Veggie Conflict

VEGGIE CONFLICT             Yesterday the new issue of Martha Stewart Living bounced into the mailbox.  I always look forward to the March issue, as it is devoted to the seasonal ritual of getting the garden up and running.  I can’t claim to have a Martha-like garden or even a Martha-like approach to gardening, but I … Read more

New Roses

NEW ROSES             Last week I wrote about garden trends and how they are playing out in the spring catalogs. I completely forgot the pervasive trend for new twists on old favorite fruits and vegetables.  The most obvious example of this is the new ‘Pink Lemonade’ blueberry, which is truly pink, with just a touch … Read more

What’s New

WHAT’S NEW             After a long day of shoveling out from the latest snowstorm, I love to turn up the setting on my heating pad and relax with the pile of garden catalogs that have accumulated over the past several weeks.  Right now I am at the dog-earring of pages and affixing of sticky notes … Read more

Naming Rights

NAMING RIGHTS             We have just passed the Winter Solstice, which in many ways is the most important event in the gardening year.  The light begins to return and even though the addition of a few extra minutes of daylight each afternoon is imperceptible at first, we know that it is happening and it gives … Read more

Amsonia

AMSONIA             Long ago, when I was studying perennial plants at the New York Botanical Garden, I was introduced to a statuesque plant that was holding court in one of the Garden’s perennial beds.  It was nearly four feet tall, healthy and robust, as you might expect of a specimen living in such surroundings.  Many … Read more