The stores went into holiday mode right after Halloween, but I am not ready to put up the wreaths, adorn the house with poinsettias, or hang greens from the mantelpiece. I don’t like to rush the December holiday season, because if I do, it will be Valentine’s Day on January 1. I do, however, need … Read more
This year, Presidents’ Day marked the first foray into the winter-struck garden. The temperature was finally above 45 degrees, the endless rain had stopped, and it was a Federal holiday. That trifecta of events was the winning combination that sent me out of doors first thing in the morning. I reconnoitered, pulled out the garden … Read more
At this time of year gardeners in cold winter climates talk about “putting the garden to bed”—a series of tasks that mark the official and psychological end of the growing season. Shorter days make most of us feel like putting ourselves to bed as well, and garden chores reinforce that idea. The earth grows colder … Read more
In my neighborhood we enjoyed winter right through April, followed by ten minutes of spring. Now we are in the process of jumping headfirst into summer. The last of the daffodils, having survived late snow, cold spring winds and all kinds of insults, hang their heads, defeated by a sudden blast of hot sticky air. … Read more
I grew up in western New York State, where winters were long, snowy and frigid. But even under those conditions, gardeners loved their roses and did their best to safeguard them against winter’s worst. My father, who was a romantic and a rose lover, went through an impressive annual winter rose preparation ritual that required … Read more
