There were no flowers but I thought this made a suitable centerpiece for our New Year's Day dinner with friends. We bought the odd rubbery container at the Bird and Fish Market when we lived in Beijing in 1989 representing the past, the green shoots are for this moment in time, and there is hope for the small golden yellow "Baby Moon" daffodils to bloom soon. I ordered bulbs for forcing rather late from Old House Gardens and…
We are supposed to ‘live in the moment,” but that can very hard for a gardener to do as the seasons shift. I am putting the vegetable garden to bed and dividing and cutting back perennials, but I am also thinking about spring. I’m thinking about how long and dark the winter can seem and how hungry for color I get by the time March draws to a close. If you are hungry for early spring color you…
Saturday afternoon was perfect for a golden drive to the new Bullitt Reservation for its grand opening. This is the newest project of the Trustees of Reservations, preserving 262 acres of meadow and woodland, and retrofitting the old caretakers cottage to meet Gold Leed standards. This building will soon be finished and will serve as the new offices of the Hilltown Communities Initiative and the Hilltown Land Trust. The soon-to-be office building is super insulated, and yet breathable,…
Not all my bulbs have arrived, but I spent all night dreaming about where to plant these from Brent and Becky's Bulbs. I have never grown ornamental alliums before, but there were so many beautiful varieties in gardens this year that I decided the time had come. Brent and Becky offer 26 varieties of allium. I ordered A. aflatunense 'Purple Sensation' which has a slightly airy globe of tiny violet purple flowers on a 20 to 30 inch…
In spite of spotty frosts that we have had all week, the cosmos in the new Front Garden, as well as the Shed Bed are still blooming. They are protected in both spaces. I was able to take a big bouquet to church with me yesterday. While the cosmos still look summery, it was time to get down to those autumnal chores. My husband took a break from splitting firewood to dig sod and enlarge the southern Lawn…
“I do everything wrong,” Rol Hesselbart said as we looked over his garlic harvest. And, he pointed out, he did everything wrong in Michigan and Virginia before he started doing everything wrong in Heath. Hesselbart, naturalist, educator and retired national park ranger, is known locally for the size and quality of his garlic bulbs. I am one of the lucky few who scored a few to plant myself this month. His growing techniques have evolved slightly since he…
Someone was talking about colchicums, autumn crocus, the other day and this morning I went out to look at mine. I stepped out onto the piazza, pulled out an armload of lemon balm and moved the inevitable shoots of wisteria, and there they were. Palely loitering in the shade, through no fault of their own. I planted the autumn crocus bulbs at the foot of the wisteria years ago when the herb bed was not yet full. Of…
Last fall I planted six lilies in the herb bed right in front of the house. Three Henryi lilies which are gold, and three white Henryi lilies, all from Old House Gardens, one of my favorite bulb suppliers. White Henryi was the first to blossom, dazzling white with its golden throat. Then this lily bloomed. I've got a bit of a prop to hold up the blossom so I could photograph it. It is neither the white or…
Ohhhhhh - Look at that! I cannot tell you how many times I uttered those words, and Le Flaneur listened patiently, turned and followed my pointing fingers at heucheras, sailboats, meat packing establishments, roof top restaurants and etc., etc., etc. We took the train into the city and set off to explore an array of Parks. We began at Battery Park, South Ferry, where people can get ferries to Staten Island, or Ellis Island or the Statue of…
Tulips of many colors and hues are in full bloom on Shelburne Falls' Bridge of Flowers. It's enough to make one stop - or at least slow down - to enjoy the day and be grateful to live in such an area where going about one's duties and errand running brings one this kind of pleasure. And don't forget you can add a little bit of the Bridge to your own garden by buying a plant or…