It is axiomatic among gardeners that the garden is always at its best either the week before or the week after visitors stop by. “You should have seen it last week,” you say regretfully while looking at the desiccated remains of your formerly sumptuous double daffodils. “Wait until next week,” you mutter, as you point … Read more
Nineteenth century poets, like John Keats, were fond of odes. Keats is particularly famous for a relatively short one extolling the beauty of a Grecian urn, and a longer one about a nightingale. If only he had lived long enough to be introduced to the sturdy garden fork that hangs in silence on my garage … Read more
Not long ago a friend called me with dramatic news about epimedium. For those who might be wondering, this is a plant, not a medical condition. Epimedium might occasionally induce euphoria, which is a psychological condition, but that is another story. Epimedium is, in fact, a shade-loving, spring bloomer that covers ground in a very … Read more
Long ago I heard an old recording of Marlene Dietrich, early twentieth century German chanteuse and style icon, singing one of her signature ballads. The words go, “Falling in love again, in love again. Falling in love again, can’t help it.” I know the feeling. On my recent vacation a dwarf bearded iris caught my … Read more
When it comes time for a spring break, many people head far south to places like Florida. Last week I headed south too, but only as far as the Brandywine Valley, a place where northeastern Pennsylvania melts into Delaware. The Brandywine was the site of a famous Revolutionary War battle and gained additional fame in … Read more
