Author Archives: dirtynailz

The oaks at one of my favorite hiking spots look almost like they do in the dead of winter. This is the result of a catastrophic gypsy moth defoliation last year. If you look in the upper edges of the photo, you’ll … Continue reading →

I discovered species tulips decades ago but I hadn’t planted any recently until last fall. This one is T. Clusiana Cynthia. It opened yesterday and I am very pleased. Species tulips are the tough old tulips that grow wild in … Continue reading →

Last fall, I planted more than 600 bulbs at our new house.  This narcissus is one I’ve grown before and an all-time favorite. “Minnow” is only about eight inches tall, but it spreads readily. It’s a Tazetta type, with several flowers … Continue reading →

We were back in New York City recently, and as usual, I went crazy taking photos. Here is a short series I took of Manhattan, from Brooklyn. The first one was taken in the late afternoon. Dusk is a great … Continue reading →

Visitors to Rhode Island and residents alike flock to the shore to enjoy the beautiful beaches. I head inland to enjoy places like this. I can’t say where this photo was taken because this is private property and hiking here … Continue reading →

This plant, which looks for all the world like a succulent, is an orchid. Angraecum distichum is from Africa, and has tiny, white flowers. Orchids are among the most diverse plants on earth, and I enjoy growing the more unusual … Continue reading →

We begin on a positive note, with my first rock garden iris, “Katharine Hodgkin” blooming by our mailbox.  Also called “Orchid Iris, or “Dwarf Iris,” (it’s only a few inches tall) this is a cross of blue Iris histroides and yellow … Continue reading →

Despite the freakishly cold weather we had last weekend, and the ridiculous vacillations in temperature, the buds on my trees and shrubs seem to be taking it in stride. The Mountain Laurel, a prized, wild understory shrub here in Rhode Island, … Continue reading →

This tropical-looking flower belongs to one of my newest orchids, a cattleya I won in a raffle at a meeting of my orchid club. It was donated to the club by a member who was moving out west. He was an … Continue reading →

It was one of those afternoons when the sky and sea met in a particularly glorious way. The February light was razor-sharp and the sun was still pale, giving everything a silvery sheen. This is Sandy Neck beach in Barnstable, on … Continue reading →