I have a weakness for British gardening magazines, and it gets me in trouble all the time. So many beautiful gardens, so many interesting plants, and so many great ideas. The ideas are not out of reach, nor are the gardens—if I decided to take a trip across the pond—but many of the plants are … Read more
It is now officially mid-spring and everything has burst into bloom. The last magnolia flowers are colliding with the first of the dogwood blooms, not to mention the unfurling of the first lilacs. Fluffy double cherry blossoms weigh down branches, while ornamental plums and pears strut their stuff in slightly more decorous fashion. Amid all … Read more
Real spring is days away, no matter what is happening with the weather. In the meantime, most of us celebrate the signs of the new season that are popping up everywhere. As the giant Dutch crocuses open their trumpets to blast the spring news, I pour used cat litter down the groundhog hole to let … Read more
If you are hoping to grow an olive tree in eastern North America and proudly incorporate your homegrown fruits into martinis, tapenade, or empanadas, you are destined for disappointment. The handsome European olive—Olea europaea—needs a warm winter climate to produce its toothsome harvest. But other members of the Oleaceae or olive family do flourish farther … Read more
