I was born an optimist. I was probably born a gardener, too, though that didn’t manifest itself until after I could walk and talk. It is in my nature to look for signs of hope, especially in the natural world. Thankfully, those signs are almost always present, if you look carefully. As the New Year … Read more
My friend, the ace flower arranger, made a flamboyant holiday arrangement the other day featuring a fountain-like array of crystal vessels festooned with an extravagant amount of red-berried nandina. The whole thing turned out to be a bit over-the-top for her home décor, so she offered me the nandina. I jumped at the chance, since … Read more
CYCLAMEN Florists’ cyclamen—Cyclamen persicum–are great imposters. Despite the Latin name, they do not hail from Persia or modern-day Iran. The flowers look more like orchids than their primrose-family affiliation might suggest, and their leaves, when massed together, look less like foliage and more like marble or damask fabric. Beguiling plant buyers with their ravishing … Read more
I was uncommonly late planting my bulbs this year and, in fact, have one small bag of antique-variety tulip bulbs left in the garage. If they were sentient, they would be wondering if they had been forgotten. Of course, if they were sentient, they would also know that guilt moves me like nothing else. I … Read more
Life has had its ups and downs this past growing season, but in my yard, lavender—Lavendula—has experienced one long “up”. The fragrant herb grows throughout the mixed borders, but is planted en masse in the bed by the driveway that is home to my hybrid musk rose collection. Today, in mid November, one of those … Read more
