Posts Tagged ‘Winter’
Preparing the Spring Garden: A Look at February Chores from 1889
“Whatever… winter work remains must now be cleared up, or the consequences will be serious.” February 9, 1889 On this day, The Lancaster Gazette shared a little snippet about the garden chores that should be done this week. Let’s see how our chores stack up against chores from the late 1800s. Outdoor Work must have a full…
Read MoreWelcome February with Cicely Mary Barker: the Fair Maids of February and the Snowdrop Fairy
“Cicely would draw the flowers and the fairies and then write poetry about them.” The English illustrator Cicely Mary Barker is remembered for depicting fairies and flowers. In Cicely’s fabulous fantasy world, every flower was granted its particular fairy to protect it from harm. For winter, Cicely created fairies and poems for these plants: Snowdrop,…
Read MoreWelcome February with The Language of the Trees by Scottish Poet Charles MacKay
“This little obscure poem from the Scottish poet Charles MacKay seems an excellent way to usher in February.” We’re in the grips of winter now, and the trees dominate the landscape. I thought I’d close today’s show with a little poem about trees that I stumbled upon while doing tree research. We’re learning more and…
Read MoreGarden Writer Tovah Martin Beats the Winter Doldrums with Scented Plants
“One word of caution: One person’s perfume is another’s stench.” January 29, 1998 On this day, The Courier-Journal out of Louisville, Kentucky, ran an article by Tovah Martin called “Winter is the Best Time for Scented Plants.” Here’s an excerpt: “In spring, there are violets, but who wants to crawl around sniffing flowers 2 inches…
Read MoreJanuary 29, 2021 Eight Steps to Create a Stunning Winter Garden, Olga Owens Huckins, Larry McGraw, How Often Should You Prune Your Willows, Botanicals: 100 Postcards, and a Winter Joy: Scented Houseplants
Today we celebrate a woman who helped change the way pesticides were used in the United States. We’ll also learn about the man who taught thousands of people how to prune and graft fruit trees and also founded the Home Orchard Society. We’ll hear about how to prune Willow (Salix) trees with one of my…
Read MoreTracks 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…
Read MoreWintersweet
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.…
Read MoreExpert Lee Reich Shares How to Identify Trees in Winter
Lee suggests using expert books that guide you through tree identification steps, such as Fruit Key & Twig Key to Trees and Shrubs by William Harlow or Winter Tree Finder by May Theilgaard and Tom Watts. Both of these books are excellent. January 6, 1996 On this day, The News and Observer out of Raleigh,…
Read MoreWinter in the Garden
by Edgar Albert Guest Gray skies above us, and the snow Blankets the frozen earth below. Where roses bloomed the drifts lie deep. The hollyhocks are fast asleep. The cedars green are wearing white Like rich men’s wives on opera night. The elm tree strangely seems to throw A lean, gaunt shadow on the snow.…
Read More