GROUNDHOG Groundhogs are pests, but they have inspired a lot of fine writing. Michael Pollan, in his wonderful book Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education, includes a very funny section on futile strategies and stratagems for groundhog elimination. William Alexander, writer, gentleman farmer and author of The $64 Tomato, wrote “You may be smarter, but … Read more
MYSTERY BROOM If you are attuned to plants, you never know when you’ll encounter a plant identification mystery. My daughter and I found one last week while we were out for a walk on a local side street. We were passing a house that sat on a corner lot atop a slight embankment. The … Read more
FLOWERS EVERYWHERE Mass merchandising and mass communications have changed the nursery trade, just as they have changed every other aspect of life. Big companies like Home Depot and Lowe’s put enormous yard and garden departments in every store. As with everything these discounters sell–from washers to widgets–low prices and high merchandise turnover create consistent … Read more
MID CENTURY MODERN If you study shelter magazines, read the home and garden section of major newspapers or watch Antiques Roadshow on television, you already know that “mid century modern” furniture, architecture and accessories are riding the biggest wave of popularity since the original one washed across the United States in the nineteen fifties … Read more
