“Each Morn a thousand Roses brings…” Omar Khayyam Early summer in the valley has been all about the roses. A mild winter, lots of rain and a proper spring that didn’t turn hot right away have produced a profusion of roses. Some of these I had forgotten about as they… Continue reading
“And what is so rare as a day in June?” James Russell Lowell Someone I know who has a hillside of naturalized daffodils tells me that he always has a pang of regret when he deadheads the last daffodil. But he gets over it when what follows the daffodils are… Continue reading
“The world’s favourite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.” Edwin Way Teale Well I guess I got my wish that the spring temperatures stay on the cool side to allow the daffodils to last longer. As with the snowdrops and crocus, the daffodils this year have… Continue reading
“There are moments in the gardening year when, like Cecil B. de Mille, you want to shout Hold it and freeze the scene, just as it is in every detail, for a little longer.” Anna Pavord (The Curious Gardener) My Cecil B. de Mille moment came right before Easter weekend… Continue reading
“In March winter is holding back and spring is pulling forward.” J. Hersey Winter, it seems to me, has held back quite a lot this year. We haven’t had much extreme cold and periodic thaws have prevented any significant snow accumulation. There has been enough snow to protect perennials and… Continue reading
“I entrench myself in my books, equally against sorrow and the weather.” Leigh Hunt My wish in the month of February is that it will whizz by like the calendar pages in old movies. Alas, this never seems to happen. So I turn to books, both old favourites that hold… Continue reading
“I dreamed that, as I wandered by the way, Bare Winter suddenly was changed to spring.” Shelley There have been at least three open winters in my time here in the valley. I’m grateful for all of them. One brought us late snow in March or April but we were… Continue reading
“…. after summer evermore succeeds Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold.” Shakespeare Recently a visiting friend was surprised to see next year’s seed catalogues on my coffee table. They’ve been there for a couple of weeks now along with the highlighter pen. My friend asked if I was going… Continue reading
“The gardener’s year is circular; November and December are the months that close the circle.” Bob Thomson, The New Victory Garden Haven’t we had the most wonderful fall ever? The leaves were particularly colourful this year and they seemed to last for weeks. It has also been a particularly warm… Continue reading
