I have always told people that there are no headaches in the garden. There are also no social faux pas, ranting politicians or demanding bosses. Some people, of course, bring those things into the garden because they refuse to be parted from their electronic devices. I try to avoid co-mingling of digging and devices because … Read more
I have always loved the October light, which is so distinctive that novelist John Gardner, who had poetry in his soul, used it in a book title. On any sunny October Saturday, the light is mellow and golden, illuminating the plants in ways that are absent in summer. While it gilds the landscape, the light … Read more
Several weeks ago, as I was prepping for a local shade tree tour, one of the tour organizers sent me a picture of a “mystery tree” that was growing on private property on our chosen route. The picture showed little, except very large green leaves. I thought the tree might be some kind of catalpa, … Read more
Every year at this time I take great joy in paging through the paper bulb catalogs and perusing the websites so that I can overspend on spring bulbs in the most discerning and intelligent way. One of my longtime favorite catalogs is Old House Gardens, which describes itself as “Heirloom Bulbs—So Much More Than … Read more
Some things are universal—or nearly so–and show up in every culture. Chicken soup is one of them, even if the “chicken” in the soup is some other variety of fowl. Gardens are another. The urge to garden has remained strong through civilization’s many travails, including wars, natural disasters, dislocation and urbanization. The deliberate cultivation … Read more
