Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
What is wonderful about Pittsburgh today is that its lovely rebirth matches the nostalgic remembrances of my youth. The dirty memories of a young man introducing his bride to his Quaker State relatives are gone replaced by music, art and cleanliness. After seeing my Aunt Dorothy, my cousins Bill and Carol took Ted and I […]
As we drive through Eastern Pennsylvania toward Pittsburgh, I wonder how we should refer to our journey. Will it be: Erik and Ted’s Excellent AdventureBrokeback Mountain BikeRocky Road Horror Picture ShowDeliverance (from breakdowns and bad weather)Geezers on Wheels I’m inclined to go with the first reference as with the classic slacker movie, “Bill and Ted’s […]
GroHappy has been dedicated to the pursuit of gardening and how horticultural therapy can positively influence people. But for the next few weeks postings will be more frequent and the topic will be different as the focus of this blog will pivot to bicycle touring as my friend Ted and I stretch our 60-year-old legs […]
Early April often comes at you with a slow comforting joy then a fast jolt. The snowdrops and crocuses have decided correctly or incorrectly that the snow is past and are flush with leaves and blooms. Daffodils are pushing upward with visible progress each day. Tulips are more tentative as is a cautious child peeking […]
As I mentioned in a past post, there has been a dearth of woolly bear caterpillars in our yard. Both dedicated and casual searches have been in vain. We were ready to give it up for the season when Juana spotted a tiny creature munching on a chrysanthemum that was planted in a flower box […]
Late September is often when it is time to light the first fire of the season. A cold front swoops down from the North, temporally bringing an early-season chill that needs to be removed first thing in the morning. Letting the dog out, a cold air fills your lungs with little piercing needles telling you […]
The first truly hot day of summer often happens in July and that is today. In New England we get heat sometimes in May or June but never with the oppressing humidity that defines an uncomfortable and sticky day. Most of us notice little as the air conditioned dwellings and cars make us immune to […]
The last few months in the garden have been a blur. It was a mild winter but we experienced the coldest day ever at -16 degrees. The quinces flowered around Xmas, went dormant, budded again in March, went dormant and are now attempting to make good on earlier promises. The daffodils shot up early creating […]
The good thing about summer is that gardening can be put off a bit if needed. In the heat of July and August the lawn doesn’t need much mowing. The propagation of weeds has slowed. And it is harvest time. We still have blueberries though the raspberries/thimbleberries have pretty much been spent. The blackberries have […]
With our expanded garden (more on that in a future post) we are beginning to find ourselves feasting on more vegetables than we can handle. The spring greens are still producing like gangbusters with only the slightly hint of sourness. Most seasons by now I would have dug up the garden to plant the late […]