A neighbor stopped by not long ago and said, “What are those beautiful aqua iris by your front walk?” The iris in question were small but glorious, resembling a cluster of orchids or a small flock of butterflies hovering just above ground level. The three outer petals or falls of each one were pale aqua-blue … Read more
Unless you are a teenager, it is generally a good thing to be “grounded.” For non-teens, the word implies common sense and a focus on reality, as opposed to flights of fantasy. People who are grounded are reliable—the kind you want as friends or neighbors. The kind you rarely get as relatives. More and more … Read more
The Victorians and Edwardians had a passion for rock or alpine gardens, creating extensive pseudo-alpine landscapes from actual rocks, artificial rocks and various forms of debris, up to and including broken dishes. Fashionable gardeners filled the cracks and crevices of these layouts with alpine plants newly discovered by plant hunters in various mountainous regions of … Read more
