The Gardeners' Apprentice CLARA BUTT Tastes and fashions change, but even at a time when artists go by interesting names like “Lady Gaga,” it is hard to imagine a world renowned singer saddled with the name “Clara Butt.” There was such a person, however, and she lived from 1872 to 1936. The tulip named after her, saved … Read more
LOST AND FOUND GARDENS Almost three weeks after the late October snowstorm that created havoc all up and down the East Coast and cost the region thousands of trees, my garden is still a mess. We are waiting for the tree company to come and remove a very large, downed limb that hovers over … Read more
FOSTER GERANIUMS The houseplants that summered outside are now under cover once more. If they were sentient beings, they would probably be relieved. After all, they have been through a lot. Their tranquil summer vacation was interrupted dramatically when they were piled at random in the garage just before Hurricane Irene. Due to the … Read more
THE COPELAND CLAN I love garden catalogs, which is a good thing because I get scores of them every year. Some of the most interesting are specialty catalogs dedicated to a single genus like tomatoes or roses or African violets. It amazes me to think that I could plant my entire garden–or at … Read more
STORMY DAYS Most of us in the northeast are unlikely to forget the short-lived but hard-hitting snowstorm of October 29, 2011. I emerged from a funeral at two pm on that day and heard the ominous sound of continuous cracks, pops and crashes as trunks split, limbs came down and whole trees toppled. The … Read more
