Horticultural therapy zooming
When Covid hit nearly a year ago and Juana and I hunkered down, part of that exercise was to cancel my horticultural therapy classes at Ann’s Place. By early summer, however, I opened sessions that were socially distanced outside to a small number of clients. After the typical hiccups of any new setup, the classes […]
Winter planting
With over a foot and a half of snow on the ground, this does not seem the time to think about planting. But when it comes to carnivorous plants, now is exactly when you want to think about the year ahead. It is now that sellers of pitcher plants (Sarracenia) are dividing their larger specimens, […]
Fleeting flowers
Looking outside at my snowy backyard I am comforted by the indoor greenery and flowers that sit in our solarium and throughout the house. This year is the first in quite a few where we have much growing inside this time of year; typically we are in the Florida Keys appreciating the tropical vegetation. But […]
Not so hidden interests
River birch The end of January in New England signals that Winter is in full swing. With the exception of a few oaks (Quercus), all the deciduous trees have shed their leaves and without snow, a persistent grey often coats the ground. Though we wait for a more vibrant Spring, there are still many interesting […]
Early buds
January is too soon to expect to see any of the early Spring bulbs to flower, but this can’t be said about Lenten roses (Helleborus). After the snow melt last week, a few buds emerged under its leathery dark green leaves from one of my plants in our side garden. A few flowers had started […]
Voracious voles
Before After As we find ourselves accepting the arrival of Winter with its chilly winds and cold precipitations, garden pests are not top of mind. But for those of us who have cold frames or store prior harvests, this is a mistake. I have been nursing a wide variety of greens in a cold frame […]