Back in 1837, when England’s Queen Victoria was a sweet young thing, new to the throne, and not even officially crowned, one of her diplomats sent a new plant back to England. The diplomat was Henry Mandeville, who was serving Her Majesty as Minister in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mandeville, like so many of his … Read more
Life is full of rules. Some, like “no wearing white after Labor Day”, arrived via well-meaning mothers and grandmothers. Others are rules that we impose on ourselves. One of the garden rules that has lurked in the back of my mind forever is “geraniums belong in pots”. The geraniums I deal with most often are … Read more
I admit to a love/hate relationship with houseplants and I don’t need a psychologist to explain it. My deep-seated ambivalence stems from the fact that most of my houseplants are tropicals or tender plants that only cohabit with me during the cold weather months. When night temperatures are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, they lounge on … Read more
I love the stories of famous gardeners—past and present–and read as many of them as I can. When I noticed that veteran pop biographer Meryl Gordon had written a biography of Bunny Mellon, I had to get my hands on it. Bunny Mellon: The Life of an American Style Legend is about a woman known … Read more
I was wasting time on the computer the other day because house painters have invaded my outdoor space. Most of the garden is under siege and won’t be available for serious work until the painters leave. I am happy about the fresh paint, but dread putting everything back together. What is the best way for … Read more
