Down On The Farm

After World War I, a popular song posed the following question about returning servicemen:

"How ya gonna keep'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree?"

We were blessed to miss that war by a good bit, but we've seen Paris once or twice, plus the inside of a New York investment bank, and decided more than 30 years ago that life down on the farm would suit us just fine. When catalog paper and postage were cheap, we occasionally presumed on our customers' patience with anecdotes from the daily life at the nursery and a few folks were kind enough to say they enjoyed reading them, as we did writing them.

The miracle of the Internet offers a chance to begin this practice anew, and we still find much that is fresh and delightful in our work and life here. Of course, this electronic newsletter has the great benefit of being free, which cynics will aver offers a fair indication of its value. That decision is yours.

We look forward to chatting with you and will try to be responsive to substantive correspondence. No promises.

Sincerely,
Amos Pettingill

2008

Click below to view previous newsletters but please be aware that we may have disconnected the links for some of these.

January - Like the Old Days....As this is written, at dawn with just a touch of color in the winter sky, the temperature is near zero in Litchfield. We have about a foot of snow, settled from about 18 inches,....
February - Serial Springs....When our son was small and an early riser, we discovered by chance that, after the winter solstice, the northward progress of the sun cast a first beam of light on our kitchen wall....
March - A Real Winter So Far....We've had a real winter so far; plenty of snow, consistent cold with few meaningful thaws, and no major ice storms. All this means less damage in gardens,....
April - Container Time....April is when we sit down with a note pad and plan the contents of the dozens of containers on display at the nursery each season. It's an enormously agreeable task, made....
May - There's Still Time....Spring is well and truly launched at this point, and we are both able and willing to meet your needs for plants, tools, and supplies at a speed that will amaze you. Long practice has, in our case,....
June - America's Finest Daffodil Mixture ....Our premium Daffodil mixture for naturalizing is called "The Works" because it offers 100 bulbs selected from at least 30 varieties of the very best modern Daffodils, no more than 5 of each. These strains have been blended to....
July - Summer is Lily Time....As the glorious June flush passes and the steady heat of true summer settles in, gardens can look a little tired. The perfect antidote for this horticultural version of postprandial lethargy can be found within our offering of Daylilies and Lilies.....
August - When Fall Begins....These words are being written on a hot, still August day, the kind of day when we prefer to do our gardening at dawn. At this very moment, we're fresh from a swim in our back pond.....
September - It's Bulb Time...Yes, we grudgingly acknowledge that certain non-gardening issues may occasionally compete for your attention. Perhaps a few of you felt obliged to monitor the....
October - To Feel Better, Start Holiday Gifting Now...Yes, our 401(K) has taken a beating too, and we're likely a LOT closer to retirement (synonymous with interment in our case) than you are. But it's probably...
November - It's Time to Catch a Breath....Uncertainty doesn't bring out the best in most people, but it does draw us together. Our own extended family is currently spread out across....
December - Our Thanks and Wishes for the New Year...We've all been a little banged up this year, one way or the other, an experience that provokes the very un-American process of reflection. Whether....

2007

January - Our Common Garden....We began thinking about this newsletter in early January, while peering out the window at green grass and a soft, 52-degree rain. This is the beginning of...
February - The Back Garden....In our line of work, there has long been tension between our interest in the best new plant varieties, our loyalty to the tried-and-true names that have pleased you and us for decades,....
March - Spring Starts Now....Despite a brutally cold first week of March at the farm, the birds are now calling at dawn, the clock has changed, and the cheerful business of spring is....
April - We've Got Tomatoes....No one in his or her right mind eats store-bought Tomatoes if there's an alternative. Even locally grown versions, purchased in season, have been picked a little green,....
May - A Compressed Spring....We whined bitterly as April delivered one cold, wet, dreary day after another, stalling the arrival of spring and almost dissipating the exhilaration we normally....
June - Gardening With Schumpeter
July - The Works - How and Why It Works
August - Evolving Relationship
September - Our Trials of Spring-Flowering Bulbs
October- Fall is for Planning
November - Coming Indoors
December - Reflections on Another Year

2006

June - The first of our monthly newsletters.
July - Summertime
August - Summer Reading
September - Bulbs have many virtures.
October - It's not too late to plant.
November - A Gardening Year Ends, and Another Begins.
December - There's still time to send your gifts. An early preview of our spring catalogue!

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