Author Archives: cherie foster colburn

outside my window.

My roses enjoyed the rain we got this week. So did some bulbs I got from my friend and co-author on HEIRLOOM BULBS, Chris Wiesinger.  (Most people know Chris best as “The Bulb Hunter.”) Double Roman, a historic daffodil believed to be cultivated since the 1500’s in Europe, naturalize well in the Coastal South, too. They bloom early and have a divine fragrance.

Although not the fragrance, a divine bloom in MY book is the cherry blossom. My oldest daughter and her husband live in the D.C. area so we traveled up for the Cherry Blossom Festival a couple years ago. It was breathtaking! I tried to get the feel at my house with a dwarf Mexican cherry since ornamental cherry trees don’t get enough cold here to bloom properly, but there is no comparison. The blooms transform Arlington Cemetery into something ethereal. The most moving moment was seeing the change of the guard that time of year.

outside my window.

I looked out my window the other day and found a squirrel eating the lettuce I use for lunch every day. He didn’t want to share!  I’ve had to run him off several times so I’m considering giving him his own pot near the tree where I’ve seen his nest. At least he’s healthy!
Something Mr Squirrel hasn’t gotten into yet is my ‘Red Rhubarb’ swiss chard that I put olive oil and fresh ground pepper on for a snack.
Last year my friend Chris (who I authored HEIRLOOM BULBS FOR TODAY with) gave me a bulb that was featured in our book, a Leucojum – or white snowflake. It was like I received it anew when I noticed it had come back up the other day!

change of scenery.

One of the many perks with my job is the ability to work from anywhere with an internet connection. This week that perk took me west to spend a few days at my youngest daughter’s house in Abilene. She and her husband are new homeowners and in celebration of her 25th birthday we broke ground on a patio. The project will be a work in progress for a while, but we created the bones of the area and prepared a portion as a bed for new plants!