Fabulous Fragrance

I love the moment in spring when all the flowering trees and shrubs seem to burst into simultaneous bloom.  Depending on the weather, that mass flowering can last a few days or more than a week.  It always ends in showers of petals that rival the snow flurries we had up until about three weeks … Read more

Book Review: Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast

When I made my first forays into wild plant identification as a child and teenager, a handy field guide always lurked somewhere nearby.  My trusty and well-used Peterson’s Guide—actually Peterson Field Guides: Wildflowers—still sits on my office shelf.  Some of the plants have been reclassified and renamed since it was published, but its arrangement, descriptions … Read more

A Little Daffy

I have a friend who is fond of saying, “the devil is in the details,” and she is right.  Ambitious plans have come to a screeching halt because someone forgot the AAA batteries.  Failure to tighten a strategically placed button can cause an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction.  Most of us could make up our own lists … Read more

Daughters of the Wind

A kind friend brought me a beautiful bouquet of long-stemmed florists’ anemones not long ago. Shut up tight they looked almost like tulips, except for the telltale ruff of fern-like leaves around the base of each bloom. When the help of a little warmth and light, those “tulips” morphed into large, saucer-like flowers with seven … Read more

Granny’s Bonnet

Last week I saw a one-gallon container of old-fashioned double columbines at my neighborhood big box store. This is a sure sign that columbine—aquilegia to horticulturists—has arrived in a big way. The plants, generally short-lived perennials, have been spring harbingers in the Old and New Worlds for centuries. Now they are suddenly as à la … Read more