Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold

Lessons from a Hot, Dry Summer

With autumn finally here, I am taking a moment to reflect on the summer that was. It was, by far, the hottest and driest summer I’ve experienced at Blithewold. If you were lucky enough to … Read more.

Hopes and Dreams, Heat and Humidity

When rising temperatures and humidity levels make me question my decision to work outside for a living, the gardens we create here at Blithewold remind me that I made the right choice. Anyone who gardens … Read more.

October Opportunities

It is a magical time in the gardens now, with the weather turning cooler and flowering annuals – cup-and-saucer vine (Cobaea scandens), black-eyed susan vine (Thunbergia alata ‘Yellow’) and white cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) – … Read more.

Summer Heat

Phew! It’s been a hot couple of weeks. The plants and the people have been doing their best to stay comfortable in the humidity. Often the heat spells the end to some of our favorite … Read more.

Exuberant April!

Daffodils are here and they were worth the (long!) wait. The grand view through the Bosquet is really stunning right now. In this big beautiful sea of daffodils there are numerous varieties. Over the past … Read more.

Hope!

Considering the weather we have endured the past two weeks, I would say my previous post was overconfident. Spring was not here yet. I was feeling hopeful and buoyed by the sunshine. It was naive … Read more.

Showers and flowers

April showers (and May showers and June showers) bring lots of flowers!  Yes, I know it’s been a chilly spring full of rainy days and nights, but all the rain is a blessing to our … Read more.

From planning to planting

I am so ready to see the sun!  After the drought last summer, I didn’t think I’d ever grow tired of rain again, but here I am.  It’s not so much that I don’t want … Read more.

Seeds!

Winter is time for seeds (yes, it’s still winter, although recent temperatures seem to tell a different story).  We look over catalogs, order, and eventually sow these beautiful tiny cases full of life.  Watching the … Read more.

A little bit of everything

From T-shirts to winter coats – was it really just last week that we had temperatures into the 80s?  This week has been quite the change.  I had to pull out my winter work gear … Read more.