The house where I grew up was sold to another family right after I got married, so my memories of the place have grown rosy-tinted over time. One thing is certain. The back garden was bounded by eight tall Lombardy poplar trees. My father loved them and they were everywhere in my hometown. Now they … Read more
WEEPING WILLOW By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps Those exiled Israelites of Psalm 137, weeping by the waters of Babylon, could not have known that centuries later, a Chinese tree with long, drooping branches would be christened Salix babylonica … Read more
A few weeks ago, at a really good restaurant, I splurged on a dessert of buttermilk panna cotta with raspberries. That ethereal creation came garnished with preserved linden leaves and fruits. I had never eaten anything from a linden tree—Tilia–before, and was intrigued. The leaves and tiny, nut-like fruits were sweet from the preserving liquid … Read more
