A long incline
A cool breeze and more moderate temperatures greet us as we leave our hotel. Before we start our 38-mile journey to Boonville, we visit the Katy Depot in Sedalia. It is a wonderful museum that recounts the history of how Sedalia became a railroad town. It also reviews the history of one of its most […]
Merry Christmas!
Finally! The Christmas tree and nativity are up. The tree was cut a few weeks ago when snow still coated the ground. For the last five years or so, we have been harvesting our tree from the yard, where I planted a dozen Norway spruces a few years back. (The softer needled fir stands little […]
Summer saunter and repast
I’m lucky that the oppressive heat of the last week has taken leave for my horticulture therapy class. Usually the Summer solstice celebration happens around the summer solstice, when the weather is nearly perfect in New England. But after catching a bout of Covid, I had to delay the class and change its focus. “. […]
Goodreads giveaway
It’s a Goodreads Giveaway! I am giving away five first edition signed copies of “A Therapist’s Garden.” This Giveaway will end on March 23 and is available in the United States. My book covers 20 years of horticultural experiences with a wide variety of clients showing the healing power of plants. There are many gardening […]
Winter chill
Bone chilling cold. Taking the compost out, the temperature, or lack of one, takes my breadth away. At 10 F in the shade, each puff hurts. When I exhale through my nostrils, little stalactites of ice form on my mustache. To me that is the sign of cold. Most the plants stoically stand, unmoved much […]
Ordering seeds
Just when the gardens have been put to bed, it is time to order seeds for the coming year. I get most of mine from Fedco Seeds, which has a great selection of heirlooms as well as good prices. Before I order, I go through the seeds I still have from the prior year to […]
Winter’s full moon
Tonight’s Winter Moon is escaping the grasp of neighboring maple (Acer) and oak (Quercus) trees as it rises above a conifer lit for the holidays. It’s the last evening prior to the solstice and the night is crisp and cold as it should be in New England. The air freezes the inside of my nose […]
Backyard foraging
The popularity of my sessions at Ann’s Place vary widely. A recent one on how to forage for wild salads had smaller attendance than typical and less participation than normal. Though everyone loves the May wine I offer spiked with sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) and strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) as well as dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) […]
Back in the saddle again
“This is wonderful,” says Lisa, as she inhales the scent of fresh lavender (Lavandula) that she has picked from our herb garden. Other clients linger around the mints trying to decide which variety to choose. If it were not for the fact that everyone is wearing a mask, it would seem like any other normal […]
Virtual Horticultural Therapy: Time to walk the grounds again
Because of COVID-19, I have had to create on-line versions of classes for my horticultural therapy clients. This particular video is for those who use the services of Ann’s Place, a not-for-profit cancer support facility I work for. I walked (virtually) many of them through the gardens at Ann’s Place a little while back, but […]