KOREAN SPICE A few years ago I first caught wind–literally–of the fragrant flowers of Viburnum carlesii, also known as Korean spice viburnum. The scent is intensely sweet and pervasive, with just enough clove-like notes to keep it from being cloying. In the space of a few minutes, Korean spice viburnum became my latest … Read more
FIFTY-ONE DAYS The journey to a perfect garden starts with a single bag of mulch. And from now until the Garden Tour, fifty-one days away, “mulch” will be my middle name. I am determined to get the entire garden covered, despite the absence of the burly young men generally employed to handle the chore … Read more
GRACEFUL DRAPES One of the most fashionable structures in any up-to-the-minute landscape is the low, dry-laid stone wall. These walls, which can be remarkably sturdy, are lineal descendents of the stone fences that have marked property boundaries for centuries. Now, some people use them to make terraced beds on gentle slopes. Others install them … Read more
SIXTY-FIVE DAYS The weather is unseasonably warm. The snowdrops and early crocuses have thrown in the towel and are beginning their slow disappearing act. The daffodils are coming on strong. Flowering quinces are right behind them and all the other spring plants are revving up. On quiet days you can almost hear them. … Read more
GROWING FOOD Back in the late nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries, the average middle class homeowner put decorative garden elements in the front yard and more utilitarian features in the back. Food growing, laundry drying and chicken husbandry all took place in the back. The neighbors knew that you did such things, … Read more
