Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
Half of the makings for a strawberry-rhubarb pie is one of the first substantial things to emerge from the garden in early Spring. The only compromise is that the strawberries must be store bought for at least another month before they come into their own in my garden. A gentle tug pulls the rhubarb stalks […]
It is time before the sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) flowers to harvest it to make May wine. I was intoduced to this delightful beverage by the writings of Adelma Simmons, who used to run the legendary Caprilands Herb Farm in Coventry, CT. It is something that Juana and I enjoy every Spring. The recipe is […]
We are at the time of year when we must be judicious with how many of our greens we harvest. Until May, when the first strong crop comes in, we need to nibble and supplement. That is why I now pull extra greens from wintered over and perennial plants to add some heft and oomph […]
Garlic mustard (𝐴𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑎 𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑎) arrives in the early Spring faster than the dandelions (𝑇𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑥𝑎𝑐𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑒). And like dandelions it can be savored in many different ways. Emerging from the ground, the tiniest of this biannual’s leaves are pungent and delicious as an adornment to any salad. As it grows, which can be very fast in […]
The cold frames did their job this Winter by letting me get a jump on planting this Springs. While all of the exposed beds are frozen more than 3 inches below the level of the soil, the two beds covered with the cold frame are thawed and toasty warm. I lost all the Swiss chard […]
A smattering of frost-hardy miner’s lettuce (𝐶𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑎) self-seeded in my cold frame this Winter.⠀Rich in vitamin C, its succulent and tasty heart-shaped leafs make a perfect topping to any salad. It is a green best enjoyed in the late Fall or early Spring as it bolts and becomes bitter when warm weather emerges. It’s […]
Starting to bud out, the crabapple tree (Malus) in the back still has quite a few fruits hanging from its branches. This collection of shriveled orbs, has withstood the test of Winter as well as the local bird population. It is often the last of the fruit to be cleared off my plants by the […]
It’s time to start seeding! Because I am not sure about being able to get all the plants for my Ann’s Place clients wholesale, I am starting up what they will need for one of our classes in late May. In this class we make herbal hanging baskets. For it I am growing four herbs […]
In writing A Therapist’s Garden, I wanted to give readers some horticultural therapy activities that they could practice. And in every chapter (or month) I have done that with both a craft and an outing. The ones for March concern food. Coming out of Winter in New England with enough food used to be critical […]
It’s time to shift from growing microgreens to regular greens for the garden. The soil under the cold frame is still as hard as rock (or ice) but I am hoping that the increased temperatures and bright sun that is predicted for the next week will create a quick thaw letting me plant my seedlings […]