Spring Stripes

Where would we be without crocuses?  They are not always the first flowers to bloom in the spring—snowdrops and winter aconite do that.  But they are uniquely joyful and welcoming.  Combine that with the fact that they are cheap and easy, as in cheap to buy and easy to grow, and you have excellent plants … Read more

General Kohler

Somewhere out in my yard, General Köhler lies sleeping peacefully under a light blanket of snow.  I expect he is snoring, or would be, if he were not a hyacinth bulb waiting for the earth to warm up next spring. These days merchandisers frequently name plants according to purported ease of cultivation—“Oso Easy” and “Hasslefree” … Read more

Bulb Joy

Everyone in the world seems to be reading Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Its de-cluttering message has almost certainly gladdened the hearts and fattened the inventories of recyclers, thrift shop owners and second hand book dealers from Memphis to Mumbai. I read it over … Read more