House plants are all the rage, in North America and abroad. Shelter magazine photographers are working overtime trying to get shots of everything from begonias to banana trees. Pinterest is full of luxurious tropical plants. Horticulture publications that used to treat house plants as afterthoughts now devote entire sections, or sometimes entire issues to indoor … Read more
Last week I wore myself out getting all the tender potted plants into the house before the arctic weather set in. I have spent the past week sweeping up dead leaves as many of those same plants went to pieces over the shock of moving from the bright outdoor light into the best-that-I-can-do light indoors. … Read more
I admit to a love/hate relationship with houseplants and I don’t need a psychologist to explain it. My deep-seated ambivalence stems from the fact that most of my houseplants are tropicals or tender plants that only cohabit with me during the cold weather months. When night temperatures are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, they lounge on … Read more
Say the word “frangipani” to me and I think of a delicious almond pastry cream used in Italian tarts, cake and other delicacies. If you eat French pastries, you will know the same custard as “frangipane”. Either way, it is delicious and harbors the sweet smell of almonds. Tropical plant fanciers know frangipani as a … Read more
I have a friend of the clerical persuasion who is a wonderful gardener. When I say “wonderful”, I don’t mean that his suburban lot looks like Longwood Gardens. I mean that when he sets his mind to growing something well, it grows exceptionally well. This is because he understands the “why” of gardening as well … Read more
