Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
I think this will be a tough Winter for the wildlife that frequents our gardens. The hummingbird feeder needs replenishment more frequently than is typical. Chickadees fight for space on the thistle feeder, which we have just put out for the migrating goldfinches and pine siskins. The goldfinches attack, pecking the Swiss chard, whose leaves […]
It is time to get the winter greens going in the garden. In the middle of August I start two 1020 trays of arugula, hearty greens and winter lettuces that I will transplant by mid-September. Around Labor Day, I start plugs of individual greens, Swiss Chard, kale, Claytonia (miner’s lettuce) and Verte de Cambral (corn […]
It doesn’t seem possible but the golden rod has been in bloom for weeks. This typical flower of Fall is not showing off in a typical way with its early arrival. Unlike other wildflowers the drought seems to have little effect on its blooms or bright colors. We let this native plant spread on our […]
This quart of blackberries gives the appearance of plenty but the truth is slightly different. This haul represents three days of not picking while in a typical year, it is one. We made the decision not to water the berries given the current drought and this decision has had an obvious effect. Our berry haul […]
September is a bittersweet month a summer ends and fall begins. It’s is the time when the largest bounties of the gardens’ flowers, vegetables, and fruits are harvested. Some leaves begin to turn to orange, yellow, and red, while migrating birds and monarch butterflies make their way south. [This year, however, is quite different than […]
Hand watering the garden can be done with either a hose or can. Both have their place, but watering with a can is more contemplative for me and more necessary this season given the drought. Just filling up a container from my one of my water barrels has a soothing and calming effect. Cracking the […]
This year has been a strange one in the garden and the latest surprise is the emergence of a trio of blooms on one of our flowering quince bushes. Typically these bushes sport their red-rose-like flowers in mid-spring and then produce a few tiny fruits that never seem to make it to maturity. This year, […]
During these languid, slowing days of Summer, sometimes the best activity is no activity. Between the heat and humidity, it is prudent to be economical with movement, particularity in the afternoon. That is why perhaps the backyard is the best place to visit to throw down a blanket and watch the clouds roll by. High […]
It is a strange summer. And I am not sure if some of my plants in the garden know what to make of it. Both the tomato and blueberry plants have been fruiting for nearly a month. Yet the fruits just sit, unripened. Blueberry harvests have been meager and we have yet to taste a […]
Today should be the last day of the heat wave we have been having in the Northeast and I am grateful. Juana and I have stayed inside (and away from the gardens) more than typical for July. We have been fortunate, however, in that we open up the house and shut off the air conditioning […]