Labor Day is long past, and we are officially in early fall, gardening’s “second season”. In most places, September and early October are a great time for outdoor work. Plants that go into the ground now have a good chance of establishing roots before cold weather sets in, giving them a head start on next … Read more
I love to walk—in my neighborhood, my town and wherever I vacation. I never wear headphones or talk on my phone, because I like to save my senses for the small worlds that I encounter on my way. Good suburbanite that I am, I always take stock of the neighbors’ gardens. But I am also … Read more
Fall is fast approaching, and it is time to order or purchase spring-flowering bulbs. The catalogs have been with us since the tulips were finishing this past spring, but I set them aside because I don’t like racing the season. This is also why I refuse to buy Halloween candy in August, even as it … Read more
As a nature lover, I am very fond of the nature series that British naturalist/broadcaster David Attenborough has produced and presented over the years. All of them highlight not only specific creatures and environments, but the interconnectedness of all living things. Not long ago, I was watching “Wild Isles,” about the wildlife of the British … Read more
Once upon a time, plant merchandisers offered only one mandevilla variety, ‘Alice Dupont’, known to botanist friends as Mandevilla x amabilis ‘Alice Dupont’. Cultivated and studied for 30 years at Longwood Gardens, home of its wealthy namesake, ‘Alice Dupont’ was officially named and introduced to the world in 1960. The original Alice and her husband, … Read more
