In the winter I tend to avoid doing necessary things, like cleaning out closets, in favor of wallowing in garden catalogs, shelter magazines, and my large collection of garden and horticultural books. I was indulging myself the other day, when I found out, courtesy of one of the better shelter magazines, that carnations are unfashionable. … Read more
“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” That evocative line, from Daphne du Maurier’s novel Rebecca, has become famous, casting an elegiac spell over the rest of the story. I have similar thoughts and dreams about gardens in my past. I am certain that other committed gardeners have the same experiences. Not long … Read more
The countryside around my family’s summer cottage in Central New York State is studded with former farm sites. Sometimes buildings or their dilapidated remains are evident on the overgrown lots that were once the hubs of working family farms. More often, all that remains are the horticultural memories of those farms—garden plants once tended by … Read more
Early summer is daisy time, with daisy family species like Shastas, echinacea and coreopsis holding forth in multi-petaled radiance. But all the daisies in the world cannot outshine the tall trumpet lilies that are also making glorious music in gardens right now. Regal lilies or Lilium regale, with their voluptuous, golden-throated trumpets, are among the … Read more
This winter, my advice to gardeners, would-be gardeners and those who simply want an amusing plant or two is “order early”. Last fall, bulb and plant vendors were among the few merchants doing land office business, selling out in record time. With at least a couple more cold, dark, alarming months ahead of us, the … Read more
