When I was growing up, poinsettias, especially red ones, reigned supreme in the holiday decorating sweepstakes. Big stores arranged hundreds of them in tiers to look like giant red Christmas trees. The crimson blooms adorned church altars and ornamented multiple rooms in large houses. People with a more modern aesthetic sometimes turned to white poinsettias … Read more
The last of the tulip bulbs have been planted up in tubs, which means that it’s time to decorate for the holidays. I am ready to go, with visions of ribbon and pinecones dancing in my head. At this time of year, when daylight hours have winnowed down to a precious few, I think brightening … Read more
We all have to get through the dark months of the year, when the absence of daylight, the prospect of damp, chilly weather inspires little more than a desire for sleep and sweaters. When we celebrate during at this time of year, we emphasize light in all its forms. I do this as my mother … Read more
For years I have damned Osmanthus heterophyllus or false holly with faint praise–or no praise at all. Two of the prickly evergreen shrubs stand silently in front of the house, and for years I longed to remove them. Why have I harbored such thoughts about a pair of innocent shrubs? For one thing, I didn’t … Read more
I am having a bad case of holiday envy. As I walk my neighborhood, I see that my neighbors have spent the past weekend arranging extravagant holiday displays. Twinkly lights sparkle from trees and shrubs, wreathes adorn multiple windows, over-the-door arches welcome visitors to various homes, and holiday inflatables of every size and description sway … Read more
