People occasionally ask me why I keep my large, sometimes unruly garden, when it is clearly a lot of work. The questions usually come when the weather is hot, sticky and generally infernal, or when I have been overdue in mowing the square of lawn in the front yard. Of course, gardening brings me joy, … Read more
It occurs to me as I peer out over the happy array of coneflowers—Echinacea—in my front yard that the coneflower has become the “little black dress” of the world of ornamental horticulture. Every woman and a good number of the men of my acquaintance know that “little black dress” is metaphor for something that is … Read more
Last week I participated in an annual ritual of spring that involved a lengthy pilgrimage, followed by acts of homage at impressive shrines in the company of hundreds of other pilgrims. At the end of my journey, I returned home footsore, but spiritually renewed. The scene of this religious devotion was, of course, the Philadelphia … Read more
When I was on vacation in August, I saw the most inspiring bioswale I have ever seen. Some people may ask, “What on earth is a bioswale?” The answer is simple. A bioswale is a more sophisticated and ecologically sound version of a drainage ditch. Bioswales are designed to hold, channel and sometimes filter the … Read more
The masters of the color universe at Pantone have decreed that “Radiant Orchid,” a shade of rosy purple, will be the 2014 “Color of the Year.” The promotional copy is effusive, describing Radiant Orchid as a shade that “blooms with confidence and magical warmth that intrigues the eye and sparks the imagination.” Not only that, … Read more
