At this time of year gardeners in cold winter climates talk about “putting the garden to bed”—a series of tasks that mark the official and psychological end of the growing season. Shorter days make most of us feel like putting ourselves to bed as well, and garden chores reinforce that idea. The earth grows colder … Read more
There is something wonderful about coming back to the garden after a trip. My homecoming ritual always starts with a walk around the garden to reintroduce myself to the plants and see what has changed in my absence. And something has always changed, even if I have only been away for a weekend. Flowers bloom … 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
For those of us in cold winter climates, mid-fall is the time to say a gradual goodbye to flowers. Annuals will soldier on until the first hard frost, but they are slowing down in anticipation of the inevitable. Most perennials have finished up, with the exception of a few Montauk daisies, tall sedums, fall crocuses … Read more
I grew up in western New York State, where winters were long, snowy and frigid. But even under those conditions, gardeners loved their roses and did their best to safeguard them against winter’s worst. My father, who was a romantic and a rose lover, went through an impressive annual winter rose preparation ritual that required … Read more
