Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
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 […]
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 […]
Nine plants that should NOT be growing and green on New Year’s Day in New England! We plant lots of conifers and other evergreens to keep our yard in color during the midst of Winter. But the unseasonably warm weather is causing all kinds of unwanted greenery and growth way before it should. I may […]
Just when the gardens have been put to bed, it is time to order seeds for the coming year. I get most of mine from Fedco Seeds, which has a great selection of heirlooms as well as good prices. Before I order, I go through the seeds I still have from the prior year to […]
Conifers are perhaps the most thought of Christmas greenery for many cultures. There is, however, a rich history of holiday greens celebrating the Winter Solstice going back to pre-Christian times. Four of the oldest, three of which I have pictures of, are holly, ivy, mistletoe and laurel. All of these plants share being evergreen and […]
Perhaps more than other holidays, Christmas has many flowers specifically timed to have their best display on and around the 25th of the month. Most are tropical perennials and among my favorites are: Amaryllis: These showy bulbs with large, colorful tubular flowers are a core part of every late year display. I keep them year […]
In preparing for the holidays, there is a tendency to go all out in decorations and floral excess. But sometimes a simple and single flower can be just as effective. This picture of a paperwhite (Narcissus papyraceus) rests on my wall and was taken over 30 years ago in our first house. The afternoon light […]
The final strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) harvest of Sunday was also the first of our blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum). I have been spying them from a distance looking for when an entire berry rather than just one side becomes blue. Our birds have been cross with me as their attempts to penetrate the defensive veil encasing […]
Two days ago the annual Summer Solstice celebration was held at @annsplaceinc. I delayed it for a day because of weather and we were rewarded with a near perfect day. Because of the day change I lost a few clients but the ones who came had a fabulous time. With this celebration, I chat with […]
Last week’s horticultural therapy class on hanging herb baskets at @annsplaceinc went exceeding well with 23 clients signed up both on-site and remotely. The remote option is great for some clients going though cancer treatments who have the will but not the physical strength to make the trek to our center. I am happy to […]