Coming to South Carolina in mid-February, I expected to see daffodils and crocus, maple trees budding out, azaleas and the flowering trees that speak of spring in southern climes. But not this year. Temperatures have been much lower than normal, so low that ponds have frozen. It’s only a skim of ice.…
Last week’s post titled ‘Winter Interest’ sparked a critical comment from Anne Wareham, a reader in Wales who is editor of the on-line site ThinkinGardens. Using the word ‘interest’ to describe anything in a garden, she wrote, “seems so very odd and hardly apposite really.” I agree. Interest is one of those lazy words we use…
I love quizzes, crossword puzzles and any kind of mind-testing game. For years, they have been a feature of our family’s New Year celebrations. So as the final blog post of 2014, why not join in the fun? I wish I had thought of the quiz idea myself but I am borrowing it — quite shamelessly…
Water and mirrors are probably the most common reflecting surfaces in a garden but glass, which shares many characteristics with them, is another source with additional possibilities. Unlike mirrors, glass is both reflective and transparent. Webster’s Column, a glass and stainless steel sculpture I made to commemorate my husband’s long career in journalism, both reflects the surrounding…
Two weeks ago I wrote about using water in a garden to reflect the things around it. Water has been used this way for a very long time, and often with a warning attached: think back to the Greek legend of Narcissus, the young boy who fell in love with his reflection in a pool and died. Reflections are…
Who could walk past this scene without pausing to admire the clouds reflected in the water below? Reflections show the world around us. They can reveal aspects of a scene we might otherwise miss. They are — or can be — great additions to any garden. But using them well requires thought and planning. Water…
A technical note: It is no longer necessary to register in order to comment on a post. So please do! In the meantime, don’t be scared, join me for a walk in the woods… If you go down in the woods today,you’re sure of a big surprise. I went down in the woods — and was…
It’s been raining steadily for the last few days and most trees have lost their leaves. But not all. The linden tree at the end of the lawn was radiant one day last week, just before the rain began to fall. Colour remains, but you have to look more closely to find it. The hydrangea bushes…
Not long ago I spent some time going through old gardening magazines. I was looking for photos to use for an art project but the articles and ads I came across proved more diverting than I expected. Magazines used to be ubiquitous. No longer. At least two of the magazines I was thumbing through have gone out…
