The Gardeners' Apprentice Damp, chilly, end-of November/early-December days call for the kind of coziness that can only be achieved by curling up in a warm place with a hot drink and a good book. In my case, the most recent book was Stephanie Barron’s The White Garden: A Novel of Virginia Woolf. On the surface, the mystery’s title … Read more
I grew up in western New York State, where winters were long, snowy and frigid. But even under those conditions, gardeners loved their roses and did their best to safeguard them against winter’s worst. My father, who was a romantic and a rose lover, went through an impressive annual winter rose preparation ritual that required … Read more
You might think that after thousands of years of coming up too soon and getting frozen, the crocus family would have had a little sense knocked into it. The words of twentieth century writer and humorist Robert Benchley make me smile every time I plant my crocus bulbs. Still, as I carve planting holes out … Read more
Thomas Jefferson was President of the United States when he wrote, “Altho’ the times are big with political events, yet I shall say nothing on that or any subject but the innocent ones of botany and friendship.” Jefferson kept to that resolution in the lengthy letter he posted to his friend and fellow garden enthusiast, … Read more
If you haven’t thought about it yet, now is a good time to plant your daffodils and other spring bulbs. The ones I ordered still await my tender ministrations and I hope to get them all into the ground this coming weekend. Of course, first I have to rake up the mountain of leaves, obligingly … Read more
