Summer solstice
Today is the Summer Solstice and everything in the garden is perfect. In pre-historic times, Summer was a joyous time of the year for those indigenous people who lived in the northern latitudes. The snow had disappeared; the ground had thawed out; warm temperatures had returned; flowers were blooming; leaves had returned to the deciduous […]
Heat wave
When is it time to put shade cloth on the greenhouse? When the temps are going to shoot up 30 degrees F to over 90 for the weekend. Our fluctuating weather is keeping me on my toes as I still have seedlings in the greenhouse. Will be watering a lot and keeping cool this weekend.
Moonrise
A lovely moonrise at the beach capped a perfect day with my daughter Sarah and her family.
Split image
Spring is when microclimates show off big differences. This split screen of two forsythia illustrates this phenomenon perfectly. The image to the left is of a bush belonging to a neighbor less than 200 yards away; the other is of my scraggly bushes tucked into a north facing hill. My neighbor’s bushes get sun all […]
Spring hail
An unexpected hail storm left as quickly as it arrived yesterday. Out of nowhere it came pelting our cars and gardens with rock-salt sized frozen chunks. Handfuls could be gathered up moments after it started to fall. And in less than 10 minutes it stopped and the skies cleared. The tulips (Tulpia) came out just […]
Final thaw
Winter appears to be giving up. A final pre-Spring blast of warm weather has made all the snow a memory and early flowering plants have taken advantage of the opportunity. But the cold still remains as the ground is thawed only 3 inches deep. This makes walking across the property a bit treacherous as water […]
Night shoveling
My favorite time to shovel snow is at night when it has just stopped falling. There is an eerie and pleasing quiet as sounds are muffled by the blanket of white and the absence of cars or other vehicles. I take my shovels outside the garage and start my initial paths down the drive. The […]
Waiting for Spring
he old saying that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb is an inaccurate Nature proverb. Sometimes March comes in like a lamb and out like a lion, as a mild Winter gives way to a cold, delayed Spring. It is a month of confusion and frustration as the daylight lengthens, […]
Slick snow
Bucket in hand, I head out for the compost heap. The snow glistens with an icy sheen and I assume that my weight will crunch the snow beneath my feet slightly. But that is not the case. The daily thaw and refreeze cycles that are perfect for sugaring maple (Acer saccharum) trees, creates a rock […]
A Winter ride
With unseasonably warm temperatures and clear skies, I decide to hop on my bike for a 22-mile circuit from my house around the Titicus Reservoir and back. You don’t get many of these days in February so you have to take advantage of them when they pop up. My bike needs little maintenance beyond filling […]