Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
It’s never too soon to get children in the garden so when we needed to get some vegetables for lunch, Olivia comes along to lend a hand. Standing on the edge of the raised beds, she reaches down to grab a carrot. With a tiny tug, she pulls out a couple of smaller samples staring […]
It is a strange summer. And I am not sure if some of my plants in the garden know what to make of it. Both the tomato and blueberry plants have been fruiting for nearly a month. Yet the fruits just sit, unripened. Blueberry harvests have been meager and we have yet to taste a […]
With peach and blackberry season approaching, it is time to decant my artisanal vinegars and start afresh. I have making my own vinegars for nearly a decade after meeting Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette, a Benedictine monk, at his monastery in Lagrangeville, NY. After he gave us a ‘mother starter’, which has its origins in Paris, I […]
“You have to put this on your blog,” says Juana. Pulling some carrots (Daucus carota ssp sativus) I find a pair entwined in a tight embrace. I think of the set as a pair of clinging or cuddling carrots. Juana thinks it cute also though it doesn’t stop us from cutting them up into the […]
It is finally blueberry picking time. Juana and I head out to the netted enclosure that a singular catbird has been visiting. I have not been able to find its entrance, but the losses to this avian predator have not been too great (I think). Many of the berries are still unripe but we have […]
Summer salads are always special and a surprise. I never know what I will find that is ready in the garden but tonight there is lots to choose from. As a base, I pull deer-tongue lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and purslane (Portulaca oleracea) and then add carrots (Daucus carota ssp sativus), two types of radishes (Raphanus […]
This smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’) is an excess of flowering. Most of its blooms are over 10 inches in diameter causing us to support its thin stalks that collapse under their weight. It matters little to the bees and flies that enter and exit to sample its tasty treats.
For me garlic (Allium sativum) has the best bang for the buck in terms of harvests and ease of planting. In late October when I am planting other bulbs, I pick a space in my raised beds to plant each clove from garlics I have saved and then place at least six inches of straw […]
Pruning is a chore that I take on when I am in a contemplative mood or have something I need to ponder. Between the care needed to properly shape a given plant and the issue I need to work out in my head, I am in a happy place outside with a plant that needs […]
“Do you still plan to have a class?,” questioned Joy on my cell phone. “It’s raining here in Danbury.” That heads-up caused me to move my setup for my propagation class that had been ready since 10:30 in the morning from the patio to the garage quickly. Luckily, it didn’t take that much time and […]