Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
Tonight’s Winter Moon is escaping the grasp of neighboring maple (Acer) and oak (Quercus) trees as it rises above a conifer lit for the holidays. It’s the last evening prior to the solstice and the night is crisp and cold as it should be in New England. The air freezes the inside of my nose […]
Coming back to stack more logs, I count about 140 rings on the red oak (Quercia rubra) that was taken down recently. I suspect the true age of the tree is closer to 150 years given where on the trunk I started the count. Some years the rings are broad, indicating lots of rain and […]
My last horticultural therapy class at Ann’s Place to create seasonal decorations was packed with clients. As can happen sometimes, they were a bit surprised when they opened their bags to find a variety of objects that were far from obvious in their use. “Let me show you what we will be making today,” I […]
Decorating the Christmas tree, our latest and largest harvest, is more a marathon in our house than a sprint. Spruces (Picea) tend to have a lot more open spaces than do firs (Abies) within their branches making room for a great number of decorations to hang from the tree. The first order of business is […]
In preparing for the holidays, there is a tendency to go all out in decorations and floral excess. But sometimes a simple and single flower can be just as effective. This picture of a paperwhite (Narcissus papyraceus) rests on my wall and was taken over 30 years ago in our first house. The afternoon light […]
On an unusually sunny and warm afternoon in the mid-50s F, Juana and I make our way down to New Haven harbor to kill some time. The mostly rocky shoreline has few people and action except for an elderly man feeding the birds with great bursts of bread crumbs. It is low tide, and a […]
It’s a great day to cut down our Christmas tree! Over a decade ago, I decided that it was silly (and expensive) to go out “over the river and through the woods” to purchase a tree when my property has plenty of space to grow tiny conifers. So I planted over a dozen seedlings and […]
After a short day of 30-plus miles we roll into the Amtrak train station around noon with a total of 410 miles under our shoes after 8 days. It is amazing! The day starts under a thick haze from fires on the West coast that persists the entire morning. We bicycle through the grounds of […]
I have never thought of Ted and I looking particularity needy, but I am beginning to have second thoughts. Around noon yesterday, we wind up in Amsterdam looking for lunch. But as it turns out any restaurant near the trail is closed. “Do you know of any places we can get lunch?” I ask a […]
We leave our motel early to get a hardy breakfast at the Village Restaurant in Canajoharie. Neither of us are disappointed and we fuel up for a shorter 44 mile ride to Schenectady. Canajoharie is a lovely town with wonderful architecture and buildings. An abandoned Beech-Nut factory that used to make baby foods (and is […]