I know what you’re thinking: I’m showing you a tree in all of its autumn splendor. Actually, this is what a flamingo Chinese cedar (Toona sinensis ‘Flamingo’) looks like now, with its fresh spring leaves. When I saw it (at the University of CA, Davis, Arboretum last week) it made me realize that coral is my probably[...]
Just call me a relic. That’s right — rub it in — I’m obsolete. And guess what. Some of my best friends are equally archaic. And here comes the confession — my garden is a total museum. If something is old (the older, the better), I automatically yearn to grow it. It’s not hip, it’s[...]
Today is one of the holiest and busiest day’s in Jerusalem. Christian Pilgrims from around the world converge on the Christian section of the Old City to stop at the 14 stations of the cross and to follow the Via Dolorosa. The route ends at the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulcher, believed to be[...]
Daffodils at Acorn Bank garden, Cumbria, UK, mostly wild Narcissus pseudonarcissus crossed with some old varieties genetically close to the original wild species. Photo:NK. Daffodils are somehow the quintessential spring flower. The appearance of their distinctive yellow flowers is a sure sign that winter has either ended or is about to soon. Unlike the tulip,[...]
For someone who loves flowers as much as I do, going to the California Spring Trials can be a surreal experience. It is a trip into the high tech world of germplasm, growth hormones, growth inhibitors, and secret breeding techniques for incredible flowers – that are decidedly not wild. One of the reasons I blog[...]