Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold
Shop therapy
There’s nothing in the world that beats a car trunk full of new plants. Gail and I went off today to try and find a couple of things to fill a couple of holes in … Read more.
Purple haze
Back in June when we planted the lavender/purple experiment in the Display Garden, I said that I would talk more about it. Since it’s officially full grown, nearly past full bloom and it’s Garden Bloggers … Read more.
Color after Labor Day
It’s not my intention with this post to brag but we’ve still got a lot of color in the gardens. So many visitors seem surprised by that – and as shocked as if we were … Read more.
Life of the party
Some plants provide entertainment for the whole season and others just don’t and I sometimes have to try very hard to remember why we give clunkers space in the gardens. Campanula lactiflora or Milky bellflower … Read more.
On grazing
I have come to the realization – as I think I do every year – that there is nothing better in this world than feasting on the garden’s harvest. But I think the critters have … Read more.
Batten down the hatches
Yesterday’s sky was dusted with those high flying cirrus mare’s tails and mackerel’s scales that precede a storm and the news is full of a tropical storm named for one of our groundsmen. As I … Read more.
Fringe benefits
I want to make it very clear that no matter how hot and awful it is outside right now I am not ready for fall. So just in case you’ve got your hand on the … Read more.
Picking up steam
I’d like to take just a moment to fulfill my duty as a New Englander and complain about the weather. For the past week or two it’s been hot. And not only has it been … Read more.
Dramatic differences
Being in the garden every day teaches a valuable lesson in paying attention to the subtle changes but go away for a week or two and the changes will practically hit you over the head. … Read more.
Vacation house
I think it’s because I work here year-round that I tend to forget that Blithewold was built as a summer retreat. The Van Wickle/McKee family came up from Pennsylvania and later down from Boston and … Read more.