Tuesday, December 16, 2008

from icicles to shirt sleeves


Mid-December and I'm working in my t-shirt! Not that I'm complaining but it feels a little weird.

I dropped the ball this year and scheduled too many speaking engagements in November. I should have reserved that time for putting my clients' gardens to bed but instead I was off on a whirlwind tour of upstate NY, NJ, and Long Island. I especially enjoyed this flurry of activity because I gave two of my less-requested (don't ask me why) lectures: Gardens of the Gods (plants in Greek mythology and literature) and Medincinal Native Plants.

It was great fun, but I was caught short when it came time to close down the gardens and I ended up having to rush and not doing as wonderful a job as I should have done. It pains me to admit that. Really it does.

Yesterday I saw a window of opportunity to make things right and I jumped on it. The day was sunny, temperatures were in the mid 60s, and I headed for the plant market where I picked up pepper berry, incense cedar, and some ponderosa pine cones. Then I jumped on the subway to the Upper West Side where I gave a winter makeover to some very bare window boxes.

Next I dashed over to the East Side and spruced up a curbside garden with some white pine and winterberry.

It was a long day, but when I woke up this morning to temps in the 30s and snowflakes so big they looked like cartoons, I knew I'd done the right thing. At last.

5 Comments:

At December 16, 2008 at 9:19 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

We were in the mid-60s yesterday with light rain in Central PA. It was great to wander the yard doing some planning in shorts and t-shirts. It just didn't last long enough! I woke up this morning to frost on the car window and forecasts of ice and snow. I write this with an inch on the ground waiting to hear of school closings and delays.

Whether I like it or not, winter is upon us and I will have a few months before I can dig the earth again.

 
At December 16, 2008 at 9:55 PM , Blogger Ellen Zachos said...

Hi Scott, where are you in central PA? We're in the NE corner of the state, where PA, NJ, and NY come together. I was hoping for one more weekend without snow so I could finish putting my own garden to bed but it looks like I"m out of luck!

 
At December 17, 2008 at 8:54 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

The boughs and berries look great. Alas, because of my knee injury my clients are either doing without or found someone else to do it.

Heading for SF early tomorrow morning. SO ready to get outta dodge...

 
At December 23, 2008 at 12:55 AM , Blogger molly said...

good for you! they look amazing!

 
At June 20, 2016 at 4:49 PM , Anonymous Lyn said...

It was a busy time for you- worth it though.

 

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home