The lily is the queen of the garden, hands down. The intoxicating fragrance of a ‘Casa Blanca’ lily on a warm summer’s eve drifts across the garden enticing you to linger. The fragrant ‘Star Gazer’ is one of the most popular lilies in flower arrangements. The tiger lily is a friendly reminder that not all lilies are proper cultivated ladies – this is the wild child in the group. The ubiquitous Easter lily graces many homes in the spring and other lilies stand in the garden towering over everything else there. The term “gilding the lily” means trying to make something more beautiful than a lily, which I believe is impossible.

Nurseries and garden centers overflow with color on opening day in the spring. They woke the plants up early and grew them on to full foliage and bloom placing temptation before all the gardeners with cabin fever.

My wife and I are as susceptible to gardening siren calls as any other gardener, but over the years we have learned that there are plants best transplanted in the fall. September, October, and early November are prime months for bringing perennials, bulbs, trees, and shrubs into the garden.

In addition to Gladiolus and Dahlias, hundreds of plants fall into the category called geophytes, a catchall term for plants that grow from bulbs, rhizomes, corms, and tubers. Many are not as well-known as tulips or daffodils, so you’ll have to be on the lookout when visiting your local nursery.

If you've ever tried to grow seedlings in a south-facing window, you know why supplemental light is necessary. Tall, spindly seedlings with floppy stems and pale green leaves are a good indicator that your plants are not getting enough light. Although some gardening books and online sources say that seedlings can be grown in your windowsill, I've never had this work successfully.

Yes, spring is still months away, but now is the time to invest in planting spring-blooming daffodils. Just imagine the dividends — early dwarf daffodils blooming in a snow-covered rock garden, a drift of classic yellow daffodils gilding a hillside or clusters of double daffodils brightening an entry walkway. Plus, they’re affordable, low maintenance, hardy throughout most of the U.S. and pest resistant. As its botanical name Narcissus indicates ...

I am counting the days until spring. I watch the weather forecast like I am watching the lottery numbers being read, hoping the meteorologist is going to give me some good news. Once the holidays are over, gardeners start dreaming about the beauty that lies beneath the surface of the soil, knowing there are bulbs under there just waiting for the right minute to bust out.

To everything there is a season, it is written, and no one knows this more than gardeners. We cold-climate growers have just wrapped up the biggest one of all – summer – and have enjoyed a pretty luxurious fall. Most of us don’t really look forward to the cold and gray days of winter, but at our house, we celebrate another growing season: The Amaryllis Season.