Gray and chilly. Temperatures in the 40s with winds gusting at 14 miles and more. There is still one pile of snow in The Sunken Garden. Still, I got a lot done over the past week. First I found out that the old daffodils growing here when we bought our house in 1979 are Van Sion, a heritage variety. I have Kathy Purdy of Cold Climate Gardening to thank for the ID. Van Sion is a beautiful frilly…
It is early in daffodil season in my part of the world. This photo shows part of a low stone wall in Charlemont, the adjoining town, fronted by a show of daffodils, among the earliest I see. The wall faces south, providing protection and warmth, and cheering those of us who pass by and are weary of winter gray. Charlemont is also the home of the Mystery Daffodil Planter. Several years ago, small clumps of daffodils popped up…
I don't pay enough attention to this orchid cactus, even though it makes its presence felt in the house, to remember when it blooms, but the two huge scarlet flowers that opened yesterday were quite a surprise. This epiphyllum lives on an old black kitchen step stool so that the 3+ foot long drooping stems have sufficient room. The stool is near a big south window and gets lots of light. Our house just naturally gives it the…
L is for lilies, liatris, lilacs and lemon balm and lettuce.One of the joys of an herb garden is the way perennial herbs appear so very early in the spring.Lemon balm, Melissa officinalis, has beautiful crinkled bright green leaves and the delicious sweet fragrance of lemons. It is hardy; a strong grower that allows me to give divisions to anyone who admires it in the garden.I love having lemon balm in the garden for the simple pleasure of…
One year a friend, just returned from London, gave me a copy of the Financial Times that contained an article about rhubarb. Rhubarb season comes earlier in England, but it is one of the first harvests here in New England and the article had all kinds of fascinating information.Robin Lane Fox, Financial Times columnist, explained that rhubarb has been cultivated for about 4500 years. There are records of rhubarb being used medicinally in China since 2700 BC. It…
My jade plant has overwintered happily in our unheated Great Room for several years, but this past year the room did not maintain temperatures above freezing - and as you can see the plant suffered. However - when life is short, the instinct is to procreate! A few branches at the top of the plant are blooming. I will be able to start a new plant or two.
The 12th day of Christmas has passed, so the season is officially over, but the Christmas Cactus is at the height of her glory. That glory may not last til bloom day, and it could not pass unnoticed. I'm celebrating.
We went away for the weekend to join a friend in her birthday celebration. Everywhere we went we saw brilliant burning bushes, Euonymus alatus. It is easy to understand the popularity of this shrub. It is dependable and long lived, tolerant of many soils and able to grow in sun or shade, as well as having desirable fall color. However, it is an invasive plant, native to Asia, able to crowd and shade out many other plants. Because…
My garden may be slowing down, but my schedule isn't so I crept out with my camera a day early. Here's the inventory, The autumn crocus (colchicums) are still giving pleasure. The Fairy is indomitable. And there are a couple of blossoms here and there on the other roses. Double Knockout has buds, and the hips on Rosa Rubrifolia are beautiful. The dahlias are still going strong. Funny Face is a knockout! I was able to make up…
We have finally begun mopping up after spending the summer putting a new cement foundation under the eastern end of our house and installing a new heating system. We hope we'll be a little warmer and dryer this winter.This stone retaining wall, one of two, is the attractive bonus of the project. The thicket of blackberries, invasive pasture roses, asters, weed trees and goldenrod has been removed so that we can have access to the new basement wall…