Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold

Where Summer Begins in the Garden

This week truly feels like summer. Humidity is on the rise, temperatures are reliably 80+ degrees every day with night temperatures in the 60s. The gardens have shed their gentle spring blooms for summer’s ebullient … Read more.

Poised to Bloom

I tend to think of spring as soft and sweet. But this spring has started off with a chip on its shoulder. After a few days of teasing warmer weather, the chill of cold air … Read more.

March Beauty

March is when the spirit needs a deep breath of peace. The winter is long, cold, and bitter. It teases with sunny days and punishes with freezing rain. Every glimpse of warmth and hope is … Read more.

Coming Up Roses

June is the perfect month. The temperatures this year have been steady in the 70s with sunshine and a light breeze. We have had several inches of rain this week, but the gardens only look … Read more.

March Mudness

As basketball fans anticipate March Madness, gardeners anticipate the mud season as a final mental toughness test for the time between late winter and early spring. March’s muddiness can be just another hoop to jump … Read more.

Sweet Surprises

The day before the start of March, February has hit us with another round of snow. It is light, white, and fluffy. As much as I dislike the chill of winter, it’s hard to be … Read more.

Holiday Hothouse

It’s that time of year for many happy celebrations. I love the lights and the general sense of love and joy that is present during the holidays. I also love our greenhouses. They are so … Read more.

Flowers, Berries, Seeds, oh my!

Sometimes I let November get me down. It’s cold. It’s dark. The wind makes my ears hurt. All the glorious colors of the growing season have gone by–or have they? All it takes is a walk … Read more.

The Wait

When October turns the corner towards Halloween, I feel The Wait begin. Frost is on the horizon. Some parts of Rhode Island have had frost in the last week. Blithewold is in one of the … Read more.

An end, a beginning

What a strange and fitting ending to the season this week has been. We return from a holiday to heat and humidity, which then turns sharply into a storm (the outskirts of Hurricane Michael) and … Read more.