SPRING IN SIGHT The bad thing about February is that even if the month were only twenty-five days long instead of twenty-eight, it would still be the longest one of the year. Neither the presidents’ days nor Valentine’s Day make it any better–unless you happen to work for a greeting card company. In … Read more
GLADIOLUS In my experience, men and women differ in their appreciation of gladiolus. Several women of my acquaintance call them “funeral flowers,” and even though mums and roses appear just as often in undertaking establishments, the women scorn only glads. Other female friends dislike the statuesque stalks because they appear “stiff” or “formal”. My … Read more
HINTS OF SPRING The calendar says that we are about halfway through winter, but I know that spring has just started. It isn’t a date; it’s a feeling. Just as winter really starts on the day in early October when the butterflies vanish, spring starts on the day when you can smell the thawing … Read more
CHEERFULNESS For the past few months I have read a lot about the art of growing food. In fact, I have read enough about growing vegetables–in back and front yards, in pots and even in window boxes–to last me for the next ten years. Toothsome photos of glamorous vegetables, like Multi-colored Swiss chard and … Read more
MOURNING WIDOW I have to admit that it is hard to recommend that people spice up their gardens with a plant nicknamed “the mourning widow.” To add insult to injury, the authoritative guide Hortus Third, describes the species’ flower color as “sordid lilac.” Both those phrases sound positively Victorian and completely uninspiring. In reality, … Read more
