Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
I discovered this pickerel frog the other day when I was watering my vegetable garden. Resting on a corner post behind the tomatoes, it seems to enjoy the slight sprinkle from my garden hose. I am always happy and grateful when I discover such creatures as it implies that Juana and I are good stewards […]
Swiss chard has grown spectacularly this year, far outperforming all the other vegetables that I have planted. The only problem for us is that neither Juana nor I are so fond of this healthy, leafy green that we can keep up with (and consume) its growth. A recent dinner for some friends, however, started us […]
Looking to grab some parsley for dinner, I spot a pair of black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars munching away. They have done a pretty good job at consuming the dill and coriander, leaving only skeletal remains. Approaching them, I can almost hear them crunching away. I grab a few leaves on the outskirts of the plant, […]
The fence at @annsplaceinc is full of hops flowers and foliage softening its appearance. As hops are wind-pollinated, few bees and other insects are attracted to it. Will I ever get around to making beer with them?
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. “. […]