The Gardeners' Apprentice SPRING ORDERS Spring is leaping up from the pages of the catalogs that arrive by snail mail every day. The e-mail traffic from the plant vendors is also surging, with new offers and enticements appearing on an hourly basis. My head spins at the color and the variety. My heart sinks–but only a little–at … Read more
IZNIK We are currently enjoying a mild winter, but even so, I miss my garden and the flowers that provide me with inspiration during the growing season. My front beds are full of clusters of emerging daffodil tips, but instead of giving me joy, their presence this early worries me. The holly trees are … Read more
BOOK REVIEW: Mr. Marshal’s Flower Book I love garden books so much that my bookshelves are listing under the weight of my collection. Reference volumes have always been in the minority on my shelves because I favor books that go beyond the “how” of gardening, to the “why” of gardening. After all, I … Read more
MOTHS IN FLIGHT For years I turned my back on the seductive charms of orchids. Though clearly beautiful in color and form, they also seemed exotic to the point of being unnatural. On the practical side, I have never been sure that I could sustain the level of commitment required by orchids. Maybe it … Read more
GLAMOROUS CROTON\ I have never had much use for those garden pundits who say flowers are overrated and that true horticultural sophisticates eschew blossoms in favor of the many splendors of foliage. I love flowers and refuse to apologize for it. Yes, they are ephemeral, but so are brownies, butterflies and lots of other … Read more
