I love giving plants at holiday time. It fits with my horticultural sensibility. Most people appreciate a blooming plant, especially one that will continue to add color and/or interest after the holiday baubles go back in their boxes. But with plants as with all gifts, it is important to match the gift to the recipient. … Read more
My childhood pediatrician, Dr. S., was a colleague of my father’s, a close family friend, and a man who loved Christmas. In fact, he loved Christmas so much that he lived it year round, through his hobby of crafting lavish tree ornaments. When I knew him, he had long since made enough to cover his … Read more
Winter can be beautiful, with bright clear mornings when the sun glints off fresh snow and the world looks pristine. Winter can also be ugly, with a succession of gray days interrupted only by the promise of mass transit delays and more snow shoveling. Either way, it helps—if only just a little—to have some color … Read more
It is currently snowing outside. Each big, fat flake that hurls from the sky lands with a loud accusation: “You haven’t planted all your bulbs.” It is true, and while I could make all kinds of perfectly valid excuses, I won’t do it. I rest secure in the knowledge that this first snow is just … Read more
Some people are party animals. They may arrive early or late, but they always stay to close the place down. I have some roses like that. Now that the fall garden party is almost over, they are still awake and alive, dancing in the cold wind, putting on an exuberant show of new growth and … Read more
