05.11.08 -- Into the Rose Garden -- the Acrostic

Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11, 2008

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ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon, edited by Will Shortz

A beautiful, glorious acrostic celebrating the arrival of Spring and Mother’s Day by the triumvirate of the acrostic, Cox, Rathvon & Shortz -- the mavens of puzzledom!

The Quotation: PREPARING A BED FOR ROSES IS a little LIKE GETTING THE HOUSE READY FOR THE ARRIVAL OF A DIFFICULT OLD LADY, SOME BIDDY WITH ARISTOCRATIC PRETENSIONS AND PERSNICKETY TASTES. The stay is bound to be an ordeal, and YOU WANT to give AS LITTLE CAUSE FOR COMPLAINT AS POSSIBLE.

The author’s name and title of the work: MICHAEL POLLAN, “SECOND NATURE: A Gardener’s Education”

The defined words: A. Drink served in a Champagne flute, MIMOSA; B. Decorate art brought to Japan with Buddhism, IKEBANA; C. “The CRICKETS sang / And set the Sun / And Workmen finished one by one” (Emily Dickinson); D. Advocates of floral potency?, HIPPIES; E. Condition in xeric climes, ARIDITY; F. The 22nd of April (2 wds.), EARTHDAY; G. Remove, as the tops of shrubbery (2 wds.), LOPOFF; H. Ovary + style + stigma, PISTIL; I. Reverse, nullify, OVERTURN; J. “Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year” songwriter, LOESSER; K. Feature of a pergola, LATTICE; L. Source of wood for baseball bats (2 wds.), ASHTREE; M. Tussie-mussie, NOSEGAY; N. End result of petrification, STONE; O. What Brits mean by “aubergine”, EGGPLANT; P. Fell (2 wds.), CUTDOWN; Q. Vanilla plants are one variety of these, ORCHIDS; R. Business patronized by gardeners, NURSERY; S. “… I saw a crowd, / A host, of golden DAFFODILS (Wordsworth); T. Containing element #7, NITRIC; U. Cowlick-sporting, off-key crooner in “Our Gang” shorts; ALFALFA; V. Beside a roaring fireplace, say, TOASTY; W. Deracinated, UPROOTED; X. Natural hip-hop artists?; RABBITS; Y. Flower protected by law in Switzerland, EDELWEISS.

The quotation is also included in the article published in the New York Times Magazine, February 17, 1991 entitled Into the Rose Garden with the notation: Michael Pollan is Executive Editor of Harper’s Magazine. This article is adapted from “Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education,“ which the Atlantic Monthly Press will publish this spring (1991).

That’s it -- I’ve work to do outdoors!

Happy Mother’s Day!

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Puzzle available on the internet at

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