Monthly Archives: July 2010

Look What’s Blooming Now!

Posted on July 27, 2010 by writedesigner

There’s one part of my garden where people stop and ask, “What are you going to do here?” It’s a difficult corner near the pond edge under a cluster of cottonwood trees. I’ve tried grasses, daylilies, various things that have … Continue reading →

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In My Garden: What’s (Too) Hot and What’s Not?

Posted on July 21, 2010 by writedesigner

Why do they call these way-too-hot days the Dog Days? I’ve learned that it’s not because you want to lie around like a tired dog. According to Wikipedia, the moniker “Dog Days” (Latin: dies caniculares) comes from an ancient belief … Continue reading →

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A Perfect Place to Pot

Posted on July 20, 2010 by writedesigner

Toddlers have their Little Tykes kitchens. I have my potting counter, a grown-up place to play in the dirt. It was designed in 2001 as part of a carport – tool shed – potting place – greenhouse unit that stands … Continue reading →

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Butterfly Garden

Posted on July 19, 2010 by writedesigner

Oneonta, New York, in the northern foothills of the Catskills, is a baseball town. It’s the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and until this year home to the Oneonta Yankees. To my friend Renee Shamosh it’s the … Continue reading →

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Italian Landscapes and Gardens

Posted on July 12, 2010 by writedesigner

Italy is known for its formal gardens, from the Borghese Gardens in Rome to the Boboli Gardens behind the Pitti Palace in Florence. But as I re-learned over the past few weeks, the whole country is a garden, whether it’s … Continue reading →

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Five Days in Lévanto

Posted on July 12, 2010 by writedesigner

Julius and I had visited Lévanto, on the Italian Riviera south of Genoa, too briefly, about twelve years ago. I fondly remembered the town as an idyllic step back in time, a personification of the pre-WWII fantasy depicted in the … Continue reading →

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An Early-Morning Walk Through Town

Posted on July 12, 2010 by writedesigner

In Lévanto, I liked waking up early—before the onset of car, motorini, and tourist traffic—to take a walk and take pictures. The air is perfumed with herbs and flowers and with yeasty dough, chocolate, and coffee. People are sweeping the … Continue reading →

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My Geraniums

Posted on July 12, 2010 by writedesigner

I’ve been propagating fancy-leaved and variegated pelargoniums for more than ten years. Many of my plants are grown from cuttings that were given to me by my mother, Elizabeth Shapiro, a native of Vienna, Austria, who lived since 1947 in … Continue reading →

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