Christmas lights
Crisp and clear nights show off the lights we have positioned around the house. Last year, for the first time, I put Christmas lights on the greenhouse and was pleasantly surprised on its festive appearance during the night. The microgreens and rosemary bushes within its space sit transfixed by the reflective light penetrating its insides. […]
Colder days ahead
Now that we have reached December, the beds have been cleaned, the bulbs planted, the flowers have faded, and the garden is desolate. Even the long persistent yellow flowers of witch hazel are gone following the examples of all other deciduous shrubs and trees. Seed heads of our coneflowers stand alone, waiting to be eaten […]
Seasonal wreaths
I am often amazed at the inventiveness of my clients at @annsplaceinc The latest class we finished was packed with 21 people to create seasonal wreaths out of spruce cones, acorns and other things collected from the outdoors. The cones were easy to collect though I needed to purchase acorns for the first time ever. […]
Ice water
It’s a cold morning outside to fill the bird feeders. I notice that the bird bath is frozen solid; a few birds land on its edge and are thwarted in getting a drink. I wait until things warm up a bit and install a heater so the birds can continue getting a drink as the […]
Collecting crafts
Preparing for horticultural therapy classes sometimes calls for working well in advance. For some of my classes this Fall and Winter I need a variety of cones and nuts. To best collect them I start foraging in late September and early October before the leaves fall. This year I am fairly successful in collecting cones: […]
Leaf lanterns
Ironically, the first zoom class at Ann’s Place a few weeks back is held on a lovely day and could have been outside. But everyone seems content and snug in their dwellings to make leaf lanterns. And as the craft requires the use of an iron it may not be a bad idea to do […]
Mushrooms, finally!
After recent rains, a few mushrooms have started to emerge on the property. Though my mushroom ID skills are fledging at best, I think this is a pear-shaped puffball (Apioperdon pyriforme). If so, it is a edible mushroom, which is somewhat confirmed by the many nibbles on this bunch. But taking no chances I will […]
Fun fall forage
If you are lucky enough to find a kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) you have found my favorite fall forage. Looking a bit much like depictions of the Covid-19 coronavirus, this fruit is ready to eat off the tree in early fall. It is absolutely delicious tasting much like a persimmon or to some a mango. […]
October
October’s cooling temperatures and fading vegetation represent the last breath of Mother Nature’s colorful splendor before dormancy takes over. The sun is accelerating its drop in the sky, casting long and a lasting shadows. Animals ready themselves for the cold months ahead by collecting nuts and other foods frantically. Gardeners and farmers, too, pick up […]
Forced inactivity
It’s in between seasons and a pending surgery on my knee affords me the opportunity to observe and contemplate more than is typical in the garden. Walking around the property, crutch in arm, I take a close look at a rhododendron that is suffering no doubt to the lack of rain. I will need to […]