GUEST COLUMN
Leslie Harris’s
Photo by Sari Goodfriend
INTO THE GARDEN PLANT OF THE WEEK
What’s in a name? In this case, not the cure that some people may have been looking for back in the day from the beautiful Lobelia siphilitica, or more pleasantly, the Great Blue Lobelia. Sorry about that. But it does cure many other ills by being deerresistant, native to the Eastern US, a wonderful pollinator, attractive to hummers, and a pretty blue flower at a time of year when there is a bit of a lull, at least in my garden, of color. Tiny tubular flowers on a 2' stalk can bloom in sun or some shade, and this perennial loves wet soil. And, it self-sows!
Sounds easy, but if you know Bunny’s work, you know that she has a gift for creating visual beauty that we can strive to emulate, but we may not quite get there. However, I feel closer to a higher aesthetic after chatting with her, and, after finding out that her manicurist laments her fingernails. I hope you participated in the giveaway of Bunny’s book (running August 14th and 15th on my Instagram) by liking the Giveaway post, commenting on what you love about gardening, and tagging someone else that you think may be interested, but if you didn’t, or didn’t win, check out this great article on One King’s Lane on Bunny’s garden ideas. And here’s a link to Bunny’s blog – articles that deal specifically with gardening.
THE PLAY LIST
Spider Mites – you can make your plants quite inhospitable for them by using a hard hose, or even the kitchen tap on houseplants, to get rid of their little spider-mite webs. Brown grass may not mean dead grass. Remember, its roots may survive what the blades may not, and it will rain again, someday! Are your annuals flagging? Ugh, some of my petunias are woeful… here’s what to do: pinch them for new growth feed them for new growth go shopping! :)
LISTEN
GUEST
Bunny Williams is an icon of interior design, and as many of her fans know, her interest in gardens is deep and enduring also. Her book On Garden Style not only inspires one through gorgeous photos of her and others’ gardens but additionally it breaks down simple design elements for all to learn from. My chat with her was equally inspiring because of her simple philosophies such as letting nature lead you, dealing naturally with pests, and using symmetry and design elements to enhance your garden.
12 • VNLA News • Fall 2021
Paul Tukey’s book The Organic Lawn Care Manual, which I have ordered and await, makes me want to end the understanding I have with Husband that the lawn is only his domain. I think our lawns, all of them, become everyone’s domain if the chemicals applied to them go on to impact nature outside of our property lines. Listen to Tukey’s interview with Joe Lampel (Joe Gardener – I mentioned him on Episode 24 because of his work with Brie the Plant Lady) on growing a greener world here. He was recently on Tom Christopher’s “Growing a Greener World” talking specifically about what your lawn weeds may indicate about your soil. And here’s an interview with Molly Hill of Maison Pur sustainable living podcast. •
TO LEARN MORE AND LISTEN TO PODCASTS, VISIT: https://www.lhgardens.com/blog
