Nature’s thermometer
You know it is cold outside when the melt off the roof is frozen coming out of the downspout. This morning it hit a low of 12 F and it is likely to get even colder later in the evening. One of nature’s thermometers that can tell you an approximate temperature is the rhododendron. There […]
Morning light
I don’t take light for granted in Winter. Between the many cloudy and inclement days, it greets us far too infrequently. This morning, the low-rising sun shines straight through the solarium’s windows hitting the paperwhite (Narcissus papyraceus), illuminating its fragrant petals. The flower glows in the clean, morning daylight.The light brightens the nearby amaryllis spikes […]
Shake it up!
Like many of my classes at @annsplaceinc, the one on vanilla extract is full with over 20 clients. Last year I also taught this class so some of my regulars decided not to attend as they still had vanilla left over. I start by asking everyone what are their favorite uses of vanilla (Vanilla planifolia). […]
Removing a layer
After shoveling out the driveway and walks, the cold frames and greenhouse are next. Today’s snow removal is easy as it is the first of the season and there are plenty of places to put the snow. With a plastic edged grain shovel, I carefully remove layers of snow from the first cold frame, tossing […]
First snow
The first real snow (beyond a dusting) of the year or season is always special. It can be the last moment for weeks or months when the ground is visible. Yesterday’s 8 inches of snow was perfect in that it was enough to blanket our sleeping gardens with a fluffy layer. It is best viewed […]
Year in review
2021 in review. Better late than never. These are among the most favored by me and others of the Instagram posts I made last year in seasonal succession. Included is a brief recap of each picture. In a little over 10 months, I have gone from zip to over 3,200 followers. Thank you all. Bunnies […]
Eaten away
Harvesting a salad the other day, I notice that the two cutting celery (Apium graveolens) plants in one of the cold fames is nibbled to the ground. Looking at the other greens, there is little to no rodent damage, which is strange given how much was removed from the celery. Looking more closely, I am […]
Sweet salads
The cold frames continue to deliver greens for fresh salads. The afternoon temperature is just hitting 40 F so it is a good time to pull some greens. I first grab carrots (Daucus carota ssp sativus), which are still loose in the soil. I harvest just enough for tonight and take a bite of one […]
Christmas fern
In the cold of Winter, eyes seek any type of color in the landscape. One surprise on the leafed woodland floor is the Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), a native plant to eastern North America. Unlike the larger and more showy natives like the royal fern (Osmunda regalis) and the tasty ostrich fern (Metteuccia struthiopteris), which […]
Fresh from the garden
We continue to harvest food from our New England garden even though we have just celebrated the beginning of a new year. The temperatures are above freezing so it’s a good time to see what can be harvested and consumed.We still have a few greens from the other day left over so I decide to […]