Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
August is the heart of harvest season and the first of the potatoes have come in. It is a bit of a misnomer to call them a crop as I take a single old sprouting potato from our larder in June, cut out each eye letting them heal for a few days, and then place […]
On a quiet morning, the pollinator meadow at McKeon Farm in Ridgefield is full of activity.
Blackberries (Rubus fruticosus) have just started to ripen as the blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are giving us their last fruits. We are fortunate as the progression of different berries takes us from late May to early September with fresh fruit for our morning breakfast just steps away. There is always a tendency to pick the fruits […]
Many of my horticultural therapy classes require lots of upfront work. My class on pressing flowers requires more than normal as I decide to give my clients a nicer flower press than I have in the past. But I admit I enjoy the challenge as it often brings out my inner Macgyver and engineer to […]
Our beans have started to get too old and tough to eat the pods so Juana is shucking them to remove their coverings. She is a bit puzzled when she discovers that the red noodle beans have white beans inside and the green bush beans have red ones. No matter, I’m sure they will cook […]
I’m lucky that the oppressive heat of the last week has taken leave for my horticulture therapy class. Usually the Summer solstice celebration happens around the summer solstice, when the weather is nearly perfect in New England. But after catching a bout of Covid, I had to delay the class and change its focus. “. […]
Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is one of my favorite summer flowers. Not only does it remind me of the Good & Plenty candy of my youth with its intense scent of licorice, but it attracts countless pollinators who can’t get enough of it. Neither can I.
A summer bouquet for a lovely meal.
Sun tea is a quick and easy drink to enjoy on a hot summer’s day. I try to make a batch every week that I will put into the fridge to consume later. Though it is called sun tea, I don’t put any real tea in my concoctions but mints, flowers and herbs from my […]
Beans and more beans are in the garden. I am pulling both bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) as well as those of the pole variety (Phaseolus coccineus). This veg can be tricky as it hides well under its large and expressive leaves. Pushing aside a leaf, long pendulous legumes hang waiting to be harvested. This year, […]