Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
The birds have pretty much picked clean all the berries and seed heads in the yard leaving bare branches and stalks in their wake. With the early warming rays of the sun, they flock to the feeders in the front and back of our house. Ground feeders like doves, pidgins, and juncos avoid the traffic […]
Olivia tugs at my jacket indicating she wants a trip outside with her grandpa. Her first favorite stop is the swing set where I sing songs to her pushing her back and forth gently. A mostly toothless smile and chubby red cheeks greet me with each cycle. Next we head to the greenhouse where we […]
This warm and snowless January leaves me with few things to consider. There is nothing to shovel, no tracks to identify, no squinting at the bright light reflecting off a white background. Thus my last class on forcing bulbs comes at an opportune time for me to break the gray monotony. The class is full […]
January has arrived (sort of). The temperatures are falling and nightly fires in the wood stove have become common. The kindling has nearly run out as has the wood bin in the garage. I enlist Juana to help me in both areas. About 10 trips with the log carrier gets the bin filled. It looks […]
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 […]
2022 in review. It’s been another wonderful year in the garden. Here are a few highlights. January: Charlotte continues to be my trusty helper. Here she is seeding microgreens for me that we will munch on in the weeks ahead. March: The publication of my book, A Therapist’s Garden, and the many kind words readers […]
Just when all 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 […]
The last virtual class on seasonal decorations that I did for my clients at @annsplaceinc I ran short of materials . . . . .for me. I had given nearly all my material on hand for this class to my clients and had forgotten to save some. I was able to scrounge up a pine […]
The Christmas fern is aptly named, this very green sample nestled in the leaf litter in the back. In the cold of Winter, eyes seek any type of color in the landscape and this native North American fern pops sitting among the grey, rotting leaves. Unlike the larger and more showy natives like the royal […]
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 […]