Right now it is gray, drippy and chilly outside my window. Even though the last roses are still shivering on the bushes, I feel starved for color. Grabbing at emotional straws, I peer hopefully through the mist for the new growth on the scarlet willow or Salix alba var. vitellina ‘Britzensis’—but the little tree does … Read more
This year, Presidents’ Day marked the first foray into the winter-struck garden. The temperature was finally above 45 degrees, the endless rain had stopped, and it was a Federal holiday. That trifecta of events was the winning combination that sent me out of doors first thing in the morning. I reconnoitered, pulled out the garden … Read more
A generation or more ago, fall was a time when you would clean up the garden, put out a few mums, and plant the spring flowering bulbs. In the midst of all that, there was ample time to lose yourself watching the little wrens flitting through the aster stalks in search of delectable seeds. The … Read more
The fall bulb packages have arrived, nearly submerged under a high tide of holiday catalogs. Since I have long since forgotten most of what I ordered at various times during the summer, the boxes are full of glorious surprises. Unpacking them gives me a feeling akin to opening the boxes of Christmas ornaments in December. … Read more
You might think that after thousands of years of coming up too soon and getting frozen, the crocus family would have had a little sense knocked into it. The words of twentieth century writer and humorist Robert Benchley make me smile every time I plant my crocus bulbs. Still, as I carve planting holes out … Read more
