Chaste Tree

Isn’t this plant a sight to behold? It stopped in my tracks as I drove through a client’s neighborhood in Mercer Island. It certainly has found its happy place in this garden. Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus), is a small, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub with distinctly palmate, aromatic, gray-green leaves. The upright, spreading habit creates a lovely…

Deadheading Roses

Summer days are here, albeit masquerading as ‘fall’ every other day. Roses are in full bloom, in gardens, in parks, along sidewalks. In my own garden, I have some fabulous blooms. The licorice smell of the yellow ‘Sunsprite’ always brings a smile to my face while the beautiful multi-color blooms of the ‘Chihuly’ add a sense of awe. As I walk along my rose bed, I reach out to remove the spent blooms. By doing do, I am cheating nature and tricking the plant to produce more blooms.