Jason here. So Christmas has come and gone, and we had a good one. There were 6 of us. David and Meridith drove down (after Covid tests!) from Minnesota on Christmas Eve and stayed with us through the weekend. Danny and Beckee came up each day from their Chicago apartment. Not a big crowd, but …
gardeninacity
Notes from a wildlife-friendly cottage garden
The first of the Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are blooming! This is a heartening development, as they are the first flowers of the season in our garden. They mark not so much the beginning of spring as the end of winter.
After a couple of years of Polar Vortex, this winter has felt pretty mild. There’s been cold, but it’s rarely gotten much below 20 degrees (in my opinion, you don’t have real cold unless it gets below 20). And there’s been snow, but never more than a few inches at a time, and often not …
We had snow in Chicago this past weekend, followed by temperatures in the single digits. This puts me in mind of how rude it is for guests to arrive excessively early, as when January decides to show up in November.
It’s late autumn, and you know what that means: raking leaves, cutting back plants, and stuffing the resulting plant debris into giant brown paper bags. But does it have to mean that? In my case, for the most part, it does not.
A Near-Death Experience for Caladiums
Back in May I was congratulating myself for doing such a good job on growing 20 Caladiums from corms (which are like bulbs except that they’re different) on the back porch. You know how expensive it is to buy Caladiums in pots at the garden center? I forget exactly, but it’s expensive, especially if you …
Spring Miscellany: Tulips, Orioles, Lenten Roses, and Daffodils
This seems like a good time for a post devoted to miscellaneous development in the garden.
Tell the Truth Tuesday
Our friend Alison at Bonney Lassie came up with the brilliant idea of a blog meme which involves showing the unflattering aspects of our gardens. This is a healthy antidote to the steady diet of stories about perfect gardens, all gorgeously photographed, which I and many others greedily consume.
Slow Spring Movement
You’ve heard of the slow food movement, right? We seem to be living through a slow spring movement. Don’t be anxious for all those spring flowers, the weather is telling us. Be in the moment – savor the season day by day. Most years, the slow spring movement lasts only as long as there isn’t …
We Are Not Yet Frozen
Thanks to everyone who expressed concern for our well-being during Chicago’s recent spell of severe weather. We are fine. In fact, Judy had to spend this past week in Los Angeles for her job. She’ll be getting home late tonight.
