Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold
Bud Break
While the April sun is full of strength and warms the earth as it rises, the garden is still very brisk on a cloudy morning in early stages of spring. The wind whistles through the … Read more.
An Open Letter to Spring
Dear Spring, We have all been anxiously awaiting your arrival. We have so enjoyed your short visits – but they have been pleasant teasers, not the same as a proper long stay. We have prepared … Read more.
A Shared Sense of Humor
In February, 1949 Marjorie Lyon wrote an amusing short essay on ‘Confusing Traffic Signs.’ She said: As a small schoolgirl, I was taught to read either from left to right or from top to bottom. … Read more.
Bulb Security
Spring is upon us. The temperatures have risen to sweatshirt-friendly and, slowly but surely, the life hidden within the earth begins to emerge. All the hard work the volunteers and garden crew put in last … Read more.
April Anticipation
I always get fuzzy about lions and lambs in March. Is it always one or the other? (In like a lion, out like a lamb. In like a lamb, out like a lion.) March represents … Read more.
March-ing into Spring
Spring reappears as if from the dead. The winter rest is ending. The first spring bulbs have now emerged and delight us with their long-awaited blooms. The bulbs we planted last October have risen from … Read more.
March Mudness
As basketball fans anticipate March Madness, gardeners anticipate the mud season as a final mental toughness test for the time between late winter and early spring. March’s muddiness can be just another hoop to jump … Read more.
Cut Of Life
As we continue to hunker down in the greenhouse through, dare I say it, what will hopefully be the last of the snow and ice, the future of glorious gardens is being determined. While the … Read more.
The Fine Details
It’s astonishing how much time passes as I examine and admire the fine details of tree twigs. In the winter, a bare tree is just a bare tree from a distance, but upon closer inspection, … Read more.
A New Portrait of Augustine
When visitors take the special tour of our extensive Archives and Collections department on the third floor, they invariably comment that we must know everything there is to know about the Pardee/Van Wickle family. But … Read more.