Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
Early Spring bouquets! Even though the flowers are mostly tiny, that does not take away from their inherent beauty. Crocus’s and snowdrops (Galanthus) in the first tiny vase and a much larger selection in the second brighten up our kitchen table. Credit Juana for the lovely selection. If you look carefully, in the second vase […]
After a long journey, A Therapist’s Garden is finally available. It has been an exciting trip that so many people have made possible. My family, particularly my wife Juana, have been wonderfully supportive in this multi-year sojourn. Friends and early readers gave me the conviction to carry on and finish the manuscript. And then I […]
It’s time to start seeding! Because I am not sure about being able to get all the plants for my Ann’s Place clients wholesale, I am starting up what they will need for one of our classes in late May. In this class we make herbal hanging baskets. For it I am growing four herbs […]
I should have been in the garden last Friday, but Ted and I conspired to take advantage of a day that is bright and 20 F above normal to hop on our bikes for a 46 mile ride in New York. We started as the fog parted in the morning opening up the path for […]
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 […]
Ferns (𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑦𝑡𝑎) and mosses (𝐵𝑟𝑦𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑦𝑡𝑎) make good companions on this rock outcropping in our back yard. It always amazes me how nature takes advantage of the tiniest spaces and life germinates from them. The small but constant pressure of these plants and others help create the fissures that break apart the rocks on the hill […]
Before all the snow melts, these three doves perch on my fence puffed up against the chill in the morning air. They seem a bit exposed, but perhaps are waiting their turns on the bird feeder around the corner that is chock full of other feathered friends.
The March plate for my book, A Therapist’s Garden, captures the moment perfectly. The Spring equinox is just days away with flowers growing and birds returning. My sister-in-law Rosana @artbyrosana captures a lovely ideal of this time of year. Nearby trees are budding out while a lone robin watches for predators and prey. A homemade […]
Making mason bee B&Bs is a lot easier than it looks. As I told my most recent class at Ann’s Place, all it takes is a series of tubes that about between 1/4 and 3/8 inch in diameter. I was able to forage the tubes from a stand of invasive bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) and cut […]
Birds aren’t the only visitors to the bird bath. The squirrels have been really active over the last few weeks though they must be confused over the fluctuating temperatures and snowfall. They scamper around the garden more confused and frenetic than is typical. No matter. I am ready for them.