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Bees enjoy the nectar of blossoms in July. sitting under the tree then is like sitting inside the hive, with buzzing all around.

Following My Tree: March

My linden tree (Tilia Americana) is still trunk-deep in snow. And I am still far from home. So again this month, I can’t post an up-to-date photo of the tree as it is. I can, though, post photos of the tree as it has been. And those photos, taken from a collection that spans the last…

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A great smile is a good marketing tool. Pearl Fryar has one, for sure.

Pearl Fryar’s Topiary Garden

Success comes from three things, Pearl Fryar told me the other day — from work, passion and marketing. Fryar has them all. Pearl Fryar knows what he’s good at and cheerfully shares his knowledge with even a casual visitor like me who stopped by unannounced on a Saturday afternoon. I found him working in the garden but he stopped to…

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You Read it Here First!

I’m a big fan of ThinkinGardens, the British website edited by Anne Wareham. While the bulk of the posts relate to gardening and gardens in England, posts also cover topics of wider interest. As the website itself says, it’s a website “for people who want more than gardening from gardens.” ThinkinGardens isn’t modest or retiring, and…

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This tree was flowering when we arrived. But it is the only one I

What to see when the flowers aren’t in bloom.

Coming to South Carolina in mid-February, I expected to see daffodils and crocus, maple trees budding out, azaleas and the flowering trees that speak of spring in southern climes. But not this year.         Temperatures have been much lower than normal, so low that ponds have frozen.  It’s only a skim of ice.…

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Camellias are now a mark of southern gardens. They were introduced to America in 1786, at Middleton Place.

Middleton Place: An American Landscape Garden

Middleton Place is described as America’s oldest landscaped garden. Laid out in 1741 with romantic additions dating from the 19th and 20th century, it is a fascinating example of international style with a southern accent.       A bit of history: First settled in the late 17th century, Middleton Place was acquired by Henry Middleton…

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