As I bring some of the geraniums inside, and consign others to death at the hands of the Frost God, I have to stop and consider the miraculous nature of these ubiquitous plants. The bright, fluffy-headed, tender perennials that we call “geraniums” are actually members of the Pelargonium species. When we fill our window boxes … Read more
Every year I put off the inevitable—bringing houseplants indoors after their long summer vacation outside. I would like to think that my procrastination is motivated by a desire for the plants to soak up sunshine for as long as possible. Really though, I fear that my indoor spaces will be inundated by a high tide … Read more
My daughter loves a new plant—especially a tropical plant. Because of her I grow rambunctious cannas, lovely plumbago, ornamental ginger and tropical hibiscus. Now we have added a new member to the domestic plant family—Mexican petunia, known variously as Ruellia brittoniana, Ruellia simplex, Ruellia tweediana and Ruellia spectabilis. That is a lot of Latin names … Read more
Years ago I drove up a long hilly road and an equally long, bumpy driveway in Austerlitz, New York, to visit “Steepletop”, the home of twentieth century American poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. One of the plants that grew on the Steepletop property, in Millay’s time and now, is the “poet’s daffodil” or Narcissus poeticus. … Read more
What is not to like about beech trees? They are high, wide and handsome at maturity, with big, spreading crowns and singular bark that looks remarkably like elephant skin. Birds and squirrels make homes in the branches and all kinds of creatures eat the annual harvest of beechnuts. Native American beech or Fagus grandifolia, is … Read more
