Design

There are two difficulties with ground covers: first to get them to grow, and then to get them not to.

Here is a landscape pronouncement of possibly dubious value: Any ilex ought to be planted in front of or below windows for winter beauty, simply because you stare out of windows so much during that season.

Roses are at their best trailing down in graceful trusses. In fact, they are like supermodels--the goods just look better displayed on tall, thin, limbs.

In a lot of ways, I'm just hitting my stride, just a little more tired while striding.

That is the beauty of reading seed catalogues while the next snowstorm approaches. We seed in an imaginary spring, weed in an imaginary summer, harvest in an imaginary fall.

Looking back on what I have just written, I see I said sow a vast patch. I am sure this is good and sound advice. Always exaggerate rather than stint. Masses are more effective than mingies.

Working the soil brings me back to my own nature, as I now understand that tending a garden is the same as taking care of myself.

Dreams, not desperation, drive people forward to plant gardens.

Sleet, incidentally, is the worst five-letter four-letter word I know.

It is a great joy the day we discover that we can learn things without having to make the mistake ourselves.

Sometimes survival in compost piles has a way of glorifying a plant you thought you hated.

Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get.

But gardeners do not dwell too long on catastrophe. Failure is an accepted part of daily life and we value our successes the more.