Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold

Pockets of color

There has been a lot of speculation ever since Irene blew through that this wouldn’t be a good fall foliage year. Even in the days after the storm the horizon – particularly anything facing south … Read more.

Dirty work

I used to work in a windowless office so I completely understand when every other visitor tells me I have the best job in the world. I know. I totally do. But contrary to popular … Read more.

Bringing outside back inside

While the weather is still so mild and the nights still so warm, it feels decidedly premature to bring plants back into the greenhouse. I’d much rather keep enjoying all the color out in the … Read more.

The big dig

The North Garden Star Wall Project has officially begun! (The wall, 100 years old this month, will be restored this winter.) Yesterday Team Rockette dug and hauled hundreds of pounds of perennials out of the … Read more.

Days of fog and spiderwebs

If it wasn’t for the thick morning fog we might not know that the seasons are in an indecisive transition. And if we didn’t crash through strands of fog-lit spiderwebs with every step we wouldn’t … Read more.

Harvest hurrah

It’s a challenge to keep a vegetable garden productive and handsome into the fall. Cool nights set back and do in the hot season crops like cucumbers, beans and summer squash. Tomatoes are slowing down … Read more.

Rain check

September is one of my – and Gail’s – favorite months in the garden. But so far, this is no ordinary September. Irene aside, it’s raining again. I can’t remember the last time we weren’t … Read more.

Irene, goodnight

All in all, we were very lucky here. A few trees came down, a bunch of big limbs, and a million-gazillion twigs but nothing extra-precious was lost. There was no damage to any building or … Read more.

An eye on Irene

Along with everyone else along the Eastern Seaboard, we’re battening down the hatches and doing whatever we can to prepare for what looks to be a sizable storm. Some of us (that’s me) can’t help … Read more.

Finding relief from the heat

It’s been pretty hot here lately – unpleasant enough that we gave the volunteers the week off – but this morning, even at dawn, the sun had a particularly malevolent look in its eyes. The … Read more.