Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold

Indian summer

It’s almost 70 degrees outside, the air is feather-soft, the sky is blue-blue and the sun has that golden, get-under-your-eyelids slant. It’s the kind of day that absolutely insists that we get outside. We should … Read more.

Pockets of color

There has been a lot of speculation ever since Irene blew through that this wouldn’t be a good fall foliage year. Even in the days after the storm the horizon – particularly anything facing south … Read more.

December – field of vision

It’s too easy to lose sight of the garden at this time of year. It’s freezing cold; we’ve gone indoors; we’re focused on the holidays. But what I realized the other day, when I took … Read more.

Lingering

Some blooms just don’t know when to quit and others are coming back for more. Although we’ve had our frost – and even a light dusting of snow, I guess it hasn’t been quite cold … Read more.

Leaf litter

Throw leaves away? Perish the thought. I wish I could preserve fall’s leaves for color therapy sessions in the middle of winter. Right now I’m particularly taken with the changing colors on some of the … Read more.

Fulfalled expectations

As the summer went along, getting hotter and drier by the day I started to fret that fall color might be a bust this year. But I shouldn’t have worried. Although it might not be … Read more.

Better late

I think I probably speak for most gardeners in four-season climates when I say we don’t really mind if our first, second and even third favorite season lingers a bit longer than usual. It gives … Read more.

I brake for Franklinia alatamaha

Sometimes it’s all about timing. John and William Bartram were in exactly the right place, the coastal shores of the Altamaha River in Georgia, at exactly the right time, 1770, just a few years before … Read more.

Collecting leaves

I remember walking to school in the fall with a beach-comber’s lurch looking for the most beautiful leaf. When I found it, I memorized it and then kept looking for a more perfect one. I … Read more.

All Hallows’ Eve

The boundary between this world and the next is said to be thin right now. – Personally I think it’s on the thin side most days but it’s good to have a reason to honor … Read more.