I Simply Remember These Favorite Things, and then I Can Smile All Day
Episode 8, April, 2023
A Plant:
Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’
Rudbeckias (yellow coneflower, brown-eyed Susan) are one of the finest plants for the perennial garden. ‘American Gold Rush’ is the Perennial Plant of the Year, meaning that people have had success everywhere. Plants are easy to grow, tolerate all sorts of bad weather and brighten up the landscape.
A Garden:
Montreal Botanical Garden
A visit to the beautiful and historic city of Montreal is not complete without a visit to their botanical gardens. It is a wonderful venue to simply walk and soak up nature, but it is also well known for its plant collections and themed gardens. One of my favorite venues is the Chinese garden.
In winter, 2023, the garden suffered major damage due to an ice storm, and renovations are being carried out.
Check the website before visiting: https://espacepourlavie.ca/en/about-jardin-botanique
A Book:
Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus
Fiction. I had heard a good deal of buzz about this book, so I wanted to try it out. The title was a little boring and I had little hope when I first started reading. However, I must say this is one of the best books I have read in some time. The “lessons” are timeless and I have not heard a bad word from anyone who has read it. Difficult to put down once started. So good, we recommended it for our book club.
A Show:
The Crown
My wife Susan loves anything to do with the British monarchy, and can actually tell you who married whom and when. My eyes generally glaze over with monarch murmurings, but she talked me into watching The Crown. It turned out to be rather good, and I found myself trying to figure out who the good guys were (turns out it was more difficult than I thought). Watch on Netflix.
A Place:
Bergen, Norway
Going to Scandinavia is always a treat, and every country can take up all your holiday time. Visiting Bergen in Norway takes a little planning, but there is so much to see in the city and in the surrounding countryside. Enjoying a coffee in any of the shops in town, then heading to the fjords or the Flam railway, is truly a treat.