Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
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 […]
Pulling the straw off my carnivorous plant bog, I see that the ground is still as hard as a rock. At least an inch of straw is embedded in the peat moss/perlite mixture. Though it may look like a couple of the pitcher plants (Sarracenia) are ready for a meal, their traps are filled with […]
I can’t say that I am going to miss the kitting up for my zoom classes. This one, where we are making seed bombs and plant signs is full with 20 clients and has a lot of parts. Seed bombs are part of gorilla gardening where you put wildflower seeds into compost/soil and air dry […]
Warming days and drier soil leads me to multiple days of Spring cleanup. The remnants of Winter are raked away to make room for the emerging growth. I always know it is time once the larger daffodil (Narcissus) and tulip (Tulipa) leaves start to penetrate the leaf litter. If I don’t get the Fall leaves […]
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 […]
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 […]
Looking as fresh as possible, projections of saffron (Crocus sativus) leaves emerge from the melted snow. Appearing more like leaves of grass, these appendages are getting the last bit of energy they can before the corm goes dormant. Given this density of leaves, the corms need to be separated and placed in new cages so […]
Picking up some supplies at Ann’s Place, I stroll toward the back to see how the grounds have fared this Winter. It is the time of year, between the melting of the last hoped-for snow and emerging growth, when the bones and architecture of the gardens can be examined and appreciated. It’s easy to spot […]
My class on microgreens is the largest of the Winter with 25 clients. They all seem excited about shaking off the Winter chill and getting their hands into the soil. “Though it seems early, we are just a bit more than a month from the equinox,” I start out. “So if you have a south […]