Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
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 […]
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 […]
My publisher, @blackrosewriting, is running a special giveaway today on Kindle worldwide for my book, A Therapist’s Garden. So if you have been holding off on getting it, now is a great time to download it for free and sample my book. But be quick because it will last for today only! Enjoy!
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 […]
I am delighted to be speaking next Saturday at the @norwalklibct about my book, A Therapist’s Garden. The 11 am talk, on July 29, will give an overview of how I came to my current passion of horticultural therapy, where I have practiced locally and some of the stories that are contained in the book. […]
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 […]
The heat and lack of water this July is showing up in all kinds of ways though we have minimized its effects in the garden. Our lawn of native grasses and “weeds” is cut high (only when needed) and is lush and green. This is in contrast to a neighboring lawn that is cut low […]
From the July chapter of my book, A Therapist’s Garden. July is the month of heat, homemade ice cream, and the desire to remain cool. It is an ironic time, as the weather and gardens have flipped into high gear after a long stasis. The warm evenings find fireflies illuminating the background for all the […]
The gardens do not appreciate my absence bicycling around the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers. Coming back to greet them, I can see they have been well-watered by Juana but not weeded. In a little more than a week a few weeds have multiplied into a massive mat that I will spend the next few days […]