The White turtlehead, Chelone glabra, with its regal stems and inch-long, snapdragon like white flowers, should win a ribbon in any flower show. And a spot in most Piedmont gardens.

A great, late-summer bloomer, it flowers from August to October. The blossoms, which may be tinged with pink, combine well with Joe Pye, Eutrochium purpureum; False goat’s beard, Astilbe Biternata; ferns; and other plants

A favorite of butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds, they are a key host plant for the rare Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly, Maryland’s state butterfly. Continue reading White Turtleheads Brighten Late Summer Gardens →

Violets creep into my gardens every year. While I never considered them one of the worst weeds, I would remove them when cleaning up the garden.

No longer.

I recently discovered that native violets are the prime host plant for many of the Fritillary caterpillars. Fritillary butterflies are marvelous members of any garden being both beautiful and good pollinators.

Continue reading Violets, Friends of the Fritillaries →

Two years ago, the first American Chestnut trees were planted by the Maryland Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation at the Central Maryland Research & Education Center Seed Orchard.

Thanks to the efforts of volunteers and members of the chapter, a great deal of work has been achieved. Here is a brief video showing some of the progress that has been made:

If you are interested in volunteering, the fall harvest of chestnut seeds will begin in September.