Emily Dickinson Archives

The Gardens of Emily Dickinson by Judith Farr

As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: Today’s book recommendation: The Gardens of Emily Dickinson by Judith Farr Farr’s book helps us understand the poets relationship with specific flowers. It also helps us understand some of the floral symbolism that Dickinson uses in her poems which Dickinson herself called “Blossoms of the Brain”. Without…

August 15, 2019 Garden Turmoil, Karl von Schreibers, Elias Magnus Friesz, John Torrey, Walter Crane, Geoff Hamilton, W.H. Auden, The Gardens of Emily Dickinson by Judith Farr, Pickerel Weed, and Sylvia Edlund

Last week was one of turmoil in my garden. We decided to put new windows and siding on the house. Then we decided to enjoy the ravages of a hail storm which dumped ping pong ball sized hail on the garden for about five minutes – the entire storm lasted 30 minutes. I always remind…

How Often Are the Beauties

by Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps How often are the beauties of nature unheeded by man, who, musing on past ills, brooding over the possible calamities of the future, building castles in the air, or wrapped up in his own self-love and self-importance, forgets to look abroad, or looks with a vacant stare. Note:…

Each Opening Bud

By Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps Each opening bud, And care-perfected seed, Is as a page, Where we may read of God. Note: Almira wrote about nature, and her textbook, Familiar Lectures on Botany, was first published in 1829. Almira taught at Amherst Academy, and her textbook was undoubtedly known and used by Emily…

Ordinary Changes of Nature

by Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps So, in the physical world mankind is prone to seek an explanation of uncommon phenomena only, while the ordinary changes of nature, which are in themselves equally wonderful, are disregarded. Notes: Almira wrote about nature, and her textbook, Familiar Lectures on Botany, was first published in 1829. Almira…

July 15, 2019 Bolting Cilantro, Inigo Jones, John Wilson, William Robinson, Almira Hart Phelps, Classic Garden Design by Rosemary Verey, Perennial Sweet Pea, and a Greenhouse Story

Let’s start today off by talking briefly about bolting cilantro. Why does cilantro bolt, and how should you address it? You can help delay when cilantro bolts by planting it in part shade instead of full sun and keeping the plant cool and moist. Heat is a stressor and sensing its own mortality; cilantro will…

July 9, 2019 Mulch Placement, Colonel Henry Wallace Johnston, Nikolay Vavilov, George Shull, Emily Dickinson, Answer July, Lives of the Trees by Diana Wells, Wheelbarrow Garden, and Samual Smithers as Plantman

Here’s a little primer on mulch placement. Keep mulch away from the bases of plants and trees. Trees can be harmed or killed by mulching too heavily around the trunk. Perennials and other plants can be smothered or damaged by heavy mulch around the crown as well. Mulch is a wonderful tool in the garden,…

Answer July

by Emily Dickinson Answer July — Where is the Bee — Where is the Blush — Where is the Hay? Ah, said July — Where is the Seed — Where is the Bud — Where is the May — Answer Thee — Me. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are…

Summer Has Two Beginnings

by Emily Dickinson Summer has two Beginnings — Beginning once in June — Beginning in October Affectingly again — Without, perhaps, the Riot But graphicker for Grace — As finer is a going Than a remaining Face — Departing then — forever — Forever — until May — Forever is deciduous Except to those…

June 17, 2019 Reusing Potting Soil, Edwin Hunt, James Weldon Johnson, Alexander Braun, Nellie McClung, the University of Wisconsin’s Arboretum, Emily Dickinson, Joanne Shaw, The Plant Hunters by Carolyn Fry, Geranium Care, and Lajos Kossuth

Do you change the oil in your window boxes and containers every spring? You really don’t need to – I don’t. Here’s what I do: I remove about a quarter to a third of the soil in my containers, and I put it in my potting soil bin. Then, I add a little perlite and…

June 14, 2019 Sunflowers, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Ruth Stout, President Harding, G. K. Chesterton, Emily Dickinson, In Bloom by Clare Nolan, Photo Friday, and Making Pineapple Flowers

Are you planning to grow Sunflowers this year? Five years ago, Hans-Peter Schiffer toppled the Guinness World Record for the third year in a row – growing a sunflower that was 30’1″ tall! Over at the Facebook group for the show, you can check out a time-lapse video of sunflowers growing from seed to seed…

May 15, 2019 Plant Height, Isaac Newton, President Lincoln, the USDA, Charles Sprague Sargent, the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserve, Ettie C. Alexander, the NOLA Museum of Art, Emily Dickinson, Ina Coolbrith, Top-dressing, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Plant height is one of the factors often indicated on plant tags. But mature height often takes ten years – especially if you’re talking about trees and shrubs. Most plants benefit from some amount of pruning – in which case their height can be controlled. BTW, Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet.…

April 16, 2019 Truly Lovely Aprils, Robert Frost, Sir Hans Sloane, William Stearn, Ellen Nellie Thayer Fisher, Mary Gibson Henry, Sir Edward Salisbury, Aphra Behn, Penny Colman, and William Austin Dickinson

“The sun was warm but the wind was chill. You know how it is with an April day.” ~ Robert Frost April can be a challenging time in the garden. How many truly lovely Aprils does one get in a lifetime? I’d venture to say maybe five or six. Often, the gardens are too wet…

Remembering, William Austin Dickinson, Big Brother of Emily Dickinson

William Austin Dickinson - colorized photo

“When they were young, Emily was very close to her brother. Emily’s letters reveal her admiration. One year, she wrote how even the apples would do his bidding.” April 16, 1829 On this day, Emily Dickinson’s brother, William Austin Dickinson, was born. Although he tried his hand at teaching, William became a lawyer, following in…