So Long, Snow.

4-29-11 VERMONT: Yesterday we had a warm rainy day, I got most of the bed barriers set up between showers, and before the rain got serious about soaking us. Today started cloudless and cool, but by mid-afternoon was overcast and rain, our daily dose, followed. Nevertheless, undaunted by adverse weather, I did most of the clean up. In spite of all the snow storms this past winter, there were surprisingly few large branches down, but plenty of small ones kept me busy. Judy put the rocking chairs out on the porch and terrace.

The warm rain has melted 80% of the snow piles.

New blooms: daffodil, wild ginger.


Red Maple. I've posted pix of this tree in the fall with its striking red foliage, here it is with red flowers, probably the same pigment.

Still Snowy.

4-27-11 VERMONT: When we left Short Hills this morning, the apple trees were starting to open, but here in Vermont, we’re a month behind NJ. We still have snow piles, ice mounds actually, under the eaves on the front and back of the house and a little in the driveway. This deep into April is the latest that I remember snow here in the last twenty years. These piles are compacted from falling off the roof and are really like little glaciers, and they will last into May.

As the piles recede from the beds, the perennials spring up, NPI, almost immediately. The standing and flowing water from all the melt and thaw is everywhere. Walking around the pasture means picking out dry foot holds and navigating around the puddles and swamplets.

The frogs are in full voice and the pond, completely thawed, is full of egg globules. I saw fish, newts and a spotted salamander half hidden under leaves in shallow water.

Oops, I almost forgot, we saw “Book of Mormon” last night—a riot! We had dinner at Chez Napoleon on 50th St—also recommended.

In bloom: snowdrops, crocus, hellebore.


Glaciers out front.

Glaciers in back.

Crocus.

Snowdrops are all over the beds.

Warm Days.

4-25-11 SHORT HILLS: The last two days have been warm, T-shirt warm, work up a sweat warm, finally. We did have more rain last night, this time with electricity, which had all the dogs upset. It delivered another 0.4 inches.

I was back at The Farm in Green Village for flowers today. I bought and planted in the new perennial bed, next to the big holly tree, eight hosta, four Hosta x Golden Tiara and four Hosta undulata Albo Marginata; two bleeding hearts, Dicentra spectabilis; and two lilyturf, Liriope muscari variegata. I used another load of compost from the town dump.

Vermont trip on Wednesday.

New blooms: dogwood, mertensia, kerria, dandelion.


Marsh Marigold. After the flower has finished, everything vanishes until next spring.



What's prettier than a magnolia?

TSE was right about April.

4-23-11 SHORT HILLS: We have had April being pretty nasty. Two days ago we had sun, strong, gusty wind and cool temps. Yesterday was cold, calm and cloudy. Today there’s been 0.75 inches of rain, without wind or electricity, with more on the radar horizon.

I finished the benches. I needed to cut the old bolts with a cordless saber saw to get the rotting old wood off the metal frames. The frames are in decent shape. I’ll need to paint them when they dry out after today’s rain.

Yesterday I went back to pruning shrubs around the house which meant a trip to the dump with a load of cuttings, and a chance to bring back more top soil to start a new flower bed.

New blooms: grape hyacinth.


Anthurium and Amaryllis from the Hotel Eden, Rome. The next day they replaced these with white ones.

Garden in Assisi, grapes, olives, fruit trees and, of course, lots of birds.

Spring Inches Forward.

4-20-11 SHORT HILLS: The last few days here have been cold, rainy and foggy, but we got only 0.1 inches of rain. Everything is still soggy and muddy. These cold, dark days seem to suspend spring’s progress. This afternoon it cleared and warmed up to the seventies, and you could almost see the leaves growing.

I started working on bench repair for a couple parties Judy [and I] are planning. Three old park-type benches that I rebuilt in the eighties have rotted away again. Today I ripped a 12 foot 2x12 plank into a couple dozen slats and ripped a pressure treated 2x4 into slats for the bases. It makes a lot of sawdust. Assembly tomorrow if I don’t have too much trouble getting the rusted bolts off.

At the feeder: the gold finches are quite golden now, first red-wing blackbirds heading north.

New blooms: violet, marsh marigold, saucer magnolia, flowering pear.

There’s not much to show here, so I’ll post some flowers from Italy.


Wisteria in Arezzo.

Flower market, Orvieto.

Flower market, Piazza Fiori, Rome.

Back in the U.S.A.

4-17-11 SHORT HILLS: The trip home was the usual long bus ride, but the landing in strong, gusting winds at EWR was a thud. We breezed through immigration and customs, even with an x-ray bag check. The dogs were most excited to see us and get home.

There was a lot of rain last night—the gauge had about 1.5 inches when we got home and 4 inches this morning, so we got about 2.5 inches as a welcome home shower. There are flood warnings for the usual low-lying towns.

I walked around the yard this morning with the canine escort. All the shrubs and trees are showing fat buds and first leaves except rose-of-sharon. More daffodils and forsythia are out. Hosta shoots are visible. The grass is greener, but there’s still plenty of mud. Inside tomato and herb seedlings are up.

New blooms: trout lily, claytonia, blood root.


Forsythia are indestructible. Prune them to the ground, drive a truck into them, they just grow back. They struggle in full shade. I like to see them take their natural shape, hay stack, rather than get trimmed into balls or other geometrical shapes.

Trout Lily, named, I suppose, because the leaf shape and stippling is suggestive of a trout or, perhaps, because they appear about the same time as fishing season. Anybody?

Roma II.

4-15-11 ROMA: Last night we ate at Piperno for the fried artichokes. It is near Isola Tiberina, an island in the Tiber. We walked back to Piazza Navona in light rain for dessert at Tre Scalini and then taxied back to the Eden.

Today started with a few raindrops, but dried up enough so we didn’t need the umbrellas we carried all day. We went west down to the Tiber and crossed on the Ponte Sant’Angelo and did the Castel Sant’Angelo, tomb of Hadrian and many popes, fortress and prison. Inside it’s dark and gloomy. We walked with the hordes of invaders through terraces, rooms with muralled walls and ceilings, past tombs and ended up on top for views of the river and city that more than made the trek worthwhile.

After re-assembling back outside we walked over to the Piazza San Pietro looked at the enormous, gigantic line and settled for piazza. Back across the river, we had lunch in a small taverna, went through the Piazza Campo dei Fiori market and back to the Foro Romano and the Colosseo and a quick peek inside and walk part way around the stadium, not so different from a modern arena.

We taxied back to Hotel Eden, and after a short break, walked up the Via Veneto and did a turn through the Borghese Gardens. After dinner tonight, we pack for NJ.


Roma. Castel Sant'Angelo, big crowds, great views.

From Castel Sant'Angelo, domes of Rome.

From Castel Sant'Angelo, Tiber River.

From Castel Sant'Angelo, rooftops of rome.

Piazza San Pietro.

Foro Romano.