Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
Many of my clients at Ann’s Place miss out on the tapestry of the facility’s Winter garden. From the parking lot, the back yard and adjoining wetlands is lovely and peaceful. Walking around the property clockwise from the front door, the winterthur viburnum (Viburnum nudum) is still full of fruit, one of the last bushes […]
The amaryllis is decadent. After a month or so, it has exploded with three stalks, the first one of which has six incredible flowers. Even though its whiteness implies chasteness, its excess implies something quite different. It towers over the other tinier plants that surround it in our solarium. This room is where we keep […]
As we create our dried flower art, my clients are very quiet as they concentrate on the task at hand. Questions emerge every so often to break the silence. “How will we mount it,” asks Ben. “Wait and see.” “Why do we need toothpicks,” asks June. “To manipulate the glue.” “Why is there writing on […]
I have learned as a writer that images can be just as important as the words in a book. That is why I am so fortunate to have Rosana Chinchilla @artbyrosana as the artist who brought life to my stories on the cover and 12 large plate illustrations that start every monthly chapter. In her […]
Though it has warmed a bit, I decide to start some microgreens early. Prior to the big freeze we had last week, I brought in the two trays of Corn salad (Valerianella locusta) I had dug up in the fall. They had been surviving well in my greenhouse, but I did not want to tempt […]
At the entrance of a drab, red-bricked building hidden in the woods, I push the buzzer on the intercom, identifying myself and the persons I am there to see. A crackly, static-laden voice acknowledges my request, and after a minute the large, gray steel entry door swings open toward me. I am led down a […]
I don’t take light for granted in Winter. Between the many cloudy and inclement days, it greets us far too infrequently. This morning, the low-rising sun shines straight through the solarium’s windows hitting the paperwhite (Narcissus papyraceus), illuminating its fragrant petals. The flower glows in the clean, morning daylight.The light brightens the nearby amaryllis spikes […]
Like many of my classes at @annsplaceinc, the one on vanilla extract is full with over 20 clients. Last year I also taught this class so some of my regulars decided not to attend as they still had vanilla left over. I start by asking everyone what are their favorite uses of vanilla (Vanilla planifolia). […]
2021 in review. Better late than never. These are among the most favored by me and others of the Instagram posts I made last year in seasonal succession. Included is a brief recap of each picture. In a little over 10 months, I have gone from zip to over 3,200 followers. Thank you all. Bunnies […]
In the cold of Winter, eyes seek any type of color in the landscape. One surprise on the leafed woodland floor is the Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), a native plant to eastern North America. Unlike the larger and more showy natives like the royal fern (Osmunda regalis) and the tasty ostrich fern (Metteuccia struthiopteris), which […]