The Gardeners' Apprentice STAR OF BETHLEHEM In the spring many of us look out into our yards and see a clump of pretty but weedy little flowering plants. The flowers are white and a bit lily-like and observant gardeners may notice that the clump of these plants seems to be larger than it was the previous year. … Read more
GROUND COVER ROSES It seems a bit strange to be thinking about roses when the precipitation is coming down in pellets outside, but I can’t help it. I just attached a bouquet of dried rosebuds to a Christmas wreath and the sight of them triggered thoughts of spring. As the growing season dwindled … Read more
TOPIARIES Not far from where I live, a modest house sits among a row of similar dwellings facing an extremely busy street. The house is distinguished by a pair of potted, spiral-shaped evergreen topiaries that flank the front door, setting off the “Beware of Dog” sign. Those topiaries are only the most recent … Read more
ANNOYING PLANTS Some plants are just annoying. I am not referring to dangerous plants like poison ivy, castor bean, monkshood or any of the scores of other garden nasties. I am talking about plants that annoy you because they have come up in the wrong places or aren’t what you thought they would be. … Read more
JASMINE The other night I was watching director Richard Lester’s 1973 version of The Three Musketeers. It is one of my favorite films and every time I watch it I am struck by the way Lester captured the feel of mid-seventeenth century France–complete with lechery, debauchery and dirt, not to mention livestock in the … Read more
