The rabbit named Twenty-Two stood at the gate, knowing her time was up. She had packed her bags with extra care, determined that her successor, Twenty-Three, would have as clean a slate as one could have with a garden. Reflecting, as usual, her thoughts turned to the weather. Of course, she'd come through with flying colors for Easter, perhaps the most important day in Carol's garden. She'd planted extra pansies and violas, so the garden was colorful. Everyone enjoyed seeing the kids … [Read more...] about Happy New Year, Twenty-Three
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May Dreams Gardens
Lost Ladies of Garden Writing: Mildred Luedy
In my stack of Christmas-y gardening books is a slim book, The Christmas Rose, written and published in 1948 by Arthur E. and Mildred V. Luedy. 'Tis the season for Mildred to be my latest lost lady of garden writing. In the foreward, Mildred and Arthur wrote, "The authors have set down herein some of their experiences in growing The Christmas Rose, Helleborus niger altifolius, over the past quarter century, in the hope that some who may not have known this most enchanting flower … [Read more...] about Lost Ladies of Garden Writing: Mildred Luedy
A Botanical Study, from 1908-09
I received an email from a cousin last spring letting me know he had a homework assignment of our grandmother's that he thought I might find interesting. He confirmed my address and sent it my way. What about this homework assignment would interest me? Everything about it! In 1908-1909, my grandmother completed a botanical study, starting with fungi and mosses and ending with seeds, stems, flowers, roots and more, with write ups of various botanical experiments she did along the … [Read more...] about A Botanical Study, from 1908-09
Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – December 2022
Welcome to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day for December 2022. Here in my USDA Hardiness Zone 6a garden in central Indiana we have yet to feel the full force of winter. Yesterday was mild enough for me to do a bit of garden clean up and today, Wednesday, it is rainy and dreary. But I went out anyway and found some blooms to share. First up is a picture of the cement rabbit that guards my back garden all day, every day, year round. I like the patina he's acquiring and it sort of counts as a … [Read more...] about Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – December 2022
Garden Fairies Grade Carol’s Fall Clean Up Efforts
Garden fairies here. We are garden fairies and once again we are called upon to post on this blog because, well, we are garden fairies and we cannot believe Carol has not posted anything in nearly three weeks. Honestly, what would Carol do without us garden fairies to come in and save the day, and this blog, over and over again. So here we are and we have decided that we will grade Carol's fall garden clean up efforts, or rather lack there of. At first we waited to begin grading … [Read more...] about Garden Fairies Grade Carol’s Fall Clean Up Efforts
Forcing Lily of the Valley Into Bloom Likes It’s 1897
Let's force some Lily of the Valley into bloom like it's 1897. That's the year Lizzie Page Hillhouse, one of the Lost Ladies of Garden Writing, wrote her book, House Plants and How to Succeed With Them. She included a chapter with instructions on how to force Lily of the Valley into bloom. She starts off with the botaical name, Convallaria majalis. Order Liliaceæ. Fortunately, the taxonimists have, so far, left the botanical name alone but they did decide to move it to another family. … [Read more...] about Forcing Lily of the Valley Into Bloom Likes It’s 1897
