Right now it is gray, drippy and chilly outside my window. Even though the last roses are still shivering on the bushes, I feel starved for color. Grabbing at emotional straws, I peer hopefully through the mist for the new growth on the scarlet willow or Salix alba var. vitellina ‘Britzensis’—but the little tree does … Read more
At this time of year I am always envious of my neighbor’s fabulous daffodil array, which covers her entire front yard and sidewalk strip with a golden blanket of spring color. My own front yard has also awakened from its gray slumber, with hellebores still in bloom, more daffodils every day, a few remaining squills … Read more
Right now I have patches of snowdrops coming into bloom. The earliest appeared on Christmas day, followed by a long fallow period while winter did its worst. Now, the daylight hours last longer and the snowdrops are brave enough to emerge. I have a score of different varieties, but my favorite—the one I have been … Read more
I am a student of gardening history, especially in the winter, when actual gardening activities are necessarily limited. Sometimes in my reading, catalog perusal and other armchair activities, certain tantalizing figures pop up repeatedly. This happened recently with Lady Beatrix Stanley, whom I found waltzing across the pages of a snowdrop catalog, dancing through listings … Read more
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
