Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold
The Value of a Garden
Lately I’ve been mulling over the importance of gardens and gardening. It will come as no surprise that they are valuable to me, being that I have chosen horticulture as my profession. But what is … Read more.
Lotus Love
When August arrives we all take a moment to reflect on the gardens as the heat forces us to slow down a bit. I am so grateful for our tropical plant collection when the intense … Read more.
Midsummer Magic
I have been overwhelmed with the gardens this week. “Overwhelmed” is a word often given a negative connotation in today’s language. The word originally comes from Middle English with the meaning “to turn upside down.” … Read more.
A Garden to Call Home
Visitors often ask if I have a garden at home. The truth is that I live in a small apartment in the city and have a few favorite annuals in containers outside and a small … Read more.
Poppies Forever
The Shirley poppies (Papaver rhoeas) are one of the most ephemeral and beautiful parts of the gardens. The flowers are here for a day or two and then form seed heads where the soft-as-silk petals … Read more.
Pollinators
It’s National Pollinator Week and I wanted to take a minute to talk about how connected the gardens at Blithewold are to all wildlife. We focus on growing beautiful gardens to inspire you, but we … Read more.
Coming Up Roses
June is the perfect month. The temperatures this year have been steady in the 70s with sunshine and a light breeze. We have had several inches of rain this week, but the gardens only look … Read more.
June Blooms
June has arrived and brought with it the full swing of garden life. The first thing I notice in June is the elevated pollen levels, but this is due to the sheer abundance of plants … Read more.
Sun’s out Blooms out
This is the first week that truly felt like spring is here and summer is just around the corner. The sun is out and the sky is blue and the plants (and gardeners) can now … Read more.
Supporting Actors
We often think of early spring as daffodils and mid spring as tulips. They steal the show and we love them for so many reasons – they come in a stunning variety of shapes and … Read more.