Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
Fruiting plants in the yard are not top of mind during these early, cold December days in New England. But while their crops are not as mouthwatering as those coveted by my granddaughters from May-September, there is a group of plants serving up treats that are just as essential and yummy to the many winged […]
For many, the growing season is over. Chilling nights and multiple frosts have done in even the most hearty of vegetables. My harvests are either drying (herbs and flower seed heads), frozen (tomatoes), or put up (blackberry/beach plum jam). But I am able to still pull fresh greens from the garden every day. And with […]
It is incredibly exciting the first time you plant something new and it delivers a fruit, flower, or vegetable you have never experienced. It’s been a while since I have felt this but this weekend my harvest (and consumption) of pawpaws exceeded my expectations. It has been a long wait. I planted three pawpaw trees […]
The tomato season was short. It was too cold, cloudy, and rainy in June for early fruit and too cold in the evenings after Labor Day for the fruit to ripen. Time to pull plants. It was a good season as my use of straw on the underlying beds almost eliminated any diseases that are […]
For me, picking blackberries is one of the more challenging harvests I deal with. Given my color blindness, I am never sure about if the berries are actually ripe. The five clumps, suspended on wires, six feet in the air provide many hiding places. The thick foliage does its best to conceal the treats of […]
Sunflowers are the most amazing flower that I grow. From a very tiny seed emerges a plant that can reach over 8 feet in height. They tease you for a few months, getting higher and higher with little to show beyond large, pendulous leaves. Then a little head forms that quickly explodes into a large […]
It’s Summer Salad time. Everything is coming in gangbusters. In the past few weeks, the tomatoes started to ripen and yesterday we picked over a quart of these multi-colored beauties. Pink Princesses were the first to come in, now followed by Mountain Magic. The Paul Robesons and Orange Bananas are not far behind. We are […]
I miss working with my clients and the many horticultural-therapy activities I used to lead at Ann’s Place in Danbury. But every so often I get motivated to crack open my old playbook. The other day, I noticed that I had a spare half gallon of white vinegar in the cupboard as well as a […]
It’s berry season and three different types of berries, blue, black, and wine, are ready to pick. Charlotte likes the blueberries the most while Olivia finds the blackberries her favorite. They both like wineberries, often confused with raspberries, but don’t like the prickles along the stems. Regardless, they both are good pickers helping me and […]
Today we need to pull garlic from the garden. I enlist the girls to help me with this chore after letting them pick (and consume) ripe blueberries from the bushes. Sated, they are happy to assist. Garlic is one of the easiest crops to grow as you just plant the cloves in the fall, drop […]