Stone cold frame
Evening and early morning temperatures in the low 40s and high 30s signal to me that it is time to turn my raised beds into cold frames. Last year’s redesign of the frames with 3/4 inch PVC pipe and couplings let me double their size and create something much sturdier than that I had before. […]
Fun fall forage
If you are lucky enough to find a kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) you have found my favorite fall forage. Looking a bit much like depictions of the Covid-19 coronavirus, this fruit is ready to eat off the tree in early fall. It is absolutely delicious tasting much like a persimmon or to some a mango. […]
Harvest time
With the rain finally breaking and my knee on the mend, Juana, Olivia and I start to harvest the remaining tomatoes. All the plants have started to shrivel and the fruits are green with little prospect of changing color in this cooling month. Olivia decides to help herself to the basket of ripe, red cherry […]
Winter greens
Setting up in the garage for my horticultural therapy classes is getting easier with practice. This one is about growing greens in the Fall and Winter, which excites and puzzles some of my clients. “It’s not that hard to grow greens year round if you know just a little bit about what to plant and […]
Glistening ferns
The asparagus ferns hold onto an unfamiliar friend: water. Drops, lit by the morning sun, cling to their lacy structures not wanting to leave. At seven feet high, the ferns are in their final phases of feeding their crowns buried deep in the soil. I have been stingy this year in watering them, only giving […]
Starting winter greens
It is time to get the winter greens going in the garden. In the middle of August I start two 1020 trays of arugula, hearty greens and winter lettuces that I will transplant by mid-September. Around Labor Day, I start plugs of individual greens, Swiss Chard, kale, Claytonia (miner’s lettuce) and Verte de Cambral (corn […]
Red rose hips
The rose hips are bright red and huge. But we need to wait for a frost before they will be ready to pick for jam. I hope the birds and other animals leave a few for us to sample.
Jamming on the beach
We are spending a lovely holiday weekend at the beach on Long Island. The weather is perfect with bright sun and light, warm breezes. We decide to take an early morning walk with a foraging prey in mind: beach plums. Early September is beach plum season here and we hope to beat the birds and […]
Drying on the cane
This quart of blackberries gives the appearance of plenty but the truth is slightly different. This haul represents three days of not picking while in a typical year, it is one. We made the decision not to water the berries given the current drought and this decision has had an obvious effect. Our berry haul […]
Flavored and mothered vinegars
The threat of rain forces me to transform my garage into classroom for my Ann’s Place clients. Given the heat, it turned out to be a good decision for my session on flavored vinegars. “Before we start with flavored vinegars, I’d like all of you to try some of the artisanal vinegars that I make […]