Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold
Where are all the butterflies?
The airspace over and through the gardens should be all aflutter right now. The garden is alive to be sure — it buzzes and hums; it zings and whooshes and pips (we still have hummingbirds), … Read more.
Kaleidoscope
I am always reluctant to say goodbye to summer but this morning, as I type with cold hands for the first time in months, I have to acknowledge a shift. The capricious weather has been … Read more.
How to slow summer down
I wish I knew that trick because once again summer seems to be flying by — despite long days in May and June spent planting; despite what felt like an interminable heatwave in July. But … Read more.
Slow gardening
This week has to have been the prettiest week of the summer so far. The sky is clear as a bell, a slightly lower humidity level has made it easier for internal thermostats to function … Read more.
Missed stakes
By now we have a pretty good idea of what plants in the garden are going to fall over by mid-summer and we usually plan way ahead to prevent floppage. We have whole sets of … Read more.
How we beat the heat
We didn’t. We just rolled with the sun’s punches, sweated buckets, and are still recovering. But even though we lost the fight in some respects — we lost a week with the volunteers, lost appetites … Read more.
4th of July sparklers
I can’t let Independence Day go by without shooting off some of Blithewold’s prettiest sparklers. (As always, click on pictures for a larger view and captions or just mouse over for captions.) Have a happy … Read more.
Outrageously ornamental onions
Even though the foxgloves have been outstanding in the Rose Garden and the roses and delphinium have begun to show off, I am still being distracted by allium. But then class clowns are usually pretty … Read more.
June is galore-ious
I know I say this every year – and then say it again every week for the rest of the season – but the gardens are prettier than ever. I’m not sure if it’s just … Read more.