Every year there is a moment in February when the urge to garden hits me with a vengeance. That moment has arrived. Now I have to decide what do to about it. This winter has given our part of the world weeks of mild, gray weather, followed by one bad snowstorm, followed by a short … Read more
I have decided not to be gloomy about mid to late fall. Yes, the leaves are coming down from the sugar maple in my front strip faster than I can get rid of them. Yes, if I think about it, I can envision all of the icy blasts, damaging storms and winter grayness that is … Read more
I love my cottage-style garden, with its masses of flowers and greenery. At my place, the garden has plenty of classical elements including brick paths, hedges and stone walls, but the plants rule the roost. The flip side of all that cottage garden charm is that masses of flowers and greenery can easily become messes … Read more
This year, in many parts of the country, winter stood its ground and refused to unclench its chilly grip. Spring-flowering plants emerged slowly; understandably cautious about exposing their petals to the freezing breezes. The flip side of that hesitance is that once the petals opened, they remained open longer due to the low temperatures. While … Read more
Recently a friend invoked the wrath of the Garden Gods. While trimming the winter-worn leaves of her hellebores, she came to a patch of the wonderful Eric Smith hybrid—Helleborus x ericsmithii. These hellebores don’t generally need trimming, because their beautifully marbled foliage remains good-looking right through the winter. Sometimes, however, all those lush green leaves … Read more
