Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
We took down all of the sunflowers as many were nearly denuded of seeds leaving empty, broken brown stalks. Juana and I are able to save a few for next year’s plantings and some she fashions with other dried vegetation into a wreath. She starts by taking invasive porcelain berry vines and wrapping them into […]
New plants pop up in our yard all the time and white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) is one of the latest. This native herb, part of the aster family, has a lovely, late-blooming flower that has established itself on the edge of my yard where the grassy/weedy lawn stops and a wide herbaceous border begins. Unlike […]
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. […]
It’s garlic planting time. It is a bright crisp day with only a few clouds painting the sky and a slight breeze rustling the trees. The trees are still holding onto their leaves, unusual at the time when I plant garlic. My bowl of garlic is a combination of the largest bulbs from the July […]
After recent rains, a few mushrooms have started to emerge on the property. Though my mushroom ID skills are fledging at best, I think this is a pear-shaped puffball (Apioperdon pyriforme). If so, it is a edible mushroom, which is somewhat confirmed by the many nibbles on this bunch. But taking no chances I will […]
Evening and early morning temperatures in the low 40s and high 30s signal to me that it is time to turn my raised beds into cold frames. Last year’s redesign of the frames with 3/4 inch PVC pipe and couplings let me double their size and create something much sturdier than that I had before. […]
It’s a perfect day to drive up to Millerton, NY, to pick up my yearly supply of organic soil for Ann’s Place. Between projects for my clients and the needs of the different gardens, I usually need about a yard of soil and compost. I get all my soil from McEnroe Farm who’s product has […]
If you are lucky enough to find a kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) you have found my favorite fall forage. Looking a bit much like depictions of the Covid-19 coronavirus, this fruit is ready to eat off the tree in early fall. It is absolutely delicious tasting much like a persimmon or to some a mango. […]
With the rain finally breaking and my knee on the mend, Juana, Olivia and I start to harvest the remaining tomatoes. All the plants have started to shrivel and the fruits are green with little prospect of changing color in this cooling month. Olivia decides to help herself to the basket of ripe, red cherry […]
Montauk daisies (Nipponanthemum nipponicum) are one of my favorite Autumn flowers. It is neither a daisy nor a chrysanthemum and has gorgeous blooms until the first hard frost. I first encountered it decades ago along the beaches of Long Island where I grew up. Once I found it, I had to have at least a […]