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
Thomas Jefferson was President of the United States when he wrote, “Altho’ the times are big with political events, yet I shall say nothing on that or any subject but the innocent ones of botany and friendship.” Jefferson kept to that resolution in the lengthy letter he posted to his friend and fellow garden enthusiast, … Read more
Last weekend, I found the gardenalia store of my dreams in a Pennsylvania town. Like many wondrous finds, it happened by accident. Like many wondrous finds in the northeastern United States, it happened because I couldn’t find a parking place. As I walked the half mile from the parking lot to my destination—a quaint village … Read more
Birds love shrubs that produce quantities of fall fruit. Unfortunately birds generally don’t communicate with plant merchandisers. Humans finally began to agree with the birds in the last third of the twentieth century, as the three or even four-season gardening trend took hold. Garden writers caught the bug and began extolling the virtues of fruits … Read more
Late fall is dominated by orange, red, russet and gold, as brilliant leaves, goldenrod and millions of cushion mums crash together in a colorful, season-ending plant eruption. But the prelude to all that brilliance rolls through in early fall, in the form of blue, pink, purple and white asters, boltonia and fall-blooming crocuses. A less … Read more
