Lily of the Nile

Sometimes the universe sends signals so strong they simply can’t be ignored.  In my case, those signals add up to a cosmic call of the Nile. Over the past few weeks, I have been seeing trailers for the latest screen adaptation of Agatha Christie’s great mystery, Death on the Nile.  It has an all-star cast, … Read more

Ordinary Miracle

As I bring some of the geraniums inside, and consign others to death at the hands of the Frost God, I have to stop and consider the miraculous nature of these ubiquitous plants. The bright, fluffy-headed, tender perennials that we call “geraniums” are actually members of the Pelargonium species.   When we fill our window boxes … Read more

Out of Africa

The sunniest spot on my dining room window seat is currently occupied by a geranium—Pelargonium x hortorum–that is struggling to come to terms with the winter light.  By the time it truly acclimates, it will probably be March—almost time to take it outdoors to soak up the direct sunshine it craves.  In the meantime, it … Read more

Plumbing Plumbago

Doris Duke—1912-1993—was a millionaire heiress with multiple homes, a colorful personal life and a peripatetic nature. Whenever she touched down in New Jersey, she came to rest at Duke Farms, a property established by her father in the state’s central region. In Duke’s time, the mammoth greenhouses at Duke Farms contained a series of themed … Read more