Winter Buttercups

Now that I am officially on spring watch, I am having the usual seasonal regrets about early-blooming plants that I did not order or install last fall.  Sometimes, however, life gives you second chances, and ten days ago a second chance presented itself.  I was pouring over the slim annual catalog from the Temple Nursery, … Read more

Orchid Profusion

The masters of the color universe at Pantone have decreed that “Radiant Orchid,” a shade of rosy purple, will be the 2014 “Color of the Year.”  The promotional copy is effusive, describing Radiant Orchid as a shade that “blooms with confidence and magical warmth that intrigues the eye and sparks the imagination.”  Not only that, … Read more

Last Minute Bulbs

Now that I am fully into the preparation—as opposed to mourning—role for fall, it is time to pick up bulb bargains for last minute installation and forcing.  Most bulb merchandisers, large and small, are eager to get rid of surplus inventory and settle in for the winter.  Gardeners can reap the benefits. First the good … Read more

Bulb Buying

It is time now to get down to the serious business of buying bulbs.  Summer is ebbing away, the Monarch butterflies are massing for their epic flight to warmer climes, and the stores have already had their Halloween displays out for a month.  The bulb catalogs hit the doorsteps in August and the garden centers … Read more