Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold
They’re listening
I like to think that encouragement and praise is the best method for inspiring productivity but must admit that threats and criticism can be pretty effective as well. Spite is such an excellent motivator. Don’t … Read more.
Rock-a-bye baby
We’ve been so intent on planting the Display Garden that we’ve – not forgotten exactly – and not neglected certainly – but perhaps put off the Rock Garden a little lately. Since it’s at its … Read more.
Reading the future
Positive visualization is a skill we gardeners get a lot of practice in. I think for any of us, whether we’re planting one or two things or designing beds, visualization goes way beyond garden-variety optimism … Read more.
Closing the gap
As gaps go, this wasn’t a bad one in my book. Just now I seem to prefer a garden in budded transition – I think it satisfies my need for a glass is half full … Read more.
The May Gap
After the tulips have gone by and before … everything else starts up in the North Garden, we cross The May Gap. It’s almost as if the garden is taking one last deep inhale before … Read more.
Ideal conditions
For the next few weeks Gail and I will plant, divide and move perennials in any kind of weather short of a monsoon-style downpour but we both had to agree that, even though we are … Read more.
Tiptoe through the tulips with me
We scheme and we plan and we cross our fingers and we hope for a succession of blooms and then when everything blooms at once we say “Oh — Wow.” There’s a brilliant carpet of … Read more.
Oh deer…
Blithewold has been pretty lucky so far. For a while it seemed like there must be an invisible 8′ high barrier encircling the property but in the past couple-three (four?) years the phantom fence has … Read more.
A jump on spring
The weather has been so mild this past week that we couldn’t help but be outside cleaning up – about two weeks ahead of last year. And I know we’re not alone – it seems … Read more.
More decisions (and a retraction)
Our seed orders have started to come in! I discovered though that I have to offer an official retraction of a snarky complaint in this post about Select Seeds‘ shipping charges. Well, obviously, I … Read more.