The Gardeners' Apprentice

WITCH HAZEL             When I was a child and had a cut, bruise or other swelling, some older member of the family would invariably say, “Put some witch hazel on that.”  We had a bottle of witch hazel in the bathroom linen closet and even though people recommended witch hazel regularly, the bottle never seemed … Read more

CHOMLEY FARRAN             Up until a few hours ago, I had few clues about the true story of Chomley Farran.  His name makes him sound like one of Jane Austin’s more picturesque characters.  I can easily imagine him as an eccentric English gentleman of the early nineteenth century, with an independent fortune and a passion … Read more

WOEFUL SHRUBS             The snow is receding and there is jubilation in the suburbs.  I have never been so glad to see parts of my driveway as I have this week.  Even better is the sight of the tips of crocus leaves sticking up about one quarter inch above the soil beside that same driveway. … Read more

VEGGIE CONFLICT             Yesterday the new issue of Martha Stewart Living bounced into the mailbox.  I always look forward to the March issue, as it is devoted to the seasonal ritual of getting the garden up and running.  I can’t claim to have a Martha-like garden or even a Martha-like approach to gardening, but I … Read more

NEW ROSES             Last week I wrote about garden trends and how they are playing out in the spring catalogs. I completely forgot the pervasive trend for new twists on old favorite fruits and vegetables.  The most obvious example of this is the new ‘Pink Lemonade’ blueberry, which is truly pink, with just a touch … Read more