In winters past, I thought about keeping boredom at bay by doing all kinds of things—migrating to a warmer climate, cleaning out the cellar, or finally applying a needlepoint cover that I made five years ago to a naked chair seat. To date, none of those things have happened. This year I am thinking smaller. … Read more
When the weather is cold and blustery the best thing gardeners can do is water all the houseplants—sparingly—and hunker down with the new garden catalogs and/or websites. I prefer the paper variety, but I am old school. So many vendors have gone to online-only offerings that I have to resort to the computer to get … Read more
I dragged my heels for at least ten days before putting away the holiday decorations. All the boxes went down to the basement before I realized that I had forgotten the outdoor bows, pinecones and other bright relics of the season just past. This was Freudian, I have no doubt. Now the house is enveloped … Read more
My mother loved to use antique pots to hold plants and cut flowers, and when I was growing up our house was filled with an assortment of old brass kettles, copper wash boilers and salt-glazed pottery crocks. The crocks were the most interesting because they were “country” pieces, used on farms in the last quarter … Read more
Every year I delight in going to the annual holiday display, “A Longwood Christmas,” at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Longwood is one of the great botanical institutions of the world and the displays every year are magnificent. This year was a special treat because Longwood has opened its new East Conservatory, dedicated to … Read more
