The Gardeners' Apprentice The gardening season at my house is ending as it began, with bright blue and white crocuses dotting the beds. As in the spring, they are poking bravely through the garden rubble that I haven’t yet had time to clean up. People who see them think that climate change has fooled the spring crocuses into … Read more
Some people love Atlantic City, New Jersey, that enduring combination of gambling mecca and seaside resort. It is a place where breathtaking Atlantic coast scenery is locked in a pitched battle for tourist attention with artificial environments designed to shut out the outside world. Atlantic City is a paradox with hotel rooms. I was on … Read more
For those of us in cold winter climates, mid-fall is the time to say a gradual goodbye to flowers. Annuals will soldier on until the first hard frost, but they are slowing down in anticipation of the inevitable. Most perennials have finished up, with the exception of a few Montauk daisies, tall sedums, fall crocuses … Read more
The tall asters in my garden are finishing their bloom extravaganza, which makes me a bit sad. It is the last big hurrah of the gardening season and it means that I will have to cut them all back, which is not a small endeavor. It also means that I won’t have another big, Cecil … Read more
Solidago and symphyotrichum are a perfect couple. You might not recognize their tongue-twisting names, but I guarantee that they are now appearing side by side at locations near you. Those locations might be railroad rights-of-way, country roadsides and other untenanted spaces, including overgrown suburban lots. When hanging out in such information settings, solidago and symphyotrichum … Read more
