The Gardeners' Apprentice When it comes time for a spring break, many people head far south to places like Florida. Last week I headed south too, but only as far as the Brandywine Valley, a place where northeastern Pennsylvania melts into Delaware. The Brandywine was the site of a famous Revolutionary War battle and gained additional fame in … Read more
After all the grayness of winter, it is an absolute revelation to see yellow-flowered plants springing up in the garden. Usually the yellow blooms in my part of the world appear in sequence. The little yellow miniature daffodils come first, eventually to be succeeded by their later flowering narcissus relatives. Once the mini daffs are … Read more
Right now I am in love with my flowering quince bush. It is currently covered with white to pale pink flowers that look like apple blossoms and light up the front garden. Occasionally the shrub throws off a bright scarlet bloom just to liven things up and remind me that my plant is the result … Read more
I saw the season’s first grape hyacinth yesterday. It was a little early, but clearly it was positioned in the best possible spot and flowered bravely despite making an appearance on a day when temperatures were more wintery than spring-like. Had I been willing to get down on my knees to sniff its small flowerhead, … Read more
In early spring every sprout that pushes up from the ground is a cause for celebration—unless, of course, the sprout is onion grass. While I struggle to accept the things I cannot change—onion grass is one of them—I celebrate the plants that emerge bravely and mark the season with beauty and fragrance. One of the … Read more
