Last week I participated in an annual ritual of spring that involved a lengthy pilgrimage, followed by acts of homage at impressive shrines in the company of hundreds of other pilgrims. At the end of my journey, I returned home footsore, but spiritually renewed. The scene of this religious devotion was, of course, the Philadelphia … Read more
A kind friend brought me a beautiful bouquet of long-stemmed florists’ anemones not long ago. Shut up tight they looked almost like tulips, except for the telltale ruff of fern-like leaves around the base of each bloom. When the help of a little warmth and light, those “tulips” morphed into large, saucer-like flowers with seven … Read more
Many people over the years have quoted Oscar Wilde’s famous aphorism characterizing marriage as “the triumph of hope over experience.” My husband, David, and I defied Oscar Wilde and hope always won out. The same cannot be said of my experiences with fancy leaf begonias, which have been bitter. A few years ago, I wrote … Read more
I tell everyone who will listen that hardy geraniums, sometimes known as cranesbills, are the horticultural equivalent of the little black dress or well-tailored black trousers. They go with everything, can be accessorized to suit any style or occasion and are never “wrong” in the garden. If you install a Piet Oudolf-type garden, full of … Read more
It’s “red carpet season”—at least in the media. Every week, celebrities gather to watch and/or receive the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, People’s Choice or any of the thousand other awards that lead up to the Academy Awards. Many of us gawk from the comfort of our couches as red carpets roll out and celebrities … Read more
