Last year, about this time, I asked our wonderful Heath librarian Don Purington if the offer of a pink rose from his family farm still stood. Lucky for me it did. He not only introduced me to his mother Barbara, but my visit to Woodslawn Farm, also led to my meeting his sister Carol and a new friendship. Carol is a poet, a reader, and a great conversationalist. She was struck by polio on her first day of…
Ryan left for home with his father last night - but not before a final flurry of activity. He helped me move the chicks out of the brooding box and into a larger space. The henhouse has two sections, one for the laying hens, and the equally large 'entry' which we arrange so the chicks only have 2/3 of the space. It is so dark in the this area, with the brooding box still in place, that I…
Dr. Griffith Buck (1915-1991) is my hero because when he was working at the Iowa State College after the Second World War he began hybidizing roses that were hardy and disease resistant. At that time (and still today) rose gardeners knew they had to spray and coddle their roses. Buck was a man ahead of his time; nowadays many poison sprays for roses are being banned for environmental reasons and other hybridizers are working on disease resistant rose…
I have been waiting for dependably w arm weather to harvest my worm compost, vermicompost. Composting worms cannot survive when temperatures go below 50 degrees. The weather has been so unsettled this spring, first hot, then cold, and then hot again. Even when it has been very warm temperatures in Heath get cool, and the weatherman kept threatening 40 degree nighttime temperatures. My basement, where the worms live for at least 8 months of the year is a…
With the Annual Rose Viewing only a week away, daughter Diane and her son Ryan came to help with preparations. There were big jobs like working with The Major to gett the tractor and wagon operational to fetch wood, and then be put out of the way. Ryan had to mow the lawns using the riding mower while Diane edged and weeded. And weeded. While weeding we discovered that deer had eaten my beautiful Casa Blanca Lilies that…
Last week I was privileged to be invited by Paul Hellmund, Director, to the Conway School of Landscape Design for the presentations of term projects by this year’s class. I was particularly interested in two of those projects: a feasibility study for the Davis Street School site and plans for a Botanical and Geological Garden at Greenfield Community College. I have long been an admirer of the Conway School of Landscape Design with its emphasis on environmentally sound…
We all know that many roses, as well as other plants like dwarf fruit trees, are often grafted onto sturdier rootstocks. It doesn't happen very often, but sometimes that sturdy rootstock decides to take on a life of its own again. The deep red roses here are from the rootstock grafted onto my alba rose, Passionate Nymph's Thigh. The passionate nymph's roses are a delicate flesh pink - as appropriate for a Maiden's Blush, as for a rowdier…
I was driving up our road yesterday noontime when I saw a doe standing in the middle of the road. As I slowed down a tiny, very young fawn came scrambling out of the brush on the left side of the road. Mama leapt into the brush and the field on the right, but baby could not quickly get up the bank. Either instinct or good training made her instantly fold herself up as small as possible in…
When I crossed the Bridge of Flowers the other day I was surprised by the number of roses - now in glorious bloom. I did not remember there were so many. There are pink roses . . . and red roses . . . and pale pink roses . . . and yellow roses. There are many shades of pink and red roses, and white roses and . . . peachy apricot roses, a particular favorite color of…
After a full week of rain and weather so cold we had a fire in the woodstove every day, the sun is shining. You can see the big rose bushes are weighed down with rain. I can hardly tell where Rachel's rose, Celestial and Ispahan begin and end. However burdened they are, rain soaked roses are very beautiful. I have written about Rachel's rose before. Click here for her full history. I planted Pink Grootendorst on the new…