This is the story of a plant obsession that started with a snowdrop. The snowdrop in question, ‘Lady Elphinstone’, is known more formally as Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus. Like all snowdrops, ‘Lady Elphinstone’ is a small plant that bears pendulous flowers with three elongated outer petals and several shorter inner petals. ‘Lady Elphinstone’ has a … Read more
I have never been a person who gravitated to warm places in search of respite from winter’s rigors. Growing up in the Snow Belt I learned that real virtue comes from toughing out the cold weather, the better to truly appreciate the spring and summer. My recent trip toBermuda convinced me that all that virtue … Read more
Two days ago I saw the first goblet-shaped crocus blossoms just in front of the privet hedge by my driveway. They were little Crocus chrysanthus, early bloomers that are only about half the size of their later blooming, Dutch crocus relatives. They are amazingly powerful little plants, pushing up through the frozen earth, shrugging off … Read more
The island of Guernsey sits in the English Channel, thirty miles from Normandy and seventy-five miles from Weymouth, England. Occupied at various times by Romans, Vikings, Normans and Germans, it is now An English dependency occupied primarily by foreign banks who have taken advantage of the island’s favorable business climate to establish offshore operations. But … Read more
I find it very comforting to think that life is full of symmetry. For example, at this time of year, it is probable that something–rain, sleet, snow or a mix of all three–will fall from the sky several times a week. It is also highly likely that seed and plant catalogs will fall through the … Read more
