We are well into mid-spring and everything has burst into bloom. In my corner of the northeastern United States, you can drive down local streets and highways and see redbuds finishing their run of bloom as dogwoods get going. If you are lucky, you might also see a silverbell tree—Halesia Carolina—covered with hundreds of dangling … Read more
Sometimes you choose to make changes in the landscape. Sometimes the landscape does the deciding. In my case, the situation is a little bit of both. The wooden perimeter fence that bounds my backyard is decrepit and needs replacing. It was handsome once, but that was fifteen years ago. Weather and normal aging have done … Read more
Novelist Henry James thought the words “summer afternoon” were the most beautiful in the English language. I love that phrase, especially in July when I am sitting in a shaded spot with a glass of iced tea and a good book. Still, in my mind, “summer afternoon” comes in second to the phrase “sunny Saturday … Read more
