Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold

Cosmos on my mind

    It’s been a hot and humid July week.  Any delusions I had of enjoying a cool, temperate summer have evaporated into the extreme humidity.  However, on the bright side, flowers are bursting out … Read more.

Ranunculus are here!

  Spring is definitely in full swing here and already hinting at summer!  It was so warm this week that the lovely spring blooms we’ve been anxiously awaiting buckled a bit with the first blast … Read more.

The Charmingly Resilient Daffodil

  Snow.  Freezing temperatures.  Rain.  Wind.  I think it’s safe to say that the weather this week has dampened the spirit of gardeners and flower enthusiasts, but hopefully not for long.  Six inches of snow … Read more.

The light is changing, but the heat isn’t

Hello again gardeners and garden admirers!  It’s Betsy here.  Just wanted to reintroduce myself and say that it’s a pleasure to be updating you on the state of the gardens.     Labor day has … Read more.

Plant by plant

Gardening is purported to be one of the best stress relievers — and it is! — but the weeks we spend planting the Blithewold gardens always make me feel a little panicky; my blood pressure rises … Read more.

Stop and smell the daffodils

Of all the seasons, spring is the one that puts every sense on high alert. We’re all eyes for the colors, have sharp ears for frog and bird songs (we heard the orioles this week), and those … Read more.

It’s daffodi-lightful!

All of our predictions (and hopes back in February and March) about the daffodils putting on a show for vacation week were spot-on. It has been a real spring spectacular! Not only did the daffodils … Read more.

Fresh air and exercise

This past week was just what the doctor ordered. Sunshine and temperatures in the 50s and 60s made being up and out absolutely irresistible — for us and the spring flowers we’ve been waiting so (im)patiently for. … Read more.

Seeing flowers

I don’t want you to get too excited by the title of this post. Signs of spring are popping out, bit by bit, but we’re not seeing many flowers yet. We’re still waiting for the daffodils to … Read more.

Awakening spring

This week the temperatures softened just enough to keep spring from hitting the snooze button again and made being outside in the gardens totally irresistible. We didn’t leave a lot in the Rose or North Gardens to … Read more.