Mike Lockatell chronicles events and news, as well as advises on care as the seasons change. Each link below takes you to a full artice.

Peony and Iris Alert - Herbaceous peonies are rugged perennial plants valued for their drought tolerance and deer resistance. Breeders continue to introduce exciting hybrids to the marketplace featuring new color breaks, patterns and flower forms. Though carefully selected, nature works hard to expose any growing flaw.

A look back at 2008 - This past year was filled with promise, challenges and achievement. Unlike the previous spring, the Garden did not experience any significant early April cold to ruin bloom. We did have a few close calls since our Cosby Farm location is five degrees cooler than metro Richmond. Thanks to a well-deserved reprieve from the elements, our intense preparations would hit pay dirt in May.

Winter Weather Aids Peony Planting - One of our main offseason goals was to re-establish a production profile for our inventory of herbaceous peonies. After residing in pots for three years after our move from Flatrock, time was becoming an issue. It was going to be a big job getting plants into the ground. There were no guarantees winter weather conditions would cooperate with our plans. By February 1st or Groundhog Day, our efforts have met with some success.

Kentucky Breeders Find Success in Central VA - Leadership is a very special personal quality. Anyone embarking down this road needs to be bold and have the courage to stand by their convictions. The road can be lonely with one's followers failing to see your point of view particularly at "crunch time." It requires a dogged determination to see a course of action to its conclusion and accept any consequences. Some of the best leadership I have seen is by example. Many of the original rebloom trailblazers followed this recipe. They persevered and found success. They have passed the leader's baton to their willing heirs. Some of the toughest riddles facing remontancy wait to be solved. Does the next generation have the "right stuff" to get the job done?

Durham Dream Zurbrigg

Gate of Heaven Zurbrigg 04