Bulb Analysis

The ordering season for fall-planted bulbs, including daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths, starts each year in spring when the flowers appear. It continues through the gardening season until about Halloween, with the few unsold bulbs languishing after that at the back of garden centers’ and nurseries’ display areas. Despite my best efforts at speed and efficiency … Read more

Early Fall Skips

On mornings in the late summer and early fall, I wait for the sun to rise high enough for the asters and other flowers to open. That magic moment should be heralded by trumpets, but since I live in the suburbs, that will never happen. Even without trumpets, though, the daily grand opening of the … Read more

The Second Season

Previous generations had no “second season”, just as they never experienced the Halloween industrial complex or the curse of perpetual screen time. Fall used to be a leisurely affair that included harvesting whatever was left in the vegetable garden and replacing the fading pots of annuals by the front door with plump chrysanthemums. It also … Read more

A Year in the Garden

Mothers and gardeners have something in common—their work is never done.  Still, as the old year passes away and the New Year waits in the wings, it is a good time to look back at the growing season.  Since I am an optimist—as all gardeners should be—I count the successes and not the failures.  Failures … Read more