Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
I discovered this pickerel frog the other day when I was watering my vegetable garden. Resting on a corner post behind the tomatoes, it seems to enjoy the slight sprinkle from my garden hose. I am always happy and grateful when I discover such creatures as it implies that Juana and I are good stewards […]
Swiss chard has grown spectacularly this year, far outperforming all the other vegetables that I have planted. The only problem for us is that neither Juana nor I are so fond of this healthy, leafy green that we can keep up with (and consume) its growth. A recent dinner for some friends, however, started us […]
Looking to grab some parsley for dinner, I spot a pair of black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars munching away. They have done a pretty good job at consuming the dill and coriander, leaving only skeletal remains. Approaching them, I can almost hear them crunching away. I grab a few leaves on the outskirts of the plant, […]
August is the heart of harvest season and the first of the potatoes have come in. It is a bit of a misnomer to call them a crop as I take a single old sprouting potato from our larder in June, cut out each eye letting them heal for a few days, and then place […]
Sun tea is a quick and easy drink to enjoy on a hot summer’s day. I try to make a batch every week that I will put into the fridge to consume later. Though it is called sun tea, I don’t put any real tea in my concoctions but mints, flowers and herbs from my […]
Beans and more beans are in the garden. I am pulling both bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) as well as those of the pole variety (Phaseolus coccineus). This veg can be tricky as it hides well under its large and expressive leaves. Pushing aside a leaf, long pendulous legumes hang waiting to be harvested. This year, […]
This drawing of my granddaughter Charlotte by my sister-in-law Rosana perfectly captures the Summer we have together picking flowers, berries and watching the clouds float by. The dog days of Summer arrive this month when the potential for unrelenting heat, afternoon thunderstorms, and extreme weather define each day. It is the hot counterpart to February, […]
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 […]