Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold

Garden (and Life) Lessons

How does one not fall in love with September? The weather is temperate, the gardens are in full bloom, and there is an abundance of insect life everywhere you look. It is glorious. Despite all … Read more.

New Veggie Garden Irrigation

Hi folks! I am happy to introduce to you our gardens intern Oliver Bingham! Ollie is a recent graduate in Plant Science from University of Rhode Island. It’s been great having him on our team … Read more.

Lessons from a Hot, Dry Summer

With autumn finally here, I am taking a moment to reflect on the summer that was. It was, by far, the hottest and driest summer I’ve experienced at Blithewold. If you were lucky enough to … Read more.

Hopes and Dreams, Heat and Humidity

When rising temperatures and humidity levels make me question my decision to work outside for a living, the gardens we create here at Blithewold remind me that I made the right choice. Anyone who gardens … Read more.

Showers and flowers

April showers (and May showers and June showers) bring lots of flowers!  Yes, I know it’s been a chilly spring full of rainy days and nights, but all the rain is a blessing to our … Read more.

From planning to planting

I am so ready to see the sun!  After the drought last summer, I didn’t think I’d ever grow tired of rain again, but here I am.  It’s not so much that I don’t want … Read more.

Seeds!

Winter is time for seeds (yes, it’s still winter, although recent temperatures seem to tell a different story).  We look over catalogs, order, and eventually sow these beautiful tiny cases full of life.  Watching the … Read more.

A Year in Review: Faves of 2016

February is a wonderful month for planning.  It’s chilly outside, but warm in the Potting Shed and greenhouse where we hunker down for the winter.  The greenhouses are stuffed full with plants and our brains are … Read more.

Wreath Season

I love the festive decorations that appear in December.  A pretty evergreen wreath on the front door is a classic welcome during the holiday season.  In preparation for our wreath classes last week, Gail and … Read more.

Pretty Leaves to Christmas Trees

The past couple of weeks Gail and I have had our attention divided between fall garden cleanup and Christmas decorating.  Despite the drought this past summer, the trees have still managed to show a good … Read more.