Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Weather Outside Can Be Frightful

January’s winter storm was a piker compared with past whoppers. Barely two inches of snow fell, but a long winter’s night of sleet managed to pull it all together and put on a good show. Cold weather and slick roads … Continue reading

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A Small Tribute to a Silent Partner

Well, shame on us. All these years we have taken Ranger for granted. We never even took a picture of him – I mean one of those posed portraits, like gardeners do with special daylilies, or camellias, or roses. Except … Continue reading

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How I Got to See the U.S. Botanic Garden

If you are in Washington DC during the holiday season, spend some time at the U.S. Botanic Garden I had no intention of visiting the garden or even its conservatory during blustery November days when dry leaves were flying and … Continue reading

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Fifty Ways to Lose. . .That Special Plant

Fifty Ways to Lose. . .That Special Plant Maybe not 50, but the couple dozen methods below have been extensively field-tested over a thirty-year period by seasoned experts (the author and fellow gardeners) whose experience and credentials are unshakeable. Let’s … Continue reading

Posted in Creating a Garden, garden maintenance, spring bloom, summer bloom, Tips for Planting, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Chicago for Gardeners

Urban Oases and Millennium Park Dateline October 2015. Susan and I had both read Erik Larson’s absolutely spellbinding book, The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that changed America. Our curiosity was piqued. A visit to … Continue reading

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Last Monarchs. . .First Honeybees

Early November, Lowe’s Home Improvement was selling agastache ‘Purple Fortune’ almost bloomed out and looking like a ragamuffin, for one dollar. Like the perennial optimists we gardeners are, I rose to the challenge and bought two. Yes, I can coax … Continue reading

Posted in butterflies, fall bloom, Honeybees, Uncategorized, wildlife in autumn | 2 Comments

The Taking of a Tree

It was a Norman Rockwell tree. Each spring the crabapple, on schedule, would unsheathe its buds and break into a great song of white blossoms. Always the first week in April. The crabapple is blooming, we would say (as if … Continue reading

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Midsummer Madness

The thing about spring is its order. There is a natural progression starting from bare twigs, bare earth to lovely bloom. There is space, precious precious space, for plants to expand and show off. Insects are usually a little behind … Continue reading

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St. Petersburg V: From Tar Yards to Revolution. . .and Beyond

(Click on Peterhof and Catherine Park for pictures and discussion of these gardens. For the first post in this series of five, see St. Petersburg: I: First Impressions) Thank goodness Irina brought a car and driver with her today, Susan said. I … Continue reading

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St. Petersburg IV: A Church, a Museum and Sunday in the Garden

(Go to Peterhof and Catherine Park for discussion and pictures of these gardens.) Today, we meet Ilya Repin, but first we must explore a historical whodunnit. You can’t miss Kazan Cathedral on Nevsky Prospekt with its colonnades and statues and roses still … Continue reading

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