In my neighborhood we enjoyed winter right through April, followed by ten minutes of spring. Now we are in the process of jumping headfirst into summer. The last of the daffodils, having survived late snow, cold spring winds and all kinds of insults, hang their heads, defeated by a sudden blast of hot sticky air. … Read more
Last week I described the wonders of the Biltmore Estate gardens in Asheville, North Carolina. Both formal and naturalized areas are glorious, with beautifully cultivated and maintained landscapes full of specimen trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. I am quite sure that the moment a petal drops in one of the formal areas; the petal is … Read more
I don’t like to abandon my home garden in spring, because there is far too much clean-up, cultivation and planning to do. But getting away is also a temptation, especially when the business of life threatens to spiral out of control and the spring weather is more wintery than vernal. In short, I just returned … Read more
There is no doubt about it. Wind and wet snow wreak havoc in gardens. This past winter wind weakened branches and wet snow brought them down, except on days when wet snow weakened branches and wind brought them down. The sad results have been visible for the past few weeks on every curb in the … Read more
The garden looks desolate right now because winter does not have the good sense to pack up its snowy bags and go away. Despite that, the foxgloves thrive. Even when wintery mix threatens in April, their lettuce-like basal rosettes spring up stubbornly from the earth, challenging the elements to a seasonal smack-down. Old man winter … Read more
