Welcome to the Tropics of Connecticut

Welcome to the Tropics of Connecticut

June 26, 2019

Have you noticed? It’s hotter and wetter in warm weather, and less cold in winter. Still, every gardener welcomes rain as an alternative to being eaten by mosquitoes when you’re trying to water thirsty plants. And it’s wonderful to look out at the lush greens, especially as the lilies haven’t quite burst into bloom yet. It’s an almost-water feature! I adore my new water hyacinths that live in a small metal pot embedded in one of the flower beds. And you don’t have to water. What a concept. Water plants are new to me and I find the leaves with
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Cold Weather is Here to Stay in Connecticut.

Cold Weather is Here to Stay in Connecticut.

November 27, 2018

Motoring through Thanksgiving signals the start of holiday preparation in earnest. And a time to spend more time reviewing photography for new new scarf designs. If you’ve been watching the emerging designs, you know I’m addicted to all shades of pink. With the holidays, I made a concerted effort to add the traditional reds and greens. Related Images:
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The Desert Delivers

The Desert Delivers

November 3, 2018

Each year, my husband travels to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas to prospect research clients. Every so often, Larry, (and incredibly low airfares) seduce me into hitting the road with him. There was a cold rain falling as we lifted off from Bradley Airport in Hartford and I was grateful for the promise of warm desert weather. Related Images:
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Good Stuff’s Tough To Do

Good Stuff’s Tough To Do

October 9, 2018

Barry Diller, is the money behind the new Hudson River green space at Pier 55. Five years of planning and design was halted by a court order in March, 2017. However, Barry was never one to back down from a fight. Good results come from the right balance between hard work and strategy. Like gardening. Related Images:
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Bringing Plants Inside

Bringing Plants Inside

September 18, 2018

‘Tis the season for migrating tender houseplants from their Summer perches back into the house. One of my favorite houseplants is a member of the Echeveria family. Like most succulents, it treasures a sunny spot outside in the garden. Outside, I pick a reasonably similar sunny spot and try to water it a little more than its neighbors who root under ground. The cacti love it outside too! Related Images:
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Let’s Hear it For a Survivor!

Let’s Hear it For a Survivor!

August 21, 2018

When a cactus gives up its first flower, you dress up the occasion. Paola Prints new Creamsicle scarf seemed just the ticket. The cactus survivor is an Eastern prickly pear Indian fig. The red center suggests a variety called “Devil’s Tongue”-native to some parts of eastern North America. Like Connecticut. Related Images:
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Now’s the Time to Enjoy Gardens and Parks

Now’s the Time to Enjoy Gardens and Parks

August 19, 2018

The garden exudes a sort of quiet fullness this time of year. In color, light and foliage quality. At the same time, there’s always a bittersweet nostalgia when faced with the end of summer. Nature is about to finish what it started last Spring. Then back to school. Autumn clean up. Why not take a road trip, visit a park you haven’t seen before? Related Images:
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Eleanor and the Promise of Warm Weather in the Garden

Eleanor and the Promise of Warm Weather in the Garden

April 17, 2018

Eleanor is a small terracotta planter we bought at Campo de’ Fiori in Sheffield MA. The pot was modeled after a friend of shop owner Robin, who grew up in Rome. The store takes its name from a small piazza where his mother used to buy flowers and vegetables. My Eleanor is outside in the garden on the stone wall- waiting for warmer weather so we can decide what kind of plant hairdo she’ll wear. However. April is the cruelest month. Are your buds covered with ice again? Related Images:
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

March 17, 2018

I was thinking about St. Patrick’s Day and the poem “Sea Fever” popped into my head: “I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky; and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.” John Masefield was actually an English poet, born in 1878, attended King’s School and later trained as a merchant seaman. He deserted his ship in New York and worked in a carpet factory, returning home to write poetry about the sea. He was appointed British poet laureate in 1930. Related Images:
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