Flavored vinegars
I miss working with my clients and the many horticultural-therapy activities I used to lead at Ann’s Place in Danbury. But every so often I get motivated to crack open my old playbook. The other day, I noticed that I had a spare half gallon of white vinegar in the cupboard as well as a […]
Time for May wine
With the beginning of May and a full moon comes the time to harvest sweet woodruff and make May wine. This concoction originated in Germany (Maiwein) and has been used for hundreds of years to treat a variety of ailments. Juana and I make it every year because it is so delish. The recipe is […]
Snack time
There is little more joy for me than when my grandchildren embrace my garden as do I. When Charlotte was barely one, she was bending over the sides of the raised beds to grab a handful of lettuce. And now 11 years later, Olivia is doing the same. It is a warm sunny day and […]
Harvest time
With the rain finally breaking and my knee on the mend, Juana, Olivia and I start to harvest the remaining tomatoes. All the plants have started to shrivel and the fruits are green with little prospect of changing color in this cooling month. Olivia decides to help herself to the basket of ripe, red cherry […]
Blackberry time
Blackberries (Rubus fruticosus) have just started to ripen as the blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are giving us their last fruits. We are fortunate as the progression of different berries takes us from late May to early September with fresh fruit for our morning breakfast just steps away. There is always a tendency to pick the fruits […]
Drink up!
When it is a sunny day and I am not in the garden I can often be found on my bike. One of the things I love about riding is that it gives me the ability to see plants along the road that I would normally miss. And right now the chicory (Cichorium intybus) is […]
Spargel season
It’s asparagus (or spargel in Germany if it is white) season in the garden. I slice the first delicate spear with my Swiss Army Knife and pop it into my mouth. It is delicious and tender needing no cooking. I grab a few others to cut into a salad this evening. Like zucchinis (Cucurbita pepo) […]
Year in review
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 […]
Another act of kindness: Day 7
I have never thought of Ted and I looking particularity needy, but I am beginning to have second thoughts. Around noon yesterday, we wind up in Amsterdam looking for lunch. But as it turns out any restaurant near the trail is closed. “Do you know of any places we can get lunch?” I ask a […]
Harvest time
The final strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) harvest of Sunday was also the first of our blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum). I have been spying them from a distance looking for when an entire berry rather than just one side becomes blue. Our birds have been cross with me as their attempts to penetrate the defensive veil encasing […]