I Simply Remember These Favorite Things with Dr. A ~ October 2025
“I am so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
Lucy Maud Montgomery, Ann of Green Gables
The harsh heat is beyond us, the air is clear, and the mornings crisp; it's time to remember the fond days of summer and to enjoy the fall days as we transition into winter. Let’s go read, travel, and garden.
A Plant - Montauk Daisy, Nippon Daisy
Nipponathemum nipponicum
Nipponanthemum nipponicum Niagara Botanical Garden
This is a terrific plant for some but not for all. It is similar to Shasta daisy in that plants bear white flowers with yellow centers, but Shastas bloom early, while Montauks mainly bloom in the fall. Plants are native to Japan but have naturalized along seashores in New Jersey and New York, especially on Long Island near Montauk, which gives them their common name. It is cold-hardy to about USDA zone 5, but not terribly heat- or humidity-hardy. I would not recommend this plant for zones south of 7.
However, if you see it for sale in the fall, adorned with multiple flowers, grab it, plant it, and enjoy it. It will flower until frost and definitely reappear next spring. Then, like any other fall flower, cut it back once or twice during the summer to enhance branching and flowering.
Nipponanthemum nipponicum Niagara Botanical Garden
A Garden - The Garden of Ninfa
Province of Latina, France
A trip to Italy should be on everyone’s to-do list, and I have been fortunate to visit a number of wonderful gardens there. Gardeners are a fortunate lot – we can still enjoy the Forum and Rome’s Great Treasures, and then drive about an hour and a half south to the Garden of Ninfa. The basic landscape bones of this garden have been preserved since the sixteenth century, but it was not until the mid to late 1800s that the present beautiful garden was built.
The New York Times (and many people I have traveled with) states that this is one of the most romantic gardens in the world. I have read many descriptions of many gardens, but how does one define the most romantic? However, once in the garden, it is hard to disagree.
This is not a large space, ~8 acres in size, but the fountains, the river Ninfa, and the overall serenity of the garden provide the dream-like setting. And of course, hundreds of different trees, shrubs, bulbs, and herbs are in full glory whenever one visits.
A Book - The Frozen River
Author: Ariel Lawhorn
Historical Fiction
When I started this book, I simply thought it might be an interesting fictional yarn; however, unbeknownst to me, I was about to learn a great deal.
Martha Ballard was a midwife and healer in 1789 Northern Maine, where winters were long and brutal. As a midwife, she was privy to many secrets in the town of Hallowell, and, unusual for a woman of that time, kept a written diary of births and community life. As part of her duties, she documented an alleged rape by two respected gentlemen of the town. She realized there was nothing allegedly about it and not long after, one of the men was later found dead in the ice of the Kennebec River. She believed he was murdered.
A new Harvard-trained doctor arrives in town and disputes Martha’s testimony about the rape and the death, calling them both accidents. To uncover the truth, Martha becomes embroiled in the affairs of the town, something women are not supposed to do.
It is an excellent read that lays bare the lack of power and influence of women in late 18th-century America. The characters are multi-dimensional, showing both the kind side and the raw underbelly of small-town Maine.
Martha Ballard was a real midwife and healer, and the book is based on her writings. One of the best parts of the book is the author's epilogue, which outlines why she wrote about Martha, how much was fiction, and how much was based on real events.
A Show/Movie- The Hostage, Netflix
Sometimes we watch a streaming show not because of its high ethical value or teaching moments, but simply because it is entertaining. I see critiques informing me that this show has “plot holes as wide … as the English Channel.” Others write that they were dizzy with the curveballs and pace of the show, but still enjoyed it. We were in that group.
The husband of the new British Prime Minister has been kidnapped, and she (it seems that all European leaders are female) must enlist the help of the French Premier. For various reasons, she will not help. The premise that England must rely on France for critical
medications is quite ludicrous, nevertheless the twists came at a ferocious pace, but one is never bored. The only way the calamities will be resolved is if these two somewhat misogynistic women work together. They finally do so, but at what cost?
Certainly not perfect, but entertaining and never tedious.
A Place - Bratislava, Slovakia
I try not to show my obliviousness of people or places; however, I admit I would have had a hard time finding Slovakia on the map without having visited. Nor was Bratislava on my top ten places to visit. However, having recently visited the city with Susan, my brother and sister-in-law, I am a little more of a complete young man. Bratislava, on the banks of the Danube, is reasonably easy to access, the architecture is lovely, and the city is eminently walkable.
The country’s modern history saw it as part of Czechoslovakia after WW1, a Nazi-allied state in WW2, and then under Soviet control until the early 1990s. Following the “Velvet Revolution”, Czechoslovakia was peacefully dissolved in 1993, leading to the formation of the Slovak Republic. In 2004, Slovakia joined the EU, adopted the Euro, and introduced seamless border crossings.
Bratislava is quickly being discovered by the travel/tourist trade – get there the next time Europe is on your travel plans. It is quite wonderful.
A recommendation from readers based on last month’s issue.
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Anyone who enjoys reading, traveling, and gardening could write a column like this. So, if you're keen, please send me feedback on your favorites and include a book, place, plant, or garden you recommend.
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