I have friends and relatives who are nuts about ferns, from great big ostrich ferns to small ground-hugging varieties. In spring, these fern lovers take walks in damp, muddy woods just to see the young fronds, or fiddleheads, before they unfurl. In summer, they pour water on their prized ferns to keep them from curling … Read more
In my part of the world, snow is on the menu for today, and the first few flakes of an expected four to six inch accumulation are swirling down from above. In the house, a couple of last year’s amaryllis plants are flowering, in the company of a reblooming kalanchoe. The blue butterfly bush, Clerodendron … Read more
I have been enchanted by Clivia miniata, which usually just goes by “clivia”, or sometimes “fire lily”, for a long time. A few years ago, I succumbed and bought a clivia from a vendor at the Philadelphia Flower show. I brought it home, put it in a choice location beside the other house plants on … Read more
Now that the holidays have passed, the scents of fir and pine are behind us and a long winter of indoor living is still ahead. If you are lucky, the winter smells in your house include the aromas of delicious things in the oven and wood burning in the fireplace. If you are less lucky, … Read more
The winter solstice has happened, which means that as each day passes, the western hemisphere gains about one minute of daylight. Of course it will take some time before those daily gains make a difference in daily life. In January and February, storms often obscure the increased daylight, making it harder to pluck hope from … Read more
