Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold
A Sad Day in Hazleton, February 1923
The Pardee Mansion, built by Ario Pardee in 1859, was once the showpiece of Hazleton, Pennsylvania. It was home to Ario and Anna Maria Pardee and their 12 children including Bessie Pardee who was born … Read more.
New Trials
It is starting to feel like spring and I couldn’t be more excited about it! Each fall, when we put the gardens to bed and I feel a bit worn out by the long … Read more.
Gettysburg, July 1863
Our collection of 500 letters from the Civil War has one glaring omission. Ario Pardee Jr.’s letters from Gettysburg are missing, and prolonged efforts to locate them (both nationally through Civil War collection experts and … Read more.
Reflections
Last week, when February felt like May, it was difficult to keep a lid on all the spring ideas that were spinning around my head. Thankfully, the warmth last week was only a brief respite and … Read more.
A Letter from Ario Pardee to His Two Young Sons at Boarding School, March 1851
A Letter of Guidance When Ario Pardee married his second wife, Anna Maria Robison in 1848, his domestic life became painfully stressful. His two sons from his first wife, Ario Jr. and Calvin, resented their … Read more.
Blithewold Birds: The Familiar Faces of Year-round Residents
Blithewold’s grounds are known for its spectacular plant specimens of many different shapes, colors, and varieties. Predictably, as flora and fauna often come hand and hand, Blithewold is home to hundreds of birds during all … Read more.
The Pardees
The name Pardee is derived from the French oath par Dieu which was Anglicised to Parde, Pardy, Pardie, and ultimately to Pardieu and Pardee. Around 1530 these families were living in the Normandy region of … Read more.
Cranborne Manor, Dorset, England
Blithewold Mansion was built in 1907 on the site of an earlier house which burned in the summer of 1906. The new house was designed in an English Country Manor style. It has often been … Read more.
Scratch N’ Sniff
With Autumn just around the bend, there will be many beautiful sights and sounds. The rainbow color change of the leaves. The crunch of fallen foliage under one’s foot. But right now, I’m leaning into this … Read more.
The light is changing, but the heat isn’t
Hello again gardeners and garden admirers! It’s Betsy here. Just wanted to reintroduce myself and say that it’s a pleasure to be updating you on the state of the gardens. Labor day has … Read more.