Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
Juana and I, like a pair of elderly migrating birds, have made our way South (way South) to the Florida Keys to warm our bodies and souls. With the exception of the past few years, we have been coming to the Keys to vacation for over 20 years. The tiny apartment we rent is on […]
Dried flower prints and bookmarks has always been a winning arrow in my quill of horticultural therapy activities. It is one of the few classes that I can do in Winter that surprises my clients with floral color and beauty.
A dusting of snow yesterday transformed the back patio and yard creating dreams of snowball fights, sledding and foot prints to be identified. But as soon as it arrived, it was erased by rising temperatures and heavy rainfall leaving the dull brown and gray background we have become all too accustomed to view. We continue […]
Finally some new color arrives at our home. A long-to-flower amaryllis has finally bloomed. This bulb was purchased prior to Thanksgiving and has taken two months to emerge. It has been worth the wait.
I think the saddest tree in Winter is the pin oak. Holding onto its leaves for dear life seemingly, it is encased in a shroud of dried, dirty brown leaves until the Spring. It, like most oaks as well as beeches and hornbeams, retains its leaves because of marcescence. A simple way to describe this […]
I watch now for the mail truck to come by so that I can quickly grab the latest garden catalog, peruse its pages and dream of plants and seeds to buy. The inherent emptiness of the garden creates a palette for the imagination. I have already ordered flower and vegetable seeds from Fedco, but there […]
A lone hawk sits motionless on a Japanese maple branch hoping that an inattentive bird will feast at the feeder below. After a few minutes there are no takers and it flies away still looking for an afternoon meal.
The birds have pretty much picked clean all the berries and seed heads in the yard leaving bare branches and stalks in their wake. With the early warming rays of the sun, they flock to the feeders in the front and back of our house. Ground feeders like doves, pidgins, and juncos avoid the traffic […]
Olivia tugs at my jacket indicating she wants a trip outside with her grandpa. Her first favorite stop is the swing set where I sing songs to her pushing her back and forth gently. A mostly toothless smile and chubby red cheeks greet me with each cycle. Next we head to the greenhouse where we […]
This warm and snowless January leaves me with few things to consider. There is nothing to shovel, no tracks to identify, no squinting at the bright light reflecting off a white background. Thus my last class on forcing bulbs comes at an opportune time for me to break the gray monotony. The class is full […]