Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, is one of my favorite garden destinations. For the price of admission, you can spend a day wallowing in world class horticultural splendor and, unless you venture into the less cultivated areas, you will never see weeds. The beds are meticulously tended and if any weed dares to raise … Read more
This year has been a great one for monarch butterflies—at least in my neighborhood—and that makes me feel hopeful. In fact, the news about climate change has been so dire that every monarch sighting is a celebration. Some butterflies are rapid flyers, navigating the air in a blur of beating wings. But monarchs often float … Read more
I love my roses. Something about them has stirred my imagination for far longer than I have raised them. I am not alone in my passion for these flowering shrubs. They have been in cultivation for thousands of years, and have been objects of fascination and desire for the entire time. The Empress Josephine of … Read more
I dislike most kinds of shopping, but there are two kinds of “brick and mortar” merchants that I will happily visit: book stores and garden centers. Why? Because they offer unique experiences that I find irresistible. In my part of the world, at least four independent garden centers have closed over the last five years, … Read more
In spring you notice all the flowering trees that have been hiding in plain sight for the rest of the year. Right now, the striking Kousa dogwoods or Cornus kousa, are strutting their stuff, with large, white, four-petaled flowers that boast green centers. The trees are anonymous to all but their most loyal followers three … Read more
