Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold

Goodnight gardens

After some festive weeks spent preparing for our Christmas display and this week’s wreath workshops, it was pure pleasure to be out in the gardens again. Despite the chill that crept into fingers and toes. Earlier … Read more.

Greenhouse thanksgiving

No doubt about it, I have a lot to be thankful for. It might seem trivial compared to how grateful I am for things like my health and the amazing friends I’ve made here at … Read more.

Maple candy

One day last week it seemed as if the switch that turns on the Japanese maples was flipped. We all noticed it. And I think we all tried to burn their color on our retinas … Read more.

Day of the dormant

This has maybe been the prettiest fall week ever and we have spent it celebrating the gardens’ downward spiral into dormancy — as well as its eventual rebirth. You know we have a schedule to keep before allowing … Read more.

Moving into fall

It was chilly this morning. No frost yet (perish the thought — our average first frost date falls in early November) but night temperatures in the forties are definitely giving us a taste of what’s … Read more.

In transition

Change is in the air. Gail is always the first to point out how the light has shifted — it is well into its golden slide to the south now. So pretty. And although this … Read more.

So glad about summer bulbs

If this had been a “normal” summer (is there any such thing?) by now we would probably be feeling beat by the heat. The gardens might have started to look sun scorched, faded, and dusty … Read more.

August already?

Why is it that winter tends to drag on but summer goes by in a flash? Not that it’s anywhere near “gone by” but I can’t believe it’s August already. Ever since somewhere around this … Read more.

On formality and fine tuning

Mother Nature dumped almost three more inches of rain on Blithewold this week and the gardens responded by growing with an exuberance bordering on, and even crossing over the line to loose, lush informality. I … Read more.

Finishing touches (and new beginnings)

No garden is ever “done” — perish the thought! — but during planting week/month/season we all race to beat the heat. In the last couple of weeks here at Blithewold we closed in on that … Read more.