Making Do

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MAKING DO               As I participate in the belt tightening that everyone is doing right now, one phrase comes back to my mind again and again–“use what you have.”             I would like to do that.  I need to do that.  The problem is that in order to use what I have, I have … Read more

Beautyberry

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BEAUTYBERRY             My daughter had a teacher once who was in love with the color purple.  She wore purple clothes, decorated her classroom with purple objects and gave out “purple owl” stickers to students who excelled in any way.  As far as I know, her prose was never purple, but sometimes her ink was.  I … Read more

The Big Picture

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THE BIG PICTURE             Yesterday was a beautiful day to be outside and I was lucky enough to spend most of it gardening.  I weeded, thinned out plants, installed at least one hundred spring-flowering bulbs, hacked back some wayward ornamental grasses and staked a few sagging, end-of-the- season  mums.  I checked on a honeysuckle that … Read more

Hibiscus

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HIBISCUS             “Help me!” said my husband’s friend.  “My hibiscus is on life support!”             It always makes me feel sad to hear tales of horticultural woe from people who love their plants, want to do right by them, but can’t seem to stop them from terminal decline.  The hibiscus problem is a perfect case … Read more

Kiku

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KIKU               In September and October chrysanthemums dot the suburban landscape, and no house, apartment or condo is without at least one pot of mums somewhere on the premises.  Gardeners also plug them into the borders to replace the washed-up summer annuals.  Generally treated as annuals, millions of mums sacrifice their lives each year … Read more