“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” F. Scott Fitzgerald We haven’t had a lot of crispness yet as I write this towards the end of September. There were three or four cold nights when I wrapped up the hot peppers at night. But after… Continue reading
“…Autumn hails anew…” John Banister Tabb My most surprising accomplishment in this year’s garden is that I have finally succeeded in growing sweet peas. Oh I have grown them before but they were always a bit straggly and never looked that happy. This year I planted them on the former… Continue reading
“August’s harvest is rich…” Bob Thomson The New Victory Garden Well let’s deal with first things first: in August a big issue for a lot of gardeners is what to do with all that zucchini. You could drive around and put it in your neighbours’ mailboxes or in any unlocked… Continue reading
“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
