Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold
Along the Garden Path
In Good Company It’s rewarding to create a garden with plants that keep good company with each other. Just like a good friendship, combinations of plants should work well together: harmonizing in colors, sharing space … Read more.
The First Pardee Family Reunion
Bessie Pardee Van Wickle McKee was the twelfth of Ario Pardee’s 15 children. She was raised in a large mansion in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, as a strict Presbyterian with strong family values. The Pardee children remained … Read more.
Along the Garden Path
Heat Lovers and Container Plants It is official, August 2018 was the hottest August on record. As I walk along viewing the gardens I’m impressed that there are plants that appreciate the high heat and … Read more.
Unstoppable Summer Blooms
It’s been yet another hot week here in Rhode Island! I tend to prefer the heat to the cold but this is really testing my limits. Luckily, the flowers don’t seem to mind (although they … Read more.
Along the Garden Path
Murmurations and Other Hints of Late Summer This last week of August is still very much summer, but there are hints of the seasonal shift. There are the obvious changes in the light noticeable in … Read more.
Seeds of Inspiration
This week I have the pleasure to introduce to you Julia Callahan, our summer intern. This is her last week here at Blithewold and she has been wonderful to work with all summer. My name … Read more.
The Bug Days of Summer
I often think of August as vacation month. The traffic on the roads slows down, friends and family spend time at the beach, and school-age children relish the end of their free days. In the … Read more.
Along the Garden Path
A Feast for Bees and a Seaside View This week I could not help but notice the prolific blooms on the Japanese Pagoda tree (Styphnolobium japonicum) framing the Rose Garden moongate. It’s an impressive display: … Read more.
Color Theory Part II – North Garden
Last week I wrote about color theory and our color choices for the Rose Garden. Today I want to highlight the more formal North Garden, which is looking prettier every day! There is a long … Read more.
Along the Garden Path
August Blooms, Meadow Sounds and Breezes by the Bay Why would you walk along our garden paths in this August’s heat? Because the gardens are so full of blooms that now’s the time to check … Read more.