THE LITTLE SEDGE UNDER THE OLD OAK
About where inspiration comes from Dear Reader, Beneath Grimsby’s last remaining old growth oaks, near the fairytale Grimsby beach homes, grows a partly shaded garden. Its steel blue and burgundy foliage, highlighted by white margins, display annually on a carpet of black mulch. But as enchanting as are the globe blue spruces, Japanese maples and […]
THE LONG AWAITED RETURN OF YELLOW WILLOWS
About seasonality, manual sod cutters and tea. Dear Reader, There is such a thing as the perfect day for cutting sod. I finally got a sod cutter the Saturday before last. A manual one – looks like an 1300’s plough with V-shaped handles, but instead of a share there’s a horizontal 12” blade attached to […]
THE EXERCISE PARADOX
About preventing gardening injuries, sod removal and a late March ice storm Dear Reader, Last week’s weather was, as to be expected for late March, a mix of things. Light flurries, followed by a hot bright sun, then a cold wet wind brought rain which stayed through the week’s end. North of Grimsby, it was […]
Designing for Designers
About designing a garden for an interior designer and an architect. A few years ago, I was invited to design a small front garden for the home of an interior designer and an architect. They brought to the table an aesthetic opinion on the garden space and language to communicate it (their drawings were immensely […]
The Four Seasons
How I became a gardener Summer Sundays are introspective. I spent the last one sitting in our garden, eyes half closed, half open, watching the halo of pollinators crowning the towering, flowering Joe Pye weed. I’m attempting to master the difficult art of sitting still. I’ve already vacated my lawn chair to get a little […]