Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
It’s been a month since my last horticultural therapy class. This will be my last one in person with my clients from Ann’s Place till the Spring. I am putting together a mash up of my Fall Festival and Dream Pillow classes to make up for lost sessions. It is a crisp, windless day for […]
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 […]
The lovely purple flower and bright orange stigma of the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus) thrills nature lovers and cooks each Fall upon their emergence. But now, as the corm has gone dormant, I am tasked with the long delayed need to divide and propagate. Years ago to protect these rare and valuable corms, I created […]
Nearly 20 clients from @annsplaceinc attended the two classes on herbs at my house. Because my budget is tight and I was unsure of sources, I grew oregano (Origanum vulgare), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), basil (Ocimum basilicum), and stevia from seeds in April to cover my bases. Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) I got from my usual supplier, […]
Last week I made a run to one of my favorite wholesale facilities, @gilbertiesorganics, to load up on herbs for the gardens and my clients at @annsplaceinc. As always, Sal and his staff were very kind and generous donating some of the herbs needed for our gardens. So like other years, our three herb beds […]
I have finally found a lavender cultivar (𝐿𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑎 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎 ‘𝑃ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑙’) that takes the abuse of our Winters and snow plows. It sits perky and bushy next to a line of daffodils (𝑁𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑠 ‘𝐾𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐴𝑙𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑑’ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ‘𝐼𝑐𝑒 𝐹𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠’) along the fence that protects one of our gardens from marauding deer, rabbits, woodchucks and other creatures that […]
With the big melt we are having, this thyme plant emerges from the snow. I haven’t seen it for a month as successive little snows have kept it hidden from view next to our primitive snow gauge. This type of melt is typical for February: a brief warming spell soon quashed by more snow and […]
The cold frames continue to deliver greens for fresh salads. The afternoon temperature is just hitting 40 F so it is a good time to pull some greens. I first grab carrots (Daucus carota ssp sativus), which are still loose in the soil. I harvest just enough for tonight and take a bite of one […]
Last week’s horticultural therapy class on hanging herb baskets at @annsplaceinc went exceeding well with 23 clients signed up both on-site and remotely. The remote option is great for some clients going though cancer treatments who have the will but not the physical strength to make the trek to our center. I am happy to […]
The morning is a rough one for Shannon. A water pipe just burst in the basement and a storage room filled with client records is awash with water. She is stoic in going through dozens of boxes but I can tell she needs a break. “Come on, Shannon. You need some horticultural therapy,” I say […]