While I was over at Garden Rant, I stumbled on Alan Armitage’s post "So You Want To Dumb Us Down Even More?". He was talking about a debate he had while on a gardening panel, when someone asked if we should be using only Latin plant names. Dr. Armitage’s reply was that people who work in horticulture and garden retail should certainly know the Latin plant names, but when dealing with casual gardeners, we should talk in terms they can relate to. He likened it to shopping for a computer and being expected to know the difference between RAM, ROM and cache as opposed to speed, memory and reliability. The comments that followed were not necessarily in agreement, let alone agreeable.

I know many garden snobs who never use less than the genus and species to discuss plants. Fine. I also know many knowledgeable gardeners who enjoy the charm of regional common names. I think that’s fine too. Would a Bleeding Heart get quite as much notice if it were known only as Dicentra?

Do you think one of the reasons gardening is losing popularity is because it’s become too elite? It’s not enough to pick up some petunias and marigolds and put a pot on the front steps, now you need to know about natives, pest resistance, the proper ratio for a border and the chemical make-up of your soil. I know I’m asking the choir whether they think there’s too much singing going on, but has gardening become too demanding to attract new gardeners? I’m asking yes or no in the poll above, but please feel free to leave any ‘comments’ below.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.

For many of us, the shrubs in front of our homes are about the only gardens we see throughout winter. While there’s a movement to get us thinking about alternatives to foundation plantings, shrubs still rule. If you’re not yet willing to replace your yews and rhododendrons with perennials and vegetables, you still might want to think about sprucing up your curb appeal. David Beaulieu has a foundation planting photo gallery of inspiration for you to mull over and compare what you have with what it could be.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.

I often talk about how every yard should have at least one long-lived tree planted in it. If we happen to purchase a home without mature trees, a lot of us opt for the look of instant age by planting fast growing trees, like poplars and birches. But fast growers are rarely long-livers. That’s something to keep in mind when you’re planting a tree in someone’s memory. About’s Guide to Forestry, Steve Nix, has some suggestions of his own about what trees NOT to plant. There are no bad trees, just trees with bad behavior. More to the point, trees with habits that aren’t suited to the average yard. In his 10 Yard Trees Gone Bad, Steve points out that “A tree can outgrow its original purpose very quickly or grow into its intended purpose very slowly.” Which would you prefer?

Photo Provided by Mark Woodward / Stock.xchng.

The Perennial Plant of 2009 has been named and it’s Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’. Most gardeners are way ahead of the game in appreciated this golden variegated grass, but I think a lot of us shy away from it because it can be so expensive to purchase. Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ grows painfully slowly, so you’ll never see it at a plant swap or on the bargain table. It’s a treasure. The point behind the Perennial Plant of the Year is to remind gardeners of some of the great plants under their noses that deserve to be in their gardens. I think most all the Hakonechloa macra grasses fit that bill and Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ is no exception. It shines in sun or shade, woodland or gravel walkway, in a pot alone or as a focal point. If you can summon the patience, I’m sure there’s a spot to grow Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ in your garden.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.