Newsletter

Fences and Hedges—Permeable Barriers The end of the year is rolling around and with it comes thoughts of gardening highs and lows of the past year. I love the way that Canon Ellacombe expresses his thoughts about the garden in December in the quote above. He was the vicar of a small parish …

Continue Reading about December 2023 Newsletter: Murmuring Winter Poetry

Hello Gardening Friends, The chilly winds of November are upon us. What better time to follow the advice of Helen Dillon, the expert gardener quoted above? I know that I will be thinking about this quote as I consider changes to be made here at Northview for next year. What does she mean …

Continue Reading about November 2023 Newsletter: Daydreaming of Romance

Greetings Gardening Friends, I was lucky to be brought up by a mother who was an English teacher and a father who was a botany professor. This has given me a perspective on the natural world that is based on scientific facts but at the same time appreciates the artistic. The quote above …

Continue Reading about October 2023 Newsletter: An Autumn of Poetry and Essays

Greetings Gardeners, I agree with Graham Stuart Thomas when he states that “September is a lovely month.” For me, it brings my birthday and maybe I can go on a fun outing—how about to a garden! When I was teaching full-time, September was back to school and the beginning of the academic …

Continue Reading about September 2023 Newsletter: Greeting the Fall Flowers

Enjoying August in the Garden What have you been enjoying in your garden this month? For me, it is a patch of cool shade near the driveway where we made an outdoor sitting area during Covid. The copper beech tree that shelters the area is one of the first large trees that we planted. Now …

Continue Reading about August 2023 Newsletter: Enjoying August

Collecting Colors How does your garden grow? Does it have too much yellow? Margery Fish, who is one of my gardening heroines, certainly was trying to protect her July garden against too much yellow. On the other hand, maybe you like yellow, and want more of it—like my husband, who thinks that …

Continue Reading about July 2023 Newsletter: Yammering About Yellow

Dear Gardening Friends, June is here. In some gardens this is the premier month of the gardening year, especially if you have a good rose display, or perennials paired with roses. It is certainly a great month to travel to see rose gardens. There are so many gorgeous ones to visit. See if you …

Continue Reading about June 2023 Newsletter: Roses of every name

Dear Gardening Friends, If you have been following my travels on Instagram or Facebook you will know that I have been busy recently. With trips to England, Holland, and California, I am trying to decide which time zone I like best. Along the way I have taken thousands of photos in preparation …

Continue Reading about May 2023 Newsletter: Merry Month of May

Dear Gardening Friends, Somehow, here we are in March. To state the obvious, we are marching through the year! Sorry about that pun. There are days when I wake up and I can’t help but feeling goofy. I find that the increasing daylength and warmer temperatures do make me feel happy and maybe a …

Continue Reading about March 2023 Newsletter: First signs of springs spotted!

Dear Gardening Friends, I have to admit that February is not my favorite month and luckily it is a short one. The cold weather and brief gardening days make it rather a trial and I am always glad when March rolls around. One bright spot in the garden is that I can obsess about my snowdrop …

Continue Reading about February 2023 Newsletter: Snowdrops and Bookshops