Gardener by Nature LLC

06/01/2026

What perfect weather we had for yesterday's Hydrangea Stroll! Our thanks to everyone who stopped by for a walk in the garden.

05/07/2026

It's hard for me to choose a favorite among shrubs native to the Southeast, but mountain laurel is closest to my heart. I share my love for this resilient, adaptable shrub in the May/June issue of Triangle Gardener.

Pick up a copy at area distributors or read it online: https://www.trianglegardener.com

04/25/2026

First rain since March 28. We are filled with gratitude!

04/19/2026

All spaces for Thursday's Creating a Habitat garden workshop are taken. Saturday's session is cancelled due to the forecast for chilly temperatures and much-needed rain.

Habitat Garden workshops emphasize strategies for establishing drought-tolerant plantings. Keep an eye on my website for fall dates.

https://gardenerbynature.com/garden-resources/events/

04/17/2026

Spring is moving too quickly this year!

My favorite -- and most fragrant -- native azalea, Rhododendron alabamense, has come and gone. The Rhododendrons are almost a month ahead. It seems if we blink, we'll miss something.

Fortunately we didn't miss these wonderful variations in John's seedling Columbine and Japanese Roof Iris.

04/05/2026

It's a beautiful Easter Morning here at Swiftbrook. The American Fringe, Parsley Leaf Hawthorne and Red Buckeye trees are in full bloom, along with two forms of native Honeysuckle. Bird's Foot Violets that we added last year are thriving.

An exciting new development -- our naturally occurring Merrybells have added themselves to the Robin's Plantain long our driveway. We've seen them for decades in our woodland, but never in the front yard!!!

03/13/2026

Here's some timely information about cleaning up garden beds from Mt Cuba Center. The spring new growth of many species soon covers stems left at 8 to 12 foliage. A bonus for those who want a tidy look or need one for their neighbors or HOA.

Take advantage of this warm spell to trim last year's stems!

MYTH: “To support stem-nesting bees, gardeners should wait until spring temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees before trimming last year's stems. Pruning earlier will harm the bees overwintering inside the stems"

FACT: "To support stem-nesting bees, gardeners should ensure that last year's stems are trimmed back (to 8-24") by early spring, creating nest sites *before* the first bees of the season emerge."

Stem-nesting bees select dead stems from the previous year for nest sites. Last year's stems do not contain stem nesting bees, and trimming them before the season creates habitat. The bees that emerged during the 2025 season would be nesting and overwintering in stems that grew in prior years, and those stalks should not be disturbed. Pruned stems will fall away naturally in subsequent years with no additional cutting required, and new growth will cover the stem stubble.

For more info on supporting overwintering wildlife, check out our blog post on garden clean up! https://mtcubacenter.org/tips-for-fall-garden-clean-up/

03/12/2026

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03/07/2026

Twenty years ago I planted 18 Bloodroot, 9 Trillium and a couple of Trout Lilies imagining a carpet of Southeastern Piedmont spring ephemerals in our woodland. Some dreams come true!

Spaces are available in our Thursday, March 19, workshop for folks who'd like to learn more about these and other "Invited Native Plants." https://gardenerbynature.com/garden-resources/

02/28/2026

Bloodroot, Trillium, and Trout Lilies are starting to emerge. It looks like we'll have a good show for our upcoming Inviting Natives workshops: https://gardenerbynature.com/garden-resources/events/