A Tale of Two Roses

For some people, the word “vacation” means trips to the beach and hours spent wallowing in trashy novels.  Others wouldn’t go near a beach or a trashy novel, but love to tramp around historical sites, museums or battlefields.  It all depends on your definition of another important word— “relaxation”. My husband and I used to … Read more

Norah Lindsay

Whenever I go to the movies, I am very aware of the fact that you have to be a superhero to get any box office traction these days.  The horticultural world is full of superheroes—past and present.  Most of them would look rather lumpy and feel downright uncomfortable in masks, tights or body armor, so … Read more

Banishing Darkness

There are some commercial locations that just seem jinxed.  Businesses move in, last for a year or so and then die, only to be replaced by other businesses that repeat the pattern, sometimes for years on end.  I have a garden bed like that.  Every year I try to find a perfect landscape solution for … Read more

The Lure of the Locust

Not long ago I was on a road trip just as the mid-spring flowering trees were bursting into bloom.  Cascades of white, wisteria-like blooms billowed from many of the trees along highways in central New York State.  They stood out, even as we whizzed by at highway speed.  Every once in awhile, a pink-flowered tree … Read more

Busy Spring

In my neighborhood we enjoyed winter right through April, followed by ten minutes of spring.  Now we are in the process of jumping headfirst into summer.  The last of the daffodils, having survived late snow, cold spring winds and all kinds of insults, hang their heads, defeated by a sudden blast of hot sticky air. … Read more