Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane. Of the many types of gardeners a person can be, I am a devoted floralist. I’m unmoved to plant my own vegetables. I eschew shrubs. I only want the flowers. Give me…
Walking into Dotty and Berry Woodson’s greenhouse is like walking into heaven, but thankfully you don’t have to perish to get there. You do need to make an appointment or be lucky enough to receive an invitation, as I did last week. Could there be anything more fun than spending time with Dotty and her…
Eight years ago, I planted a small orchard, a mix of heirloom and so-called improved modern apple cultivars. Six trees total. I’ve taken good care of our trees—or so I thought. I watered the first two years, pruned limbs each winter to improve production, but did not spray. I had apple cider in mind. Two…
I sometimes go catatonic while standing over an appealing plant I haven’t seen before. Looking like Mr. Pitiful, shoulders slumped, my eyes are fixed on the prize in front of me. I am silently pleading mercy. Gardeners will often rescue me if they’ve got enough time and plants to spare, especially if there is…
Well, guess who came to visit? Yep, it’s Marianne. Thinking about making trouble. We had lunch, a good gossip, and then a quick garden tour. And we went to see my latest brilliant idea: What’s the point of wonky posts, I hear you ask? Hm, well, – I have begun to think about how dodgy…
I’d planned a leisurely morning. A bit of gentle pottering around in my own garden, then out later to deal with something at a garden I look after. My phone buzzed: fellow Ranter Marianne was in my area, should we meet up? Wildside We visited Wildside, a small but interesting garden near the romantically named…
LIME TREE MARIA IS THE WINNER! Thanks for playing. As I noted, I will be compiling many of these wonderful comments/tree stories into a tree post. Longtime Rant readers know the name of Amy Stewart as one of this blog’s original founders. But I have to assume many reading this know Stewart even better for…
A year ago, my daughter and I drove to Vancouver and made the rounds. Molly lives in Bellingham, Washington, near the Canadian border. The first stop was the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden for a walk around; the second stop was Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside for my introduction to the healing powers of auricular…
Summer self-loathing was triggered weeks ago by kinked hoses and endless swearing. The heat and drought were beating me down. Crabgrass and broadleaf plantains couldn’t care less. Ariel, in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, was right. “Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” It’s not unusual to feel a garden’s burden by mid-late Summer in…
What else did I like in the Pacific Northwest other than hydrangeas? Not sure anyone here has been holding their breath about it. Let’s be honest: Nobody wants to hear other people’s travel stories. Next thing you know, I might be inviting you to my slide presentation. And really great trips are the ones people…
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