I love etymology, the study of word origins. That is partly why I am intrigued by weigela, a gorgeous flowering shrub that is having its moment of glory just now, in mid to late May. Weigela is part of the larger honeysuckle plant family, known botanically as Caprifoliaceae. If you are into astrology, you know … Read more
Romantic poet William Wordsworth was fond of rambling through the English countryside, often accompanied by his devoted sister, Dorothy. Waxing sentimental about flowers, plants and nature was almost a requirement for Romantic poets, and Wordsworth did so frequently. I especially like his description of a meadow flower: How does the Meadow flower its bloom unfold? … Read more
Back in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, European weavers created large tapestries that depicted tales from history or mythology. They adorned the backgrounds of those tapestries with hundreds of small, irregularly-spaced flowers, often against a green or dark background. This style, called “millefleur”, meaning “thousand flowers” was meant to suggest a flower-filled field. The best … Read more
I hate to admit it, but my mock orange is sad. The advent of spring and the deluge of recent rain have persuaded it to leaf out and I expect that flowers will not be far behind. Those flowers will be fragrant and beautiful, as always. Still, the shrub is more than five years old … Read more
Every day I take a long walk around my neighborhood to allay the claustrophobia that comes with “shelter in place” confinement. As I walk along I observe that almost every single house has at least one mail order package waiting on the front porch. I am reminded of the refrain of the Rolling Stones’ song, … Read more
