The local chapter of the Orchid Society had their annual show yesterday so I grabbed my camera and took some time to practice my photography and ogle the pretty flowers. The orchids did not disappoint. The breadth and depth of variety among orchids is […]
All posts filed under: flowers

Oh Happy Day
Erin Benzakein’s book, Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden has just been released and it is glorious in every way. Happy day indeed. If you are a flower farmer, or an enthusiastic amateur that wants to squeeze as many flowers as possible into your garden […]

Eating My Words
I always said, firmly, that I was not going to ‘get into’ orchids because, even from a distance I could see the dangerous rabbit hole that would lead to an orchid addiction. Well, I slipped. I held out for a long time but in […]

Signs of Spring
After the relatively mild winter we just went through, I thought we might be in for an early, warm (and quick to finish) spring, but so far, spring has proceeded as usual with whiplash weather (yesterday alternated between sunny skies and pelting sleet and back […]

Paris Walkabout: Marais and Montparnasse
After visiting the Picasso Museum I spent some time walking and exploring. It is, after all, the best way to experience Paris. The Marais district is known as the Jewish quarter and, for the most part, escaped the urban renewal of the 1860s that brought […]

Flower Markets of Paris
One of the delights of Paris are the many flower markets throughout the city. There seems to be one on nearly every corner, which, in my opinion, is how it should be. Here are some examples.

Flower Gallery: Clematis
When the clematis begin blooming here it means that spring is slipping away and summer is on the doorstep. Most everyone is familiar with the large flowered clematis, like the nearly ubiquitous rich purple “jackmanii” (which should be in everyone’s garden because it’s amazing). These […]

Flower Gallery: Peonies
It’s been a great year for the peonies – they’ve been blooming beautifully for nearly a month. They’re just about done now though, so it’s time to bid them a fond farewell until next year.

Flower Gallery: Daffodils
Daffodil season is at it’s height right now, an all-too-brief period of happiness in flower form. It’s awful hard not to smile when the daffodils are blooming again after a long, cold, grey winter. Most of these daffodils are from the perennial beds; those in […]

Happy Spring!
It’s still a bit chilly (it is still March after all), but the snow is gone and the birds are singing and there are definite signs of life again in the garden. This might not look like much at the moment, but in about two […]

The Poor Man’s Rose
I’m a strong believer in the importance of having live greenery and flowers in the house – nothing else adds charm, character, beauty and color to a home quite so easily. With the wide range of bulbs, perennials and annuals that I grow in my […]