There is no doubt about it. Sedums, sometimes also known as “stonecrop” are having a moment. The moment has been facilitated by all kinds of factors—explosions in plant breeding, the demand for easy-care plants, the trend towards global warming, and increased awareness of the overall utility of this large plant family. There are at least … Read more
In 1919, a new popular song invaded the public conscience. Its title was, “How Ya Gonna Keep ’em Down on the Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree?)” World War I had just ended and many American soldiers had experienced Europe for the first time. Some of those not annihilated in trench warfare had been exposed to … Read more
The great day of autumn reckoning in my garden is almost at hand. The New England asters, which have provided a magnificent, impressionistic spectacle in the front beds, are holding tenaciously to their last blooms. Over the coming weekend I will cut back all the tall stalks, leaving only the ‘Monch’ asters to continue billowing … Read more
In my part of the world it has been raining ceaselessly—or so it seems—for days on end. The diminishing minutes of daylight are further diminished by the perpetual cloud cover. The garden is not just soggy, it is drowning. If this weather keeps up, some of us will be starting our annual bout of seasonal … Read more
I once had an elderly babysitter who lived a Spartan life and indulged in only one vice—one scoop of vanilla ice cream once a week. This may have accounted for the fact that she lived in permanent disapproval mode. Once, when I was about twelve I greeted her arrival wearing what I thought was a … Read more
