From 1977 to 1979 I rented a small apartment on the 2100 block of North Kimball Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. This neighborhood, Logan Square, was a mile or so south of Albany Park, an easy city walk from one of the greatest concentrations of ethnic Poles in the world. Only Warsaw has more Poles than the city of Chicago. Their language, manner and food are everywhere.Poles move around, and are… Continue reading

When I discovered that Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ had been thriving for the last 5 years in my garden, but had been listed by Burpee and other nurseries nationwide as either an “annual” or a perennial hardy only in zones 7 to 11, I was really surprised. I remember seeing it listed as a zone 9-11. Although Fordhook Farm is a solid zone 6, ‘Black and Blue’ is a… Continue reading

It’s not a coincidence that people between the ages of 40 and 70 years comprise 90% of gardeners. Gardening takes—and gives—time. Time spent, invested, and enjoyed. Like a house, a garden is meant to be inhabited. Hours savored, not minutes; weeks satisfied, not days; years fulfilled, not months. To garden is to live. The origin of the word, “season”, is “the time to sow seeds”, from which the meaning led… Continue reading

Speech to Garden Writers Convention, March 6, 2006 Good Morning. It is a pleasure and privilege to speak to you. Mr. Evison will be a hard act to follow. I especially appreciated, sir, the idea of pruning a plant while upside down. Never heard that one. It is a great image to take away from this lecture. So I hope I can be as imaginative as he. I am going… Continue reading

Rex Murfitt Creating And Planting Alpine Gardens — Fantastic, workable introduction to alpines, with adjustments for the unique challenges facing US growing conditions. Murfitt also co-wrote the excellent Creating And Planting Garden Troughs.

Roger Swain The Practical Gardener — Best overall gardening primer. Groundwork: A Gardener’s Ecology — Beautifully written. Earthly Pleasures — Collection, mostly, of his excellent magazine columns. Field Days — Ditto, never too much… Continue reading

· 2000 - Burpee purchases Heronswood for over $4.5MM. Although struggling financially, Heronswood possesses a prestigious name, loyal customer base and excellent plant collection. Most of the sales are from the mail order catalogue, the rest from appointment-only and special event sales on the premises.

· 2000 - Burpee buys a neighboring property, doubling the nursery’s size, and adds nearly $1MM to its investments in Heronswood.

· 2000 - Burpee signs full-time… Continue reading