The fall bulb packages have arrived, nearly submerged under a high tide of holiday catalogs. Since I have long since forgotten most of what I ordered at various times during the summer, the boxes are full of glorious surprises. Unpacking them gives me a feeling akin to opening the boxes of Christmas ornaments in December. … Read more
At this time of year gardeners in cold winter climates talk about “putting the garden to bed”—a series of tasks that mark the official and psychological end of the growing season. Shorter days make most of us feel like putting ourselves to bed as well, and garden chores reinforce that idea. The earth grows colder … Read more
‘Orange Glow’ is up and glowing, even though “up” is a relative term for a plant that is only a few inches tall. Though it has the same name as a popular cleaning product, ‘Orange Glow’ is in fact a winter aconite, a type of buttercup, belonging to the same Ranunculaceae family as the more … Read more
The gardening season at my house is ending as it began, with bright blue and white crocuses dotting the beds. As in the spring, they are poking bravely through the garden rubble that I haven’t yet had time to clean up. People who see them think that climate change has fooled the spring crocuses into … Read more
Yesterday I was absolutely beside myself because I saw the first snowdrops of the season. These brave early-appearers are double-flowered, with pale green tips on the outer petals and pronounced green blotches on the inner ones. I have forgotten their varietal name and the plant tag is currently submerged under a cover of dead leaves, … Read more
