Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
A dusting of snow yesterday transformed the back patio and yard creating dreams of snowball fights, sledding and foot prints to be identified. But as soon as it arrived, it was erased by rising temperatures and heavy rainfall leaving the dull brown and gray background we have become all too accustomed to view. We continue […]
I think the saddest tree in Winter is the pin oak. Holding onto its leaves for dear life seemingly, it is encased in a shroud of dried, dirty brown leaves until the Spring. It, like most oaks as well as beeches and hornbeams, retains its leaves because of marcescence. A simple way to describe this […]
An early Spring is rarely imagined and less often realized at the turn of the year. Yet today with the temperature cresting in the low 60s that is exactly what we have. I remove my bike from the shed and with an extra layer of clothing head off for the Titicus Reservoir, which supplies NYC […]
Winter is still a few days away and the back yard is poised to accept its seasonal role. Nearly all of the leaves of the deciduous trees have abandoned their prior homes, settling down and providing a blanket for the soil. The first significant snow of the season covers the ground creating a clean, clear […]
Though it appears that the rhododendrons are cowering, they are just reacting to this morning’s cold. At 17 degrees F, they are not the only things that appear to be shivering. Rhododendrons are nature’s thermometer as their leaves shrivel the colder it gets below freezing. There are manny reasons cited for this, but there is […]
Juana reminds me that we could use a line of bulbs along the fence that was extended late Summer. Outside the fence is now inside. All of the local stores are out of daffodils filling their spaces with Christmas effluvia, but great deals can be had from mail order companies. I am able to get […]
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 […]
It is late in the season to be stacking wood next to the house. We typically do it in early rather than mid Fall. But this year’s spate of warm and active days has let us delay this task. Every year we burn at least a cord and a half of wood so it is […]
Autumn light is unique. Spaces that have been in constant shade for months now are illuminated with dappled light and colors. The carpet of newly fallen leaves each day changes with the light of each hour. It is noisier season as a scampering chipmunk sends up rustles of sound with every step and leap. I […]
Walking down the driveway this morning for the newspaper, I see the effects of the first frost. The raised bed where string beans and sunflowers stood tall only weeks ago is covered with a powder-sugar veneer of white. The sunflower stumps stand erect but appear to shiver at the first extreme cold of the season. […]