Pittsburgh is a city built partly on a foundation of steel—or at least the money derived from its manufacture. Nineteenth century industrialists like Andrew Carnegie amassed fortunes from steel made in the corner of Pennsylvania defined by three rivers: the Allegheny, the Monongahela and the offspring of their union, the Ohio. Today the philanthropy of … Read more
Baptisia has arrived. Anyone who took the recent Garden Tour in my town saw at least one baptisia in each of the five private gardens, including mine. They are everywhere–in catalogs, garden centers and even big box stores. Sometimes they stand alone; other times, they are positioned near their cousins, the difficult but sought after … Read more
With only five days to go before the Garden Tour, it is hard to keep panic at bay. Weeds spring up in spots that were pristine only five minutes earlier. Big, fluffy-heady peonies suddenly need staking after weeks of minimal growth. The daffodil foliage must be cut back now so it doesn’t block paths or … Read more
The Garden Tour has come and gone. The garden looked better than it has in several years and I was able to greet visitors secure in the knowledge that absolutely every piece of garden equipment and detritus was safely stowed in the closed garage. It will probably take months to get it all out and … Read more
It’s no secret to even casual nature observers that we are having a butterfly free-for-all this year. Red admirals, those fast flyers with the distinctive orange wing bands, are everywhere. Experts differ on the reasons for the unusual numbers. The most common explanation is that the Red Admirals are tourists, lured up from the South … Read more
