Seeing Red

What with all the seasonal decorations, scarlet poinsettias, and other adornments, we are all seeing red at this time of the year.  But what about the cold, dark days that still loom ahead?  You have to be a real optimist to look out at the winter landscape and see anything other than shades of brown, … Read more

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Read Henry Mitchell

“Good sense has little to do with gardening.”—Henry Mitchell The Solstice approaches and with it, we will gain about one minute of additional daylight per day.  I am convinced that even that extra 60 seconds will make a difference in the quality of life. Of course, dark days and snowstorms will still happen.  In fact, … Read more

What’s Up With That?

Old habits die hard.  The Winter Solstice is in sight, but I still look for flowers when I take my daily walks.  After all, hope, unlike the spring season, springs eternal. Even more surprising than my stubborn optimism is the fact that lately my hopes have been rewarded.  Ornamental cherry trees are flowering at several … Read more

Boughs of Holly

I am having a bad case of holiday envy.  As I walk my neighborhood, I see that my neighbors have spent the past weekend arranging extravagant holiday displays.  Twinkly lights sparkle from trees and shrubs, wreathes adorn multiple windows, over-the-door arches welcome visitors to various homes, and holiday inflatables of every size and description sway … Read more

Succulent Roses

Succulents, especially the rose-form echeverias, have been in vogue for the last fifteen years.  They have flirted with the public in botanical institutions, teased onlookers from the tops of show house coffee tables, and beguiled shoppers in garden centers.  Sometimes, especially in winter, they seem to be everywhere. Though I am prone to falling in … Read more