Garden Views: Growing the poppies of November

By MARY FRAN McQUADE To a gardener, it’s odd that poppies are so prominent in November. Cold-loving chrysanthemums make more sense at this time of year. Lately, even Christmas greens and trees are already appearing in garden shops. The bright red poppy rightfully belongs to the month of August, the hot harvest-time. But, as most […]

Garden Views: Annuals deserve a spot in the garden

By MARY FRAN McQUADE Once upon a time, gardens were filled with bright flowering plants that bloomed their pretty heads off all summer long. Impatiens, tiny fibrous begonias, marigolds, geraniums, snapdragons and more covered garden beds, public and private. Then people caught on to the idea of perennials, and annuals were left behind in the […]