009 | | Comments (9)
By Pat Feinstein    Email

The squirrels have been doing a lot of damage to my tulips on a daily basis. They first started in the back yard with white tulips and now they have concentrated on the front yard. I don't know if they......

social bookmarking


The groundcovering plants

4-20-groundcovers-2.jpg 3:28 PM Mon, Apr 20, 2009 | | Comments (3)
By Pat Feinstein    Email

For a brief introduction on this topic, I'll recommend Groundcovers to Know and to Use, from the University of Illinois. Since I have got rid of the grass and lawn when I started gardening back in 1988, I rely on......

social bookmarking


Golden daffodils with orange cups

4-18-daff-1.jpg 1:40 AM Sun, Apr 19, 2009 | | Comments (1)
By Pat Feinstein    Email

"....... A host of golden daffodils Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.... ........and then my heart with pleasure fills, And dance with the daffodils. " William Wordsworth (7 April 1770 - 23 April......

social bookmarking


From the West coast, Mahonia Golden Abundance

4-13-a-shrub-DC.jpg 10:25 AM Fri, Apr 17, 2009 | | Comments (1)
By Pat Feinstein    Email

Discovering new plants, new trees or new flowers has to be a delight to most gardeners. As years go by, I seem to have paid more and closer attention to all the plants that I come into contact with. Besides......

social bookmarking


Yellow magnolia, another surprise

4-13-y-mag-4.jpg 10:18 AM Fri, Apr 17, 2009 | | Comments (3)
By Pat Feinstein    Email

Four days ago while walking around Logan Circle in Washington DC, on a cold, dreary day I stumbled into a relatively small tree with beautiful yellow buds. I thought it had to be a magnolia tree and this was later......

social bookmarking


A gardener's path to redbud trees

redbud.jpg 10:48 AM Wed, Apr 15, 2009 | | Comments (1)
By Pat Feinstein    Email

Most gardeners, nowadays, are working people with limited time to spend nurturing their gardens. I have more time to devote to my garden than many others because I am fully retired. I always dislike leaving the garden, especially from spring......

social bookmarking


The amazing yellow cherry blossoms

4-8-y-cherry-6.jpg 10:57 AM Wed, Apr 08, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Pat Feinstein    Email

There is one of the most beautiful yellow blossoms blooming right now, practically in our back yard at the Swan Point cemetery. This cornelian cherry tree is said to be one of the earliest blooming of all plants. According to......

social bookmarking


Star magnolia, the first flowering tree to bloom

4-7-mag-07-08.jpg 6:47 PM Tue, Apr 07, 2009 | | Comments (1)
By Pat Feinstein    Email

Magnolia stellata, or Star magnolia,was on the list of my 'must have' flowering trees when I ventured into gardening 21 years ago. I didn't even know then that this tree would produce flowers early, as a young tree. It......

social bookmarking


My first tulip of the year

4-29-08-tulip.jpg 1:48 PM Mon, Apr 06, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Pat Feinstein    Email

Spotting the first tulip in my front yard gave me a quiet excitement after returning from a walk around the neighborhood on a glorious Sunday afternoon. This will not be the prettiest tulip this year nor in any previous......

social bookmarking


Glory-of-the-snow, another sign of spring

chino bee 4 8.jpg 2:44 AM Wed, Apr 01, 2009 | | Write a comment
By Pat Feinstein    Email

Chinodoxa ( from Greek words: Chion = snow; doxa = glory ) is in the family of Liliaceae, according to the flower expert. The flowers are supposed to open and be seen poking through the snow cover. While I have......

social bookmarking