Winter Garden Archives

February 9, 2021 The Dependable Jade Plant, Henry Arthur Bright, William Griffith, Bark and pH, Cooking with Flowers by Miche Bacher, and Winter Garden Chores from 1889

Today we celebrate a man who published his garden journal in a book – and inspired countless gardeners and gardener writers with his resonant words. We’ll also learn about a young botanist with drive and good intentions, as well as a personal beef with another botanist – both of these men had a dramatic impact on…

Tracks in the Winter Garden

by Beth Chatto The first thing I noticed as I watched my own boots sink below the blue-shadowed surface were the footprints of many other occupants of the garden. The mallard duck had left their heavy, plodding trails before flying off, hopefully, to someplace where the water is not totally frozen over – probably to…

January 15, 2021 How to Grow and Care for Spirea Shrubs, the British Museum, Richard Buxton, Identifying Wildlife in the Winter Garden, A Year at Brandywine Cottage by David Culp, and The Garden of a Commuters Wife: Mabel Osgood Wright

Today we celebrate living virtually – we can tour one of the world’s greatest museums – which opened on this day in 1759. We’ll also learn about a man who endeared himself to his countrymen when he published a book about the plant life found within sixteen miles of his hometown. We’ll hear some thoughts…

Holly and Ivy

by Beth Chatto Holly and ivy are the primary images of many Christmas cards, symbols of life carrying on when much else appears dead or has vanished beneath the frozen surface. I would almost go so far as to say they should be in every garden, but perhaps I should substitute “something evergreen” instead of…

Wintersweet

by Rosemary Verey One day 27 years ago, long before I became an enthusiastic gardener, my husband came home with a bush of wintersweet, given to him by an old lady from her garden. [The woman] said it would not flower for seven years and then forever after would do so generously. She was right.…

Gardens in Winter by Elizabeth Lawrence

by Katharine S. White I have had to enjoy the winter garden vicariously, with the help of books. The best for this purpose I’ve found is Elizabeth Lawrence’s new one. Gardens in Winter (Harper), which has allowed me to share the delights of the author’s garden in Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as the gardens and woods…

January 4, 2021 Invasive Garlic Mustard, Stephen Hales, Johanna Weterdijk, Eleanor Perenyi, Winter Garden Thoughts, A Life in Shadow by Stephen Bell, and Garden Trivia for National Trivia Day

Today we celebrate an English botanist who discovered which way sap flows in plants. We’ll also learn about a female Dutch botanist who fought for equity and is now remembered as a trailblazer. We’ll remember a thoughtful and witty garden writer whose only book became a garden classic. We hear some thoughts on the garden…

December 11, 2020 Brazil’s Deforestation Surges, Jacob Schneck, Henry David Thoreau, Victor Lemoine, Edgar Albert Guest, Growing Perennial Foods by Acadia Tucker and Krishna Chavda, and Fiorello LaGuardia

Today we celebrate the Indiana botanist remembered in a particular species of Red Oak (Quercus rubra). We’ll also learn about the Red-Pole – one of the smallest birds in the finch family. We’ll recognize the French flower breeder remembered for his work with the Lilac (Syringa vulgaris). We hear a poem about the Winter garden…

November 18, 2020 Winter Garden Plants, William Shenstone, Leo Lesquereux, Asa Gray, Beverley Nichols, The Kew Gardener’s Guide to Growing House Plants by Kay Maguire, and Goldenrod

Today we celebrate the man who was a gardener and a poet and he inspired the trend toward the picturesque natural Landscape. We’ll also learn about the Swiss botanist who specialized in mosses. We’ll remember the birthday of the Father of American botany. We’ll take a look back at a popular November fruit – I…