On May 1, 1891, Geraldine Mayo, of County Kildare in Ireland, armed herself with a stout pair of loppers and climbed a ladder—long skirts and all. “I got on the top of the Yew hedge in the garden at the risk of my life..,” she wrote later, adding that the risky yet satisfying hedge pruning … Read more
Not long ago a friend described the process of wrapping her fig tree—Ficus carica–for the winter. The image triggered a cascade of memories, going back to my childhood in western New York State. My town had a very large Italian-American population and many families, especially those with immigrant parents or grandparents, grew figs. I am … Read more
GARDENER’S GIFTS Every year at holiday time, gift givers everywhere give thanks for their friends’ and relatives’ hobbies. Where would we be without culinary gadgets for the cooks, golf paraphernalia for the duffers and Sephora gift cards for those with an unquenchable desire for makeup? Gardening offers the same gifting opportunities. However, there is … Read more
Nearly two centuries ago, Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward, an English physician and amateur botanist, made a surprising discovery. Ward liked to study moth chrysalises, which he kept secure in sealed glass containers. Inspection of one such container revealed that seeds embedded in a bit of dirt inside had germinated and sprouted. He left the container unopened … Read more
I have a friend who lost a cherished front-yard tree. After the tree surgeons removed the remains, he began the hunt for a new one. The choices were endless. His lot is large and could accommodate a sizeable specimen. The old tree was deciduous, rather than evergreen; as a fan of autumn color, he wanted … Read more
