Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold
Not Their First Pandemic – Remembering the Spanish Flu
The Pardee Family and the Flu Pandemic of 1918 With no effective drugs or vaccines to treat the killer flue epidemic of 1918, citizens were ordered to wear masks, and schools, theaters, and business closed. … Read more.
Garden Sanctuary
Nature has asked us all to slow down. Not so much asked as demanded. So here we are, spring revealing itself more and more every day; the gardens know their path forward even if we … Read more.
Spring is Not Cancelled
As we all are spending more time at home following the Covid 19 isolation guidelines, the importance of a garden is relevant now more than ever. This time at home could be a period to … Read more.
Springing into flower
Springtime often has me in one of two places – laying on the ground to get a good look at a spring bulb in flower or staring up toward the sky at the tree buds … Read more.
Bristol News: March 1, 1897
One hundred and twenty-three years ago, on March 1, 1897, Marjorie Van Wickle was at the Jekyll Island Club in Brunswick, Georgia, with her parents Augustus and Bessie Van Wickle. While she was there she … Read more.
Spring messengers
In the midst of upheaval, one thing is constant. The sun rises, the birds sing, the spring flowers rise out of their rest to greet the warming weather. There is peace and rest in connecting … Read more.
Wildlife Revealed
There’s a world around us living, breathing, and dying that is easy to ignore. We may be tempted to think of insects, birds, and amphibians as only alive in the summer – but so much … Read more.
Household Staff at Blithewold
Blithewold and other large mansions of its era were designed on the assumption that there would always be a plentiful supply of servants. Bessie Van Wickle McKee could not have maintained her large residences without … Read more.
Wintertime Garden Inspiration
January often heralds the official arrival of the winter doldrums. Gail, Joe, Fred, and I are here to offer a cure – inspiration for your gardening plans this year. Last year, we started our series … Read more.
Greenhouse Trellis
This past fall, Garden volunteer Bill Knipps and I built a bamboo trellis on the greenhouse wall of the potting shed. Gail wanted to try something different to catch people’s attention this winter, and all … Read more.