Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold
Spring forward
Even though the forsythia hasn’t bloomed yet, we declared it time to prune the roses. We can tell that the roses are ready because their buds have swelled and the Ballerinas in the North Garden … Read more.
Washout
We were about to open for the season. Even though the daffodils in the Bosquet aren’t quite in bloom yet, the grounds and gardens looked spiffed and ready for a spring hurrah. And then over this … Read more.
Shedding the springter blues
Just as spring was beginning to assert itself — Iris reticulata opened the other day, the daffodils are up and some are budded, Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) buds have cracked open — winter hurled another … Read more.
Spring cleaning
According to the calendar — and the redwing blackbirds — the pendulum between winter and summer has finally swung into spring. Huzzah! (Never mind next week’s forecast.) To celebrate, we did some extremely gratifying spring … Read more.
March ado
I’m not even going to bother go in search for spring outside today because it looks and feels too much like winter again. Blustery. Bitter cold. Snowy, even (though nothing compared to other parts of … Read more.
A sow-called spring
I haven’t spotted any crocus, snowdrops or early daffs blooming yet, and I know the calendar says spring is still a whole month away, but in the greenhouse the growing season officially kicked off yesterday. … Read more.
Free bees
This past winter was a rough one for honey bees. Word is, across the country about a third of the population didn’t make it though. Blithewold’s beekeeper, Brendan Kennedy lost most of his hives including … Read more.
Marjorie’s dove tree turns 40
It’s a lucky visitor whose gaze turns east along the path between the mansion and the Enclosed Garden, instead of west across the blooming North Garden and Great Lawn to Narragansett Bay. The western view … Read more.
Perennial planting spree
I think we outdid ourselves. In the last couple of weeks Gail, Betsy, the volunteers, and I planted about 700 perennials and a handful of shrubs. Going into our planning season this past winter, Gail … Read more.
What’s next
Even though the daffodils are still blooming their little hearts out I can’t help looking forward to the next thing(s) following hot on their heels. The tulips and cherry trees are just getting going, winter … Read more.