Somewhere out in my yard, General Köhler lies sleeping peacefully under a light blanket of snow. I expect he is snoring, or would be, if he were not a hyacinth bulb waiting for the earth to warm up next spring. These days merchandisers frequently name plants according to purported ease of cultivation—“Oso Easy” and “Hasslefree” … Read more
When you think about the intelligent, courageous and, inevitably, flawed people who founded our country, a host of names come to mind. Bernard McMahon’s is not among them. However, McMahon—1775-1816—knew or corresponded with many of the political and horticultural notables of his era. He was a garden mentor to Thomas Jefferson, who may be considered … Read more
Madagascar is an island nation off the south coast of Africa with unique climates and topography. It is probably best known for vanilla beans and lemurs, with the lemurs taking the prize for visibility ever since their cinematic star turns in The Lion King and the Madagascar movies. Polka dot plants or Hypoestes phyllostachya also … Read more
Damp, chilly, end-of November/early-December days call for the kind of coziness that can only be achieved by curling up in a warm place with a hot drink and a good book. In my case, the most recent book was Stephanie Barron’s The White Garden: A Novel of Virginia Woolf. On the surface, the mystery’s title … Read more
I grew up in western New York State, where winters were long, snowy and frigid. But even under those conditions, gardeners loved their roses and did their best to safeguard them against winter’s worst. My father, who was a romantic and a rose lover, went through an impressive annual winter rose preparation ritual that required … Read more
